Difference between revisions of "Porcelain Child/SessionTwentySix"

Latest revision as of 01:17, 6 April 2010

The Legend of the Porcelain Child - Chapter Three - Session 26

With the terrible situation in Glie finally taken care of, things slowly begin to return to normal. The Merchant Master claims no memory of matter, and is profoundly uncooperative. He is imprisoned for a time, but is found to have hung himself creatively during a guard shiftover. The guard captain Eudorus is rather unanimously voted to take charge of Glie, he reluctantly accepts the title of office, at least until something more permanent could be arranged. Ujiro decides to stay at Glie and is popularly voted to be the new guard-captain. He does not take the offer, but accepts a small title of land near the town. He is considered quite eligible, at least to strange women. Vana and Magpie return three days after the battle with tales to tell of their own. Diamandus merely shakes his head.

On the road. With horses.
<onine> With the Archons and Magistrate reunited and another task completed, the crew travels south to one of the port fishing town by horse.
* Magpie struggles with her mount, and must be told firmly to stop kicking it several times. It was not love at first sight.
* Yengo scratches the back of his head, eyes blinking in the sun. It had been a while since he'd ridden, himself. They'd never made enough in the Scavenger Lands to properly care for horses...
* Vana sits silently atop her own horse, as she has for much of the journey. She responds to conversation with only the barest of nods, taking food when given but not otherwise making herself known. Her dreams have been no less horrible, but more intense and focused, leaving her shivering and cold each morning that she, reluctantly, awakes.
<Yengo> "Surprised Ujiro decided to stay," Yengo remarks to no one in particular. "Maybe he finally got his fill of battles..." Part of him would miss the strange man, who had helped them as best he could. And saved Tara's life...
* Anona has been uncharacteristically silent for most of the trip, berating herself for her poor actions during the big fight.
* Epheri rides on her own horse, thinking about the battle, and what it had felt like to have all those people willing to follow her...
<onine> As you ride a small white figure flies down out of the sky. It is a little portly humanoid figure about a hand in height though it has no details on its face, it is just a sphere with three pink spots around where the eyes and mouth would be.
<onine> The small shape flies around the heads of the mounted party members as if searching for something, then lands on the head of Anona's horse.
<onine> "Tepet Anona." It states in a somewhat rude tone.
<Anona> "What?!" Anona is shocked out of her thoughts by the hailing.
<onine> "Tepet Anona." it states again, unsatisfied by the answer.
* Epheri turns to regard the ...thing speaking to her cousin.
* Anona sighs. "I'm her."
<onine> Any sorcerers in the group recognize it easily as the terrestrial circle spell that conjures a messenger of essence.
<onine> "Good." It pauses a moment then speaks in Tepet Krennell's voice. "Anona, I trust that you are well and that my daughter is safe and sound. I understand that you will be travelling to the Arjuf prefecture in the near future, and may wish to look over your father's old estate there."
* Magpie , worried about Vana, had become only more obnoxious, until at last the girl was exiled to Tara's company. "Is it a demon?!" she asks excitedly, standing up on the saddle to look over Tara's shoulder.
<onine> "Sit down, you'll fall." Tara scolds.
<Anona> "Hush, Magpie."
<onine> "I have sent the relevant information to be held for you by the local authorities, however..." the voice pauses. "The Ledaals strangely have been moving to take hold of it for reasons that I cannot fathom."
<Anona> "Oh, goodie."
<Magpie> "Is it a demon?" Magpie whispers to Tara.
<onine> "It's magic." Tara says quietly.
* Yengo , remembering his encounter with the talking frog thing, remains silent, a bemused smile on his face. He'd have business of his own once they reached Arjuf... "Doesn't look like a very big one," he whispers to Magpie.
<onine> "They have a lot of clout in Arjuf as you know, so needless to say they have got quite a lot of political ground to work with in acquiring it, spouting no end of laws and regulations."
<Magpie> "Wow." Magpie watches it, eagle-eyed, in case it did something exciting instead of talking about boring stuff.
<Anona> "My glee knows no bounds."
<onine> "I er... don't value it enough to try to keep hold of it myself, however I would prefer it in *your* hands than theirs-" you can hear a smile in his voice now. "Perhaps you had best do some politicking of your own and get your feathers used to flight. Try not to do anything too embarrassing now."
<onine> "Best of luck, I am sure that you will use your remarkable personal power to your advantage."
<onine> The little humanoid stops talking abruptly and flies away without so much as a word.
<onine> The Magistrate hums. "People seem to be rather interested in your father's possessions. I wonder..."
<Epheri> "..Oh. That's ..interesting."
<Anona> "Yes, an Infallible Messenger. Handy spell."
<Magpie> "Anona! Can YOU make demons?!"
<onine> "You don't make demons so much as you 'borrow' them from hell." The Magistrate says.
<Yengo> "What's with you and demons today? Haven't you seen enough of them already?"
<Anona> "It's not a demon, just a construct of pure Essence formed for a momentary purpose."
<Magpie> "Oh."
* Magpie chews on this, plotting some heinous mischief.
* Vana watches the conversation with a tired expression.
<Yengo> "Well, if we're going there anyway, it couldn't hurt to check this out." He shrugs. "Not that I'd know anything about how that stuff works."
<Anona> "Now... there ARE demons that can serve a similar purpose, of course. But they're a hassle compared to the simplicity of the Messenger spell."
<Epheri> Well, father had asked about her at least...
* Anona enjoys showing off all that pricey Heptagram knowledge.
<Magpie> "Really?"
<Magpie> "...how can you tell that's not a demon? It looked really weird."
<Anona> "Lots of things look really weird, Magpie."
* Magpie nods agreement. "I once saw this frog, it had two heads and-" She looks alarmingly prepared to entertain them with mutant frog anecdotes the rest of the way to Arjuf.
<Yengo> "Yeah. we've seen more than our fair share of 'em over the past few weeks, too."
<Magpie> "-I think it had a bunch of legs but it was hard to count them and-"
<onine> You have plenty of time to listen to every mutant amphibian story - and more - from Magpie on the remainder of the journey by land, and subsequently by sea. She doesn't take a single breath.

