[ like a man used to being served hand and foot, kaveh thinks, but it isn't terribly surprising. enciodes silverash has a carefully-crafted reputation. to his company on the ground, he is a down-to-earth leader who cares for his people, willing to step into the mire to move industry. for rhodes island, he is a benefactor and an agent beyond parallel, clever, and reliable, and reliably clever, with solutions to even the most stringent of operations. and here - the master of the household, a curl of amusement, here to entertain the feathery little sargonian architect dropped into the middle of what kaveh is beginning to think is a political fiasco in the making.
kaveh, for his part, smiles. ]
If that's the case, I'd be glad for the company. We'll speak of it when it comes to it; after all, we've yet to discuss the projects you had in mind, and what the timeline may be. [ of course he pours silverash the wine. the rich, red of a dossoles vintage aerates into a long, fluted glass. he recognises the flourish along its stem; leithanian glassblowers working with sargonian sand. he takes his own glass, still half-full, and raises it. ] Tell me, are there some Kjerag drinking customs that I should be aware of? Your party guests demurred, but they also seemed far too polite to tell an outsider like me the what's what.
[better dossoles red than chhaang, but that's because silverash gained an appreciation for fruit-made drinks when he was still a student in victoria, and sneaking bottles of whatever he could get his hands on into the dorm. his peers, of course, knew, but everyone kept quiet because they too were doing all the same things.]
It's proper to pour while holding the bottle with both hands, and that you do not pour for yourself until everyone has had their glasses filled.
Best not to get have a swig out in public, however. People look down such folk. [even if the sip was relatively harmless in the long run. ah, kjerag. too strict.]
But you needn't worry about customs around me. Drink as you please. [he taps his glass gently against kaveh's, like a proper victorian gentleman.]
[ pour with both hands in a society locked in ice, where even at a houseparty, everyone's formalwear buttons itself up along its seams. kaveh and his love for ostenatious plunging necklines in the sargonian style are on trial tonight, but he suspects the judgment so far has been well hidden precisely because of the master of the manor, who speaks of kjerag drinking customs while gracing him with a victorian tilt of his cup.
kaveh follows along, tilting victorian with his cup in turn, and taking a swig. dossoles red goes down smoothly. ]
We shall see if you or I first regret giving me unfettered permission to your wine. [ he jokes, laughter in his eyes. ] It will be a race.
[enciodes smirks. kaveh thinks he can make even a dent in his personal stash, can he? typical liberi confidence-- enciodes will have to watch and see if he really can.
and have a medic with experience in alcohol poisoning at hand, just in case.]
Architect Kaveh, if you manage to improve the infrastructure of my territory, I'll consider that well worth the sacrifice of my wine cellar. [after a long, deep sip of his wine, he gives kaveh a nod.] I do have high hopes for you.
[the other clans do not, skeptical that a man from the sandy deserts can understand what is needed to build houses and bridges that can withstand the snow. but silverash knows better than them.]
[ enciodes silverash, kaveh thinks, smirks much in the way that alhaitham doesn't. there's a striking similarity in the set of their arrogance, but while alhaitham is inward-seeking, silverash is outward-exuding, like a furnace within a snowstorm. you couldn't help but look in this direction.
misdirection, he thinks. he is a magician in his spare time, one of cards and dice. but what is he misdirecting, and how shall kaveh see it? ]
Master architect. [ he corrects, but the lack of true hubris is on display - a mere change in terminology, red for blue. he is what he is. his eyes sharpen. ] On my way in, I took liberty to look at some of the outlying temples. Your buildings are built on a foundation of stone, but the walls and roofs themselves are ceramic tile and an ancient kjerag woodwork technique, that seals the temples without joinery. Your buildings are without seams. Repairwork is not impossible, but it's both time-intensive and costly, and requires a degree of woodworking mastery that I estimate no more than five people on this continent would be capable of. I will need a team, time and resources.
[ his eyes glint, ] And permission to study your buildings up-close. I'm afraid I wasn't granted much time to take a look today.
No matter how well you join two pieces together, there will always be little gaps here and there, and traditional methods of filling those holes never stand the test of time. The best way to avoid this erosion is to have as few of these gaps as possible.
It's because of this that I allowed myself to be swayed by Ensia. ["swayed", he says, when he had his own reasons for approving his sister's requests, entirely detached from her. it's almost always politics for enciodes, always a way to get ahead. sometimes, it's also a desire to continue to modernize his slice of kjerag, but even then, it's politically motivated in some way.]
