Lost But Not Found [Raellon]

[Alyssum Crow]

Searing 64th, Year 120, Age of Steel

Alyssum didn't particularly favor warm weather, but luckily Atinaw was temperate enough most days. Today wasn't such a day, unfortunately, and her hair felt like it was sticking to whatever free skin it could touch. Not that Alyssum's clothing really showed much skin. If anything, that was probably making it worse. Even her lightest set of clothing covered her entire body, and she refused to compromise and wear more revealing clothing. It wasn't that she was embarrassed, but she herself hated the almost patchwork patterns of strangely colored skin which was splattered across her body. The strange state of her eyes was tolerable, but the phantom pains that cropped up whenever she saw the odd patterns weren't.

Despite her discomfort, at least she could revel in the fact she was home. Or, at least as close to a home as she could be. Raellon territory, and Raellon city proper, were her old stomping ground for a long time. She was born here and it was the one place she couldn't get her mind off of. When everything felt sharp and the world stung, it was the one place she continued to return to. She'd managed to find some of her old camping ground and had gotten herself mostly settled. Enough so to get her feet enough under her to start working her gig. She hadn't been stationary long enough to restock, jumping across the whole of Atinaw with reckless abandon, but unless something important came up she could see herself settling Raellon for the rest of the season and at least until the 5th of Ash.

While Isra's birthday could be observed abroad, it somehow felt wrong to spend Rúnar's birthday anywhere except for Raellon or Hopsfel, with Alyssum feeling partially obligated to make sure it was Raellon.

Unfortunately... things were off in Raellon to the point Alyssum was starting to worry. The whole of Atinaw felt 'off' somehow, not that she could really put into words what she meant. She'd only looked into it partially, but it was worth doing some more digging at a later date if she could. For the time being, she was just wandering around Raellon city trying to get a lay of the land. Pick up any interesting rumors, see what bits of the city had changed, hook up with any old friends that weren't actually dead yet. She really should work on befriending some more Rathari and elven races. Maybe she wouldn't be left on her own so often...

She pushed aside the loneliness to focus on the task at hand, only to run face-first into, well, a familiar face. "Oh... it's you again," she said. Disposition visibly more reserved and muted than any of their meetings thus far. Ears flopped slightly against her scalp and her lips drawn into a thin line. "My apologies..." She said, though it wasn't entirely evident what she was apologizing for, given the way her tone warbled for a moment. "What are you doing here?"

[Taelian Edevane]

The Siltori fiddled with the clasps of his armor as he stood out beneath the warm glow of the sun. Somehow his continued investigation of the Hopsfel bombings had led him here, though he recognized that there was now a shortage of time in discovering the truth. It had been nearly a month since the attacks, which occurred in Sun's Zenith. The close of the season was not far -- and the tides of war could not be held back forever.

He was here by Wylen's invitation; a Thespian of the Covenant who had served Eloise for some years. The man had a vested interest in the wellbeing of Atinaw and as an advisor to House Asmund, he was privy to more information on the Imperium's movements and dealings than most court chancellors were. Perhaps Wylen didn't have much, but he rarely wasted words. He had surely invited Taelian for a reason.

Life, for the past fortnight or so, had been interesting. Taelian had become more quiet than normal -- though he felt he should have been in a confident stride, he spent many of his days quietly contemplating the changes that were approaching him, and how they would interact with the life of his that pre-existed.

He settled the clasps and buckles of his armor into place, one of the belt-ends clapping against his light splintmail and allowing for his arms and shoulder joints to flex and extend more easily. The mage was starting to become a more important person in Atinaw, and being exposed to the dangers this nation's rulers often faced, he no longer felt content to wander through open streets with only thin silks separating himself from a dagger's end.

It was paranoia, he supposed. And that was alright.

