Lou has joined the Table 1.

Winter, A Highhill Puppy, Angeline arrive, following Kiera.

1 Iron Guardsmen, 3 Black Fleet Reavers, Moonsilver, the pale-feathered raven arrive, following Raven.

Grandt, scarred and stoically-exasperated Captain of the Leary House Guard, 4 Leary House Guards arrive, following Fairen.

Lou is seated at one of the tables, drinking -- you guessed it -- whiskey! There might be a handful of other people at her table, not many really, as the event has just gotten underway. "And so we lit the fire using the firestriker I found with Lagoma's symbol on it, and that's how we were able to thaw out the dwarves. Can you imagine being stuck in place like they were for nearly 800 years?!?" she asks, shaking her head.

Raven checks 'recovery check' at normal. Raven is successful.

Kiera walks in looking about curiously "I wanted to check in for a moment pathfinder. see abot progress on the research and which direction we were heading now. I don't if my thoughts were helpful" She blinks "You used a healing stone to thaw out dwarves?"

The promise of whiskey with the Pathfinder is certainly enough reason for Fairen to emerge from the Leary library, hair a bit mussed - likely he forgot to do anything about it before leaving home. Wooden folio secure under one arm, he adjusts his spectacles upon entering the Charter Hall and offers Lou a friendly smile. "Pathfinder! You're a welcome sight again. I've recently returned from Leaholdt, checking on...well, you know." He glances at Raven and Kiera in turn, nodding a greeting. "I don't believe I know either of you. Marquis Fairen Leary. I love the hat," he points out to the former before going to pour a glass of whiskey and taking a seat with Lou.

Fairen has joined the Table 1.

"Healing stone?" Lou crinkles her brow at Kiera, then shakes her head. "No, I used a fire striker marked with Lagoma's symbol to thaw out dwarves. They had been trapped in a cavern in Everwinter for 800 years by Lagoma's reflection." Stasis. That one. "The normal flint and fire strikers couldn't catch anything on fire, and it wasn't until I found the one with Lagoma's marking in the cavern that we were able to get the fire started at all." She glances over a Fairen, her expression brightening a moment. "Fairen!" But, when he mentions the 'you know' it falls a bit. "Then there's likely a lot to catch up on. Bastion was sacked by the Traitor," she tells him in case he wasn't aware. "We lost half of the people who lived in the city." Which translates roughly to 25,000 people." A pause, a frown. "I hope he hasn't affected your areas?"

Kiera has joined the marin'alfar wooden bench.

Raven steps in with her guards and Moonsilver riding on the shoulder of one. She stops abruptly and makes a face, "Oh, gods, is it the same healing stone Giada used to try to heal Evaristo after the Whisper House debacle?" She lifts her good hand, "Nevermind. I don't think I want to know." She then bows, "PAthfinder, Lady Kiera. Thank you my Lord, it was a most thoughtful gift from a friend with EXCELLENT taste." She exhales and relaxes, "Oh thank the gods. I was gonna have a stroke if you had that blasted thing." She pauses and frowns, subdued, "That is quite a loss but I am amazed that half survived. It's a joyless victory but I hope those who were there recognize it could have been much worse."

Kiera has left the marin'alfar wooden bench.

Kiera has joined the Table 1.

Kiera blinks "She did? It did not go well I assume?It may well have but all I saw it do is reveal injury not heal it"

Ian comes in a little bit late, his attention on his feet as he walks.

Kiera turns to Fairen "We have not. Lady Kiera Wyvernheart"

Lou politely jabs a thumb in Raven's direction, but speaks to Fairen, "This is Raven. One of the newest additions to the Society of Explorers. She's already proven herself invaluable," she notes for his sake. She raises both brows at Raven as she speaks of Giada's healing stone. "I take it using the thing had a high cost which made things worse?" she wonders, studying Raven's expression for hints of what happened. She glances over at the latest newcomer and an easy smile comes to her lips. "Ian," she greets simply.

"There is a lot I have missed. This story about thawing out dwarves is certainly one." A sip of whiskey follows, tilting his glass to Lou - but he grimaces shortly afterwards. "I had heard about Bastion, yes. Not much in the way of details, but the tragedy is appalling. The Leaholdt was not afflicted by such an incursion. We just have our own local problems to deal with so far," he murmurs with a wry roll of his eyes. A grin is offered to Raven, "Quite excellent taste I have to say. If I was nautically minded I'd wear such a hat with pride. All the time, too. I imagine you must have stories to tell, quite a few. And high praise from the Pathfinder, I'm already intrigued!" He dips his head at Kiera, "A pleasure to meet you." The greeting is extended to Ian as well with a smile. "Lord Ian, good morning."

Raven bows to Ian, "Ahh, Good to see you Lord Ian." She gives Lou a bit of an exasperated look but summons a bland, polite smile to Fairen and bows again, "A pleasure to meet you, my lord. IF it's stories you want you should smooze Lord Ian. He has the most interesting stories by far." She ambles over to help herself to whiskey, "Why is it always whiskey? When did Whiskey become the thing to drink in this city?" Not that it stops her from helping herself to free booze.

