From the Pen of
Pellaluna
Vainoni
Dreams
I find myself in the
Necropolis, the City of the Dead. The shadows are the same,
lurking beneath a full and blood-red moon swelled to fill half the
sky, unnatural and yet not malevolent. The shapes of the
buildings, beneath their ruby gilding, are also the same,
half-collapsed ziggurats and rude cairns and everything in
between, home to the rich and poor in the one place where all are
equal. I breathe the air, thinking to find it fecund with rot,
finding instead a bouquet of dry dustiness overlaid with incense
and old linen. There are no plants.
I blink, and find that
the City of the Dead is not empty. Men and women in all manner of
dress and grave clothes pass me, pass through me andeach other.
Their eyes are hollow sockets, their skin is grey, and they chill
me when their dead flesh wafts through mine. None of them seem to
notice me, to notice anything. Some of them are sobbing, a
horrible, distant sound, and others are laughing or screaming.
The sound is strangely thin, sharp and eerie. I shiver and begin
to walk.
My feet know where to
go, taking me with them as an unwilling passenger, my body moving
of its own accord. A terror starts in me. I know where I am
going, who will be there, and I want to turn and run. I want it
so badly, yet my body continues walking like a condemned man to
the gallows. I am screaming somewhere inside.
I know I have been
walking a long time, tracing a path that is both familiar and
newly unfolding, surrounded always by the dead. A music starts,
deep as a heartbeat, subtle to the edge of hearing. It pulses
with my terror. The dusty walls around me take on colors,
malignant red and gangrenous green and the yellow of pus, in
patterns that warp the eye and mind. A yellow light spills into
the grey street. I have come to my destination.
Inside the building -
temple, ziggurat, pile of stones? - it is warmer, filled with a
pale and lazy smoke. This place smells of decay and old hatred.
My feet stop.
They come, as I know
they will, all those I have killed, all the people I have sent to
this cold eternity. I remember all their faces, remember what it
was like as the knife slid home, remember the smell of their
blood. Each of them comes up to me in turn. Some of them touch
me, their skin like clay, all of them look into my eyes, and I
cannot turn my head to escape them. There are so many.
When they are done with
this ritual, they stand in a circle around me, and I feel myself
accused, and guilty. I wait there in that throbbing eternity,
wait for what I know will come, until she steps into the circle.
All my old childhood terrors well up within me at the sight of
her, beautiful and hated. Death has not changed the swaying walk,
the cruel smile, the promise of kindness overlaid with the threat
of pain. She stops a few handspans from me, her eyes flickering
green and gold, and I notice that her skin has a dusting of scale
pattern.
"Vainoni," she says,
and I see that her tongue is forked. "My daughter, I knew you
would come back to me." No! I want to say. No! I am no part of you
any longer. But my mouth cannot form the words.
"You are mine," she
says. "I paid for you. What a high price, but it is not forever.
One day you shall pay as well, and I shall be
redeemed."
"No," I say at last,
but the voice is weak, it is not mine. It is a
child's.
"Yes," she says,
laughing. "Why not bow to the inevitable? I can wait, and I have
something that you will...want."
"I want nothing from
you." My voice is not as strong as I would like it to be, and she
smiles again at my weakness.
"You know nothing of
what I can offer you. What you will someday want if you pursue
that human of yours."
"He doesn't care for
me." I try and make myself believe it.
"No matter. He is a
human, and there will be others. And all of them will want
children. Something you are unlikely to give them without my
help."
"What do you mean?" I
know I should not ask, but my mouth forms the words as my feet had
walked me here, without my consent.
"I mean children. For
you. No Lillum male will have you with your...taints, but to a
human, you are a prize of rare value. It's a pity we don't breed
with humans, isn't it?"
She is whispering in my
ear now, from behind. Her feet haven't moved. Her body is coiled
around mine.
"I made a deal for you
and your brother, Vainoni. The deal is still open for
you."
"You sold us before we
were born. Father killed you for it."
"Your father knew about
the deal. He started me on this path, you know. And when I would
become more powerful than he, he killed me for it. You and your
brother were simply playing pieces."
"No!" I scream. "No!
Father loves us! He killed you to protect us! Stop lying to
me!"
"Think about it,
daughter." Her arms are around me now, her fingernails long and
sharp against my throat and chest. "He has your true names. What
do you imagine he plans to do with them?"
"He kept them to
protect us from you!" My voice is cracking, straining upwards. I
feel completely helpless, paralyzed with terror, and hate her for
still being able to torment me.
"He cannot save you,
even if he means to try. You will take my place eventually,
unless you provide some sacrifices of your own. We are not
unreasonable. The fathers will die, in human time. We can wait
that long to take them."
"No! I would sooner cut
my womb from my body myself than bear victims for you." But she
smells my guilt, the guilt of asking a good man, who would be a
good father, to never have children of his own. Her coils tighten
around me.
"A little deal,
Vainoni. Their fathers need never know. And think how ... happy
it would make them. And you would redeem your own suffering.
Eventually."
"I want nothing from
you," I say, and my voice is stronger, more my own.
"Too bad. Then you are
of no more use to me." She releases me, turns, and makes a little
gesture with her fingers. I realize what it means when the dead
begin to move towards me.
I don't care. I let
them surround me, and my senses are filled withcold clay and
incense, and the feel of hands tearing me apart.
I wake screaming into
the hot Yin Sloth night, my body soaked in sweat. Far off in the
fields, the slaves are drumming to their gods.
Letter
#3 (to Joshi)
Dearest Joshi,
I trust this finds you
Well, and that the rainy Season has brought some Relief from the
worst Heat of the year. I again find myself in unusual
Surroundings, these particularly being the home of Loraan the
Scholar, whose Acquaintance you have made on many Occasions. As
you may Recall, his Family holds lands in the Yin-Sloth
Territories, on the wild Borders of the Empire. Our trip here has
been fraught with many Dangers, and some small unpleasantness with
the Inquisition, but, as we were of no small Use in apprehending
the Criminal they sought, our Party came under only passing
Scrutiny. (The Criminal, by the way, was a murderous Changeling,
who had decided to ply its Trade upon the great Boat by which we
traveled into the Heart of the Jungle.)
I can only Say that
this is a strange hot place, here at the Borders of the World.
They have roaches here the Size of my two hands, and a great
manner of Wondrous and Horrible Beasts. Only last night we slew a
Serpent of enormous Size and terrible Cunning, which had been
Terrorizing the Natives by consuming their Children and livestock.
Lest you think that this was a Natural thing, let me assure you
that an Evil magick had been laid upon the Snake, by which it
lured Loraan from his bed, and was preparing to Consume him when
Kendrick and I arrived. We were both gravely Wounded, and I
approached Death from the violence of its Thrashings. Fortunately,
Furin and a childhood Friend of Loraan's, who calls himself Sid
and who seems to have been Trained in some manner of Healing, were
on Hand to revive me and menda childhood Friend of Loraan's, who
calls himself Sid and who seems to have been Trained in some
manner of Healing, were on Hand to revive me and mend my Limbs, or
you may have been short a Sister.
Although you know the
Nature of my Profession, and that death is always a Risk, I have
never come Closer to that cold shore than I did last night. At
another time, this would have been of no real Concern, as I
suffered no Lasting harm from my Experience, but I have been given
much to Reflect upon in recent months. Not the Least of which
being a Conversation with the Shade of my dear Master, who
Entreated me to avoid death's Lands for as long as was Possible.
