The great foyer of Castle Pieksvaldt is spacious, but with so many people here it keeps from being too cavernous, and footsteps in the halls to the left and right of the staircases herald more arriving. Even with the presence of so many, there's a palpable chill here, conspicuous in that it arrived with the castle's mistress and seems only to deepen until the vapor puffs from each warm, living breath taken by the assembled. Holding court over the art objects decorating the foyer, a tapestry hangs between and above the grand staircases bending around either side, a pair of large Korv rendered in medieval illuminated styles holding wing claws above a host of dozens of smaller Korv… and one white figure.

The Raveness Margaret Pieksvaldt herself descends one of these staircases… unmistakable, she can be no other person. There are rumors of Wimmer blood in the Pieksvaldt line, and it is easy to see why these suspicions may be. Even stooped in the shoulders and relying on her scepter for support, the black-feathered woman stands larger and more upright than her brethren, still head and shoulders above the rest when making her slow way to the base of the staircase, but painfully thin, like a willow with dark feathers for leaves. The smile at the corners of her beak is genial, but there is no sheen to her eyes to betray a living surface, dead black, and when she speaks slowly and haltingly her breath does not fog. "Come visitors again to us… welcome to Castle… Pieksvaldt. Would that… my dear lord husband… be here to receive you… but… he is away." The Pieksvaldt housemen stand silent, and even the Seneschal says nothing.

"Y-you're, you're her," Lilac breathes upon getting a good look at the Raveness. She doesn't step backwards, but the way her foot shifts suggests she might want to. "The Raveness. I've seen you, but … ," she glances at the tapestry, frowns, her brow narrowing in bemusement, then she returns her gaze to the Raveness, asking, "How can that tapestry be? Did you change it when we, um, 'met' before? Did you kidnap me – are you the one who cursed me?"

Umeko's webbed ears flick slowly as she listens. The sound of the Korv's voice is not which worries her most, but those eyes; the eyes of one long dead. Still, it is best to keep to pleasantries until the mystery is solved. The Kiriga steps forward and bows low, her white mane rolling forward. "We are honored to be here. Your lands are quite … the legend," she says. As she draws back up, she adds, "I am Umeko Tsuguri, former Governess of Viper's Hold and servant of the Great Emperor." Her hand rolls to the side, indicating Lilac, "This curious woman is my friend, Lisandra. She prefers to be called Lilac."

The Lapi mage keeps behind Umeko for now, and digs his claws into his own upper leg to keep his foot from thumping.

Unlike her compatriots, Anisa stays quit for the time being, her paws folded in front of her. The doe's frazzled fur, however, gives away her current feeling on unease.

Kin snakes her tail backwards and curls it lightly around Xander's ankle in an attempt to be comforting.

Xander squeaks and nearly jumps at the touch.

"Ah, how could I mistake you… my dear?" croaks the Raveness. The butt of her scepter clacks on the marble floor, echoing in the silence as she makes her way closer, swaying slightly as she does so. "You… have… come back to… us. Home. And you bring… guests. Welcome… Lady Tsuguri. We… are honored to receive… nobility from… so far." She moves to stand directly before Umeko and Lilac, letting a scaly wingclaw off her scepter to try to touch Lilac's cheek. "Perhaps… a feast. Yes, to honor… honor our guests and cheer these… dreary halls. Kantemir… ?"

Umeko's head twists and rolls a bit to the side as she looks over her shoulder to the two Lapi, her brow arched questioningly at the apparent recognition of Lilac.

Anisa just shrugs to the Kiriga, her own eyebrows widely arched in question as well.

"D-don't forget to ask about Vandringar," Xander whispers to Umeko.

Lilac's ears shoot up as the Raveness approaches, then steadily flatten as if trying to sneak off the woman's head. At this distance, Umeko can see Lilac's muscles tense, but she's either too scared or unwilling to move. When the Raveness reaches for her, Umeko can see her searching the shadowy Korv's face, and then Lilac frowns in that painful way she did when she knew the Temple of Being was dying. "Lady? You know me, you … Gods … "

The Seneschal comes to attention when the Raveness calls him, and inclines his head. "It shall be attended to, my lady."

Umeko's head rolls back to face forward. "Raveness," she begins, "You spoke of other guests. A Cervani, perhaps? What has become of him?"

The Raveness' hand is cold, the scales rough on Lilac's skin even though her touch is strangely gentle. "There is no… mistaking you, child. You have come… back." She brings her claw back to her scepter, and leans heavily on it, her wings a glossy black mantle around her. "Yes, Lady Tsuguri… another noble guest. We get… so few here."

The footsteps from the halls grow louder, until more Korv finally come filing in. Behind them are a ragtag assembly of people, some dressed in common clothes, others in light armor, seeming drawn from most every race and walk of life. They are unified by nervous looks, except for one in the far back, a chiseled Cervani face with antlers reaching high over the others, broad shoulders draped in white.

"I hope he escorted at all times. A noble should never be left alone," Umeko suggests with a slight smile. "Now, if I may ask … from where do you know Lisandra… ?"

Lapi-whispering to Anisa, and in Skeek for added security, Xander asks, "Should we warn her that he's trying to steal her orb?"

The Raveness's comments this time cause Anisa to frown deeply and purse her lips. If possible, her fur frazzles even more – although this time in irritation. She stats to reply to Xander, but her gaze immediately shoots to the familiar Cervani; her frown transforms into a glare.

Lilac's eyes watch the hand approach, and she seems puzzled when the touch is gentle. Her ears remain splayed, but some of the tenseness eases from her posture. "But, but, who am I? How can that tapestry," the bardess points to the relic, "be me? Isn't it ancient? How do you know me, when did we meet? I, I'm confused! I've come so far for answers and I … " She lets her hand fall, giving a pleading look.

"Why, you are you… my dear. I… missed you. Thought you… gone," says the Raveness, giving Lilac a fond and yet somehow wholly empty smile. She looks up, distant and thoughtful. "A feast, yes… I hope there will… be nectarines. So sweet… but the orchards… mm. I can hear… the housemen setting… the tables." There's nothing to hear but the nervous rustle of the people arriving, most of them silent.

If anything, Lilac looks even more confused. She opens her mouth to ask, but seems to think better of it, letting it close shortly after. She gives Umeko a glance, looking lost.

Not all of them are silent, however. One of the men at the front, a balding human fellow in leather armor, curses and wrenches his arm away anytime one of the housemen touch him. His eyes are wild. "Back… away with you!" He spies the newly arrived trio, his skin greasy with sweat, and throws a hand out at them. "You! Where did they catch you?! Spit on their meals and their beds, they mean to kill us!! That monster is no host!"

Umeko offers Lilac a shrug. "Since we will be here a while, Lilac, perhaps they have a library with some books on history or genealogy to spend the hours we have remaining," the Kiriga suggests. Her gaze then moves to the Cervani.

Anisa breaks her stare at Vandringar when the human speaks, quickly looking to the Countess in askance.

"Remember, you need to try and get 'sacrificed' first, before Vandringar, so you can get close to the orb," Xander whispers to Anisa.

"I, I guess so … " The bardess doesn't sound certain at all, but at least she starts looking a little less bewildered. She stares at Umeko a moment, perhaps hoping her friend has further answers, or maybe trying to find some stability by looking at her for support for so long. She then slowly turns away, staring at the human who spoke up instead.

