Session Thirty: The Princess Bird
General Summary
Introduction
It's early evening and the scent of the blue flowers fills the air as Malak approaches the stately home of the Veiled Ones. As is common practice during Solaris, the large double oak doors are open and there are a few people going inside. The entrance way is vast. Its white marbled floor spreads out to three large doors and two winding staircases upwards. The area is brightly lit by a huge crystal chandelier and some light fixtures against the wall. The floor also has a large silver arrow insignia right below the chandelier. Currently, the room also decorated in long white drapery tied from the chandelier to the edges of the ceiling. It is of the finest linen and embroided in blue flowers that match the bouquets of blue flowers in very expensive looking crystal vases placed on every flat surface. The people filing in are being ushered to an area in the Eastern Wing, that Malak knows to be the dining area. He can already make out the alluring aroma of spices and grilled meat. The usher at the door recognizes Malak and gestures to the staircase. "She's in her room", he murmurs as he returns to ushering people. Malak wanders up the stairs and down the familiar hallway and stops at a large dark wood door, ornately decorated in silver. The room of Daellean, his adoptive mother.O Father Where Art Thou?
Daellean is mildly surprised to see Malak. Once the initial pleasantries are exchanged and the door closes, Daellean lowers her veil. She reveals having heard of what happened in Thaliost. Malak explains they were on a mission for the crown of Aundaire. Nasty business with a demon. While on said mission, they entered a cave where they found a silver flame. He’s convinced Tira spoke to him as he walked through the flame. Daellean is amused. Despite Malak having seen the inner sanctum a few times, he's never been allowed to walk through the flame. There might have been a reason for that. Undeterred, Malak asks about Kes as the guardians mentioned him. Daellean clenches her jaw for a moment then says that she hasn’t heard the name for years. Malak explains the guardians called him "Son of Kes" but they seemed to have been in the cave for a very long time. Daellean nods and explains that his father was also very old. She asks Malak what else he was told. After taking a moment to process this revelation, Malak tells that he has knowledge of Miron’s Tears. He explains they encountered elves with eyes on their cloaks. They leave eye signs everywhere and seem opposed to Miron’s Tears. He was also given a crystal to use against a demon under the agreement it be returned as soon as possible. Daellean touches him on the cheek and they both start to glow. She reveals they will both remain alive for a very long time. She's unsure for how long but that’s what happens when one walks through the flame. She herself walked through the flame with Samyr Kes. His father. She met him while stationed in Athandra. Malak asks where Kes is now. Daellean’s unsure. She mentions that Miron's Tears left Athandra close to the end of the war and she is unsure where the organization went after. She also reveals Kes to be the leader of Miron’s Tears. This brings Malak to the topic of the Court Birds that were linked to Miron's Tears. He knows they’ve been trying to find a cure for her. But he’s unhappy his mother hid knowledge of this, knowing he was searching for an antidote for 10 years. Daellean doesn't give Malak an answer to this immediately and instead asks him to reflect on how he was raised differently from other Thranian children during the war. She then asks if he was told what other goals Miron's Tears has. Malak says that he thinks that the goal might be to end suffering. Daellean says there are ways to end suffering. She was taught by some ‘birds' that you can carve your own path and choose not to cause suffering. In part it's why she pulled strings for him, so he wouldn’t have to go to war. She taught him to value knowledge and to question everything. To be a good person because he chooses to be one, not because she told him to. And to find answers through unclouded eyes. Had she simply given him answers, he would not have learnt as much as he did. But if she knew of a proper way to cure Myri, she would have done so already. Malak might not understand or agree with her methods but he trusts her latter statement. He mentions the appointment at 16:00 with the Veiled Ones. Daellean agrees to see if she can pull some strings or perhaps be present for it. Coming to the end of their conversation, Daellean says there is more she can reveal. She wants him to process the new information he received first though. After writing her name in his magical contact, Malak goes home.Welcome to My 30 Minutes Ago
