Striking camp the next morning went swiftly, without a hot breakfast the trio was eager to leave. Arriving at a plan once they had reached the valley floor had taken a bit of debate. Durg wanted to return to the cavern first and finish looting the duergar bodies. Cire half suspected that the dwarf wanted to do more than that, but he didn’t want to dwell on it.

Selene was determined to make straight for Maisy so they could learn more about their predicament. Cire had finally been won over by the pragmatism of Selene’s case. They could always return to the ruins and cavern once they were better provisioned. He needed to get more information on what it meant to be the ruler over the Chimera’s Mane, before he made any more mistakes.

Durg had been right about the additional opportunities for a royal house, even more so for the head of said house. Cire had quests to declare the capital of his territory, found a settlement, dedicate a shrine to one of the gods, and to establish diplomatic relationships with settlements within his territory. He hadn’t even really looked at the details, it was all overwhelming, he needed a better foundation before making decisions.

Cire was unnaturally quiet as he traveled with the others through the valley. So many experiences over the past month had come into sharper focus since his conversation with Charon. Dropping by his cabin, they stowed their extra gear and took a moment to freshen up.

Frigid water from the rain barrel made cleaning a race against the cold. Cire’s miss-matched eyes, one purple and one azure, gazed contemplatively back framed by his dirty golden hair. Familiar now, yet new.

No use thinking about it Cire. When the time is right you can give them the details, not that it will change anything. They have a right to know though.

Scrubbing his face one last time with the washcloth, Cire wiped away haunting memories and decisions. Tugging at the hem of his woven hemp tunic pulled the rough grime soaked fabric over his shoulders, both comfortable and skin crawling. He would need to spend an evening sorting it all out over a good pint. However, he had far too much on his plate to complicate things at present.

Ringing metal sounded repeatedly as they made they way towards town. Bhelbir, the blacksmith, was taking advantage of the cool morning. Undoubtedly the miners and lumberjacks had already headed out for the day, no one could sleep through the racket. If they were lucky they could get the two hamlet elders alone for a spell.

Durg shoved the tavern door open and bustled inside with the two elves close behind. Cire had expected Stout to be behind the counter preparing food or cleaning, it had been a poor assumption. The bald old gnome paced back and forth along the bar growling and grouching at a bemused Maisy.

“Can you believe that someone found the stone?!? After all these years of searching! Staying in this Hades forsaken frozen hole. How will I regain my position on the court now? And the people, argh! What do you want?”

Whipping his head towards the group, Stout bit off each word violently.

Maisy frowned and clucked her tongue at the tavern’s proprietor. “Manners, you old windbag. Now get behind the bar. If I am reading the situation correctly, you’re going to need a drink. We all will.”

Winding down the crotchety gnome took a bit, but after liberally plying spirits he was at least willing to listen. Maisy had collected coin for the drink from Cire poignantly, giving him a long up and down once over. Wrapping a coy smile onto her visage, after downing a shot, she voiced her suspicions.

“So, out of all the people in this valley you three found the stone. Let me guess, you gave it to the pretty bronze skinned elf.” Throatily she chuckled and ran a hand down her long silver braid.

“You three look like you got caught pinching sweets from a street vendor. Don’t worry, not everyone will be able to figure it out. However, all leaders of groups or settled areas within the territory will be able to spot territorial house members and of course, the ruler, if they look close enough.”

Stout was fuming at the proclamation and had narrowed his eyes at the three of them, squinting. Slamming his hand down on the table the gnome growled. “Already gone and made heirs! You three better come up with a good reason I shouldn’t roast you alive and take whats ours.”

Cire hadn’t actually seen any of the fire wizard’s magic up close, besides his adorable flame familiar, and he was pretty sure he didn’t want to. Maisy reined in her partner with a sharp slap to the back of his head.

“Don’t make threats dear, it’s not polite. Besides, I doubt they have the first iota of an idea of what they have truly gotten themselves into.” She cocked her head to the side, her smile widening. “Mmmm, maybe one of them knows a bit more than the others, but still they will need help, advice, and guidance. I bet we can negotiate for a worthwhile piece of treasure or two as part of establishing relations with the house of...”

“Eventide, I picked that as my house name. I am absolutely positive that we can arrive at an agreeable arrangement. I was a bit surprised though when Selene told me we needed to talk with you specifically. I didn’t realize you were the leader of the Hamlet of Sunset, I had always assumed it was Stout.”

