"Indeed, so; what kind of thing are we looking for, and what kind of dangers should we prepare for?"  Emanuel adjust his sword, so that he can sit better in the chair.  "Any gear we should bring, or any being provided.  As laborer, will I be carrying extra gear?  And I guess, who do I call boss?"  He approaches the questions, as an employee would to his superior.

Berlyn glances at J'Sahriel at this last question, then turns back to Emanuel. "As far I'm concerned, J'Sahriel and I are partners...and you can just call me Berlyn; no titles necessary." She pauses. "As for the dangers, I will let those with more knowledge of the Depths of Sharn to expound..." She trails off, unsure how much more to reveal at this time and looks again to her friend.

"We should be able to requisition supplies and weapons from the University once the professor has approved all party members. As to dangers, we should prepare for anything. The depths are a dangerous place. In the past, city officials have closed off the area to keep folk safe. We will need to be carful."

Lily returns Berlyn's smirk with one of her own. "I've found that a pretty face can often move more mountains than an entire army of swords, but to answer your question, yes, I am much more than just a pretty face." For a moment she looks as if she's going to say more, but decides to remain quiet for now and allows Trigger to provide his explanation.

J'Sahriel gives a sheepish smile when Trigger comments about her being a freshman, but does nod to admit the fact.  She gives a small sigh of relief when the big warforged takes over some of the explanations, nodding along in agreement with him as he goes, which seems to help her confidence a bit.

"And as to what we're searching for," J'Sahriel responds slowly after Eman asks, "I don't think the Professor even really knows just yet.  His personal field of study is historical artifacts and how they're made, and I think he's got a number of different things he'd like to acquire that are rumored to be hidden somewhere down in the Depths.  I expect he'll have decided on which one he'd like us to go looking for by the time we all meet with him."

Eman nods along, understandably; "And I'm assuming the good professor will also be covering this meeting's expenses."  He says, picking up a stiff parchment, listing available food and drink.

"I am curious on what we'll find and discover down there.  I enjoy learning about historic things as well; and have spent many an hour reviewing the historic novels there.  I've even read one of Professor Daela's early works."  He looks around for the wine.

"Trigger, from your experience, what do you expect us to most likely encounter?  What's something we should always keep an eye out for?"  He leans closer towards the big guy; eager to learn more.

“Yes, please, order what you like,” Berlyn responds. “And speaking of renumeration, we are offering 40 galifars apiece for the recovery of this artifact. If you are interested in joining us in this endeavor, we will need to meet with the professor tomorrow morning for his approval, as Trigger mentioned.” She looks around the table for everyone’s reaction.

"You've peaked my interest." Emanuel responds with a smile.  He looks closely to the menu; pointing out a few good looking options to Lily.

A look of alarm crosses J'Sahriel's face when Eman asks if the professor is covering the costs for this meeting and then Berlyn responds in the affirmative.  She nudges Berlyn with her elbow before leaning in to whisper to her.

"Umm...aren't WE actually the ones paying the bill for this meeting?  Since this is technically still part of the 'recruitment phase'  the professor said we're responsible for?"

Berlyn whispers back, “Don’t worry about it; I got it covered,” said with the air of someone who has never worried about coin. “And if my funds ever run low, there is always my fiddle.”

Quote from WhitsEnd >>

Berlyn whispers back, “Don’t worry about it; I got it covered,” said with the air of someone who has never worried about coin. “And if my funds ever run low, there is always my fiddle.”

 "Alright," J'Sahriel responds, still looking a bit worried, "if you say so."

Emanuel says; "I'll take a beefstew, with a quarter loaf of bread.",  then hands the menu to Lily before turning back towards Trigger.

Trigger turns his head to respond to Emanuel.

"Most of the danger comes from gangs and various riff-raff that try to lay claim to turf in the area. Individually, and even in small groups, they aren't too much to worry about, but they have a nasty habit of banding together when expeditions such as this enter the depths. Being as small a group as we are planning, such banding may not happen, but it is still something we should be cautious of."

"Sounds like we should take care not to alert the locals of our intentions."  Eman replies before accepting a glass of wine from a server.

"Aye, doing so might help us avoid some notice down there. But enough of that for now. If I've learned anything over the years, it's that anything can happen on an expedition. You all should take the time to enjoy yourselves while you can. You might not get to later. If we're all in agreement to give this a go, we should meet with the professor for final approval first thing in the morning. Then we can gather what supplies we need and head straight out."

"I can't wait;" Emanuel responds eagerly.

Lily would have ordered herself some spiced fish with vegetables and paired that with a glass of white wine. "Do we know for what, exactly, we will be searching?"

"As J'Sahriel mentioned, it could be any number of things, though I suspect it will likely have a more historical value than a monetary one. Such things are Professor Daela's specialty. Still, such finds are essential in maintaining the university's relationships with its patron donors."

(Assuming we are good to move onto the morning...)

/--- Zor, Sypheros 5th, 998 YK--/

(This is sort of generic instead of accounting for your variances. If you arrive differently, feel free to point it out! For example, Trigger can opt to be outside the office waiting.)

The buzz of the city heightens as morning comes. It's bright and early somewhere, and you've got places to be. Everyone agreed to meet at the Morgrave University entrance a few hours into the morning. You prepare for the expedition with the little knowledge you have of it and head out the door to meet with the others. 

To get there, you travel by foot to a skycoach switching station. Typical skycoaches resemble rowboats or small fishing boats but they fly thanks to an eldritch device located where the rudder would be. The device is mostly made of copper; there are cogs and small mechanical pieces moving all the time. Two copper exhaust tubes at the back expel pink-tinted smoke that dissipates in the air fast.

Once you disembark, you find yourself in the upper wards and outside of Morgrave University. Its spires are as impressive as they are intimidating. There is a healthy mix of students, adventurers, and rough-looking people hustling just outside MU. While it is a school, MU has a strong presence in the adventuring world and regularly hires people of all kinds to leave on expeditions in the name of knowledge.

(If you'd like to know more about MU, please roll history!)

After a few minutes, you are in front of Professor Daela’s office. When you knock on the door, a warforged guard with a circular-shaped ghulra sigil on his forehead lets you in. They are wearing fine clothes and a golden bracelet, something you had not ever seen a warforged do. They let you in and direct you to the office.

“Welcome and please, have a seat. My name is Garthen Daela,” says the man behind an impressive oak desk. "And good morning to you J'Sahriel and Berlyn. Glad to see you here so bright and early." The office is like a miniature library, with bookcases hugging most walls. There is one other person in the room. A middle-aged man in fine clothes sits in an armchair near a corner. Professor Garthen Daela (human) is an old man. He is slim with a heavily receding hairline of white. He looks small behind the giant desk but he has a sharpness to his eyes that radiates authority.

Trigger-only: