Seeing Thia make short work of the heavy lock on the trunk at the foot of the bed. Gyselle motions her over to the desk, “These are locked too. There’s nothing of use to us sitting on the desk. Perhaps something in the drawer will be useful.”

Gyselle then wanders seemingly aimless around the tent, trying to determine if any of the areas or things in the tent might be concealing a hidden compartment. While focusing on the search, she lets her mind wander to the things Othmar has tried to teach her over the years about the Khalashtar trade republics. ‘Maybe he’s told me something useful for finding this poison’ she thinks optimistically.

Once finished with checking for hidden spaces. Gyselle goes and looks at the alchemical substances. Taking care not to touch things she isn’t familiar with and trying to determine if anything there has any medicinal properties. Then looks at the plants to see if there are any of the ones there that Othmar has tried to get her to learn.

Arc nods towards the pair of women, addressing the Captain, "A pleasure Captain Dupont, I hope my people and yours can get along. I'm not sure how much information we have that you don't, but I do believe that is agreeable. Do you have a map I can use?""

When/if provided a map, he'd offer up the information of the area off the trail the party had taken, making special note of the abandoned cave, windmill and hamlet. 

The captain unfurls a map of the region around the camp, the detail rapidly fading after about a ten mile radius, apart from the southeastern corner of the map, since that is likely where they originally came from. Captain Dupont's eyes light up at the mention of the hamlet. "Thanks Master Cannith. My squadron and I are always looking for foraging opportunities, and with a hamlet so close by, we might be able to purchase some food for a change. The mill, you say it's no longer in use- by your estimate, how long until it could be operated again?"

Seeing Arc engaging the Captain, the Arcanist leans in to whisper to Arceneaux. Looking up, she gives him a quick nod: "Fine by me Ishmael, we will continue our discussion tomorrow." With that, the Arcanist makes ready to leave the tent.

-------------------------------------------------

Gyselle, all you remember about the Trade Republics is that they become part of the Corphyrian Empire due to marriage between the imperial house and the heiress to the throne of Emerald City. They mostly supported Garronia financially during the war, having taken no great part in it themselves.

As you check for hidden compartments and other likely hiding places, you flip through some of the books, and in a historical volume entitled the "Rise of the Republic" you find some sort of table on the inside cover of the book, filled with letters and alchemical symbols.



Looking over at the alchemical substances, you notice that the beakers and burners have been set up to cook or distill something, and a bit of crumbly white residue remains at the bottom of one of the glass vials. The substances itself on the shelf are a mix of things you are familiar with and some you don't recognise: there is saltpeter, sulfur, copper, silver, lead, gold, iron, vinegar, ammonia, charcoal, as well as a couple other powders you don't recognise. Among the plants you find many of the pots and vials labelled with fancy names, such as "Dreamer's Comfort", "Lion's teeth", "Dragonfarn", "Powdered White Cap", and some others, more recognisable ones, such as juniper berries, acorns, moss types, garlic, and dried up blueberries. The latter of these are only sometimes labelled.

Arc, noting to the side that the Arcanist was about to leave, brings a hand to his chin at the captain's question, "Hmmm.....that would vary on a number of points. The first being, how many people we'd assign to work on the project, whether or not they hold any experience with construction, then not to mention, finding available workers. All that simply if we want a minimally operational mill." He looks over to the Marshal and the Arcanist, "Madam, do you are your aide have knowledge of anyone in your camp being gifted arcanely or particularly skilled with construction? Also, if I'm intruding on a sensitive matter, the plans for this mill can be drawn up in my spare time, with little issue, so please don't feel the need to waste time on my account." He motioned towards the Arcanist, cocking his head slightly to see the man's opinion.

Corti grins back at Thia, winks one of the lights that serve as her eyes off and back on again, then begins to quietly sing a folk tune. As she makes her way to Thia, too late to help with the trunk, she'll gently squeeze the artificer's shoulder, using her Bardic Inspiration. Whether or not Thia decides to unlock the drawers, Corti will make her way back to her post at the front of the tent, looking under rugs and behind curtains as she goes. She'll be careful not to displace anything.

Not only did Corti inspire her with confidence to tackle the tasks she set out to achieve, but she also relieved the medic of some of her anxieties. And with a nod, Thia would set out to begin working methodically around the room as she had planned. And she'd hope to do it as swiftly as possible.

With the inspiration from Corti, it doesn't take long, and the lock on the drawer gives. As you open it, you're very excited to find a letter, but you're unable to read any of the words. 

