Garmus waves a dismissive hand toward the half elf and Kenku..."No idea who those two are and don't really care. She's the one wantin' in the place, not me." He says, pointing a thumb at Eralynn.
Raastin watches the odd troupe make its introductions, nodding toward them with a smile. "Heading in?" he asks, somewhat absent-mindedly, though, he wouldn't be opposed to the company. The more faces, the harder it will be to remember his. "I'm Raastin. Raastin Rolfwann," he says with a smile, stowing the book back into his pouch. "And who all might you be?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Corrin Kettlewhistle: Halfling Life Cleric (Curse of Strahd) Kip Dalton: Human Lore Bard (Waterdeep Dragon Heist) Debauchery Dalliance: Half-Drow Oath of Conquest Paladin (White Plume Mountain)
The Kenku quickly reaffixed his shattered spectacles on his face to inspect the book. He lets out a croak of laughter - a mimic of an array of gnomish children being amused by a puppeteer one night in Hupperdook. The similarities shared between him and who he overheard as Eralynn were quite apparent, but he sobers up as the display of her loss of speech was artfully presented. No matter. She seemed cheery regardless, and that’s how Ecko liked the world to be, in stark contrast to most Kenku who take their woes out by meddling in crime.
The Kenku smiles, as much as one with a beak can. Much like a rogue with a dagger, a wrench materialized in the Kenku’s hand, once again fiddling with the small sonograph he carries. After a moment of frustration, he pockets it, choosing to instead clear his throat and place a hand on his scale mail-covered chest. He recalls the first introduction he had with the gnome in his foster family. “Look at you, little bird. What’re you called?” a surprisingly old, kind, gnomish-tinged voice rings out from the Kenku. “Not much of a speaker, are you? Well, try this. Echo! That’s it. Say it back to me. Let’s call you that, eh? Just so nobody’s confused, let’s spell it E-C-K-O. Yes.” To the second question, he pauses for a moment, reaching back into his bag. He rummages, retrieving the book about inventions from earlier, flipping to a page and gesturing towards the advanced schematic of a mass teleportation device that likely flies - or teleports - right over anyone unfamiliar with reading diagrams’ heads. He stresses urgency, but it’s unclear why. Ecko seems satisfied with his explanation, though.
“I'm sorry, I never caught either of your names. I am Ysabell. A pleasure." (Quote wasn’t working for me, for some reason.)
At the sound of being addressed, the Kenku’s head twitches in the direction of Ysabell. In a blur of movement, the spectacles return to Ecko’s face as he studies the elven woman with genuine, interested curiosity, calculating the logistics of her using that brilliant scimitar across her back and arriving to the conclusion that some questions would remain unanswered for now. It was best not to mess with something you didn’t know, and elven folks who look like...that...are usually not ones to be trifled with. Ecko offers a smile, glimmering and ever in motion eyes filing away all curious details they could find. In a perfect replica of what he just said, he mimics the moment where he earned his name, cheerily smiling at the woman. His head jerkily shakes back and forth at the mention of ‘traveling together’ and ‘friends’ - it was evident the Kenku hadn’t met most of the party, but with the Kenku’s curiosity, that may quickly changed. He hurriedly returns to energetically fiddling with the sonograph he had just stashed away. “Ysabell! Pleasure to meet! May I ask, what does that scimitar do for you? Forgive me, but it seems ungainly for one of your stature. Unless it is magical, of course, or if it contains the proper counterbalances to...” it rattles off, spouting random, cluttered observations on the ability of one such as Ysabell to effectively use it as a weapon.
Eralynn sits down cross legged while everyone talks, and begins furiously sketching something that would take her a couple of moments to do. Her fingers, covered in soot from her large crayon, work furiously on the page. Every so often, she looks up, as if memorizing a detail about you all.
"Gods! Are ya tryin' ta make me deaf ya mammering harpy?!"
