The Muse

Realms of Sun & Shadow

Location: Eye of the Beholder

“I'm here my Prince, we have a carpenter who volunteered to make a new door. Just a misunderstanding and accidents happen here. No one was hurt or damaged bar the door. It was handled before the guards arrived by Lord Coswain and his companions.”

Flynn looked up to see Sya, who seemed to materialize out of thin air, having been obscured from his view by a wooden beam in the middle of the room. Notably, she was not wearing her hood, which made him happy to think that she was beginning to feel more comfortable with herself. Sya was one of the more docile blight-born that he had met thus far and he was grateful for her assimilation and great contribution to Dawnhaven.

The Prince smiled faintly at her, the exhaustion evident on his face. "Thank you, Sya. I am glad to hear it." He truly was relieved; he didn't have the energy to think about assigning someone to fix the door right now. At least someone had already stepped up to offer a hand without him having to send orders.

“If I may say your Highness, there's at least one person here looking for work, with skills you might find valuable.”

“Oh?” Flynn glanced around the room beyond Sya, wondering who she was referring to.

“If you excuse me, have business to conduct before the gathering.”

Before Flynn could ask her to point out who was looking for work, Sya was out the door with a woman he had never seen before on her heels. Glancing around the room again, he recognized familiar faces—mostly his Aurelian guard with a few guards from Lunaris sprinkled in. Then his gaze landed on an older man sitting alone at a table, their eyes meeting each other for a brief moment. Flynn didn’t recall speaking with him before, though he had spoken to so many people over the past two months that he wondered if he was starting to lose track. For now, Flynn returned his attention to the red-eyed blight-born noblewoman in front of him.

"I would have preferred to speak to you in a more... limited venue, about matters that could favor Dawnhavens development.”

For a moment, Flynn wondered how the Lady had even known he would be arriving - she had seemingly been waiting for him, but he had never sent for her. He had stormed out of the house so quickly that he had barely even thought about what he was doing before leaving. Perhaps his squire had gotten too eager after seeing Flynn leave the house and ran to let her know that Flynn would be on his way in the morning. He’d have to reprimand him for such impulsive actions, surely. Nonetheless, Flynn decided not to react to her impudent comment. It did not appear that Lunarian’s were used to holding their tongue when it came to speaking to royalty, unlike the people of Aurelia. Most Lunarians here seemed to speak frivolously and without forethought.

“I have families in need of work in my domain. They could benefit your growing realm greatly with labor and trades, yet I am hesitant with the current state of things. My people are always in need of trade partners at the least and for the time being I would be willing to send Dawnhaven wagon trains of supplies. These goods would be sold to you for a reasonable price and hopefully encourage commerce. However, I would need a minor almost trivial assurance from you to the protection of these heavy laden trips from bandits and worse. If you could grant me aid in this matter, I think we could help one another in building this new Dawnhaven into a respectable kingdom. I am willing to even relocate myself to this part of the world to quickly resolve any issues with my part of the agreement that may come up for the duration."

Flynn listened intently, feeling relieved that she had agreed to support Dawnhaven. Providing her cargo with protection on the journeys could be costly when the winter became worse, but it was not an unreasonable request. He raised an eyebrow as the woman offered to relocate to Dawnhaven, which he found intriguing. Though she presented this as a generous offer to him, he knew that she was seeking refuge—just like all the rest. A noble woman fleeing her home and status was highly rare. A blight-born noble woman on the other hand… If the King of Lunaris were to discover her condition he would surely have her killed and her house usurped by someone of his choosing. This was not only a gift she was giving him; this was a trade for her safety.

“Very well. I am eternally grateful for your support.” He held his warm diplomatic smile as he locked eyes with her, bowing his head slightly in a show of respect. “We can assign guards to your cargo. The Lunarians here know the mountain paths well and can ensure their safety. In fact, I will speak with Lord Coswain, who arrived yesterday. He should be able to assist you in this matter.” He glanced toward the Lunarian guards scattered among tables in the tavern. Though fewer in number than the Aurelian guards, they were valuable for their knowledge of the land. He would send a mixture of Lunarian and Aurelian guards with each cargo train—the Aurelian guards would need to learn the ways from their new Lunarian brothers.

“I do have one requirement, however, if you are to live here.” he stated, returning his emerald eyes to her red ones. “We will have a formal interview before I allow it.” He studied her for a moment, letting his request sink in. “We must discuss… your condition.” he said, gesturing to her and meaning her obvious transformation into a blight-born. Although she was the Lady of Durnatel, she did not simply get a pass without having to go through the same scrutiny that all the rest did. The aura she gave off was intimidating, especially with those piercing eyes staring at him, but he did not let her appearance deter him. Ivor had been just as intimidating, if not more so, yet he had assimilated into their society quite well. If the Lady could control the last large town from Dawnhaven while maintaining proper behavior and continuing supply trades, it would be ideal.

