• Solo • Dinner at the Knight’s Rest

[Doran]

After A Lecture on the Barriers.

Saun 3, Arc 724

When Doran had first arrived on Scalvoris, he had lived in one of the Knight Rest’s suites for a while. Even now that he had a house of his own on the island, he still returned to the Knight’s Rest on a regular basis. He loved the food, but more than that, he enjoyed the atmosphere. Whit, the proprietor, and his daughter Zana always made him feel welcome. He had so many good memories of the tavern, and he had had dinner with so many interesting people there. Once, he had even shared a table with Xiur and his son.

This time, he would be meeting with an old friend, Tag Fridson, that he had first met around the time of the Forging. He wanted to apologize to him for being gone for so long and update him on his research – and invite him on a future research trip that he was just planning.

He had reserved a secluded table so that they would be able to talk in peace.

He was just taking a sip from his glass of Gyara, an expensive red wine that came all the way from Rharne, when he saw him walk through the door. Tag Fridson looked just like he remembered him, a human male in his thirties, with deep black hair and lively brown eyes and not unattractive by human stands. Unlike Doran who quite enjoyed a bit of luxury every once in a while – a leftover from his Sesser trials – he wore a very plain grey suit.

Doran was about to raise a hand in order to get the human’s attention, but Tag Fridson had already spotted him and was making his way over to his table. A moment later, he was standing there and grinning. “It seems as if you were here first this time”, he remarked. “The last time we had dinner at the Knight’s Rest we were both fifteen bits too early because we were so worried about being late. So, you went back behind the Barriers, huh?” he asked and took a seat when Doran gestured for him to do so.

“Thank you for inviting me, by the way”, he added.

“Did you find out anything new? Did you get any new ideas while you were gone, if you don’t mind me asking?” he wanted to know and looked at Doran, his curiosity more than obvious.

[Doran]

“The Shay. The survived the Shattering in a way, after all”, Doran replied. “They became Cadouri, right?” he asked, and when Tag nodded, he continued, “Since Faith Augustin did her groundbreaking research, we know that blood contains different components. Not all blood is the same. My scientific research further proves that. I have found a way to replicate racial abilities as well as mortalborn abilities with blood magic.”

“It’s all in the blood. Blood holds secrets”, he said and paused when Zana walked over to their table and handed them the menu. Tag Fridson ordered a glass of Ashan’s Twilight, a white wine with a relatively low alcohol content, the same kind of wine as always.

“We used to wonder why there were no bones, but only cave well drawings on Immortal’s Tongue and why the people of Pyk left no bodies behind”, Professor Fridson remembered and stroke his chin thoughtfully. “Do you think that’s the answer then? That we couldn’t find any bones because the Shay didn’t die during the Shattering?”

“Perhaps”, Doran replied and inclined his head. “But that’s not what I meant. In my opinion, we might be able to discover something about the Shay by examining Cadouri blood. We might even be able to learn something new about the Shattering, something that might help me bring her back”, he said, hoping that Tag knew what he meant.

Fei.

He wanted to bring Fei back, for her children and for her grandson Enri.

“By comparing the blood of different Cadouri, I might be able to isolate the little bit of them that is still Shay”, he revealed and took a sip from his wine while he waited for Tag to react to what he had said. The mortal looked thoughtful, he noticed, and surprised.

“Do you want to bring them back as well?” Tag finally asked, his eyes wide. “The Shay, I mean?”

He didn’t tell Doran that it would be impossible to bring the Shay, or the Originals back. In his opinion, Doran was one of the few people in the world, apart from the late Faith Augustin and her husband, who might be able to do it. He just needed to figure out how to do it.

“No”, Doran said and shook his head. “The Cadouri are Saoire’s children. She did what she did for a reason. I wouldn’t try to bring the Shay, or at least a Shay, back unless she asked me to. I wouldn’t do something that might have such far-reaching consequences without the permission of the people that would be most affected by it. I asked Xiur if he wanted me to try and bring Fei back”, he pointed out. He wanted to unite a man with his mother, but he didn’t want to elevate himself above all other mortals and literally play god.

He didn’t have such aspirations anymore.

“Do you already know what you want to eat?” he asked, changing the topic. He had noticed that Zana had been looking their way. Without a doubt, she would take their orders soon.

[Doran]

“I’ll take the House Speciality”, Doran told Zana.

“The same for me, please”, Tag said.