”No idea who those two are and don't really care.“
Ecko mimics something he recalled - the sound of tavern goers booing a shoddy performance fills the air as Ecko places both hands on his knees, chopping up and looping together some words he recently heard to formulate a phrase. Ecko gives a friendly look towards Raastin through spectacles that illuminate his already disproportionate, curious eyes. The Half-Elf didn’t seem the forgetful type, and Ecko was wondering if he should introduce himself a third time. He returns gazes to the dwarf. ”Mammering harpy?” He shakes his head, pointing a feathered hand to the dwarf, unsure if he was supposed to be offended or not. “Not the type. Not a pleasure,” he reflects in Ysabell’s voice, blinking twice before returning to continuously tinkering with his little inventions.
Raastin watches the odd troupe make its introductions, nodding toward them with a smile. "Heading in?" he asks, somewhat absent-mindedly, though, he wouldn't be opposed to the company. The more faces, the harder it will be to remember his. "I'm Raastin. Raastin Rolfwann," he says with a smile, stowing the book back into his pouch. "And who all might you be?"
“I'm sorry, I never caught either of your names. I am Ysabell. A pleasure." (Quote wasn’t working for me, for some reason.)
At the sound of being addressed, the Kenku’s head twitches in the direction of Ysabell. In a blur of movement, the spectacles return to Ecko’s face as he studies the elven woman with genuine, interested curiosity, calculating the logistics of her using that brilliant scimitar across her back and arriving to the conclusion that some questions would remain unanswered for now. It was best not to mess with something you didn’t know, and elven folks who look like...that...are usually not ones to be trifled with. Ecko offers a smile, glimmering and ever in motion eyes filing away all curious details they could find. In a perfect replica of what he just said, he mimics the moment where he earned his name, cheerily smiling at the woman. His head jerkily shakes back and forth at the mention of ‘traveling together’ and ‘friends’ - it was evident the Kenku hadn’t met most of the party, but with the Kenku’s curiosity, that may quickly changed. He hurriedly returns to energetically fiddling with the sonograph he had just stashed away. “Ysabell! Pleasure to meet! May I ask, what does that scimitar do for you? Forgive me, but it seems ungainly for one of your stature. Unless it is magical, of course, or if it contains the proper counterbalances to...” it rattles off, spouting random, cluttered observations on the ability of one such as Ysabell to effectively use it as a weapon.
"Raastin and Ecko. Well met." Ysabell began pleasantly. "As for my scythe, well, it is the tool used by my order and I use it as one would typically use a similar tool; it is surprising light and easy to use despite it's current size." she replied to the Kenku as if that explained all the fellows questions.
"Well it seems that through a stroke of serendipity, we've all just happened to arrive at the same time." Turning to Eralynn, "And while I'd like to say that I'm here to peruse through their halls of knowledge, I'm actually here for 'business' reasons. But before I deal with that, I need to help a new friend by finding a sage named Matreous who studies here. Do any of you happen to know them?"
Raastin shakes his head. "Never heard of them, though, I've never really been inside the Keep. These folks te nd to keep to themselves unless you can pique their interest," he says, patting the bag with his book. "I'm hoping what I have here will be enough to earn a trip inside. Maybe there, we can find this friend of yours."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Corrin Kettlewhistle: Halfling Life Cleric (Curse of Strahd) Kip Dalton: Human Lore Bard (Waterdeep Dragon Heist) Debauchery Dalliance: Half-Drow Oath of Conquest Paladin (White Plume Mountain)
Garmus picks a bit of leaf out of his beard and looks at the group. "Enough talk!" He snaps as he starts towards the door, his armor clanking with his movement..."Lynny, let's go, put yer scribblin' away. Let's get this over with." He gripes.
