#the “Baron von” in his name was not nearly as impressive as soon as you knew him and his family

[bakerstreetdoctor]

A funfact about me is that I took a baron's virginity back in the day (highschool)

[siren-dragon]

After Eight -- The Cat Returns fanfic:

So... I had a Ghibli movie marathon recently and remembered my old childhood OTP of Haru and the Baron. Then I read a few fanfics by @catsafarithewriter and landed in another fandom abyss, lol. And that later spawned this au one-shot from a prompt I read. Anyway, this is my first time publishing anything for another fandom so hopefully it’s good. Enjoy! ^_^

AO3 story link

Human AU -- “I need to finish my term paper and you’re the only 24-hour internet cafe open. Help me.”

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The front door of their small flat closed with a soft click as Haru shrugged her backpack higher onto her shoulder and soon hurried down the corridor and out onto the streets with a determined step. To be fair, Hiromi and Tsuge did try their best to accommodate her as she stared helplessly at her computer screen within her bedroom while they giggled and chatted on the sofa. And though Haru managed to continue through her term paper despite the late hour; her concentration quickly began to wane while the tell-tale sounds of snogging managed to reach her ears despite the closed bedroom doors. So, she rather quickly decided to pack up her supplies and laptop, stuff them into her school bag, and exit the flat in an attempt to find somewhere quiet.

Of course, she didn’t really consider the fact that a) it was 10 in the evening on a Friday and b) she would need wifi if she were going to try and continue her paper.

“There has to be somewhere open…” she groaned, having passed another bar filled with her fellow college students enjoying the beginning of their weekend. “Why are there so many bars everywhere?!”

After traversing the streets for a good 20 minutes, all the while debating if she could chance stealing the wifi from a late-night McDonalds, the brunette soon found herself pausing to stare at the building her feet seemed to have led her to. It was a rather quaint building, reminiscent of European cafes with it’s white and green paint and black sunshade. Written beside the glass and wooden doors was a simple plaque with the words The Cat Bureau scrawled across in dark lettering. However, it was the petite sticker smacked boldly on the corner of one of the windows with a drawing of a cat on a laptop reading “free wifi” that nearly made Haru weep tears of joy.

“Oh, thank God; an internet café!” she beamed with delight before hurrying inside.

If she thought the outside was charming, the interior was spectacular. Alongside the windows were various tables with off-set white tablecloths and a small flower vase as a centerpiece, while opposite sat a wrap-around wooden bar complete with stools. The entire room was bathed in a warm, golden glow from the hanging antique light fixtures and Haru couldn’t help but be captured by the small café. “Wow, this place is beautiful…”

“You are too kind Miss,” an accented voice chimed, causing her to swivel to the source.

Standing behind the countertop was a man, perhaps a few years older than Haru herself, offering her a kind smile with a rag in hand. Though Haru was practically half-asleep due to exhaustion and the creeping energy withdrawals her last study-snack tried to prevent, even she couldn’t deny how attractive the man was. Slightly tousled tawny locks and vivid green eyes stared back at her with an intensity that caused her face to take a distinct pink tint. His attire was a bit formal, what with the crimson vest and collared shirt with a bowtie- though his black apron and rolled sleeves didn’t undercut the professional appearance.

“Erm, I’m sorry- were you closing soon? I can leave if you want. It’s just that I saw you had free wifi and I needed a space where I could finish my term paper…”

The man gave a gentle laugh, “no worries Miss, this is a 24-hour café; stay as long as you like. The Bureau doesn’t often receive customers on Friday evenings, what with many preferring venues that serve alcohol.”

Haru grinned, “you’re a life saver. And this place, I’ve never seen such an amazing café before.”

“Thank you, and please sit wherever you like. Make yourself at home. Is there anything you would perhaps like to order?”

Taking a spot at one of the tables near the window, Haru immediately glanced at the menu resting upon the table, looking over the pamphlet for something cheap that would keep her awake. She was rather impressed by the modest selection- ranging from teas and beverages to cakes, sandwiches, and even a few pastries. “I’ll just have a cup of the house blend tea, please.”

The man smiled, “as you wish.”

If the food wasn’t going to bring her back here, the charming waiter certainly was- though as quickly as the thought crossed her mind Haru prayed her internal feelings didn’t make themselves known with the reddening of her face.

Quickly pulling out her laptop and research materials, in an attempt to finish her work and not stare at the handsome waiter, Haru set to work on trying to finish her paper. The quiet atmosphere gave a rather calm and ideal setting, allowing the brunette student’s work to continue at a steady pace. On occasion Haru would steal a glance to the waiter as he set about making her order, humming a gentle tune under his breath before returning to her paper. It was only when the cup and teapot was set gently beside her did Haru startle from her concentration while another plate- this one bearing a slice of angel food cake with whip cream and strawberries found it’s place beside her tea cup.

“Oh! Um, but I didn’t order-“

“On the house,” the man smoothly replied. “Besides, nothing goes better with tea than some angel food cake.”

Haru giggled, saving her work before closing the laptop and setting it aside for the meanwhile. “Thank you very much.” Pour a dash of milk into the cup, she raised it for a tentative sip and blinked in surprise. “Woah, that’s got to be the best tea I’ve ever tasted.”

“You flatter me with your kind words, Miss.”

“Wait, did you make this from scratch?”

The waiter laughed, “indeed I did. That’s my own personal blend, though it tends to be a little different each time so I’m afraid I can’t guarantee the taste.”

“Well, it’s certainly better than the school’s local Starbucks.” Haru complimented, making the man grin. “Did you make the cake as well?”

“Unfortunately, no. While I am no stranger to the kitchen, that particular cake was made by our resident chef Muta. He has a penchant for sweets which has earned quite a following from the locals.”

“I don’t blame them, if the cakes are as good as the tea- I don’t think I’ll be able to go anywhere else.”

This time the man gave a teasing smirk, “and here I thought it was the free wifi drawing in customers.”

Haru laughed, “well, it certainly did help. I’d take a quiet café with wonderful tea over my small flat and a roommate making out with her boyfriend any day.”

“Well, that certainly would cause a bit of a distraction to a working student. If that’s the case, feel free to stay as long as you like Miss.”

“Haru,” she answered back. “My name, it’s Haru.”

He gave her a soft smile that made Haru’s stomach do nervous flips as bright green eyes met her own warm caramel irises. “Humbert von Gikkingen, at your service but please; call me Baron.”

Now it was Haru’s turn to give a small smirk. “So, Baron… this teapot looks like there is enough for another cup or two. Maybe, you would like to share it?”

This time it was Baron’s turn to flush the faintest pink before giving a rather delighted grin and retrieving another cup from behind the counter and taking the seat across from her. “I would be honored. After all, nothing makes a cup of tea better than sharing it with a rather fetching young woman.”

If Haru’s face wasn’t red before, it certainly was now- and judging from the slight mirth dancing in Baron’s eyes, the warmth of her face was easy to spot.

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“I didn’t even know we had a 24-hour internet café near the campus.” Hiromi commented in confusion, “must have been nice since you didn’t come back till after midnight.”

“Hey, I was giving you and Tsuge some space so I could work on my paper.”

Hiromi grinned, “uh huh, then why were you frantically typing this morning in an attempt to finish it? Maybe you got distracted on your little night excursion.”

“Yes, by tea and cake.” Haru answered dryly, trying to keep calm and prevent a tell-tale blush to creep up her face. “Trust me Hiromi, you’ll love the place.”

“Alright Haru, I- hey is this the place?”

The two girls stopped in front of the familiar white and green painted café, same black sunshade up though this time there were a few tables set up outside and a few more customers than the previous night. However, this time, a waitress with white-blonde hair and a pink ribbon around her neck was serving customers outside while inside a tall and thin black-haired man clad in the similar formal attire Baron wore yesterday tend to the waiting patrons. Yet she couldn’t hide the small frown at the lack of Baron’s presence, wondering if perhaps he only covered the evening shift.

