Adrian shakes his head, only glancing briefly at the new arrival.
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Embyr picks up on your discomfort and takes your hand in hers.
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"Good." Selinda looks at the six Pathfinders sitting around the table, her eyes lingering on Embyr and Saersha. "Saves me the trouble of gathering you all together myself."
"For those of you who don't know--" Her eyes flicker to Saersha before looking back at the others and taking a seat at the table. "--my name is Serlinda. Sheila often consults me on matters of magic and esoteric phenomena."
One of the servants begins obediently dishing up servings of salad, turkey and a roll for her. "And it's been too long since I've heard a good Pathfinder tale. What a fortunate occasion this is, to have arrived on the heels of a new one, no?"
Ada stiffens as the woman speaks. She's leans forward to block Vell from the view of the newcomer. She looks around waiting for one of the better speakers of the group to start talking to the woman.
She's angry that Mrs. Heidmarch didn't consult her on something. I wonder what it could be. She seems to need us for something. Again what could that be. I'll bet it has something to do with the shards.
Selinda snorts. "Well, I believe so, anyway."
She looks over at Saersha. "Speaking of Pathfinders, I was recently visited by the most curious young woman the other day--one of Calistria's faithful. Wasn't even a transactional call, really--at least, not a conventional one."
"Are you familiar with a Terisha Skiloni?"
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Now that the new arrival was making a scene of herself Ulfr motions to Adrian to wait a moment and gives her a sliver of his attention. The rest was paid to the hunk of meat and flagon of drink in front of him.
He could already tell she was going to be a nuisance. He glances over at Ada with a look that begged permission to break this pretty fly's nose.
”The food is delightful, Sheila.” Zev rather say, since the name didn’t jog his memory. Also she wasn’t the host for this dinner.
I should punch her. But that would be ruining the dinner and that's exactly what I'm trying NOT to do...
"Not by that name," quips Azura. She puts down her fork delicately and says jokingly, "But Calistrians do love shrouding themselves in mystery - to increase the desire, of course."
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"Hmm." Selinda looks over to Azura when she responds. "Or they shroud themselves in mystery to make themselves seem more impressive and profound than they really are." She snorts in derision.
"Anyways, she approached me with her entourage in tow--strange bunch, they were almost Pathfinder material. The albino boy looked quite delicious, if a bit awkward. The elven martial artist even more so."
She offers the rolled-up scroll to the busty aasimar. "She asked me to give this to 'that band of upstarts led by the blonde with melons stuffed in her gambeson'. Her words, not mine."
The other parents at the table blush and move to cover their children's ears.
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"Oh yes! The ones from the painting soiree," says Azura as she accepts the scroll. "Thank you so much. I appreciate you bringing the message to me." The aasimar puts the scroll to one side on the table. "But let's not let it interrupt our dinner, shall we?"
Saersha let Embyr take her hand as she tried to calm herself. Outwardly the wizardess was rather calm, only those who knew her well could see her distress and after a moment she managed to grasp hold of her wits as the discussion of the Calistrian came up. Selinda's barbs were quite pointed and she implied that she was simply
Having collected herself Saersha gave Selinda a sharp look and said, "I find it very hard to believe that you would let yourself be an errand girl for anyone Selinda, not without something in it for you." She released Embyr's hand beneath the table and reached up to grasp her wine glass with it. Keeping her eyes on Selinda Saersha lifted the glass and said, "Let me guess, you convinced her to part with her albino and elf in exchange?" With that Saersha lifted her glass to her lips and took a sip of her wine.
Saersha set her glass back down and said, "I suppose I should introduce you to everyone Selinda." Saersha began gesturing around the table first indicating Azura, "This, as you have no doubt surmised, is Azura Celestine." She gestured to Ryn next and then the others one by one as she said, "Ryn Mero, Ulfr Uggason, Zev Kelevra, and Ada Melgath." She then gestured to Embyr beside her and said, "and this is Embyr." She gestured back to Selinda as she looked at her companions each in turn and said, "As you have already been told this is Selinda."
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Ryn shakes her head in wry amusement as the scroll is passed over. Come to think of it Azura pretty much was their leader in a very supportive and unassuming way.
"Nice to meet you Selinda," she says in a neutral tone. She couldn't help noticing that the woman seemed to be making Saersha uncomfortable.
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”Oh, yeah, she was nice, I thought. The dwarf not so much,” Zev thinks aloud as his mind reconciled the nice woman from the painting session and what she wrote about them and Azura, supposedly.
Zev didn’t really trust this new lady.
