[OOC: Midian can roll for experience.]

Madame Salid suddenly stops and stares at Midian dumbfounded. "What did you call me? A magus? Are you not one? I thought you Seekers were all supposed to be magi."

She actually looks confused now.

Persuasion re roll 9

“I called you a ‘powerful’ magus, specifically,” Midian says, noting his attempt at flattery evidently was not a success. “My own academic knowledge of the craft is competent enough, but in terms of application I would put myself on par with some of your students most likely. As I said, if you’d care to share your own thoughts on these incidents, I welcome it. If you prefer to allow the arch mage to communicate salient information, solely, that is fine as well. You likely have much to do, before all of this happened upon your school’s doorstep.”

Quote from Izraal1 >>

Persuasion re roll 9

[OOC: No experience.]

She frowns and then says, "If this is a confused attempt at flattery to gain information, young man, then it is a very strange one. You should be able to see that I have no magic, at all."

Beginning to walk quickly again, she says, "I also have no more experience of this matter than the archmagus, as I have been at his side for most of the day and was certainly not here when the incident happened."

Leaving Midian to trail in her wake, the small woman hurries on, entering the student residence.

Midian abandons conversation with Salid for now, and switches his focus to preparing for a thorough search of Alus’ room. He made an assumption that she was a mage, and she has no more insight into the events than what he has been provided.

Investigation: 12

Madame Salid leads Midian up to an end room on the second floor of the student accomodation. Midian notices that while the door does not have an obvious lock on it, the woman has to place her hand upon a bronze plate set into the door just above the handle and say her name before she can open it.

While the stairwell and the corridors of this building are lit by smaller versions of the magical lights that light up the grounds, the room that Madame Salid has opened the door to is small and dark. In the light from the corridor, Midian can see a table strewn with the paraphernalia of a student, as well as a single chair and a narrow unmade bed, at the end of which is a large chest.

"There's a candle on the table, if you need it," Madame Salid says, standing aside so that Midian can enter. "I will wait out here."

[OOC: Midian's Investigation check will need to be made at Disadvantage unless he can make some light. Also, some sort of indication as to what he is looking for would be welcome to help me work out if he succeeds or not.]

Midian would light the candle in order to investigate the room thoroughly. He is looking for items that might have emotional significance to Alus, but also for any secrets the student might have held. It’s possible he wasn’t selected at random, he may have been already inclined towards Arion worship, or have some other secret that makes him valuable, perhaps even for ransom if he comes from a wealthy family, although the arch mage likely would have mentioned that. Midian focused on searching common ‘clever’ hiding places - beneath the bed or within the  mattress, behind portraits, etc.

In the light of the candle, and under Madame Salid's disapproving gaze, Midian searches the room looking for items of significance to its owner that they might have want to kept hidden...

And finds no hidden items. He does, however, find an unhidden item of an unusual nature, which might have some significance: a log of wood that has been both carved with the likenesses of animals and heavily charred.

[Make a Religion check.]

Religion: 12

[OOC: Midian recognises the charred log, which was placed in a position of importance on a ledge over the desk, as an item of spiritual significance for some of the Stemian tribes of who live in the great forests that lie to the west of Constantine. He cannot remember the name of the heathen spirit associated with such items, but it is clear that Allus Treesinger is not one of the Mithran faithful.]

Midian will claim the item of religious significance, as well as a few of other items for good measure on the off-chance it was a borrowed or planted item - adding in a book, an article of clothing, and a piece of school work, if he can find one of each.  On obtaining these he announces, "This should be enough for our purposes. I will return to the temple with these to begin the search for your school's missing student."  

[OOC: I have added the possessions Midian has taken to the bottom of his 'Other Possessions' tab and added a satchel of Treesinger's for him to carry them in, otherwise they would be a  bit cumbersome to carry. Note: there was no book to be found and the 'log' is small enough to be easily carried in the satchel and is now referred to as a 'sacred fire stick' on the list of possessions.]

