"I have committed no act I would consider evil."
Kjeta rolls her eyes at Lexi.
In a stage whisper, she asks, "Would you like us to jog your memory? There was that dressmaker back in Zobeck, just trying to make an honest living..."
"Perhaps, but is it so unusual for someone to be kind when someone else does them a favor. As far as those calling us terrorists go, they obviously have not seen me mad." Raseri replies with a chuckle. "You will have your arrowheads. I assume that you want broadheads?"
Raseri keeps quiet as she watches Kjeta and Hrungnir demonstrate their prowess. Both Lexi's and the Seer's philosophical debating are getting on her nerves, and she can't help but snort in amusement as Kjeta brings up Lexi's indiscretion, but what Lexi's answers said about her state of mind troubles the young Thorsdottir. Seeing that all eyes are on her, she steps forward.
"You ask me of what evil deeds I have committed. You see all, do you not, Seer? Judge my deeds as you will, I stand by them." Raseri states. She ponders whether she should join the Lords of Light for a moment before deciding that having more contacts in the court couldn't hurt. She had partaken of Kjeta's brew when offered and maybe it was the alcohol feeding her reckless abandon. She doesn't care, though. She is taking her fate in her own hands, the haunting words of a silver-eyed fey be damned.
"I am no servant of Khors. The Tempest is what drives me. Thor and Perun demand I act. Sif and Valeresh demand I protect the innocent and their homes. Volund demands I put my heart and soul into my craft. If you wish to root out the evil here, then I will help you, but I will not bend my knee to Khors, nor you," Raseri says, her eyes blazing with sparks of lightning as thunder rumbles around her.
Raseri turns from the Solar and looks around. She picks up a long sword she spies and tests its weight and inspects it, critiquing it and displaying her own blade as an example of her skill. She's merciless in pointing out the blades flaws, but fair in pointing out its virtues. Having satisfied herself that she has proven her point, she takes the blade in both hands and assumes a guard stance.
It is here that Raseri runs into her first problem. She was not dressed for a fight, and the boots that had come with her new outfit had yet to be broken in. Her feet slip on the floor, and she nearly loses her balance. Still, she manages to gamely finish the drill before returning the borrowed sword to where she had found it.
At a loss for what to do next, Raseri thinks that maybe showing her skills beyond the martial would be of use. There were other ways to wage war than by arms alone. She tries to tell a story, but the words leave her head before she can utter them. She tries a song, but finds the old fears and insecurities climbing back and choking her voice. She grows silent after a moment, trying to think of what she could do.
She thinks on everything she's seen and tries to come up with something, anything that could be of use, but again her mind is blank. After a minute of fruitless muttering, she sees that she's failed the tests and slinks back. A voice in her head mutters about her failure as she waits for whatever is to come.
At Kjeta's comment, Lexi says "I needed a dress more than she did. She had many and was hoarding them. The problem, lady brweer, is that you have been pampered and given everything your entire life, and so you assume that your way is the correct one. Evil is subjective, regardless of what a birdman says."
Kjeta looks at Lexi, wondering if she's just feeling defensive, or if she really believes what she's saying.
She tries to soften her voice, and then says, "I don't doubt that poverty led you into thievery. There's no shame choosing theft over starvation...but now? Can you really not tell the difference between the pampered wealthy and a tradeswoman who's working long hours as the sole dressmaker and proprietor of her shop? Many are just a few bad weeks away from losing everything themselves."
As she speaks, she finds her frustration is growing (and her voice no longer so soft). "Now that we've found some gold--likely more than that dressmaker has every held--is your intent to go back to her and pay for it? Or perhaps to split it between every poor soul in Zobeck? Because if it's not, then 'I was poor once' has become a flimsy excuse, and a mockery of the genuine suffering of those who're still poor in our communities. A group I know too well through Ninkash's ministries."
She sighs, and looks back at Revich--remembering all at once where she was having this conversation.
Evil is subjective, regardless of what a birdman says.
