Page 2 of 2
Re: "Wilting in the Light" [Lyra]
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2022 5:36 pm
by Brenner Dornkirk
"Well." Brenner might have blushed if his cheeks weren't so sallow and ostensibly bloodless, "Not that I'm a connoisseur of masculine aesthetics, but male elves do have an effeminate quality about their features that makes them agreeable to look upon." He partly conceded to and partly demurred from her observation.
She seemed to have thoughts about his mention of the Warrens. Piers Lightborn, the ranger Brenner had enlisted to serve as a sort of Sherpa to guide his party through the Warrens, had posited similar guesses to those posed by Lyra. But Brenner could tell that Lyra's postulations, like Piers', were just that: Guesses.
Brenner nodded, and felt compelled to reach for the cool water he'd been offered earlier. He tipped his head back and took a few deep gulps, before stowing it back in its compartment.
"Of course I will attend you there. Anything to ascertain what is afflicting me..." He trailed off, arching his brow and pursing his lips at Lyra's novel demands.
"Understandable, I suppose." He granted, though not happily. He certainly understood her desire to keep her secrets. He had more than a few of his own under lock and key, and she'd proven herself an adept entrepreneur. He'd been quick to point out the potential for profit her Zaichaeri ambitions would yield if they were realised as she intended, and he might have supposed she'd expect the same of him. And yet... Somehow, after their last meeting and particularly after how they'd concluded it, he'd hoped he might be special in her sight. That he might warrant extraordinary attention. But he supposed not. Well. Perhaps when he got his looks back after whatever treatment she afforded him.
"Well, one of the things I learnt from my industrious father is to avoid debt at all cost, so I hope your compensation is aught I can remunerate in haste. Ideally straight away." With that, he glanced out the window toward Lyra's property without. It was nothing like any estate he'd seen on the Zaichaeri countryside... It didn't stand apart from nature, it seemed to coalesce with it. His own family's hunting lodge was a monument to man's ingenuity, intended to flaunt its grey distinction from the greenery surrounding it. This was more of an artful blend of nature and architecture.
"Lovely." He decided, and the compliment was in earnest.
Re: "Wilting in the Light" [Lyra]
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2022 10:02 pm
by Lyra
He seemed disappointed, or so Lyra thought as she looked at him. She did not need to hear his melodies to see the slight drop of his expression. Had she said something that pained him? A part of her wondered why she noticed at all, while the other almost wished to correct whatever mistake she had made. If Naila were here perhaps she could make sense of the reaction, but alas the mercenary was attending to her other responsibilities.
"We shall leave discussion of payment to later." She said simply, releasing the handle and allowing the door to swing open and reveal the arching entrance to her home.
"It is beautiful." Lyra agreed as she accepted the hand down from Salem, "It was completed late last season, just in time for the cold months of Frost. I asked for a traditional style to match other homes in Kalzasi, but I had a hand in much of the design myself."
A path of stones lead up to 3 steps of dark wood that connected with a small deck with pillars that held up the sloping roof on either side of the archway that encompassed a heavy set of wooden doors. Scaled creatures carved into the wood spiraled around the archway, their eyes glittering with a dark light that seemed to stare as one approached. Lyra lead the way to the entrance, gliding smoothly across the stones and letting her fingers trail along the surface of the serpentine guardians for a moment before she looked back at Brenner.
As if on queue the doors were opened by two women in servant uniforms, simple dresses of dark cloth, and their hair tied back in braids that they let rest on one shoulder. Their features were a bit otherworldly, off slightly in a way that wasn't immediately obvious until one looked closer. The one on the left had a pale, blue tented complexion with irises that looked like a star-filled sky. The one on the right had petals of wisteria blooms in her hair, and when she smiled her teeth were slightly pointed. The twins, Mia and Lia were touched by the Fae, that oddness flowing in their blood and giving them equally odd appearances. That was in part what Lyra enjoyed about them. They were unique creatures.
