Skirnir eats the rest of his meal in silence. He seems like a chipper fellow overall, but he obviously had feelings for Myanar.
After dinner, Freyr offers to show you Elaine's things to see if his daughter is the same maga you know of.
Well, I mean, I never met the woman. Mortal lifespans are short, even for we long lived magi. From what I read, she retired to a convent hundreds of years before I was born.
But I have no reason to doubt you, and I am sure that some form of magical test can be performed to confirm the veracity of what you say. I'd be glad to bring an object home with me for further analysis if it pleases you. Otherwise I will simply believe you, and would be honored to view the artifacts of an elder.
Like I said, my magical society, the Knights of Seneca, has many legends that do not conform to accepted history. It all begins with my founder, whom official history claims was an unknown Basque child taught Mithraic magic by his master Laberius. His two apprentices were Apromor and Elaine. Elaine was the mater of Joseph of Flambeau, a brilliant and prolific writer. And it is Joseph himself that claims his mater retired as a nun. And he is the one who wrote the Legend of Delendos, origin of what is known in slang as The Flambeau Apocrypha.
Joseph claims the true master of Flambeau was a Visigoth wizard named Delendos. He mentions Laberius as a teacher, but Delendos taught him magic. He further states that Flambeau's true name was Reculed Seneca. Which is sort of mind-stunning that magi don't know or don't believe this/ Iberian magi have always known this all along. Which is, in my mind, evidence that something is being hidden.
And that something may very well be Elaine!
The Legend of Delendos claims that Flambeau had three surviving apprentices, not just two. I mentioned some of that before already, how it claims that Delendos was her true master. Which brings the number back down to two, so there is a contradiction there. This book, the Legend of Delendos, visit me at Andorra and I will have a copy made for you. But anyways, this book hints that Elaine was really the daughter of Flambeau. But it never states that for fact, nor does it mention who her parents were. Indeed, there is no official record of any of that. Just legend and lore, and much of that contradicts itself/
Here's an example. There is a Tytalean fable that claims Elaine was Flambeaus young wife as well as his apprentice. Tytalus magi are full of lies though. Another of their fables claims that she was the daughter of Trianoma, who cuckolded Bonisagus. That one sort of ties into what you are saying. This fable goes on to say how Flambeau demonstrated honor and compassion, keeping Trianoma's secret and raising the girl as his own.
So, yeah. It might be cool to look at her stuff and investigate. I just got my own curiosity wound up 
And of course, Carmen has her silent subconscious thoughts, which are shrunk down to a size almost impossible to detect so you will have to hit "Quote" to read her mind 
(If this guy tries to seduce me, I will have to give him the frost, and if he forces it I might have to give him the zap. He had a shot before he told be about the fertility trick. My brother will carry on the family name and bloodline. I didn't start longevity young just to look good, I wanted protection against conception. Well, maybe it is also to look good, because I ain't running this figure for no-one's baby. What about Estaban? Get that out of your head girl! You are a wizard, like your father and his parens before him. Your lineage will be carried on by your apprentices. Start training apprentices! Yeah, I have been a bit promiscuous. I have sampled a handful of different men. But I am nothing like my randy old goat of a father, or my, my God my mother, God bless her, is ten times the slut I could ever hope to be. Bad thought. You never want to be like that. It is not something to glorify in. Just because she gets pampered with gifts and has social connections throughout the city and has the ears of the Geonim and the magi. And she's so giddy and carefree, she doesn't even know it! And that husband of hers! The man is obviously homosexual. She puts up with his affairs and he puts up with hers, and somehow it works for them. Bet dad regretted giving her that longevity potion . Hmmm, maybe I should hook this guy up with mom. She told me she regrets not being able to have another child....)
Say, how would you like to come back to Midgard with me? I have this woman you ought to meet, you guys would really hit it off I think .
(He fathers Gifted kids. Gifted kids who grow up to be phenomenally talented. You don't think apprentices grow on trees, do you? 
)
Yes. Yes I do. But I still wanna hook him up with mom :mrgreen:
He seems surprised by the deflection (he's clearly used to women throwing themselves at him). "I have duties to the people of Alfheimr. I can escort you as far as Asgard though, should you wish."