 
Digging through the drawer, you find a second letter underneath, but again you're unable to read what it says.

Deciding to keep both of the letters, you quickly move over to the table with the alchemical substances, but after a brief discussion with Gyselle, you don't find anything else of note. Checking the plants however, you realise that the labelling system is sometimes wrong, on purpose. The dried up berries that Gyselle identified as juniper berries smell wrong, and you're pretty sure that several of the more fanciful labels are actually refering to different things. As you move some of the equipment around, you notice a small bucket with leftover materials that Gyselle overlooked. Inside, you see some more berries, looking similar to the dried up ones you found. These are ground to a pulp however. At the bottom of the bucket, you also find several dead rats. The oldest has started to decay, but looking at them you can't determine a clear cause of death.

Corti, the guards look at you with a friendly expression: "Sure we can't help? You've been in there a while for a simple delivery."

------------------------------------------

Arc, the Captain gives you a brief nod: "We have some engineers in the camp, they should be able to get it up and running again." You feel like she's half talking to the Marshal as well. At her words, the arcanist gives Arc a quick glance, before heading out of the tent.

-----------------------------------------

Tarian, as you're getting ready to dodge a further set of attacks, you suddenly see the brute seize up. All eyes turn, and you see the arcanist stand before you. With a simple glance, the soldiers surrounding you disperse, leaving only the twisted veteran, the bloodied Tarian, and Brandt with the Arcanist. Fixing you both with his eyes, he whistles loudly.

----------------------------------------

Hearing the whistle inside of the tent, the Marshal looks up: "What the hell? Captain, keep and eye on Master Cannith for us." With that she steps outside.

---------------------------------------

Only moments after the whistle, the Marshal is standing next to the Arcanist, her face furious: "What in hell happened here?! I told you to stay away from the soldiers, and as soon as I turn around two of you are out here... Guess you couldn't leave it alone, huh?" Turning to the veteran "This will have consequences. We're no longer in Thelamyria. Get it together, sergeant." With a nod to the Arcanist, he releases the brute, who grimaces before standing to attention and returning to his tent.

Fixing you with her eyes, the Marshal growls: "I warned you... I want all of you in my tent in ten minutes, and then I'll better have an answer prepared."

“Yeh want an ansehr, Marshal, I’ll give yeh one hyurre,” Tarian said through exerted breaths. With the rush of battle still flowing through her, Tarian’s Duskrock accent completely slipped. “I had a… disagreement with my cartographer. She wanted teh proveyde mohr assistance in sussin’ out what’s made yehr soldiers sick, an’ I said et’s not what we’re hyurre t’ do. We had a goh, and I had t’ cool my head with some sword practess. A soldier named Tess came to me while I was swingin’ meh sword as tho’ I was doin’ wrong. Then my handler comes out—Gyselle, yeh?—an’ calls me over. I get th’ impression yehr folk won’t take kind to some ‘civvy’ swingin’ around live steel so I goh to ask Tess fehr a practess sword.”

Tarian pointed to the footprints in the dirt, now greatly scuffed by the encounter. “I called fehr Tess of the support battalion from over hyurre, clear of the tents, an’ asked fehr a practess sword. Yehr man—” Tarian paused, straightened, and recited the full introduction she was given, “first sehrgeant Julius Bernard, second platoohn, fehrst company, Crendilian guard, he comes to me sayin’ I was pickin’ a feyght. I treyd t’ explain I was jehst after a practess sword, and that a feyght’d be against the Marshal’s orders, but he jehst said ‘to hell with th’ Bronze Marshal’ and hit me anyway.”

Calmer now, Tarian resumed her Duskrock accent and gestured to her still-sheathed sword with her shield. “As a youngling, my commander taught me it’s a poorly trained dog that bares its fangs against her master’s order.” She held up the back of her bloodless gauntlet next to her bloodied face. “I believe my face and your soldier’s lack of injury should be proof enough that I never attacked.”

Hearing the soldier inquire with Corti shortly followed by a sharp whistle, Thia's heart kicked into high gear. She'd take the letters and cringe to herself as she'd fold them up so she could store them away from her usual documents. The redhead would reach into the front of her shirts, tucking them in and trusting them in the safety of her chest. She'd then grab a cloth and scoop up the least of the decaying rats. The medic considered shoving it into her bag right away, but decided to hang onto it for their exit. It could be 'the 'specimen' he asked for' and double as a way to weird the guards out to throw them off. She'd stuff it in her bag after.

Thia would gesture to Gyselle It's time to go before moving her way up to Corti. She'd give their charismatically talented warforged a nod to proceed with leading their way out. ASAP.

