#earthrunes

"Oh, I am a fell creature. Do not forget that, though Summer may hold some sway - we are nightmares yet."

Zara seems rather unbothered by Rüzgarla's poor opinion of the sluagh - why, she might even be amused.

"Well, Eshu are said to be unreliable grifters by some, which is unfair. I think of myself as a reliable grifter" A smile "Just.. I don't let others set my path"

"Indeed. Grifters are highly entertaining. And they oft have gran tales, and the inclination to share them."

"If you or the Baron" She looks at August "Wish a tale later, I'd be delighted. Though I'm not sure I should at tea. I understand monopolizing the conversation is considered a failing with sluagh?"

"Feh."

August gives Zara a fond look, then addresses Ruzgarla "Perhaps at dinner tonight? We could open it to the Hold, I think."

"I'd be honored. Perhaps your baroness would not be offended if I mentioned one of the holds in need I spoke of? I wouldn't be too proud to plead for alittle charity on their behalf ,and some DO have good stories"

"Mews often hold smaller fires." Carefully neutral.

"I would, ah, I'd be happy to introduce you to her, that you might ask her yourself." August says.

"Thank you, Baron," An incline of her head "And, yes, Miss Zara. The holds commoners are allowed tend to be smaller ones and the ones in most need. " She sips "Though... oh my, I wonder if you've heard? I only recently heard the story myself and as it also counts as news, it might be a fine waay to repay you both"

"News is always a welcome topic at tea."

August sips, listening.

"Within the Steelheart Duchy.. or is it Iron Heart? I forget... the area around Pittsburgh, there are actually more than a few holdings. As one would suspect, it is Dougal country mostly with a lot of nockers, but a grand little noble hold , good fire, was held by a Lady of House Fiona hold. You notice I speak of the lady in the past tense? It is said she was very old, VERY. Her hold was seen as elegant, classical, and just odd enough to be interesting. Even sidhe near balefires cannot live for ever, but she certainly lived long, and was surrounded by servants she often took in when they were done on her luck. She had no heir, but it was expected she would leave a will to which noble might be worthy. Her servants and the hold both were supposed to go to which ever noble appeased her. And my did they try." She sips

"Pittsburgh is a rather blue-collar city. I have cousins there, on my Father's side. Squirrel Hill."

"It is, and proud of it. SOme of the sidhe lament that.. aspect of the city. Silly really. It has much to delilght in even for we non technological kith but her hold was so 'old fashioned' and 'elegant' that non Dougal sidhe at least, were stumbling over themselves to entreat, entice, and win the favor of the Lady. I could tell stories of exactly how far they went to curry favor, and how utterly poorly they failed as they over reached, or thought themselves a shoo in. Both insulting. She asked that each petitioner , for the sake of peace, allow her final choice, even if it was of a hated peer , to be respected. Thinking, of course, that she meant a fellow noble, they agreed . Words given. and all that."

"When she finally died? Her will was read... and the outrage was immense. She's left everything to servants. They are no longer employees, no, they are now a mews. The servants didn't see it coming. They had served her so kindly and so well, she had grown to adore them all, and now they're Hold Keepers" A chuckle "I don't wish death on any kithain, we're too few, but roads below, that woman went out with style"

"Indeed!"

"It's quite the scandal, and no small flame though not the biggest. The riches left behind in tribute are PARTICULARLY in question. You see, those seeking to curry the lady's favor offered dross, minor treasures, fine swords and more. They tried to buy her, and she took their offerings so 'not to insult them'.. but they became hers and thus became the ex-servants. One knight is demanding the return of his 'third favorite sword'" She rolls her eyes

She looks over at August "I hope this news does not offend you, Baron. It is rather 'pro commoner' in it's nature, but it is fresh from the vine news wise"

"Third favorite." She scoffs. "Feh."

"I know" She says with a scoff "Swords are useful things in our world, but if you're fortunate enough to have THREE favorites, you're not exactly hurting in my not so humble view"

"No offense taken." August assures quietly.

"I'm glad" She says "The rest of the city's holds are far more ... well, Miss Zara may know more than I, as she has cousins there at Squirrel Hill" A look to Zara "Are any of them kithain?"

"Kinain, mostly. One nocker in the mix."

"It always feels odd, sometimes still pleasant, when you find relations who are kithian but very different, doesn't it?" Rüzgarla nods "I myself have a boggan sister. We will NEVER understand each other"

"If she goes more than a mile from her home, she thinks she's on a journey. If she gone from her house for more than four days, she refers to it as 'her exile'"

"My mother is a boggan, aye." (Didn't... hadn't she said her mother was a nocker?)

A curious look at that but she lets it slide.

"Ridiculously homey. And she refuses to give the dust bunnies any peace. When I still lived at home, I gave them sanctuary in my room."

