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Dear Mom - Mishap Adventures of a Mommy's Elf
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<blockquote data-quote="Lwaxy" data-source="post: 5812063" data-attributes="member: 53286"><p>26th of Dhai</p><p></p><p>Dear Mom, </p><p></p><p>I need your advice on something important. We got an invitation to attend the opening ceremony for the new lighthouse, which seems to be finally finished (even if Uthas, who we keep sending to check up on the building efforts, says it doesn't seem to make any progress). I am not sure we should go. Well, not Uthas, anyway, he is not fit for such events. But I mean, we know the man is evil and has in the past tried to have us killed. Nev and me could not find a political way to bring him down, but I am sure he knows we tried. And I take it he doesn't care one bit about our heritage, as hard as it is to imagine. </p><p></p><p>If we go, and it is a trap? What if we don't and then the society of Freeport will look down on us? Only the important people have been invited. Not that there is much of a society here, I really fail to see what you see in this city. </p><p></p><p>The event is in a few days, and everyone looks to me to make a decision. </p><p></p><p>Your loving and confused son Orlath</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Honored Lady Theka!</p><p></p><p>Lord Drac's invitation, which I'm sure Ortlath has told you about, must be a trap. If you can't present us with bodyguards on such short a notice, please let him know that it is not safe to go there, especially not without taking Uthas along!</p><p></p><p>Talk in town is all about who will replace Verlaine on the council, and chances are it will be decided at the ball rather than in a honest vote. A Councilor Grossette wants to challenge Drac about Verlaine's successor, it seems. So the ball might be twice the showdown, and even less safe for us to go there. </p><p></p><p>In Your service</p><p></p><p>Nevukh</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>28th of Dhai</p><p></p><p>"We are going!"</p><p></p><p>Flip dropped his spoon into the porridge in surprise and Nev stoped chewing his honeyed bread. Both stared at Orlath in utter disbelief. Had he not just gotten a letter from his mother this very morning, telling him to stay put and excuse himself from the ball by claiming he had current flu going around? And had he not looked relieved about this idea just before they had started breakfast? Flip and Nev looked at each other, only Uthas remained oblivious and continued munching on a large chunk of ham. </p><p></p><p>"We are?" Flip finally managed to get out. </p><p></p><p>"But did yoiur mother not..." Nev started.</p><p></p><p>"Yes, exactly. In the same letter she tells me to excuse myself, she tells me to learn to make my own decisions. So, that probably means she wants me to do the opposite of what she tells me, no? Aw, come on, you know mom! She has always been chiding us for getting into trouble when we didn't do what she told us, but at the same time she also seemed kind of proud about our achievements. No matter how much damage we accidentally racked up."</p><p></p><p>"I don't think..." Nev tried again. </p><p></p><p>Orlath took a large sip of tea and spread butter over fresh bread. "I'm glad I caught the meaning of her letter so quickly. We need to go shopping, buy nice dress outfits, including festive scabbards for our swords and daggers, as we didn't think to bring some. Flip needs a colorful servant uniform fit for a hero, and well, if we are to take Uthas, he needs something fancy, too, to show he's both an invited guest and my bodyguard."</p><p></p><p>Upon hearing his name, Uthas looked up with a questioning grunt. He understood "fancy" and didn't like the sound of it at all. But if that meant he'd be able to carry his weapons into the ballroom, that would do for him. He wasn't all hot about going, but if he had to, he would not do so without a means to fight well. </p><p></p><p>"She'll not react well if you tell her you are going," Nev tried again, but was once more interrupted. </p><p></p><p>"I won't be telling her until it is all over, same as always when we got into things we were not quite supposed to. That's likely what she is expecting me to do." The prince's voice was hard to hear as he was chewing while talking, a behavior that would have gotten himself smacked had he been at home, no matter his age. </p><p></p><p>"If we are going to be shopping later, I need to do something beforehand," Flip interjected, outwardly calm. He had, in fact, expected something like that. "Unless you trust me to buy my own cloths?"</p><p></p><p>"Nah, not really," Orlath shook his head. "Your taste in clothes is not fitting for a servant of high status."</p><p></p><p>Resigned, Flip sighed and got up to clean the table now that everyone was almost done eating. "I thought so." Orlath' exclusive taste in materials and almost gnomish colors was a real annoyance, but he would make do. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>About half an hour later, Flip was racing through Freeport to reach the less reputable district. He ducked through alleyways and into a half broken down building, leaning against the wall to catch his breath for a bit before continuing. </p><p></p><p>The aranea was already awaiting him, having felt him moving through the building. "I take it," the eerie voice of the spider sounded, "you need me to eliminate more of your enemies?"</p><p></p><p>"I'm not sure yet," flip gasped. "But probably, yeah." He started to explain about the ball – by now, the spider was pretty much up to date on the Freeport situation. "I'd like you to be me at the ball. You can do that, right?"</p><p></p><p>"Being you?" The aranea was amused. "Yes, but your friends would notice, would they not?"</p><p></p><p>"Not if we make you think and act like me! You do this all the time, being someone else. I'm sure you will do fine." Flip looked pleased with himself, and also somewhat admiring of the aranea. The spider was, in turn, pleased to see someone was holding him in any regard, and agreed. Having some fun and probably food and removing some evil from Freeport was a good combination in his eyes. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>1st of Rhune</p><p></p><p>Looking their best, the party – minus Flip and plus the aranea - arrived in the evening at the Sea Lord's Palace at the center of the Old City. At five stories high, it was by far the largest building in the area. A 15-foot-high stone wall enclosed the grounds of the palace. Twin large, black, cast-iron gates faced the street and allowed access to the courtyard. Four guards stood watch over the entrance, checking invitations. The landscaping within was well tended, with tall trees and numerous gardens of flowers. A white stone path lead from the gates to the palace beyond.</p><p></p><p>In the guard room, two more guards checked their invitations a second time. They paid little attention to the actual visitors, though, which caused Uthas to snort. The floor of the busy entrance hall was covered in a mosaic depicting a battle at sea between a pirate ship and a giant, purple squid. Ornate, golden double doors stood closed at the end of the hall leading to the ballroom. Two smaller doors sat in the right and left wall. Well-dressed guards stood before them, preventing access to the rooms beyond. Before they could introduce themselves to anyone, a butler came to politely lead them to the sitting area to the right to wait for the chamberlain. It was well decorated, and many paintings lined the walls. Two large couches sat in the center of the room, and a number of chairs were spread throughout.</p><p></p><p>"Sure knows how to live, this Drac," Flip-Spider said. </p><p></p><p>"This is no life," Uthas was about to counter the point, but Nev made a gesture for them to shut up and wait in silence. </p><p></p><p>The door swung open, and a halfling hustled into the room, breathing heavily. He took a minute to hike up his black pants over his protruding belly and smooth out his silver-buttoned jacket. After bowing deeply, he addressed all. "Greetings heroes! Milton Drac welcomes you to his home. I am Tomas Fleetfoot, High Chamberlain of the Sea Lord’s Palace. You are to be honored tonight at the ball for your deeds in defense of Freeport. We don’t have much time, so please pay attention. In a few minutes, I will lead you into the hallway as a speech is made in your honor. The Sea Lord will then introduce you to the gathering, and you will enter the ballroom and approach the dais. The Sea Lord will present you all with the Order of Drac, a very great honor you know, and the ball will begin. Any questions? Good. Let’s go.“ </p><p></p><p>Tomas lead them all into the hallway. The gold double doors now stood open, revealing the large ballroom. There were two single golden doors on either end of the room, in the middle of each wall. The floor was covered with polished black marble. At the far end of the room, a semi-circle of windows, about half as wide as the room itself, jutted out into the garden outside the palace. Many colorful tapestries depicting various maritime scenes covered the walls. Large glass spheres hung from the ceiling. They glowed with a yellow light that illuminated the room.</p><p></p><p>In front of the windows was a dais with 13 polished oak chairs. One chair in the middle was larger than the others. The chair directly to the right of this chair was draped in black cloth. The guests were spread out around the room, at round tables. The center of the room hads no tables, leaving room for dancing. A group of minstrels waited to the right of the dais. Standing in the center of the dais was a tall man with an angular face. He wore a long, light-green robe with a jeweled belt. He looked toward the so-called heroes and then addressed the guests. </p><p></p><p>"Thank you all for coming to this grand ball to celebrate the completion of the lighthouse. Soon all the world will speak of the greatness of Freeport. As a glowing beacon, the lighthouse shall shine forth to all peoples, proclaiming the unspeakable power of our glorious city. Tonight, however, we honor the heroes who have saved us from the traitor Verlaine and the dark Brotherhood of the Yellow Sign. If not for their vigilance, our fair city might have fallen under the domination of unfathomable evil. Come forward, my friends, and accept the Order of Drac and our sincerest gratitude.