DreamLyrics™ Play-by-Post Forums Hall of Fame - Latest Top 10 completed games HWD: The Heartwood HWD: Bordertown

(OOC - Mikal is not there. And Celi was told, along with everyone else, including Camelia. It is in the thread.)

The Heartwood
Bordertown
Near Dawn
Rameday, The Twenty-First Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

Daxia, Kadri and Romana in the Temple Ruins with Tashka and Linette

"Wat-t-t-ter?"

The younger prisoner blinked, looked at kadri suspiciously for a moment, but just a moment, then took a sip - just a sip and then another. She stopped ... knowing that any more might be too much for her stomach.

"Th-th-than-k-k-k you. Th-th-tha-t-t-t was very k-k-kind."

Linnette then peeked back through her tossled hair to her companion, peering from beneath unkempt bangs. She didn't speak, more, bunot more, but after a moment, a span of a few heartbeats she offered a small, small smile.

"Ja ..."

It was Tashka who answered, words soft.

"I think ... maybe."

She then tilted her head, looking between their three rescuers.

"Its going to be a long night, tonight, isn't it?"

The Heartwood
Bordertown
Morning
Hasday, The Twenty-Second Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

Mikal

"You know lad ... watching ain't going to make the sword any faster ..."

Especially when the Smith paused, holding in his work to consider Mikal's question.

"One is tempted to say that a big enough hammer will solve any problem, but it would depend upon how they are magic'd. Common lockpicking spells, the touch of a god or goddess, a curse, all would require a different means to break.

"The first person to ask would be the one who cast the spell."

He then leveled Mikal a serious look, rubbing his chin.

"But that just begs the real question lad.

"Where would one find a darksteel shackle?

"No one in their right mind would rightly waste the Prince of Metals on something so common."

Kadri

"The night may be long, miss - but you will not spend this night alone."

She says in an understated and quiet tone of voice.

She looks back to Daxia.

"Dazi ..."

She pauses.

"I may not understand everything going on here but believe me - I understand this is serious, deadly serious - but I will be what I will be. And when the time comes - you do not need worry. Yes,sister?"

Darian

"What climb?"

The hunter's brow furrowed.

"Rope down."

She pointed at the well.

"Order go Darian, Celi, Bekkah, Dean Cesare."

"Longtooth stay here, guard, keep watch."

[ooc: apologies. That was supposed to be a joke about my usual dim bulb chr's response. It looks like I didn't do it very well. No insult intended.]

Daxia
with Kadri, Romana, Tashka and Linette in the Bordertown Temple West Chapel

Head tilted to one side, Daxia regarded Kadri for a moment. Then she nodded, once, and smiled.

"Ok. Dazi not worry about Kadri. But sister? Dazi like, but come with big sister Bekkah," she said, eyes momentarily twinkling. "Bekkah fuss. Bekkah fuss much! Kadri maybe not ready for that!" She grinned briefly before sobering.

And sighing.

"Yes. It will be a long night, I fear," the younger Dayalan said to the elder. "The hunting beasts... do you know if there are only the four? They are vicious, true, but we should be able to keep them away from you tonight." She paused. "I wonder..."

She stared back down the corridor, deep in thought for the span of at least a fullhand of heartbeats, before turning back to Romana and Tashka. "These beasts do not live 350 years naturally, do they, Romana? So they, too, must be magicked to reanimate when they die. Unless... they have been living here generation after generation.

"So, did we kill them in a very final way tonight? Or will they return?

"Are they naturally nocturnal? If, when the others arrive, we sought them out... would we find them sleeping... if they are, indeed, returned to this place each day as Tashka and Linette are? They would be easier to kill if they are torpid during the day.

"But the beasts are the least of our worries, yah?" she said to Tashka. "The greater question is...

"How does one kill the Avatars of the Eastern gods?"

Daxia looked between Tashka and Linette and Romana.

Celi

"I can do that," Cali said. "I think. I *want* to. I want to help, but. I do not climb that much rope. Climbing down will be easy, but up...Is it knotted for climbing up?"

Darian

She shook her head, wondering why the girl did not just look at the rope. "No knot. Knot make rope shorter, heavier. If well wall not smooth, climb wall."

"Cesare, you have rope?"

The Heartwood
Bordertown
Near Dawn
Rameday, The Twenty-First Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

Daxia, Kadri and Romana in the Temple Ruins with Tashka and Linette

"That's easy ..."

