[IC] Gaelach Basm: Deahman Scail

[Kurotsune]

(( Mood music:

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Ailios peered at the midday sun with a frown. She waited in the center of the small village for the members of her crew to gather, so they could begin their journey to Eachann, the first stop in their adventure. She leaned boredly against her staff, occasionaly bringing her gaze down to see if any of them had yet to join her. After scanning her surroundings briefly, her gaze returns to the sky, the sorceress being locked deeply in thought.

Soon, one after the other, the members of her group gather around her, and after she takes a brief moment to examine each, she nods at them.

"We are all here. Good." She gestures for the carriage parked not far from where they were, near one of the villlage's exits. "Our first task is to go to Eachann and report the results of the briefing with Duke Byrne. Hopefully, we can convince him to give us an escort to assist our journey; At worst, he'll give us much-needed supplies."

She offers you all a small nod, then heaves herself off her staff and points toward the carriage with it's tip. "Well then! Shall we?"

[Felicity]

"Aye, Ma'am." Dorian said, happy that they were indeed getting a carriage. "This is a luxury, rarely do I ever get to travel by carriage. Normally it's me own legs that take me along the way." He commented, opening the door for Ladies Ailios and Silef. His daddy raised him with some manners, if only a few.

[Chevaleresse]

Silef gave a gracious nod to Dorian. "Thank you. It seems that at least some people here have manners." She climbed aboard the carriage herself, though, without waiting for any more gentlemanly assistance. Her armor glinted in the midday sun; she wore it almost constantly as a badge of rank.

[finkeltinklewinkle]

Even as he stared upon the carved wooden box on wheels as well as the steed that was there to provide motive power, Ayak was reminded of the palanquins of his native land. 'Hmm, even now we still have much to learn from foreign cultures and practices. No man should be placed under another, or be given the power of the yoke to lord over his fellow man. Maybe i'll bring this up at the council when i get back after this mission.' Ayaks musings continued even as he said: 'Milady Ailios, i thank you for providing us transport. It is truly a boon for this old man's feet, i was getting tired of their incessant grumbling and complaining'. Chuckling to himself at his little white lie of a joke, he nodded to the enchantress and boarded the carriage, allowing Dorian to get in ahead of him. Having since learned the names of all his party members, he called out to Zix through the open door: 'Zix, it would do well for us to get moving, for speed is what will grant us the advantage in endeavors such as these.'

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

"Speed doesn't grant us any advantage, it matters not how quickly we get there if we are not prepared Though, I imagine we are." He said attempting to climb into the wagon. His talons clicked against the wood as he pulled himself up. The chains he wore hit each other making a cacophony of noise. He could got it eventually, but it was clear the chains most definitely weighed him down. "Haven't ridden in one of these, feels nice to choose to get into one. Though, it is a bit more cramped than I thought it would be. They look much more roomy from the outside. Zix plopped down, and then removed an orb from soemwhere in his robe. "Don't want to sit on it funny. Probably would make my butt numb." he said in a rather flat tone. It would be hard to figure if he was making a joke or entirely serious. It sat in his lap. a rather strange orb. it was a perfect circle of what seemed to be a very think glass. Inside it swirled a blizzard. It was mostly definitely snow of some sort, even though it changed colour rapidly. It went fro metallic greens to silvers to whites, and every other colour one could think of. It seemed to change without rhyme or reason.

[Felicity]

Zixes Orb immediately caught Dorians attention, anyone could see it was an artefact of great interest. The miniature snowstorm contained in the small sphere mesmorised Dorian. "Oh my friend, that is a bloody beautiful little trinket you've got there," Then Dorian thought better of his words "Er, pardon the language, I'm sure it ain't just a trinket." Dorian paused for a second, fumbling for his words after his little bumble. "Er, care to share it's significance? I live to learn about things such as this ya see."

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

"This is an Orb of Silent Winter" he said holding it up a little so Dorian could get a better look at it. "It whispers the names of demons, fae, and yet other magical and mystical beings names. Each piece of snow represents a spirit of great power within the world, and it's colour represents it's mood, condition, and other things about it's status. Only I can read it, though I could teach you. It would take millennium though. Either way, I read the flake of the spirit I wish to summon and I can compel them to come to me. How familiar I am with the spirit makes it easier if I know them well, and harder if I don't. Their power can affect it as well too. Powerful spirits tend to be... less than cooperative. I usually have to directly control them. But, I don't like doing that. They have free will. They should be allowed to choose what they want to do. Though if in times of need I won't hesitate to do so, so don't worry."