“ </p><p></p><p>The room erupted in applause. Uthas groaned, a sound luckily drowned out by many clapping hands. Nev and Orlath looked at each other and shrugged, then walking up in front of Flip-Spider and Uthas. Milton handed each hero a gold medal with a pirate ship engraved on it, shaking their hands as he did, wearing a fake looking smile all the time. They were then shown to a table near the dais, and the music and merriment began.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Among the serving boys and girls running around in the ballroom was the real Flip, having called in a favor with someone who owned him a saved marriage after a drunken night. The halfling was disguised with fake black hair and a few painted on birthmarks. He watched everyone carefully, making sure he listened to all gossip very carefully. You could always gain more information as someone who was not really being seen, he knew. He just hoped the spider would behave and Uthas, who knew about the whole scam, would make sure Nev and Orlath wouldn't overreact in case they would find out. </p><p></p><p>There were two main topics of conversation. The first was the political intrigue surrounding the nomination of a new councilor to replace Verlaine. The council was currently broken up into two different factions. Five members were loyal to Drac, while six members followed Lady Elise, the leader of the opposition. Lady Elise needed only one more councilor in her camp to be able to override Milton on the council. Of course, Drac would like to maintain his control over the council by getting his nominee elected. Speculations went wild about how this current power struggle would conclude. </p><p></p><p>The second topic was, of course, the lighthouse and its real purpose. Many of the people at the ball had seen or learned interesting pieces of information about strange goings on at the lighthouse. To flip's dismay, they were usually shutting up about the interesting parts once anyone, even a servant, came near. Knowing or saying too much was a dangerous affair in Freeport, so it seemed. He hoped his companions would be careful with their own words. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>While Orlath, as usual, excelled at making small talk and playing on his status both as a hero and royal blood of the main land, Nev soon got bored with it all. A glass of pearl wine in hand, he lazily walked around the guests, trying to glean something useful. He talked a bit with some of the females, but none of them was really raising his interest, and he ddoged the hero worship of a young warrior who could not stop going on about how he wanted to be like them. Finally, he came to where one of the council members, a bard with ties to the elven pirates, regaled his audience with hero stories and decided to stay there a while. </p><p></p><p>Flip-Spider was doing what he was there for. Sniffing out lizardfolk. His arachnid senses were quite accurate, but he had had no luck so far. The food and drink offered didn't make his hunger lessen; while he could consume them, it was more like sweets and spoils than a real meal. If he would find one of the lizards other than the old priest who he knew to be on their side, he would probably devour the unfortunate one right away. </p><p></p><p>As luck would have it, Flip-Spider passed the table of some of the councilors a bit later. One of those present at the table clearly had that underlying lizard scent. An overweight one, but that might just be the shape shift; Flip-Spider had the same shape-shifting abilities after all. When the man got up for a bit, trying to make his way over to where Drac was, the aranea stepped into his way. "Excuse me, councilor? Could we have a word with you?"</p><p></p><p>"We?" The lizard man, posing as a Brock Wallace, or so Flip-spider had heard him addressed, looked around in confusion. </p><p></p><p>"My companions are waiting outside;" the fake Flip assured, pointing to the eastern door leading out of the ballroom. "We have to show you something that is not for everyone's eyes." </p><p></p><p>This made the lizard even more nervous. But then, the fake Wallace seemed to catch himself. "Very well, if you insist. I can hardly refuse you, after all you did for us. And, I may have a proposal for you as well." </p><p></p><p>With the same sort of eager smile he had seen on Flip's face, the spider led the councilor out and towards the stairs to the basement. "Down here, I'm afraid. Better safe than sorry." </p><p></p><p>Fake-Wallace nodded, trying not to be too worried. "Suits me fine," he said. "I would not want Drac to hear anything, myself." </p><p></p><p>Drac? Flip-Spider wondered, but decided not to ask. Was this a set up attempt? This lizard shapeshift smelled as if he had talked intensely with Drac recently, if Flip-Spider remembered Drac's scent right. Yeah, that must be the trap Flip had warned about. Well, there would be no set up now. Except the one he himself had for the fake councilor. </p><p></p><p>A few minutes later, one muffled, panicked scream sounded from the basement, but no one heard over the music and laughter of the party.