Bruxa accepts the offering of food with even more excitement than the patting.

"That dog is going to grow fat," comments Eddard. "The children have been spoiling it rotten, sneaking out food from the canteen at all times of the day."

At this point, a young boy comes running up the path towards the gatehouse. "What do you need me for, Journeyman Eddard?" he asks, looking at Brand inquisitively.

"Please take this gentleman to the Administration Hall and tell whoever is on duty that he would like to talk with Master Nathaniel, if he is up to taking visitors."

"Yes, Journeyman." replies the young boy who indicates to Brand that he should follow him.

As Brand heads off, Eddard calls after him, saying, "I look forward to that drink sometime, Alaric."

The young boy leads Brand—who needs no help in finding it—to the Administration Hall.

However, just as they are about to go up the steps, Brand sees some people come out of the library; the solidly built Nubian woman with the short blonde hair in the lead can only be the Glory Rahni.

Brand glances at them, taking note of her companions as best he can, then follows his guide to the admin waiting room.

[[Please give me a Perception check for quality of information; failure is a roll less than 10]]

Perception: 22

Edit: well, that would be a YAY!

Glory Rahni, while not carrying any major weapons, is wearing chainmail armour with a surcoat emblazoned with the sunburst symbol of Mithra and has a dagger at her hip. Her short-cropped hair looks more functional than a fashion statement and Brand decides she probably wears a helmet regularly. The sunburst symbol catches Brand's attention. It has more rays radiating from it than the symbol the bookkeeper Helas showed him.

Following quietly after Glory Rahni is a slim figure dressed in long grey robes with the hood drawn up so that nothing can be seen of the person's face. However, this must be the 'Ezra' Eddard mentioned because Brand can see the silver medallion of a journeyman of the School hanging suspended from around the person's neck.

Then Brand's view goes to the third member of the group, who is currently saying goodbye to someone in the entrance to the library. This man is dressed in the armour of an Aiedan hand leader and, as he hurries up to catch up with Glory Rahni, Brand recognises him as the man he remembers seeing in Last Chance.

[[ Did he get any glimpse of the person the gaurd was talking to? ]]

Brand continue to follow the young boy.

[[ Finances updated ]]

Quote from AlaricBrand >>

[[ Did he get any glimpse of the person the gaurd was talking to? ]]

[[Just enough to see that the person was a woman.]]

Brand continue to follow the young boy.

[[ Finances updated ]]

"Here you are, mister," says the young boy. "This is the Administration building. They'll look after you. I have to get back to my book."

As the young boy leaves a older man appears and asks, "Hello. Can I help you?"

The man is wearing robes and the medallion of a journeyman of the School.

"Yes, I hope so. I'm a friend of Master Nathaniel and I was hoping to see him. I am only recently back in town and yesterday when I came to visit he was asleep. He knows me well and  I was hoping he might be available. Would you be able to tell him Alaric Brand is here, if he has time and energy?"

"I'm afraid he has visitors already," says the man, after looking Brand up and down. "I don't suppose you are part of Glory Rahni's entourage are you?"

"No, but I did see someone who looked like the Glory leaving as I was crossing the courtyard."

"And they didn't tell me they were leaving," says the man, somewhat affronted. "That is not very polite, but I suppose what can you expect from the nobility."

"Now, I will need you to sign the visitor's book, Mister—Brand was it?—It is a new policy we have here at the School that has just been implemented."

After the book is produced and Brand has added his name to the first page, the man then gestures for Brand to head back outside the building, saying, "I suppose that means Master Nathaniel will be free. So, if you will come with me, we can see if he is able to accept more visitors. He tires easily these days, but he also doesn't get many visitors, so I'm sure he would love to see a friend."

The man leads the way to the library. As they walk along the path, it starts to spit with rain and they are forced to hurry for the last little bit.

As they climb the short steps to the library, they meet a young woman—a journeyman from the silver of her medallion—who is carrying a basket of what looks like bedding. There is a strong smell of urine wafting from the bedclothes and the woman looks upset with tear marks down her face.

"Daffid," the woman says, "Thank the gods you have come. Master Nathaniel is in something of a state."

Brand glances between each of them, and starts moving to his rooms with the others, "What did they do to him?" he asks.

[[ Is it the same woman he met last time? Lucinda, I think, was dealing with his bed etc ]]

Quote from AlaricBrand >>

Brand glances between each of them, and starts moving to his rooms with the others, "What did they do to him?" he asks.

[[ Is it the same woman he met last time? ]]

[[No. That 'woman' was actually a girl and a student. This person is a more mature woman and is wearing a journeyman's medallion.]]

