• Completed • Negotiation: 101 [Inali]

[Maltruism]

Negotiation: 101

67 Ashan, arc 717

Guidance Counselor Marlin Tagley led Inali from the Office of the Citizen's Committee personally. The young eidisi woman's strange globe hovered beside her as she walked. The glances it provoked urged them to hurry, but Tagley would have none of that. He returned the scowls of fear and hostility with smiles of reassurance and serenity.

He was not, of course, entirely oblivious to what was causing the looks they were receiving. He was well aware that a rash of flaying murders had stricken the city and that witnesses to the presence of the only person-of-interest had only truly agreed on his being an eidisi. Many went further to declare a height, and estimate a weight, both of which were infuriatingly average.

But it was also well accepted that it was a male, which gave Tagley cause to remind folks that the young lady accompanying him was not a suspect and should not be treated as one. But it was more the respect (and a degree of fear) that the citizens held for the counselor, and not any surety that the murderer's gender could not have been faked, that brought a lessening of the tension.

But of course, with every turn, a new crowd did double takes and began murmuring restlessly. The latest being a group whose courage looked like it was abut to be bolstered by a trio of Black Guard sentries. But fortunately, they were of a more open-minded mien and turned their rank and authority against the crowd, ordering them to "Be civil, or silent!"

Had they not had to pass the Arena, there may not have been such obstinance. But moods were often inflamed by the competitions and outright combat and wagering that frequently took place there. But at any rate, they arrived at the Academy free of incident. It required the ascension of a few curving flights of stairs, as the administrative section was above the actual classroom levels.

Tagley approached a finely polished Cambria wood door, knocking lightly. In a few moments, the door opened to reveal a stately-looking gentleman in a silken robes, with a pair of ledgers tucked under the arm not being used to hold the door open. "Marlin?" he asked with a pleased and surprised tone. "My, what brings you here? Is it this lovely lady?"

He seemed to realize there was a courtesy he'd neglected, and he backed up with a chuckle, "Come in, come in. I was just balancing some tuitions. It's funny how those that have the most money seem to feel they deserve the biggest breaks on their payments. I'm afraid I'm not going to be very popular tomorrow; not that I'm ever really that popular to begin with."

He said this last remark as he was returning to the ornate wooden monster he called a "desk". He motioned for them to take their leisure in one of a half-dozen matching, richly upholstered chairs, as he slipped a flask and a trio of tumblers from a side drawer. Pouring a refresher for them each, he sat back with a smile, "So, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

[Inali]

Inali found herself musing on the whirlwind conversation with Marlin Tagley as the duo made their way to the Academy. To her recollection, neither Viden nor Ne’haer had provided any sort of guidance service to expatriates. Marlin had guided her to his office with the empathy of a man who had been subjected to racism and painful remarks. As he moved through the inner rings of the city, he smiled and nodded at loitering citizens, showing no fear in the face of numerous pointed and accusatory glances. Had he experienced something in his past that led him to this career? He was human, so Inali doubted he had to suffer like the naerikk or other hated races. Perhaps he had been a traveler in his younger days and knew the feeling of stepping into an unknown city with little more than rumors of opportunities and a few golden nels in his pocket. Whatever had prompted the older man to take up his difficult post, Inali was grateful. As they continued past a particularly vocal crowd, Inali smiled towards Marlin and spoke,

“Thank you, Mr. Tagley. You’ve taken the edge off Etzos. I’ll admit, I’ve never been exposed to this level of vitriol, and I considered simply fleeing back to Ne’haer, as I mentioned before. I thought I had thick skin but this is…”

She trailed off, wondering if there was a word to describe the overwhelming sense of hatred that circulated through the city. While she couldn’t be sure that it was only racism, the eidisi was convinced that she was facing something far more vexing. Wasn’t racism supposed to be subtle? After a few more bits of walking, they arrived at the Academy and began the slow ascent up multiple flights of stairs. Inali breathed in deeply, catching a faint hint of parchment and a spilled ink well further down one of the hallways. A faint smile passed over her lips, and she almost commented to Marlin about how much the Academy reminded her of the Institutes within Viden. Before she could speak up, they had arrived their destination.