Snorting, the gnome seemed to loosen up. Foam gathered on Durg’s mustache and beard as he gulped down his second draught, punctuating the conversation with belches and slurps. Selene rolled her eyes at the two.

“That’s the whole point. No one suspects Maisy, the anonymity provides more defense than a pair of bodyguards. I told you we are marked now, I just don’t know how bad it is.”

Maisy clucked her tongue again, “Oh dears, there is a reason that the territories are fought over, they represent power. That is neither good, nor bad. Although, often there can be more danger than it is worth, for most. Let’s start with what you three know about this valley, do you know why the bonding stone was here in the first place?”

Glancing sidelong to Cire, Selene took a sudden interest in her mug of ale becoming oddly tight lipped. Durg shrugged and wiped his beard clean, burped, then spoke.

“We be discussin’ this a bit when we found it and when we gave it to Cire. Be figurin’ it coalesced here ‘cause those ruins at the center o’ the valley musta been the previous capital fore’ this place went unclaimed for centuries. ‘Sides that I just know a few scraps about a lost ancient dwarven city, but there be plenty o’ those. By Hephaestus, me own clan be the remnants of a scattered city from millennia ago. There still be a seat on the dwarven high council reserved for the lord.”

Snapping his fingers, a nagging memory fought its way to the surface of Cire’s mind. “There were paintings, where we fought the yeti and cave bear. Dwarves and elves living together. I thought it was a bit odd, but there wasn’t much to go on. Put it all together and I am assuming that the ruins in the valley center were the old capital?”

Sharing a meaningful glance, Maisy and Stout both stood. Waving for them to follow the bartender waddled to the kitchen. “Follow me, don’t touch anything.”

Jostling to fit and competing to avoid contact with the grease and grime, they finally settled enough for Stout to re-arrange a stack of crates and reveal a trapdoor. Burned into the wood was a circular seal, a setting sun emblazoned in the center. Bending down and placing her palm flush on the marking, Maisy’s hand glowed with golden light. The clang of a latch and spring mechanism filled the small room.

Leading the way, Maisy gathered her hair over one shoulder and held up her other hand. Gathering in her palm, motes of light crackled and flashed forming a small globe. Awash with color, a mural depicting various scenes of everyday life covered the walls of the staircase.

Cire examined the walls of the empty basement once they made their way down, finding more pictures. Confirming his suspicions, a quick investigation revealed that dwarves and elves were the principal subjects. Clearing her throat, Maisy redirected his eyes to the center of the room, he nearly stepped back at what he saw.

Shimmering entirely in with golden light, Maisy’s tunic billowed and whipped back and forth as if caught in an invisible wind. Slithering down her legs, tendrils of energy connected with stone and moved along etchings wrought into the surface. Dazzling, a circular seal identical to the one burned into the hatch above blazed to life.

“This is the great seal of Sunset. Every permanent settlement has a seal. Think of it as a magical contract between the inhabitants of this place, its leaders, and the gods. The seal creates a bond with the settlements occupants and through that bond provides various benefits. You already came into contact with one of them during the gnoll raid. Stout issued a proclamation to increase the fighting ability of the hamlet.”

Walking a slow circuit around the outside of the seal, a repeating angled spiral, the female dwarf continued speaking as the runes below her feet flared to life. “The more people living within the boundaries of the settlement the more mana and abilities the leading house can draw upon.”

Making her way back to the center, Maisy opened her arms wide and began to chant. Tilting her head back, her eyes closed, her rhythmic dwarven speech reached a crescendo and the golden light suffusing her burst. Motes of tinkling yellow, orange, and white flashes dripped from the ceiling like rain made from fireworks.

“Theia, goddess of shining and light, I honor our pact and reaffirm my allegiance. Please bless all those present with your radiance.”

Awestruck, Cire would have let his mouth hang open at the sight if his attention hadn’t been caught by a notification in his periphery. Focusing, he brought the information forward as a translucent overlay.

You have gained a temporary blessing: Glimmer Boon.

Effect: +2 to Luck, +2 to Perception, Truesight (The ability to see through most illusions, disguises, camouflage, stealth, or similar abilities.)

Duration: 1 day, by making an appropriate offering the duration can be extended by a day.

“Once you dedicate the camp, settlement, hamlet, town, or city to a specific deity generally the house members gain access to magic or abilities associated with them. The divine or infernal patron will also gain strength. Depending on the pact there will be different requirements or tasks to perform.”

