07.01d The Seventh Winter (Fireside Negotiations)

[misfit]

"Perhaps a bit premature to impose restrictions, yes...but never too soon to start considering potential problems. Ayum, your proposal is lacking some specifics. Could you put together a list of goods to restrict, and how you would propose that we enforce this plan? Have it delivered to my quarters and I will give it due consideration at my earliest opportunity." (OOC: Yes, this is an attempt to brush him off, but hopefully he won't take that poorly.)

"Lyra, perhaps in time you will come to consider Amber to be your home as I have. It does seem to open itself to some of us and make it a part of us...and we it. The shadow I came from will always be dear to me, but I no longer feel that I belong there as I do here. I am very pleased to hear that you are willing to do what you can make things better here."

"As for summer, you have walked the Pattern. You can walk back to summer whenever you wish to. Granted the road can be a long one, but it becomes easier with time. Perhaps when you are ready I can help you...and your husband of course...learn more of walking the Shadows. Perhaps you can avoid some of the mishaps I had along the way. We didn't exactly have guides to show us the way back in those days."

Harrune pauses and chuckles. "Will you listen to me? I sound so old when I talk like that. It's hard to believe some times that it's only been two years. Although it has been more, depending in how one looks at it. It can be confusing some times."

[Draylen]

Ayum considers that for a moment, thinking about what the Cani says. "Wel, yes, of course. But why it is hardly a matter fit for one of your stature to see to, Lord Harrune," he says, inclining his dwarven head at the much taller Cani. "But off the top of my head, Cardamon and saffron, spices of all kinds really, silk, satin, livestock..." He rambles on in the same vein, leading to the implication that if he had his way, only authorized merchants, and then only merchants working for Morek. He paces as he rambles on, thinking out loud mostly to himself, meandering closer to and farther from Aibne semi regularly.

[ShadowOfPreservation]

Lyra makes a mental note to keep an eye on the business activities of Morek and the dwarf. With occasional reminders that she would be keeping abreast of trade activities in the city, they shouldn't cause too many problems in the near future. For the moment, the dwarf seems to be content to ramble to himself and so the half-elf turns her attention to Harrune. She couldn't help but smile at the Cani's words. She had some idea of what the Cani meant. At times she was hardly able to believe all of the changes her life had taken in only a year's time.

"Thank you very much for your offer. I know both Rasanam and I would be greatly appreciative of your help and guidance. I still feel a strong connection to home and even though time may not be passing there while my husband and I are here, the time apart from my friends and family is admittedly making me slightly homesick. Making some new friends here will go a long way towards making this feel more like home. Besides, I still have a lot to learn here before I'm ready to go back to Akra and make some changes."

[misfit]

"Time does not pass in your home shadow while you are away? That is intriguing. Time ran much faster in my home shadow until I left, at which point it slowed considerable. I'm told that each of my visits brings it closer into line with time here in Amber. The next time I go back I will have to see if Kaimiri's servants have discovered why. I haven't had much time for scholarly pursuits. Perhaps I need to start making time for that too. Who knows, maybe some day I'll even get around to learning some Sorcery."

"My offer stands whenever you are ready. I come and go often, but if I am here I will do what I can. We'll just have to be careful not to violate any import regulations." Harrune winks broadly, but with his head turned so that Ayum won't see.

[ShadowOfPreservation]

Lyra similarly shields her chuckle from the dwarf. "Your offer sounds wonderful. Perhaps we can help each other out. Rasanam had begun teaching me the magic of our world before we were invited here and so, after my arrival, I was quite curious to learn about the magic of this world. I have to say there's quite a lot to learn but it can do some truly amazing things. I'm certainly no master but would be happy to impart what knowledge I have. As far as the time passage back home, I believe Dworkin tweaked the exchange rate in our favor when Rasanam and I expressed concern over being gone for an extended period of time. By the way, Rasanam and I will be sitting with Morgana this evening. You'd be welcome to join if you have no other plans. She's really the person to speak with around here if you want to learn any Sorcery.

[misfit]

"Morgana is one of my dearest friends in Amber. In fact I think she would be somewhat offended if I didn't join her for dinner. And yes, her knowledge of sorcery is staggering."

"Where I come from magic is everywhere...and in everything. It is a part of who we are. Children learn to use it without needing to be taught...at least for the simple spells. It comes as easily as learning to walk or talk. But a large part of our magic comes from our Gods, so beyond our shadow it doesn't work. Magic is much more difficult here. I could no doubt learn the magic of this place, but as I said I haven't had much time for scholarly pursuits. I have been busy with the Pattern, which I learn by doing. A much less...structured...way to learn, but fascinating nonetheless. One never knows what will find in the next shadow. Of course that also makes it a dangerous way to learn, but everything comes at a cost."

"And speaking of scholarly pursuits, you might wish to speak to Asai as well. She practically lives in the library. We run in different circles, so we don't talk much but she has a formidable intellect. If there is anything specific you need to know she is an excellent source."

[ShadowOfPreservation]

"Great, she sounds like someone I'll certainly want to meet. Perhaps you can introduce us. The place you're from certainly sounds interesting. Is that necklace from there? It's quite interesting."

[misfit]

Harrune casually reaches down and touches the necklace. His look as a certain wistful character to it.

"No, this was made here. Metal is very rare and expensive there. The artisan who made it is from there as well. I brought him back with me after a visit. This is a representation of my home...or at least a very small part of it. You see, my home is perhaps unique in all of the shadows. We live on a great tree. So great that even after exploring for millenia we don't know how large it truly is. We don't even know how many trunks there are, or how tall. It could be infinite for all we know. The branches are usually about..." (some quick mental calculations)..."50 miles wide and perhaps 1000 miles long."

"It was quite a shock when I first visited another world. It was so strange to find people living on a huge ball. And the skies seems so...lonely. Yes, you have stars, but to not have your gods right there in the sky for all to see? That was a hard thing to adjust to. And without the gods, I was without the magic. Magic so permeates everything there that even my clothing could not survive the leaving. I think it was that spark of the Pattern in me that allowed me to survive and later to bring others back with me."

Perhaps we should take Rasanam there at some point, but not tell him about it first. It might be fun to see his reaction."

[ShadowOfPreservation]

Lyra looks quite impressed as she tried to imagine a tree so enormous that entire cities could be built on a single branch. And what would it be like to go to a place where she felt severed from her Goddess? "It must have been very hard deciding to stay here then, leaving behind that special connection to your Gods. But I guess it speaks quite well of the many upsides to a life here that you decided to not only stay but bring others here from your homeland as well." Looking a bit excited, the half-elf continues. "It certainly seems that I need to put more of a focus on practicing walking the Pattern than I have been. I'd love to see your homeland and see what Rasanam thinks of magic being so infused into everything."

[Joshua]

"Metal is expensive?" Ayum notes. "Hmm... perhaps, an export might be interesting. But, he hard part if getting those who can shift through shadow. Your abilities are greater than those we can gain access to." He will start to strategically retreat in teh conversation, having failed to exploit Harrune before.