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Message: <blockquote data-quote="el-remmen" data-source="post: 3592874" data-attributes="member: 11">InterSession #8.1: Denouement & Decampment – Telie’s Day (part 2 of 2)In the evening, Telémahkos was waiting for Lavinia’s return so he could talk to her again.  When he heard she had come back from town, he sought her out, and found her sitting in the enclosed courtyard, which had been cleared of the bullywugs corpses.  She was staring into the moving stream and listening to its soothing trickle.“How did it go with the watch-mage?”  Telémahkos smiled as she turned to look at him.  She wore a dark blue dress with a white lace top tied up with silver ribbons.  Her thick black hair fell over her shoulders in raven waves, and the paleness of her grief did nothing to undermine her beauty.  He gestured with the bottle of wine and the two goblets he carried."Oh, fine. . . fine. . . Maeve actually did most of the talking. . . I thought he might want to come out here and talk to all of you, but he said that he trusted Bleys and that he should come find him when he was free of his affliction." (1) She looked down with a shy smile.  "He laughed when she described it to him. . ."Telie smiled even more widely. "Markos seemed to find it funny as well. Wizards…" He shook his head in mock disapproval and set down the two goblets and poured the wine, continuing, "So, about your brother… I worry that he knew of the properties of the pearl that he was trying to steal and meant to use it for some nefarious purpose…" Lavinia screwed up her face and opened her mouth to protest, but Telémahkos interrupted, "Wait, I will not continue this with you. It had to be said and now it is done. I just need you to know these things so you can make your own judgments as informed as possible. As for the woman he tried to steal the pearl from, she was somewhere in the area as of yesterday. In agreement for her guidance to get to this manse as quickly as possible we had to promise her safe passage. Now, with her first mate dead and the bullywugs vanquished, I do not expect her to try anything now, but you should be wary.""And this is the woman that wanted to kill Vanthus right? He is the reason she sent those creatures here in the first place?  It seems to me that we will not know what peril may or may not exist until we know where Vanthus is now… Do you think perhaps, he is already. . . I mean, from what was described to me, I am not clear on how Vanthus got away…"  Lavinia was obviously confused by the details of the events at Kraken’s Cove."He jumped and swam away as if by magic… Did he ever exhibit any skills for magic that you know of? Perhaps he learned the ways of witches without the family knowing," Telémahkos explained."THE WAYS OF WITCHES!?" She looked shocked and a little offended. "Vanthus studied a lot of things, but I don't think magic was one of them," She composed herself and finished the goblet of wine Telémahkos had offered her and re-filled it.  "Well, mother used magic, but neither of us ever showed much interest…  I. . . " She suddenly stopped and stood and turned away, whispering a gasped "Oh no…"Lavina turned back around and tears were streaming down her face. "You said he was swimming and jumping beyond what a human could normally do…?""That is how it was described. And this was after being injured by a woman whom I believe could have killed several members of the Charter had we fought even if we were all rested and fully healed at the time of the battle.""When. . . when my parents were killed their bodies were never recovered…And well. . . My father had a ring that our mother had crafted for him which he used to call his ring of ‘Heroic Athleticism’ - He used to joke that mother gave it to him because he was not manly enough for her…  But it let him do things like jump and climb and swim with incredible skill, beyond what any normal human can do without the aid of magic or the gods…"She stopped and looked right in Telie's eye with a look of shock and disbelief.  "But. . . but. . .there must be more than one of those rings somewhere. . . Perhaps my mother had spare version stowed somewhere that Vanthus found… or perhaps it was the pearl that did it. . . I mean. . ."She turned one way and then another, covering her face. "I… I can't…" She fled the garden and ran back into the manse.  Telémahkos tried to stop her, but she pushed him out of the way.  He sighed, and then followed.Telémahkos caught up to her at the door to her bedroom, where she slammed it shut so hard, it popped open again, revealing Lavinia Vanderboren collapsed on her bed, sobbing.Telie hesitated, but then went in and put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it slightly. He pet her hair gently. After what he thought was more than enough crying time, he began to whisper to her that he was there for her and just generally soothing nothings to try to get her to let up weeping.After a time, without looking up, she said, "I don't know what to do… I… I have no proof… I don't know if I want proof… Or what I would do with it if I found it… He's my brother…There is no way he could have. . .  He must be ensorcelled…""I am so sorry, Lavinia… something between us that you can share with no one…" Telémahkos whispered in a hushed and pained voice, "I know the blood of my House runs in the veins in at least one who conspired against my brothers… It seems some people are just born broken ... I do want to help you any way I can ... but that is something to discuss later. I know my words can do little for you now…"Lavinia sat up suddenly, not bothering to wipe away the tears still streaming down her face. "I must see him.  