WotW: A Knot of Thorns The Second Parchment
Game Master Xzaral

"I have found that the followers of Asmodeus are fond of agreements that are..." Shulme gestures vaguely, "....detailed. Particularly the leadership. I would be surprised if you did not have more details in mind, and I wish to know them. What would you have us do?"

"Overall? We shall destroy the Knights of the Allerion, dethrone King Markadian and bring all of Talingarde to it's knees.

"But if you ask for greater details on the plans themselves, that I cannot yet give. Aside from the fact that we have not sworn allegiance to each other, you are not yet ready for that. Only Xanos amongst you has truly the scope of the powers that shall be wielded in the end, and those have been stolen away. We must prepare you all for the coming trials first.

"I have been vague, I recognize this. But if you doubt my ability, remember it is I who aided you in your escape from Branderscar. And that took little effort on my part. Does that cover your concerns?"

Price watches the clash between Xanos, Shulme, and the Cardinal with interest, giving her time to consider the offer and the man making it. At a convenient moment, she speaks up opting, incredibly, for complete candor.

"First, Your Grace, thank you for your hospitality and assistance. I appreciate it greatly. Second, my sincere compliments on your intelligence-gathering apparatus, it's quite impressive. Had I access to those resources a few short weeks ago... perhaps I wouldn't bear a brand now."

She runs a hand along one of the rich tapestries, appraising and appreciating the material with a professional eye. "Which brings me to my next point... You clearly know who I am, my work, my role in our Church, and where my loyalties lie. So, your offer is a bit confusing. Our cause and our Lord are already the same. What more do you ask of me?"

Price yields up a cool smile, "As for the rewards offered... my actions will commend me to the Dark Lord. He will raise me up or not - as He chooses. If you have some influence in those matters, naturally, I'd be interested in obtaining your good will."

"As for being an earthly Prince and raised up in the eyes of men..." She brushes aside the offer with a negligent wave, "These things means nothing to me. All I care for is the ascension of Asmodeus and finding a worthy place in his divine hierarchy. I'll leave it to others to rule here." She considers her words briefly before amending them in a hard-edged tone, "I do have ONE mortal desire, Your Grace. I want bloody retribution on those responsible for our capture and the massacre of my group. I want their names, their families' names, their friends' names, locations, their skills, et cetera... in short, everything I need to know to track them down and make them pay along with all of their loved ones. I don't mind a modest start in that effort - I'll settle for Sir Balin of Karfield and the traitor within our Church who assisted him."

Prof: Seamstress 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21

Fargo watches the exchanges quietly. He schools his face to impassivity, but inside the conflicting lusts of power and mistrust war within. His own break out was so easily managed, that he was sure the cardinal was a man of enormous influence.

Cardinal Thorn takes a seat as he begins. "My resources were not easily acquired. After losing everything, similar to how you have, I spent years rebuilding to get to this point. It was not easy, nor without sacrifice. Sacrifices you have not yet experienced in service to our lord. His eyes take a far away look for a moment before continuing.

"What I ask of you is to work with me. The organization you belonged to before, it was weak. A simple fact by it's defeat. But the weakness was in one link, which you have all too well learned. Other links, the ones I gather to make my chain, they will not be weak. They will be tempered and quenched in the blood of Iomedaens.

"The failure you experienced, our Lord will not look kindly on. You know this as well as I, it's why you seek to right it. If you desire the blood of the traitor, I can give it to you. But that will only seek to strengthen my own position. I wish to give you the power to find this traitor under your own strength. I will tell you he still lives, and I will tell you that you will have your chance.

"As for Sir Balin, he is a bane to all of us here." He looks across all gathered in the room. [/b]"Your vengeance against him, that will be something I cannot guarantee, for many of our ilk, and others beyond, demands his blood. If the opportunity presents itself, then it is yours. I will give you what aid I can."[/b]

Cardinal Thorn stands and waves across the room, seemingly encompassing all of Talingarde with his movements. "You wish for a special place in Asmodeus's plans? Then you must prove yourself. And what better way then to take this land and reclaim it in his name! You have no desire to rule? There are those that will do so. But what we cannot do is allow it to sit in the hands of King Markadian! Will you stand with me, and present this land to our Lord?"

Price considers the Cardinal's words briefly, her features clouded. "You ask me to continue walking a path I was already on - to our mutual advantage. Yes, I will work with you."

"And you plan for us to bring these things about?"

