While the others are discussing staues and so forth Alastrine sits cross-legged on the ground and tries to rest for five minutes.

In reply to Alastrine (msg # 8):

one of the guardsmen passes Alastrine a waterskin, while the other quietly steps in front of the cards on the ground.

"Thank you," Alastrine says as she accepts the waterskin. "That's very kind." She unfastens the container ad sniffs it to see if she can identify minerals in the water.

Alcohol not mineral!

Alastrine chuckles at Urrun's observation, "Very true!" and smiles at him to show she's not laughing at him. She takes the refreshments gratefully, then handing back the waterskin. "If I might enquire, what are those 'cards'on the ground?"

In reply to Alastrine (msg # 12):

"Oh, er, just a past time. been here since we relieved the last two, nothing doing for hours."

"Being new here, I'm afraid I don't quite understand," Alastrine replies, looking somewhat small and fragile. "It would be wonderful if you would explain it to me, please?" She does a thing with her eyelids that many men seem to respond to.

In reply to Alastrine (msg # 14):

"They are sentries placed here by the Haderaum to ensure that there is no unauthorized use of the gates, and that we are not stuck in the realms beyond the gate. I turn a blind eye to the cards as long as they stay alert and do their job."

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OOC: So a "card" in this context is a soldier/guard?? I'd thought it was something like an A5 size piece of playing card..

In reply to Alastrine (msg # 16):

The cards are what the Sentries are using to stay awake...though they should not be playing games!

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OOC: TY!

In reply to Alastrine (msg # 14):

"Er you have 5 cards in hand and try to collect three of a kind, or four in sequence in the same suit, and can draw either from the deck or the discard pile, but if the card you want is under several you have to draw everything on top of it... that had better be gooud because the aim is to empty your hand and the winner is the one with the most straights or threes..."

"It sounds terribly complicated," returns Alastrine. "You must be everso clever to understand all that! And thank you so much for the explanation."

In reply to Alastrine (msg # 20):

"While you discuss cards, I would like to seek out some bardic secrets..."

He is looking to learn some bardic spells...does he need to roll for that, or can he be assumed, after being in Northport a while, to be able to find them?

In reply to Melchizidek (msg # 21):

this discussion is to be in Awards and development

In reply to Alastrine (msg # 20):

the Guard winces under the sarcasm.

"Oh! You flinched? Sir Guard, that was never my intention!" says Alastrine, eyes wide open. "Just I'm aweful with cards and I just can't remember how they work or what to do with them. I was being nice to you, so I thought. Not nasty. That would be, oh, I don't know, petty, small minded, and I'd hate to be those things. So, you'd be doing something nice for me by not thinking I'm nasty, petty or small minded and that therefore I had to be serious in my complimenting you." She smiles. "I'm Alastrine and I'm very pleased to meet you. If you're allowed to tell me your name, and you're happy to do so, of course, then I'd like to know your name." She smiles again and bobs him a small curtsie.

In reply to Alastrine (msg # 24):

"I am Montclair. This is Francois. "

"Thank you, Montclair," Atastrine responds, and bobs a smaller curtsie to Francois. "Pleased to meet you, Francois. I'm new here. Is there anything I need to know?"

In reply to Alastrine (msg # 26):

Montclair's eyes widen briefly.
"Oh, you are new here... like the flaming giantess I guess. Let's see, avoid the southeast parts of the city, things are a bit rough, and there was an incident yesterday by the street of alien gods, and the little copper coins are standard, anything silver is worth more, and gold moreso.  Those big copper coins with the squae hole are popular with the folks from the western Isles that leave in Dockside.
Watch out for people with blood drop armbands, they have been disappearing lately, and oh, the thing between the goblekin sporting teams has eased off a bit. Last week I'd have said to steer clear because of the riots and the dead, but all of that cleared up."

Although most of it doesn't make complete sense to her yet Alastrine does her best to remain gracious, "Thanks, Montclair!" and she drops his a minor curtsi and then steps back to rejoin the other, happy to follow their lead.

In reply to Alastrine (msg # 28):

exiting the domed structure, you are now on temple hill itself.  a variety of Greco-Roman temples in various states of disrepair are to the north, west, and south, and to the east you can see the entirety of the city laid out on all of its squalor. to the far north the harbor is visible, and to the far south are fields.

your companions are heading north and east toward a low structure with five domes.

Alastrine hurries to catch up with them!

In reply to Alastrine (msg # 30):
there seems to be quite a few people congregating by the entrance. Two that stand out are a very small person with red hair, and a very large glowing person with red hair abd four arms... interestingly three of the group carry spears.

In reply to Narrator (msg # 31):

Hograth notes the other group, asking the Haderaum what the other group had found. He also reported his own findings.