Sometime after the meeting with Rakatau and Queen Sylpheel and Jadira's healing work with the crew, she asks Kareth to join her out on the deck of the Spring Dryad. As it is now evening, the crew is either eating in the mess hall, or recuperating from the last of their injuries in bed, so they are largely left alone. The evening sky twinkles with stars, unhindered by the glare of city lights, and the sleek artifact ship sways in a gentle rhythm on the sea.

Lasuri is there as well, invited at the same time to this impromptu meeting. Jadira's suggestion to him is that it'd seem less intimidating than ordering Kareth to the captain's office. It's just a curious question she has, after all, and they may as well set the record straight at the same time.

"Hello, Kareth," Jadira says when the engineer arrives, leaning against the railing and greeting him with a friendly smile. This evening she is still wearing her good dark green coat, though she has changed her blouse after one too many bloodstains in sickbay. "Thanks for coming. I hope you've rested well so far. We'll be at sea quite a while on the next leg of our journey, so I'm expecting our next enemy to be boredom. Boring is safe, though, so we can only hope."

Kareth could not say that request to join the Captain and First Mate on the deck was unexpected nor could he say that he looked forward to it.  He found them both waiting for him when he arrived.

"Good evening Captain.  Miss Thornbloom.  It's been good to rest.  Given the nature of my position, being in-port usually means repairs further repairs on the ships so the long voyage will be welcomed.  It will give me plenty of time to complete some of the many projects I've been entrusted with."  Here he stopped and looked at the two officers for a long, awkward moment.  Finally, he spoke again "I trust you two would be interested in knowing my plans to contain the chalise."

"That, I want to hear for sure." Lasuri says, once Kareth steps in. The Captain looks weary and tired, but otherwise in good spirits - or at least in as good spirits as one can be after such a terrible battle, and the heavy cost it demanded on the crew of the Dryad.

"Thanks a lot for coming, Mister Kareth. That's really much appreciated, really." The Captain pauses, smiling warmly as he leans back against the railing, resting his elbows atop its smooth surface. "Since we've been through a lot and it drained everybody so much, I thought we could use that occasion to have a little talk as well - after all, it's been a little bit since you joined us, but we haven't had much time to just have a chat."

The captain rubs his stubble with a gloved hand, his smile never leaving his lips. "But we should be productive, and think of that container first. I've a few ideas I might want to share with you about that, but I'd like to hear your original ideas first - you're the expert, after all."

Kareth nodded at the  Captain and shifted his eyes over the sorceress.  He never had the habit of chatting, ever.  He was usually considered too weird or disturbing by most people for them to stomach his presence long enough for idle chatter.  This habit suited him just fine because if people were content to not speak with him, then he didn't have to avoid talking about unpleasant matters with them.  "If that is what you wish, Captain.  I believe the ideal solution to the problem would be for me to build you a Cache Egg.  If your unfamiliar with these devices, it will suffice to say that they store objects in Elsewhere for the bearer.  Using a Cache Egg would place the chalice out of reach from anyone else.

Unfortunately, this process will take time, even though I can vouch that I will be more than capable of building it.  It will take 3 months at a minimum, depending on the size of the egg you wish to be built.  So while it could be a long term solution for our quest, that does nothing for us immediately.  For the short term, I propose this:  If we can locate some jade or a magical material which resonates with the anathema, then I can easily build either a simple box or pouch for the chalice.  Using those materials, we can be certain that the Chalice's powers won't weaken the container's durability."  Here the engineer stopped momentarily and looked at his two officers to gauge their reactions.

"Those are great ideas. I hadn't even thought of a cache egg until now!" Jadira exclaims, obviously impressed. Her mother Madala had owned one of those storage artifacts, so it wasn't as if she'd never heard of one before...

"We do have an unused jade artifact or two that could be... recycled for a short-term solution," the Wood Aspect says after another moment of thought. "There's your old armor, Las, and there may be some among the spoils, as well. Most of it is black jade, but that's to be expected."

"What do you think?" she asks the Captain. She doesn't quite look Kareth in the eye; he is pretty sure this is mostly a pretense, and there's something else behind the summons, but she keeps her friendly expression on her face.

