Collaborations of Lani and Madeira

[Lani Stranger]

Sent on the 51st of Fall, 518AV, due to arrive on the 61st of Fall, 518AV. Letters to a Friend I

Madeira Craven
Dusk Tower

Dear Madeira Craven,

If you recall any of your childhood playmates, I would hope that Leavou comes to mind. I’ve been graced by Aquiras with relocating to the center of the Wind Eagle trade routes, here in Wind Reach. On a whim, I thought to send you a letter at your home in Alvadas, although I was returned with directions to your new accommodations in Lhavit. Warm regards from the second city that raised me, I do hope you find those chilly mountain tops to be just as fascinating as the illusory streets of Alvadas. I doubt the Okomo smell any better than when I was there, but luckily you needn’t ride them much. Although, should you have the chance, they are a joy to!

If I recall correctly, Lhavit is far more open to magic than Alvadas ever was, and I hope you are finding peace with that cultural shift. Before I forget, I am told I must congratulate you on your ‘renown’ with the Dusk family, but as I am who I am, I must ask your opinions on the matter. Did they select a man for you, or did you happen to fall madly in love with a Lhavitian all on your own? Did you threaten Dira’s kiss to the sailors who brought you or welcome the city with open arms? You can imagine I am curious on your views of the city that raised me just as much as Alvadas, and I am excited to hear your reply.

Warm Regards,
Leavou Daughter of R’yse

[Madeira Dusk]

Sent on the 62nd of Fall, 518, due to arrive on the 72nd of Fall, 518
Letters from a Stranger

Dear Leavou, Daughter of R’yse,

[Of course I remember you, Leavou. Your friendship was the great delight of my childhood. The fact that your wandering heart has lead you to a place as exotic as Wind Reach comes as no great surprise. I hope you are happy there.

I have done some travelling myself, first visiting Riverfall to try and put to rest a soul that once lived there. From there I was beckoned to Lhavit, and after my long journey this city has been kind to me. The Diamond of Kalea is aptly named, as I have never imagined a city more beautiful. The opportunities for study and the receptiveness of magic and all its branches here astounds and fascinates me. But I am not the wanderer you are, Leavou. Alvadas will always be my home, and I miss it dearly.

Though I must correct you. This 'renown' is not from marriage, wanted or otherwise. I've been given the opportunity to serve my family further by solidifying an exchange between the Craven and the Dusk families. I have been sent here to teach them the art of Spiritism, and in return they will send one of their own to school us in the art of Auristics. I could not hope for better hosts as I find my footing in this city.

I do, however, bring joyous news. My bondmate and I are expecting a child this coming Spring. I hope this city will raise my child as well as it has raised you.

But I would hear more of you, my friend. How did you come to the volcano of the Inarta? What of your gentle mother? Where has your journey taken you, and where will you go? With luck I will travel no more, and raise my family in peace on these peaks that have treated you so well. Yet part of me would live through you and your travels, if you would share your stories with this playmate of your past. Tell me what has become of the girl who once dared me to look into the Emerald Pond, and ran laughing with me through the tents of the Bazaar.

Yours sincerely, Madeira Craven

PS: While I work at the Dusk Tower, I have my own lodgings where you may send your future letters. I've enclosed the address of the Infinity Manor within.

x

[Lani Stranger]

Sent on the 79th of Fall, 518AV, due to arrive on the 89th of Fall, 518AV. Letters to a Friend II

Madeira Craven
Infinity Manor

Dear Madeira,

Ah, you must forgive me because I assumed too much from the letter I received back from Alvadas. Your Aunt left me little detail. I am happy that you are not forced off to marry one you do not love, and even more pleased you found love in a Kelvic bond! I’ve only heard of the complexity of those connections, and I wish you the best in motherhood. Of course, I expect any child of yours to be much of a handful for Lhavit.