Marlin and Inali were beckoned in the large sunlit room without any suspicious glances, and the eidisi had to fight the urge to preemptively explain away the color of her skin and the globe that floated behind her. The man that welcomed Inali into the office took his place behind a desk that could have only been constructed by the destruction of numerous trees. For her part, Inali did not blame him. It was critical to have a proper work environment when dealing with complex ledgers and recalcitrant pupils. Inali took a seat next to Marlin and sipped at the offered whiskey before replying with a knowing smile,

“I’m sure those pupils expect more than just a discount on tuition. In my experience, they also expect concessions in the classroom as well.” Inali frowned at the idea as she continued,

“I was hoping to provide my skills to the Academy. While I am not as knowledgeable as the professors in Viden, I do have a strong grasp on linguistics and I can teach Rakahi, the Ancient Tongue, and Common to your pupils here.”

She paused for a trill and blushed,

“I’ll admit, I don’t have any familiarity with the local tongue, Ith’ession. In my spare time, I’ll be working towards fluency in that language as well. If you already have a language professor, I would be more than happy to translate documents as well.”

The latter offer was not one Inali particularly wished to pursue. Translation was slow, painstaking work with little chance of recognition. Still, she knew that her dwindling nel purse left her with little in the way of bargaining power. She smiled graciously at the man and continued sipping her whiskey while she waited for a reply.

[Maltruism]

The Guidance Counselor gave introductions, naming the administrator 'Executive Director Londan Toberell'. After the compulsory small talk, Tagley rose, citing his need to attend to matters of his own office. He wished them both luck, asserting his certainty that they would come to agreeable terms, and downed the remaining contents of his tumbler.

Toberell observed standard courtesy, stating his regrets that they never had time to spend together socially. The usual promises to make renewed efforts in this regard were echoed by both men as Tagley reached the door and bowed his way out. Toberell sat back now, his tumbler resting on his belly, as he motioned for Inali to state her position. His encouraging smile faded into a somewhat pained expression as she finished up.

"Hmmm...I see. Well, we can certainly provide you with classes in Ith'ession. I'm afraid most of our students are already more or less conversational in common, it being the comparative language upon which the languages they are learning are trained through. Rakahi would be a nice addition to our options, but there's a restriction on ancient, what with it being commonly associated with magical disciplines."

They traded offers and counter offers for a good portion of the next break. The best he could offer her as far as Linguistics went was an assistant position to one of the established academicians. He warned her, however, that it would not only cause some resentment with the staff, who were undoubtedly grooming interns of their own to serve as assistants; but it would also fall short of offsetting much in the way of tuition costs for the Ith'ession classes she sought.

The current racial tension standing against her efforts was a subject he hoped to avoid bringing up. So every other obstacle he thought of came off as being initially said with a tone of relief, though he usually recognized this effect in time to intone his voice with genuine regret. There was also the matter of the mid-session they were currently completing. Tradition demanded she should have either started 67 trials prior, or wait another 56 for the start of the next session.

"If you were to start mid-session, I'm afraid I would have to collect full nel anyway. You're really not offering the Academy as much as you would be getting back. I can not give you a trade straight across. And the chances are all too likely that you'd have to repeat the current session anyway. Despite the assets you can provide, I really can not offer you a cost-effective proposal at this time."

He started in his chair as the door suddenly closed. He had not heard it even open, let alone noticed that a man had entered. And not just any man...

"Lord Vuda!" he sputtered, looking somewhat intimidated as he checked quickly around to be sure nothing politically incriminating had been left out.

"Director..." The Chief Adviser responded, nodding absently. Despite his acknowledgement, his eyes were fully on the woman seated across from the administrator. His smile was entirely benevolent as he approached one of the empty seats, one which would have triangulated their relative seating positions.

Though he did not pull back the hood on his robe, Vuda observed the courtesy of giving the administrator a look which served to ask permission to sit. Toberell could not accommodate him quickly enough, waving eagerly for him to be seated.

