Drexon inclines his head to Eremoz, glad that they are in agreement.
"Lead on", he replies to David regarding the tour. "Out of interest, where did the two ladies go today?".
He then looks across at Cob and initiates a telepathic link, "I believe Lady Zelena is the daughter and Lady Leillana is the obnoxious one. But perhaps not insulting her in her own home amongst her family might be the safer course here. It sounds like she is very practiced at holding grudges!". If you can hear a chuckle over telepathy, Cob hear's it now.
Cob nods his head from side to side as he contemplates what Drexon has thought to him then eventually nods agreement with a shrug thrown in.
Cob will walk / fly the grounds, looking for any overhanging trees, sections of the wall in disrepair and the like - anything that would be a target for exploitation by someone sneaking into the compound.
"The same as yesterday," David says with a grimace. "Dress shopping."
David leads you out of the library to where the inner courtyard resides. The inner courtyard is well-maintained. The grass seems to be recently trimmed. At the center of the courtyard stands a statue of a warrior wielding a hilt of a sword -- you cannot see any blade whatsoever on it. At the railing separating the courtyard from the hallway, you see little statuettes of angels smiting down demons. There is a sense of peace within the courtyard that is unusual to your mind, but pleasant enough to allow you to relax a little. It is as if a ray of light is shining on you and giving you a feeling of hope and determination.
Beyond the inner courtyard is the family room. The construction looks ancient compared to the rest of the manor. It is as if the family room had existed long before any other part of the manor.
"That is restricted to Clarent blood only," David says, pointing to the lone door of the family residence. "No one without the Clarent blood can enter without permission. It is a piece of ancient blood magic that has been banned today. You do not have to worry about that area. It was said that that portion of the manor was carved from a fragment of the meteor that created the lake within this estate."
{{Arcana check to anybody interested in knowing more.}}
After the family room, David brings you to the other end of the hallway, toward the sun room. The room is decorated entirely with glass panes. A few exotic plants can be seen growing from pots and hanging lantern-like basket. A lot of them are unknown to you, but you recognize the Lightbloom, a white and yellow flower that is tied to the Illuminated Papacy, the religious order worshipping the Light Bearer.
{{Nature check to anybody interested in knowing more.}}
"Most of the guest will congregate here," David says, leading you to a sitting room set in the middle of the hallway near the sun room. It is placed in a lower elevation with a water feature in the middle. A few circles and wavy lines filigree decorated the couches and furnitures. "This is the sitting room and sitter corner for those who brought their children."
"Through there," David continues, pointing to the doors beside the sitting room, "is the grand room or the main ballroom. That is where the main event will occur. My brother and the Lady Leillana will not be moving out of that room during the party. Other dignitaries will also be confined within the room for the majority of their stay here."
The main Grand Room of the Clarent Estate is quite large, The wall is decorated with red, yellow, and a little bit of black, a show of the Clarent's colouring. All manners of paintings of the late lords and heads of House Clarent imperiously stare at anyone who is standing inside the room. A large window covered with red and gold draperies to the north side of the room seem to increase the regality of the room. Once again, you are keen enough to notice a hint of that circle and wavy lines decor on the wall and the furniture, subtle enough to be unnoticable to those who are not paying attention.
"Back there will also be restricted," David motions to a side door near the northern window that seems to lead to a balcony outside. "That is the sole access to the back garden and the family mausoleum. A guard of the estate will be stationed there to prevent anyone from passing."
You peer out of the window and see that the back garden of the estate is very secure with high metal fences and thick thorny hedges separating it from the rest of the estate. A stone structure stands in the middle of the garden, a resting place for the Clarent ancestors.
"Unfortunately, apart from the staff quarter, there is nothing around the estate except for grass fields and a few fruit trees," David says as he finishes the tour of the manor. "You are free to explore the grounds if you want to get any more details or talk to the staffs and guards around. I will leave you to your duty."
When blood magic is mentioned, Drexon's attention heightens and he lingers for a while after the others move on with the tour, focussing his attention on the family room. He then moves quickly to catch them up before they leave him totally behind.
Once the tour is over, he heads out of the manor to see what the word on the street is with regards the party.
Arcana (with disadvantage for exhaustion and Guidance): (11,12)+2+3 = 16
Drexon, you look at the family room for a long while as the other moves to the other side of the manor. Something about it feels familiar in the way that you think you have seen those bricks and that door before in the past in another place.