Tashka rose her head and looked to Daxia.

"You take your sword and you gut Him. He's the favorite of the god, but he's still flesh and blood. He has gifts of blood, we have gifts from the stars.

"How do you think I ended up here? Instead of running we stood.

"The One who lead the assault on the temple, breaking his summoning ... and then the five, six, ten that followed...

"I lost count."

Linette simply bit upon her lower lip.

"The al'Tashka rights ..."

It was Romana who spoke.

"It is not killing Him that is hard, it is that another will take his place. Could be costly, since He doesn't choose anyones who cuts own throats ...

"But remembers ... He ... he is Lord of Carnage.

"Think He cares, if Special One dies in combat?"

Tashka just looked at Romana then, looked between Romana and Daxia and back again. She chuffed out a breath and just nodded.

"Hunting beasts ... they live less than folks, Daxia. Sent out to seek, sent out to hunt .. but never, never all sent, never all at once. The rest stay with Beastkeeper.

"This one ... known ... to keep many many ... more than four.

"Romanas always wondered whys."

Celi

"I have some in my kit," Celi said helpfully. "not much, maybe three times my height. No knots,"

Bekkah

"Can I go down now?" she said anxiously.

"I trust you all to help me get out of there afterwards." she was clearly worried about the ones down there.

When she looked down the well, she didn't like the look of it. She couldn't imagine why Daxia would have gone down there in the first place. She had images of falling to her death, but fought that back, looking decidedly uneasy.

Cesare

"I have about the same amount as Celi. How far down does it look?"

He leans over the side to see if he can see anything.

"This rope.." He indicates the old one. "..must have been long enough so that will give us a measure. If we have enough rope I would suggest that we tie the end off around each person, such that is stops short of the bottom, ideally around where we are trying to get to. That way if anyone slips, it will be unpleasant and jarring but the worst would be bruising from the walls."

He turns to Bekkah.

"Best if Darian goes first, she can then adjust the loop on the rope, then you will be safer going down."

Daxia
with Kadri, Romana, Tashka and Linette in the Bordertown Temple West Chapel

Daxia nodded slowly as Tashka and Romana spoke.

"So there are likely quite a few more of these beasts nesting somewhere in the Temple," she said, "in addition to their Keeper." Again, she paused a moment in thought. "The stables would be a likely nesting place unless..." She looked at Romana. "Unless they prefer the cool of stone walls and floors, in which case the Initiates' quarters would make more sense. In either case, we'll need to go down a level." She tilted her head, looking at her friend, "Though you did not say whether they are less active during the day."

The redhead nodded though. "I wanted to see if there was anything in the Armory that would be of use, in any case." She looked at the elder Dayalan with the barest hint of a smile. "A set of Darksteel armor would be particularly useful -- and considerably more comforting to me -- if, as you suggest, we'll be fighting off Avatar after Avatar after Avatar... until there are no more to take the last one's place.

"So many questions, Verchovai... so many. Some would have relevance only if we succeed here, some are mere curiosity. Is it possible to resanctify this Temple? At the very least, can I cleanse the well so others may enjoy Her bountiful gifts... and if so, how? The marble slab at the well... is that where it belongs? In all the years of living at the Dawnview Temple, I never saw such a thing. What is its purpose? Though... given that my sword would fit so perfectly in the larger hollow, I do suspect it has something to do with the secret the Priestesses are taught about ironsilver, yes?

"To call Him, one must speak His true name, yes? Would it not be best to meet Him in Her Light, rather than the Temple He desecrated long ago?

"And so many, many more questions...

"Romana said earlier that questions -- some at least -- ought to be savored," she said. "But you have answers that no one else has, so savoring these questions is not possible."

Daxia sighed and shook her head.

"I am a mere Initiate. I will say my prayers and perform the ritual to restore the spells of Her Wrath... but I can call on Her only those two times, and I have not the skill Verchovai Dandelion has.

"However, I will make the same promise to you that Verchovai Jeminy made to Risha's people."

Daxia looked Tashka in the eyes, brilliant blue meeting the darkness of night. "I can make this promise only for myself and not my whole band of misfits, but I will free you from this curse or I will die trying."

She closed her eyes, swallowed hard and sighed.

"Though I think a permanent death will not be my fate any more than it was yours should I fail," she whispered.

Opening her eyes to look again at Tashka, she continued, so very softly, "And so I must not fail."

