Stories of Starfall

Name:
Story: Starfall
Colors: Azul #22 (Sympathy for a lion); Vert #10 (And all we can do now is hope)
Supplies and Styles:
Word Count: 957
Rating:
Warnings:
Notes: North Fort, 1317; Leaira Modelen, Marran Delver, Ennan Hilten.
Summary:

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It was late afternoon before Hilten finally escorted Leaira down to see Captain Delver. The rest of the fort was not any more scenic than the section of it she'd been limited to until now. The shutters remained tightly shut, the corridors lit only by wan lamps, and several of the soldiers and staff that she and Hilten passed on the way, shot Leaira ugly looks.

When Hilten ushered her into the office, the Captain wasn't there.

"He won't be very long," Hilten said as soon as she turned, before she could open her mouth to complain. "You can sit down while you wait."

Leaira cast a withering look at him. "Oh, thank you," she said, but her sarcasm bounced right off him. He only grinned back in his usual good-natured fashion, and she felt more ashamed than she liked to admit. She pulled out the nearest chair and sat down.

It wasn't the same office where she'd been questioned by Lieutenant Kilvern. This one wasn't precisely plush, but it was as near as North Fort could get to it. The furniture was all of matching dark wood, a little battered in places, but well-polished. The chair she'd chosen had velvet padding on the back and seat. There were two cabinets behind the large desk, with shelves full of books behind glass, with more matching cupboards, sideboards and shelves around the room. The curtains over the window matched the red velvet on the chairs. It had to be the commanding officer's study, not the Captain's.

The door opened with a click.

"Hilten," said the Captain, entering. "Leave us. I'll call you when you're wanted."

Leaira stood hastily, although once she had, she wasn't sure why. She folded her arms. "Don't you need someone to stand guard in case I attack you? Seeing as I'm such a threat."

"There is already a guard outside," said Captain Delver mildly. "Hilten has other duties. Please. Sit down."

Leaira wished even more than she hadn't stood. She lowered herself back into the chair slowly.

"You disobeyed my instructions," he said, positioning himself on the other side of the wide desk. He remained standing.

Leaira held his gaze. "You promised you'd speak to the Colonel about me, and then you forgot! How long would it have taken you to remember I existed if I hadn't forced the issue?"

"You were left where you were for good reason," he said. "You should have asked to see me first, not started running about the fort at night. I have discipline to maintain here. You can't just disregard my orders."

Leaira moved forward out of her seat, facing him across the desk. "Oh, can't I? I'm not a soldier! But I'm sorry— don't let my predicament inconvenience your rise to power!"

To her surprise, he gave a start and blanched. "What?"

She hadn't really meant anything but temper. She halted, unsure how to respond. But his reaction shook something loose in her mind. Disparate pieces came together and suddenly made sense. The Captain in this office, not his own. A commanding officer whom everyone spoke of with respect but who never bothered to see her. And everyone here had said something about nothing being usual or right.

Leaira let out a soft 'o' of understanding. "The Colonel," she said. "She's been hurt, hasn't she? By the light—I didn't know—I didn't mean anything! I was just angry—frustrated."

"Please," he said, although the stiffness in his shoulders eased. "Sit down. I will explain -"

They were interrupted by a knock at the door. Delver called out, "Enter," and Tamman bounced in with a tray, on which balanced a pot of tea that slid about alarmingly at his careless pace. He grinned at Delver. "Here you are, Captain!"

Leaira pulled the heavy chair in closer to the desk and leaned forward, elbows resting on the surface, as she watched them.

Delver rescued the tray from Tamman and then shooed the boy away. Tamman gave Leaira a quick wave before he darted out, pulling the door shut behind him.

"Want some?" said Delver, unstacking the two cups on the tray, and pouring out a dirty green liquid into the first.

Leaira shook her head. "I thought you people had done your worst in trying to poison me already. What in the empty world is that supposed to be?"

"Greygrass tea," said Marran, a gleam of amusement stealing into his face. "Of our current options, honestly, I think it's the best. It's got a sort of, ah, sharpness to it that I like."

