Open [Temple of All Gods] To Speak with Gods

[Archailist]

My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts

The squirrel glanced between the various idols and statues scattered around the outer walls of the temple, and then back to the two humans. For a brief moment, he wondered if there actually was an idol devoted entirely to Harameus in this place. But surely they would.. he knew that he was not the only Pycon that lived in the city, far from it. If they were going to call themselves the Temple of All Gods, surely they would have all of the gods inside. Or at least, the ones that the city deemed safe to worship. Vayt, Uldur, Rhysol.. of course these would be avoided and forgotten. But Harameus? Surely not. "I see... then can you direct me to Sylir." His frown deepened somewhat - creasing his muzzle in ways a normal squirrels mouth should not turn. But then, he had been told to come to the temple to learn about the Gods.. how could he do that, if none of them were inside the temple anyway?

To make matters worse, the other called out briefly.. but stopped half-way through the sentence. "You.. don't know who Harameus is." And they thought he was ignorant in the ways of the Gods.. "You don't know of the God of Transformation and Alchemy?" He was quite astonished, but.. he had to put it behind him, for now. "Harameus is responsible for the Pycon race.." That would be all he said on the subject. If that didn't prove a need to be worshipped, just as all of the other Gods inside this temple were, then he didn't know what possibly could. He was about ready to turn and try to find Sylir's idol, when his eyes caught upon the stained-glass window the two humans were busy talking beneath. A field... what kind of God took care of the fields?

"Who is this?" His curiosity got the better of him, as he pointed up to the window and looked back to the two of them. A God of Harvest, or something along those lines? He wondered what their priests could do.. make crops grow instantly. A rather strange, but nonetheless useful tool if one ever had the power. Not so useful when confronted with a forest fire, but.. it was something, at the very least.

[Sydelle Faraway]

'Harameus was responsible for the pycon race.' Sydelle filed that fact away, sure she'd come up with a dozen more questions, given enough time. On the Outpost, many people had worshiped just as her family did. Paying homage to the seasonal Gods was common there because so much of their livelihood was tied directly to them. But, at least in Syd's house, there hadn't been much time or need for other deities and she had only a passing knowledge of other religions.

But the squirrel's words and tone implied that everyone should know about Harameus, and Syd felt compelled to offer an explanation for her ignorance. And possibly an apology, though she couldn't see why that was so. Maybe it was the tone of shock in his voice or the expression of displeasure crinkling his muzzle? nose? Mercifully, she was saved from that awkward effort by his next question.

Following the pycon's paw with her gaze, Syd was relieved to see that it was the window featuring Bala that had caught his attention. Finally, a question she could answer.

"That is Bala, the Goddess of Autumn," at the repetition of her earlier words, she glanced at the man next to her. Though he hadn't exactly asked who Bala was, as the squirrel had, he had admitted he wasn't familiar with her. Returning her eyes to the window, she continued, "and of the harvest. At home, we prayed to her to ask for bounty in the fields and enough good weather to gather it all."

There was, of course, more to it than that. Syd had always thought of Bala as a benevolent relative; one who cared especially for the farmers who cared for the fields. Through the year, even when other Gods and Goddess held dominion, it had been Bala to whom Sydelle had felt the closest; the autumn season, with its colors and crisp air was one she looked forward to year round.

Her explanation didn't have the same weight as the pycon had given to Harameus with his few words. Still, she hoped that both listeners understood the importance of Bala's influence. Wanting to be sure, she continued, "Sometimes, if the crops are failing, the city will send for a priest or priestess to come and help."

Here she paused, collecting her words. She'd never tried to explain Bala's power to anyone, and wanted to get the idea right. "Through them, Bala is able to save crops damaged by fire or pests or drought. It takes time, but entire fields that would otherwise have been lost can be restored and harvested." The responsibility was heavy, but Sydelle thought it would be well worth it to have the power to ensure whole cities would never be hungry.

[Baelin Holt]

Baelin watched the squirrel-like person’s...mouth? Muzzle? Regardless, the thing frowned. It was odd, to watch the animalistic mouth twist in a very human expression.

