Porcelain Child/SessionTwo

The inn…
<onine> You all return to the inn and go about your various business, Yengo eavesdropping on Magpie and Tara, Anona presumably to experiment with flames and Vana to stare at an object perhaps. The Magistrate has disappeared for the mean time, but the time for the meeting in the courtyard he prearranged is approaching..
* Vana goes to sit on her bed! And stare at the wall. So there.
<onine> Your wall staring goes extremely well, you should purchase a specialty...
<onine> Tara is busying herself in the kitchen, the smell of tea is wafting around along with bread, looks like this discussion of facts will be catered - which is good, as it is growing late and none of you have had lunch yet.
* Anona sniffs the air. My, it HAD been a long time since her last meal...
* Yengo lurks around the courtyard, leaning against a wall near the kitchen window, silent and brooding.
<onine> The courtyard has a small rounded area of flagstones with stone and wood seats around the outside. In the center is a small sundial. The area is planted with some nice shady trees and autumn-flowering shrubs. Indeed, a fine place to brood...
* Anona gets up and heads to the courtyard. That meeting ought to be any time now...
<onine> The only person in the courtyard is Yengo, and he looks *unhappy*
<Anona> "What's eating you?"
<onine> As far as you know, Yengo is a Dragonblood, after all, what magistrate would appoint a mortal as his first Archon?
* Yengo looks, up, startled. He was somewhere else entirely. "Ah... Anona. Nothing, just thinking."
<Anona> "Obviously not of something happy."
<onine> Well, he certainly doesn’t act like a mortal you know, with the bowing the head and the profound aura of _fear_ of your exalteditude...
* Yengo sighs. "No... not particularly. But don't concern yourself."
<Anona> "As you like. Merely curious."
<Yengo> "Just thinking about the past, and what's done is done." He changes the subject. "The magistrate should be here soon."
<onine> It occurs to you that since he collected the gold dust from Magpie, you haven't seen him. Epheri and Magpie are similarly missing. Vana... well, you'd barely know if she *was* there. Magpie's absence is glaringly obvious however.
* Yengo leans back against the wall again. "Must be a change for you, getting caught up in all this."
<Anona> "Not as much as you might think. Interesting things just seem to happen in my vicinity."
<onine> Yes disasters, things catching fire for no reason. It is a life of quiet dignity, no?
* Yengo smiles a little, if halfheartedly. "Well, maybe you're the one making them happen."
<Anona> "Oh, some of them, certainly. Maybe even /most/ of them."
<Yengo> "Better to be the cause than the victim, I guess," he says, with a trace of bitterness. "But as long as you don't burn down every town we pass through, we should get along just fine."
<Anona> "We'll do great if I'm not forced to fight off Anathema single-handedly at every turn. It's not as if I did it intentionally."
<Yengo> "Yes... that's rather impressive. I've never seen an Anathema, but I've heard enough stories to know holding your own against one is no easy task."

In the kitchen…
<onine> Tara sets you about peeling potatoes as soon as she sees you.
* Vana does so obediently.
<onine> You work in relative quiet, both of you are not the most conversational souls in creation. It is a while before Tara speaks
<onine> "Vana? Do you have a mean streak?"
<onine> She has a slight mischievous grin on her face.
<Vana> "A what? A mean streak?" She looks confused.
<onine> "Yes."
<Vana> "I... I don't think so..." She looks back at the potato she's peeling.
<onine> "That’s a shame, you wound enjoy this as much as you should... You and I are about to bring tremendous suffering to another being, and do a terrible deed...."
<onine> She grins widely. She doesn’t smile much, but she has a very pretty face when she smiles.
* Vana is unsure what to say. "Um..."
<onine> "Vana you have been conscripted on the 'Bathe Magpie Caper."
* Vana blinks, blinks again, then bursts out laughing. It's the first time she's ever laughed... much like Tara's smile, it's a wonderful thing to see. "Bathe Magpie? Is that the horrible deed?"
<onine> "That’s right... we will ambush her before dinner. You and I will have to er, woman-handle her into the tub while Yengo guards the door."
* Vana is smiling widely. "Are you sure just asking her wouldn't work?"
<onine> "And we always have the blackmail angle... no bath no new coat."
<Vana> "True."
<onine> Tara heaves a pot of potatoes onto the stove for the chef who thanks both of you.
<onine> "Ready?"
* Vana shakes her head a bit. "What do I have to do? Just grab her and dunk her in the tub?"
<onine> "Well, we have to drag her in... so yes."
<onine> She leads you out to the courtyard where the others wait
<Vana> "Let's hope she forgives us for this..."

In the courtyard…
<onine> In the mean time Magpie, You've been sent out with Epheri to retrieve some flour from the markets for Tara.
<onine> Around this time Tara enters the courtyard with Magpie and Epheri in tow. Tara carries a tray of tea, and has conscripted Magpie into service carrying a basket of small bread rolls.
<Anona> "Ah! Epheri, there you are. And... Magpie..."
* Magpie has born her new servitude with fortitude, and stops by everyone, offering them one with a smile, and her best imitation of the High-Realm accent of those favored slaves who serve the Dynasty . "Did you _really_ burn down half the town? On purpose?" Magpie asks, breaking character as she stops by Anona.
<Anona> "It was only a third, and it was an accident."
<onine> Tara: "Hello everyone." she sets down the tray on one of the benches around the stone circle, and smiles at Magpie's overdone posh mannerisms. "Help yourself to tea."
* Magpie dips a hand into her basket, pulls out a bread roll, and begins gnawing on it. "Want one?" Magpie holds up another. Her hands are, astonishingly, clean. This once.
<onine> Tara brings a steaming cup of tea over to you however Yengo, and sits down beside you with a cup of tea for herself as well.
* Yengo takes the cup with a quiet thanks and tries to hide his rather acute discomfort.
<onine> Tara whispers to you "I'm going to attempt to bathe her this evening...I'm going to ask Vana to help me, but I may need you outside the door to halt any escape attempts."
