If Benita cocks her head slightly at Snow’s antics, she covers it well, quickening her pace to keep up with the bard while cas ting a glance over her shoulder at Varielky and quirking a brow distastefully while pointing her eyes at Snow. Yet she doesn’t drop a beat, turns, and fires back, “It… wasn’t my idea to leave the castle to begin with! You’re the one who needed ‘clean air’ to ‘refresh your spirits’!”

Not Snow’s best performance, but the story is air-tight. The guards wave them through and Snow and Benita are passing through the gate as she shoots him a sidelong glance asking, “Now what?”

Snow turns about as he walks through the gate, and shouts back to the others, "Well come along you lot, a performer cannot be without his retinue!".

He turns to the guards with a deep sigh. "You just can't get decent staff. At least you fine folks aren't trying to sabotage me, I will be sure to commend you to your superiors", he says before striding onwards, throwing a wink to Benita.

Varielky quickly follows after, somewhat surprised that it had worked. Such a plan would never have crossed her mind, but its effectiveness was unquestioned. 

Once past the guards and caught up with Benita, she whispers, mostly to avoid being overheard by the guards they just passed, but also a bit to hide it from Snow and the rest. "We have our differences, but at least his motives are pure, I think, and he can get things done. And you know how our journey is, any help's welcome." 

Auger follows along with Strewn and Tama saying, "Coming! Coming! Here we all are!" As they approach the guards Auger looks at them apologetically but responds again to Snow, laughing, "Here we are! Let's go! Let's go!" 

Meanwhile Auger finds himself momentarily worried for Py. Is this one of those thresholds that blocks you? Be careful. Do not cross where you see the sigils. When you are blocked I will have you skirt the castle's edges and will need your help at the aerie so keep yourself safe.

‘Yes, master,’ sends Py, ‘I will be careful. The gate is unmarked, so I am safe for now.’

Granophyre and Tamazaert reveal themselves and silently keep up with Auger and Varielky. The guards nod slightly to Benita when she and Snow pass them, acknowledging the Imperial livery the Indallian wears. Looking bored though having just arrived at the gate, they wave everyone past. Yet, they turn to watch the group as you move toward the entry to the El Harrouch School for Girls, and in a few seconds later, one of the pair yells after you, “The main entrance!,” pointing to indicate where they think you should be heading: the grand steps to the castle's wide doorway, where various colorful looking personages come and go.

Snow turns and waves to the guard, "Yes, you too", he shouts, pretending not to have heard exactly what was said.

He does direct the group a little towards the main entrance though, before stopping so they could plan their next steps, hoping the guard would lose interest and turn away now that they were at least heading to what he thought was the right place.

"So", he whispers. "What was the next part of your plan?", he says directing the question to Benita.

“Knocking out the guards and taking their keys,” says Benita. The first guard points one last time at the castle entrance. “Main. Entrance.,” he shouts, then throws up his arms and exchanges a word with the other guard. With an air of boredom, they both continue watching you, the first one with arms crossed, but neither one moves at this time. 

"Hmm. Knocked out guards can be discovered," Auger says. "But they do appear to be persistent and if we need the key... Perhaps we can talk them into helping us. Benita. Perhaps Varielky as well, would you accompany me in case this goes... poorly?"

Auger starts walking back towards the guards intending to talk with them.

Varielky shrugs and follows along. If the guards draw weapons first, she has no qualms about ending the fight quickly.

As Auger, Varielky and Benita return to the guards, the pair of older, obese men say nothing until you are closer. Then the first guard repeats slowly, enunciating each syllable as if to one who is hard of hearing: 

”Main. Entrance. That way. The pal-ace,” gesturing broadly and emphatically. “Don’t go that way,” pointing to the school. “Closed.”

Clearing his throat as he approaches Auger speaks with the guards amiably, "Yes, yes. Thank you. As it happens we were told that we would be able to warm up at the school area." As Auger continues speaking he reaches into the Sea of Stars and just lets himself become empowered, lending his voice a very charming lilt as he continues talking. "If you would be so kind as to lend me the key to the school so that we can go in there to prepare for the performance that would be most useful. What say you?"

Details

Fey Presence is a DC16 WIS check to avoid being charmed by Auger. Also the guards must be in the same 10' square outward from Auger, which Auger would try to position himself to ensure it catches both guards. If they are charmed Auger gets Advantage on his persuasion attempt. Posting separate rolls in case the charm attempt failed.

Persuasion. Roll #1: 16 +8 = 24. Roll #2, 8 +8 = 16.

Snow stays behind with Strewn, happily letting Auger take charge. He watches him casually, having seen both him and Varielky speak impressively in the past.

”What do you think of this plan to separate? I would not leave you by yourself, so if you stay at the school searching for the records about Safiyah, I will remain with you”, he says quietly.

The guards are stunned into silence by Auger’s fearsome and beguiling presence. The first one, eyes glazed, replies, “Errrmmn, the school is open to children and faculty only. You can’t go in there. But… it must have been Captain Sorakayoshi who told you to warm up there. He only follows rules when it suits him. When the school groundsman asks, tell him that I sent you. Aziz. Groundsman is Udad.” He hands Auger a large key. 

