Isabella wrote:********************SOMETIME EARLIER**********************
"I-I-I-We should have rightfully given-given these earlier," Richard said, with a solemn tone, and another glance back at Lena. "I-I... well, it-it-it was the Baroness' coin that paid for it, in the end, but she-she... we thought we ought to give them to you together, and found we were lacking in-in opportunity of late."
Having been silent most of the journey--and already refusing food and drink by force of long habit--Vasili's mouth practically creaks with disuse, his voice strange to his own ears.
"I-I..." He stops, swallows. "Opportunities...for generosity...are indeed rare of late. We--we must take them as we may. As for me, I had planned gifts of my own, but I'm afraid only one of them is ready at the moment. I'm hoping yours will be ready, Richard, by the time we rest."
"I-I-I..." Richard paused, his mist-colored eyes looking right into Vasili's. "Well, I-I-we had been concerned for Leila, after the incident with the crowd. But I-I suppose they aren't really -- I-I hope they wind up being -- I-I hope you never need them, Freiherr."
Vasili meets Richard's gaze, and seems to take strength from it. "Ah, one of
those gifts--the kind we keep close but wish to never need," he observes wryly. "Very appropriate to the situation, Richard."
He slips the case open, slides out a scroll, and his eyes widen. "This--this is rare magic! I will treasure it, as you say, for emergencies."
NeoTiamat wrote:"Just a little present, for all you and Leila have done for us, Vasili." The Baroness said, shifting to a somewhat formal tone since there were others present. She flashed him an absolutely dazzling smile.
"Indeed, Baroness, I'm glad that you both consider me at your service." He bows low and pauses, his smile far less dazzling and lot more rueful. "I hope you know, that though I serve under the Jarenberg,
everything I have done or will do is for our mutual good. And while Richard's gift is almost finished, I am truly delighted to give you yours, now."
With that, he holds out an envelope, the wax seal bearing the Boritsi insignia. During all this exchange, Leila stands silent on an outcrop over the road, watching something in the distance.
****************Presently*****************
(Unless the others protest, Vasili will clean the road grime off them sometime between introductions and dinner. You don't need to BE a magician if you have one in your service!)
Vasili gives Renhalt a panicked look at the sight of the spread--this wasn't like the Burning Scroll, where he could sit in the back and feign having already eaten. Nor was this like the fireworks feast, where no one would notice that he never took a plate of food. This was a proper sit-down meal, and he would be expected to eat all of it!
Renhalt had barely met his look when Vasili blinked away his shock and turned away. He was not going to jeopardize everything with his foolish habits. Steeling himself inwardly, he summoned every drop of sincerity he could muster, made note of his new record of 107 days, and accepting a serving of lamb kebab and flatbread with a grateful smile.* As their host turned his attention to the foreigners, Vasili listened eagerly, taking only the tiniest of sips from his first ever glass of wine.
NeoTiamat wrote:...threading the eye of the needle between eating so little that she offended her host and eating so much that she spontaneously combusted. Barovians did not go in for spices, really.
Himself unused to Hazlani spices, Vasili sees in Lena's delicacy a mirror of his own situation. As Lena finishes speaking, Vasili offers her more yogurt. "It helps," he murmurs.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Bluff +22 to hide his conflicted feelings about having to eat.
[dice]0[/dice]
Don't know if/when Lena is going to share what she learned with her checks, but Vasili is also determined to know what he can. I don't know how many of the other knowledges are really relevant here, but I can take 10 in all of them:
Knowledge (Arcana) 21
Knowledge (Engineering) 21
Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 21
Knowledge (Planes) 21
Knowledge (Religion) 20
And now the ones Lena used. Assuming I have to beat her results to learn anything new, that means it's a roll-fest:
Knowledge (Nobility) +11
[dice]1[/dice]
Knowledge (History) +10
[dice]2[/dice]
Knowledge (Geography) +10
[dice]3[/dice]
Knowledge (Nature) +10
[dice]4[/dice]
Knowledge (Local) +10
[dice]5[/dice]