Journal Entry #99: Relaxing in Ironfalls

Celuriel is off in the first world and while I have my concerns about the Wild Hunt finding her. She is with her goddess so that eases my nerves a bit. Avariel is sleeping in a bundle of blankets on a new desk as I write about our break from adventuring. I am also writing to keep my mind from wandering on the conversation I have to have with Pharasma. So let’s begin with Drow night at the Inn, and dealing with my younger brother.
 
Originally I had thought I had picked up Bartending so quickly because in principle, pouring a drink wasn’t that different from pouring poisons. Rikzyr had proved me wrong. Well he picked up bartending easily enough, it was the talking part. That would need some work. Some serious work. The progress I've seen has been interesting.
 
Part of me wished I had taken him from the Underdark earlier just to keep him away from Vasestra if nothing else. He’s still cautious around me, paranoid would be a more accurate word, expecting me to poison or stab him in the middle of the night. If he was paranoid around me, around Celuriel he was down right terrified. The one time Celuriel had ordered a drink from him, he turned pale.
 
My attempt at a night of drow had proved better than expected. Sadly we don’t spend as much time in Ironfalls as I wish. If I had I might have known some of the faces I saw that night. Rikzyr was passable if not a bit quite awkward around any drow. Only once I had to correct him about comments made to patrons. Smacked him on the back of the head with a book when he made comments a bit too forward and loud about how attractive he found one of the patrons.
 
I don’t think smacking him with a book helped with the suspicion.
 
The Silver Crown's first attempt at a drow night was interesting. It was meant to be a night serving food from the underdark, by drow, to drow. It wasn't exclusive, so other regulars showed up, and people who were curious about underdark cuisine. I had ordered in bulk, in case we ran out but thankful we had used most of it.
 
Maybe I should ask that shadowdancer from my house. She knows gossip, having her work here might bring more people to the surface and seemed like what passed for a people person in Vaermyrhel.
 
 
I saw the whole time Rikzyr had been eyeing me making sure I was not going to stab him. Even paying him had been filled with paranoia. He’s in the underdark now, so I sent him back after a couple of days. I can’t say he’s excited to come up to the surface again, but I think he enjoyed his time in the city. In his own Rikzyr way. We had not picked up anything of note from underdark Gossip.
 
I’ll have to work on it with him.
 
It was the same day I brought Rikzyr to the surface that I delivered a package from Nivinle to Cyne. Nivinle had been busy the past week wrangling the other Matrons and keeping them in line. I do not envy her with that task. With her being preoccupied, she handed me a box that she would have given to Cyne. Telling me to take caution when delivering it. While I was intrigued as to what the contents were, I wasn’t going to incur the wrath of Nivinle.
 
It was the night after that I was when I delivered the package to Cyne. It was actually nice for once being able to relax and catch up with him. I gave him the best description of everything I could, giving certain contracts in infernal. Still we actually had a good time talking. I couldn't quite get over my current anger towards Azyel so I kept part of the conversation brief.
 
Nivinle’s package has been left on the table between, eventually the topic turned to that. I vaguely shrugged when Cyne asked what it was, telling him. I wasn’t about to anger Nivinle by peaking.
 
Truth be told, this wouldn’t be the first time multiple people have asked me to watch Nivinle. Given that I spent half my life with her, I knew what she could be capable of. While I doubt she would ever harm Cyne, or do something like poison him. as he presents too big an ally for her. I do not doubt for a second she’ll both try to be an indispensable asset to him, and move herself into a position where her goals can be achieved.
I had spaced out for half a minute as Cyne was talking about Nivinle. Figuring out how I could keep an eye on her better. When Cyne had said something to make me zone back in.
 
“What?”
 
“Your sister is my type.” Cyne said, spilling on his drink.
 
I could feel my brows furrowing together slowly as his words settled in my head.
 
“Shit… you’d work well together.” I silently admitted.
 
As soon as I said that, I realized if anything happens between them it would be because I introduced them. Cyne upon hearing that realization seems to consider it as my mind spiraled a bit. As I am not my sister, I could only guess at her motives. It wouldn’t put it past her to have considered Cyne…
 
Cyne pulled a vial of liquid from the box. I had missed him fiddling with the box completely. I immediately understood that vial, likely many vials in that box were expensive poison.
 
Cyne carefully placed it back once he saw “What’s with the face.”
 
“Oh gods she is already flirting with you.” Which got Cyne to smirk in a smug way, which was good to see. Even if it was at my expense.

