The Rook and His Revelations

Log Info

• Title: The Rook and His Revelations

• Emitter: Ravenstongue

• Characters: Harkashan, Ravenstongue, Rune, Telamon

• Place: Ravenstongue and Telamon's home

Lúpecyll-Atlon house, early evening.

There's something to be said for spring evenings. As much as the summer nights are discussed in song and poetry, the spring evening is an entity that reminds one that the earth is alive once more, and the slight chill of the night is at least a soothing balm for those who miss the winter weather.

This is why Cor'lana Lúpecyll-Atlon is currently relaxing outside in the garden, sipping a cup of tea and looking up at the post-sunset violet-blue sky. "Do you think we'll see the stars out tonight?" she asks.

"It'd be nice!" Pothy replies. He's sitting on the garden table, cracking open peanuts. He's entitled to a little spring evening breeze, too.

After meetings, and plans, and worried discussions, it's a good evening to just... relax. Telamon is dressed casually, in a light linen tunic over cotton trousers with sandals on, sipping his tea as well. "It was a little cloudy today, but I think it's blowing over. We should get a good look at the heavens."

His eyes twinkle as he looks at Lana. "I used to spend a lot more time stargazing, but someone has encouraged me to go to bed a little earlier. Granted, she gives some excellent motivation to do so..." His grin is teasing and happy, as he reaches over to catch Lana's hand and give it a squeeze.

Uncertainty. Confusion. Those are the dominant emotions for Rune as she approaches the Lúpecyll-Atlon residence on this fair evening. In the end, the encounter in the cave had left her with some measure of answers, but also far too many questions. Ones that seem to shake the core of what she knows and understands. "Are you sure we should..." The question goes uncompleted as she approaches the home beside Harkashan.

It may very well be that Rune feels a bit bad for interrupting the peace of the evening, and coming once more to their doorstep in search of information. It certainly isn't their job to be bastians of information, and she hda little to offer to repay their kindness time and again.

The half-sil hangs back, looking hesitant. It will be up to Harkashan to give a nudge to get her moving again, it seems.

There's a strange languidness to Harkashan. There's matters to discuss that he's not had the time to speak on with Rune quite yet. Yet, aside from the very subtle shift in the way he carries himself, he actually looks very healthy. There is no lack of sleep. His scales are in fact quite shiny. Lively. Inferno-like one might even say.

"Yes, we should. They are the ones most likely to know, and more importantly, understand." Harkashan answers Rune as she leverages that question. He touches his hand to her upper back, between her shoulderblades, and looks at her warmly.

"What's more, from my understanding, they are friends. They will appreciate you leaning on them." He adds to her, before looking up. Making sure certain fairies are not floating around looking to protect bushes.

"Come on." He guides her into the garden proper, and towards Cor'lana and Telamon. Lifting his other hand to indicate his presence; "Peace upon your nest." He bids the two with that usual heavy growl in his voice.

There are no pixies tonight, although one might suspect them of merely biding their time in wait. That being said... The longer that Harkashan and Rune are here, the less likely that Lily-of-the-Valley and Mirabilis are to accost them.

Cor'lana lifts up her face to the sound of Harkashan's voice, although their steps into the garden signal them well beforehand. They'd left the gate open to their backyard open, just in case friends dropped by while they were in it... And, well, here friends are. A smile adorns her face, teacup falling back down to rest in both of her hands.

"Good evening, Harkashan, and Rune too." She tilts her head a little to look at Rune in particular. "How do we fare tonight?" she asks, in a neutral enough tone--but it also carries the vaguest hint of a question: what's wrong?

Telamon looks up as well, the growling tones of a makari impossible to miss. But then he sees Harkashan and Rune, and his face relaxes into a genial smile. "Indeed, good evening! Here, hold on..." He makes a small gesture, and a shimmer in the air immediately moves to pull a chair and a heavy, reinforced stool out from their place next to the house wall.

"Please, sit down. Can we offer you some tea?" His dark eyes regard them, full of stars, and just as perceptive as Lana's. "There's also wine, if you like, and I'm pretty sure Pothy hasn't eaten all the snacks."

There is a wince when Harkashan's hand touches that place between her shoulder-blades, and she all too quickly steps away from him. That particular spot is something she doesn't seem to let anyone touch, at least not for very long. He gets a look for it, too, one that quickly fades as he encourages them forward. A matter for another time.

Following in a step or two behind Harkashan, it is obvious even at a glance that something is weighing on Rune. Enough so that it isn't hard for anyone to see it. Enough so that when Cor'lana asks, the half-sil looks up, her lips pressing together briefly. "We... ran into a creature who recognized these." She motions towards the bit of her tattoo that is visible along her arm.

