18 - 05/26/25 : Good Neighbors

Upon returning to Fortune's Crossing, Zana thanked classmates for helping her and showing that there could be silver linings past her visions of misfortune. The next morning, the Book Club had their regular post-mission meetings. The trio speculated once more on what the nature of Adeline's father was. Ezri discussed her past with Deumion a bit and restated her desire to kill Deumion herself, a sentiment that Adeline, who wanted revenge for her own mother, and Snow, who had led a mercenary life previously, both understood. She also considered reaching out to her family, who as far as she knew, still believed her to be studying under Deumion and completely unaware of his treatment of her. When asked if she wanted revenge against her old boss, Snow only expressed a desire to learn the significance of her bracelet and why it was worth killing her. While figuring out their tasks, the students decided to talk to Arwyn to discuss the completed tasks for Zana and Nadya they had finished.   In Arwyn's office, the headmaster was absent, but the students noticed a dragon chess board with a game in progress on the table. Arwyn arrived in the room and greeted his students, while also explaining that the chess board was enchanted to sync up to multiple boards across the world, and was a common gift for his wizarding associates. He thanked the party for their help with the other students and as a show of thanks, offered to expand their living space once more for them. He also informed them that he had a lead on the material components needed for the legend lore spell for Snow. Arwyn's associate, a tiefling wizard named Soul, had access to the materials, but with the caveat that the party needed to travel to his tower in person to acquire them. Soul's instructions and reasons were purposefully vague, but Arwyn promised that this was someone who he trusted.   Arwyn also informed Ezri that he had learned a little about Deumion, but mostly that he was a recluse, even by wizard standards, and there were rumors of him working with entities from the lower planes. Ezri was undeterred and restated her desire to fight Deumion once she was ready, with Arwyn showing his support to the goal. While discussing the dangers, Ezri offhandedly wondered what happens to her soul if she dies while bound to the Lantern King, which caused an unusually somber expression from Eo Nee. Ezri also asked Arwyn if Hermes could deliver a letter to her parents, as he was recently enstated as a campus-wide mail system. Arwyn wasn't sure if he could do that since it would cut offthe rest of the students from this new service, but suggested asking Cirella instead, as her familiar could also travel long distances.   With a new goal set, the Book Club decided to do some training before heading off. Snow began by visiting the Golem, finding him putting the finishing touches on some stone statues. The Golem shared that they represented his old adventuring party when he was a young wizard, who had encountered a dragon on a quest they thought to be simple. His other party members had sacrificed themselves to ensure he could live, and the Golem vowed to become strong enough to protect those he valued, leading to his new philosophy of strength. Snow showed her compassion for her mentor's story with a hug, before they began their training in earnest.   At Cirella's hut, Ezri ran into Nadya who was also training. Before starting training, she asked Cirella about sending Poe with a letter home, which Cirella agreed would be possible for her. Ezri decided to wait on the letter for now, but appreciated having the option whenever she felt ready to reach out. With the matter settled, Nadya offered to duel Ezri for their training for the day, which Ezri wholeheartedly accepted.   The Book Club continued training for a few days, furthering their mastery with their instructors. Ezri also worked on drawing out the magic of the Void Card. When she managed this, she began trying to reach out and find more of the scattered cards, using her card as the focus. Snow took some time to train with the LeClairs at Bon Bon Courage. She found the kindly bakers to take their work very seriously, and learned the task was more grueling than she expected. Meanwhile, Adeline had been working with Raine, while also carving a few elemental runestones on the side. After preparations were made, the group was ready to make their long journey to Soul's tower.