a cute little meta thing i really enjoy is when hal talks to his company, even though they're all NPCs, he is clearly addressing the other players(!!) at the table and they all respond in kind because they ARE his company they ARE his cast and they ARE putting this show together and setting their intentions together
"My dress was not made for stairs," Patia says petulantly. She can't see if Nydas reacts to the comment; he's at least twenty steps ahead of her, already vanishing around the next bend of the spiraling passage. Only the faint clinking sound of gold beads is proof that he hasn't abandoned her entirely. "This is terrible. This is the worst. This is why I prefer to teleport places. Are we there yet?"
"Aren't you hundreds of years of age?" Nydas muses. "Yet you're still so impatient. You should work on that, Archmage."
Ah, so he can hear her. Phenomenal. Patia rolls her eyes to the heavens and wonders if the gods are laughing. It seems like they'd get a kick out of this whole situation. "Are you calling me old now, Nydas? Very grown-up. Very endearing."
"Well, if the shoe fits...."
"Oh, shut up," Patia says. She winces as she realizes it's the same exasperated tone she tends to deploy with members of the Ring of Silver when they talk over her in meetings, or with disrespectful councilmen who yawn through her arcane presentations.
But Nydas just laughs - a friendly sound, warm and low, inclusive of her instead of barbed at her heart. It echoes off the tower walls like a peal of thunder. Something twists beneath her collarbone. The sensation is sharp, but not entirely painful.
"Almost there, Archmage," he says, and has the audacity to somehow make it sound gallant. "I promise, it'll be worth it."
A few moments later, his words become true. Patia steps out onto the top of the tower, lifting her emerald skirts around her ankles. She has to shield her eyes with one hand from the sudden blaze of afternoon light. The Sorcerer's University is located at one of the highest points in all of Avalir, directly north of the falls that bear her family's name. It's so high up that from the top of this belltower, the rest of the city isn't even visible.
Instead, Patia is treated to an endless expanse of clouds, a vast white ocean that eddies out in every direction. Rainbows glimmer in the far distance, catching every facet of the afternoon sun. Far below, she can catch glimpses of the university courtyard, lined with blossoming trees and red-brick dormitories.
Signs of construction are visible all around her, which makes sense. The last stone was laid on this belltower barely a week ago. The expensive marble beneath her heels is still slick with rain from the storm this morning. It's jadestone; Nydas must have imported it from Vasselheim. He's spent so much money to build this place. He acts like it's nothing whenever it comes up in council meetings though, downplaying the costs and shrugging off the labor.
Patia realizes, belatedly, that he must be doing so in order to keep it safe from politics. From interference. If he wanted to, he could levy the university in every city meeting, couldn't he? It would be a fantastic bargaining chip for Avalir's Guildmaster. But he doesn't want to do that. He actually wants to build something real up here.
Hmm. What a curious thought.
When she turns around, Nydas is lounging on the ground, heedless of the puddles. His boots are kicked up onto the outer wall. He's flipped down a pair of bifocal tinted lenses onto his nose to shield his eyes from the sun. It's disarmingly attractive. Worst of all, he doesn't even seem to notice the fact. What a terrible man. She really must stop learning to like him. It can't be good for her health.
"Do you like the view?" he says. "Highest point of the city, as of five days ago."
For some reason, he's lowered his voice down to a whisper, which is oceans away from its normal outlandish boom. Patia picks up her skirts and lowers herself to sit beside him.
"Why are we whispering, Nydas?"
"Classes are in session," Nydas says with a grin. "They officially started this morning. Sound carries, Archmage! We wouldn't want to disturb the children learning their first cantrips."
"Oh, cantrips." Patia puts a mocking twist on the word. "Shouldn't they know those already? I'm quite certain I was born with the ability to cast Dancing Lights."
"Not all of us can be so lucky, Archmage," Nydas says. He winks at her. "Some of us have to claw our way up. Don't begrudge them too much. After all, they're not yet as skilled as you."
Damn it, there he goes again! Using her proper title. Respecting her. Not rising to the bait. Terrible, terrible man. She can't believe they're going to be colleages.
"No one is," she says with a prim little sniff, just to regain a scrap of self-image in this whole mess. This whole strange, lovely mess, where they're sneaking onto rooftops like schoolchildren and giggling about it like lovers. Perish the thought. "No one will ever be as skilled as me. I am unparalleled, Guildmaster. Don't you forget it."
"Oh, I won't," Nydas says. "And I most certainly agree. The Archmage Por'co is the finest of us all."
He flicks his wrist, and suddenly, there's a glass goblet in his hand, seemingly out of nowhere. It's half-full with glittering golden wine. He passes her a matching one, and raises his own cup in a toast. His eyes are sparkling - humor, certainly, but no mockery. Damn it, damn it. She really doesn't want to like him.
It seems, unfortunately, that that ship might have just sailed.
She raises her cup, and clinks glass against glass. This is neither the time nor the place for sentimentality.
"Much appreciated, Guildmaster. I suspect we'll make an excellent team."
As someone who collects a LOT of physical media but doesnāt make a lot of money, I want to share the rule that keeps my wallet from crying out in despair every time I enter a store. I donāt remember who I got this from, but thank you whoever you are because it has been a game-changer when it comes to building a large collection without breaking the bank.
The $1 per hour rule. Itās exactly what it says on the tin. If Iām purchasing physical media, I consider it good value if I can expect to get at least one hour of enjoyment for every dollar I spend on it.
I donāt remember what I spent on BG3, but I know it was a good deal because Iāve logged 600 hours in it. Hades II costs $30, and I was more than happy to pay that because I know Iāll play it for at least 30 hours. When I add books to my library, I almost exclusively buy used books that cost under $5 because 5 hours is a good average estimate for how long it takes me to finish a novel.
Will there be a treat you splurge on every now and then? Of course, but $1 per hour is a good standard to stick to if you want to responsibly build a dragon's hoard of physical media.
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