So, Master Architect... You shall have whatever you want, as long as the work gets done. [as long as the silverash patriarch is satisfied with the work, as well.] If you need to rip a structure from the ground and start over on the land, then you'll have the tools and materials to do so, and my full blessing.
But I insist on giving you guards. Life in the Snow Realm can be dangerous. [especially with the paleroches still plotting.]
[ kaveh had been expecting this. one wouldn't be allowed to gallivant around someone else's capital without being on a leash. it is, in fact, a fact of life when large amounts of someone else's capital is being put into buildings that only so far exist in your head. there is what kaveh prefers - the freedom of movement, the unfettered privilege to create, the autonomy to choose - and then there are the constraints that kaveh will accept barring any other reasonable alternative.
he had seen the snow drifts of the snow realm, and how deep they bury. at least sami's skeletons were on it surface, etched in ice. the glint in kaveh's eyes is mercenary as he leans in. ]
Give me someone that has an appreciation of the arts, then. I always find that it takes two people on the same page to have a good conversation. If I'm to have them follow me around, allow me to learn from them.
[very particular, is what enciodes thinks of kaveh's request in a guard. that rules out weiss, matterhorn, and degenbrecher, all three of enciodes' most trusted retainers who could reliably serve as guards. if he pulled some strings, he could have approached lara, but there's no guarantee that she would agree... or even have the free time to do so.
he drums his fingers on his knee as he thinks, before deciding that there's really only one body who could reasonably take up the job.]
I can think of one person who fits your requirements.
[ silverash's fingers drum across his knee. it seems very much like an unconscious motion, a flicker of thought made movement, though kaveh doesn't know him well enough to gauge if it's performative or otherwise. but he seems to take kaveh's request seriously, which is more than what kaveh can ask for.
kaveh takes a sip of his wine, his eyes glinting. ]
Oh? [ he leans in, because kaveh has always spoken with his body. ] Tell me of them. And do they have any opinions on Lungmen dye-mixing techniques?
[does kaveh have an idea already? they'll just have to see.]
Some have attempted such techniques back in the day-- in fact, many of our techniques have overlap with Lungmen and Yan's styles, and are capable of producing brighter hues, especially when used with plant-based dyes.
Unfortunately, many techniques don't get used nowadays, when neutral colours dominate Kjerag. But many overseas styles don't compare.
Ah, you speak of the textile industry. [ he warms to this with a smile- ] But when I speak of pigment, I mean construction - I mean clay. Lungmen has a rich history of kaolin-based clay mixing that incorporates pigment directly into the casting process. The reds they can produce-
[ ... wait. kaveh closes his mouth. ] That was your opinion - Mister Silverash, you intend on accompanying me yourself? Really?
[enciodes smirks down at kaveh, and raises his wine glass at the liberi.]
You asked for a guard who has an appreciation for art as well-- there's only one person who has knowledge and experience in both in Kjerag, and you are sitting right beside him.
[ the instinct to match silverash, wine-glass to wine-glass, is a reflexive one. kaveh's already lifting his own, even as the radiant mosaic of his face refract into a frown. ]
Take no offense - it is an honour beyond words for you to be my companion in this. But isn't your time and business of the utmost value to your realm? You won't be anywhere near the mainstay of your business if you need to follow me up some mountain to observe the joinery of a temple roof, down into some snow drift to uncover some building's foundation.
[ not pictured: any concern regarding silverash's safety. kaveh has, after all, been briefed. ]
Karlan Trade is a well-oiled machine that knows how to work without me pulling the lever. I could be in hospital for weeks on end, and it will continue operations. [all right, perhaps that's a tad too hyperbolic, but what is enciodes but dramatic? he's allowed to be, especially when his secretary can direct things in his stead.]
Besides, I would argue that this, too, is valuable enough to invest my time into. Kjerag needs better infrastructure, and the best guards must be allotted to you.
After all... [he smirks at kaveh over the rim of his glass.]
Wherever I go, so do my bodyguards. Thus, you have a proper contingent of protectors at hand.
