The Reclamation of Zahvroma (Inactive)

Game Master Signore di Fortuna

She nods giving Mirrin a wave as she leaves and heads to her in-laws place.

Getting to their door she knocks.

Celenon opens the door. "Hello, Arista. Come on in."

Giving him a smile she enters their house, "Thank you Celenon."

Going inside she asks, "So, how is everything?"

Celenon shrugs. "Dealing with a moody teenager, a rambunctious preteen, a wedding for my only daughter and trying to get my oldest son to say more than three words per visit. You know, the usual."

Marla walks into the living room holding Celine. "You make it sound like life is dismal, Celenon."

"Far from it," Celenon says. "It's what most people would term a 'normal life'. I have forgotten what one of those feels like."

Marla chuckles. "Can I get you anything, Arista?"

"I get that the Shard is meant to hold those universes in place, but what is it besides that?" Ylrhea asks. "We've seen things from other planes come through larger pieces of the Shard."

"I don't think there is a clear definition for it," Arctur says. "It is like a key and a door at once. It receives signals of energy which allow otherworldly beings to pass through as if it were a portal. It also sends signals occasionally beckoning those same beings to come through and, in doing so, weakens planar barriers temporarily."

"And it accumulates memories too," Sienna mentions. "Is that part of its function?"

Arctur nods slowly. "It's an insidious design. It attracts people through its maddening whispers, consumes them and regurgitates a duplicate that is none the wiser. Unfailingly, the double carries out Cthulhu's will without realizing it."

"But Arista was freed from a Shard, right?" Ylrhea says with a twinge of panic. "Is she...a Cthulhu spy?"

"No, people trapped by the Shard aren't destroyed," Arctur says. "Someone can survive indefinitely inside of one. But it does mean there is another Arista out there in Zahvroma."

"Oh, yay...just what we all needed," Sienna says. "An evil box of exploding rainbows."

"She wouldn't be evil necessarily, just furthering the goals of Cthulhu," Arctur explains. "'Chaotic' may be the more proper term."

"Something else to keep an eye out for," Ylrhea sighs. "Wasn't there something else we freed?"

Dadgum...and here I thought I was a one of a kind. Lol

Getting a funny look on her face she kind of cocks her head to the side, "You're only daughter? What about Elsa? I mean...unless you just meant your only daughter getting married right now?" She shakes her head a bit, "Sorry...I guess I've had a few things just rumbling around in my brain and that struck me as somewhat odd...but to be fair, you've had your hands full lately with everything going on with the young gentlemen in the house and all. I guess I'll be getting to experience all that stuff in the not too far future as well. Things are already pretty busy though." Looking over at Marla with Celine laying her head on her shoulder she smiles, "Speaking of which, there's my little ball of energy. Thank you Marla, she loves you all so much. Provided no other disasters strike, we're going to be baking some cookies tomorrow and thought we would bring you some. I was also kind of thinking it might be nice to have a big family dinner sometime....like with you guys and my family...but it doesn't have to be right away or anything. We had lunch with all of them over at our place like yesterday, so maybe we could have dinner with you guys sometime and then all of us could get together for a big meal? I don't know....oh...if it's not too much trouble I guess I'd like some water. Sorry for not answering you sooner, once I get going it's hard to stop." She thinks for a moment, "Maybe that's why Alley is so quiet sometimes? I think I talk enough for the both of us." She says with a chuckle.

Celine picks her head up once mommy is done talking, "Make cookies with mommy Nana, you like cookies?"

"I forget that I have another daughter sometimes, since she doesn't visit," Celenon chuckles.

"Yes, a nice dinner sounds great," Marla says, before looking at Celine. "And, yes, I like cookies."

Alethiro walks into the living room, giving his wife a hug and kiss. "Everything go well?"

She kind of nods and shrugs slightly before returning the hug and kiss, "As well as can be expected I guess. I think she's just gonna need some time to figure things out." Looking over at Marla she replies, "I'll let you know when a good night is once I talk to the others. I'm supposed to go with them when Tesia takes Cyna and Sienna to Lysse to get flowers for their wedding. Alethiro and Celine are gonna go too so we can show her other places outside of Valwick and I have some business that I need to take care of there with the Baron." She seems to think for a minute, "Need to get with Alethia and Divitia at some point before their wedding and find out what kind of food they wanted for the reception. I kinda promised Alethia I'd do the cooking for them."

"My sister is in her room, if you want to handle that," Alethiro says.

Drinking some of the water that Marla had given her she nods, "Oh really? Yeah...I guess I'll go talk to her then. Excuse me for a minute please." She says before setting down the tankard and going to Alethia's room. Getting to her door she knocks, "Alethia? You got a minute?"

"So anyone trapped in a shard also produces a....corrupted copy, for lack of a better term." Sādhanā reasons through the information. Is that particular of what enabled us to travel to Toni's world?"

"Come on in," Aliethia says. "I'm just getting ready for the night service."

