[CirrusKeymaster]

Anrae rode day and night to reach Shadow Gaurd. The roads and trails barely used. Upon entering to get a remount and directions, Anrae saw new construction being done. Just a few buildings. A school, a library, and a tavern/inn. Each was built in a style unseen to one from the North. The lights came from odd tube filled with a liquid that seemed to have something swimming in it. Disregarding the strangeness of it all, Anrae headed toward the gates of Aman Peak.
The walls loomed high. So very high. The gate was open and people were moving in and out. Humans, elves, and dwarves mostly.
“I have a letter for Sir Cirrus.”
“Ain’t no Sir Cirrus ear thank in and go.” The man replied. The dialect so foreign. Handing the letter over Anrae waited for the man to do anything but stamp papers and direct traffic. Finally the man took up the letter, opened it and started reading. After a moment he gasped, folded the letter back up and put in into another folder.
“Take this to House Snow. Directly to the Lord. No stops. Take this one with you, ” he told a young man. “Take this!” He handed the younger a card with a seal of some kind on it.
Anrae was awestruck by the sights along the way. The streets where paved with bricks. More of those liquid lanterns hung everywhere. Steam and metal rose into the sky. But the worst were the monsters. EVERYWHERE! Orcs with tool belts sipping coffee from cups, speaking on the current guild laws. Drow ladies in dresses with black umbrellas heading to the next shop. Undead, with push brooms and bags emptying trash bins. Anrae wasn’t sure how many turns they took but they arrived at a home, no, a mansion with a door knocker the size of a man’s torso. After a few knocks a young lady opened the door. The man showed the seal and explained the situation and they were lead into the house. Through rooms and halls to a study where 2 men were talking. One, Simon his badge said, and another in a chair. Simon left saying something about still now getting any lift from the engine.
The man in the chair, Cirrus, offered a seat to Anrae. He offered drink as he sat and read the letter.
“Ha! I have been so busy I completely forgot about Midnight Keep.” He read the letter twice over, even once out loud. “Please wait here while I draft a reply.” He pulled a stick with a point, which he named a pen and started writing. The ink flowed from inside the stick it would seem.
Back in Midnight Anrae handed Lilliandra a box with a letter attached. On reading the letter Cirrus explained the loss of Remle, the ice forming over Stagwood and the failed attempt to make contact with them. The slow decay of Shadow gaurd with leadership being handed around. And the need for change soght by Aman Peak. The induction of monsters, steam power and machine. He explained the lack of communication from anywhere but Shadow gaurd and the rise and fall of malevolent people had consumed his thoughts and actions as of late. Enclosed in the box was a way for them to communicate. Nothing as intimate as sharing dreams, he explained that “wizard” was a loose title he wore. Without the proper training in magic that the Red Tower had offered, he had to work things out the hard way, but it would be just as effective. When the box was opened there was a large oval shaped piece of crystal with a stand. The instructions said that focusing on the crystal and speaking the trigger word would allow communication back and forth.

[CirrusKeymaster]

A heavy weight fell over Cirrus. He slowly got up and walked to the door. “Come with…” That is all anyone heard of that conversation. Everyone awoke on with a bad headache. Cirrus was nowhere to be seen. When they went to inspect, they found a path of destruction and fire. It lead down the mountain.
“Oh dear lord! Call everyone! Find my husband! Find who did this,” Bijin yelled. She was frantic which was very out of character and put everyone in a frenzy.

[CirrusKeymaster]

Exert from the Weekly Peak Post:

THE HOUSE SNOW SPEAKS!!!

The resent events of Aman Peak’s awakening have been whirlwind fast and yet most ingenious. The people of the Peak have but one real family to thank for this. The house Snow. Bijin and her industrious husband Cirrus. This reporter was finally able to get a sit down with the Snows.

Paul: It has been a great and wonderous thing you two have been able to pull off here. Do you believe it will continue to be a change for the good?

Bijin: Yes I do.

