Open Chronicles Tea in Maraan

[Ledhros Caur]

A decent crowd occupied the open-air teahouse. Ledhros found a place that wasn't people or pillows and unshouldered his freshly-tuned lute.

"Ladies and lords, the Fall of Coraliv."

Thirteen black warships on bitter cold waves
Their engines and sorceries tore down the wall
For thirteen dread mages and ten thousand slaves
And thus Coraliv became Vel Anir's thrall

The Thronebreakers held the last tower alone
Betrayed by the witchmaster Harrier Wren
The Dreadlords consumed them right down to the bone
And made bloody ashes of three hundred men

Anirian killers let loose in the street
A long night of butchering those who stood tall
And rich men who quailed at the fate they would meet
Thus good souls and vile do the jealous gods call

Remember how Coraliv fell and take care
For proud Vel Anir sets her gaze far abroad
No man can afford now to stay unaware
Lest under the Dreadlords' feet he shall be trod


Ashieron Iesha Caliane Ruinë Sammael White Swallow ​

 

[White Swallow]

The White Swallow began to distribute the cards among the players.
Certainly interesting news, nothing that might interest the old Hakim back at As Nineban though. Though at least for most of these locations, the little bird had little clue where most even stood. The world was massive, but what does that size mean when you only saw to the nearest hill?

And if you could only walk so far on your very own feet before their god would beckon to have them joined.
Truly. A man has to live a thousand lives, and when a thousand lives have turned to one, only then he will be perfect.

»-Do you fear for the safety of the dragons?« Murmurred the White Swallow. » Life is difficult under peace, there will always be those that seek to destroy it.«

A tune began to resonate across the veranda, He turned his head to observe.

 

[Sammael]

"Amol-Kalit is my home."

....Sammael's response to Iesha was to the point though he, himself did not appear to have the complexion of one who frequented the deserts. Indeed, he wasn't as dusky skinned or tanned as one who may have been born to the desert which brought to mind the question of his origin in that place. As for Sammael, he offered no further explanation.

Abstaining from the game of cards for now he would have turned his head when he heard the sounds of a tune being played and a ballad sung. As his eyes set upon Ledhros Caur he would have listened to the sound of the lute which accompanied the voice of the singer...

"Very nice. Well done."

...he'd have said upon the conclusion of the song. Reaching with his right hand Sammael would have fished out a coin and flipped it to the man.

It appeared everyone had joined the card game save himself. Sammael seemed content to watch, his eyes turning from one player to the next, examining their features carefully. He'd already committed so much to memory but there were the little things, the things he looked closer to pick up on.

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

When there were no objections she sat down at the table with Ash, White Swallow and Iesha, gifting the other woman a brilliant smile as she did so. Although she sat in between Iesha and Ash, and both were elves, she kept her wings rigidly tight to her back so they didn't touch either one of them. It was an intimate gesture to touch an Avariel's wing after all.

She took the cards and picked them up, glancing them over. Her lips formed a slight pout; bad hand. She set them back down on the table face down.

"You are a dragon protector?" Cali couldn't help picking up the words with her heightened hearing. She had seen the Dragon Riders and protectors from time to time in The Spine, but their relationship with the Avariel was more a peaceful respect to leave each other alone.

 

[Iesha]

Xyrdithas: 1d20 = (16) = 16
​

Iesha returned the Avariel's smile - the Abtati's now black from the tea - as she placed herself between Ash and herself, making sure to give her well enough room for all of herself, those lovely wings included.

She sipped from her tea, and then drew her hand. It was not a perfect hand, but certainly difficult to beat.

"You are a dragon protector?"

She decided to add to the conversation with a casual question of her own, "I was unaware that such beings required protection. How is this so, if I may ask? Are they not great and powerful creatures?"

 

[Ashieron]

Ash shrugs, “Many of them are almost adults, give them a few more years and the hatchlings are growing fast. I will be able to rest easier once we are away from this side of the world and far to the West. Safe from hunters and Molthal’s persecution of the dragons.” The elf smiles, “So hopefully this is not our last time Swallow.” He’d give his friend in arms a nod before answers the winged elf.

“Yes I am. And to answer your question Iesha. I assume you are too young to know the old days, when dragons were a more common thing. But due to intense hunting and... War basically the dragons are all but gone save a few ancient and an undead one. But one left her brood and me and others of my organization took them in and with the help of other dragons we raised them.” Ash’s eyes were shining with happiness and love for the beasts. “We only protect the youngest ones, not the older ones. The hatchlings, sick and injured are protected within our walls and the others live their lives how they want to, we just offer them a home of sorts, or they can leave it forever of their own free will.“

He’d look at his hand, and look at his great hand before continuing with the same face he wore as ever, “They aren’t all village plundering and city burning beasts, wouldn’t you say Ledhros?” He asks the half elf looking at him, “What brings you here?” He asks him with wonder in his eyes.

