Roric Mela was in high spirits despite his harrowing crossing, or perhaps because of it. A few sailors had lost their lives in his journey, but he supposed that was their lot in life, or at least that's what Captain Richards had assured him seemingly vaguely happy about it, perhaps he simply saw a larger payout with less men to pay and provision. Whatever the case the taste of salt was nearly out of his mouth as he traveled the idyllic islands of his homeland.
Of course the ambassador's first stop was home. His nieces and nephews flocked him due to what he convinced himself was love, but deep down he knew it was because he always brought presents, maybe a little bit of love, but mostly presents. As the young ones ran off with their silvery dragons glittering with precious stones their eyes alight with the imagination of dragon fire, dashing knights, and princes and princesses to save. This was all Adelan nonsense of course and quite unlike the Thanati mind of live and let live, but that was cultural exchange for you.
After saying his happy hellos and mellow goodbyes, the official moved on to his temple tours. As he went to these holy places he wore a large brimmed hat serving twin purposes of shielding him from the sun and hiding his unfortunate hair. Red was an unlucky color, but it was one he had been blessed with. In Adela it drew no looks, but here upon the isles before the religious elite...well he wouldn't be a good ambassador without knowing the delicate art of white lies and harmless misdirection. Besides he looked good in the hat.
Temple and temple and shrine and temple, there were some exciting things, but mostly the same as rituals beget rituals beget feasts and so on and so forth. Roric was stuffed and his throat was sore from chanting. Luckily he had something different to do today. Rumors had abounded on this particular island about an 'unusual woman'. This sort of idle talk would mostly be ignored by the diplomat, but her research and curiosities might be worth looking into as the ambassador sought to find new things about Thanati culture to show his Adelan hosts. It was difficult to continually find things to astound the dragon riding rulers as they were in fact, dragon riders.
Coming into the temple and politely bowing low to the high priestess, who for some reason was carrying a dead monkey, Roric moved into the reserved office moving the beads away lightly stepping into the holy space with bare feet. It was not required custom, but Roric enjoyed the feeling of cold smooth stone upon his feet. Good for the sole. Eyeing the pacing woman within he flashed a smile and bowed saying,
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Misra I presume?"
Arching up slowly the diplomat poised himself perfectly his every movement as carefully crafted as a glass etching,
"I'm quite excited to learn more about you and your work, rumors abound and even by Thanati standards you seem to be causing quite a stir." Roric chuckled at that and finding a cushion swiftly sat in cross legged style. When he first arrived he had to readjust to this style of sitting, but daily meditation in tens of groves had led him to relearn it and learn it quiet permanently.
Patting the cushion across from him the diplomat kept up his smile letting it dim only slightly in hopes that the two would settle into a hearty conversation very soon.