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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cerebral Paladin" data-source="post: 3352425" data-attributes="member: 3448">While they waited for reports of the results of their strikes, Dame Brionna met with the Lady Mayor to discuss the Seachen.  It was nearly midnight as they talked.The Lady Mayor smiled at Dame Brionna.  “Thank you for the honor of dealing with these people.  They are an odd bunch.  They had no objection to leaving the dire elephants outside the City, and the Chief Engineer only brought about 40 servants and guards into the City with her, leaving the rest of her retinue with their mounts.  They were most grateful for the litters, which they used closed, and that they were met by a female noble.“I believe this woman is here for good purposes, not ill.  She came on her own and on behalf of an old Seachen mage.  But I’m not sure if she is an ally of this mage, or as a servant.  She was unclear, and I thought it impolitic to pry.”Dame Brionna spoke carefully.  “Do they understand that Alistair is male and the Archduke?  If serious negotiations prove necessary, she will have to meet with Alistair.”“Yes.  That is why the mage did not come herself.  I think both the Chief Engineer and the mage are more flexible than most of the Seachen, but that the Chief Engineer is substantially more flexible than her ally or patron.  As for their purpose-- they have brought a gift, but they seem most concerned that one of their own, or more than one, has taken a very wrong turn on the Path.”“The Path?” asked Dame Brionna, unfamiliar with the term.“The Path is their method of restoring their dead gods.  But the Chief Engineer and the mage believe that one of their own is not restoring a dead god, but something else.  At least, that’s my understanding-- she wishes to inform us of this, but she’s doing it in such a convoluted manner I can’t be sure of anything she has to say.”“How do you recommend that we proceed?”“I think we must set up an audience with His Grace.  She presumes that she needs to meet His Grace, but she’s frightened of him.  Because he’s male.  She expects him to…”  The Lady Mayor paused as she searched in vain for a more delicate way to phrase her statement.  “She expects him to attempt to rape her.”Dame Brionna nodded.  “From what I know of the Seachen, they expect all men to be rapists.  They would assume that a male monarch would be among the worst offenders.  We’ll have to construct the audience carefully to set her as much at her ease as possible.”  After confirming that the Lady Mayor did not have any additional insights into the serious political matters, Dame Brionna indulged her curiosity.  “What is the gift, anyway?”“A walking tower; a work of her engineering.  It is like a non-sentient golem in the form of a 40 foot tower.”Dame Brionna asked puzzledly, “What does building walking towers have to do with raising dead gods?”“I don’t know.  I could ask…”Dame Brionna shook her head.  “If it happens to come up, I would be curious, but no need to press the issue.  Oh, and you should take steps to make sure your sons don’t go anywhere near the portions of your palace where you are housing the Chief Engineer.  Since they expect all men to be potential rapists and castrate most of the men in their society, I wouldn’t want any danger of your sons meeting the Seachen and a tragedy happening.”“Don’t worry, I’m well aware of the risks.  I’ve had the entire wing closed to all of my household except the female guards that watch it and myself.”</blockquote>

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