Tanchico - SG RP

[Wayfarer]

Home.

 

Slipping out of the saddle, Duram Laddel Cham looked up at the gates that loomed before him. Wrought iron, each bar was perhaps as thick as a young lady's wrist. Interwoven between the bars were vines that had overgrown not only the gate, but the walls as well. Walls that had seen better days, the vines seemed to have choked the life out of them, much in the same way the corruption on the streets threatened to choke the life out of Tanchico.

 

Leading his steed forward, he grasped the gate with his hand and ran his hand down the bar and pushed. Despite the wear of time, the gate still held firm. Reaching into his loose shirt, he withdrew a key on a silver chain which he lifted over his head and place in the lock. It took a bit of effort but the gate was soon open, screaming painfully as it swung. Making a mental note to have the gate oiled, Duram stepped through with a hand on the pommel of the blade at his side.

 

So help him, it was disastrous. It was little wonder that he had been able to acquire the estate so cheaply in Tanchico, besides being on the Calpene Peninsula where the Civil Watch were to be found least, the grounds had been devastated. Being left untended for so long, weeds had choked not only the grass, but the path underfoot was likeways broken. The low hedges that had once lined the path had overgrown, and the fountain that lay ahead was long dry.

 

Leading the horse up the path, he looked to the left and the right. The path circled around the fountain which led in four directions. Behind him was the gate, to the left a storehouse of some sort, the right led to a stable and before him was the mansion itself. Rising four stories into the air, it was an imposing sight in its own right, even if it was overrun as the walls were. Broad though, plenty of room for servants and not just those of the household.

 

Inspecting the stables didn't take long, and he didn't like what he saw at all. At least a few of the stalls were still fit to leave his horse in at least, and it wasn't long before he had the horse quartered away and he stood before the mansion proper. The doors were broken, as were some of the lower windows, people had no doubt broken in and taken refuge at some point. Something further confirmed as he walked inside.

 

The carpet underneath had been gnawed away at by rats, and disregarding the doors to either side he made for the double doors ahead which were slightly ajar. The main hall, as Duram already visualised it, was going to need alot of work. He planned on using it to entertain guests when the work was done, but for now all he could do was ignore the broken furniture, the missing limbs from seats and tables to be found in the two hearths.

 

Other rooms were similarly disastrous, several had once held full bookshelves, but the books that remained were covered in dust, some were eaten through by vermin while others had pages torn from them, no doubt to help start the fireplaces in the main hall. Everything was going to need replacing, which suited him insofar it then gave him a freehand to redesign this home that he hadn't been able to do with the previous one. It would fit with Taraboner culture to an extent, but he planned to introduce enough of the exotic to it in order to cause a wonder in those who visited. It would take weeks, but with enough coin and the preperations that had already been made so far, anything was possible.

 

That and he planned to cheat somewhat.

 

Finding the main bedroom, he decided that was where he was going to start after he saw the mess that was inside. Seizing saidin, anything that didn't fit the description of a door, a wall a floorboard or the ceiling was consumed by flame so hot that not even ashes were left in its wake. It might have been easier to simply remove the items one by one, but he wanted to cleanse the place. It was still morning, by the time midday arrived he would go on the hunt for the basics that would be needed.

 

If Eden had arrived by then, he would even be able to take her with him. Or Lillen, whichever was in control at the time. Certainly, Lillen was at the moment, she had needed to attend to a matter, but after that... Well, she was assuming more control these days than before. Not to mention that the two seemed to be proving more difficult to seperate, a worry which would have caused him to feel a certain amount of grief if he hadn't been wrapped in the void.

 

He didn't want to lose Eden, he had lost before and he had no wish to go through it again. At the same time, with him finding it so difficult to seperate the two, he was finding he was beginning to take a liking to Lillen. Not one of his best ideas, but he found himself letting the weakness foster. Not that he couldn't stamp the thoughts out if he wished to, but he chose not to when it was imprudent to do so. Still, he could not have one without the other, and he would not set aside Eden so easily. If he had to throw caution to the wind, so be it.

 

 

Duram Laddel Cham

Be`lal, The Netweaver

[Deiria]

Eden looked around and she was puzzled. The city looked familiar. She was sure she had never been here, but still she knew these curvy stone paved streets they were riding. This is so odd she thought. When she closed her eyes, she knew exactly the look of each circle, where to buy silk or sell your gold, where to go if you wanted assassin, which tavern to settle your self. She knew the place like she had been living there. But she knew for sure had never been here. Very odd.

