Coatl of the Imilla
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 143
Appearance: Skin just a skosh darker than an old clay pot. The shade of his hat occludes black, sun-beaten eyes, wavy, matted hair, and just enough beard to protect his chin. His hands are coarse and leathery, with wiry tendons. His height isn't quite imposing, it's but enough to lend credence to a purposeful stride and posture.
-------
Equipment: An old duster, scarf, and cotton shirt and slacks. A thin brigandine with copper plates and a military-grade pitchfork.
A single candle, a reagent of now forbidden degrees of power.
-------
Skills and Abilities: On his home turf, Coatl could manifest formidable elemental magic. Here the magic is suppressed down to more subtle manipulations. However, the spirit of Cuaté, the "Witch", is still with him.
Coatl is, at his core, a simple farmhand. His experience working on ranches and plantations has earned him a strong physique and a way with animals. When he was a teenager, he also spent some time as a city guard and militiaman, giving him basic competence with a variety of weapons.
-------
Biography: The Imilla Clan were migrant farmers and laborers, selling themselves to wealthier kingdoms. They were a people bound by working shanties, and stories of an Eden from whence their ancestors came. As a youth, Coatl felt they were naive. They possessed the most basic of martial skills and required the aid of capricious spirits with weak magic to protect them.
His suspicions were half true, for when they encountered a malevolent kingdom, they were very nearly enslaved. However, his parent's commitment to peace earned him, and him in particular, the loyalty of an ancestral spirit that was far more dependable.
Using the power of this spirit, Coatl and a few other "chosen ones" helped bring prosperity and safety to their clan, ensuring that no one else would try to enslave them. The golden years of their people came to an abrupt end, however, when the flood waters came...
Registered: Mar 20, 2021 23:42:08 GMT -5
|
Post by Coatl of the Imilla on Jul 20, 2021 14:25:52 GMT -5
Coatl rested his head on his palm and laughed a stifled laugh. "Well of course we know how to farm, and of course I knew the Land-Tillers were good farmers. I just didn't know they were legendarily good! You make them sound like blasted miracle workers, which, I suppose they were. Damn fools must be taking it for granted. If I was one of them I'd probably be bragging at the top of my lungs."
This was a total lie of course.
Coatl took another look at the map. "So that's what we used to be huh? The breadbasket of the world, allies with the greatest empire in the world." He chuckled. "Why we would give that up for the life of traveling laborers I'll never understand. Surely there must have been a reason to give up Eden. Like you said, some kind of plague or something. But-"
Suddenly, the air grew warmer.
A smokey, translucent shape of a woman's hand appeared on top of the map, right where the Land-tillers were placed. It was attached to an equally vague, yet distinctly feminine body: young and thin, spry, with shoulder-length smoke for hair floating around her scalp as if she was underwater. Her feet weren't touching the ground; her whole body floated at an angle towards the table. The form seemed utterly entranced by the map.
"Cuate's memories have always been spotty. She remembers she was an important guardian of our people centuries ago, but that's about it. I've always associated her with the nature spirits that protect our clan. Though to be frank, they've never been quite as reliable or powerful as her. Cuate is, or, was, on a whole other level. It's a shame the mist don't seem to like that."
As he spoke, he eyed her carefully. "You alright?"
The sylph-like being nodded, but it kept looking at the map.
"Actually... Cuate isn't even her real name. It's a name that the Imilla people gave to her. She doesn't remember her true name."
|
|
Lady Naoki
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 345
Appearance: Naoki is a curvaceous woman of average height, indeterminate age, and catlike features. Her hair is a dark auburn, often pulled back into a long braid. Her ears are both soft and fluffy, and her tail is never less than perfectly groomed.
Allegiances: New Isra
Place of Residence: Port Argentium
Registered: Mar 16, 2021 22:31:18 GMT -5
|
Post by Lady Naoki on Jul 21, 2021 20:41:50 GMT -5
Naoki looks on quietly, lips pressed tightly together, as the spectral form of Cuate materializes before her. She had an inkling before, the glasses would have confirmed, but now she can see with her own eyes.
“Well, I — I can tell you about that, as well,” Naoki supposes. But she takes a moment to compose herself before doing so.
“I believe that in life, your name was Jun, of the Celandine Clan.” And she gestures to the map, where that’s marked.
“The best way to characterize Jun’s deeds was, yes, as a guardian, a protector of the innocent. She was a monstrously powerful mage, with an incredible command of elemental magics, especially. We met....” Naoki’s eyes roll and her tongue clicks several times as she thinks back, “At The Black Tower, before I held public office, and had a brief, but very wordy philosophical discussion before you took off to go fight something — I forget what.” She doesn’t, and there were others there at the time, but Naoki isn’t trying to dredge up all the memories all at once.
