The Archive (Jaela)

[Corwin]

"Or telepathy," Jaela agrees, checking herself over with Detect Magic all the same. "In case you're reaching out to me and not wasting my time, I'm listening," she says while it takes time for her magic to run its course and either clear her of foreign influence or identify one.

[Anastasia]

There's fading magic around you. A simple spell to project a one time message to you and nothing more.

[Corwin]

"Idiocy," Jaela mutters, heading on. "So you were saying?"

[Anastasia]

'The fates turn...' A voice narrates into Jaela's head. 'An unexpected twist further disrupts the pattern of fate, yet it is not by the hand of chaos.' The voice is cold, distant and masculine.

"Well..." Moonlight begins again.

[Corwin]

Thinking about the associations this brings up would be foolish in case whoever it is has the means to listen in o Jaela's thoughts while avoiding detection, and so she pays attention to Moonlight instead.

[Anastasia]

"...When you're powerful and trusted a servant as I am," Moonlight holds up her hand, "Hey, it's not hubris, just fact. The point is when you reach a certain point of prestige you're expected to manage several roles. Diplomat's one of them, especially when I'm away from the House of Nature. Put the best foot forward for Lathander, right?"

You reach the beginning of the next level. This time there's no books on the shelves, just tightly bound scrolls and small stone tablets.

[Corwin]

Jaela pauses to take a look at what's on offer, here. "I get you," she tells Moonlight. "It's the same sort of training I had from the very start. It doesn't always seem obvious why you need it, but that tends to happen later, right?"

[Anastasia]

"Yeah, usually after you make a mistake or ten," Moonlight quips right back.

Meanwhile Sage Vul'lath pauses to study a tablet, while Canderella follows along. "Where I'm from, diplomacy means telling your opponent you're going to summon a storm's fury on them before you do it."

[Corwin]

"Is there any actual benefit to that? It's not a bluff since you do it anyway, and it's not particularly intimidating since a storm out of the blue is far more scary than when prepared for it."

[Anastasia]

Canderella shrugs, "It's part of the fun and games."

Above, you note the strange eye is still following the party.

[Corwin]

Jaela decides to keep going for now.

[Anastasia]

> roll 1d100
<Rei-chan> THECOLDFINALXORNOFFSEASON rolled : 1d100 --> [ 1d100=11 ]{11}

Luck is with you - you barely go 2 minutes before you come to an intersection that has a stairway going up to the 4th floor. However, a pale purple force field blocks the way up.

[Corwin]

Jaela studies the effect, even as she keeps an eye out for a loitering gatekeeper.

[Anastasia]

Spellcraft, might matter here.

[Corwin]

Taking 10, Divine Insight for 15, result of 62