It was then did she finally hear Hiromi’s laughter, when the chestnut-haired brunette pointed to a sign on the door. “Haru, you did read the sign before you went in this place last night, right?”

“Yeah, why?”

She merely silently pointed to the hours of operation, which clearly stated that the café was only open from 09:00 AM – 10:00 PM, with it opening later in the morning on Sundays. Haru felt her jaw drop slightly as her face turned cherry red while Hiromi merely laughed louder.

Of course, she did get a slight just desserts when the two friends were seated inside and Haru noticed Baron nearly fly out of the kitchen, hastily tying his black apron before catching her gaze. The black-haired waiter was whispering frantically to him while Baron looked to be offering some polite apology. Though when he caught Haru’s eye he couldn’t help the knowing smile on his face while Haru gave a rather sheepish look as he approached the table to take their order.

“Welcome back, Miss Haru. I hope your paper was a success.”

“Yeah, it really was…. Especially after the extra 2 ½ hours I worked on it last night.” She said with an embarrassed groan. “I am so sorry for butting into your café last night. If I knew you were closed I would have left and-“

“Think nothing of it, you needed somewhere to work and I was happy to help.” Baron replied with a kind, though slightly tired smile from the previous evenings unintentional long shift. “Perhaps… I could suggest another cup of our house blend in the name of bygones?”

Haru gave a shy smile, “yes please.”

“Make it two,” Hiromi added. “And whatever pastry you would recommend.”

“Certainly. I shall return momentarily, ladies.”

As Baron returned to the counter, Hiromi waited perhaps 2.1 seconds before whirling upon Haru with a large grin reminiscent of a satisfied shark. “Do you think he’ll write his number on the napkin for you to take home?”

While Haru didn’t make a point of causing scenes in public places, she couldn’t help flicking a sugar cubes at her friend’s laughing face. Though judging from the laughter dancing in Baron’s vibrant emerald eyes and the tint of pink dusting his cheeks, she wouldn’t be complaining if that was the case.

[rosieshipper]

First kill

Summary: After being stuck with Hydra for nearly her whole life, Rose could only take so much before one day when she finally snaps

A/N: This is my first fic for my evil!Rose au! I hope you all like it!!

Warnings: This fic is not for the faint of heart. Fic includes; swearing, sickness and vomiting, character death, death of a child, violence, graphic depictions of blood and gore, and very heavy angst and whump

Rose sat against one of the walls of her cell, watching the little girl she would come to call her little sister play with some old wooden blocks, making them float through the air. The sixteen year old only knew the young girl for about half a year now, becoming protective of her when she found out that the little girl was kidnapped from her orphanage and forced into Hydra’s program for human experiments. She came to find out that her name was Olivia, Livvy for short. Rose felt a strong protectiveness over the girl when she first met her. Perhaps it was because she was in the girl’s same position when she was her age. Brought to a place she never knew and forced to be experimented on by some twisted doctors

“Hey Rosie, check this out!” Rose snapped out of her daze when Olivia suddenly called out to her. She looked over and saw the little girl balance the blocks on their corners with her powers, a look of excitement on the girl’s face. Rose smiled as she watched her, a feeling of proudness filling her chest. Olivia always seemed to bring out the goodness in her, brightening up her day no matter the situation. Whenever she got back to her cell from a hard day of tests and training, Olivia would always be there waiting for her to help cheer her up

“Very impressive, Livvy. You’re getting more in control of your powers every day.” Rose told her with a proud smile. Olivia only smiled back before suddenly out of nowhere she began to cough violently, causing the balancing blocks to come tumbling down to the ground. Rose’s faded to a frown of worry. This wasn’t the first time she had a violent coughing fit. Olivia had been getting sick over the past few weeks and was getting worse by the day. Rose pleaded with the Hydra doctors and scientists before to give Olivia medicine so that she would be able to get better. But they haven’t brought her anything yet

Getting up, Rose walked over and knelt down beside Olivia, pulling her into her arms and gently patting her back to help stop the coughing. Eventually, Olivia fell quiet and looked up at Rose, thanking her for helping her. “It’s ok, little one. And don’t worry, you’re gonna get your medicine soon, I promise.” Rose whispered to her, pressing a light kiss to the little girl’s forehead. Just after that, there was a knock on the cell door, it was a guard bringing them their dinner. Rose slowly stood up and went to collect their food. As she picked up the two trays that were slid under the door, she looked at the guard through the bars

“You know I’m not gonna stop asking until it happens. Olivia needs medicine and soon. She’ll die without it.” Rose told the guard with a deep frown. “I cannot give you anything without the permission of Baron Strucker.” The guards told her. “Well perhaps Strucker wouldn’t like it if his best experiment refused to do anything for him!” Rose snapped at the guard, sharp teeth baring at the man. “Get me that medicine, I’m not gonna ask again.” She hissed before walking back to Olivia, sitting down on the floor with her and handing her her tray of food

“Eat up, Olivia. You need your strength.” Rose said as she set the tray of food down in front of the little girl. Olivia of course wasted no time eating her dinner, gobbling away at the food like she hadn’t eaten in months. Rose only watched her while picking at her own food. She didn’t really feel hungry that night, too worried about Olivia and getting her the medicine she needed. “Rosie? Aren’t you gonna eat?” Olivia asked as she looked up at her big sister. “Oh I’m not hungry, little one. You can have it if you want.” Rose offered with a smile, pushing her tray over to Olivia

Olivia smiled and thanked her, beginning to eat away at her new food. After a while, it soon became lights out and Rose and Olivia had to go to bed. “Come on, Livvy, it’s bedtime.” Rose said as she nudged her over to the bed. “I don’t want to go to sleep.” Olivia protested with a frown. “But you need your sleep. It’ll help you with getting better, now come on.” Rose told her as she shifted into a wolf and climbed up onto the bed. Olivia followed and moved onto the bed, cuddling close to Rose and burying her face in her warm fur. Rose instinctively wrapped her long tail around her to keep her warm throughout the night. “Rosie? Can you sing that one song to me?” Olivia asked softly with a yawn

“Of course, little one.” Rose whispered back as she hugged the little girl close. She then began to sing a soft Sokovian lullaby that her mother used to sing to her when she was little. The soft words and tunes left Rose’s lips and gently lulled Olivia into a deep peaceful sleep. Rose soon finished the song and found herself drifting off slowly after her, her eyes closing as she too fell asleep

The next morning, Rose was woken up by the sound of loud coughing and hacking. Opening her eyes, Rose saw Olivia sitting on the edge of the bed, shaking as she coughed and wheezed. A wave of worry washed over Rose as she quickly sat up, shifting back to her human self. Olivia was getting worse. “Livvy? Is everything alright?” She asked as she stood up and knelt down in front of her. “M-My stomach h-hurts, Rosie.” Olivia whimpered out through her violent coughing fit. Suddenly Olivia jumped off the bed and ran to the corner of the room. She began to dry heave before eventually emptying her stomach of all the dinner she ate the night before

Rose felt guilt begin to well up inside her. All she wanted was to help Olivia get better, but the fuckers outside won’t give her the medicine she needs. Eventually, Olivia came shambling back to the bed and clung to Rose tightly as she wept quietly into her chest. “I-It hurts so much..” Olivia cried as Rose held her close and rubbed her back. “I know, little one. I know it does. Don’t you worry, I’m gonna get you that medicine even if it kills me.” Rose whispered before kissing the top of her head

