Once everything's set up here Aniol swings by to pay his respects (and scope out the place to see if it's nicer than his inn). "Good afternoon, my lord. How are you finding Westcrown?"

"As hot as before, and more crowded than ever. But better than I remember it, even with the Tarrasque damage in the city center. Even that is less than one would expect, knowing what caused it."

"Quite, I had always imagined the beast a bit wider that its apparent path of destruction. The foreign investment in rebuilding seems to be closing the gap apace, though. Never have I ever seen so many excitable Abadarans."

"Let's hope their enthusiasm continues. We'll need them, if her majesty wishes to race towards a new currency."

"If only monsters had more of a gossip network, we could hope that news of the Tarrasque's fate would spread up to the mountains and nothing would suffer for our being down here and neglecting our hunting."

"Sons must become men at some point. But it does worry me. Bulettes may not know to attack while a large share of the region's best defenders are away, but I'm less sure about the orcs."

"Well, if they organize anything tremendous perhaps our archmage benefactors will call a recess for half a minute and take care of it. Something medium-sized, though..." Sigh. "I spoke to an abbess recently converted to Irorianism interested in being sponsored somewhere with more scope for her and her students' abilities, and was for a moment optimistic that they'd be a wonderful defensive asset, but I think she may have been disappointed that I'm not one of the new crop. Or old crop, depending how you look at it."

"Several crops thrown together, I think. Those returning from Axis are hardly the same set as those returning from Absalom. Which means everyone is looking for new allies now, and those who have been here for more than two years at least have some hope of finding them."

Speaking of the orcs.

"Archduke." He gives a bow, then turns to Aniol. "I don't believe we've met?"

"I believe I've seen you from a distance at some function or other, but I agree we've not spoken. Marquis Aniol Reixach de Juncosa."

"Baron Antonio Ramirez of Fangspire. Do Marquises get seats for the title or are you here some other way?" It's not that hard to get elected, if you're a Menador lord who does his job. It's also probably not that hard to get chosen by lot, if you know the guy doing the draws.

"Seat for the title. Congratulations on your election, though."

"It was nothing. Everyone as far as the Gap had heard about the thing with the dragon."

"Congratulations on the dragon too! I've never felled anything bigger than a tyrannosaur."

"Tyrannosaur? Ah, right, Juncosa is down by the Molthune, you mostly get forest beasts?"

"The mountains are covered in trees and the trees are full of things with beaks, yes."

"Dreadful, I'm sure. My lords, allow me to introduce my grandson, Pedro-Lluís. He's a very promising boy and I have high hopes for him, in a few more years."

"My lords." Bow.

"Hello there, Pedro-Lluís. You look about my nephew Xavi's age, I've brought him along to run errands as my sons are all too old for odd jobs like that."

"Yes, my lord. I am probably younger if I look the same age, because I am an orc. I am seven years old! Grandfather says that when I am ten I will be big enough to practice with a real sword instead of a child sword."

"Ah, Xavi's almost eleven. He brought his practice sword, though, if you'd like to meet at some point and have a spar with someone your own size."

"Yes, my lord, I would like that very much."

"We're all piled into an inn at the moment but if there's enough room here we might relocate. Better courtyard for swinging a blade around, though myself I'm more of an archer."

"There are targets in back, Marquis," calls Llei, from the balcony. He is also more of an archer. "The range is large enough for children, anyway. Still targets in a city make no real contest for adults, but it's tolerably interesting with moving ones. I doubt if any of us can beat the archduke, but we may play for second."

"My eyesight is weaker now, you may win. But there will be no contests until you can invite someone you don't already know to them. We have better than targets in Menador; we do not have such density of new friends."