After an enjoyable lunch on the roof of the complex, Roderick hustled us back down to the waiting room. He instructed us to “look like you are bored”, just asw General Liam emerged from the council chamber.

General Liam informed us that the Master’s have agreed on the severity of the situation. Messengers were sent out to all distant rangers, and a close survailance will be contucted in the immediate surroundings. Blackhawk asks him why the Blackcloaks would still be after us if we have delivered our message, but the General thinks that the Blackcloaks likely hate us and are out to rectify past mistakes, much like the bounty hunters in Puddleby.

With Roderick and Janus in tow, General Liam conducted us through the quad to one of the towers emerging from the cliff face. Up two flights of stairs we come to an ornate door, the entrance to the Guild’s administration offices. Before he leaves, Raven asks the General if due to our recent journey and service, if we might be promoted to full journeymen. The General admits that he is ready to offer this based on our tale. Roderick had even broached the subject with him. He states that if we pass our trials we could be elevated by the solstice in a week.

As the General leaves, we detect that he is a lot mellower than he had been upon our first meeting him.

Moyra than enters, the chief administrator of the guild, a faded beauty in her fifties, she carries herself in an aristocratic manner. She asks if we have any pressing needs. Blackhawk pulls out the company’s letter of credit and asks to have a new one made based on our new company formation. Moyra takes the letter, casts a spell over it, and watches as the letter turns translucent and a magic seal appears. She touches her signet ring to the seal and flames appeared to outline it. She looks up at us and announces “Well, its real.”

The group agrees to leave McGuyver his share in care of the guild and have the rest rolled over into the new company. Raven has already prepared a new charter.

For our living situation, Moyra states that it would be best if we took rooms in the dorms instead of the stronghold. There is plenty of room, as there are few students, and the stronghold is more for active defenders. If we did not want that we could rent rooms in the town. We informed her that the dorms will be fine for now, until we get our bearings.

Moyra then introduces us to Mrs. Thompkins, the housekeeper. She leads through another courtyard into a different cave/tower complex. We passed a large dining hall, and went up a few levels. All the furniture and decorations we pass seem quite posh. She leads a to a suite of four rooms. She thinks we might like it because it has a window for Jek to fly through. There is a central room with tables and chairs and four bedchambers, each with four beds. A wash room is also available, but no hot water. A fireplace in the room would allow us to cook if we so desired.

As we settled into our new rooms. Roderick showed up. He seemed spiffed up and said he wanted to show us something. Roderick led us back to the front entrance through several sets of guards. At the gates, Roderick appears to give Sir Janus some assurances and then we are out through the Wyvren Gate. The roads in this part of Bliss hug the cliff face. He brings us to what he calls Rosewater Park, one of several parks in town. A spring emerges from the cliff face here and is channeled into a series of terraces. Thick roses populate the terraces with oaks at the top. The park is full of locals walking and sitting as vendors make their rounds selling baked goods. A hush seems to fall over those gathered as sunset approaches. The cliff face above us takes on a glowing rosy hue the closer the sun approaches the horizon. We stand quietly entranced as the great disk disappears over the mountains.

As dusk settles in, Roderick sets off to take us to one of his favorite taverns. He takes us to McCall’s Pub, a favorate of the Rangers. He buys a round and informs us that this is a good place to find off duty Rangers. As we enjoy our drinks, Roderick takes Blackhawk under his arm and introduces him around to the resident Rangers, including a Dwarven one.

We then set out into a residential area and come upon Dubby’s, a hobbit residence in the cliff face. As we approach, a group emerges through the door followed by a clatter of music, voices, and chink of dinnerware. We duck in and see a busy crowd, a quarter of which were hobbits and halflings. Two hobbits and a human musicians entertain the crowd. Dubby seemed smitten with Raven as Stephen played a rousing tune for the crowd. The crowd seemed to be getting over excited and Roderick deemed it a good time to hustle us out of the tavern.

Next he brought us to the Firefont, probably the oldest in the city, likely over 1000 years. It was situated directly under the citidal. Through a low doorway, we entered a very smoky, dark tavern. Sawdust covered the floor and the tables were all dagger scarred. Roderick said this place attracted a rougher element, but wanted to show us something. At the back of the tavern was a trickle of what looked like liquid fire running down the back wall and collecting in a basin. Obviously the namesake of the tavern, a testament to the elemental power of the fire wizards that used to inhabit the stronghold. We only drank small drinks before setting out again. As we left, Roderick scanned the crowd and it seemed more then one patron quickly averted their eyes.

He states that it is time for dinner, and heads up to the town square. In the darkening evening, the cathedral is spectacularly lit-up. Off of the square, Roderick brings us toward the tavern where we will meet Sister Fara. As we approach, we hear a haunting tune coming from our destination, the Elfsong Tavern. As we enter, we immediately notice that there is no one appearantly singing. Everyone is sitting quietly at their tables listening to the song. I recognize the song as Elven, a very sad song, but do not see the singer. We spot Fara and settle in at her table. Above the mantle, there is a leathery stuffed ‘orb’. No of us have ever seen one, but we swear that this must be a beholder.

Eventually the song fades out, and people begin talking again at there tables. We greet Fara, and Aylith, the bar owner greets us. She is a comely half-elf, quite fetching in her low-cut barmaid outfit...if you lacked the discipline to see her beauty beyond such obvious charms. She follows our gaze to the beholder and says she found it in the cellar when she bought the place. As to the ghost, it has been here at least 150 years. No one has ever seen her. All she does is sing, usually different songs and on an irregular schedule.

We are informed that this tavern was a favorite of Max’s. And we quickly relax and look forward to the rest of our eventful evening.

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