Katrine does her best to maintain a properly stoic demeanor, but her lips twitch as she struggles not to react to Ahto's comment. His appointment of the newcomers to Tamlyn's council is surprising, but whatever, they have bigger problems right now. He had mentioned having several council positions vacant; maybe he's just that hard up for people who have the proper skills.
The ranger leans in to add her two coppers to Ahto and Pelipe's conversation. "Consider that many fey enjoy a good love story, at least according to what I've heard. You can always inform her that you're already spoken for." She winks a mismatched eye at Pelipe. This probably isn't what the happy couple had in mind for a courting period, especially since Pelipe comes from nobility. But hey, if a crossbow marriage to Pelipe gets Nyrissa to give up on marrying Ahto, they might just have to suck it up and deal.
Pelipe greatly stiffens with an intake of breath at Katrine's words. There is shock on her face that the abnormally quiet changeling had construed such a design. There is almost a murderous glare directed at the huntress for suggesting it so blatantly and openly in front of Ahto no less. She's seen firsthand how close Ahto and Pelipe have grown. The assumption is fair. Why they haven't become engaged with each other is a mystery. Pelipe deflates after the initial surprise and with a glance to Ahto, she communicates love to him, but fear over doing so. She had already expressed to him a desire to wait until her family, hopefully, arrives. To do so now might end in disaster, not only with her family, but with her granduncle, Lord Howlan Garess.
It is safe to assume, that when no one else is around, Katrine will get a flurry of playfully hard slaps on her upper arm for the volunteered comment.
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Ahto leans in and whispers to his gathered companions, "We're in uncharted waters with this meeting. We should be cautious, but there may be a time when immediate action is required. I need all of you to be in the Council Chambers, in case negotiations break down."
He gives Pelipe's hand a squeeze, and then nods in respectful acknowledgment of Nyrissa. He then turns and walks back into the Palace.
As Lord Ahto turns to lead the party back into the castle, his steps are halted as the nymph queen speaks.
"Now is not the time for modesty," she calls out in a voice that falls upon you like a summer rain. "Yours was a wedding gift that called out to me, across time and space, unlike anything this rabble could produce."
As she says this, she gestures towards the horde of visiting fey in a crescent gathering behind her. The wave of her hand and sting of her words causes them to recoil like withering plants.
"You've extinguished this cur's wretched life," Nyrissa says, now gesturing towards the tanner's corpse. "You feed her blood to the soil to teach the very land that you will dominate it. So bold...so arrogant...so alluring," she says, eyes affixed upon Lord Ahto.
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"The life of a traitor to this nation was extinguished; an action as necessary and unpleasant as removing a gangrenous limb to save the rest of the body. If, however, you wish to debate the intentions of these actions, or the semantics of our words, I would invite you to do so seated comfortably in the Council Chamber, wherein your offer could be fully heard and considered by the Ruling Council."
Pelipe also turns to head inside after Ahto, but upon his halting, she will look back toward Nyrissa.
"Yes...we would welcome your presence in our council chambers, but do not bring offense any further. We seek peaceful talks with the Mistress of Fable, to put rumor to reality."
If Pelipe can, she will relinquish the hold upon Ahto, allowing him the freedom to move again.
"Walk freely once more, My Lord."
The magic surrounds his body and hopefully allows him to continue. Regardless, there is defiance in Pelipe's eyes toward the queen for this insult. He would not be her plaything while she stands there. Pelipe also move in between the two forces--the Queen and Ahto and will follow Ahto into the palace if he is able.
Hoot looks at the fey queen with an inquisitive piercing gaze.
The owl is on edge, appreciating the severity of the situation.
An inscrutable expression crosses Nyrissa's green face as she watches Pelipe attempt to protect Lord Ahto with her own, mortal magic.
However, a clear smile crosses her face as a prelude to replying to Ahto, "I accept your invitation," and follows you into the castle.
Nyrissa bids her advisor and one of her nymph handmaidens to follow her, leaving the rest of her entourage, including all of her guards, at the castle gates. She follows you through the castle, oscillating between disgusted and enraptured expressions at the most random things she sees while passing through the courtyard and along the hallways.
Finally, once you return to the council chambers, Nyrissa does not wait for a chair to be offered. She snaps her green fingers, and her handmaiden gets down on all fours, allowing her queen to use her as a living bench.
"Now then, future husband," Nyrissa begins, "I believe the mortal custom is to offer a dowry..."
