A Letter To the Government

[Faith Augustin]

Sent: 10th Ashan, 722.
Arriving 40th Ashan 722

To: Empress Raskalarn & the High Council of the Eternal Empire.

I am writing to you in order to inform you of a project I am undertaking in my role as Head of the Order of the Adunih and to seek your inclusion in this. I have sent the proposal below to Lady Saoire and have received, in return, an agreement in principle for the setting up of the gateways. I am due to meet with Lady Saoire next Cycle.

The Proposal: As Sent To Saoire
I am setting up a large hospital outside Rharne, near to the town of Volta. My aim is to build the largest hospital currently on Idalos and - most importantly - which serves all of Idalos. This will be one complex which will have five distinct areas.

Four wings (each the size of a large hospital) with a central hub is what I envision. These will be:

- a hospital where currently incurable diseases and illnesses are treated and studied.
- a hospital where chronic and long term patients with complex and often terminal diagnosis and prognosis are cared for
- a children's hospital for the most complex and difficult children's cases
- a military and / or magic injury hospital for all those who have been injured in war or battle, those who have been harmed by magic or incapacitated by it

The hub will have research facilities and labs. There will be accommodation for the families of those who stay in the hospitals and therapy rooms for them. I have arranged for these buildings to be built and I will be donating them to the Order, so that they will not belong to me or any one person, but will be Order property.

My idea, Lady Saoire, is that I would ask you to provide a gateway between all Order buildings and this complex. It is my aim to ensure that no one is denied treatment because of their location and this is a first step towards that goal. If I can secure your assurance of the gateways, then I will contact the government and Immortal patrons of the relevant cities.

Current Actions
I have commissioned the buildings. I will be funding these myself and they will be immediately donated to the Order of the Adunih. These buildings are being created to a very high standard from an organisation in Rharne. Snodgrass, Pendleton & Snoot have provided a substantial discount and will be the official builders for the Order of the Adunih, going forward.

I have met with a mercenary company to discuss arranging security at the hospital site - and in each of the Order outposts, as and when this is agreed and as needed.

I am in the process of writing to the councils for Scalvoris, Desnind, Rharne, Viden and the Eternal Empire. These will be the "phase one" contacts.

Proposal
I would like to ask that you discuss this proposal and we then meet to discuss, if it is something you would be interested in.

The ability to be able to offer healing to those most in need should not be limited by geography. However, I am aware that the use of gateways poses a risk. I have the following mitigations either in place, or in process.

1. Members of a well-respected and morally appropriate mercenary company to be stationed in each Order outpost with the specific remit of protecting the gateway. These would be as well as any security you wished to provide, should you allow this to occur

2. I am able to designate an area a "safe hearth" - while so designated, no violence can be undertaken there and I will be aware of any who enter with violent intent. I am able to designate three such areas and I will designate the hospital as one.

3. Restrictions on who may use the gateway and - if it is Lady Saoire's pleasure that this is the case - a requirement that the person coming through must be "accepted" by the hospital. I will provide an Echo Scroll to each Order outpost and only when stringent security measures are met will the gateway be opened. Note that this requires discussion / confirmation from Lady Saoire.

I genuinely believe that this proposal will save lives. It also strengthens ties between all those places with links to the hospital. We will be able to provide care to those who most need it, no matter where they are. I would very much appreciate you discussing and considering this, if you would do so. If you need to meet in person, I will be happy to attend, but will need to arrange to travel.

I thank you for your time in reading this.

With best regards,

Faith Augustin

[Basilisk]

Doctor Augustin,

Your proposal has caught my attention and that of my advisors. After some deliberation, I have decided to hear our your proposal in more detail. However, I would prefer to have discussion in person, as letters take too long. If you would like to continue this proposal, please come to Korlasir, and give your name to the officials here at the imperial palace. They will see to it that you are shown in to meet with me as soon as possible. I look forward to your visit.

Sincerely,
Empress Raskalarn of The Eternal Empire

[Faith Augustin]

92nd Ashan, 722

Faith was nervous.

People usually didn't see when Faith was nervous, and this was no exception. She had arranged for the children to be cared for, for the settlement to be looked after, and then Faith had arranged for her travel. She and Alissa had come here, to this strange place where chains were a sign of status; a place so very loyal to one Immortal, and Faith had to admit to being a little overwhelmed. On Scalvoris, she had affected change but here? Here she recognised just how small Scalvoris was.