Kadri;
She solemnly looks over at Daxia.


"You can make promises for me too, Daxia. As I said. Hate bullies. Is hunter and hunted, but sometimes the prey - it has to bite back. Time to sharpen the teeth.

She then grins and winks.

"Time to look fate in the face and spit in her eye."

Daxia
with Kadri, Romana, Tashka and Linette in the Bordertown Temple West Chapel

Daxia turned to Kadri with a somewhat relieved look on her face... then crossed her arms over her chest, fingers lightly resting on their opposite shoulders, and bowed in Kadri's traditional manner.

"Thank you, Kadri... sister," she said. "He is far more than a bully... but I take your point. Now is the time to stop this."

She looked back at Tashka.

"This time...

"THIS time... the Dayalans will not just buying time.

"THIS time the Dayalan -- and her friends -- will finish it."

The Heartwood
Bordertown
Near Dawn
Rameday, The Twenty-First Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

Daxia, Kadri and Romana in the Temple Ruins with Tashka and Linette

The elder Dayalan simply looked back to Daxia, her smile grim and bloody minded.

"See kinderling?

"Everything is easier when you don't have a choice, ja?"

Still in her chains, the Starlord leaned against the wall.

"Talk talk talk ... if swords on't work we can talk Him to death. But ja. It is. It's simple.

"Ironsilver isn't forged.

"Ironsilver is the tears of our sisters.

"Ironsilver is cast."

Romana then spoke up, raising a hand as she recollected her sparkling jewelry, her simple dagger.

"Trues, names powers have, yes? But bring him, here, now, right nows ... they hear sharp, even before name spokens.

"But no need.

"Beasts children, loved of Beastkeeper. He will beg for vengeance, to send his children to get rid of nuisance.

"Kill once, annoying starbredkiller. Finish off with beasts.

"Kill twice ...

"Starbredkiller serious problem."

Romana sat back quietly.

"Then ...

"Then He come."

Daxia
with Kadri, Romana, Tashka and Linette in the Bordertown Temple West Chapel

Daxia considered Romana's statement, then nodded. "That gives us more time to plan, yes. Though Dazi will need to be much more stealthy visiting the Armory."

She looked at Tashka with a sly grin. "One... yes, I could talk one Avatar to death. But if another takes His place when one Avatar dies... well, it would be quicker work to gut them or lop off their heads, is it not?"

Her smile was replaced by a look of curiosity. "It is a mold, then. Why is there not one in Dawnview?

"And the tears of our sisters? Do you mean that literally, or is it some substance that goes by another name, as well?"

The younger Dayalan grinned broadly. "And after 350 years of speaking only with Linette -- no matter how dear she may be -- you truly do not relish the sound of another voice, even if it is that of an Initiate with insatiable curiosity? You do not enjoy the opportunity to once again teach things that may have been lost to the last Age?"

The Heartwood
Bordertown
Near Dawn
Rameday, The Twenty-First Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

Daxia, Kadri and Romana in the Temple Ruins with Tashka and Linette

"Look at what happened here ..."

Tashka lowered her head.

"Do you really believe anything would be left in the armory ... the cloisters ... the stables ...

"As for the other ... everything comes in three, Daxia. Three sides to the Forest rune, three nights to break a curse, three rings on the wheel of chaos ... and for the crafting ... Starwatch Reaches, here, beneath the zenith, and the Port of Lys. only three places where our sister's tears can be collected ...

"And what, exactly, did you think starlight is?"

The other question was only answered by a shared glance, for a moment, maybe two with Linette.

Daxia
with Kadri, Romana, Tashka and Linette in the Bordertown Temple West Chapel

"Verchovai, I barely know what to believe anymore. The fact that I am speaking to you at all seems unbelievable. And yet... here we are." The younger Dayalan shrugged, catching the glance between the two captives and smiling slightly.

"The Starwatch Reaches and Port of Lys... there is no one who knows where they ever were or has any idea how to find them," she murmured. "And here... beneath the zenith? Does Her path touch each of them in turn on Her daily journey? Would finding one show the way to the other?"

Daxia shook her head, and regarded Tashka.

"If I said 'just light', I am guessing that would be the wrong answer," she said slowly. "This is the only place left where our sister's tears can be collected..." She was deep in thought, speaking more to herself than Tashka. "The structure of the Temple itself and the depth of the well... but the precise positioning in relation to Her journey each day, that is why Dawnview is not the right place.

