Part 71: The Long Goodbye
The last day doesnt get a results screen, so why not party all day?
Youre wandering through the campus using the pretense of scouring the grounds one last time for any stray belongings. What youre actually out doing is spending some time alone to reflect over the past year.
A smile crosses your face as you pass by the Great Gate of the Academagia. You remember all the worries swimming around in your head at the time: what if no one likes you? What if you chose the wrong college? What if the professors were all terrible?
You certainly dont have to worry about any of that now. You have plenty of friends, you couldnt imagine being in another college, and your professors were outstanding.
But then another question pops in. How much have you changed in a single year? Was your college that important? Whats improved since you started? You dont feel all that different. How can you banish these self-doubts?
Welcome to the year-end summary. Here you can see that every attribute is represented except Strength. Which one we pick doesnt make any difference, but while Iliana has always prided herself on her Charm, I think weve shown that shes Aranaz material through and through.
The college of Aranaz favors the methodical, the calculating, and the bold, and youre proud to be included among its students. Youve made Beware Courtesty your personal motto and King Aranaz has always been your favorite historical hero. Aranaz may have a bad reputation for loyalty, but to you your peers are like familya highly dysfunctional family, but still.
Youve laughed at Aymeris antics, admired Rikildis ruthlessness, and made sure to stay out of Avelines way whenever shes in a mood. Youve come to appreciate Emilias quiet fortitude and Malacrestas dedication to the night sky. And youre certain Aranaz would never have been the same without you!
You couldnt imagine being anywhere else. Your confidence assuaged, you head back to your dorm room.
On the other hand, one last pass through the gardens shouldnt hurt. Ah, the memoriesnot all of them wholly pleasant, of course, but theyll provide great stories to tell your family.
You wonder how your parents will greet you when they show up to take you home. Will they be thrilled at your return? Fuss over how much youve grown? Or chide you for not doing your chores straight away?
The backgrounds stage doesnt list everything, basically just some of the stuff from the second page of options. In Ilianas case, that means Family: Helpful and Attentive (option 3) and Station: Merchant (option 2). Those who didnt take anything from the second page have to settle for the who knows option. Merchants more descriptive, so lets pick that.
Youll probably be embarrassed by the fuss your parents will make over you when you come home. But hey, youve always enjoyed being the center of attention.
Dad will probably get you to work in the store again, but at least he always pays you for your efforts. Maybe youll invite Emilia and Rui over. Youre sure your parents would love to see some of the friends youve made at school. Maybe you could teach them a few things about minding a till.
Before you reach the gardens exit, you notice something strange: a piece of pale pink cloth is tangled in some shrubs. You pick it and take a look. Ah, youd recognize this anywhere: its a pirate bandana!
Some unfortunate pirate must have left it behind during a daring escape from school grounds. Since the traditional pirate bandana is scarlet, this one must have been lost a long time ago.
Thinking back about pirates reminds you of all the strange adventures that happened this year. How could you forget the mysterious tropical island, or the clash between the pirates and the Minetan Guard that happened on it? Or the terrifying storm the evil wizard Mjolnir brought against the city? You never imagined an old city like this would have had so many new adventures waiting for you, but at least it distracted your nervous energynothing like the sudden appearance of a giant island in the sky to get your mind off your test scores.
Although the more you think about it, the more your classes did rank up there with Minetas turmoil in terms of causing you stress. The first couple of months in particular were pretty intimidating. But enough about that; youve finished your first year with flying colors and youd rather focus on the happy memories. Like your favorite class:
Just a straight-up list of classes. Theres really only one good choice for Iliana, though.
Nothing like cool logic to warm your passions. When the stress of school life got to be too much, there was nothing like a straightforward logic puzzle to clear your head. Tarvixio Sido must be the cooleset teacher on campus, in your opinion, and his passion for dialectics has shaped your own understanding of logic and reasoning. Not to mention how fun it was to help him out with Melisende. You wonder what it would be like to visit Meril
Okay, time to return to your dorm now. No more stalling by giving yourself one last tour of the campus. And no more reminiscingyou still have some things to pack, after all.
Just when you turn toward Campus Aranaz, a scream pierces the air. Well, you cant ignore that, can you?
When you run to the edge of the forest, you spot Llarina de Avuel getting dragged by some sort of ghoul into the woods.
Help! A Usus ghouls got me! Help!
A a what?
