I've never been inside the main chamber of the Office of University Affairs before, but its interior is one of a serious undertaking. A dark blue carpet lines the entire floor with the exception of the Dais up at the front, where stands the large table for the Panel lined with five great seats, each reserved for one of the Head Mediators. The walls and ceiling are that of white rough marble, but the entire Chamber is dark, for in between the pillars lining the walls hangs dark blue curtains. None of these are decorated. However, on the wall behind the Panel hangs the official University Seal bearing the Stag.

The rest of the floor is lined with seats on one level, enough to seat about 500 people. And apparently, that was not enough. Our organization has grown more popular than I would have imagined. And when news spread of Cross' ultimatum, and mind you it did spread quickly, many turned out for the spectacle so that capacity was a concern.

The hearing began with my opening remarks. I stated with great honesty that Cross' ultimatum impedes on the freedom for the Society to exist as an organization. Many want to be part of it, in spite of our recent shortcomings, and many want the organization to be left alone. I even went so far as to state that Martin Cross' attempt to evict us went against the democratic principle of the University itself. Cabotton University, afterall, was initially founded in the wake of a student-led uprising against a top-down administration; and Cross' decision, as well as his whole policy of traditional curriculum reform, put this principle in jeopardy.

I finally stated the dangers of abolishing the Third Level Society, including that it would lead many to turn to the old game of TableQuest as an alternative, despite the treachery. This would lead to a rise in crime, posing both a threat to Cabotton and ultimately, the rest of the world of Circlaria.

Headmaster Cross argued that his decision did not, in fact, impede on our freedom to exist, claiming that there were safe alternatives to our agenda as a Society and that dymensional plane technology is quite dangerous. He repeated the statement he had been announcing to the University Council since he started his tenure, the statement that every organization within Cabotton University must have solid governance from a member of University faculty, and that such absence of this in the Third Level Society was quite a concern. He also argued against my notion that his decision placed the University democratic principle into question by stating that he was, in fact, elected to the Headmaster position by the student body, and that the University Council, consisting of elected members, voted democratically in favor of his traditional curriculum policies; thus, according to the Headmaster, his policies are ultimately what the student body majority wants.

He then proposed to establish a "Reformed Third Level Society," headed by a faculty member and carrying out questing and worldbuilding via only pen and paper, rather than a dymensional plane. The Headmaster promised, in that case, to establish rules to prevent the treachery within traditional TableQuest sessions, and to write a letter of endorsement to the Retunian government in the Basin District to enact economic policies eradicating TableQuest-related financial incentive to ensure that people do not abandon the pen-and-paper model for the dangerous TableQuest sessions of the past. What those policies would be, Cross did not say.

I have a feeling that I know which side the hundreds of attendees favor, but it is ultimately the Head Arbitrators who get to decide. However, I was actually able to get in touch with former Dungeonmaster Ivella Ogden, who had additional insight about the history of the original Algorithms Book and the Project in which Cross and Snow partnered. I am about to meet with Zachary Landon and will be contriving of a sound counter-argument to deliver tomorrow.