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[SaberatStoor]

Shortly after you set out from the sole inn of Rosemont Pier, you observed the progressive build-up of great cumulus clouds already darkening the landscape miles ahead of you. Beyond the town, the countryside stretched out around you is quite plain; a dirt road, wide enough to fit a simple farm cart, stretches on from Rosemont to the next concentration of civilization, however far it may be. Just outside of the town, a handful of farm establishments line either side of the path; beyond that, the landscape degenerates into a flatland that stretches on for miles, sparsely dotted with trees. You steel yourself for a long walk, adjust your pack, and set off down the road.

It has been several hours since you set forth from the small town of Rosemont Pier and you are just beginning to pick up the faint scents that foretell a rainstorm. You groan and pull the hood of your traveling cloak over your head - you have seen no sign of shelter since you left town and the sky is considerably darker now, due to the heavy cloud cover. You estimate that the storm will be upon you within an hour.

An hour transpires - you are soaked to the bone and trembling uncontrollably from the cold as there are no trees around to shield you from the bone-chilling wind. Despite all this, you keep on walking with your head bowed, forcing yourself to ignore the din of your teeth chattering together, only looking up every few minutes to keep an eye out for any sort of shelter. Suddenly, a spider web of lightning bolts threads the sky, illuminating the landscape for a few breath-taking seconds, then disappears as quickly as it came, throwing the world back into darkness. However, in that precious handful of seconds, you noticed something you hadn't noticed before: the trees in this area are less sparsely-plotted - rather, you observed a condensed gathering of trees that could only be the edges of a forest, several hundred feet ahead of you. You pick up your pace and start to head towards the forest, but something else catches your eye: a faint orange glow. You reluctantly avert your gaze from the forest line, afraid you might lose it in the heavy downpour, and head instead towards the orange light. After a few steps, a spear of lightning tears through the sky, mercifully illuminating the landscape once more. You start at the sight of a two-story building - blessed sanctuary from the storm! Just above the heavy chestnut door hangs a sign, marking it as a kind of establishment - most likely, some kind of inn, but what is it doing all the way out here? You shake your head - you would deal with that question later, preferably when sitting in front of a well-fed fireplace wearing dry clothes. You tug your hood down over your forehead and upon reaching the ornately-carved door, with one hand concealed within the folds of your cloak, you push open the door and step inside.

The heavy door swings open wide and smooth, as if personally welcoming you in, and shuts behind you, confident that you will graciously accept the invitation. A quick glance of the large lantern-lit room tells you that this building is some sort of inn or tavern, although the stairs leading upstairs are out of sight. To your left, you see multiple tables, chairs, and booths scattered across the dining area; to your right, a massive stone fireplace takes up at least ten feet of the wall, every inch of its lacquered cherry mantle and frame covered in carvings similar to those on the front door. A large rug is spread out in front of the fireplace, its fringes stopping just two feet from the long sofa opposite the fireplace. A small assortment of slightly worn armchairs and sturdy rocking chairs flank either side of the fireplace. You gaze longingly into the blazing fireplace for a moment or two, then remind yourself that even though you have found shelter, you still have to confirm that you can safely spend the night in this comfortable, yet peculiarly and conveniently-located building.

You turn your attention to the center of it all, the rosewood counter. A tall mahogany cabinet stands propped against the wall behind the counter, its shelves lined with dozens of dusty glass bottles containing liquids of all sorts of colors; small white labels with thin, slanted scrawl stretched across them describe the contents of each bottle. At present, you can't see a single soul inside the room or behind the counter, although the evidence of occupation tells you the proprietor of the establishment must be somewhere in the building. You cautiously approach the bar and stop short, just a few feet from the bar, when you suddenly hear footsteps from behind the elaborate, dusty old tapestry that hangs beside the cabinet. Your concealed hand clenches into a fist and you plant your feet firmly on the ground, without appearing too obviously 'en garde'. Within seconds, a thin, pale hand pushes the tapestry aside, only to reveal a woman of about 5'10" with long black hair and irises that appear to be black, as if her pupils had swallowed them up - although, it could just be the light. Stranger still, she did not even blink upon seeing you, as if she were not at all surprised to see you standing there; upon observing this, you dared to imagine she had already been aware of your presence and just come out to greet you. She is wearing a rather low-cut, black cotton dress with long, flared sleeves; a black corset hugs her waist, the tiny, winding ridges snaking every which way across its surface that, upon closer inspection, make-up an intricate design of ivy vines. She locks her gaze with yours and regards you with a welcoming smile, steps up to the counter, and rests her right elbow upon the smooth, varnished rosewood, her lower left arm coming to rest beside it. Her chin comes to rest on the knuckles of her raised right hand, a dusty rag dangling from her clenched fist. She wets her lips and speaks, her peculiar accent immediately evident, "Welcome, weary traveler, to the Tavern of Escapism. How may I serve you?" The moment the final word leaves her lips, a great, angry thunderclap resounds, and you consider how lucky you are to be inside, but then you wonder, if only for a moment, if perhaps it is safer outside, after all?