Umeko looks to the human who spoke up. "I am aware of what they intend, and how. It will not come to pass," the Kiriga says calmly and simply, her reptilian countenance resolute.

If the Raveness notices the man's outburst, she makes no indication. In fact, if she notices much of what's going on at all, she makes little indication… when she walks around, captive and houseman alike make way. "Lord… Vandringar, was it? Forgive me… my memory. Lose… so many things… these days." The Cervani takes a step forward, hooves clicking on the marble, and sweeps his swordsmans cape to the side to bow deeply at the waist. "I have only just arrived, my lady Raveness. Please do not worry yourself."

Anisa looks at Xander with bewilderment. "What in Dagh's name are you talking about," she whispers in Skeek. "I have no plans on getting sacrificed before, after, or during anyone else's sacrifice!"

Xander blinks, then whispers to the other Lapi, "Oh… well, you and Vandringar can control the orbs, right? Why else would he be here? So… you need to get to it first, and… anyway, are you sensing anything? My head is killing me."

Anisa turns her gaze back to Vandringar, watching the buck like a hawk. At Xander's question, she slips her paw over where the crystal is hidden in her shirt, concentrating on it slightly.

At Vandringar's comment, Lilac's daze snaps. Her ears shoot up, and she points accusingly across the hall at the man. "Don't trust him! In fact, you you, you should … should kill him! Now, before he does anything else – else tricky!"

Xander glurks, and whispers to Lilac, "But not with the orb! He's not to be brought near it!"

The white doe jolts a bit when she touches the pendant, reflexively looking down at her chest in mild shock.

It's the human man who replies to Lilac, eyes bulging. "Is everyone mad but me?! Don't TALK to it! We should be killing IT!" And it seems like he means to, snatching a dagger off his belt and striding toward the Raveness

"That's probably a bad idea," Xander offers to the hulking, greasy human.

"No!" Lilac shouts back, waving her pointing hand through the air in a slicing motion. "But Vandringar, HE can go! He already tried to kill us once, he'll steal whatever power he can from anyone! Sacrifice his allies! He is an evil man!"

Umeko now steps forward, moving herself into position between the human and the Raveness. With a graceful roll of her hand, she draws forth Sunlight Through Storm and brings it level before her, the steel shining. She aligns the tip towards the human's heart. "Unless you can also bestow life, do not be so quick to offer death. This is an ancient mystery, one that has walked through many long years. Death will not undo it. Only by understanding it can we hope to bring light to these shadowed halls," the Kiriga says in her lilting, poetic voice. "So, if you wish to live you would do well to put that dagger away."

Umeko can feel a hand on her shoulder. Greyswand, still in his soaked traveling cloak, shakes his head, his face earnest. The Seneschal's voice echoes over the marble and stone, formal and officious. "As a token of our respect, we leave you your belongings, but we will tolerate no fighting amongst our guests within the walls of Castle Pieksvaldt."

"I … I guess this means we can't kill him," Lilac says, letting her arm drop to her side. She glares at Vandringar, and adds, "That doesn't mean we can't watch him, though."

Xander turns back to Anisa during the confrontation, and asks, "Did you feel anything? Can you tell if Vandringar is up to something already?"

The Raveness seems oblivious to any threat, simply fingering the head of her scepter.

"The crystal is as cold as ice," Anisa whispers to Xander, "and its moving like it did when we found that Overseer at the pool."

The Cervani, by way of reply, spreads his hands out. "I bring no quarrel here. I would be delighted if you would share tea with me after the introductions here have finished, in fact."

"Overseer? I haven't been told what you found yet," Xander replies, then asks, "Can you tell if it's pointing at the Raveness herself?"

"As you like," Umeko replies. Her sword glides backwards, the rolling harmon on the blade fast disappearing back into its scabbard like a crashing upon the shore. "I was simply trying to prevent more tragedy from playing out in this story of woe." Her head tilts and this time she looks directly at Greyswand and to him she says in a quiet voice, "If you ever wish to be at true peace, then you will have to walk beyond what is comfortable. We are not here as enemies, nor do we wish to be such; we wish to free you." And with that, the Kiriga faces forward again, watching the human.

Lilac's glare slides away from Vandringar as the Raveness's indifference becomes apparent to her. She watches the woman out of the corner of her eye for a moment, then relents her aggressions entirely in favor of returning to studying the lady. "I saw you in my dreams, Raveness. I saw this place and it called to me. You, a lady, a tower, Greyswands , and … blood and darkness," she whispers aside to the Korv.

Greyswand looks both relieved and in some odd way chastened when Umeko speaks to him. "I know it may not seem it, but… it's better this way."

"You are allowing him to become the next sacrifice instead of having to choose one," Umeko informs Greyswand, the significance of what may now happen not lost on her.

Anisa gently shakes her head at Xander, "I couldn't tell." Turning to Vandringar, the doe forces a wide smile. "Tea would be pleasant, Mr. Vandringar – as long as our hostess allows it." She turns to the Countess, and gives a small bow. "Anisa Snowshow, ma'am, a pleasure to meet you."

"Xander Lightfoot," the brown Lapi introduces himself, and actually… takes the Raveness' claw and kisses the back of it.

Greyswand closes his eyes, but can only nod quietly at Umeko.

The Raveness turns to smile at Lilac. "A dream, child… of course you should dream… of home. Solace for you… and your guests." The tall Korv attempts something like a nod of acknowledgment to both Lapi, and tries to offer a smile. "Be welcome here, masters Snowshoe and Lightfoot," she begins, when Xander can feel the cold scaly hand he's taken jerk. The wild-eyed man has buried his dagger in the Raveness' back.

Xander urks at the stabbing, and clutches the Raveness' hand.

"Do you know his name?" Umeko inquires of Greyswand through a small, tired, sigh as the dagger finds its mark.

"Why you-!" Lilac's cry is guttural as she begins changing even before she speaks, and is rushing forward shortly after that!

"I do not, my lady," says Greyswand, while the rest of the housemen look on impassively. "I hope we can get it from some of the others… we are not without feeling." The would-be assassin tries to twist the dagger, but his sweaty face has gone pale. He jerks at his hand, but the dagger won't come out, and his grip will not release itself. The Raveness looks up from Xander, her head trembling in the way of the old and infirm, but she doesn't fall or even seem to move from her place, and she murmurs at Lilac. "Is something… upsetting you, child?"

Anisa's paws shoot to cover her mouth, the doe's ears up in alarm. Slowly, she settles down however, as its apparent the dagger has done little harm. Her eye remain as wide as ever.

"C-cut your arm off," Xander whispers to the human over the Raveness' shoulder.

When the Raveness addresses her as if nothing at all has gone wrong, Lilac's eyes go wide! She tries to stop her forward lunge, but can't manage to break so much momentum, stumbling forward, then back, falling on her butt with cry of surprise. The transformation has already begun to abate, the young woman regaining the humanity lost to her change, even as she stares up at the Raveness and her attack in shock. "Wha?"

"You should always know the names of those you send to die. Everyone who lives is someone's child; everyone who dies has someone who will mourn. Even those who are an enemy in your life deserve at least that much of an acknowledgment when they are brought low by your actions," Umeko says with a small nod of her head. "There is more I could say here, but it is not the place. If you wish to speak more later, see me in private." And with that, she focuses the remainder of her attention on what may come next.

