Talvek recollects hearing of this dish before. Something to do with the fish as a trick.
In order to properly eat quicksoup,
the minnows must be transported and filleted properly
with a successful DC 12 Sleight of Hand or Dexterity
check. On a success, one fish is properly eaten. Higher is beter.
From the head table, the Queen of Delights taps her crystal glass.
Distinquished guests. Welcome. I know you are enjoying this first of many treats. We are fortunate to have them you know.
Especially with how our dearest Cheliax seems to be having trouble
with keeping itself together.
With a wry grin...
If a ragtag group of rebels can cause this much mayhem, can one
honestly consider whether House Thrune has ever been in
control of Cheliax in the first place? Do you not agree?
One of the dinner guests, the Molly mentioned as
Asmerru Krupt, becomes the most worked up by this
question, ferociously calls out Cheliax will prevail. The rebels will be destroy....oh...bother! and sputtering
so much that he completely bungles his meal and minnows.
Talvek has no issue at all eating the first course, even making it look effortless, like something he's done all his life. Even so, he notices others watching him, so he makes sure not to do it too fast so that they can follow the process.
All the while, he keeps up the chatter with his table neighbours and listens to the reactions to the Queen of Delight's comment about the rebellion. It was far too early to reveal their hand, but it would be useful to know what the others thought, and if there was perhaps more support to be gained here.
Lubella noticed Talvek easily eating the quicksoup, and whispered to the others, "Have a look at Jackdaw: I do believe he's got it!"
She studied his movements, and then attempted to follow his lead.
She replied to the Queen of Delights, "Kintargo will emerge from its current difficulties stronger than ever; the old traditions have not been forgotten!"
She subtly implied that it was Barzillai Thrune who represented a break from tradition, and that the Silver Ravens represented continuity.
Sidius begins to watch Talvek carefully when his companion makes his declaration about the origins of the soup, then does his best to emulate the movements.
You watch as Talvek is able to properly eat this meal. He
scoops a fish out of the bowl, drops it into the boiling soup,
spears it with the fork, and then cuts the flesh of the freshly
poached minnow away with the knife. Once the fish have
been consumed, the candles are extinguished, and the
soup is allowed to cool, the regular spoon is used to sip
the broth and eat the vegetables in the soup.
Talvek is able to successfully perform this maneuver all five times, to which Molly and the other guests smile in a congratulatory manner.
Bravo! states Elitu Rosewinter, the other halfling. She then turns to Lubella.
If the traditions include the enslavement of our people, then those traditions I am happy to see die. she grumbles.
Lubella and Sidius are able to repeat this feat three times each, after their first two minnows escape.
Lubella replied to Elitu Rosewinter, "That's one tradition that doesn't have to continue."
I'll use up all of my favors with Captain Sargaeta if I have too; I hope he can be brought round and be convinced to grant his crew their freedom. She pondered how the noble families could be convinced to give up their slaves; it certainly wasn't going to be easy.
Arcos attempts this course after watching Talvek and the others
He is able to get all but one of his minnows.
Kenji tries his best as well.
And is able to catch only one of the small fish.
Lubella whispered to her friends, "I need to excuse my myself, so I can cast another spell without being too obvious.
She slipped away, ostensibly to freshen up. When she was out of easy hearing range, she drew out her metamagic rod and cast a spell to heighten her skills.
After an appropriate amount of time, she returned to her place at the table.
Lubella is able to excuse herself between courses and 'freshen up'.
H
P
K
You are not interrupted during your trip to the hallway, but you notice both the Queen and an elderly female Tian human from another table glance in your direction when you return.
Some of the other guests stand for a short period or walk over to guests at other tables before returning to their seats when the course chime rings.
The second course arrives in large clay pots, the tops of
which have been covered by blood-red cloths, along with
plates containing tiny loaves of bread. Within each pot is
what looks like an obscenely bloated, fleshy head. This is
in fact a “Galtan squash”—a squash carved and braised in
order to look like a boiled, bald, severed human head. The
meal comes with a large sharpened spoon and a small
sauceboat containing a spicy red sauce.
You can smell the host spices and would have to endure the sauce without
making a fool of herself or eating the bread early.
The Queen taps her crystal goblet again.
Ah yes, delightful. One of my favorite dishes. Please enjoy.
But be cautious with the spiciness!
She smiles.
