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<blockquote data-quote="Lylandra" data-source="post: 7477799" data-attributes="member: 6816692"><p><strong>Asrabey's return</strong></p><p></p><p>Okay, now it becomes clearer. I admit, I haven't seen Twin Peaks yet, but it is still on the to-watch list. (Love cryptic shows, but I grew up with 90's anime and Gargoyles, so yeah...)</p><p></p><p>Also thanks Tormyr. Though I'm tempted to try one myself first. Oh, this will take some time... </p><p></p><p>---</p><p></p><p>Session 27</p><p></p><p>After showing Ekossigan's poem to all of us, Asrabey calls upon the pact of King Kelland and asks for permission to go after the fugitive fey lord. He reminds Aodhan that he may not strike down a member of the Unseen Court which is why he needs the assistance of Risur in this matter. </p><p></p><p>We are a bit baffled by this ancient protocol, but Aodhan grants Asrabey the permission and then asks us to heed the eladrin's call for support by helping him take down Ekossigan. He adds that he knows no one else who'll get along that well with the Dreadnaught and a fugitive fey lord is one of these things that might turn the peace conference into a catastrophe.</p><p></p><p>We agree to take this mission of course, but remind those present that someone will need to take care of Brakken Heffanita and operation Fallen Curtain as well. When all these basics are settled, Auryn takes a quick moment to show her honest joy of seeing Asrabey again while the seasoned warrior seems pretty glad to see his wife's descendant alive and kicking. </p><p></p><p><span style="color: #008000">(yeah, that's exactly what Aodhan was hinting at. As Auryn was/is wearing Kasvarina's brooch which she got from Asrabey all the time, he was quite happy about that fact as well.</span></p><p><span style="color: #008000"></span></p><p><span style="color: #008000">Also, Auryn was so positively surprised because Asrabey could probably provide her with the much needed insight into general Elfaivaran culture and politics beyond her enclave.) </span></p><p></p><p>We ask Asrabey to wait a tad bit longer as we still got another issue for our dear monarch. Then we hand Aodhan the armor scrap we got from Cippiano and call it a gift from our Crisillyiri friend. Aodhan examines the item for a while and comes to the very same conclusion: That the person who wore this armor could have been a Guardian, a designated successor of his or her period's King or Queen of Risur. He confirms our suspicion that it could be 500 years old and stem from the Malice War. We add that it could have been in the original Stanfield's possession as he is a very unlikely deva, feeling such a strong connection to Risur that he'd serve the country for centuries. We also add that, even if he was named successor, he'd have been that in his past life and his new incarnation would have technically been a different person. </p><p></p><p><span style="color: #008000">(yeah, we are quite sure that his reason to come to Risur is pretty unlikely to be the same as Carlyle's: Hearing the whispers of the dead and fearing to lose all sanity)</span></p><p></p><p>Speaking of Stanfield, we suggest that he could give a speech when the conference starts. After all, we still don't know if he's an Ob or not and seeing him in public might help us getting clues on the elusive governor. We then say goodbye to King and Principal Minister and turn to Asrabey. </p><p></p><p>We accompany Asrabey to a quiet room first and then try to make sense of Ekossigan's poem. He explains that Ekossigan, Lord of the Seasons and Widdershin's Prophet is a tricky one and he doesn't quite know whether this poem was meant as a prophecy or as a warning. Being a servant of the Unseen Court, he knows a bit about the fey lord. Ekossigan has four incarnations, one for every season (of the Dreaming, as Risur knows only rainy and dry seasons) and that he's cycling through these incarnations in the opposite direction (hence widdershin's prophet). We see that this puts far more sense into “spring” returning to “winter”, as this might be linked to the fey lord's incarnations.</p><p></p><p>Once we say this, Asrabey's eyes widen and he calls this very bad news. He says that while Ekossigan of Spring is a playful, intelligent person, his Ekossigan of Winter incarnation is cruel, merciless and quite mad. We guess that we'll just have to find the fey lord before he “turns to winter” and be fine. </p><p></p><p>Regarding the Cauldron, we believe that this could be related to Cauldron Hill and we tell Asrabey of Nevard's vision regarding the danger of this haunted hill. We know about one witchoil factory there (which we shut down) but suppose there could be another complex deeper down in the Bleak Gate which we, unfortunately, weren't able to reach until now. </p><p></p><p><span style="color: #008000">(we had rusty amulets from Macbannin but they didn't work on anything besides Macbannin's own metal rings in his estate. Meaning that “Leone's portal” through which the metal mage took Kasvarina was not working at all)</span></p><p></p><p>We then carefully explain that we are pretty sure that Kasvarina might be inside