"That's okay...it's not your fault."  Liseth looked down at the ground as her own face flushed red.  Having attention brought to her impediment always made the girl self-conscious; especially when it caused distress to other people.  She had lived with her cursed legs for her whole life, and it had taken a very long time before she learned to walk straight; so long as she went very slowly.  Running was out of the question, the best that she could manage was to galumph quickly; which often resulted in her tripping over her legs and falling to the ground if she tried to go too fast or for too long.

Her face was still red when Liseth looked up at Cato after he became so formal.  She was actually very surprised; she never expected him to talk that way.  It wasn't silly like when Kerr spoke formally to her; Cato acted as though he was accustomed to people acting in such a manner.

"Thank you Cato."  Liseth stepped forward to give him a quick hug, then stepped back to clasp her hands at her waist, "The medicine kit will be inside of my knapsack already.  It shouldn't be difficult to find in the Acolyte's Quarters."

The girl watched as the wizard ran off towards the Cathedral, then looked towards Pisca as the gnome did the same thing in the direction of her room.  She looked up at Kellan, "Um, I don't suppose that you needed to get something prepared too?"

Kellan smiled softly at the acolyte and shook his head, as heavily loaded as he was he certainly did not mind the girls sedate pace. "Not this time, I got up a few hours ago and did a quick patrol around the city" he explained, hiking up the backpack to rest more squarely on his broad shoulders.

"Cato seems like good people" he commented as he heard the mages rapid footsteps leave the tavern "You all do...I, well I have not always been as devout as I should be." He licked his lips before he continued  "Erastil knows I mean well, and Abadar has a soft spot for guardsman but days get busy and I do not always pray or tithe like I should...but I have a feeling somebody someplace knew what they were doing when they put us together that day in the square"

He looked over to the girl, his head cocked a fraction "I imagine you must see things a little differently than most, being so close to the divine as you are..." He trailed off, his mail and weaponry clanking rhythmically with every boot fall.

"You don't need to worry about not praying enough Kellan."  Liseth smiled weakly at the tall guardsman, "The gods aren't so petty as to expect everybody to pray to them all of the time.  They're more interested in what's in your heart.  Too many people think that they can get away with doing whatever wicked thing they want to, so long as they placate the gods with prayers and donations to their church."  She frowned, "While that's often enough to fool other people, the gods are never tricked so easily."

"The problem with seeing things differently than other people is that I don't know how everyone else sees the world."  Liseth sighed, "I can't understand why there are so many wicked people, people who would send goblins to attack a town and want to hurt other people..."  The short blonde paused, "I've always been...close to the divine.  That's almost exactly how Father Garrick described it.  But..."

Liseth looked away and trailed off into silence after straying into a topic that she didn't like speaking about.  Instead she reached up to grab Kellan's much larger hand while they walked to the rendezvous with the others.

---

---

The main components of glass are sand, seaweed, salt-resistant plants, and lime.  All of these are found in abundance near Sandpoint; all they awaited was someone with the technical proficiency to work those components into a finished product.  Sandpoint found such a person in Rokuro Kaijitsu, the family patriarch whose contacts and business acumen made the Kaijitsus one of the four families who founded Sandpoint and organized the Sandpoint Mercantile League.

One of the oldest industries in town, the Sandpoint Glassworks has been owned by the Kaijitsu family from the town’s inception.  It is widely renowned for the high quality of its products; the glassworking trade has been in the Kaijitsu family for generations, and many of their techniques, perfected in distant Minkai, result in dazzling and impressive works that fetch top price among the nobles of Magnimar, Korvosa, and beyond.  The Kaijitsu family knows its craft.

The Glassworks is a large stone building combining the actual factory with a shop in which potential customers can take a look at the wares before buying them.  It is a massive edifice, easily more than 60 feet wide and 150 long, with imposing, strong-looking grey stone walls that themselves look to be 20 feet high.

