The Fires of Change - IC

[Hazuki]

"Death." Jesse answers Arday's apparent obliviousness by punctuating the remarks with a hand drawn across her own throat, though their tone is more informative than any kind of threatening. As she makes the claim, she looks over to the concealed Tongues and lets out another quiet sigh. "I don't think she means any harm. But talking with her won't be a good idea when everyone else can hear; would you be open to me and her moving away from this clearing for a short while to talk?"

[PersonMan]

Arday pales as Jesse mentions death. Not much, of course, due to the light nature of her skin, but the silent gesture is followed by a barely-audible swallow that makes her reaction somewhat clear. "I...I see," the scholar says after a moment, her lips opening silently before she speaks. Shaking herself a bit, she sighs. "Well, I hope it won't come to that. The very reason I'm going to Ragnarok's Den is to escape being responsible for people's deaths," Arday says.

"Oh, neither do I. It's just, well, it's hard to work with someone who can't handle you looking at them," Ardsay whispers as Jesse assures her that Tongues meant them no harm. "If you feel you need privacy, that's not an issue,"" she continues, smiling at the androgyne.

[Lady Serpentine]

Ember simply shrugs at Jesse's question, standing up and putting her weapons-belt back on now she's apparently run Tongues off, shooting a resentful glare Arday's way as she takes her place by the other woman; after all, for all her talk about violence not being helpful, she doesn't seem to have any problem with having Ember join the group to kill people for her, if they get attacked.

"Was our little Arday, the pacifist, just saying she killed people and now she's running from the law...?" Ember asks, turning a little so she faces Kaori. As she goes on, she looks back at Arday, so she's addressing her directly, and grins mockingly at her pale companion, welcoming a chance to get a few jabs in at her and work off her temper. "If so, really, dear, you ought to have mentioned it before now. Only common courtesy to let your companions know if you're a murderer."

[Hazuki]

Jesse gives the group something of a comforting smile. With that, they turn on their heel and approach Tongues, gesturing to the trees and walking into them with the skittish woman.

After a few long moments, with each of them out of sight and Regan standing silently on the edge of the clearing, his posture not relaxed in the slightest, Tongues and Jesse return. The former returns to her spot at the trees, looking no closer to relaxed but a fair bit more composed, while Jesse speaks with the party proper. "It's..." Jesse rolls her fingers in the air, as though it will spur their thinking. "A personal problem. Nothing you have done, but it may be best for you, Arday, to avoid talking to her. With any luck, we won't be seeing each other over long periods of time regardless, so this shouldn't pose too large an issue."

"To clarify; we will stick with our group, and you with yours. We can arrange some form of contact if you would prefer, as well; I think it will be quite difficult if we're both always moving, but far from impossible!"

[PersonMan]

"No," Arday replies, frowning as Ember returns. "I left to avoid becoming a mass murderer," she says, turning away from the tiefling as she feels a surge of anger. Ember knew about her dislike of violence - why was she attacking her with it now? Had something offended her recently? "As far as common courtesy is concerned, I believe that accusing your companions of murder lies outside it. But perhaps it's just me assuming people dislike that outside of Sworteria as well."

As Jesse returns, Arday turns back to the androgyne, unhappy to receive the vague and unfortunately negative reply, but still glad that she hasn't done anything to cause Tongues' unease. "Ah, I see. Ahh, I hadn't realized your plan was to stay separated," she says, replying to Jesse's news and then to her clarification.

[Lady Serpentine]

"Yes, well... You still decided to bring a killer along to protect you. Or are you not responsible for the deaths that you've had me cause saving your life, seeing as you asked me to come with you?", Ember snaps, before closing her eyes and breathing deeply, several seconds passing before she continues, as she forces the tension to leave her body with each breath. "However... This is not the time. We can talk about it once we've finished speaking to our new friends."

[Business Scrub]

Uh oh...
Kaori cringes inwardly as her two friends start bickering. They had touched on this before but, apparently, not enough to resolve it.

