1 Crimson Blades Sergeant, Aegis, a large red Oakhaven bloodhound, Rurik, a prodigal assistant arrive, following Mirk.

Jaq, a solemn looking assistant, 2 Kennex corsairs arrive, following Evander.


The Clearlake Festival Grounds were decorated for Spring, even though it was early Summer. The festivieties that the House usually held we scheduled a bit further out due to Kritr stepping down and Acantha needing to straighten out things prior to parties.

But now they were having it. And in the new festival grounds that Acantha had designed for the house. She didn't want to crowd the Shaman Walk so much when the House held festivals and it was getting plenty of use. There are games set up at different stations. Most involve water due to the heat.

There's a large tub of water set up with little floating ships that have rings on top of them. Looks like it tests how one handles catching tiny things. There is about something for everyone and of course, the archery grounds are cleared for whoever might like to use them.

Acantha has been greeting people as they enter, she's dressed in something light and airy as opposed to what she wore over the Winter and Spring. She'd grown accostumed to the higher temperatures. Her hair is left half down and there's a length of bells that are jingling when she moves or when the wind catches them. She looks happy!

And of course Benny is by her side and he's got his own little sash today.


The Clearlake Festivals are something Felicia always looks forward to. The red-haired Harrow prowling in mostly not in armor owing to the heat and offers a flowery bow to Acantha with a smile,"Baroness Acantha, the new grounds look fantastic."

Mirk Halfshav arrives, for once on time to one of Acantha's gatherings, dressed in umbra and leather, a fireweave cloak draped about his shoulders. "Baronness," he calls out, seeing Acantha, a slight quirk of his lips along with the words as if he's amused. He squints down at Benny, and especially the sash, and preemptively offers the little beaver a twig from one of the pouches at his belt. "How long have you had all this setup?"

Evander is dressed fairly plainly, no attention-gathering accoutrements, aside from his exceptionally long scarf, still worn despite the heat of the summer. There's a slow step to his movements, waiting to greet Acantha behind the others, a faint smile - about as effusive as he gets - as he murmurs, "Baroness Acantha. It's been too long. It seems like you've kept yourself busy," he says, with a nod to the various festivities set up. "It all looks... busy. Lord Mirk, good to see you," he adds, nodding towards the Halfshav Lord.


Acantha gives a smile to Felicia, "Dame Felicia, it is always good to see you at Clearlake. How have you been?" she asks her. "And thank you. I'm very proud of this addition. I hope that we can hold many things here." she tells the woman. Then she looks to Mirk and there's a smile as he gives Benny a twig and the beaver gives a little tail thump of appreciation, "Lord Mirk, one of my favorite faces." she grins. "We've finished the grounds about a week before the archery tourney. It was our grand opening event as it were." she admits. Then there's a soft smile to Evander, "Lord Evander, I agree, it has been too long, but I am glad that you are here. We could find you a spot in the shade if that will help?" she offers.


"Well, well. Busy." Felicia offers to Acantha with a grin,"I didn't make it to the archery tournament, but well... I'm lucky if I can work out which is the business end on those." she glances towards Mirk and Evander, stepping out of the way and meandering off to take a proper look at the grounds.

"And I missed it. Shame, that," Mirk observes in a dry tone, though he nods his head in understanding to Acantha. He looks down on Benny affectionately and says, "One day I'll run out or be busy, you know that?" He doesn't seem to expect the beaver to understand him, instead turning his attention to Felicia and Evander, offering them each a nod of his head. To the latter, he says, "Good to see you as well, my lord, though forgive me if I don't recall immediately where we've met."

With a quick wave, Evander says with the ease of one used to providing reassurances, "I'll be fine. Thank you for the thought, Baroness," with another of those tiny smiles. "I regret I haven't had the opportunity to visit before now." When Felicia glances his way, he nods towards her, brow furrowing slightly as she steps away, gaze turning back to Mirk. "In passing at a Lycene party, I believe - shortly after I'd first arrived. My first ever Lycene party, so I can't confess I acquitted myself well." He grimaces, coughing softly into a fold of his scarf, maybe the reason he wears it even in this warm weather.


