[The Sanctuary] In Search Of...

Ialari, newly arrived in Riverfall, seeks shelter from the cold and a place to start the next leg of her journey.

(This is a thread from Mizahar's fantasy role playing forum. Why don't you register today? This message is not shown when you are logged in. Come roleplay with us, it's fun!)

Built into the cliffs overlooking the Suvan Sea, Riverfall resides on the edge of grasslands of Cyphrus where the Bluevein River plunges off the plain and cascades down to the inland sea below. Home of the Akalak, Riverfall is a self-supporting city populated by devoted warriors. [Riverfall Codex]

[The Sanctuary] In Search Of...

Postby Ialari Pythone on January 4th, 2016, 2:31 am

Image
3rd Day of Winter in the Year 515 AV


Although it was only a couple miles outside of the city, Ialari felt near frozen by the time she reached the outskirts of The Sanctuary. To Ialari, The Sanctuary looked like a fortress with its towering stone walls looming before her. Being the middle of the day, it appeared as though the gates were open; seemingly to welcome anyone to enter. Pulling her cloak tighter around her body, Ialari made her way the rest of the way up to the gate.

Passing through the gate, Ialari was greeted with a large courtyard. The sounds and smells were different from the main city. Horses could be heard and their aroma floated gently in the air. In fact, several horses were being led around by grooms and overall activity seemed to be high. Even a midst the cold of winter, The Sanctuary seemed to be operating as usual. Horses were something of an oddity to Ialari. While she had seen her fair share of them years ago, she mainly familiar with the mountain ponies used by the isur back in Sultros. The horses she now saw in The Sanctuary were huge by comparison.

Glancing around the courtyard, Ialari saw a number of barns lining the perimeter with a slightly more formal building located some distance in front of her. Whe she first saw the name of the place in the scroll the guard handed to her at the Riverfall gate, she didn't expect to find something related to horses. Though something of a surprise, it did offer Ialari some hope. A place dedicated to caring for animals usually meant one of two things; either the owner was a kind-hearted individual who looked out for those of the non-humanoid blood or they were a business-minded merchant dealing in the buy/sell/trade of livestock and/or mounts. There was also the chance that they were a mix of both. Regardless of which direction it chose, Ialari's initial impression of The Sanctuary spoke of possibility.

As she stood a the gate looking around the courtyard, a young Drykas man approached her asking if there was something he could help her with. Ialari, pulled her staff closer to her body and took a single step back as the man came close. It was not all that unlike a coiled snake leaning back ever so slightly in preparation of striking. The man, a smile on his face, greeted her with the Common Tongue, his accent quite strange to Ialari's ears, Hello there. My name's Aweston, is there anything I can help you with today?"

Ialari narrowed her eyes slightly as she took in the man's words. She watched closely his posture and mannerisms, neither of which looked all that threatening. Too tired, hungry and cold to really press the situation, Ialari spoke slowly and with a heavy isurian accent that made her words a bit difficult to understand. This is Sanctuary? I seek Sanctuary. I'm cold, hungry and need Sanctuary."

Aweston, though more than a little confused at the sight of the half naked woman with the odd accent, remained as kind and helpful as was appropriate. This is indeed The Sanctuary. We are a stables, boarding stables, animal rescue/adoption center, and animal healing facility. If you are in need of an inn, Riverfall is filled with people and places who could help you. It's to the south, you can't miss it."

A frown creased Ialari's forehead. What didn't this human understand? She desired sanctuary from the cold. If this place was called Sanctuary, shouldn't it offer such? She was getting colder with each passing wasted word with this human. Obviously he was a servant of some sort with little authority. He was too young and too carefree to have too great of responsibility. Taking another moment to recall the right words, she said, "I would like to talk to whoever is in charge here." She then took a slightly more threatening stance, staff slightly lifted in her metallic hand.

Aweston, used to dealing with all manner of different people visiting The Sanctuary, found himself a little unsure as to how to deal with this odd newcomer. She was obviously cold, barely clothed as she was and she was obviously not from anywhere nearby. Not entirely sure how to proceed, he motioned for Ialari to follow him as he made his way to the clinic in search of Kavala. Surely she would know how to handle this rather strange stranger.
Image
Last edited by Ialari Pythone on January 22nd, 2016, 12:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Remade In My Dominion!

Character Sheet

Granted Flashback Threads between 510 and 512 by Tarot.
User avatar
Ialari Pythone
I'm Poison.
 
Posts: 619
Words: 923994
Joined roleplay: August 13th, 2009, 3:26 am
Race: Isur
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Medals: 7
Mizahar Grader (1) Trailblazer (2)
Overlored (1) Riverfall Seasonal Challenge (1)
2013 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1) 2012 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1)

[The Sanctuary] In Search Of...

Postby Kavala on January 22nd, 2016, 11:19 am

Image
Aweston lead the woman towards the Healing Clinic and then past it, skirting its edge, to a courtyard that held three individuals. One was a Konti who was busy examining the second individual, a tall racing horse. The third individual held the horse’s lead rope and was decidedly a big male Akalak. All three were focused on each other – the two people on the horse, the horse on the two people – and did not notice Aweston’s arrival with Ialari in tow.

“Easy.” Kavala said, running her hands up the leg of the stallion standing in the Healing Courtyard. He had a swollen knee and had decidedly had a painful trip into the facility. His owner stood nearby, impatient that his favorite racer was out of action. Kavala knew the horse. She’d seem him race before, up and down the beach, were the Akalak oftentimes held races. Long legged and fleet, the stallion could run even though in Kavala’s opinion the horse didn’t have an ounce of common sense in his head.

The horse made a snort that sounded an awful lot like a swear word his owner was known for and stamped his good hoof. Kavala stood, met the owner’s eyes, and shook her head. “He’s got hairline fractures in his knee. I can fix them easily enough, but you’ve been running him too hard over surfaces that aren’t good for his feet.” Kavala said, glancing at the horse.

“I like to run.” The horse said clearly. His owner blinked in surprise and Kavala flinched. She turned to the horse and shook her head. “No one said you have to stop running. What I’m saying is that you need to train more and make sure you are running over good terrain like hard sand or firm grass, not stone and not hard packed earth.” The Konti said, reaching out and running her hands down the stallions leg again. A glow flared slightly as she came to the wound and she slowed her two-handed stroke to ease her grip down across the stallion’s knee and further down to his ankle. Where she touched the swelling reduced and the pain eased. The stallion let out a breath and dipped his head. He lipped Kavala’s hair which was swept up in a ponytail and lipped it in gratitude.

So often one didn’t realize how much pain they were in until the pain was gone.

Once more she ran her hands over his leg, checking her work, then gave him a quick but thorough exam everywhere else. When she picked up a back hoof, the Konti reached into a back pocket for a hoof pick and dug a stone out of the stallion’s frog and then used the sharp end of it to dig lightly into the hoof wall and free a tiny abscess that was beginning to form due to the stone’s presence. When that was cleared she gently set his foot down, continued her exam, and then straightened to face his owner.

“He’s all good. I’d take it easy on him for a few days and restrict his racing to the beach.” The Konti advised. The Akalak drew out a handful of gold mizas and paid the healer before turning and heading out across the Healing Courtyard towards the Healing Gate. Kavala pocketed the coins and then turned to smile at Aweston and greet the newcomer.

“Hello there.” She said carefully in Izur and then smiled slightly and shook her head as if laughing at herself. “That’s all I know in Isur.” She said, switching back to common. She hoped, all in all, it was the thought that counted. The woman with Aweston was obviously Isur by the perfection of her form and the big black arm that stood out against the paleness of the woman’s skin.

Kavala studied the woman for a moment. The lady was obviously travel worn, dirty, and tired. She also looked painfully thin, like she’d not had a solid meal consistently for a long while. For a moment Kavala paused, wondered if Emaneus sent the woman, and then moved forward to greet her properly. The Konti offered her hand to shake Ialari’s, amusement coloring her expression because she knew her arm itself was weak next to the visitors.

“I’m Kavala Denusk. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She said glancing at Aweston who had already began to speak.

“The woman said she’s here seeking sanctuary. Then when I suggested she go to town for an Inn, she insisted on seeing you.” He added, looking concerned. “I think there’s a language barrier.” He added, taking a step back and then retreating wholly as Kavala nodded.

“You are welcome here.” She said slowly and precisely, trying to conceal as much of her Pavi accent as she could so the woman wouldn’t get confused by it. Kavala hated speaking without the tilting lyrical accent of the Grasslands, but she understood the Drykas accent made it hard to understand her common for people that didn’t actually speak a lot of common.

There was a story here for sure. Isur just didn’t show up weathered and dirty and looking rather worn for the wear without a story. And there was something about the way that Aweston said she asked for Sanctuary. Kavala could give that, Sanctuary, in the very least. She nodded her thanks to Aweston and then beckoned to Ialari.