"Oh, well, why not?" said Leaira. When he passed it over, she cupped her hands around it, and took a tentative sip. The Captain was right. It did have an acidic quality that made it at least feel like it was worth the trouble of drinking, which was more than she could say for some of the other things they'd given her over the past few days.

Marran stared down at his own cup for a few moments, before giving a slight shake, and sitting. "You asked about the Colonel," he said heavily. "She went over to the village the day you arrived with a handful of the others. They were caught when the snow started up again. We only got two of them back alive, and the other died shortly after. The Colonel, though, is still with us, and we're hopeful. But in the meantime, it leaves me in an awkward position."

"You are and you aren't in charge?"

He nodded, although he inclined his gaze away from her. "Yes. I'm afraid so." Then he straightened and added, "But that's not the point now. We need to decide what to do about you."

Maps & Info
[Temp maps - drawn offline, still working docs + my scanner isn't working. Please forgive all scrappy writing/drawing/lack of scale etc. I will post some cleaner copies when I'm more technologically able, but these give a reasonable idea of the countries used in the stories so far.]


Emoyra


Emoyra (sometimes known elsewhere/in the past as Emora or Imora) is where the main story is currently set. Starfall Manor is situated in the northern mountain ranges and the Boundary Paths go around the Wasteland, crossing Emoyra, Norhyria, the Northlands and East Korphil, and the Manor has staff from most of those countries as well.

Emoyra has eight Regional Districts which were formerly independent nations, although there has always been an Emoyran identity as well. Each Regional District has an elected Governor who is in charge of it, over a Council, and they answer to the (elected) High Council and High Governor in Portcallan, Emoyra's capital city.

So far, the action has been set chiefly at Starfall Manor, in Northern District and in Portcallan in Southern District, where the politicking plots live. North Eastern District is where Marran Delver is from and appears in several of pieces connected to him.

The eight Districts, with their former nations:
Northern = Hyensland & Ennesland
North Eastern = Rosfallen
North Western = Miershia
Central = Emora (or Old Emora)
Eastern = Eisemore
Western = Westimore
Southern = Callamaine
South Eastern = Araland



The Northlands


The Northlands has never been a nation as such until now. It is a collection of small communities outside of the other nations and is in many ways older than all the others, but in the last couple of decades the Ice Prince has built up a power base there, which has changed things.


West & East Korphil


None of the stories have been set here so far, but Marran Delver spent some time in West Korphil in the army. The capital of West Korphil is Tamah, which has regular ships between it and Portcallan. The more northerly parts and most of East Korphil are very heavily wooded and parts are also mountainous. It also includes large areas of land that are Untransformed (by the events of Starfall). Arin Teykal comes from West Korphil.


High Eisterland (& Low Eisterland & the Eastlands)


High Eisterland is very closely related to Emoyra - at some point in the past it occupied most of the eastern parts of Emoyra, which is one of the reason North Eastern (and Eastern) are often regarded as having a different culture to the other districts, or being more superstitious. It shares a lot of Emoyra's lore regarding Starfall, but with additional elements, like a greater number of Powers. Osmer Nivyrn is from High Eisterland.

Low Eisterland is similar to both High Eisterland and southern Emoyra. Its capital, Lialia, is regarded as the best centre of learning in the known world (or so the Lialians say), and it's often referred to as the capital of the Circle of Civilisation (referring to several cities along the southerly seaboard - Tamah, Portcallan, Lighthaven, South Haven and Lialia), although northerners across High Eisterland and Emoyra wouldn't agree. Aliyna Dimue is from Low Eisterland.

The Eastlands were partially cut off during the Great Transformation and can mostly be reached via the south and the sea, so they don't feature much as yet. They are actually a lot of different small countries that Emoyra and the other countries refer to collectively as the Eastlands.

Norhyria borders with High Eisterland, Emoyra and the Northlands, but is very isolationist and regards the Powers as evil or hostile. It has ruling families and a more military culture, but the Paths also cut through it, so they have to co-operate with Emoyra and Starfall to a certain degree. Pio Caffsley is from Norhyria.

Current year: 1337