[Moderated] bridges burned and bridges built

[Talon]

19th of Frost, 119th Year of the Age of Steel


There was a nervousness to the way that Talon’s wings settled as he landed on the outskirts of the city. The silver and white garments that were draped over his form were of silk and cotton. Talon was without any weapons but he reminded himself that didn’t mean he was defenseless. His aether eluded him at the moment however.

“You are nervous.” Aoren’s deep voice came from his immediate right. Talon met his bodyguard’s gaze and quirked a brow. Aoren gave him a look that said he shouldn’t even try to hide it. The Novalys heir sighed.

“Wouldn’t you be?” It was an honest question. Aoren had come from Lorien. He knew more about their ways than Talon ever would. He had grown up with them. He had escaped them and made a new life for himself in Kalzasi. Though the man still chose to serve as a soldier, he did so of his own volition instead of some religious creed. To his credit, Aoren who was usually much less reserved than he was at the moment, remained somewhat stoic.

“I admit that I have no fond memories of Lorien. For Avialae, it is a prison. One from which few escape. For as free as the people who live there tell themselves they are, the entire kingdom is a box in which the Kindred play.” Talon couldn’t imagine what that was like. Or perhaps he could? His ventures into the Warrens had exposed him to powers that were far from benevolent. He has seen the remnants of a civilization that seemed to pride itself on its depravities. While he knew the fables of Lorien were merely that, stories, he still couldn’t help but wonder what it was really like in that place. It was thousands of miles to the east so anything Talon thought he knew about the place was funneled only through the lenses of travelers and books with a very one-sided view on history.

“Why exactly are we meeting them here and not the palace?” Aoren brushed a piece of imaginary dust off one of the bracers of his armor. The Kathar flexed his raven wings as though getting himself ready to take off into flight at a moment’s notice. Perhaps a little naively and born out of a misguided hope for something optimistic, Talon had opted to only bring Aoren for a show of protection, which was saying something in and of itself. The Novalys heir was not unskilled in means of protecting himself but he wanted to project both an air of peaceful diplomacy with the wisdom of implied protection. Too much force and that could have sent the wrong message. Too little and it would have painted him an even bigger fool than he already felt he was.

“Because, as my father put it, Lorien has already graced our halls with enough shadows.” Aoren smiled brightly.

“I am glad he thinks so highly of me.” Talon rolled his eyes. Two Kathar Avialae were present in the lives of the immediate members of House Novalys. Riven, whom Talon had mixed feelings toward at the moment. Then there was Aoren, who was Talon’s bodyguard and oldest friend next to Riven. Were it up to his father, neither of them would have been involved in his life. Savien was bitterly prejudiced against anything to do with Lorien. Talon had to wonder if his fears were unfounded. The war for freedom had been centuries ago. But he supposed such things were not easily forgotten or mended.

“Look sharp. We’re here.” Talon had been so wrapped up in his own thoughts he hadn’t really noticed that they arrived at the camp where the emissary had set themselves up. He felt his heartbeat pick up pace. What would happen? What did Lorien want from Kalzasi after so long apart?

He would get his answers soon enough, he supposed.

[Sovereign]

The morning had been arduous to endure. Like all of his 'order', Regis was a skilled Transpositioner, but the expectations placed on him by his Lord were nearly divine in aspiration. He had been given less than ten days to get to Kalzasi, and even fewer to get back. Though portal-leaping across the world was convenient, it was highly taxing, and after each seven hundred mile jump he found himself feeling nauseous and undoubtedly tired. Regis was fatigued beyond what he was used to, though he knew he could not visibly demonstrate it. He was meant to meet with a fairly important individual and while he had never cared for Karnor's insular politics, the mage recognized the value of forming a relationship with Lorien's distant neighbor.

Particularly given the unique... circumstances governing their two nations. There was no clearer enemy to the Kindred than House Galbrecht, certainly, though he imagined they were an enemy the Synnekar Avialae were not opposed to sharing in common. At least, that was the way it could be, with adequate amounts of political grease applied.

