Other Updates But First, a Fic
Oct. 12th, 2023 11:15 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lydamorehouseMost of this will be under the cut. I haven't updated Ave's letters home in some time mostly because I've been trying to finish a novel, but enough had happened that I decided to write up a quick one this morning.
====
October 12
The Foolish Bachelor Inn & Tavern
City of Kavari
Ceyan Empire
Dear Dumb Brother:
Okay, so, yes, it’s been a few months since I remembered to drop you a note. Did that really necessitate coming all this way in order to give the concierge a sending stone so that he can be your SPY? Idyril, you scared the living shit out of this poor man. I don’t think you realize that not only are you giant for an Elf, but also genuinely intimidating when you’re in big brother mode. Also, why not just stay and say hello? I could have introduced you to Hana! Did you think you were being sneaky, you barbarian oaf of an Elf? Did it not occur to you that I might already be paying off the staff to spy on MY behalf? We have the same Mother, after all!
It is peculiar timing, however, because a lot of things have been happening that have been making me think of Mother and our family.
You remember how I wrote to you about Mother’s rival, Nevien, and how I ran into her in the Derlow Elven Enclave in the city? She has that one remaining son ,Theiven. I ran into him while participating in a drinking contest--don’t ask, because you don’t want to know--and we ended up doing the strangest little reenactment for his dead brother, Amorane, together.
Apparently, four hundred years ago, Amorane led an Elven army out of Derlow Forest on a mission of revenge. A Living Tree, Lord Umber Pine, had been destroyed by some wicked woman, Alatrina, perhaps? At any rate, Amorane had dreamed of storming the gates of the Lord’s Keep and reclaiming all that remained of Lord Umber Pine, a limb, which had been made into a staff of power by the horrible lady. Well, he fell in the field (probably thanks to one of his mother’s enemies) before he could complete his mission and has been haunting the area around the barn where the university’s cavalry like to practice. So, the dutiful younger brother was off to try to make things right, and so, of course, we all got involved. It nearly killed Agnes and Dax, but we managed to bundle up dear dead brother’s reanimated bones, find his standard (which still looks hauntingly like ours), and dig up his breastplate. We brought them all to the Lord’s Keep, which is now the admissions building at the university, and we reenacted the whole thing for him so he could finally be a Big Man on Campus. This broke his curse, and so on and so forth.
The whole curse thing got Rakke going and we ended up following his nose for investigation, trying to figure out whether or not the Living Tree staff still existed somewhere nearby. Turns out some yokel had it as a family heirloom. Our current job is with this old man, Beck. He’s from some kind of minority group whose people basically got subsumed way back when the Cyrian Empire was first formed. I can’t remember what they call themselves, but their local community puts on a delightful lunch spread! Such good food. I’d say I bonded with this Beck guy, but really I didn’t. I mostly harassed him for a while until I got bored, but the results were the same: he remembered me and called on us when he wanted a job done.
He’s apparently willing to just GIVE us this staff in exchange for some weapon that Rakke says is a powerful warlock thing. I thought we should’ve just called it a win the second the staff was in our possession. But the party thinks this is poor form or bad morals or who knows what to just walk off with the thing and not go through with the job, as promised. Honestly, I’m not sure of the wisdom of equipping this guy. It seems like a bad idea to me? But, I guess we’re going to go through with trying to get his weapon for him. I’ll let you know how that goes.
The party and I spent some time hanging out with Beck at the Bard Hall and that whole conversation had me thinking about the Bastard. Is the story you know about him the same as what I’ve heard? I don’t even think Mother ever says his actual name, but he was born before you by some hundreds of years, right? She’s never recognized him, though, because he’s actually Papa’s by-blow with a Human seamstress or something. Some faction or other wanted to install him when he turned some insanely young age, but I guess the age of majority for humans, and that’s when Mother disappeared him into the Fae Realm. At least that’s what I’ve gleaned over the years. Is that what you know?
This came up because there was a lot of talk about Warlocks and the Pact War, and I seem to recall the Bastard is from that time. I remember you thought he might have resurfaced again, but I’m sure Mother is the one putting those rumors out just to scare people. I think he’s been dead for centuries.
The only other exciting news is that Thyme gave me a familiar named Monocle. She's a little hedgehog that wears a top hat and a monocle and I adore her. She mostly lives in my pocket in order to keep her from danger, as she’s insanely squishy and could die if someone stepped on her too hard! Hana is getting an owl from Thyme! I’m both delighted and worried since owls eat mice and hedgehogs are poky, but basically rodents.
Also, Mateo is apparently the Prince of History, but I’m not sure I understand how that works. Maybe he’s just been in the history department so long that he’s basically a fixture. One or the other, no doubt. I still can’t believe he’s not a theater major. That boy missed his calling.
