#elsewhere

"And hopefully, to dissuade any further attention..."

"Oh..yeah, well, good luck there. And watch the furking entry.. darn counter cantrips"

"Counter Cantrips?" Earl blinks

"Yeah, going out is fine, but go in wit ha cantrip on you and the wards set up remove them.. keeps you from going in veiled or the like. Though I think it's just at this entrance" The nocker says "It's pretty damn clever actually."

"Interesting."

"Of course.. well..."

Earl mutters "now you want to beat the system don't you?"

"I have ideas, but I should see it in action first..."

"You two aren't gonna do anything furking stupid right?" Gabby says

"of course not," Earl says

"What? Just introducing ourselves, trying to stay out of trouble..."

"kay... oh, when's a good time to come over? or have YOU guys over? I don't want my roomies to think I'm full if it"

"Well, not Friday night, that's Shabbos..."

"Unless, of course, you wanted to join us?"

"Id be honored" She says

Earl blinks then says "oh of course you're..."

"Of the chosen people and didn't get a choice in it?" Gabby smirks

"I'll tell Miriam!"

"Ah right." Earl blushes.

"I think she's planning brisket."

"I'l lfurking be there" The girl says and waves

"You two have fun storming the castle" She jokes

"Wonderful. I look forward to it!"

And the two pass into the rath that leads...

within the hold of High Reeds! Dun Dun Dun

They flicker into the holding, much like Earth RUnes, there's an 'under the hill' feel to it, and yet not. MOst of the hallways are lit by sputtering pale candles...and it's almost a collection of halls seemingly designed for inconvience at getting where you need to know

Zara kenns, tasting the "anti-cantrip" barrier.

It does not 'rip' cantrips away so much as force you to leave them behind as you enter. Like stepping through a light see through curtain, and that curtain removing the dust from you

Ah... but if the curtain can be... persuaded...

Not this time, of course...

but next?

As they step on through into the myriad halls, they see figures walking, and they look.. lost. "Okay ..are we back at the start again?" A boggan says. He's younger than the professor. With him is a baffled looking Troll woman.

"It looks like it" The troll says

They don't seem to have noticed either Earl or Zara yet

Zara frowns, and fades back to watch, unwatched.

Earl isn't quite that good. And the female troll greets him.

'Pardon me, do you work here?" She asks.

"No." Earl says "my first time here."

"Ours too," the boggan frowns, "We thought we might ask for haven, but we can't find the baron to ask"

Zara's eyes narrow.

"What about the servants?" Earl says

"Hard finding them too. We were hoping you were one" The troll says moderately embarrassed

"There is haven that depends not on games of starlight and shadow. Bad form."

Her sharp eyes look, seeking illusion.

"Oh my heart" the boggan jumps

The she troll's hand goes to her hit, and Earl goes like wise.

"Yours?" She asks looking at Earl.

"No. I'm hers" Earl says instead. "Freehold anyway. Not wise to cut each other up. "

The She troll blushes "Apologies, good sluagh. I am tense"

Zara nods absently. "One could call this a subversion... but, obviously, a noble baron would hew to his obligations, so I must be mistaken." Icy cold.