Link: https://www.sylestia.com/forums/?thread=74910&page=163#1624 Author: Falconetti Time Posted: 12/12/2019 at 12:27 PM The pups go on for a little way before clearly looking lost. "Um... I don't suppose you know where the mansion is?" Crimson asks hesitantly. Shootingstar huffs, rolling his eyes.

'Okay the note said 'Water carriers needed. Gold payed per hour worked. Go to the mansion on the hill for more details,' so the mansion is on the hill somewhere and a mansion is large and hard to miss so let's keep going."

Link: https://www.sylestia.com/forums/?thread=74910&page=163#1626 Author: Falconetti Time Posted: 12/12/2019 at 12:36 PM You grab the sack of food and a dull dagger that must have been dropped earlier. 5 edible things and dull dagger added to inventory Your feet sink into ankle-deep snow and snowflakes fall onto your hair. You almost stumble and fall into the deep snow but regain your footing. You're surrounded by goblin-sized tents, closed up against the snow. A fire burns away in the centre and a single guard stands, facing out from the camp and huddled against the cold. You don't feel it as much because of the passive fire magic coursing in your veins, but you still feel it.

Oh

He goes in the opposite directon of the guard. Trying not to make top much noise.

The group mutter among themselves for a few minutes before a tall, lightly armoured elf makes his way toward you. The stripes of what you can only assume signifies a high ranking officer are sewn into his tunic.

"Candidates for the patrol, are you?" he snorts, looking you all over a little disdainfully. "Well, we'll see how you do. I'll be blunt: we'll be flying for hours and we'll only stop to investigate areas of interest. If you can't keep up, you'll be left behind. 5G is in it for you if you're still with us by the end. If this isn't for you, leave now and don't waste my time."

He glares in particular at an elf with a scrawny griffin. He shuffles away, muttering something, before disappearing.

I look at Raven, "Are you up for this? It is your choice."

Link: https://www.sylestia.com/forums/?thread=74910&page=163#1625 Author: Falconetti Time Posted: 12/12/2019 at 12:30 PM The two who had been playing cards are gone by the time you finish. No-one but the dwarf and Brazentalons know about the ring, so hopefully you'll be fine. You have to watch not to get bumped into, but through the many people you see a table the other waiters seem to be visiting frequently. A large counter which has steaming dishes placed on and taken off of soon after is close to the door. You pick up a tray with a few plates on it. They wobble precariously until you get a better grip. A little tag with an elven rune scratched into it is some hint as to which table pairs the mark - now you just have to find it.

I walk outside the kitchen and look at the servers around me trying to figure out what part of the table they look at for a little while. Whether or not I find out, I go near tables trying to find which one pairs with the mark.

He chirrups, looking at you sheepishly. "Well, I suppose I should have come down in the first place rather than dithering up here. I'll make sure to be there the whole time at the next heroic act we do."

He jumps up, rising into the sky and leaving the caravan of great big trundling carts behind. He orientates himself with the sun and hovers for a second.

"I don't know my geography all that well," he admits. "I need the direction of this city, then I can fly there."

Your party makes their way uphill to the slopes of the mountains, looking around for any rooves that rise above the rest to hint at a large mansion-sized house. You can't see anything from the ground though, it's no use. This town was built haphazardly with winding roads and townhouses all over the place in your line of sight.

"We'll never find it like this," Numbat muses, rubbing the back of his neck and wincing. "Either this mansion isn't as big as it sounds or we're looking in completely the wrong place."

You try to creep away but the snow crackles and crunches with every step you make. The guard twitches, but doesn't turn. You'll have to go past tents to escape, and if anything hears you it won't be hard to pick you out from the snowy grasslands. Even if they realise you're gone they can just follow your footprints.

As an elf, you know you would be faster on foot than goblins. Even if they mounted up on their cart horse it isn't bred for speedy pursuits. But being out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by snow is another concern.

Do you still want to take the stealthy option?

She looks optimistic. "I want to try. Even if I get tired out all it means is we have to rest before flying back to Elvenor and we don't get 5G, right? It's just like our normal flights together. We might even find something in the forest to bring back!"

The servers, unfortunately for you, seem to be used to their trade and know which table has which rune on instinct.

But while going round tables looking for the matching mark you do notice that each table has a little card in the centre with runes on. You go about tables checking these cards until you find one that looks like yours - a line with an angled hook at the top. It seems pretty similar anyway.