Clovius and beyond

As we play, occasionally we'll close a thread and open a new one to keep the size of threads (and relative complexity) down to a dull roar. Here's where we store the closed posts from the history of Errant Road.
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Alberich
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Re: Clovius and beyond

Post by Alberich »

Tim had been mildly surprised to see this much sickness and injury in such a small congregation. But there hadn't been time to reflect on it -- it had been one patient at a time. This crippled fellow had been unusually resistant, and after long experience, Tim knew that his own power would not be enough. In Getsemiel he had nearly exhausted himself after the disaster there...but here he could not afford to do that. The day was busy and, if he was going to give up every comfort he'd been longing for, and strand himself in a backwater where he'd doubtless suffer a lifetime of frustration and hate, he needed his strength for that.

So he spoke gently to the man. "Brother Yona, can you hear me?"

Yona nodded.

"I can't heal your body by myself. There is a chance, only a small chance, that I can get you some help today. I'm going to try. Your body may be healed or it may not. I can only tell you I'm going to try. But whether I can or not - you must stay strong in the faith. Your soul is what matters the most. And there is no pain or injury that can touch your soul if your faith stays strong. But now you must wait here."

Anyone who knew Tim and his companions would easily guess what he was thinking. Between himself, Tamina, Therese, Rose, and Desiree, he was travelling with an extremely powerful squad of healers, and whatever his many problems with them, there wasn't a one who'd ever refused to heal the sick and injured. If this fellow could be healed, he would be. If he could not, he must remember, everyone must remember, that the Church was a church of the soul, not the body. Healing magicks were fine things, as were acts of charity and compassion, but they were not the central mission, and a thousand dying from disease did not matter so much as a single man facing damnation. A soul in peril tops in worth / All the wealth of all the earth.

He asked about the rest, and found that no one remaining had anything so severe. Tim addressed them gently. "I'm going to need all my strength to try to help this one," he said. "I may not be able but I'm going to try. It was wonderful to be part of your ceremony and I can tell your faith is great." And he gestured in benediction.

Then he asked for some particulars -- about Yona's family and caretakers if there were any, about the relations between the pagan Clovians and this small community, and if anyone would answer him, even in euphemisms, about the desecration of the local temple. He didn't want to waste too much time before returning to the inn to talk to the others, but he needed to know these things to write his petition and to handle Yona's case without worrying his family. His intent was to bring Yona, and his nearest kin or caretaker, to the inn rather than to bring that gaggle of heathens out here among the whole congregation. Probably this busybody Tovah would want to be a part of that, and probably he wouldn't be able to stop her.

[OOC: My post is assuming Tim didn't find the man had a problem with walking or anything similar - I only know as much as you posted but Tim's good at diagnostics and would've spotted any such issues.]
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Drusia
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Re: Clovius and beyond

Post by Drusia »

By now, however, Therese and Tamina were entering their room at the inn, first knocking to make sure Desiree was decent. "Hi!" Therese said cheerily. "Ready to get into uniform as Rose's junior sister in the faith ... Sister Rae?"

I smile, working to make sure my distaste at this idea doesn't show on my face. "Sure," I reply. I keep my tone brave and grateful. Therese does stuff like this all the time; I don't want her to think I'm a coward.

"So, what do you need me to do?" I ask. I figure she'll need me to sit a certain way while she makes me up. Aside from dressing differently, I wonder what all she plans to do to me.

-- Desiree
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Graybeard
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Re: Clovius and beyond

Post by Graybeard »

"No family," the unfortunate Yona mouthed, as the few worshipers still nearby nodded. With his good hand he brushed back his matted hair, revealing slightly pointed ears.

------------

"Just get dressed," Therese answered Desiree. "I'll be back in a minute with the outfit. When Rose gets here, she can help you get the details worked out. There are probably some nuances to a nun's robes that we don't know."

Sister Rose and Argus hadn't given Therese a key to their room, but anyone who conducted rescues in Goriel learned to use a lock pick. Rose's spare outfit was hanging in the closet, exactly where she'd said it would be. True to her word, Therese was back in the room she shared with Desiree and Tamina in only a minute or two.

"Hm. I'd probably better get disguised too," she said, rather self-consciously turning away from Desiree, and started the process of turning herself into a man.
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Jack Rothwell
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Re: Clovius and beyond

Post by Jack Rothwell »

"Oh! Oh!" The kobold exclaimed, jumping up and down with her hand in the air. "Do I get a new disguise too? Maybe a nun or a priest or a narch-bish-hop or a..."