[ well, that's that, kaveh supposes. ultimately, it's a balanceing act. silverash and his appreciation, versus a lowkey solo guard without it. but it's probably a worthwhile trade-off; he will have to see at the first construction site if having an entire contingent would get underfoot, but there is time to argue and make adjustments after collecting facts.
that silverash himself would follow him around and offer thoughts on artistic measures is a whetstone that the scalpel of kaveh's mind could not possibly turn down. it's exciting, is the thing. it makes the prospect of an entire bodyguard train far more palatable. silverash smirks at him from across his wine glass, and, kaveh thinks - oh, archons, i shouldn't be pushing it, but i'm going to push it. this is how i got myself into trouble in the backwards of leithanien that last time, but i'm not going to be able to stop myself.
before his self-preservation can get the better of him, he draws himself up. ]
Then, you had best read up on joinery, Mister Silverash. [ is what kaveh says, and the arrogant glint of his red eyes is a challenge in of itself. ] While all buildings can be repaired, some are built to be repaired, and some are not. The seamless joinery of Kjerag architecture has an interesting catch-22: they were not built to be repaired. The architects, engineers and craftsmen built these buildings to last forever; they were also built to never last. If the buildings stand for two hundred years, those who built them would have already died, and what do the dead care if a building catches a hole? To them, two hundred years is forever, but to us, it's four hundred years overdue.
[ his wine glass hangs from his fingers. kaveh thinks of temple murals, and the beautiful sloped rooves of little chimney-stacked households. his eyes harden as he leans in - ] I will be repairing buildings that weren't built to be repaired. I will not advocate for tearing your buildings down until I've had a proper look at them. If even I can't find a way to have them retain their beauty and value for another five hundred years - then fine, but the very style of traditional Kjerag architecture lies in its reflection of the land's culture. I will need a cultural consultant; that will be you.
I am a Master Architect, and no building will ever stand the test of erosion; but I will build Kjerag until no other nation can afford to look away. You will be hearing my opinions on the matter. Will you be able to handle it?
[already, enciodes is thinking of the books in his personal library that cover architecture and traditional kjerag designs. the paleroches may be known as the most traditional clan, and emphasize culture far more than the other two, but they're not the sole authority on culture and tradition in the country. as progressive as the silverashes are, they too adhere to culture.
usually when it suits them.
he'll have to double-check those books and hand them over to kaveh later, but that is for later.]
Of course. If I could not... I wouldn't have allowed you here. But... [enciodes leans in. he keeps his hands to himself, but if he had both hands free, and they were alone, he would have taken the liberi's chin by now.]
I have spent my years being the most unpopular man in Kjerag, and when you leave, I will still hold that spot. There's nothing you can do to strain or embarrass me.
[ silverash leans in, and kaveh starts. it had not been the expected outcome. there is a village in leithanien that kaveh had better not meander back to within the next three years - and he's vaguely certain that there is a shot on sight designation out for him in ursus, but it ought to be understandable why he's never verified it for himself. it shouldn't be surprising, then, that enciodes silverash would choose to find common ground between them like so. it is what kaveh would have done. but he finds himself laughing helplessly, a bright sunburst of a thing as he considers this.
the most unpopular man in kjerag. that's a way to put it. ]
I hope to never test that assertion. I've been known to make the improbable possible, given time and enough funds. But Mister Silverash, you have earned at least my favour. Let that give you at least one vote in raising your standing around these parts.
Ah, yes, the favour of a Master Architect... [how ironic, enciodes thinks.] Is it not the other way around, when you are in my home, with my permission?
[not like he's actually offended by kaveh's cocksure statements.]
But you should make sure not to truly offend anyone. Not even my clan's name will be able to save you from execution.
Might be a little too late for that. [ but it's a laughing jest regardless. kaveh stretches. the burn of alcohol is pleasantly warm. the third glass was lovely. he might be pushing it with a fourth, however. ] There were a few people who were very eager to express their displeasure with my appearance around these parts the moment I got off the train. They seemed like the religious sort - long winter coats, terrible expressions. Who were they?
Almost everyone here has long winter coats, Master Architect. It's best if you're more specific next time. [especially given what enciodes himself is known to wear around rhodes island when he's not being asked to model the latest in mens' fashions.]
But if any of them were Ursus or Anaty, and draped mostly in old furs, they might have been of the Paleroche clan. They are the most conservative of the three main houses, and the most xenophobic. As you can tell, they're not fond of outsiders, and even less of the Silverash clan.
[is enciodes surprised that they would have the temerity to ambush his guest like this? of course not.]
Best not to utter a word to them. But if you must... insulting the Kjerag faith gives them leave to take your head from your shoulders and no one will be able to refute them, not even me. [only enya can do that but she'd never do it for her big brother.]
