A safe Haven? (open)

[Poison]

Spring, 512 AV

On the surface spring began with a catastrophe. The djed storm cost numerous lives. Numerous houses were destroyed. Creatures that had been harmless suddenly turned against those around them. Not a single city in Kalea or the surrounding areas was unaffected – apart from Kalinor. While the rest of the world suffered, everything in Kalinor went its usual way. The Symenestra found out about the catastrophe later than the rest of the world. At first they thought about closing their city, about staying underground until the worst was over, but gradually they realized what kind of opportunity presented itself.

The news began to spread. They spread slowly, for Kalinor was far away from the other cities, and the surface was in chaos, but they spread. Harvesters that had left to hunt for surrogates the season before made their way home, but not without mentioning that there was a place, a single small city, that was probably safe. Later in the season Symenestra would leave Kalinor to travel to Lhavit and beyond, to spread the rumour. Kalinor was safe, and the Symenestra offered all those in need a place to stay and food.

Some just laughed at those claims. Others became violent – the memories of countless women lost to the Harvest were too fresh. They didn’t believe that the Symenestra had suddenly changed. But others, others came. When you had lost your house, all your possessions, when your family had died and you didn’t have anything to eat, stories about spider people that stole women suddenly didn’t matter a lot as long as you were given a place to stay and a warm meal. Some people were willing to believe almost anything.

---

The guard that had duty at the Woven Gate couldn’t believe his eyes as he went down in his basket to see who wanted to enter the city and saw a group of humans. They were in a bad state, dirty, exhausted, some of them were wounded. He just stared at them. He had heard of the things that were happening on the surface, but he hadn’t thought that any refugees would actually come to Kalinor. It had just seemed highly unlikely. He hesitated for a moment, and then he alerted the Symenestra in the city above to the presence of the humans.

Soon everybody knew it. Refugees had come to Kalinor, and some of them were female!

[Dovinya]

3rd of Spring, 512 AV Words of the outsider's arrival had spread fast, and casual conversations turned to ones of business, the matter of the refuges requiring careful thought and a delicate touch to handle things in a way that benefited the society as a whole. For Dovinya, their arrival bade a chance to experience interaction with men and women of the surface as opposed to the trader's who where few and far between and often too busy to spare him the time to speak with them. It filled him with apprehension even then as he feared a social misstep that would embarrass himself in front of the outsiders, and more importantly his own people, but he pushed past the initial fear lest he be paralyzed by it. The experience to be had was well worth the minimal risk after all. Before him the Meadows Public House awaited, and pushing past the silken curtain after drawing a deep breath, he took his first step into the building before his eyes rested comfortably on another symenestra waiting near the door, and stepping up to stand beside him, Dovinya let his eyes wander idly around the room, though in particular he was looking for the newly arrived guests of the city. "Have you had a chance to meet with the traveler's yet?" He asked the other symenestra casually.

[Erasmus]

A fire-eyed, ashen-skinned, ebony-haired creature, so much the same as all the men and women of his so beautifully distinctive race, stood with his hands folded behind his back, his shoulders straight, and his lips tightly sealed. The only true motion to distinguish him from a granite statue was the flickering of his dark burgundy pupils as his vision danced from one sight to the next. He hadn’t been somewhere like this in a while… but the curios spectator was obviously waiting for something more than socialization. He waited to see Them. The newcomers: the outsiders, the bugs so foolishly soaring into the rather evident web of Kalinor, willingly falling into the cold grasp of its terribly clever and poisonous inhabitants. The thought nearly snuck a smile to his face. Oh, how he loved this brilliant race of his. Of course, he wasn’t looking for anything in particular. He just wanted to see them. He merely sought to observe the welcoming Kalinor would offer as they received their lambs for slaughter. As stated, he was simply curios. Erasmus had no desire to take a woman as a surrogate… it hadn’t even truly occurred to him that He of all people would be allowed to claim one of the females as his own. Humorously, he imagined himself trying to focus on a long-term goal other than gaining his memories back. It would be impossible for such a miracle to happen. Besides, he would make for a Dreadful father. No… let the mob have them all, the young one decided. Erasmus intended only to witness. Why, this would be such a fascinating learning experience. Since when did the humans ever come to Them? Ludicrous beings! Nevertheless, it seemed like such a novelty thing in the symenestra population. So easy. Almost too easy. This storm was proving to be quite the Kalinor benefactor. Questionable, the origin of the storm… Erasmus hadn’t heard the reasons behind such a splendid catastrophe, and could not help but wonder. Yet he wouldn’t think too much on the subject. It didn’t seem important. He would leave those questions with an undemanding answer: it was a good thing; whatever or whoever caused it must be let alone. Someone beside him spoke, and Erasmus slowly turned to see if the voice was directed to him. Have you had a chance to meet with the traveler's yet? It was no surprise that Eras had not seen this man (Dovinya) before… beings that the recluse didn’t, truth be told, venture out much by any means. Erasmus nodded casually. He could have been mistaken as to who this symenestra spoke to (there were others around, of course), but to avoid being rude, he answered the question anyways. There would be no harm in that. “Not thus far, I’m waiting to seize a glimpse of them. Meeting them would be an entirely different experience though.” Bitterly, he laughed. It was a short, dry, cruel, jaded sort of laugh. What would he personally say to a handful of frightened humans? He remembered his manners, his friendly tone returning to him easily. “And you?” The thought of actually ‘meeting’ one of the refugees flipped from at first sounding like a joke at his expense, to actually seeming worthwhile. Why not? If given the chance to meet one of the outsiders, it would do him no harm to talk with one… if the opportunity presented itself. Yes, the idea was now plausible… he decided that these humans might have some interesting tales to tell, if nothing else. Erasmus, poor soul, was not familiar with the expression ‘curiosity killed the cat.’ Though, surly, he would eventually get it hammered into his thick skull… someday.