"Welcome home." They said in unison, stepping back to fully open the doors with bowed heads for Lyra and Brenner to walk through. Beyond them was the inner courtyard, and Lyra did not hesitate to make her way inside.
"Would you care for a drink." Lyra asked over her shoulder, "I keep a stock of several liquors and wines, or if you prefer something less intoxicating there is tea and coffee as well. The cook, despite how he grumbles, is excellent at his job."
The old work was in fact a gem. Scuffed, tarnished, and cracked, but priceless nevertheless. It was because of that that Lyra abided by his personality. He was gruff and unlikeable, but Salem had been right to recommend him. Then as if summoned the butler appeared, opening the door into the ballroom across the courtyard as the two maids closed the door to the entrance. The half-elf smiled a sultry smile and bowed, stepping aside so that they could continue on deeper into the manor.
Re: "Wilting in the Light" [Lyra]
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2022 10:22 pm
by Brenner Dornkirk
"Not too much later, I hope." Brenner replied promptly and gravely. "I can hardly agree to render a payment before knowing what it is. I may not like to advertise it, but at the end of the day I am the son of a merchant." And merchants didn't advance their stations by entering into murky deals. He was in rather dire straits, so it would have been hard to decline, but without at least some parameters for the payment, he was rigid enough that he might actually stand the hazard of the die.
"Really? It looks as though it's always been here..." Focused as he was on the landscape, he reflexively reached up to accept the hand that Salem offered him after Lyra was safely down. He turned his crystal blue gaze to meet the eyes of the dashing half-elf, and froze for a moment, bemused. "What? No!" He brushed the hand away and grasped the frames of the door to help himself down unassisted.
As they approached, he was able to take in more of the detail incorporated into the structure. He wasn't quite comfortable around Lyra, but he was relaxed enough to forget from time to time that she was a witch. There was something about the carved creatures' eyes that reminded him she was and that this place was likely enchanted with all manner of wards and charms. He started, when the doors opened, stumbling back slightly. He blinked to find the doors had been opened, not by magic, but by the hands of servants- Just as his own front entrance was manned, so was hers. There was something comforting in that. At least, until he focused on the creatures who served as her staff and realised they were not so like his servants after all.
He wrinkled his nose, unsettled that they spoke as one to salute their mistress. He grunted in response and inclined his head once. If they greeted him as one, he would respond accordingly.
"Liquor would be splendid." Brenner replied, "Believe it or not, it's one of the few things that still seems to agree with me." An odd tidbit, he thought, and worthy of mention. "I tend to favour Gelerian schnapps, but I'll take whatever's on offer." He followed where he was led, clasping his hands behind his back.
Re: "Wilting in the Light" [Lyra]
Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2022 12:43 pm
by Lyra
As he passed through the doorway the eyes of the maids would follow Brenner. The one with stary eyes tilted her head slightly, while the one with wisteria blossoms smiled even broader like she saw something very interesting. They didn't speak to him. Lyra had told them about their guests, and Lia specifically was told to not speak in their presence.
"Perhaps your condition is not quite so dire if you can still enjoy expensive drinks." Lyra said with a laugh. She touched Salem's shoulder as she passed, "I do not believe we carry any Gelerian. I am told that imports from the Imperium are uncommon unless it is done through other trade partners in the region."
"We do have a selection of gin from Zythura, a small cask of mead, and mulled wine from the Dwarven States that were recently imported this season, and a selection of sweeter cream liqueurs from local venders in Kalzasi, as well as Dalquia." The half-elf responded immediately, straightening himself as he closed the door and began to walk with Lyra and Brenner through the ballroom that also served as a banquet hall. There was a large hearth on either side of the rectangular space, with doors leading to the kitchen on the right. The floor was a polished dark wood that was engraved like much of the manor's surfaces were. In fact, it became clear the more one looked that there was an intricate set of repeating patterns in the designs along with the molding which spread up and down the wall and even across the floor. The designs changed somewhat at the ceiling, especially around the deceased magical lights that shone there. The light in the room today came from wall sconces in the shape of serpents, the warm light glowing from their open mouths.