“Tell Udad bring this back to me when you’re done.”

Granophyre answers Snow, “I… do not know what is best. Sometimes one’s greatest work depends on the art of improvisation.”

"Ahh yes, the Captain. Thank you so much fine sir. Aziz. We will absolutely leave the key with Udad to bring back once we are done." Auger, still smiling, takes the key, nods to Benita and Varielky and turns to head back to the others and then towards the school. 

Py, fly ahead and try to locate this Udad will you? Lets not be taken unaware of him.

Once back to the others Auger, holding the large key out in front of him, relays the small amount of information about Aziz and the Groundsman Udad. "Oh and the Captain. Captain Sorakayoshi. That name might work to help us with the next set of guards as well." Auger turns back and waves to the guards before the group heads along the path to the Girl's School.

Snow smiles as Auger tells them what the guards said, acknowledging how well he had done.

"Nice work, that will make things a lot easier".

When Auger mentions Captain Sorakayoshi, the smile fades and is replaced with a frown. "That name may well open some doors for us, but the fact he is here makes me nervous. He is far too dangerous, and remember he is the one that has sent people out looking for us. We may have just wandered straight to him", he says in hushed tones.

Varielky stands puzzled as the small conversation takes place. To Benita, she whispers: "I'll never figure out how people can just remember the names of every person they meet in an instant. Especially such complicated names. I remember those who make an impression on me - one way or another. That is enough for me." 

Then, to the rest, though keeping her voice down enough that the guards won't hear, Varielky suggests: "Then, perhaps, if we meet him, we can end the threat. Sweet talking isn't always the answer."

You see the entrance to the school, an archway over a heavy wrought-iron gate which is locked shut, on the far side of the outer courtyard you traverse: a very well landscaped and lamp-lit area of manicured lawns, low marble walls and decorative potted plants. 

In a minute or two, you have crossed to the gate and discover that the key matches the lock, and can barely make out the school’s name in gold lettering on the arch: El Harrouch School for Girls. 

‘I see no one, master,’ sends Py. ‘The grounds appear to be empty.’

Just on the opposite side of the gate and to one side, out of the way, is a cottage, with smoke coming from its chimney, while front and center you see through the gate another lawned courtyard with a fancy well in its center, and beyond that, a broad stairway of three steps leading up to what seems to be the entrance to the main campus building, two stories tall, with many narrow windows in its ground floor and second story walls. The building is not imposing after Kalahata, yet is both firm and strong, and whimsical in its way. Beyond it, you see another structure, not as wide or long, but taller, connected by second-floor walkways to the main building. A few lights twinkle in its windows.

The enormous weight of El Harrouch Castle fills the space to your right, and in its upper windows from this angle too, you see and hear the sound of the grand ball continuing. 

Above you, grey clouds continue to fill the sky, yet from this angle the tram line is not visible.

You turn the key, the lock clicks softly, and the gate creaks when you pull it open.

Py go look through a window into that cottage. I suspect we will find our Groundsman there.

"Well here we are. Through the school to the tramline for most of us. Granophyre I am checking on the cottage with Py. Perhaps your construct could look ahead for the archives? Best if we don't wander I assume." As Auger opens the gate he looks to the cottage, expecting the creaking sound to attract some attention. Still Auger finds himself looking up, his heart beating with expectation. The mountain. So close...

If Snow hears Varielky’s comment about remembering names, he doesn’t show it, remaining silent.

He looks across at the cottage and back to the school building, looking to see if there are signs that it is occupied.

”Are we expecting the school to be empty, or is it a boarding school?”, he whispers to the others.

Perception: 18+7=25

Snow drifts back in memory to his days at the College of Pomeroy, and identifies the tall building behind the main building as a dormitory. Based on his experience in The Kingdoms, the school building itself might be closed for the night, and the young students, already in bed in their dormitory following curfew. Faculty could live in the town, or the dormitory, or, perhaps, in the castle proper.

Granophyre’s golden bird flaps ahead to the main building while Py buzzes away, invisibly, toward the cottage.

“I want to say, thank you. For helping get my baby back,” says Tamazaert to you all, sincerely, her brow knit in pain, as you walk.

The fey alyasub reports back a moment later. ‘The windows are closed, and smokey. I can’t see… HELP!!,’ and suddenly you hear the barking of dogs just outside the cabin, one of them having leaped up and snapped its jaws closed a hair's breadth away from Py, which flits back in a rush to Auger as the cabin’s front door opens, and an older man, wiry and bent, pokes his head around the doorframe, and a wand too, which throws light in the vicinity. “Who’s there!!,” his strident tenor erupts sharply, like a blue jay’s screeching. “Get back to bed, you rascals!!.” 

The dogs continue to bark and snarl. You hear laughter coming from behind you: the guards at the gate.

A moment later, Granophyre’s construct returns and through the barking and yelling, flutes a short discordant melody. “The main building is locked, and marked with warding glyphs. Neither Py, nor my golden bird will be able to enter,” Granophyre informs the group.