The First Imperial Summit

[Vivian Shiryu]

Vivian watched the delegates that had arrived after her, and they were an odd bunch all told. Scalvoris had evidently sent two delegates, and their second was a man accompanied by a whole pack of wolves. This was followed up by the Desnind delegate. She hadn't heard much about Desnind in arcs, frankly, and what she'd heard had painted them as nice enough but not actually useful for much. That was likely either a lack of knowledge or sheer arrogance towards a different people. She'd have to ponder that. Next was Nashaki, which appeared to have sent a slave? Odd choice, and his choice of approaching Scalvoris was even odder, since Scalvoris had outlawed slavery quite a few Arcs ago. In general though, the Scalvonite woman appeared to have quite a few followers. She was certainly charming enough to warrant it, Vivian supposed.

The next delegate was the King of Quacia, which was certainly a surprise. She'd heard something about a civil war down there, but there hadn't been much contact with Quacia lately, so it was likely her information was out of date. He also brought a guildmaster with him, and she guessed from the specific guildmaster he brought that Quacia was having some trouble feeding itself. Next was a Ne'haerian delegate. She'd heard of them as one of the few really notable powers left on the Western continent, alongside Etzos. Rhakros had been destroyed and Sirothelle was mostly forgotten with Faldrun dead. Melrath was considered too insular and the Lotharren horde appeared unable to focus itself on any one goal. She was not surprised to see that Ne'haer had sent someone.

She was however, not the focus of any of these folks and she was actually slightly relieved when she was instead approached by the Imperial Marshal overseeing the whole thing. She supposed that Gaelan was also the primary Imperial Delegate, now that she thought of it. She grinned slightly as his comment about being glad to meet another soldier. "I feel much the same, Marshal Regis. I'm glad I'm not the only one here that would feel feel more comfortable if all this discussion were happening during a sparring match at least." she said, before grimacing slightly. "Though that would likely be unfair for the Quacian King and dangerous for the Sirothelle representative." she said, and if Gaelen were paying attention to her tone of voice, he'd notice that there wasn't any rancor or hostility to her voice when she talked about Sam.

"However, as to business, I would be more than happy to have such a discussion. I'll admit, the defense agreement has been a source of relief to many of the knights. We have never particularly enjoyed the thought of going to war with the Empire." she said, smiling slightly. "It was rather a treat travelling through the empire on the way here, though. I've never gotten a chance to see the Imperial Army up close and it was interesting to see your soldiers in person. It was very impressive." she said, her tone sincere. The Imperials trained their soldiers as well as the Knights did, and there were a lot more of the former. She had anticipated that a fight between Rharne and the Empire would be a quality vs quantity affair, but it appeared the Empress was disinclined to settle for one or the other when she could have both.

"I am curious as to what broader security assurances you have in mind, however, Marshal." she said, her tone calm. "I have ideas to as to furthering co-operation, though I'll admit they're largely military minded." she said, before giving a bit of a shrug. "Knowing what we know of the Empire, it seemed an obvious choice to send a soldier to this summit, but I'll admit I'm not much of a politician." she said. She knew that admitting that could be a mistake, but it was going to become apparent regardless to more trained politicians. For now, she waited to see how the Marshal responded to her curiosity.

Caelan gave a slightly wry smile, an expression that Vivian always thought looked a little odd on Ithecal, and shrugged. "Give me a moment to think on it. To be honest, while I've some political experience, it's a new thing to be treating so openly with other nations. In truth, things have been so quiet here lately, I'm still thinking on what we could ask from our allies in terms of military ability. There's been strange activity in the Forest of Corpses lately, but I don't know that there's a lot of people who have experience fighting malicious plantlife." he said, shrugging slightly.

Vivian tilted her head at that. "I've heard of the Forest of Corpses, but only by rumor. You could try using explosives against it, we used them to collapse the flameborn tunnels during the siege a few arcs back. Given what I've heard about that place, however, I'm not sure how viable it would be." she said, before frowning slightly. "There is the Creep, however. I believe it was an Etzori monster, but it was apparently a living plant." she said, before nodding to herself. "Maybe...one idea I had for strengthening military ties between our nations was a sort of training exchange, having Imperial soldiers and Lightning Knights train with each other. If the Forest of Corpses has been exclusively fighting the Imperial Army for so long, it may have over-adapted to your fighting and war style. Having soldiers that are cross-trained with Rharnian techniques may catch it off guard, since it has had no contact with us." she said, her tone calm.[/knowledge]

[Zana]

91st Zi'da, 722

If there was one good thing that she could say about her travelling companion, the Council Member for Natural Affairs, it was that he knew how to make an entrance. The hobo and his seven scruffy pups wandered in and - as all people did - he made her look good just by virtue of being there. After all, she considered, anyone would look good compared to him, but he served to really lower the average. From Imperial Summit to petting zoo in just a few trills, she considered and she smiled brightly.

The only thing that he was worse at than politics, Zana considered, was personal hygiene. She enjoyed Scalvoris and she appreciated the opportunities she had there, but the fact that Kura had thought it sensible or acceptable to let Dog-Boy come along was frankly insulting. She, alone, dealt with foreign affairs and all that Nir'wei was going to do was to leave a stain on the floor.

One hand lifted and she curled a perfect ringlet of hair around it, then she moved on. Other names were called, a whole delegation from Rharne, someone from Sirothelle - that was interesting - others. Zana was approached by a most obsequious man. Zana was dreadfully vain and she did enjoy the chance to be flattered. However, this was very obviously a man who flattered everyone and therefore, she recognised that he wasn't flattering her at all ~ he was treating her just the same as he did everyone else.

Which, frankly, was not only rude, it was simply not good enough.

