• PM To Join • The Day the World Became a Little Darker [Shadows Rising]

[Kaladis Anar]

Calm Respite Shadehouse

Date: 40th of Ashan
Location: Calm Respite Shadehouse
Region: North West Nashaki
Afternoon, Dry, Warm Weather
The Scrolls of Anar Verse One, Nashaki, #24 Plotting the Future.
NPCs Used: Alaya | Ralari

S

itting at a local Shadehouse, which just meant a quiet, comfortable place in the shade. Male and female slaves fanned air inside for those at rest on their cushions, beds, seats or anything to recover from the heat. In Ashan the heat was warm and tolerable, so finding this place was merely a bonus. Though glasses of water were offered few purchased them, the fee to be fanned and kept cool was enough without the excessive water bill. In Ashan such a place wasn’t as busy and so made for a perfect meeting spot. Private rooms existed for those that needed to talk, others preferred the open air plan of small wooden dividers to increase the air flow. With Kaladis gesturing to the slave fanning the two Eidisi, she stopped and led a man forward, he sat in a comfortable seat, and that made five of them.

Getting on for two seasons Kaladis and Ralari had been in Nashaski, they’d made as many enemies as friends, probably a few more enemies truthfully. For his long term ambitions to be realised certain key events needed to occur, what happened during the war was actually secondary to his own ambition, either side could win and while the plan would adjust it wouldn’t change overly much. Personally he’d rather have the council in charge of Nashaki, their backward views on magic aside they seemed the easier of the two to work around unmolested. Don’t step on anyone importants’ toes, generally keep your head down and the council didn’t bother you; Kaladis pictured life under the eternal empire to be harder but perhaps safer to navigate the day to day running of it.

As for the Tower Agents, Makers and the Aurora, they were competition he didn’t need and steps needed to be taken if he was ever going to climb in status here.

Steps which started here.

The arriving man pulled back his hood and revealed himself, blue skin, white eyes, the final pariah of the trio from Viden to make his way here as promised. “Been a long time friends.” Three seasons now since Farakin had seen either of them, Farakin still hadn’t lost his more feral appearance, a trait he’d carried since that day of the mine collapse which cost them their lives more or less. The woman with him was a Naerrik or so Kaladis had been told by Farakin, that was reason enough to want her company but also mistrust her completely. Finally joining the table was an older bald man with a beard and large stud earrings; he had said nothing and Kaladis would have to judge if he was going to be a liability or not to the venture.

With Alaya the Aurora assassin skulking around outside their doorway to make sure they weren’t disturbed, the plotting could begin, strangely Kaladis was happy that the slave fanning them stayed. Their slave closed the door allowing them privacy of course, because this was a tricky proposition to make.

Opening the Doors

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[Kaladis Anar]

“We all know why we are here.” Kaladis started, pouring a glass of firewine for any that wanted it. Ralari of course accepted, the Naerrik for appearance's sake took a glass, Farakin refused and the bearded stranger stuck with his foul smelling ale. It would never be spoken out loud of course why they were here. Everyone but Ralari’s mutual association with Audrae didn’t need to be risked announcing out loud. Details however did.

“Materials, workers,” Ralari was quick to caution, “all of this fanciful idea seems an impossible task.” Why Ralari or Alaya were here in reference to Audrae was a tenuous proposition, if they couldn’t be convinced benefit was there for either of them they simply wouldn’t help.

“Location will be a bitch.” The bald man grumbled, “rest is easy.” He chugged back his putrid smelling ale like it wasn’t even there. Kaladis didn’t dislike the smell of ale, but whatever this man was drinking wasn’t normal, maybe it had something to do with the warts around his neck?

“We can handle the workers.” Kaladis looked to Ralari who understood he meant thralls. Ralari disliked that idea naturally because it exposed their abilities again, and he told Kaladis as much by his look. Farakin was chewing on a fingernail, “yar no probs, I can pay off a slaver for help.” Despite the wild way he looked, or perhaps in rebellion because of it, Farakin was the wealthiest here; cut off from his family after their mutal disgrace at Viden’s mine, he had never been financially cut off.

“And I can get us some stone. Location will still be a bitch.” The bald man said putting his mug down hard, “These things get burned, and people around them.” He made a cutting motion across his throat, “where are we putting it, the hotlands?” The bald man showed what he thought of that idea, and slobbered back his black ale. Kaladis frowned, he wanted more tact here, at least the oaf had been vague.

