Quest The Depths of Diplomacy

[Perplexity]

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39th of Fall, 514 AV
Mid-Morning

The call had gone out around Zeltiva. When the creatures had risen from the waters of Matthew’s Bay following the blessing of the bounty Laviku had visited upon the city, panic had ensued. It was only through the quick action of the authorities that mass hysteria was avoided. The events of the Denvali coup had taught the Sailor’s Guild, the Lord of Council and the University that a need to move swiftly was of the utmost importance. Gone was the lazy ease with which they responded to city-wide events. Now were the days of rapidly responding task forces brought to arms at a chime’s notice. Only the need for arms never came.

The creatures brandished no weapons. They did not storm the beaches. They did not bring down fire and destruction. Quite the contrary. The came bearing woven baskets of fish, nets for fishermen, seashell jewelry for children and women. They came not in droves but in smaller numbers totaling less than forty in all. Strange though they were in appearance it became very obvious exactly what the creatures were the moment word spread that they could shift from their serpent like forms to humans.

Dhani. Sea-dwelling Dhani.

It had only taken a few hours before a small group of the Dhani were escorted to the Lord of Council’s office where after very brief deliberations heralds, doves, and couriers alike were busying themselves around the city. They were called the Iyvess and for the moment they had come not for war, death and conflict, but for peace. But Zeltiva had stretched forth her hand in friendship to foreigners before and that hand had been burned. The powers of the City of Sails were wary. They bickered. Venomous letters were exchanged back and forth. Heated arguments took place for hours within the gathering chamber of the great Guild Hall all within the span of a day. A decision had to be made but neither the Sailor’s Guild, the Lord of Council’s Office nor the Board of Regents could come to an agreement. So it came to pass that Zeltiva turned to her citizens.

Messengers were sent out to three individuals selected at random from the registry of citizens. The messengers would arrive and deliver but a single missive:

“You have been summoned, by the authority of the Administrative Committee of the Sailor’s Guild, the Lord of Council’s Office and the Board of Regents to the Great Guild Hall of Zeltiva. You are to arrive by mid-morning where an attendant of the Guild will be waiting for you.”

With that the messengers would depart offering no more information than that.
It was these thoughts and many others that passed through the mind of Silas Brondt, a middle aged man in brown robes with a balding head of grey hair. His face was covered in a neatly trimmed beard. Under his arm was tucked a thick volume likely filled with notes, ledgers, or other such important accounts. In his other hand was a quill, the feather of which tapped against his thigh impatiently. He stood outside the great doors of the Sailor’s Guild Hall awaiting those who had been granted the privilege of representing Zeltiva in what was likely one of its greatest moments in history.

His face was stern with nary a trace of a smile on his lips nor any signs of humor in his eyes. The slight breeze that whispered over the cityscape winding its way up from Matthew’s Bay licked at the hem of his robes. He blinked awaiting the first of the chosen ambassadors.

Who would it be?

[Jadlin Hayes]

