Ep 25: "One Master for Another"

During the attacks on the castle, the King had lead Seldanna to a private room guarded by Nocturne. As the newlyweds arrived, the Nocturne joined hands around them and they were teleported to a safe location. The space was large enough that she did not have to interact with the King much. He told her that he had only a few things to say about their marriage: she needed to dine with him a few nights each week, she had to be present for the necessary functions, and she was given Reynard Manor as her residence.

Two days after the wedding, Seldanna and the King emerged from their hidden location and she was able to begin settling in at Reynard Manor. She wasn’t able to relax for long though. She had to dine with the King that night and, as she was getting ready, her new handmaiden Juveha revealed that Lark had told her everything. Juveha knew that Seldanna was a part of the resistance.

At dinner, the King discussed affairs of state with her and told her to ask him for something. She asked him to make the Slums an official district in the city and start funding the Owen’s clinic there. She gave him Holly’s name rather than Owen’s, just in case. The King eventually agreed and asked her to name the new district. She suggested “The Dawn District”, and said it was to show the rebirth of a new era for the city. He was impressed with her idea and agreed, not knowing that those opposing him would see another meaning behind it.

By the next morning, the papers had been signed and Owen’s clinic received six wagons of supplies. They also received 200 scrolls for healing and got word that a new hospital was going to be built as the first official building of The Dawn District. Holly was ecstatic over the supplies and Owen was rendered speechless.

Meanwhile, Finkoo received a bearclaw pastry and verbal pat on the back from Tirah for his good work. After he responded with concern he might be dying since she was nice to him, she laughed and told him it was a reward for a job well done. Rosie and Nathan, having slept at the Brell Estate, awoke to find Tybalt moving in and Nathan confronted his Uncle Preston. They discussed the family business and Nathan told his uncle that he wanted to take it over instead of having his uncle give it to Tybalt. Preston was impressed and agreed to hand things over to Nathan and move back to Highwater. It was also decided that Rosie would move in with Nathan.

At the park, Cyl ran into Whatever and they discussed her current medical condition. He gave her another poem and told her it wasn’t finished but there might be more later:

That tiny pause to skirt the truth, half-reals you'd paraphrase,

The subtle softly spinning gyre of cunning in your gaze,

Vague reflections from your skin - a shedding, sheltering plaque,

All concerned syllables sent swiftly bouncing off your back.

Ever adrift on fiction's lost sea, never blown to shore,

Too late I saw your hidden thirst - too easy to ignore

Evasion and avoidance - thus was piloted your ship,

You'd dance around, not run aground - you gave us both the slip.

I failed your buried, rooted pain, I missed the blackened tracks,

All facts would step aside your rime of displaced parallax,

I slighted each secluded wound, the false-trod thoroughfare,

So ends a life of wary silence, cloaked mutely in despair.

Nathan went and spoke to Owen about his Pact tattoos. He revealed to Owen that he had received a new tattoo every year on the anniversary of his Pact and that they frightened and slightly repulsed him. Owen admitted that there was not much he could do to help and they headed to the Beer Forge.

Seldanna tried to sneak out of the Reynard Manor, but was followed by an excited Juveha who expressed interest in going to the Beer Forge meeting with Seldanna. In her panic at possibly being found out by the King, Seldanna cast “Suggestion” on Juveha and tried to get her to stay at the Manor. The spell failed and Juveha, very hurt by Seldanna’s action, went back into the house as a remorseful Seldanna made her way to the Beer Forge.

At the Beer Forge, the group met up and discovered that Ivy was back. As Seldanna walked in, Ivy noticed and called out “BY THE WIND! ALL HAIL THE QUEEN.” Seldanna was mortified as she had been trying to stay as incognito as possible. The group gathered at the usual table and some long overdue introductions occurred. Finkoo finally met Nathan and Cyl finally met Owen.

Nathan saw a shadow out of the corner of his eye several time and ran outside to chase it. It turned out to be a “Vessel” sent by his Patron. It scolded him for not appreciating the gifts of his Patron and took his magical energy for the day in punishment. The group discussed the situation and Seldanna revealed what had happened with Juveha. They decided to go to Pinbol’s library to do some reading and headed out to find a sewer grate with a prime number.

As they walked, a loud crashing noise came from down the road and they arrived to find a Nocturne fighting two people. Seldanna demanded it stop and used her full title to  make it listen. The group helped the people with healing and Finkoo mended their wagon. Their wagon had crashed and weapons they hidden fell out, triggering the Nocturne attack. He discovered that the wagon wheel had been sabotaged. With this revelation, the group searched the crowd and followed a suspicious figure.

The small figure turned out to be a green Grung, a small frog race from Lamina Island, named Swazi. He sabotaged the wagon to see what the Nocturne would do when it saw the weapons. He had not thought about the danger the people would be in. He said he was in town to dance and didn’t know much about the city. The group left after asking him not to endanger more people.

Seldanna arrived home to find the usually excited and friendly Juveha acting distant and professional. Unsure what to do, Seldanna simply acted as though nothing had happened and Juveha followed suit. Nathan and Rosie arrived home to find Preston preparing his things to leave. Nathan and his uncle shared a small moment as family and discussed Preston returning to Highwater the next day.