Shulme smiles.

"That is not a small task. But it is true that I bear no love for this kingdom."

The sorcerer fixes Thorn with ha long look.

"I would be willing to join my efforts to his," he nods to Xanos, "and to theirs." he glances at the others gathered.

Fargo hear the one voice he needs to tell him that this cause is a good idea. He breaks his silence. I will swear to Asmodeus. I do not know the forms, but I will swear. Power and vengeance alike are sweet to me.

"It would seem that we are in agreement then." Reaching into his desk, the Cardinal retrieves two sheets of leather paper, as well as a set of strange quills. He places the sheets on the desk, facing towards you. "A formality, of course. Signing in blood is traditional."

Behold on this day __________ in the eighth age of this world a perpetual Compact is made between Cardinal Adrastus Thorn (hereafter the Patron) and those who would be bound to him as his acolytes (hereafter the Allied). Both the Patron and the Allied shall hold fast and true to this Compact through all trial and tribulation. By blood and soul the Allied commit to the Compact and swear that it shall never be undone.

The Allied shall know and understand the Four Loyalties.

The First Loyalty is to their patron and god – mighty Asmodeus, first among the fallen, prince of the nine hells, our father below. They shall do all that can be done to further his worship and his glory. In the interests of the one known as Xanos, this shall be limited to patron, and glory.

The Second Loyalty is to their Patron – He who is called the Cardinal Adrastus Thorn, High Priest of Asmodeus in Talingarde. They shall do the Patron no harm and obey his every commandment as long as those commandments do not clash with their First Loyalty.

The Third Loyalty is to their companions – the other Allied who serve alongside them. The Allied shall deal with each other fairly and honorably as long as doing so does not clash with their first or second loyalties. All treasure, wealth and reward garnered in their exploits will be equally shared with all of the Allied who aided in its acquisition.

The Fourth Loyalty is to themselves – for Asmodeus is the Lord of Ambition and all who serve and ally with him should strive to become great and powerful in his service as long as doing so does not clash with their first, second or third loyalties. By their weakness, ye shall know the unworthy.

The Allied swear that they cleave to and uphold the Four Loyalties even in the face of death and damnation. The Patron swears that as long as the Four Loyalties are upheld, he shall reward the Bound as they deserve for their deeds.

Thus it is written, and thus it shall be.

We being of sound mind and free will do so swear and let they who violates this Compact know all the wrath of Hell unending.

Signed,
_________________________________

The quills are designed to allow you to prick your fingertip and fill with blood, for blood is the ink of the contract. The parchment itself is written on tanned leather, though you doubt from an animal judging from the material.

Eager to prove himself, Fargo barely gives the contract a glance before pricking himself and signing his name.

Price reads the document carefully, spotting the slippery wording in some parts that gives her pause as well as an 'out' or two for herself should the good Cardinal prove less munificent than he claims... Committing the document to memory, Price takes a quill and signs in her own blood without a flourish.

Xanos reads, pauses, and looks up.

"Do you take me for a fool?"

For the first time since the meeting has began, the smile leaves Cardinal Thorns face. The look that replaces it is not a sneer, or a glare of anger. It is a simple face, a face of calm that looks not past you, not at you, but into you, to the very heart of your soul.

"A fool, Xanos? No, I do not take you for a fool. A fool is now what I need in my service, I have those in plenty. What I need Xanos are leaders, people who can accomplish tasks the Talierans believe impossible. I believe you are one such individual, Xanos. I believe you can lead the people of this land into a new age.

"But now you have made me have my doubts. I have taken you, a broken man, under my wing. I have offered to give you the power to reclaim your former glory. I have offered to give you the resources to claim a new era. I have even offered to share My Lord's favor with you, an offer you refused. What do I ask for? Simple obedience, that is all."

The presence of this man changes, though he does not move from his chair. The room itself seems to become smaller, you become smaller, as Cardinal Thorn seems to grow in size, taller than you thought possible yet still sitting. His aura changes, attempting to push you to your knees. You can resist it's urge, but you find yourself unable to move or speak while the Cardinal continues, a breath stuck in your throat. Once you would have been a match for this man, but now, with what the Iomedaens have taken, the presence he wields is a distant memory.

"I wish to make your position clear. You will serve me. This is not an option for you, but rather payment for me saving you from Branderscar. What is an option is how you shall serve. You can choose to become another of Tiadora's playthings, to be used as she sees fit. Or you can choose to sign that contract in front of you, to pledge yourself to serve me, and see this land brought to heel.

