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Story Hour
Steel Dragon's "Tales of Orea"
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<blockquote data-quote="steeldragons" data-source="post: 5355757" data-attributes="member: 92511"><p><strong>Elder Kama</strong></p><p></p><p>Braddok, having decided he was the party spokesman, approached the two identically tall youths from behind. “Hello. Can you tell us where we can find Elder Kama?”</p><p> </p><p> “You are the strangers.” said one of the boys in a tone belaying no surprise.</p><p> </p><p> “The Tidemaster said you would arrive today.” said the other. His voice was also even, almost hypnotic.</p><p> </p><p> “The rest are here now, as well.” said the first boy.</p><p> </p><p> Neither youth turned to face the party as they spoke.</p><p> </p><p> “Ho there!” came a shout behind Alaria. She and the others turned to see Erevan and Duor making their way down the beach to join them. The elf moving with his usual cat-like grace barely seemed to disturb the sand as he stepped. He raised a hand in “hello” and smiled slightly. The dwarf, on the other hand, seemed to have a bit of difficulty managing the shifting earth beneath his booted feet and stumbled more than once as Alaria watched.</p><p> </p><p> Haelan waved at their returning companions enthusiastically and then scampered off to the water’s edge. He stood with his feet in the last laps of the crashing waves. The halfling looked out over ocean and smiled to himself enjoying the cool but not cold water playing over his sandy toes.</p><p> </p><p> “Who is the Tidemaster and how did he know we were coming?” questioned Coerraine. Something about these teens made the Goldshield uncomfortable.</p><p> </p><p> At this, the boys heads turned just enough to view Coerraine out of the corners of their eyes. “Tidemaster Kama, of course.” said the one who had spoken first before. Their heads turned back to the waves in unison. </p><p> </p><p> As a wave swelled Haelan gasped and pointed. “Look there!” exclaimed Haelan. A figure floated in the ocean and rose up with the wave.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>The party watched as the wave rose higher and higher, a crest of white foam forming and balancing precariously at its top. It was as if the man were dead. His eyes were closed. He floated on his back, a mane of long hair seemed to surround his head in a great halo of white and a long beard bobbed and floated in all directions from his chin nearly to his waist. His body, like everyone else they’d seen in Shoal, was a deep golden tan. He was wiry thin with long lanky limbs struck out from beneath the cloud of floating white hair.</p><p> </p><p> The wave moved closer and closer to the shore, rising higher than any the group had noticed since they arrived. The wave began to crest and the figure of the old man simply floated along the edge, bending with it.</p><p> </p><p> “He’s gonna get pulverized.” said Duor under his breath. Braddok nodded his agreement.</p><p> </p><p> The wave crashed down, a torrent of white and green seafoam churning and roiling up to the shore. The water came to an end at the boys’ feet and with the soft fizzing sound of millions of foam bubbles breaking the water slid back into the ocean. There was no sign of the old man. The youths did not so much as flinch.</p><p> </p><p> “There!” shouted Haelan, pointing again, just as Braddok was thinking about rushing into the sea.</p><p> </p><p> Out, practically where the wave had begun, floating effortlessly along the top of the water was a small lumpy cloud of white. </p><p> </p><p> “Is it..Should we..” Braddok said frantically, looking to his companions. He felt sure they needed to do something but wasn’t sure what.</p><p> </p><p> Then the old man’s head popped up and looked at the shore. He waved and then rose, in an even smooth movement, to <em>stand</em> on the water! His thin tan form, under long sopping strands of white hair and beard, stood straight as a swell of ocean rose and seemed to carry him towards the shore.</p><p> </p><p> Even Alaria’s eyebrows rose in surprise. The whole party, including Erevan, watched in awe.</p><p> </p><p> As he neared the water’s edge, he called out, “Ah, you’re here. Hail and well met! You’re right on time.”</p><p> </p><p> He strode as easily from the water to the sand and walked up to the two youths, at which they parted. Alaria could see their faces for the first time and realized they were twins, young but handsome, looking to be in their mid-teens. Around their necks, each wore a choker of puka shells with a large round flat gleaming-white shell dangling from it like an amulet. On closer inspection, she noticed the shell was etched with the image of cresting waves, the symbol of the goddess Tyris.