"There are many mortals like you who claim to know more about eternal forces than gods. None are wise. Sadly, you will refine your argument in the sorrowful afterlife your soul is destined for. Begone."
If you wish to root out the evil here, then I will help you, but I will not bend my knee to Khors, nor you," Raseri says, her eyes blazing with sparks of lightning as thunder rumbles around her.
"No, you will do something quite different...you will remember evils not your own, and a great burden shall be replaced with the reigns of your destiny. Now, you too begone."
The Solar waits until only Hrungnir and Kjeta remain...
Hrungnir shrugged. ”Good and evil are real things, as are law and chaos. They are as real as the elemental planes of existence. Mortals are made up out of all of the above, so it is our choice on what we do. Our inability to understand the planes does not make them any less real. When a Solar says that something is good, then it is. For it is good without the bias that comes from culture, desire, regret, or bias. There is no point arguing, for all we do is argue as to what we wish for the planes to be, rather than what they are.”
As Hrungnir and Kjeta supplicate, the Solar stands vigilant. Reality could at times and by the influence of other powers alter the course foreseen in prophecy...but not this time.
Revich recounted the words of Khors as Hrungnir displayed his talents...and the runesman heard them as if spoken aloud...
His talents with the arcane...
Whether the wizardry that serves a better end may always prove the stronger, we do not know. We hope.
His talents as a smith...
Under a spreading chestnut-tree the smithy stands, a mighty man is he with large and sinewy hands; the muscles of his brawny arms are strong as iron bands.
The truthful recall of the past...
His historical account was not a burden on the memory but the illumination of his soul...
His commitment to excellence of form...
Victory would be the quality of the competition, not just the final accounting.
And finally his ability to analyze the hidden formula behind war...
He knew defense was the clearest of all law; being made by no lawyer.
Simultaneously, Kjeta received her own validation in the echoed words of Khors through his Oracle...
Her commitment to the purity of libation...
Her vessel a means to purify us, to make clear our trust in each other, and bring us into implicit, humble trust of the greater god.
Her knowledge of leaf and stint...
Wherever she found love in the arts of medicine, there was also a love of humanity.
Her kinship with animals...
She did not demand animals be given permission to live, knowing that right had been given to them long before her arrival.
Diving unerringly towards her game as a gyrfalcon...
Infinite like sky always am I, though I'll never be the horizon, never be the star, to touch and feel who you are. Rather you are the falcon diving through the winds and unto the sky I am King."
The raw heft of her divine magic...
Whatever was asked in prayer, she yet believed she had received it, and it was hers.
"And so you are recognized as masters of the arcane and divine. Wise creatures to be respected and valued among the fey, blessed by the light of Khors. Now you must reforge your talents and wisdom into a greater weapon to banish the Demon Lord of Roaches forever from the Shadow Realm. Come forth and receive your call..."
The walls of the tower fade until Kjeta, Hrungnir, and the Solar seem to be standing on a pillar of light high above the Courtyard. He spreads his wings wide and shouts your names to the heavens as light streams forth from every dark corner of the courts. The light flows into you like a cup being filled with hot tea, the sound of your name so loud, the power of Revich's voice so strong, it causes your ears to bleed without pain.
You aren't sure when it happened, but a pair of lantern dragonettes has curled up around both of your ankles.
"I was made to see you as you were, and as you have become. Now, with your official inductance into our order I must share a greater secret: we hold the Shards of a Broken Mind. The root of the King's madness -- his fall from grace -- is Akyishigal the Demon Lord of Roaches. It was one of the demon lord's many festering plagues that shattered the king's already unstable mind into splinters. The Most Foul Roach Lord seeks to transcend the powers of King and Queen, his ambition hinges on the destruction of the King and his taking a royal noble as wife. We must stop him...but first you must learn to see things, as I do...and so let your training begin."
Oddly enough, Raseri also seems to gain some notoriety over the next few days as rumors of her rejection by the Lords of Light gets around.
The light brought in by the Solar's voice manifests around Hrungnir and Kjeta's heads in the form of a permanent radiant halo.
