The Reclamation of Zahvroma (Inactive)

Game Master Signore di Fortuna

Tesia carefully steps up to Arista and tries to calm her, "Arista....you need to calm down. Think of the baby."

She looks at Tesia, her green emerald eyes almost glittering in the moonlight, "I am calm!"

"We found out about it at the tower," Sienna answers. "Not like we had time to go over this with you. I didn't think she'd just show up out of the blue anyway."

The woman waves her hand dismissively. "I've had five hundred years of battle to keep me busy, Arista. Your threats mean little. And I had nothing to do with the shard, but I exist because of it."

"So...long story short," Sienna explains. "When you were trapped in the shard, it made a copy of you. She's supposed to be all chaotic and stuff."

She takes a breath or two, "Okay...it's okay. It just caught me off guard is all....I don't like surprises." She says before turning her attention back on fake Arista, "You better listen to me and listen well and take what I say seriously because I mean it. Don't come anywhere near me, my family, or my friends again. You may have had the years that were stolen from me....but I have experience and a fierceness you could never understand. Don't test me, you'll lose."

She shrugs, "I can be chaotic when I need to be."

The other Arista rolls her eyes at Sienna. "Something like that. Anyway, I have something for you."

She produces a sealed scroll bearing the Seraphis family crest. "Your family never knew I wasn't you. I only told them after your sister had left for Alarion and they were on their deathbeds. This is their words to you."

Sienna sighs. "You're not helping your case, Arista."

She visibly shakes with anger her hand tightening around the hilt of her sword, "You bi+<#....you got MY life, MY family!" She nearly screams as a hot tear rolls down one of her cheeks.

Pulling away from her daddy and not sensing any threat from the other lady she goes to her mommy and jumps up so that she has to hold her. Looking into her face she puts her hands on her cheeks, "Shhh...mommy...not nice words. It's okay, I love you. I'm here. Daddy here too. You not alone mommy...we here. Family right here." She says, trying to soothe her hurting mother.

She closes her eyes and holds Celine close to her for a few minutes as her daughter pours out her heart to her, to try and make her see what she felt she had lost was right in front of her. Gulping down the rest of her rage and resentment she takes a few more breaths while holding her child, "You're right Celine...I'm sorry. You are my family and I love you and daddy very much....so very much Celine." She just holds her for a moment before holding out a shaking hand to the other woman, "I'll be taking that now."

"I've had other things taken from me," the other Arista says. " I had to watch your parents die while trying to care for them. Your husband is still alive. Mine is not. I had to watch him die in battle. I had to raise my son alone...and deal with these necromancers. My son hates me for trying to protect our home, for having to move because some jerk wants to try and take over the area, for having to spend days on end fighting battles, only to lose more friends and family."

The hand holding the scroll shakes and she hands it to Arista. "I've fulfilled the promise I made to your...our parents. That's all I needed to do. I don't want to have to look at you anymore and remember everything I've been through."

She spreads her wings and takes off. "Don't ever set foot in Ilneas, Arista."

"Well, that was weird."

"I thought you were the weird one, Sienna."

She takes the scroll and puts it in her bag, "I'll look at that later. What did she mean by that? Well, I might not be able to set food in it, but someone will have to. That's where the last Iomdean group was lost at....like some kind of ghost town. Then there's something about death cults stirring up trouble outside of Lysse and it has something to do with this Old Ones business. I was going to wait and talk to everyone about it after your wedding...but I guess the cats out of the bag now. I also think I had every right to be upset and not trust her. We have no idea what her intentions are, but the fact that she's telling me to stay away from a place that obviously needs to be investigated....I don't like it. I'm sorry it all got brought up right now though. I didn't want you guys worrying about anything until after your wedding."

Sienna shrugs. "Figures."

"She seemed sad," Gwen notes. "I don't think she really wanted to meet you, Arista."

"That sense of duty and honor must be a family trait," Sienna says.

The color visibly drains from her face, "Yeah....the death cults have something to do with what could happen when the stars align in forty seven days. That's how long we have to keep whatever awful thing from happening that's supposed to happen. My guess is, is that they're gonna try to bring some dark horrible power through a porthole or something. Who knows....but whatever it is....you know it's not gonna be good and we might be in for a very difficult fight. We can figure it out later. Another day more or less won't make much difference and you guys deserve to have a good time at your wedding."

She shrugs, "I don't know...and I don't know if she really thought she was me or what...but I just don't trust her. I don't know...the emotions are too raw right now to know what I'm really feeling."

"Pfft, might as well marry us now, Arista, so we can get back to business," Sienna grunts.

Gwen hits Sienna's arm again. "Stop it. Everyone spent a lot of time planning for it. We'll go back home to have it."