You arrive before lunch, but the building is curiously silent aside from the large plumes of smoke emanating from the massive furnace chimney and the distant rumble of the furnace itself.  Windows are spaced along the structure at regular intervals, but a quick investigation of the building perimeter reveals that every curtain has been drawn and that all the doors are locked.

As you investigate the building you draw curious looks from various passersby.  They are clearly wondering what interest the Sandpoint Saviors might have in the Glassworks.  One of them, a short, bulky man with a receding black hairline, approaches the group.

“Ahem.  Checking out the Glassworks, I see.”  His voice carries a note of superciliousness.   “Yes, well, I have been a neighbor to the Glassworks for decades.  And although there has been a curious lack of traffic to and from the building since the Swallowtail Festival, this is not unusual, as I keep telling everyone.”

He sighs in exasperation, taking on a tone that sounds suspiciously like one he would use to teach schoolchildren.  “Lonjiku often closes the factory so that he and his workers can have some privacy when they work on a big project.”  He makes a shooing motion with his hands.  “So you can go back to doing whatever it is you do when you’re not investigating commonplace events.”

---

---

Liseth stayed silent during the walk to the Glassworks building.  She was pensive after the subject of her particular abilities had been brought up; pondering yet again what the gods had planned for her.  What would it take before she ever received an answer?

It was not until everyone had gathered together at the Glassworks that the blonde acolyte broke out of her musings and began to pay attention to the building itself.  She had not known exactly what to expect, but the first thing was that it was a much larger building than she thought that it would be.  After that, Liseth was distressed to note that all of the doors were locked and all of the windows curtained off.  If Ms Kaijitsu's brother really was up to no good, that's exactly the kind of thing that he would do while plotting.  Or to keep anyone from wandering in to see what he had done before he had a chance to get away.

She kept hoping that Ms Kaijitsu was okay.  Liseth couldn't bear the thought of having to get into the Glassworks building only to find the woman hurt.  Or worse.  The girl adjusted the knapsack that Cato retrieved for her on her shoulders before starting to ask just how they were going to get inside.  Only to find herself interrupted.

Turning when they were addressed by a stout local, Liseth blinked at his words and demeanor before she absently sidled closer to Kellan and Cato.  While he didn't seem overtly hostile, the man was acting decidedly haughty.  She looked back over her shoulder at the large stone building before her eyes went back to him.

"Thank you for your advice, Sir."  Liseth felt that he was trying to be helpful in his own way, even if the man didn't know why they were actually here at the Glassworks.  "But we didn't come just because the Glassworks is locked up."  She instantly wondered just how much would be appropriate to share.  The Sheriff's words about frightening and panicking people came to mind again.

"Um...do you mind if we ask you some questions?  Since you know a lot about the Glassworks and this area."  The young blonde fidgeted; she hoped that he would want to help and not feel that he was being imposed upon.  "You didn't happen to see anybody enter or leave the Glassworks last night did you?  Maybe through the delivery entrance?  And did the usual workers arrive this morning?"
This message was last edited by the player at 00:19, Sun 01 Dec 2013.

Kellan looked on the imposing building as they circled it from a distance, pole axe in hand as they walked. When approached by the man with the receding hairline Kellan looked about ready to step in and start asking questions when Liseth spoke up. Seemingly content with this option and probably convinced that the adorable girl could probably get more answers out of the man that he could, Kellan remained in the background.

Occasionally he would perk up and glance around as if making sure that nothing was amiss, but otherwise he remained on Liseth's flank.

"Bostisch!"  The gnome spoke the ostensibly nonsensical word before weaving a short length of copper wire between the fingers of one hand.  That very hand stabbed a finger at first Liseth and then Cato, the two whom she guessed might be less startled to suddenly be on the receiving end of unexpected magic.  Then, "Ni, peng, and neee-wom," Pisca added with a smile at the onlooking passersby - just another of many inexplicable things that had come from the mouth of the gnome.  After having put on her performance for the curious citizens of Sandpoint, Pisca simply wandered off, leaving Liseth to engage the chatty hair-deprived human.  She was, for all intents and purposes, a gnome no longer interested in the happenings at that particular spot and off on her never ending search of another.

