ooc: Ok, I think I've got this figured out now. Onward!
Unlike the busier southern portions of Merchant's Avenue, the northern part is calm, elegant, sophisticated. The buildings, originally utilitarian, have been ornamented and accented in subtle but unmistakeably expensive ways. The guards patrol here frequently; constantly, even, and their equipment is always shining and in perfect repair.
Alvar Thorne's offices are long and low, with green courtyards and small galleries of fruit trees. They are short, not built tall like many of the other buildings here. This seeming frugality is curious, until you recall that the land itself here must be vastly expensive, and building sparsely is itself a kind of understated extravagance.
An area of flowers and greenery is in front of the main building, surrounded by a low brick wall. An open gate in the wall leads through the garden via a cobblestoned path, to a set of sturdy oak doors. Alvar Thorne's name is embossed on a brass plaque above the doors.
[sblock=Karl]The area where Gildrim leads the group is well patrolled by alert guards, and not heavily trafficked. Attempting to follow them unobserved here will be difficult.
ooc: If you want to follow them unobserved, tell me how you're going to go about it, with the appropriate check. E.g., if you're going to try to brazen it out and walk right down the street like you have business here and hope none of them look back, give a bluff check. If you're going to try to sneak through the shadows and stay completely unobserved, give hide and move silently checks. If you do something else, try to come up with the appropriate checks.
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