"So, if the lock's not broken, does that mean you're losing your touch?" Francesca queried lightly as she leaned against the doorjamb watching Valkier attempt to unlock the complex tumbler. Natanya had dispelled the ward cast on the door itself but the lock was proving to be quite stubborn.

"Not as much as being distracted by stupid questions." The rogue didn't spare an upward glance, and with a muttered curse he reached for another tool. Ferrox stood to the other side, his axe held in anticipation. The dwarf was as keen as the rogue in his desire for the lost treasures of Kahadras, having spent several months attempting to put together a band willing to even brave the edges of The Desolation much less enter the benighted limits of the ancient city itself. He had finally met with Natanya and Valkier, who had joined as partners in the expedition. The mage was seeking to prove herself to the masters of the Collegio Magorum and advance within the Mages Guild, while her lover simply desired riches. Natanya had heard rumors of a ranger in Bain-heptan, and after a couple of days searching the various inn's and marketplaces Francesca was hired as a scout, for an equal share of all profits.

"Why don't we make our own door?" Leather creaked softly as Ferrox tightened his grip on the axe's handle, the gleam of avarice unmistakable in his eyes.

"And risk setting off any kind of trap" No thank you." Valkier shot back just as his right hand shifted upward suddenly. There was an audible click' and the half-elf smiled as he slowly turned the knob and eased the door open. "Losing my touch indeed. Now, hand me the torch?" Francesca passed him the lit brand and he slipped through the crack into the room.

"I'll be damned." Ferrox growled and before Francesca or Natanya could stop him the dwarf reached out and shoved the door open. "Yer not goin' in there outa sight of us!" Natanya cringed back as though expecting something to explode while Valkier snarled in disgust.

"You blundering idiot! If there was any trap you could have killed all of us!"

"Aw, quit yer whinin'. If there had been any traps you wouldn't have waltzed in like ya did." Ferrox chuckled quietly, evidently pleased with himself.

"Ferrox, don't do that again." Francesca stepped past the dwarf and looked around the room. Natanya was on her heels, one hand resting on the rangers shoulder. Her eyes lit up at the sight of a bookshelf and worktable and the mage made a beeline for the tomes. The dwarf warrior, still snickering from a moment before, started poking around a stack of crates in one corner while Valkier began to inspect the dilapidated equipment on a table by the bookshelf after handing Francesca the torch.

Natanya carefully set one of the books on the table and gingerly opened it, running a fingernail along the spidery lines of text. Francesca peered over her shoulder for a second. "Can you read it?" Natanya shook her head, lips moving as she silently mouthed words before replying.

"Only a word or two." Natanya's eyes almost glowed in excitement as she glanced back to the ranger. "I'll translate it when we get back." Francesca gave a nod as she stepped back toward the center of the room to allow the torch to better illuminate the entire room.

"I found something!" Ferrox threw aside a bag, sending dust flying as he revealed a small chest shoved into a corner. The dwarf reached for the hasp with the intent to flip it open but a shout from Valkier brought him short.

"Don't' touch it!" The rogue was already heading in that direction scowling at Ferrox all the while. "Are you wanting to get us killed?"

"It's just a storage chest, longshanks." Ferrox snorted as Valkier pushed past him, but he let Natanya draw him back with a gentle touch.

"Just a storage chest in a locked alchemical workshop, hidden under bags and boxes." Valkier flipped a length of wire in his fingers as he examined the lock. "If you're so eager to die go jump off a cliff and stop trying to take us with you."

"Valkier..." Natanya admonished softly, trying to diffuse the argument. She was as eager as the dwarf to see what might be hidden away inside the chest though Ferrox was trying to downplay his initial excitement. Francesca watched from where she stood so as not to add to the press around the thief.

"Let's see...it looks like a simple enough lock." Valkier gingerly worked the wire into the keyhole, slowly twisting it to feel the tumblers inside. His eyes narrowed slightly for a second before he grinned, looking back to his companions. "And there's a trap, shortstuff. Be glad I stopped you."

