RP:Not Like My Mother

This is a Necromancer's Guild RP.

Summary: House Mahara finally meets with the new leader of House Dragana. In this meeting, they discuss Vailkrin politics and Quintessa's position within the Necromancer's Guild.

The Black Library

Bradyn Mahara was not known to be the most social of vampires, he'd rather spend his days obsessing over the necromantic arts over engaging in what he'd consider to be more frivolous activities like lounging around the Hanging Corpse Taverne. Still, he was one of the Lords of House Mahara which does means that despite his anti-social behavior, he is still privy to the important rumors of Vailkrin. One of those rumors has caught his curiosity indeed. Was someone else truly ruling House Dragana? Even more intriguing was the rumor that she may very well have had something to do with Larewen's disappearance? Bradyn has been aware of these rumors for a small chunk of time now, he has not been quick to act upon this request to meet. Instead, he has been observing Quintessa's behaviors from afar. Well, more like someone else has been observing on his behalf. Quintessa may or may not be familiar with the fact that the relationship between House Mahara and House Dragana is...tense...at best. It's no secret to most around Vailkrin that Lord Mahara has never been keen on Larewen the Mad. Larewen once very publicly tried to get House Mahara to align with her while she was trying to stir up a civil war, only to be declined....quite publicly. Then again, maybe Quintessa has heard none of this. Bradyn eventually reaches out. Quintessa receives a letter from Bradyn himself. A request to meet at this very date and time within the Black Library. It is mostly a neutral setting. Yes, House Mahara may claim patronage over this space...but it is also a space that is connected to the Necromancer's Guild. A guild that Quintessa herself is apart of, this is one detail that Bradyn has learned while trying to gather information on Quintessa. All the more reason to meet with her. The Baroness will find a tall and gloomy looking vampire waiting at a table within the Black Library. His manner of dress is rigidly formal, as one might expect from someone who claims not only to be a necromancer, but a mortician.

Quintessa Dragana was surprised to hear from House Mahara, but due to her connections with the Nercormancer's Guild she steels herself and heeds the call anyway, pushing away her paranoia about meeting the head of another house. The changeling's recent visit by House Nasar had left her a bit understandably jumpy, and with a lot less hair. At least she still looked cute with her new haircut. However, Quintessa was not here to see House Nasar; it was House Mahara who had requested her presence yet that fact didn't seem to calm her nerves. The new baroness was all too familiar with the tense relationship between the two houses. As Larewen's understudy, Quintessa had been host to many of Larewen's plans and ambitions, many of with had enticed or disillusioned the young spellcaster for a time. But the power had shifted. Larewen was gone and Quintessa had risen in her absence to lead the her House. The hex blade only hoped she could convice Bradyn that she was not like Larewen the Mad and patch up the relationship between them. Wearing a formal high-low dress under her fur-lined cloak, the clicking of her spiked boots announces her presence as she approaches Bradyn at his table, her mismatched eyes taking in his rigid form. What kind of man would this Bradyn be? What diplomatic tactic would work? "Lord Mahara, I presume?" the baroness asks to him, her voice ringing in a pleasant tone, "I am Lady Quintessa Dragana, Novus Morior in our guild. I'm glad to have finally met you."

The encounter itself would start off civil enough. When Quintessa speaks, Bradyn rises and moves to greet her with a shake of the hand. Her attire is noted but these are not details that Bradyn tends to dwell over. Well...that's not entirely true. If she'd come in here looking like a hobo he'd have judged her like the aristocratic snob that he has become. In short, her attire is acceptable enough to not earn judgment from the jerk....who thus far is actually demonstrating "good behavior" right about now. "Bradyn Mahara," the man speaks in a tone of voice that does not have any inflection to it. "I am glad that you have chosen to accept my invitation to meet." Again, his monotone voice does not seem to suggest this is true...but Quintessa will soon learn that this is very much Bradyn. It makes it hard to get a read on what he is thinking either way, especially with how the politics of Vailkrin can go. Once Bradyn releases Quintessa's hand from that shake, he uses the very same limb to motion toward the table he was just seated at. There was nothing fancy about the table, or the chairs. It is about what one might expect from a library setting: it's a place to study. "Perhaps not the most comfortable of chairs, but please do have a seat. We have much I would like to discuss...and I am sure you're very curious to know why I have even asked you hear to begin with." The Maharan himself also slides into a seat, opposite of wherever Quintessa selects for herself. "Where would you like to begin? With politics? Or guild matters?" See, sometimes he has manners. He is giving Quintessa the choice to pick between the topics, one with the potential to be a more uncomfortable discussion than the other.

