Perception: 8

If Locate Object doesn't get the job done, here's Carrhae's Perception:7

Since the ladies who know what they’re doing steered Daewen away from the noodle shop....and into the various libraries around town, Daewen figured she would be more useful in tuning her senses towards figuring out which library patron was Zephyr (Perception: 18).

Using her knowledge of Zephyr's state of mind, Mercy browses the library, looking for someone whose carriage suggests loneliness and unearned shame.

Insight: 21

Zephyr: Deep in contemplation, you had many things to think about as you half listened to the Dwarf Historian, and made your way back home. Maybe this was what you were searching for your entire life? You needed answers. You needed time to think. But not too long. This..elemental situation had you thinking some more. But first, there were things to take care of. Things you needed to read up on, and questions that needed to be answered.

So you went away. Just for a little bit. Someplace else.

In your search for answers, and pondering your experiences so far, you are now level 5.

Daewen: TA DAAAA! Here he is! Zephyr's Noodle Shop! Your arms spread wide, as if you've discovered something long lost and amazing. Your smile faded when you looked at your companions faces. They were not smiling. What's going on? Why are th-? Isn't this-? Uh oh. This isn't where Zephyr is. You're not even in the right city. It took another afternoon to get back to Waterdeep. However, it gave you time to think about your mistake, but also your successes so far in your journey to please The Raven Queen's agenda. You realize a mistake like that could cost you an audience with her, and given your time to think, you ponder on how to make yourself better, and apply what you've learned.

You are now level 5.

Carrhae: You travel to the various libraries of Waterdeep hoping to find some answers. You eventually meet up with the slightly annoyed and weary group of your adventuring friends, but Strife looks like she's following her nose about something she just can't seem to place yet. Wether you decide to join her or not is up to you.

Mercy: Unfortunately, your search didn't come up with anything, but you notice Strife seems to be on to something. It's up to you if you wish to follow her.

Strife: You feel like you are being watched extremely intently. As you wander around the city letting your instincts lead the way, you come across an underpopulated part of the city where a wall looks like it's in perfect place, but it's not. You approach the wall. You slowly reach up to touch it, you're so draw to it - and your hand slips in. It startles you for a moment, but you do something crazy as your heart pounds in your chest. You walk through. In a crazy moment of vertigo, you are transported to a place very far away, and you can tell you are no longer on the Prime Material Plane. You look up and see that it's evening, and the stars are out and it's one of the most beautiful things you've ever seen. In your learnings, you don't recognize the star formations, and for a moment you're distracted by the most beautiful astronomical formations of stars, gas clouds, and galaxies in the night sky that take your breath away. When you focus again, you realize you're on a different land, and not far away in the distance is what appears to be a tower that looks like a lighthouse. 

Carrhae follows Strife around the city and when she walks through a wall, she goes after her comrade towards the mysterious destination. She's at a loss for words when she sees what appears on the other side for a moment. Is this where Zephyr came from? It does look like a lonely place, even if it is beautiful. She continues to focus on her spell as she moves towards the tower, hoping that she'll be able to find Zephyr's amulet and the person who wears it .

After admiring the exquisite natural beauty of her surroundings, Strife's paranoia suddenly awakens from its slumber amidst all the tranquility.

Her mind begins whirring through different scenarios calculating how best to disengage, hide, and not be murdered here, certain she will run into hostile or possibly hungry creatures. Her Zhentarim contacts are useless in this place, but there was still a network she could call upon in the inevitable emergency.

Strife warily approaches the lighthouse, pausing from time to time to look all around her. What have I done? How will I escape? Will I find Zephyr's dismembered remains?

Stealth (+4): 14

Perception:11

"Strife? Where'd you go?"

 Carrhae has suddenly lost track of her skittish bard companion in this strange plane of existence.

From her position crouched behind a sand dune, Strife beckons to the paladin in the softest voice that will suffice. "Pssssst! Carrhae! Is that you? I'm over here."

Carrhae feels silly for a second when she spots her Tiefling companion behind a sand dune. "Yes, it's me. Are you hiding behind that? You don't need to be scared, I'll make sure that nothing happens to you and besides, it doesn't look like there's anyone here or even any place where people would be outside of that tower. It's actually pretty lonely here. I can't imagine what it was like for poor Zephyr." She gets lost in her mind for a moment, remembering the conversation she had with Zephyr outside of the monastery and how sad he was when he spoke about himself. Carrhae snaps back to it after a second and offers a hand to Strife. "Come on now, we need to go help our friend." She says softly, with a smile as she escorts Strife to the tower.

It didn’t take Mercy long to realize that the library was too crowded to be Zephyr’s hideaway. She turned back to the entrance just in time to see Strife dart away.  Rolling her eyes, she followed after the bard, slowing to a stop as first Strife, then Carrhae vanished into a wall. She paused to examine it.

Arcana: 8

Having gleaned as much information as she could, she stepped through and into Zephyr’s world. Stopping only long enough for her organs to stop moving around (that’s what it felt like, at any rate), she marched up to the lighthouse and knocked on the door.

Still whispering out of concern Carrhae may have misjudged the threat level, Strife said, "It was weird! I thought it was just an illusion, that there was a door in the wall. I didn't anticipate that door being an extraplanar gateway. I don't know where we are, exactly, but I do know it's a very very long way from Waterdeep. There are some really messed up things out here once you start venturing beyond our native plane, things we really don't want to bump into. I've read about them!"

