((Ashwa is 6'6" as determined by the random appearance generator rules I came up with years ago XD she got nearly the maximum roll for height and, hilariously, bust size. 1D4 for the 'body type'--slight, thin, normal, large, and for bust size, a percentile for the body type. She got the 'large' body type and a 92% for bust size and on the 3D6+60 inches for her height, she got 18 which is why Leon is currently dating an amazon tiefling XD))

The guard grabs a hold of Aelar's chin, looking at him hard.
"Hmmph." the guard mutters, looking him over.
"Kind of scrawny for a human pet. You feedin' him?" a different guard asks, looking back to Ashwa. "You feedin' him right? You're not just shoving those udders in his mouth?"
Ashwa glowers at the insult.
"Such language is unbecoming of a Nest Watchman, sir. I am offended at the insinuation. I've never been with child." she says, attempting levity, though Aelar can see she wants to deck him.

Guard's perception: 7

The guard examining Aelar notices the way his ears continue to travel up his hat.
"He's an elf boy. HAH!" the guard laughs. "Guess she doesn't want him to age."
((Secret roll))
12
((Uh oh.))
One of the other guards casts a glance at Ashwa.
"When was the last time you heard of a bumpkin elf in the Nest?" he says, advancing on Aelar.
"You trying to pull a fast one, kid? Huh?" he asks, pulling on his gauntlet to cinch it down to his knuckles.
Ashwa moves in front of Aelar.
"If you're accusing me of being a spy, I haven't LEFT Guiston. No one HAS." Ashwa finally snaps.
"Stand aside, my lady."
((Oh man, the tension. Those were two crap luck rolls for you in a row x.x

Also Leon, you can just 'arrive' at the saloon when you post next, try not to worry too much about your amazon ladyfriend XD))

Hana smirks at Kallista.
"If y'all weren't already working at the herbalist store, I'da snatched y'all right up an' put ya in a bodice like the other girls. Some of the patrons here have a real thing for us inhuman gals. Used to be we only had centaur fillies, but ... umm.... that didn't work so well. I mean, y'all got wings, but they wouldn't NEARLY cause the same ruckus as a big o' horsebutt trying to weave around the tables."

Kallista points to the basket, face flushing a deeper shade of purple, "I meant with the basket..."

 Aelar continues to look confused, "Pull a fast one, sir?" he asks, puzzled.  "I don't understand.  The lady hired me as her servant.  She's so kind.  When I told her my ears get cold, she bought me this nice cap to keep them warm.  Isn't that nice of her?" He gives Ashwa an adoring look.  "Thank you again, lady.  It's such a nice hat, so comfortable and warm."

The guards crowd around Aelar intimidatingly, looming all around him. The one who inspected him is leading the harassment.
((Secret roll))
100

((Oh dear.))
The guards proceed to violently shove and harass him in a juvenile way, trying to get him to 'break character'. It begins to escalate as he refuses to give them a reason to do any more to him, and Ashwa is paralyzed as she notices eyes on the grouping. If she tries to intervene, it could lead to both their arrests. The guards are goading him to try and resist in any way as an excuse to beat him senseless.

The mark on his chest feels like it's getting hot...

((Make an INT check, DC 10 to maintain composure))

Hana laughs slightly.
"So the four of you will be going to see him? Y'all know what... he'll love that. He'll act like he hates it, but he was very, very social as a younger man. I bet he invited Hyre there for tea and biscuits, didn't he? The old softie." she says.
"The more the merrier, I say, especially since y'all are looking to keep the old traditions alive. I never thought disbanding the knights was a good idea, anyway. The musketeers we have now are well trained, sure, but all the metal for the armour was melted down to make more of those 'labour' things the dwarves make. If the guns fail to discourage a beast raid, those musketeers will be ripped apart without a properly armoured front line to protect them." she says.

INT: 16

ooc: Finally...first good roll in a while.

Aelar cowers, showing his very real fear but otherwise keeping to his role.  "Please, sirs, what have I done?" he wails. "Lady, please, why are they doing this?" He pleads towards Ashwa.  What a bunch of jerks, he thinks calmly.

Raia, why is my mark getting hot? he sends to her, along with a memory burst of what's going on.

Aelar manages to put up with the harassment for long enough that the guards begin to tire of their game. 
"Hey, look, he flinched! He wants to fight, doesn't he? Looks like it to me!" one of the guards loudly announces to the spectators finally, about to try one more time for a reaction, but is stopped when Aelar hears a familiar voice.
"Oi! Wot's all this, then?" Balgrim bellows out. The young dwarf is wearing a full Hearth aspirant uniform, and looks very official.
The guards all turn and their expressions sour.
"Ah, shit... one of their damn clerics..."
"Since when does the Hearth care about some drooling feckless elf, huh?" one of the guards argue.
"And who's armour you wearin' lad? Eh? Whose pistols you wearin'? Y'see these colours, boyo? I may be a wee peck yet in the Hearth, but I'm here on official business, and do you REALLY want to take th' chance I might remember yer house emblems and suggest t' yer lord that ye might be better off patrollin' the RITZ? Away and boil yer heads with ye. Clear off!" Balgrim barks out.
The guards swiftly move off after some grumbling and muttered threats.

