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Drovna has an absurd degree of practice in carefully remembering who has been addressed first, and alternating her questions to end every encounter having shown perfect equality of deference to all parties. It's one of a handful of the basic competencies of an Advocate, and one she had begun to train long before matriculating.
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“Next question. Concerning the list of religious and fraternal orders you each received, if you are unwilling to act in secret against any of the groups mentioned, you are to exclude yourself from this operation. I am to have each of you state to me: ‘I vow that I am willing though not committed to acting against the interests of any of the organizations mentioned in my brief’. Grannik.”
Neollo yawns and idly makes a gesture with her hand. A fist-sized flame materializes above her open palm, and then small gouts of spitfire leap from it to each of the lit candles. The individual strands of fire seem to be controlled, and they precisely burn off the irregular marks of wax drip that cling to each candle, leaving four perfectly round cylinders in their wake, before extinguishing themselves in an instant.
Yes. That is clearly something that normal wizards do with cantrips. No cause at all for alarm. Drovna catches herself looking up for the barkeep, hoping for someone to make eye contact with.
She clears her throat. “Next up. Concerning location: You each hold a note with thirty numbered place names in Sigil. You are now to open those papers without revealing them to me. Please do so now.
“Good. The location of the operation is number five on your lists. Please destroy these parchments at your earliest convenience without revealing them to anyone.”
They all promptly cease touching the papers, and a moment later, each of the three crumbles into dust. Drovna is not even sure who cast the spell.
“Right,” she says, and then withdraws two items from her bag, one a note on cardstock with small and precise pen strokes and one a thick wizard’s spell scroll bound in a ribbon.
Drovna says, “We may now proceed. These are the tasks you are to perform. I will read the instructions twice and allow you to ask me any questions if you believe I may be able to answer them for you. Understand that to receive payment for successful completion of this operation, you will be required to vow before court magician that you have understood the full import of the instructions and can testify to their satisfactory fulfillment.
You are to enter the location unseen and unheard. The enclosed scroll is a modified enchantment derivative of the spell Invisibility Sphere. During the operation, one wizard is to remain in vaporous form and at least five paces away from the other two members of the company at all times unless one or both require immediate assistance.
Once inside, you are to make your way to the first basement level. At that level, there is one large hall identifiable by its two arched doorways, although neither frame has a door hung in it. These two doorways are the only entry points to the hall. The doorway which is to be the target of the operation is the one on the right-hand side, when viewed whilst standing within.
You are to silently and non-lethally incapacitate any individuals within the room. You are to dispel all magical effects within fifteen feet of the target doorway. The cleric among you is to cast Greater Exorcise centered upon the door's arch.
A wizard among you will then cast Gate Seal of the sixth order on the doorway. The caster will be asked to report on whether the spell took hold as might be expected of a lesser portal of Sigil.
You are then to pass a thin wire or enchanted cutting blade through the edges of the door frame in at least five places, severing a full and unbroken material frame with outward strokes that penetrate at least two inches into the stonework. After completing this step, each wizard is to cast Warp Sense and record the results.
Secondly, within a low wall cupboard near the left doorway, the one opposite your previous target, the rear panel has an irregular whorl or knot that will glow under Arcane Sight. That is an enchantment that should have two visible and unbroken strands of steady force emanating from it. As a requirement of your mission, you are each to report whether you witnessed two unbroken strands emanating from the wood knot within the cupboard. Do not make your observation until after Gate Seal has been cast.
If at any time a spirit appears, you are to dispatch it as silently as you can. Destroying it takes precedence over any other action to be performed. If you find yourself choosing between failing your objective of remaining undetected and failing your objective of destroying the spirit, you are to prefer destroying the spirit.
After these tasks are complete, you are to exit the premises. At dawn you are to meet in the park directly outside of this tavern where you will testify to me and a court magician under Zone of Truth concerning the outcome of your mission prior to receiving payment.
Drovna purses her lips. “From what I have read in my own instructions, I believe the employer’s expectation is that a single scroll will be sufficient to carry out the entire operation without detection.”
Neollo twitches her fingers and the ribbon swiftly unties itself. She moves her stein and flattens the scroll against the table.
She scoffs and looks away almost immediately. After a few moments her brow creases, like she's performing an intensive mental calculation.
Then she looks back and studies the scroll with renewed interest. She tilts her head this way and that, and bends the thing towards her in a convex shape, as if trying to make certain of the embossed marks pop off the parchment.
After a pause, she begins to laugh.
The sound is high in pitch, and decidedly less dignified than her previous speaking voice.