"How kind of you," Zana said to his simpering and she smiled at him. "You have me at a disadvantage, sir. I did not hear you being announced, and thus do not know your name," which, frankly, was something of an oversight on his part, no matter where he hailed from . She glanced around when he spoke of 'these Imperials' and their hospitality, and she gave a soft smile as she saw others had joined in to their conversation. . "That's an interesting question, you know," she said, meeting his gaze. "I was just wondering myself how this summit would differ were it held in Quacia or Desnind or Rharne or Nashaki or in any number of other places." Gesturing around, at the others who were listening in , she gave a delicate shrug. "I think they are being entirely hospitable. Tell me, how would it differ were it being held where you hail from?" She asked them all - each one of those who had peeled off to listen.

Once those who would do so had answered, She smiled, though, letting him know that it was just fine that he had not and she picked up on his earlier point. "You spoke of Scalvoris and the Towers having some relationship? I would be most interested to hear more of that. We are such a small little backwater," she said softly. "I'm surprised you've heard of us. Perhaps we should discuss what you know of us, and I can confirm the accuracy or clear up any inaccuracies?" It would not do, she considered, for her to give away any information needlessly. But this would allow her to gauge what he was genuinely interested in. .

"Well, of course, we've heard of your marvellous sand and the glassworks from it," Orange said and Zana nodded. "We'd love to show you," she said with a smile. "And would be delighted to learn, in return, anything you have to teach" She gave a gentle smile as she considered that there was not likely to be anything that they could teach her, but the glassmakers might enjoy a chat. "It would be entirely appropriate, I think, to suggest an exchange visit of some kind?"

Which led her nicely to her next point. Of those she'd managed to capture the attention of, Zana was most interested and so she was entirely charming. "We are very much open to discussions, negotiations and trade on Scalvoris. Having recently taken the role of Foreign Affairs, I have plans to visit each of your locations. Perhaps we could arrange some reciprocal mutual exchange visits while we're here? I'd love to develop close, personal relationships to the betterment of all."

Zana knew how to make herself desirable, and not just in a sexual manner. So, she kept up the charmHarem: Zana has a long history of tempting people to do things she wants them to. She does this by making herself desirable and fostering in others a desire to please her. With this capstone, she has developed the ability to create a sense of loyalty to her which is disproportionate to her actions. A smile from her and a word of praise is enough to motivate someone who is under the influence of this capstone and make them ever-more keen to please her. - NPCs will be more likely to fawn over her. Each season where she uses it IRP she gains another 3 "loyal followers". These are flavour NPCs with the usual restrictions but they are completely loyal to Zana and will chase after her like a teen with a crush. If she notices them in any way other than their usefulness to fetch her things, I'll submit them to the PSF, of course. Equally, if they are going to do more than just be devoted (like they might be actually useful in some meaningful way) I'll do the same. which she had displayed previously and made sure to appeal to each of them, the very best she could

She wanted to make sure that she left here with mutually agreed and reciprocated visits to Rharne, to Desnind, to Ne'haer, Quacia and - of course - to Nashaki. It was quite the lifestyle, she considered and she absolutely loved it.

After a while, she was approached by a man, dressed like a priest and looking like an aukari, if the red hair was to be believed. He gave a slight bow and she returned the gesture, ever polite. Then, he spoke and another with him translated his words. Zana listened and she watched. She listened to the translator, but she watched the man who was speaking to her. Nodding her head, she gave a smile to Sam and she replied to him, confident that his translator would indeed do their job. "Samardyn Rasvima, it is my pleasure," she held out a hand to shake, her hand small and cool, should he choose to take it. "It would be my pleasure to discuss this with you, my absolute pleasure." Ice blue eyes regarded him and then she continued. "One moment, please let me finish up an arrangement here," and she indeed completed and finalised the arrangements Pigs, I leave it to you how many she can snaffle she was making.

Then, she bade farewell to those who she had been speaking to and she turned her full attention to Sam. Gesturing to an area where they could get themselves a drink and maybe partake of a small snack, she spoke to him - again, specifically to him, not the translator. "Now then, Sam. I'm intrigued to hear your thoughts. How do you see our future?".

Ice blue eyes watched, attentively.

Wickedness lies in your moistened lips
Your body moves just like the crack of a whip

OOC

I figured that, since the other delegates were listening (and from places like Ne'haer and Desnind who are not going to react well to the "hey ho, slave-ho!" stuff, Orange Possum-Blossom isn't going to show his cards just yet re: slavery. She's trying to keep him - and the other delegates - sweet

[Nir'wei]

Many of the announced guests were strangers to him, identifiable only by their country of origin; the thought of the Etzori attending surprised him only because he'd expected them to arrive with half an army at the back of every delegate, but then seeing the squad of soldiers at their heels, and one of them with sunken black eyes embedded on the backs of his hands, it made sense that instead they'd insult their hosts even further by bringing a contingency of mages instead. A Sirothille representative genuinely shocked him. It was impossible to stop himself from peering across the room, just to make sure that their... what had they even been called, Ashfather?... was actually an Aukari, too. "This makes things a little more complicated, doesn't it." Greyhide made a wordless growl of agreement. "Castile watches the Aukari. Let me know if he gets close or starts watching for an opening." One wolf of his seven kept a lingering gaze from a distance on the Sirothille representative. "Kin, make sure our Foreign Councillor doesn't sneak up on me, thank you." Thank goodness for having many eyes and ears. Not that he expected anything, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Not long after they'd all arrived, it felt as though different clusters of conversations formed. Etzoris, Desnind, former nobles of Rynmere and Quacian Kings all bundled together in their own little conversation groups, and Nir'wei was happy to hang back and stick to the edges of their gatherings when he saw that Zana had found some other party to busy herself with... until, surprisingly, someone approached him. At first he couldn't quite put a name to the face, though it certainly seemed familiar - but then, he nodded to Karesh in greeting, as well as himself. Did he know? "I'm... I'm sorry, our?" he asked in a soft voice in reply while the reality of the situation slowly clicked into place. "You're... oh." The Ne'haer Councillor for Natural Affairs, or something equivalent to it - he'd been called out earlier, though he'd naturally assumed that the man would find more interesting companions for the evening than him. It seemed he'd made a very poor judgement of character, though. "Likewise. It was one of the few things that had me really looking forward to this event, if I might be honest." It was, in fact, practically the only reason he'd inserted himself into the Summit at all, considering they were already represented by Zana.