"I do not wish to force you into this in such a way, to feel the power that I wield. No, I would rather you agree by your own choice, by acknowledging what it is that I offer. But you have forced my hand, and now the choice is yours. Serve as a mindless puppet, or as a force greater than you knew before."

As suddenly as it happened, the presence goes away, the office it's normal size. Before you the contract sits, already signed by two present in the room. Cardinal Thorn simply stares, awaiting your decision.

Xanos says nothing. If he notices the Cardinal's parlor trick, he doesn't show it. Instead, he simply pricks his hand, lays it to the parchment, and begins crossing things out and amending the parchment.

Behold on this day in the eighth age of this world a -perpetual- Compact is made between Cardinal Adrastus Thorn (hereafter the Patron) and those who would be bound to him as his -acolytes- Ally (hereafter the Allied). Both the Patron and the Allied shall hold fast and true to this Compact through all trial and tribulation. By blood and soul the Allied commit to the Compact -and-swear-that-it-shall-never-be-undone- until the fall of the nation called Talengarde.

The Allied shall know and understand the Four Loyalties.

The First Loyalty is to -their-patron-and-god-mighty-Asmodeus,-first-among-the-fallen,-prince-of-th e-nine-hells,-our-father-below.-They-shall-do-all-that-can-be-done-to-furth er-his-worship-and-his-glory.-In-the-interests-of-the-one-known-as-Xanos,-t his-shall-be-limited-to-patron,-and-glory-- the Allied (see third loyalty).

The Second Loyalty is to their Patron – He who is called the Cardinal Adrastus Thorn, High Priest of Asmodeus in Talingarde. They shall do the Patron no harm and -and-obey-his-every-commandment- aid him in the goal of the destruction of Talengarde as long as those commandments do not clash with their First Loyalty.

The Third Loyalty is to their companions, the other Allied who serve alongside them. The Allied shall deal with each other fairly and honorably -as-long-as-doing-so-does-not-clash-with-their-first-or-second-loyalties-. All treasure, wealth and reward garnered in their exploits will be equally shared with all of the Allied who aided in its acquisition.

The Fourth Loyalty is to themselves –for-Asmodeus-is-the-Lord-of-Ambition-and-all-who-serve-and-ally-with-him-s hould-strive-to-become-great-and-powerful-in-his-service- as long as doing so does not clash with their first, second or third loyalties. -By-their-weakness-ye-shall-know-the-unworthy.-

The Allied swear that they cleave to and uphold the Four Loyalties even in the face of death and damnation. The Patron swears that as long as the Four Loyalties are upheld, he shall reward the Bound as they deserve for their deeds.

Thus it is written, and thus it shall be.

We being of sound mind and free will do so swear and let they who violates this Compact know all the wrath of Hell unending.

Signed,
Xanos

Finishing his signature, he gently places the now revised contract on the Cardinal's desk without a word.

Shulme's eyes flare as Thorn confronts Xanos, but he calls on no magic.

"You far overmatch me." he admits. "But I doubt your plan has a place for a coward, so I will dare to ask whether you will make a change to the terms."

The sorcerer watches Thorn carefully as he speaks.

"This states the contract is in force forever. What of when your goal is achieved? If we wish to follow our own pursuits, once this kingdom is no more? My true interests do not lie within this world, if I were free in this wretched land to gather the lore I need. Once I have fulfilled your plans, I would wish to turn my attention to less worldly things, and no longer be beholden."

Cain, fingers constantly twirling the small vial of blood he'd pulled from the Veil back in Brandedscar, watches the back-and-forth between Xanos and their host. Cain had never been one for words or lofty contracts... his agreements had always been reached over a drink and a handshake in a back-alley dive of some Talingarde slum. It turned his mind three ways from tomorrow to try to point out flaws or loopholes in contracts. He'd always been able to rely on Price for that.

This was different, though. Far more serious. A misstep here would put his muzzle straight in the snare for sure. He watched Price sign her contract. Well and good for you, old friend. But you follow Asmodeus above all else already.

From what Cain could tell, the contract was in the wrong order for his tastes. You lived like this: First the pack, second the wolf, all else from there. And Cain was uncomfortable changing his priorities out of thanks for this man's assistance from a prison thy likely might have escaped anyhow. At least that's how he's thinking about it. :)

So Cain waits to see how the Cardinal reacts to Xanos's changin of the contract.