"Ladies, look. This is really a grey area we're talking about. clearly we need to discuss the moral ambiguity of killing, but Ember it right: now isn't quite the time. I'm sure we all don't want to be implying things we don't mean, so why don't we come back to this when we're not all sleepy and... with company?"

She gives them each a look, hoping this spat can be resolved. Or at least delayed until they're alone. She turns her attention back to Jesse and the others, biting her lip a bit in thought.

"Still... Not much of a plan though, is it? Just kind of... spread the word? It seems to me like we should bring this up with the law. Normally they're the last people I want to deal with, but we do want to get word out quickly..."

[Hazuki]

"No, not that; that's a terrible idea!" Jesse says, speaking with quite some insistence as they stare at Kaori with wide eyes. It seems like the bickering between the two party members has added some tension besides just between themselves. "Spreading the word is exactly the opposite of what we're doing. It gets undesirables finding out and using it. And the law is no good if it just goes to a city guard or even a captain. Same problem, but maybe even worse if corrupt officials get a hold of it. We want people to avoid fires without knowing what's going on. Like how, in the elven lands, one never wants to be outside at night; we're spreading the fear of lighting fires while camping until we can find a way to make sure the right people know."

The androgyne sighs slightly, rubbing their forehead with a pale hand. "Just...Arday has it right, okay? I think you should let her do the thinking, here."

[Business Scrub]

"Alright, alright, sheesh."

Kaori folds her arms, growing a bit frustrated, with the situation. And being basically told to shut up doesn't help.

"Well excuse me for throwing out ideas. If you're going to be that way, then fine," she responds, turning her nose up, and too proud to be talked down to.

[PersonMan]

"One who kills in self defense is not a murderer," Arday replies sternly. "And I will remind you that I have done my best to convince you that killing is not necessary to defend oneself or others. Even so, I cannot control your actions, or those of any who may attack us in the future. I am not responsible for the death of someone who attacks us and is killed by your hand," she says, tone hard. Normally, she would be more open to such a conversation, but Ember's accusations had gotten a rise out of her. One could clearly see that Arday was unhappy, but true anger didn't seem to be on the surface. Before she can continue, or Ember respond, however, Kaori intervenes.

Sighing, the scholar nods, stepping away from the tiefling to look back at the other group. She's about to apologize as Jesse responds to Kaori's consideration, drawing her attention off of making up for their internal strife and back to the phenomenon and their future handling of it. Of course, she's known the wordy woman long enough to recognize her wounded pride when it's put on display, so Arday's thoughts turn to solving that problem as well. In a moment of brilliance, a solution for both comes to her mind, a plan simple and (hopefully) effective, both what they need to do and an idea that should help Kaori feel more valued.

"I have an idea. We can travel and spread the word of evil spirits, or something like that, resting in fire. Kaori, you're far better than I am at spinning tales and making people believe that you say," Arday turns to her, offering a smile to help her ease her temper. "You can be the one who speaks of this odd fire-threat to others and they'll believe it all. A rumor will spread, about fire bringing great problems to whoever uses it. That should give us time to get to the bottom of this," she says, clearly happy with her idea.

[Hazuki]

Jesse gives Kaori a confident smile as they see her upturned nose and slightly offended expression. "Yes, but you'll remember me being firm and rude about it more than you'll remember a gentle disagreement. I don't want to try being subtle about things that could mean lots of deaths." They add. giving a small nod of their head as Arday makes her statement. "That sounds like a good idea. But where will you start? And try to keep in mind that it will inevitably bring the curious to you. Especially those who want to fight the evil spirits; you know the type."

[Lady Serpentine]

"You're asking us to trust you. But when we seek to clarify exactly what you wish us to do, you shout and say we should listen to the member of our group who is taking everything you say at face value.

So why is it that we should trust you, given that? Some sort of good, concrete reason, or at least something other than appeals to emotion without anything we don't already know told us," Ember says quietly, making her way over to Kaori as she finishes speaking, and hesitantly attempting to take her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze if she's allowed to, hoping to help calm the Kitsune, by demonstrating that the Tiefling has her back as well.

