(no subject)

Tempest Flight, Safe Landing [18 Lage 4261]

And so the arrangements were tentatively made. "I will do my best to talk the Duke into agreeing with this! I can't promise anything. Though I can't imagine that the Duke will refuse this arrangement."

And so Vae did another ridiculously complicated thing, simultaneously sending us to the Tavern and sending the illusions of us to the sky. She's not elegant about it. She probably could have done it ten complexity less, and without relying on her tremendous power to make the paired teleports happen so fast.

So we dined on grilled zabouf with a sauce of pureed lobsters and apples, and, oh, I can't remember what else. Vae was much more relaxed, and ... it's still very pecular, watching someone display signs of obvious physical delight whenever the waiter hands them a dish of fish, or refills their water glass. Of course, it was even more peculiar when she was biting her arm to shreds and healing it. One must expect the peculiar from nendrai, I suppose.

I tried to be safe and sensible and diplomatic. It's tricky business with a nendrai, even a nendrai who is trying her best to be friendly too.

Me:"Where do you live? What sort of a place is it?"

Vae:"A sort of manifold nest of sticks and boards and roots and Locador-stiffenings it is, underneath Vheshrame, more or less. No very nice neighborhood, though the view is exceptional."

Me:"It sounds unique and remarkable at any rate!"

Vae:"You should come to see it!"

Which is not at all the response I wanted. I did my best to distract her.

Me:"You seem to enjoy Locador spells considerably! You have cast some quite impressive ones."

Vae:"Oh, truly! Locador's my favoritemost of the arts. Well, except Healoc of course." (Nendrai can never get Healoc, and given how much she injures herself on a simple social visit, she must need it.) "I've a bit more reach in Locador than anything else..."

She twisted a bit of the essential world into a long forking snakey sort of thing, reaching outward into terrible places. Something tugged at it from the outside. She tranformed her forky snake into a fierce fearsome clawed paw and ripped bits off the whatever-it-was. If I'd had reference books from Prof. Ili's course available at the time I would have been more intensely terrified than any time ever before, but I was fortunately ignorant and was simply intensely terrified.

After about six hundred and fifty years, the luncheon was over. Neither Seeks-A-Peaceful-Solution nor I had been transformed hideously. We didn't even pay the tab -- Seeks-A-Peaceful-Solution showed some sort of Vheshrame letter of credit, and said that the city would pay.

Vae smiled at me, all innocent and happy, and teleported to her lair.

Seeks-A-Peaceful-Solution said, "Well, that didn't go badly at all."

"Except for the part where she nearly ripped a hole in the side of the universe," I said.

"I missed that ... oh, that Locador thing? I couldn't follow that," she said. I explained it inadequately, and told her to ask Prof. Ili for more details.

"Well, glad she swatted it off, then. Shall we ride on up the Alamme, or off to the hills?"

"Strenata? We just talked a nendrai out of having an independent life. Can we go home?"

"And miss most of the ride?" said Seeks-A-Peaceful-Solution. "I've been looking forward to this for days -- its the first time I've been Nestrune-free outside the city this summer!"

"I want city walls around me. More than anything else I want city walls."

"Well, I suppose I can see that," she said, and Shadowfrog (despite being disappointed at having the excursion cut short) bore us home at a moderate gallop. Strenata changed her name to "Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration".

(no subject)

Tempest Flight, Safe Landing [18 Lage 4261]

And so the arrangements were tentatively made. "I will do my best to talk the Duke into agreeing with this! I can't promise anything. Though I can't imagine that the Duke will refuse this arrangement."

And so Vae did another ridiculously complicated thing, simultaneously sending us to the Tavern and sending the illusions of us to the sky. She's not elegant about it. She probably could have done it ten complexity less, and without relying on her tremendous power to make the paired teleports happen so fast.

So we dined on grilled zabouf with a sauce of pureed lobsters and apples, and, oh, I can't remember what else. Vae was much more relaxed, and ... it's still very pecular, watching someone display signs of obvious physical delight whenever the waiter hands them a dish of fish, or refills their water glass. Of course, it was even more peculiar when she was biting her arm to shreds and healing it. One must expect the peculiar from nendrai, I suppose.

I tried to be safe and sensible and diplomatic. It's tricky business with a nendrai, even a nendrai who is trying her best to be friendly too.

Me:"Where do you live? What sort of a place is it?"

Vae:"A sort of manifold nest of sticks and boards and roots and Locador-stiffenings it is, underneath Vheshrame, more or less. No very nice neighborhood, though the view is exceptional."

Me:"It sounds unique and remarkable at any rate!"

Vae:"You should come to see it!"

Which is not at all the response I wanted. I did my best to distract her.

Me:"You seem to enjoy Locador spells considerably! You have cast some quite impressive ones."

Vae:"Oh, truly! Locador's my favoritemost of the arts. Well, except Healoc of course." (Nendrai can never get Healoc, and given how much she injures herself on a simple social visit, she must need it.) "I've a bit more reach in Locador than anything else..."

She twisted a bit of the essential world into a long forking snakey sort of thing, reaching outward into terrible places. Something tugged at it from the outside. She tranformed her forky snake into a fierce fearsome clawed paw and ripped bits off the whatever-it-was. If I'd had reference books from Prof. Ili's course available at the time I would have been more intensely terrified than any time ever before, but I was fortunately ignorant and was simply intensely terrified.

After about six hundred and fifty years, the luncheon was over. Neither Seeks-A-Peaceful-Solution nor I had been transformed hideously. We didn't even pay the tab -- Seeks-A-Peaceful-Solution showed some sort of Vheshrame letter of credit, and said that the city would pay.

Vae smiled at me, all innocent and happy, and teleported to her lair.

Seeks-A-Peaceful-Solution said, "Well, that didn't go badly at all."

"Except for the part where she nearly ripped a hole in the side of the universe," I said.

"I missed that ... oh, that Locador thing? I couldn't follow that," she said. I explained it inadequately, and told her to ask Prof. Ili for more details.

"Well, glad she swatted it off, then. Shall we ride on up the Alamme, or off to the hills?"

"Strenata? We just talked a nendrai out of having an independent life. Can we go home?"