Suddenly the door to the cell opened behind Rose, causing her to look back. It was one of the Hydra guards. “Subject 36, it’s time for more training.” The guard said as he looked over at her. “I can’t. I can’t leave Olivia. She’s gotten worse, she needs that damn medicine!” Rose snapped at the man, tears springing to the corners of her eyes and threatening to fall. “That was not a request, it was an order. Stand up.” The man snapped back at her. Rose knew that there was no getting through to the man so she stood up and gently laid Olivia down on the bed, covering her up with a blanket. “Try and get some sleep, Livvy. I’ll be back before you know it.” Rose whispered as she tucked her in. “I love you, little one.” She told her quietly, kissing her temple before straightening up and turning back to the guard, leaving the cell with him

Once they got to the training room, Rose froze when she saw who was waiting in there for her. Baron von Strucker. Rose’s gaze quickly turned to a nasty scowl and she stomped up to him. If looks could kill, Strucker would have been in a dead heap on the ground. “Strucker. You promised to get me the medicine weeks ago. Where is it you bastard?!” Rose shouted at the man, glaring icy daggers at him while she bared her sharp fangs. Without saying a word, Strucker suddenly held up a small bottle of pills and Rose immediately fell silent. “I never said I broke my promise. I have your medicine right here. But I will only give it to you if you do well during your training today.” Strucker told her as he slipped the bottle back into his pocket

Rose finally had a chance to save Olivia. No matter what it took, she was gonna do it. So she trained hard, harder then she had ever had before. Olivia’s life was on the line, she had to do her best. After what felt like an eternity, Rose’s training came to an end. She had a few new open wounds but that didn’t matter to her. All she cared about was that medicine. She quickly walked up to Strucker who already had the bottle in his hands. “I must say I’m impressed with your improvement, you’ve earned this.” He said as he handed the bottle of pills to her. In that moment, Rose felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Olivia was gonna be okay

Rose walked as quickly as she could as she was escorted back to her cell by one of the guards. Once the door to her cell had been opened, Rose came rushing inside her and over to the bed where Olivia was still laying. “Livvy! Look! I have your medicine! You’re gonna be okay!” Rose exclaimed with a smile and tears of joy in her eyes as she rushed over to the side of the bed. But for some reason, Olivia didn’t say anything...or move at all

“Olivia? Can you hear me? Are you still asleep?” Rose asked when she hadn’t said anything, reaching over to try and gently shake her awake. But Rose froze when Olivia flopped over onto her back, completely motionless. The realization hit Rose like a train and it felt like her own heart had stopped completely. The shock caused her to drop the bottle of pills on the floor, spilling them everywhere. Olivia was dead. Rose didn’t make it in time. She was too late. Rose fell to her knees as hot tears rolled down her cheeks. “No. She can’t be dead..she can’t be..” Rose thought to herself, but she knew it was true. Olivia was gone and she couldn’t bring her back

Once the realization fully set in, Rose let out a loud and heart wrenching scream before delving into a deep fit of sobs and tears. The whole time Rose was sobbing she was screaming out incoherent words about how this was all her fault and if only she had gotten back sooner. She tugged at her long hair, as she fell to her hands and knees. But during her sobbing, Rose heard something from the guard who was still standing at the door that made her fall deathly silent

“Good riddance to the little brat.” The guard said distastefully. Rose slowly turned her head to look at the guard, eyes wide and slowly filling with anger. “What the fuck did you say?” She hissed out slowly, turning to the guard. “I said good riddance. That brat has been nothing but a distraction to you. Why do you think Strucker held off so long on giving you the medicine? He was waiting for her to die so that you would focus more on your own powers instead of worrying about the life of some pitiful little brat who was never gonna survive in the first place.” The guard told, not realizing that he had just sealed his fate. In that exact moment, something inside Rose snapped. She had felt an intense rage like she had never felt before quickly fill up inside her. In that moment, she was ready to kill

(Warning: The next few paragraphs will be filled with graphic content of blood and gore. Scroll until you see another set of parentheses indicating the end of the graphic content)

The next few moments all happened in a blur. Rose quickly got up and shifted into a large tiger, charging quickly at the man and tackling him to the ground, all the while letting out a loud scream. She managed to get to him before he even had the chance to grab his gun off his holster. Knocking the man to the ground, Rose jumped on top of him and began to violently slash at the man with her sharp claws. Her claws slashed the man’s flesh open, leaving deep long wounds along his arms and torso. All the while the man was screaming out in pain and agony, trying his best to scramble out from her to get away, but Rose placed her giant paw on his shoulder, digging her claws in to keep him still

“Olivia was no brat! She was my sister! AND SHE DESERVED TO LIVE!!” Rose screamed at the man before swiping her claws across his face, leaving a long gash in their wake and even taking out one of his eyes as well. She then reached down and bit the man’s shoulder, violently shaking her head until she heard the shoulder pop right out of its socket. In the moment, Rose paused for just a short amount of time and looked the man dead in his remaining eye. She wanted to make sure that she was the last thing he ever saw before he died. With one final scream, Rose reared down and buried her teeth in the man’s throat, shaking her head to rip and tear away anything important

Soon enough the flesh tore away, spraying blood all over Rose’s face and chest. Spitting out the flesh from her mouth, she looked down at the man’s mutilated corpse. Blood was still spilling from the large hole in the man’s throat. He twitched a few times, gasping for air before eventually falling still, never to move or see the light of day ever again

(This is the end of the graphic bit of the fic, the rest does not have any graphic content)

Rose stood over the corpse of the man, panting quietly as blood dripped from her muzzle down her chest and too her paws. The realization slowly dawned on her and she realized what she had just done. She had killed someone for the very first time. Her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath, her body shaking all the while. But eventually, she calmed. She merely shoved the body out of her cell and closed the door behind her, shifting back to her human self and sitting against the wall of her cell. She was alone now, no Olivia to come make her days bearable again. She had no one anymore

In that moment, Rose made a vow to herself. She would avenge Olivia and make everyone who ever worked for Hydra pay. She would make them all pay, no matter what it took. She would do it for Olivia

Tags: @astralshipper @aricka-and-her-fictional-others @capitaine-amour @magicalbunbun @journalofdeath

[underthewingsofthblackeagle]

Chapter 2: A Language without Words, Part 11

 A day to be remembered (1)

         At three in the afternoon, Fraser was back from his work. He shaved, change his clothes. Some Minutes to four, von Trebitsch knocked at his door.

         "Come in!"

         "Ah, you are ready!"

         "Yes."

         "Looks good!"

         The Baron punched him lightly and approvingly on his chest.

         From the hall there came a sound of many voices.

         "The pack has assembled," von Trebitsch said smiling.

         "And now you will feed me to this pack?"

         Paul von Trebitsch laughed.

        "The overwhelming part of the people has a friendly feeling towards you. The few, who may be sceptical of your appointment, will keep to the law and obey you, because they fear the punishment of the law."

         Embracing him lightly, the Baron said:

         "Come on, it's time to go."

        Fraser opened the door of his room and followed behind von Trebitsch out to the balustrade and then down to the platform of the staircase. The whole time, he tried not to look to the people, but fixed his gaze firmly on von Trebitsch's back. But when they reached the platform and the Baron stopped, it was no longer possible. So he simply inclined his eyes to the ground and focused on the tops of his boots. The Baron grasped the railing of the stairs, and slowly the noises in the hall fell silent.

         "Dear guests, I warmly welcome you today at estate Balfenberg. I especially welcome the honorable District Councilor of the District of Marschen, the gentlemen of the honorable clergy of all the villages belonging to this estate, the noble representatives of these villages and my servants, maidservants and workers, who daily do their best, not only to keep this estate running, but also to enable me to care for the welfare of those villages, over whom the law has given me responsibility."