* Anona take a roll and pours tea for herself. "About time, I'm *starving*." Not that a Dynast has ever been in serious range of the condition.
* Yengo smiles a bit at that, even now. "I'll lean against it for you."
<onine> She pats your leg lightly. "I knew I could count on you."
* Yengo nods, falling silent.
* Magpie eyes Anona's waistline and flush cheeks dubiously, but keeps her comments to herself. "So, how do you burn down a _third_ of the town? On accident, I mean? Were you just not being careful? Or did you not really care? Or did you not realize it was happening? Or did you throw fire at a magical bird, and miss?"
<Magpie> Magpie's voice warms a bit at this last option. It's clearly her favorite.
<Anona> "Do you know what an Anathema is, Magpie? They're horrible demons that possess people. Well, one thought she could try and kill me."
<Magpie> "She couldn't?"
<Anona> "I'm still here, aren't I?"
<Magpie> "I'll have you know, I've seen _lots_ of Anathema. And I'm still here too. So burning down a third of the town fixed things?"
<onine> Tara stands up, a little amused by the way the two strong willed females parry and strike with their conversation. She says quietly to Yengo: "I'm just going to fetch Vana, she might have fallen asleep for forgotten the time."
* Yengo sips his tea quietly as he watches the interrogation session. "All right. Take care." Take care? Going upstairs?
* Magpie takes another big gulp of breadroll. She's of the gorge-and-digest school of gastronomy, clearly.
<Anona> "It scared her off, yes. Of course, *Epheri* had to go and come crashing to the rescue and disrupt my concentration before I could do anything."
<onine> She smiles and heads inside, passing Diamandus on the way in, they exchange a few hushed words before Tara continues inside. The Magistrate walks into the courtyard and takes a place at one edge of the circle of stone benches, but remains standing. He abstains from the tea and bread.
<onine> "Sorry." Epheri says a little too cheerfully, but falls quiet as the as the Magistrate enters.
<Magpie> "So was it worth it, then? Burning down half the town?" Magpie apparently hasn't noticed the Magistrate's entrance.
<Anona> "Would you rather have half a town and be alive, or have a whole town and be dead?"
<Magpie> "Well, I bet _lots_ of people died. I mean, people usually do in fires, right? So isn't it really a question of you, or a whole bunch of strangers?"
* Magpie pauses in her chewing as she considers this. "And you didn't answer my question!" Magpie realizes suddenly.
<Anona> "I don't know, the Anathema seemed pretty intent on killing quite a few people. I found her just after she had murdered a man, so who's to say it would have turned out any better?"
<onine> Diamandus clears his throat.
* Magpie jumps.
* Anona is about to continue, but stops before she gets out a syllable to look at the magistrate.
<onine> "Better. There will be time for this discussion later you two, but first, we must outline what we know."
* Yengo turns his attention to the Magistrate as well, glad to pull his attention from darker matters for a moment.
* Magpie plops down on a bench, pleased that no one seemed inclined to make her leave the room.
<onine> "Already we have numerous separate, yet not entirely unrelated facts. Firstly, we have an anathema operating on the Blessed Isle." He ferrets in the small pouch on his belt and drops the feathers on the sundial. He also pulls out the vial of gold-dust on a string.
<onine> "This, is beyond a shadow of a doubt Orichalcum. We know that the Anathema use it with frequency, but the fact that both Epheri and Anona survived the encounter with it means that it was more than likely a young one. The question remains. How did it get equipped so on the Blessed Isle?"
<onine> "Orichalcum and artifacts made from it are specially guarded here, if it did receive the items here, how did it get them?"
<onine> "The other confusing fact. The sword hilt and what the Anathema's interest in it was... Anona, an account of events please?"
<Anona> "Well... if I may first offer an opinion as to 'how', the Anathema in question had the mark of the Wretched. The Texts say the Wretched were capable of great feats of stealth... so it isn't totally impossible she could have bypassed any guards. As for the events..."
<onine> The Magistrate listens and nods taking in your mention of its caste.
<Anona> "She called the sword by the name of "Irezua", made the usual threat that I would see it again, accused me of thievery and murder. Claimed she would 'make us all pay' for something done to someone. Then we fought."
<onine> "Style?"
<Anona> "Which? her fighting style? or the style of sword?"
* Vana comes outside of the building, looking a little less haggard than she did prior to their expedition to the burnt ruins. She quietly seats herself on the outside of the group.
<onine> "The Anathema first, we will cover the sword soon."
<Anona> "I'm hardly an expert on that, but she had a butterfly sword and a dagger."
<onine> "Odd..."
* Yengo remembers, at the same time, the stories of the golden swords of the Anathema and the weapon that Master Cenotaph held. Could it be...?
<Yengo> "Were... these weapons Orichalcum?"
<onine> The Magistrate nods to you appreciative, a thought that had oddly slipped past him.
* Magpie shifts uneasily. "Who was the man she murdered? I mean, no one was living at the house you burned down, right?"
<Anona> "It's a long story, Magpie."
<onine> "Do elaborate... and the weapons? Orichalcum or no?"
<Anona> "I don't believe they were orichalcum. They looked like regular steel."
<Yengo> "Hm. That might mean that the Anathema's access to resources is limited for now. If it could have found the weapons on the Isle, it would have."
<onine> "Indeed, just because they are most often seen with Orichalcum weapons does not mean that they are not capable of wielding other metals as well. Jade for example is plentiful and powerful here."
<Anona> "As for the man... he outbid me for the sword-hilt at the Ledaal auction. I followed him afterwards, hoping to make a private deal. He entered my father's old estate, and when I found him he was lying dead, with the hilt in the Anathema's hand."
<Magpie> "Why your father's house?"
<onine> "Exactly, why the Luen home I wonder... odd... The hilt, can you describe it?"
<Anona> "I do not know. Perhaps it was simply a convenient place, being abandoned as it was. The hilt... was mostly gold, with a leather grip. A large empty hole at the top.
<Anona> "Ah, and with mother-of-pearl inlay. The auctioneer said that, but I didn't really get to confirm it at the time."
