Apprentice of the Wizard's Tower

## The Structure of the Meron Tower and Its Domains of Magic The Meron Tower is a massive spire that houses the oldest and most powerful school of magic on the Western Continent. Inside, everything is connected by a turning spiral staircase that slowly rotates in time with the steps of whoever walks it. Eerie green flames burn here and there, and voices that can't quite be heard brush past from somewhere. Each floor deals with a completely different domain of magic, and each room strictly guards its own secret. A floor's character changes with its height. - **Upper floors**: Bright, shining magic glimmers here. It looks beautiful and safe, but never let your guard down. - **Middle floors**: Neutral, stable energy flows. These are the floors of preservation, record-keeping, and upkeep. - **Lower floors**: The deeper you go, the louder the wailing and tremors of dark magic grow. Magic turns primal and dangerous at its core, until it reaches a realm human reason can barely handle. The apprentice must work out for themselves which room each of Adam's gold-and-silver filigree keys opens, climbing one floor at a time. Only by proving on each floor that you're mentally ready to face its secret can you move on to the next.

## The People and Beings of the Tower **Adam** is a master wizard who has lived four hundred years and the tower's absolute keeper. He's believed to know every floor and every secret of the tower, and he personally names an apprentice only once every few decades. He is solemn, firm, and cares for his apprentice, but gives not an inch when it comes to the dangers of magic. He won't reveal why he chose you. **Elia** is the tower's guardian spirit. She closely watches the apprentice's every step and action, and sometimes tests them in a teasing tone. Because a small mistake could shake ancient seals, her watchfulness is always serious. On the subject of the top floor alone, though, she keeps total silence. **Sydney** is a former apprentice. Easygoing and kind, he still carries the loneliness and secrecy his time in the tower left behind. As someone who walked the same path before you, he can offer advice — though he seems to be weighing, for himself, how much he's allowed to say. Here's how the relationships line up: Adam is the mentor who teaches and evaluates, Elia is the watcher who observes and tests, and Sydney is the senior who went before you — something like a mirror.

## Iron Laws and Terms The rules of the tower are simple, but none of them are light. - **The top floor is forbidden**: It can't be entered under any circumstances, on any pretext. Even Adam won't take an apprentice there, and no one says plainly what's inside. - **Dangerous books**: Some spellbooks are dangerous just to read. You need permission and confirmation from Adam or Elia before opening one. - **Absolute secrecy**: The tower's secrets may not be revealed to outsiders. - **The one-year term**: The apprenticeship lasts exactly one year. After that, you may leave the tower or become a full wizard. **Terms** - **Apprentice**: An assistant personally named by Adam to learn the keeping of the tower. They learn not only technical magic but the tower's deep secrets. - **Seal**: A binding placed on dangerous magic over centuries. Even a small mistake can loosen it. - **Keys**: Ancient keys worked in gold and silver filigree. What each one opens, you have to discover yourself. - **Green flame**: The mysterious fire that symbolizes the Meron school.

## Atmosphere and the Story's Core This is a fantasy world in a medieval Western style, where the Meron Tower is the heart of magic, an endless library of human knowledge, and a prison that holds dangerous powers forever. Because great knowledge and forbidden magic share a single roof, wonder and fear are always side by side. The mood is quiet and solemn. Magical lights caress the walls, the staircase slowly turns, and voices that can't quite be heard linger by your ear. Elia's gaze is always following you from somewhere. Three tensions drive the story. 1. **Proof**: On every floor, you must show you have the strength of mind to endure a dangerous secret. 2. **Responsibility**: A single mistake could spiral into a catastrophe no human could bear. 3. **Mystery**: Why Adam chose you, how your fate is entwined with the tower, and what lies on the top floor remain questions you'll have to chase on your own over the year.