((The Hearth, before Balgrim went MIA, would have seen him working in the Nest to uncover corruption in the nobility and find out the identity of several dwarves in the Hearth who were allocating extra materials for work in the Nest, which isn't necessarily illegal but the Hearth wants it stopped on the principle of it, so it'd make sense Balgrim would be around to help out.))

Balgrim picks up Aelar's hat for him.
"'ere lad, yer alright. Serve yer lady well, y'hear?" Balgrim says loud enough for the spectators to hear, and gives a subtle wink.

Aelar bobs his head, "Thank you, dwarf, sir, thank you," Aelar says with a smile as he puts the hat back on.  "I will.  Lady?" he says, turning to Ashwa.

Balgrim pats Aelar on the shoulder, and heads off towards some very important looking structures about a ten minute walk away. They're tall enough that they can be seen all around the Nest.

Ashwa tries to calm herself, and looks guilty.
"I'm sorry I wasn't more help to you just then." she says, frowning and bowing her head. "Please forgive me. As you can see... I stand out in the Nest." she says. She leads him through the streets, and one thing Aelar can plainly see is that the Nest is like a damned maze with all its opulent, overblown architecture requiring more space than necessary, it has sacrificed an awful lot of efficiency for aesthetics.
They come to a grand manor with a horseshoe-shaped courtyard. Ashwa may dress like a lower-class noble but clearly she commands a great amount of wealth.
"The library isn't far from here. You'll see some signage pointing you in the right direction." she says. "If you encounter any trouble, just come right up to the door." she says. "I've dismissed many of our servants for the day, just do try to be discrete, if you can."

((Almost forgot, roll perception, as well, and an INT check, DC 12))

"Thank you, Lady, but please do not worry about it.  I knew there was risks to coming here, the...attitude towards outsiders and non-humans.  Thank you for the help and I mean that sincerely." Aelar bows to Ashwa.

As he turns to go, he reaches out Raia.  Ah...well, you warned me and so did many others.  But I got through...and...what's this?  You're hungry and thirsty?  Of course I'll come.  It might take a bit but my friends and I owe you everything.  Let me think and talk to them and the friends we've made.

Perception: 12
INT: 4

When Balgrim mentioned 'house emblems' Aelar managed to catch a glimpse of the crest the guards had on their breastplates. However, if he needs to remember what it looks like precisely, he has only a 33% chance of recalling it with accuracy.

((Secret roll))

89

((The dice are saying NO BREAKS FOR AELAR. This is worse than specialists trying to hack in XCOM.))

Aelar spies several MORE Nest Watchmen mulling near the library entrance. Thankfully, they're not the same ones from before, and these ones aren't bearing any specific crest. They may be regular Watchmen, possibly taking a break or loitering on duty.

The library has several ways to get in, that he can see. It's a huge domed building that looks like it was actually repurposed. Possibly an old parliament building of sorts, about 3 stories tall and covering about as much space as a modern firehouse, so someone could wander for a while in its halls and not bump into a soul. As it was probably a former hall for lawmakers and other well-to-do's, there's plenty of windows that are within reach of climbing, and as it's a fairly pleasant day out, most of them are open. Alternatively, he could just walk through the main front doors, but due to the octagonal shape of the building, there is of course a secondary entrance, though it's marked 'curators'. He also spies a cellar door, but it might look suspicious, and he'd have to check first to see if it's locked.

Lazlo looks around at the table, studying in kind each of his friends. "We are a motley crew- horns and hooves outnumber the ten toes. No offense, Hyre!" he says, filling his glass. "What is is about Guiston that makes it so different from Hon? Aside from the size, that is... I knew in Hon people looked at me differently- because of the skin I was born in... but I never felt as if I couldn't go here or there...  It seems like there are walls here- everywhere. The stone and mortar kind, and the kind you can't see." Lazlo looks at the Satyr Siblings and Hana "Why are things this way?" he shrugs. "There is much I don't understand... but I fear I'll never understand this thing.". The normally lively boy seems to slump for a second or two, then perks up. "Sorry, I'm thinking too much. Remind me not to do that- please?" and with that he finishes his cup. "Another round while we wait for Leon?"