"And miss most of the ride?" said Seeks-A-Peaceful-Solution. "I've been looking forward to this for days -- its the first time I've been Nestrune-free outside the city this summer!"

"I want city walls around me. More than anything else I want city walls."

"Well, I suppose I can see that," she said, and Shadowfrog (despite being disappointed at having the excursion cut short) bore us home at a moderate gallop. Strenata changed her name to "Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration".

(no subject)

Originally published at Sythyry. Please leave any comments there.

Tempest Flight, Safe Landing [18 Lage 4261]

And so the arrangements were tentatively made. “I will do my
best to talk the Duke into agreeing with this! I can’t
promise anything. Though I can’t imagine that the Duke will
refuse this arrangement.”

And so Vae did another ridiculously complicated thing,
simultaneously sending us to the Tavern and sending the
illusions of us to the sky. She’s not elegant about it.
She probably could have done it ten complexity less, and
without relying on her tremendous power to make the
paired teleports happen so fast.

So we dined on grilled zabouf with a sauce of pureed
lobsters and apples, and, oh, I can’t remember what else.
Vae was much more relaxed, and … it’s still very pecular,
watching someone display signs of obvious physical delight
whenever the waiter hands them a dish of fish, or refills
their water glass. Of course, it was even more peculiar
when she was biting her arm to shreds and healing it. One
must expect the peculiar from nendrai, I suppose.

I tried to be safe and sensible and diplomatic. It’s tricky
business with a nendrai, even a nendrai who is trying her
best to be friendly too.

Me:“Where do you live? What sort of a place is
it?”

Vae:“A sort of manifold nest of sticks and
boards and roots and Locador-stiffenings it is, underneath
Vheshrame, more or less. No very nice neighborhood, though
the view is exceptional.”

Me:“It sounds unique and remarkable at any
rate!”

Vae:“You should come to see it!”

Which is not at all the response I wanted. I did my best
to distract her.

Me:“You seem to enjoy Locador spells
considerably! You have cast some quite impressive
ones.”

Vae:“Oh, truly! Locador’s my favoritemost of
the arts. Well, except Healoc of course.” (Nendrai
can never get Healoc, and given how much she injures herself
on a simple social visit, she must need it.) “I’ve a bit
more reach in Locador than anything else…”

She twisted a bit of the essential world into a long forking
snakey sort of thing, reaching outward into terrible
places. Something tugged at it from the outside. She
tranformed her forky snake into a fierce fearsome clawed
paw and ripped bits off the whatever-it-was. If I’d had
reference books from Prof. Ili’s course available at the time I would have been more
intensely terrified than any time ever before, but I was
fortunately ignorant and was simply intensely terrified.

After about six hundred and fifty years, the luncheon was
over. Neither Seeks-A-Peaceful-Solution nor I had been
transformed hideously. We didn’t even pay the tab —
Seeks-A-Peaceful-Solution showed some sort of Vheshrame
letter of credit, and said that the city would pay.

Vae smiled at me, all innocent and happy, and teleported to
her lair.

Seeks-A-Peaceful-Solution said, “Well, that didn’t go badly
at all.”

“Except for the part where she nearly ripped a hole in the
side of the universe,” I said.

“I missed that … oh, that Locador thing? I couldn’t
follow that,” she said. I explained it inadequately, and
told her to ask Prof. Ili for more details.

“Well, glad she swatted it off, then. Shall we ride on up
the Alamme, or off to the hills?”

“Strenata? We just talked a nendrai out of having an
independent life. Can we go home?”

“And miss most of the ride?” said
Seeks-A-Peaceful-Solution. “I’ve been looking forward to
this for days — its the first time I’ve been Nestrune-free
outside the city this summer!”

“I want city walls around me. More than anything else I
want city walls.”

“Well, I suppose I can see that,” she said, and Shadowfrog
(despite being disappointed at having the excursion cut
short) bore us home at a moderate gallop. Strenata changed
her name to “Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration”.

(no subject)

Originally published at Sythyry. Please leave any comments there.

Tempest Flight, Safe Landing [18 Lage 4261]

And so the arrangements were tentatively made. “I will do my
best to talk the Duke into agreeing with this! I can’t
promise anything. Though I can’t imagine that the Duke will
refuse this arrangement.”

And so Vae did another ridiculously complicated thing,
simultaneously sending us to the Tavern and sending the
illusions of us to the sky. She’s not elegant about it.
She probably could have done it ten complexity less, and
without relying on her tremendous power to make the
paired teleports happen so fast.

So we dined on grilled zabouf with a sauce of pureed
lobsters and apples, and, oh, I can’t remember what else.
Vae was much more relaxed, and … it’s still very pecular,
watching someone display signs of obvious physical delight
whenever the waiter hands them a dish of fish, or refills
their water glass. Of course, it was even more peculiar
when she was biting her arm to shreds and healing it. One
must expect the peculiar from nendrai, I suppose.

I tried to be safe and sensible and diplomatic. It’s tricky
business with a nendrai, even a nendrai who is trying her
best to be friendly too.

Me:“Where do you live? What sort of a place is
it?”

Vae:“A sort of manifold nest of sticks and
boards and roots and Locador-stiffenings it is, underneath
Vheshrame, more or less. No very nice neighborhood, though
the view is exceptional.”

Me:“It sounds unique and remarkable at any
rate!”

Vae:“You should come to see it!”

Which is not at all the response I wanted. I did my best
to distract her.

Me:“You seem to enjoy Locador spells
considerably! You have cast some quite impressive
ones.”

Vae:“Oh, truly! Locador’s my favoritemost of
the arts. Well, except Healoc of course.” (Nendrai
can never get Healoc, and given how much she injures herself
on a simple social visit, she must need it.) “I’ve a bit
more reach in Locador than anything else…”

She twisted a bit of the essential world into a long forking
snakey sort of thing, reaching outward into terrible
places. Something tugged at it from the outside. She
tranformed her forky snake into a fierce fearsome clawed
paw and ripped bits off the whatever-it-was. If I’d had
reference books from Prof. Ili’s course available at the time I would have been more
intensely terrified than any time ever before, but I was
fortunately ignorant and was simply intensely terrified.