To make matters worse, it seemed like he hadn’t cut himself off early enough. The one word was enough for the Pycon to realize the depths of Baelin’s ignorance. Baelin forced his face to remain impassive at the small person’s shock, but he couldn’t help clenching his jaw. Tightly. Self-disgust twisted with shame and Baelin dragged his gaze away from the Pycon to stare at the grain of the pew in front of them again.

The Pycon’s answer did little to help. Baelin began to slowly sink in his seat. The clay squirrel certainly looked appalled. It was something he should have known. There’s so many things he should know...'blasted fool.'

He certainly wasn't going to fix that foolishness at the moment though. That would involve asking someone who knew, namely the only example of the Pycon race he had talked to. And that absolutely wasn’t going to happen. Not if unadulterated shock was what he’d be answered with.

Thankfully the moment passed, by the Pycon’s own doing. Baelin followed the Pycon’s gaze to see a window glorifying a field. The smith crinkled an eye in disbelief and distaste. What right did the small man have to look down on Baelin for not knowing who some obscure god was if he didn’t even recognize the harvest one? He was fairly certain Syliras was pretty into harvest related things.

The woman saved Baelin from blundering through an answer with a much more accurate and knowledgeable one. He had thought she was finished after a notable pause, but she surprised him.

An odd feeling twisted in his gut. Back home on the isle of the dead things rarely grew. Not really. No vegetables or fruit grew anywhere on the island; they had to be traded for. Could one of these priests or priestesses change that? It certainly would have made things easier. He was tempted to ask. He chewed on his bottom lip as he debated it, but in the end decided against it. It was too personal of a question. Besides, he was fairly certain it wouldn't work. From her answer, it made it seem like Bala saves crops, not brings crops to inhospitable (yet still inhabitable!) rocks.

He could see why it was so powerful though, for someone who had grown up around farms. He couldn’t truly imagine what it would be like to work all summer bringing crops to fruition only to have a fire rip all that work from you. Curiosity overwhelming him, he turned to her and asked, “Have you sseen her work yoursself?”

[Archailist]

My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts

Well, that was a very lucky guess, to say the least. Autumn and the Harvest.. with Fall quickly approaching, likely it would be a good time to pray to her in the hopes of a good season to follow. With the season change, he didn't doubt that he'd get the knighthood he'd been pushing for nearly every day so far. "If she's the Goddess of Autumn.. shouldn't you be praying to one of the Gods more associated with weather if you want it to be nice? Or..." He didn't really have a clue how lot of these Gods worked, unfortunately. The lines were so blurry, who had control of what and how it related to another. It had his tongue literally forming knots before he could get more words out of his mouth, just trying to think about it all. "Well.. anyway. I'm guessing you live at the Mithryn Outpost, if you worship her?" Well, it would make sense. But then, what if she just wished for there to be enough food for the season. Goodness knew that the city needed all the help they could get, but he'd never really heard of someone worshipping a God in the hopes of the entire city, unless they were talking about Sylir.

He supposed he shouldn't underestimate any of them. The power to save crops and feed entire cities - Syliras wouldn't be alive, and indeed, many cities wouldn't be if not for the power of Bala. At Baelin's question he grew immediately silent and stared at Sydelle, waiting for an answer. He didn't want to really admit it, but.. he'd quite like to see Bala at work. In his mind, he could picture priests and priestesses waving their hands about and suddenly sprouting entire fields of wheat. Quite a spectacle to behold, and although it wouldn't be very useful when faced with a forest fire or a murderer.. there was no doubt that it could have some very useful applications when faced with starving millions. It would make one a very sought-after individual.

".. I think I shall join you, in prayer." He nodded quietly to himself, and then glanced over to Baelin. "Will you join us as well?" The man hadn't really said that much since the squirrel arrived - was he nervous, was Arch accidentally creeping him out? It happened quite a lot.. people didn't really like the image of a talking squirrel, especially one that looked like him. Obviously squirrel in appearance.. but he walked, talked.. pretty much did everything in the same way that a human would. He could walk on two legs like a human, smile and frown like one. Oh well.. they'd learn to cope with it, eventually. "Of course.. that's if you would allow us to intrude." The last words were focused back on Sydelle. It was her choice, after all. He didn't know what to say to the God.. he'd never prayed to Bala, or indeed any other God besides Harameus. And even Harameus wasn't prayed to very often.