"Also... It's getting cold enough folk need to bundle up in blankets without fires," she goes on, gesturing to her companions with her free hand. "What would you have us do if we cannot find the source by winter? A little chill, people will do without flame for fear of what's in it, but when you pit evil spirits against death by cold, or losing limbs to frostbite, they'll take their chances with something they can fight and which might or might not even show up instead of what will surely kill or cripple them."

[Hazuki]

"We don't have all the answers, Ember." Jesse says after a few moments of pondering the tiefling's words, folding their hands together over their waist and taking a few gentle steps closer to the young woman. They look into her eyes with their own, and the smile that's been shrouding their emotions disappears. "What do we do about people who need to stay warm? I don't know. But I can see that trying to appeal to your emotions won't work, so let's think practically. As far as we know, right now, large groups of people, like in settlements, will be mostly unchanged."

"That means the people who are likely to travel are the ones we have to worry about, which will mean including a caveat in the rumors Arday has suggested. Something about the trees, perhaps; something has changed the freshly-cut wood so their fires draw spirits. Most villages will have stocks of lumber already cut, so they have nothing to fear. But travelers, like merchant caravans mostly, can't carry lumber because it's far too heavy. They're the type to cut down new wood, and the ones who will have to worry."

"Regan, are there any cheap alchemical items that can provide warmth? And are widely known?" Jesse asks, turning their head to look at the large man at the edge of the clearing, who gives the slightest hint of a nod. "Good. They can buy that, if they believe the rumors, and if they don't make fire, we all win. And if they're very lucky, they might have a caster, who can protect them all with a spell."

"So, Ember, there you go. Are you satisfied?"

[PersonMan]

"That sounds like a plan," Arday says, as Jesse outlines a way to step around the issue of people trying to fight the supposed evil spirits. "Although, we had a fire last night without a problem. I wonder if it's our location that changed it, or perhaps something else...Ember," the scholar turns towards the tiefling, hoping that the change of topic will have been enough to cool her temper. "Was there anything odd about the fire tonight? We can scare people away from fires, but in the end the problem won't be solved just by taking care of the symptoms..."

[Lady Serpentine]

"For the time being, yes," Ember replies softly, nodding in acknowledgement of the points that Jesse makes. "And you're right about emotional arguments not working that well... But I do appreciate them. I just want to make sure that there are better reasons too."

"And yes, there was; it twitched. Like it was being pushed from all sides. I don't know if it was to do with anything in particular, or just wind, or a reaction to their arrival when already changed, or..." She sighs, shrugging helplessly as she ponders Arday's question, looking frustrated and regretful that she can't be of more use. "Maybe you two can figure it out; I know I can't."

[Business Scrub]

Kaori shrugs. "I would say we could lite a new fire and watch for the flicker, but I don't particularly want to risk that change again. Maybe the size of the fire affects how quickly one changes?"

As she speaks, red fur begins poking up past her skin as she changes into her vulpine form, her ears migrating to the top of her head and hands changing to paws.

"It sounds like we have a plan now though: we hunt for the cause of this thing, meanwhile telling folk to avoid flames."
She gives Jesse a look. "But we make up a new story as to why."

Now fully changed, she yawns.

"It's night, I'm cold, and it seems like we have a plan. Anything else we need to go over, or are we set to go on the morrow?"

[Hazuki]

"You seem to have things in control for the moment." Jesse seems to decide once Kaori makes her declaration that she wants to curl up in her blankets to shy away from the cold. With one swift movement, the androgyne whips the chain away from their waist and allows it to sway gently in the air just before their feet. As they speak, it begins to get back to a gentle pace, as Regan and Tongues mimic the movement of their chain with their own. "If you wish to contact us, hire a mage or some other means of casting magic. It shouldn't take much coin to purchase, at least not for a group like yours seems to be. I hope that your journey is safe, and pray that you won't do something to endanger yourselves. Goodbye."