Kiasuh has gone all out for dinner. As they eat, she fills him in on the events of the day. Griff helped out in the ER and was surprisingly gentle with children. Tristan was waiting for Malak outside the house. He revealed knowing the full “Traitor's Song” and would like to sing it to Myri when Malak is there. She also explains to Malak that she introduced Tristan to Myri as she thought that Malak wouldn't mind, considering that he gave her the final word on who gets to meet their daughter. Malak in turn unveils what he learned from Daellean. He was told about his father. Questions about Kes had been bubbling since the guardians mentioned his name. He explains how his father and mother walked through a silver flame. They will live a long time. He did the same not too long ago. He doesn't understand everything but offers to find Kiasuh a flame she can walk though. Kiasuh says she has a dying daughter, a husband who will “live forever” and then there's her. She's very lost. She settles on a smile and says she missed him. Things were too simple when he was gone. Deciding to let the information of the day sink in, they retire for the evening.The Man with the Purple Hat Appears
Back at the Lazy Bull pub, April jumps up in excitement and fumbles over her chair. She invites the man to sit, introducing him to the group as Elijah d'Orien. Elijah has a few Hat Daggery's go an help Muffin with the mess made on the floor by Eggs and sits next to April, boots on the table. Cissa mentioned Elijah could help find Valarie. Elijah temporarily leaves to contact Cissa about the situation. During this time. April explains that she met Elijah in Fairhaven. She told this to Cissa on the airship, who explained Elijah could be of great help. She’s been trying to get hold of him since. Tristan confirms Elijah and Cissa know each other. Nesza mentions Conrad called him trustworthy as well. Once Elijah is back, and the group introduces themselves, April unveils what she learned so far. There is talk of teleportation circles and scrying, not to mention a time limit. Elijah asks to see the teleportation circle. Vence takes out his notebook and turns it to the right page. He keeps hold of it. Elijah observes it a while and mentions the peculiarity of the circle. He points out the eye sigil. Tristan mentions their contact with General Len and that he has a small army following him. He seems to be recruiting ex-soldiers with the mark and is turning them against the populace. April also relays the information they learned from Martha. There are no numbers in terms of troops and evidence vanishes when people investigate. Griff expects to get intel from the Aundarian army the next day. Elijah asks if it’s “a go in and get out situation” or if people will fight. No matter the situation, Griff and his wings plan to support. Silmer says he is willing to fight but on the basis they have more information. Tristan is also willing to fight. Vence wonders if there truly is an army at Athandra. He could simply be there by himself. Vence asks Elijah if he can scry on Athandra. Elijah asks if he has something of value he can use. Vence does. Elijah agrees to scry in his small bedroom, meaning not everyone can join. Before he leaves, Silmer asks if he talked to Sunny. Sorry...Hawk. As the name is mentioned, plates crash to the ground and the music stops. Eggs knew Hawk very well as he died in front of her. In fact, she and Elijah helped kill him. Griff charms the half-orcs and apologizes for causing stress. Pancake and Muffin blush while the music starts up again. Elijah offers to take Silmer to Hawk. But first...some scrying April, Tristan, Vence and Nesza join Elijah upstairs in his bedroom.A lot of people in a small room
Elijah’s room is no larger than two broom closets put together. There's enough space for two people to stand and two people to sit on the bed. Tristan stands awkwardly close to Vence, who hands Elijah the case to a viol named Lucy. Elijah opens the case and stares at it for a moment. He looks up Vence and asks him why Cissa would give this to him. Vence says it’s a long story and they don’t have the time. Elijah is persistent though. He wants to know why Vence has something so precious to Cissa. April says that none of them are untrustworthy and that he has it for a good reason. Tristan says he might be the problem but he should realize they are now on the same side. Vence says it has nothing to do with sides. It's regarding other issues. He can explain it quickly if Tristan steps out as the rest already in the loop. Tristan makes him a counter offer to stay. He offers him a personal question in response. Vence declines. Instead, Vence steps in front of Tristan and pulls his hood up. He shifts into Emir, suggesting Elijah knows who he is and why he would have the viol before shifting back to Vence. Elijah doesn’t understand why he would keep that secret. Vence believes there are people that press soft spots after discovering them. Tristan asks if Vence thinks he's a person who would push soft spots. Vence says yes. Tristan explains Vence doesn’t know him very well then. Elijah tells them to stop arguing. He’s there to help a young lady find her mom. Elijah asks them what to look for in Athandra. Vence says he is looking for body count, for the number of soldiers, elves and people donning red robes. Nesza uses disguise self to show Elijah the cloak. Elijah mentions having been in Athandra and might be able to look around the area to see what comes and