Lexi leaves, glad to be free from the creature's hypocracy.
"Now, you too begone."
Raseri opens her mouth, though what she is about to say even she cannot guess, but then she blinks and is back outside of the tower. She closes her mouth and finds a place where she can sit and ponder the Solar's words to her.
"You will remember evils not your own..."
What did that even mean? Did it mean that she would remember more of her past? The memories of her childhood in the north come back and she flinches. She had forgotten about that, and now she feels a fool. More the fool for saying she stood by any of her actions. There were plenty of times fear and cowardice had guided her actions, or rather that she let them guide her actions. Was she really so proud of those moments? She closes her eyes and relives the soul-eater lunging for her. She could feel the fear, no, the terror racing through her veins as it tore into her. A shudder runs down her spine as she relives the fight with the dragon and the giants. She had felt so helpless then.
Then there are the Grey Ladies. In truth they terrify her. She wishes that they hadn't left her double with them, had dragged her out, but there is nothing that Raseri can do now. She is trapped once again, and all she can do is her best to do right while following the letter of the deal her double had made.
Lexi, she will need her help, but she needs her friend, her Shadow, not this imposter that is holding her captive. She remembers the plea she had heard and clenches her teeth. She feels an eddy of untapped power within her now. If she can use it to break Lexi free... She will need to remember everything she could, everything that might help. She had originally asked for that ritual to remember her own past, but now... Now she needs to remember everything she learned in the Black Prince's library. There has to be some lore or other bit of knowledge that will help.
Raseri steels her nerves. One more day. She needs one more day.
Kjeta feels the light fill her.
She feels a trickle of warm blood come from her ears, but foggily: almost as if noticing the pleasant warmth of holding mug of Deimus's coffee in her hands.
She looks down with amazement at the tiny Lantern Dragon that has curled itself around her leg. When she does, she sees that her knees are trembling, and realizes she can barely stand.
She takes a deep breath--followed by a deep swig of Good Brew--and bows her head to Revich. ”I am honored to walk this path with you, as Ninkash works beside Khors. So much here is not as it appears. How do I learn to see what is hidden? What should I know about the Roachlord’s plans, and followers in the court? Who else in the court is a proven ally to the Lord of Light, that I might count them as my ally as well?
“Additionally, I suspect you know that the Goblin King is kidnapping children from Zobeck, changing them into goblins, and forcing them into servitude. While my primary aim here is to protect the people of Zobeck--and now, to thwart the Roachlord’s plots--I couldn’t sleep if I let those children stay in bondage. When the time comes, after the Demon is defeated, would you aid me in getting those children out of slavery?”
So much here is not as it appears. How do I learn to see what is hidden?
"My acolytes will teach you the Ritual of True Sight, a morning or evening holy anointment of the eyes that will breach any and all tricks of the shadow fey, save the immortal King and Queen."
What should I know about the Roachlord’s plans, and followers in the court?
"He seeks the immortal seat of power at the pinnacle of the Shadow Realm. To diminish the King and wed into royalty, placing him at a level dangerously encroaching even the Queen. We must find the root cause of the King's madness and reverse it, while ensuring the fiend's sacred familial bonds never reach into the lineage of divine Sarastra."
Who else in the court is a proven ally to the Lord of Light, that I might count them as my ally as well?
"Trust none who do not bear the light of Khors as you now do." referring to your halos.
Additionally, I suspect you know that the Goblin King is kidnapping children from Zobeck, changing them into goblins, and forcing them into servitude. While my primary aim here is to protect the people of Zobeck--and now, to thwart the Roachlord’s plots--I couldn’t sleep if I let those children stay in bondage.
"The plight of these children is known to us. However, it has been revealed that Elegyn, the Zobecker elite, has made condition on her pledge to marry the Black Prince that these stolen wards of Zobeck be returned. Half of what was promised, 10 in number, have already been secreted out of court...though Sarastra obscures where or how."
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That morning you find a curious little missive carried by a servant outside your chambers. Inside a sleek metallic envelope of a deep red hue is an expertly calligraphied invitation.
