048.3 Arachiel and Lyris

[Corwin]

[20:27] <Kobrb> Lyris has a fast step - it's hard to keep up with her. She leads you out of the Commerce Quarter and through a bit of the Old City, then into the New City proper. As you walk, "If the two of us are fighting alone, we can't rely on someone else to keep the enemy occupied. Plus your style lends itself to immobility and rapid barrages of arrows, from what I saw."
[20:30] * Arachiel nods. "It's something I'm trying to work on, but I dunno if it will work out."
[20:35] <Kobrb> "My style emphasizes mobility," Lyris continues with a curt nod back, "The logical position is that I distract the enemy to give you time to overwhelm them with arrows."
[20:45] <Arachiel> "Sounds like a good plan. Together, we'll defeat a lot of evil people!"
[20:48] <Kotono> "Right." Lyris is curt enough there, leading you out into the Western Reaches. As you go...
[20:48] <Kotono> roll 1d100
[20:48] <Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 1d100 --> [ 1d100=52 ]{52}
[20:49] <Kotono> As you walk in the open spaces of the Western Reaches, past a field now laying fallow for the winter, "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" A voice screams above you!
[20:50] * Arachiel immediately looks up! "Huh?"
[20:51] <Kotono> Plunging down above you is a heavy, armor wearing man! He's wearing full plate and is about to hit the ground hard! OOC: You have an action here if you wish to do anything, be it to dodge or something else.
[20:52] <Arachiel> "EEP!" Arachiel quickly moves out of the way!
[20:53] <Kotono> OOC: Reflex save, Arachiel. Don't 1.
[20:54] <Arachiel> roll 1d20+11
[20:54] <Rei-chan> Arachiel rolled : 1d20+11 --> [ 1d20=4 ]{15}
[20:54] <Kotono> Arachiel moves out of the way, just in time as the full-armor clad man slams into the ground! (More)
[20:54] <Arachiel> OOC: 16
[20:54] <Kotono> roll 20d6
[20:54] <Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 20d6 --> [ 20d6=81 ]{81}
[20:56] <Kotono> WHAM! He slams down, going about four feet into the earth! The ground buckles beneath you as a crater is made, Lyris leaping up and landing deftly-safe! For a moment there is silence, before the man groans and pulls himself out of the ground. He coughs and spits, blood tricking down his face from a laceration on his temple. "Fuck. Cloud. Giants." he growls low in his throat, getting up
[20:56] <Kotono> to one knee and starting to rise.
[20:57] <Arachiel> "Uhmmm...hi? Are you okay? What happened?" Arachiel creeps closer.
[20:58] <Kotono> The man shakes his head, thwapping the side of his helmet. "I'll live. I've had worse." Grunting that out, his face cleanshaven if bloodied now, "Am I near a city of any size, by chance?"
[20:58] <Arachiel> "You're in Balmuria!"
[21:00] <Kotono> "Good enough." Grunting and coughing up dust, "Thanks." He looks about and then sees the city you left behind. He starts to go that way, waving a hand as he goes.
[21:01] <Kotono> Lyris stares the entire while, "He...survived a fall like that? He can't be human," Her voice is flat, "A fey? A celestial? Some sort of spirit?"
[21:03] <Arachiel> "Maybe?" Arachiel looks confused and concerned.
[21:03] <Arachiel> "Hey, wait!" She calls after the man.
[21:04] <Kotono> The man stops as Arachiel calls. He turns back, "Yeah?" His voice is normal enough, a bit rough but otherwise fine. "What is it?"
[21:04] <Arachiel> "Do you need help? Why did you fall from the sky? What's wrong with cloud giants? How do you not know where you are?"
[21:07] <Kotono> "Full o' questions, girl?" Rubbing the side of his head again with the starts of a grin, "I'm fine, I fell because I was chasing a cloud giant cloud to cloud and slipped, they're far too free with getting drunk, and I wasn't sure how far I traveled up there. Distance doesn't work quite the same way. Anwyay, if that's all..." Letting that hang a moment, the man starts to turn away again.
[21:08] <Arachiel> "Okay, if you're sure..." Arachiel looks dubious.
[21:09] <Kotono> That gets another wave as the man goes off, Lyris staring. "Every once in awhile you get reminded there are worlds other than the ones we live in," Lyris murmurs, "Worlds where a Destroyer roams a continent, where tyrants of evil rule forever, or where incredibly durable, stubborn men chase cloud giants, apparently. Say, do you drink?"
