Stone Man Pass
- Sareth
- RPG All-Star
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- Graybeard
- The Heretical Admin
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Re: Stone Man Pass
[OOC: OK, then so shall it be...]
Sister Rose stopped the wagon at the top of the pass to let the horses rest. It had been a long, hard haul up the increasingly steep and rocky road. They could use the break. (For that matter, so could the passengers.)
They'd seen three or four more camp sites on the way up, each with one of the enigmatic statues nearby, all showing signs of use. One, Rose deduced, was where the three Ensigerum people had planned to spend the night; there were still some bedrolls and cooking supplies around, although animals had got into the latter. She'd noticed that Kim had stiffened as they passed that site, even though there wasn't another human being in sight. Was she somehow attuned to the "time-ninja" magic? Did it leave traces? It occurred to Rose as well that here was another thing to think about in connection with the OCRAP treaty where they'd created a minor incident the previous day. Just whose side were these wielders of forbidden magic on? If anyone's other than their own?
Well, they could think about that some other time. For now, it was time for some recuperation. The view from the pass wasn't as spectacular as if it had crossed higher mountains, but it was still scenic enough to be worth some time spent here. Rose breathed deeply, taking it all in. "Look," she pointed to the valley on the far side of the pass. "There's Gervasiel, the town where we're supposed to meet -- our contact." I'm not sure how much I'm supposed to say about him. "We can make it there before sundown without any trouble, if I can just avoid crashing the wagon on these steep roads. Just joking, I --"
She was interrupted, by a most unexpected voice. "I -- I'm not going with you," Kim said.
Sister Rose stopped the wagon at the top of the pass to let the horses rest. It had been a long, hard haul up the increasingly steep and rocky road. They could use the break. (For that matter, so could the passengers.)
They'd seen three or four more camp sites on the way up, each with one of the enigmatic statues nearby, all showing signs of use. One, Rose deduced, was where the three Ensigerum people had planned to spend the night; there were still some bedrolls and cooking supplies around, although animals had got into the latter. She'd noticed that Kim had stiffened as they passed that site, even though there wasn't another human being in sight. Was she somehow attuned to the "time-ninja" magic? Did it leave traces? It occurred to Rose as well that here was another thing to think about in connection with the OCRAP treaty where they'd created a minor incident the previous day. Just whose side were these wielders of forbidden magic on? If anyone's other than their own?
Well, they could think about that some other time. For now, it was time for some recuperation. The view from the pass wasn't as spectacular as if it had crossed higher mountains, but it was still scenic enough to be worth some time spent here. Rose breathed deeply, taking it all in. "Look," she pointed to the valley on the far side of the pass. "There's Gervasiel, the town where we're supposed to meet -- our contact." I'm not sure how much I'm supposed to say about him. "We can make it there before sundown without any trouble, if I can just avoid crashing the wagon on these steep roads. Just joking, I --"
She was interrupted, by a most unexpected voice. "I -- I'm not going with you," Kim said.
Because old is wise, does good, and above all, kicks ass.
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- Mage/Priest War Veteran
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Re: Stone Man Pass
Maduin glanced up, mild surprise on his features. "Why ever not Kim dear?"
- Graybeard
- The Heretical Admin
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Re: Stone Man Pass
"Back there is -- home," Kim said, nodding toward the direction of the shattered Leonish.
Because old is wise, does good, and above all, kicks ass.
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- Mage/Priest War Veteran
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Re: Stone Man Pass
"Hmmm." Maduin looked at her for a long moment, and then rummaged in one of his bags, coming up with a long-handled hairbrush and moving to sit next to Kim, running the bristles gently over her long blonde hair.
"I'm not sure if you've ever been told this dear, but home is where the heart is," he said after a moment, each stroke gentle and easy. "And unless you're something truly extraordinary, then your heart should still be located in your chest just like the rest of us. That's where the memories dwell, the good . . . and the bad."
He turned his head, following the direction of her gaze. "That's not where your home is Kim - or your family. There's nothing left back there but charred timbers and tumbled walls in a burned-out field that won't even be a memory in a few decades. Scrub is growing from the ashes, and eventually it'll be wildflowers and tall grass, then trees, and in a few decades there won't be anything left. It's just a shell."
Maduin tapped her back lightly with an index finger. "In here, that's where your family is. That's where your home is, not some temporary husk in the physical world - not a dead, desecrated ruin, but alive and immortal in your memory."
His tone turned gentle. "You cannot allow the past to consume you. You can't carve a future from a gravestone."
"I'm not sure if you've ever been told this dear, but home is where the heart is," he said after a moment, each stroke gentle and easy. "And unless you're something truly extraordinary, then your heart should still be located in your chest just like the rest of us. That's where the memories dwell, the good . . . and the bad."
He turned his head, following the direction of her gaze. "That's not where your home is Kim - or your family. There's nothing left back there but charred timbers and tumbled walls in a burned-out field that won't even be a memory in a few decades. Scrub is growing from the ashes, and eventually it'll be wildflowers and tall grass, then trees, and in a few decades there won't be anything left. It's just a shell."
Maduin tapped her back lightly with an index finger. "In here, that's where your family is. That's where your home is, not some temporary husk in the physical world - not a dead, desecrated ruin, but alive and immortal in your memory."