Jadlin Hayes 40th Day of Fall, 514 AV “You have been summoned, by the authority of the Administrative Committee of the Sailor’s Guild, the Lord of Council’s Office and the Board of Regents to the Great Guild Hall of Zeltiva. You are to arrive by mid-morning where an attendant of the Guild will be waiting for you.” The message had been accompanied by a knock on the door. It was barely light enough to read by, the torches, in sconces on the wall, doing more shadowed harm the illuminated good. As well, the messenger did not tarry to be sure, but simply gave a nod of acknowledgement as he disappeared out the door at the far end of the hallway. Jad did not like the way this added up. It did not occur to him that the servant may have a number of other errands. Or that they would deprive him of the time needed to present the news of serpentine humanoid visitors from the sea, in sufficient terms to do more than cause Jad to panic. One thing Jad DID know, however, was that shortly after arriving in Zeltiva, he'd been accused of being the Mage Silencer, and dragged before these same administrators. He was not eager to comply with this order, couched, as it was, in words suggesting that there was no choice given. It reminded him of the Wave Guard arresting him outside the bathhouse. Ultimately, that had resolved well for him, and in truth, that had been wave Guard headquarters, not the...what was it?...The Great Guild Hall of Zeltiva. He sighed somewhat heavily and gave a fatalistic shrug. 'Mid-morning, eh? Well at least they give me time to give Mr. Pelthes notice that I may not be in for work today.' Jad reasoned that he would not be welcome to bring his big skirmish sword. And for that matter, it was doubtful that a bow would be allowed in the presence of such august persons as the notice suggested. But he sheathed his dagger and belted it on. It was still too warm to dress in his scale mail, and he lacked a full set of leathers, but over his good cotton wear, he strapped his belt, pulled on his high boots, and donned his cape and wide-brimmed hat. He set out first for the leather-working where he worked. Mr. Pelthes was somewhat put out, but understood priorities. He'd heard the rumors of some kind of sea-going Dhani arriving in troublesome numbers off the coast. Jad said nothing one way or the other, but found his boss' assumptions about these newcomers a little distressing. Such hasty judgements had been the primary cause of his previous incarceration. But he was no fool, either. The dagger at his belt was testament to his willingness to acknowledge that these creatures could want trouble. But he would do what he could to see to it that it was proven before hostility ensued. He promised Mr. Pelthes that he would relay any developments at his first opportunity, and headed to the Great Guild Hall. There was no mistaking the grand building, with all its arches and ornamentation. Jad stood for a moment, daunted by the authority represented in the spired, two-story, polished marble edifice. But he swallowed his apprehension and approached the official looking man at the base of the wide stone steps. He handed him the note delivered that morning, by way of identification. "Jadlin Hayes...sir...Do I go right in?"

[Enthere]

Enthere 40th Day of Fall, 514 AV The messenger arrived early, Enthere noticing his approach before he made it to her dwelling. She didn't often recieve visitors. The man handed her a note, and quickly departing even as she called after him, "what is this?" But he was gone. The Kelvic puzzled over the paper, knowing it was a message. Likely an important one by the look of its crisp colors and smooth, flawless parchment. There was only one problem with it; she couldn't read it. There was a great gap in her learning, her short educated life was focused more on practical things, useful emmediately and important to her survival. It hadn't included reading or writing. The note intrigued her though, she was a curious woman and was eager to find out what the letter said. It didn't take her long to prepare herself for going into town, she was already freshly washed and groomed, and her worn clothes were clean and dry. She even put on her simple medalion, feeling more prepared and 'dressed up' with it on. She tucked the message in her pocket and set off into the cool morning, it was chilly with the ever-present sea breeze, but she managed fine without her cloak. It wasn't a long walk to the main gates, and Enthere began searching for someone who could read the message. The Kelvic wasn't one to simply walk up to any stranger and strike up a conversation. She had to find someone who looked qualified, not everyone could read after all, Enthere herself was an example of that. She definately didn't want to have to ask several people, she still viewed herself as bad in social situations, and she wasn't fond of people noticing that she wasn't entirely human, the differences were in her features, though only subtle details. Enthere found herself near the University buildings, one of the nicest parts of town. There were few people about, due to the early time, no doubt. There was one nice-looking girl heading towards the University, she carried a rare book. Enthere took the note out of her pocket, ambushing the poor student as she walked. She waved the note in her face. "Can you read this? I can't. Please." She asked, sounding more forceful than she intended. The girl, to her credit, was unperturbed by the Kelvic. She snatched the note from Enthere's grasp and read it aloud. Quickly. “You have been summoned, by the authority of the Administrative Committee of the Sailor’s Guild, the Lord of Council’s Office and the Board of Regents to the Great Guild Hall of Zeltiva. You are to arrive by mid-morning where an attendant of the Guild will be waiting for you.” The girl only paused for a second, "there," she shoved the note back into Enthere's hand, "and try an 'excuse me' next time." She stalked back to the University. Leaving Enthere standing in the street, trying to commit the words to memory. The message brought several questions to mind, first being why was she being summoned to the Great Gild Hall thing? She was certain she hadn't broken any laws, and she didn't think she'd accidentally gotten mixed up in anything, and she most certainly didn't want to mess up her stay in Zeltiva, she was fond of the city. That was her reason for showing up at the Guild Hall of Zeltiva mid-morning; she didn't want to get on any official persons' bad side. Enthere approached the building slowly, watching the two men standing outside. One, she assumed was the man who was supposed to be waiting for her, but who was the other fellow? ''Excuse me," she said carefully, stepping up next to the men, "I am here for..." She frowned, what was she her for? "For this," she said, waving the note between the two men, though one looked slightly more bored and 'official' than the other.