"Miss Inali, I believe?" he asked, seeking nothing more than confirmation at first. He then turned his gaze to the Executive Director, "Mr. Toberell, I believe I can provide terms that will meet everyone's needs here. Opening a seat in one of your ongoing sessions will be no object. This young lady has much more to offer than just an assistant capacity, and I can authorize a lifting of the restriction on imparting lessons in ancient if you are short on instructors right now."

His gaze now turned to the globe hovering near her head. "I have not observed any discussion of this remarkable bauble here, My Dear. Nor from you, Director. Is this not an artifact of Immortal make? Tell me, either of you, what does it do?"

[Inali]

Inali felt her heart drop at the director’s first sentence. It was a sentence she had heard many times before, all wrapped in different ribbon with the same damned prize inside. The eidisi doubted that the director was even aware of how his words came across. Inali thought of them as a sort of proxy – a way to prepare the listener for an uncomfortable truth or ten. She gripped her tumbler tighter and rested her free hand against her thigh, trying her best to look regal under the pressure. As the director continued to speak, she smiled and nodded. He was not a bad director – all his points were based solely on the fiscal limitations and needs of the Academy. Common was taught at the lower levels of education and the persistence of the language throughout most of the major cities ensured that students couldn’t simply ignore it once their classes were done for the day.

Even with his qualifying statements, Inali hadn’t expected the offer to be so… bad. She had helped teach courses in Viden and tutored plenty of students in Ne’haer. It would be pointless to tell the director this, of course. She changed tactics, expounding on the pedagogy that she had been tutored in while in Viden.

“I know that my repertoire of languages pales in comparison to those of your academicians, but perhaps I could teach one small class in Rakahi in addition to the assistant position. I wouldn’t need help offsetting the tuition – I would simply like a chance to prove that the teaching methods I have studied will add unique value to the Academy.”

Every time Inali felt like she brought up a valid argument, Londan Taberell provided a irrefutable counter in reply. He spoke of the traditions and culture of the Academy. He regretted to inform her that the start dates were set in stone and that adjusting them would be detrimental to the students’ schedules. The eidisi drained her tumbler and placed it on a small side table none too gently. After a half break of discussion she oscillated somewhere between anger and acceptance. The role he proposed was far beneath her and her friends in Viden would have mocked her mercilessly if they ever found out. Inali, linguistics assistant. The mere thought caused her lips to turn downward into a frown and she covered the gesture quickly with a small cough and apology. She mentioned something about strong alcohol and considered the options before her, weighing the merits of asking the counselor if he was so reluctant to hire her because of her race. No.

She took advantage of the brief lull in conversation to muse on why the Academy had chosen London Toberell to fill the Executive Director position. He was charismatic, sympathetic, and willing to talk her in circles for a break if it meant that she would accept an offer of his design. Inali wondered how far she would rise within the Academy with such a shrewd and opinionated Director. If all of the staff of the Academy were half as tenacious, she worried if she would be able to climb at all.

Before Inali could offer her regrets that they couldn’t come to an agreement, the director started in his chair, looking as if he had seen a ghost. Inali followed his gaze, turning in the plush confines of her chair to face the newcomer. The director’s piped up from behind her as the man, Vuda, crossed the length of the room.

She nodded and smiled at Vuda when he addressed her, more than happy to see a new face after many bits of focusing solely on her deliberations with the director. Inali tried and failed to conceal a hushed gasp at the Chief Adviser’s directive. He spoke confidently, as if the director was a man that simply needed to be told exactly how to run his Academy. While the terms were more favorable than she could have ever dreamed of, gooseflesh fluttered across Inali’s neck. Such gifts were not free. Even if they were, what would the other academicians say of her appearance within their halls? By the time Vuda turned to her, Inali was more than a bit hesitant to reply.

She started with what she knew – manners and general social niceties.

“Thank you, Lord Vuda. I’m grateful for your compliments and assurances that I can contribute to the Academy. I will do my best to assist in any way I can, of course.”