[21:09] <Arachiel> "Drink?"
[21:10] <Arachiel> "I drank in the desert, from someone's waterskin. Like that?"
[21:11] <Kotono> Lyris bows her head and sighs, "I mean alcohol."
[21:14] <Arachiel> "Alcohol? I've never had that before, but I think Orval and Whurric like it. I've only been mortal for like a week or so you know. Did I tell you earlier that I used to be a lantern archon?" Arachiel looks confused for a moment.
[21:24] <Kotono> "We'll have a drink after practice," Lyris decides as you head along. You go to a country manor here, surrounded by a fence. A smiling old man lets you in, Lyris leading you along towards the back. In the back several training areas are tucked away, lots of open space to work with.
[21:27] * Arachiel waves at the man with a smile as they pass!
[21:28] <Kotono> Once in the back Lyris looks about, "Alright. I'm going to engage various harrassing and defensive movements. I want you to fire near me, as if you're attacking a pursuing enemy. If I come within about ten feet of you, stop firing and retreat away from me, snapping off arrows as you can tow ard off your imaginary foe. Got it?"
[21:29] * Arachiel nods, nocking an arrow.
[21:31] <Kotono> OOC: Make an attack roll for reference real quick?
[21:31] <Arachiel> roll 1d20+15
[21:31] <Rei-chan> Arachiel rolled : 1d20+15 --> [ 1d20=18 ]{33}
[21:32] <Kotono> roll 1d20+12
[21:32] <Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 1d20+12 --> [ 1d20=13 ]{25}
[21:34] <Kotono> Hours of training pass. It starts to drizzle a few times but no real rain comes. 'round and 'round you go, both women having worked up a good sweat. At last Lyris stops, "Enough." Holding a hand up and coming over to Arachiel, "You are a natural talent with that bow. You've only been doing this a week?"
[21:36] <Arachiel> "Since the dawn of time in this age, actually!" Arachiel says. "The bow only since I got a body, though."
[21:39] <Kotono> "Mmmm." Lyris murmurs that softly, taking a pause to wipe her brow clean. After she starts to lead Arachiel in through a back door, right into what looks to be a kitchen. She goes to a tucked away door, "Hold on a moment, I'll grab something from the rack."
[21:39] * Arachiel waits patiently.
[21:47] <Kotono> Lyris ducks into that door and back out, a dark green bottle in hand as she comes out. She grabs a dart and plunges it into the bottle's cork, pulling it right out. She takes a long drink from the bottle, wiping her lips with the back of her hand. "Here, take a drink," she says.
[21:49] * Arachiel cheerily takes the bottle and gulps down a mouthful!
[21:49] <Arachiel> How bad could it be?
[21:50] <Kotono> It's sweet at first taste, but has the strangest aftertaste and it burns your throat! Ack!
[21:52] * Arachiel coughs as her eyes widen. "Gaack! *coughcough* What is that!?"
[21:54] <Kotono> "Wine," Lyris leads you along, just out to a room. Gulded couches and chairs are about, a few paintings on the wall and a silver teaset sitting on the table. Lyris sits on a couch and puts her feet up on a perfectly polished oak table, taking another swig from the bottle. "You get used to it and it makes you feel better."
[21:58] * Arachiel sits in a chair nearby. "Are you sure?" she asks, rubbing her throat.
[21:58] <Kotono> "Yeah, dead sure," She passes the bottle over to Arachiel, closing her eyes for a few moments. "What's it like up there?"
[22:02] * Arachiel takes another, cautious drink and smiles at the thoughts that question brings up. "In Celestia? It's so nice and peaceful. Everyone is kind to each other all the time, and we do good work. I spent a long time doing work for the gods and celestial host there, helping wherever I could. I'm really looking forward to going back after my time here is done. Maybe I'll get promoted!"
[22:02] * Arachiel She looks over at Lyris. "Why do you ask?"
[22:08] <Kotono> "Just wondering," Lyris takes the bottle back, as Arachiel feels a faint warmth start to fill her. "Gotta lot of questions after all that happened."
[22:09] * Arachiel nods and relaxes into the chair. "Feel free to ask me anything. I'll answer as best I can, it's no secret after all."
[22:10] <Kotono> "What's the point of all this?" Gesturing with the bottle as she takes another gulp, "What's the point of life?"
