Legendary - A Normal Day in Katarina

Sunday, June 26, 1066 SE, continued

Reviewing this morning’s Katarina Chronicle, Marigold reads the front-page article to her friends and tells Branna that her name is misspelled. Branna is incensed. Looking at the other front-page article, Branna mentions to Mon and Marigold that the article does not provide a list of the prisoners who escaped nor mention the names of escapees. Mon suspects that the explosion at Sidorov Manor might have been a distraction to allow someone to infiltrate the Cathedral and exfiltrate prisoners. Mon then wonders whether Anya is one of the prisoners rescued from the Cathedral’s dungeons. Marigold is concerned that some of these prisoners might seek to escape Katarina on their ships when they depart on Tuesday. 

Spending a little silver, Marigold sends out pageboys to gather information on the prisoners who are reported to have escaped. Meanwhile, with the Marquess currently homeless and deprived of all of her clothes, Mon proposes that the Legendary could donate some of the fancier dresses in the costume department to have a temporary wardrobe while she works on replacing her losses. Branna and Marigold consider this a good idea, so they head to the theater and enter the administrative quarter, looking for Sir Gregory.

Passing by accounting, they observe Josef and his coworkers counting the receipts from the night before. Mon inquires about the previous night's success. Josef tells the actor they are pleased with the funds collected; the house has been sold out every night since the King arrived. 

They reach Sir Gregory’s office, only to see it dark. Obviously, Sir Gregory would not be at work on a Sunday morning. Mon uses the device Orest created for him to contact Sir Gregory. The theater owner forgot he had this device and is surprised to be contacted. Mon can hear Sir Gregory conversing with Ony, and Sir Gregory tells his butler he will lie down and nap until the horse races at Thunderhoof Downs.

The pageboy Marigold queries for information and returns with additional details concerning the escaped prisoners in the Cathedral.

Bohdan Chernyak, 54, was a charismatic scholar and philosopher. He advocated for a society where power was distributed more equitably and individual freedoms were paramount. His writings challenged the absolute authority of the Church. He was imprisoned for sedition and heresy four years ago.

Olena Kravchenko, 41, was a fiery orator and leader of a peasant uprising in Klara. She demanded land reform and an end to the oppressive taxation system. Her short-lived rebellion was brutally suppressed, and she was imprisoned nine years ago to serve as an example to others.

Yurii Fedorov, 48, was a prominent merchant and banker who openly criticized the Cardinal's economic policies, arguing they were stifling trade and harming the common people. He was convicted of treason and undermining the authority of the Church and was imprisoned two years ago.

Dmytro Melnyk, 30, was a renowned artist and sculptor who satirized the excesses of the nobility and the corruption within the Church. His art was deemed subversive and blasphemous, leading to his imprisonment two years ago.

Sofiya Koval, 44, was a scholar and theologian who questioned the infallibility of the Church and advocated for a more nuanced interpretation of religious doctrine. Her writings were deemed heretical, and she was imprisoned to prevent the spread of her ideas last year.

Ivan Horbach, 63, was a healer and herbalist who practiced folk medicine incorporating ancient pagan traditions. His methods were condemned as witchcraft, and he was imprisoned eleven years ago to protect the Church's monopoly on healing. 

Hanna Lysenko, 19, was a young woman who claimed to have visions and communicate with spirits. Her teachings attracted a small but devoted following, but the Church deemed her a dangerous heretic and imprisoned her last year.

Mykola Ivanenko, 52, was an alchemist and inventor who experimented with forbidden knowledge, including manipulating the elements and creating artificial life. His experiments were deemed a threat to the natural order, and he was imprisoned for his transgressions five years ago.

Tetiana Kolesnyk, 47, was an astrologer and seer with an uncanny ability to predict future events. Her knowledge was considered a threat to the established order, and she was imprisoned four years ago to prevent her from sharing her insights. She correctly predicted the arrival of the Cardinal on Katarina.