“Come with me. Let’s see if we can get you a place to stay, something to eat, and a place to bathe.” Kavala said, beckoning Ialari to follow her. It was rare to see an Isur in Riverfall, let alone a female. Kavala was curious about her story, but didn’t want to press the issue. And with that the two women walked together once more past the Healing clinic and around on one edge of the arena. There, the Konti passed through two double doors that opened easily into a yawning chasm. It was a ramp wide enough and ridged so hooves could get purchase that two riders could ride down side by side. It was as if the ramp was carved by magic from the very stone, so smooth was the floor between the ridges. The walls themselves were something to see as well. They were one continuous downward mosaic that depicted first the beach and the cliffs of Riverfall and slowly descended into the sea. Pale blue stone chips purposely arranged depicted upper sea creatures; turtles, dolphins, and even bobbing surface birds. The deeper the two descended the ramp, the darker the mosaics on the wall grew. Surface creatures turned to deeper dwellers and whales and sharks appeared. Sting rays were found among the stones and as they went even further, stranger creatures yet could be seen decorating the walls.

They were only visible, dark on dark, because wall scones lit the way periodically illuminating the strange Konti designs.

About a hundred yards down a side branch took off and Kavala turned, beckoning Ialari to follow. The branch passed several side archways until it opened into a main chamber that actually had the look and feel of a common gathering area. It was set up, truthfully, almost like a tavern with one main central area flanking a large hearth. The hearth had mosaics dressing it up, this time with large strands of grass crawling up its length in mosaic stones. A sunburst decorated above the shelf and sent beams of light throughout the room. There was a large table, a scattering of couches in front of the fire, and a large kitchen with a big prep area and another small hearth off to one side. Kavala led Ialari straight for the kitchen, slipping into the space with the ease of someone who spent a lot of time there.

The Kitchen appeared well-stocked, as if it routinely fed numerous people.

She took a loaf of bread off the cooling rack, sliced a few pieces off of it, and then set it out in a tray. Quickly apples and peaches joined the tray. Then she opened a large metal box that held a huge slowly melting chunk of ice and shelves and shelves of more perishable foods. Kavala drew out meat rolls and added them still cold to the platter. Then she set the platter at one of the counter spaces and poured Ialari a glass of wine.

“Food first. Then I‘ll give you a room. And then we can see the baths.” Kavala said, adding a few little almond cookies to the edge of the platter in front of Ialari. She paused then, waiting to see what the Isur would do.


1442/21659
Image
The Sanctuary The Sanctuary Forum Riverfall The Cytali
Reverie Isle Wolf Creek Training Course
Please Note:
  • This pc is maxed out in Animal Husbandry, Medicine, Observation, Rhetoric, and Socialization.
  • Kavala a Master Teacher. Students she is teaching in thread can earn more than the maxium 5 XP per thread.
  • This pc has a Konti Gift of Animal Empathy. She has a superpower from a Riverfall city event that allows animals of all sorts and Kelvics (in kelvic form) to speak clear understandable Common around her.
  • Kavala is a Konti but was raised in the Drykas culture so her accent is entirely Pavi though she can speak Common, Pavi, and Tukant well. She's only conversational in Kontinese.
User avatar
Kavala
I am more than the sum of my parts.
 
Posts: 3025
Words: 3295757
Joined roleplay: October 25th, 2009, 1:46 am
Location: Riverfall
Race: Konti
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Scrapbook
Plotnotes
Medals: 17
Featured Thread (1) Mizahar Grader (1)
Trailblazer (2) Overlored (1)
Master Merchant (1) Donor (1)
One Thousand Posts! (1) One Million Words! (1)
Riverfall Seasonal Challenge (2) 2014 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1)

[The Sanctuary] In Search Of...

Postby Ialari Pythone on January 22nd, 2016, 4:26 pm

Image
Ialari struggled against the winter chill as Aweston lead her toward the Healing Clinic. Pulling her wool cloak tighter against her body with one hand, she followed; all the while gripping her staff tightly with her other. Entering the Clinic, it was slightly warmer though the cold still sunk deep. Ialari hadn't experienced such cold for so long for quite some time. In her Dominion, she was able to manipulate the temperature to whatever she wanted; usually keeping it at a comfortable level not unlike that of her subterranean home back in Pitrius City.

Once she had passed the clinic and into the courtyard, she saw the two humanoids fussing over the horse. Having spent a relatively short amount of time in Riverfall some years ago, she recognized the tall, blue individual as being an Akalak. The primary inhabitants of Riverfall, Ialari had always considered the Akalak to be second only to the Isur in terms of physical perfection. It was a refreshing sight. The other person, the woman, took Ialari a moment to recall the name of...Konti. The pale, alien beauty of the aquatic creature was both fragile and mysterious at once. Ialari hadn't looked upon other living humanoids of such refinement for so long that she felt a rather odd feeling of relief. Watching both non-humans engaging in something as mundane as doting over a horse, as mundane as it was, felt strangle good.

The two hadn't noticed Ialari's approach as they continued their work with the horse. Ialari watched and listened as she tried to decipher what was being said. Her grasp on language was rusty to put it mildly as her only conversation partners for the past few years had been a neutered zith and a disembodied shade of a former Wizard of the Seven Robes that she still wasn't sure was real or just a figment of her fractured mind.

Ialari watched it all, her keep eyes taking in every detail while she unconsciously tasted the air with her tongue; an odd habit she had developed at an early age from observing her families collection of snakes and reptiles. The air tasted a bit pungent; it tasted of dung, chemicals and sweat. She watched as Konti run her hands over the leg of the horse. The way the horse stood, it looked as though it was in pain. Then it snorted and stamped the ground with its other hoof. The Konti then spoke to the Akalak about the horses condition. It took Ialari a moment to understand what was being said as the Common Tongue was gradually becoming a bit more familiar once again. There was something about knee fractures and running too hard over hard surfaces.

Then the horse spoke. Ialari took a step back and her off hand instinctively moved to her dagger. The Konti responded as if it were nothing strange while the Akalak looked almost as surprised as Ialari. The Konti responded to the horse as if scolding a child about being too carefree followed by a flaring glow appearing as she stroked the stallion's knee to its ankle. Ialari took it all in with a mix of feelings and thoughts while noting the Konti's mystical ability. The pale-skinned woman continued to tend to the horse and when it was over, the horse acted as though the pain had been removed and all was well. A transaction of coin took place and the Akalak led the horse away.

Ialari had witnessed untold strangeness in her time but she had not experienced anything like what had just happened. It was then that the Konti turned to face Ialari with a greeting in Ialari's native language followed by more of the Common Tongue. The fact that the woman spoke at least a tiny piece of Isur was like soothing music. When she offered her hand to Ialari, it was somewhat surprising but not unwanted. Ialari reached out with her non-metallic hand and gripped Kavala's. Aweston then chided in about a barrier of some sort before Ialari responded

Having picked up a few words and phrases in Kontinese during her previous visit to Riverfall in the past, she responded to Kavala in the Konti's native tongue, heavy as it was with an Isurian accent, "My thanks. I'm called, Ialari Pythone." Ialari's grip was strong but not as it would be with her metallic hand. Kavala would no doubt feel a strange, raised mark upon Ialari's palm. Whether or not she would recognize it was uncertain as it was the mark of Dira, Goddess of Death; a scythe.

As Kavala welcomed her, Ialari noted a hint of an accent in her voice as well as a bit of effort taken in her words. Ialari's grasp on the Common Tongue, basic as it was and unused for some time, was coming back to her more and more each time she heard it. When Kavala mentioned food and bath, Ialari offered a sincere, if tired, smile before following. As Kavala led her deeper into Sanctuary, Ialari marveled at the strange craftsmanship. Although her sight was becoming more accustomed to the mortal realm, she still maintained a bit of the senses she enjoyed in her Dominion, even if they were beginning to fade. She could see the telltale traces of magic inherent in the stone and feel the threads of energy in the beautiful mosaics as she brushed them with her fingers as she passed them. She was no stranger to the sea having spent years not only in the Ukalas but also on the far eastern coast of Mizahar. The wall scones that lit the way were unneeded as Ialari was able to see in total darkness. Their period glow however helped enhance the images though. Ialari felt like she should say something but was still adjusting to her new surroundings.

When the two women finally entered the common room, Ialari's shoulders dropped a bit in comfort as she felt the heat of the hearth. The decor in the room was quite different than what she had saw up to that point but was no less welcome. Led into a kitchen, Ialari could taste the food in the air and her stomach began to cramp. As Kavala gathered and placed food on a platter, setting it then in front of Ialari, the isur did her best to maintain what manners she remembered from the last time she was in such a situation. Her manners however failed her and she began to first take huge bites of bread before burying her face in the fruit. The meat rolls were swallowed almost whole and the wine was downed in but a couple gulps. Although consumed with the consumption of the offered food, Ialari was quick to realize that nothing was free so, while still stuffing her face, she reached into her pouch and pulled out the few remaining mizas inside. She placed them on the counter and pushed them toward Kavala while never missing a bite.

As her feeding frenzy slowed, Ialari realized her lack of manners and tried to right herself. She then searched for the right words and in a slow, heavy isurian accented common tongue she said, "Kavala, your generosity is beyond measure. I...I have few coins to offer in turn." After devouring a peach, she slowly continued while trying to gather the right words, "Izurdin has led me here for a reason though I don't know what it is. I offer my services to you in exchange for your hospitality." She paused a moment as she considered a few things.

