Author Topic: Souls of Arhosa  (Read 30287 times)

Offline Stratovarius

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Souls of Arhosa
« on: August 27, 2019, 06:04:05 PM »
For months, the temple of Drancedigaeth had rung with condemnations of Lledrith, god of magic, and the wickedness he was showing. For Lledrith, in his eternal competition with Drancedigaeth, had found a way to steal the souls of the dead. Where once, all who died had gone to the kingdom of the dead, proper resting place of all whose terms ended upon Arhosa, now, through some unknown means, Lledrith siphons some of the dead and the dying to a place unknown. This escalation of the conflict between the two gods has drawn much contemplation from the ecclesiasts and others at the temple, and the steps to retaliate have been heavily discussed.

It was Drancedigaeth himself who answered, his voice filling the minds of his believers. Go forth, it said, go forth and bring all those who are not yet in the embrace of Drancedigaeth into his embrace. The ecclesiasts wondered at this, wondered whether this meant proselytizing, the conveying of the innocent into the realm of the dead, or some other meaning they had not pondered. Thus a second time did their deity speak to them, and in no uncertain terms – they were to empty the world of the living. With such strength in his possession, Drancedigaeth would end Lledrith, and then restore the world as it should be. For a god of the dead has no purpose if there are not living to come into his kingdom.

For weeks, groups have left the temple, assigned to a given task, a given area to sweep clean of life. Tonight is your last night before you, too, are sent forth into the world to do his bidding. You will spend the night in prayer with those with whom you travel, and in the morning, the righteous work shall begin.

Offline skydragonknight

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Re: Souls of Arhosa
« Reply #1 on: August 27, 2019, 08:34:16 PM »
A lady in black sits quietly in meditation. Eventually she opens her eyes and sees that the others of her group were just arriving.
"You must be...Red I believe it was. And you were that master-less Flohna I heard so much about, who does the work of our god. Greetings. Just call me Ebony."
Hmm.

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: Souls of Arhosa
« Reply #2 on: August 27, 2019, 08:59:03 PM »
Red nods, kneeling to not tower so much over the two, and beginning to systematically remove the armour piece by piece. Partly a sign of trust. Partly that the armour was hardly appropriate. Partly because, like all such ornate armour, someone else would need to help fasten everything fully, and that meant showing how it was done. Underneath, nothing special: the slightest tan, despite the presence of armour, and grey eyes.

"No prize for guessing what I am, or which of us does most of the fighting, hah."

Offline Skyrock

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Re: Souls of Arhosa
« Reply #3 on: August 28, 2019, 01:39:47 PM »
Caedwen keeps her distance to the giantess. She relaxes a slight bit when Red kneels down and begins to doff her armor, but stays alert. This Red might be friendly for now, but she knows how quickly some small thing can irritate them and how little inhibitions they have against letting it out on a tiny Flonha such as her.

She decides against sacrificing her dog on the spot as she had originally planned - she might need her sweet smile to stay in the good graces of Red while spending the whole night that close to her. At dawn there would still be enough time for that. While she ties the leash to a column of the prayer room, she speaks up.

"Call me Caedwen." In Llethu and putting all the sugar into her voice she can, she asks: "Could you use my help with that, Red?"

She slowly approaches the giantess. To Red's trained warrior eyes it is obvious that Caedwen moves in an arced angle that keeps her out of her reach, and that the Flonha muscles are tense as if she were expecting to need to jump out of the way any moment. Wee people are normally not that awed and startled about her.
« Last Edit: August 28, 2019, 01:44:44 PM by Skyrock »

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: Souls of Arhosa
« Reply #4 on: August 28, 2019, 09:44:41 PM »
Red continues removing the armour piece by interlocking piece, meticulously putting them aside. If the skittishness registered as unusual--even for a Llethu she was large and her normal appearance more imposing than most--or she even noticed, it wasn't showing. "The offer is appreciated, but I only need help when fastening it."

Her eyes study the forms of the other two for a second, "No offence, but I don't think either of you could carry the breastplate alone."

Offline Skyrock

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Re: Souls of Arhosa
« Reply #5 on: August 29, 2019, 03:58:46 PM »
Caedwen follows the suggestion and first tries to flip the discarded breastplate with one hand, then under full use of both arms. A trained observer who squeezes their eyes really hard would grant the petite Flonha that she got her end a full 4 inches up before she had to let go with shaking and aching arms - and a loud clang that makes her visibly twitch.

Dang, now will she be angry with me for letting it fall and risking damaging it! I thought little Llethu girls pulling my haur were bad, but with that strength she would pull my head off along with it!

