Story I: The Rift

Being passed over by Pyrrah, Callie's welcoming gesture is saved when Ameera takes her hand. She smiles, visibly looking relieved to be saved some measure of awkwardness, and takes the excuse to simply nod and smile to welcome the others. "Happy to meet you, too," she replies, and then ponders Ameera's question, "Oh, yes, I'm sorry! I should have offered. There's a stool just behind the counter. Make yourself comfortable." She then turns back to greet Baric as he approaches. "Services. Ah, well, I was hoping you could brave immeasurable danger in the pursuit of knowledge and discovery for me!" Callie offers some awkward laughter, wringing her hands when she hears her own poor choice in humor.

She quickly recovers, "But, well, in all seriousness, you should know why you're here. I've heard good things. The best things, really!" Callie steps closer toward the counter, a bounce in her step. She reaches up, barely managing to stab a finger into the corner of the ledger, "If you could just sign your names in so that I can log your arrival, that would help. Then I can give you a quick tour, and we can get you some food and rest." For those that look at it, the ledger asks for name, date and time of arrival, and focus of study.

Callie grows increasingly uncomfortable at Baric's seriousness. She wrings her hands tightly and says, "Apologies, I should have spoken more carefully." She inclines her head politely, but then looks truly surprised when Baric's tone lightens. Her eyes, wide with such surprise, follow him as he passes her. At his question she starts, "Oh, well.. you'll be-.." But her attention is stolen as Pyrrah urges her aside briefly.

The two of them exchange a few whispered words.After the brief exchange, she turns back to the rest of you and says, "As far as reward and renown go... any of you that have been explorers for any amount time know that there is not much in the way of fame." Callie places her hands on her hips, "You make discoveries. You name places and things you find. You've the honor of being the first to set foot in or lay hands on something new. It's... hard to see the value in it if you don't care about those things."

She continues, looking somewhat more encouraged by the following topic, "But we can reward you!" She smiles wide, "You'll come back and file reports of your findings, returning any items you've discovered, and depending on all of that, I can offer you a quite handsome pay. Verdona is paying much more for this expedition than any other that I've seen." She sways to and fro, putting one hand out in the air, palm up, "Though, on the other hand, this means that your pay is dependent upon your efforts. If you come back and you've found nothing, then I cannot pay you."

"And that doesn't mean that we keep everything you return with, though the Magocracy certainly pays handsomely for donations to their museums."

Callie beams a sunny smile at Erran, pumping a fist and saying, "Exactly! That's the spirit!" She then moves toward the door on the right (as you enter), waiting for anyone to continue asking questions or finish signing the ledger. "You'll be able to get started as soon as you like. Tonight, if you really wanted, though I should insist that you get something to eat and some sound sleep first." She rocks back and forth on her heels, Erran's speech potentially still uplifting her spirits, "You'll have autonomy in how you handle your business, though. I'm just here to help."

Callie smooths out her clothes while she listens to Erran. "You'll get used to them, and learn which ones are accepting and which aren't. Truly, if they hate other races so much, they could walk fifty feet in one direction and officially be in Winter Court territory." Callie looks frustrated, and truly displeased, despite her normally polite and eager self. "Still, there are a couple of smiths here that will work with you, and plenty of iron in the mountain. There's a dwarf named Dolum who makes fine weaponry, but for a hefty price. Make sure to address him as 'Master Dolum.' One of his apprentices could make more simple crafts for a fairer bid, too."

She rubs at her chin, "Dolum isn't the most reliable, and sometimes closes his shop down for the day if someone's angered him. And he angers easily." She shifts her balance to the other foot, "If that's the case, you can look for Nephiny. She's a dark elf, but I don't know if she's necessarily Winter Court."

At Ameera's statement, Callie nods. "That's good," she smiles, "I hope none of you intend to die." At the mention of trinkets she ponders the cases and says, "Oh, well... we get paid for housing these. Sort of like our own little museum. And for.. other reasons. Any trinkets you find could be kept, if you need them, so long as you just tell us about them so that we can learn. Sometimes you just need coin more, though."