"We're going to be having a Torchlight Tourney, Dame Felicia. We would love to have you come and compete in one of the categories if you have the time." Acantha tells the Knight as she goes. Then there's a smile to Mirk, "I think he knows and we had a talk the other night about asking." she tells him. There's a look to Evander and there's a smile, "If there is anything we can do to make you more comfortable, do let us know. But enjoy the festival." she grins.

Benny runs off with his sprig to go dunk himself in a wooden tub that's been set aside just for him. Some of the children are fascinated and figure that watching the beaver lounge and eat is the BEST!


"Ah, that party," Mirk says, nodding his head to Evander slowly. "I don't often attend parties, unless the host is a friend," he indicates Acantha, "but that time a friend requested my presence." He raises an eyebrow at Acantha, at the mention of a Torchlight Tourney, and asks, "What precisely does that mean? I admit I'm curious, and perhaps I'll even compete."

Felicia can't help but perk, turning back at the word 'tourney' with a broad and toothy grin,"If I'm in the city at the time I'll make a point of coming." she assures with a dip of her head. Her green eyed gaze goes more properly to Evander and Mirk with a respectful sketch of a bow for both.

"Mirk doesn't often attend parties because I do not often attend them and without me how would he gamble so successfully?" Arik quips as he enters the festival grounds of Clearlake, dressed down for the summer heat, and a grin on his face while approaching Acantha. "Baroness, you'll forgive me being late... Again."

Although Evander's gaze settles briefly on the beaver, it doesn't linger. His attention seems to stray often, regarding the various places set up around the grounds, passing over the people moving about. Acantha's words bring him back to the conversation at hand, with a half-bow. "I certainly plan to." Mirk's admission earns a sympathetic twist of lips. "Neither do I, my lord, so we have that much in common." Arik's arrival earns a thoughtful look as he steps aside, though he's listening carefully to the talk of a tournament.

"You cost me thousands of silver last time," Mirk informs Arik in a sour tone, shooting his cousin a look. "Don't think I've forgotten that. And I was considering cutting you in on the winnings, too." He shakes his head slowly, as if in disappointment, and mentions to Evander, "More than that. I do recall your name from the roster of the Scholars, when I studied it upon entry into their ranks. As an associated Academic, of course." He indicates the charms he wears, leaving no doubt about why he's not a disciple.


325Acantha looks back to the door when someone's entering, but it's just Arik. She smiles brightly at him all the same, "Lord Arik." she dips her head to him. "You don't have to worry about being late." she tells him. Then she looks to Mirk, "Ah, yes. We'll be having the tourney at night. The fighting area will be surrounded by torches. We'll be testing all sizes of weapons and a grand prize for each category. My co-host was supposed to be here, but is also running late it seems." she tells him with a smirk. There's a dip of her head to Felicia, "We would love to see you there." she states. Though her gaze then goes to Evander before he wanders off, she doesn't interrupt him though.


"Dame Felicia, it's been a long time. I hope things with your family are going well." Arik says in an aside to Felicia before shifting his attention onto Mirk who only gets a helpless upturning of his hands as if he can do nothing to fix those old problems. "So Baroness what plans do you have for us this evening? Hopefully not another archery event, I don't want the Archlector of Petrichor to have cause to question a man's aim again."

"Ah, a fellow scholar," There's more of a focus from Evander when Mirk mentions that. "I have undertaken my week in the Shrine of the Thirteenth in preparation to become a Disciple of Vellichor. What's your area of interest, my lord?" he asks with a tilt of his head. As Acantha talks of her co-host, he clears his throat. "I'm not sure I will add much value to the Tourney, so if I slip away before then, I hope you'll forgive me, Baroness."

"Lord Arik. Things are... progressing, but slowly, of course." Felicia acknowledges with a dip of her head, her gaze flitting back to Acantha to add,"Now /that/ would be fun, it's been a while since I've broken out the broadsword." her own attention goes towards the tiny ships in the tub, unable to resist remarking with a chuckle,"I hope we're not trying ship strategies with those things... or I think Lord Kennex has us all at disadvantage."


