Events:
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It seemed that King Feybourn recognized the Vale name. He proceeded to ask if Caelen had any relation to Severin Vale, to which Caelen responded truthfully with yes. This seemed to upset the king, but he did not explain. Instead, he asked for details of why Ex Umbra was here and what they hoped to achieve. Zane handed over the encrypted letter that the defector had stolen. Zane took the time to write the deciphered message on the back. Zane also showed the king what the listening coins look like, and King Leonis commanded his guards to cut off the heads of the slain cultists outside and throw their collars in the river. Caelen explained that they were under the impression that the attack had either already begun or would be happening when they arrived. They had made this journey because they wanted to do their part to help people. The king asked what their connection to onyx was, and Caelen informed him that they seek to destroy this common threat. Zane added that they already have the support of Whitespire. King Leonis asked if they came to the aid of Sercia because they hoped to gain allies in this war they wish to start, and Caelen replied, saying they only wanted to help people. The king made a comment implying that he didn’t believe someone related to Severin Vale would truly care about other people. Caelen asked the king “What do you know about my father?” King Leonis replied, “Severin Vale is your father?” When Caelen said yes, the king ordered for the room to be cleared and told a guard to send in The Lady Sirena. Only she and Mr. Vale were to be in the chamber with the king. After the room was cleared the king asked Caelen if Severin was his biological father, and told Caelen that if he lies, The Lady Sirena will know. Caelen chose to be truthful and explained that Severin adopted him when his mother and father died in a fire during a dragon attack on Havencroft. The king immediately knew what he was referring to, saying “Grimon.” He asked Caelen to place his hand upon the crystal that rested atop his staff. It seemed to be a chunk of the crystal they encountered in Galestrom. Caelen touched it and it began to glow like before. The king asked him if he knew who his mother was, and Caelen said no. King Leonis then told the story of his sister Ashla Feybourn. This is what Caelen learned:
She was once a fierce dragon hunter a couple hundred years ago.
The only dragon that ever escaped her was Grimon.
She was not like other royals. She sought adventure more than status. She preferred armor over a dress.
She felt that her life was meant for more than state dinners, so without a dragon to fight she chose to travel Valoria in hopes of finding a new purpose.
Her first stop was Tanalor, where she met Severin Vale, and they fell in love. She decided to stay in Tanalor.
Severin eventually chose money and title over her, the very things she walked away from.
She wrote letters to her brother Leonis, telling him all of this.
Eventually she met another man named Orion, and they had a son. It was important to Ashla that her family name was respected. Though she left Sercia, she is still a royal, meaning her last name should be the name given to her child. Orion agreed, and they named their son Caelen Feybourn.
When the king heard of the attack he waited weeks for a letter, but it none ever arrived. He had no choice but to assume his sister and nephew were killed.
King Leonis then asked Caelen what his name was, as he only knew him to be Mr. Vale at this point. And Caelen responded, “You already know.” Caelen then asked what his mother looked like. The king asked The Lady Sirena to show Caelen, and she conjurer a vivid 3d illusion. King Leonis proceeded to explain that as his nephew, Caelen would be rogonized as Lord Caelen Feybourn, the title he was born with, but he could choose to be recognized as Lord Caelen Vale if he would prefer. Nonetheless, Sercia would be allies with Ex Umbra. There are a few things that need to be addressed first, but the king said they could discuss that tomorrow. More importantly the king had something to ask of his nephew. He asked Caelen to lead the Sercian troops when the time comes, as a member of the royal family. Caelen was not prideful, he was honest. He explained that Zane would be a better fit for military leadership. The king decided that Caelen would act as the voice of Sercia to their allies and represent the throne, while The Lady Sirena would lead the troops with Zane’s expertise. Caelen agreed to these terms and the king asked The Lady Sirena to escort Caelen and the rest of Ex Umbra to their rooms. While walking upstairs, Caelen asked The Lady Sirena why the crystals react to his blood. She explained the history of elven migration and said that the exact reason is unknown, but that many theorize the Feybourn family is more pure blooded with genes that trace back to ancient fey elves, and thus they may be more connected to inter-realm magic. On the top floor, they reached a long hallway with 6 doors. Each door had a rectangular white stone with a golden outline beside it. The Lady Sirena asked Vethra to go first, and told her to place her hand upon the stone. When she did the golden outline glowed for a moment as strange sounds of magic came from behind the door. When she opened the door the room was perfectly customized for Vethra with Fey botany, a large mushroom cap bean bag chair, a fluffy bed, and all the instruments you can imagine. The Lady Sirena explained that she enchanted these rooms to detect your thoughts and then produce them inside of these pocket dimension rooms. Next was Katrina, followed by Zane and Shadoe. Shadoe was the first to realize that the windows were also enchanted. They could see out of the palace if that’s what you desired, but the window in Shadoe’s room showed the scene from a mountain top lodge. Shadoe also was the first to see the downside of a room that read your thoughts, as she gazed upon a painting of a little girl known as Iris. Sirena asked her who the girl was and Shadoe simply said “She’s my little sister.” Sirena replied, “She’s cute” before walking away. Lastly was Caelen. His room was an entire house, his childhood house from the dreamscape, but there was one difference. He could feel as he entered the room that there was something g below. A trapdoor under the rug that led down to a basement for his Silver Slayer identity. The Lady Sirena bid him goodnight, and then paused, asking if he would prefer for her to stay. Caelen knows nothing about flirting though so he said “no you can go, goodnight.”
