how does a monster become a monster?

[elegiaque]

WHO: Gwenaëlle Baudin, Nell Voss, Marcoulf Ricart, Lakshmi Bai & possibly another.
WHAT: An escort mission in southern Orlais.
WHEN: This month.
WHERE: Halamshiral, the Dales.
NOTES: Sub-headers in the comments.

Comments

𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔯𝔬𝔞𝔡 𝔱𝔬 𝔥𝔞𝔩𝔞𝔪𝔰𝔥𝔦𝔯𝔞𝔩

[elegiaque]

( a small group assembled by a small woman over the crystals; gather your belongings, get acquainted, and make your way. )

𝔥𝔞𝔩𝔞𝔪𝔰𝔥𝔦𝔯𝔞𝔩.

[elegiaque]

( they are expected.

the townhouse is still in the process of being shut up, though by the time they arrive, there are no other servants save the stone-faced man who anticipates them at the door; tall, gaunt, immovable. he says little, says mademoiselle just the same way he must have before said my lady, may be somewhat recognizable as having been present at the grand tourney, occasionally in the company of commander coupe when she shared that company with both vauquelin brothers.

his name is guilfoyle; he appears to be the steward, the gentleman's gentleman, that gwenaëlle made reference to.

there will be a day or so still before the townhouse is locked up and the party moves on. )

𝔭𝔞𝔰𝔰𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔱𝔥𝔯𝔬𝔲𝔤𝔥 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔡𝔞𝔩𝔢𝔰.

[elegiaque]

( they leave halamshiral with both gwenaëlle and her (retired) assassin. horses are available before they leave the city; her own is named persistence, matches her hair, and is still carrying her sensible travel supplies from the trip to falon'din's temple that she'd come from. she's dressed more appropriately for that adventure than for a young lady attending household affairs, which at least means they aren't as blatant a target for bandits as they might be. )

𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔳𝔞𝔲𝔮𝔲𝔢𝔩𝔦𝔫 𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔞𝔱𝔢.

[elegiaque]

( more mausoleum than home; a stately, sprawling place, an exquisite feat of architecture overlooking manicured landscape, no doubt the product of generations of indentured servitude. the servants still present are a relatively even split of human and elven, and much of gwenaëlle's business is the settling of their employment and assurances that they go on to work, leaving the vauquelin employ with generous payments to tide them over, letters of recommendation, quiet apologies. )