Then, Rune reaches to her belt and takes out a rolled up bit of parchment and offers it forward. On the page is the full extent of the tattoo, which is quite a bit more elaborate than most people have actually seen, extending down most of her right side. The parchment seems old, likely carried with her for a long time, cracking slightly at the edges. "You know about entities and their bonds with people. Is it possible that this is a mark like yours?"

Then, to Telamon, she shyly nods, "Tea would be lovely..."

"Apologies." Harkashan rumbles when he accidentally touches that spot, drawing his hand away. Showing regret in his gaze as she gives him that look. One that disappears when they are spoken to.

"Good evening." Harkashan answers Cor'lana, touching his hand to his chest for a moment before lowering his head in respectful greeting. "We fare well." At least, by all accounts, they are not significantly wounded. Harkashan has made sure to treat Rune as well as he can.

As the seats begin to move, Harkashan slows his pace enough that the stool and seat can arrive at the table before he does. Then, once present, he settles down on the heavy stool and leans his arms onto the table, and curls his tail around the base of the stool.

"Just some water will do for me." He bids in answer to offers of tea and wine.

He leaves the main talking to Rune, as she is the one who needs this.

Rune's words draw Cor'lana's interest in more than one manner. The polite and light smile to see a friend vanishes rather quickly into a sober one--followed by narrowed eyes and a frown.

"A creature recognized--" The words are the first to come from her, followed by: "Entities--"

She casts her violet eyes to the sky, looking around in the trees for a long and perhaps uncomfortable moment in silence. Even Pothy stops eating peanuts. Finally, Cor'lana says, "We're discussing this inside."

The sorceress quietly opens the door back into the house, casting a glance at everyone else to follow her indoors. Even Pothy. Which means he has to leave the peanuts outside.

Something passes between Telamon and Cor'lana. Unseen, unheard, but almost tangible, as he stands when she does. "Sorry, friends. Some things can't be discussed under the stars and moon. Please, come inside." He stands to one side of the door, beckoning for Harkashan and Rune to follow Lana in.

He looks to Pothy sympathetically. "Don't worry, little brother. There will be other snacks." He pauses, and then tilts his head, considering, before looking indoors.

It is no real surprise that this may be another of those topics that requires more private discussion. Enough so that Rune gives Harkashan another of those looks that seems to speak to an 'I told you so.' It's obvious she hadn't wanted to interrupt their evening, but here they are, it seems.

When Cor'lana motions them inside, Rune simply follows. For the little she knows of her mother's life, all of this has come as more than a shock to her. The fact that it has deeper implications only worrying her more-so. However, for now, at least, Rune falls silent.

Harkashan had just gotten comfortable on the seat, coiled his tail and everything. But now they are moving again.

"The Stars and Moon must have very good eyes and ears." The Sith-makar remarks as he rises up and moves to follow - looking back at Rune when she gives him that 'I told you so' look. A long rumble is given in return.

In they go.

"Better than you might think," Cor'lana states as the group is now well and truly inside of her home. "Pothy, you stay here and guard the snacks for us, yes?"

"I promise to leave enough for everyone!" Pothy says. He's genuine on that, too, bright and boyish on that note as the voice he speaks with ought to be.

That puts a smile onto Cor'lana's face, before she gestures to Telamon. "Tel is about to ensure that we have complete and total privacy," she says. "Just follow him."

Telamon briefly slips into the bedroom to retrieve his haversack and a sleeveless robe. He steps over to the wall, and begins a soft chant, gesturing in a rectangular pattern, touching the lapel of his robe and the cover of his haversack as he does. There's the snap of ozone in the air, a crackle of magical energy, and suddenly there's a ghostly shimmering at the wall, four feet wide and eight feet tall. "Please, go ahead and enter -- it'll shut behind me when I go inside."

His eyes dance merrily. "I do so love to entertain, to be honest. Explosions are all well and good, but I prefer something a bit more constructive... and fun."

Mention of the stars has Rune giving one last look outside. Her relationship with Eluna had always been a bit of an uncertain one, especially since her resurrection. One that is still unresolved to this very day. One has to wonder what sort of things cannot be said under the eyes of the gods.

She looks over her shoulder at Telamon's antics, her nose scrunching slightly at the faint shift of smell in the air and that feel of magical energy. Rune doesn't have a magical bone in her body, or so it seems on the surface, but she can appreciate it.

"I'm sorry to be so much trouble." Rune offers, looking genuinely apologetic for bringing this to their doorstep.

A wall. They're going to walk into a wall.