"You care for horses. I know a bit of blacksmithing. You know medicine and medical care. I know something of herbs and medicines. I can see and feel the magic in this place so you must know something of it. I...I guess you could say I have a bit of magical knowledge myself. I will trade my services and knowledge." Ialari's stomach was not prepared for the food that she stuffed in it and was quickly beginning to ache. Ever the isur, she pushed aside the discomfort and tried to hold her composure. Despite her meager efforts to remain strong and present herself as a typical isur; solid and strong, Kavala could see the years of untold experiences in Ialari's eyes and the burden that bore down on the isur like the weight of a mountain pressing down on mouse. As strong as Ialari like to think she was, as resolute she liked to think of herself as being, even her isurian body could not hide the strain of having her soul shredded, her body broken, her soul shattered, her reality blasted and her mind twisted beyond measure. Kavala didn't need to know any of this to plainly see through Ialari's failed attempt at creating the illusion of strength. Indeed there was a story to tell.
Image
Remade In My Dominion!

Character Sheet

Granted Flashback Threads between 510 and 512 by Tarot.
User avatar
Ialari Pythone
I'm Poison.
 
Posts: 619
Words: 923994
Joined roleplay: August 13th, 2009, 3:26 am
Race: Isur
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Medals: 7
Mizahar Grader (1) Trailblazer (2)
Overlored (1) Riverfall Seasonal Challenge (1)
2013 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1) 2012 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1)

[The Sanctuary] In Search Of...

Postby Kavala on February 1st, 2016, 7:01 pm

Image
Kavala watched Ialari eat. The Isur looked half starved and her actions eating confirmed it. Kavala rummaged around in the kitchen and pulled a few tinctures from a cupboard and mixed a few of them together in one glass container. She then reached over and added several drops, in front of Ialari, to the wine by using a glass pipette and carefully counting drops. “We have a smithy here that can surely use your expertise.” The Konti said, offering a smile and nodding to the wine. “Drink all of that. The tinctures I put in it will settle your stomach and give you a temporary boost of energy. You haven’t had it … easy I can tell. The medicine will relax you and aid in digestion as well. It’s safe to use a few times, but used too often it will make you crave it so I can only give it to you today and maybe a bit tomorrow until you’re feeling better and have more food in you.” Kavala said openly, figuring if Ialari was anything like her she would want to know what she was eating. Opiates, as dangerous as they could be, were very good for stabilizing a body or a day or two that had been abused and giving an exhausted person a much needed boost so they could actually rest.

An Imperial Watcher – a huge black dog - that Kavala hadn’t noticed was sleeping by the hearth when they walked in lifted its head and seemingly woke as the two women spoke. It didn’t make a sound other than to sit up, shake itself a bit, and thump an overly long tail against the flagstones of the hearth.

“We don’t need your coin. I would love to swap knowledge for knowledge, especially if you could teach me a bit of blacksmithing and something of your Izurdian herbal lore. I have been to the Southern Boarder Post and have a few friends there. One of your Anvils, Emaneus Vizerian, is something of a mentor of mine. I would be honored to talk of your people with you in exchange for shelter as well. We have plenty of room and enjoy the company. I heal animals here, but if you do not mind them, then it is a good place to recover and relax, at least for a while.” Kavala said, noting when Ialari slowed in her eating and all but stopped.

Kavala rose then, beckoned to Ialari to follow her, and lead her through another arch on the far side of the room that Ialari was unfamiliar with. The dog rose to join them. The hall turned out to be a library of sorts that flared out and opened up into a slight study that joined multiple hallways. Straight ahead was a door that Kavala gestured too. “That’s my suite if you need anything and can’t find me. If I am not above ground or in the Clinic healing, then I am here. To the right are medial labs and offices where we can do research. To the left here…” Kavala said leading Ialari left “... are guest rooms. Two rooms share a built in latrine. At the far end of the hall is a thermal bath.” Kavala said, pointing down to the last largest door at the end of the hall. She stopped at a room on the left and opened it up.


The large black Imperial Watcher joined them as Kavala gave the tour and was just about to let Ialari into her new room. It was the same one that had been sleeping by the hearth as they had walked into the Commons. “New person?” Ink asked Kavala then wandered to Ialari to sniff at her as the two women walked down the hall. “Yes. This is Ialari. Ialari, this is Ink. He’s one of our resident Imperial Watchers. His job is to guard the place. He will tell the others you are a guest here and to not be hassled.” Kavala said, giving the dog a momentary intense look then saying nothing else. If Ialari wanted to comment on the dogs speech, Kavala would address hat momentarily. The dog would approach Ialari and give her a good sniff if the Isur let him. But otherwise he’d stay out of the way.

A deep sapphire glow came from the room as Kavala pushed the door open and displayed a bedroom that was set up like a small studio. The walls were coated in what appeared to be a thin layer of sapphire stone, while black marble darkened the floor. A bed draped with blues was pushed against one wall and piled high with pillows. A small door at the far side of the room lead to a smaller chamber that conjoined with the next room on the left in the hall. It shared a sink, a pump for well water, and a composting toilet that lead to the depths of The Sanctuary were waste was collected and composted.

She let Ialari into the sapphire guest room.

“You can leave your things here. This can be your room until you decide to move on. Let’s go see to a bath?” Kavala said, half suggesting half encouraging. If Ialari was willing, Kavala would lead her down the hall to the bathing chamber and assist her out of her clothing and into the bath.

Image

The bathing chamber was another one carved out of stone. It had a spa like quality to it with a large pool big enough for ten people. Warm water entered from one end and drained out another wall so the pool constantly got clean water circulated through it. There were baskets of soaps, shampoos, and razors along the ledge.

Towels and robes lined another wall, all neatly folded into shelves. Kavala waited to see if Ialari would want privacy or company for her bath. If she didn’t seem shy, Kavala would ask her a question. “Do you mind if I wash your hair?” Kavala would ask once they were settled. And if Ialari gave her permission, the Konti would do just that while the other woman washed. It would give them more of a chance to talk.

1038/23,679

Image
The Sanctuary The Sanctuary Forum Riverfall The Cytali
Reverie Isle Wolf Creek Training Course
Please Note:
  • This pc is maxed out in Animal Husbandry, Medicine, Observation, Rhetoric, and Socialization.
  • Kavala a Master Teacher. Students she is teaching in thread can earn more than the maxium 5 XP per thread.
  • This pc has a Konti Gift of Animal Empathy. She has a superpower from a Riverfall city event that allows animals of all sorts and Kelvics (in kelvic form) to speak clear understandable Common around her.
  • Kavala is a Konti but was raised in the Drykas culture so her accent is entirely Pavi though she can speak Common, Pavi, and Tukant well. She's only conversational in Kontinese.
User avatar
Kavala
I am more than the sum of my parts.
 
Posts: 3025
Words: 3295757
Joined roleplay: October 25th, 2009, 1:46 am
Location: Riverfall
Race: Konti
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Scrapbook
Plotnotes
Medals: 17
Featured Thread (1) Mizahar Grader (1)
Trailblazer (2) Overlored (1)
Master Merchant (1) Donor (1)
One Thousand Posts! (1) One Million Words! (1)
Riverfall Seasonal Challenge (2) 2014 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1)

[The Sanctuary] In Search Of...

Postby Ialari Pythone on February 8th, 2016, 12:56 am

Image
Ialari narrowed her eyes and paused in her eating when Kavala reached to add several drops of the tinctures she had concocted. General distrust however gave way to reason as Ialari recognized the fact that only an imbecile would try and poison someone in such a blatant manner and Kavala, at least so far, came off as anything but an imbecile. The konti’s comment about the smithy peaked Ialari’s interest and the mention of the purpose of the additive to the wine caused Ialari to smile inwardly. It appeared as though Kavala knew her way around some chemicals; a interest shared by Ialari. Kavala’s displays of medical knowledge far surpassed Ialari’s, that much was certain. Ialari hadn’t considered the effects that her eating habits, bad as they were, would have had on eating “real food.” Ialari ceased her delay in eating and continued. In between bites, she took the opportunity to speak a bit more.

Although she had been somewhat proficient with at least the basics of the Common Tongue, it had been years since she had much need for it. In her journey from Sultros to Sahova, she generally kept to herself and spoke to others only when necessary for procuring transport. Once in Sahova, aside from her rather twisted conversations with those she had interrogated for Master Qiao, Ialari hadn’t the need for extended verbal exchanges. As a result, her accent was much thicker than it used to be. The isurian accent made her words sound heavy and sometimes rough. “I’ve spent a long time…away from the world. Food was what I could scavenge from the beach, catch in traps or kill with my hands. Thank you again, Kavala.” Ialari brought the glass of wine to her lips and tasted it with her tongue. A competent poisoncrafter who dabbled in philtering, Ialari could detect the hint of sweetblossom leaves in the tincture Kavala had added. It was a simple ingredient with effects that went a long way. “Sweetblossom…it’s been awhile. Good for settling the stomach and relieving related problems.” Ialari said before taking several sips of the wine.