And so -- he did his thing. He dressed well, certainly; as well as he did when attending his own court, wearing regal if somewhat militant black attire, decorated with the symbols of the Pact, House Galbrecht and the Duchy of Brandt. His shoulders were ornamented with seemingly diamond-encrusted silver pauldrons, his outfit sleek and well-fitted for him. He wore furs around his neck, black gloves and dark brown leather boots, seemingly coordinated in color with the furs. Regis was an aging, if handsome, man. He made sure of the latter quite often.

As the other men drew nearer, the Wind itself appeared to whisper to him, breezing gently around him from within his decorated tent. With a curt nod he dismissed his elemental Kin, the soft gust slipping through the somewhat open fold of his tent and allowing the chancellor his peace. He stared into the mirror, and thought. His mind continued to linger upon their coming meeting, until he determined that he could no longer do so.

Regis left his tent when finally the other men arrived. One of them was clearly Talon, and he could determine as such from body language and other mannerisms alone, though the disparity in their attire was equally telling. Nevertheless, Regis greeted each of them with a warm smile as they approached the area he had asked House Novalys to send them to. The circumstances were odd: Savien, the Lord of their House, would not allow any dignitary from Lorien to enter the city directly. It was... rude.

Instead, he sent his son and a lone bodyguard to face that same 'dangerous' foreign dignitary by themselves, far away enough to where they could be absconded or murdered with ease. He either felt poorly trusted, or trusted beyond reason. Charming.

"Hello, Lord-Heir of House Novalys," the sorcerer slightly bowed. "I am Regis von Graditz, Chancellor of Brandt... in service of the House of Galbrecht. It is rather unusual for me to be sent directly to meet with a foreign Lord, but the times we live within are stark in retrospect of even five years prior. If you would allow me to, Lord-Heir Novalys, I would like to swiftly get to the point."

[Talon]

He was not what Talon had been expecting. The man was regal in both his attire and his bearing. If Talon didn’t know any better he might have thought he was meeting a king of some distant land. Some of his reasoning was validating as the man presented himself with his titles though he knew nothing of the noble houses associated with them. Despite their difference in attire, Talon did not feel inferior. It had never been the style of Kalzasi for its nobility to be bejeweled or opulent with the traipsings of emperors and kings. What they lacked in grandiose appearance they made up for in the seamless presentation of their styles. Talon’s white and silver clothing was accented simply with silver bracers around his forearms, greaves covering his boots, and only a single celestial dragonshard pendant around his neck. The very dragonshard that he had collected during his Warren March. There was no crown upon Talon’s head but he held himself with the ease of a man born and bred for royal court, which he was.

“Well met, Chancellor. I must offer my apologies on behalf of my father. He is not easily swayed in matters concerning Lorien.” Talon offered a smile he though he felt it didn’t fully conceal his worry for the discussion at hand. The young Novalys heir wasn’t known for his poker face at court. He was a man who lived and showed his passions. It was a critique his mother often offered up after council meetings.

“The point, is likely best made swiftly in this meeting. Please, speak plainly. I believe frankness will serve us both given the history between our two lands.” Talon was well aware of the fact that in matters of court he was sorely out of practice. The highest echelons of Kalzasi’s nobility took part in many subversive games but the nature of the city’s politics was such that many spoke openly about their points of view.

He felt Aoren shift subtly beside him. He chose not to glance in his bodyguard’s direction. His message was received. Aoren was standing in a modified parade rest. His hand wasn’t on his sword but one thumb was looped next to one of his blades. His friend believed this Regis to be dangerous. They had no reason to believe otherwise, despite what Talon might have hoped. Taking Aoren’s hint, Talon stirred his aether into motion. He opened up his senses so that he could quietly perceive the man opposite of him through the lens of his aura.

There was not much to be gleaned. The surface emotions skating across the aura weren’t altogether clear. Talon had no doubt that if this man had spent years at court in a kingdom such as Lorien, he was well practiced in concealing his emotions. That meant Talon would have to be extra attentive to any hint of body language, tone of voice, and shifting in the man’s aura to the best of his ability. The one thing that did stand out to Talon was that the man’s aura thrummed with a strength of presence that left a broader and deeper imprint upon the world than what he was accustomed to in most. It meant one of two things: either the man was a practitioner of magic or he was carrying something on his person that was more powerful than a passing trinket.