I need to find him, or have him found and brought to me…" Her grief did not abate, but anger now seemed to crackle off in a haze of strong wine. "I need to speak to him of my suspicion face to face and know for certain if it is true or not.  Not until I hear his words on this matter will I know what to do about it. . .""Do we have any hint where he might have gone? Is there perhaps something among the possessions he left here that you did not previously search through because you were suspicious of him?""No…I have no idea. . . But if he is fleeing from something and needs coin, he will show up eventually…" She finally wiped away her tears and stood. "I know you have your obligation to the charter." She turned to look Telémahkos.  He stood as to not be staring right into her bosom from this angle. She continued. "And I know you are off on some journey that will have you away for some time, but…  Will you continue to help me?  Will you send me word or seek me out when you return to civilization?  Perhaps by then I will have the coin to arrange for the journey to Fort Thunder.  If the map I found means anything… It might mean that he is headed there. . . I want you to keep it and have your learned friends examine it.  There are other places marked on it, perhaps therein lies some clue…"Lavinia took both of Telie's hands and looked right into his eyes.  Tears were welling up in hers again. "There is a strong alliance that can be made between us, and ever have our families dealt with each other fairly.  If the last of what my parents worked for must fall into other hands… Perhaps it would be best if it fell into hands bonded with their kin. . .  But I speak too much and show my heart too readily… I should be ashamed, but this grief has made me feel like I have no one left to turn to. . .  No family whatsoever. . ."She embraced Telémahkos and began to cry again."I will think of you while I am away and I will contact you when I am able. I will also see to it that my companions and I go after your brother when we are through with our business down south." He held her for a long moment and then pulled back to look her in the eyes again, "I am young and foolish and often as fickle as he wind, but you are a strong, beautiful woman and if you would consider me ... well, you know… When my time with the Charter ends, perhaps…"They began to kiss, but she pulled away and looked down ashamedly. "No…I am sorry… I did not mean to put you on the spot. . . I know you have your own life and ways, and owe me nothing.  If when you return from your journey you still feel you want to help, well then hopefully by then I will be able to make it profitable for you and your companions…" She kissed Telie gently on the cheek. "You are a kind soul, Telemahkos. . . Thank you…  And now it is getting late, and tomorrow I have to return to town to see about finding buyers for the things you and your group brought back from the cove.  Good night. " (2) Telémahkos smiled and turned to leave, but turned back again. "One last thing, beyond hearing that your brother was involved in foolishness with these smugglers, had you heard of any plots by these smugglers or other pirates that would entail an attack on any of the noble houses?""Well, yes…  As I told you when we met in Sluetelot. . . I once overheard Vanthus and someone I could not see talking down in the garden in our Azure manse. I was inside and heard through the window . . . when I looked out all I could see was an older man in travel clothes leaving… But what was said was something like, "And when the Wetherwax fleet is crippled, then our work will really begin. . . Oh!"She walked over to a desk in her bedroom and took something from an upper drawer.  It was the map she had mentioned early that morning; the one found among Vanthus' things. (3)"Thank you, this will help me a great deal with my companions." Telie stepped closer again, feeling electricity at their proximity. "I know my reputation, but not all of my decisions are rash or foolish. I am not pledging myself to you because of your loss or vulnerability. I wish to be with you because of your strength and determination." Telie kissed her on the hand slowly, maintaining eye contact. And with a wink, he was off.-------------------------------------------------------------Midnight found Telémahkos and Timotheus out in the garden within the manse wall, passing a jug of wine back and forth and getting increasingly sloppy. Occasionally, Telémahkos would mumble the words to a song and then stop, and take another long swig, and then mumble something unintelligible.  Timotheus was enjoying the slight spin of the world, grinning without end.All of sudden, Telémahkos said: "Vanthus killed his parents."  After a few seconds, Tim replied quietly, "Wow. That's f*cked up."  