With that little comment, Jesse takes a few steps backwards from Kaori, Ember, and Arday, the gently glowing chain building up at a speed such that it becomes a blur in the air. The star-shrouded person waits at the edge of the clearing, just before the clear grass turns into thick bushes, and waits for their two companions to come to their side before stepping through the underbrush. With the ease of regular walking, the group of three begins to stride through the dark forest in a line with Jesse at the front.

"Remember. Don't touch the fire." The androgyne calls back shortly before they pass out of view, Tongues turning her head and giving the party gathered in the clearing one last look before the underbrush and distance steals them away from the group.

~

Come morning, the party's joints are somewhat sore and their skin chilled by the night air that harasses them without the aid of a fire. Even breakfast is somewhat less tasty when there isn't a flame to cook any of it in, but the lack of comfort is soon solved by the group's decision to hasten their approach to Ragnarok's Den and the people within. On top of the fact that they were headed there to begin with, it's by far the largest settlement that they can spread advice through, as well as the closest. Even though powerful people may be more difficult to find, or at least ones that aren't retired, it also seems like it has the highest chance of holding secrets as to the source of changes to the fire - seeing as their only viable place to test it has been in the lands surrounding the city.

Setting out with somewhat confident hearts, despite the cold and the poorly-treated stomachs, the party manages to make good time on their efforts to rush towards Ragnarok's Den. Each passing day makes their approach easier, and they manage to catch a few hours of warmer sleep at The Rest Inn, where Kaori helps to spread the rumors that the party manufactured. Despite the fact that many of the people staying there are the common folk that disgust her so.

With their third day of travel, a lucky break comes in the form of a caravan that the Vanitel family happens to do business with fairly frequently, and Ember's connection to her family lands the group a wagon ride for the last half-day of travel towards Ragnarok's Den. While the tiefling makes small talk with them as best she can, avoiding uncomfortable questions about the state of her family as well as her general dissatisfaction with the ability to sustain the lies that Kaori has already planted in their heads. Arday sadly has less to do in the goods-stuffed back of the Blackjack Track wagon, but she does manage to get into an interesting conversation with the young daughter of the driver. Apparently, Mia Blackjack has interesting theories on the fact that Arday's tattoos are both powerful and pretty. As does her doll.

But come noontime, the party is soon riding through the outlying areas of Ragnarok's Den, and the buildings that make up the most recent additions to the city's melting pot of cultures and citizens. All around them are the farms that have been set up to allow Ragnarok's Den its self-sufficiency. Amber leaves are scattered around the fields of rich greens of the winter harvest. The great trees that are planted and reach into the sky all over the farms of Ragnarok's Den have their sunkissed branches and large leaves unrolled from the ropes that keeps them tied to its head all year round, letting the long leaves fall over the crops like a sunkissed canopy that protects them from the harshness of winter. While the winter crops grow, other red-brown fields are ploughed by the black-skinned giants known as the Oread, who work cool and efficiently in the slightly-overcast sunlight, their natural connection with the earth allowing them to work with the soil in a manner unrivaled by any other race.

"Those trees are so pretty!" Little Mia Blackjack declares, as she leans over the edge of the wagon with her raven pigtails flowing in the wind. "They keep sunlight in all through the summer, so when winter comes, they can sit down with the other plants and give them the sunlight that they keep! What would happen if you gave one of them some of your tattoos, Ardy?" The enthusiastic and surprisingly knowledgeable young girl asks, tilting her head at the Sworterian woman.

Moving past the farms allows the party to move through the outer rungs of Ragnarok's Den, where the newer races build their homes through a mixture of their own inspiration and the teamwork of all other inhabitants of The Den. As with all of the architecture, it's a mish-mash of whatever heritages the people have decided to bring with them, with some parts of the city being denoted by ricepaper walls attached to white-stone pillars, moving around through little levers crafted from wooden mechanisms, while others are as simple as domes crafted through woven branches and leaves that are sown together with natural magic. The further in one gets to The Den, the sturdier the buildings become, thanks to a long-term project by the citizens to help defend the city against collapsing or other dangers.

