[Faust D'Rinishad]

“I’ll drink to that.” Faust said, snickering as he raised his glass in a quasi-salute. A grin briefly flashed across his face as he sipped at the wine again, and he reveled as the liquor splashed against his tongue and wet his parched throat. It was strange how this meeting was playing out, that is, literally leaping from one extreme to the next. When they had first met, the Prince of Har’oloth had literally considered cutting the man’s throat where he stood, but it seemed that the more that the human spoke, the more he was beginning to convince the Vysstichi Lord of the mutual gains that could be reaped from an alliance together.

“And I share in your animosity of the Imperials. I did not know of the threat to your title, but I can imagine you and your family’s frustration.” Frowning slightly, the dark elf afforded the conversation a second of pause. Despite coming from a noble background himself, the young D’Rinishad had never played that card overzealously. Unlike the surface where titles and merits could be garnered by nearly anyone, the dark elves were a people that generally honored only those possessed by women. The lowest female on the hierarchy was still a step above any male general, wizard, or fighter. Subsequently, for Dimitri to have carved such a niche for himself in Har’oloth was an impressive feat indeed, even if it was not dominated by the traditional bureaucracies that still held sway in conservative Herozzal or Hon’elgg.

“Where, then, do you propose that this Temple to Jorel be built? I personally suggest an area that could be well defended in the event that the Imperials do march upon the city to remedy it of the Jorelites. In that event, at least, the citizens of Vortex will have reason to band together to oppose all Imperial presence.” It was a mere suggestion, but one that the dark elf was curious to see how Dimitri would respond. Perhaps the Duke of Wladisyaw had other, more viable locations for the Temple, and that was no problem at all either. The dark elf was all ears on the matter. “And of course there is always the matter of determining who will run it and take care of it.”

As he listened to Dimitri’s assessment of the Third House’s position, the dark elf tucked in his lower lip, his crimson eyes meanwhile meeting Dimitri’s intently. He had initially been hesitant to admit his concern of the Third House of Har’oloth, especially to a man whom he hardly knew. But sometimes, Faust understood, one must provide information to receive information, and to some degree he did manage to acquire some useful insight, or at least, greater depth into the Duke before him. “Yes, obviously any conflict with the Third House of Har’oloth…with either Matron Eilantha’s or Matron Rilvin’s respective families, will result in a split and war-torn city. And I agree that Vortex’s longevity matters first and foremost.”

At Dimitri’s latter question, the dark elf straightened in his seat and nodded compliantly. He knew that the human was taking many risks to tell him certain details, and thus the Vysstichi Lord decided to respond in kind –another indication that he approved of their prospective collaboration together. “Like you, Dimitri, I am a survivor. I do not necessarily enjoy change, but I recognize that sometimes it is imperative to ensure one’s survival. House Kitrye’veresi, obviously, is my primary concern. Having roots that go beyond a century in that noble family, I desire to make sure that they remain at their current standing. And yet, at the same time it is my aim to help consolidate the power of both Har’oloth and Vortex as a whole, to guarantee that no one, especially the Imperials, can ever jeopardize that which it stands for. Of course I don’t have quite the same ambition as yourself in seeing Arium seceded as a separate Kingdom, but I have no qualms in the event that it does. And of course, you were right about something that you mentioned earlier: our vices. I am not a greedy man, Dimitri, and please do not mistake me for one. But even the best of us cannot deny the pleasantries of wealth...”