“She was quite accomplished even before that, but as time passed, Jun was always there to defend Isra and The Expanse from the myriad threats that rose up against it. She was far and away, the most prolific hero of the time, on a whole other level, certainly, — publicly adored, an incredible asset to The Empire, and… A good friend.” Naoki adds, swallowing the lump in her throat.
She’s quiet for a moment more before adding, “Sorry you’re dead.”
|
|
Coatl of the Imilla
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 143
Appearance: Skin just a skosh darker than an old clay pot. The shade of his hat occludes black, sun-beaten eyes, wavy, matted hair, and just enough beard to protect his chin. His hands are coarse and leathery, with wiry tendons. His height isn't quite imposing, it's but enough to lend credence to a purposeful stride and posture.
-------
Equipment: An old duster, scarf, and cotton shirt and slacks. A thin brigandine with copper plates and a military-grade pitchfork.
A single candle, a reagent of now forbidden degrees of power.
-------
Skills and Abilities: On his home turf, Coatl could manifest formidable elemental magic. Here the magic is suppressed down to more subtle manipulations. However, the spirit of Cuaté, the "Witch", is still with him.
Coatl is, at his core, a simple farmhand. His experience working on ranches and plantations has earned him a strong physique and a way with animals. When he was a teenager, he also spent some time as a city guard and militiaman, giving him basic competence with a variety of weapons.
-------
Biography: The Imilla Clan were migrant farmers and laborers, selling themselves to wealthier kingdoms. They were a people bound by working shanties, and stories of an Eden from whence their ancestors came. As a youth, Coatl felt they were naive. They possessed the most basic of martial skills and required the aid of capricious spirits with weak magic to protect them.
His suspicions were half true, for when they encountered a malevolent kingdom, they were very nearly enslaved. However, his parent's commitment to peace earned him, and him in particular, the loyalty of an ancestral spirit that was far more dependable.
Using the power of this spirit, Coatl and a few other "chosen ones" helped bring prosperity and safety to their clan, ensuring that no one else would try to enslave them. The golden years of their people came to an abrupt end, however, when the flood waters came...
Registered: Mar 20, 2021 23:42:08 GMT -5
|
Post by Coatl of the Imilla on Jul 24, 2021 23:39:19 GMT -5
Cuate remains still, "eyes" still fixed on the map. Coatl watches patiently while Lady Naoki fills in the details of who she thinks Cuate once was. Points of interest in the conversation, the name Jun, the compliments, the apology, none of them seem to phase Cuate's visible form.
But there is a change. The pressure in the tent seems to increase while the temperature decreases. The sudden warmth with which Cuate manifested dissipates. The air is calm, almost deathly still.
Finally, Naoki would hear a familiar telepathic voice.
If... it's any consolation...
The sylph-like being turns its head to the empress.
I died of old age.
Coatl grins softly, obviously relieved that some of the tension in the tent has finally been broken. "How does the old saying go? Beware an old man in a profession where men usually die young? Might need to reword it a little in your case." He rubs his chin and searches the ceiling for a better wording for the phrase.
The sylph suddenly swims towards Naoki, and then does a little lap around her chair, decorating her body with contrails of a wispy, odorless smoke. I knew we were friends. I knew it. I don't remember the details, but I just felt it. You, and the tall assassin guy, and that kobold. And the old woman. And the girl who is totally not a vampire. All of you were so familiar. It was like something out of a dream. I have so many questions. You must have so many questions. I-
The entity suddenly paused, as if it had just remembered something.
I just remembered something, something very important.
The creature floats over the chess set and faces the empress. She gets uncomfortably close to Lady Naoki's eyeball with her ghostly eyes.
Who is the bird man in a painting in a foyer and why do I suddenly feel unclean?
Coatl lowers his gaze down and pinches the bridge of his nose. He shakes his head. "She was like this when she was alive, wasn't she?"
|
|
Lady Naoki
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 345
Appearance: Naoki is a curvaceous woman of average height, indeterminate age, and catlike features. Her hair is a dark auburn, often pulled back into a long braid. Her ears are both soft and fluffy, and her tail is never less than perfectly groomed.
Allegiances: New Isra
Place of Residence: Port Argentium
Registered: Mar 16, 2021 22:31:18 GMT -5
|
Post by Lady Naoki on Sept 8, 2021 16:26:19 GMT -5
Hearing that Jun died of old age, Naoki smiles. That’s a very Jun thing to say, and what she would have hoped for. Not expected perhaps, but definitely hoped for.
Listening, Naoki nods along. “Alden. … Grandma, Skarlet.” She states their names as Jun mentions them, following as the specter swirls about her.
Quirking an eyebrow, Naoki mouths the words, ‘bird man in a painting…’ thinking, before reaching the realization. Saying nothing, Naoki smirks one of her largest, most cheshire grins, and is silent for a long moment, looking Cuate right in the eye before responding.