Because walls are a necessity for the defense of large settlements, but are, by their very nature, segregating, the rungs of Ragnarok's Den are build based on distance instead of race or class, to build a defensible city that supports the freedom of its citizens to mingle as they wish, instead of building false barriers between people and encouraging their differences instead of their similarities. The spiral-like nature of the walls also allows the city to constantly expand in a certain pattern that, while requiring more and more materials with each new rung, makes for simple design. It also means that existing rungs can be expanded with impunity, which means that the Market Rung can encompass everything from the simple halfling stalls that started it all, to the more recent services of the enclave of Vici that arrived in the last few months.

The party are allowed off of the Wagon after passing through a few of the other rungs, just outside of the Market Rung, where they will be able to purchase supplies, find people to interact with, and, most importantly, see the board that could supply them with sources of information, handy notices of deals about the city, and generally people in need.

Among their first few steps into the Market Rung, the party's ears are assaulted with a cacophony of sounds that no city they''d been to before, save for Ember, could ever have a chance to compete with. Simply walking past the gate to the Market Rung fills them with more stimulus than they've had in the past week of travel, with exotic scents, pleasant music, colorful sights, and weird and wonderful architecture giving them a feat for their senses. They've been dropped off right beside the notice board, which is a large circular slate placed near the center of the Market Rung, providing a wide circle of information that anybody can see with ease. All over the large onyx monument are pieces of paper, scrawled messages, and an exhausted little pixie, and oddity even in Ragnarok's Den, who darts across it with a tiny form that doesn't obstruct reading, but does allow for easy changing of the information stored.

Before Kaori can get to reading the notice board after moving through the crowds of people going about their business at the stalls, stores, bakeries, and other purveyors of paraphernalia, her path is obstructed by a very handsome young man with golden eyes, sunkissed her groomed elegantly behind his ear, and attire fit only for one of wealth, as its weaved from fine silks and topped off with a small feathered cap atop his head. On one hip, a lute is trapped, while on the other, is a bulging satchel of parcels, with the symbol of The Courier's Guild sown into it.

The Courier smiles charmingly at Kaori, before he speaks confidently and with all too much suaveness, his body swaying slightly as he dances to a nearby tunes with little movements of his hands and rocking of his shoulders. "I've got a package to deliver," The Courier introduces himself with a thrust of his hips at the Kitsune. "For your hands only."

While Kaori deals with the Courier, Ember and Arday approach the notice board proper, and their eyes brush over many notices irrelevant to their needs, such as people selling trinkets of jewelry or somebody offering their services as a barber.

The first notice that catches their attention is a set of five posters, each of a different young woman, with their names and professions listed below their hand-drawn portraits. Above each of them is the word "MISSING!", with the number of days since they were confirmed missing noted just below it, with three of them stretching back to as many as two months ago, while another two are about two weeks ago. There is a message on each of them to contact one Jerald Juraine if one has seen or is interested in investigating the whereabouts of these missing young people. Although there are only five on the notice board, both Ember and Arday notice a very small man with extremely pale skin sitting at the bottom of the notice board, sketching on a piece of paper with a style that exactly matches the posters above.

The second notice is somewhat more desperate.

"The Vici are a dying people in these lands of homogenization and an individual's lust for acceptance. To any who would show compassion for a culture stretching back thousands of years, attend the Vici Enclave and seek Gabriella. I fear that, if something is not done soon, all that the Vici ever were will be lost in time."

Beneath the notice is a list of directions to the Vici Enclave from the Market Rung.

[Business Scrub]

Kaori takes in the sights of Ragnarok's Den eagerly: she had always loved the city. Her path through the city is meandering, breathing in the many sights and smells. She can't help but step to the music, weaving in between people as she goes. Perhaps it is for that reason she attracted the attention of the courier. Though he was lewd and horribly unclever, after so many days on the lonely road the kitsune took a guilty pleasure in the attention.

She folds her arms and smirks. "Oh, I could have sworn I had ordered a sword... not a dagger. Besides, it seems like you've handled that 'package' on your own plenty."

