Vesdra of the Ulfen's page

”BRUGH! UGH!” Cai’nan grunted in shock at the splash of icy water over his head and neck as he jumps with a start! He rolls over in bed to see Jaya holding the pitcher and Krodha looking on with concern. He then rolled up to a seated position and cupped his head in his hands.

”Just...just go without me. I don’t give a damn about his f$~+ing coronation anyway,” Cai’nan grumbles as he staggers to his feet and makes his way over to a water basin on the dresser across the room. He cups some water in his hands and splashes it into his face before repeating the process and running it through his hair before he flips it backwards forcefully to get the hair out of his face.

He gives Jaya a pained look up and down before adding ”You look nice, by the way,” before he staggers over to the bed and has a seat on the side of it, reaching over to the nightstand and taking a bottle of liquor and pouring some into a glass.

Krodha leads you to his room. There you see Cai’nan laying across his bed, his left arm and leg dangling over the side. His trousers are covered in mud, his shirt a crumpled heap on the floor. His snoring could be heard well down the hall, as could the smell of booze.

Cai’nan had made himself scarce as the ceremony approached. When the time comes, he still hasn’t made his way to the others.

”Figure of speech. Just...needed to get away. Not have everyone watching me and expecting things of me.”

He sits there quietly on Kallie’s shoulder for a bit, but eventually he mutters ”You smell nice,” before he fluffs his feathers embarrassed, not meaning to have said that out loud. ”Sorry...”

Cai’nan nods. ”But I’d rather not draw too much attention. Give me a second...”

He closes his eyes, focusing. After a few moments, his body contorts and shrinks down into a colorful macaw parrot. He flap his wings and lands on her shoulder, then whispers ”Is this okay?”

Cai’nan emotionlessly takes her venom. When she finishes, he shrugs and replies ”Well, you’ll be happy to hear I don’t think that is going to work out either. Turns out I’m a screw up at more than I even realized.”

He lets out a sigh and looks away, not wanting to let his eyes linger. ”Anyway. I’m going to go for a walk. Get away from this place a while. I feel like I’m suffocating here.”

Cai’nan nods. ”Glad to hear it,” he says as he leans a shoulder against the archway.

He stands there silently for a few moments and adds ”I wanted to say I was sorry. For hurting you. Truly. I...I don’t want to par-“ he pauses, ”I don’t want any anger between us. That was never my intention.”

Cai’nan tossed the last of his bread to the fish and brushed off his hands. ”Enjoy it, little guys,” he said as he stepped out of the gazebo and meandered about the gardens. He eventually passed by one of the other secluded spots and spotted Kallie laying out in the sun, a smile on her face.

He paused and thought a moment, started to leave, stopped again, then sighed and turned down the little path through the flowers into the clearing. Once at the edge he commented ”Hey. Having a good time here?”

Cai’nan was clearly concerned when Jaya gave her excuse for cutting the evening short, and before he could reply, she was off.

He sat quietly on the bench for some time.

Way to go, bone brain. You turned things back to about you and your dad and she lost interest. You are such an idiot.

He continued stewing on his own idiocy before eventually heading back to the manor alone. Once there, he chooses to roam through his families garden and statuary alone. He eventually makes his way to a secluded gazebo where he spent many a day in his youth avoiding his father and his servants. He sat down and just looked out over the fountain beyond the arched door of the gazebo at the koi swimming peacefully in the water. Any passerby might notice bits of bread being tossed from the gazebo into the pool and the fish there eagerly gobbling it up.

Cai’nan listens quietly to Jaya talk. Thinking about the pain she must have went through in fear of his father...

He gently reached over and put his hand on top of hers. ”I’m sorry. Again. For what my father has put you and your family through. I don’t think there’s anything I could ever say to prove to you how much I mean that...”

Cai’nan’s rare jovial mood he was having cracks and his demeanor returns to his stressed self. He signals with his head for the two to leave the dance floor. He leads them back outside to a bench that has seen better days.

”To what you asked in there...I try not to. I honestly do. But it is like this city is a kraken whose tentacle keeps dragging me back. For a while it was for my brother and sisters. Without mother...they just had him. When they got old enough to fend for themselves, I left. Circumstances drug me back, and I hoped things would be different. But I had to leave again. And now,” he gestures around him, ”here I am again...”

Perform (Dance): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 1 = 20

As Cai’nan takes the lead, it would seem that he isn’t too bad of a dancer! He leans in when Jaya gestures and listens to what she says, at which he chuckles and replies ”I GET IT. UNFORTUNATELY, ANYTIME I TRY AND GO OUT AND HAVE FUN IT’S BASICALLY A SECRET MEETING WHEN I’M IN THIS CITY!” he says with a laugh.

