Tag: mazoku

#Lore24 – Entry #316 – Fantasy Month IV #11 – The Heroes of Vindinium and the Journey to the Ruins

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos

As it happened, I was back in Vindinium when the heroes returned, sampling some of the local cooking and chatting with one of the town’s hunters about the geography around the town when the call came from one of the watchtowers that the adventuring party had been spotted coming along the road.  I hastily finished my lunch and the conversation and headed toward the westward gate which connected to the road leading deeper into the Wildlands to await their arrival.  I hoped that I wasn’t fidgeting too much, for the cage, plug, piercings had been particularly active today, and my changed anatomy was particularly sensitive and engorged inside its tiny enclosure.  How Lady Armenia expected me to perform in my expected role in surveying these ruins with these distractions remained a mystery.

The party rode through the gates without much in the way of fanfare, rather a series of friendly greetings and waves from friendly villagers and the handful of soldiers on watch duty.  They made their way quickly toward the town’s tavern, the Drunken Hog, without even pausing to clear off the dust from the road.  They had the look of seasoned adventurers about them, their gear worn but well-cared for, sporting a handful of scrapes and bruises that hadn’t yet been healed by their healer, friendly banter between themselves, that sort of thing.  I decided to give them a little time to settled down from their trip before I introduced myself.

After about half an hour, I made my way into the tavern, drawing their eyes immediately as I came inside.  The drakonae with them leaned in, whispering something to the dusk elf arcanist, who nodded affirmatively and whispered something back, and made some quick movements with his fingers, to which the purple-haired dawn elf nodded, flashing a rather hungry grin by way.  As I would come to learn, the drakonae was their scout, going by the name Shassk Darkscale, certainly an apt name given his pitch black scales.  The arcanist was Ellisar Chaeynor, dressed in common explorer’s clothes, his stark white hair tied back in a short tail, bore several charms about his person, along with a pair of wands upon his belt, as well as his staff, which, to my chagrin, was a Staff of Many Bindings.  The dawn elf, a remarkably beautiful man, whom I very nearly assumed a woman at first, had long purple hair, a lascivious smirk, and wore pants so tight that could only marvel at how he fit into them at all given the roundness of his rear and wideness of his hips (a most remarkable feature of his, I must admit); I knew at once he could be trouble, for he was not shy about his attraction toward me.  This was Korvalis Nightrunner.

The two women amongst the party were no less remarkable.  The first had given me a start when I’d first witnessed her riding into town, for she was very nearly the exact opposite of Lady Armenia.  She was a mazoku, named Gresilda Nazaria and bearing the holy symbol of Erisaya, her skin a deep blue color, hair of gold, her horns curling around the sides of her head, her eyes bright amber shade, and upon seeing her out of her armor, she tended to wear white and other brighter colors, if not so fine as what Lady Armenia wore.  The other woman came in a moment later, nearly having to duck to enter from the rear entrance from the stables, for she was well over six-feet tall and possessed of a huge, muscular build and a wild mane of fiery red hair, her tattoos indicating that she was of the barbaric tribes that roamed the northern reaches on the edges of the Empire, though she bore herself as much more civilized than her initial appearance would indicate, her speech decidedly that of a lifelong citizen of the Empire.  This was Risai Morningstar.

I introduced myself and began telling them of my reason for approaching, and they bid me to sit at their table, and we spoke for some time while they enjoyed drink and food, though I did not press them too hard on the details of the ruins they had found.  That we would save for that evening, after they had had time to rest and recover, for they had been invited to dine with Commander Asselin and Lady Armenia to discuss the coming exploration.  They seemed a little suspicious of me, understandably so, for I was indeed an outside among them, but friendly enough, though Shassk and Risai weren’t the most conversational amongst us.

I would have plenty of time to get to know them better on our journey to the ruins.  Following our discussions at dinner that night, they would resupply the following day and set out in the early morning the day after, with myself traveling with them this time.  Thankfully the night before we set out, Lady Armenia removed the accursed plug from me, even if she didn’t remove the other pieces of my “protection”.  She did give me the dildo I had both practiced my oral abilities upon and had used upon me, though, “just in case food is scarce” she said.  I was no less frustrated than I had been, of course, and would be greatly more so once I had experienced riding on horseback with my new anatomy; how men manage to do this at all is beyond me.