</p><p> </p><p> One boy held out a robe that began in a pale green that darkened in hue as it moved down to a very dark green. At about mid-thigh, the green was broken with arcing white lines in a cresting wave pattern and below that a rich blue.</p><p> </p><p> The other bore one of the wraps like the ones the youths wore themselves which would be used to cover the Tidemaster’s lower half beneath the robe.</p><p> </p><p> With a nonchalant motion of his hand and arm, water began to flow off the dripping old man, from his body, his beard, his hair, water trailed off of him and coalesced into a growing sphere hovering above the old man’s open palm. When he was completely dry, the Tidemaster tossed the sphere of water back into the sea.</p><p> </p><p> “Thank you, Dihm” he said simply, taking the pale green waist wrap and, Alaria thanked the gods, covering his gaunt lower half which had been barely concealed beneath a simple loin-covering. “Will you go inform Dartha we will be having guests for supper.”</p><p> </p><p></p><p>The sun-bleached mop of hair nodded slightly and the youth took off effortlessly jogging down the beach to the outcropping and temple.</p><p> </p><p> Donning his robe and allowing the boy to tie the similarly wave patterned belt-sash, the old man from the sea addressed the party again.</p><p></p><p></p><p>“Again, welcome. I am Kama, Tidemaster of Tyris and one of the Elder’s on the village council. Now tell me, who are you and what brings you to Shoal? You certainly are a diverse group, aren’t you?” he smiled at Haelan who returned it, naturally.</p><p> </p><p> This led to another round of puzzled looks. Braddok again took the reigns, “Forgive me, um, Tidemaster, but your attendants seemed to indicate that you were expecting us?” </p><p> </p><p> Kama chuckled, “Well, yes. You see, the goddess, blessed be Her depths, gifted my meditations with a vision of a group of strangers who would be arriving in Shoal. She did not, however, provide names or specifics. The depths of the currents are often unfathomable.” Kama smiled kindly. </p><p> </p><p> “Come, come. We may talk as we walk.” and he began to walk towards the large rock outcropping. The other twin fell in behind him to the right and Braddok strode to his left and began to tell the elder priest everyone’s names. Kama turned to view and nod a bow of greeting to each member as they were introduced.</p><p> </p><p> Braddok then went on to inform Tidemaster Kama of their conversation with Elder Bundo and their news of the goblin warparty. Kama seemed to scowl at the news but listened to Braddok’s accounting of their battle with the scouting party in which he was the primary hero.</p><p> </p><p> They climbed the rocky protrusion in the extending evening shadows via a path that, to the outside observer, was concealed behind a “railing” of jagged natural rock. It wound lazily up the rocks until it let out upon the surprisingly flat top.</p><p> </p><p> Up close, the temple was quite a sight. Carvings of hippocampi and dolphins and merfolk surrounded the swooping blue-and-white-tiled roof. </p><p> </p><p> The group moved around a large fountain centered before the temple’s main doors. A quartet of dolphins spurted water into the air from their bottle-nosed mouths that fell into large clam shells being held by mermaids before spilling from these dishes into the circular basin. Various groupings of shells and smooth multi-colored stones sat about the fountain’s edge.</p><p> </p><p> Beside the main doors were two large statues of dark green stone carved with fierce visages of half-lion half-fish creatures. Beneath one paw of each was a large sphere the size of a man’s head. They shimmered like pearls.</p><p></p><p></p><p>At first, Duor’s eyes nearly flew from his head until he collected himself reasoning that there is absolutely no way they could be real actual pearls. Still, he thought, might want to check with some of the clergy hereabouts to make sure. His eyes lingered but he kept up with the group as they entered the temple. </p><p> </p><p> Through the gates, a long rectangular wading pool filled most of the central courtyard. Lily pads and koi fish were visible in the serene glass-like pool. The party saw a couple of acolytes, dressed in the waist wraps and adorned with the shell necklace holy symbols like the twin boys. The women covered their chests in a wrap of similar material, some pale green some pale blue. They gave the group passing glances and continued about their work and meditations.</p><p> </p><p> Around the walls and pillars were painted frescos of cresting waves about 5 feet off the ground. Below the waves, images of fish and crabs and squid, all manner of sea-creatures adorned the building. Haelan fell behind several times studying the images and made mental notes to ask Elder Kama what some of the creatures were. The rest of the party also marveled at the beauty of the sanctuary to the sea goddess.