The Khan nodded and smiled at the Duke's kind and enthusiastic words of welcome. Although both he, the aircrew and the party of engineers were devilishly tired after such a long flight and thought longly of soft beds and a sound night's sleep he nonetheless had words of his own prepared for his reply.
Politely he bowed in turn to the Duke and the Baroness. The honour guard had impressed him deeply - as had the band - and in reply the Khan barked a harsh word of command in Babki and as one the party of Babkhans postrated themselves on the floor before the Duke, leaving only the Khan standing. Bowing, slightly, once more to the Duke, the Khan began to speak.
Your Grace,
My Lady,
My most humble and sincere thanks for this most warm welcome that you have conferred upon me this day. I do apologise for the dreadful imposition I have placed upon you at this late hour and with such short notice but needs must as they say.
Your Grace, words cannot describe how pleased I am in my heart that you found the time to welcome me to your domain during my most hurried transit. Kildare and Elwynn recently fought as comrades in the late civil war, and sacrifices were made that are deserving of remembrance. I salute you my Lord as a comrade from that struggle and - now that the Kaiser has been released from the evil counsel which led him astray - in the spirit of peace and Shirerithian brotherhood permit me to present to you this OAH 9mm pistol so that you might dispatch any who dare to cross your path with typical Babkhan efficiency.
My dear Countess Carol, you have my deepest thanks for permitting our long flight to break its wearying progress at Port Nevermore, now I can see in your eyes that you already fear that I am going to present you with some manner of weapon. I understand that, as my reputation does proceed me to the effect that I am some sort of uncouth barbarian. Were there any truth in that I would be selling the honour of my people short. So have no fear, my gift to yourself is of an altogether more civilised nature.
While I was in Alkhiva these past few days awaiting the assembly of the party I have here with me I had the opportunity to travel down the coast from Sajin City to Kamaltoon. There I had the good fortune to find myself in the Museum of Euran Antiquities, and there I stood amongst the artifacts which told the proud but tragic tale of the riches and ruin of Babkhan Empires past. How they rose and fell over the millennia and spanned the Euran continent. The MEA is dedicated to drawing together Babkha's rich cultural heritage from the redeemed lands for the archaeological treasures buried in the sands of Eura speak to us from hallowed antiquity and they cry out to us through the centuries that Eura was Babkhan and shall be Babkhan again. I do not wish to impose or digress overly but in all things you see context is important. So let me provide you with a bit of context concerning this gift. This gold griffin-headed amulet was discovered in the ruins of an ancient Kelestani palace outside Vayeleon and may have been a gift of honour at the court of the Empress, whose name translates into the common tongue as Grace, and indeed grace was considered her foremost virtue - for it was with her graciousness that the Empress healed the deep and damaging scars left after the brutal reign of the usurper Shah Abbas. When the currator of the museum learned that I was returning to Shireroth he took that amulet out of the case and pressed it into my hands asking only that I give it in turn to whoever in Shireroth most reflected the values that the amulet embodied. The currator, who swiftly became overwrought and had to be led away, said that he hoped that whoever the ultimate recipient was would appreciate the amulet as a token of friendship and harmony between the races.
All of that being the case I could think of no more fitting a person to present this amulet to than yourself Carol as a gesture of thanks for all that you have done to ensure the safe passage of our flight.
The mission that this party is engaged upon is one of the utmost importance for the security and wellbeing of our good comrade the Count of Hyperborea. Count Jahandar and his retinue are most perilously exposed to the elements in the in the far north - where they are almost beyond the reach of civilisation. And yet the not only must the Count survive he must also maintain a functioning court worthy of a Lord of Elwynn. To that end he has need of the support of specialist engineers and construction teams. The construction teams were easily assembled. We have in the County of Lesser Zjandaria a large body of people engaged upon community service, seeking to better themselves and the county through public works - from this multitude a number of ready and willing volunteers were drawn. They will be awaiting us in Vijayanagara when we arrive. However these volunteers for community service overseas would be useless without the specialists and experts to direct them. And for them I had to turn to the ancestoral homeland - Babkha. I felt it necessary to collect them in person and to appropriate a plane from the diplomatic service squadron to ensure their safe and prompt delivery to their embarkation port.
Now my dear hosts, we have brought with us bottles of Shiraz and Treesian Red sufficient for all notables here present. If glasses can be brought forth let us have a toast to the eternal friendship of Elwynn and Kildare and the old alliance of Shireroth and Babkha!
With that the party of Babkhan travellers stood up in unison, eagerly anticipating that drinks would soon be poured.