With my gear and equipment ready, I joined the party and we set off; the journey to the ruins would take about four days, assuming we didn’t run into any trouble.  In spite of their work so far, there were still plenty of tribals out there looking for blood, as well as a multitude of bandit groups who were still out roaming out there, many disaffected former citizens of the Empire, some supposedly former soldiers who had once fought in the Res’Taringal rebellion and went into exile, others from the elvish-held lands beyond the Wildlands and beyond.  I would learn that there were signs of cult activity in the area as well, for they had encountered at least one instance of a ritual sacrifice in the wilderness, and several people had gone missing from Vindinium.  Worse, perhaps, there was at least one party of adventurers who had come into the region and turned bandit and may be interested in the ruins as well.  No shortage of dangers to be wary of, certainly.

We would encounter a perhaps two dozen orcs, an armed raiding party, during our travels, which, thanks to Shassk’s expertise, we were able to ambush, leaving only the three or four who ran off alive.  There were other dangers along the way as well, for we encountered a pack of rather ravenous wolves, came dangerously close to some giant spiders that had found their way out of a section of woods to hunt, and even a rare fire-breathing drake that had attacked us from the skies, looking for food.  I held my own during these encounters, and though I was hardly as attuned to the surroundings as the rest of the party, I would quickly learn their ways and work with them as we went. 

A severe thunderstorm struck late on the third day, delaying our travel by a day while we waited for it to pass, but soon enough we would arrive at the site of the ruins, and my work would begin.

#Lore24 – Entry #273 – Fantasy Month III #30 – The Path of Truth

As Told by Larissa no Synstralia de’Cordova, Confessor of Yurisaya

“I spent some time in personal contemplation of this particular case after my last interview, before I compiled my notes regarding the whole affair.  I won’t deny that previous meditations on the matter had given me some insights into the nature of the conspiracy which these women have become a part of, and that those insights were leading me to the exact things which were suggested by Eri and Hatae.  The Dark Lady is urging me to join them, to root out those who would seek to do harm to her faithful and perhaps even the Church itself.  There is undoubtedly a greater threat in the shadows, and the only way to combat those of the dark is to take that darkness away with a greater light.

I have been contemplating the makeup of this party, and though there are undoubtedly some in the city council who would disagree vehemently with my decision, I have placed my faith above my duties to the city, and will be accepting the invitation to join forces with them, so that the greater conspiracy may be revealed.  As it stands, we will have three faithful to Yurisaya, or close enough in the case of the mercenary, one who remains more or less neutral in her reverence to nature, and two faithful to Erisaya, or close enough regarding the bard.  I am not too proud to admit that I am quite curious as to her true nature; another mystery which I must uncover.

So, with that in mind, I do indeed know of an arcanist whom I think will be rather fitting for the party.  Though his talents are of the arcane, he was trained in the enchanter’s school here in Arcavarlon and is a devoted to Erisaya.  I have worked with Tsukasa Matsubara before on several investigations relating to city affairs, and he has proved quite capable of capturing our targets alive.  We make a good pair, he capturing them through enchantment or magical bonds, and I handling the interrogations once they have been further secured.  His personality should be a good addition to the group dynamic, I think, bringing us into something of a harmonious balance. 

Or at least, I can hope; I have no doubts there will be a period of adjustment to our presence, and no small amount of disagreements, but such is the nature of adventuring parties, as I understand them.  Even though our faiths are aligned and set upon a common goal, we are our own people, after all, and our personalities will undoubtedly clash.  I find myself growing unusually excited by the prospect of another adventure after the last few years working at the behest of the city, whatever challenges we may face.  I daresay we will stand a greater than average chance of seeing this through, for our faith is strong, and I can sense the resolve of both Eri and Hatae in this matter.  I know not where our path will take us, but I am certain that we will get to the truth of the matter, however long it takes, and however many enemies we must face. 

In the names of Yurisaya and Erisaya, we will root out the conspirators and see them brought to justice, and I will oversee their divine punishments with a most zealous vigor.  Thus, I am resolved.”

 

SPECIAL NOTE:  The Path of Corrections

So, along about the middle of June, I got my entry numbers out of whack, classic off by 1 error (on the Wrathful Spirits entry as it turns out…Wrathful Spirits of organization, perhaps…).  Soooo…instead of going back and correcting months worth of entries through the WordPress interface, which would be tediously time consuming since I’d have to edit not just the page title, but the title in the text area too, I’m making a note here that I’m not short an entry, the numbers are just off.  SO, starting on October 1st, the CORRECT entry number is 275 for the start of the next month.  You didn’t miss one, I did!  Maybe one of these days I’ll correct it, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. 