Harkashan tries to take it all in stride, but he feels a bit out of his depth. It's a similar feeling he held once before in Alexandria, when they entered the deep pale place beneath the Academy.

His lava-like patterns continue to shift and warp a bit as he enters the ghostly shimmering - touching it with his claws first to make sure it's something he can indeed pass through, before stepping inside.

"This isn't trouble you've brought us," Cor'lana tells Rune with a small smile. "This is trouble that I was in to begin with, I think. Especially if my suspicions are correct."

That is all she manages before she goes first into the magical door-that's-not-a-door, vanishing into the wall. Pothy looks on with an expression that suggests this is entirely what he's used to by now. The Lúpecyll-Atlon home, after all, is an interesting place.

Telamon allows the other two to step into the shimmering, which does not place them up against the wall. Instead, suddenly, they are...

Some place else.

They stand on a soft lawn beneath an evening sky, the heavens speckled with stars and the moon hanging there like a silvery lamp. Before them is a small castle, like something from a faerie tale, carved from smooth stone with its doors open wide. A pair of ghostly footmen stand at attention to either side of the door, The air is warm and pleasant, with the faint scent of lavender, and Telamon steps through behind them.

"Welcome to my little hidey-hole. Just a little place Lana and I like to retreat to now and then." His eyes dance merrily. "We will be quite safe from interruption or eavesdropping here. And the wine has gotten better too."

GAME: Harkashan rolls Sense Motive: (2)+12: 14

Stepping through the strange wall, Rune finds herself back beneath the evening sky. There seems to be some comfort in that. Her eyes shift skywards, taking in the moon and stars as she takes a few steps forward.

Then, her eyes shift back down to earth, to her two fellow half-sil and to her surroundings. "So, you don't just have an entire house filled with magical and Fey servants, but also an entire castle?" Her brows lift, seeming quite impressed by the feat.

Then, to Cor'lana, her brows furrow slightly. "Seems like it's trouble I brought on myself. If I hadn't duplicated these markings and tried to follow in my mother's footsteps, none of this would have happened."

Harkashan slowly lifts his head, gazing up at the 'new' sky of stars. There's something that feels off about all of this. It's wonderful, for certain, but there's something ingrained in this Sith-makar that makes the 'false' sky feel ever so slightly unnerving.

He keeps his thoughts quiet however, and steps with the group towards the castle, keeping an eye out for Rune's feelings on the matter. But something about this place keeps drawing his attention. The architecture, mentions of wine.

"We ran into a rather perculiar being that instilled great fear. It seemed to be hunting us for sport - leading us into a cavern trap." He's giving more details on what they experienced. "Luckily, a little butterfly helped teleport us out from that place." And proceeds to describe the two notable individuals in question, as well as the name of the one that drew them to the cave itself.

He then touches Rune's shoulder. "Don't beat yourself up. You didn't know."

Cor'lana stays close to Telamon as the group walks. Normally being here would bring her cheer, but these are grave words from her friends. Rune's in particular about following her mother seem to ring a chord deep within Cor'lana, the sorceress turning to regard Rune with a deeply sympathetic look in her violet eyes. "I follow my mother's path, too, Rune," she says softly. "When they are gone--all a daughter can do, sometimes, to feel close to her mother is to follow the paths left unexplained by the original woman who walked them. Sometimes we find the dangers that were hiding there along the way. I know that very well."

She looks to Harkashan, and her eyes narrow--no, it's more accurate to say they broil with a sort of quiet rage that neither Harkashan nor Rune have ever seen before on the sorceress, even beyond that of her declaration of desire for the death of Marsward Seraquoix. "I know that being. That is Legus'elain, the Corpse-Eater--also known as the Rook. That is my Grandfather's cousin."

Cor'lana takes a deep breath. "My Grandfather--is a member of the Unseelie nobility known as Alud'rigan, the Feathered One. And... you ask of pacts, Rune, so I will be forthright. I am in such a pact with Grandfather. That is part of the reason of the mark on my chest. But he is a different creature entirely from the Corpse-Eater. He is a warm and wonderful man who seeks only to lavish love onto his descendants... Whereas the Corpse-Eater seeks to inflict pain and suffering on those he's fixated with. The fact he's turned his attention onto people at random..."

The sorceress stops in her steps. And she looks at Telamon. "Unless it wasn't random."

Telamon leads the little group into the castle. Despite its somewhat lofty appearance, there's a warmth here in the crafting of the place, even if it was carved from magic and imagination. The walls are decorated with tapestries depicting ravens (white and black) in flight, in daytime and night, with smiling suns and moons. The half-elven sorcerer leads them to a small study with sturdy, comfortable chairs (including a well-padded stool for Hark), and murmurs something to the phantom servitor standing by the door.