Visibly distressed, she stumbles backwards, waving her hands defensively and putting all the honey she can into her words blurted out in Llethuan: "Please, I had to try so that we know when we need to. It was an accident, just an accident. Please don't pull my hair!"

Offline skydragonknight

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Re: Souls of Arhosa
« Reply #6 on: August 29, 2019, 04:18:48 PM »
Ebony walks over and pats Caed's shoulder. "It's okay. You tried your best. If necessary I can call the acolytes to move it. But we're only staying the night regardless."

She looks up at Red, then to Red's weapon. "You have a warrior's build, but wield such an uncommon weapon. I trust it still serves you well?"
Hmm.

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: Souls of Arhosa
« Reply #7 on: August 29, 2019, 05:32:00 PM »
Red looks over at the sound of clanging, the heavy steel slamming into the floor, "Hey, you didn't drop that on yourself, right?" More concerned about the Flonha injuring herself than the obvious panic about the armour being damaged. If a small drop like that dinged it... well, given the blows she wanted it to stand up to, that would really be a safety concern, "Don't worry about your hair, just don't hurt yourself trying to budge my stuff."

The other girl seemed more interested in the weapon, and she could see why; most people would have chosen a far more rational weapon, not an oversized farming implement. One expertly crafted, with only the finest of staves used in its creation... but it was still at heart a farming tool more than a weapon. "It can get a fair few people where they aren't expecting it. Besides, have you ever watched someone cut the grass with one? It's all low down and from the side. A lot of people don't armour their legs enough, and fwip, one good swing later you have a whole bunch of 'em toppling over."

Her laughter seemed to suggest Red found this quite amusing to watch.

Offline Skyrock

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Re: Souls of Arhosa
« Reply #8 on: August 29, 2019, 07:49:42 PM »
"Y-you won't pull my hair??" Caedwen seems partially surprised, partially relieved, partially confused, but mostly confused. In her experience Llethu girls needed very little excuse to pin her down while pulling her hair, just hearing her cry and beg and promising anything to stop it was sometimes reason enough - and denting something prescious like a breastplate would have been a very welcome excuse even if they didn't need it.

Ebony's caress and Red's concern for her eventually help her to calm down and collect herself.

"Maybe you should know that I wasn't always master-less. My first and hopefully last owners were giants just like you, and they weren't very kind to me." Adding once again extra honey to her tongue, she adds in Llethu: "This doesn't apply to you, of course. Can you promise me never to pull my hair if you ever get displeased with me?"

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: Souls of Arhosa
« Reply #9 on: August 29, 2019, 10:38:07 PM »
"Why would I want to pull your hair? Even if I was the type to hit out, you're like a doll. Too pretty and fragile," Red grumbles, removing the last piece of the armour and taking up a more comfortable seated position, "I'm not going to hurt you if you don't attack me first. Just stop changing language every other sentence, that's confusing."

Offline skydragonknight

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Re: Souls of Arhosa
« Reply #10 on: August 30, 2019, 07:17:18 AM »
Ebony nods, showing a gentle smile in satisfaction that her teammates aren't immediately trying to kill each other. They had a lot of work to do before that would be permissible.

"Excellent. I see you are getting along well enough. I will contact an acolyte to see to your food and lodging. I will be in my room tonight making preparations. Tomorrow we march in the name of our god." she says.
Hmm.

Offline Skyrock

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Re: Souls of Arhosa
« Reply #11 on: August 30, 2019, 11:22:32 AM »
Caedwen blushes a bit at being compared to a doll. Even dressed in black after her own liking, giants still seem to see something adorable and meek in her. Well, this one seems at least to take good care of her dolls and not take great pleasure in hurting them until they cry.

Timidly, she bows her head. "I will avoid it then. I just thought you would prefer to be spoken to in your own tongue."

She yawns at Ebony's suggestion. "Agreed, we should get some rest, it will be a long day."

At her room, sleep isn't the first thing on her mind - looking less weak and meek is. Ceremonously, she carves up her dog, and drinks deeply from its bloody essence to steal its health. She licks the blood off her lips and her now sharpened and overgrown teeth and takes a moment to admire her now healthier complexion. Satisfied, she goes to bed.

Offline Omck4heroes

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Re: Souls of Arhosa
« Reply #12 on: August 30, 2019, 07:09:14 PM »
Outside the temple, the sound of footsteps can be heard. Their pace is that of a loping run. A Yn Gyntaf, dressed in leather armor and holding a spear, arrives at the door and looks inside with considerable distaste

He waves with one long arm in greeting, but remains outside
Have you ever stood and stared at it, marveled at its beauty, its genius? Billions of people just living out their lives, oblivious.