He could not yet determine it.

“Tell me, why has Lorien reached out to us after so many centuries? Your presence here has stoked the interest of many. Some out of curiosity. Some out of fear. I wouldn’t be surprised if we were being watched by those interested parties from the city.”

[Sovereign]

Regis merely smiled half-heartedly as the other man noted, quite obviously, that his father was not fond of Lorien. The fact that Regis - a prestigious foreign dignitary - had been forced to camp outside of the city was insult enough for him to recognize that fact.

He said nothing on the matter, however, and continued to offer plain, unemotional responses as Talon recommended his haste and how their lands supposedly had a strained history. Regis did not view things in such a way, though he supposed the Synnekar needed to found themselves upon the cultural myth of liberation from a great foreign power. Lorien was Ransera's oldest standing nation, and tension with it - or the play at it - offered them some prestige. But to Regis, and surely to many other Lords of Rien, it was not so. Internally, many of them would have sought a similar liberation from the Kindred. Externally, they never spoke of Kalzasi in their foreign affairs, as if it did not exist at all. The majority of their rhetoric involved their own Duchies and peers, Daravin, occasionally Larissa Valley and exceedingly rarely, Zaichaer.

To Regis, Kalzasi was too distant for the word 'rival' to even be considered. He supposed they began from two very distinct positions.

And one of those positions certainly afforded him suspicion. He noticed the hand of the Heir's bodyguard so near to his blade; the sudden shift in demeanor by Talon, who began to act rather inappropriately for a political discussion, though Regis was guilty of much the same. He noted the other man's usage of aether. What Talon likely had not recognized was that Regis was making arcane 'observations' of his own; he was a far more skilled mage than the other man, with many Runes inscribed upon him.

He could see - and in some ways empathically feel - the suspicion cast upon him. If it was not shone to him by body language and physical tension alone, it certainly revealed itself in both of their auras, the bodyguard's especially. He found, however, that this was often the case; people tended not to feel at ease around men like him, representing one of Lorien's warring ducal families. Perhaps not Riens at all; they were far too callous and reserved to be afforded any level of trust, or so most other nationals believed.

In this place, especially. It was more of their myth at work.

"They may watch if they wish. I have no interest in deception, though I would prefer our meeting be concluded without publicity." Just then, a large wave of energy expanded from his own body, only to stretch outward at a rapid pace, expanding to cover all of them in a thin, nearly transparent, bubble-like dome. No sound would be able to escape the radius; it was one of his premier methods of ensuring privacy, when required. It was also the impressive mark of a highly skilled mage.

"As I said, I am the Chancellor for the Duchy of Brandt, in service of House Galbrecht... but it is not Brandt or Galbrecht that I come here to request your assistance in. There is a House we often call our younger brother; often imperiled and in need of our aide, but ultimately certain to bloom and prosper. It is their way, after all... a house of flowers. And we are the wet pail, and we will be, until they wilt." He stared somewhat blankly at the Novalys. It was clear, however, that he had much still to say.

"They will be there soon; wilted. But we have given them much, and we love them so. And they are our hope in the war that is already here, and even more; the one that will soon come. This House that I speak of is House Baringer, the ducal crown of the East End, the residence of Tundraec... or Von Rabe." He further elaborated. Regis was uncertain of how well the Synnekar were educated on Rien affairs -- they did not seem to know much, from his knowledge.

"House Galbrecht and Baringer are intimately close," he started, again. "When one pulls at one of us, they tug at the other: we are aligned, and our enemies wear the same abominable guises; that of crows. And all the many foes they create. The crows have created many adversaries for them -- and they have done unspeakable things to tear them apart. They have encouraged revolution; the sort that calls upon guillotines and vigilante justice against all of money and name. All of this, against the family known for its strive towards equality; for its attempts to lessen the boundaries of nationality and class. A cruel irony."

Regis placed his hands behind his back, though his posture was already sternly straight. He was statuesque, as he stood.