You speak of the Dusk Tower highly, my mother had worked with them as well. She sought out Alchemy in the mystic peaks, but it was apparently difficult to find, so we did not stay in the Diamond of Kalea too long. I’ve traveled to Denval, Sultros, and Anvathal with R’yse after our years in Lhavit. I am sorry to inform you, she did not survive the journey from Anvathal to The Spires.

Magic is a gift and a rare disease; it takes a strong resolve to resist its effects, but not all bear that strength.

It was in the Spires where I met a kind Jamoura named Quett. He helped my readjust to life after the loss of my mother, and I chose the name Lani Stranger, which I am now known as. I believe in shedding the weight of the past, ridding myself of the era of my mother, and taking on my life as it is now mine and mine alone. I continued on to Zeltiva to receive a proper education, with Quett’s encouragement, but they did not have what I was searching for, so I am returning home, to The Spires.

Of course, when one travels as much as I do, the survivability of the travel becomes one’s only focus. It is a constant threat to make sure there is food, and water, and safety. It becomes easier for one to forget to plan ahead, lose track of their Mizas, and find themselves spending more than a few days restocking in a layover city. So here I am, settled among the Inarta in Wind Reach. I appreciate the rich culture of these bird-like people, but I fear I do not fit in here. If one who looks and lives like me can hardly fit in anywhere, Wind Reach is the least welcoming of homes.

By a miracle, Leth has blessed me with more than just the space to reflect on my own situation, but the ability to travel once more. Of course winter soon approaches (if Morwen is to return to her duty). Even if she does not come, as she hasn’t in the past few years, there are no ships travelling on to Anvathal, not with their mother’s refusal to participate in the natural progression of the seasons. Excuse the selfishness of this sentence, but the shunning of Morwen and her children is highly inconvenient to my plans.

Alas, enough about me. I know we shared stories and adventures as children, and perhaps this is brash of me to say, but I am so happy that you returned my scroll. I fear that age has changed us both more than we wish to say. When I ask you about your current life, I hope for an honest response, and I do my best to give you the same.

Do you not wish to return to the city you love? Has Lhavit and this bondmate of yours, who I can only assume you found there, charmed you as much to entice you to live in a static city? I suppose the allure of open practices of magic would be strong for someone like you, Mads. And I suppose there is also the burdens of motherhood that you are now preparing to take on. I wish to hear more about your time in Riverfall, as I don’t recall it. According to R’yse I was raised to a toddling age in that city, although I remember none of it. So I look forward to any details you would be willing to share, and perhaps a story of the soul you put to rest there.

Warm Regards,
Lani Stranger

[Madeira Dusk]

Sent on the 91st of Fall, 518, due to arrive on the 10th of Winter, 518
Letters from a Stranger pt2

Dear Lani Stranger

I enjoy this new name, Lani. I feel like you wear it well.
I'm sorry to hear of your mothers passing. I'll offer a prayer to Dira
for her soul, and can only hope she finds peace in her next life.

You might not fit in in a place such as Wind Reach, but you were
never out of place in Alvadas. I have heard little about Wind Reach,
even though I live so close now. From what I understand they are a
private and proud people. When winter comes and goes, if it does at
all, and it is once again safe to travel, know you are welcome back in
Lhavit to continue this recuperation you find yourself in. I'll save a
place at my table and hearth for you, should you need a place to
stay.

I do miss home, more than I could ever say, she wrote. I fear some of that old Avalad madness has followed me halfway around the world. Even a year apart from my beloved city I have still not been able to navigate these static places, and it feels like all these people around me can can see into the future, like they all traded their adaptability for a sense of expectation. They say water never runs uphill, stones do not float and fire is not cold like they are unchangeable laws, when we ourselves have seen all these things and more. I do not understand these people, I do not understand these places and and I fear I will never truly belong here, as you do not belong in Wind Reach.

