With the others joining his, Davor turns his attention to the ghostly apparitions walking around the area. He studies them until he sees one who doesn't look like they are in a great hurry to be anywhere and then strides up to them. As he walks forward his eyes glow a pale green and when he speaks there seems to be a strange echo in his voice. "'Scuse me. I just got here and I can't help but notice all the buzz about a coronation. Who is it who's getting crowned?"

Using Voice of the Grave to Speak with Dead.

Jerec will help Davor ferry those up that want to drink from the fountain.   Drinking from the fountain himself at the end of his transport.

He remained silent and let Davor do all the talking as he looked around to see how things changed from his new perspective.

Having been helped up (realistically, it's more likely she's carried!) and then drunk the water, Helena stands 'the right way up' on the once ceiling, marvelling at the immediate change.

Her eyes then dart from one ghostly figure to the next as she hears the words that they speak, "A coronation?  I wonder who is being crowned?   Could it possibly be one of my ancestors?" That side of her past was still mostly a mystery to her and the thought that this might play out a 'living' history intrigues her, "Can we follow them and watch the coronation... please?"

Teana was happy to help carry Helena, though it did quite a number on her arms. Then she took her own sip of the fountain.

At Helena's exuberance, she broke into a big grin and took Helena's hand. "Let's go watch," she agreed.

Helena wasn't entirely sure leaving the others was the best thing and she looked back at Davor and Jerac as they continued to examine the water.  Not seeing any immediate disagreement though, she shrugged, and allowed herself to be lead away by Teana as secretly she was rather keen to see who was being crowned!

With the others help and magic Urle and his horse drink the water and follow the group.  It clear the horse is very confused and only it's link with the cavalier allows it to walk on the ceiling.

One of the passing figures notices Davor and gives a silvery laugh.  "Oh!  The coronation celebration at the university forum, of course!  I was there myself to watch the princess crowned; so lovely with all the jewels, just blazing like the sun!  Goldenhame has the best celebration planned on her Tour of Progress.  She's going to be presiding over the demonstrations herself!  What province are you from?  Are you a student here?"

For everyone else, the transition up to the city is a bit difficult, but once the water is drunk the city becomes the right side up, and the Low Road just a curious sort of ceiling.

Davor imitates a look of being impressed. "I'm just a visitor from Thulkath. I'm here to learn about the city. Could you point me to the university forum?"

Jerec said nothing but simply attempted to listen.

He moved slightly to be behind Davor to hear better and back him up if need be as they tried to garner information.

The woman points down one of the stretching, elaborately-decorated boulevards and then turns back to her friend as someone laughs and points at something just out of sight.  The group can follow the directions, going past several more fine homes and gardens, discrete shops with fine goods (stationary, books, leather goods, shoes, hats, robes, and confections), until they reach an open plaza.  Like an oyster with a pearl the square in anchored with a amphitheater in front of a pillared building with two enormous wings, pierced with windows that show pictures in colored glass that glows in places.  Various booths and daises are set up around the plaza and amongst the people you can see (in the dress of what seems to be nobility, or at least the wealthy) there are also many wearing solid-colored robes with a single broad stripe of black, red, or white at the hems.  These often carry wands, rods, staves, or elaborate crystals, some with hefty tomes.  They are congregating in clusters around stretches of open ground marked with low white stones, consulting lists posted on small stands.  Music from various minstrels echoes through the plaza, making the murmur of the people like that of songbirds.

The echoes of music, the sound of people talking, the colours - everything seems so... real!  She looks to the others, "I wonder what the colours mean?"  She was referring to the robes, "And who are the nobles?"

21:30, Today: Helena rolled 22 using 1d20+11.  Craft: Weaving - to recall or understand who the colours might represent.
21:31, Today: Helena rolled 14 using 1d20+7.  Knowledge: Nobility OR History - to learn something about the nobility or some historical reference she's seeing.

Following the ghostly woman's directions, Davor heads to the university forum. Having arrived he reminds everyone within earshot: "In my vision there was this spiney sea creature guarding this place so be careful."

Urle just keeps his horse calm and himself.
It seems if you do get the horse to drink the water the world becomes upside down.

Helena looks at the robes as they draw closer, and gets a sense from both stories and from her job as a weaver of what they mean.  The robes are all identical in styles, so are likely a uniform, and the larger the stripes the more deference is paid to the wearer.  Adding in that this city is supposed to hold a school, you would guess that the robed ones are students or teachers of magecraft of various ranks and specialties.

As the group moves into the square, the people begin to look towards Helena, first as a casual glance, then as a double-take, then as a stare before abruptly bowing.  "Your Highness," they murmur diffidently, parting before her and her entourage as they walk.

Teana walked alongside Helena, smiling as the ghosts deferred to her. "Your Highness. Now that has a ring to it," she said softly.

Davor splits off to the side, deciding that he doesn't much look the part of a royal escort. Instead, he tries to move ahead of the group from behind the crowd and keep an eye out for anything potentially dangerous.

At the first bowed greeting Helena almost managed to stop herself contradicting the ghostly individual.   Could she really argue with a ghost?  It takes a longer moment for her to realise that not only is she contemplating that but she's accepted that the ghosts have even noticed her!   Teana's comment doesn't help either and she whispers to the half-elf.  "I... who do they think I am?  They can't know me... can they?"

