You relay to her what happened on board the ship, really emphasizing the “not being a sorya” part.

“I know of this incident that you speak of. Our clerics have commiserated with some of the survivors. To have a vessel erupt in such a manner— how tragic.” She pauses, “You’ve found yourself tangled in quite the web it seems– And these cloud bombs are simply just your most prized jewel? How curious. I can see the confusion that would cause… in more places than one.”

“I never meant nothing bad with them!” 

“Sure, child. Now what of this supposed encounter with The Circle?”

Kivari’s ears turn as you recall the rest of your story of rescuing Zeb after his crank engine unspooled, leading up to your encounter with The Circle — detailing the names of the cultists, their appearances, and what they said to you, all while carefully avoiding mentioning the so-called “ritual.”

“The deftness of you to have fooled an underground cult– one that has nasconded itself right under this city’s muzzle. All without succumbing to their vile rites, for the act of desecrating another’s light in such a manner is a sin often met with swift justice.”

“Perhaps Daunto watches over you. Or perhaps you are smarter than you look. Or perhaps… you are leaving something out.”

Your heart drops, “…Well… they gave me an invitation on where to find them.” You quickly mention.

“Really? And where is this location?”

“Okay, so—funny thing— I uh, don’t know where… because I can’t read.”

“Illiteracy is not a funny thing.”

“Daughter, fetch me her documents.”

Roni reluctantly takes the knife off your throat and goes to search your bag for your papers. She brings a few out and after exchanging glances with you over the one you took a bite out of, she hands Kivari the Strange Note and the Circle’s Invitation. Kivari scans over both of them.

“Hm… curious…Translate these two.”

Roni pauses, “But… Your Radiance, the invitation is already in Continental.”

“It is in savage. Unmolest it.”

“At once.” Roni bows and leaves the room. Kivari waits for the door to fully close. She turns away and appears to collect her thoughts for a few seconds.

“You still didn’t answer my question. As an immigrant from Gnomanya coming to our grand continent, you passed Amurra and Nokovo— a bit war-ravaged, yes, but some may say the northern parts are still fabulous. You passed Iponacco, a perfectly mundane and unremarkable country where nothing happens. Ignored once-proud Daunara… And then— here. Any further east you’d have drifted past the Triumph and into Qoth itself.”

She continues, “You are destitute, and yet you can afford a voyage so far from home that you are perhaps the only Gnomanyan woman on this side of the realm. The mind wanders at the motivations to achieve such a goal.”

You croak back a response, “L-Look, I just got enough money and wanted to get as far as I could. This here’s the ‘land of opportunity’, right?”

Kivari turns and approaches you, the air around you warming up. “Janko told me that you are here to find your missing friend. A little mote of light told me that your friend isn’t missing at all and is instead well accounted for. And then there’s your interest about acquiring weapons and my power to subvert imperial law. Odd curiosities for such a simple search, no?

Her eyes narrow, “Are you really all that meets the eye? Or should I get a second opinion from the Qoth?

“Who are you?”

“I’m just a Gnomanyan. Who left my home because I can’t stand my kind. Because— anyone with integrity over there is long dead. Warlords control everything, and you want to know what my militia does about that? Nothing. A few new conscripts and concubines later and we still can’t grow a spine. And Iron Bottle, the only guy who helped me, made it this far only to rot in a cell somewhere while I’m out here in the warm sun!

“I’m not some spy or a mysterious rogue or a damn Sorya. You want to know who I am? I’m a coward.”

The Lightkeeper straightens up, “Yet despite that, this sullen Sorrova has an intense purpose to free her friend. And she saved that bovani from the clutches of The Circle.  Why is this?”

“They were gonna take him.” You answer bluntly.

“A coward would’ve let them— and yet you showed courage.”

“I wouldn’t call it that.”

She smirks, “Call it what you want. But I know what you seek, child. Allow me to provide you with this: Absolution.  From the Qoth… And from yourself.”

You feel the tension between your shoulders lessen and your ears rise.

Kivari continues, “Now, it comes as no surprise that I may possess some sway in this realm. In normal circumstances, amnesty would be a rather trivial matter. This of course assumes the Qoth stop being difficult to reason with, and reason is what The Covenant prefers right now. So while I’m certain I can facilitate a pardon for both of you, it would take some time.”

“Really? How long?”

“Well, it depends how eventful these next few weeks will be. Are you aware of this Order of the Nanzuul nonsense?”

“I’ve heard bits and pieces, but never actually seen any. And come to think of it, The Circle was actually looking to hunt them.”

Kivari laughs, “Then I wish them a happy hunt! Savages fighting savages, what a heartwarming thought! It has been a bane on the balls to watch the Qoth ignore our guidance and fail to contain the Nanzuul infiltrators. To finally see someone do something about this scourge would be splendor.”

She takes a moment to think, “Though from what you have described, the cult was not in the final stages of savagery, no? They still possessed ‘intelligent’ speech, they could write, and showed… restraint when you cut one. And for them to not voraciously pry your scrawny companion from you displays a manner of control.

Perhaps there is time…“

 “Time for what?”

Roni enters and gives the notes to Kivari.

Roni appears stricken, “You must forgive me, Your Radiance. I translated the invitation but— I-I was not able to translate the strange note.”

“Why is this?”

“I– I don’t know— There is something off about the characters. It’s as if it’s a mimicry of Kualassi. I thought I could grasp it… but to no avail.”

Kivari looks again at the note, “Hm. We can give it to a linguist later.”

“But I am a linguist…”

“We’ll get more of them— perhaps compare notes?”

“P-please forgive me, Your Ra-“

“Yes, you’re forgiven.”

“Wait— if you can’t read it… Then who was the lightkeeper who saved me and left me with it?”

The lightkeeper looks to you, “Perhaps a great swimmer. Someone who knows a Koalassi tongue. Someone who knows that it is against the law to bother, and perhaps even detain a Lightkeeper. Someone who knows that anyone, even the Qoths, would think twice to look under the cloth of said ‘lightkeeper’. I wonder who would do this— what a mystery this is.”

“Wait…the Sorya?”

“Oh, good guess.” She quips. “Which is why it is wise that you do not get caught with this if you want to beat these allegations.”

“A Sorya saved me? There’s no way— Sorya and Gnomanyans— we hate each other.”

“Then perhaps you were saved by a sea-squami— if it makes you feel better. Feel free to ponder the provenance of this note all you want, we both know the Qoths would— but until then, it is to stay with us.”

“How about we focus ourselves on the more pressing note, eh?”

She holds up the now-‘unmolested’ invitation, “Exalted sibling, should you desire more fruit of the sea as the ones we had discussed, then I implore you to bring your services down to the Blood Dashed Wharf. There’s always a freshly caught slate eel, and I am always docked beneath it. I will be there when the near moon is shining its brightest. A night’s catch is best when it is fresh!”

“The cover of a fisher. Clever…” 

She smiles, “Well, Child I must say you have provided me with very intriguing information— but, there is one more curiosity I would like to know about you…”

“When your innocence is proven, what do you desire to make of this new life you are given?”