As for Riverfall, I fear my honest reflection of the city will sour whatever fondness you have for the place that raised you to girlhood. Let me just say that the city is splendid, industrious and prizes beauty and prowess above all things. But there is a darker side to the city, and I fear I have had all I can stomach of that wretched place. If you would hear a story about Riverfall, I'm afraid the only one I have is about murder.

A year ago, in Alvadas, I was dispatched to deal with a haunting of the cargo ship The Golden Hand that docked from Riverfall. It was in there that I found Emma Chamelle, a little human girl, haunting this glorious and fearsome tiger pelt. The tiger was called Raj, and they were bondmates.

Who would do something so despicable as skin a Kelvic, and why, I had no answers for. The child was no help, as it seemed her death and the death of her beloved bondmate had broken her mind. To her Raj was still alive. She would not pass on and leave the pelt behind while she still thought he lived, so I resolved to travel and investigate his mysterious death in an effort to put the poor child to rest.

I left for Riverfall with my indentured ghost Jomi, Allister my bondmate, my then lover Ssanya, Emma and the pelt. After weeks of investigation, talking to Emma's parents and asking around the port and seedier places of the city, we came to some disturbing discoveries. Emma had not died of an illness, as her parents had thought. She had been poisoned by an ocarina she had meant to give Raj as a birthday gift. Somebody had tried to assassinate Raj, and had killed this little girl instead.

There is something sinister going on in that city, Lani. I believe it has to do with an illegal slave trade from a neighboring city, of which Raj was somehow a part of before he had bonded to Emma. Perhaps he was killed for desertion, or to assure his silence, and maybe his skin was sent to Alvadas as proof of his death or as a warning to some branch that is rooted in my home city. Sadly I cannot say for sure. I left for Lhavit before we could find Raj's killer. By that time there were these strange tainted shadows loose in the city. Ssanya disappeared, as did many locals. When my family had sent the summons and demanded I leave to fulfill this pact with the Dusk's, I had no choice but to take what was left of us and flee. To stay would have been suicide. I haven't seen Ssanya since. I fear she is dead, or worse, that I have abandoned her in that hateful place.

Emma lives with me now, until I can go back and exorcise her properly. No ghost is ever happy, but I like to think she is comfortable here with me. I have mounted Raj's head above my hearth to keep her company. They talk day and night.

It seems we both have new wounds from when last we met. I can only hope that the gods consent to smile on our futures. But already you have gone so far and seen things I never will. Tell me about your trek. What have you seen? What have you learned? Gods be good I'll never step foot out into the wilds again, so if you don't tell me of these wonders now I'll never know them! But you, are you healthy and hail? Do you have companions, children, or family? You said you were raised in Riverfall, but as I remember her Ryse always lived in Alvadas. Could it be you have another parent out there?

Yours sincerely, Madeira Craven

x

[Lani Stranger]

Sent on the 41st of Winter, 518AV, due to arrive on the 50th of Winter, 518AV. Letters to a Friend III

Madeira Craven
Infinity Manor

Dear Madeira,

Thank you for the wishes for my mother, and I am genuinely sorry to hear of the loss of your past lover. Alas, it is better to remember one than to be remembered; you did the right thing to flee.

Oh, and what a story you tell of Riverfall, it is not hard for me to see why you would detest such a city, even if not for the tragic mystery you were attempting to aide and solve there. You stain no memories of the place, for I have none. That poor trapped soul that you carry with you, can you not exorcise her where you are?

In recent days I find myself dreaming and reminiscing of our time together as children. I do miss you, Madeira, and I am overjoyed that we were able to reconnect so truly. Time is linear and passing, and we cannot stop or slow it, no matter how hard we may try. Surely if neither of us had lived so long without experiencing struggle and hardship, then are we truly alive? Is there any other option in this world but survival? It does cause me to wonder if they day comes when we are given the opportunity to see one another’s face in the flesh if we would recognize each other. Not that I would not know your lithe pale features, and sad sky-eyes anywhere, but that the life which had been lived beneath those eyes would be stronger and more grown than the little girl who built sandcastles in the streets of Alvadas. I wonder if I will recognize this powerful spiritist who seeks answers for the death of little girls and surrounds herself with those she finds useful, living or otherwise. Although I do recall being hired to protect your sandcastle for the price of a pretty red leaf, so the latter may not be so foreign to me. Yes, let’s hope the Gods smile at our futures, and that Leth favors these transformations that we’ve achieved.