“Oh, do you mean Calico Shwartz?” It’s phrased as a question, but Naoki knows. “He was a wealthy landowner,” she says. “He owned a number of properties, including The Moonlight Eclipse, and a few on Carmela Island.” Proceeding at her own merry little pace, Naoki watches Cuate’s transparent countenance for a reaction, for the realization, as she continues. “It was a vacation location, and it’s my understanding that you visited with him there to... blow off a bit of steam.”
Raising one finger to wave at Cuate, Naoki spells it out, “You banged that bird, Jun. Topped him mercilessly, from what I heard, in a bubble spell of some sort, under the sea. You truly ‘ruffled his feathers’ — were his words.”
Naoki punctuates this by rewatching forward, potentially through Cuate, to make her most daring move of the game so far, moving her queen into the center of the board to fork two white pieces and pin another. There are many ways to respond to the move, but several of them open the way to, if not mate, a series of favorable trades for Naoki.
“After one of my nights with him, he commented offhand that it reminded him of his time with you. That it was ‘almost as good.’ … Which was an effective way of manipulating me into continuing, but not before he told me all about the vacation he took with you. I was surprised to hear of it, to be sure, but you led a very high stress lifestyle for a while, there, and even the most righteous among us need to blow off steam now and again.” Nodding approvingly, Naoki’s gaze drifts unsubtly toward Coatl, and she nods again. “She was.”
|
|
Coatl of the Imilla
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 143
Appearance: Skin just a skosh darker than an old clay pot. The shade of his hat occludes black, sun-beaten eyes, wavy, matted hair, and just enough beard to protect his chin. His hands are coarse and leathery, with wiry tendons. His height isn't quite imposing, it's but enough to lend credence to a purposeful stride and posture.
-------
Equipment: An old duster, scarf, and cotton shirt and slacks. A thin brigandine with copper plates and a military-grade pitchfork.
A single candle, a reagent of now forbidden degrees of power.
-------
Skills and Abilities: On his home turf, Coatl could manifest formidable elemental magic. Here the magic is suppressed down to more subtle manipulations. However, the spirit of Cuaté, the "Witch", is still with him.
Coatl is, at his core, a simple farmhand. His experience working on ranches and plantations has earned him a strong physique and a way with animals. When he was a teenager, he also spent some time as a city guard and militiaman, giving him basic competence with a variety of weapons.
-------
Biography: The Imilla Clan were migrant farmers and laborers, selling themselves to wealthier kingdoms. They were a people bound by working shanties, and stories of an Eden from whence their ancestors came. As a youth, Coatl felt they were naive. They possessed the most basic of martial skills and required the aid of capricious spirits with weak magic to protect them.
His suspicions were half true, for when they encountered a malevolent kingdom, they were very nearly enslaved. However, his parent's commitment to peace earned him, and him in particular, the loyalty of an ancestral spirit that was far more dependable.
Using the power of this spirit, Coatl and a few other "chosen ones" helped bring prosperity and safety to their clan, ensuring that no one else would try to enslave them. The golden years of their people came to an abrupt end, however, when the flood waters came...
Registered: Mar 20, 2021 23:42:08 GMT -5
|
Post by Coatl of the Imilla on Sept 15, 2021 13:40:19 GMT -5
Cuate's form gently floated up over the table, her sylph eyes wide. Topped him mercilessly. If ghosts could blush.
Coatl meanwhile started snickering. This escalated into a titter, then a guffaw. Soon he could barely contain himself. Profound masculine laughter filled the tent.
Of all the things I could have remembered.
"Y-you must have felt like a real spring hen."
So many puns... You know the worst part? I get pleasant flashbacks of that painting even now, hundreds of years later. So either my memories are jumbled into randomness or... Or... Or h-he's quite possibly the best lover I've ever had. Must have shaken me to my core to leave a mark eons later.
"D-did you say you were with a honey-worded, overly affectionate mercenary for a few years?"
I know! It makes no sense!
It took a bit for Coatl to catch his breath. But even with his amusement, he hadn't forgotten certain details of Naoki's revelation.
"Even though the mist has leveled the playing field in terms of power, it seems some exceptional individuals still exist. This Alden fellow is one of them, isn't he? And I doubt he's your only knight."
I'd say he's more of a rook.
Perhaps to Naoki's surprise, Coatl made the next move on the chess board. He went ahead and took out a vulnerable rook at the far end of the board with his bishop. It was a devastating sneak attack, though perhaps a Pyrrhic one as ignoring the queen's machinations would likely cost Cuate the game long term.
That, that was a coincidence right not some spooky foreshadowing?
"I'm not planning to throw a chess piece at Alden's forehead no."
Cuate stared at the board for a second, then decided she was content with what Coatl had done. Lady Naoki had proven herself a superior foe and seemed fated to win. But Coatl's move ensured they went down fighting.
