Ealda led her to a small room near the library. Sunlight streamed through the small, high windows. The high priestess gestured at an armchair. “Sit, please.”

“I’m sorry that I didn’t seek you out first, Ealda. Next time--”

“You puzzle me, Isa. And I’m not fond of puzzles.” The woman arranged her robes so that the cloth draped symmetrically over her knees. “Why did you ask for Tinero’s workbooks? Are you thinking of joining us, of studying one of the arcane traditions?”

“Arcane tra--” Isa shook her head. “I’m just trying to get home. I told you that.”

Ealda put her hand to her mouth in thought. Finally she said, “And I believe that you believe that. I do. But see it from my perspective. A young woman, a stranger, comes to your temple asking for access to knowledge. It’s only logical to think….” She leaned forward. “May I see your notebook? I don’t think that Fazar would lead you here if you didn’t have some magical talents.”

“Fazar didn’t send me. It--”

“Ah!” Ealda held up one thin finger. “You don’t think that a god would bother with a mere mortal, but you’d be wrong. We are, all of us, here because of Fazar’s grace. And when people come here seeking to join us, we do like to review their numbers. Wizard work is not for the feeble-minded or the ill-prepared.” The high priestess held out her hand.

“Feeble-minded?” Isa shook her head. “That’s just so wrong on so many levels. Language, the words we use to describe others is--”

“I gave you the feldspice quest,” Ealda raised her voice to talk over Isa. “I gave you the quest thinking that it would scare you off. If you succeeded, if you returned, I would know that you were no common criminal intent on thievery. Oh yes, evil people have tried to rob us before. Gain entry to the temple and to our most valuable collections.”

“And you send them off on quests? That seems pretty inefficient.”

“Many are killed or maimed; some are arrested. And some, those with a certain spark, you might say, they return having done a small service to the temple.”

Isa put her hand on her bag. “What if I don’t want to be a wizard?” The woman didn’t need to know that Isa had just been thinking about spellcasting.

Ealda sighed. “Sometimes, Isa, what we want has very little to do with what happens to us. Don’t you find that so?”

The high priestess seemed truly interested in helping Isa, so she handed the woman her notebook. “I think I can trust you.”

With a solemn nod Ealda took the notebook and opened it. “Ah! As I suspected you have a good mind, and the potential to have a great one.” She paid her hand flat on the page. “You came here seeking knowledge - that’s what you said. And you have - Isa, you have the ability to understand, to learn, to grow. If it is your wish, we could teach you much.”

Ealda focused on Isa’s notebook again. “You could never achieve spell mastery, never cast at will. And you would never be able to cast class 9 spells, but still--”

“Wait, class 9? Like gate? I want to learn to cast gate. Of course! Why didn’t I think of this earlier.” Isa let out a laugh. “I don’t need a wizard. I can be a wizard.”

“Gate is a class 9 spell. I just said that you could never cast such a spell. Do you, perhaps, have trouble with hearing? Your intelligence score tells me that you are able to understand high concepts.”

“I’ve read Tinero’s book - most of it - I know it takes time to learn, but I will be the best student you’ve ever seen. Really I will.”

The high priestess shook her head. “It is not a matter of dedication. I am sorry, but it is not.” She folded her hands on top of Isa’s notebook and paused. “We are born as vessels. The gods shape us like vessels, and as such we can be quite useful, versatile, and robust. But we have limits, and we have limits for a reason. You can see as plainly as I the reason why.” Ealda dropped her voice to a whisper. “We would be like gods otherwise.” She shook her head. “And that would be too much for a mere vessel. Our minds would shatter.”

“Ooookay….” Isa furrowed her brow.

“And you have already filled your vessel, yes? At least somewhat, with being a fighter. Do you understand?”

“No! Not at all. Tinero - Gerry Tinero - he was learning the gate spell. At least he was planning to. I don’t know if--”

“Please calm yourself. Calm. Tinero did achieve sufficient knowledge and discipline, before madness completely overcame him, to cast class 9 spells. And what that means - what that means, Isa is that he began his studies immediately. He wasn’t a fighter who became a wizard. He filled his mind to the brim with magic, and only magic.”

Isa slumped back in her chair. “Then what’s the point?”

Ealda handed back Isa’s notebook. “You tell me.”

“If casting class 9 spells makes you crazy, then--”

“You really must impose some discipline on your mind. It hops like a hare from one idea to another. I understand the fallacy; I see quite clearly the fault line. You do not know enough about magic, about wizards.” Ealda put her hand on her chest. “I can cast class 9 spells, and I am not ‘crazy.’”

Isa stared at the high priestess and then began to laugh. “I’m so dumb! I am so dumb. You’re the headmaster or whatever, of course you can cast the big spells.” She paused and closed her eyes. “Ealda, would you please cast gate for me? I want to go home.”

“I would be happy to do that. I can prepare that for tomorrow, certainly.”

