033a. Backgrounds

[Corwin]

[20:10] <@Kotono> It's a quiet evening after distributing food to the needy. Inari's off for a walk, leaving the other four sharing a table over dinner. It's nothing fancy, just some leftovers taken from today's efforts. But it's peaceful here, a chance for reverie. "You know," T's the one who breaks the reflections up, "Where'd you come from, Annerose? The Whitepack Mountains?"
[20:13] <@Annerose> "Mmm, that's right," she responds slowly. "I liked the mountains, despite who I had to share them with."
[20:16] <@Kotono> "I've been to the mountains a few times," Helena speaks up after finishing off another bite of food. "It's so cold up there and you get short of breath easily."
[20:17] <@Kotono> "Yeah," T murmurs, kicking back with his eyes closed. "So why'd you leave exactly? Bahamut didn't come down and tell you to go, did he? No offense," He glances sidelong at Erad.
[20:18] <@Kotono> "I think that if a dragon comes and tells you something, you shouldn't mock it," Helena quickly shakes her head, "There's a saying: To a dragon, you're a tasty meal and dragons are always hungry."
[20:18] <@Annerose> "Oh no, I'm not really a fan. Too rigid," Annerose says apologetically.
[20:19] <@Erad> "None taken." Erad says with a poke of his fork at some vegetables.
[20:19] <@Kotono> "I don't know. He sent Erad to help us," T rubs his chin and sprawls back, pushing his plate away. "That makes him good in my books."
[20:20] <@Kotono> "Yeah, but he's not a fox," Helena smiles a little as she glances at him, "Right?"
[20:21] <@Annerose> "I can appreciate that and still not be a fan of the doctrine," Annerose muses. She shrugs, then. "I left because the people of a village I was watching over grew too nasty. If something that remote changed so much-- I figured I'd go out again and see the world."
[20:23] <@Kotono> "Implying something?" T says dryly to Helena, before smoothing going on. "Religious doctrine's a funny thing. What's written and what happens are two separate things. Otherwise that Aurilite wouldn't have had all that lingerie."
[20:24] <@Kotono> "How nasty did they get?" Helena asks, pointedly not even glancing at T.
[20:25] <@Erad> "There has to be some room for the circumstances of the situation." Erad says as an interjection.
[20:26] * @Annerose grimaces, pushing her plate away from her. "I suppose you'll find out eventually, if we ever go there. They tried to sacrifice someone to me, and it made me very angry."
[20:27] <@Kotono> "Oh sure. But if you ask me, there's always going to be a disconnect between the doctrine, dogma and scripture versus reality. It's how humans are - elves too for that matter, unless they worship being prancing pricks. The ones outside of Malana, actually. The native ones aren't bad." T gestures a bit with his hand, making a shooing gesture, "But I hear they're the exception and rather humanized."
[20:28] <@Kotono> "Sacrficied?" Helena's cheeks go pale, gasping with a hand to he rmouth, "That's horrible! That's like something Umberlants would do, tossing some poor fool into the seas."
[20:29] <@Kotono> *sacrificed. Wow.
[20:30] <@Annerose> "It's about the worst thing you could do," Annerose agrees. "You take away everything a person is, but more than that, you risk butchering their soul as well in the act."
[20:34] <@Kotono> Helena just shudders at that, shaking her head back and forth.
[20:35] <@Kotono> "Ugly," T observes idly, "So off you go to right wrongs and get to the bottom of it?"
[20:36] <@Annerose> "That, and I couldn't stay there anymore. So why not return to Malana?"
[20:40] <@Kotono> "Why not?" T shrugs lightly there, "Hey Erad?"
[20:41] <@Erad> "Yes?" Erad looks over.
[20:41] <@Annerose> "I think this is where you read between the lines?"
[20:42] <@Kotono> "Reading away," T smirks just a little bit, "But anyway, what did you do before you got all scaly and heard Bahamut, anyway?"
[20:44] <@Erad> Erad shakes his head. "Nothintg very interesting. Ailan wasn''t really a bustling town, even before the... incident. Just some hunting here and there and the occasional traveler who was usually lost."
[20:46] <@Kotono> "Any family?" T asks, "Friends? A girlfriend, maybe?"
