Story name: The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Grasshoppers
Author: Dan D'Alimonte
Publication date: February 15, 1998 (TSA-Talk)
Location: Metamor Keep (greenhouses, Deaf Mule, intelligence bureau), Carreas
Date: March 706 CR (8 days)
Overview
Dan must face his past when a messenger from his homeland offers him an invitation to return.
Summary
Dan is startled while working before sunrise by an unfamiliar mouse morph, who compliments him on his garden. That night, the mouse finds him alone at the Deaf Mule and introduces himself as Topo. Dan is startled to learn that the mouse knows his last name, which he has not told anyone at Metamor. Topo explains that he is not a mouse morph at all, but a weremouse. He presents a message from the new Duke of Carreas that Mechellos Carras, the man responsible for Dan's exile, has died, and that the new Duke Anteno Carras has given Dan father an apology and a pension, and offered Dan himself a return to his family seat as Steward of Lands.
Dan remembers that his family had served the Duke for generations as Steward, but twenty years ago, his family had been exiled for his father's refusal to cut down a tree of spiritual import for the Duke Mechellos's throne room. Although he likes Topo, he needs more information to make a decision, and visits the intelligence bureau for information. As he waits for them to respond, Topo continues to visit, explaining that he was a common mouse before a werewolf infected him, and that he only serves Anteno, not the Duchy of Carreas.
After a week, Topo says he must return soon whether or not Dan accepts the offer, and Dan asks him to wait until evening the next day. With the intelligence records, Dan is able to confirm Topo's story, but he still doubts Anteno's motives for making amends. On the appointed evening, Topo arrives in a panic; the curse has struck him, and feathers are slowly replacing his fur. By the next evening, Topo is able to shift between two forms: a kestrel, and his anthropomorphic mouse form with downy kestrel feathers in place of his fur.
Anteno Carras is in his study, reflecting on his work restoring the duchy, and hoping his friend Topo will return soon. He is surprised by a falcon on his tapestry, and alarmed and awestruck when it transforms into Topo. Over mulled ale, he learns that Dan has denied his offer, but would be happy to visit sometime.
Characters
Main Characters:
- Dan D'Alimonte: A gardener of Metamor Keep — although he prefers to be known as its 'botanist and ecologist'. He is truly an exiled noble from Carreas. When offered the chance to return to Carreas and be employed under its benevolent duke, he declines the offer, citing dangerous travel in the Midlands, but keeps open the possibility of visiting or moving to Carreas in the future.
- In morph form, he is able to leap four feet away.
- In his work, he not only cares for the Keep's gardens, but also researches its plants and how they work. He also works for the quartermaster.
- Among his quartermaster duties, he sorts through requisition forms, catalogues the inventory of supply convoys, supervises the distribution of food.
- He is very careful in his studies, taking careful notes and precautions to account for every uncontrolled variable.
- Not many people know the name D'Alimonte in Metamor.
- Note that it does apparently become well known by Stepping Up To Destiny, where the Duke himself publicly addresses him as such. There is no indication that anyone learns he is a noble from Carreas.
- His family came from a long line of stewards for the Duke of Carreas.
- Dan was very young 20 years ago when his father was exiled from Carreas. Dan was told stories of their exile while he grew up. Tired of living in the shadow of the past, he chose to travel to Metamor Keep, where he took a job managing their food imports.
- He was present at the Battle of the Three Gates and has remained ever since.
- He has a research lab dedicated to experiments on seeds and plants.
- Topo: Anteno Carras's messenger and trusted advisor, a weremouse. He is sent to tell Dan he is welcome home in Carreas. After a week, he receives the animal curse, becoming a half-kestrel half-mouse during the night.
- As a weremouse, he is a full mouse during the day and an anthropomorphic mouse at night. He takes a few minutes to transform as the sun sets. In his morph form, he is about four feet tall with brown fur and white belly fur.
- By the story's end, the Curse slightly affects his were-half; during the night, he has feathers instead of fur, while his mammalian shape is preserved. He is able to shift to a full kestrel when the moon is in the sky. His day form remains the same.
- Dan finds him cheerful and confident without showing arrogance.
- Although Dan is forced to reveal many details about his connection to Carreas, what he does NOT reveal is Topo's existence. The Keep seems unaware of his true nature.
- Topo had been born a common mouse. He became a weremouse after being scratched by an afflicted wolf's teeth.
- As a weremouse, he is a full mouse during the day and an anthropomorphic mouse at night. He takes a few minutes to transform as the sun sets. In his morph form, he is about four feet tall with brown fur and white belly fur.
