Dreadlords Stealing Extra Credit

[Kael]

Kael sat in a surprisingly spacious ‘study’ room, empty for moment of any other souls. Kael had been drawing notes onto a piece of parchment paper. He had created a crude but legible drawing of the Academy’s east wing. It was reasonably scaled, and sprinkled with nails to signify obstacles. Patrols, wards, dogs, and so forth. Kael intended to break into Proctor Couture’s office. Two days ago Proctor Couture issued a challenge in his ‘Wards, Glyphs, and protective Magic’ class. Kael recalled that her words were

“The ability to break wards is a natural extension of the principles that we learn and practice in this class. In fact, I’ll issue a wager with everyone here. Anyone who can, alone or in a small group, break the wards protecting entrance into my office, and the wards preventing opening of this box.” Proctor Couture held a small black white box with an ornate yellow rose painted on it. “Will receive full marks for this course and will no longer be required to attend it.”

Kael was not normally one to try to stand out, but Proctor Couture was an extremely dry lecturer. Kael fought dozing off nearly every lecture, and was not always successful. Not to mention the time he’d gain not having to attend. With the extremely regimented schedule of the academy it would increase his ‘free’ time considerably. So Kael put out feelers to the classmates he considered both talented and mischievous enough to consider breaking curfew and organized a meeting.

“The map is not exactly to scale, but should be close enough. I’ve laid out nails where I know of patrols, dogs, or wards. I have not scoped the area in totality. If anyone knows of any patrols I don’t, please mark them.” Kael would mention as his classmates began filing in. A very businesslike welcome, if it could even be called that, but one the Initiates of the Academy were all used to.

 

[Naser]

Nas had never been more excited in his entire life.

He hadn't felt this way since the ‘Robber had told him he could start heading into Vel Anir proper to steal from those prissy nobles. The clouds cover of listlessness broke and shone on a moment of emotion as finally, finally; Nas was presented with an opportunity to get out of doing work.

”There's three you missed.” Nas sounded almost eager, the inflection in his tone changing for just a heartbeat. ”Here, here, oh and Proctor Dorzin likes to take a nightly stroll here.”

The weirdo tended to go back and forth about eight times. ”Oh and this window is warded, I saw someone burst into flame in it once.”

Though his premonition had not come true that time, probably because Norah was too smart to go through with it. ”We should go in here.”

Again, there was the barest hint of excitement touching his tone.

Nas had never been lazy. Well, he felt like he'd never been lazy anyway, but now his lack of enthusiasm was melting away. Kind of. He still thought this whole thing was probably some kind of trick. The Proctors were well known for that bullshit. ”Basement doesn't get watched much.”

He finished