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Post by Arch-Huntress Muvror on Jul 6, 2021 14:16:35 GMT -5
"ah! There you are Elgastus, where have you been?" Muvror called, spotting the pair. "And who is this young woman?" She asked walking towards them.
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Nina
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 290
Registered: Apr 4, 2021 10:46:08 GMT -5
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Post by Nina on Jul 9, 2021 14:22:17 GMT -5
Could it really be? Could people who needed a creeping evil carved over eons out of blood and bone and suffering, simply to survive, not only be capable of individual empathy but actually work together to craft a peaceful society? Nina’s eyes stabbed themselves in Elgastus’ back. It occurred to her that his innocent explanations might be all lies, all the better to ensnare her, fool her faster than promises of riches and devilishly good-looking confectionery treats ever could. But the painter did not see herself as deserving of that intrigue. She was a nobody. Rather, Elgastus’s words pressed a thorn into a hollow in her heart.
Despite her best efforts, she was beginning to hope.
As she stumbled beside him a swift pace, Nina went over the facts that the fiend had shared with her. Helsreach. The powerful fiend king. Something clicked in her mind, and the sky came crashing down.
“The castaways that I’ve met before, they’ve been torn from their world by waves.” Nina said. Her voice lost its spark. “Are you telling me…There was a flood in literal hell?”
Nina stumbled over some roots, and a silvery-leaved olive branch whipped her face. She reached out for Elgastus’ arm to support herself. So distraught she was. The girl had always held on to the hope of her world surviving beyond the Mist. Of her parents, grandparents, and all the other people she cared about, simply being away, rather than dead. Unlike the Isran refugees, she hadn’t seen all her life’s work be swallowed by the rising waters in front of her. But if Hell itself was destroyed…then what hope could a nobody like her have? For a moment, she felt weightless, untethered.
Quietly, she went on her way.
In the camp, Nina saw people that she hadn’t before – some had horns, like Elgastus, and one rubbed a pair of sleepy eyes located on their cheeks, under their other pair, that was awake and followed her. These people tended to be the best dressed, with some funnily looking as if they’d just walked out of the opera and just thrown on an apron. There were even people who didn’t seem to bear any unusual skin colors or glamour, and whom Nina could only assume were fellow humans. She wondered whether she hadn’t noticed them before because she’d been too distracted by the elves. Shyly, she snuck halfway behind Elgastus, rotating her neck as far as it would go to take in everything. The Elven child she’d seen before called out to her guide in a friendly voice, commenting that he was supposed to be hunting food, not people, and was gently reprimanded by an adult.
Soon, they were in the center of the camp, and Nina came face-to-face with a blue-skinned, sharp-faced woman wearing exquisite armor made of coral and shell.
“I am Nina, travelling painter. M-might you be the arch-huntress?” Nina stuttered. She forced herself to step out from behind Elgastus. “I was told that your group is headed…that way, towards Helsreach, a-am I correct?” Her head bowed lightly, and her hand twirled in a pointing gesture. “I would be happy to lend what help I could during the transport, in exchange for joining you on your journey.” She said. Her right arm raised in a mock display of her flat muscles, before her hands came together and mimicked working on something intricate. “I’m not very strong, but I have a w-way with knots.” She explained.
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23rd Mortal-Fiendish Union
Established
Roleplay posts: 40
Biography: See the faction page for details:
Allegiances: The Fiendish State
Registered: Apr 18, 2021 13:38:00 GMT -5
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Post by 23rd Mortal-Fiendish Union on Jul 9, 2021 15:57:45 GMT -5
“The castaways that I’ve met before, they’ve been torn from their world by waves.” Nina said. Her voice lost its spark. “Are you telling me…There was a flood in literal hell?” "Perhaps. We were exiled here, rather than flushed out, as you suggest." He told her, before attempting to catcher her when she stumbled. "Poor girl. She seems to be a bit lost in this world."
