Jaya's brows knit together as she takes several quick breaths through her nose. "Wendy, I hope that I've shown willingness to hear you out even when the stories you tell me are preposterous on their face, but deception and manipulation are something I've had too much of.
"You didn't call me here to give me the exact same warning that you gave me months ago."
Carefully, Jaya stood, a little ungainly from the swaying deck, "No matter what you aren't telling me, you're right about one thing. I understand what my mother's capable of when she's desperate, better than... better than most. She's refused to forestall these nightmares until now, neither of us want to see what might happen if she decides to end them at their source."
"To be clear, I called you here hoping to explain my history," she begins. "And I'm not deliberately trying to hide anything. It's just..."
A pause.
"...There are blanks in my memory, Jaya," Wendy says softly. "They aren't exactly holes. Just... moments that I should be able to vividly recall, but when I try, it's all just... blank at worst, vague dreams at best. I can sometimes remember with enough effort, but it's always utterly exhausting."
She sighs once more.
"During my upbringing, I spent most of my time with Auronee, some simulcrams your mother made to keep me company, and the various celestials she'd employ to tutor me. Gilda Queen would sometimes visit us too. However, I also recall someone else being there... and that's all I can usually remember about them. All this just... throws me off sometimes."
Wendy meets your graze.
"Is there anything else you want to know, Jaya?" she asks. "You're right; you've been very accommodating and fair about all this, so returning the favor is only reasonable."
Someone else? If she was calling on celestials and they weren't simply bound to service, then it was probably trading on her relationship to Cladissa, so the mystery guest could also be related to that...
"Well if it's any consolation, I'm sure Mother's taking careful notes on your social adjustment period for in case she decides to repeat these experiments again."
Did she make a simulacra of me for you to practice on?
"Possibly she'll decide that the memory gaps are too jarring and come up with a less intrusive method. I'm certain that some sort of social conditioning could just make us regard discussing things like secret alliances as so mortifyingly embarrassing that only the strongest compulsions could persuade you to share them."
Jaya screws up her lips like she'd just bitten into a lemon, choking off any more acerbic hypotheses, and for a moment she just breathes.
"I should go. The sea air might help with this nausea."
"Hello, Kallie," she greets slightly nervously. In one breath, she (somehow) says, "I heard that you studied under Archmage Eugeni Silva. Would it be alright if I asked you some questions about that? I'm writing a book about the Sihedron Heroes, and interviewing a student of his would be amazing material for the project."
It takes Marjorie a moment to remember to breath again.
Kallie blinks in surprise. Why'd it take her so much effort to ask me something like that?
She quickly nods. "Well, sure. Eugeni can be kind of proprietary when it comes to the secrets of the universe he's unlocked, but as long as you're not asking that kind of thing, well, I don't mind answering a few questions."
Aurealia changes into her bathing suit and alters herself into a mermaid, using her rod to extend the spell. She dives happily into the water and swims along next to the ship like a dolphin. When she's not swimming, she hangs around with Croq practicing her sea shanties. Aurealia tries to come up with new lyrics for the songs, but she's not very good at it.
She gives you a small smile and wave farewell.
Kallie blinks in surprise. Why'd it take her so much effort to ask me something like that?
She quickly nods. "Well, sure. Eugeni can be kind of proprietary when it comes to the secrets of the universe he's unlocked, but as long as you're not asking that kind of thing, well, I don't mind answering a few questions."
Marjorie gives you a toothy grin and goes to fetch her papers and such.
"How about we relocate to somewhere less dreary?" the dhampir suggests. "Not in direct sunlight, though. I'm only half dead, but it still agitates my skin."
Once you two get settled, Marjorie starts thinking over her questions.
"How about we start with the thesis? What was it like studying under Archmage Silva? Compared to Master Lightstaff, I've heard that he's rather... selective with taking students," the priestess begins.