Andriy Petrov, age unknown, is suspected of being a skilled spy and assassin in the service of a foreign adversary. He was caught infiltrating the Cathedral's inner circle. His mission remains unclear, but the Cardinal fears he may have compromised the security of the Church. Petrov was imprisoned over two years ago to prevent him from revealing his secrets or carrying out further attacks.

Mon notices that Anya is not mentioned anywhere on the list. Marigold gives the pageboy another silver coin to thank him for his efforts. She suggests that Mon visit Captain Popov to see if the good captain has acquired additional information from his sources. 

Mon heads to the Anchor’s Luck. With a large crowd congregating by the Cathedral for the upcoming church service at 10, he goes down the east staircase and makes it to Low Town. There is a clear lack of visible law enforcement in this section of town, as everyone is obviously focused on the King's visit to the Cathedral. Entering the Anchor’s Luck, Mon finds the tavern empty of most of its usual guests, but a couple of sailors stand by the counter drinking, while the old captain is seated in his favorite chair by the fireplace, 

Mon asks Popov to tell him about more adventures. Popov regals him with his adventures at sea, his fight with the baby Kraken, and the time he explored the merdwarf village at the bottom of the ocean. Eventually, he gets to talking about the prisoners. Mon mentions Dhuka and that her sister Anya might have escaped. Popov tells him he hasn’t heard of any other folks having escaped, but then he yawns and suggests that Mon accompany him back to his apartment. Leaving the Anchor’s Luck, they turn right and enter the warren of workforce housing. Popov lives on the second floor of a tenement house. He unlocks the door to his small space and welcomes Mon inside. The curtains have been shot in his room, and it is eerily dark, but a shape in the Captain’s bed indicates someone else is in the room. Popov closes and locks the door behind him before parting the curtains. To Mon’s surprise, Anya is cuddled in the room, wrapped in a blanket despite the stifling June heat. Mon introduces himself and tells her he knows his sister Dhuka very well. Anya smiles sadly at him but does not say anything.

Popov and Mon discuss how to transport Anya and Dhuka off Katarina. In the end, Popov suggests he take the girls tonight on his boat, as it is less likely anyone would be watching in the middle of the night. He will then wait for the Legendary’s ships to leave the harbor on Tuesday and intercept them at sea.

While Mon spends time with Popov, Branna makes her way to the Cathedral and is one of the last individuals allowed through security. She enters a packed Cathedral where security is omnipresent. She gets a seat on the last bench. Near the front, she can see the King and the Archduke, but the Archduke’s family is not in attendance. Branna has not attended a service at the Cathedral before, but she finds the ceremony pleasantly peaceful—until the Cardinal steps in the pulpit. He informs the assembled folks that the theme of his sermon today is “The Fires of Wrath Burn Upon the Wicked!”

The Cardinal, his voice booming through the grand hall of the Cathedral, begins his sermon with a stern countenance, his voice clearly carrying everywhere. “My brothers and sisters, I see the rot creeping into our fair city of Katarina! Lawlessness runs rampant like a plague upon Katarina's soul! Greed, lust, and a disregard for the divine law have taken root in the hearts of men! The very foundations of our society tremble under the weight of their sins!”

He thunders, “The streets are no longer safe for honest folk! Rogues and scoundrels roam free, preying upon the weak and the innocent. The sanctity of our homes is violated, and their wickedness shatters the peace of our souls! Do you not see, my flock, that the fires of hell lick at our heels?”

The Cardinal’s voice dropped to a menacing whisper, “But fear not, for God is just! His wrath will descend upon the wicked, and the flames of eternal damnation shall consume them! Let this be a warning to all who stray from the righteous path! Repent, confess your sins, and return to the light of the Lord, or face the eternal consequences!”

He raised his voice again, “For I tell you, God’s patience is not infinite! He has seen the wickedness in your hearts, the greed in your eyes, and the lust in your souls! Turn from your wicked ways or face His wrath! For the day of reckoning is nigh, and the fires of hell await those who dare to defy the divine will!”

