"Philosophy can be interesting, but it is not an area I focused on too much.  Astronomy too I know some basics, but I am no expert.  As Ludlow alluded too..."  Here Triäsa glances over to the grey-haired man a moment.  "I have run across references to the alignment of stars to certain interplanar gates.   Sure,  some may be seasonal or related to lunar cycles.   But a few get quite complex. I remember one writting told of a gate that opened on a cycle over a thousand years long.  It...  well..."

She laughs, taking up her wine again to take a drink.  "There I go talking!  But your book for Candlekeep.  Did your master combine philosophy and astronomy somehow?  Or was this just something he happened to write?"

As Triasa sips her drink she notices out the corner of her eye a familiar skipping silhouette entering the building. Fembris bounces around for a bit before recognizing you all. She finds an empty chair and hops on top of it standing so she can meet your gaze.

"Ah, well, hello everyone. I was hoping to find you here. I stopped by the House of Rest and was told you all came here for some food and drink. Wise choice, really absolutely great food and the service is just top notch." She looks around a bit trying to find a waitress but they all seem to duck away when she makes eye contact or tries to waves them over. "Well that's rather rude...." She ponders a moment, "Anyway I guess I should get right to business. I took your requests to the library and... well.... it seems we have hit a bit of a snag.... the head research assigned to your group has gone missing.... but don't worry I am sure we will find  him..... eventually... just might cause some delays.... oh please don't be mad we are generally much more organized..."

Prologue end

Chapter 1: The Joy of Extradimensional Spaces

(I will be traveling a bit tomorrow AM will check in periodically but might be a bit slower, feel free to continue as you want, I'll catch up:) )

Daventry leans forward. "Missing. How does a sage just go missing?" She pauses a moment. "If we've got only two weeks before we're kicked back to the Lion's Way, and no head researcher to help us, how're we to find what we seek?"

Eyeing Fembris, Daventry looks sincere. "I'd like to help. Tymora knows I'll never get another shot at this, so I want to make the best of it. What do you know?"

((going back a bit))

Well before the food and drinks are set to arrive, Pardot rolls up his star map and slides it into his pack to keep it safe. As the waitress comes back and 'spills' the wine, he's quick to control it away from his side of the table. Always a student of nature, and therefor intentions, Pardot watches closely as Ludolf makes eye contact with the server as she recoils back

Quote from kevtr0n >>

((going back a bit))

Well before the food and drinks are set to arrive, Pardot rolls up his star map and slides it into his pack to keep it safe. As the waitress comes back and 'spills' the wine, he's quick to control it away from his side of the table. Always a student of nature, and therefor intentions, Pardot watches closely as Ludolf makes eye contact with the server as she recoils back

((insight 7 reroll ((halflings get to reroll 1s)): 11 (or arcana with adv 13) to see if he can guess that there was telepathic communication)).

 

 As you watch the waitress react you can tell her response was far from normal and perhaps influenced by some outside force though it's source or manner of acting her you can not be certain.

Unsure of why she was frightened, Padrot reaches out to her telepathically on his own, saying as his eyes flash a soft light, "There is no need to fear. This place seems quite safe." He then holds out his hand with a satisfying berry in it for her to take.

 After this he listens closely to the problems of the missing mage. He would clearly need to be found if Pardot was to get what he came here to find.

"I´m looking forward to hearing you play your lute then Triäsa." Ludolf says to the bard as she retreats to her chair, following her motions with his piercing grey eyes but then turning abruptly to his steak and wine. 

As Fembris joins their table Ludolf listens intently. "Yes, I agree with young Daventry, we will find your missing head research. I don´t think anyone of us can afford not to. Tell us all you know of his disappearance and we will solve this mystery within a day." Ludolfs says confidently.

Persuasion to convince Fembris we should be allowed to help: 16 (rolled with advantage if anyone gives the help action, otherwise go with first roll)
Meh :-P

As the waitress hears a second voice in her mind she goes even more pale and stammers, "Mad... I am going mad... the voices... please make them stop...." She hurries away with a number of her co-workers who look quite concerned.