Aurealia changes into her bathing suit and alters herself into a mermaid, using her rod to extend the spell. She dives happily into the water and swims along next to the ship like a dolphin. When she's not swimming, she hangs around with Croq practicing her sea shanties. Aurealia tries to come up with new lyrics for the songs, but she's not very good at it.
For her part, Galatea relaxes on the deck, alternating between hanging out with Cai'nan and watching the Andosana Sisters swim. Naturally, Cheshire (who appears to be going through a major growth spurt) is always by her partner's side. Meanwhile, Little Silvie is kept securely in a baby sling. Yulia seems to be away helping her peers guard Ariel, who spends most of her time resting in her suit.
"...A seasick T-Rex; never thought I'd see such a sight," Gali says to Cai'nan. She suddenly perks up and looks over her shoulder. "Why does Jaya look like she just bit a lemon?"
Kallie's eyes grow distant as she runs through her memories, trying to encapsulate her experiences in a few words. She bites her lip as she realizes her feelings are too complex to easily summarize.
"Well," she begins, "I was his first. Student, I mean. So, there was a lot of... how to put it?... trial and error? He'd never taught anyone before. So, there was a learning curve for both of us. And he's smart. Like, really smart. Sometimes he'd just talk and not realize I had no idea what he was talking about. So, I suppose -- at least at the start -- it was humbling."
Kallie's eyes grow distant as she runs through her memories, trying to encapsulate her experiences in a few words. She bites her lip as she realizes her feelings are too complex to easily summarize.
"Well," she begins, "I was his first. Student, I mean. So, there was a lot of... how to put it?... trial and error? He'd never taught anyone before. So, there was a learning curve for both of us. And he's smart. Like, really smart. Sometimes he'd just talk and not realize I had no idea what he was talking about. So, I suppose -- at least at the start -- it was humbling."
Marjorie proves to be a quick writer, only needing a moment to get everything down.
"How'd you settle on enchantment? I've heard that the good Archmage's specialty is more akin to Jaya's fireworks," she asks curiously.
Kallie shrugs, but becomes a little more guarded. "It seemed right for me. I wanted to be my own centaur, you know? Take something that Eugeni never used as much and that way I could make it my own."
Kallie shrugs, but becomes a little more guarded. "It seemed right for me. I wanted to be my own centaur, you know? Take something that Eugeni never used as much and that way I could make it my own."
Marjorie nods in understanding.
"What was Archmage Silva's usual method of teaching?" she asks next. "For instance, from what I've gathered, Master Lightstaff's teacher prefered giving detailed lectures."
Kallie frowns. "He didn't have time for lectures. He'd show you something, then couldn't be bothered to talk to you again until you've mastered it. Occasionally, he'd first check to make sure you didn't do any lasting damage on your first tries."
"...I see," Marjorie says. Sensing where this conversation might be going, the dhampir decides to change subjects, "I think that's all I really need about him... Would you happen to know Lady Jeevika? I couldn't help but notice that you're... acquaintances with her daughters."
Kallie nods, a slight chuckle escaping her throat. "Yeah, I know her. I didn't really study under her, though."
"What's she like?" asks Marjorie. "I've heard she's kinda... hardcore. Is that true?"
Kallie looks at Marjorie as if she asked if the sun was bright. "Uh, yeah. She killed Treerazor, after all. Are you going to put that in your book? That she's hardcore?"
"I'll probably dress up the description a bit," Marjorie says with a giggle. "I just find it so... interesting that she's a Shelynite. Her adventures make her sound like Iomedae reincarnated."
She stares at the ship's wooden floor.
"I'd love to meet her some day," the dhampir says softly, almost longingly. "I was hoping that maybe Lady Galatea could introduce us, but... she seems like she'd rather drive a stake through my heart inside. Perhaps Princess Elthariel? ...No. Her guards would never let me get anywhere near her."
Marjorie makes a sigh that also walks the line of being a chuckle.
Before departure, Croquelle had bought a sheath of sea shanty sheet music.