Unconsciously, you move forward and touch the door as if by reflex. Five symbols lit up on the door before one dims and disappears. The other four persist for a few seconds before they also disappear. The door remains shut. You do not know what the symbols mean and somehow the shapes of each symbol are slowly fading from your mind until you can barely recall them.
As you pull your hand away, there is something niggling at the back of your mind that this has happened to you before. You feel that you have seen a door with five symbols lighting up when you touch it. However, instead of disappearing, the symbols stayed alight and the door opened. You also know that the symbols were different from what you've seen on the Clarent's door.
Cob catches himself before he makes any comment about Clarent blood. If the family is as old as they seem, half this city probably has at least a drop of Clarent blood. This family is making him ill. He's finding himself mentally getting very much on the side of anyone wanting to sneak in here and rob them.
Cob will head out into the back garden. If that door is the only access, that's probably going to be the only guard. He keeps looking back to see if there are spots in the garden that are not going to be visible by that guard. Eventually he'll make his way to the mausoleum and walk around it, finally going inside if it's not locked.
As Drexon walks out of the manor, he can't help but ponder the meaning of the familiarity he felt when he touched the door. His past had for so long been an empty void, and yet in just a few weeks he had uncovered so much. And yet if he truly were the heir to a noble house whose line was long deceased, how could he possibly prove it. With the family heirloom lost there is no way to claim the title, but perhaps if there is a room bound by blood magic such as this he could gain access to, that would at least prove who he really is. Even just for his own sanity.
When he reaches the closest tavern, he tries to put such thoughts out of his mind. if things go well and he earns the favour of House Clarent, perhaps his payment could be information about House Daxos. But for that, he had to do well.
Eremoz scans the area around the inner courtyard for placement of the guard tower. “Direct line of sight into the inner courtyard would be preferred.”
Meteors and blood magic seems far past his understanding, but he gives it a glance. Following with the group, he pauses at the garden entrance. “Any guards in the garden? One at the entrance seems… light.”
As you are left to your own devices, you split up to cover more ground.
Cob, you circle the side of the house and fly into the back garden. As soon as you step back on the ground, you feel the hair on your nape standing. You feel like you are being watched. The sensation disappears after a while.
You continue toward the mausoleum, keeping watch of any guard that may see you. As you near it, you notice the simplicity of its construction. It seems to be carved from some sort of basalt rock in a minimalist style. There are no carvings or decorations visible on it. From afar, it would look just like a simple stone shed. When you step in front of the mausoleum, you once again feel that you are being watched. The air grows a little bit colder that you barely notice it if not for the mist forming under your breath. The door into the mausoleum is closed and made of the same basalt as the rest of the structure. You don't think you will be able to move it even a little bit.
Karm, when you split with the rest of the group, you cannot put the feeling you get when you first step into the estate out of your mind. Your feeling is shared by Dvark. There is just something in the estate that seems familiar but also otherworldly. The longer the two of you spend roaming around the estate, you begin to understand what it is you are feeling. Karm, this feeling reminds you of when you stood in a similar-looking crater when you were still a child. Dvark, this feeling reminds you of when you talked to the Dusk Weaver in your dream.
Drexon, as you ponder, you reach the nearest tavern. It is not as grand as the Silver Sable; more of a dive bar. A couple of middle-aged people and a few elderlies are having a morning drink and casual conversation.
"Drink or dine?" A maid walks up to you as soon as you enter. She is wearing a loose shirt with an image of a blue moon on the back with the caption The Azure Moon, the name of the bar.
{{Drexon, what info are you trying to find?}}
Eremoz, David insists on you coming with him around the ground to look for a proper guard toward placement. He personally accompanies you around the estate's grounds.
"Perhaps on the opposite side of the staff quarter," David comments. "For a direct line of sight into the courtyard you will need a tall tower. I can push the carpenters to finish it tonight, but it will only hold one adult -- one adult and one child at the max. We'll need more time for a sturdier structure. Do you need it to also see the back garden? I don't recommend it. It will be a waste. There is a reason why we only post one guard at the entrance to the back garden and that is because the place is also warded with blood magic. If someone other than a Clarent enters it without permission, they will feel heavy, lethargic, and languorous. It was said that the ancestors of the Clarent would press their presence upon any intruders and judge them. Even the Lady Leillana avoid the place."
