You awaken on the day of your 18th birthday. A special day as your training as a mage of the tower is complete. All that remains to take your place amoung that great order is to complete a quest set by your tutor. You rouse in your spartan bed chamber and wash your body, ready to present yourself to Alaria, your tutor and the ruler of your life for the past ten years, ever since you were gifted to the tower by your family. You never faulted them for it, coming from a poor peasant farming background, they already had enough mouths to feed when your youngest sibling arrived. The tower would offer you a better chance than they ever could. The journey had been long and the study hard, made even worse so when you hit puberty and your tutor became jealous of your young body. You had blossomed into womanhood, with an athletic body honed from a physical training regime and a full bosom to rival the bustiest wench. Your wash complete you don your simple shift and admire your wooden staff, inset with a single emerald as the focus of your magic.

As you enter the main hall you see Alaria standing before the other high mages of the tower, ready to set your quest. You have been looking forward to this moment, when you can free yourself through your own effort.

'My student' Alaria proclaims 'are you ready to go forth on your task'?

You thump your staff against the ground as the ceremony demands. 'I am, my mistress'

'Do you swear to uphold the name of the tower and to complete the task the tower demands? Alaria asks.

'I am, my mistress'

Alaria smiles, your success will be her success after all.

'You are charged with recovering an artifact, stolen from this tower long ago. An emerald the twin of that within your staff.'

'Yes my mistress' you intone. Already aware of the task Alaria would set. Ten years in the planning, Alaria herself had given you the emerald within your own staff, trained you in its use and how to use it to locate it's counterpart. She had told you of how the tower had been besieged sixty years earlier. The enemy had broken into the tower but had been repulsed by the mages within but not before they had stolen several magical artifacts, of which the emerald was one.

'Now, take these supplies we offer and go forth, not to return until you have completed your quest' Alaria declares.

You turn and walk to the table next to the great door, through which you will leave on your quest. Upon the table is a satchel, within is food and 10 gold coins and some simple potion reagents and bottles.

'Luck be with your' your tutor says as you walk through the doors to the first stage of your new life.