Ama Freewater's page

Watching the exchanges quietly, Ama had been writing something onto a scroll, having taken notes on what was available, and the situation. Kozzemo checking on her state of life— ever the question of the cynic– was given a glance and a raised eyebrow, though the light scarf over her lower face did little to muffle her voice.

"I do not fancy poor information. That only indicates a lack of care." The sound of her voice was wrack and spray, making a couple more notations on the scroll before setting the quill down. My talents lie in knowledge, or at least know where to find it, how to find it, and what to do with it once it is found. My capability with the arcane is not insignificant, either."[/b] Her eyes turned to Ivo, expectant.

That a favor was owed to the Professor went unsaid, as this was not something that they would have normally undertaken.

"This should prove fruitful..."

Ama was torn. While she wanted to stay and support, Meridian's call about undead was something that she could act on. "I'll help Meridian", she said, hopefully loud enough that the Warforged and Pink-Eye heard.
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Moving to assist Meridian with the undead-
- if in range within one move (30'), Disrupt Undead Ray To Hit: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13, Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4
- if not in range, double move (+30') to get within range of the ray (30')

Meridian's turn and burst of flame made Ama look in the direction that she seemed to be aiming, and—

While things did trend towards violence, Ama was disheartened at the conflict that they had now. Just what was so valuable that these men would be willing to die to acquire? The irony about her asking that was not missed, given that she was adventuring to acquire more elemental grafts. The men were outnumbered, and that was pretty much the end of this fight, but she still looked around, wondering if they were all missing something.
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This is... too easy? (Perception): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

There was certainly confusion on Ama's face, though that may have been difficult to discern in the dimmer light. The fight was concluded in their favor, the guard had surrendered, and he was telling them to surrender? She had questions, but would ask them later, probably. As it was, the sounds of horses was surprisingly loud, and anything that was being said was difficult to hear. The flattened grass on the ground of this encampment was not as springy as it was further out, and the scent that was in the air was not what she was used to.
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Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

The force missile was a certain hit and that was good, but now its absence had to be factored in to the possibilites that she was accounting for. With everyone engaged, she was not certain enough of her aim to be confident that she would not hit anyone, and the spells she had remaining did not discriminate against who got hit. Since there was enough of an advantage, she felt that holding on until she was certain would not be detrimental.
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Holding action until the other guard is not engaged, then will fire a Ray of Frost.
Ray of Frost: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16, Damage: 1d3 ⇒ 3

Nah, a miss is a miss. I'm fine with that happening.

The undead having been destroyed by Pink-Eye and Gauntlet cleared up a couple of possibilities, so Ama settled for hindering the remaining opponents. The question was how, as she did not prepare much for their travel, and the others affected too large an area to be safe.
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Delay

Making sure to keep someone positioned between herself and the current fight, Ama tried again to help with the skeletons, trusting the others to the rest. Again, her aim was off, and that was not a good thing in this case. A change of tactics seemed like they would be more effective, but helping without hindering was something she would have to be very careful in doing.
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Disrupt Undead at the closest skeleton
Ranged Touch@Closest skeleton: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

Appreciative that one of the perks of this small trick is that it did no harm to the Living, Ama continued to move with the group so as to not get separated from the others. As soon as she was in range to affect the undead, she started attempting to do so, trusting the others to keep them from reaching her.

The first shot goes wide, Ama breathing too heavily to aim properly.
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Disrupt Undead, 30ft range
Ranged Touch: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Ama was not liking the possibilities inherent in this action if they swung even the slightest bit out of their favor— of which she had no reassurance that they even were in their favor– but a sense of camraderie motivated her support. '—and greed', she admitted to herself with slight chagrin. Still, she had a tentative plan, which was to support the others as best she could with her magic.

Of course, that meant being close enough to affect the undead with the spell she knew that wore at the integrity of the magic that animated them, eroding it away. She had a bit of precision prepared, and other than that, a blanket effect if absolutely necessary. She was not sure it was going to be enough, but it was something. Luck was not something that she wanted to have to rely on.

