But Think of the Children!

[Shadowlord]

It was a huge house.

The Dragon's Gate Baronial manor, while not strictly just a residence, was a winding, convoluted structure that had in its early days been a dedicated academy for duelers. It had clearly been added to many times since its original construction, spreading like a strange, crippled crab with several wings off the main building; while not a particularly sinister place, the weight of its antiquity could be daunting to a first time observer. As a baronial manor, the character and preferences of the current resident changed from time to time, leaving no definite impression other than that of an old schoolhouse.

The current resident hadn't been there long, perhaps a month and a half, and as his immediate household consisted only of himself and an exceptionally large cat, hadn't made any significant living modifications. He was more like a pensioner, an old caretaker who periodically went about to dust the paintings in some long-forgotten hallway or study before returning to his own little living quarters. No, Shadow and his familiar Rumpelstiltskin just didn't take up much space.

Musing on this very fact, Shadow sat thoughtfully at the former school's front-office reception desk, drumming thin elven fingers against the lacquered mahogany surface, chin propped up by his other hand. There had to be something he could do with this school, this manor, temporary though his residence here would most likely prove to be.

It came to him, not right then but over some days, the seed growing in his mind, nurtured by his natural compassion (some might say weakness) for others, his desire to carve out something good in RhyDin, something to protect from the constant flood of villains and predators.

Orphans, he thought, And it's almost wintertime, too. There's bound to be spillover from the other institutions in the city. He smiled. That was the very thing. The school itself already had the structures in place to handle a large amount of younglings - little modification would be needed, and what would be done could be accomplished by hands and hard work, not the magic Shadow seemed to so casually wield.

((Cross posted here in the RDI forums.))

[Shadowlord]

The first thing he'd need to do would be finding help; as capable as Shadow could be when it came to researching some dusty old tome or fighting an evil necromancer, he really didn't know the first thing about orphanages. But he'd been mucking around RhyDin long enough, and living in the city itself for a few years of that, that he knew plenty of people. As the days passed and his plans began to take solid shape in his thoughts, he was pleased to find that such help as he needed was only a word or two away, a simple question about children posed to the elf's friend and fellow duelist, Claire.

"Do you like children, Claire?" he'd begun, and it had snowballed from there. Claire took little time in convincing her fiancee, Noctis Caelum to provide his considerable financial backing - he had the resources of a kingdom - and when Shadow was discussing certain details of his idea, none other than the Pirate Rat himself, Napolean Bonarat, had overheard and offered his aid. It seemed to be something entailing work on the diminutive rodent reaver's two ships. Details were perhaps not immediately clear, but Shadow would use all the help he could get. And Rena, interested in the conversation, offered her assistance; perhaps she could instruct the children in her trade as chandler, and otherwise keep their young minds occupied and out of trouble.

The second thing he'd need to do would be preparing for that time when he lost the manor in some challenge or other. It could be soon, it could be later, but it would be cruelty to begin providing for a group of youths and then have that assistance taken away by something so petty as a swordfight's result. Further discussion with financier Noctis revealed that the man would be willing to fund an entirely new structure - an offer which shocked Shadow on some level, but one he would most certainly accept.

The seed which had started as a simple, idle idea had thus grown quickly and begun to thrive. Other steps would have to be made; he'd need to contact other orphanages and even schools to determine where the need was greatest. He'd probably even need to advertise a bit, perhaps with an ad in the local paper or a few hundred flyers, strategically distributed.

What would become the Dragon's Gate Orphanage, a name Shadow hoped would adhere even after moving from the original Baronial manor, was well and truly set in motion.

((Cross posted here in the RDI forums.))

[Claire Gallows]

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

"I thought we'd have more time..." Claire murmured to herself as she stared at the challenge on the cork board. Both of her hands came up to push back through her hair, tangling somewhere near her crown as she read it over and over.

The Dragon's Gate baronial manor was under challenge and with it, the work everyone had put into the orphanage project. Dropping her hands with a sigh, she gave herself just another moment or two to stare before she decided she had to do something. Anything really. Fumbling for her phone, she punched in a number and pinned the device between her ear and her shoulder.

"Get me Jericho." She growled into the phone, her foot tapping impatiently as Ludo frantically handed the phone off to his boss.