As he began to walk through the open area, his eyes averted back down to his clasps and buckles. Taelian lowly grunted as he found that they were still in need of adjustment, despite what had been an hour of fiddling. He'd always traveled in light leathers that were easy to wear, and didn't restrict his movement. He began to realize, though, that perhaps that was simply what plate did -- it was restrictive.

Oh... it's you again, a voice echoed through his ears. A woman nearly ran into him, and it only took an uplifting of his eyes to recognize her, though for a moment or two elapsed he blinked and stared unknowingly. He recognized the face, the form, but perhaps not the name. And perhaps not where he'd met her.

Then, it weaved together. She was that Rathari girl he'd met in Kalzasi -- her name was...

"Alyssum?" he asked aloud, though really he was questioning himself. She was the one who had called herself his friend, though he'd never explicitly agreed to anything like that. Looking back, though, he nearly cringed at his own behavior, always paranoid of the Dranoch as if he were still surrounded by them, like in Sil-Elaine. He had been abrasive and fearful of her for no reason. And based on what he'd learned from the Queen, she was a kin to him, of sorts.

Though she didn't seem particularly jovial at the moment. She seemed... somewhat disturbed. Taelian's brow rose, and he cleared his throat to speak. His eyes squinted slightly as he tried to focus on her despite the overarching glare of the sun.

"I'm here on royal business," he said. It was true, though he supposed he shouldn't have admitted it so easily. "What about you? It's odd to find you here. I thought you lived in Kalzasi...?" he paused. Taelian supposed her accent was very Atinorin, now that he thought of it. Back then he couldn't really recognize the difference.

[Alyssum Crow]

She nodded quietly when he voiced her name, uncertain of himself. She was almost a little shocked he even remembered it. They didn't cross paths often and she didn't seem the type to really want friends as much as she did the first time they actually did come across one another. He also seemed perturbed by unique features. She wasn't shocked. Even among Rathari, Lys could sometimes seem monstrous. While her face was left remarkably free, her arms and legs were coated in vitiligo like some kind of patchwork creation. Her eyes were two different colors and even the animal she was seemed like some kind of sew together monstrosity when it was only the horns, wings, ears, and tail that were visible on her middling form. While the Sharvalain looked unique it still looked normal enough when it was a Sharvalain. On a Rathari she could understand it seeming wrong. That wasn't even accounting for the fact that a lot of Rathari had an appearance that bordered more on humans, while Alyssum's was distinctly more elven when one looked at the structure of her face and form. She tried to keep her two-toned eyes fixed on Taelian instead of her arm which was starting to sting mildly.

"Nope, was born and raised in Atinaw. Actually, I was born and raised right here in Raellon. While they weren't anyone important, I even tutored some of the Finla's kids when they were younger. My uncle, well, adopted uncle got along with them real close. Our kinships used to be tied at the hip before mine started to die out. They don't care about as much anymore since I'm still not as skilled with Runeforging and what not as he was," she laughed but it was a humorless noise as her right hand started to slowly make its way towards her left arm. She flinched somewhat, the whimper actually coming out in a broken noise. "I'm sorry, just a moment..." She said. She started to rub her left arm furiously in a vain attempted to banish the pain. Furiously enough for her sleep to ride up slightly, the sight of her skin certainly reflecting the torn apart and sewn back together nature of her species. The phantom pains of both the wrongness of existing and the actual act of being torn to shreds still seared into their souls if not their direct memories. "I'm sorry," she muttered again after she'd done whatever she could and stopped rubbing desperately at the marks.

She laughed once more, still humorless, but enough to force one her old more jester-like smiles onto her face. "Sorry about that! Happens to our breed from time to time, nothing to worry about," she said. Obviously, by 'her breed' she meant other Rathari, and she was distinctly under the impression that Taelian still didn't understand what she, or what they in general were judging by the way she drew her clothes tighter around herself and flattened her ears as much as possible. It did little for her horns and wings though. With her clothes pressed against her, it was also easy to see just how small the 5'3 Rathari was. Her disposition gave her the air of age and experience at times, when she wasn't laughing and joking and playing the role of the trickster, but her stature combined with the slightest tear gathered in the corner of her eye thanks to the phantom pains really gave the illusion of a child.