He looked at me with such terrible Pity and unending Weariness, my
Heart bled that he might find no more Happiness in all the long
eternity. It caused me to think what I might take with me into
that grey place, what warmth my spirit might hold against the
chill Dullness, and the Tally returned much as you might expect. I
have often felt myself a Thing with no more substance than a
cookfire's Smoke, and having no more Direction than that, pushed
one way and then another by Survival's perilous wind. And, like
Smoke, when I am gone, only you would hold the fading Memory like
the ghost of a Smell.
This thing occurred in
Djarumir, a young City on the Mouth of the great river. The
Natives here have strange and Powerful magicks by whichthey deal
with Spirits and other beings. Our Father would scoff at the Arts
here displayed, I am sure, and yet these people do with song and
smell a Work much like his. Their Protections are not as good, and
the Outcomes less determined, which led to great Harm for a
conjurer-woman and her family, as the Thing they Summoned was not
my Master, who I was seeking, but that Vile and Accursed thing to
which our Mother gave her life. It is of the Opinion that it holds
some Claim upon me. We shall see.
There is a great
Mystery afoot here, and it is one that I think poses great Danger
to the Party and to the Inhabitants of this House. Loraan had many
years ago been Gifted with an amulet by his Mad Uncle, who lived
out his Life in a Tower of this very House, and whose Face had not
been Seen for thirty years before he died. While his Uncle was
alive, the amulet was little Trouble, merely an odd gift from an
odd relative, but since the Uncle's death, strange and terrible
Dreams have been visited upon Loraan, a Phenomenon that has
worsened in the house of his Childhood. He awakes screaming many
times during the Night, and, as his Behavior has been most Erratic
lately, I fear that this Gift is no Gift at all, but a curse that
is driving him Mad. Even last night, in the jaws of the Snake, he
seemed Mesmerized by some Force which was wearing his Body as I
might a glove. The Mind-Mage has some explanation for the Nature
of the Amulet which is beyond my Ability to Understand, saving
that it is a Rune Artifact of great Power. Sid seems positively
Disturbed by the Thing, and this is a Man who walks in another
Place, largely untroubled by the more Mundane concerns of those
around him. I think I am afraid of it.
Even now I am keeping a
Vigil at Loraan's Bedside, which has been Warded in a way Familiar
to both of us by the Nassur. The amulet has been kept Away from
him, and it is our Hope that he may Revive himself in Restful
sleep and offer a better Explanation for this Mystery than we
currently Possess. He has been studying the Tower in which his
Uncle was kept, and where he in turn kept his few Possessions, and
I fear there is Much that he is not Sharing. Certainly Kendrick
and Sid have both pressed him Publicly to award us some
Information that they believe he has, and I would feel more Easy
if I could plan against some Specific danger, and not be
continually Reduced to responding to cries in the night. Kendrick
and Sid are watching with me, as I had Hoped to glean some
knowledge from their Conversation.
This brings me to
another Topic, one which may seem Frivolous inlight of the
momentous Events that seem to be afoot here, but of some Personal
interest to me. Kendrick. We have been Companions now for many
months, and, as you know, he is a Good man, although his Youth
sometimes blinds him to the Complexities of the world. I think
perhaps things are Simpler in the East, as well. Still, I have
Lately found that a strange and troubling Change has come over the
nature of my Feelings for him. Since entering the Nassur's
Service, I have lived in close quarters with a greater Number of
other people than at any Previous time, and I have come to Value
their Company more than I thought Possible. Could it be that I
have been Lonely? I never thought I was. Time moves differently
for us, and I thought of Loneliness as a Human thing, arising from
the Shortness of their lives and the Consequent need to live
quickly ere the Opportunity escapes them. I was glad to be free of
that Need, yet now I think perhaps the weeks were merely Empty,
and my freedom was an Illusion by which I hid that Emptiness from
myself. And in the matter of Kendrick, why, I find greater
Satisfaction in sitting here writing this to you in the same room
with him than in a Job well completed or a Perfect weight and heft
of a Blade.
I have a Confession for
you, Joshi. I kissed him. A Party of us hadgone into the Fields,
there better to view the Stars and to enjoy the Coolness of the
evening. We spotted the great Serpent moving through the grasses,
and retreated to the House, not wishing to make a foolish and
uninformed Attack against something so large, and once I reached
my room, an Urge came over me. I felt the Need to make my Feelings
known to him, and the Need was of such Urgency that it could not
wait another Day, no nor another minute. I wonder, is this how
Humans feel, is this imbalance of the Humors their continual
state? Compelled to make some Move, I climbed down to his window
and tapped on the shutters. It was Foolish, I suppose, as he is
sharing a room with Loraan, and it would have been awkward to
explain to
Loraan what I Wanted, had he
been the one to answer my knock. But I was not thinking, and it
was Kendrick, so all was well. I kissed him there, on the
windowsill, much to his Surprise, I believe, as he said Little,
and I had nothing to say, and so I went back to my room. We have
not spoken of this since, although his Attitude towards me has
changed in no obvious Way, which I choose to think is a good
Thing. I have been most distracted since, and am altogether Glad
that he has not chosen to make an Issue of it.
Still, even if this is
not simply a fever-dream, and my feelings areShared, should I
pursue them to a Conclusion? The Ballads are full of nothing but
what Misfortune should come of such a Relationship. And then I
fear there is some Awkwardness in the matter of the Nassur. He has
been paying court to me, and I feel that he would not take Kindly
to a Foreigner usurping his Place. He is an Honorable man, and he
has never treated me with aught but Respect, and yet I find that
my Heart does not draw me to him. It is, as all the Poets say, a
Perverse organ. I had not thought that I had the Capacity for such
Feeling, although I have loved you and my Master right well, this
is Different. It disorders my Mind and makes my stomach move about
within me in a most Alarming manner. And yet I am like some
Addict. I do not want the Cure.
There are so few people
here, and so little in the nature of Amusements that the Nassur is
hard pressed to fill his Time. Kendrick had a tree-chopping
contest with one of Loraan's brothers, who is as like to one of
his other brothers as a reflection in a still pool of water is to
you or me. Kendrick won, although the contest was Close, and I
think that Kendrick was competing against the two men, and not
just the one. He was provided with some Assistance by Sid, who
knows much of the Lore of the plants of this area, and I believe
served him some Potion mixed with Beer by which Kendrick was much
strengthened. Loraan's brothers were quite Impressed, and I won
five sheckels in a bet with Azaz, the Nassur's bodyguard, so a
good time was had by All.
Sid is Interesting. He
lives in the local Brothel, and is something of a wandering
Chiurgeon, and is a known, if not universally Respected figure. He
has known Loraan since they were Children, but seems to be more of
the Jungle than of the West. Most of the Locals avoid the jungle
Tribes, and are similarly avoided by them, but Sid seeks out their
Company and wisdoms, and seems to have absorbed something of their
Philosophy. He has offered me a Number of useful potions and
poisons, and I think I would do well to learn more of what he
Knows. He has asked me for a Dance, as there is a party being
thrown in Honor of the Nassur by Loraan's mother, and I have
accepted. He says he is a Good dancer, but his face went most
Peculiar, and I have Apprehensions about the Type of Dancing to
expect. The Nassur was not over-pleased by the Party, as he had
wished to remain somewhat Anonymous, but Loraan forgot to inform
his Mother of this Fact, another clear Sign that all is not Well
with him. It will be a Diversion, and atleast my Accent will not
Mark me here as it would in Ashur.