She paused for a moment and turned to the Memory Globe, plucking it lightly from the air to rest in the air in front of her. She beckoned the globe silently, willing it to play the memory of her entrance to the city. It showed the great statue from a distance and replayed the conversation between herself and the guard, the audio clear and loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. As the memory ended, she willed the globe to play a soundless looping memory – a scene of a forest she had camped in a season early. Breathing in deeply, she spoke,

“This globe was given to me by Thetros for aiding one of his followers. Rigo was blessed by Thetros, but not particularly loved by anyone else. He had a difficult life and turned to murder. He killed many in Ne’haer before Thetros intervened.”

She shrugged, as if her part in the ordeal was inconsequential.

“It records anything I will it to, and a mere thought of that memory can play any of them back. There is no limit on what I play back, as far as I can tell, but it does have the bad habit of following me around. Can’t get it to stop either, I’ve had some children try to steal it, and it just reappears. I know that Etzos does not approve of Immortals. Will my globe be a problem, Lord Vuda?”

Inali tensed slightly as she lied about the ability of the globe to 'reappear' next to her when stolen. Her fingers danced around the edge of the glass, eager to find some action to distract her mind from the consequences of lying to a man that made the director jump.

It was a questionable lie, but one she had uttered in the past to prevent thieves from getting any bright ideas about the fortune in onyx nels they could earn by removing it from her possession. One particularly bold urchin in Ne'haer had stolen it. Inali had to expend the majority of her coin purse and accumulated favors to track the boy down. In lieu of killing him, she had offered him one hundred nels and a loaf of bread. After a few minutes of tense back and forth, the urchin realized that unsavory types who would have the nels he sought would be more than happy to kill him instead of paying.

[Maltruism]

The Chief Adviser stared in wonder at the episode of Inali's arrival at the gate, as it played within the depths of the globe. He had viewed distant reaches before, through portals he'd ruptured, but they were hardly something that would go unnoticed by those at the other end. He'd wished more than once that he could spy out some of the council meetings without having to actually be there. He wondered if this could now be accomplished.

The smile remained on Vuda's face as he listened to what the young would-be instructor told him of the globe, and spoke of how she'd obtained it, along with the limits of her control over it. The smile no longer reached his eyes. It was as he'd already been told. He'd hoped to find that details had been misinterpreted. Fortunately, he had prepared for the truth in spite of hoping otherwise.

The young lady asked him if the globe would be a problem. It was understandable with both the standing policy of non-Immortal leanings, and the current tensions against eidisi in particular, that she wold ask this. He did not respond for nearly a fill bit, as his gaze alternated between Inali herself, the Executive Director, and several distant spots in the room.

He suspected she was getting uneasy with his silence, as he cupped his elbow in one hand and tapped his chin with the other. His gaze finally stopped on the administrator, "Could I ask you to leave us alone for a few bits, Londal?" The way his gaze then turned immediately to Inali before the administrator even had a chance to respond made it clear that any negative answer would not be acceptable. His eyes did follow the man out the room, awaiting the full closing of the door before he spoke.

"So it is basically always active, triggered only by your will, and you can not leave it behind, even when it would serve you to not be seen with it." his eyes narrowed as he considered several options, "Let us see if we can set it on the far side of the room, on top of something so it looks like nothing more than a decoration. You say you've let children steal it, so I ought to be able to handle it for that task."

As he walked to the globe, to see if it would let him move it, he first pulled a letter from a pocket of his robe and handed it to her. "I don't see this as a problem as far as Immortal policies go. More likely it will make the citizenry look upon you as an eidisi mage. We have been having a horrific problem with one such, but he is known to be a male, so perhaps you should be sure you dress in something decidedly feminine as you go about the city. At least until some other non-human race becomes the focus of such ugliness. It does tend to change from season to season."

As he took hold of the globe to see if he could affect moving it. Inali had the opportunity to see the note...