{{I think we can start with rolling your ability check for your actions this period. Eremoz, make a Survival to see how good your placement of the guard tower will be. Drexon, Persuasion or Deception or something suitable for the information you are trying to find and how you are planning to find it. Cob, I need you to make me two rolls; one is a Perception or Investigation to see if you find anything else during your flight around the estate, and another is a Constitution saving throw. Karm, you already rolled your Arcana and that will be your roll for this period unless you want to do something else. Dvark, we're still waiting for your action.}}
"Just a drink, something that will warm me but not dull the senses. Do you serve tea perhaps?", an unfamiliar looking Drexon replies, positioning himself at the bar of The Azure Moon and placing his atlas down in front of him. He has made use of his disguise kit to allow him to talk openly without then being recognised on the following day. "I'm fairly new to the city, what can you tell me about that impressive looking manor house down the way?". He speaks loud enough to be overheard by those present who might join in with an opinion.
He will act as a bit of a tourist, trying to hook some decent gossip.
Deception (disadvantage for exhaustion and guidance): (16, 10)+6+2=18
"No tea," the maid says with a shrug. "Got ginger infusion at the back. That good? Y'look like needing it. Prepping to go to the Clarent's party tomorrow, eh? Ginger will get you good as new for tomorrow."
The maid moves to the back room and goes back out with a mug filled with sweet-smelling yellowy water.
"Good family that one, the Clarents. Dif'rent from the other lot. You friend o' the family or summat? Thank the young lass for me, when y'meet her, alright. Put her money to good use, I did. Open this bar and all. Y'need anything else? Got to get some meat in ye, boy!"
"Bah! Good family my arse!" A man, half drunk off his wits, cut in. "I hope we get a repeat of the last wedding. Got her just dessert, that Pedrov, she did. Lording over us as if she were a noble or something. It's time again for someone to teach her a lesson or two. Shameful to her father's name, that one. Good thing she lost a lot of her money at the wedding. Do you see that? Outside? Wasting money for a wall when she can do something better like her father before her. She thinks a wall would stop her enemies. As if! The last time they dug under the lake, they did. Saw them with my own eyes, robbing the manor, lake water still dripping from their clothes."
"Sober up, ye old codger!" The maid slaps the back of the man's head. "Stop scaring the patrons. Clean y'self up 'fore I call y'wife."
"No, no, no, have to warn this gentleman. Don't blink. If you blink, you'll miss the hilarity. Keep watch on that Pedrov's face. You'll get a right laugh."
Drexon gratefully accepts the ginger infusion and sips it whilst listening to what the folk are saying.
"I wish I was invited to the party, but I think I have given you the wrong end of the stick. I am just a tourist, looking around Mantagard", he says patting his atlas. "But that story where they went under the lake sounds intriguing. Did you really see them? What were you doing by the lake....um....if I may be so bold as to ask".
Eremoz follows along with David. “I was unaware of the magic covering the garden. I don’t think a view of it directly will be necessary. One adult should be fine. Since we don’t have the time or funds to cover every angle, we use them where it will benefit us most. One tall tower gives us an extra vantage point on the courtyard and a 360 view of the sky.”
He pauses for a second. “If Non-Clarents need permission to get into the garden unaffected, how does that work? Would we need a Clarent to accompany us there? I won’t push it if it makes you uncomfortable, but it could be useful as refuge in case of an incident and I would want at least one of us to stay with the Lady if things get hectic.”
"He's prob'ly taking a piss," the maid snorts. "Always did that, he did. Defacing public properties. Yer seeing one of the wonder of Mantagard, mista. The Pissing Bandit, he is."
"Oi! I'll have you know that I was taking a stroll," the old man replies. "That wall is an atrocity. You weren't here at that time, lass. Back then we can stroll to the lake come evening and not take any heat from those blasted guards. Now, we're forbidden to even gaze at it. That lake is a treasure of the district. That Pedrov took it away from us lowly people. Just watch, one day that wall will crumble by itself. Atrocious rush job. Then, when that happen, we can be blessed by the lake again. Blessed, I say."
Cob, the longer you stay near the mausoleum, the harder it is for you to breathe and move. However, you push through the sensation weighing you down and do another circle around the mausoleum. This time, you notice some faint depression on the front door. You can see five symbols arranged in a circle. You don't know what the symbols mean, but when you hover your hand near the door, they light up for a brief moment before disappearing. Afterwards, the oppressive feeling of being watched and judged returns several folds, enough to discourage you from staying any longer.