The bits of fur grown but hid by his clothing and hair starting to rise with the tension he tries to think of something, quick, what would Azura do? Looking over to Saersha and Embyr he decides to say ”You and your outfits look really good together, she did a wonderful job on them.”
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Ada gives Ulfr a small shake of her head. "It's nice to meet you. I'm sure. I'd like to know why you choose to interrupt a dinner party just to bring a note? There are small ones here, and I don't think drama in front of them is wise." She indicates the children who were she's sure staring at the lady with wide eyes with a tip of her head.
She's sitting quite tense not exactly sure what the woman's point was in joining the party. Does she just want to ruin the party, just want to upset Searsha, or is there something going on here.
"Quite so. Please, enjoy the dinner party," says Azura agreeably, with an open-handed gesture to indicate that she agrees with Ada.
"So you want a Pathfinder society story? Any in particular? The Society crossing paths with the Mendevian Crusade? Or against the Technic League in Numeria? Maybe a story about the race to find a lost city in the jungles of Sarvaga?"
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"But let's not let it interrupt our dinner, shall we?"
"Oh, perish the thought. Meals like these are to be savoured, not interrupted."
And she's taking no shortage of petty pleasure from simply handing off the scroll and not forcing anyone to read it.
I find it very hard to believe that you would let yourself be an errand girl for anyone Selinda, not without something in it for you. Let me guess, you convinced her to part with her albino and elf in exchange?"
"Ooh, good guess." Selinda turns her smirk on Saersha. "But the wrong one, I'm afraid."
"It's nice to meet you. I'm sure. I'd like to know why you choose to interrupt a dinner party just to bring a note? There are small ones here, and I don't think drama in front of them is wise."
"Suffice to say, I'm here because someone asked a favour of me." She replies with a glance to Sheila. "That being said, had I known you had arranged such a lovely meal, I'd have found an excuse to attend anyway, my dear."
"Anything to maintain your reputation, I suppose." Sheila shrugs.
"So you want a Pathfinder society story? Any in particular? The Society crossing paths with the Mendevian Crusade? Or against the Technic League in Numeria? Maybe a story about the race to find a lost city in the jungles of Sargava?"
"Eh, Mendev is too stifling. Believe it or not, Iomedae isn't always a humourless stick-in-the-mud, but you wouldn't believe it from hearing some of those Crusaders preach." Selinda grumbles.
"But the Technic League or Sargava? Yes, I believe either of those topics would be preferable."
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”You and your outfits look really good together, she did a wonderful job on them.”
"I know!" Embyr replies, pointedly tapping on Saersha's thigh to direct her attention elsewhere. "I really have to know what sort of material she works with--it feels so comfortable, but sturdy at the same time. Right?"
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In response to Selinda's comments about the Pathfinders, Azura says, "I've heard that there's a group hacking its way through the jungles outside of Sargava, looking for the lost city of Saventh-Yhi."
She puts down her cutlery and warms into the story, saying, "Saventh-Yhi is a famous lost city from the indigenous people who flourished in Sargava before the arrival of Cheliax. It's said that ten thousand years ago, the city was founded by the Azlanti, created as a base of operations from which to fight a war against the serpent-god Ydersius. The great Azlanti hero Savith created the outpost for that war, and she used it as her base when she descended into the Darklands and confronted Ydersius. Though she couldn't kill him, she decapitated him, but he poisoned her and she died later."
"For many years the city grew and prospered after that, though always there were whispers of the cult of Ydersius. The serpent-people of the Darklands still revered their severed god, and worked to infiltrate the city above."
"At some point the civilization fell to calamity - I cannot say whether it was civil war, plague, famine, or some other disaster - and the location of that ruin was lost; but, recently, it seems that some associates of the Society have found it again. Is it still intact? Are the serpent cults still active there? Is it filled with the lost riches of ages? Will the explorers find the tomb of Savith? Many exciting questions to be answered."
Selinda listens to Azura's recounting over a few mouthfuls of salad and turkey.
"Hmm." She swallows and continues. "I never had any firsthand experience of the jungles of Sargava. The closest I ever got to that faraway land was just from reading other traveler's accounts of the place."
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"I haven't been to the jungles myself, though I have been far enough north to reach Kenabres," replies Azura. "So you can imagine I'm glad to have a chance to get back to dinner parties and soirees!"
”Where’s Kenebras?” Zev asks after having dutifully chewed and swallows his latest offering.
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”Where’s Kenebras?” Zev asks after having dutifully chewed and swallows his latest offering.
"Up north, in Mendev, on the border of the Worldwound," answers Azura. "Last bastion of the Crusade up there against all the fiendish forces of the Wound."
”That doesn’t sound pleasant,” Zev mumbles to the table.
