Barbara Torch becomes lucid when she sees you. Take on the GOAL.

Miss Wormwood leads you by the hand through a dim back corridor of the Infirmary to a part you've never seen before. A tickle of magic plucks at your aura as you follow.

"You feel the wards?" Miss Wormwood says. "Do not try to come here without me." The green snakes on her head are stiffly alert, looking in all directions, pink tongues flickering periodically.

"The wards aren't... aren't all yours," you say, frowning. You have a feel of... Euryale? Fergus Firetail?

"Clever girl," the Nurse says. "Hush."

Miss Wormwood approaches a door, raises her wand, and makes a series of bold gestures. Your magical senses feel a curtain draw back. She sheathes her wand and opens the door, ushers you through first, closes the door and the magical opening through which you entered.

Barbara Torch lies nude upon a bed in the midst of a circle of magical illuminations. You recognize the symbols of healing and protection from madness and warding against danger. Her dark skin glistens with perspiration. Her limbs lie a little askew, as if they were the arms and legs of a dropped marionette. Her eyes swivel from side to side, focusing on things you can't see with your eyes or your magical senses. She calls out in alarm and tries to sit up, then falls back down, her muscles not acting in concert.

Her face goes blank. Her eyes close, then open, and she lets out a shuddering breath.

You look at Miss Wormwood.

"Courage," she says. "Come." She leads you forward and shifts her grip to your wrist, moving it toward Barbara Torch's shoulder.

Her skin is warm, not quite feverish, the muscles jumping at your touch.

"Ahhh," Barbara Torch says, her eyes blinking and looking vaguely toward you. "I like this dream better." She shifts her arms and legs into a more natural pose, then parts her knees and puts a hand between her legs. "Morgan Woodbine. Such a lusty cunt for a Minerval. Hot little bitch for a skinny scarecrow." There's a wet sound from her finger stroking through her folds, over her pearl.

You tremble, wanting to pull back, but Miss Wormwood holds your hand in place.

"We hoped you might help her remember," Miss Wormwood whispers in a low hiss. "You are helping." She lets go of your wrist.

You leave your hand in place, feeling the warmth of Barbara Torch's shoulder, the strength of her muscles, trying to be quietly present as the Warden thinks she's having a sex dream about you. Barbara Torch frigs herself frantically as she looks up at you. At the climax, she shouts aloud, then eases off in a long sigh.

A minute passes, her eyes closed, her body relaxed in a natural position.

Her eyelids flicker again. "Morgan? Are you really here?" she asks.

"Miss Wormwood asked me to come," you say. "To help." You shift uneasily. It's not the first time you've been a party to the Warden's sexual climax, but with her so ****, not in command of herself, yet focused on you, it feels strange, dangerous.

"I...where am I?" she asks. She raises the hand she had been frigging herself with and clasps it over your hand on her shoulder.

Miss Wormwood whispers, "Yes."

"In the Infirmary," you say. "In a back room. Warded. So you can heal."

"Oh," Barbara Torch says.

"They didn't catch her," you say.

"What, why?" Barbara Torch says. "What happened?" Her brow furrows. "The House? The Academy?"

Miss Wormwood whispers, "Later."

"They're alright," you say. "Later."

Miss Wormwood raises her wand and casts a sleeping spell upon Barbara Torch. The Warden closes her eyes. Her limbs relax.

The Nurse says, "That is as much as we have gotten out of her. I am encouraged by Euryale's suggestion that the presence of your person would be helpful."

The Nurse opens the wards and leads you out of the room.

Your roommate Fay in House Minerval is your FRIEND.
Golondrina Redmoor of House Leontes, is your FRIEND and owes you a FAVOR.
Miss Hemstitch, Tutor of House Beavertail, owes you a FAVOR to help get Golondrina into House Beavertail.

You know the spell TRANSFORM and the Forbidden Spell SHAMEGASM.

You have taken on the GOAL (-2 Diligence) of helping Barbara Torch recover from her magical injuries from the ambush from Vindicatrix. Barbara Torch is no longer your HANGER-ON. You must complete this goal before you get Golondrina into House Beavertail. Barbara Torch cannot become your FRIEND or owe you a FAVOR while you work on this GOAL. Miss Wormwood the Nurse, Euryale the Wardress of Minerval, and Fergus Firetail the Housemaster of Leontes, have already worked with her and may be of help.

You have the GOAL (-2 Ambition) of getting Golondrina into House Beavertail. You'll also have to save 5 XP to change Houses yourself, though Fay will follow you when the time comes. This GOAL is in abeyance while you help Barbara Torch.

You have Ambition +2, Bravery -1, Cunning +2, Diligence +0, and 3 XP.

• You may attempt to ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL. Roll +DILIGENCE(-2) (+0 Diligence, -2 Moderate Goal).
• You may ask for a FAVOR from Miss Wormwood or from Euryale to help. Roll +CUNNING(+2) to ENCOUNTER one of them to ASK FOR A FAVOR.
• You need some time with Fay. Roll +CUNNING(+4) (+2 Cunning, +2 FRIEND) to ENCOUNTER Fay with the intention to HAVE SEX. If things go well, you may get a +1 Forward, and you'll be closer to changing Houses.