#Lore24 – Entry #272 – Fantasy Month III #29 – Guidance of the Gods

As Told by Hatae Ulla, Exotic Entertainer, Dedicated of Yurisaya

“Though we must use our own judgement, of course we must look to the guidance from our goddesses too.  When I visited Yursiaya’s temple, it was the first time that I’d experienced her voice so clearly.  Though I am not of the clergy, I cannot deny what it was that I felt, and I’m certain it’s a sign from not only her, but Erisaya as well, that all of us have been brought together as we have been.  Though they are not as strongly faithful as Eri and myself, I have no doubt that Siduri and Teelsa show their respects in their own ways.  Kazumi is a bit of a, well, wildcard, but where she comes from, kerryns aren’t supposed to worship gods, and she’s had a hard time coming to terms with that, I think.  Not that she really speaks of it much…regardless, her heart is in the right place. 

There is something bigger looming that we’ve simply not uncovered yet.  You see it too, I’m sure of it!  You’ve spent time praying to Yurisaya since this whole interrogation began, right?  Don’t you get the impression that there’s something threatening her faithful, and those of Erisaya?  Eri and I spoke about it briefly following our visits to the temples, and I think she would agree.  We don’t know who else is involved beyond the two factions we’ve encountered thus far, but I’m sure there’s someone, or something, else just waiting to be discovered there, behind it all!  Maybe it’s another demon?  Maybe it’s the forces of another god?  Maybe its something else entirely?

All I know for sure is that we aren’t getting anywhere wasting time stuck in here!  Though they haven’t attacked us here yet, they’re no doubt looking for the perfect opportunity to strike!  If we can but complete our task for Lochlan, then we can return to Lady Jade and dive into this conspiracy fully, and begin rooting out the truth of the matter!  Though I’m not only voice in the party, certainly, I would hope that you would be agreeable to joining our cause, sister Confessor!  I’m sure there would be some complaints, but you can feel it too, can’t you?  Surely you do!  That looming sense of dread beneath it all?

And of course, to see to it that those you work for within Arcavarlon’s government are properly convinced, you’d be there to see to it that we are kept in line, especially Eri and myself!  I’ve been thinking about the situation and have to ask…do you perhaps know a talented arcanist who would be willing to work with us?  Perhaps one you know personally and can trust?  Not that I’d be plotting against a fellow Yurisayan, but it would be another friendly set of eyes for you and the city, and the Dark Lady knows that we’re severely lacking on the arcane talents amongst us!  Teelsa’s illusions are helpful, but we need someone to help with defeating the scrying that’s been vexing us throughout this whole affair.

Think it over, at least, please?  I’d certainly appreciate it, Confessor.  And I’m sure the others will too, even if they don’t know it immediately.  Right now, we need all the help we can get, and I’m not too proud to seek it from people I’m willing to trust.”

#Lore24 – Entry #271 – Fantasy Month III #28 – Deeper Conspiracies

As Told by Erilantielle “Eri” Kitami, Champion of Erisaya

“I’ve thought about some of the implications of that attack in the time I’ve been in here, yeah.  The way I see it, we’ve got at least two groups in play against us, perhaps a third one.  No, I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s another person or group or another demon or whatever behind all these actions against us, not after what I’ve been through.  You’ve got the twats and whoever is in charge of them, you’ve got the dark elves, and, then you’ve got the one who is really behind all this.  Sure, it could be that there’s just the two parties, but my gut is telling me that’s not the case.  Well, my gut and Erisaya’s voice during my prayers.  She’s warned me of something deeper, something more sinister lurking just out of sight, so it makes sense.

Oh?  Have you now?  The Dark Lady is giving you the same impression?  Well, how about that?  A shame they can’t give us more information, but I suppose that would defeat the purpose of our devotion and toils upon this land, wouldn’t it?  What’s life without its challenges, right?  I’m hardly equipped for a deep investigation into the nature of all this, though.  I’m something of a blunt instrument when you get right down to it; point me at an enemy and I’ll cut it down, but when it comes to rooting out conspiracies, that’s for brains that are more sly than mine.  Hatae and Teelsa would certainly be the ones to ask about that kind of thing, and likely Lady Jade has a lot more information about it by now, just waiting for us to finish up our task before she gives it over.