[Perplexity]

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Silas stood gripping the book under his arm with a heavy frown upon his face. He regarded Jadlin for a few moments as he sauntered up to the Guild Hall. The elder gentleman resisted the urge to arch an eyebrow. The boy looked like he was about to blow away in the wind. His skin was pale and his hair was lank. Nothing about him appeared to be in any form of health. Silas almost considered going to fetch a healer but thought better of it. Perhaps that was simply how the boy looked?

“Yes, Master Hayes. You are expected. When the others arrive I shall escort you all into the interior of the Guild Hall. Until then feel free to make yourself comfortable if you so choose.” Silas gestured to a few sturdy well-crafted wooden benches with wrought iron frames. With that the attendant paid little more attention to the young man. He dusted off the front of his robes resuming his attentive stance as he awaited the other two who should have been arriving soon. He did not have to wait long. Soon a young woman appeared looking terribly lost and confused. He took the missive she proffered him reading over its contents quietly.

“Madame Enthere, yes. You are among those summoned to the Guild Hall. Thank you for being prompt. If you like feel free to make yourself comfortable whilst we await the final ambassador.” Again he gestured to the nearby benches. Several chimes passed. Silas shifted the book under his arm. Several more chimes passed and still there was no sign of the third ambassador that Silas was expecting. He frowned, though it wasn’t much of a shift from his previous expression, then turned to the two individuals awaiting further direction.

“Come, we are expected.” Walking to the great doors of the Guild Hall Silas retrieved a ring of iron keys from within his robes. He placed onto a lock that would have quite easily gone unnoticed had he not worked for the Guild for so many years. Rotating the key he pushed open the great door as easily as one would have brushed aside the drapes over a window. Despite its size the door did not creak nor did the hinges groan under its weight. A small detail telling guests just how well maintained the building was. Ushering the guests inside Silas closed the door behind them.

The antechamber of the Guild Hall was surprisingly small for such a large building but then again the Guild did not see many visitors. Typically one only came to the Guild Hall if they were summoned or were on official business. The antechamber itself was sparsely furnished. There were a few tapestries hanging on the walls. There were velvety looking royal blue drapes decorating the high windows. In the room there was only a single elegant writing desk complete with a stack of parchment, a single inkwell and quill pen along with an ornate chair for an attendant. The desk presumably belonged to Silas. Behind the desk was a large well dusted cherry wood staircase. The only other thing of note in the room were the men who stood silently watching over the chamber.

There stood guards at regular intervals around the room totaling five in all. The armor that they wore was polished to mirror-like perfection and was embellished with gold along the edges. The chainmail they wore beneath the heavy metal plating was a darker shade of steel grey but equally polished. The protective cloth undershirts were a royal blue while their leggings were a fine quality black leather. Polished shin guards protected their lower legs, strapped over pristinely shined high black boots. Each guard possessed at their hip a sturdy looking longsword. Their helms were simple bearing only the sigil of the Sailor’s Guild.

These were not the volunteer soldiers of the Wave Guard militia. These were hardened fighters, disciplined to defend the interests of the Guild.

