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Video: Act 2 Scene 3, What the Water Brings

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Livia Merimbus

The success of the Leaping Lion can be attributed in large part to Livia. Yes, Leventhos' hard work and dedication to building up the tavern was paramount, but it was Livia's fine taste that truly brought in the customers. When Livia met her future husband, it had been under unusual circumstances - Livia's then partner had come to the Leaping Lion for a drink, and she'd followed along. Little did she expect the night to turn out as it did.

The man that she came with - his name is of so little importance in the narrative - had just returned from a long voyage out at sea and desperately needed a drink. So he had a dozen, and ended up wrecking the Lion. He was a burly man, and though Leventhos tried desperately to convince him to leave, the man was not one to be persuaded. In fact, all Ven's prodding and prompting did was annoy the man, who proceeded to make it his mission to overturn every piece of furniture in the tavern. When his destructive spree had finally ended, the man stormed off, so inebriated that he forgot that he'd come with company.

Livia, seeing the destruction and feeling sorry for Ven, offered to stay and give advice on the reconstruction - she'd noticed quite a few areas with the potential to be polished. Ven agreed and the Leaping Lion endured a makeover that attracted patrons in great numbers after.

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The Sailheart

Orphanages in Ombre are uncommon, and I'd personally never stepped into one prior to entering the Sailheart. In the Citte, it is hard enough to take care of oneself; taking care of children that aren't even related by blood seems almost masochistic. I have one part admiration and one part pity for those who would willingly subject themselves to caring for such an establishment - they should be respected for the warmth of their hearts, but I cannot bring myself to say that such a choice is a wise one in the Citte.

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Kalden Azrus

So the truth has come to light.

Jaxus Corvail, brother of the Songstress Orlana, had been involved with Kalden, it seems. They loved each other; that much is clear from what I've observed.

And so he is talios. The first I've known personally. Impersonally, I might have heard rumours about some of my past acquaintances, but that was all hearsay. This - this is real.

If I were to be honest, I'm not entirely sure how to feel about this.

For a while I'd thought his secret had a nefarious element to it, and then I began to think it might have something to do with the investigation, but this... I wasn't expecting this.

Ages... What do I say to him? I have nothing against him - what he does with his personal affairs is his business, not mine. Preferably, his personal business stays with him; letting it bleed into the investigation would not be wise or professional, but...

I should look forward. This can be ignored. These are his affairs, and they should stay that way. Nothing needs to change.

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Talios

In Ombre, legacies define the value of life. Familial branches are cultivated with care and offspring are more than simply responsibilities - they are vessels through which a person's Legacy survives. Those whose inclinations lead them away from the typical course of bearing children are labeled talios - blights upon Legacies, whose lack of proclivity towards growing the branches of a family tree earn them the contempt of society.

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Vint

The concept of a family means drastically different things depending on which part of the Citte one hails from. To the Masquerada, familial ties are ones formed by blood and blood alone; they are the substance that holds Legacies together, and consequently are revered with utmost deference. To the Contadani, however, blood means far less. Most of us that grew up in the gutters have missing squares in the patchwork that is our family tree - a long-lost mother or an unidentifiable father. I am lucky in that I know both my parents and even luckier that I grew up under their care in a thing many would call a family. Few other Contadani are as fortunate and consequently they treat blood relations as insignificant. With this lack of reverence for biological bonds comes a certain freedom, however - the ability to choose those that one would regard as family.

Such is the case with orphans like Vint. I admit that I do not know her familiarly but it is easy to tell from the way she talks about Kalden and the other children that the Sailheart is as much a home to her as any of the guilds are to a Masquerada, and within this home of hers is where she has found her family.

She seems like a girl of strong enough character - jaded enough for one her age, but I suppose that's to be expected from someone who grew up as Contadani - and despite the rough conditions she must have had to live through, has maintained an enviable simplicity in the way she sees the world. I don't suppose she picked that up from Kalden - that man's life is far from simple and even farther from enviable - but it's refreshing indeed. Though I hope she does not involve herself too deeply in this investigation, I'm hoping that this isn't the last time our paths cross.

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Orlana Corvail

Desperation is a common motive that drives the actions of many in the Citte. I have seen the extents to which it pushes the people and the consequences it has. Orlana might have simply taken Kalden's journal, but that move is more than just petty thievery - it is a crossing of boundaries by a member of a faction that has sworn to maintain neutrality. I know not how exactly her involvement is going to steer the course of events, but only that it will.