Exalted: Old Wounds

[Zinaida]

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Hound watches with eyes widened and begins to whispers softly to herself, "Is he man, god or beast? A demon perhaps? Fight, you fools ... fight! You're all going to die anyway but make him show his soul, bare it to me so I can make judgement.. so I can purify him." She slips her fingers around the handle of her flame pieces and draws them, waiting patiently for the moment to strike. Only one shot...

[GryffonDurime]

Lightning

Lightning considers his options for a moment, then decides to risk directness over caution and saddles up to the window, cooing softly toward Rowan.

Come, little Dragon-Blood, he pretends to say, half-mocking in a bird's borrowed voice, put away your tools and your instructor and dote on me. I don't want to have to do this the hard way...here's to hoping she's an animal lover.

[Rynol]

Rana tilted her head. Were they trying to imply she, or Lesia, or one of those... other guys should do this? What nerve! What gall! What...

Eh. If nothing else, Rana's moods could be rather transient, and she decided to just, ah, deflect this. As Lesia was thankfully already doing! It is the sole prerogative of a Princess of the Earth to deny work being bummed off onto her!... maybe. It sounded nice in her head, if a bit irresponsible. That, and... she was reminded of her own duty to the Realm.

"All due respect to our host, but Tarana has a point. The Realm is in such great disorder that the Empress's strategems of control just... don't work! I think... if UnExalted can handle some stripe of power, why not bestow it? I know they could never achieve the control of essence that we, or worse the Anathema (And Rana blinked slightly as she said that. It was still weird saying that word with a feeling of identification rather than enmity...) have... but... If you truly don't have that much to use, why not improve what you already have? Awakened mortals would be a useful force to have in a lot of cases!"

Still, she shook her head. She was not dealing with this crap. She was going to kill Steel Boot and then find out who hired him, trace it back to the forces responsible, trace THAT back to whatever evil conspiracy is obviously behind this - after all, someone who had it in for her and her brother HAD to be evil! - and end them all. Oh, and usher in a new age of peace in the Realm. By force if need be. Hmmm... she wondered if being a superiorly powerful Solar meant she could possibly have a hope of piercing the Imperial Manse and taking command of... Oooh. She even had the right hair color!

Then the heaving gears of Rana's strategic training and mastery of the court chimed in with a loud, emphatic 'Bad Rana!'. Such thoughts! Ludicrous! Suicidal!... But still really tem- No! Not now! In the midst of this idle musing, she had left an uncomfortable pause in the discussion. Will not do.

"It's unfortunate."

[demihappycow]

At Dinner

Putting a hand up as if to forestall the arguments, Wezun says "Now now, I'm not saying I oppose training anyone to their fullest potential. My training hall has always been open to any who are genuinely determined to learn. But you can't really teach the unExalted, no offense intended to those present, enough to for them to be able to muscle around in a spirit court. It is dangerous enough for an Exalt to do, I should know."

Jumping in, as if on cue, Tarana the Grey says, "If you just equip them properly-"

"Yes Tarana, if we could all buy artifacts from the Mountain Folk we'd be fine, but I don't think anyone else here is a half-blood like you that isn't really relevant," says Wezun somewhat testily, as though it is an argument they have had many before. Tarana the Grey just glares icily at him in response.

Lightning:

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First Coal and the Rowan pause in their conversation to stare somewhat incredulously at the Strix now filling the window and softly cooing. They whisper back and forth a little, and Rowan begins to edge over toward a large white jade hammer sitting in the corner of the room. Coal steps forward slightly, clutching tightly to his battered wooden cane. "What are you wanting, nightwitch?" he says.

Back in Narshe:

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The bystanders finally begin to react, rushing to the wounded men or back into the public house for help. The door to the Inn finishes swinging shut. As help comes it becomes clear that none of the men are in immediate danger of dying. Those amongst the bystanders who noticed the Inn door and continue casting nervous glances that way seem little comforted.

You hear a soft footfall across the roof. "Sure looks like a nasty business, don't it."

