This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Bombil pauses for a moment as he tries rack his own brain for anything he's heard about the dragon den. The thought of a golden dragon fills him both with trepidation and a sense of excitement.
EDIT: Not I'm not sure why the -1 modifier didn't show up. Was an 12 when I first rolled, but I didn't see the -1 get applied that would've made it actually an 11.
He dislikes that Sir Stoneclaw lied about not having the ransom note on hand, but chooses to not remark on it at this time.
He says to Sir Stoneclaw, "I suppose two questions. One: You said the letter's mention of the old dragon doesn't make sense. Shall I assume because the way was sealed? Or was it something else that bothered you? Two: How are conditions in the tunnels? I'm wondering whether or not I should ask one of your servants to fetch my donkey for me. I left him at your stables when I first arrived to your wondrous mansion."
Stoneclaw turned and looked at Bombil with a curious expression before slowly slipping the folded paper back into his jacket. He took a moment to think about the questions that had been posed to him. He hesitated for a second as he thought about how best to respond to them. "Unless they managed to unseal the way without anyone noticing the only other entrance to the den is 10 miles northeast of the city in Summerfall forest, the entrance looks like a cave but most people tend to avoid it even though the dragon hasn't been seen in 5 months. There have been theories going around that Lord Darkbranch was the dragon but that isn't the case, the dragon has been... well I honestly don't know where it's been but I'm sure that it's not causing any trouble."
He paused for a second as he tried to recall the condition the tunnels were in the last time he had been down in them. "My son liked to keep them in a useable state, so I would wager a guess that their in good condition. That being said you should still be a little on the cautious side while down there, even in the best condition there could still be cave ins... one of the more obvious downsides of using tunnel."
Tagreth considers the description of the party for a moment. It did sound like an adventuring party, an assortment of different people put together for a common cause. He guessed that the Arakocra would be a sorcerer, perhaps. The Dragonborn was definitely a warrior of some kind, a fighter? As for the Tieflings, it was possible they were a bard and a warlock. Leaving the human to be a ranger.
"Yes, a cave-in could be an issue,"Tagreth agrees. "Although, we wouldn't be without light."
Tagreth takes hold of the mace that is hanging off his waist and holds it up in the air. Then with his other hand, he takes hold of a screwdriver that was in his pocket. He brings the screwdriver closer to the mace, and in doing so the screwdriver turns into a hammer. Tagreth then taps the mace with the hammer, which begins to emit a bright light.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules.” ― Gary Gygax
Thorin nods "Escort not needed. Just tell me the directions and I will find my way there. Dragon huh interesting" He shoulders his pack and stands ready to go.
Bombil walks over to grab his backpack and a scraggly broom next to it. He says to his compatriots, "Gentlemen, I look forward to our time together." He says to Tagreth with a look of delight, "That is a most splendid contraption. What is it called?"
He turns to Sir Stoneclaw with a slight smile of excitement for the adventure ahead, "If you would, I'd like to leave my donkey in your stables for a while longer as we go to the tunnels. I'll collect him after we return." He subdues his expression for a moment in an attempt to give comfort and assurance. "And I recall a quotation from the Song of Jubilation, 'Prepare the feast and be filled with gladness, for the lost shall be found.' I do hope your wife takes solace in the knowledge that we will do our best to find your son."
”A gold-dragon you say, wouldn’t happen to know it’s name would ya?”Tunnels dragons sounds like quite the adventure. Kaliden unlike many of his kind has not spent much time below ground though he has no aversion to it he wonders if it will be a comfort surrounded by stone and earth.
briefly touching head to axe quietly “Grant me your strength and bless this expedition...”
if others are preparing to head to the tunnels Kaliden will also don his chain and ready his crossbow. “No sense not being ready.”
”Say Bombil is it? I mean no offense, are you kin to goblin kind? You are very well spoken. I would like to offer you a gift, if you would be gracious enough to receive it. If we get into trouble put it on and let me know it could save your life. Again no offense, I realize we’ve barely met, I simply believe in the strength of unity.”