         He paused for a moment, than he went on:

        "I have asked all of you to join us here today to announce, whom I intend to install as the new Bailiff of this estate in the long term. Only a few of you know that the death of our esteemed friend, Wilhelm Jakobi, did not come as a surprise to us. His wife, his pastor and I had known for a long time that he was suffering from an incurable illness. But we did not give up hope. Together with him I visited the best doctors in Berlin, only to hear that no one could help him. So we had to face the sad reality. We had to think about his succession. In the months following our last medical visit to Berlin, several men came here, some older and some younger. They all brought with them more or less the skills and knowledge which are indispensable to the Bailiff's office. But none of these men convinced us, neither Wilhelm Jakobi - and you can imagine that he was a very strict critic - nor me. Among these was a person, I will not recount his name, who tried to convince us with many words of his 'quality'. But neither Wilhelm Jakobi nor I was convinced that this man would show the corresponding deeds in the daily life of the estate. We did not hire him, but continued to search for a suitable man. A few months later I learned that this man had been hired as Bailiff of an estate, located north-west of Berlin. And a month after that I learned that this man had robbed the treasury of this estate and had fled abroad. After hearing this, we thanked God that we had not believed this deceiver. We also learned from some of the other candidates who had presented themselves to us, that, after they got the office of a Bailiff at other estates, did not endure the hard and responsible work and soon left those who hired them."

         Fraser thought to himself: "He talks to them like a loving grandfather to his grandchildren. By the way, he reveals some secrets to them and makes them his companions in an adventure."

         The Baron paused again.

        "Mr. Jakobi and I were very aware of the responsibility to choose a new Bailiff. We wished for a man who not only had the skills needed to lead this estate. We wished for a man who would also have a sense and a heart for the well-being of those whom the law has entrusted us to care for. We did not only search, but we also prayed. And then, one day, little Max Butte, brought a man to us, you all know well by now."

        Paul von Trebitsch looked to his left side, where Max Butte was standing right beside his father and his mother. All three were smiling and the face of Max was blushed red unto the tips of his ears.

        "I do not have to introduce Mr. Fraser to you. I and you all have been able to get an impression of his character and his work in the past months. We have come to know a man whose deeds speak louder than his words. Especially  the family of little Ernestine Lefèvre from Orndorf can confirm this."

        Ernestine's parents, standing beside Max Butte and his parents, smiled and nodded.

         After another short pause, the Baron went on:

         "As I said: We have come to know a man whose deeds speak louder than his words. And he did not do that to get this office. On the contrary, I can ensure you Mr. Fraser was always ready to resign from this task if I would have hired another man for this office. In recent weeks, people from this circle and beyond have come to me again and again. Some came to me, when I was in the villages, others came to my office, some were talking to me in the fields, and others approached me even in the forest. All these people have asked me to permanently install Mr. Fraser as the Bailiff of Balfenberg. I can not tell you how many arguments have been put forward to me in his favor. And I thank everyone who has spoken to me about this. You all  confirmed to me that it is right to entrust Mr. Fraser with this office."

        Heinrich Konrad, who was standing behind a group of other servants at the right side of the staircase looked up, shook his head and smiled in unbelief.

        Then von Trebitsch was ready for his strongest blow:          "As some of you know, Mr. Fraser had to leave his home country and his family. He has lost not only his possessions, his estate, but also his nobility, whose rank was nearly the same as my own, or even greater by the law of his country."

          A sound of astonishment and compassion rose from the assembled crowd. But the Baron silenced it with a gesture of his hand.

         "The fight for the freedom of his country has cost him everything. This is something that connects us with him on a far deeper level then our common work. Many of us who are here today have ancestors, who came from other nations. Many of you have French roots and your ancestors had to flee from their country because of the bloody persecution they had to endure by the King of France and his clergy."

         The Baron's gaze drew from the Lefèvre family to Henry Beauchamp and several other representatives of the Huguenot community.

(Relief from Johannes Boese, 1885, The great Elector greets the Huguenots, Joachim-Friedrich-Strasse 4, Berlin-Halensee, Germany; By OTFW, Berlin (Self-photographed) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons) 

       "There are also many here today who have fled from the land of Salzburg, where they were subjected to the most severe distresses because of their faith. The Austrian Empress and her clergy have driven these people out of their ancestral grounds, and many of them have not survived the expulsion."

         Now Paul von Trebitsch looked to the right side of the hall. There stood the craftsmen Schindelmeiser, Hubensatter and Moderegger, who represented the families who fled Salzburg nearly twenty years ago and who found refuge in the villages around the estate of Balfenberg.

(Giving a welcome to the protestant emigrants from Salzburg in 1732, painting by Konstantin Cretius [around 1860] By Konstantin Johann Franz Cretius (www.artnet.de) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)     

        "Those, whose ancestors fled France and those of you, who survived the long march from Salzburg, you all' know what it means, to leave everything behind. And I'm not an exception. My ancestors also fled from Bohemia over 200 years ago because they were persecuted there for their faith's sake."

         He looked down for a moment, than he spoke again, this time much louder, with great emotion and determination:

         "But one day, one blessed day, our ancestors - or ourselves - have received the invitation and the permission of the Regent of Prussia to put our feet on this soil. And from that day on we all  could live in freedom and peace. It was Prussia, which gave us a decent life. It was Prussia, which gave us freedom, freedom of religion, protection against arbitrariness and a promising future."

         The Baron had to stop to get a breath.

        "I have had many conversations with Mr. Fraser in the past few months and I am therefore only too well aware of how grateful he is for the chances, which Prussia offers him. He - as a young and well-educated man - would have had many other possibilities. But he has decided to stay here and build up a future for himself in our  midst. And I have decided that he will be - and I think I can speak for all of us - that he will be our  Bailiff."

         Affirmative applause rose in the entire hall.

        Unobserved by the crowd, Mr. Nessig, the notary, had come up the stairs and handed von Trebitsch a round wooden capsule containing Fraser's certificate of appointment. The Baron turned to Fraser and took his right hand. Then he said:

         "I hereby install you James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser as the Bailiff of the estate of Balfenberg and confer on to you all the rights and powers which are associated with this office."

         A joyous noise was about to spread in the crowd, but went silent as von Trebitsch continued:

         "I hereby also install you James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser as my deputy, whenever I will not be able or otherwise hindered to carry out my office and I confer on to you all the rights and powers which are associated with this office."

         As von Trebitsch spoke these last words, the crowd went completely silent. The whole hall was so quiet, that one would have heard a pin, would it have fallen. The Baron's words made everyone to look up. Fraser's face also showed astonishment. Anyone who was looking at him at that moment knew that he had not expected an appointment that went so far beyond the office of the Bailiff. While still holding his right hand, von Trebitsch handed him the capsule and Fraser bowed his head.

         "Thank you, Sir," he whispered.

         The Baron looked at him, smiled and embraced him.

        Meanwhile, some maids had begun to serve wine to those present. Now Pauline brought glasses for von Trebitsch and Fraser. Another maid followed her with a jug. When the glasses were filled, the Baron raised his glass and shouted:

         "To His Majesty, King Friedrich II! Long live the King!"

         "Long live the King!" the crowed answered three times.

         "Long live Prussia!" the Baron shouted, raising the glass in his right hand again.

         "Long live Prussia!" the crowed answered three times.

         After, the glass of wine was emptied von Trebitsch turned to the assembled again:

         "There are two other announcements I have to make today. First I ask Mr. Konrad to come here."

        Heinrich Konrad was taken totally by surprise, but then he gathered his courage and climbed the stairs, until he stood one step below the Baron and Fraser.

         "Mr. Konrad, in consultation with Mr. Fraser, our Bailiff, I hereby appoint you as his assistant. You remain the head servant, but from now on you will also take over tasks at the side of the Bailiff. Congratulations, Mr. Konrad!"

         The Baron handed him his right hand and shook it.

         "Thank you, your High Well Borne, thank you," he said while bowing his head.

         "And for the last announcement, I ask Mr. Butte and his son Max to come here."

        The boy looked at his father in amazement, but he just smiled. Mr. Butte took his son by his hand and together they climbed up the stairs until they stood in front of the Baron and Fraser.

