"Ok. I can kinda understand where you're coming from with that, but the important thing to note here is that if you don't go now, you'll never go. Sorry to break it to ya, but you'll never have a chance to present your results, and most likely will never get them, because being a ghost has tons of restrictions on what you can do. So come on. Go peacefully into your afterlife."
"Besides did you ever want a chance to discuss with masters of old? Did you ever wanted to ask some ancient master how did they figure out that one neat spell? If you stay here, you will never have that chance."
"The problem is, you'll be bound to a specific location. In all likelihood, this location. And that may not mean the ruin. That may mean this specific flagstone right here. You'd be trapped on that flagstone for all eternity. You can hardly conduct your experiments like that, can you?"
+1, oh yes.
1+
To both of these
Roll arcane to find the pattern. Also to find if it will detect you.
You lay out the situation for him, emphatically. If he is frightened, all the better.
'I can kinda understand where you're coming from with that,' you say,
'but the important thing to note here is that if you don't go now, you'll never go. Sorry to break it to ya, but you'll never have a chance to present your results, and most likely will never get them, because being a ghost has tons of restrictions on what you can do. So come on. Go peacefully into your afterlife."The professor begins to raise an objection, but you're far from done. He sputters; you get the sense he's not used to being interrupted.
'The problem is, you'll be bound to a specific location. In all likelihood, this location. And that may not mean the ruin. That may mean this specific flagstone right here. You'd be trapped on that flagstone for all eternity. You can hardly conduct your experiments like that, can you?''Well, I- I hadn't considered that, but-'
'And didn't you ever want a chance to discuss with masters of old? Did you ever want to ask some ancient master how they figured out that one neat spell? If you stay here, you will never have that chance.'[Charm 5: 3+2=5,
Success] 'Well, there is that, too, but maybe if-' he starts again, cheeks growing faintly red - impressive, given his transparent shape. He pokes at his glasses, mouth opening and closing. 'This is most unusual, I- I mean to say I... Well. Oh, gods above. This is pathetic, a singularily pathetic way to go. There'll be no end to the laughing if they hear about this at the academy.'
He looks around and at his mangled body. There's the slighest indication of a shrug. 'Well. Blast and damnation. I can only hope the next one to come here meets the same fate. I would not stand the possibility of some young fool from the lower colleges finding what I could not.'
He gives the trapped chamber a last, wistful look. You use the moment to indulge your curiosity and reach out with your arcane senses to try find the path. [Arcane 7: 6+2=8,
Success]
The physical world seems to recede, a faint whisper at the edge of consciousness. In its place you see a maze of energy, staggeringly bright and complex and grown powerful on the passing of the ages. Magic wreathes each pillar and ruin and runs across the chamber floor like running water. It is a work of beautiful complexity, the high point of mortal skill. As you watch, the magic shifts and flows like something alive drawing deep, content breaths.
After a moment, the way becomes clear to you. Each part of the chamber is connected - there is no doubt some logical pattern to the steps you need to take, but you have no need to puzzle it out - you can simply
see the path in the subtle strands of power.
All the same, the professor's soul is ready to move on. He, with some hesitation, offers a hand.
>?---
A fairly lucky roll, there.