thestewards

MAJOR NPCS
The NPCs listed below are considered major NPCs, meaning that any interaction with these NPCs should be run by the mods in advance of a thread. Players are welcome to generate rumors about major NPCs or namedrop them casually ("I heard Grand Master Niall doesn't like cucumbers") but should not include them in threads without running it by the mods first. For simple interactions, the mods will advise players of NPC behavior. For more complex interactions, the mods will drive the NPCs.

Simple: Tony Stark wants to talk to Prince Allairavar about minor alterations to the city's defenses. Tony can make all the alterations by himself and with one or two other people. Allairavar approves of anything that will strengthen the city, and gives Stark his blessing.

Complex: Tony Stark thinks Prince Allairavar's defense is too myopic and has multiple, exploitable vulnerabilities. He calls the Prince out. Allairavar invites Stark for a conversation at his office, which may go either very well for Stark or very, very poorly.

Fayura Nishell

CASTE QUEEN ◆ BIRTHRIGHT ??? ◆ JEWEL OF RANK ??? ◆ POSITION QUEEN OF HAYLL
ABOUT Quiet, eccentric, thoughtful, vicious. Territory Queen of Hayll. Believes that Blood and landen can live side by side if both parties just get over themselves. Does not suffer fools. Rumor has it she isn't entirely human. She appears to wear the Red, but it is unclear if the Jewel is her Birthright, her adult strength, or something else entirely. Many of the Blood find her unnerving and some think she's mad. Sometimes disappears for hours on end. Makes occasional references to Ebon Askavi being her true home, though it is common knowledge that she was born in Hayll.

Allairavar Ris

CASTE WARLORD PRINCE ◆ BIRTHRIGHT SAPPHIRE ◆ JEWEL OF RANK GRAY ◆ POSITION MASTER OF THE GUARD
ABOUT Methodical, stoic, kind, devoted. Fayura's Master of the Guard and absolutely devoted to her. Is not as sure that the landens and Blood can live in harmony as she is but is willing to pursue her goals. As temperamental as all his caste and inclined to snap bones or splatter someone on a wall when pressed. Incredibly competent with a sword. One of the few remaining Eyriens, and as such has massive, membranous black wings on his back.

Loren Sorey

CASTE WARLORD PRINCE ◆ BIRTHRIGHT PURPLE DUSK ◆ JEWEL OF RANK GREEN ◆ POSITION STEWARD
ABOUT Orderly, vengeful, melancholic, overworked. A generally well-ordered man with a wicked sense of humor and a vicious temper. Suffers fools even less than Fayura but with a temper a bit slower to burst than Allairavar's. While he supports Fayura's cause, he believes too strongly in the nobility of the Blood. Holds everyone to high standards, even himself. Often surprised when people don't meet those standards. Could use a vacation, probably.

Verim Bahl

CASTE WARLORD PRINCE ◆ BIRTHRIGHT RED ◆ JEWEL OF RANK GRAY ◆ POSITION CONSORT
ABOUT Seductive, passionate, predatory, generous. Often said to be the most dangerous male in Hayll but as with the Steward and Master of the Guard is devoted to Fayura. Doesn't give a damn about the difference between landen and Blood and just wants to be with his Lady. Unlike Loren, will not hold back his temper. Surprisingly generous with the downtrodden and forgotten of society. Making a pass at him (or Fayura) is a quick way to end up dead. Verim is also a Black Widow, having studied the tangled webs of dreams and visions.

Grejor Shamael

CASTE WARLORD ◆ BIRTHRIGHT TIGER EYE ◆ JEWEL OF RANK PURPLE DUSK ◆ POSITION COUNCILMAN, FIRST CHAIR
ABOUT Shrewd, petty, vindictive, power-hungry. First Chair of the Dark Council and a staunch traditionalist. Believes the landens need to be kept in their place at all costs and that only the Blood should rule. Despises Fayura and is always uncomfortable in her presence. Was once good friends with the Steward, Loren, but is now estranged from him. Hates Niall on a personal level as Niall murdered Grejor's younger (and innocent) brother.

Niall Berrenathy

GUILD HUNTER, TINKER, ELEKTRILINE GUILDS ◆ POSITION GRAND MASTER OF THE LANDEN GUILDS
ABOUT Inventive, conniving, charismatic, brilliant. Leader of the landen guilds. Absolutely brilliant and incredibly magnetic. Hates the Blood on principal, but has a personal vendetta against them because of the two young males who brutalized and killed his sister Hana for sport. Has a surprisingly congenial relationship with Fayura, but this is likely because he wants to use her. Educated by the Hunter Guild, but is competent in most mechanical and elektric pursuits.

Raya Aguine

GUILD HUNTER GUILD ◆ POSITION GUILD MASTER
ABOUT Vengeful, wary, suspicious, conniving. Raya Aguine is the blade at the throat of all the Blood. They fear her, and she revels in their fear. In her life, she has assassinated more than fifty of the Blood, from light Jeweled witches to dark Jeweled Queens, and she desires nothing more than to rip out Fayura's still-beating heart. She is perhaps a touch unstable, and so Niall guides her with a delicate hand.