Ialari was too busy eating to notice the massive black dock that shared the room with them. Like Kavala she also hadn’t noticed it when they first entered the room. Kavala’s response to Ialari’s offering of coin in exchange for the food wasn’t what Ialari had expected. The counter-offer of knowledge for knowledge in addition to the food brought back fond memories to Ialari of her home in Pitrius City and her people. Information and knowledge was the preferred items of trade among her clan and in that, Kavala had struck a note. The konti had said that she didn’t need the coin as opposed to not wanting it. Such a choice of words was very isurian in nature. Most isur, unless they were politicians or religious figures, had little need for the odd ways that non-isur tried to butter up their words. By saying that she didn’t need the coin, Kavala spoke as a merchant would, wealthy and desiring something more than merely a few coins.

Ialari listened with no small amount of interest as Kavala spoke about wishing to know more of Izurdin. She spoke of the Southern Border Post and of the Anvils and of things few non-isur would know. The name Emaneus was familiar. Ialari remembered hearing his name during her own brief visit to the border post at the start of the journey that would lead her to Sahova. For the moment, Ialari ignored the flaw in the proper wording of Emaneus’ name; family name in place of clan name being the appropriate addressing of an isur by an outsider. Her interest was far more invested in the fact that Kavala had that kind of knowledge of the isur and such a desire to know more. It was something that caused Ialari to cease eating altogether, lean back a bit and raise an eyebrow at Kavala. The konti had even offered shelter and overall sanctuary in exchange for discussion of Izurding and of the isur.

Softening her posture, Ialari considered the possibility that what Kavala said about her experiences was true. The Southern Border Post was known for its more welcoming attitudes toward outsiders and having professed an interest in Izurdin as well as the isur, Emaneus, a full priest of Izurdin, Kavala had opened a proverbial door with Ialari. Also, though not all that knowledgeable of animals, Ialari had spent much time in the wild and was more than a little enamored with snakes. So much that her movements, mannerisms and thinking were all snake-like in nature. With parents who were occupied with their pursuits of magic and faith, Ialari often found herself alone in with the family pet snake, that was of course when she wasn’t spending time conversing with statues of Izurdin as if they were the actual god.

“Kavala, your interest in the Divine Father intrigues me. I’ve never known an outsider to have much interest in Him or my people. You have an amazing place here…so ripe with magic and love. It’s…it isn’t something I am used to seeing…and I’ve seen quite a bit. As for animals, I am rather partial to serpents but I have no issues with others. You have my gratitude for your offer of sanctuary and I will repay you.” Ialari took a few more bites of food and finished her wine before Kavala rose and beckoned her to follow. It was then that Ialari finally noticed that huge dog that also stood and began to follow. Ialari noted the feel of a library as Kavala led her into the hall and wondered what sort of written lore there was to find. Having left Sultros years ago in search of knowledge, the hunger for such had not faded. Ialari noted Kavala’s chambers as well as the medical labs and offices. The guest rooms came next which brought the women to the last door at the end of the hall.

What happened next caused Ialari to step back a few paces, her grip on her snake-headed staff tightening. As with the horse in the stables earlier, the huge black dog that had accompanied them down the hall spoke and in turn, Kavala spoke back. The dog proceeded to sniff Ialari who remained in a defensive stance though took no further steps. In a guarded, questioning tone Ialari asked, “This is twice in a short time that I’ve witnessed you speaking to an animal and it speak back.” Ialari looked over the dog, Ink, in hopes that her Ukalas-altered sight may tell her something about it but unfortunately the sight had already faded too much; a consequence of being away from her Dominion for too long. “What kind of magic is at work here?” Of all the things Ialari had experienced before arriving in Riverfall, two talking animals in one day stood out.

When Kavala opened the door, Ialari saw a small yet beautiful room. The last actual room she had claimed as her own was in Sahova and it was nothing like what Kavala revealed. The gemstones on the walls and the black marble floor were a comforting contrast. Ialari’s attention however was drawn directly to the pillow covered bed. It had been years since she had the joy of sleeping in anything other than a stiff, stale cot. As she took a few steps around the room, Ialari smiled to herself at the sight of a sink and actual toilet. Although only simple guest quarters to Kavala, the accommodations were luxurious in Ialari’s eyes. At Kavala’s request, Ialari unslung the very heavy, very full backpack from her shoulders. The insides of the pack were stuffed to the breaking point while all manner of oddities were strapped, hung, tied and wrapped to the outside. Kavala could see a crude back made from netting filled with seashells. Attached to the outside of the pack were also a collection of bones, whale, bird, rabbit and even some that looked more humanoid. There were even a couple of skulls carefully attached via more netting, one of them appearing human, the other zith. At the mention of a bath, Ialari nodded awkwardly in response. Her only bathing for the past few years had been in a cold lake.

Ialari followed Kavala down the hall to the bathing chamber. Carefully accepting Kavala’s offer to aid in preparing for a bath, Ialari couldn’t help but feel growingly more vulnerable. There was something about Kavala that was disarming yet Ialari couldn’t quite put a finger on what it was. Perhaps it was the fatigue or maybe the shock of the great beauty and comfort that surrounded her. The bathing chamber was, to Ialari, fit for royalty. Allowing Kavala to help her disrobe, Ialari had few garments of clothing to remove.

She shed her wool cloak first. The well-worn garment had seen years of use and was beyond repair. How it continued to keep the cold away was beyond Kavala’s understanding. As Kavala helped Ialari remove the cloak, she would see what would have once been a rather serviceable poultice packed over a horrific wound running from the base of Ialari’s neck to the small of her back. The poultice had since dried up and looked to be stuck to Ialari’s flesh in a way that kept the wound from bleeding more than it was aiding in any healing. In fact, most of Ialari’s exposed body looked to be covered in countless small scars, abrasions and cuts that indicative of someone who has spent a long time unprotected in the wilds. With no apparent modesty, Ialari proceeded in removing her shredded skirt and torn chest wrap. Aside from the obvious beating her body had taken, Ialari appeared to be in strangely good shape albeit more than a little lean. The isurian strength and beauty that Kavala had first witnessed during her trip to the Southern Border Post was still quite strong in the woman in front of her. Regardless of Kavala’s reaction to Ialari’s wound, Ialari showed no notion of needing privacy. “I…I haven’t had truly clean hair in years. I don’t mind the help.” The defensive posture Ialari had displayed periodically since her arrival finally melted away. If asked about the wound, Ialari would mention having gone scavenging among some tide pools, losing her footing and falling against a jagged rock. The wound was such that if the poultice were removed, it would likely reopen and start bleeding again.
Image
Remade In My Dominion!

Character Sheet

Granted Flashback Threads between 510 and 512 by Tarot.
User avatar
Ialari Pythone
I'm Poison.
 
Posts: 619
Words: 923994
Joined roleplay: August 13th, 2009, 3:26 am
Race: Isur
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Medals: 7
Mizahar Grader (1) Trailblazer (2)
Overlored (1) Riverfall Seasonal Challenge (1)
2013 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1) 2012 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1)

[The Sanctuary] In Search Of...

Postby Kavala on February 16th, 2016, 7:19 pm

Image
Kavala talked as they walked, continuing her tour. Ialari had questions and that was natural. The Konti tried not to stare at the Isur. Ialari was truly one of the Kingdom’s finest, if not trail worn and weary. That could be fixed though. And the female had knowledges that Kavala needed – mainly how to work a forge – that would come in very handy if she wanted to pay for her keep here through an exchange of services. Kavala could even pay her for some commissions to keep the Isur in coin if she needed them. There were hundreds of things that were needed around the facility on a regular basis that Ialari could provide. Nails, horseshoes, even the hardware for tack for the horses were simple things their own competent blacksmith could do. Gates needed latches and hinges and those were harder. So too were the complex things they needed to use to magecraft. The work never ended. And with the hired blacksmith Kavala had to work the simpler things, Ialari might be freed up to do some more complicated things that her own smith could not handle.

“There is …. Something hanging over Riverfall. Last season people had a drastic change of personality here. But this season we have all somewhat manifested gifts or powers. I don’t know what you would call them. I would not be surprised if you developed one yourself if you stay here any length of time. Mine seems to be that animals gain the ability to talk around me. And they also understand me. It is a ‘handy’ thing to be honest. My healing practice specializes in mainly animals, though it is unnerving to see them year after year brought in with a great deal of pain from illness or injury… without the ability to tell me whats wrong. Suddenly they can. Its made me a more effective healer.” The Konti admitted, shaking her head. The big black dog had trailed them, keeping them company though he kept his thoughts to himself.

“Some of my employees have developed similar things. My own smith, who is no Isur mind you, has gained the ability to tell what percentage of what metal is in whatever he is holding. So if it’s steel, he can tell you the recipe for it. It’s a rather interesting gift. I don’t know if he will keep it, but it does work out well for him trying to duplicate things. He’s just learning, mind you, but his daughter is a Kelvic and a rather wild one, so she’s better off here than out in the city. I don’t mind his simple work. We need the nails and fasteners in large quantities and he’s patient enough to get the job done.” Kavala responded, being uncharacteristically open with the Isur. She liked Ialari, though she suspected she wasn’t seeing the woman’s true spirit. But Kavala was drawn to the lost, the down-trodden, the children of the Gods who like her had gone through a great deal.

Ialari and Kavala had similar things in common.