[ silverash has surprised him, he thinks. the paleroche clan. kaveh hadn't expected an answer. he has heard of the clan; the debrief had mentioned as such. formal and religious and conservative. the head-lopping is new, though kaveh supposes that in lands locked in ice, there has to be some kind of blood-letting ritual wherever. in the snowfields of sami, at least the priestesses protected you with their lives after they bled you, but only after they ascertained you weren't better off being fed to their demons. it didn't make kaveh feel any better, but having names to put to faces helps, in a way. you knew when to dim yourself so that others will not chase.
you couldn't build a bridge without knowing who wanted it burnt down, after all. ]
You have little to worry about that. The Kjerag faith is real; I've seen it in your sister Cliffheart's eyes. I needn't more proof to believe.
Oh, whether or not you acknowledge the Kjerag faith as real is of no importance to me. [especially when his faith itself may or may not exist, depending on when he needs to fall back to it. if kjeragandr judges him, that's between him and her.
he just doesn't pray, or serve. not with what he had to sacrifice to it in order to preserve the remaining clan members after the deaths of his parents. who he was forced to sacrifice.
enciodes sighs, uncrossing his legs to put the previously lower one above, and sets his empty glass down to lace his fingers together.]
What is important to me... is that you don't do anything that they would consider an insult. Kjerag has a long way to go with tolerating other points of view about religion-- and perhaps we even took a step back, given our religious leader and political leader are one and the same. Execution is considered an acceptable recompense for any negative comments about faith.
[absolute power in a single hand is dangerous. he can only be relieved that such power is enya's.]
[ like the slow scrape of sandpaper, kaveh thinks. it is not always so coarse. at its finest, the grains upon its surface can be measured in micro-milimetres. the human skin can barely feel it at such a size, but it depends on where it is applied, and how. kaveh realises just what had scraped up against him just now with inner precision. it's of no real importance to me, silverash says, and kaveh thinks of the love in cliffheart's eyes as she speaks of her sister. he thinks of the gray-coated men with their leathery, weathered faces. he realises - that in this, the candid admission, the swerve from emotion to tactic, silverash reminds him a little of alhaitham.
drinking suddenly goes from a little inadvisable to extremely inadvisable. the urge to argue back scrapes along the back of his mouth. kaveh swallows it, and then with another mouthful of wine to make it go down smooth. and then, he smiles. ]
Consider me warned. [ with contrition: ] I apologise if my earlier actions at the train station had a trickle-down effect onto your household, Mister Silverash. You have my word that I will take care, in this and in future dealings.
I've spent years making sure that the clan's defenses against my enemies are foolproof. [physically, politically... even geographically. then he pauses-- kaveh seems to care quite a bit about enciodes' sisters, and while unneeded, he appreciates this still.]
Should a fight break out, Cliffheart is at Rhodes Island, and Pramanix is untouchable.
So, worry not, Master Architect, and just make the most of your time here.
[ it's an insular definition of untouchable. it's a definition of untouchable that divides the world in two - his family, his affairs, and the rest. it's not a perspective that kaveh would take issue to. he knows cliffheart, after all.
kaveh breathes out. ]
When Mister Silverash has put it that way, how can I not? [ whispers in the dark, warnings in front of a hearth. kaveh finally puts down his glass, and stretches. his toes curl. ] Ah, it's getting late. I shouldn't take up more of your time. Might I be excused?
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kaveh, for his part, smiles. ]
If that's the case, I'd be glad for the company. We'll speak of it when it comes to it; after all, we've yet to discuss the projects you had in mind, and what the timeline may be. [ of course he pours silverash the wine. the rich, red of a dossoles vintage aerates into a long, fluted glass. he recognises the flourish along its stem; leithanian glassblowers working with sargonian sand. he takes his own glass, still half-full, and raises it. ] Tell me, are there some Kjerag drinking customs that I should be aware of? Your party guests demurred, but they also seemed far too polite to tell an outsider like me the what's what.
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It's proper to pour while holding the bottle with both hands, and that you do not pour for yourself until everyone has had their glasses filled.
Best not to get have a swig out in public, however. People look down such folk. [even if the sip was relatively harmless in the long run. ah, kjerag. too strict.]
But you needn't worry about customs around me. Drink as you please. [he taps his glass gently against kaveh's, like a proper victorian gentleman.]
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kaveh follows along, tilting victorian with his cup in turn, and taking a swig. dossoles red goes down smoothly. ]
We shall see if you or I first regret giving me unfettered permission to your wine. [ he jokes, laughter in his eyes. ] It will be a race.
