Completed Creative Prayers

Rohka introduces herself to a Konti who encourages her to learn the art of pious truth

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A city floating in the center of a lake, Ravok is a place of dark beauty, romance and culture. Behind it all though is the presence of Rhysol, God of Evil and Betrayal. The city is controlled by The Black Sun, a religious organization devoted to Rhysol. [Lore]

Creative Prayers

Postby Rohka on December 1st, 2017, 3:16 am

2nd Day of Fall, 517 AV

“And now you know why I’m here! Can you take me on as your apprentice?”

Roh beamed at the woman sitting beside her in the pew. The Calico was both nervous and excited, feeling at once like she may’ve droned on for too long, but believing that there was no other way to explain why she came in to the Temple today. Well, it was common knowledge that most anyone coming in during this time would be here for the prayer services, and that was true too—that was certainly part of the reason. But Rohka had the tendency to go during the evenings when she knew that Leth was either full or completely dark. She always felt like her prayers were most effective on those days. This evening was different, she knew that this evening Leth would be more of a crescent. She wasn’t quite sure what effect this would have on her meeting, since she wasn’t at all familiar with Leth’s phases. Regardless, she was told that she would find who she was looking for on this day, at this place, at this time, in this very spot, and the information she was given had been correct. So she seized her opportunity.

A silence was beginning to form between them, so she quickly blurted out the respect she tended to forget when seeking selfish gain,

“Please?”

A pale, scaled face looked back at her with an expression that Roh couldn’t quite figure out. It seemed like a cross between curiosity and pity, or perhaps it was an ounce of frustration mixed with a dash of boredom. Or could it be anguish? It was so hard to tell, even with the sigh that had escaped the woman’s lips. Rohka had only just finished telling the story of how she met Sariven Drolore, by mentioning every detail of their serendipitous meeting at the Malt House and concluding with the fact that he had recommended getting a job at the Mystic Eye. With Lelia.

He never mentioned how beautiful she was. She didn’t even seem quite human.

“Um. Rohka, was it?” The pale woman asked, her delicate hands neatly folded in her lap. Lelia was dressed simply, in a stark black gown and a dark red cloak, with a hood that had been up the entire time Roh spoke. There were people beginning to fill the pews around them. The two women were sitting at the very back row, with Lelia sitting right at the edge, nearest to the centre aisle with her drawstring pack by her feet, and Rohka sitting beside her. Very rarely did people sit this far back unless the chamber was hosting an especially auspicious prayer. This evening’s services were supposed to be quite normal, as far as Roh knew, and judging by the sparse crowd, she was right.

As if the implication of her thoughts had been known, Lelia brought her hands up to lift the hood of her cloak, letting it fall behind her. Her bone white hair stood in elegant contrast to her clothing, and Rohka stared a little in awe. She caught herself staring and cleared her throat before speaking up,

“Yes, Rohka. I’m Rohka Calico, daughter of Meer and Vida Calico, from the Calico Lumber Company near the Southern Trading Outpost. I forgot to mention that, but I figured you should know my background. What’s yours?” She asked, curiously.

“Well,” said Lelia, her hands back in her lap. Rohka silently studied the shimmering scales on the back of the woman’s hands before looking back up into her extremely lightened gaze. It was hard to tell what shade those eyes were, with such paleness. Lelia had noticed the awe and was quite used to such first impressions, so she began to answer without hesitation.

“Lelia is my name, as you know. I have no other name. I’m a Konti, a child of Avalis and a devotee of Rhysol, born in Mura. That’s all you need for my background, since you only asked because I look different from you. Your answer is yes, I am indeed a different race from you, born in a different place from you, and my work is absolutely different from what you do too.”

Like a blown-out flame from a candle, that answer snuffed Roh’s excitement.
Last edited by Rohka on July 28th, 2019, 6:03 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Creative Prayers

Postby Rohka on July 2nd, 2019, 3:59 am

Something akin to anger began to boil from a depth within her being. What difference does difference make? It was an odd question to be asking herself, but the question remained: just because they were different, didn’t mean they couldn’t work together. Could she not be given the chance to prove her worth?

“Lelia,” she began, the young, naive sybil trying her best to once again talk her way into a position. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you. I just thought since Sariven told me where to find you this morning—like I said earlier, he came into the Malt House yesterday, and then he came to the House again in the morning because he said he would introduce me, but what I didn’t tell you is that he said he needed to take care of something so he couldn’t come with me to see you! He told me where to find you so—“ Rohka felt like she was getting lost with the message she was trying to get across, realizing that her pace of speaking had gotten faster. “Well, so, that’s why I just wanted to see you and introduce myself and I didn’t know exactly what to expect either, he just told me that you love company and that I just needed to find the woman sitting at the back and ask for Lelia, and to tell her how I met him and how I actuallytrulyabsolutely love playing with my cards! Well, fortune telling, not playing, although it’s kind of like playing, but I want to do it for work because it’s more fun than the other things I’ve done and I actually think I’d be really good at it, so I thought I would just talk to you, see?”