"Hey, you're right! I've seen a few of these before... My parents had them, to help with their business. Good thinking though, I don't think I'd have thought of that!" The Captain exclaims, nodding emphatically to Kareth's suggestion. He ponders for a moment, pursing his lips in concentration as if trying to remember something, and then looks back towards the engineer.

"Jadira's right, we've got some spoils and other bits here and there that we could use for the raw materials... I'm sure we'll find what you're looking for in there." Lasuri nods one more time, then leans back slightly before speaking again.

"As for the temporary container... Well, I've got maybe a couple ideas, passed the choice of material you suggested. I dunno how feasible those are though, so you tell me what you think, if you would. See, what I was thinking was to make two containers, for security purposes - one that's portable, that I can carry around without hindering myself too much, and that would prevent the chalice from touching anyone accidentally. The other perhaps could be bigger, so I can fit the portable container in it - I'd stick the big one in my cabin, and use it to lock the thing away when I go to rest, kinda like a locked vault or somesuch. Maybe have a locking system on both so that they can't be opened easily... It's mostly so mishaps don't happen while I can't watch the chalice itself."

"Again, those are my thoughts as someone who doesn't know much about crafting, so you tell me if that'd be feasible, and if it is, what you'd need in terms of time and materials." Again, the Captain tilts his head sideways, regarding the engineer with a look of complete trust.

"I'm not sure if we have quite enough magical material for a larger box," Jadira points out after mentally considering the contents of the Alliance's vaults. She's been organizing all the loot and treasure as well. "Could just have a secure, smaller jade box, and a larger safe made of mundane metals -- we do have plenty of those Lintha swords that could be melted down for that, and Captain Hirdu has a forge on his ship. Maybe that'd be a better compromise, for now."

She pauses, letting Kareth give his own comments if he would. Then the Wood Aspect takes a deep breath, her demeanor turning a shade more serious. May as well get this over with now.

"Of course, this is only part of the reason we've called you here. We'd like to propose a little bit of a trade. Lasuri and I have garnered a few, er, interesting secrets during our adventures --" she shares a knowing glance with the Captain "-- and we've reason to believe you have some of your own, concerning your origins. Given how closely we'll have to work together in the future, we want to clear the air, so to speak."

Kareth listened to the officer's suggestions and his face creased.  Finally he spoke, "I think this can be done.  I'd like to build the larger safe mainly of mundane materials and make it look simple.  It should not be too difficult for me to build a fairly intricate locking system.  We can use some jade to reinforce the inside of the box.  Also, we could build a trap into it.  Perhaps not something that is actually dangerous but at least something to alert people that some one who shouldn't be accessing the Chalice is making an attempt."

After Jadira lets him speak his last thoughts on the subject, he listened to what she had to say.  This was not the conversation he had been expecting and it took him off guard.  There appeared to be less fear and hatred towards him than he had imagined.  After another long, awkward moment, he responded to the two in his normal cool tones, "I see where this is going.  How do you wish to proceed?"

"That'd be perfect for me, Mister Kareth. I knew you wouldn't disappoint." The Captain smiles at the engineer, visibly happy with the draft that was just established verbally.

As Jadira makes her announcement and Kareth responds, Lasuri folds his arms across his chest, leaning back against the railing. A faint smile plays on his lips, although he refrains from looking at anyone directly. "I know what you're thinking Mister Kareth - you're probably wondering whether or not we're going to be poking at some of the facts that surround you, or perhaps in the worst of cases we're going to be accusing you of anything. That'd be wrong, of course." The Captain begins, shaking his head softly.

"Forgive me for that, but I couldn't help but notice something about your anima way back when we were in Rakatau's belly. I wondered a bit then, and was unsure as to what it meant. I wondered if it was something you'd never talked about with me, and I wondered why you'd want to keep it hidden from old Las'... But then I realized that even though we've traveled together, none of us gave us more than a passing reason to trust us. When I talked about it with Jadira, we've come to the same conclusion: trust comes with a first offering of it."

"So here's the deal, Mister Kareth. We won't push you into anything. We won't force you to speak to us or trust us in any way. But we're going to make that first offering to you, to show that the both of us trust you. So in a way, we're both coming clean to you. Take a comfortable leaning spot - it's going to be a bit long."