this Ob facility which is another reason why we so desperately sought methods to travel to their hiding spot in the Bleak Gate. (Gale's friend Ellik, the metal rings, and the Lantern experiments)</p><p></p><p>We also believe that the “fire bride” might hint at Lya Jierre while the “green adorned” could be linked to Aodhan's habit of dressing in green garments. We aren't really sure about the vintner and the steel, as Grappa isn't really known to be a vintner and steel could mean Leone. For the cauldron-born, we believe that this means great danger and the spark, silver and arc could be related to some source of electricity. </p><p></p><p><span style="color: #008000">(we thought a bit about the creation of Frankenstein's Monster – metal version. Silver is a damn fine conductor and spark and a lightning arc would fit in. Tiz told us a bit later about the arc of Reida and this part being a popular saying which still didn't make much sense to us)</span></p><p></p><p>Auryn then makes hidden gestures to signal Carlyle that there are more clues she'd better not share with Asrabey yet. The Dreadnaught doesn't take notice, but he does notice the strange markings on Auryn's and Carlyle's forearms and asks them about the meaning of this as he's never heard of a non-eladrin Sahodar Mitra. Auryn promises to tell him the whole story over a good cup of tea.</p><p></p><p>She then grins slightly and explains that as Asrabey is in Risur now, we'd ask him for a favor in return for our help with Ekossigan. She quickly adds that she's pretty sure he'll help us out without hesitation once he hears the whole story: We need to exterminate the Kell Guild. We tell Asrabey that we know that these criminals are in league with the secret society member who abducted Kasvarina, so chances are high that we'll find clues on her whereabouts with Kell or his lieutenants. The eladrin shows us a grim smile and agrees to help us with this pest as soon as this Ekossigan matter is done. </p><p></p><p><span style="color: #008000">(Checkmate, Kell. We've seen the massacres of Axis island. And this time he's coming for you...) </span></p><p><span style="color: #008000"></span></p><p>Carlyle then realizes that Auryn would like to have some private time with Asrabey, so he declares he'd need to make preparations for their search for Ekossigan and excuses himself. Auryn takes the opportunity to invite her distant relative to said tea. An invitation which Asrabey gladly accepts. </p><p></p><p>On their way to Stray River, they talk a bit about Auryn's family, friends and Elfaivar. Asrabey explains that he didn't mean to belittle her choice of Sahomi. On the contrary, he sees Carlyle as a fitting companion and holds him in high regard, despite his heritage. </p><p></p><p>“I guess the Risuri would call a man like him a 'Knight' or 'Gentleman' and I know you'll be safe with him.” he says with an eerily honest smile. </p><p></p><p>Auryn agrees with Asrabey and adds that she'd go even further: She'd call his attitude worthy of an esteemed husband, even if he is no eladrin. She guesses that this might be linked to the part of Carlyle that has once been Srasama who holds a certain amount of influence on her partner. Regarding the ritual, she explains that she plans to visit her home in the not so far future and granting him this status will help getting him acknowledged by her community. </p><p></p><p>After that, they discuss the current situation in Elfaivar. Asrabey says that he won't be able to help much as he hasn't returned home for a very long time. Still, he realized that no enclave was like the other as all matriarchs had very distinct and individual personalities. He explains that Kasvarina has always been upset and somewhat bitter about the situation in Elfaivar. But this intensified when she found her daughter Launga murdered, an event after which she left Elfaivar for good and sent him, her trusted husband, to serve the Unseen Court. Auryn is shocked to hear about the death of her great-grandmother as she didn't really know what had happened to her after she had vanished. </p><p></p><p>Asrabey tells Auryn that Kasvarina had been a warrior for all of her life, fighting for a brighter future for her people. When she asks him about Kasvarina's possible connections to Miller, Asrabey confesses that he doesn't know much about him. He knows that his wife had a certain fondness for this human and had great hope for the heretic's community of Pala, only to be disappointed again after his murder at the hands of the Clergy. He doesn't know anything about a forbidden Crypt though and Kasvarina never spoke about such a complex. Still he's grateful that Auryn promised to bring back the stolen relics of Elfaivar, calling her a preserver of their ancient culture.