moustre | NPC CONTACT

NPC CONTACT

NERISSA BELL & MHAIRI AINSLEY
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fearolc ▪
While the Bonded pair are particularly busy - between their everyday work for the Coven and Parliament, and looking for answers to new arrivals' questions - they've placed a mailbox outside the Coven gates for anyone to leave a letter for them. These can be non-urgent queries, updates for Nessie or Mhairi, requests for in-person appointments, etc.

You can also reach them both by watch now! They've gotten their own, and will answer at their earliest availability. However, if your message or request for them is time sensitive, it's always recommended that you seek them out at the Coven itself, especially to reach Miss Nessie. Relaying messages through Parliament can be difficult, but this is also an option, if Mhairi is currently attending a session.

If you wish to interact with Nessie and Mhairi outside of the intro logs, please comment here. You have the option of handwaving the IC interaction to OOCly ask what questions your character might have for them, for us to summarize an answer for, or you can request an IC thread. Simply specify in your comment's subject IC or OOC, comment to the specific NPC you'd like to contact, and we'll respond accordingly. If you're looking to speak to both, please respond to the toplevel below.

Face-to-face IC interactions are granted in special OOC circumstances, such as follow-ups to quests, investigations, or a previous thread. OOC "handwaving" of a face-to-face interaction is still good to go!

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S. Stark,

The thought of a world where magic is absent enough to be considered gone by many is a world that I couldn't conceive. But I would boast of our Coven, though many would call it a bias; you have the opportunity to learn much of magic, and I believe you are in the best place for it, regardless of which specialization you would seek. My Ness is, in particular, the best healer in Ġēardagas.

I am free now, and within the Coven itself, if you would find this to be a convenient time to speak further in person. Having been raised in such a position, and offered opportunities to learn of your home's governing - both in the North, and all of Westeros - I imagine you know how complex this process can be. I find that tea and fair company makes politics far more agreeable than they so often could be. And we have much to discuss, if we are to help you and those that have arrived through the Looking-Glass House.

Our best,

M. Ainsley

M. Ainsley,

I shall arrive shortly to discuss this with you. It would be my honor.

Yours,
Sansa

[The letter will arrive sooner than Sansa will. She still wants to prepare herself even if she does not have much here herself. It does not matter in the long run, and she knows. She has the capability of speaking well on her own behalf, of showing her own skills.

She arrives at the house they she came to that first night before knocking softly at the Coven's door. She surmises she may be here more often with what she is learning about herself. A witch, it still brings up stories of Essos and the magic that still seems to reside there.]

[ With the letter's arrival, they both have time to prepare. Mhairi herself navigates from the study where she spends much of her free time when at the Coven, intending to greet the new arrival properly. Manners are a sign of respect, both for yourself and others, and she would not allow someone seeking and offering help alike to go without proper welcome.

Sansa knocks, and the doors open of their own accord into the great main hall of the building. The Turnskin properly straightens from where she arrived, inclining her head slightly. Though still fully dressed from her work with Parliament, there is an easy air to her, imposing stature and stoic nature softened at the edges. The comfort of home. ]

Would it be bold to welcome you here as the Sansa I was speaking to, young miss?

[She keeps herself straightened, hands lightly folded when the door opens on its own. This will still be something that takes some getting used to, but she shows no outward sign of shock or reaction to it. In some time she may even be the one who able to do such things.

When presented with Mhairi, she dips her head. Unsure of any titles she may hold, Sansa is still aware enough of the other's position here. Turnskins remind her of the stories Old Nan would tell Bran of Skinchangers, those that could enter the mind of animals, though here it seems they become them. There is something akin to familiarity that Mhairi is a a white wolf though, something that almost reminds her of home.]

You would be correct. It is a pleasure to speak in person. [And she will follow her to wherever she assumes they will talk.]

[ Bringing her hand up to the center of her chest, Mhairi dips her head slightly in greeting when she receives the confirmation. ] The pleasure is mine.

