Stone's Throw

[Andreas Amell]

"Well, this has been a pleasure," Andreas says with a broad smile and a bob of his head. "Might I treat you all to some of those meat skewers we passed on the way here as thanks?"

[GamesMaster]

"Oh, none of us eat meat, but I'll take one of those candied apples if you're buying," they say easily. "And let me give you our address, in case you want to visit."

[Andreas Amell]

"None of you eat--" Dreas looks faintly appalled, but shakes it off quickly. "Ah, yes, of course, that's fine. And the address too. Is fine."

[GamesMaster]

"Yes, we're trying to practice radical kindness by not killing or participating in the results of killing," Cameron confirms. "But you're free to make your own choices, it's a personal commitment for us."

[Andreas Amell]

"Ah. Well. I would die if I tried to eat only plants so..." Dreas shrugs awkwardly, reaching up to scratch at the back of his head. 

[GamesMaster]

"Oh, well that's different," Cameron says quickly. "Obviously you shouldn't do something like that if it'd harm you. That's not reducing harm in the world overall."

[Andreas Amell]

"Ah, good, good, yes," Dreas mutters awkwardly, then looks aside. Coughing, he adds, "so about those candied apples? Should we try to gather everyone or bring some back or..?" He trails off, very pointed not looking in the direction of his cousins.

[GamesMaster]

Thankfully, they've finished whatever they were doing. "Apples?" asks Sami casually, fully dressed. "Sounds great. You buying?"

[Andreas Amell]

"Each person's choice of a candied apple or meat skewer," Dreas replies, giving his cousin a firm look. "One. Not one and a second 'for family's sake' or one 'of each.' Got it, mooch?"

[GamesMaster]

"Yeah, yeah," he chuckles. 

[Charon Tethras]

Charon has never seen walls so high. Sweetwater's walls aren't half as tall. Nor has he ever seen such obvious use of magic: the walls shimmer, a sheen that really drives home that this is the City of Magic, Alydra's finest, the home of the most advanced magics the world has ever seen. 

He's able to get through security okay; for some reason, one of the guards looks faintly exhasperated and waves him through without more than a cursory check. "Made some new friends, huh?" he asks, but Charon just gives him a strange look and he drops it. 

Then they're inside, just in time for the gates to shut for the night. And it's... bright. There are lights on every corner, bright magic witchlight, steady and golden. One can barely see the stars for the light much closer. Far beyond is a slight sheen to the air, the magics that hold the city together stretching out overhead. 

They arrive on Temple Street, surrounded by temples to every which god you can think of. So. Now what?

[Diligence]

"Stupid bright everything, why's everything gotta be all lit up, what's the point, it's stupid, they're stupid, it's supposed to be night, to be dark, don't they know that, ugh, so annoying."

Dil is being... less than helpful with making plans, wrapped up in his grumblings and headache. Still, after the third time Charon asks him for his opinion, Dil lets out a large huff and shuts up for a moment to think. "...maybe we can crash at a temple? There's gotta be one for our Lady of Wheat and Rye here somewhere, right? It's a city-- stupid lights-- but they still got hearths and homes, right?"

[Charon Tethras]

Charon nods, heading down Temple Street. "I hope they do overnight hospitality," he muses, tail lashing a bit with anxiety.  Joy follows, yawning as she does.

[GamesMaster]

Sure enough, Varric's plan worked: not only does their unknown child fill out the paper, they send back more problems. These are clearly taken from somewhere, not puzzles; they're half-solved, attempts at solving, but they just can't quite reach the end of the proof. It's easy for Varric to see why: they require some advanced techniques to prove, some things Helene hasn't taught the children yet. 

The communication is clear: the kiddo wants some help learning something, a technique they have yet to grasp. What will Varric do?

[Varric Thedas]

Is that really in question? Teach, of course.

He creates a new sheet, this one a series of ten problems that build off each other. The first is one that the scholar should be able to solve easily. The last is one that requires a careful, methodical use of the recursive divining technique. Each problem in-between the two bridges the gap, introducing new elements and problems in such a way as to guide someone to intuitively reaching the unknown step. If, of course, they push themselves just that little be extra.