She trails off, gesturing towards her advisor, who then reaches into his robes - seemingly reaching inside his very stomach - and withdraws an ornate box framed with living wood rather than metal.
Pelipe is in wonderment at the disregard for the lives of those this "fey queen" subjugates below her as she uses them as a bench. How horrible she must treat them if this submission is their reaction. Already, she can feel Ahto increasing in rage.
"If it is your desire to follow mortal customs, as no contract has been arranged between you two previously, you were informed incorrectly, your highness. It may be outside of your knowledge Fey Queen Nyrissa given that you are not from here, but long before the offerings of a dowry take place, the honest scruples of forming a design on another are to be revealed. It is customary for there to be a proposal to your intended, which is the king here," she explains. "It is in this stage, you actually announce your intentions and express the 'why' you desire to marry the other. It is at this moment that a dowry is presented to sweeten the offer of acceptance. The king then has the right to review the manner of declaration, your character, your status and the dowry offered and then accept or reject. If he accepts, and only then, is he to be the queen's future husband."
She gestures vaguely, "Perhaps the queen, now that she is here, will wish to appeal to the King for her reason to marry?"
It takes every scrap of will that Katrine possesses to keep from snarling her fury at Nyrissa's treatment of her handmaiden. As it is, she's pretty sure that her expression says it all. How dare she treat that woman as a slave! This is the River Kingdoms. Slavery Is An Abomination; it's right there in the River Freedoms. Oh, how her hands itch to grab a cold iron arrow and shoot this arrogant outsider.
But... given the fear with which every fey they've talked to regards the Nymph Queen, Katrine isn't at all sure that they can take her if it comes to a fight. Even the tiny Mather Nithra nearly killed Ahto with his potent magic. I can't do anything. Not here and now. I need to learn better techniques for fighting the fey first.
"You have things quite backwards," the Nymph Queen says sardonically. "The dowry is a gesture of hospitality. You have made your home here in lands that belong to me. This offer of marriage is the rarest gift to be bestowed upon a mortal in thousands of your generations.
"To reject such kindness," she says, the thorns upon her body seeming to lengthen and sharpen as she speaks, "would be folly of the highest order."
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"What proof do you possess that these lands belong to you?" Ahto asks in a lawyerly tone, determined not to rise to her provocation. "Surely, you could have just as readily approached the Empress of Cheliax, or the Lord Mayor of Absalom, and declare their lands were yours, but it would not make it so."
The queen's mocking tone grates on her nerves. Further, her insistence that they follow her rules or disaster would follow pisses her off. Pelipe struggles not to rise to her provocation, but because Ahto doesn't, she doesn't as well.
"From my House within Thousandbreaths, I have ruled over what you mortals call the 'Stolen Lands' for ages. Every would-be warlord or king that has risen in these lands has done so at my mercy; every one that has fallen was brought low by my will. You have seen with your own eyes how the land itself bends to my whims," she says, gesturing out the castle window towards the giant crystalline flower in the eastern fields.
"Do you require a further demonstration, my future husband?"
"Showing the ability and power to bend nature to your will is no different than any other druid or spellcaster with significant skill. It is not what proves you hold claim to these lands. This is an opportunity, queen, to present yourself, without demonstration, but with irrefutable proof you rule this land. Explain how you came to possession of it for starters. Furthermore, if you have ruled from a distance in the Feywild, how neglected must your lands have been to have been completely claimed by others for centuries without you staking your claim as you do now. This seems highly suspect as you yourself boast of knowing of the rise and fall of all warlords and rulers. Why would you allow such to pass if it was truly yours? How is it mercy to allow someone to come in and claim your lands as theirs? No property owner, much less a ruler, would allow such a thing to happen. Instead, we've seen your works behind the scenes seeking to cause discord and damage to those who are trying to live in harmony here." "You seem more like an arcane terrorist to me..."
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"Are we to understand, then, that you have married before, and that you have slain previous husbands who have displeased you?" Ahto asks, again maintaining an inquisitive, but professional tone.
He unfastens Burden from its backstrap and places it, still sheathed on the table before him, but never removing his hand from the hilt. "Did this blade belong to one of your former spouses?"
Nyrissa begins a long accounting of other realms that have risen and fallen in the River Kingdoms - leaving you to wish that Wonky were still present to verify their existence - and taking credit for their downfalls. Almost none deserved her direct intervention, and instead fell prey to proxies like the Stroud family or more subtly insidious foes like magically guided droughts or plagues.