Ponder how rebellions are often bloody and how rebels can
justify the pain and death they cause by opposing what is
often a rightful ruler.
This question is pointedly aimed at your group as the queen seems intrigued by your attendence.
Meanwhile Elitu Rosewinter gets distracted by the mention of pain.
Yes, Anca Verezzian sometimes pain and death are necessary for growth. she glares at the female Varisian human seated on her other side.
The woman scowls back at the halfling, with an obvious history between the two.
Sometimes it is best to keep silent and be assumed a fool, then to open one's mouth and remove all doubt.
To which Elitu nearly stands and twirls one of the knives expertly in her fingers with practiced skill and malice. Maybe we can determine who is the bigger fool?
The woman grins back. You best not play with knives, dear. You may get hurt.
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The spice takes Talvek by surprise, and the tiefling begins coughing as he reaches for his water goblet.
Tears streaming down his face and wheezing a little, he replies to the Queen of Delights.
"Would pain and death caused by the rightful ruler be acceptable then? We all have choices to make, and I suppose risking your life for a chance to improve things is not an easy one to make, yet some people make it."
Lubella whispered to her comrades, "I think that the queen suspects us of being the Solver Ravens, and is testing us."
She sensed that the appearance of the current course was chosen to provoke a reaction, and tried to calm herself and prepare for the assault of the spices.
The dish was indeed fiery, but she managed to overcome the burning sensation on her tongue; she could feel the sensation of heat on her forehead.
You get the impression from some of her mannerisms and markings that the Queen is a practitioner of your type of magic..
The queen nods to Talvek with a smile as he suffers the full effect of the spices.
”A valid question and well stated. Although some would say a legitimate ruler is responsible for the majority of his or her subjects. Sometimes sacrifices are made to benefit the majority.“
"Of course, Your Highness." Talvek dips a piece of bread in the fiery sauce and lifts it towards the Queen of Delights as if it was a toast. They were not going to win her support by appealing to sentiment, so perhaps it was time to remind her of the absurd edicts that were being passed in Kintargo, and how they were hurting trade and stability.
"If I was a legitimate ruler, I would outlaw all spicy food, because something that hurts this much cannot be healthy. It's for their own good!"
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Lubella weighed into the conversation, "Social change is not easy to bring about. It can be easier to recognize injustices, than to change things, without causing upheaval that can have unpredictable consequences. I think that we should be wary of those that are certain that their way is the right way to reform society, without examining the potential difficulties. To bring about change, one needs to be confident enough to take action, yet question themselves often enough to avoid making things worse."
She was aware that her argument could be taken to criticize those who wanted to take radical acion to bring down the current order, but she wanted to reassure others that there were those in the rebel movement who were aware of the potential pitfalls.
She could sense that the tension between Elitu Rosewinter and Anca Verezzian was threatening to get out of hand, so she tried to calm the situation, "I think we can discuss difficult topics without coming to blows."
She observed the two, as well as the Queen of Delights, to get a sense of how her words were being received.
As Talvek speaks, he feels the spice continue to burn in his throat, and finds his mouth and throat somewhat swollen by the sauce,
The Queen turns her attention to Lubella as Talvek's eyes are watering a bit.
Ah yes, darling. This would be a grand plan. Social changes can be oft times easier to instigate than geo-political changes. But that does not mean the change should not be attempted. Rulers who abuse power may gain the contempt of their subjects, from the lowest tier affected by crippling taxes, to the highest aristocrats and nobles, who are deprived of their seat at the governing table.
At this point, she uses her prehensile tail to shush away some of the staff attempting to clear her plate.
She notices Lubella's attention to the other ladies bickering and smiles, as if entertained.
The Queen seems to be ignoring much of the words, other than a backdrop, and focused more on actions and mannerisms for her opinions of her guests.
This should be interesting.
There was discomfort, there was pain, and then there was whatever this hellish spice was doing to his poor body. Under the table, Talvek reaches into a pouch and crushes the seashell gifted to him, willing for some relief from the scorching.
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Sidius braces himself against the spice, recognizing a number of scents as those he uses in his herbal poultices, Well, now, at least we know my sinuses will be clear, he says before taking a bite. While the spice surprises him, it doesn't strike him as being quite as bad as he expected, Maybe they roasted them long enough to mellow them out a bit...
