Aris Cretu stood in the tiny basement room of the Wizard's Tower of Padan. He wasn't supposed to be there, but a few coins to a housekeeper and a confident stride had kept him out of trouble so far. But as he looked about the minuscule 'bedroom' where Aflia had lived for so long, he almost wanted to be found. Wanted to drag someone in authority through the sinking muck of their own making. Aflia came to just above his shoulder (her exact height was tricky to judge with the different structure of her legs), but the bed was hardly big enough for a person two-thirds of his height. The one window only let in light for two hours around noon, the 'desk' was a plank of unfinished wood on rough-made sawhorses, and the seat of the three-legged stool was slanted. A pile of boots moldered away in one of the corners. Aris recognized them as standard-issue uniform boots of the kind issued to students of the Tower. Aflia had clearly never worn them, preferring instead to go bare-hoofed. The burnt-down candle stubs, rickety bookshelf, and clean chest all spoke of another student having been moved into the room since Aflia had moved out, but Aris couldn't think of anyone who would stand to live in such a dump. That is, until the occupant literally bumped into him.

  "Ooof! Oh, sorry Sir."

  "My mistake for standing in the doorway, mr. ...?" Aris glanced down, and down some more. The reason for the short bed was as apparent as the wild green hair of the gnome standing in front of him.

  "Ormillan, Sir. Ormillan Bluehair, wildmage-in-training. May I ask who you are and what you are doing in my dorm room?"

  Aris couldn't help but grin at Ormillan's impudent tone. "Aris Cretu. A friend asked me to look over their old dorm room, trying to track down a family heirloom. I didn't know it was occupied, or I would have asked permission."

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  "Oh, ptui! Don't worry about it. I leave the door unlocked because no-one comes down here anyways. Did'ya find what you were looking for Sir?"

  "Only old memories."

  "Ah. Well then, I hope you find whatever you were looking for."

  "Don't worry. Um, you do know your hair is, well, green at the moment?"

  The string of profanity that chased Aris into the hallway was as colorful as the hair of the gnome who produced it.

  Status Report:

  Treasury: 1620

  Income: +305 gold per day

  Amount & Source

  +5 Semi-retired Agent of Altheim

  +200 Food sold from Ikin

  +100 Food sold from Colubrinus

  Equipment: In good condition.

  Estates:

  

  
• Ikin: Village: Fishing Docks, Farms


  
• Trebor Convent: no upgrades, Dedication to the Light in progress


  
• Colubrinus: Village: Farms


  
• Three Empty Holdings (may be improved later)


  
• One Old Temple (occupied by undead, traps, and animated statues)


  

  The Ring: obsidian band with two carbuncle gems and one empty setting.

  Total Deaths: 1