"Sup boss lady?" Jericho's laid back but gruff voice sounded from the speaker. Claire turned away from the board, trying to align her thoughts before speaking.

"We need to put a rush on the main project." Hushed tones were quickly spoken, hurried, rushed, a conversation to be quickly concluded.

"But wha' 'bout the manor? Don't ya wanna get that finished first?"

"Nnngh. How hard will it be to get them both done. Fast."

"Well ya split the crew an' ya end up runnin' into problems...wha's got ya all in a tizzy?"

"We may not have the kind of time that we thought before. I want the main building done like...yesterday."

"Boss, ya know that ain't feasible. Not with the wards yer wantin'. Those take time. So, ya gotta choose...the buildin' goin' up faster or the protections ya were wantin'."

"I'm not sacrificing the wards and protections. I want that place untouchable."

"So...what's it gonna be den?"

"Jericho, find a way to make both of them happen and I will make you a very rich man."

"Lady Farron, ya speakin' m'language now. I'll update ya when we know more, a'ight." With that, he hung up and Claire slipped her phone back into her pocket.

Inhale. Exhale. She could do this.




[[Crossposted here.]]

[Shadowlord]

Time.

It was always a matter of time, wasn't it? More than seven centuries of existence, from his little-known dark elven birth to his raising by divine powers to the status of eladrin, resident of the godsland elves called Arvandor, and Shadow had no time. The orphanage was moving apace, the modifications - repairs, really - to Dragon's Gate manor a week finished, and restoration work begun on the project's new building bordering the city's northern wall. But the challenge so recently issued by the esteemed former Overlord Rand al Tan had set things to a frantic pace, and stress and sleepless nights had become as old bedfellows to those organizing the new orphanage. As the elf sat over an ancient spellbook in one of the manor's well-appointed studies, he could not help but chuckle sardonically at the situation, an immortal with so little time to act.

Despair and self-pity were worthless emotions, though, and Shadow was not the type to dwell in their grip. Space was available; so many - in some cases surprisingly - generous people were offering resources, time, and money to this project, that it would succeed, if it was the last act the elf ever performed. Melanie Rostol, the new representative of the People's Party, had approached and offered a most generous agreement; Rena was prepared to help with stained glass classes for the youth; and Napoleon Bonarat's wraiths - three in number, nameless, and utterly bound to the small pirate's will - had arrived and were prepared to...babysit. Shadow was not the only one to have concerns about them, but though the wraiths were dark creatures devoid of warmth or cheer, Napoleon had somehow managed to render them completely harmless, and helpful. They would make good watchers of children, in the end, the old elf felt. Strangely. And Claire's constant contact with the builders that Caelum Enterprises employed, her amazingly hands-on supervision of the necessary work of spell-warding and construction, was invaluable and incredible. Without her the project could never have come to fruition, and Shadow's already profound respect for her grew daily.

But all was not well, not by a long stretch. Truths were made known, and peaces shattered.

Earlier that day, Shadow had revealed to Claire (and a few others in the Red Dragon's main taproom) what the necromancer Vanion had done to Rakeesh Sah Tarna in recent months, a brief but telling glimpse of the horror that fell wizard could visit upon the city's residents if left unchecked. Truthfully, Shadow was simply trying to stay one step ahead of the golden elf, for the fewer homeless, impressionable children that roamed the streets, the fewer potential conscripts to Vanion's cause. Whatever that might be, it was not a good one, of that Shadow was sure.

Just after the telling of the tale, he'd received mental contact from his young, vastly oversized feline familiar that a child had approached the manor, bearing the necromancer's taint. Begging leave quickly from the Inn, Shadow had arrived home to find Rumpelstiltskin cornering a stick-figure of a young street waif, who had purportedly been sent to find shelter by Vanion himself. Incongruous indeed it seemed, more than suspicious. Once Shadow had bid his cat to allow the child freedom to move, and managed to cast a spirit-delving dweomer, he realized the child had been 'ridden', possessed as Vanion had possessed so many others in his long, cruel career.

It was a foul taint, but not insurmountable. Cleansing magics had been performed, the child fed and given quarters, and Rumpelstiltskin had been urged - for one did not command one's cat - to keep a close eye on him. Named Ollie, the child was in fact Shadow's first ward, and ironic as it was, Vanion's act made real the promise Shadow had made to himself, his friends, and indeed the city itself. Tangled webs were being woven, and it was Shadow's job, his purpose that no innocents be trapped in the many strands.