On her first day on the boat, she's clearly enjoying belting them out on the deck...though not so much as to pass up the chance to join her sister when Aurelia shifts into a mermaid.
"Woooooot! Nice tail, sis!!" Croquelle kicks off her boots, tucks her papers into one of them, and tosses her clothes in a pile (exposing her full crocodillian glory). "WAIT FOR MEEEEEE!!" she dives over the edge, splashing and diving with Aurelia.
"Hey, Cai! Can you summon a dolphin to play with us?" Aurealia shouts at the druid (or into his cabin's porthole if he is seasick).
Her head was pounding as badly as if she'd forgotten to cantrip her glasses, but Jaya didn't want to lie about on deck with the Andosanas, or gods forbid, try swim with them, and she didn't want to hide away in her cabin either.
Instead, she headed towards the hold where Baraket was being kept. Just to look.
Cai’nan notices Jaya’s distress as well as she heads for the hold. He partially hears Aurealia’s request, enough to decide that doing so will buy him enough distraction to slip away without harassment. He conjures up a dolphin between the siblings for them to frolic a few moments with.
”I’ll be back,” he replies to Galatea as he follows Jaya into the hold, just as Krodha retches again over the side of the ship.
_________
Cai’nan follows a short distance behind Jaya, enough to give her privacy if she’d prefer it. He eventually calls out ”Hey...you okay?”
"No, not really."
Cai’nan steps you and puts a hand gently on her upper back. ”Want to talk? Or want me to piss off and leave you be?”
"I'll probably dress up the description a bit," Marjorie says with a giggle. "I just find it so... interesting that she's a Shelynite. Her adventures make her sound like Iomedae reincarnated."
She stares at the ship's wooden floor.
"I'd love to meet her some day," the dhampir says softly, almost longingly. "I was hoping that maybe Lady Galatea could introduce us, but... she seems like she'd rather drive a stake through my heart inside. Perhaps Princess Elthariel? ...No. Her guards would never let me get anywhere near her."
Marjorie makes a sigh that also walks the line of being a chuckle.
Sympathizing, Kallie puts a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "She wouldn't stake you. You know, the Varisian Rangers had a dhampir with them for a while. My half-brother is named after him. Granted, he... flew off before Jeevika joined up, but I'm sure she wouldn't immediately mistrust you just because of what you are."
Sympathizing, Kallie puts a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "She wouldn't stake you. You know, the Varisian Rangers had a dhampir with them for a while. My half-brother is named after him. Granted, he... flew off before Jeevika joined up, but I'm sure she wouldn't immediately mistrust you just because of what you are."
Marjorie gives you another toothy grin.
"...I think you're right," she says. "I've heard about how she-"
Before the pale priestess can say much more, a large wave rocks the ship. Thanks to having four legs, you have no trouble stabilizing yourself. However, poor Marjorie isn't so lucky; she struggles to avoid toppling over, and her papers (and other assorted items) are knocked out free of her grasp and person as a result!
"Oh dear!" the dhampir says as she quickly starts trying to collect them.
"Is that everything?" Marjorie asks herself after collecting her things. "Hmm... I believe so. Gods, that was close!"
She turns her focus to you again.
"Thanks for talking with me, Kallie," says Marjorie. "Sorry about all that earlier nonsense. I just... How about we talk again at dinner?"
However, you recognize the handwriting from... somewhere.
"Sure!" Kallie says cheerfully. She lets her go for now, the question about where she'd seen that handwriting before tingling in the back of her head but not being overly concerned at the moment.
She wanders the deck for a little while, watches the Andosana sisters enjoy the water, then really puts some thought into where she'd seen that handwriting before.
Jaya tended to vary wildly in the amount of space she took up. A large hooped ballgown was very different from the fitted breeches she would wear into a tomb. Even when she was wearing something something more neutral, she often had ties and clasps at the ready to allow herself to unfurl or be tightly clamped down out of the reach of any surprising flames.