Ah, yes, that doesn’t really surprise me, honestly.  Hatae’s got a mean streak in her if you get her riled up.  It’s one of the things I really appreciate about her.  She’s really cute when she’s plotting revenge with her bondage games.  I think so, anyway, not that we’ve had that much time to really sit and ponder such things.  I can’t say I’d be opposed to the idea, though.  Erisaya does have her own brand of punishment for those who would wrong her, just take a look at my history clearing out that cult.  But perhaps a joint venture is indeed in order here, a little bonding between sisters, as it were.  I like the idea of punishing those responsible for all this trouble, ourselves included once the culprits are dealt with.

Oh, I can see through your façade, Confessor.  You’ve got the cold detachment and intimidating demeanor down well, but I can see your interest in seeing punishments properly dealt out.  There’s a glimmer in your eyes that only shows up when the subject comes up, that ever so slight shift in the way you sit that betrays your eagerness.  I wouldn’t have caught it were I not trained in the Erisayan arts, for our goddesses do share so much of their ways, after all.  What do you say, then, Confessor?  Would you be interested in seeing justice carried out?  And then presiding over some justice for our own wrongs, in the name of the Ladies?  Hatae and I can be a handful, I think; maybe we could use a firm hand to keep us in line throughout our little misadventure?”

#Lore24 – Entry #270 – Fantasy Month III #27 – Alliances Beyond Borders

As Told by Hatae Ulla, Exotic Entertainer, Dedicated of Yurisaya

“Eri’s not wrong, of course.  After that last attack, I have no doubt that our enemies are working together.  There’s been an alliance made somewhere behind the scenes, somewhere far beyond the borders of this land.  Well, yes, of course, I mean my homeland, who else?  We’ve proven resistant to their attempts so far, but that has only made them more intent at this point.  I honestly would have expected that they would have tried to mount an assault on this place by now, honestly.

Oh!  I see!  I didn’t know this jail was protected against scrying…hmmm, well, that explains that, then.  Surely, they know where we are now, though, even if they can’t spy upon us directly.  There must be another reason…perhaps they’ve had a disagreement after their failure and the alliance is in danger of breaking… Either way, I can’t say that I’m happy knowing that they’re still lurking somewhere out of sight, ready to strike.  I enjoy being watched by adoring crowds, not lurkers in shadows!

I can understand the motives of the dark elves; they’re just following the orders of the woman in charge, whichever one that is.  I wouldn’t be surprised if it was my own mother, perhaps an aunt, even a sister, in all honesty.  Still, I can’t blame them for their actions, really; they’re only doing what comes naturally to them, given their upbringing.  No, the ones I actually feel most strongly towards are the twin twats…the fact that they’re so callous in their attacks as to endanger others with such destructive magic is just infuriating!  And I suppose whoever is in charge of them condones their behaviors, too, because they are still showing no restraint at all!

Well, you can bet that if I could get my hands on them, I’d show them restraint, alright!  All kinds of them, in fact, the most restrictive I could get my hands on!  A little rigged escape challenge, if you will.  Oh, I’m not good enough to give the likes of them an honest chance…just the illusion of a chance, you see.  Give them a little hope of escape, urge them on with promises of freedom and punishments for failure, which would be quite inevitable, of course.  I would quite like to put them through some of the penance trials of the Dark Lady.  Perhaps I could convince you to assist in that regard, Confessor?”

#Lore24 – Entry #269 – Fantasy Month III #26 – The Fires of Folly

As Told by Erilantielle “Eri” Kitami, Champion of Erisaya

“I’m not happy about what happened.  We never meant for it happen, that I swear upon Erisaya’s good name.  We only wanted to slip in, find the information required, and get out without anyone noticing.  It was a shame what happened to the guild house, and no doubt they blame us for our actions leading to its destruction.  They’re not entirely wrong, certainly, and perhaps we can make amends for it.  I’m only thankful that nobody was seriously hurt aside from some of the mercenaries and dark elves. 

I’m certain the two groups were working together at this point, though.  The timing of the attacks…it was just too convenient to be a coincidence.  It’s the kind of thing I saw several times a few decades ago when I was rooting out a demon cult, where two groups seemed to be on opposite sides, only for us to find a combined front whenever we tried to wipe one of them out.  It would have made more sense for the dark elves to go inside the guild house, but for whatever reason, they didn’t.  Maybe it was something of a test of their trust in one another, each group attempting to claim the other’s quarry as a sign of good faith. 