Raastin chuckles, trailing behind a bit to see how this encounter goes, slowly running his finger along the tome. "Almost there, dad. Almost there," he whispers quietly, his hand shaking a bit with the excitement.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Corrin Kettlewhistle: Halfling Life Cleric (Curse of Strahd) Kip Dalton: Human Lore Bard (Waterdeep Dragon Heist) Debauchery Dalliance: Half-Drow Oath of Conquest Paladin (White Plume Mountain)
"I see. Well it's no matter, I'm sure I'll find them easily enough." Ysabell replied before trailing the others towards the main gate. As she did so, just out of habit, she'll reach out her senses ever so slight just to confirm that neither the Half-elf, the Kenku, or the mute woman were someone she'd have to deal with at some point. While she doubted it, she'd lived long enough to expect the unexpected.
Using a use of the Eye's of the Grave feature to make sure none of y'all are secretly undead XD
"Well it seems that through a stroke of serendipity, we've all just happened to arrive at the same time." Turning to Eralynn, "And while I'd like to say that I'm here to peruse through their halls of knowledge, I'm actually here for 'business' reasons. But before I deal with that, I need to help a new friend by finding a sage named Matreous who studies here. Do any of you happen to know them?"
Eralynn looked up from her drawing. An adventure! Yes!
"Lynny, let's go, put yer scribblin' away. Let's get this over with." He gripes.
She nodded excitedly, but held up her picture first to everyone. It was a briefly animated group shot of all of them talking together, like in the brief frames of a animated cartoon. She smiled at the work, closed her sketchbook, and joined everyone inside. She had titled it "New Friends and Adventure!"
INSIDE CANDLEKEEP
We handed in our books - the entrance fee, and were allowed inside. Bedecked in purple vestments, five Avowed priests of Deneir (god of writing) oversaw the front gates, examining and discussing written works presented by hopefuls trying to gain entrance, like us. We were quickly informed once we entered that we were now referred to as seekers, and could request the assistance of an Avowed adjutant who could acts as a guide and research assistant for the duration of our visit. (This guide has access to all the resources of the library, with the exception of the vaults that contain the rarest and most dangerous works.) Candlekeep was fortified by a fifty-foot-tall, fifteen-foot-thick, iron-reinforced stone wall with a double gate facing east.
Then, we had to agree to the to the Orders of Accordance, rules set forth by the senior staff to prevent misconduct. Violating one or more of these orders results in banishment from Candlekeep, and the banished are seldom allowed to return. The rules are simple:
No fighting. All arguments must follow the rules of cordial debate and discussion. Violent altercations are not tolerated. No stealing. This rule applies to all objects in the keep, not just the library’s works. No copying. Visitors are permitted to take notes while studying the library’s works, but anyone who wants to make a full copy of a work must pay to have the manuscript created scribes at the House of the Binder. No damaging, marking, or otherwise modifying the works. This rule doesn’t apply to privately owned books, scrolls, and other documents that aren’t part of Candlekeep’s collection.
We entered Candlekeep from the from the Gatehouse, from the Way of the Lion - where we all met. Inside, this area was called the Court of Air. There were many places of Candlekeep to explore.
Eralynn scribbled something in her sketchbook, and tapped Ysabell on the shoulder, showing you.
After we find Matreous, can we look for books on art?
"I see. Well it's no matter, I'm sure I'll find them easily enough." Ysabell replied before trailing the others towards the main gate. As she did so, just out of habit, she'll reach out her senses ever so slight just to confirm that neither the Half-elf, the Kenku, or the mute woman were someone she'd have to deal with at some point. While she doubted it, she'd lived long enough to expect the unexpected.
Using a use of the Eye's of the Grave feature to make sure none of y'all are secretly undead XD
LOL. Eralynn, as far as your detection goes, in not undead.
Raastin, who is also among the living, looks over Eralynn's drawing of the group. "Nice. A very good likeness of me," he says with a wink. "Maybe too nice. How about we add a moustache or something?"
Once inside, the half-elf listens impatiently to the rules, only taking mental notes of how severe the punishments were and what to avoid. "Yes, sure, let's find your friend."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Corrin Kettlewhistle: Halfling Life Cleric (Curse of Strahd) Kip Dalton: Human Lore Bard (Waterdeep Dragon Heist) Debauchery Dalliance: Half-Drow Oath of Conquest Paladin (White Plume Mountain)
"Nice. A very good likeness of me," he says with a wink. "Maybe too nice. How about we add a moustache or something?"
