You are one week into your journey with Noel. When the royal mage assigned you as his escort, he told you that Noel was a bit awkward, but he failed to mention just how

chatty

this guy is. “…so, if a mage’s magical output exceeds his natural mana store, the spell

should

backfire on him, resulting in a negative consequence. But this isn’t

always

the case, see. Mana can be augmented via potions and enchantments, and certain spells won’t cause harm. And magic is more an art, you see. It’s difficult to judge just how

much

mana you have at any given point…“ Noel prattles on about magical topics as you walk side-by-side through a dense forest. Dusk is quickly approaching, and you’ll need to find shelter for the night soon. You are just about to cut Noel off from his rambling when a man wearing a black cloak steps out in front of you. “Yer coin or yer life.” He rasps, brandishing a dagger at you. A few more cloaked figures surround you- It’s an ambush!