[D0, Early Evening] A Blue Rose in the Garden

[Illiam'iira]

"No. You have arrived in Sigil, City of Doors." His tone settled onto something neutral and only a little cold.

"This sort of thing happens from time to time. Primer spell gone wrong, teleportation problem. Many ways into the City."

"Oh," She answers, and, taking his hand, stands. Still a bit wobbly, Illi pulls the sword from her back to lean on like a walking stick. (It's almost taller than the girl who carries it...) The news leaves her thoughtful at first, and then, very softly, "Shit." Somehow she fucked things up... again. With a little sigh, Illiam looks up to Desten, expression like a kicked puppy. "I, uh, don't suppose there's protocols for these things then? And, uhm, thank you." Those last two words get a smile.

"Oh, uhm, and your playing's lovely, by the way," The girl gestures to Sings.

[Sings-With-Purpose]

"Center of the planes it is, some reckon," She said with a nod, after taking note of the spell being cast. Well, she supposed it'd either work or it wouldn't, depending on whether the primer's friend had somehow ended up around here somewhere too.

"'Course, that depends on whether or not the planes are truly infinite or not. But thinking like that's gonna get you sidetracked," the aasimar said, giving the girl a friendly smile, quite the contrast to the neutrality exuded by Desten.

"My name's Sings-With-Purpose, i'm with the Believers of the Source. This fellow 'ere's a har... a Harmonium fellow," She almost called him a hardhead out of sheer habit, "Don't worry, some of this won't make much sense as of yet to a primer such as yourself. It's just philosophy and politics and such. That kind of chant's important to scan if you're planning on sticking around much."

She stopped strumming chords and notes on her instrument, yet despite having stopped one could distinctly hear a vague celestial harmony around her.

"And if you don't believe me, well, if you'll take a moment to look up at the sky you'll notice it's not quite a sky such as you might be used to. And... I thank you kindly for the compliment. By the way, you wouldn't happen to be missing anything of note, would you? Jink or shinies or anything like that?"

[Desten Callor]

The helmet shifted a fraction at the almost slip, but returned its attention to the small drow before it. "Protocol not as such, I can direct you to the nearest inn or boarding house so you have shelter."

He paused thinking a moment "It is possible to attempt to find a portal to the prime material, I cannot say if there is one near or at your destination. Many portals in Sigil are temporary. You also will have no luck using magic to return to your plane. One may teleport within Sigil as much as they wish but you cannot teleport in or out." He explained.

"It could take time to find you a way home."

[Illiam'iira]

"And if you don't believe me, well, if you'll take a moment to look up at the sky you'll notice it's not quite a sky such as you might be used to. And... I thank you kindly for the compliment. By the way, you wouldn't happen to be missing anything of note, would you? Jink or shinies or anything like that?"

The girl listens very intently, nodding along to show she's listening, too, on occasion trying to get a word in before shutting up because she's really got nothing of importance to say. At Sings' suggestion her eyes turn upward. The girl gasps. "Oh, that's -- there's no --" But, at Sing's words, she realizes there's much better things to do with her time than take in the sights right this moment. Illi begins to grab her things, letting out an unhappy sound as she notes all that's already gone missing. Soon there's a tiny drow holding an armful of stuff and trying not to fall over since now she can't rely on her sword for balance (she's put it back on her back).

"It could take time to find you a way home."

"Well, uhm, the good news is, I was already planning a planar trip, so I'll be okayish here, I think? I just... uhm... my money's gone..." Her mouth forms a tight line as she considers what that means. "Is there a place I can sing for money? I can sing pretty okay. Not as good as you, miss Sings -- oh! hehe, your name's very good for you -- but pretty well enough. Oh! Uhm! I'm Love's Herald, by the way! What's your name? What's the Harmonium? Are those Sigil's guards? You look like a guard. Do you ever take off your helmet? Does Sigil have any cliffs?" She looks up at Desten with big eyes as she deluges him with more questions.

