Youkimi patiently listened as Evelyn shared her thoughts after admitting that she didn't know for certain, and that everything after was speculation based on what she could gather. Youkimi lowered the teacup to the table and began to fill it again, having managed to drink through its humble contents as she gathered her thoughts.
"These are sound observations." She lifted the cup into her fingers again and touched the edge of the cup to her lips. She allowed a pause as she tasted of the brew, which was mildly sweet and its fragrance soothing. Ash-grown Kaishin tea.... she was quite fond of the yield brought from the fields, and it sold well once the traders discovered its pleasant aftertaste.
"Despite all the good that has happened in the past, the people of Ethe are deeply concerned that their ability to progress and improve themselves will be greatly hurt by any that loom over them." Youkimi's blue eyes lifted from her cup. Unlike the bold bluntness of the woman across from her, the phoenix still maintained a glassy composure, unwavering and still as ice on a pond. Yet, still, there was weariness behind the ice, seasons' worth of energy that needed to be replenished.
"Ethe fears they are second-class citizens to Lionis, and if they are in fear of their products and their work being claimed by another nation, then they inevitably grow to fear production. We are grateful for the good that the empire has done for us, but we also fear that its ability to help the collective citizens of the empire is ending. We have seen it as a tyrant. We have seen hundreds of average and fair rulers, but few truly are great, who are able to raise all under its influence to golden eras."
History was full of such rulers. Many stood back, many tried to ignore problems. A few notable few made things worse for their people. Fewer still improved things.
"Ethe is changing, Evelyn. It's changing and becoming something so different from the nation that gave birth to me." Her eyes drifted to the teacup. Her smile was pained. "We are not as weak as it has been led to believe. We know that we are not the strongest, but we wish to become better. Ethe's people wish to fly. I believe that they can create and inspire beautiful changes in this world."
The regent's eyes lifted again and she looked to Evelyn. "This is the core of the matter."
Black Athame
Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2018 2:19 pm
════ Female // 22 // Clothing, with red Crowned by the Moon and Mist Meaning she was crowned in the name of Cyn, Thea, and Aelina
Evelyn smiled slowly "ahh, so I was not to far off the mark" she said to her, watching as she refilled her cup of tea "Such fears are not unjustified, but one thing that has me questioning your desire to have Ethe be independent is that it is you that has brought this up" she made sure to meet her blue eyes with her own golden flecked green eyes "You speak on behalf of your people as Baroness and Regent. By birth you are above them so if you will forgive this following question since their is no kind way to ask it" she paused for a moment "I have no doubt that you may have spoken with some of them, but have you actually walked with them? Spoken with them? and lived as they do?" she asked her "I do not pretend to know what is in the mind of every one of the citizens and I do not bring this up in an attempt of one up man ship or bragging, I personally do not see it as such" she looked at her, noted her glassy composure "I was born lower then you and I rose higher then you, I fell again and rose once more only to fall again and then come to were I am now. My previous falls from grace were never in my control but now that I have taken control of my well being I have returned to such heights and now we both know that in any formal situation you will need to bow lower to me then I will have to bow to you."
She paused again and stopped tapping her fingers "Again, this wasn't meant to be a barb." she said to her "but when it comes to the people, not the nobility or the royalty or the regency, have you actually lived with them and know what they want? Have you actually ever went to understand why they live or how they live or what drives them?" she asked her, keeping her green eyes locked on her blue ones, letting it show that she had, for years she had.
════ Now this is the Law of the Jungle -- as old and as true as the sky; And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die. As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.
Their experiences differed greatly, but not in the way that Evelyn was implying. Many still whispered that a b*****d and common person was rising to the throne, who knew nothing about leading people, but these were whispers and rumors.
Did Evelyn know what it meant to be a refugee of Ethe? No. Did Youkimi know the pain of being a soldier and being abused on the battlefield? No.
But Youkimi was wiser now than she had once been. A more fiery youth would have taken that challenge, and the offence, and reviled. Youkimi chose otherwise.
"Your experiences are not mine, nor can I say that mine are yours. I have flown alongside my people. I walked with them when we were able to come home. I gave my people every cent of my family's resources. I gave them every day, all that I had and more than I could spare. I starved with them. I built with them. I faced ridicule for them."
