EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei gave Gallus a subtle shake of her head. "No, it is no concern of ours how much they tell of their past. We are just here to help them feel comfortable in talking with the priests, and to make sure they will be taken care of."

Once Daranus finished writing down the names and occupations of the family, he started glancing through the other documents on his desk seemingly without direction. "Okay, with that settled, I can offer you some beds here in the chapel temporarily. As for work, I will need to look through my records in greater detail to be certain, but...I do not know if there is work for a potter at the moment. There are certainly potters in the city, but I do not know if any would hire you at the moment. I do know that the guard are looking to build more guard posts outside the city soon, and are looking for laborers. There is also a restaurant that was opened not long ago by members of a good, faithful family, and they may be hiring for cleaning and other labor. As for nannies, I will need to ask our wealthier followers if any have need of one. But please, take today to rest. I will speak to you tomorrow once I have had a chance to ask around. Haressi can show you to a room."

Based on the way Daranus was talking, it seemed to be fairly certain now that the family would receive the help they needed. No doubt they would still need a lot, especially in terms of language, but they now had others who could help them besides the clan. "That sounds excellent." Meesei commented. "I am glad you will be getting the help you need, Pudaga. Is there anything more you need of us?"

Ma'tanza looked to Tzirret with a grin. "Than breasts?" She added, giggling to herself. "Thank you, Tzirret, that is very kind of you to say. And this one thinks that you are not nearly as nervous or awkward as people say you are. You are a little nervous, but it is...oh what is the work? Endangering? No, that's probably not it. Well, anyway, you are still a kind friend, and not a cloudy-cat. Except for the part where your fur is cloudy and you are a cat." She joked.

Although Ma'tanza had not taken offense to Tzirret's comment, she still seemed to just view it as a friendly compliment. If he ever intended to speak his true feelings, he would likely need to be much more direct when that time came.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I think I'll be going to bed soon. I'll respond tomorrow, provided electricity is still present.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Daranus shook his head. "No, but if it is within your will to work, then I'm sure we will be able to find what you need. I cannot guarantee that I can find you the exact kind of work you are looking for, but I know many of the faithful in the city who would be willing to hire you for a fair wage. I...do not know if you are followers of the Eight, but I firmly believe that Zenithar will give his blessing to the labors of any honest working man or woman. It is the works of the industrious that glorify him."

Pausing briefly, Daranus reached over to the edge of his desk and opened up one of the ledgers in front of him. He grabbed a quill and dipped it in ink before looking back up at the family. "Now, please tell me your names and occupations. I need to make sure to have you in my records. I can give you temporary accommodations here in the chapel for free for a short time, hopefully until we can find work for you."[/i]

"Oh..." Ma'tanza began, her eyes wide for a few moments after the realization. Although, eventually, she closed them and shook her head lightly with a grin on her face. "Ma'tanza cannot honestly say she is surprised. It is not the first time she has heard that. Usually, that particular...compliment comes from the more crude boys. But, this one can honestly believe that La'khay was trying to be nice. She is a very strange woman."

When Ma'tanza looked back up at the window, she could not help but to laugh. "Though, it also makes the Imperials seem even more strange. How odd is it that they have a goddess of mating when they are known for being so modest and prudish? It is as if their culture is designed just to confuse outsiders trying to understand it." She joked.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I know the feeling, except it is ice here. Don't know what will happen with it.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Once she heard the translation, Meesei gave a quick glance to Gallus before responding herself. "We can come with you Pudaga, at least to make sure your family will be safe here."

After Pudaga's question, the priestess' eyes widened ever so slightly when she realized that they were not yet properly introduced. "Oh, my apologies. Where are my manners? My name is Haressi. Just wait here a moment and I will go make sure Brother Daranus is available."

Haressi left briefly and headed downstairs to the chapel's lower rooms, though true to her word, she was only away for a few minutes. Once she returned, she quickly led them all downstairs, through a long hallway running under the main hall. They were taken to the room at the far end of the hall, which, upon entering, appeared to be an office. It had bookshelves filled with scrolls and ledgers, likely for record-keeping, along with a few tables and desks. Behind one of the desks sat an Imperial man in similar robes to Haressi. While not quite elderly, he was an older man with a bald head and a thick, mostly grey beard.

"Ah, welcome. Feel free to pull up a seat. Sister Haressi told me you are escaped slaves. You have my sympathies for having gone through such injustice. She also said that you are in desperate need of aid. I suppose my first question is what kind of aid do you need. Is your intention to seek help leaving the city, or to find a place here in it?"

Ma'tanza looked up at the window depicting Dibella with a hint of confusion. "So they have two love goddesses? That seems strange to Ma'tanza, and a bit confusing. A goddess of beauty, though, that does make sense. It especially makes sense that La'khay follows her. Her reputation in the clan isn't very...flattering, but she is a beautiful woman who can create some beautiful things. She is one of the one who likes to help others, men or women, with their appearances. She is also probably the most talented painter that Ma'tanza has ever met in person. She can make a painting that looks real enough to fool your eyes into thinking they are looking out of a window. It is a shame that everything she made was lost in the attack."

