2 Tessere trained guards arrives, following Cosimo.

It's a quiet get together in the Velenosa Estate. There's little fanfare... or rather little for a royal house. The table is stocked with large cuts of beef, chicken pies, bread and cheese, a bowl of grapes and of course, Lenosian wine. The hostess sits close to the head of the table, the largest seat reserved for the Archduchess naturally, whether she is present or not.

"Welcome all." Isolde smiles warmly as the guests arrive, raising her glass to them in greeting and beckoning servants to come forth to pour refreshments into their glasses.

Cosimo slowly enters the dining room, removing his snow spattered cloak and handing it to a nearby servant. After a quick, respectful dip of the head to Isolde, he takes a seat near the middle of the table. "Thank you, Princess Isolde. I've not had the good fortune to be at one of these before. Delighted."

Pasquale came early and took up a seat at the table. He inclines his head as Isolde offers a greeting. "Thank you for the invitation Isolde."

It's not long after some others arrive that Marquessa Quenia Igniseri makes her way into the Velenosa Estate. She's shed her furs at the front door and is still well dressed for warmth during the colder months. She offers greetings all around, before nodding in Isolde's direction. "Thank you for the invitation to the dinner," she says in greeting before allowing herself to be shown to a seat by a member of the staff.

1 Saik Guard, Micana, an efficient assistant arrive, following Lucita.

Cecily, a coy secretary, Omero, a hulking bodyguard leave, following Agostino.

Lucita has shed her snow covered cloak, politely made sure her boots are free of slush and removes her gloves as she arrives in the dining room. She is impeccably groomed and has an amicable smile on her lips. A curtsy is given royalty as she makes her way over toward Quenia. She stays quiet for the moment in an attempt to avoid interrupting conversations.

"I believe it has been a while. For me anyway. I apologise I hadn't had the opportunity to connect with any of you since my appointment as Voice." Isolde gives an apologetic smile as she takes a long drink from her glass. "Please, make yourselves at home. We can spend the evening discussing whatever matters strike your fancy. Whether that be personal or matters you want to bring to Her Grace." She says as she butters her bread.

Dressed in his usual morose black seasilk, Cosimo's angular face is as gloomy as usual despite imbibing a glass of Lenosian red provided by a servant. Inky fingers brush through dark, disheveled hair as he gives Quenia, Lucita and Pasquale a faint, fleeting smile in greeting before addressing Isolde. "Your Highness. I do have some matters I would like have brought to Her Grace, but it can wait until later on. No need to jump into business so early in the gathering. How has the Archduchess been?"

Pasquale nods to Cosimo before telling those at the table. "I don't have anything specific to ask."

Quenia smiles in Lucita's direction. "Cousin," she offers the Saik woman with a warm expression. She glances over at Isolde as she speaks and seems to do just that; make herself at home. She asks for a glass of wine and pulls some of the treats over on her plate. "Neither House Igniseri nor I have any personal matters at the moment. We're still looking into the financial issues plaguing the Lyceum, but we haven't turned anything up yet. In the meantime, I've been researching this and that on various things surrounding the reckoning and some of the heroes involved."

Lucita speaks up then. "Saik has been helping with Marquessa's research, and as she said, still working on the financial issues. We have not found anything as yet but feel it prudent to make sure, double-check. After the calling of banners, we've emphasized all citizens have a minor ability to self-defend be it with a rolling pin, a pan, or a pitchfork once the soldiers deploy and have been drilling our small army."

"She's been well but like the rest of us, she has been worried about the financial matters caused by our late progenitor." Isolde says the latter word a little bitterly but doesn't dwell too long on it. "There's just been so many different things to take care of, some things end up being left simmering." She smiles. "But by all means, if you do have a matter to discuss, you shouldn't hold your tongue simply in the name of politeness. It may be urgent."

The mention of the Reckoning certainly piques her interest. "What about the Reckoning? It seems these days everyone's nose deep in a book about the Elven war. Did something spur your interest?"

To Lucita, she nods. "The mightiest knights have been felled by a stray arrow from a simple hunter holding a makeshift bow. It's good that you aren't disregarding them."

"There's some kind of financial issues? This is the first I've heard of it, but I suppose that's to be expected. Is there something I can help with?" Cosimo asks with a brow crooked upwards at Lucita and Quenia. Picking up a fork and slicing off a cut of roast beef to place on his plate, "Baroness, I've pretty much done the same since mobilizing the army after calling of the banners. All must be ready." Listening to Isolde, he makes a soft sound of exasperation. "That is most exasperating about the financial issues. I hope all is settled and comes up right. If I can be of help, do let me know. Of course, right now I am trying to get things straightened out in the March. It seems that since my late sister died things have kind of been left adrift. I intend to try to fix that."