"Royal business, huh? I think I've only met the Queen once when I was really little because she'd commissioned a sword from my uncle. She seemed nice," Alyssum's voice started to trail off, for once finding herself at a loss for a topic to bring up. Usually, she didn't have too many issues keeping a conversation running and find a way to involve the other person. She thought she was skilled at it, able to tweak her disposition as necessary, but now she just felt drained. Stuck under the eyes of someone she wanted to befriend but was entirely certain he still hated her. Now her legs were starting to hurt too, stinging like she was about to be torn apart at the seams.

[Taelian Edevane]

As the two of them spoke once more, Alyssum began by informing him that she was in fact from here. And... that she had spent a lot of time in Raellon in the past, as she had been born here. She mentored some of the Finla's children; their Kinships were close, or had been at the time. It was all somewhat lost on him and contrived, as he had such little knowledge on the Kinships of Atinaw and their affairs. Taelian was a stranger in this land still, as much as he tried not to be. He barely even understood what a Kinship was until somewhat recently, due to the auspicious lessons of Lady de Lyonesse.

"I see," he simply replied, offering her a somewhat narrow gaze. Unlike before however, Taelian's hard stare was mostly the result of the sun's overbearing light, rather than any particular judgments he held for the other. The man gestured with his right arm towards some shade, before stepping towards it. It was effectively a curtain-like panel before one of the town's shops, and after stepping towards it he turned his gaze to face Alyssum once more.

While at first Taelian even offered Alyssum the faint trace of a smile, his expression contorted. He began to stare at the woman somewhat oddly. She appeared... distracted -- by pain it seemed, or some illness. The Rathari, who was notably smaller and seemingly more delicate than him (particularly while so cladded by his armor), then began to frantically scratch herself as she winced. He winced too, reactively worried that she might inflict further pain upon herself.

He smiled again, this time sympathetically. Our breed, she blamed -- being a Rathari. He felt that he understood now, after what the Queen had told him of their grim origin. It was relatable, actually. Many Siltori had corrupted wounds, tumors and other similar things, that they would scratch and put pressure on and try desperately to alleviate. But to no avail. Taelian had been lucky in that he occasionally grew some glass-like skin, and that was all. Occasionally fun to play with, particularly as a child. Mostly, worthless.

As he raised the topic of the Queen, the Rathari actually replied to him with relevant - if surprising - information. Luteria must have been fairly old -- she looked young still, but from what he knew Alyssum was significantly older than he was, and if she knew the Queen as a child... it meant Luteria had been reigning for a long time. But then he recognized his own grave mistake: that he wasn't supposed to be speaking of her in the first place. Another blush rose through his features as he began to grow anxious, before attempting to restrain that aspect of his emotions. Even still, he had to ensure that Alyssum did not spread what he'd just told her around.

"I wasn't actually supposed to tell you that I'm working for the Queen... sorry," he frowned. "But, I didn't know she was... aged. And I did not realize that you were from such an important family. I-- why did your Kinship start to decline, if you don't mind me..." he paused. Taelian pressed his lips together and his frown expanded, sinking more into his face.

"Sorry," he said breathily. "I know I shouldn't have asked. I'm... ah, well -- I'm trying to understand this land and the people in it. Its history. It is... in some way a relief to see a familiar face, even though I did not know you particularly well. I'm sorry for the way I was in Kalzasi, Alyssum. I was a different man back then. Now, though, I'm to be married soon -- and I'm happy. I've done a lot for myself and my life. So forgive me for my coldness, if you will. And for my inappropriate question just now," he teased.

