RP: I Rhar, I Hit with Stick!
It's Tariday, Hattanani 31 17:28:37 1018. The full moon isn't up. The tide is low and rising. Towering white clouds drift slowly through the blue sky. It's hazy and hot, and the glare of the sun seems to drain the color from the landscape.
A15: Alexandrian Mountain Road
Terewin is impeccably dressed as always, a blue coat with large white cuffs decorated with golden roses, a white ruffled shirt and vest and not to mention tall black boots with three silver buckles each. He stands solemnly and quiet before one of the small shrines to Gilead, glove clad hands clasped before him and his head bowed, a rather pensive look on his face.
"Heh. You could say that, couldn't you?" Kerbasi sits in the shadow of the giant, sleeping elemental. He has a book in his lap and a sheaf of papers he's consulting, taking notes on. He sort of jumps, adjusts his lenses when he spits the man honoring the Hunting Stag. Clears his throat, and goes back to his notes.
And up the trail comes a person in a rather gentlemanly outfit. One could almost call him 'SPIFFY'. Especially the way he walks with his cane in his hand and the bowler hat on his head. He spies the large earth elemental and the group is in its shadows. "I say, Is it me or is that a living mountain range just napping on the path? And good day to you all!"
Raniq is walking westward along the road, whistling the tune to a new song heard recently throughout Alexandria -- "I Rhar, I Hit with Stick!" His clothing is, as usual, that of a young courtier, but on this glaringly hot day, he wears no cloak. Seeing the group congregating near the elemental, he heads over to say, "Hail, everyone. Hot one today isn't it?"
"Heh. Oh, he rolled up here one day, and has been asleep fer a while," the priest says. "I thought I'd ask his--or her, we're not sure--advice on a few matters. Least, have someone t'talk with while I worked." He smiles, and partially closes the book he has open. He leaves his finger there to mark the spot. "Trouble is, a song keeps gettin' stuck in my head. ...and then there's all that business reported in th' Tribune of late." Then as Raniq heads that way, "...that song."
Terewin nods to the people who approach as well as Kerbasi. "A very warm day to be sure but unfortunately I am left feeling cold. Perhaps you can answer my question.." he says to Kerbasi "...if a beast without the intelligence to know what it is doing attacks people, is it the right thing to kill it? Or what about someone whose language I do not speak but that threatens innocent people?" the swordsman asks with a furrowed brow.
Raniq, walking into such deeply serious questions, takes the ermine from his shoulders and holds it in his arms, while he stops whistling and looks at the swordsman and the priest.
"I would say.....if I might interject my own opinion into this...." The golem, says to Kerbasi and Terewin. ".....Is that, if the animal, or person is attacking people, you have a right to defend them or stop them from attacking. Only if they do not stop, should you feel free to defend yourself."
"That is a troubled question if I've heard one. I take it somethin'son your mind, then?" asks the Mourner. Kerbasi turns to Terewin, and gives the man his attention. He looks over to the golemn, and back again.
Terewin nods "Its happened twice now, the first time it was trolls. We gave them the oppertunity to surrender but I do not believe they understood us and we defended ourselves. Although... they were trolls and we made certain they could not regenerate." he adds wryly. "The last mission involved some dangerous beasts smuggled here from afar. There is no doubt they would have caused a great amount of damage but..." the swordsman frowns. "Seemed like they should not have been killed for it."
Raniq pipes up with "On my lord father's vineyards, I remember the workers had to kill a mountain lion that had been prowling the vicinity for a week. If the animal could have been safely captured and released somewhere where it did not pose a threat, I'm sure that would have been fine, but that would have been beyond the vineyard workers' abilities. They took the measure available to them at the time."
The priest removes his lenses, for a moment. A thumb reaches up, rubs at one eye, "You're not th' first man t'wonder something like that." He gives his hand a shake, and looks back up to Terewin, then smiles at Raniq. It's a touch sad, "You can imagine th' paper's prompted a few disucssions of that sort."
"Heh. Last week a group of Irregulars killed a shaman. The shaman had taken 73 lives--that we'll be handlin' the funerals for, by the way. Them actin' probably saved 73 more. It's not unlike that lion, really. ...there is though, more to it than that. I don't suppose you've ever looked at a troll?" He pauses. "Not looked--I mean, well, really Looked. With th' sight of th' gods?"
Terewin shakes his head "I fought the trolls face to face with my sword, that was more than close enough. The shaman you speak of, would have been given the chance to surrender and face justice. If someone refuses then you must take action. I am worried about those not given a chance, I widh to be a protector, not a killer."