"Can you disarm it?" Francesca asked before Ferrox could start another round of arguing. Valkier nodded in reply as he focused on easing a second wire into place.

"I should be able to in a few minutes." Valkier gave the top wire a tug and then began to slowly turn the lower tool. "The trick is finding the setting cog of the mechanism." He paused for a second before giving the top wire a twist. "If we can just avoid shortstuff there barreling..."

Natanya sneezed.

The dust was a powder-fine sheen that had settled over the contents of the room despite the precautions the original owner had taken. Ferrox in his searching through the bags had stirred up a small cloud that was slowly dispersing, and the young mage had unwittingly breathed in enough to unsettle her sinuses. The sneeze was not particularly loud but in the expectant hush of watching Valkier work it was positively deafening, making Francesca jump and Ferrox curse with the suddenness of the sneeze. Valkier flinched, and he felt a sharp tremor flow through the wire as the mechanism snapped closed.

"Oh fu..."

Antetion Halls, Mercivya

"Cutting the taxes like this will bankrupt the treasury!" The beefy-faced nobleman, Earl Bollarn Crestvielle, glared around the table at the other assembled councilmen. Odgen Bradford, the Earl of Briarstone, nodded in quiet agreement. Others, sitting across from Crestveille, scowled as he continued. "The costs of rebuilding and repairs enough have nearly drained what we have left, especially after the looting!" "Did you stop to think for a minute that maybe the reason the people were looting was because of the outrageous taxes this council has levied in the past?" Grant McVallen shot back as he returned Crestvielle's glare evenly. An export merchant and representative of the Merchants Guild McVallen was one of four newcomers to the Cisroe council, placed into seats vacated during the recent battle and subsequent power shuffling. Members of the Cisran middleclass of merchants and craftsmen, McVallen and his compatriots knew the hostility Crestvielle and several of the remaining noblemen not on the council held for the new order, and were determined to make changes in what the city and realm had previously endured.

"Outrageous?" Sputtering, Crestvielle's fist clenched in open rage. "The taxes in the past have gone to pay for the protection of this city!"

"Protection that was obviously lacking!" Another newcomer, Horace Silvershield, yelled in reply, his own anger breaking forth. "The council has bled us dry for years, and for what?" He started to stand and continue, but a loud "Enough!" made him pause, as well as dragging the attention of the councilmen toward the open doors to their meeting hall.

Flanked by Jonathan Harte, Lieance DeCort and Morguian Albaelia, Lucius entered the chamber, moving to the large chair at the head of the table to sit. Harte took his seat at the head of the left side of the council table, while DeCort and Morguian sat down to either side of Lucius. Two of Commander Farriss" men took up positions behind and to either side of the Lord of Pandemonium, hands resting at their belts within easy reach of their sword hilts. Lucius slowly looked around the table, narrowed steel-grey eyes locking on each council member in turn for a few seconds before moving on to the next. He knew he had few allies at the table, and less for the moment among the sitting nobility beyond Harte, and thus he held his ire in check for the moment.

"First, you will be happy to know that, for now, no more changes will be coming in the established hierarchy of the city." The glares and hostility from the left side of the table amused him greatly, for after purging Urevan's solid followers, Crestvielle and Bradford were the only remaining nobility of the old order allowed on the council. Harte had been an advisor for Urevan more for familial ties than any true loyalty. Four of the council had openly defied orders for their militia to lay down arms after Cisroe was taken, and the day after the wall had been breached Lord Unthor, Jerrak and Lord DeCort had led the assault on the walled manors to root out Urevan's supporters. Lucius had wanted to kill them outright, but cooler heads, namely Fiona and DeCort, prevailed, and the families were sent in a wagon train toward Malirid under heavy guard.