goes. Elijah takes Lucy out of the box and scries on Athandra. He tells the group there are lot of people. Around 12 have with weapons. There are a few elves and 5 people wearing red cloaks can be spotted in the town square. He also tells them there is a wooden construct close by. They are up against an army. Tristan asks who Lucy is. Elijah describes her as someone special to Cissa. Tristan said he had a suspicion. After finding out the viol was called Lucy, Tristan mentions it's also part of a name of an orphanage he went to while searching for Elijah. April asks if he could scry on her mother. Elijah says he doesn’t know her so it might not work. April makes her monkey show some images of Valarie going through her daily routine, hoping movement and reflected attitude might inspire Elijah. He smiles and says April looks like her. He then casts scrying. Jenny and Valarie look like they haven’t been looked after. They are starving but are still breathing. A plus point. The room is dark. Red crystals are scattered everywhere. There are no identifying sounds. April is shaken. Elijah puts Lucy back in the case and carefully hands her back. Vence puts his hand on April's shoulder and gives it a squeeze. She snaps out of it and gives Vence an appreciative smile before bowing deeply to Elijah. They need more information, Elijah suggests. Malak is also missing. They can come find him again later. He’s more than willing to help. Elijah gestures people to leave his room and asks Tristan to stay. April says she’ll be at the inn if 'Sir’ needs her. Elijah mentions she can just drop his name at any Orien station and he’ll tell them that if an April Highthorn calls, he’ll be right there. Tristan asks for Vence to stay with him. He mentions they have a trust beef and he is trying to fix it. Vence shrinks down to have more space in the room as he decides to stay.Lucy? Who the Fuck is Lucy?
Tristan explains that he was looking for Cissa. He still is. Elijah laughs and tells him that might take a while. Tristan mentions he is aware and expects this group will help him meet her at some point. He was in Sharn and caught wind of a guy with a purple cowboy hat and assumed that was Elijah. He was spotted at an orphanage but when Tristan arrived, Elijah was already gone. He is wondering how Elijah, Cissa, the orphanage and the name Lucy are all connected. Elijah explains that Lucy was the name of Cissa’s baby girl. Cissa adopted Lucy just before the war. She was one of the first to be drafted and alas never came home. Elijah never knew Lucy but their destinies have become somewhat entwined after the death of Hawk. Being a wanderer, he realized he’d never have kids of his own. So, he and Cissa made agreements. Part of the agreement is to occasionally drops off gifts at the orphanage. Tristan asks why Elijah was confused by him mentioning Lucy’s name. Elijah suggests it odd he knew the name of an important person in Cissa’s life while there was a trust barrier between him and Vence. Before leaving, Vence cryptically mentions to Elijah that “their friend” would like to have a conversation in the near future. Elijah tells him to send a message his way later. In the hallway Tristan stops Vence and tells him he is serious about building bridges. It doesn’t have to be now though. Vence says it won't be now. He explains that Tristan demanded a lot and offered very little.Silmer has a drink?!
Meanwhile, while the rest head off with Elijah, Griff and Silmer remain in their seats with Grace and Cody. Griff has been drinking. He asks Silmer about the airship they arrived on in Thaliost. Griff used to escort airships during the war and he’s a fan. Silmer mentions it's named the Silverbird, formerly known as... something to do with wind. The Breeze? Grace asks if it was the Gust. After Silmer confirms, it’s revealed to be Godric’s favorite ship. Silmer says it's also his. Griff deems the Gust special as it's powered by electricity where other airships are mostly wind powered. Silmer and Griff geek out about airships while Grace passes out from boredom. Cody remembers the captain being called Chelon. Silmer asks if Griff met Chelon. Griff confirms he did several times during the war and that he was a nice man. Silmer asks for more information about Chelon. He explains he knows him well. Griff recalls he was a regal half-elf calm in demeanor. He asks why the subject is important to Silmer and whether Chelon is no longer the captain of the ship. Silmer confirms he isn't and explains Chelon is his master. Griff says they are indeed similar. Griff would love to be invited on the ship. Silmer might be able to make that happen as the ship is now owned by his sister. Griff asks if she is a tortle. Silmer dodges the question by saying the can talk about it when everyone’s sober. Silmer orders a beer. As Nesza and April walk down the stairs, Nesza hears Corvus’ voice in his head Corvus: I found out Hawk turned dark forcefully. He was turned by shadow in flame. Be warry of the voices near the flame. Talk to MalakNesza: I actually found out things about him as well. He is family related to me. How are you doing. You feeling better?