The man's eyes bulge at Xander. "Wh-… what do you… what's happening?!" He gives the dagger another jerk, and more frantically now as the color seems to drain from his hand, his flesh gone white. "I… I can't feel my hand!" The Raveness turns a half-step, trying to look over her shoulder, and the helpless man is carried along with her. She steps again, turning a few more times. "Is… someone calling me?" The farce ends when the man's hand breaks off at the wrist, as hard as stone, flakes of white and pink scattering on the floor. The assassin clutches the stump of his wrist, screaming, and remains like this until the Raveness takes hold of him. "There… you are. And you've brought… a nectarine. For me?"

Greyswand's face seems to crumple inward, but he only nods at Umeko and sighs heavily. "As you wish, my lady."

Anisa takes a few steps back, her face in shock at the scene unfolding before her.

"Wha- what's happening?" Lilac tries to scoot herself away, but the strange sight of the man falling to pieces seems to have her attention in a vice grip. "Ummy!"

Vandringar looks on quietly through all this, taking a step backward when chips of the human fall near his hooves. He shifts once, his expression odd, then tugs at the chain around his neck, abruptly pulling a rhombus of crystal from behind his cravat and letting it fall against his chest outside his coat.

Stepping back with his ears down, Xander whispers to Anisa, "I don't think my plan to seduce information out of her will work." He tries to grin, but it comes out as a grimace.

Suddenly, Anisa very visibly winces, grabbing at her chest and fishing out the pendant from its hiding place – which she does quickly and somewhat frantically. Holding it by the chain, she pulls it out in front of her and away from her body.

"Cold?" Xander asks the doe.

Vandringar does much the same, looking down at the little lump of crystal. It spins on the end of its chain, and he looks up curiously at Anisa.

The First Stone turns as well, and just as rapidly.

"It is too late, Lilac," Umeko says in a tone Lilac knows all too well, the hard neutral she uses to conceal emotion. With a swish, she walks over to where Lilac sits and once there, places her hand lightly on the human's shoulder for reassurance.

Anisa starts to nod to Xander, but quickly turns her eyes to the spinning crystal. Blinking in confusion, she then matches Vandringar's gaze, also noticing his pendant spinning.

The Lapi mage begins a Warm Hands cantrip, then thinks better of it and focuses his magic sense on the human.

"Bu-, wait, is he going to die like … ?" Lilac looks up at Umeko and seeing the confirmation in her eyes, can only return her gaze to the human and watch in horror. "I'm c-confused Ummy. I was going to attack him, and now I feel … I feel bad for him. This whole place is confusing me. Shouldn't we, we help him?" "There is nothing more we can do but learn from this," Umeko says quietly, her eyes closing for a moment so she does not witness the gruesome scene. "He will die and from what Greyswand implied, it buys us more time. Perhaps it will be enough to make sure no one else suffers the same fate. In truth, I find all the Korv here cowards; those with true honor would not allow someone foolishly condemn themselves."

"A nectarine… was it you, Kantemir? Thoughtful… " The man's screams take on a near inhuman quality as the Raveness holds either side of his rib cage, and digs the talons of her thumbs in. She spreads them outward, and there's a sickening crack somewhere inside the assassin. His leather coat splits first, spatters of blood arcing onto and past the Raveness, her expression as placid as it was when she arrived. Her beak opens, gapes, hangs wide as streamers of crimson pour somehow upward and in. The man's ribs continue to give, the whole of his body splitting, ribs yawning and his voice gurgling and trailing away. When the Raveness closes her beak again, she lets the body drop as if she forgot what she was doing, tottering again in the manner of the frail. "Ah… my scepter. Did… I mislay it?" The Seneschal stoops to pick the rod up.

The dagger finally falls away, clattering on the floor.

"It is better this way," insists Greyswand, with little conviction in his voice. "Better that… that they should choose, rather than… she choose."

Anisa is frozen on the spot, her mouth agape as the human is torn to shreds. As the sight of blood reveals itself, the doe starts to back away very quickly, almost looking as though she were about to bolt for the door. She lets go of the freezing pendant, which drops against her chest again. "X-xander, we need to get out of here," she says, looking left and right nervously.

"It is better that you seek to end this tale," Umeko counters, quiet and resolute. "But this is … simpler, isn't it?"

"Don't run," Xander says, after he comes out of his trance and tries to grab Anisa's hand. "It will draw attention. Don't appear weak in front of Vandringar." He looks plenty queasy himself, but was fairly woozy to begin with.

"But, Ummy, I … " Lilac's words trail off as the man's bones split, and though already pale, she's as white as can be by the time the blood erupts from his body. Umeko can feel Lilac back into her leg – apparently, the bardess is still watching. Can't stop watching. "Oh, gods. Oh, gods," she whispers frantically. When it's finally over, she reaches up and clasps a hand to her mouth, staring, so frozen she's almost a statue herself.

Kantemir returns the Pieksvaldt scepter to his lady, his face a hard mask. "The evening grows long, my lady Raveness. Perhaps you should retire." Turning away, he motions some housemen over, indicating the strangely dry corpse left on the floor, and then raises his voice to address the assembled. "The feast will be in three hours. Please avail yourselves of our hospitality. While you are… here, you will be made as comfortable as we can. Make it easier on yourselves… do not attempt to leave the grounds. Do not quarrel with your fellows. We will not have the peace of Castle Pieksvaldt disturbed."

When Xander takes a hold of her paw, the doe practically crushes it in return as she latches on. The gesture does seem to calm her down however, and she battles to regain her composure, smoothing back her ears with her free paw. The buck can feel her heart racing a mile a minute.

Umeko squeezes her hand on Lilac's shoulder. "Close your eyes, forget what you have seen," she tells the pale human.

Xander makes a small sound in the back of his throat, but the pain seems to snap him fully back to his senses. "That was… it made ripples but… " he whispers. "Not magic. Something else."

The First Stone, and Vandringar's own pendant finally slow, and their freezing touch becomes bearable.

Swallowing in nervousness, Anisa slips the pendant back inside her shirt, looking at Vandringar warily.

"I can't, it reminds me … of … erk," the bardess jerks forward, holding her hand tighter to her face as she squeezes her eyes shut. A few heaves later, she coughs once wheezes, "I understand … why … it's … it's a prison. It's another prison Ummy, it's … " Her voice is hoarse, strained.

"Tea!" Xander suddenly pipes up. "Err, that is… we should have some tea to calm our nerves and warm us up, eh?"

"It is what?" Umeko inquires as she releases the human's shoulder. She steps away from Lilac and actually starts towards the broken mess of a body on the floor.

The Raveness' head tremors again as she looks up and around, squinting as if disoriented. "Yes… perhaps I should… should rest. I am… getting old. Yes. I do hope… my presence at the… the feast will not be… missed. I bid you all a… fine evening." And with that, the dark-feathered woman begins climbing the stairs again, one slow step at a time. She is given a wide berth.

"Horrible," Lilac wheezes. She stumbles back to her feet, then edges away from the body until she almost bumps into Greyswand. "AH- Oh, it's you," she says, startled. "You, um, how can you … how did this … ?" She bites her lip, inhales, then asks in a steadier tone, "We should talk?"

The housemen gradually disperse as well, murmuring as they speak to the horror-stricken 'guests'. Low uneasy mutterings pass through the crowd, but bit by bit, the foyer empties, leaving the tall Cervani, Greyswand, and a number of the Murder. The housemen attending to the body dutifully get most of it onto what looks like a rug they had brought for the purpose. Warmth slowly creeps back into the foyer, making chips of frozen blood gradually shrink into droplets, to be carefully cleaned up. The dagger lies forgotten, its blade fuzzy with frost and the hilt and grip glazed in rime.