Silas brushed past the guards gesturing for the guests to follow him. He lead them to the staircase taking one at a time with a steady ease saying he’d been through this exact routine a thousand times before. The stairs did not creak under his weight nor did the railing wobble or make noise. Upon reaching the top of the stairs he guided them down a long corridor leading them deeper into the interior of the Guild Hall.

Along the walls were portraits of what one could presumably believe to be prominent men and women of the Guild. As with the antechamber guards stood at their posts in regular intervals, two of them flanking the sides of each window they passed. Each one just as silent and stoic as the next. Occasionally they would be passed by men or women in the same official looking brown robes that Silas wore. They spoke in hushed voices, never once breaking the wall of silence that seemed to hang over the Guild Hall. Their journey came to an end as they approach a set of large oak doors.

“Please, have a seat.” Silas gestured to a table where sat a quartet of plush, highback chairs. Not waiting for the chosen ambassadors to respond he strode forward knocking on one of the doors. After waiting a brief moment he slipped inside leaving the guests to themselves if only for a few chimes.

[Ayatah]

Ayatah glared down at the note like it was an unwelcome houseguest. Panic, and hostility because of it, flittered in her mind.

This is how it starts. They've called you up for a meeting because you're Myrian. They're going to chase you out.

The warning was one that Aya had heard before, back in Taloba when she had first suggested her plan to leave the jungle for the port city. Zeltiva was a lawful place, full of good civilised people, and her kind - those barbaric Myrians - would not be welcome there.

A chirp in the corner of Ayatah's room made her twist around towards her only true confidante in the city; her bird, Kiwi. She reread the note, mindlessly scattering birdseed at the bottom of his cage whilst she muddled over the potential meanings behind those official words.

"I have done nothing wrong." She declared aloud, in Myrian, and Kiwi stared at her with bright black eyes, "it must be a mistake."

Kiwi broke into a pumpkin seed and crunched the softer insides between his beak, "Cherry." he replied in a thoughtful voice, swallowing the seed and peering up at Ayatah once again. With a more frsutrated tone, he repeated his demand:"Cherry!"

The Myrian rolled her dark eyes, but gave into her spoilt feathered friend all the same. Whilst Kiwi tucked into the dried cherries, Ayatah readied herself to leave for her mysterious appointment. Fortunately, she had the day off (coincidence?), so all she needed to do was clothe herself. She made the decision to dress in her more Zeltiva-approved attire; this left Aya with only a handful of pieces of clothing, and in the end she selected a violet dress. It was gorgeously made, and had cost a huge amount, but it was nevertheless impressive.

Perfect for showing what a civilised person I am.

Old habits died hard, though: under her dress, Aya made sure she wore her Myrian leather belt, complete with two small daggers hanging at her hip. She left her hair down and long, though a small braid either side of her temple pulled the thickest of her hair away from her eyes. Before she left, Aya regarded her reflection. "Not bad." She admired, pleased, "for a savage."

The walk to the Great Guild Hall did not take long; Aya hurried through the crowds, all to away of how her skin glimmered grandly in the patchy sunlight. Her Myrian heritage may well be getting her kicked out of her home, but her Eypharian blood still was capable of embarrassing her in public.

As she approached the Guild Hall, it slowly dawned on Ayatah that she was most likely not being ran out of the city. Instead, there appeared to be two other individuals looking just as confused as she, standing with a brown-cloaked fellow. Slowly, the Myrian approached, introduced herself cautiously. "Hello. I am Ayatah of the Scattered Bones. I have been summoned here." Her words were twisted with that thick Myrian accent, Ayatah spoke proudly all the same.