I am not sure that this
letter will reach Ashur much ahead of me, or even whether I might
send it on or be Compelled to keep it with me until my own Return.
I will make Provisions in the case that things go Badly for us,
and so you shall someday know that on this day I my thoughts were
with you.
Keep you well, my
brother.
By my Hand and Seal,
Vainoni Pellaluna
Letter
#2 (to Joshi)
Dearest Joshi,
I regret to inform you that
your sister is a Fool, intelligence that I am sure will come as no
great Surprise to you. The evening has been passing Strange,
although the only Woundings that occurred were delivered in the
realm of Feeling, and I suppose that is something to be Grateful
for. What have I done, what have I done… I have betrayed
myself, and I fear that I have gained Nothing thereby.
I have done something
Unfortunate in the matter of Kendrick. I told him that I loved
him, and I do. He has given me no Answer, perhaps because he was
surprised by my Revelation, but more likely, I fear, because he
does not share my Feelings. I knew it was a Mistake the moment the
words left my lips, but it is the Truth, and it is Done, and I
cannot undo it. So.
There was a Party tonight for
the Nassur, given by Loraan's mother, and involving nearly the
entire Area, or what was deemed worthy of the Nassur. Loraan's
mother is a woman of discriminating Tastes, and so we were only
treated to those who qualified as Society, although not so High a
society as the Nassur is used to. I felt quite Comfortable,
although I think my dress was too Bright for the Occasion. Still,
I had passed much of the Evening in pleasant conversation, for the
most part with Sid, the friend of Loraan's sister, who I have
mentioned before, when I found myself on the Veranda with
Kendrick. I expressed some of my feelings to him then, and when he
did not seem to Understand, I pressed the Issue. It seemed to make
him Happy, and he offered a Dance to me, as though that was the
Next Thing to be Done. Perhaps it is some Eastern custom. So we
danced, and I allowed myself to Indulge in that Fantasy of
Happiness, and felt for those few minutes that I had emerged from
some dark place into the Sun.
It was then that the Nassur
came onto the Veranda, as he had noticed some Person inside who
had likely been involved in our recent Troubles with the great
Serpent. Now, the Nassur had indicated his Interest in me
consistently throughout our Association, and is moreover a proud
man, so I was somewhat apprehensive of his Reaction. The business
at hand being more Pressing, he contented himself with a sharp
Look, and I returned Inside to speak with Sid, who had some
knowledge of the suspicious Person. Some Words passed between
Kendrick and the Nassur, the Content of which I cannot guess. Sid
supplied me with a sleep poison, with which I had no Trouble
sedating our Friend, and he was Spirited away to a guest room in
preparation of Furin's attentions. We hope to gain some
Intelligence as to the Nature of our enemies and their goals
through interrogating him.
Some Madness overcame me then,
and I could leave things Unresolved no longer. I went to
Kendrick's room, where he was conversing with Azaz, and revealed
All. Azaz seemed a little relieved, for although he respects my
Skill, I think he finds me no Suitable match for his Master.
Kendrick refused to say More, excepting that he would talk of it
Later. I then spoke to the Nassur, which was perhaps the most
Difficult of all, for it is no Easy thing to disappoint one of my
Companions, and I was moreover Worried that this would prove a
source of Strife between him and Kendrick. Still, dishonesty would
have been Worse. He was understandably a little Hurt, and none too
well Pleased with this state of Affairs, yet he showed no Signs of
hostility towards Kendrick or myself. I think the only injury done
will be to Myself, should I be Refused. It could only be my Unease
at having revealed myself in such an Uncharacteristic sentiment
that makes me sure I will be, could it not?
If that is not so, and matters
take the Course I fear they will, how could I have been so wrong -
or so Foolish? I know myself to be no great Student of human
Nature, but I was Certain my feelings would be Returned in some
Manner. Perhaps if they were not Presented so Suddenly… The
last time I saw Twylla, she had grey in her hair. She looked Old.
Yesterday we were Children together. Tomorrow she will be dead,
and I will Remain unchanging. If I am Fated to Love where love
lasts but Briefly, how could I wait? How could I trust myself to
notice that ten years, or twenty, had gone by? Would I look up one
day to notice that Kendrick was an old man, or gone back to the
East, or dead, and I, having never said anything, would never know
what might have been. My life will most likely be long. Could I
live with never knowing throughout it? Or knowing myself a Coward
too filled with fear to reach out for some different Future than
our Dark and dreadful Past has ceded to us?
And it would be different, I am
sure. In his eyes I see that he dreams me a Finer person than I
ever dared dream myself. He dreams the world as a finer Place. I
thought perhaps I could learn his dreams, make them my Own, in
Time. I don't think that I know how to be a Person, Joshi. I know
how to Survive, but I have lately come to Doubt that I know how to
Live. The Dogs in the streets live much as I do, killing to defend
territory, to establish their Place in the Order of things, to
keep from being killed themselves. They have Nothing to waste on
what they had to do Yesterday, and they face the Future with as
little Thought. I made my life that way, for Reasons which I think
that you can Guess, and have Woken to the reality of what I was
living like waking from a long Fever. It is like a Dream, all
those long years of terror and pain and power, of being a …
Predator. My Master said to me once, "Vainoni, some people are
predators, and some people are prey, and once in a great while
someone is better than either. Not everyone can be." I want to be
something Better, but I don't know how. I thought I could learn. I
thought Kendrick could teach me. I think I was an Idiot.
The Road is still there.
Perhaps I can find my own way, and I certainly have plenty of Time
to try. Still, the Predator in me is Strong tonight. I just want
to kill something, but I think I'll go sharpen my Knives instead.
It's rather Soothing.
By my Hand and Seal,
Vainoni Pellaluna
Letter
from Kyrilos Pelleluna to Aliosh the Un-named
Aliosh -
I trust that this finds you
well, and that you can spare time from your studies to honor me
with a reply. I have grave news. Our mother, who has been in
failing health for some little time, now feels that it is urgent
that she conclude her affairs, so that she might spend her
remaining days in peace of mind. She feels that we have done your
children a great disservice by not offering them a place in the
house before now, and that we have singularly failed them in
allowing them to be taken from us at all. She wishes to see both
Vainoni and Joshi as soon as is possible, and a visit from you
would not be amiss. I have written to Joshi informing him of her
wishes, and offering to provide any assistance he may require in
the maintenance of his responsibilities or in the matter of travel
costs. It has been thus far impossible to locate Vainoni, and it
is my hope that you have some knowledge of her whereabouts and
will pass this message on to her at your earliest convenience.
The fortunes of House Pellaluna
continue to prosper, as I am sure that you will be glad to hear.
We have had three healthy children born to the women of our house
in the last ten years, and the young journeymen of our house have
attained many advantageous positions in Society, and so our
economical and political interests are likewise well-served. There
are, however, some few matters which I do wish to discuss with
you, and which I do not feel comfortable committing to paper. You
know I would not ask this if it were not of the utmost importance.