"Keep them busy," whispered Pisca to Liseth and Cato through the medium of her magic spell.  "I'm going to see if there's not a crack in the drapes that will let me see inside.  Or maybe some sounds coming from the other side of the windows that might strike me as other than glass blowery."

"I'll keep you abreast of what I find as I go along.  If you can whisper without moving your mouth, you can reply to me too.  Pretending that you're choking on an imaginary bone also works.  If you're not worried about a few and sundry odd looks."

With those words, the gnome left the others to creep about the outside of the Glassworks.  She listened at the windows, and occasionally rose up on her toes to see if there might be a place where she could get a look inside.

---

Cast Message linking Liseth and Cato.
And Bluff check vs the crowd to hide the spell casting if necessary.
Perception Check on Windows, please.
Stealth check as well.

The silent face of the Glassworks instantly set Cato on edge.  It seemed highly unusual that the building was completely closed off and silent.  Cato was about to question the exasperated neighbor when Liseth started and Pisca broke off from the group.  Cato was momentarily startled as Pisca's words entered his mind, but quickly regained his composure.

Cato nodded along as Liseth finished her questions, trying to think what else he could say to keep the man distracted from Pisca.  "Yes, how long exactly has Lonjiku had the Glassworks closed this time?  How long does it take him to finish a big project?"

---

---

The man smiled in response to the group’s questions, seemingly pleased that they looked to have accepted his self-appointed position as Glassworks Expert.  “As I said,” he replied, looking down his nose at Liseth, “there has been a lack of traffic to the Glassworks, in or out, since the Swallowtail Festival.  That means,” he slowed down, as if certain of his listeners might need additional time to parse through his words, “that no workers arrived this morning.”

He raised an eyebrow as Pisca began spouting what he quickly dismissed as gibberish, returning his attention to those he deemed to be the more serious members of the group.

“But as I also said,” he nodded to Cato, “this is not unusual.  I have seen the place closed for up for a week or more when Lonjiku and his workers are bunkered in on a big project.”  He waved his hand at the building.  “You can hear the furnace and see the smoke, for Desna’s sake!  What else could be going on?”  The man clearly believed this to be a rhetorical question.

---

---

Pisca craned her neck to catch a glimpse of what might be at the bottom of the cliff down to which the ground sloped on the west side of the Glassworks.  Must be a nice view from the windows, or so thought the gnome at the same time as she considered the question of whether the height at this part of the cliff might be a gnome killing distance.

"The ... the ground on the west side of the building looks ... difficult and ... possibly dangerous," whispered the gnome through her magic.  "But there's nobody watching over here at least.  The blasted windows look too high for me to see into as well.  But ... "  Pisca mustered her courage.  Wouldn't it be just so terribly convenient now if she really could fly?  "But, I'm going to do it anyway," she said even as she inched out onto the dubious sloping ground.

"I'm moving out onto the uneven ground."  For some reason the safe ground at the far end seemed much more far-endish than it did only moments before.  "I'm going to try and rise up and look into windows where I can.  I'll ... I'll also be listening for ... for groans or cries for help that sound like they might be coming from Ameiko."

"Er ... do you think you might be able to think of a way to distract or draw the gawkers away from one of the doors?  It might take me a while, but I might be able to work one of the doors open.  When ... when I get back."

---

Acrobatics check for crossing the rough area.
Perception check for looking and listening.

After the time that she had spent with the gnome over the last several days, Liseth was perhaps less surprised by Pisca's nonsensical outburst than others nearby might have been.  Whatever she did must make sense to her, if no one else understood it; by now Pisca had proven herself to be nothing if not a free spirit.

