<div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;">Thirteenth Day in the Guilded Cage</span></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Rumors</div><div class="spoiler_body">Diplomacy: 23 (two major secrets) (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=72907)<br/>Rumors: 3, 3 (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=72908)<br/>Reroll: 4 (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=72909)<br/></div></div><br/><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">3, Zelda: "You know, Judi's been hanging out a lot in the aquatic chambers.  You know, where we held our swimming lessons about two weeks ago.  She's been rather stressed out, and talks quite a bit about her legacy.  She seems pretty worried about the sahuagin, too, viewing her and Sultan al-Samara as the only ones able to stand against them.  For a noble, she's rather approachable."<br/></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/>Arensha had known, of course, that besides his harem, which was purely for his enjoyment, al-Samara had official wives, but they had been a distant, irrelevant fact - until now. Politics and sahuagin mattered little to the catgirl, not unless they were beating down the gates, but she wanted to meet Judi and get a feeling for how her presence would affect the hierarchy of power in the palace.<br/><br/>"Thanks, Zelda. I think I'll go drop by tomorrow and talk to her."<br/><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">4, Alfreldi: "Hey Arensha, psst!"  Her friend's hiding underneath Arensha's bed.  "Get down here!"<br/><br/>Hanifa passes by.  She sighs as she walks into Arensha's room.  "Should I tell her?" she asks nobody in particular.  "No, I can't shock her yet.  I...ugh, I hate being here thinking of the Aspis and the Hellknights being ahead of us in the search."<br/>Hanifa writes down something on a piece of parchment, then tucks it in one of Arensha's books.  "Heh, hope she's still an avid reader..."<br/>And she walks out of the room.<br/><br/>Getting up to examine the paper, it has a drawing of a crown on it, along with an X and four-pointed star above it.  You have old friends who remember you back on the Material Plane.  Wishing you the best!<br/><br/>"What does that mean?" Alfreldi asked, puzzled.  "I had no idea she could talk!  Should we confront Silent Girl about this?"<br/><br/>Arensha recognizes the symbol as belonging to the Pathfinder Society, but she does not remember her time with them.<br/></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/>"Alfreldi, this is no time for games-" Arensha began to lecture, but cut it short the moment she spotted the shadow, a few moments before its owner rounded the corner, and dove under her bed beside Alfreldi. Expecting it to be one of Faliensk's minions on her way to exact her mistress's revenge, Arensha was unprepared for Hanifa's appearance in her room. The pain of betrayal stabbed deep into her heart, and she clutched Alfreldi's arm tightly.<br/><br/>Then Hanifa spoke out loud, to herself, true, but still... Arensha's jaw dropped, but fortunately she was so surprised that no sound came out. She stared mutely as Hanifa slipped the paper between the pages of her book and walked out. At the very least, Hanifa hadn't betrayed her and it had been a misunderstanding on Arensha's part, though she was acting all suspicious again. As soon as Hanifa had left, Arensha fished out the scrap of paper and stared at the Pathfinder symbol, lost in thought. She recognized the symbol, but what did it mean that she knew what it meant?<br/><br/>"What does that mean? I had no idea she could talk!  Should we confront Silent Girl about this?" Alfreldi was speaking, but Arensha wasn't really paying attention.<br/><br/>"Ah!? Oh sorry," Arensha jolted back to the present. "Um, no offense Alfreldi, but I don't think Silent Girl will open up if we confront her too stronyaly about this. I'll talk to her alone later tonight..." she slowed down and looked thoughtful. "Actually, I have an idea..."<br/><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">Task 1, Claudia the Taldorian<br/>As befitting her scholarly nature, Claudia is in the library.  She is by herself, with a teetering stack of historical volumes on the table.  Ranging from the religious practices of Aroden to the biographies of Qadiran satraps, her research seemed very broad.<br/><br/>"What do you want?" she sneered as Arensha approached.  "I'm not in the mood to talk, especially after what you did to my friend."