A Rose In The Wind: A Saga of the Halmae -- Updated June 19, 2014
- Thread starter ellinor
- Start date
Orichalcum
First Post
The problems of sadly anemic witches are always discounted...sorry, thread hijacking over.
2x03
As Mena arrived at the Ehktian Temple, the perpetual flame outside drew her eye with a power she couldn't resist. With the faintest clenching of her jaw – and a much greater mental effort – she tore her gaze away and faced the Temple's doors. This is necessary, she told herself. And I can do it. She took a breath and threw the doors open, entering the headquarters of the Keepers of Light and Flame.
It could as easily be called a gym as a headquarters: the Keepers of Flame strove for physical perfection, as their twins, the Keepers of Light, strove for intellectual perfection. The hall was filled with the sweaty energy of sit-ups, stretching, and sparring.
An authoritative-looking Keeper approached her. "What does a Sedellan seek in the house of the sun?" he asked, not unkindly.
Mena braced herself and said, "My name is Brother Spark." It was an Ehktian name, indicative of a member of the Keepers themselves. Although she was telling the truth – it had been her name, once – it was hard for her to say. Damn hard. She watched the Keeper react with puzzlement, but she merely gave him the steady, dangerous gaze that Rose, Tavi, and Twiggy knew well. "I seek information about the area of the Ketkath Mountains west of here, near the Ironroot Mines."
He asked no questions. Instead, he walked her over to a different hall and introduced her to the local Questors – the Ehktian sect who sought challenge relentlessly. Rose's mother, Signora Giovanna, had been a Questor, and she might very well ask every Questor in the Halmae to help find her missing daughter now. Mena knew that she must tread carefully; she was also determined to remain in this place no longer than absolutely necessary. But her questions about the area around the Ironroot Mines were met with more questions: where was she from? How big was her party? Was she sure she wouldn't prefer to raft down an unnamed, uncharted mountain river where three Questors had just drowned?
Mena cut short their friendly inquisition. "I am hoping you can tell me about any particular – challenges – near the Mines," she said. At that, they gave her a map adorned with a spattering of red Xs, unpleasantly like blood. Each X indicated either a site where a Questor had faced a challenge and lived to tell about it or the last known location of a Questor who had gone missing: all places that future Questors might be eager to visit. Otherwise, it wasn't a very good map, but Mena rolled it up carefully. At least we know what places to avoid, she thought.
As she left the Temple, she forced herself to walk calmly, using everything she had to restrain the urge to run.
As Mena arrived at the Ehktian Temple, the perpetual flame outside drew her eye with a power she couldn't resist. With the faintest clenching of her jaw – and a much greater mental effort – she tore her gaze away and faced the Temple's doors. This is necessary, she told herself. And I can do it. She took a breath and threw the doors open, entering the headquarters of the Keepers of Light and Flame.
It could as easily be called a gym as a headquarters: the Keepers of Flame strove for physical perfection, as their twins, the Keepers of Light, strove for intellectual perfection. The hall was filled with the sweaty energy of sit-ups, stretching, and sparring.
An authoritative-looking Keeper approached her. "What does a Sedellan seek in the house of the sun?" he asked, not unkindly.
Mena braced herself and said, "My name is Brother Spark." It was an Ehktian name, indicative of a member of the Keepers themselves. Although she was telling the truth – it had been her name, once – it was hard for her to say. Damn hard. She watched the Keeper react with puzzlement, but she merely gave him the steady, dangerous gaze that Rose, Tavi, and Twiggy knew well. "I seek information about the area of the Ketkath Mountains west of here, near the Ironroot Mines."
He asked no questions. Instead, he walked her over to a different hall and introduced her to the local Questors – the Ehktian sect who sought challenge relentlessly. Rose's mother, Signora Giovanna, had been a Questor, and she might very well ask every Questor in the Halmae to help find her missing daughter now. Mena knew that she must tread carefully; she was also determined to remain in this place no longer than absolutely necessary. But her questions about the area around the Ironroot Mines were met with more questions: where was she from? How big was her party? Was she sure she wouldn't prefer to raft down an unnamed, uncharted mountain river where three Questors had just drowned?
Mena cut short their friendly inquisition. "I am hoping you can tell me about any particular – challenges – near the Mines," she said. At that, they gave her a map adorned with a spattering of red Xs, unpleasantly like blood. Each X indicated either a site where a Questor had faced a challenge and lived to tell about it or the last known location of a Questor who had gone missing: all places that future Questors might be eager to visit. Otherwise, it wasn't a very good map, but Mena rolled it up carefully. At least we know what places to avoid, she thought.