[Segial]

After Tesciam returned to the table, he remained very silent and was not touching any of the food or drinks anymore, although he had visibly recovered from his earlier allergic attack. For a while he was listening with growing interest, till he voices his opinion: „I think that this is an interesting idea. Right now, if you compare the situation in the spirit courts, and the situation in the Realm, I’m not sure what is in worse shape. So while I’m not so thrilled about the phrase of „musceling around“ of spirit courts, I agree that the situation is bleak. The spirit courts are argueably not the best to in gouverning themselves, and the great houses seems solely focused on the race for the throne. And as much as I support and applaude anyone that devoted his life to teaching and enlightment, I doubt that you can rely on unExalted to sort things out, even with the best training I dont think they can shoulder that burden. But I don’t really have an idea who else to turn to for guidance, do you?“

[Rutee]

Such a dilemma. The Spirits can't always be left to their own devices, of course, but the Immaculates have such a tendency to beat them into utter submission to themselves, and they often haven't the proper understanding of how things ought to be themselves.. Hm. Spirits can also do a very good job of organizing themselves, of course..

"What sort of turmoil have they been in?" She finally found herself asking. "Is it simply the sort of lawlessness to which Spirits are wont, or has it been more serious?" She deliberately ducked from the point of contention between the lady and lord, hoping a minor deflection of her own would help to defuse it, at least temporarily.

[Rynol]

Rana sighed, and leaned back in her seat. Was it this bad that we were willing to... Wait. Was it more just to protect the Realm from the conspiracy centering Steel Boot and itself and all that all over again, or...

...Or was it more just to aid others around you as they come? Rana pondered this as Lesia spoke,and said nothing herself.

[GryffonDurime]

Lightning

Lightning considers the pair of them closely, reveling in his new strix-eyes.

Come now, little Dragon-Blood, there's no need for that, he pretends to say, pointing his beak towards Rowan. Yes, I can see what you're doing there. Honestly.

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Awareness + Perception to read into their reactions and intentions...also, should I be familiar with the connotations of the word "nightwitch"?

(6d10)[7][4][2][4][8][1](26)

[Zinaida]

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Hound spun in surprise and quickly leveled her flamepiece at whoever was behind her, internally groaning at her own stupidity for letting someone sneak up on herself.

[demihappycow]

At Dinner

"The problems," says Wezun, "are essentially the normal fractiousness and conflicts, but as more and more Realm forces are pulled back to the Blessed Isle there is a new lack of oversight and consequence outside areas of Lookshy control. So far the River Province has remained largely unaffected, but eventually the external conflicts will begin to bleed over into our territory. Unless a strong successor to the throne emerges, which honestly isn't an option I find terribly appealing, or we see major strengthening of various local regimes. In time the terrestrial courts will no doubt stabilize as they adjust to policing themselves again, but in the interim there is likely to be much loss of life."

The Smith of Stolen Tongues speaks up, "Could not Lookshy use this as an opportunity to expand? Given the precariousness of many nearby regimes, they might be willing to make some significant concessions to have an outside force deal with these sorts of problems."

"Well, I don't really keep up with what the general staff is plotting these days so I can't say anything definitively, but in my opinion we don't really have the resources to adequately protect significant additional territory. Our forces would end up spread dangerously thin, and we would be forced to field too many inadequately trained and equipped troops in the event of any real emergencies. Unfortunately it really isn't feasible," explains Wezun.

Lightning:

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Rowan pauses at the pointed look from the massive predatory bird, and also at the words of her tutor. Going from concern over the sudden appearance of such a large and dangerous animal to confusion at the beast's strange behavior. And Coal calling it a nightwitch? Which would mean... anathema, a shape-shifting sorcerer from the wyld. Could it really be?
"If trouble is to be in the making the whole house will soon to be raised. And I am thinking even one such as yourself should take pause at some of those herein. So be with the moving along and no trouble in the making," says Coal.

