The window-filled meeting.

John glanced almost disinterestedly at the windows in front of him. Moira and her father had left shortly after the test to discuss matters in the other room. That left John to view all the windows that had popped up after he had touched the orb.

Achievement Unlocked! "The Ultimate Test" ~ You passed an important test! Way to beat that snow globe, buddy.
+25 EXP
+1 INT

Achievement Unlocked! "On the right foot" ~ Make a good first impression on someone who could easily kill you. Now, get stronger or don't fuck up.
+25 EXP
+10 Relationship with William Brighton

Quest Unlocked: "I Fell In Love With The Paladin's Daughter (Part 1)"!
Requirements: Get a Relationship score of +50 with Moira Brighton and become her best friend.
Reward: Friendship. What? That's not enough? Fine. 250 XP and a Belt of Bonding

When John clicked on the belt he saw a menu pop up underneath that.

Belt of Bonding
+5 CHA
+10% to all Relationship increases, -10% to all Relationship decreases
Friendship. Nerd.

"The person writing these notes is… a very odd mixture of sarcastic and sassy," John murmured to himself. He closed out the windows after accepting the quest. It lined up with his interests regardless - getting Moira on his side was something he hoped to do anyway, and getting her to the point where he could be a little more honest with her… well, to a point. If the Paladins reacted this way to all unknown abilities-

"Good afternoon, Mr. Newman. My daughter has told me much about you."

John turned over his shoulder to see Mr. Brighton and Moira walking back in. A little confused by the greeting, John hesitated. In that moment, Mr. Brighton continued speaking.

"My name is William Brighton. I am the head of the Brighton Estate and, as you are apparently aware, am the current leader of the Order of the Golden Rose. We protect the innocent and curtail the activities of those who would harm individuals or society as a whole."

He leaned in very close, whispering in John's ear.

"We also believe in second chances… which is why I'm introducing myself."

He straightened up again as a smile came across John's face, clearing his throat before he continued.

"Obviously, our first greetings were a bit rushed due to circumstances, but I don't want to leave you with the impression that we're a bunch of ruffians who make a routine of **** random mages. So, Mr. Newman, we owe you a small apology. I'll send word to the principal so that you will not be penalized for your missed classes - the Brighton name still holds a good deal of sway in many institutions here. In addition, I would like to offer a hand of friendship to you."

Mr. Brighton literally held out his hand as he said that, smiling at John.

"Think carefully on this, Mr. Newman. This time, I'm not making a joke," he said, when John started to raise his hand. "A pun, perhaps, but only partially intentional. The Order of the Golden Rose makes its job protecting all - but we can offer you special protection. Judging by what I have seen today, I believe you are a novice mage. I also believe that you did not create the Barrier my daughter was pulled into, or have any part in the creation or sustaining of the Abyss creatures. Which means you may be as much a target as my daughter - it's difficult to say whether you were both targets, or whether someone was simply targeting all mages at your school that day. Either way, you will need assistance.

"I would offer you the Order's protection - my daughter will monitor you in classes, we will tutor you in the ways of magical society, and we will even offer you sanctuary should these foes appear again and seek to harm you. In return, I would ask the same - we will protect you, but you must assist our order. We will train you, so that you may become strong - which will benefit us both. And we will offer you sanctuary, so long as you will defend it if it is threatened. I warn you - this is a magical oath. If you, myself, my daughter, or any of my Order are in danger, you will be alerted. If you choose to ignore that call our pact will be void, and if you refuse to aid us when we have helped you, it will not be looked kindly upon. That being said, I understand if you do not wish to imperil yourself. You need not accept this offer now if you wish to think upon it."

John glanced up at William Brighton, thinking about what he was implying. As he did so, a window popped up, with a simple message.

Join Order of the Golden Rose Faction?

John couldn't help but find himself weighing the choice on two scales - one as a gamer, the other as a person. His gamer side was urging him not to leap into the faction with no real knowledge of what benefits it offered versus what benefits other factions offered… but John as a person knew that he couldn't risk not taking the offer when there were actual, real-life random encounters waiting for him. Besides, the only consequence of breaking his oath seemed to be the ire of a powerful group - which, if he disagreed with them enough to not help their numbers in a life-or-**** situation, he was guessing he already disliked them enough to piss them off anyway.

"I accept," John said, watching the window disappear as he reached out to shake Mr. Brighton's hand. A golden light filled the air as his window disappeared, replaced by another one a moment later.

You have joined the Golden Rose Faction!
+10% to Healing Spells!
+10% Damage against enemies with a negative alignment score!
+25 to all Relationships with members of the Golden Rose Faction!

"Well, that's pretty awesome," John thought to himself. Really, not only did he get the protection of a very powerful group, but he also got boosts thanks to his mysterious powers? He tried not to let his eyes linger for too long on the menus as he grinned at Moira's father.

"I'm glad to hear it. Now, I'm sure you have many questions, but I have much to discuss with my men. I will have Moira escort you home - it's nearly time for the school to let out, so returning you would be pointless. I will contact you when we have a tutor ready for you to teach you about the new world you've found yourself in. Remember, Mr. Newman, the abilities and powers you have been granted are impressive, and may even seem intoxicating at times - but there are also many dangers and nuances to magical life. We will teach you these in time. For now, simply do not take what you have for granted."

"Thank you," John said, and was surprised to find that he meant it. Although he still wasn't entirely certain about this group, and he was rather disturbed that they had basically **** him to come there in the first place, it was a little reassuring to him to find that there was a group that appeared to be on the right side of things. He had assumed that he was the only one to possess such powers as he had… but knowing that he didn't, having an organization watching his back was definitely a close second.

"Oh, and take this," Mr. Brighton said, taking one last object out of his drawers. This time it was a tome, a book bound in leather with golden lettering across the front. John wanted to cast Observe on it, but he had already looked at too many windows with Moira and her father around. Instead he reached out and took it, checking the cover, which read A Novice History to the Abyss.

"This will teach you some of what you need to understand. The magical world and the Abyss it hails from can be dangerous, but under our protection and with a bit of knowledge you can avoid the worst of it, especially with your mana levels so low."

"Oh, you can feel that?" John asked out of reflex, not sure how they knew about mana.

"Of course. Mana is something you can learn to feel in time, but artifacts like the one we gave you are more exact and don't require much knowledge, so they're a touch more practical. And with that, I must attend to other matters. I wish you good fortune, Mr. Newman - and may Gaia watch over you."

"Gaia?" John asked, more than a little confused.

"Read the book," Mr. Brighton said with a laugh. "Moira, thank you for bringing this matter to my attention. Please see the young Mr. Newman home."

"As you wish, Father," Moira said, sighing. She didn't seem the least bit enthusiastic about all that had occurred since she and her father left to the other room.