I cannot share stories of my travels with you, as I’ve not experienced anything unusual in my life worth the note of a story. There are mundane things in the rest of the world that does not entertain a child of a city such as Alvadas. I’m glad you remember R’yse as she was. R’yse was my mother that you knew, but Quett, the Jamoura, was my father. He guided me to The Spires when my mother was too far gone to continue, and then encouraged me to adulthood. I spent a fair amount of time in the peaceful environment in The Spires, just as I did in Lhavit and Alvadas. According to R’yse I was found on the streets of a desert city named Ahnatep, by an Akalak merchant who lived in Riverfall. That is where R’yse found me and took me back to Alvadas, but that is the most that I know of this history. Hence my curiosity for a city that I know only the name of.

I am healthy, although Morwen has not done her duty once again. Zulrav seems to be angered by this absence, and Wind Reach suffers at the whims of the Gods. Storms do now allow our Endal and Avora to hunt, which also provides reason for this very late reply, as our Wind Eagle traders are also unable to leave the safety of the Volcano. A phrase I thought no sane person would ever say. I live comfortably with only myself, although I am finding a few kind souls among these mad humans. There is an elderly man who teaches me languages, that I have found a semblance of a friend in.

I’ve also captured the interest of a warrior for this city, but the Inarta do not share their hearts as we are used to. In fact, I do not see his heart at all, for I am not the only one with whom he shares his bed. Our difference in caste does not allow for an opinion on my part, but I find the relationship, if it is even that, easy. There is simplicity in a man being ruled by his carnal wants, and a power too. If the caste system shall not allow me the option of denial, then I will find a way to create what I want from what I am handed. It is one of the few things that entertain me in these days. It is my introduction to these odd ways of non-monogamy that drive me to wonder if you had an overlap in lovers between Ssayna and Allister? I’m curious on the happenings of that time, if you don’t mind my inquiry. I also suspect I may be gathering false information from your words once again. I recognize the petty topic as I start it, but I find a curiosity in understanding how your emotions and reactions work with the things that are given to you.

Other than these two Inarta, whose company I suspect is temporary and fleeting, like much in life, I am content to only belong to myself. The name I’ve chosen for myself is accurate, if nothing else. I am happy you have found family in those who surround you, both living, dead, and unborn. I am prone to wonder, given the line of work you dabble in, do you suspect any such sinister things in Lhavit as you have seen in Riverfall? I find interesting details brewing in Wind Reach, but I fear I am not yet at liberty to share what they may be. I suspect the language barrier makes it difficult for me to see everything, but the perfect society that these Inartans present is evidently not true, the longer I stay here. If things continue with such uncertainty, there is a possibility we will meet in person once again.

Warm Regards
Lani Stranger

PS: I can give no context for this question other than simple curiosity. Why have you named your dwellings 'Infinity Manor'? I do not recall such an estate from my childhood, so I assume this is newly acquired dwellings that you've fitted to your needs.

[Madeira Dusk]

My dear Lani Stranger

It is good to hear from you my friend! I feared my letter was lost, or worse, that you had dropped our correspondence for some new fancy. I remember you never were one to keep your focus very long. I'll admit that hearing it is the mountain storms that stop your letters gives me a guilty sort of relief. Still, I pray Zulrav will lessen his wrath and that these people will not have to go hungry much longer.