Arjuf. Pre-Anona.
<onine> A trading ship passes the town and agrees to take you all the remainder of the way to the port city of Arjuf.
<onine> It is raining when you arrive, very overcast, but the city is a buzz of activity. Where the decline of the realm has shown itself on Noble's run-down streets, the chaos of the present has only served to strengthen trading - and Arjuf is the hub of it in the Realm
<onine> The city is huge, only the Imperial City itself could surpass it in regards to its majesty and throngs of people. Dragonblood travelers move here and there and even more mortals pack the streets haggling over prices and all manner of other petty subjects.
<onine> The ship lets you off on a stone dock, and the crew begins the task of unloading its precious cargo.
* Yengo 's eyes roam the dock-front a little uncertainly. The concentration of Dragon-Blooded was much higher here than in Noble... they seemed to be everywhere.
<onine> "Well now. Arjuf, the largest port on the Isle, you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious."
<onine> The Magistrate chuckles at his remark.
<Yengo> "Now this looks more like the Realm I remember." But is that good or bad?
<Magpie> "Oh!" Magpie gasps. "It looks just like the Imperial City."
<Epheri> "So busy." So much busier than home.
<onine> "Stay close Magpie." Tara says. "We don't want to lose you here."
<Anona> "It's certainly as busy. But the Imperial City is more... political.
<Magpie> "Lots of Dragonblooded brawling," Magpie agrees. "But they sell the same kind of crab-on-sticks!"
<Magpie> Not that Magpie had ever had the resources to -buy- crab-on-sticks. But it was the thought that counted.
<onine> "Arjuf is political." Diamandus remarks as he watches a pair of angry Dragonbloods arguing over the price of a small statue. "It's just a different kind of politics."
<onine> Indeed they have crab-on-sticks. They have pygmy lobster-on-stick. They even have some fundamentally unrecognizable items on sticks too!
<onine> They even have stick-on-stick. Its more of a small log.
<Yengo> "So... what now?"
<Magpie> "Are we going to stay at Anona's house?"
<onine> "Well, we take care of matters here quickly, then we continue on to Turchina."
<Anona> "I imagine we need to check in with whatever city office oversees land deeds and the like."
<Anona> "Krennell did say he left information for us with the 'local authorities', whomever those might be."
<Magpie> "If it's like the Imperial City it'll be in the middle." Magpie almost looks confident enough to lead them charging down the streets herself.
<onine> "To that end..." the Magistrate says. "I'll look into some horses, I'm certain that you're all tired of walking."
<Magpie> "No no. Walking is fine. Everyone can walk."
<Epheri> "Thank you, though truly I don't mind the walking."
<Magpie> "See?"
* Yengo chuckles softly. "Well, as long as our patients are recovered."
<Anona> "I just want to see what this attempt to seize my father's property are about..."
<onine> "Very well, also," the Magistrate adds darkly. "It would be easier for your case that you don't mention the Magistracy. You are more likely to garner scorn than respect."
<onine> *rain falls*
<Anona> "Ah, right. So I ought to play up the 'threaten to rain fiery destruction on them and theirs' more, right?" By her tone, she /is/ joking. Maybe.
<Yengo> "As long as you don't do it inside the house this time..."
<onine> "Do not set fire to anything."
<onine> By the Magistrate's tone, he /is/ joking. Maybe.
* Vana rubs her eyes, sitting quietly off to the side.
<Anona> "Aw, but then I have to resort to diplomacy, and that's no fun."
<onine> "Be diplomatic. But forcefully diplomatic. Take Yengo and have him crack his knuckles at regular intervals."
* Yengo looks over, noting Vana's expression, but doesn't say anything.
<Yengo> "Uh.. sure. I..." Well, it MIGHT work.
<onine> "I'll let you use your imagination Anona, but no messes if you would be so kind." The Magistrate says.
<Anona> "I'll try. I won't promise anything, but I will make an honest attempt, okay?"
<Epheri> "Anona...making a mess won't help. They'll just use it against you"
<onine> "Well, best of luck." Diamandus gives you a nod and heads off into the crowd, you can still see him for a distance being a foot taller than most men.
<onine> You've been cut loose.
<Anona> "Maybe..." Anona doesn't sound all that convinced, but is willing to provisionally consider the idea that "blow them up" isn't the first, last, and only option.
<Yengo> "Well... the sooner we get going..."

Arjuf's center government. Status pre-Anona: Intact. Status post-Anona: ?
<onine> A short time and a few directions later, you arrive at Arjuf's central administration building, a gaudy large affair with a large square in the middle of the city. Rain has made the flagstones slippery, so people shuffle about carefully so as not to lose footing.
<onine> The bulk of the people here are patricians, there is little cover, so everyone who is out and about is out and about wet.
<Anona> "Large, ostentatious and expensive-looking. Yep, this is a government building."
<onine> The main hall is bustling with activity as petty bureaucrats move to and fro, ah the machinery of power! All of you leave an ever growing patch of water on the polished stone floor. There are no Dragonbloods there, so none give you the sordid glares you would expect for leaving a massive puddle in the central building of the city.
<onine> There is a large and long desk at the end of the main hall between two flights of stairs where aids work helping those with business and inquiries.
<onine> High on the wall is the banner of House Ledaal.
<Anona> "So... where do we start. Hmm." Anona nabs a passing functionary and demands to know where real estate matters are handled.
* Epheri is thankfully dry as soon as she steps inside, and leaves no puddle as she looks about at the impressive construction of marble.
<onine> The mortal bows low, terrified, nearly dropping to her knees. She doesn't raise her head as she stammers that inquiries should go through the front desk.
* Yengo blinks, wiping away the rain and trying to ignore the painfully slavish behavior of the passing mortal.
<onine> There is a space of about five meters around you that everyone - EVERYONE does their best to avoid. Its as if there is a mortal repelling bubble centered for some reason on Anona
<Anona> Anona lets her go and stalks over to the front desk, to give the same treatment to the person there.
<onine> This aid nearly hits his head on the desk as he bows swiftly, visibly trembling at your wrath.
* Epheri follows her over, radiating calm.
<onine> "H-how may I help or as-s-s-ist you Prince of the Earth?"
* Yengo hangs back with Magpie and Vana, content to watch.
<Anona> "Where are matters of real estate and land and estates and all that handled here?"
<onine> "M-may I please ask your name. Please? I can have the ap-p-propriate agency take care of your needs."
<Anona> "Tepet Anona."
<onine> He quickly scurries off and has some quick words with a patrician. Both look over at you, have more quick words, look again. Then the patrician gives him an 'Ill take care of it' pat on the shoulder and walks over to you.
<onine> The aid scurries away. When he gets home tonight, his wife will look more beautiful and his dinner ever more delicious.
<onine> The patrician is an older man, wearing the traditional lighter pastel colors of the mortal dynast class. He wears a small hat on his head and sports a thin moustache which is still jet black.
<onine> He bows deeply, well practiced. "Good day Tepet Anona, I am Ledaal Avenn. I am informed you have an important matter to discuss - something regarding real estate is that correct?"
<Anona> "Yes. My father owned an estate here. It has been held for me by my uncle, Tepet Krennell; I have come to examine and claim it."
<onine> "This way please, let us look into the records." He smiles accommodatingly, but he does glance a little longer than normal at the pool of water still expanding beneath the mortals.
* Yengo shrugs apologetically. More water falls.
* Anona follows.
* Epheri follows also