Acantha gives a smile to Evander, "The tourney is not this evening, so do not worry yourself or feel you need to step to the side." she tells her friend. Then there's a look to her Patron and a grin, "My plan was for people to mingle, eat, play a few games of testing their dexterity and then retiring for drinks or whatever else they were doing this evening. I have no big elaborate displays planned. I know that is shocking." she muses. "Lord Rivenshari and I decided that later in the summer would be good and it would give everyone enough time to maybe brush up on things before entering the tourney. I'm quite looking forward to seeing how everyone is going to enjoy the prizes. Brother Felix has designed them." she smiles to that.


"Arik," Mirk says in a warning tone, at the mention of the Archlector, staring at him for a moment. "By the way, if you see Dame Morrighan in a new cloak, but sure to compliment her on it." He adds another comment, a little lower, that doesn't carry well, before he says to Acantha, "Oh, and who is that? I'm curious, my lady. But sadly, I won't be competing. Giving me a sword is more likely to injure me than anyone else." He chuckles at that, and comments to Evander, "Shamanism and the occult, my lord. I'm more of a researcher than anything else, however. A workhorse."

With a tiny twist of lips, the thin Kennex gives a slight shake of his head to Felicia. "Perhaps you mean one of my cousins, my good lady - I'm afraid warfare and ships, while often a standard Kennex fare, is not one of my focuses." With a shift of his shoulders, he adds, "I think you may have the advantage of me. Lord Evander Kennex," he offers to her. He gives a nod to Mirk, looking vaguely appreciative. "Both fascinating topics, though I confess I know infinitely more about the latter than the former."

"Meadson does do fantastic work." Felicia offers musingly, her attention flitting to Mirk at the word 'occult' before being diverted to Evander with a flush of color briefly to her cheeks,"My apologies... Lord Evander. Dame Felicia Harrow, Deathspeaker, and formerly one of the King's Own." she offers by way of introduction.

Arik nods to Mirk after a moment and then looks from the boats in the water back to the gathered crowd. "Whenever Dame Morrighan shows off her wares I'm of a mind to compliment. She gets rather sassy if I forget." he remarks before adding, "No big performance or challenge, this is a rare thing for you Baroness. I don't suppose Dame Felicia or Lord Kennex are of a mind to gamble? We could move a fair bit of silver in this gathering with some of the things you have on the grounds."

"I've heard of your Order's founding - refounding?" Mirk dips his head towards Felicia. "My congratulations for the achievement, nonetheless." He chuckles at Evander's comments, and replies, "I'm afraid my knowledge is wide but not deep, outside of shamanism. Likely not enough for an entertaining discussion about it, and definitely not suitable for a party, I'm afraid. I don't have any exciting party tricks, though winning bets against Arik," he squints at Arik, "would be more than enough amusement."


Acantha gives one last look at the door and then decides that she needs to move on with the evening. She does give a look to Mirk and there's a smile, "Lord Vano Rivenshari, he's a fellow Spirit Walker and we've been going to the Stone Grove early in the mornings to tend small things and offer things." she tells him. "He was not able to make the dinner recently, sadly." she admits. Then there's a nod to Felicia, "That he does. He made the sword that I carry regularly. But I didn't bring it out tonight." she states. "I did have a small challenge. That most of the children seem to be avoiding since they have to work for it." she muses. "Who would like to hook these little boats and get the candies for the children and themselves?" she asks with a warm smile.


"No apologies needed. It's a common enough conception, and... most of the time you would've been correct," Evander says with a tiny smile to Felicia. "Dame Felicia. Good to meet you," he adds. With a brief clearing of his throat, he murmurs, "I can't say as I've done much gambling... ever, my lord. But I'm game to try it," he answers Arik with a nod. Acantha's words has him shifting his scarf briefly. "Although if the Baroness needs help, I can do that and join you later - since I'm not overly familiar with gambling."