[Magus]

Out of Character (OOC): I'm not entirely sure what you have in mind for the Tavern, so I won't take any creative liberties that I don't have rights to. On that note, my post may be a bit short. I need to feel out the waters and really get "in character."

In Character (IC): It came as no surprise to Tixanhi that the higher-ups in the Order would send him to Rosemont Pier. He, being of the Magus rank, was more than qualified for work in the field. Young wizards that learned to harness the mystical forces of the universe in ways atypical of most spellcasters qualified for initiation into the Inner Order. While some of the wizards of the Outer Order had a strong grip on the invisible, arcane strings of the Multiverse, the Inner Order magi, arch-magi, and heirophants had an intuitive, spiritual connection to those forces; they integrated the smallest fraction of their school of magic into the deepest recesses of their soul making them forever linked. Unlocking of the first arcane talent and initiation into the school of magic washes the soul of the wizard in a flood of raw magic, spiraling him ever close to the Source of it all. And yet, even with such a mastery of their specialized school, magi were still pups compared to the archi-magi and heirophants of the Inner Order. Most of the time, they were glorified whipping boys (and girls; magic is progressive like that) doing the bidding of whomever had their hand on the strings of power at any given moment. So, it came as no surprise when he was instructed to head to Rosemont Pier.

Luckily for him, the wizards of the Inner Order were a resourceful bunch. The wizards of the school of Transmutation have set up protected gates linking their campus at Zaddamal with several cities all around Xeterous, Rosemont Pier being one of them. Tixanhi was given the instructions on how to operate the gate, for every gate requires a unique mechanism to function (usually in the form of a spoken incantation), and was told that further instructions would be given when he arrives. Basically, that was the Order's way of saying, "don't ask questions."

Upon arrival, the young wizard was told that an informant would meet him in a "neutral location" on the road to Auddien, the capital city of the humans. Now, being an evoker, Tixanhi wasn't particularly perceptive as far as wizards go. He was wickedly intelligent, but his brand of arcanism was basically the same as a spell-slinger: explode things and ask why after the dust settles. However, after working with the Order, he began to pick up some of their lingo. When they say that an informant will meet at a neutral location, they mean that someone very powerful and not affiliated with the Order will meet you wherever that someone wants whenever that someone wants. Wizardy types have their ways, after all. It's not exactly hard to know exactly where someone is at any given point in the stagnant pond of Time. The school of Divination had a knack for it.

Tixanhi sighed. Yet another errand that could potentially get him killed. But hey, he could blow things up, so he'd be fine. Right?

With the overwhelming smell of salt, fish, and small town bigotry blowing at his back, the young wizard set off down the wagon-sized dirt road to an unknown destination. The trip was going decently well for a few hours of walking, interrupted only by Tixanhi's somewhat compulsive need to blink across several feet at a time and spray a volley of magic missiles at any boulder he came across. The sun was out and bandits were scarce (note to travelers: bandits will grow terrified and run away when one of their has his pants spontaneously erupt into black, sickly flames), so, all-in-all, it was a nice trip. That was until the sky decided to take a divine piss on him.

Despite the ability to magically leap through large portions of space on a mere whim, traveling long distances when sheets of rain are pouring down just isn't all that fun. Well, unless you consider flirting with pneumonia a great time. After an agonizing length of time, the young wizard shambled up to heavy chestnut door of the Tavern of Escapism.

The large, ornately carved door swung open slowly. The innards of the Tavern appeared much as they did on the outside: pristine, elegant, and hollow. There was an ominous, foreboding presence about the place as if something was wholly...off. Tixanhi picked up a feeling of lingering magic about the place, but couldn't quite place exactly what it was. It would make for a good, neutral meeting place.