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #008000">(and yeah, she's totally wearing that general's crown of conquest she found in the Crypta)</span></p><p><span style="color: #008000"></span></p><p>Auryn expresses her compassion for Kasvarina as she says she kind of understands her feeling of bitterness after all she's learned recently. She explains that she grew up with the belief of shaping a stronger, new, flourishing Elfaivar and becoming a part of that cycle. An Elfaivar that has learned of its past mistakes. Still she fears that her dream of Elfaivar might be shattered by the harsh reality of what she's seen and what she's been told by Hana. </p><p></p><p>Auryn says she's but one of far too few women who came into a world she doesn't understand. A world which follows different rules and which sees her as a trophy at worst. And now she's been told that she and her views could represent a mere minority in her own homeland. And then, shivering to her very core, she adds that she's learned only recently that her worst nightmares, the Mad Kings, might have survived the aftermath of the Malice and still possess a certain amount of power and influence. </p><p></p><p>Asrabey doesn't have much to soothe her fears. Still he urges Auryn to continue dreaming and following her vision. He confesses that he knows a bit about the ambassadors of the elfaivari Kings who came to the Unseen Court, even if he'd surely love to remove their heads. But alas, he's bound to his oath to Kasvarina, so he has to abide to the Court's bidding. </p><p></p><p>Auryn reminds him that this puts him in a dilemma: For as long as Kasvarina is held captive, she cannot release Asrabey from his oath and command. And as long as he's bound to his oath, there is little he can do to free his wife. Asrabey sees reason in Auryn's words and he utters his hope of finding legal loopholes that help him free Kasvarina without failing the Court. </p><p></p><p>Auryn then talks a bit about her exchange with Hana. Asrabey reacts with a certain amount of curiosity when she talks about “Gale's” flying powers as he believes it to be a part of Ekossigan of Summer's portfolio. Auryn supports this theory as she explains that Hana escaped captivity with the help of a mysterious stranger. A stranger who could totally be Ekossigan. Asrabey nods and adds that this incarnation of Ekossigan is a very benevolent and charming individual which is why helping an eladrin wouldn't be too far off. </p><p></p><p>“Seems like we got our first clue: Maybe Hana knows more about her benefactor's whereabouts.” Auryn says and adds that she'd also try to ask the local fey for any recent changes in their environment.</p><p></p><p>They finally reach Auryn's home and she asks Asrabey to take a seat and relax a while while she's busy preparing traditional self-grown tea. She then says that she'd like to introduce her student Isobel to him and heads upstairs where she finds her young companion acting all nervously while another white-haired person is about to jump out of the window. Andrei von Recklinghausen is far too fast for Auryn to reach him, so she just shrugs about her friend's erratic behavior. </p><p></p><p>“I didn't do nothing wrong, I swear!” Isobel defends herself in a bird-like voice while Auryn musters her with a certain amount of curiosity. </p><p></p><p>Auryn then laughs quietly and explains that she's indeed sure that Isobel did nothing wrong. But she also doesn't need to hide her growing affection and relationship with Andrei. Auryn says that both Andrei and Isobel are her dear friends, that she's really happy to see their mutual affection and care and that there is nothing Isobel needs to be ashamed of. She adds she's quite sure that Andrei will treat her with the gentle respect she deserves which is why he can come to visit her whenever he'd like to. </p><p></p><p>Isobel is glad to hear that, even if she seems a bit unsure about this whole relationship stuff. Auryn then asks her to join her and her relative over a cup of tea. But when Auryn leads her to her kitchen and tries to introduce Asrabey Varal, the esteemed husband of Kasvarina Varal, Isobel turns white as a sheet. </p><p></p><p>“He's a Nightelf! Auryn, you brought a Nightelf to your home!” Isobel screams in terror, then turns around, rushes to the bathroom and locks the door tightly. </p><p></p><p>Auryn and Asrabey look at each other for a few moments of awkward silence. </p><p></p><p>“I'm so sorry, I don't know what has gotten into her. I can only guess that it has something to do with her past.” Auryn apologizes before sitting down again. </p><p></p><p>She then carefully explains the circumstances of Isobel's journey until she got freed by the Constables and Andrei and adds that her family is still held captive by the Traverses, a noble danoran family. Auryn adds that she'd love to free them as well and to put the guilty slavers to justice, but she needs to gather more information and find the spare time to travel there. </p><p></p><p>Once this initial turmoil is settled, Auryn's gaze falls upon a gorgeous gown standing in her corridor. As she's quite curious to know where this may come from (her dress for the royal wedding isn't finished yet), she takes a closer look and finds it to be elaborately worked and closely resembling an elfaivaran style. It is decorated with a similarly beautiful card from Morgan Cippiano who sincerely apologizes again for missing her birthday and who wishes her all the best for the coming year. So it's time to fill out these forms again... </p><p></p><p><span style="color: #008000">(Honestly, for a moment I feared that it might have been a gift from Fordren. He's the sort of guy who would do that. But, fortunately, the same applies to Don Cippiano, who's just a very generous fashion enthusiast)</span></p><p></p><p>When he realizes that everything is fine, Asrabey finally explains that there are preparations he needs to do as well, so he bids Auryn farewell. He leaves her an address should she need to contact him though.