Songs of Religion

[session 10, 19.12.2023]
 
Songs of religion
 
Invisibility is a funny thing, really. I know my arm is there, right in front of me, but I cannot see it. I know Eira is right there next to me, but I cannot see her either. She’s good, at hiding herself in ways I am not - if I focus, I can point out how she steps lightly on purpose, a skill I ought to be more mindful of in the future. I’m not used to having to sneak around. We debate whether finding the signet that belongs to the door would be easier with invisible eyes, but decide against it just for the purpose of safety. Dropping the illusion in the middle of a ballroom and we’ll be in a pickle. So instead, we simply march back in, no one any wiser of where we have been this night. Hopefully people either don’t care, or simply think we’ve taken a stroll in the gardens.
 
On our way back, a servant stops Kazys, calling him by a different name, Killian. Kazys seems visibly confused by this, as Killian is indeed a name he knows, but it is his brother’s. Apparently he too has been on the island not too long ago, here to visit with his little lordling master something or other. Here to see the priest. I zone out of the conversation, because someone has just walked past us, heading off into a quieter corner of the room. Rusalka follows my gaze and scoffs at me. I don’t particularly care what she has to tell me, so I simply tell her that I’ll be back later. The others can go talk with the Hanivers, it’s not like I’d be of any help there anyway, fumbling over my words and making a fool of myself for not knowing the proper etiquette.
 
The man is beautiful, that’s literally the only way to describe him. A tiefling, much like ourselves, but his horns are quite modest. He’s wearing a dark gown or robes, possibly clerical? Is this the priest Kazys’ brother was here to meet? A voice in my head tells me to be careful, and I swear I am, but.
 
I grab two glasses of wine from the table as I pass by, and head towards the guy. He seems startled by my presence, closing the book he’s been reading. Introduces himself as Valerian, the household priest of the Hanivers. I’m not good enough with the nobility to know whether this is just something all nobles have, or are the Hanivers particularly religious with their worship of the gods. I notice Valerian is wearing an earring, a dangling silver thing that glints in the low light of the room. A crescent moon hanging atop a singular wave.
 
I’ve seen that before, on the ring we’ve taken from the priest in Stillwater.
 
When I point out I have a similar piece of jewellery (note to self: ask to borrow the ring from Luciano), the man perks up noticeably, eager to talk with me about the Lady. It confuses me at first, as I do not know the ladies of the house, until I realise he means The Lady of the Tides. Odd.
 
I’ve never heard of the god of the seas being referred to by such a title.
 
We get along surprisingly well - Valerian takes the offered wine, and I - yeah, sure, call me stupid but. Making this guy laugh, impressing him, whatever. Definitely on the agenda, and not necessarily all too altruistic on my part. I don’t know how he’s involved in all of this, but he’s really, really attractive. And smart, and all that. And I am endlessly curious, and if I ask to see him again and he actually says yes, the little somersault my heart does does not need to be mentioned to the others. Only after I walk away do I realise I may have made a dumb mistake, showing off a silly party trick. The other priest was ready to execute someone for using magic.
 
I’m sure it’s fine.
 
As we head back, Eira and Luciano mention a lady called Celestine Ingrosso - Eira seems to have similar intentions as I do, but Luciano’s opinion on the lady is far less flattering. Apparently they do not get along, this lady and Luciano’s… employer. They’ve also seen the signet ring, graciously shown off by the lady Letitia, the human noble and wife of Jennett. She’s married into the family a good few decades ago already, and apparently, they seem incredibly in love still. That makes me happy, even though I do not trust either of them.
 
Kazys mentions that he got recognised once more by lady Jennett, the tiefling. Apparently this brother of his is on good terms with the Hanivers? Or at least his name keeps popping up a lot.
 
We head to bed soon after, all of us exhausted from the day’s events. I keep my conch shell close to my bed, its quiet waves soothing my dreams. When I dream, I’m floating in water, all my senses lulled by the ocean. I can’t see the shore, but neither am I looking. In my dreams, the ocean is calm, until the tide starts to rise, the waves picking up. I wake up before one pulls me under, but it feels like there’s seawater in my lungs. I cough, and hope I don’t wake the others.
 
It’s early, the sun hasn’t quite risen yet. I head out for a little jog around the castle grounds. There’s a nice, somewhat secluded cove with a rocky beach, and for a moment I consider swimming - and then I remember my dream, and decide against it. I don’t know the currents here, but perhaps later. When I return to wash up, the others are awake. Luciano shares with us a dream of drowning in a pitch black sea. He’s clearly more disturbed by this than I am of my own dream, but then again, mine did not feel like a nightmare, either. I remember the envelope with the locket, and my promise to deliver it to this Carlisle person.
 
Since Ned mentioned that Carlisle would be working somewhere near the kitchens, that’s where we head first. With a little help, we get directed to the right office. Carlisle is working already, and he seems like.. He hasn’t slept much. Eira and Rusalka immediately recognise the guy. Apparently pot meets kettle as Carlisle offers hair of the dog to Luciano, apparently both Carlisle and Luciano are hungover from last night.
 
We chat for a bit, and Carlisle mentions how he has been working for the Hanivers for a long time now, and how he participated in the festivities the first few times they were organised. For a while now, he has not.
 
Carlisle seems to know a lot, both about the Hanivers and the castle itself. But for one reason or another, he does not wish to partake with that information. We thank him for his time and head back out. On our way just meandering about, we overhear a conversation about the Haniver heir - curiously not present this time. He has once taken part in the festivities, but the rumours say that he disappeared midway through, and no one can confirm whether he ran away by boat or other, more magical means.
 
It feels like even when there’s not really anything specific at hand, the castle is always celebrating. When we walk to the great hall during lunch, they’re serving tea and biscuits from dainty porcelain cups. We join in, partly because there’s nothing else to do, partly out of peckishness. The tables are arranged into smaller sets, each covered with white tablecloths and decorated with bouquets of lavish flowers. None of which I recognise, aside from the fact that I’ve seen most in Kit’s Shoal.
 
We find the elusive dwarven.. Merchant? Banker? Lil’yan, who was travelling on the Lord of Milan with us, but whose presence we kept missing each time. Luciano and Rusalka do most of the talking, and he shares with us how he’s here on behalf of his employer, Lord Iceriver something-or-other. Lil’yan mentions how last time his employer attended the week-long festivities, and came back a changed man. Iceriver, who had been a much kinder man, came back ruthless as a wolf. We all raise our eyebrows at that, Belinda had also mentioned something about seizing opportunities and the lucky ones getting really lucky… but at what cost? What do the Hanivers get out of this bizarre social event?