Every time they did something like this— which she was realizing was more often than some ever did in their lives– her heart took up a beat that made her think that it could be heard from paces away. The spells in her head shifted like the eddies of water in a stream, or rills of a lake, always shifting. She tried to step softly, making believe that she was barely even there. Part of her mind was contemplating possibilities, looking ahead beyond the next few seconds, choosing and discarding possibilities, to make sure that their endeavor did not end without them being derailed by the unexpected.

Her fingers were crossed, though. If anyone asked, she would just claim that she was holding a spell ready.
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Stealth: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14

Seeing that the conversation was turning towards a potential engagement, Ama returned her attention back to her book, having forgotten the tidbit of advice that was given by Gauntlet. It was slightly difficult to keep studying, with that facet of information in mind. While that information was something she had read about during a part of her research, she did not expect to be going there in her lifetime, and had put it out of her mind until now.

Nervous, she continued to memorize the magic, and regain her focus.

Ama had paused her studying to listen to the discussion, since the use of her magic was not strictly necessary at this point. While she knew little about the area, there was likely a fair bit of academic knowledge that she had run across, if her memory could be jogged a bit. She was certainly happy to avoid a fight, as any day with the threat of death avoided was a good one, as far as she was concerned.

There is a fair amount of fretting from Ama about the decision to find out who these individuals are. Pink-Eye did have a valid point, but provoking a fight seemed so... "last resort". "There's no other way around them, is there?", she asked with a tone of resignation that sounded like the sigh of the ocean at low tide. The cart had been amazing for copying the spells into her spellbook without the jostles and bumps that would have utterly ruined anything that she was trying to carefully copy.

The only magics that she had prepared were the one for reading scrolls from memory, the minor magic for light to read by, and the other minor multipurpose spell. That was going to be a problem if things became hostile. "I do not have much magic prepared", she admitted. "If we have time and information, I can have a little more magic to lend."

Squinting, she tried to look in the direction everyone else was, to see what was down there. Pink-Eye said skeletons, so she believed him. "Skeletons? Are there a lot of them?", she asked in a small voice.
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Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19
I'll consider Shield and Alarm copied, with another check to be made for Hold Portal
Disrupt Undead (0th), Shield (1st), Color Spray(1st), Magic Missile(1st) to be memorized in that order, if only a few can be memorized.

The cart was providing one of the smoothest rides that Ama had ever been on, and she spent a good half-hour examining the cart to see how it worked. While she did not want to poke at it, she was mesmerized by the construction and function of the item. So distracted was she by the cart that she did have some curious questions about it for Failin, but they quickly became too technical for the casual user. Even still, the sound of her voice was a soothing, if curious sound.

Eventually relenting, she took the time to copy the scrolls that she had purchased into her spellbook, still impressed at the smooth ride that the cart gave. While she participated in conversations, her contributions were limited to short replies, somewhat distant as she focused on the copying that she was doing.
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Previous checks had Alarm at 27 to scribe, and Hold Portal at 14. Have they been added to her spellbook?
Spellcraft for Shield: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (20) + 9 = 29
Spellcraft for Hold Portal: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13(just in case)
K.(Arcana)@10= 17

Remaining quiet, Ama took notes on the exchange and manner of everyone involved, glad it was not going to turn into a fight— for now, at least. As the negotiations continued, she tried to gauge their moods. It was difficult to understand how someone could have ended up owing such an unsavory individual the amount of money that their guide did, but not outside the realm of possibility. Such as it was, her thoughts were more occupied with where they were going and what might be in store for them. To say that she was apprehensive was an understatement.
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Player note: Hold Portal, Alarm, Shield still to be scribed.

Ama looks startled by the appearance of the Kobold and Pink-Eye interjects first. She was looking a bit aggreived at this point, wanting to take the time to get these scrolls into her spellbook, and a delay that was possible with this was taxing. She did look a bit relieved when Erix stepped in, and waited to see what the response would be.

