All in a Day's Work
General Summary
"... so when I saw jars of honey on the shelves at your general store, I was truly elated! Your people lost so much knowledge during the Queen's Rebuke, but at least you still have that. It really gave me hope for your people; if you can bring civilization to little wild bugs, then surely you can rebuild your own." Caerethyanna muses while sweeping up gremiska bits and the debris of torn-up crates. Kamose and Toki have been doing the same these last two days, toiling away amid dung and blood. Caerethyanna's conversations are saturated with similar statements about the assumed barbarity of the outside world. They were irksome at first but the more time spent with her the clearer it becomes; this is her first time leaving home on her own. She's only 30 years old, a flicker of time in an elf's life, and aside from her summer trips with her father Caerthyion she's never left Melanthris. The magician's ugly little observations are meant as genuine kindnesses, not the barbs they are to those who know better. In fact, it seems that the narrow-mindedness of her father is one of the rifts that led to her estrangement with him. Caerethyanna's utter distaste for awkward silence of any kind is what provides them with these awkward insights into her soul.
They're not the only ones aiding with the restoration of Caerthyanna's tower; Jellibye and Soryna are sharing in the problematic conversation and the copious amounts of tea their elf host offers. The blends from the shores of Melanthris and the coasts of Lake Lunarch all have floral notes like jasmine or lavender, rather alien to pallets like Kamose's. Baradrad's teas are far less demur with their aromas of mint, cardamom, and ginger. She also offers up the chocolate-infused flavors that still hold some popularity in her homeland despite the taboo nature of "candy tea" in the rest of Tairos. Soryna seems visibly uncomfortable while Caerythanna rambles on about the fae beverage and its history. For your host, her tea of choice seems to be Twilight, a blend with herbs that many elves find soothing and mellowing, but she warns about how it would be far too strong for humans.
While her quirks, social missteps, and unhealthy ideas about people outside of Melanthris are on full display each day, it's also clear that she greatly appreciates the help and the company. From offering exceptional elven wines to preparing fine meals from her kitchen, she honors every moment of her visitors' time. For Toki, she reminds him of a small handful of Locklanders he's met while crossing the continent. The few that escape Lockland's grasp at an early enough age find the world to be very different from the one they were told about in their textbooks, and they spend a lifetime trying to purge their minds of it. Such change is difficult and fraught with slip-ups, much like the kind he has witnessed from Caerethyanna during their work inside her tower these past days.
Her kindness takes shape in more than just food or idle chatter. She opens her father's books to them as well and happily translates the elven language within. For Jellibye that means looking for information on passages through the woods of Carda and to where her ancestoral estate should be. Toki and Kamose are given access to anything her father knew about Zelligar and Rogahn's secret hideout. Soryna seems interested in the history of the region but keeps her questions rather general.
After a few days of simple (though deeply unpleasant thanks to the gremishkas) work, Caerethyanna's tower is livable again. Also, her magical shop is fully stocked and ready for whatever business should come its way. She spends a lot of time fidgeting with the placement of this trinket or that, fawning over the calligraphy of little placards, and polishing every item to peak luster. Her helpers have what they need as well, information from Caerthyion's old notes, as well as a 10% discount off their first purchase and a little gift bag.
Rewards Granted
One random common magic item (the gift bag)
The information they needed about Zelligar and Roghan's hideout: Caerethyion dealt with the two adventurers somewhat frequently. Both of them were very guarded with their base's location though, never inviting the elf there directly. Caerethyion assumed it was born of Zelligar's paranoia. Liesel Zelligar seemed to be rather irksome to the elf. Caerthyion found them to be the sort of bombastic and reckless wizard that in his opinion typified human spellcasters. He met with them several times in a grove northwest of where the Prospect is today, to conduct business. Caerthyion assumed that their headquarters must be near to that location. He also noted a human family with a small cottage on that side of the lake nearby that the two adventurers would surely have dealt with as well. Additionally, his notes say that he didn't interact with Bollighurst Rogahn often, that the dwarven thief always seemed to be observant, quiet, and more interested in getting a job over with than any kind of pleasantries. His notes do mention that Zelliger was something of a show-off, always trying to appear on the same level as Caerethyion. In their last conversation, he notes that Zelligar was boasting about a monster menagerie they were building, full of prized specimens and powerful oddities. Additionally, the pair would often boast about the high security of their compound and how the magical door they hid it behind could only be opened when both of their keys were present.
Character(s) interacted with
Caerethyanna
Jellibye
Soryna
Report Date
14 Nov 2024
Primary Location
Related Characters
Comments