|
Jianghong smiles shyly at Luwei's words and studies the ground.
"Teacher Matsuma says that it is far better to show what you know than to tell." With a raucous laugh and a touch of pink to his cheek, he motions to the small building. "This is Groundskeeper Wan Min's house - he guards the shrubs and the trees at the school that Zheng -" - here he motions for the first time at the silent, scarred, and armoured man escorting your party - "and his brethren don't find it necessary to guard during the day." He barks a laugh again. "I kid. Zheng is a body guard - one of many here at the school, as you may have noted. The blue robes are the School Guard - they are in charge of guarding the shrubs during the day. At night, the groundskeeper is the only one about, as the gates are closed and our blue robed friends go to their families. Honourable Min is away currently, visiting relatives, though I must admit that unless his relatives run a distillery, they are likely to see little of him."
Jianghong continues the tour by leading the group to the only two-story building in the complex, on the centre of the southern wall. He stops at the entrance to the building. "We'll be going in here - possibly the only interesting bit to my tour, sadly. This is our main exhibit and administrative hall. Our teachers have private offices on the second floor, but we reserve the ground floor to show off the output of some of our more esteemed students. You definitely will not find ME in here," he says with a wink as he leads you inside.
The hall contains several treasures on display, including weapons and examples of exquisite calligraphy. One of these pieces is an ornate map on orange silk. Most of the rest of the treasures are protected behind glass. The map, however, is not.
Two blue robed guards stand in the high-ceiling hallway. A spiral staircase can be seen at the far end of the hallway.
|
|
Missing groundskeeper. Bodyguard for the tour guide. Being tour guide is punishment duty. Two more guards in the exhibit hall. Teachers' offices upstairs.
Need to get away from listening ears to tell the others what I saw on the map.
L'Mont flicks his eyes to the orange map on the wall, then dismisses it. He turns toward Jianghong and awkwardly clears his throat.
"Affinities of what?"
As soon as the raw whisper escapes his lips, L'Mont looks to Zheng for the big guard's reaction, if any.
|
|
"Affinities of what?"
Jianghong blithely explains. "Eh, I think it likely refers to the way the tutored artistry of this place melds with the flow of life. Or maybe it just refers to pretty things. I'll admit, I don't pay attention much in philosophy lessons. I'm a much better hands-on learner," he says, glancing at Luwei.
"Don't know why it's not behind glass." Jianghong looks at the orange tapestry. "Probably because it's a facsimile. I think Professor Do has the real one in his office upstairs."
|
|
Jianghong rounds out the tour by showing you a few more of the classrooms, as well as the stables and gardens on the grounds, tended by the students as part of the "preparation of the mind", as your young tour guide suggests.
"Now," he says, returned with you to the main entrance to the grounds, "I can request for you an appointment with any of our teachers or the admissions council chair, if you're so inclined." Here, he leers at Mongo. "Or you can stroll the grounds yourself until the dinner bell."
"What say you?" he dares to address Luwei directly.
|
|
L'Mont gives Luwei a barely perceptible nod.
Smart lady. Gotta send Mongo or Bolty to follow her in case she needs help. Glastor, too?
That fake on the wall - too obvious, no glass, even the tour guide tells us where the real one is? So why bother with the phony map at all if it isn't to fool people like us?
Well, like me, anyway.
"Talking to the egghe-- esteemed professors is more Ushi's line than mine." L'Mont hopes that Ushi is familiar enough with his raspy whisper that he will hear the emphasis on his name and catch his meaning. "Who's available and the most, um, estimable?"
|
|
Mongo scowls at Jianghong. What's this guy's game? Why is he telling us all of this? I feel like he's leading us into something.
Mongo tries to make sense of L'Mont's whisper. Is he talking about splitting up? I don't like the sound of that. I'm sure I'll pick wrong and end up away from all the action, and then what good am I? Not like I'm useful for anything else here.
|
|
"I shall walk the grounds in contemplation of the school and its meanings. Perhaps, you should review your studies of philosophy."
Jianghong seems not affected in the least by Luwei's gentle rebuff. "Well, in that case, there IS the guesthouse," he mentions, jerking his thumb at a small cottage attached to the stables. "Normally we have merchants or other boring people staying there, but it's to the professors' discretion who gets to use it. No one's there now." He consciously studies the ground. "If you were to wish for a few more hours to contemplate the grounds, then it might give me time to brush up on my philosophical devotions," he offers, again, to Luwei.
A bell rings outside of one of the classroom buildings.
