Thalia Overmere
Inheritance Status and Exile
Because the Corran Empire is a state of strict male primogeniture, it is irrelevant whether Thalia or Kern is the elder sibling. From the moment of his birth, Kern rose above Thalia and her issue in the line of succession regardless of her age. According to the royal genealogy book Clytemnestra "Fanny" Glitters flipped through on her second visit to Adalberto Veno's house, Thalia was exiled by her brother in 850WA following a conviction on charges of sedition. That book was mostly family trees and portraits; it didn't have a lot of further detail on that point. Reghyxesh, however, provided the group with some background on Thalia that is not entirely well known outside of Correhal's circles of influence and that was elided over in the book:She moved against the Emperor before he was crowned. Gave her gold to a knife-thrower. The prince broke the assassin’s neck. Thalia and her mate were caught in flight and brought before the court. Her mate confessed their treachery and spoke against him. The prince wished to demonstrate his justice and his mercy to his people. His sister was pardoned. Her mate sentenced to die by millstone. It is said, but Reghyxesh does not know, that in her chambers the royal doctors salted her womb. She was exiled. Now that the Throne is secure, now that the people forget, she waits for the knife.
Status in the Wandering City
For reasons unknown, Thalia is living in a not-even-fully-rented floor of the Scarlet Squid Inn in Rightfin: a location so far below her station as to be pathetic. The innkeeper believes that she is running out of money, but has attempted to right that situation by affixing herself to Baronet Beauregard Benne. The boy might be a fingerling potato to her from the perspective of prestige, but he is the scion of a very wealthy family. At the entranceway to the Breakwater Opera House on 17 Winterfall, 866WA, Thalia expressed her visceral approval of Clytemnestra "Fanny" Glitters's wig and insisted that she come with her to her box seats."You know my motto: Eat, pray, love!"
-- Clytemnestra Glitters
"Those are the three. Worst. Things. In the world."
-- Thalia Overmere
A Night at the Opera
For some reason, Thalia Overmere is a regular at the Breakwater Opera House in Rightfin, travelling with a personal guard of eight and a site guard of eight more. During the artistic director's welcome, Vega Spritzer noticed Thalia mouthing along to the script as though she'd heard it half a dozen times, and Wit's Row "ooh"ed at her when the AD added a line about requiring patrons to return to their seats after the bell. Cherry Merrybottom, seated below her, heard numerous comments about her being present at the opera every week "to dodge the knife" and seemingly confirming the rumours about using Benne for his money while also remarking the match was "good for him". Vega also hit upon a scarcely murmured comment from some young bohemian hipster types in the first row back from the cheap seats, to the effect that "at least her sister comes for the show; what's the point of slumming it if you rent out the box every night?" In the course of her conversations with her, (and eavesdropping, obviously) Fanny was able to discern a few things. She is still actively flirting with Benne. She is violently angry with someone named "Christmas" or "Crispus" or "Chris". She is exhausted with her retinue of walking fashion don'ts and is -- or seems to be -- intrigued at the idea of engaging someone with the kind of legitimate fashion sense Fanny has. Fanny had a hard time reading Thalia and felt as though she were being assessed rather than spoken to. In the course of those "assessments", she had to conclude that Thalia is at best ambivalent about propaganda pieces about the glory of The Corran Empire, that she is skeptical about food, prayer and romance, and that she very likely is running low on funds. For her part, Peaseblossom poked around in her room while she was out, discovering that there were no internal guards in the room to compliment the one outside the room door. She also found several letters penned in an angry scratching hand that she could not read, and noted that similar-but-different seals were used in the letters going back and forth. At one point in the evening, Fanny was given a red bubbly wine to drink. She only had a few sips, but once the opera ended, Thalia wanted to go to a more intimate place to "talk".Drinks with Clytemnestra Glitters
After successfully enduring an interrogation subject to a very strong contact truth serum at an estate just behind the opera house, Clytemnestra managed to convince Thalia that she was a liar -- but not a dangerous one. She was able to do so without disclosing any information about her own purpose on the Shell. Glitters was able to solicit some useful new information about Overmere in the course of that conversation, including that she is no longer welcome in the capital city of Correhal; that for some reason she was specifically asking about whether Fanny worked for her brothers; and that she has at least two sisters.Sisters don't confide. They compete.
-- Thalia Overmere
Pilfered Letter to Archbishop Christus Overmere
Unbeknownst to Beulah Garland and Cherry Merrybottom, while they were plotting out a strategy to search Overmere's hotel quarters, they were within earshot of one of the Royal Guards. Peaseblossom, flying up ahead invisibly, noticed him duck into Overmere's room and begin tossing important items and papers into a strongbox and locking it up in preparation for the assault. Peaseblossom snuck in over his head, grabbed the letter she had previously identified, and flew back out with it. Marked with the Overmere family seal of a raven with a snake in its talons, it read as follows in sharp vertical lettering:Your Holiness, As projected, the funds allocated for the duration of the term have run out. I reiterate my respectful request for a supplementary stipend that I trust you will convey to the Emperor. Our already reduced retinue is being paid with funds sourced from Aedile Sessa, who grows weary of our entreaties. I know I need not remind Your Holiness of the security threat posed to the State in the event of the Royal Guardsmen labouring unpaid. My personal expenses at the moment have been minimized to the exceptionally modest circumstances I described in my last dispatch and are currently covered by the generosity of Bishop Veno (who I commend to you most earnestly as a man of shrewd judgment and exacting diligence), who I doubt can afford to do so much longer, and advances against the wedding gift of Baronet Benne. I know I need not speak further in respect of that situation. I trust that all the foregoing is confirmed by your agent, who has unintentionally made her presence and surveillance known to me. I look forward to your prompt reply and the fraternal love and support of His Grace which I know will not be long withheld. Tirix hailum, Thalia Overmere
Intrigue on the Shell
After consulting with Reghyxesh, Beulah and Fanny discovered both that Thalia had made inquiries to the Beholder about Fanny's status and background; and that Decima Overmere had her men conducting business on the Shell in Thalia's livery. This fact is particularly interesting given the revelations about Thalia's age and exile: Decima, her half-sister through her father's third wife, would have been an infant when she was exiled from the palace. It is hard to imagine they are very close. After the Ambush at Commissioner's Hall, Fanny confronted Thalia about the hit, demanding answers and implying that she might be in danger herself. Getting nowhere past her civilized manners and studied frivolity, Fanny suggested to Peaseblossom that she enchant Thalia: "tell her to trust me!" The result was a much more emotional disclosure than anyone anticipated:
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