[Kurotsune]

"Well then... So we shall." She taps the staff three times at the floor of the carriage, and it immediately begins to move.

"It will be a while until we reach Eachann... So why don't we take time to discuss what we know of our enemy? We should also take our own abilities in account so we can properly devise a strategy... As your party leader, it's only fair I go first:

As you know, I am a sorceress. I specialize in the field of thaumaturgy, that is, reality alteration. I am at my most effective when near things I can manipulate either by a more direct control like swords or armor, or simply by hurling them around like stones, furnitures, and at times even our enemies themselves.

I also have proeficiency in the creation and manipulation of illusions. Most human beings, if caught by an illusion unaware, will be affected by it - Not because they actually are, but because of how our minds work. You see... If you believe you're on fire, your imagination fills the gaps. The smell, the sound, the pain - you feel them, even if they are not real. However, while human beings should be affected, I'm not sure about vampires. I suspect the stronger ones can see through magic, which means my ability to fight those is effectively cut by half... We will need help to circumvent that."

She sighs, then nods. "That's it for me. How about you all?"

[Felicity]

Dorian nodded, taking Ailioses information into account. "I can't say I focus on thaumaturgy, never had as much of an interest in that part of the craft, but I'm also a magic user. By the lord, it was a strage way that came about" Dorian chuckled, remembering how it was when he had found he had a knack for magic. "But, well, I guess it's the specifics you all will need. To be exact, I focis on magic that affeects the body, taking magical energy and using it to bolster my abilities." As Dorian began to spit out the jargon, his tone got more serious, he was in his element, explaining this. " As you can see, i'm a big lad.. Not only can I remove pain limitations on my body, I can further boost my bodies capabilities further. The most I've ever pushed it allowed me to jump a couple of miles into the air at peak condition, and return safely, making a rather large crater. Unfortunately, taking away pain stops the bodies reaction to it. Which is why I developed healing magic so I could manually fix myself up. I can apply that to others too, but I can't fix anything more complex than broken bones, nor can I help with diseases. Mainly because diseases have to be dealt with naturally, but that's another topic for another time. Going further into my magical skills, I have a basic use of elemental manipulation, no more than moving a boulder or conjuring a fireball though. As part of this, I also learnt skills involved with manipulating raw force. Nothing delicate though. Imagine if a telekinetic mage uses an arm of force to work his ways, I use a wall, easy to hit, but by no means subtle." Dorian paused in thought for a second. "Oh, for my nonmagical skills, while I don't have any formal training in hand to hand, I do know how a fight really is, days as a lad and all that. Oh, and time with the druids taught me much about nature, herbs and animals and the like." Dorian summed up. "And I think that's it for me. Suffice to say, I'm usseful in a brawl, but not much else I suppose..." Dorian grinned sheepishly, realising he had spoke for quite a while.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

"It would entirely hinge on the being I summon, for you see, I only can call. To me they are compelled, but they are of their own power. In fact, if I control them they are weaker unless their abilities are totally powered by rage and and brute power. It is hard to understand a spirit better than it understands itself, therefore their free will is important. But, It would be better to show you."

Zix held his Orb in front of him with both hands. The snow inside the orb suddenly reacted. every snowflake other one than single lone one moved to the outside, they all went dark, no longer shining with the brilliant lights they once did. Save for one that stayed focused in the center. It didn't move and was suspended in the center. It light grew and grew soon filling the entire orb with a verdant green glow. Zix started to speak in a strange old tongue one that was either old, or forgotten. "Denuntiamus autem vobis, ut impios, ut sanctum virum in adjutorium meum eris." he then switched back to the common tongue. "Caprion, Lord of the Forest, I COMPEL THEE, DO YOU HEED THE CALL?"

A green portal much the same colour as the orb, and the flake creating the glow, appeared next to Zix. "Sure, I was bored anyway." a deep baritone voice replied from the other side.

Then into the seat fell a Satyr, a half man, half goat. They were wild spirits, Fae that were well known for being tricksters and loving music. He had wild unruly hair and a beard to match. They were a lovely auburn in colour just like the hair that adorned his legs. He was ruggedly handsome though he gave off a bit of an air of arrogance. "Ooooo, Now that's a pretty lady. This why you brought me here Zix?" he said pointed Ailios. "Cause she's hoooooooooooooooooooooooooooootttt."

"No Caprion, I needed to show them what I could do, and you were the friendliest spirit that I could get at the moment. " Zix said, not seeming to notice the earlier comment, he just deflected it like always. Zix was rather pointed and didn't seem to have many emotions... or he didn't let on to them at the very least.

