Chapter 30: The Calm before the Storm
You have fought armies that outnumbered you fifty to one.
You have stared down dark gods and goddesses.
You have negotiated with some of the greatest archmages to ever walk the lands.
You are a mage, a treasure hunter, some say a 'hero'.
So then why is this so Wyrd damned difficult!
"No, not that one!" Thaïs scolds you, "That is the wrong fork again!"
She is to be your tutor in this. You quickly lost patience with the dwarves the King sent to 'educate' you. They treated you like an imbecile and a peasant so you had a little fun with their senses. As a result none of them will come near you, thankfully your friend is well aware of proper dining etiquette and has taken it upon herself to improve your manners.
"Damn it!" you shout back, "There are thirty two Wyrd damned forks! Twenty knives! Fourteen spoons! And I do not even know what this thing is!"
You heft a large wooden mallet and shove it at her.
"That," she grins as she takes it and swings it through the air, "Is a ghôl mallet. You use it to smash open the ghôl skulls they will serve as our main course."
You turn a little green, "We... we are going to eat ghôls?"
She nods, enjoying this revelation just a little too much, "Certainly. It is considered quite the delicacy amongst the dwarves. I am told that our hosts have managed to get over a dozen fresh for our dinner."
You push your chair back, "I... I can't do this. Can't you go without me? Please!"
"Sorry, you are our fearless leader remember," she winks at you as she returns the mallet to its place above your plate, "You have to learn how to do this sooner or later."
In resignation you sigh, "Fine, fine. Let's just start from the top then."
"Alright," she takes a deep breath, "Now we are only dealing with the merchant set here so the meal will be smaller from what I understand. There will be eleven courses and only about half the full one hundred and twenty utensils will be utilized. We will begin with the soups..."
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You think you have it all down.
The greetings, the seating order, the utensils, the movements and positioning.
You are certainly smart enough to figure this out, you just have trouble caring.
It is all just so terribly pointless. One fork is functionally as good as another from what you can tell and many of the rules seem contradictory. You are to make conversation but not to actually talk about anything substantial. You are to enjoy the food but not too much. You are not to complement the cooking, nor are you to complain. Yet you also can not simply ignore the food either, it is all quite frustrating.
Then add to that the fact that all of the people you will be dining with likely hold some sort of grudge against you and you are certain that the next several evenings will be uncomfortable ones.
Of course things are not all bad. Albrecht refused to let you go out in your armour and worn clothing. New attire is in order: smocks, hose, kirtles, gowns, surcoats, girdles, capes, hoods, and bonnets all in a variety of styles, colours and materials are paraded in front of you and you take the opportunity to try it all on.
You settle on a number of outfits for a variety of occasions, parties, hunts, diners and more practical affairs as well.
The palace staff also take pains to make you 'presentable'. With a great deal of water and terribly stiff brushes they damn near scrub you raw and douse you in stinging ointments, powders, and oils. They menace you as they clean and style your hair, they torture you as they squeeze you into your bodice, they torment you ceaselessly and more than once you have to fight off the urge to set a few of them on fire. It is a complete and absolute pain but it is difficult to argue with the results.
They wheel over a full length looking glass and you are forced to admit you are like a new woman. Dressed in forest green and earth tones, your hair truly clean for the first time in years, jewel stones in your around your neck and woven into your hair, you are absolutely stunning. A sentiment that is quickly echoed as Argus and Thaïs enter the room.
He whistles, "Those girls really do a great job don't they."
Your friend beams at you as she advances, "He is right Derryth you look gorgeous."
"Um, thanks. Both of you," you smile awkwardly as you turn to greet them. You are floored by what you see. Albrecht's maids have worked their wonders on your friend as well, red silk and gold cloth, she looks amazing and you can not help but return her compliments.
While the two of you trade compliments and commiserate on the torture you have had to endure Argus taps his foot impatiently.
You let him wait for a minute before finally addressing him, "You look like you want to say something Argus."