She continued the tour, showing Ialari to a room and then on to the bath. She didn’t mind the skulls in Ialari’s possession nor the collection of bones half displayed out of her bag. They were stories of where the Isur had been and Kavala was certain that it was a tale the woman would share if she felt comfortable. But the Konti didn’t press. There were more urgent things to take care of for the moment.

In the bathing chamber, Kavala helped Ialari out of her clothing, enjoying playing the caregiver at times. She hissed when she saw the poultice packed in what should have been the elegant line from Ialari’s neck to the small of her back. Kavala turned away a moment, urging Ialari to wait, and dipped a basin into the steaming bath and gently poured it down the length of the poultice, wetting the cloth and allowing it to release Ialari’s skin without much of a fight. Once gently soaked and pulled away, the Konti hissed at the wound, startled at its condition. It started bleeding freely. “This must trouble you a great deal. It looks like it has the beginnings of a good infection.” The Konti said, tossing the poultice aside into a rubbish bin and gently probing the wound with knowing fingers.
Kavala traced Ialari’s body from neck to back, hands running over the wound while tapping her gnosis marks. Power poured into the exhausted Isur’s back, chasing away infection and repairing flesh quickly. “This is going to scar.” She said softly, knowing they would match the other scars on the Isur’s body. Kavala worked on the main wound then set about repairing the smaller abrasions and cuts that also covered the Isur’s body. It involved the Konti running her hands almost everywhere on Ialari – across her back, the curve of her buttocks, and down each of her legs. Kavala traced more lines back up Ialari’s legs and then across her hips and chest, finally out onto her arms and shoulders. When the healer was done, the Konti helped Ialari into the bath.

Kavala revealed gnosis marks of her own, some Ialari would recognize and some she would not. Twin winged snakes of Rak’keli wrapped around her ankle, as well as a swirl of Nysel and a symbol of Eyris on the back of her hand. But the Konti’s most prominent feature wasn’t her marks or even the inked windmarks at the small of her back denoting her Drykas heritage. Instead it was that her skin was flawlessly smooth like all the scars ahad been taken from it and gathered in a raised embossed flesh pattern on her back. It was a spiral of a chavi, huge and prominent, taking up the space between Kavala’s shoulder blades. It didn’t seem to pain the Konti. But it did look like a god had stamped her back and then embossed it like one would fine stationary.

The Isur would find the bath had a nice ledge around it for sitting on either side lengthwise, though the short ends remained deep. Once in the water, which the Konti disrobed and joined her in, Kavala had Ialari dunk herself under once or twice to wet her hair, and then relax on one of the stone benches. Kavala settled beside her and gently had the Isur turn away from her. Kavala selected a couple of bottles from one of the nearby baskets full of homemade products. Shampoo was taken out and gently worked into the Isur’s hair. Kavala dipped the same basin she’d used to wet the poultice with into the pool and rinsed the shampoo out. It wasn’t a quick thing, but more like a wash to get most of the dirt off before she actually began the real task of working Ialari’s hair.

The dirty water from Ialari’s hair slushed up against the far side of the pool and disappeared under the wall through a fine mesh stone screen. Fresh water entered on the other end, keeping the bath clear and the water continuously fresh.

Taking more shampoo, Kavala remained silent as she worked shampoo deep into Ialari’s scalp. Then, after getting all the pale strands soaped, she pulled a brush from a nearby basket and began to quietly work on it, strand per strand, pulling out the knots and smoothing the strands. As she did so, Kavala began to quietly speak.

“I knew nothing of the Isur before I went to the Southern Boarder Post… before I met Emaneus. I really found a profound respect for both The Anvil and his people. The way you prayed and the way you lived your lives with Izurdin and the other gods you followed really spoke to me. On this side of the continent, we have no sense of history like your people do. Humans are crash, short lived, and often crude. They don’t remember their history and don’t look much to the future. I’ve always felt out of step with them, like my stride was different through live than theirs were. But in your homelands, time moved differently. People thought more broadly. It was comforting and liberating. I wasn’t afraid of my body. Your women’s dress… the long strands of metalwork that your women wore… was so beautiful, so appealing. And the males and their respect was a fresh change. I learned more there in my short visit than I did years here. I truly believe the Kingdom is so much more than the humans give it credit for and I do believe they only exist because the Kingdom allows it.” Kavala said, moving her eyes to meet Ialari’s gaze.

“I hated them for a time. Humans. And even now I fight it. They hurt me when I was a child for no good reason except power over another weaker thing gave them pleasure. I wanted them all dead. Now I’m better. But it still doesn’t always hold true. I fell in love with one once. A human. Do you know what he told me? I would never be good enough for him. Why? I would never be human.” Kavala said, a smile playing slightly across her face. “Fools.”

And with that she dropped the strand of hair she was working on and moved to another. “You look like you’ve been traveling a long time, and yet you don’t look like you’ve been running from anything. I know that look because I see it often enough. Your look is different, almost disturbingly so, like you’ve been lost. Do you want to talk about it?” Kavala asked, reaching out to brush a soapy thumb across Ialari’s jawline where a smudge of dirt was evident. She kept working on the Isur’s hair, knowing it was a soothing thing at the very least.

1643/33220

Image
The Sanctuary The Sanctuary Forum Riverfall The Cytali
Reverie Isle Wolf Creek Training Course
Please Note:
  • This pc is maxed out in Animal Husbandry, Medicine, Observation, Rhetoric, and Socialization.
  • Kavala a Master Teacher. Students she is teaching in thread can earn more than the maxium 5 XP per thread.
  • This pc has a Konti Gift of Animal Empathy. She has a superpower from a Riverfall city event that allows animals of all sorts and Kelvics (in kelvic form) to speak clear understandable Common around her.
  • Kavala is a Konti but was raised in the Drykas culture so her accent is entirely Pavi though she can speak Common, Pavi, and Tukant well. She's only conversational in Kontinese.
User avatar
Kavala
I am more than the sum of my parts.
 
Posts: 3025
Words: 3295757
Joined roleplay: October 25th, 2009, 1:46 am
Location: Riverfall
Race: Konti
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Scrapbook
Plotnotes
Medals: 17
Featured Thread (1) Mizahar Grader (1)
Trailblazer (2) Overlored (1)
Master Merchant (1) Donor (1)
One Thousand Posts! (1) One Million Words! (1)
Riverfall Seasonal Challenge (2) 2014 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1)

[The Sanctuary] In Search Of...

Postby Ialari Pythone on February 19th, 2016, 12:33 am

Image
As Kavala explained the talking animals at The Sanctuary and shared what she knew about the strange gifts and powers that were manifesting in the people of Riverfall, Ialari became intrigued at the inherent potential of such things. Kavala's newfound gift was indeed helpful to the work she did as Ialari had witnessed earlier with the horse. The chances of Ialari developing one of these strange abilities was a mixed consideration for her. On one hand, learning of something new and magical was one of the few things that gave Ialari satisfaction yet on the other unpredictability was something that bothered her. She liked control over a situation and a strange power not bound by rules lacked true control.

"I can see where being able to communicate with an animal would be so helpful in what you do." Ialari said while consciously trying to clear up her accent the best she could. This was done by concentrating more on her words and how they felt on her tongue. It did help a bit but it made talking a little more of a task.

When Kavala mentioned that some of those who worked for her also developed some of these strange gifts, Ialari couldn't help but think of the potential danger. Too many people in one place with powers and abilities that suddenly appeared from seemingly nowhere could explode into chaos. It was the nature of the undisciplined to experiment in grandiose ways with newfound power. Ialari hoped she was wrong.

Kavala's smith, having acquired the ability to recognize what type of metal is in something and how much was intriguing considering he wasn't an isur. While an isur may be able to tell what kind of metals are in an item by manipulating the material with their metallic hand, they couldn't tell the exact percentages and the whole process wasn't an exact science. For someone to be able to do what Kavala's smith could would be of no small value in Sultros. "Such an ability as that of your smith would be quite sought after back home. He is a lucky man." Ialari refrained from commenting on the man's kelvic daughter however. She had only heard of kelvics in passing; having never met one herself. There were a handful of isur back in the Kingdom who were said to have kelvic companions yet they lived in a couple of the border posts one the furthest reaches of the Kingdom.

Once in the bathing chamber, Ialari showed little adherence to modesty. She was used to charging around the wilds in a few tattered rags at most and often spent her days in her Dominion completely nude. Despite that, Ialari did feel a small sense of discomfort when Kavala began helping her disrobe. It wasn't enough to bring it all to a halt but Ialari's lack of humanoid contact did make her feel at least a little awkward. At Kavala's urging, Ialari paused. A moment later she felt hot water slide down her back causing the dried up poultice to be peeled away. There was a slight tug and sharp burning sensation as the wound was exposed once more.

