Tassira watches Kariel leave the cabin, a small smile on her lips.
She yawns. She scoots over on her bed, pulls back the covers, and spends the rest of the night asleep.
She silently hopes a storm doesn't hit during the night.
"My cousin owned a resturant, a fish market, a general store, and an employment service, nothing too exciting I'm afraid. Add in that they all serve mostly just the Tein community in Varde, it all very cliche." Mr Li smiles and says "Let me guess, you have taken up cooking? No need to answer the 204th is a famous for it's cooks as it is for its tenacity. Come by my resturant sometime and try the food. I know little of it now but I'm sure the opionion of skilled cheif will always be of value"
Vigar smiles at that invite.
"I would love too, could I have the names of that restaurant as well your stores? I might have need of a general store and having access to furture employment would be good even though you usually serve Tien community, there maybe things I would like to learn. Cooking is a skill I learnt as a way to learn my letters and numbers thus I kind of grew to like it."
"None of the names are very exciting I'm afraid: The Li General Store, The Li Fish Market, The Li Empolyment Agency, and The Golden Dragon Resturant. My cousin was a man lacking in inspiration." says Mr. Li.
"Well names can tell many things or none at all. Should I pass by any of these places, I'll be sure to stop by."
Vigar pauses here.
"Having being on the road for a long time, I was hoping that perhaps you could have heard something interesting in your travels? Could you share them with me?"
"Well you've probably already heard these things but they seem to come up in conversions oftern durring my travels. First, with Gregor's death expected to be soon the Great Houses have added assassination as a means of advancing their goals and their canadites for the throne. Second,something stranger than usual is going on with magic. Old spells and wards are failing and unusal flora and fauna are appearing in the oddest places" responds Mr. Li.
"Old spells and wards? Unusual Flora and Fauna?" his interest pigued, Vigar continues.
"In my travels, I hadn't noticed anything like that although if it's only in the Empire, then it's to be expected. I haven't ventured near for the last few years. Pray tell me more of those, please."
Marrovak goes to sleep, with Chalimar laying on his chest.
”In Ostia Antica, the port city east of the Capital Marthos, there have been reports of strange creatures, prowling the streets late at night. They are unnatural and unholy animals and that ordinary weapons have little effect on. I also have heard that in the forest near the Tower of Perth, to the west of the dwarven citadel city of Dhar-Khors, strange plants hungry for are appearing. White rose bushes that become red after feasting on blood and a strange bush that the Dwarven Rangers have started calling an Archer Bush that shoots needles to kill passing creatures and call actually move short distances to consume what it kills, are only two of the things I have heard about there.” Mr Li yawns.
”I’m sorry my friend, I’m off to bed. We arrive early tomorrow at Varde and I need to get to sleep.” With that Fong makes his way below deck.
The night before the The Silver Princess makes port the party dreams. The wild howls and rain comes down in sheets. Lightning strikes the ground repeatedly near where you are standing. The ruins of an elvish tree city lay about like a broken children’s toy or a shattered snow globe. Elvish warriors and people lay broken and bloody everywhere as undead and demons and devils strive against each other for the most part ignoring the dead and dying elves. Only near the river are their still living mortals as a thin line of elves and small band of individuals of other races protect what you know is the last ship as it loads survivors.
You all are among that band and you watch as your leader holds up his sword and says in a voice much like Rowan’s “No farther may you come I Bar the way.” A brilliant white light brighter than lightning sweeps outward and holds steady. Demons, devils, and undead that cross into the light burst into flame or crumble to dust, while all around you are renewed, restored and encouraged. Only one creature of darkness comes into the light. She seems human enough until you see the blood dripping down her fangs. Small bolts of lightning dance across her fingertips and up and down her arms. Her flesh constantly chars and then renews as she steps into the light stopping about thirty feet from you. She looks remarkably like Tassira.
“Hello Darling, still protecting the cattle I see.”
“Alonna, there’s no cattle here, just people trying to live their lives.”
“They’re flies, here one day, gone the next, even you, my sweetie, last no longer than the flash of a bolt of lightning to my eyes. I watched Tuma be banished at my Lord’s side per his desires and was there when the gates of Grey Port fell. No one will remember Haviel in time, Rodger, just as no one remembers lost Arcadia, or Perun, or Arth. Except for me that is. Have you thought about my offer?”
“Have you given thought to mine? Sarenrae brings not only light but redemption. She can help you choose to help, and to heal. You don’t have to live in darkness. No one is forced to live in darkness you can choose to be free. Alumananx is not a god nor will he become one.”