Corvus: As expected. I am currently very busy. Just left Flamekeep. Trying to find Ruskelirats.
Nesza: I am glad you are ok. I’ll talk to Malak.
Hawk might still be alive
Nesza talks to Vence about his uncle and the contents found in his study. He found a key and a locked journal. He talked to Malak about giving it to Cissa but didn't want to step on Emir’s toes. Vence says Hawk is hardly a rival now and he’s comfortable knowing Cissa had lovers before him. But Nesza is convinced Hawk may be alive. He hears Hawk’s voice in his head. Nesza mentions there also being a note from the orphanage with Lucy’s name in it thanking Hawk for his donation and wonders who Lucy is. Vence explains “this is someone very close to Cissa”. Nesza found some song lyrics and tells them to Vence. He also gives the journal. They were found together with a green feather. Nesza had left the actual lyrics and feather behind. Vence tells Nesza the song lyrics are probably from a love song that Cissa gave Hawk. Nesza speaks up so the group can hear him. He explains Hawk is his uncle and that he found his study and a key. He explains that he went to the house marked on the map and knocked on the door. Hawk spoke to him and he told him to go to his office where he collected the key. Nesza invites everyone to join him. The party is torn between a split and whether to wait after the Veiled Ones meeting to go together. Silmer congratulates Nesza on his findings and his progress. Nesza mentions he is still unsure and scared to find out what is behind the door. Silmer says there is only one way to find out.How to Appraise a Box: Licking and Smelling Edition
The group gathers in Nesza’s room. He explains that he knocked on the door and in Celestial the voice he's been hearing talked to him. It told him where to find the key. He asked questions and he got replies. The voice knew context. Tristan agrees it doesn’t sound programmed. It rules out the possibility of a haunting. Griff mentions that he and Malak also heard a voice walking through the silver flame. Nesza mentions that Corvus contacted him and warned him to be warry of voices. He unveils the conversation they had. Nesza said he sounded better than when he left. Tristan asks if there are actually voices in the flame and wonders if Thranians are not just full of shit. Nesza explains that when he meditates there are voices near a flame. After Nesza expands on the full story, from how he got the map until this point, April asks if a random dude just gave him a map. Nesza explains that when he looked up again, they were gone. April asksto see the box the map came in. She investigates it. Vence mentions he might have been cursed by the box. Tristan asks him if he has a description on the person who gave him the box. Nesza remembers that he wore a brown cloak and had gloves on. Griff tells everyone good night and flies back to the castle as a giant eagle. April investigates the box. It’s a regular box, but by licking and smelling it she realizes it’s made out of bamboo. She explains that the Lhazaar Principalities sometimes brought crates in made from bamboo. Nesza thanks her and calls her the smart cookie of the group. Before everybody goes to bed, April updates Tristan with information about the Commodore.Rumbling in Griff’s room
When Griff returns to his room, he casts divination. He asks: “Why does the song make my arm glow?” He concentrates. Every breath he takes makes the earth rumble harder. At a point the tremors grow crystals and pierce through the ground underneath him. It ends there.Home can sometimes be a person
Emir casts sending to Cissa as he gets to the Spire of Inspiration. Emir: Hoping the mission is going well. The sound of your voice reminds me that home can sometimes be a person. Come home soon, magpieCissa: Oh Dove, I found something out today. I have been played. My mother is part of the Feathers. My father died willingly. I am hurt.
Emir: I am so sorry to hear that. It seems she has been staying here at your apartment. If I see her we will talk friendly.
Cissa: I will message her. But thank you. I miss you. I wish you were here.
Emir: No harm will come to her. I wish you were here as well. Sleep well.
Cissa: Mia is safe. Mission is going well. Corvus had given me this information. Sleep well, Dove. I will come home soon.