[20:48] <@Erad> "No family to speak of." He says, without much sadness. "Of course, the villagers in town were all friendly. You tend to get along well with a small town or not at all, you know?" Erad follows up. "If... If I had romantic involvement before, it's... well, that's not something that someone who follows this sort of path can really consider. I didn't, though."
[20:50] <@Annerose> "Why not?"
[20:51] <@Kotono> T cocks a grin at that, "Yeah, why not? You've seen half dragons before, right?"
[20:51] <@Erad> "Dragonborn can't have children." Erad says. "Half-dragons are different."
[20:51] <@Kotono> Helena blushes at this, "You know, I've heard stories about shapechanged drag-oh." Her voice drops at that. "Ooooooh."
[20:52] * @Annerose rolls her eyes, inwardly happy at the nicer topic. "Companionship doesn't have to result in children. In fact, I'd imagine T is about to say it's more convenient that way."
[20:54] <@Kotono> "Guilty," T raises his hand up with a grin, "Even kids aside, there's a lot to be said about having another person."
[20:54] <@Erad> "Perhaps." Erad says. "But we take an oath to pursue all forms of evil, especially Tiamat's. If... we happen to find someone along the way who is willing to devote their life to that and to us as well, that's all fine and good too... but it just isn't a focus."
[20:55] * @Annerose frowns.
[20:56] <@Kotono> "Is this where you say you're called to a higher purpose?" T grins a little bit more.
[20:57] <@Erad> "If you want to call it that." Erad responds. "Whatever you want to call it means that I prioritize evil over things of a personal nature. I see no issue with that."
[20:59] <@Kotono> "Whatever makes you happy." T replies, "I think the phrase is that you're married to your job?"
[20:59] <@Annerose> "If you lead by example, then what sort of example is it for people to never live for themselves? To forsake their fellow man?"
[21:00] <@Kotono> "Isn't that what a saint is? Someone who lives for others instead of themselves?" Helena looks up at that.
[21:01] <@Erad> "Then don't take up the same path that I've taken." Erad says with a look to Annerose. "This isn't a life forced on the unwilling."
[21:02] * @Annerose shrugs. "I suppose you were the same way before the change, you said."
[21:03] <@Erad> "My personality is no different." Erad says. "But what I prioritize is."
[21:05] <@Kotono> "Bahamut probably chooses people who fit well. It would make sense," T chimes in. "Dragonborn are supposed to be exclusive."
[21:06] <@Erad> "Something like that." Erad says. "I'm sure there were things in the dream I had I'll might one day understand but didn't at the time."
[21:10] <@Kotono> "All in time, eh?" T gets up at that, stretching. "Speaking of, it's time to get some rest. Tomorrow's another long day. G'night."
[21:11] <@Erad> "Have a good evening."

[Corwin]

[20:29] <@Kotono> For Erad, sleep just doesn't come that night. He lies down, but he finds himself awake. He can hear T's steady breathing a bed over, but Erad may as well be standing at attention at high noon - he's just not sleepy at all. OOC: Annerose, hop into #edvil.
[20:30] <@Erad> Well, there's no sense on wasting time thinking about the why. Might as well take a stroll around and see if there's anything that jumps out at him, either literally or figuratively.
[20:34] <@Kotono> roll 1d100
[20:34] <Myannbot> Kotono rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=71 ]{71}
[20:34] <@Kotono> Erad wanders out into the streets. It's fairly late and things are quiet. Glancing up, he can see the nearly full moon shine light down on the streets. The sky is unusually clear, the last days of Tola offering no clouds to stop the moonlight.
[20:37] <@Erad> Quiet nights are good. Although some people use quiet nights for other purposes... Best to at least look around. He's in no real danger on a night like this, or from anyone, so if there's a criminal or something else on his walk, he can deal with it without any issues.
[20:41] <@Kotono> The streets are indeed quiet - not even a guard out tonight. Almost silent, save for the occasional minor sound. But then...OOC: Perception.