         "Max, you are a smart and promising boy, so I and Mr. Fraser asked your father if we could hire you and your father said 'yes'. You will continue to live with your family and continue to go to school. After school you will come here and fulfill the tasks the Bailiff or Mr. Konrad will give you. We expect you to learn diligently at school. If you do so, we'll hire you after your last year in school."

         The Baron waited for an answer, but the boy was speechless. So his father answered on his behalf:

         "Thank you, your High Well Borne. Max will fulfill his tasks at school and on the estate diligently."

        Heinrich Butte then gently tapped his son's head. Max, awakened from his stiffness, but still chalk-white in the face, replied only:

         "Yes, Sir!"

        His father bowed, and while he did so, he very lightly struck his son, so that Max bowed too. The Baron once more turned to those assembled:

        "At the end of this meeting, I ask Pastor Haller to be our voice and to thank God for the graces and gifts that He bestowed on us. He may also ask God for His blessing for our new Bailiff, his assistant, our young stable boy and of course for all of us here."

         Paul von Trebitsch nodded to the pastor and after all the heads were bowed, Haller began to offer a prayer of thanksgiving and for the blessing of God.

[strahd-von-asthmavich]

Thrown Stones - Mod Strahd’s Curse of Strahd Campaign [Session 6]

This past session proceeded at its scheduled time, but all good things take time to piece them together in a great journal entry! Both Mod Escher and Mod Strahd together will tell you exactly what Mod Strahd’s players got to last time.

Here are the players on the chopping block!

Astrid Morana - Blood Hunter (5) Order of the Lycan With the “heart of a beast,” infused within her, Astrid is on a mission to look for her mentor, after receiving a letter that she needed to leave. Her heart is set on finding her.

Cyrdah Morana - Cleric (5) Grave Domain A vengeful angel, Cydrah was brought back from death to seek the person that killed them. She knows that she will die once more when she completes her mission, but for now, she does all she can within her group while on her way.

Seraphim - Sorcerer (5) Shadow Origin Seraphim is a young lord from Vallaki. They were outcast but wish to restore order despite being cast in shadows. They are the only one in the group native to Barovia.

Thuinn - Rogue (5) Scout Originally working in the Black Market, Thuinn is skilled in thievery. He was set on the path to Barovia after getting a tip for a valuable treasure within a fortress of gloom - The Icon of Ravenloft. He is set on finding it, doing whatever it takes and not paying any mind to anyone finding his actions questionable.

Varsha - Bard (5) College of Eloquence Varsha is a Satyr, and she was always within the company of friends and family in her homeland. After having dreams that slowly led her to the mists, she takes her skills and her instruments with her to help her on her journey to restore order to nature in Barovia.

With that, let the reckoning begin under the cut!

The session opened upon the party sitting in the Blue Water Inn with Escher. Astraid brought up the point that Seraphim should disguise themself for dinner, since Seraphim had been exiled from Vallaki but had, for some reason, been allowed in at the gates. Just as Seraphim cast his disguise, a man entered and warned of a guard coming. Escher immediately escaped out the back door, disappearing into the kitchen just as the guard entered.

The guard took the party, Cydrah not included, to the Burgomaster’s Mansion, where a maid showed them to the dining room. The group waits patiently before being joined by Baroness Lydia Petrovna, who introduces herself as the Baron and Burgomaster’s wife. She has a very nervous laugh, but is friendly. The Baron arrives next and is sternly disapproving of his son being late to dinner. The baronet, a young man named Victor, joined soon after.

Talk at dinner was focused mostly on the party and the lands from which they come. Thuinn very nearly angers the Baron by refusing to eat one of the courses of his meal, but manages to fake his way through it. Astrid talks of war outside the mists, and Varsha tries to tune her ukulele to share stories in her own way. The party discovers that no news comes from outside the mists, and that Vallaki is better off without it anyway, in the Baron’s words.

As dinner winds down, Baron Vargas invites the party to his office. He grants Victor permission to learn more stories from Varsha, and the two of them leave first. Victor leads Varsha up to the attic, where he has a workroom set up. He begins to tell her of his fiance, a girl named Stella Wachter, and that her mother has suddenly locked her away at home. He says that Lady Wachter is accusing him of making Stella go mad, but that he would never hurt her. Varsha agrees to check on her.

Meanwhile, the Baron takes Thuinn, Astrid, and Seraphim (who is still disguised) to his library. He informs them that he is concerned that a rival noble, Lady Wachter, is not only preparing a coup, but that she has had two members of his staff kidnapped. The only problem is that he has no proof. He offers them a generous sum to find the evidence he needs, giving them until noon the next day to find it.

Astrid immediately takes initiative and tries to track down the missing servants. Their trails lead her up to the attic, with Thuinn and Seraphim close behind. The stumble upon Varsha and Victor talking, and Astrid asks about the trail ending up here. Victor explains that he’s been trying to perfect a teleportation spell from his book and offers it to them.

Varsha took a look at Victor’s strange book to see if she could get more information out of it. With him, Astrid, and Thuinn all with her, she opened up to the very first page. The most peculiar thing happened while skimming through the book written in the Barovian language. It was translated to Common right before their eyes, and they were quickly transported into it with a mysterious man as their guide.

They found themselves no longer in the Burgomaster’s attic but in a castle courtyard. A young boy, no older than twelve, was standing in the center of the yard while holding a wooden sword. When noticing their presence, he believed that they were his imaginary friends and started openly talking with them about the prospects of being a conqueror when he grows up.

He revealed his name was Strahd von Zarovich. Astrid readily accepted a small challenge from him to aide in his training, while Varsha attempted to find a way out. Thuinn listened to the only door in the area, discovering that behind it young Strahd’s father was telling his instructor, Rahadin, to push Strahd harder to beat out his imperfections.

In what seemed a matter of minutes, the group was whisked back out, and played a small game of hot potato with the book, It ended up in Astrid’s hands, and she eagerly kept it. After admonishing Victor for using spells from a strange book, the party headed back to the Blue Water with their escort.

The next few hours were spent in different ways. Astrid waited patiently until midnight when she was supposed to meet Rictavio, passing her time with training. Meanwhile, Thuinn went to rest, with Seraphim on his tail. During this, Varsha chatted with Escher. From him, she discovered that Vasili was not to be trusted.

With the help of Rictavio, Astrid reunited with her mentor, Muliha. She had been hiding out in Rictavio’s carnival wagon, where she was given food in the cover of night. Astrid’s normal stoic demeanor was gone in the presence of her mentor. Muliha told her that Rictavio was in fact the mentor that she left to meet with again. They caught up with each other, and those slowly blossoming feelings Astrid had held for Muliha rose to the surface. To make her feelings known, Astrid kisses her, but not without Rictavio so graciously interrupting them.

Astrid told Muliha that she had the book, as well as the wooden sword she’d brought with her from sparring with Strahd. At that, Muliha told Rictavio right away. Upon inspecting the wooden sword, he told Astrid that the wood was from a tree that had long since been extinct. After they’ve been assured that it was safe to say Strahd’s name within the wagon, they discussed the book being written by Strahd and how powerful the information from it must be. Before the night was over, Rictavio, in good faith, revealed to Astrid that he was not what he seemed.

Astrid made her way back to the inn, pausing to pray in the yard of the inn before spending several hours studying the tome after everyone else had gone to bed.

That night, Varsha dreamed of home, and of her friends and family. With them, on the steps of her college in Meletis, she saw Escher, smiling in the sunlight. The image left such an impression on her that, when she went down to the taproom, she drew it in her journal.

Astrid, having stayed up so late, woke up at noon, and proceeded to spend the next hour studying the tome she’d gotten from Victor. She was pleased to discover that she was drawn back in, but was surprised to find herself as one of Lord General Strahd’s lieutenants. With him, she participated in a battle against an order of knights wielding silvered blades. Just before she was pulled out of the memory, she caught sight of a gorgeous silver dragon, it’s wings glinting in the sunlight.