Felicia chuckles wryly,"I don't mind a good gamble, though depends on how large the stakes are... and what are we betting on?" there's a chuckle for Mirk's words,"Re-founding, is perhaps the best way of putting it. Deathspeaker's date back, for sure... to the time of the Dance of Skulls... though I suspect that they are older than that." there's a small clearing of her throat,"I'm no scholar... but I know a thing or two." she opts for and dips her head to Acantha,"I don't go anywhere without Wheelspinner, but, it is peacebound, of course." she offers,"And sure... I can try to fish some ships out... maybe we can start with a bet as to who can collect the most?"

"Well in the spirit of helping the children, what would you say to twenty thousand silver that I snag more treats from the boats than any of you?" Arik offers with an easy grin as the Baroness indicates the small vessels in the water and the kids evidently intimidated or incapable of besting the festival game themselves. "Did Aureth ever get over himself with his objections to the Deathspeakers?" rather bold talk about the Shepherd of the Faith there.

"Ten thousand silver on Dame Felicia," Mirk announces, nodding his head towards Felicia. "Though I will, of course, compete myself. I merely don't expect to win."

"I'm afraid I won't provide much of a contest, Lord Arik, let alone to the tune of twenty-thousand," Evander murmurs, voice sounding rough. "Perhaps I'll sit this one out." And he's moving to do just that, finding a bench nearby he can ease himself onto.


Acantha gives a bit of a look over to Evander, "I didn't let Benny bring the boat out and put it in with the other boats." she tells him with a smile. "And you can help me keep score Lord Evander." she grins. Then she looks to Felicia, "I don't mind if it's peacebound here. I don't figure there will be any bloodshed here, but I understand that it's a practice that is fairly common in the Compact and other places." she nods to that. She does give a look to Arik, "Haven't I saved you from one Legate already?" she squints at him as she leads the group to the large tub set out with the boats and the catchers.


"Gods, testing the depths of my purse are you, Lord Arik? I'll see your bet, I think I have you beat... though if I lose, admittedly I'll have to stop by the bank." she chuckles, rubbing her hands together as she heads towards the boats with a laugh for Mirk's words. There's a hitch to her steps at Arik's query and a loft of her brow,"Admittedly I wasn't aware that he objected... Lady Stahlben is the one who liases with him, but given that we do include Harlequin's among our membership, although... to be clear, we are not a Discipleship, owing that our history and some of our membership are Shamans." she makes a gesture with her head for Evander,"I don't think that it's a requirement to bet, to compete Lord Evander... please? Come join?"

Felicia checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 20, rolling 52 higher.

Mirk checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 20, rolling 10 lower.

"Lord Kennex, I wouldn't be to worried about the silver. I imagine the childrens frowns will be of greater loss than not seeing my bet to you... So I'm in for twenty thousand on myself and then ten thousand additionally against Mirk..." Arik figures out the ledger before moving to the boats and crouching down so he's at a more accomodating height with the bobbing vessels. "How have things been with the Deathspeakers will you be reaching out to Evaristo with his festives?"

Arik checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 15, rolling 10 higher.

With a brief shake of his head, Evander gives a wordless, go-head style gesture to Felicia, coughing softly into his scarf for a moment. Acantha is given a fleeting smile, though he seems less focused on keeping score than keeping the soft sounds of his coughing from carrying.

"I've been disappointed that I haven't been able to participate in a lot of the Festival activities owing to other obligations." Felicia offers, easing her way among the children to size up the boats before she reaches to start plucking them out,"I have been supporting them as much as I can through purchase of varying items... and I want to go to the spider petting zoo with the hunger of a five year old waiting for candy..." this last directed as she offers the boats contents to one of the nearby children watching avidly,"Admittedly, in among various personal projects, however, we're preparing to go to Whitepeak to help lay the bones of its people to rest at long last."


