At or on the way to the baths, Del wants to report to Q I think I built some good will with the Naicas, picking and grinning. There is a faction in there that appreciates the deal you negotiated with the satyrs. And with the Simuls, I convinced some that the rumors are false, and with the Dean anyway, that it would be counterproductive for the Naicas to spend much effort promoting a rumor that is easily disproven. Since they are sometimes allies, that might help stop the rumors before there is too much trouble.

When you are ready, Derez leads you downstairs to the baths. They are deserted, you have them all to yourselves, because the rest of the nobles are still partying upstairs. The baths seem like natural caves, pools of steaming, hot water surrounded by rocks cushioned with a thick layer of moss. Gracefully curving limestone formations and draperies form the walls and separate the rooms from each other. Drops of water occasionally drip from tiny stalactites overhead, sending circular ripples across the mirror-smooth water.

Once you are done washing and relaxing, you retrieve your clothes to discover that they seem to have been cleaned and mended.

Derez leads you up several floors. Part of the journey takes you on a walkway on the outside of the castle. To the east and north he points out the royal gardens and the sacred grove, with a great tree at the center of it, where the tomb of Artan lies. "It will be a much more beautiful view in a few months," Derez says, "when the trees are blossoming and the sacred Naranda is covered in flowers redder than fire." Beyond the grove is a forest, and in the distance the mountain ridge that shelters the kingdom from the north.

"I hope you will be comfortable. Call for me if you should need anything," says Derez as he bows and opens a door.

Passing within, you enter a large room that gives you the sense of being in a deep forest. The walls and columns are carved into the shape of tree trunks, and the vines that snake through the entire castle cling everywhere, covering the room with greenery. The furniture blends with the room: mattresses of soft moss and leaves are cradled in huge tree boughs or hammocks of living vines. On a tree-stump table sits a book of Lomalos history, as Del requested. (Info is in the wiki under More Information on Lomalos.) Beside it is an illuminated scroll containing The Ballad of Artan, an extremely long poem describing the fight against Grimmerang, and Artan Lithelon's sacrifice at great length (which every schoolchild in Lomalos is expected to know, and which every noble child is expected to be able to recite by heart on command.)

In the middle of the room sits King Celairatar, waiting for you, a large wolfhound curled at his feet.

Del looks at the ceiling, eyes closed, he was sooo ready to sleep. But then he very smoothly turns it into a bow Majesty, at your service as ever

"Majesty..." Raven says, giving a curtsy.  Her father tried to buttress her from the royals and nobles of his homeland, but she still knew how to act around nobles, he had made sure of that.

Mindartis looks to the man. "Your majesty?" He says more like a question, not sure what to do arounf royalty, and also wondering what he was doing here.

"Greetings," says the king. "Captain Kibble told me that there were some remarkable travelers coming into the kingdom, and I have great faith in her judgement of character. Since then, you have proved her words more than justified. The kingdom owes you great thanks for your work in the fields of the Thamasaille, and though the Free City claims its independence, they are still within our kingdom, and our close friends and allies."

With a wry smile he continues. "As usual in this world, the reward for good work is being asked to do more of the same. Our forces are stretched thin, many of our guardsmen and able-bodied fighters gone to the south to battle the gnoll raiders. I find myself in need of a band of trustworthy and competent adventurers. Would you be willing to take a journey tomorrow, or at most the day after?"

Glancing at his companions for agreement I am honored to be of service, Majesty, and yes, after a rest we can be able to travel. There are ends we left loose from the rescue, uh, this morning I suppose it was, but we can try to get word or proxies to handle them. Preparations to travel should not take very long. 

Making sure he bows and follows custom Quentin makes sure to asks, “If I may trouble you exactly where are you asking us to travel to and what will we be doing upon arrival?” 

Raven remains silent for the moment, awaiting the king's answer, or lack of one, to the already asked question.

The king nods. "Your willingness is much appreciated. Of course, I would not ask you to go blindly, without knowing where you are going and what you are doing."

"It is high time I selected and began to train a successor. I would prefer to choose one of my own children. All three are strong, intelligent and compassionate, though perhaps as their father, I am biased. I am afraid I have allowed myself to keep them sheltered for much longer than I ought to have, and their characters have not developed to the point where I would feel confident in choosing any one of them. While banded together they would make a legendary king, but as individuals, they are all somewhat lacking in necessary qualities.

"My eldest, Lintelér, is dutiful, studious, and responsible. But he seems to believe that ruling the kingdom is like a problem in mathematics. He prefers to handle abstract problems and avoid social interaction. We have heard reports of a sprite village in the far west of the kingdom that has been found mysteriously abandoned. I would send my eldest son to investigate the matter. On his way, Lintelér will see our country, meet our people, and interact with the peasants and fey of Lomalos, whom he does not meet in his small, closed social circle in the castle."

