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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Gregor" data-source="post: 5451450" data-attributes="member: 11751">Shealis sits quietly after listening to Arnir, Torrent and Kirio's arguments.  After a few uncomfortable minutes, she ceases her deliberation, takes a deep breath and responds:"Arnir, I know of your House.  I understand it holds honour in the court of Calanis so I accept your position in light of your standing in Shahalesti.  I also agree with your reasoned point of view.""Torrent, I hear your plea and I recognize that there may be some mutual strategic benefit to our cooperation against Ragesia.  I am spurred on by your disdain for the current political regime in Gate Pass for, as you know, they have seen fit to force my people to live in designated ghettos for some time now.""Kirio of Calanis, while I know not of you from our homeland, I also hear the wisdom in your soft voice and can see the vigor of your argument in your intense stare."She stands up and shoulders a pack at the foot of her bed.  "I have heard your deliberations and ultimately I concur."  "But mistress-" Larion interjects.  Shealis waves a hand and cuts her associate off: "Silence Larion.  I have made my decision."  Larion's face reddens and he turns his eyes to her feet in deference.Turning back to you all, she continues: "My associate and I will take you to the case's current location.  There we will work together to determine its condition and address any potential hurdles by cooperation and pooling of resources.  We will then determine the fate of the information contained within the case once it has been appropriately reviewed.  Come, we leave immediately."With that, Shealis strides from the room with Larion clipping at her heels.  You follow the agents of Shahalesti back down the stairwell, pausing only to say your goodbyes to Diogenes who wishes you well and offers up a rude gesture to Shealis as she strides by.  You exit Gabal's and trudge back out into the snowy streets of Gate Pass.  Fire still lights up the sky to the West and the occasional muted crashing of a building or a distant landed stone from a sieging trebuchet cries out.  You follow Shealis and Larion eastward through two more districts and then head towards the southern wall of the city.  The elves lead you through cramped alleys, beneath sky bridges and through stone archways until you reach a small residential area.Though a few of the buildings in the vicinity have fallen down, and small fires still smolder at this late hour, a number of people stand outside chatting and children play in the streets.  Everyone in the area is of elven, or half-elven heritage and they stare at the non-elves in your party as you pass.  Kirio and Arnir, you recognize this area as one of the elven ghettos that your people are forced to inhabit in Gate Pass.  The ghetto itself is quiet, filled with many trellises along the sides of buildings and plenty of open squares lit, presumably magically, by purple and blue dancing lights and torches.Eventually, Shealis arrives at a two-story brick building which, upon your close inspection, has a fake front door, and the windows are just wooden frames painted to look like curtains have been pulled. The chimney is exhaling smoke, a sign that someone is there, but there seems to be no entrance to the building.Hrimr, ever since you’ve been in the ghetto, you have noticed that a crow appears to be quietly following your group.  It has not done anything except follow you.  When you arrive at the two-story brick building, you fail to spot it and it seems to have left.The she-elf wizard takes you down a side alley and around the back of the building to a narrow space between it and the outer wall of the ghetto.  A rat scurries around looking for food.  Shealis points your attention to a secret door made of wood, painted to look like brick, and identifies three switches that can turn, hidden in a carving of various creatures.  First she turns the carving of an armored woman with a gleaming greatsword, then the carving of a noble and muscular man with a lion’s head and finally the carving of winged woman with a trumpet.  You all hear a loud metallic click and she then opens the secret door.Following after her, you find yourself in a 50-ft. square room that is dimly lit by a roaring fire in a fireplace against the left wall, filling the building with modest warmth. Casting shadows throughout the room are nearly a dozen doors, propped up by metal frames, all of them unfinished. Tools hang around the walls, stacks of wood are piled beside the fire place, and sawdust covers the floor. It looks like the workshop of a carpenter obsessed with doors. A staircase leads upward in the back right corner, and one of the doors stands at the foot of the stairs.  Three golden-haired badgers slumber near the fire and though they rouse when you arrive, they quickly lay back down once they see Shealis.“Fmelv weaml anira nyillaa, ean ela E, Shealis!” Shealis calls out in elven, Moments later, two elven warriors pad down the stairs.  They wear helmets of the soldiers of Shahalesti and are clad in chainmail.  Two swords hang at their belts and shortbows are strapped to their backs.  One of the soldiers hands a black metallic case to Shealis and bows in respect.Smiling, she turns to you: “Well, here it is.  Where do we begin?”[sblock=”if you speak elven”]Bring down the case, it is I, Shealis![/sblock]</blockquote>

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