There would be no help from his divine liegelords, either. Shadow was what certain elves called a 'shadowlord', one of a handful of elven eladrin agents who worked in the interests of the Good elven powers, and he'd been specially selected to act alone in RhyDin. The Nexus prevented any true manifestation of full divine might, as though a collective of higher powers had agreed that RhyDin should be neutral ground, and the agents and scions of the gods who did come to this world were required to rely primarily on their own abilities.

Even though Vanion, who'd started life as an elf, was an affront to Shadow's masters, they would not lend any more aid than the magical and martial gifts already bestowed upon their RhyDinian shadowlord.

Yet help existed here, in this plane, and from many who had no inkling of the elf's true nature. It was enough that they, like he, wished for as much peace and balance in RhyDin as was possible. They would work together, against the taint of such as Vanion and others like him. And the children, who would soon begin arriving from the overflow of other orphanages and social welfare organizations in the city, would be made safe, and given what education, solace, and love Shadow and his allies could provide.

It would be nice to defend the Barony. Shadow'd grown to like the old dueling school - its twists, turns, and strange echoes. Here, history lived and breathed. Here, he'd found new purpose. But if skill at arms failed him in the coming challenge, preparation and sheer tenacity would compensate.

No child would starve or die of exposure this winter, nor be turned into a necromancer's helpless thrall, on Shadow's watch.

((Cross posted here in the RDI forums.))

[Shadowlord]

Honor and duty.

These two words, these concepts, so often went hand in hand. But what if they conflicted?

Shadow had 'defended' the barony by proxy, the Overlady herself stepping in to fight for him. He might not have had final say in the intercession, but Teagan likely would have honored his request not to step in - had he made such a request. But he was finding that the ever-growing responsibilities of the orphanage project loomed like constant clouds on the horizon, and those clouds bore with them the onus of duty.

What was personal honor in the face of his obligations toward innocent children? Honor was apparently not precisely the same as duty, and was more easily sacrificed. So be it.

Retaining the barony had bought Shadow and his associates a significant amount of extra time, and even if a new Baronial challenge came in the beginning of the December month, there would be no danger of the children being without shelter. Though Shadow knew that he could not properly monitor, or even find, every child in the city who needed help - visions of Vanion's potential, probably depredations in that regard frequently crossed his mind - he had arranged for thirty children from the streets, and various other organizations, to move into the Baronial manor for the remaining days of November.

First and foremost, to have the legitimacy the orphanage needed, he needed to do something which had been suggested to him in various quarters - 'incorporate'. Just the word itself had strange implications, but though Shadow was still rather new to the ways of 'modern' RhyDin, he understood business concepts well enough. Incorporating as a non-profit essentially gave the project legal protection - such as existed in RhyDin - and would prevent some of the wealthier, more 'acquisitive' business moguls from being able to use any sort of leverage to usurp control of the orphanage. Vanion was not the only predator in the city, after all, nor the most materially powerful. Shadow was designated a 'Managing Director', Claire a CEO, and Noctis a CFO. He'd even remembered to let Claire know within a few days of designating her the DGO's boss.

The introduction, then, of twenty-eight children, with (the far healthier and better-fed) Ollie making a total of twenty-nine, came with minimal fuss. Claire and Noctis, and their capable people, had put in place layer upon layer of protective wards over the Baronial manor, and had duplicated these sorcerous protections on the new project. Vanion, on somewhat of a tear through the titled ranks of the various sports, was coming after Shadow's Tower of Fire, but that fact was entirely unimportant and immaterial to the more important work of the orphanage. Shadow would win, or lose, that exchange, and Vanion would be unable to affect any of the work done thus far.

All in all, as Shadow reflected upon things after a long Sunday of meeting and greeting new children and ensuring they were properly sitauted, things were going as planned. And Napoleon's wraiths were performing even better at babysitting than anyone might have imagined. The true value of a babysitter of small children lay in their ability to monitor, and keep contained, groups of wild, screaming youths; while the wraiths were undeniably creepy, it was proving simply impossible for any wayward child to escape their notice. Shadow smiled at the thought, though having wraiths babysit still made the hairs of his nape prickle.