Hana considers Lazlo's words.
"Well, I can tell you that it WASN'T always this way." Hana explains.
"It was before my time, something us short-lived types didn't see, but the dwarves saw it, the elves saw it, the gnomes and others. Used to be that Guiston was a real hodge-podge of cultures and peoples, because of the seven colonies, Guiston is the one that's smack dab in the middle. Head east, there's Rondo. Head west, there's Valis, head north, there's Corwin and port Krell. Head south, and y'all got Fort Wolfbane. Guiston was the stopping point for a lot of travelers, but because we're right in the middle of Aden valley and not butted up against the water, a forest, or a mountain range, we don't have a huge amount of resources of our own. We're a trading hub." she says.

"Ever since the Skell started absorbing other colonies, I reckon we thought ourselves at the greatest risk. Rondo is protected by the lake. Fort Wolfbane is.... well... a fortress. Valis and Corwin are both huge cities, and Krell is a couple week's flight away by kite. When a trading hub suddenly decides it needs to close its borders... those who have the most just hoard, and those who never had a lot to begin with just have to get by. I mean, ain't like the borders are totally closed, but used to be that Guiston took everyone in. Now, it seems all too keen of gettin' rid of everyone that don't fit" Hana says.

She can afford to chew the fat due to how quiet and Leon-free the saloon is. *nudge nudge*

Quote from KinaJardine >>

"Just pretend like you're my servant, keep your eyes low and look humble, you'll be fine." she says, then looks over her shoulder at Leon with a thinly veiled smoulder.
"You owe me, you'd better come see me soon." she says.

 Leon nods. "You bet I will."

Waving off Aelar and Ashwa, Leon heads back to the saloon to meet up with the rest of his friends. On the way, he chides himself for getting into such a situation. After all this time in Guiston, he's still been unable to find a proper mentor to teach him the art of fighting. And while he's picked up a bit of smithing from Duncan, it's not enough to avoid feelings of inadequacy. He wonders what his famed ancestors would have done in such a situation. 

"Probably wouldn't have fooled around with tieflings twice your size," he mutters to himself. 

Entering the saloon, Leon waves to Lazlo, Hyre, and Kallista. He takes a seat by the bar and slaps a silver piece on the counter. He needed a drink. 

Aelar straightens his back, stands tall and marches with confidence towards the front door of the library, giving every appearance of belonging right where is and where he is going.

Yes, Raia, I know someone like that.  One of my friends works for someone who went hunting trolls the other day, beyond the walls.  He sounds like exactly what we need.  And another friend met one of the old knights...missing an arm unfortunately, but he probably knows some people.  Maybe Sister Daar does too.

Hana looks over as Leon appears in the saloon.
"Speak of the pits, there he is." she says, and happily gets Leon that drink, though she gives him 5 copper in change.
"No need to tip me, dear. You're tenants, consider it square as long as you don't make any trouble like them." Hana says, gesturing with her head to the satyrs.
"If you're going to be meeting Sir Geoffrey, however, how about we keep it a little less than stiff, yeah?" she asks, rather than handing him an ale, she hands him a spicy smelling, vaguely apple-ish lightly fermented drink. It's pretty tasty and refreshing.
"Your friends have been waiting for you."she says, glancing at Hyre, Kallista, and Lazlo.

The guards watch Aelar walk by. One of them watches him curiously, but they don't give him a hard time, and he's allowed to enter. without any further harassment. It looks as one might expect a library to look, plenty of old books, but rather than a simple checkout counter, the library is curated, and those tending the books bring them to the reader instead. While it seems that Guiston must have a few printing presses, it seems the vast majority of works are hand-written tomes.

There are tables to read at, and they're half-filled with other individuals all about Aelar's age, all busily studying. They must be from the college, given how intent they are.

The moment Leon walks in, Hyre gets up from his chair. He's going to say it's time to go, but then Leon orders a drink. He sits back down at the table. "If I knew I had to wait this long I would have tried my luck at the kitchen one more time. I don't think I'd be able to do worse than before. I guess it's too late now, though. Once you all finish your drinks, we'll go. Okay?" Hyre wonders why everyone is so laid back. Perhaps he shouldn't be in such a rush? He was taught that it's not good to keep others waiting, but the others probably knew better. These things are always complicated. He decided he won't press on the matter any more. He'll show them the way but they will decide when to go. In the end, he only wanted to go help Geoffrey as a way to express his gratitude for all Geoffrey's done. They're the ones who really need time if all of them want to be there at the same time. Then again, maybe he understood this entire situation wrong. He then sits there pondering on the matter in cycles not sure what the right way to act would be.

Lazlo notices Hyre's anxiety and gets up from his chair. "Down the hatch, Leon. Hyre's been waiting patiently but any longer and I think a gasket might come loose. Off we go!"

Leon shrugs and downs his drink in a single gulp. He thanks Hana for the quality of the brew and stands up, feeling a bit better. 

"Sure, let's go. Could you tell me a bit more about Sir Geoffery as we walk?"