Slicking his wet, matted mane of brown hair back, Tixanhi made his way to the mahogany bar. If he couldn't warm up his outsides, he might as well warm up his belly. Trying to ring out the excess water from his completely drenched shirt, he barely noticed the approaching barkeep. If it weren't for the fact that the entire Tavern seemed to contort, groan, and creak when the exquisitely dressed bar-keep strode forward, Tixanhi wouldn't have noticed she was there.

The woman's voice cast shivers up and down his spine. She had a blank, hollow aura about her, as if she was an animate shell of something greater. The spells he prepared burned in the void of his mind; he was ready for anything.

"Greetings, Ma'am," Tixanhi began, calming his mind and willing himself to speak. "What would you recommend to fill a weary soul's empty belly? Also, if it isn't too much of a bother, do you have anything to dry off with? The rain is coming down in sheets out there."

[SaberatStoor]

OOC: xD Awesome! You're always prepared with plot ideas, aren't you? I was honestly just expecting a true blue tavern rp where you figure it out as you go along! Well, heheh, this changes everything! xP You're so awesome! I'll do my best to roll with your idea! :3 LOVED the post, by the way! The first legitimate reply to a tavern rp I've had in ages! Also, very humorous - no surprise! xD I'll definitely have to think of how Saber fits in with the Order, although it certainly isn't all that farfetched!

Just a note, by the way: when I describe Saber's eyes as "smoldering", "burrowing", "burning", etc. it means she's likely regarding you in all seriousness and possibly with suspicion - don't be alarmed, she does this with everyone - but it doesn't necessarily mean she's attempting to probe your mind, although she might be testing the water (i.e. prodding your mental barriers to test them, if only to discover whether or not you even have them and speculate on the meaning of their existence). I'll definitely let you know if she's actually trying to probe or even attack your character's mind, 'cuz I'm not a god-modder. xP It's up to you to decide whether or not your character will detect these discreet mental prods (hint: she's doing it in the first sentence, in case you didn't catch it; she's focusing on his frontal lobe). Now we've done our first posts and our characters have met, the posts may vary in size (this next one will be quite short, especially for me ). Also, that last sentence of dialogue TOTALLY wasn't sexual. >_> Nope. Not one bit.

The ball's in your court! Basically, you can order something to eat, a drink, she'll get towels or clothes, show you to a room, whatever! Heheh, I suppose he thinks she's an informant he was sent to meet with? Interesting!


----


Saber delicately arched an eyebrow, her eyes sharpening as her gaze locked on some part of his skull just above his eyes, although the aversion of direct eye contact was at such an acute angle that it was difficult to detect and it looked as though she were looking him in the eye. "Indeed, weary traveler, it is raining very hard tonight. You have come to the right place. Please, make yourself at home. We have much warm food and drink to fill your groaning belly and lubricate your dry throat. We also have towels and dry clothes that you're more than welcome to use. Please, traveler, tell me what you desire, and I shall do my best to fill your need."

[Magus]

Tixanhi was at a loss. As beautiful, enticing, and hospitable the woman was, he couldn't get around a peculiar feeling the woman emanated. He figured his paranoia was mostly caused by the fact that it was a dark, stormy night in the middle of a dense forest, in the middle of nowhere, inside a completely empty exquisitely carved tavern, and staring into the eyes of a sultry bar-maid with a fetish for the color black. Granted, he was also very well versed in the school of necromancy so he was just as stereotypically creepy...but come on. Maybe if there was a burly dwarf drinking in the corner he'd feel better, but there wasn't.

But then again, there was the option of food. And drink. And warm clothes. Okay, maybe he had jumped the gun in judging the lady. Tixanhi grumbled something about being an evoker and that's what "we" do before shifting his gaze--he felt a strange pressure on his forehead, but payed it no mind--and saying, "If I could get a change of clothes and a towel right now, I'd be more than happy. You have my thanks. Before I forget to mention it, my name is Tixanhi. It's a pleasure to meet you," the wizard said, extending his hand towards Saber.

[SaberatStoor]

OOC: xD Woooow. "Help me, I'm trapped in a slasher flick! D: Oh noes!" LoL
The first paragraph amused me. I also love the way you mention the detection of the mental prodding, but ignore it. It's up to you to decide whether or not Saber successfully detects magic on him.