[22:18] <Arachiel> "Well, I don't know the answer to that, really. I know that it can be answered, but I can try. Lemme see...I suppose its so we get a chance to experience what's down here. It's pretty different here on the Prime Material than on other planes. When I was an archon, I was pretty much immortal. I got to go see lots of places, see other planes and such. I never really had adventures though;
[22:18] <Arachiel> no friends or loved ones. We're all acquaintances, really. Being a mortal is so different, I'm so full of life and energy. I feel blessed, getting to experience it. Happiness and joy, even sadness and loss. They're all great things, things that I wouldn't have felt if it weren't for being made mortal. When I lost Orval, I was sad. When I was transformed, the sadness felt entirey different.
[22:18] <Arachiel> More...real? Sad? I don't know. I feel things more strongly now, I don't know why. Killing Senaril would have made me glow with pride as an archon, but as a mortal, I felt a strong feeling of...revenge, I think. Vengeance, maybe? Righteous, to be sure. She was evil of the worst sort."
[22:21] <Kotono> That gets another drink out of Lyris as she passes the bottle back. She listens to it all, "More intense, is what you mean?"
[22:22] * Arachiel takes the bottle and drinks a few times, then passes it back. It's starting to taste pretty good! "Yeah. That sounds right."
[22:49] <Kotono> Another gulp by Lyris, "Hmph. who wants an afterlife that's boring?" A hand goes to her belt, taking a dagger and rolling it between her fingers, "The boring life is for housemarms and goodmen who toil away making craft."
[22:50] <Arachiel> "I don't know what it's like for the dead. I've never been dead. It could be different. I've never met an unhappy soul on Mount Celestia."
[22:55] <Kotono> "Hmph." Lyris looks down into the bottle, before passing it back, "Ain't sure, but if not for a second chance and life, Marianne and I would be somewhere a hell of a lot hotter. Just..." She looks away, gaze unfocused, "They say the Realms Beyond are about belief, about good and evil, law and chaos. Why?"
[22:58] <Arachiel> "Fundaments of the multiverse? I dunno,, everybody's gotta have somewhere to go, I guess." She says, taking the bottle back and nursing it a bit.
[23:00] <Arachiel> "I never spent a whole lot of time learning about it, to be honest. Most of the time I was working. My bosses would probably know more."
[23:03] <Kotono> "Hmph." That gets a mutter from Lyris, who shrugs and sits back. "Did you ever meet any of the Crimson Guard up there? A few of them are supposed to be Goddesses now."
[23:03] * Arachiel blinks. "Which ones are those again?"
[23:05] <Kotono> "Alicia Reynes and Seira Aryn." Lyris answers after a glance at the bottle, but seems to think better of it.
[23:08] * Arachiel thinks for a moment. "If they're based on Mount Celestia, then I've probably done some work with their proxies. I've only met a god once or twice, and that's only in passing. We lantern archons mostly deal with guiding souls about. We're like floating immortal trail guides."
[23:12] <Kotono> For some reason that makes Lyris smirk, "Up and up and up they go? I think they have their own realm. I've read a lot about them...they forgive quite easily, it seems. Another that hardly deserved anything is now one of Alicia's companions above, for instance. Is all this forgiveness truly that strong up there?"
[23:16] * Arachiel shrugs languidly. "It depends on the god, really. Some are forgiving, and some take a really hard line against some stuff. There are good people who sometimes don't make it to their proper reward because they did something to anger their god."
[23:20] <Kotono> "I suppose they come down on the merciful side." Lyris says, "Marianne...she killed millions and they gave her another chance. For millenia she held an entire land down, slaughtering grand armies every generation. All for a sick, twisted desire to rule. Fratricide, genocide, regicide..." Trailing off and looking away, "I was her foremost servant and assassin, both in life and in death."
[23:20] <Kotono> At that she goes for the bottle again, drinking deep. Wiping her mouth clean after, "I don't understand it, some times."
[23:23] * Arachiel blinks in surprise, then smiles at the story. "The gods do things that surprise me sometimes, too. They must have a plan for the two of you. Perhaps in this life, the two of you can redeem yourselves for your past actions and finally earn the reward that you deserve." she bobs her head along in a nod, her vision swimming a bit. "I feel strange."

[Corwin]

[21:49] <Kotono> "That's the wine," Lyris smirks a moment, going for another drink. She puts her feet upa ndr eclines back, "After a hard morning of training, getting smashed isg ood." Passing the bottle back, "Have another drink."
[21:51] * Arachiel does so! "This stuff sure is weird. Wine? Huuuuuh."