For Sings' Tongues spell: Illiam's name feels strange. The spell feels off with the meaning it gives her name, like the words are too small for its true nature.

[Desten Callor]

The gleaming Visage regarded her with a steady, steely gaze. He weathered the rush of questions like a boulder in the river.

"There are numerous inns and taverns you can perform in for coin" He nods to Sings "They may be of more help than I in such regard."

"The Harmonium is one of many factions here in Sigil, we believe in peace and order, and yes we act as the police force for the city. Our headquarters is located in the city barracks. I am Desten Callor a Measure of the Harmonium pleased to make your acquaintance. And the helmet stays on during patrol."

He answered her queries efficiently and in mostly neutral, informative tones though at the end someone listening close would likely interpret a thin note of amuesment in his voice.

He paused again looking to the drow "...would you like a hand?"

[Sings-With-Purpose]

"Figures," she said with a sympathetic look, "listen, Sigil's the greatest place in the planes for sure, but no amount of patrollin' by folk like him here's gonna put an end to the number of bashers trying to bob over a gully or fresh-faced primer. S'just the way of things, I'm afraid."

The Aasimar briefly looked between Desten and Illiam, considering a thing or two about him before deciding he probably *wouldn't* arrest her on the spot for sharing the chant. "The Harmonium's one of the great factions of the city. There's quite a few of them. The Godsmen, y'know, the Believers of the Source that I'm a part of, they're another. Factions are like, ways of thinking about the nature of reality and what not. The planes are rather big and tend to mess with many a berk's head, and so you got to figure out a way to make sense of it all. Any luck, you find others having similar thoughts, and so you got yourself a faction, to put it in the most basic of terms."

She shrugged, "'Course, you put a bunch of people in a group together, then you get politics. And depending on your mutual beliefs, them politics' gonna lean one way or the other. S'why the Harmonium takes care of enforcement and such, one reckons."

"By the way," she looked back toward the Drow girl, still with a friendly smile on her face, "you got a big name, or some such, can't quite put my finger on it. Nice though. Anyway, there's just about an infinite number of taverns and bars and festhalls about the cage. I could definitely point you toward any number of them. Actually, I was about to head over to another ward for a performance myself. You're more than welcome to tag along but... it ah.... well... might be an overly rough tavern and part of town for a newcomer. You'd be liable to lose whatever jink you have left there, and maybe more beside if you looked at someone the wrong way."

[Illiam'iira]

"There are numerous inns and taverns you can perform in for coin" He nods to Sings "They may be of more help than I in such regard."

Illiam had thought as much, and she gives an expectant puppydog look to Sings, hopeful.

"...would you like a hand?"

"Oh, uhm, yes please, if, if you don't mind? I was expecting some help... uhm... my friend says he's near a cliff..." So much new information, so many new things to juggle. Carefully Illiam hands Desten the biggest problems for her -- a lap harp -- and carefully she starts returning things back into the bag they spilled from. "Oh! That's very interesting! Do you know if there's one for Eilistraeen drow?" Illi chirps out.

"By the way," she looked back toward the Drow girl, still with a friendly smile on her face, "you got a big name, or some such, can't quite put my finger on it. Nice though."

This is the moment Illiam begins to glow... literally. She grins as she hugs her bag to her chest, clearly having something she wants to say, the energy of it pooling on her skin to burst from her body even as she waits. Suddenly the tiny girl is bright and shining as much as any magic spell.

"Thank you! My mom named me!" Weird little elf. "She really wanted a daughter, and she got me." There's... less enthusiasm in her voice now, and her light dims, leaving only the sparkles on her skin. "Well, uhm, which one do you think would be best for someone who can sing and dance? ...where I won't get robbed again... I need to make enough money for a good room and a good meal..."