Cain would obviously be most comfortable if the contract said his loyalty was to the Allies (and himself) first, the Cardinal second -- with Asmodeus written in as the superior of the Cardinal. If that's getting too complicated for the story-line, let me know. Just wanna play it true to Cain.

Price watches as the terms of the agreement are changed. She says with some amusement, "You realise I'm going to have to sign this all over again, right? As a dainty flower, I'd rather not prick my fingers a dozen more times, so I'll just wait until you've all hashed out the terms." She leans against a wall, quite content to wait.

For some reason I thought we each had a copy of the contract to sign. I guess it makes sense that we'd all sign the same one. Xanos just tailored it to himself.

Just to clarify on the contracts, there are two copies. One for Thorn, one for you all.

Cardinal Thorn stares for a long moment at Xanos, initially ignoring Shulme, a neutral look on his face. It would seem that even Tiadora tenses for a moment before he finally breaks the silence. "And what of you, Shulme. Is this revised Compact sufficient for your needs, or would you rather sign the original version? You as well, Cain?" His eyes do not leave Xanos.

Cain sets the vial down with a light thunk on the table-top, running his yellow eyes around his fellow Branderscar escapees. When they land on Price, they linger for a few long moments. Finally, he looks back to lock gazes with the cardinal.

"I'm a man of action. Wordy contracts make me suspicious." He gives a harsh chuckle, "Well, more suspicious, anyway. My loyalty is and always will be to my pack -- which up until a few days ago was Price. Xanos, Gwyn, and Jakes seemed to have wormed their way in there somehow."

There is another long pause as the tall fighter wrestles with the right words. "This contract puts my true loyalties in third behind yourself and a god I've never seen" He gives a quick look over Price and adds, "Except through the belief of my closest companion. I'm not a creature of faith. I believe in action. In the hierarchy of the pack. In what I've experienced."

There's another pause before he seems to pick up some speed, the words coming more easily. "I owe you a debt, Cardinal. No doubt on that. And maybe Asmodeus through you. I think we had a shot at an escape without your aid. But you gave it, and we escaped. I'll honor that debt, but it's gotta be a bit more understood than I reckon this agreement spells out. You're aid didn't cost you that much. A man of your power and beliefs must have resources to exist in a country full of these Iomedaens." the word is practically dripping with hatred. "So while I recognize the debt I owe to you -- and maybe Asmodeus -- you didn't exactly have to put much skin on the line to give the aid you did. Use a talented asset to slip a seemingly innocuous spit-rag into a prison guarded by sheep and run by an old fool and a thieving brute. Price could have done as much."

He realizes he's rambling a bit, and his brow furrows in a scowl as he continues, "Point is… you and I got similar goals just with different reasons. You wanna raise the church of Asmodeus up over the blood and ashes of the others. You wanna ruin the king and rule instead. It's no secret that I'd love to wet my throat on the blood of every damned hypocritical Iomedaen in the kingdom, and I'm all about killin' that Iomedae-lovin' ass of a king. And honestly, I could care less about who sits that ass-bustin throne… as long as he and I have an understandin'."

He gives Price one last look before finishing. "Your original contract is pretty close with a few additions. It's fulfilled and ended when the king is toppled and the church is destroyed. We work to the destruction of the king and the church, letting Asmodeus raise up his replacement church and state. Secondly, my second loyalty is to my allies, with the third being to the cardinal, and I agree to follow his orders as long as it doesn't interfere with the loyalties to Asmodeus and my Allies. But one thing. Talingarde will remain the hunting ground of myself, my pack, and my line. The sheep that populate this nation is ours for the taking, and we're protected by law in the taking. The new king, church, or state can't come after us for taking what's ours."

"The contract Xanos made is more favorable, and would make us more allies, less servants."

Shulme regards Thorn neutrally.

"But I think the question is whether it is acceptable to you."

His eyes still gazing upon Xanos, the Cardinal gestures towards the revised parchment, "If what you see before you is acceptable, then sign it."

I may not have made this clear, but he was speaking to Cain and Shulme, though still staring down Xanos.

"What of my requested additions? I'm not joking around about Talngarde being my hunting grounds."

Shulme produces an engraved dagger from underneath his robes and pricks his finger with it. He signs in blood, in a pictographic script that has no resemblance to the Common alphabet.