Corti stands to block the guard's view of the inside of the tent, smiling at him all the while. She glances at Thia in time to see her nod, and then begins to speak to the guard, "We just got done, actually!" She leads the way out of the tent, standing off to the side by one of the guards to let the others out, "Thanks for checking in, just had to make sure everything's in order, you know how it goes," by the end she's shooing Thia and Gyselle ahead and quickly following behind them, "Thanks again, goodbye!" She flashes one more smile their way before turning and catching up with Thia and Gyselle. She lets some of the tension hiss out of her joints, "Ok, what now? Back to the medical tent?"

Tarian, as you mention "Bronze Marshal", you see Arcenaux wince. After finishing your piece, she looks you over, then glances over to Brandt, who still has his weapons sheathed as well and who clearly hasn't stepped into the fight: "Julius Bernard won't be first sergeant anymore after this. From the looks of you, you're likely telling the truth... Fine, go rest up, and I'll deal with this in the morning. Thanks to Master Cannith we might be on our path sooner than expected."

With that, she turns around, and heads back to the command tent, but not before shooting the Arcanist a look. He gives a sharp nod, and then heads off, towards the back end of the camp.

Thia would nod, “The medic tent is where we are expected to be... Perhaps lead us in a direction towards the Marshal’s tent until we can duck out of sight of these guards by one of the tents and then weave our way back?” She’d toss out a suggestion unsure , hoping they won’t cross paths with any one else. 

Corti ushers the way past the guards, but as soon as you're out of sight, Gyselle takes up the position in front to shield Corti from curious glances. Weaving in and out of the different tent sections, you manage to get about halfway to the medic tent, when you see a furious brute of a soldier storm off in the direction that you came from. You quickly duck out of the way, only to see the Arcanist follow closely behind!

I want a group stealth check from Corti, Gyselle and Thia, and a decision as to whether you're heading left, risking to run into the brute, or right and risking to run into the arcanist.

 (ooc I say avoid the arcanist.)

 (ooc: i agree with Rforrest)

(100% Same page)

Turning to the left, you see the arcanist pass you out of the corner of your eye. Glad that's over,  you continue heading towards Othmar's tent. The Brute pushes past you, and does a quick double take at Corti, but having already been stripped of his rank once for starting a fight, decides to carry on on his way and leaving you be. You quickly hurry towards your tent. You see Njalgas give you some sort of signal, and you approach cautiously, and duck back into the tent, safely.

Arc, Tarian and Brandt, are you heading back to the tent as well?

Brandt will head back to the tent.

Thia inhaled a sudden breath through her nose catching sight of the arcanist from the corner of her eye. It was as if her heart stopped. Then it was jolted back to life in a new mini fit of panic as an angry brute would brush by and take a double take at Corti. It felt as if the clock was ticking and they couldn't get back to the tent fast enough. For the remainder of the walk back, the artificer's eyes would dart around frantically as she'd attempt to plan her next steps.

As soon as she ducked into the tent she started removing the uniform. Although it was great to see Njalgas ready to usher them in safely, it wasn't until Thia saw Brandt that she'd exhale the breath she had been holding. She'd make her way over to him, glancing around wondering where Tarian could be. Where is she?

Reaching into the front of her shirt, the artificer would pull out two folded pieces of paper and present it to Brandt between two fingers. "Things did not go off without a hitch... It might be best these are not on my person." Thia would look to him, keeping her voice low. She'd gesture with her head to Gyselle. "I think she has the key... I don't think we have much time before they come looking for us." The medic would then start reaching into her pocket. "Now I've got a rodent to autopsy." And without skipping a beat, she'd pull out a dead rat and motion for Gyselle to help hook her up with a station.

Corti sees the brute and tenses, instinctively reaching for her lute, before remembering she had left it buried under her skirt back in the tent and settling for one of her knives. She clenches her jaw until he's past, and much like Thia, remains on edge for the rest of the walk. 

Once inside the tent she follows Thia's lead in unbuttoning her uniform, changing back into her normal clothes, and readjusting her headscarf into her usual style. She straps her lute around her front and cradles it as she joins the group. She nods in conformation to Thia's words, and adds on after she begins to set up the autopsy, "I had to - erm - cheat, a bit." Corti glances at Brandt and Njalgas, a little sheepishly, "I charmed the guards, we maybe have an hour before they realize." She nods to the letters, "I can try to help with those, or we can hide them now?" She trails off, turning her sentence into a question and looking back to the others for their opinion.