</p><p> </p><p> Duor, however, began feeling somewhat sick. The wave motif that surrounded the walls, inside and out, gave the dwarf the illusion of being actually under the water’s surface. He concentrated on the solidness of the blue and white-tiled floor beneath his feet and his stomach seemed to calm.</p><p> </p><p> “Your temple is quite beautiful, Tidemaster.” Haelan offered. “Very soothing. The power of the Sea Mistress is indeed present with you and your followers.”</p><p> </p><p> “Thank you, Haelan. It is, isn’t it? Blessed be Her depths.” Kama replied. They were then rejoined by the acolyte, Dihm, who had apparently completed his errand.</p><p> </p><p> Kama led them into a good sized room which appeared to be his office. Three large windows looked out over the sea and the village. From this vantage, the sandbar was easily visible and the tide had gone out far enough that the very center of it had broken the water’s surface in a jagged thin line along its center.</p><p> </p><p> Alaria also noted from their elevated view that a few small fields and rice patties stretched behind the dunes in the limited space before the trees of the forest became thick. Given the hour, workers from those fields were returning through the dunes to the village as she watched. But there were not many and Alaria could not tell at her distance whether they were men or not.</p><p> </p><p> Tidemaster Kama dismissed the twins and sat behind his desk. The party looked at him expectantly. He seemed lost in thought for a moment then addressed the party.</p><p> </p><p> “Now, this news of a band of goblins is mildly disconcerting. But you say they were moving away from the village?” Kama asked.</p><p> </p><p> The group looked to Erevan and Duor to confirm. Erevan spoke, “Yes, Tidemaster. When last we saw, they continued to the north and west.” Duor nodded.</p><p> </p><p> “It is, of course, little matter if they did come here as the grace of Tyris and the Shoal Spirit would protect us.” The cleric stroked his white beard that cascaded like waves themselves nearly to his waist. He gazed out the window to the pinks and oranges of evening filled the sky. Then his eyes went to the sandbar. </p><p> </p><p> “Is there really a spirit in the village?” inquired Haelan. The thought of undead in the vicinity thoroughly worried the halfling priest.</p><p> </p><p> Kama chuckled. “It has been some years, master daelvar, since I have had the pleasure of your people’s company.” Haelan grinned at the Hilltender. “Not a spirit in the village,” he explained, “The spirit of the shoal.” He pointed out to the sandbar. </p><p> </p><p> At this point, Alaria’s curiosity was piqued. “You believe there is a spirit connected with the…shoal? Like an elemental of some kind?”</p><p> </p><p> Kama shook his head. “Not ‘believe’, my dear. Belief is something you need for those things unseen. Several villagers and I, myself, have seen the Shoal Spirit with our own eyes. She usually appears at the greater moon’s fullness. She is lovely to behold and whether elemental or not, her command of the sea is not to be taken lightly. She is most certainly an avatar of the goddess and has been sent to see to the village and temple’s protection. I have even spoken with her in my communions in the sea. She had been here in the distant past and returned to the shoal after my companions and I freed this temple from the evil that had long encased it.”</p><p> </p><p> Alaria was intrigued that this obviously adept priest confessed to seeing a spirit and trusting in its protection. But it was not her concern. Alaria simply wanted to know why the priest had had a vision of their arrival and hoped they would not be lingering in this village with so much farther still to go before they would reach Welford. </p><p> </p><p> This was not the most reassuring news to Haelan, but he breathed easier knowing there was no spirit in the village and that Kama obviously believed it to be friendly. “Is that how you know Bobrik?” Haelan asked, putting two and two together.</p><p> </p><p> Kama smiled broadly again. “Why yes! He was one of the fellows with whom I traveled in my youth. You know Bobrik?”</p><p> </p><p> “We do. Great fellow. He’s the one who told us about your village here.” Braddok interjected. Haelan would sit here and make tea time small talk all day, the warrior realized. His patience was wearing thin and he still needed answers. “Now, why exactly did the goddess of the sea and her spirit avatar thing tell you we were coming?” he asked. Thinking quickly, he added, “Blessed be her depths…and all.” </p><p> </p><p> Tidemaster Kama’s eyebrows, like two white bushy caterpillars, furrowed. “Well, you see warrior, that is a rather lengthy tale…”</p><p> </p><p> The door to Kama’s office opened to reveal one of the twins. “Supper is served, Tidemaster.”