By my Hand and Seal,
Kyrilos of House
Pellaluna
Letter
#1 (to Joshi)
Joshi,
I hope this finds you Well, and
that you are not too Troubled by the recent Unpleasantness. I
regret more than Words can express the Pain that you have suffered
because of your Association with me, the more so because you are
the only Decent thing to come from our Accursed House. Father has
some Love for us, I know, but it will not save him from the Risks
of his Profession. Pray for me, Joshi, I cannot Pray for
Myself.
Although it is probably Unfair
to expose you to more Horror, I feel that I must tell you about my
most recent Adventures. Loraan, the young Scholar that I am
protecting, has acquired a Student of his own, none other than the
son of the Umer Tarquin Himself! His Quarters are quite Spacious,
filling the Entire top Floor of the Dormitory, although he seems
to find them barely Adequate. He Himself is a pleasant enough
young Man, Arrogant as befits his Station, but not wantonly Cruel
as some of the Powerful become. It has been made Clear that I
might win a Position by making myself Available to him. It is
Fortunate that he is a Gentleman, and allowed me to decline
Politely, or there might have been some Unpleasantness. This Curse
of Beauty is much more Inconvenient than the other Urges to which
I am Subject, another Gift for which I have Mother to thank, Curse
her black Soul to wander for Eternity.
To Celebrate his Arrival, the
Umer threw a Party for the entire Dormitory, providing every Sort
of Luxury to his guests. As is my Duty, I drank Sparingly. Loraan
Indulged himself and the Umer practiced a Philosophy of Excess,
which led to an axe throwing Contest with the Easterner, Kendrick.
This was very Amusing, providing, of course, that one stood well
out of the Way. Unfortunately, the Night did not End well,
although no one was Struck by the Axes. Two Students who had
retired to Loraan's room to Enjoy one another's Company were
Murdered by the Bag of Putrescence that has been Pursuing us. As
you can Imagine, the Authorities of the University found this
quite Disturbing, and have asked Loraan to Acquire other Lodgings,
so it is Well that his Master has some small Fortune.
Deeming it Wise that we make
ourselves Scarce for a While, Master Salman-Azer sent us to
Investigate a Mansion in the Country which had been the Site of
many strange Happenings. What we found there that the Plants had
been strangely Altered, so that the House was surrounded by a
dense Growth of Things not Native to our Region. Due, perhaps, to
the Unusual Climate, the House had withstood the Effects of Time
quite poorly, and this combined with the Density of the Plants to
cause us some Difficulty. Our Skills finally won us through to the
Interior, where we discovered a goodly Library and some Signs of
the former Inhabitants, including a Circle of Salt in the Master
Bedroom. I hardly need to Explain to you what that Means. Loraan
and the Nassur were inspecting the Library to Decide what might be
taken away with us when we heard a Cry from the Outside. We rushed
to the Horses, only to find that the Nassur's Slave had been
dragged away by an unknown Creature. It was no Mystery where the
Beast's Lair was, as it had left a Trail that a Blind Man could
follow, and we found Ourselves with no Choice but to venture into
the Cellar of the House. What we Encountered there defies
Description. I can only say that no Work of our Father's, not even
that Terrible last Night with Mother, has Induced such Depths of
Horror as this Thing. The Slave not being Enough to Satisfy its
Appetite, it Turned its Attentions to us, and we Escaped by the
Slightest of Margins.
The above Experience
notwithstanding, the Nassur had Determined that the Books should
be retrieved from the Library, and Proposed an Expedition to
secure them. Being no Fool, he called upon many Troops and
requested aid from the Temple of Nabu to perform an Exorcism. From
them he received thirteen Lamahu, and with them came a Lamahu of
Shamash, who has taken it as his Duty to destroy things of this
Nature, and wanders in Search of places where he is Needed. I
speak Truth, Joshi, when I say that this man has been Touched by
the Gods, for within his single Eye (He, too, bears the Marks of
his Profession) burned a Fire of Belief which permitted no Fear to
lead him from his chosen Path. After a little Conversation, I made
a remark which Intrigued him, and he covered his Eye, and seemed
to look at me with the Hole of the Other, which then wept Tears of
Blood. He Saw what there is to See, what is my Fault and what is
Not, and seemed to think no Worse of me as long as I was willing
to Fight alongside him.
The Nassur was most generous in
my Outfit. I was given a Set of Leather Armor, such as Soldiers
wear, of Good enough Quality to suit an Officer, and taught some
of the Art of Riding, as well as the proper Way of Falling from a
Chariot. You may remark and rightly, that staying on a Chariot
seems a more Useful Skill, but that is sometimes impossible, and
at those Times it is of Pressing Interest to avoid the Wheels. I
was a quick Pupil, I think, although it was hard to tell as the
Men were Forbidden from becoming too Familiar with me. We fought
together well enough, and much harm was done the Monster while the
Nassur and some of the Men made a Strike for the Books, so the
whole Affair ended in a way Pleasing to everyone. I am well
Satisfied with my Role in this, and Hope that you may share my
Feeling.
It grows Late, and my Hand
grows Tired, so I must bring this Letter to an End. I have omitted
much Detail, including the Character and Disposition of my
Comrades, for which I Beg you to Forgive me. These Faults will be
Mended when next I write.You will find with this Letter some
Money, which I ask you to Accept and use in your Work. Don't
Concern yourself for my Well-being, for I give you nothing which I
cannot Spare. My Employer is Generous, and I find that I need very
little to be Comfortable. Be Assured, this money was got by Honest
means, even by your Standards, and I beg you to use it in good
Conscience.
By my Hand and with my
Seal,
Vainoni Pellaluna
(This portion is written in
Western)
t e l l t h a t b o y i f h e d
o n t g i v y o u t h e m o n y I w i l l f i n d h i m a n d c u
t h i s e a r s o f f s e e i f I d o n t
Editor's Note:
Growing up the daughter of a witch and a summoner, Vainoni was
taught hpw to read although there was little in the way of reading
material available to her. Consequently she learned her writing
style from a mixture of old histories, esoteric magical books, and
the occasional grimoire. This has given her a decent vocabulary
and a rather impressionistic approach to capitalization. Her
Western was learned in the Streets of Red Hook and is every bit as
bad as it looks.
The
Angel's Apprentice:
Or, Vainoni Pellaluna Woman
or Demon?
Being the Speculations and
Observations of
Individuals Claiming to have
Known Her.
A
History.
The following are excerpts
of the book listed above.
Given the almost mythical
nature of our subject, it becomes important to provide proof that
Vainoni Pellaluna was an actual person who lived during the time
of the God-Kings Iqisz-Tiszpak, Dannum-tahaz, Dadusza, and Itomas,
until about two hundred years from the present day. For this we
turn first to the records of House Pellaluna, Gilead.
House Records, Pellaluna,
year 10 of the reign of God-King Iqisz-Tiszpak:
To our great and everlasting
joy, Mearian, wife of Aliosh, was safely delivered of a healthy
girl-child on the Day of Ea in the second week of the month
Ninsan. The child was named at dawn three days later, the name
being given by her father in a private naming ceremony, and her
public name being declared Vainoni of House Pellaluna. Many
naming-gifts were given, including a number of jewels suitable for
her later dowry, and a golden amphora set with emeralds and
accompanied by a set of four matching cups.