"It wasn't great," says Azura with a chuckle. "I left pretty quickly. Seeing the Crusade up close was enough to dissuade me from sticking around for much of it."
Ulfr grows introspective as Kenebres. It didn't used to be that way. But such is the way of demons.
"Ooh, good guess." Selinda turns her smirk on Saersha. "But the wrong one, I'm afraid."
Saersha just rolled her eyes in disbelief, the kind of gesture a rebellious adolescent might make when lectured by an adult. It seemed that Selinda was in the mood to play games today, of course the woman always played games, and Saersha tied to decide what might motivate her beyond what she admitted to. If there was one thing Saersha would grudgingly admit it was that Selinda was superb at subterfuge and word games.
When Zev spoke up about her and Embyr's outfits Saersha understood what he wanted to do and gave him a smile as she said, "Thank you Zev, I thought they'd go well together." She turned her attention to Embyr as her maid spoke so enthusiastically and said, "I know, there's a reason so many go to Madame Albina for garments My Pet. I've heard of a few people try to find out her secret but never have they succeeded that I am aware." She rubbed her hand over Embyr's where it rested on Saersha's thigh and turned to lean over towards the other woman. It was obvious to Embyr what Saersha wanted as she turned her head to face Embyr and leaned closer but as they agreed while in public Saersha let Embyr decide to respond or not.
”They do,” Zev replied with a smile before returning to his meal.
Selinda chuckles. "Too many men in the same armour, perhaps? Or too many demons ruining perfectly good vices?"
"Whatever the case, thank you very much for the tale."
Embyr leans into Saersha and puts a deep, but brief kiss on her lips before moving to her ear.
"Try to look forward to the end of the meal. She might get bored and leave by then." She whispers into the lust mage's ear, taking Saersha's hand in hers. She punctuates her words with a tender, drawn-out lick of her ear--while going out of her way to keep it hidden by the mage's hair.
Selinda smirks at the two women but doesn't say a word.
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"As Zev says, this truly is delightful fare Sheila, a wonderful meal, and a wonderful chance to enjoy a fun evening." Ryn says with a smile, settling on mini small talk.
Saersha was pleased that Embyr returned her affection and kissed her, if only her maid had let it linger longer and deeper. The feeling of the other woman licking Saersha's ear hidden by their hair drew a slight shiver of sensation through the lust mage. That Embyr cared that much about her was a wonderful thing and Saersha realized just howlucky she'd been to charm the woman when they fought against her.
Saersha noticed Selinda's smirk at the interaction between the wizardess and her maid but she didn't let it bother her. Instead she nodded ever so slightly in acknowledgement, something most everyone would miss, that the woman had noticed and then sighed slightly. She needed to put their differences aside and have a talk with Selinda, and she should do it sooner rather than later, so with that in mind Saersha leaned in to Embyr again, this time kissing her maid's neck and nibbling up to her ear where she whispered very quietly.
Saersha sat back up in her seat then and took a deep sip of wine to help collect herself before she looked at Selinda firmly and said, "Selinda, why don't you and I go somewhere private, I think we need to talk about a few things." Saersha's gaze was firm but there was a definite glint of nervousness, and maybe even dread, in her eyes at what she was about to do.
Ada continues to eat her meal keeping an eye on the party really hoping it goes back to dinner. "Serpent folk? I thought they were a myth. You know like olwbears. Tales to keep children from leaving the city gates and getting lost."
”Owlbears?”
The meal continues on at a good pace. Cassariel makes lively conversation with the other partygoers, diverting peoples' attention from Selinda leaving the table and making everyone else feel completely at home.
Sheila and Canayven share knowing glances with each other as Saersha gets up and leaves the table, following her mother...
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You follow Selinda through a side door and into the Heidmarch Manor's gallery. Several expensive-looking paintings depicting strange creatures and stranger landscapes line the walls.
Selinda's demeanour turns completely around no sooner than the two of you are alone together. Her eyes lose their coquettish sparkle and harden. "So, what's this about, then?"
It had been quite a while since Saersha had last spoken with Selinda and it was not a conversation that she relished. Ultimately it was one that she needed to have, for closure if nothing else, though she rather hoped that it would turn out to be something other than an ending. Saersha looked up and met Selinda's eyes after a moment and said, "You were right Selinda, I didn't want to believe you and I said some things that I shouldn't have, but regardless of that you were right about my decision to become a courtesan. While it has paid me very well I understand now what you meant about it being demeaning to what I have been taught. I didn't realize it until we were investigating the Tower Girls hideout while looking for the ruins."