Lyra would wait for Brenner to make his decision before speaking directly to Salem, "I will take the Scaldian Red tonight. Ask Garland to prepare it as I like and have everything delivered to my chambers with refreshments."
"As you wish." Salem said with a bow. When they reached the door to the inner courtyard the half-elf would open that as well for them, giving Brenner a wink before closing it after them, presumably to attend to his orders.
The inner courtyard was larger than the former. It rested in a slight dip in the land with a step down from where they now stood under the overhang. A walkway wrapped the entirety of the courtyard, and doors at all 4 sides lead to different parts of the manor. The courtyard itself had many small gardens connected by stone pathways and even a small pond and stream with a bridge that one could cross. Despite the cold little blackfish could be seen swimming in the bond. Lyra began to walk them around the right side along the walkway.
"I welcome you to my home, and you are welcome to any and all amenities that I can provide." She waved a hand at a set of sliding doors on the opposite walkway, "The guest quarters are through that door. I have asked your rooms be prepared for you, and your things will be collected and brought here this evening."
They passed by another sliding door, through which the scent of herbs and vibrant plant life could be clearly detected. It was also notably warmer in front of this room than the rest of the estate, which had a certain chill to it that could not all be blamed on the weather.
"I hope you will be comfortable here. As comfortable as you can know the sort of woman it belongs to." She cast a knowing smile at Brenner when she paused in front of another set of sliding doors, "You have shown great fortitude thus far in holding your composure."
Re: "Wilting in the Light" [Lyra]
Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2022 1:30 pm
by Brenner Dornkirk
"Not to downplay my condition, but I will say it's quite a relief to have something to balm the discomfort..." He frowned, "I've had a dreadful fever for weeks and my innards are churning like a blood furnace, but give me a tipple and I feel properly lubricated..." He'd taken to carrying a flask around with him, but he'd yet to dip into it today.
"That stands to reason, I suppose..." Brenner acknowledged the dearth of schnapps with a bit of a scowl, "Gelerian imports are much more common in Zaichaer, of course, and being half Gelerian myself, I was always partial to the fare and spirits of the Imperium. I grew up with it." He arched an eyebrow as the butler spoke up, and cast his attentions on the elfblooded creature.
"Gin will serve." He dipped his head coolly and returned his attentions to Lyra with dismissive alacrity. He didn't even notice the presumptuous wink, for how fixed his gaze was upon his hostess as she lodged her order. He waited for the half-elf to excuse himself before speaking further. He trusted his secrets with his own staff, but this fellow seemed overly familiar for a liveried servant and it put him ill-at-ease on top of his already ingrained distrust of the shifty elven races.
"Your hospitality is to be commended." He smiled as he trailed after her, "I shall have to return the favour next time you visit Zaichaer... Dornkirk Manor is conveniently located in the West End, or there's always the hunting lodge out in the country... Do you fancy hunting, at all?" There was a bit of a challenge in the question. Some ladies were squeamish about taking life and he imagined Kalzasi was more sentimental about lesser life than Zaichaer, so he was curious as to where Lyra fell in all that. She had grandiose aims, which meant to him that she oughtn't shirk a bit of blood sport.
"Well..." He chuckled as Lyra posed a comparable challenge of her own. "I will gladly partake of your practical amenities, but I would ask that you not press the boundaries of propriety with too many of the arcane enhancements you've doubtless made to the place. I understand that some of it is passive, like heating and so forth and I shall brook that perforce, but I would forgo any of the more active enchantments. I will doubtless be assessed by the Order upon my return to Zaichaer, and I would not have them find me corrupted by ensorcellments." He followed her through the doors,
"Have I?" He shrugged, "I was reared to be a master of compartmentalisation, Lyra. I reserve my worries for matters over which I have some agency, and the others I abide."
Re: "Wilting in the Light" [Lyra]
Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2022 2:00 pm
by Lyra
Lyra considered Brenner's question, her eyes thoughtful as she had never before been asked if she enjoyed hunting. Her mind went back to the acts in the midden, with that beast of a man who delivered to her corpses from time to time. Lyra herself had been the hunter in a way, though it had never been for the sport of it.