Word would likely get out fast now that Olivia had revealed herself to the people of Dawnhaven, but she would be protected under Dawnhavens sanctuary. If the Lady of Durnatel could behave herself, Flynn, at least, would keep his mouth shut.

“Can you stay another day? I have much to attend to today. We can have our interview tomorrow, perhaps?”

---

_{Interactions: Olivia @amorphical, Sya @PrinceAlexus
Mentions: Lord Coswain @PrinceAlexus, Becky & Marcon @amorphical}

Realms of Sun & Shadow

@Lu Do you plan to have it so your character has already been in Dawnhaven for some time or will she just be arriving?

Realms of Sun & Shadow

Location: The Alchemy Chambers

Eris smiled as Taru joked about dying of infection, though she couldn't help but wonder who, in fact, would take care of the horses if something happened to him. Taru did it so well that it was hard to imagine anyone else taking over. Her own steed, a young black dapple, seemed so happy under his care despite her sassy attitude. "Perhaps Amua can take over for you." she joked back, glancing up from the bowl of paste with a playful look in her eyes as she tried to spot where the squirrel had gone. Hopefully, it hadn’t ventured into any of the potions or herbs scattered about. There was no telling what might happen if a creature got into the wrong potion.

Satisfied with the thickness of the herb paste, Eris walked across the room, her gown trailing along the wooden floorboards. She reached for a linen square and some bandage wrappings from a shelf along the wall, then sat down beside him at the small table. She set the bowl of paste down and dipped the cloth into it. "This might sting a little, but it’ll be quick, I promise." she warned as she gently turned his hand to get the best angle. Using the cloth, she carefully spread the paste over his wound, making sure it covered the entire area. When she was satisfied, she set the linen down and reached for the bandage. "Wear this for at least a day and don’t get it dirty or wet, okay?" She unrolled the linen bandages and began to wrap them around his hand.

A knock at the door made Eris look up, pausing in her bandaging. She glanced at Taru inquisitively. Who else could it be? It was still too early for the other sages to start their work. Another injured person, perhaps?

"I’m sorry," she said, setting the roll of bandage cloth down and meeting Taru’s dark eyes. "I’ll be right back."

“Hello. I'm looking for a stable master. Tarooo? Taru?”

Barely hearing the voice from down the hall, Eris raised a brow. Someone was looking for Taru? How did they even know he was here? Was something wrong with one of the animals? She hurriedly left the room and headed for the door. Upon opening it, she was met with the face of the woman Ivor had helped rescue yesterday. "Oh, hello," she smiled. "I’m glad to see you’re feeling better," she said genuinely. As the cold air seeped into the warmth of her home, Eris suddenly realized how she was dressed. In her hurry to help Taru, it hadn’t crossed her mind. Now she was greeting a second person like this?! The thought brought heat to Eris’ cheeks, but she refused to address it aloud, despite the judgmental look she assumed the Lunarian woman was giving her. "TaruUU," her voice cracked and she cleared her throat, stepping back to let Persephone enter the alchemy chambers. "Taru is here," she clarified, closing the door behind the woman. "He’s just down this way." Trying to ignore her growing mortification, Eris led the way down the hall.

"Taru, you have a guest." she forced a smile as she returned to him at the table and picked up the bandages again, focusing on her task as her cheeks continued to burn.

---

_{Interactions: Taru @The Savant, Persephone @PrinceAlexus}

Realms of Sun & Shadow

Location: Eye of the Beholder

Flynn seethed as Octavia called him "Mister Astaros" and slammed the door behind him. How was she the one mad at him now?! With his jaw clenched, muscles tensed, and heart pounding with adrenaline, Flynn didn’t look back as he stormed away from the house, keeping his eyes fixed forward. His anger bubbled just beneath the surface and he barely felt the cold biting at his skin. "That woman..." he growled under his breath in frustration, his mind racing as it recalled everything that had been said and done in such a short time. He felt a pang of guilt for leaving Sunni to deal with the aftermath, but he couldn't stand to be in that house any longer. How could she be so ungrateful? Yes, he had brought her here against her will, but it was to save her life—and his. And yet she would’ve preferred to die?

