Seraphiel notices nothing untoward. The sergeant is a name and address down on a piece of paper for Gobi and the staff and patrons are starting to trickle back into the building.
The sergeant finishes writing and hands the scrap of paper to the dwarf. "There you go sir. Lots of places, but I'd recommend my brother in law. Tell him you helped out Hardshyp and he'll give you a discount. He's got a sour tongue, but he's honest. Albert Bearkin."
MAP of Namarth
Seraphiel notices nothing untoward. The sergeant is a name and address down on a piece of paper for Gobi and the staff and patrons are starting to trickle back into the building.
The sergeant finishes writing and hands the scrap of paper to the dwarf. "There you go sir. Lots of places, but I'd recommend my brother in law. Tell him you helped out Hardshyp and he'll give you a discount. He's got a sour tongue, but he's honest. Albert Bearkin."
"Aye, thanks. I'll give him a visit once we've got this mess sorted out. You lot ready then?"
Gobi heads out the back door.
With a look that neatly mingles relief with resolution, Kia follows Gobi.
The Club is only a short distance from the Way with Words and the graceful brick facade looks more like a private house than anything else. A very small brass plaque is fixed to the wall. It reads "The Parthenon."
Kia looks at the building and around her for any signs of trouble or people carrying books.
"I hope it's not one of those dreadful places that only allow men inside."
Kia sees nobody carrying a book of any kind, but she does remember a bit about the Parthenon.
Founded two centuries ago, it is a haven for the brightest minds in Namarth to gather, relax and discuss ideas. The founder was a wizard of misogynistic tendencies and her fears that women will not be allowed in are correct. On the plus side, she is aware that once inside the doors, members are protected from the everyday world and that letters and packages are not delivered to the recipient until the member chooses to leave the confines of the club.
Arianwyn arches an eyebrow and says innocently, "Such a shame that some members of our band cannot enter."
"But if the book is yet to be delivered, perhaps we can catch the courier outside."
"Why doesn't one of you men go in and see if it isn't waiting for him already?"
Kia is obviously trying to hold her temper.
"Better do it soon or I might have to get a bit 'diplomatic' with the doorkeeper myself"
"I'll go, if that's alright with everyone? Maybe we should go in disguise as this person. You know to catch the courier when he approaches him. Anyway, think about it. I'm heading in."
Adjusting his cloak, Gobi strides through the door, intent on confronting the demons of bureaucracy and etiquette within.
Gobi
The hall before you is an elegant, high ceilinged chamber. An atmosphere of austere calm prevails and carpet muffles much of the sound. Even so, your feet tap harshly on the marble floors as you approach the dominating central desk.
An impassive figure in dark robes looks dispassionately at you, surveying your clothing and demeanour. Behind him stands a set of pigeon holes, reaching to the height of the door frame. Each is labeled with a name in gothic script, but at this distance you have no way of reading them.
"Good afternoon sir. May I assist you?"
MAP
Everyone but Gobi
As Gobi enters, you see the dark robed man at the desk look up and speak to him.
Rev DM
"Oh good day to you sir, I have just moved to this area and a good friend of mine had told me about your fine establishment. It just so happens that, oh this is so embarrassing. I had taken note of your street address to come and enjoy the fine company and see my old friend if he is in today and one of my servants mistakenly used that address to forward my mail and I believe a most important package may have been brought here by a courier. You must know the regulars, my friend is quite hard to miss even with how sneaky and tricky he can be at times. Do you know if he is in or if a courier has dropped in yet? Good help eh?" Gobi chuckles and pushes his hair back leaving a small bit quaffed
Bluff (1d20+4=16)
Diplomacy/Perception (1d20+9=23, 1d20+10=13)
Gobi
The man listens politely to Gobi's jumbled explanation for his presence.
Insight to oppose Gobi's Bluff (1d20+12=28).
"I see sir. How unfortunate for you. Regrettably, as I am sure your friend will have told you, we are not in the habit of disclosing the whereabouts of our members, nor any information pertaining to them. I have no wish to make your day more tiresome than it has apparently already been, however, so perhaps you could tell me your friend's name? Packages and letters are delivered all day, as you can see."
The Bugler gestures towards the pigeon holes and Gobi can see plainly that most of them contain parcels and letters.
Everyone else
Gobi is talking to the man at the desk. The dwarf brushes his hands through his hair and seems to be making an effort to look smart and blend in. Kia recalls that the reception staff at the Parthenon are known as Buglers, for some reason nobody can remember. Tradition is very important.
Arianwyn snorts and then follows Gobi in.