Eralynn nodded in comprehension. She made a face that implied, we can add whatever you'd like! She kept with the others, looking around in wonder and excitement.
"Ya better be quick in here, you know I can't follow that first rule for long." He whispers to Eralynn. "No fightin', not likely." He mumbles under his breathe.
Ecko hastily agreed to entering the keep with an enthusiastic nod, none the wiser as Ysabell scans the surroundings. This one's clear, and definitely more energetic than an undead could probably be. His already magnified eyes glimmer with joy as he glances around the spires, whipping out a small parchment and jotting architectural schematics down that contain no rhyme or reason other than being intricate, random observations collected by the Kenku's sweeping gaze.
Although speaking with a Kenku can be a chore, the adjutants finally concede to grant Ecko passage. He eagerly parts with the small book he'd been carrying. He had long since memorized each and every individual drawing by the famed inventor Cleff Tinkertop, and if Ecko's suspicions about his current situation proved to be true, the inventions within could be very interesting for anyone in this so-called 'Faerun'. A moment of sadness sweeps over the cheery Kenku. He runs a hand along the bronze shield equipped with all sorts of gadgets and whirring gizmos. This place didn't seem as...technologically advanced as Hupperdook, but Ecko was determined to see if the arcane magic rumored to lie within would meet its match. He turns his head curiously as Ysabell mentions a mage before reflecting her own words back at her. Mages were fun to meet! And they could be useful, provided they knew much about teleportation.
The rest of the party's words slightly concern him. He lets out an awkward laugh resembling the sound of clean metal being polished. Ecko then proceeds to whip out a scroll, transcribing the rules for future reference...and sheepishly stops the process when he gets to the rule about copying. Whoops.
"Know Matreous?"Ecko reflects in Ysabell's words, shaking his head. He strides to the center of the open courtyard within. With a snap, the lenses on his glasses darken, allowing him to more easily scan the vicinity. A temple, a granary, and...Pillars of Pedagogy? Ecko jots something else down, but eventually gestures to what he assumes the door leading inside further would be. Mages were pretentious - they enjoyed being hard to reach.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Raastin sighs, holding back his excitement. "Best to blend in with a group with a purpose," he thinks to himself as he begins to ask about the various Candlekeep denizens. "Could you point me toward Matreous?"
INVESTIGATION: 10
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Corrin Kettlewhistle: Halfling Life Cleric (Curse of Strahd) Kip Dalton: Human Lore Bard (Waterdeep Dragon Heist) Debauchery Dalliance: Half-Drow Oath of Conquest Paladin (White Plume Mountain)
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Garmus waves a dismissive hand toward the half elf and Kenku..."No idea who those two are and don't really care. She's the one wantin' in the place, not me." He says, pointing a thumb at Eralynn.
Eralynn nods happily. She sign languages in a very simple way that:
She points to herself: I
She points to her eyes: am looking
She opens her hands like pages: for a book
She pretends to draw: on art!
Raastin watches the odd troupe make its introductions, nodding toward them with a smile. "Heading in?" he asks, somewhat absent-mindedly, though, he wouldn't be opposed to the company. The more faces, the harder it will be to remember his. "I'm Raastin. Raastin Rolfwann," he says with a smile, stowing the book back into his pouch. "And who all might you be?"
Corrin Kettlewhistle: Halfling Life Cleric (Curse of Strahd)
Kip Dalton: Human Lore Bard (Waterdeep Dragon Heist)
Debauchery Dalliance: Half-Drow Oath of Conquest Paladin (White Plume Mountain)
"So I take it Garmus has made a few friends has he? Are you all traveling together?"
Eralynn shook her head no, only pointing back and forth to herself and Garmus.
She flashes the page with her name, adding a little magical caricature of herself on the page bowing in respect.
