The Black Fang and the House of Plenty

Audrey walks into the House of Plenty, wearing black robes, minus her priestly vestments, and approaches the Harvest Mistress, speaking in hushed tones. "Harvest Mistress, I would like to meet and speak with the orphans you house here. I will respect your temple by not bringing my faith to them within your House. I simply wish to see to their welfare, for myself, to ease my worried mind." She clasps her hands behind her back and awaits an answer.

The Harvest Mistress would incline her head to the Black Fang.

Of course Miss.. Shows her to the children in the back area that they are well fed and clothed well.

"Thank you, Harvest Mistress." Audrey smiles warmly, then looks to the children, making a quick mental note of their number and approximate age range. She then looks back at the priestess. "Would you allow me some time to spend to get to know them?"

She would look to the Black Fang with a nod of hesitation.

I don't believe I have much choice in the matter. From what the Imperceptor has said I don't have much of a choice in anything.

Audrey nods sadly at her comment. "It is an unfortunate truth, but a mediator will be sent to discuss more acceptable terms. However, in regards to the children, you have my word they will not be forcibly taken, nor will they be harmed in any way. If we are to coexist with this city, we must learn to trust each other, yes?" The Black Fang then turns to the children and speaks to each one individually, learning their age, name, and their likes.

Ciel would accompany them whenever she could, seeing as her main duties revolve around the children. She would be polite with Audrey and treat the children with utmost kindness. Should she catch the Harvestmistress' eye she would offer a sad smile. Even though, perhaps uncomfortable with the decision, she continues to tend to her duties.

Some time after the visit, someone else enters the temple. He is a tall, broad-shouldered man whose face is concealed from sight by a black cloth mask, and wears a black suit, simple in design though of quality material and cut. He closes the door behind him, looks around the small hall, and casually approaches the Harvestmistress.

"Hello. My name is Mr. Unterminox, and I will be acting as mediator in the matter of the well and in any other issues. When you or an appointee of your choice are ready, we may begin."

The harvest mistress would nod to him and ask Ciel to be there with us.

Ciel's eyes would go wide, having not quite expected this man of all men to be present within the temple. She'd lower her gaze and nod respectfully to both her superior and the man so well known for his tyranny.

With a brief glance at her superior, Ciel would meet the man's gaze and speak, her voice faint and polite.

"Good day." She would stand beside the harvest mistress and remain silent until she knows why she has been summoned.

((sorry this has been ignored for a while, picking it up again but as I have nothing to do with the current situation with the well, I'm pushing it forward.))

Over the next few weeks, Audrey visits and speaks with the children every few days. With every visit, she looks more and more frustrated when she leaves until she finally speaks to the Harvestmistress. "I am very disappointed with the lack of education these children receive. Not one knows anything about Bane and the Zhentarim. I must take action, for the sake of the children. With this said, I will be coming to you with the proper documents to legally adopt all of the children and take them under my care. Further, I will see to it no other children will be given over to your care. This oversight in education is neglectful and intolerable."

((Actually the children would be taught about all the gods))

As you see fit. Perhaps we should move our temple elsewhere since we will be of no more service here.

"Of course, it is your decision. I will not stand in your way if this is your wish." The priestess simply nods to the other woman.

"Then blackfang, you would know that to legally take the children they too must choose leave." she states calmly from behind the harvestmistress.

"If you take them without their consent you would be only kidnapping."

"And what law is this, may I ask? There is no law that gives children the right to make such a life changing choice, nor do they have the maturity to know what is best for them. This is what adults do - make the decisions for them until they are old enough to do for themselves."

"We never force the children to leave. If there is a potential couple ready to adopt, if the child will not leave, we do not force them." She replies.

"What would be the point of giving away a child against their will when at the soonest chance they will run away or return to us."

"Then your claims of hypothetical kidnapping are groundless. I assure you, I have no desire to mistreat these children and they will be very well cared for. Regardless of your feelings on the matter, the appropriate legal channels will be followed and the adoption process will procede. I have nothing further to discuss with either of you.". Her tone is definitive and final as she looks between the two women, then turns to leave but stops. "If the children magically diappear from this temple before the adoption is complete, I will hold the both of you accountable."

