Entomology in Minas Tirith

Elendor - Saturday, March 07, 2009, 7:21 PM

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Middle-earth time is:

Nighttime on Trewsday, Day 16 of May.

Execute the +TIMEFRAME command for year information.

Real time is: 21:46:56 MDT on Sat Mar 07 2009.

Middle-earth year is:

Historical Year: circa TA 3008

Online Year: 3046

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Curugil Gildring, busy with his work, is consumed until the sun sets. As he ponders over several diagrams, he at last takes a respite.

He rings a bell, and almost immediately a page enters. Curugil orders some wine and the page nods, but before he leaves, he say, \"A young lady is here to see you Lord. Her name is Lissiel Galador.\"

Curugil asks, \"Did she say what she wanted?\"

\"Something about the open position...\"

\"Ah good,\" says Curugil. \"Show her up.\"

The page departs and presently brings wine as well as the young lady.

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The young lady in question is very tall and on this day, at least, seems a bit nervous. She smiles slightly the Gildring lord and enters his office. \"My lord,\" she greets with a bobbed curtsey. \"My name is Lissiel Galador. I have heard that you are looking for students?\"

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\"Not students,\" says Curugil taking the wine from the page and shooing him off. \"I am looking for research assistants. Of course, you would learn while doing your studies here, but I wouldn\'t call it exactly being a student. Tell me...\" A pause as he searches for the name again... \"...Lissiel... what areas of research are you interested in?\"

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\"A research assistant?\" Lissiel replies, \"I am afraid I was misinformed. My aunt told me I might find a scholarly tutor -- as that would be a suitable way for a young lady to spend her time.\"

She bites her lip, looking uncertain. \"As for subjects I am told that history, the arts, healing and needlecraft are proper pursuits. I am not sure what interests me. What sorts of things do you need help with?\"

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\"Excuse me, sir, but the servant told me to find you up here,\" Ceredir says after a quick knock on the door. The words are out before he spots the young woman already in the room, and he backs up a step on doing so. \"Your pardon..\"

\"Ceredir!\" the young woman exclaims, clearly surprised to see the Master Scout in this place. She blushes, and turns attentively back to Lord Curugil.

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\"Lissiel?\" A step forward is taken as Ceredir recognizes the girl. \"My lord,\" he says to Curugil. \"Are all the young ladies of Minas Tirith to be your apprentices, then? If so, I shall ask Lord Captain Faramir for his leave to double my time working guard duty for you.\"

A deep flush rises from Lissiel\'s neck to her face. She glances over her shoulder briefly to the Master Scout. \"Cererdir!\" she admonishes in a harsh whisper, \"Stop embarrassing me!\" She looks quickly back to Curugil, attempting to school her expression.

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\"I will indeed, then, my lady,\" Ceredir replies with a small bow to the girl. \"My lord Gildring, I will wait downstairs, lest Lady Lissiel brings ill reports of me back to her cousin Arashen.\" The Master Scout, is, of course, grinning, but he steps out of the room and is quickly down the stairs again.

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\"Needlecraft?\" muses Curugil. \"Well I am afraid we do not have much use for that. If you wish to learn, there is no better place for it, but I think you might do better enrolling at the Academy than here.\"

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\"I do not care much for needlecraft,\" Lissiel admits. \"And if the academy teaches similar things, then I do not think I\'d like it much.\"

\"As for subject, I -do- like animals. Do you do any research with animals?\"

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\"Actually,\" says Curugil. \"I do have some particular interests in the natural sciences and do some study in that regard. What zoological specimens are of interest to you?\"

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\"Horses,\" begins Lissiel, listing off animals that appeal to her, \"sheep, dogs, cats.\"

\"Anything, I suppose. My father owns a large farm, you see - in Pinnath Gelin.\"

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\"I see,\" says Curugil. \"Mammals are your speciality. Well, that is a more complex form to be sure. But, you always must start somewhere. If you are interested, I will take you into my tutelage, but you must remember, that you must do as you are told.\"

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\"Certainly,\" Lissiel promptly responds, brightening. \"And I am sure there are other things that interest me, I just haven\'t been introduced to them, yet.\"

\"When shall I begin?\"

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\"You can begin right now,\" says Curugil. \"There is an interesting phenomenon occuring in the Card Failin. Do you knw where the Card Failin is?\"

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\"I am not sure I do know where it is,\" Lissiel admits, looking excited none-the-less, \"But I will find out. What do you wish me to do there?\"

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Curugil reaches into his desk and pulls out three glass jars, tweasers, a towel, and a small chisel, \"Mind you don\'t mind getting your hands dirty?\"

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\"Not at all,\" says Lissiel, looking at the objects curiously.

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Curugil pushes the instruments to Lissiel and says, \"Go to the Card Failin, it is where the soldiers bunk. In the beams, there is this fascinating infestation of termites. Bring a notebook. I want you to write down your observations about their behavior, and then, bring me samples. A drone, a worker, and a soldier. Even better if you can find a queen, but that would require much digging.\"

He also pulls out a scroll with some pictures, \"Here you can see some pictures of the various kinds. Very fascinating.\"

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\"Do the queens have wings?\" Lissiel asks, craning her neck to peer at the pictures. \"like many ants do?\"

She gathers up the instruments, cradling them against her body.

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\"They are very similar,\" says Curugil. He slides the paper over to Lissiel, \"You might even say they are related.\"

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Reaching for the scroll with one hand, she awkwardly re-rolls it in a fashion and tucks it in with the other equipment. \"This will cettainly be more interesting than needlework,\" Lissiel says, her eyes shining. \"When should I report back to you? I mean, how long do you want me to observe them?\"

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\"Take a day or two,\" says Curugil. \"Keep careful notes and then report back to me. But I want fresh samples. Also, go to the library and start reading Galamir\'s Treatise on Insects.\"

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\"Very well, my lord,\" Lissiel replies, curtseying. She turns to go, but at the door, she turns back before exiting. \"Oh, and if I am to be paid - please don\'t tell my family?\"

Curugil arches a brow and waves Lissiel off as to say, \'Do not worry about it.\'