"Thank you yes," he draws closer to the two of you. The maids withdraw from the room, "The people you will be visiting this week are amongst the most powerful dwarves in the entire kingdom. I would urge you to be cautious and not to purposely antagonize them."
Thaïs gives the Champion a slight nod in gratitude, "We will naturally endeavour to avoiding creating enemies."
"Yes well the advice still stands. Be diplomatic," he looks you in the eyes as he speaks those words.
"I am not that bad Argus," you grin.
"I know these people Derryth. You are going to want to set half of them on fire the second you meet them," he laughs, a short, gruff thing, "I am asking you on behalf of the King to please play nice and not to torch or blow up any of the merchants' houses."
The two of you nod and give him your most innocent looks, he simply smiles and shakes his head, "Get going you two. Please do not destroy anything and try to have fun."
As you slip past him arm in arm you lean in and whisper in your friend's ear, "I think those two instructions are mutually exclusive unfortunately."
She elbows you as you slip out the door headed for the front of the compound and the carriage that will carry you to your destination.
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Tonight you dine with the Barings, an up and coming family of bankers.
You are welcomed warmly enough but you are no fool. You know that most of the people in this mansion have little love for you and are simply looking for reasons to hate you or use you. Initially your instincts urge you to leave this den of vipers but you stick with it. The King knows where you are, if anything were to happen to you the repercussions would be quite extreme. You are completely safe for the time being and so you resolve to make the best of the situation and attempt to get to know the guests.
The other guests consist of eight dwarves from a number of minor trading companies and lending houses. No one you have ever heard about in your inquires into dwarven finance. You manage some basic small talk and keep from making an absolute fool of yourself largely by keeping your mouth shut. This is the sort of thing Thaïs excels at and you let her do much of the talking.
Dinner is... interesting.
When dinner is called you are led in first on the arm of the host, Johann, you take your seat as you run through the thousands of little steps you must take to avoid insulting your host. It makes engaging in petty conversation difficult but perhaps that is for the best. None of them are saying anything interesting anyway. You reply to every question leveled at you politely and you even manage to impress your host with your firm grasp of dwarven.
Twelve courses spread out over a forty minute period. It is less of a marathon than a sprint. Thankfully you do not try to actually eat everything that you are given. Instead you quickly realize that most of this food will simply be thrown out, it exists merely as a physical demonstration of the wealth and resources of your hosts. Cheeses and smoked meats from the Province, fish from south west of Stoneheim, soups and broths and a number of delicacies local and imported including the ghôl skulls your friend mentioned. You manage to will yourself into eating some and the dwarves nod in approval as you swallow a couple modest spoonfuls.
No expense is spared and it is clear that your hosts are trying to impress you even if they do not trust you or even like you very much.
You guess that they are hoping you will put a word in for them with the King. This suspicion is confirmed following dinner when you all retire to drawing room for refreshments and cards. The Barings and their friends speak fondly of the government and of the King but you think you sense an undercurrent of resentment there as well. You have little to go on but your instincts, yet you suspect that these dwarves are quite unhappy about the dramatic fall of House Eberhardt. Try as you might though you are unable to draw them into a conversation on the issue through subtle direction. In truth you just are not very good at it. You could try using your mental spells on them but you do not know if any of them have any magical talent and if you are caught the results would be disastrous.
Across the room Thaïs works a much larger crowd. She has them enraptured and you hope she is having much more success than you are.
Unable to extract any useful political information from them you instead turn the conversation towards more personal matters, finances and the place of the Barings within the larger financial community. Johann warms readily to the subject, perhaps a result of the alcohol you have been plying him with, "Well I will admit Miss Derryth. At the moment my family are not large players in the field but we have substantial holdings in the western empire and it is only a matter of time before we bring those advantages to bear against our competitors," he leans in and whispers conspiratorially, "In fact, I have often thought about expanding our banking system into the human empire. I mean just think of it! All those people and absolutely no competition!"
That news does not sit well with you, this man and his family could well represent a threat to your own plans for the future. Though, perhaps they could also be strong allies should you decide to work with them.