<onine> "How large, and what purpose?"
<Anona> "Quite large. The size of your fist, perhaps. Might have been a hearthstone socket; it was about the right shape."
<Yengo> "What happened to the body of the man who was killed? Did it burn with the house?"
<Anona> "I guess it did. I wasn't in any shape to check it out for myself, at the time."
<Yengo> "If we knew who wanted it in the first place, at least we'd have somewhere to start. I'm not sure if we have any leads at the moment."
<onine> "That is quite clear, the only witnesses either burned with the house or escaped. Where there any others after this item at all Anona?"
<Anona> "There were a few other bidders at the auction, but the man handily outbid us all."
<Magpie> "Lots of money?"
* Vana perks up suddenly. After a moment's thought, she runs inside, back up to her room.
<Anona> "My final bid was 1,250,000 jade bits. Mysterious Cloaked Man bid *five million
* for the damned thing."
<onine> "Five million! That is a lot for a sword hilt, even one as fine as the one you describe."
<Anona> "Indeed. But if that wasn't gold the hilt was made of, I imagine it's worth even more to our Anathema."
* Magpie stares at her. "Well, he can't have had it with him, right? That much? Wouldn't you need, like, gigantic cartloads just to carry the jade? So how did he pay? They wouldn't let him take the sword hilt without paying, I bet."
<onine> The Magistrate seems surprised. "Very astute young Magpie."
* Yengo can't even really wrap his mind around the idea of a million bits, much less five. "Magpie has a point - he must have met with the people running the auction at some point."
* Magpie looks smug. See, hanging out with fences did pay off, no matter what Mr. Gibs said.
<Anona> "Sure, if you were paying with physical coin. I imagined he had a letter of account or some such."
* Vana comes back downstairs with her pack. She sits again and starts rummaging through it.
<Magpie> "So, wouldn't that say who he was? Or at least where the money came from? Couldn't we steal that, and take a look?"
<Yengo> "Would they have demanded a name to sell to him? Or does that much jade speak for itself?" Yengo realizes how little he really knows about the Dragon-Blooded when they're not giving him orders.
<Anona> "You'd have to speak to the Ledaal who ran the auction about that; they certainly didn't wish to speak to *me*." Anona sniffs a little at the remembered snub.
<onine> "Yes... auctioneers tend to be a shady lot, many of the... items... that are sold are stolen from conquests and what not. Confidentiality is part of the business if the buyer so wishes."
<onine> The Magistrate looks over at Vana. "Something wrong?"
* Vana is still rummaging hurriedly through her pack. "I... I remembered something..."
<onine> He waits patiently.
* Vana pulls out an envelope, finally. "I found these... just before I joined you." She passes it across.
<onine> The magistrate opens it and pulls forth two white feathers, with engraved golden insets exactly the same as the ones that Magpie found at the scene of the 'crime' the previous evening (albeit in much better condition, as Alphaeios hasn’t had a chance to crush these in a gauntlet...)
<onine> "Where did you find these?"
<onine> Vana: "Er... near Lookshy, in one of the forests."
<onine> "That far?" He murmurs. "Quite a distance, even in flight. Our anathema is very mobile, probably why Alphaeios hasn't managed to net it yet."
* Magpie eyes the feathers a bit nervously. She just hoped she wouldn't have to separate the gold from the feathers in this one _too_. But it was good, too- it meant that the stupid crying demon she met _couldn't_ have been the one that killed that man.
<Anona> "That IS a pretty big distance to go, without magical assistance."
<Magpie> "But that's really weird! I mean, we have two- _two_-" Magpie holds up two fingers "- Fire Dragonbloods, right? And there are these feathers at both their houses. Or their father's houses, or whatever. It was your house, right Vana?"
<Yengo> "It must definitely have an agenda on the Isle, then. Most of the Anathema I've heard about run for the Threshold, but it left and returned to the most dangerous place in the world for it." Like I did, he muses.
<onine> Vana stammers "Well, er, not my house. In the woods near Lookshy"
<Magpie> "Oh. Well, still!"
<Anona> "*two* Crimson Dragons? Who's the other one?"
<onine> "Why, Vana of course."
<onine> Vana fidgets under the attention
* Magpie points at Vana. "At least, she can make fire too. AND she hasn't burned down any towns." Magpie looks a trifle uneasy. "Right, Vana?"
<onine> Vana stammers a little "W..well...yes."
* Magpie settles back and looks satisfied, as if she had proved some kind of point. "See?"
<onine> The Magistrate summarizes, cutting off Magpies gloating "Well... what we know is that there is a very mobile anathema on the loose searching for a blade (presumably) named Irezua, which will be our downfall. She has access to Orichalcum, even on the Isle. AND has been seen in the threshold."
<Anona> "I'm sure she'll get around to it sooner or later."
<onine> "So far it has a hilt, as far as we know. Presumably however, there is more, and it is hunting the rest."
<onine> Vana murmurs something akin to a 'will not'.
<Anona> "There is more... or she seeks to forge a new blade."
<Yengo> "That's the best we can hope for. I've heard stories that say those things can wring gold out of the earth and shape it with their bare hands. I always thought that was made-up... but I didn't think they could really fly, either."
<onine> "It is 'essentially' made up as far as I know... unless she is a smith herself, she will need someone of the appropriate skill to reforge the weapon... presumably another anathema..."
<Magpie> "I bet the sword'll need to be cooled in the blood of a virtuous maiden and five honest bureaucrats," Magpie puts in cheerfully.
<Anona> "Oh, flying's *easy*. Forging a blade out of a long-forbidden, highly magical metal - THAT'S difficult."
<Magpie> "Five honest bureaucrats," Magpie reminds her. "That'll be real hard to find."
<onine> "If you can find five, yes. Reforging a demon weapon frequently requires sacrifices and other such divine rituals..."
<Anona> "With all that in mind.. what do we *do
* about it?"
<onine> "There is very little we *can
* can do at this stage, but wait for the anathema to show herself again... "
<onine> He rubs his moustache. "There is also the matter of the other bidders, and more curious, Ledaal Tany's immense interest in the ruins of the Luen estate. What do you know of Tany?"