"House Baringer needs aide. More than what we can provide; the Kindred are cunning and control all information. We need discreet foreign assistance, that cannot be traced back to us. We had heard, initially, of your mother's skill in managing the courts... this, from my contacts in the Covenant. But as she shows little more interest than your father in offering us aide, I suppose we could defer the same query to you: will you assist House Baringer in acquiring stability? There is much to be offered in exchange. One thing we offer - when all is fulfilled - is an alliance between Brandt, the East End and Kalzasi, sure to tip the balance of power away from Zaichaer. Our Hollow army can be rather persuasive."

[Talon]

Talon stiffened slightly at the display of control that Regis displayed. He felt the aether flux blossom into motion around them and form a barrier of such iron clad precision it was stunning. Talon was not without skill in the magic of kinetics but he was a far field away from that level of power. The chancellor grew both more interesting and dangerous in his eyes. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Aoren tighten his hand on his belt. He could almost feel the Kathar’s urge to simply walk away from this conversation. It did not surprise Talon. They were speaking of the land of their people’s origins. There was much history there for them, more so for his bodyguard.

“A war that is coming. Discreet foreign assistance.” Talon repeated those two phrases. They stuck out in his mind and pointed toward the heart of what this whole discussion is about. “Your words, Chancellor, are eloquent and poignant. You didn’t come here for an alliance to save House Baringer. At least, not entirely. You came here because you want to kill Kindred.”

Talon knew nothing about these far off Houses and the intricacies of Lorien politics. For the Synnekar, all they had were the stories of their origins and the history of their fight for liberation. Those two things were small in comparison to the long legacy of the ancient kingdom of Lorien, but they were what defined the Synnekar people.

“We hate them. We also fear them. So, we would have every reason to want to assist you in destroying them. There are some issues though, in your plea. What you offer is tenuous and circumstantial at best.” Talon shrugged his shoulders. He folded his arms over his chest affixing the chancellor with a curious stare. He still held on to his vision in Semblance. It offered little and Talon had a suspicion it was because this man had more talents in the way of aura reading than he did. Still, it at least gave him some manner of insight. A cold comfort in the face of someone far more powerful than himself.

“We help House Baringer. What is to stop you from cutting ties if the deed of saving these nobles is done? Lorien has never shown an interest in us before. Why now? What makes the loss of this family different? Love is strong but forgive me for being blunt, what I know of Lorien and its proud history, noble families rise and fall like the tides. More importantly, if these armies are as powerful as you say, what makes these revolts such a threat? People in revolt are strong but don’t forget, Avialae came from the Argent Knighthood and the Lectors of the Omen. We know well how...unique...the Hollow Armies are.” Talon would be an idiot to accept everything that the chancellor said at face value. He didn’t think the man was lying, far from it. There was something about the phrasing of his words however that felt as though he wasn’t sharing the whole truth.

“So my curiosity at present, Chancellor, boils down to those two points. Why us? Why now?”

[Sovereign]

To kill Kindred. He lightly scoffed, though it was not in offense; he was surprised at the temerity of the man's suggestion. "Certainly," he stated. "But that is not why I seek your assistance. We do not need Kalzasi's aide in such matters; after all, the Synnekar are vulnerable to the Kindred, and would pose the threat of total collapse upon us. Each Synnekar we would invite into our ranks would act as an inevitable and unmanageable risk. House Galbrecht and the Pact are more than capable of dealing with the Kindred threat -- but with time. Time, unfortunately, is not on our side," he frowned.

Regis allowed the other man to continue. He had valid concerns, even suspicions, though Regis did not catch that Talon regarded him with a genuine doubt of intent. He was more searching for, perhaps, the 'catch' if there was one. Of course, there was always a risk taken with every diplomatic deal.

"You do not know your history in these matters, I'm afraid," he stated, though it was not meant to be insulting. It was merely a caution to Talon, not to make too many assumptions: he had too little information of his ancestral home at his disposal. He was not Savien, though, content to be ignorant; Regis could see that the Lord-Heir held some level of distant curiosity for the wintry land. There was potential for an agreement, yet.