He supposed it was possible that she knew the current Finla, though he would have felt wrong attempting to pull on her relationship with him to boost his investigations. It was difficult to ignore the looming deadline of discovering the Queen's traitor, though, and he seemed obviously conflicted and confused.

[Alyssum Crow]

The nerves were visibly on his face when he realized he told Alyssum something he shouldn't have. She herself simply laughed and shook her head. "Who am I going to tell?" She asked him quite plainly. All things considered for the number of friends and acquaintances she liked to claim she had, Alyssum had a very lonely aura that seemed to follow her. This, honestly, was probably an indicator as to why she seemed almost desperate to fill the hungry gap whenever she met someone she could try and make into a friend. Like Taelian. Her expression fell slightly when he continued speaking, though not in an agitated manner. She more so became... contemplative. Her lips pursed and she hummed quietly. "I suppose I can't really forgive you since to me there's nothing that needs to be forgiven. I don't consider myself to be particularly wronger for a simple question, and while perhaps your disposition was cold... it still isn't the worst greeting I've ever received," she actually laughed, seemingly reminiscing one someone who'd apparently treated her worse than Taelian had. Taelian who'd been convinced she was a Dranoch and threw a sword at her.

"The Queen has ruled for about 70 years, give or take a couple. She's kept her rule strong working alongside Junchi, who's the Arc Marinthal. That basically means he's the leader of the navy. A lot of people assume he's an Avialae, but given his age, no one is sure anymore. The two are both something of an enigma to the people, but they seem to be favored since their rule has been a strong one and Luteria took power during a very tumultuous time and managed to keep it! I mean, but then we were still technically at war war with the Imperium. Which leads to your next question," Alyssum paused, her ears which had perked up slightly once again drooping. Her tail wrapped itself around her waist as she chewed on her bottom lip.

"While the Crow Kinship was important at one time it's... lost a lot of its renown and favor now that I'm the only living member. In the Kinship's former glory it was a family of renowned mages and magic users. A lot of us, myself included, focused the vast majority of our efforts into Wolrd Magic, but a number were also skilled in Personal Magic. That's what made us indispensable to the Asmund family. We'd been here just as long and our reputation as just as good. If they stepped out of line then at one point we were the only family that could potentially be a threat and take the position of Finla. Unfortunately, as I mentioned 70-60 years ago, around the time I was born, a war was raging against the Imperium. This is what marked the decline of the Crows, as a large number of the members of the Kinship either took to the front lines or dedicate themselves entirely to the creation of weaponry, armor, and various other items which could be useful to the war efforts. Then to make matters worse a disease ripped through the family while they worked. Few survived, and those that did were rendered unable to have children. The line died out because there were a lack of successors. No one to take up the family practices. That's why my uncle adopted me in at the request of one of his old friends. I'd lost my family to the war and was at an age where I could very easily be taught the family crafts. Unfortunately, after Runar died that made me the only member, and I wasn't able to recover the family glory on my own," Alyssum paused, her expression suddenly becoming bitter.

"While Runar had a good relationship with the Finla family, and I certainly have a few members I favor, I'll never forgive the Finlas themselves for casting my family away like some kind of used glove that'd exceeded its usefulness and worth." Sharp fangs flashed as her lips contorted in a growl while she spoke before quickly smoothing her expression over once more. "I love Raellon. It's my home. I want only the best for it. But something seems... strange lately. Stranger than the whole rest of the country which already seems like its standing on its toes. Gods, I don't want to lose my home, but I'm worried. And it doesn't seem like it's just me, either," Alyssum said.

Her cheeks suddenly flushed and she shook her head. "I'm sorry. You probably didn't want some history lesson, and I'm not sure if much of what I said is actually useful. I apologize if I took any of your time with my babble. Since I was born and raised here, is there anything I can do to help you?"