Acantha gives a bit of a concerned look to Evander when he starts to cough, but she nods to his go-ahead and she starts to watch the Halfshav Lords and the Dame go after the boats. Felicia is kicking their butts! "So much candy!" she laughs warmly as the boats come out of the water...or to the bottom of the tub. "Oh yes, the spider petting zoo sounds like it would be fun." she agrees with Felicia.


Mirk sets his hand to hooking the boats and retrieving them. Mostly, he manages to overturn them, sink them, or knock them out of the tub without getting his hands on them. Still, he keeps trying, a slight smirk on his lips as if more amused by his failure than bothered by it, glancing sidelong at Arik as Felicia leaves them all in the dust. "Off day, Cousin?"

"I'm not overly fond of spiders be they giant and talking or small." Arik says with a *hrmph* tagged onto the end of it as only five children are given the contents of the boats and he squints at the water trying to get a read on the bobbing. "You hush, you're a pirate sinking boats and the candies on them. We should give you over to the Mourning Isles for your naval barbarity."

It takes a moment before Evander finally says softly, "Well done," to the three competing. The mention of spider petting earns a press of lips, like he doesn't think that's a great idea, but is far too polite to voice it aloud.

Felicia is probably going to get mobbed, certainly once the first boat gets handed out she's mostly trying to fish them out and hand them off purely to stop the tidal wave of hungry children from smothering her. An agreeing nod offered for Acantha's words about the zoo before a toothy grin is given for Arik,"Not that I would ever say in his hearing, but I might just be willing to sell Wrecking Ball if I could ride a spider like Charlotte." she can't help offer with a wistful kind of sigh.

Arik checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 30, rolling 16 higher. Arik rolled a critical!

Mirk checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 30, rolling 6 lower.

Felicia checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 30, rolling 34 higher.


When Charlotte is mentioned there's a look to Felicia, "Are we talking about Merimange's spider, Charlotte?" she asks her with a bit of a smile. Then she's watching how they maneuver to get to the boats and get them out. "Everyone is doing well. And I think we'll be cleared of boats with the way this is going." she giggles.


"I hope not," Mirk says at the mention of Charlotte, grimacing. Out of spite at Arik's admonishment, he aims to hook a boat that Arik was eyeing, and predictably sinks it. "Oops," he says. "I don't think I'd fare well as a pirate. Too reasonable, too willing to negotiate. I'm told that's the opposite of effective piracy."

It's clear Evander's attention is less focused on the game-at-hand than the conversation, because he straightens, glancing between Felicia and Acantha. His voice is rough when he speaks up, only barely loud enough to convey his bafflement, "Who is Merimange? And why does he have a spider you'd want to ride?"

"I don't know cousin, mayhap you would negotiate for their goods and then while unmooring from beside them you would accidentally sink their entire vessel. You would be the most notorious pirate on the seas. Believed cruel and unyielding only to show up negotiating and then bumbling people into their grace." Arik quips back and with a poor showing of boats in comparison with Felicia he clucks his tongue despite the happy children and their dismayed parents or nurses rueing the abundance of sugary candy. Straightening up he brushes off the back of his shoulders and remarks, "I don't think I'd be willing to part with a single silver for the company of Charlotte or any of her Nox'Aflar companions. But I heard she made an appearance at the tavern last year."

"Hey... hey now... wait..." Felicia can't help but utter, the edge of white maybe betraying that she's a little concerned about the herd gathered around her, not so much paying attention to just how many boats she's filching from the water as trying to hand them off to the kids as fast as she can,"Hey... I already gave you one!" she squints at one particularly bold eight year old, aborting the one she was about to hand over to them in order to pass it to a child that hadn't gotten any yet,"I haven't had the privilege of seeing her in person... spiderness? But have heard about her." there's a toothy grin for Mirk as she hands a boat his way to try and divert at least some of the children,"It was sinking when I got there." she advises solemnly with a flit of her eyes Evander's way,"I like spiders. They are favored by the Mother... and are quite dextrous. I can only imagine the kind of distance one could make with a spider large enough to ride."