The Cardinal concludes his sermon with a chilling pronouncement: “Let this be a lesson to all! God watches over us, and he will not tolerate sin and lawlessness in his kingdom!” He then descends from the pulpit, leaving the congregation shaken and subdued.

As she exits the building, Branna runs into Dusana, who regularly attends church. They discuss the sermon. Dusana wonders whether this is a signal the Cardinal is sending to the royal troops who were supposed to be coming with the King to land and finally enforce the law. Dusana does not seem eager at the prospect of armed soldiers on the island.

With Branna at the Cathedral and Mon at the Anchor’s Luck, Marigold checks on Dhuka to ensure she’s fine. The child expresses her displeasure at being cooped up. Marigold tells her they will leave soon, so she should begin packing. Dhuka asks if she can return to her room and gather some of her things. Marigold agrees. With everyone at the Cathedral, Dhuka is probably safe. However, she tells her she’s only got an hour to pack up. She accompanies Dhuka back to the Legendary before departing to visit the Marquess of Sidorov. 

Knocking on the door of Lady Sirenko’s townhouse, Marigold is greeted by Olehiv, who accompanies her to the sitting room. Marigold is surprised there are no servants aside from Olehiv. Marigold, the Marquess, and Lady Sirenko discuss the recent evasion at the Cathedral and who might be behind it. During the conversation, Mon sends Marigold a message about Anya, letting her know he has made contact with her and he will advise of the plan Popov and he crafted to get them off the island. Marigold tells the Marquess that they will exfiltrate Dhuka and take her to the mainland with them. The Marquess gives Marigold a purse containing 10 gold pieces for Dhuka’s sojourn in Sezja. 

The Marquess then mentions she will attend the Thunderhoof Down horse races in the afternoon. Marigold raises the absence of staff. The Marquess informs her that, unfortunately, she will need to furlough most of her personnel until Sidorov Manor is reconstructed. Marigold tells her Branna will get her a few more elegant costumes from the Legendary she can wear for now until she can reconstitute a wardrobe. The Marquess is thrilled.

Returning to the Legendary, Mon, Branna, and Marigold meet for lunch. Branna has already selected and altered several outfits for the Marquess. Branna mentions Dusana attending church, and they speculate on whether Marigold’s boss might more conventional and conservative than they thoughts. Marigold then tells them Dhuka went to her room to pack a bag with the things she most wanted to take. Branna returns to her room to check on Dhuka, but she’s not there. They rush to her room in one of the ceilings of the Legendary. 

Entering the room, the first thing Mon see is Dhuka sitting on her bed and staring at the wall. In a chair, near her is Dr. Sadistik. He greets the actor and his friends, and tells him he’s glad to see him again. Mon experiences a repressed memory. He remembers a clockwork mechanism Dr. Sadistik was working on connected to a little girl by pipes. He also recalls Dr. Sadistik purposefully breaks each of his fingers on right hand one at a time, before setting them back in.

Dr. Sadistik asks Mon if he would be willing to come back with him so they can pursue the great work the doctor began all these years ago. Mon declines, and Dr. Sadistik smirks and tells him his older sister might be an acceptable substitute. Mon sees the shadowy form of Zoryani splitting into two, hinting that he might have more than one sibling. 

Branna removes Dhuka from the room. She willingly goes with the seamstress, even if she is not quite all there. Dr. Sadistik gently warns Mon that he’s an experiment that has not yet been completed. As the doctor leaves, Marigold steps on his outfit and Dr. Sadistik stumbles. He looks at her and smiles before leaving the room. Mon shadowsteps in front of him, surprising him.

Returning to her Palace room, Branna notices Dhuka seems more engaged. She’s confused and does not remember much beyond heading to her room. She wants to return to her room to pack her favorite stuff. Branna agrees, but later today, when she returns from the horse races.

Escorted with two pageboys carrying boxes containing the Marquess’ temporary dresses, Branna and Marigold return to Lady Sirenko’s townhouse. Finally properly dressed, the Marquess heads with Branna and Marigold to Thunderhoof Down in her carriage. 