After about six hundred and fifty years, the luncheon was
over. Neither Seeks-A-Peaceful-Solution nor I had been
transformed hideously. We didn’t even pay the tab —
Seeks-A-Peaceful-Solution showed some sort of Vheshrame
letter of credit, and said that the city would pay.

Vae smiled at me, all innocent and happy, and teleported to
her lair.

Seeks-A-Peaceful-Solution said, “Well, that didn’t go badly
at all.”

“Except for the part where she nearly ripped a hole in the
side of the universe,” I said.

“I missed that … oh, that Locador thing? I couldn’t
follow that,” she said. I explained it inadequately, and
told her to ask Prof. Ili for more details.

“Well, glad she swatted it off, then. Shall we ride on up
the Alamme, or off to the hills?”

“Strenata? We just talked a nendrai out of having an
independent life. Can we go home?”

“And miss most of the ride?” said
Seeks-A-Peaceful-Solution. “I’ve been looking forward to
this for days — its the first time I’ve been Nestrune-free
outside the city this summer!”

“I want city walls around me. More than anything else I
want city walls.”

“Well, I suppose I can see that,” she said, and Shadowfrog
(despite being disappointed at having the excursion cut
short) bore us home at a moderate gallop. Strenata changed
her name to “Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration”.

(no subject)

Star Chamber [18 Lage 4261]

It was probably a good idea to go right back to the city. Within two-thirds of an hour of coming through the gate, we found ourselves in a very small and very elegant parlor, with Kaim-Su, Hezimikkinen, and the Duke.

This is not a routine thing. First of all, Hezimikkinen and the Duke don't particularly like each other. Second, the Duke is rarely without counsellors and assistants. Third, the Duke rarely takes a quick personal hand in matters unless he is very concerned indeed.

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration made me tell the story. She added details of the negotiation, when the Duke asked. She recommended that I write a full account of it for the city records, since I do that kind of thing anyways. You're not reading it, by the way. You're reading the more honest and less truthful one that I'm writing for myself. More snarky, too. Those are the honest bits that I left out of the official report.

Hezimikkinen's Half-Siblingly Concern

After some discussion...

Hezimikkinen:"Strenata, it's good to have something for which we can publicly thank you. But, why did you get Sythyry involved in this, by the seven knives?"

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration:"By the wicked and willful act of having Vae ignore the proposed date in the letter I sent, and seek me out three days before, when I was out riding with a good friend." If she intended to involve me, she's hiding it from Hezimikkinen.

Hezimikkinen:"The permanant position, I mean. What makes you think Sythyry can even do the job?" Hezimikkinen does not properly appreciate my virtues and skills.

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration:"Sythyry's quite inoffensive. I know for a fact that zie detests two people who meet zir regularly and don't have the slightest inkling of zir detestation. Which would seem to be the crucial skill in this job."

Me:"Who?"

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration:"Iska and Dubaille."

Me:"Right. Iska and Dubaille."

Hezimikkinen:"I forbid it." I was delighted that Hezimikkinen does not fully appreciate my virtues and skills.

Duke:"Hezimikkinen, I understand you are charged with your half-sibling's safety. I am charged with my city's safety, which takes precedence. Sythyry, you are to attend to Vaisessasilmin's commerce as arranged. I scarcely need say that you are to pay close attention to her moods and opinions, and give us the best notice possible before she performs some hideous crime."

Me:"I will, Your Grace." Which is to say, "Please please please no!"

Duke:"I must say I'm more comfortable having Hezimikkinen's noble and educated half-sibling in charge of this than that commoner."

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration:"This particular commoner has done well enough so far, Your Grace!"

Duke:"Pah. Not you, Strenata. Greekstripes, or whoever that Herethroy farmer cosi is."

Kaim-Su:"Greenspikes. Who didn't do a very good job."

(Greenspikes was indeed nobody in particular, who had happened to be friendly with a young and lost and bewildered Orren boy last year: Vae's first disguise.)

Me:"Why can't Strenata do it? She's done excellently so far."

Kaim-Su:"I don't want her to waste too much time from her important projects."

Me:"Important projects?"

Nobody answered me.

Duke:"And having an immortal befriend an immortal is a nice piece of strategy ... well, long-term tactics, at least. We won't have to keep finding new friends for her and making sure the new ones are really friends." He smirked at Hezimikkinen's. "Unless you'd like to do it, my dear?"

Hezimikkinen:"That is not a suitable alternative."

Duke:"Not a bit. You are far, far from inoffensive; your half-sibling is much more suitable. For that matter, I imagine any servant in the palace would be much more suitable."

Hezimikkinen:"Send a servant then."

Me:"That sounds good!"

Duke:"Strenata's arrangement stands."

Me:[Thought but not spoken"That sounds bad!

Hezimikkinen and Me:"Yes, Your Grace."

The Final Analysis

After much discussion...

Duke:"Simply evicting her is, thus, not an option; she is more or less unable to leave, and will return. "

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration:"I'm fairly sure of it, Your Grace."

Duke:"If we kill her, how much will it cost us?"

Kaim-Su:"That depends on how good she is, which we still do not know. She's been cagy. If she's the standard N. magus with complexity 60 ..."

Me:"She's not."

Almost everyone:"Oh?"

Me:"She cast one spell of complexity about a hundred, and another one a touch less, Your Grace. She said she's a bit better at Locador, which both were. I'd guess she's got about 80 generically, and 100 in Locador."

Duke:"How sure are you?"

Me:"Not quite sure, Your Grace! I doubt I'm off by more than ten, though. And she might not have shown her full abilities."

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration:"It's more than she showed in less guarded times, Your Grace. She was very rattled today."

Duke:"Confirm that with an expert, Sythyry." (I did, that afternoon. I was right.)

Kaim-Su:"Have the expert bill the guard." (I did, that afternoon. It was high.)

Duke:"Nicely done to check that, by the way."

I spent a long while glowing.

Kaim-Su:"Assuming Sythyry's right, I should think that killing her would cost roughly as much as a hate-war with Pshent, and carries a much higher risk for destruction to our countryside and towns."