How small she was. But that did not deter her because Faith - as always - had a bottom line. This was Raskalarn - an Immortal. She had met plenty of Immortals and she served them as much as she served every being on Idalos.

So, Faith arrived at the appointed time and she had prepared for literally everything . She had made her usual Logistical Leaps: Faith has developed her skill to the point where she can plan for the worst-case-scenario in the most efficient way possible and make logistical decisions which may seem to be unusual or extreme but which are, in fact, exactly what's needed. This leads to her having something on hand which could help against even the most obscure and difficult turn of events. So, to give an example, the gut instinct to bring a beautiful bird along for company on the voyage is directly helpful when a priest of Delroth seeks to impede their progress. I think it'll be interesting for story and will be something mods can use if they wish. here and thus her bag had a number of items in it, including samples from behind the barriers, and other such apparent oddities.

She had, of course, all the documents she needed to show Raskalarn should she wish to see them. Faith had considered, long and hard, whether to bring a sword with her and had decided against it. She was never unarmed anyhow, and frankly if it came down to a fight she was already kibbles and bits, she just didn't know it yet. So, she sat and waited at the appointed time and she paid attention to those around her and learned what she could from how they looked .

Faith watched, just making sure that there wasn't anything strange or which made her feel uneasyGateway Ability: Hunch
Any investigator develops an instinct but Faith has honed this to the point of super human. As in the All-Taverns Tournament, Faith is able to spot when something is not right no matter how busy or crowded the place may be. Where there is a plot to be investigated, or a crime to be solved, where there is a dodgy person or an unusual thing - Faith will have a hunch and go to it. This is not a passive ability, but it is one where she has to look around / investigate / consider and then, to her, her hunch kicks in. When looking at a crowd of 200 people, considering the city of Rharne or wondering about the whole of Idalos, Faith just knows where to start, and who (in priority order) she needs to speak to first.

In mechanical terms, I will use this ability in a thread and identify it. Should that be a modded thread, I will leave the results to the mod, of course. In a solo, I'll use it and then continue the actions and - in a collab, I'll work with my partner(s)., although she'd be rather surprised if there was, but then one just never knew.

When she was called in, Faith straightened her skirt, smoothed the front of her blouse and followed whoever it was that led her in. When she got in front of the Empress, Faith smiled and bowed in greeting. "Empress Raskalarn. Thank you so much for seeing me," she said, and then used whatever title was used here - she'd listened and paid attention, after all. If no one had used a title and merely referred to the Immortal as "Raskalarn", Faith would stick with what she'd done. She allowed her eyes to look around and see who else was here and would greet each person appropriately. Then, she'd wait to see what they wanted her to do - and how this was going to happen.

[Basilisk]

When Faith looked for anything that made her feel uneasy or that looked out of place, there wasn't much to find. The Imperial Palace was orderly and calm, for the most part. Some people that looked like military types were expressing concern over some sort of lava monster that was a problem in an area called the Volcanic Mountain Range, but even then, there was a level assurance that it would be quickly handled. There was, however, one thing that Faith might notice as odd and it wasn't coming from the people. Faith was the Champion of three Immortals, and as a result, she was relatively familiar with Immortal power. The Imperial Palace was, and if she thought back to it, the entirety of The Eternal Empire since she'd crossed into its borders, was practically humming with the power of an Immortal. This place, however, seemed to be the center of all that power.

When she gave her name to one of the soldiers, and they were clearly soldiers, who seemed to serve as much of the palace's official staff, she was quickly handed off to what appeared to be a higher ranking soldier, though her only guess for this was that he had more and shinier chains. This soldier led her deeper into the Imperial Palace and to a door that looked simple enough, if Faith were to ignore that it was the heart of all that Immortal power she'd feeling, though she could also feel another, second power source behind the door. The second power source wasn't lesser, precisely, but it wasn't tied into the power Faith was feeling. There was also a surprising amount of growling coming from behind the door, though it wasn't exactly aggressive growling, but rather more playful. The soldier knocked on the door and when a voice told them to enter, he opened the door and introduced Faith.