But all of that didn't keep the young acolyte from some measure of startlement when the gnome's whispered voice came to her ears, after Pisca's recent departure.  Despite herself, Liseth looked to her side expecting to see her small friend still standing there.  Some sort of magic was at work.  She almost responded, but realized at the last moment that the haughty man would see her talking to nobody.  So Liseth stopped herself and brought her full attention back to him, trying to keep an ear tuned to the quiet messages being relayed by Pisca's spell.

Liseth was uncomfortable with how this man spoke to her.  Even if he wasn't aggressive, his words were still delivered in a very rude manner.  He seemed annoyed merely by the fact that she was addressing him, and his response was simply to treat her like an ignorant little girl.  The girl flushed, how was she supposed to have known any of this before?  Besides, Liseth was certain that she knew more about what might be going on inside the Glassworks than he did at the moment.

Unless he already knew about Ms Kaijitsu's brother!  This man was intent on keeping them away from the Glassworks, maybe he was in cahoots?  But it isn't nice to be suspicious of people; especially when all of your evidence was pure supposition.  Still, Liseth decided to be careful.

"Would Lord Kaijitsu unlock his door to speak with us if we knocked?  If he is inside, he might want to hear us out."  Surely Lord Kaijitsu would be concerned about his estranged son having secret meetings with his daughter.  But they were meeting inside of the nobleman's own business...did he already know?

"Or maybe we could speak with one of his workers, if they're inside."  Liseth clasped her hands and held them together at her chest, "It's very important."  Someone's life might be at stake, she almost added.  Liseth bit her lip, she wanted to tell him so that he would know why they were trying to get in to the building, but what if he went and spread around to everybody that Ms Kaijitsu was in danger?  Or even that goblins might be involved?  The Sheriff thought that it was important to keep people from panicking by hearing bad news like that, and she didn't want to disappoint him.

Though she might have to, if this man continues to hinder them; even if it is unintentionally.  Liseth wanted to believe that if he knew that Ms Kaijitsu might be in trouble within the Glassworks then he would be helping them as best he could.  For now, the young blonde merely hoped that Pisca could learn something important or helpful with her exploring.

Liseth didn't like the thought of having to distract everybody so that the gnome could 'work one of the doors open.'  That sounded fairly underhanded, and she really didn't want people to think that they were common burglars.

Especially if they did break in and everything was fine.  That wouldn't look good at all.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:02, Tue 03 Dec 2013.

---

---

The man sighed, then continued as if he were teaching exceptionally slow students.  "If Lonjiku and his workers bunkered into the Glassworks to work on a project for the precise purpose of concentrating on work and avoiding distractions, I very much doubt they'll answer the door simply because you're providing one.  Don't you agree?"

"I'm sure whatever it is about which you need to speak with Lonjiku is VERY important," the man's tone indicated that he doubted the truth of his own statement, "but aren't there others in town who might be able to help you with your problem?"  The man began ticking names off on his fingers.  "Sheriff Hemlock, Mayor Deverin, maybe Sir Jasper over the Sandpoint Mercantile League?"  The man began to look interested almost in spite of himself.  "Does Lonjiku have some power or information to which those worthies are not privy?"

While the conversation continued, Pisca picked her way across the difficult terrain with her natural grace and agility.  But her short stature made it impossible to see into the windows, even if there had been a crack in the curtains, which there wasn't, as far as she could tell.  Neither could she hear anything from inside the structure other than the sound of the Glassworks' furnace, which was clearly in operation.

At the southwestern corner of the building Pisca found a locked pair of double doors.  A path led from these down to the beach.  The only other entrances to the Glassworks were the southeastern entrance to the display room, the northeastern entrance to the reception area, and the nearby double doors in the north of the building that were clearly for loading and unloading.  All of these entrances aside from the double doors Pisca discovered are clearly visible to even a casual passerby on Glass Street.

---

---

"We represent Sheriff Hemlock, and Mayor Deverin" Kellan answered simply "and it is important" he assured the man.