"You men now represent the ruling nobility of Mercivya." Lucius continued, keeping his voice low and even. "As long as you enforce my edicts, I will leave the rule of the city to you."

"How can we rule the city if we have no coin?" Crestvielle asked, scorn fairly dripping in his tone. "We have to pay the workers in the government, as well as rebuild the city guard and the wall." He leaned forward, a hand again clenching into a fist. "Your tax tables will bring in half of what we had before!"

"First off, councilor," Lucius's growl sent the nobleman sitting back in his chair, and brought a faint chuckle of amusement from Morguian beside him, "the wall is being repaired by my own men and with my own coin. You and the treasury will not pay anything for it." He held up a hand to still any protest from Crestvielle, and continued. "As for the city guard, they will be paid for by the general taxes of the realm." Now he leaned forward, as if daring the nobleman to interrupt him. "The taxes I have laid out are more than sufficient to pay for everything the government should have to fund, as well as generously fill your own purse. The days of inflated taxes and excessive skimming of the treasury are over."

Crestvielle's features reddened, and McVallen thought he was about to have a heart attack. Any explosive reply was thwarted, though, as DeCort now spoke up. "You'll also find that the city coffers will swell with new trade now that a different vision is coming into place."

"I assume you mean with Malirid?" A woman, another of the new councilors and the chosen representative of the various churches of the city, near the other end of the table spoke up. DeCort nodded, letting a smile play over his features.

"Just so, Your Eminence. With the new government in place, Malirid will be eager to open formal trade with Mercivya again."

"As will Tignus." Morguian chimed in from where he lounged. "Briarstone's already seeing profits from the new trade routes." He looked over toward Bradford, who reluctantly nodded in agreement. The councilors who were merchants by trade brightened visibly at the thought of the new possibilities. Urevan had banned trade with his neighbor to the south, though goods did make their way north through smugglers and adventuring companies. What the foreign noblemen was offering would indeed enrich Mercivya's and Cisroe's depleted treasury as well as fattening their own pouches on the side.

While the talk continued around the table Lucius sat back, a movement in the corner of his eye drawing his attention to a young page standing near the door. He motioned the page closer and leaned near to listen to the message he had. Nodding once he dismissed the page and rose to his feet, the others at the table following suit seconds later. "Gentlemen, another matter needs my attention. I will return shortly.? He paid no attention to the bows of those around the table as he headed for the door, the two guards falling in step behind.

The Collegio Magorum, Tignus

"Your Majesty!" Lucius ignored the protests of the young man who was scurrying to keep up with his long strides as he stalked down the halls of the Collegio Magorum. Fiona, Myrialla and Sir Herzog followed behind with the honor guard bringing up the rear. Students moving between classes hurriedly stepped aside to make room for the group, with many staring after them for several seconds after they passed.

After his audience with Gent Lucius sent the remaining petitioners away before retiring to the family manor of Shadows Falls to prepare to travel to Tignus. In turn Gent had contacted his counterparts at the Collegio to prepare for Lucius's arrival, but the magus assigned to greet and escort the party had been unsettled at the sight of the heavily armed and armored figure that had stormed from the portal. The honor guard had quickly assumed the role of armed escort, with another two falling into rank with their fellows as the procession turned into one of the interior halls of the college.

The magus, Jaicen by name, finally managed to get in front of Lucius and stopped, forcing the other to finally pause. "Your Majesty, you cannot come in here with this attitude and armed as you are!" Lucius stared at him for several seconds before stepping forward, his armored chest bumping into Jaicen's as he leaned close.

"You mages bring a wild story to me about some wretch having the audacity to try to claim my family name, and then you tell me I cannot 'come in here' with an "attitude??" His tone was low and measured, belying the seething rage lurking just beneath. "I do not know what is going on but I intend to find out, starting with this shavarst." Fiona stepped up beside her husband, a soft touch to the shoulder of the quailing mage bringing Jaicen back a step.