The room was an office, a fairly simple one as such things went. A simply carved mahogany desk was the most obvious furniture piece, with comfortable looking armchair behind it. There were several large bookshelves made of the same material as the desk lining one wall, and there was a comfortable looking sitting area with a large coffee table, several comfortable chairs, a very soft fur rug, and a large fireplace. In front of the fireplace was the source of the growling, a large grey wolf playing with a large barghest, the two canids tugging on a large knotted rope.

All of this was noticed afterwards, however. The first thing that Faith, that anyone, would notice was the woman who sat behind the desk. Raskalarn, perhaps surprisingly, didn't wear any obvious chains, but when she looked up and met Faith's eyes, the small healer would immediately understand why. Faith had met many Immortals, and she knew them and their powers, but unless she went well out of her way to hide it, there would never be any mistaking the Immortal of Conquest and Dominion for anything less than a ruler. A powerful one at that, as Raskalarn gave off the sense that she could command the mountains to bow and the seas to part with reasonable expectation of being obeyed. More than that, for the moment where their eyes met, even Faith, who had stood tall against some of the greatest beings in Idalos, would feel a sense that she should be bowing. Not because she used to be a slave, or because she was a subject of Raskalarn's, but rather simply because she wasn't Raskalarn.

Then Raskalarn glanced slightly away from Faith, breaking eye contact and breaking the feeling that Faith had got when they made eye contact. Faith, with her knowledge of how people worked, would be able to tell that it was a habitual thing for the Immortal Empress, but nevertheless done with intent. She knew the effect she had on people, something that was intrinsic to who and what she was, and she chose not to use it to on them. Even without that, however, Faith could tell that Raskalarn was the source of all that Immortal energy she'd been able to detect. "Thank you. You're dismissed, Captain." she said, getting a nod from the soldier before he left, shutting the door behind him and leaving Faith alone with the Empress. Faith made her greeting, the correct one as she had been able to determine that the term "Immortal Empress" was only used when not referring to Raskalarn by name, and Raskalarn nodded in response.

"A pleasure, doctor Augustin. I've followed your medical and social exploits with interest." she said, before looking over at the fireplace as the big gray wolf dropped the rope and looked up at the two. "Hello, Faith. I see you have been doing well." Karem said, giving a canine smile. She stayed in the form of a wolf, however, and took the rope again as the big barghest she'd been playing with brought it over to her. Raskalarn, for her part, shook her head slightly. "Karem claims that humanoids are not suitably equipped to play with canids like dogs or barghests. It's a convenient excuse to hide that she just likes playing from people who take her far too seriously." she said, her amusement showing in her voice. Karem, for her part, just wagged her tail in response. Standing up, the Immortal gestured at the seating area. "Come, let us sit and discuss this proposal of yours, doctor. I can have food or drink sent in if you wish." she said, her tone calm and polite.

[Faith Augustin]

92nd Ashan, 722

The Immortal Energy in this place was something else. As far as Faith was aware, one Immortal was not more intrinsically powerful than any other, so she supposed that this was the symptom of this being the very heart of the seat of power for an Immortal of Dominion. It was like it was magnifying itself, she figured. Still, it was interesting and she wanted to explore it. Sadly, of course, that wasn't entirely an option and Faith went where she was led.

Finally, the door. It was the very crux of this immense feeling of power, the apex of it. Faith made sure to thank the soldier who showed her in and then, she entered.

Throughout her short life, Faith had stood with many Immortals and, just rarely, she had seen their true power. Famula, in her realm, Vri in his. The power of the Immortal of Dominion in her own realm was quite something else and, of course Faith bowed. She would have anyhow, the compulsion to do so was there by virtue of the respect Faith had for Raskalarn. The young medic had a whole range of emotions in the face of this Immortal and there was an overwhelming feeling of discomfort. Raskalarn stood for everything that Faith stood against, in many many ways. But Faith knew herself well enough to know that, in fact, that was merely fear and uncertainty talking.

"Thank you so much for agreeing to see me," she said, and she smiled, genuinely. She realised that Karem was there and her smile widened. She bowed to the Immortal of the Hunt, too, and her eyes showed her delight at seeing her there. "It's good to see you too, Karem." Turning her attention back to Raskalarn, Faith started with what she always would. "Please, call me Faith," Doctor Augustin was formal and Faith - largely - was not. She walked with Raskalarn to the table and politely declined the offer of food. Faith had a sparrow's appetite on the best of trials and nerves did nothing to alleviate that.