The Captain leans his head back then, staring up at the evening sky with a soft, wistful smile on his features. "Me and Jadira were born in the Realm, as you might have surmised before. I used to be Ledaal Lasuri, and she was V'Neef Jadira. Seems almost odd to speak these names now." The Captain's smile widens, and he looks towards Jadira for a moment before turning back to the night sky and his tale. "When we were younger, we took part in this big event, this huge treasure hunt across Creation. We were with two other people then, two other Dynasts. I wish we'd chosen our friends better, but hey, maybe we wouldn't be here if not for that, so who knows."

"Things went well for a while. We were making headway into the hunt, and I even got my first ship: the Spring Dryad. We hired a skeleton crew and Mister Donnegal, that you know, and continued to sail in the East. But then, things changed. One of our comrades did something really stupid, and set off bombs in the Lookshy harbor while we were anchored there for a bit."

"Long story short... We were arrested, found guilty, and imprisoned as dangerous terrorists. Our homeland exiled us to smooth things with Lookshy and show they had no involvement in our actions. We lost our names, our home, and our dreams in one fell swoop. Before that, Jadira and I had planned to ask to be married when we came back home. Now, we were just criminals rotting in cells in a faraway country. The Seventh Legion even burned out my ship. I watched in chains as my ship, my friend, was burned to ashes, and the rest of our crew was imprisoned as co-conspirators."

"But as you can see... Things didn't stop there. I didn't want Jadira to spend her life in prison for the stupidity of someone else, so I sparked a little... commotion." The Captain ducks his head slightly then, a mix of amusement and nostalgia on his features. "It took months of preparation and thinking, but we broke out of jail. We freed Mister Donnegal and the surviving members of our old crew - sans our dimwitted Dynast 'friends' - and made for one of the hangars I had heard a rumor about. There, there lied a crippled first age ship that the Legions had salvaged and intended to repair, so we planned to steal it. We fought for it with crude weapons and lots of will... And much to my surprise, the Spirit of the original Spring Dryad had followed us this far, as well. She had never lost faith in us, and stuck around for when we'd come to sail the world again. She was bound to this crippled old artifact ship, and through sheer will and luck, we escaped." The Captain taps the railing of the Spring Dryad II, a warm smile on his lips.

"So there... We're actually fugitives in your homeland, Mister Kareth. We've been accused of two crimes there, so if your people found us out, they'd try to capture us. Heck, even if our own homeland found out, they might try to capture us and send us back there too, just so they could continue to state they have nothing to do with our crimes."

"So there, mister Kareth. You don't have to say anything to us, or trust us back. But that's our offering to you. If something happened that makes it impossible for you to return home, you could use the information you just got to get back in the good graces of your homeland. Allowing for the captures of two fugitives might be good for you. We know you could do that, but we're giving you that info anyway, for you to use as you see fit."

"That's our first offering of trust to you, Mister Kareth, in exchange for the loyal services you've performed for the Alliance... And for us, as people."

"I.... see," the engineer said quietly.  He simply looked at the Lasuri and Jadira for a very long, quiet moment.  Finally he spoke.  "You have nothing to fear from me.  Even if I turned in two fugitives and returned a first age ship to the legion, I doubt I would find much welcome waiting for me at my home.  Even if my Gens did accept me back, I would probably be assassinated shortly after my return.  The three of us have something in common: we all chose to trust the wrong people."  Again, Kareth paused and finally looked away from the two former Dynasts.  He turned his gaze out towards the rolling ocean and the starry night which blanketed it.  The two could sense him struggling with something.  Lasuri would recognize the look on Kareth's face as being very similar to when the chalice had been tormenting him.

When he finally spoke again, he did not look in their eyes.  "You said you were curious about my anima, Captain.  The short answer is that it has always appeared to be wan.  It did, however, undergo a metamorphasis.  As you know, I attended Valkhawsen to become a sorcerer engineer.  This was important to my family because Gens Isole was trying to become more than just a minor gens.  Shortly after I arrived I was called into the office of the headmaster himself.  There I was offered the chance to undergo what he referred to as an 'experimental new curriculum.'  I had weekly tutoring sessions with the headmaster.  I was uncertain as to what these sessions were supposed to produce but my family assured me this was a great honor.  However, each passing lesson poisoned my respect for the man.