"I imagine the druids and rangers would've liked to have kept the mountain lion under protection until they figured out why the big kitty had to come towards the vineyards, but I'm guessing that they didn't have one with them." Blauensturm says.
Raniq shrugs. "I guess you try to let your heart lead you, and just do your best, based on your circumstances." The ermine chitters briefly.
"Then perhaps heh. You ought t'seek th' blessin of your priests. If you asked, they might oblige, I reckon. Everythin we do in this world reflects on our souls. You steal, cheat, heh. It makes lil' marks. Real marks, not just fake ones. So someone who is evil--they truly are. There's no gray as t'what they are.
"A troll's soul radiates those marks, an' then goes into a kind of vortex of things like--well, I hope y'never Look at one. Some funerals we do is about containin' that kind of rot. A servant of Diemos," the Mourner says, and makes a sign of warding over his cassock, "we add wards to, t'make sure their poison doesn't get to th' rest of th' world. Somethin' like that, it would take an act of th' gods to truly cleanse. Givin yourself rules--heh. Honorable surrender? Helps y'from fallin into the same depth as they do. I would't worry much, though."
Terewin ponders the words for a while and then smiles "That is a comfort. I am admit I am equaly afraid of only taking half measures when there are lives on the line. Thank you, all of you, for your words and advice." he adds with a grin.
"I can only repeat what was taught to me by the one who found me and helped me to awaken." Blauensturm says. "Oh where are my manners. I do apologize. I am Blaunensturm." And he lowers himself into a bow, taking off his hat. Anyone perceptive enough to look, will find the crest of the maiden of battle....on his forehead.
Raniq wipes sweat from his forehead and says, "Glad you found some peace, friend." He casts a quick spell that seems to kick up a slight breeze, nothing significant, just enough to move the still heat.
GAME: Raniq casts Prestidigitation. Caster Level: 3 DC: 14
"There's some as argues th'can change somethin' that's gone down that far down that path. It ain't wrong t'believe it, I suppose. They're just missin that certain things--are primal forces in this world, like Evil an' Good. Heh. There may even somethin' good about it, or even hopeful." The priest closes his book. And then smiles at the golem.
"Looks like y'were born to a purpose," he says. "That gives us somethin' in common, I suppose. The Lady I follow embodies Order. A few other things, of course, but it's one of Her aspects."
He looks back to Terewin, "Honor's a good tool to keep a person from fallin. Make yourself a set of rules an' live by'em, I suppose. Are you comfortable with the ones you've given yourself?"
The cooling breeze ruffles his hair across his eyes, and reminds him to put the lenses back on.
Terewin nods to Kerbasi "I do, I just wonder sometimes if we cannot do more but I am not the first to hold myself to the standard of the Knights of the Blue Rose and will unlikely to be the last." he says with a grin. "I think this weather demands a lighter conversation though, how does this... elemental fare?" he asks of kerbasi, gesturing to the large earth elemental.
GAME: Raniq rolls knowledge/the planes: (14)+8: 22
Raniq regards the earth elemental. He says, "Looks to me like he's sleeping like a baby. I just hope he doesn't start sleep walking. He'd be likely to plow right through these buildings. He might "Rhar", but he doesn't need any "Stick", if you know what I mean.
The priest's shoulders slump, some. "Asleep. I thought I'd read to him--or her, is it? of our local heroes. I've been at it f'hours I'm afraid," he says. Then looks at Raniq. "Heh. Now I have that song stuck in my head again!"
Blauensturm says, "It's possible the elemental appreciates it the same as someone else would." He says quietly. "Aren't you a Mourner?"
Terewin looks up at the elemental and shrugs "Does a thing like that truly sleep though? I am sure it heard you." he says to Kerb with a smile, having no expertise to call on at all in the matter. "Thank you all for your wise words. I fear I have been out in the heat for too long though, good day!" he says with to the others while he makes his way back into the city.
"Y'don't say?" Says the priest. He reaches over and gives the golem a solid pat, a thump on the rocks. "Well, with fate they'll wake up again."
Kerbasi thumps the golem a few more times, then stands. "Lady's service," he says to Blauen. "Blessins to y'," he says.
Raniq waves as he says, "Well, if you'll pardon me, I think I'll go scrounge me up some dinner. See you."
Blauensturm wavies to Raniq. "I shall do the same. Until next time."