<Yengo> "But that could be on the other side of the world... seems we have nothing concrete to go on aside from a hope that the Ledaals will be forthright and open... which even I know is a fool's hope."
<onine> Epheri who has been quiet up until now pipes up. "That’s true Yengo, the Ledaals are the only lead. As far as we know, he was here for the Auction, as a go-between with the Ledaal's and my father Krennell... "
<Anona> "it's either the Ledaal or I can go around shouting "here, anathema anathema" at the top of my lungs. It might work."
<onine> The Magistrate gives you a pained expression. "It actually sometimes works..."
<onine> "I think... I _think_ that he usually serves Tepet Juno and his wife Ledaal Ariadnei... probably for nefarious purposes... wait, wasn't Juno bidding on that sword hilt Anona?"
<Anona> "Yes, I believe Juno was."
* Magpie interrupts, "What about Alphaeios? How did he know there was an Anathema here?"
<onine> The magistrate chuckles. "Alphaeios you will find is as cunning as he is ruthless. Some think him insane, and that may be true, but a better anathema hunter you will never find."
<Anona> "Yes, he's quite a tracker."
<onine> Epheri wonders to herself. "I wonder why Juno wanted that sword hilt..."
<Magpie> "So, what? He just knows where Anathema are? _Maybe_, he and the Ledaals were...setting a trap, with the swordhilt. Where did it come from?"
<Anona> "The auctioneer said it was captured somewhere in the far eastern forests."
<Magpie> "Huh." Magpie is out of ideas.
<onine> "A trap? But a trap for whom?"
<Yengo> "Good thinking, Magpie... but if it was a trap for the Anathema, it wasn't very effective. If Anona hadn't happened to be there, the Anathema would've gotten away with no hassle at all."
<Magpie> "The _Ana_thema. Alphaeios, maybe knew...there was an Anathema running lose, so he thinks, here I have this nice Orichiela- this nice gold sword hilt. I bet an Anathema would want one! And then shows up, but he's late."
* Magpie realizes it sounds a bit unlikely- particularly the part about Alphaeios deciding to be fashionably late- and she subsides with a scowl.
<onine> "I am inclined to agree with Yengo... Alphaeios would not be late for his own trap..."
<Anona> "It occurs to me... for someone who can fly, Lookshy and the outskirts of the great Eastern forests is not so far..."
<onine> "Indeed Anona, she can cover great distance given her size."
<Magpie> "Is she real big, then?"
<Anona> "No, she was normally-sized."
<onine> "Appearance?"
<Yengo> "Where do you think she came from originally? Could you tell anything from her accent, or her dress? Maybe she's FROM the Threshold..."
<Anona> "No, she looked as if she was born on the Isle. Indeed, her accent was that of a patrician. Her dress... just peasant's clothing. Although her jacket was too small for her, now that I think about it."
<Magpie> "Her jacket?" Magpie looks a bit nervous.
<Anona> "Yes, a little brown jacket. Strange how you remember such silly little details when fighting for your life."
* Magpie blanches. She looks down at her hands. How _evil_. And to think the Anathema had said it didn't eat babies! What a take in, Magpie thinks bitterly.
<onine> "Ahem, all that aside.... We have a lot of unanswered questions."
<onine> The magistrate ticks them off on his fingers
<onine> "Who is the Anathema and where is she going? What is the Irezua and what are its powers? Are there more pieces?"
<onine> "What interest does Ledaal Tany have in the Tepet estate? Why was Tepet Juno interested in the hilt? And lastly, who was the mysterious buyer?" He looks at the sky... "Have I missed anything?"
<Magpie> That's _three_ Magpie thinks suddenly. I met her. Vana sort of did. Anona fought her. "Why was the Anathema hanging around Lookshy- around Vana, who is now here, with Anona, who also met her?"
<Anona> "It's an odd coincidence to be sure."
<Yengo> "Well, Vana never said she met the Anathema, she just found the feathers, right?"
<Magpie> "Still..."
<onine> "Yes that’s true... I didn’t see him, her, it..." Vana clarifies
<Magpie> "Those kinds of things don't happen. Not except on purpose," Magpie insists stubbornly.
* Magpie takes a deep breath. I should tell them, she thinks.
<onine> Epheri comments. "It might also be good to find out exactly where the Ledaals *found<* the hilt too, and whether there was anything else there..."
<Anona> "Somebody knows something we don't, that's for sure. And I don't like that."
<onine> "Indeed" the Magistrate grumbles.
<Yengo> "Yes, one way or another, that hilt is going to be a problem for us, I feel. No matter who's after it."
* Magpie takes a look at Anona. She looks crazy. Maybe she'd get mad, and burn me. And now the Magistrate is unhappy, too. Magpie dithers. She gets up, and slides in next to Yengo. He was safe, or at least _mostly_.
<Magpie> "I..." Magpie's voice trails off.
* Yengo turns to look at Magpie, curious. "Hm?"
<Anona> "Do you have something else to add, Magpie?" For once, the girl was *hesitant* to speak? What are the odds?
* Magpie shifts nervously. "Promise you won't be mad?" She asks cautiously. Better to get a guarantee up front, she thinks.
<Yengo> "I can only speak for myself, but I won't." What had she done now, stolen another scalpel? And why bring it up in the middle of a meeting?
<Anona> "If it helps us, how could I possibly be mad at you?" Anona tries her best kindly smile; she's not that good at it.
* Magpie looks at her distrustfully. "_Promise._ You keep answering questions with questions."
<Anona> "No, I won't get mad."
<Magpie> "Well." Magpie takes a deep breath. "I've seen this Anathema too. Near Pangu."
<Anona> "You WHAT?!" *voice raised in surprise*
* Yengo joins in on the "WHAT?" chorus.
