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Velaria and Arielle are in the Locked Room party, talking. They continue to discuss various forms of obscure magic, including spellsinging and Faerie magic, and start trying to learn Faerie magic from the residue of one of Zack's portals. Soon they realize that effort will be futile and ask Jeremy, a crow who knows Faerie magic, to help them.
Cathryn, Zack, Rivka, and Clarissa are at Castle Black, and Ilkandacian is eavesdropping via a bug on Rivka.
Zack is in Morrolan's library, talking with Morrolan. Morrolan has just sent some of Zack's relatives on a mission, and is trying to recruit Zack and the ladies as well.
History: The Jenoi were the primogenator race on Dragaera who created the Dragaerans. Morrolan knows a few snippets of the Jenoan language, which turns out to be Thari. However, the only phrases that he knows seem to be curses against the Amber royal family. Interesting...
The Quest: There are individuals that are trying to rediscover Jenoan magic, in order to overthrow the local Empire. Zack, being a good member of House Issola, is opposed to this, and offers his aid. It appears that the suspects are trying to tap "the two who arrived with the red-haired Dragaeran", since they seem to wield some fashion of that power.
Clarissa, known here as the red-haired Dragaeran, apparently has a rather impressive reputation in this shadow, and Sethra Lavode is planning on demanding her aid in this quest. Morrolan is worried that this could result in Sethra becoming quite dead. Zack agrees to attempt to prevent this minor difficulty be conversing with Clarissa before Sethra.
Cathryn finds out that Mikail just left Castle Black, dishonorably abandoning several arranged duels in the process. She prepares to leave in pursuit, and so seeks out Rivka, who is still playing servant girl and trying to learn the natives' language.
Zack returns to the party and chats with Clarissa, politely asking her for her assistance in Morrolan's quest. She declines, stating a more pressing quest, but states that Zack should feel free to inquire of Cathryn and Rivka. Zack mentions the possible hazardous situation that Sethra may soon be placing herself into, and asks for Clarissa's aid in avoiding the situation. Clarissa agrees to appear to help, in order to avoid having to slay Sethra. Zack reveals himself to Clarissa, and is told by Clarissa about the presence of Cathryn and Rivka.
Rivka and Cathryn arrive at Clarissa.
The four converse on their way up to the Morrolan's library. Clarissa and Cathryn discuss their respective goals once they find Mikail . Cathryn wants to kill him in return for sending assassins after Jesby, and Clarissa wants to further his education. Clarissa states that she would disapprove of any effort that resulted in Mikail 's inability to be educated, and they seem to work out an agreement that Mikail will be brought to House Jesby to be dealt with -- in a non-lethal fashion.
Zachnefaen shifts into his human form, revealing himself as Zacharias to Cathryn. She doesn't appear to like him. They argue for a long time, and a story comes out... Rivka states that Julian is a doofus, and Zack agrees, but justifies his actions out of filial duty. Cathryn is going to duel Julian, as soon as he is found. Zack is one of his seconds, and the other is Fiona. Unfortunately, Fiona and Julian are nowhere to be found, and a duel cannot happen without at least two seconds. Zack claims to be in the process of looking for another second, but having little success.
Rivka gets bored with the argument, and starts smoking (smoke rising off body, not cancer sticks), until Clarissa tells her to stop. Clarissa attempts to cut the argument short by announcing that she will be one of Julian's seconds. The impression is acquired that she will simply shapeshift to look like Fiona, to avoid any complications with the paperwork. The location is discussed. Benedict had suggested the Mazelands to avoid any locational advantages, and Clarissa announces that she (along with an artist) designed the Mazelands, and that she and the artist are the only two who understand the pattern, and that she won't tell, in order to avoid any complications and to cut the argument short. Clarissa also casually mentions that she wouldn't want the seconds to fight -- she's already beaten Suhuy in a duel before, so it wouldn't be very interesting. Hmmm...
Zack, Clarissa, Rivka, and Cathryn finally arrive at Morrolan's library. Introductions happen around, and Sethra shows off by rattling off a long string of titles while playing with a purple marble, which seems to be comprised of primal chaos. When Sethra discovers that the group is willing to aid in their quest, she puts the marble away. Good thing for her...