In so many words, it explains that many fey specialize in being incredibly beautiful, smart, charismatic, and primally (insanely) sexy. These courtesans and consorts are power players in their own right, but also enormous prizes and tokens of Status among others. Many nobles and ladies who can afford to, chase them with magic and lavish gifts...and the courtesans and consorts bestow their favors only rarely. Their dance at the Swan Festival is their chance to be noticed, and interact with potential...clients.
It is noted that armor is not permitted at the dance, but weapons and other implements are (provided they are properly peace bonded). The event takes place in 3 days so you have time to arrange whatever special garments, favors, or other particulars you might dream up. The event will be held in the Great Hall of the Shadow Fey ()
There is also a little agenda detailing a 5 course meal, the courtesan's dance, dessert, and drinks...promising a long night of romance and dreams.
All the lords and ladies of any respectable status in the Shadow Court will be there, so the invitation claims. Perhaps this is a chance to try your luck with some of the more reclusive players in the Courts...
Raseri sighs and finishes her breakfast. There is no question about which dress she would wear, there is only one option. The tricky part was learning to dance and well in only three days. And this was on top of figuring out how to get a pup from Kolya without causing a scandal. She could curse her wretched double a thousand times for getting her into this mess, but that would only waste time she had too little of as is. She ponders her options and finds that she really only has one. Find Vale or Arrowdyn if Vale refused, and see what it would cost her for some help in at least appearing like a lady.
”Oh bloody abyss. Now we need to deal with a bunch of tarts AND need to find proper clothing. Which by our luck will mean having to sell our souls rather than just buying a pair of pants.” Hrungnir grumbled.
"I'm out. I don't have a nice dress, cause I returned it where I got it from." Lexi said, looking directly at Kjeta.
Vale, one of the popular court dancers, was said to walk the myriad paths of the Puzzle Box Chamber in introspection. From what you could gather about the strange room, it was a bit of a playground for children or bored nobles to get lost within those times they were too rowdy...or otherwise an annoyance. With Deimus' death, the group thought it wise to stick together entering this newest hyperreality of the Shadow Fey's most unique magics...
The darkwood door vibrates in your palm as you push it open, like it is afraid to be pushed into the chamber, skidding on its feet and trying to slip past you in the oppostite direction. You immediately see why: the world beyond is one of impossibilities manifest.
If the moebius strip battleground was warped space in the pursuit of tactics, here is the same magic applied in the pursuit of art.
To the left, a giant blue hand of some titan reaches out of itself, grasping a peacock feather as quill, and engages in the process of sketching out an upside-down staircase. Upon the steps, a pair of young shadow fey giggle as they leap from one step to the next...the hand straining to keep up.
To the right, a flock of black birds simultaneously take flight in the opposite direction as a flight of white birds...yet somehow they are the same birds.
Below you see an animated statue boating along a pair of lovers covering their kiss with an ornate umbrella...their watery path looping endlessly on forever like the hopes of their love.
The paths ahead seem infinite, and you pray their only purpose is to entertain...somewhere in this mind's wilderness is Vale.
When she returned to their lodgings, Kjeta calls her companions together. "Hark! As you can see, Hrungnir and I've made common cause with the Lords of Light...and we've learned valuable information! The King is indeed mad, and his madness -- his fall from grace -- is Akyishigal the Demon Lord of Roaches. It was one of the demon lord's many festering plagues that shattered the king's already unstable mind into splinters. The Most Foul Roach Lord seeks to transcend the powers of King and Queen, his ambition hinges on the destruction of the King and his taking a royal noble as wife.
"My hope is that if we can help the King regain his sanity--such as it was, I can't say for certain, given these fey--that perhaps we can win favor for Zobeck at the same time...and surely letting a Demon Lord take control of this court could only do ill, eh?"
When she hears of Deimus' demise, Kjeta rushes to the site of his destroyed metal body. She picks up a broken spring and stares at it. "We already knew there was much Evil here...but still, this is a shock."