Security is heavy, but they finally enter the stands. The Marquess heads to her box. Branna and Marigold notice Mon is already here, talking with Sir Gregory in his booth. He soon joins them. Mon mentions Pavel to the Marquess. As a master carpenter, he would be great at designing and leading the effort to rebuild Sidorov Manor. He also suggests that he will soon have a luxury apartment inside the Legendary and would be more than willing to let the Marquess live there.

As the first race sets up, betting begins, but the Marquess is displeased to find out there is a five gold piece bet limit per race. Mon relays the Marquess’ bet on Running Lightning at 7:1 to Sir Gregory through the device he gave him. Running Lightning speeds the track and wins the race, earning the Marquess and Sir Gregory a cool 35 gold pieces. As more races occur with the same betting limit, Mon realizes that someone stole the gold used for bets and that the explosion at Sidorov Manor might, in fact, have hidden the robbery at Thunderhoof Down. Who would have done it?

By the end of the afternoon, the Marquess correctly picked nine of the thirteen winners and earned 270 gold pieces. Thanks to Mon, Sir Gregory also made 270 gold pieces, which is nowhere near the amount he will need to pay his creditors tomorrow.

Returning home just before dinner, Branna escorts Dhuka back to her room. While there, she returns the cookbook that belonged to Dhuka’s mother where the Cardinal’s journal was hidden. It’s one of the few things Dhuka’s mother left her before she disappeared.

Legendary - Sidorov Manor Devastated!

Saturday, June 25, 1066, later in the morning

With the roles distributed for the upcoming production of Ivan's Quest, Mon will perform as Eagle, one of the three beings who help Ivan in his quest. Branna collects food from the Palace's cafeteria and brings Dhuka a late breakfast. She asks the child to stay in her room all day, which is probably the safest place. 

As Mon goes about his business, he is cornered by Pavel, who informs him that he heard some information from the grapevine and that Mon should spend a lot of time in a public place tonight so that many people can see him. Mon informs him he will attend the Marquess of Sidorov's party tonight. Pavel expresses concerns that Mon might make himself a target, considering that the Cardinal is sure to be there with several of his men. Mon demonstrates several masks he could wear that would not hide enough of his features to be unrecognizable. After seeing multiple options, Pavel agrees that Mon will probably be fine, but he suggests Mon needs to be vigilant tonight.

Meanwhile, a page boy delivers Marigold a note. From Captain Popov, the note is written in a shaky hand and requests she joins him as soon as possible. The halfling packs her pockets with food from the cafeteria lunch serving and heads to the Anchor's Luck. Captain Popov is thrilled to see her, and he tells her he can only afford to send one message, so he thought he would reach out to the most responsible individual he knows. He informs her he's heard whispers that someone is planning a deadly attack at the Marquess' Masked Ball tonight and that she, Branna, and Mon would do well to avoid being there. Marigold tells the good captain they will be very careful, but as Branna is the Marquess' guest since she was responsible for her dress, it would be poor etiquette for her not to be there.

Returning to the Legendary, Marigold finds Mon and Branna and reports her conversation with Captain Popov. Mon is immediately concerned, and he decides to notify the guard. With Dima currently under questioning for one of the attacks last night at the Legendary, Mon dispatches an anonymous note to Dima's deputy, warning him of a deadly plot against the Marquess. 

The afternoon passes in a hive of preparations as Branna readies herself. Mon, who had invited Marigold as his plus-one, puts together an outfit. Marigold is slightly panicked at the thought of having to dress up but eventually puts together an outfit that will do, with plenty of pockets for her tools and to bring back some of the Marquess' famous fudge.

As time nears and they wait in front of the Legendary to be picked up, Branna suddenly realizes the Marquess is not sending a carriage. She and Branna did not discuss the logistics of Branna traveling to Sidorov Manor, and now they must hustle if they want to arrive on time. Marigold, Mon, and Branna end up walking to Sidorov Manor. As they near the gate of Sidorov Manor, they put on their masks. Branna wears the mask of a parrot. Mon wears a transparent mask with a handlebar mustache and goatee painted on it. Marigold wears a delicate mask covering part of her face. They can hear the faint sounds of music getting louder as they near the estate.