<onine> Diamandus raises his eyebrow above the remaining eye
<Magpie> "There was an airship, and it was burning, and crashed. So I went to see if there was anyone left alive- and there was this crying girl. Woman. Whatever. She was sobbing and really stupid. Whining about her prince, and how she couldn't be an Anathema, even though I kept _telling_ her, and then she said she didn't eat babies, the liar. And then she ran away, and Alphaeios came and killed my crows. And _then_, the Immaculates kidnapped me.
* Magpie runs out of breath, and stops.
<Yengo> "That's some story... are you making this up? I know you like stories, but this really isn't the time..."
* Magpie looks outraged. "I'm not a liar!"
* Vana is looking on worriedly.
<Anona> "Wait.... this makes sense!"
<Yengo> "Okay, okay, you're not a liar. Are you sure you're not just, er, embellishing a bit...?" He trails off as Anona begins to speak.
<Anona> "The Tepet own... /owned/ two airships. Alphaeios burned down one of them, the Winterclover, not too long ago."
<Yengo> "Why would he do such a thing? It's not as if Airships are readily available these days."
<Anona> "I doubt that burning airship could be anything but the Winterclover. Which explains quite a few things, really. I think Alphaeios was trying to pull off something like my little... mishap."
<onine> Well... Alphaeios is rumoured to be a lunatic. Some say he is just 'enthusiastic'
<Anona> "If he so much as *suspected* that an Anathema was on the ship, he wouldn't have paused to think, or so I hear."
<Anona> "It may even explain who this mysterious 'him' she spoke of was - her 'prince'."
<Magpie> "She said, the stupid Anathema, who didn't even know what she was supposed to be, after she yelled at me for being an uppity mortal -" Magpie sounds like she resents this "that her father owned the airship. Oh, and the airship was burning before Alpaheios got there."
<Magpie> "She said her prince was dead."
<onine> "How does it explain the prince?" Diamandus askes Anona.
<Anona> "Her FATHER? Tepet Juno owned that ship... if she wasn't lying to you... goodness. It explains her accent."
<Magpie> "I don't think she was lying. She was too stupid to lie."
<Yengo> "Tepet Juno wanted that hilt too... but we never stopped to wonder if he wanted it for himself or not..."
<Yengo> "But if she were still in league with her father, surely she'd be better equipped..."
<Anona> "Well, if she was... ah... 'whining' about a prince, and telling me about some 'him' she wanted to avenge.. isn't it natural to assume they're the same person?"
<Anona> "Perhaps she wasn't in league with him. It's a far shot, but he could have been seeking to buy the hilt to keep it out of her hands. I don't know how devout Juno is, but it's what I would think of."
<onine> "No... Juno is a collector if memory serves..."
<onine> "Lore, stories usually... I’m unsure of the usual nature of them.:
<onine> "
<Yengo> "I just wonder how she knew who had it and where he would be... this stinks of betrayal on one end or the other. Or maybe some special Anathema bloodhound talent, for all I know." These demons are frustrating the hell out of him and HE'S been lucky enough not to meet one yet.
<onine> It's getting fairly late in the evening now. Tara stands and announces that she will go and help the Inn's cook prepare dinner.
<Magpie> Magpie is thinking hard, trying to remember "Oh, wait. Maybe she just said her father was a Dragonblooded after she yelled at me. It was the _other_ guy, later, who said his father -or her father? I forget, there were a lot of people- who said their father owned the airship."
* Magpie shrugs helplessly.
<Magpie> "But I'm sure she said she was on her way back from school.
<Anona> "It all sounds very confusing, but it's a lead of some kind nonetheless."
* Magpie realizes she has gotten through this whole conversation without incriminating herself for giving aid and comfort for the enemy. She mentally pats herself on the back.
<onine> "Indeed it is." The magistrate collects the feathers and vial from the sundial.
<onine> "In the mean time I will follow a lead of my own... I may be a couple of days however."
<Anona> "Hm... Magpie? It just occurred to me... did /you/ ever happen to own a little brown jacket?"
<Magpie> "Uh..."
<Anona> "Not that it really matters, one way or another. The one the Anathema was wearing got burnt up."
<Magpie> "WHAT?!" Magpie screams, shooting to her feet.
<Anona> "Well, it's not as if I knew it might be YOURS at the time..."
<Magpie> "Well, of _course_ an Anathema is going to go around stealing people's only jackets! It's an Anathema! Do you have to burn everything?! It was my _only jacket_!"
* Magpie actually sounds distraught.
* Vana quietly excuses herself to go help Tara.
<onine> The Magistrate rolls his eye at the display and walks over to Yengo
<Anona> "If I'm fending her off, of *course* her clothing is going to get burnt, Magpie. And I didn't know it was yours, really.... it was your *only* jacket?"
* Yengo pats the shouting Magpie on the shoulder. "Don't be upset, it's just a jacket..." He thinks consoling her at this point is probably a useless gesture, though.
<onine> "The others seem occupied at present. There are many sun and fire aspect spirits near here. I am going to go and question some on recent events to that regard... I don’t think it would be safe for any of you to accompany me in this case. They can grow offended easily, and well..."
<Magpie> "They don't go around handing out jackets!"
<onine> He gestures at the women-folk arguing.
* Yengo nods at the Magistrate. "Understood."
<Anona> "You're right. You have to buy them. And, since it was my fault, that means *I* should buy a new one for you. Perhaps two, just in case this happens again."
<onine> "I'll trust you to maintain a level of control or at least calm and level-headedness here while I am gone."
* Magpie halts in mid-rant. "Really?" She stares at the Dragonblooded, wide-eyed, absolutely astonished at this level of generosity.
<Anona> "Why not? We can shop for one tomorrow morning, if the magistrate has nothing else he needs done then."
<onine> "Indeed not... you may tend to your needs for the next few days."
* Magpie hugs Anona around the waist. _Two_ jackets! Sure, the first one had sentimental value- first jacket ever- but more was better.
<Magpie> Oh, and her level of grubbiness, hands aside, is still pretty high.
<Anona> Ick. Going to have to burn *this* dress next...
<Anona> "Ah... well, I'm glad that makes you happy, Magpie."
<onine> The Magistrate pats Yengo on the shoulder and smiles almost sympathetic. "Good luck."