Duke:"Confirm that with an expert."

Kaim-Su:"I am your expert."

Duke:"I know that. Confirm it with yourself. I don't want to make permanant policy based on ten seconds of casual thought. Not even yours."

Kaim-Su:"Very well, Your Grace." Which was the only time either Kaim-Su or Hezimikkinen used the proper form of address.

Duke:"Assuming that you're right, we don't really have much of a way to enforce our side of the arrangement. The city is safe. Obviously she can travel near the forts with impunity. And the rest of the countryside could be her plaything."

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration:[with a lazy smile]"Oh, it's not so bad as that, Your Grace."

Duke:"Oh?"

Strenata pulled out the handkerchief she had made for Vae, and said with a big grin, "We have her eye's blood and her eye's tears." (And, yes, a good wizard can work for a while and do some quite remarkable things with that deep a connection to her -- in subtle ways that child's magic, even her kaiju-sized child's magic, will have trouble protecting her from very well.)

Nobody said anything for a moment. Then the Duke stood up, and curtsied to her, and said, "Well done, Baron Strenata."

Strenata demonstrated quite clearly that she has more presence of mind near a semi-hostile nendrai than near a wholly admiring Duke. She didn't manage to say a coherent sentence for the next third of an hour.

Also I shall have to tease her mercilessly about having a title now, considering all the arguments she's had with everyone that titles are worthless and pernicious things.

The General Aftermath

The Duke and such agreed to the arrangement that Strenata negotiated, more or less. The display of power is to be explicitly harmless -- we have a good plan. And it is to be a display of emphatic power, saying that Vae is one of the newest varieties of nendrai, more imposing than the older ones.

(Gnarn, it seems, makes the species more powerful every few centuries, as primes get more powerful, rather than inventing wholly new monsters. They seem to be a particular favorite of hers.)

Incidentally, I consider an alliance with a nendrai to be fairly pernicious and wrong. But this is the duke who made alliance with ulgrane, which is worse. I am not so proud of Vheshrame today.

My Aftermath, part 1

I have been officially appointed "Ambassador to Vaisessasilmin." This title carries, as far as I can tell, nothing but duties with it -- shopping duties, and duties of befriending and spying on the beast. I whined to Anoof about that. He pointed out that I'm already a noble and ought to do some appropriate noble things to justify it, rather than just have a good species. (He also pointed out that it's a good start for an imposing political career, which, of course, I Very Much Do Not Want.)

Me:"This is a very dangerous job!"

Seeks-Mental-Equilibrium:"Not really. It'll be like this afternoon. You or I have what she wants. All she's got is insanely large amounts of utterly freaky magic. You win, no contest."

This would be more reassuring if it were not obvious that the Duke and all consider Vae to be only slightly less of a threat than the city-state of Pshent.

And I'm supposed to study nendrai at the Academy. Or somewhere else if there's no-one in the Academy good enough. Starting now, and dropping enough of my other classes so I have enough time for it.

~Mother~ will be so ... so ... I have not the slightest idea how zie will react.

My Aftermath, part 2

Ilottat was waiting in my room at Quelldrie House.

This is the first time he's come to Quelldrie House openly to see me. The first time he's been open with, say, Jarmiet, or Ghirbis, or whoever, about being my boyfriend.

He had been very worried about me. There were all sorts of rumors that I'd run into the nendrai and then been snagged by the Duke, and such things have quite some potential for awful harm. I should have sent him a note -- but of course he doesn't like being sent notes from me, or didn't.

He comforted me very well and very properly after an exceedingly alarming day.

Anyways, he loves me. He cares about me. He worries about me! He knows enough to take me to the Sloop in Soup when I'm entirely upset and jangled. And he'll acknowledge these things in public, even, when the situation's grave enough.

Which makes up for everything else that happened today, I think. At least for now.

(no subject)

Star Chamber [18 Lage 4261]

It was probably a good idea to go right back to the city. Within two-thirds of an hour of coming through the gate, we found ourselves in a very small and very elegant parlor, with Kaim-Su, Hezimikkinen, and the Duke.

This is not a routine thing. First of all, Hezimikkinen and the Duke don't particularly like each other. Second, the Duke is rarely without counsellors and assistants. Third, the Duke rarely takes a quick personal hand in matters unless he is very concerned indeed.

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration made me tell the story. She added details of the negotiation, when the Duke asked. She recommended that I write a full account of it for the city records, since I do that kind of thing anyways. You're not reading it, by the way. You're reading the more honest and less truthful one that I'm writing for myself. More snarky, too. Those are the honest bits that I left out of the official report.

Hezimikkinen's Half-Siblingly Concern

After some discussion...

Hezimikkinen:"Strenata, it's good to have something for which we can publicly thank you. But, why did you get Sythyry involved in this, by the seven knives?"

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration:"By the wicked and willful act of having Vae ignore the proposed date in the letter I sent, and seek me out three days before, when I was out riding with a good friend." If she intended to involve me, she's hiding it from Hezimikkinen.

Hezimikkinen:"The permanant position, I mean. What makes you think Sythyry can even do the job?" Hezimikkinen does not properly appreciate my virtues and skills.

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration:"Sythyry's quite inoffensive. I know for a fact that zie detests two people who meet zir regularly and don't have the slightest inkling of zir detestation. Which would seem to be the crucial skill in this job."

Me:"Who?"

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration:"Iska and Dubaille."

Me:"Right. Iska and Dubaille."

Hezimikkinen:"I forbid it." I was delighted that Hezimikkinen does not fully appreciate my virtues and skills.

Duke:"Hezimikkinen, I understand you are charged with your half-sibling's safety. I am charged with my city's safety, which takes precedence. Sythyry, you are to attend to Vaisessasilmin's commerce as arranged. I scarcely need say that you are to pay close attention to her moods and opinions, and give us the best notice possible before she performs some hideous crime."

Me:"I will, Your Grace." Which is to say, "Please please please no!"

Duke:"I must say I'm more comfortable having Hezimikkinen's noble and educated half-sibling in charge of this than that commoner."

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration:"This particular commoner has done well enough so far, Your Grace!"