[Sings-With-Purpose]

"Ain't no cliffs around I know of," she said with a shrug, "unless they're talking of suicide alley, in which case s'precisely the ward I was heading to. Listen, if that's where your friend is, he's liable to get 'imself in a heap o'trouble. Hive's no place for a clueless primer to go trapsing about. Ah, hells. If that's the case you might want to tag along with me after all, and tell your friend to meet us in the tavern I'm performing in. Can't promise no robbings, but if you stay close enough t'me folk might not bother you as much, and might be I can get you room and board there if just for the night, 'fore you land yourself on your feet somewhere better that is."

Another shrug and a smirk, "Can't rightly say I'm as famous as could be, but I got a bit of a name to me. And I *am* a factotum with the Godsmen, folk usually like us well enough, even down in the Hive."

"If not there, well, I'd say there's a few kips you could make in the market ward with a good voice to you. Personally I'm staying at Chirper's, don't ask me how or why, place's a tourist trap, but it's probably outside your price range right now. But there's a few places 'round there that might work for you. Could be a bit harder to find your friend 'round there, though. He'll stick out more over where I think he might be then the Bazaar."

[Desten Callor]

"If you mean a faction there are none devoted to specific religions, though due to members sharing outlook and belief many members may share a deity." He took whatever she handed him silently easily holding it and with a possibly surprising amount of care. He looks to Sings and nods at her explanation of things it was quite a complicated subject and not one that needed to be delved into deeply right at this moment. "Though for a faction that would align with The Lady of the Dance the..sensates may align well with your interests if you are a performer, or seek out members of the Free League though they are barely a faction truely." He mused

"Most any of the inns here in the Lady's Ward or the Market would be more reputable though as she says unfortunately no place is one hundred percent safe no matter how hard we try to make it so. Though while I am here I do promise to ensure no further misfortune befalls you until you are somewhere safe or reunited with this friend of yours."

"The Hive is certainly no place for a newcomer. I will happily assist you in retrieving your friend."

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Pregame religion check eilistraee | 1d20+6 ⇒ 26

[Illiam'iira]

"If you mean a faction there are none devoted to specific religions, though due to members sharing outlook and belief many members may share a deity. Though for a faction that would align with The Lady of the Dance the..sensates may align well with your interests if you are a performer, or seek out members of the Free League though they are barely a faction truely."

"The Hive is certainly no place for a newcomer. I will happily assist you in retrieving your friend."

Illi balks a little, seemingly unsure of that -- but she'll find out more later. There's time. There's always time. "Thank you, I would really, REALLY appreciate it."

"Ain't no cliffs around I know of," she said with a shrug, "unless they're talking of suicide alley, in which case s'precisely the ward I was heading to. Listen, if that's where your friend is, he's liable to get 'imself in a heap o'trouble. Hive's no place for a clueless primer to go trapsing about. Ah, hells. If that's the case you might want to tag along with me after all, and tell your friend to meet us in the tavern I'm performing in. Can't promise no robbings, but if you stay close enough t'me folk might not bother you as much, and might be I can get you room and board there if just for the night, 'fore you land yourself on your feet somewhere better that is."

Another shrug and a smirk, "Can't rightly say I'm as famous as could be, but I got a bit of a name to me. And I *am* a factotum with the Godsmen, folk usually like us well enough, even down in the Hive."

"If not there, well, I'd say there's a few kips you could make in the market ward with a good voice to you. Personally I'm staying at Chirper's, don't ask me how or why, place's a tourist trap, but it's probably outside your price range right now. But there's a few places 'round there that might work for you. Could be a bit harder to find your friend 'round there, though. He'll stick out more over where I think he might be then the Bazaar."

Godsmen... something to ask later... right now, "Oooh that doesn't sound good. Do people shoot arrows down there? He said they shot arrows. Uh." It's at this point she pulls up her brooch to again cast the Sending spell; she perks at the response, whole body tensing up, which makes Illi wince. All this talking is making her throat and lungs hurt and her head feel fuzzier than it already was. "...he says he's there. He wants to meet at the Ubiquitous Wayfarer Inn? Is that a good one?"