Once everyone is seated, Telamon's expression is grave. "The Corpse-Eater. The Rook. Wonderful. Just the sort of thing we don't need jogging our elbows while we're trying to stamp out fiendish cults and demons on the prowl." The servitor returns with a tray on which is placed a large kettle of tea, four cups, and a loaf of fresh-from-the-oven bread along with butter and jam.

Tel's voice is clinical, even dispassionate. "Indeed. The Corpse-Eater is a sadist in all senses of the word. But more than physical pain, he delights in emotional anguish, of trickery and deceit out of cruelty. Whatever price you may owe this fey lady... I suspect it will be far less painful than dealing with the Rook face to face."

"I only knew my mother as a storyteller. The person that people would look to with adoration when she spun a tale." Rune's lip quirks, though the hint of humor doesn't erach her eyes. "Not unlike you, in that way." Her hand reaches to touch the markings on her arm, "I knew these were from a time before that. Before my father, before me." The rogue hesitates then, just a heartbeat before adding, "And I'm pretty sure whatever it was is what got her killed. She just... got sick suddenly. I remember overhearing the healers saying that it was something supernatural."

Looking between the two, Rune settles finally, tucking one leg beneath her and leaving the other forward. It's a very awkward way of sitting but she rarely does anything like a normal person. "He mentioned knowing my mother, but that she was claimed by another. I just don't really understand how. My mother was human."

Matters of the Corpse-eater are given an uncertain expression, "It could have been lies, but... the butterfly seemed to think he was right about it. That there was some connection to something. And that it might try to seek me out for being a fool and copying the markings."

Harkashan's tail whips about a bit more violently when Cor'lana's expression changes. A gripping of his hand into Rune's shoulder, before he releases her. Sith-makar have claws, and he doesn't want to risk hurting the softskin.

Still, when Cor'lana speaks the term Corpse-Eater, his tail scuffs across the ground. "Rook, or Corpse Eater. Yes. Our foes, as well as the little butterfly knew of its name." He remarks with a tilt of his head so he can better see those before him.

"Which means that its presence was likely to be no error either." He adds. It had waited until its presence was needed after all.

He settles down into the seat provided for him, which means his tail is now scuffing the floor even more in irritation. Not at Telamon or Ravenstongue, but at the situation they seem to have found themselves in.

A situation that endangers Rune.

He may be a bit protective.

But he's also listening. Listening to Rune open up about something she never talked to anyone about. Certainly, he knew her mother was dead. But the circumstances were something she did not touch on much.

Cor'lana only takes the teacup that the servitor offers to the group, at least for the moment. "Rune, it sounds to me... Your mother struck some sort of deal with one of the fey. A deal that was immortalized onto her skin in the form of a mark, like how I bear my Grandfather's mark and how all fey know that mark to mean I am under his protection and am sworn to him."

She sighs gently. "I realize that it's not exactly what you were hoping to hear. I don't recognize those markings myself--but... If I bring you to Quelynos with me to meet Grandfather, perhaps he might be able to. Perhaps he knows of how your mother came to be involved with his people. Those are faint hopes, I know, and I know that the last thing you likely want to do is to engage with forces beyond your control, but..."

Cor'lana holds her hand out to Rune, in the event she needs it. A lifeline thrown out at sea. "I remember exactly what it was like to be thrown off the deep end and to be chasing ghosts at the same time," she says. "So these are what I can offer you as a friend."

"There is the possibility you might be able to learn more here," Telamon admits, picking up a cup of tea for himself. "However, Grandfather would be an excellent way to skip to the good part." His eyes shift to Harkashan, perceiving that protectiveness. "Of course, we wouldn't want you to go into this alone. I believe Lana can take more than a couple people to Quelynos."

"But indeed. It may very well be that your mother sought some kind of fey pact, and it went... awry. Or perhaps she cut a deal, and it did not end well for her. There is a reason many tomes on arcana warn against dallying with the powers beyond the circles of the world; you may find yourself in a predicament not easy to get out of."

The grip onto her shoulder is met with a quick glance towards her Makari companion. Rune knows very well just how protective he is of her, enough so that she fidgets momentarily with the platinum ring that she wears on one finger.

Her hand releases it then, looking across towards the pair. "I've... been searching for answers about her for years. Who she was, what these markings meant, how she died." Her lips press together in a thin line, "It's why I ran away in the first place. My father moved on. I can't blame him for that. He's had many human partners in his long years, but I only had one mother."

Reaching up, Rune runs a hand through her hair, drawing the strands a bit away from her face in the process. "Anything that you think would help. I've already traveled to Am'shere, to lands of death and back again. Adding a jaunt to the Fey realm is just another step, right?"