"Behind Her trailed all of the little children who still mark the passage of Time. Our sisters... Her children."

Daxia shook herself from her reverie. "Hoi, such a powerful spell that must be! Is it even still known, I wonder, if there is nowhere it can be used?" Her hand went to her side, touching the sword there. "Precious because it came from Kassia, doubly precious because it bears my Lord's Favor, triply precious for knowing its origin. No, such a spell must never be lost, for someday this Temple will be cleaned and resanctified. Someday, someone will find the Starwatch Reaches and the Port of Lys, and those Temples will be reclaimed."

She took a deep breath. "There is a thing I must do for Lord Kisa, and I don't even know what it is," she said with a rueful laugh. "But I want to return here, and rededicate this Temple to Dayala. Of course, after the thorough cleaning is completed, I will need to know how a Temple is rededicated, yes? You can tell me how that is done, yes, Verchovai?"

The redhead grinned broadly. "Kassia did not teach me everything, it seems. But she did encourage my voracious appetite for learning."

Mikal

"Ran into one in the ruins outside of town." He answers the smith. "Was wondering how to get it open. Worth a lot of money if it could be done. I'd be willing to share it with you." He finishes, leadingly.

The Heartwood
Bordertown
Morning
Hasday, The Twenty-Second Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

Mikal

"The ruins?"

The Blacksmith turned his head back over his shoulder, as if to look to the tall rubbled stones that rose at the south of the town.

"Lad, if there's something chained up in that place, its probably for a very good reason.

"You'd be doing yourself well to just forget about things like that, to just forget about that place."

"Leave it be."

Mikal

He shrugs, not making a big deal of it. "Didn't say something was chained. Just that I found some chains bolted to a wall. Thought perhaps to salvage it, but no big deal." Although the smith's comments remind Mikal of something he will suggest to Daxia.

In the meantime, with the suggestions, such as they were, obtained, he thanks the man and takes his leave, to go meet the others at the well.

The Heartwood
Bordertown
Near Dawn
Rameday, The Twenty-First Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

Daxia, Kadri and Romana in the Temple Ruins with Tashka and Linette

"Well for starters, a good cleaning and delousing. We seem to have a small vermin problem. They need to be kept ot.

"The rest .... thats taught to every Priestess ... making a new Temple is one of those thigs they need to be able to do. The honey marble used up and down the Tarn doesn't come rom just nowhere. ja?"

"But to start it takes three ...

"A Priestess, a Starrider ... and a Starlord."

Daxia
with Kadri, Romana, Tashka and Linette in the Bordertown Temple West Chapel

"And we must not forget digging the Temple out from the hill that has grown over it. Ah, and relocating the Imperials who have taken up residence at the top of the hill. Most difficult of all, perhaps, will be convincing the New Jvrillians based in Bordertown that we can peacefully coexist with them.

"And of course it must take three... for gathering a Priestess, a Starrider and a Starlord here seems like it could be an even more difficult task than making peace with the Jvrillians." Daxia shook her head sadly. "The Priestesses don't leave the Vale," she said. "At least, I've never heard of one ever leaving. It's rare for any Dayalans to leave the Vale anymore, save for the few Wild Dayalans, or those who might accompany the Khorall to Talantal for the Midsummer Councils. I fear this may be a multi-generational project, simply to gather our Sisters here." She sighed with some small amount of frustration.

"Hmmmm. Or perhaps not, but I will need to refrain from dying at an inconvenient time and find a way to learn all I must learn, while still being out in the world as I should." Daxia laughed. "And to think I could have taken the easy path -- literally and figuratively -- by aiming to be a Starrider like Gilly, by making my Initiate's Journey along the southern route around the Forest of Roth. But no, I chose to aim for the rank of Starlord, and took the Highgaard Path down the Mountains instead."

She looked around the room at each of the other four women there. "I certainly would not have met such interesting people had I taken the easy path, so I'm glad I did not." The younger Dayalan's gaze fell on the Priestess again.

"If I wanted to merely clean the well so it once again provided clean water, beyond removing... all that does not belong... what more must be done?" She smiled softly, a little sadly. "Lady Kay may be an Imperial, but the followers of Attera are treasured by all. If I can make an elderly woman's job of healing the residents of Bordertown just a little easier, I would like to do that. She was most gracious, and Lord Random quite, hmmm, amusing."