Xanos is intractable. Thorn may as well be staring down the sky.

Price neatly crosses out her name from the first contract, invalidating it. "If we are going to operate as a cohesive team to bring down Talingarde then we can ill afford to work under different terms. If my allies are worried that my loyalties aren't the same as theirs... they have a valid reason for distrust. So, I will agree to the amended contract that my compatriots accept - once the terms are settled."

She glances at her wolf-like ally before turning her attention to the Cardinal. "Further, I personally agree with Cain's request regarding his people's hunting rights. I'd strongly suggest his amendment be added to the agreement. I will not prevail upon our friendship to convince him to accept terms that aren't in the interests of his pack or his people."

Bluff (simple secret message to Cain) DC:15 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18

Now?

Uhm... I agree with Miss Price. We should all sign the same contract. Fargo also crosses out his name.

Cardinal Thorn finally pulls his gaze from Xanos, stands before his desk, and pulls both copies of the contract to him, examining the changes done. Finally he takes one of the copies, rolls it up and places it on the desk before you. The other he continues to examine. "Tiadora, take our guests to their rooms. Return with them in 2 hourse. And take that with you, to ensure the new copy matches your requests."

With that, Tiadora leads you from the office. Any questions are met with silence from the Cardinal.

You all will have two hours while Thorn handles things, if there's anything you wish to do or ask during this time, let me know. I'm just going to continue on, if I need to retcon anything, I'll do so.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After two hours you are once again summoned to Cardinal Thorn's office. He continues to occupy the chair in this room, and this time two pieces of paper sit upon his desk. This is paper, not the same parchment as used before. The inks in question are simple black, not the blood colored on the previous contract. The quills used before sit next to it, appearing to have been cleaned since you last saw them. "Will this be more to your liking?"

Behold on this day in the eighth age of this world a Compact is made between Cardinal Adrastus Thorn (hereafter the Patron) and those who would ally themselves to him (hereafter the Allied). Both the Patron and the Allied shall hold fast and true to this Compact through all trial and tribulation. By blood and soul, the Allied commit to the Compact until the flal of the nation called Talingarde.

The Allied shall know and understand the Four Loyalties.

The First Loyalty is to the Allied.

The Second Loyalty is to their Patron – He who is called the Cardinal Adrastus Thorn, High Priest of Asmodeus in Talingarde. They shall do the Patron no harm and aid him in the goal of the destruction of Talingarde as long as those commandments do not clash with their First Loyalty.

The Third Loyalty is to their companions, the other Allied who serve alongside them. The Allied shall deal with each other fairly and honorably. All treasure, wealth and reward garnered in their exploits will be equally shared with all of the Allied who aided in its acquisition.

The Fourth Loyalty is to themselves as long as doing so does not clash with their first, second or third loyalties.

The Allied swear that they cleave to and uphold the Four Loyalties even in the face of death and damnation. The Patron swears that as long as the Four Loyalties are upheld, he shall reward the Bound as they deserve for their deeds.

Thus it is written, and thus it shall be.

We being of sound mind and free will do so swear and let they who violates this Compact know all the wrath of Hell unending.

Signed,
_________________

Sorry, forgot one line, it was always there, ;p

The Compact, Revised wrote:

Behold on this day in the eighth age of this world a Compact is made between Cardinal Adrastus Thorn (hereafter the Patron) and those who would ally themselves to him (hereafter the Allied). Both the Patron and the Allied shall hold fast and true to this Compact through all trial and tribulation. By blood and soul, the Allied commit to the Compact until the flal of the nation called Talingarde.

The Allied shall know and understand the Four Loyalties.

The First Loyalty is to the Allied.

The Second Loyalty is to their Patron – He who is called the Cardinal Adrastus Thorn, High Priest of Asmodeus in Talingarde. They shall do the Patron no harm and aid him in the goal of the destruction of Talingarde as long as those commandments do not clash with their First Loyalty.

The Third Loyalty is to their companions, the other Allied who serve alongside them. The Allied shall deal with each other fairly and honorably. All treasure, wealth and reward garnered in their exploits will be equally shared with all of the Allied who aided in its acquisition.

The Fourth Loyalty is to themselves as long as doing so does not clash with their first, second or third loyalties.

This compact shall hold true to the fall of Talingarde, upon which time it's lands shall remain the hunting grounds of the Allied.