Strife was grateful to have Carrhae's hand in her own offering her reassurance, and felt much safer in her company. Out of seemingly nowhere, Mercy strode right up to them on her way to the building. She did not appear the least concerned about the unspecified menace Strife alluded to. Suddenly self conscious about her timidity, Strife tried to whisk her hand back before the rogue could notice. "Oh! Hey, Mercy. Yeah, so there's this lighthouse..." The trio continued on toward the structure.

You notice the door is open. Inside is another incredible sight that nearly makes your knees weak. The tower has levels but you can see all the way up. Sure there is evidence of someone living here but what amazes you all is the fact the every single square inch of the towers inside walls - all the way up to the top, are books on shelves too numerous to count. It is as if the literature of an entire civilization is stores on shelves within this tower. There are no gaps, no empty shelves, just millions of books of all kinds.

And all the way up is a lone figure in a familiar green hooded cape stargazing at the top.

Carrhae slowly leads her comrades up to the top of the stairs and slowly approaches the figure at the top. She doesn't make any attempt to see what's under the hood, but she does speak to the individual.

"Hello, Zephyr. That is your name right? Mercy told us that you weren't the real Barry and I suppose that's why you came here after we got to Waterdeep. I'm not angry at you for not telling us who you really are, I'm just wondering why you didn't think that you could show your true self to us. You know that we couldn't hate you, right? After all we've been through these last few weeks, you're pretty much one of us now. That's why we came all this way, so that you don't have to be alone anymore. It would be great if you came back with us and helped us stop these cultists and save the remaining delegates, but if you don't want to, I'll just give you my thanks, say my farewells and leave you be. You don't have to do anything you don't want to."

Strife feels the most delicious chill race down her spine. She immediately deploys her reading spectacles and begins lovingly examining the books before her, totally oblivious to any of her friends.

Mercy chuckled at Strife’s enthusiasm. “Bookworm.” There was warmth in her mocking tone as she followed in Carrhae’s wake. She listened to the Paladin’s words, but didn’t stand there waiting for a response. She stepped forward and pulled Zephyr into a tight hug, whispering in his ear. “The deed is more important than the mask. I see you. I am you. Don’t let the words and beliefs of others stand in your way.” Having said her peace, she relinquished her hold on him, stepping back until only the tips of her fingers rested on his shoulders. She stared at the shadow of his hood, unblinking, unflinching.

Persuasion: 19

(OOC...I’m so sorry.)

Zephyr hadn't flinched at the disturbance he felt when the girls made their way through the illusionary wall. He expected them at some point to find him, perhaps not so soon, but the fact they even wanted to find  in the first place made his heart swell. He had a few minutes to himself as they made their way up the spire (although, Zephyr had a feeling Strife would be poking around his collection, which was fine, he just hoped she didn't find the mimic). With his amulet tightly grasped in between both hands he would hear an all too familiar voice speak to him.

You're a fool to think they wouldn't want to find you.

"Aren't I?" He would laugh. "Why did you help them?"

They wouldn't have found you otherwise.

Again, he would laugh at the voices response, but said nothing more and glanced over to where Carrhae and Mercy would emerge. The hood kept his face obscured, so it wasn't easy to see his emotions when the paladin had spoken (at most there was a small smile on his lips that could be seen, but it was difficult to tell if it were Barry's lips or someone else), and just as he was about to speak a response, he was taken by surprise at Mercy's sudden display of affection. How long had it been since he was hugged with such emotion before? It took him a second to warm up to the embrace, but it was very much appreciated, Zephyr returning with a hug of his own.

"Thank you," He started softly when Mercy pulled away, tilting his head over to Carrhae in acknowledgment then looked back down to the tiefling before him "Although, I would have preferred to confess the truth myself, I... I could not find the courage within me to do so and I apologize. I needed a moment to myself, that's all." Truth be told he did contemplate dropping off the face of the earth again, but now that he had been involved in something much greater than he had anticipated and Zephyr did not want to be known as a coward. That guilty conscious would plague him, and accompanied by loneliness would do more harm than any good. 

"And yes, I am not Barry." He admitted finally, the weight that had been baring down on his chest finally lifted. He leaned away from Mercy just so Carrhae could get a better look at him. With his smile unwavering, hands out and palms upward. He made sure they both watched him change form, watched as his cells shifted, strips of was once pale skin now replaced a very familiar red color. A moment later he pulled the hood back, and looked at them through Strife's eyes. "I am Zephyr and I can be whoever I want to be, whenever I want to be. No magic, just a very good memory." She smiles a toothy smile. "I haven't shown anyone what I can do before, and let me tell you guys, it's quite a relief!"

"I hope you all don't hate me for, well, lying, kind of, looks wise." She waves her hand in front of her face and shifts again, this time back into Barry. "I'll stay like this for now, it's what you all are used to isn't it?"

Mercy’s eyes widened almost comically, her lips parting as she watched her friend change completely. Twice. Without any magic beyond the fact of it. After a moment, her awed expression turned into a mischievous grin, and she said only one word. “Wicked.”

Carrhae's jaw drops when she sees Zephyr switch to Strife and then back to Barry again. "What a wonderful talent!" She says, smiling like someone at a fireworks show."You can appear as whoever you feel comfortable appearing as. If you feel comfortable appearing with that face, go for it and hopefully I won't call you Barry too many times." Carrhae then leans in close to Zephyr and lowers her voice. "Although, perhaps you could assume Strife's face and go say hi. A little joke to teach her a lesson for getting distracted by all those books."