I have honestly had little to nothing to do with the Third Level Society over the past month and a half, due to mounting schoolwork and final exams, which are thankfully over. But I will write very briefly my thoughts on the recent developments before going to bed. And these shouldn't take even half a page.

First is the situation with the Great Priestess. She is effectively homeless, having been kicked off her planet thanks to the usurping that happened back in March. She has only her spaceship, like the situation with her fleet of daemons. I have yet to form a plan to defeat Brayda and Boldo, but that will have to happen at another time.

Second, the strike. I have been helping the Cabotton faculty prepare for the strike, painting picket signs and also the lightfire project construct in quick fashion a great concrete wall around the campus. As many supporters as there are, there are just about as many opponents to the strike. And though spellfire attacks on educators will result in getting one's spellfire crafting license revoked under international law, that does not mean that certain individuals are guaranteed to keep their emotions in check. So that's why we are utilizing lightfire to construct a concrete wall around campus as quickly as possible to protect the striking faculty.

And speaking of spellcrafting licensure, I have to talk about Dyla, my roommate. So in accordance to international law under Congress of Circlaria and the standards of the Circlarian School of Spellfire-Crafting, any time someone takes part in a "sanctioned duel" like the one that Dyla and Kara took part in last year, that individual has to submit a written "Statement of Good Cause" to a court of law within thirty days of the duel having occurred. This obligation applied to both Dyla and Kara.

Dyla forgot to do that, a common mistake.

She did not realize her mistake until that deeply shocking experience of having received a letter from the Basin District back in mid-November, stating that her spellcrafting license was suspended. In order to get her license restored, Dyla has to submit a Statement of Good Cause, and submit a Statement of Rehabilitation proving that she had passed a written exam on the international laws governing spellcrafting and completed 30 days of community service.

What makes this worse is that this a "termed suspension," meaning that even when she fulfills all of this criteria, her license will not be restored until the next five-year renewal date. In other words, January 2, 1286.

And the stakes are high with this sort of a thing. Whenever a spellcrafter gets his or her licensure suspended or revoked, their talisman is deactivated. And that's very significant because one's talisman is not just a personal item; it's an extension of their identity and spirit. And to have that deactivated, and to have one be banned legally from using said extension of their identity is psychologically, emotionally, and even physically, taxing on the individual.

In fact, doctors have officially recognized this effect as an actual medical condition, known as "the Burden." And Dyla was no exception. Not only did she emotionally and mentally break down last fall, she was physically ill, so much so that she had to drop out for the semester and seek long-term medical treatment. She managed to start recovering this spring, enrolling in spring courses and continuing on the course to receive her degree, which involves spellcrafting.

And that's been the crux of the issue since: What to do in this situation. The Circlarian School does allow for "conditional permits" for spellcrafting pending good behavior, but there are a lot criteria that Dyla would have to meet; in fact, we had been trying to figure this out for awhile. Nonetheless, I admire Dyla for her resilience.

The reason I am thinking about all this, however, is because Kara Martins actually reached out to us. At first, I thought that it was another one of her many attempts to continue to harass us, but apparently, she is in the same situation. She has been apologizing over and over again to us over what happened last year, and explained that her own spellcrafter license got suspended for the same reason. She is now willing to make amends with us and restore her spellcrafting license.

This gave Dyla and I a very strong sense of renewed hope. And I will say that the warm spring weather adds to this feeling as well.

Kara was complaining about how harsh international law is over this, but in a way, I do understand why. The Circlarian School does acknowledge the issue of the Burden but also states that times around 4000 years ago, before the emergence of such stringent international regulations, were known as the Age of the Conjurers, during which those most virtuous in Spellfire Crafting were the ones who wielded absolute political power. And these figures warred with each other constantly, pitting lesser-powered people against one another and causing widespread carnage during needless conflicts. So I understand the importance of keeping this sort of thing in check.

And actually, so does Dyla. But neither of us are in the mood to school Kara right now.