When the courier has decided to give up, Kaori rejoins her friends. The first style of poster catches her attention first.
"Five, now six girls all going missing? Seems like more than a coincidence."

[Lady Serpentine]

While the Vici's plea is arguably more important, it's also less emotional for Ember; it's easier for her to care about six missing girls than it is for her to get wound up about a people she doesn't know claiming imminent cultural extinction.

As such, she's looking over the posters closely when Kaori returns to them, though she straightens up and gives the kitsune a nod when she speaks, looking thoughtful.

"Definitely. Especially as they're in such different lines of work... I mean, they might have known each other, but I highly doubt it. Too many coincidences necessary for it," she agrees, peering at one of the posters again, then turning to Arday, examining her curiously.

"You know, Arday, you look kinda like this one... Might be useful, make people think you're family, get them to open up to you, if we can do it safely." She pauses a moment, then coughs self-consciously, blushing and folding her arms, one foot scuffing nervously. "Of course, that assumes we're going to have anything to do with it..."

[PersonMan]

Arday enjoys the conversations with Mia they have on the way. Her experience teaching children has given her the patience needed when the girl is acting childish in a bothersome manner, and her joy at sharing knowledge comes in handy when the young Blackjack asks her questions. Happy to tell her about souls, patterns, how to describe a complex phenomenon in a simple set of symbols, or any other thing she's gathered knowledge about, the scholar finds the time with Mia to be refreshing and enjoyable. At least moreso than the time on the road with no one but her two companions to speak with. As Mia proposes yet another question to her, Arday smiles and turns to the young girl, beginning a long and complex explanation that is most likely far above her level of understanding. Finishing it with a short, simple explanation that is heavily simplified but actually something a young girl can get her mind around, the scholar looks out again at the landscape as they enter Ragnarok's Den.

The bustle of the city is something Arday has never experienced before - even the largest Sworterian settlement she's been in wasn't this large, nor this varied, nor this...noisy. Enjoying being in the cart, she makes sure that she stays upright with one arm, while the rest of her attention soaks in the sights of the city. The scholar marvels at the architecture of the city, especially the walls, and is almost disappointed when they arrive at the Notice Board. Stepping down into the crowd, neck turning as the takes in the sights from her new perspective, Arday eventually shakes loose of her curiosity and walks over to the notice board.

As the charming-looking man approaches Kaori, she stops for a moment, ready to step in to help her companion if need be, but her ever-well-dressed friend easily deflects the man's advances and continues on her way. Reaching the board, Arday looks over the notices before her focus goes onto the missing girls - her eyebrows raise as she reads the first, but the rest don't provoke that kind of response. As Ember mentions that one to her, she nods.

"Well, she does look Sworterian, and we are a little similar..." Arday considers aloud, looking more closely at the picture, nodding slowly. Turning, she sees the blue tiefling blush and fold her arms. Momentarily stunned, the scholar blinks a few times before recovering. Ember, the one who could take lives without losing a wink of sleep, and who could live in such a city, blushing and acting like the sheltered daughter of a noble?

"Ehm, well. I...I think it sounds worth looking into. Six people disappearing, and it may become more. Kaori, think we should get into this?" Arday turns to the member of the group who hasn't expressed a will to investigate yet - of course, to her it's more of a formality, seeing as she'd already expressed interest.

[Hazuki]

"You wound me!" The courier chuckles with a oddly melodic tone as her skips back to Kaori's side, his smile remaining and his satchel stuffed to the brim as his left hand slides into the slit on the side. "But here is your package." He continues, pulling an envelope wrapped up in a ribbon from the side of his satchel and passing it to the Kitsune. The envelope is unmarked, save for the name "Lady Edricks" scrawled across its front, and a stamp of amber wax that keeps it closed all across the lip. "Mama's Grace, bless your sharp tongue." With that, the courier slips back into the crowd on swift feet, with his little cloak billowing out behind him.

[Business Scrub]

Kaori gives him a fake apologetic look before laughing. "Something tells me you won't let it bring you down. Thanks for the delivery."