MINOR NPCS
Players can include minor NPCs in their threads with impunity, though the mods expect that these characters will behave according to their traits. Prince Zaym should not be saccharine, and Councilwoman Rheea should not tell a PC all her secrets. If you want to use a minor NPC in a thread or as an impetus for action but are unsure how they would behave, always feel free to ask.

Fayura's First Circle and Court

As with all First Circles, Fayura's is filled by Blood males. They all serve Fayura without question or hesitation and are fiercely loyal to her. All of them have mixed feelings about a world where the landens and the Blood can live as equals but all of them are willing to work for it.

ZAYM
Prince ▪ Purple Dusk ▪ Opal
Sarcastic ▪ Independent ▪ Proud

GEHT
Warlord ▪ Summer-sky ▪ Green
Artistic ▪ Judgemental ▪ Helpful

DURNEM
Warlord ▪ Rose ▪ Purple Dusk
Easy-going ▪ Quiet ▪ Charming

LACHLAN
Prince ▪ Summer-sky ▪ Opal
Anxious ▪ Cynical ▪ Secretive

NOLAN
Warlord Prince ▪ Rose ▪ Opal
Talkative ▪ Gossipy ▪ Sly

YARL
Warlord ▪ Tiger Eye ▪ Purple Dusk
Bashful ▪ Honest ▪ Solemn

AUGUST
Warlord ▪ Opal ▪ Red
Brusque ▪ Athletic ▪ Creative

JARED
Warlord ▪ Purple Dusk ▪ Sapphire
Energetic ▪ Naive ▪ Optimistic

BARRET
Prince ▪ Yellow ▪ Tiger Eye
Scholarly ▪ Studious ▪ Thoughtful

JESIREE
Healer ▪ n/a ▪ Yellow
Sarcastic ▪ Determined ▪ Sassy

The Ebon Council

Each member of the Ebon Council believes in the superiority of the Blood or just hates landens for the devastation they wrought on the Blood in the Great War. Some are simply traditionalists, but some are vindictive and cruel.

ABIGAIL
Healer/Black Widow ▪ Opal ▪ Green
Irritable ▪ Charitable ▪ Jealous

DANEEL
Warlord Prince ▪ Yellow ▪ Rose
Respectful ▪ Reserved ▪ Elegant

VERA (deceased)
Witch ▪ Rose ▪ Purple Dusk
Loud ▪ Intense ▪ Angry

Sharr
Warlord ▪ Opal ▪ Sapphire
Teasing ▪ Warm ▪ Pessimistic

Rheea
Black Widow ▪ Rose ▪ Opal
Gloomy ▪ Petty ▪ Withdrawn

Perik
Prince ▪ Summer-sky ▪ Opal
Smart ▪ Awkward ▪ Quiet

The Landen Guild Masters

Of the Landen Guilds, only the Hunter's Guild has any great influence. The rest of the Guild Masters, though highly skilled, have little social pull within Draega. The Masters and those who work and study under them have mixed feelings about the Blood, but rather uniformly dislike the Ebon Council.

Doriah
Master Elektric, female
Bitter ▪ Intense ▪ Cunning

Sorrel
Master Transporter, male
Cheerful ▪ Thrill-seeker ▪ Impulsive

Mari
Master Tinker, female
Clever ▪ Bombastic ▪ Willful

Kasik
Master Crafter, male
Twitchy ▪ Energetic ▪ Cruel

Lam
Master Medico, male
Severe ▪ Sarcastic ▪ Tired

REQUEST AN NPC
Any general questions about NPC behavior can be asked in response to the General Questions top-level below. Remember: you're welcome to make up unconfirmed rumors about the NPCs as much as you like and do not need mod permission for that.

To request an interaction with an NPC, reply to the appropriate NPC's top-level with the form below. You should have a reply to your comment within 24 hours, whether in the form of clarifying questions or actual NPC engagement.

Character Name Your character's name
Request type Is this a simple or complex interaction?
Request What your character wants the interaction for, what information they hope to gain.
Influence If you have influence, you may choose to use it. NPCs who don't view your character highly may turn down face to face interactions without influence (but the mods will always give you something for your trouble, whether through a note from that NPC or a snippet of gossip from someone else in town). If the mods believe your interaction will be more profitable with influence and you have not elected to use it, they will ask if you want to use influence when they reply.
Thread If you have an open thread with a suitable prompt, you may link it here. If a back and forth is necessary to set up the circumstance for the thread, you may delete this section or leave it blank. Once you and the mod in question work out your thread, it will be your responsibility to post it.

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Master Crafter Kasik and Councilwoman Rheea join Aithne and Mollymauk in the interest of their own respective parties: Kasik to ensure the young man isn't mistreated, and Rheea to ensure Kasik doesn't, as she says, "try anything." Kasik is the sharp edge of a knife with her, cruel and cutting. Rheea, already a quiet, sullen woman, barely rises to his bait but does give him plenty of openings to bleed her with his words.

