The day is bright, the sun reflecting off the snow laden city in a dazzling, sparkling glow. However, inside the library, it is warm and there is refreshments in the form of booze and cakes! (See the booze bungalow and bookcase) Raja sits by the fountain, gently running her hand through the water. On her hip, she sports a nice blade. It is an unusual blade, not made from the traditional metals of other blades, but of something that seems to look like bone.

Pasquale also bears a blade at his hip alongside his favorite dark oakhide trousers, umbra shirt and jerkin, and ironwool cloak. His has a complex basket of diamondplate and stygian about the wooden core of the hilt. Rather ornamental. A nod is given to Zoey first and then he inclines his head towards Raja. "Thank you for hosting such an interesting event."

2 Kennex corsairs, Lady Lily, A young silver sea otter, Brooks, An opinionated assistant, Ava, An exasperated Guardswoman in Kennex Livery arrive, following Valerian.

Gianna strides in like she owns the place, which she doesn't. At all. Not even a little. If she has a weapon, it's not visible on her. She has a long look around herself; this is her first time here.

Zoey arrives with a deliberate lack of fanfare, keeping her simple silks covered under a plain wool cloak while traveling through the Lowers so as not to draw extra attention to herself. Her eyes do widen some as she looks around the library, not expecting it to be as extravagant as it is, and the smile on her face speaks to how pleased she is with it. She returns Pasquale's nod when given, and likewise approaches Raja. "Indeed! I look forward to hearing stories people have to tell, and may have a short one of my own," she tells the hostess.

Raja glances up as people begin to filter in. With each arrival, Raja's demeanor and smile just turns up more and more. She rises from her place at the fountain, "Hello! Welcome!" she greets folk as they enter. "Please, make yourself comfortable and help yourself to refreshments!" She beams. To Pasquale, "I am glad you came to my event! The idea came to me as my blade has a story of it's own. I had to wonder about stories of other blades throughout the compact." To zoey, she steps closer to her, touching her arm in a warm, famaliar manner, "I can't wait to hear your story. If people wish, I can begin with the simple tale of my own blade, to make it more comfortable for others to tell their own tale."

"I do love to hear weapon stories." Pasquale tells Raja. "So that would be very much appreciated."

Soft steps are heard as Valerian peeks around the corner. The lithe Kennex Lord peeks cautious and curious into the libary and smiles brightly before padding further in looking delighted, if a bit timid. The little lamb's eyes wander, taking in the sights of all the people and the decor as he goes to find himself aplace to observe out of the way.

Gianna inclines her head to Raja and moves to find herself a drink. "I'm afraid my blade lacks a story," she tells the others as she takes up a cup. "But I do adore hearing new stories."

Zoey glances at the weapon Raja indicates and smiles knowingly, then looks to Pasquale. "I think you are in for a treat then. I will tell mine after she tells hers." She glances back toward the entrance then, giving Gianna a nod of greeting, then spotting Valerian. her smile brightens and she holds out a hand to the young lord. "Come closer, boy. I am glad that you decided to join us."

Pasquale looks around for a place to sit before saying "Whilst my blade is to new for it to have a story yet. I will happily tell the story of the Glinting Gale." Malespero's house sword.

Raja drops Serpent's Sting.

Gianna inclines her head to Zoey as well, and to Pasquale and Valerian in turn before having a long sip from her cup.

Raja glances to Valerian as he enters, "Lord Valerian! I am so glad to see you!" She beams a smile to the young lord. "Please, help yourself to refreshments." Rajs moves to pull out her blade, setting it down for all to see.

"We have all heard the tales of dark things lurking under our city. There are dark truths to be discovered. Dark cultists performing vile rituals. We have heard tales of the dead that still walk. Today's story begins with a snake." She pauses, looking about to those present for added flare. "This was no ordinary snake. It did not slither in the grass. It did not see the light of the sun. It slithered across stone. It slithered through darkness. The tunnels were it's home. It became huge. It was fat and dangerous. It glutted on explorers. It ate the various animals that ventured inside. It's home was a huge vacern with a small hole above where the unwary fall inside and become a meal."

She grins, "Then. A new group of adventurers arrived." She laughs. "I walked right on into it's home like there was no danger. I was oblivious to the snake of the shadows." She glances back and forth to those present. "Then.. from the corners of the darkest depths it struck. Before I even realized it, it's coils were wrapped around me, squeezing, bones cracking! It's head lifted overhead, it's dangerous fangs poised to strike!"

Zoey's hand goes to her chest as if to hold a thundering heart, though given that Raja lived to tell the tale it must have a happy ending. She watches and listens with rapt attention.

Gianna's lips quirk almost imperceptibly on one side as she listens; she nods as Raja continues the story, regarding the Serpent's Sting with interest.