----


Saber loosed a hearty chuckle and nodded, "Certainly, Tixanhi. It's a pleasure to meet you as well." She extended her right hand and took his, shaking it tenderly, though she put the contact to use by using magic of nearly moot detectability to calculate the strength in his arm. She also increased the sensitivity of her aura, concentrating on her hand, to "sniff out" his own aura, in case he possessed magic. Whether or not she detected magic on or within him would decide how she would behave around him from then on.


(I'll leave it up to you to decide whether or not she's successful. )

[Magus]

A warm smile appeared on the weary wizard's face as the barkeep's hand slid into his. Her grip wasn't limp, but she made no effort to show off her own strength; she was a cool, confident woman, that was for sure. However, as her flesh contacted his, Tixanhi felt an immediate shock rippling through his mental barriers. The evoker immediately locked eyes with the barkeep as arcane fire erupted up within him. An inferno of magic surged across his aura strengthening it dramatically, but the damage had been done. Whatever the barkeep had intended to do with her subtle magic, she had done so.

"And your name is?" Tixanhi said to break the silence, his tone gritty.

ooc: Saber was able to see that Tixanhi is a wizard, but he noticed the intrusion as soon as she was inside. So, she wasn't able to assess just how strong his mastery of the Art is.

[SaberatStoor]

OOC: Awesome! Thanks! I didn't expect to get away with it so easy, but what knowledge she did gauge is very important.

Saber instantly realized that her mental prodding had not gone unnoticed, but her expression betrayed no evidence of the realization. She had not managed to calculate his strength, but she had discovered one very important piece of information: he was a spell-caster. This could be good or bad news; she was free to use her magic in front of him, but would she have to? Now that he knew she was kin, of sorts, there was no room left to pretend to be a simple barmaid. She would simply have to wait and gauge whether he possessed any ill will, especially after noting her sneaky mental prodding of his barriers. For now, she decided, she might cast simple spells in front of him, just to be open, or perhaps wait for him to reveal himself.

Her hand dropped to her side and her mouth tightened into a humble smile, "My apologies, I forgot to requite on introductions. My name is Saberat Stoor." She bent her knees and lowered her head in a slight curtsy, then straightened up and turned to face the tapestry behind her. "Feel free to rest your bones in one of our comfortable armchairs by the fireplace while I fetch a dry towel and some fresh clothing." A flash of a smile and she was gone.

[EraAtrum]

OOC: I'm not a very experienced RPer, so feel free to give advice or correct me on something.

IC: Venasia had been out for a walk. She had to figure out what she wanted to be. The others would look down upon her if she didn't figure it out soon, after all, she wasn't a pup anymore.

After going through Rosemont Pier to see what options were there, she found herself in a heavily wooded area. She liked the woods, so it wasn't much of a problem. In fact, they were probably one of her favorite places in the world. Lost in thought, she didn't notice the sky getting darker until it was pouring rain down upon her. She quickly shifted into her wolf form, upset at being caught surrounded by trees in a thunderstorm. As much as she liked storms, this wasn't a good place to be stuck in one.

Sprinting as fast as she could while dodging trees, she was hoping she managed to get out unharmed. All of a sudden, she saw a gleaming orangeish light ahead. Wary of what it could be, she went to investigate. It turned out to be an inn. She shifted back to human form before she knocked on the door. She hoped the innkeeper wouldn't keep her waiting for long.

OOC: I've been told I use she too much, if you happen to notice this, it would be appreciated if you let me know.

[SaberatStoor]

OOC: Ahh, you must be Chad's friend, Mary! Welcome! Heh, that's fine, I've been at this for a while, myself, but I'm always willing to include people with little experience, as well! You'll encounter no criticism here (well, maaaaaaybe constructive), but certainly nothing rude. Heh, don't worry so much, though. I certainly won't boot you in the behind, since, unlike other noobies, you use complete sentences, correct spelling and grammar! You're pretty much on my good side! xD Anyway, welcome to the Tavern RP! I'm curious about the pressure from the other Zarathan concerning what your character wants to be.