Cai’nan makes small talk as they head through the city, eventually heading to one of the “less well respected” parts of the city. He comments ”Only way to avoid Father and his flunkies is to go where he wouldn’t dare be seen. And where no one expects one of his kids to be,” as he shifts the illusion over his attire to be more “common.”

They arrive at a small but raucous dance hall called “The Haughty Satyr.” Inside there is a group of bards playing upbeat dance tunes and people are dancing enthusiastically in less than formal fashion. There is definitely no waltzing or proper dance styles taking place, just lots of energetic movement, skips, laughter, and merrymaking. He turns to Jaya and holds out a hand and asks ”May I have this dance?”

Cai’nan offers Jaya the crook of his arm as he comments ”You look perfect. Shall we?”

Cai’nan was just about to walk off when Jaya called out to him. He turned and noted her state. ”It’s alright. Uhmmm...do what you need to do. I’ll wait,” he comments as he walks along inside with her to give her a chance to change. He has a seat outside of her room as she readies herself inside.

”As to where we are going...you’ll just have to wait and see,” he says with a wry smile as he waits. ”...otherwise there wouldn’t be a surprise. Just...just don’t dress too fancy...”

Cai’nan gawks at Kallie as she saunters past. ”Uh...Hi...” is all he can muster.

It was half past eight bells at this point.

Fine. She’s not coming.

Cai’nan is waiting as patiently as he can at the gates to Verde Heights around half past seven bells, silently running through things to say to Jaya.

For the first time in days, a glimmer of excitement enters Cai’nan’s eyes. ”Absolutely! I’ll meet up with you at around, say, the eight bell? Ummmm...you’re staying at my place...so...ummm...I guess at the gate to the estate?”

Bethania gives Cai’nan a wink, but doesn’t tease him in front of Jaya, but he’s sure the teasing will come later.

He and Krodha then depart and head back to the estate.

Cai’nan steps over to Jaya when she mentions Kallie and Galatea being alone. ”Perhaps, if you’d like, the two of us could do the same? Maybe have a proper date?” he asks her quietly.

”He hasn’t been around much since I was little. I think he and my father had a disagreement. And I wouldn’t know about all that,” he answers with a shrug at the dreaminess inquiry.

Cai’nan looks into the sack of coins and sighs. ”Maybe...I should come along too. There’s...something I need to go and find.”

Cai’nan accompanies the women on their shopping trip. Inevitably, he ends up carrying several packages of things Bethania purchases for herself along the way. Eventually, he finds himself outside of a purveyor of magical artifacts, one of his father’s competitors. He pauses a moment before turning to the others and says ”I’ll be right back.”

”Cai...” Bethania calls out to him. ”You know that won’t make father happy...”

”All the more reason...” Cai’nan grumbles as he places her packages on Krodha’s pack and heads inside.

Behind the counter is a shifty eyed gnome who is looking over a gemstone with a magnifying glass. As Cai’nan walks in he looks up and says ”Hullo there! What can I do ya for?”

Cai’nan looked around somewhat nervously before asking, ”Well...I have this problem...”

”Ah! Yes yes yes! Not entirely uncommon!” the gnome says as he hops down from his stool and opens a drawer and pulls out a pouch. ”Pour some of this into your tea, and in no time at all, you’ll be performing like never before! But, just as a warning, if the effects last for more than four hours or so...ya might wanna go find a priest to maybe dispel the effect...”

Cai’nan looks at him, totally not understanding. That is, until the gnome makes a lewd gesture with his hands to indicate what he means by “performing.”

”Oh! Oh gods no! That’s not it!” Cai’nan says as he recoils a bit. ”Ya see...I’ve recently started...changing shape. Taking on animal forms.”

”Oh. So yer a druid then?” he asks.

Cai’nan sighs. ”I mean, it’s like that I guess...but not really...it’s hard to explain. Anyway...when I’m an animal...I can’t talk. And that makes things very difficult for me.”

”Mmmhmmm...I see I see...” the gnome muses. He meanders over to a drawer and begins rifling through rings. ”Lets see...protection...protection...swimming....bah, nobody ever wants the swimming rings...the climbing or jumping ones either...let me see...I know I had something...AH! HERE IT IS!” he says as he holds up a rather simple looking silver band. ”This here will do the trick. Bought it off a Pathfinder who had been doing some work down around the Shackles. Said he wasn’t headed back and didn’t need it anymore. And while yer at it, ya ought to get this vestment as well! It’s well worth the money...”

Cai’nan looks over the ring and tries it out. Once he had confirmed it would work, and learned what the vestment did, he gives the gnome the coin and thanks him for his business before heading back to the others, somewhat more relaxed than before.