Isa felt like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. The way home had been right here, just waiting to be asked. She shook her head. “I can’t believe that I didn’t think of this sooner.” She took the other woman’s hand. “Thank you so much. Thank you. But that’s not enough. What can I do? How can I repay you?”

“A small donation to Fazar will be fine. Whatever seems fair to you.” Ealda stood up.

“You can have it all!” Isa scrambled to stand up as well. “I really can’t believe-- I mean, I’m ready to go home.”

“It is best to cast the spell in sunlight, of course. The bright, full light through the diamond makes a good, strong portal. How big is it?”

“You tell me! You’re the one casting it.”

“No, the diamond. How big is the diamond?”

“What diamond?” A puzzled look flowed across Isa’s face. “I don’t have a diamond.”

“One must have material components to cast spells, Isa. And a powerful spell like gate, it requires a substantial component. The diamond - for it must be a diamond - needs to be at least the size of an almond. A gem that size, because I know you will ask, would cost at least 5,000 gold.”

Tears threatened to leak from Isa’s eyes. “Five thousand? Five thousand?” She sat back down.

Ealda sat as well. “I am sorry, Isa. Truly I am. Please know that when you have the diamond, I will cast the spell for you.”

“And everybody needs the diamond, right? I mean, no offense, but like a higher level wizard couldn’t….”

“Only a weak mind would take offense.” Ealda gave Isa a tight-lipped smile. “And there are no wizards higher than me. Level 20 is the limit, and that is where I sit.”

Isa let that sink in for a bit. She was sitting at the elbow of one of the most powerful wizards in this world, and she was no closer to home than the day she arrived. No, that wasn’t true. She had 27 gold pieces. Only 4,973 more to go!

She shook her head, and after a moment, she met Ealda’s eyes. “I don’t know what to do.”

“You came here with a purpose, did you not?”

“Yeah, I….”

“Tinero’s workbook. You asked to see his workbook, which is why I came to get you. It is no small matter to want to view another wizard’s spellbook, especially that one, and I assumed that a potential student had arrived.”

“No,” Isa shook her head. “She got it wrong. I said ‘workbook’ not spellbook. What would I do with a spellbook?”

“A spellbook is a workbook.” Ealda paused, seeming to search for the right words. “Magic is highly personal and imprecise, finicky if you will. And each spellcaster must work out the words and gestures themselves. I could cast magnificent mansion, for instance, and my words and gestures will be different than how another wizard - same level, same race, doesn’t matter - might cast that very same spell.

“Do you know the word kitobe, Isa? It means ‘of the book.’” Ealda lifted her hands to showcase the shelves of books surrounding them. “Wizards are a kitobish people. And a wizard’s spellbook will show you something of their mind.”

Isa nodded silently. It was too much to try to take in. Everytime she thought she was getting an answer, it turned out to be another question.

“Come back tomorrow,” Ealda said gently. “I will show you one of Tinero’s spellbooks. Perhaps what you seek is there.” She stood up. “For now you should rest your mind. You have been through quite a lot.”

Spoiler: Isa's Character Sheet

Name: Isa Chamberlin

Race: Human

Height & Weight: 5ft 6inches / 120 lbs

Class: Fighter Level: 4

Alignment: Good

Background: Stranger in a Strange Land

Hit Points: 26 AC: 15

Current Hit Points: 26

Combat: +5 to Hit

Weapons: Scimitar +1 (left hand) 1d6 +4 (slashing) / Quarterstaff (right hand) 1d6 +2 (bludgeoning)

STR

11

0

DEX

16

+3

CON

11

0

INT

13

+1

WIS

13

+1

CHA

12

+1

Saving Throws: Str and Con +2

5

Acrobatics* (Dex)

1

Medicine (Wis)

1

Animal Handling (Wis)

1

Nature (Int)

1

Arcana (Int)

3

Perception* (Wis)

0

Athletics (Str)

1

Performance (Cha)

1

Deception (Cha)

1

Persuasion (Cha)

3

History* (Int)

1

Religion (Int)

3

Insight* (Wis)

3

Sleight of Hand (Dex)

1

Intimidation (Cha)

3

Stealth (Dex)

1

Investigation (Int)

1

Survival (Wis)

Special Attack: Two weapon fighting. When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Class Features:

Second Wind - On your turn, you can use a Bonus Action to regain hit points equal to 5 + your fighter level. Short or Long Rest before you can use it again.

Action Surge - On your turn, you can take one additional action on top of your regular action and a possible Bonus Action. You must finish a short or Long Rest before using it again.

Martial Archetype: Surgical Fighter

3rd level - Clinical Eye: Spend 1 combat turn studying your enemy and learn one of the following: if the enemy is equal to or stronger than you in strength, dexterity, or constitution. Can spend up to 3 turns to discern all 3. Can be used outside of combat as a free action - spend 1 minute to learn all three.