</p><p> </p><p> “Excellent.” Kama proclaimed. “Thank you, Suhm.”</p><p> </p><p> Alaria wondered at the different name. How could the Tidemaster tell the boys apart? </p><p> </p><p> “We shall continue this over our meal. Dartha is an excellent cook but woe betide if you let here dishes get cold. Come, come…” and the elder cleric stood and gestured the still confused and somewhat frustrated party to follow the acolyte.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="steeldragons, post: 5355757, member: 92511"] [b]Elder Kama[/b] Braddok, having decided he was the party spokesman, approached the two identically tall youths from behind. “Hello. Can you tell us where we can find Elder Kama?” “You are the strangers.” said one of the boys in a tone belaying no surprise. “The Tidemaster said you would arrive today.” said the other. His voice was also even, almost hypnotic. “The rest are here now, as well.” said the first boy. Neither youth turned to face the party as they spoke. “Ho there!” came a shout behind Alaria. She and the others turned to see Erevan and Duor making their way down the beach to join them. The elf moving with his usual cat-like grace barely seemed to disturb the sand as he stepped. He raised a hand in “hello” and smiled slightly. The dwarf, on the other hand, seemed to have a bit of difficulty managing the shifting earth beneath his booted feet and stumbled more than once as Alaria watched. Haelan waved at their returning companions enthusiastically and then scampered off to the water’s edge. He stood with his feet in the last laps of the crashing waves. The halfling looked out over ocean and smiled to himself enjoying the cool but not cold water playing over his sandy toes. “Who is the Tidemaster and how did he know we were coming?” questioned Coerraine. Something about these teens made the Goldshield uncomfortable. At this, the boys heads turned just enough to view Coerraine out of the corners of their eyes. “Tidemaster Kama, of course.” said the one who had spoken first before. Their heads turned back to the waves in unison. As a wave swelled Haelan gasped and pointed. “Look there!” exclaimed Haelan. A figure floated in the ocean and rose up with the wave. The party watched as the wave rose higher and higher, a crest of white foam forming and balancing precariously at its top. It was as if the man were dead. His eyes were closed. He floated on his back, a mane of long hair seemed to surround his head in a great halo of white and a long beard bobbed and floated in all directions from his chin nearly to his waist. His body, like everyone else they’d seen in Shoal, was a deep golden tan. He was wiry thin with long lanky limbs struck out from beneath the cloud of floating white hair. The wave moved closer and closer to the shore, rising higher than any the group had noticed since they arrived. The wave began to crest and the figure of the old man simply floated along the edge, bending with it. “He’s gonna get pulverized.” said Duor under his breath. Braddok nodded his agreement. The wave crashed down, a torrent of white and green seafoam churning and roiling up to the shore. The water came to an end at the boys’ feet and with the soft fizzing sound of millions of foam bubbles breaking the water slid back into the ocean. There was no sign of the old man. The youths did not so much as flinch. “There!” shouted Haelan, pointing again, just as Braddok was thinking about rushing into the sea. Out, practically where the wave had begun, floating effortlessly along the top of the water was a small lumpy cloud of white. “Is it..Should we..” Braddok said frantically, looking to his companions. He felt sure they needed to do something but wasn’t sure what. Then the old man’s head popped up and looked at the shore. He waved and then rose, in an even smooth movement, to [I]stand[/I] on the water! His thin tan form, under long sopping strands of white hair and beard, stood straight as a swell of ocean rose and seemed to carry him towards the shore. Even Alaria’s eyebrows rose in surprise. The whole party, including Erevan, watched in awe. As he neared the water’s edge, he called out, “Ah, you’re here. Hail and well met! You’re right on time.” He strode as easily from the water to the sand and walked up to the two youths, at which they parted. Alaria could see their faces for the first time and realized they were twins, young but handsome, looking to be in their mid-teens. Around their necks, each wore a choker of puka shells with a large round flat gleaming-white shell dangling from it like an amulet. On closer inspection, she noticed the shell was etched with the image of cresting waves, the symbol of the goddess Tyris. One boy