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lylandra, post: 7477799, member: 6816692"] [b]Asrabey's return[/b] Okay, now it becomes clearer. I admit, I haven't seen Twin Peaks yet, but it is still on the to-watch list. (Love cryptic shows, but I grew up with 90's anime and Gargoyles, so yeah...) Also thanks Tormyr. Though I'm tempted to try one myself first. Oh, this will take some time... --- Session 27 After showing Ekossigan's poem to all of us, Asrabey calls upon the pact of King Kelland and asks for permission to go after the fugitive fey lord. He reminds Aodhan that he may not strike down a member of the Unseen Court which is why he needs the assistance of Risur in this matter. We are a bit baffled by this ancient protocol, but Aodhan grants Asrabey the permission and then asks us to heed the eladrin's call for support by helping him take down Ekossigan. He adds that he knows no one else who'll get along that well with the Dreadnaught and a fugitive fey lord is one of these things that might turn the peace conference into a catastrophe. We agree to take this mission of course, but remind those present that someone will need to take care of Brakken Heffanita and operation Fallen Curtain as well. When all these basics are settled, Auryn takes a quick moment to show her honest joy of seeing Asrabey again while the seasoned warrior seems pretty glad to see his wife's descendant alive and kicking. [COLOR="#008000"](yeah, that's exactly what Aodhan was hinting at. As Auryn was/is wearing Kasvarina's brooch which she got from Asrabey all the time, he was quite happy about that fact as well. Also, Auryn was so positively surprised because Asrabey could probably provide her with the much needed insight into general Elfaivaran culture and politics beyond her enclave.) [/COLOR] We ask Asrabey to wait a tad bit longer as we still got another issue for our dear monarch. Then we hand Aodhan the armor scrap we got from Cippiano and call it a gift from our Crisillyiri friend. Aodhan examines the item for a while and comes to the very same conclusion: That the person who wore this armor could have been a Guardian, a designated successor of his or her period's King or Queen of Risur. He confirms our suspicion that it could be 500 years old and stem from the Malice War. We add that it could have been in the original Stanfield's possession as he is a very unlikely deva, feeling such a strong connection to Risur that he'd serve the country for centuries. We also add that, even if he was named successor, he'd have been that in his past life and his new incarnation would have technically been a different person. [COLOR="#008000"](yeah, we are quite sure that his reason to come to Risur is pretty unlikely to be the same as Carlyle's: Hearing the whispers of the dead and fearing to lose all sanity)[/COLOR] Speaking of Stanfield, we suggest that he could give a speech when the conference starts. After all, we still don't know if he's an Ob or not and seeing him in public might help us getting clues on the elusive governor. We then say goodbye to King and Principal Minister and turn to Asrabey. We accompany Asrabey to a quiet room first and then try to make sense of Ekossigan's poem. He explains that Ekossigan, Lord of the Seasons and Widdershin's Prophet is a tricky one and he doesn't quite know whether this poem was meant as a prophecy or as a warning. Being a servant of the Unseen Court, he knows a bit about the fey lord. Ekossigan has four incarnations, one for every season (of the Dreaming, as Risur knows only rainy and dry seasons) and that he's cycling through these incarnations in the opposite direction (hence widdershin's prophet). We see that this puts far more sense into “spring” returning to “winter”, as this might be linked to the fey lord's incarnations. Once we say this, Asrabey's eyes widen and he calls this very bad news. He says that while Ekossigan of Spring is a playful, intelligent person, his Ekossigan of Winter incarnation is cruel, merciless and quite mad. We guess that we'll just have to find the fey lord before he “turns to winter” and be fine. Regarding the Cauldron, we believe that this could be related to Cauldron Hill and we tell Asrabey of Nevard's vision regarding the danger of this haunted hill. We know about one witchoil factory there (which we shut down) but suppose there could be another complex deeper down in the Bleak Gate which we, unfortunately, weren't able to reach until now. [COLOR="#008000"](we had rusty amulets from Macbannin but they didn't work on anything besides Macbannin's own metal rings in his estate. Meaning that “Leone's portal” through which the metal mage took Kasvarina was not working at all)[/COLOR] We then carefully explain that we are pretty sure that Kasvarina might be inside this Ob facility which is another reason why we so desperately sought methods to travel to their hiding spot in the Bleak Gate. (Gale's friend Ellik, the metal rings, and the Lantern experiments) We also believe that the “fire bride” might hint at Lya Jierre while the “green adorned” could be linked to Aodhan's habit of dressing in green garments. We aren't really sure about the vintner and the steel, as Grappa isn't really known to be a vintner and steel could mean Leone. For the cauldron-born, we believe that this means great danger and the spark, silver and arc could be related to some source of electricity. [COLOR="#008000"](we thought a bit about the creation of Frankenstein's Monster – metal version. Silver is a damn fine conductor and spark and a lightning arc would fit in. Tiz told us a bit later about the arc of Reida and this part being a popular saying which still didn't make much sense to us)[/COLOR] Auryn then makes hidden gestures to signal Carlyle that there are more clues she'd better not share with Asrabey yet. The Dreadnaught doesn't take notice, but he does notice the strange markings on Auryn's and Carlyle's forearms and asks them about the meaning of this as he's never heard of a non-eladrin Sahodar Mitra. Auryn promises to tell him the whole story over a good cup of tea. She then grins slightly and explains that as Asrabey is in Risur now, we'd ask him for a favor in return for our help with Ekossigan. She quickly adds that she's pretty sure he'll help us out without hesitation once he hears the whole story: We need to exterminate the Kell Guild. We tell Asrabey that we know that these criminals are in league with the secret society member who abducted Kasvarina, so chances are high that we'll find clues on her whereabouts with Kell or his lieutenants. The eladrin shows us a grim smile and agrees to help us with this pest as soon as this Ekossigan matter is done. [COLOR="#008000"](Checkmate, Kell. We've seen the massacres of Axis island. And this time he's coming for you...) [/COLOR] Carlyle then realizes that Auryn would like to have some private time with Asrabey, so he declares he'd need to make preparations for their search for Ekossigan and excuses himself. Auryn takes the opportunity to invite her distant relative to said tea. An invitation which Asrabey gladly accepts. On their way to Stray River, they talk a bit about Auryn's family, friends and Elfaivar. Asrabey explains that he didn't mean to belittle her choice of Sahomi. On the contrary, he sees Carlyle as a fitting companion and holds him in high regard, despite his heritage. “I guess the Risuri would call a man like him a 'Knight' or 'Gentleman' and I know you'll be safe with him.” he says with an eerily honest smile. Auryn agrees with Asrabey and adds that she'd go even further: She'd call his attitude worthy of an esteemed husband, even if he is no eladrin. She guesses that this might be linked to the part of Carlyle that has once been Srasama who holds a certain amount of influence on her partner. Regarding the ritual, she explains that she plans to visit her home in the not so far future and granting him this status will help getting him acknowledged by her community. After that, they discuss the current situation in Elfaivar. Asrabey says that he won't be able to help much as he hasn't returned home for a very long time. Still, he realized that no enclave was like the other as all matriarchs had very distinct and individual personalities. He explains that Kasvarina has always been upset and somewhat bitter about the situation in Elfaivar. But this intensified when she found her daughter Launga murdered, an event after which she left Elfaivar for good and sent him, her trusted husband, to serve the Unseen Court. Auryn is shocked to hear about the death of her great-grandmother as she didn't really know what had happened to her after she had vanished. Asrabey tells Auryn that Kasvarina had been a warrior for all of her life, fighting for a brighter future for her people. When she asks him about Kasvarina's possible connections to Miller, Asrabey confesses that he doesn't know much about him. He knows that his wife had a certain fondness for this human and had great hope for the heretic's community of Pala, only to be disappointed again after his murder at the hands of the Clergy. He doesn't know anything about a forbidden Crypt though and Kasvarina never spoke about such a complex. Still he's grateful that Auryn promised to bring back the stolen relics of Elfaivar, calling her a preserver of their ancient culture. [COLOR="#008000"](and yeah, she's totally wearing that general's crown of conquest she found in the Crypta) [/COLOR] Auryn expresses her compassion for Kasvarina as she says she kind of understands her feeling of bitterness after all she's learned recently. She explains that she grew up with the belief of shaping a stronger, new, flourishing Elfaivar and becoming a part of that cycle. An Elfaivar that has learned of its past mistakes. Still she fears that her dream of Elfaivar might be shattered by the harsh reality of what she's seen and what she's been told by Hana. Auryn says she's but one of far too few women who came into a world she doesn't understand. A world which follows different rules and which sees her as a trophy at worst. And now she's been told that she and her views could represent a mere minority in her own homeland. And then, shivering to her very core, she adds that she's learned only recently that her worst nightmares, the Mad Kings, might have survived the aftermath of the Malice and still possess a certain amount of power and influence. Asrabey doesn't have much to soothe her fears. Still he urges Auryn to continue dreaming and following her vision. He confesses that he knows a bit about the ambassadors of the elfaivari Kings who came to the Unseen Court, even if he'd surely love to remove their heads. But alas, he's bound to his oath to Kasvarina, so he has to abide to the Court's bidding. Auryn reminds him that this puts him in a dilemma: For as long as Kasvarina is held captive, she cannot release Asrabey from his oath and command. And as long as he's bound to his oath, there is little he can do to free his wife. Asrabey sees reason in Auryn's words and he utters his hope of finding legal loopholes that help him free Kasvarina without failing the Court. Auryn then talks a bit about her exchange with Hana. Asrabey reacts with a certain amount of curiosity when she talks about “Gale's” flying powers as he believes it to be a part of Ekossigan of Summer's portfolio. Auryn supports this theory as she explains that Hana escaped captivity with the help of a mysterious stranger. A stranger who could totally be Ekossigan. Asrabey nods and adds that this incarnation of Ekossigan is a very benevolent and charming individual which is why helping an eladrin wouldn't be too far off. “Seems like we got our first clue: Maybe Hana knows more about her benefactor's whereabouts.” Auryn says and adds that she'd also try to ask the local fey for any recent changes in their environment. They finally reach Auryn's home and she asks Asrabey to take a seat and relax a while while she's busy preparing traditional self-grown tea. She then says that she'd like to introduce her student Isobel to him and heads upstairs where she finds her young companion acting all nervously while another white-haired person is about to jump out of the window. Andrei von Recklinghausen is far too fast for Auryn to reach him, so she just shrugs about her friend's erratic behavior. “I didn't do nothing wrong, I swear!” Isobel defends herself in a bird-like voice while Auryn musters her with a certain amount of curiosity. Auryn then laughs quietly and explains that she's indeed sure that Isobel did nothing wrong. But she also doesn't need to hide her growing affection and relationship with Andrei. Auryn says that both Andrei and Isobel are her dear friends, that she's really happy to see their mutual affection and care and that there is nothing Isobel needs to be ashamed of. She adds she's quite sure that Andrei will treat her with the gentle respect she deserves which is why he can come to visit her whenever he'd like to. Isobel is glad to hear that, even if she seems a bit unsure about this whole relationship stuff. Auryn then asks her to join her and her relative over a cup of tea. But when Auryn leads her to her kitchen and tries to introduce Asrabey Varal, the esteemed husband of Kasvarina Varal, Isobel turns white as a sheet. “He's a Nightelf! Auryn, you brought a Nightelf to your home!” Isobel screams in terror, then turns around, rushes to the bathroom and locks the door tightly. Auryn and Asrabey look at each other for a few moments of awkward silence. “I'm so sorry, I don't know what has gotten into her. I can only guess that it has something to do with her past.” Auryn apologizes before sitting down again. She then carefully explains the circumstances of Isobel's journey until she got freed by the Constables and Andrei and adds that her family is still held captive by the Traverses, a noble danoran family. Auryn adds that she'd love to free them as well and to put the guilty slavers to justice, but she needs to gather more information and find the spare time to travel there. Once this initial turmoil is settled, Auryn's gaze falls upon a gorgeous gown standing in her corridor. As she's quite curious to know where this may come from (her dress for the royal wedding isn't finished yet), she takes a closer look and finds it to be elaborately worked and closely resembling an elfaivaran style. It is decorated with a similarly beautiful card from Morgan Cippiano who sincerely apologizes again for missing her birthday and who wishes her all the best for the coming year. So it's time to fill out these forms again... [COLOR="#008000"](Honestly, for a moment I feared that it might have been a gift from Fordren. He's the sort of guy who would do that. But, fortunately, the same applies to Don Cippiano, who's just a very generous fashion enthusiast)[/COLOR] When he realizes that everything is fine, Asrabey finally explains that there are preparations he needs to do as well, so he bids Auryn farewell. He leaves her an address should she need to contact him though. [/QUOTE]
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