The longer he stood, the wider his hidden little smile grew. Not just a fellow Wolfwalker, but one in the same situation as himself? In Ne'haer? "You know. I'd really like that. I've always been interested in Ne'haer, personally. Heard so much about it, the beauty, the order and the respect, I... I'd love to go in person, actually. Yeah, you know what, I think that's a brilliant idea." He actually laughed at the thought, his genuine smile too bright to hide and the rest of the room quite soundly forgotten. "Should Ne'haer look to improve its relationship with Scalvoris, commit to exchanges of information, trade, I think you'd find Scalvoris eager to accept you with open arms, my new friend." He waved dismissively at the sight of Zana and her new companions, chuckling softly. "She can handle herself around sycophants quite well, I assure you." She carried herself as though everyone should treat her like that, so in his mind, she should hardly be offended by such attentions. "I'll find a moment to introduce you when she's free, happily. For now... frankly, I have a strong dislike for these odd formal gatherings, you know." Normally he wouldn't dare be so brazen, but he was a Wolfwalker too, right? He must have understood on some level, perhaps even felt the same way himself. "Too stuffy and uptight. Our business requires somewhere a little more quiet, where we can talk freely." With that, he started to slowly break away, towards the edges of the hall, guiding Thalin along with him using a friendly hand on the shoulder.

"Tell me of what Scalvoris can do for you... and how many other of ours do you know of? In Ne'haer, or perhaps in service to those of our fellow delegates?" Knowing that they were present in both Ne'haer and Scalvoris, he could only wonder. Were Wolfwalkers to be found in the agricultural ministries of Quacia and the Rynmere, too?

[Tristan Venora]

The Imperial Palace was filled with a subtle hum, Tristan noticed. The very stones that he was surrounded by exuded a feeling of discipline and order. He could feel Raskalarn’s presence even though he couldn’t see her. He took a few moments to examine that feeling, that divine presence that was quite different from the Immortals that he had met so far before he focused on the people around him once more. He wanted to see how they acted before he decided who to approach. He still didn’t know who he should talk to first.

The Etzori seemed to have a problem with their weapons – they had far too many of them – and besides, he wasn’t sure if they’d even listen to him, a man that had been marked by three Immortals. They were not the scariest people he had ever met, but they definitely looked unpleasant. With that thought in mind, he turned to the delegation from Scalvoris, just as his grandmother who had tried to gather a bit of intelligence leaned closer to him.

“Didn’t you live on Scalvoris for a while and go to university there?” Ebony Venora whispered while trying to project a calm and friendly appearance to anybody who might be watching. “Faith Augustin did a lot of charity work on the island, if I remember correctly. I’m not sure how rich Scalvoris is, but considering their past actions, its government will likely at least consider the plight of the people of Rynmere”, she continued before she turned away from Tristan again in order to continue to listen.

Tristan inclined his head in agreement and watched Zana Delroth for a while. She looked friendly and charming. She was a bright and social butterfly. There was something about her that reminded him of Valeria Burhan, but she was more, a bright light in an ocean of dark and dull people. Tristan had been with a few women, an actual Immortal among them, but he simply found himself unable to resist her charm. She was adorable.

And what more, she was being approached by a very strange looking man in silk, with shackles on his feet and his hands. The man made Tristan whose stance on slavery had changed considerably over the arcs uncomfortable to say the least, especially since he called himself a worm and referred to himself in third person. He didn’t let his discomfort show though, but remained calm, friendly and professional as one should be in such a situation as he wondered if he should approach Zana regardless of all the attention she was getting or wait for someone else.

And then the fanfares could be heard, and the King of Quacia and his entourage entered the Foyer. Both Tristan and his grandmother immediately turned around and inclined their heads respectfully as was appropriate when one was in the company of royalty.

While Orange Possum had made Tristan uncomfortable, the King of Quacia didn’t have such an effect on him, in spite of his physical differences. He could deal with those quite easily. When the king’s eyes fell on his grandmother and him, Tristan bowed again while Ebony curtsied before they waited for Mayorn to walk over to them and talk to them.

“Please tell His Royal Highness that we would be honored to speak with him”, Tristan replied and briefly looked at his grandmother who inclined her head in agreement.

“I will”, Malyorn replied before he remarked, “I’ve heard that you are a skilled gardener, Duke Venora. Would you be inclined to tell me more? I have some interest in the matter myself”, he admitted, and Tristan who found the man kind was happy to oblige.

“I have some experience making plants grow faster and making them grow outside their natural environment. In Melrath, I was even able to use what I learned as a gardener to save a Tunawa’s life”, he admitted and shared the details of what had happened before he mused, “I wonder if some of it could be applied to agriculture.”

Malyorn’s eyes lit up when he heard that, and an animated conversation about gardening and agriculture ensued. Tristan realized that the Guildmaster was an avid gardener himself!

Eventually the conversation shifted though, and Malyorn voiced an interest in the Eastern Settlements and the duchies there, one of which Tristan had ruled once upon a time. The young man didn’t hesitate to answer, as he didn’t have anything to hide and possibly a lot to gain, especially considering the way the king of Quacia had been introduced.

“Initially, the Eastern Duchies fared better, especially during the plague”, he began and looked at his grandmother who had been listening quietly and attentively so far, as she knew more in that regard.

“From family members and acquaintances that escaped at a later date we heard strange rumours about what happened in Rynmere though”, the Duchess told Malyorn in a calm tone of voice. “People are acting strangely, and there seems to be a dragon at large. The island that I lived on once upon a time has changed considerably.”

“There are no such rumours regarding the Eastern Duchies, but they have collapsed without support from Rynmere. As far as I know, my grandson and I are currently the highest-ranking members of Rynmere’s government that are still alive, free and well”, she continued before she fell silent and let Tristan speak once more.