Quintessa grips the man's hand warily, waiting for the ruse to suddenly end and the knife to slide out, but the attack never comes and her fears of it evaporate as quickly as they come. The changeling offers a small smile before she nods her head and takes a seat at the table, her long legs crossing over the other. Bradyn liked to get to the point, and she liked that about him. "Of course..." She hesitates for a moment before she clears her throat. "Perhaps we should just go ahead and acknowledge the controversial political move I recently made. I'm sure you've heard about it by now. I haven't been the most subtle about my activities in Vailkrin."

Bradyn nods. The words that Bradyn speaks next would suggest that the man does indeed have some very intense opinions about Larewen and her house....but despite this, his voice very much remains monotone. "In all earnestness, your move to claim yourself head of House Dragana is of little concern to me, depending on how many of her ambitions are your own. One might think that House Mahara and House Dragana would be able to form an alliance very easily. Both of our houses are similar in our want for knowledge of the dark arts. House Dragana has always very much reminded of us of House Ginavi." The only fallen house to date, and the only house that Mahara has ever held an alliance with. "But we have unfortunately have always had the opinion that Larewen's want to insert herself as Queen of Vailkrin was not a viable option for the city of darkness. Especially since she seemed keen on taking that title through force, through civil war. An action that would leave Vailkrin considerably weaker than it already is, no?" For can it really be argued that Vailkrin is a solid political power with the state it has been in for years? This is not to say that Bradyn does not understand that there will always be subterfuge between the houses, merely that Larewen was taking things to a reckless extreme. "Further souring matters for me was her attempts to use the Necromancer's Guild as a means to further secure the throne, tasking people with things like creating golems to that she might utilize them within her war. These are not actions that I will condone. So tell me, are you intending to be more politically savvy than Larewen?" Of course, any answer Quintessa gives will be taken with a grain of salt. Bradyn would be foolish if he took her response as immediate truth, but in time and with demonstration, perhaps Mahara could...at the very least become a truly neutral party to House Dragana, or perhaps an ally. It all depends on Quintessa right now, as she is likely already keenly aware of.

Quintessa tries to remain as expressionless as possible with Bradyn speaks, her pale hands rising up to rest on the table, fingers intertwined, as she listens carefully. A sigh of relief escapes the odd girl when his concerns were made known. They had shared similar views about Larewen's tactics. "Vailkrin cannot afford a civil war," the changeling flatly states, "Deep down I always found her tendency to use violence as a means of acquiring power in Vailkrin to be self-defeating. Vailkrin should stand in unity against our foreign and domestic enemies alike, not fight over who gets to wear a crown. She-" Quintessa cuts herself off, "I will not speak ill of my mother, but much like you I would not condone the things she did."

Bradyn studied Quintessa in silence. Her response was telling in ways and vague in others, to an extent Bradyn could understand. Politics. Both Bradyn and Quintessa were largely unfamiliar to one another, they would both be smart to not reveal their cards fully, no? Bradyn does not aggressively press for the answers he feels are missing, but he does read between the lines. If Quintessa does wish to be the next ruler of Vailkrin, she will want to go about it by different means...and time will prove if this is something Bradyn can take as truth. At the mention of not speaking ill of Larewen, Bradyn finally reveals some amount of emotion. It comes in the form of a smirk, one that suggests he is far more inclined to speak ill of Lady Larewen. "The only other question of a political nature that I have for you is....What do you intend to do if she returns and wants her title back?" A brief pause. "I cannot imagine that you are without your own set of questions that you have been patiently waiting to ask me?" But if she did not, Bradyn would move on to the subject of the guild they are both in.