"My daughter Anarórë is bright and charming, loved by all for her vivacious temperament and kind heart. But she has little interest in matters such as logistics, lawkeeping and the military. One can't rule a kingdom only be being nice to everybody. What I really ought to do is send her to the south to be trained and fight in the army. But I can't bring myself to do this. Besides, we have urgent need of her skills. Recently, gnolls have appeared on our borders with no warning given by our neighboring allies. We need someone to repair any damaged alliances, and learn what is happening outside our kingdom. I would send Anarórë to the Hall of Courts, to be an ambassador for our kingdom, and use her considerable charm to strengthen our alliances, and to be trained by our minister of foreign affairs in the finer arts of diplomacy."

"My youngest son Kalrondo is courageous and well trained in all the arts of battle. All his life he has talked of nothing but fighting and war and hunting and sports and adventure. He has little patience for or interest in people who do not share his focus. I had hoped that maturity would broaden his outlook and give him more serious interests, but alas, it has not.  I see now that by preventing him from following his inclinations, I have only made him more obsessed by them. Very well. In the hope that he will get it out of his system, I would send Kalrondo to our southern border, to track and slay the band of gnolls that has been seen there, and to discover how they came into our lands."

"Each of my children will require protectors--valiant bodyguards to watch over them, keep them safe, and fight beside them if need be. The King's Guard is already a skeleton force, and the castle must be defended. The border guard is essential. I hesitate to take too many warriors from the Queen's Guard, for they have their hands full policing the land. If you would consent to choose any one of my three children to accompany on their mission, and bring them safely to their destination, you would have my gratitude."

"Forgive my question, but are we to decide who will go with which of the royal heirs, breaking up our group, or are we to journey together with a single one of your children?"  Raven asks, trying to be as diplomatic as she can be.

"You are to choose as a group which one to accompany," he answers. "I would hardly ask a well-organized and compatible unit to split apart. A force of five seems like an adequate escort."

Majesty, happy and proud to be of use, and I daresay we will agree. But deciding which of the three is beyond me at the moment. Perhaps my fellows have better wits about them now, but mine are a shambles. When must we tell you our decision?

((Del and I need sleep, he and I will be happy whichever y'all choose if you come to some conclusion))

"Tomorrow will do.  If you have no further questions, I will leave you to your rest now. Please speak of this to no one, except perhaps Captain Kibble, in private: for the safety of the royal family, it is best that as few know of the departure beforehand as possible."

The image of King Celairatar fades and disappears. He was never actually physically here.

(Whenever Del picks up the book, he would notice two sealed parchments beneath it.)

"Any of the three are fine with me however, I think the eldest or the youngest son could use it the most. Learning more people skills and such would be easier to teach in my opinion then hoping that Prince Karlondo gets being a warrior out of his system. Honestly, he might always be a warrior. And the Princess I see can be a fine ambassador as is, plus logical thinking is in my opinion the best skill to have though it is of no use if you can't properly communicate with others." Quentin says once the King is gone.  

"I could think of good reasons to accompany any of the children," began Elwin, long silent from having been awed by the beauty of their surroundings.

"But just judging from their situations, it sounds as if Anarórë would be the least in need of protection, and Kalrondo the most. However, having a group of adventurers surround him sounds like it might actually interfere with Kalrondo's sense of feeling real achievement during his adventure. He might well come to resent our presence. So my vote, for now, would be to go with Lintelér. That said, I'd still like to hear everyone else's reasoning on the matter."

A bit self-conscious about the matter, the young warlock decided not to add that he himself was also interested in expanding his comfort zone socially, and in possibly learning alongside the prince. Besides, he reasoned, he was certain he would have made Lintelér his first choice even without the secondary concern.

(( Elwin will wait to listen to the others who want to add their thoughts now. Afterwards, since there's no immediate conclusion needed, he'll insist on rest, then he'll acknowledge Quentin's offer to discuss magic by asking him to demonstrate a spell or two in the morning, and finally he'll find a moss-bed to throw himself on. ))

Del was about to take the book to bed, in case he needed help getting back to normal hours, when he sees the parchments. Great, another delay. But... he will open them and check quickly, then share the contents so long as they are not intensely private or likely to hurt anyone. He's going to bed without discussion though, just share the contents and go

"My vote would also be for Lintelér."  Raven says with a yawn.  "Seems the other two will either be safe, in regard to the princess, as she is going to the Hall of Courts, or be in the midst of a battle, as the younger prince will be, fighting in the South.  I would say we could do the most good trying to help figure out what happened to those missing sprites, since missing people seems to be our strength up to this point..."

Mindartis nods in agreement, "Yes, he seems to be the best option."

((pending the contents of papers))

Del wakes up singing a lament Elwin will recognize

...and I feel like I'm dying from mining for gold...

When he catches up with the discussion and assents. The missing gnome village sounds like the specialty of us amateurs doesn't it? But I imagine that all of these quests will turn out to be different than they seem at the start - but again, we must pick one for some reason. When we accept the task, let us stress the suitability to our skills, shall we, and not imply one of the king's ideas or offspring is better than the others.

A vision, perhaps, from Her Facelessness last night - I saw children and gnomes mining wood, like the slaters mine rock, with no hope or hapiness. We have more rescuing to do, I hope, and we may save more than the ones we rescue.