Duke:"Pah. Not you, Strenata. Greekstripes, or whoever that Herethroy farmer cosi is."

Kaim-Su:"Greenspikes. Who didn't do a very good job."

(Greenspikes was indeed nobody in particular, who had happened to be friendly with a young and lost and bewildered Orren boy last year: Vae's first disguise.)

Me:"Why can't Strenata do it? She's done excellently so far."

Kaim-Su:"I don't want her to waste too much time from her important projects."

Me:"Important projects?"

Nobody answered me.

Duke:"And having an immortal befriend an immortal is a nice piece of strategy ... well, long-term tactics, at least. We won't have to keep finding new friends for her and making sure the new ones are really friends." He smirked at Hezimikkinen's. "Unless you'd like to do it, my dear?"

Hezimikkinen:"That is not a suitable alternative."

Duke:"Not a bit. You are far, far from inoffensive; your half-sibling is much more suitable. For that matter, I imagine any servant in the palace would be much more suitable."

Hezimikkinen:"Send a servant then."

Me:"That sounds good!"

Duke:"Strenata's arrangement stands."

Me:[Thought but not spoken"That sounds bad!

Hezimikkinen and Me:"Yes, Your Grace."

The Final Analysis

After much discussion...

Duke:"Simply evicting her is, thus, not an option; she is more or less unable to leave, and will return. "

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration:"I'm fairly sure of it, Your Grace."

Duke:"If we kill her, how much will it cost us?"

Kaim-Su:"That depends on how good she is, which we still do not know. She's been cagy. If she's the standard N. magus with complexity 60 ..."

Me:"She's not."

Almost everyone:"Oh?"

Me:"She cast one spell of complexity about a hundred, and another one a touch less, Your Grace. She said she's a bit better at Locador, which both were. I'd guess she's got about 80 generically, and 100 in Locador."

Duke:"How sure are you?"

Me:"Not quite sure, Your Grace! I doubt I'm off by more than ten, though. And she might not have shown her full abilities."

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration:"It's more than she showed in less guarded times, Your Grace. She was very rattled today."

Duke:"Confirm that with an expert, Sythyry." (I did, that afternoon. I was right.)

Kaim-Su:"Have the expert bill the guard." (I did, that afternoon. It was high.)

Duke:"Nicely done to check that, by the way."

I spent a long while glowing.

Kaim-Su:"Assuming Sythyry's right, I should think that killing her would cost roughly as much as a hate-war with Pshent, and carries a much higher risk for destruction to our countryside and towns."

Duke:"Confirm that with an expert."

Kaim-Su:"I am your expert."

Duke:"I know that. Confirm it with yourself. I don't want to make permanant policy based on ten seconds of casual thought. Not even yours."

Kaim-Su:"Very well, Your Grace." Which was the only time either Kaim-Su or Hezimikkinen used the proper form of address.

Duke:"Assuming that you're right, we don't really have much of a way to enforce our side of the arrangement. The city is safe. Obviously she can travel near the forts with impunity. And the rest of the countryside could be her plaything."

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration:[with a lazy smile]"Oh, it's not so bad as that, Your Grace."

Duke:"Oh?"

Strenata pulled out the handkerchief she had made for Vae, and said with a big grin, "We have her eye's blood and her eye's tears." (And, yes, a good wizard can work for a while and do some quite remarkable things with that deep a connection to her -- in subtle ways that child's magic, even her kaiju-sized child's magic, will have trouble protecting her from very well.)

Nobody said anything for a moment. Then the Duke stood up, and curtsied to her, and said, "Well done, Baron Strenata."

Strenata demonstrated quite clearly that she has more presence of mind near a semi-hostile nendrai than near a wholly admiring Duke. She didn't manage to say a coherent sentence for the next third of an hour.

Also I shall have to tease her mercilessly about having a title now, considering all the arguments she's had with everyone that titles are worthless and pernicious things.

The General Aftermath

The Duke and such agreed to the arrangement that Strenata negotiated, more or less. The display of power is to be explicitly harmless -- we have a good plan. And it is to be a display of emphatic power, saying that Vae is one of the newest varieties of nendrai, more imposing than the older ones.

(Gnarn, it seems, makes the species more powerful every few centuries, as primes get more powerful, rather than inventing wholly new monsters. They seem to be a particular favorite of hers.)

Incidentally, I consider an alliance with a nendrai to be fairly pernicious and wrong. But this is the duke who made alliance with ulgrane, which is worse. I am not so proud of Vheshrame today.

My Aftermath, part 1

I have been officially appointed "Ambassador to Vaisessasilmin." This title carries, as far as I can tell, nothing but duties with it -- shopping duties, and duties of befriending and spying on the beast. I whined to Anoof about that. He pointed out that I'm already a noble and ought to do some appropriate noble things to justify it, rather than just have a good species. (He also pointed out that it's a good start for an imposing political career, which, of course, I Very Much Do Not Want.)

Me:"This is a very dangerous job!"

Seeks-Mental-Equilibrium:"Not really. It'll be like this afternoon. You or I have what she wants. All she's got is insanely large amounts of utterly freaky magic. You win, no contest."

This would be more reassuring if it were not obvious that the Duke and all consider Vae to be only slightly less of a threat than the city-state of Pshent.

And I'm supposed to study nendrai at the Academy. Or somewhere else if there's no-one in the Academy good enough. Starting now, and dropping enough of my other classes so I have enough time for it.

~Mother~ will be so ... so ... I have not the slightest idea how zie will react.

My Aftermath, part 2

Ilottat was waiting in my room at Quelldrie House.

This is the first time he's come to Quelldrie House openly to see me. The first time he's been open with, say, Jarmiet, or Ghirbis, or whoever, about being my boyfriend.

He had been very worried about me. There were all sorts of rumors that I'd run into the nendrai and then been snagged by the Duke, and such things have quite some potential for awful harm. I should have sent him a note -- but of course he doesn't like being sent notes from me, or didn't.

He comforted me very well and very properly after an exceedingly alarming day.

Anyways, he loves me. He cares about me. He worries about me! He knows enough to take me to the Sloop in Soup when I'm entirely upset and jangled. And he'll acknowledge these things in public, even, when the situation's grave enough.