held out a robe that began in a pale green that darkened in hue as it moved down to a very dark green. At about mid-thigh, the green was broken with arcing white lines in a cresting wave pattern and below that a rich blue. The other bore one of the wraps like the ones the youths wore themselves which would be used to cover the Tidemaster’s lower half beneath the robe. With a nonchalant motion of his hand and arm, water began to flow off the dripping old man, from his body, his beard, his hair, water trailed off of him and coalesced into a growing sphere hovering above the old man’s open palm. When he was completely dry, the Tidemaster tossed the sphere of water back into the sea. “Thank you, Dihm” he said simply, taking the pale green waist wrap and, Alaria thanked the gods, covering his gaunt lower half which had been barely concealed beneath a simple loin-covering. “Will you go inform Dartha we will be having guests for supper.” The sun-bleached mop of hair nodded slightly and the youth took off effortlessly jogging down the beach to the outcropping and temple. Donning his robe and allowing the boy to tie the similarly wave patterned belt-sash, the old man from the sea addressed the party again. “Again, welcome. I am Kama, Tidemaster of Tyris and one of the Elder’s on the village council. Now tell me, who are you and what brings you to Shoal? You certainly are a diverse group, aren’t you?” he smiled at Haelan who returned it, naturally. This led to another round of puzzled looks. Braddok again took the reigns, “Forgive me, um, Tidemaster, but your attendants seemed to indicate that you were expecting us?” Kama chuckled, “Well, yes. You see, the goddess, blessed be Her depths, gifted my meditations with a vision of a group of strangers who would be arriving in Shoal. She did not, however, provide names or specifics. The depths of the currents are often unfathomable.” Kama smiled kindly. “Come, come. We may talk as we walk.” and he began to walk towards the large rock outcropping. The other twin fell in behind him to the right and Braddok strode to his left and began to tell the elder priest everyone’s names. Kama turned to view and nod a bow of greeting to each member as they were introduced. Braddok then went on to inform Tidemaster Kama of their conversation with Elder Bundo and their news of the goblin warparty. Kama seemed to scowl at the news but listened to Braddok’s accounting of their battle with the scouting party in which he was the primary hero. They climbed the rocky protrusion in the extending evening shadows via a path that, to the outside observer, was concealed behind a “railing” of jagged natural rock. It wound lazily up the rocks until it let out upon the surprisingly flat top. Up close, the temple was quite a sight. Carvings of hippocampi and dolphins and merfolk surrounded the swooping blue-and-white-tiled roof. The group moved around a large fountain centered before the temple’s main doors. A quartet of dolphins spurted water into the air from their bottle-nosed mouths that fell into large clam shells being held by mermaids before spilling from these dishes into the circular basin. Various groupings of shells and smooth multi-colored stones sat about the fountain’s edge. Beside the main doors were two large statues of dark green stone carved with fierce visages of half-lion half-fish creatures. Beneath one paw of each was a large sphere the size of a man’s head. They shimmered like pearls. At first, Duor’s eyes nearly flew from his head until he collected himself reasoning that there is absolutely no way they could be real actual pearls. Still, he thought, might want to check with some of the clergy hereabouts to make sure. His eyes lingered but he kept up with the group as they entered the temple. Through the gates, a long rectangular wading pool filled most of the central courtyard. Lily pads and koi fish were visible in the serene glass-like pool. The party saw a couple of acolytes, dressed in the waist wraps and adorned with the shell necklace holy symbols like the twin boys. The women covered their chests in a wrap of similar material, some pale green some pale blue. They gave the group passing glances and continued about their work and meditations. Around the walls and pillars were painted frescos of cresting waves about 5 feet off the ground. Below the waves, images of fish and crabs and squid, all manner of sea-creatures adorned the building. Haelan fell behind several times studying the images and made mental notes to ask Elder Kama what some of the creatures were. The rest of the party also marveled at the beauty of the sanctuary to the sea goddess. Duor, however, began feeling somewhat sick. The wave motif that surrounded the walls, inside and out, gave the dwarf the illusion of being actually under the water’s