"Goddess guide me." he muttered again, green eyes glaring ahead as he passed guards on the street without so much as a glance toward their direction. They bowed their heads in greeting, then exchanged puzzled glances with each other, wondering what was wrong with their typically composed Prince. Clearly, he was not as calm and collected as he usually presented himself.

As Flynn neared the inn, he noticed a massive tree with a four inch deep trench gouged into the ground behind it. He sighed, slowing his pace, his eyes finding the enormous blight-born Ivor hacking away at the log. Had Ivor dragged that tree here all by himself? It was an impressive display of strength, but Flynn had no time to dally.

"Morning, Ivor," Flynn greeted curtly, passing by the large man without asking any questions. He couldn't bear to think about another task on his list right now, even though he knew the trench would need to be mended at once. His jaw tightened again as he approached the inn's door, barely hanging on its hinges. What the hell had happened here? Ignoring that too, Flynn pushed his way inside and scanned the room. Guards who had been taking a break immediately jumped to their feet upon noticing the Prince, bowing to him before standing at ease, awaiting any orders the Prince might give despite their disrupted morning coffee.

"Where is Sy—" Flynn paused, his eyes landing on a woman in a stunning gown, her red eyes matching her dress but starkly contrasting against her pale skin. She stuck out from the rest of the crowd, clearly a woman of noble blood who sat among the commoners. He froze for a moment, locking eyes with her. She had to be the Lady of Durnatel, judging by her attire and the way she held herself, but … she was obviously blight-born. Had Lunaris' last large town fallen to the blight as well? And their baroness survived, reborn as something new? This would have been news to him.

"Lady Olivia of Durnatel?" he asked, approaching her at the corner table. Suddenly, he was acutely aware of his disheveled appearance. This was not a Princely thing to do at all. Meeting a Lady in such a state would have earned him days of reprimand and lessons in etiquette from his mother.

"It is a pleasure to have you," he said, bowing to her out of respect before taking a seat opposite her. "I apologize for..." he gestured to his clothing with a sheepish smile, "Busy times in Dawnhaven, as I'm sure you're aware." He met her gaze, those piercing red eyes staring back at him. "How fared your journey?"

---

_{Interactions: Olivia @amorphical}

Realms of Sun & Shadow

She looks great! Go ahead and post her :)

Realms of Sun & Shadow

@amorphical I'll try to work on a town map. Population is probably only 100 or so. I'll work on a list of buildings - it's mostly residential and the few shops that they have at the town center. The Inn, herb shop, post office, blacksmith, stables... I think that might be it so far?

No job board, it's only the Prince directing people where to go currently. The leader is only Flynn right now lol People would be directing Marcon to speak with him.

I did want to say that Flynn wouldn't have had the Inn constructed poorly though lol Its an important building and one of the first to be built. Things aren't being rushed haphazardly like that, which is why they are still in the midst of building homes, etc. He's not wrong to speculate on why the door is missing though hahah

The security is somewhat heavy as the guards Flynn brought from Aurelia make up a lot of the NPC population, but many of them are young as there's no way the King would allow him to take his best and most seasoned men haha And Marcons view of that gate is probably right - I see it being barely there as well. Something they'll need to fix. Flynn will be glad to have Marcons assistance for sure!

Flynn is on his way to the tavern now to speak with Olivia, so he could stop to talk to Marcon once he's finished talking to her.

Realms of Sun & Shadow

Location: Frostmoon Lake

These days Kira's nights were rarely more than four hours of restless sleep. Initially, she’d lie awake, tossing and turning, her mind a whirl of thoughts and frustrations, begging for reprieve. Now, she found solace in the quietude of nighttime walks. She’d attend to the chores that awaited her in both her home and the small shop she had established in Dawnhaven. Her evenings were typically spent foraging for mushrooms, herbs, and whatever remained of the winter berries. Mostly though, she observed.

Lately Kira had spent her “mornings” by the lake, captivated by the moonlight dancing on the ripples. Occasionally, she’d brave the frigid waters for a private swim. Other times, she prayed to Seluna or simply lost herself in stargazing. From the shadows, she’d watch others who sought the lake for their own contemplations, or how the Prince often took a jog in the early hours. Or, more recently, she’d watch the mysterious lake creature who observed the townsfolk of Dawnhaven.

Seemingly, no one else had noticed her presence, but Kira had. From the moment she arrived in Dawnhaven, she sensed the lake’s secret inhabitant. It was obvious that the creature was scared to be seen, so she said nothing. It was not Kira’s place to out people who didn’t want to be outed. Instead, she did as she always did - observed from the shadows.