"Are we to understand, then, that you have married before, and that you have slain previous husbands who have displeased you?" Ahto asks, again maintaining an inquisitive, but professional tone.
He unfastens Burden from its backstrap and places it, still sheathed on the table before him, but never removing his hand from the hilt. "Did this blade belong to one of your former spouses?"
"I have only loved one before, and he certainly wasn't mortal. I have taken no husbands before, making this offer all the more singular and extraordinary. That cheap blade is unfamiliar to me, although perhaps fit to serve the giant guards at my House as a knife. I could certainly replace it with something finer, something more powerful and befitting my consort, something that would make a real splash at the wedding ceremony."
When Pelipe demands proof of her ownership over the Stolen Lands, the Nymph Queen briefly affects the expression of one listening to the incomprehensible babble of a toddler. Of course, the reply she provides is similarly nonsensical to Pelipe and the rest of the council. Her fey rationales are just as baffling to you as mortal concepts of law, rightful ownership, and justice are to her.
Pelipe is not unprepared. As the queen starts to list off nations, she will pull out a notebook and will begin to speedily sketch the nations and names down. Most she had never heard of, but a few she had. When the queen likewise began to list off nonsensical supports to her claim to the throne, Pelipe did try to make notations of the things the queen claimed. While Pelipe may not fully understand such lavish nuances, perhaps another fey can, and will validate that the queen in fact does hold a claim on the land. Regardless, the queen's attitude while explaining it seems evident.
"It was inevitable that you would rise to my notice. After all, you have been eliminating my pawns, one by one: First the wretch calling himself the Stag Lord, then the Stroud kin, then poor little Mather Nithra. He could be amusing, from time to time.
"Of course, what transformed my mere attention into interest was how you welcomed my lesser kin into your land as equals. No other would-be mortal king, over the tide of centuries, has ever made that choice. That made me think that, despite your mortal limitations, you might understand what I hope to do with this land."
Falling back upon your more mundane methods for parsing out truth from fiction, you suspect that Nyrissa is being as honest as a powerful fey can be. She believes that taking you as her consort will further her goals, and she is sincerely baffled that you would not want such a powerful and beautiful queen.
Pelipe silently watches the exchange now that she is finished writing down her notations. Her lips tighten at the words of admittance by Nyrissa that these villains were her subjects and operatives against Ahto. The strange openness of Nyrissa spoke to her lack of fear. Her subjects' disregard for coexistence was evident. Pelipe looks up to Ahto, wondering what the Abadarian will decide. His views, and hers, are so focused on Abadar and the survival of those in his nation. What will it mean for non-fey? What would Abadarian priests think of this merger? It had been a hell of a day for her emotionally, physically, and in every other way and there was a twinge of pain in her face having to endure this again. It fades quickly an she tries to not be somber in the presence of a potential candidate for marriage or to offend the queen.
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Ahto nods at Nyrissa’s words. ”This is the country we seek to build. One that protects the lives and freedoms of both mortals and fey folk living within its borders. All of Tamlyn’s citizens are treated equally under the law, and bear the same burden of responsibility. Any who would rule within these borders must understand and defend this philosophy, and its application. If you and I were to wed, and rule these lands together as equals, would you give your oath to do so?”
Wait, what? Is Ahto actually considering the Nymph Queen's offer? ...Poor Pelipe. Katrine knows that Ahto is an exceptionally pragmatic man who puts the well-being of his country above all else, but damn. Talk about sleeping with the enemy. For all they know, Nyrissa could eat her mates like a praying mantis. She certainly seems like the type to do that.
And then, of course, there's the matter of how she treats her subordinates. Having a position of importance with people she can trust to watch her back is nice, but if Ahto is going to let Nyrissa violate the River Freedoms, Katrine will be gone the next day and spreading the word to surrounding communities that Tamlyn does not respect Riverfolk values.
The response of Ahto's hurt, but isn't holy unexpected. Pelipe knows for certain that the Queen will harbor no care for the lives of others--leastways not the way Ahto does. It would be prudent of Althea to very well bond herself to Nyrissa for how tyrant-focused the two are and if Ahto himself were the same, what a beautiful pairing they would be. As it is, he is not, and she sees him as fair. The fact he even presents this offer to her and takes the time to explain his reasoning is to give her a fair opportunity to change. His strength inspires her to feel the sting of this meeting even less, however, it was as if some cruel trickster were toying with her very life, love, and path from the moment she set off for this land until now.