Rivka appears disconcerted that the conversation is taking place entirely in Dragaran. Ilk considers passing her a translation spell across the bug's link, but decide not to do so, with so many powerful sorcerers (well, Clarissa, actually) in the area.
Sethra makes a few comments in Jenoan (Thari), and Clarissa replies in the same tongue, making Sethra feel that perhaps she isn't a good person to get into a fight with, after all... They chat about the orb, and the recovery thereof by the emperoress, ending the interregum. Clarissa states that the Orb possesses the ruler, and not the other way around. She's definitely been showing off quite a bit recently.
They discover that Morrolan had sent out a previous group of individuals on this quest as well, including Mikail . The ladies determine that the best way to find Mikail is to search in the same area that he is searching. Morrolan hands out sheets of names of suspects to the others; Clarissa acquires a copy of the names that were given to Mikail .
Rivka asks Cathryn why she doesn't just use the Logrus to grab Mikail -- it's dangerous, difficult, and leaves her vulnerable to a similar counterstrike. Rivka is speaking in a common tongue of the courts, since Sethra seems to speak Thari. Clarissa helps Rivka join the conversation by casting a translation spell on her, and at the same time Ilkandacian's bug is dispelled.
Ilkandacian decides that it would be safer to stick a bug on the room in general as opposed to any of the individuals at this point, so he begins casting. Unfortunately, the spell is visible to everyone in the room except for Rivka. Morrolan curses in Thari, and Clarissa reaches out and *yank*s, propelling Ilkandacian into the middle of the library.
Ilkandacian shapeshifts into the Hawklord form that he chose during his previous visit to Castle Black while being pulled in. Upon his arrival, he bows deeply to Clarissa, apologizing humbly in Dragaeran for any inconvenience that his unexpected presence may have caused. He then repeats the apology to Lord Morrolan, and then bows to the room in general. Morrolan flexes his magical muscles in an attempt to be threatening. The attempt fails miserably, since Ilkandacian is far more worried about placating the godlike being next to him and the paranoid heir to House Jesby than a local.
Rivka notices that Ilkandacian is similar to the hawklord that first talked with her, and quickly relays that information to Cathryn, who appears to be expending a serious effort of will in order to not charge Ilkandacian with drawn sword. Ilkandacian quickly starts reassuring Cathryn that he is not an assassin, beginning in Thari, but switching after a few words to a generic Chaos tongue. Sethra appears jealous at the large number of people that are familiar with Jenoi.
At some point during this conversation, Zack somehow recognizes Ilkandacian and gives a quick background to Rivka.
Cathryn states her doubt as to the benevolent nature of Ilkandacian's inquiries after he reassures her that he was merely asked by a mutual friend to investigate her readiness for higher teachings. However, once he switches to an even more obscure tongue - a high Chaos tongue to exclude Zack and Rivka - and mentions Suhuy's name, a clue penetrates her paranoia and she quiets down. Ilkandacian then turns to Clarissa and apologizes in the same tongue for any inconvenience that the clumsiness of his investigation may have caused to her. Cathryn apologizes to Clarissa as well, and just for good measure, Cathryn and Ilkandacian take turns apologizing to Clarissa for several minutes.
Clarissa states that since that little problem has now been resolved, she can now return Ilkandacian to the place from which she plucked him. Despite his protestations that he can arrange for his own transportation, she does so, and blocks him from teleporting or Logrus-pulling into the Castle proper, requiring him to arrive in the courtyard. Ilkandacian is greeted there by the same Issola lady as before, and told that Lord Morrolan awaits his presence in his library. He heads upstairs again from there.
In the meantime, Clarissa, Cathryn, and Rivka *bamf* out to begin their investigation, and Zack leaves the library on foot, returning to the courtyard by a different path than the one by which Ilkandacian is taking in the reverse direction, leaving Ilkandacian walking up to a library inhabited only by Sethra and Morrolan.
Velaria continues conversing with Arielle and Jeremy about magic.
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