Wiping a tear, she looks over at Scutarius. ”Carnadine. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know your squire well, but he seemed a fine boy. Certainly he didn’t deserve to be murdered like this.”
Carnadine's eyebrows almost hit his widow's peak when Kjeta and Hrungnir arrive with their halos and announcement. He shoots the rest of his wine glass and heads to the bar for something stiffer to regain his composure. "Congratulations to the two of you. Your halos definitely make you stand out even more than a dwarf at a fey court."
"I suspected foul play of the Demon Lord of Roaches when we heard of his infestation of the court. Lexi, didn't you duel one? I suppose it's in their nature."
"Yes, curing the king would score us points. And, it seems that Demon Lord has the same play as the Zobeck noble of marrying a fey royal. There are not that many royals. Hrungnir, your princess may have another suitor."
"What else did you discover at the Lords of Light? Do you owe them any future actions?" The noble dhampir tries hard to ask those questions without concern in his voice.
Carnadine studies the invitation as if it was delicious, "Excellent. An official event. Even the Houndsman said that the Swan Festival was the event of the season. We need outfits and potentially companions. Decisions. Decisions. Where's Scutarius when you need him?"
Carnadine is lost and completely out of his element. He thinks he would rather meet the lord of light than be stuck in this puzzle box room. He sticks close to the Alemaiden, ostensibly to protect her from harm. But in reality, to guide him out of this fey hell.
"Congratulations to the two of you. Your halos definitely make you stand out even more than a dwarf at a fey court."
Kjeta chuckles. "Yeah, I'm grateful to have found an ally here who I can trust...but clearly we're not the most subtle faction in the court."
"What else did you discover at the Lords of Light? Do you owe them any future actions?" The noble dhampir tries hard to ask those questions without concern in his voice.
"Oh, don't worry! Their big goal is defeating the Roachlord. And you might've heard, their Seer here is a Solar. It's true!! I'm sorry you didn't get to meet him...though perhaps I could arrange an audience later, if you'd like. Seeing him was something I'll never forget. Anyway, I doubt he would ask anything of us that we wouldn't gladly offer. If you saw him, I'm sure you'd feel the same..."
With a sudden gasp, she adds, "Oh! And how could I forget? This is Pilsner. She's a Lantern Dragonette. Isn't she adorable??" She holds up a (objectively adorable) dragon the size of a cat, with a glowing belly (which Kjeta rubs, lovingly).
In the puzzle house, Kjeta is fascinated and amused. "I'm happy to do my best to find a way through. Carn, can you help me look for clues?"
While Raseri doesn't comment on the new affiliation that the two dwarven members of the party have garnered, she does spend more than a little bit of time petting the lantern dragonettes with a child-like smile on her face.
"Hrungnir, you do know that Princess Valessia is likely to be in attendance," she asks, not quite able to hide her amusement at the dwarf's discomfort and cantankerousness.
Any mirth she may have felt is blown out by the news of Deimus' demise. The air around her grows cold as she silently looks on and mourns not getting to know him better before he was gone. She stays out of Carnadine's way, knowing that she would only muddle things with her investigative skills.
Raseri looks around for a moment, trying to discern the paths of this place. She could feel a tingle like in the pocket realm that Haylcaster had pulled them into. It wasn't the same as fey blood, but it was useful in places such as this.
"What about over there," she asks Kjeata as she points down one of the paths.
When the group discovered Deimus' body, Lexi had probably the oddest reaction so far....she cried. Hard.
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That morning, you find the bodies of Scutarius and Deimus in the Rookery grounds, at the base of the birds roosting tower. () Though the area has been cordoned off, even from a distance its clear the crumbled machine is that of your old friend...and Scutarius' red leather is likewise unmistakable, despite the fact that his skull has been bashed and liquefied.
Imbemerethion, the current acting captain of the guard is there...you can almost hear Scutarius' voice as he once identified for Carnadine bent sinister, gold on vert...House Allois. He wears his coat of arms and face paint almost too gaily...not at all appropriate for the grim investigation he is part of. But he and his patrol seem to have authority in this matter.