"May you find peace with your ancestors," Umeko tells what is left of the devoured human. With a shake of her head, the Kiriga turns and now walks towards Vandringar.

"I wonder if a magic flame would be drained off as well," Xander murmurs to himself.

"Yeah… Tea… " Anisa finally responds to Xander, letting go of his hand with a friendly pat in thanks. She turns to Vandringar, and stares at the Cervani wordlessly… that is, until Umeko walks towards him. With a sigh, the doe follows, her face quickly returning to a scowl as she makes a wide berth around the now liquid blood droplets.

The stag has taken a moment to touch his pendant between thumb and forefinger, testing it a few times before tucking it back behind his cravat. He lets his hands fall again, resting easily on the head of his cane, and he bends at the waist slightly when Umeko approaches. "Lady Tsuguri. It is an honor to once again be in your presence," he says, his voice smooth. He glances up to see the Lapi approach as well, and bows again, a hand to his chest. "And Miss Snowshoe. It is my distinct pleasure. I hope your travels were pleasant?"

"They were until now. Thanks for the wine, by the way," the white doe says, coming to stop a few feet away from the stag, her arms quickly crossing in defiance.

"The false pleasantries are unnecessary," Umeko comments quietly as she stops walking. "I have not forgotten what you helped them do to me. Your sister, by the way, sends her regards."

"Maybe he needs your help with something, and that's why he's so nice," Xander suggests quietly to Anisa when he brings up the rear.

The Cervani tut-tuts. "Not false in any way, my friends. Just because we have been at opposite ends of the table in our game does not lessen my regard for you… in fact, I should say your decisive victory in Viper's Hold was nothing short of masterfully accomplished."

"He's always nice," Anisa Lapi-whispers back to Xander. "Its his thing."

Lilac remains behind, rubbing at her arm as if she were still cold, though the warmth has long since returned to the room. "I thought I could come and help her," she tells Greyswand, unbidden. "I thought if I came, there'd be someone to save. I felt sorry for her, I felt sorry for another like her – and in the end, I wonder if it makes any sense anymore. Do I really just care about monsters? Is it because I'm one? Because they're worse than me? I should have done something, and I still don't understand what's going on. I came for answers, to help, and I only have more questions. I, I'm babbling, I know, um … We should talk." She reaches over and pats the man's hand absently, then wanders towards Vandringar, looking almost as lost as the Raveness herself.

Vandringar adds, "And I am heartened to hear that sweet Cordelia is well. I trust she was gracious with you?"

Xander holds a hand out for Lilac. The one that wasn't squished.

"A game, is it?" Anisa says, her ears splaying sideways. "I don't particularly like games where hundreds of people are killed for the sake of a few men's curiosity. As for your sister… she was nice. I can only wonder what she does in her own spare time – hopefully nothing as horrific as her brother."

"She was polite and ultimately disinterested," Umeko answers simply. Her brow ridge arches a bit, then she asks, "And as for games, I quite agree with Anisa on what you apparently find as a game. But that is beside the point. My question is simple; are we one different sides of the table this time or has fate made us unwilling allies?"

Greyswand trails along, looking tired. He gives Lilac looks that are somewhere between curious and concerned, but it's all heavily influenced by a bone-deep weariness.

Lilac accepts Xander's hand, squeezing it, though with less force than Anisa. She looks weary herself, though in a lost way. Considering the horrors she has already confessed to witnessing, it may be a wonder she's remained sane at all. When Greyswand nears, she reaches over and tries to take his 'hand,' too. "Vandringar," she greets the buck, without bow or a hint of affection.

The Cervani lord looks down at the head of his cane, tapping his thumb idly on the ear of the doe's head, then resting the length of it on his shoulder, as casual as can be. "I assure you, I treat the game as seriously as any that play it… ministers and generals and politicians alike. Perhaps I have a slightly different perspective." He smiles at Umeko. "Well, we certainly are all in the same situation, aren't we? Shall we discuss it over tea? The village below still supplies Castle Pieksvaldt… remarkable, really. Perhaps we can all be properly introduced."

"Food. Food would be good right now. Nice, honest, non-horrible, plain food," Lilac says softly.

Anisa pops her knuckles. "Village huh? Does the castle's… influence extend to the Village as well?"

"Yes," Lilac adds, in answer to Anisa's question. ""No one leaves the Rookery.""

"They used to use villagers as sacrifices when they didn't have outsiders to select from, Anisa," Umeko tells the doe. To Vandringar, she says, "We may as well have tea. I am sure you will be saddened to know your friend Hakuu, is dead."

"Ahh, that's too bad," Anisa says, trying to play Vandringar's game. She smooths an ear nonchalantly, then crosses her arms once more. "I guess we'll have to settle for some friendly banter, then."

"I'm sure the villagers will be happy to see some fresh faces," Xander offers.

"Um, I'll show you the way. I think I still remember," offers Lilac. Without another word, she starts wandering for the door, dragging Xander and Greyswand with her.

The Cervani turns to lead the way, motioning down the hall. "Of course, we'll have some things brought out from the kitchen. You look like you could do with some warm bread, perhaps a bit of wine? Ah, Hakuu? The sacrifices some make for art."

Anisa follows behind the stag, not letting him out of her sight. "Just so long as nothing's poisoned."

Umeko follows after Vandringar, her footsteps barely making a sound, save for the occasional click of toe claws on the stone. "Yes, other people. Only this time the other person fought back," she comments quietly. Her head tilts and she calls back to Lilac and Xander, "This way, Lilac, Xander."

Walking in a daze, Lilac pauses on her way to the outer door, looking back. "Oh? Coming," she says, turning to follow after Umeko.

"Right, Umeko," Xander says, as Lilac turns back.

Vandringar leads the way under an arch beneath one of the staircases, following a long hall, and giving the trio behind him a chance to look at their extravagant prison. For a 'lost' castle with such a strange mistress, the place is curiously alive, if rather drear and hushed. Korv make the rounds, winging along the high ceilings or clicking by on the ground, going about their business much as they would in any other lord's keep. Servants of other races are occasionally seen, a Cervani maid or page here and there, offering short bows or curtsies when people pass, accompanied by a nervous, "M'lords." Vandringar seems to act entirely at home, though unfailingly polite with his hosts, requesting a tea service be brought to one of the studies, along with bread, butter, honey, and jam. "And if there's anything in particular you would like, they're happy to accommodate," he adds.

"I'd like some answers," Lilac puts in, "do they have any of those? Oh, and meat slices – and cookies! All this stress is making me hungry, including you," the cursed human tells Vandringar.

Anisa feels a bit odd, following behind her arch-nemesis on their way to a tea party – not to mention the oddly calm attitude of the grounds in general. "That sounds fine, thanks."

"Err, yeah," Xander says, looking around. He hasn't been in that many castles.

"I think I will spare my Lapi friends any more … meat," Umeko comments as she looks about the strange (to her), building. As she watches the servants pass, she adds, "I can almost smell the guilt upon them, as well as the fear. They use us to save their own lives. They should at least afford looking us in the eye."

"Greyswand called this her prison, Ummy," notes Lilac. "I think they're trying to keep her here, have to keep her here. But, through what power and why, I don't know. I don't know a lot more than I thought. I could really eat a whole bowl of honey right now."