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Post by Arch-Huntress Muvror on Jul 9, 2021 16:01:16 GMT -5
“I am Nina, travelling painter. M-might you be the arch-huntress?” Nina stuttered. She forced herself to step out from behind Elgastus. “I was told that your group is headed…that way, towards Helsreach, a-am I correct?” Her head bowed lightly, and her hand twirled in a pointing gesture. “I would be happy to lend what help I could during the transport, in exchange for joining you on your journey.” She said. Her right arm raised in a mock display of her flat muscles, before her hands came together and mimicked working on something intricate. “I’m not very strong, but I have a w-way with knots.” She explained. Muvror smiled at her, while she didn't appreciate idle hands, but she wasn't about to put a guest to work. "That's perfectly alright, we're happy to let you join us, no need for that. You're a guest after all. However, I won't stop you if you wish to make yourself useful. Elgastus, she can stay with you until we reach Helsreach."
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Nina
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 290
Registered: Apr 4, 2021 10:46:08 GMT -5
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Post by Nina on Jul 11, 2021 2:09:00 GMT -5
Nina gave her thanks, and then remained quiet for a bit, ashamed that she’d talked over Elgastus. To meet an elf of legend, even one as different as the Arch-Huntress, had jumbled her thoughts. She fidgeted, and thought that the Huntress’s voice sounded like the susur of waves.
“Is there anything I can help you with?” She asked her guide, looking up, once they moved away.
Fidget. Fidget.
“And…Let me know if I ask too many questions. I’m just so curious about-“ She spun on her heels, for a moment almost forgetting about the red darkness under her soles. “Everything.” She gasped.
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23rd Mortal-Fiendish Union
Established
Roleplay posts: 40
Biography: See the faction page for details:
Allegiances: The Fiendish State
Registered: Apr 18, 2021 13:38:00 GMT -5
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Post by 23rd Mortal-Fiendish Union on Jul 11, 2021 7:31:56 GMT -5
Nina gave her thanks, and then remained quiet for a bit, ashamed that she’d talked over Elgastus. To meet an elf of legend, even one as different as the Arch-Huntress, had jumbled her thoughts. She fidgeted, and thought that the Huntress’s voice sounded like the susur of waves. “Is there anything I can help you with?” She asked her guide, looking up, once they moved away. Fidget. Fidget. “And…Let me know if I ask too many questions. I’m just so curious about-“ She spun on her heels, for a moment almost forgetting about the red darkness under her soles. “Everything.” She gasped. "Right now? You can help me pack up for the day's walk back. It shouldn't take long, i don't bring much on these hunting trips." He told her, before her next question was asked. "I have a younger sister, I'm used to curiosity and questions, I don't mind at all."
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Nina
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 290
Registered: Apr 4, 2021 10:46:08 GMT -5
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Post by Nina on Jul 11, 2021 9:51:22 GMT -5
Nina nodded, and followed Elgastus to where his things were. As she’d promised, she helped pack. She hadn’t lied about her skill with knots. The wanderer might have been clueless on some fronts (hunting wasn’t her forte), but she did have a knack for securing objects safely with bits of string or cord, and an traveler’s common sense regarding stacking things safely on top of each other.
In-between quick checks of where to put a certain knife or whetstone, she glimpsed around the bustling camp, trying to feel its pulse. Most of the people there seemed to get along with others, but occasionally she felt a certain tension – a shadow of a tension, a glimmer of a raindrop slipping against the shadow of a tension – between the humans, and some of the fiends. She bit her lip and told herself there was no point in imagining things. Instead, she proceeded to satisfy her curiosity:
“What is important for your people?” Nina asked Elgastus. She shook her head, sending the feather she’d caught in her hair that morning aflutter. “Sorry, that may be a bit vague. To start with…What was important for your people, yet different enough from the rest of hell, that got you all exiled?” She carefully enunciated.
She still kept moving, even in place, dreading the sinew-like sensation of the fiendstuff. It grew tiring. It was only when standing on tree roots that she could finally relax. Even without trying, she could feel it. It was like a lit match being pressed against her temples. From all sides.
“It must be difficult for you.” She mused. “Not having power over the fiendstuff anymore.” Would she have wanted dozens, perhaps hundreds of mages able to control this stuff of nightmares? Perhaps not. But she herself had hated her magic almost as soon as she got it, and yet when she’d thought she’d lost it, the new world had felt hollow. She could empathize. “I’m sorry.”
