#anywhere

The Double doors at the end of the right hall look grand,probably one of the fancier things. Designs and all. Thus, almost sure to guide newcomers to a grand distraction. The doors to the left she suspects to be bedrooms, quarters for the invitees. Of some interest, but the most boring looking door would be one of the OTHERS to the right. Not the Double doors, but one that shows more wear and has a latch as if to keep it from falling open from decay. It seems rotted and would discourage most. But not a sluagh.

No, that one is the winner.

She creeps up to it, ignoring the flashy double doors.

A simple latch, how clever, cans propped against it , tin ones shesuspects, to fall on her. Butthe wind is wrong for it to be just a pantry.

She considers. She could probably squirm under... down on hands and knees to peer in.

She could.

Such a narrow opening takes time - but better that than disturbing the trap of the cans.

Slowly she ooozes through. FOrtunately, no one comes across her trying to do so. The veil SHOULD Protect her from being noticed even if they did, but no need to get into bad habits

Patience has rewards. Now, she looks around - what kind of room has she found?

Oh, a false pantry she can feel the air flow. Just one more thing to ooze past. There are tingles. Magic 'watching', but her veil causes it to grow lax as it would mortal eyes.

Indeed! Now she has a goal!

Follow the wind, find the magic.

basement steps? How fitting for the season. the utter lack of illumantion, no switch to be found, no candle, would be an obstacle in itself, but not to her eyes.She moves down the steps softly...

And feels something her left foot , this step, she hasn't yet put her full weight on it, why is it raised more than the others?

She doesn't put her weight down.. is it a trap?

Oh yes. A primative pressure plate. It's not ignoring her so much as... best to just step past

Yes, best. What ARE they guarding so heavily?

And she moves down and hears voices

Perfect.

"There is something very strange on Mr. DeBuke, a sense of destiny to use a term we might all agree upon" Cricket's voice

"Excellent. I have high hopes for him. His work is macabre, but it speaks to something in the masses, makes them think of more" the other voice is British, very crisp and proper. A man's voice

Zara listens, noting each voice, gathering what information she may from tone and accent.

"He seems too much of a buzz kill to be hooking up with my group" German? Austrian? Very Bohemian in manner if not accent "But who knows? " Another woman

"It is not his suitability I speak of. It is too soon for that. I believe we should be cautious. I tried a soft read of his mind and it.. slipped."

Eyes narrow.

"Cricket, no fair." the germanic woman "they have to be free to be discovered"

"Quite right, Cricket. though I understand your alarm. Slipped you say?" Victorian fellow

"The only time I have felt like that was upon encounter with the hermit on the next mountain over. He is not like us. And I think Mr. DeBuke is not either"

Ooo, hermit! (Focus!)

"Cricket, we've seen that hermit, he seems.. quite ordinary just a mad perhaps" The Victorian fellow says

"Doing his own thing" The bohemian lady says

"of the three of us, which is most trained in Do?" Cricket says a bit less serene

...Do? Wait...

Zara's dark eyes go wide!

Will workers. She is sure of it. the cantrips that are magic but not glamour ..no not cantrips,spells!

The talk of Do sounds familar

vaguely

they are in a nest of prodigals!

And Earl says SHE's the one who gets in trouble, and he signed up for a Will Worker plot of some sort.

How exciting!

Of course Earl's work is good enough to draw such attention. Her Artist is a genius. This hermit might be a fae... but still..

The Brit... yes, like the one she met before. They have types, just like Fae. Different magics for each.

So it seems. And she knnows now what to look for. Clues.

Willworkers are dangerous.

And indeed, they turn the subject to others who have come to the retreat

She is in no hurry to reveal herself. Maybe they are looking for new wizards? Do they chrysalize, too?

The more she listens, the more she hears terms like "awakened" and "Avatar"

"Awaken" is a lot like "Chrysalize."

And an Avatar is a spirit... well, of course, mages are prodigals. Poor lost things who have forgotten they were once fae!

They speak of one other American, a woman, who had a messy divorce,but her art is starting to flow. She's trying to find purpose. She's a bit old for some training, but with the "War" on.. they need all they can get