Jebidiah's Change Bk. 01 Ch. 08

Welcome back gentle reader

We've reached what should be the midpoint of book 1. I hope everyone has enjoyed the story as much as I have enjoyed the experience of writing this. This book was meant to establish the backstory of the characters (of course there was no sex in the original backstories, the campaign was very PG). There's a treasure trove of lore written for the world of Tresolmar and as I expand out these backgrounds I've been able to fill in gaps and solidify other parts of the culture and timelines. It has been most satisfying. Book 2 will be based on the first adventure I hosted in the campaign.

Once again the standard disclaimer, multiply ages by roughly two to get equivalent Earth ages. Everyone is a consenting adult.

-- Somewhen, Somewhere --

Comlain once again paced in the nothingness around him. His continued need for motion amused him as his body wasn't physical nor did the space he paced in exist. He knew it was a portrayal of how his mind was racing with thought but the way the quirks of the Divine manifested was truly amusing. Axteus contented itself nearby. While they waited, it had created several versions of itself who were all engaged in an animated discussion, all the while building a house of cards that two of their number continued to knock down.

Comlain felt another presence gather and waited for it to take form. His wait was short. A voluptuous female materialized out of nothing, standing directly before him. She was the definition of sensuality, sexuality, and seduction wrapped into a single package. Her diaphanous gown of white did not fully hide her naked form but managed to mute it enough to make anyone desire a clearer view of the treasures glimpsed beneath. Comlain was amused again at how his form exhibiting a physical reaction to her seductiveness. The minds of the Divine were fickle things.

"Why have you called me here?" she asked in a dangerous tone.

"Please, Bora, I know you are heady in power as your festival draws near but it will be the peak of your power until next summer. Do not succumb to delusions of grandeur and attempt to intimidate me. Is your partner coming?"

One of Axteus' clones cackled in harsh laughter and began a childish chant "Iztar is scared, Iztar is scared."

"He is not scared, but I sense he has given up this game already. You hold our player."

"Iztar was never one for such an early withdrawal. She is too wiley for that. We," he waved toward Axteus' group who were now forming a pyramid of bodies that would collapse as soon as one of the bottom, supporting members would crawl out to try and raise the height by climbing back on top, "do not hold your player. Our player has proven stronger than anticipated is all. I propose a truce, a joining of efforts for now. Lashan marches to war and both our players are in danger."

"Tell me your proposal...."

-- Chapter 8: Bh'orel Academy --

-- Fifth Tenday of Antaen 813 AGR --

Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right.

- Asimov

It was the morning of the 10th day of the 5th tenday in Antaen, sometimes called the ten fifth, or just the 50th. There were still seven tendays until Summer's Eve and the end of the current block. The Battle of the Promenade was a full tenday ago, where they had lost both Polly and Henna, and Jebidiah had touched magic. Since then, Jebidiah had physically assaulted two fellow students, one of whom he was told was still in the infirmary, in defense of Crystal. He had slapped their first Senior Advisor, Madeline, been attacked by Children of Tresolmar, nearly started a physical and possibly magical altercation with Loremaster Kenyen, accidentally bonded both Crystal and Dana to him, and now Tenner and Joy wanted to bond as well. It was almost enough to top the previous tendays when all the other impossible stuff happened to him.

Continuing the impossible trend, Jebidiah gained the ability to perform some simple cantrips, and his research led him to believe more was possible. So far, only Crystal and Dana were aware of that tidbit of information, and he intended to keep it a very hidden secret.

The morning found Dana, Crystal, Tenner, and Jebidiah repeating the trip to the Keep along with their ever-present guards and additional escort. It was the day of the Council Session when the Queen was presenting all the law changes she meant to implement to support Jebidiah's group. Jebidiah was very leery of the trip; so far, all but one trip to the Keep had resulted in something bad.

The Council Session was always held in the Upper Keep, which Jebidiah had never had an opportunity to visit. There was a secondary motive to attend the session; the important nobles from each House would be in attendance, either on the Council itself or in the audience. The girls were taking the opportunity to meet their House peers or family to request more information they needed about the attacks and House Valor. Charlene was supposed to travel with them but had headed out earlier. Jebidiah could only interpret it as a sign of trouble to come.