[20:44] <@Erad> OOC: Oh man I have to go check, hold onh
[20:45] <@Erad> roll 1d20+13
[20:45] <Myannbot> Erad rolled 1d20+13 --> [ 1d20=5 ]{18}
[20:48] <@Kotono> You come to the main road. There's wagons along the street, shut up for th enight. Most of the windows are dark, empty, forgotten. But one thing does catch your eye. Leaning against a wagon is a man. Perhaps 30 or so, neither old nor young. He has black hair and a trimmed black beard. His features are lean and severe, and he wears traveler's clothes. His arms are crossed, but his gaze is on Erad
[20:48] <@Kotono> when he looks at him.
[20:49] <@Erad> "Waiting for someone?" Erad asks as he approaches. He does his best to not seem confrontational, only curious.
[20:52] <@Kotono> There's a long pause before he shakes his head. "It's a sleepless night, that's all."
[20:54] <@Erad> Hm. Coincidence...? Erad just nods to the man. "Same as well. I'd normally pray to get my mind off of it, but it doesn't seem the time."
[20:55] <@Kotono> A longer pause as he looks off at the sky, "There's enough problems in this world as it is. The coming month is going to be wetter. It's going to make the harvests bad. Winter famine is inevitable."
[20:59] <@Erad> Erad just frowns. Ailan was used to that sort of thing. He'd cower and give up hope, but he always ended up making it... "There are some problems men can't solve on their own... and others they can. If the next months will be more wet... maybe it's time to try and figure out a way to get the harvests on some soil that won't saturate as much. Or perhaps, even... well, it isn't my place to tell
[20:59] <@Erad> otehrs what to do, but maybe there are Some that could aid in the harvest. I know I personally saw Eldath aid my home."
[21:06] <@Kotono> "I've told the farmers I've met to harvest as much as possible early," The man says, "For all the good it'll do. Got an idea like that?"
[21:09] <@Erad> "Well, back home we used to dig out areas around some of the plots so the water had more places to go." Erad says. "Failing that... I'd imagine magic could help, but of course your common farmer doesn't know any of that. Failing that... You could just put more soil on top of what you've got. It'd mean the water would have to go further to get to the crops, you know? Yeah, it'd be a mess... but
[21:09] <@Erad> what's better, a mess, or starving?"
[21:12] <@Kotono> "A mess," The man answers, before shaking his head. "I worry that no matter how many are helped, that the coming winter and spring will be bitter ones."
[21:15] <@Erad> "All men can do is help those in need." Erad says. "I learned that just recently -- I travel with a group known for aiding downtrodden villages... So I'm sure we'll be able to help somehow."
[21:19] <@Erad> "I don't think we can help every starving mouth that needs a hand." Erad follows that up. "But no one is aided when people turn a blind eye."
[21:21] <@Kotono> A nod follows that eventually, "It'll have to be enough."
[21:22] <@Erad> "Are you heading back somewhere? Or do you live near here?" Erad asks.
[21:30] <@Kotono> "I'm a traveler," he says, "Here, there and everywhere."
[21:31] <@Erad> Oh, like the fey. Wonderful.
[21:31] <@Erad> Erad nods to the man. "Well, perhaps we'll see each other on the road sometime then. I have a feeling our paths might cross again, sir...?"
[21:35] <@Kotono> "John." He answers, "Be safe in your travels." At this he uncrosses his arms, rubs his shoulders and then walks away.
[21:37] <@Erad> "Couldn't even come up with something more memorable than that?" Erad mumbles to himself. Oh well. Whoever, or whatever it was, he'll meet him again... or maybe not. It doesn't really matter. Erad looks around again before resuming his stroll.
[21:45] <@Kotono> In time, the stroll comes to an end and Erad returns to the inn room. He finds T awake in the inn room, staring up at the ceiling. Erad gets a grunt of acknowledgement as he comes in.
[21:47] <@Erad> "Have another visitor?" Erad asks.
[21:48] <@Kotono> "Yeah, something like that." T grunts and glances over at Erad. "Can't sleep?"
[21:50] <@Erad> "It's surprising that it's a common trend, yet I only found one other person out there." Erad replies as he sits down on the side of his bed.
[21:54] <@Kotono> A shrug follows that, "Does Bahamut do requests to fall asleep and stay asleep?"
[21:56] <@Erad> "I can put you to sleep if you want, but you'll probably have a headache in the morning." Erad replies. That was -probably- a joke...