"Why are you lecturing me?" Sienna asks. "I thought I was the parent."

She shakes her head, "Absolutely not! You will have your special day if I have to kill everything between here and home....oh, you know what I mean. You both deserve to have your wedding and your reception and that time with you friends and family....and a night to yourselves to just....enjoy each other. You deserve that. And I'll be damned if you don't get it."

"Then act like it," Gwen says. "I don't get to see you that much between all your running off. I said I'm okay with it, so..."

"But you're not okay with it..."

Gwen hangs her head. "No."

Sienna puts her arms around Gwen. "I told you that if you wanted us to that we'd quit adventuring. You're the most important person to us, Gwen. I'd do anything for you."

"You and Mother Cyna are important to me...but to Zahvroma too," Gwen says. "I can't be selfish. There are people who need your help and, someday, you'll get rid of the bad guys...I just have to be patient..."

Sienna sighs. "I don't want you hating me..."

Putting Celine down she goes to Gwen and Sienna. Putting her arms around her sister and her niece she says, "I know how hard this has been for all three of you. Whatever you decide to do....you have my full support. More people are coming to Valwick every day....I'm sure that if you and Cyna want to stay home....we can find others to go in your place. They won't be you....but no one ever could be. No matter what happens...we won't lose. We will fight our battles and we will win, because that's what we do. We destroy the evil, and rescue the innocent."

"I won't hate you. I might get mad, but I'll never hate you. I promise."

"...Puppy..."

"Thank you so much Tesia he is adorable." Cyna says giving the pup a pat in the head.

"I thought you were the weird one, Sienna."

"We're all a little weird." Cyna says resisting the urge to glare at Arista's husband.

"You and Mother Cyna are important to me...but to Zahvroma too," Gwen says. "I can't be selfish. There are people who need your help and, someday, you'll get rid of the bad guys...I just have to be patient..."

Cyna wraps her family in a hug. "We'll figure it out and make it work out somehow. I promise."

Arista nods, feeling a little numb after the encounter. She really didn't know how she felt, "I guess I reacted a little badly. I didn't mean to make her feel bad, but it's like finding out that someone else completely stole the life you had. I'll have to find her again eventually, I have....questions that I wonder if she can answer. Like....was she there before Theon left? I guess she couldn't haved been though because Zeph said Theon went looking for me when I didn't come back home." She gets a far off look for a minute, "I don't know...I just don't. My parents are apparently dead though, so I guess I should just try to forget about it. What does it matter anyway? That part of my life is over, this is my life now." She sighs, "I'm sorry I lost it for a little bit there. I was caught off guard and upset, but I shouldn't have said those things in front of the kids." She then turns to Alethiro, "What do you mean calling Sienna weird? Was that you just joking around? I hope so, cuz you're not exactly married to someone normal. There's nothing normal about any of this." She says gesturing to all of herself. She leans into him, a little worn out from the encounter.

"Later today will be fine," the Anizari woman answers Sādhanā.

I guess I never gave them names.

"Alright. Should we meet you here this afternoon, say an hour or two after lunch?" Sadhana asks.

The women nod at Sādhanā. "That will be fine."

"I guess I will tag along as well."

"It might be a good experience for you," Ylrhea says.

Glad to see Arista calming down she looks over at Cyna, "You're welcome."

"Okay, fine, we're all weird," Alethiro says, suddenly feeling ganged up on.

She rubs his arm while leaning into him slightly, "Oh honey...don't feel bad or anything. I know you probably didn't mean for it to sound the way it did. I'm the one that just totally went off on someone I don't even know just because she sorta looked like me and stole my family from me. I guess I should just be glad that someone was there for them since I couldn't be."

"I guess that's one way of looking at it," Alethiro says. "At least, you didn't disappear on purpose, like I did."

"Yeah," Sienna says in agreement with Cyna. "How about we get back to our dinner plans?"

Gwen nods silently.

She sighs, "You were angry and hurting and didn't know how else to deal with your pain. Everything worked out though, and your parents and sister are here now. They forgave you, so you don't have to keep beating yourself up over it."

Celia smiles to herself, both at the thought of visiting the enclave, and the fact that it wouldn't get in the way of lunch with Clara, a thought that she only felt vaguely guilty for.

"Okay, we'll meet you here then." Sādhanā replies with a smile. Looking over at where Mirrin sits she takes a resolute breath. "If you'll all excuse me for a bit."

She gives Ylrhea a a silent look, indicating that she was going to approach the mysterious woman alone, rather than make her feel overwhelmed with a group at first, and heads over to her table.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (17) + 16 = 33

Ylrhea gives Sadhana a slight nod in acknowledgement.

"Anyway...let's go eat," Alethiro says.