 

They were riding together, only Duram and Eden. He had asked Eden to come with him to the City while rest of the small group they had was still cleaning and arranging the place, small estate Duram had bought a week ago. He had managed to fix the place mostly, but it had still a lot of work to be done. Eden didn't like or hate the place. Duram had asked that when she had arrived two days ago, like Duram had been anxious to show the place to her, and like her opinon had a meaning. It had amazed Eden. She was good when he was. It didn't matter if they had silks on they bed or just plain straws. Silks were more comfortable, she had to admit though. At one time even straws would have been luxurious. Instinctively she touched her riding skirt, just to feel the silk. But today they didn't wear them. They needed to blend to the crowd. She even had a veil.

 

"Oh, yes. I'm fine. It must be this hot and dusty air" she lied to Duram, who came riding beside her. She brushed tiny disobedient lock of hair away from her eyes and smiled to him. She didn't know why they were here and Duram didn't bother to tell her too much. She could guess, though, and she had become more and more clever guessing Duram's intentions. Not that she really cared, but she had to fill her days someway. She felt guilty for a heartbeat. Why she had to sneak the man she loved? She felt good with him, and that should be enough. Duram had his plans, and sharing them with Eden was not one of them. She followed him, served him, bed with him, and most importantly loved him. He was her world, and she happily spun around it. Living without him was something too terrible to think about. Pushing uneasy thoughts aside, she concentrated to listen Duram's words. He told her about the city, its history, geography and politics - most of those Eden already knew, but she nodded to Duram and listened carefully. Some of his words brought flick of images to her mind - like the panarch palace of which Duram extensive told, she knew she had always liked it - but could not know why. It was like bad joke. She could not remember anything of her life before Duram, and suddenly she has a memories of something she surely knew wasn't hers. Probably I am becoming mad she thought plainly and glanced up to the hot and dusty sun.

 

The ride continued while Duram and Eden talked merrily. Until suddenly Duram stopped by a house. It had many floors and its windows and the door needed fixing urgently. It was a place to avoid. The whole area was a place to avoid. They left their horses outside and Duram set somekind of ward on them. Otherwise lonely fine horses would find new owners when they turned their back.

 

"Why are we here?" Lillen's awareness pushed through Eden's. She urged to know. She demaned to know. She had been away too long and she wanted to know how the plan was progressing. She hated to trust Duram, but she really didn't have any choice. She couldn't act, she couldn't do much. Using Eden was only way to the world. She shivered. She hated Eden with every cell she had - and the cells were not even hers. She shivered again...

 

 

-Eden/Moggy

 

PS. if there is something to fix, let me know.... the knowledge of the city comes from the moggy of course ;)

[Wayfarer]

The sudden change in tone betrayed that the woman Duram had been riding beside was no longer there, but instead a woman who he had once strived against. A woman who had become entwined with him almost as deeply as Eden had, or maybe had since they shared the one body. Lillen was... different though, whether that was circumstance, need or agenda that made her so, that was something Duram could not quite divine.

 

"This will be home, Lillen. It will require a certain amount of work of course, but it is safer for us to take time and build ourselves up slowly. Others have made their mistakes by rushing." Lillen knew who he was refering to. Some of their fellows had simply taken places, forced themselves into position and used their compulsion to make it so. Not Duram though, while he had no doubt that the others would eventually learn of him since they now knew to look, in the common eye they would not stand out as much, and that was important.

 

"I've already cleansed the house within with fire, but we will need to hire the artisans in the town to work on the place so as not to arouse suspicion. Perhaps even forge some contacts with those whom we contract. If we hire enough, we could have things done in... Maybe a month. In the meantime we will have to hire our own people, people of our own persuasion. With the walls around this place, we are afforded some privacy, enough so that we should endure no difficulties."

 

"Of course, alot of this will rely on you. I could juggle the coin, but you know how to make it dance far better than I. With you handling the finances, I can handle the face of all this. And with all this, we can hide our comings and goings far better than the others have with them assuming crowns for themselves."

 

"As long as everything naturally grows, we shouldn't arouse suspicion. And we must limit our compulsion, coin will work just as well. Speaking of which, some of my people will arrive over the month with the funds we need. You are up to this, aren't you?"

 

 

Duram Laddel Cham

Be`lal, The Netweaver

 

OOC: All works :D I'm thinking in your next post you respond to him, then take it forward a month to when the house is restored. More interesting :D