IC: Saber left Tixanhi in the main room to rest while she fetched a dry towel and some simple clothing that looked to be about his size: a linen shirt, a doublet, trousers, stockings, and comfortable boots. As she was gathering all this, the foundations of the Tavern suddenly creaked, alerting her that someone was at the door and demanded entrance. "Interesting," she muttered, "more than one person in a night...I wonder if they know each other?" She returned to the main room and heard the loud knocking on the front door. She found Tixanhi standing where she had left him, so she left the clothing and towel upon the countertop; she then curtsied slightly, bringing his attention to the dry linens and material. "I will show you to a room where you may dry off and change just as soon as I answer the door; after that, I will do my best to see to the immediate needs of both yourself and our new guest simultaneously." She smiled again, turned, and opened the door, stepping to the side to allow the drenched traveler in. "Welcome, weary traveler, to The Tavern of Escapism. Please, come in, warm your flesh and rest your bones."

OOC: Heheh, this reminds me of a collection of morbid fairy tales that I once read called "A Wolf at the Door".

[EraAtrum]

OOC: Yes, I'm Mary. Thanks for the welcome I usually try to use correct grammar and spelling, but especially in RPs. As for the pressure from the other Zarathan, I didn't know what class I should be, so I decided her and I could figure out together . I'm thinking probably something magically inclined though.

IC:While she was waiting for the door to open, Venasia had time to wonder if this was a good idea. A loud peal of thunder answered her question for her. Inside, she heard footsteps walking towards the door. Quickly, she raised her hood before the door opened. She didn't know how much information she should trust the innkeeper (and any other guests, for that matter) with, so she wanted to hide her eyes.

As the door creaked open, she noticed the keepers eyes, they were like two black holes. Interesting, to say the least. She knew she shouldn't stare too long though, or a glimpse of her eyes might be caught.

She stepped inside. It was so nice to be out of the rain, she was starting to get a chill. She noticed another guest inside, but she didn't look him over too long, because she knew she should thank the keeper for graciously letting her into her in. She turned around and said "Thank you for letting me stay at your inn. My name is Venasia." She hoped she didn't seem suspicious because of her hood, but it couldn't be help. Then she turned to the other stranger, gave a little curtsy, and said "hello sir, good thing we came upon this inn, isn't it?" and gave him a grin.

[SaberatStoor]

OOC: That's the spirit! Sounds good to me. As for the bit about the mental prod, read a couple posts back, if you're confused. ^^ Also, it's entirely up to you whether her spell-casting turns up anything useful or your character notices and reacts or doesn't notice, etc.

IC: Saber curtsied ever so slightly to the new guest, "Welcome, Venasia. You are more than welcome to stay the night." She turned and gently lay a hand on Venasia's back, giving a gentle push to lead her in and steer her towards an armchair. "Please, have a seat and I will fetch you a towel and some dry clothes, should you desire it, and even something to eat or drink." She was quick and subtle when she used the contact in the same manner that she had with Tixanhi, hoping this guest would not notice or, at least, not take the mental prod as an attack. She tested Venasia's mental barriers, to be sure they existed, and while gently carressing them, hopefully without arousing Venasia's notice, she asked of it 'Is this traveler acquainted with the other?'

[EraAtrum]

Venasia was shocked when she felt the innkeeper touch her back. She felt her mind being looked through. Hopefully nothing bad would come from it. As she sat, she took off her hood, letting her eyes be seen by the keeper. Now that she had read her mind, she knew it was no use trying to keep her race a secret. Then she noticed the innkeeper said something about clothing and food. "That would nice, thank you." she replied. After that, the keeper asked if she knew the other traveler. "No, this is the first time I've been acquainted with him". Then she said, "May I ask your name?" She couldn't go on calling her innkeeper, now could she?

[Magus]

Tixanhi sublimated the urge to pry into just why Saber was traipsing through his mental playgrounds by bowing, his drenched brown hair dangling over his face. While it only held back the flames of his curiosity (some might call it "paranoia"), it was the more socially acceptable move to make, and it also made him look a bit more subtle, confident. It was like he knew exactly what was going on, even if he didn't have a damn clue.

After a short pause, the wizard straightened himself out and warmly said, "My greatest thanks, Saber. I very much appreciate the gesture." As soon as his words vibrated across the rivers of air, there came a rapping at the Tavern door. Within a few moments, Saber sauntered over to the door. The way she moved was cool, collected, and with a liquid grace that most people of the female persuasion only dream about. She slid a hand into the handle and opened the large chestnut door with a creak, her hollow gaze falling upon the new, equally drenched visitor. Saber didn't hesitate to bring the young girl inside, and equally hasty with her brand of hospitality--a good quality in a innkeeper, but the gestures still rang hollow to him. Tixanhi noted Saber leading the girl to an armchair by hand. Tactile contact; she was probing the girl's mental defenses.