OOC: I didn’t know if you were waiting on someone else, Dovinya, so I hope it’s ok that I assumed the character yours was standing by was open =P If not, then I made sure it would be Erasmus’ fault.

[Dovinya]

Golden eyes turning to appraise the symenestra beside him, he studied his companion briefly before giving the room another look over. "A pity, knowing what to expect from the human's would've proved invaluable no doubt" Dovinya remarked rather flatly, his face a mask of concentration though on what was anyone's guess. For the moment, he thought on his regret at not strapping on his armor over his silks, but was quick to dismiss the notion as he wanted to put the creatures at ease, and it was harder to look kind clad in black shell armor. The lack of it made him feel vulnerable, his elegant frame enhanced all the more because of the silk wrapped tight around his form. His garments shown a dull green in the firelight, a ghost of what it would look like on a surface Dovinya had never set foot on. To the human beast, the fragile look of him might assuage their fears of the stories told over campfires, and give him better footing in conversation, but if they still remained wary, he was confident enough his words would calm. Charm was his weapon of choice after all. Shifting his feet subtly to better face his companion, he gestured over to a table. "In any case, care to have a seat, and a pleasant talk while we wait for the honored guests to arrive?" Dovinya asked before walking over beside a vacant table, and pulling a chair out for the symenestra. As much as he needed to learn about human's, he figured he could afford to spend some time in the company of his own kind before plugging straight forward into his studies. After his companion had chose whether or not to take a seat at the table, Dovinya would stride gracefully around to sit on the opposite side, reclining in the wooden chair as he let his eyes idly meet those of his company. "What do I greet you by?"

[Erasmus]

With a slight grin, Erasmus nodded and slid into the seat to face him without hesitation. The eighteen-year-old openly observed his new companion with a quizzical yet serine peace of mind. This fellow seemed interesting, which always drew Erasmus from his usual hermit-like isolation… he was an observer; the nature of people fascinated him. A good conversation was what I need, he thought to himself. Although, he took a moment to wish he remembered his web’s name when the symenestra asked of his own title, as he could do nothing then to gain the knowledge but hopelessly wish, and so he hoped just a first would suffice. “My apologies for not introducing myself earlier, I go by Erasmus.” Instead of a handshake, he allowed the slim smile to reappear across his face. “If you don’t mind me asking, what do you aspire to gain from our oh-so-timely visitors?” Most symenestra would have selfish reasons to be awaiting such insignificant creatures as humans (including him, for sure). Be that as it may, Erasmus knew they could be around a corner at any moment. He made sure to add, “Their stay is an honor to us, of course. It’s especially marvelous that we get the grand opportunity to share our beloved Kalinor with those that are currently disadvantaged. It is so very rare for outsiders to visit.” Only a symenestra would collect the irony of his statements. His eyes glinted with contentment as he spoke. Erasmus cruelly watched the other widows in the room with a swelling sort of pride. Humans, though an entirely different medium, would be rather fun to watch also. Dressed in a loose grey shirt and black pants (clothing which effectively hid a meager amount of armor, just in case), Erasmus looked like any normal being. He was nothing too spectacular, but in his youth he still held a boyish sort of stature, and a set of red eyes that seemed to be as muddled as the color black if not for a closer look. In his more naturally quiet voice, he spoke again. “It’s a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. I don’t think I’ve caught your name as well?”