And like this, Nina drew the conversation towards something that she’d been wondering about.
“Is the king the only magician left, the only one who has magic items?”
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23rd Mortal-Fiendish Union
Established
Roleplay posts: 40
Biography: See the faction page for details:
Allegiances: The Fiendish State
Registered: Apr 18, 2021 13:38:00 GMT -5
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Post by 23rd Mortal-Fiendish Union on Jul 11, 2021 10:14:09 GMT -5
Nina nodded, and followed Elgastus to where his things were. As she’d promised, she helped pack. She hadn’t lied about her skill with knots. The wanderer might have been clueless on some fronts (hunting wasn’t her forte), but she did have a knack for securing objects safely with bits of string or cord, and an traveler’s common sense regarding stacking things safely on top of each other. In-between quick checks of where to put a certain knife or whetstone, she glimpsed around the bustling camp, trying to feel its pulse. Most of the people there seemed to get along with others, but occasionally she felt a certain tension – a shadow of a tension, a glimmer of a raindrop slipping against the shadow of a tension – between the humans, and some of the fiends. She bit her lip and told herself there was no point in imagining things. Instead, she proceeded to satisfy her curiosity: “What is important for your people?” Nina asked Elgastus. She shook her head, sending the feather she’d caught in her hair that morning aflutter. “Sorry, that may be a bit vague. To start with…What was important for your people, yet different enough from the rest of hell, that got you all exiled?” She carefully enunciated. She still kept moving, even in place, dreading the sinew-like sensation of the fiendstuff. It grew tiring. It was only when standing on tree roots that she could finally relax. Even without trying, she could feel it. It was like a lit match being pressed against her temples. From all sides. “It must be difficult for you.” She mused. “Not having power over the fiendstuff anymore.” Would she have wanted dozens, perhaps hundreds of mages able to control this stuff of nightmares? Perhaps not. But she herself had hated her magic almost as soon as she got it, and yet when she’d thought she’d lost it, the new world had felt hollow. She could empathize. “I’m sorry.” And like this, Nina drew the conversation towards something that she’d been wondering about. “Is the king the only magician left, the only one who has magic items?” "To put a long story short, the king refused to maintain slaves. He challenged the current king of hell over it, lost, and was exiled. Those of us loyal to the king, believed in his ideals, and as many slaves as could be acquired joined him to the surface to make a new life here. " He explained, putting his pack on his back.
As she mentioned the control of fiendstuff, he smiled, at her, though it was clearly forced. "It's alright Nina, I've had time to try and come to terms with it." After a few moments of pause, he answers her question about the king. "He's not a magician, at least not in the mortal sense. He's a warrior of great prowess, and skilled at the manipulation of fiendstuff. And some of us do have magical items, but all but a handful are near powerless because of this damned mist." He pulls out a strange purple bar from a satchel, and offers it to her. "are you hungry?"
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Nina
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 290
Registered: Apr 4, 2021 10:46:08 GMT -5
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Post by Nina on Jul 12, 2021 13:12:21 GMT -5
That she wouldn’t necessarily have to sneak her way in the fiend king’s castle, past three-headed hounds and hungry flames, only reassured Nina briefly, given that she didn’t yet know for sure where the Clockwork item was. Still, the information on slavery was mildly reassuring, so she nodded. Not in the least because in slaver societies, it would be people like her, vagabonds with no tribe, who went missing first. And there was something else.
Nina’s mind sketched three stars, connected by two lines. This world was different from her own, she knew, or at the very least at an incomprehensible distance away. The stars were different. The fiends had come from Hell, where there were no stars. But the Clocktower was part of her old world, and so a piece of it must’ve been transported there, somehow. Which meant there was a way back. Back, to her world.
If one was willing to go through Hell itself.
She’d have to sleep on that.
Food was offered, and Nina accepted, with joy and the awkwardness of not wanting to take too much. She’d attempt to break off a piece first, and would only properly grasp the bar after some assurance.
