Glantr Darwin and Violet

Last time on child wizards risk life and limb:

A young girl looks over her magic test, confident in her answers and COVERED IN SPIDERS.  As instructed, she leaves the paper on her desk.  A younger boy, sitting to her left, gets up as well.  He takes her paper as well as another behind them, and looks at theirs as compared to his barely finished one.  He places the girl's paper on his own desk, and mixes up the mystery tester's paper with his own poor one when putting the other two back.

Flashing forward, we see the face of the disappointed girl -  Violet Alloway - as she is told that her scores had dropped too low for early admission to a higher class.  She seems ultimately confused.

"I was so sure I checked my work - how did I get so many wrong?"  She checks over her answers and seems shocked at her mistakes.  Ralph the spider attempts to comfort her, but few humans speak spider.

Meanwhile, a poor peasant child Darwin is given a hero's welcome to the school, with apologies for not noticing one of his incredible intellect until so late in his life.  The child, grinning, turns around to see a slightly menacing figure.

"I wasn't aware you were a talented wizard, Darwin."

"Ah, uh, master Azara I-"

"Don't worry, it's a good thing.  The Ranger school will provide you ample opportunity to improve, and cover your involvement in our most important and secretive order.  Just don't get caught."

The man gives a smile so pleasant and honest that it is unnerving.  Ralph is seen overhearing the conversation, but can't tell Violet because he's a spider.

Flashing forward again, we see Violet and Darwin in class - the former having already reclaimed some of her right by advancing a class.  A teacher stands before the gathered students at the Ranger school.

"We need some volunteers to escort a dangerous cleric for trial at the capital, any volunteers?"

Violet raises her hand, as does an exceptionally young boy.

"Excellent Ms. Alloway, Timmith.  Oh, and Darwin, it looks like you've also signed up already, excellent initiative."

Darwin looks up in surprise.  "Wait, what?"  He pauses, a grimace forming on his face.  "Azara."

Flash forward the third, Timmith is leading Darwin and Violet to a strange room, explained to be storage.  Darwin lifts up and takes a swing with an impressive and strange glowing sword, much to the surprise of everyone else.

Another flash and the three are in a room with strange beds and chest - the dream simulator.  The rules are explained and they awake in a sea of clouds.  A giant attacks and subdues Timmith, Violet uses the clouds to fly, and Darwin uses his sword to destroy a cloud and send both plummeting to their dream deaths.  Darwin and Violet wake up to a comatose Timmith.

"What happened?"  Darwin looks confused.  "I barely remember anything."

Violet glares at him.  "You killed the giant."

"Awesome, sounds like me."

"You also killed our guide."

"I don't know, I think I'd remember something like that."

They are told they'll have to go on alone.  Violet reminds Darwin that they have all her spiders - he doesn't seem happy with the idea - so she wisely hires a the guard Melvin with her family's money.

Meeting Oscar and Stefano, the magistrates of the area, the party of five heads to the town where the cleric is captured.  The cleric is shown to be a kind man who does not hide his faith.  Both Violet and Darwin are conflicted by this but stand by their definitely not evil atheist faith.  They are also suspicious of the townsfolk's clear lies about not knowing of the cleric, especially those coming from the Librarian of the town.

Regardless, they continue to speak with the cleric - Violet falling a little for his faith's charms - and the cleric is let out when they fall asleep.   A horse chase ensues where Darwin and Melvin track the cleric to a clearing.  The party surrounds him, but someone makes too much noise.

"I KNOW I SAID TO TALK TO HIM SO WE COULD AMBUSH HIM FROM THE SIDES," Darwin yells, "BUT HE KNOWS WE'RE HERE NOW SO I'LL APPROACH INSTEAD."

The cleric gets up.  "Wait what?"

Violet sighs.  "Why would you say that?"

Violet eats a spider.  Ralph is horrified.  She then uses her magic to stick the cleric's hands together and confuse him while the three guards and Darwin pile on him, and despite the cleric proving to be an able dodger, they manage to take him down.

The six continue on now towards the capital, running into a horrible death worm that tries to ignore Darwin in favour of mass murder and gets instantly decapitated for its troubles.  Darwin tries to grab it and gets permanently paralyzed - at least until the cleric cures him.  This complicates Darwin's unease in their duty.  The party acquires a cart to carry the worm and continues on.

Under mounting pressure from Violet and Darwin the cleric finally says he'll reveal his connection to the Librarian as well as how he so openly practiced his faith, but they must read a prayer to the people of a nearby town.  Darwin is shown doing so in a very stunning and kind of frightening improvised Orcan translation, and the cleric admits that the entire town followed his words and he regularly administered to the Librarian's old injury.

Guards come and meet them as they near the capital but don't care at all about what some teenage snoops think is going on by the border and tell them to go home.  In open defiance (and also he needed more training) Darwin meets with Azara in the capital's outskirts, reporting his fears.  Meanwhile, Violet returns to the Ranger School and recieves all of the credit for finding (and donating) the death worm as well as completing the mission, despite her best efforts.

It is revealed that Darwin has 'learned' a new 'spell', namely paralysis.  It is shown that he has some pieces of the worm safely wrapped and stored away.  Ralph is shown having forgiven Violet for his eaten brethren.

Characters of note:

Azara Rassir, Slayer Immortal and Darwin's teacher "Sunny" Bookmaker.

 Sunny 9th level Slayer, Charisma 16, Generous 15, Courage 12 (18), Indulgent: 18 (lower to friends)

Oscar and Stefano, the magistrates.

(Oscar:  Courage: 14 duty: 15

,14Str/9Int/8Wis/12Dex/13Con/9Cha, higher rank

Stefano:  16Str/11Int/12Wis/8Dex/16Con/11Cha)

Courage 11, Rash 14, Indulgent (home): 15 (on duty 4)

Melvin, the bodyguard/hunter.

(10Str/10Int/9Wis/16Dex/13Con/10Char)

Weapons: Bow, short, 

20 arrows, giver

SR: 2 Clothes, hunter

   

Ralph the spider.

Not so mysterious cleric (brought to trial, presumed dead).

Small town Librarian (accused of worshipping gods, presumed vengeful).