"Take us to the meeting room Jaicen." Her soft voice, coupled with her ranking within the Mages Guild, had Jaicen bowing gratefully before turning and continuing down the hall. Fiona, Lucius and Myrialla exchanged glances before following. Each of the women could understand Lucius's sentiment. His family, being human, would have passed through several generations in the past three centuries, and Lucius had found no descendants in his searches throughout the decades. For someone to claim to be a living relation was tantamount to insanity, and given the lord of pandemonium's temperament, suicidal.

"Before we enter," Jaicen paused outside a closed door, turning to look at the four visitors while speaking, "I have to remind you, the young lady has been trapped in a bubble of non-time for many decades and is still recovering. I would thank you to not do anything to startle her." Lucius growled and stepped forward, a heavy arm sweeping Jaicen aside as he flung the door open.

"I assure you I intend on doing more than..." Stalking into the room the rest of his sentence died as he stared at the red-haired woman across the room who had risen to her feet. Fiona's eyes widened in surprise as she entered behind Lucius and Myrialla could not contain her gasp. Both had seen memory-orbs from their husband's past and the woman now standing across from them was the spitting image of his sister Francesca. There was a second's pause, and then all hell broke loose.

"I thought you said my brother was coming!" The young woman turned toward the mage that had been waiting with her while Lucius whirled toward Jaicen and grabbed him by the nape of his robes, slamming the poor magus into the wall hard enough to knock the breath from his lungs. The blades of Lucius's right battle-gauntlet extended with a sharp 'thunkt' as he drew his arm back to strike.

Myrialla shrank back as Sir Herzog whirled, gleaming blade drawn and held at the ready, with the fighter-mages behind the skeletal warrior doing likewise. The two guards who had been waiting with the woman and her escort also armed themselves and stepped to either side of the table. Myrialla backed against Fiona, whom quickly stepped up beside her husband. "Lucius, put him down." He paused, his right arm trembling in his rage, but when he did not move to release the choking young man she set a hand on his forearm. "Lucius Carradine DeAuster. Put. Him. Down."

Red-flecked eyes glanced toward Fiona, then back to the purple-faced Jaicen before his hold relaxed. Jaicen slumped against the wall drawing in heaving breaths as Lucius stepped back slowly. "Myri sweet, would ye please take Lucius outside, and I will try to find out exactly what is going on here." Myrialla moved beside Fiona, taking Lucius's hand and leading him to the door and back into the hallway. He made a last glaring look back before leaving the room, the undead knight following. Once in the hallway Myrialla guided him to the railing overlooking the expansive inner courtyard of the Collegio, whispering softly to him as Herzog taking a position nearby, baleful red eyes locked on the mages who stood near the door.

"Aye." Fiona was watching the young woman, gauging her reactions and in minutes had decided she was authentic. Not that she actually believed anyone would even attempt to fool her husband to start with. His reputation alone would make such an attempt suicidal. "He is a champion of Pandemonium now."

While her brother had taken to the church and the serving of the gods, Francesca could barely name any of the ones who guided those in the very churches built to memorialize their names. She did look up at Fiona then, and asked, "You mentioned children." She was imagining the little tikes running around like she and Lucius had as children, driving their parents to distraction. Had they run to the river banks with poles in hand, or through the woods near their home" A quirky little smile touched Francesca's lips as those thoughts raced through her mind.

"Indeed. We have two, Daniel be our oldest and Cieara our daughter. They are away presently." Another rare smile bloomed, this one of obvious pride for her offspring. Fiona then added. "I think ye will get along well with them. They have heard stories about ye already, and I do think ye arrival with be a delightful surprise to them."

Francesca couldn't help but laugh at that, "Well a surprise at least." And then a second soft chuckle, "I can jus' imagine the stories," remembering her own childhood and growing up with Lucius. "I think I will be correctin' some of the tales." That last said with a slight nod.

