"Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find out where they're training," she says with a shrug. "I'm just the person they seek when they need extra healing. Still, their behaviour lately is concerning. Sometimes I barely keep up with their sudden injuries."
"Sure," she says. "It will be nice to make new friends. Where do they hail from? Are they from Pancarona like you? Are you from Pancarona? I don't think I've ever seen your people outside of that continent."
Cob scratches his temple, tapping it a moment, hoping Drex gets the message.
He quickly introduces the apprentice (don't think she ever gave a name) to Drexon and if Drexon does set up a mind-link, fills him in on what he's learned so far - that this one seems to be a spy for some other group keeping tabs on the apprentices, but that she also knows a few of them meet secretly somewhere and come back bruised a lot of the time.
Drexon does set up the telepathic link, in fact he does so as soon as he spots Cob and he comes within his ability to do so. He then looks over at Aela, his eyelids slightly droopy and his skin far paler than usual.
"Nice to meet you, Aela", he says forcing a smile. "Are you one of those mason apprentices that got into trouble for brawling?", he asks innocently. "You know, I am not so sure this story of a brawl is on the level. I was gambling with the owner of that warehouse that got raided earlier, and he hinted that he had some specialists in to look into who did it, and that some evidence puts some mason apprentices at the scene. I hope you weren't one of them, you don't seem the sort to get into trouble like that", he says quietly, and then giggles conspiratorially.
"Really? I don't know much about the raid on the warehouse district, but some of the apprentices I came with did have a fight in the studio," she says. "They wreck the studio so technically they are grounded, but the Grand Mason lifted their punishment for tonight because they will be transferred to our branch in Sharnar tomorrow. It's a quiet place there, so they can contemplate their wrongdoings without disturbing the other apprentices."
"Are you alright?" She asks, looking at Drexon with worry at how pale he looks. "You don't look very good. Do you need rest? Healing?"
[Oh, I forgot to mention that she might be charmed at the moment] Cob thinks to Drexon, [If she is we probably want to make sure she's well on her way by the time the spell fades]
He looks from Aela to Drexon and back.
"He needs to lay off the hard stuff," Cob says. "I warned you what would happen if you didn't stick with beer and wine."
"Yeah, I really don't feel so good. Let that be a lesson to me I guess", Drexon mumbles as he tries his best to focus on the demeanour of Aela, trying to tell if she is lying and who she might have glanced at.
Insight (with disadvantage for exhaustion and Guidance): (14, 16)+5+3=22
For the most part, she is telling the truth. However, Drexon, as you and Cob know, a charmed person is not obligated to tell the complete and honest truth. From her demeanour, you can tell that the apprentices will be moved out of Mantagard tomorrow, but not for the reason Aela said. In fact, you can tell that Aela herself does not know why they will be moved. There is a sense of frustration and annoyance when she mentions the move.
"Well, water helps," she says. She motions toward her rowdy fellow apprentices with a grimace. "I corral them when they're tipsy or drunk. Water and coffee often help. On that note, perhaps it is time for me to return. They are getting more and more drunk by the moment. It would not do for them to create more chaos. I should help them back to the headquarter."
You can see that the group of apprentices holding a table hostage is indeed earning some annoyed looks from the other patrons. They are singing loudly in an off-key voice. You can see a dozen of beer glasses and just as many shot glasses on the table, all empty. If left alone a lot longer, there could be an altercation with the other patrons.
Drexon looks over at Aela's apprentice companions and nods. "Yup, looks like they are just about ready to cause trouble. You don't sound happy they are moving on though, won't it make life easier for you not having to babysit that lot", he asks, not quite letting her leave yet.
"How soon until Eremoz finishes?", he thinks to Cob. "I wouldn't want to do more without backup, in case things go wrong", he adds, looking across to Dvark to make sure the Orc is still close by.
He is very tempted to try a spell, but with limited resources it would likely be far too obvious right now.
"There are only 12 of us in Mantagard," she says after a long moment of silence. "Eight will be leaving. There are plans that have to be abandoned and projects that will be left unfinished. Trust me, it won't make my life easier."
Drexon, Eremoz didn't say how long he will be, but from your experience, a game house like this can often run until midnight. There are places you have visited that even run until dawn. It's around ten, so there are a few more hours to midnight.
Aela stays with you for a moment longer before she returns to the group she came with. Despite saying she should get the other apprentices back to the Verdant Mason Museum, she stays with them for quite some time. Still, she manages to at least bring the apprentices to a somewhat calm and focused state with a game of cards.