"By feeding her, Lilac. Otherwise I imagine that she would simply walk the world … eating," Umeko tells the human.

"I don't suppose there's a castle doctor?" Xander finally thinks to ask. "I've got a really nasty bump on my head from the Huntress."

"Oh." The bardess's ears wilt, and she rubs at her arm self-consciously. "Well, um, maybe I shouldn't have the cookies then. Maybe some fruit?"

"You are significantly wounded?" Umeko asks, her head craning back to look to the dark Lapi. "I will tend to it, if you wish."

"Me, miss? I'm not sure I take your meaning," says Vandringar. The servants nod quietly and hurry off, and the Cervani lord rounds a corner, then another one, arriving at an open doorway leading into a relatively small room. The seats here are Rughrat leather, the furnishings richly varnished hardwood, including a low table for the tea service to be placed on, a some writing desks, a ktinza set with a couple chairs, and even some sickly-looking houseplants. The stag pulls out a seat, offering it to Umeko. "Ah, my lady, I'm not sure it's a matter of seeing to themselves. Is it, Sir Greyswand?" The Korv shifts uncomfortably but says nothing, and the stag continues, "Imagine what would happen should the Raveness fly her Rookery? I'm not sure what could stop her."

"Thank you, Umeko," Xander whispers. "I've been a bit dizzy." He looks for a seat near the one offered to Umeko.

Kin settles herself down in the offered chair and folds her hands into her lap. Her eyes flick to Greyswand and she says, "What could stop her, well … it depends on if he can tell us what happened to the void sphere. Unfortunately its Observer is … dead, so we do not have that to turn to."

Anisa almost looks… offended… that Vandringar pulls out a chair for Umeko, and quickly pulls one out for herself next to the Kiriga. "So she potentially could leave this place?"

Vandringar starts to move to slide a chair out for Anisa, but draws up when the Lapi claims one for herself, and instead inclines his head toward Lilac. "Please make yourself comfortable, Miss… ?"

Umeko hmms softly. She then looks to Xander, then the floor in front of herself. She taps her toe claws on the floor as a further hint.

Xander blinks, and then kneels down on the floor with his back to Umeko. "What's an Observer?" he asks. "I stayed up above and got knocked out."

Lilac plops down in the offered chair, but eyes Vandringar warily anyway. "Miss Lilac, the Flower of Sylvania – Lisandra Dragomir! You may remember me from my biting and chewing." Her eyes narrow a little, and she asks, "I thought you didn't speak to humans, that your Cinders blamed us for something?"

"Where did she hit you," Umeko asks the Lapi as her head cranes down to inspect his head. "As for an Observer, well, Anisa or Vandringar could explain better than I. I only know its name."

"Back of my skull, I think," Xander mutters, feeling – for some reason – like a child in this situation.

"They're big, mean, mechanical bug things… that protect things," the doe says, looking to Vandringar. "And sometimes attack things."

Umeko takes the back of her claws and lightly runs them down the back of his skull, feeling for lumps without applying too much pressure.

"Mechanical Zelak, got it," Xander says, and winces when Umeko finds the sore spot, which is pretty swollen by now.

"But my dear, clearly you are something more than human," murmurs the stag in his rich baritone. He moves to take a seat for himself, laying his cane across his lap. Greyswand elects to stand, and Vandringar continues, "But in any case, the Primus' conceptions are… mm… perhaps sometimes a limiting factor, even as much as they are a motivator. For his sake and mine, I try to keep all options open." He glances at Xander. "Does your friend require the castle chirugeon?"

Umeko rolls her jaw, thinking. "Would you mind if I … tried something?" she asks Xander. Without looking up, she says, "He has a mild lump. Ice would be the best option … but barring that I may try something that you had a hand in providing."

"More? Or less?" Lilac glances at Greyswand, then raises a brow. "Sir Greyswand, surely you must know! I thought the Raveness knew me, but I'm not sure she sees any of us, so I only have you to ask: where did the curse come from? Why am I on the tapestry?"

Xander waves a hand in front of his own face. "No spots in my vision, no ringing in my ears," he mutters. "So… probably not any drain bammage. Umm… try something?"

"'The Primus' Conceptions'… is that your code word for 'dumb animals'?" Anisa asks Vandringar.

"Probably the name for the leader of his group," Xander suggests to Anisa.

"I'm going to see if topical application will be slightly numbing," Umeko says a bit vaguely. She reaches up to her own mouth and slips a claw under her upper lip. When she draws it back out, there is a sickly-yellow liquid collected on the tip. She carefully applies it to the nasty lump … making sure to not get it any open wounds if some should reveal themselves.

The Cervani rests a calf on his knee and leans back into his chair. "Oh no, not at all, Miss Snowshoe. Though he has a… shall we say, more hardline view on the matter. It is not my place to question him, it is for me to facilitate, and I work as I need to. But we digress… I am sure there are more pressing matters at hand."

"What were you expecting to find here, Vandringar?" Umeko asks quite bluntly. "We knew that they were sacrificing people to maintain their town. How much did you know?"

Meanwhile, Greyswand gives Lilac a look that's both uncomfortable and resigned. "Our lady Raveness is no longer herself, it is true. But I do not have all the answers." He looks at the assembled thoughtfully. "In fact, you are all considerably more informed than anyone we've ever brought here."

The stag smiles that friendly smile of his, folding his hands together. "Why, the same thing you expected to find here, I presume. I trust you have Being safely stored."

"You didn't answer my question. What did you expect to find here? As in, the people and the castle. Or were you expecting to just find a ruin?" Umeko asks without answering the second question … yet.

"In a place where you'll never find it," Anisa says, crossing her legs and folding her own paws in her lap.

Xander's ears flutter. "Okay, that feels weird, Umeko," he says. "It still hurts though."

"Very good," Vandringar replies to Anisa, nodding agreeably.

Lilac's ears wilt at Greyswand's answer – or lack thereof. "I came hoping for answers. I've spent the last year or more wandering around the world wondering what happened to me, and why. I'm not even a Korv, but I have your curse, and yet I'm not bound to this place like you are. Ummy thinks maybe I'm Lady Riesling somehow. I'm afraid to go home, just to find out I don't really exist, or something! And that's besides being exiled for being a monster," she tells the avian.

With a sigh, Umeko takes up rubbing the base of Xander's neck with her thumbs. "How long ago did the Raveness find the orb that changed her?" she asks Greyswand. "And yes, we know of the orbs and what each can do to people. I survived being exposed to the orb of Being." Her head nods towards Vandringar, "Which he and his allies tried to use to turn me into a monster. It was fortunately reversed."

The tea service soon arrives, a cart being pushed by a nervous-looking Skeek. (Are there any other kinds?) The wooden platters on it are layered with thick slices of warm bread, ceramic crocks set among them with butter, jam, and honey. Steam rises from the spout of a stoneware teakettle, and china cups rattle and clink in their saucers.

Xander mutters meaninglessly as his neck is rubbed, and seems to relax a little.

"You do not feel sick to your stomach, do you, Xander? Or unusually tired?" Umeko whispers to the Lapi.

"Not unusually tired," Xander notes. "But of course I'm queasy, especially after being tied on my belly to a saddle and then… well, seeing the Raveness and her… nectarine… "

"Erk, nectarine," Lilac whimpers, before stuffing a slice of bread in her mouth.