Years later, when it came time for my class to spend time abroad traveling, I was assigned to find an ancient ruin which changes location.  This ruin is known as The Cenotaph of Urosh-Kar.  My assignment involved me studying the ruins for several days."  At this the engineer visibly shuddered.  "Sparing you the details, I discovered a little too late what my private lessons were about. "  With this, Kareth stopped and tore his eyes away from the waters on which the Alliance sailed.

"Captain, I stated to you and Miss Thornbloom once that I am no sorcerer engineer.  That was no lie."  With those words, Kareth's anima suddenly erupted.  The weak, orange glow was riddled with the pale green, almost liquid pyre flames that formed spectral faces.

"I am a necromancer."

The words hung heavy in the air for just a moment while the light of his anima flickered eerily around him.  He then continued his story.  "I used my powers once to save my unit from a nephwrack.  When the Chaplainry learned of this I was quietly banished.  They gave me accolades for my service while brushing me quietly out the door.  If I return, Kraik might try to have me killed because I can point the finger at his involvement.  Once I initiated, my anima changed to contain this pyre flame.  That is my secret, Captain."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:30, Sun 11 Oct 2009.

Jadira lets Lasuri tell the story that brought them and the Dryad to the West, her eyes shimmering at times with reminiscence of brighter days, her muscles tensing with frustration at how they were lost. At one point she adds, "Our former friend triggered such a pointless act of terrorism. I won't lie, I wish she and the other one were still rotting away in that prison we escaped. But I'm pretty sure they got bailed out, so they're probably wandering around as exiles somewhere. Las and I, we're exiles AND criminals -- but I'd rather be a fugitive than have to spend another moment with them." Apparently Jadira has a lot of pent up rage about the situation.

"Though I am sorry about the damage we caused. We could have waited quietly until the paperwork worked out, rather than going for a bold escape. There's a lot of things we could have done better. We're not the types to make a habit out of stealing ships from good people. But I'm glad you won't turn us in for the stupid decisions of our youth."

"That and I don't think at this point we're willing to give up the Dryad, anyway," the brunette adds sheepishly, ducking her head.

When it's Kareth's turn to tell his story, Jadira manages not to let out a gasp at the word 'necromancer', but she still can't help but recoil at least slightly. "Initiated into Necromancy without realizing it, by the headmaster of your sorcery academy? That's just... heinous! I mean, not you, Kareth. You didn't know. I can't rightfully say you went into this willingly." She actually looks upset at what Kareth had to go through, possibly an unusual reaction for the engineer to notice. "I mean, this Kraik guy used you out of some sick curiosity! Even I've heard of the Cenotaph. Not much, but I know it's some sort of soulsteel construct connected to the Underworld. So he wanted to see if he could teach a student necromancy, or something like that, and when you got found out he got you thrown out of your homeland!"

Jadira fumes, getting off the railing to pace around for a while and let off some steam. "Man, that sort of thing just burns me up!"

"More importantly, though..." She pauses to glance at Lasuri again, her longtime Captain, companion and lover. So much they've been through together. "What's Alliance policy with necromancy? It's not as if we've ever had to deal with one before. And Kareth, what about you? Will you hide that power for the rest of your life, or try to make use of it? I don't know anything about getting rid of an initiation..."
This message was last edited by the player at 13:35, Mon 12 Oct 2009.

"So that's what it was." Lasuri begins, nodding slowly at Kareth's tale. The Captain does look bothered, but not at the fact that the engineer has revealed himself to be a wielder of necromancy - rather, like Jadira, he seems more perturbed by the circumstances with which he was given these abilities. Despite the fact that many would simply condemn Kareth after hearing such things, Lasuri cannot help but think that the man before them bears his burden with responsibility and humility - despite being forced into it and made to carry this weight against his will, he seems intent to let no one else pay for what he considers his responsibility. That, the Captain thinks, is the mark of a remarkable man.

