The reference to an orc briefly reminds Jahren of the flying orc they had to deal with in the jungle, but he knows any tie in here with Aldlas remains unlikely based on his current information.

"Indeed, I was heading back to discuss all of this with Toc after my meeting with Yestrel when I spotted my tail, and thus here I am.  I intend to go find him next.  Mr. Green's men will be watching me and the location at which I'm staying now, but I'm not sure it matters a great deal."

Jahren and Matt discuss a few more details, then Matt nods respectfully to Jahren.  He treats him very much a peer...perhaps even a superior, and despite being a Harper spy comes off to Jahren as open and honest. Though...perhaps that's why he's such a good spy. Regardless, Jahren is soon on his way through the streets and on his way back to Toc's house. He's abruptly reminded that he's forgotten to replace his physical appearance when he bumped into intentionally by a thick necked, muscle bound human who just continues walking on his way.  Jahren sighs waspishly.  There was no pickpocket attempt....just a friendly reminder that they don't like non-humans.  "Hope that hurt..." says someone across the street...out loud but to himself seemingly as he walks past. 

Jahren returns to the house without further incident of note.  He sees that the sign that reads "Room and Board available" in the house across the street and down from Toc's is now absent. The upstairs curtains are closed, but a thin crack in the middle is visible, and he thinks he catches the faint outline of a figure up there.

     “Don’t focus on the dragons,” Fianna suggests.  “We kind of stumbled upon them accidentally.  And dark elf’s working with them. Demons and undead wizards.  And the weirdest part of all are the threads of i woven magic and the globules of magical mayhem...”

     “if you are willing to combat all that and more.. for nothing but the fact it needs combatting... well Tic is due to give us an update soon.  You are welcome to join us, meet Toc, and if he takes SinSin’s recommendation of you as wholeheartedly as I do... then I’m sure the briefing will fill you in.”

"I however am focused on ze dragons" Sebastion mumbles

     "Well certainly none of us are forgetting about them," Fianna assured Sir Seb.  "They will be dealt with... But there is evidence that peoples and creatures who normally would not cooperate with one another are doing so.  The dragons included. It would be easier to deal with them all if whatever alliance they are trying to form unraveled before it really even started."

Jahren tries to do his best to just ignore the harassment on the streets.  He has seen worse places, but it still privately irks him.  It's one of many reasons why he does what he does.

Returning to Toc's, the bard considers teleporting in, going invisible, or even waving to those watching him, but decides to let them see him and not give away his own knowledge.  He may be able to use it against them by conveying some false information to them later.  Once inside, Jahren looks for Toc and for a good time to have a private chat.

Jahren walks through the door, into the house. Tic sits on the couch, his feet up on the table, reading a book. He glances up at Jahren, "Hi Jahren. My favorite color is purple."  Jahren gives Tic a strange look, still slightly unnerved by the construct and walks past it towards the basement door. Down the stairs into the magically shrouded basement he goes, then pulling open the multi-dimensional door and stepping into the mansion.  He finds Toc in the 'war room', with papers everywhere, a map of figures and faces strung up on the wall connected by yarn, and Toc madly scribbling in a book.  He glances up at Jahren, does a quick analysis, then places his pen down and takes a breath.  "Jahren. What can I do for you?"

"How's it going here?"

Jahren then proceeds to tell Toc he has a lot he'd like to talk to him about.  He tells him he did get a meeting with Yestrel and tells him what he thinks of the man thus far.  He says he will continue to try to develop a profile of the High Lord and the situation around him as requested by the elves.  From what he does know Yestrel is a good man with potential to benefit Hillsfar and the region, but he has many battles to fight.  He suggests that just as the elves said they need allies, so does Yestrel.  Jahren then starts to lean on Toc to help him forge this alliance.  The defeats of Viridianantallax and Aldlas are a fantastic start, as between Toc and Jahren, if the half-elf is potentially to represent Yestrel and Hillsfar,  an alliance and a mutual victory has already been achieved, in a sense.  Jahren also tells Toc that while he hasn't had time to develop a true relationship with Yestrel it seems much worse operators are in play, thus all the more reason to support the new Lord.  It is then that Jahren warns Toc of the eyes watching across the street and suggests they leverage that knowledge to their own advantage when the time is right.

Jezun tells Mirica, "I have found that what matters is what people do, not what they look like."