The captain is deeply engaged in dialogue with a pair of unknown monstrous trolls...one covered in what looks like small living shells all over its moist bubbled skin. The other troll is dressed more traditionally in an earthen toned frock, wearing a simple brass badge on his vest "...what of the other one, Zobecker entertainer you said?"
"That's right." the captain informs "Who might I remind you recently led a smear against House Roren."
The shell coated troll sniffles and grunts in consideration "Now there's a motive..."
If they noticed the party approach, they haven't yet paid any mind...
Raseri feels a sudden lightness in her being, as if a pleasant, familiar song just echoed from a distance...a playful trick of Summer. On that hunch, she directs Kjeta into a short white sandstone tunnel.
Somehow, even though the narrow gap only had one path through...you all exit the tunnel in different locations: spread out across 5 different staircases, some going up some going down, all defying gravity and normal mathematical physics. As soon as you reach the bottom of the staircase, you open a shiny brass door only to find yourself at another location in the sprawling tesseract.
You all can clearly see each other at many different angles, and can shout to one another separated as if atop different buildings in a cityscape, though it seems a geometrically impossible task to get back together...
At one point after the shouting, a door bursts open and out streams a pack of Psoglav's, sniffing about the air as they meet your gaze across the warped stairs. They snarl and rush down into another exit, disappearing.
If it could be possible, the threat of death and violence clouded around Carnadine as he stalked toward the murder scene. The knight captain incorporeal takes a deep breath to gather his rage and temper before politely addressing the investigators, "Captain Imbemerethion of House Allois, I presume. I am Carnadine of Bruvik and can identify the two victims. The gearforged kobold is our companion from Zobeck Deimus. The other is my squire, Scutarius Thornwalker. We would volunteer to aid your investigation in any way."
The captain turns up his powdered nose instantly, quipping to the troll "Did you hear something? Noisesome bother...it almost sounded like one of the Midgardian invaders related to the victims wanted to insert himself into the investigation...thereby contaminating any arguments and evidence we might find with a tremendous bias, rendering them wholly thrown out of the Courts."
The shell-backed troll sort of laughs but the other interjects "Oi, com now, 'Thion...they're his mates, and been cleared already. Servants has-had 'em back to chambers last night." This larger troll with the badge snorts and clears his throat, introducing himself "Call me Old Socket, sheriff. An this iron-smelling shellycoat be Banesniff, me deputy. You like ta enter a statement? When was last yous seens em?"
The leather of Carnadine's gauntlet squeals as his fist clenches in reaction, but his smile remains. "Yes, I would welcome making a statement and can provide details seeing them both alive yesterday."
"It's a pleasure to meet you: Old Socket and Banesniff. I wish it was under better circumstances."
Raseri watches, wondering how this would turn out. The scene isn't enough to capture her full attention, though, as she keeps looking at Deimus' broken body and Scutarius' shattered skull.
"It appears that they did not want Scutarius talking. Did the boy and Deimus overhear something,"she wonders to herself, probably not even aware she is speaking.
"See if you can smell berries and apples. Don't follow the woodsmoke, and if you come across a shrew of royal blue, be sure to bow low and greet her as 'Your Most Exquisite Lowness,'" Raseri tells the others, feeling her way through as much as seeing the path ahead.
Instead of wandering around dangerously, Lexi opted to move up and down the same stairs and see if they lead to different places or the same place. She tried closing and opening her eyes as she did.
Not for the first time, Kjeta takes a looong, curious look at Raseri.
Still, when in Harkesh...
The Alemaiden takes a reassuring sip before sniffing the air. By Ninkash's Golden Braid, that's huckleberry, isn't it?
With the Thorsdottir's guidance, she tries not to be distracted by the sight of the Psoglavs, and follows the berries.
Hehehe, I may not have the nose of a gnome...but years of sniffing out the finest hops and barley seem to be proving their worth...at least for the moment.