Kavala's reaction to the wound caused Ialari to shrug slightly and say, "Honestly, I'd forgotten it was there after a few days. Didn't really hurt much, 'til now..." Her words slowly turned a bit labored as she winced at the now open, bleeding wound. Mention of infection also caused Ialari a bit of concern as infections in the wilds were often a death sentence. Her meager medicinal skills had, for the most part, kept her from succumbing to a variety of wounds over the years. She'd become complacent though as time progressed or rather, she had become too comfortable with her solitude. As Kavala probed the wound in her capacity as a healer, Ialari stifled a small cry and bit her lip. When Kavala then used her gnosis to begin the rapid healing process on Ialari's wound, the isur's eyes widened. The feeling of pain being brushed away as the flesh pulled itself back together was akin to when Ialari had eaten her first real meal in years but a short time earlier. In fact, the meal combined with the additives Kavala had used stacked together with the healing of the wound was something Ialari felt exhilarated by. At the mention of scarring, Ialari nodded and said, "It won't be the first scar and I'm sure it won't be the last."

Kavala continued to use her healing hands across Ialari's body. The initial feeling of awkwardness grew into a bit of shock as Kavala promptly traced her hands all over Ialari's body. Kavala would definitely feel Ialari jump a little but would also feel the isur relax once the healing energies of the gnosis brought relief from the numerous tiny wounds that covered Ialari. At one point, Ialari couldn't hold back a soft moan at Kavala's touch. The combination of physical contact mixed with the comforting warmth of gnostic energy was almost overwhelming. When Kavala finally finished and helped Ialari step into the back, Ialari's legs felt a little unsteady and was more than thankful for Kavala's assistance in moving.

Once in the water, Ialari felt her muscles melt at the heat. When Kavala disrobed to enter the water, Ialari noticed the obvious marks of a number of gods on the konti's body. One of marks she noticed almost immediately and it explained the strange closeness Ialari felt to Kavala. The other marks, though beautiful in design, were not as familiar. The combination of Kavala's numerous marks and tattoos combined with the otherwise flawlessness of her body was nothing short of a work of art in Ialari's eyes. The woman's scaled, pale skin was stretched over refined muscles which only added to the beauty. Although not as sculpted as an isurian body, Ialari couldn't deny Kavala's body was a close second.

Following Kavala's instructions, Ialari dunked herself a couple of times to get her hair wet and relaxed while Kavala settled in behind her. Ialari was not just dirty, she was absolutely filthy. As Kavala set to running her fingers through Ialari's hair, mixing in the shampoo, Ialari casually rubbed her hands down her arms, legs and chest in an effort to loosen up the accumulated grim. Her baths back at her coastal retreat were taken in a nearby pond and pond water wasn't exactly the cleanest thing around. A small detail that Ialari caught was the architecture of the bath that allowed the water to remain clean and fresh regardless of the amount of grime that came off of her. It was a detail that only an isur would find interesting in such a situation.

Having her hair washed was a unique experience for Ialari. Except for being a child and having her mother wash her hair, Ialari never experienced such a thing as an adult. She simply closed her eyes and allowed the comfort to fill her body. When Kavala began to speak, Ialari listened intently; eager to hear what the konti had to say which in itself was unusual for the isur. As Kavala spoke of the isur and of her interest, respect and admiration for them, Ialari's fascination with the konti grew. How could such a creature be so different yet be so similar at the same time? When Kavala spoke of isurian history and faith and then compared it to that of humans, it struck a chord with Ialari even deeper. "Kavala, the things you say about my home and my people, it's beautiful...I haven't been home for years and to hear you speak of it...It's nice."

As Kavala continued to speak, all the while scrubbing Ialari's hair and massaging her scalp in a way that kept the isur on the fine line between sleep and awake, the topic turned more toward humans. Kavala told Ialari of her hatred of humans and how they'd hurt her. She mentioned falling in love with a human and how they were so short-sighted and foolish. How is this possible? Ialari thought to herself. It's like this woman is some sort of one-off mirror image of me. Maybe this was the right place to come.

Kavala then steered the conversation toward Ialari; mentioning how she looked so traveled yet not due to running from anything. She asked if Ialari wished to talk about any of it. If anyone else had asked such a thing, Ialari would have saw it as an attempt to weasel some sort of information out of her for personal gain. As a result, Ialari would have crushed the person's face and reveled in the sight of thick red blood covering her metallic black hand. Yet, when Kavala asked, it was as if her younger sister, Nysan, had asked. The feeling was a strange one considering it wasn't Nysan who'd asked, it was this rather unique konti whom Ialari had just recently met.

Continuing to focus on speaking more clearly, Ialari began, "You're right, Kavala, I'm not running. If anything, I'm searching for something." Ialari signed in comfort as Kavala continued working with her hair. "It's...it's a very long story. I'll keep it as short as I can but it won't make any sense unless I start at the beginning." She so desperately wanted to tell her story. There was so much to tell, so many things that Ialari wanted to share with someone yet nobody had revealed themselves to be capable of understanding any of it...at least until now.

"Until recently, I always thought my childhood was, well, just that, childhood. I was the loner. I never fit in with anyone or anywhere. I always felt alone and empty. Nothing I did ever seemed to satisfy me. No matter what I excelled at, it all felt hollow. As a child, I would spend a full day at a time at one of the local parks. Unlike parks outside of the Kingdom, this park was more a monument to the craftsmanship of my people. There was a particular statue, a massive representation of Izurdin with his hand held out and his palm open upward symbolizing all the potential the isurian arm possessed. I would spend entire days sitting in that open palm, pouring my thoughts and feelings out to the Divine Father. While he never actually answered, I truly felt as though he was listening and that was enough." Ialari remembered her time spent with Izurdin in that manner and after receiving his marks later in life, she realized that indeed he had been listening.

"Each and every conversation I had with him ended with a single question, why? Why did I feel the way I did? Why did I feel so empty and alone? Why could nothing fill this terrible void I felt deep inside? I thought that Izurdin had the answer yet I never received it. I joined the Silver Tower hoping for answers there only to find nothing. I petitioned the Towers ruling council to extend my studies to the outside world. My father was an instructor there and with his help, my request was granted. So, packing up what few possessions I had, I set out in search of my answer. As far as the Tower was concerned, I was merely extending my studies of lost and forgotten lore to the world outside in hopes of bringing back something to benefit the Tower and our people." Ialari could still remember the feeling of the icy winter wind biting deep through her furs and sapping nearly every bit of strength she had.

"I made my way to the Southern Border Post before heading out into the Unforgiving on my way east. I didn't know what I was looking for or what I would find but it was something I had to do. The first place I came to after leaving the post was one of the Kingdom's trading posts. We have several set up throughout the Unforgiving where my people extract resources from the outside world and send them back home for processing; logging, mining and even trading with some of the more tolerable human barbarian tribes make up the purposes of these posts. The particular post I came upon had been destroyed. It appeared as though one of the more violent barbarian tribes had raided it. The fires still smoldered as I passed through the crippled gate. To this day I can still smell death and smoke in the chilled winter air as I made my way through the post. I stumbled upon the local shrine to Izurdin where the local priestess was raped and murdered by a few human scavengers. I couldn't save her."

Ialari swallowed hard before continuing. If not for Kavala's comforting touch, she might now have gone on. "I'm not a good person, Kavala. I killed every last one of those barbarians. The last one, I used the priestess' dagger, one I still carry to this day, to slowly disembowel him. I can still see the fear in his eyes and taste it in his final breaths. For the first time ever up to that point, I felt almost complete, almost. It was at that moment that I discovered the power of hatred. I embraced it. The answer to my question of why was forgotten. In its place, the question had changed to how could I bring the end to all of humanity. I yearned for the death of every last man, woman and child. I set out from the post with that one goal in mind." Ialari paused a moment hoping that she hadn't disturbed Kavala enough that the konti would turn away in disgust.

Assuming that Kavala hadn't recoiled from the monster Ialari had become for a time, she continued the story. "My journey led me from the post to Riverfall and then to Syliras; still I found nothing that could help me. I know such a quest sounds insane. How could one person commit genocide on a race that basically dominates what is left of the world? I was not in a good place then. While in Syliras, I learned of a place to the far east, an island called, Sahova. It was home to the nuit, a race of undead creatures devoted solely to researching magical disciplines and related phenomena. If any one place was to help me achieve my goal, that was it." Ialari's palm throbbed softly as she thought of the nuit. The memory alone of those creatures caused the mark of Dira on her hand to react.

As Kavala continued to work on Ialari's hair, the isur could feel not only the cleanliness returning but also a bit of style as Kavala brushed it. For an isur, to feel beautiful was second only to communing with Izurdin in the forge.

"I arrived in Sahova just in time to get caught up in what I guess you could say was a civil war. The archmage, a master wizard who'd existed since before the Valterrian, had just created a new "life" in the form of a being known as Drainira. Drainira had once been known as the "Supervisor" of Sahova. She was the heart and soul of the citadel there. She tended to every need the undead inhabitants would ever have. When the archmage, Maeshan, crafted a humanoid body for her, Drainira took it. Unbeknownst to Maeshan, Drainira had been subverted by Sagallius, God of Puppets and had become his champion. She'd corrupted other nuit into becoming puppets of her own and together they sought to destroy Sahova. With nobody left to trust, the archmage enlisted a small group of outsiders, myself included, to try and thwart Drainira. The others were weak-willed fools who hadn't a backbone between them. I offered to allow the archmage to transfer my consciousness into the citadel where Drainira had once been in hopes of discovering what she'd planned. Once inside, I found that she meant to destroy the citadel with magical explosions set off by her puppets. Using the power of the citadel, I prevented the destruction and revealed the rebels for what they were. The archmage now deposed by the rest of the master wizards, I agreed to help root out any other rebels through torture and interrogation. Again, not one of my finer moments yet I regret none of it."