I do not believe you when you say you have no stories of your travels. You have lived in five cities, been raised by mages and Jamoura, and are setting towards your adult years with travel to secluded places like Wind Reach. Perhaps your life is so full of adventure that adventure becomes your norm. But know your friends and peers do not see your life the same way.

I am glad to hear you have found some kind of companionship in Wind Reach. Languages seems like a worthy subject for someone as well travelled as yourself. Yet my hackles rise to hear that you are being preyed upon by a warrior. Whatever this caste system is can go straight to hell if it denies people such simple freedoms of their bodies. But you are a clever woman to turn the tables in your favor, and wring whatever power and entertainment you can from him. I can see the advantage of having a finger to the pulse of your warrior. Seduction is a powerful tool, one I have never been strong enough to use. It makes me wonder if I would recognize the wiry, scabby kneed little girl in this new woman you have become.

I do not mind the subject of my own love life, which I'll admit would not have been the case a year ago. But the farther I get from virginity the less my purity seems to matter to me. No, my lovers never overlapped. My bond with Allister began platonically. The kelvic worships me, Lani. He never touched until I asked. It was on the ship to Lhavit, as I was mourning my Dhani and my home, that I fell into his arms and his comforts. That said, he is not my husband or my slave. He is free to pursue anyone he pleases for his physical pleasure. And I have made clear to him my intentions to marry higher than my situation. Our relationship is a unconventional as that with your warrior, perhaps. But you would never find a pair more loyal, more willing or more in love than Allister an I.

In the subject of secrets I cannot say for certain if Lhavit has any corrupted underbelly like Riverfall so clearly contained. I think most of what made it rotten had been salted and burned on the so called Day of Discord ten years ago. If anything unsavoury survived that riot it has driven deep underground. I hope your own investigations come to nothing. Or if they do, I pray you've outgrown your brazen ways and stay well out of their way. Please tell me if you find out anything more. I worry about you, my dear.

That being said, there are more of the mundane kind of unsavoury acts that still lurk though Lhavit. I have made the enmity of a rival Spiritist, for one. He is a much less talented exorcist than I but he has the admiration and support of the population he has served for decades. No one will believe that he started the fight that hurt Emma and almost killed Allister, or that he tried to kill me by feeding me the misinformation that led me to being thrown from a skybridge (that story will be one I must share sometime, for I saw something strange in these mountains that I cannot explain). Simply said he has the kind of pull in this city that we do not, and is clever enough to stay well away from the blame. I even fear he is somehow having me watched or spied upon, for he knows things nobody but my very closest loved ones know.

I recognize that we both crave a power we don't have, you with your studies and warrior and I with my aspirations of politics. Perhaps we are more similar than I had always believed. I have also found like minds in this city, and have made a valuable friend here. Her name is Savis Maren, a Nuit, and an animator of great ambition. Can you see the irony of a Spiritist finding common cause with the undead? I have welcomed her into my home, though she preferred to live in a small cottage on the property rather than the house itself. We are finding new and interesting ways to combine our magic and bolster each others ambitions. With her I am starting to rebuild my castle, just like I once did with you.

Please, if you can write again, tell me of these storms both inside and outside of your volcano. Tell me of your life there, and what progress you have made in befriending this strange people. Tell me of your studies. Do you only study languages, or more? Your writing is fine and the parchment of good quality, do you have a secretarial job to have access to such things? We have been speaking for over a season, but I feel I know almost nothing about Lani Stranger.

PS: I have enclosed a gift for you, a token of my friendship. I find the kaleidoscope of colours within the stone reminds me of the home we share, and hope they do the same for you. The Leavou I remember would never wear such things, but I hope you will make an exception for me. A woman that can seduce the hearts of men deserves such trophies, after all.

Madeira Craven

Enclosed in the sealed tube the letter was transported in is a narrow black package. Inside, nestled in black velvet, is a long fine gold chain with a 200 carat fire opal pendant polished into the shape of a heart.