Alu-fiends are not truly a devil nor a demon, they are a specific type of Cambion. One who is half fiend and half something else, generally a mortal of some sort. While most Cambion are monstrous in appearance and weaker than their fiendish ancestor; the Alu-fiend becomes perhaps the most attractive member of their father’s race and their succubi powers become specialized to the race they appear as.
They retain almost all of the abilities of their mother, though less potent save for their abilities to manipulate races similar to their father. While most Alu-fiends are monsters that hold the same allegiances as their mothers, some like tieflings have rejected their fiendish ancestry and help fight against the fiends though even those should never be trusted.
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Adrian
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I am giving a glare at the two Althaen, before they begin acting like the Althaen that I am familiar with.
“You have no standing in our law peasant.”
“Oh, so a noble has no standing? I wield the power of magic and hold the surname of Ravnos.”
The two men laugh and the dwarf frowns. The soldiers are just watching with curiosity.
“There are no magi from this land with the strength to support a house.”
“So, you challenge my claim? Fine, Vithrã and Sunchaser did the same.”
Before I finish twisting reality to smite these Althaen with lightning, the dwarf speaks once more.
“There are to be no challenges of combat. This is neutral ground for diplomacy between the Dwarven Nations, the United States, and other civil people of Althrá. Do not insult people of other factions or house Tythus may be requested to leave.
I am sorry Lord Ravnos but your house’s name is not on the list of approved houses though I can petition for it to be added.
Would you like for me to do that?”
The two Althaen begin to leave the gate, headed into the city. Too bad, I was going to kill them.
“Will that allow my allies access?”
“After getting screened for demonic influence, yes.”
“And how will that be done?”
“A paladin would be called to do that.”
“Is one available?”
“One can be here by dusk; given that the proper fees are paid.”
I cannot help but groan, here comes the moneygrubbing part of their race.
“And how much are these fees?”
“15 standard coin weights of gold or equivalent currency.”
“What is the conversion for US currency and for copper and silver coins?”
“The conversion for your paper money is still being determined and thus is unavailable at this time. A regulation weight copper piece has an hundredth of the value of a regulation weight silver coin. The same holds true for silver to gold.”
Great I guess I’m going to be out of most of the coins I had picked up.
[No, we should keep them. Why should we pay to grace them with our presence?]
[It’s not about having to pay or not. This is just for the convenience of getting the supplies we need.]
[I don’t like it.]
[Neither do I, but we need to. How many coins are in Void Cache anyways?]
[9623 coppers, 1306 silver and 2 gold coins]
Great, so I’ll be basically broke after this single fee.
“Of course, there is a two percent fee for money changing should you need it.”
“Call for a banker too then.”
The dwarf nods, “I will return by dusk with the necessary people.”
This is going to be annoying. As he turns around to go and call for the other people that are needed, I turn back around to the others of my group. Abagail is whispering to my mother, probably translating what we were saying.
Once both the Althaen and dwarf are out of earshot, the soldiers manning the gate finally speak.
“How did you manage to learn their language?”
“Talking with a few people from their world.”
The soldiers just nod before going back to their work and I have little to do save wait.
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Once the dwarf bureaucrat returns he does so with a human in chainmail and another dwarf in what I think is just regular clothes for a dwarven civilian. Cotton spun tunic and pantaloons.
“The paladin and money changer I assume.”
“Sir Anthonius Brightblade and Brun Goldenhammer. Knight in the Order of Silver Roses and Accountant of the Silvered Rose Bank respectively.”
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“Shall we get started then?” I ask.
The moneychanger steps forwards first, “how much needs to be exchanged?” he asks.
“Nine thousand, five hundred and ninety-five coppers to ninety-five silvers then a thousand three hundred and thirteen silvers for thirteen gold.”
“You have included the surcharge, so you are trained in arithmetic?”
“Most citizens of the United States are.”
“A product of your public education yes? Anyways where are these coins you wish to exchange?”
Rather than answer I simply turn my hand over and have the coins appear between us. In stacks, apparently dragon-me must have organized them at some point. I cannot help but smirk as the dwarves both grin as money appears out of nowhere, the paladin however frowns.
I guess that whatever deity he follows dislikes magic. The accountant quickly counts the coins with nigh preternatural speed. He quickly nods with joy as he puts the coinage in a pouch. After doing so he counts out ninety-five silver and passes them to me.
Before he begins to ask about the second transaction I mentioned, I wave my hand the silver within the bag passed to me by the dwarf falls into Void Cache; then I pull out the silver coins within Void Cache, once more they are in nice stacks.
Once more the dwarves’ eyes gleam with their racial greed. Somehow the dwarf managed to count these coins even faster than he did the copper coins. And for all that speed of counting the coins I am almost sure that he truly felt pain at giving me the few golden coins that I am sure I overpaid for.
“You would not happen to wish to have a transaction for platinum or mithril coins would you?”
“No.”
“Too bad, I will be going then.”
With that the dwarf simply leaves after muttering something in his native language. At this point the other dwarf nods to the human paladin who then walks up and pulls out a necklace.
The necklace is made of some sort of bluish silver; an engraved decorative rose carved into it. The man raises the necklace as if presenting it for all to see.
“Mother of Roses, patron of beauty thine servant calls upon thee to smite any fiends for they are destroyers of art and slayers of the beautiful.”