[Taelian Edevane]

Junchi was someone very important, Taelian learned. Not just some random advisor or side-kick, but actually the leading admiral of Atinaw's naval forces. He felt terribly embarrassed for how little he'd spoken to him, how he hadn't even greeted the man or introduced himself. Despite Taelian's endless court follies he'd somehow still managed to impress the Queen, and that thought boggled his mind. The fact that she had been ruling for seventy years -- even moreso. She'd left Sil-Elaine long before Aldrin's revolution; she perhaps didn't know what a Famished was. Their gap in years was telling.

"I respect her too," he simply added. It wasn't really much to add to the conversation, but Alyssum had a lot to add herself as she returned to the question of the Crow kinship, which he could now name. Alyssum Crow, then, her name must have been.

She described how they had once been prominent due to their magic -- and their services to House Asmund, both as wizards and as Runesmiths. His mind harkened back to Talon and his blade, but only for a moment as his attention remained centered upon her story. She spoke of how they had quite literally lost their numbers due to war and disease, one that left them largely infertile. And that Alyssum had been adopted into it in order to save it. Runar, the man who adopted her, must have been among the last that were numbered by blood. He didn't even know Kinships could adopt people until now. It was sad to think of being adopted into a winnowing family, though -- all she could really tell of them was a recounted tale of their many tragedies.

What she said next struck him the most -- so much that he visibly seemed to hone in on her words. She spoke of how she would not forgive House Asmund, and how she noticed that while the Kingdom as a whole had changed, her realm specifically had begun to feel somehow different or abnormal. She pointed to a strangeness within its leading family, something that the Queen had also picked up upon, but Alyssum's words made it only feel more resounding. He hadn't heard of anything like that with Loregard or Yzranor. Even Wylen often spoke of the detached nature of the House that he served.

But Alyssum's story made it feel all the more vivid: it painted to something strange. Though he did not understand why a family so invested in magic would even consider conspiring with the Imperium, a nation intent upon eradicating it. Perhaps that was why.

He just didn't know. One woman's testimony, based largely on history and personal feelings, could not provide him the truth he needed. But perhaps it could point him in the right direction.

Taelian lowered his gaze and sighed. He supposed it was best to be truthful.

"I am actually investigating House Asmund on behalf of the Queen," he told the Rathari. "I... believe they may be involved in the attacks on Hopsfel that have led to the current state of political affairs. Of course, this is a dangerous accusation to make. I am not even a citizen of this Kingdom, and my evidence is limited. But I do have compelling adjacent evidence -- proof of the involvement of the Gelerian House Reed, and an Asmund ever-more detached from internal Atinorin affairs. I have read in histories of Dukes and such fellows inviting ruin upon their realms -- consorting with foreign Lords. If this is the case with the rulers of Raellon," he continued quietly, "...then I need to know. If you could help me in my mission, then I would be grateful to you. Maybe we can stop the change brewing in this realm before it spills over and burns."

[Alyssum Crow]

The moment the Gelerian Imperium was mentioned, as well as House Reed, Alyssum's jaw visibly became more defined as she clenched it slightly. Her tail thumped against the ground, her jaw only relaxing so she could open her mouth just enough to bite at her bottom lip, an old and worrisome habit she didn't have the current presence of mind to correct. "Gelerian... House Reed," she muttered quietly, the gears in her head quickly turning, apparently clocking into overdrive if the way her eyes darted about was any indication. "That wouldn't make sense, but that would make too much sense, and that wouldn't really work out but it might be okay if you take that into account," her nonsensical mutterings only lasted a spare couple of moments for a figurative lightbulb went off and her eyes flashed.

