Clovius and beyond

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Graybeard
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Re: Clovius and beyond

Post by Graybeard »

"Which facets?" he asked. "And what's this 'big one' all about?"

"I don't fully understand their Festival of Departure belief myself," Sister Rose confessed. "The way it was explained to me, the Mechanists -- that's another name for the Luminositan Scientists -- they believe that Luminosita doesn't 'depart,' but rather, he 'shuts down'. Or is shut down, or something, I don't know. The nuances of that are lost on me, but they're enough to get some of the people in the Patriarch's office upset enough to call for excommunicating the sect. It hasn't happened yet, though." And that part, I think I do understand.

"Anyway, the other things are mainly quibbles -- the Feast of Luminosita's Tears being tied to wind patterns, for example. Even if these people really are Luminositan Scientists, which they may not be, none of those are likely to come up for dispute when you talk to them. Other than the Departure, they're pretty well down in the doctrinal noise, and the Patriarch has basically told them that we agree to disagree on them."

And based on things I've learned in the last couple of months, I suspect that's because it's unwise to anathematize a position the other people hold that you know is correct, but you can't or won't admit it, she thought but did not say.
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Alberich
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Re: Clovius and beyond

Post by Alberich »

"Oh," said Tim with a shrug. Well, a god who needed a rest was certainly entitled to one, after all he'd done for his people, and the thought was not beyond the range of faith. The Veracians did not believe in an omnipotent deity -- after all, the infernal powers who'd created the elves had power separate from his -- and this saved them a few knotty conundrums that men on other worlds struggled with.

"Tomorrow at dawn, then," he said, "and I'll see if I can find Tamina tonight, if she'll also agree to watch." For if this was a trap or a kidnap attempt, he'd rather have the feisty kobold huntress nearby than almost anyone else. "Anything else I should know?" Argus being asleep, he had no other motive to prolong the interview.

[OOC: Tim doesn't realize that Therese and Desiree are out having dinner with Tamina instead of in their room sharing pleasures he'd rather not think about, but I assume that asking around will reveal this to him, so feel free to move him where they go or have him pop up at the end of a post; I ended with the question because Tim wouldn't just walk out without giving Rose a chance to issue further instructions.]
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Drusia
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Re: Clovius and beyond

Post by Drusia »

"Oh!" She exclaimed. "Could go find a fish place! Well... maybe not... kinda high up for fishing... unless... there's mountain fish round here?"
"Uh, dinner would be just fine," she finally got out. "Let me just -- clean up a little too."
She kept her own clothes on while she cast the Hygiene spell she'd learned on the trip. This was just as well; her apparel was starting to get a little ... moist ... in some places.


I wash the dust off and do what I can for my hair.

"A fish place would be fine if we can find one," I tell Tamina. "I honestly have no idea what sort of food they have around here."

I finish cleaning up and pick out a new dress. I almost go with bright red and festive, but I'm not sure that's a good idea after the day we've had. Instead, I pick a simple, sleek dress in a dark wine red. It's a little tight, but it's meant to be. I skin into the dress with some effort.

"Do you need - oh!" I say as Therese casts a hygine spell. I guess she doesn't need the rest of the water after all. I suppose I could have used a hygine spell too, but clean water just... feels better. To me anyway.

Although, it does give me an idea. I cast a hygine spell on my hair. Ah - much better. I let my hair down and brush it, long and straight. There, that should look nice. If I had a long mirror, I'd twirl in front of it.

"I'm ready when you are," I say to Tamina and Therese.

-- Desiree
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Re: Clovius and beyond

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"You're so beautiful," Therese told Desiree wonderingly; it wasn't a pass, it was simply an observation. "I wish I'd brought along nice things to wear like that." The problem, of course, was that at nearly six feet tall, things that fit her wouldn't fit Desiree or Tamina, and vice versa. She simply kept on her traveling outfit and the trio left the inn.

A few minutes later, they were installed at a nearby restaurant. The maitre d' gave them an odd look as he escorted them to the table, leaving Therese wondering what it was all about. Only a minute or two after that, a gray-haired woman came over to where they sat, the look on her face showing both horror and compassion. "I'm so terribly sorry," she said to Desiree. "If there's anything I can do to comfort you..." Her voice trailed off, and she slumped back to her own table. Not two minutes later, another elderly woman repeated the encounter.

"What's going on here?" Therese wondered out loud, as a third woman began her approach.

[OOC: Nothing more for Rose to say at this point, other than to promise to be available in the morning as needed.]
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Alberich
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Re: Clovius and beyond

Post by Alberich »

As if to save them from all this man-free pity, Tim showed up. He asked to be shown to their table. Since he'd already eaten, he wouldn't be ordering a meal, only a pint of beer if they had it or a cup of wine if they didn't.
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Re: Clovius and beyond

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The third woman arrived at the table, this time accompanied by an elderly man on a cane. The man reached into his coat pocket and extracted a coin purse, placing it in front of Desiree. "If this be your last meal," he proclaimed in a surprisingly strong voice, "I will damn well make sure it is a good one." This elicited an approving rumble from the room as he tottered back to his table ... but the rumble dissipated as Tim joined the table.

"You should be ashamed, sir," the second woman orated from her own table as the silence deepened.

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

"Is he gone yet?" Argus peeped out from under the covers.

Sister Rose giggled. "Yes, he's gone. Your snoring fooled even me." She started to undress, but not before putting up a Damping spell ... followed by a Contraception.
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Re: Clovius and beyond

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Tim saw an old man walk up and place a pouch of money in front of Desiree (but did not hear this talk of "last meals"). Then as he arrived he heard people complaining to him for showing up. What kind of commercial transaction was he walking in on? If it was what it looked like, or most likely even if it wasn't, it was a good thing he'd shown up to put a halt to it.

He cocked an eye at the others in a way that said, "What?" What he hoped was that this money would be returned. Or that Therese, at least, would offer some kind of explanation before he said something he'd regret.
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Re: Clovius and beyond

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Another man stood up. This one was younger than the senior citizens who had been coming to the table, but no more mobile; a missing lower leg explained his lack of mobility. He gestured toward Tim with the crutch on his "good" side as he orated. "You should be ashamed, letting your sister go into the Cold," he said, the last word inflected so that a bystander could practically hear the capitalization. There was another rumble of approval as he sat back down.

"Uh, oh," Therese muttered softly enough not to be heard beyond the table. "I'm not sure what's going on here, but I'm pretty sure i don't like it."
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Alberich
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Re: Clovius and beyond

Post by Alberich »

Therese had seemed to know so much about this country before...too bad her knowledge fell short here.

"Well," said Tim to Therese and Desiree, loudly enough to be heard, "if you don't know why a stranger brought you this pouch of money, don't you think you'd better return it?"

He stood and faced the old man who'd spoken, "Sir," he said, "I'm quite sure I don't know what you're talking about. We can't be the first travelers you've seen, not in a trading city like this. Is someone proposing to mistreat these young ladies? Because if so, that person will have to deal with me. And if not, can you tell me what's going on?"

There was no embarrassment in his voice or his stance. If they didn't like girls walking around without male protectors, well, then, he'd have to play that role. And maybe someone with half an ounce of sense would explain what local custom it was they thought he was violating. Trying to guess it, or bluff his way past it, would be rank stupidity.
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Re: Clovius and beyond

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The old man's face turned bright red, and he lurched to his feet, enraged. "How dare you interfere with a Last Meal! Now either let your sister enjoy herself to the fullest this one last time, or go find the damned body!"

The noise level in the restaurant stepped up a notch and sounded angrier.
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