In a Ledaal Office...
<onine> He walks you up the stairs and through one of the side doors and into a large archives room. It has high ceilings and tall windows, allowing much light inside. The room is hardly warm, but it is fitting. Here too aids scurry around working on thankless tasks.
<onine> He directs you to a very nice desk surrounded by chairs. He pulls a pair out for Epheri and Anona, but offers none to Tara, Yengo and Magpie.
* Magpie scowls, crosses her arms, and looks forbidding.
<onine> "Please have a seat, I'll search the records here for your request." he says politely. "Can I have an assistant fetch you some hot tea... or towels for your... servants?"
* Anona sits down, but remains unsettled.
* Yengo pats her on the head. "Probably they're just gonna talk about boring stuff anyway," he whispers.
<onine> He eyes the mortals, only Tara looks even mildly acceptable for a servant.
<Anona> "If they want towels, that would be good. But these aren't my servants. Just travelling companions."
* Epheri sits calmly "Tea would be nice, please."
<Yengo> "I'll pass, thanks."
<onine> "I see." he says. "I won't be long."
<onine> He glides quickly into the archive shelves and disappears from sight. Shortly, a young man arrives and pours some tea for the exalts. They DID at least bring enough teacups for the rest, but those are left along with a pot for the others.
* Anona waits. and waits. and fumes. Not literally, at least.
* Epheri sips the tea
<Yengo> "Be nice to spend a night somewhere besides an inn..." Yengo muses. "What do you guys think?"
* Magpie had been leaning against the table offending the young servant. "It sounds nice." With exaggerated casualness, she walks back to huddle next to Yengo.
<onine> After a short while (Avenn seems very efficient and knows his job) the patrician returns with a few tubes under his arms and he leafs through some pages.
<onine> "I am terribly sorry madam Prince, but it appears that most of the deeds and titles have been removed. There is a memo indicating that it has been procured for a land dispute review."
<Anona> "Is that so? What is the dispute?"
<onine> He takes out a page and scans the writing. "These things happen occasionally. Some family members rattle sabers for one reason or another and holdings get traded. This is marked to be a Tepet holding, Tepet... Luen. May I ask why you are seeking information regarding the property?"
<Anona> "Tepet Luen is my father."
<onine> "Oh." he says then a light switches on. "Oh! So you're *that* Tepet Anona?" He suddenly realizes the rudeness of his sudden line of questioning and apologizes.
<Anona> "Yes. *That* Tepet Anona."
* Magpie whispers to Yengo, "I took his ink." It is unclear why he is privileged to be the recipient of this confidence.
* Yengo smiles slightly. "Good girl... but that's only okay because he's a real jerk."
<onine> "Well, ah, it doesn't say why it is presently disputed or who is disputing it, but by law it has been unlocked for inspections by functionaries. If you desire it, I can try to find out who exactly is attempting acquisition?"
<Anona> "I have an idea, but official confirmation would be appreciated."
<onine> "I will do what I can. I'll just attach a note here..." he scans the table's few contents. "I know I had a pen and ink here somewhere... *sigh* Not to worry, I'll take these to my office and track down the rest of the documents by the end of the day. Is there somewhere that I can send a functionary to contact you should I find out anything?"
<Anona> "We just arrived in town, and have not arranged lodgings. *sigh* I'd hoped to maybe be sleeping in my OWN bed tonight, but it looks like it's an inn once more..."
<onine> "Although you will not be able to stay the evening there, if you want to look over the building, you're more than welcome to, I can have someone take you."
<Anona> "I would like to do just that. See how well - or if - the place is holding up."
<onine> "Of course. Someone will be with you shortly. Is there anything else I can do for you today?"
<Anona> "I believe that's all for now."
<onine> He bows efficiently again, and glides off, whether he'll give your case priority is a matter you can decide for yourself, in the mean time, you are left to your devices for a short while.
* Anona turns to the others. "So... what now?"
* Yengo shrugs. "Beats me. I guess Diamandus must be making arrangements for lodgings somewhere... is the estate in Arjuf itself?"
<onine> You know... you really don’t know.
<Magpie> "We get to see your other house! Did you grow up there too? Are there any old retainers you think are secretly cannibals?"
<Magpie> Popular fiction of the current decadent age once again rears its ugly head.
<Anona> "I haven't the slightest idea. Yengo. No, Magpie, and no, Magpie."
<Magpie> "You're -sure-?"
<Yengo> "I don't think that's..." he trails off. Well, he has seen weirder. In the last week.
<Anona> "I don't *have* any retainers. Young, old, middle-aged, cannibal or vegetarian."
<Yengo> "Well, at least the scribes working here think you have them."
<Anona> "And that can be useful. I look moderately successful, instead of broke."
* Magpie perks up. "So lets see your house soon. Maybe you have cannibals but you just don't know it," she suggests.
<onine> An female aid walks up and bows low. "Begging your pardon, but is there a Tepet Epheri here?"
* Epheri nods "I am she."
<onine> "Would you come with me to the front desk for a few short moments please? There is apparently a letter waiting for you." the young woman says.
* Epheri glances at Anona then nods and rises, setting her tea cup down "Certainly. Please lead on."
<onine> The aid takes Epheri outside.
<onine> After she leaves a voice pipes up from behind you, well, more situated behind Anona's chair. "
<onine> "Are you Tepet Anona?" The voice is quite familiar.
* Yengo raises an eyebrow.
<onine> Tany stands with both hands on the back of Anona's chair, preventing her from standing if she wanted to, and he smiles, amused at his own joke.
<Anona> "I don't know, am I?"
<onine> "I expect you would know better than I, but I shall take that as a yes answer." He leans over and rests on the back of the chair, pushing it in a little.
<Magpie> "Tany!" Magpie pauses. She actually sounded happy to see a stupid Immaculate. Even if he said he wasn't an Immaculate. She revises
"What are you doing here?"
<onine> He rests his head on an arm and rests his other over Anona's shoulder, finger idly tracing a circle on the arm of the chair. "So how is being a magistracy Archon working out for you?"
<Yengo> "Ah, Tany." His voice is neutral.
<Anona> "Oh, fun, excitement, fighting off hordes of zombie-like creatures, a veritable banquet of experiences."
<onine> "I am delighted to hear that you are enjoying yourself so, one must enjoy one's duty, no? I certainly do."
<onine> Tany's bizarre watery sash starts to wrap around the edges of the chair, lightly brushing against Anona like water on rocky shores.
<Anona> "What /do/ you want, Tany? Or is this your idea of a social call?"
<Yengo> "I think it likes you, Anona," Yengo offers dryly. He IS talking about the sash... right...?
<onine> He chuckles. "How hostile Tepet Anona, I am to be your guide."
<Magpie> "Oh, you're the functionary?"
<Anona> "I'm overjoyed, really. Deep down."
<Magpie> "Do you like being a functionary?" Magpie asks, heedless to the fact that she is being ignored.
<onine> "Oh I can tell" Tany says, finally releasing the chair from his weight and allowing Anona the option of getting up
<onine> "I enjoy some aspects young Magpie. You seem none worse for wear kid. Are you having fun with the Archons?"
<Magpie> "Yes. We killed an abbot." She seems satisfied with this revenge on the Immaculate Order, even though it was carried out by Vana. And "even though he wasn't really an abbot. Why are you in Arjuf?"
* Anona gets up and whirls around to look at Tany, although her face is not as angry as the motion might suggest.
<onine> Though there is no real wind from your movement, the fabric flows backwards as if there was.
<Magpie> A thought occurs to Magpie. "Do you like Anona's houses?"
<Magpie> Another beat. "Do you like Anona?"
<Yengo> "Magpie..." He places a cautionary hand on her shoulder.
* Magpie looks up. "What?" she whispers. "He's always -around-, so there has to be some reason."
<onine> Tany laughs at the girl.
* Yengo whispers "Maybe announcing that we killed an abbot isn't the best idea..."
<Anona> "Be that as it may... shall we walk to the house...?"
<Yengo> "Yeah, let's see this place."
<onine> "Splendid! This way." He leads you out to where Epheri waits. With a box.
<onine> "Why hello Epheri, delightful to see you too." Tany beams. "Is taking care of Anona as fun as the concept sounds?"
<Epheri> "Good day to you Tany. Studying with Anona is thrilling as always." she smiles softly at him.
<onine> "Well now, shall we go?"
<Anona> "Let's."
<Epheri> "If we could just wait a short while. There will be some people to help carry this rather large box."
<onine> Tany turns to Yengo "Why not the good doctor? He's a stout lad, do help the ladies now."
<Epheri> "There is really no need. They will just be a minute or two."
<Yengo> "A stout lad?" He grumbles. Nevertheless... "I'll help if you need it."
<onine> "Very well."
<onine> After something that doesn't classify as a short while some men arrive to carry the box for you, and with Tany in the lead, you set off into the city. Thankfully the rain has stopped, leaving the city fresh, but overcast.
* Yengo is secretly glad he didn't have to come off looking like a porter.
* Magpie trots alongside the box giving it speculative glances.