"If you could spare a moment, come with me," she said, head swiveling in a purposefully discreet manner as she took the vacant streets into account. At the hight of the day, of course there weren't that many people wandering around during Searing of all seasons, but her ears twitched this and that way as the occasional scuff of shoes got too close for the comforts necessary to safely engage a conversation of this one. "I know somewhere that might be a little more comfortable, figuratively and literally," she tugged once more at the collar of her heavy clothing that was necessary in order to hide some of her weirder racial quirks. Sweating like a dog wasn't something she necessarily favored when it just meant more time spent grooming in an attempt not to smell like a sweaty beast. Sure it was Atinaw, and such was the way of the Atinorians, but Alyssum wasn't some kind of muscle beast in armor that barely fit her. She was a petite 5'3 50-year-old (still very young in her own opinion!) and has no business smelling like a bar mixed with a battlefield.

That being said, it didn't really help her case the place she had in mind technically was a bar. An old associate of Rúnar's owned the place. He was an... interesting fellow if that was the right word for someone of his existence but he was willing to give private rooms to old friends as well as patrons willing to throw down a couple of extra coins. A private enough room that anything from assassinations to coups had been planed in them. Of course, a lot of those plans failed, but it was by the merit of their maker's stupidity rather than spies and tattle tongues. If it was unrest related to the Finla, then a word wouldn't be spoken of it. Complaints against all the Finla were frequent in bars like this one. When spoken in a whisper, genuine concerns like theirs would mix with the constant droll of complaints from mostly drunk men and the howled yells of those who'd had enough liquor to bare their fangs.

After getting some kind of affirmative Alyssum was quick to lead the way down the streets of Raellon. Every time she came back there were always small changes. Shops that had gone out of business only to quickly be replaced, new housing areas, small adjustments to the road, but at the same time a lot of things stayed the same. Ancient structures put into place by the longer-lived races. For every human family that spent generations changing their areas of Raellon, there was a Rathari family that had barely gone one making a slow and steady progress. The unique racial blend of Atinaw, and the almost perfect one to one match of Rathari to Human, led to an interesting sort of air to the place. Then there were the even shorter-lived races who made their own marks, generations of Jastai living and dying in what seemed to be the blink of a Hytori's eye. In spite of small adjustments, the one thing that was always tried and true seemed to be the streets she'd memorized as a child. The path to the establishment she was making for was practically muscle memory at this point.

When she got to the back alley kind of bar that Taelian would have easily stood out in if it wasn't for the already strange assortment of people, the only indicator it existed from the outside was a small signboard that simply read Striders in massive, ugly handwriting, as though whoever painted it wasn't used to their hands when they started the project. Upon entering the strange bar by walking down the steps into what seemed like a basement, it was easy to tell this wasn't your average establishment. Every race under the sun seemed to sit at the various tables, talking in hushed or boisterous tones depending on the mood of the table. It really did look like a table of Rathari in the back were plotting a murder, given the solemn expressions they all wore. On the exact opposite end of the spectrum, a trio of tipsy Siltori clung to a bemused look Fae while a pissed off looking Druskai alternated between trying to calm them down and nursing the drink which seemed to be dulling the pain of a disturbingly fresh-looking gash on her left thigh.

No two people in the room were dressed even remotely the same. Some looked like sailors, while some looked like priests straight from a history book. There was the old soldier here or there. Neither Taelian nor Alyssum seemed even remotely out of place when compared to the odd assortment of people popping in and out of the bar dressed as though they'd walked from separate parts of the world or even different dimensions. The bartender himself easily took home the gold prize the moment one's eyes were to land on him. A large construct that looked upsettingly like a mechanical spider sat behind the bar. A tall forebody that was almost human-like was attached to an abdomen that looked like a spider's body or the very end of a ant's. What could only be assumed to identify as a male given Alyssum's earlier statement simply glanced their direction, not even moving his gargantuan rear end which looked like it would take an astronomical amount of effort to dislodge. On his torso were two relatively normal arms, but attached to the massive body were three more sets which doubled as legs were adjustable to the point that he could reach everything set behind him on the shelves, never even having to move to serve up drinks. The occasional bartender passed by, delivering orders, and the eight-armed... two-armed and six-legged? The multi-limbed monstrosity gathered the ingredients and was able to concoct multiple drinks with astounding speed. The Awoken Automaton's abdomen seemed to be where the burning fuel source the majority of automaton's relied on as 'sustance' was located, but it was hard to tell as his ass didn't seem to be literally smoking hot.