Right now she was very small, clothes and body tucked tight into a near ball on the crate she sat upon.
"Now, this might be a lie, or a fabricated memory that someone's torturing Wendy with, but I believe it, pending evidence that suggests it's false.
"About a year ago my mother made a pact with a mysterious creature with unknown motives to bring her infant sister back to life, and spent her last 30 years raising her like a daughter that she hadn't ruined in a pocket-plane without telling me, or even talking to me at all.
"We've been writing letters to one another for about a month, and she still hasn't mentioned that she voluntarily went decades without seeing me just so she could be uninterrupted with her latest experiment."
Cai’nan sat down beside her, leaning over onto his knees to listen carefully to what she had to say.
”That...sounds very confusing...and difficult to cope with,” he replies empathetically. ”I don’t know anything of other dimensions and all that...but having your mother raise a resurrected aunt as a daughter...in secret...that’s a lot to wrap your head around.”
He looks at her and adds ”I may not understand all the magicky bits, but I do know a thing or two about parents doing things that are upsetting. But...it seems you were closer with your mother than I am with my father...so maybe I don’t have much more to offer than a sympathetic ear...”
Just after sunset, you gather in the ship's dining cabin. A large, lengthy table covered by a clean white tablecloth has been set for your use. The centerpiece is a miniature replica of another ship: a two-masted brigantine labeled Tyalee’s Whim. The model is surrounded by fresh flowers. Comfortable, special seating arrangements have been carefully made for Kallie, and a large space has been cleared for Krodha.
The Kailanis and Audrahni meet everyone there. Ariel's guards are arranged around the room like finely sculpted silver statues, and the Kyoni princess herself sits in the seat of honor to the right of the captain's chair. Galatea is seated next to her sister with Cheshire resting under the table. Finally, Silvie is safely secure in her own little chair, which appears to have been rigged just for the occasion. As usual, the infant smiles a gummy grin upon seeing Kallie.
Audrahni takes a chair next to Aurealia. Meanwhile, Marjorie is curled up in a seat in the darkest part of the room. Instead of Jaya's mysterious relative, a slightly forlorn Sursha Antefalle sits at the head of the table.
"Captain Farwynd apologizes for being unable to attend dinner; she's currently resting off an awful migraine," Sursha says. "This happens on occasion. From what I understand, they're the result of a terrible head injury Wendy suffered as a child. As such, I'll be hosting in her place."
Tonight's meal is modest but appears delicious and filling. There's bread served with smoked salmon and caper-filled olives. The main dish is lingcod braised in lemon. It is served with fried potatoes. For those who don't typically eat meat, there's also some Elven fare procured from Roderic's Cove that was likely prepared with Jeevika's royal daughter in mind.
"So, from I've heard, some of you actually live in Sandpoint?" Sursha asks as dinner officially begins.
"My earliest memory is of Mother leaning over my crib. I'm feverish, my skin is prickling with the heat, but what's making me scream is her. She's a monster. Her fur is rasping at my skin where she touches me; at any moment she could tear me in half with her fangs. Her eyes are so hungry. She's happy; she thinks her experiment worked." Jaya pulled a handkerchief from up her sleeve and daubed at her eyes.
"But no. She just figured out how to make me inhuman; it didn't do anything to reclaim her body.
"She did change, of course. The miracle of her failed ascension. Of course by then, she'd hurt so many people, trod down so many dark paths, that even now that it was human again, it wasn't safe for her to show her face."
"She'd send me places as her emissary once I was 7 - Oppara, Magnimar, Absalom - once I was grown enough to be taken seriously. She wouldn't tell me everything, of course. And sometimes she'd use my mouth to tell her lies, the lies she felt were necessary to keep us safe, or continue her work."
"We weren't close like... Her eyes never changed, Cai'nan. When she was a demon that looked like she was about to eat me, her eyes were the exact same as when I cast my first cantrip a few years later. I do love her; I don't doubt that she loves me. Until I finally talked her into letting me study under Master Silva though... There was no one else. Not anyone important anyways.