Astrid makes her way down to Varsha, who has come to check on her. After all, they’re quite late for lunch with Ireena and Vasili. The two make a mad dash to the von Holtz manor, leaving the others to babysit a resting Thuinn. When they arrive, a raven urges them to enter, and Varsha expresses a distrust of ravens.

After a brief search of the house, Astrid and Varsha discover that it has been empty for at least ten hours. They do, however, find the platinum hilt of a sword, bits of crystal clinging to where the blade once protruded from it. They decide to take it with them, Varsha securing it to her belt as they head back to the inn.

Once there, they encounter Escher, who greets them happily. Varsha and Astrid tell him who they had intended to meet, and he immediately takes them up to their room to talk privately. Once alone, he reveals that he hadn’t realized they were so close to Vasili or that he was the one Ireena was marrying. And then he delivers the news.

Vasili von Holtz was a disguise for the Devil. They had delivered Ireena, who Escher tells them Strahd has been chasing through the centuries, directly into his hands. It was likely they were now at Castle Ravenloft, and it was very unlikely that they could save her.

Astrid begins asking questions about their enemy, very specifically saying “Does Strahd have any living enemies?” At the utterance of his name, Escher cracks. Astrid feels a presence watching her, and waves to it. Escher then fully breaks down. Astrid leaves the room, and Rictavio admonishes her about what she said. He then advises her that there’s no way the silver dragon is still alive, and that all of the stories he’d heard ended in the Devil slaying him.

[dm-of-elemental-evil]

NaNoWriMo Day 4

The way Sorry talked about that night afterwards, you would think we were expert burglars robbing a great baron of an oppressive monarchy. I’d like to think we were, but I believe we bumbled our way through to success.

I went to the beach to meet with Pendleton while the others gathered our supplies. Bawbbe came with me, claiming that I needed to be protected. He certainly looked the part of bodyguard, with his imposing onyx scythe that he took from the late Wolfheim’s corpse, but I didn’t think I needed any help with the upcoming meeting.

Despite the impressive crowd, it was obvious which one was Pendleton. He was as fat, if not fatter, as the last time I saw him, and his silver suit positively bulged at the seams. Light brown hair lay plastered against his scalp, slicked back and oiled to the point that it reflected the sun like a mirror. His pant legs were rolled up and his large pink toes were buried in the sand as a half dozen men of similar proportions sat around him in wicker chairs, discussing business opportunities throughout the city in hushed whispers. I shifted my tunic, an old nervous habit, and was suddenly reassured by Bawbbe’s presence behind me.

“My, is that my dear Alethia?” Pendleton had turned to face me, his jowls parting like theater curtains to reveal an almost predatory smile. “Darling, it has truly been such a long time!” He hobbled across the sand to me, arms outstretched to embrace me. Bawbbe stepped forward, freezing Pendleton in his tracks. “I see you took my advice and hired on some muscle. Quite… a lot… of muscle…” A single bead of sweat trickled down his forehead as he looked the barbarian up and down.

“Indeed, Pendleton, it has been quite some time since we last saw each other. I found myself passing through town and thought that we were long overdue for a reunion. Fitting that we see each other on the beach once again.” I flashed him my most winning smile.

“Well, as luck would have it, there is an event at the manse later this week. I don’t suppose you’ll be in town long enough to stop by for a moment or two?”

At this point, the other men around Pendleton had grown silent, scowling up at me from their seats. “Darling, I would love to. I believe I remember the way. Should I bring anything?”

Pendleton patted his suit jacket, then reached into an inner pocket and presented a dark cocoa-colored slip of paper, inlaid with silver and bearing an inscription.

Pendleton Fortram’s Birthday Spectacular

Come show your adoration for the most popular man in Sunburst

And get Drunk

24th Drand, 852 AG, Good for a single Plus One

No Spice

I smiled back at Pendleton, said “I’ll see you there, Pendleton,” winked, then turned to leave.

The rest of the preparations went by smoothly. Sexy crafted expert replicas of the invitation that I had received and Spicy made fancy clothes for everyone who would be entering the party. Bawbbe and I visited an alchemist in the Craftsman’s Corridor where Bawbbe acquired a strange orb that didn’t seem capable of breaking. He has so eloquently dubbed it the destro-ball, after its ability to annihilate anything that it’s thrown at. It seems to be carved with hundreds of miniscule runes, but I can’t seem to translate any of them and Elron took his leave from us soon after we met Sorry.

On the subject of translations, Wolfram returned shortly before the heist with a partial one for the writing on the sphere that he found in the Brother Peaks’ cavern, and the name of a scholar in Oheila that we could consult on our way to Bawbbe’s tribe. He had been gone for several days, and said very little about what he was doing during that time. I stole a sliver of a medallion that Wolfram stowed in his pack, so perhaps it will tell me more about what happened. Wolfram took on a disguise as well. Without his armor and freshly shaven, he looked positively regal, and he took on the name Regis von Clyde. He had an invitation as well, with Bawbbe and Emuswa being our plus ones and bodyguards. Once inside, it would be my responsibility to distract Pendleton long enough to get his key to the vault beneath the kitchen. The assistance of the BBB’s spiked truffles would make it easier to pull that off. Meanwhile Bawbbe and Emuswa would make their way through the kitchens with Sly’s transportation cart. Sorry would use Pendleton’s key to open a way through the traps in the vault. Everything was planned and accounted for.

“Invitations,” declared the gruff guardsman at the front gate of the Fortram estate. Wolfram pulled two out of the pocket of his suit and handed them over.

“For myself and the Lady Alethia, and our bodyguards.”

He looked them over for a dozen heartbeats, making an obvious show of glancing over our clothing and at Bawbbe and Emuswa. “Weapons wif the man to the right when ye go in, upstairs off limits. We catch ye wif spice, yer arse meets my boot.” With that, he stepped aside and gestured for us to head inside. One last glance back to the ornate black and gold wagon that brought us here and a quick word of reassurance to Bawbbe that we would get his scythe back when we left, and then we were inside.

The gardens that dominated the front of the house were a pleasant distraction from the rest of the desert in the city. An impressive variety of flora from throughout the world surrounded a labyrinth of pebble paths. A wide avenue cut through the center to the large double doors that gave way to the main building of the estate. Thus far, most everyone looked like I remembered from almost eight years prior, when I had first visited. The garden had certainly expanded to include a more unique collection of shrubs, trees, flowers, and the like, but the estate looked nearly unchanged by the passage of time.

Just outside the door, a pair of guards stood beside a table littered with small tabs of paper and a rack bearing a dozen or so rapiers and short swords. Noble weapons. They were dwarfed by Bawbbe’s scythe, and Wolfram couldn’t help but grin as one of the guards nearly cut his friend’s arm off trying to handle the unwieldy rock.

Despite the coolness of the desert night, the air inside the house was hot and heavy with the smoke of halfling pipe weed and the smell of roasted camel, bison, cactus, and an assortment of exotic fruits arranged on dozens of tables around the main room. Several scores of people mingled across the floor, steel drums and harps and pan flutes playing from the open roofed garden in the center of the property. The stairs up to the second floor, where most of the bed chambers, supply closets, and offices that the Fortram family used to conduct the day-to-day business of their personal trade empire. Scattered throughout the crowd in servant’s attire, a few members of the BBB could be seen with silver platters of truffles, sharing what would certainly be a gift that would keep on giving. In the central garden, a single bird seemed to be different from the dozens that decorated the trees, hopping across the branches with a peculiar wooden wing.