Back In Narshe:

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Turning you see the blue haired youth from earlier. He seems to have managed to find a shirt at some point, but otherwise looks much the same. He glances down at the flamepiece and raises an eyebrow, "That really necessary? And here I thought we were gonna turn out to be friends."

[GryffonDurime]

Lightning

"Clever," the man sitting on the windowsill says. Just a half-blink ago, he was a strix, but now he was just a long, lanky fellow with dark skin, reddish hair, and whiskers.

"A few minutes of your time. That's all I need," he says, falling down onto one knee as he slides of the sill and into the room proper. "You can raise the house, but you know I'd only be gone before anyone could touch me. There are worse things inhabiting your home, dynasts. Three Abyssals are sitting at your master's table, one of whom I know to be a mass-murderer. The Sunchild who helped you earlier and I wish to deal with them, but he asked me to find her," Lightning says, pointing as gently and unthreateningly as he can to Rowan.

"What will it take to vouchsafe my intentions toward you and your master?"

[Brickwall]

Gale

Gale glances over at Tumult. She looks as bored as he is with this conversation. He stands up slowly.

"You'll excuse my rudeness, but I find talk of politics to be very unsettling to the stomach after a good meal. A good tale would do better for most, I think."

[Segial]

Tesciam

Tesciam was following to the talks about politics, but when they became more theoretical, he quickly lost interest. So he turned his attention to the various dishes on the table, to see if something looked appealing now after he had lost his appetite a bit earlier. With he disgrunteled sigh, he decided that that was not the case, and was just going to address Rana, who had also been silent for a while, when just at that moment Gale stood up and announced his intentions. So Tesciam leans back in his chair and listens expectantly.

[demihappycow]

At Dinner

"Of course, of course," says Wezun, "forgive me for prattling on about such matters, hardly suitable dinner conversation."

Lightning:

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Solidly and with unexpected composure, Rowan speaks, "It is okay Coal, you may stand down." Coal eases somewhat but continues to cast a suspicious glare, and remains conspicuously between you and Rowan. "Say your piece then, Anathema. I've things yet to do this evening."

[GryffonDurime]

Lightning

"I thought I saw in you the eyes of a reasonable young lady," Lightning says, letting his formality slide slightly. As he stands slowly and unthreateningly, sure to keep his arms slack but ready.

"The woman staying here--the Daughter of Unending Tumult? I know her as Anathema. And I do not use that word lightly, but she is Anathema to you, to me, to the Dragons, the Celestial Incarnae, and to Creation. She is an Abyssal, and a murderer. She is dangerous, unstable, and most importantly she does not care. As I said, the Sunchild who helped your pet earlier today asked me to find you. He wishes to speak with you, to learn your concerns in this matter. Together, we can be sure that these three are not allowed to harm anyone here, or anyone ever. If you agree, he would like to meet with you in a place and at a time of your choosing. You know this estate."

[Zinaida]

Silent Hound

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Hound slowly lowers the flame piece away from the youth and eyes him suspiciously. "That depends. What do you make of him?" She motions her head down towards the stranger causing all the ruckus.

[demihappycow]

Lighting:

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"There is a willow tree outside the south entrance. Midnight," says Rowan, somehow making that into a clear dismissal.

Back In Narshe:

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"One who just went into the Inn you mean? Judging from the state of those Guildsmen, I'd say he is someone to stay away from," he replies, with a lop-sided grin and slight shrug. "Not that it is any business of mine, or anything. I do have places to be tonight."

[Rynol]

Rana once more remained quiet, now realizing that the conversation was, in whole or in part, out of her hands. She DID glance slightly at Tesciam, wondering why he made whatever vague passing gesture or eye contact passed for 'that thing he would do right before talking to someone'. What did he want, hm?

...It didn't matter. IT was obvious now that Gale was going to take over with his little storytime. In a way, she supposed that that was okay, if only because that would prevent the spooky death anathema from saying anything else, So, with a sigh, and a shrug, she just muttered two words.

"Meh. Whatever."