<Yengo> "I'm sure I'll need it. The same to you."
<onine> He nods and heads outside
<onine> "Well well Anona," Epheri grins "I didn’t know you had it in you!"
* Anona sticks her tongue out at Epheri and says nothing.
<onine> In the mean time, you are all left to your own devices untill dinner is ready.
* Yengo approaches the others. "I'm sorry I called you a liar, Magpie. You're... um... a good girl." He pats you on the head as gingerly as if you're a dog that bites.
<Yengo> "I just wish we had an answer to all this."
<Magpie> "Two jackets!" Magpie tells Yengo gleefully. This is apparently her answer.
* Yengo smiles a bit. Well, that's certainly one answer, he guesses. To what question, he's not exactly sure.
* Magpie sits back down on a bench. "What are we going to do while the Magistrate is gone?" She asks the others. "Besides get jackets."
<Anona> "A good question. What ARE we going to do?"
<onine> "We have dinner!" Tara says from the door.
<Yengo> "I guess we might as well start following up some of our leads with the Ledaals, though it might be best if those of you who knew them took the lead."
* Magpie looks around at the company speculatively. Even evaluatingly. "Maybe...someone could talk to someone about the airship. About how terrible it was it went boom, and how sad it was that those people died, and, you know, try and find who did die. "
<onine> Tara clears her throat again. "Dinner? Its almost ready..."
<Anona> "Yes. Let's eat, THEN sleuth."
* Magpie doesn't have to be told- thrice. She scrambles to the door.
* Yengo follows behind at a more dignified pace.
<onine> "Oh we know, but we need to do something fun first, right miss Vana?"
* Magpie catches the wink, and turns around in a circle suspiciously. "What's this about?"
<Vana> "Indeed. I'm sorry, Magpie, but this has to be done." She looks sympathetic.
* Magpie doesn't like the sound of this. She backs away- and then charges, for the narrow gap between Vana and Tara.
<onine> Tara and Vana well prepared wrap their arms around you as tightly as they can manage
* Magpie wriggles and squirms to the best of her ability.
<onine> Lifting you kicking and wailing in their arms, Vana and Tara manhandle you past the kitchen and into the laundry where you see to your horror, a wooden tub filled with warm water and suds!
<onine> "The-" *struggle* "-door please Uff! Doctor!"
* Magpie screams and pleads for mercy. "I'll be good, I will! I promise!"
<Magpie> "Let me go!"
<onine> "Yes you will be good and take a bath dear!"
* Yengo , as he promised, closes the door and leans against it, shaking his head at the din inside.
<Magpie> "No!" Magpie braces her feet against the tub.
<onine> "Vana grab her UFF! Legs!" one of Magpies flailing legs catches Tara in the stomach
* Vana grabs the girl's legs tightly, holding them together. "Got the arms?"
* Magpie trys to kick with her leg, and twist around out of Tara's arms.
<onine> "Clothes and all it seems, ready? One! Two! Three!"
<onine> The tow women lower you quickly into the tub, clothes and all.
* Vana looks apologetic. "Sorry, Magpie. But you really do need a bath."
<Magpie> As she is hurled into the tub, Magpie catches a glimpse of crow, perched on a windowledge. He was laughing at her, the feathered demon. She screams again as her skin touches the unfamiliar heat of the water. She flails, as much as space allows for flailing.
<onine> "Yes you do indeed!" Tara exclaims, presenting a scrubbing brush and soap to you. "Now scrub!"
<onine> "Or Vana holds you, I scrub. I may not look it, but I'm quite strong when it comes to rubbing dirty skin clean."
<Magpie> Gasping for breath, Magpie eyes the brush and soap as if they are First Age artifacts. Utterly alien.
<onine> "Scrub or I tell Anona that she doesn't have to buy you a nice new jacket."
<Magpie> Aghast at this further treachery, Magpie gapes. "You wouldn't!"
<onine> "Wouldn't I?"
<Vana> "Magpie, just do what she says. It will be over quickly, I promise."
* Magpie eyes the Personification of All Unjust Persecution of Magpie. She would do it, she bet. Gingerly, Magpie takes the brush, and holds it awkwardly in her hand. Not even Gran had ever done _this_ to her!
* Vana carefully lets go of the girl's legs, ready to grab again if she seems about to flee.
<onine> "Scrub! One, two, one two!"
<onine> Tara knocks twice on the door. "Doctor, can you fetch me one of my dresses? We had to dump her clothes and all unfortunately."
* Yengo says, "Sure," trying to contain his laughter at the thought. He moves off to find something.
<Magpie> And Vana....what treachery. Magpie eyes the door, evaluating her escape possibilities, and makes a small movement as if to stand up- and slips right back into the tub. Magpie moves the brush lightly across her legs.
<Magpie> But, on the other hand...
<Magpie> The door was now unguarded.
* Vana sits on a stool and watches her with worry.
<Magpie> Forewarned about the slipperiness, Magpie ducks her head under the water- and then surges out of the tub in a mad dash for the door.
<onine> Tara catches your gaze at the door and moves to stand next to it, folding her arms sternly. Such evil!
<onine> "Catch her catch her!"
* Vana instantly rises from her chair, tearing off after the fleeing Magpie.
* Yengo returns, holding a gray dress. He hoped he picked out the right one, he looked for something pretty cheap, since he was sure it was going to have a very close relationship with grime soon enough.
<Magpie> Ahead of pursuit, Magpie nearly tears the door from its hinges, getting it open, and then sprinting out of it. Feet wet, she slides on the wooden floors, but Magpie is _fast_, when she needs to be.
<Magpie> "Crow!" she calls. She needs a distraction. Dripping wet, she searches for an open door...or an open window...if she could just escape, for a few hours, they'd forget, Magpie was sure.
* Vana sprints out not long behind her, scanning the room quickly to locate the girl.
<Magpie> The crow flaps into the hallway. Landing on a ornate but ugly vase, it tilts its head inquiringly. "Caw?"