"Alright, no escort it is.Most of the entrances in the city have guards watching over them but there's an entrance in the alley near The Horse and the Hellhound inn that tends to be ignored by the guards. After leaving the manor you'll want to take a left at the gates, follow the path until you get to you reach a 'fork' in the path... if you were to continue going forward you eventually find yourself at the church, if you were to go to the left again you'd be heading in the direction of the residential district and if you were to go right you'd find yourself heading to the center of the city. Now you'll want to go down the path heading to the city center and once you're there take another right and you'll be at the inn, then duck into the alley and go down it for a couple feet and you'll find the entrance. You might need to move a few crates to get to it but that shouldn't be difficult to deal with." Sir Stoneclaw replied, shifting his weight a little as he looked at him with a small hint of a smile.
Bombil
He nodded slightly and turned his attention towards Bombil. As he listened to what he had been saying he let out a soft hum and his gaze shifted upwards for a moment before returning to the others in the room. "That is alright, I'll have my staff take good care of your donkey while you're in the tunnels. He'll be ready for you when you return." He paused for a moment as he thought about how his wife. "I'm certain that she will, I just hope that it isn't too late."
Kaliden
Nikolas raised a brow slightly when asked about the dragon's name. He fell silent for what felt like an eternity even though it was actually only for about thirty seconds at most. "I do believe that it was Nildrorayrth, the Swift Protector but I could be wrong about 'the swift protector' part." He rubbed the back of his neck as a hesitant chuckle escaped him. "If I..." he trailed off and shifted his weight again before tugging his collar. "Nevermind... it's not important. Anyway, I wish you all luck and safe travels."
Tagreth
A curious expression crossed his face as he watched his mace begin to emit bright light. "That is a rather bright mace you have there. You'll have no problem finding your way with it... as long as it's lit that is."
Thorin nods at Sir Stoneclaw. He then turns and heads out, making his way towards the entrance of the tunnel. He takes note of the buildings mentions and keeps and eye out as he moves along.
The nobleman leans back and takes mental note of who's who and what's where. He exchanges a brief nod with Tagreth, but only speaks when it seems some of the guests are ready to charge off immediately. "Peace, good dwarf. Not all of us came ready for battle. I, personally, came dressed for dinner." He gives a slight sardonic smile, then turns his gaze to Stoneclaw. "My lord, I'll need to return to the Nine Horse Hitch," he says, naming the finest inn in the quarter - "for my equipment." To the others he adds, "We can rendezvous wherever you'd like when I've finished."
As he hurries to catch-up with Thorin he nods toward Nicolas, “I hope you never catch me unprepared, there’s normally only a handful of things people call on me for, and dinners not high on the list. Never-the-less thank you Sir Stoneclaw for your hospitality. Perhaps a drink when this business is concluded?”
”Say Bombil is it? I mean no offense, are you kin to goblin kind? You are very well spoken. I would like to offer you a gift, if you would be gracious enough to receive it. If we get into trouble put it on and let me know it could save your life. Again no offense, I realize we’ve barely met, I simply believe in the strength of unity.”
In his hand is a platinum ring. (50gp)
"Your name is Kaliden, right? No offense taken at all." says Bombil. "And indeed you're correct. A force of sorts transformed some goblin-kind into Verdan such as myself. And ever since then it's been an interesting life that I wouldn't trade for the world." He accepts the ring Kaliden Two-Stones offers. "This is a very generous gift. I can only hope to repay your kindness."
He says to Nicolas, "Sir Stoneclaw said the tunnel entrance was near the The Horse and The Hellhound. Perhaps we'll meet up there?"
He follows after Thorin and Kaliden. "Say, Kaliden, I couldn't help but notice your emblem during dinner. What god do you serve?"
“At a time in my life when I had lost everything, I heard the war chants of my people in my mind Clangedin Silverbeard reminded me I have great worth. Life doesn’t end when we are at our lowest or worst & we are not alone. Even us Bombil though we have not been tested. We have great value and we are not alone. If you ever need me I will be there for you.”
Kaliden takes a couple deep breathes and begins a low steady chant as they make their way to The Horse and the Hellhound inn.
Tagreth smiles black to Sir Stoneclaw, "It shouldn't be a problem. If it goes out, I can cause it to light up again. Although, from my experiments I have determined that it usually lasts an hour before it goes out."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules.” ― Gary Gygax
Thorin nods at Sir Stoneclaw. He turns and heads out, making his way towards the entrance of the tunnel. He takes note of the buildings mentions and keeps and eye out as he moves along.
Sir Stoneclaw nodded back as he watched Thorin begin to head out. "If any of the guards stop you tell them you're looking into something for me, if they question you about what that something is... tell 'em that there's an infestation of rats in the tunnels and your going to clear them out. They should believe that, even though there aren't actually any rats down there. I just don't want any of you getting thrown into jail because of this." He called after him before letting out a soft sigh.