Acantha gives a look to Evander when she hears him and there's a bit of a smile, "Merimange is a Nox'Alfar that I met at the Spirits. He wandered in during the winter and was pretty cross that the doors were not wide enough to allow his spider mount in." she tells him. "He was telling us about all of the recent hatchlings and bemoaning that us humans take to long to reincarnate. I do not believe I would have the courage to ride Charlotte. She was perched on the roof of the Spirits when I went home. Gave a lot of people a fright." she admits. Then there's a look to Felicia when she says she hasn't seen her. "She was wearing a festive hat of some kind, it had little streamers and things on it. She was...screeching when she tried to fit through the door. I'd never seen anything like either of them before. Big spider trying to fit through a door and he's...all tall and pale." she blows out a breath. Then she shakes herself. "Well, Dame Felicia clearly is the most dextrous of us." she tells them.

And then there's a bit of movement and then there is a little splash as a beaver invades the tub. He starts splashing the children and they run squealing with laughter.


"Charlotte is a spider the size of a pony," Mirk clarifies for Evander. "The Nox'alfar are...different. Very, very different." His tone is flat, conveying his disapproval of that difference without having to voice insults or anything else overly impolite. "I can't say that I'd ever be willing to ride a spider, but in all honesty, I prefer not riding at all. My own feet are fine for almost any situation," he comments aside to Felicia. At the end, he's left without any candy or treats to hand out, and completely unbothered by that.

Evander's glance flickers between the others, taking in their various viewpoints on the Nox'alfar and their spider with a focus that doesn't say he disbelieves - more like he's trying to picture it himself and, perhaps, failing. "I have heard... read... stories about them. But I've never actually met one myself." He grimaces a little, though it fades as he watches the children splash about.

Arik pulls out a writ of funds from his belt and offers it in Felicia's direction while stating. "I have some commitments I need to see too, but Mirk is the more socialable of us. If the Baroness' mysterious Lord shows up late let him know that her patron is interested in making his acquaintance."

"See? I just don't spend enough time at the Spirits." Felicia utters mournfully, shooing the children away even as she listens to Acantha's words with abject fascination. The flat tone of Mirk's voice brings her attention his way with a toothy flicker of a grin,"The Nox'alfar are, as point of fact, one of humanities oldest allies. The first free humans to come to Arvum were accompanied by King Calithex and his people. And well, one can cover far more ground mounted than with their feet. Not that I object to fighting on foot when I have to." the grin for Arik impish as she accepts the writ with a dip of her head,"This will, no doubt, go towards the House Harrow project." she offers him with a wink.

Acantha checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 9 higher.


Acantha gives a bit of a smile, "I'm sure we'll see them around again...at some point." she states. Then there's a look to Arik and there's a blink, "Mysterious Lord?" she asks him. "If you'd like to meet Lord Vano he's going to be co-hosting the tourney with me or he is around at the training center at things, Lord Arik." she tells him with a smile. Then she goes over to Evander, "How are you feeling?" she asks him.


Lygeia, a calligrapher and alchemist, Deor, a young swordsman, 2 House Crovane Guards arrive, following Rysen.

Felicia is overheard praising Acantha: The new Baroness is a marvellous host!

As Arik makes his farewells, Evander pushes himself to his feet, giving the other Lord a nod of farewell. "Well enough, thank you, Baroness," he murmurs. "I think I'll find some shade for a little while and something cool to drink."

Evander is overheard praising Acantha.

"They're not well liked in this ward of Arx," Mirk points out to Felicia. "For religious reasons." He folds his arms over his chest, and leans back to watch the proceedings of the party, once Arik withdraws. "My thanks for the invitation out for the evening, Lady Acantha. Clearlake seems to be coming into its own." He eyes Evander, but keeps questions to himself.

Jaq, a solemn looking assistant, 2 Kennex corsairs leave, following Evander.

Felicia can't help but arch her brow at Mirk, attention turning thoughtful,"Of course, the blood magic?" she asks of him. There's another dip of her head towards Acantha as she echoes the words spoken by others,"Thanks so much for this evening, Baroness, it was a pleasure to be able to get out for once."