The Kenku quickly reaffixed his shattered spectacles on his face to inspect the book. He lets out a croak of laughter - a mimic of an array of gnomish children being amused by a puppeteer one night in Hupperdook. The similarities shared between him and who he overheard as Eralynn were quite apparent, but he sobers up as the display of her loss of speech was artfully presented. No matter. She seemed cheery regardless, and that’s how Ecko liked the world to be, in stark contrast to most Kenku who take their woes out by meddling in crime.
The Kenku smiles, as much as one with a beak can. Much like a rogue with a dagger, a wrench materialized in the Kenku’s hand, once again fiddling with the small sonograph he carries. After a moment of frustration, he pockets it, choosing to instead clear his throat and place a hand on his scale mail-covered chest. He recalls the first introduction he had with the gnome in his foster family. “Look at you, little bird. What’re you called?” a surprisingly old, kind, gnomish-tinged voice rings out from the Kenku. “Not much of a speaker, are you? Well, try this. Echo! That’s it. Say it back to me. Let’s call you that, eh? Just so nobody’s confused, let’s spell it E-C-K-O. Yes.” To the second question, he pauses for a moment, reaching back into his bag. He rummages, retrieving the book about inventions from earlier, flipping to a page and gesturing towards the advanced schematic of a mass teleportation device that likely flies - or teleports - right over anyone unfamiliar with reading diagrams’ heads. He stresses urgency, but it’s unclear why. Ecko seems satisfied with his explanation, though.
“I'm sorry, I never caught either of your names. I am Ysabell. A pleasure." (Quote wasn’t working for me, for some reason.)
At the sound of being addressed, the Kenku’s head twitches in the direction of Ysabell. In a blur of movement, the spectacles return to Ecko’s face as he studies the elven woman with genuine, interested curiosity, calculating the logistics of her using that brilliant scimitar across her back and arriving to the conclusion that some questions would remain unanswered for now. It was best not to mess with something you didn’t know, and elven folks who look like...that...are usually not ones to be trifled with. Ecko offers a smile, glimmering and ever in motion eyes filing away all curious details they could find. In a perfect replica of what he just said, he mimics the moment where he earned his name, cheerily smiling at the woman. His head jerkily shakes back and forth at the mention of ‘traveling together’ and ‘friends’ - it was evident the Kenku hadn’t met most of the party, but with the Kenku’s curiosity, that may quickly changed. He hurriedly returns to energetically fiddling with the sonograph he had just stashed away. “Ysabell! Pleasure to meet! May I ask, what does that scimitar do for you? Forgive me, but it seems ungainly for one of your stature. Unless it is magical, of course, or if it contains the proper counterbalances to...” it rattles off, spouting random, cluttered observations on the ability of one such as Ysabell to effectively use it as a weapon.
Eralynn sits down cross legged while everyone talks, and begins furiously sketching something that would take her a couple of moments to do. Her fingers, covered in soot from her large crayon, work furiously on the page. Every so often, she looks up, as if memorizing a detail about you all.
Ecko mimics something he recalled - the sound of tavern goers booing a shoddy performance fills the air as Ecko places both hands on his knees, chopping up and looping together some words he recently heard to formulate a phrase. Ecko gives a friendly look towards Raastin through spectacles that illuminate his already disproportionate, curious eyes. The Half-Elf didn’t seem the forgetful type, and Ecko was wondering if he should introduce himself a third time. He returns gazes to the dwarf. ”Mammering harpy?” He shakes his head, pointing a feathered hand to the dwarf, unsure if he was supposed to be offended or not. “Not the type. Not a pleasure,” he reflects in Ysabell’s voice, blinking twice before returning to continuously tinkering with his little inventions.
"Raastin and Ecko. Well met." Ysabell began pleasantly. "As for my scythe, well, it is the tool used by my order and I use it as one would typically use a similar tool; it is surprising light and easy to use despite it's current size." she replied to the Kenku as if that explained all the fellows questions.
