Moments in the Sun

[Bjorn]

"Er," Bjorn pronounces.  "I'd say the opposite, in fact.  If there's a chance they could, I dunno, erase your mind or something, it's a risk best taken later, not early.  If them noticing that you're watching is the greatest of dangers, it's one thing.  But if they could do more than that..."  His voice trails off suggestively.

[Ginrai]

Ginrai thinks it over.  "I'll consider what you said.  Either way I'll still need to talk with you later on since I might get information from Radagast as to who else is from our world."

[Bjorn]

Bjorn nods.  "All right.  I'll check back in in a few hours.  If you want me sooner than that, the castle servants will probably be able to figure out where I am."  

Nodding good-bye, he guides Mirallia to the door.

[Ginrai]

"Later."

Once they have left Ginrai starts to look through any of his books on the Archonae, specifically for what they consider to be a sin.

[Brian]

Bjorn now returns to Successful Mission.

[Brian]

You don't actually have any books on the Archonae.

Code Select Expand

<Brian> roll 3d6
<Chibi-Suu> them bones was tossed for Brian ... : --> {6}But you do remember a good bit about them.

The Archonae consider a lot of things to be sins, as to them, every living being is innately sinful, and only through meditation, abstension, and devotion to an ideal, can anyone be cleanses of their sins.  Archonea don't sleep, don't eat, and don't breed.  The human need for sleep strikes them as sloth.  The requirement of almost all living beings to eat strikes them as a wilful concession to their own weakness.  And for the latter, Archonae think it horrific for any being who has not achieved a level of awareness sufficient to procreate, or even attempt it, without fully realizing the ramifications of their actions.

You don't know if this view on sin (essentially, not being an Archon is pretty sinful, to them) is reflected by the churches, though.

[Ginrai]

Ginrai tries to recall what would cause the reaction the Archon had against Mirallia --  her supposed 'Great Sin'.

[Brian]

That's a dead end -- almost anything can piss off the Archonae.  They helped establish the tennents of the religions, though, so probably a priest would be more knowledgable about what exactly a human could have done to upset them.

[Ginrai]

'Best not to waste more time on this.'  Ginrai sighs and leaves to look for Devin and Astryd.

[Brian]

They're up on the tower they said they'd be on.  Devin is looking at the battlefield in determination.  An earthen maze is slowly growing up out of the ground, one that would force the Dreadmarch to run through it before getting close to the gates.

Astryd watches on with interest, though she does glance at you when you reach the tower-top.  Dorian is here as well, leaning against a stone rampart, and staring towards the Dreadmarch.

[Ginrai]

"How's everything going here?"

[Brian]

"Well," Devin says slowly.

"Boring," Astryd says, shifting her shoulders uncomfortably, and shooting a glance at Dorian.

Dorian ignores all of you.

"Anyway," Devin says, sighing, and wiping some sweat from his forehead.  "I'll need rest soon.  Before that, let's go to the relative privacy of our quarters to continue our discussion.  Is this agreeable?"

[Ginrai]

"That's fine with me."

[Brian]

You shortly find yourself in Devin's room.  It's very sparsely decorated -- it's identical to your room.  The only thing you can see that's not in the heavy trunk is what looks like an iron gear.

It's about thirty centimeters across, six or seven thick, and heavily rusted.  It looks pretty weighty, too.  Devin has it laying flat on the window-sill, and runes and glyphs have been carved onto it.

He gestures to his bed and his chair -- Astryd quickly claims the chair for herself -- and then approaches that metal gear.  After placing a hand on it, you feel ... oddly claustrophobic.

"There," Devin says.  "Now, no one should be able to hear us, should they spy through magical means."

"A wise precaution," Astryd murmurs.  "And this is where we prove, with a blood-oath, that none of us are traitors?"

"Yes," Devin says, opening up the trunk at the foot of the (neatly-made) bed.  He has a number of things within it, but withdraws what looks like a tiny needle, set upright inside a small box.  It's big enough to put a finger in, and prick yourself on, and you guess that's exactly what the idea is.  The sides are made of wood, dark and aged, and the cube has no top, leaving the needle exposed.

"Now.  We must each speak our names, and the intent of the oath we undertake.  Do you find this agreeable?" Devin asks, holding the open-topped wooden cube in the palm of one hand.

[Ginrai]

Ginrai nods and waits to see what'll happen next.