"Perhaps you have met some of my family, I'm Kellan Storval of the Sandpoint Guard, this is Liseth Thoradin, acolyte of the Temple under Father Zantus's direction and Cato Crispin, a scholar and associate of Sage Quink." The boy just happened to leave out Pisca's name for now, introducing each with a gesture of his hand.

"It was good of you to approach us, for as long as I have lived here I do not get out to the glassworks much. Is there anything notable, anything at all that you remember about the Glassworks or anything that has gone on with it in the last few days? And I'm sorry I completely forgot to ask your name Mister...?"

Kellan had apparently fallen into guard mode, his tone was reminiscent of both the Sheriff and Lieutenant Alergast, albeit much younger and less imposing. Polite yet direct.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:36, Tue 03 Dec 2013.

She was glad.  In fact, Pisca thought her decision *not* to wear the Cinderlander hat this morning had been really rather fortunate.  Here on the exposed side of the building the broad brim would likely have caught the wind from off the ocean.  "Lovely ... "  The gnome pause a moment to navigate a particularly dangerous bit of rock.  "Lovely view from up here," she said over the Whisper Magic.  "There aren't even as many jagged rocks down below onto which a gnome can fall."

"Nothing yet," Pisca reported.  "I can't see into any of the windows.  And I don't hear anything from inside at all except for a whoosh fiery burning sort of sound.  Which, I suppose you'd expect from a glass fabricatorium," she added, making up a new word along the way.  "What's funny, though, is what I do not hear.  No voices.  Nothing at all.  How many employees does Lonjiku Kaijitsu have?  Are they all mutes?  Or librarians?  Do glass blowers take a vow of silence?"

"Say ... It's another door."  She really hadn't intended to related that to the others.  But even things whispered to one's self seemed to be caught up and delivered on the gentle breeze of this magic.  "I'm clear of the cliff's edge, and there's another door here on this side of the building.  Nobody seems to be around on this side of the building either.  Try to keep everyone down there.  I'm going to try and get the door open."

Of course she'd tried the exquisite kit of tools out on her own door at the Rusty Dragon the very night that she'd received it from Aldern Foxglove.  With such a gift as this, how could a gnome not?  With a little care and patience it wasn't hard.  She'd gotten to the point at which she could open her door at the inn before even most observant people would think to notice.  Here, however, was the real test.  Could she open this door when it really counted?

"Have you given any thought as to why Tsuto would ask to meet Ameiko here?" the gnome asked as she slipped a pick and tension wrench from the kit.  "If Tsuto and his father get along as famously as we've been lead to believe, why would he have asked to meet Ameiko here?  A place in which he's as likely as not to run into Lonjiku.  Does that not make sense to you too?  Or is this something that you have to be human to understand?"  It was something to think about, though there was little time for this sort of thinking as the gnome began to work on the lock.  This would take concentration.  She'd have to get this right.

---

Take 20 on Disable Device with Masterwork Thieves Tools.  Opening a lock allows Try Again.  I'm hoping that this shouldn't take too long.  The Clever Explorer Extraordinary Ability makes lock picking a standard action.  Twenty times a standard action is two minutes?

Cato listened simultaneously to Pisca's rambling conversation and Kellan's questioning of the townsfolk.  In a way, it reminded him of early stages of his arcane training, when he was tasked with simultaneously casting a spell while being harried by other apprentices.  It was a skill he had become somewhat better at while serving the Hellknights, as battle offered no end to potential distractions for a wizard, but it still took a great deal of effort.

Cato coughed, and held up his hand in an apologetic gesture to Kellan and the inquisitive bystander.  He took a couple steps back and turned his face from the group, covering his conversation with Pisca with some more make coughs.

"Excellent work, Pisca.  Hopefully we can find a way in unobserved by whomever might be inside and the bystanders and the street.  As to Tsuto and Lonjiku, I don't think you have to be a human to understand.  I think it makes me nervous, that maybe Tsuto has finally gotten his revenge on his step-father.  Possibly with the help of goblins."

