Of Wealth and Taste

[Eluvan]

The note reads Rule-of-three can help you. Styx Oarsman in the Lower Ward. Be CAREFUL.

Elisden raises an eyebrow at the messenger, obviously intrigued. "That was a mephit. Spellslingers use them as messengers, and there's kind of a code behind them. If I remember rightly, lightning mephits normally mean something along the lines of 'Watch out berk, you don't know the half of it'. 'Course, any mephit can mean anything you want it to. That's just the tradition. As for the Trioptic Nic'Epona - locals call her the Triona. She's a way away, but you've got time. There's a portal not so far from here that'll take you to the Hall of Speakers, and you'll be able to see her from there."

 

[Boddynock]

Dante tucks the note away in a pocket and nods to Elisden. "Thanks for that," he says. "Whoever this spellslinger is, they've caught my attention. I think I will indeed visit the Triona - though if you're right about that mephit, I'll be weighing everything I see and hear very carefully indeed. Now, portals require a key, don't they? How do I gain access to this particular portal - and what would be the key to use it?"

"I've appreciated your help, Elisden. Thank you. Perhaps you'll allow me to contribute this gold coin to your tab - for the next time you fancy a glass of Arborean! And if I want to contact you again, do I ask for you here?"

 

[Eluvan]

Elisden smiles graciously and accepts what you give him with a grateful nod. "Aye, the barkeep here should be able to find me most times. Don't hesitate to get in touch if you're in need of anything else, cutter. The portal you need is in the archway leading to the second alley on your right once you leave the inn. Whistle an E flat and it'll open for you. If you don't know what an E flat is... well, just whistle until it opens, aye?"

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

"Thanks Deel," Vestra says with a smile. She'll look over the contract, and if everything seems in order, sign it. That done, she'll head for the Clerk's Ward, trying to find an inn or hostel where she can stay for a few days without losing all of her gold. If she can find such a place within a couple hours, she'll pay for three cycles' worth of time. That done, she'll head for the Trioptic Nic'Epona, to see what all the fuss is about...

 

[Boddynock]

The portal you need is in the archway leading to the second alley on your right once you leave the inn. Whistle an E flat and it'll open for you. If you don't know what an E flat is... well, just whistle until it opens, aye?"

Dante leaves the bar, nodding to the barman as he goes out, smiling at Elisden. He turns right and heads to the second alleyway. Once there, he pauses to collect his thoughts, then whistles a chromatic scale. When the portal pops into existence he strides forward, thinking as he disappears, "At least I learned something from our time with that bard Genty, eh Hord? Well, that and the other matter..."

Hordan makes a mildly lewd mental gesture.

 

[Ferrix]

Garant's walk home is interrupted by the sudden appearance of a small winged humanoid, its body crackling with electricity, that appears instantaneously in front of him. It peers at him for a second before grinning and holding its head aloft in an attitude that makes it very apparent it is speaking a given message: "You have considerable talent, currently being wasted due to a lack of employment opportunities. This can be rectified. Be at the Trioptic Nic'Epona in an hour if you wish to learn more." As suddenly as it appeared, the creature disappears with another grin and a flash of lightning.

"Yes! Wait... Trioptic Nic'Epona..." spinning around once in the street already in the Clerk's Ward, almost banged by brain-box on it, should be around here somewhere. Stuffing his hands into the pockets of his trench-coat he stamps about for a moment, trioptic nic'epona... trioptic... clerk's ward... lady's word in my head... all i've got is wishful think... "Ah ha! The Signers..."

With a grin he taps his broad-brimmed hat with a finger, and heads off in the direction of The Hall of Speakers.

OOC: I figured that since Garant spends a good deal of time in the Clerk's Ward (that's where the nice play house is, some good cafes, heck I haven't nailed down exactly where his home/shop is yet, might even be in the CW), and he's lived in the Cage all his life, he might know where the thing is.

 

[Eluvan]

The four each manage to make their seperate ways to the monument, Vestra having signed the contract and found a reasonably priced and fitted inn in the Clerk's Ward. The place was not hard to find - from the Hall of Speakers, and indeed from quite a way before that, it can easily be seen rearing more than a hundred feet above anything else in the immediate vicinity. The Triptic Nic'Epona itself is a vast statue of a horse, rearing on two legs. Other than its size, the remarkable thing about the statue is its three eyes, spaced at the corners of an equilateral triangle on its forehead. One is emerald, one ruby, the third amber. As the statue is approached, it can be seen that on its base are three square platforms, the colour of each corresponding to one of the gems. Around the base of the statue stands a ring of heavily armed and armoured warriors all bearing the insignia of the Doomguard prominently on their breast, and as such the statue is given a somewhat wide bearth by the crowds milling around the great square in which the Triona stands. If the person you were each told to meet has already arrived, he is not in evidence.

 

[Boddynock]

Dante looks around, getting a sense of the space and the avenues of access. He then moves into the crowd, observing, idling along, listening in on snippets of conversation. He keeps a low profile but is always ready to respond with a smile or a quip if someone notices him. Wanting to assess the mood of the crowd and, if possible, to identify the one who summoned him here, he will keep his eyes and ears open until something happens.

"Why not just read their thoughts, Dante?"

"No, Hord - too many people here who might pick up on what I'm doing. No point in antagonising people unneccessarily - plenty of time to finesse the situation when the need actually arises. Keep you eyes open, though - we'll compare notes later."

"Of course - when am I ever anything but observant?"

"Only when you get caught up in an indivdual's psyche, dear friend."

After this exchange, which takes only scant moments, Dante continues his perambulations - listening, looking, all the time on the alert for any hint of his mysterious contact ... and eager to learn anything of the Triona, as well - particularly those very fascinating colour coded platforms.

((Eluvan, let me know if you need more Sense Motive rolls. Here are a few more Gather Information rolls:
Gather Information: 1d20 + 11 [12] = 23
Gather Information: 1d20 + 11 [5] = 16
Gather Information: 1d20 + 11 [7] = 18
Gather Information: 1d20 + 11 [1] = 12 ))

 

[Synchronicity]

Davian Immersmere

Davian wanders up to as close to the statue as he can get without actually getting a sharp pointy thing jabbed into his chest and scrutinises it through his monocle, looking the very picture of a well-to do Clueless without a brain in his head. However, those of a suspicious bent can immediately see that beneath the veneer of foppery, Davian is examining the statue - and the square in general - with a keen eye.

((Looking for anything odd - I know that's not easy in Sigil. Also for anyone who seems to be waiting for someone, though that may be more Sense Motive. To be more specific, anything dangerous and anyone who could be the prospective employer who sent the mephit. Davian's thinking wizard at this point, so anyone looking arcane..ey gets a glance.
Spot: 1d20+16 [14] = 30))

'Well well, that is interesting. Though why the Doomguard are so clustered around it beats me. Something to look into, I suppose. Now then...'
Davian breaks off his scrutiny and begins wandering aimlessly about the square, absent-mindedly humming 'One day I married a succubus', a moderately popular tune of the moment. He seems oblivious, perhaps an easy mark..but thieves in Sigil are a canny lot, and it seems unlikely any of them are going to fall for that one.
((Davian only has Bluff +1, so I'm not going to bother rolling. It's more a persona he slips into 'off-duty' than a concerted and deliberate deception.))

 

[Ferrix]

A cheery split occurs across Garant's face, it must be the caffiene from the coffee, he swings his arms freely, perusing the giant statue and its vanguard with a locals uncaring eye.

Barmy this. Blood can't do business without the berk, he thinks in reference to the lack of any apparent employer.