"I think the place is haunted," David comments after a long moment of silence. "I have not been there myself despite having Clarent blood in me. There is a certain wrongness about it. So far, over the course of my stay here, only Lady Zelena had been inside. She never speaks about her experience, but she seems happier whenever she goes there."
"The magic was a surprise to me too when I came here," he adds. "I saw a garden that had been untouched by anyone, yet still well-kept. To this day, that garden has never been maintained by the staff because they cannot enter it without feeling faint. Some even pass out before they even come down from the balcony. If you refer to journals of past Clarents, they would say that the place is blessed by their ancestors or their patron god, the Light Bearer, and only those they deem worthy may enter."
"That's a good idea, actually," David nods at Eremoz's idea. "If anything untoward happens tomorrow, evacuate Lady Zelena to the back garden. As long as she allows it, you may enter unharmed."
Drexon carries on his tactic of speaking far less than he is listening, trying to nudge the conversation in the direction he wants.
"It is a shame to block your ability to enjoy the lake, I will agree with you. So being invited to the party is quite special then? Do you know anyone going?", he asks as he takes another sip of the ginger infusion.
He takes a last look at the 5 symbols, trying to commit them to memory so he can at least describe them to the others. Maybe they'll mean something to someone.
He then flies up, out of the back garden and goes around to the front entrance, looking to see how attentive any guards actually are by just walking in.
“I wonder… has the lady said if there is any meteorite in the garden? We have briefly encountered a similar… anomalous place before. More extreme, but very specific means of entering and time was distorted.” Eremoz thinks back to the true start of this journey, using the ether if amber and entering Bast Trench. “Unlikely that they are related, but I thought I’d ask. Either way, I will let Drexon know to retreat to the garden in case of emergency and if any of the rest of us can join, the better.”
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Drexon inclines his head to Eremoz, glad that they are in agreement.
"Lead on", he replies to David regarding the tour. "Out of interest, where did the two ladies go today?".
He then looks across at Cob and initiates a telepathic link, "I believe Lady Zelena is the daughter and Lady Leillana is the obnoxious one. But perhaps not insulting her in her own home amongst her family might be the safer course here. It sounds like she is very practiced at holding grudges!". If you can hear a chuckle over telepathy, Cob hear's it now.
Cob nods his head from side to side as he contemplates what Drexon has thought to him then eventually nods agreement with a shrug thrown in.
Cob will walk / fly the grounds, looking for any overhanging trees, sections of the wall in disrepair and the like - anything that would be a target for exploitation by someone sneaking into the compound.
Eremoz follows along for the tour, scouting places for a makeshift guard tower.
"The same as yesterday," David says with a grimace. "Dress shopping."
David leads you out of the library to where the inner courtyard resides. The inner courtyard is well-maintained. The grass seems to be recently trimmed. At the center of the courtyard stands a statue of a warrior wielding a hilt of a sword -- you cannot see any blade whatsoever on it. At the railing separating the courtyard from the hallway, you see little statuettes of angels smiting down demons. There is a sense of peace within the courtyard that is unusual to your mind, but pleasant enough to allow you to relax a little. It is as if a ray of light is shining on you and giving you a feeling of hope and determination.
Beyond the inner courtyard is the family room. The construction looks ancient compared to the rest of the manor. It is as if the family room had existed long before any other part of the manor.
"That is restricted to Clarent blood only," David says, pointing to the lone door of the family residence. "No one without the Clarent blood can enter without permission. It is a piece of ancient blood magic that has been banned today. You do not have to worry about that area. It was said that that portion of the manor was carved from a fragment of the meteor that created the lake within this estate."
{{Arcana check to anybody interested in knowing more.}}
After the family room, David brings you to the other end of the hallway, toward the sun room. The room is decorated entirely with glass panes. A few exotic plants can be seen growing from pots and hanging lantern-like basket. A lot of them are unknown to you, but you recognize the Lightbloom, a white and yellow flower that is tied to the Illuminated Papacy, the religious order worshipping the Light Bearer.
{{Nature check to anybody interested in knowing more.}}
"Most of the guest will congregate here," David says, leading you to a sitting room set in the middle of the hallway near the sun room. It is placed in a lower elevation with a water feature in the middle. A few circles and wavy lines filigree decorated the couches and furnitures. "This is the sitting room and sitter corner for those who brought their children."