Stayven, for his part, stays quiet. Watching and waiting seemed prudent in this situation given the delicate nature of the negotiations.
Warren nods and whispers to Stayven.
"Fishing at the lake is more fun. This seems dangerous."
"Equals?" Nyrissa asks, genuinely baffled.
"I believe you have found the rare feat beyond my power," she laughs, amused. "My last - and final - love had the power to elevate me because he was one of the Eldest, but I was already greatest among the nymphs." She pauses to cast a dismissive, derisive glance to the lesser nymph serving as her living bench.
"A mortal like you could never attain power like mine."
Clearly, Nyrissa has a very different interpretation of what "being equals" means.
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”Equality, as a political distinction, Lady,” Ahto replies. ”Meaning, both our thoughts, opinions and edicts would carry equal weight and authority, whether by your words or by mine. It also means that my thoughts, opinions and edicts are mine to give, free of any magical compulsion or coercive threats against myself, those I love, or the citizens of Tamlyn. If your proposal entails my subservience to any and all of your commands or desires, simply because of who and what you are, then our negotiations are at an end. I will not prostrate myself before you, nor will I demand my fellow councilors and countrymen do so.”
He fixes her with a stony, stoic gaze. ”A union sealed by mutual respect and the consent of all present, according to the terms I have thus far outlined. Otherwise, these negotiations are over, and I bid you and your entourage a pleasant journey back to the First World.”
"You have come all of this way..." she shakes her head in sad sorrow for Nyrissa. [/b]...does your heart not soften a little at the King's words? You loved once. Do you remember what it was like? Who were you then before you turned to destroy the world and those in it?"[/b]
"Lord Ahto is filled with a love of life and strength that pierces the hearts of people and fey who are hurt and broken. Does his kindness and firmness of character not appeal to your heart at all, or is all you desire left in your life power?"
"Do not speak to me of love," Nyrissa says solemnly. "My capacity for love was stripped away as punishment by the Eldest, and I do not like being reminded of this hole in my being. I will forgive this transgression just once.
"My final love was subject to an even harsher punishment. He raised me to be his equal, and the jealous Eldest exiled him from the First World. I will not make the same mistake."
She affixes her eyes, endlessly deep, upon Ahto. For a moment it seems as though she might unleash one of the infamous powers of the nymphs, but instead she offers just a simple, resolute statement.
"I will not allow you to be my equal, lest the Eldest unleash the Tane upon me again."
Pelipe considers the words spoken considering the Eldest, the event, as well as the Tane she speaks of.
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"That is unfortunate, Lady. Has it not occurred to you that a union of trust, cooperation and reciprocity could be a potential path to regaining what was taken from you? If there was a chance we could assist you in that endeavor, that you would be whole again, would it not be worth putting aside your demand of Autocracy?"
Damn, and here Katrine was thinking that Ahto's execution of Jocelyn Stroud was harsh. She would far rather die than lose her capacity for love. "And if you're thinking we can't do it, because we're mortal... that very fact means that the Eldest most likely won't notice us." So many tales of powerful fey, spirits, and gods emphasize that fact. Mortals are below the notice of such beings, and as such a clever mortal- or group of mortals- can sometimes get one over on the great powers of the worlds.
Of course, they can also die horribly or live even more horribly. Fey are fond of curses and transformations. But if they can get Nyrissa's heart back for her, maybe she'll stop doing things like murdering unicorns. I should probably remind Ahto of his unicorn friend's fate before he says 'I do'.
The Tane are terrible creatures created by the Eldest to serve as living weapons of war. The JubJub Bird, which the party fought a lesser specimen of, is one such example of the Tane. However, the most infamous of the Tane is likely the deadly Jabberwock.
Negotiations with Queen Nyrissa go round and round without bearing fruit. Every time you think you've managed to express yourselves convincingly, the nymph queen offers a counter or reply that makes it clear that you are practically speaking different languages. Even if you've managed to reach an accord with your First Citizens, you begin to suspect that the more powerful a fey is, the more alien they are to mortal minds.
Finally, Nyrissa rises from her living bench and announces her intention to depart. She leaves an ultimatum as her parting gift.