Whatever the case, we’re still bound to Lady Jade’s will at this point and need to finish the work we’ve started in her name.  I gave her my word and will not break it, however long it takes.  Then we must deal with these dark elves and the twins and root out exactly who it is that seeks us.  I can understand why they’re after Hatae, but I can’t figure why they’re after me unless maybe that cult didn’t get entirely wiped out.  But we banished the demon from this realm, I completed the ritual of exorcism myself, and felt its presence, felt its outrage as I purged it from the world.  Surely it could not have returned, and no other demon would take up a cause of revenge for it…would it?  There must be another reason, something I don’t know yet…”

#Lore24 – Entry #268 – Fantasy Month III #25 – The Twats Strike Again

As Told by Kazumi, Druid of the Circle of Claw and Fang

“The protections provided by the lady of the Greenspire were eventually going to fail, as we knew, and the gods seemed to think it funny to have them fail as we were skulking about on the job for that merchant.  This one did not find it so funny. 

The forces of the Twats appeared through magic, for they could not have been there when first we traversed the guild house.  This one is certain of it; this one’s nose does not deceive her.  Their mercenaries rushed us, tried to catch us by surprise, while the Twats used their magic to attempt to subdue us.  The red one was angry that Eri was not with us, and the blue one complained that she had not enough time during her divinations.  This got the red one angrier, and then she started flinging fire spells at us. 

This one doesn’t like those two at all.  She wouldn’t mind tearing them apart with her claws, but they are just as tricky as they are dangerous.  We had what was required of us, so we made our escape, through this one’s wood-warping magic and through the bard’s illusions.  By the time we reached the outside, we found half a dozen dark elves stirring around the place, already engaging Eri and Siduri.  This one knows not what magical means they use to track us, but this one is getting very tired of it.  The dark elves were not familiar to this one’s nose, so we had not encountered them before.  This one assumes there are several groups of them at work hunting Hatae. 

The Twats reappeared as we were finishing off the dark elves, but by then the city guard had finally been called, as had the guild’s enforcers, and they made themselves scarce.  This one was ready to make another escape, but Eri spoke against the idea, and so we are here now, having this conversation.  This one hopes you’ve enjoyed it, because this one is done talking now.  This one’s blood is stirring and this one is growing tired of these walls.”

#Lore24 – Entry #267 – Fantasy Month III #24 – A Fine Mess

As Told by Siduri Tamboura, Warrior for Hire

“Things happen for a reason, I reckon; the will of the gods, some random fate, a trick of luck, whatever you want to call it.  I’m by no means an investigator, I’m just here to bash heads and draw steel when needed, as long as the money keeps coming.  I could care less about some rich merchant, but the job was to help him with his trade war or whatever, so I had at least listened with half an ear, though I’d leave the clue-finding to the others.  

First couple of days we were just snooping around the city, looking into whatever clues this Albrecht guy had managed to get his hands on.  I was bored and restless, too much law and order in a place makes it pretty tedious for someone like me.  I stayed on watch, figured that one of the groups who were hunting us would make an appearance sooner or later, probably when we were good and vulnerable. 

And you know what?  I was right!  Hatae, Teelsa, and Kazumi were uh…looking more deeply into a particular chain of clues we’d found, which may or may not have led into a particular guild house.  I’m not admitting to anything, here!  I was outside, enjoying the night air and the pleasant weather, okay?  Eri was there with me, you can ask her; we were just chatting and watching the night liffe.  You ever try keeping an eye on a pair like Hatae and Teelsa, or someone who can turn into a housecat at will?  In a city like this?  Well, somehow, I don’t know how, mind you, there was some kind of disturbance inside that guild house, and the next thing we knew, the upper floor windows on one end blew out and there was fire everywhere. 

Well, being the good and responsible kind of person I am, I decided to go help out, you know, getting the residents out safely and all that.  Just so happened that was when the dark elves decided to show up again.  If you ask me, the whole situation had turned into a real fine mess!  And where was the city guard?  Who knows, cause I sure didn’t see them around!  At least, not until we’d already dealt with most of the trouble!  If you’re looking for someone to blame, I’d say it’s them!  They weren’t properly vigilant!  Maybe they were even in on it!  Have you tried questioning them?”