Rena would be called upon this very week, to begin teaching some of the older students about stained glass, and already Napoleon and his crewmates had been allowed to visit the children and select those best suited for duty on the Dread Ship Lollipop. And the recovering Terry King had expressed interest in giving the children things for Christmas, blankets and other needful items.

Twenty-nine youths, at least, had much better prospects for surviving the coming winter without hunger, or the depredations of evil men. Within the shadows cast by Vanion and his ilk, yet burned a bright candle of hope.

((Cross posted here in the RDI forums.))

[Claire Gallows]

The testing of the wards.

What a dauntingly fun task. While Claire didn't trust herself to do the tests on the baronial manor that was serving as the temporary home of the Dragon's Gate Orphanage, at the very least she could blast the hell out of the protections encircling the renovated building that would soon become the long term location of DGO. The late autumn air was being slowly infiltrated by the chill of winter and as Zack and Claire stood outside of the building, their breath curled up and around their heads in smoky tendrils before dissipating into the atmosphere. She hadn't slept the night before, anticipating what she would need in order to push the warding to its limits.

Dawn came quickly and in the early morning twilight, she circled the perimeter of the structure, reaching out mentally to find any weak spots. Once she arrived back at the entrance, she glanced to Zack then back to the building. Jericho had been given express direction to have the place cleared of any and all workers just in the off chance the wards failed and something was destroyed. That would be rather unfortunate, really, but it was always possible. Arcane energy crackled around her fingertips, primed and ready to fire.

"We need to do this delicately...I'd hate for anything to ricochet and hit something it shouldn't. If needed, I have Odin on standby to intercept any wayward spells." Claire winced a bit at the thought, hoping it wouldn't come down to that. Her hand pushed back through her hair and the residual static from the charge in her fingertips had the bubblegum tinted locks standing on end for a few moments before they laid flat again. Blowing out a breath, she pursed her lips and concentrated on the handful of perceived weak points before pointing them out to Zack. "There, there, and there...not enough overlap, I think...we'll want to test them as a whole as well as the vulnerable spots, okay?"

"So no going all out. Gotcha." Glancing to Claire for a moment with a faint smile as he shook his hands for a moment, before looking back to the wards for a moment. With him nodding to the weak spots that she was pointing out. "Might be best to find the weak spots first, before doing an over all test?" Looking to her again. "You take half and I'll take half?"

Taking a few steps back, she nodded to his words, her eyes still on the building. "There's an overlapping trio of the usual protections that extends out...oh say, twenty yards from the building. More as you get closer, I'll drop them as needed, and then...we'll want to test the built in ones." She grimaced at that. That would be when they would run the greatest risk of structural damage, but it was better if it happened now than down the line when there were children in the building. "I'll take left, you take right, let me know if you run into any issues or need anything dropped."

Taking a few steps back as well, as he looked the building over for a moment. With a light nod to her explaining there the various wards were located and how they were put up. "Going to be fun." Murmured more to himself than to Claire, before nodding lightly as he moved towards the right side of the building. "Will do, boss." Shooting a smirk over his shoulder to her as he was already channeling a spell into the palm of one hand. Keeping it to a lower leveled one before letting it fly towards the first 'weak spot' he came across that had been pointed out.

As his spell came in contact with the first protective enchantment, his spell crackled and fizzled before dying away with a faint puff of smoke. On the opposite side of the building, she shook her head a bit, feeling a subtle shift in the warding, telltale signs of damage. That wouldn't do. But if they needed to break them, then that's exactly what they would do.

"Try that again!" Claire shouted out, stepping back to watch and see what would happen, her own casting put on hold until she found out whether or not he could crack that first arcane shield. His brow rose as his spell fizzled out against the protective wards, watching that spot for a moment, and was just about to move on till Claire called out for him to try again.

"Alright!" Shaking that hand out again as he powered that spell up further, already focusing his mind to ground it in case things went wrong this time around. Before firing it off at that spot again. Biting at her lip, Claire took another couple of steps backwards as he called back to her. Holding her breath, she felt the ward trying to repair the minimal damage just in time for him to fire off another spell at the weak point. The protective enchantment buckled and with a burst of white light and green energy, it self-destructed, flinging energy back at the caster in a chaotic and haphazard way. Claire felt it and that wasn't good.