"Through there," David continues, pointing to the doors beside the sitting room, "is the grand room or the main ballroom. That is where the main event will occur. My brother and the Lady Leillana will not be moving out of that room during the party. Other dignitaries will also be confined within the room for the majority of their stay here."
The main Grand Room of the Clarent Estate is quite large, The wall is decorated with red, yellow, and a little bit of black, a show of the Clarent's colouring. All manners of paintings of the late lords and heads of House Clarent imperiously stare at anyone who is standing inside the room. A large window covered with red and gold draperies to the north side of the room seem to increase the regality of the room. Once again, you are keen enough to notice a hint of that circle and wavy lines decor on the wall and the furniture, subtle enough to be unnoticable to those who are not paying attention.
"Back there will also be restricted," David motions to a side door near the northern window that seems to lead to a balcony outside. "That is the sole access to the back garden and the family mausoleum. A guard of the estate will be stationed there to prevent anyone from passing."
You peer out of the window and see that the back garden of the estate is very secure with high metal fences and thick thorny hedges separating it from the rest of the estate. A stone structure stands in the middle of the garden, a resting place for the Clarent ancestors.
"Unfortunately, apart from the staff quarter, there is nothing around the estate except for grass fields and a few fruit trees," David says as he finishes the tour of the manor. "You are free to explore the grounds if you want to get any more details or talk to the staffs and guards around. I will leave you to your duty."
When blood magic is mentioned, Drexon's attention heightens and he lingers for a while after the others move on with the tour, focussing his attention on the family room. He then moves quickly to catch them up before they leave him totally behind.
Once the tour is over, he heads out of the manor to see what the word on the street is with regards the party.
Arcana (with disadvantage for exhaustion and Guidance): (11,
12)+2+3 = 16Drexon, you look at the family room for a long while as the other moves to the other side of the manor. Something about it feels familiar in the way that you think you have seen those bricks and that door before in the past in another place.
Unconsciously, you move forward and touch the door as if by reflex. Five symbols lit up on the door before one dims and disappears. The other four persist for a few seconds before they also disappear. The door remains shut. You do not know what the symbols mean and somehow the shapes of each symbol are slowly fading from your mind until you can barely recall them.
As you pull your hand away, there is something niggling at the back of your mind that this has happened to you before. You feel that you have seen a door with five symbols lighting up when you touch it. However, instead of disappearing, the symbols stayed alight and the door opened. You also know that the symbols were different from what you've seen on the Clarent's door.
Cob catches himself before he makes any comment about Clarent blood. If the family is as old as they seem, half this city probably has at least a drop of Clarent blood. This family is making him ill. He's finding himself mentally getting very much on the side of anyone wanting to sneak in here and rob them.
Cob will head out into the back garden. If that door is the only access, that's probably going to be the only guard. He keeps looking back to see if there are spots in the garden that are not going to be visible by that guard. Eventually he'll make his way to the mausoleum and walk around it, finally going inside if it's not locked.
As Drexon walks out of the manor, he can't help but ponder the meaning of the familiarity he felt when he touched the door. His past had for so long been an empty void, and yet in just a few weeks he had uncovered so much. And yet if he truly were the heir to a noble house whose line was long deceased, how could he possibly prove it. With the family heirloom lost there is no way to claim the title, but perhaps if there is a room bound by blood magic such as this he could gain access to, that would at least prove who he really is. Even just for his own sanity.
When he reaches the closest tavern, he tries to put such thoughts out of his mind. if things go well and he earns the favour of House Clarent, perhaps his payment could be information about House Daxos. But for that, he had to do well.
Eremoz scans the area around the inner courtyard for placement of the guard tower. “Direct line of sight into the inner courtyard would be preferred.”
Meteors and blood magic seems far past his understanding, but he gives it a glance. Following with the group, he pauses at the garden entrance. “Any guards in the garden? One at the entrance seems… light.”
As you are left to your own devices, you split up to cover more ground.
Cob, you circle the side of the house and fly into the back garden. As soon as you step back on the ground, you feel the hair on your nape standing. You feel like you are being watched. The sensation disappears after a while.