They were all dressed in their finer clothes. The girls in their traditional dresses in suitable House colors, and Jebidiah had acquired a nice tunic and trousers with a matching vestment signifying his Master title. He felt a bit pompous and overdressed, but the girls acted impressed and did a satisfying bit of oohing and aahing over his outfit.

Master Standing was awaiting their arrival at the Keep. Jebidiah swapped greetings with him and headed to the side of the entry in huddled discussion while the others filtered in through the crowd looking for their contacts. Crystal's anxiety of facing her family was mounting, and she noticed Jebidiah glance over at her a few times. She felt warmth and comfort coming from their bond and tried to use it to placate her own fears. The glances and sneers she was receiving from some of the other attendees were starting to wear her down. Jebidiah finished up his conversation, shook Standing's hand, and came up to Crystal.

"You see anyone yet?" he asked. She just shook her head. "Well then let's go see if we can find them."

They entered the Receiving Hall, a long and fairly wide room, possibly the full length of the keep at a couple of hundred feet. The center of the hall was a double row of marble support columns resplendent with banners in the Tonstar blue lined with gray and sporting the Tonstar crest. A rich plush carpet in the same blue and gray with silver designs covered the entire area between the rows of columns. Jebidiah mused on the effort the hall required, figuring it took at least a full tenday just to spell all the light globes the room required. There was a line of tables with finger foods and drinks on one side of the hall, swamped with attendees, and the opposite side had three sets of huge double doors leading into the Council Chamber.

They mingled through the crowd with Jebidiah nodding in greeting when he accidentally made eye contact with someone or met one of his rare acquaintances. He had no idea who he was looking for, trusting in Crystal to point someone out they needed to make contact with. When he felt her tense up suddenly, it was enough of a clue that one such had been spotted. He noticed a group of several women wearing the Stark green and white that matched Crystal's outfit and made his way over. The women all stopped talking at their approach and turned to stare at them; none of them offered a greeting.

There were five of them that fanned out into a rough semicircle. They all had the same physical appearance about them, dark brown hair, brown eyes, and the button nose Crystal used to sport. They looked like they started young on the left, followed by an older one, then the eldest in the center who wore a very severe look, then the other two declined in age again. Jebidiah was fairly certain if looks could kill, he and Crystal would have died on the spot for the withering look the eldest woman gave them.

"You should not have come, especially in House colors. You bring even more shame upon us," the elder said.

"Hello, mother," Crystal replied.

"The shame is in punishing instead of supporting your own daughter for something she has no control over," Jebidiah said as he put an arm around Crystal in support. There were audible gasps then silence as the nobility around them waited for the next several days' worth of gossip to unfold.

"It is not my daughter; my daughter died. You are an impertinent fool. Do you know who I am?" she asked with a glare.

"I had assumed you were Crystal's mother and a representative of House Stark. My apologies; I should have recognized you as the ogress you are," Jebidiah said as he turned the now crying Crystal away and into the gasps and snickers of those watching the exchange.

Her mother called after them, not willing to let it go. "You are an affront to decency and society, Overton. I will see you rot in the dungeons for the damage you are attempting to cause."

"I'm sorry, love," Jebidiah quietly said to her once far enough away. "I had not thought foolish prejudices could run so deep."

Crystal's tears subsided enough to clear her eyes. "That could have gone better." She tried a smile but faltered.

"We should sit directly behind her during the council session. We can loudly critique her fashion choices while she's trying to listen." That was enough to get a small chuckle out of Crystal.

"No, I would rather sit near Dana if no one objects to my presence. I'm half expecting to be kicked out." They talked a few minutes more about anything other than her family when a page came up and handed her a slip of paper and departed. Crystal looked at it then folded it neatly and slipped it into a pocket. "Someone wants to meet, discreetly, at the Golden Dragon after the council meeting."

"Good luck being discreet with Corporals Harris and Yantzee hanging around." Jebidiah joked. "We'll make time."

"You'll come with me?" she asked.

"Of course I will. I'm not letting you out of my sight. Let's see if we can find the others." They headed off looking for familiar House colors in the sea of dresses they swam through.