[21:54] <Kotono> "It makes you feel good. Just don't get drunk around men unless you want to fuck," Lyris doesn't go for the bottle again, "Guess there isn't wine up there?"
[21:56] * Arachiel rapid fire blinks. "...fuck? Whussat? I've never had wine. They might have it, but I've never had a mouth, sooooo..." she trails off.
[21:59] <Kotono> Lyris blinks a moment, before an amused look flashes on her face, "Do you know how children are made?"
[22:00] <Arachiel> "Well yeah, of course I...wait...uh...no, that's souls...no?"
[22:04] <Kotono> Lyris half sighs despite her amusement, "When a man and a woman feel like it, they fuck. There's a chance it'll make a child grow inside of you. This isn't always wanted, but fucking is enjoyable and people do it anyway."
[22:08] * Arachiel looks like she's going to ooze out of her chair. "Oh...okay. So is it easy? It doesn't hurt? How does the baby get out?"
[22:12] <Kotono> "You know down there where you have a little hole?" Lyris smirks, "Think about how big a baby is a moment."
[22:14] * Arachiel looks down, down...and grabs her foot, looking blearily at it. She checks it for holes. "...no? I'm sleepy." With that, she falls off the chair and starts to laugh.
[22:18] <Kotono> Lyris joins in that laugh, "I mean in your crotch!" she shakes her head, "Just sleep then."
[22:20] * Arachiel freely passes out!

[Corwin]

[20:14] <Kotono> Prayer and the wild. Arachiel loses herself in the rituals, the hours passing as she works. The sun above has risen and sunk, nighttime beginning to blossom about. It is then that Arachiel hears a sharp snap in the foliage ahead, of wood b eing crushed beneath.
[20:16] * Arachiel perks up, but continues praying.
[20:19] <Kotono> Footsteps. Heavy footsteps that make no attempt to conceal themselves. Ahead of you branches are pushed aside...it lumbers forward! It is pure brown, a great big grizzly bear! It looms over Arachiel, standing on it's hind legs! For a moment it looks as if it could eat her...then lies down next to her, head at eye level as it's ursine gaze meets Arachiel's.
[20:20] * Arachiel reaches forward and pats it on the head with a serene smile. "Hi there."
[20:21] <Kotono> The bear doesn't react with any hostility. Instead it looks into Arachiel's gaze, meeting it there and staying.
[20:22] <Arachiel> "Are you my new friend?" she asks, scratching it behind the ears.
[20:23] <Kotono> The bear just stays there, all warm and furry and not maiming Arachiel horribly.
[20:28] * Arachiel looks at the bear criticaly. "You're not hurt, are you? I'll admit that you're not what I was expecting. Not that I'm not happy! I just got the feeling that I was missing something and that I would find it in the forest and maybe get a new friend out of it or help someone! Are you sure you're okay? Mr. Bear? Do you have a name?"
[20:32] <Kotono> The bear does not look injured. It simply looks at Arachiel...and strangely, she feels as if it is the one. It just feels right.
[20:37] * Arachiel nods and scrubs the bear's fur some more. "So fuzzy...I'll call you Ulysses! It's a big name! Big name for a big bear! You like it?"
[20:45] <Kotono> The bear looks rather happy at that name, as...
[20:48] <Kotono> The night's rest passes without incident. The next day you head back to Balmuria. Here the main southern gate of the city is vibrant, the trade roads full of wagons, travelers and goods. AS you approach, your bear companion gets several sharp looks as you head along.
[20:50] * Arachiel smiles and waves at everyone a she passes. Such nice people!
[20:51] <Kotono> As you approach, a squad of six guards comes out the gate. They have longspears and advance carefully, "You there! With the bear! Stop!"
[20:53] * Arachiel blinks and stops, smiling and waving at the guards as they approach. "Hello! Good morning!"
[20:54] <Kotono> Ulysses stops behind you. The soldiers stay 30ft away, "Ma'am, are you trying to bring a savage bear into the city?"
[20:57] * Arachiel looks quizically at the men. "Ulysses isn't savage! He's nice!" She pats the bear on the head. "Why? Do people try to bring in savage bears?"
[21:00] <Kotono> "Ma'am," The lead guard steps forward, "If you want to bring wild animals into the city, you'll need a permit."
[21:01] * Arachiel points at the bear, who is just standing there looking around. "Does he look wild to you?"
[21:08] <Kotono> "It's a fucking bear, ma'am," The guard says, totally flat and dutiful. "Is this your first time in Balmuria?"