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lwaxy, post: 5812063, member: 53286"] 26th of Dhai Dear Mom, I need your advice on something important. We got an invitation to attend the opening ceremony for the new lighthouse, which seems to be finally finished (even if Uthas, who we keep sending to check up on the building efforts, says it doesn't seem to make any progress). I am not sure we should go. Well, not Uthas, anyway, he is not fit for such events. But I mean, we know the man is evil and has in the past tried to have us killed. Nev and me could not find a political way to bring him down, but I am sure he knows we tried. And I take it he doesn't care one bit about our heritage, as hard as it is to imagine. If we go, and it is a trap? What if we don't and then the society of Freeport will look down on us? Only the important people have been invited. Not that there is much of a society here, I really fail to see what you see in this city. The event is in a few days, and everyone looks to me to make a decision. Your loving and confused son Orlath Honored Lady Theka! Lord Drac's invitation, which I'm sure Ortlath has told you about, must be a trap. If you can't present us with bodyguards on such short a notice, please let him know that it is not safe to go there, especially not without taking Uthas along! Talk in town is all about who will replace Verlaine on the council, and chances are it will be decided at the ball rather than in a honest vote. A Councilor Grossette wants to challenge Drac about Verlaine's successor, it seems. So the ball might be twice the showdown, and even less safe for us to go there. In Your service Nevukh 28th of Dhai "We are going!" Flip dropped his spoon into the porridge in surprise and Nev stoped chewing his honeyed bread. Both stared at Orlath in utter disbelief. Had he not just gotten a letter from his mother this very morning, telling him to stay put and excuse himself from the ball by claiming he had current flu going around? And had he not looked relieved about this idea just before they had started breakfast? Flip and Nev looked at each other, only Uthas remained oblivious and continued munching on a large chunk of ham. "We are?" Flip finally managed to get out. "But did yoiur mother not..." Nev started. "Yes, exactly. In the same letter she tells me to excuse myself, she tells me to learn to make my own decisions. So, that probably means she wants me to do the opposite of what she tells me, no? Aw, come on, you know mom! She has always been chiding us for getting into trouble when we didn't do what she told us, but at the same time she also seemed kind of proud about our achievements. No matter how much damage we accidentally racked up." "I don't think..." Nev tried again. Orlath took a large sip of tea and spread butter over fresh bread. "I'm glad I caught the meaning of her letter so quickly. We need to go shopping, buy nice dress outfits, including festive scabbards for our swords and daggers, as we didn't think to bring some. Flip needs a colorful servant uniform fit for a hero, and well, if we are to take Uthas, he needs something fancy, too, to show he's both an invited guest and my bodyguard." Upon hearing his name, Uthas looked up with a questioning grunt. He understood "fancy" and didn't like the sound of it at all. But if that meant he'd be able to carry his weapons into the ballroom, that would do for him. He wasn't all hot about going, but if he had to, he would not do so without a means to fight well. "She'll not react well if you tell her you are going," Nev tried again, but was once more interrupted. "I won't be telling her until it is all over, same as always when we got into things we were not quite supposed to. That's likely what she is expecting me to do." The prince's voice was hard to hear as he was chewing while talking, a behavior that would have gotten himself smacked had he been at home, no matter his age. "If we are going to be shopping later, I need to do something beforehand," Flip interjected, outwardly calm. He had, in fact, expected something like that. "Unless you trust me to buy my own cloths?" "Nah, not really," Orlath shook his head. "Your taste in clothes is not fitting for a servant of high status." Resigned, Flip sighed and got up to clean the table now that everyone was almost done eating. "I thought so." Orlath' exclusive taste in materials and almost gnomish colors was a real annoyance, but he would make do. About half an hour later, Flip was racing through Freeport to reach the less