[ As she straightens, her other hand extends, guiding her along to where they'll be seated and speaking. The walk isn't a long one, but she tailors her long stride to allow for them to keep pace with each other, and brings them to what appears to be a study. The chairs have space below and above the backs of them, built for comfort for anyone who might sit in them, whether human or monster.

She pulls one out for Sansa, unscarred eye calm and focused on her guest. ]

Please, allow me. If I may ask, young miss; your father was a lord and your mother a lady, you said. Would you also be a lady, in your home in the North?

[Hands still placed out in front of her, she follows Mhairi. Waiting a moment for the other to pull out the chair before thanking her. Sansa takes the offered seat and waits until Mhairi is settled.]

I am, though the history of my lands is complicated. Especially as of late with my own family. My house is Stark, one of the oldest ruling families of Westeros. My ancestors were known as the Kings of Winter until Aegon Targaryen came with his dragons. The Targaryens ruled all seven kingdoms for almost three hundred years. Until the Mad King tried to burn his people. My father was young, joined with another young lord. Lord Robert Baratheon who became King Robert Baratheon. The North crowned its own king when his son took my father's head. Each of my brother's have held the title of King, but it seems we are once again beholden to a Targaryen crown.

[ With a flick of her tail, to get it out of the way as she sits and then through the gap beneath the backing, Mhairi settles in and reaches for a large, leather bound book. She opens it calmly and thumbs through the pages while she listens to Sansa speak, ears perked up and alert even as her gaze drops down.

The abridged history tells her some of what she should come to expect - a girl grown into a woman, forced to face the challenges that her world had presented her with, but willing to do the same here, in a new world. She reaches and lifts an inkwell to uncap it with her claws. ]

True kings have not lived in Geardagas for quite some time now; you would find many who claim royalty, or birthright, or capability, but none on a recognized throne. But my heart goes to you and your family, Lady Sansa, for the losses that you've surely faced in such a home as Westeros. Such ordeals are not the sort that can be carried lightly. [ The ink is set down next to the journal. But rather than write immediately, Mhairi folds her hands together over the pages and focuses intently on her guest again. ] But you have nonetheless survived to tell the tale, and to face more challenges. To discredit that is a disservice to your abilities.

[She watches as Mhairi moves, getting comfortable as she starts to write down what Sansa assumes is the history of Westeros, of what she has told her. There is much more, but this is a good start, to let people know of what her family has gone through and lost.]

How do they claim royalty? Through birthright here? [She wonders how long people live or if they are people like her that have come through the mirrors.] Can I ask more of Parliament then? How it is run?

[Her smile at the compliment is there, but it's sad. There is much she has lived through that she keeps to herself, making her all the more guarded. She trusted once, and it was to her own detriment.]

My family has lost much in the last eight years. We have restored some of it, and that is what I hold onto.

Birthright, certainly. Many in our history have claimed that they're descended from human royalty, or from the oldest Dragon or Faery blood in Talam. Others have been warlords to see it a conquest. There are all sorts, aren't there.

[ The consideration lasts for a moment longer, before she does write down what she's heard. Quick notes, in the same, crisp writing from the letters that one wouldn't typically expect out of someone with such large, almost pawed hands. The names go down first, creating a timeline based on the knowledge garnered there.

The Starks in the North go at the top of the page, beneath Sansa's own name, with a little addendum of their eight years of turmoil. ]

Aefenglom hasn't allowed such thinking in quite some time, however. The Parliament is built upon discussion, albeit that hardly guarantees much is done. [ Her voice is even when she speaks, calm, level, almost without inflection - but that admission comes out wry. ] There are, at minimum, three hundred full seats. It typically sits at about fifty more than that, although will flux, of course, depending on retirement and the like. There are very few monsters like myself that have seats, comparatively, but the number has increased in recent years.