"Well, A pleasure to met you folks. Especially, you Miss." Caprion said leaning in towards Ailios. He raised his eyebrow a few times and winked.

[Felicity]

Dorian laughed heartily, very amused by the satyrs forthright nature. "Oh lord, you're quick to get started aren't you Caprion? I'm Dorian Mcallister. That introduction goes to you all actually, I don't think we did have a formal introduction with each other." He noted. Dorian sure as hell couldn't remember a few names...

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

"Caprion always knows want he wants!!!" the Satyr rather triumphantly. He touched his right hand to his bare chest, as he flourished with his left.

"Caprion, these are my allies on a journey, I expect you to treat them well." Zix said. It was hard for the others to discern what Zix was feeling, as his tone was rather flat and you couldn't see his face.

"Hmm, other folk of the fae, or are they demons? I want to know." Caprion said. He took out a small pouch and dipped 2 of his fingers into it. He then chucked a grey powder of some sort around the cabin. ((quite a bit aimed at Ailios's chest.)). Welp, not typical fae at least, that would have killed them. So, lesser fae, or demons? Those would be the honkers of a demon on that lady."

"Nope, they are mortals Caprion." Zix replied simply.

"Really? Well that's boring." Caprion said. His features deflated a little as he was clearly disappointed. However he quickly leaned over to Zix though, and whispered into his ear "She's still hooootttt though."

[Chevaleresse]

Silef wasn't sure what bothered her more, the satyr's absolutely inappropriate behavior or the fact that he apparently hadn't noticed her at all. Upon thinking the last, she shook her head. Such thoughts were not fitting for one of her station.

Clearing her throat, she began. "If we are quite finished, I shall introduce myself." She brushed at the dust with a disdainful expression. "I am Silef of the house Asterlux, and I wield light itself as a weapon. I can use it to blast my foes at range, but I have refined the technique of hardening it into physical objects - such as a blade - and using it at close range. Mostly, I excel at moving about the battlefield and eliminating my enemies before they have the chance to strike back at me." After she finished, she crossed her arms and leaned backward in her seat.

[finkeltinklewinkle]

As he listened the the exchange that occurred within the moving carriage, Ayak couldn't help but drift off on his own thoughts, seeing as he already knew most of the details that the various members of the party deigned to share, and then some. Then again, most people did not have the revelations of the spirits as well as access to the intel that other operatives of his caste nad perviously gathered in expectation of a situation such as this.

He thought back to the amount of study he had to do before he embarked upon this particular mission. Excursions so far afield were normally reserved for the elite, the cream of the crop, so it came as somewhat of a shock when he received the summons for service. It turned out the brotherhood was a bit short on hands, and his name came up as one of the backup operatives who had enough field experience to qualify, albeit his somewhat advanced age. And so it was with this in mind that he began on the mandatory 3 month research process that preceded any long distance mission. It was somewhat tedious and grueling at times, even with the brotherhood's great amount of literary resources and periodic news updates sent in by other monks from foreign lands. He eventually made it through though, as he did the previous dozen times, and embarked upon his journey with nothing but the clothes on his back and the tools of a spirit sieve.

It was thus Ayak came to Eire, armed with the knowledge of the lay of the land, current events, personages of note, locations of local outposts and most importantly, the spirit composition of the local area. This time, his mission was to stop the vile lunamancer, the one who had chiefly corrupted the balance of the elements throughout the entire continent. The lunamancer's actions did not bode well with the great spirit, and as the arms and legs of the great spirit's will, the order was bound to act, to remedy this issue. Thus, the elimination of this imbalance was his overarching goal, and he was prepared to obtain it by any means necessary, but preferably without bloodshed, for Ayak was a peaceful man at heart.

His thoughts moved on to brother Mangkuk and his little dingy pawnshop in one of Danu's innumerable alleyways. Although it was somewhat ironic that a monk be the proprietor of such a tight fisted money grabbing enterprise, one had to face the fact that it was not easy gathering information as a monk. Also, having the pawnshop as a base of operations for the brotherhood was quite a boon, not to mention that fellow brothers residing in the city for the order's various agendas did not have to beg for food to survive. It was during his first two weeks here that he learned of a covert recruiting exercise done with the intention of dealing with the lunamancer. Hence with the help of the brotherhood, he seeded news regarding a certain capable fighter who hailed from exotic lands far south, who was travelling to see the world and yet would offer his services in exchange for coin. It was with great joy that he received an invitation to join the party only a fortnight later, although he was careful to conceal his glee from the two lackeys that were sent to deliver the message.