So there was indeed a Vainoni
of House Pellaluna born in the correct era. How, then, do we make
the transition from the healthy child of a wealthy Gilead family
to the poverty-stricken urchin who would become one of the great
killers of our age? We must turn back to the records of House
Pellaluna for the tragic proof of her family's downfall. Vainoni
would have been no older than three or four at the time of this
record, and it is unlikely that she retained any memories of
Gilead in her later life.
House Records, Pellaluna,
year 2 of the reign of God-King Dannum-tahaz:
It is with great sorrow that I
record the expulsion of Mearian and Aliosh from House Pellaluna
and from Gilead. To compound our loss, they have taken both Joshi
and Vainoni with them. No small effort was made to retain the
children, but the woman, Mearian, spit forth such vile and
venomous curses, and pronounced predictions of such terrible
consequence should we attempt to remove the children from her
care, that many of our house were afraid and their resolution
failed them. Aliosh is not yet so far gone, and perhaps he can be
persuaded to tell the children something of their lineage and
history, and to protect them, insofar as he can, from that demon
he calls wife.
There are several items of
interest in this passage. The first and most significant is the
implication of some great transgression on the part of Vainoni's
parents. It is important to note that they were expelled not only
from Gilead, but from House Pellaluna as well. I have come across
nothing in my reading, nor have I ever been able to convince any
Elven person interviewed to even speculate on what such a crime
might be. The second is that, even having committed a crime of
such magnitude, they were allowed to take the children with them,
however unwillingly. Elven children are considered to be the
wealth and property of the House rather than the parents. Yet
Vainoni's mother was able to terrorize the other members of the
House so effectively that they were willing to give up part of the
House's rightful wealth and heritage rather than face her. This
indicates the possession of some real power on her part. This
power is almost undoubtedly linked to whatever crime she and her
husband committed which earned them expulsion from the House, and
the last sentence clearly names her as the person most guilty. The
faint hope which the writer obviously held for Aliosh was, it
seems, rewarded, as we see in the following passage.
House Records, Pellaluna,
year 12 of the reign of God-King Dadusza :
We are pleased beyond measure
to record that Yseau, wife of Azuba, was safely delivered of a
boychild on the Day of Mammi in the first week of the month
Heshbanda. (In a private note after the official naming
information.) There was one unexpected, though not unwelcome,
guest at the naming feast. Vainoni, daughter of Aliosh. She
brought news that was both tragic and welcome, inasmuch as it
confirmed the death of her mother, Mearian, and the involvement of
Aliosh in the matter. In truth, I could not anticipate a happier
outcome for that sad family, and I am at least heartened to learn
that my brother acted to protect his children, and has therefore
not taken leave of all of our values. Vainoni herself is a
physically lovely young woman, although she so closely resembles
her mother that I fear the family is set against her by this. In
manners she is coarse and uncouth, as is to be expected of one
with her upbringing. She did, however, act with the greatest honor
and courtesy available to her in the matter of the naming gift,
and I think she has not been totally corrupted by her parents'
evils. She tells me that her brother, Joshi, is an acolyte in the
temple of Anu, a worthy vocation, and one in which I wish him
every success.
Now that we have proven Vainoni
as a person really existed, what did she look like? The popular
lore on this matter is wide and varied. There are several
portraits claiming her as their subject, although the women
pictured in them differ so drastically from one another that
little can be surmised about her actual appearance. The most
famous of these is Mazuub's Lady Waiting, which features a
black-haired, blue-eyed woman of pure classical Elven beauty.
Certainly the overwhelming opinion is that she was very beautiful,
even celebrated, although mostly among very high class society.
This is unlikely, and probably apocryphal, given her fabled birth
in Red Hook, and life of poverty and obscurity for at least
seventy years, perhaps considerably longer.
Still, if she was not
beautiful, why are we fascinated with her? What else would draw us
to embrace with such a fervor of imagination a woman who was an
acknowledged killer and reputedly soulless? There is that tension
in the dichotomy of appearance and character which is essential to
building a good romance. We are not so taken with monsters
outright. If she had been, as some stories claim, a demon hag,
hair matted with blood, face snarling, eyes glowing, would we now
be speculating about her life and times, two hundred years after
her supposed death?
Although her appearance has
remained as much a mystery as the rest of her life, there were any
number of contemporaries willing to share their version of her.
Below we have arrayed some of the most verifiable of the
descriptions to give the reader an idea of their variety and
scope.
From the journals of Joshi,
a priest of Anu, evidently written late in his
life:
Today I saw a woman in the
street who looked so like Vainoni I nearly cried out her name. And
then she turned, and I knew it was not her. The woman was Elven,
and beautiful enough, but her face did not cause that sort of
light-headed thrill I used to get when I would see my sister again
after she had been away for a time. I, her brother, and a priest
always fell a little in love with her at our meetings. A rush, a
tightening in the stomach - perhaps it was only that she was like
the radiance of Anu personified and sent down to grace my days.
Seeing her face again was like seeing the sun emerge from behind
the clouds, although she seldom smiled, and had a whole bag full
of nasty expressions for people who annoyed her, which was almost
everyone. I think, looking back, that it was just that she had to
live behind that incredible face, with everyone acting like they'd
been poleaxed whenever she glanced at them. I suppose it could get
on anyone's nerves.
Note in the margin: Brother
Joshi, Anu bless him, will insist on this fantasy. Undoubtedly he
has a sister, and undoubtedly she is a nice old Elven lady who
works on her finework and her garden, and has never killed
anything bigger than a chicken, but he does get strangely agitated
when we try to convince him to see reason. It's harmless enough, I
suppose
In Joshi's hand, also in the
margin: You young ass, I may be old but I'm not addled. I know who
I'm related to. Gardening-- HA! Show Vainoni a bunch of flowers,
and she'd say, "You can't eat 'em", and that was that. And stop
reading my diaries!
Below this, rather cramped:
Joshi, I'm supposed to be reading your journals. I'm editing them,
with footnotes. For posterity.
At the bottom, very cramped:
Keep it up and I'll show you something novel you can do with my
footnotes and your posterity
An account from a young
woman in Red Hook:
"Well, there's a story handed
down from mother to daughter for, well, I don't know how long. You
see, one of my ancestors, a woman named Twilla, or Tyla, was
supposed to have befriended Vainoni when she was young. Whatever
else Vainoni was, it seems she was loyal to her friends, because
she sort of stuck around and looked out for Twilla --the gangs at
that time were supposed to be really bad-- and when Twilla finally
died, for Twilla's daughter, and so on. It's just a family legend,
really, although my great-grandmother says she saw Vainoni once
when she was a child. The family was in trouble for taxes on
account of great-great-grandfather having been sick, and this
strange woman shows up with some money. She says her mother seemed
pretty scared of the woman, and great-great-grandfather went into
his room and didn't come our for as long as she was there, which
means that he must have been scared, too, because he was very
angry about the money afterwards. He didn't want to use it, but
great-great-grandmother said that something good might as well
come out of it, and anyway if they didn't she might come back.
Great-grandmother said the one thing that struck her about the
woman --sort of stayed with her, you know-- was her eyes. Very sad
eyes. And she was very tall-- there aren't many Elves around Red
Hook, and that was probably the first time she had ever seen one.
