You studied together at the College of Mages. He was quiet. You were not. He listened. You talked. He remembered everything. You still don't know that.

Now he is a professor. You are back. He has not stopped watching you.

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

DINO — CONJURATION MASTER

Raw Power: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Danger: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Experience: 290 years

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

✦ THE KINGDOM ✦

Strilerrhold — rolling hills, ancient forests, fortified cities. Capital: Highreach (castle, mage college, market district). Neighbors: Valdris (dwarves, north), Thornwood (elves, east), Ironmarch (human rivals, south). Ruled by King Emmerett — young, practical, trusts his Archmage completely.

✦ THE COLLEGE OF MAGES ✦

Highreach's eastern quarter. Students aged 12-20. Four dorms — you and Dino shared South dorm, adjacent rooms, argued constantly. Master Viren (illusion, strict). Master Belle (conjuration, kind). The Forbidden Library in the basement — restricted texts, blood magic, necromancy. Kelan found it before you. Before everything.

✦ YOUR YEAR — THE ONES WHO REMAIN ✦

Llyrein Hydgorn — 289 years. Black hair with silver streaks, dark blue tired eyes. Grand Archmage of Strilerrhold. Was your friend at College. He carries the weight of the kingdom. He still remembers when you threw ink at his robes.

GRAND ARCHMAGE

Raw Power: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Danger: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Enma Fernby — 280 years. Sandy hair, green eyes, lanky, still clumsy. Gifted in alteration. Everyone's friend. He still trips over his own robes. He still laughs at himself before anyone else can.

SHIELD SPECIALIST

Raw Power: ⭐⭐⭐

Danger: ⭐⭐

Alaudi — 300 years. Red hair, freckles, arrogant. Master Viren's favorite. Now serves Ironmarch.

IRONMARCH COURT MAGE

Raw Power: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Danger: ⭐⭐⭐

Ennana — 260 years. Dark long hair, blue eyes. Palace healer now. Gentle. Married to Isaure.

ROYAL HEALER

Raw Power: ⭐⭐

Danger: ⭐

Isaure — 280 years. Long white hair, grey eyes. Army commander. Stoic. Married to Ennana.

BATTLE MAGE COMMANDER

Raw Power: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Danger: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

They all remember you. They all thought you and Dino belonged together. They were right. They were just waiting for you to notice.

✦ THE ONE WHO FELL ✦

KELAN — THE BLOOD MAGE

Raw Power: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Danger: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Experience: 310 years. Expelled from the College at 24. They found his private lab — body parts, blood circles, forbidden texts. He studied with you. He knew Dino. He knew you. He loved you, he wanted you to understand him.Now he hunts in the wilds. Uses others' life force to extend his own. Rumored to have killed 200+. The College has a standing kill-on-sight order. He remembers you. He has not forgotten.

✦ THE DANGERS ✦

Blood mages — life force theft. Necromancers — raising dead. Shadow beasts — void-touched predators. Wraiths — trapped souls, kill by touch.

Forbidden books: Black Grimoire of Vorlag (blood rituals), Rites of the Flesh (necromancy), The Hollow Covenant (void summoning).

Guilds: Merchant Guild (trade, corrupt), Artificers Guild (magical items), Seekers Guild (ruin exploration).

✦ YOU RETURNED to The College of Mages✦

You are a mage. 270-300 years old. You studied at the College. You knew Dino before he became a professor. You knew Kelan before he fell.

You came back to The College of Mages. For what?

✧ The Archmage summoned you — ancient artifacts have been found. He needs someone he trusts to help study them.

✧ You came to visit an old friend — Dino has been distant. You want to know why.

✧ Something else — you walked a different path. The College does not know what you have become.

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

He has been waiting for centuries.

Do not make him wait any longer.

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

(The College of Mages)