There is a moment where she pauses to allow the story to set the mood. Then, Raja continues, "Honestly, the snake nearly killed me. However, there were two other brave souls with me that day. Tanith Grayhope and Raymesin Ulbran. They did not run as any normal person would. No, they showed true courage and rushed in. Raymesin's blade sliced and diced at the flesh of the serpent. Tanith brough her axe down, hacking at it's body like a great tree! The pain of the wounds caused the serpent to recoil and change it's priorities. My friends had taken the attention of the beast. The coils slackened, allowing me to free my hands. From beneath the serpent's head, I thrust my dagger upwards and into the jaw of the snake."

She glances to the dagger below. "I took it's fangs as a prize. From it's fang, through hours of toil, this blade was forged from fire and blood. Not only is this weapon one that creates death, but it is something that has the tale of survival."

Pasquale's eyes study the sting as Raja speaks. Now that the tale seems to be drawing to its end he lifts his gaze back to Raja and asks "What happened to the other one?"

Gianna nods when Pasquale asks his question; apparently she might have had the same one.

Zoey cannot help but laugh at that. "My Lord Pasquale, are you trying to commission a snake fang blade of your own?" she asks.

Valerian is silent and still, having found a place to watch and listen to the story. His eyes are wide as he offers Raja a warm smile of greeting. But he doesn't interupt, caught in the wonder of the tale being woven. He admires the blade and the looks to Raja once more, listening with apt attention.

Pasquale gives Zoey a slight smile. "You have to admit that if you were in possession of such an artifact this would be an exceptional way to sell it." his eyes go to Valerian. "Don't you agree Lord?"

Wide eyes blink at Pasquale as the other addresses Valerian. "Perhaps? Though selling an artifact of such value would be difficult, finding a buyer with enough coin to afford it would be a challenge. Even if you had the heart to sell something so rare and high quality. Its a treasure...one which should be passed down generations along with the knowledge of it and the story, I would think?" The gentle lamb of Kennex is wide eyed and soft of speach, clearly surprised by being addressed.

Gianna flaps a hand in a dismissive sort of gesture. "People in this city have entirely too much money," she says. She steps toward Raja and extends a hand. "May I?"

Raja laughs as she looks to Pasquale, "It was ruined in the first attempt. Sorry to say. I believe that from the battle or from some incident long past, it's fang was cracked. So, it did not become blade worthy." Those dark eyes turn to Pasquale, "I know that every crafter in the city has that one item they have created that becomes their masterpiece. Right now, this blade is what I consider my own masterpiece. Perhaps one day in the future, I may be a ble to create more blades of such a quality, but this one.. No, this one will be mine, to be passed down to my children after I return to the wheel." Glancing to Gianna, she nods. "Feel free."

"Some people might," Zoey says softly as she clasps her hands in front of her. When Raja agrees, she watches Gianna take the blade.

Gianna takes the blade, closing her hand around the grip and running her thumb along the Cardian snakeskin. She turns the blade in her hand a few times, hefts it like she's testing its balance. She turns it again to peer at the tip. "Was there a hole for venom?"

Pasquale nods to Valerian before turning his gaze back to Raja. "A good thing you had two then." he contemplates the unique blade for a few moments and then murmurs. "It seems unsporting for the owner of such large fangs to have venom as well."

Raja shakes her head. "There was not. I did manage to bore a hole within to fill with alaricite and give it a stronger core. The blade is not venemous, just exceedingly sharp. It would be rather interesting if it was venemous though. I would be stabbing slavers every day with it." She glances to the others, "who would like to share a tale?"

Zoey gets Dawn's Light, an alaricite bow from exquisite leather quiver.

"I can go next," Zoey offers. "I had one of my guards carry my bow for me. I can tell you how I became known in some circles as the Eagle-Eyed Archer of Kennex." She gestures to said guard, who hands the lady an alaricite bow.

Gianna nods, passing the blade back to Raja. "Thank you," she says before turning her attention back to Zoey.

Raja gets Serpent's Sting.

Raja takes back her blade before turning to join the others in their seats. She grabs a glass of some whiskey before settling in. Her gaze turns to Zoey, eyeing the bow in question.

Zoey nods and takes the bow in both hands. There is a moment where she has a small, sad smile before she begins. "It occurs to me now that most of the people in this story are now missing or dead," she says. "Not all, just enough to make the heart ache a bit." She shakes her head. "Anyway, this was some years ago. About four now, I think, as it was when I was still able to conceal that I was carrying my daughter, Naamah. A group of us were chasing this being who was killing innocent people and sacrificing them in a bid to become a god. We were on our way to one of his ritual sites when he attacked us."
She turns the bow in her hands, as though readying it for an attack. It is a bit straighter than it should be, given that the string is currently missing. "There were corrupted bees, bigger than is natural, black as pitch, that were making rancid honey in a dead tree that had been inverted so that its roots stuck up in the air. They swarmed, arranging themselves into a cloud that took the shape of a face. That face mocked us, and Lord Rysen and I decided we had had enough of his taunts."
Her vision goes up and away, as if she were reliving it and the listeners were witness to the event rather than an audience with which she engaged. "He took a bottle of alcohol from his belt, stuffed it into the neck of the bottle, and lit it before throwing it into the air. We waited, watching as it sailed into the air toward that cloud of stinging insects, and when the timing was right..." Rather than describe it, she mimes pulling back the string and loosing an arrow. "When the head struck the bottle, there was an explosion of glass and flame! Most of the bees dropped to the earth at that point, and I remember the howl of anger."