I know he didn't exactly acquit himself during the banquet, but the feeling I had towards him was not of fear. We were friends right? Brother and sister in arms. We fought alongside each other, didn't we?
|
|
Lady Naoki
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 345
Appearance: Naoki is a curvaceous woman of average height, indeterminate age, and catlike features. Her hair is a dark auburn, often pulled back into a long braid. Her ears are both soft and fluffy, and her tail is never less than perfectly groomed.
Allegiances: New Isra
Place of Residence: Port Argentium
Registered: Mar 16, 2021 22:31:18 GMT -5
|
Post by Lady Naoki on Sept 20, 2021 16:55:28 GMT -5
Naoki’s smirk grows still further and she chuckles along with Coatl, having achieved the intended effect.
“You could have done much worse than Calico,” Naoki admits. “I never made more than an acquaintance of your mercenary friend, but Calico wasn’t bad at all, and was definitely… unique,” she supposes. “Memorable, for sure. Any time you’d like me to tell you of the past, you need only ask.”
“Alden…” Naoki leans back and sighs, nodding a bit to herself before continuing, “Yes, is exceptional. I haven’t taken measure, well, of his martial prowess since fishing him out, but he’s said it’s not quite what it was, but not quite bad, either. Much of what he has is knowledge, tricks of the trade, and muscle memory about how to handle a blade and that sort of thing. Not things The Mist is in the habit of taking away, it seems.”
Cuate’s question about her being friends with Alden gives Naoki a moment of pause where she presses her lips together, her smirk from earlier having disappeared entirely. It’s a strange way to be confronted with the death of a friend, coming across a ghost who doesn't remember, so Naoki just sort of nods.
“You were friends, yes. In addition to the usual fighting to uphold peace in the realm and all, you went out and helped him put some monsters of his past to rest. He trusted you with probably about as much as he trusted me, and you did much to help him with the tangible things that were troubling him. I'll tell you more if you'd like, but..." Naoki trails off, unsure what the 'but' refers to. "… I’ll hold that I was the cooler Aunt, but we needn’t argue that.” Waving that thought away, Naoki gestures back to the chessboard.
“Take that back and find another move, though,” she continues. “Because look how I can take this piece, forcing you to move like so, but then there’s nowhere else to go. There’s a better move for you, but not with that piece.”
|
|
Coatl of the Imilla
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 143
Appearance: Skin just a skosh darker than an old clay pot. The shade of his hat occludes black, sun-beaten eyes, wavy, matted hair, and just enough beard to protect his chin. His hands are coarse and leathery, with wiry tendons. His height isn't quite imposing, it's but enough to lend credence to a purposeful stride and posture.
-------
Equipment: An old duster, scarf, and cotton shirt and slacks. A thin brigandine with copper plates and a military-grade pitchfork.
A single candle, a reagent of now forbidden degrees of power.
-------
Skills and Abilities: On his home turf, Coatl could manifest formidable elemental magic. Here the magic is suppressed down to more subtle manipulations. However, the spirit of Cuaté, the "Witch", is still with him.
Coatl is, at his core, a simple farmhand. His experience working on ranches and plantations has earned him a strong physique and a way with animals. When he was a teenager, he also spent some time as a city guard and militiaman, giving him basic competence with a variety of weapons.
-------
Biography: The Imilla Clan were migrant farmers and laborers, selling themselves to wealthier kingdoms. They were a people bound by working shanties, and stories of an Eden from whence their ancestors came. As a youth, Coatl felt they were naive. They possessed the most basic of martial skills and required the aid of capricious spirits with weak magic to protect them.
His suspicions were half true, for when they encountered a malevolent kingdom, they were very nearly enslaved. However, his parent's commitment to peace earned him, and him in particular, the loyalty of an ancestral spirit that was far more dependable.
Using the power of this spirit, Coatl and a few other "chosen ones" helped bring prosperity and safety to their clan, ensuring that no one else would try to enslave them. The golden years of their people came to an abrupt end, however, when the flood waters came...
Registered: Mar 20, 2021 23:42:08 GMT -5
|
Post by Coatl of the Imilla on Sept 26, 2021 19:48:18 GMT -5
Coatl chuckled and extended his hand to bid Cuate to make a move. The sylph did a midair flip and roll, bringing herself towards the board again. She restored the bishop and rook back to their original spaces and then slid the bishop into a different spot. It's not much, but the bishop is safe and provides a bit of cover to another piece. Coatl cocked his head and blinked in a sort of facial shrug. Such a minor boost to their defenses still seemed like delaying the inevitable.
Cuate was silent for a bit, and Coatl leaned back, waiting patiently until she is ready to speak.
"It's a lot to digest, isn't it?" His words are to the spirit, but he looks to Lady Naoki.
There's... no way... I wasn't a cool aunt, though. Cuate's answer makes him grin.