His tone turned gentle. "You cannot allow the past to consume you. You can't carve a future from a gravestone."
- Graybeard
- The Heretical Admin
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Re: Stone Man Pass
Kim's expression wouldn't have been any different if Maduin had been speaking in Tsuirakuan, a language she'd never heard in her life. "But -- I live there," she protested. "It is my home."
Sister Rose didn't like the way this conversation was heading. At the same time, she wasn't sure exactly what she wanted to happen. Should the girl come with them? Or would she be better off at her home, ghastly as it was? Rose couldn't imagine that. A demolished village wasn't a "home" any more, Maduin was right about that. And besides ...
"Kim," she said as gently as she could, "I think you'd be better off with us. Those three -- people who scared you were on their way down toward where you used to live. It wouldn't have been good if they'd found you there, would it?"
Now that got through. The color drained from the girl's face, and she stammered a negative. She still looked ready to turn and run, though, so Rose continued. "There's safety in numbers, Kim. We're heading for a new place, down there." She pointed in the direction of Gervasiel. "I don't think the people who scare you are in that place. It isn't the kind of place where they'd live."
<"Please tell me I'm right about that last part,"> she thought at Drusia as she watched uncertainty play across the girl's features.
Sister Rose didn't like the way this conversation was heading. At the same time, she wasn't sure exactly what she wanted to happen. Should the girl come with them? Or would she be better off at her home, ghastly as it was? Rose couldn't imagine that. A demolished village wasn't a "home" any more, Maduin was right about that. And besides ...
"Kim," she said as gently as she could, "I think you'd be better off with us. Those three -- people who scared you were on their way down toward where you used to live. It wouldn't have been good if they'd found you there, would it?"
Now that got through. The color drained from the girl's face, and she stammered a negative. She still looked ready to turn and run, though, so Rose continued. "There's safety in numbers, Kim. We're heading for a new place, down there." She pointed in the direction of Gervasiel. "I don't think the people who scare you are in that place. It isn't the kind of place where they'd live."
<"Please tell me I'm right about that last part,"> she thought at Drusia as she watched uncertainty play across the girl's features.
Because old is wise, does good, and above all, kicks ass.
- Drusia
- Veteran of the Errant War
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Re: Stone Man Pass
"There's safety in numbers, Kim. We're heading for a new place, down there." She pointed in the direction of Gervasiel. "I don't think the people who scare you are in that place. It isn't the kind of place where they'd live."
<"Please tell me I'm right about that last part,"> she thought at Drusia as she watched uncertainty play across the girl's features.
<"I'm not honestly sure,"> I reply. <"I don't have any way of detecting them, and until this week I didn't realize the Einsigerum still existed. I wouldn't think they'd base themselves somewhere so heavily populated, but I don't really have any way of knowing.">
I pause, then add. <"When you're finished with this, there was another matter I wanted to ask you about.">
-- Drusia
<"Please tell me I'm right about that last part,"> she thought at Drusia as she watched uncertainty play across the girl's features.
<"I'm not honestly sure,"> I reply. <"I don't have any way of detecting them, and until this week I didn't realize the Einsigerum still existed. I wouldn't think they'd base themselves somewhere so heavily populated, but I don't really have any way of knowing.">
I pause, then add. <"When you're finished with this, there was another matter I wanted to ask you about.">
-- Drusia
- Graybeard
- The Heretical Admin
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Re: Stone Man Pass
<"When you're finished with this, there was another matter I wanted to ask you about.">
<"Go ahead,"> Sister Rose thought back. Maduin was still tending to Kim's hair, and Argus, Brad and Lillith shouldn't mind a brief digression into mind-speech.
<"Go ahead,"> Sister Rose thought back. Maduin was still tending to Kim's hair, and Argus, Brad and Lillith shouldn't mind a brief digression into mind-speech.
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- Drannin
- Prince of Space
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Re: Stone Man Pass
Argus gazed silently at Kim. He was vaguely reminded of Fayna when she was little. Which in turn led to him wondering about Lillith when she was little. This path of thought slowly began leading Argus down the path of melancholy... until he saw Harker looking thoughtful.
Harker looking thoughtful was BAD.
ALWAYS.
Drusia, what have you done? Argus thought despairingly.
Harker looking thoughtful was BAD.
ALWAYS.
Drusia, what have you done? Argus thought despairingly.
- Drusia
- Veteran of the Errant War
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Re: Stone Man Pass
<"Go ahead,"> Sister Rose thought back. Maduin was still tending to Kim's hair, and Argus, Brad and Lillith shouldn't mind a brief digression into mind-speech.
<"I was wondering if you knew, or know of anyone who knows, a spell that would allow another creature to view my dreams while I sleep. I have some information I wish to convey to Harker, and that would be the easiest way.">
"Also," I add aloud, smiling at her, "There's no reason not to conduct this conversation aloud. I just didn't want to interupt if you were busy."
-- Drusia
OOC: Sorry for slow (and brief) response. ^^;;
<"I was wondering if you knew, or know of anyone who knows, a spell that would allow another creature to view my dreams while I sleep. I have some information I wish to convey to Harker, and that would be the easiest way.">
"Also," I add aloud, smiling at her, "There's no reason not to conduct this conversation aloud. I just didn't want to interupt if you were busy."
-- Drusia
OOC: Sorry for slow (and brief) response. ^^;;