Telie continued, "I have some ideas what we should do after the Kings Hills or whatever it is called .. " Pulling the jug from Telie's hands, Tim took a swig. "King Stones." "Okay, Kings Stones... There is a very valuable trade route Lavinia's family used to have from the Hellish Islands ... I am sure there is great coin to be made opening it again not to mention adventure and fame, and from the looks of the map Lavinia has provided me it is where her brother has gone… He is a danger beyond just being a crazy merchant's son ... He may be seeking a more powerful relic than the first one he found, and perhaps this time it will not merely be a cove of pirates that get torn to pieces if there at the wrong place at the wrong time." Tim answered with his usual mirthful sarcasm, "Sounds like a lot of ‘maybes’ there, Killer. Maybe we can look into it, if there's as much money in it as you say there is. But I really want to take back Aerothen and start cleaning the <a href="https://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Hobgoblins" target="_blank">hobbos</a> out of <a href="https://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Westen-scherp+muur" target="_blank">Westen-scherp Muur</a>." Excitedly Telie replied, "And why not do that when we have more seasons under our belt and are ready to return home for good…? Or maybe the last thing the charter does is come to where it came from and clean house." He took another swig and then sounded annoyed as he asked "And what ‘maybes’ are you talking about? My guesses are gods-damn-golden and you know it… Vanthus didn't have the map for his health and this trade route is worth a ton more than an iron penny (4)… No ‘maybes’ at all there, the ‘maybe’ is if we can get it open… But that's the same ‘maybe’ we have for any of this tripe, and that is, will we live to finish the job? This really means something to me… Lavinia really means something to me… And my father and your father at their primes would wipe the floor with the whole charter so if it was so easy to go take our land back, they would have by now, So, listen to your little cousin and think strategically…" By the end of his speech Telie seemed pleased with himself and drank more wine from the jug. He was careful to wipe it each time it is passed back to him from Timotheus. "I can think strategically just fine, thank you." Belching, Tim grabbed the jug back and took another drink. He continued.  "And like you say, maybe we won't live to finish the job. And if that's so, I'd rather die taking down hobgoblins and making life better for my family, my mom and dad and brother and sisters, than wandering around some heathen island past the boiling seas. I mean, I'll give that a shot too, but I got priorities, you know? And I bet I could take your fat old dad right now. Maybe they got good reasons for not handling things back home and maybe they don't. I'm not gonna give up on the idea just because they'd rather spend money on shipping lanes than on hired swords, or because they just plain don't have the balls." Satisfied, Tim passed back the jug. Telie sipped. "I guess we are at an impasse then..." He passed it back and fell sullenly silent. "Eh, we can worry about it after the King Stones. I mean, there's no argument there, right? Maybe someone'll change his mind before we're done there." "I guess it just makes me angry that this is even an argument… I mean, if it turns out we need an army for the <a href="https://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Hellish+Isles" target="_blank">Hellish Isles</a>, fine… but Lavinia's family opened the route themselves so it sounds like we don't need one…We do need one to clear the hobgoblins out .. Why not explain how we would have those resources following the King Stones? Or if we somehow found the coin to pay for such an army while there, then I will vote with you to go home, but otherwise you will vote with me to go after this bastard who killed the parents of my future wife ... " Tim's jaw drops. "Future wife? Didn't you say that the Lowe girl was your future wife? (5) I don't think the gods are big on multiple wives." In a very low voice, speaking at the same time as Tim, revealing the depth of his drunkenness, Telie said, "I think she will say ‘Yes’… You can't deny she is beautiful… And strong of will and body ... and smart ... she needs someone now." Telie mused, "And yes, well… <a href="https://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Ida+Lowe" target="_blank">Ida Lowe</a> is gorgeous, too…" He continued playfully, "Maybe if we shave you down and teach you how to speak, Lowe would consider you suitable if I promise to give the Lowe's an inside connection on Briareus trade." Tim scoffed. "Hah. I'm not getting married anytime soon. Women just slow you down when you let 'em tie you up with kids and marriage. I'm in no damn hurry." Telémahkos replied quickly, "Lowe's daughter is only fifteen. She is only going to get more beautiful." Tim shrugged, "And sure, if there's no cash in the King Stones after all, we can look into your Hellish Isles. But when we've got the cash for an army, even a small one, then we go back to <a href="https://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Schiereiland" target="_blank">Schiereiland</a> and put it to use. Sound good?" "Do you think it is reasonable to say we need a force twice the size of what we have to defend our trade and mines? To go from defense to the attack? How many men would that be?" Telie asked.Tim was quick with his answer making it obvious he had thought about this for a long time, "In the mountains, it's quality that counts over quantity; we can't just swamp 'em with men, which is why they're so hard to clear out. But if we get some good men and some extra battle mages and priests, we should be able to take out a whole tribe with a lot less than what we've got at <a href="https://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Pyla" target="_blank">Pyla</a> and <a href="https://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Chalkour" target="_blank">Chalkour</a>." "And rockhead, we do need to make an argument to convince the rest of the charter to go and do this and you will need my help for that… Sheesh ..." Telie slurred his response, so happy in finding yet another reason for Tim to agree with him, he forgot the debate of it was over. He drank more wine. "No question about that, girly-boy. But I'm sure you'll see it my way eventually. You're a