During our break, I finally got the chance to explore my demiplane. Drawing that card was useful but I had not truly gotten a chance to explore the place till we got home. When I had entered for the first time I did without Celuriel and Ava. I had stepped through a door of darkness into walls of white marble, dark wooden shelves and floors. It felt nice, almost like a home but not lived in yet. The main room was wide, empty shelves lined the round walls and a single staircase led up to a second floor that had six rooms. In the center a tree of silvery white bark and lilac leaves. A small garden of a similar shaded lilac grass had enough room or a table to eat at. Most of the rooms were empty. One side had a bathhouse, the other a tavern. Our Masterroom was the largest room saved for the library.
 
I had spent the better part of the day stocking the demiplane with furniture. Just to be liveable at the moment. Which left Celuriel to the plane.
The first thing she said when stepping through that shadowy portal into my plane was "aniks why is it empty"
 
“Demiplanes don’t come with their own library, we have to get the books ourselves.”
 
"do you think cyne would notice if we took his?" she asked
 
I shrugged. Not knowing the answer, she had taken the book from him before and I am pretty sure I saw one the volumes of Aletheian History on our coffee table at home.
 
“Yes, so take in small amounts.”
 
We had made two trips back to Ironfalls, one to buy new books for her to read, and for her to take books she hadn’t read in a while and move them to the demiplane. As well as furnish the place with things to make it comfortable. It was on the third trip into the demiplane that I remembered I had more books that could technically be moved in here. Celuriel and I had just finished putting out horror novels. Which to be honest, I had not realised we had collected so many.
 
“I think I can get at least two more shelves of books.” I said almost as an afterthought. Celuriel switched a few of the books, taking a step back and looking at the shelf before switching one of the books again.
 
“from where the underdark?” Celuriel asked. This time she moved a different set of books. I’ve seen our bookshelves change relatively often but I haven’t been able to pinpoint how Celu likes her shelves. I kept my genre and author but I have very few shelves of my own. I am pretty sure in total, Celuriel has read a small library worth of books.
 
“In my first house, Claire and I had books in our house. It’s how we passed time on the road in our caravan. I’ve been meaning to check on the place again, and I would appreciate it if I had someone with me when I do.”
 
She finished putting one of my horror novels, The Howling Saint by C.P. Rooke on to the shelf before she looked back."...I want to read her books when we visit. where is it?"
 
“Little south west of Port Amarin, we can pack up the books and you can read them while I check on the house.” A smile had crossed my lips, thankful that we would be companioning me.
 
∴ ∴ ∴
 
It was strange going back to this house, it had not been long since I had lived here. For me it has been three years since I first met the future Lost Ones, in reality only four or five since I've been here. It had shown little wear since I had stopped living here. There was a small pang of bittersweet nostalgia as Celuriel and I teleported in the front yard. Winter had properly blanketed the house and the ground. It had only one floor, cobblestone at the base, circular windows, and a dark green shingled roof. What wood my house had was painted a very pale seafoam green. I had to paint the whole house myself as Claire was pregnant at the time we finally tracked down good paint for our house. Claire and I had bought the house shortly after my first death. With a wave of my hand empowered with my champion powers, I flung the snow off the roof.
 
Celuriel had wrapped her arm around mine as we approached. My eyes had avoided a tree I knew I would have to visit before I left. Though I could tell from where Celuriel's head had turned I knew the tree she had looked at, but said nothing. It had been years since I used the key, but it had always been with me in a bag or somewhere else. It slid into the lock as if I had opened it yesterday.
 
Click!
 
It felt like I had stepped back in time as soon as we had stepped through. I knew Celuriel had seen this place, through visions and memories she had taken from me over the years. But being here was different, you could smell it and feel the creak in the floorboard. Everything had a little layer of dust on it. Since it was a small place, the main room had once been the living room, kitchen, and our dining room. The living room portion was on the farside, and we had added some walls to make it vaguely more room-like. As we planned on giving our old room to our second child. The farside had a bed built into the wall, the shelves Claire and I had were on each side of the bed built into the wall. They were still here, dusty but still here. Two rooms had been off the right side of the main room in a hall leading to a bath, a room for Alain and another that would have been Emily’s.
 
There was silence in the room, only breaking it with an intake of breath and letting out the breath slowly. Celuriel’s arm tightened for a moment, and I could feel her lean into it for a moment as I held my breath.
 
“Well, let's get those books off the shelves. I need to make sure the house is in decent shape before I leave again, gives you a chance to read a bit.”
 
