5th of Spring 514AV
It was near dusk when Lani was finally able to settle down. She had bought the bare minimum of things she needed to worship her Godly father with. She had also gotten officially settled in the student dormitories, which didn't take long considering how little she had to put away. She wasn't much of a clean freak, but she liked her things organized.
She had left her boots at home this time, her hands occupied by something else. A simple ceramic bowl that rested ontop of R'yse's book. In the bowl were some nevessry supplies for her ritual and some odities that were important to her, including a dried and pressed flower that she brought from the spires. All te things she held were a lot, but most of them fit in her bowl, so all she carried really was a bowl of miscellaneous things and a book. But everything had meaning to her. That was the point of her worship. Each object meant something to her before, during and after her travel to Zeltiva. She would give part of her soul to Aquiras as she did each time she performed her rituals. If only my simple soul could raise him. If only . . . Lani tried to push the depressing thoughts from her head. This was not the time to mourn her great God. Instead she would thank him and rejoice in the fact that he was alive for her to worship.
The cool spring night whipped her hair back with a sudden gust of wind and Lani noticed, for the first time, the birds singing. She had never thought they sang at night, or she didn't pay enough attention. Her black eyes scanned the streets, the city was still very active, which was nice, and a bit odd. She had not worshipped in sight of others before. It was going to be a new experience.
It wasn't that public worship was rare, there were temples scattered everywhere, devoted to various Gods and Goddesses. And those who didn't have temples had shrines. But Lani had never seen someone openly worship Aquiras, and as far as she knew she was going to be one of the rarities that did so. As her feet fell upon the packed dirt of the Mirahil pass, Lani slowed. This was where she entered and so this is where she would host her ritual.
A cluster of boulders held the edge of a meadow that clung to the treeline. The hills were beginning to turn to mountains, the steep slopes yielding more trees. Lani stooped next to a tree, decided that the dirt patch next to it's roots would be her temporary altar. Lani set the bowl to the side, and glanced around for a twig. After selecting a sturdy looking stick, Lani began drawing in the dirt. A simple wheel was her pallet today. She flicked a few acorns and pebbled from her dirt-patch, to look at her drawing. It was a rather large wheel, with simple spokes down the middle for the sturdy wheel of a wagon. She figured this would represent travel, as she had gotten to Zeltiva in a caravan, which was moved by wheels. Lani's symbolism was crude, but she didn't know another symbol to give her God. R'yse had never told her of one and she hadn't found one. Lani gently pulled her things out of the bowl, preparing for her ritual. She had two regular candles and one scented candle. It was a thick incense that Lani didn't recognize, but loved the smell of. It had little meaning to Aquiras himself, but it was pleasant on her senses and so Lani chose it for her binding.
She set the two regular candles on each side of the wheel, digging the butt into the ground a bit so that they would stay, and set the scented one aside. With some trouble, Lani attempted to light one with flint and steel. It had always been a particularly hard job for her, she couldnt get the sparks to catch on the wick. Once they finally did, Lani used that candle to light the other, but did not light the scented one. Not yet.
She set the flint and steel beside her, it wasn't needed any longer. She then took out the book. The binding wasn't particularly worn and it was only half full with words, but it was as holy of a thing she was going to get until she could find someone to make her a symbol. She propped the book on the tree so that the cover faced her. Satisfied that it was straight, Lani pulled a flower from the Spires out. It was remarkably special to her. Her simple parting gift from Quett before she left. It didn't look as if it could mean much, but the gesture it represented was by far the kindest she'd ever received. The idea of burning the precious flower sobered her. It was for Aquiras, it had to be something that meant something to her, and this simple pink flower did. Silently wishing goodbye to Quett's parting gift, she placed the flower in the center of the wheel.
Next, a simple wooden block was placed in the wheel. She had sprang over a bell yesterday carving the crude thing. It was a crooked square with a squashed 'L' in the center for her name. The project was a representation of what she believed was to come in Zeltiva. It showed her progression in her studies, and though it meant little to her, it was a symbol of the future, of what she wished to achieve here in Zeltiva. There was a folded piece of parchment that Lani pulled from the bowl next. When she had unfolded it and smooth it out, it was the map of Zeltiva. It was a pity to burn this cartographer's good work, but it was worth it. He would make more, Zeltiva's features were not likely to change anytime soon. Lani opened the top of her ink, dipping the quill in the black ooz. Gently and smoothly she found the University, setting the quill on the paper. She had studied the map a bit prior to her ritual to know where her dorm was in order to do this. Lani pulling a thin circle of ink around a small dorm building where she resided. Then she found the Mirahil pass entrance and placed a cube around it. The circle represented where she lived currently, and the square showed Aquiras where she entered and was placing her ritual.
Blowing on the ink for it to dry, Lani folded the map back into a cube and placed it in the wheel as well. The candle light showed her face on her work and Lani moved her legs so that she was resting on her knees and no longer crouching. She let her head fall back, looking up through the trees into what was left of the day. The sun was in its last ticks of setting and the moon would soon reign over the skies. It was truly a beautiful night. Lani let her eyes flutter closed, an unofficial thanks to Aquiras for delivering her safely to Zeltiva. She enjoyed the sounds of the city behind her and the music of the crickets in the forest in front of her. It was one of the best nights to worship with no interruptions and clear weather.
