12 Searing 125
[Closed - Pharaoh, Finn, Raithen]
Hilana had known when she had submitted her list of requested people that it may have been difficult with schedules to get everyone arranged. The young woman was taking no chances with the success of this, and perhaps it was overkill, considering her first inclination to go had been by wyvern, with her Mask, and possibly one or two others to scout Celatium before they went in with more to try to gather intelligence to understand better what they were dealing with instead of just rolling in. But decisions were made to go in what was a marvel of the type Hilana had never had the privilege of experiencing before, and since they were going to go that way, she had made up her mind after thinking about it as to whom she intended to bring with her in addition to the crews provided. She knew that she was only going to get one good shot at this - and in that case, there was no such thing was overkill.
And in some ways, as short as it was, that list was a big ask - all four of Cithaera Princeps' children were on it. She requested Phocion as Captain - he had volunteered, and she had faith in him, his skills, and his ability to make decisions. Further, he was marked by Varvara, and as Valaera had pointed out, that was an excellent ability to have when it came to commandeering the ship. She had asked for Valaera to come along for her Sembling ability and knowledge of the ship, and her coolness under fire - they had gone to the Crystal Tower together. That aside, you did not rise through the ranks of being the right hand of the Grandmaster Sembler without having the chops to back it up.
She had asked for Arvaelyn, if he was so inclined to come - he was also marked by Varvara, a grandmaster Mesmer, and while their friendship had never quite recovered from Finn's wounding, he at least tolerated her and had been friendly enough the last time she had seen him. Further, she knew if she wanted Finn along, then her best bet was to also ask Arvaelyn. She had also asked for Raithen, trusting implicitly in his abilities with kinetics and his mastery of the air. As an Avialae, the sky was his birthright. The rest of them were just tourists. He was also favoured by Avaerys, and she trusted that he would put aside whatever complicated feelings he had about Phocion and Kala aside to make this journey with them. He had had her back when they had gone to Mount Kaladon, and she knew he would have it here.
Hilana had experienced Vraedyn's sermons firsthand, and even before that, there were many stories and reputation preceded the Paterfamilias of House Vlahos. He had offered his time, and she had considered it a wise decision to take him up on it. She had seen his skills up close when they had worked on the Sceptre of Avaerys when Talon had helped re-enchant it. Further, he was Empyreal - marked by Avaerys when Phocion had been marked by Varvara. They were part of a matched set, and as she remembered seeing Phocion and Finn use their Emblems together against that voidspawn monster back at the Citadel... it was good to keep the sets together. And Finn, of course - he had made the foray abroad with her the first time with her and Khyan, and had been grievously wounded in the process. He was considered Magnatus, twice marked by Avaerys, and matched with Arvaelyn, and she knew how skilled he was with blending those separate Runes and mundane abilities.
There were multiple people she had considered asking along, but had made the decision not to, especially her foreign friends. Rickter as a magical powerhouse, but was prone to overdoing it and finessing wasn't always his strong suit. More importantly than that, his family needed him and Hilana knew he needed them. Talon and Aoren might well have come if she had asked, but she knew that Zalkyriax did not care for Arcas reborn, considering their history, but they had a great deal on their plates. Not to mention the fact that Arcas had been the one to cut the Horn from Avaerys in the first place and started all of this. There was Aurin, whose Traversion skills had been amazing, and she had seen him in action when they had gone into the Mines together to rescue the miners... but she knew part of what he did was buying and selling information, and this was sensitive information. He might keep a lid on it for her... and then again, he might not. She didn't want to put him into a position where they might well decide to blank away some things from him to ensure his silence. She liked and trusted Kala, who was a decidedly capable Mage, but she was also an extremely busy woman, and Founders knew there had been Complicated Feelings following the dinner party in Frost. She hadn't come this far and spent this much time tracking this legendary artifact down across the continent to shoot herself in the foot by digging up something that had been more or less been left to lie for a few seasons. Beyond that, she had some level of connection with the royals of Sol'Valen, and while she trusted Kala to keep things to herself... allowing a hand to be tipped that way, even unintentionally, wouldn't have been wise.
Each of her foreign friends had their own responsibilities and duties to their sovereign, just as she had to hers. She knew she was assessed when she came back, and not sharing critical information with the crown would have been tantamount to treason, and something of this magnitude definitely would have been considered critical. There was no need to put them in that position. While she had been told that she could invite anyone on this venture that she chose, she also knew it would reflect on her later, for better or for worse. This had been kept under wraps for a very long time, and it was best to keep it that way until it was done.
Kor had volunteered to look after the animals and Kalor so that Lia could come with her, and considering Lia was more aware of these details about what was going on than he was... and Hilana knew she would have her back. Kalor would be perfectly fine with Kor, and would surely enjoy a change of pace. The two Vastian women made their way to the Praetorium in the Umbrium, side by side. They'd packed enough for a week, and between rucksacks and featherlight satchels, they would surely manage. Hilana had brought her medical supplies and restoratives, Lia carried the bulk of their lodestones that they had spent the last month filling and preparing to be on the safe side. They'd surely use them somewhere, and in any event, they would not go bad.
They greeted the Sentinels, and were ushered down a hallway and through a portal to take them to the Callidus Victoris, and Lia let out a low sound of awe and surprise. Sviras remained incorporeal in her rucksack, where Tiaz might have stayed, and Etzalal coiled around Hilana's shoulders, tongue flickering and wings tucked against their body. "Wait until you see the inside," Hilana murmured to her sister, squaring her shoulders and taking a deep breath. This was it. Hopefully. They were back on the trail of Israxa, and they would see what there was to be found on Insula Celatium.