As the evening's entertainment winds down and you and your friend return to your carriage you finally have a chance to discuss your findings. You explain what you learnt from Johann.
Thaïs responds, "Well if they already have the infrastructure set up they could be a real thorn in our side, of course they could also be a great help to us if we decide to ally with them."
"You think they would work with us?" you ask in reply.
She nods slightly, a little unsure of herself, "Yes, I think they would if they saw an advantage in it. I am fairly certain they were discretely supporting Eberhardt but they have been very quick to cut all social ties to the fallen House. They struck me as incredibly pragmatic. They will follow the path of least resistance to power. That might be a problem-"
You finish her thought, "-or it might be a great opportunity for us. A means by which we can control them. If they really are that predictable then we simply have to ensure that they see us as their most likely path to power."
She nods in agreement, "Exactly. We will never be able to trust them, or at least not the current crop of managers but we should be able to control them without too much difficulty as long as we appear powerful."
You steer the conversation to broader topics, "Did they say anything else?"
Thaïs beams confidently, "A little drink and those dwarves were willing to tell me all sorts of secrets. It turns out that House Eberhardt is in deep with a good portion of the Goldsmith Guild. Supposedly they were supplying the Eberhardt's with the financial support necessary to undermine the King. Mrs Baring was of the opinion that much of the guild will suffer the King's ire before long. I doubt we will find too many allies there now that we are well known. I also would not be surprised if the Guild is formally disbanded in a few weeks, rumours seem to indicate that Albrecht wants the power that comes with the material assets the Guild holds. The Barings are convinced that he will accuse them of conspiring with the Dark and will have the whole lot of them killed."
You frown, "A little extreme isn't that?"
She nods, the idea worries her a little as well, "Perhaps there is more to what is going on in the kingdom than we first realized."
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Each day is similar to the last and throughout each you and Thaïs prove inseparable. You rise early and receive proper instruction in how a lady of the kingdom should comport herself. Some of it is even sticking. You spend time with the girls and see to their education. You check in with Lyssa to ensure her mental health and keep her company while she waits for her eagles. You continue to lecture Caoilainn though it is slow going and finally you work on narrowing down the formulas required to revive Meletē. Another day or two and you should have it you think. Everything is going well but you still have reservations, something just does not feel right.
Your evenings are spent visiting with the various merchant houses of the kingdom, some are members of the Guild and some are independent but all are nervous about what the future holds. They seem to fear the King without exception and you suspect that most of them have ties to the Eberhardts either directly or indirectly. If the King does truly intend to purge dissident elements in the kingdom this could get quite bloody.
You tell yourself that, that is not really your concern. You push that thought from your mind and enjoy the fruits of your labours. The King is nothing if not generous and he lavishes gifts upon you. They make everything else more bearable.
Tonight also marks a special occasion. Tonight you will go to visit Mayer at his estate. He was not quick to send an invitation, in fact he waited until you had met the vast majority of his peers to even extend the offer to meet him for dinner. You often wondered why and the mystery surrounding the dwarf only deepened as you asked his competitors about the man.
It seems that Mayer does not attend social functions. He does not go to dinners and he does not invite anyone to his manor with very few exceptions. Some say that he is a servant of some dark goddess, a terrifying creature of darkness and despair that grants him success in all he does. Others say that he is really a necromancer and a former ally of the Watcher's though nothing has ever been proven. The more level headed individuals you questioned simply shrugged and said that the dwarf enjoys his privacy and does not have time for pointless niceties.
All of them agreed though that he demonstrates an uncanny ability to make just the right deals on just the right ventures to always come out on top. The other bankers distrust him, some even hate or fear him but all of them respect him. He started from nothing and his rise has been meteoric. An invitation to have dinner with him is seen as unusual to say the least.
