RP:An Elf With A Job Part 3

Part of the Home Sweet Home Arc

Location: Mage's Library

Synopsis: Gilwen manages to recruit the Illusionist Pilar to help her in her attempt to infiltrate Trist'Oth and the House D'Artes.

In the Mage's Library

As you stand here, towers of bookshelves completely surround you. Most of them look to be magical in nature, but there are books of more mundane subjects in the library. Some are for spell research, some are about the history of spell casting and magic, while others are just lists of spell uses and objects. The cases are of a dark oak or pine, and glow a little at the ends, where runes have been placed to protect these sources of information from aging and decay. There are tables all over the room, with people of quite a few races sitting and studying. You notice a small door behind the rows of shelves to the north, and as someone opens and enters the room you see that it is the dormitory for those who stay here and study. To the east are two massive doors with designs carved into them, a golden dragon on each door.

Gilwen had sent a missive off with a foot soldier with the instructions to not only locate Pilar, but to inform the illusionist that the Order of the Leaf in Sage had desperate need of her assistance. The penned message would inform the woman of the time, date and location of the impending meeting, down to the exact subject isle in the library Gilwen would be occupying: Divination. That's where she would be found, perusing through a volume of 'In To The Future: What Are Your Dreams Saying?'. She was dressed simply in leather leggings, well-worn knee=high boots, and a simple sky-blue silk blouse beneath a leather armored corset; the belts that were fixed around her belt carried pouches and the sheathed daggers she always kept with her person. Occasionally, she'd pause from her reading to glance along her book isle, or brush a long strand of red hair back behind her ear.

Pilar was beyond astounded to hear that she apparently had a reputation that caused others to seek her out for help. It was a little humbling, even if she didn't know of the Order of the Leaf. Always one to help, Pilar took the day off work and traveled to Xalious Village. She was dressed in her favorite yellow pinafore with a white blouse underneath, and gold-colored shoes. Her right leg was silver-plated, an obvious prosthetic. Long black hair was tied up in a white ribbon, and a gold stud adorned her left nostril. She looked down the aisles, murmuring, “Divination, divination...” to herself until she found it. Seeing no one but Gilwen in the aisle, she approached shyly. “Um... ma'am? Are you with the, um... Order of the Leaf?” Her accent marked her a s foreign to Lithrydel, though her Common was excellent.

Gilwen's attention was drawn from the book the moment Pilar's yellow dress flashed in her peripherals, and she greeted the other woman with a smile long before her question had left her lips. "I am. I'm Gilwen," She juggled the book briefly to hold it against her chest with her left arm while extending her right in an introductory manner. Her voice was pitched low, though not precisely conspiratorially so; students milled around the library studying late into the night. "I've need of someone who can cast convincing illusions." She paused, and glanced around as casually as possbile before adding on, almost as if it were an afterthought, "Annnd, I would need that person to be willing to go into Trist'oth with me."

Pilar shook the hand politely. “Nice to meet you, Lady Gilwen. I'm Pilar... but you probably already knew that.” When Gilwen explained her need, Pilar's eyes widened. “T-Trist'oth?” Her voice was also hushed, for much the same reason. “I... Well, I can do illusions, to be sure. And if we can avoid Vailkrin as much as possible, I'd be willing to go to Trist'oth, but... I would very much like a little more information, first.”

Gilwen understood the request for more information; she was asking this woman to potentially risk life or limb. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Pilar." She paused long enough to shut the book she held and tuck it back onto the shelf she had pulled it from. "I'm still in the process of mapping out all possible escape routes should things go belly up," which they undoubtedly will, "but I unfortunately do not have eyes or ears in Trist'Oth. The entrance in Vailkrin is a worst-case scenario." She tried to assure Pilar, offering the smallest of smiles. Gilwen wasn't an expressive woman. "I need something from the former Archmage Tiphareth's house," this is whispered so quietly that Pilar herself might have trouble hearing her. "It's something that will aid me and my people in lifting the death curse was placed on Sage."

Pilar , being a vampire, had excellent hearing. She knew of the death curse; Tiphareth's reign as archmage was a point of contention amongst the mages of the guild. Some wished he was back, others thought the Administrator was doing a bang-up job. Pilar, personally, only knew the guild as it was under Brenwyn's control, but from what she heard of Tiphareth, she'd stick with Brenwyn, thanks. Pilar nodded. “Okay. Okay, I... I think I can manage that.” She was, truthfully, quite nervous, but she was always willing to help. “Will it be just us?”

Gilwen's face fell into a subtle look of relief when Pilar agreed to help, but answered her question regarding the group size with a shake of her head. "No. I have another coming along to provide muscle, and I believe that one more might possibly decide to provide assistance as well, but I've yet to receive a firm answer from him. But during the war, I was able to get into and out of Trist'Oth with just two others. The fewer we have with us, the less likely we are to be considered for suspicion." She would have to iron out the details of their disguises and their entry and exit points soon. "Once the plans have been settled upon, I'll send word for you and our other cohort so that we can go over everything." To ensure that should anyone get split from the group, they would have a means of relative safe retreat. "You will be well compensated for this."

Pilar nodded along with the plan, such as it was. At the mention of compensation, she blinked. Oh yeah, people sometimes paid others for their services. She was so used to acting pro bono that this had really caught her off-guard. “Oh, I... Well, thank you.” Her parents had raised her to never refuse gifts (or, in this case, payment) if it was offered. She had no real need of it, and would probably give it to charity, or sock it away in the bank for a rainy day. “I won't let you down, Lady Gilwen.” She hoped.

Gilwen nodded, content to allow Pilar her leave, and reached again for the book she had been thumbing through. Before the book could be extracted completely from its leafy kin however, the small elf turned her attention immediately back to the illusionist. "You wouldn't happen to know how to reach the entrance to Trist'Oth from Vailkrin, would you?"

Pilar had taken a couple steps away when she was stopped. She turned to look at Gilwen, a touch of nerves on her face. “Um... vaguely. It's near the Dark Forest.”

Gilwen had hoped for a more detailed answer, but it would have to do. She'd have to send a group to map out the forest in case they needed to take those set of tunnels for their exit. "Thanks again for your time today, Pilar. I'll be in touch."