Cai’nan looks at the belt and notes Atraxis’ tone with giving it to him. He nods solemnly to the guard captain and replies ”I’ll...try to wear it with honor, sir.”

After he fastens the belt around his waist, his body seems to grow more lean, his muscles growing and filling the skin above them significantly, to the point that his features are now very defined and cut.

”Well! That’s interesting!” he says as he looks down at his forearms.

”Don’t let it go to your head, you big doofus!” a melodious woman’s voice calls out from behind you all. Standing in the doorway is a beautiful young woman with blonde hair hanging down between her shoulders, dressed in a stylish dress. She has a smirk on her face as she leans against the doorframe.

”Beth!” Cai’nan says excitedly as he steps over and picks her up in a strong hug that lifts her off the ground.

”Don’t even think of manhandling me in such a manner,” another voice says as the girls near clone walks in, though her hair is as black as night. ”You know how I feel about those childish antiIIII” she is cut off as Cai’nan snatches her up next and begins twirling around with her in the next hug.

”Lana!” he says jovially, half chuckling as he twirls his younger sister around against her will.

”PUT ME DOWN YOU BIG OAF!” she demands as Bethania giggles at her sisters distress.

He sets her down and Lana immediately begins straightening her attire. ”So when are you headed out again?” she grumbles at her oldest brother, though she has a joking smirk on her face as she says it.

Cai’nan simply nods and says ”As you wish, Father,” before he puts a protective arm behind both Jaya and Kallie and begins ushering the group out...

Cai’nan’s jaw literally hangs a bit slack open as he watches the exchange.

Cai’nan turned to Jaya to see if she would confess her parentage or not. He had planned to confront his father about his harassment of Auronee, but he did not intend to out Jaya and expose her to his wrath.

Cai’nan takes the chalice handed to him and throws the wine back in one gulp, not savoring it’s flavor at all.

"Unfortunately," Cai'nan grumbles beneath his breath.

Adrenia's eyes light up at the mention of Jeevika. "How is Jeevs? Haven't talked to her in years. And I see you hiding back there, Galy! Come give me a hug!"

Once all the pleasantries are addressed, the group is ushered inside and to an interior office that is lavishly decorated. The room makes Cai'nan very uncomfortable, and he fidgets constantly as the group waits there.

She’s an Astral Deva. Very human in appearance plus the angelic bits.

As most of the others seemed to be relaxing, Cai’nan seemed at his most guarded and tense as they entered the estate grounds. As he slipped down out of Krodha’s saddle, he was greeted with a familiar voice calling out ”Lord Blakros!”

Cai’nan turned and smiled as he replied ”Captain Atraxis!” before offering the guard captain a friendly embrace.

”Welcome home! The place...it’s not the same without you, lad!” Atraxis adds before turning to the others.

Cai’nan introduces everyone one by one, before stating ”We need to see father right away...”

Atraxis nods and says ”Of course, right this way, My Lord,” with a knowing smile.

Cai’nan rolls his eyes at the title, sighing as he follows along. Before they reach the doorway, however, the sound of massive wings flapping precedes a flash of metal before Cai’nan is nearly tackled from something from the air!

”Cai’nan!” a melodious feminine voice calls out a moment later as the druid warrior is now engulfed in a hug from what can only be described as a beautiful angel.

”Adrenia! How are you!” he replies almost as excitedly.

”How am I? I’m the same as always! How are you!?!? You’re the one who has been out and about seeing the world! At least this time you didn’t get lost!” she replies with a tussle of his dark hair.

He leans away and chuckles as he reaches up to straighten his hair back into a semblance of order. ”That’s partly why we are here,” he says gesturing back to the others. ”We have something that we need father to keep safe.”

Adrenia nods and says ”I see! Hello there, I’m Adrenia.”

”And for all its size, you still can’t manage to avoid your problems there,” Cai’nan mumbles as the ship drops anchor. A group of Ulfen begin setting to tieing the vessel off at the dock as the group disembark.

”Let’s get this over with,” he adds before willing his armor to alter its illusion to a more regal appearing form.

After he escaped the Mwangi Expanse and was found, he did in fact make his way home for a time. There was a brief, BRIEF moment of happiness from all parties involved, but eventually Argor and Cai’nan again just ceased seeing eye to eye and Cai’nan left once again.

”He was actually born here. And besides, it’s not the first time a tyrannosaur has been in the city...” Cai’nan muses with a smirk.

Cai’nan looks at Krodha and shrugs. ”Maybe I don’t need to be in an illusion at all. I am his son after all. I could just be escorting the caterers back to the manor myself. I’m sure not everyone in the city is aware of when everyone else arrives or leaves. So my being here may be a surprise, but not an unusual one.”