“He’s given me more power than you could ever believe. I think today at least I choose not to seek the path you lay at my feet. Take your flies and go from here Rodger. My troops and I shall see that Bane’s beasts do not interfere. Till we meet again my love.”
Another bolt of lightning and the dream fades away.
As the ship docks and starts to unload the forward ramp is not in use. The middle ramp is in use by the crew as they unload cargo. At the rear ramp the passengers are disembarking: Mr. Li first then his wife and daughter; next comes Cerene, followed by Captain Miles. The party is all on the deck of the ship by the rear ramp.
As the Li family reaches the end of the ramp and step off moving to the south near the crate on the dock. A tall armored elf in a black uniform, wearing a hooded cloak approaches the family. Behind him are four similarly attired individuals. He holds up a small rock which he waves in front of Mr. Li and his wife, nothing happens. When he waves it in front of their teenage daughter however the rock glows softly.
The elf grins evilly “We have one.” He says over his shoulder to his companions. To the girl he says “Welcome to the Imperial Mage Service, draftee.” He grabs her roughly and slaps a pair of silver cuffs on her.
Mr Li says “You can’t take my daughter I’m an Imperial Veteran I have an exemption.”
There’s a slight scuffle. Then Mr. Li and his wife are bleeding prehaps dead on the dock. “You all saw that these two were executed for resiting Imperial Will.”
Tassira follows Kariel down from the ship as she confronts the elf. She's utterly enraged, but her face doesn't show it.
<"She's right, you know. Do you have any idea just how foolish you look right now?"> She tuts. <"Attacking Imperial citizens in broad daylight, in front of several heavily-armed people no less!"> She nods her head towards Vigar, Rowan, Marrovak & Krag.
<"Unless you wish to dig the hole you're in deep enough to bury you and your stooges as well, I suggest you let the girl go and leave. Now.">
To sort of add to their point, Rowan brings his fauchard to bear.
Vigar steps forward, spear in hand, longspear within reach, standing beside Rowan to drive home the point.
Kraig steps up to the rail "I don't speak gibberish, so I don't know what my cousins of House Alenkine said, but as a prince of House Trin they have my full support."
"Well, I do speak Elvish, and as tenth in line for the Selentine throne I can firmly say that House Avergnon concurs with Houses Alenkine and Trin." Cerene proclaims as she steps forward with Captain Miles at her side. The two of them are already at the bottom of the boarding ramp.
The elf shakes the girl roughly. "You all have no authority in this, you ..." he stops as a puzzled look comes over his face blood starts to come out of his mouth. He looks down to see the point of a sword emerging from his chest. The elf slumps to ground lifelessly.
"Sometimes, agents get a little overzealous milords and miladies." Annouces one of the black uniformed figures as he pulls an exotic looking sword out of the elf's back. "Still Imperial Justice is swift in these cases, as I hope you will report back to the heads of your Houses."
He snaps his figners and holds out his hand. Two things happen, 2 of the other black uniformed figures come forward and start to drag the now dead elf away and the silver cuffs on the teenager unlock and fly to his hand. "I'll have the paperwork filled out for the compentation for death of the child's parents filled out and sent to your father's House in Khorfe Lord Krag, as your House's home is closest."
Mrs Li is completely lifeless, Mr Li is foaming at the mouth and his leg is twitching out of control.
The agents turn and start to leave only for the one who spoke to say over his shoulder "Still the girl will have to find a new affilation her father's exemption only kept her from the draft while he was alive. Have a nice day." Then as if stepping through an unseen door they are gone.
Tassira watches the figures leave, hands clenched into fists. Her face is still as unemotional as before.
She moves over to the girl. "Are you alright?"
Hiriako was quiet at first like she could not comprehend what was happening. Now she's collapsed onto the ground next to her parents and is sobbing uncontrollably. She doesn't even seem to hear Tassira.
Mr Li has stopped twitching.
Tassira kneels next to the girl.
Her free hand lightly rests on the girl's back, the other one resting on her own thigh, clenched into a fist. She looks at Mr. Li's corpse.
Poison. A murderer's tool. Not sure what kind of poison, other than a strong one.
She patiently waits for the girl to calm down, saying nothing.
She just stays there, next to her. A comforting presence is what's needed right now, not words.
"What's the procedures one needs to adopt her into our house?"Vigar's voice breaks the silence and brings everyone's attention to him.
His hair is starting to turn white as he struggles to hold back his anger and go into trance.
"I have spoken to her parents during the voyage and know that they were supposed to take over the cousin's properties. This means she's heir to their properties. I'll take charge of her and she'll be my ward."