A few minutes after the clock strikes 11, a couple of things happen. First, you see Aela suddenly become tense in her seat, sitting ramrod. Second, she whispers something to the apprentice beside her whose brow furrows more and more with annoyance and anger. Third, the one Aela whispered to suddenly stands up, raises his glass of beer, and crashes it on the head of the apprentice in front of him, yelling and cursing all the while.
The guards move to apprehend the fighting apprentices, but the apprentices have bumped and hit other people around them, causing the crowd around them to join in on the fight. In just a few seconds, chaos erupts on the floor of the establishment. It also doesn't help that the city guards standing by outside the building hear the shouts and come to investigate and attempt to curb the crowd quite unsuccessfully when some of the drunk patrons begin to sling magic around.
Drexon, despite your lethargy, and Cob, you maintain an eye on Aela and the apprentice after she left your table. When the chaos suddenly breaks, you can no longer see where Aela is.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Cob watches with amusement as the brawl widens in size and scope.
"You don't suppose she had some sort of spell cast on her that was triggered by the clock chiming eleven, do you?" Cob asks Drex as he looks around the crowd for Aela.
He looks around the room, trying to spot her in the chaos.
Cob, you cannot see where Aela is. She just disappears into the crowd.
Dvark, you glean a bit more. You notice that from the point where the fight broke out, one of the apprentices is moving away. You try to see what the apprentice is doing, but a crowd moves around her and you lose sight of her.
After a few moments, you notice there is smoke coming from downstairs and the area around the secret door that Eremoz entered. The crowd hasn't noticed it yet, but as someone on the outskirts of the main fight, you and the other uninvolved patrons notice it clearly. Some of the patrons try to get the guards' attention toward the smoke, but the query goes unanswered.
With the guards, the drunks, and the city guards involved in the fighting pile, you also notice that you will not be unscathed if you do not move away soon or perhaps help attempt to quell the violence.
Cob smiles reassuringly.
"That sounds interesting," Cob says. "Do you know where it is? My friends and I do some adventuring and could always some sparring practice."
"Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find out where they're training," she says with a shrug. "I'm just the person they seek when they need extra healing. Still, their behaviour lately is concerning. Sometimes I barely keep up with their sudden injuries."
Cob thinks for a few moments, running out of questions.
"Would you like to talk to some of my friends?" Cob asks. "They're much better at conversation than I am."
She hesitates for some time and then nods.
"Sure," she says. "It will be nice to make new friends. Where do they hail from? Are they from Pancarona like you? Are you from Pancarona? I don't think I've ever seen your people outside of that continent."
She follows you to where Drexon is sitting.
Cob scratches his temple, tapping it a moment, hoping Drex gets the message.
He quickly introduces the apprentice (don't think she ever gave a name) to Drexon and if Drexon does set up a mind-link, fills him in on what he's learned so far - that this one seems to be a spy for some other group keeping tabs on the apprentices, but that she also knows a few of them meet secretly somewhere and come back bruised a lot of the time.
"Ah, sorry, my name is Aela," she says. "Nice to meet you. Is it just the two of you?"
Drexon does set up the telepathic link, in fact he does so as soon as he spots Cob and he comes within his ability to do so. He then looks over at Aela, his eyelids slightly droopy and his skin far paler than usual.
As they approach, he tries to focus his thoughts.
"Nice to meet you, Aela", he says forcing a smile. "Are you one of those mason apprentices that got into trouble for brawling?", he asks innocently. "You know, I am not so sure this story of a brawl is on the level. I was gambling with the owner of that warehouse that got raided earlier, and he hinted that he had some specialists in to look into who did it, and that some evidence puts some mason apprentices at the scene. I hope you weren't one of them, you don't seem the sort to get into trouble like that", he says quietly, and then giggles conspiratorially.
"Really? I don't know much about the raid on the warehouse district, but some of the apprentices I came with did have a fight in the studio," she says. "They wreck the studio so technically they are grounded, but the Grand Mason lifted their punishment for tonight because they will be transferred to our branch in Sharnar tomorrow. It's a quiet place there, so they can contemplate their wrongdoings without disturbing the other apprentices."
"Are you alright?" She asks, looking at Drexon with worry at how pale he looks. "You don't look very good. Do you need rest? Healing?"
[Oh, I forgot to mention that she might be charmed at the moment] Cob thinks to Drexon, [If she is we probably want to make sure she's well on her way by the time the spell fades]
He looks from Aela to Drexon and back.
"He needs to lay off the hard stuff," Cob says. "I warned you what would happen if you didn't stick with beer and wine."
"Yeah, I really don't feel so good. Let that be a lesson to me I guess", Drexon mumbles as he tries his best to focus on the demeanour of Aela, trying to tell if she is lying and who she might have glanced at.
