(haha)

(Anyone ever been in the tunnels around and beneath a professional American football stadium? Think of that for what we're seeing here- wide, stone-walled, and surprisingly well-lit, but more puddles than you'd prefer)

The attendants bustle you into the hallway and lead you to the medica. Amaruve, you get a wide berth as you take the rear, padding along the hallway receiving surprised stares from the concession workers, janitorial staff, and grounds crew you pass. You also see a few parties of human contestants, all dressed in group costumes. A tall woman wearing what appear to be bright yellow army fatigues and two crossed machetes on her back smiles dangerously as you pass. In a carrying stage whisper she eyes the professor and says, "that bear's gonna look real nice in my bedroom-Just like your wife did last night, Porter"

Perspicacious, you were also led out of the arena, but the moment you enter the tunnels a set of manacles are roughly set on your wrists. Your bow and your hunter's knife are taken from you, and you follow the rest of your party a few feet behind. You hear someone say, "What in blue blazes is that one doing on this side?!" and your attendants, flanking you, say something about "orders from the Pretender."

(You are all magically stitched up by a disheveled and at least mildly annebriated cleric. You recover all HP and, Amaruve and Gordra, one spell slot each. If you want to have conversed with the attendants or the woman in yellow before entering the medica, go ahead! We'll go back there really quick and explore it. Perspicacious, you are healed by the cleric just the same as the others, but you are chained to your chair. Just as he's about to turn and walk away, however, he presses a folded piece of paper into your hand and fixes his eyes on yours for the span of a deep breath. Then he leaves the room without a word)

(btw, Cordelia- your device is as inscrutable as ever, but you do notice that it now reads:

Local Potentiality: 60.85%

Cordelia leans into the professor and whispers to him, "Dust has this new reading called 'Local Potentiality.' It would appear we are a little over 60%... Previously, the reading was lower. I assume whatever we just accomplished here in this fight added to the potentiality."

The human assistant had a few theories as to what this could mean including a favorite. She would have to wait until the device read 100% to verify if any of her theories held water.

Jean says nothing as she walks, but she gives the woman a threatening look when she mouths off. At the moment she didn't really have enough information to act, but when she did, she would and Illmater have mercy on their souls, for she would not.

Gordra scoffs at the passing comments about his 'wife'. "Hmpf, that was a bit rude." he'll mutter to himself. To Cordelia he says "Yes we should compare notes when we get a moment to ourselves."

Amaruve is flatter and speechless, women don't often invite him so readily into their bedrooms.

"I think we may need to express ourselves a bit more vulgarly, my dear professor. You know, play the part..." Cordelia finishes whispering with the dragonborn. 

She looks to the tall woman with a sneer, turns her head to spit, and says, "Heh... that's what she said."

The woman in yellow's smile falters at Cordelia's rejoinder. "That's... What? She said what?" Confusion turns to anger. "We'll see what's on your tongue tomorrow, Puckett." She unsheathes her knives with a fairly adept flourish. "I'll cut it out myself so I can take a closer look."

The party turns a corner and she is lost from sight.

(Cordelia's device beeps: Local potentiality: 49.98%)

(You can consult your device at any time to determine how or whether events have affected potentiality)

Cordelia will shrug. "Speaking with other people is not really my forte." 

She will consult Dust and see what it reads!

(she divines nothing new except for the sudden reduction in potentiality. Let's shift the scene to the medica where you all are together for the first time since the leaps started. Anything to discuss? Baggage to unpack? Nervous breakdowns to experience?)

(I meant to have Cordelia check it to see why it started at 0, went up to 60, and now dropped - sorry!)

**are we alone? If we are and can speak freely Gordra will take the opportunity to get his bearings and discuss recent events. 

So Gordra finds a seat to sit in and give his leg a rest. His alternate form is a portly human man with longish hair in a ponytail and a scruffy beard. He looks around at this group and asks "So what exactly is a 'Thunder Stein'?"

"It seems to be our team name. A stein is a sort of cup you pour beer into." Cordelia states evenly as she examines Gordra. "Are you alright, professor? I know you took a knock..." She casts a disparaging glance to Jean.

Quote from LaRue >>

(I meant to have Cordelia check it to see why it started at 0, went up to 60, and now dropped - sorry!)

 It was 0 in the neverspace, it was a little higher in this world. Around 60 after your fight and just dropped down a tad. I'll only give your updates moving forward when you specifically inquire (so as not to bug you)

Jean ignored the look and instead spoke up. "So, how are these shifts or jumps or whatever getting triggered? I doubt we're supposed to stay here forever, disguised as some kind of gladiatorial team."

"Yes Ms. Luna. I am aware of what a stein is. I was referring to our 'team name' specifically. I have attended a few gladiatorial matches in my youth, and this is the first I've seen that had such strange matching attire."  

The professor rises from his seat with a grunt. "Perspicacious, how did you go about traveling from your former body into this new one?"

6

(While we're waiting for Perspicacious to respond, anybody feel like rolling perception?)

I'm not very perceptive in general. Whatever it is I'm sure I wouldn't notice.

Amarive is fairly inquisitive. (Percetion: (1)10)

(It's been awhile since I took a math course, but I think 26 is higher than 6. More on that tomorrow!)