Quintessa hoped she wasn't being too coy. There were many who had scolded the young hex blade for being too hasty but she wasn't sure when she was being too secretive. She was still getting used to the game of politics. To the mortician's question the changeling gives him a simple shrug. "If Larewen returns then my claims mean nothing. I will step down and return what belongs to her. I took over House Dragana to preserve her legacy, not rob her of it. If I am wrong about Elioyahazer murdering her and hiding the body in the desert, then I will reluctantly concede." She pauses for a moment, "And then do everything in my power to thwart any of her plots for a civil war, even if that puts me at odds with her." Mismatched eyes flicker to the table as she ponders a question. "Can our Houses enter a stable relationship? Under my leadership, House Dragana will return to our roots of magical discovery and learning. Furthering my own knowledge, as selfish as that sounds, is my only desire at this moment, but I don't mind mutually sharing knowledge with the guild... and your house by extension. I think we can achieve great things if we co-operate."

Bradyn answers with ease, for he has already considered how he would handle the answer to this question well before this meeting took place. If Larewen was murdered by Elioyahazer, that seems to be of no upset to Bradyn. Larewen was always prone to toxic relationships, and would probably not deny that she was guilty of instigating many of the fights she has had with her lovers. "So long as you can prove that you are not your mother. It will take time for you to demonstrate that the House Mahara, but we are open to you showing that House Dragana will walk a different path under your leadership." It goes without saying that Larewen's return could easily undo any mending that Quintessa and Bradyn manage. "It would be ideal if Dragana could return to it's roots. Which brings me to my final points of interest. As a member of the Necromancer's Guild, you must surely be aware that there are several fields of the dark arts that one might study. I am curious to know what areas you wish to seek to gain mastery of, so that as one of the senior members of the guild I may help you achieve those goals. At a date in the near future, I would like to test where you are at in terms of skill level in those areas you wish to master."

Quintessa nods her head slowly at Bradyn, willing to show that she would not follow in Larewen's footsteps. "I will do whatever it takes to prove that to you," she says, a pale hand moving to brush her fringe from her blue and hazel eyes. "Yes, what art shall I specialize in..." This was something Quintessa had put a lot of thought into. "I have already been practicing the basic arts for some time now, even before Larewen and Daath took an interest in me." The hex blade pauses for a moment, inhaling before she continues, "I want to capitalize on my natural talent for hexes and curses. I'm good, but I've hit a point where I can't learn anymore on my own. I feel I have want it takes to become a true master of the art. "I also have a passion for brewing potions and poisons. Some of my allies have even been subjected to my experimental potions that I've created trying to push the boundaries of what I know, and I've collect dozens of books containing information on poisons. These are the two basic arts I'd like to master before trying to move on to the advanced magic, despite my desire to learn soul-binding as quickly as possible like my mother was planning."

Bradyn makes a mental note of this so that some form of lesson might be prepared to gauge just how far Quintessa has come in these areas. "It pleases me to hear that you have actually thought about what path you would like to take. Many who hold the same rank as you have less of an idea of what it is they might like to study." Which is something that the Maharan has always found infuriating. How can he provide guidance to someone who does not even know what they want to do. "I will prepare something for our next meeting then, which we can consider less political in nature...and purely related to advancing you within the guild." Well, less political to an extent. Any and every encounter with Quintessa would help the Maharan to determine how much like Larewen she really is. For now, the Maharan found her to be tolerable...which...is a good start given his usual disposition. "On that note, I am sure you are a busy woman and I have matters within my own house to attend to." Bradyn rises from his seat and assumed that Quintessa would do the same. "Thank you for coming to meet with me, and I do hope our next meeting proves to be as productive as this one."

Quintessa smiles, she was always happy to talk about furthering her magical prowess and was thrilled to be able to find a mentor for the dark arts again. She had the worst luck when it came to teachers. The changeling stands with him, brushing off her lap as she adjusts her dress. "Oh, yes, I take my studies seriously," the young spellcaster says, "I could not advanced so quickly in the Mage's Guild if I didn't. -But yes, we should take our leave. This was... illuminating. Thank you as well. May this be the first of many friendly conversations between the heads of Dragana and Mahara."

Bradyn leaves Quintessa with little more than a nod before the man is consumed by shadows. Quintessa would find that she was soon standing in the library by herself.