Youkimi ignored how her eyes were beginning to feel with tears. Her expression remained the same as she looked into Evelyn's eyes. She was still so distant, wasn't she? To suggest that this lowly baroness knew nothing of her people. The blue-plumed knights and traders were not kings. They were not the lineage of dukes, counts, or earls. No.... She was a daughter of a baron, and would have had no title or prospects at all unless she was wed or her brothers died.
It was one thing to live and suffer among the people, but only responsible for oneself. It is another matter entirely to live and suffer for the people and feel so desperately alone among them. To cry with them. To bury their children. To bury your siblings alongside theirs. To see their eyes as they look to you, and as they expect you to lead them.
"You were willing to die for us.... but we haven't seen you live for us, Evelyn." Youkimi shook her head slowly. The woman might have smiled, but Evelyn was mistaken in more than she realized. "Above everything, the people want to have a secure future full of hope and promise. They don't want to be afraid anymore. Can you guarantee that?"
Black Athame
Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2018 2:53 pm
════ Female // 22 // Clothing, with red Crowned by the Moon and Mist Meaning she was crowned in the name of Cyn, Thea, and Aelina
"Though I did not walk with them when they returned home I to flew amongst the people" she said to her "When Mt. Adara erupted I was in the capital and I watched as the people walked outside to look up at the mountain, I saw them look at it like it was a miracle before some started to scream when the ash hit them" she said to her "I flew with them when they began to flee, I know the smell of the ash and the heat of the lava just as any Ethen that has lived though it has because when the mountain finally went silent I knew the sorrow of loosing a loved one, though I am lucky in the fact that my son was saved I still believed that for a year he had been buried beneath the ashes with the thousands of others that didn't make it" she said to her "I know that I did not walk with them when they returned but I was on the streets of Etherland with those that had no place else to go, those that could not leave or would not leave because of injury or grief. I gave what I could to the people, i bandaged them up gave what food was given to me from rations to them because it was meant for the people of Ethe and I knew that unlike most of them I had the skill to find food for myself, so like those that could feed themselves I ate rats and drank from dirty puddles. I saw and felt that same fear. I watched as people I grew to care about on those streets die because even though the Queen did all she could, even though the Mayor did all he could it was still not enough." Evelyn went silent for a good long moment "I know very well what it is like to loose a home and to loose everyone you love, because such sufferings are not exclusive to just the Ethen people." she lowered her eyes and sighed softly "It is times like this that I think people forget that suffering doesnt just happen to those without means and only in one kingdom or another"
Evelyn looked back up at Youkimi "Yes people want a secure future with promise and hope. Everyone wants that." she said to her "You want that. I want that. Your guards, all people want that. To live without fear and with the capability to provide for themselves and those they love. In order to get that they must feel safe, they must have food and they must have resources" she slowly leaned back "Can I guarantee that they will live a secure, full and hopeful life full of promise and without fear? No, but can you in full confidence in yourself, say that you can."
════ Now this is the Law of the Jungle -- as old and as true as the sky; And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die. As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.
Youkimi lowered her empty teacup to the table. Youkimi had no children to have lost... but in the wake of everything, losing a father she loved and friends she adored, it was sometimes hard to remember that there was such a thing as a future. The baroness lifted her hands to her eyes, and in a few simple motions, was able to remove the tears before they slid down her face. As calmly as everything else she did, her hands returned to her lap, where they folded, and were still.
"It is not on my confidence that Ethe build and grow, but on their own." Youkimi answered with the mien of someone who slowly gained strength enough to support the hopes of others on her shoulders. Hopes were very heavy things. She was tired of the fear. She was tired of the looming shadow. She was tired of the painful patterns. She was tired of the nightmares. She was tired of politics. She was inches away from abandoning her own dreams entirely. But what would the empress know of these things? Leaving her son in the care of another who was already burdened with the care of a nation as well as two infants that were not her own... for so extended a time, long after it was safe to claim him. Where had she been?
Youkimi was tired of being used... and Ethe was tired of feeding war-torn nations.
"If Ethe is to be happy, it must be at their own hands. They wish to take this risk in pursuit of hope. Ethe was born when the volcano erupted. It remembers little of the life it lived before the destruction. This is why we asked the empire to let us leave the nest. My people want to fly."
Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 8:59 am
════ Female // 22 // Clothing, with red Crowned by the Moon and Mist Meaning she was crowned in the name of Cyn, Thea, and Aelina
"Since you're so set in this I will stop trying to persuade you otherwise despite the fact that i'm certain this wont turn out as great as you think it will" she said with a sigh and shook her head, she was certain that this decision was based only on her desires but Evelyn wouldn't be able to prove it "but in order for this to be a peaceful transition what I requested still stands. Twenty miles of unoccupied land in Palude in my name, I will even pay taxes on it if the Regent so desires that to be, and I want to pull any assets that belong to Lionis from Ethe. These are my only two conditions." she put simply.
════ Now this is the Law of the Jungle -- as old and as true as the sky; And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die. As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.
The blue phoenix took a slow and deep breath. Perhaps, and just perhaps, if Evelyn had inquired further, Youkimi might have revealed her feelings on the matter. As things stood, she was not a mind-reader, and she had no intention of even attempting to learn the skill. In any case, it didn't feel like she had done more than prove that she was willing to stand by her decision. Still... it felt a shame that Evelyn was unwilling to support this decision.
It was one of many things that was disappointing. Youkimi inclined her head slightly. "Return to me again and we will have our mathematicians and our counselors arrange the details so that Lionis' assets are able to transition smoothly."
If Lionis, the nation, wished to pull its assets from Ethe, it would find that there were very few. The most money that transitioned between their nations since the volcano was a strange bulk of food and minimal supplies from the crown after Ophelia begged the help of the throne and the work of trade. Lionis did little business with the crown outside of demanding that Ethe send troop support in Azazel's last hours.
..... Youkimi spent a moment with her head bowed, offering a prayer for the soul of the late queen. Her majesty did not deserve such treatment.
It seemed to be the best deal, yet it still felt a shame that Evelyn was still strong-arming Ethe by asking for land. That part of the arrangement did not make fiscal sense to Youkimi. She still had citizens living on that land, thus why it was being watched and maintained by one of her knights. If the empress wished to buy the land, it could be arranged, however, if she was going to pay taxes on it... did that mean that the land would still be a part of Ethe?
"Concerning Palude, we need to know what purpose it will be used for. I am also concerned about the details... do you mean to claim it? Buy it? When Lionis already has so much land and resources, why take from us?"
Because all land was a form of wealth, if properly used, this would still be a financial issue for her nation, and she preferred to avoid such losses. Palude, even without noble, was Ethian, and she hated the thought and taste of selling her nation's land, and therefore, the livelihoods of her people. Evelyn was asking Youkimi to hand over the homes of Ethian people. This is how it felt to her, as she believed too strongly in their rights and treasured their work too much. Palude already had suffered so much.
Black Athame
Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2018 9:05 pm
════ Female // 22 // Clothing, with red Crowned by the Moon and Mist Meaning she was crowned in the name of Cyn, Thea, and Aelina
"The land will be used for the benefit of the people" Evelyn said simply A sanctuary where those that can not provide for themselves or need the help of the Empire may go in order to receive help. It will be used for the betterment of public wellfare. Such as Education and home for people that can not afford it, amongst other things, one of which does not have a name as to what it is yet" she said to her "And compared to Ethe, Lionis does not have even half the land that you do, comparatively we have the least amount, and how I plan to claim it depends on you."
Evelyn leaned back and put her hand on the ground "I will put this plainly. I am not asking for an entire Provence as I was last time. I am asking for twenty miles of uninhabited, unused land that Ethe has not used nor paid mind to for years. That is a very small thing to ask and if gaining your independence from the oppressive empire is worth so much to you this small thing shouldn't be a problem."
════ Now this is the Law of the Jungle -- as old and as true as the sky; And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die. As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.
People who could not provide for themselves... A sanctuary, or need the help of the empire. Public welfare... free education and home amongst other things. While it sounded as though it had some merit, immediately, Youkimi heard something that began to confuse and otherwise concern her.
If people struggled to provide for themselves and needed the help of the empire, their families, their communities, their nobles and landlords, and their nations were not doing their responsibility. Kaishin's philosophy concerning the poor, the needy, and the hurting was different than of other nations and places. Perhaps that was another reason its people were able to rise economically and why, though its people were sick, they were still being taken care of.
There was a difference in empowerment with support and in free support with no expectations. One allowed a person to grow. Another merely created more desperation and more people trapped in stagnant poverty unable to rise above their situation.
Lionis was smaller in territory, comparatively, but of all the nations who might be very happy and willing to sell land.... why was it that in this situation, the crown asked and demanded this of Ethe? But... that concern aside, how did the crown intend to fund this project if they were going to 'cut back' on the taxes demanded of the nations?
"Your excellency, it sounds as though you are trying to threaten me..."
Youkimi chose not to hide her disappointment or her sorrow for this situation. Lionis itself might not have had as much land, but it had access to resources, or so they were proud to boast. She was certain that there would be some among the nobility in the Empire's remaining kingdoms that would be more than happy to offer land, support, and more resources that would assist the project. But as it was currently presented to Youkimi, the empire would be trying to build this from the ground up. Lionis had more resources than Ethe... but they would demand this from Ethe for its desire to distance itself from the royal throne?
Adversely, according to the records of five years ago, Palude was a different place indeed. But yes, that was five years ago, and much had happened in that amount of time. Youkimi knew there were still people working hard in Palude. They had recently recovered from the most recent tragedy and disaster of the revolt from Solidon. But that was the key word... recover.
If Evelyn still wished to demand this payment from Ethe... it still proved what Youkimi had said earlier. Ethe was considered a resource of the empire and its people second class to the desires of Lionis.
"I feel that there are more effective ways of helping and building up the empire's poor, hurting, and afflicted than to intern them in a sanctuary that grants them everything freely."
Black Athame
Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2018 10:32 am
]
════ Female // 22 // Clothing, with red Crowned by the Moon and Mist Meaning she was crowned in the name of Cyn, Thea, and Aelina
"it must be how I phrased it that made it sound like a threat, it was not" Evelyn said, her smile growing tight as she seemed to have to continuously speak to the regent, her choices were becoming rather clear the more the regent seemed to be avoiding giving anything in return for something she and her people supposedly wanted.
"I can not give you any more information on this project because Ethe is no longer going to be part of the Empire. However they will not be interned, they will be able to freely leave whenever they want." she said to her as she then slowly stood up "what I am asking for is a speck of dust compared to what you want. It will appease the nobility of the empire and within a year it will appease the commoner's, it will reverse the damnage this succession will do to my standing and ensure the safety of my son is not compromised. she said to her, wondering if she knew that her doing any of this would have assassins and kidnappers trying to get into the palace to harm her and her son "Youkimi... Evelyn said and paused, her shoulders slumped slightly "as a person who helped me when I was hiding and his my son so those who'd see him dead wouldn't find him... she was no longer keeping up the formal ploy as she looked at her rather defeated, she already looked tired despite being empress for only a day, defeat already in her eyes "I never wanted to be Empress you know... I don't think I will be a great one that brings about any golden age. I did this for the selfish reason for keeping what remains of my family with me. she said to her "because if I remained running I would always be separated from my son, we would both die if I didn't do something to stop the assassins. she looked at the ground "I was tired of waking up in the middle of the night to see strange men dressed in dark colors holding blades above me and my boy, I was tired of feeling guilty that if I hadn't been insistent that my sister and I split up that she wouldnt be dead somewhere in phobos. she whispered as she moved her hand to her stomach, feeling the rough feeling of scars over here stomach from times she wasn't quick enough to stop herself from getting injured "I wake up every night seeing faces of people I use to train and fight with, covered in blood or screaming as they're burnt to death by either the Lionis army or by the advancing Bellrisians she said, that last bit seemed to have just slipped out, her eye looking haunted for a moment before she managed to see Youkimi again "if you're so against part in with a small 20 miles of land then I'll drop it as a favor to you for having cared for my son this last year... But after that I will not be able to afford you any kindness without thinking of my sons future first"
════ Now this is the Law of the Jungle -- as old and as true as the sky; And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die. As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.
Youkimi inclined her head. Were she one to read minds, she might have suggested that because Lionis had such an impressive military, that the capitol would have been the safest place for him. But, as she was not a reader of minds, all she could think and notice was that for someone who had been ruling for a day... and not made any major decisions... Evelyn seemed uncannily out of sorts. Perhaps it was the warring and the fighting, more than anything. Until Evelyn had been at the head of a country for years, and until she had truly shouldered the burdens of the people, it wasn't possible for Evelyn to understand Youkimi's weariness.
As it was.... even with relatable experience, no one understands another perfectly. It was insulting to try and mimic it.