"Well it seems that through a stroke of serendipity, we've all just happened to arrive at the same time." Turning to Eralynn, "And while I'd like to say that I'm here to peruse through their halls of knowledge, I'm actually here for 'business' reasons. But before I deal with that, I need to help a new friend by finding a sage named Matreous who studies here. Do any of you happen to know them?"
Zoldier’s Curse of the Crimson Throne: DM/ Redii || Zoldier's Strange Aeon's: DM
Raastin shakes his head. "Never heard of them, though, I've never really been inside the Keep. These folks te nd to keep to themselves unless you can pique their interest," he says, patting the bag with his book. "I'm hoping what I have here will be enough to earn a trip inside. Maybe there, we can find this friend of yours."
Corrin Kettlewhistle: Halfling Life Cleric (Curse of Strahd)
Kip Dalton: Human Lore Bard (Waterdeep Dragon Heist)
Debauchery Dalliance: Half-Drow Oath of Conquest Paladin (White Plume Mountain)
Garmus picks a bit of leaf out of his beard and looks at the group. "Enough talk!" He snaps as he starts towards the door, his armor clanking with his movement..."Lynny, let's go, put yer scribblin' away. Let's get this over with." He gripes.
Raastin chuckles, trailing behind a bit to see how this encounter goes, slowly running his finger along the tome. "Almost there, dad. Almost there," he whispers quietly, his hand shaking a bit with the excitement.
Corrin Kettlewhistle: Halfling Life Cleric (Curse of Strahd)
Kip Dalton: Human Lore Bard (Waterdeep Dragon Heist)
Debauchery Dalliance: Half-Drow Oath of Conquest Paladin (White Plume Mountain)
"I see. Well it's no matter, I'm sure I'll find them easily enough." Ysabell replied before trailing the others towards the main gate. As she did so, just out of habit, she'll reach out her senses ever so slight just to confirm that neither the Half-elf, the Kenku, or the mute woman were someone she'd have to deal with at some point. While she doubted it, she'd lived long enough to expect the unexpected.
Zoldier’s Curse of the Crimson Throne: DM/ Redii || Zoldier's Strange Aeon's: DM
"Well it seems that through a stroke of serendipity, we've all just happened to arrive at the same time." Turning to Eralynn, "And while I'd like to say that I'm here to peruse through their halls of knowledge, I'm actually here for 'business' reasons. But before I deal with that, I need to help a new friend by finding a sage named Matreous who studies here. Do any of you happen to know them?"
Eralynn looked up from her drawing. An adventure! Yes!
"Lynny, let's go, put yer scribblin' away. Let's get this over with." He gripes.
She nodded excitedly, but held up her picture first to everyone. It was a briefly animated group shot of all of them talking together, like in the brief frames of a animated cartoon. She smiled at the work, closed her sketchbook, and joined everyone inside. She had titled it "New Friends and Adventure!"
INSIDE CANDLEKEEP
We handed in our books - the entrance fee, and were allowed inside. Bedecked in purple vestments, five Avowed priests of Deneir (god of writing) oversaw the front gates, examining and discussing written works presented by hopefuls trying to gain entrance, like us. We were quickly informed once we entered that we were now referred to as seekers, and could request the assistance of an Avowed adjutant who could acts as a guide and research assistant for the duration of our visit. (This guide has access to all the resources of the library, with the exception of the vaults that contain the rarest and most dangerous works.) Candlekeep was fortified by a fifty-foot-tall, fifteen-foot-thick, iron-reinforced stone wall with a double gate facing east.
Then, we had to agree to the to the Orders of Accordance, rules set forth by the senior staff to prevent misconduct. Violating one or more of these orders results in banishment from Candlekeep, and the banished are seldom allowed to return. The rules are simple:
No fighting. All arguments must follow the rules of cordial debate and discussion. Violent altercations are not tolerated.
No stealing. This rule applies to all objects in the keep, not just the library’s works.
No copying. Visitors are permitted to take notes while studying the library’s works, but anyone who wants to make a full copy of a work must pay to have the manuscript created scribes at the House of the Binder.