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The next morning Sirena brought Caelen breakfast and tried to flirt once more but he continued to dismiss her. Afterwards she made her way down the hall letting everyone know that the king was planning to discuss details with everyone at lunch in a few hours. Shadoe decided she wanted to go for a bit of a walk. She went to the 2nd floor and saw the bedchambers of the royals. From one room that seemed unused she heard the kings voice. He spoke aloud as if he was speaking to his lost sister, telling her that she should be proud of her son and that he is so much like her. Shadoe lurked near the door listening in, interested in what she heard because Caelen never told them what he learned. She heard the kings footsteps approaching the door so she grabbed an empty breakfast tray and took a few steps backward down the hallway. When the king emerged he asked if she needed something and she played it off by asking where they should bring their dishes. The king placed the tray on a small table outside the princess’s room informing Shadoe that the maids can take care of it. He told her he would see her at lunch and then retired to his chambers. Shadoe couldn’t overcome her curiosity. When the hallway was clear, she snuck into the room that the king exited from and locked the door behind her. In this room she saw a modest bed, a suit of armor, a mounted blue dragon head, a bookshelf, and a writing desk. As Shadoe investigated the room she found letters that the king had received from his sister Ashla. He had stored all her letters away in her writing desk. While reading she learned everything Caelen had been told, but she also read one more thing that Caelen didn’t know. Before the siege of Havencroft, Ashla planned to bring her son Caelen to Sercia to meet his family and learn his heritage. Shadoe was shocked with the realization, but she was even more shocked when she looked at the bookshelf. She found a book that she had seen before, “The Dragon Hunter’s Grimoire”. The same book Katrina carries with her. Before she had a chance to take all of this in, she heard the maid coming down the hall. She then heard the king say to the maid “I spent some time in Ashla’s room, could you tidy it up for me?” Shadoe didn’t have much time, but she knew she couldn’t let them discover the door was locked. She unlocked the door and crawled under the bed. The maid took a moment to get on a knee to sweep up a section of the carpet. Shadoe had tracked in a bit of dirt on her boot. Shadoe could see the maid, but the maid never saw her. As the maid exited the room, Shadoe decided to exit via the window. She used her grappling hook to climb to the window above her, which just so happened to be Zane’s window. He was sipping his coffee and reading a book when he noticed Shadoe knocking on the window as she dangled from a rope 3 stories in the air. At first Zane messed with her, but eventually he unlocked the window and opened it, though he didn’t help her up. After she clambered in, he asked what she was doing and she immediately changed the subject by asking about his book. It was called “Chains of Love, Volume 3”, and his wife gave it to him. Surprisingly enough, Shadoe had read the first two books of the series. They talked about the slow burn romance for a moment, and Zane even mentioned the potential slow burn between Lady Sirena and Caelen as he had seen the way she looks at him. Shadoe let him get back to his book and made her way back to her room. Meanwhile Vethra did her best to show Katrina how to play the harp. Her claws made it the perfect instrument for her and Vethra is quite good at it. Later, they all made their way to the dining room for lunch with the king. Ex Umbra was seated at the end of the table, furthest from the king, along with The Lady Sirena. Sirena spent her time trying to flirt with Caelen, and Zane and Shadoe did their best to be her wingman/woman, to no avail. The other people at this dinner included military leaders and dignitaries from the various cities across Sercia. Sev Trissle, the watcher of the wind realm doorway, was also in attendance. The king informed them all of the situation they faced, and announced his decision. He decided that Sercia would send a large number of troops to support Ex Umbra in their attack on Onyx under the leadership of Lady Sirena and two Lieutenants. Ex Umbra was tasked with investigating the desturbance in the wind realm like they promised Sev, and negotiating peace between the powerful families of Saphidym and Teladym. After lunch Ex Umbra learned the specifics of the family rivalry. The princess is of age to marry, and both families have an eldest son they wish to present to the princess. They spoke with Sev and asked how he managed to get here so fast. He informed them of The Lady Siren’s ability to teleport. They also learned of invisible wind spirits that were once referred to as Stalkers. With this information in mind they chose to head to Galestrom first. Sirena teleported them there and they joined with Sev while she rested. Caelen activated the tower and opened the gateway. When they entered, Sev remained outside. In the wind realm they entered into a room they could barely see. An intense cyclone of winds surrounded the edges of the room, making even the walls impossible to see. In this room there were 8 large horns, one of which was broken, and an enchanted pirate chest in the center that seemed to be listening. The horns rested upon circular platforms that seemed to rotate, but the opening was far too large to play by mouth. Zane turned one of the horns and played a note using the wind in the room. Immediately after, he was attacked by a Stalker.