<Xiao> Crow squalks obediently and manages to at least delay Tara, Vana on the other hand is out the door like greased flame in an orange jumpsuit
* Yengo is simply whistling along, dress in hand, wondering just how dinner's going to be.
<Xiao> Magpie will round the corner very soon at full pelt...
* Magpie looks back over her shoulder, eyes wide in her panicked effort to keep ahead of her pursuit...
<Xiao> You are definitely gaining ground! This Dragonblood isn’t as fast as she looks.
* Magpie chortles to herself, feeling quite smug, and she zips around the corner.
<Xiao> Yengo, as you wander you hear some commotion, the sound of a door, and within seconds, a sopping wet Magpie looking like a drowned rat tears around the corner at breakneck speed.
* Yengo sees Magpie streak past him (quite literally), but she's gone by the time he's done fumbling with the dress. He sighs.
* Vana zooms past moments later, calling out. "Magpie! Come back!"
* Yengo decides he might as well make himself useful. He follows the wet trail back to the laundry room and hands over the dress to Tara. "My sympathies."
<Xiao> Tara just finishes shutting the squalking black bird outside, her hair is a jumble of blond strands. She turns huffed, the entire front of her dress is soaked from 'rascally little girl activities'
* Magpie , even as she is determined to show these Dragonblooded how it's done, trips slightly over a bench, as she bursts into the main room.
* Vana takes a running jump off a table as she sees Magpie's intended path, attempting to block her off.
* Yengo presses the dress into Tara's hands. "You have the patience of one of the Dragons," he says, trying to joke. Trying not to think about what he overheard earlier.

Inn’s Common Room
<onine> Now then, you are sitting across from Epheri in the inn's common room, relatively spacious, but empty at present, there are very few guests these days, even though this is one of the few remaining inns in Noble
<onine> "Are you *really* going to buy her clothes?" Epheri grins
<Anona> "Of course. When I say something, I mean it. It's hardly a big deal."
<onine> "Wow." she looks suitably shocked. "Some day huh?"
* Anona affects a manner of virtue. "Why, one must respect and honor those below you just as they must obey those higher. Surely replacing a jacket I destroyed qualifies."
<onine> Epheri sighs. "Well...looks like we're stuck together again..."
<Anona> "You seem less than totally pleased at that, cousin."
<onine> "Of course I'm not *pleased* with it, I'm getting punished for something *you* did"
<Anona> "oh, where's your sense of adventure? For all it's a "punishment", getting to chase after a dangerous Anathema is actually pretty special."
<onine> "Whatever you say... this is going to be a nightmare I can tell..." She folds her arms
<onine> Another voice from the door chimes in. "Excuse me."
<Anona> "Yes?"
<onine> There is a man, well dressed, definitely a patrician going by the clothing. He would be in his fifties you would say, and definitely mortal. He would have been quite a charmer in his day, but those are long behind him now. He looks a little haggard and stressed.
<Anona> "Can I help you?"

<Xiao> "Would one of you be able to tell me where I could find the Magistrate Mnemon Diamandus?"

<Anona> "Well, I don't know where he is right this minute, but I could let him know you are looking for him... ah...?" Anona invites the man to identify himself.
<Xiao> He clears his throat and bows his head "My apologies, I am Kain Starflower, the Sub-Prefect of Noble."
<Xiao> "Not here... I was told he had just arrived..."
<Anona> "He had, but we just finished a meeting with him. I'm Tepet Anona. I'm serving as one of Diamandus' archons." Anona realizes too late that the sub-prefect of Noble doubtless recognizes her name in a less-than-great context...
<Xiao> "Oh..." He looks a little displeased... "A pleasure... yes... wait, archons?"
<Anona> "Yes. Myself, Epheri here, and the other two are currently, er. Otherwise involved."
<Xiao> "Oh... I.. I see.. Then maybe you can help me, are you the First Archon?"
<Xiao> As he says this, a soaking wet Magpie comes careening through the dining room, followed by Vana who leaps gracefully off a table and on top of the fleeing child, netting her perfectly in an impressive tackle... right into the Sub-Prefect...
<Anona> "Oh, dear."
<Anona> "If the usual holds, the First Archon shall be along shortly."

<Xiao> Meanwhile in the dining hall, as you land Vana, Magpie careens into you at high speed, driving you back into a pile with yet another man, well dressed who appeared to be talking to Anona and Epheri at the time, indeed Vana leapt up onto the table the two Dragonbloods were sitting on and leaped over them impressively!
* Vana does at least manage to grab the girl in a hold before falling into him.
<Anona> "... dear. If the usual holds, the First Archon shall be along shortly."
<Xiao> "Uff!" there is a tumble of arms, robes and legs.
<Magpie> The stinky, dripping, wet mess that is Magpie attempts to stand up and continue her escape...
<Xiao> Tara runs in with a towel "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear..."
* Vana grabs her ankle and pulls her back down to the ground, allowing Tara to wrap her up.
* Yengo trails in last of all, looking at the disaster area before him. Yes. Some First Archon.
<Xiao> Magpie is well and truly caught this time, with Vana around her ankle and Tara on top wrapping her in a towel.
<Xiao> Yengo managed around ten minutes of First Archonship. Not bad.
<Anona> "Ah, there he is now, Sub-Prefect. Yengo, this gentleman here is the Sub-Prefect of Noble. He was wanting to speak to the magistrate."
* Anona is pointedly not mentioning the dripping wet, naked child.
<Xiao> The man, now suitably less dry than before picks himself up and examines his robes. "Oh my... yes well..."
<Xiao> He surveys the scene with a confused expression.
* Yengo acknowledges the man with a short bow that barely goes past his head. "Sub-Prefect. Unfortunately the Magistrate is away for a few days. I... ah... apologize for the incident."
<Xiao> He is definitely a patrician going by the clothing. He would be in his fifties you would say, and definitely mortal. He would have been quite a charmer in his day, but those are long behind him now. He looks a little haggard and stressed, and now quite damp to boot.
<Xiao> "Yes... right.... Yengo is it? My name is Sub-Prefect Kain Starflower, I sort of run the bureaucracy here in Noble."