You continue toward the mausoleum, keeping watch of any guard that may see you. As you near it, you notice the simplicity of its construction. It seems to be carved from some sort of basalt rock in a minimalist style. There are no carvings or decorations visible on it. From afar, it would look just like a simple stone shed. When you step in front of the mausoleum, you once again feel that you are being watched. The air grows a little bit colder that you barely notice it if not for the mist forming under your breath. The door into the mausoleum is closed and made of the same basalt as the rest of the structure. You don't think you will be able to move it even a little bit.
Karm, when you split with the rest of the group, you cannot put the feeling you get when you first step into the estate out of your mind. Your feeling is shared by Dvark. There is just something in the estate that seems familiar but also otherworldly. The longer the two of you spend roaming around the estate, you begin to understand what it is you are feeling. Karm, this feeling reminds you of when you stood in a similar-looking crater when you were still a child. Dvark, this feeling reminds you of when you talked to the Dusk Weaver in your dream.
Drexon, as you ponder, you reach the nearest tavern. It is not as grand as the Silver Sable; more of a dive bar. A couple of middle-aged people and a few elderlies are having a morning drink and casual conversation.
"Drink or dine?" A maid walks up to you as soon as you enter. She is wearing a loose shirt with an image of a blue moon on the back with the caption The Azure Moon, the name of the bar.
{{Drexon, what info are you trying to find?}}
Eremoz, David insists on you coming with him around the ground to look for a proper guard toward placement. He personally accompanies you around the estate's grounds.
"Perhaps on the opposite side of the staff quarter," David comments. "For a direct line of sight into the courtyard you will need a tall tower. I can push the carpenters to finish it tonight, but it will only hold one adult -- one adult and one child at the max. We'll need more time for a sturdier structure. Do you need it to also see the back garden? I don't recommend it. It will be a waste. There is a reason why we only post one guard at the entrance to the back garden and that is because the place is also warded with blood magic. If someone other than a Clarent enters it without permission, they will feel heavy, lethargic, and languorous. It was said that the ancestors of the Clarent would press their presence upon any intruders and judge them. Even the Lady Leillana avoid the place."
{{I think we can start with rolling your ability check for your actions this period. Eremoz, make a Survival to see how good your placement of the guard tower will be. Drexon, Persuasion or Deception or something suitable for the information you are trying to find and how you are planning to find it. Cob, I need you to make me two rolls; one is a Perception or Investigation to see if you find anything else during your flight around the estate, and another is a Constitution saving throw. Karm, you already rolled your Arcana and that will be your roll for this period unless you want to do something else. Dvark, we're still waiting for your action.}}
"Just a drink, something that will warm me but not dull the senses. Do you serve tea perhaps?", an unfamiliar looking Drexon replies, positioning himself at the bar of The Azure Moon and placing his atlas down in front of him. He has made use of his disguise kit to allow him to talk openly without then being recognised on the following day. "I'm fairly new to the city, what can you tell me about that impressive looking manor house down the way?". He speaks loud enough to be overheard by those present who might join in with an opinion.
He will act as a bit of a tourist, trying to hook some decent gossip.
Deception (disadvantage for exhaustion and guidance): (16, 10)+6+2=18
"No tea," the maid says with a shrug. "Got ginger infusion at the back. That good? Y'look like needing it. Prepping to go to the Clarent's party tomorrow, eh? Ginger will get you good as new for tomorrow."
The maid moves to the back room and goes back out with a mug filled with sweet-smelling yellowy water.
"Good family that one, the Clarents. Dif'rent from the other lot. You friend o' the family or summat? Thank the young lass for me, when y'meet her, alright. Put her money to good use, I did. Open this bar and all. Y'need anything else? Got to get some meat in ye, boy!"
"Bah! Good family my arse!" A man, half drunk off his wits, cut in. "I hope we get a repeat of the last wedding. Got her just dessert, that Pedrov, she did. Lording over us as if she were a noble or something. It's time again for someone to teach her a lesson or two. Shameful to her father's name, that one. Good thing she lost a lot of her money at the wedding. Do you see that? Outside? Wasting money for a wall when she can do something better like her father before her. She thinks a wall would stop her enemies. As if! The last time they dug under the lake, they did. Saw them with my own eyes, robbing the manor, lake water still dripping from their clothes."
"Sober up, ye old codger!" The maid slaps the back of the man's head. "Stop scaring the patrons. Clean y'self up 'fore I call y'wife."