Supporting:
- Anteno Carras: The new Duke of Carreas and Mechellos's nephew, Topo's best friend. He is seeking to make amends to everyone wronged by Mechellos, including Dan.
- He is the sort of person who cares about writing well, without giving too much information.
- He was a seasoned traveller in his youth, and four years ago visited Metamor Keep.
- During his travels he befriended a newly transformed Topo, who became his advisor and confidant.
- 11 months ago, the court named him Duke of Carreas; they underestimated his political acumen, and his crackdown on corrupt local officials, replacing them with councils of local citizens, as well as reviewing the cases of the nation's prisoners, won him the support of the people and the enmity of the court. Since then, he started massive compensation programs.
Minor characters:
- A young female AR who works as a desk clerk at the intelligence bureau. She takes her job seriously, only respecting Dan's request once she is certain he has good reason.
- She has blonde hair in pigtails.
Cameo:
- Donnie: Owner of the Deaf Mule. He silently requests Dan to pay off Jack's tab.
Important Mention:
- Mechellos Carras: The former Duke of Carreas, responsible for Dan's exile. He ruled Carreas harshly for forty years, taxing citizens and abducting them into slavery. He left no heir after his death eleven months ago, leaving the court to appoint his nephew Anteno to avoid a power struggle.
- He was intolerant of magic of any kind.
- He died from a "social" disease, probably venereal.
- Dan's father. Advanced in years, Topo says a representative from Anteno has visited him, and given him an apology and pension for his declining years.
- 20 years ago, he refused to cut down a red pine for Mechello's court, as it had spiritual significance to the local people. Within 2 days, he lost his position as Steward of Lands, and he and his family were escorted from Carreas into exile.
Referenced:
- Jack deMule: The armour master. Dan pays off his tab, as agreed in Alone In the Dark.
- Nasoj: The wizard who cursed Metamor Keep.
Locations
- The Keep gardens are, as Dan puts it, a collection of plants found throughout the Midlands, varying from common and rare, natural and cultivated. They have very complex machinery to irrigate the plants, requiring constant maintenance by Dan.
- One such plant is Labrador Tea, Ledum groenlandicum Oeder.
- Dan's research lab is being used to study seed growth. There are stools here, and workbenches along the walls.
- The Deaf Mule has benches in the back room, with openings between the seat and backrest.
- The Keep's intelligence bureau sometimes allows Keep residents access to recent public information, as long as they have a good reason, will not abuse the privilege, and will not exploit their resources.
- There is a small reading room inside for visitors to read their requested information, equipped with only an oil lamp, a reading desk and a chair. Documents are not allowed to leave the bureau.
- At this time, it takes a week to get through Dan's response.
- Dan's apartment has a comfortable chair and a fireplace.
- Carreas is a small, little-known nation.
- The red pine had been in a clearing 20 years ago; it is unknown if it was ultimately cut down to serve as the central pillar in Mechellos's throne room.
Chronology
- Around 665 CR, Mechellos began his reign in Carreas.
- Around 686 CR, Dan's family was exiled from Carreas.
- In March 705 CR, Anteno became Duke of Carreas.
- In February 706, Dan's arm was cut off by Lutins. This happened in Alone in the Dark.
- Day 1: In the early morning before sunrise, Dan arrives in the gardens to repair a sprayer nozzle. Topo is already there.
- After meeting Topo, and finishing his repairs, he reports to the quartermaster for work. Afterwards, he returns to his research lab to set up an experiment involving seeds and growth chambers.
- At the Deaf Mule, he pays off several of Jack's drinks, if not all. Topo has an impromptu meeting with him, where he delivers his Duke's letter to Dan, and plans to be here for a week. Two hours later, Dan finally leaves the bar, and opens the letter at his apartment.
- Days 2-5: Dan visits the library and intelligence bureau the next day. Over the next couple evenings, Topo visits Dan in the Deaf Mule.
- Day 5 or 6: With a couple more days to go, Topo spends the night at Dan's apartment.
- Day 6 or 7: The next day, a supply convoy arrives a few days early. By mid-afternoon, the intelligence bureau has gathered Dan's requested information. That evening, Topo's curse becomes apparent.
- Day 7 or 8: Topo leaves tonight for Carreas.
Society
- Staying in full form used to be common in the early days of the Curse. After a few smaller morphs were killed from various dangers, it became much more common to stay in morph form.
- Werewolves are legendary shapeshifters who become wolf-like under a full moon, supposedly. Dan thinks them imaginary.
- Topo calls himself one of their less well-known relatives, the weremouse. He is able to transmit it through biting, though it takes time to activate. Whether other weremice change every day and night is unknown.