Anona's (slash Ledaal slash Krennell's) house.
<onine> After a good invigorating walk, which Tany seems the thoroughly enjoy, you arrived at Anona's (well, not quite Anona's) estate.
<onine> This one thankfully is in far better condition than the one in Noble, indeed this one even looks CARED for frequently. You walk up the hill and in the main gate into a very nice garden.
<Yengo> "This isn't so bad..." He cranes his neck up to look.
<onine> The home layout is something of a pair of buildings connected by a covered veranda. The larger of the two buildings has a central courtyard with a large sand-garden and a miniature shrine.
<Yengo> Of course, the last one he saw had been burned to the ground.
<onine> "Well, here we are!" Tany says.
* Magpie , privately feeling her belief in Anona's cannibal retainers all but confirmed by the upkeep, trips once or twice due to her paranoid vigilance.
<onine> There is something of greater interest over to one side of the garden, a pavilion enclosed with lush garden and bamboo fences.
<Anona> "This looks a LOT nicer than the Noble place did," Anona says approvingly. "Before the accident, I mean."
<onine> Tany chuckles and scratches the back of his head.
* Epheri looks around curiously.
<onine> Inside the pavilion is a stone gateway board, with two sides arrayed neatly in the classic two-player version of the game, the pieces in grey-white soapstone and black marble.
<onine> Only one move has been made.
<Yengo> "Gateway, huh? Never understood the fuss about it..." He doesn't seem to be addressing anyone in particular.
<Magpie> "Pretty pieces," Magpie comments, picking up one shaped like a dragon.
* Epheri studies the board. Just what gambit have they opened with?
<Yengo> "Must be a Dragonblooded thing... they play it in Lookshy too, Vana?" He asks the question more to see if she's reacting to anything than because he cares.
<Vana> "Hrm? Oh. A bit." She looks up.
<Yengo> "Guess it is a Dragon-Blooded thing." He studies her carefully for a moment, falling silent again.
* Anona studies the opening gambit. She'd always been good at executing it, but not so swell at defending against it... on impulse, she moves one of the opposing pieces as a response.
* Vana just sort of stares at the floor when not being addressed.
<onine> "Do you want to see the rest?" Tany asks, not particularly enthralled by the 'game talk'
<Anona> "That's what I'm here for."
<onine> Tany directs you around the home, pointing out what rooms appear to be, commenting on upkeep, throwing snide comments here and there. It occurs that he's a bit TOO familiar with the house layout.
<Yengo> "You seem awfully familiar with this place."
<onine> "It's what I do." He responds.
<Anona> "From monk to real estate agent, then? Quite the career change!"
* Yengo wonders just what this guy DOESN'T do, but stays silent.
<onine> "That hurts Anona, is it a crime to be a resourceful and well informed man?" Tany has a look of mock pain on his face, he cant quite keep the corners of his mouth from curling upwards.
<Magpie> "Well, you are always in Anona's houses. Isn't that trespassing or something? And why do you like Anona's houses so much anyways?"
<onine> "By the laws of property in Arjuf when said property is under review for reasons of ownership and inheritance, it is opened for inspections by aids of the administration and the relevant parties involved in dispute. I can even tell you the line and paragraph, but I wouldn't want to sound overly pretentious."
<Magpie> "I didn't -ask- that. I asked why you like Anona's houses."
* Yengo groans inwardly. "Of all the people they could've gotten to show us around," he complains quietly to Tara.
<Anona> "Oh, Tany, for you /nothing/ would be overly pretentious." *He's pretentious enough as it is...*
<onine> "Technically you should not even be here since you are not an involved party at this stage, but Avann and I have extended you the courtesy." he adds.
<Anona> "Not an involved party? Then who ARE the involved parties? Why am I not involved in the affairs of what is rightfully my own?"
<onine> "Tepet Krennell is the only name I can disclose at this point due to the desires of the parties involved." Tany sighs.
* Magpie gives Tany a dirty look as she realizes he's never going to answer any of her questions. She runs off to chase a rabbit, the crow screeching over her head.
* Yengo leans against the outside wall of the estate, watching her. Tany was getting on his nerves anyway, for some reason he couldn't quite pinpoint.
* Anona falls silent, as if in thought, for awhile.
<onine> Perhaps it is the fact that he is fundamentally transparent and annoying...
<Anona> "Tany..."
<onine> "Mmm?"
* Epheri gives Anona a cautioning look. Though not that cautioning. Tany is starting to annoy /her/.
* Anona turns to face him, eyes burning with an awful violet flame. "Could you PLEASE tell me who is involved? It would be EVER so helpful..."
<onine> "Ah..." Tany stares at Anona's eyes a little vacantly then snaps out of the spells effect. "I'm sorry. Laws are laws."
* Anona sighs. "As you will. Still, we're here. Care if we look around?"
<onine> "As long as you don't damage anything, please feel free."
<onine> Tany is now look at Anona a little suspiciously.
<Anona> "Not until it's LEGALLY mine. Laws are laws, right?" Anona tosses off a worry-free smile and heads off to explore.
<onine> *looking*