Raskalarn seemed keen to get straight down to business, and Faith was very happy to do so. "Since I wrote to you," she said softly, "There have been changes and progresssome threads still ongoing so I'm being vague! - things have moved quickly." She smiled slightly, happy to be on familiar ground. "The current plan looks like this," she said, sliding the map across to Raskalarn. "The areas marked with letters are there for merchants, shops, retailers. We're negotiating for the river to be used, also, as a source of recreation and entertainment for the guests. I've had meetings with a number of people," she slid them across for Raskalarn to see the summary notes.

"Before I go any further though, the security is being provided by Skydas Mercenary Company. That is headed up by Praetorum and I believe you know of him. He was immediately honest with me, about his history with the Eternal Empire and I would be remiss to not be so with yourself."

The plans themselves showed the scale of what Faith was planning. She didn't go into more detail right now, though, because she was well aware that Raskalarn probably had questions and she seemed like the kind of Immortal who'd expect to have those answered first.

[Basilisk]

Raskalarn nodded when Faith thanked her for her time, while Karem wagged her tail at Faith's greeting. The Empress nodded again when Faith said to just use her name, and then they got down to business. Raskalarn simply nodded at Faith's offer of food, then took the map and meeting summaries when Faith handed them over. Raskalarn could read and absorb information very rapidly, more due to the centuries of paperwork she had done than anything else, and she flipped through Faith's notes very quickly. Meanwhile, the Barghest that Karem had been playing with decided it was done and lay in front of the hearth, panting and smiling. Karem, who of course still had energy to burn, hopped up onto the seat next to Raskalarn and read over the Empress's shoulder. "You know, if you took human form, I could just hand you these." Raskalarn said, her tone calm. Karem seemed to ponder this for a second. "Yes, you could." she said, though she made no effort to change position or form, still reading over Raskalarn's shoulder.

When Faith mentioned Praetorum and Skydas company, Raskalarn looked up and nodded. "There was an incident, he attacked and killed several members of his own unit while he was an Imperial Soldier. There were mitigating circumstances, so I've given him a chance to rebuild himself and to make reparations and amends. His presence as security for your hospital is fine and will cause no trouble with Imperial law or forces, so long as he doesn't cross into our borders, barring extreme circumstance." she said, setting the files aside for the moment. "I've kept an eye on him and his company, you've made a good choice for the security of your hospital. I trust each nation that agrees to this will be responsible for securing their own end of the portal." she said, that last bit not quite a question.

Karem spoke up as well, after having taken another look at the map. "The river is vital. Not just for entertainment, but for supplies. Ships, generally speaking, will eat less and thus cost less in provisions, in the long term." the Great Wolf said, her tone serious. "That forest will also be helpful, if that's actually there where you intend to build. If you have hunters that can supply part of your meat on site, it will help in case there's a supply issue." she said, getting a nod from Raskalarn. "If we're offering provisionary advice, Karem is correct. You could also build a mill on the river, make your own bread such if you wish, since you have a farm." she said, before shaking her head.

"But you did not come for advice in how to utilize your terrain. I rather doubt you've a shortage of allies who could provide such things." she said, nodding her head slightly to the side. "You want us to join your medical treaty, to be willing to entrust our sick and injured to your care." she said, her tone serious. "Ordinarily, I would be uninclined to do this, but your character is known. Karem trusts you, trusts you enough that she gave your children two of her packs pups." she said, her tone calm. The way she said that indicated that she trusted Karem completely. The Great Wolf could have said that Sintra would be a good babysitter, and Raskalarn would take her word as the only proof needed of that fact. "However, you are having to make deals with a lot of nations to make this hospital happen, and you are on Rharnian territory. How do you plan to ensure the hospital stays, and is treated as, neutral?" she asked, her tone calm, but her question intent.

[Faith Augustin]

92nd Ashan, 722

There was a feeling inside Faith of discomfort and unease - and as such she was very glad that Karem was there. Raskalarn was impressive, even by Immortal standards and Faith was in no doubt of that. She looked and listened, though, as Raskalarn answered her point regarding Praetorum and Faith felt her unease grow. The nature of Raskalarn's answer spoke volumes to Faith about the Immortal and kept her silence as she listened.

They offered advice and she noted it. She was always happy to take advice from anyone and, in truth, a mill was not something she had considered. She smiled at Karem - a tight and rather tense smile, but a genuine one nonetheless - when she spoke of woods. "Yes, that's my thought, too," she said. "And I thought I would create some Brightgleam Oases, too, in order to promote healing."