Which makes up for everything else that happened today, I think. At least for now.

(no subject)

Originally published at Sythyry. Please leave any comments there.

Star Chamber [18 Lage 4261]

It was probably a good idea to go right back to the city.
Within two-thirds of an hour of coming through the gate, we
found ourselves in a very small and very elegant parlor,
with Kaim-Su, Hezimikkinen, and the Duke.

This is not a routine thing. First of all,
Hezimikkinen and the Duke don’t particularly like each
other. Second, the Duke is rarely without counsellors and
assistants. Third, the Duke rarely takes a quick personal
hand in matters unless he is very concerned indeed.

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration made me tell the story. She
added details of the negotiation, when the Duke asked. She
recommended that I write a full account of it for the city
records, since I do that kind of thing anyways. You’re not
reading it, by the way. You’re reading the more honest and
less truthful one that I’m writing for myself. More snarky,
too. Those are the honest bits that I left out of the
official report.

Hezimikkinen’s Half-Siblingly Concern

After some discussion…

Hezimikkinen:“Strenata, it’s good to have
something for which we can publicly thank you. But, why did
you get Sythyry involved in this, by the seven
knives?”

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration:“By the wicked and
willful act of having Vae ignore the proposed date in the
letter I sent, and seek me out three days before, when I was
out riding with a good friend.” If she intended to
involve me, she’s hiding it from Hezimikkinen.

Hezimikkinen:“The permanant position, I
mean. What makes you think Sythyry can even do
the job?” Hezimikkinen does not properly appreciate my
virtues and skills.

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration:“Sythyry’s quite
inoffensive. I know for a fact that zie detests two people
who meet zir regularly and don’t have the slightest
inkling of zir detestation. Which would seem to be the
crucial skill in this job.”

Me:“Who?”

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration:“Iska and
Dubaille.”

Me:“Right. Iska and Dubaille.”

Hezimikkinen:“I forbid it.” I was
delighted that Hezimikkinen does not fully appreciate
my virtues and skills.

Duke:“Hezimikkinen, I understand you are
charged with your half-sibling’s safety. I am charged with
my city’s safety, which takes precedence. Sythyry, you are
to attend to Vaisessasilmin’s commerce as arranged. I
scarcely need say that you are to pay close attention to her
moods and opinions, and give us the best notice possible
before she performs some hideous crime.”

Me:“I will, Your Grace.” Which is to say,
“Please please please no!”

Duke:“I must say I’m more comfortable having
Hezimikkinen’s noble and educated half-sibling in charge
of this than that commoner.”

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration:“This particular
commoner has done well enough so far, Your Grace!”

Duke:“Pah. Not you, Strenata. Greekstripes,
or whoever that Herethroy farmer cosi is.”

Kaim-Su:“Greenspikes. Who didn’t do a very
good job.”

(Greenspikes was indeed nobody in particular, who had
happened to be friendly with a young and lost and bewildered
Orren boy last year: Vae’s first disguise.)

Me:“Why can’t Strenata do it? She’s done
excellently so far.”

Kaim-Su:“I don’t want her to waste too much
time from her important projects.”

Me:“Important projects?”

Nobody answered me.

Duke:“And having an immortal befriend an
immortal is a nice piece of strategy … well, long-term
tactics, at least. We won’t have to keep finding new
friends for her and making sure the new ones are really
friends.” He smirked at Hezimikkinen’s. “Unless you’d
like to do it, my dear?”

Hezimikkinen:“That is not a suitable
alternative.”

Duke:“Not a bit. You are far, far from
inoffensive; your half-sibling is much more suitable. For
that matter, I imagine any servant in the palace would be
much more suitable.”

Hezimikkinen:“Send a servant then.”

Me:“That sounds good!”

Duke:“Strenata’s arrangement stands.”

Me:[Thought but not spoken"That sounds bad!

Hezimikkinen and Me:"Yes, Your Grace."

The Final Analysis

After much discussion...

Duke:"Simply evicting her is, thus, not an
option; she is more or less unable to leave, and will
return. "

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration:"I'm fairly sure of
it, Your Grace."

Duke:"If we kill her, how much will it cost
us?"

Kaim-Su:"That depends on how good she is, which
we still do not know. She's been cagy. If she's the
standard
N. magus with complexity 60 ..."

Me:"She's not."

Almost everyone:"Oh?"

Me:"She cast one spell of complexity about a
hundred, and another one a touch less, Your Grace. She said
she's a bit better at Locador, which both were. I'd guess
she's got about 80 generically, and 100 in Locador."

Duke:"How sure are you?"

Me:"Not quite sure, Your Grace! I doubt I'm
off by more than ten, though. And she might not have shown
her full abilities."

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration:"It's more than she
showed in less guarded times, Your Grace. She was very
rattled today."

Duke:"Confirm that with an expert,
Sythyry." (I did, that afternoon. I was right.)

Kaim-Su:"Have the expert bill the
guard." (I did, that afternoon. It was high.)

Duke:"Nicely done to check that, by the way."

I spent a long while glowing.

Kaim-Su:"Assuming Sythyry's right, I should
think that killing her would cost roughly as much as a
hate-war with Pshent, and carries a much higher risk for
destruction to our countryside and towns."

Duke:"Confirm that with an
expert."

Kaim-Su:"I am your expert."

Duke:"I know that. Confirm it with
yourself. I don't want to make permanant policy based on
ten seconds of casual thought. Not even yours."

Kaim-Su:"Very well, Your Grace." Which was
the only time either Kaim-Su or Hezimikkinen used the proper
form of address.

Duke:"Assuming that you're right, we don't
really have much of a way to enforce our side of the
arrangement. The city is safe. Obviously she can travel
near the forts with impunity. And the rest of the
countryside could be her plaything."

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration:[with a lazy
smile]“Oh, it’s not so bad as that, Your Grace.”

Duke:“Oh?”

Strenata pulled out the handkerchief she had made for Vae,
and said with a big grin, “We have her eye’s blood and her
eye’s tears.” (And, yes, a good wizard can work for a
while and do some quite remarkable things with that deep a
connection to her — in subtle ways that child’s magic, even
her kaiju-sized child’s magic, will have trouble protecting
her from very well.)

