HLoM: The Firebird, Chapter 1

[NeoTiamat]

"A masquerade during a riot?" Lena said, arching her dainty brows as she listened to Richard's story. "What masks did you wear that night?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The little red fox sniffed at the slice of chicken first. Did not seem poisoned. She looked up at Cattia to peer into the young Mulani's eyes, and then she regarded the chicken again. She lay down on the ground next to it, her entire body quivering with anticipation, and then she pounced on the piece of chicken, spring upwards with her black feet and coming down with claws squarely atop her prey. The slice of chicken having been properly killed now, Ushka ate it. Her whiskers twitched, but apparently it passed muster.

Very well then. The little fox looked up at Cattia again, and decided that this qualified as a peace offering, or possibly tribute. She went over to Cattia and curled up by her legs.

[Isabella]

"A masquerade during a riot?" Lena said, arching her dainty brows as she listened to Richard's story. "What masks did you wear that night?"

"You speak just-just like a Demenltieuse noblewoman, my-my lady. I-I had a-a silver lion's mask, my-my sister had that of a-a rather handsome night butterfly. You will have to-to forgive me of the rest, my mind was-was elsewhere that night."

[NeoTiamat]

"I spent four years there." Lena said imperturbably. She eyed Richard, and then asked with seeming casualness. "I heard about the riots, of course, though in Gundarak it was some kind of political riot -- an anti-wizard riot. What's this about magic using groups?"

[Isabella]

"I heard about the riots, of course, though in Gundarak it was some kind of political riot -- an anti-wizard riot. What's this about magic using groups?"

"The University took most-most of the blame, but I-I-I have always suspected it to have been more complicated than that," Richard answered, pulling back a corner of his lips in discomfort. He held out a slice of the adobo pork to his side - the jaguar popped up and ate it. "Some-someone created those riots, with-with some manner of ritual sacrifice. Then other groups began to use... whatever happened, to their own-own benefit. We... there-there was a group of University staff who were caught tampering with the-the Icon of Ezra, and caught again spreading plague. They always maintained they were-were not responsible for the riots, though I-I suspect only- I-I-I suspect few are willing to entertain they were telling the truth."

"If anyone ever discovered the truth behind that chaos, they have not seen-seen fit to tell me," was all Richard could offer. "I-I-I myself am certainly not smart enough to make-make sense of that conspiracy."

[DeepShadow of FoS]

Vasili is listening intently (close observers may notice that his stare is more natural, and he blinks a little more). When offered food, he waves it off; if pressed, he takes some and passes it to Renhalt, and then goes back to staring at Richard wide-eyed.

At certain intervals, Vasili's eyes dart toward the ground, the ceiling, or around the room, as if trying to evade sight of Richard without leaving his chair or moving his head. After winning five such internal battles, Vasili finally breaks down and blurts out a question:

"Did these riots happen before or after the assassination of Dominic d'Honaire?"

[NeoTiamat]

"After, quite a while after. The Assassin Benoit killed Councilor D'Honaire in 762, was it? He was dead by the time I went to the University there. And the riots happened afterwards, in 770 or so." Lena said, brushing a straying lock of dark hair from her face. She was looking at Richard, leaning forward and gazing at him with acute interest. "We didn't get all of this news in Gundarak."

[DeepShadow of FoS]

"We didn't get all of this news in Gundarak."

"We got even less in Hazlan. I'd love to hear the tales firsthand."

[Isabella]

"Did these riots happen before or after the assassination of Dominic d'Honaire?"

"After, quite a while after. The Assassin Benoit killed Councilor D'Honaire in 762, was it?"

"761, my-my lady," Richard absently corrected. He tapped his fork on his plate, staring at an undetermined point in space. "I-I-I-I... I was not-was not thirteen years old when D'Honaire was killed."

Maya popped her head up and grabbed the rest of the pork loin, pulling it off the table. Richard didn't notice to reprimand her. He picked up his Cindergout, blew out the flame, and downed it. A few hearty coughs later and he picked up his tea, similarly downing that.

"Mists! You weren't-weren't kidding about the heat." He blew out a breath slowly. "I-I-I should order that in the morning, with the coffee and the-the burned off alcohol. It will wake me-me up, or nothing will. In-in any case. I-I-I am hardly any of the high and-and mighty that were so involved. I could-could tell you about the riots, and a little about the Icon. I-I know very little about the plagues, save-save that they were there. There was the-the-the Second Requiem..."

He paused, then laughed.

"Though none of the stories I-I have reflect upon me terribly well," he said, grinning sheepishly.

[NeoTiamat]

"So young?" Lena said, looking at Richard and then casting her eyes downward at her plate. There was a moment of silence as she picked at her food, listening to Richard nearly burn his throat. "Well, sir, it would be a welcome respite from all the stories that make their teller look like Strahd I come again. Well, begin at the beginning -- what else can you say of the riots?"

[Isabella]

"Well, sir, it would be a welcome respite from all the stories that make their teller look like Strahd I come again."

Richard laughed again. "Baroness, I-I-I can assure you, I-I can think of no earthly means to make me resemble Strahd I von Zarovich."