"She's very happy to see you again, even if it feels a bit like meeting you for the first time. Funny thing is, it's starting to bleed over to me. Now you feel like an old friend if you can believe that."
Hehe.
"Before Cuate I'd never had a taste of magic before. So strangely I don't feel all that different here. What little power she can offer me feels natural, intuitive. I count myself lucky. I'd imagine the transition here must have been hard for some folks. Speaking of which..."
Coatl leaned in closer to the board, giving Lady Naoki a closer look. "This Grandma person. She spotted Cuate while she was hiding. I find that interesting. I'd like to know more about her if it's alright."
|
|
Lady Naoki
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 345
Appearance: Naoki is a curvaceous woman of average height, indeterminate age, and catlike features. Her hair is a dark auburn, often pulled back into a long braid. Her ears are both soft and fluffy, and her tail is never less than perfectly groomed.
Allegiances: New Isra
Place of Residence: Port Argentium
Registered: Mar 16, 2021 22:31:18 GMT -5
|
Post by Lady Naoki on Sept 27, 2021 16:13:01 GMT -5
Naoki’s head cants to one side, and her mouth slides over to the same side of her face as if drawn by gravity. It’s a better move, yes, but not by as much as she hoped. After a moment's more deliberation, Naoki reaches out and makes the second-best move she sees, which has (what she hopes will be) a very obvious countermove that will draw the game out a touch more.
Hearing what Coatl says, Naoki nods. “Good. I didn’t plan it as such, but the aim was to make an ally of you, and I’m glad to have done so.”
‘Grandma….” Trailing off, Naoki nods several times, shrugging this way and that to acknowledge the tricky question. “Yes, can do things like that. She’s quite powerful. Not as much as she was, but still quite, and incredibly clever, besides... I know much and more of her but can’t share but so much without betraying her trust -- which is quite important. Let it suffice: she’s unlike any of us here and knows more of magic and the world at large than any other I know of. … And though I may downplay it or talk up how much of a self-made woman I am, her support is one of the principal reasons I’ve made it as far as I have without stumbling. What she does, she does quietly and to great effect, and there are few I trust near as much as she. Trust that she’ll be hearing of this, just as I’ve heard of what she’s noticed.”
“If you plan to make a fixture of yourself, it’s certainly worth making a friendly acquaintance of her. She’s been on the hunt for spellcraft materials, I believe. Shells and bones and blood and primitive sorts of things like that. You, with your talents, might be able to procure something and earn yourself a favor from her, which will only become more valuable as time goes on.” Inclining her head, Naoki offers that bit of advice.
|
|
Coatl of the Imilla
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 143
Appearance: Skin just a skosh darker than an old clay pot. The shade of his hat occludes black, sun-beaten eyes, wavy, matted hair, and just enough beard to protect his chin. His hands are coarse and leathery, with wiry tendons. His height isn't quite imposing, it's but enough to lend credence to a purposeful stride and posture.
-------
Equipment: An old duster, scarf, and cotton shirt and slacks. A thin brigandine with copper plates and a military-grade pitchfork.
A single candle, a reagent of now forbidden degrees of power.
-------
Skills and Abilities: On his home turf, Coatl could manifest formidable elemental magic. Here the magic is suppressed down to more subtle manipulations. However, the spirit of Cuaté, the "Witch", is still with him.
Coatl is, at his core, a simple farmhand. His experience working on ranches and plantations has earned him a strong physique and a way with animals. When he was a teenager, he also spent some time as a city guard and militiaman, giving him basic competence with a variety of weapons.
-------
Biography: The Imilla Clan were migrant farmers and laborers, selling themselves to wealthier kingdoms. They were a people bound by working shanties, and stories of an Eden from whence their ancestors came. As a youth, Coatl felt they were naive. They possessed the most basic of martial skills and required the aid of capricious spirits with weak magic to protect them.
His suspicions were half true, for when they encountered a malevolent kingdom, they were very nearly enslaved. However, his parent's commitment to peace earned him, and him in particular, the loyalty of an ancestral spirit that was far more dependable.
Using the power of this spirit, Coatl and a few other "chosen ones" helped bring prosperity and safety to their clan, ensuring that no one else would try to enslave them. The golden years of their people came to an abrupt end, however, when the flood waters came...
Registered: Mar 20, 2021 23:42:08 GMT -5
|
Post by Coatl of the Imilla on Sept 29, 2021 16:48:08 GMT -5
[All of Cuate's thoughts are audible to Lady Naoki.]
"Think she'd have any use for a bobbit worm?"
Think she'd have any use for a bobbit worm?
It seemed they were thinking the exact same thing. Cuate and Coatl, for some reason, had developed a real talent for finding bizarre, horrific looking sea creatures buried in the sands and hiding in tide pools. It was perhaps a combination of magic, instinct, and perverse curiosity. Shyv'Ahna and a few others had grown weary of being exposed to phallic looking creatures, constantly being asked if they seemed edible to her.