 

[White Swallow]

The White swallow returned to listen Idly to the conversation.
The cards within his hands were awful to begin with. Not a single match and hoping for a good draw might just leave him with a pair to the one he just discarded.

Hopefully not beyond repair after some rounds of play?

His eyes slowly shifted towards Ashieron as he mentioned his name. He mused in his mind at least, of great beasts living in harmony with man. Even a single gazelle was dangerous in man's company, a stray kick to the abdomen fatal. Now with dragons and many of them? And here they spoke of sand wyrms as no more than trickery beasts. Animals.

 

[Sammael]

It appeared as though Sammael had little to add to the conversations. At this point his attention lay with the card game played by the individuals who had gathered. He would reach for the cup of tea, now almost empty and raise it to his mouth so that he could drink. The aromatic beverage warmed him, opened his senses and seemed to set him at ease amidst the group while he continued to relax.

When Ashieron started to talk about Dragons his attention shifted. Sammael's brown eyes flicked towards the Dragon Keeper and despite his silence it appeared, at least momentarily that all of his attention had turned towards Ashieron. To many Dragon's were figures of myth, many were dead as had been pointed out which caused Sammael to wonder just how many might still be alive.

 

[Iesha]

Xyrdithas: 1d20 = (7) = 7
​

The corners of Iesha's eyes betrayed a hint of dissappointment on the next go around, but she did well to hide it. She nodded and sipped as Asherion explained the nature of his chosen appointment as a dragon keeper. It was a noble task he'd set ahead of himself, to nuture the dragonlings until the wind found their wings.

Pathetic.
​

If she were to ward a creature such as a young dragon... well. She would have a likely much different approach for how she would "care" for such a powerful, and vulnerable creature. The youngest of their kind - like any other beast - would mold quite nicely under her careful instruction.

​

Her lips curled upward and she settled more comfortably in her seat, "you must have a truly kind heart. I'm sure they will one day repay your benevolence..." she drank once more, her head swaying just so and so slowly with the tunes ringing in her ears. If they don't get too hungry before then...

She leaned toward Sammael then, propping her arm atop her knee and resting her chin against her closed hand, "so Sammael, you don't care much for games?"

There was something about this man that had drawn her in more and more as their little tea-party had progressed. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but then again... he was quite handsome enough for her to take and interest in perhaps finding out just what that was.

 

[Sammael]

When he heard her voice Sammael's concentration seemed to be broken. He'd been listening to Ashieron talk of the Dragons and his role as a Dragon Keeper, it had made him wonder how one might obtain an egg. Not to see it grow to maturity, not at all but rather for another purpose that was far more practical in his opinion.

As his eyes set on Iesha he would have let the small but charming smile tug at the corners of his mouth before he replied to her in a smooth tone, the sort that reached out to caress her as each of the syllables was pronounced...

"On the contrary, Iesha."

...he stated contentedly, his eyes swaying in the direction of White Swallow and Caliane Ruinë who were engrossed in the card game before returning to the Sand Elf...

"There are games being played here on so many levels."

...his statement seemed cryptic, Sammael didn't reveal who or what he was referring to but the way he looked at her may have indicated he could read her, read her body langue, her tone, her eyes. If only she knew what he truly was beneath this facade.

Reaching for the small dish of beetroot cubes he would slide it towards her, offering her one of them before glancing towards his tea. It was almost empty which seemed to indicate he would be leaving soon.

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

A much better hand this time round.

A gentle breeze blew across the veranda catching strands of her hair and lifting them slightly, her feathers fluffing up automatically to protect them against the dust such a wind might blow across. They smoothed back down once the wind had passed and she played her hand for the round.

Cali had a weary respect for dragons - she liked to admire them from afar but had the healthy sense to stay away for the most part. It was the same with the large Griffins that flew around The Spine. Thankfully there were not many airborne creatures in The Spine so they were able to avoid one another with ease. It was interesting to hear that they were planning to move on. Her eyes slid sideways to Iesha and Sammael; it seemed to her they were having two conversations at once. Perhaps, their meeting here was not entirely unplanned. The winged elf sighed and stretched a little, shifting her position on the cushions so she could cross her legs over and scooch closer to the table.

The only other person who seemed to just genuinely want to soak up the atmosphere was the White Swallow so she focused her attention there.

"Can I ask... why was the city attacked, what is this Empire?" a tilt of her head. No such news had reached the Avariel so far removed were they from the rest of the world.

 

[White Swallow]

No choice would be a wise one for the White Swallow, whatever card he discarded he drew a pair for. Certainly, some fiendish spirit was playing tricks on him.
Such is fate, but this was amusing, no other activity allowed for a loss without uncertain death.
The game would continue for now.
People chattered one like lovestruck birds, but the White Swallow, he preferred to remain silent as discourses in the background changed, his eyes travelling from person to person.
They said that the Sayyiduna was a man that could stare directly into your soul. Know your ever hardship and vice, every single struggle in life from a single gaze, before you would even utter a single word.


It was time to present the sets and the White Swallow turned out with a disappointingly low score.