Mulling over the revelation, Lasuri raises his head, to answer to the things Jadira speaks of. "Back then, I didn't have the heart to wait it out. I knew what was coming - we would be shipped home, only to be told in no uncertain terms that this was not our home anymore, and that we were being cast out. I didn't have the heart to put Jadira through that. To go back home in disgrace, to have to see our families there, and be told to just go away and forget the lives we wanted to have. After all that, that was just too much to ask for. I thought it was better to just make a clean cut. Leave it all behind without twisting the knife further." The Captain shakes his head, then smiles a bit sadly. "That, and I felt bad that the crew I had hired a few weeks prior were now held in a Lookshy prison because of me. Our home would not have brought these people out, either. Donnegal and the others would have just stayed in jail or gotten executed. I didn't think it was fair, so I suggested the theft. Perhaps things could have been handled differently... But that's all I could think of at the time."

The First Mate asks her question then, and Lasuri folds his arms across his chest, shaking his head softly. "The same policy we take with everyone else - we'll judge our people by their actions, not by their past or what they're called." Raising his head to look at Kareth now, the Captain actually smiles, and nods encouragingly to the engineer. "I didn't expect that, Mister Kareth. Well no, I had a nagging thought there was something strange going on when I saw your anima in the cavern. But I don't know enough about these things to know what it meant. But the truth of the matter is... It doesn't matter. I've gotten to know you as a man, and that image isn't wrong. Learning of what you did before doesn't change the impressions and experiences I've had with you. It explains things, but it doesn't change what I thought of you before."

"That said..." Lasuri says, pausing with a thoughtful expression on his features. "I don't know much about the whole necromancy affair, myself. I know that some of these things is questionable, like the making of undead for example - that's not something I'd be able to endorse. But I don't think you would either, from what I know of you." He nods at the engineer then, a smile still on his features. He looks towards Jadira, nodding to her as well, before turning towards Kareth again.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is... As long as what you do with your abilities and how you make use of them is in line with the rest of the Alliance's tenets, I don't give a damn where your powers come from. It's the heart and the purpose that counts, in the end." The Captain's smile widens, and he actually extends a hand to the engineer. "If you're willing to fight for the same ideals, no matter what the source of your abilities, you'll have a place with us, Mister Kareth."

Jadira's out burst in his defense comforted Kareth slightly, but he felt it was somewhat unjustified.  Against his better judgement, he decided to let this point of view be known.  "The Cenotaph is much, much worse than that Miss Thornbloom.  But there's still no need to feel sorry for me.  I might not have sought out necromancy per se, but I did willingly learn all the lessons required to initiate... and I learned them because I sought to be more powerful.  And the lessons of necromancy become just as much a part of the person's soul as those of sorcery.  I could have declined my private lessons but I considered it too much of an honor.  I wanted to be a better sorcerer-engineer than my peers, for the service of Lookshy's 'justice'."  The disdain Kareth manged to put into this last word was almost palletable.  Then he softened his voice, if only slightly and continued, "Kraik is not a good man and I've long lost my faith in the institutions which support him and people like him.  But I can't be called an innocent victim here.  The Horse Lords in the Threshold have a saying that you may lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.  Kraik only lead me through the initiation process.  I chose to learn the lessons myself.  Even if I didn't know what the end result would be, my power still stems from the choices  I made.  In that respect I have something in common with every other necromancer.  In a very dark and twisted way I got exactly what it was that I sought, though it eventually cost me everything.  For now, I seek answers to the events which surrounded my birth.  It is for that reason I have traveled with you up until now."

After this statement, he listens intently when Jadira asks Lasuri as to Alliance policy and about how Kareth intends to use his power. This is a question of importance to him.  Though he knows how he feels about his powers he decides to let the Captain speak on the Alliance's policy before answering Jadira himself.  He had no wish to be at odds with the captain and first mate, so he would gladly tapper the use of his craft to conform with Alliance policy.

"No one seeks any form of sorcery or even necromancy without a desire for power. The lessons are too hard learned to go into it lightly. I'm a sorceress myself, I know that much," Jadira points out, her brow creasing thoughtfully. "I learned at the Heptagram, where we might not consort with undead powers, but messing with the demonic can be risky in its own way. Though, I don't have any demon-summoning spells. Never liked 'em," she says with a dismissive shrug.

Really, it was because she was never good at them, at wanting to subjugate anyone with a pact, even a justifiably evil Malfean being. The years may have changed her, but she's never stopped being a compassionate person at heart. She's just learned that there's times a gentle heart must be hardened.