"No, no, no, have to warn this gentleman. Don't blink. If you blink, you'll miss the hilarity. Keep watch on that Pedrov's face. You'll get a right laugh."
Drexon gratefully accepts the ginger infusion and sips it whilst listening to what the folk are saying.
"I wish I was invited to the party, but I think I have given you the wrong end of the stick. I am just a tourist, looking around Mantagard", he says patting his atlas. "But that story where they went under the lake sounds intriguing. Did you really see them? What were you doing by the lake....um....if I may be so bold as to ask".
Cob feels the oppressiveness of the yard and nods.
”So you‘ve warded the place?” Cob says to himself. “Now is that enough of a challenge for this master thief to want to come through this way?”
Cob can feel whatever is protecting this place probing at his psyche.
Con Save: 19
Investigation: 11
Eremoz follows along with David. “I was unaware of the magic covering the garden. I don’t think a view of it directly will be necessary. One adult should be fine. Since we don’t have the time or funds to cover every angle, we use them where it will benefit us most. One tall tower gives us an extra vantage point on the courtyard and a 360 view of the sky.”
He pauses for a second. “If Non-Clarents need permission to get into the garden unaffected, how does that work? Would we need a Clarent to accompany us there? I won’t push it if it makes you uncomfortable, but it could be useful as refuge in case of an incident and I would want at least one of us to stay with the Lady if things get hectic.”
Survival: 17
"He's prob'ly taking a piss," the maid snorts. "Always did that, he did. Defacing public properties. Yer seeing one of the wonder of Mantagard, mista. The Pissing Bandit, he is."
"Oi! I'll have you know that I was taking a stroll," the old man replies. "That wall is an atrocity. You weren't here at that time, lass. Back then we can stroll to the lake come evening and not take any heat from those blasted guards. Now, we're forbidden to even gaze at it. That lake is a treasure of the district. That Pedrov took it away from us lowly people. Just watch, one day that wall will crumble by itself. Atrocious rush job. Then, when that happen, we can be blessed by the lake again. Blessed, I say."
Cob, the longer you stay near the mausoleum, the harder it is for you to breathe and move. However, you push through the sensation weighing you down and do another circle around the mausoleum. This time, you notice some faint depression on the front door. You can see five symbols arranged in a circle. You don't know what the symbols mean, but when you hover your hand near the door, they light up for a brief moment before disappearing. Afterwards, the oppressive feeling of being watched and judged returns several folds, enough to discourage you from staying any longer.
"I think the place is haunted," David comments after a long moment of silence. "I have not been there myself despite having Clarent blood in me. There is a certain wrongness about it. So far, over the course of my stay here, only Lady Zelena had been inside. She never speaks about her experience, but she seems happier whenever she goes there."
"The magic was a surprise to me too when I came here," he adds. "I saw a garden that had been untouched by anyone, yet still well-kept. To this day, that garden has never been maintained by the staff because they cannot enter it without feeling faint. Some even pass out before they even come down from the balcony. If you refer to journals of past Clarents, they would say that the place is blessed by their ancestors or their patron god, the Light Bearer, and only those they deem worthy may enter."
"That's a good idea, actually," David nods at Eremoz's idea. "If anything untoward happens tomorrow, evacuate Lady Zelena to the back garden. As long as she allows it, you may enter unharmed."
Drexon carries on his tactic of speaking far less than he is listening, trying to nudge the conversation in the direction he wants.
"It is a shame to block your ability to enjoy the lake, I will agree with you. So being invited to the party is quite special then? Do you know anyone going?", he asks as he takes another sip of the ginger infusion.
Cob looks around at the grounds.
"Fine. I get the hint," Cob says.
He takes a last look at the 5 symbols, trying to commit them to memory so he can at least describe them to the others. Maybe they'll mean something to someone.
He then flies up, out of the back garden and goes around to the front entrance, looking to see how attentive any guards actually are by just walking in.
Dvark will look for for any particularly dark corners of the manor where someone might hide. This is servailence?
Perception: 21
“I wonder… has the lady said if there is any meteorite in the garden? We have briefly encountered a similar… anomalous place before. More extreme, but very specific means of entering and time was distorted.” Eremoz thinks back to the true start of this journey, using the ether if amber and entering Bast Trench. “Unlikely that they are related, but I thought I’d ask. Either way, I will let Drexon know to retreat to the garden in case of emergency and if any of the rest of us can join, the better.”