Inside Not-Quite-Anona's House. (Incidentally, it still stands at the time of writing)...
<onine> There is very little of interest.
<onine> You are walking through the study that your father used to use and the sound your foot makes on a certain patch of floor spurs a memory.
<onine> You occasionally came to this house. Once, your father entered his study. In your curiosity you peeked in a short time later and he was no longer in it. The sound under your foot is only slightly different to the other boards, but it is just different enough.
<onine> The carpets on the floor muffle the noise enough that only the most cautious of people would ever pick up the sound.
* Anona looks around to see if there are any Tany-spies are around.
<onine> He sure is loitering nearby...
* Yengo looks up at the sky, drumming his fingers against the wall. This wasn't a bad place... might be nice to stop here for a while.
<Anona> "Epheri..."
<Epheri> "Yes, Anona?"
* Anona lowers her voice to not-quite-a-whisper. "You don't suppose you could help me figure a way to sneak in here tonight?"
* Epheri gives her a strange look. "Maybe I could just distract him now?" she whispers back
<Anona> "Hm... maybe. There's something here I want to investigate. Find some way to make him scamper off for a bit or something.
* Epheri nods and steps out, walking up the water aspect "Excuse me Tany?" she asks with a smile "On the tour...you showed us a workshop, right? I would like another look if I could...please? Only, I don’t remember where it was."
<onine> "Uh..." Tany takes a long look at Anona, he was somewhat suspicious of her.
<onine> "It was down the hall behind us, to the left and second door down."
<onine> Tany is very hesitant to leave Anona to her own devices.
<Anona> "Why, that sounds like a GREAT idea, Epheri..."
* Epheri glances down the hall, obviously trying to figure out where he is trying to direct her too...
<Anona> "Well, come on, let's get going..."

Moments earlier...
* Magpie emerges from the shrubbery holding a rabbit and grinning triumphantly. Her face is smudged and she seems to have rolled in broken leaves.
<Magpie> "There's a whole bunch of them back there Yengo!"
* Yengo smiles. "Couldn't hold on to more than one, huh?"
<onine> The rabbit struggles with tremendous vigor, and kicks Magpie in the face a few times until the girl manages to aim it away from her.
<Magpie> "I tried. But it just wasn't working. I'm gonna set him loose inside the house."
<Magpie> She wanders cheerfully in the direction of the door inside.
* Yengo takes a couple steps after her. "Well, that might not be a good i- nevermind." What did it matter? After the things she'd seen, he was just glad she could have fun. He follows after.
<Magpie> "AaaNOOna! EPHEEEEREE! Guess what I found!"
* Magpie shouts as she gets lost in Anona's house.
<Anona> "Oh dear, we'd better make sure Magpie doesn't bump into something. Or steal something."
<onine> Tany seems to be growing frustrated with all the tomfoolery.
* Anona takes off in the general direction of the voice.
* Yengo trails behind quietly, not quite able to keep up with the girl's faster pace.
<onine> "Do not break-! Tany starts and sighs. "...anything."
<Epheri> "She's normally very good. If a little dirty." Epheri informs helpfully.
* Magpie trips over a carpet, and only narrowly avoids a subsequent stumble into an ancient, expensive-looking vase. She looks down the hallway. "Oh. -There- you are." She holds up her squirming prize.
<Magpie> "I found it."
<Anona> "So I see..."
<Yengo> "Careful, don't-"
<Magpie> "It's, uh," the rabbit manages to get another good jab in at her face, "a little stubborn. Do you like your house?"
<Anona> "It's not officially my house... yet."
<Magpie> "But it's -yours-, right? So this is your rabbit?" It's possible Magpie is angling her way to a sinister conclusion here.
<Magpie> "Since it was in your garden?"
<Anona> "Broadly speaking, I'll concede the point."
<Yengo> "Well, I hardly think it matters whose it is..."
<Magpie> "So then it's not my fault, then, if- Ouch!" The rabbit, fed up with the cavalier treatment bestowed upon it, bites Magpie's thumb just as Tany appears at the end of the hall. She falls backwards. Into the vase. The rabbit, freed from terrible captivity...does as rabbits do, and scampers off.
<onine> "Oh no-" *SMAAAASH*
<Magpie> Ooops. The vase had not been part of the plan. "But it's not my fault!" she hastily assures the assembled.
<onine> Tany sighs. "Well, you can save up and buy Krennell a new one."
<Anona> "Maybe it's best if we escort her back outside, hm?"
* Yengo helps her up. "Sorry, Anona. She didn't mean-"
<Magpie> "Er. You're not angry? Right?"
<onine> Tany shrugs and looks at Anona. "Are you angry?"
<Anona> "No use getting angry about it, we just don't want it to happen /again/, right?" Anona places a curious stress on that last word...
<Magpie> "Oh. Good." Magpie looks relieved. "I'd better go get the rabbit then..."
<Magpie> She looks around for her nemesis. "I think he went that way-"
<Magpie> She vaults after him at high speed, brushing past Tany.
<Magpie> The nice thing about Dragonblooded houses is...they leave plenty of hallway in which to really build up speed.
<onine> Tany watches Magpie tear down the hallway, then looks back. "You're not going to do anything about this are you."
<Magpie> There is the sound of something tottering on its stand. Mercifully, no following crash is heard. Yet.
<Anona> "Are you sure I shouldn't keep an eye on her...?" as Anona waits for the inevitable to happen.
<Yengo> "Well, maybe she won't-"
<onine> "She is yours, so it's up to you..."
* Anona charges down the hallway after Magpie."
<onine> "Well now. You certainly are an interesting group to say the least." Tany remarks turning back to Epheri and Yengo.
<Yengo> "Yeah, I'll give us that."
<Epheri> "So sorry." Epheri smiles.
<Yengo> "It is quite the coincidence to see you here in Arjuf, though, Tany."
<Yengo> "I guess you didn't pass through the same way we did. That valley was a madhouse."