reputable district. He ducked through alleyways and into a half broken down building, leaning against the wall to catch his breath for a bit before continuing. The aranea was already awaiting him, having felt him moving through the building. "I take it," the eerie voice of the spider sounded, "you need me to eliminate more of your enemies?" "I'm not sure yet," flip gasped. "But probably, yeah." He started to explain about the ball – by now, the spider was pretty much up to date on the Freeport situation. "I'd like you to be me at the ball. You can do that, right?" "Being you?" The aranea was amused. "Yes, but your friends would notice, would they not?" "Not if we make you think and act like me! You do this all the time, being someone else. I'm sure you will do fine." Flip looked pleased with himself, and also somewhat admiring of the aranea. The spider was, in turn, pleased to see someone was holding him in any regard, and agreed. Having some fun and probably food and removing some evil from Freeport was a good combination in his eyes. 1st of Rhune Looking their best, the party – minus Flip and plus the aranea - arrived in the evening at the Sea Lord's Palace at the center of the Old City. At five stories high, it was by far the largest building in the area. A 15-foot-high stone wall enclosed the grounds of the palace. Twin large, black, cast-iron gates faced the street and allowed access to the courtyard. Four guards stood watch over the entrance, checking invitations. The landscaping within was well tended, with tall trees and numerous gardens of flowers. A white stone path lead from the gates to the palace beyond. In the guard room, two more guards checked their invitations a second time. They paid little attention to the actual visitors, though, which caused Uthas to snort. The floor of the busy entrance hall was covered in a mosaic depicting a battle at sea between a pirate ship and a giant, purple squid. Ornate, golden double doors stood closed at the end of the hall leading to the ballroom. Two smaller doors sat in the right and left wall. Well-dressed guards stood before them, preventing access to the rooms beyond. Before they could introduce themselves to anyone, a butler came to politely lead them to the sitting area to the right to wait for the chamberlain. It was well decorated, and many paintings lined the walls. Two large couches sat in the center of the room, and a number of chairs were spread throughout. "Sure knows how to live, this Drac," Flip-Spider said. "This is no life," Uthas was about to counter the point, but Nev made a gesture for them to shut up and wait in silence. The door swung open, and a halfling hustled into the room, breathing heavily. He took a minute to hike up his black pants over his protruding belly and smooth out his silver-buttoned jacket. After bowing deeply, he addressed all. "Greetings heroes! Milton Drac welcomes you to his home. I am Tomas Fleetfoot, High Chamberlain of the Sea Lord’s Palace. You are to be honored tonight at the ball for your deeds in defense of Freeport. We don’t have much time, so please pay attention. In a few minutes, I will lead you into the hallway as a speech is made in your honor. The Sea Lord will then introduce you to the gathering, and you will enter the ballroom and approach the dais. The Sea Lord will present you all with the Order of Drac, a very great honor you know, and the ball will begin. Any questions? Good. Let’s go.“ Tomas lead them all into the hallway. The gold double doors now stood open, revealing the large ballroom. There were two single golden doors on either end of the room, in the middle of each wall. The floor was covered with polished black marble. At the far end of the room, a semi-circle of windows, about half as wide as the room itself, jutted out into the garden outside the palace. Many colorful tapestries depicting various maritime scenes covered the walls. Large glass spheres hung from the ceiling. They glowed with a yellow light that illuminated the room. In front of the windows was a dais with 13 polished oak chairs. One chair in the middle was larger than the others. The chair directly to the right of this chair was draped in black cloth. The guests were spread out around the room, at round tables. The center of the room hads no tables, leaving room for dancing. A group of minstrels waited to the right of the dais. Standing in the center of the dais was a tall man with an angular face. He wore a long, light-green robe with a jeweled belt. He looked toward the so-called heroes and then addressed the guests. "Thank you all for coming to this grand ball to celebrate the completion of the lighthouse. Soon all the world will speak of the greatness of Freeport. As a glowing beacon, the lighthouse shall shine forth to all peoples, proclaiming the unspeakable power of our glorious city. Tonight, however, we honor the heroes who have saved us from the traitor Verlaine and the dark Brotherhood of the Yellow Sign. If not for their vigilance, our fair city might have fallen under the domination of unfathomable evil. Come forward, my friends, and accept the Order of Drac and our sincerest gratitude.