On this particular morning, Kira sat upon on a boulder by the lake’s shore and the forest’s edge. She silently watched as the Prince took his morning jog, though it was earlier than usual. Whatever the announcement was going to be, she assumed he must have been stressed by it. She continued to watch as Taru came to clean his hands. Occasionally she’d glare at the temple of Seluna, hoping Desya wouldn’t disrupt her peace, despite her heart’s secret yearning to catch a glimpse of him.

Noticing a subtle disruption in the lake, Kira’s attention shifted to the lake creature, who peeked just above the water, cautiously curious. Kira raised an eyebrow as the creature excitedly retrieved a flyer that had blown into the water, seemingly upset when the parchment became waterlogged after being spooked by the Prince. So it could read? Or was it just happy to have something new to look at?

From her cloak, Kira produced an identical flyer that had been left on her door only a few hours ago. Opening up the neatly folded paper, Kira read the Prince and Princess’s announcement once more, suspecting it heralded their eventual demise if they finally had a child on the way; the supposed savior of the realm.

Rising, Kira left the forest’s shelter and approached the lake’s center, knowing the creature would be watching her. She placed the flyer on the ground out of reach from the tide, secured it with a rock so that it wouldn’t fly away in the wind, and left it for the creature to continue reading if it wished to. With a glance towards the lake, Kira locked eyes with the pink-finned woman - the first acknowledgement that Kira had ever given that she knew the woman existed at all.

With that, Kira pulled her cloak’s hood up and headed back towards the center of town. She had herbs to restock in her shop and she’d need to prepare for whatever news the royals had in store.

---

_{Interactions: Isabella @AliceInRedHeels
Mentions: Taru, Desya @The Savant, Flynn}

Realms of Sun & Shadow

Location: The Alchemy Chambers

“Eris! Are you awake?!”

Eris jolted awake from a deep sleep, as if resurrected from the dead against her will. Sitting up in bed, her heart pounding, she looked around the room in a panic. What was that?! Had she just imagined that voice? Where had it come from?

She placed a hand against her chest, feeling the panicked beat of her heart. Her brunette hair a curly mess from sleeping on it wet after the hot springs, she ran a hand through it to smooth it out and sighed. Stress was clearly taking its toll. Was she now imagining people in distress?!

“I had an accident this morning happen!”

Her eyes widened in shock—she hadn’t imagined it! Frantically throwing off her blankets, Eris hopped out of bed and rushed out of her bedroom on the second floor. Wearing only her green silk nightgown, she hurried down the stairs towards the front door without a second about her appearance. On her way to the door she stepped on the hem of her gown and nearly tumbled face first down the stairs, but managed to catch herself on the railing just in time. Picking up her gown a few inches from the floor, she hurried forward. She had to hurry, someone needed her help!

Finally reaching the door, she flung it open. “Taru!” She stepped back, holding the door wide to let him in from the cold air that nipped at her skin. Though she hadn't known the man long, most people in town with steeds knew of him and his odd little critter friend. Eris, at the very least, was glad not to see a blight-born at her door so early in the morning. With her attention so focused on Taru, Eris failed to see the parchment paper that had been tacked to her door.

“Are you okay?” she asked, noticing the fabric bunched in his hand, stained with blood. She frowned in concern, taking a brief glance at the peculiar squirrel who chittered on his shoulder, seemingly skeptical of Eris. “May I?” she asked, slowly reaching for his hand so that she could remove the fabric and inspect the wound, keeping in mind the critter on his shoulder.

Taking his rough hand in her soft ones, Eris closely examined the injury. For a moment, she thought about using her magic to heal his wound straight away, but her experience from the previous day made her pause. It was probably best to conserve her magic for something like this. Releasing his hand, Eris gestured for him to follow her deeper into the alchemy chambers. “This way, please.” She led him to a back room on the first floor, filled with potions, herbs, and books from floor to ceiling. “Have a seat.” she instructed, pointing to a small round table in the corner.

Knowing exactly where to find what she needed, Eris quickly grabbed a mortar and pestle and selected a few yarrow and plantain leaves from an organized drawer of herbs. With barely a wave of her fingers over the small bowl, an orb of water formed in the air and dropped into the bowl as she began grinding the herbs into a paste.

“It doesn’t look too deep. That’s good.” She smiled, casually working away in her nightgown as she met his gaze from across the room. "This paste will fix you up in a day or two." She glanced down at the herbs, putting a bit more muscle into her grinding technique. "What happened?"