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[Jadlin Hayes]

Jadlin Hayes Jad felt the assessing gaze of the brown-robed man, and had the sense that it was less than complimentary. He tried not to let his own gaze linger on the thick book under the man's arm, but tried not to let insecurity fill it with all manner of depositions against him as a Leecher. 'Is the Council reassessing my acquittal in that 'Mage Silencer' case? Did that guy, Aoren, relay something that made me look suspicious again somehow?' he thought anxiously. He knew that this was really not likely, but his fortunes tended to be streaky, and he'd a run of good luck over the turn of the season. He gave an unconscious sigh with the thought that it might be about to turn back. He was greatly relieved when the older gentleman mentioned "others", thinking that it negated the likelihood of legal trouble. That, and the fact that there was no escort of Wave Guard, or a cart with fixed iron restraints. He found the bench as directed and sat passively to await the other ambassadors. The word brought a modest smile to his face. 'Wait until I tell Mr. Pelthes that I'm an ambassador.' he thought with mild bravado. In truth though, he knew at best it was just some honorary thing, probably of short duration. But still, it sounded good. A short time later, another 'ambassador' walked up. Like Jad, she was not dressed in anything indicating an official capacity, although her medallion could have been a symbol of some rank. But when she simply took a seat on the benches like him, he reasoned that she knew no more than he. Jad was content to sit quietly while they awaited the third ambassador, though he would certainly make conversation if the woman initiated it. For now though, he assumed that sitting quietly and waiting was what was expected. And waiting seemed to be the main requirement. Several chimes passed, and it became apparent that the brown robed man was being kept waiting longer than he had anticipated. He shifted his hold on the book and waited some more. After several more chimes he turned to Jad and the woman and directed them to come with him. It appeared that the third ambassador was going to have to catch up. The pair waited at the huge doors while the robed man produced a set of keys. He slipped them into a lock that Jad hadn't even noticed until right then. When the doors swung open easily, Jad was both disappointed and impressed. He'd been anticipating a rich, echoing creak of massive doors reverberating through marble depths, but heard only the change in ambiance from the room opening before him. But the room itself was impressive, if smaller than he'd expected. It was not ornate, but it was somehow powerful with its tapestries, deep blue drapes and richly polished staircase. The five well appointed and outfitted guards added greatly to the imposing atmosphere as well. Jad could see that htese soldiers were a cut above the regulars that had picked him up when he was taken into custody the season before. They ascended the stairs and traversed a polished corridor accented with portraits and additional pairs of guards posted at the windows. Mirror images of their robed escort passed them, speaking softly among themselves, as they made their way to a set of large oak doors. The robed man instructed them to be seated in one of the upholstered chairs nearby, and slipped through the doors. Jad turned to the woman, "So, my name is Jad. Jadlin Hayes to be exact. I guess we can talk now, as long as we keep it down." he winced in jest to emphasize the intimidating atmosphere, and grinned. "So, do you have any idea what this is about, or rather, what they want US to do about it? I mean I don't know anything about these Ivy..vess...or whatever they're called. No more than any other workin' slob anyway. Do you know anything special about them?"

[Enthere]