With that hand offered out from Cor'lana, Rune takes it. Her fingers have a chill to them, they always seem to. One of those lingering after-effects of her time beyond life. "If... you'd be kind enough to take me, I'll go. I have to see this through, to whatever end it leads."

At least there is some light at the end of the tunnel. Some answers.

Harkashan notices the shift of gaze drifting onto him, connecting sight with Telamon for but a moment, before that attention of his drifts right back to Rune.

"When we travel to Quelynos~" When, not if, because he is certain this is something that must occur. "~ are there matters we should keep in mind in interacting with its populace? Are we likely to meet interference from this 'Rook' within their own demense? Presuming that it too lives within that realm." Harkashan inquires.

And indeed, Rune reaches out. Which surprisingly seems to bring some mirth to his eyes.

Friends. Reaching out.

"I would be more than happy to take the both of you," Cor'lana says, smiling gently at Rune and at Harkashan both. "As Telamon said--I am able to take people with me in the shifting of planes. Grandfather's woods are safe. Grandfather himself is safe--except that he might fatten you up with his cooking, but that is the way he is. Not all of Quelynos is nearly so inviting--Telamon and I both know that from first-hand experience--but I have safe harbor in at least one part."

She looks to Harkashan. "The rules of interacting with my Grandfather's people are relatively simple. Do not bring cold iron into a meeting with fae that you wish to make into allies. Do not thank them--for that acknowledges an oath--and do not answer simply with your name should they ask you to give it to them. Gifts of flowers have meanings that you may not intend. As for the Corpse-Eater--Grandfather's house is safe. He is unable to enter the home. But he is able to be outside of it. As... recent experience has proven."

There's a gentle squeeze of Rune's hand, followed by a sigh. "Forgive me, both of you. I feel... deeply sorry that you both have been troubled by the Corpse-Eater. For it is true that, because he is related to Grandfather--I bear a relation to him, as well, albeit separated by many years and many generations."

Telamon reaches over to touch Lana's other hand, fingers sliding around it. "We all have relations we try not to think too much about," he remarks with a smile. "And the Corpse-Eater is definitely one I wish we could ignore. Still... do not discount yourselves. You've come this far. And you are not alone in your trials."

He lifts up his teacup, sipping from it. "Sometimes the answers are not easy. Rarely, there are no answers at all. But it's better to pursue the truth of the matter rather than flee from it."

"Do not apologize for the sins of another." Harkashan answers Ravenstongue when she speaks of the Corpse-eater. "If association brings danger, it is not the associate that bears the guilt - it is the one spreading the danger."

A pause, before the Sith-makar adds; "I do not possess any cold iron. But I will remember these other items." He then looks to Rune once more. A gaze that seems to say: How are you holding up?

In normal circumstances, the prospect of hearing about another realm would have enthralled Rune. The idea of actually going there, even more so. The problem is, all of this is mixed in with the uncertainty, fear, and struggles of so many years trying to follow in her mother's footsteps. The prospect of facing whatever truth may come of it is daunting.

"I'll try to keep all of that in mind, but do feel free to shut me up if my mouth goes wandering in ways it shouldn't." Rune is intelligent in that regard, but she also acknowledges how deep that need for answers and understanding runs. "On the plus side, I don't tend to use my real name, in most cases, anyways." All gathered here know of it, but she still tends to keep it to 'Rune' among strangers.

The appology is met with a shake of the head, "You're not responsible for what your kin might do. It seems I likely would have stumbled on this being regardless. Having you as a friend is a boon that means a chance at figuring this out." Something she seems to deeply appreciate.

There is a nod to Telamon, followed by a look to Harkashan that speaks volumes. Rune is just very appreciative not to be facing this alone.

Cor'lana still looks unhappy about the whole nature of why they are discussing this. The Corpse-Eater is, after all, a dangerous relative. The weight of what's been discussed is not lost on her. Yet there comes Telamon's hand and she looks up at him, offering him a small look of gratitude followed by the tilt of her head and a warm smile, before she looks over to Harkashan and Rune.

"You are far from alone," she says. "And... there is a distinct possibility this all may turn out better than it has begun. Over a year ago--it'll have been two years later this year--I was harassed by owls and ravens following me wherever I went. Telamon learned of this on our second meeting--we were only friends then--and he swore to help me, because I was unable to sleep very much at night at all. We discovered my true name, my paternal lineage--and the Feathered One, a fey lord that my sire's family has been bound to in a pact for eons. Telamon, myself, and some friends traveled to the Mythwood to summon him into our world... And that the truth was that the Feathered One was my ancestor, and my sire's family had simply forgotten their long-standing arrangement and grown to detest him as a monster when he is so firmly the opposite."