The orange dresses with yellow sleeves and white trim that marked the Stockmar women were not hard to spot. There was a group of perhaps a dozen women in animated discussion with a few men standing near them wearing variations of the same colors. As Jebidiah and Crystal neared them, he spotted Tenner talking with someone who could have been her twin. Twins were unheard of, the odds being along the lines of one in every million births, happening maybe once in a generation. The women of House Stockmar were universally beautiful, and Jebidiah found that when that much beauty looked at a single person, him in this instance, it was really intimidating.

"Ladies." Jebidiah attempted to perform the courtesy bow correctly but was fairly certain he botched it. Nevertheless, they nodded back in approval of the formal greeting. The eldest moved toward Jebidiah and Crystal and spoke in a lowered voice to discourage eavesdropping. "This must be Miss Stark? And that would make you our Tenner's paramour, one Master Overton?"

"Guilty as charged, my Lady, though I believe paramour might be a stretch." Jebidiah answered. "And if I could have the pleasure of your name?"

She smiled at his charm. "You may. I am Lydia Stockmar, Duchess of Orc Fall, and I have heard much about you and what you have been up to, both concerning our Tenner and otherwise. Princess Stephanie speaks highly of you as well, and I find myself intrigued. If my sources are correct, paramour is not as far off as you make it sound. If she is anything like her mother, you will have your hands full with that one."

"You are too kind, your Grace. I hope to do her justice. We had just come to see how Tenner was doing and figure out our seating arrangements." Jebidiah answered.

"I would have you sit with me to have further discussion, but I can't exactly invite you to the council table. As much as it would please me to spite the Starks for snubbing your prime and have you sit with my daughters, I believe the Princess has plans for you. I've had my artificers see to your inquiries, and Tenner is getting the results for you. That's her cousin Greta she is talking to, the one with the information."

They should be sisters instead of cousins as much as they resemble each other. All the Stockmar ladies looked so alike it was near impossible for Jebidiah to hazard who was whose mother or daughter. Greta had the same sandy blonde hair, azure eyes, and perfectly symmetrical face that Tenner possessed only she was a few inches shorter with their body proportions being similar, just Greta was noticeably smaller. "I point her out because I believe she may have more information for you, but something that can only be imparted in private. I bid you farewell." She leaned in to whisper in his ear "Until next we meet Lord Valor. You will look good in bronze."

Jebidiah stood stunned as the Duchess stood straight again. "Miss Stark, a pleasure to meet you and welcome to the family. I am sorry for the reception you may get from some, but know that you do have allies. I hope to be able to spend more time with you when Tenner brings you to visit. I must join the council."

"Thank you, your Grace," Crystal said as the Duchess turned to leave.

Several of the Stockmar women followed the Duchess, and Tenner and her cousin filled the void Jebidiah and Crystal found themselves in. "Jeb, Crys, I want to introduce my cousin Greta." Tenner patted a bag at her hip. "She has given me all the research our House conducted."

"There was more information available than we expected," Greta said. She looked Jebidiah up and down with a decidedly predatory look.

"Greta is in her third block at the Academy," Tenner said with a grin as she put her arms behind her back, drawing attention to the mounds her bodice was attempting to hide. Greta quickly followed suit with a grin of her own.

"What Talent did you draw?" Jebidiah asked, trying to ignore whatever undertones were happening and opting for polite conversation. He tried his best to keep eye contact.

"Bard and Priest. I figure it could come in handy though I must confess I lack the religious call. Tenner says you have no priests in your group?" Greta answered.

"No, we do not," Crystal answered for him. "What Curse did you draw?"

Greta looked at Crystal as if seeing her for the first time. "Oh, you are too cute! I drew nympho, I mean nymph. Did the white streaks come with the Change? I had not seen streaks like that in other Starks' hair."

Crystal smiled. "It came with the dress. You sound like you are shopping for a group. What of your pod males?"

"Both Changed unfortunately. One was Lost and the other is a Dwarf Artificer. I suppose you could call it shopping around. I was hoping to discuss things with your leader, wasn't it Dana, Tenner?"

"Well, cousin, we aren't exactly working that way. I had not reached that part yet," replied Tenner.