No damaging, marking, or otherwise modifying the works. This rule doesn’t apply to privately owned books, scrolls, and other documents that aren’t part of Candlekeep’s collection.
We entered Candlekeep from the from the Gatehouse, from the Way of the Lion - where we all met. Inside, this area was called the Court of Air. There were many places of Candlekeep to explore.
Eralynn scribbled something in her sketchbook, and tapped Ysabell on the shoulder, showing you.
After we find Matreous, can we look for books on art?
LOL. Eralynn, as far as your detection goes, in not undead.
Raastin, who is also among the living, looks over Eralynn's drawing of the group. "Nice. A very good likeness of me," he says with a wink. "Maybe too nice. How about we add a moustache or something?"
Once inside, the half-elf listens impatiently to the rules, only taking mental notes of how severe the punishments were and what to avoid. "Yes, sure, let's find your friend."
Corrin Kettlewhistle: Halfling Life Cleric (Curse of Strahd)
Kip Dalton: Human Lore Bard (Waterdeep Dragon Heist)
Debauchery Dalliance: Half-Drow Oath of Conquest Paladin (White Plume Mountain)
"Nice. A very good likeness of me," he says with a wink. "Maybe too nice. How about we add a moustache or something?"
Eralynn nodded in comprehension. She made a face that implied, we can add whatever you'd like! She kept with the others, looking around in wonder and excitement.
"Ya better be quick in here, you know I can't follow that first rule for long." He whispers to Eralynn. "No fightin', not likely." He mumbles under his breathe.
She snapped her fingers, remembering that fact. She sign languaged to him very basically, smirking.
We better hurry then!
Ecko hastily agreed to entering the keep with an enthusiastic nod, none the wiser as Ysabell scans the surroundings. This one's clear, and definitely more energetic than an undead could probably be. His already magnified eyes glimmer with joy as he glances around the spires, whipping out a small parchment and jotting architectural schematics down that contain no rhyme or reason other than being intricate, random observations collected by the Kenku's sweeping gaze.
Although speaking with a Kenku can be a chore, the adjutants finally concede to grant Ecko passage. He eagerly parts with the small book he'd been carrying. He had long since memorized each and every individual drawing by the famed inventor Cleff Tinkertop, and if Ecko's suspicions about his current situation proved to be true, the inventions within could be very interesting for anyone in this so-called 'Faerun'. A moment of sadness sweeps over the cheery Kenku. He runs a hand along the bronze shield equipped with all sorts of gadgets and whirring gizmos. This place didn't seem as...technologically advanced as Hupperdook, but Ecko was determined to see if the arcane magic rumored to lie within would meet its match. He turns his head curiously as Ysabell mentions a mage before reflecting her own words back at her. Mages were fun to meet! And they could be useful, provided they knew much about teleportation.
The rest of the party's words slightly concern him. He lets out an awkward laugh resembling the sound of clean metal being polished. Ecko then proceeds to whip out a scroll, transcribing the rules for future reference...and sheepishly stops the process when he gets to the rule about copying. Whoops.
"Know Matreous?" Ecko reflects in Ysabell's words, shaking his head. He strides to the center of the open courtyard within. With a snap, the lenses on his glasses darken, allowing him to more easily scan the vicinity. A temple, a granary, and...Pillars of Pedagogy? Ecko jots something else down, but eventually gestures to what he assumes the door leading inside further would be. Mages were pretentious - they enjoyed being hard to reach.
Raastin sighs, holding back his excitement. "Best to blend in with a group with a purpose," he thinks to himself as he begins to ask about the various Candlekeep denizens. "Could you point me toward Matreous?"
INVESTIGATION: 10
Corrin Kettlewhistle: Halfling Life Cleric (Curse of Strahd)
Kip Dalton: Human Lore Bard (Waterdeep Dragon Heist)
Debauchery Dalliance: Half-Drow Oath of Conquest Paladin (White Plume Mountain)