When the waitress left their table in order to tell the cook what the two men had ordered, Tag turned to look at Doran again, the expression on his face thoughtful. “I mentioned the Shrine of Fei when we briefly talked after your lecture this morning”, he murmured and paused slightly as if he were gathering his thoughts. “When we last sat together like this, we believed that the Shay were gone. Perhaps, we should go there together and examine the Shrine of Fei and the drawings again with that new information in mind”, he suggested.

“We might discover something new”, he added.

Doran’s eyes widened slightly for a moment before he smiled. “That was the research trip I wanted to invite you on. I wanted to ask you if you would like to visit Immortal’s Tongue with me and take a look at the ruins again now that we know the truth of the Shay’s fate”, he admitted. Tag Fridson’s mind was an astonishing thing, he thought. He had rarely met someone who was his intellectual equal and who had similar ideas, with the exception of Beira and Llyr. He had loved both of them, at different times, and both of them were long gone. Sometimes, he wondered if he could love his young colleague the way he had loved them, but he valued their friendship too much to risk it.

Besides, they had only just reconnected.

“Pyk, the city of the Shay, the city that stood where Fei’s fracture is now, was the first democracy”, he continued. “It was bursting with knowledge. The Shay valued science above everything else, apart from Fei who they worshipped. Do you sometimes think about what kind of wonders we could uncover there?” he wanted to know.

“I do”, Tag admitted. “Even though nobody has ever led a successful expedition to Pyk, and even though the fracture is a grave. I wonder if Fei herself would have wanted people to study Pyk”, he said. “Maybe we’ll find out one trial”, he added and grinned.

“Cassion himself told me about a rumor once, that Parthea Vermillion, one of the Pirate Lords, led a successful expedition to Pyk”, Doran disagreed. He didn’t think it would be right to explore Fei’s fracture, at least not without her permission or the permission of her children, but that didn’t keep him from wondering about past efforts to do so.

Come to think of it, would the fracture still be there if he managed to resurrect her?

“Once upon a time, I would have been surprised by the company you keep”, Tag admitted and laughed. “But I think I’ve gotten used to you associating with the Immortals. Our food’s coming, by the way”, he observed. “Maybe you can tell me if you want to add ‘tracking down a Pirate Lord and asking them about Pyk’ to your list of research goals while we eat?”



“That’s not one of my immediate goals”, Doran said and shook his head slightly. “But it might be worth considering if I have trouble reaching my other goals. I’d like study the Shrine of Fei and the Cadouri first. Are you interested in coming to Immortal’s Tongue with me, by the way?” he asked. Professor Fridson hadn’t really said yes or no yet.

“Would I have suggested it if I weren’t?” Doran retorted.

“Thank you”, he said to Zana when she brought them their food and took a bite, enjoying how soft and juicy the fish was. “This is delicious”, he remarked before he raised his glass in a toast. “To our future research and all our discoveries!” he told Doran.

"To our future research”, Doran agreed and raised his glass as well.

[Doran]

Rewards Requested

Notes/Warnings: This is part of Doran's Tier 2 Investigation and Research plot Rise and Rebirth. Professor Fridson is a University NPC.

Thread: Dinner at the Knight’s Rest
City/Area: Scalvoris Town

Renown: -
Do you want this to be considered for Mark Progression? (Y / N) Y
If so - which mark. Xypha
Peer Reviewers: Please give feedback as to whether you feel this is appropriate for Mark Progression.
Once feedback is received, player should then post in the PSF.
If any PC in this thread is in a faction, please list them:
Faction Points: -
Wealth Points: -
- If you are claiming Wealth Points, please link to your Wealth Thread for this season, as Wealth Points can not be awarded before this is completed:
Collaboration: No
Local Language Thread? No

!	Message from: Pig Boy
	Done!

[Pig Boy]

Doran

Feedback

Oh darn, there goes my theory that the mer were actually the shay.

That said, this was a good scene. The information shared, and the fact that the shay left no bones or bodies behind, nor even fossils, is a good clue that most of them may have either become cadouri or gone elsehwere.

I wonder if there are any lingering shay in their original forms?

Anyway, good job.

P.S. I didn't award xp because I believe as part of a tier 2 advancement thing, you're to submit the entire plot later on for tier 2 xp. Let me know if this is not right. I haven't graded many Tier 2 advancements.

Rewards

• Renown: 5

Knowledges

• Research T2: Updating your research goals in light of new information