[ Her ears twitch backwards, listening to some unseen thing as she pauses in her writing. Only when they swivel forwards again does she resume. ]

The Parliament discusses and votes upon laws, crimes, and reformation; they consider resources, and the city's needs, and implement solutions for better or worse. It can take quite some time to reach a decision, as there are quite a few different opinions in even a specialization - never mind the entire Parliament. Heaven forbid everyone has a different vote. I think my coat would be true white from the sheer thought of being in session for one thing for months on end.

Can I ask how your Parliament was formed? I am not completely unfamiliar with the idea. There are Vale Lords that have come together, try and do much the same, though I imagine when my cousin becomes older, he will rule.

[Sweetrobin has to be close to it now. She wonders if a council or parliament would do well in Westeros, even if she feels the North has no true need for it. They should be autonomous. Jon should have a better excuse than what she expects his reasoning for bending the knee is. Though she knows what is to come, that the Night King's army is coming.]

Is it possible to appeal to them? Perhaps not yet, but should there be a need for it? How is anything done if none will come together? [She is used to vassals and common folk coming before a lord or king, whatever their need is. They are either granted or dismissed, but a decision is made. How is any form of government useful should there be a dire need for it?]

Have you had wars here? That seems to be much my my world's trouble. When I was young, after my father's death the kingdoms all seemed split. Thus began the War of the Five Kings. [She knows divulging a lot can get her into trouble and certainly has in the past, but she tells these facts more as a historian with no personal feeling toward it.] The heir apparent, Joffrey Baratheon, both of his uncles, Stannis and Renly Baratheon. My brother Robb Stark vied for the North, and the Iron Islands who have answered to the North after their own rebellion failed before I was born.

You may, of course. The history is hardly a hidden thing. You will have to forgive my approximations, however, as I was never suited to teaching. My Ness is a far better hand at it. [ Mhairi straightens up, setting her fountain pen down for a moment. ] Aefenglom itself hasn't had royalty in what I would wager has been about three hundred years, now. The Coven and Parliament alike have existed for longer, though certainly haven't been known by the same names as they are now; one came about because of the other, but it's hard to say which came first. Regardless, Parliament in particular functioned as a sort of council to the sovereign, when there was still one. It was officially known as the Parliament shortly before the end of the last king's reign, when he was deposed.

Our predecessors came together as they are now to stop a tyrant, so they can be expected to come together to form laws and discuss matters - albeit, that is the expected. [ Hand lifting to rub the paw pads of her forefinger and thumb against the faint marks of her brow, she heaves a sigh before continuing. ] Pardon my cavalier answer, but as a Speaker I find that they are rather like children when expected to focus on a task. However, there's a set limit of time we're allowed to spend bickering on a decision, to ensure that a session does not last for months on end. This time frame will shift, depending on the severity and depth of the topic, but never more than a few weeks.

History has shown that there are consequences to indecision. They need a reminder, every now and then, which can certainly be done through appeals channeled through the Civic Seats, but despite our differences we've managed fairly well with the process. Even if multiple discussions have been tabled for future talks, where they have more support or information that would curry favor.

[ Settling in again, hand lowering, she picks up her pen and writes down the names that Sansa lists now. The war, the so-called kings that brought it about. Information that is more referential than anything else. An exchange of knowledge. ]

The last war ended with King Serwyl da Uathmar. The dreadful. He sought to rule Geardagas, though was ultimately removed from power, along with his heirs. No other sovereign sat in his throne; in fact, we instead sit at the very place his castle once did. [ The Coven, she means. ]

Edited (clarification: appeals through Civic Seats) 2019-05-22 15:11 (UTC)

[It is a lot to take in, but Sansa knows her histories, her stories, the Great Houses and the minor. She knows their names, their families, their sigils, their words. So she takes it all in, the foreign names and the wars.]

He sounds like King Aeris II, the last Targaryen king. He killed my uncle and grandfather, tried to kill every person in his city. Until the Kingslayer, Ser Jaime Lannister of his Kingsguard, killed him.

[She does still though, knowing they are city where the king once sat.]

Why did they choose this spot for the Coven then? Did the witches stop him? [It seems significant.]