Freyr and Skirnir show Carmen down a hallway; there is a portrait of a beautiful girl whom, if Carmen has ever seen a portrait of Elaine of Flambeau, definitely looks like it could be the same person. Beside it is a portrait of a severe-faced woman that Carmen instantly recognizes as Trianoma of Bonisagus. The family resemblance can be seen between the two women, if you're looking for it, but Elaine definitely takes after her father in the looks department.
Next they go into a suite of rooms decorated in red and trimmed with gold. The rooms are still tended by housekeeping, as everything feels old but there is not a speck of dust anywhere. A silver hairbrush catches Carmen's eye, as it has strange runes carved in it. Similar runes mark an ebony wardrobe. On a magically-lit desk sits a large book bound in dragon leather; illumination supplies are neatly stowed nearby. In the corner is a large brazier; nested in its smoldering coals is a large egg of swirling red and gold. "Everything is as she left it," Freyr notes. "She had asked that I grant hospitality here, to any of her children that came seeking her out after she passed into Valhalla. But none of my grandchildren have ever come to Alfheimr, to my knowledge." He looks a little wistful at that. "Regardless, if you are from her same... tradition? Then I am certain she would have wanted you to stay here." He smiles and offers Carmen a hug.
Skirnir says crisply, "Breakfast is served promptly at sunrise."
Carmen gives him a sweet "friend zone" hug and smiles. I thank you kind sir, and I accept your offer for escort.
When alone, Carmen gazes at the egg a bit and thumbs through the book.
Friend Zone or not, that hug is hot. Are those ACTUALLY his pecs and biceps, or are his muscles carved out of warm stone?
The egg is gorgeous. Its colors swirl and shift, and as she stands nearby Carmen realizes that the egg, not the coals, is giving off heat. (Roll an Int+Magic Lore.)
The book is enormous and will take many hours to go through. Set inside the front cover of the book is a note written in tiny neat script:
[hr][/hr]
[i]To my filii,
I am so proud of you, for solving the final puzzle. This text is the last work I will ever produce before Twilight takes me; it is yours. Do not let my teachings be forgotten.
Elaine filia Delendar, Maga Flambeau
[size=85]Vivat Lux Lumina[/size][/i]
[hr][/hr]
The book begins with a lab text for a version of "Lance of Solar Fury." (NOTE: This spell is not quite the same as the WGRE version, but someone who's never seen the original spell probably wouldn't recognize the difference.) Following it is a very high level, illuminated Ignem summa (Level/Quality TBD)*. Following that is a glossed and illuminated summa on the mastery of Lance of Solar Fury, L5 Q15. The very end of the book has notes, seemingly on how to use one's Twilight experiences to transform oneself into a being of pure Magic, but these notes are incomprehensible; there must be some kind of mysteries needed to make sense of it.
- Elaine has +3 Com and Good Teacher, though I can't decide whether a maga about to pass into Final Twilight would lower the level of her final summa for quality, or if she'd put maximum level and just count on her natural talents and glossing and illuminating. Looking for input please.
filia Delendar? Or do you mean Delendos?
Both are ArM3 characters, Delendar was the pater of Reculed and Delendos was the one who witnessed and survived the final battle.
Don't worry, I make that mistake sometimes too, and I am known as that Flambeau guy 
Or is it Delendar? That opens a whole new world of mystery...
Carmen flips through the book, doesn't get into that much detail.
Interesting. But not mine. Note to self: Ask in the morning if I can come back and copy it sometime.
And then the egg...
Int +4, Magic Lore 3, die roll 1d10=5
equals 12
Nope, you saw it right the first time. Filia DelendAR.
It is a common mistake. Such a common mistake that the present-day Knights of Seneca mistakenly believe Elaine was the filia of DelendOS... 
It can sometimes be difficult to tell, (phoenix eggs and dragon eggs look very similar,) but Carmen is certain that this is a phoenix egg. Which might be a bad thing-- dragon eggs can go indefinitely from the time they are laid until they have the right circumstances in which to hatch, but phoenix eggs have a shelf life-- if not hatched properly within a certain timeframe after the egglaying, the baby phoenix will die. (And perhaps more importantly, phoenixes who fail to hatch leave behind no vis.) A phoenix only ever lays one egg in its lifetime, so they are becoming something of an endangered species.
Interesting.
