After sunset on the night of the meeting, while you are setting up your cabin, you hear a knock on your door.

Opening it, you find Mikasa. She stands somewhat awkwardly in the corridor,  and seems reluctant to speak first.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:43, Mon 01 Jan.

Vharza glanced up from the sphere in his hands, the glow fading as he released the awareness of the surrounding seas. Elliotia may have been safe, or injured, or dead- there was no telling. All he knew for certain was that there was no-one else who would be looking. Enigmatic and cryptic she might be, but she still shared that same bond he and every other druid on the continent did. She was more than capable of taking care of herself- he would just have to rely on that, and hope his cryptic sister survived.

With a sigh, he rose from his seat, expecting to find Boorgrub or perhaps Eleni at his door. He hadn't expected it to be the sahuagin girl. "What can I do for you, young one?" She looked to awkward to be seeking vengeance, and too uncomfortable for this to be a simple matter.

Mikasa responded, her courage growing with the welcome she received.

"I wanted to hear from you about how the battle in the cave went. How did my fathers die?"

Vharza let out a long breath. "To what end, Mikasa? Are you looking for comfort, or someone to hate?" He gave the sahuagin a steady look. "I doubt you will find either here. I deal in truth, at least as far as I can perceive it. It is rarely clear-cut or pleasant, and this is still a fresh wound for you. Nuance is rarely what the grieving seek."

"I'm not a child, Vharza, but more than that, I am sahuagin. Brutal death is a part of my people's culture. It's how we weed out the weak and strengthen the race as a whole. So I am not here for comfort or hatred. I just want truth, and to know the people I find myself traveling with. May I come in?"

"... Being told it is the way the world is doesn't close the raw wound though, does it?" The crowfolk sighed. "Some things are universal. A snake will mourn its children, a dragon will mourn its parents." Vharza stepped aside, letting the sahuagin into the cramped cabin, drawing a chirp from Reed. "Come in, then."

There was no ornamentation to the cabin, beyond the jade sphere and the little caiman. Not really surprising, given that he had just moved in, but the crowfolk had also disregarded much of the jewelry that they had recovered. The crowfolk picked up the sphere and waved at the lone chair in the room. "I've never been much of a host, I'm afraid. Where do you want me to begin?"

"Simple and truthful. How did the battle go? Did any of my people offer a chance to stop the fight?"

"As battle always does- brutally. We knew there was someone in the cave, and were fairly certain they were sahuagin." The crowfolk gave Mikasa a searching look. "So we were expecting violence. Your people have never given us reason to expect otherwise." The statement was blunt, perhaps even harsh, but the young woman needed to know. "Your sentries spotted us and opened fire. From that point on, there was no talking. The sentries broke once we got amongst them and ran to gather the rest of your group."

"I was still delirious, but I think I remember that. My fathers got word that someone was working their way into the cave, and that one guard was dead already. They and the remaining guards rushed out to defend me..." Her voice trails off, a pained expression on her face.

The crowfolk tilted his head as pieces fell into place. "Well, we heard them coming, and were ready for them. Most of the guards fell to either Eleni or myself, even if it wasn't directly in my case. Wizzlewick- the mousekin- managed to hurt the sorcerer, so he set the berserker on him." Vharza shrugged, before continuing. "I presume those two were your fathers? None of us could understand your tongue, I'm afraid, and the only time they spoke to us was when he swore he would drag down Wizzlewick before he died."

The crowfolk clapped his beak, closing his eyes for a moment. Time to stop dancing around the issue. "To be blunt, your fathers made some tactical errors. Your guards assumed the water would be safe. The berserker rushing Wizzlewick through the bulk of us weakened him, and allowed the smallfolk to swarm him and bring him low. The sorcerer, likewise, was more focused on Wizzlewick. Perhaps because he was more obviously a caster, perhaps because he was more familiar with his magic. That left me free to take to the air. I'm sure you saw the blood on me and can guess how that went."