While Celuriel began carefully examining the shelves before she even touched the books. Given that the winter was particularly harsh this year. I had quickly cast prestidigitation inside the chimney cleaning it to some degree before tossing some firewood Claire and I had stored. With a spark the wood caught fire with ease. Slowly warming the house from the inside. Celuriel had finally plucked a book from the shelf ready to begin.
 
The two of us slowly pulled the books off the shelves. Truthfully it was a trip down memory lane as I plucked a few of the books. Flipping through a few of the pages before setting them in a stack. Celuriel pulled down one and gave it a careful examination. Paying special attention to the most worn out books. We eventually moved the stack of novels to the floor of the living room. Leaving her with her tiny hoard of books, I went to check on the outside of the house.
 
Besides some chipping on the paint the outside didn’t need that much repair. Fresh coat of paint and may need to replace a few of the cracked shingles at the edge. Otherwise this house had done well in my absence. By the time I returned inside Celuriel was sitting on the floor organizing books before placing them inside her bag of holding. She looked up as I walked in and picked up a smaller book and offered a book to me.
 
“i found your journal.”
 
“My journal…ah this journal.” Much smaller than my other books I used to crontical my adventures with the lost ones, this one was a greenish teal.
 
“what’s in it?” Celu placed another four books into her pack.
 
“The last adventure Claire and I went on. I haven’t thought about this journal in years.” Before I made a motion to pocket the journal, Celu extended her hand, I gave the journal back. Before heading down the hall to the last two rooms.
 
Alain’s room had been exactly how I had left it. His bed was still made, the wooden short sword Claire and I had given him for Sorensval still lay across his sheet. I sat on the bed and picked up the wooden sword. My thumb brushed the little impression in the leather hilt where my son had gripped the blade.
 
Never did get the chance to teach Alain anything about swords. Hadn’t stopped him from running around playing hero. Protecting Claire and I from the demon’s in the forest. They had been foxes but we thanked him everytime he came in cover in dirt. I put the sword back on the bed, casting an arcane mark on the blade. I couldn’t bring myself to talk or even do anything in this room. I just existed here for a moment, before I went to the empty room.
 
Claire and I hadn’t known we were going to have a little girl, we had a list of names that was probably still in this house. The room had been ours previously, but upon learning about our second child we started making plans to give them this room. The rooms had been painted a light green. An attempt at a tree was made but to be honest. It hadn’t been well furnished, everything we would have needed for Emily to start with. Neither Claire or I were artists but the image was passible. A crib was painted and still had a few folded blankets. On one of the drawers, a book of Aletheian fables Clarie had grown up on. Gently picking up the book a small smile crossed my lips. I could read this to Avariel.
I tucked the book underneath my arm as I walked out of the room. I wasn’t sure how long I had spent in those rooms, I doubt it was long. Longer than I remember. By the time I had gone back into the middle room, I had sat down next to Celuriel who had three books. Each well worn and she had already cracked one of them open.
 
“Ready to go?”
 
“are you?”
 
“Almost…I need to say goodbye to them.” I offered a hand to Celuriel. While she put her coat on I extinguished the fire.
 
I had locked up the house, and finally went to stand before the three where I had erected three graves. Celuriel again wrapped arm around one of mine as I looked at the stones. The sickness, the curse, that had taken this family from me hadn’t left bodies. Still I had given each of them a grave, though Emily’s had never been given a name. There was a long silence before I spoke, and I do not wish to share these words again. They were for my family and my family alone.

∴ ∴ ∴
 
I’m writing this journal in the demiplane now in our bedroom. It’s bigger than the one in Ironfalls, but it doesn’t have a little reading nook where we could look over Ironfalls. Avariel had been running up the stairs in the bedroom and gliding down to the bed.
 
She had grown again but not much, now roughly the size of Kraia. Wouldn’t be long before she couldn’t sit on my head. I’m kinda sad about that, but really frustrated that this quest took two months of our time away from her. I wonder how much time Celu and I will lose with Avariel because we’ve been tasked with dealing with the shards. We might have succeeded, brought back a god, but the shard will need to be dealt with. We’ll have to leave again.
 
I have a lesson with Liese tomorrow morning about spell creation, as she found the remaining spells I requested from her. Besides, I need to take Avariel to bed. She is currently bundled in a coat of Celuriel, dreaming of something. Her white scales softly changing colors, cycling through pastel colors. I wonder what my little girl dreams of, flying? If Liese found the spells I asked for, then her parent’s might join her as well.