Was she beautiful? I don't know --great-grandmother said her skin
was very pale, and she did have nice hair-- black, all the way
down to her knees-- but, I don't know-- sounds like any other Elf
to me."
An excerpt from Black Hands:
Killing for Money :
One notable exception to the
intolerance of the Assassin's Guild in the matter of freelancers
is a mysterious figure known only as the Angel of Death. This man,
if he was a single individual, has been credited with over fifty
notable assassinations, although the exact number cannot be
determined with any real accuracy. The uncertainty stems from his
unusual habit of leaving no trademark token or "calling card" at
any of his kills, something almost unheard of in the Guild. The
matter is further confused by the fact that the Angel apparently
acquired an apprentice late in his career, a woman of legendary
beauty and demonic origins, commonly thought to have been an Elven
woman named Vainoni Pellaluna. This young killer, known only as
the "Angel's Apprentice", created something of a sensation in the
Guild, and reputedly used her beauty and unnatural origins to
continue operating outside of their control. There are stories
that she seduced the head of the Guild, or bewitched him, but for
whatever reason, the Guild left her alone after her master's
death.
Gangs are a fact of life in Red
Hook today, and they were in Vainoni's time as well. Being a
young, beautiful Elven woman in an area patrolled by wandering
packs of human males can hardly have been easy. This may have
forced Vainoni into a life of violence whether she willed it or
no, and given her an added incentive to choose killing as a
career. Certainly the relationship can not have been a peaceful
one. Gang memory tends to be short, and a lesson taught once must
be taught again in ten or fifteen years. To an Elf, this would
seem annoyingly frequent, and there is some evidence that Vainoni
resorted to more and more extreme lessons as time passed. Street
legends and horror stories in Red Hook contain numerous references
to a "dark woman", a blood-drinking siren who lures unwary men
away to mutilate an eventually kill them. She seems to be
something of a women's protector, especially of whores and the
women kept by the gangs. "She eat your eyes" is a common curse
among these women, although "she" is never named. That these
stories and curses are found only in Red Hook indicate that "she"
has an historical basis, and refer back to some real person or
persons. The following is a typical myth of this type.
Red Hook gang
member:
"Oh, yeah, I r'member that from
when I's little. "Don' you hit yo' sister or the dark lady come
get you," my momma used ta say. "An' she got glowin' eyes, and
claws like a cat, and hair all matted up wit' blood from her other
kills. You don' see her 'til it be too late, but she see you, and
she come take you away drink your blood if'n you don' be good."
Ha! I never b'leived none o' that, but some the boys, they be
extra nice t'their girls, come dark of moon. An' it does get
creepy out in th'alleys all by y'self."
Furin Idrel:
One of the problems that we
encounter in tracing Vainoni's early history is the fact that she
spent an unusual amount of time in the poorest human society. Many
of the contemporary accounts of her have long since passed into
human oral tradition, and been corrupted or lost. One of the few
Elves with whom she spent any time early in her career is Furin
Idrel, a noted mind-mage and member of the League of Magi. She is
the only person still living to have known Vainoni in her
youth.
"Well, that was a long time
ago. Yes, let me see, there was Vainoni, myself, the Nassur
Tarquin, Kendrick the Easterner, and-- oh, yes, Loraan. I was so
young, then -barely twenty- and I wanted so badly to seem older
than I was. Mother just wanted to marry me off to some safe,
boring Qurub, but I had ambition. The Nassur Tarquin could be
quite useful, I thought, if only he would notice me. Vainoni was
bad for that-- I was pretty enough, but I was perpetually in
shadow, as it were, next to her. Men would literally watch her
with their mouths hanging open-- most people have no discipline
anyway, but still-- and walk into things, just like bit-players in
a bad farce. She could have cared less, too, which almost made it
worse sometimes. I remember, the Nassur took us to a party
--Sethlans, I think it was-- and I had a new dress from The Gilded
Lilly, and jewels, and I just wanted to shine, so I spent half the
evening dragging my poor escort around the room trying to avoid
her. (laughs) But I can't say I minded too much, really. Even then
I knew that discipline and power were so much more important than
anything else."
It is true that Vainoni's early
years were spent among the poorest of the poor, though when she
was about fifty she experienced a change of fortune that brought
her into contact with a much higher class of society, as alluded
to in Mage Furin's statement above. There is some evidence of a
long-standing relationship with both the Nassur Tarquin of that
time (Hasmar of House Tarquin) and the scholar Loraan.
Fortunately, both men were highly literate and left a great amount
of written materials concerning their lives. Loraan, in
particular, had the gift of a flawless memory, an attribute he
used to good advantage in his career in the Ezida, and one which
is a particular boon to us. Hasmar regularly traded letters with
his brothers and father, although the ones to his father are
notedly more conservative in style and content. Vainoni first
encountered both men when they were quite young, and seems to have
had her universal effect on them.
From the private journals of
Talku Loraan of the Ezida :
I suppose it is the fate of all
old men to look back upon their lives and contemplate deeds done
in the warm summer of youth. It is certain that I have been to
more strange and dangerous places in the course of my long life
than any five men from the street, and would like to leave a
coherent record of them for the edification of young scholars to
come. Hah! For any young scholars who might, through an act of the
gods, read this, pay attention to this one thing if nothing else.
Whatever your master assigns you to do, it could always be worse.
I found that out in year 23 of the reign of God-King Itomas. My
life, until that point, had been much like any gifted young
scholar's --too little sleep, too much beer, and too few chances
with the girls. Then my master, Talku Salmaneezer, sent me on a
mission for him. To buy a book. Simple, yes? Depends on the book.
This one was very important, very secret, and very much sought
after by other people in the University, people who were willing
to use means not so subtle and not so gentle to secure it. Because
of this, Salmaneezer decided I needed some protection on my trip
to the house of the Baal who was selling the book to the
University, and he hired two of the scariest women I have ever
seen to protect me. The women were Vainoni Pellaluna and Furin
Idrel. It didn't help matters much that Furin was beautiful and
Vainoni was gorgeous. I was nearly killed between fear and lust
--thought my heart was going to explode. Took nearly three days
before I decided just to be afraid of them, although if one of
them had had any, well, ideas, I wouldn't have said "no". She
(Vainoni) was one of the most bloodthirsty people I have ever met,
although in a strangely passionless way. She could torture
somebody to death, and then have lunch with you, and talk about
the weather and new fashions, nice as you please. It was as though
the horror of what she did never really touched her. I think that
to her it was just a job. She killed people like a tailor makes
clothes, neat and efficient, then on to the next thing. It seemed
strange until I met her father, and then things started making
sense. There is no doubt but he was a creepy old bastard. I'm
surprised his children turned out as well as they did.
Sometimes we find contemporary
references in unexpected places. In this case it is The History of
Dwarven Royalty in the Later Empire. In the 23rd year of the reign
of God-King Itomas, an expedition was mounted by Prince Otto of
House Valar to find the tomb of the Dwarven hero Drehk Valarian
and retrieve his fabled Runeaxe, "Strength of My Blood". Gunnar
Stonehand penned the official account of this famous expedition,
dictated to him by Prince Otto himself. There are, in fact, so few
rival versions of this history that, aside from commenting on the
political significance of Prince Otto's retrieval of the Runeaxe,
The History contents itself with quoting Stonehand's version in
full. There is clear and unmistakable proof that Vainoni
accompanied Prince Otto on this expedition, and was valued highly
by him for her skills and bravery.