"Well, begin at the beginning -- what else can you say of the riots?"

"The-the night of the riots... we were at the Tessier gallery when we heard the-the-the scream. It-it was- It-it... I..." Richard sighed, and shook his head. "No, I-I cannot describe it. I-I have not the words. I-I could only manage such a feat if-if you had heard a scream like that, before..."

"Celeste- ah, a-a friend of mine, she-she managed to keep the calm for-for a time." Richard said, momentarily pausing to sort his thoughts. "It-it-the sound in the gallery was faint- well, not-not as loud as I-I think it was elsewhere. I-I-I simply.. well, it didn't really matter, soon afterward. An angry group attacked the Tessier, firing bullets and-and setting the gallery on fire. The-the group we were with managed to escape, but others... some were caught by the crossfire... the-the dresses there have such-such large skirts, some panicked and were-were caught in the doors, and blocked the exits. People were packed against them, try-trying to get out."

He stopped for a moment, placing his hand to his temple.

"I-I-I don't know how to describe it, outside. Just chaos... It-it's called the-the Night of Madness, and it-it is really the best-the best word for it... Madness. Petty arguments turned into block wide war zones, people burned their-their own houses. One of-of the gendarmes said he'd been called out, to-to help with a fire... it was a trap, and they-they locked his entire squad in the burning building. Some of the other gendarme went-went mad, they started to-to just methodically murder people... Our group was-wasn't attacked, praise Ezra, but there were some-some close calls. We met some Anchorites on the streets and followed them to-to Saint Mere des Larmes. Given the fighting at the-the time, we couldn't think of anything safer."

"We asked Favonius... ah- Favonius was a-a... familiar, a smoke elemental, one of our fellow lodgers employed... he-he found us at the cathedral, and we sent him out looking. That-that is how we found out it was the whole country... he went all the way out to Perigrueux. One of the-the towns he passed by was just-just completely gone."

"One of-of my friends said, the spirit of-of Dementlieu itself had been attacked," he recalled. "He-he said... I-I will never forget... He said in Verbrek, the-the wolves would tear out your throat, but this-this... this made you tear out your neighbor's throat. But do you know? When we-we made it to the cathedral, I-I had never seen so many people offering their aid. Not-not even when Grimshaw was wrecked by storms, back when I-I was a boy. Even people who had lost everything, even people who were badly wounded, were-were nearly begging the Bastion to let them help."

"We-we stayed with the church until morning, since the-the clergy was organizing aid. Fa-Favonius helped us send messages out... When dawn came, it-it had calmed down enough. We went out in-in groups, just in case, and-and took each other home. The rest of-of our fellow lodgers all made it back safely, thank the Lady."

[NeoTiamat]

"What manner of magic can do that to an entire country?" Lena said, her food all but abandoned now. She was engrossed in the story, a much more gruesome and grotesque tale than had ever reached her in the backwoods of Barovia. "You say the Spirit of Dementlieu. Does such a thing exist, even?"

[Isabella]

"What manner of magic can do that to an entire country? You say the Spirit of Dementlieu. Does such a thing exist, even?"

"They found the-the curator of the Tessier, killed with the sword of-of Dementlieu's founder," Richard explained. "Such was the-the evidence they presented when they-they arrested Jacob de Casteele. The gendarme had cordoned off the area, I-I-I never saw it. It is possible he meant, ah, 'Spirit of Dementlieu' in a-a metaphorical sense, though I-I would wonder at what difference there would be, between a metaphorical and-and 'real' spirit. But standing in the middle of that-that insanity... yes, my lady, I-I do believe it."

"But you would indulge my-my boorish manners all night, talking endlessly upon myself," Richard laughed. He glanced over at Vasili and Leila again. "Perhaps someone might-might trade me a story? I-I hear so very little from this side of the-the Core, as well."

[NeoTiamat]

"Well, I can see that I left Dementlieu right in time." Lena said, after the silence had stretched for a few moments. She had used that time to actually eat a little. "Not that Gundarak is more peaceful, but unrest there tends to be more contained."

"Not that this makes it more pleasant." Lena smiled wryly. "Contrary to what the Dead Travel Fast novels would tell you, there is nothing erotic in having a Gundarkite revolutionary standing over your bed with a knife."

[Isabella]

"Not that this makes it more pleasant." Lena smiled wryly. "Contrary to what the Dead Travel Fast novels would tell you, there is nothing erotic in having a Gundarkite revolutionary standing over your bed with a knife."

Richard's cheeks flushed a dull rose. "Do-do they really? Why-why would that be... ah. I-I-I-I..."

"A-a terrible situation to-to find yourself in, certainly," he said, very quietly. "How... how did you escape from it?"

[NeoTiamat]

"Ushka let out a scream, which woke me and rather distracted the man as he was trying to slit my throat. Having a fox scream unexpectedly will do that." Lena said, subconsciously reaching up and touching a spot on her left shoulder, right around the collarbone. The assassin may not have killed Lena, but she hadn't escaped unscathed. "I kept a few spell components close at hand, and I managed to hex the man before he could try again -- the ministry guards showed up soon after."