Jianghong grimaces. "Maybe not a few hours. That's the dinner bell. If you'd care to meet with any of the professors to discuss using the guesthouse, now would be an opportune time. Otherwise, the grounds will officially close soon."
|
|
Jianghong appears delighted. "Excellent!" His gaze takes in Luwei. His face immediately turns pink again. "I'll see which teacher I can find---" His head swivels as he scans the grounds. "Ah! We are in luck! Master Matsuma!" The young man gestures excitedly at a stooped red-robed Tian-Shu man coming across the grounds from one of the classrooms. He looks up at the beckon, sighs heavily, and begins moving in your direction.
Jianghong whispers excitedly at the group. "Master Matsuma may be gruff, but he's fair. Just tell him that you're visiting dignitaries or something." He gives Luwei a wink as the old man approaches.
The elder man turns to the group, craning his head from its stooped position at the imposingly-tall figures of Ushi and Mongo.
|
|
Dang! Thought we might get a chance to go upstairs, so I could peel off and snoop around, while Luwei distracted this clown and the others created a noisier distraction for the guards. Now we're stuck overnight in the creepy school of militarized scribes?
If we're really going to spend the night, we better figure out how to get off the grounds without raising an alarm once we find the map.
He glances involuntarily at the large, bright orange map hanging a few yards directly in front of him.
The real map.
L'Mont considers how best to look like a visiting dignitary. He decides that acting like he doesn't understand the local language and just waiting for someone to translate it for him is the best course of action.
|
|
|
Feng Luwei's eyes lock on the man and her eyes flash, "You dishonor your school with such insults, Master. I have never encountered a man so rude. I might forgive a man of your age poor eyesight for overlooking a woman standing before you. You would do well to return respect when it is offered you rather than spit on the face of strangers."
|
|
Feng Luwei's eyes lock on the man and her eyes flash,
|
|
And the old man walks away.
You are shown off the grounds of the school by Jianghong, who seems somewhat embarrassed.
|
|
"Doesn't change the job much," L'Mont says, sharpening one of his daggers on a whetstone. "Diplomacy was never really going to do it."
"If we'd stayed, we would have had to get us all out of the guesthouse, into the gallery, find the map, and then break out of the school grounds. Looked to me like those guards were there as much to keep the students in as to keep people out, so I don't know that it's going to be any harder just to sneak in from outside."
He finishes one blade, tests the edge, and moves on to the next.
"So what do we know about security at the school? Anyone notice how high the walls are?"
|
|
L'Mont shakes his head at Mongo. "You didn't see me out there with a measuring stick, did you? Don't worry about it - we'll check it out soon enough. Here is everything I did pick up while Luwei's new pet led us around."
The School of Affinities stands on the southern side of Xiwu, overlooking the Golden River. The school is a compound of several freestanding buildings surrounded by a stone wall. Your caravan comes to a stop in front of the open gate to the school. The rains have ceased, but the grounds are soggy, with puddles in places.
As you disembark and head onto the school grounds, you note a small fountain bubbling in the center of the compound, providing a peaceful background for the artistry in motion. The sliding walls to most of the buildings are open, allowing light to reach rows of students dressed in white, kneeling at their desks. Teachers in red robes walk between the desks, occasionally pausing to check work before continuing with their calligraphy lessons.
You also spot a few people walking between the buildings dressed in blue robes with black sashes. Lastly, within many of the buildings and up against the walls behind certain students, a few out-of-place armed-and-armoured guards stand at attention.
He indicates the open classroom to the party's right and launches into his tour in Taldane. "This building is one of our main classrooms, where calligraphy lessons are taught by Master Do." He waves at an old man in red robes who squints at the party. "He is as deaf as a stone post and twice as dense," he remarks off-handedly, still smiling at the man who flicks his hand at the young man.
Jianghong leads the group to the central fountain next. "The founders of the School of Affinities found it necessary to inform those attending as well as those visiting that our school teaches the calligraphy arts. You can see their heavy-handed message in the carved inkstones that make up the fountain." Jianghong cocks an eyebrow at Bolty and says in mock conspiratorial fashion: "I can assure you that no teacher at this school would allow us to use ink in the fashion that it spills from this fountain, and if anyone did so, they would find themselves on permanent Sunshine Committee."
Jianghong continues the tour by leading the group to the only two-story building in the complex, on the centre of the southern wall. He stops at the entrance to the building. "We'll be going in here - possibly the only interesting bit to my tour, sadly. This is our main exhibit and administrative hall. Our teachers have private offices on the second floor, but we reserve the ground floor to show off the output of some of our more esteemed students. You definitely will not find ME in here," he says with a wink as he leads you inside.