She squeezes Telamon's hand and she looks at him with her heart in her eyes. "And of course--that was when I fell for Telamon, too, and Grandfather had a hand in putting us together, but that's not necessarily relevant to the story." A little grin settles on her lips.

"Oh yes, just relegate our courtship to a footnote," Telamon teases Cor'lana with a grin. "As if it hasn't shaped both of us since that day Grandfather decided I'd make a passable suitor." His smile is broad, and his eyes dance with good cheer.

"I admit I had wondered why you called yourself 'Rune' -- I wondered if it was a reference to the now-fallen city." Tel shrugs lightly. "One sobriquet is as good as another, I think. But I think you will handle Quelynos better than you realize. You're no stranger to peril, and you understand that the right word chosen can be intensely important."

"Speaking of importance, may I see that sketch of your tattoo again? I want to check for something -- sometimes certain artists of the needle add a... signature, or cartouche as it is called in Veyshan. It's usually not something like an actual name, more like a symbol."

"Ah, just a 'passable' suitor hmmrrmm?" Harkashan rumbles, deciding to join in on the merriment and teasing Telamon a bit while leaning an arm to the table proper.

"Still, it is a rather interesting tale. It must have felt... strange, to chase birds and uncover such a history over such a journey." He bids to Ravenstongue, tilting his head a bit. Rune would understand at least some of the irony of what he's saying.

"But to have such a reliable friend and ally at your side, such an ally is truly valuable."

And there Cor'lana goes, slipping into the story not only of her own discoveries, sorting out her own past, but also the love between herself and her now-husband. If it wasn't obvious before, it is more-so now that Rune simply dives in head-first into these kind of stories, becoming invested into the details. Looking between the two, she offers up her own opinion on the matter, "I think it's a really sweet fairy tale sort of courtship, if you ask me."

As for her name, there is a slight tilt of her head, "I think that part is more accident than intention. My mother used to shorten my name when I was little from Leirune to 'Runie', then later to Rune. I think she mostly did it to annoy my father who wanted me to have a proper Llyranesi name."

When he asks for the design, Rune pulls the scroll back out once more. It's obviously old and very well cared for, but it is is starting to break down at the edges. "I found this in my mother's things after she died." She isn't sure what Telamon is looking for, but seems willing enough to let him appraise the design.

Taking off her necklace, Rune offers this out to Cor'lana as well, "This has really been my only clue." The amulet has a number of tiny, intricate locks. Two of these seem to be opened, but two remain. "I found the key to the first one with her things, and the second I found in Am'shere. Which is where I met Harkashan. But I haven't been able to figure anything else out, since then."

Cor'lana takes the necklace offered to her, gently--like someone might handle the fragile and fluttering wings of a butterfly. "I didn't realize there were locks on it," she says, looking it over with those violet eyes of hers alight in curiosity. "Where did you find the second in Am'shere?"

She looks back up at Rune. "Because the context might be important. Was it in somewhere specific? Or was it... found by chance? That could be important, too. It's the odd way that these things tend to work, I find. Life has a nasty habit of imitating poetry, you know."

Matching Cor'lana, Telamon takes the scroll with a gentle touch. He looks at one of the unseen servants, who glides over to carefully hold the scroll in its weird, near-shapeless hands so Tel can study it. "That is intricate," he murmurs. "But..." His fingertip hovers over the surface, tracing the lines. "No, no... hrm. Reminds me of the one I have, where there's no cartouche. Which... kind of suggests a magical origin to them."

Tel turns his eyes to Rune again. "It could be some latent form of 'talent'. That sort of thing crops up from time to time -- live with magic long enough, like standing in the sun, and eventually you get a tan."

"The first one was a physical lock." Rune explains, leaning forward slightly as she tries to walk Cor'lana through it. "There was a small key hidden in a secret compartment at the bottom of her jewelry box." She turns the amulet over then, showing the second piece which seems loosened. "This one had Draconian script here." She traces it with her finger. "Which is why I ended up in Am'shere, trying to figure it out."

Looking over to Harkashan, then back again, "We found a cave in the jungle that looked as if it might have once been a hiding place, but it was overgrown and no one had been there for decades at least." Tapping the text again, she explains, "We found a couple of words craved into the wall, and when I spoke them, this part unlocked."

Her blue eyes shift over to Telamon then, "What the Corpse-eater suggested seems to confirm that, but I really don't know of any sort of magic or special abilities that my mother would have had. She was just a bard. A storyteller." Her brows furrow, "To me, she was just my mother. I never knew anything about the rest of it, and my father is useless as he believes... 'her life started when she married me, what came before does not matter'." This last bit is spoken in Sildanyari, and is followed by a roll of her eyes.