[GryffonDurime]

Lightning

"Thank you," Lightning says, making a motion. Not quite a bow, mind you, but a show of respect none the less. With that, the young Lunar flips out of the window. A second later, an orange tabby lands on its feet with a light thump. The cat shakes itself softly, then parades back into the estate itself, looking for Tesciam.

[Zinaida]

Silent Hound

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"Besides the inside of my pants, you mean?" Hound frowns and casts a glance back over her shoulder at the man in the village center. "Those guildies are your lot, aren't they? And what's he going to do with all those bodies anyway.."

[demihappycow]

At Dinner

The table begins to quiet as Heavenly Gale prepares to begin his story. Wezun's craggy weathered face shows polite interest, Tarana the Grey has an extremely insincere and utterly immobile smile as she waits, and Endo appears genuinely eager. An orange tabby pads back into the room, largely unnoticed, and heads for Tesciam. The Smith of Stolen Tongues is all smiles and genial nods, Putrefacted Architect in Flesh and Marrow remains as unmoving and inscrutable, and Daughter of Unending Tumult pushes her otherwise untouched food around on her plate with a long-suffering sigh and theatrical roll of her eyes.

In Narshe:

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"Guildies? Nah, me and my pop, we're sort of free agents you could say. Couldn't really speak to any of those folks intentions either," he says with a lop-sided grin and a shrug, turning and beginning to walk away as he speaks. "Sadly ma'am, your pants may just have to wait. I've business tonight. Just thought I'd stop to say goodbye before I went on my way." Finishing his sentence the blue haired youth steps off the roof, dropping out of sight immediately. Leaning over the side of the building you see that he has landed on a waiting horse and is already starting to ride out of the village. Without turning around he raises a hand to casually give something between a wave and a salute as a goodbye.

[Brickwall]

Gale rises, and finds a place that allows people to look at him best. He takes a deep breath as he begins his tale.

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“This is a tale of five travelers, each with amazing skill and ability. The first was Bronze Tiger, a warrior by trade, skilled in all the weapons of man. Next there was Golden Bull, a priest, who had an indomitable spirit and an inspirational will. There was also Copper Spider, who was a savant, schooled in the lore of the world and the ages, and also a thaumaturge of skill. There was Iron Wolf, a stealthy trickster with keen senses. Last there was Quicksilver Falcon, a diplomat with a tongue that was noble, but also devious. They traveled Creation together, doing good deeds, and helping those in need.

“They happened one day upon a village called Meru. Meru was a simple farming village. Its people had little need for warriors or scholars. Their existence was one of growing crops and surviving the cold seasons of Air and Water. The five hoped to stop by and stay a night, get some food for the road and leave. Fate would not leave such a simple task for them.

“As they shared some drinks with the locals, darkness descended upon the village. It was not the dark of night, for the stars that tell of our fates were obscured. It was not pitch black, though, and Iron Wolf with his sharp eyes spotted a figure on the blackened horizon. It was huge, and covered in armor that no craftsman born of Creation could comprehend. Iron Wolf shouted a warning, and his mates rallied around him. This thing had left them no option, except to fight. Bronze Tiger drew his bow, and let fly a warning shot that brushed right past the figure’s head. It paid no heed, and advanced forward. His next shot found its mark, but bounced harmlessly off the armor. The being strode forward still, until it had reached the village. When it stood at the edge, it stopped, and called forth in a booming voice.”

At this moment, Gale’s voice increased unbelievably in volume, and filled the hall so that it was rebounding off the walls. It no longer sounded like the conversational voice of a friendly storyteller, but that of some lumbering demon, who spoke not through air, but through hellfire itself.

“ ‘Warriors! You see that your toys have no effect on me. Come, and parlay with me, that your lives not be wasted attempting to resist the inevitable.’ “ Gale’s voice returned to its normal state in an instant. ”Bronze Tiger drew his sword, but his fellows stayed his hand. Golden Bull led them as they strode forth, his pride as bright as the sunlight that had been taken from the village.