"Anyway, so you were just twisted enough that even though you may have suspected the darkness of your art, you didn't stop, because you wanted to excel at your craft. Fine, I can accept that. Still, just KNOWING necromancy doesn't automatically make you oppose everything the Cobalt Alliance stands for. It may make you of questionable morality at times, but we've established that none of us are without blemish... so we'll handle each case as it comes."

"I have to admit though, I'm not sure what sort of power necromancy may have given you in terms of helping you in engineering. As far as I know, it's better at destruction than creation." Jadira stifles a sigh; she respects Lasuri's desire to trust Kareth given his dedication thus far, and to judge him by his future deeds. She wants to give Kareth the benefit of the doubt as well, especially since she still thinks Kraik is a bastard, but she cannot rightfully avoid questioning him and making sure of his intentions. "Since I'm more knowledgeable about occult matters, maybe you can tell me what the spells you've mastered can do? Like Las said, there are some things we won't have, like zombie crewmen, or creating undead at all. Permanently shackling the undead against their will is... not something I'd prefer to see, unless it's a truly dangerous enemy that ought to be detained."

"Also, I'm fine with helping you seek your origins, but... if you're content to remain a necromancer, will you continue to learn necromantic spells? What about it appeals to you now if it doesn't even help you with your trade?"
This message was last edited by the player at 05:30, Tue 13 Oct 2009.

Kareth, again, looked shocked at the compassion that both the Captain and the First Mate seemed intent on showing him.  Relief rushed over him as he heard that he could continue to stay with the Alliance.  He actually liked being on the Dryad.  In a way, it made him feel like he was home.  However, Jadira's questions needed to be answered.  Kareth recomposed himself and began to answer.

"To date I have learned 3 spells.  Given the opportunity, I will learn others if I deem them useful.  Despite it's connotations, I view necromancy as a tool.  I will readily admit that I would have rather known sorcery as I view it as a better engineering tool.   Unfortunately, this is what I have and I will make the best of it.  To be honest, necromancy hasn't aided my trade as an engineer at all but I never viewed myself as being only an engineer.  I am... was a soldier in the 7th Legion and that meant protecting Lookshy and the 7th Legion from various threats.  Some of those threats were the undead.

After my exile, I have found other uses for it.  My goal in life became to get answers to questions I have, and for that I need to travel.  Part of traveling means I have to find ways to feed and cloth myself.  I couldn't always feed myself by fixing things.  After all, people who own first age equipment are in short supply.  However, spirits are a more common problem.  Ghost will plague the living in some areas.  While I can't directly banish ghosts, it can be almost as effective if they are simply bound and ordered to stop their assault.  It's a temporary fix but effective to an extent."  Kareth knew this last statement might bother his commanding officers so he decided to continue quickly.

"I can assure you that I neither know how to raise zombies nor do I care to learn as I have little use for walking corpses.  To answer your other questions, Miss Thornbloom,   The problem is that I see myself as being more than just an engineer.

The first spell I learned was... spoken... to me at the Cenotaph.  It is called Silent Master's Pollen.  Simply put, it breaks any current bindings on a ghost and forces them into Leth.

The second spell I learned was Iron Circle Counter-magic.  I believe this speaks for itself.

The last spell I learned to cast is a spell to summon and bind ghost."

Here Kareth pauses to wait for Lasuri's and Jadira's reactions.

"Branching out from engineering isn't an issue for me either," Jadira says, after hearing Kareth out. "Really, it's natural with how long we Terrestrials can live that we will pursue other arts, or change our focus. I was once a skilled rider, for example, but I'm really out of practice now that I've fled to the sea..." A sad look crosses her face, as she quietly reminisces on some distant memory, but she doesn't dwell on it long.

"As for using necromancy to control and banish hostile undead, it might prove useful to us in the future. If Rakatau is right, we'll eventually need to deal with the undead in some fashion. I guess I'm just uncomfortable with keeping undead as long-term slaves. But there may be reason to bind a dangerous ghost for a longer time, if you can't quickly banish them. I suppose I could see that happening."