Enthere The brown robed man's formal welcome surprised Enthere. Though it shouldn't have, this was a very official building, no doubt filled with very official, very polite people. The slim woman didn't say anything else to the man, she wasn't used to ascendancy and could not think of a proper way to address him. She simply walked to one of the indicated benches, not the one now occupied by the other man, and sat quietly to wait. Enthere took this time to fully absorb her surroundings and those in her surroundings. First she studied Silas, who appeared to be waiting for someone, and wasn't looking her way. There wasn't much of interest about the man besides his enormous book, so her senses turned to the other Ambassador. He looked and smelled human, and was obviously not one of the seamen common in Zeltiva, judging by his thin build. He was more likely the kind of person drawn to Zeltiva due to the University, he did look educated, and was far better dressed than herself. Eventually, after Enthere started to suspect Silas' had forgotten about them, the attendant turned and beckoned them into the Hall. The antechamber was as grander than any building, save perhaps the university, that Enthere had seen in Zeltiva. She was unused to finery such as long velvety curtains and open, echoing rooms with high ceilings. There was a trapped silence in the Guild Hall that made Enthere doubt she could make a sound louder than a birds' chirp if she shouted. This was not a place to feel free or even safe, and the carefully bedecked guards did not make her feel any better. The rich wood paneling and neatly aligned tapestries said nothing as to why they were there, or what they would be expected to do. The glowing opulence of the entry room continued smoothly up the stairs, never faltering, even the staring paintings didn't seem the slightest faded, the people they portrayed were as detailed and colorful as the intermittent guards. Enthere watched the brown robed man go through the large, solid doors, before seating herself. The chairs were very soft and comfortable, but Enthere sat gingerly, feeling both small and insignificant in such a commanding place, and too awkward and calloused for the softly cushioned chairs. She was glad when the thin man provided a distraction from her discomfort. "I am Enthere," she said, with a slight dip of her head to acknowledge Jadlin. She took a moment longer to answer his questions, mostly because she didn't have answers for them. "I don't know," she said simply, "about any of it. I know Dhani are snakes, but I am not familiar with any of them....especially not these Ivy-vess." She said the Iyvess' name similar to how Jadlin pronouced it, having not heard it many times before. Her tone turned more imploring, "we are here because of the Ivy-vess?" She gave a small shake of her head, a movement she wouldn't have made just a season ago. "This I did not know." Enthere decided to ask another question, as little as Jadling knew about this, he seemed to know more than her. "Why us, why did they pick us to help with the Ivy-vess? You asked a similar question I suppose...but how would they know we would come?" And how many people had they asked? Enthere suspected Jadlin wouldn't have anymore answers than she had, he seemed like a nice fellow, and probably would have already told her if he knew something important. Probably. Enthere wasn't always the best judge of character, but this was a man summoned by the high-administrator....or someone like that.

[Ayatah]

The woman whom Ayatah approached turned a pleasant, if not slightly surprised, smile towards the Myrian. "Ah, yes. Please, come this way." With a gesturing nod, the woman acknowledged the main entrance of the building, before tottering forwards in tight little footsteps. Ayatah followed, a pace or so behind the woman, in her own longer strides. "May I ask what I'm here for?"

A greying head of hair shook in an awkward refusal. "All will be explained inside."

Those words give Aya a sinking feeling. A surprise. She disliked surprises; they instantly made her think of threats, or a plot to attack or deceive. Her younger siblings had always promised her great presents, only to empty out a handful of dirt or guts into her opened hands. Since then, Ayatah's enthusiasm for 'surprises' had bee somewhat lacking.

Ayatah was so entranced with her pensive thoughts that she had barely noticed where she was going. Dark eyes scanned the walls, and then rested on the soldiers standing in a two-by-two formation. They all wore heavy chainmail, and Ayatah wondered how they fought whilst dressed in such bulk. Armour did not exist in Taloba; only leather clothes, modestly covering up one's breasts and genitalia. Anything more than that and a solider would sweat away in the jungle before even fighting. She was about to comment on this - her curious really did get the better of her at times - when Aya realised the woman had eventually stopped.

Their journey had ended at the foot of a table. With a patient smile and point, the robed woman indicated to Aya that she should sit. Slipping into one of the seats, the Myrian nodded politely to the other two individuals also sat at the table. As soon as her guide had left, however, Aya set her hands on the table desperately. "Did you two get a notice, too?"

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[Perplexity]

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Quietly a servant padded up to the seating area where all three ambassadors had gathered. An elder gentleman in a dapper outfit that was neatly trimmed and befitting a high end servant, he carried with him a tray of what appeared to be hot tea and sandwiches. Without much comment he set the tray upon the table where sat Jadlin and Enthere. He gave a slight bow before stepping away allowing the two to tend to the tea and sandwiches themselves. He offered a bow to Ayatah as well before returning from whence he came down a hallway.