The nobleman leans back and takes mental note of who's who and what's where. He exchanges a brief nod with Tagreth, but only speaks when it seems some of the guests are ready to charge off immediately. "Peace, good dwarf. Not all of us came ready for battle. I, personally, came dressed for dinner." He gives a slight sardonic smile, then turns his gaze to Stoneclaw. "My lord, I'll need to return to the Nine Horse Hitch," he says, naming the finest inn in the quarter - "for my equipment." To the others he adds, "We can rendezvous wherever you'd like when I've finished."
Stoneclaw turned to face Nicolas as he spoke. "The Nine Horse Hitch? I must admit, there's no finer place to stay while in Cloudgate... well there may be one place that tops it but it's not exactly easy to get in. You'd need an specific invitation to even be aloud through the doors and even then there would be no guarantees." He hummed softly, taking a few steps towards the door. "It would be a horrible decision to hop into a possible battle without your equipment. Retrieve your equipment and prepare yourself... then rendezvous with the others either at the Horse and the Hellhound or somewhere near there."
As he hurries to catch-up with Thorin he nods toward Nicolas, “I hope you never catch me unprepared, there’s normally only a handful of things people call on me for, and dinners not high on the list. Never-the-less thank you Sir Stoneclaw for your hospitality. Perhaps a drink when this business is concluded?”
A faint hint of a smile crossed his lips as he nods back to Kaliden. "I've never found it enjoyable being caught unprepared... although there are certain situations where it's not so bad but most of them are quite boring. It is a pleasure and you are welcome." He took a breath and glanced towards the door as he watched Thorin and Kaliden leave. He sighed softly and looked back towards the table before stepping out into the hallway for a moment.
”Say Bombil is it? I mean no offense, are you kin to goblin kind? You are very well spoken. I would like to offer you a gift, if you would be gracious enough to receive it. If we get into trouble put it on and let me know it could save your life. Again no offense, I realize we’ve barely met, I simply believe in the strength of unity.”
In his hand is a platinum ring. (50gp)
"Your name is Kaliden, right? No offense taken at all." says Bombil. "And indeed you're correct. A force of sorts transformed some goblin-kind into Verdan such as myself. And ever since then it's been an interesting life that I wouldn't trade for the world." He accepts the ring Kaliden Two-Stones offers. "This is a very generous gift. I can only hope to repay your kindness."
He says to Nicolas, "Sir Stoneclaw said the tunnel entrance was near the The Horse and The Hellhound. Perhaps we'll meet up there?"
He follows after Thorin and Kaliden. "Say, Kaliden, I couldn't help but notice your emblem during dinner. What god do you serve?"
'I hope that they don't run into anything to dangerous while down in the tunnels...'He thought before noticing that Bombil had also headed out with them as well. His smile slowly began to fade when he realized that most of his 'guests' had already stepped out.
Tagreth smiles black to Sir Stoneclaw, "It shouldn't be a problem. If it goes out, I can cause it to light up again. Although, from my experiments I have determined that it usually lasts an hour before it goes out."
Stoneclaw raised a brow but nodded ever so slightly. "I would hope that it wasn't. Even if it only last an hour each time that does seem more efficient than having to fumble around in a pack trying to find a torch or a candle."
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Nicolas de Brézé
The nobleman takes his leave and recovers his destrier from the footman. He hastens to the inn, trying not to seem like he's hastening. In a city this fraught with intrigue, being seen leaving Stoneclaw's estate might not be particularly safe.
At his suite he changes out of his finery into a linen shirt and stout wool surcoat - well-made, yet far less ostentatious. He then equips himself, donning studded leather armor with an oak tree tooled into the breast. A pair of daggers, a handaxe, and a buckler - also emblazoned with an oak - and finally, his backpack, already packed.
He checks on his horse as he leaves, tipping the stableman handsomely to make sure the stallion is well taken care of in his absence. Ready, he braces himself and heads toward the rendezvous. DM willing, he makes it without incident.
Bombil pauses for a moment as he tries rack his own brain for anything he's heard about the dragon den. The thought of a golden dragon fills him both with trepidation and a sense of excitement.
History 20
EDIT: Not I'm not sure why the -1 modifier didn't show up. Was an 12 when I first rolled, but I didn't see the -1 get applied that would've made it actually an 11.