City guards stand at the gate to the manor grounds and check the invitations of all arriving guests. Most guests ride in their carriage, but some are arriving on foot as well. Branna, Mon, and Marigold are closely scrutinized by the guards, and Mon is pleased to see heavy security. Passing through the gate, they see several dozen carriages parked on the lawn on the east side of the manor. A large white and yellow tent has been set up in the field on the west side of the manor. White tables and chairs have been placed underneath the canopy, and serving stations are in each of the tent's corners. A steady stream of servants emerges from the manor's kitchen carrying food and drinks. The tent already feels crowded, and the mood music floats from the band present in the southwest corner. As they walk towards the tent, Mon notices several additional city guards deployed out in the fields and by the manor entrances. Additionally, twenty royal guards stand on the edge of the tent, with three of them within a few steps of the King.

Branna goes off to find the Marquess. She soon discovers that the Marquess has not yet appeared. She is awaiting everyone's arrival before making her grand entrance. Mon and Marigold mingle with the guests, who are all wearing elaborate masks. The Cardinal is wearing a slim mask that barely hides his eyes, but his red robes give him away. The Archduke and the King also wear clever masks but are otherwise recognizable. Some of the other guests are harder to identify, however. Marigold suggests to Mon that they should look at the guests' footwear to find people who don't belong there. Anyone could rent a costume and a mask, but they would not generally think about changing their shoes. Taking a closer look, they soon identify that the Cardinal has two men with him in disguise. They stay close to him.

Finding Olehiv, Branna advises him she's received several reports that there might be violence at the Manor tonight. Olehiv tells Branna that the Marquess looks resplendent in the beautiful green dress the half-elf designed and created for her. She's currently with Lady Sirenko, putting the finishing touches to her hair, and she will be down in a few minutes to join the party.

While Mon watches for people acting out of place, Marigold examines the food for tampering. No one notices her. Everything she tests does not appear to have been tampered with. Taking a closer look at the guests, Mon realizes that Dr. Sadistik is not in attendance. He also identifies six other people who were wearing boots instead of shoes. 

Seeing the actor maneuvering through the crowd, Sir Sergeii approaches Mon and, after commenting on the evening and the setting, informs the actor that a concern was brought to Sir Gregory by the crew about the expense of being away for three weeks. Sir Gregory informed Sir Sergeii of this concern. As a result, the King's cousin has arranged to distribute bonuses to the second crew to cover their living expenses while in Sezja. Mon seizes the opportunity to mention to Sir Sergeii the possibility of investing in the Legendary. Sir Sergeii replies that he is very interested, considering the Legendary an institution with a disproportional impact on the culture of the kingdom. During his conversation, Mon sees the Legendary's owner and his manservant Ony walk in through the gate. Sir Gregory, who lives on the other side of town, evidently walked all the way here. Mon attracts his attention and mentions that Sir Sergeii is very interested in discussing possible investment opportunities. Sir Gregory's face immediately lights up, and he and Sir Sergeii are soon involved in a deep conversation.

Mon takes this opportunity to approach Ony. Mon reports Sir Sergeii's offer of providing bonuses to the second crew to cover living expenses while in Sezja and then inquires about the theater's financial situation. Ony mentions that the theater must pay its creditors by the end of the business day on Monday, and currently, Sir Gregory does not have the funds necessary to make this large payment. Mon suggests that tomorrow's horse races could provide a significant sum, and he reveals his plan of observing the Marquess' bets and, given her track record of winning consistently, placing similar gambles to quickly generate large sums of money. Ony expresses his concern that this is money they can ill afford to lose if one or several of the bets go south. 

