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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Graybeard
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Re: Clovius and beyond

Post by Graybeard »

Not surprisingly, Ebenezer completely misunderstood the reason for Desiree's reaction. "I see I've alarmed you," he said, a somewhat incongruous blush filling his features. "That was not my intent: caution, yes, but not alarm. Lady Dragonslayer is a powerful woman, and she is reputed to have powerful magical skills. Add that to some of the -- people -- she trades with, and you get someone to tread carefully around. I know this Dess Marson, though, and you'll be fine traveling with him; he's a conniving, profit-hungry trader, but he's a good man underneath it all. Furthermore, he is a man, not a -- well --" He brushed his hair again. "The traders who come later, while your young priest is ministering to his new flock, may not be."

Therese returned Desiree's squeeze and smiled, trying to project confidence. "Our goddesses are powerful," she said, not getting into whether "her" goddesses were the same as Desiree's.

The old man returned the smile for just a moment. "The townsfolk feel the same way about their Mountain King," he said. "They're wrong."

[OOC: Actually, Santuarielites definitely know about Exitialis. At least Ian does; we know that from this episode. Lillith, although not a worshiper of the elven gods, also knows elven theology, as seen here, and if she groks Anilis and Senilis, she would likely know about Exitialis too. (Incidentally, that sequence also explains why Rose is tolerant of Therese's "Five Great Mothers" religion, while Tim is not.) Desiree, of course, would have no way of knowing any of that, unless Lillith told her, which she probably would not. She also wouldn't know that Lillith's own religion is considered weird and fringy in Santuariel. So Desiree's reactions are fully in character. BTW, the comparative-theology hook is a nice touch, and I suspect we can have some fun with that.]
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Drusia
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Re: Clovius and beyond

Post by Drusia »

"I see I've alarmed you," he said, a somewhat incongruous blush filling his features. "That was not my intent: caution, yes, but not alarm. Lady Dragonslayer is a powerful woman, and she is reputed to have powerful magical skills. Add that to some of the -- people -- she trades with, and you get someone to tread carefully around. I know this Dess Marson, though, and you'll be fine traveling with him; he's a conniving, profit-hungry trader, but he's a good man underneath it all. Furthermore, he is a man, not a -- well --" He brushed his hair again. "The traders who come later, while your young priest is ministering to his new flock, may not be."

Therese returned Desiree's squeeze and smiled, trying to project confidence. "Our goddesses are powerful," she said, not getting into whether "her" goddesses were the same as Desiree's.

The old man returned the smile for just a moment. "The townsfolk feel the same way about their Mountain King," he said. "They're wrong."


He misunderstood my worry. Good. So did Therese. Bad. Also, that comment just now was both cryptic and creepy.

"We should probably go speak to the others," I say to Therese. "And pass along what we've learned."

-- Desiree

OOC: Leaving it there in case Therese or anyone else wants to protest.
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Graybeard
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Re: Clovius and beyond

Post by Graybeard »

Therese nodded. "Let's."

As they walked out the door, she couldn't help but smile. "I think you'll find Refuge-Nouveau a much more agreeable place." She squeezed Desiree's hand again as soon as they were able to walk side by side.

[OOC: As soon as Tim and Rose transact their business with Tovah Dragonslayer, I'm ready for the caravan to head south, and for a new thread. The conversation between Desiree/Therese and Rose/Tim can be the starting point for that thread.]
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Alberich
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Re: Clovius and beyond

Post by Alberich »

"Wow," said Sister Rose.

Maybe she really did go native in Getsemiel, thought Tim.

"Calling her 'Dragonslayer' doesn't seem quite so far-fetched now, does it?"

"Indeed," said Tim. But after travelling with Therese and Tamina, meeting Jamie, and seeing Drusia in battle, the notion of a woman who could and would hunt big game like this was not such a jolt to him. Especially if she didn't do it alone.
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Re: Clovius and beyond

Post by Graybeard »

Tovah Dragonslayer appeared shortly, and sat patiently (more or less) as Sister Rose explained the contents of the communique from Emerylon: Brother Timothy was authorized to remain in Clovius as priest of the Orthodox Church of Our Lord Luminosita. She stressed "Orthodox." Tim would feel better about it, and Rose herself was glad to resolve any lingering doubts about the Luminositan Scientists; she was more tolerant of doctrinal oddities than most, but that bunch was weird. On the other hand, it created a different status for the church here compared to some other foreign "missions" where Orthodoxy was not explicitly spelled out, and indeed, those missions had more than their share of Reformed priests and nuns. She would ponder that difference later, but not now.

"Very well," the old woman said when Rose had finished. She turned to Tim. "Congratulations, thank you for your willingness to serve, and welcome to your new congregation. However, do not make the mistake of believing that this call makes you instantly qualified to live and lead in Clovius. This city is unlike others where you may have served, and you will need to learn how to survive here, not just how to perform Luminosita's work. The last young priest who took this call did not heed that message." She waved toward the mountains. "His bones are up there somewhere, unless they have been gnawed by a night wyrm by now."