Saersha paused a moment to see how Selinda was reacting to all of this before she continued, "While we were dealing with the Tower Girls I used my magic for the first time to charm someone who was not willing, at least not at first, and I found out just how empowering it is to use my magic that way." She smiled slightly and said, "That is where I found my Pet, Embyr, in there," Saersha gestured towards the dining hall, "I don't have to keep her under my spell any longer, I don't know if it was the effects of the magic the first time around, the things I did to her while under my spell, or that she was naturally such a delightfully submissive woman but she has become the first that I have taken like that and I fully intend to keep her." She looked firmly at Selinda, "As far as I have known you have never kept someone on a permanent basis, is that even allowed or is that too against what I have been taught?"
"You were right Selinda, I didn't want to believe you and I said some things that I shouldn't have, but regardless of that you were right about my decision to become a courtesan. While it has paid me very well I understand now what you meant about it being demeaning to what I have been taught. I didn't realize it until we were investigating the Tower Girls hideout while looking for the ruins."
"Oh?" Selinda leans against the gallery wall and folds her arms. The train of her robe pools behind her feet.
"While we were dealing with the Tower Girls I used my magic for the first time to charm someone who was not willing, at least not at first, and I found out just how empowering it is to use my magic that way. That is where I found my Pet, Embyr, in there."
"I suspected as such."
"I don't have to keep her under my spell any longer, I don't know if it was the effects of the magic the first time around, the things I did to her while under my spell, or that she was naturally such a delightfully submissive woman but she has become the first that I have taken like that and I fully intend to keep her."
Selinda's eyes narrow for a brief moment before a bit of the shine returns to them. "A bold choice."
"As far as I have known you have never kept someone on a permanent basis, is that even allowed or is that too against what I have been taught?"
Selinda takes a breath and pushes off the wall. "Oh, it's certainly allowed. Provided, of course, you possess the power necessary to keep them."
"So long as you do not let your passions become clouded by other things." She idly conjures a scintillating orb of light in her hand. Its colours flow from red to pink to white and back again.
"Do you plan to continue the line with her?"
The conversation with Selinda was going much better than Saersha had expected it to Even better was the fact that not only did Selinda not argue against Saersha's intentions to keep Embyr she actually seemed...proud? Saersha listened to what Selinda asked her about her intentions to continue her line with Embyr and the lust mage paused as she thought it over carefully.
Did she have that intention? The intention to use her Pet to continue the family line? It was her obligation to do so at some point but she wasn't quite sure if she would or even could since she couldn't use the proper magics for such a thing. To her knowledge that would be the realm of transmutation magic and that wasn't something she could use at all.
Saersha finally looked back up at Selinda and said, "I don't know if I have an answer for that yet or not. Let's say that, hypothetically I did have that intention, given that it would likely require some kind of transmutation magic, something you and I both know is impossible for me to cast, I don't know that it is possible without outside assistance. This would, of course, be something that I would prefer to avoid..." Her voice trailed off as she thought it through again and said, "While I might not want to hire an outside mage for assistance that doesn't preclude the use of planar magic to bind an outsider who could make it possible I suppose." Saersha's eyes had drifted again as she thought the concept through and then finally looked at Selinda and asked, "If it was you, how would you accomplish this?"
Now that things had calmed down a bit, Ulfr returns his attention ri ther boy who had be waiting patiently. With a twinkle in his eye he launches into the tale he promised.
But the tale needs to be fairly significantly... redacted for young ears, and it's probably only truly interesting to the boy.
The boy listens attentively to the story you tell, and seems to enjoy it despite all the good parts you leave out. His parents and the other partygoers don't pay you much attention at all.
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Selinda shrugs. "Binding an outsider is a possible start. The question is what sort of outsider should be bound for the task."
"Otherwise, I would simply take a man and sire the child." She wrinkles her nose. "There's nothing stopping you from doing the same--or taking many more. How else do you suppose Sorshen earned her title as the Runelord of Lust?"
Saersha actually snorted as she started to laugh. "And here I thought you had some other idea of how such a thing might be accomplished. It would be the same solution as my family has always used which is rather fitting I suppose." Catching her breath Saersha said, "Oh I know exactly how she got that title as do you. I haven't forgotten who I am descended from after all."
Saersha Calmed a bit, her hands smoothing her dress, and then said, "I still remember what I have learned," holding her hand out and conjured a matching globe of light. The pattern matched Selinda's though the colors were maybe a touch more vivid, and she said, "I always loved these lights, I remember when I was little and feared the monsters I thought were under my bed." Saersha sighed as she she reminisced, "You came in after I awoke with a scream and told me that I was a wizard in training, I would never have to fear the darkness because you would teach me to how to make my own light to banish the things that went bump in the night." There was a slight shakiness in Saersha's voice as a tear trailed down her cheek, "and until then you would be there to banish the darkness for me." Saersha's voice steadied as she said, "I'm sorry about how we parted last time, you were right and I just hope you can forgive me for being so foolish."