Never send a dwarf to do an eladrin's job! he thinks.
Arianwyn and Gobi
The Bugler nods slightly, acknowledging your presence. "One moment sir, if you would be so kind." His attention returns to Gobi.
Everyone else
Arianwyn struts through the door and joins Gobi at the desk.
Arianwyn assumes his iciest air of hauteur, and looks down his nose at Gobi, "Will you let anyone in these days?" he says arrogantly. "Be done, dwarf, I have important business here."
He waits for the man to finish with Gobi.
He scans the pigeon holes for any books.
Arianwyn arches an eyebrow and says innocently, "Such a shame that some members of our band cannot enter."
"Indeed. Maybe they'll let the rest of us in after you start fighting the monsters," Vel answers sweetly.
She then looks for a bench near the Parthenon, preferably across the street.
Vel finds a pleasing wrought iron bench under a near-by tree. It is very pleasant in the afternoon sunshine.
Arianwyn/Gobi
The Bugler raises an admonitory hand. "I must ask you to step away from the pigeon holes. The contents are held in trust for our members. Our membership is by invitation and sponsorship as it has always been."
He turns back to Gobi. "If you could enlighten me further, sir. We had reached the point of you telling me your friend's name."
"Really!"
Kia goes purposefully through the door and beckons to those of the party that are within.
"Please, there is no need for subterfuge here. If I have any understanding of these places at all, and to my shame, my uncle is a member of a very similar society back in the feywild, we should just say what we need. The staff in these places respect good manners, openness and honesty (in that order) most highly from non-members. They are the souls of discretion and would not be phased by anything we might tell them. The members can resort to bluff and lies, that is a game which it is their privilege to play, but we cannot."
"Why don't we just ask if the person is here, if there has been a parcel for him and if we could possibly speak to him before he picks up the parcel. Explain that this is very important, drop names, say Narissa said so. Look the bugler in the eye and be very, very honest."
Whiteclaw goes to sit with Vel on the bench across the street.
"My friend is a very secretive person and he is always going by different names in places like this. He is an imposter, he likes to make a mockery of fine establishments such as yours. I do believe he is inside working on that very goal currently. The package that is coming here is enough to make you and all your patrons look very foolish indeed. So it is in both of our best interest to make sure that you don't have to deal with a sudden loss of clientele. All we need to thwart his plan is to make sure a book sized package did not come here and if it has, we need to remove it from the premises immediately. If you can help us find our friend that would be useful too."
Gobi looks at Kia and Arianwyn and whispers "A surge of back up isn't going to make us seem believable."
The Bugler allows one of his eyebrows to lift very slightly and his manner becomes a fraction chillier.
"Since you seem unable to recall your friend's name, I doubt that I can offer you any further assistance. However urgent your business, you must understand that we are not at liberty to discuss our members with anyone. Regrettably, I must also add that I am doubtful that you do, in fact, know any of our members."
Unable to restrain herself any longer, Kia strides towards the desk, just pausing to look hard at Arianwyn.
"Arianwyn, don't say a word!"
To the bugler:
"Pardon me sir, but you must understand that we are heroes, used to saving peoples lives by any means at our disposal and sometimes we cannot think of anything but deceit to accomplish this end."
"The man we seek calls himself The Gentleman and his life is in great danger. If someone has recently delivered a book for him, he must not receive it lest he suffers a terrible fate. A fate which, incidentally, would result in a lot of nasty creatures appearing in this lobby and us having to fight a messy and destructive battle. I am sure that this is not what you want."
"Now, if you could please be so kind as to alert this gentleman that we need to speak to him most urgently, assuming, of course that he is here, you will be doing us and him a great favour."
"You see, though I am a woman, I can still speak with respect regarding this establishment and it s members."
"I see. We are not unversed in the ways of adventurers, although our membership and their comfort is always our first loyalty. It does appear that your errand has a certain urgency however. I will enquire."
There is a slight pause as Bugler appears to be consulting some internal ledger.
"We have a reciprocal arrangement with a similar establishment in the feywild. Your uncle is?"
The question hangs in the air.
Reason looks around for delivery-folk.
Reason sees plentiful delivery folk, but nobody going into or coming out of the Parthenon bar his own intrepid companions.
"Uncle Weylar."
"Well, I tried." Gobi shrugs
The Bugler allows a very faint smile to pass his lips.
"The Gentleman is in the Member's Sitting Room" - the capital letters are clear from his tone.
"My apologies for doubting your credentials sir," he nods at Gobi. "If you will wait here, I will ask him to join you. Unfortunately, Miss Rubarka's gender prohibits my inviting to wait elsewhere."