The History of Dwarven
Royalty in the Later Empire:
And there went with Prince Otto
unto the Tomb of Glories many stout companions, among whom were
numbered five Dwarves, four Humans, and two Elves. And the
swordswoman Vainoni Pellaluna, having paid fitting homage to the
fallen Dwarven companions, and having proved herself on the field
of battle to be courageous and trustworthy, and by her words and
deeds having revealed herself to be a woman of honor and courtesy,
was gifted by Prince Otto's own hand with two fine longswords
forged by the smith Aelfred Breakhammer. As she was of noble
character, and had honored the souls of the dead as befitted
fallen comrades, Prince Otto caused to be inscribed around the
grips of these blades a legend to let all who saw and could read
know that she had not come by the blades through any coin other
than blood, honor, and courage.
(This expedition was vital to
Prince Otto's political ambitions, as the Dwarven royal house was
falling out of power due to the creation of the Enkenkur Khazred
Goldsaddle as Umur Iron Hills, and the feeling among the rising
Dwarven middle class that their interests had not been well served
by the monarchy. The Runeaxe was a powerful symbol of the
monarchy, and Prince Otto hoped that the resurrection of this
symbol would link him in the minds of his people with the powerful
Dwarven kings of old, appealing to the Dwarven sense of tradition
and rekindling support for the monarchy.)
This is rare praise, especially
taking the natural racial animosity of their two peoples into
account. It is clear that Prince Otto saw something very different
in the swordswoman Vainoni Pellaluna than the blood-drinking
monstrosity used to frighten children. It is also true that, for
most of her career, Vainoni carried two fine Dwarven longswords.
At this point, as a young woman of fifty or sixty, she had barely
begun to build the reputation that causes her to be such a subject
of fascination and myth even today. Do we here find a glimpse
behind the myth into the woman who spawned it? Yet how must her
character have changed over the years to provide that kernel of
truth on which all myths are based?
House
Tarquin is not known for being especially scholarly or mercantile,
and the sparseness of their financial records shows it. They have,
however, concentrated heavily on -- one might even say "obsessed
over" -- the development of leadership ability among their heirs.
As a result, this martial House has perhaps the best collection of
"personal" correspondence relating to its former Umurs of any
House in the Empire. This archive is maintained for internal
purposes, and outsiders are rarely granted entry. This biographer
requested access with little hope, and was startled to receive a
positive response: of all things, the Second Umur Hasmar ("Hasmar
the Radiant") had left instructions in his will specifically
authorizing the release of portions of his early correspondence in
response to requests from anyone researching a biography of
Vainonie Pellaluna.
The excerpts below, first from
an expense account and second from a letter to his brother Enli
(Enli, Nassur Barakesh-Tarquin; by tradition founder of the Large
Circle Sword School), are of excellent provenance; they seem to
prove that Vainonie did indeed know the Umur Hasmar II prior to
his elevation and suggest that she may have been employed by him
in some capacity. Out of respect for the honor House Tarquin has
done me in allowing me to guest at their estates and visit their
private archives, this author will not speculate as to why later
portions of the archive were not made available or, indeed, why
this portion was.
Expense Tally, Fourteenth
Kishyar, Twenty-third year of the reign of Ithomas (May He Rule
Forever)
To my Noble Father and Umur,
Glorious Light of our House, I send Greetings this day.
As per the Umur's request, his
Dutiful Son has tallied all expenses incurred for the Time Period
requested, and has made of them a Proper Accounting; they return
to You by the slave You thoughtfully Sent for that purpose. Your
Ever-Respectful Son trusts that in Your great Wisdom, You will
view these expenses as needful and proper, and calls Your
Attention specifically to the Necessity for him and his retinue to
represent Our House in appropriate fashion at the recent Informal
gathering at House Sethlans (during which Umur Sethlans learned a
few things about having a go at Tarquins, he did -- ask Tibi if
You want Corroboration, he wasn't there but as You well know he
hears everything).
Ed. Note: Much of the
phrasing above is standard formality, used in written
correspondence at this level of society even between father and
son. The reference to Umur Sethlans having "learned a few things"
clearly refers to some specific event, but at this remove is
tantalizingly obscure. The tally itself consumes forty-three
folio-size pages, written close-spaced, in handwriting that
deteriorates from start to finish. Your author has only included
the more relevant, or puzzling, pieces here.
In Specific, Your Grateful Son
has Required funds for the following Good Purposes:
Armor, Black Leather with Studs
on, for Vainonie: 200 Sh. plus tailoring 22 Sh.
4 Scabbards, Black leather with
Quick-Release Mechanism, for Vainonie: 175 Sh.
Dinner, Court of the Fountain,
with Vainonie and Furin and Azaz: 478 Sh.
Payment to Innkeep for Axe
Marks to Stable Beams: 75 Sh.
Drinking Tab for Dwarven Royal
Legation: 128 Sh.
Half Chicken and Dozen Raw Eggs
for Easterner's Breakfast (Father, he means Kendrick, whom You
have met): 6 Sh./day = 84 Sh.
Ferry Services, all party and
horses from Old Quarter to Grand Quay and Return: 574
Sh.
Docking Fee, standard: 50
Sh.
Docking Fee, supplementary: 150
Sh.
Evening Gown, Armanum, Silver
with Black and Very Nice, for Vainonie: 1475 Sh.
Jewelry, rental of, Diamonds
and Black Opal, Appraisal 23,625 Sh., for Vainonie: 2800
Sh.
Shoes, black, leather of
crocodile, Armanum, for Vainonie: 375 Sh.
Dinner, Grand Quay, with
Vainonie: 623 Sh.
Letter
from Hasmir, Nassur Tarquin-Addad to Enli, Nassur
Tarquin
Eleventh Kishyar, 23rd year
of Ithomas' Reign
Dearest Enli --
I hope this letter finds you
well; I know the recent dry weather is good for your lung
sickness. It has been good for me as well, as you may know if
Father has discussed my recent purchases of water rights in Red
Hook. Who would have imagined there was water there? Well, not me,
until I saw it with my Own Eyes -- that's right, I've been in the
Undercity, and have tales to tell you that, well, I'll tell you
only in person. (Maybe that'll get you to come visit!) On my
Special Honor, and our Oath: There are still RAT-MEN down there.
That's right -- along with water, other things everyone thought
were long gone may also be sleeping just beneath the
surface.
But it is things Above the
surface that I really want to tell you about. On your Honor and
Oath, you are not to repeat this to Father: I think I am in Love.
I know you said women at the Ezida are all mousy scholars or arty
loons, but this Woman is different. I guess it doesn't really
prove you wrong, because she isn't a student at the Ezida. I think
she's a professional assassin, but if Father asks tell him she is
a professional duelist and bodyguard -- she was my tutor Loraan's
bodyguard when I first met her. Where do I start? Her name is
Vainonie. She's an elf. She has really, really long black hair.