"That was actually the Summoners' power," Arctur answers.

Arista goes in, closing her sister's door behind her. Going to her bed she sits down, "I just needed to ask you some questions about your wedding. Do you know when you're going to have it and have you thought about what kind of food you'd like for me to cook for it?"

"On the 14th," Aliethia says. "So...eight days. I think Divi and I would like chicken for the main dish, maybe some vegetables. Umm...I guess we can have some sort of soup or stew too since it's cold out."

She thinks for a moment, "Well, I can make a few roasted chickens and vegetables to go with it. Since the main course is going to be somewhat heavy, you probably want a soup and something that isn't chicken. Since it is getting so much colder we could do like a beef and barley soup, tossed green salad, and then the main course. How does that sound? Do you know roughly how many people will be coming? I just need to to have an estimate so I know how many chickens to buy along with the vegetables and stuff for the salad."

"Oh, it'll be small, maybe fifteen people at the most," Aliethia says. "And that all sounds wonderful."

She nods while thinking for a moment, "Alright, I think two chickens should be enough for that. I'll get a pound of potatoes, two pounds of carrots, four onions, and some celery. I'll also get the beef and barley for the soup and make sure I have enough of everything for the salad." She pauses for a moment, "I'll get started on buying everything for it after Cyna and Sienna's wedding. I have to go with them to Lysse because I need to take care of some things there, and they are going to buy their flowers there. I'll probably start preparing everything the night before so it's fresh." She gets quiet for just a moment before looking back up at Aliethia, "Have you talked to your folks about the baby yet?"

"Are we good to go?" Sienna asks.

"They know. They're excited," Aliethia answers with a smile. "I think Father's just relieved that the wedding is happening before the baby arrives."

She nods and gives her a light squeeze, "See...I told you everything would be okay. I was just wondering where you were going to have the reception. If it would be here or at Hadrinn's? Oh...well, I don't even know why I'm asking right now, you're probably going to have to remind me again before the wedding." She says with a chuckle while shaking her head slightly.

She nods slightly while shrugging her shoulders, "I guess so unless someone else has something to ask, I can't think of anymore questions right now." She says while thinking about what it would be like running into another version of Arista and what they would do once they did.

"I'm pretty sure we're having it here," Aliethia says. "I'll be sure to remind you, though."

She nods, "Okay then. I was just trying to figure out the easiest way of doing the chickens. I guess I could cook one here and one at my house...but then I'd have to get it here...It's okay, we have time to figure it out. I'm just so happy for you both." She says before putting her arms around Aliethia in a gentle hug.

Aliethia chuckles. "Talk to Marla when you get a chance. She's a pretty good cook and can give you a hand."

Letting go of her sister she nods again, "Alright, I'll make sure to do that after Cyna and Sienna's wedding...or whenever I think of it. I promise you that it'll be delicious though. You're folks are really great....it was much more nerve wracking meeting Elsa. She sort of suggested that Alley married me because I was pregnant. I guess it did all happen pretty fast....but still, I don't think you should just walk up to someone and basically accuse them of impugning your brother's virtue." She kind of shrugs, "I just let it go because she seemed young and a little full of herself."

"Are there any secrets to this tower that we need to know?" Sādhanā asks.

"We usually take what she says with a grain of salt," Aliethia says. "She was raised differently. Not that I'm saying it was a bad upbringing...just different."

"None that you do not already know," Arctur says. "Transparency is good for building trust."

She nods, "Then I think we're done here and it's time to get back home."

She looks thoughtful, "That would explain some things then. It's okay really, I didn't take what she said to heart. I just think she has a really hard time expressing certain feelings and does it a different way. Anyways, I better go so you can finish getting ready. I wouldn't want to make you late for your evening service. It was really good getting to see you again though. Let me know if you need anything okay?" She gives her another little hug before walking towards the door.

Ylrhea nods. "Yeah, I'm ready for bed...or something to eat...uhh, I'm just ready to go."

"Of course," Aliethia says, getting the door. She follows Arista back to the main room. "I'm off everyone, have a good night."

She gives Alethiro a hug and waves at Celine before going out the door.

"All set, love?" Alethiro asks. "Celine's getting a little fussy now. I think she's tired."

She nods before going to Marla and giving her a hug, "Yeah, we got most of it figured out I think. I'm sorry we didn't have more time to visit properly, but we'll be back tomorrow." She says as she steps back and takes her tired out tot from Marla, "Tell Nana and Poppy bye Celine, we'll see them tomorrow okay?"

Celine waves without raising her head off of her mommy's shoulder, "Night night Nana, night night Poppy."

Alethiro gets the door for Arista. "Good night, everyone."

Giving her in-laws a nod and a wave she says as they go outside, "Good night, we'll see you tomorrow." Making sure Celine's bundled up really well they head home together.

"I think we can call it a day and head home." Sādhanā says giving Ylrhea a smile. "We've accomplished quite a bit today after all."