It seemed that the girl noticed, too. The girl jumped ever-so-slightly as skin caressed skin. If the girl had nothing to hide, she probably wouldn't have even noticed the probing. Assuming she's not another one of those pretentious "gifted" types that don't know their own talents that tend to clutter the hallways of the Order, she was probably touched by the Arcane in some way or another.

"Allow me to do the honors," Tixanhi interjected after Saber asked if the new guest knew him. "The gracious innkeeper goes by the name of Saberat Stoor, and I am Tixanhi Trismegistus. If I may ask, what name do you go by?"

The question reverberated against the invisible strings of the multiverse coercing a single drop of rainwater to spill from a lock of his long brown hair onto the white linen shirt. Tixanhi made a mental note to cast prestidigitation when he fled to the room Saber provided for him. He could have easily dried his own clothes with a single spell, but doing so would have given away even more about himself. When in his private confines, he would prepare the spell and dry his clothes. Who knows what he might need them for, but dry clothes are better than soggy ones.

[SaberatStoor]

OOC: Er, actually, Saber didn't ask the question out loud. >_>; That's why I put it in ' ', rather than " ". That would sound odd out loud: "Is this traveler acquainted with the other?" What she was doing was a tame kind of mental magic. Without directly invading one's mind or penetrating their defenses, she simply prodded Venasia's mental barriers and tested the water...it's hard to explain. >_> Basically, she was hoping that recognition of or unfamiliarity with Tixanhi would be right on the surface of your character's psyche, without her having to burrow into their mind to find out. Anyway, she didn't say it out loud. Sorry about the confusion. ^^;; I guess it's best to assume that they both thought to point out that they had never met?

So, when you say your character doesn't feel like hiding her eyes from Saber, does that mean Saber actually delved into your character's mind and discovered significant bits of information about your character?

My apologies if I'm beginning to aggravate you with all this ambiguous talk of mental magic - I'm an old-school Dungeons and Dragons fanatic. ;;

Love the way you describe Saber in the second paragraph, Magus. Careful, don't stroke my ego too much. xD

Heh, it looks as though the intrigue is making everyone tense - that's one thing, among others, that Saber will be worrying over now.


----


IC: Saber dug her teeth into her lip, annoyed that her mental proddings had been acknowledged once again. Her insides went numb with the thrill and excitement of being in the company of her otherworldly kin, but she was yet to discover whether a potentially powerful mage and a wolf-kin had just happened to meet for the first time in such a building as The Tavern, greeted by such a person as herself. Despite all this intrigue and the creeping paranoia that ate away at her insides, she expertly suppressed it, and so her features and her mannerisms betrayed nothing.

With that, she noted the otherworldly eyes that gazed upon her from the young girl's skull. She then turned to Tixanhi and dipped her head, "My thanks for the compliment, you do me honor, sir." She then turned back to Venasia and waited to hear her name.

[EraAtrum]

OOC: Sorry, I failed to notice the single quotation marks. As for the question about my eyes, I knew that you had seen in my mind that I was a Zarathan, so I decided there was no point in hiding it.

IC: As Tixanhi spoke, Venasia let her gaze rest on him. She heard him introduce himself and the innkeeper. She realized that she had forgot to introduce herself to him. Blushing, she got up and walked towards him. "Excuse my impoliteness Tixanhi, it seems I've forgotten to tell you my name, I go by Venasia" she said with a small curtsy. Then she turned around and spoke to Saberat "Now, about the clothes and food, I could use them now, I'm catching a bit of a chill".

With that, she sat down to ponder her situation. She knew barely anything about these people, so she didn't want to get to close too soon (which she had a habit of doing), but she also didn't want to seem cold and impolite. Saberat's mind probing power might be a problem if she didn't have good intentions, but it was also that Venasia doesn't like people she doesn't know very well know much about her. She really hoped the innkeeper wouldn't find out about her parents, because then she might be forced to think about it too. She snapped out of it before she could dwell on her parents too long, she was defeating the point of her hoping Saberat wouldn't find out.