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and have a medic with experience in alcohol poisoning at hand, just in case.]
Architect Kaveh, if you manage to improve the infrastructure of my territory, I'll consider that well worth the sacrifice of my wine cellar. [after a long, deep sip of his wine, he gives kaveh a nod.] I do have high hopes for you.
[the other clans do not, skeptical that a man from the sandy deserts can understand what is needed to build houses and bridges that can withstand the snow. but silverash knows better than them.]
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misdirection, he thinks. he is a magician in his spare time, one of cards and dice. but what is he misdirecting, and how shall kaveh see it? ]
Master architect. [ he corrects, but the lack of true hubris is on display - a mere change in terminology, red for blue. he is what he is. his eyes sharpen. ] On my way in, I took liberty to look at some of the outlying temples. Your buildings are built on a foundation of stone, but the walls and roofs themselves are ceramic tile and an ancient kjerag woodwork technique, that seals the temples without joinery. Your buildings are without seams. Repairwork is not impossible, but it's both time-intensive and costly, and requires a degree of woodworking mastery that I estimate no more than five people on this continent would be capable of. I will need a team, time and resources.
[ his eyes glint, ] And permission to study your buildings up-close. I'm afraid I wasn't granted much time to take a look today.
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It's because of this that I allowed myself to be swayed by Ensia. ["swayed", he says, when he had his own reasons for approving his sister's requests, entirely detached from her. it's almost always politics for enciodes, always a way to get ahead. sometimes, it's also a desire to continue to modernize his slice of kjerag, but even then, it's politically motivated in some way.]
So, Master Architect... You shall have whatever you want, as long as the work gets done. [as long as the silverash patriarch is satisfied with the work, as well.] If you need to rip a structure from the ground and start over on the land, then you'll have the tools and materials to do so, and my full blessing.
But I insist on giving you guards. Life in the Snow Realm can be dangerous. [especially with the paleroches still plotting.]
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he had seen the snow drifts of the snow realm, and how deep they bury. at least sami's skeletons were on it surface, etched in ice. the glint in kaveh's eyes is mercenary as he leans in. ]
Give me someone that has an appreciation of the arts, then. I always find that it takes two people on the same page to have a good conversation. If I'm to have them follow me around, allow me to learn from them.
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he drums his fingers on his knee as he thinks, before deciding that there's really only one body who could reasonably take up the job.]
I can think of one person who fits your requirements.
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kaveh takes a sip of his wine, his eyes glinting. ]
Oh? [ he leans in, because kaveh has always spoken with his body. ] Tell me of them. And do they have any opinions on Lungmen dye-mixing techniques?
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Some have attempted such techniques back in the day-- in fact, many of our techniques have overlap with Lungmen and Yan's styles, and are capable of producing brighter hues, especially when used with plant-based dyes.
Unfortunately, many techniques don't get used nowadays, when neutral colours dominate Kjerag. But many overseas styles don't compare.
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[ ... wait. kaveh closes his mouth. ] That was your opinion - Mister Silverash, you intend on accompanying me yourself? Really?
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You asked for a guard who has an appreciation for art as well-- there's only one person who has knowledge and experience in both in Kjerag, and you are sitting right beside him.
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Take no offense - it is an honour beyond words for you to be my companion in this. But isn't your time and business of the utmost value to your realm? You won't be anywhere near the mainstay of your business if you need to follow me up some mountain to observe the joinery of a temple roof, down into some snow drift to uncover some building's foundation.
[ not pictured: any concern regarding silverash's safety. kaveh has, after all, been briefed. ]
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Besides, I would argue that this, too, is valuable enough to invest my time into. Kjerag needs better infrastructure, and the best guards must be allotted to you.
After all... [he smirks at kaveh over the rim of his glass.]
Wherever I go, so do my bodyguards. Thus, you have a proper contingent of protectors at hand.