I should mention that there is a storm drake egg lying around the covenant somewhere. Antonio (Carmello) was planning to hatch it and make it his familiar one day. When Carmen took over his old lab, she put the egg in...
I cannot remember what she did with it. Maybe we have another vault?
Is there a quill and parchment handy? Carmen wants to write a note reminding herself to ask about the book and the egg at breakfast.
There's full illumination supplies, stacked neatly on the desk. There's a stack of unused parchment in one of the drawers. So as long as you're willing to write yourself a note in colored ink, totally manageable
That's what she does then, and tapes it to the wall
Then she goes to bed.
(Blasting ahead a bit because now I'm excited about getting to Asgard, and will totally skip whatever I'd thought up for the rest of Alfheimr.)
Servants come by about half an hour before dawn to get Carmen ready for breakfast. They rummage through the runed ebony wardrobe and pull out a cream dress with gold trim, and a matching diamond tiara. This time they don't even ask Carmen what she wants to wear, they just dress her in it
Breakfast is even better than dinner was. Because this time there's bacon.
Freyr is happy to let Carmen take the book and the egg with her, so long as she promises two things:
- She will help keep Elaine's legacy alive
- If she ever hears anything about Myanar, she will come back and tell them about it. (Myanar's ultimate fate remains a mystery to them-- at least with Elaine they know she went off and transformed into a Valkyr)
The desk was being magically lit by a glowing crystal. When Carmen picks the book up off the table (and it is HEAVY), the crystal sprouts two tiny legs, takes a running leap, and jumps up on top of the book. Once there, it turns itself around in a circle and then lays down, its legs vanishing.
The phoenix egg cools noticably when Carmen reaches towards it, becoming cool enough that she can carry it without burning herself.
Once she's ready to go, they all walk outside, and then discover the sheep still aren't ready to go. Frey disappears into the castle and comes back a few minutes later with a small bag. He takes out a few berries and feeds them to the sheep, who then perk up immediately and are ready to go Freyr gives the bag to Carmen ("Feed as needed, they should know better than to gorge themselves") and asks if everyone's ready to go...
Skirnir nods, one hand on the hilt of his sword, as if to say he's ready for anything.
Freyr pulls a small piece of wood out of one pocket, and begins unfolding it... into a decently sized ship! About 12' long, but definitely large enough to carry three. You all hop into Skidbladnir and race along through the clouds; the sheep are ecstatic to run beside it at full speed.
And then you are in Asgard. Palaces of gold and crystal all sparkle in the sunlight, and before you stretches an enormous rainbow. Two men are standing on it, arguing loudly in a guttural language.
Carmen will mention that she would prefer her adventuring gear, but won't fuss. Not doing the tiara though...
(Be back later, work weekend 
)
Where's your sense of pragmatism? Wear it, they're not gonna ask you to give it back when you leave in a couple hours. That baby will hold 40 pawns of vis!
...Speaking of vis, when Carmen pushes it away, as soon as her fingers come in contact with the tiara, she immediately feels warm and toasty. The castle has been pretty chilly (it IS a castle in the clouds, after all) but when touching the tiara, the cold doesn't touch her.
Oh, also, when they go outside and hop on the ship, Ludwig rejoins them, too. (He was hanging out with the sheep, and ate some bugs. Benefits of being a shapeshifter.)
Carmen doesn't have the same sense of avarice that Vibtia or Vulcanus would have. Instead, she sees a tar baby and an object that runs contrary to the image she tries to cultivate.
That's what cloaks are for
Did I mention Tar Baby?
Pajaro!
The crow flips off Carmen with its primary feathers. Either Ludwig is really dexterous, or just very motivated to be vulgar all the time 
Carmen sees there are two little pixies swarming around the crow, cooing and humming. "Ooooh! He must really like you!" one of them says to Carmen.
Riding in Skidbladnir is awesome, but now you're in Asgard and two large men are arguing loudly on top of a rainbow, in a language you don't understand. (Any appropriate lore skills to ID them?) One of them looks like this and the other bears an uncanny resemblance to Vulcanus.
Freyr disembarks and approaches the two. "Peace, brothers," he says calmly. "Surely we can sort this out amicably..."
Rollo and Thor?
Int +4, Magic Lore 3, roll of 1d10=6
13, my lucky number
Carmen remains alert and ready for action.