Ama's drink was forgotten as she paid close attention to the negotiations. In truth, she was also trying and failing to not pale at the thought of going into the Mournland. She was going to have to have some sort of a plan ready for where they were going, because if she got caught off-guard, things were not going to look good for them.

The tankard was too small to hide behind, but Ama brought it anyway. She was so far out of her depth with this situation that she tried to make sure that all she was doing was showing support by coming, but she had no idea how she appeared to anyone else looking on. At least she was appreciative that she was not the most obvious one, in that Pink-Eye and Gauntlet almost made her seem invisible just by their presence. When Xetovia spoke up, she tried to seem neutral about it, but was aware that it was probably a pointless effort.
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I clearly belong here! Bluff check: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9

Ama listened to the exchange with some curiosity, and then looked down at her drink, then to the others who seemed to be listening in to the exchange between Erix and the kobold that had approached Meridian. This was not her area of expertise, and did not have the faintest idea of what the "proper" method to approach someone in a place like this. She had read a fair amount of stories about seedy taverns and proper ways to approach or else the worst would happen to the individual who inquired in the wrong manner. In this kind of city, there was no telling what kind of thing the "worst" was. It would not have surprised her to learn that the hand that was nailed to the sign was someone that approached someone in here the wrong way.

Put like that, she realized that being the one to approach was not something that she was going to volunteer for, and shrunk into her chair a little further, trying to look unobtrusive.

A polite nod was given to Meridian for the drink, though a dubious eye was given to the mug and its contents, a few seconds of concentration at least reassuring her that the mug was safe to drink from. Its contents... Well. Picking up the tankard, Ama took a tiny sniff, then a sip, expecting it to taste like road dirt mixed with stale donkey urine. To her surprise, it actually did not taste bad, but she was not sure about drinking more. The besotted Kobold professing his attraction to Meridian was straining her ability to keep a straight face, so she looked at the others to see if anyone else was able to understand what was happening.

Still proud at her negotiation regarding the scroll, Ama was upbeat as she followed the others to the tavern until she saw the sign. Then, she visibly dimmed as she reminded herself of where she was, looking up at Pink-Eye to nod in agreement to his statement. She was remaining near enough to Xetovia once they got inside, but her attentions were being taken by the level of cleanliness— or lack thereof that was assaulting her sensibilities. A cantrip cleaned her chair and the immediate area of the table, and even then she was uncomfortable with their surroundings. At least she was not thirsty, and for that she was thankful, as she doubted she would be able to drink anything in here.

There was a few seconds of contemplation as Ama narrowed her eyes at the offer weighing the potential of the availability of the spell and the use it was likely to see against the chance she would find it somewhere else. A slight exhalation, and she nodded, pulling her pouch off of her belt and withdrawing two coins from it before she set it on the table. The scroll was picked up with a polite nod and a smile.

"Let me know if you have any others you might want to trade for." With a grin to Pink-Eye, pleased at having made a deal, she tucked the scroll into the sleeve of her robe and made ready to return.

At the quoted price, it was all Ama could do not to laugh in the merchant's face. Part of it was the amusement she was experiencing at haggling with a goblin, the wares arrayed on cloth over a couple of crates, with more of their stock behind them. As it was, she simply shook her head, the snort that slipped out before she caught her laugh saying how much she actually thought about the quoted price. "You're clearly not much of a merchant if you're charging that much for a scroll that you obviously can't use. I could make a scroll at a tenth of that price!" Narrowing her eyes, she examined the merchant's wares again, a snap of her fingers letting her see the inherent magic in the items they were selling.

"Good try, though. Twenty gold." Making no secret that she was unimpressed by the attempt to overtly gouge her, she smiled softly and made her Arcanix ring start to glow softly, via another minor use of magic. "You're not dealing with a clueless buyer. Try again." Truth be told, she was willing to go a little higher, but there was the possibility that she could get something good out of the deal if she kept up.