It was almost as if her voice had gotten a whole octave higher than when she’d started.

“Child,” Lelia began, the corners of her lips beginning to turn upwards. “You’re much too agitated right now. I understood your reason for being here as soon as you told me.”

She lifted her arms to let the edges of the dark red cloak fall away, revealing her soft, light skin, turning so that she could show the inside of her forearm. The Konti gently traced the edges of the two yellow-tipped black lilies tattooed in intricate detail, and Rohka watched as it seemed to sparkle in the light of the temple. “I know you speak the truth, because my Sight tells so me,” she said, while looking at her mark. The Konti knew enough to see that the woman sitting beside her would take kindly to preachings filled with an air of honesty. “I know Sariven didn’t tell you everything. I’m a Divinist, favoured by The Seer herself, the Goddess of Visions, and having been twice-marked makes me able to read your past and present with nothing but the thought of you while you are here. You must understand, from this moment onwards, that I can read the Chavi, the mortal lifeline, of anyone alive in this room. Sariven has his ways and has always been a clever and busy man. It’s not a problem that he did not join you. He is of no concern to me. You, however,” she paused, thoughtfully.

“There’s no need to worry, my child. Here,” she offered a hand, palm upturned. It was then that the sybil noticed the glint of a plain silver ring on Lelia’s index. “Pray with me, Rohka. Hold onto me and listen to this evening’s sermon. You will have your ultimate answers by the end of the service.”

The Calico was more than a little overwhelmed. Lelia looked so young and yet she spoke as if she knew every tick of the sybil’s life. Being called a child was in itself so patronizing, and yet it made her feel at ease, as if it was right, as if she was indeed an ignorant fool in comparison to the wisdom the Konti held in her experience. Rohka breathed in and felt her heart beating in her chest. She was nervous; she knew, somehow, through the Divinist’s solemn tone that tonight’s prayers would be her only hope. Her eyes began to water, but she took the Konti’s hand in faith.
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Creative Prayers

Postby Rohka on July 2nd, 2019, 4:00 am

”Welcome, darlings, to the Temple of the Black Sun. I am your humble Agent of Rhysol, and I will be your guide in tonight’s rite of communion. As you know, our daily services are brought to you with blessings from the Lord, and each of us in this Temple are here to protect you. In the beating heart of our loving lake city, all of you are so very lucky to be graced with our Lord’s care, for you are safe and free from the dangers of Mizahar. I remind you all that the Valterrian destroyed countless lives, but those of you here today are breathing the divine luxury of Ravok’s all-encompassing air. That’s right, the air you breathe tonight is so precious and so pure because we, The Black Sun, work day and night to ensure that every one of our citizens enjoy a life devoid of war and hardship. None of you need to live as animals struggling to survive because The Black Sun ensures that you and your property will always be generously protected from outside forces. Our legacy as an organization has been that of pure strength, for no other group of devotees has ever been able to navigate this world of chaos as we have.

I, your humble Agent of Chaos, choose to remind you all, my darlings, of the Black Sun’s long-standing history. Embrace the glory you see above you, this mural of victory, this proof of true power, this depiction of love for all Ravokians. Join me tonight, as we do every night, in giving our thanks and our devotion to the one and only Lord of Ravok.”


This was their cue to stand. Rohka continued to hold the Konti’s hand as they stood, and both women brought their other hand up to their heart.

Tonight’s introduction to the service was similar to most nights, but it was nice to hear the Agent speak of the Black Sun’s history. As the individuals in the crowd stood, other black-robed members of the order began to set up something of an easel at the front of the marbled chamber. Pots of paint were brought out and many simple brushes were produced and were being handed out to the small audience of worshipers.

”Under the crescent light of Light, we begin to set our intentions,”

Roh beamed. Not only did would she get to make Art for their Lord—something she had never had the chance to do before—she also was learning the effect of tonight’s prayers.

”Each of you will bring forth the beauty within you to captivate Rhysol. Bless us all with your true essence on this canvas, bring us your faith through these paints, allow yourselves to FEEL the power of Rhysol within these magnificent halls and set your intentions onto this canvas.”

As the Agent said it, multiple robed Acolytes brought a large, fresh, stretched canvas over a wooden frame, and place it on the easel, first in a portrait orientation, then after a murmur, turned it so that it was in landscape. It was about five feet long and two-and-a-half feet tall.

”Paint a word, a symbol, a swash of colour, a splatter of gold, a dripping stroke of sweet blood, it’s all up to you. In my hand I hold a simple chimeglass, filled with sand. Each of you will get a single chime to put your prayer onto this piece. We will go pew by pew, starting from the front, ending at the back.”