As Fianna talks of dark elves and demons and undead wizards, his eyes widen slightly, turning back to the class of students, and then he steps forward as she and Sebastion continue their banter about the relative importance of dragons. His voice drops a bit. "I think you could use me. I'd like to meet this Tic. Or was it Toc? Our mutual friend here, I hope, also placed the right amount of faith in me. I have always placed the right amount in him, and have been rewarded for it every time." He turns around, to his former student. "'SinSin', I thank you deeply for sending me to these people. I believe I have another test in front of me with this TickTock person, and then I will answer the call and hope to reward the faith you placed in me. I will report back when I can. Anything I should know about working with these people? Also, remember, plant your feet, but also reach for the sun. You are, as I am sure you know, an excellent teacher. You do not need my guidance anymore."

Pivoting around smoothly to the trio, he says, "well, shall with see this TickTock, that he may put me through my paces, and we can then go put things right that are wrong?"

Sebastian is watching Jezun with his head half cocked (like a lizards)

Toc puts his feet up on the table, leaning back in his chair, his face deep in thought for a few moments, "This is all good news. Thank you for your work here. I've been so lost in the research I'd left behind these politics of the court in my own mind. To be honest, I've not much of a mind for it, unlike you. Can I ask a personal question? Is Tic really so strange? The others seem wary of him, and if I said he didn't notice I'd be lying. With all that magic can accomplish, is it really that odd?"  He pauses for a moment, shuffing a scroll back on the table so there's more room for his feet. Then he shakes his head and rolls his eyes to the side, "Nevermind. If there's a chance he saves our lives, I'm willing to absorb some judgement. Alright, back to Yestrel. It sounds to me like there's a chance at some dealing. I will let Ilsevele know that he is worth dealing with. The elves will be seeking an ally to secure trade routes and supply lines between Hillsfar Sembia, Cormyr, and our remaining enclaves. If they were hoping the elves would take over protection of the entire forest to free up his troops, I'm afraid that's going to be impossible. The forest is overrun by demons, dark elves, goblins and worse...as you know, not to mention the issue with the weave. Ilsevele goal will be to get military support from the humans in order to stabilize the region. If there's something Yestrel needs in order to offer such support, the elves will be willing to talk."  He stops for a moment, deep in thought, and grabs his cup, taking a sip from some thin tea.  Jahren mention the watch on the house, "It was only a matter of time I suppose. Though presumably our magical wards are keeping them from learning much. For now I think it's a burden we just put up with, though they'll have the entire group tagged and watched as they move around town. Best we let them know not to do anything rash. Getting into a battle in Hillsfar is a pretty big no no." 

He glances back at his board. A number of threads spin away from a dark shadowy form with a crown. He looks up at it and sighs. 

     Assuming all 'feels' right with Jezun (( Insight 23 )) Fianna will say her goodbye's to SinSin and suggest to all they head back to the safe house right away. "I don't think Toc gave us a time for his little briefing but I am sure the time intended must be getting close."

"He said "evening", I think, meaning probably now. If Master Jezun is ready to go, we might as well return." Mirica nodded to SinSin and followed Fianna.

(Jezun is quite sincere - and you get the sense, I’m assuming with that roll, that he is not the sharpest tool in the shed but he possesses some truly useful common sense, and has far more experience than his years suggest. He’s not trying to hide anything from the group.)

As they start forward, after they say goodbye to SinSin, he will lean his head close to Sebastion, forearms still gripping each other behind the small of his back: “But really, is this Tock a ticking clockwork being of some kind?”

     "Shhhh," Fianna will say, overhearing.  "Let him puzzle it out himself."  Fianna winks to Sebation and then leads the way to their temporary home.

Fianna, Mirica, and Sebastion, with their new companion Jezun, walk the dry cobbled streets of Hillsfar. The sun is low on the horizon and the sky is filled with red and purple clouds that are smeared across the sky as if a giant thumb was attempting to erase them. The clatter of horse drawn carts and wagons mix with the constant churn of humans in the streets. The air is warm, though with a tinge of the cool night breeze blowing off the sea. The salt air is a sweet tang that increases as the northern winds tumble into the city. Soon enough the busy streets are left behind as the four make their way into the northern residential area, passing the rich collection of homes built with architecture influenced from all over the world, all pressed together like teeth crowded in a mouth. Approaching Toc's home, the sky is starting to darken as they make their way into the warm light inside. 