There was a pretty good chance that they were going to be here a few days, so Ama was more intrigued in the idea of the writings that they had here. The organization of the city was surprising, and offhand, she thought that there were some lessons on organization that some of the cities she had been through that could be shared. There was still some minor things that she had to take care of, and being stuck in a place of knowledge sounded like a pleasant idea, since this town was so organized. "...I don't suppose there is a library?" she hazarded. "I would certainly love to spend the afternoon there if there are some other things that need taking care of that would place me underfoot." It had not quite occurred to her yet that she might not be able to read the language.

Thoughtful, she added, "Though, I would not mind acquiring another scroll, if we are passing through the market..." She also had to be mindful of not staring. She had not seen as many goblinoids as she did now, and it was different. '...What manner of accessory is that?"
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A scroll of Shield is something that she would probably like to acquire, and this evening, she'll likely attempt to scribe the other two scrolls(Hold Portal, Alarm) into her spellbook as well.

Eyes wide, Ama was unprepared for the splendor that greeted them. She was looking every way she could, marveling at the sights that could be seen, curiosity written large across her expression as she took it all in. From her seat on the caravan she was already picking out the most colorful things to perhaps visit when they had the opportunity, and the smells were something to certainly be remembered. Initially, the state of the city may have given her pause, but there was far too much to see and do to let a lit— okay, a decent amount– of dirt give her pause. She did still look to the Orien brothers for cues, though. This was certainly out of her range of experience.
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With GM permission, I'll have her have scribed a Scroll of Magic Missile (L1) during the trip.

"I can understand the solidarity through shared identity, I suppose", Ama responded thoughtfully. She was appreciative of the litany, and could see how several voices nearby might lift one's spirits, if even just a little. She took a deep breath and was able to essay a tentative smile, small and brief as it was. She did not consider how jarring the sight might be, since that momentary showing of her teeth was not white, or even yellowed, but translucent. "I suppose I should go see if I can render any aid to the others", she said, uncertain about what help she could lend, but not willing to let the others do all the work.

"Thank you for coming to check on me. I feel better", she said sincerely before taking her leave of Xetovia to see what the others were up to.

Ama was not sure how she was supposed to feel. Xetovia's words brought her attention, and she managed a slight smile even as she looked away again. "The first one where there were people that were depending on us..." She supposed that was the thing that was giving her pause, and she sighed with the sound of gentle waves washing up on the beach. "I don't think it is something that I can ever get used to."

She looked down at her clothes, and then slid off the wagon, a bit proud that there was none of the unsteadiness she thought she would feel. Just the solid comfort of the ground beneath her boots. The question sounded like she was a bit embarrassed at her reaction."This really was not much to you, was it?"
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Site issues. Eaten posts. Bah.

Content to remain atop the wagon until she needed to get down, Ama could only sigh with the sound of a wave receding from the shore. While she was just loading the weapons, she really did not have a sense of the scale of what was going on at the time. The update from Xetovia was greatly appreciated, though she had not quite managed to settle the feelings she had post-battle. Xetovia's words were nodded along with, as she tried to gather herself. Haltingly, she tried to respond in kind with what she had done during the fight.

"I was loading crossbows. Mine and the 'forged. I... lost count of how many times, but it seemed like it was enough." Her eyes looked around again, her voice as soft as a calm lake in spring, before her dislike of uncertainty had her counting the number of bolts that remained with the glance of a second. "Six bolts used, I don't think either of us was injured." The smile she gave was a bit distant, but she did meet her eyes. Absently, she looked at her hands again, flexing them and frowning slightly at the soreness. 'It seemed like so much more...' She probably was going to have bruises.

Ama finally allowed herself to stop and look around at the ambush that had taken place. She was breathing hard from the repeated actions of loading the crossbows and handing them back, and only now really registered the feeling in her hands, setting the loaded heavy crossbow down gently without hopefully tripping the trigger. While she was familiar with the function of the mechanism, this was actually one of the (very) few times that she had to handle a weapon like this. Mechanisms like this were not like magic, and that made her uncertain about it.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm her heart as she surveyed the area.

