Dionysus You can sense more wealth from upstairs.

Dionysus You also hear commotion from upstairs.

Dionysus And you can tell you'll be visible again in a few seconds.

Avery What do I remember from being led to the cell?

Dionysus You came down two stories.

Avery Then I don't have much choice but to go up and try to avoid the noise as much as possible, since I don't know of any other way out than the one we came in by.

Dionysus As you ascend, you feel great wealth coming from one direction, & moderate wealth in another. You hear fighting & canine growling from the direction of great wealth.

• Avery hesitates for just a moment, then heads in the direction of moderate wealth. he's looking for a rundown building, after all.

Dionysus You sense people coming your way, probably ogres.

Avery am I visible again?

Dionysus Yes

• Avery vanishes again and hurries on, trying to avoid running into them if at all possible.

Dionysus You can direct your passage to do so, easily, since walls provide no barrier, unless they're iron or steel.

Avery Good. then I do so and move as quickly as I'm able, to cover as much ground as possible whilst unseen.

Dionysus You suddenly find yourself outside. The air is cooler, & everything is noticeably poorer.

Avery Do I have any way of knowing if I'm outside the gates, or just the palace?

Dionysus Just the palace is your best bet, since you're only a few feet out.

Avery Visible again?

Dionysus Now, yes.

Dionysus You sense guards on the gates, not moving.

Dionysus But watching forward, not back.

Avery ...I'll try looking like an ogre again. Someone randomly appearing in a city street will cause more outcry than an ogre going about his business.

Dionysus Roll glamour

Avery Karma.

Avery I have one for helping the band.

Dionysus There ya go

Dionysus You look like a passable ogre.

Avery Good. I walk out the gates, recalling Arlie's advice from earlier and adjusting my behavior accordingly. and continue to seek out that building of Arsul's. does anyplace feel poorer than the rest of it?

Dionysus To your left is oppulence, to your right is a mix of the poorest possible & people worth quite a bit.

• Avery heads right.

Dionysus You fel people move out of your way.

Dionysus It's late, so not many are out.

Dionysus But a rushing ogre gets his way

Dionysus You feel everything, by the way, from the streets (worth a lot), the buildings (worth a lot), & the trash in the streets (worth nothing much)

Avery Any buildings worth less than the others?

Dionysus The way you're going, they decrease as you go.

Avery Okay. Beyond this, I have no idea what I'm looking for. Though Arsul said it was strange and falling apart, so as they decrease he keeps a lookout for any that feel pricier than the rest, as well.

Dionysus As you get to the poorest sections, you find that one building is worth less than any other... but is filled with things more priceless than any other. Two things within are worth more than anything save the Shards in your pockets.

• Avery heads for it, then.

Dionysus As you come near, you notice two men are hiding nearby, watching, & one is waiting behind the door. Races unknown from this distnace

• Avery keeps going, more cautiously now. Are they the only ones nearby?

Dionysus That you sense, yes.

Avery How close are they to the building, excluding the one inside?

Dionysus One's across the street, on a roof, the other is next door, behind a wall.

Avery ...then I'll gamble on Arsul's assurance that I'll find help here and drop the glamour, still moving cautiously toward the building.

Dionysus You hear the hoot of an owl coming from the roof of the building across the street.

• Avery doesn't stop untill he's right in front of the door. whereupon he'll knock uncertainly.

Dionysus You feel the man on the other side freeze, then move slowly away a few feet.

Dionysus The one behind the wall next door is moving over the wall. You hear his landing as he leaps it, but otherwise, he is dead silent.

• Avery is getting more nervous by the minute. he'll knock again and, if that gets no response, see if the door's locked.

Avery Can I tell what their races are now?

Dionysus The one on the other side of the door is a doppleganger. The one coming toward you is human.

Dionysus The man sneaking up come right up behind you, "Who are you?"

Dionysus You feel one of the two Gifts below vanish.

• Avery tenses slightly, unsure if he should vanish and walk into the building or not. he jumps at the voice. "I...I was sent here...for help..."

Dionysus "Help? By whom?"

Dionysus "Who are you?"

Avery "My friends...my name is Avery...they're in the palace...one of them said I'd find help here..." he sounds slightly uncertain. since he can't really see the building, he can't be sre this is it.