He dislikes that Sir Stoneclaw lied about not having the ransom note on hand, but chooses to not remark on it at this time.
(if needed)
Deception 24
He says to Sir Stoneclaw, "I suppose two questions. One: You said the letter's mention of the old dragon doesn't make sense. Shall I assume because the way was sealed? Or was it something else that bothered you? Two: How are conditions in the tunnels? I'm wondering whether or not I should ask one of your servants to fetch my donkey for me. I left him at your stables when I first arrived to your wondrous mansion."
This is a signature. It was a simple signature. But it has been upgraded.
Belolonandalogalo, Sunny | Draíocht, Kholias | Eggo Lass, 100 Dungeons
Talorin Tebedi, Vecna: Eve | Cherry, Stormwreck | Chipper, Strahd
We Are Modron
Get rickrolled here. Awesome music here. Track 48, 5/23/25, Immaculate Mary
I'm guessing the edit to fix the syntax on the second die roll is what's causing the potential manipulation warning. So I'll reroll those here.
History 8
If the -1 doesn't take in the roller, needs to be applied
Original roll I had was a 12 -1 = 11, so if this one turns out higher please disregard in favor of the 11
Deception 16
original but possibly buggy one said 18 when I saw it
This is a signature. It was a simple signature. But it has been upgraded.
Belolonandalogalo, Sunny | Draíocht, Kholias | Eggo Lass, 100 Dungeons
Talorin Tebedi, Vecna: Eve | Cherry, Stormwreck | Chipper, Strahd
We Are Modron
Get rickrolled here. Awesome music here. Track 48, 5/23/25, Immaculate Mary
Stoneclaw turned and looked at Bombil with a curious expression before slowly slipping the folded paper back into his jacket. He took a moment to think about the questions that had been posed to him. He hesitated for a second as he thought about how best to respond to them. "Unless they managed to unseal the way without anyone noticing the only other entrance to the den is 10 miles northeast of the city in Summerfall forest, the entrance looks like a cave but most people tend to avoid it even though the dragon hasn't been seen in 5 months. There have been theories going around that Lord Darkbranch was the dragon but that isn't the case, the dragon has been... well I honestly don't know where it's been but I'm sure that it's not causing any trouble."
He paused for a second as he tried to recall the condition the tunnels were in the last time he had been down in them. "My son liked to keep them in a useable state, so I would wager a guess that their in good condition. That being said you should still be a little on the cautious side while down there, even in the best condition there could still be cave ins... one of the more obvious downsides of using tunnel."
Tagreth considers the description of the party for a moment. It did sound like an adventuring party, an assortment of different people put together for a common cause. He guessed that the Arakocra would be a sorcerer, perhaps. The Dragonborn was definitely a warrior of some kind, a fighter? As for the Tieflings, it was possible they were a bard and a warlock. Leaving the human to be a ranger.
"Yes, a cave-in could be an issue," Tagreth agrees. "Although, we wouldn't be without light."
Tagreth takes hold of the mace that is hanging off his waist and holds it up in the air. Then with his other hand, he takes hold of a screwdriver that was in his pocket. He brings the screwdriver closer to the mace, and in doing so the screwdriver turns into a hammer. Tagreth then taps the mace with the hammer, which begins to emit a bright light.
“The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules.” ― Gary Gygax
Thorin nods "Escort not needed. Just tell me the directions and I will find my way there. Dragon huh interesting" He shoulders his pack and stands ready to go.
Bombil walks over to grab his backpack and a scraggly broom next to it. He says to his compatriots, "Gentlemen, I look forward to our time together." He says to Tagreth with a look of delight, "That is a most splendid contraption. What is it called?"
He turns to Sir Stoneclaw with a slight smile of excitement for the adventure ahead, "If you would, I'd like to leave my donkey in your stables for a while longer as we go to the tunnels. I'll collect him after we return." He subdues his expression for a moment in an attempt to give comfort and assurance. "And I recall a quotation from the Song of Jubilation, 'Prepare the feast and be filled with gladness, for the lost shall be found.' I do hope your wife takes solace in the knowledge that we will do our best to find your son."
This is a signature. It was a simple signature. But it has been upgraded.