Behind the great heavy doors shouting could be heard. While the words could not be made out it was quite clear that whatever discussion was taking place behind them was quite heated. The suspense of exactly why the three had been summoned to the Guild Hall was only made all the more pressing with such venomous debate going on nearby. What Guild officials there were walking the halls paid no attention to it. To them the shouting must have been an everyday occurrence. It was either that or they were simply observant enough to keep to their own business.

A nearby hearth crackled pleasantly with a warm fire. The embers popped and jumped bringing warmth to the room. For the moment it would seem that the three would be left to their own devices. Free to discuss, gossip, acquaint or indulge in tea and sandwiches. If only for a few moments. The guards posted around the room, few in number though they might have been, were certainly a deterrent for wandering. They stood unmoving with eyes that seemed both uncaring and observant at the same time.

[Jadlin Hayes]

Jadlin Hayes Jad had been listening to the woman already seated near him, and did not take special notice of the other woman approaching. But when she sat, he did a double take and quickly looked away. He did not doubt that a certain measure of disdain made its way to the notice of the new arrival, nor did he care. She was a Myrian, there could be little question of that. He wondered what purpose there was in bringing one of them into this. Were they going to be tasked to sneak off somewhere and murder someone? What else was a Myrian good for, save for equal savagery in song, dance, dress and cuisine? If someone were to have asked him, Jad would have been greatly offended to be even alleged as a racist. It was, to a fair degree, not his fault that he possessed this one singular prejudice. The memories that he could actually trust to be true, only extended back about two hundred days now. He did not know his own age, he did not know his birthday, or birthplace. It was only through a miraculous encounter with Ricky Maze that he'd found family here. And even that was contingent upon believing the woman back in Syliras, whose Lykata had directed him to come to Zeltiva upon that quest. The drawback to that was that it loaned credibility to his growing perception that only those things that he learned since then could be counted on to be true. Prior to that, his life had been lost in a haze of hypnotically enforced lies and mind control, at the hands of a cult of Sagallius worshipers. The way this had led to his contempt for Myrians was that his journey to Zeltiva was aboard 'Bethany's Badge': a pinnace out of Zeltiva that he'd hired onto in Syliras only days after being freed from this confusion. It was captained by a stout man that proudly traced his lineage back to Bethany Edgetower, the scribe that had accompanied Kennabelle Wright on her grand globe-spanning voyage, long ago. This woman, Bethany, had acquitted herself well in all her endeavors upon this trek, and had ultimately fallen prey to a Myrian ambush in far Falyndar. The captain of 'The Badge', as the crew lovingly called it, maintained a hatred for all things Myrian, almost as a religious obligation, and made no effort to restrain himself from embarking on long tirades about the many treacherous and disgusting traits one found in their culture, and in the race, as a whole. Given that the crew was loathe to earn their captain's wrath by objecting, for he was a fine man in most other regards, and after all, there were never any Myrians allowed aboard to be offended by it anyway, they never took him to task for his prejudice, and usually gave a laugh to his rude jokes at their expense. Young Jad, newly come to embrace anything new he heard as truth, soaked it all up like a sponge. He had no reason to believe otherwise. He'd never met a Myrian. He'd never heard of a Myrian doing a single good thing to offset the mountain of bad of which he'd heard tell. No...he was quite content that he knew what sort of people Myrians were. Nonetheless, he was not in the privacy of his own room at The Grotto, nor a boisterous tavern, where insults were hurled like darts. No, he was in a stately city government building with statuesque guards and fine furnishings, and he was not about to sully the dignity of the occasion with insulting remarks, however truthful they may be. he simply nodded to the Myrian woman, and held his finger to his lips. It was true, he was trying to make out what was being "discussed" in the next room, but mostly, he did not wish to speak with this new arrival. He hoped that whoever was in charge of...whatever this was...would see her and have her replaced with someone more trustworthy. He took another bite of his sandwich and gave her an insincere smile.