[Sydelle Faraway]

oocSo very sorry for my absence!

Sydelle blinked, momentarily nonplussed by the little squirrel's questions. She'd never had her religion questioned before; on the outpost, everyone pretty much worshiped the same set of gods and goddesses, at least nominally. Certainly no one suggested that the Goddess of Harvest was a lesser choice. Saved from an answer by the clay creature's continuing conversation, Sydelle offered a simple nod.

"I used to live at the outpost, yes. I moved here just recently, but," she fell silent, shrugging slightly. How to explain that, though she had left the outpost, she still held the same ideals and values as the farmers there? "It still feels right to speak with Bala here, in the castle. Her grace touches us all, right?" A soft smile crossed her lips at the thought; even removed from her influence, Bala was an important part of her life. Sydelle couldn't imagine not being thankful for the blessing of the Goddess.

A question drew her focus back; the brooding man at her aide, asking if she'd seen Bala's influence first hand. With a slightly disappointed shake of her head, she told him no. "No, I'm afraid I've never seen a priest or priestess using their gifts. I guess that's a good thing, though? If one had needed to come to the outpost, Syliras would have been in desperate straits, right?"

Still, secretly, Sydelle would like to have at least met one of them, seen the smallest hint of Bala's power in person. Not that she doubted them, or that she wanted the outpost or the city to suffer any hardships. Just that it would be nice to witness a miracle, even a small one. A small sigh escaped her, as she pictures whole fields ripening in bells, plants growing and leafing out, flowers appearing in chimes. Amazing.

So lost in thought was she that it took a moment for the pycon's words to register. Join her in prayer? Oh! Prayer. To Bala. The squirrel wanted to pray to the Goddess of the Harvest? Sydelle was both surprised and amused, but managed not to laugh; she didn't want to be disrespectful. Instead she smiled down at the unlikely face, staring seriously into her own. "Of course, you're more than welcome to join me."

A faint pink tinged her cheeks as she sat, thinking; now on the spot, she was struggling to think of an appropriate prayer. Something short, simple. She'd never really prayed with anyone but her own family, and her mother always led those; seemingly with no effort, Ebelle voiced thanks and praise and hopes to her gods and goddesses. Too little too late, Sydelle realized she should have paid more attention. The only prayer she could remember was the formal one they said at the special Harvest dinner.

Licking her lips nervously, she began speaking quietly the short, sincere words to the Harvest prayer.

"Hail, Bala!
The fields are full, the orchards blooming,
and the harvest has arrived.
Hail to the Goddess who watches over the land.
Hail to visions of ripening wheat.
Hail glorious rye and fruitful apples.
Hail clinging vines heavy with harvest.
Hail the fields, which die and are reborn.
Hail Goddess, joyful before the season of slumber.
With bread from your grain, we honor you.
With wine from your fruits, we honor you.
We honor you, Bala, in this time of harvest,
and fill our bellies with your bounty.
In gratitude and love, we honor you.
Hail, Bala!"

The blush in her cheeks grew more pronounced, and Sydelle found it difficult to look either of her companions in the eye. In the same quiet tone, she explained, "That's the prayer we always said before our Harvest dinner. Its the only one I could think of," she said, a hint of uncertain apology in her voice.

[Baelin Holt]

Baelin nodded at her answer. While he was sure watching a person blessed with the gnosis of Bala would be quite the sight to behold, the cost may very well not be worth it. He could easily imagine someone who had been saved from the painful death of starving becoming a devout believer.

The half-Dhani studied her curiously as he thought. She must have found her faith in Bala on her own, without hardship pushing her to it. That was an impressive thing. Even Baelin didn’t find his love for Dira on his own. His mother’s death had been...a confusing time, to say the least, and he had been in grave need of answers. Worship of Dira had given him those answers, and more.

He became lost in thought again, eyes absentmindedly tracing the grain of the pew, as he thoughts drifted back to his childhood. His gut twisted as he tried and failed to remember what she looked like. Blonde hair, soft voice, the rest was lost. He pulled frantically at his memories, trying to call upon some other recollection, but his mind stubbornly refused to give any more.