Instead of coal or wood, the only fuel he seemed to periodically dump in was a strange-looking crystal which seemed oddly reminiscent of ice or glass. They didn't look like dragonshards, that much was certain, but it was almost impossible to tell what else they could be. Maybe some kind of alchemical compound that specifically wouldn't cause smoke or dangerous fumes since while this place seemed to have decent ventilation it most certainly didn't have a chimney.

Alyssum trotted right up to the counter as though she'd done this a million times and put on a deceptively cheerful smile. "One back room, please," she said.

"Minors aren't allowed in bars, you know," a server with all the best of intentions tried to tell Alyssum. If one was paying attention, the slightly agitated twitch of her tail was obvious and visibly. Alyssum elected to ignore her.

"Backroom," she repeated, her tone just a touch sharper and her smile more strained. "Please, Alturnius," she locked her own gaze onto what could roughly be considered the autonomation's eyes and the creature shook its head with what sounded like a sigh.

"Shallel, far back room. No questions," he said, turning to the server who only grew more confused as the 5'3 borderline malnourished Rathari smiled brilliantly and happily trotted off long before the server could try leading the way, as though this was something she'd done a million times before. Alturnius sighed again. "Damn brat better buy something this time, or at the very least still tip for the room," were the disgruntled mutters of someone who'd very obviously been dealing with Alyssum for the full 50 years she'd existed on this forsaken world.

Alyssum quickly led Taelian to the requested room and got the two of them settled before shutting the door and letting her expression fall to something a bit more serious, though still something that didn't look too serious for a face like Alyssum's. "Now. You said you're investigating the Imperium and House Reed, and whatever ways Raellon ties in. To the best of my awareness, they have connections with the imperial family of Daravin. So just pointing at House Reed and blaming the Imperium is certainly out since just as many people would turn towards Daravin, knowing Reed's got a daughter in their ranks." Alyssum paused, reclining in her chair as her eyes flickered like candles. "However. House Reed is exactly the connection you need to start investigating Raellon."

"While not widely known outside of our lands, it's a well-known fact amongst those of us living here that Raellon married in a noble from the Imperium. The most recent addition was the current Finla's wife. There was a plan to marry her in and then have the descendants either marry or partner up with Hytori until they looked Hytori enough to be considered pure again, since all the current heirs are only a 4th and the Asmunds have historically up until Seriel and his own parents been a Hytori household. I don't know exactly what family from the Imperium married Seriel, but it would be worth digging around incase her lovely ladyship just so happens to have associations with House Reed. They wouldn't be as audacious as to marry in a main member, marrying into Atinaw would be a lot harder than buying their way into Daravin. However, a branch house would be as difficult to conceal and it would be easier to pay off. We're a proud people, so whoever she is she must have jumped the right hoops to be a marry in. Even for an alliance or some secret pact, Atnorians are who they are and wouldn't have abided it otherwise," Alyssum paused for a moment, her eyes trailing upwards as though she was trying to think of something.

"I know one of Seriel's full sisters. I also know a couple of his kids. Unfortunately, the sister married out and none of the kids I know are likely to become Finla, so I don't think they're useful resources. What could be useful are the nannies, the maids, the butlers, the various servants, and tutors. It's not an extensive list, but if you want help, I've got names. This is my country. My home. I am not a fighter, but I'll be damned if I don't fight tooth and claw to keep some ruthless anti-mage fuckwits like the Imperium bastards out of my territory." Her fur visibly bristled as she spoke, and it was easy enough to tell she was being honest. While not unskilled when it came to lying, the topic made it obvious enough she was wearing her heart on her sleeve. She wanted to help. The question was if Taelian wanted it.