As she left the Temple, she forced herself to walk calmly, using everything she had to restrain the urge to run.
spyscribe
First Post
Reading this, I (of course) had two reactions:
1 (as spyscribe the player in the current campaign): "Ooo! Mena has an exciting secret past!"
2 (as spyscribe the former player of Lira/Giovanna): "I can see why Giovanna liked you, kiddo."
1.) Happy to oblige.
2.) You've hit the nail squarely on the head there. If you've got to have a Sedellan teach your daughter, it might as well be a Sedellan who used to be an Echtian and who doesn't so much worship the goddess as spit in her face.
In my continuing quest to link players to characters:
These are known:
WisdomLikeSilence - Savina
jonrog1 - Kormick
Thatch - Tavi
These are my current guesses:
Jenber - Mena
Ilex - Arden
ellinor - Twiggy
And for the bonus point:
Spyscribe - the self-aware skeleton of Amelia, who has repented and become a follower of Alirria.
These are known:
WisdomLikeSilence - Savina
jonrog1 - Kormick
Thatch - Tavi
These are my current guesses:
Jenber - Mena
Ilex - Arden
ellinor - Twiggy
And for the bonus point:
Spyscribe - the self-aware skeleton of Amelia, who has repented and become a follower of Alirria.
ellinor
Explorer
Ding ding ding! Well done, Rughat! You win the prestigious...um...prize. OK, there isn't much in the way of prizes. But certainly, all the prestige you can eat.
As for Spyscribe's character...we'll keep the suspense alive. But allow me to whet your appetite with a possibly misleading clue: The session when we meet Spyscribe's character did involve zombies. In the basement.
As for Spyscribe's character...we'll keep the suspense alive. But allow me to whet your appetite with a possibly misleading clue: The session when we meet Spyscribe's character did involve zombies. In the basement.
2x04
Twiggy and Kormick stepped into the Hall of the Water Walkers. The room, lit by hazy sunbeams pouring through tall windows, was full of light balanced by soft shadow.
"Hello?" Twiggy called. "Is anyone here?"
"One moment," said a voice from one side. Looking, Twiggy spotted a woman in flowing robes standing in a small antechamber, staring at the wall. Except she wasn't just staring – she was painting.
As Twiggy followed the strokes of the woman's brush, she really saw the walls of the hall for the first time. They were covered with images – scenes of faraway places merging and flowing into one another, a vast panorama. Twiggy gasped, her heart beating faster as she took it all in. "It's beautiful," she whispered.
"Thank you," said the woman, turning from the wall and setting down her brush.
"Did you – are these all places you've been?" Twiggy asked.
The woman smiled. "Of course."
Twiggy, awestruck, sent her gaze sailing over the ceiling again. "Where are you going next?"
"Nowhere, for now."
Twiggy frowned. "What? Why?"
The woman sighed, but said nothing, busying herself cleaning a paintbrush.
Kormick stepped forward. "We need to know about the Ironroot Mines.”
The woman looked startled. Twiggy stepped in. “What he means to say is, you have been to so many beautiful places. Have you by any chance been to the Ironroot Mines?"
"I have."
"Excellent,” Kormick declared. “You seem to have some ability to sketch and whatnot. How quickly can you draw us a map?"
The woman gave him a quizzical look. "He means,” said Twiggy, “you're an amazing artist, and we would be very, very grateful if you could share your wisdom with us."
The woman smiled. "It is not a simple path. I would be happy to make you a map, but it would take me until tomorrow, at least, to draw it properly."
"I don't need art," said Kormick. "I need a sheet of paper with some lumpy shapes to indicate mountains and a big red line showing the route."
Twiggy registered the woman’s discomfort. “What he means to say is, we appreciate your obvious gift for detail, but we would also appreciate anything you could do to expedite the process.”
"That's exactly what I said," Kormick muttered.
"I can prepare a simpler map by this afternoon," she said, "but it won't be complete."
Twiggy turned to Kormick, concerned. "I don't think we should go into the Ketkath Mountains without knowing as much as possible," she said. "Dona Giovanna's stories . . . Wait." An idea had struck her. "Could you come with us?" she asked the woman. "You could tell us everything we need to know, and maybe you'd find some new scenes for your mural!"
The woman's face developed a wistful expression as she took in Twiggy's enthusiasm. "Possibly," she said. "But I cannot leave right away. Perhaps tomorrow . . ."
Kormick shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said firmly. "We will wait here for the simple map, but we don't have time for more."
"Why?" asked Twiggy. "There's no reason we couldn't stay the night. We just got here!"
Kormick cast her a serious look. "We had best not," he said. Then he turned to the woman and took out a pouch of gold coins. "How much?"