"I would not consider myself a huntress. The enjoyment of the sport is lost on me, I am afraid, for I do not see much purpose in the hunt itself." She thought for a second, "I am more of a collector you could say. I enjoy finding things that are unique, or interesting and making them my own."
She waved her hand at the manor as if to emphasize the point, "Much of what you see here, from the artwork down to those who serve me I have chosen because of something odd about them. So to answer you I would say I enjoy the hunt only when what I hunt is interesting or useful to me or my endeavors." Lyra suspected that wasn't quite the answer he was looking for, but she was not one to lie over a matter of preference.
"I promise you that I shall keep the nightly rituals to a minimum while you are my guest here Brenner." Her tone was jovial, but a quirk of her eyebrow might suggest it was not entirely a jest. With that, she opened the door to her personal chamber and waved Brenner through first.
The room was large and spanned the entire width of the manor proper. It was an open concept, and right in front of them was a sitting area with several plush chairs sitting around a brazier that also held a dark red dragoshard that gave off warmth that fought against the chill of the outdoors. From where they stood they could also see Lyra's bed through an open set of doors. It was big enough to lay 4 people comfortably. To the left was an ornate desk with papers on its surface with several tall shelves behind it, Lyra's office area, while the right side held a set of double doors that were open to reveal a fully stocked library with floor to ceiling shelves filled with books.
"Before we continue further let us enjoy one another's company for a time." Lyra motioned to the chairs, "Refreshments are coming, and we can talk for a time and perhaps enjoy the open bath before we go to take a closer look at what is happening with your body."
Her words were not commanding, but rather insistent. She did not wish to hear any argument for haste, and to emphasize this she sat in one of the chairs nearest the brazier before motioning for Brenner to join her if he didn't.
"Despite your strength of will, I fear what you will see next may be too much without first preparing yourself." Lyra said, hesitantly explaining, "The examination could be unpleasant in more ways than one."
There was a faint note of concern in her voice as she said this, and her brows came together before her brow smoothed into a neutral expression once more. Though Brenner would not know it, in inviting him to her sanctuary was already showing him more favor than was usual for her. She would rather he did not take the experience poorly.
Re: "Wilting in the Light" [Lyra]
Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2022 2:21 pm
by Brenner Dornkirk
”Pshaw… don’t tell me you’re averse to a bit of blood. A woman of your ambitions must surely recognise the boon in practising upon a moving target. Though I can certainly understand how it might be less enjoyable for a mage. Like most things in life, magic probably takes the joy out of hunting by making it too easy. Where’s the challenge in hunting a wily fox when you can sense it’s location and manipulate its will to approach you. Blimey, you wouldn’t even need a rifle!” A bit more of his old energy seemed renewed as he jested thus. The colour didn’t return to his cheeks, but a smile did.
“Ah, well I hope that doesn’t mean you’re keen to add me to your collection. I’m not the specimen I once was, so I doubt I’d cut as impressive an image were you to stuff and mount me…” The euphemistic implications were not lost on Brenner, if one was to judge from the smirk he now wore.
“All the more reason for you to fix me, I suppose, but if being taxidermied is the unspoken cost for your services I fear I shall have to decline. This body belongs to the State.” He accepted one of the offered seats and let out a relieved sigh as he settled in.
“Of course, Lyra. I don’t expect I’ll wither completely to ash whilst we enjoy a bit of refreshment.” Apparently he was at least able to make light of his current predicament, even if it did terrify him. Her next comment did make him a bit anxious, but he did his best to stifle any display of discomfort that might rankle his gaunt features.
“I see… and may I inquire as to what I should be preparing myself for?”
Re: "Wilting in the Light" [Lyra]
Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2022 9:03 pm
by Rune
R E V I E W
Lore:
Brenner: 14
Lyra: 13
Points: 10 each
Injuries/Ailments: None
Loot: None
Notes: