((You guys, I am so sorry for being away this long. Part of it was personal drama, but to be honest I also have not been happy with the pacing of this part of the adventure (my fault due to poor planning, not anyone else's), and couldn't figure out a way to fix it without destabilizing the integrity of the story. I think I came up with a patchwork fix, but it may not hold up to close in-character scrutiny (ie, Val might normally think something suspicious is going on, but really the coincidence is because of this), so just roll with it for a bit if you can. Thank you for your patience))
Before separating, Quintus puts up a Telepathic Bond, allowing the entire party to speak to each other silently simply by thinking. Though it will only be good for two hours, it can't hurt to be as decked-out as possible.
Quintus and Tarkus, after receiving adequate direction from Valance, make their way toward the wealthy corner of town. A beautiful cobblestone plaza is home to a variety of mansion, each of a unique design; as it turns out, the Mallories' residence is the largest of them all.
Made of hand-carved brick and polished wood, the dwelling rises three stories, and is the picture of symmetry. Each floor has a row of multi-paned windows, and in the early evening as the sun is beginning to set, it's clear that the inside is well-lit.
The front yard of the mansion is beautifully landscaped, with bushes shaped into various animals; a cobblestone path leads leisurely through to the front door. Made of solid oak, a brass gargoyle knocker rests in the center.
Knock Knock Knock
After making their way up the chain of servants, eventually Tarkus and Quintus are met by Quintus's mother, Dahlia. Though she is obviously older, she still looks far younger than she probably should for her age. When she sees Quintus, she gasps and puts her hand over her mouth. "Rupert! Rupert, come quickly! It's really him!!"
Rupert makes his way down the staircase and gazes at his long-lost son. "Quintus?!" he exclaims. "What are you still doing outside? Come in, come in! We're in the middle of a business dinner, but there's still plenty of room at the table! Your half-orc is welcome to join the servants for their meal as well! They'll show him the way. You come with us!"
((Regardless of whether or not Quintus petitions for Tarkus to join them,)) Rupert and Dahlia lead Quintus up to the second floor, and into a large, fancy dining area. Only the center table is occupied; it's quite long, and has room for up to twenty diners. Currently, there are only five, including Rupert and Dahlia.
The other three are clearly dressed in formal military attire. Two of them are unrecognizable to Quintus; they're middle-aged humans, but that's all he can tell.
The third is Rand. Quintus knows this despite the vastly different circumstances under which they met the last time, because of the somewhat-unhinged facial expression.
"Well well," he says, his eyes giving no indication of whether or not he recognizes Quintus. "Who is this handsome young fellow?" He smiles slightly.
------
Valgar, Muun, and Jack are led by Valance to a medium-sized office building, where officers ranked Commander and higher reside. The commanders' desks are inside cubicles; higher-ranked officers have their own separate rooms.
Valance blazes a path through the building like a man on a mission, ignoring the confused glances heading in his direction. Up a stair case and down a hallway, finally Valance stops at what appears to be a secretary's desk.
"I am here to make my report to the Lieutenant Colonel," he says stiffly to the female elf behind the desk.
The young lady, dressed smartly and wearing glasses, looks up at him. "Welcome back, Major Bolton," she says. "The Lieutenant Colonel wants you to meet him at Rupert Mallory's home for dinner. An invitation was extended to the both of you from General Rand while you were away."
Valance smiles warmly. "Thank you, Erica. It is always a pleasure." He turns around and silently leads the rest of the group out of the building.
((Going to pause here to give everyone a chance to get some roleplay in, before Valance and co get to Quintus's parents' house. And yeah I know this isn't the most elegant solution, and the dialogue is subpar because I'm having to focus on other things but just bear with me for now))