"That is possible. However, with Lucius he has an entire library of memory orbs." That ghost of a smile moved fleetingly upon Fiona's pale features with a warming of ice green eyes for a moment. "The children have gone through their father's and my own recollections over the years." To some occasional embarrassment as well. Head turning she looked towards the door, as if listening and then her attention returned to Francesca. "This has been a shock to Lucius. He has mourned so long that news of ye appearance. . . . I think ye both understand the confusion, but tis a good thing nae the less, that ye have been found. He will welcome ye gladly once the shock dims."

Though there was not much hope that it might still be standing she had to ask, as there was nowhere else for her to go, "I don't suppose that our home in Straddleford still stands." Somehow, Francesca hoped that touching something familiar would help her to ease her own pain at the losses she had not been prepared to confront.

"He has some of ye mother's belongings, her jewelry and some of her clothing. He has kept them stored in the vaults back home and kept in pristine condition. As for the house, I believe it is now in the hands of another family. Our family lives in Mercivya, the lands in which Lucius is king." Fiona's words flowed casually as she offered another smile to Lucius's sister. "If ye ask, I be sure he would let ye see those precious memories."

Francesca nodded and rose then from the sofa. "I would really like to see my brother now."

Fiona rose smoothly to her feet, following Francesca's lead. Her movements were liquid and silent and she inclined her head towards the young woman. "Come then, let us both find him. Again, he has changed, but I nae think ye will find his affection for ye to have become lost. I know he searched long for ye." She started towards the door on light steps and paused at the door. "As a last comment to ye sweet. Welcome home."

A hand reached out and lightly touched Fiona's elbow as Francesca softly spoke. "We have sat here talking now 'bout m'brother and me, but no one has told me your name."

"I am Fiona, and ye being family are welcome to call me Fio if ye wish." Pausing, she did take Francesca's hand into her own gloved ones. "Tis a delight to finally meet ye Francesca. Now, let us get ye to Luc so ye both can settle.? Francesca took the gloved hand and smiled warmly, which caused a crinkle at the corner of her eyes.

"I'm glad to finally have a sister."

*Adapted from live play between Fiona DeAuster and Francesca DeAuster

A dark shape grew in the energy plane of the portal a second before Cieara pushed through the shimmering energy field, her brother following right behind. Her eyes brightened as she caught sight of her parents waiting in the portal chamber, and she moved to give Fiona a hug. "Mom! You won't believe what we saw on our trip!" Lucius chuckled softly beside his wife, watching the rest of the small group return home from Zymier. After the solemn Lorcain, bringing up the rear of the small troupe, had passed through the portal he reached out and pulled a glittering gemstone from the framework, the portal connecting Shadows Falls and Bronwyn's castle fading away as Lucius turned back to his family.

"I cannot wait to hear all about it." Fiona couldn't help but smile softly as she turned her cheek to receive a kiss from Daniel. "I imagine you had quite the adventure." She kept an arm around Cieara, happy to have her children home again. There had been much concern with both Lucius and herself in letting them go to Zymier, given the threats to their family, but in seeing the animation in Cieara's features Fiona knew they had made the right decision.

"Ye have no idea." Lorcain growled softly, bringing an inquisitive look from Fiona. He shook his head slightly, for that was a story that Cieara would tell, being the one who had organized the whole trip. Lucius moved around Julian to stand beside Fiona, taking a second to give Cieara a hug.

"Myri is having dinner prepared, and we will enjoy your stories then. However, we have a little surprise for you." He and Fiona stepped apart, and the Pandemonium Lord held out an am to the door in a beckoning gesture. There was a puzzled exchange of glances between the returning family as a young woman stepped into the portal chamber and moved to stand beside Lucius. "We have had our own little adventure while you were gone. Cieara, Daniel"this is Francesca, my sister and your aunt." Cieara blinked in surprise, and exchanged a look with Daniel, seeing the same shock on her older brother's features. The two looked back to their father and expressed in unison the thought of everyone who had just returned.

"WHAT??