Moving to Hiriako and kneeling down next to her besides Tassira,
"I'm sorry about your father, as a former legionare myself, the exemption from me will extend to you. Come, let us see to their last rites."
He notes the poison for its speed in killing.
First the dream, now this.
"I don't know Vigar, but we can find out."
Rowan stands slightly dumbfounded at what just happened. It's the same everywhere it seems. It's like what happened to her when I was a child.
Your KN: Nobility Roll lets you remember that the courts or the temples or both have to be involved with these sort of things but you can't remember any details at the moment.
Between Tassira's and Vigar's efforts Hiriako turns to Vigar and sobs in his arms.
Cerene steps to Rowan "I'm not sure of your family dynamics, or your relationship to House Alenkine, but I do know the law" At Rowan's slight look of surprise "I'm licensed to practice in five different jurisdictions, my father felt that the law would be more useful than magic." She waves her hand. "Never mind that. Tassira, Vigar and his twin, don't have a chance of making the girl a ward. Without a kinship tie they're simply too close in age to the girl no Imperial judge would approve it. You might have a chance Rowan, but it wouldn't be a good one. A single male in his early to mid twenties making a 15 year old girl his ward? Probably not, but maybe with the right judge, much better chance if you were married. No only Kariel has a good chance of making the girl a ward of House Alenkine. She's young looking but as an aasimar a judge won't hold that against her."
She pauses as a scheming, yet slightly distracted look comes into her eyes, an expression that seems to say 'I'm up to no good, yet completely focused on what I'm thinking about.' "No what we really need to do is go to one of the temples and do a blood kinship ritual, either the adoption bond or the blood sibling bond. Then we get married go to a judge have her made our ward, and I'll declare her my apprentice, and no one will every be able to threaten her like that again." A look of horror comes across Cerene's face. "Wait, what did I just say?"
Tassira nods at Vigar, a sad smile on her face.
She turns and looks at Cerene just in time to see her horrified look. She smirks and walks over.
"It sounded like you just suggested that you and Rowan get married and have children." She says with a pseudo-innocent expression.
She lets that sink in for a bit.
"For the young lady's own good, of course."
With an apolgetic look at Rowan followed swiftly by a grin and then masked with a stern look.
"I know it's abit hard to ask, Rowan but for the sake of this child?"
Ha Ha Ha Ha. Did she just do what I think she did? She's using the child to trap Rowan into marriage and the best thing is, it's two unrelated and different things!! I'm sorry Rowan but I think someone's got her eyes on you. Vigar cannot help but snicker inwardly to himself.
Looking on to Cerene while being careful not to dislodge the weeping child.
"What does the a blood kinship ritual do and the difference between the adoption bond and the blood sibling bond. Pray tell. Please."
"Buh?!
You've never seen him at a loss for words, but the result is amusing. He stands stunned at this turn of events.
"Really Kariel?"
Cerene seizes upon Vigar's questions and babbles. "There's a wide ranging number of different adoption and kinship rituals from different cultures, religions, and points in history. She has yet to take a breath. "Their can be quite a large number of variables depending on the parameters set by the participants, and the officiant. It can be religious or not, magical or not, civil or not. Different civil authorities recognize different rituals to different degrees. What is and is not accepted has changed over time from place to place. For instance in ancient Azlant a wizard was fully recognized to conduct such a ritual without need for a priest." Still no breath. "The ritual itself can be set to designate simple sibling hood, or the parent child bond, or even relationships farther apart. If magical it can be set to enable the passage of bloodline gifts or at least the possibility of such passage, particularly in the case of a parent child bond, or course that would be the parent sharing possible gifts with the child, I've never read or it going the other way." Staring to turn blue"Some of the magical adoption rituals can every reshape the child's physical traits to be similar to the adoptive parent. Does anyone else see spots?"
Cerene starts to wobble back and forth.
"No. Just you, Cerene. That tends to happen when you go on an on about something without taking a breath." Tassira says.
"Calm down. This isn't really the place to discuss something like marriage or adoption anyway."
Having a minute to process, Rowan says
"Isn't she still exempt from the draft with he father's service, regardless of his demise? Can you not just take her as an apprentice, or find someone who will? No need for anyone to marry anyone right now."
He sounds a bit nervous at all this talk of him marrying Cerene.
"Yes the exemption should still be in effect ... unless the law's been changed. The Imperial Mage Service Law gets changed pretty regularly. Keeps a lot of lawyers employed." Cerene says after several deep breaths.
"What ever happens, we can not let a young girl fall in to the hands of such foulness."
"I agree with Krag here. We need to know more. I'll not have Hiriako be unprotected against such."
Turning to Kariel and Cerene.
"What's the best ritual that will best fit this situation.?"