Belolonandalogalo, Sunny | Draíocht, Kholias | Eggo Lass, 100 Dungeons
Talorin Tebedi, Vecna: Eve | Cherry, Stormwreck | Chipper, Strahd
We Are Modron
Get rickrolled here. Awesome music here. Track 48, 5/23/25, Immaculate Mary
Kaliden Two-Stones
”A gold-dragon you say, wouldn’t happen to know it’s name would ya?” Tunnels dragons sounds like quite the adventure. Kaliden unlike many of his kind has not spent much time below ground though he has no aversion to it he wonders if it will be a comfort surrounded by stone and earth.
briefly touching head to axe quietly “Grant me your strength and bless this expedition...”
if others are preparing to head to the tunnels Kaliden will also don his chain and ready his crossbow. “No sense not being ready.”
Tagreth turns to Bimbil and raises an eyebrow, "It's called a mace. I wouldn't call it much of a contraption though."
“The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules.” ― Gary Gygax
Bombil chuckles at the man's...? Elf's...? ...Humanoid's reply. "Very well then. Keep your secrets." He continues adjusting his pack.
This is a signature. It was a simple signature. But it has been upgraded.
Belolonandalogalo, Sunny | Draíocht, Kholias | Eggo Lass, 100 Dungeons
Talorin Tebedi, Vecna: Eve | Cherry, Stormwreck | Chipper, Strahd
We Are Modron
Get rickrolled here. Awesome music here. Track 48, 5/23/25, Immaculate Mary
Kaliden Two-Stones
”Say Bombil is it? I mean no offense, are you kin to goblin kind? You are very well spoken. I would like to offer you a gift, if you would be gracious enough to receive it. If we get into trouble put it on and let me know it could save your life. Again no offense, I realize we’ve barely met, I simply believe in the strength of unity.”
In his hand is a platinum ring. (50gp)
Thorin
"Alright, no escort it is. Most of the entrances in the city have guards watching over them but there's an entrance in the alley near The Horse and the Hellhound inn that tends to be ignored by the guards. After leaving the manor you'll want to take a left at the gates, follow the path until you get to you reach a 'fork' in the path... if you were to continue going forward you eventually find yourself at the church, if you were to go to the left again you'd be heading in the direction of the residential district and if you were to go right you'd find yourself heading to the center of the city. Now you'll want to go down the path heading to the city center and once you're there take another right and you'll be at the inn, then duck into the alley and go down it for a couple feet and you'll find the entrance. You might need to move a few crates to get to it but that shouldn't be difficult to deal with." Sir Stoneclaw replied, shifting his weight a little as he looked at him with a small hint of a smile.
Bombil
He nodded slightly and turned his attention towards Bombil. As he listened to what he had been saying he let out a soft hum and his gaze shifted upwards for a moment before returning to the others in the room. "That is alright, I'll have my staff take good care of your donkey while you're in the tunnels. He'll be ready for you when you return." He paused for a moment as he thought about how his wife. "I'm certain that she will, I just hope that it isn't too late."
Kaliden
Nikolas raised a brow slightly when asked about the dragon's name. He fell silent for what felt like an eternity even though it was actually only for about thirty seconds at most. "I do believe that it was Nildrorayrth, the Swift Protector but I could be wrong about 'the swift protector' part." He rubbed the back of his neck as a hesitant chuckle escaped him. "If I..." he trailed off and shifted his weight again before tugging his collar. "Nevermind... it's not important. Anyway, I wish you all luck and safe travels."
Tagreth
A curious expression crossed his face as he watched his mace begin to emit bright light. "That is a rather bright mace you have there. You'll have no problem finding your way with it... as long as it's lit that is."
Thorin nods at Sir Stoneclaw. He then turns and heads out, making his way towards the entrance of the tunnel. He takes note of the buildings mentions and keeps and eye out as he moves along.
Nicolas de Brézé
The nobleman leans back and takes mental note of who's who and what's where. He exchanges a brief nod with Tagreth, but only speaks when it seems some of the guests are ready to charge off immediately. "Peace, good dwarf. Not all of us came ready for battle. I, personally, came dressed for dinner." He gives a slight sardonic smile, then turns his gaze to Stoneclaw. "My lord, I'll need to return to the Nine Horse Hitch," he says, naming the finest inn in the quarter - "for my equipment." To the others he adds, "We can rendezvous wherever you'd like when I've finished."