She takes the package looking it over curiously: she hadn't been expecting anything. She makes her way over to her companions while opening it and seeing what's inside.

"I say we should investigate." she says, assuaging some of Embers nervousness. "You know, just in case we have some input."

She nods towards the man putting the posters up.

"Think he knows whose in charge of the search?"

[Lady Serpentine]

Ember blushes even more as Arday stares at her, little rings of blood welling up on her arms as her fingernails dig into her skin, seeming frustrated as well as embarrassed now, though for once, she doesn't snap at her companions, instead preemptively restraining herself.

"Maybe?", she agrees, shrugging a little, and flashing Kaori a grateful smile, some of the tension leaving her body, as discussion of the matter at hand will hopefully at least give her a chance to compose herself before Arday begins asking awkward questions... Though knowing the Sworterian, her timing will probably be just as unfortunate then, but still, it'll be put off for a bit, if nothing else, and that's something. "It certainly can't hurt. Perhaps you should be the one to talk to him, unless there's something more important in that letter...?"

[Hazuki]

As Kaori splits the wax, she notices a very fine layer of dust that brushes over her fingers when she handles the envelope. Nothing happens, and the letter slides out. It is parchment that seems to have been freshly stretched, written in elegant hand with very fine ink. It smells very faintly of enticing spices, though she cannot identify them with but a sniff.

Spoiler: The Letter to Lady Edricks

Show

The Enchanting Lady Edricks,

I hope you are keeping well. It has been so long since I have laid eyes upon you, that I worry for your health more than my own. For you, Lady Edricks, I have a curse; my heart beats stronger and has grown from a shriveled black seed, thanks to all that you have done. Your kindness and your beauty brought me so much joy, only to burden me with the oppressive grasp of sorrow once you've left my side. But in the same breath as I curse you, I will declare my love! Because what is a man, without some measure of hypocrisy?

I know you will not hold it against me for not praising you as much as you deserve, but I'm sure that wherever you are now, men are flocking to your side to tell you in my place. As you might tell from the penmanship, I no longer have the strength to write my own words; Rankle is putting my voice to words, as I lie bedridden. Because my soul is strong, but my flesh is weak, and even if you were to return, I could not fill your nights with the lustful embraces of our youth. And besides myself, I would hope that I meant more to you than a notch...but you always seem to take it to heart when I call you cold. Which lets me know it's still there.

Despite my decrepit position, I pray with each everlasting moment that you will let me lay my eyes upon you, just one more time. Your entrancing eyes, the form that curves like the hills of heavenly ground, and the sleek coat of fur that covers your true form.

Please come home soon, Lady Edricks. Rankle will wait where they always do, to give you this letter and lead you home. If you don't, in my dying breath, I will tell my son to build a village by that river where we first met. And I think I know a name for that beautiful place; Edricks. It has a certain beauty, does it not, dear Lady?

Yours, with all my love, Lord Logan.

[Business Scrub]

Kaori leans against the wall as she reads the letter. Confusion blooms on her face as she reads the letter over again, and once again.

"What is this..? I don't understand. This person speaks as if we've known each other for ages, but I'm certain I don't know a 'Lord Logan'. Do you?"

She scratches her head, trying to work it out. "I would say it's a prank of some kind, but he seems so... earnest. I don't know what to make of it."

She briefly looks around for the courier who gave her the letter: perhaps she could find who gave it to him.

[Lady Serpentine]

"We have no idea of what that is, aside from a missive. Presumably one for you. Or did you show it to us without our noticing...?" Ember teases, smirking at her companion as she leans against the pillar covered in messages that they're all standing in front of. "If so, I must commend you on your skill at sleight of hand and mastery of distraction. Though expecting us to still know the contents in that case is stretching things a bit; have some more confidence in yourself!"

She laughs, putting her hands behind her head and stretching before she goes on. "Now, as for 'Lord Logan', well... I do think it somewhat odd one who has such disdain for common folk would prove herself so lacking in the knowledge of the customs of nobility; however did you come to find them so distasteful when you were clearly born amongst them? Either Logan is the family name, or Logan is a place and that the title, as, for example, 'Lord Ragnarok's Den', had we such a personage - for no respectable nobleman would use his first name bare yet in conjunction with his title, though, for instance, 'Lord Logan Gyre' would be perfectly acceptable.