Long legs. She moves like a Goddess dancing. One moment, she's
standing there relaxed (well, she isn't very relaxed very often,
she's like a drawn bow) and the next she has blades in both hands
and is flying through the air. She's faster than YOU. Really. She
is beautiful. She's also sad a lot. She speaks Old High Elvish,
but like those books Master Akidda made us read, very formal and
soft, with all of the funny cases. (Don't tell Akidda the Ferret,
but I'm now grateful he taught us that; I think it's scored me
points!) When she tries to speak Western, she sounds like someone
off the streets of Red Hook. Actually, she is someone off the
streets of Red Hook; she says she grew up there! I think she is
from a high noble Elven family, and someone in her family
(probably her mother from some stuff she's said) did something
really bad, so they had to live in exile here in the City. Anyway,
I've taken her out to dinner a couple times. She's very reserved
but she's let me put my arm around her shoulder once, so I think
she likes me and I may be getting somewhere -- but she isn't like
the farm girls or party people we grew up around, so I'd better be
very careful. Is there anything in the House library on Elven
courting rituals? And could you see if there's anything on an
Elven house called Pellaluna? (Before you ask, I can't use the
Ezida for this because I'd have to ask Scholar Loraan where to
find the stuff and then he'd wonder why and I'd come up with some
excuse and I'd wind up writing a twenty-page paper about it
complete with Abstract and Footnotes in proper form. They're
sneaky like that here; knowledge has a price and it's not the kind
you pay with Shekels.) Do you think Father would let me marry an
Elven noblewoman, even if her family is disgraced? Come visit me
when time, health, and Father permit, my beloved Brother;
I remain
Yours,
Hasmar
[sealed]
Ed. Note: Under the seal
wax, which has been lifted at some time during the letter's
lifetime and is easily removed, Hasmar has scribbled in small
letters: "Has Father packed Rebekka off, or is she still being a
jackal? I hope she doesn't read this one too."
There are few people in the
city of Ashur who are not familiar with the name Kendrick
Franklinson.This great reformer arose not from the civilization of
the Western Empire, but from the primitive wilderness settlements
of the East, yet he changed the lives of many of the poorest
people in Ashur through his hard work and original thinking. He
was also a lifelong friend of Joshi Pellaluna, who had use his
position in the Temple of Au to start an orphanage in Red Hook,
and who helped Kendrick start his original Red Hook reform. (See
Gardening in Hell)
Vainoni's
Family and Friends
Aliosh, her father. A summoner
of some 800 years, he is proud of the fact that he has lost none
of his limbs or digits to the risks of his profession. He is
crippled in one leg from a fight he had with Vainoni's mother on
the night that he killed her, and walks with a limp and using a
staff. Lillum are usually very fastidious in the matter of
personal hygiene, but Aliosh is so driven by whatever work that
has occupied him for the last several hundred years that he often
forgets to bathe, eat, or change his clothes unless reminded. He
was served by a succession of deaf-mute slaves until very
recently, when Vainoni found him an apprentice to better care for
his needs. He genuinely loves Vainoni and her brother, Joshi,
although he is so distracted that his affection seldom takes on
any concrete expression. He will use his power to heal or protect
his children, and has been known to wreak horrific vengeance on
those who have harmed them. The party has encountered him on
several occasions, and found him quite genuinely scary.
Joshi, Vainoni's older brother.
Joshi is a priest of Anu, an unusual profession for a Lillum, as
their race remembers a time before the gods, and usually has some
trouble taking them quite as seriously as humans do. Nonetheless,
Joshi is quite devout and feels he has a real vocation. He runs an
orphanage in Red Hook, caring for the numerous human children
orphaned by the harshness of life in one of the poorest districts
in the city. His life is one of penance and poverty, to redeem
himself from what he feels is his accursed birth. He is taller
than Vainoni, although still not tall for a Lillum, about 6'3",
and he is extremely handsome. He is a gentle man, and walks with a
slight stoop, perhaps to make himself less intimidating to his
young charges, or perhaps because the ceilings of most of the
buildings in Red Hook are a bit low for him. Genuinely saddened
and upset by Vainoni's choice of profession, he didn't speak to
her for five years after finding out that she had become an
assassin, but has trouble seeing her as anything other than the
little sister that came to him for comfort and protection when
they were children. Vainoni has taken to sending him as much money
as she can spare now that she has work that is 'respectable' by
his standards, and still retains some of childhood's worshipful
adoration for her big brother.
Kyrilos, Vainoni's uncle.
Patriarch of House Pellaluna, he is Aliosh's younger brother. He
has one child, a boy, who is substantially younger than Joshi and
Vainoni. A sober, respectable gentleman, he dresses in a
conservative fashion, and all of his energies are focused on
preserving and increasing the fortunes of House Pellaluna. He is
both saddened by Aliosh's choice of lifestyle and angry at him for
abandoning the House to live with Vainoni's mother. Vainoni has
met him twice, briefly, as a young adult, and he was kind in a
pitying manner both times. He makes periodic donations to the
Temple of Anu and keeps a distant eye on Joshi's
career.
Grandmother, as she is simply
known to House Pellaluna, is slightly over 1200 years old. She is
the real leader of the House, and as a woman of great age whose
children have had children, she has enormous status in the Lillum
community. While she is quite elderly, and suffers from a few of
the common ailments of age, she is fundamentally healthy. This
runs contrary to her periodic announcements of her own imminent
demise. Kyrilos, while he dotes on his mother, is no fool, and
realizes that she uses the threat of her own death to get her own
way when met with any real resistance. Not very mobile any more,
she holds court in a second-storey suite of rooms, attended by the
young women and men of Pellaluna House who have not yet reached
their majority. This duty is both an honor and a burden, as
Grandmother is a bit of a tyrant. She is slender to the point of
emaciation, but still has all her teeth and possesses a full head
of silver hair that she wears in a braid that is at least fourteen
feet long. As is common with Lillum, her hands are the best
indicator of her age, as her face is largely free of wrinkles and
still bears the remnants of a striking beauty. She uses a
silver-headed ebony cane to walk, and holds it even when reclining
on the day-couch where she spends most of her time. She also uses
the cane to express her displeasure with whatever is vexing her at
the moment by pounding it on the floor or waving it in a manner
hazardous to the unwary. Her voice, like the rest of her, is
strong and shows little of her 1200 years. Vainoni has never met
her, but that could be changing soon.
Twylla - about 45, Twylla has
known Vainoni for 30 years. They first met when Twylla was 15, one
of the youngest 'house mothers' in Red Hook. Members of the Long
Knives, the worst gang in Red Hook, had decided that they would
rather not pay for the services of one of Twylla's girls, and
Vainoni interceded on the young woman's behalf. Although not yet
trained in any of the assassin's arts, Vainoni was fast, tough,
and street-smart, and had earned herself a reputation with the
gangs as someone to be avoided, at least when there were less than
5 of them together. Twylla expressed her gratitude by offering
Vainoni whatever was in her power to give, and nursed Vainoni back
to health from several severe beatings. She briefly tried to
convince her to become a whore, as Vainoni's astounding beauty
could have earned immense (by Red Hook standards) sums, and as
Twylla aged, she found herself in the unusual position of
'mothering' the young and apparently changeless Lillum. While
watching her life fade as her friend remains young and beautiful
cannot be easy on her, Twylla has remained a loyal to Vainoni, a
loyalty that is returned. Vainoni often sends her money, much as
she does Joshi, and has become something of a 'guardian spirit' to
the House and girls. She has cleared up several
'misunderstandings' with the gangs, and often turns to Twylla for
advice on personal matters, things Vainoni cannot expect her
father or Joshi to have any experience with.