It wasn't something everyone was good at, so perhaps the rarity and eldritch appearing natures of the creatures might make them useful to an enterprising witch.
Both Cuate and Coatl peered over the chess board and spotted the opening fairly quickly. Of course, they went for it like greedy children. This was a light-hearted game to them after all. Cuate's spirit hand grabbed the piece an instant before Coatl's hands could reach it. He smirked as their position on the board improved again, just a tad.
"Cuate truly doesn't know how she wound up in her current state, if it was intentional or by accident. I'm starting to wonder if she foresaw the need to continue existing long after her physical form was set to expire."
I've thought about that too. And now I wonder if Grandma would have any clues as to how or why I did this, that is, if I did it on purpose.
|
|
Lady Naoki
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 345
Appearance: Naoki is a curvaceous woman of average height, indeterminate age, and catlike features. Her hair is a dark auburn, often pulled back into a long braid. Her ears are both soft and fluffy, and her tail is never less than perfectly groomed.
Allegiances: New Isra
Place of Residence: Port Argentium
Registered: Mar 16, 2021 22:31:18 GMT -5
|
Post by Lady Naoki on Oct 11, 2021 16:13:00 GMT -5
Naoki blinks. Then, after a pause, shrugs. “... I don’t know. Perhaps? I’m not versed in such things — worms or hedge magic. You could ask her, certainly, about both matters. She’s most liable to be able to recognize what it is you’ve got going on there. An engram, a projection of the soul, done before, during, or after…” Naoki trails off, waving a hand. She knows a touch more than she lets on, but not enough to offer much in this regard.
“In any case,” Naoki continues, turning to look at the new state of the board, “I’d like to talk at least a bit about what I’ve asked you here to talk about.” She glances up at Coatl, starts as if to say something, then pauses. “Well, actually, what do you see yourself doing in the mid to long-term?”
|
|
Coatl of the Imilla
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 143
Appearance: Skin just a skosh darker than an old clay pot. The shade of his hat occludes black, sun-beaten eyes, wavy, matted hair, and just enough beard to protect his chin. His hands are coarse and leathery, with wiry tendons. His height isn't quite imposing, it's but enough to lend credence to a purposeful stride and posture.
-------
Equipment: An old duster, scarf, and cotton shirt and slacks. A thin brigandine with copper plates and a military-grade pitchfork.
A single candle, a reagent of now forbidden degrees of power.
-------
Skills and Abilities: On his home turf, Coatl could manifest formidable elemental magic. Here the magic is suppressed down to more subtle manipulations. However, the spirit of Cuaté, the "Witch", is still with him.
Coatl is, at his core, a simple farmhand. His experience working on ranches and plantations has earned him a strong physique and a way with animals. When he was a teenager, he also spent some time as a city guard and militiaman, giving him basic competence with a variety of weapons.
-------
Biography: The Imilla Clan were migrant farmers and laborers, selling themselves to wealthier kingdoms. They were a people bound by working shanties, and stories of an Eden from whence their ancestors came. As a youth, Coatl felt they were naive. They possessed the most basic of martial skills and required the aid of capricious spirits with weak magic to protect them.
His suspicions were half true, for when they encountered a malevolent kingdom, they were very nearly enslaved. However, his parent's commitment to peace earned him, and him in particular, the loyalty of an ancestral spirit that was far more dependable.
Using the power of this spirit, Coatl and a few other "chosen ones" helped bring prosperity and safety to their clan, ensuring that no one else would try to enslave them. The golden years of their people came to an abrupt end, however, when the flood waters came...
Registered: Mar 20, 2021 23:42:08 GMT -5
|
Post by Coatl of the Imilla on Oct 15, 2021 19:11:06 GMT -5
Coatl sighed and leaned back against his chair, observing the board again.
"That's a good question. Right now, the most important thing to me is the safety of my clan. The labor we produce, the things we build, even the help we render, I expect to ultimately turn around and ensure our safety here. I guess you could say we're trying to create a positive sphere of influence around ourselves."
Not to mention our freedom. Freedom from tyranny, from oppression. From slavery. From unjust laws. That is why I came to Coatl in the first place, when the Imilla were being threatened.
"I haven't given much thought about my own future, not in the abstract sense. I just do what needs to be done to help our people. Organize the work, find the work, fend off slavers and raiders, and now, rebuild."
He needs to get out more.
"Pfft."
Honestly, he would have made a great scholar if he wasn't such a farm boy.
"I'm plenty literate, thank you very much."
Pfft, carpentry manuals.
|
|
Lady Naoki
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 345
Appearance: Naoki is a curvaceous woman of average height, indeterminate age, and catlike features. Her hair is a dark auburn, often pulled back into a long braid. Her ears are both soft and fluffy, and her tail is never less than perfectly groomed.