‘Beast,’ he called out,” in Gale’s own voice, “ ‘You have already taken our light from us. I suggest you return it, or give an equal gift, else we shall not take any of your words in good faith.’ The beast laughed.” Gale’s voice returned once again to a booming roar, and he let out a horrible laugh that made it seem like the room shook. Candles flickered as gusts of air flew forth.

” ‘You are in no position to make demands, holy man. You have one more chance to be tactful before I decide to slay you.’ The beast unsheathed a sword, and it was forged of pure evil. It drank up the dim light, and was like a hole in the air. Golden Bull did not flinch, but he nodded and gestured with his hand. Quicksilver Falcon stepped forth and bowed courteously to the demon.” This time Gale’s voice increased in pitch, and became the soft, almost seductive voice of a young woman.

” ‘I apologize for my companions. We would be glad to negotiate with you.’

“ ‘Excellent,’ said the creature, ‘here is my proposal. I tire of wasting my vast power upon my throne outside Creation. But it is no challenge to take a useless village like this for my own. I will be brief. I want to see what Creation has to offer in skill. We shall have contests, and if you are able to show me that Creation can indeed provide a challenge for me, I will cease my conquest. Fail to challenge me in every arena, though, and the land will be mine.’ The companions looked at each other wordlessly. They did not have another choice, at least not until they had time to figure something clever out. They nodded. ‘Very well then,’ said the beast, ‘I shall start with the young lady who can hold her pride in check. Simply, whoever can prove that they have won the contest through logic and wit, shall win.’ Thus they engaged in their verbal sparring. I cannot repeat the dialogue, for the words within twist the minds of most men, and drive those who hear them into a pit of despair that they shall never succeed at anything again, so convoluted and impenetrable were their arguments. I hate to make the contest so anticlimactic, but it is sufficient to say that Quicksilver Falcon managed to outwit the beast.
Upon its defeat, it made some sort of sound between a snarl and a laugh,” and so did Gale. ” ‘Well, at least the competition is not over on the first round. Next is you, thief.’ Iron Wolf gave a mocking bow. ‘You and I shall both be given an orb which contains victory, so that we both have equal amounts of potential for victory to begin with.’ He held his hand aloft to indicate the size of the objects. ‘The first to possess both shall be the victor. I shall not reveal where I keep mind, but I will retrieve yours.’ As the beast reached inside his armor somewhere, though, he let out a cry. Iron Wolf was already holding aloft the two orbs. He smiled, but said nothing.

The beast was becoming impatient at this point. He turned away and faced Copper Spider. ‘You!’ he shouted, losing all pretense of politeness, ‘you are the scholar, yes? It would be unsporting of me to engage you in a competition of mystic powers, but you are also skilled in the crafts, if I recall. Thus the engagement shall be simple. We shall create pieces of art representing victory. We shall do what we can in an hour, with the materials here. Begin.’ So the hour passed, with both vigorously working about the town, gathering tools. At the end of the hour, the creature presented his first. It was a statue of himself, made from the wood of the houses. It was an expertly crafted likeness, and in the dark, they were nearly indistinguishable. The creature glowered down upon Copper Spider. She wordlessly walked up a hill and pulled a rope. Rocks tumbled down the hillside, burying the wooden statue of the beast. In its place, there was now a towering monument of the five heroes made of the piled rocks.

The beast could hardly contain his fury at this point. He turned to Golden Bull. ‘You are a very proud one. You’re a good sanxian player, yes? Well, this sanxian of pure gold shall go to the victor of this round. Simply, the best song wins.’ The beast went first, and he played the golden sanxian. He slid his fingers down the strings and made an evil hiss. He summoned a band of demons to back him up, and the sound they created was powerful in its blasphemy. Many wanted to cower, but they got a glimpse of the proud, unflinching countenance of Golden Bull, and they were no longer afraid. When the beast finished, Golden Bull spoke again.

