<div class="floatright">(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pP3Wpir4Jdk/UNULbEPJS3I/AAAAAAAAGeI/cImxtHkm-9Q/s400/Adolf+Weissmann.jpg)</div>Saren's mind wandered as he strode amongst the pictures hung in frames along the walls, sliding a careful finger along a vase here and admiring the exquisite workmanship and care that had been taken not only in its creation, but also in keeping it clean and dust-free. The maids did a wonderful job with the place, and only Aroden knew how they were able to clean the entire palace on a daily basis, as large as it was. He wondered idly as he continued walking how many staff members there were, and idly began to count off the ones he knew, but soon lost count as he reached the dozens. A feeling of apprehension stirred within him as he was reminded once more that he would be leaving them in order to save the City from certain disaster. The apprehension turned into anger as he remembered the stupid, silly Princess. She was to be respected, surely, yet had been the one who had brought their potential downfall into the city proper with her juvenile wanderings into the wider world. If she had only listened and his proposal had been maintained, they would not need to suffer this coming journey, the perils it might bring, or the possibility of failure and dooming the entire City to a plague of anthropomorphic creatures.<br/><br/>He sighed softly, and clung onto his holy symbol, one of the marks of the il'Lareth house as well as the city-wide sponsored religion. The feel of worked steel beneath his hand gave him a measure of comfort, and his hand tightened around its cool exterior in a warm embrace. Finally, reaching the waiting room he took a seat and looked across at the others gathered there. Two men, one human and one tiefling--he vaguely recalled both of them from his tours of the city with his Father, the Prime Minister and head of the City Council. One he recalled to be some sort of city guard, substantiated by the emblazoned stitching upon his tunic, and the other some sort of criminal, though he could not recall what was his crime. The other two were of the lesser, fairer sex, and were completely unknown to him, which obviously meant that they were also from common stock rather than the praised lineage of nobility and prestige from which he hailed. A soft sigh, barely audible if at all, escaped him. Were these to be his companions then? Could they find no one more worthy to come upon this vital quest for the good of the realm? It felt as though they were sifting through the bottom of the barrel, and that only the scum had risen to the top.<br/><br/>Still, if he was to travel with them, then so be it. Perhaps no one else had the gumption to travel outside the city, to find a cure and bring solace to the beleaguered populace. Or perhaps his eyes fooled him, and they were truly the best the city could find, despite their lack of note and breeding. Still, it nagged at him. "So, it would be us five, then?" his voice rings out in the waiting room, echoing softly as the vibrations bounce back from marbled walls. "My name is Saren, of the il'Lareth family. You may have heard of me," he says, his tone a little snobbish and on the obnoxious side. "I look forward to seeing each of you prove your worth through your abilities and actions as we venture forth from the safety of the city and see this quest to completion." His voice has a cultured tone to it, one used to giving speeches that inspire when given to the correct audience, though in this case it probably sounds trite to those put off by his demeanor or too jaded to feel elated by his voice.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">OOC</div><div class="spoiler_body">Taking 10 on Perform (Oratory) for a total of 23</div></div>