“It seems as if both of our nations have a similar problem”, Tristan told Malyorn in a serious tone of voice. “Perhaps we could work together, provided that His Royal Highness agrees …”

[Pig Boy]

The First Imperial Summit
91st of Zi'Da

The servant of Àbo seemed amenable to Kasoria's questions, and was more than happy to impart what he knew of Lisirra's history in Desnind. "Ah yes, there was an unpleasantness, necessary mind, but regretable that it was so. The Cazav are an order of fanatics dedicated to Lisirra and her warped experiments. They haven't been heard of in recent arcs, and now with Rhakros in ruins, I suppose there's no power base for them anywhere." The servant looked from Kasoria, showing obvious discomfort at the sight of his mutations but not otherwise commenting on them.

As Kasoria spoke to them, Àbo looked very bored listening to Fagan, who appeared to be rehearsing the account of the war with Rhakros and Etzos, as if he'd studied it only out of a textbook. As if it hadn't occurred just three short arcs ago. Fagan would've been not even an adult then, possibly too sheltered to be pressed into service with the army. It was entirely possible he didn't even know the conflict in anything other than a dusty record of events. Or through some lectures at University at the Citadel.

Àbo looked from Fagan then to Kasoria, who he seemed to notice now, all of a sudden. He maintained an uneasy dialogue with Fagan, but shortly after excused himself, seeing that there was little to be gained in discussion with the young delegate.

The servant however continued to speak to Kasoria, "Yes, and of course there are tales of long ago, how Syroa once pretended to be Moseke, and started the quarrel between Lisirra and her. However, when Lisirra discovered Syroa's deception, far from despising her for it, she was impressed. The two became fast friends. I suppose the world is fortunate for their removal from it, Syroa and Lisirra alike, although... I've heard rumblings in Rharne, that there are sects of Syroa worshippers gathering strength there. Your party came from that direction, didn't they?"

Having said all of this, the servant moved to follow their master, excusing themselves politely from Kasoria's compoany.

As they wandered off, Kasoria would feel a tickle at the back of his throat. Like the onset of a cold. On the back of his nail, he saw the fly's sludgy ichor it'd left as he flicked it away.

Sam, meanwhile, was chatting up the soldier currently, who gave him a very odd look as he confessed to think the Immortal whose robes and symbols he wore, was a 'bit of a prick'. As they walked toward the growing following surrounding Zana and Orange Possum, the soldier couldn't help but ask, "You call your Immortal a prick, but wear his symbols and sigils proudly. I don't know whether to be relieved that you do not see eye to eye with your god, or horrified at your disloyalty. You're a strange one, Sam Rasvima."

But then, they engaged with the two other delegates, and the soldier deferred to the Vauni translation services he was providing to the lapsed priest.

Orange Possum listened to Zana speak, and nodded his head at the appropriate parts, and then when she admitted he had her at a disadvantage, he bowed deeply, groveling, "Oh pardons! I am known as Orange Possum. I represent the Tower of Flesh in Nashaki, and am here to lobby on their behalf."

When Zana said she was surprised he'd heard of their home of Scalvoris, which she described as a 'backwater', he shook his head. "Oh no, news travels far and wide, and you do have a fair few famous residents in Scalvoris, don't you? Little birds tend to sing much louder around such personages." He grinned at her, without showing his teeth. "As to an exchange, something of that nature would be greatly beneficial to both of us, I'm sure."

"And if I may say so, and be so bold, I would also like to exchange a meeting of the minds between our Trade Academy and your own University. But now..." Sam approached, and it seemed Orange Possum had outlasted his welcome. "I leave you with that, an exchange of visits, reciprocal as you wish."

Through her 'Harem' of followers, Zana in turn was able to garner exchanges with several other areas, Rharne and Desnind were a simple matter of confirming the arrangements they already had ongoing, but were amenable to expanding those arrangements if need be. Ne'haer also seemed receptive, but it appeared she'd need to put her efforts more directly toward an arrangement with Quacia, as that must go to the king himself since he was presently representing his own nation's interests.

The Imperial Marshal chuckled lightly at Vivian's quip about the king's unsuitability for brawling, and for the SIrothelle supplicant's vulnerability toward low-blows, given the antipathy between Rharne and that nation. When Vivian asked about security assurances, the Marshal spoke to it, "We wanted to reassure Rharne that we have no intent to to hem your nation in or step on your toes as it were." He took a breath, and continued in a much lower voice, "As such, we thought that any troop movement that occurs along our borders should maintain full disclosure of any such movement. We have important concerns in the territory directly north of Rharne, which is as yet unclaimed."

"And perhaps, since you seem very impressed with our armies, we could arrange for joint training programs and broader cooperation in our regions." The Marshal smiled, "We have heard that Rharne has a greaet many interesting animals within their borders, we have heard the rumors of Jacadons, as well..." The Marshal cast a glance toward the Duke of Rynmere, then back again at Vivian. "If we could secure a breeding pair to tame or among our allies even if that courtesy was extended, it would be most beneficial. Unfortunately, there's precious little we understand of the creatures, in the Empire."

As Nir'wei conversed with Thalin, and his wolves set out to keep an eye on who he bid them to, another wolf entered their midst, quite heedless of the veritable pack that Nir'wei had going around him. Her coat was bright silver-green, and her eyes were hazel in color. Thalin introduced her, "Nir'wei, this is Foam, my wolf. I'm afraid Karem has not as much of a foothold in Ne'haer as perhaps she should. There are some hopefuls among the hunter lodges, but only a few of them have managed to garner her esteem." He smiled as Nir'wei bid them to go off toward the side, where it wasn't as crowded withi courtiers and others. "Well, Ne'haer suffered a famine arcs ago. We had to shore up our food stores by hunting, and in some cases overhunting. There was a problem with poaching out of season, and so on."

