---

This structure has undergone the most reconstruction as it is the facility dedicated to researching new spells and fresh applications of old spells. Decades of scarring mar the surface, both interior and exterior, of the longhouse. Admittance of non-masters is highly discouraged, though an exception is made if there is enough merit. Most rooms have a private office as well as a laboratory. No two rooms are identical in their layout as they are determined by the Caster that occupies it. One room serves as the office for the Hall of Exploration Overseer, who periodically evaluates the progress of every researcher. This is done to ensure that no researcher’s pursuits are either too reckless, dangerous, or both. Admittance as a researcher or an assistant is processed through the Ministry of Casters Headquarters. However, the Overseer is authorized to terminate any researcher’s admittance, and/or confiscate their research.

---

Laboratories

The Hall of Exploration itself possesses fourteen chambers. Apart from the Overseer’s office, they are all spaces available for rent. Three are large for the sake of accommodating the development of spells that are theorized to require a large amount of room. These large laboratories are able to comfortably hold a lab, an office, the researcher, and up to three assistants. Four are small, to the point that there is no space for the researcher to have an assistant. The room itself often doubles as an office and a laboratory. The other six rooms are medium sized, but not all of them are the exact same square footage. Due to their variance in sizes, some are not able to provide both an office and a laboratory as separate areas.

Researchers rent the chamber they occupy from the Ministry of Casters, and can select which chamber they want, if it’s available. Any Player Character that chooses to rent a chamber in the Hall of Exploration will mark the expense under the Upkeep section of their character sheet. This expense includes the cost of occupying the chamber, the cost of borrowing tools and furniture that the Ministry provides for the chamber, and the cost of supplies that are consumed as part of their research. While inks, pens, and paper are considered part of the supplies that the Upkeep covers, books and journals that hold the collected knowledge of the research’s progress are not. Books and Journals must be purchased from the Price List and marked from the Player Character’s ledger.

Important Note: A Player Character cannot live out of the chamber that they are renting. It is not furnished for extended living, and the Overseer checks in too frequently to ensure that no Casters are living inside their rented chamber.

---

Assistants

Trying to develop a new spell, or expanding the ability of a spell that already exists, is not an easy task. Some Casters may believe that they are able to accomplish it on their own. Given time, they very well may. However, assistants are able to ensure that the quality of supplies meet the researcher’s standard, or collaborate with assistants from other laboratories to ensure that the atmopool isn’t about to experience ardentation. They document notes, grab more supplies when necessary, and keep the chamber organized and clean. With each additional assistant, the chances of an accident is reduced. Even more so, if the quality of the assistant is above the bare minimum. Research that requires larger chambers requires there to be assistants present. Otherwise, the researcher’s attention is spread too thin and more than one accident can be expected each season. Large Chambers require a minimum of two assistants, and a Medium Chamber requires at least one assistant.

---

Upkeep

Chamber Size	Total Square Footage	Maximum Number of Assistants	Upkeep Expense Per Season*
Large with 2 Rooms	1,200	3	50 Ruby 6 Topaz
Medium with 2 Rooms	900	2	41 Ruby 4 Topaz
Medium with 1 Room	700	1	36 Topaz 8 Topaz
Small with 2 Room	550	1	32 Ruby 2 Topaz
Small with 1 Room	400	0	27 Ruby 6 Topaz

Researching a new Creative Spell requires a Large Chamber.

Researching a new Harnesses Spell requires a Medium Chamber.

Researching a new Personal Spell can be done with just a Small Chamber.

---

Quality of Assistant	Highest Skill Level	Number of Skills At Highest Level	Upkeep Expense Per Season*
Professional Master	Master	2	60 Ruby
Artisan Expert**	Expert	3	45 Ruby
Dedicated Expert***	Expert	1	30 Ruby
Dedicated Journeyman	Journeyman	3	20 Ruby

---

Reputation

Player Characters that are in good standing with the Ministry of Casters can utilize that relationship to ease the financial burden of their research. Rather than undergo the process of finding assistants with the correct qualifications, the Ministry can reach out on their behalf. Alternatively, they can use their influence to acquire tools and supplies from vendors at a lower cost. These are some roleplay examples, but ultimately, if the Player Character spends 40 points of Reputation with the Ministry of Casters each season, their total Upkeep Expenses (Chambers and Assistants) is halved for that season. Player Characters can choose to take their Reputation with the Ministry of Casters into the negatives, if they’re willing to accept the consequences.

The Ministry of Casters provides these favors on one condition; when the spell is successfully developed the researcher must teach this newly discovered spell (if not deemed to be Forbidden) at the Ministry without reimbursement for a year, or until a current Instructor or Minister reaches a point that they could teach the spell instead.

---

Faster Spell Development

To see the regular duration of research for a new spell, check the Learning a New Spells lore page. The benefit to performing your research at the Hall of Exploration, is that an organized space is provided with easy access to journals of some of Avakaron’s best Casters in the Hall of Chronicles. Once you have a written lore proposal for the new spell, that has been approved by the Spirit Moderators, you can calculate how many seasons of research it would take to invent the spell. Each season of research that is done at the Hall of Exploration counts as two seasons of regular research. To expedite the research even further; if an additional assistant above the designated minimum is hired, and they are of an appropriate level to assist, then each season of research at the Hall of Exploration counts as three seasons of regular research.

For each assistant that is overqualified for the research of the specific spell being developed, reduce the total number of seasons required to develop the spell by one season.

---

NPCs

Some of the Instructors and Ministers forego teaching and pursue the discovery of new spells instead. While some may only dedicate a year or two to this endeavor, others may dedicate the rest of their lives. Because of this, there are not many NPCs that are consistent to this location. Even assistants are rotated out, because they are hired based on their specific expertise.

---

At this time, players are welcome to develop NPCs and their laboratory for this location and submitting them in the NPC Request forum.

Deputy Minister Lezrud Rokgu – Overseer of the Hall of Exploration

---

Article Credit to Abraxas.