Socket takes out a small parchment and quill, using the black ooze of his troll mouth for ink "Alright then, out with it...whens yous last sees em both? Why were they out of your guest chambers last night?"
Raseri pauses, giving Kjeta a wary look as she notices the dwarf's scrutiny.
"Is something wrong, Kjeta? Do I have something on my face? The pixies did not mess with my hair did they?"
"Scutarius was with me until late afternoon yesterday. He left our suite before supper. Deimus went for a walk about the same time." Carnadine tries to be concise and factual.
Hrungnir bent over the body of his friend and bowed his head. The lantern dragonette at his side rubbed it’s head against his leg and he patted it, showing his appreciation at the gesture. Deimus had been one of his few true friends, and already he missed him. He quietly spoke a prayer over the kobold’s body.
”Lo, there do ye see yer father,
Lo, there do ye see yer mother,
Lo, there do ye see the blood of yer people,
Back to the beginning.
Lo, do they beckon ye,
To take yer place beside them,
To rest in the halls of the ancestors.”
He stood up and turned away, walking a short distance to compose himself. Truth be told this wasn’t unexpected. The games they played were dangerous, and it was a small miracle that none had died before this. But it hurt all the same. He prayed that in the afterlife Deimus would have the body he yearned for and would be at peace.
The troll's brows furrow in curiosity "Hmm...a squire wouldn't leave his knight's side unless tasked to. What task did you set before him I wonder?"
The shadow fey captain with the painted face seems to grow impatient and adds "Yes, and why are you Midgardians even here? It wasn't enough to take Zobeck and now you seek Blackwood?"
The shellbacked, frog-like troll takes yet another tact, with "Reports said the two of you were seen entering the Shrine of the Dark Gods..." but he is cut off when Hrungnir bounds across the cordon and approaches the dead "...woah woah woah...hey hey hey..." interrupting the runesman too late, only at the very end of his last sentence.
"Information. I am new to the Shadow Court and wanted information about what's going on here and how the court is reacting to my arrival and that of my companions." Carnadine replies to the troll.
"We are an embassy from Zobeck to the Shadow Court seeking an audience with its liege lords to resolve the lawlessness."
"Should I take offense at your allegation against me? The only reason that I would seek Blackwood is to deliver my deepest sympathies and condolences. Their scion Scutarius demonstrated the epitome of chivalry and represented Blackwood well. His death must be mourned and his life celebrated. I would deliver that message in person if I knew any of House Rivenwood." Carnadine starts affronted and ends sorrowful.
"Yes, Scutarius showed me to the shrine of the divine patron of my Order of Knights Incorporeal, Marena the Red Goddess of Winter, Lust, Sickness, and Death, the Blood Maiden, the Winter Maiden, Patron of the Greater Duchy of Morgau. I was looking for something familiar and celebrate my victory in battle. What are the laws around those shrines?" Carnadine asks with genuine curiosity.
"'Take offense'? Ha. Well you Zobeckers appear to take whatever it is you wish. You claim to be emissaries but I highly doubt it is an authority any of the Courts recognize. I believe its time we just see about these credentials you claim, isn't it? As you say, lawlessness is a trash that needs swift removal." he turns to the two detectives and adds "Good day, gentlemen." before turning his boot and walking off.
Socket was scribbling everything, even donning a small pair of spectacles over his troll nose and mumbling the writings back to himself. Banesniff the shellyback was more thoughtful, responding "Laws of the shrines? Divine laws I suppose. I only ask because its well known those of House Rivenwood practiced quite...unorthodox...religious beliefs. Some see it as an affront to the Queen's own divinity, which is why his House never quite reached the status of others. If Scutarius openly proceeded with his peculiar type of worship here within the Palace walls...might offend some..." he glances back at the dead body "...might offend some a great deal."
"I would beg tell you another time of my House, sir. I do not wish to offend the Queen within her walls...we're privy to certain unorthodox practices there under the shadow of the old mountain." you note he wears something similar to a holy symbol about his neck...a tiny obsidian sword.
