Kerennya/Logs/Wild Magic Vignette 09172024/Just the Messenger

Kerennya had done it. She had spoken with the members of her informal little family who would be affected by what she wanted to do and gotten them to agree to her plan.

Now to implement it. Walking straight to the Crossing Temple, she asked the friendly white-robed monk at the gate who always greeted her if she lingered there long enough if the Temple had a project going to aid any who had been either displaced by the effects of Wild Magic on their village or else who had been away from one of the Clans when it had been encased by the Heralds.

The monk told her there was such a project, but he didn't know who was in charge of it. However, he thought Esuin might. Accordingly, she strode to the Crossing Cleric's Guild and forced her way into Esuin's study. There was another cleric already in there who turned annoyed eyes on her at the intrusion, so she stepped back out into the Sanctorum and looked through the charity chest until the other cleric left. She again entered the Guildleader's study, and said, "My apologies for the earlier intrusion, Guildleader. I could not tell you were otherwise occupied."

Esuin looked her over for a moment and then said, "You aren't a cleric. What can I do for you?"

She told him, "I was told that you know who is in charge of a project to aid those without homes after a Wild Magic occurrence."

"Oh, that business," said the Guildleader, frowning slightly. "That would be Vagavi." He then indicated she should leave.

"Wait," she protested quickly. "I don't know who this Vagavi is."

Sighing, Esuin rang a bell and soon an acolyte entered. "What do you need, Guildleader?" the boy asked.

"Go find Vagavi and bring her back to the Sanctorum." Gesturing to Kerennya, he added, "This Elf here needs to talk to her."

After the acolyte left to complete the errand, Esuin told Kerennya, "Now, if you would please wait in the Sanctorum." It wasn't a request.

Kerennya did as the Guildleader asked, and before long, a smiling Prydaen woman in her prime wearing a simple gray cassock came out and asked Kerennya what she wanted. She quickly explained her idea, mentioning the danger that one of them posed, and the cleric's warm brown eyes lit with enthusiasm. "What a wonderful idea. Yes, we can definitely put all of them to use, even the dangerous one. We'll simply have to pick the right recipient for that one, and I think I know just the person. You have four, you say? And they are ready now?"

At Kerennya's nod, Vagavi said, "Come with me, then. I will introduce you to the recipients, but I think you should be the one to tell them."

Vagavi led Kerennya back to the Temple and up the stairs to the Monks' quarters. The cleric's knock was answered by an elderly human man. He squinted at the two of them and asked in gravelly tones, "What d'ye want?"

Vagavi said, "Medren, this here is Kerennya. She has something for you to help you get through these trying times."

Kerennya smiled at the old man and said, "I'm Kerennya, Medren, and it's good to meet you. Now pack your bags. You're moving to someplace a little more comfortable and private not too far from here."

Kerennya and Vagavi helped Medren gather up his meager belongings since he walked with a limp, and the three slowly made their way across town to a certain cross-grained oak frame cottage located in Willow Walk. Kerennya told Medren, "This is where you'll be staying until this business with Wild Magic is concluded. I'll check on you every few days to make sure you have everything you need." She unlocked the door to the cottage and opened it, gesturing for the other two to follow her inside.

Medren looked around the room for a moment, then nodded, quickly wiping away a tear. "Thank ye, Kerennya. 'Tis most kind o' ye. Reminds me of the 'ome I shared wit' me Liesley, may t' gods rest 'er soul, afore t' accident t'at claimed 'er life an' lef' me wit' a bum leg."

Kerennya smiled at him and said, "Oh, this isn't my home. I'm just the messenger for the true giver. But I will pass along your thanks."

Once Medren was situated, Kerennya and Vagavi repeated the process three more times, assigning a mother and her three small children to a green laurelwood door in the Warrior Mages' Tower West out the Crossing West Gate, a set of parents and their two children to a large jasmine-covered knoll in Arthe Dale, and a young assistant to the trade minister of Wolf Clan to an arched blackwood door studded with ruby roses in Silverclaw Hub. He assured Kerennya he could run fast enough and climb fast enough to avoid the dryads that inhabited the area. Each received Kerennya's gift of hospitality with a certain incredulity that an adventurer would share her home like this. To this, Kerennya would smile and repeat the words, "Oh, this isn't my home. I'm just the messenger for the true giver. But I will pass along your thanks."

As Kerennya and Vagavi rode the ferry back across the Segoltha to the Crossing, the cleric commented, "It's community that gets us through times like these, isn't it?"

Kerennya nodded at her and said, "It most certainly is."