‘You have some skill indeed. But why don’t you sit down, and let a true player show you how it should go.’ He grabbed his own, simple sanxian and began playing. He sang a song of how the beast would be defeated, and the village began joining in with chorus and dance. By the end, the whole place had erupted in song. The devil bowed his head, because in his heart, he knew that he’d been beat. And he laid the golden sanxian down on the ground at Golden Bull’s feet. He was too taken aback by this point to express his fury.

‘Warrior, you will face me again. I will give you time to prepare, weak as you are.’ He stormed off, and waited. The group conferred together. They knew his armor was impenetrable by weapons of Creation. Copper Spider began signing out something, for though she was intelligent, she was also mute. Quicksilver Falcon, though, expert linguist that she was, interpreted her movements. The weapons of creation were useless, but the heavens were the answer. That was why the creature had made a shroud of darkness. They made a plan.

Golden Bull knelt for several hours in prayer. He prayed that he and his companions could be guided to the light of heaven. He sacrificed a pig, and burned the incense he kept with him. Though no sign reached from above, he knew in his heart that they would get what they needed in the end.

Bronze Tiger went to the battlefield unarmed. The battle began without a word, and the two wrestled. Bronze Tiger could not hurt the beast, but he could keep it in hold. They went at it for a long time, until finally, Golden Bull cried out with a signal. At that moment, Iron Wolf drew a small knife from within the confines of his jacket. His keen eyes sought the perfect spot, and he threw the knife into the veil. It made a hole at the weakest point, where the sun beat on the veil the strongest. When it did, a shaft of sunlight came through, barely a couple inches in diameter. But it was enough. Golden Bull seized the purest sunlight as it shined through, for it was so concentrated that it was solid to a warrior of pure heart. He hurled it at the creature, and it pierced through its dark heart. The beast did not even scream, as it vanished. The veil gave way to light, and all the villagers cheered. They crowned the five companions as leaders of Meru. They built a palace from the monument in the center of the village, and kept the land safe for the rest of their days.

And their lives teach us all a lesson, that whatever may face us, no matter how horrible it seems, there is always a ray of hope to help you defeat your obstacle once and for all.”

[demihappycow]

With the conclusion of the story, to much praise for its masterful telling, Varil Wezun brings the evening to a close with protestations of great weariness. As your hosts depart servants come to guide the guests back to their rooms for the night.

After polite inquiries if you require anything, you are left alone in your rooms. It is an hour or so before midnight.

[Segial]

After thanking Wezun for the meal and Gale for the tale, Tesciam retires to his room, bringing the tabby along with him. After the servant has left, he puts his companion on the floor and says "How did it go? Did you find Rowan and what did she say? And by the way, we have been through quite a bit today, but I still dont know your name. What should I call you?"

[Rutee]

Lesia was quite fortunate that Gale was such a good storyteller, for her horror at the story was easily masked by her interest in the tale. Still, he just went up a notch on her priority list, with the story. Not trusting herself to maintain a disinterested look, she happily excused herself at the first opportunity. I still need to talk to Weizun and Tarana before we leave.. so many questions need asking now... Weizun and Tarana for the information they've got on the Spirit Courts.. it'd be good to learn about the situation, so I can help settle it later. Of course, that doesn't help with this Steel Boot.. If this is his supposed companions, we will likely need aid. I could have sworn there were fewer of them, but.. unless he typically wanders around with people weaker then himself, I don't see us overcoming them on our own. Then there's that lout.. ugh, I don't even know /what/ to think about that.

Once back at her room,she let out a long sigh, taking a seat on one of the graciously provided chairs. Retaining that certain level of poise and detachment that she had grown accustomed to keeping up was tiring, espcially in extremely off-putting situations like now. It was good to cut loose, however slightly. Especially with someone to vent on. Speaking of which, she turned to Rana, her expression much more worried. "What do you make of it all? It seems like these could be Steel Boot's friends, what with the weird names and the tomb raiding and whatnot. It may be a few too many people to.. handle ourselves, after all. There's also Gale. He's set off a few alarms, and he's probably the second most worrisome" She spoke more quietly then normal, knowing that in a nice house such as this, there would be servants that could possibly be listening to too much. It's nice to have someone around. I do need to get used to that though, which would require less monologuing. "I apologize, that was rambling. What were your thoughts?"

