[UofM] Testing a gnome: Jyg 31st, MT

[Tristam]

The ball of light led Cogwell through the halls of the University. The place felt like a workshop that was half empty. Forces in the air were eager for someone to come and work with them. The gnome only passed a few student in the hallways. Mostly, they sat in quiet study or seemed to be closely examining seemingly average bits of building while mumbling.

The ball of light led Cogwell across a small grassy courtyard and then through a door into one of the towers. The room beyond was circular with a low ceiling. A spiral staircase led upward towards the top of the tower. The air was filled with the tang of spice, sulfur, and metal that only alchemical studies can produce. Cog passed by several doors as he wound his way up. About three turns of the tower up, there was a wooden door on a small landing. The bronze plaque on the door read: Professor Q. Pralix, Alchemy. A parchment scroll nailed to the door simply had an arrow on it pointing up.

The ball turned a corner onto a wide landing. A pair of inch thick stone doors stood open but ready to seal off this room at a moment's notice. The room beyond was filled with large table made of some black shiny stone. Atop each workbench were glass apparatus of baffling meaning, most filled with brightly colored fluids bubbling or steaming or condensing. One was clear aside from a crystalline looking dust all over its surface. If she looked at it right, it smoldered like embers only the light was green.

"More to the right! No, your right Patrick!" A man with salt and pepper hair dressed in a blue robe was the owner of the weaker voice though it was firm and commanding now. He was directing two young men in brown robes. The men in brown were each standing atop a large folding ladder. Each held the edge of a mirror almost as large as they were. With it, they were trying to reflect the light from the windows above on to a lump of black rock sitting on one of the workbenches. Straining the boys shifted the mirror until the light once again fell onto the rock. The light was completely absorbed by the stone.

The ball of light swirled around the professor's head and then winked out. Professor Pralix spun around in surprise. "Ah, a prospective student, I presume." He blinked a few times and then then continued. "Well, ah, I am Professor Pralix and I'll be conducting your entrance exam. Did the registrar tell you what that entails?"

[Cogwell Cogs]

As he followed the ball into the room, Cogwell's beady eyes looked almost normal, so wide with astonishment were they.

Cogwell shook his head at the Professor's question. "Nosir, allhetoldmewastofollowtheballoflight, andfollowtheballidid."

He looked past Pralix at the rock, astounded that it could absorb light just like that. He was liking this place already, it was so full of possibilities.

[Brytan]

"I see...pity. No matter though. Sit down please."

The professor directed Cogwell to a desk and a chair which had been placed quite close to one of the tables holding the glass apparatus. A strange mixture of blues and greens was swirling around within a number of tubes and beakers sitting on the table. Rather than walking over to it however, the professor retreated for a moment to another side of the chamber, only to return flickers later with a small cube which he placed in front of Cogwell.

The cube appeared to be made of stone. It was divided into smaller cubes which rested around what seemed to be a hollow core. The core was visible through a single opening in one of the sides of the cube. It appeared something was in the middle.

"This cube contains a key. For you to gain admittance to the school you must have a room. The key to that room is in here. You must retrieve it from the cube but you can't destroy the cube to do so. Succeed and you will be welcome among our student body."