As for the matter of Ethe staying in the empire.... all attempts to make them stay had demanded Ethe pay to leave. Shame, as there were other ways to try and convince others, but in the end, here they were, determined to seek out what they thought would make their people happy.
Youkimi might also have said that she didn't believe Evelyn didn't want to be empress. To do so much and to fight so hard, especially after one is able to find a stable home as lord of a nation, suggests that a part of them, even if it is tiny, wants the power. If Evelyn didn't want it, she would have found an easier way. There were much simpler ways to keep her child safe, her unknown and relatively obscure child, who might have been the child of Cyn, but not publicly known as the child of a princess.
Yet... yes. Evelyn seemed decently rested, even with her escort. As though she had enjoyed the comfort of a lover's arms. But, Youkimi only knew vague physical side effects, as she saw them on the faces of her married knights.
"Your son should always have been your first priority, Evelyn." Youkimi finally broke her silence with what she knew for certain. A mother's instinct was to protect her child. That was all that nature intended, and more, for it was found in the nests that were the same despite the child being born to scale or feather.
"But the moment you began fighting for the emperor's throne was the moment you adopted all of the empire's citizens as your children."
It was a cold reality of leadership. Your children were no more special than the lowest peasant who slept under the stars and begged for scraps. Sometimes, you sacrificed your family, and yourself, to protect the nation. It was what Ophelia did. It was what the kings of old used to do when they flew to battle at the head of their armies.
It was this understanding that made Youkimi cry when no one was watching. It was the main reason she wanted to spare them. The empire was too distant to save Ethe's dying citizens, and so it was the responsibility of her regent, who dared not wear the crown or sit upon the queen's throne. How painful it was, to be in the place of someone you had no right to represent. Evelyn belonged on her throne. Already, she had more support as the rightful heir and better than the tyrant displaced by his son.
"They are watching you, Evelyn, and they want to trust you for battling when so many of them could not." Youkimi concluded and she turned her attention to a nearby servant, asking them to retrieve Nero. She hoped he wasn't giving her knights and soldiers too much trouble. The boy had been... restless... since his mother left him. From what Youkimi could hear, the boy was used to being left behind. "Thank you for coming. Should you wish to visit again, I'll have tea prepared."
Black Athame
Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2018 2:12 pm
════ Female // 22 // Clothing, with red Crowned by the Moon and Mist Meaning she was crowned in the name of Cyn, Thea, and Aelina
Evelyn shook her head "I have always tried to keep my sons safety and well being at the top of my priorities" she said to her "but if you have children that look like their father, look into their eyes imagine for a moment that you hate the man that gave you that child. When you see the eyes of the man that hurt you, that made you and so many suffer, that made you hurt yourself and others just for his delight. When you see those same eyes stareing back at you from your own childs face...Despite loving him with all your heart. You tell me how you stop that moment of fear that races though your bones" she said as she heard the door open as her son came in, She wouldn't look back at him as she felt his fingers curled around hers. She would pick up the nearly four year old boy and rest him on her hip "then tell me how you would explain to them why your hands hesitate just before you touch them. Children pick up on those things" she said as she looked at her boy, not directly into his blue eyes but just below them "Children pick up on those types of things, they ask you about it and if you cant give them answers they start to resent you for it" she whispered. Nero, liking knowing what resent meant by this point, said nothing as he looked away from his mother and wiggled in her grasp "Would you like to walk?" she asked and when Nero nodded his head she would lower him to the ground.
Nero would then walk over to Youkimi and pull a piece of paper out of his shirt and put it on the desk in front of her, if/when she would open it it would be a simple ink painting of him and Youkimi holding hands and walking together in a garden. The boy would then move onto his knees and touch his head to the ground, showing respect to Youkimi as one would show respect to one that had earned it and was of a higher station, in the Ethen way. He would then say in perfect Ethen...which a little bit of pronuciation errors due to his age Thunk you for bee king here for me. You are my Ethen moter. You and this ontry will all way have a sessel place in my chest heart" [Thank you for being here for me, you are my Ethen mother. You and this country will always have a special place in my heart] he would then get up and with a slight red on his cheeks run out the door.