"Zack, watch it!" She cried out, wincing as she was sure that blast would catch him square in the chest. He watched for a moment as his charged up spell slammed into the barrier, catching that it had barely had time to repair itself in the time it took to cast it. His head tilted slightly until he saw the ward starting to buckle, with him scrambling back just in time as it self destructed.

"That was too close for comfort." Whipping around as he got lucky there, thanks to being quick on his feet and to Claire's warning, with a glance to her for a moment. "Got a feeling that the other weak points might react the same way." Faintly smiling at her. She peeked around the side of the building to see if her best friend had just been utterly obliterated by her spell and felt herself heave a sigh of relief when she found him to be just fine. Smiling sheepishly, she shrugged.

"Good possibility...I forgot about the whole self-destruct built in. They take too much damage, the point of impact explodes out as a last ditch effort to keep whatever it is, out. You know me...go big or go home." She bit at her lip, lifting a hand to feel out the boundaries of the next ward, this one far harder to detect and meant more so for filtering out the more subtle magicks.

"Careful with this one...it'll knock you out cold for toying with it too much..." She warned. Flashing her a slight smile when she peered around the corner to check on him, Zack shook his head.

"Would have been nice to know that before hand." Shaking a finger at her in a mocked tsking motion, before nodding lightly to how she had them set up. "Not a bad idea with some of the idiots in this town." Now watching her for a moment, as he nodded again with him backing up even more.

"So you want to test out more weak spots? Or just tackle the whole thing at once?" He asked. She pursed her lips and settled her hands at her hips as she considered his question. For some reason or another her gaze drifted west, toward the wall separating Dragon's Gate from Battlefield Park, cringing ever so slightly to the proximity. The whole thing made her uncomfortable right now, but still, she had no choice but to press on. All she could do is refine the protections, tweak them until they were working perfectly.

It had to be untouchable.

"What do you think, Zack? What if we throw what we've got and see what holds up at the end of it?" A frown tugged at her lips as she spoke, it wasn't an idea she was particularly fond of. But it would have to make do. Watching her as she pondered that question, before following her gaze towards the wall separating Dragon's Gate and Battlefield Park, he knew the idea of leaving any weaknesses in place was something neither of them wanted to do. Looking back to her as he let out his own breath of air.

"Might be the only way to fully test it out and see what actually holds. Hit it full force and pray that it holds." Faint smile to her for a moment. "And I mean holding nothing back."

Once again she nodded, in full agreement, and paced back five steps. And then five more. Then two more. Just for good measure, of course. Pressing the heel of her hand against her sternum, she willed the Eidolith crystal to come forward from its resting place behind her sternum. It had been awhile since she had done this and a faint wince crossed her expression as she extracted it. A push of will and it shattered in her hand. As she released the shards of rose pink crystal, she waited until the storm of rose petals brought about her summon, Odin.

"You know what to do, big guy. If I can't stop a rebound, I need you to help me out. Zack, on three, you ready?" Tilting her head back to look up at the creature, she couldn't help but smile. For as often as she had seen him in her mind, it was rather good to see him face to face again.

Starting to back up along side Claire as he knew that this was going to be dangerous, even with the two of them as skilled as they were. Slowly letting out a slow breath of air as he slowly started to let those restrictions he had placed on himself drop. With a side glance to Claire as she summoned Odin, and looked to the creature. Recalling Claire mentioning him a few times, but never expected to meet the guy.

"Yo." Zack offered to Odin before looking to Claire. "Ready as I'll ever be." Looking back to the wards, as he waited for Claire's signal to fire off a spell that would pretty much max out his limit on spell casting. This could get very ugly in a instant. Odin gave Zack a tilt of his head and chuffed breath. That would probably be the extent that Zack would hear from Odin unless otherwise needed. The Eidolon positioned himself behind Zack and Claire, in a spot best suited to intercept any wayward spellcasting or explosions. She really hoped it wouldn't come down to explosions, but who knew.

"One." She lifted a hand, white hot electricity mingling with an infusion of elemental Chaos around her fingertips. "Two." She exhaled a breath, ready to to fire by the time she said, "Three." With that she forced every last ounce of will she had at the wards. The sickly mixture of dark and holy magics hit the wards like a freight train and she knew that the first couple were goners within seconds, sure to be aided by Zack's spellpower at her side. It was as much as Zack expected to get out of Odin given the situation, before looking over his shoulder to Odin when the Eidolon moved to stand behind them. Before focusing on the task at hand, breathing in slowly as he got himself ready to unleash his own spell.