A smile "The poor dears. I trust you transported some of them when you moved out? A new homeland?"

Her lips curl into a contented, secretive smile.

"I confess I am not a great fan of dustbunnies myself, but i know your kith is rumored to enjoy their aesthetic. " She ponders "Have you ever hard of the tea set of dust?"

Eyebrows lift and she leans slightly forward. "Do tell."

August sips.

"It was meant to be a cursed item, long ago. A boggan sorceroress had been horribly treated by an Oba lord... pardon, an Oba is something akin to Eshu royalty " She says for not all know of them "It invoved the boggans lady, and a fake dinner which was ill used. The Oba, confident in his ties to his land, thought there was little the boggan could do. He did not know the full power of the one he had insulted. " She drinks "You see, the Oba had boasted he only drank from this particular tea set. Said to be lovely beyond words by the way. The Oba had even bound it to his call. The boggan , having been used as a servant, had access to same for long enough and laid an elaborate curse upon the set, that the only thing that would brew in it was the dust of arrogance's failig, of fallen grandeur. Now, the Oba would have tea poured in, and it would turn to dust. Water? Dust. Worse, because the Oba had bound it to appear before him whenever he was thirsty, it would take the place of any other glass or cup he had before him. Dust dust and more dust. Oh some drops were maintained. And whenever it rained, the Oba lord would raise outside and open his mouth. He would drink by a river bank and stream with his own hands but he had to walk all that way. Any other container? Dust.. dust, and more dust. "

"One must be very arrogant, and very foolish, to dismiss boggans."

"Indeed."

"Indeed, it is shameful that he was Eshu Kind" After a dramatic pause, she continues "Finally, the Oba called the Boggan before him to order him to take the curse off. THe boggan... declined. He sent bounty hunters after the boggan, but they..did not return. Finally, after three years and THREE days, for the Boggan was DEEPLY insulted, the boggan returned on his own accord to find the wretch of an oba now in an abandoned estate. HIs goods sold to find a fix that was not, or to pay bounty hunters up front, that never paid off. The Oba, once master of his realm, was a laughing stock, or the object of pity. Who is to say which is more insulting? The boggan revealed himself not just a servant, but a sorceror. The Oba begged for release, and the Boggan told him him 'The dust you have tasted comes from the decay of your estate that you think will last forever. Every bit of arroagance you showed others ground it like fine coffee grounds. The dust you taste, comes from your unseemly lack of concern for those under you. Every time you saw those beneath you and sought to take advantage, it was like tea leaves falling to no true purpose, and dried before flavor could be found. And that too became dust. You had bult up these supply of hubris for decades, Oh mighty one, and so three years of dust were but a part and parcel of what you store within your selfish heart. You could fed an army dust and still be due. But I am not without kindness. You will make amends to my lady. You will make amends to me. And you will make a public display of apology. Are we agreed?' and..they were. The oba groveled beforee all, the lady wronged had her full standing restored and great wealth offered besides... and it is said, so kind was she that she gave most of the latter to the poor. The Sorceror's price, we do not speak of. It is said three drops of blood on a blue rose was just the start of it. And then, the Boggan turned to the tea set and then directed the Oba 'Now, tell it... 'I am sorry, please, no more dust? I have learned my lesson ' then he addedd, 'The teaset will know if you were lying"'

The Eshu smiles "A heartfelt TRUE apology, given with respect, was the fix, so it seemed to all. But it IS said that after, the Oba could not stand the tea set and cast it out. Now, it is somewhere in the world. For the humble? Free and fine tea. For those who are arrogant and cruel? Dust. And... it will in that case stay with you awhile, whether you like it or not, until you learn what the oba did. Repentence."

It would appear Rüzgarla's tale is done, and in addition to tonights, they got one out of her anyway

But the teaset of dust might be something to see for the lovers of the leaf, OR the very curious. If it can be found.

"Oh, poor form. Manners would have helped him."

"Some say that story is one of the many reasons the oba of today are good hosts" she assures

Zara nods.

"Manners and hospitality are a cornerstone of civilization." August observes quietly.

Rüzgarla nods to both "I confess. I HAVE been arrogant though. Would the teaset make dust for me? I'd like to think not. I don't believe I'm cruel AND arrogant. But it's the interesting part of stories sometimes. HEaring them and wondering which part you'd play and how you would fare? Frankly, my lament is there's not much known about the boggan's love. Did she give the money away because she truly was kind? Or did she want nothing from the Oba? Or even did she want to throw his wealth into his face? Was she another oba? A sidhe? more likely a commoner kith , but then, why did all respect her so but the Oba? Why didn't she avenge herself? And so on"

"Of course, in tales, the motivations could be spun to suit."

"That IS the advantage of tales, but which version works best tells you a lot about your audience"

Zara taps her nose.