Ian stops walking before he looks up, blinking as he looks around the hall, as though he were trying to let his eyes adjust to a sudden change in light. "Pri -- Pathfinder Lou. Marquis Fairen. Raven. Lady Kiera." He speaks the names in a level, mostly toneless voice. He could just as easily be listing off to himself who's here, rather than greeting people.

Lou turns her attention back to Fairen and considers him a moment. "When you've a mind to finally deal with that bit of problem, Lord Ian might be someone who can help you with it, or be able to recommend a fair few folk." She mentions nothing of what Fairen's issue is just yet, but she also adds. "I can probably recommend a few other explorers as well, since I know you had wanted us to help with it too. I am glad Leaholdt was spared his attention. Ashford saw an attack on one of their towns, and members of the Faith were killed, in particular the Seraph of the area." She grins at his quips to Raven about her hat. She notes to the Blackheart, "Wash isn't such a bad storyteller either, when he's of a mind to tell some. That usually requires he be out of his latest melancholy though." She positively beams at Ian when he uses the APPROVED title.

Kiera hms " Greetings Lord Ian. It is quite good to see you. I heard something about needing a dwarf translator something you found on the de-thawing?"

Raven notes this use of alternate title and her cheeks darken a bit as she takes note of the correct title for these hallowed halls, "Ahhh, Lord Wash seems like a VERY interesting sort to be certain, I'd be keen to hear sme of his tales as well though I expect he might be the sort who embellishes more than Lord Ian might. If anything Lord Ian might be guilty of understatement-which I won't lie-I find rather amusing."

"I haven't seen much of Wash or Aethan in a while," Ian remarks. There's a sense of distance in his voice. It's subtle, and especially strange when paired with the intense focus of his gaze. Then he fixes the intensity of his electric blue eyes on Fairen. "What was it that you wanted help with?"

Lou glances back to Kiera and hrms softly. "Well, I figure if anyone might know anything about destroying magical weapons, it might be the dwarves. So, I was planning on potentially taking another trip to the Everwinter. They did give us a way to find them again, but I have to track down a companion to see if I might have a look at the schematics the dwarves gave her, which had the notes. She's been unavailable lately though, so I was hoping Archlector Felix may have spoken with her on the topic in the past, as they are associates and colleagues." She furrows her brow somewhat. "I'd send a message to Brass, but I figure he's fairly busy with other matters." She then considers. "But I suppose there's also that new mage in the city, the one I haven't met yet, but Cesare speaks very highly of. Blush? Has anyone met him?" she asks.

Kiera has left the Table 1.

Winter, A Highhill Puppy, Angeline leave, following Kiera.

"I wonder if they avoided it for that reason. Just like the Eurusian cultists that we rooted out in the woods had specifically avoided the Leaholdt, we found them all over the woods otherwise, though. I suspect that what is harbored there might not like intruders of any sort, along with the -place- associated with it," Fairen mulls to Lou, taking a larger gulp of whiskey. "Yes, help would be great, especially since all of the House is back in Leaholdt now or roaming around. I can get the Marquessa back from there if needs be, I think, but other than that," he shrugs and rolls blue-grey eyes behind his spectacles. He smiles again and remarks, "Any kind of help that the Explores would like, I am more than happy to help with. Obviously I am no fighter but I can help in plenty of other ways." He narrows his eyes at the mention of magical weapons, asking discreetly, "Has the hammer been captured yet?"

Raven tilts her head, "Well, in theory anything which drains the primum from a weapon would destroy it-right?" She blink-blink-blinks, "There is? Gods, I can't keep track with who's who or who's coming or going. Who's the new mage? Blush? Can't say I have but I also can't say there's any reason I would have."

"He's been hanging out at the Hall of Heroes, from what I was told." Lou supplies for Raven, "So if you ever venture into the place, you might just run into him. I haven't, yet." She nods over in Fairen's direction. "House Velenosa and the Order of the East Light will have expeditions soon enough. And, I know Ian was fixing to explore underwater around an island. I expect he might want to pick who is going on that voyage, but the other expeditions have spaces open to Explorers." She watches as the others leave, looking for a moment as though she's undecided on whether or not she's going to go. She looks back to Raven, "Presumably, it would. But this is the item that the Traitor took from the vaults, and I believe he aims to use it to harm our allies."

Raven tilts her head and studies Fairen, "You didn't actually say what the problem or what you needed help with specifically but I reckon maybe it's none of my business." She frowns a bit, "I just go there to meditate trying to...well, I ain't been in a while cause there's no sense trying when I know my mind ain't gona sit still. Lot going on and such. MAybe I'll see if I can catch the fella." She inclines her head and notes, "I'd figure draining the primum from it probably the easiest way but I dunno anything about anything so dunno if that'd be dangerous or if it gotta be drained with intent towards specific ends on what to do with the primum-I just stab things. I reckon you and the smart folks will sort it out."