So, then, where have you been that you might have met some lordling, going now by his parent's former title, and thus hiding himself, all unawares, from the one he seeks to speak to?"

[Hazuki]

Looking around, Kaori can catch no sight of the courier, as he slipped into the crowd and disappeared mere moments after she started reading.

The little pixie that's flitting around the monument looks around and notices Ember so rogueishly leaning against her monument of notices. She darts down and grabs Ember by her horn, giving her a tug that sends the normally-sturdy woman stumbling away from the pillar that she's leaning against. "No lollygaggin'!" She chastises the tiefling with a stern look, before zipping off to continue her job.

[PersonMan]

Arday watches Ember's sudden change with curiosity, wondering how the Tiefling had gone from blushing to her normal confident self in the briefest of moments. That she grew insecure was odd enough; but going from turning red to teasing Kaori so suddenly? It was unusual, Arday thought.

"Ember, are you feeling alright?" The scholar asks, stepping forwards to lend the tiefling a hand as she's suddenly shoved away from the notice board by the pixie, what was meant to be a step towards her and the pictures of the disappeared women turning into a step forwards to give her a steading arm. "I'm not sure what to make of the letter either, but if you don't know them it shouldn't be very important...right? Or did they ask to see you for some business or something?"

[Business Scrub]

"I didn't mean to-- hey!"

Kaori quickly covers the letter when she realizes Ember was reading it over her shoulder.

"Haha, I know what a lord is, you dummy. I just don't know who this one is, though he sure as hells seems to know me. Or thinks he does anyway. But he sounds terribly old, and I've certainly never been that close to a man his age. Nor do I know this 'Rankle'. I guess it's a question for another day then. Hopefully I'll run into that courier again and figure out who sent this."

Kaori looks at Arday. "You're right: it doesn't seem very important to me, but the writer seems to be really earnest."

She sighs, her tails twitching in mild frustration, and folds the letter.

"And I might have been raised among lower class folk, but unlike us, most haven't found their motivation. Until they do, those people sort of wander about, prone to laziness and lechery. They themselves aren't the problem, but it does make them... unsavory."

"Right then. If we're going to be here a while we'd best find a place to stay. I'm sure there should be some perfectly good inn's nearby: maybe the locals have a preference. Somewhere along the line we should find this Jerald Juraine. If he wants help he shouldn't be too hard to find."

[Lady Serpentine]

"Oy, get off!", Ember snaps as the pixie drags her away by the horn, shooting the flitting fey a glare. "You could have just said, no need to yank me around... Not that I even know how you did, but still." She shakes her head in annoyance, looking back to Kaori just in time to see her hastily stowing the letter, rolling her eyes at the Kitsune as she watches things unfold.

"Bit protective of that thing, considering we're the only ones around and we didn't even try to read it, especially for something that means nothing to you, aren't you? In any case, if you would actually tell us anything about what he said, perhaps we could help, but seeing as my request only led to you taking offense, it certainly won't be my fault if you get yourself in trouble about it, so I really don't care," she says, shrugging, then fixing Kaori with an amused stare, a smirk spreading across the Tiefling's face as her companion goes on about commoners. "And really? Laziness and lechery? As opposed to the young nobles, you mean, who ride about hunting for sport in the odd hours they're not hanging around trying to impress peasant girls with their wealth and their courtly airs or buying coin-skirts with money they never had to earn because it came with their position?" Ember laughs mockingly, even more plainly taunting Kaori now than she was a few moments ago.

"And yes, Arday, I'm fine," she goes on, flashing the Sworterian a smile. "In any case, I will note you seem to have forgotten the whole reason you brought me along on this little trip is that I am a local; I know plenty of good inns around here. Though first, I do believe, Kaori, the one you want is over there drawing... Do try to not let the contempt show when you're asking him questions, alright?"