[Corwin]

[20:32] <@Kotono> Sleep. Dreaming away, dreaming of snowflakes and gray skies. Of winter's soothing touch, chasing away the garish warmth of summer. It's like she's drifting, a bare awareness amid blizzard dreams. OOC: Go ahead and set yourself up.
[20:34] <Annerose> As often hapens, Annerose's mind drifts to the Whitepack Mountains where she spent most of her life. There was not a path unexplored, a cave overlooked, a grove missed. She'd been to all of them at one point or another, before settling over in one place.
[20:37] <@Kotono> Yet this time, there is. A snowpacked road catches her gaze, winding off into the blizzard's heart.
[20:38] <Annerose> Her mind is playing tricks on her -- and she lets it, since it looks like fun. Annerose strolls into the blizzard without a care in the world, perfectly isolated from its fury.
[20:45] <@Kotono> Down the path, down into the blizzard's heart. Down to where the fury of storms is without end, without abatement. It's cold here, so wonderfully, bone-chilling cold. All is snow white and all is lost in the blizzard. From far away, Annerose can hear it. Cries, full of loss, pain and misery.
[20:48] * Annerose gives the frozen beauty about her a longing glance, but that single moment is all she has to spare. However far, there are people who need her help, and her senses never failed to lead her through a blizzard.
[20:51] <@Kotono> You can see them far ahead. Phantasmal things. Crying out in the blizzard, apart and drifting further apart. They wear the faces of the Aurilites you faced in the previous week, yet with the bodies of the ghostly undead you defeated with them.
[20:55] <Annerose> That's... Annerose isn't sure what to think. But she sends a ray of positive energy at each of them, just in case.
[20:56] <@Kotono> OOC: Effect?
[20:58] <Annerose> OOC: Disrupt Undead, 1d6 positive energy
[21:00] <@Kotono> OOC: No need to roll.
[21:01] <@Kotono> At this, both images fade away into the blizzard. Silence again for a time - until you see a spark ahead. A golden spark, a tiny flame, flickering far ahead in the storm.
[21:03] * Annerose just decides to chalk it up to dreams being strange. Nonetheless, she walks towards the lovely spark like moth to a flame.
[21:09] <@Kotono> Annerose drifts on, through the blizzard. It's slow and meandering despite it - a certain timeless haziness. Flickering along, roads of ice and homes of wood. Old memories, yet she can see Helena in the window of one house, along with a man from centuries ago. It's like going upside down, topsy turvey.
[21:13] <Annerose> She can treat it as a slog, or enjoy reconnecting with her memories in a whacky way. Annerose chooses the latter, smiling fondly at the few people who had been in her life.
[21:17] <@Kotono> roll 1d1000
[21:17] <Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 203 > [d1000=203]
[21:20] <@Kotono> You walk on. On and on and on to that golden spark, rightside up and upside down and back and forth. It finally stands before you in the blizzard. It's a small spark of gold, warming and yet not uncomfortable to Annerose at all.
[21:22] * Annerose bites on the tip of her right glove and slowly pulls it off, her other hand taking over for her teeth. Then, she foolishly reaches out for the spark with her bare hand!
[21:35] <@Kotono> OOC: Cha check.
[21:36] <Annerose> roll 1d20+6
[21:36] <Serith> Annerose roll for Serith < 16 > [d20=10]
[21:39] <@Kotono> So warm. It's like...like...awakening. Waking up in a dizzy tizzy, awareness returning as she sits up in bed, her hand out, grasping at the empty air. But it feels good. She feels reassured, balanced, refreshed.
[21:40] <Annerose> She's going crazy, Annerose laments. What's this foolishness about seeking warmth and feeling better for it? Just in case, she resolves to be extra careful around any fires in the near future.
[21:43] <@Kotono> Helena's sitting up in bed, a light blanket wrapped around her. 'Mmm? Say something?" she murmurs, rather sleepily. Inari's in the third bed, snoozing away.
[21:45] * Annerose yawns, stretching slowly. "Maybe. Can't remember."
[21:48] <@Kotono> "Mgsh." Incoherent words as Helena flops right back onto the bed. "Too early for this."
[21:49] <Annerose> Yawning again, Annerose decides she might as well put on a robe and go for a walk.