“Thank you…I was running on empty,” she admitted. Her teeth sunk into the snack. She’d been sailing for most of the day, expecting that any time she’d be entering the silt-filled waters of Argenium’s estuary. Her face went through several shades of uncertain. It was good, she guessed, otherwise she wouldn’t have gone for a second bite, and ‘twas filling, but the dense texture of an oatmeal cake somehow didn’t match the fruity taste. And there was something else in it…Lettuce?! Exhausted physically and mentally, Nina hadn’t even attempted to check whether there was magic in the bar, before she asked:
“What is it?”
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23rd Mortal-Fiendish Union
Established
Roleplay posts: 40
Biography: See the faction page for details:
Allegiances: The Fiendish State
Registered: Apr 18, 2021 13:38:00 GMT -5
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Post by 23rd Mortal-Fiendish Union on Jul 12, 2021 13:20:57 GMT -5
That she wouldn’t necessarily have to sneak her way in the fiend king’s castle, past three-headed hounds and hungry flames, only reassured Nina briefly, given that she didn’t yet know for sure where the Clockwork item was. Still, the information on slavery was mildly reassuring, so she nodded. Not in the least because in slaver societies, it would be people like her, vagabonds with no tribe, who went missing first. And there was something else. Nina’s mind sketched three stars, connected by two lines. This world was different from her own, she knew, or at the very least at an incomprehensible distance away. The stars were different. The fiends had come from Hell, where there were no stars. But the Clocktower was part of her old world, and so a piece of it must’ve been transported there, somehow. Which meant there was a way back. Back, to her world. If one was willing to go through Hell itself. She’d have to sleep on that. Food was offered, and Nina accepted, with joy and the awkwardness of not wanting to take too much. She’d attempt to break off a piece first, and would only properly grasp the bar after some assurance. “Thank you…I was running on empty,” she admitted. Her teeth sunk into the snack. She’d been sailing for most of the day, expecting that any time she’d be entering the silt-filled waters of Argenium’s estuary. Her face went through several shades of uncertain. It was good, she guessed, otherwise she wouldn’t have gone for a second bite, and ‘twas filling, but the dense texture of an oatmeal cake somehow didn’t match the fruity taste. And there was something else in it…Lettuce?! Exhausted physically and mentally, Nina hadn’t even attempted to check whether there was magic in the bar, before she asked: “What is it?” "He'ltroch, or as the mortals call it, fiendbar. It's made from a safer form of fiendstuff. Quite nourishing for fiends and mortals alike." He explained encouraging her onwards. "You'll be able to see it in more detail once we get closer to Helsreach."
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Nina
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 290
Registered: Apr 4, 2021 10:46:08 GMT -5
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Post by Nina on Jul 13, 2021 12:10:45 GMT -5
Nina froze with her teeth against the purple bar, in a rather silly expression. She kept walking, out of inertia, feeling weightless and thunder-struck.
“What is it going to do to me?” She finally said, with a thread of voice. “Is it going to infest me…? Use me to spread itself?!” Her eyes were wide. She considered sticking a finger down her throat and throwing up, but part of her cried that this might be execution-worthy in polite fiend society. “I’ve had enough of living gelatinous blobs! – sorry,” she quickly added, noticing that her raised voice had drawn attention.
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23rd Mortal-Fiendish Union
Established
Roleplay posts: 40
Biography: See the faction page for details:
Allegiances: The Fiendish State
Registered: Apr 18, 2021 13:38:00 GMT -5
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Post by 23rd Mortal-Fiendish Union on Jul 13, 2021 12:33:05 GMT -5
Nina froze with her teeth against the purple bar, in a rather silly expression. She kept walking, out of inertia, feeling weightless and thunder-struck. “What is it going to do to me?” She finally said, with a thread of voice. “Is it going to infest me…? Use me to spread itself?!” Her eyes were wide. She considered sticking a finger down her throat and throwing up, but part of her cried that this might be execution-worthy in polite fiend society. “I’ve had enough of living gelatinous blobs! – sorry,” she quickly added, noticing that her raised voice had drawn attention. "Nina! Nina please!" Elagastus said, attempting to calm her down "You'll be fine. This kind doesn't spread like that! Even if it did, it's dead! It couldn't grow, even if it wanted to!"
