So, the rest of you go into the parlor, you can see Stern and Leia Mensheng through the glass doors out into the garden. They speak for about an hour
Stern, she basically gives you the low down of her life, which, if it were given as a condensed version it would be more like this;
My father was killed in Shou Shan when I was a little girl. My mother and I fled the village, he stayed behind to fight, that was the last I saw of him, or any of my friends. We moved here because Evon offered to take in the refugees of Shoushan. I hated it. My mother used to spend all her time at the orphanage in Laketown vounteering, she felt like she owed it to Evon for all he did for us. One night the Orphanage received a huge donation. Some bandits got word of it. They came into town unarmed, dressed as worskipers on a pilgrimaged to the Shrine. The checked into an Inn in town, and the next night broke into the orphanage. My mother was there when it happened, and she was killed trying to stop them, killed over money. I felt like I barely saw her, and then she was gone for good.
I married a merchant of the Brotherhood. He was charming, the wedding was beautiful, but I barely saw him. He was killed by bandits out on the road south of here. I felt like I barely saw him too, and he was gone for good. His body was never recovered. He left me with 2 daughters and a son. I lost him 2 years ago. Like father like son, he joined the damn crazy merchants…he wanted to make his own way, impress his dead father…one day some fortune teller told him his father was still alive, so he went on some fools errand to find him, and was killed. I know my son is dead, I paid the keeper for a divination, and paid a finder to bring his body back. They said there were clues about how he died, but, I…I didn’t want to know….he died some place horrible and now he’s gone and done is done.
My eldest Daughter married and gave me two grand children who I dot over, but their father, my daughters wife…well, she married a brotherhood merchant as well. He rode out to fight Slags bastard raiders in Quarytown, and he didn’t come back. We now maintain the vigil of passing for him. I worry for my daughter and her children. I feel like Death haunts me, he shadows everything I love. I hated the gods, I hated the rites, they did nothing for me. I’ve doubted the otherside, I’ve openly cursed it…a week ago Chu noticed the sigils on the gate to our back yard were stolen…They are expensive to replace, and I don’t think they do any good anyways, it’s just another way for priests to make money, like that fortuneteller made money off my son and sent him to his death. I hate it all. Since the symbol was taken I haven’t got much sleep, so I started preying to my mother, I don’t know why, to pass the night I suppose…I stopped believing the dead really hear us a long time ago. As a girl I preyed but I just felt alone, and my life just got worse and worse….and then you show up at my door, and you say her name, you say you saw her. I don’t know what to say but I believe you. I must seek out atonement, forgiveness for my bitterness, peace from grief…can you perform an atonement on me Stern?