[ While not the most expressive person, Mhairi's ears swivel back and her lip curls just slightly. Tried to kill every person in his city. Even when she was young, more rough around the edges, akin to a different person... she could never imagine letting something happen to the citizens of Aefenglom. To have a king turn on them... ]

A betrayal, but a necessary one regardless. To have a king such as that sit on a throne is a dangerous thing.

[ Her ears stay pressed back, but her expression otherwise evens out as she answers Sansa's questions. ]

Witches had a hand, certainly, but Aefenglom as a whole stepped forward to stop him. A rebellion that succeeded. But the Coven chose to start over where King Serwyl had brought ruin - they sought to remake the land and repair the bond between it and the people.

From our records, we do know that the Coven had their own dwelling alongside the castle, as the Looking-Glass House has been maintained by the Coven for as long as it's been standing. But the castle was destroyed, and the land redistributed for the people and the city's Witches.

Was he a witch also? Or was the right to the throne blood based? [It was in Westeros, until Robert deposed Aeris II. But then of course the War of the Five Kings had some men vying for the throne that had no right, but they had the ability to seize power.]

It sounds much like Robert's Rebellion. When my aunt was killed, she was his betrothed. He challenged the King's son, Rhaegar, and won.

[It at least seems the history of this place can be understood even if the idea of Parliament is new to her. Mayhaps something similar could work in the south some day, but she was still steadfast in her opinion that the North needed to be led by a Northerner, her brother Jon if she had her way.]

What was the purpose for the Looking Glass House if our arrival was such a surprise? [She takes the speculation out of her voice, not wanting to sound distrusting. Their ways are different enough from hers. Magic itself was not something she had such contact with unlike her other siblings.]

He fancied himself one, but it's rumored the man could weave nary a spell in his lifetime. Had attendants who did it for him, as it was "beneath him" to display it to the public. But he did inherit the throne by birth, in his case - his father had taken it by force before him.

[ Her nose crinkles, entire snout with it. ] Sounds like a hollow victory if she lost her life with it. A life lost needlessly.

[ There are no acceptable casualties, to Mhairi. She and Nerissa differ at this point, to a degree, but have kept it to themselves so as not to cause unrest. To think that this young lady has faced so much loss in her life... it is a disheartening thing, knowing that there are other worlds out there that face so much strife. ]

The Looking-Glass House is our greatest mystery, as Ness likes to say. Three hundred years ago the Coven became the one as we know it, but Witches had been tending to the house for far longer, to the point that it's simply accepted in Aefenglom that it's a feature. We look away for a moment, and a new floor exists somehow inside that little cabin. New mirrors, new questions we don't have the answers to.

Witches will find a mirror that calls to them, and will bind their magic to the mirror, as a rite of passage when they join the Coven officially. There are many battling theories about its origins and initial purpose, however, and now more questions with your arrival.

[She listens carefully, storing this all away. Stories are often just as important as history. It may or may not have been the entire truth. So much of it seems shrouded in mystery.]

If I wish to learn more of the history of witches and the different monsters, what is the best manner to learn more?

And do you think there is anything of importance I could look into at the Parliament? Three hundred years is a lot to sift through.

[She knows there is much this land is going through, but she needs to learn how this place operates and functions to better herself and what she can do here. For others like her that found themselves here, and for the witches and creatures of this world.]

You may always ask, but the Undermael College's library has quite a few resources and the staff is always willing to help those with questions. As for the Parliament, one would require a sort of clearance to access any information in our Records. But we have even more in terms of records, and things that many people would find forgotten - I'm afraid we're a little lacking in upkeep at times, depending on what the Administrative Seats deem important.

[ But she regards Sansa with quiet interest, taking her in, considering their conversation.