I do not want my spoken words to be on a visible record, and I think written words like these will be difficult to see clearly enough to be a liability. I have agents in Ne'Haer that spoke of the incidents which gained you this globe. They also spoke of what they believed it did. But I need to see for myself.

This is unique enough of an item that I have never heard of it before, and a doubt any will attribute it to Thetros. And even if they should, He is not one of the Immortals with which Etzos has any particular issue. I am certain I can provide a trade of fair worth to you for use of this globe, assuming it performs as hoped. But I need to wait until you arrive to learn what it is you seek.

As far as the globe's use goes, can it be teamed with another person besides yourself? If not, do you think it will allow you to stand on the other side of a wall? And do you think it will remain set atop a pedestal, like some simple decorative item? Or must it always hover?

Please do not be intimidated by what is likely to be my conniving behavior. It is entirely due to my having to write this without knowing exactly what I will need to offer in trade, and my need to discover what its capabilities are right at this time. I want nothing more than to come to an agreeable exchange of benefits.

[Inali]

Inali watched Vuda carefully as he reflected on her explanation. There was a subtle shift in his expression, almost too small to be noticed. The eidisi peered at the man none too politely for a half bit before realizing the error of her ways. The shadows that Vuda's hood cast upon his face made it nearly impossible to detect whether those slight changes were out of annoyance or interest. For the sake of her employment prospects within Etzos, Inali prayed for the latter.

After a few more trills of looking between the Director and the desk, she pondered what Vuda would do if he caught her lying. Would a heartfelt, fear-fueled apology right the situation? Probably not. If he had sensed the lie and correctly guessed at the implications, Vuda could call the guards and have the globe taken from her by force.

Vuda's voice cut through her thoughts and she looked from the chief adviser to the director, noting just how quickly Londal pushed his ledgers aside and stood up. He was out of the room in the span of a few heartbeats and the thick wooden door closed quietly behind him as the latch clicked into place.

As they continued their conversation in private, Inali considered his words carefully, noting the opportunity Vuda had provided her. She spoke up as he walked towards the globe, eager to amend her prior statement,

"I have had some luck stowing it in a small bag, but I have only tested that in my own residence. I wouldn't be able to access my nel purse or notebooks in public without fear of someone seeing it and mistaking the globe for something more sinister. I'd also have to account for why it wouldn't be floating beside me and I didn't have a good enough excuse."

Inali grasped the parchment lightly and waited to unfurl the letter until he was done speaking. She was thankful for the distraction by the midway point of his statement. The words 'non-human race' were not inherently pejorative, but the exclusionary tone was more than enough to anger her. Her kin were better than humans and decidedly better than the other 'non-human races' as well. She bristled at the thought of being lumped in with the brash avriel or savage mer. Did Vuda see her as little more than a blue skinned scholar from Viden? He had vouched for her abilities, but she was beginning to understand that his true interest was in her artifact. She smiled wryly as he moved the globe past her. It seemed that a break of deliberations with the director was only the start.

As Vuda moved the globe across the room, Inali unrolled the parchment and scanned the numerous lines of crisp text. While the initial revelation that he had known of the globe for multiple seasons shocked her, the impact faded by the time she finished the last sentence. A spike of panic lanced through her chest and she glanced down at the letter again, trying to figure out which part she should reply to. The whole letter felt like a pool of quicksand and she almost wished that she was back to arguing with Londal. Listing her qualifications and merits had been simple - she could speak on that which she was familiar with - the achievements that she had spent her life working towards. Speaking to the chief adviser to High Marshall Pahrn required her to do more than simply list facts from memory - she had to weigh every word against the power and might of Etzos. The polite tone of the letter underscored the level of influence the adviser wielded outside of the city. What more did Etzos know of Ne'haer? What more did Vuda know about her?

She coughed lightly, aware that she had let a full bit pass after she read the letter. Before she replied, Inali willed the globe to display her most recent memory - the image of the letter and its contents held within her hands. While she couldn't see the image from a distance, she was sure that it was legible - she had used the same technique to avoid buying books and to collect her research. She spoke in a quiet voice - loud enough to be heard by Vuda, but hopefully quiet enough that anyone outside the door would only hear faint whispers.

"The globe has some... unconventional uses. I didn't show you that to threaten you, only to demonstrate that the limits are based on what I can clearly see and hear."

She glanced down and referenced the questions, deciding to start at the top and work her way down.

"I haven't allowed anyone to touch it. I'm not sure what would happen if someone else tried to access the memories held within it. Perhaps they would see their own recollections. As for the question of flotation, the globe can be placed, I've set it on my nightstand at home. However, I'm not sure how it would react if I was on the other side of the wall."

The last line lingered in her mind's eye for more than a few trills. An agreeable exchange of benefits. The phrase had roiled around her consciousness since the first moment she saw it, demanding an answer, even if she dared not utter it aloud. It would be easy to simply ask for a permanent position in the Academy and a residence within the city. More than that, it was a safe option. But neither of those two options were what she truly desired.

Inali rose to her feet slowly, testing the ground beneath her feet. Unlike the conversation, the smooth tile of the floor was undoubtedly solid. There was no place to sink, no sharp bladed traps that could cause her to lose her most valued possession. She moved to stand beside the chief adviser and spoke candidly as she examined the textured wall.

"While I teach languages as my primary trade, I also dabble in more... creative applications of linguistics. I have spent the last few arcs of my life practicing the arts of cryptography and forgery. It was why I left Viden. Forgery is outlawed, for obvious reasons. Thankfully, I have yet to forge documents that are important enough to land me in a cell."

She smiled at that, reflecting back on how awful her initial attempts were before continuing,

"My primary interest is in the cultivation and trade of secrets. If a merchant trusts me enough to create a cipher for his trade logs, there is no coded communication of his that I can't unravel. I warn them not to get too comfortable with the cipher, but they often do. You can imagine how useful the globe is in these endeavors."

Inali cleared her throat and turned her attention back to the globe,

"I seek a way to further my influence and abilities in the domains I've mentioned. I came to Etzos looking for others that are like me or those would who be willing to form an alliance around the common goal of unearthing the delicate matters that people wish to keep hidden. I'm in the process of looking for a space for this endeavor. It would be more of a work space. I was also hoping to gain some guidance on whether Etzos would permit such a group to operate inside the city."

The eidisi didn't bother insulting Vuda's intelligence by implying that he could join her yet unformed group. It was clear that the chief adviser had his own network of spies and covert agents. Whether or not she could provide enough value for him to take interest in her own endeavors was yet to be seen. Inali waited silently, eyes focused solely on the artifact held in Vuda's hands.

Whoops

What's a short post? I blame you!

[Maltruism]

Vuda removed a bust of the founder of the academy and set the globe upon the now-empty pedestal. As the image of his letter suddenly flashed into the depths of the device, he unconsciously straightened and turned a pointed look to the eidisi women. He looked back at the globe again to confirm that the wording was entirely legible with no more focused concentration that required to discern anyone else' handwriting.

"Remarkable..." he said slowly, with just a hint of defensive posturing. "So, it is not what the globe encounters, but rather what you encounter that is recorded here." He left the globe where it rested, and took a few echoing steps across the polished stone floor, his eyes piercing the air between himself and Inali. "You can say you mean no threat, my dear, yet that does not diminish the repercussions I could suffer, were I to have stated anything much beyond what you already have there."

He allowed a strained silence to work its own magic on the room as he glared from beneath his hood. Then his eyes softened, as his mind took track upon more constructive rails. "So, let us be frank. Were I too impose some...restriction upon you, it would only negate the functionality of this object. I mean, what gain could be acquired with you sitting in a jail cell, far from any significant event, worthy of record."

Even the smooth slide of the chair had a threatening hiss, as he again seated himself across from her. "It would take little enough experiment to escort you from this room, without the globe, and see if you spoke the truth about it reappearing beside you. Perhaps the aforementioned jail cell would provide sufficient distance to truly test this theory. But again, that is a losing proposition for us all. At least I can say that my knowing what capability you and this globe present puts me in a more secure position than the rest of Etzos."

He chuckled softly at the look of apprehension on her face, then waved it off, "I'm sorry, young lady, umm...Inali you said? No, fear no reprisal from me. It has become a rare occurrence that I find myself receiving the short end of the metaphorical stick, and I confess, I let myself default to the boorishness of pulling rank upon you. No, I would never wish to see such a wondrous capability spoiled by poor sportsmanship. What was it again that you were hoping to accomplish here?"

He listened as she explained her plans, "Can you...call it to you from here?" Whether she could or not, he explained himself, this time with no hint of threat to his guest, "You see, I had hoped I could set this little bauble in the council chamber, as a mere decoration, and have it record those meetings from which I occasionally find myself excluded. Naturally, I am the most intrigued by what may be said or done in those councils where my detractors have specifically insisted upon my absence."

He pushed the chair back and stood, "I had hoped that this device might solve that problem. But if it is your presence that is required for transcripts to be acquired, and not the globe itself, then my strategies will have to involve getting you in earshot of council somehow. That will not be easy. But the very first necessity will be ensuring that we are not connected as acquaintances, so that any sight if you will not bring the assumption of any scheming on my part. In the meantime, I will be considering ways of gaining access to closed councils with this, and you will contact me through Mr. Tagley when necessary; and of course, vice versa."

He extended his hand, "Shall we go then?" After any last comments by his guest, they left the room, the globe floating beside them. Vuda, frowned slightly, "Perhaps you should put that in a bag, as you stated earlier."

They stepped out into the hallway, where Director Toberell waited nervously. Vuda eyed him directly, "If you would be so kind, Londan, I would appreciate you retrieving one of your school satchels for this young lady to carry this device home. Also, if you would please sign off on whatever she requires, I strongly believe neither of us will be...disappointed." The tone and the pause of the word brought a hard swallow from the Director, as he hurried to comply.

[Inali]

Inali hesitated when the Chief Adviser turned his attention away from the globe and focused entirely on her. For a half bit, he did not speak. The silence was unnerving, and she fought the urge to speak as a mere pupil would in the presence of a skilled professor. Excusing her behavior as a mistake would only serve to make her look even weaker than she already did. Her eyes flicked to the globe and she commanded it to stop playing the memory even though she knew the damage had already been done.

While Audrae's blessing prevented the sharp spike of fear that would have caused nearly anyone else to stumble through an apology, it did not stop her heart from racing within the confines of her chest. A sense of imminent danger flooded her body and the sound of her heartbeat reverberated through her chest. Eidisi were not meant for jail cells. There was no question as to whether Lord Vuda could make good on his threats. Any man with the resources to gain significant intelligence from hundreds of miles away could do far worse than throw her in a jail cell. The only question that remained was whether her Immortal given artifact would be enough leverage to make her useful. For the first time since their discussion began, Inali doubted her own worth. Her lips flattened into a fine line as she glanced up at the Chief Adviser. He spoke plainly now and seemed done with threatening her for the moment.

Inali listened to Vuda's plans and smiled slightly. She would have done much of the same with the artifact, had the globe been capable of such reconnaissance. As he spoke, she closed her eyes for a split trill and willed the globe to her side. It hovered in the air above the pedestal for a moment before floating through the air to come to rest just behind her chair. Inali nodded. It was as she had guessed. Even though Marlin Tagley had a terribly cluttered office, his connections within the city were his true strength. He had been placed in his post to pick out those who could assist the city with unique talents as well as those who might prove to be a nuisance. The eidisi shivered slightly, remembering how kind the counselor had been to her. The idle conversation and meandering walk through the city had sundered her guard effortlessly. She had spoken to Marlin candidly, revealing more than just the reason she was in the city.

Inali swallowed carefully and nodded,

"I believe that I can accomplish that. I will ensure that my activities in the city reflect my status as a non-citizen. If I pay my way and then some, there should be no questions as to whether I was given any special treatment by you or anyone else."