Kaliden Two-Stones
As he hurries to catch-up with Thorin he nods toward Nicolas, “I hope you never catch me unprepared, there’s normally only a handful of things people call on me for, and dinners not high on the list. Never-the-less thank you Sir Stoneclaw for your hospitality. Perhaps a drink when this business is concluded?”
"Your name is Kaliden, right? No offense taken at all." says Bombil. "And indeed you're correct. A force of sorts transformed some goblin-kind into Verdan such as myself. And ever since then it's been an interesting life that I wouldn't trade for the world." He accepts the ring Kaliden Two-Stones offers. "This is a very generous gift. I can only hope to repay your kindness."
He says to Nicolas, "Sir Stoneclaw said the tunnel entrance was near the The Horse and The Hellhound. Perhaps we'll meet up there?"
He follows after Thorin and Kaliden. "Say, Kaliden, I couldn't help but notice your emblem during dinner. What god do you serve?"
This is a signature. It was a simple signature. But it has been upgraded.
Belolonandalogalo, Sunny | Draíocht, Kholias | Eggo Lass, 100 Dungeons
Talorin Tebedi, Vecna: Eve | Cherry, Stormwreck | Chipper, Strahd
We Are Modron
Get rickrolled here. Awesome music here. Track 48, 5/23/25, Immaculate Mary
Kaliden Two-Stones
“At a time in my life when I had lost everything, I heard the war chants of my people in my mind Clangedin Silverbeard reminded me I have great worth. Life doesn’t end when we are at our lowest or worst & we are not alone. Even us Bombil though we have not been tested. We have great value and we are not alone. If you ever need me I will be there for you.”
Kaliden takes a couple deep breathes and begins a low steady chant as they make their way to The Horse and the Hellhound inn.
Tagreth smiles black to Sir Stoneclaw, "It shouldn't be a problem. If it goes out, I can cause it to light up again. Although, from my experiments I have determined that it usually lasts an hour before it goes out."
“The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules.” ― Gary Gygax
Unaccustomed to working with others, Thorin taps his foot impatiently as he waits for the others.
Sir Stoneclaw nodded back as he watched Thorin begin to head out. "If any of the guards stop you tell them you're looking into something for me, if they question you about what that something is... tell 'em that there's an infestation of rats in the tunnels and your going to clear them out. They should believe that, even though there aren't actually any rats down there. I just don't want any of you getting thrown into jail because of this." He called after him before letting out a soft sigh.
Stoneclaw turned to face Nicolas as he spoke. "The Nine Horse Hitch? I must admit, there's no finer place to stay while in Cloudgate... well there may be one place that tops it but it's not exactly easy to get in. You'd need an specific invitation to even be aloud through the doors and even then there would be no guarantees." He hummed softly, taking a few steps towards the door. "It would be a horrible decision to hop into a possible battle without your equipment. Retrieve your equipment and prepare yourself... then rendezvous with the others either at the Horse and the Hellhound or somewhere near there."
A faint hint of a smile crossed his lips as he nods back to Kaliden. "I've never found it enjoyable being caught unprepared... although there are certain situations where it's not so bad but most of them are quite boring. It is a pleasure and you are welcome." He took a breath and glanced towards the door as he watched Thorin and Kaliden leave. He sighed softly and looked back towards the table before stepping out into the hallway for a moment.
'I hope that they don't run into anything to dangerous while down in the tunnels...' He thought before noticing that Bombil had also headed out with them as well. His smile slowly began to fade when he realized that most of his 'guests' had already stepped out.
Stoneclaw raised a brow but nodded ever so slightly. "I would hope that it wasn't. Even if it only last an hour each time that does seem more efficient than having to fumble around in a pack trying to find a torch or a candle."
Nicolas de Brézé
The nobleman takes his leave and recovers his destrier from the footman. He hastens to the inn, trying not to seem like he's hastening. In a city this fraught with intrigue, being seen leaving Stoneclaw's estate might not be particularly safe.
At his suite he changes out of his finery into a linen shirt and stout wool surcoat - well-made, yet far less ostentatious. He then equips himself, donning studded leather armor with an oak tree tooled into the breast. A pair of daggers, a handaxe, and a buckler - also emblazoned with an oak - and finally, his backpack, already packed.
He checks on his horse as he leaves, tipping the stableman handsomely to make sure the stallion is well taken care of in his absence. Ready, he braces himself and heads toward the rendezvous. DM willing, he makes it without incident.
(Otherwise... Perception: 4, initiative: 15)