"I never realized before how much she must have hated that."
***
"For the last few years, yes, while studying with Master Silva, and very briefly at the Tileani Academy.
Cai’nan remains quiet as she talks about her past.
Should I tell her about mine? Would that help her see she isn’t alone in this? I dunno...might be best to let her have this time to speak her own mind than force my own history on her...
He wanted to wrap an arm around her and let her lean her head on his shoulder, but figured that would seem too forward. Instead, he simply replied ”I’m sorry. I totally get where you are coming from. It’s not easy being a pawn for a parent’s game...”
__________
Cai’nan wanted to sit with Jaya, but with her sitting near Kallie, he knew his proximity would just be stressful. Instead he sat with Krodha. He kept quiet, but when the conversation turned to Jaya, he couldn’t refrain from giving her a concerned look.
"That's too bad about Captain Farwynd. Tell her I hope she feels better soon, please."
In response to Sursha's question Aurealia says, "I spent some time there studying, but I am a Cover through and through really."
Turning to Audrahni she asks, "Who is watching Biscuit? How are you liking the voyage so far? I'm finding the sea ever so romantic. Swimming with that dolphin earlier was...kind of magical. I mean it was literally magical of course, but also you know...dreamy..."
Kallie shakes her head at the question. "No, I've lived there once, but not for some time. It'll be nice to see the place again."
"A pawn... Maybe it'd be easier if that's all I was. Either give in and go where she wants, or make what moves I can until I can reach the last row." She let out a deep breath. "I suppose this at least clarifies things."
Cai’nan shakes his head, reaching out to take Jaya’s hand gently. ”You are more than that. Don’t let anyone dictate to you who you are. It’s not fair to you, or the world, to hold you back like that...” he says as he looks her in the eyes.
Jaya squeezed Cai'nan's hand back. "Thank you Cai'nan; I know. I meant that she was the one who sees me as... Thank you."
"That's too bad about Captain Farwynd. Tell her I hope she feels better soon, please."
"Thank you, Aurealia. I will be sure to let her know," says Sursha.
"For the last few years, yes, while studying with Master Silva, and very briefly at the Tileani Academy.
Kallie shakes her head at the question. "No, I've lived there once, but not for some time. It'll be nice to see the place again."
"I studied at the Tileani Academy for a time, not too long after Zoli first opened the place," Sursha says with a nostalgic smile. "Those were probably the only years of my life where I wasn't at sea!"
In response to Sursha's question Aurealia says, "I spent some time there studying, but I am a Cover through and through really."
Turning to Audrahni she asks, "Who is watching Biscuit? How are you liking the voyage so far? I'm finding the sea ever so romantic. Swimming with that dolphin earlier was...kind of magical. I mean it was literally magical of course, but also you know...dreamy..."
"Y-Your Aunt Elandra is watching Biscuit for me. I'd have loved to bring her with me, but our party was already so big, and I'm not sure how well Biscuit would handle being stuck on a ship for multiple days. I know Cheshire and Krodha have (mostly) been fine, but Cheshire's so relaxed and mellow, and Krodha is as sentient as you or me," Audrahni replies. "I've mostly been exploring the ship. It's so much bigger than Tyalee’s Whim!"
Audrahni turns to Sursha.
"W-What happened to Tyalee’s Whim?" she asks her old friend. "I was very surprised to learn that you were the first mate on someone else's ship."
"Tyalee’s Whim was my personal ship, and I was her captain," Sursha explains to everyone else present, recognizing that you lack context. Her smile becomes visibly sadder. "Well, Audrahni, we got caught in a terrible storm several months ago. By some miracle, me and my crew managed to get Tyalee’s Whim to shore one final time, and everyone survived. However, the damage she sustained was too much to be repaired. Luckily, Captain Farwynd was staffing The Forgiven Queen around that time, and she was kind enough to hire us all."
