Crystal Academy Squad Opal: Second Year - Episode 3

## Summary

The Empire of Mowen, one of the three major kingdoms of A’lune, created in secret a school called the Crystal Academy. Threadtouched youths could hone their abilities in all aspects of the Thread, and in exchange for these three years of free schooling, food, and board, the students pledged to devote three years serving in the Mowen army after their graduation.

In 1216 A.S., five teenagers attended the Crystal Academy, together forming dormitory squad Opal. Caiteor, Mariska, Milo, Ohros, and Umber became fast friends. Their first year was a blur of excitement—attending classes and learning about their Threads; romantic relationships and making a boyfriend from body parts; releasing eleven devils and destroying a Hell Gate; the death of the dean; giving in to an inner evil that went on a rampage and killed fellow students; and the unfortunate expulsion of Ohros from the school. The rampage and devils had been erased from the minds of most faculty and students, though Squad Opal covertly protected their memories. Now the four remaining squad members had to continue their schooling while knowing that not all was as it seemed at the Crystal Academy. Far greater challenges would face them in the Second Year.

In this episode, the squad raided Dushah Uloreen's throne room, played their hand, and teamed up with Prefect Orique to find a rare reagent known as blue honey.

## Group Unknowns

* Where did the devils go?
* Who is the invisible woman?
* Why is Billy ben-Rubie the only ghost haunting the Crystal Academy?
* What do the red crystals do?
* What is an effective method to get rid of devils?

## Confronting Wilter Cacian

Having rescued Luden Wilde, bested a silvertongue devil outside of Inzet, and met with Dushah Uloreen, Squad Opal disclosed information about the cult of Vilithk at the school, the Hell Gate formerly on school grounds, and the releasing of eleven devils. Uloreen was livid that such events had been hidden from him. He and an attachment of guards left to the docks.

Before leaving, Milo used Mage Hand to rip a large pearl from a mixed media painting. Caiteor used Mending to repair the canvas, decently restoring the work. Umber grabbed his demon blade and a journal, apparently mundane and blank.

At that moment, a clatter of pens alerted them to Mariska's efforts. She had cast Detect Magic and, upon realizing that so many magic items surrounded them, also joined in the raid. She stuffed a few pens into her pockets, blaming the noise on Femur. Milo ribbed Umber and said that Mariska needed to take some of their stealth classes.

With that, the squad and Luden departed, catching up to Uloreen. They took a boat across the lake and through the glamor that hid the Crystal Academy. There on the island's dock, Dean Cacian and Prefect Orique awaited their arrival, two animated armors flanking them as guards. Orique the ranger was a third-year student, an Aasimar with short hair, navy skin, and an infernal tail. A longarm in the gamut league, they were extremely popular and far above the gamut skills of Umber.

Cacian welcomed Uloreen, grabbing his arm and whispering something in his ear. The two walked some twenty feet along the coast to talk privately. Mariska frowned at this, but was distracted as Luden once more lifted one of the red devil crystals from Milo and tried to suck on it. The squad berated him and took the crystal back, knowing it was only a matter of time before he would steal one again.

Left awkwardly on the dock, Umber introduced himself to Orique, saying he was a big fan and asking for Orique's name. Orique said that if Umber was a fan, then he should know their name. Umber crumbled under the awkward small talk, but Orique patted his back in compassion.

Still focused on Cacian and Uloreen, Mariska placed herself by her squad and swooned against Caiteor. Mariska's senses went into Femur, and she directed her familiar to spy on the mages. Femur complied, fluttering to their feet and picking at worms, pretending to be just a bird.

The mages were deep in conversation. Cacian said, "You would not want me to say anything about your secret mission, would you? The founding and running of the school is up to me; if you don't want the bodies you've shuffled into Inzet to be known, be careful of the accusations you throw around."

Uloreen was not cowed. "You have a Hell Gate and devils, I'm not going to allow this."

Cacian shrugged. "If you want others to know your secret, come after me."

Uloreen stated that if he heard of another problem with the school, reputation be damned, Cacian would not walk the world any longer. The Dushah left, his guards following him back onto the boat as they departed.