"One." Counting along with Claire as he slowly lifted a hand towards the wards, with his own magical aura of lightning and shadows swirl around his arm to pool into the palm of his hand. "Two." Taking in a deep breath, before slowly exhaling it. "Three." Again in time with Claire, before unleashing the mana that had been built up. With his own looking like shadows fueled with lightning, as his own hit the wards with the same force behind Claire. Watching as the first layers were vaporized mere seconds later. This did not look good, not with the both of them going all out.

She winced at the destruction, particularly when she felt the spells collide with the building itself. The runes within the walls flaring to life and doing quite the job of holding back the onslaught of spell-work. Claire shifted her aim a bit to the left to combine the point of her own impact with Zack's. That. That was what was needed to break the last one. She tsk'd under her breath and watched as the wall crumbled and fell inward. Dropping her hand, her chest heaved from the exertion and slowly, carefully even, as she crossed the singed and burnt ground between herself and the damaged building. With a sigh, she shook her head and looked back to Zack.

"Back to square one." Pulling her phone from her pocket, she dialed out, chewing at her lip as she awaited a response on the other end. "Hey...it's me...it didn't go so well. Can you get me the Magi from Lucis, the one who did the wards on our place?" Pausing a few moments and sighing. "Yeah, I know your dad isn't going to like it but I have faith you can get it done..." More pausing. "I know. I love you too." Ending the call, she slipped the phone back into her pocket and stepped through the gaping hole in the wall, right into what would eventually be the orphanage's dining hall. "Jericho's gonna be pissed..."

[Claire Gallows]

The Magi of Lucis had come back and strengthened the wards upon the orphanage at her request, weaving intricate protection in layers around the grounds and the building, right down to the foundation the building sat upon. Despite the stern talking to Claire had been given by the ancient Mage regarding her reckless way of creation and testing of the previous wards, she was content to take the verbal lashing for the sheer fact that he obliged her request and implemented the arcane labyrinth that would befall any attack upon the children's home. She felt like she was running out of time--it seemed to be a rather common theme with this project--and as she ushered the Mage into the armored vehicle to take him back to the temporary portal to Lucis, she made sure to thank the elder profusely.

As the sleek Audi turned a corner and faded from sight, Claire exhaled a breath she hadn't even realized she had been holding. Slipping her hand into her pocket, her fingers closed around the vial containing the little draught that the old Mage had given her when he noticed her current state. Without question, without judgment, he had handed over the sleeping potion. It was times like this that she was grateful for the respect she had garnered back in Lucis, never mind that it made her terribly homesick, at the very least it made her feel not so powerless. She snapped out of her reverie with a firm shake of her head and let her footsteps carry her back to the Orphanage's front doors. It was no time for nostalgia, not when there was so much to do.

"'Scuse me, ma'am." The burly furniture mover had the decency to call out so he didn't barrel over her as he and another man carried a pint sized bed past and into the manor. She scrambled out of the way just in time to avoid ending up in a potential pile up, watching the procession of varying articles of furniture being hauled into the hulking house. The finishing touches were finally being put on the project and it was all set for the Grand Opening on the upcoming Saturday. The early morning chill bit into her flesh but she ignored the urge to shiver as well as the desire to move inside the welcoming warmth of the soon to open children's home. She brushed her knuckles against the door frame that lead to the entryway, taking care to stay out of the way of anybody being more productive than her. Residual arcane energy crackled against her flesh, reacting to the dying embers of the power afforded to her by the ArchMage's mantle. A soft sigh escaped her lips and she cast her gaze upwards to take in the Dragon's Gate Orphanage in its entirety.

"Fifty-two..." She murmured. That's how many kids they would be able to take in with no trouble right off the bat, more could be adjusted for if needed. The thought brought a small smile to her face and as she stepped away from the building to clear the walkway for the movers putting the finishing touches on the place, she nodded faintly to herself. She didn't have the kind of power she was used to anymore, but she still had the power change something. Something that counted for far more in her mind.

It would go off without a hitch, she was sure of it.