Insight (with disadvantage for exhaustion and Guidance): (14,
16)+5+3=22For the most part, she is telling the truth. However, Drexon, as you and Cob know, a charmed person is not obligated to tell the complete and honest truth. From her demeanour, you can tell that the apprentices will be moved out of Mantagard tomorrow, but not for the reason Aela said. In fact, you can tell that Aela herself does not know why they will be moved. There is a sense of frustration and annoyance when she mentions the move.
"Well, water helps," she says. She motions toward her rowdy fellow apprentices with a grimace. "I corral them when they're tipsy or drunk. Water and coffee often help. On that note, perhaps it is time for me to return. They are getting more and more drunk by the moment. It would not do for them to create more chaos. I should help them back to the headquarter."
You can see that the group of apprentices holding a table hostage is indeed earning some annoyed looks from the other patrons. They are singing loudly in an off-key voice. You can see a dozen of beer glasses and just as many shot glasses on the table, all empty. If left alone a lot longer, there could be an altercation with the other patrons.
Drexon looks over at Aela's apprentice companions and nods. "Yup, looks like they are just about ready to cause trouble. You don't sound happy they are moving on though, won't it make life easier for you not having to babysit that lot", he asks, not quite letting her leave yet.
"How soon until Eremoz finishes?", he thinks to Cob. "I wouldn't want to do more without backup, in case things go wrong", he adds, looking across to Dvark to make sure the Orc is still close by.
He is very tempted to try a spell, but with limited resources it would likely be far too obvious right now.
"There are only 12 of us in Mantagard," she says after a long moment of silence. "Eight will be leaving. There are plans that have to be abandoned and projects that will be left unfinished. Trust me, it won't make my life easier."
Drexon, Eremoz didn't say how long he will be, but from your experience, a game house like this can often run until midnight. There are places you have visited that even run until dawn. It's around ten, so there are a few more hours to midnight.
Aela stays with you for a moment longer before she returns to the group she came with. Despite saying she should get the other apprentices back to the Verdant Mason Museum, she stays with them for quite some time. Still, she manages to at least bring the apprentices to a somewhat calm and focused state with a game of cards.
A few minutes after the clock strikes 11, a couple of things happen. First, you see Aela suddenly become tense in her seat, sitting ramrod. Second, she whispers something to the apprentice beside her whose brow furrows more and more with annoyance and anger. Third, the one Aela whispered to suddenly stands up, raises his glass of beer, and crashes it on the head of the apprentice in front of him, yelling and cursing all the while.
The guards move to apprehend the fighting apprentices, but the apprentices have bumped and hit other people around them, causing the crowd around them to join in on the fight. In just a few seconds, chaos erupts on the floor of the establishment. It also doesn't help that the city guards standing by outside the building hear the shouts and come to investigate and attempt to curb the crowd quite unsuccessfully when some of the drunk patrons begin to sling magic around.
Drexon, despite your lethargy, and Cob, you maintain an eye on Aela and the apprentice after she left your table. When the chaos suddenly breaks, you can no longer see where Aela is.
Cob watches with amusement as the brawl widens in size and scope.
"You don't suppose she had some sort of spell cast on her that was triggered by the clock chiming eleven, do you?" Cob asks Drex as he looks around the crowd for Aela.
He looks around the room, trying to spot her in the chaos.
Perception: 10
"Well played diversion though, eh?" Cob says.
Perception:12
Dvark pauses and scans the room as the brawl breaks out.
Cob, you cannot see where Aela is. She just disappears into the crowd.
Dvark, you glean a bit more. You notice that from the point where the fight broke out, one of the apprentices is moving away. You try to see what the apprentice is doing, but a crowd moves around her and you lose sight of her.
Drexon tries to stay out the ruckus whilst craning his neck to see where Aela disappeared to.
”I’m not sure, but she certainly seems more in control than she made out to us”.
Perception (Disadvantage for exhaustion): (
5,1)+5=6After a few moments, you notice there is smoke coming from downstairs and the area around the secret door that Eremoz entered. The crowd hasn't noticed it yet, but as someone on the outskirts of the main fight, you and the other uninvolved patrons notice it clearly. Some of the patrons try to get the guards' attention toward the smoke, but the query goes unanswered.
With the guards, the drunks, and the city guards involved in the fighting pile, you also notice that you will not be unscathed if you do not move away soon or perhaps help attempt to quell the violence.
Cob looks from the brawl to the smoke.
"Might be a good time to go check on Eremoz," Cob says to Drexon.
He then floats up higher above the heads of most of the combatants and waves at Dvark and points over at the smoke.
Cob then races to the entrance to the back room, looking to see if a guard is on duty or if they've been drawn away by the fighting.