[Closed - Pharaoh, Finn, Raithen]
Hilana had known when she had submitted her list of requested people that it may have been difficult with schedules to get everyone arranged. The young woman was taking no chances with the success of this, and perhaps it was overkill, considering her first inclination to go had been by wyvern, with her Mask, and possibly one or two others to scout Celatium before they went in with more to try to gather intelligence to understand better what they were dealing with instead of just rolling in. But decisions were made to go in what was a marvel of the type Hilana had never had the privilege of experiencing before, and since they were going to go that way, she had made up her mind after thinking about it as to whom she intended to bring with her in addition to the crews provided. She knew that she was only going to get one good shot at this - and in that case, there was no such thing was overkill.
And in some ways, as short as it was, that list was a big ask - all four of Cithaera Princeps' children were on it. She requested Phocion as Captain - he had volunteered, and she had faith in him, his skills, and his ability to make decisions. Further, he was marked by Varvara, and as Valaera had pointed out, that was an excellent ability to have when it came to commandeering the ship. She had asked for Valaera to come along for her Sembling ability and knowledge of the ship, and her coolness under fire - they had gone to the Crystal Tower together. That aside, you did not rise through the ranks of being the right hand of the Grandmaster Sembler without having the chops to back it up.
She had asked for Arvaelyn, if he was so inclined to come - he was also marked by Varvara, a grandmaster Mesmer, and while their friendship had never quite recovered from Finn's wounding, he at least tolerated her and had been friendly enough the last time she had seen him. Further, she knew if she wanted Finn along, then her best bet was to also ask Arvaelyn. She had also asked for Raithen, trusting implicitly in his abilities with kinetics and his mastery of the air. As an Avialae, the sky was his birthright. The rest of them were just tourists. He was also favoured by Avaerys, and she trusted that he would put aside whatever complicated feelings he had about Phocion and Kala aside to make this journey with them. He had had her back when they had gone to Mount Kaladon, and she knew he would have it here.
Hilana had experienced Vraedyn's sermons firsthand, and even before that, there were many stories and reputation preceded the Paterfamilias of House Vlahos. He had offered his time, and she had considered it a wise decision to take him up on it. She had seen his skills up close when they had worked on the Sceptre of Avaerys when Talon had helped re-enchant it. Further, he was Empyreal - marked by Avaerys when Phocion had been marked by Varvara. They were part of a matched set, and as she remembered seeing Phocion and Finn use their Emblems together against that voidspawn monster back at the Citadel... it was good to keep the sets together. And Finn, of course - he had made the foray abroad with her the first time with her and Khyan, and had been grievously wounded in the process. He was considered Magnatus, twice marked by Avaerys, and matched with Arvaelyn, and she knew how skilled he was with blending those separate Runes and mundane abilities.
There were multiple people she had considered asking along, but had made the decision not to, especially her foreign friends. Rickter as a magical powerhouse, but was prone to overdoing it and finessing wasn't always his strong suit. More importantly than that, his family needed him and Hilana knew he needed them. Talon and Aoren might well have come if she had asked, but she knew that Zalkyriax did not care for Arcas reborn, considering their history, but they had a great deal on their plates. Not to mention the fact that Arcas had been the one to cut the Horn from Avaerys in the first place and started all of this. There was Aurin, whose Traversion skills had been amazing, and she had seen him in action when they had gone into the Mines together to rescue the miners... but she knew part of what he did was buying and selling information, and this was sensitive information. He might keep a lid on it for her... and then again, he might not. She didn't want to put him into a position where they might well decide to blank away some things from him to ensure his silence. She liked and trusted Kala, who was a decidedly capable Mage, but she was also an extremely busy woman, and Founders knew there had been Complicated Feelings following the dinner party in Frost. She hadn't come this far and spent this much time tracking this legendary artifact down across the continent to shoot herself in the foot by digging up something that had been more or less been left to lie for a few seasons. Beyond that, she had some level of connection with the royals of Sol'Valen, and while she trusted Kala to keep things to herself... allowing a hand to be tipped that way, even unintentionally, wouldn't have been wise.
Each of her foreign friends had their own responsibilities and duties to their sovereign, just as she had to hers. She knew she was assessed when she came back, and not sharing critical information with the crown would have been tantamount to treason, and something of this magnitude definitely would have been considered critical. There was no need to put them in that position. While she had been told that she could invite anyone on this venture that she chose, she also knew it would reflect on her later, for better or for worse. This had been kept under wraps for a very long time, and it was best to keep it that way until it was done.
Kor had volunteered to look after the animals and Kalor so that Lia could come with her, and considering Lia was more aware of these details about what was going on than he was... and Hilana knew she would have her back. Kalor would be perfectly fine with Kor, and would surely enjoy a change of pace. The two Vastian women made their way to the Praetorium in the Umbrium, side by side. They'd packed enough for a week, and between rucksacks and featherlight satchels, they would surely manage. Hilana had brought her medical supplies and restoratives, Lia carried the bulk of their lodestones that they had spent the last month filling and preparing to be on the safe side. They'd surely use them somewhere, and in any event, they would not go bad.
They greeted the Sentinels, and were ushered down a hallway and through a portal to take them to the Callidus Victoris, and Lia let out a low sound of awe and surprise. Sviras remained incorporeal in her rucksack, where Tiaz might have stayed, and Etzalal coiled around Hilana's shoulders, tongue flickering and wings tucked against their body. "Wait until you see the inside," Hilana murmured to her sister, squaring her shoulders and taking a deep breath. This was it. Hopefully. They were back on the trail of Israxa, and they would see what there was to be found on Insula Celatium.