smart kid, so you know I'm right." Smirking, Tim reclaimed the jug. "The women love the girly-boys..." Telémahkos laughed loudly at his own comment, but continued. "Seriously though… Shouldn't we…Doesn't it make sense…" Telie slurred. "Shouldn't we be more concerned with situations that are changing? I mean, those hobs are gonna be there but this scum ... who knows what he will do ... ahhhh ... I don't ... I just want us to be like brothers and…” He belched and tasted wine come back up at the back of his throat. “…have the same goals…" Telie stood up, turned around and began to relieve himself in the grass, burping loudly again. Much of the jug was gone. While his cousin emptied his bladder, Tim looked up at the stars. "Of course we have the same goals. We just don't agree on everything. And you know that's what brothers are like. I wouldn't want you to pretend you agreed with me when you don't, and I hope you feel the same. Right?" "Of course…" Not surprisingly, Telie's drunken voice was suddenly filled with emotion. His voice caught on itself as he croaked out: "You are the closest brother I have..." He finished his business and took the jug roughly finishing it off, wiping his mouth with his sleeve, tears in his eyes. Timotheus hopped to his feet and tousling Telie's hair. He took the jug and tossed it into the garden's landscaped rivulet. "I know it, little bro." "If your family was in danger .. If the hobs were up to something new and we had to protect them ... I might get scared once we were on our way but do you think I would drop everything to go and help them with you? Even leaving this charter, maybe being disowned… Don’t you think I would?" He was very animated as tears ran freely down his cheeks. "Oh, quit your cryin'." Tim pulled his cousin into a rough hug. "No one's asking you to leave anything. You're not gonna leave the charter, you're not gonna get disowned. You're gonna do your family proud." "... and you're gonna kill a bunch of hobbos." Telémahkos pulled away after a moment and rubbed his eyes. "Alright, alright ... We'll figure this sh*t out… But don't you think it must be a sign from a god or something that I jumped in front of Lavinia like that? She is beautiful… " He started to looks wistful again. "Well, I jumped in front of her too while you were out cold. Think that means I'm gonna marry her too?" Tim dropped into a mock fighting pose. "No... It isn’t as big a deal if you did it, because you aren’t a big coward, like me ... I need to practice with my sword… Where's my sword…?" Telie stumbled back towards the manse. "Oh, that's why you use that prissy little toothpick! 'Cause you need something without an edge so you don't lop your own head off while fencing drunk!" Timotheus followed Telémahkos inside, leaving the water to chuckle over the sunken wine jug. Telémahkos went to the room he was staying in, remaining relatively quiet despite his drunkenness. He stumbled around a bit fumbling with his rapier and scabbard. "When I am the best duelist in all Thriica my father won't be able to call me a coward any longer!" Timotheus leaned against the doorway. "Eh, you don't have to be the best. You just have to be better than him. I figure that can't be too hard…Though being the best is good, too." Telie continued to struggle, "No… Nothing I do is good ... I am the worthless son…" Finally he got the scabbard tied to his belt. "Come watch my footwork." Telémahkos began to head back outside, taking two steps towards the door, but stumbled as he brushed against the corner of the bed, and nearly fell back onto it.Tim rolled his eyes. "Blessed Nephthys," he muttered as he followed Telie outside, "I love my cousin, but please, you gotta give him some backbone. Amen." Telémahkos whipped his rapier in wide arcs in front of him as they walked back towards the garden, dropping into a playful roll every now and again, not being that bad on his feet, despite his wobbliness. "So, if we do go north, then what? What is your idea about all this?" "We get a stash of cash, hire a few dozen veterans and archers, and move in on <a href="https://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Aerothen" target="_blank">Aerothen</a>. I know there's maps of the place somewhere around Pyla, and of the area too, so we should be able to take out their ambushes. We just need enough magic to shake up the hobbos, hold off their witch doctors and maybe pop the gates, and we should be able to handle the rest." "That's an int .. " Telie stopped, and turning green, headed to some bushes. After ten minutes of heaving, Telémahkos went off to bed in an awful state, not saying another word to his cousin.End of InterSession #8.1------------------------------------------Notes:(1) At this point, Bleys the Aubergine was still stuck in the sepia snake sigil he set off.(2) Lavinia Vanderboren offered to use her local contacts to have the party’s booty from Kraken’s Cove sold off and the treasure converted Thrician coinage. The party accepted.(3) You can view this map by clicking <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Map+-+Vanthus%27+Map" target="_blank">here</a>.(4) Often referred to by merchants and rogues alike as "dead weight" Red God iron pennies are small, black tarnished coins less than a half-inch across that stain the fingers when handled. They are stamped with a sigil of four concentric circles. Iron pennies are only worth 1/20th of a copper piece each, but they are rarely (if ever) accepted outside the borders of the Kingdom of the Red God of the West. One hundred of these weigh a pound.(4) See InterSession #4.3</blockquote>

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