------------- Tales of the Silver Gryphon - The Exception

There's always the exception that proves the rule, or in this case, the one that breaks all the rules. In their search for mercenaries and out of luck adventurers to aid them on their quest, Deurdelline pointed them towards one who s/he her/mself wouldn't talk to. One of her/m kinsmen, a true hermaphrodite like her/mself, but one who had also been banished for her/m uncharacteristic, war-like ways.

The True Hermaphrodites were peace loving pacifists. It was in their veins. To take up arms and draw blood in battle was so alien to their ways of thinking that they had sent away all those that had done so over the years. Deurdelline, though s/he her/mself could not wrap her/m mind around the concept, had to admit now that there was a time for violence. It was interesting how her/m past had come back to bite her/m.

The throne of Hermaphros now was held by one of those very exiles, one s/he had sent away years ago. That exile had returned and claimed the throne and title of Queen. Never before had one been so bold as to overthrow the rule of love in Hermaphros, but Lithia had. And with no arms to oppose her and no true hermaphrodite capable of grasping the idea of violence even to protect themselves, the isle of Hermaphros was lost. Now, Deurdelline found her/mself doing what s/he had once done before, looking to those outside her/m lands for protection. Her/m sworn swordarm, Fallon Bree Shanahan, had come to her/m as if fate had decreed it. But she hadn't brought enough steel to overthrow Lithia and reclaim the throne.

So, here Deurdelline had sent them, a back alley dive. They would find Aerethia here, a True Hermpahrodite exile. She had been born far from Hermaphros and raised by a military family. When s/he returned to Hermpahros after many years, s/he didn't belong there anymore. S/he had left willingly, laughing at the weakness and frailty of the so-called homeland. Rumor had it, s/he had made a name for her/mself as a War Priestess. With Deurdelline's concurrence, Fallon wove the story. She offered the exile a home, a permanent home, and a position in the royal court, if they could take it back. S/he would become commander of the palace guard and trainer of a new breed of True Hermaphrodites, those who would not be afraid to pick up a blade and defend themselves.

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