Greyswand shakes his head, confused. "I don't know how you came to know about Dame Riesling," he says. "She disappeared a long time ago. This… strange thing that we discovered, it was years ago, when… when our lady of the castle was desperate to defend it without aid from the Lord Rook and his host. He had ridden to take the field in the Necromancer Wars. We never heard from him again."

"Hmm. I hope you are not bleeding in your brain, then," Umeko notes worriedly. "The bump isn't so big as to suggest extreme injury, though. It's certainly no worse than the bumps Master Longtooth has on his head. He's still lucid … usually."

Anisa fidgets in her seat slightly, looking at the food. "Should we… should we eat this? That one guy said not to… " She pokes at the bread tentatively.

"His brains are pickled though," Xander whimpers. "I hope there's not a crack or anything in my skull now. I don't know what she hit me with."

"This will hurt," Umeko says, then presses her fingers firmly against the tender area around the large lump, feeling for any … movement.

"But, the last Necromancer War ended several generations ago," points out Lilac. She pauses in taking another bite of bread, glancing at Anisa after her comment, then she just shrugs and keeps eating. "In fact, the place where the orb rested also looks ancient. It looks like an old graveyard, but flooded. The Huntress seemed to know what it was, too." The bardess shifts her gaze to Xander, and asks, "That reminds me, I saw a crest on her belt, but I couldn't get a good look – did you Xander?"

Greyswand at least looks more confident in answering Anisa. "I assure you, miss. There is no taint in the food. We… we're not heartless. We know what we're doing, and what comfort we can give while you are here, we give gladly. We are all trapped."

"I think I did, but I'm not sure how to read Sylvanian crests," Xander admits, and then winces and squeezes his eyes shut as Umeko probes.

"Just describe it to me, maybe I know. I have a feeling it's important," insists Lilac.

"Your skull feels solid. No movement, no feeling of any cracks," Umeko pronounces after a bit more examination. "I think you will live."

Xander tries to remember the odd belt-buckle on the Korv huntress. "Well… it was a belt buckle, I'm sure of that," he notes. "Thanks, Umeko," he says, and slowly gets to his feet so he can sit down in a chair.

Anisa doesn't exactly seem comforted by Greyswand's words, but her worries do appear abated. The doe takes a bite of bread, and sets one of the teacups before herself. "So, Hagan… how exactly did you intend to get yourself out of this pickle." She takes a sip of tea, then seems to remember something. "For that matter, how did you know we were behind you? Have you enchanted your sister's eyes or something?"

Umeko reaches over and pulls one of the chairs near her closer for Xander to sit in.

Lilac gives Xander a pained look, ears flattening. "I know it was a belt buckle, but I need to know the crest. She's a Korv, she may be related some how. Just look how hard she fights! That's not the rage of someone who's indifferent!"

Xander sits down and ponders. "Err… it was a square crest," he notes, looking like he's trying to remember more. "Okay, so maybe I didn't get a good look at it. It had stuff etched on it, but… it was a crest."

"Probably for, you know, the Von Horne family," the mage adds with an apologetic shrug.

"There would be sad irony in this if Von Horne is actually a descendant of the Raveness' lost husband," Umeko suggests and shrugs. "It would be no stranger than the things we have seen."

After shaking her head, Lilac sighs. "That won't be enough. We'll just have to ask her some other day, if she doesn't try and kill me again," she says. Looking up, she asks Greyswand, "So, the tapestry, was there always a picture of a human woman on it?"

Whatever the circumstances, the bread is warm and tastes wholesome, and the Skeek lifts the teapot to fill Anisa's cup. Vandringar takes a slice for himself on a saucer, buttering it. "I didn't know for certain, Miss Snowshoe. But it was a reasonable guess that you would come this way. I'd have been disappointed if you hadn't, but you have lived up to my every expectation. Surpassed them, even."

"Greyswand, can you say how many years have passed here since The Rookery was sealed off?" Xander asks.

The Korv grinds his beak a little, his eyes momentarily faraway. "I… I could not say, in truth. The days and weeks seem to run together. It… isn't only the Raveness who loses things."

Anisa smiles at the Skeek, lowly telling the mouse 'thank you' in its native tongue. "And what expectations would that be? Its been a long time since we'd met at Half-Valley – you barely know me or my friends well enough to have any 'expectations'… "

"Hmmm. And the way that man petrified, too," Xander mutters. "I wonder if the power of the Void is some sort of power over the passage of time. Or if it's just that normal time doesn't happen in this limbo."

The antlered lord sets his slice of bread on this saucer to take up his teacup and breathes the steam for a moment before replying. "Miss Snowshoe, I have come to find in you tenacity and resourcefulness that has not yet failed. You also choose to associate with worthy people… some of our most important choices are those of our companions and our adversaries, and you have made excellent choices in all. I felt confident that you would continue to plumb these mysteries. Tell me, did young Royce set you on your path? Where is your older brother? I had hoped to shake his hand as well."

The white doe's fur bristles outward. "My brothers are safe at home, and that's all you need to know. And you're right, my traveling companions are top notch. As for my adversaries, well… " Anisa takes another bite of bread, looking down at her plate and away from Vandringar.

Greyswand turns to Lilac. "It has not, miss. It happened months ago. We were mystified by the tapestry's change. When it was made, it was to reflect the glory of House Pieksvaldt, showing the two reigning lords and their host, and it would change to match the family. Fine craftsmanship from a different era."

Glancing at Xander, Lilac offers, "I remember hearing something about the Void filling the emptiness it makes, creating something from the absence. I thought maybe that was where our curse comes from, why we lose years and memories – that void in us makes our beast. But I don't know, now. It would mean the Void Orb somehow caused it, like the Being Orb could cause things, but how or why I don't know unless … " The bardess blinks, then frowns. "Only the Temple of Being could cause so much change. Do you think the Raveness has become the Void Orb's … avatar?"

"So the tapestry implies that Lilac is now part of the family?" Xander asks Greyswand.

Turning her attention to Greyswand again, Lilac tilts her head. "So, it thinks I'm part of the … What Xander said? But why would that be? I always assumed your people kidnapped me and I escaped somehow, but you don't remember me," she says.

The Korv shrugs helplessly. "It can only assume it thinks so. It is curious also that the lady Raveness seemed to recognize this young woman." He looks at Lilac curiously, tilting his head in the quizzical manner of birds. "And yet, there IS something about you… something familiar… "

Xander sways in his seat, before taking a cup of tea and some bread for himself. "If the Raveness is the avatar, and she's… wearing out… then that probably makes you the next in line, Lilac," he warns.

"Given the state of the Observer we found that once held the orb of Void, I suspect the Orb itself is extensively damaged and not working as it is intended," Umeko offers as she finally takes some bread and a cup of tea as well. Her claws click against her cup and the Kiriga says, "I think Xander may be right on that. You might be … the replacement."

"Where is the orb, Greyswand," Umeko asks the Korv directly.

"And you've never physically been here before, probably," Xander tells Lilac. "The curse… was a means to get you here, maybe?"

The Korv seems at a loss, but it's the stag that speaks up. "Ah, did you see how our First Stones reacted?" says Vandringar, speaking up again. "I believe we were in the orb's presence. The Raveness."

At that, Lilac's ears shoot up. "Wha- what? Me?! Become like, like that? But, I don't have any magic, or an amulet like Anisa and Vandringar have! I'm nothing special, if I didn't have my curse I wouldn't be anything except a bard – a great bard!" She quickly grabs another load of bread, and begins smothering it with toppings nervously. "I don't know. Why would it want me? Doesn't it know that I'm preg-" Immediately blushing, Lilac quickly stuffs the half-coated bread in her mouth and looks away.