A satisfactory smile is on Ama's face as she returns to the reloading of the ranged weapons, the heavy crossbow taking a good few seconds to load. Thus far, it has been a valuable lesson in combat, and she was trying to look at it objectively, as if she had ever stopped to think about what was going on around her, she would undoubtedly be unable to function for a while.

"An excellent showing, Sir Warforged."
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Heavy Crossbow reload is 1 Standard Action

The reloading and handing of the crossbows had been something that Ama was surprised to find herself enjoying. She was trusting the Warforged to shield her from the battle that was going on, while she was providing a means that did not see him delaying. The goblin showing up nearby them did not really surprise her at the moment, though she was likely going to nearly panic later. From her position on one knee, her crossbow having been reloaded and ready to hand to the Warforged— 'I'm really going to have to remember it-his name now'– for some reason she was not worried, but readied herself for what attack that it might manage, reading its (poor)footwork as she gauged the next strike that it attempted.
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Total Defense AC16.

The cover provided by the Warforged was greatly appreciated, even as she tried to take stock of the situation, and was uncertain about what to do other than try to not get hit. While there were too many for her to affect directly, she could be of some help. The THMMNG of the heavy crossbow firing was a different sound. One that she had not heard before, but she understood it, seeing the large weapon in its hands.

Thinking quickly, she offered her smaller, lesser quality weapon to him. "Here! I'll reload yours!"
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Hoping for a load/fire/reload system to work with, using Gauntlet as cover.

Rather than make a target of herself, Ama had enough awareness to react, letting the others know with a shout that sounded like the crash of waves and spray across a rocky cliff. "TO ARMS! TO ARMS!!" Then she was pulling at the magic, weaving it into a protective pattern against oncoming injuries as she tried to anticipate where the attacks would come from, so she could not be there.
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Mage Armor cast, AC16

Ama was looking between the others during the negotiation, curious about how this was going to go. She had not done much negotiation, though the offer of healing was a good offer— she thought. How much trouble were they expecting on this trip?

Listening to the caravan master, Ama was curious about these "clans", as she had not had enough time once they arrived to do what research she could, and was not feeling all that confident about not knowing what they were walking into. She had spent time conversing with Xetovia, and had gotten to know Pink-Eye better, though the member of House Orien was not someone that she had the chance to speak to as of yet. As the negotiations continued, she listened, but was considering what they could possibly encounter on their travels.
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Spellcraft Alarm: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27
Spellcraft Hold Portal: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14

Ama blinked at the odd wording of the inquiry. "Placards?" she said with a bit of a curious look, not understanding the word. "Why would I carry those?" She tried to think of any sort of placard that would be mentioned in the sense of a spellbook or magic, but drew a blank on the term. Were they placeholders of some sort, or some kind of magical marker, maybe?
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The graft is definitely noticeable up close, her voice would sound vaguely like waves, and any time she would show her teeth, it would be visible.
K.Arcana: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19 "Placard" is uncommon terminology, as well as not being the area of focus, I'd say she needed a 20 to get it.

Ama was still pouting of the loss of sea travel, but had to concede the safety of the overland route. Considering that they were given an imperative to travel, Ama did make a point to acquire a crossbow and a case of bolts, just in case. There was some consideration for a couple more scrolls that she could scribe into her spellbook on the way, and she really did not want to carry that much gold around... It was probably better to divest herself of the majority of the gold she held.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be", she declared a bit reluctantly. Leaving the "safety" of the city towards their destination was something that gave her no small amount of trepidation, but she did have goals, and they were ones that were not likely to be reached if she remained idle. "Xetovia, you seem the kind of person who is always prepared, would you mind giving my gear a once-over?"
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Graft has been handled. Crossbow, 10 bolts, Hold Portal, and Alarm purchased to be added to her spellbook later.

