Taly's Test

[T'ahlia Chelewae]

(A collection of entries from the journal of T'ahlia Chelewae; specifically, those concerned with the mysterious gift of a cottage she received, and the investigations and adventures she undertook to keep it)

Taly's Test--The Ravens

So I was in the Mists, and I took Cinnamon for a walk down by the markets. I overheard a commotion by the property agent. Two women were trying to get property, but the costs were significantly more than they had planned. Somehow, I got pulled into the argument.

They are founding a new company for investigative purposes and guard duties, and they call themselves the Ravens. Well, as you know, I’ve a bit of a mystery on my hands–like, who gave me this house? And also, I’m a sucker for people down on their luck. So I hired them to look into the matter for me. I’ve done all the easy, local investigating, and anything else is likely to involve a lot of time and need focus. I’ve work to do on my house, and duties and performances to prepare for … and the gil wasn’t exorbitant, all things considered. If they find something, that would be great. Then I can deal with it as needed.

I hope when this is all over, I have good material for a song, and not, umm … gaping wounds. Could go either way. Time will tell.

Is something from my past coming back to haunt me?

[T'ahlia Chelewae]

Taly's Test—Investigating

I went to the Ravens to give them more information as they start their investigation into who bought me a house. I told them everything I had already investigated, and also added that now I have two servants working for me, and again hired by someone unknown–hired to “help me prepare for the test.” That ominous phrase continues to gnaw at my nerves.

Emiko, their leader, wanted to investigate in the Lavender Beds, starting with interviewing my servants (wow, so odd to type that) Ona and Sayashi. I had already asked them the basics–who hired them, what did they look like, etc. But the Ravens asked them again, and got the same answers: they were hired by mail, along with the first month’s wages, and their instructions were to take care of things around my home so that I could concentrate on “the test.” Emi asked if they had kept the letters, which I had not done, but only Sayashi had. However, the letter was very nondescript, other than being on fine paper.

So the investigation has finally begun. I’m happy they are moving forward, as I am tired of being on edge all the time. I hope they find something soon.

[T'ahlia Chelewae]

Taly's Test--What the Ravens Found

So I came home recently to find that Emiko, Estelle, and Barabluom (leader and members of the Ravens) were outside my house waiting for me. Apparently, they had been investigating the neighborhood to see if anyone had any information about my house. They came across a young girl wandering about who had seen the purchaser. According to this girl, he was an "older man, dressed like a lancer." Not much to go on, especially in the area of Gridania, but she had one more tasty tidbit—she had heard him tell someone from Gridania to send the deed to him at the Bobbing Cork, that inn over in Fallgourd Float. I was barely able to contain myself when they told me this, and was anxious to go out there and confront him—assuming he was still there. If not, at least we might question the innkeep about where he might have been headed.

Fallgourd Float isn't far away, and we all went in and talked to the man working the front desk. It turned out he did have a long-term guest matching the description we had, but we couldn't get the room number out of him. However, he did mention that he thought the guest might be upstairs in the common area. Which is where we found him, as it turns out.

The first odd thing was that he wasn't surprised to see me at all—just disappointed it had taken me so long to find him. He wouldn't tell us who he represented, just that he worked for someone who wanted to test my "worthiness." I don't really know what that means, other than it makes me angry to hear someone think they have the right to do it. I demanded to know why I should participate in any kind of "test," and he laughed and said he thought it was obvious—that if I refused, everything I now had—my home, Sayashi and Ona in my employ—would be taken away, but that if I participated, I might receive even more.

I don't really think of myself as greedy, but I also don't want to give up what I have. And, to be honest, I've always enjoyed a bit of gambling here and there. And . . . well, it gets my back up that someone thinks I'm not worthy. It's all right for ME to think that, but not someone else.

So I'm going to do it. Or try, at any rate. We asked what the next step in the test would be. And he said that it had to do with my mother.

That set me back. What does my mother have to do with any of this? But this man knows my whole history, it seems, including that my mother was a Keeper, and from a rather vicious and criminal tribe in the deep Shroud. And so, the next part of the test is about my heritage.

I have to gain the favor of a Keeper tribe. It doesn't seem to matter which one, and it doesn't seem as though I have to actually join one, as long as I can gain their approval. Now, how to do that, I have no idea. My mother bore me after she fled to Ul'dah, and I never set foot in the Shroud until I was in my late teens.

But I do have some friends who are Keepers, and who actually grew up in the Shroud. I've known Savo and Fhey for some time now, in particular.  Perhaps they can advise me on what I should do next, or swho I should talk to. They may even find it amusing that I have to explore my heritage.

Maybe I'll learn that trick of theirs where they can identify where people have been by their smell? Although . . . that seems like a double-edged sword.

[T'ahlia Chelewae]

The Test--A Surprise Visit

So Savo and Fhey came to see me last night. They showed up at my house without warning (And how did they find my house? They’d never been there before. Curious.), barely giving me time to hide my socks before Fhey could steal them. (Unfortunately, I forgot to hide my underwear.) But it did save me the trip to Ul’dah to visit them and try to enlist their help in my . . . quest?

I explained the situation to them: that as the next part of this test, I needed to get the approval of a Keeper tribe. Their questions were much like my own, i.e. what exactly does approval mean? And how am I to prove I have it? But they began to speculate on who might be of help, as far as putting me in touch with someone.

They really tried to steer me away from venturing into the deep Shroud where their tribe is located. I think they are being somewhat overprotective . . . but then again, maybe it really is as dangerous there as they say. I know the paths and places of the Shroud really well (I’m a scout, after all), but even I’ve never heard of this place they are from. My heart objects to being babied, but my head says “listen to your friends.”

At any rate, they have a couple ideas on who to contact, people who might be willing to come and put me through some kid of initiation, or rite, or whatever. They really make it sound horrific. I don’t want to be told to kill someone—I mean, if that’s what they ask of me, to go and kill some Gridanians or something . . . well, I guess the test will be over before it’s begun. Hopefully, whatever they ask of me will be something I am both physically AND morally capable of.

So now I wait. Wait for Savo to call me with a time and place. Wait for my nerves to burn with anticipation until my skin turns red.

I don’t like waiting.