"I think that answers your question," Anisa says to Umeko. "And yes, I noticed. Although that's the first time my stone ever reacted like that – the other orbs didn't do anything but make it glow."

"Aren't you two and your Stones able to control the orbs though?" Xander asks Vandringar. "You sure didn't seem in control."

"As I suggested, I think the orb is broken. Who is to say how our stones might react to it," Umeko points out.

"Maybe they can kill her," Xander suggests, and sips his tea. "Or freeze her or whatever."

The stag rubs his chin thoughtfully. "It is as you say, master… ah… " He looks to Xander for a prompting of name. "I think you have the advantage on me, though I feel I should make introduction for the sake of what's proper. Lord Hagan Vandringar of Blitzheim, at your service. As for the orb, yes… it seems something is preventing us from accessing the orb."

"This orb is… different," Anisa says, adding to Vandringar's comments. "I doesn't feel the same."

Xander swallows his tea, and then says to Vandringar, "Xander Lightfoot of… the Sphere of Fire." He decides not to give out his city of origin.

Greyswand says, matter-of-factly, "You cannot kill our lady Raveness. You are welcome to try, but it cannot be done."

"Maybe kill is the wrong term," Xander says. "She's clearly not alive anymore. The crystals getting cold could mean the Void was trying to draw power through them too, through whatever link they have."

"Anything can be killed with the right weapon," Umeko says with the same matter-of-fact tone as Greyswand. "And it is far better to try to end this tale of horror, than allow it to perpetuate."

"You can't stab nothing. You can't bite a pit or claw the night sky. The only way to beat a void is to fill it, right?" Lilac suggests.

Anisa takes a sip of her tea, and leans back. "If she is the product of an orb, then I can pretty much guarantee that the method won't be straightforward. It never is with the old artifacts."

"Or close it in on itself, like sewing up the edges of a tear," Xander suggests. "I mean, I could maybe feed her a fireball, but that's probably not going to fill her up. Frankly, if the Void feeds on life, then the only thing that could fill it is Being, right? Maybe Void is the side effect of creating Being in the first place, to balance it."

Greyswand runs his talons through the thinning feathers of his crest. "If you raise your arms against the Raveness, you will die bereft of blood and covered in hoarfrost. I do not make threats, this is merely what happens, and it is a blessing to the other denizens of the castle, because she is then sated for a time. But to fill the void left in her… I fear only the Lord Rook could have completed her heart again, and he is long since lost to us."

"Lord Rook has been dead for generations. That is not an option. I think we need to understand what happened. Did the Raveness keep a journal?" Umeko asks as she looks into her teacup.

"The Temple of Being was killed by Mother, what it called the orb. It needed the orb to live, or at least not die. It could sense the curse in me, but not identify it. Hmm." Lilac tilts her head, thinking. "My dreams showed me this place. Ummy saw one, too. It showed the Orb high in the tower, Greyswand, you were there, and Ummy. I was Lady Riesling, and I was to escort Ummy to be fed to the Raveness. I, well, I tried to stop her, and then you changed Greyswand, and all went black. It might be a memory, or just an example. And, the last dream she showed me was her taking, um, interest in changes in me and … um … " Glancing at Umeko, she frowns worriedly, "There's only two vestiges of Being left in the world, you know?"

"Two? I thought only one," Umeko comments and looks up. "What is the second?"

Greyswand shrugs again. "I cannot say, my lady. She was not the type to write, but it is not outside the realm of possibility. It was not for we of the Murder to be privy to her bedchamber, and it would be… exceedingly unwise to venture there now."

"Could you just brick up the door while she's resting?" Xander asks.

"You know the other one, Ummy," Lilac tells Umeko, giving her a look.

"I know that one, Lilac. I assume the other is the orb? I wouldn't call that a vestige of Being, though," Umeko points out.

The Korv smirks at Xander, as is the idea seems quaint. "The Lady Raveness goes where she will and takes what she will. Mere brick, steel, or flesh is no obstacle."

"How… unfortunate," Xander notes. "I need cheering up now. Smile for me, Umeko?"

Kin smiles fangily?

"Oh, well, maybe it isn't. I just know the Orb made the Temple of Being originally, so it's kind of a 'source,'" says the bardess. "Oh, that makes me think dark thoughts. Interesting, but dark. Greyswand," the human turns to the Korv, "has the Raveness ever attempted to consume someone who had our curse?"

Xander nods at the smile. "Thank you," he says.

The houseman shakes his head. "We are her servants and her jailers. She recognizes us… after some fashion. When we talk to her, it is as if she remains trapped in times past."

"That reminds me, we need to talk privately later," Umeko tells Xander, then takes a drink from her teacup. "I know one way we could access her bedchamber," the Kiriga notes when she lowers her teacup. "When she comes out to feed again, it will be clear."

"Perhaps she would finally consume us as we deserve, when there were no others left," Greyswand adds.

"She doesn't want to realize The Rook is never coming home, is that it?" Xander asks. "If she was given proof of his death, how would she react?"

The Korv shudders. "I dare not imagine."

Xander nods at that, and then glances to Umeko and whispers, "In private? Are you still upset with me?"

"Could one of you impersonate him?" Umeko asks.

"Like she does with me," Lilac says in a tone of comprehension. She then tilts her head the other way, and offers, "What if she tried to feed on someone with our curse? Or, something that was already empty? And hmm," she glances between Greyswand and Xander, nodding, "What if she could be put to rest? Maybe she can't meet the Lord Rook in this life, in this world, but what about another?"

Kin leans back to Xander, whispering, "We'll discuss it in private."

Vandringar tilts his head thoughtfully. "And yet… the Lord Rook's final fate is the greatest mystery left to us. Perhaps it bears thought."

"If he fought in the Necromancer wars, than anything is possible," Anisa says, nodding in agreement with Vandringar.

"Given this town and castle faded away, it is possible the Lord could not return, even if he had tried," Umeko points out.

"If Lilac is one of the Murder – at least to the Raveness – then she should be able to come and go from the Rookery, shouldn't she?" Xander asks.

Greyswand sighs. "I cannot venture to guess, but I do not think the Raveness would try to take sustenance from anything she could not." He looks sharply at Xander. "And no, she cannot."

"How do the Murder get out then?" Xander asks.

"Good point, Ummy. Maybe he returned and found nothing but 'monsters' and shadows, if that's true, maybe you're right and the Huntress is related somehow," Lilac agrees. To Xander, she says, "I was able to enter The Rookery by my own wings, wasn't I, Greyswand? Why do you think I can't?"

"We can only go so far, Master Lightfoot," says Greyswand. "It is why we must lure the greedy and foolish to us. We are jailers and prisoners both, and we are compelled to serve our lady. And you, Miss Dragomir, even should you be able to leave, the Murder would not allow it."

"Why? She can travel the world. She is your best hope for finding anything out about the Lord," Umeko points out.

The Korv sets his beak. "It is not for us to decide, my lady. No-one leaves the Rookery."

Lilac blinks at that, and asks, "Why not? And I guess this means I'm not compelled either? I don't feel compelled, so probably not. You know, if I were Dame Riesling, it almost sounds like her – um, I? – found a way to leave. Or, maybe the Raveness made her or me leave or … I think I'm confusing myself. Does this make any sense?"

"I have another grim thought, if folks wish to hear it," Umeko offers.