As the pair made their way to the door, she spoke once more,

"Is there any other way I can help you in the interim? I'm grateful for the opportunity you've provided me."

Regardless of the Chief Adviser's reply, Inali knew that there was only one path forward. Self improvement and networking would allow the citizens of Etzos to grow accustomed to her presence, provided that she didn't die to zealous Seeker-hunters first. Any other tasks that Lord Vuda assigned to her would serve as another way to prove her value above and beyond that of an artifact owner.

As they stepped out into the main hallway, Inali smiled briefly at Londan and requested that they step back into his office to discuss the terms of her teaching arrangement. She expressed her sincere gratitude at his willingness to accept her into the Academy before they moved onto more salient topics of discussion. The request for a loan was simple and it took a half break to agree on the final sum. While the amount would take a season or more to pay off, it would ensure that none of the staff would accuse the Executive Director of playing favorites. She signed the parchment with her name and intent to pay the full amount within three seasons of the initial payment. The location of her classroom involved a more spirited negotiation process. They finally came to an agreement to give her a first floor classroom with a small basement storage room. As the Executive Director penned a copy of the document for her records, Inali stowed the globe in the canvas satchel provided by the young courier. A few breaks later, Inali had found a reputable inn to stay in for the duration of the season. She placed the satchel along with the rest of her gathered belongings and glanced over the signed document with a smile. There would be time in the next few trials to plan the full layout of her classroom. For now, she was content to drink wine in a nearby tavern while musing on the nature of her skills and value.

[Maltruism]

Come and get your Loot!

(There's plenty more where that came from)

INALI:

Rewards:

• Story: +5
• Collaboration: +5
• Structure: +5

These points can NOT be used for magic.

Knowledges:

• Detection: More Going on in Etzos Than Just Racism
• Interrogation: Ask Questions For Which You Already Know the Answers
• Interrogation: Reveal How You Can Expose Lies, But Stop Short of Doing So
• Intimidation: An Apology Does Not Eliminate the Potential Threat
• Intimidation: Hiding a Demand Within a Seemingly Courteous Request
• NPC: Karnos Vuda: Chief Adviser to High Marshall Brogen Parhn
• NPC: Marlin Tagley: Etzos' Guidance Counselor
• NPC: Landon Toberell: Executive Director of the Etzos Academy
• Negotiation: Becoming Vuda's Tool, to Secure His Backing
• Negotiation: Mention Your Assets Before Making Your Requests
• Negotiation: An Offer of New Teaching Methods, Not Just Languages
• Negotiation: State the Fullest Possible Upside as a Bargaining Hook
• Psychology: The Fear of Lying to a Powerful Man
• Psychology: Is Anything Worth Being Vuda's Tool?
• Sociology: Courtesy During Negotiatons
• Stare Down: Does Not Reflect the Fear Back Against its Source
• Marlin Tagley: Respected on the Streets of Etzos
• Marlin Tagley: Vuda's Primary 'Eyes and Ears'
• Londan Toberell: Has to Consider the Academy's Needs First
• Londan Toberell: A Shrewd Perpetrator of the Status Quo
• Karnos Vuda: The Man in Charge in Etzos
• Karnos Vuda: Wanted to Use the Globe to Spy on Council

Loot

Free Canvas Satchel for the Globe
Unseen backing of Vuda
and free rooms for your classes.
The rest of your debt, per biz app, still applies tho.

Loss

Nope, even kept the globe

Injuries

Nothing to speak of

Fame: 0

Sorry, your acquaintance with Vuda is wanting to be hushed up.
Once you start conducting classes, fame should be more forthcoming.

Devotion: +20 (Audrae)

I Want to catch up here.
There are 3 seasons, since PC launch, where you do not show an act of devotion. (-30)
But you get +10 per season that you have Audnev. (5 seasons = +50)
So even though you did not really perform any devotional acts in this thread, I wanted to square your account with +20

Comments:

Your debt for the class will not be affected by construction/material costs.
This is just start-up and furnishings and such. The rooms already exist.
PM me with any concerns