#Lore24 – Entry #266 – Fantasy Month III #23 – A Most Noble Patron

As Told by Teelsa “the Fleetfooted” Dawndancer

“Ah, yes, of course, I will most happily oblige of course, good Lady Confessor!  For you have been a most gracious host you see, and it wouldn’t be quite proper to deny you a tale so grand!  Why, once we departed the magnificent temple district…oh, and might I say, the temple of Erisaya was most inspiring, such fine construction!  Perhaps one day I shall work up the courage to visit the temple of your goddess, but I must say, I find her ways a bit too forceful for my liking! 

Where was I?  Ah, yes, our most noble patron with whom we were to shortly be introduced!  It is no secret, surely, that we met with the most honorable Lochlan Albrecht; even I had heard of his trade business in this region, and his investments in the arts of Arcavarlon.  I must say, it came as no surprise that the Lady Jade was associated with the good fellow given her reach.  And he was quite generous with the meal which he offered to us as well; I had not enjoyed such a fine spread in quite some time.  Though I adore traveling to new places, I really don’t care for the traveling, you know?  I’d much rather enjoy the comforts of the city and not the dirt and the grime and the weather.

Oh, yes, quite right, I do seem to be going off on a tangent, don’t I?  Well, anyway, as I was saying, following our most wonderful meal, we got down to business.  It seems that the Albrecht company had been beset by some unfortunate setbacks, not only from the bandits that have taken up in the regions outside of Arcavarlon, but within its gates, too, for several long-time customers had been driven away to other transporters and many shipments had gone missing before they even reached his warehouses!  To my keen mind, that sounds very much like something nefarious is afoot!  He had his suspicions, some little proof, though, so he needed some talented individuals to look into the matter with utmost discretion, some who were not of the city so that he could be sure of where our loyalties may or may not have lain.

Ah, the intrigue!  This is why I so enjoy the big cities!  One can find inspiration for song and tale wherever one looks!  I have already began composing a new song in fact, though it is in a far rougher state than that of my previous song, but nonetheless, I shall regale you-

Some people just don’t appreciate fine art… Very well, I shall endeavor to keep to the topic without the benefit of my verses, though it shall be a most unflattering telling.  What is it with the chill in the air?  Are you certain there are no arcanists working nearby?”

#Lore24 – Entry #265 – Fantasy Month III #22 – Visiting the Temple of Yurisaya

As Told by Hatae Ulla, Exotic Entertainer, Dedicated of Yurisaya

“Oh, it was wonderful!  I’d always heard about the grand temple, had wanted to visit it for so long!  I’m so happy that I’ve finally gotten to do so!  I have to admit, I’m a little envious of you, Confessor, since you can go there whenever you like and all.  But yes, it’s something of a dream come true for me!  I wasn’t prepared for just how big it really is, nor how strongly the Dark Lady’s presence could be felt there.  Even though I’m not a priestess, I could feel her power within its halls, almost like she was caressing me!  It was almost as if I could touch her power if I but prayed a little harder…

But you know that, I’m sure!  My only disappointment was that I couldn’t spare the time then to partake in some of the rituals with the clergy, though I did take time to speak to several of them while I was there!  I was actually surprised to see that there were so many dark elves amongst their ranks here, and to learn that there was some mistrust of the church here because of that.  Personally, I feel that any of us who can willingly denounce the ways of the Mantis Queen in favor of Yurisaya will be better off for it!  I didn’t feel any of the pressure there amongst my kind like I did back home, none of the paranoia or mistrust!  It was wonderful!

If it weren’t for the business we had to deal with, I would’ve spent the night there at least, maybe a couple days, if I’m being honest.  Of course, I wouldn’t want to leave Eri and the others high and dry, of course.  There will be time enough later for that, I think, and maybe Eri and I can spend some time together in either temple once we settle matters with the Twin Twats and the dark elves.

Speaking of the dark elves…some of the clergy did clue me in on who may be responsible for hunting me.  They still keep in contact with their family back home, and to absolutely nobody’s surprise, there’s a new power struggle amongst the topmost houses, and mine is in the thick of it.  So, it seems, I’m to be a bargaining chip for someone, or insurance for my family in case my mother or sisters finally get brought down by that madness.  If they could only find their way to Yurisaya…”