"Elves live an indecently long time and it seemed to me like studying what came before the Elven War might be of some mild interest, since it's likely somewhat tangentially connected. But, only tangentially. It's good to know the roots of a thing to learn how to deal with precent dangers and circumstances." Quenia replies with relative easy to Isolde's question. It looks like she might say more, but Cosimo grabs her attention and she finds herself nodding in his direction. "There was someone that died within the last few years who was smuggling away the funds of the Lyceum. When they died, a small windfall was gained, only to start leaking away again. It's believe the troubles have hit every city-state within the Lyceum." A pause, before she adds casually to Cosimo, "I'm very sorry for your loss. I cannot imagine ever losing a sibling and how that might feel." Except, Quenia should probably very well be able to imagine just that given how she came into power; through her brothers' deaths during the Silent War.

Pasquale curls his fingers about his wine glass as he listens.

"Am I right in assuming that you are taking charge at the present?" Isolde asks Cosimo, interestedly. "I did wonder about Tessere's well being since that tragedy. You have my sympathies, my lord. If you do want to help combat the financial troubles, my sister in law and I will be much obliged. Is there anything we can do to be of help in the meantime?"

The explanation for the interest in the Reckoning has her nodding. "It's cruel irony. That the Sylv'alfar fled to avoid being encapsulated by the Abyss only to fall into the Abyss centuries later."

Lucita occupies herself with sipping wine, nibbling on some of the snacks and following the conversation. Interest shows plainly in the way her gaze flicks from person to person as they speak.

"Yes, I've been made Marquis-Regent until my nephew Constantine reaches his majority. Until then, I want to make sure to honor all of my late sister's hard work by doing all I can for the March and passing it over to him greatly better than it is now," Cosimo explains quietly with one hand gesturing, glass of wine held firmly in it. "Thank you for your sympathies. It seems death lurks over the family. Assassination, fire, now a horse accident. I try not to think about what is next, considering it has been all rulers and heirs." Grim, he brushes inky fingers through his hair again. "It is less about finances and more about crucial infrastructure. The Great Road does not run through Fortezza di Iriscal, nor are we part of the Empyrean Trade Route. Which, given we are a major trading hub, seems like a waste for us and the Lyceum as a whole - we could be producing more tax revenue. Also, we lack the watchtowers some other realms have - and yet we are on the border of several Oathlands realms. I am not proposing to just be given these things, I would be happy to pay our fair share. I just wish to be part of them," he explains before giving Quenia a somber smile - then furrows his brows, remembering how she came to power.

"Not all of that was by choice though," Quenia points out lightly in their discussion about the Elven War. "Sure, some of them chose to join the Abyss, but some of them tried to keep away from it. The Thornweave, for instance. They put themselves into a long slumber to escape becoming part of those chained to the Abyss. It was an unfortunate circumstance that woke them early that led to those early attacks on certain holdings across the Compact. They've since broken free of those fetters, or at least the ones that woke early did with some aid." Quenia glances between Isolde and Cosimo when he brings his concerns forward. She looks like she might want to jump in with information, but she doesn't so as not to overstep any bounds there. Rather, she goes on to remark. "I have been meaning to ask Lady Eirene about whether or not we should continue to try and make more batches of the weedkiller we invented in order to combat some of the Thornweave and Sylv'alfar magic. She told me that she used it when combating some of the Traitor's forces in Bastion and it worked. It's been a number of years since we developed it together and that was our first actual field test of the stuff. I was most happy to receive that news."

"We are most likely to end up against Helena first aren't we?" Pasquale asks Quenia. "Isn't plant based magic something she is known for? Certainly I seem to recall word of deadly plants in the stories coming from up north. That suggests the weedkiller might be valuable."

Lucita says, "Fire works, too, I was told by someone who used it against her... but she wound up killing that person." She hesitates then explains. "It was part of a Society of Explorers expedition that we discovered that. But fire did work.""

Quenia checks composure at normal. Botch! Quenia fails completely.

For a moment, Quenia looks absolutely, completely alarmed at the Lucita's talk of using fire. "The problem with fire is that it burns everything and isn't forgiving," Quenia is quick to remark on that. "It's just like with fighting the ships at sea. Sure, it'll work, but it won't discriminate against who it burns. So, if you intend to use fire to combat those forces, you're going to ned to figure out fire brigades to keep things from burning down around you or burning you directly." She shifts in her seat, picks up her glass, and drinks about half the wine in it in one gulp.

"I suppose it's the risk of being in the position we're in. Well... perhaps not the horse accident. Unless one was pushed off the horse." Isolde allows with a little frown. "There's just some thing that cannot be avoided. He'll be well remembered, anyway."

"You wish to be a part of the Empyrean Trade Route. I'm surprised you already aren't." Her eyes widened. "It must have been a long time ago, when there was bad blood. I'll mention this to Jaenelle, thank you for bringing it to my attention."