He press a bell and once more indulges in some private mental colloquy.
A few moments later, the double doors open and an extremely elegant, yet curiously unmemorable figure approaches. None of his features are in any way distinctive and yet you sense instinctively that here is an entirely trustworthy man.
"The Bugler tells me you have urgent news for me. Would you care to explain?"
Kia wanders away from the desk muttering to herself.
"He knows my name... that's so frightening... Uncle Weylar, what have you been saying about me?"
"My apologies for doubting your credentials sir," he nods at Gobi. "If you will wait here, I will ask him to join you. Unfortunately, Miss Rubarka's gender prohibits my inviting to wait elsewhere."
"It's quite alright, I might still give some thought to becoming a member even with your mistake." Gobi looks at the newcomer
"You cannot accept any packages, you haven't already have you? It's a book and you'll become completely wrapped up in it. quite literally." Friends of Gobi recognize the brief moment that he is pleased with his delivery before he returns to the seriousness of the matter. "It might be best if you lay low even, come with us. Right guys?"
Arianwyn throws his hands up in the air in a gesture of disbelief and frustration as Kia barges in.
He looks at her slyly and thinks... Hmm... most peculiar. It seems there are some merits to being a social climber.
He looks ill at ease in the setting whose rules he doesn't understand.
"You cannot accept any packages, you haven't already have you? It's a book and you'll become completely wrapped up in it. quite literally." Friends of Gobi recognize the brief moment that he is pleased with his delivery before he returns to the seriousness of the matter. "It might be best if you lay low even, come with us. Right guys?"
"Dangerous packages? I appreciate your concern, but I am - let's call it mildly curious - that you have managed to track me down at all. It suggests an uncommon concern for my well-being combined with some unusual friends."
The Gentleman, for so it is, looks at the assembled comrades. "I think you need to confide a little more in me you know, I really do. First things first however. Bugler, is there a package for me?"
The Bugler turns to the pigeon holes and nods. "Yes sir. Delivered this morning by a private courier. University marked."
"So far, so good. Shall we adjourn to somewhere more convivial for those of the female persuasion? Taking this dangerous gift with us."
He holds out his hand for the parcel.
Mind you, if the rules include "you may not fry people with your brain" then yes, he would be lost.
He holds out his hand for the parcel.
"You better let me carry that, or one of us anyway. It's too risky."
Gobi puts his hand out instead
Kia nods respectfully at the Gemtleman. Not least because he shows respect for her sex which she wasn't sure she could count on.
"My friend Gobi is right. It is best that you have as little contact with that book as possible. None would be best. We've seen these in action. Where would you suggest we go?"
"Too risky for me?" The Gentleman sounds slightly incredulous. "Unlikely. Your concern does you credit, even if it is somewhat unusual. Very well. Carry the parcel if you want to."
This is a concession. It's fairly clear that The Gentleman regards himself as well able to retrieve his parcel any time he wants to.
"How many you will be joining us? Apart from your flamboyant eladrin friend," - he nods towards Arianwyn, "I see a tiefling and a deva through the window taking an uncommon interest in this conversation..."
He smiles slightly. "If any of you like cider, I know an excellent place quite near by. Acceptable?"
"Cider?! Uh yes."
Arianwyn seems itching to examine another book that has not yet been used as a prison.
"Cider... very well. As long as it is not the dishwater variety. Yea, there are strange tastes amongst humankind."
"Dishwater? are you calling fruitful bloom dishwater?"
"Good cider. Not Fruitful Bloom standards, but good. There are alternatives you may like better. Ah. I knew there was something. You may call me Gentleman. You are?"
The Gentleman ignores Arianwyn's longing looks and pockets the parcel.
Arianwyn declares simply, "Arianwyn."
The Gentleman's smile widens. "Delighted to meet you. We must have a chat someday. There's a price on your head. Did you know?"
Arianwyn's opalescent blue eyes narrow in the by-now-familiar fashion, "Is there now? How civilised of you to inform me. I suppose it would be the height of ill manners to ask who has placed this bounty upon me?" he asks with a smile and a cool manner.
Arianwyn's opalescent blue eyes narrow in the by-now-familiar fashion, "Is there now? How civilised of you to inform me. I suppose it would be the height of ill manners to ask who has placed this bounty upon me?" he asks with a smile and a cool manner.
"It sounds like the height of good sense to me. You appear to have upset the Winter Court. Not enormously so. The bounty isn't yet high enough to tempt me, for example, but I'm sure someone will want to take up their offer. I doubt they'll trouble you greatly."
The Gentleman heads casually to the door.