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that silverash himself would follow him around and offer thoughts on artistic measures is a whetstone that the scalpel of kaveh's mind could not possibly turn down. it's exciting, is the thing. it makes the prospect of an entire bodyguard train far more palatable. silverash smirks at him from across his wine glass, and, kaveh thinks - oh, archons, i shouldn't be pushing it, but i'm going to push it. this is how i got myself into trouble in the backwards of leithanien that last time, but i'm not going to be able to stop myself.
before his self-preservation can get the better of him, he draws himself up. ]
Then, you had best read up on joinery, Mister Silverash. [ is what kaveh says, and the arrogant glint of his red eyes is a challenge in of itself. ] While all buildings can be repaired, some are built to be repaired, and some are not. The seamless joinery of Kjerag architecture has an interesting catch-22: they were not built to be repaired. The architects, engineers and craftsmen built these buildings to last forever; they were also built to never last. If the buildings stand for two hundred years, those who built them would have already died, and what do the dead care if a building catches a hole? To them, two hundred years is forever, but to us, it's four hundred years overdue.
[ his wine glass hangs from his fingers. kaveh thinks of temple murals, and the beautiful sloped rooves of little chimney-stacked households. his eyes harden as he leans in - ] I will be repairing buildings that weren't built to be repaired. I will not advocate for tearing your buildings down until I've had a proper look at them. If even I can't find a way to have them retain their beauty and value for another five hundred years - then fine, but the very style of traditional Kjerag architecture lies in its reflection of the land's culture. I will need a cultural consultant; that will be you.
I am a Master Architect, and no building will ever stand the test of erosion; but I will build Kjerag until no other nation can afford to look away. You will be hearing my opinions on the matter. Will you be able to handle it?
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usually when it suits them.
he'll have to double-check those books and hand them over to kaveh later, but that is for later.]
Of course. If I could not... I wouldn't have allowed you here. But... [enciodes leans in. he keeps his hands to himself, but if he had both hands free, and they were alone, he would have taken the liberi's chin by now.]
I have spent my years being the most unpopular man in Kjerag, and when you leave, I will still hold that spot. There's nothing you can do to strain or embarrass me.
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the most unpopular man in kjerag. that's a way to put it. ]
I hope to never test that assertion. I've been known to make the improbable possible, given time and enough funds. But Mister Silverash, you have earned at least my favour. Let that give you at least one vote in raising your standing around these parts.
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[not like he's actually offended by kaveh's cocksure statements.]
But you should make sure not to truly offend anyone. Not even my clan's name will be able to save you from execution.
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But if any of them were Ursus or Anaty, and draped mostly in old furs, they might have been of the Paleroche clan. They are the most conservative of the three main houses, and the most xenophobic. As you can tell, they're not fond of outsiders, and even less of the Silverash clan.
[is enciodes surprised that they would have the temerity to ambush his guest like this? of course not.]
Best not to utter a word to them. But if you must... insulting the Kjerag faith gives them leave to take your head from your shoulders and no one will be able to refute them, not even me. [only enya can do that but she'd never do it for her big brother.]
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you couldn't build a bridge without knowing who wanted it burnt down, after all. ]
You have little to worry about that. The Kjerag faith is real; I've seen it in your sister Cliffheart's eyes. I needn't more proof to believe.
She loves Kjerag.
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he just doesn't pray, or serve. not with what he had to sacrifice to it in order to preserve the remaining clan members after the deaths of his parents. who he was forced to sacrifice.
enciodes sighs, uncrossing his legs to put the previously lower one above, and sets his empty glass down to lace his fingers together.]
What is important to me... is that you don't do anything that they would consider an insult. Kjerag has a long way to go with tolerating other points of view about religion-- and perhaps we even took a step back, given our religious leader and political leader are one and the same. Execution is considered an acceptable recompense for any negative comments about faith.
[absolute power in a single hand is dangerous. he can only be relieved that such power is enya's.]
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drinking suddenly goes from a little inadvisable to extremely inadvisable. the urge to argue back scrapes along the back of his mouth. kaveh swallows it, and then with another mouthful of wine to make it go down smooth. and then, he smiles. ]
Consider me warned. [ with contrition: ] I apologise if my earlier actions at the train station had a trickle-down effect onto your household, Mister Silverash. You have my word that I will take care, in this and in future dealings.
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I've spent years making sure that the clan's defenses against my enemies are foolproof. [physically, politically... even geographically. then he pauses-- kaveh seems to care quite a bit about enciodes' sisters, and while unneeded, he appreciates this still.]
Should a fight break out, Cliffheart is at Rhodes Island, and Pramanix is untouchable.
So, worry not, Master Architect, and just make the most of your time here.
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kaveh breathes out. ]
When Mister Silverash has put it that way, how can I not? [ whispers in the dark, warnings in front of a hearth. kaveh finally puts down his glass, and stretches. his toes curl. ] Ah, it's getting late. I shouldn't take up more of your time. Might I be excused?
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