The Marquess of Sidorov makes a remarkable entrance with all the guests under the tent. Her beautiful green dress, which caused so much trouble for Dhuka when she stole it, and her jewelry, crafted by Marigold, shimmer in the light as she enters the tent, to the applause of all assembled. The Marquess looks resplendent in her fineries, and she blushes slightly as she basks in the admiration. She then moves to her table, followed by the remaining guests. As a guest of the Marquess, Branna is sitting to her left. The King, the Archduke and his wife, and Lady Sirenko join them at their table. Brianna sees that Lord Nazar is sitting at the next table, and he often looks at his pocket watch. She scans the crowd for Oheliv to report this information, but she cannot find him. 

Mon, sitting with Marigold at another table on the other side of the tent, notices the same thing. He calls a server over, and he is surprised to see Josef. Recovering, he tells him that Lord Nazar has been looking at his watch constantly. Josef agrees to let the city guard know. Marigold heads to Branna's table to let her know what Mon observed. The Marquess uses this opportunity to introduce the halfling to the King, praising the jewels Marigold made for her. The King questions Marigold about her craftsmanship, and he commissions a ring for his wife with a swan set with an aquamarine gem, asking Marigold to propose him a few designs when he returns to Sezja.

As the meal wraps up, the Marquess' famous fudge is taken out and served as one of the desserts, much to the guests' delight. Following dessert, the tables in the middle of the tent are removed, and a dance floor is installed on the ground. As the young people begin to dance, Mon, who has been spending most of his time closely observing Lord Nazar notices that his left hand has a slight discoloration. He mentions it to Marigold, who heads in Lord Nazar's direction. Pretending to fumble and fall, she manages to examine his hand and determines that one of the fingers, the same that Captain Lafoy is missing, is, in fact, some magical device.

Branna soon realizes that the King is fawning over the Marquess and giggling like a pageboy with the dance floor now filled with dancers. She also notes that Lady Sirenko, who is still at their table, is not impressed and sports a look of disapproval on her face. Standing, Lady Sirenko heads to the Manor to use the facilities. Finding Marigold, Branna questions her on what might have happened to the King. Marigold recalls how the Marquess wishes for a necklace that could carry a small vial, and she assumes that some love potion or aphrodisiac has been used on the King. To the shock of all attendees, the Marquess and the King dance during a second piece of music, and murmurs about the Marquess monopolizing the King's attention can be heard. Mon thinks about cutting in, but Marigold tells him they should switch to a folk or country dance to break up the Marquess and the King dancing. Mon heads towards the orchestra.

Suddenly, the masked guests are thrown on the floor by the shockwave of a large deflagration coming from the Manor, while the sound of the explosion reaches them a moment later. Watching in horror, Mon is powerless to stop the fire that quickly spread through the Manor's third floor, where the Marquess' private apartments are located. As debris rains down on the estate grounds, Branna runs to the Marquess, who stands still, stupefied at the turn of events. Mon races to the King, but his royal guards get there first and whisk him away. Seeing that the Marquess is physically fine, if still in shock, Branna leaves her to Mon's care, and she rushes to the Manor, looking for Lady Sirenko. 

Panicked, the crowd quickly disperses as most of the guests head to the gate. The city guard is blocking the exit, preventing anyone from leaving what is an active crime scene. As Branna enters the now fully engulfed Manor, Marigold spots a suspicious servant she recognizes as the pastry chef who had attempted to poison desserts at the Archduke's ball on Thursday. She locates three city guards who promptly arrest the man.

Mon moves the Marquess back to her table and sits her down. He then turns to Lord Nazar, who is struggling to get back up from under an overturned table, and helps him up. Grabbing his hand, Mon calls him Lafoy, and feels the cool metal of his fake finger. Lord Nazar looks at him and blinks twice but does not react to the mention of Lafoy. Mon then sends a message to Pavel to bring a fire brigade. 

Entering the burning Manor, Branna is immediately affected by the smoke, which reduces visibility and causes her to cough. She finds Lady Sirenko unconscious on the tiles of the first floor bathroom, with plaster having fallen on her head. Grabbing her and dragging her out of the burning building, Lady Sirenko is shocked and coughs loudly as she regains consciousness. Branna leaves her with Mon, before finding Marigold near the kitchen on the ground floor. Many servants and kitchen staff are caught inside the burning building. They break the door and rescue everyone by working together despite the smoke and flames spreading everywhere. Olehiv is the last one out, ensuring all the staff was out of the building before leaving.