The smell of huckleberries was undeniable, but from where? The stairs and doors were almost crystalline in order, with portals the vertexes and stairs the edges of some greater polyhedral.
But Kjeta was sure, the scent came from directly in the center, and with a little shifting of her step, began to see a tiny fissure there floating in space. The more she believed it, the more real it became, and suddenly a vine as green and verdant as any fresh of spring sprouted from the crack in space falling downwards towards her perch on the step.
She climbed upwards, towards the center of the nexus of stairs, and so discovered its solution and true exit. She only had to drop the vine down to the others in the party...each with their own gravity...to collect and venture forth.
Turning the latch into this new reality, the sweetness of a thousand ripe fruits struck first -- followed by the sight of a million stars in a vast astral landscape. No, the stars were the fruit, the galaxies some divine shrubbery in this astronomical garden. A pair of children wearing dog masks chased a comet of watermelon, while a flock of white doves pitted a planetary alignment in their strange nocturnal feast.
Every single step seemed to accelerate the party across a vast distance, completely changing the constellations of the skygarden...making navigation next to impossible.
While thoroughly confused, Hrungnir tried his best to keep a cool head and to be of use to the group.
"Banesniff, is it? Two questions for you: First, would you be questioning the deceased's souls? I believe divine magic can be used to Speak with Dead. And, a first hand account of their deaths would be useful."
"Second, would you know who the holy symbol with an obsidian sword reveres? We're new here, and Scutarius would not discuss it." Carnadine asks with genuine curiosity.
”Good question, lad. Also it seems like bits of him are missing. Such magic would be useful in finding out who did this, and why.”
"Truly, it is remarkable how egalitarian the Court is. Even a humble ass can find themselves appointed to such a station of honor," Raseri says, a little too loudly for it to be meant for just her companion's ears, as the captain leaves.
Raseri closes her eyes and sniffs the air again. She feels a hum deep in her bones as she catches a whiff of the huckleberry that Kjeta has been following. She turns in place, trying to find the direction that Kjeta should start looking in.
"I think we should look thataway, and listen for the singing Nightingale. Oh, and beware grinning cats, they are mostly harmless, but they like to steal anything they find interesting."
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Banesniff looks a little confused at both questions, but clears his snotty throat and starts with "Valeresh stands to reason, if you mean your late squire's necklace. That was the cult he and his family was part of, anyways...elven king of the gods. *ahem* Which is of course blasphemy...only Her Celestial Majesty Sarastra Aestruum has rightful claim as Duchess of the Heavens." he adds, covering his bases further with a little superstitious gesture. "Most who revere him don't take it that far, they hold Valeresh as a supportive archer who carried some magic bow or somesuch and is master of logistical tactics...eh, castle maintenance that sort of leadership. But the Rivenwood cult knows him for another weapon of legend...one that speaks more of 'is honor and rage. It's not obsidian, but a sword of shadow. I dunno much more."
Socket, the sheriff later adds "As for your other bit, no spells may be cast upon the dead without express permission of the deceased's relatives...in writing. Further it would only be allowed under the supervision of the court's Archmagus. That be Count Sammas, the Hollowgrin."
"Now, do you have anything else you think might be helpful to add? We need to finish up here."
As the puzzlebox turned Cosmic, Kjeta found herself wanting to pause just to gape and say Woooaah!...but as the world started to accelerate, she glanced at Raseri (hoping again for a clue) and then (with a prayer to Ninkash for guidance) she plunged forward once again.
"Yes, that I will find who did this, and they will wish they had been thrown from on high instead."
Lexi did not look up as she spoke; instead, her small body still wracked with quiet sobs that did not seem to come from the same mouth that spoke.
It was a very odd, and the voice that spoke, while undeniably hers, radiated menace at a level that even her behavior in the old days didn't equal.
There was a cold fury inside her.
Lexi trusted her gut and did the best to avoid areas she felt were wrong or dangerous. The group was moving fast, but she was skilled enough in situational awareness to allow her to change things before they became dangerous.