Youve never heard of one of those before. Something smells fishy here, but you cant just leave a classmate in what appears to be a dire situation.
Let, er, let her go!
Gwahahahahahaha! NEVER!
You pull out your wand to prepare a nice, solid bit of Incantation when Llarina yells again.
Stop! Its a Usus ghoul! Its impervious to spells! But you can intimidate it with a great act of talent! Please, do something!
Now what skill should you demonstrate to scare off the creature?
This is a list of every possible class skill. Checking the mod tools, only the ones at 10 or up should have appeared, but for some reason theyve all triggered here. Not that Iliana needs to cheat on this check; Revision will do wonderfully here.
You unleash a powerful Revision spell. The ghoul flashes a dozen shades of color, each one appearing more rapidly until finally
Gargh! Stop! Please stop!
The ghoul releases Llarina and flees.
Thanks! I cant believe I got nabbed like that. I guess I let my guard down since its almost summer vacation, and thats when the thing grabbed me!
You feel a swell of pride at having defeated the ghoul. You always knew you were good, but its nice to have proof. Your head held high, you move on towards your dorm.
If you had looked back, however, you might have seen Llarina and the ghoul resetting their positions for the next student to come along
Something catches your eye as you continue to your campus building. Was that Major Felix just there? You couldve sworn that was him, but he raced away too fast for you to see where he was going. Maybe he wanted to have one last look around the grounds, too? You try calling his name, but that hardly ever works normally. Youll have to track him down. You dont have much time left at the Academagia, and you dont want to leave him behind. But how can you find him?
The Familiar stage. Theres different text for each one, but obviously only one for each character.
This isnt the best time to be playing hide-and-seek. Where did that wily cat go? You scour the grounds until you finally see Major Rufus Felix Northbridge III hiding in the school gardens, curled up and pretending to nap.
Hes probably pouting about your looming departure. After all, hes had a lot more fun here than at your family shop, too. You smile as you think back on all the adventures you had together, particularly his toppling of the mouse king and the time he caught his first bird of prey. You never felt completely alone thanks to him, although Felixs proud nature sometimes made things more interesting than you really wanted.
But enough reminiscing. You gradually coax Major Felix out of the bushes by promising that youll be back with the fall, and hell probably seek Keeps, Tacitos owl, sometime over the summer. Now you can finally go pack.
Just outside the Aranaz dorm, you find Cosetta and Herbert arguing.
Youre not going to get very far with Astrology. You should take Glamour next year.
Hmph! Astrology is much more useful than Glamour. But I can see why flashy magic would distract you.
Herbert spots you and asks:
What do you think? Whats the most useful kind of magic?
Drat, you didnt want to get involved. You try to give a vague response about how all spells and phemes can be useful, but neither one is having it.
Yeah, yeah, nice sentiment. But which field is the best?
Pretty much every field youve dabbled in shows up here, including every Theory of subskill for some reason. I think we know which one Iliana would go with, but its illegal, so lets play it safe and go with the college skill, Orthography.
Orthography has the best potential of any of them.
Ortho-wha?
Orthography is the best combination of enchanting and Glamour. If all the diplomats in the world knew more about orthography, there wouldnt be half as many wars going on. I plan on working on making it a full class again, like it used to be hundreds of years ago.
Man, that does seem pretty interesting.
Finally, youve made it back to your dorm room! Now all you have to do is pack. Of course, this ends up taking longer when you remember everything that happened to bring you each item. The naiads cloak, Kaidlettes letter, the griffons feather, a link from Durands stone necklace Youre halfway through organizing when you hear a knock at the door. Now who could that be?
Ilianas clique and her close friends are practically the same things. A rival would be an option, too, if Iliana had any. But lets have her Clique show up one last time.
You open the door, and to your surprise you see every member of the Five-Handed Tree is present! Vrenelle has brought cookies from the kitchens in a rare indulgence and all five of you have a few as you reminisce together about everything that happened over the past year. Rui jokes about Eduards attemts at sabotage, Emilia recounts the tale of the Itching Gas Incident, Tacito brags about all the cases hes solved, and Vrenelle renews her offer to have you all over to visit her familys estate during the summer.
Finally, they all leave you to pack. Youll miss them when they arent around over the summer.
Belongings packed? Check.
Familiar found? Check.