More small talk continues to get made between the two friends. Through their conversation, you learn that Wendy has essentially been going on a sight seeing tour of Varisia and that The Forgiven Queen's home port is the free city of Vyre near Cheliax. They are currently heading back there, though Jaya's relative was more than happy to swing by Sandpoint on the way home.
During a lull in the conversation, Galatea finally speaks up.
"Marjorie, when we first met, you said that you were priestess," the Kailani scion recalls. "Which deity do you serve?"
The dhampir visibly tenses.
"No need to worry; I'm just curious," Gali says gently, as if she was comforting a crying Silvie.
Relaxing slightly, Marjorie replies is a very soft voice, "...The Martyred Mother. She's an aspect of Desna."
"Huh. I've never heard of that one," Galatea replies nonchalantly. Jeevika's fifth daughter quickly goes back to focusing on Silvie.
This results in Marjorie visibly relaxing.
Kallie frowns briefly as she watches the exchange. It disappears as she sounds genuinely curious and turns to Marjorie. "Oh? That's... Well, me neither. Is Desna even a mother? And how was she martyred? That seems difficult for a goddess of her power and scope to be a martyr for anything!"
Aurealia listens politely, not really caring who worships who or what ships they were on when. She commiserates with Audrahni about Biscuit quietly so as to not interrupt the flow of things. She looks over at Krodha.
Wonder what he makes of all this...
"Hey, Krodha. You speak Common now, right? I don't think we've really had a chance to speak since you were...uplifted? How are you doing with everything?"
Cai’nan looks to Aurealia and replies ”Actually he only speaks the Mwangi tongue. But I will translate for you.”
He then translates the question to Krodha who gives a very short reply...one that causes Cai’nan to laugh heartily and Krodha to glare at him. Cai’nan eventually recovers enough to give Krodha’s reply...
”He...he said...he said he doesn’t like boats!” he stammers out between laughs, but once finished lays his head down in his arms on the table to laugh some more.
"Oh, is he feeling ill? That's terrible!" Aurealia gives the dinosaur a sympathetic look. "I read that if you look straight ahead at the horizon and stay focused it might help with that...in a book...once..." She shakes her head at Cai'nan.
Croquelle looks up from her lemon-buttered lingcod when something in the rhythm of Galatea's voice seems off.
Her crocodile eyes narrow a bit.
She leans over to Kallie and whispers. "You know Galatea pretty well, right? What's going on? She tried to keep her cool when talking to Marjorie but she's lying through her teeth. Can you see how tense she is, under it all?"
Kallie stares at Gali when Croquelle whispers in her ear. Her eyes narrow.
"Yeah. Not sure what's up with Marjorie. Some sort of journalist, she claims. Maybe we should talk to them both in private?"
Croq shrugs. "I'm game...but what Marjorie's saying is legit. I'd bet Drumstick on it. It's Gali that's hiding something.
"Do you really trust Gali? If so, maybe we talk to her first."
Kallie responds with a weird half-shrug, half-nod, indicating their relationship was way more complex than a simple yes or no. "Uh, sure. Let's do that."
Croq looks at Kallie with curiosity, wondering what was so complicated between the two. "Anything more you wanna say? It OK to be upfront with her?"
Croq casts a meaningful glance at the teeny centaur and then at Galatea (who's on deck, standing under the moon). "Shall we?"
When they walk over to Gali, Croquelle says, "Hey Galatea. I know we don't know each other well yet, but I know you and Kallie go way back...and no offense but I know the sound of someone who's lying like I know an out-of-tune lute. You mind sayin' why Marjorie freaked you out so bad?"
Cai’nan snickers. ”I don’t think there is any trick that could help him here. He’s just not built for sea travel.”
Aurealia sidles over to Krodha, offering his shoulder a sympathetic pat. "Do you want to learn common? I think I could probably teach you..."