Rune and her father do not seem to get along well.

Harkashan follows Rune's words, and inclines his head when she speaks of the cave. "The writing on the amulet was in Draconic." He interjects for a moment. "Which guided us to the cave in question." The Inferno adds, "It took me a bit to get Rune to pronounce the words correctly at the time. Though I think I had more trouble learning Sildanyar than she did with Draconic."

"I do not get along well with my father, either," Cor'lana responds, "although he's... currently missing. Telamon and I believe that he is in a pact with the Corpse-Eater and..."

She sighs deeply. "Either way. Believe me when I say that I understand the pain of an elven sire who seems to have very little need nor care for you. There are good men out there in the world--Telamon's father, Telperius, has been a fantastic father figure--but there are plenty of us who have not had that kindness."

Cor'lana mulls for a moment on the Draconic. "I have to wonder," she says. "If there's a fey connection--how the Draconic came into play--"

Then her eyes widen and she looks at Telamon. "Jyndei!" she says. "We need to ask Jyndei."

Telamon's expression tightens at Rune's words, though it's not at her personally. His voice has a sharp bite. "What in the name of Ni'essa is wrong with people?" he growls. His fists clench for a moment, before he visibly masters his temper. "I apologize. I... as Lana says, I grew up with a father and mother who love each other, love me, and don't give a flying damn about what others might think. It... has always angered me that others did not enjoy what I did. This is why I swore if I married Lana we would make sure our children would know they were loved. That we would cleave to the way of the wild rose."

He knocks back his tea, and gets a refill from the kettle. At Lana's inquiry, his eyebrows rise. "... Well now, that is a damned good point. A crossroads of fey and dragon lore -- I would wager that Jyndei would be happy to help out. We'll have to wait for him to get back -- he's carrying some messages to that fey lord you met recently, Lana. But he should be back in a day or so."

Harkashan shares a look with Rune for a moment. "The locket is her mother's, it is not guaranteed to have implications upon the fey tie." He notes, before tilting his head back a bit as Telamon's biting statement.

The relationship that Sith-makar have with their parents is... very different. It lends him a different kind of view on the matter. After all, his family is his caste more than those who laid and fertilized his egg.

Still, he understands the importance of a loving childhood amongst the softskins. "It is good to wish a better future upon your children, and learn of the mistakes of the past." He simply offers in an encouraging way. Though he does ask; "The way of the wild rose?"

A wince forms on the edge of Rune's eyes, likely in response to the idea that Cor'lana's father might be associated with the Corpse-eater. "If he is, then I imagine it's even more troubling to find out that the Corse-eater is active again. I just wish I had better insights to see through those kind of Fey illusions." It had been a problem more than a few times.

Lips pressing together, Rune gives a soft shake of her head, "It's not that he doesn't love or care about me. It's more that..." She seems to consider her words, brow furrowing. "As his only child, I think he wanted me to be him. I think as someone that long-lived, he just saw me as an extension of himself that would continue forward after he was gone."

She smirks softly, "Big surprise for him when I took after my mother." Rune draw the necklace back over her head, tucking it underneath her clothing. "I can only imagine his response when Harkashan brought my corpse to his doorstep." She glances towards the Makari, giving him a sympathetic look. "After I came back, I certainly got an ear-full from him." At this, she looks to Telamon, "I do wonder if maybe that's why I was volunteered to bring that message to you from your father. If maybe mine thought you could 'keep me in line'."

That did not exactly work as expected, did it?

"Jyndei?" She looks to Telamon, "That name sounds familiar..." After a moment of thought, she snaps, "That's the creature you had with you at Asphodel's party, right?"

"I regret that I had to miss that party," Cor'lana says. "I had prior engagements elsewhere."

She looks at Harkashan and smiles a little. "It's a sentiment among some families in the Mythwood," she says. "Family members are family, regardless if they are by blood or by adoption. And their ancestral origin is not called into question or as a means of ostracization. It is a sentiment practiced by Telamon's family--and our own. After all, I have a sister now, Auranar, who is mine by adoption--and more."

The last phrase does not get elaborated on. Instead, she says, "Now, are there other things that we can explain? Other forms of comfort we can provide? Any and everything we have is at your disposal."

"Indeed," Telamon seems to have mastered his temper. "A wild rose is no less lovely, smells no less sweet, for having appeared outside of a cultured garden. So it is with family. Those who bind themselves to us will be loved and cherished; I can do no less." A long sip of his tea, before he continues speaking.