Madame Salid makes no comment other than nodding and, when he is ready, dutifully leads Midian back to the Administration building where they find the archmagus and Priestess Aloma in conversation.

"Thank you for your cooperation," Priestess Aloma says to the archmagus as Midian and Madame Salid approches.

The archmagus just shakes his head and says, "Although I don't agree with your conclusions about this woman, this matter is far more in your area than ours. My main concern is my missing student."

Through the open doorway, Midian can see that the 'avatar' is now asleep and that she has been placed on a litter to be carried out of the school when the carriage arrives, which would explain the presence of the two older boys waiting quietly a couple of yards up the corridor from where the archmagus and Priestess Aloma are speaking.

"But perhaps this young Seeker can find my student," says the archmagus, including Midian in the conversation. "I hope you found something suitable?"

"We can hope so," Midian answers.  "I believe I have sufficient items to track the missing student, and, with the term paper, Moonson as well.  I also thank you for your cooperation in this matter.  I'll do what I can to see Alus returned alive and unharmed.  Shall we?" Midian addresses Aloma with this last part, as he is ready to depart.  

[OOC: Correction: I have added Treesinger's belongings to Midians Equipment list, not his Other Possessions list because he currently has them on his person.]

"I have to wait for Handleader Samswell to bring the carriage," says Priestess Aloma, looking at the sleeping woman on the litter. "But if you want to go, perhaps you should, considering there might be a life at stake."

Midian nods, but adds, "I would rush off to the school and begin the search now, but I will need the aid of a more practiced magus to use these items to locate Moonson and Treesinger.  Beyond that, there's the issue of separation.  If agents of the cult of Arion are involved, they could be watching even now.  They could either make a strike at you and the avatar, or against me to seize the items I'm carrying and cut off our trail to Moonson.  Time is of the essence, but running off without forethought isn't going to help us in the long run.  I'll stay with you and the handleader for the trip back.  We're safer together, right now."  

[OOC: Unless there is something you want to say to any of the others, I'm happy to push this through to the arrival of the carriage.]

Quote from phillberrie >>

[OOC: Unless there is something you want to say to any of the others, I'm happy to push this through to the arrival of the carriage.]

 OOC: That is fine, given the valuables they have, the avatar and the tracking potential items, Midian would be especially on guard for ambush. If rolls are needed let me know. Otherwise he’s content to wait in silence. 

Nothing much of consequence happens until a young boy suddenly rushes into view with the word that a carriage is now waiting at the entrance to the School.

The still-sleeping form of the avatar is carried out to the waiting carriage and she is placed into the cabin, seated but leaning up against the side. Goodbyes are said and then Priestess Aloma directs Handleader Samswell to make haste back to the Temple. 

[OOC: Samswell is sitting next to the driver. Where does Midian want to ride: inside the cabin or on the back of the carriage to keep an eye out for dangers/followers?]

Midian rides on the back of the carriage, the better to keep an eye out for dangers and followers.  Before doing so he takes his pack, including the term paper from a young Moonson and the items from Treesinger's room and places it inside the carriage, jammed under a seat or in a luggage compartment if there is one present, otherwise he simply asks Aloma to watch it during the ride.  

[OOC: Midian currently does not have his backpack; it is listed as being in his quarters and wouldn't have fit his disguise as a scholar in this society. However, I did say he took a satchel that he found in Treesinger's room to carry the items he took, so I will assume that this is what is meant above.]

Before taking his perch on the back of the carriage, Midian stuffs the satchel containing his evidence under one of the seats in the cabin of the carriage.

The carriage then sets off towards the Temple Ward and makes its way through the darkened streets and across the bridge to the main island of the city. The trip is uneventful until they approach the entrance to the Temple Ward where it seems there is some sort of gathering taking place.

The carriage is now just the last of a number of wheeled vehicles stopped in the street because they can't pass through the crowd of murmuring people, most of which are Stemians and many of whom are holding lanterns and lit torches. The murmuring seems to have no rhyme, but most likely has a reason.

[Make a Religion check versus a DC of 8.]