"I give you a year and a day, as measured by the spinning of your mortal sky, to consider my offer. When that time ends, I will send a messenger to collect your decision."
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"There is one other issue that will have to be resolved, regardless of whether or not your offer is accepted. We have evidence that you were involved in the murder the unicorn, Horace, and the harvesting of his horn. The Stroud Sisters named you as the perpetrator of this crime. There will be no agreement on the matter of marriage until you either offer and provide restitution to the people of Tamlyn for the murder of one of their neighbors, or you agree to stand trial and provide incontrovertible evidence that you were not guilty of his murder. If you refuse, there will be no acceptance of any offer of marriage. Good Day, and Safe Travels to you, Lady," Ahto says, maintaining his formal tone, but giving a respectful nod.
Stunned by the appearance of such a powerful and majestic being, and deeply relieved at it's departure, Stayven sighs, "Well, by the Bow and the Key, that was...quite certainly something."
He produces a roughspun handkerchief and wipes the sweat from his brow. He looks over to Ahto and says, "You handled yourself well, milord. Seems the rumors I've heard of the Abadaran lord with a fist of stone and tongue of silver were true. Now, the events of the day, most precisely being turned into a swan and meeting the infamous Nyrissa, have left me famished. How fare the rest of you?"
It made sense to Pelipe why Queen Nyrissa was so snooty. If she herself were elevated almost to the power of an Eldest, it was like her and Ahto were contending against the will of Abadar himself. Pity that her offer should come in the state it did or else it would have truly been such a great honor. Were Nyrissa's character better, it would have been an eternal boon to Ahto to accept her. Further, to be afflicted should she stand against the eldest was a life not worth living to Pelipe's mind.
As the conversation ran around, it seems there is no convincing the woman to lower her expectations. The more she speaks, the more things come to a point. In the end, when given the ultimatum, Pelipe will silently observe what the Queen has to say regarding Ahto's final demand. She believes that only power can impose judgment, and in such a case, how could Ahto rule against Nyrissa? She would laugh at his attempts to impart judgment on her. If only Abadar could help. She will have to pray this evening with Ahto and see what can be done if the god will bless them with some insight.
"Of course I killed the unicorn," the nymph queen says, looking back over her shoulder. "But it is hardly a murder that can be prosecuted by your land...this Tamlyn, as you have named it."
Nyrissa turns back to face you. A confident, knowing smile crosses her face like the first curve of sunlight at dawn.
"However, his death came months before you first set foot in these lands, much less gave name to Tamlyn. He never lived to be inducted as one of your citizens, and this happened before you even codified your laws. Do you intend to prosecute every past death that has ever happened in these lands? You would need a thousand lifetimes because this soil is fertilized by blood and bones."
Her impish smile sharpens, pleased with herself that she knows enough of mortal law to wield it like a parrying dagger.
She then acquits herself of the castle and makes for the crystal flower to return to her otherworldly home.
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Ahto slowly exhales as Nyrissa departs. "She has a fair legal point," he says, a noticeable tinge of frustration in his voice. "As much as I would like to pursue justice for Horace, it may be beyond our grasp. Even if I could find solid legal footing, I believe she would only face trial if I captured her alive after defeating her in combat."
He turns to Pelipe and says, "I apologize if anything I said sounded dismissive or insensitive towards you. A marriage to her, had she agreed, would have been one of political necessity, not of love. I only entertained the offer as a possible avenue to secure peace between the mortal and fey citizens of Tamlyn, and to prevent the now probable invasion of Tamlyn by hostile fey forces."
He then looks to the group, as a whole. "I thank you all for bearing with me through this arduous process. If any of you wish to speak freely about what has transpired, you may do so without fear of reprisal."
Katrine lets out a long breath as the Nymph Queen departs, but doesn't say anything until Nyrissa is inside the crystal flower and said flower has closed.
"We actually made it out of that alive and intact. By the River, I thought for sure at least one of us would end up cursed, enthralled, or turned into something else." She rakes a gloved hand through her hair. "Got some very interesting information, though. If we can somehow find her ability to love and give it back to her before the year and day are up, she might leave Tamlyn alone in favor of tracking down her lover in his exile." A tall order to be sure. But Katrine thinks it's worth pursuing. The alternatives- Ahto having to marry a powerful, capricious fey or suffer whatever vengeance Nyrissa has planned in case of rejection- are far worse than chasing down a fairy tale.