Dionysus "Well, Avery, why do they think they'll get help here? Do you have... a token?"

Avery "I don't know...a what? I just...I was told that I'd been seen coming here in a vision...and that I'd find help here...that's all I know..."

Dionysus "Who are you? How did you find this place?" Menacing, angry.

• Avery takes a step back. "I...luck, I guess...it felt different...and I told you, my name is Avery..."

Dionysus "That is a name. It tells us nothing. What felt different."

Dionysus You feel the other Gift below vanish now.

Dionysus A frog croaks nearby.

Avery "The...I don't know how to describe it. It had stuff in it that was worth a lot...more than everything else in this neighborhood..." he breaks off at the croak, looking around for it.

Dionysus You feel a sharp point in your back. Cold steel. "Did it now? How do you know that?"

Dionysus The frog just came into your area of sensing. It feels to be worth more than anything but the Gifts.

• Avery jerks away from it. "I don't know! I can just sense it! Like that frog over there!" he points. "It's worth more than anything here...I don't know why." he adds hastily.

Dionysus He looks away a moment.

Dionysus "Okay, bleedin' eyes. Now explain who you are."

Dionysus "Quickly, quickly."

Dionysus The doppleganger approaches the door, then opens it.

Avery "I...I'm a musician...I play pennywhistle..." he edges away from the door as it opens.

Dionysus A pause, then, "Pennywhistle?" the doppleganger asks, in Maraddonian. It's been in ogrish up to this point.

• Avery hesitates, looking very nervous. "...yeah...and guitar..."

Dionysus He laughs, "I see. You have no idea where you are? Or who we are?"

Avery "...somewhere in the capital of Tamarnthek...that's all I know..."

Dionysus "And who are we?"

Avery "I don't know!"

Dionysus "And you came because a friend had a vision of us?"

Avery "No! He saw some kind of ruined building and me finding it..."

Dionysus "How?"

• Avery is likely crying in fear by now. "I don't know how!"

Dionysus No tears come. Just blood.

Avery He looks like he should be crying, though.

Dionysus He sighs. "Why send an ignorant little musician on such an errand? He had no words for you to say? No tokens to give?"

Avery "No! I've told you all I know!"

Dionysus "Interesting."

Dionysus "Someone who can see our lair, but knows nothing of our ways."

Dionysus "What happened to your eyes?"

Avery "They...they were taken..."

Dionysus "By?"

Avery "..." he hesitates for a long moment before answering in a low, still fearful, voice. "...Th-the King of Thorns..."

Dionysus Anger, "The Traitor? Why?"

• Avery jerks back. "I don't know! He threatened to destroy Maraddon if he didn't get them! I think he wanted to make his body permanent, but I don't know! He wouldn't say!"

Dionysus "His body..." he laughs, "Are you a faerie?" He asks mockingly. He doesn't believe you couldbe.

Avery "I...y-yeah...on my mother's side..."

Dionysus He stops laughing. "What?"

Dionysus He sounds incredulous.

Avery "I said yes...I am..."

Dionysus "On your mother's side? Who is your father? The Emperor?"

Avery "No! No, he's...the Prince of Wealth..."

Dionysus A silence.

Dionysus Then you can't understand what they say.

Dionysus Then, "And you need help, your Highness?"

• Avery looks very scared indeed, though it lessens slightly at that. "I...my friends are in the Palace...the Emperor's gonna eat one of them...at least..."

Dionysus A pause, "You are an enemy of the Traitor?"

Avery "Yes." For once, no hesitation, and very emphatic.

Dionysus Another pause, then the human goes inside, then vanishes below ground.

Dionysus "We will aide you, your Highness. Will you accompany us to the palace? Have you need of anything?"

Avery "Thank you...yes, I will. I...no, not that I can think of..."

Dionysus "Very well. You are... not well versed at roof-running, are you?"

Avery "No..."

Dionysus "Can you return to the palace on your own? Do you need an escort?"

Avery "I...think I can manage on my own...I found this place that way..."

Dionysus He says, "We will meet you there. If you have need of us, whistle."

Avery "Alright..." he nods and sets off.

Dionysus Okay, the return trip is fraught with scenes of violence. Freemen & slaves are now killing ogres in the streets.

• Avery jerks away from any that get too close.