Xander taps his teacup with a claw and shakes his leg a bit. "Lilac's curse is not the same as that of the Murder," he claims. "Whoever gave it to her probably did so in order to get her here, or to create a means of communicating with the Rookery. So, it could have been this Lady Riesling, the Rook, or some other agency. Do we have any evidence that the shape-shifting curse is actually related to the Void in any way, or is it just a curse?"

"This is Sylvania, Ummy. Grim thoughts are our national anthem," Lilac insists.

"What if the Lord had returned and in her lost state, the Raveness … ate him," Umeko offers, then takes the final sip from her teacup.

"Wow, that'd be as disturbing as seeing Anisa sit in Vandringar's lap," Xander says. "Err, no offense there, Lord Vandringar."

"You mean, tried to embrace him and he just … died? Like that story of the king who turned all he touched to gold," inquires the bardess.

"Just so," Umeko tells Lilac and nods.

Anisa just looks at Xander oddly.

Greyswand turns to Xander. "Our curse was born when our lady came by this orb. It takes to give, deprives us of our civility, our will, and what makes us Korv, and leaves us with something else… perhaps spirits of the forest, perhaps only bestial thoughts given form. We cannot say."

Vandringar gives Xander a faintly bemused look, shaking his head a little and looking away again to sip his tea.

"Lilac isn't a Korv though," Xander points out.

"She does seem very… different," the Korv admits.

"Do you know anything further on Lord Rook," Umeko asks Vandringar, brow arched slightly. "If we cannot leave, then we have to solve the mystery while here. Let us all lay our cards on the table. Or secondly, can either you or Anisa use the stones to search outside these walls?"

"That sounds just like my curse, too," the cursed human says, nodding. "But just as Xander says, I'm not a Korv. I'm a human woman from a town far from here. But, our forms are identical except for size. If you say it comes from the orb, then I must have come by the orb somehow, unless the curse can live on past the person it was on, or maybe as an echo or something else taken."

"I doubt it. Being so close to this orb pretty much overwhelms the stones," Anisa shrugs. "But I suppose we can try. They stopped acting weird when she killed that guy."

"When the murder transform back to Korvs, they're Korvs," Xander points out to Lilac. "Normal humans do not have wings, tails, long pointy ears and gray skin. Your curse is different somehow, Lilac."

"Separately you may not be able to. But if you and Vandringar worked together… " Umeko suggests.

The stag sets his empty teacup and saucer back on the table, dusting his hands and daubing his mouth unnecessarily with a handkerchief. "I do not know, my lady," he says, simply. "The Necromancer Wars were a chaotic time, characterized by conflict splitting places up, and the undead devouring whole areas, leaving little behind to piece together. Our understanding of what happened is patchy, with accounts differing when they were available at all. At this point, I think we have exhausted all we can speculate on. It is for us to investigate, now. We may be caged, but it is a very large cage indeed."

Anisa gives Umeko a somewhat displeased look, but doesn't say anything in response to her suggestion.

"Oh. I had almost forgotten about those – I guess I've gotten used to them," Lilac admits. She reaches up and tugs on one of her ears, glancing up at it. "It's like my curse won't go away fully, or something. Greyswand turns back to normal, but I still remain a little changed – I never stop being changed. Maybe I'm, um, losing to it? Sir Greyswand is, well, more restrained than I am, I know that."

The stag smiles. "It would, of course, be my privilege to assist Miss Snowshoe where I can."

"But nobody remembers you being here before… aside from the Raveness, and she may be remembering something else entirely," Xander notes. "There's no way you could have been given this condition the same way that the Murder was. Greyswand, has there ever been any new additions to the Murder since it was first created?"

Anisa just takes another deep sip from her teacup, hiding the displeasure evident on her muzzle.

The Korv shakes his head. "No. The Midnight Murder numbered many, and we are… difficult to kill, thus we have never lacked for numbers. Though, with the appearance of the Huntress… "

"But the Raveness hasn't created any replacements, has she?" Xander asks again.

"And there are non-Korvs here, too, but I don't see any of them as being part of the Murder. Also I can't remember how I came upon my curse, which just makes it all the more mysterious. It's a real puzzle." Lilac shakes her head, then asks, "Does the Raveness have the curse, too?"

"Alternatively, Anisa could teach one of us how to use the stone and have one of us work with you," Umeko offers next. She sits back in her chair and taps her chin while thinking.

The Korv shakes his head again. "No, the Raveness has not seen fit to dub new housemen. I cannot say whether she can, or what would happen if she did."

Anisa looks at Umeko almost challengingly. "No… I can work with him. I just didn't say I'd like it all that much."

"One of us can be with you both as… chaperon," Xander notes to Anisa.

"How does she dub new Housemen? And, do you think she'd mind if I visited her room? You said she won't devour Housemen, and I don't have the same restrictions you do – I could go and talk with her," suggests Lilac.

"Working with him is a better alternative than being torn open and drunk," Umeko comments and steeples her fingers. "So I am glad you are willing."

"As long as they wear the stones, maybe the Raveness' power won't affect them?" Xander suggests hopefully.

"I will not guarantee your life, Miss Dragomir," warns Greyswand.

"You haven't regardless, Greyswand. We are here to die for you. The only thing you can promise us is a gruesome death at some point," Umeko points out rather matter-of-factly.

Greyswand continues, answering the first question. "And housemen were named of her subjects, sworn to her service in days so long past I can barely remember."

"If her power comes from the orb, then we're not necessarily protected while having the stones," Anisa says. "If anything, it gives it another way of attacking us. Of course, it also gives us that same avenue."

Xander blinks, and twists his ears at a thought. "Sir Greyswand, how do the Murder tell one another apart when in beast form? Do you each have a different scent or something?"

At that, Lilac smiles a little, "No one ever does. It won't be the first time I've risked my life in all this, or spoken with one of the creations of an Orb. Maybe my previous experience will lend me some insight, or at least she'll be willing to talk with me, since she seems to think I've 'returned' from somewhere."

At Umeko's point, the Korv says, somewhat stiffly, "She can die earlier or later, it is her choice. And perhaps you can ask the next houseman that attends to you, Master Lightfoot. With your leave, I feel I should retire. It has been a long night."

"Oh, and I meant how does she change a Korv into one of the Murder? I don't mean by ceremony, I mean physically," clarifies the bardess.

"I guess we should ask about rooms for the night," Xander says, setting his empty teacup and saucer back on the tray.

"Maybe I can ask for Dame Riesling's room," Lilac suggests. "If Dame Riesling is trying to reach me, being close to her home might help or offer some sort of clue she wants me to know. And, um, I already know where it is," she says.

"Good evening to you, Greyswand. Remember, we are not your enemies, we are merely a mirror of truth reminding you of what is happening here without dancing around the issues with polite language. I do not mean to be cruel, only honest," Umeko says, the emotion neutral falling away from her voice as she sounds apologetic. "We will not go simply into the void. As I bear Sunlight through Storm, so I swear that we will live up to its name. We will return light to this town. This nightmare will end."

Anisa takes one final bite of her bread, downs her tea, then stretches. "I guess sleep would be nice, at this point. Even if it is in a creepy mansion – it beats sleeping in the swamp."

Standing, Lilac stretches, then nods. "Okay. I'm going to head for Dame Riesling's chambers, unless someone stops me, and sleep there. Maybe something will occur to me there, or at least it will be like sleeping somewhere more familiar."