Callie ponders and then mutters, "You know, I'm not sure. I haven't looked. I've been in my room all day dealing with Verdona's scrolls."

Nodding at the mention of Maz, Callie frowns and looks worried. She wrings her hands once more, "Yes. I'll go out and look for him in a few days, if he's not back by then."

"Um, well.. I can show them around the place right quick, and then certainly," She smiles at Devanis, twisting one finger back and forth while she waits.

With everyone signing the log book, Callie immediately begins the tour. It takes roughly fifteen minutes as she leads you about the ground floor of the guildhall. This floor is separated into 6 rooms: The entryway (the room you've been in), the stairwell, the cots, the mess, Callie's office, the study and the cages.

Immediately to the right of the entryway is the stairwell, with a set of stairs rising to the 2nd floor and an iron-reinforced wooden door at the top. Callie makes note that the door will remain locked, as the top floor is an attic of sorts that contains all manner of supply. These supplies can be requisitioned once you've made some discoveries and the guild is interested in further exploration, but they are never public access to all members.

The following room Callie refers to as "The cots." Within is an arrangement of 8 wooden, thin cots and 8 small chests that act as footlockers. When you entered it before, there was a dwarf on one of the cots, grizzled and grey-haired. He was asleep and in a state of undress, though thankfully covered by a wool blanket. Callie, with a note of displeasure, introduced him as Duggin. She explained that as long as there's a free cot, and there should be, you're welcome to sleep where you like. Callie also added that the lockers can be used to keep valuables while you're gone, if you'd like.

The rooms then seem to wrap around, and what would be on the other side of the wall from the Entryway and Stairwell is "the Mess" and kitchens, with two tables and a few benches, as well as a stove and cutting board, it should serve well. She shows you where to get food, though mainly it's just travel rations anyway. There's a door leading to a small plot of land behind the guildhall from here.

The room next to that is the Study, which contains a small desk and chair, and a surprisingly large collection of books. Callie says that they seem to have come from all different locales and from various points in history, dating back to the Court of Twilight.

The final room, which adjoins the Entryway (if you were to take the door on the left), is referred to as The Cages. It exits out the left side of the building, but also contains a series of weapon and armor racks that look like they can be locked up safely, if need be.By the time the tour is done, you find yourselves back into the entryway. Callie spins on her heels to turn and face the group of you, saying, "And that's it! I won't keep you any longer. Do as you please, enjoy the town, get some food and sleep. You can stay here a couple days first, leave tomorrow morning, or go right now if you really want to." She shrugs her shoulders, rapid-firing words even as she's unable to contain a smirk, "However you'd like to do it. I need to fetch you some supplies, while I think of it. I was able to convince Verdona to send some climbing harnesses, extra rope and rations for your first trip. I'll make sure to lay those out in the cages for you. Just get them before you leave."

"Any questions?"

"So this isn't a new hole in the ground out there...how many times have you sent people down?" Ameera takes a step closer to Callie, still keeping her distance. "and who picked this" Ameera hold out her hand, gesturing to each person, skipping Devanis, but touching herself "this assortment of people to go now?". She turns to Devanis, "I take it you have been down there before, but it sounds like some more experience would be useful in the group."

"Well," Callie starts, "Only Devanis has been down there, actually."

"An earthquake opened it up a couple years ago." She frowns as it appears her mind wanders, "Some things came up with it. Took a few of us down into the rift when they left."

She shuffles her feet nervously, "Lord Gallune clo-.. ah, the mayor here. He had the rift boarded up soon after Devanis came back."

"As far as you five, I had no part in it. The explorer's guild in Verdona organized the best explorers from the other guild locations, and contracted out wherever else they could."

Callie frowns, "Only a few, and most of them have since passed or left. All I saw was the shadow." She takes a step back, her boots thumping on the wooden floor, "It was some strange fog that seemed to vanish those that entered it."

"Devanis was there, too," She says, gesturing toward him, "But the only other person that I can think of would be Brynn. She stays in The Frozen Hearth, which is just a few buildings down."