<br/></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/><em>(Diplomacy: 25, shift Claudia to Indifferent)</em>(https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=72910)<br/><br/>Arensha was in her harem pants, and had even cast her<em>seducer's eyes</em>on herself, using every bit of advantage she had - but she quickly realized that unlike Bakr, Claudia didn't swing that way and seduction was out of the question. The situation called for some old-fashioned diplomacy,<em>without</em>sex, which was a rare occasion indeed in the harem. The thought bought an internal giggle, which she managed to suppress, having to look serious for the situation after all.<br/><br/>"Actually, about that, I'm here to apologize." She paused a moment to allow the statement to sink in past the initial surprise, but continued before Claudia could interrupt, "I know, I know, why don't I go apologize to Faliensk directly, but you and I both know that's not goinya to turn out well. And out of all her friends, well, you're the only one who will listen to reason at a time like this, so here I am. What I did to Faliensk was goinya too far, I admit, but she isn't entirely innocent either. We all know what I'm talkinya about." Arensha looked into Claudia's eyes, the greased staircase incident on her mind. "So, even if Faliensk and I can't get alonya, I'm here to offer a truce before thinyas escalate to the point that somethinya happens that we all regret and none of us can take back."<br/><br/>Claudia sighs.  "Yeah, you're not as terrible as Faliensk lets on.  Listen, there's a pecking order in this harem, and nobody living in this palace has not made a relationship of some kind.  I hitched my sail to Faliensk some time ago, and I can't go back on that.  I know you hate her, view her as a threat, and probably think I'm some evil conniving bitch scheming with her, but the truth is more complicated than that.  I have to stick by my loyalties, my honor as a Taldorian demands it."<br/><br/>"I don't exactly hate Faliensk - I don't like the way she insults me and my friends, true - but I don't wish her ill. She's truly lucky to have a friend like you, does she even know that? Under different circumstances, we might all be friends, but for now..." Arensha shrugged, and stood up, making ready to take her leave. "You probably won't be tellinya her about our meetinya, right? I don't see her takinya it well at all if you just repeated what I said to her. Anyways, I won't provoke Faliensk as lonya as she does the same. And in case she decides to do anythinya she'll regret, I hope you'll be a good friend and talk her out of it." She gave a slight bow and left.<br/><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">Task 2, Confronting Hanifa<br/></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/>"Hold still," Arensha said, trying to get a grip on Alfreldi's elusive eyelash, while the catgirl squirmed out of nervousness most uncooperatively.<br/><br/>"Ow!" She had tugged and it was done, one eyelash obtained and quickly pressed into a small piece of gum arabic. Ignoring Alfreldi's small cry of pain, Arensha finished casting the spell, turning Alfreldi invisible.<br/><br/>"Remember, you're invisible, but people can still hear or bump into you if you aren't careful. And it's a common beginner's mistake to pick somethinya up or open a door, then it wouldn't matter if they can see you or not. Now get into the closet, she's cominya!" Arensha opened the closet door, gave Alfreldi a few seconds to get inside, then closed it again.<br/><br/>Hanifa approached not long after. "Silent Girl, I need to talk to you, in private," Arensha said, a slight hiss of urgency in her voice. Hanifa still put on the charade of muteness, but pointed to the closet to talk in, just as Arensha and Alfreldi had planned. "Okay." Arensha slipped inside the closet first, making sure to take the same side where Alfreldi was hiding so Hanifa wouldn't touch her by accident. Arensha hoped that it would be too dark inside for Hanifa to notice, and that Alfreldi wouldn't mind having to press herself against the back of the closet for the duration of the conversation.<br/><br/>Arensha swore to secrecy and listened to Hanifa's story of her quest, her capture, her enslaved tribe... and finally, her friendship with Arensha. She hugged Hanifa tightly, feeling tears well up in her own eyes. "I'm here. I'm still here..." she whispered. Another memory flashed before her eyes, and there was no doubting it now, it was Hanifa, as it had been in the previous memories as well, accompanying her through the desert in a previous life.<br/><br/>"Silent Girl, where are you!" Roshul's voice came calling out, bring the moment to an end. After Hanifa slipped out, Arensha waited a bit longer to make sure the coast was clear, before she and Alfreldi left the closet themselves.<br/><br/>Arensha wiped away the tears that had rolled down her cheeks. "Please keep it a secret too, nya?" she asked Alfreldi, as the invisibility spell expired.<br/><br/><hr/><br/><em>(Fourteenth day in the next post)</em>