Mhairi flips the page from the one she'd been writing on previously, picking up her pen once more and starting to write. It's quick and easy, more a note to herself than anything else. But an important one that she'll make sure gets taken care of the very second that she can pen out a letter. ]

Lady Denholm is the head of the Civic Seats, the branch of our government that focuses on the citizens and their best interests. They will take their appeals, their concerns and requests, and bring them forth to Parliament during session. She's the individual who put together the Haven effort, and she's to thank for the speed with which we were able to relocate everyone to give them far more opportunities for growth. [ She writes out Sansa's name in her tight, neat scrawl. ] If you would be interested, I can arrange for you to meet with her, to perhaps work with her to allow for you to take on an apprenticeship to the Civic Seats. It would eventually give you access to our Records.

[She steals away this knowledge, having heard of the college before this, but it's not a concept she completely knows.]

We do not have formal education like colleges in Westeros. My House was fortunate to have a Maester, and my sister and I had a Septa. They are women devoted to the Seven. [And then she realizes that she would have to explain that as well.] They are they gods of the lower five kingdoms.

[Sansa can't help but smile lightly at the idea of getting to work with Lady Denholm, someone who clearly knows how to get things done.] I think we would make a good team. As Lady of Winterfell in my brother's absence, I have taken such requests. It is winter where I am from, and those who have pledged to House Stark needed food and protection. It would be an honor to try and help the people here, too.

Scholars and tutors. [ Mhairi nods. ] We have something similar, and it was the primary means of education for quite some time, but the colleges were built up to better share knowledge. Enrollment isn't too difficult, should you have a sponsor like the Coven or someone from the Parliament Seats. Even guilds can aid in this.

[ But gods... ] You'll find that Geardagas previously did worship gods, but the practice is scarce nowadays.

[ Of course, she knows very little of the gods or the ways they were given tribute. She only knows of the Sisters, but they're so intrinsic on the lore of magic that you would be hard pressed to forget. Still - she finishes her note, nodding again. ]

Then certainly you will both be able to learn from each other. She's a good woman, and a personal friend of mine; so long as you show the same of yourself to her as you have to me, I believe you'll get on quite well. And she'll always answer whatever questions you may have, to the best of her abilities. The lady isn't the sort to turn away curiosity.

Mayhaps in my time here. I am sure it would help with my magic abilities here. [She hasn't forgotten about it. It's just another aspect of trying to adapt here, and at least getting involved with Parliament is something she knows and can understand. People are people, and their wants are easier to figure out.]

You do me a kindness. Thank you for all you have done. I will contact her when I can, and I will not let you down.

[Sansa is confident as she stands.] I will not take up any more of your time, but should you ever want to hear more of my home, I could tell you more. Goodnight, Miss Ainsley.

I should hope that we can return you and the others home before long, but in the event that it takes some time, the option will certainly be available. [ There's hopeful optimism, but realistic at its core. She's certainly not about to say that they can all just sit pretty in the Haven and wait. So many of them have questions, a desire to learn, a desire to help, that she wouldn't dream of restricting them.

Offering them answers where she can, and options, as well as warnings? Yes, those she will give.

Mhairi rises as she does, courtesy in every line of her posture. ]

You've done us one, Lady Sansa. This is not your world, your home in the North, but you've extended your knowledge in politics and willingness to lend aid to us. [ Her head dips in a bow, hand held to her chest, the same as the greeting she gave when Sansa arrived to the Coven. ] Be well, and please; should you ever have any further questions, I will do my best to find answers. I hope we will have time to learn more of the North while you are here.

I will take this opportunity to learn all that I can then. [Sansa has already learned that she cannot afford to let any opportunities to slip by. It his how she has survived as long as she has. At least in this regard, magic can certainly make her stronger.

She smiles lightly when Ainsley talks, giving a nod as they walk back towards the door.] I hope that my efforts come to something. It will also help if we extend our hand to you and your people. Mayhaps more will aid in our return home.

[Nothing is promised certainly, and even then sometimes a word given is not always the truth. There were no guestrites here, though Sansa's own brother was betrayed even after guestrites. She has to try though.

Once at the door, she gives a light curtsy in response to Ainsley's salute.] It was well met. We shall see each other soon, I am sure.

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