Jadira looks at Kareth thoughtfully as she considers all he's said, then finally nods, coming to a definite conclusion. "I think Las has already given his vote of confidence. As for me, I don't think your knowledge and use of necromancy thus far endangers the crew. The Cobalt Alliance is about giving chances to outliers like us who may have meant well, but made some mistakes or are sorely misunderstood. So stay as long as you need, and as I promised before, we'll make sure you get to Skullstone one day. We owe you, too, for keeping the Dryad in good shape."

"Just one more thing... what about our comrades, and other crewmembers? How much do you want them to know? Should we tell them, or will you tell when it's comfortable for you?"

"Jadira speaks it pretty eloquently." Lasuri says, a smile tracing his lips. "Like I said, I don't know much about Necromancy myself. I mean yeah, I've heard the spooky tales and the eerie legends adults pass to children to scare them off, but as you grow old, you kinda stop and consider what part of that is the truth. Maybe that's why I'm of the mind I am, you'll say - because I've not seen people abusing that power and the horrors that can come with it. But hey, sometimes you have to see past the skills and look at the person underneath."

The Captain rubs his chin thoughtfully then, as if looking for an example to illustrate his point. "Let me give you a more concrete example. I've been a thief in the past, Mister Kareth. Outside of stealing this boat, I've taken other things from people. One time, I've gotten our little group to organize a heist on a Nexus Casino, 'cause we needed the money. We pulled it off, and got away with cash we used to finance our quest. I had the skills to do that - I still do. If I was to let that fact known to the people of the West, they'd likely never want to trust me again, because I have the skills to steal and swindle. People would be wary of me, for various reasons that they'd be wary of you, but at the core, the principle is the same. They would be watchful around me because of the skills I have, not for who I am. They'd be scared of my skills because they likely wouldn't think they could stop me if I was to use it against them. Whether or not I'm the type to use it against them is irrelevant."

"At the core, that's the crux of the Alliance's purpose, you see. Because the rest of the world is, as a general rule, not going to give people a chance when they perceive things like that. We're trying to rectify that, little by little. We've never had a necromancer on board before, so I don't know how it'll all pan out. But as long as you're willing to work with us, we'll build the guidelines together. Who knows, when we know more about how to handle all that, maybe we'll be able to have a haven for people who are in the same situation as you do."

Lasuri nods then, leaning back against the railing while Jadira asks her question - an important one, at that. "We take that seriously, Mister Kareth, I assure you. I know how much of a leap of faith it was to even confide that in us. If you'd rather them not knowing for now, we'll keep your secret safe."

Kareth listens to Lasuri's latest confession and Jadira's question.  Truth be told, the relief of not being kicked off the boat overwhelmed alot of his fears... but not, what he deemed to be, common sense.  "How much trouble would it be to recruit others to the alliance if they knew a necromancer traveled with them.  For that matter, I'm unsure of how some of the more... Immaculate... of the current crew would react.  No.  I'll keep it hidden for now as a matter of caution."

Jadira nods, and gives Kareth a reassuring smile. "Then that is what we will do. We'll keep your secret, and... I think we'd prefer you kept ours as well. Just in case."

"But thank you for being so honest with us. I think I've pretty much exhausted all the concerns I have for now, so... unless Lasuri has anything else for you..." The Dryad's first mate stretches and yawns mightily, clapping a hand over her mouth. "Ooh, sorry. If that's all then we should all get some rest for the trip ahead, I think."

As she says this her hand slips around Lasuri's -- some alone time would be nice about now, too...

[Private to Lasuri Leomaris; Isole Kareth: This could be the end of the scene, or one or both of you could add something to end it. Either way I think we're more or less much done :)]

"Certainly, Ms. Thornbloom."  Then Kareth paused and looked at the two Dynasts.  "We have a long journey before us and there is one more loose end to which I could devote my time towards tying up.  When I first joined the Alliance, there was talk of one of Captain Fireblade's crew being troubled by a ghost..."  Here he simply let the thought trail off.  "Well that is something to consider for the journey and it's not as though you don't know where to find me.  I will begin work on the on containers in the morning, if nothing more than merely the designs.  Good evening, Captain.  Miss Thornbloom."  The engineer turned to leave and then stopped.  Kareth looked back over his shoulder at the couple.  "Thank you."  These words might have been the first words anyone in the Alliance had heard than man speak that weren't filled with his normal hostility.  With that said, Kareth simply turned and left the two alone.