Harold Zebereth, Duke of Westwinter paced the hallway. He knew better than to interrupt a ritual in progress however, by that same token his Gerald, his pitiful excuse for a court mage in Fallowcreek, should know better than to start a week long ritual two days before his liege expected to arrive in the holding.

Duke Harold had known that something needed to change in Fallowcreek, the holding was too small and too poor to justify the trips he needed to make to it each year, and while it had some strategic value, which was the reason his father had acquired it, his status as a duke made his yearly visits to the holding politically unwise.

The issue was made worse by the fact that everything that made the holding troublesome for the duke also made it difficult to grant to a vassal without giving them either an undue insult, or reward.

The duke performed a simple ritual asking for the guidance of the divine of wisdom. He touched his first and middle fingers first to his forehead and then to his lips and heart. As if in answer to his prayer a strange man in stranger clothes stepped out of the ritual room and looked at the duke.

The two men watched each other for a moment each unsure how to address the other. While they watched each other two women followed the man out of the room. The were both dressed in the same strange style of clothes however, Harold recognized the younger woman, a girl really, as Gerald’s young apprentice.

“Miss… Iris was it? Would you do me the service of introducing your companions before fetching the court mage?”

“Introductions won’t be an issue, however, there was a complication with the most recent ritual Master Gerald attempted to teach me. The master overtaxed his reserves and died. The punishment summoned the Elvi'at'ha. Lord Duke please meet Luke and River. They hail from a land so distant that even divine knowing fails to provide understanding.”

Elvi'at'ha, Harold needed a moment to think. He led his unexpected guests through the manor trying to find a solution to their presence. He made his quickly prayer for wisdom’s guidance as he turned to see Luke walking through a doorway. The answer to his prayer was obvious.

“Elvi’Luke, Elvi’River, I have a problem I believe you might be able to serve as a solution to. I need to divest this manor and its associated lands to a vassal for certain political reasons. It borders a fellow duke’s lands and while it is strategically important my annual visits are something of a sore point between my neighbor and myself. As my neighbor and I are on good terms its military value does not justify the political cost.”

Elvi’Luke nodded and answered by saying, “I think I can manage the estate, depending on what it will cost me.”

Harold smiled he would have to thank the Divine properly later. “I see no reason to tax you at the moment if you take my offer. Beyond that the land will cover any expenses you should have so long as you mind your spending. Beyond that you will have to host the occasional bureaucrat who will inspect the holding to see what little I owe the King in taxes.”

“In that case I see no reason to reject the offer.”

After receiving a quick oath of fealty from Luke, Harold explained the finer details The Elvi’at’ha would need to run the estate. The holding was so undeveloped that there were few special circumstances. After explaining the serf’s contracts Harold was ready to leave, so he did, confident that Fallowcreek was one headache he could consider himself rid of.