Of course, she was already wearing a disguise. But it was hard to fault her enthusiasm.
Alberich
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Re: Clovius and beyond

Post by Alberich »

[OOC: The word she's looking for is "cardinal"...a-speakin' of which, I've got an idea Graybeard is doing some serious celebrating this weekend.]

"No family."

Tim nodded. "But you've got kind brothers and sisters all around, and a good Father who will care for your soul if you follow his laws."

The ears didn't escape his attention, though his experience with half-elves had not yet taught him the extra difficulties their elven inheritance caused with healing these serious problems. The half-elves he had known were all well-formed, and their minor injuries had always healed the same as anyone else's. There was no need to burden the boy now with any talk of murderous elves and the like -- he hoped he'd have a long time, soon, to learn all about Yona's injuries, and his history, and how he made his way in the world.

So he had him wait nearby while he got the other answers he needed, so that he could return to his companions, preferably with this boy and his nearest friend in tow. Walking alone with him didn't feel quite right -- this community didn't know Tim well enough for that yet -- so there had to be someone who was close to him, who'd be willing to take a little walk for a friend's sake. He'd ask and find out who that was.

(But he'd have him cover the ears up again, just in case, that being an excellent survival tactic some kindly soul had taught the boy. Whoever had done that deserved a pat on the back.)
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Graybeard
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Re: Clovius and beyond

Post by Graybeard »

[OOC: I'm going to fast-forward quite a bit of stuff here. If Tim wants elaboration on any of it, however, it can be done.]

"But you've got kind brothers and sisters all around, and a good Father who will care for your soul if you follow his laws."

Several of the Clovians remaining after the healing session, who heard Tim's comments, now turned inquiring eyes to Tovah Dragonslayer. A lengthy calculation was going on behind the woman's forbidding countenance. Finally, she gave an almost imperceptible nod.

With this gesture, the floodgates opened, and answers came tumbling out of the townsfolk. Yona, it was thought, was a great deal older than he looked; in fact none of the congregation, including some old women who might have been in their seventies, could remember a time when he hadn't been there. Other healers had come and gone through town, and had tried to remedy the man's infirmities, none with any greater luck than Tim.

Meanwhile, the Luminositan congregation in town had been keeping its collective head above water, despite loss of its physical temple; in fact, it had been growing slightly, perhaps not at as rapid a pace as Clovius itself, but certainly not withering as it might have. Much of this, Tim gathered, had been due to the considerable strength of character, and stature in the community, of Tovah Dragonslayer. Her apparent surname wasn't part of a name at all, but rather, an honorific: at some point in the distant past, this woman had actually slain a dragon. None of the congregation knew the details, and Tovah herself steadfastly refused to talk about it, but the feat was well known in a town that treated with trolls and knew full well that one of the great beasts called "dragons" was about an even match for three or four male trolls in an open fight ... so a woman who could take one on by herself was held in almost religious awe. The townspeople in turn tolerated the rather peculiar religious beliefs of this elderly paragon, even as the large majority of them worshiped the shadowy "Mountain King." The Church of Luminosita was not unwelcome here; it was merely small.

The physical church, however, was a different story. It fell to Tovah to explain what had become of it. "Overtaken by gamblers," she growled, and she spit on the ground. "We are not welcome there. It is a place in sad, desperate need of a cleansing." The bystanders nodded, and suddenly, all eyes were on Tim.

------------

"Well, it looks like he passed the test, whatever it was," Sister Rose murmured to Argus. "I think we can safely go back down and see how Therese is doing at turning Desiree into a nun." She smiled and winked. "This, I have to see."
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Alberich
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Re: Clovius and beyond

Post by Alberich »

"Overtaken by gamblers," she growled, and she spit on the ground. "We are not welcome there. It is a place in sad, desperate need of a cleansing." The bystanders nodded, and suddenly,n Tim.

Tim nodded. "A worthy project. But it will take time and diplomacy, and maybe money as well. For now, let's accomplish some things that can be done today." And then he asked for pen and paper, and when he had it, he wrote this:

Most Gracious Excellency,

Brother Timothy of Umbertiel sends you greetings in the name of Our Lord Luminosita, and therewith this most humble petition, averring as follows:

That a community of the Faithful, who have maintained their faith through dark and light, exists in this city of Clovius in the Northern Confederacy, through the grace of Our Lord and through the example of unyielding faith set by its senior members, to include our longstanding sister in faith Tovah Dragonslayer;

That I have this day seen the Rites of Our Lord performed with true sincerity and faith, by a lay brother named Yehuda, as is right and proper in the absence of a priest, and that the ceremonial was both proper in form and truly inspired in spirit, so that the sincerity of this community cannot be in doubt;

That these good people, for all their great devotion, have not had an ordained priest among them for some twenty years, and greatly desire one;

That while they do not suffer oppression here, yet they are greatly outnumbered by the heathen, and their temple has been defiled by being taken from them for profane employments, so that they both need and deserve every spiritual comfort the Church can spare;

That the town of Umbertiel is in most excellent hands under the guidance of Father Arpad, who well knows the people's ways and provides them with firm but compassionate guidance on the right path, and besides that is in the excellent health he deserves, so that he has many years to train any acolytes he may need, and will not suffer from my absence;

Therefore does your humble petitioner request to be reassigned, for the care of souls, to this most worthy and zealous community of the Faithful in Clovius. Having obtained permission to remain among them until this petition shall be decided.