I think that’s everything. Stop scaring the help. I promise I’ll write more regularly. Say hello to Sierra.
Your perfectly capable on her own sister,
Ave
====
October 12
The Foolish Bachelor Inn & Tavern
City of Kavari
Ceyan Empire
Dear Dumb Brother:
Okay, so, yes, it’s been a few months since I remembered to drop you a note. Did that really necessitate coming all this way in order to give the concierge a sending stone so that he can be your SPY? Idyril, you scared the living shit out of this poor man. I don’t think you realize that not only are you giant for an Elf, but also genuinely intimidating when you’re in big brother mode. Also, why not just stay and say hello? I could have introduced you to Hana! Did you think you were being sneaky, you barbarian oaf of an Elf? Did it not occur to you that I might already be paying off the staff to spy on MY behalf? We have the same Mother, after all!
It is peculiar timing, however, because a lot of things have been happening that have been making me think of Mother and our family.
You remember how I wrote to you about Mother’s rival, Nevien, and how I ran into her in the Derlow Elven Enclave in the city? She has that one remaining son ,Theiven. I ran into him while participating in a drinking contest--don’t ask, because you don’t want to know--and we ended up doing the strangest little reenactment for his dead brother, Amorane, together.
Apparently, four hundred years ago, Amorane led an Elven army out of Derlow Forest on a mission of revenge. A Living Tree, Lord Umber Pine, had been destroyed by some wicked woman, Alatrina, perhaps? At any rate, Amorane had dreamed of storming the gates of the Lord’s Keep and reclaiming all that remained of Lord Umber Pine, a limb, which had been made into a staff of power by the horrible lady. Well, he fell in the field (probably thanks to one of his mother’s enemies) before he could complete his mission and has been haunting the area around the barn where the university’s cavalry like to practice. So, the dutiful younger brother was off to try to make things right, and so, of course, we all got involved. It nearly killed Agnes and Dax, but we managed to bundle up dear dead brother’s reanimated bones, find his standard (which still looks hauntingly like ours), and dig up his breastplate. We brought them all to the Lord’s Keep, which is now the admissions building at the university, and we reenacted the whole thing for him so he could finally be a Big Man on Campus. This broke his curse, and so on and so forth.
The whole curse thing got Rakke going and we ended up following his nose for investigation, trying to figure out whether or not the Living Tree staff still existed somewhere nearby. Turns out some yokel had it as a family heirloom. Our current job is with this old man, Beck. He’s from some kind of minority group whose people basically got subsumed way back when the Cyrian Empire was first formed. I can’t remember what they call themselves, but their local community puts on a delightful lunch spread! Such good food. I’d say I bonded with this Beck guy, but really I didn’t. I mostly harassed him for a while until I got bored, but the results were the same: he remembered me and called on us when he wanted a job done.
He’s apparently willing to just GIVE us this staff in exchange for some weapon that Rakke says is a powerful warlock thing. I thought we should’ve just called it a win the second the staff was in our possession. But the party thinks this is poor form or bad morals or who knows what to just walk off with the thing and not go through with the job, as promised. Honestly, I’m not sure of the wisdom of equipping this guy. It seems like a bad idea to me? But, I guess we’re going to go through with trying to get his weapon for him. I’ll let you know how that goes.
The party and I spent some time hanging out with Beck at the Bard Hall and that whole conversation had me thinking about the Bastard. Is the story you know about him the same as what I’ve heard? I don’t even think Mother ever says his actual name, but he was born before you by some hundreds of years, right? She’s never recognized him, though, because he’s actually Papa’s by-blow with a Human seamstress or something. Some faction or other wanted to install him when he turned some insanely young age, but I guess the age of majority for humans, and that’s when Mother disappeared him into the Fae Realm. At least that’s what I’ve gleaned over the years. Is that what you know?
This came up because there was a lot of talk about Warlocks and the Pact War, and I seem to recall the Bastard is from that time. I remember you thought he might have resurfaced again, but I’m sure Mother is the one putting those rumors out just to scare people. I think he’s been dead for centuries.
The only other exciting news is that Thyme gave me a familiar named Monocle. She's a little hedgehog that wears a top hat and a monocle and I adore her. She mostly lives in my pocket in order to keep her from danger, as she’s insanely squishy and could die if someone stepped on her too hard! Hana is getting an owl from Thyme! I’m both delighted and worried since owls eat mice and hedgehogs are poky, but basically rodents.
Also, Mateo is apparently the Prince of History, but I’m not sure I understand how that works. Maybe he’s just been in the history department so long that he’s basically a fixture. One or the other, no doubt. I still can’t believe he’s not a theater major. That boy missed his calling.
I think that’s everything. Stop scaring the help. I promise I’ll write more regularly. Say hello to Sierra.
Your perfectly capable on her own sister,
Ave