"It's not necessarily none of your business," Fairen replies to Raven with a peer over the rims of his spectacles. "If you want to help, well. It would certainly become part of it. It's likely to be dangerous. In fact, it will be, no likely about it." Resting his elbow on the table, chin in palm, he surveys the dark-haired woman closely. "You look like you're quite a threat. Have you ever fought a threat from the Abyss?" His eyes turn to Lou, a nod following. "Good. I'll help out whoever would want it. I really do want to go after that damned hammer though if it isn't captured yet. Same with the sword, unless that's been grabbed already."

"If you wish to go after the hammer, I can put you in touch with the group doing so." There's a pause before Lou notes. "It's tied to the story of Jonathan Baseborn, and so are the people who are going after it." That's about as much as she might be able to say on that matter. She glances over at Raven when Fairen addresses her. "It involves fighting demons. Probably not as bad of a demon as those that over ran Bastion, though." You know, the kind made of a combination of trees and rats, and used vines to touch people which then made those people kill themselves in the most horrible of ways. The kind Lou saw. "But it's still dangerous," she notes seriously.

Raven draws in a deep breath and gives Fairen a wry look, "The Pathfinder can confirm danger is an unavoidable fact of my life. I have. I am intimately familiar with the Abyss and many of it's preferred antics and mechanisms. Lord Ian, by virtue of age, has more experience in such things but if you hav-..." her head tilts and her lips press, "What's your interest in Sunderfall exactly?" She draws in a deep breath, "I don't mind but I might need to go scouting on my own or with one or two just..y'know." She rolls her good shoulder and gives Lou a wry look.

Fairen appears far more squeamish about actually speaking of the weapons by their name - when Raven says it out loud, he shudders a bit and cringes. "My interest is in seeing them all destroyed. Most especially the axe. Has that axe in the North been captured yet?" His voice sounds desperately hopeful in that. "That one...somehow...anyways." His eyes cut back to to her and he nods, "Good. I have a presence of some sort on my lands along with a cult that worships it. It is tied to a building that I fear to be a Shardhaven or the Eater. Either way, it's not something I like having there," he comments flatly. He nods at Lou with a smile, "I would be happy to do so. My wife is a Laurent, so. I imagine she'd been keen on helping, if I can get her back from the Leaholdt."

A messenger arrives, delivering a message to Raven before departing.

Lou inclines her head to Fairen. "I'll reach out to them then," she says, giving Fairen a sober look. "As much as I feel it's probably going to b a mistake after the last meeting, I feel as though I should at least show up, in part, to the primer. I want to thank you both for keeping me company this evening, and catching up." She smirks faintly, "After all, I'm pretty sure one of the Nox'alfar either threatened me or mentioned my name might be on an assassins list somewhere last time."

Raven grunts, "I saw it. The knight of the breach held it. I broke my Alaricite blade trying to fight him-another of my party managed to run him through but it didn't seem to bother him any. I'd make that a long term goal and set your sights now on immediately achieveable ends. That's just me. You can't just directly attack most abyssals. Not by sword or magic though I know some have succeeded this way. Perhaps it's worth learning more about the item and the knight who wields it, and see what fissures of the creature might be exploited. I've got more pressing issues but I am certain that the Pathfinder can direct you to those who could help on that end-or if not I can introduce you to my researchers and perhaps they might be of assistance."

She purses her lips and looks UNAMUSED, "Wait-what? Is this something we need to be concerned about?" Raven's look clearly asks: want me t stab someone?

Raven bows though, "Don't let me keep you, Pathfinder." She looks to Fairen, "IF you've time to talk more I'd be interested to speak more, my lord. I've some experience with Shardhavens."

"I would be delighted to, Raven. I will send you a message to talk at your convenience," Fairen says to her with a relieved smile and a thankful dip of the head. "It sounds like you're the sort of person I could definitely use the help of - and perhaps help. I can do a lot, even if not in the realm of physical combat. Before Archscholar Sina's demise, she woke up my potential, so to speak, and I assisted the Faith in some...more magical forms of pressure on the abyss' minions," he murmurs with a press of his lips. Blinking at Lou, "What? You think someone may try to kill you? You should be well-protected, Pathfinder. That's frightening and not acceptable. What can we do?"

"What you don't realize is I'm surrounded by six of Grayson's finest guards at all times, except when at home," Lou says with a touch of a smirk. "At any sign of something about to happen, they'd step out of the shadows I banished them to and do their job." She really, really hates being followed by guards. Really hates it. REALLY HATES IT. "It was the only way I'd allow them to accompany me, so they're practicing stealth even as we speak," she grins. "Life lessons they should already know by now anyway. Besides, it's about time I joined Mason on some kind of list," she quips. Her husband has been a direct target of the Prophet of Sands for the last four years and survived at least two failed attempts to kill him. Fairen's words catch Lou off guard. "You were there for that?" she asks, eyes studying the other man for a moment. She shakes her head, "If you were, I'll talk to you about that later. I should get going." She then heads for the door.

Raven's eyebrows lift, "Now you have my attention, my lord. Our next chat should be interesting. I'll leave you to your evening." She remains, intent on enjoying free whiskey.

Lou has left the Table 1.

Willen leaves, following Lou.