The squad eyed Cacian, who eyed them at the end of the dock. After discussing what they should say and including Orique in the conversation, they approached Cacian and let him direct the conversation. The dean stated that he was glad they had survived an encounter with a devil. If he had known it was a devil who had stolen his relic, he wouldn't have sent children on the dangerous mission.

"But you're not so much children, are you?" he said. "You bested a silvertongue, and apparently there is much you've not told me, such as the presence of a cult."

The squad acted confused, saying they were positive that they had told Cacian about the cult. Umber said that they told him around the same time that they told him about the Hell Gate, which made Cacian realize that Squad Opal's memories were not wiped—They remembered the Hell Gate, and possibly much more.

But Cacian said that his memory was not what it used to be and changed the subject. He looked to Mariska and broached her project, the reanimation of her boyfriend, Chad Internship. He said that there was blue honey in the mountains that would be extremely useful for that spell.

At that moment, another ferry, operated by a Fairy, pulled up to the docks. Cacian dismissed the group, telling them to come to his office tomorrow to receive more information on their next assignment. He left with animated armors clunking along with him. Milo cast Mage Hand to push one armor as it was about to step over a mound, causing it to topple. Cacian looked at it and waved his hand; the armor crinkled and absorbed into a bracelet he wore.

As the ferry docked, a Giff in regal attire disembarked. He came with an extendable cane, a monocle, and seven trunks of luggage. Caelyn Brightly, Professor Brightly, was their new divination teacher. The school had a horrid divination course, a flaw which he planned to rectify.

As Prefect, Orique escorted Brightly to the main offices, Luden and the squad accompanying them. An attendant helped Brightly and also walked Luden through the enrollment process. Brightly tapped his cane against a wall and adjusted his monocle—which had shifted from one eye to the other without anyone noticing. He told the students to visit him anytime, looking forward to getting to know them.

The group split, Orique going to their dorm and Squad Opal going to their own.

## The Quest: Honey in the Highlands

Mariska immediately pulled out a bunch of maps, attempting to chart where blue honey would likely be found. Caiteor offered to help, though he had no idea what blue honey was. After hours of poring over the maps, he finally admitted that he didn't know what he was doing.

Meanwhile, Umber realized that he had played their hand, telling Cacian about the Hell Gate. Milo said they could get more of the memory-preserving flowers from the woods just in case Cacian planned to wipe their memories once more. Billy ben-Rubie floated up from the floor then, Milo sensing it and pointing over his shoulder at Billy before the spirit had made a sound. Billy groaned at Milo flaunting his ability to sense ghosts.

Umber welcomed the spirit, and Billy asked how the trip went, mentioning that if Luden wasn't a spy, then they would be fine. Mariska admitted that while Luden was no spy, someone might possibly have let Cacian know that they remembered everything. Billy thought Luden had done it; the squad did not correct him.

Upon asking what Billy knew about Prefect Orique, Billy stated that they were hot, they wanted to be the best, they were a goodie-goodie and a suck-up in all the most competitive ways. If Billy were in a contest with them, he'd let them win in order to avoid the bad vibes.

Realizing that they hadn't had time to process their battle, Umber brought up the silvertongue and asked how everyone was doing. Milo said that they were as well as they could be, considering they had nearly died. Mariska wanted a nap.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door. It was Oregek, the head of the drama club, wearing his luxurious velvet jacket. Milo opened the door and asked if he was ready for another fight. Oregek smiled.

Billy stared at Oregek, frozen, but Oregek couldn't seem to see Billy. Cacian had stopped Oregek in the hall and asked him to tell Squad Opal to pack their bags for the following morning; they'd be going on a trip.

As the group talked with him, Oregek learned that Caiteor loved the theatre. Oregek invited him to audition for that season's show, "Incantations."

After Oregek left, Billy unfroze and asked who that person was. The squad explained that Oregek was head of the drama club; Billy acted weird and said that he needed to go, floating away. Mariska intuited that he was feeling sadness, maybe confusion. The squad wondered if Billy knew Oregek, and Mariska noted that it was weird Billy was the only ghost wandering around the school. Umber had wondered if the student he had killed was wandering around, but had never asked Billy if he'd seen another ghost.

Squad Opal then discussed how they might protect themselves from Cacian if he intended to wipe their minds again. They could pretend to throw their lot in with him, or they could try to get Uloreen on their side. Milo also noted that they could steal Chad Internship's body parts from Cacian's office and try to do the spell themselves. Umber brought out the blank journal he had taken from Uloreen's throne room, and they all looked over it, but didn't determine if there was something hidden in it.

