<strong>On the streets of Point Respite: following a forlorn man</strong><br/><br/>Jacob's pace remained sluggish as he worked his way back into town. Where before he and the dwarves had easily cut a swathe through the morning crowds, they now buffeted him mercilessly. Lazerette almost lost track of him as yet another group of steel-capped infantrymen walked between her and her mark as he turned a corner. But, persevering, she found what she had been seeking: his final destination.<br/><br/>The headquarters of the Girissi army held a central position in town, as one might expect. Very little finished stone had been brought along with the First Fleet, and most of it now stood before the runaway princess. While the brightly colored flag affixed to the roof flapped proudly well above any of the other rooftops, the building itself wasn't all that huge. It did, however, look much more solid and even real than the wooden structures that surrounded it. There was probably a metaphor in there, with stones and trees and the relative impermanence of living things.<br/><br/>The skinny, angular man, however, didn't take any time to dwell on the literary implications of where he was going. He paused only for a moment when the two guards flanking the door called out to ask his intentions, pulling a small sheaf of paper from somewhere in his clothing. The shorter of the guards took it, inspected it for a moment, and then handed it back to its rightful owner. With a small, curt nod to the guards, Jacob disappeared into the building.<br/><br/>It was a hint, of some sort, to be certain, but not much of one. Still, there was relatively little to do about it, now. Lazerette would probably have to invent a<strong>good</strong>reason that she needed to follow him. The guards looked like fairly serious fellows, and that building was probably the most secure place in the entire city.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide</div><div class="spoiler_body">Getting past the guards isn't going to be easy, but they're basically nameless NPCs. I don't want to slow you down too much, if you're determined to push on. A Good (+3) roll of Rapport or what-have-you should get you in. There might be more serious obstacles once you get inside, though.</div></div><br/><strong>Point Respite Magna Femina Sophia chapter house: the resting elf</strong><br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide</div><div class="spoiler_body"> I don't actually have any IC content for you, but as Eshalu is alone for a few moments, I wanted to offer you a compel on your <em>Initiate of the Lodge of Rangers</em> aspect. Compels, as you may or may not remember, push your character towards a course of action. In this case, I am offering you a Fate Point to take this time alone (or some time in the immediate future) to, as you said in your second post "sharpen your blades, bathe and invoke the Mother Spirit of this land." <br/><br/>You aren't obligated to do so, of course, and may avoid doing so by spending a Fate Point. (Or you can just say no, in this particular instance. This is mostly a test of how compels work in this setting/context. I don't want to hijack anything too brazenly, yet. I have something planned for when she does take a moment like that, but it can wait.) However, I felt that this was a decent time, as Eshalu was already thinking of her homeland and its customs. </div></div>