He stops thinking about the spice as he notes the queen's movement, then whispers, I think the Queen is a witch, like I am.., before turning to the conversation.
Sidius nods, "Indeed, sacrifices do sometimes need to be made.. but, as always, the question about sacrificing things - life, freedom, wealth, choice -- is the relationship between the costs and the benefits of the act. Especially when, as is often the case with an unjust ruler, those who are called upon to pay those costs are rarely the ones who enjoy the benefits... And, more, when there are such benefits to be had, an unjust ruler can maintain their hold on power by doling them out to their puppets and cronies -- thus ensuring there is a powerful group that knows that its continued affluence, and influence, are dependant on the continuation of the unjust ruler..."
He pauses a moment, then adds, "...and, of course, if any who hold to the old ways, including those with older rank or power, object to the new way of doing things, well, they might just called on to 'sacrifice' too."
Talvek is able to bite his tongue and resist the burning spices
Sidius manages to choke down his spices without wincing
The Queen smiles at his comments as well.
”The future favors the bold. Those desiring power cannot rely on anyone currently with power to give up anything willingly. So loyalty to the state competes with loyalty to one self. At what point in the equation does the scale tip is the question. Would you agree?“
Sidius nods, "Like all equations, it depends on the variables, of course. A state that provides for its people and protects them is one that is easy to be loyal to -- being loyal to it is also being loyal to one's self. A state that acts against some of its people may have similar math - at least for those who are not part of the oppressed group -- as it supporting the state's actions can keep that negative focus on those others and not yourself. However, a state that oppresses all -- or for members of the oppressed group -- loyalty to one's self and one's state would be in direct opposition."
Lubella replied to the Queen, "Sometimes one does not desire power for its own sake, but to ensure that those less fortunate are not trampled underfoot. I believe that a ruler should aim to represent all members of society, not just the most well connected."
The Queen listens to the lengthy discourses but is soon distracted by other guests vying for her attention.
”Yes, this is a subject which will take further consideration. For now other more immediate concerns abound. “
She motions to the servants to start clearing the empty bowls in preparation for the next course.
The bickering between the two other women has subsided for now. You notice that they (and other guests) had been paying close attention to your interaction with the Queen.
Some guests immediately excused themselves, more than likely from the painful effects of the spices.
Molly asks Kenji and Arcos
”You two need to finish your meal. It would be rude not to try it. “ she winks.
Arcos and Kenji try their best to choke down the spicey dish without embarrassing themselves.
Arcos swallows a bit of the Galtan squash safely
Kenji gasps as he reaches for bread to pull out the flame in his swelling throat.
The help trot out a large tray balanced on the back of
a shaved ram, heaped with what appear to be pies with
golden flaky crusts.
The queen claps her hands in delight,
exclaiming, “Ah, the meat course!”
These pies are filled with a most unusual and curious meat—the braised flesh of an invisible stalker. When cooked delicately, this meat
remains invisible for a short time, and has a texture not
unlike that of cotton candy.
The meat itself is relatively flavorless, but the thick, mostly clear sauce it’s cooked in is quite savory.
As the meal is served, the Queen poses another question.
Morality is a strange topic, especially for the dinner table.
She taps her red lips as if in thought as she wonders aloud.
Why the strangeness of sin—more precisely, how
different societies consider different acts sinful. To
me, the worship of a god is a sin, yet for all of Cheliax,
worship of devils is all but required.
She goes around the table, asking the guests what they
each consider to be the greatest sin.
Molly thoughtfully pauses and says ”Racism. Definitely.”
Xoshak Zabrinni, an elderly male Keleshite human smiles. "Why what other than Fraud?
Strephian, a male half-elf businessman. This wine is divine. It would be a sin to wasting booze of any sort. He downs another full glass of the Queen's wine. His fourth of the night.
Sefuri Dendru, a male Garundi human businessman nods in agreement. Wasting of food of any sort. Especially the fine dishes your excellency has served here tonight!
Kekza Zenk, a female gnome dancer smiles again at Arcos. You have such lovely eyes.
Perhaps you could find time tonight after dinner to help me find my chastity. I seem to have lost it.
Elitu Rosewinter snorts in disgust. I find resurrections a sin. Once a person is dead. They should stay dead!
The Queen reaches each of you next. And what sin do you think is the worst?