Again, he recollected upon the fact that this was not a particularly momentous event in the eyes of the great spirit, as he was the only one to have been sent to deal with the issue. There had been incidences in the past where entire oceans threatened to engulf the world, as well as rogue spirits who could have split the world in twain if it were not for the utmost efforts of the order. Even then, if it were not for timely empowerment and intervention from the great spirits, the brotherhood could very well have failed, resulting in the final imbalance and destroying the world completely. But, Ayak had resolved to do his best, even sacrifice his own life if he had to, for he would not fail upon this mission that had been entrusted to him by the great spirit. It was with this in mind that he decided to drop his facade of being a simple traveller and reveal to them his true colors, for dishonesty and misdirection would not serve his cause in this case.

It was with such thoughts that Ayak half listened to the chatter in the rumbling carriage, but upon zix's summoning of the satyr, his attentions immediately snapped back to the situation at hand. Rousing himself from his apparent stupor, he addressed the group: 'If i may put in a word?' He paused before he continued. 'This would seem to be a good time for me to reveal in what ways i may be of service to the group. I am by birth, by profession and by heart a spirit sieve of Lamay.' He shifted his gaze over to where the caller and his spirit were seated, expecting them to grasp the denotation and connotation of the title. After all, although few knew of the existence of his order, those with frequent contact with spirits would often hear vague tales of those who could provide spirits with a physical body, allowing the performance of feats and shows of power one could only dream of. In fact, it was said that the founder of his order as well as his namesake, Ayak the first had once sieved a zeitgeist, allowing him to slow down time to a complete standstill so he could prevent the Swamp of reflection from being razed down by an invading horde of babarians, among other seemingly godlike feats.

'In brief, i am able to commune with spirits within the locale thus obtaining information from them, and if they are willing, i am able to retain them within my body for a time and gain the powers of said spirit.' Upon having said his piece, he concluded by saying : 'Although i am not a very good one, i will still endeavor to be of whatever service i can provide, although i think our esteemed caller Zix will prove to be much more useful than i.' Ayak then leaned back, and called upon his years of experience to seem to have returned his previous half asleep state, when in fact he was closely scrutinizing Zix and Caprion the satyr for any sign of recognition and reaction, for it would be somewhat of an indicator of Zix's competence as a caller, or at the very least his news network concerning matters of the spirit realm.

Edited January 20, 2015 by finkeltinklewinkle

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Zix knew very little of the order Ayak belonged to, as to Zix, orders went against his philosophy entirely. Zix cared little for social constructs or anything that restricted the free will of an individual in any way. In fact, Ayak would probably sense a small amount of disdain at least from Zix. Zix wouldn't hate his order though. He knew that order was necessary sometimes to prevent chaos from going on checked, however, he didn't wish to be a part of it himself. The Silent Winter was different, the Callers from which he came from. Only one existed at a time. They passed all their knowledge to a pupil and promptly disappeared from the world. It was usually left within the Orb, and learned from there. This way if the Master of the Orb was felled before his time, one who could wield its power would come and find it. They would be drawn to it like Zix himself was.

Caprion knew of his order very well however. Knowing it full well, he was entirely indifferent. This Satyr cared extremely little for the affairs of mortals. They were boring to him and it was clear on his features and mannerisms. After Zix had told him the origin of his companions he lost interest almost entirely, seemingly withdrawing back into himself. He only really conversed with Zix afterwards, which was strange given how little he apparently cared for mortals. Apparently, Zix was more interesting than your typical Mortal.

"You deal in the more mundane of spirits then, that isn't weak. I am sure there are many things you can do that I cannot Ayak. I am merely a vessel that calls into the void and brings forth the beings that answer the call." Zix spoke up.

Caprion, clearly bored pulled out his pan flute. They were rather interestingly made. Probably made from the tusk or horn of same strange creature. Across the top ran a band of pure silver, in it inscribed small reliefs. It had nearly 30 different pipes and was large and seemingly unwieldy, and yet he made it look like nothing. It was as loud as he was but, it was a beautiful piece. As much a work art as music that would be played on it. He played a short and haunting melody before going into something more light-hearted and playful. It was a soft and beautiful tune. Never too harsh, never rushed. It calmly glided from note to note.

[Kurotsune]

Ailios quietly listens to all of the members' descriptions of themselves, then finally nods.

"I see."