He shrugged, "Perhaps we can persuade Karem to have a hunt with us in the Sacred Forest or elsewhere? Or it can just be you and me. It's been some time since I saw the pack mother, Karem." Foam sat down beside Thalin, and he rested a hand on her head. "Aye, these formal meetings are not my scene either. I prefer a more personal touch, a picnic, campfire, or perhaps even a beer at a good tavern. It's no wonder Karem doesn't appear to be here."

"But yes, I suppose it's my duty to treat with your Foreign Affair's councilor. I think there are some common points of interest between the people here..."

"I have heard, that Scalvoris has a special connection to the Immortals and beyond that, with spirits. Rumors have emerged even as far away as Ne'haer. I must admit, I'm curious about these spirits. Before I get drawn into the orbit of your Foreign Affairs councilor, maybe you can tell me of them?"

Tristan's conversation with the Guild of Agriculture from Quacia was going fairly well, and he seemed genuinely impressed. However, he caught on one thing, "I'm sorry, a tunawa? What is that? Some kind of mushroom?"

Whatever Tristan replied, he'd continue, "In Quacia, we largely focus on underground cultivation, plants and fungi that require less and little sunlight. The Creep is always a threat that looms on the horizon." He frowned, "I heard there are intelligent and hostile forests in the Empire as well, and hoped to pick the minds of those who deal with them on a regular basis, so we may be better prepared to deal with them when they attempt another encroachment upon our lands. The King seems to think that the threat has passed, but I'm not sure if Moseke is to be believed entirely, or that she indeed has the Creep under thumb, as she's assured us."

Regardless of whatever else passed between them, the Guildmaster nodded to his description of the dragon and the state of Rynmere and it's eastern settlements. "No offense, it may prove to your advantage if there remains a population in that location, that is rynmerish in origin, although it sounds unlikely. Nevertheless... Here is my king."

King Arkenstone looked to Tristan as he was brought before him, and then to Ebony Venora. He looked at them a few long moments, as if waiting for them to speak to him. He appeared receptive, however, if a largely physically mangled.

Meet the Delegates!

Nashaki Delegate (Available for Approach)

Name and role: Orange Possum, Adjunct Voice for the mistress of the Tower of Flesh.
Race/Gender: Lotharro Eunuch
DoB: 673
Description: A paunchy, perfumed, powdered, hairless puff of a man, dressed in fine Athartian silks. He wears the silken foot and hand shackles of a slave, yet moves with a grace that belies the impediment that presents. He wouldn't be able to beat a hasty retreat at least should any approach him. But then he appears delighted to meet anyone that comes to see him.

Agenda: Pro-Nashaki, Pro-Slavery. Other items to be revealed upon interaction.
Strengths: To be revealed/discovered.
Weaknesses: To be revealed/discovered.

Etzori Delegate (Available for approach this round)

Name and role: Fagan Manclin, Foreign Ambassador to Etzos.
Race/Gender: Human male
DoB: 689
Description: A slick academic, seemingly fresh out of the academy. He wears practical enough clothing, nothing too extravagant, but tends to wear the fruits of Etzori mines on his person in the form of jewelry. A broach of pure adamantite with colorful gems on it, and also what looks like a large, dark ruby at the center of it. He comes with a group of delegates and an entourage, not including the security detail led by Kasoria. They keep quiet for the most part, hanging close to Fagan. Usually just running small errands that are too unimportant to foist on his security. He for the most part ignores his security detail, going where he will heedless of any attempts to steer his activities.

Agenda: Pro-Etzos. Other items to be revealed upon interaction.
Strengths: Young and well-dressed.
Weakenesses: Appears terribly bookish and responds with pedantic recitation of recent events when asked.

Desnind Delegate (Available for Approach this round)

Name and Role: Àbo The Ti'al Representative of Desnind: An advocate for the natural world and the preservation of all its workings.
Race: Sev'ryn/Eidisi
Date of Birth: arc 655

Description: 6'1, with black hair and striking blue eyes. His complection is pale with a tinge of blue. He often wears fine robes of Iyo silk, favoring hues of green and yellow. A friendly and sociable man, Abo loves to celebrate with other people and enjoys large gatherings of people. He is rumored and whispered to have a secret, regarding his Immortal affiliations. But by all accounts according to the Desnind Delegation, he has never been marked or known to be by any Immortal.

Agenda: Pro-Desnind. Wants to know more details of Lisirra's defeat.
Strengths: Sly, sneaky. Has good skills of perception and communication.
Weaknesses: To be revealed/discovered.

Ne'haer Delegation (Not available for approach this round)

Name and Role: Thalin Glaurid, Agriculture Councilor of Ne'haer, Delegation representative.

Race: Human
DoB: 661

Details: A man of many words, though carefully spoken and seemingly introverted, Thalin is old and wise in his age. He is one of the oldest member to still hold a seat on the council. Thalin, however, is not one to go seeking trouble where ever it may be. He is usually last to speak on an issue and remains rather pensive to almost all discussions held among council meetings. Mysterious wouldn't even begin to describe Thalin Glaurid, but some say he is extremely loyal to those who have earned his trust. Aside from the council, Thalin enjoys being out with the citizens of the city and doesn't mind having a chat or lunch with a random stranger.

Agenda: Pro-Ne'haer. Wants to learn about the spirits, particularly the Scalvoris ones.
Strengths: Appears to have in-roads with certain Imperials. Has a wolf familiar.
Weakenesses: Obvious Loquaciousness.

Quacian Delegation (Not available for approach this round)

Name and Role: The Wounded King, Estavao of House Arkenstone
DoB: 692

Details: Dedicated to the welfare of his people, but bogged down in those efforts by usual court politics and all of the fractious conflict in his own city-state, Estavao has decided to put his own foot forward as the head of the delegation to the Empire. He is rather forward about his desire and need to fulfill the growing food needs of his people. And with the hibernation of the Creep, or else it's sudden absence in recent arcs, he wishes to make use of the vast blasted lands outside of the walls of Quacia. He also has an interest in forming trade agreements, particularly for special building materials and tools.