Lubella wasn't sure how to answer the question about morality. She knew she had her failings, and had done some things that she wasn't proud of, but she needed some tome to put together her thoughts.
She decided to focus on trying to eat the invisible meat, while she collected her thoughts.
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Sidius looks at the meal carefully, then tries to take a bite where he thinks the meat is.
Sidius takes a moment, then says, firmly, "Apathy."
He holds up a hand and says, "Yes, there are acts that are more evil, certainly - murder, rape, slavery - but we know that, and those are distinct actions, and those who commit them are marked by the stain on their souls... But turning a blind, uncaring eye, on the other hand is, worse, as those that commit that sin can convince themselves -- and others -- they bear no responsibility, that they offered no cruelty, that they are still righteous and noble folk -- even though their sin allows -- nay, empowers -- a host of the greater evils at every turn. Worse, those who commit the sin do so dozens, even hundreds of times each day.... and, since it's so easy, it is a very common sin - and so its effects also get multiplied by the unfortunately large number of sinners. Certainly, each act, on its own, is small, maybe even tiny - like a single insect or mote -- but all of that multiplication leaves us with something far more terrible, like a plague, or infestation, that destroys all it touches, rotting it away."
Lubella agreed with Sidius, "That's a great point.
"My choice for a specific act would be torture: the idea of taking pleasure in the pain of others is something that I personally find repellant."
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Talvek pauses to think, and to listen to the others. He cringes inwardly at the blatant flattery from some of the other guests, deciding to be sincere - even though figuring out the answer might take a little time.
"What a fascinating question, Your Highness. Each of our societies have different views on that topic, and within those societies there are groups that hold yet other views - churches, most notably." He pauses, his gaze unfocusing. "In my personal view, the greatest sin is oppression. Hurting the least powerful to benefit yourself - not only do I find it morally reprehensible but also lazy. Where is the challenge in hitting the weakest opponent?"
He then turns his attention to the dish in front of him, trying to locate the substance of it, mainly by observing how the sauce shapes itself around the invisible mass. At the same time, he glances at the Queen of Delights to try and gauge her reaction to what is being said.
”Ah yes. Excellent. All good and throught provoking answers.“
She smiles as if she has learned something deeper about those who spoke.
”Yet there are some who have yet to speak. And do they withhold their opinion from us out of arrogance? Or do they have sins too great to share?“
She looks specifically at Kenji then Arcos and a few of the other local ladies and guests at the end of the table.
”The greatest sin? Well, it can be none other than pride. All the horrors and cruelties inflicted upon one’s fellow man stem from the belief that you are greater than they. Oppression, torture, apathy, all those spring from the belief that the perpetrator is somehow better than their fellow men and women. To earnestly think that just by virtue of being yourself that somehow sets you above anyone else is the root of all other evils.”
When there was a break in the conversation, Lubella confessed to the gathered guests,
"I myself am guilty of the sin of anger: when my father died of plague when I was thirteen, it felt so unfair; I let anger take hold of me, and took out my frustrations on my mother. I said some things to her that I have later come to regret, and acted up in ways that must have caused her grief."
It was something that had been weighing on her over the last couple of years. She hadn't spoken to her mother about it directly, which she resolved that she needed to do when she saw her mother again. She paused for a moment, before bowing her head and adding,
"Looking back, I'm ashamed of how I behaved; she was in no way responsible for what happened to my dad."
You notice the Queen is paying closer attention to your responses.
A fee of the other guests are also listening to the long responses compared to their simple replies.
Anca Verezzian, the Varisian woman who argued with Elitu earlier smiles at Lubella's response. Such a sad story and at such a young age! I would say neglecting your children has to be at the top.
She is countered by a Chelish man, Asmerru Krupt who snears at the three halfling women seated near him. Obviously holding the traditional Chelish views that halflings are not equal to humans. Some children have not learned respect for their parents. And I would insist disobedience to a superior has to be the worst sin there can be.
They wait for Kenji to speak, but he is lost in his thoughts on which sin is worse, as likely to hold ANY sin is morally objectionable.
Finally, Tsutsia, an elderly female Tian human with a mole on her chin frowns at the comments of Asmerru. While your view of holding slaves as property is well known, invading another’s home is far worse the sin.
Finally, the Queen concludes the course with the comment. Excellent discussion. But sadly, I see that most if not all of you were so absorbed with my little question, that you were not able to enjoy your dinner.