[GryffonDurime]

Lightning

The tabby nods at Tesciam's first question--yes, friend, it went as well as could be expected. When asked his name, he smiles and unfurls a borrowed claw and scratches a quick lightning bolt on the leg of the bed. The tabby then turns around and slowly meanders out of the room. He turns only once at the door to ensure that Tesciam is following, and then makes his way quietly towards the south entrance and the willow tree.

[Segial]

Tesciam

Tesciam studies the scratch on the bedpost for a moment, then follows the tabby outside. When they reach the clearing with the willow, he deeply inhales the cool nightair and looks up to the stars. "Too bad I lost my star charts in Chiaroscuro. Otherwise I could take a glimpse at what the future has in store for the both for us." He looks over to Lightning to see if he is supposed to do anything right now, and finding that that is not the case, sits down at the willow, resting his back against it. "I guess we'll find soon enough anyway." he says, and begins to meditate.

[demihappycow]

Under The Willow

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The waxing moon shines brightly from behind sparse clouds, washing the landscape in crisp gray tones. A cool gentle breeze sets the branches of the willow tree under which you sit to rustling. For a long hour the night is disturbed only by the gentle sounds of the small creatures of Creation.

As midnight approaches you hear footsteps from inside, and the opening of the south doors. Rowan approaches, resplendent in gleaming white jade lamellar and silks, and carrying an enormous hammer of the same white jade with carvings of a great dragon curling all around its head. At her side scuttles the massive hairless rat Wainwright, both sets of eyes gleaming and alert. The old tutor Coal follows nervously behind, hobbling on his cane.

"Well healer," says Rowan, "you wished to speak with me?"

Heavenly Gale:

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Not long after retiring to your room you are joined, forcefully, by Daughter of Unending Tumult. She wastes no time, not even bothering to remove her armor, and clearly knows precisely what she wants with no real concern for your preferences.

An energetic and painful hour or so later she unceremoniously loses interest in the proceedings and gets up to leave. "Well, I'm done, and I've still gotta do some stupid errands tonight so you're on your own. Steel Boot is totally gonna be pissed I'm late anyway," she says with a disgusted eye roll, as she walks over and throws open the window. "You get bored here, I'll probably be at Ashebenford Castle for the next couple nights. Or, ya know, whatever."

[Brickwall]

Gale

Gale gets up quickly. He doesn't have to get dressed since, apparently (and quite conveniently), undressing was never really involved. Definitely not good to have any more holes in his clothes than before, though. And they're showing wounds that have already begun to clot, definitely not good for looking mortal. He'll have to make up an excuse later.

For now, though, he runs/hobbles/whatever it is injured people do to move quickly over to Rana/Lesia's room. He doesn't even try the door, as expedient as it might be to simply open it. He knocks once and whispers hoarsely.

"If you want to find Steel Boot, get dressed and come with me quickly."

[Segial]

Tesciam

Tesciam peers at Rowan for a moment, then says with amusement sparkling in his eyes and voice. „And here I wondered if my message had been distorted to: I challenge you to a duel!“ He stands up and shows his empty palms, as well as an apologetic smile. „I wont hold it against you though, with the situation as it is. And that is what I want to talk about.“

He pauses for a moment, then continues: „When we first met, I was wondering why you ran away from home. Now that I know that four deathknights are living under your father’s roof, I understand. The question was whether you ran away out of fear, or you were looking for help. And as I see you now standing in full battle gear facing an „Anathema“, I can dismiss the first option, so it has to be the second one. You might not consider me trustworthy, but we are here and we are willing to help. Nothing good will come from dealing with deathknights, unless you want to turn your home into a second Thorns. But to help, I need to better understand what is going on. Why is your father housing deathknights, and what do they want here?“