Nobody said anything for a moment. Then the Duke stood up,
and curtsied to her, and said, “Well done, Baron Strenata.”

Strenata demonstrated quite clearly that she has more
presence of mind near a semi-hostile nendrai than near a
wholly admiring Duke. She didn’t manage to say a
coherent sentence for the next third of an hour.

Also I shall have to tease her mercilessly about having a
title now, considering all the arguments she’s had with
everyone that titles are worthless and pernicious things.

The General Aftermath

The Duke and such agreed to the arrangement that Strenata
negotiated, more or less. The display of power is to be
explicitly harmless — we have a good plan. And it is to be
a display of emphatic power, saying that Vae is one of the
newest varieties of nendrai, more imposing than the older
ones.

(Gnarn, it seems, makes the species more powerful every few
centuries, as primes get more powerful, rather than
inventing wholly new monsters. They seem to be a particular
favorite of hers.)

Incidentally, I consider an alliance with a nendrai to be
fairly pernicious and wrong. But this is the duke who made
alliance with ulgrane, which is worse. I am not so proud of
Vheshrame today.

My Aftermath, part 1

I have been officially appointed “Ambassador to
Vaisessasilmin.” This title carries, as far as I can tell,
nothing but duties with it — shopping duties, and duties of
befriending and spying on the beast. I whined to Anoof
about that. He pointed out that I’m already a noble
and ought to do some appropriate noble things to justify it,
rather than just have a good species. (He also pointed out
that it’s a good start for an imposing political career,
which, of course, I Very Much Do Not Want.)

Me:“This is a very dangerous job!”

Seeks-Mental-Equilibrium:“Not really. It’ll be
like this afternoon. You or I have what she wants. All
she’s got is insanely large amounts of utterly freaky
magic. You win, no contest.”

This would be more reassuring if it were not obvious that
the Duke and all consider Vae to be only slightly less of a
threat than the city-state of Pshent.

And I’m supposed to study nendrai at the Academy. Or
somewhere else if there’s no-one in the Academy good
enough. Starting now, and dropping enough of my other
classes so I have enough time for it.

~Mother~ will be so … so … I have not the slightest idea
how zie will react.

My Aftermath, part 2

Ilottat was waiting in my room at Quelldrie House.

This is the first time he’s come to Quelldrie House openly
to see me. The first time he’s been open with, say, Jarmiet,
or Ghirbis, or whoever, about being my boyfriend.

He had been very worried about me. There were all sorts of
rumors that I’d run into the nendrai and then been snagged
by the Duke, and such things have quite some potential for
awful harm. I should have sent him a note — but of course
he doesn’t like being sent notes from me, or didn’t.

He comforted me very well and very properly after an
exceedingly alarming day.

Anyways, he loves me. He cares about me. He worries about
me! He knows enough to take me to the Sloop in Soup when
I’m entirely upset and jangled. And he’ll acknowledge these
things in public, even, when the situation’s grave enough.

Which makes up for everything else that happened today, I
think. At least for now.

(no subject)

Originally published at Sythyry. Please leave any comments there.

Star Chamber [18 Lage 4261]

It was probably a good idea to go right back to the city.
Within two-thirds of an hour of coming through the gate, we
found ourselves in a very small and very elegant parlor,
with Kaim-Su, Hezimikkinen, and the Duke.

This is not a routine thing. First of all,
Hezimikkinen and the Duke don’t particularly like each
other. Second, the Duke is rarely without counsellors and
assistants. Third, the Duke rarely takes a quick personal
hand in matters unless he is very concerned indeed.

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration made me tell the story. She
added details of the negotiation, when the Duke asked. She
recommended that I write a full account of it for the city
records, since I do that kind of thing anyways. You’re not
reading it, by the way. You’re reading the more honest and
less truthful one that I’m writing for myself. More snarky,
too. Those are the honest bits that I left out of the
official report.

Hezimikkinen’s Half-Siblingly Concern

After some discussion…

Hezimikkinen:“Strenata, it’s good to have
something for which we can publicly thank you. But, why did
you get Sythyry involved in this, by the seven
knives?”

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration:“By the wicked and
willful act of having Vae ignore the proposed date in the
letter I sent, and seek me out three days before, when I was
out riding with a good friend.” If she intended to
involve me, she’s hiding it from Hezimikkinen.

Hezimikkinen:“The permanant position, I
mean. What makes you think Sythyry can even do
the job?” Hezimikkinen does not properly appreciate my
virtues and skills.

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration:“Sythyry’s quite
inoffensive. I know for a fact that zie detests two people
who meet zir regularly and don’t have the slightest
inkling of zir detestation. Which would seem to be the
crucial skill in this job.”

Me:“Who?”

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration:“Iska and
Dubaille.”

Me:“Right. Iska and Dubaille.”

Hezimikkinen:“I forbid it.” I was
delighted that Hezimikkinen does not fully appreciate
my virtues and skills.

Duke:“Hezimikkinen, I understand you are
charged with your half-sibling’s safety. I am charged with
my city’s safety, which takes precedence. Sythyry, you are
to attend to Vaisessasilmin’s commerce as arranged. I
scarcely need say that you are to pay close attention to her
moods and opinions, and give us the best notice possible
before she performs some hideous crime.”

Me:“I will, Your Grace.” Which is to say,
“Please please please no!”

Duke:“I must say I’m more comfortable having
Hezimikkinen’s noble and educated half-sibling in charge
of this than that commoner.”

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration:“This particular
commoner has done well enough so far, Your Grace!”

Duke:“Pah. Not you, Strenata. Greekstripes,
or whoever that Herethroy farmer cosi is.”

Kaim-Su:“Greenspikes. Who didn’t do a very
good job.”

(Greenspikes was indeed nobody in particular, who had
happened to be friendly with a young and lost and bewildered
Orren boy last year: Vae’s first disguise.)

Me:“Why can’t Strenata do it? She’s done
excellently so far.”

Kaim-Su:“I don’t want her to waste too much
time from her important projects.”