The hall contains several treasures on display, including weapons and examples of exquisite calligraphy. One of these pieces is an ornate map on orange silk. Most of the rest of the treasures are protected behind glass. The map, however, is not.
The hall contains several treasures on display, including weapons and examples of exquisite calligraphy. One of these pieces is an ornate map on orange silk. Most of the rest of the treasures are protected behind glass. The map, however, is not.
Two blue robed guards stand in the high-ceiling hallway. A spiral staircase can be seen at the far end of the hallway.
L'Mont:
Your skill with ink allows you to spot the fact that the map on display is likely a copy. The ink work is far too modern to rate as ancient.
L'Mont finishes his exposition, then starts ticking points off on his fingers.
"One, this place is chock-full of noble brats. Probably mostly second or third sons, daughters, and kids from minor houses who can't afford the bribes for an officer's commission, but still nobles. That means those guards aren't just for show."
"Two, this whole country is built for war. I don't buy them sinking all this cash into teaching kids - even noble kids - how to write pretty. Even Sunshine Boy said that the school goes overboard to tell everyone that it's just a calligraphy school. If that's all it is, I'll dye my hair red like Glastor's."
"And three," L'Mont's smile reveals surprisingly sharp teeth, "the old coot who has the map is deaf as a post."
|
|
"As for resources, we've got a stabby sneak, to do the stealing and, if needed, the stabbing," L'Mont points to himself, "a sniper, to take out the bad guys before they get close enough to stab us," pointing to Bolty, "an enchantress, to take bad guys out of the fight without needing to stab them," to Luwei, "a lucky illusionist, to create distractions and bring us a bit of Desna's blessing when we need it," to Glastor, "a scholar, to make sure we don't miss anything good," to Ushi, "and a Mongo, for when people, walls, or doors get in our way." He finishes with a wink at the half-orc. "Couldn't ask for a better team. What could poss..."
Dontsayitdontsayitdontsayit!
After an odd pause, L'Mont continues. "What else could we possibly need?"
|
|
Luwei takes some time to calm down. Visibly smoothing over her clothes and assuming a mask of cheerfulness, "Self-important people expect powerful people to also be self-important. If you act like them and talk long enough, they stop asking pesky questions." she sniffs pointedly, "That man was especially rude."
Luwei listens to L'mont's explanation with a wry smile. "The cover of night offers our best opportunities, I believe."
|
|
The cool night air feels soothing as the group approaches the walls of the school compound. Approximately ten feet high, the rough stone appears to give a decent surface to scale. The iron gates to the school equal the walls in height. A stout lock plate built into the gate face leaves no question about opening the gate without the use of a lock pick.
The full moon peeks out from behind clouds in the sky, illuminating the grounds and shadowed buildings of the quiet school compound. You can see the two-story main office building where you saw the orange tapestry at the far centre of the southern wall of the compound.
|
'Illusionist? LMort isn't paying attention, though he is right that I bring the blessings of Desna.'
As they set out, Glastor casts longstrider on himself, so that he won't slow anyone down.
"While illusions really are not my specialty, I could try and ask Desna for some tomorrow, but that would slow our plans down. I can do a single dancing lights and a single ghost sound, if that will help."
He checks his gear, and gets ready to move out.
|
|
Moving far enough away from the school's wall that they won't be overheard, L'Mont lays out his ideas in his usual whisper.
"So first, we have to get over the wall. Ten feet is nothing with a knotted rope and a grappling bolt. Both of which I have. We wait until the guards on patrol are at the far end of the school, then over the wall we go, taking cover behind the bushes once we're down."
Scratching out a map into the dust on the ground (which half the party cannot see in the gloom), he continues.
"If we go around the far side of the gallery, we should be able to get near the entrance without being spotted from the path. We should be on the lookout for windows we could use instead."
"If we're spotted by guards, Luwei, you daze 'em or charm 'em. Mongo and Bolty, you knock 'em out. Don't kill them if you can avoid it, because it's going to take us days to get across the border and that caravan isn't going to outrun a bunch of angry soldiers on warhorses."
"If the guards hear something but don't see us right away, or are getting too close too us, Glastor, you make 'em think they heard it on the other side of the school grounds, so they go looking somewhere we're not. Luwei, Ushi, if you've got any illusions up your sleeve, you do the same. Bolty, if magic doesn't work, you shoot a couple of bolts into the fountain, make a big splash. Got it?"
"When we go in, it's the same deal. Take out the guards, find the real map, get out. If we have time, we should take the fake, too. Just in case."
L'Mont loads his grappling bolt and knotted silk rope into his crossbow and checks that his daggers are secure in his bandolier.
"Everybody ready?"