The crowfolk paused, before drawing his blade and holding its hooked profile up to the light. Careful not to point it as Mikasa, he angled it so the pattern along the spine was clearly visible. "I have lost count of the lives I have taken with this sword, and yet more without it. I have not won every fight I have ever been in, either. All to often, I have seen people die because I hesitated, or made a small error." He lowered the blade so he could meet Mikasa's gaze directly. "And I daresay either of them could have bested me in their own field. We could not afford to hold back."

"Thank you for that. Yes, those were my fathers, and they did act rashly." She turns, looking away from your gaze for a moment to compose herself before continuing.

"Now, I would like to know you better. This whole thing seems far from what you might ordinarily be doing. What made you come to this strange ship?"

The crowfolk gave the sahuagin an odd look. "Know me better? I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed. I'm simply not that interesting." Vharza shrugged though, sheathing his blade as he considered the question. "Has no-one told you what this ship achieved? It managed to breach the Maelstrom, coming from the lands beyond. That was more than enough to bring me out of my retirement... Well, semi-retirement. Home is hardly the safest place on the continent."

Mikasa chuckles. "Those who claim to be boring are usually the most interesting. Where is home for you? How did you meet Reed?"

The crowfolk gave Mikasa a strange look. "Home? The Brinemire- a rather unpleasant swamp on the far side of the continent. Well, unpleasant for most. Reed's from there, too, as are most of his kin. He decided my windowsill was the perfect place to bask. And that my supplies were tasty." Vharza ran a hand down Reed's back in a display of affection at odds with his irritation at the thefts. "Teaching him to stop stealing my fish never really stuck, though he's proven useful in other ways."

"I think I know the area, or rather, know of it. Some of the truly deep areas are accessible to us, and most of the surface folks never realize how deep it actually goes. I was originally from the waters of the gulf, but my fathers felt that the farther we could get from that area the safer we would be."

Reaching out, she waits to see if she has permission before attempting to pet him similarly. "About the only thing I miss from there is my pet shark. He was a Broadnose Catshark, I named him Slipply." She chuckles. "A childish name, I know. We couldn't bring him with us."

"You can pat him- those scutes are quite thick. You won't hurt him by accident." The druid removed his talons, letting the sahuagin approach. "He can't scratch his ears properly by himself, so he likes being scratched there."

He fell silent when Mikasa brought up her pet. "That always hurts, even when you know that they are capable of taking care of themselves. I've seen plenty of Broadnosed Catsharks, and so long as they don't go out too far, they are generally left alone."

"Yeah, I miss him, but I know he will be ok. He is not worth killing for them." She spends a moment petting Reed gently. "Well, thank you, Vharza. I appreciate your honesty. I think it is time to get some sleep, if that is ok with you."

"Of course. I hope this has helped in some way." The crowfolk replied, though he tilted his head halfway through the sentence as something occurred to him. "... Actually, one moment more of your time. Do you have any winter gear for if we head North? And- pardon if this seems rude- I assume that your kin's bodies produce at least some heat? You're not sluggish at this hour as I would expect if you didn't."

"Of course. My people do generate their own heat, and Boorgrub said he would pick some warm clothing for me while we are in Selinus."

The crowfolk sighed, and clapped his beak twice. "Boorgrub means well, but I do not think he has thought this through. You do not move like any people on the surface, and few have tails to deal with. Getting you winter clothes is not just a matter of throwing gold around- it will need to be altered for you, at the very least. That means a tailor." The crowfolk watched the sahuagin's expression, trying to judge her reaction.

After a moment, Vharza shook his head. "I'll gather some materials while we're in town. That way, we can ensure that you'll have something that will keep you warm and fit you, even if its not pretty."

"I would appreciate that, Vharza. Thank you. And thank you for the talk. There is much to learn for all of us on this journey, and that requires trust." With a final pet for Reed, she turns and exits your cabin, leaving you to your thoughts.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:36, Thu 04 Jan.