In Which: Anona is sneaky.
* Anona turns a few corners to ensure Tany isn't sure exactly which direction she headed in, and runs to room with the suspicious bit of floor.
<onine> You pull the rug up in short order, there is indeed a small trapdoor. What your heel clicked against is what appears to be a lock/handle apparatus.
* Anona gently tugs at the handle. Is it locked?
<onine> It doesn't appear to have any handle though, and the seams you cant even get your fingernails into.
<onine> There is just a little circular hole in the center of the piece of brass.
<onine> You do notice that the wood around the metal is slightly darker, as if scorched a little.
* Anona makes some experimental pokes and prods at the brass assembly, including the almost-certainly-foolish sticking of fingers in holes.
<onine> The inside of the hole you are so brightly inspecting is smooth and simply ends about a centimeter down.
<onine> If anything its just a depression.
<Anona> Not wanting to take TOO much longer, Anona tries one last thing, inspired by the scorching - calling a flame to her hand and heating the brass/sticking it in the depression.
<onine> Nothing happens.
* Anona curses to herself. She'll have to sneak back in with an axe or something.
<onine> You stand up annoyed for a moment, then there is a click as the metal pops up.
<onine> It is indeed a handle.
<onine> However, you don’t get any time, You hear footsteps headed your way.
<Anona> "Guess I'll have to... hello, what's this?" Hearing the footsteps, Anona quickly kicks the rug back over it.
<onine> With the weight of the carpet the lock clicks back down barely audible.
<onine> Tany strides in with Epheri and Yengo in tow. "Are you quite finished Anona, I cant be showing you around the house all day you know."
<Yengo> "Tany's an impatient one. Didn't even want to hear about our experience in Glie."
<Anona> "I'm sure hearing about zombie attacks aren't nearly as exciting as actually being attacked, haha."
<Yengo> "Nah, but substantially less painful."
<onine> "Hmph, I already know most of those details." Tany comments.
<Anona> "Oh?"
<Yengo> "The news from Glie preceded us?"
<onine> "Not quite from Glie, but I keep my ears open and pressed against certain doors."
<Anona> "Ah, yes. I'm very familiar with that habit of yours."
<onine> "That hurts my feelings."
<Anona> "But you don't actually DENY it, now do you?"
<onine> "Of course not. Opportunity knocks, I would rather not miss it."
<Anona> "In any case, we've seen the place, and I'm sure you're bored with showing us around by now. Care to see us out?"
<Yengo> "Where... where DID Magpie go?"
<onine> "Yes, weren't you chasing after her Anona? I would not like to leave you with a more important task than catching a mortal child if this is your regular performance." Tany smiles amused.
<Anona> "Of course I found her, she's right... here..." Anona looks around, as if in puzzlement. "Damn!"
<onine> Tany sighs. "Do you need help catching her?"
<Anona> "I suppose I do... now. You DISTRACTED me."
<onine> "Well come along, we'd best be going after all. I'm sure that you Archons are very busy, catching children and whatnot."
<Yengo> "Well, with her it IS a full time job..."
<Anona> *mumbles under her breath* "'Still more helpful than YOU'D ever be, idiot..."
* Anona sets off in an entirely different direction to find Magpie for /real/, still not caring if Tany follows.

Where Mortals Roam
* Magpie , it turns out, is playing happily outside on the grass. She ignores overcast skies, and torments- er, entertains the rabbit with a bit of reed. She looks up, "Oh, you're here? Can I keep him? Or her? It looks like a him but I'm not really sure..." The rabbit looks panicked, but Magpie has him boxed in pretty thoroughly.
* Yengo shrugs. "Maybe you should let the poor thing alone... I don't think Tara would..."
<Magpie> Tara, no doubt, will be displeased by Magpie's impressive and growing grass stain collection.
<Anona> "I think the rabbit would be happier here, Magpie. You can always come back and catch it again."
<Magpie> "Really? But I've already -named- him. He's Biter. Because he bit me."
<Yengo> "Sounds... charming...."
<onine> Tara is blissfully unaware of Magpie's state of cleanliness, sitting in another area of the garden.
<Anona> "Really, Magpie, we don't have anywhere to KEEP a rabbit."
<Magpie> "That's true. And Crow doesn't like him." Indeed, Crow is looking down rather snootily upon them all from a nearby tree. Sadly, Magpie accepts the inevitable and consents to leave the rabbit behind.
<onine> The sky is threatening to open up again and let loose another torrent of rain. Tany moves about the estate, closing the doors then comes over to you when he finishes.
* Yengo stands by Tara, looking up at the sky. "Hope it doesn't start up again... might clean Magpie off, though."
<onine> "Yes, she accumulates so much dirt in so short a time."
<Yengo> "Touched by Pasiap, maybe?" He winks.
<Anona> "Smeared, from this angle."
<onine> "That or they are very fond playmates."
<Yengo> "Oh well. That's kids for you. I was probably as bad at that age, if not worse."
<onine> Tany ushers you out with no small measure of relief to finally be rid of you. Controlling Anona AND Magpie at once without deadly force was difficult.

Later that day, the streets of Arjuf
<onine> You are walking through the rainy streets on the way to the docks. It occurs that if ANYWHERE would have a Guild 'branch' it would be the dockside.
* Yengo looks at Magpie as she walks beside him. "Sure you wanna come with me? It's probably gonna be boring."
<Magpie> "Tara was threatening me with a scrub." She shudders.
<Magpie> "And maybe we can get into trouble out here too!" She looks quite gleeful at the thought.
<Yengo> "Yeah, she's done that to me before, too. No use fighting it, you know. And we seem to get into trouble everywhere we go anyway."
<onine> The docks are still buzzing with activity even in the rain. What's a little water to sailors?
<Magpie> "So what are we doing anyway?"
* Magpie hadn't been listening when he told her before.
<Yengo> "Well, some friends I made in the Threshold have asked me to deliver something for them here."
<Magpie> "What?"
<Yengo> "Well, it's... kind of a map. Did Tara ever tell you that story about us seeing the lights in the forest? They wanted to know if we'd seen any others like that, and where."
<Magpie> "Ohhhh."
<Magpie> "....why do they care about strange lights?"
<Yengo> "I don't know why for sure. I think they want to study them, particularly the first ones we found... but I guess it doesn't matter. They were nice to us and took us in, so... it's the least I can do for them."
<Yengo> "The pay there was pretty good. Maybe we should've just..."
<Magpie> "Stayed? But....aren't you having fun?" Magpie looks just a little bit anxious.
<Yengo> "Well, I..." He ruffles her hair. "Sure I am. I just... I hope I did the right thing."
<Magpie> "Of -course- you did. Now, let's find this Guild place." Magpie wants to minimize Yengo's chances to escape her.
<Magpie> Though it was good that Tara had stayed at the inn. A hostage.
<onine> How tasteful a thought, for an eleven year old, she's a hooligan.
<onine> As for what to look for, Yengo has less of an idea how to spot the guild.
<Yengo> "Let's see... it should be... I don't know." He stops a passerby to ask.
<onine> The passerby directs you to a West section of the docks with no small amount of distaste for the subject at hand.