Ma'tanza glanced back down to the altar. "La'khay said once that Ma'tanza would be good at the 'Dibellan arts,' but she doesn't really know what that means."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

The priestess smiled encouragingly, particularly towards F'sresa. "Yes, Zenithar smiles upon the honest work of righteous men and women. It is good to hear that you all are willing to labor for the welfare of your family. So many who seek charity also forsake Zenithar's wise teachings in regards to labor. As I said before, I personally cannot offer you more than a bed for the night and a meal. I do not have any more authority than that. But if you come with me to speak with Brother Daranus and let him hear your story, he can give something more significant, and perhaps the work you need."

Being that the conversation was entirely in Ta'agra, Meesei could not follow along, and had to wait until a break in the conversation in order to speak. "Is everything going well? Will you be able to help them?" She asked.

"I do hope so." The priestess answered. "We will need to speak to Brother Daranus in order to give them the kind of help they need."

With a brief nod, Meesei turned to the family. "Shall we accompany you?" She asked before prompting the priestess to translate.

Ma'tanza chuckled. "This one thinks a lot of things about the Imperials are strange. Or, well, what she has been told about them is strange. The Dominion says the Empire has lost the power and prestige it once held. A lot of people talk like it isn't even the same Empire as before the Oblivion crisis, and the Thalmor say that Tamriel will be better off once they control everything. A place like this seems plenty prestigious, though Ma'tanza supposes that if it is old, then the current Empire didn't really build it."

Looking away briefly, Ma'tanza examined one of the altars, which was identical to all of the others apart from the inscription identifying it as being dedicated to Dibella. "Oh, Ma'tanza has heard this name before. Dibella. It was one of the pride you rescued...La'khay, Ma'tanza thinks. This one is not sure who Dibella really is, though."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Oh...my." The priestess remarked, obviously shocked. "That is terrible. Absolutely terrible. I...understand why you are here. I suppose you do not speak Cyrodilic, or have anyone in Leyawiin who can help you? I personally can offer you a bed here for the night and a warm meal, but you are probably needing more than that. Please, tell me what you require. Do you need to find a place within the city, or are you intending to go somewhere else? I will do what I can to make sure your labors help you reach that goal."

Ma'tanza walked with Tzirret when he tugged on her arm, though her gaze was still cast at the ceiling far above. She could hear even her own footsteps resonate through the massive hall. Eventually, her eyes settled one on of the stained glass windows depicting what seemed like a man with the head of a dragon. "It is...big. So tall and open. Ma'tanza has never been in a building like this before. There is so much stone here, but it is all carved so intricately. It must have taken ages to build. Khajiit temples are not built to be this...grand. This one supposes that is why she called it the 'Great' Chapel of Zenithar. The Empire must really have a lot of wealth and power to build something like this. Or...how old is this chapel?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei gave a brief nod to Gallus. "I would assume so, yes. We may have to speak to a few of them before we can find one who can help us, but these priests are meant to be a charitable organization. It is a faith that was founded by former slaves, so I would imagine they would be willing to help this family."

The group entered through the massive double doors into what appeared to be an expansive grand hall. There were stairs to their left and right leading down into a large open area, with rows upon rows of pews lined up facing an altar of the Eight divines on the far side of the chapel. Along the walls on all sides there were smaller altars devoted to the individual gods, directly underneath the tall and intricate stained glass windows that each portrayed a god in their pantheon. Only one of the nine windows did not seem to portray anything, nor did it have an altar beneath it.

Given that it was late in the day, there were only a handful of people in the chapel who were not priests, or otherwise worked in the chapel. Meesei scanned her eyes across the room until she spotted a Khajiit woman in priest's robes off to their left at one of the smaller altars. They could translate for the family if needed, but Meesei hoped to find someone who they could communicate with directly.

The priestess' ears twitched as she heard the footsteps of the group approaching behind her. After finishing her prayer, she turned her head to see that there were in fact quite a few people waiting to speak with her. "Oh, greetings. I do not believe I recognize any of your faces. Welcome to the Great Chapel of Zenithar. Is there anything this humble priestess can do for you all?" She asked with a bit of surprise in her voice.

"Yes, please." Meesei answered. "Do you speak Ta'agra? We have a family here with us that is in need of your help." She explained while gesturing to Pudaga.

The priestess nodded. "Yes, I do. What is wrong that the faithful of Zenithar could help you with?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Goodnight. I think I need to get to bed now. I'll respond tomorrow.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

With that matter settled, there was little else to say on the way to the city gates. They circled around west through the forest, then turned to get on the road once they were out of sight of the city gates, so that they could approach in the same way as normal travelers. As such, they were able to get into the city without any real issue or suspicion.

Since it was later in the afternoon, activity in the city was starting to wind down for the day. Most of the shops would only be open for another hour or so at most, and there was a small crowd of people in the streets who were already starting to head home for the day. For those who had never seen it, Leyawiin was not the largest, or otherwise most exceptional city, but it certainly had its own unique feel to it. The architecture had a unique blend of an orderly, Imperial aesthetic with the colorful decorative designs of a Khajiit city. The plants that were decorating the gardens, and the houses themselves were native to the swamps of the area, and made it feel as if the city could also belong in Black Marsh.

The group did not need to ask directions to find the temple, as its central tower was easily visible over most of the buildings. As soon as it came into the group's full view, its grandeur provided an immediate demonstration of the dedication to the Imperial faith of those who designed it. The temple, or chapel as the Imperials called it, was massive, with tall angular arches and intricate stained-glass windows. Ma'tanza could not help but to stop and look up at its tower in awe. While the Khajiit certainly built temples to their gods, they were not to this scale.