Finished with his fake coughing, Cato turned back to his other two companions.

The butterflies were fluttering about in Liseth's stomach again.  Except that they felt a little different this time; these butterflies were very indignant.  The girl didn't know how to react to this particular feeling as the mean man continued to talk down to her.  She ended up lowering her hands from her chest and rubbing them shamefully, then lowering her gaze in order to avert her eyes from him.  To complete the image, Liseth's face began to redden as he announced just how important he thought that their need to get inside of the building was.

"It is important..."  The small acolyte spoke in a barely audible whisper, not bringing her eyes back to his face lest he sneer at her.  A degree of relief washed over her when Kellan spoke to the haughty man; sounding a great deal more authoritative than she could.  Stepping backwards, Liseth was only too happy to let his attention and demeanor refocus on the big guardsman.

At some point, Liseth realized that she no longer heard Pisca's voice whispering in her ear.  She tried to recall the last thing that she remembered the gnome saying when Cato stepped away from the group and had a seeming fit of coughing.  Concerned, and glad for a distraction from the demeaning conversation, the young blonde left Kellan to speak for them and walked to Cato's side.

"Are you okay?"  She looked him over as though inspecting the wizard's health, "You're not ill are you?  I might have some medicine to make you feel better in my knapsack if you are."  Every bit the healer, Liseth gently reached a hand up to Cato's forehead in order to check for a temperature.

---

---

"You represent Sheriff Hemlock AND Mayor Deverin?"  The man tsked, concentrating on Kellan now that both Cato and Liseth had ceded him the floor.  "Really, now.  That's an easy thing to SAY.  Do you have any PROOF that you are acting under their authority?  Because it looks to me like a jumped-up junior guardsman and his little friends are messing around in neighborhoods where they don't belong."

"Your inflated sense of your own importance," the man went on pompously, seemingly immune to the irony of his statement, "does not reflect well upon you, Guardsman."  At this point he was clearly playing to the crowd; a small one had gathered around the conversation.

"That said, my name is Londo G'Kar," he glanced at the onlookers, ensuring that they heard his name, "and no, there is nothing notable that has gone on around the Glassworks, other than that it is locked up for one of Lonjiku's special projects."  He coughed.  "Which begs the question of why YOU are so interested in it, Guardsman."

Meanwhile, the suddenly-isolated Pisca (for she had wandered out of range of her whisper spell) knelt to examine the lock on the double doors, which looked much more difficult than the lock she had practiced on at the inn.  Nevertheless, she whipped out her special lockpicking tools and set to figuring out how to open this particular device.  Amazingly, only seconds later she heard the lock's pins fall; she had opened it on her first try!  Surely this was an event to be added to the Gnomish Annals of Incredible Expertise if there ever was one!

---

---

Kellan nodded a little "I appreciate your vigilance Mr. G'Kar" not pronouncing the name as carefully as it's owner had. "We met with Mayor Deverin and the Sheriff yesterday" using his off hand to gesture to the badge on his guard tunic, then using the same hand to point I the ones affixed to his compatriots.

"I am not in the habit of betraying the privacy of others in the course of my duties, but your aid in this matter is appreciated Mr. G'Kar, I will be certain to mention your help when I report to the Sheriff."

He glanced over his shoulder "We should get to it however, have a good day" he finished with a tone that clearly stated that he thought the conversation was over, hefting his pole axe and turning towards the glass works with a few smiles, nods and "good mornings" to those that had begun to gather.

Success!!!

Success is the sweetest meat, the sweetest fruit, the sweetest vegetable, and today it seemed that success was on the menu.  It had been so easy.  The gnome stared with amazement at the door as though the door itself had, in deference to all things Pisca, opened itself to her magic touch.  "Thank you, Aldern"  The gnome's grin was unstoppable as she replaced the tools in their neat little slots within the supple leather case.

