Quoted By:
<span class="mu-s"><span class="mu-b">Winner:</span></span> The Ivylands
<span class="mu-s"><span class="mu-r">17 + 17 = 34 General Diplomacy</span></span>
Your study sits on the second floor of Castle Liliendorf, where it commands a view of the crystal waters of Lake Lilien. You keep a tidy, spartan office devoid of the lavish decorations that would have been seen in the offices of higher nobles. A Khemian carpet with colors arranged in abstract mathematical patterns covers the floor, a gift from a merchant whose life you saved whilst hunting bandits for the Duke. Some few paintings hang upon the walls, most of them landscapes you painted in your spare time. A <span class="mu-i">worthy</span> subject of the arts, unlike the pornography produced by a certain man who's already folded up his plate and commandeered himself a space on the couch.
The bookshelves hold a good number of tomes of philosophy and war, though most of the shelf space sits empty at the current time. Off to one side, where the sun's light never directly touches them, your most prized collection of books takes up an entire bookshelf. Hilde set up a press in her workshop, and its first run was to print a dozen copies of the Holy Canon in its entirety. All seventy-seven volumes of canon scripture - as decreed by Popess Rosaline I and the Council of Flowers - sit upon that shelf, making it the only bookcase in the office that is completely filled.
"I see you're a fan of scripture, Lady Louise," there is a note of amusement in the Earl's voice when he comments on your collection. "Tell me, do you prefer the books of laws, or the ones that speak on the saints and their deeds?"
"If I had to choose..." your voice trails off as you ponder for a moment. <span class="mu-s"><span class="mu-g">But really, it's not a difficult choice to make. There's only one correct answer.</span></span> "The Book of Dawn. The tale of St. Lumine rising above the sinful life she partook in, and casting down the wicked sorceress who blotted out the sun always spoke to me."
"Interesting," the Earl says. "So many people are caught up in the books of law that they forget the reason why the LORD gave them to us. It's good to see that you're the more romantic sort who looks to the deeds of those who strove to live up to those laws."
As you take a seat behind your desk, he settles into a chair. Behind him, Olanna's eyes dart between the Earl and Damien, uncertain where she should go. You wave her to take a seat next to Damien... who only stops taking up the whole couch with his lounging when your eyes snap to him. Not in anger, but in disappointment. As you expected, that works even better to make him sheepishly give Olanna room to sit.
