Location: Oldstrand - Merchants' Guild Hall
Time: Day 523 | Telia: Day 13 (afternoon)
Realm: Telia (Mission World)
The Merchants' Guild Hall rose before them like a monument to wealth—massive marble columns supporting a structure that could've housed half of Tardide's population. Gold leaf traced intricate patterns across the entrance, and guards in polished armor stood at attention, their weapons gleaming in the afternoon sun.
Excessive, Jayde thought, her Federation training automatically cataloging the building's defensive positions. Three visible guards, probably six more inside. Standard wealthy target protection.
(It's so big. So fancy.) Jade voice surfaced, awed despite herself. (Master Whitestone's entire forge could fit in just the entrance.)
Elder Ryunzo straightened his worn brown robes, clearly uncomfortable. His weathered hands smoothed fabric that had been patched twice, and Jayde noticed how he avoided looking directly at the opulent entrance.