As they walk away coughing, Marigold suggests to Olehiv that the Marquess could relocate to Lady Sirenko's house for the night before making more permanent arrangements. Olehiv agrees that this is the best plan, given the circumstances. 

As Branna and Marigold rescue Olehiv, and with the royal guards gone and the city guard leaderless with Dima currently under investigation, Mon observes the Cardinal and his men take control of the scene, and they begin interrogating the guests. 

Concerned about his safety, Mon shadowsteps back to town and travels to the Anchor's Luck. Captain Popov is alone sitting in his usual corner when Mon enters the smoky tavern. Captain Popov enthusiastically greets Mon, and shortly thereafter, Ivan brings out boiled veal and vegetables. Mon inquires as to where Yevheniy, Vasyl, and Bohdan, Popov's old friends, might be on this beautiful night. Popov responds that they had an errand to run but should be returning shortly. Popov asks Mon if he knows the name of the ships that will take second crew to Sezja. Mon confesses that he does not. Popov tells him that he will appreciate the irony of sailing on the passenger ship the Cardinal's Grace and the cargo ship the Zhytomyr's Siren. 

Sure enough, Yevheniy and Bohdan return to the Anchor's Luck less than half an hour later. Popov questions them on the success of their errand, and they reply that it was successfully resolved.

While Mon was traveling to the Anchor's Luck, Branna has the misfortune of being interrogated by one of the Cardinal's men. He asks a few perfunctory questions about the explosion, but then questions her about the Marquess' relationship with Lady Sirenko. Branna evades the questions and then refuses to answer any more as they are not germane to the explosion. Eventually, both her and Marigold are released. Walking back with some of the other guests, Marigold wonders when the switch to the tent happened, as the party should have been held inside Sidorov Manor. One of the kitchen staff informs her that it was only yesterday morning that the Marquess switched to a tent party outside once she confirmed the weather would be perfect for an outdoor event.

Once alone in the all-but-silent cafeteria at the Palace, Branna and Marigold speculate about what happened. They had previously discussed Dhuka heading to Sidorov Manor to take shelter with the Marquess. If she had been there, she would have been on the third floor during the masqued ball. Perhaps she was the target. Or perhaps the Cardinal avenged himself for the Marquess' outspokenness and her desire to adopt Dhuka by destroying her home. It is also possible that Sidorov Manor was destroyed for an altogether different reason. Eventually, Mon joins them after he returns from the Anchor's Luck, and he tells them that Popov's friends acted suspiciously. Marigold remarks that the Cardinal and Captain Popov do not circulate in the same circles, so there's probably no connection between what happened at the Anchor's Luck and the destruction of Sidorov Manor. As far as they are concerned, there are three forces currently playing against each other on Katarina: the Cardinal and his men, the Oak Leaf, a shadowy organization that supports the Archduke, and Captain Lafoy and his gang of pirates who are manufacturing high-quality weapons and armor for some unknown purpose. Who had the most to gain from destroying Sidorov Manor?

Returning to her room, Branna brings Dhuka food and fills her in on the events and Sidorov Manor's destruction. Dhuka is saddened that the Marquess' home has been burned to the ground, but she is glad that everyone escaped and that there were no deaths in the fast-moving fire.

Sunday, June 26, 1066 SE

At breakfast, Pavel shares a copy of the Katarina Chronicle with Mon. The headlines grab his attention: "A Night of Festivities Turns to Ash," and "Massive Breakout at the Cathedral: Prisoners Escape." Mon and Pavel discuss the breakout, and Mon mentions that he might be able to get Pavel a job working on the Marquess rebuilding Sidorov Manor. Pavel agrees that this would be a sweet job, and he asks Mon a favor. While on the mainland, could the actor scour some of the antique shops in the capital city and look for antique saws? Pavel collects them, and he could always add another one to his wall of saws. Mon agrees.