resuming from
The Gardens of Summer

you are in a domed room with one exit and
four tympanic alcoves flanked with differing classic columns.
In the center of the room is a statue of Janus pointing ahead.

by the base of the statue are two startled looking guards in blue cloaks.

Alastrine takes a half step backwards hoping that someone who's apparently been here before can adequately satisfy the guards.

In reply to Alastrine (msg # 2):

Hograth is the last one through.

"Right, let's distribute what we took, get a report to the Haderaum and get ready for the last gate...the winter portal. Rest up, unless there is a compelling reason, we should assemble after we have sold all we have to sell. Then we will distribute funds, make our purchases and meet back here tested tomorrow morning. Questions?"

In reply to Hograth Podkarmen (msg # 3):

"If you all are heading back to the Hadereum, what do you need us to do? Stand by the open portal?"
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 18:26, Mon 06 Feb 2023.

In reply to Guardsman (msg # 4):

"Ah no, stand by the closed one."

Hograth will close the portal...

In reply to Hograth Podkarmen (msg # 5):

and you do that by?

In reply to Narrator (msg # 6):

Turning the statue that points at the gate, of course, so it doesn't point at any gate.

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.