At the offer of help Fembris looks at the group of you with that blank, blinking expression you had seen earlier. "Well I hadn't really thought of the possibility... I don't see any harm in it and it's not like you can do much in the meantime..." She perks up a bit and her toothy smile returns. "I don't know much other than he was assigned to you all based on your interests as he shares some expertise in intradimensional travel and astronomy. His name is Matreous, an older elven man and he has been here a very long time. I've never met him personally I guess he spends most of his time to himself studying. The folks over at the main library are searching the grounds but no one is looking here.... Regardless, thats about all I know sorry it's not much." Fembris looks around again trying to get the attention of one of the waitresses but failing. "Really this IS quiet frustrating. I will be right back I need a drink. It's been a very long day." She hops down from the chair and bounces towards the bar leaving you all alone once again.

(On mobile please forgive any formatting or grammar errors)

"Utterly insane? Well I suppose that does describe a fair number of philosophers!" Triäsa laughs lightly,  then turns to the conversation of the missing scholar.

"I would certainly help to find this man.  With so little information I suppose we just start going around looking and asking people if they have seen him? Should we split up to cover more ground?"

Daventry nods, tossing her empty ale mug into the pile of unattended dishware. "Yeah. Should start with the most likely places a fine elf might be - I'll ask the bartender, assuming the bar hasn't been abandoned for a sudden onset of mindfever. Matreous'd probably be recognizable and probably be a drinker of Silverymoon's finest instead of Nashkel swill, so perhaps he was in recently. Then there's the Pillars, if he'd been working with other Seekers recently. Stores, too. Man's gotta buy his sundries somewhere, unless he can just wizard away all his waste."

She stands and heads to the bar, to do just that, grabbing a stool next to Fembris.

"Oy, tender, I'll settle up for my ale and stew. And, my friend Fembris here has lost one of her fellows. Elf named Matreous, older gent, right Fembris? Was wondering if he had frequented the Hearth recently, or if you'd seen him about the Court the last day or so."

Ludolf shakes his head slowly. "We don´t even know what this Matreous looks like, and I don´t think he just decided to go for a drink. If he´s lost he will probably be lost in a book. I suggest we insist on investigating the library sections with the books he was searching for and perhaps we will simply find him there, lost in time." Ludolf says to the others still at the table.

"Ludolf, I do think someone here might recognize him.  Even if we do not know exactly what he looks like. But you do have a point.   It seems unlikely he just wandered and lost track of time."  Triäsa finishes off the last bit of wine in her glass then sets it down. "I will help if you want to try and convince someone to let us in the library."

"Good, good, thank you for seeing what I see young Triäsa. I will talk to Fembris as soon as she is back." Ludolf says to the half-elven bard, looking impatiently over at the bar to check on the progress there.

After about 20 minutes or so Fembris comes bouncing back to your table with a tall glass of milk. 

"You won't believe it but Janice, one of the servers is in the back having a mental breakdown. Saying she's hearing voices, a demon spoke to her then an angel. They are going to take her to the Baulder's Gate... guess that's why service is a bit slow." She takes a big gulp of milk and whipes the froth from her mouth and continues cheerfully, "Ya'll have any questions I am happy to help however I can." 

Ludolf muses on the fact that he has reportedly enlightened another mind, guiding it closer to piercing the veil of sanity, and one day that barmaid would surely thank him for it.
"Yes, we need access to the parts of the library where Matreous searched for the books we ordered, particularly the ones regarding other planes and dimensions. I think it will be in all our interest that he is found as soon as possible." Ludolf says to Fembris looking at her with his piercing grey eyes.
Persuasion if needed: 23 rolled with advantage if help action is given by Triäsa, otherwise go with first roll.

Triäsa gives Ludolf a piercing glance as Fembris recounts the situation with their waitress. But she quickly hides any potential irritation to try to help the old man persuade Fembris.  "I know the request is unusual, but so is losing one of your researchers!  I worked in the Sages Vault in Silverymoon - I have letters of introduction if that helps - so I would be uniquely prepared to help you here."

(Rather than roll Persuasion myself,  I help Ludolf.)

Daventry spends a few minutes speaking with the bartender after Fembris returns to the group. She comes back, shaking her head. "Welp, turns out he's not as much a lush as I'd been hopin', so there's one strike against the man. Still though, bartender suggested he'd likely be holed up past the Emerald Gate, or in the Pillars, perhaps. Fembris, when exactly was the last time anyone's had an eye on Matreous?"