“ The room erupted in applause. Uthas groaned, a sound luckily drowned out by many clapping hands. Nev and Orlath looked at each other and shrugged, then walking up in front of Flip-Spider and Uthas. Milton handed each hero a gold medal with a pirate ship engraved on it, shaking their hands as he did, wearing a fake looking smile all the time. They were then shown to a table near the dais, and the music and merriment began. Among the serving boys and girls running around in the ballroom was the real Flip, having called in a favor with someone who owned him a saved marriage after a drunken night. The halfling was disguised with fake black hair and a few painted on birthmarks. He watched everyone carefully, making sure he listened to all gossip very carefully. You could always gain more information as someone who was not really being seen, he knew. He just hoped the spider would behave and Uthas, who knew about the whole scam, would make sure Nev and Orlath wouldn't overreact in case they would find out. There were two main topics of conversation. The first was the political intrigue surrounding the nomination of a new councilor to replace Verlaine. The council was currently broken up into two different factions. Five members were loyal to Drac, while six members followed Lady Elise, the leader of the opposition. Lady Elise needed only one more councilor in her camp to be able to override Milton on the council. Of course, Drac would like to maintain his control over the council by getting his nominee elected. Speculations went wild about how this current power struggle would conclude. The second topic was, of course, the lighthouse and its real purpose. Many of the people at the ball had seen or learned interesting pieces of information about strange goings on at the lighthouse. To flip's dismay, they were usually shutting up about the interesting parts once anyone, even a servant, came near. Knowing or saying too much was a dangerous affair in Freeport, so it seemed. He hoped his companions would be careful with their own words. While Orlath, as usual, excelled at making small talk and playing on his status both as a hero and royal blood of the main land, Nev soon got bored with it all. A glass of pearl wine in hand, he lazily walked around the guests, trying to glean something useful. He talked a bit with some of the females, but none of them was really raising his interest, and he ddoged the hero worship of a young warrior who could not stop going on about how he wanted to be like them. Finally, he came to where one of the council members, a bard with ties to the elven pirates, regaled his audience with hero stories and decided to stay there a while. Flip-Spider was doing what he was there for. Sniffing out lizardfolk. His arachnid senses were quite accurate, but he had had no luck so far. The food and drink offered didn't make his hunger lessen; while he could consume them, it was more like sweets and spoils than a real meal. If he would find one of the lizards other than the old priest who he knew to be on their side, he would probably devour the unfortunate one right away. As luck would have it, Flip-Spider passed the table of some of the councilors a bit later. One of those present at the table clearly had that underlying lizard scent. An overweight one, but that might just be the shape shift; Flip-Spider had the same shape-shifting abilities after all. When the man got up for a bit, trying to make his way over to where Drac was, the aranea stepped into his way. "Excuse me, councilor? Could we have a word with you?" "We?" The lizard man, posing as a Brock Wallace, or so Flip-spider had heard him addressed, looked around in confusion. "My companions are waiting outside;" the fake Flip assured, pointing to the eastern door leading out of the ballroom. "We have to show you something that is not for everyone's eyes." This made the lizard even more nervous. But then, the fake Wallace seemed to catch himself. "Very well, if you insist. I can hardly refuse you, after all you did for us. And, I may have a proposal for you as well." With the same sort of eager smile he had seen on Flip's face, the spider led the councilor out and towards the stairs to the basement. "Down here, I'm afraid. Better safe than sorry." Fake-Wallace nodded, trying not to be too worried. "Suits me fine," he said. "I would not want Drac to hear anything, myself." Drac? Flip-Spider wondered, but decided not to ask. Was this a set up attempt? This lizard shapeshift smelled as if he had talked intensely with Drac recently, if Flip-Spider remembered Drac's scent right. Yeah, that must be the trap Flip had warned about. Well, there would be no set up now. Except the one he himself had for the fake councilor. A few minutes later, one muffled, panicked scream sounded from the basement, but no one heard over the music and laughter of the party. [/QUOTE]
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