Meanwhile, Orique had returned to their room, where they slept alone, a perk of being a Prefect. They looked through class notes but realized that they had never heard of blue honey. If a third-year student at the top of their class didn't know about it, then it must have been a hard-core reagent. Whatever it was, Orique wanted to be a part of the mission and was excited that Cacian asked for them to be there in the morning as well. They laid out their outfit and supplies for the coming journey.

In the morning, the squad encountered Orique in the hall. They entered the office together, both Orique and Milo reaching for the handle at the same time, squishing into the doorframe in tandem and blocking it, but Orique pushing through first.

Dean Cacian ignored their competition. He told them that the spell Mariska had cast to make Chad Internship was old, frowned upon by the Vanguard and the Trinity Accords. It pulled energy from the astral sea—pulled a soul—and imbued it into a physical vessel. It didn't make undead; the soul was taken out of its rest and all of its previous knowledge was lost. Without a body, Chad Internship's soul was now floating in the material plane in unending misery, lacking the ability to manifest a form.

Blue honey was a prime component in the more powerful ritual version of that ancient spell. Instead of the effects lasting a day, it would last a year; if Mariska could cast it every year, the vessel would continue to live. Blue honey was rare, caused when powerful magic was used and the dregs of it leached into pollen. There were reports of blue bees in the Highland Rise near Midwind, the first sign of blue honey. If Squad Opal could gather thirty-two ounces of honey, Mariska would be one step closer to bringing Chad Internship back.

That was the mission: reach the Highland Rise and find blue honey. Orique was there to guide them into the mountains. Mariska asked if they could capture the bees, but that would require taking the queen, which would die outside the hive, and the workers would kill themselves to kill whoever killed the queen. Orique noted that it would also disrupt the ecosystem; Cacian told them to be thankful that a source of blue honey existed relatively nearby.

The party departed, but Umber was asked to stay. Umber tried to play off his knowledge of a Hell Gate, admitting that while his memories weren't great, he remembered the devils and that he killed one. Cacian stated that such a feat was impressive, and with a weapon like that demon blade, Umber surely had an edge. Had he founded an activation word?

When Umber stated that he hadn't, Cacian told him that the blade needed a blood sacrifice from its wielder, who could then create an activation word and utilize the sword's full powers.

## Finding Blue Honey

### To the Highlands

The Highland Rise was outside of the Crystal Academy's island, so the party congregated on the docks to depart. By the ferry, they saw Brightly sunbathing and eating watermelons.

The trip beyond Inzet was uneventful. As the group travelled off the main roads and through wilderness, Umber scouted ahead of the group and thought he had found a shortcut, but instead led them in a circle for two hours. Caiteor foraged as they went out, finding ants that tasted like ash, but were nutritious. Mariska instantly insulted the disgusting rations, not realizing that Caiteor had found them, hurting Caiteor's feelings.

Mariska sent out Femur to find safe resting places, discovering a cave that seemed perfect for sleeping. Orique examined the flora and fauna to extrapolate what the squad would encounter moving forward. They planned well and mapped out the biome.

As they travelled, the group bonded. Umber and Mariska talked of Lincoln Logs, a construction toy they had both enjoyed. Umber grinned at the memories. "When Cinder and I were little, we…" He hesitated and corrected himself: "When I was little, I used to play with them a lot."

Mariska stated that her father would break off tree branches and carve them into the logs for her. It made them special.

Meanwhile, Orique asked Milo about his family. Milo spoke about his farmer background and his late sister. She was more religious than he, though he wore a symbol of Solisti in memory of her and was fond of it. Orique loved their own sibling, who was wonderful, perhaps perfect, but plenty of people compared the two. Orique would continue to improve, assured that they would be better than their sibling.

Having watched Umber play gamut, Caiteor had become quite the gamut fan. Caiteor and Orique talked strategy about the game, bonding over the shared interest.

When the party reached the cave Mariska had found, they discovered that it was full of bats, the floor covered in rank guano. Caiteor looked at Mariska out of the corner of his eye and said that his rations may have tasted like shit, but at least they weren't literal shit. Mariska played it cool and said that bats were the best nighttime creatures. Umber didn't seem to mind, climbing a wall to hang out with the bats.

