The gnome finishes the last of his tea and looks to the others. "Perhaps we should get started now, no?"
Hopping off of his chair, he leads the quartet down a short hallway and into a small room that fits the generic conception of a medium's parlor: a small circular table is surrounded by a few chairs. The gnome waves his hand dismissively at the set-up. "This is just for show; I do my real work elsewhere." Moving to one corner of the room, the gnome whispers what turns out to be an incantation - and a fairly elaborate one at that - and when he steps back, a small hatch that was previously invisible sits where he stood. Lifting the hatch, the gnome makes his way in up to his neck before turning to the others to say, "It might be a bit of a squeeze for some of you, but we'll manage. Come, come..." he entreats, descending the rest of the way.
Making their way one by one into the hidden room, the four are struck by its contrast to the generic nature of the one they've just left: this room is clearly the workroom of an arcanist. Strange runes adorn the walls, unidentifiable trinkets of all shapes, sizes, and colors hang from the ceiling, and the walls are lined with shelves containing ancient-looking books and scrolls as well as all manner of exotic items. Several lanterns hang from the ceiling, illuminating the room, though their light is slightly dimmer than the level a human would find comfortable. Making his way over to a gold case perched in the center of one shelf, the gnome whispers under his breath once again, and the group hears a slight click. Lifting its lid, he pulls out a deck of thirty or so cards, then makes his way over to the large oak table at the center of the room (which is much larger than the one above it), gesturing to the others to sit as well. Pulling a deck out of his pocket, he begins to shuffle these two together. "Since the theft, I have been extra careful with my more important cards," he explains. After a time, he ceases. "Now: I'm going to begin my inquiry. Once I reach a proper starting point, I will let you all know, and then you must begin to concentrate on whatever aspects of the image or subject which capture your mind and engage your expertise. You may speak aloud, to yourself, the others, or myself, if it helps you focus your thoughts. If you have questions, ask. Now," says the gnome, an eager glint in his eyes, "let us begin."
The gnome gives the cards on last shuffle, then overturns the first one. Oddly, the image is blank: a border without an image within. "Aha!" the gnome exclaims. "We start fresh." He seems pleased with this apparently auspicious start. Closing his eyes, he begins to murmur to himself. At first, the others see nothing, but soon, as before, the card's surface begins to take on a life of its own. The swirling, blurred image coalesces as it emerges from the cards surface out into the room itself. As it takes shape, the group can see that it is itself a deck of cards, which the others take to be those taken from the gnome. With a nod, the gnome signals for the others to begin.
[sblock=OOC/Mechanics]To start off with, I'd like one to two rolls from each of you: one of your own checks, an Aid Another check, or one of each, if you'd like. The first skills we'll be using are Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Religion), Knowledge (Local), and Perception. I only want one "main" roll for each skill, meaning that if Arianna rolls Perception, no one else should roll for that skill unless attempting to Aid Another. If you'd like, you can roll an Aid Another for a skill before someone rolls the main skill (for example, since Arianna has the best Perception bonus, she should probably be the main roll, but if someone goes before her, they can say they're AAing her yet-to-come roll). Don't forget your books![/sblock]
