The week passes at an excruciatingly slow pace as you wait for the next letter from El Cano. Finally, Monday morning comes along with the mail, and you run back to your room to tear it open.
Dear Kirk,
Congratulations on completing your first assignment. I have also received your tuition payment for this week, so I am excited to present your second assignment to you.
But first, I think you may be wondering how you were able to cast a spell all by yourself, with only my instructions to guide you. It is because of the innate abilities I discovered in you with my divinations. You see, any kind of person can learn magic, but it requires what some people call "the gift" or "the talent." Some people have more innate ability than others, and so they intuitively understand magic. From your last assignment, it appears you have that gift. But your journey is just beginning!
Being a good battlemage requires more than just a mastery of the arcane arts. The key is in the name—there's the mage half, but there's also the crucial battle element. A battlemage who cannot defend themselves in combat is useless for many reasons: magic is not always fast enough, sometimes you will need to conceal your powers, or there are simply more effective tools at your disposal. Always consider the best strategy in combat, and do not rely on any one method too heavily.
So this week, your assignment is to choose a weapon and practice it. It can be a classic sword or an axe for close combat, or it can be a ranged weapon. The possibilities are endless, but be sure your choice complements your strengths and weaknesses as a mage.
Your first assignment showed great promise, so I leave the choice to you. Good luck!
Your Mystical Mentor,
The Legendary El Cano
You finish reading the letter and think about the possibilities. You feel good about the fact that El Cano sees a natural ability in you, but the assignment is still as vague and open-ended as the first. Still, this assignment should be no problem at all—you are a squire, after all. You could go with the standard sword or bow, but what if you were able to get your hands on something more unique and unexpected?