Blade Maidens: Closed Fist, Open Hand – 13

“Hospitality in Telos is a fickle thing. While some expectations can be met no matter which land your travels may take you through–the guest’s bread, a pledge of safe conduct, aid if the host is able–each of the many peoples within our realms have their own unique, and often strange, customs to be followed.

Within Kilzia, for instance, it is expected of any guest to drink whatever is offered by their host. While that may sound a pleasant situation, you may also note that the host is under no obligation to join in the libation. This has led to the common practice of any important negotiations occurring within a neutral location (often, humorously, a tavern or drinking house) so that one party may not goad the other into an addled state of mind.

In contrast, the frigid mountains and dim tunnels of Valfald carry with it a custom centered on that which is most precious in the North: warmth. Any guest who stays for a day’s time or longer must bring kindling to offer to the hearth, be it a private home or one of the roaring community furnaces within the larger burrow-cities. While most hosts are sated with a single log’s worth of wood per day, travelers beware: if your stay outlasts any kindling you brought with you, you will be expected to offer up any flammable goods you may have on your person. At your host’s discretion, of course.

A personal favorite, dear reader, is found within the blossoming hills of Verdanna. The arbor-lords’ fondness for the beauty and bounty of Gyvenia’s domain is known far and wide, but some may not know how deeply it sits within its people. If you are in such a position to provide a boon to a Verdannian, be it noble or commonfolk alike, you will likely find a gift left near your home in the days to follow. Traditionally, a clipping from the Verdannian’s own garden, but in lean times they may be as small as a flower found blossoming on the side of the road. A simple gesture, to be sure, but done in the spirit of charity that resides within the ideals of our finest traditions.”

Vidalia’s Musings Vol. 3, a recurring column within Freehold’s most popular circular