Bawbbe and Emuswa immediately separated, making their way discretely to the recessed doors between the two main staircases that led to the kitchens while Wolfram and I navigated the crowd to reach the open hallways that reached to the dining room at the back of the mansion. Each door that we passed was guarded under lock and key, but not even halfway down I was able to hear Pendleton’s voice rising over the cacophony of music and merrymaking.

“Darling Alethia!” His arms were spread as we entered the room, his cheeks already red from drinking and dancing. “It is so good to see you! I was beginning to wonder if you would make it after all.” He hopped down from the dais and strode across the dance floor to us, extending a hand to Wolfram. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I am Pendleton Fortram, son of the great Lord Belton Fortram and heir to the estate you find yourself in. And you are…?”

My heart caught in my throat as I realized that Wolfram probably didn’t have any decent experience crafting lies, being a paladin of Cordelia. “Baron Regis von Clyde, at your service. My father in Oheila regrets that he could not come himself, but I happened to be visiting the city for a bit of a vacation so I figured I would stop by. I understand my father Devon typically does business with your father, but I’m sure you’ll be taking over the bulk of the family business here shortly and we will work closely together in the coming years. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Ah, a baron?” Pendleton cleared his throat. “How distinguished. I look forward to getting to know you better. Are you here with dear Alethia, um…”

“Romantically?” I scoffed. “Pendleton, no, Regis is a friend of mine. We met two or three years ago when I was in Oheila and we hit it off. It was but a chance encounter that we should both end up here in Sunburst and attending this lovely party of yours. Regis, I’m sure you’ve got some business contacts to catch up with on behalf of your father, yes? I’d much like to spend the night chatting with Pendleton after everything I’ve missed since I last came here.”

“Certainly. I hope you both have a wonderful night. Alethia, should you need anything, feel free to let me know.” With that Wolfram excused himself and made his way to a table.

“Trufflesh, Lord Pendleton?”

“Mmm yes, don’t mind if I do. I’ll take a few, as a matter of fact. Dearest Alethia, perhaps we should retire upstairs where we can hear each other a bit better. The noise hear will make casual conversation all but impossible. Shall we?”

I smiled and took his arm. “Of course. Lead the way.”

Along the way, I caught a glimpse of Peregrin in a tree chirping at a rather large cockatiel with her brother sitting beneath the tree and keeping an eye on the situation. Surprisingly, Bawbbe was nowhere to be seen, but Wolfram seemed to be mingling with the other guests rather successfully. And amongst them all, Sorry and her brigands delivering truffles to unsuspecting nobles.

Pendleton led me up to his room, a large four-post canopy bed dominating the center of the room with a personal privy to one side and a large closet holding countless articles of clothing to the other. An armoire, a dresser, and a desk made up the rest of the functional necessities, with the rest of the walls more or less covered in paintings of Pendleton and the rest of his family. They have properties and dealings across Sunrise, including the northern slope of the Firmament and on the outskirts of the numerous dwarven cities. A family as large as the Fortrams allows them to manage all of these responsibilities independently from each other, with it all managed and consolidated in Sunburst. On the walk up, Pendleton had eaten a handful of the truffles, unconsciously wiping the chocolate stains on the side of his pant leg.

We spent close to half a bell sitting on the side of his bed chatting about the city and how it has changed in the eight years since we last saw each other. Once I got him started talking about the entrepreneurship of his family, I knew it would take a physical force to get him to stop.

Thankfully, a physical force was well along the way.

A look of panic crossed his face, and I pretended like I hadn’t heard the churning of his stomach. “Dear, I’m afraid you’ll have to excuse me for just a moment.” Before I could reply, he stood up and quickly strode to the privy. As soon as the door closed, I jumped to his bedside tables and began to search through the drawers for his key. Once I slipped it out from under the secret panel in one of the drawers, I tiptoed out the door and got Peregrin’s attention. She flapped up to the balcony and took the key in one claw, then swooped down to the kitchens where Bawbbe, Sorry, Wolfram, and Emuswa were hopefully waiting.

I found out this morning that the heist was a success. I waited another bell in Pendleton’s room, helping myself to various curios and knick knacks that were lying around before giving him a meek excuse and making my way out of the party. Peregrin had apparently stirred the birds into a frenzy and led them in attacking the guests and the guards to cover for the rest of the party taking the Grand Egg out of the building, but the true crime of the night was held in the truffles. Nearly every single guest had sampled them, and they were terrifyingly potent. It does not bear describing, but suffice to say I had to choose my steps carefully as I left the estate.

What I didn’t expect was for the Grand Egg to be just that. Sorry had described an egg-shaped opal, but had completely neglected the fact that it was nearly as tall as her and weighed more than Bawbbe. But she swears that she will be able to provide us with an airship to return to Oheila and Bawbbe’s tribe. No more than a few weeks remain before we get to meet this mysterious daughter of his.

*** *** ***

The World Trees

According to the majority of scholars across Oheila and Sunrise, the World Trees have existed since the first Advent and the creation of the world. However, this is not entirely true. The gods themselves are not responsible for creating the world, as whatever created the world also brought the gods into being. In the beginning, though, there was Lobsileef the Creator. They are widely attributed with the origin of the world as we know it, though they are actually the progenitor of the rest of the pantheon. Lobsileef is largely uninterested in the state of the world, unlike their children.

The World Trees were devised by Juutibara, firstborn of Lobsileef, when the planet was still in a primordial state. There were very few areas where the first humans were capable of surviving at the time until the Heavenly brought the first seed of a World Tree to a lone sage. He planted it on what would become the continent of Oheila, and the first forest sprang around it. With the canopy of the forest protecting them, the first humans and elves flourished. The Sage was granted six more seeds, and began to travel the earth to sow them. Eiliftstein’s Roots tore out of the ground to surround Glaufstell’s World Tree, and the Black Iron Peaks molded around the twin molten trees that were planted there. One more World Tree was planted on Sunrise before the Sage travelled to the dangerous continent of Qur’vela north of Oheila.

The final two seeds were planted there, but despite the life-giving nature of the trees, the hostile wildlife flourished and prevented the vast majority of humanity from settling. Afterwards, the Sage returned to the Crimson Wastes, seeking a similar climate to the primordial earth that he had grown up in, and settled into his immortality.

The World Trees went largely undisturbed over the next tens of thousands of years. A routine cycle of destruction and growth ensured that humanity never overstepped their bounds, and once they received the guidance of the gods, the worship of the World Trees largely fell out of practice. Several tribes of elves remain devoted across the world, and many of the true locations of the World Trees have been written out of history and shrouded with magic. One of the trees on Qur’vela is encircled by a maze of shifting earth, while the Black Iron World Trees are under the constant watchful gaze of the dwarves in the east and the lizardfolk in the west.

Early in the year 852 After Gate, nearly a two thousand years after the fall of the Veluth Empire and almost a millennium after the realms of Meristopheles and Juutibara were sealed from the rest of the Abyss, Sandrelle, God of Chaos, began to pursue his own goals in earnest. Two decades prior, he had planted a seed of his own in the mind of a young cleric named Wolfheim, resulting in terrible mental scarring and a malleable tool for Sandrelle to mold into a champion. He felt the presence of an immensely powerful being in the background of the Abyss and the Hallowed Planes and sought to create a warrior that could protect him should that being attack.

Sandrelle paid dearly for his manipulations. The orc tribes that he had corrupted began to poison the World Tree of Glaufstell by using its own polluted and tortured seed to embed the tree with spears of venom. The poisoning began to draw the attention of a certain enterprising young wizard, and although Sandrelle fully intended to bring Wolfheim into contact with the tribes in order to hone his strength, he severely underestimated the extent to which Elron’s companions would interfere. In particular, a dedicated druid named Peregrin stood directly in Wolfheim’s path, and once she received the gifts from the World Tree, there was little Sandrelle could do to salvage his plans. The animosity culminated in a cavern under the Brother Peaks, resulting in Sandrelle severing his connection to Wolfheim, a horrific transformation brought on by one of the carnage circlets that the orc shamans owned, and Peregrin and her allies ending the cleric’s life.