He is horribly wounded, half of his body appears as if the flesh was dessicated or stripped. It's since healed over with the help of magics of court Grafters and Moseke's healing touches, but the scars remain. The other half of his face/body are as they were before he was wounded. A long mane of black hair, pale complexion and multi-colored eyes. He would stand at about 6'1" tall, were his back not hunched by the lapse of his physical form, which is largely hidden beneath sumptuous royal garments of velvet and ermine.

Agenda: Pro-Quacia, Pro-Magic. Mosekite Sympathies. Other items to be revealed upon interaction.
Strengths: To be revealed/Discovered.
Weaknesses: Obvious physical limitations and scars that hinder his mobility.

Name and Role: Malyorn, Guildmaster of The Guild of Agriculture
DOB: 666
Race: Human

Details: Malyorn is the Master Defier for the Guild of Agriculture. In short, if there's something to do with magic that Defiance would be useful for, Malyorn is the one they call on. He both does and does not have a great deal of weight in the Guild. His work is very important to them, certainly, as his research concerns the maintenance of the underground cavern of Plenty, but he doesn't hold a lot of political sway. This has to do with the fact that he actually possesses a heart, unlike many of the people in charge in Quacia, and doesn't actually want to see the people of the city starve to death. Imagine that. Malyorn was seeking a student because he was ordered to find other suitable mages to help his research. He wasn't thrilled with the way the Guild carried out their plan, but considers himself lucky to have met Sabbath on the day he initiated him into the mysteries of magic.

Agenda: Pro-Quacia, Pro-Magic. Mosekite Sympathies. Other items to be revealed upon interaction.
Strengths: To be revealed/Discovered.
Weaknesses: Obvious discomfort being in a political situation. Is not so sure that the Creep has been dealt with.

Off Topic

I will post again in 7 days or so! Thanks for the prompt replies everyone. Any questions or concerns, dm or pm or discord chat works. Thanks. There will be a time lapse next round, after which we'll allow you to convene in side threads with whoever you wish, then in several breaks the Summit will reconvene. Let me know if you want in with any of the npc delegates and we can set up side threads.

[Tristan Venora]

The expression on Ebony Venora‘s face remained calm and neutral when Malyorn asked if a Tunawa was a mushroom. Tristan on the other hand smiled. It was not the kind of smile that you smiled when you made fun of someone’s ignorance, but a friendly, good-natured smile that put people at ease. “Tunawa are people”, he explained to the Guildmaster. “They possess the same kind of intelligence that humans do, but they are just a few inches tall. They are made of wood and water and have flowers on their heads. They are immune to poisons and capable of producing antidotes. The Tunawa whose life I saved in Melrath lives with me now. Koral didn’t accompany me to the summit because such crowds can be dangerous for someone her size, but I could arrange a meeting later on if you are interested”, he offered, eager to share his knowledge and introduce his little friend.

When Malyorn talked about underground cultivation, Tristan’s eyes lit up, and he asked, “Have you ever tried to cultivate fruit and vegetables that normally only grow above ground underground? With the addition of a bit of alchemical fertilizer and a bit of modification it should be entirely possible to grow wheat or apples or carrots underground – and grow them quickly and efficiently. I could see what I can come up with, if your own scientists haven’t done so yet. Making alchemical lamps that mimic sunlight might also be possible”, he said. He didn’t say that because he wanted to make himself useful to the people of Quacia and Quacia’s government so that they would help him in return. He was genuinely interested in the challenge.

“My grandson studied alchemy under Padraig Augustin for a while”, Ebony interjected in her usual calm and unfailingly polite tone of voice so that Malyorn knew that Tristan wasn’t just an overly excited young man, but a qualified and greatly experienced scientist. “He also won an alchemy contest in Melrath and helped cure Jarl Namdalen who suffered from the aftereffects of an assassination attempt. Jarls are high-ranking nobles, the equivalent of the dukes and duchesses of Rynmere”, she explained in case Malyorn wasn’t familiar with the political scene of Melrath. A lot of people weren’t, not really.

“I don’t think that the threat of the Creep has passed either, especially considering what I learned in Melrath. In my opinion, it’s probably just laying low for the time being and spreading beyond its initial borders, unknown to most”, Tristan agreed in a serious tone of voice when the conversation moved on to the next topic and continued, “In my opinion, there may still be people that are Rynmerish in origin in the Eastern Duchies, although they are likely disorganized. At the same time, there are a considerable number of refugees in the rest of Idalos that could be unified”, he mused, but he didn’t elaborate for the time being as that was a matter that was best discussed with the king himself – who just happened to approach them.

Tristan bowed deeply and respectfully once more while his grandmother curtsied. Both of them expected the king to address them, but it seemed as if he were waiting for them to speak, so Tristan did so, in a polite and friendly tone of voice and without fear – he was used to being in the company of kings and people of similar power. He had even been friends with a king once, although said king had unfortunately made a lot of very bad decisions.

“Your Royal Highness, I just talked to Guildmaster Malyorn about how I could help Quacia agriculture-wise, about the fate of the Eastern Duchies, the possible unification of the refugees from Rynmere as well as the threat of the Creep”, he spoke as the King would without a doubt be interested in what they had discussed so far and continued, remembering what he had learned in Melrath, about Quacia’s previous problems, “The Circle of Melrath received a plea for aid from Quacia a while ago, but decided that it wouldn’t open its borders to refugees and sent the emissary back to Quacia. I mentioned that both of our nations have a dragon problem to Guildmaster Malyorn before. We have even more than that in common though. The situation in Rynmere is concerning, there is not enough help and people have fled the kingdom. Quacia’s request was denied before. Perhaps our two nations in need could band together now. If we work together, people might be less likely to ignore our concerns”, he suggested and paused in order to give the king time to think about what he had said and react to it, if he wanted to.

“My grandson hopes to help what remains of Rynmere and its people, preserve their culture and bring about a better future for all of them”, Ebony Venora said before she fell silent and simply listened once more.