"Mission accomplished," Pisca whispered to the others over her surprisingly convenient Whisper Magic.  "The door is open.  We can get in from up here."

There was no response.

"Hello?  Is this thing on?  Hello, hello?"  The smile on the gnome turned to a frown, complete with impatient hands on impatient hips.

"Oh badgers," she muttered to herself.  Out of range?  The look she gave the waiting door was filled with the lure temptation.  She could listen at the door.  Just listen.  Or maybe just a peek.  How could a peek through a crack in a barely opened door possibly do any harm?  She could slip in and scout the way.  It would save the others a horrible bother if she were to find out that nothing at all was amiss.  That Tsuto had actually written 'Tannery' and Bethana had mistakenly translated it as 'Glassworks'.  She'd find a room full of very quiet glass blowers doing what very quiet glass blowers usually do during a day on the job.

Or not.

The gnome sighed.  At the very least she should see about rescuing the others from the crowd of curious humans first.  "Hello?  Hello, hello?"  Pisca made her way back along the safe side of the building.  At every tenth step she tested her Whisper Magic.  "Helloooo?  Cato?  Lysa?  Is this thing working yet?  Can you say something back so I can tell whether it's back yet?"
This message was last edited by the player at 15:55, Wed 04 Dec 2013.

Cato frowned as Pisca's voice died out.  He looked over at the Glassworks, not seeing the gnome anywhere.  Maybe the building's blocking her spell?  Or she's simply too far away.  He looked up in surprise when Liseth came over to him.

"Oh.  Yes, I'm fine.  I was just trying to cover my conversation with Pisca as a coughing fit."  He grinned.  "It seems to have worked in any case."

Cato looked back at Kellan.  "Maybe we should intervene and try to smooth things over a little bit there."

Just then, Cato heard Pisca's voice in his head again.  "...whether it's back yet?"

The wizard glanced over at Liseth, confirming that she heard it to.

He turned his back to the gathered crowd and reported back to the gnome.  "Yes, you must have gone out of range there.  Is everything okay?  Did you find out anything?"

Cato glanced back at Kellan, then reported to Pisca one more time.  "It looks like Kellan is ready to investigate.  Hopefully we haven't made too big of a disturbance with this crowd."

"Oh, there you are," the gnome replied.  "Range.  Yes, range.  Well, that was annoying.  But I've got good news.  I've managed to unlock the door.  Surprisingly easy.  I'm a rather pleased gnome."

"Or ... wait.  Have I not told you about the other door yet?  Hmmm.  In case you missed it, there's another door on the other side of the building.  And there are no people up here either.  We should be able to slip in quite easily without being seen."

Now back within the range of the Whisper Magic, Pisca halted her return.  Instead, she began pacing back and forth at the outer range of the Message spell.  In conversing with Cato and Liseth, the gnome appeared, for all the world, like a mad person, muttering to herself of secrets and imagined slights.

"I'm going to go back to the door.  Meet me there."  Then, after a momentary pause, just big enough for a quick decision, she said, "I'll be waiting.  In a Not Going In Yet sort of way."

---

Might as well listen at the door and get that over with.  Perception check, please.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:18, Wed 04 Dec 2013.

"Oh."  Liseth lowered her arm and clasped her hands together at her waist once more, "I didn't know that Pisca could hear us too.  I don't know much about how magic works."

She followed Cato's gaze when he looked back towards Kellan, careful to not meet the gaze of the man he was speaking with; Mr G'Kar it would seem.  "I don't think that he likes me," the acolyte whispered to the wizard, "I don't want to make things worse..."  Liseth's words trailed off and her hands began to fidget nervously when she noticed the crowd that had gathered.  Watching them.  Watching her.

The same people who yesterday she happily smiled and waved at after receiving her new badge from the Sheriff now left her feeling uncomfortable.  Liseth certainly didn't enjoy being publicly humiliated by mean and haughty people.  Kellan seemed to be handling it much better than she had; the girl just hoped that Mr G'Kar wouldn't find fault even with the badges that the Sheriff had given them.