*** *** ***

The wind feels nice this high up. We posed as a maintenance crew on the north tower Sky Dock and arranged for controlled explosions to cause a panic and drive the passengers off of a luxury cruise vessel as it was beginning to leave. The BBB commandeered a rescue boat that took us onto the airship and gave all of the unsuspecting passengers a way off. A few stubborn crew members got tossed over with slow-fall safety devices, but it was just a matter of minutes before we had full control of the S.C.V. Grande Shrike.

The ship itself was truly beautiful, and easily worth more gold than any of us would ever see in our lives. The majority of the hull was sculpted redwood with panels of gold flake steel forming a protective shell that replicated the look of the ocean waves at sunset. It had six decks in total, each devoted to a different leisure activity. The entirety of the bottom deck held supplies for ship maintenance, food, drink, and a massive dining hall that dominated the central portion of the ship. Above that was a small casino, complete with several craps and blackjack tables, now vacant of dealers and employees but still fully stocked with a variety of alcohol behind the bar. Next was a salon that included an enchanted massage table and several saunas and hot tubs. Finally there was a selection of shuffleboards, table sports, and a small library. The remaining two decks held a wide variety of suites and rooms that we all took our picks from.

Topside was a veritable work of art. The rigging for the main balloon was a complex weave that reminded me of a spider’s web. The balloon itself was a deep crimson leather protected by a silvery chain mesh, while the engines on either side of the rear of the ship roared with arcane energies as we soared across the ocean. The emerald waters below us twinkled in the fading sunlight as Sunburst faded over the horizon behind us. Wolfram and Emuswa don’t seem to be enjoying the flight, while Peregrin is in her element soaring through the air alongside us in her falcon form.

Sorry says we should be arriving in Oheila in just a few weeks. Until then, we can enjoy the view.

*** *** ***

[underthewingsofthblackeagle]

Chapter 4: Help from above, Part 3

Spreading the news

         Three days later the weather had turned. Wednesday started sunny and this weather should last for the rest of the week. Fraser had asked Heinrich Konrad to take over the inspection of the herds and workers this morning for him. He devoted himself to the office work and hoped to catch a closer glimpse of Claire. And in fact, she arrived early that morning to see her cousin. She did not notice how he followed her into the hall. He heard how the two women welcomed each other in the hall and then immediately disappeared into the kitchen.

(”Seife” by  gefrorene_wand)

          "Have you heard that the King was here a few days ago?" Pauline asked very excited.

         "Yes, of course, this story has spread like a wildfire throughout the villages."

         "Imagine, we've seen him all, Louise and me too," Pauline said with a delighted face.

         Before Claire could say anything, her cousin continued:

        "He does not look like on the paintings we know anymore, he's older now and does not look like when he became King. But he's very impressive; I was allowed to brush off his cloak and his tricone! "

          "Oh, let me guess, and since you did that, you did not wash your hands anymore?" Claire asked with a bright smile on her face.          "Of course, I've washed my hands, but ... but the lint and all that fell from his cloak and his tricone, I've swept up and put into a clay pot, and when I have children I'll show it to them. And then they know that their mother has met and served the King of Prussia!"

         At that moment, it knocked at the door of the kitchen, the door opened and Fraser entered the room.

        "Oh, good day, Ms. Beauchamp, Ms. Durant, I do not want to disturb your conversation, I only wanted to ask Ms. Durant if I could get a fresh piece of soap please."

         "Of course, Mr. Fraser, we got a whole package the other day and you do not need to take the normal white soap any longer. We now have the fine white soap again."

         She stood up and was about to open the door to the cellar when he said:           "The normal white soap will be fine, Ms. Durant."

        After Pauline disappeared, a tense silence filled the room, which became more intense the longer Claire's cousin was gone. Claire was looking straight at the opposite wall; Fraser looked at the tips of his boots. The smell of her perfume penetrated into his nose and unintentionally he breathed deeper. After what seemed nearly ten minutes of waiting Pauline finally came back. In her hand she had a cloth with some plates of soap.

         "Thank you, Ms. Durant, that's very kind."

         "You're welcome, Mr. Fraser. May I ask you something?"

         "Sure."

        "Don't you think it was a very special day for us here, when our King visited us?" Pauline asked, still with this delighted look on her face.

         "Sure, it was a very special day for all of us, Ms. Durant. I count it a great honor that I could meet His Majesty."

         "And is it true that you now have received the Prussian citizenship?"

         "Yes, yesterday a messenger from the King came and brought the papers. His Majesty has been very gracious to me."

         Fraser smiled over his whole face.

        "My congratulations, Mr. Fraser, I am so glad you are staying with us and I know many others will share my joy here and in the surrounding villages."

         "Thank you, Ms. Durant, that's very kind."

         Pauline looked at Fraser and at the same time tipped lightly to one of Claire's legs with her right foot.

         "Congratulations, Mr. Fraser."

         "Thank you, Ms. Beauchamp."

         One more time Pauline intervened:

         "Is it true that you have met other rulers before, Mr. Fraser?"

        "Yes, I met the King of France when I lived there and I served as a counsel to the heir to the Scottish throne when we fought together against the English, but ..."

         "But?"

         "But I have never before encountered a regent like the Prussian King."

         Pauline smiled.

         "He is indeed a very special person."

         "Yes, he is and I am very grateful that I can serve him."

         "Is it true that he gave you a special task, Mr. Fraser?"

        "Yes, Ms. Durant. The King will send some of his men, so that they can learn from what we have achieved here with the breeding of horses and in some areas of agriculture."

         "I'm sure the Baron is very proud of you and rightly so, Mr. Fraser."

        "Ms. Durant, this is not my success alone. It is our success. I have had some ideas and helped to realize them, but without the help of all the others here, we would never have come that far. Mr. von Trebitsch knows that well. I am just grateful that I can serve the nation which has given me freedom and protection."

         "I assure you, Mr. Fraser, as a descendant of a family of Huguenots, who were expelled from France by force and who were welcomed here in Prussia, who found a new home and freedom here, I understand you very well."

         "Thank you, Ms. Durant. I have to go now. Ms. Durant, Ms. Beauchamp, it was a pleasure to meet you."

         "Good bye, Mr. Fraser" Pauline said, tipping Clair's leg again.

         "Good bye, Mr. Fraser."

         When Fraser had closed the kitchen door behind him, Claire said:

         "Mr. Fraser here, Mr. Fraser there. Mr. Fraser everywhere."

         She rolled her eyes. The she said:

        "Wasn't there a young Prussian man by the name of Johann So-and-So you liked very much? And now it's only Mr. Fraser, Mr. Fraser and Mr. Fraser."

         "I still like Johann, I even love him and if my father agrees, we will soon be engaged and married. But couldn't I just be friendly to the Bailiff?"

         "Oh yes. And as I saw, you were very friendly to him. Wasn't that the fine soap you gave him? Even though he had only asked for normal white soap? It seems to me that you care very much for him."

         "Yes, I do, because he cares very much for each of us here, he is a very attentive man. May I remind you why I am so kind to him? I only say: Your father ..." 

         But Claire did not react to Pauline's remark. Her father - that was really the last person she wanted to think about here and now. The visit to Pauline had always been like a little escape from the paternal cage for her. But now she was confronted with his impossible behavior even here.

         "Och. And why did you have to stay away so long? Do you really need ten minutes to get soap from the cellar?"

        "If you are afraid to wait alone with him here, you can accompany me next time. Claire, what had happened to you in East Frisia? When you went there, you were a nice and kind young lady … "

         "Nothing happened in East Frisia, I'm still the same person. I just don't like be run over by a mountain of meat."

         "I'm sure he did not do it on purpose."

         "Of course not Ms. Lawyer."