Allegiances: New Isra
Place of Residence: Port Argentium
Registered: Mar 16, 2021 22:31:18 GMT -5
|
Post by Lady Naoki on Nov 3, 2021 17:03:16 GMT -5
Naoki nods along, having expected a response along those lines. “Truly a man of the people, then. As admirable as they come. I see why you chose him,” she adds as an aside to Cuate.
“I ask because I’m working on establishing a new government, and I’d like to try a system of Guilds,” Naoki begins. “The Ministers were fine, but…” She trails off and shrugs. “I’m fresh out of ministers, and something a little smaller scale and focused on what needs doing might suit Isra best right now.”
“Prior to inviting you in here, I assumed that you might be a Tiller Elder untouched by age, perhaps,” she continues, speaking with her hands. “And hoped to tap you to head up the Farmers Guild. To do things like maintaining records of who’s farming what, that everything gets harvested on time, making sure grains don’t sit too long and spoil, that sort of thing. ‘Organizing the work.’”
“And I wouldn’t try to pigeonhole you,” Naoki goes on, “But you certainly seem like the person to talk to first. If you wouldn’t like to do it yourself, I would ask if there’s anyone you’d recommend, and for your support in the whole endeavor. Despite the whole time bit, your people and my people overlap, and I hope you believe me when I say that I have the best in mind for everyone who calls Isra home. I just need a good team to make it happen.”
|
|
Coatl of the Imilla
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 143
Appearance: Skin just a skosh darker than an old clay pot. The shade of his hat occludes black, sun-beaten eyes, wavy, matted hair, and just enough beard to protect his chin. His hands are coarse and leathery, with wiry tendons. His height isn't quite imposing, it's but enough to lend credence to a purposeful stride and posture.
-------
Equipment: An old duster, scarf, and cotton shirt and slacks. A thin brigandine with copper plates and a military-grade pitchfork.
A single candle, a reagent of now forbidden degrees of power.
-------
Skills and Abilities: On his home turf, Coatl could manifest formidable elemental magic. Here the magic is suppressed down to more subtle manipulations. However, the spirit of Cuaté, the "Witch", is still with him.
Coatl is, at his core, a simple farmhand. His experience working on ranches and plantations has earned him a strong physique and a way with animals. When he was a teenager, he also spent some time as a city guard and militiaman, giving him basic competence with a variety of weapons.
-------
Biography: The Imilla Clan were migrant farmers and laborers, selling themselves to wealthier kingdoms. They were a people bound by working shanties, and stories of an Eden from whence their ancestors came. As a youth, Coatl felt they were naive. They possessed the most basic of martial skills and required the aid of capricious spirits with weak magic to protect them.
His suspicions were half true, for when they encountered a malevolent kingdom, they were very nearly enslaved. However, his parent's commitment to peace earned him, and him in particular, the loyalty of an ancestral spirit that was far more dependable.
Using the power of this spirit, Coatl and a few other "chosen ones" helped bring prosperity and safety to their clan, ensuring that no one else would try to enslave them. The golden years of their people came to an abrupt end, however, when the flood waters came...
Registered: Mar 20, 2021 23:42:08 GMT -5
|
Post by Coatl of the Imilla on Nov 11, 2021 21:32:12 GMT -5
D'aww, shucks.
Coatl raised an eyebrow towards the sylph.
You're thinking it I'm just saying it.
"So basically, you want me to do what I've been doing, but with a fancy new title. Ma'am I do believe I should consider that an honor. That said, I do have a request. I just need a second to figure out how to word it diplomatically."
Cuate gave him that second, and meanwhile revisited their chessboard.
There were only a few pawns left on their side. Most of her more powerful units had fallen in battle. Naoki was a masterful tactician, a true general among mere mortals. A veritable valkyrie, a harbinger of bellicose belligerents-
Oh cool. Check.
Not checkmate, not yet anyways.
"I feel very strongly," Coatl continued, "that there should be some sort of provision that all men and women under your care should have the right to arm and defend themselves. Perhaps it's a non-issue at the moment. After all, most of our surroundings are still wilderness. It'd be strange for anyone among us to not have some sort of weapon on them, be it a dagger or a hatchet, or even a chef's knife. In fact you could argue just about every essential profession for survivin' in the middle of nowhere will have a certain force multiplier to go along with it."
Back in my world, I seem to remember an old lady by the name of... Fletcher was it? She could throw a mean sowing needle at twenty paces.
"I've seen some nasty things out there. And while you may have some pretty nasty things at your disposal as well, I think you'd agree they can't be everywhere at once."
We should really get Alden a gift of some sort.
|
|
Lady Naoki
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 345
Appearance: Naoki is a curvaceous woman of average height, indeterminate age, and catlike features. Her hair is a dark auburn, often pulled back into a long braid. Her ears are both soft and fluffy, and her tail is never less than perfectly groomed.