Offline Stratovarius

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Re: Souls of Arhosa
« Reply #13 on: September 01, 2019, 06:40:27 AM »
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Offline Skyrock

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Re: Souls of Arhosa
« Reply #14 on: September 01, 2019, 09:34:10 AM »
Caedwen bows slightly and patiently listens to the priestess, until the point comes where she can ask questions.

"How many days to the north is the Kier territory? And how is the weather up there?

Also, I am assuming that the residents that are not Kier are to be left alone by us, unless they force our hand? Are they so friendly to our cause that mentioning that we come from the temple could render us assistance, or would it be for the better if we left them in the dark about our mission?"

Offline Stratovarius

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Re: Souls of Arhosa
« Reply #15 on: September 01, 2019, 10:02:01 AM »
"Two days, perhaps? And the others in the area might support you, might not. While many worship us, most do it more in fear than in belief. We are seen as dangerous as much as necessary. So expect to do things on your own rather than in coordination with others."

Offline Stratovarius

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Re: Souls of Arhosa
« Reply #16 on: September 06, 2019, 10:54:04 AM »
The moment the temple slid over the rise behind them and out of sight may not have been a particularly momentous occurrence, but all the same, it was the junction between who they had been and who they planned to be. From this point forward, they were engaged in Drancedigaeth’s holy mission, whether that be for better or for worse.

It was the first steps towards the rebuild of Arhosa, ones they would likely not live to see. Unless the rewards for service in the afterlife were greater than anticipated. Still, Drancedigaeth had given them purpose, and so they, in turn, gave to him.

The thin belt of farms that fed the temple fell away, and the road changed from solidly patted dirt to rutted roots and stones as the forest rose up and enveloped the landscape around them. Hunted for food and felled for timber, the woods also made a barrier between the temple and the surrounding land, something welcomed by those on both sides of the fence. The local population found the presence of a temple of the deceased to be somewhat unnerving, and long ago the ecclesiasts had decided it was best not to antagonize those with whom they had to reside.

That night they camped under the spreading branches, a roaring fire both comfort and warning to those in the shadows. Few who could not afford to revealed themselves so openly, and the world around them took notice, leaving them to a peaceable night’s sleep.

The next morning saw them arrive at a village, little more than a collection of huts with only a few structures made of anything more permanent than sod and thatch. There was, at least, a basic palisade, with a sole gate manned by a boy barely into his teenage years. Not much, perhaps, but enough against the depredations of yasends and other woodland predators.

The boy’s eyes grew wide and round as Red Harvest’s bulk emerged into view. Shouting at the top of his lungs, he sprinted inside the gate, slamming the thin wood behind him. Presently, a nervous-looking collection of villagers, some too old or too young to be of any true use, were peering over the top rail of the barricade.

Weapons were visible, but mostly old spears, a few bows, and those farming implements that could potentially do damage when swung in the right manner.

It was perhaps not the most auspicious welcome, but no one was pointing a weapon at them directly.

Yet.

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: Souls of Arhosa
« Reply #17 on: September 06, 2019, 11:43:32 AM »
Red kept a wary distance from the gate, the enormous arbalest casually held by her side; its bulk a warning and a message: my bow is much, much big than yours but it's not pointed your way... let's not change that. Although armed and armoured, her pose was relaxed and her tone confident as she called out a greeting to the assembled 'might' of the hamlet. "Good morning, nice of you to come out like this. We're here hunting Kier, we heard there's been some trouble in the area. Seen anything of them?"

Offline Omck4heroes

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Re: Souls of Arhosa
« Reply #18 on: September 06, 2019, 12:03:10 PM »
At the back of the party, pacing back and forth as though eager to run, Jarn kept his silence. He was here to kill, not for his--less than exemplary--diplomatic skills. His eyes roved over the palisade and its defenders, marking points where it could be scaled, where cover and concealment could be found, should the need for battle arise.
Have you ever stood and stared at it, marveled at its beauty, its genius? Billions of people just living out their lives, oblivious.

Offline Skyrock

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Re: Souls of Arhosa
« Reply #19 on: September 06, 2019, 12:35:37 PM »
Caedwens sharp teeth chatter with excitement as she sees all those easy sacrifices lining up. But then she remembers that they are here for the Kier, not for the peasants, and frowns a moment before producing her sweetest shark grin she can in her transformed state.