Baelin was pulled out of his thoughts when he realized the Pycon was addressing him. He had missed what had been said and nodded rather dumbly, not wishing to appear offensive. The half-Dhani stiffened automatically, not quite sure what he had agreed to and braced for anything.

When the woman of hard angles but a gentle voice told the Pycon that he was welcome to join her, Baelin began to internally panic. He kept his face carefully blank, but what on Mizahar had he agreed to? They were going to do something. Were they leaving? Plotting some act that would get them thrown in the Tank, or worst?

But the stranger’s soft voice carried him out of his fretting and gently began a prayer to Bala. Baelin exhaled slowly as the soft prayer washed over him. Bala wasn’t his goddess, she never could stand to rival Dira in his mind, but he was not so foolish as to miss the beauty of the prayer. He tried to commit every word to memory. The prayer was colorful and vibrant, and Baelin could practically see the wheat swaying in the wind and the apples growing fat on their branches. The prayer made him long for family, to be sitting with his loved ones around a table with a belly full of food and laughter in the air.

With a start, Baelin realized the stranger was blushing. Was she embarrassed to be sharing something so personal? Or did she think her prayer was inadequate? He couldn’t think of anything farther from the truth. Feeling the need to reassure her, Baelin said gently, “It’ss beautiful. Your Harvest dinner ssounds like a thing to truly look forward to.”

[Archailist]

My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts

He nodded quietly to Sydelle, mulling over her choice of words. Light, touching them all. It didn't really seem that way, when he looked to those like Harameus. He couldn't feel the god touching him, but then again, they all knew that the God worked in mysterious ways. He'd created what humans widely regarded as living statues, after all. Why on earth he'd chosen this, of all things, was once again a mystery that nobody but he could answer. "Indeed, I understand." Perhaps if he knew these things, or at least somewhat understood them, he could worship the God more often than he currently did. As it stood, he held him close, but that was about it.

He was curious, whether he'd truly feel anything when he prayed to Bala. He simply kneeled where he was, on the spot, since he didn't really know how he was supposed to go about prayer. In fact, he didn't have a clue. Was he just supposed to sit there and listen to her words, was he supposed to repeat them in turn? She'd already started, and he doubted that it'd be polite to interrupt her mid-prayer. Instead, he sat there in complete silence as she spoke softly, listening to every word and releasing a soft sigh of tension. It was calming, to sit and listen to the praise to a previously-unknown deity.

"Better than anything I could have thought of." It didn't really make sense for her to be embarrassed, but there was no point drawing attention to it. Instead, he looked to Baelin and nodded quietly.

[Devi]

Your Grades have arrived! Archailist Skills: Persuasion: 1XP Philosophy: 2XP Lores: Location: Temple of All Gods Bala: Goddess of Autumn & the Harvest Comments: It's a shame that you didn't get to learn about and explore more of the temple though I can see in your lores that Arch has learnt plenty about Sylir since! A sweet little thread, for what it is . Sydelle Comments : I can see that you haven't been around for a while Sydelle. If you do return then please ensure your ledger is updated to bring you up to date with the current season and then let me know so I can add your grades to the thread. Baelin I can see that you haven't been around for a while Baelin. It also looks like your ledger is currently in the negative, which shouldn't happen (as it would mean your character is dead!). If you do return then please do update your income/ledger (you may need to speak to Nightmare to resolve this if you're awaiting anything job-related). Once that's sorted then let me know so I can add your grades then. EDIT: Skills: Persuasion: 1XP Philosophy: 1XP Endurance: 1XP Observation: 3XP Socialization: 3XP Interrogation: 1XP Lores: Location: Temple of All Gods Dira: Solace in a strange land. Syliras: Understanding of Nuits. Harameus: God of Transformation and Alchemy Pycons: Worship Harameus Bala: Goddess of Autumn & the Harvest Bala: Harvest Prayer Comments: Nice to see you getting everything up to date - enjoy your grades! Let me know if you have any questions and don't forget to edit your post in the Grade Request Thread. Happy Writing!