surface. He concentrated on the solidness of the blue and white-tiled floor beneath his feet and his stomach seemed to calm. “Your temple is quite beautiful, Tidemaster.” Haelan offered. “Very soothing. The power of the Sea Mistress is indeed present with you and your followers.” “Thank you, Haelan. It is, isn’t it? Blessed be Her depths.” Kama replied. They were then rejoined by the acolyte, Dihm, who had apparently completed his errand. Kama led them into a good sized room which appeared to be his office. Three large windows looked out over the sea and the village. From this vantage, the sandbar was easily visible and the tide had gone out far enough that the very center of it had broken the water’s surface in a jagged thin line along its center. Alaria also noted from their elevated view that a few small fields and rice patties stretched behind the dunes in the limited space before the trees of the forest became thick. Given the hour, workers from those fields were returning through the dunes to the village as she watched. But there were not many and Alaria could not tell at her distance whether they were men or not. Tidemaster Kama dismissed the twins and sat behind his desk. The party looked at him expectantly. He seemed lost in thought for a moment then addressed the party. “Now, this news of a band of goblins is mildly disconcerting. But you say they were moving away from the village?” Kama asked. The group looked to Erevan and Duor to confirm. Erevan spoke, “Yes, Tidemaster. When last we saw, they continued to the north and west.” Duor nodded. “It is, of course, little matter if they did come here as the grace of Tyris and the Shoal Spirit would protect us.” The cleric stroked his white beard that cascaded like waves themselves nearly to his waist. He gazed out the window to the pinks and oranges of evening filled the sky. Then his eyes went to the sandbar. “Is there really a spirit in the village?” inquired Haelan. The thought of undead in the vicinity thoroughly worried the halfling priest. Kama chuckled. “It has been some years, master daelvar, since I have had the pleasure of your people’s company.” Haelan grinned at the Hilltender. “Not a spirit in the village,” he explained, “The spirit of the shoal.” He pointed out to the sandbar. At this point, Alaria’s curiosity was piqued. “You believe there is a spirit connected with the…shoal? Like an elemental of some kind?” Kama shook his head. “Not ‘believe’, my dear. Belief is something you need for those things unseen. Several villagers and I, myself, have seen the Shoal Spirit with our own eyes. She usually appears at the greater moon’s fullness. She is lovely to behold and whether elemental or not, her command of the sea is not to be taken lightly. She is most certainly an avatar of the goddess and has been sent to see to the village and temple’s protection. I have even spoken with her in my communions in the sea. She had been here in the distant past and returned to the shoal after my companions and I freed this temple from the evil that had long encased it.” Alaria was intrigued that this obviously adept priest confessed to seeing a spirit and trusting in its protection. But it was not her concern. Alaria simply wanted to know why the priest had had a vision of their arrival and hoped they would not be lingering in this village with so much farther still to go before they would reach Welford. This was not the most reassuring news to Haelan, but he breathed easier knowing there was no spirit in the village and that Kama obviously believed it to be friendly. “Is that how you know Bobrik?” Haelan asked, putting two and two together. Kama smiled broadly again. “Why yes! He was one of the fellows with whom I traveled in my youth. You know Bobrik?” “We do. Great fellow. He’s the one who told us about your village here.” Braddok interjected. Haelan would sit here and make tea time small talk all day, the warrior realized. His patience was wearing thin and he still needed answers. “Now, why exactly did the goddess of the sea and her spirit avatar thing tell you we were coming?” he asked. Thinking quickly, he added, “Blessed be her depths…and all.” Tidemaster Kama’s eyebrows, like two white bushy caterpillars, furrowed. “Well, you see warrior, that is a rather lengthy tale…” The door to Kama’s office opened to reveal one of the twins. “Supper is served, Tidemaster.” “Excellent.” Kama proclaimed. “Thank you, Suhm.” Alaria wondered at the different name. How could the Tidemaster tell the boys apart? “We shall continue this over our meal. Dartha is an excellent cook but woe betide if you let here dishes get cold. Come, come…” and the elder cleric stood and gestured the still confused and somewhat frustrated party to follow the acolyte. [/QUOTE]
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