Magic filled the air momentarily; Rose wasn't sure where it had come from or how it had got there, although it seemed to be centered on Tovah. "You will be our guest while you learn the ways of Clovius," the old woman continued as a servant entered the room. "Yair, please show Brother Timothy to the guest house."
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Jack Rothwell
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Re: Clovius and beyond

Post by Jack Rothwell »

OOC Just assume Tamina is off practicing magic with Argus again if she's needed for anything. Things have gotten bloody busy lately, got two scripts to learn, extra shifts booked and Christmas shopping to do. I'll be intermittent at best for the next couple of weeks. :roll: /OOC
Alberich
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Re: Clovius and beyond

Post by Alberich »

For the moment, Tim saw no real choice. He was not going to fall into the temptations of sybaritic living, and as soon as he could he'd get out of here and live among his congregation, but just right now he was in no position to insist. Of a certainty this lay sister, no matter her great influence and value to the Church, was not going to control him. His appointment had specified a bishop back in Veracia who was his true superior. In time he would lead spiritually the way a true priest should and not as a secular leader's lapdog. That kind of corruption had been common in the days of the kings, but the theocracy had ended it, as was right and proper.

But even a good commander, as Tim remembered from his officer training, spent some time learning how things were being done in his new command before he started issuing orders and changing everything. And despite her high-handedness, this Tovah had a point. The culture of Clovius seemed practically designed as a trap for the unwary, and the locals were as eager to take offense (Desiree's dinner) as to give it (the "Holy Rollers"). Tovah would set him on the road to learning what he needed to know. There was no need for a pointless gesture of defiance right now. "Very well," he said, and made ready to follow this Yair.

He briefly considered mind speech to Rose but decided against it. She almost always ignored him when he used it anyway. He would just have to hope that she didn't sabotage his new mission, for example by raising some kind of sectarian issue. Rose couldn't really do him any good here that he could see, but she had plenty of capacity for doing harm, and the nasty little streak that had made her so eager to dress Desiree as a nun and take them to a sacrilegious gambling hell could still manifest. He contented himself with a "Farewell" and a brief genuflection. If she wanted to say more, she would.
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Drusia
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Re: Clovius and beyond

Post by Drusia »

Therese nodded. "Let's."

As they walked out the door, she couldn't help but smile. "I think you'll find Refuge-Nouveau a much more agreeable place." She squeezed Desiree's hand again as soon as they were able to walk side by side.


"I should hope so," I tell her, but with a smile. "Although, perhaps you should warn me now if there are any cultural landmines I'm likely to run afoul of. Just so I can plan ahead. Any colors with secret meanings? Any outfit styles that indicate significance aside from meanings normally conveyed by fashion?"

-- Desiree
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Graybeard
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Re: Clovius and beyond

Post by Graybeard »

"Although, perhaps you should warn me now if there are any cultural landmines I'm likely to run afoul of. Just so I can plan ahead. Any colors with secret meanings? Any outfit styles that indicate significance aside from meanings normally conveyed by fashion?"

Therese laughed gently. "Probably, but I have no idea what they are. That's the thing about cultural land mines: from within the culture, they just look like 'what do you mean? We've always avoided that bump over there, we just do it without thinking.' Never mind that there's a land mine underneath the bump." She squeezed Desiree's hand again. "But I promise, I'll help you negotiate the mine field that I don't know about."

At this point Sister Rose fell in alongside the two women, on her own way back from the Dragonslayer manor, and the conversation turned to the odd warning that Ebenezer had given. Rose walked in silence for a while, taking it all in. "So let me get this straight," she said when Therese and Desiree had finished. "He says to be careful dealing with Tovah Dragonslayer, who is not what she seems -- which I can believe, having seen her house." She shook her head, still amazed at that trophy room. "But he says the main concern is her friends, or more accurately, her trader contacts -- not so much this Dess Marson, who he says is okay, but others. I can believe that too. You should see her place." She went on to describe the hunting trophies she'd seen, Therese nodding her head as they walked.

"We'd better tell Tim, don't you think?" Therese said when she'd finished.

Rose would later be embarrassed at the realization that her first response to this perfectly reasonable suggestion was to think Why? Not my problem any more. This, she realized, was unjust: she was still a nun of the Veracian church, and if it was a problem for the church, it was her problem. But still...

"I think Tim has already been drawn into her web, whatever it is," she answered. "He's going to be living in her guest house for now. Let's make sure to tell him tonight, when he comes back to retrieve his belongings, which he'll have to do. Meanwhile, we have our own packing up to do as well."

And if he doesn't come back tonight ... well, I tried, she told herself, realizing it was lame.

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

OOC: Yair isn't going to volunteer anything interesting as he shows Tim his new digs, which will be just what one might expect a "guest house" to be under the circumstances -- no magic around, btw. So unless there are objections, I propose to start the new thread herewith, so that most of the group can head for home, and spin off a new-new thread for Tim to start finding his way around Clovius. There's something coming at the start of the new thread that I think people will find amusing.
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Alberich
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Re: Clovius and beyond

Post by Alberich »

[OOC: Fine by me but note that Tim is being friendly with these servants and trying to get into conversations with them. He doesn't intend to ask them about their mistress -- it's understandable they'd be chary about gossiping about her -- but instead about Clovius, the Faithful community, and what the Faithful have to watch out for in Clovius. Nothing to Tovah's prejudice. If they seem to be under orders not to tell him anything about those things, he would note it. It's fine by me to summarize any conversations or anything he learns if you don't want to spin it all out at length.]
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