As Caprion does it's thing, blundering about the place and spraying whatever-it-is everywhere, the Sorceress merely pats herself off. When the antics were over, she peers not at the summon, but it's master. "Contain your goat." She peers at all of the members individually for a moment, careful eyes seemingly measuring her worth. When her eyes meet those of any members, they shine with a faint white glow for only a sliver of a moment. Those familiar with arcane magick, an ancient form of the Art long thought to be forgotten, would recognize it's activation, but would not be able to tell it's purpose. Clearly, Ailios is hiding something from you - Interestingly, she doesn't seem to care about hiding the fact she is.

"It seems our team has a simple composition then. Our melee attackers will stand in front, me and the summoner in the back, and the spirit sieve will fulfill whichever role the entity possessing him is best suited for.

We should be reaching Eachann soon. Once we do, I will take only one of you with me to meet the Duke with me. The others will be tasked of scouting the city, to find information that can help our cause and to find those that are willing to join us."

Without a doubt, the woman that stands here now is not the same as the one who stood moments before. The once-shy Ailios now exhaled confidence, and in her voice echoed command. Maybe this was the Sorceress' magicks you heard so much about. It's said that their use of spellcasting is ritualistic in it's nature, and to the sorceress, even arousing. The energy that courses through them as they cast their Art empowers them and surely, affects one psyche as much as it does one's body.

"It will not be long now. I will allow you to convince me, but my first choice is the obvious one of Lady Silef. I'm sure she'd like to meet with the duke as well. If anyone disagrees, state your piece."

(( We are now in party-break. Turn order can be disregarded until a conclusion is reached on who shall accompany Ailios to meet Duke Byrne.

The ones that do not will be partaking in a new mechanic, called the Exploration mechanic. I will be adding an explanation on how it works in Starting Point as soon as I'm done with the World Map. ))

[Felicity]

"Aye, that's fine. I'm sure I'd love to explore the city anyway, never been to it for long enough to get around." Dorian said. "Besides, maybe i'll find a few of my old villagers trying t make their fortune there." Dorian said, content with the plan. Gods knew he didn't want to head off to the Lord. He'd just make a buffoon of himself...

[Chevaleresse]

Silef did not speak, but gave a nod of acquiescence. She thought about the fighting that was to come. It would be an excellent chance to prove herself and redeem her house's honor. It was a shame she didn't have more companions of proper stock, but, well, it couldn't be helped. She only hoped she wasn't going to have to do ALL the work.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

"I shall travel with Dorian. I am not the type to meet Lords." Zix said with next to no emotion. "Going to send you back now Caprion." and without consulting the Satyr he tapped the Orb 3 times and Caprion vanished in a brilliant green light like the one he appeared in. "You don't know anything about spirits do you, Ailios? Or do you simply not understand the concept of free will?"

He sighed heavily. "Or, I could assume like most humans, you are stupid. You clearly are not stupid so that isn't an option."

[finkeltinklewinkle]

Ayak, upon hearing the decision that Ailios had made, could not help but nod in agreement. 'That is a wise decision, milady Ailios. I will assign myself to scouring the city in search of whatever aid we can obtain.' It was indeed a wise decision, Ayak mused, as those of high birth were bound to respect those of their ilk, in much the same way that power has to respect power. For if a noble did not validate the position of other nobles, it would be akin to saying that they themselves were not all that they made themselves up to be. Furthermore, one could not deny the innate advantage that the fairer gender held over the other in regards to convincing another. Even in a purely innocent context, words from a lady held more sway than those of a man as a general rule. Ayak pondered for a moment as to whether he should ask the purpose of the visit to the duke, but in the end decided that it did not matter, and that Ailios along with Silef would prove adequate to the task.

Now, his thoughts turned to the task at hand. Eachann, although not among the renowned metropolises of the world, still held a certain weight by being one of the bigger cities on the continent of Eire. Hence, it warranted its own outpost from the order, staffed by an elderly couple by the name of jenkins. Although they were not inducted in the ways of the order, they still served the interests of the brotherhood, in much the same way that employees would serve the vision of their employer. It would have to do for information concerning the town, its inhabitants and current goings on, not to mention he would be able to do a bit more research concerning the local spirits of the area. He might even be able to pick some implements that would help in sieving, especially those that were too heavy and cumbersome to lug around on a expedition halfway across the world.