Crystal looked up to Jebidiah with a questioning look and a prod through their bond. He nodded his agreement. "I'm his Prime, Greta."

"You are?" Greta said in surprise. "I mean, no offense was meant, I just thought since Dana was a Tonstar she would have the highest political clout and would assume First Wife when the time came. I was really hoping for the spot myself, but I'm being really, really encouraged to look into your group. Wait, if you are Prime, you are already bonded? How? Was that allowed?"

"Come to our dormitory when you get time this coming tenday, and we'll have a discussion," Crystal replied. The confidence Jebidiah was feeling through the bond was encouraging. It was the most he had seen the old Crystal come out since her Change.

They bid their goodbyes to Greta, and with Tenner in tow, went to find Dana amongst the Tonstar contingent who were clustered around the far end of the hall. Most of the Tonstar women matched Dana's general description, on the taller side with an abundance of red hair, steel gray eyes, and while not the stunning beauties like the Stockmars, they were all agreeable to look at. There were some scattered blondes and a brunette in the mix, and Jebidiah even spotted one that maybe had an inch on Crystal if she was lucky.

The Tonstar numbered probably twice what the Stockmar women had, but Jebidiah and Crystal easily homed in on Dana through the directional capability of their bonds and the convenience of Dana being a head taller than the rest of the women around her. There was also a serious amount of concern in that bond. As they navigated the waves of Tonstar blue dresses, they finally approached Dana deep in conversation with Princess Stephanie and her pet wizard. Dana's back was to them as they approached, but she moved her arm behind her back and made a waving motion in greeting. It was obvious the bond would ruin any opportunities to sneak up on her in the future.

They joined the discussion with Jebidiah, Tenner, and Crystal, greeting the Princess in unison. "Master Overton, it is good to see you still alive. And you are just in time to see how this clusterfuck is about to go, for which I will absolutely blame you." The language and the level of stress apparent on her face gave Jebidiah some of his first real concern of the day.

"I will make my apologies in advance, your Highness. I'm not sure what I can offer in help, but I will do whatever is asked. Should I even be here if there will be problems?"

"I'm afraid that option is no longer available. Your attendance is mandatory, and you may even be forced to answer questions from the council. I'm glad you picked an appropriate outfit for the occasion. Showing up in an Academy uniform wouldn't have helped. You are going to sit next to me so we can project as much Crown support as we can. Unfortunately, my mother is tied up in other matters, so my father will be taking her place. I hope it will be enough to allow you to walk out on your own instead of escorted in chains."

"I'm facing charges?" Jebidiah asked incredulously. "What for? Shouldn't I have been given an opportunity to find my own counsel?"

"It's not just you; Crystal is facing charges as well, though not as many as you are," the wizard answered. "I'll be your representative in the proceedings."

"That just sidestepped the question, and I don't even know your name," Jebidiah responded.

Before the wizard could respond, a set of trumpets blared, announcing it was time to enter the council chambers. The Princess said, "All will be revealed, Jebidiah, if you would follow me, please." With that, she, her wizard, and five of the other Tonstar women entered the nearest double door without waiting to see if Jebidiah's group followed. He looked at the others, sighed, then entered the doors to catch up.

The Council Chamber was nearly as large as the Receiving Hall. The side of the chamber with the sets of double doors acted as a foyer with raised tiers of bench seating around the other three walls. The center of the room was dominated by a long but relatively thin table with 30 seats along the side facing the foyer area. The arrangement allowed the council members to face most, if not all, of the audience and allowed members to enter last and leave first. Toward the center of the room on the opposite side of the chairs and slightly below the first tier of benches was a podium, large enough to hold two or possibly three people.

The Tonstar women flowed around the seating until they took seats in the two front rows directly behind the podium. Other houses began filling in until most of the benches were filled, leaving a colorful collage of House colors. Dresses dominated the assembly, probably fifteen women for every man present. Once everyone was seated, the council members entered to take up seats. Jebidiah counted twenty women that came in to stand by their seats. Finally, everyone not standing rose, and Prince Consort Matthew entered and took up one of the center two empty chairs at the table. After he sat, everyone else followed suit.