Tristan inclined his head, but he didn’t really comment on what his grandmother had said. Instead, he moved on to yet another topic that might be of interest to the king as well.

“I apologize for taking up so much of your time, Your Royal Highness, but there is a matter that has come to my attention a while ago”, he spoke in the same friendly tone of voice as before. “One of my acquaintances back in Melrath, the shaman Jasper had a vision of the Sleeping Heart and the Creep. The Sleeping Heart spoke the following words: ‘Come to me, blood and flesh of Arkenstone, and makes us whole!’. You are Arkenstone. Do you know what that might mean, if you don’t mind me asking?” he wanted to know and cocked his head a little to the side.

There was one more thing that he was curious about. He was curious about whether alchemy could help the king, but he decided to keep his thoughts in that regard to himself, for now. The king might not appreciate comments about his physical appearance, and Tristan wasn’t sure what would happen if he offered to treat him and turned out to be unable to.

[Kasoria]

"Well, I think that went rather well!"

Aye, I'm sure you do.

Kasoria kept that thought to himself, and focused on his job, and what he'd just been told. The blazing eyed Desnind delegate had his fill of Manclin's prattle and moved away into the crowd. Kasoria had caught that last look the man had thrown his way, though. Not just seeing him, or even watching, but... studying. As if waiting for something to happen.

He digested what Tahil told him, before the tall man had swept away with the rest of his group. He didn't care much for the mythic shite and legendary familial pranks the Immortals played with each other, but recent history surely was something he was interested in. Much as he would have liked to believe Lisirra and her slaves were wiped out after Rhakros, he knew that wasn't true. Like any Immortal, she had followers across the globe. Only when they were eradicated and all traces of her name wiped from the world would she truly be dead... even if he'd actually seen her die.

No telling if the bastards can't come back. Wouldn't surprise me. Maybe these... Cazav, would think so.

"Ah, now, there's a man to speak to..."

The Wounded King commanded whatever group he was in, simply by being. Even Kasoria could see that. Though hideously scarred and moving still and pained, there was a nobility there that even a staunch Etzori could appreciate. He could have sent proxies, princes, peons... but then, Kasoria mused, politics and back-biting might water down whatever his people needed. So regardless of injury and discomfort, he'd made the long trip across the Orm'del, so speak directly for his people... and according to what Lerrick had told him back in Etzos, Quacian refugees were on the top of their agenda.

"Looks like he's busy."

"I can see that, man!"

He spouted something else but Kasoria had already tuned him out. His eyes were on the swirling mass of delegates and underlings and guards around The Wounded King. He couldn't tell who was with the tall, messy-headed young man speaking with him, and who were just waiting their turn to speak... and who were simply eavesdropping. Either way, he identified a space in the rough orbit of the king, and without waiting he-

Whistled. Low but distinctive. High, low, high. Loud enough to be heard around their general area-

-and four heads ranging from handsome to mutilated snapped around at the sound. Kasoria held up a finger, not over his head but in front of his face, made a circle, then pointed at the king's group. Without a word, The Band obeyed, and started herding the delegation towards the Quacian group, and a man named Tristan that Kasoria did not yet know. Kasoria slid adroitly behind and to the side of Manclin, subtly but inexorably moving him forwards.

"I'm gettin' youse as close as we can, s'up to youse fer the rest."

Surprised and more than a little unnerved by the sudden movement as he was, Fagan was not one to shirt his duties. The Council had chosen him personally, dontchaknow? There was a bright future ahead of him if he could do well on this expedition. So the young man cleared his throat and straightened his robe and-

"I say, old man, are you quite okay?"

Kasoria finished coughing up and choking down something nasty in the back of his throat. Never taking his eyes off The Wounded King.

"S'nuffin'. Frog in me throat. Les' get youse chattin' t'the king, eh?"

[Vivian Shiryu]

Vivian raised an eyebrow slightly at the Marshal's comment about wanting ensure that Rharne knew the empire wasn't stepping on Rharne's toes. Then he explained and she nodded at him. "That makes sense. We have some concerns about those territories, but that's largely down to their unoccupied nature and the Dragon that moved into Rynmere. What information we've gotten out of there has not been exactly uplifting and a largely unmonitored territory on our northern border makes us nervous." she said, grimacing slightly. Rynmere had, once, been her home and while she had no desire to see it return, she didn't want people to suffer either. That had, after all, been the cause of her original turn to the Qe'Dreki, as well as her eventual departure from that group after they had shown themselves no better than the existing regime.

He seemed amenable to the joint training idea, and she smiled slightly, then nodded at his question about the Jacadon. "We've had reports of them, but I haven't been able to personally confirm as of yet. Makes sense that there would be a large exodus of the creatures from Rynmere after the Dragon arrived, though." she said, before leaning her head back as she pondered the matter of catching or taming them. "Jacadons are very dangerous, hard to catch and just as hard to train. Granted, all this is what made them such a dangerous mount for Rynmere's Sky Riders, but none of us have any specialty equipment they might have used." she said, her tone thoughtful. "That said, we've been pondering what to do about them now that they've shown up in our own borders. We aren't trained for them, so we've been looking at how to adjust what we have to the task. The fact that they breathe extremely hot steam is a problem, and there's been talk of using Wardens for it because of their water armor, but no decisions have been made as of yet." she said, her tone thoughtful.

"We've gotten some refugees from Rynmere, we're looking to see if any of them have experience with Jacadons. That said, if we can get them trained, I can definitely see setting up our allies with breeding pairs and trainers, provided we can find someone to train them." she said, her tone calm. She knew, though she didn't say it, that her superiors would have her head if she just handed over breeding pairs of Jacadons, with or without trainers, without getting something in exchange. Granted, she felt that Rharne couldn't maintain an exclusive claim on the Jacadons as a resource, given that they couldn't yet harness them. However, she knew that didn't mean it was smart to just give them away, even to allies.