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Nina
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 290
Registered: Apr 4, 2021 10:46:08 GMT -5
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Post by Nina on Jul 14, 2021 15:23:12 GMT -5
Nina was silent for a while. She focused on their steps. She didn’t dare swallow the crumbs left in her mouth. Neither did she dare spit them out. The girl should have reached out with her magic, but trying to assess if a magic-adjacent confection was alive, while surrounded by unending corruption, was about as easy as seeing whether there was a message in the ripples of a puddle while a military band marches around you and drill sergeant shouts in your ear.
“Oh.” She eventually said.
She took another bite. A bit like blueberries, really.
“So, are there more kinds of fiendstuff?” She asked, cautiously munching. She looked around.
“I…I was wondering.” She whispered. “Is Hell truly a place where the sinners of other worlds go after death?”
Nina had the vivid image in her mind of her hand driving a masterwork steel stiletto in the back of Tressor’s neck.
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23rd Mortal-Fiendish Union
Established
Roleplay posts: 40
Biography: See the faction page for details:
Allegiances: The Fiendish State
Registered: Apr 18, 2021 13:38:00 GMT -5
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Post by 23rd Mortal-Fiendish Union on Jul 14, 2021 16:18:21 GMT -5
Nina was silent for a while. She focused on their steps. She didn’t dare swallow the crumbs left in her mouth. Neither did she dare spit them out. The girl should have reached out with her magic, but trying to assess if a magic-adjacent confection was alive, while surrounded by unending corruption, was about as easy as seeing whether there was a message in the ripples of a puddle while a military band marches around you and drill sergeant shouts in your ear. “Oh.” She eventually said. She took another bite. A bit like blueberries, really. “So, are there more kinds of fiendstuff?” She asked, cautiously munching. She looked around. “I…I was wondering.” She whispered. “Is Hell truly a place where the sinners of other worlds go after death?” Nina had the vivid image in her mind of her hand driving a masterwork steel stiletto in the back of Tressor’s neck. "Yes and no. Almost all go there when they die, however, only the truly wicked were punished. Sent into the 9th circle of hell to live in torment. Those whom are of common virtue live in the 3rd and 4th circles, where, while they will be required to work, will be provided for, and if they preform well, will be allowed sent to the first circle with the truly virtuous. The first circle is temporary holding place, those there wait for a few mere days, and are sent to live with the gods."
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Nina
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 290
Registered: Apr 4, 2021 10:46:08 GMT -5
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Post by Nina on Jul 18, 2021 3:44:33 GMT -5
“I don’t approve.” Nina raised her index finger, and then awkwardly pressed her knuckle against her lips. “Not that my approval matters. Just feels too…morally fraught.” She whispered. Having lived in the torturer’s tower, she’d grown viscerally aware of the pointlessness of it. Art, Gray called it, presumably because he agreed. People who wished eternal torture upon others usually couldn’t grasp the realities of either torture or eternity. Although she supposed Hell’s ministrations served one purpose, by helping create the fiendstuff that people like Elgastus needed to live.
Nina’s fingers clenched and unclenched, and she reminded herself to breathe, and that one can’t have theological debates about the existence of a real place. Part of her was angry, she realized. She supposed it was in human nature to hope that if there was anything after death, it would be fair. Fair in a way approved by you, of course. A wry grin curled on her face.
She remembered how Israns had come from different timelines, occasionally some that didn’t exist for all of them. Could there be multiple versions of Hell? A chilling thought. She looked around, as the silver-leaved forest grew sparser, leaving behind a smattering of wildflowers. A light breeze spread their dusty scent. Chilling, she repeated. Not in the least because it made the road back all but impossible. It would be all too risky to reach a world that was superficially her own, one identical except for the fact that she’d never been born, or one in which she had been carved into the weapon that Gray originally wanted. A thorn of ice lodged between her shoulder-blades. It would be lonelier than never seeing familiar stars ever again.
“But perhaps discussing the ethics of Hell is a bit too heavy for travel-time discussion.” She nervously chuckled. She rubbed the back of her head, all too aware of the thorn. “Instead…I was wondering…What made you first realize that slaves – humans, I assume, elves, maybe – were people?”
Among the quiet of her own steps trying to find purchase on rock, there was the sharper silence of Nina mentally kicking herself.
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