<Magpie> At least satisfied that she has spread the disaster around, Magpie does not struggle.
<Xiao> In the mean time Tara bathes you properly, with a very stern expression on her face. She mad.
* Yengo nods again. "Is there anything we can do for you in the magistrate's absence?"
* Vana stands in the doorway, this time.
<Xiao> "Well, I rather was hoping to speak to him personally and with utmost urgency."
<Yengo> "I'm afraid we can't provide you with that, but we will do what we can for you in his place."
<Xiao> "Oh..." He looks at you all. "Very well. May we sit?"
* Yengo almost slaps himself on the head. Idiot! "Of course." He waits for Sub-Prefect Starflower to take a seat, then follows suit.
<Xiao> Seated and comfortable he begins. "Well now, as I said before, I'm the Sub-Prefect of the Incas area, which means in a simple sense I run Noble. Granted a lot of people simply refer to Tepet Krennell as being in charge-" he spares a glance at Epheri and Anona. "-it is I that maintains the bureaucracy and running of affairs."
<Xiao> "Taxes, maintaining services and what-not. Civic duty."
* Yengo places his elbows on the table and leans forward slightly as he listens.
<Xiao> "Now recently... I've had a rather sticky problem. Being autumn, the replanting begins and most towns nearby have takin in the bulk of their income, which means that taxes and levies are paid very, very shortly to me, and then they are sent to the Imperial City for calculation and archiving."
<Xiao> "Things have been going well... except for one province nearby. The mountain range that separates Incas from the western half of the Blessed Isle begins somewhat west of here, and the towns nestled in those valleys are considered my - er, our jurisdiction for tax purposes."
<Xiao> He links his hands together and his knuckles go white from the pressure, he's clearly very stressed about this.
<Yengo> "Go on," He tries to put the man at ease.
<Xiao> "Unfortunately... contact has been lost with those villages in the mountains. I have sent runners there - none have returned. And I am under great strain to have these taxes prepared soon! If they don’t match up, well... who knows what will happen to me. The Imperial bureaucracy doesn’t take kindly to missing jade..."
<Xiao> "I have tried to request a legion division or magistrate to look into the matter, but I have received no response. I had hoped with the Magistrate Diamandus here, my troubles would be at ease..."
<Anona> Privately, Anona thinks that the Imperial bureaucracy of late *loves* missing jade. So long as they're the ones making it missing...
<Yengo> "How far away are these towns?"
<Xiao> "If it were flat ground, a day, but up the mountains it is more a two day travel to the foothill towns at the least."
<Yengo> "Hm. We could investigate in the magistrate's stead and leave word for him here..."
<Yengo> "I'll have to consult with the others first, but we may be able to help you."
<Xiao> "Thank you..." He looks at the two Dragonbloods with more confidence now "Thank you, I am most appreciative."
<Yengo> "If there's something wrong up there, we'll find it." I just hope we're not sorry if we do, he thinks. Then he turns to Anona and Epheri. "What do you two think?"
<Xiao> Epheri looks at Anona questioningly
<Anona> "It sounds like a way to get a little goodwill from the locals, at any rate. And I, for one, need that."
<Xiao> The Sub-Prefect tries to resist making a comment in that regard - you are an exalt after all...
* Anona eyes the Sub-prefect's tongue-biting with a little amusement.
<Anona> "I say we do it."
<Yengo> "Well, that's three."
* Magpie looking sullen and damp, but clean, trots into the room in a dress that's much to big for her. "Do what?"
<Yengo> "Looks like we'll take you up on it."
<Xiao> "Wonderful, thank you, I cant tell you how relieved I am to finally get some proper assistance in this matter. When you return (he stresses the when) you can find me in the town hall on the eastern peninsula near the docks."
<Magpie> "Do _what_? Oh," Magpie adds to the Sub-Prefect, "Tara says I have to say I'm sorry, even though it wasn't my fault. So, I'm sorry."
<Xiao> Tara and Vana emerge after cleaning up 'ground zero'
* Yengo turns to Magpie. "We're heading into the western part of the prefecture to find out why some towns haven't paid their taxes."
<Xiao> Magpie now is wearing a too-large-for-her grey dress.
* Magpie looks at him dubiously. "You mean we're going to beat people up because of a bad harvest?"
* Magpie obviously takes an adversarial view of tax-collection.
<Xiao> "Er..." the Sub-Prefect utters. "Who is this?"
<Yengo> "No, we're going to find out what's wrong." He turns back to the Sub-Prefect "This is a... travelling companion of ours."
<Anona> "Nonsense, Magpie. There's been no report from the area at all, so it may be a bigger problem than that."
<Xiao> "Oh..." he says. "I see." Clearly he does not
<Yengo> "Right, as Anona says."
* Magpie edges nearer to Yengo. "How much longer do you think Tara is going to be mad at me?" she whispers to him.
<Yengo> "Not too long," he comforts Magpie, though considering the way she looked last time he saw her, he wonders. He turns back to Starflower. "None of those are good choices, but I'd take the bandits over the river-dragons any day."
<Xiao> "Well ah, to help you, we are assuming that the problem could be destroyed bridges, wolves perhaps... we doubt a river dragon... too high up... More than likely we think bandits..."
* Anona shrugs. "All the same to me."
* Magpie slinks back out of the room, quailed by the look in Tara's eye.
<Xiao> "Well *cough* as I said, there are no large rivers in between here and the lower foothills, so we doubt that greatly as a problem. There IS a lake in the range I believe, smallish, but unless the Dragon were traveling great distances to get to the foothills to ambush runners..."
* Yengo has to partially admire Anona's decisive attitude, even if he doesn't share it. "Whatever the case, we'll investigate thoroughly."
<Xiao> "Many thanks" Kain says as he stands and shakes Yengos hand. "Best of luck friend, I hope that you fare well in your investigations."
* Yengo thinks, "So do I."
<Yengo> "We'll contact you after our return."
<Xiao> "Thank you again." He leaves, whilst examining his damp robes.