As she leaves the Harvest Mistress would look to the woman..

I don't think we have much of a choice now. It will be interesting when people come to the temple to get healing potions or to raise their fallen and we are no longer here..,what will they do then? What will they do when their crops die from us not praying over them and the farmers find out we have left..

She walks to the children to tell them the Zhentarim are going to take them away.

I'm sorry my children but the guards are going to take you away from us. I do not know what will happen to you. I have heard stories but that doesn't matter anymore. Just know we love you and will miss you dearly.

She walks away from the children with tears in her eyes and goes to pack her own bags and clean out her office and take the potions and scrolls.

Ciel's composure would crumble after the Black fang' departure and the words of Harvestmistress. The devoted priestess would fall to her knees and embrace the child closest to her, a relentless flow of tears from her eyes. She would stroke the child's head and offer the children a tearful smile.

"We will always be there for you children, wherever we may be and whatever hardships you face- remember that you shall always be in our hearts and our prayers." Her voice cracks as she rises.

"It will be painful to endure and I am sorry we have not the power save you. I-I..." She swallows heavily before finding the breath to speak. "You are all my children and I am certain you will grow to be people that will change the fate of these lands."

She manages to offer them a comforting smile. "Now, let us get all your belongings ready, the time left to us precious."

"Always remember children, you are blessed to walk in life's embrace- never forsake your lives, never give up."

With those last words, Ciel would go into the rooms and help prepare the orphan's belongings.

Audrey stands outside the House of Plenty, a large scroll of papers in her hands, waiting for members of House Unterminox to join her before presenting the adoption papers to the Harvest Mistress.

((Anyone in House Unterminox is welcome to join.))

Fidheliss is of course by her side, looking mighty dapper today in a gray suit. He murmurs a few words of support to his daughter, offering to speak on her behalf should matters grow heated.

Behind the bulky, intimidating man a silent shadow stands. Ill omened appearance, red of eye and white of hair, still she lacks any threatening mien and when she is able to see past her lord Unterminox, she looks for any of the orphans she can find with a smile and perhaps a restrained anticipation.

The Harvest Mistress stands there with tears in her eyes and the children huddle around her crying.

I'm sorry children, I can not stop th from taking you...no matter how much you wish to stay with us. No no.. its not because you were bad. It seems we were the bad ones.

Looks to the others and nods for them to get this done and over with.

Ciel would be by the harvestmistress' side. She too would have a tears shimmering in her green eyes, but she would not let them fall. Slowly, she would glance down at the children, as if engraving all their little faces in her heart and mind. After doing so, she would offer each of them a warm embrace.

"It is as the harvestmistress said, children.. We cannot keep you with us for we have tried." she says softly.

She stands beside the harvestmistress, holding back the tears that so adamantly wish to fall. She avoids glancing at those she sees wicked enough to take away the children.

"Never forget who you are children, pave your own path and stay true to yourselves."

Ciel would offer the children the last of her wisdom and place her hands over her heart as she watches the scene with a broken heart. She would pray silently, for each of their innocent souls asking her goddess to grant them the strength to remain pure and true to themselves. She would stand by the harvestmistress until the very end, until every last child she had cared for day and night for so many years is out of sight.

"Now now," Fidheliss says, "such melodramatics are unnecessary."

"The purpose of an orphanage is to care for children until they are adopted, not to raise them to adulthood, and that day has come. These children will be fed and well educated - you have my word on it - and their adoption frees room within the orphanage for more children, should their parents meet untimely end. It would be a shame if you were at capacity and forced to turn new orphans away, would it not?"

"You've taken good care of these children when they had no home to go to, but now they do. When they come of age, they'll be given the opportunity to choose their own paths in life. But for now, save your tears - their new lives await."

*rolls Diplomacy if required*

As you wish. What is done is done and nothing I can do or say will change the mind of the Black Fang as we will be arrested should anything else be done by us. As she so eloquently put it. Now go children if you wish to come see us you may if you are allowed such liberties.

The Harvest Mistress would take the papers and turn away and go to her office after hugging the children.