<strong>Ada Stonewrought<br/>Argent Chambers<br/>The Academy</strong><br/><br/>He stood apart from the others, amidst the flickering shadows cast by the warm fire.<br/><br/>As the grandmaster spoke, gently tending the fire with hands that had once known strength, Ada Stonewrought, the Banner of Mount Alister, leaned back against the wall.  Despite the orange coat he wore, checkered black on its billowing sleeves and adorned with tassels and pale white stones, he faded away from vision.  The orange blurred with the black, the stones were dull and worn and did not glint.  His dark brown hair sat mussed and untended atop an angular face like a copse of trees adorning a blunt cliff.  A quiver rested on the floor at his side with a dozen arrows lilting within, and the upper limb of a longbow -- complex and fine in its make -- poked over his left shoulder.  His hands, wrapped in archer's leathers, danced with a small bit of string, deftly maneuvering it into complicated knots and shapes, and just as quickly restoring it to its normal length.<br/><br/>Although he listened attentively, Ada's eyes moved restlessly about the room.  He knew the grandmaster, but he did not know these folk, and it was them he focused on.  Ada took in the motley assortment of individuals gathered before the grandmaster: humans and other races, dedicated students and natural talents.  Some wore the heavy armor and bulky weapons of experienced warriors, others looked on with faces full of wisdom and knowledge.  He wondered how many of them knew what the world outside the Academy's greystone walls was really like.<br/><br/>When the time came that the grandmaster lowered his voice and explained their task, Ada's fingers paused in their practiced movements.  So, this was their grand task, acting the outriders and possibly rescuing a wayward soldier?  A glorified scouting mission?  Ada shrugged inwardly and resumed his delicate dance with the string.  All the better for the other students.  Give them a chance to break their teeth on a simple task.<br/><br/>Ada admitted to himself that he was a bit disappointed.  He'd never been one to go looking for a fight, but after all that talk of Mortanius, the reveal that they were going to check on some hapless knight in what had been a bastion of evil was a letdown.  He didn't believe in the rumors or the stories of Mortanius' return.  The man had been struck down decades ago, his host smashed and scattered.  He may have once been a threat to the realm, but now he was just a name and a memory, nothing more.<br/><br/>A young woman with the look of a fighter spoke after the grandmaster had finished.  From the way she held herself and the tone of voice, Ada would venture a crown to a copper she was a paladin.  And a fresh one as well, too young to have the experience or the scars that marked a veteran.  The way her armor clung to her form confirmed his suspicions; it looked too skin tight to be properly useful in battle.  It'd obstruct her own movements more than usual, too much cost for the limited benefit.<br/><br/>Ada made no outward confirmation that he had heard Analise, preferring to stare solemnly at the fire.  He'd wait until the others had made their introductions before he made his presence obvious.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Stats</div><div class="spoiler_body"><strong>Ada Stonewrought<br/>Level 5 Human Sorcerer</strong> (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=584077)<br/><em>At ease in the Argent Chambers.</em><br/>HP: 29/29<br/>Subdual: 29/29<br/>Hit Dice: 5d6<br/>Init: +5<br/><br/><strong>Saves</strong><br/>Fort: +1<br/>Reflex: +4<br/>Will: +6<br/><br/><strong>Defense</strong><br/>AC: 14<br/>Touch: 13<br/>Flat: 11<br/>CMD: 15<br/><br/><strong>Offense</strong><br/>Melee: +2<br/>Ranged: +5<br/>Bow of Alister: 1d8+1 (x3), 100 ft.  Magical.  Point-Blank Shot, Arcane Strike, Gravity Bow (2d6+1)<br/>Claws (x2): 1d4 (x2).  Magical.  Uses left: 8/8 rounds<br/><br/><strong>Spell Slots</strong><br/>Cantrips- ∞<br/>1st - 8/8<br/>2nd - 5/5</div></div>