As your carriage pulls up to the estate you begin to suspect that this dinner party will be much smaller than any you have yet been to. The building is well made but not terribly impressive. In fact it is on the small side although it is two stories tall. It lacks any ornamentation or distinguishing marks of any kind, in fact it is so simple and clean as to be striking in and of itself. Despite the quickly advancing night there is only one light coming from the entirety of the building. It shines from the second story window on the far right
As you enter the building through the front doors you realize that you are in fact the only guests here. Mayer does not come to meet you, instead you are met by an ancient little dwarf, holding a single tiny candle, in an unmarked black uniform. He does not speak a word but motions for you to follow him into the depths of the unlit building. You are not led into a sitting room or a dining room or even a drawing room. You are led immediately to his office.
Light pours out from under the door. The servant knocks once, "Come in!" a voice shouts from within.
The servant opens the door and ushers you both inside. He closes it behind you as he leaves the room.
There in the center of the room, at his desk and surrounded by ledgers and scrolls sits Mayer.
He does not even look up at you, "Good evening ladies. I shall have my man bring in something to eat shortly though first I should like to ask you who you really are and why you feel the need to meddle in the business of this kingdom."
You begin to tell him the story you have carefully crafted with Albrecht's agents, "Well it seems that House Eberhardt has been involving themselves with the Dark. After we defeated that army of the undead on the way to Myrgard the Eberhardts took out a contract on our lives, we had no choice but to-"
He raises a hand in annoyance his face buried in a scroll, "I do not have the time or inclination to listen to lies. If you will not tell me the truth then we have no business together and if that is the case then you will both have to excuse me if I ask you to immediately leave."
Thaïs speaks up, "What makes you think we are lying?"
He shakes his head as he strikes out a pair of entries, "I am not an idiot and I am aware of all major contracts currently outstanding in this city. I am aware that the Eberhardts have no dealings with the Dark at all. I am also aware of the story you have been peddling and I know it does not add up with the information I have been receiving. So I will ask again, why have you involved yourself in the affairs of this kingdom?"
You answer his question with a question, "Where do you get your information from that you are so certain we are lying?"
He looks up and smiles slightly, "A little birdie told me," the smile fades quickly as he returns to his paperwork, "Now answer or leave."
As you stand in silence you can hear a pair of voices quietly talking in the adjoining room. It seems you are not, in fact, completely alone.
1. Your answer:
A) You tell Mayer the truth minus your adventures with certain archmages and former necromancers. Government agents and ancient artefacts. (Just your (mis)adventures with Meletē, the connection between the contract on her and the Eberhardts and your desire to destroy them to help your friend.)
B) You leave. If that is the way he wants to be then fine.
C) You will attack him physically. It is admittedly an extreme reaction but if he knows something you do not then you will have an answer right now.
D) You will attack him mentally. Perhaps you can force him to talk without actually hurting him physically.
E) You force your way into the adjoining room to find out who else is here.
F) Ask Mayer to invite the people in the other room in and introduce us. If he does, go along with his proposal. If he refuses, leave.
G) freeform
And the questions that came up in the discussion between updates:
2. Investigating leads with the government. You might want to check some of the leads Ceannard mentioned about the necromancers with Albrecht and his agents. You choose to:
A)Ask Albrecht about it but lie about how you got the information (You will not mention Mazzarin or your true adventures in the desert)
B)Ask Albrecht about it but tell the truth and hope he understands.
C) Don't ask about it. You do not really care about the necromancers, they are not your problem.
D) freeform
3. Lyssa's Activities, how did she spend her time?
A) You instructed her to split her time between doing what she wants and studying at the academy.
B) You ordered her to spend most of her time studying at the academy.
C) You let her spend her time how she pleased.
D) You ask her to help you teach the girls the basics of magical theory as in 4B, an extra mage might help things go more smoothly.
E) freeform
4. The Girls, how did they spend their time?
A)Training with Argus on combat techniques. They won't learn much in a week but they might pick up something.
B)Listening to your lectures about magic with Caoilainn. If they get the basics down they can begin to learn a few spells.
C)With Albrecht's staff. They will be taught how a young lady must behave in polite society. If you have to suffer through this than so do they.
D)You let them do what they want.
E) Get them a teacher and a lot of books and start educating them on a military tactics. It won't do anything in a week, but give it a year and who knows.
F) freeform