Open In the Garden of Good and Evil

[Nadiah]

4th of Winter, 517 AV | Late Afternoon | Riverfall| The Knirin Gardens

For a self-professed artist Nadiah was not terribly good at sketching. She squinted at her drawing before glancing back up at the cluster of bright purple violets she had been studying. It was difficult to capture the spirited essence of the colorful flowers with nothing but her tinted charcoal pencils. The young Konti resettled her skirt as she shifted position on the stone bench she was occupying: Her blue eyes never leaving her subject as she began carefully shading in her sketch. She had only just entered Riverfall a few days before and had already retreated to the city’s gardens for respite. The dappled shadow of a tree rested over the pale woman, light glinting through the leaves to fall in lovely patterns across her sketchbook.

This city was still alien to her, although she had to admit that it was quite beautiful. Nadiah glanced away from her task to frown faintly at the other inhabitants of the gardens, there were several of the massive blue skinned Akalaks either seated at other benches or resting in the shade of the numerous trees. Their culture was so different from that of her temperate minded sisters. She supposed the divide was to be expected when considering the differences between an all-male race and an all-female race.

Shrugging her shoulders Nadiah resumed her drawing, working muted tones of blue, red and yellow into the paper to bring a little life to the sketch. The flowers she had drawn were arranged haphazardly, more a study of form and less a composed piece. Painting was a bit different from the precise lines she wrestled with here. In painting she could create the impression of form with contrast and carefully blended colors on a canvas, but with pencils she was limited in the illusions she could play on the eye. Nadiah pressed the pencil harder into the paper to give off a darker more vibrant shade. It granted the petals a little more dimension and made the flower more recognizable as a violet. She smiled to herself, pleased with the result. Darkness creates depth in any form of art, sometimes it is shadow that brings true beauty.

Nadiah flinched, briefly catching a fleeting hint of movement in the corner of her eye. Behind the bench she was seated on was a large oak tree with shrubbery clustered around it’s trunk. It would be terribly loud for anyone to move about in the brush so Nadiah simply shrugged it off as a trick of the mind or the constant shifting of the branches. There had been some silly rumors of shadows snatching people in the night, but Nadiah simply assumed that some witless drunks had started the gossip after scaring each other to death in the middle of the night. Even with her rational reasoning Nadiah visibly shuddered at the idea of being watched by some nefarious shadow. She shook off the feeling before resuming her drawing.

‘It's just the wind’ she whispered to herself as the tree behind her creaked, it's branches sighing in the wind.

Secret :

(OOC: Just wanted to get a little intro thread started that hints toward the winter seasonal plot. Please jump right in!

[Grim Ravenwood]

¤

Prayer. Most would agree, a rather important thing in the lives of those that have devoted themselves to a deity, or several. However, for those that do not have an adequate temple nearby, any place is temple enough - especially if they find themselves in Riverfall, the city of parks. These basins of tranquility are scattered all around the Akalak city, providing peace and quiet - a commodity rarely found in most inhabited places. What more could one want?

Yet, even so, not all were so eager to stand vigil.

Among the vibrant colors, from the high foliage, a dark form descended. One, given the surroundings, most would take as odd. The crow gracefully landed on the same bench occupied by the artisan, leaving a single raven feather in its wake. Unfazed by the girl, it approached her side with small, measured jumps. The crow adorned a skull of a less lucky bird on it's head, not unlike a man would adorn a hat, or a helmet. Once just a palm away, the avian crooked its head, allowing its tiny obsidian eyes to gaze at the drawing, seemingly with great interest.

Though an omen of death to most, it was, a dear friend to some.

Well, one at least.

Some distance away, a figure clad in black robes, scanned the tree branches with smoky gray eyes. On it's shoulder, a vicious looking scythe rested - not intended for cutting grass, if one were to judge by the shape of its blade. He moved slowly over the walkway, evidently searching for something. Or better yet, someone.

"There you are." He worded out, spotting the skullcrow pestering someone.

"You will have to forgive Dusk." Grim said as he approached, a courteous smile climbing atop his lips. "He tends to fly away when something disturbs him."

She was evidently Kontinese, pale and seemingly fragile, though he at least, knows otherwise. She was another artist it seemed - a breed ofpeoplethat he found most odd. Hopefully, this one won't try to rip his throat out for not noticing her imaginary friend, like the last one he met. Still, the Eiyon could not help but notice how they, appearance wise, contrasted each other.

"Though..." The Eiyon added with a slight pause. "Not a single disturbance is sight."

"On the contrary..." Said Grim, tilting his head as the drawing came into view. Flowers, it seemed. To one such as himself, who struggled with keeping his handwriting legible, lines on paper, that seemed barely different from the real thing, were nothing short of witchcraft. "I am Grim by the way." Said the Eiyon nonchalantly, without taking his eyes of the picture. At the same time, he extended a hand in greetings, a scythe mark laying on his palm.

OOCRegarding your aspiration sight, if you come into position to use it on Grim. Well, he aspires to become a reliable guardian of the circle, one that will do his part in keeping life and death in balance. Likewise, he wishes to show Dira that she did not make a mistake when she chose to mark him. The gnosis mark he received gave him purpose, and made him realize that he had spent most of his life doing nothing.