“Plain sight.” Their so far silent Naerrik told them, not having touched her drink or contributed.

Well the large bald man rubbed his mouth on his sleeve and snorted at that! “We’ll just stick it right next to a tower I suppose.”

The Naerrik smiled. “Exactly.”

Kaladis’s forehead tensed, and he was trying to keep up with her. How was she planning to put a temple to Audrae in plain sight of a tower exactly? His suspicions extended most of all to the Naerrik by virtue of what she was.

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~

[Kaladis Anar]

A

t this point he was checking for their body language again, was everyone true to their words? Ralari was disinterested by how he kept glancing away, Farakin keen by how he leaned in but also casual or nervous chewing on his nails. The bigger man was part drunk and relaxed, or just hard to read but the Naerrik she gave him nothing, absolutely nothing but a master of detection would ever read.

His eyes lingered overlong on the Naerrik but she didn’t react. “How?” Kaladis asked her, and if there was the slightest hint of deception in her voice or body he still couldn’t read it, try as he might. Deception he realised, or indeed Audrae herself, was sometimes was best served when you gave them nothing at all to go on. How to better serve deception was an important consideration, because today was all for the Mistress of Secrets, every detail they planned or debated created the future.

“All sites need not be obvious.” The Naerrik went on, and Kaladis interrupted with his hand up so she didn’t say more out loud. He understood, they needed a temple that nobody realised was a temple. Not because it hid the temple, because the building's entire purpose was to serve Audrae while still doing something else. That was brilliant, he’d only filled in blanks but the idea hit him like a lightning bolt.

This city needed an information brokerage run by the towers. Great in theory, yet tower agents already dealt in information, why would they ever allow another building for that purpose? No not a brokerage, something that supported them and his Mistress. Intelligently Kaladis plotted and planned, turning the idea over in his head. An archive that catalogued every hidden secret, every recorded conversation, every contract and every treaty ever signed. Run by their people and offering the council exactly what they wanted to offer them, keeping a choice few items for Audrae to give her advantage, and all made in her image. If he could sell this, it wasn’t just a temple, it was a way to change or tip the balance of power with the alteration of a mere word, the very existence of such a building would enhance the Mistress of Secrets domain without even striking a sword.

“I have it. I know what we have to build for the city.”

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~

[Kaladis Anar]

W

hatever the Naerrik had in mind he intended to run over her idea with his own before she could make it. “We gather all the information we can, and offer it to the towers freely, collaboratively.” Kaladis had a rare smile, “after we’ve proven worth their time, we ask for a building to work from to do the same.”

Some of those around him were keeping up, Farakin and the bald man among them. “How does that help?” Farakin asked first, stopping his nail biting for a time. “We’ll be in plain sight under their eye. There'll be less risk.” Kaladis took a sip from the wine, only a taste. Farakin was beginning to understand, their bald friend had crossed his arms and wasn’t convinced, nor was Ralari. “I have to ask what’s in it for us?” Ralari put the obvious question, and by us Kaladis he knew he meant him. All the while their slave at the door kept fanning them, listening and remembering every word.

“Information, power, a hold on over what’s real or documented, what more could you want friend?” Kaladis tried to convince Ralari but he looked like he wasn’t sold. The bald bearded man was also losing patience, “this isn’t what I had in mind,” he took a long chug of his ale.

Kaladis had to try and salvage the situation. “It’ll operate not only freely but with their backing if we do this right. Whether they know it or not, this will slide Nashaki further and further toward where we want it.” More specifically Audrae’s domain, but Kaladis didn’t say that openly. The more deception, the more secrets and the more lies being told, the more the world was shaped in shadow. Here it would be their shadow and by definition her shadow.

“Too risky,” Ralari got up, “I wish you luck.” The Naerrik tried to stop him leaving, “let him go.” Kaladis told her. A sad divide between friends, but Kaladis had thought they may differ on the worth of his religion, so it was not unexpected. “How will this give... anything.” the bald man almost said too much, and the Naerrik this time hissed in warning to not say Audrae's name outloud. “We will have more influence over what is and what is not real, what is recorded or kept, seen as truth.” Kaladis didn’t want to have to spell this out, but there it was, the plan made plain.

“And we will uncover many mysteries over time.” He said before Ralari reached the door, which caused his old friend to stop and turn, Kaladis knew him too well.

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