The Western Dock: where evil waits! EVIL!
<onine> The western dock is a buzz of activity, a different activity however.
* Magpie cranes her neck to see.
<onine> Where the Eastern docks where most of the other ships are which is stock, food, passengers, produce and other such products, the West is well...
<onine> ...there's passengers alright, in manacles and cages.
<onine> They're tired and feeble, underfed... and they are traded around like it's nothing.
* Yengo takes Magpie's hand. "Stay very close and don't let go."
* Magpie nods, and leans into him. She had heard stories...
<onine> You pass a cart loaded with a cage of people looking out at you pleadingly. Some mumble, some cry, some reach their hands out to you...
<onine> There are even some children there, some even Magpie's age. The concepts of ethics and morals are lost here. Guild slavemasters carry about their jobs without a second thought, whipping the slow and the feeble, shouting and hollering.
<onine> The heavy scent of incense and other less than optimum-for-health chemicals waft around thickening the air. Smoke and steam pours from grates in the stone docksides.
<Magpie> "Yengo..." Magpie whispers. She is holding tight to his hand. "...is this the Guild?
* Yengo squeezes Magpie's hand very tightly. "Stay very close. Don't let go of my hand, okay?"
<Magpie> She nods, and huddles, squeezing her eyes shut as they pass some of the more wretched sights.
* Yengo looks around. "Yes. This is part of what they do. They trade slaves all over Creation... even to the Fair Folk themselves, they say."
<Yengo> "Drugs, too. Opium and all sorts of things. It's not always a pretty business." What an understatement.
<onine> You spot a familiar face in the crowd, but its not quite as pleasing as most, the gargantuan Earth aspect overseer of the Tepet construction in the valley. He passes you with a few of his men, but he doesn't make any sign that he recognizes you.
<onine> You finally reach what *appears* to be some sort of administration area. There's a few guards here and there, and what appears to be higher-up Guildmen and thugs.
<Yengo> "Is this... the local guild headquarters?" The docks have soured his earlier good mood.
<onine> A goggled man with a cloth wrapped southern-style around his head looks from his papers. "Yeah. What? You got business for the Guild?"
<Yengo> "Need to deliver a package to someone in the Threshold... this the place to get it done?"
<onine> He looks at Magpie. "She's a bit scrawny, but no matter. Jade, silver or /other/?"
* Yengo tightens his grip suddenly, making it almost painful. " NOT her. A message."
<onine> "Oh." He says, no embarrassment in his expression from the mistake. "In there then, talk to Silk." He nods his head at a small building sitting half suspended over the water.
* Magpie 's eyes are wide. She sticks close to Yengo, and doesn't let the goggle-man out of her sight, though this involves some acrobatic maneuvers.
<Yengo> "...thanks." Yengo begins to move off in that direction.
<onine> A little bell rings as you walk in. Its a small room with only a low desk and chair to furnish it. There are papers and rosters of all manner of things pinned all over the walls and on the roof where there's space.
<Yengo> "See?" He whispers to the girl. "There are people here who'd..."
<onine> The first thing that draws your eye is the person sitting on the chair, her legs propped, crossed on the table wearing 'sexy' black leather boots tied with many straps.
<onine> The shapely legs disappear behind a large book of papers that the owner holds, reading, covering the rest of her body from view.
<onine> The only other thing you can see is a pair of slender fingered gloved hands holding the edges.
<Yengo> "Um, hello?"
<onine> The woman folds down the corner of the paper with one hand so she can see you. She has huge shapely blue eyes and very full crimson lips. Her hair is long, dark and shiny, brushed back.
<onine> Her face makes you think almost of a fish... if a fish could be sexy.
<onine> There are a lot of hallmarks of the Water Aspect on her.
<Yengo> "Are you... Silk?"
<onine> "Mmmmm." she hums.
<Yengo> "Ah.. uh... well, I have a message I'd like to deliver to an acquaintance in the Threshold. Cenotaph, of The Caravan. Know him?"
<onine> "Mmmm." she nods once, looking at you a little too seductively. She dislodges one of the papers on the wall with the toe of her boot and brings it to her hand, reading over it.
<onine> "This has already been paid for I believe."
<Yengo> "Excellent." He coughs nervously.
<onine> She looks at you, waiting.
* Magpie whispers piercingly to him, "I think she's evil." The girl looks very serious.
<onine> Silk lowers the page a little more so she can see you. She just smiles.
* Yengo reaches into his medical bag and pulls out the map, bound carefully in an iron ring. He hands it to the girl, trying to ignore Magpie's comment. "Not now," he whispers.
<onine> She takes it in a gloved hand, looks at it a moment then puts it in what looks to be an ever growing 'In' pile. The 'out' pile is woefully empty. She raises her papers and continues reading.
<onine> "Thank you, do come again." she says after an uncomfortable pause.
<Yengo> "Ah, thanks. When... when do you think that'll be delivered?"
* Magpie tugs on his hand in apparent eagerness to be gone.
<onine> She peeks one gorgeous eye over the top of the papers. "Today, tomorrow, when it's delivered."
<Yengo> "...makes.... sense." He says, slightly annoyed. He turns to go and follows Magpie's insistent tugging.
<onine> "Hey kid." she says from behind the paper as you are walking out the door. "Should you ever find a career of tomfoolery and skullduggery to your liking, we're *always* looking for keen new members."
* Magpie shoots her a wide-eyed, semi-panicked glare as she pulls Yengo out the door.
<onine> You hear her chuckle as the door shuts with a *ding*
<Yengo> "Scared of her?" Yengo asks as they move away.
<Magpie> "They're all evil."
<Magpie> There's a lengthy pause. "And those boots?" She shakes her head. "Boots of -evil."
<Yengo> "Maybe. Some of them don't even think about it... it's just a job like any other as far as they're concerned. Don't know if that makes them more evil or less. And yes, those were... uh... interesting."
* Magpie shoots him an accusatory look. "Evil," she reminds him, setting a course through the chaos for wholesome Tara.
<Yengo> "Yeah, she was certainly strange... I was a little glad to get out of there myself."
<onine> With the dirty deed done you make your way SWIFTLY back to the virtue and dignity of the Realm. Sorry you didn't take the chance to live on the Caravan now?