It isn’t hard to note that Cai’nan is trying not to make too much eye contact with anyone in the group.

Cai’nan quietly accepts the toy with a sniffle, working the joints back and forth a bit before turning back to Gianluca and wrapping his arms around his neck in a tight hug.

”Thank you, Uncie. I miss Mama...so much...”

”That will probably be fine. But once we are within the estates gates, we will have nothing to worry ourselves about further,” Cai’nan replies.

At least in regards to the sword.

Cai’nan looks doubtful, but he is willing to follow along with Honey’s lead...

Once Kallie was away, Cai’nan just stared at the door for a moment before turning and walking back to the deck and well away from her room. He leaned over the rail of the airship, staring into the distance.

Why are you always such a fool, Cai’nan? You had something nice, and you threw it all away. On a chance that someone else that you could actually BE with would be interested in you too. And look where that has gotten you! Now nobody wants to even be around you.

He balled his hand into a fist and slammed the knuckles down onto the railing hard enough to break the skin along their edge.

So what? Who needs them? Who needs anyone? You are just fine on your own. You have Krodha after all. The rest of them...they just are here to see the sword safely away and then they could care less about what you do...

Cai’nan looks doubtful. ”Father won’t want me running off to meet a queen without him. He’d be so mad.”

Cai’nan blushes too. He immediately thought of at least one reason she wanted to, but that was a reason he had royally screwed up. He gingerly helped her to her feet and said ”Stumping a toe definitely hurts. Maybe...maybe you should go lie down and rest it...that might help it feel better.”

He then makes sure she is steady on her feet before letting her leave if she wished...

Cai’nan’s eyes shot wide when he sees this version of Kallie. Of course...her lower human half is just as stunning as the top! But as the poor girl stumps her toe and falls to the ground, the gentleman in Cai’nan takes reflexive control and he dashes to her side to try and help her up.

”Ka-Kallie? What...what happened? What is all this?” he asks, half stammering, half gawking as he tries to help her to her feet.

Cai’nan gasps when the cat talks, but then just grows even more excited. ”I’m Cai’nan! Nice to meet you! I didn’t know some cats could talk! Or turn into clouds!”

Cai’nan just continues smiling with childlike glee. ”Hi Cole! You are a pretty kitty cat!” he says as he continues petting the feline.

Meanwhile:

Cai’nan giggled heartily as the cat performed it’s magic trick! When it began weaving in his legs and rubbing them, he sat down and began running his hands through its fur. ”Hi there! What’s your name kitty?”

As the group makes their way inside, Argor busies himself with speaking with delegates and ambassadors from the various delegations, some of which he seems quite familiar with. In doing so, his attention is quite drawn away...

Cai’nan leans over to Honey and says ”This is boring. Why does dad even like this stuff?”

He spots a magnificent looking black cat walking along the edge of the room, studying the guests thoroughly in the way cats do. Cai’nan gets an excited look on his face and nudges Honey and says ”Look! A kitty!” He then takes her hand and says excitedly, but quietly ”Come on!” as he begins heading for the feline.

”He’s not Primarch yet,” Cai’nan clarifies, the disdain evident in his voice. ”And besides, this is still a secret mission for now. Let’s just get it there safely then you can do whatever. And I believe he still is residing at the manor, yes.”

”Obscure to land an entire ship? In Absalom? No way,” he replies.

”The smartest and safest play would likely be to land in the water outside of the city and sail it into the dock as if it were a normal ship. Father even owns a section of the dock front.”

Cai’nan and Krodha come rushing along well after the others. He had stayed up dreading the day for so long that he overslept! But the pair balked when they saw the massive draconian before them, but seeing the others in open and friendly conversation with it eased his nerves somewhat and they slowly continued their approach.

Cai’nan nods. ”That’s probably a good idea.”

Cai’nan sighed. ”Lana always seemed to have two faces. One when father was busy and absent, where she was more relaxed and fun loving like Bethania. But the moment father was around, it was like a lever was pulled and the gates were raised, and all of her desire to gain his approval poured out and would make her take on some of his less appealing traits.”

He nudged her with his elbow and said ”Let’s not talk about him. He’s been on my mind enough already as is. As always.”

Cai’nan laughed at Galatea’s tales about his sisters and their antics, thinking back to better times. He avoids talking about his own frets about returning to Absalom, and grows particularly quiet should the conversation turn to inquiring about his time in the jungles.

”I’m glad you got to spend time with the girls. With mother gone...I’ve long feared what they would become. Especially Lana. She’s so much like...well...like him.”