As Kormick and the woman concluded their business, Twiggy stepped away, her eyes traveling again over the paintings. A waterfall leapt out as if it were truly liquid; a mysterious forest lurked in a shady corner. There was a whole world out there that she didn’t know. I've had a lifetime of learning. I've read libraries full of books. And I still don’t know enough, Twiggy thought. I don't know why Kormick is in such a hurry. I don't know why this woman is here painting instead of walking over the hills. And I don't know where any of these places really are. For as long as she could remember, Twiggy had always needed to know the reasons for things, but the desire to know had never been stronger than it was today. She jumped when Kormick called her name.
"Lady Chelesta! Time to go."
She smiled, a wistful smile to match the woman's, and followed Kormick out of the hall of sunlight and shadow.
Twiggy and Kormick stepped into the Hall of the Water Walkers. The room, lit by hazy sunbeams pouring through tall windows, was full of light balanced by soft shadow.
"Hello?" Twiggy called. "Is anyone here?"
"One moment," said a voice from one side. Looking, Twiggy spotted a woman in flowing robes standing in a small antechamber, staring at the wall. Except she wasn't just staring – she was painting.
As Twiggy followed the strokes of the woman's brush, she really saw the walls of the hall for the first time. They were covered with images – scenes of faraway places merging and flowing into one another, a vast panorama. Twiggy gasped, her heart beating faster as she took it all in. "It's beautiful," she whispered.
"Thank you," said the woman, turning from the wall and setting down her brush.
"Did you – are these all places you've been?" Twiggy asked.
The woman smiled. "Of course."
Twiggy, awestruck, sent her gaze sailing over the ceiling again. "Where are you going next?"
"Nowhere, for now."
Twiggy frowned. "What? Why?"
The woman sighed, but said nothing, busying herself cleaning a paintbrush.
Kormick stepped forward. "We need to know about the Ironroot Mines.”
The woman looked startled. Twiggy stepped in. “What he means to say is, you have been to so many beautiful places. Have you by any chance been to the Ironroot Mines?"
"I have."
"Excellent,” Kormick declared. “You seem to have some ability to sketch and whatnot. How quickly can you draw us a map?"
The woman gave him a quizzical look. "He means,” said Twiggy, “you're an amazing artist, and we would be very, very grateful if you could share your wisdom with us."
The woman smiled. "It is not a simple path. I would be happy to make you a map, but it would take me until tomorrow, at least, to draw it properly."
"I don't need art," said Kormick. "I need a sheet of paper with some lumpy shapes to indicate mountains and a big red line showing the route."
Twiggy registered the woman’s discomfort. “What he means to say is, we appreciate your obvious gift for detail, but we would also appreciate anything you could do to expedite the process.”
"That's exactly what I said," Kormick muttered.
"I can prepare a simpler map by this afternoon," she said, "but it won't be complete."
Twiggy turned to Kormick, concerned. "I don't think we should go into the Ketkath Mountains without knowing as much as possible," she said. "Dona Giovanna's stories . . . Wait." An idea had struck her. "Could you come with us?" she asked the woman. "You could tell us everything we need to know, and maybe you'd find some new scenes for your mural!"
The woman's face developed a wistful expression as she took in Twiggy's enthusiasm. "Possibly," she said. "But I cannot leave right away. Perhaps tomorrow . . ."
Kormick shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said firmly. "We will wait here for the simple map, but we don't have time for more."
"Why?" asked Twiggy. "There's no reason we couldn't stay the night. We just got here!"
Kormick cast her a serious look. "We had best not," he said. Then he turned to the woman and took out a pouch of gold coins. "How much?"
As Kormick and the woman concluded their business, Twiggy stepped away, her eyes traveling again over the paintings. A waterfall leapt out as if it were truly liquid; a mysterious forest lurked in a shady corner. There was a whole world out there that she didn’t know. I've had a lifetime of learning. I've read libraries full of books. And I still don’t know enough, Twiggy thought. I don't know why Kormick is in such a hurry. I don't know why this woman is here painting instead of walking over the hills. And I don't know where any of these places really are. For as long as she could remember, Twiggy had always needed to know the reasons for things, but the desire to know had never been stronger than it was today. She jumped when Kormick called her name.
"Lady Chelesta! Time to go."
She smiled, a wistful smile to match the woman's, and followed Kormick out of the hall of sunlight and shadow.
ellinor
Explorer
Ooh! Sounds like Kormick made a Sense Motive check and Twiggy didn't!
Hee! Actually, as I recall, this was all just role-playing. Kormick and Twiggy have very different ways of approaching the world.
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