"House Baringer is the oldest ducal family in Lorien. They have existed for, likely, over three thousand years and have always ruled the East End. While Houses may rise and fall, the ducal families of Lorien are ancient and we have forged our reputations through time. None of us are known for the betrayal of our friends, only the destruction of our enemies. But if it is an assurance you seek, then you shall have one: a variety of things may be offered to you. You are offered a noble marriage to a suitable member of either Galbrecht or Baringer's line of succession, a true guarantor of our deal; you are offered immediate financial subsidies if required. The Hollows must come after, but only because they are presently required for our defense. I will explain."

He opened a Window. It peered into an unfamiliar place, one of cold black stone and gilded banners with the symbol of House Galbrecht and the Northern Pact, though both were unrecognizable to Talon, most likely, outside of being adorned upon the Lector's attire. At the core of the room was what looked like a telescope, obsidian in color and covered in blue-indigo aethereal lines. It seemed to be almost... breathing, pulsing energy outward with an almost curious inspection. The aether even went as far as to outstretch towards the Window, investigating its edges.

Regis smiled faintly.

"This is a weapon the Pact and Covenant have been developing together in order to destroy the Kindred. It is an aethereal mortar capable of moving faster than sound itself; faster than anything you can imagine, with an impact capable of vaporizing a Kindred in a single collision. Von Rabe would perhaps be able to survive a few; not many more. It is the most powerful magical artifact ever built in Lorien's history, and soon it will be completely finished. Hundreds of mages have worked together to bring it to life."

Regis paused, though not for long. He looked towards the Synnekar, and then back towards the mortar-telescope as what looked almost like a wind of aether continued to circle around the frigid interior.

"It is alive," he said. "In the most basic sense. As you can see, it is curious; it is thinking. Learning. Before long we will not even need to direct it; its tendrils of aether will expand out into the distance and find Kindred, only to guide its lethal strikes towards them. Almost like a Hollow; it learns, it bends, it performs. We will have a weapon culling Kindred day and night, hunting them to the fringes of the Valley of White. The only issue is -- we need Baringer. Baringer is providing the materials necessary to continue to research and construct this weapon, and to maintain Pact operations. Baringer is a land of plentiful resources, many of which are very valuable for creating Runeforged constructs such as this. It is also a hub of lorianum, but there are resources that we both lack in the meanwhile to assure our mutual self-defense. Such as... dragonshards," he stated.

"Lorien has Artificers, plenty. Gunsmiths. We have many, many guns divided between the Celebrant and Argent, but not the resources necessary to employ them in full-scale war. Baringer's war with its peasantry is all but inevitable now, and for the sake of our whole nation we must ensure that they win. They need firearms; they need magical cannons, they need the skill of a talented World Mage not already fundamental to the production of the weapon I have shown you. You may not only provide the former, through our dealings, but the latter as well: you can help to arm their Argent and perhaps you may even fight among them. In exchange, marriage and a Hollow army: I mustn't remind you that a single Rien Duchy holds the power of a nation at its disposal. Novalys would gleam as it never has, all by reconnecting with a land its people once called home. A beautiful end, I am inclined to call it. But I am certain you have your reservations."

[Talon]

Talon took no offense to the chancellor’s words. It was clear that Regis was only clarifying faults in the young man’s knowledge or correcting assumptions made in error. As he explained the importance of House Baringer, it dawned on Talon, at least in part, why the family was important to the nation of Lorien. If they conducted themselves as the mage before him said they did, they were a rarity in the much broader world. When the wizard produced the portal showcasing the object that was the subject of what Talon could only guess was the work of countless mages, he was intrigued. So much so that the young Avialae actually stepped up to the Window. Curiosity and the mind of a runesmith shone brightly in Talon’s eyes. To behold such a weapon and even contemplate the manner of its creation was baffling.