Ninja! Or fire-aspect facsimiles thereof!
<onine> Rain starts to fall again, and it is still falling when night falls. The Magistrate agrees to allow you to do your night mission, but you leave first thing in the morning.
<onine> The rain creates a dreary low visibility in the city, and lights glow through the falling drizzle. Stealth was never a strong point for Anona or Epheri, but with the rain town guards are a little more lax, staying under the eaves of houses deliberately slacking off in the depressing cold.
<onine> You reach the estate without much difficulty, and though the gate is locked now, there *is* a conveniently located tree outside the wall. It's a bit far, but with a little exalted grace, you have little trouble hopping over to the tiled top of the wall and then over into the garden.
<onine> Getting your bearings, you realize you have just landed next to the pavilion with the gateway board.
* Anona examines the board, out of idle curiosity. Is it still as she had it earlier?
<onine> Another of the black pieces has moved.
<onine> It is in a similar style to the Opening Gambit move that the black player's first marble piece was, but it now deviates from the 'textbook method' of execution.
<Anona> Hmpf. Didn't she once hear of an entire mysterious game of Gateway being played in this fashion? Well, she'll show THEM. Anona deliberately moves one of "her" pieces in a 'foolish' fashion; not an unrecoverable position but liable to lead to a 'fool's mate'-style loss if carries on.
<onine> The rain sheets down, soaking your clothes. Little misty trails of steam float off your bare skin.
<onine> The piece is moved and the turn is set...
<Anona> With that, Anona skulks to the house, looking for an accessible entrance.
<onine> All of the windows and doors are closed and latched, but you may be able to apply a little ingenuity without damaging things overly much.
<onine> Beginners luck indeed, you manage to ease one of the sliding windows off its track and slip inside, your eyes are adjusted to the dark, but inside the gloom is too dark to pierce.
<Anona> Still, it shouldn't be TOO hard to find the trapdoor-containing room.
* Anona continues with the creeping and the sneaking.
<onine> After a little stumbling, you make your way through the halls, past where Magpie shattered the vase. The remains are missing.
<onine> Without dawdling you ease into the study like a shadow - a ninja would be proud.
<onine> The windows provide enough light that everything is in stark black and grey.
* Anona feels around the general area where the brass assembly was, scattering the rugs aside.
<onine> Anona applies a little fire to the brass 'lock' and a few seconds later it snaps up with an audible click. She pulls open the trapdoor to blackness.
<Anona> "Next time, I bring a light of some kind when I go perform skullduggery." Anona carefully lowers herself down.
<onine> There are rungs for a ladder, and carefully you climb down. It goes down a fair way, about a story you would guess, but all you can see is a square of grey above you, no light makes its way down the trapdoor.
<Anona> Are the sides stonework?
<onine> The part that you can reach, the wall the ladder is against is stone, the rest are out of your arm's reach.
* Anona conjures a small flame, so that she might see... she's down far enough that the problem of light escaping to be seen outside oughtn't be an issue.
<onine> The area is a smallish room lined with bookshelves and items of varying importance. There is a desk against the far wall with a few sheets of paper on them.
<Anona> "Hmmm." Anona checks out the desk, first. Anything interesting amongst those papers?
<onine> The papers are... well, they look to be credit notes, the kind to authorize someone else to purchase something to be paid in jade later. These are sometimes used when enormous sums of jade and silver are involved.
<onine> They are all blank, but bear the seal of Tepet Krennell.
<onine> In theory, you could take these, fill in any sum you desired and use them to make outlandish purchases.
<Anona> Useful! I'll take one. For... emergencies. yes.
* Anona continues to scope out the room. What sort of books fill these shelves?
<onine> Mostly they are fictional books, fantasy stories. There are some histories, essays on different topics. More than a few are copies of, variations of or stories similar to the Glory of Kreites
<onine> There are many pictures of varying scenes, many original. Most involve single warriors and battles against armies of enemies.
<onine> There are also a *lot* of pictures of swords, and only swords. A good portion look to be not just drawings, but depictions of actual swords. Some are dated and named in old realm.
<Anona> Any other items of note down here?
<Anona> Also, these drawings... any of them look kind of like a certain sword-hilt?
<onine> You leafing through in detail?
<onine> There are quite a lot of diagrams and plans.
<Anona> I'll examine a few at random, and grab a few more to take with me and look at later.
<onine> You leave quickly through the pages and pause suddenly. You leaf back a few and find, not a picture of the swordhilt or the sword in full, but a very accurate picture of Reprisal, Vana's reaper daiklaive.
<Anona> "Interesting. Hey, I wonder if Vana would like to see this?" Anona tucks that one away for safekeeping.
<onine> You continue, and hit the jackpot.
<onine> In full, a gargantuan sword by your reckoning, it is very strange in design.
<onine> The hilt you have seen before, but the blade and central hearthstone area is bizarre. It seems to have a mechanical device at its heart, three ring-like sections growing progressively smaller, around a central globe suspended in the middle.
<Anona> "Hah, I knew it. Hey, the Ledaal were "selling" the hilt... and trying to take this estate... it's obvious, now...."
<onine> The sword's blade has what appears to be crystal that is held in the center of the blade going halfway from the hilt to the tip.
<onine> It is marked Dragonwrath, and its date coincides to long, long before the Contagion.
<onine> There is precious little other information on the page, unlike the others which had full measurements, materials in construction and details of its capabilities.
<Anona> ... /it certainly LOOKS impractical./ Anona takes one last look around the room - anything other than all these papers?
<onine> Kreites was apparently wielding a weapon called the Dragonwrath when he destroyed his Anathema master.
<onine> Apart from the books not really.
<onine> The diagrams for Dragonwrath and Reprisal seem most interesting, along with the blank notes of credit.
<Anona> As noted, I'm taking them. I can always come back for the other stuff later, if it seems important.
* Anona carefully hides away the papers in her clothing, and makes the climb back up.
<onine> You close the trapdoor behind you after dousing your 'light', cover it with the carpet and make off into the night...