A bright light that I almost cannot help but cringe at burst forth from the symbol, though as it’s light falls over myself and the trio nothing happens to us. Apparently none of us deserve to be smitten by this man's god, or it goddess?
I suppose it does not really matter. Regardless the dwarf who is not the accountant moves closer to me.
“I’ll need to collect the fees now” he says, his hands out for the golden coins he knows are in my hands.
There is a frown on my face as I give him the coins.
After counting the coins, the dwarf nods a smile on his lips and he turns to Talia and Lysan.
“You are free to enter, though I cannot guarantee that your new house will be added to the list of houses.” After which he turns to K.
“Identity and method of entry?”
“Kythia Bloodclaw, Matriarch of the Children of the Moon.”
“I had thought your people dead. No matter, you have not lied and the Children of the Moon are still on the Dwarven Registry of Allied Peoples.
There is the matter of the annual fees for being on said list have not been paid in a decade, though that is not handled by me. You will need to visit the Center of Financial Affairs before you leave this city.”
The dwarf then nods towards the guards and they pull the gate open for us all to pass through.
As we pass through one of the guards, a male in his late teens or early twenties who clearly does not want to be where he is, points us towards a building labeled 'New Arrival’ in English, Althaen and Dwarven.
We walk into the building to see a few men in differing types of clothing, one is some sort of army commander, while there are also two dwarves, a member of an Althaen house and a woman who I believe is a politician. I don’t remember what her office was though.
Within a few seconds of our entry the woman almost shouts at the soldier, while pointing in our direction.
“See, I told you this location is not a waste of resources. People from the surrounding towns are coming in!”
After a moment that is simply a frown from the soldier, the politician turns to us.
“Hello, welcome to Kansas City. I am Maranda Wiles, acting mayor. This is: General David Fuller of the US Military, Pontiff Gallard Chiass of House Chaiss, Secretary Regis and prince Ruthard of Rüthgart.
I apologize for omitting their last names but I would rather not butcher the pronunciation.”
I wait and let Abagail speak, after all the bard should be the best at talking. I am not disappointed as it is indeed her who take advantage of my pause, holding her hand out to the politician.
“I and Abagail, please let me introduce you all to our group. But first, do you speak English Lord Chaiss, Secretary Regis and prince Ruthard? Or will I need to speak my sentences in more than one language?”
The three all show a necklace embossed with a spiral tower before Regis replies, “Rüthgart has commissioned several amulets of unknown tongues for interactions for events such as this. Your courtesy is appreciated and we may request your services as a translator at a later time.”
There is a look of surprise from Miranda and General Fuller at Abagail speaking the language of another world, though they quickly cover it up.
“Then without further delay this is Bryan Grace, my boyfriend, Kathrine Ravnos and her children: Adrian, Anthony and Frank. Talia and Lysan Alanthíer, and Kythia Bloodclaw.”
“You speak the language of these people?” interrupts General Fuller once he sees that the introductions were finished.
“Most of us do, they taught us their language as we taught them ours.”
“Miranda, will you please see to the lodgings for them while I speak to Kathrine and the two young men?”
“I can,” Miranda responds before turning to the other leaders, “we will have to continue at a later time. I apologize.”
“Rüthgart understands and we congratulate you on the return of some of your kin.” replies Regis before both of the dwarves give a slight nod and leave the room.
Gallard does not reply but I see a sneer form as he turns to leave. I think he will be a problem.
“This way please.” Miranda says as she leaves, all but Kathrine, Bryan and me follow behind her.
Once they have left, General Fuller begins to talk.
“As much as I would like to hear about how you managed to arrive here on foot, I have too much work to do.
I would hear your opinion on the otherworlders.”
He looks at my mother as he said this, though she turns to Bryan and me as she responds.
“They would know better than me. I only interacted with the three that follow my son around.”
With that he turns to Bryan as he was slightly closer to him than me.
“What group?”
“The one that will talk.”
“There is more than one group that can do that. They are divided into factions just like we are.” I interject.
“Oh and can you tell the factions apart because they all seem the same to me.”
“We can, they tend to divide themselves along racial lines and then into subfactions from there.”
“Oh and what groups are there?”
“The humans, or Althaen, are split into what they call noble houses that function like multiple collectives of city states. They are a despotic Magocracy, though each house differs from another.
The other groups we haven’t had much interaction with but the dwarves have a mercantile republic made out of Monarchic city states and divide themselves by clans.
The elves also have a monarchy and divide themselves into houses.
I don’t think the gnomes or halflings have a government but they do divide themselves into families. They tend to integrate into other people’s cities and towns.
Then there are also smaller groups like the Lycanthropes, Beastkins and other sentients. While not as numerous as the prior groups shouldn’t be ignored or lumped into another faction.”
“Well congratulations boys, you’ve convinced me that you know what you’re talking about and I wouldn’t understand the answer.
The draft has been reinstated but you two won’t end up being infantry. A grunt will go to your lodgings in the morning to pick you up.”
With that General Fuller turns to the door and leaves, ignoring my mother’s verbal protests.
“Lets just get it sorted out tomorrow.” Bryan says and I am inclined to do just that.
After all I can’t be with my girlfriends if I’m running around in the army. Then again, he did mention not being infantry, I still would rather not be in it at all though.