Now she had to ponder what she wanted in exchange for the Jacadons, however. Rharne's aims had been vague when it came to The Eternal Empire recently, their biggest goal being an assurance that the Empire wasn't going to invade. Strengthening military and cultural ties were a big part of that, and she'd already gotten the joint training idea out on the floor, so that was a good step towards strengthening military ties. Cultural ties were probably next, and what she'd seen of Imperial culture so far was...peculiar. Their military had very heavily pervaded their culture, even down to their clothes and food. She had heard that they had peculiar artistic tastes, however, but she hadn't been able to ascertain what exactly those were.

Ultimately she decided to try winging it, she doubted that The Eternal Empire was unaware of their reputation and would probably be at least amenable to trying to clear it up. "You know, I'll admit to being a bit surprised by how peaceful it is here. Even with us being neighbors, we don't know a lot about Imperial culture, and previous generations made up a lot of scare stories about your people." she said, casting about rather randomly in her head for where she was going with this. "If I could ask though, while I understand why the empire has so many defensive structures, I've never seen so many varied designs in them. Is that just from different periods when they were made?" she asked, before mentally kicking herself. She wanted to know about their culture, why did she got forts?

[Zana]

Date

"The Tower of Flesh?" Zana said with a soft smile. "That sounds like an interesting place. Let us see what we can do about a mutually beneficial exchange, shall we?" And, indeed, they arranged some dates and Zana assured Orange Possum that, when the Nashaki contingent came to visit, there would be a meeting between them and the University on Scalvoris.

There were other meetings to arrange also, and that made Vanity's Child very pleased with herself. Rharne, Desnind and Ne'haer were good to have "in the bag", so to speak and Zana considered what to do about the King of Quacia. She saw that people were flocking around him and vying for attention like desperate children , and she was very clear that she would not be doing that. She was, after all, Zana Delroth and she would not be behaving in such an obsequious and needy manner.

So, Zana flirted and flitted about, as she did and as she did, she considered what she had going for her, in terms of how much better she was than everyone else. Certainly, that was a long list, but Zana considered it. The thing which was most important and impressive about her, she knew, was that she was Delroth's daughter. Being this gave her an advantage over others which could not be denied or even truly quantified.

The King of Quacia would, Zana decided, come to her, not vice versa. So, she considered it for a moment and then she simply made eye contact When this power is activated, the Mortalborn focuses on one individual, reflecting both her and her targets' physical and emotional experience in a mutual increasing of sensation and feelings. In order to activate this, and to maintain it, Zana has to be in eye contact with the target of the ability, either by looking in their eyes or by meeting their gaze in a reflective surface.

This ability allows Zana to share, amplify and enhance the physical and emotional sensations in any shared experience with her experiencing what they do and them experiencing what she does in an ever-increasing spiral. From sex to an argument, it is an ability which continues to build in intensity whilst eye contact is maintained and she feels it as strongly as her target, and vice versa. It applies only to those sensations or emotions which Zana and her target are sharing in a general sense (pain, pleasure, desire, anger etc) and can only ever be between her and one other person at a time.

Zana is able to use this ability numerous times, but every time she does she is left with an intense sugar craving afterwards. with him. She found him interesting and, when she looked at him she felt intrigued, interested, curious. If he felt the same way, then he really felt the same way - but if he didn't, then it was not a shared experience. Just meeting his eyes should - she believed - be enough for him to come to her.

As for the others there, she would make sure that every person she spoke to felt that they had her full and undivided attention. She would chat with as many people as she could while also making sure that she picked up a sweet treat from one of the trays of food ~ she always craved sweet things after using that ability, after all.

Chatting with Sam was an interesting diversion, and she had to admit that it was a pleasant experience. As for the King of Quacia? Well, Zana was a fickle woman ~ if he came to speak to her, then it showed that he was interested and had felt a level of curiosity to her. That was both acceptable and appropriate. If he didn't? Well, in that case he really wasn't worth wasting her time on, Zana thought, since he obviously had such poor taste.

All in all, Zana decided, she was really rather enjoying this.

I know all your desires. Your heart is so full of pain.
Is there something I can provide? To make you feel loved again...

[Sam Rasvima]

Sam couldn't help but smile at the soldier's confusion. He preferred people not being able to place him, it gave him the advantage of the unknown without him having to resort to duplicity. Truth be told, Samardyn Rasvima was as strange an Aukari that could be produced behin Sirothelle xenophobic walls. To be strange among his people was to be revolutionary, and he would drag his kind out of their old world and into this strange new one kicking and screaming if he had to.

"I have always represented the Aukari. Faldrun's teachings are the faith of my people, so it is my faith. Should that change," Sam finished the sentence with a shrug, letting the casual heresy linger in the air. He enjoyed cultivating a bit of an aura of unpredictability. Mystique was fast becoming a favoured vice of the priest in this realm of half-smiles and half-truths.

Sam nodded in thanks at Orange Possum as he scurried away to give space to the Aukari's plea. He made his offer, and then stepped back to let Zana work the room in her favor. Sam was rapt with no small part of awe watching the woman weave her way through delegates and conversations like a dancer in her favored form. Idle chatter was translated efficiently by the soldier at his side as delegates filled the space in-between conversation, but Sam kept his responses short and to the point. His mind was preoccupied, and could not find the space for the social niceties of politics. He was so transfixed that he did not notice the wolfen eyes tracking his movements from across the room as the Champion of Karem ensured he did not step out of line.

When conversation with Zana began in truth, Sam had to resist every step of the way not fall completely victim to her charms. It was hard not to fall in love with Delroth's daughter at first sight, but Sam managed to not make a complete simpering fool of himself by regulating his breath and focusing his thoughts. He was more enamored with Zana than he'd like to admit or was proper, and while he dipped into flirtation more than a few times, he kept himself to topic and represented his people's interests as best he could.

He did not notice if her gaze slid towards the King of Quacia during their conversation. To Sam, the rest of the room melted away as soon as Zana fixed her gaze on him.