Evelyn would blink for a moment before then sighing "Next time we see each other will be in negotiations between an Independent Ethe and the Empire. I doubt we will have much time for tea, but the offer is kind" she would then bow her head and take her leave in order to catch up with her son. She would find the boy outside and so she would pick him up and they would both vanish into shadows
[exits]
════ Now this is the Law of the Jungle -- as old and as true as the sky; And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die. As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.
Youkimi knew too well what Evelyn felt the need to describe. She cared for twins, born of a woman she admired... and sires by the monster she would have let bleed at her feet, but that chance would never be hers. So, she preferred, and tried, to see the children as something else.... Ophelia's legacy.
When the lad came, she marveled at the honor he gave her and the respect he showed. She bowed in accepting reply, answering in Ethe for his ears, "Fly strong and you will always be welcome here."
Yes... children picked up on those things. "Travel safe, your excellency, Nero."
She stood until they were met by the knights and until they left. She turned her eyes to the drawing. Her eyes watered and she retreated to her study.
Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2018 10:39 pm
Baroness Youkimi Kai
After departing from Titania, Youkimi landed at Kaishin. She wasn't sure what to do now... She still felt anxious and nervous. There were no letters that came, at least none for her.
And until she heard... she would retreat to her study, where she could continue with matters of the nation and to speak with the people who likely had many questions regarding their split from the empire.
In the study, she saw for herself that the case that she held Agni's feather seemed to glow... She reached out to touch it, but she could feel the heat even before she touched it. She withdrew her hand. What did this mean? Did it have to do with the impostor or what drove Dixon and Xerseis from the estate?
She wasn't sure. She also doubted her ability to help in this situation, or what there was she could do. Don't worry too much? ... If only it was that simple.
Still concerned and worried, she knelt at her writing desk and she tried to focus on matters of the state. There was still so much to do.
Diligently, she tried to see to these matters. Unfortunately, after a while, she found that she was able to focus less and less on the letters and on her work. She saw fewer and fewer visitors and those that needed to speak to the regent. She felt tired... and after a point, she finally decided that she could do nothing more.
She rested her quill on the writing desk and moved the unfinished letter to one of the few drawers on the desk. She then picked herself up and slowly made her way to her private chambers, where she could rest...
Just for a little while... It was a shame that she was getting headaches more and more often... especially lately. It must have been the stress...
That made the most sense, she excused as she closed her door behind her. She would rest.
Perhaps it was best, then, that the baron from Zalto's wildlands was quick to arrive. As advertised, the man with flaxen hair and starry eyes (to hide his apparent weakness, right?) was at the new compound that was a noble estate by noon--just in time for tea.
That morning had been too close to actually hell for the alchemist. Gio was every bit as busy as Bernard--perhaps they shouted things, divided by a stranger's horizon, the same things, in different tongues at the same time--that morning, trying to corral the letters, wake the master, shoo off lower critter that would impede the rest of the staff...
Almin was still reeling from the adventure in the desert. It had been soon enough and so intense that Vohku Almin hadn't yet the awareness to feel the pain of the trip to Ethe. However, storms were full of water, where the desert was raging with sun. So much information! It came to him in flashes and cold lashings of rain in the probing dark that touched any border of the realm.
Soon he was in Kaishin. It was a land of beauty and honor, a woven history that touched land to sky. There a the base of that eternal braid was the humble baron who was teetering at the top of his own history. He waited quietly, enjoying the art and the sights around, until he was before the regent of the reborn land.
┈━┈━┈━~═☆
Stock:
❧[1] Clover
--Lucky and more charismatic than usual. 0/5 turns (inactive)
❧[2] Narcissus
-- Grants user the ability to transpose a shadowy copy of themselves across a distance which extends by 100m ever turn for 5 turns. After this, the copy vanishes, wherever it is. Takes 2 turns to activate after ingesting. (inactive)
❧[3] Hypernemia solution
-- A mixture born out of necessity in order to manage the master’s low stamina. With this potable at hand, the lung dragon finds himself seldom short on breath. 5 turns per bottle--stamina jumps to 30. 3 turn cool.
❧[4] Stone Cloves
-- These handy snacks are ideal for raising defense in a pinch. Once ingested, the skin and hair of the user will turn to solid stone for 3 turns. Cooldown: 3.
❧[1] Kit
-- When studying new areas the young baron can’t be caught out of the science-ing, and so this mid-sized bag is fitted with all manner of testing equipment to get an alchemical handle on the situation quickly.