Maisy had used the distraction of her spell to sit cross-legged on the floor and she patted the stone next to either side. “Now, everyone take a seat so we can start negotiating.”

Durg clapped his hands together and gave them a good rub, dropping to his rump with a thump. “Now we be gettin’ ta the good part. What be on the table? Besides clearin’ my bar bill o’ course.”

Sitting with one knee up, Selene pinched the bridge of her nose and rubbed. “Maisy, Cire may be naive as a newborn nymph and Durg would gamble away his father’s beard, but no trying to swindle us. We should both walk away unhappy, otherwise neither of us compromised.”

Swirling a bottle of spearberry brandy and taking a swig Stout chuckled. “At least one of you has some sense. Be wary of any deals you strike, they will likely last far beyond your lifetime.”

Shock and awe as a concept was not foreign to Cire, but he hadn’t ever had the strategy employed against him. Cutting to the quick as always Selene’s caveat revealed Maisy’s display for what it was, but it didn’t entirely erase its effectiveness. Cire wanted to have good relations with the hamlet, he was honor bound to the small community and he owed it much.

I need to take the long term view on this, Rome wasn’t built in a day after all. Hmmm, not Rome. Athens? Sparta? Wait a second. She wants to start negotiating, now? Wasn’t there something else we were talking about?

Leaning back Cire took a look around the room, giving the walls a closer look. Nothing in particular stood out, except the elves and dwarves living together. These murals were in better condition than the cave, but they were obviously all in the same style.

These paintings are old, older than Sunset. There was one on the northern ridge, this one is at the western side of the valley. Give it hundred to one that there is a corresponding room with paintings on the southern and eastern sides of the valley. Are these really just empty rooms? Maisy wanted to get us to deal before we learned more. If I ask her, will she tell us the truth? If I play dumb, will she reveal more than she intends? Gah! Politics suck!

“CIRE!” Durg bellowed and slapped the sun elf on the back. “Lose your brains boyo? Stop day dreamin’ ‘bout Maisy when she be right in front of ya.”

Jolting, Cire blinked and shook his head, his internal debate had not gone unnoticed. “Ha, ha. No, didn’t lose my brains, just misplaced them. Maisy, what did you have in mind? Care to lay out your terms so we have a starting point?”

Observant as most in her profession, the archon of Sunset hadn’t missed Cire putting the pieces together. Blessing them hadn’t just been a kind gesture, she had wanted their perception to increase. Weaving her fingers together in her lap, Maisy nodded assent.

“Let’s begin with what I am offering, it will give my requests context. I am a very giving partner as Cire knows, I am sure we will all be pleased. Hospitality is my specialty and I have much more to offer you three than you could hope to trade to me upfront.”

Clearing her throat, she continued. “I will tell you all I know about the fallen city of Miletus, previous capital of the Chimera’s Mane. Provide guidance on founding your new capital and building your house. We will establish an alliance between Sunset and your house as well.”

“Alliances between settlements and territories are no trivial matter. The bond will be sealed by the mana tied within the land and it carries with it more than simple trade goods. As our bond grows deeper it will provide access to information and abilities that would otherwise be closed to you.”

Raising an eyebrow, Cire followed Maisy’s logic. She had revealed just enough to entice, hinting at the fruits of a successful coupling. Tilting his head and looking to his two friends, he shrugged.

“I’d rather not complicate things more than they need to be. I’m honorbound to the hamlet in any regard and what you are proposing seems like it is in our best interest. What’s the catch?”

Deep and joyous, Maisy’s chuckling echoed in the small room. “Well pretty boy, I want to be the emissary for your house and a member when I choose. You will found your capital on the ruins of the previous city and reclaim the titles of the preceding archon of the Mane.”

Stout grumbled under is breath, leaning his back against the wall he polished off his bottle. Maisy shushed him and added, “You will also consider making Stout your ambassador to the Seelie Court once relations are established. It doesn’t need to be part of the bargain, but it will probably make things easier. Now, I don’t expect an answer this moment, but I won’t share any more information until you make your decision. Let’s go back upstairs and have a bite to eat.”

Uncharacteristically enthusiastic, Stout scampered wobbly up the stairs. “I’ll prepare a meal fit for Kings and Queens!”

Blinking, Cire sighed. He had the distinct impression that he was getting fleeced. However, he wasn’t sure if he had better options, Maisy was holding all the cards. Regardless, it would be better to talk through everything with his friends, it was about time he told them the truth.