[21:14] <Arachiel> "Well," Arachiel begins. "not really, I've only been a mortal for about a week and before that I was a lantern archon on Mount Celestia for like EVER until one of my bosses is a Solar you know and he came and told me that I had to help Whimsical Sweets stop Shar from using Senaril to kill people and do evil stuff so we went and did that and we lost Janson along the way and it was very
[21:14] <Arachiel> sad and then Sylvie left and Lyris and I talked for a while and I had my first wine EVER last night and when I woke up yesterday my head hurt a lot and then I got the feeling to go out into the forest and pray so I DID and then Ulysses laid down next to me and we made friends! Now I'm trying to go home and you won't let me!" She pouts.
[21:15] <Kotono> All of that goes over the guards, one of them sighing, "Adventurers," he mutters. The lead one shakes his head, "Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to come with us. I think this one's a little over our head."
[21:16] <Arachiel> "Okay!"
[21:19] <Kotono> A girla nd her bear are escorted in, a wide berth given in the streets. You travel up to Highwatch Fortress, escorted to a cordoned off corner of the courtyard. "Please wait here," one instructs, while the other soldiers form a loose perimeter around you.
[21:26] * Arachiel waits patiently, playing cheerfully with her bear in the meantime.
[21:33] <Kotono> You get a whole lot o looks, but nothing terrible happens in that time. After about twenty minutes an older man comes forth. He is an older man, a droopy gray beard and hair. He wears a crimson cloak and breastplate, a well worn sword in scabbard at his hip. He approaches past the guards with a curt nod to them, "Captain Wedge," he offers his hand out to Arachiel, "Are you part of
[21:33] <Kotono> Whimsical Sweets?"
[21:35] * Arachiel takes his hand and blinks. "I think so. We went on a trip to the desert to kill Senaril. Again, I think. Didn't they kill her once before? I think I remember someone mentioning her having died once."
[21:37] <Kotono> "That all sounds right," The captain replies, his grip strong despite his age. "I get the impression that you're new at all of this?"
[21:38] <Arachiel> At that, Arachiel's face lights up. "Yes, until about a week ago, I was a lantern archon!"
[21:41] <Kotono> "It usually goes the other way around," With a droll inflection, "All this is new to you, but you don't normally take wild animals like this into the city. Things can happen, it raises a panic and it's a general danger. There's a permit you can apply for to allow it...but why are you bringing a bear into the city in the first place?"
[21:44] <Arachiel> "Welllll...I went into the forest because it seemed like a good idea at the time, and I felt like I should do it, so I did. I prayed for like a whole day! After that, Ulysses here came and laid down beside me and I just got a feeling that he was supposed to be there with me, then he followed me home! He didn't attack me or anything, and I don't think he'll hurt anyone unless I tell him
[21:44] <Arachiel> to. Not that I would here in the city, unless they were evil!" She says.
[21:47] <Kotono> "Oh. He's your companion," Captain Wedge exhales a breath, "That'll simplify things a little bit."
[21:48] <Arachiel> "That's what I said!"
[21:51] <Kotono> "So, to clarify, are you a practitioner of natural, druidic magic, or are you an accomplished fellow in woodcraft and ranger arts?" Captain Wedge gives the bear another look, "Met a few of those type in my days, the companions are usually well behaved."
[21:52] * Arachiel thinks for a moment. "The second!"
[21:53] <Kotono> "You can get a permit. Make sure to train your bear well - if anything happens you're responsible for it," Captain Wedge says. "Including costs of restorative magic if needed."
[21:54] * Arachiel nods away, clearly not ever really expecting to have that problem. "Where can I get a permit?"
[22:04] <Kotono> "City Hall. Whimsical Sweets has done this city some good - I'll take care of it," he says, "Come back to the city gates tomorrow morning and the permit will be with the gate guards."
[22:05] <Arachiel> "Okay! Do you need any help while I'm here?"
[22:06] <Arachiel> "I have a bear." she says, as if that could help.
[22:06] <Kotono> "Yes. I need you to keep an eye on your bear and make sure he stays nice and calm," Captain Wedge says, "Can you do that for me?"
[22:07] * Arachiel nods!
[22:11] <Kotono> "Good," Captain Wedge smiles, "It's good meeting you, Arachiel."
[22:14] <Arachiel> "Yes! Good to meet you too! I'm sure I'll see you again, since you're the Captain of the Guard!" She waves with a smile and turns to Ulysses. "Come on, let's go find the others!" she says, patting his flank.