Raskalarn had a question, then, and Faith looked at her notes just for a moment. Internally, she gathered herself and then she spoke.

"I do not intend for it to be neutral," Faith said quietly. Her fingers laced together as she folded her hands on the table. "It will run according to my morals, my standards, and it will be part of the Order of the Adunih. It is not neutral ground, and were I to suggest it was, that would be disingenuous." Lifting her head, her ice blue eyes shone as the tinges of blue in her hair reflected. Faith was - at her core - a human being first and foremost. A mortal soul who had started life with no advantages and many disadvantages against her.

But even she would have to accept - that was no longer who she was.

Grand Warden of Lovalus, Champion to three Immortals and bearer of the Effigy of a dragon beyond the barriers at the edge of the world, she had a responsibility here. "I am not here to ask you to join a medical treaty. I am starting a project which will save the lives of the citizens of those areas, countries, kingdoms and empires who wish to be part of it." Faith knew that she had to be clear here, had to ensure that they were on the same page. "The fact that this is on Rharnian territory is important in the setting up. It is polite and right and fair that Ilaren has a say in that, it is her land. But once it is done, and it is all agreed," she was speaking mostly to Raskalarn, but she made sure to include Karem too. "Then all the territories are the same. It is not neutral, because it cares for all equally."

Her gaze met Raskalarn's and Faith felt the weight of the Immortal in front of her. The power which Raskalarn personified was immense, and Faith knew that had to give word to this. "No one will be in control of this, save me. I will delegate to the administrative and medical professionals I choose - and if you wish doctors and nurses and staff from the Eternal Empire to form part of the staff, that will be most welcome news." Faith smiled, just slightly. "But they do things my way. We will respect all cultures, all beliefs, all social norms and in this hospital there will be true isonomia - true equality for all."

She glanced at Karem and smiled, then turned that gaze back to Raskalarn. "I wish to make that clear, because making it clear to the Immortal of Dominion in the middle of your seat of power is difficult. Every urge I have tells me that you would be better off in charge of this, and I should ask you to run it." Yet, somehow, it was very clear that Faith would not be doing that any lifetime soon. "I can not tell you that there will be no issues, I can not tell you that there will be no teething problems. But I can tell you that I will deal with them and I can tell you that if there is one person in the Eternal Empire who dies because medicine doesn't have a cure yet, then I can give them a better chance. Not a guarantee, but a better chance." Faith's eyes flecked red as her deeply ingrained service to people kicked in. "I find it unacceptable that someone in the Eternal Empire, in Yaralon, in Scalvoris or in Rharne - anywhere - dies because we could not be there to try and save them. This allows me to offer you the chance to send your most ill, most hopeless and most difficult cases to me. " And then, finally, the simple truth.

"Because I am the best medic this world has ever seen and what I offer you here is an opportunity."

Breathing in, she sighed slightly, allowing the passion of her previous words to give way to slightly more relaxed ones. "What I would like from you, if I may be so blunt, is simple. If you want the Eternal Empire to access this, then give me a list of the conditions you need in order to be able to do that. The documents provide you with what we have currently and any further thoughts are welcome. I plan on asking Saoire, for example, if the gateways could be used to have staff moving between shifts, but only for those places who wish their citizens to be staff. " Faith looked at Raskalarn and she smiled. "It is difficult to sit here and tell you that I am in charge. But I am and, as such, if you let me know what you need in order for this to be something your people can benefit from - I'll let you know if I can provide it."

Her hands twitched, just briefly. But other than that, she was motionless.

[Basilisk]

Both Immortals nodded when Faith mentioned making Brightgleam Oasis to help with healing at the hospital. Then she turned to the question Raskalarn had asked her, and the Empress leaned back in her seat and listened to Faith's answer. Her expression remained neutral at first, though she raised an eyebrow slightly at Faith's declaration that the hospital would not be a neutral entity. When she explained what she meant by that, however, Raskalarn's expression gained a slightly amused undertone to it, though it wouldn't particularly seem like she was laughing at Faith. She did, however, get a slightly curious look when Faith chose to meet her gaze for the next part of her answer. It wasn't something people chose to do very often, but Raskalarn met Faith's gaze and watched as the healer explained the rest of her answer to Raskalarn's question.