Milo used his knowledge of concealing tracks to conceal their resting camp. With the aid of Orique, he was able to make their presence practically unnoticeable. They set up camp outside of the cave.

As they rested, Umber watched the fire dying down, taking the first watch. An ember flickered into the cave and landed on the guano, which burst into flame. Sensing the imminent danger, Umber awoke everyone and warned them to run.

Just in time—A tidal wave of fire belched from the cave, engulfing the camp. All moved quickly enough to remain unharmed save Mariska, who was singed by the flames. Unfortunately, all of the bedding, tents, and food was burned away.

### Fruits of Labour

In the morning, the party continued their trek. The mountains were majestic and spread apart with few ridges. Orique led them to the general area where the bee had been found, a valley six miles wide nestled in the mountains.

The group split up and made a competition out of the search. After hours, however, Umber found pretty flowers, but no game, and no honey. Mariska, Orique, and Milo found nothing at all. Caiteor found golden moss, a valuable commodity, but still no honey.

At the end of the day, Milo cast Identify to understand the red crystals. While casting the spell, the crystal became sticky and the air felt humid, which meant that the crystals had a high affinity with evocation magic. They could hold, create, or harness evocation magic to some degree.

Umber told Milo about Cacian's directions to bond with the sword. After learning the truth about Cinder, however, he was apprehensive to bond with a demon scimitar. He gave the weapon to Milo to attempt identification.

While performing the spell, Milo realized that the weapon was called the Vile Blade of Nozum. He had visions of seeing his family slaughtered, but his body reacted with joy. He felt horns growing out of head, felt himself engorged with power. Any who stood in his way, he could light their blood on fire. But he saw the sword becoming larger and himself becoming smaller. Demons and devils threw themselves upon the blade, turning to dust.

The spell ended, as did the visions. Milo shivered. His sister had told him about the disgraced cleric Nozum who was one of the seven responsible for opening the Hell Gates. Nozum was one of the mortal enemies of Avadon and had tried to eradicate all devils, but in the attempt to do so became so corrupted that he aligned with them. It was a folk tale, but he knew this was the blade of that cleric.

Milo conveyed the information to Umber, noting how Nozum tried to save the world by killing devils, but it didn't end well for him. He looked over at Caiteor and Orique, then stated that he wouldn't want anything bad to happen to Umber. It could be a useful tool, but Umber should use the sword as a last resort. In any case, Squad Opal was there for Umber.

The next day, the group ate what little food they had left for breakfast and debated how they would search. Umber decided to help Caiteor. Mariska felt bad for insulting Caiteor's rations and wanted to help the Firbolg as well. Milo joined them, but Orique went for a solo trip once more.

But the planning was for naught, another fruitless day. Frustrated, out of food, and without proper bedding, the party was in dire straits. Umber tried making the camp more comfortable so they could sleep well, but it went awful. Caiteor realized that Mariska was trying to make amends and appreciated it. He tried to find better snacks, but found nothing. Mariska tried to cast Firebolt on river water to burn away impurities, but it was a useless effort. Orique had seen cliff trees, the sap of which could act as sustenance and hydration; they tried to toss Milo up the tree but well overshot it. In the end, the group went to bed exhausted and hungry.

The next day, Umber carried Milo to go foraging up the cliff tree. Umber asked Milo to slap him; Milo slapped Umber's face, which sent him into a rage. He climbed high into the tree speedily and tore away the bark, revealing liquid sap, filling eight waterskins.

At the top of the tree, they found a blue bee fat with pollen. Umber smiled at it and watched it fly north.

Milo reported the finding to Orique, who wrote it down in a haste. The group drank the sap, which was a good emergency measure, but might cause health problems if they needed to drink more.

Milo feared that slapping Umber released Cinder, but Mariska reminded them that Cinder was bound behind a code phrase; unfortunately, none could remember that the code was "Cinder come forth." Still, it was enough to assure Milo that they were fine.

Going north, the party found plenty of flowers turned blue, a sign that they were close to the hive. After some time trekking, they found bandits in beekeeping outfits harvesting the blue honey. The bandits didn't notice the squad's approach.