Ama thought that she was not one to be put off by the wide grin of a Minotaur, but she did shrink back a little, and then looked immediately ashamed of her reaction. Gauntlet turning to address Pink-Eye gave her a bit of a distraction, though the annoyed sigh at herself came out as the beginnings of wind over rough seas. She did have to remind herself that her smile might garner the same response, and made to apologize again before Gauntlet's terminology made her turn her eyes to Xetovia in curiosity. Her blush got a bit of a bemused smile, but no comment.
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Within that same hour, Ama finally closed her spellbook, latching the cover closed, and leaned back to see who was still nearby and what was going on. A stretch pulled a slight groan out of her and she put her book away, wandering over to Pink-Eye and essaying a smile. "Did I ever get a chance to apologize for my behavior that night we met?"

Her smile drooped a little at the mention of the Professor, though.
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Ama would be dismayed to hear that the sea route was passed over. Her vote would be by water.

Ama continued to study her spellbook, taking idle note of the discussions, though she had little to offer in the planning.

Ama was still rather surprised and a bit shaken from the fight that broke out. While the others discussed options, she listened with half an ear as she pored over a large book with a lock, sheltered by one of the others as out-of-the-way as she could manage without leaving their immediate vicinity.
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Ama is memorizing some of her spells for the day. Let me know how many she can manage in the time period of this discussion.

With her useful spells exhausted, Ama looked around the immediate area for something that could be used to contribute to the fight.

A glance around the table showed the others engaging the kobolds, and there was little that she could do to the kobolds directly, until she remembered she had one more option left before her magic was exhausted. She took a deep breath, and then looked around the side of the table and cast a spell not at the Warforged, but at the ground just in front of, and just outside of, the doorway.
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Grease cast on the 10ft square of the doorway, under the Warforged. Reflex(14) or fall.

Surprised to see this conflict occurring again, Ama ducked behind the table with the lady, making a meager attempt to turn the table onto its side to provide more cover from any other bolts that may fly their way.
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Strength: 1d20 ⇒ 20

While Ama was good at knowing the things that she had an interest in, thinking on her feet was something that was not her strong suit. She nodded a silent acknowledgement of the receipt of the message and closed her door to read it, absentmindedly casting a cantrip to aid her reading.

Thankfully, she had not exactly unpacked her bag from when she was below, so packing 'Just in case' was as easy as picking up the bag, after she stuffed her spellbook into the top. The tone of the letter was urgent, and it was possible that she was going to be hired to help her leave the city... It would not do to have something get left behind.

What was unfinished the night before was breakfast, and she exited her home after shuttering her windows. She was going to have to ask a guard for directions to the "Broken Anvil", but deep down, she was thrilled at the chance to work for the Lady again.
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Sharn - City of Towers - 998 YK - Fourteenth Day of Dravago - Ama's Home

The knock at the door was somewhat surprising at the time it came, but in truth, Ama had been up late, and was just settling back into a fitful doze. There was a bit of a lingering ache that came with the adjustment, and it had not fully gone away just yet. So, while she could speak, she opted not to- as she had found that speaking was still slightly irritating to her throat. Thank goodness for cantrips, though.

A minor magic cleared any lingering traces of sleep and rendered her fit to be seen, and she threw her robe on as she came to the door, opening it a crack. Her expression was, curiosity and polite inquiry written across the half of her face that could be seen around the door. "...?"

With no words said against her, and the urging of someone of station, Ama accepted the payment. She gave a grateful salute and thought about what she wanted to do with the money.

Speechless was something that rarely could be applied to Ama. She knew how to not comment on things when her contribution would not help, and she knew how to hold her tongue when she had nothing to add. It was just a mixture of surprise and social standing that had her at a loss for words, was all. Still, she gaped for a couple of seconds before she remembered how to make her mouth move.

Sounds came out a few seconds after she remembered that she could do that too, and words were shortly behind that. She was definitely caught off-guard. "...Um... Ah.. Lady... I-I'm not— that is, I was not contracted on, I was accompanying the Professor, and just got swept up–"

She looked to the others, confused about the proper manner in this situation besides "run up and take the money like an ill-mannered commoner", being offered money was wonderful, but she had no protocol for this! Frozen with indecision, she could not make her legs work to stand, or find the words to explain her situation.