Raja looks to the bow in question and then the tale of what is to be. Her eyes blink at the tale, "wow! I bet that was quite the site to see!" Raja is excited for the story almost as if it were her own story. (Which it was not.) "what happened after?"

"If you shot every bee individually..." Gianna says, trailing off with a wry expression.

Pasquale studies the bow silently as Zoey talks.

Slowly Zoey returns to the present and lowers the bow. "We managed to fend off and destroy the rest of the swarm as a group, though if I recall correctly, their venom sent Lady Alessia to the hospital for some time," she says. "We entered a tunnel under that inverted tree, navigating and disarming various traps along the way, until we found the main chamber where he was conducting the sacrifices. We managed to fight off a number of undead animals to save his latest victim before we destroyed him as well. If you ever wondered how Archscholar Sina got those scars on her arm, that was how."

Valerian listens quietly and with interest to the story as its told. He observes curiously tilting his head.

Pasquale says "I'm a little envious of all the stories you can tell Zoey." he offers a small smile when he says that. Clearly not that jealous. "You have had such a storied life."

Raja smiles. "Thank you for that tale. That was a very clever use of your bow! A tale that will be attached to it's story for generations to come!" She beams a smile to her patron. Her gaze shifts to look to the others, "Does anyone else have tales they are willing to share?" She asks, encouraging others to share.

"Storied, but that isn't always a good thing," Gianna remarks, her tone dry. "The survival rates of storied people are... not wonderful." At Raja's prompt, she shakes her head.

"Sad, but true," Zoey agrees somberly with Gianna. "Half the people I travelled with that day are no longer with us in this life. I know I told it about myself and from my point of view, but it is only right that I tell it so that their memories might live on as well."

"I promised to tell the story of the Glinting Gale" Pasquale says "I dont have it here, for our Sword Pero currently holds it, but it has a good story behind it nonetheless. To understand its history we first must go to the days of the reckoning when the demon fleets sought to overwhelm the Lyceum. Amongst the Lyceum's heroes was Argenta, the famous pirate Queen. She amassed a grand fleet of Corsairs and used them to help drive the demons back and the Glinting Gale is the sword that she used to lead every charge, sink every ship, and defeat the demons and their ilk who crossed blades with her." His mouth quirks. "They say the blade glinted keen white in the moonlight, and was a beacon of hope against the growing tides of darkness and to this day the bleached leather grip still bears the imprint of Argenta's hand."

Raja beams a smile at that story as well! "Fantastic! Does the new bearer of the blade have any stories that you know about?"

"I dont believe so." Pasquale tells Raja. "Malespero is not a House much inclined to growing through conquest and I would not expect a House sword to be used thus anyway - but perhaps it will gain more stories in the coming days."

Raja nods sagely. "Thank you for sharing this tale. I will make sure to have a chapter in this book written about it. She glances between Valerian and Gianna. "Either of you have anything to share?" She is eager to hear more it seems!

Zoey nods to Pasquale. "I am certain their will be no shortage of opportunities. I know I am looking to increase my skills and improve my armor for what comes."

Gianna drops Nightingale's Song.

Gianna shakes her head, though she draws an alaricite knife and shows it. A sapphire glints on the pommel. "None. I can't say I'm really a face-to-face confrontational sort of person. Usually others are much better at it than I."

Raja looks to the blade in question with the eye of a smith. "Nice blade, but one day it may have a nice story to go with it." She looks to Gianna canting her head, "I am sure that in days to come there will be many chances to create a tale for it. But, you know, every blade has a tale. Even if they aren't as grand as giant snakes, upside down trees, or ancient pirate conquerers. Your blade has a story."

Gianna takes Nightingale's Song.

Gianna tucks the blade away again. "Maybe someday. I tend to deal with confrontation with my voice."

Pasquale gives Zoey a little smile before looking to Raja. "Perhaps I can persuade Raja to make me a bow as worthy as that fang-knife." To Zoey he adds. "That would be something wouldn't it?" He nods at Gianna's words. "As do I. My sword has been more of a meditation aid than a weapon."

Zoey cants her head to Gianna. "That works on multiple levels," she says with a knowing smile.

Raja arches a brow, looking to her own dagger before looking back to Pasquale. "Challenge accepted." She moves to rise up. "I want to thank each of you for coming to my humble event. I truly enjoyed the tales given here. I will have to host ore events of tales and such for the future."

Pasquale smiles a little. "Then perhaps our first step should be to do something worthy of story to find the materials. It sounds like an enjoyable process all around."