Stayven smiles and gives Katrine a nod, ”That’s an excellent idea. Might be damn hard to to, but worth it, I’d think.”
Pelipe places a gentle hand on Ahto's arm and will nod, "She may be beyond our ability to harm anyway. Sadly, we have a timeline. A timeline of death and destruction. One in which we must find a way to weaken her hold on this realm."
Only those who have seen them on the road and in close proximity could tell that Ahto and Pelipe had a certain adoration for each other. There has never been anything said in public. And as Althea came on the scene and began injecting herself in between them, Ahto seemed to have made his choice, yet even still, there was no commitment between the two of them. At his open regard for her, she blushes.
"It was a worthy venture, and would have made perfect sense. You have done me no wrong for considering it. Were she a worthier being, it would have been a truly magnificent match."
His ability to perceive lies will know she's telling the truth, but that what she's truly stating is that she has made no full commitment herself so she cannot hold it against him. He knew why. Only time will tell if she can, but it is clear to all those who know them that she wants to. For the newcomers, this may be the first glimpse that Ahto has something special in consideration for Pelipe.
She listens to Katrine and nods.
"I am unsure how...but it is something we can work for. At least for now, hopefully, she will lay off assaulting your kingdom and people until the year is up. Anyway, if permitted, I will go rest now and review these notes."
The newcomers also didn't know about Pelipe's frailty or how difficult the day has been for her.
"I will join you all for supper. It will be a pleasure to speak with you more," she directs to them.
Before leaving, she will give Katrine a little poking jab to the kidney for her earlier joke before moving to her quarters to lie down.
Warren explains "It would have been like marrying a praying manthis. She might have to bite off your head sometime in the future."
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Ahto smiles at Pelipe's response, glad that he has not eroded her feelings for him by making a politically motivated counteroffer to Nyrissa.
He then turns to Warren and nods. "A similar thought crossed my mind as well. I was trying to maneuver her into agreeing that marrying me and then summarily executing me did not give her sole rights to rulership of Tamlyn. I have little doubt that, should I marry her, my health and well-being will be of little to no interest to her. I may as well me a fish in her garden pond."
"Nevertheless, we have bought ourselves a year and a day. We know that she will return in that time, so we will need to make as many preparations for war as we are able in the interim. We need food, fortifications, weapons, training, soldiers, and whatever alliances we can procure without selling our lives and souls to do so."
"The good news is that the nymph queen's departure seems to have signaled a 'closing bell' for all her fey courtiers and sycophants," your councilor announces, surveying the scene outside from the window. "If any of them do decide to linger, I just hope they won't be...problematic."
Ash punctuates this with an involuntary shudder.
"So, where do we start?" she asks, composing herself. "Say the word, and Addy and I will get the workers in motion."
"There is one other matter to consider, too," Asham says with some trepidation.
Addy hefts in the ornate box of living wood, the size of a carriage's luggage chest, left behind by Queen Nyrissa and sets it down on a table in the council chambers.
"In days past, this would've been a joke for Lady Wonky, but in her absence I've had some of our other local experts examine this. They all conclude that the box and its contents are neither cursed nor trapped."
Despite these assurances, Asham looks nervous to see her wife holding and then opening the box.
At first it appears to be filled to the brim with brilliantly colored fruit: apples, pears, figs, and pomegranates, as well as a few you don't immediately recognize. However, upon closer inspection, you discover that these fruit are actually large gems.
"According to some of our First Citizens, in their homeland there are trees that grow gems rather than fruit. These seem to be proof of that," Asham explains. She tries to keep the awe and wonder out of her voice, but it is plain upon her face.
It would take a bit of time to find buyers or markets to sell these, since you can't think of very many Tamlyn residents with the wealth to buy these incredible gemstones.
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"Forgive my ignorance of First World flora, but could seeds be obtained from these fruits, and an orchard of gem trees grown within the boundaries of Tamlyn? If so, they ability to harvest such a lucrative crop would allow our small nation to rise to economic prosperity very quickly."
Ahto asks Asham, but the question is clearly intended for anyone in the room with knowledge of the Fey Realm.
He considers what he knows, as well, wondering if such a venture would be possible.
Asham is at a complete loss to answer Lord Ahto's question.
Drawing upon his own knowledge, Ahto isn't sure if such gem fruits actually produce anything akin to seeds, but he is almost certain that without the rampant energies of the First World, trying to grow such a tree here on the mortal plane would be quite impossible.