Goodbyes? Check. Although another round couldnt hurt
You feel like youre still forgetting something, but you know youre prepared for the journey home. You wonder what itll feel like going back, considering how much youve changed this past year. You cant wait to show all your old friends all the magic spells youve learnednot to mention the idea of going to bed without having to study for anything! But something still feels amiss. What is it?
Of course.
Its not so much a missing item so much as what you cant take with you. The Academagia itselfthe students, the atmosphere, the character, the halls, everything! Even the food, thanks to Vrenelle.
As you tidy up your room and organize your last bag, you consider one last walk around campus. After all, youve spent almost a full year here; whats wrong with just a few more minutes to soak it all in? You want to make sure this carefree day gets crystalized in your memory for a long time
Thanks for reading.
Iliana OtMatars Final Stats
(an incomplete list)
Bonuses listed after a number are included in the total.
Attributes
Fitness: 8 (+1 Alive like a Sea Dog)
Finesse: 6
Charm: 15 (+1 Cloak of Beguiling, +1 Affection, +1 Golden, +1 Peaceful Heart)
Strength: 3 (+2 Hants Bracelet)
Intelligence: 9 (+1 Learn from Mistakes)
Insight: 13 (+1 Learn from Mistakes, +1 Understand Strategy, +1 Beacon of Beggars Corner, +1 Ranaldo The Underbellys Diary, +1 Calm)
Luck: 8 (+1 Wand of Planar Shift, +1 Opinicus Feather)
Stress Max: 20
Vitality Max: 15
Encumbrance: 6
Concealment: 12
Inventory
Wardrobe: Sword of Kush, The Book of Deep Shadows, Tailored Robes, Merilien Book of Devotions, Marat Deck, Ancient Tome
Book: Ranaldo The Underbellys Diary
Bracelet: Spiked Bracelet, Hants Bracelet
Cloak: Cloak of Beguiling
Coat: Robe of Waters Endurance
Feather: Opinicus Feather
Footwear: Calf-Length Boots
Hand: Wand of Planar Shift, Wand of Fenris
Miscellaneous: Pigments of the Airy Void
Plant: Ice Lily
Rings: Doppelganger Band, Necromancers Ring, Mysterious Golden Ring
Scroll/Parchment: Certificate of Imperial Favor
Emotions
Affection: +1 to Charm, Confidence, and Awareness.
Alive like a Sea Dog: +1 to Fitness and Playfulness and -1 to Temperance.
Calm: +1 to Insight, Natural Philosophy, and Religion.
Elation: 3 rolls for each Fitness, Finesse, and Strength check.
Golden: +1 Charm and +40 Parental Approval.
Peaceful Heart: +1 to Charm and Patience.
Prophetic Certainty: +1 Astrology and -1 Observation.
Salt of the Earth: +1 Confidence and Composure.
Skills
Aesthetics: 1
--Court Hairstyles: 1
--Courtly Fashion: 4
--Perfumes: 1
--Sewing: 3
Ambush: 5 (+1 Whisper in the Grass)
--Danger Sense: 3 (+1 Eyes in the Back of your Head)
--Mimicry: 4
--Move Silently: 4
--Traps: 8
Arithmetic: 0
--Applications of Arithmetic: 1
--Identities of Arithmetic: 2
Art: 5 (+1 Artistic Focus)
--Art Appreciation: 4 (+1 Artistic Focus, +1 Calligraphers Temperament)
--Creativity: 4 (+1 Mysterious Golden Ring, +1 Methodology of Change)
--Dance: 5
--Painting: 1 (+1 Mysterious Golden Ring)
--Theatre: 3
Astrology: 9 (+1 Attuned to the Calendar, +1 Methods of the Masters, +2 Necromancers Ring, +1 Prophetic Certainty)
--Comets: 0
--Moons: 4 (+1 Wand of Fenris)
--Planets: 3
--Stars: 4
--The Everard Equation: 6
--Theory of Astrology: 8 (+1 The Hidden Meaning of Buildings)
Athletics: 3
--Archery: 0
--Competition: 4
--Running: 8 (+1 Long Strides)
--Swimming: 3
--Wrestling: 2
Befriend: 2
--Conversation: 10
--Listen: 2 (-1 Hants Bracelet)
--Temperance: 8 (+2 Lie Down with Lambs, -1 Alive like a Sea Dog)
Beguile: 3 (+1 Cloak of Beguiling)
--Character Study: 6
--Flattery: 0
--Flirting: 2
--Storytelling: 4
Blackmail: 1
--Journalism: 1
--Memorization: 7 (+1 Quote History)
--Observation: 3 (-1 Prophetic Certainty)
Botany: 0
--Agriculture: 1
--Flowers: 5
Brew: 1
--Alchemical Tools: 1
--Analyze: 2
--Chemistry: 1 (+1 Ink Devotee)
--Poisons: 1
Bully: 3
--Brute Strength: 4
--Insult: 1
--Interrogation: 3
--Intimidation: 2
--Rallying: 3
--Tease: 2
Calligraphy: 11/Study 10 (+1 Ink Devotee)
--Bookbinding: 1
--Forgery: 2 (+1 Handwriting Awareness, +1 Forgers Hand)
--Forms: 11 (+1 Handwriting Awareness)
--Illustration: 10
--Ink Compounds: 10
--Orthography: 10 (+1 Pigments of the Airy Void)
Compete: 10
--Manipulation: 11 (+1 Sphinx Syndicate Membership)
--Planning: 11 (+1 Braced for Disaster)
--Wit: 10
Cooking: 1 (+1 International Gourmand)
--Baking: 1
--Recipes: 5 (+1 International Gourmand)
Dialectic: 10/Study 10
--Famous Dilemmas: 10
--First Principles: 10
--Logic: 10
--Sleuthing: 9 (+1 Sense of Systems)
Duel: 1
--Demi-Tour: 1
--Duel Conduct: 2
--Dueling Circles: 1
--Dueling Forms: 2
Economy: 2
--Accounting: 3
--Administration: 3 (+1 Sense of Systems)
--Negotiate: 2
--Transport: 2
Enchant: 3 (+1 Pigments of the Airy Void)
--Magical Appraisal: 2
--Materials Knowledge: 3
--Palettes: 0
--Theory of Enchantment: 4
Engineering: 1
--Architecture: 4 (+1 The Hidden Meaning of Buildings)
--Carpentry: 1
--Clockwork: 1
--Drafting: 3
Enspell: 2
--Concentration: 10 (-1 Wand of Planar Shift, +1 Wand of Fenris)
--Diction: 4
--Phemes: 2
Espionage: 6
--Acting: 5
--Deceit: 8
--Escape Artist: 7
--Infiltration: 6 (+1 Whisper in the Grass)
--Lip Reading: 1
Explore: 2
--Animal Husbandry: 4 (+2 Lie Down with Lambs)
--Cartography: 2
--Climb: 5
--Knots: 2
--Seeking Friends in Hidden Places: 1
--Wilderness Survival: 2
Forge: 4 (+1 Pigments of the Airy Void, +1 Shieldwright)
--Armorer: 5
--Courage: 9 (+1 Steel Eyes)
--Jeweler: 2
--Weaponsmith: 2
Gates: 14 (+1 Pigments of the Airy Void, +1 Necromancers Ring, +2 Spiked Bracelet)
--Gates Methods: 12 (+2 Spiked Bracelet)
--Gates Phemes: 10
--Gates Spells: 10
--Theory of Gates: 10
Geometry: 1
--Famous Geometry Problems: 2
--Geometric Laws: 2
--Trigonometry: 1
Glamour: 12 (+1 Pigments of the Airy Void, +1 Methods of the Masters)
--Glamour Methods: 13 (+1 Doppelganger Band, +2 Ice Lily)
--Glamour Phemes: 10
--Glamour Spells: 10
--Theory of Glamour: 10
Gossip: 3
--Bluff: 3
--Dating: 4
--Innuendo: 4
Grammar: 3 (+1 The Number of the Word)
--Famous Prose: 2
--Semantics: 4
--Syntax: 5 (+1 The Number of the Word)
Heraldry: 4
--Diplomacy: 10
--Etiquette: 4
--Honor of Mallen Field: 0
--Intrigue: 8 (+1 Sphinx Syndicate Membership)
--Politics: 4
--Romance: 2 (+1 Calf-Length Boots
--Worldliness: 3
History: 11/Study 10 (+1 Quote History)
--Legacy of Many Towers: 1
--Pride of a Rebel Queen: 4
--The Calamities: 13 (+2 Ranaldo The Underbellys Diary)