[Poison]

Erasmus and Dovinya could notice quite a bit of commotion in the tavern. The arrival of the group of refugees was the topic of the day.

A large group of Symenestra was gathered around a man wearing armor. Dovinya would be able to identify him as Vass Vervein, a member of the Ochya. The others were almost overwhelming him with his questions. He raised his hands and gave them a sign to be quiet, but they only stopped talking after a while.

„Some of the women might become surrogates“, he informed them. „but that doesn’t mean that you can go and drag them into your homes. They will be given to those that need them the most. I do not want any violence or blood shed, do you understand me? We will welcome those people and treat them with the respect they deserve. There is no need to make them familiar with certain aspects of our culture right away. I want them to calm down a little first.“

„I would wait for what the ruling couple and the priesthood say as well“, he said to a man next to him. „I do not speak for them. As for where they will stay, I would assume some would stay here while others will take up residence in the empty houses at the egde of the city.“

„No, I don’t know how many there are. I haven’t seen them personally yet. I can only repeat what my superiors said when we first tried to decide how we were going to deal with the catastrophe on the surface.“

More questions followed. Vass raised his hands again. „I will answer all your questions. But for now I think my presence would be more useful at the Woven Gate in case anything unexpected happened. Keep in mind what I said.“

He rose to his feet. As he walked through the tavern, his gaze fell on Dovinya, and he stopped. He briefly cast a glance at Erasmus, but focused on Dovinya again immediately afterwards. „You are one of Laudavyn Aconite’s relatives, aren’t you?“ he asked. „How many empty rooms does the Meadows Public House currently have? Do you think the Aconite Web will be able to accomodate a few of those humans if the need arises?“

[Dovinya]

"There is much to be gleaned from our visitors, there wisdom of the surface unmatchable, but for today, I simply seek to talk to a few of them, and get a better feel for the quite interesting surface people" Dovinya said, a warm smile blooming across his features. Indeed, talking with someone unaffiliated with the few regular traders that came to the city was precisely the point he made an effort to be in the public house at the moment. He'd work tirelessly afterword to catch up on his work at the Weft and Warp, but for now he deemed he could manage a bit of a break from the routine that had become so common for him of late. After all, preparing for the harvest was an expected priority, regardless of the love he held for his job. Increasing commotion from the side of the public house distracted his eyes from his companion, but he managed a chuckle at the symenestra's next words, if only to let him know he had heard and understood his companion's meaning. His eyes though remained firmly entranced on the gathering of symenestra, particularly the man at the center who Dovinya knew to be Vass Vervein. He seemed to have his hands full with the crowd whose faces he didn't bother to note. They were speaking but he could make no sense of it with all of the voices joined together, but Vass seemed to know just what to say because for a time he noticed the crowd quieted and he could hear what was being discussed. The Ochya's words were common sense, at least for him, and perhaps his companion as well. Live humans were better than dead ones, especially ones who came to favor Kalinor, and then left to spread the word. The beasts might be inferior, but their surface realm provided many things that kept the city, and it's residents alive. His companion spoke again, and looking over at the man, Dovinya remembered his manners. "Apologies, I'm Dovinya.." Dovinya caught the approach of Vass out of the corner of his eye, stopping short of naming his web to turn and face the approaching Ochya. "Indeed" Dovinya clarified before taking a moment to consider the man's question. "Last time I spoke with my cousin, there were ten rooms still empty. I don't presume to speak for the web as a whole, but the Aconite web is capable of accommodating the human's, and no doubt my cousin could come up with a way of handling the need that would see all parties satisfied, if consulted of course" He said respectfully, his eyes locked on Vass.

[Erasmus]

Thankful he was apart from the commotion; Erasmus watched and listened to the crowd a few feet away. He took in Dovinya’s words attentively also, but spoke not a word more, as they both were rather preoccupied watching an armored symenestra ‘direct traffic.’ All of the questions the crowed pressed were sensible enough, though Erasmus did not fully understand what made the particular symenestra in the center capable of hushing the speakers to calmly give them all answers. Of course, he wasn’t very familiar with the Ochya. Even in his lost memories, he wouldn’t have found much information. Evolving himself in society wasn’t Erasmus’ cup of tea. He’d have to learn to work on such antisocial habits if ever he wished to branch out and make more than just connections with others that scarcely scratched the surface of familiarity. Perhaps he would practice that today; perhaps he would die without knowing a single soul… there would be no grief in a death like that… if only things were as simple. Erasmus respectfully watched the man stop and converse with his companion. Erasmus nodded politely to the stranger, who was an evident authority figure, so he had concluded, even if he had no clue what such a thing might mean. He didn’t want to interrupt anything between the two, so he kept himself mute and studied the patterns in the wood of the table. He’d been staying at the public house for a while now, and the thought of humans next door did not sound entirely fantastic. Nevertheless, it didn’t matter. They would be divvied out amongst the symenestra in need soon enough. Who knows, his new neighbors, if everything worked out, might bring some entertainment into his everyday rituals.