Just then Pisca's whispered words came back again, and Liseth saw Cato turn away in order to reply to the gnome through the magical medium.  With her eyes on the crowd Liseth brought her clasped hands in front of her face and bowed her head before whispering a response.  Maybe all of those people would simply think her in prayer; which was not much of a stretch since Liseth felt that she could use a little divine aid at the moment.

"There are lots of people watching us now.  Even if we managed to send them away, I don't think that it would be difficult for everyone to figure out that we went inside.  They all know that we are interested in the Glassworks."  She still wasn't sure that Pisca actually heard her, but Liseth was very accustomed to speaking like that.  It almost felt the same as speaking to the gods; but it might be for the best if Liseth did not share that particular thought with the gnome.

---

---

Londo G'Kar looked stricken as Kellan drew the man's attention to his badge, an item the would-be expert had clearly overlooked.  His eyes darted frantically to the badges worn by Cato and Liseth.  His face turned red, but he didn't seem to be able to form a coherent sentence.

"Um, badges, you say, I see . . ."

Now Londo was more greenish, as if he'd swallowed something that disagreed with him.  The wind had truly been taken out of the man's sails.

In the meantime, the other bystanders began talking among themselves.

"They've been deputized!"

"Looks like they're OFFICIALLY Sandpoint's Saviors now."

"Smart move by Deverin . . ."

". . . Hemlock knows what he's doing . . ."

"They're on OFFICIAL BUSINESS, Londo, you self-important fish-wrangler!"

". . . maybe they'll figure out what's going on at the Glassworks . . ."

". . . way to obstruct an official investigation . . ."

Deflated, Londo hunched over and plodded off, not even bothering to bid the group farewell as he retreated under the scathing remarks of the other bystanders present.  The impromptu crowd then dispersed to go about their business, happy that town officials were handling the business with the Glassworks.

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That's a noisy furnace.  Or so thought the gnome to herself as she withdrew a pace or two from the Very Tempting Door.  Doors were meant to be opened.  Right?  Thought the gnome as well.  (Very conveniently, of course, Pisca ignored all of the other things that doors were meant to do.)

"Don't look at me like that," said the gnome to the door.  "Don't you look at me like that.  I'm waiting for the others."

"Hoom hoom hoom-dee hoom," Pisca hoom'ed quietly to herself to both pass the time and to deflect the scrutiny of the door.  Maybe that was the reason that glassblowers were so quiet.  Because they'd never hear each other over the sound of the furnace anyway so they simply say nothing at all.  But, in that case, they could also quite easily be the loudest people in town as well, always shouting to be heard over the din of the incredibly loud and conversation-slaying furnace.  Or, maybe glassblowers are far more clever than anyone gives them credit for.  Maybe they'd fashioned an elaborate network of speaking tubes from the very material with which they worked.  When the need would arise to speak to one or the other of their fellow glassblowers, all that would be required would be a slight turn of the head to speak into a transparent fluted mouthpiece.  Their voices would then be carried through hundreds of feet of twisting glass tubules to the ear of the intended listener.

That would certainly be something to see, and Pisca leaned out around the corner to spy out the approach of the others.  She was anxious now to take in the sight of the fantastical structures of glass that she had just built within her own imagination.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:51, Thu 05 Dec 2013.

With the crowd dispersing Kellan began walking towards the glass works. As he moved he looked over to Cato "Yeah, your probably right. We don't need to make any more enemies." He nodded a little as if making a mental note. "So does anybody have any idea where Pisca ran off to?" He asked the pair as they walked

The guardsman looked up at the covered windows with narrowed eyes and a tight jawline. The others could tell by now that he was preparing himself mentally for a possible fight, his nervousness, his tense shoulders, and his stance made it all evident. "Hey Cato..." He asked without looking to the Mage "Have you ever had to...kill anybody before?" He asked softly as they approached.