Ialari continued trying to remove the dirt and grime from her body while Kavala expertly worked on her hair. Ialari couldn't wait to see herself when it was all done. She'd ignored her own appearance for far too long and now that it was being fixed, she realized just how neglectful she had been. She paused for a moment to see how Kavala reacted or what she would say. Having just shared so much, Ialari could only imagine what Kavala may say. There was much more to the story, some of it Ialari felt comfortable enough to share, some of it not yet appropriate to do so.
Image
Remade In My Dominion!

Character Sheet

Granted Flashback Threads between 510 and 512 by Tarot.
User avatar
Ialari Pythone
I'm Poison.
 
Posts: 619
Words: 923994
Joined roleplay: August 13th, 2009, 3:26 am
Race: Isur
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Medals: 7
Mizahar Grader (1) Trailblazer (2)
Overlored (1) Riverfall Seasonal Challenge (1)
2013 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1) 2012 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1)

[The Sanctuary] In Search Of...

Postby Kavala on February 29th, 2016, 5:16 pm

Image
Kavala mainly tried to listen to Ialari. It was almost as if she were a traveler lost outside of time. Her accent was thick and as such her common required concentration to understand. And it felt strange to the Konti – explaining the events of Riverfall – and having the Isurian woman accept them so readily. The Konti knew she had to have seen a great deal in her life to accept someone’s words so casually that everyone had developed strange and unusual powers. “It’s a little odd, alright. I’m able to control it more as well. Sometimes I can damp it down and only I can hear them. But mostly now it’s everyone and loud and that really is disruptive.” The Konti admitted, not reiterating that her clients screaming in pain when their owners brought them in injured or wounded.

And frankly, Kavala worried that she’d admitted to much to the Isur even though she was fairly sure that Ialari was trustworthy. There was something about her that did not invoke gentleness and a calm demeanor. It was hard to put a finger on. But looking at Ialari, Kavala got the distinct impression she was looking at something fragmented. Her healer compulsion was twitching, but it wasn’t actively demanding she fix anything. It confused the Konti because she’d never felt anything at all like it when dealing with another person. If she had to describe the feeling in a visual it would have to be something like someone having taken a huge ornate mirror and shattered it. The pieces where they fell were huge, and if she picked one up it looked large enough to be a whole. However, it was not. And while no one else could see the broken mirror in fragments, the person holding up the huge piece of broken silvered mirror could SENSE there was more too it. But to put a finger on it, to pinpoint what was broken or what was in pieces? Kavala couldn’t even begin too.

So the Konti kept quiet and mainly listened.

Ialari was prone to long brooding silences, which was something Kavala was used to in the Akalak. It was almost as if she hadn’t been around many people or at least folks she could hold a conversation with. Kavala wondered if she was an escaped slave, perhaps from Kenash, since such things were not that uncommon. Ialari was in rough shape, but there were no restraint marks on her wrists and the wound on her back looked truly like a wound and not like whip marks or anything like them. Curiosity burned her and she would ask, but it wouldn’t be until the Isur relaxed and had a few minutes to recover.

“For all that, he’s still human.” Kavala said knowingly. “I’ve been to The Kingdom – at least a small part of it – and if the attitudes there are any reflection he would not be welcome. The ability would be sought after but I do not think his race would earn him any favors. I’ve been out in the world, Ialari. I’ve traveled extensively from here, to the Kingdom, to even Mura in my youth for training. There are humans everywhere. And by and large most of them are greedy, selfish, and rotten. It’s no wonder they had a heavy hand in the Valterrian. They taint a great deal of what they touch.” Kavala said softly with just a hint of anger. “Not all of them are evil as I’ve met some really good ones. But most of them, Ialari, require a wide berth. Someone like you in the shape you are in right now… wandering, a little worn, wounded…. It was a good thing you are in Riverfall. The Akalak are warriors and respect women. But elsewhere – be it true or not – they would have tried to harm you further and for nothing more than their own pleasure.” Kavala admitted shaking her head and continuing to work on Ialari’s hair. There was a lot of it missing and she’d need a trim badly, but the Konti was managing to work some of the tangles out of it and rub some oil in it that would restore vitality to the locks that looked to be missing mainly the Konti guessed due to Ialari’s nutritional habits. BY her own admission she’d been foraging, scrounging for food wherever she could get it. But that too didn’t make sense. There was food all over out in the wild. And from what Kavala knew of the Isurian arms, they were weapons onto themselves and could manipulate rock like clay so finding food shouldn’t have been a problem even weaponless and naked for an Isur.

More questions. The Konti bit her lip really wanting to understand. But she had patience. And she knew Ialari needed that patience more than anything.

Before long, the magical combination of a hearty meal, supplements, healing, and a warm bath had Ialari speaking. Kavala was grateful and surprised both at the same time. This was a story the Konti wanted to hear. She’d become a collector of epic stories, somehow, and hearing Ialari’s tale was too complex to start anywhere except from the beginning was a testament to this one too being epic. Kavala listened intently, wanting not to miss a single word. The reason was simple. She’d write the story down, later, word for word in Ialari’s telling, and if there was an opportunity she’d submit it to the Akalak’s archives which were heavily guarded. Leo had done the same thing with his tale. Someone had to know what this woman had been through somewhere. Too much had been lost at the Valterrian. They had to rebuild and in that rebuilding they had lost parts of their souls as a society. Kavala suspected people like Leo and Ialari weren’t just travelers through the world but they were those that affected the world, and that made all the difference in the universe when it came to civilization.

Nothing, of course, would she do without Ialari’s permission. That would come later when they knew each other better and when Kavala knew it was the right time to ask the question. For now, if she listened, the memory would be stored on her Chavi and Chavi was accessible any time even upon her death.

The story about Ialari’s childhood touched her. It was very different than her own happy childhood where her Drykas father and Konti mother raised her like any other Drykas. None of her siblings or the other children in the pavilion tormented her for her kontiness. It was as if she lived a lie of normality until the Pavilions came together in Endrykas and even then she was sheltered. It wasn’t until a half sibling sister her same age – a fully human one – began to bleed and they began to look for her a husband that Kavala knew something wasn’t right. Her father had told her she was completely unlikely to marry unless one of the other pavilions had a taste for the exotic and just wanted her for pleasure. Kavala didn’t understand at first. She was an Ankal’s daughter and had always assumed she’d be first wife to someone. Her father had set her straight and flat out told her she was unlikely to marry until she gained a skill a pavilion needed. Healing came up more than once and her parents sent her to Mura to study. Ialari had been different from birth. Kavala had been as well but the difference was that she had been too naïve to realize it.

Ialari moved on with her story and Kavala pictured the statue and the young girl perched in his palm. The picture was moving, compelling, and spoke of a deep loneliness. Kavala was starting to realize that a great many people were lonely in their lives. It just manifested differently. Some wandered. Some dug deeper. Some resorted to violence and abuse. The Konti wondered which path Ialari decided to choose.

“Why?” Kavala said softly. “It’s a good question to ask a god for certain if you had ones attention.” Kavala said softly, nodding to Ialari’s words. She was not interrupting, just showing the other woman that she was listening. Long finished with the Isur’s hair, Kavala set the comb aside and moved around to face Ialari in the bath so they were both reclining comfortably on either edge.

The story continued.

There was another thing they had in common. Both had left home, their cultures, and went to the ‘outside’ to better educate themselves. Kavala had done it in the hopes of making a good marriage. But Ialari had done it to fill the void in her soul. The Konti mused, listening intently, and wondering what happened next. Something obviously had. The woman looked like she’d been through a war or at least had been wandering the aftermath of one for a great while.

Kavala winced at the mention of the barbarians. Emanueus had told her how they sometimes raided but he’d brushed off the danger. Ialari obviously had seen first hand that the danger was far greater than they let on. Wild humans in The Unforgiving? Kavala could hardly believe they could survive there let alone thrive. It made a stupid kind of sense. They were in some regards an infection upon the world and that infection seemingly spread to all corners… even the most rugged ones. Kavala shook her head, sad and disbelieving that such a thing could happen. She didn’t doubt Ialari, but she’d seen the Isur in action and had no idea how mere humans had gotten the jump on a boarder post.

Ialari continued. Kavala listened as she outlined her travels and finally described Sahova, a place Kavala had NEVER heard of before. She had met Nuit, but they were rare and fragile things, beings that Kavala had no real love for. It was then that Ialari outlined Drainira’s story and how the gods got involved. The Konti listened without interrupting, having long since set aside helping Ialari wash because the tale was too compelling to do anything but listen intently.

“You speak of things that have been long gone from the world. I know because I’ve seen them in the chavi’s I’ve walked. I had no idea something like Sahova existed. Nuit’s live a long time though, from what I understand, and maybe they’ve kept the old ways alive in the new world.” Kavala said softly, shaking her head.