When Faith was done, however, Raskalarn looked away from her slightly, breaking eye contact. "The reason I do not make eye contact with Mortals very much is that exact phenomenon you just described. I am, for better and worse, the Immortal of Conquest and Dominion, made to be better than those my Creator deemed to be inferior beings." she said, her tone turning heavily mocking when she spoke of her creator and how he made her. "Part of that is that when Mortals do make eye contact with me, they feel that artificial superiority. Because my creator was a craven idiot, I can't turn it off." she said, before closing her eyes and shaking her head. "But I do not choose to rule that way. It is a vile thing, and while I can't disable it, I can mitigate it." she said, before looking back at Faith, though she once again didn't make eye contact.

"As to the matter at hand, while I'll admit my trust in Ilaren is...measured, you do not share her hatreds or her passions. I have no issues with what you've described." she said, her tone more genial. Karem, for her part, shook herself and stepped over to the couch Faith was sitting on, curling up next to the little healer and putting her head on Faith's lap. Raskalarn just rolled her eyes at that and shook her head. "Karem, I don't think she was going to bolt out the room because I admitted to not entirely trusting my neighbors." she said, her tone more amused now.

Karem huffed at her boss, then grinned slightly. "No, she would not. But she has never met you before and you are all scary and mean to people who do not really know you. It's that whole "I am going to conquer the world because it is the only way to keep it from ending again" thing you have going on. It makes people think you are an egomaniacal tyrant." she said, to which Raskalarn gave something of an annoyed sigh. Karem looked up at Faith and grinned again. "She really is not a tyrant. A dictatorial, heavy handed autocrat, yes. But she does listen to her advisors and her people." she said, before looking back at Raskalarn. "As for egomaniacal...well she is an Immortal. We are all like that, frankly." she said, shrugging her shoulders slightly.

Raskalarn, who didn't really seem to have a response to that, shook her head and sighed. "Thanks for the help, Old Wolf. I'll have you put in charge of public relations right away." she said, her tone rather dry. Then she turned her attention back to Faith. "Anyway, I'm happy to have the Empire join the hospital. The only requirements I have for that to happen is that if Saoire agrees to open portals, I choose where the one in the empire actually is. We're rather large, and if it's up in the Winter Reach, it isn't much help to those in the Northern Hotlands or the Southern Plains." she said, before thinking for a moment on something else Faith had brought up.

"As to having Imperial doctors be part of the hospital staff, I would be glad to have them join, but there is a potential issue there." she said, gesturing slightly as the chains on Faith's wrists. "I am aware of Famula's views on magic, but our doctors have been using magic as part of medical procedure here since it was discovered. Graft to reattach severed limbs or digits, or to replace dead or dying organs, Hone to heal wounds or broken bones more quickly, Empathy to help soothe frayed nerves and panic. While no magic is a replacement for proper medical procedure, it can be quite the amplifier." she said, before nodding at Faith. "While you haven't seemed to have an issue with magical assistance in the past, I do not wish to assume how you feel about magic being used so regularly." she said, her tone calm.

Karem wagged her tail slightly, then spoke up. "What she is not saying is that Imperial doctors have been chomping at the bit for centuries to see what happens if you mix magical healing and Moseke's Blessing. You will get quite a lot of volunteers." she said, and it was clear that Karem didn't think that Faith would refuse the mages. "Oh, also, you should have animals at your hospital. Not as patients, though having veterinarians there is also probably a good idea, but because animals can be quite soothing, and if someone has to spend a great deal of time at a hospital because of injury or disease, they are likely in need of a soothing companion." she said, her tone serious.

[Faith Augustin]

92nd Ashan, 722

Raskalarn met her gaze but then, thankfully, turned away. Faith listened, though, as Raskalarn spoke and she had to admit that the Immortal rather surprised her. She listened carefully to what Raskalarn had to say and she nodded in the appropriate places. But then, as Raskalarn spoke, Karem came over and rested her head in Faith's lap. Faith immediately put her hand on to Karem and gently stroked her, scratching behind the ear. It was soothing to Faith, too, as she did that. Karem was known and there was no one more trusted so it was a very reciprocal thing, to give fusses and affection.