Allegiances: New Isra
Place of Residence: Port Argentium
Registered: Mar 16, 2021 22:31:18 GMT -5
|
Post by Lady Naoki on Nov 12, 2021 18:43:02 GMT -5
Naoki nods, pleased. He’ll learn that there’s a bit more to it than just that, but that can come later.
When he mentions a request, Naoki listens intently, expecting Coatl to request something exotic. Maybe he wants her to supply him with something to fuel a secret vice of his. Maybe he wants to sample a luxury he’d only heard about in stories, or hear the truth of a mystery lost to time. Perhaps he wants to know what perfume she’s wearing. Maybe he’s into feet, maybe he wants to touch her ears, maybe —
“... Oh.” When Naoki hears what Coatl’s actual request is, she seems disappointed and the tips of her ears droop visibly.
“Yes,” Naoki says, explaining, “The people of Isra are allowed to have weapons. I see no reason to change that now, especially so because there are dangers and things, as you say. If you feel strongly about it, I can certainly make sure to include something to that extent when I get around to drafting laws — which may not be for a bit, but.” She shrugs. There’s no reason to disarm people in the meantime.
“Bear in mind that things only started going sideways after I... died, or whatever,” she says, waving one teasing finger at Coatl. “You not need worry for the personal freedoms of Isra’s people so long as I hold power.” Reading between those lines isn’t difficult at all.
With that said, Naoki returns her attention to the chessboard. She looks at it, glances up at Cuate, and then back down. “Yes, that’s check,” she supposes, nodding slowly. “… It’s a shame you needed to move twice in a row to get it,” Naoki smirks; she hasn’t touched the chessboard since they were talking about Grandma. It may have been poor form for her to take so long, but it was still her move.
“We can call this a draw for the sake of your pride,” she offers, mostly to Cuate. “And you can have a second request, if you’d like,” to Coatl. She’ll have one of her own soon, but not yet.
|
|
Coatl of the Imilla
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 143
Appearance: Skin just a skosh darker than an old clay pot. The shade of his hat occludes black, sun-beaten eyes, wavy, matted hair, and just enough beard to protect his chin. His hands are coarse and leathery, with wiry tendons. His height isn't quite imposing, it's but enough to lend credence to a purposeful stride and posture.
-------
Equipment: An old duster, scarf, and cotton shirt and slacks. A thin brigandine with copper plates and a military-grade pitchfork.
A single candle, a reagent of now forbidden degrees of power.
-------
Skills and Abilities: On his home turf, Coatl could manifest formidable elemental magic. Here the magic is suppressed down to more subtle manipulations. However, the spirit of Cuaté, the "Witch", is still with him.
Coatl is, at his core, a simple farmhand. His experience working on ranches and plantations has earned him a strong physique and a way with animals. When he was a teenager, he also spent some time as a city guard and militiaman, giving him basic competence with a variety of weapons.
-------
Biography: The Imilla Clan were migrant farmers and laborers, selling themselves to wealthier kingdoms. They were a people bound by working shanties, and stories of an Eden from whence their ancestors came. As a youth, Coatl felt they were naive. They possessed the most basic of martial skills and required the aid of capricious spirits with weak magic to protect them.
His suspicions were half true, for when they encountered a malevolent kingdom, they were very nearly enslaved. However, his parent's commitment to peace earned him, and him in particular, the loyalty of an ancestral spirit that was far more dependable.
Using the power of this spirit, Coatl and a few other "chosen ones" helped bring prosperity and safety to their clan, ensuring that no one else would try to enslave them. The golden years of their people came to an abrupt end, however, when the flood waters came...
Registered: Mar 20, 2021 23:42:08 GMT -5
|
Post by Coatl of the Imilla on Nov 15, 2021 15:45:30 GMT -5
Cuate's whole body pirouetted to bring her eyes to the board again.
Goddamn... it.
Coatl chuckled jovially. "Maybe I should request you give Cuate chess lessons." Cuate folded herself in a sitting position, arms crossed. Despite the lack of definition in her ethereal face, it was obvious she was pouting.
He sighed and steepled his fingers in front of him, thinking carefully for a bit.
"Actually, I do have a request. It's not something I thought much about until this lovely conversation of ours. But now that you've gotten me thinking about the world that was before, and what the world could be..."
He had a brief flashback of that story that was to be for another time, that young girl, the scholar, and the very first time class distinctions had robbed him of happiness.
"Since I know for a fact that you're much smarter than you appear, I can also surmise you once had a personal library. And I'd be willing to bet a fair number of those books survived. In the old world, I never really devoted much time to book learning, at least not if it didn't evolve instructions on how to build something. But maybe it's time for a change. If you have something like a personal library, I wouldn't mind having access to its remains. And if you plan on rebuilding something of that nature in the future, I wouldn't mind the honor of working on that too."
|
|