She motions again with her tail to the servants.
We need to remedy this immediately. Who is ready for something sweet?
The final course is the dessert course. At each setting, the
help place a small plate covered by a silver lid, a strange
device that looks like a little corkscrew, and a curious fist-sized object in the shape of a dodecahedron (the same
shape as a 12-sided die).
The help lift the lids of all plates
simultaneously, and a tumble of fat, candied spiders,
each with a belly the size of a grape, come tumbling out
over the edges of the plate!
These candied spiders are a
Darklands delicacy called sweetfats—crunchy and served
cold, they are slightly sweet if eaten dry but much more
delicious drenched with honey sauce. My favorite!
The honey sauce itself appears trapped within the dodecahedron, and
opening the container is tricky...
Opening the magical version requires tracing runes along its
12 faces, with failure causing a blast of energy that harms
the user. Fortunately, these containers are nonmagical
reproductions, but they’re still difficult to open—a
successful DC 20 Disable Device or Intelligence check
is required to open a sauce container.
The honey is trapped within a puzzle box of sorts, but non-magical
DC 20 Disable Device or Intelligence check
is required to open a sauce container.
As the desserts are served, several of the guests stand and offer the Queen a gift.
The queen accepts any gifts her guests have brought. But
the other guests bring her relatively boring gifts that
she dutifully accepts.
Ah yes, you have my gratitude. I will certainly place this on my shelf with the others just like it.
Lubella studied the dodecahedron in vain, and whispered to her allies, "Anyone know how to get these things open? It's beyond me!"
Sidius whispers, "It's the mundane reproduction of a magical container with blasting runes. Basically, a puzzle to solve - and I can't help."
Sidius is able to determine the trick but will need help to pull it off…
Lubella took out the magical lockpick from the hidden pocket in her magical silk vest, and tried to see if she could open one of the sauce containers.
Talvek cannot figure out the puzzle either, but seeing Lubella tinker with her lockpick the tiefling pulls out his own tools.
"Just treat it like a lock, or a trap," he murmurs, eyes narrowed in concentration.
With the extra information from Sidius, both Lubella and Talvek were able to open their containers and enjoy the honey covered spiders as they were meant to be consumed.
Molly and Elitu and Tsutsia are also able to open theirs, leaving the rest of the table envious.
Well done, to all of you who succeeded! cheers the Queen.
Since you have finished, you can each present me with any of your purposals while we let those others finish enjoying their desserts. she smiles, obviously delighting in the jealousy and discomfort of those other guests.
She winks at Talvek and Sidius.
Perhaps you two have brought me something interesting from your travels? You and your group are not native to Vyre, so I am certainly going to want to hear all about your trip here.
Talvek stands and bows to the Queen of Delights, reaching for the wrapped book. "Your Majesty, thank you for such an interesting experience. Most of what I know, I have learned from books, and to this day I find them an endless font of delight. They can contain both truths and untruths, and they can challenge our minds or let us float on the wings of imagination."
He presents the book he had purchased earlier. "I hope that you will find this an interesting read. When we cannot travel ourselves, reading about far-off places comes as a close second. As to our trip here, it almost ended in disaster, as a sea monster sought to make a snack out of us. Fortunately, we lived to tell the tale, although so did the monster. Perhaps we will encounter it again on the way back, and we can rid the seas of a menace." He smiles. "There is a far more interesting tale of another voyage we undertook recently, but the telling of it should not be rushed."
The Queen smiles politely at Talvek's comments and takes the wrapped book as an afterthought. She opens it with an expression of tedium but then her face lights up as she sees the title.
"In the Council of Corpses"? by Ailson Kindler!!! I have heard this expands upon the death of King Ardurras Virholt and the fall of Ustalav to the Whispering Tyrant. Oh deary, wherever did you find this book? And bound in embossed black leather is just delicious. Well played. she blows a mock kiss to the fellow tiefling.
If there are more books like this, you will definitely have to share a few tales with me, maybe later.
She turns towards the others, a few people hiding gifts behind their backs, obviously not quite up to par.
Lubella came forward and presented her gift to the Queen of Delights: a fancy perfume vial with a stopper fashioned from an onyx gem,
"A refined lady such as yourself should have a suitable phial for your preferred fragrance."
She curtsied formally after the Queen received the present.