Neither Rheea nor Kasik are surprised to find the young man is being held not in a cell but in a guestroom on the fourth floor of the Queen's Residence. Rheea's nose remains wrinkled from the moment she enters the residence to the moment she leaves, and Kasik constantly dabs at his sweating forehead. Both of them are noticeably uncomfortable, but the young man is not even though he remains trapped in a Gray-shielded room. Allairavar lets the group in but stays outside, leaning against the wall.

The young man himself is thin, with a hook nose and watery eyes. He fidgets, rising and giving Rheea and awkward bow. To Kasik, he stutters out a hello with the overawed expression of someone meeting a hero. Kasik dismisses him without hesitation and begins wandering through the room, peering at the sparse contents as if expecting the furniture to grow legs and walk around. It does not.

Molly casts his spell, and it works with ease. Immediately, the young man breaks into a smile and gives Molly an amiable hug. To Aithne, he extends a warm but more reserved greeting—meeting Molly's friends is always wonderful, and they should all sit down.

(Rheea finds this spell fascinating but does not interrupt.)

The young man introduces himself as Neely Farmer and says his da works one of the farms just west of the city, near the power plant. It was mighty frightening for his family when the plant exploded, but they were sure grateful the Strangers were so quick about setting it to rights.

"Am I working alone?" He scratches his chin. "Oh, you must mean with... with..." He spares a nervous glance toward Councilwoman Rheea, whose nonplussed expression doesn't ease his nerves in the least. "There was my friends, of course, they were there, too. We were all thinking maybe we should go to the Bazaar and make some trouble for the ble—Blood folk. I..." He wrings his hands. Did someone put you up to this? "Eddy said it would be fun to bring Muters to The Last Meal. Make the Blood uncomfortable, is all."

When Molly asks where he intended to go, Neely puts his face in his hands. "I was scared. Ain't no one who wants to upset Prince Allairavar, him being the Lady's Master of the Guard."

Rheea draws back sharply at this phrasing, her eyes flashing. Kasik remains preoccupied with a paperweight.

"The Breaker? Oh, that's mine. Most of us landens carry one. It's..." He gives Rheea another nervous glance before lowering his voice and leaning closer to Aithne and Molly. "It ain't all the Blood who're as nice as them as in the Lady's Court. A smart man's gotta keep what's his safe. Including his life."

Then Neely pales. His face goes back in his hands and his spindly shoulders shudder. His hands muffle a great groan. "I didn't mean to. We was just trying to scare the Councilwoman, honest. She's said some right unfavorable things about the Guilds and us lately, and we was only trying to frighten her. But my finger just... it slipped. And then she was dead."

"And now witchblood grows where you murdered her," Rheea says coldly.

From a window, Kasik snorts. "That weed sprouts up all over Draega. Do you honestly believe a witch's death makes it grow in one place over another?" he asks, biting and short.

"It only grows where a witch's blood has been spilled in violence, you—" She breaks off, sinking back into herself. "I wouldn't expect you to understand."

Aithne's next question gets a shake of Neely's head. "Didn't mean to shoot her. Don't want to shoot no one else."

The last question produces outrage from both Kasik and Rheea, who being shouting so loudly that Neely's quiet "enter service?" goes almost entirely unnoticed. Both the Councilwoman and Kasik are offended by Aithne's question. Rheea because Aithne has no right to ask for a price on behalf of Vera's family and Kasik because Neely is a Crafter ("A shit one, but he's still one of ours and isn't beholden to your ridiculous etiquettes.").

It's at that point, Allairavar enters. "Your pissing and moaning could wake the dead," he says, gathering everyone up as Neely stares at the floor. "Time to go."

As they leave, Neely says he hopes he'll see Molly again soon and won't Molly apologize to Neely's mama, Sage Farmer? An hour later, he'll realize Molly worked Craft on him, but Neely is the kind of Crafter who finds Craft a puzzle, and he wonders how he might be able to replicate such an effect on his own.

Molly pretty much ignores all the politics in the room, focusing on Neely, because he's more interested in individuals. He will definitely apologize to the boy's mother, though he obviously won't/can't give details about Neely's situation, but will say that he's being treated well and that they're working on a solution.

He'll also want to track down Eddy and verbally box his ears a bit about his stupid-ass decisions and thinking better in the future. He won't physically harm him or use any Craft on him, but he'll make it abundantly clear that his little joke had consequences and it could turn out badly for his friend, and maybe even for him later.

Aithne got what answered she could have, more telling is the reaction of the spectators. Because, honestly in her mind that is what they were.

She pitied the poor ployed boy, and would tender leniency on his behalf, but this is not her world and she understood such might not happen. Hopefully the man learned a lesson steeped in stupidity and ignorance. The others though..

Cooly she looked at Kasik and Rheea as they raised their voracious objection to her simple plan. A simple nod of the head and a whispered "May the Gods of this place watch over you' to the boy, and she exited the chamber. The other two, she wanted to engage, but she demurred. To Allairavar, she gives a true nod. "I fear I did not help as much as I wished." Before she exited.

npcs

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I apologize, I thought I had tracked this..