<strong>Time: </strong>Patchwall, 9, 577 CY, morning<br/><strong>Location: </strong>Greyhawk City, the Highway Gate<br/><strong>Tagging: </strong>all<br/><strong>Content Warning: </strong>none<br/><br/><hr/><br/>Kivvelor noted the comment directed at him by Pansy, and winked at her appreciably, though he did no more before turning and walking beside Jevera in leading the party into Greyhawk proper.<br/><br/>They were led down the Processional--the main street of the city itself, past buildings great and small, although they were in the Old City still.  Finally moving through a large inner wall and it's gate, they skirted the edge of the Petit Bazaar--the city's primary market--and made straight ahead, until the Processional was once again free of the stalls and carts of the marketplace.  Even at the distance they still had to cross, the peak of the black pyramid of the Mage's Guild was visible, rising up between the buildings around them, and the inner wall, towers, and gate ahead of them.<br/><br/>Once through the next gate, the party was within the High Quarter, filled with gardens and estates of the wealthy, as well as notable ambassadors and personages of interest within the city.  The Opera House with its stately grace and architecture is upon the left, and further on to the right the party passes the City Council Chambers, austere yet grandiose in its rarity--Greyhawk is ruled not by a despot or oligarchy, but a conglomeration of powers within the city, primarily the guilds, who further represent the majority of the skilled population of the place.<br/><br/>The guides finally arrive before the imposing structure of the Mage's Guild, silent and implacable.  Even more imposing were the 10 foot broad and high portals into the guild - solid metal, and a metal very apparent to Taavia--adamantium, rarest and most powerful of ores.  Before their guides could knock at the doors, however, one of the massive portals swung noiselessly outward, and two serious-looking dwarves dressed entirely in black appeared in the doorway. One nodded towards Kivvelor and Jevera, and the other directed all of them inside.<br/><br/>The dwarves did not reply to any queries, and led the way off into the bowels of the guild. When the party entered, the other dwarf took up the end of the procession, and the portal again swung noiselessly closed. Lit from within by unseen magic sources, the hall was broad and the rock was dark, like the outside. Side passages came and went, and sometimes the lead dwarven porter would take one.  Occasionally, the group would pass another porter, always a dwarf, or a lone mage on their own business.<br/><br/>Finally, after a bewildering trip through the labyrinthine passages, they came to another door, but this one was of fine, oiled oak or some other richly-grained wood. Opening the door, the party was led into a spacious sitting room. The walls were curtained in rich blue tapestries of intricate design, and there were also several couches and chairs of fine blue and green upholstery. Sitting upon the chairs were two men. The first was a robustly fat man dressed in voluminous, rich robes of purple and gold. His hair was brown, long and curly, and he had hazel eyes. Appearing in his mid-forties, his face was nonetheless friendly and appeared even more so when the party entered.<br/><br/>The other man was regal, to say the least. At least six feet and four inches, his brown face was lined not with hoary age, but wisdom and deep secrets. His well-trimmed beard and dredlocked hair was pure white and full, for he wore nothing upon his unbalding head. He stood straight and strong in sky blue and dark grey robes. A silvery belt studded with large rubies girded his waist. Striking amber eyes gazed at the new arrivals, and a serious, but unworried expression was on his face.  It was easy to feel that in his presence, one was in the presence of royalty.<br/><br/>"Welcome, welcome," said the first, heavy man, shaking the hand of each party member with fat fingered hands set with several gem-studded rings. "I am Otto, humble member of the guild!  Let me introduce the Mages' Guildmaster, Esteemed Archmage Aldebranche."<br/><br/>The other man bowed slightly to the party, but his expression remained the same. It was obvious, not only from his bearing, age, and demeanor, that his was a brow heavy with responsibility and leadership. "I welcome you as well.  Please, be seated, and we shall begin."  He nodded to Kivvelor and Jevera, and they withdrew with respectful bows.<br/><br/>Otto sighed, but the smile was still on his face. He sat his considerable bulk into his original chair after Archmage Aldebranche had sat first, then began.<br/><br/>"I am sure that all of you have a cornucopia of questions to ask, and I will attempt to answer them in good time, but keep in mind that a conversation is two-edged, like a good blade, and we will seek information from you as well. The Guildmaster wishes to address you first." Seemingly satisfied, he looked at the venerable yet hale Guildmaster.<br/><br/>With his penetrating, striking eyes, Aldebranche gazed into the eyes of each friend in turn. Finally, he nodded and spoke. "You must know that this establishment has powers beyond the ken of normal folk. While we are not privy to all that passes within the city or its territories, we know much.<br/><br/>"I know that some of you are mages. You may be aware that those of us with great faculties in sorcery can learn much through the use of spellcraft. It is thusly that we learned of great events in motion within our land. What those events exactly are, we cannot say… but suffice it to say that in some way, the hand of divinity is involved."<br/><br/>Aldebranche had paused, waiting for his last words to sink in. And then, finally, the barest hint of a smile, one that spoke of the subtlest irony, crept onto his lips.<br/><br/>"Yes. You have become involved in the business of a god… or gods."<br/><br/>When the party had appeared to recover from any shock it may have experienced at his revelation, he continued. "What you carry is important. You may reveal it as you will. And you may ask your questions. I am certain your minds are as ready as they will be for the answers."