Getting to know you, getting to know all about you…

Having been brought together by the fortuitous coincidence of each of us encountering one of Lady Gundred’s servitors, we meet; and are introduced to one another, more or less. Lady Gundred and her entourage are preparing to make their annual pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Anastasia the Merciful, who is the intercessor for mercy, grief and sorrow She hires the five of us to accompany her on her journey.

During the first evening together, I-na’Queh, Sarmad and Melrose became fast acquaintances, discovering their common bond of fire. Sarmad is a worshipper of fire, in the Zoroastrian faith, and the other two are simply worshippers of fire. Qan is in search of tea with no butter, and Giulio tells most of his tale to the Lady Gundred, who does not seem to believe quite all of it, especially the part about the second Church. In the early evening several of them practice knife throwing, an endeavour that Talbot in particular is quite good with Giulio, who is attracted to the man, begins practice, feigning clumsiness at first and then rapid improvement, with the intent of possibly seducing the older man; however, Talbot catches on to the act and Giulio does not pursue the other.

Noticing that I-na’Queh was wounded, Talbot offers to help by bleeding her. When Sarmad explains “bleeding” to her, she flees from Talbot, equating his ideas with those of the Aztecs.

Sarmad invites I-na’Queh and Melrose to remove their clothes; Melrose refuses, and by his words, “I don’t remove all my clothing even to bathe”, Sarmad suspects that Melrose is not a man.