"But yes. Jyndei accompanied me -- he does love a party, and he sees and hears far more than people realize." He chuckles. "I wish I'd had him along in my younger days, I could've gotten into so many more shenanigans with an sidekick like that." His starry eyes regard Hark and Rune. "When he returns, I will seek you out, so you can ask him his questions." His eyes flicker suddenly. "And if that does not work, well... there are other options. Painless ones, I assure you, but possibly... complex."

There is a deep grunty sense of sorrow as Rune brings up the matter of delivering her body to her father. His head tilting down a bit to stare at the table for the time being. He doesn't catch the sympathetic look, but he doesn't need to. He understands.

He distracts himself with the words of Ravenstongue and Telamon.

"I see." A different approach in nature from the Sith-makar, yet it echoes something closer to his kind.

When it comes to questions and options however, Harkashan pauses for a moment, before noting; "I fear we will end up in a situation where we will not know what questions to ask." He proposes, looking to Rune.

Family is always a difficult topic. "Found family is soemtimes just as important as blood." For the most part, her father is not something that Rune dwells on. Her mother on the other hand...

"I suppose... any suggestions on gifts or attire or anything else to make a good impression? I was trained in the Llyranesi courts, but I imagine the Fey are quite different in that regard. I certainly don't want to step out of line on accident." That is all she can think of in that regard, at least, until Harkashan mentions what questions to ask of the Jyndei.

"When my mother was alive, she never took off the necklace. When I asked about it once, she told me that it was 'her story'. So I always assumed that it had to do with her travels. Her life in the Mythwood with my father, then some time spent in Am'shere before that. So it's quite possible that if we figure out this Fey connection, it may very well be the next piece of that puzzle."

Her shoulders lift softly. "Ultimately, you're both helping me more than I likely deserve, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate it. I'll await a trip to visit your Grandfather or to speak to your companion, whichever comes first. Until then, whatever you need from us, just let me know."

"Considering we're meeting with Grandfather--come as you feel most comfortable," Cor'lana suggests. "For anyone else--your finest of clothes. Gifts are... a thing that depends heavily on the fey you wish to meet with in question. In the Queen of Air and Darkness's Court, she accepts gifts of pain. Tears shed of anguish. This is not the case for many others. Sometimes, all you can hope to bring is the nicest thing you can find and hope that it catches interest--or you will have to offer yourself, or some aspect of yourself, as a gift, instead."

She looks thoughtful. "Which may have been what happened with your mother," she says, "but neither of us can know until we learn more."

Finally, she lifts up her drink, and says, "We will make arrangements for one or the other. For now... I think it is best that we dine. Enjoy what we have. For this is a place of safety and camaraderie."

Telamon smiles. "Precisely. Leave the cold iron at home; come dressed well but you need not cut a scene as you did at Lady Carrough's soiree. Grandfather is not unreasonable or unkind. With luck, there will be answers. If not?" He shrugs. "We will seek another avenue. This is what adventurers and heroes do, after all -- we keep working at a problem until it is solved."

The half elf looks at Lana, and nods. "The food here is no illusion, and quite good. I've been tinkering with the winemaking enchantments and they've definitely improved as well." He rolls his eyes. "Dear gods, I should've expected it'd be complicated, but you would not believe how intricate it is."

Gifts of pain and anguish do not exactly sound like someone that Harkashan would particularly enjoy meeting. But he keeps his quiet on the matter. He believes he looks his 'best' when he wears his armor, as such, he keeps that in mind for when they travel to meet Grandfather.

Other Fey will indeed have to be a matter case-by-case basis approaches.

He doesn't exactly have a lot of liquid gold sitting around to spend on gifts when he doesn't know if the gifts will speak to potential Fey meetings.

He reaches out, holding Rune's hand. Looking to her again.

'I am here to support you'. He need not say it in words.

"Thank you so much for your help on this." Harkashan bids once more, and then nods; "All this worrying has me hungry." A warning no doubt, in Rune's mind.

She knows what Harkashan gets like when he's <hungry>.

"I think maybe I'll reserve gifts for another time, then." Since it sounds like quite a complicated process with the Fey. The other suggestions are taken into account, followed by a nod. "I don't have much, but I can wear my nicer traveling clothing, hopefully that should be enough. I figure, coming as you are is better than pretending to be something you're not."

With that, when Harkashan's hand covers hers, she offers the Makari a soft smile, sliding her fingers between his claws and lightly nudging him with her elbow companionably.

"Yes, food and more pleasant topics. I think that would make a far more proper end to the evening."

OOC

Theme of the mansion: https://youtu.be/Rss-xVvOBwo