“You should never apologize for doing things that need to be done. Nor should you regret them. It doesn’t make you a monster. It makes you practical. And even if your story is fantastical, I believe it. I think there’s a reason you came here however you came.” The Konti took a deep breath and continued, turning slightly to reveal the set of marks on her hip. It was a swirl of color and it matched the raised pattern of scarring across her back.

“The scars are representative of the chavi. I have no idea if you know much about the Ukalas or not, but the living world exists like an aura around the Ukalas which is the realm of the Gods. They divide it and horde it and rule over it and sometimes if we are lucky they ignore the world we live in. But between those two realms is a between area called the Chavena and it is filled with Chavi. Each person alive, regardless of race, has a record of all their lives. It stretches back into time from when they first came into existence and keeps expanding as they live, die and are born again. That in between place, the Chavena, holds all the chavi of everyone who has ever lived. Even now, Ialari, your Chavi is laying down your memory of this bath, this retelling, and will lay down the next steps you take and the next moves. Nysel owns this space in some regards and controls it via the use of his Dreamwalkers. I am one of those Dreamwalkers.” Kavala said, taking a deep breath and letting that sink in.

“What it means is that I can touch your Chavi and walk backwards along it, reliving your memories. I can take you with me too, so you too can re-experience those things. But we could go back…. Back past your childhood when you were feeling so broken and alone. We could go back and find out what happened to make you feel so broken and empty. It’s an easy thing. It’s not dangerous, not really, not with a Dreamwalker with you. We have other talents too, but remembering the past is one of them. That’s how I know you are telling the truth about Sahova. I’ve seen how the world was once. I’ve been trying to teach myself magecrafting because I walked my brother’s Chavi and learned that a few lives back when Alahea and The Suvan Empire were at war, he was called Maedoc Drust, the Wardog of Alahea. He was a powerful magecrafter and I’ve been trying to learn as they once taught themselves in the old kingdoms. We could look at your past too. Perhaps your past lives. There’s most likely something there, something causing this void in you. And if we can pin it down it might be easier for you to heal.” Kavala said softly, catching Ialari’s incredibly blue gaze and holding it.

“I think that might be why you are here. People come here for Sanctuary, to regroup, to regather and to heal. Maybe this was one of the only places you can do that because the primary healer is also a Dreamwalker.” Kavala said softly. “It’s not such a bad thing really. When I’m not healing, I’m randomly scanning Chavi I encounter in the Chavena just looking…. Looking at the past to try to find answers for the future.” She said gently before she paused and let Ialari soak that one in.

2335/48728


Image
The Sanctuary The Sanctuary Forum Riverfall The Cytali
Reverie Isle Wolf Creek Training Course
Please Note:
  • This pc is maxed out in Animal Husbandry, Medicine, Observation, Rhetoric, and Socialization.
  • Kavala a Master Teacher. Students she is teaching in thread can earn more than the maxium 5 XP per thread.
  • This pc has a Konti Gift of Animal Empathy. She has a superpower from a Riverfall city event that allows animals of all sorts and Kelvics (in kelvic form) to speak clear understandable Common around her.
  • Kavala is a Konti but was raised in the Drykas culture so her accent is entirely Pavi though she can speak Common, Pavi, and Tukant well. She's only conversational in Kontinese.
User avatar
Kavala
I am more than the sum of my parts.
 
Posts: 3025
Words: 3295757
Joined roleplay: October 25th, 2009, 1:46 am
Location: Riverfall
Race: Konti
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Scrapbook
Plotnotes
Medals: 17
Featured Thread (1) Mizahar Grader (1)
Trailblazer (2) Overlored (1)
Master Merchant (1) Donor (1)
One Thousand Posts! (1) One Million Words! (1)
Riverfall Seasonal Challenge (2) 2014 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1)

[The Sanctuary] In Search Of...

Postby Ialari Pythone on September 19th, 2016, 8:35 pm

Image
Ialari smiled inwardly at Kavala’s sharing of her own distaste for humans while even acknowledging that her smith, a human, had acquired an interesting mystical talent. Kavala had revealed that she had spent some time around Ialari’s people and seemed to have parted alive and in more than good condition. That bit of information, if Ialari knew nothing else of Kavala, was enough to ease Ialari’s mind. As Kavala continued working on Ialari’s disastrous hair, she spoke of the Akalak. Ialari had met a few during her short stop in Riverfall many years ago yet hadn’t taken the time to really get to know them. From the sounds of it though, she was indeed lucky to have arrived in Riverfall and not some other place. She could feel the weakness of her neglected body as the water of the bath surrounded her. It’s heat and Kavala’s ministering of Ialari’s hair made it ever so apparent.

When Ialari finally paused in the telling of her story, there was a short moment of silence before Kavala began to speak. She told Ialari not to regret or apologize for that which needed to be done. Regret was something that Ialari had struggled with for quite some time. She had no real regrets for anything she’d done up until the moment she sacrificed her hatred in exchange for Dominion. Kavala then repositioned herself to show Ialari the scars on her hips. Ialari couldn’t help but notice the delicate beauty Kavala possessed. Humanoid as she was, Kavala’s slightly scaled skin was exotic and mixed with the elaborate scarring made her even more fascinating to look at. Kavala then started to explain the chavi.

Ialari hid a smile at the irony in Kavala’s mention of not knowing if Ialari knew much of the Ukalas as she listened intently to the concept of the Chavena. While Ialari had been exposed to quite a bit in regards to the Ukalas, both from Dira’s guided tour and from her own time spent in her Dominion, she knew nothing of the realm in between realms. The whole idea of all of one’s life experiences being mystically recorded in a divine realm and being carried on from one life to another, while not being the strangest thing Ialari had ever heard or experienced, was no less intriguing. That Kavala was one who could navigate this strange realm was however quite surprising. Such a fragile looking creature being capable of such a magnificent feat was not something Ialari would have ever considered upon first laying eyes on Kavala.

Kavala even sharing this information in the first place made Ialari slightly uncomfortable. She wasn’t sure why though. She wasn’t intimidated by the revelation but at the same time she couldn’t help but feel smaller in a way. It was a feeling she hadn’t experienced in a long time. Within her Dominion, Ialari was in charge. Although the process was slow, her own little pocket of the Ukalas usually bent to her will, eventually. It gave her the feeling of strength and with that came comfort and security. Being so close to someone who could do something comparable was unusual.

It was then that Kavala explained the most important aspect of being able to navigate this realm called the Chavena. She could actually contact Ialari’s chavi and relive her memories. She could uncover things Ialari was unable to remember. She could uncover the answer to Ialari’s question, Why? As Kavala met and held Ialari’s gaze with her own, Ialari knew that she would have to share quite a bit more of her story, one way or another, in order to find her answer.

Keeping Kavala’s gaze a moment longer, Ialari washed the last of the filth from her body. Looking back to Kavala, Ialari said quietly, “What you’ve shared, what you’ve offered, to a stranger such as myself, is a lot to take in. I’ve encountered so much in my travels yet you offer to reveal even more. I will take you up on your offer. First though, I am so tired. If I may, I’d like to get some rest, get situated here and collect myself; it’s been a rather unique day.”

As she finished rinsing herself, she took a moment to stand and stretch in a number of directions and positions; reveling in the diminishing pain. She looked back to Kavala and added, “There is something more to the story of what brought me here that I need to tell you. Especially as it relates to what you’ve offered to do for me. Later though.” Ialari moved to the edge of the bath. “Kavala, whether you agree or not, I owe you for your kindness more than I can voice right now.” Ialari then readied herself to go to her room and rest. There was much to think about and much to decide on. Kavala had provided an odd fork in the path Ialari was on and she felt obligated to return the favor. Doing so however was a rather large step.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


A couple of days passed as Ialari recovered from her fatigue and emotional stress of her journey from her Dominion, where she had spent far too much time without leaving, to Riverfall. Her meeting with Kavala and all that they had spoken of had created an entirely new level of emotional conflict for Ialari. As a result, Ialari had taken time away from her recovery to rebuilt her link to her Dominion. She also discovered that she too had been affected by the strange events occurring in Riverfall in the form of her blood now having the power to transform inanimate objects into living breathing snakes. So much was happening so fast, not the least of which was what happened when she reestablished her link to her Dominion.

A Door to Somewhere

Following the terrible conflict experienced in her Dominion, Ialari hobbled out of her room, blood soaking the tattered sailcloth wrapped around her leg. She quickly made her way to Kavala's room in hopes of her new friend and host being there. Kavala was a healer and Ialari's wound was far beyond what little medical knowledge the isur possessed. Of course, Kavala would demand to know what happened which effectively decided for Ialari whether or not she would tell the konti the rest of the story, all of it. As with most things that happened to her, Ialari considered it all to be another nudge from Izurdin as he guided her from afar.

Arriving at Kavala's door, Ialari gritted her teeth against the pain of her wound and knocked.
Image
Remade In My Dominion!

Character Sheet

Granted Flashback Threads between 510 and 512 by Tarot.
User avatar
Ialari Pythone
I'm Poison.
 
Posts: 619
Words: 923994
Joined roleplay: August 13th, 2009, 3:26 am
Race: Isur
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Medals: 7
Mizahar Grader (1) Trailblazer (2)
Overlored (1) Riverfall Seasonal Challenge (1)
2013 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1) 2012 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1)


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests