NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ladybird" data-source="post: 3309236" data-attributes="member: 10689">Happy Monday <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> In response to the religion question - Baron Opal is right. Aphonion's religion is more like multiple monotheism than Greco-Roman polytheism, and the Paranswarmian church is on the extreme end of the scale in terms of severity. The Ecumenical Council has been doing quite a bit of work to ease relations between the various religions, but in some places (like Augurt) the Paranswarmian church is still extremely strict and possessive.And now, on with the show!--Kit was back in her sitting room – ‘Dame Katherine’s’ sitting room, not the Mouth’s office – when the Chamberlain came in. “Dame Katherine, have you seen Dame Brionna? Her new protocol officer is here.”“I believe she’s with Lady Danielle?” Kit hazarded. “I can pass along the message if you like.”“Certainly. Please inform her that Lady Dora Talenshire is here and at her service when she is ready.” The next step, thought Kit, should have been a polite bow and a ‘goodbye,’ but the Chamberlain continued to hover by the door.“Yes?” Kit prompted.The Chamberlain cleared his throat. “Dame Katherine, would you by any chance wish to have a protocol officer of your own?”Kit hesitated for a moment, then conceded, “You know, actually, that would be pretty useful.”“Ah! Very good!” Relief flooded the Chamberlain’s normally impassive face, and he actually smiled. You don’t have to be quite so enthusiastic about it Kit grumbled to herself. “Would you prefer male or female?” the Chamberlain asked.“Um…female?”“Very good. Old or young?”What, does he have them lined up in a closet, like dresses? “In between?” Another thought struck Kit, and she added urgently, “And not too pretty.”“Ah. Quite. How about a hobbit?”Kit grinned. “Perfect.”Shortly thereafter, the promised assistance bustled up to Kit’s sitting room: as advertised, a middle-aged halfling, dressed very neatly, but with oddly long sleeves that nearly covered her small hands. “Dame Katherine? I’m Dame Pressa Underhill. The Chamberlain has assigned me to be your new protocol officer.”“Ah. It’s – er - nice to meet you.” Kit retreated to her chair, a little uncomfortable under the onslaught of so much efficiency and propriety. “Er…where did you work before now?”“I served the ambassador to Haven – Lord Brendan Brightspan.” Kit’s ears pricked up. More Brightspans… “He was – ahem.” Now it was Dame Pressa’s turn for awkwardness, as the little halfling glanced away from Kit. “He was summarily asked to leave. For spying! The charges were absolutely absurd! The Archduchess never permitted spying!”“Of course not!” Kit agreed fervently. “I’m absolutely shocked to hear that anyone could even think that there would be spies in the Archduchess’s service!” Can’t laugh can’t laugh can’t laugh… “What did they claim he had been doing?”“They said,” Dame Pressa began, with a prim, disdainful frown, “that he had been talking to members of the lowest sections of society and asking them to stand around watching members of the nobility!”“Absolutely shocking.” Kit nodded gravely. “And before that?”Dame Pressa’s smile returned, with a hint of nostalgia. “Oh, well, once upon a time I was in the palace guard. That came to an end when I was wounded, though.” The little halfling flicked back the lacy cuff of her left sleeve revealing a hand that was missing its two smallest fingers and half of the palm.  “It was a cursed weapon, so it couldn’t be regenerated. Oh, don’t worry, dear, I manage perfectly well,” the halfling added, catching sight of Kit’s wince of sympathy. “And the Archduchess gave me a very generous pension, and a position among the protocol officers. Oh! My papers! Forgive me, my lady.” The halfling leaned forward quickly, holding out a piece of parchment closed with the Chamberlain’s seal. It read, in carefully clear script:Dame Katherine – I think you will find Dame Pressa very useful. She is blind to what she does not wish to see.Kit grinned down at the parchment. “Very good,” she said.</blockquote>

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