Me:“Important projects?”

Nobody answered me.

Duke:“And having an immortal befriend an
immortal is a nice piece of strategy … well, long-term
tactics, at least. We won’t have to keep finding new
friends for her and making sure the new ones are really
friends.” He smirked at Hezimikkinen’s. “Unless you’d
like to do it, my dear?”

Hezimikkinen:“That is not a suitable
alternative.”

Duke:“Not a bit. You are far, far from
inoffensive; your half-sibling is much more suitable. For
that matter, I imagine any servant in the palace would be
much more suitable.”

Hezimikkinen:“Send a servant then.”

Me:“That sounds good!”

Duke:“Strenata’s arrangement stands.”

Me:[Thought but not spoken"That sounds bad!

Hezimikkinen and Me:"Yes, Your Grace."

The Final Analysis

After much discussion...

Duke:"Simply evicting her is, thus, not an
option; she is more or less unable to leave, and will
return. "

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration:"I'm fairly sure of
it, Your Grace."

Duke:"If we kill her, how much will it cost
us?"

Kaim-Su:"That depends on how good she is, which
we still do not know. She's been cagy. If she's the
standard
N. magus with complexity 60 ..."

Me:"She's not."

Almost everyone:"Oh?"

Me:"She cast one spell of complexity about a
hundred, and another one a touch less, Your Grace. She said
she's a bit better at Locador, which both were. I'd guess
she's got about 80 generically, and 100 in Locador."

Duke:"How sure are you?"

Me:"Not quite sure, Your Grace! I doubt I'm
off by more than ten, though. And she might not have shown
her full abilities."

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration:"It's more than she
showed in less guarded times, Your Grace. She was very
rattled today."

Duke:"Confirm that with an expert,
Sythyry." (I did, that afternoon. I was right.)

Kaim-Su:"Have the expert bill the
guard." (I did, that afternoon. It was high.)

Duke:"Nicely done to check that, by the way."

I spent a long while glowing.

Kaim-Su:"Assuming Sythyry's right, I should
think that killing her would cost roughly as much as a
hate-war with Pshent, and carries a much higher risk for
destruction to our countryside and towns."

Duke:"Confirm that with an
expert."

Kaim-Su:"I am your expert."

Duke:"I know that. Confirm it with
yourself. I don't want to make permanant policy based on
ten seconds of casual thought. Not even yours."

Kaim-Su:"Very well, Your Grace." Which was
the only time either Kaim-Su or Hezimikkinen used the proper
form of address.

Duke:"Assuming that you're right, we don't
really have much of a way to enforce our side of the
arrangement. The city is safe. Obviously she can travel
near the forts with impunity. And the rest of the
countryside could be her plaything."

Seeks-Suitable-Remuneration:[with a lazy
smile]“Oh, it’s not so bad as that, Your Grace.”

Duke:“Oh?”

Strenata pulled out the handkerchief she had made for Vae,
and said with a big grin, “We have her eye’s blood and her
eye’s tears.” (And, yes, a good wizard can work for a
while and do some quite remarkable things with that deep a
connection to her — in subtle ways that child’s magic, even
her kaiju-sized child’s magic, will have trouble protecting
her from very well.)

Nobody said anything for a moment. Then the Duke stood up,
and curtsied to her, and said, “Well done, Baron Strenata.”

Strenata demonstrated quite clearly that she has more
presence of mind near a semi-hostile nendrai than near a
wholly admiring Duke. She didn’t manage to say a
coherent sentence for the next third of an hour.

Also I shall have to tease her mercilessly about having a
title now, considering all the arguments she’s had with
everyone that titles are worthless and pernicious things.

The General Aftermath

The Duke and such agreed to the arrangement that Strenata
negotiated, more or less. The display of power is to be
explicitly harmless — we have a good plan. And it is to be
a display of emphatic power, saying that Vae is one of the
newest varieties of nendrai, more imposing than the older
ones.

(Gnarn, it seems, makes the species more powerful every few
centuries, as primes get more powerful, rather than
inventing wholly new monsters. They seem to be a particular
favorite of hers.)

Incidentally, I consider an alliance with a nendrai to be
fairly pernicious and wrong. But this is the duke who made
alliance with ulgrane, which is worse. I am not so proud of
Vheshrame today.

My Aftermath, part 1

I have been officially appointed “Ambassador to
Vaisessasilmin.” This title carries, as far as I can tell,
nothing but duties with it — shopping duties, and duties of
befriending and spying on the beast. I whined to Anoof
about that. He pointed out that I’m already a noble
and ought to do some appropriate noble things to justify it,
rather than just have a good species. (He also pointed out
that it’s a good start for an imposing political career,
which, of course, I Very Much Do Not Want.)

Me:“This is a very dangerous job!”

Seeks-Mental-Equilibrium:“Not really. It’ll be
like this afternoon. You or I have what she wants. All
she’s got is insanely large amounts of utterly freaky
magic. You win, no contest.”

This would be more reassuring if it were not obvious that
the Duke and all consider Vae to be only slightly less of a
threat than the city-state of Pshent.

And I’m supposed to study nendrai at the Academy. Or
somewhere else if there’s no-one in the Academy good
enough. Starting now, and dropping enough of my other
classes so I have enough time for it.

~Mother~ will be so … so … I have not the slightest idea
how zie will react.

My Aftermath, part 2

Ilottat was waiting in my room at Quelldrie House.

This is the first time he’s come to Quelldrie House openly
to see me. The first time he’s been open with, say, Jarmiet,
or Ghirbis, or whoever, about being my boyfriend.

He had been very worried about me. There were all sorts of
rumors that I’d run into the nendrai and then been snagged
by the Duke, and such things have quite some potential for
awful harm. I should have sent him a note — but of course
he doesn’t like being sent notes from me, or didn’t.

He comforted me very well and very properly after an
exceedingly alarming day.

Anyways, he loves me. He cares about me. He worries about
me! He knows enough to take me to the Sloop in Soup when
I’m entirely upset and jangled. And he’ll acknowledge these
things in public, even, when the situation’s grave enough.

Which makes up for everything else that happened today, I
think. At least for now.