“Incredible.” The word came out of Talon in earnest. He had no reservations admiring the magical craftsmanship of others. He righted himself and returned his attention to Regis listening as the more that he had suspected came out. They wanted access to the dragonshard mines controlled by his family, the most extensive and rich in all of the region of Karnor. Not only that, they wanted his own personal skills as a runesmith it seemed. He wondered just how much they knew of his skill, Talon hadn’t really assumed he was known outside the borders of his own homeland. Everything that the mage was offering and by extension, House Galbrecht and House Baringer, seemed to point toward a very bright future if navigated carefully.

“I would correct you on only one thing, Chancellor. No Synnekar that we would send to Lorien would be subject to the control of a Kindred. Such is our gift. One we in turn, can offer our brothers in Lorien if they choose to accept it.” He shrugged his shoulders then went silent for a few moments. It was evident that he was thinking on everything that was before him. The young man paced back and forth slightly as the thoughts whirled in his head.

“Your terms are agreeable. They also provide a path forward where no path existed before. There are only a few obstacles that I can see. Firstly, I know little about Lorien. It’s politics, its people, how they act or dress. Unless I am expected to live in a box the whole time, I would need to know these things in order to blend in. Secondly, I may be mostly unaffected by Kindred but even those with the strongest realization of our gift cannot hide from them. Not without powerful magic of our own.” He stopped his pacing so that he could face Regis.

“I can convince my father. Especially if I frame it in terms he understands, an advantage over Zaichaer. A way to be rid of the Kindred forever. As for my mother, she is why I am here. She convinced him to allow this meeting at all. In exchange, you get access to our dragonshards and...my skills as a runesmith?” He said the last almost as a question. Again, Talon didn’t believe himself so renowned to be well known outside of his homeland. He supposed though, that if Regis were as well-informed as he appeared to be, he shouldn’t be surprised.

[Sovereign]

Time passed. Negotiations proceeded.

Neither party, perhaps, got exactly what they wanted from the exchange. House Galbrecht was known for its shrewdness, and the tactics of its negotiators far from unknown even in foreign lands. Possibilities were raised by those skeptical of the Rien's intentions - generally based around the principle that Kalzasi really could not do much harm to the Duchy of Brandt, and so the Duchy would be able to make and betray any deal in order to suit their needs. The likelihood of them holding Talon hostage and ransoming him was not near-zero; another possibility was, far more sinister, the distant Lords somehow leading Talon to death at the hands of the Kindred in order to force Kalzasi to act in their favor, declaring war against their common enemy.

More possibilities arose. Even if royal marriage was truly what they sought, one could only wonder how long any given house in Lorien would last. It would be a shame to spoil him as a suitor to a dying realm, even if Lorien's dukes were like Kings in their own right.

Finally, a simple agreement was made: gold for dragonshards, and the opening for further negotiations. Perhaps the most important thing regarding Regis' trip was what it represented: that not all Rien were aligned with the Kindred, that they desperately sought aide, and that they were more than willing to work with others against a common foe. Kalzasi had long since disavowed their old heritage, though the Lords of Galbrecht and those like-minded to them could only ask: why?

The possibility of a future coalition against the Kindred rose. Even if it was shaky, uncertain, and still mired in suspicion.

Either way, Talon would not be going. But he would at least have had one taste, if brief, of something that loomed upon the horizon for him and his people: something that always would. The political strife of their homeland was perhaps predictable, or perhaps jarring, but the possibility that Lorien might one day be free of the Kindred... one could only wonder how such a thing could linger upon a Synnekar's mind.

Rewards:

10 XP

Politics: Political Marriage
Negotiation: Trade Deals
Negotiation: Dealing with foreign powers
Negotiation: Promises
Negotiation: There are risks associated with every deal
Kinetics: Sound Barrier

Lorien: House Galbrecht
Lorien: House Baringer
Lorien: The Nobility
Lorien: The Kindred
Lorien: The Northern Pact
Lorien: Hidden Weapon against the Kindred
Factions: The Covenant
Factions: The Covenant: Regis von Graditz

Kalzasi will now begin to trade with House Galbrecht of the Duchy of Brandt, of the fractured Kingdom of Lorien. In exchange for gold, it will sell dragonshards, and the two nations are negotiating the possibility of war aide against the Omen and Von Rabe.