--The Captivity of Man: 4
--The Early Empire: 10
--The Exile: 0
--The History of Magic: 10
--The Middle Empire: 10
--The Second Captivity: 0
Incantation: 11 (+1 Pigments of the Airy Void, +1 Methods of the Masters)
--Incantation Methods: 12 (+1 Wand of Fenris, +1 Robe of Waters Endurance)
--Incantation Phemes: 9
--Incantation Spells: 7
--Theory of Incantation: 10
Language: 7 (+1 Focus on Language, +1 Facile Tongue)
--Bassan: 8
--Elumian: 5
--Merilien: 5
--Oncestrian: 3
--Vilocian: 3
Law: 3
--Bureaucracy: 3
--Civil Law: 0
--Criminal Law: 3
--Debate: 7 (+1 Study Mastery: Rhetoric)
Malice: 3
--Dispassion: 3
--Gambling: 1
--Patience: 8 (+1 Calligraphers Temperament, +1 Peaceful Heart)
--Puzzles: 8
Mastery: 0
--Mastery Methods: 2
--Mastery Phemes: 0
--Mastery Spells: 1
--Theory of Mastery: 0
Music:
--Famous Songs: 1
--Harpsichord: 0
--Violin: 1
--Voice: 2
Natural Philosophy: 2 (+1 Calm)
--Anthropology: 5 (+1 International Gourmand)
--Archaeology: 8
--Biology: 1
Negation: 3 (+1 Methods of the Masters)
--Negation Methods (+1 Shieldwright)
--Negation Phemes: 2
--Negation Spells: 1
--Theory of Negation: 4
Patrol: 1 (+1 Keeping the Machine Oiled)
--Hunting: 0
--Scent Detection: 2
--Scouting: 2
Plot: 11 (+1 Braced for Disaster)
--Coordination: 10
--Dedication: 10
--Flawless Timing: 11 (+1 Methodology of Change)
--Reason: 10
Raid: 5 (+1 Keeping the Machine Oiled)
--Drive Carriage: 2
--Navigation: 4
--Pure Luck: 7
--Tactics: 6
Religion: 3 (+1 Calm)
--Ethics: 10
--Oratory: 4
--Piety: 2
--Prayer: 2
--Theology: 1
--Veneration of the Saints: 2
Research: 14 (+1 Research Focus, +3 Deep Research)
--Cryptology: 11 (+1 The Number of the Word)
--Decipher Handwriting: 4
--Filing: 10
--Library Knowledge: 11 (+1 Sense of Systems)
Revision: 17/Study 10 (+2 Wand of Planar Shift, +1 Pigments of the Airy Void, +2 Revision Mastery, +1 Methods of the Masters)
--Revision Methods: 14 (+2 Wand of Planar Shift, +1 Wand of Fenris)
--Revision Phemes: 11
--Revision Spells: 10
--Theory of Revision: 11
Rhetoric: 10/Study 10
--Character: 10
--Confidence: 13 (+1 Beacon of Beggars Corner, +1 Affection, +1 Salt of the Earth)
--Famous Speeches: 10
--Passion: 11 (+1 Opinicus Feather)
Rimbal: 0
--Endurance: 9 (+1 Robe of Waters Endurance)
--Rimbal Plays: 0
--Rimbal Positions: 1
--Rimbal Tactics: 0
Sabotage: 3
--Artisan: 3
--Perception: 2 (+1 Talent of the Hound)
--Playfulness: 4 (+1 Alive like a Sea Dog)
--Practical Jokes: 10
School Survival: 10
--Curiosity: 10
--Familiar Kinship: 10
--Schoolyard Education: 3
--Social Skills: 10
--Study Habits: 10
--Test-Taking: 1
Sleight-of-Hand: 2 (+1 Steady Hand)
--Acrobatics: 1
--Composure: 11 (+1 Stony Look, +1 Student of the Edge of Nowhere, +1 Calf-Length Boots, +1 Salt of the Earth)
--Conceal: 4 (+1 Steady Hand)
Society: 7
--Awareness: 7 (+1 Affection)
--Minetan Swagger: 2
--Persuasion: 11 (+1 Cloak of Beguiling)
--Speaking Quietly of Riddles: 1
--Willpower: 8
Spy: 0
--Hide: 6
--Lie: 8 (+1 Stony Look, +2 Steel Eyes)
War: 4 (+1 Understand Strategy)
--Command: 2
--Famous Battles: 6
--Leadership: 8
--Logistics: 1
--Manner of a Champion: 1
--Strategy: 3
Zoology: 5
--Amphibians: 5
--Birds: 9
--Insects: 0
--Mammals: 10
--Worms: 1
Glory: 7