She double checks that the others are still close by and notes that Davor has stepped a little away.  Unsure, she continues on, nodding awkwardly to those who bow to her.

"I don't know much about the magic, but I don't think they're sensing who you are. They know what you are. The ghosts need the Heir, so play the Heir for them. But be Helena in your heart."

Teana walked with Helena, perfectly comfortable in the role of the Heir's escort. She gave occasional nods to ghosts as they passed, politely acknowledging their presence.

Play the heir... Play the heir! Helene blinked but the advice from Teana was sound and while she was utterly uncomfortable acting this, she began nodding to the bowing ghosts and offering smiles and even a few hand waves.

Helena's smiles and nods seem to please the ghosts, who look pleased and impressed that a member of the royal family would grant them the favor of acknowledgement.  As the crowd parts before the group, there is a stir further into the plaza.  The crowd parts more widely as a richly-dressed man on a dazzling golden palanquin, surrounded by a dozen warriors and borne by handsomely-dressed bearers, stops in front of Helena.  Whisking aside the sheer golden curtains, he smiles down upon her, he and his entourage more substantial than the other ghosts.

"My lady, you surprise me!  The people adore you so for giving them the gift of your presence.  But please, will you join me for the last part of your journey so the ceremonies can commence?" he says, extending a hand to her as one of the bearers moves into position to aid her up if she indicates she wishes it.  The man's clothing is a deep magenta with silver and gold embroidery, studded with blue and purple gems.  His brow is encircled by a small golden circlet with blue gems studding it, and every finger bears a fine ring of precious metals and gems, sculpted into a fantastic form.  The palanquin is strewn with colorful silk cushions to soften it.

Teana looked up at the man. He looked important, but Teana couldn't figure out his status by his clothing alone. She really should have studied this kind of thing more...

01:11, Today: Teana Florin rolled 5 using 1d20+2.  Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) untrained.

"My lady," she said to Helena. "It is your choice, of course, to walk or ride. And if you would feel more comfortable, I will remain with you."

She'd probably messed up the protocol with that, but screw it. She wanted to stay with Helena.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:16, Sat 28 Nov 2020.

Watchful from the periphery of the crowd, Davor utters a word in the orcish tongue and holds his hand over his eyes as the eye sockets in his wolf skull pauldron glow green briefly. When he removed his hand, his own eyes have acquired an ethereal light. His taxes intently at this new ghostly apparition.

Casting Detect Evil and focusing on the ghost on the palanquin.

Helena was actually enjoying the situation (even if she didn't want to acknowledge that to herself) but the arrival of the noble and their guard gave her pause.  The invitation seemed genuine but was it appropriate?  What would her joining them imply?  Could it affect this place?  They certainly seemed more... real... than the others so she needed to be careful.

She patted Teanna's hand should in acknowledgement of her words but her focus reamins on the ghostly man.  She couldn't be sure what to do though so she went with her gut, "Thank you for the kind offer... but as you rightly pointed out, this is a gift and it is not often I am able to give it.   Perhaps if you lead the way, I will follow, and you can ensure that the ceremony can begin as soon as I get there."

00:28, Today: Helena rolled 17 using 1d20+7.  Knowledge: Nobility.

Urle keeps close to Helena but give her the space to interact with the ghosts.
The caviler really not sure what to make of the ghost.  Part of him feel they should clear the city of them.  Another excepts that empire is full of different creatures and as long as the ghosts are not evil then they have right to ghost life as any creature.

OOC:
16:51, Today: Urle rolled 9 using 1d20+7.  Knowledge: Nobility.

Urle and and Teana don't recognize the man other than that his clothing seems typical of stories of the Empire, and that shade of magenta was used for royalty.  Helena remembers some songs and poems that talked of the "peacock-bright" nobles, and the "Lord Ervans of the Beastly Hands", though the poems had mentioned the name was both because of his choice of jewelry (fantastically carved rings in beast shapes), and his reputation for dealing out punishment (or, in bawdier songs, his reputation as a lecher).

At Helena's comment, however, the nobleman looks disappointed.  He seemed as if he were about to insist, but the closing-in of Helena's entourage seems to discourage him from further public conversation.

"I shall see you anon, Your Highness," he says, nodding his head and sharply ordering his bearers to increase their pace to keep a corridor open for Helena to follow him.


When the path finally deposits them at their goal, it proves to be an elaborate raised pavilion, surmounted by a crest of gilded wood with spikes like the rising sun, in front of the amphitheater in front of the wizard's college proving grounds.  Groups of robed folk, grouped by colors, are at multiple points around the oval proving grounds, and the crowd of cityfolk and visitors circle around them.  In the center, below the pavilion, are a group of people in somber brown or black.

As Helena's group is encouraged towards the pavilion with cries of praise and blessings for "Her Highness", the nobleman has already descended from his palanquin to sit in front of a carved and gilded throne, less elaborate than one next to it, clearly meant for Helena.

"Your Highness!" he says, when she comes into view.  "Will you open the ceremonies for your loyal subjects?"  He winks at her as it says it, including himself as one under her rule.