Faith had listened to Raskalarn and now, she listened to the banter between Raskalarn and Karem. Then, the Wolf spoke to her and Faith smiled as Karem called Raskalarn a "heavy handed autocrat". Raskalarn was pleased to be part of the hospital endeavour and Faith smiled in pleasure at that. There were some things to consider and where the portal went was one of them. Faith nodded at that. "I've been assuming that they will go in every Order of the Adunih outpost in all participating territories," she said. That was what she had proposed to Saoire, anyhow. "What would your thoughts be on that?"

She nodded at the mixing of magic and blessing. "As you know, I do not practice magic myself, but I have studied it quite a lot. I know a few healers who have Graft." She smiled. "And animals, absolutely. I have plans for an aviary, and some beekeeping, but also yes. I had a conversation not so long ago where I discussed entertainment, and I think that would be an excellent addition. Emotional support, confidence building. Maybe if we keep dogs, they can be specifically trained. I like that idea." She smiled at Karem. "Thank you, Karem."

Faith breathed in and then she spoke. "I owe you an apology," she said to Raskalarn. "As a former slave, I have preconceptions which I try not to allow to colour my judgement, but evidently they still can." She gave a slight smile. "I'm sorry that they did in your case, and I thank you for explaining the eye contact situation." She was pleased to recognise that a lot of her feelings now made sense, now that she had recognised what the issue was for her.

That said, she moved on. Looking down, she selected a piece of parchment. "This is what I understand the situation and placement of each of the Order of the Adunih outposts in the Empire. Could you tell me if that's accurate and, of course, if you'd like any more? The idea is that the portals will be based in Adunih sites so that there is no sense of anyone choosing tactical placements, but instead even the portals are part of Adunih." It had all been thought out, but Faith wanted to be absolutely clear. She felt it was important.

[Basilisk]

Karem leaned into the ear scratches slightly and let out a contented sigh. Faith mentioned that the current plan was for the gateways to go to Order of Adunih Outposts in each major city and Raskalarn nodded. "That works. The Adunih were known to be politically neutral even before you became the head of the order. Tying the hospital closely into the Adunih will help make it clear that it's not part of Rharne or wherever you build it. Plus the Order doctors can essentially do triage for who would actually benefit from going to the new hospital." she said, her tone thoughtful. Faith's response to mixing magic and healing was largely positive and Karem wagged her tail when Faith agreed with the idea of the dogs.

The Immortal of Wolves thought for a moment then spoke again. "We have been doing some work with that idea in our own hospitals, but most fauna native to the empire is not exactly...comforting, especially to those from without the empire. However, you might have luck visiting a reputable dog kennel in Rharne, Viden, or Scalvoris. They often know trainers, or provide training services themselves, and they can most likely inform you as to trainers that are likely to be of assistance in training comfort animals." she said, her tone thoughtful. "Oh, if you have veterinarian care at your hospital, you should likely be prepared for people to bring you rescue animals. With your reputation, people are going to think it's a safe place for such." she said, smiling slightly.

When Faith apologized to Raskalarn, the Empress smiled slightly and nodded. "I thank you for the apology, though you have little to apologize for. I am aware that both myself and my empire have a poor reputation, and no small part of that is our own doing. I am attempting some rehabilitation of it, but there will be...difficulties with that." she said, before shaking her head slightly. "That's my problem to deal with, however." she said. When Faith handed over a map of the Adunih outposts, Raskalarn looked at it and nodded. "One here in Korlasir, one in Cahryst, and one in the Sacred Forest. That last is mostly an administrative center however. It's close to the Imperial Medical Headquarters, which is also our primary medical university." she said, her tone thoughtful.

After a moment, Raskalarn looked up at Faith. "Having the portals there is fine, and if the Adunih wishes to build more outposts, they are welcome to. The only restriction is that if you wish an outpost in the Volcanic Mountain Range, it will either require an existing vacant building or it will have to go through a formal request. The area is very dangerous and requires a lot of special considerations for new construction." she said, her tone calm. There was a quiet moment from the Immortal then before she looked back down at the map and handed it back to Faith. "If there is a portal placed in the Sacred Forest outpost, I would like you to make sure it's medical staff is up to scruff. I don't monitor the Adunih outposts, but I know that particular outpost doesn't get that much traffic. It might also be a good idea for you to visit the Imperial Medical Headquarters, as they're most likely to be where any Imperial medics working for your hospital come from. It would also give you a chance to familiarize yourself with how they operate." she said, her tome calm.