Jezun looks around the small row home. It looks like a two story affair with a 3rd floor attic and a basement. Not more than fifteen feet across, the house is deep and seems well maintained both inside and out. Human furniture carved from the ancient woods of Cormanthor fill the space which has a rather 'old ladies home' feel to it, with flowered heavy curtains and doilies on each small table. An aging worn couch sits to one side of the main sitting room, the indents from years of sitting permanently pressed into it's two end sections. An elf, wearing a green robe over soft looking elven tights and silk shirt sits casually on the couch, reading a book labeled 'The Fine Art of Gardening'. Being an elf, his age is tough to gauge but he's no spring chicken. A belt with a sheath and fine elven rapier hangs from one end of the couch near him. Numerous pockets and pouches are attached both inside and outside of his green robe that has a bit of sparkle to it. 

The elf looks up at the group, then eyes Jezun, "Good evening to you all. Hello there, my name is Tic. Welcome to my home. What brings you here?"

An older woman pokes her head out of a door leading to the kitchen, followed by the waft of a hearty beef stew, "Oh hello there dears. I've made some stew for you to take with you. I...." she then notices Jezun, "oh....hello there. My name is Lacy."  She glances uncertainly around the group, and chooses her words wisely, "Will your friend be...staying in the house for some dinner or heading to the meeting with you?"  

Regarding Tic, Jahren replies "no, not at all."  "I think he's wonderful, really.  I have seen much stranger magics, and much darker uses of that very spell itself, that's for sure."  Jahren thinks back to a family whose young son died of illness, but his wealthy parents made a simulacrum of him before he passed.  Now the construct lived on past the original version, never aging, as his younger sister grew to be a young woman.  It was rather sad to see this family cling to their little boy for more than a decade.  He had also met a sultan near the Shining Sea who desired what he could not have, a rival's wife.  Upon a second visit as an emissary for some important matters, Jahren found that not only did the sultan now have the woman he desired, but three of her.  Jahren deduced that none of the three were the real version.  The bard quickly decides not to share these darker examples with Toc but instead focus on making several more compliments in regard to Tic.

"I may need to find a way to help Yestrel fend off the subterfuge of this trade group to ensure he lasts long enough for this alliance to work" remarks Jahren.  As he listens to Toc describe the elven position, the half-elf remarks that it seems both sides need additional martial support and that it is difficult to make any deal where both sides are lacking.  Jahren ponders any favors he may be owed by foreign forces or how else to get some third party help.  He wonders aloud to Toc how much wealth the elves and Yestrel may have behind them and if it could be leveraged for more help, or if that wealth lies in Myth Drannor and could be expended to restore the region.  He also suggests that their immediate party may be able to ease the burden of patrols by heading back out to take on the dragons, demons, goblins and the like, or instead could unburden Yestrel in Hillsfar such that he didn't desperately need the Red Plumes to remain close quite as much.

During their conversation Jahren also asks Toc what he has learned in his own research in recent days.

(This is where I struggle a little as Jahren has all kinds of experience in worldly affairs, peace deals, dealing with corrupt organizations, etc. where as I do not.)

     Fianna greets Lacy with a small hug and a smile.  Tic gets just a warm smile.  Fianna is a bit selfish on her hugs... She introduces Jezun as a friend, and potential ally.  "Why don't you start serving up the stew," Fianna suggests to Lacy, "and I'll go have a brief chat with Toc to find out where we'll all eat."

     She'll pause a moment and turn to Mirica.  "Introduce Tic and explain things, I'll go explain to Toc?" Then Fianna will head down to seek out Toc and explain the situation, SinSin's referral of Jezun to the group, and how he seems legit so far...

 "Will do," with suspicious amicability answered Mirica giving Fianna the sweetest smile a predator can give before pouncing on the prey. "You go ahead and don't worry about anything."  

When Fianna disappeared in the portal Mirica stopped smiling and true to her word introduce Tic to the newcomer: "This, Master Jezun, is Tic - Toc's construct, simulacrum as wizards call it, his replica, if you wish. Not that abnormal, you might say except this is the only thing Toc trusts, truly talks too, and from time to time impersonates." She looked at Jezun with concern and carefully added: "Toc is a troubled soul in need of a healing, a guidance of someone wise. He lost a lot, may be too much for one person, and I suspect this is his way of dealing with the losses. I saw the miracles the disciplined mind and spirit can make and personally hope your presence here will help beyond the simple martial might."

After the introduction she moved to the farthest corner (with a sit) from the construct waiting for decision about Jezun's presence on the briefing.

((LOL...  I guess Fianna should think more before asking someone to do introductions!))