"Helena?" She asks, seemingly unaware the woman was named that. "Fire is in my opinion one of the most powerful and easy to acquire weapons. Of course it is unwieldy and hurt more than it helps." She takes a deep drink. "We have to weigh our options."

"It seems the enemies we've made long ago haven't quite shaken off their vendettas. That or we have some extraordinarily bad luck - either way," Cosimo replies to Isolde with a sigh. "He will be well remembered, I'll make sure of it. If I have a bizarre accident, I hope Constantine does the same. Anyways, yes. I have no idea why we are not part of the Empyrean Trade Route, but I want us to be. Or why we aren't connected to the Great Road. It shouldn't be difficult to build a connection. And of course the defensive watchtowers," he begins, then blinks at Quenia and Lucita when fire is brought up. "What's this about plants and fire? Are we having such trouble with malicious plants that we need to unleash that sort of chaotic destruction? I have heard of what the Thornweaver did in the area, but I thought that was finished."

Quenia tilts her head in Cosimo's direction. "Several counties and baronies had been run over by malicious plants that devour people for months at at time. Those plants were initially created by the Thornweave. They destroyed whole families and holdings. Marquessa Lora DiFidante's holdings, formerly known as the Volkov Woods, was one such place. I led an expedition there to gather samples of the plants, and from those samples, we derived a non-magical way to kill them; and they are otherwise exceptionally hard to kill. My understanding is that some of the monsters that might be faced in the war might be other plant type creatures, but I haven't any experience with them as others might have had." She casts a glance in Lucita's direction, as though her cousin might know more about them.

Lucita does not volunteer much information at all about such critters. Instead she defers to another as she speaks. "Lady Eirene is the one who used some of the anti-malicious plant goop on a weapon at Artshall, that where it worked against them. The one who used fire.. had none of the goop and no other means of protecting her village. It was a last resort effort, no fire present by the time we arrived.

"Now... regarding the great road. While that is an understandable desire, I hope you know it comes with much the same pitfalls as before." Isolde pauses and then continues after a thought. "Well, perhaps less so because we'd be prepared now and there's more security on the roads. Nevertheless, my only point is it allows Shavs an easier path to your domain." She takes a bite of cut up beef as she listens to the others.

"If the weedkiller could be used on plants created by different mages, that bodes well. It means there's versatility in its use. It's not a one-time solution." She says optimistically.

"But as Princess Isolde said, options need to be weighed. It's very dangerous to get the vines that are needed and it is expensive to prepare. I doubt there would ever be enough for it to be a whole cloth solution to any single battle or problem, but - perhaps in smaller, strategic skirmishes it would be useful." Quenia pauses there to nod at what Isolde says. "I'm not sure if it has been tested on any other types of plant based things, but with the banners called, I'm sure opportunities will rise to find out for certain, likely."

"It's a danger that is worth being connected to the Great Road as a trade hub. We can keep it patrolled and crush any shavs that dare to cause trouble. Of course, with a watchtower, we could see them coming from even further away," Cosimo leads into again with a grin at Isolde, taking a bite of rare beef and tilting his head towards Quenia. "Is it something that requires a specialist to use? Someone particularly skilled in the botanic arts?"

Lucita says, "It took a lot of planning and effort to get those things done." She gives a smile. "Oh, the goop, it takes good fighters to evade attacks and get close enough to use a goop-coated weapon on it.""

"I'll be sure to pass along your wishes to Jaenelle, and we'll do what we can to help Tessere fulfil its potential. I'll send a messenger once I've discussed the matter with her, then perhaps we'll get together to put together a plan." Isolde says to Cosimo with a thoughtful look. "Yes, this shouldn't be much trouble. Especially compared to the other challenges we have." Lucita's response gets a knowing nod. "Someone like me will be liable to get myself injured more than help anyone. But it's good to know botany or alchemical skills aren't required to use the goop." She can't suppress an amused smile at the word.

Jaxon, Champion of the Reflection have been dismissed.

Bruiser, a merle teacup chihuahua wearing a diamond collar have been dismissed.

Slaine, a wallflower have been dismissed.

Rex, a large blue cane corso mastiff have been dismissed.

"I nearly lost my hands" Pasquale adds to Lucita's words "Trying to coat a ballista bolt with goop. It is definitely dangerous."

"If you'll all excuse me, I should be getting back to the house myself. I'm glad I came out," Quenia murmurs as she rises from her seat. She offers a warm smile to all, then makes her way out.

Lucita says, "I best be getting back to the tower, too. A good night to you all, this was an enjoyable gathering.""

"Yes." Pasquale echoes the others. Also raising to his feet. "It was a good gathering."

Captain Curls, an attentive, ebony guard poodle, Aspira leave, following Quenia.

Pasquale is overheard praising Isolde.

1 Saik Guard, Micana, an efficient assistant leave, following Lucita.

2 Tessere trained guards leaves, following Cosimo.

2 Tessere trained guards arrives, following Cosimo.