---

_{Interactions: Taru @The Savant}

Realms of Sun & Shadow

Location: Royal Cabin

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Flynn breathed in the warm scent of vanilla as he rested his chin atop a head of raven-colored hair, his arms wrapped around the small body of a woman nestled against his chest. He closed his eyes, feeling the way she traced shapes across his bare chest with her fingers, her body warm against his beneath the cover of blankets. “We should be free…” She whispered. He grimaced in silence, only hugging her tighter to his chest. “It isn’t fair.” “I know.” He responded softly, wishing desperately for time to stand still. “We could run away. Disappear.” “Octavia-” The woman looked up at him, pale blue eyes piercing through to his soul. Wait. Octavia? His mind froze, trying to make sense of the person lying on his chest. Nyla. Time seemed to glitch for a moment as his brain struggled to understand where he was. Had he only dreamt up the last two months? “Who cares about the crown?” Her voice, sultry and soft, pulled him back, disrupting his thoughts. She sat up and straddled him, a playful, mischievous look on her face. “We’d have each other.” Flynn looked up at her, conflicted. “I-” He shook his head, unable to find the words. A splitting headache began to chip away at the side of his skull, and for a moment her face seemed to shift—blue eyes turning green, her tanned skin paling. Octavia? Uncomfortably, he shifted out from beneath her and sat on the edge of the bed. “No, I- there’s more to this. The people…” From behind, she gently grabbed his arm and hugged it to her body, resting her head against his shoulder. “I love you.” “Ny- Octavia, I know, I just-” A fiery pain rushed through his arm without warning, and he recoiled, turning to look at the woman behind him. She had disappeared into thin air. Looking down at his arm, a two-headed black serpent wrapped around his forearm, fangs bared after having just bitten him. Flynn jumped to his feet and flung the snake from his arm onto the bed. “What the fuck!” He took a few steps away from the creature and looked down at his arm, fresh with puncture wounds. “it… isss… time.” Flynn’s eyes snapped back up to the serpent on the bed, its gold and blue eyes staring back at him. Did that snake just speak? His heart began to race, making him breathless. He looked back down at his arm, blood beginning to leak from the wound. “get up.” the one with golden eyes hissed while the other bared its fangs, ready to strike again. “What?!” His began to tingle until he could no longer feel it, his ears ringing from the incessant headache. His heartbeat faster, causing him to sweat. The creature had poisoned him! Was it lethal? “We all have responsibilities, dear.” Flynn found his mother standing in the doorway, looking at him with a look of pity.

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---

Flynn’s eyes snapped open, his heart pounding and sweat beading on his forehead. He sat up in bed, took a deep breath, and tossed the blankets off his body. What the hell had he just dreamt? The stress of everything was clearly getting to him.

Rubbing his temple, Flynn glanced out the window to see if he could tell what time it was. Without being able to see where the moon was in the sky, it was difficult to say, but he could feel that the hour was early nonetheless. He took a moment to steady his heart before lying back down, glancing at the empty bed beside him. Thoughts of Nyla and Octavia filled his mind.

After twenty minutes of trying to fall back asleep, frustration set in. Deciding it was time to start his day, Flynn threw on something simple and quietly left his bedroom. The house was silent, aside from the occasional creak in the floorboards as he descended the stairs. Sunni was fast asleep on the couch, and he imagined Octavia was asleep in her own bed chambers as well. He wished his mind would have been so kind as to let him sleep just a bit longer.

Eager to get some alone time and clear his mind, Flynn exited out the front door as quietly as he possibly could. The brisk air against his skin woke him up further, but it felt refreshing. Without a proper training ground, he couldn’t spar to clear his mind as usual, so he decided to go for a run around the lake instead. Once he was far enough from the cabin, Flynn began to jog, catching the eyes of the knights who had been standing guard all night. He nodded to them as they bowed and greeted him good morning, though such a greeting often felt odd when the sun refused to rise. Pushing his legs to carry him faster, Flynn jogged towards the lake.

---

An hour later, Flynn returned to his home to see that bright candle lights shined through the window of the kitchen. Opening the door, he was greeted by a beautiful aroma of breakfast being made just around the corner. Perfect timing, he was starving! Curious if Octavia had woken up feeling better and wanting to cook, Flynn headed straight for the kitchen, sweaty clothing and all.

“Goodmorning, Sunni.” He greeted, watching his redheaded friend set the table. Unfortunately it was not his wife having suddenly become a ray of sunshine, but at least he knew Sunni to be a great cook. “What's cooking? Smells delicious.”

---

_{Interactions: Sunni @The Savant}

Realms of Sun & Shadow

Hey all! I just added an edit to the timeskip post - a royal summons has been placed on everyone's doors and at the Inn!