Tassira begins to glance around.
"We should probably continue this discussion somewhere else. I think we might be drawing a crowd." She says, making sure her Alenkine signet ring is on her finger.
"Yes, let's go find somewhere to work this out."
Rowan picks his things up and starts to get off the ship.
Cerene says "The Forgeway Inn. I was told see Terrance Forge about getting a horse to continue my journey. He and his brother run a chain of inns and taverns called 'The Forgeway Inns'. The one here in Varde has the company headquarters next to it."
Hiriako sobs out that she doesn’t know anyone here, that her father handled all the business details, she’s extremely distraught and will rely on Tassira and Vigar to guide her and make decisions for her at the moment.
With that the party gathers their things and heads to the Forgeway Inn with Cerene and Hiriako. Captain Miles, who has expressed intrest in traveling with you to Khorfe, stays behind to see that the Li's bodies are taken to a funeral home or a temple and are cared for properly until Hiriako can make a decision about what she wants done. He says he will catch up with you later.
KN: Religion, You know quite a few non magical rituals and ceremonies that would establish a familiar relationship. All of them should be religiously binding and most would be civilly binding if the proper paperwork was filed properly. You’re aware of a number of magical rituals that would actually establish a blood relationship like father/daughter, brother/sister etc, but they are beyond your capabilities to cast.
As they walk, Rowan talks to Cerene.
"So marriage, huh? That's certainly an...interesting plan. A bit convoluted though." he says half-jokingly.
Cerene responds ”It just popped out. The most legally protective thing I could think of would be a pair of married Great Nobles with blood ties to the girl. Throw in the apprenticeship bond with me, and she would be untouchable. It shouldn't require that drastic measure to protect her, something simpler would work too. Altough the blood kin adopted by marriage would provide more protection legally than anything else I can think of.” She pauses as a new idea occurs to her “What’s with your relationship to Alenkines, farmboy? That’s new right?” Another look of horror comes over her face "Tassira's not a secret Alenkine heiress and the two of you haven't gotten married in the last week or so have you?"
He fiddles with his ring on his finger.
"Well she is a secret Alenkine heiress, but no we are not married. Actually, we are second cousins, sharing Professor Crispin as our great grandfather. My grandmother Rose is his first offspring from his days as a street urchin - No really. It surprised me too - who married into the Mikalsons. My line is not legitimate, but Tassira's is. In fact, our entire party, and the other six that went to Quiesce, are blood related somehow, though we all get headaches trying to sort it all out. Apparently the Alenkines get around. But it does mean I a highborn noble now, same as you. Of a Great House, no less! With a castle! Not bad for the son of a blacksmith."
Tassira overhears the conversation between Rowan & Cerene as the group makes its way to the Forgeway Inn. She blushes.
"...well, except Kariel's adopted." She says, physically trying to make herself smaller.
Great. Yammer on about it to anyone who asks, why don't you?
She decides to focus on helping Hiriako. If nothing else, it'd keep Tassira's feet on the ground.
With a gentleness belying his normal fierce counternance, Vigar guides the sobbing Hiriako with them.
"Come on Hiriako, we'll sort things out. You're not alone and maybe you'll just get yourself a new brother/sister/uncle and aunties. We'll see to your parent's final rites. Be strong and don't let them catch them in your weakness. Grieve once we are away from their eyes."
Large callused hands supports the sobbing girl up and gives her time to regain her composure as he brings their packs up and follows the rest to The Forgeway Inn.
He inclines his head to Captain Miles.
"My thanks to you on behalf of Hiriako. We'll see you later. I'll entrust the Lis to you."
Patting Hiriako on the back.
"Thank you, Captain.
"Complicated at the minimum, let us rest. The girl has been through enough today. We help who we can on this journey. I am sure fate will give us plenty of opportunities."
Tassira gives Kariel a thankful smile. She then nods at Krag, then walks off to the Forgeway Inn. Between the events at the dock, the dream on the boat & the secret of the Twelve that still haunted her, she felt exhausted.
"Come on. I'll see if I can't get us some good rooms." She calls back to the rest of the party.
She abruptly pauses at the entrance to the Inn.
"Wait--where's Marrovak?" She asks, glancing around.
Vigar looks up.
"He'll be along in a while. He didn't exactly grow up the same as we did. Maybe the press of the city grew a bit too much but he'll find us."
The trip to the tavern goes without notice. You do spend about an hour walking to reach the Forgeway Inn which is on the northeast edge of town. You can tell that Varde is a merchant town with lots of travels and cargos making it way through it. Their is a large diversity of both everyday citizens and travellers like yourselves.