[[ Sorry it's short, and late -.- I was grounded. ]]

[Luvadros Orthilia]

Humans. In Kalinor. An entire herd of them, from what he'd heard. Possibly a smattering of other races as well, though he wasn't going to assume anything based on the broken bits of gossip he'd overheard. Honestly the entire notion had Luvadros' face going sour; the understanding that some trade with the surface world was necessary did nothing to endear to him the notion of non-Symenestra visitors, and in such supply it was only too apparent what fate awaited any adult females who might be among them. It was this that ultimately motivated the young doctor to examine these refugees, if only to practice his trade and ward away any desperate males. Gathering a few poultices and bandages and other basic equipment into a bag, he had donned his padded armor just to be safe, as always concealing it to a degree with the knee-length, deep burgundy, tailored coat he favored. Thus arrayed he left his small house, making his way deftly along the silken threads that served as Kalinor's streets toward the Woven Gate. Only minutes later, however, he paused along one gossamer bridge, tapping a manicured black claw against his chin thoughtfully. It might be good to learn a little more before just showing up, he determined, and deviated some from his initial path, heading instead for the Meadows, a lavish public house he usually made a point of avoiding. Still, as he was looking for information on the outsiders, it seemed a logical place to start. Smoothing his coat as he stepped inside, the slender man's eyes briefly took in the sights of the first floors main room. It was—as he'd predicted—quite full, and most of those gathered were discussing the news that had swept the city, either in small groups and pairs, or more loudly as they fired questions at a harassed looking member of the Ochya whose name he couldn't quite recall. Ver... Varsuvius? No, Vervein. That was it. The authority figures given name continued to elude him, but this was sufficient. Moving closer and rolling his eyes lightly at what he took to be garish coloring on the walls, he listened to the tail end of Vervein's responses. Thinking it might have been a bit much to claim these humans deserved their respect, he nevertheless nodded appreciatively as some manner of control was established. That some of the females might be taken as surrogates did not please him, but that uncertainty meant that they might not. At the very least it seemed the Ochya were determined to keep things from devolving into some absurd tug-of-war. Shadowing the other man as he made his way out of the crowd and toward an exit, Luvadros felt in this brief overheard series of announcements he'd gathered all he needed and intended to follow Vervein to the Woven Gate and offer his services. The leading man paused, however, and addressed a seated Symenestra, inquiring after potential housing for the humans. Not wishing to interrupt but eager to get on with things, he stood somewhat impatiently a few strides back. A subtle shake of his head belied his continued distaste for the notion of these people remaining indefinitely in his city, lips pressing together softly into a disapproving line.

[Poison]

„Ten rooms?“ Vass repeated and furrowed his brow as he thought about it. „As I said, I don’t know how many refugees there are, but ten rooms should go a long way. I will ask one of my colleagues to talk to Laudavyn, but for now, would you mind accompagnying me to the Woven Gate? It would be good to have a member of one of the more prominent webs there, especially in case of trouble. If everything goes as planned, I’ll make sure that the Aconite Web receives at least one of the women.“ If Dovinya’s Web provided rooms for the refugees that was only fair in Vass‘ opinion.

He cast another glance at Erasmus. He didn’t recognize the man, but that didn’t have to mean anything. Even a member of the Ochya could not be familiar with every single Symenestra in Kalinor. There were those that preferred to keep to themselves. „Your companion can come as well“, he decided after a moment. „We need to hurry though. I hope some of my colleagues have already arrived to keep the peace.“ Out of the corner of his eye he noticed that some of the other patrons moved for the door. He shook his head.

„I ask you all to stay here“, he informed them. The tone of his voice made it clear that he wasn’t asking them though, but ordering them to stay. „As I told you before, we want the refugees to calm down. What will they think if dozens of Symenestra await them at the gates and stare at them like predators stare at their prey? We are not barbarians. We are not bloodthirsty savages like the Myrians that live in our old home now.“ The men voiced their displeasure, but ultimately returned to their tables.

„Unless one of you is a healer?“ He been about to open the door, but now he turned back. „Some of them might be wounded.