1/4/2026, 9:43 PM
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The Empress maintained a strong-held belief that true quality existed solely in the details – and when the details were cared for, then the entirety thrived. This held true to things of material wealth, such as pelts and silk, but also when applied to ideas that were far more philosophical in nature.
Details such as textiles mattered within the context of a dynasty, whether they were acknowledged or not. It would be difficult for a reign of great propriety and wealth to exist while adorned in rags.
Perhaps these were not the kindest of topics to muse upon, as she entertained the audience of the dusty ruffian. His existence proved her wrong: for his land was not one made for finery, but the Empire that ruled the plains held the strength to endure generations.
It behooved no one to assume that power could only be draped in jewels.
Similarly, the craftsmanship that belied his wares could not be denied. The edges were clean, and the fur itself laid smooth. It retained the essence of the animal, while being fully removed from the animal itself – in death, it became more than what it was; it became a bed, clothing, a thing that can be loved beyond life itself.
Unlike the meat of something, the pelt endured. It retained memories that more processed items easily forgot. The only thing that could compare was the bones, which held spiritual significance to her own people more than any other material.
If bones could scry the future, then what could pelts tell of the past?
She listened, a good student, committing the names and their accented embellishments to memory. Concluding her assessment, the sylph turned to the man named Batu, eyes holding a similar, interested glimmer. "Are you a merchant?" the empress questioned softly, thinking immediately that it was a silly question (the answer was clearly yes), but she desired greatly to know how he would describe himself.
Born of the same want, did the woman sweep her nose towards the one with the long tendrils, the one called sarlag. "It must have been a grand creature."
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