Speaking of which, he would have to commune with the spirits post haste. he decided that he would do so right after visiting the couple jenkins. With his satchel open in front of him, he took out his joss sticks, and began checking them for any damage they might have suffered during the course of the trip. Now that the satyr had left, it was safe to take them out, for the fumes produced by these joss sticks were a strong attractant for spirits, and it would not do for another being to fool about with these carefully prepared tools of his trade.

[Kurotsune]

Ailios peered at Zix for a moment.

"I understand the concept of free will. So do I wish for you to understand the concept of respect; Your summons will respect me as the commander of this party, and so will you. If you cannot comply, then you can stay in Eachann, and we will proceed without your aid. What I will not stand for is idiotic tomfoolery when the lives of thousands are at stake. And on that note, never summon again lest it is requested, or we are in combat. Do I make myself clear?"

Regardless of the man's answer, the carriage reaches its destination. Ailios waves the party off, beckoning to Silef in particular afterwards. "Come. We will move immediately to meet the Duke. "

And so the party splits. After all party members are out of the carriage and so are their belongings, Ailios waves the driver off and immediately she and Silef begin their stride towards Byrne's Hold.

After crossing a short forest path leading up to the Hold, it comes into view. It is comprised of two buildings linked together by a small tunnel-like pathway in the eastern wall of the main building.

The smaller building - Clearly identified as the main building of the Hold as the path leads to two massive stone doors at it's sides - is made of grey stone bricks, and has three main entrances. The first two are the aforementioned, positioned in either side of the building. The third is at it's middle, placed after a set of stairs and seemingly leading to a different room than the ones before.

The bigger building has no doors or entrances to speak of. It is a large rectangle, easily twice the main house in both height and length, with twin tower-like structures at each of it's top corners. From these, Silef would notice archers poised and peering at them and at the woods around. Where she to pay attention to where the archers looked, she'd notice that several watchtowers were build in the surrounding forest, and each of them was staffed by at least three archers.

There are plenty of sounds coming from the larger building, ranging from laughter to steel clashing to the woes of the near-dead. It is easy to surmise this is a house for troops - An indoor training ground, hospital, caferia, dormitories... Likely, by it's size, it could easily house a few thousand men. Impressive, for a city the size of Eachann. But then, one would expect as much from the leader of the King's army.

Ailios immediately heads for the middle door, gesturing to Silef to follow. "Have you been here before?" She asks in a half-amused tone as they make their way towards it. "Have you met the Duke?"

((Dobby, Fink and Hukuna -> If you wish, write one more post with your reaction to the last part of the carriage ride. You will receive a PM with further instructions shortly.

Murdoc -> Continue as normal. ))

[Chevaleresse]

Silef shook her head. "I have never been here personally, no. My training took up most of my time; any visits were to neighboring families. I had relatives that visited, however." She looked over the keep. "Is there anything I should know before I make my appearance?"

[Kurotsune]

Ailios stops for a moment, she peers at Silef, then nods. "The Duke's gone almost mad with paranoia. The fact Iain won't be here when we greet him will bode no good towards our cause... We must be as diplomatic as we can; I'm hoping your clan's name will mean something to the duke, as both of your families were magic warriors of Eilne.

Other than that... He's a typical noble. Only cares about furthering his own cause. If we play our cards right and make it sound like he can profit for it, he'll give us aid.

Anything else you'd like to know, or shall we?"

[Chevaleresse]

"We shall." Silef nodded and continued forward. Wearing her armor might set the duke off a bit, but hopefully the lack of any visible weapon would reassure him. Not that she would need to carry about a sharpened lump of metal at this point, but what goes unseen goes without consideration. Either way, showing up in simple finery did not suit her. She was not an ambassador, she was (to her knowledge) the last Asterlux warrior, and she would dress as such.

A grimace flashed across her face. Turning to Ailios, she asked a second question. "How did the duke's family come into power? I would assume it was originally based on the talents of the family." She hoped he wasn't one of those money-grubbing, bauble-peddling merchant nobles, who bought their titles with cheap promises and the clink of coin.

[Kurotsune]

Ailios stares blankly at Silef for a moment. "...I imagined the story of General Byrne would be known to you. Well. The Byrne clan has always been dilligent in service to the crown. How Duke Byrne rose to power came after the eclipse. He rallied the army under him and took control of the situation when others despaired. It was almost as if he knew what was going on even before the Lunamancer revealed himself...

Well, if the rumors about the Byrne family and the Lunamancer having a generations-long feud is to be believed, maybe he did. One way or another, he estabilished himself as the main pillar of Eilne's army, and the king saw it fit to give him Dukeship as a reward.

Anything else you'd like to know?"