The Allied swear that they cleave to and uphold the Four Loyalties even in the face of death and damnation. The Patron swears that as long as the Four Loyalties are upheld, he shall reward the Allied as they deserve for their deeds.

Thus it is written, and thus it shall be.

We being of sound mind and free will do so swear and let they who violates this Compact know all the wrath of Hell unending.

Signed,
_________________

In the two-hour window afforded by the Cardinal, Cain has his servant show him to Lrice's room. When they arrive, he turns to the servant at the door. "This shouldn't take long, and I'll take another massage in a bath. Now."

When she leaves, he knocks on Price's door. "Price? You in there?"

Now?

Nah, later at some point.

Then feel free to not answer the door. :)
That mean we're moving forward to the second meeting?

Sorry. It looks like I was typing up my 'nah' post as you were posting your knock and I missed it. I'm on the road right now and can only check intermittently. Let's have Cain and Price meet later so we don't hold up any other negotiations or the signing.

So we should move back into the meeting with Thorn?

Yeah, this whole scene can play through. What Price wants to discuss has nothing to do with the negotiations.

Two hours later, Cain finds his way back into the main room, once again finding a seat and beginning to tap out a slow, steady rhythm on the table-top with the vial. Once again he seems unsure about being the first to speak about this new contract, instead waiting to see what the others do.

Xanos left the room without a word, dismissed the slaves upon reaching his quarters, and returned precisely two hours later with the same unreadable, slightly bored expression on his face.

Fargo returns to his rooms and spends the two hours in his room, bored and with a million thoughts in his head. Finally, with only a few minutes until the appointed time, a thought that intrigued him finally surfaced. Fargo donned the heavy robe from the wardrobe, pressed his fingers together and began to whisper...

Teon strutted into the main room, the cowl of his robes thrown back. Taking a quick glance at those already asembled, Teon flashes them a quick grin and a sardonic bow. Is the new agreement prepared. I am ready to be getting on with the burning and taking power.

Xanos looked and raised an eyebrow at the apparent newcomer, then quickly realized it was the same man he'd seen earlier. Mostly.

Interesting

I'll assume Shulme comes along.

"You have all returned. I have prepared a new document. Will this one be acceptable?" Thorn remains mostly neutral, sharing gazes with each individual, not letting it linger on any one person.

Teon strides to the table and reads the contract. I find this acceptable.Teon takes up a pen and pricks his arm. Instead of his name, he inks a copy of the glowing rune on his forehead in vivid green.

Teon suddenly shrinks, becoming almost lost in the folds of the robe he is wearing. Fargo now pricks his arm and signs his name across the rune. We are in Fargo leaves the table and returns to his chair.

Xanos signs the document.

Price looks to her long-time comrade. "Cain? Are the terms acceptable to you?"

Price will wait until everyone else signs before doing the same.

Guys, I'm in team meetings nearly all of Tuesday and Wednesday so I may not have a chance to post. Feel free to NPC me as needed.

I had PM'd Shulme before leaving and he said he would sign the revised compact as well, so waiting on Cain at this point.

Cain's surprised to realize Price was, in turn, waiting on him. He shrugs uncomfortably, "Ayup." And he pens his name… barely a scrawl on the page.

With the last signatures made, Cardinal Thorn stands, offering you all one copy of the Compact to keep, the other to stay with him. “I am glad we would come to an agreement, though less than what I would have hoped. I do believe it shall be sufficent for our goals. I recommmend you prepare yourselves. Stay within the manor. You are still hunted by the Talirean soldiery. In three days we begin your training.”

As you all begin to leave, a final word from the Cardinal. "Cain, please stay a moment, if you are interested in that vial."

Cain comes out of the room a few moments later. As you are all escorted away by Tiadora, she speaks to you all. "You shall have the run of the first and second stories of the mansion. You will not ascend to the third floor, nor shall you descend to the sub-levels. I have appointed a servant to handle all 'needs' you may require. I do ask that you do not 'waste' (aka, kill) these resources. Good servants take time to train." She gives a cruel smile at the thought.

Once returned to your rooms, you are left alone, to prepare as you see fit.

For the next three days, you have the run of the majority of the house. Tiadora will take care of any outfitting you require. As part of this, you may all make requests for any gear you need (up to 200gp each). This can be increased by providing her loot you would like her to sell as well, which she will do on her behalf. Feel free to do any Roleplay you like during the three days, and outfit as needed. If you have any questions, or would like to try something, let me know.