- Brother Timothy


At the top he wrote the date and Tovah's address -- the best place to send the orders he was requesting; she was a firm fixture in this town and as such the safest place to have orders sent. The locals would thing twice about interfering with her mail.

He knew that some of the leaders were reading over his shoulder so he made a few comments. "With luck, I can make that last part come true today. If I do then I can stay here with you, and my companions can take this to a bishop in Veracia, so I can get a permanent reassignment. Or get replaced if that's what they prefer. Later on I may request other aid but for now it's best to stick with the basics." He made a slight pause to see if anyone really wanted to object to this plan.

[OOC: And assuming they don't...]

He went on, "Now, I need to take this to my companions, who have the means to communicate with my superior, to see about getting me permission to stay." He didn't want to tell them directly that his "superior" was here -- Rose had decided to disguise herself, and might prefer not being revealed as a nun and officer. "They're not all of the faithful but some are very potent healers. So I'd like to take brother Yona, and one other person -- who's his best friend here, who can come along this morning? As you tell me there's no guarantee for his body, but if he has remained constant in his faith for so long, then he's better off than many I know whose limbs are all well shaped. And we must try for the other."

Once he had his little expedition ready, he would move...expeditiously.
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Drusia
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Re: Clovius and beyond

Post by Drusia »

"Just get dressed," Therese answered Desiree. "I'll be back in a minute with the outfit. When Rose gets here, she can help you get the details worked out. There are probably some nuances to a nun's robes that we don't know."

"Hm. I'd probably better get disguised too," she said, rather self-consciously turning away from Desiree, and started the process of turning herself into a man.


I get dressed. How... very uncomfortable.

That done, I watch as Therese gets into her male disguise. It's really quite fascinating.

-- Desiree

OOC: I really have nothing else to do until Therese starts in on Desiree's makeup.
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Graybeard
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Re: Clovius and beyond

Post by Graybeard »

OOC: I would like to call a brief pause in proceedings here for a discussion among the players as to where they'd like this thread, or possibly soon to be pair of threads, to go.

I really like what's happening here. It's 100% consistent with the personalities of the characters, and the way the Errant World works. It also gives the opportunity to develop some things involving the "Mountain King" and his/its worship that most of the characters would be perfectly happy to walk away from. However, it may require leaving Tim behind in Clovius as the rest of the group (maybe excepting Tamina -- would she stay here?) continues south, to get Desiree (and maybe, though not certainly, Therese) re-installed in Snamish and Rose and Argus living Happily Ever After in Kiyoka or Saus or wherever. (To be honest, I anticipate Rose and Argus entering a "semi-retired" state from the game some time in the foreseeable future, but that's a different, if related, subject. Certainly Rose has a ton of stuff yet to do before that state is reached.) Therese -- well, her position would be interesting. Would she continue on south with Desiree? Or would she feel compelled to stay in the Northern Confederacy and keep Tim out of trouble? I honestly don't know yet.

If we do create a fork here, there'll be no problem writing it; being recently retired myself, I do have time to keep on top of the writing. However, it should be done with the full concurrence of everyone involved. So what do you all think? What are your preferences as to how this should play out? Should a deus ex Luminosita step in that compels Tim to continue on south with everybody else? Opinions much desired before we move this forward.
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Alberich
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Re: Clovius and beyond

Post by Alberich »

[OOC: I'm in favor of letting Tim stay in Clovius.

I read some of your earlier messages as saying that people were interested in wrapping up this long adventure; and I think retiring Tim from it here is a perfect prelude to that. Whether he simply stays off-screen or his further doings in Clovius are shown explicitly...should depend on whether anyone's got an inspiration that would make it fun to watch. But even if he does appear again I think there should be a little time-skip during which it is assumed he gets situated within the local community, learns who's who and how things work, and so on. Kind of like what I did with Anfisa in the other thread.

And if there's nothing especially fun to do with him for now...then let him vanish, and I can either stick with the new thread or introduce a new character if this one has a ways to go.]
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