Brand enters the library asking what it was they did to Nathaniel. His direct action forces the others to follow.

"I don't know," says the woman still clutching her basket as they climb the first set of stairs. "He was sleeping peacefully when they left. But he woke shortly thereafter and has been ranting ever since. It was all I could do to get these soiled bedclothes off him... He started calling me foul names... I got scared... And I, and I, barricaded him into his room with a table."

[[ I mentioned Brand's theory that the Turtle was a receptacle for a spirit to possess the Warlord's horse...Brand might conclude the same here...Brand is also aware of the existence of such things...but I will understand if you don't think he's say this. Though given the nature of their work together, the latter sentence "he may be under attack" is a likely conclusion. ]]

"Do you have people here capable of banishing malevolent spirits? He may be under attack."

When he gets to the room, he will remove any barricade and try to enter, saying "Nathaniel, it is Alaric. I'll help if I can...anything you need...but I probably can't help stuck in my body." He turns to the others, "Its a long shot, but if I fall unconscious, just leave me...I'll try to help him."

Quote from AlaricBrand >>

[[ I mentioned Brand's theory that the Turtle was a receptacle for a spirit to possess the Warlord's horse...Brand might conclude the same here...Brand is also aware of the existence of such things...but I will understand if you don't think he's say this. Though given the nature of their work together, the latter sentence "he may be under attack" is a likely conclusion. ]]

[[I would need details of what is actually said here, so best to say it later.]]

"Do you have people here capable of banishing malevolent spirits? He may be under attack."

When he gets to the room, he will remove any barricade and try to enter, saying "Nathaniel, it is Alaric. I'll help if I can...anything you need...but I probably can't help stuck in my body."

As the three approach Master Nathaniel's bedroom, a horrid rasping sound intermingled with incoherent hoarse screaming can be heard coming from behind the barred door.

The male administrator listens to what Brand says and then tells the woman to go and get help. She hurries off as Brand clears away the table that has been pushed in front of the door. The table is not heavy, but the door opens outwards and the table was preventing this from happening.

Opening the door, Brand sees a half-naked Nathaniel thrashing around on the floor of his room, the foam of madness on his lips and cheeks.

And then there are his eyes...

[[Make a Wisdom saving throw.]]

Wisdom: 12

Quote from AlaricBrand >>

Wisdom: 10

[[Brand still has one hero die, do you want him to use it? It is a d6 that can be added to this result.]]

[[ Explain a rule thing to me: I'm going to have to roll a 15? Or something less? It would seem pointless without knowing the DC...for all I know it could be DC 18...

Also, I meant to ask: did he get a hero dice for his actions along the river? It did seem particularly in character ]]

Quote from AlaricBrand >>

[[ Explain a rule thing to me: I'm going to have to roll a 15? Or something less? It would seem pointless without knowing the DC...for all I know it could be DC 18...

[[The way I run hero points is slightly different than what is suggested in the source books where the player isn't told whether the result is successful or not (i.e., the DC remains hidden). With my rules, any number of available hero dice can be used to turned failed saves into successful save, but I still won't reveal the DC the roll is being made against, just that the initial roll failed.]]

Also, I meant to ask: did he get a hero dice for his actions along the river? It did seem particularly in character ]]

[[I will give you a hero point for the action in the river, but they are supposed to be handed out frugally, except when a character goes up a level, at which point they are set to the new character level.]]

[[ I think not knowing the DC is a bad call...in combat it will be known (roughly), but not for DCs and skills. In a "heroic" context it would be good to know whether he "almost" got there etc. I assume that the DC must be less than or equal to 16, otherwise you would not offer...unless you were truly mean!

But, in this case, I'll use a die:]]

Hero: 6

[[ And thank you for the hero point! ]]

[[ Edit: reading the forums etc, I can't see anywhere where people say players should know the DC...so I guess I'm wrong. It would also be a problem if Hero Points became a means to instantly know DCs. I can't help but feel a "snatch victory from the jaws of defeat" thing would be nice, without giving too much info away.

Would you consider just saying: "if you use a hero point, it will change the result"? Or perhaps not using up a hero point if it fails to change the outcome? Or...some other mechanic that make it less of a blind roll? ]]

[[ Question: Which of these has Brand said? Both? ]]

"Do you have people here capable of banishing malevolent spirits? He may be under attack."

When he gets to the room, he will remove any barricade and try to enter, saying "Nathaniel, it is Alaric. I'll help if I can...anything you need...but I probably can't help stuck in my body."