Cirrus: I agree with my lovely wife, but I would like to say that we didn’t pull this off. We helped but it was the industrious people of this mountain that pulled it off. We got the Orcish people, once thought dumb and beastial, into a rehabilitation program for their drug addiction and got them working with their hands again. Every person has something to contribute and that is what we are here to promote.

Paul: Well said. What do you have to say to the rumors that the people of the valley will come and take what we have? Or that we will turn our people against them?

Bijin: That is absurd. The “people of the Valley” are welcome to try and take what they will. Maybe it would do them some good. Second we will continue to become an industrious people, where ever that may lead us…

Cirrus: It’s true. We aren’t closing our gates to those who need us. We closed them because of those simpleton drow that couldn’t seem to keep from mucking up the works. Please don’t think I am referring to all Drow. I am oviously referring to the ones not of our mountain. the ones searching for something that isn’t there.

Paul: I see. Would you also like to comment on the other law changes that House Snow has helped to put in place?

Bijin: We have started a stricter policy when dealing with criminals. There is now the TRUE DEATH that will be put upon those who are repeat offender, or who’s crimes make them unable to rejoin our citizens.

Cirrus: We have also helped to put in place a home and job program. Everyone will work and everyone will eat and everyone will stay warm and happy. There is also a police force now. Instead of just guards at the gates, the people can rest well knowing that crimes will be investigated, and criminals will be brought to justice by our new Head of Police.

(this article goes on to praise this and that. Boring really but better than the stick in the mud drawings or yesteryear.)

[CirrusKeymaster]

Cirrus’s eyes snapped open. His was breathing fast and shallow. His headlike a drum being played by a child. When he realized Bijin was behind him he asked, “What in the 9 hells was that?”
“Your willpower. Your wants and desires made into a pysical form. A spirit guide that you created. You asked for a way to fix the problems you were having and your mind and the void gave you one.”
” So it gave me Jericodin? But he is long dead from this world.” It was almost more a question than a statement.
“Love, you seem confused. You asked to know what you should do. I offered you advice, which wasn’t good enough. You wondered what Jerichodin would do, so i allowed you to ask.”
“But he took Foca and told me to stay and rule these people.”
“And will you?” She waited for the Loomi to think and give her the anwser she knew was coming.
“No. I can’t.”
“Then you have your way out. Envoke the name of your friend and do as he would.” She kissed him and left the room so he could think. And think he did.

[CirrusKeymaster]

Cirrus stood on the tower with Bijin and the gaurds.
“Where do you suppose that is coming from,” the gaurd asked to noone in peticular.
“Doesn’t matter. Call us if the comes up the mountain at all.” Cirrus turned and led the way down. “at what point is this maddness stop? I can’t seem to understand why it is no one in this place can be civil and happy”
“My love,” Bijin stroked Cirrus’s hair,”war is all they know. It is any excuse to kill and maim their fellow man. The violence is breed into them. They are petty and overreact at ever turn.” They walked through the city they had helped to build. Talked to the people, people of every race, interacted with them. Helped them. saw to their needs.
“I won’t let them take this from us.”
“Who my love?”
“Anyone. I hold the lives and wellbeing of all these people in my hands.” Cirrus put a hand on Foca. (BURN IT! BURN EVERYTHING!)
“You stretch too far. Let them do what they want to eachother. Let us do as we want.” She laughed and moved on to meet up with Nixia. Cirrus only stood listening to Foca yelling.

[CirrusKeymaster]

More often than not, Cirrus found himself letting Foca win out in the matter of wheither to burn or not. He realized that it was his connection to Bijin that kept the voices out. The death of Umiko was still weighing heavy on his mind. Trying to keep peace between so many races in Aman Peak was impossible. He knew if it werent for Bijin keeping the people scared of punishment, they would have killed him long ago. How was he going to take all this abuse and burden and keep his sanity? After some time he knew it just couldnt keep on like it had been. He was going to have to step up to be a part of something greater than just service to Bijin. Failure wasnt an option anymore.

[Author]

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