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"You came in after I awoke with a scream and told me that I was a wizard in training, I would never have to fear the darkness because you would teach me to how to make my own light to banish the things that went bump in the night...and until then you would be there to banish the darkness for me."
"You left out the best part." Selinda's eyes take on a faraway look. "One day, you would learn to command them."
"I'm sorry about how we parted last time, you were right and I just hope you can forgive me for being so foolish."
Selinda is quiet for a few moments before she sends her ball of light to dance with yours.
"We were all young and foolish once, Saersha. I never held it against you."
Saersha smiled as the balls of light danced around each other and said, "And then I can make all of the monster worship me one by one until I have nothing left but loyal minions." Saersha stepped in closer and put her arms around Selinda, "Thank you Mom,"
It took Saersha a minute or two to collect herself but when she did she chanted, gestured, and used a simple cantrip to fix her hair and makeup. "There, much more presentable." Saersha's gaze went to the two dancing spheres of light and asked, Shall we get back to the party Mom?"
Selinda returns your hug.
"Shall we get back to the party Mom?"
"Yes, let's." Selinda replies.
"But before we go back, I have to ask--you have plans for your Pet tonight, don't you?"
Saersha smiled naughtily as she said, "Oh yes, I had intended to see about getting our lovely hostess to let us join her and her husband tonight, and if not taking My Pet home and having my way with her again." She paused and then said, "But neither of those are set in stone," She caught her Mother's eyes and asked, "Did you have something in mind Mother?"
"Did you have something in mind Mother?"
Selinda shrugs. "I'm curious--have you used magic during your liaisons with her?"
Saersha considered as she thought back and then said, "No, I have not needed to. She is more than willing with out them. I've only had to enspell her when we first met, charming her so she wouldn't fight us and then kept her around to play with during our explorations of the ruins. By the time we came back to the surface she was already devoted to me with or with out." Saersha considered then and asked, "Why, is there a particular spell you would suggest I try?"
"No, not particularly. But you could perhaps ask her if there was anything she'd like to try."
Saersha smiled at the thought and said, "Hmmm, yes, a good idea, and if I can't do it now I can certainly work towards being able to." She was thoughtful for a moment before she said, "I have had some ideas for modifying a jolt spell to deliver only a small charge that sends tingles only, and the thoughts of what could be done with a modified black tentacles spell, say something longer lasting, with a small area, that doesn't cause any damage, are very intriguing." There was a giggle as she said, "It's honestly too bad animating objects is outside of our area of expertise, there any number of things I could come up with using magic like that on a Pet."
Selinda smirks at the thought of a modified tentacle spell.
"Well, that's why we get creative."
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The dinner eventually comes to a close, with everyone leaving the table feeling satisfied. The remaining guests start to wander through the manor, mingling and taking in the decor.
Ulfr finds himself walking into the empty or nearly empty places, trying to avoid any situations that present a risk of social damage. It's not that hard. The mansion is a big place. So he wanders and he lets his mind do the same. This leads to him imagining how certain pieces of art would shatter/break if various things/people were thrown into/through/on them.
Saersha re-entered the dinning area where the party was wearing down arm in arm with Selinda. Her earlier tension was gone now and she seemed actually...happy? Seeing that people were beginning to disperse Saersha led Selinda over to where Embyr sat waiting for her and gave her Pet a smile. She stopped in front of Embyr and said, "Selinda, this is My Pet Embyr," She released her hold on Selinda and leaned forward, her fingers lightly brushing beneath Embyr's chin to get her to stand. Once she had Saersha leaned in and brushed her lips gently over Embyr'for a brief moment before standing beside the former Tower Girl.
Saersha turned to face Selinda and said, "My Pet, please say hello to my mother, Selinda." There, she made the introduction and it didn't hurt, in fact Saersha felt a wash of relief, relief that she could give this kind of introduction, and seemed to relax a bit more.
Embyr stands up from her seat and tentatively waves hello to Selinda. "Hello."
"Charmed." Selinda starts to lead the two of you away from the dinner table. "Saersha's spoken quite highly of you, Ms. Embyr. She says you're quite... submissive."
Embyr's cheeks turn pink and she briefly averts her eyes. "...well, Saersha makes it feel like a lot of fun. Dunno if I'd be as... well, enthusiastic about the whole idea if it wasn't her."