She had left her boots at home this time, her hands occupied by something else. A simple ceramic bowl that rested ontop of R'yse's book. In the bowl were some nevessry supplies for her ritual and some odities that were important to her, including a dried and pressed flower that she brought from the spires. All te things she held were a lot, but most of them fit in her bowl, so all she carried really was a bowl of miscellaneous things and a book. But everything had meaning to her. That was the point of her worship. Each object meant something to her before, during and after her travel to Zeltiva. She would give part of her soul to Aquiras as she did each time she performed her rituals. If only my simple soul could raise him. If only . . . Lani tried to push the depressing thoughts from her head. This was not the time to mourn her great God. Instead she would thank him and rejoice in the fact that he was alive for her to worship.
The cool spring night whipped her hair back with a sudden gust of wind and Lani noticed, for the first time, the birds singing. She had never thought they sang at night, or she didn't pay enough attention. Her black eyes scanned the streets, the city was still very active, which was nice, and a bit odd. She had not worshipped in sight of others before. It was going to be a new experience.
It wasn't that public worship was rare, there were temples scattered everywhere, devoted to various Gods and Goddesses. And those who didn't have temples had shrines. But Lani had never seen someone openly worship Aquiras, and as far as she knew she was going to be one of the rarities that did so. As her feet fell upon the packed dirt of the Mirahil pass, Lani slowed. This was where she entered and so this is where she would host her ritual.
A cluster of boulders held the edge of a meadow that clung to the treeline. The hills were beginning to turn to mountains, the steep slopes yielding more trees. Lani stooped next to a tree, decided that the dirt patch next to it's roots would be her temporary altar. Lani set the bowl to the side, and glanced around for a twig. After selecting a sturdy looking stick, Lani began drawing in the dirt. A simple wheel was her pallet today. She flicked a few acorns and pebbled from her dirt-patch, to look at her drawing. It was a rather large wheel, with simple spokes down the middle for the sturdy wheel of a wagon. She figured this would represent travel, as she had gotten to Zeltiva in a caravan, which was moved by wheels. Lani's symbolism was crude, but she didn't know another symbol to give her God. R'yse had never told her of one and she hadn't found one. Lani gently pulled her things out of the bowl, preparing for her ritual. She had two regular candles and one scented candle. It was a thick incense that Lani didn't recognize, but loved the smell of. It had little meaning to Aquiras himself, but it was pleasant on her senses and so Lani chose it for her binding.
She set the two regular candles on each side of the wheel, digging the butt into the ground a bit so that they would stay, and set the scented one aside. With some trouble, Lani attempted to light one with flint and steel. It had always been a particularly hard job for her, she couldnt get the sparks to catch on the wick. Once they finally did, Lani used that candle to light the other, but did not light the scented one. Not yet.
She set the flint and steel beside her, it wasn't needed any longer. She then took out the book. The binding wasn't particularly worn and it was only half full with words, but it was as holy of a thing she was going to get until she could find someone to make her a symbol. She propped the book on the tree so that the cover faced her. Satisfied that it was straight, Lani pulled a flower from the Spires out. It was remarkably special to her. Her simple parting gift from Quett before she left. It didn't look as if it could mean much, but the gesture it represented was by far the kindest she'd ever received. The idea of burning the precious flower sobered her. It was for Aquiras, it had to be something that meant something to her, and this simple pink flower did. Silently wishing goodbye to Quett's parting gift, she placed the flower in the center of the wheel.
Next, a simple wooden block was placed in the wheel. She had sprang over a bell yesterday carving the crude thing. It was a crooked square with a squashed 'L' in the center for her name. The project was a representation of what she believed was to come in Zeltiva. It showed her progression in her studies, and though it meant little to her, it was a symbol of the future, of what she wished to achieve here in Zeltiva. There was a folded piece of parchment that Lani pulled from the bowl next. When she had unfolded it and smooth it out, it was the map of Zeltiva. It was a pity to burn this cartographer's good work, but it was worth it. He would make more, Zeltiva's features were not likely to change anytime soon. Lani opened the top of her ink, dipping the quill in the black ooz. Gently and smoothly she found the University, setting the quill on the paper. She had studied the map a bit prior to her ritual to know where her dorm was in order to do this. Lani pulling a thin circle of ink around a small dorm building where she resided. Then she found the Mirahil pass entrance and placed a cube around it. The circle represented where she lived currently, and the square showed Aquiras where she entered and was placing her ritual.
Blowing on the ink for it to dry, Lani folded the map back into a cube and placed it in the wheel as well. The candle light showed her face on her work and Lani moved her legs so that she was resting on her knees and no longer crouching. She let her head fall back, looking up through the trees into what was left of the day. The sun was in its last ticks of setting and the moon would soon reign over the skies. It was truly a beautiful night. Lani let her eyes flutter closed, an unofficial thanks to Aquiras for delivering her safely to Zeltiva. She enjoyed the sounds of the city behind her and the music of the crickets in the forest in front of her. It was one of the best nights to worship with no interruptions and clear weather.
PC/NPC Talking -- Common -- Kontinese -- Thoughts