It was at this moment that a few people began to move. To Rohka it seemed like there were about thirty to forty people in the chamber, a chamber that could fit far, far more. She realized that since they were sitting at the back, they would probably be last. The sybil turned to look at the Konti who simply closed her eyes, nodded, and smiled. Roh glanced around and saw there were were a couple individuals who had chosen to come stand in their pew.

The Agent was grinning, knowing the types of chaos tonight’s service had the potential to cause. He allowed a couple more ticks of shuffling before speaking up.

”All of you must now freeze where you are.” And they did. Especially when seeing the Acolytes stationed at the end of every few pews. ”My friends here will escort some of you to the spot you deserve to be. We will begin individual prayers in just a few moments. Feel free to sit in meditation as you wait for your turn.”

The possibilities were endless. Rohka was given a brush and she inspected it, noticing the boar bristles wound together. The Divinist was also holding her brushes well, and they both looked at each other with grinning anticipation.

”We will begin starting…”

A loud, reverberating gong rang with pride from above their heads.

”Now!”
Last edited by Rohka on July 2nd, 2019, 6:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Creative Prayers

Postby Rohka on July 2nd, 2019, 4:01 am

Down the aisle walked a flute and lute pair, playing a lovely melody as the perfect backdrop for their prayers, creating an ambience of introspection and deep piety.

Rohka watched in silence as men and women and even children took their turn to inscribe their expression onto the canvas. Some wrote words like thank you, glory, love, saviour. Some wrote full poems of prayers. Others painted over previous inscriptions, and she noticed the Agent’s happiness over these moments. She knew it served their purpose to see Rhysol’s followers being greedy for His love, being competitive for it. Rohka felt no remorse for those whose prayers were mutilated. It was all his way, every act was for him, whatever stayed on the canvas was merely a known reflection of the combined worship of his people.

A voluptuous woman slit her wrist with a dagger and used her blood to paint a heart. Others saw this and gasped, some even taking her lead and using their blood to paint as well. A couple wealthier lot were given a pot of molten gold to use, and they made a circle, filling the inside with black paint. A child picked apart a feather and painted the tendrils onto the edges of the canvas. One little boy took a whole small pot of blue paint and dumped it into the large white on his turn, then splashed the entire pot of paint right onto the middle, laughing as he did it. The Agent laughed too, patting him on the back and whispering to the other Acolytes.

It was nearing their turn. An older gentleman dressed in greyed robes was using his turn to seemingly blend individual sections of the painting together. He seemed to have an expert’s hand, mixing colours in just a few ticks and swashing the colours together, in a way that made one part look like a sunset and another part look like a field of flowers, and another part like a void of darkness with very little light, where the gold-ringed black circle was. It was incredible to watch. Such beauty through chaos.

Rohka was so mesmerized that she’d lost track of when her turn was. The Divinist tapped her arm, urging her to walk forward. Something about her eyes seemed to send chills throughout her body, as if Lelia had looked straight through her entire being and laughed. She shook the feeling off and took a breath, barely knowing what it was that she would put on the canvas, but seeing that she would be second last.

She walked up and chose green. They’d had a wooden plank to serve as a palette to mix colours. She knew she wanted it darker, and she’d noticed the older gentlemen using blue instead of black to darker the colour, yet leaving it vivid, making the field-like portion of the painting pop with brightness. She added the blue but then it seemed too much and she clicked her teeth.

The Agent yawned and looked away. He’d seen a handful of people waste their minute, and figured she would as well.

Rohka refused to notice him and focused on getting the colour just right. As soon as she was ready, she began to paint right in the middle of the canvas, near the bloodied heart, above the flowery field, in the centre of messy sky blue so that her darkened blue-green would stand out in a manner that would be less than obtuse. She began to write:

Our Lord speaks the truth
To Him we give our youth
We shall be pure of heart
and Love he will impart


Her prayer was complete.
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Creative Prayers

Postby Rohka on July 2nd, 2019, 4:12 am

Rohka turned to walk back and saw the Divinist reading what she’d written, nodding. A smirk played at her lips.

The Konti would be the last to add to the work.

“Well, darling,” said the Agent, addressing Lelia. He had barely payed any mind to Rohka’s input on the canvas. The sybil watched as the Agent’s brows raised, as if in recognition. “You are indeed the last to contribute to our latest offering unto Rhysol. You’re free to do as you please.” He gestured while flipping the chimeglass to start the time.

The Konti grinned and turned to Rohka.

“You should know the truth, child.” She turned to face the rest of the crowd. “You all should.”

Lelia took the rest of the paints and splashed it all over the canvas, covering every inch of the canvas with what was left. She used both palms to spread the paints around the canvas in circles, mixing it all together until it was impossible to see what had ever been underneath. She then reached to her side and pulled out her dagger, flashing her teeth at the sybil with a flare of insanity and stabbed the canvas.

She began tearing into the sheet, and soon you could see her spelling something out. L… I… A…

LIARS

The Acolytes whispered among each other and the Agent stood with his eyes closed. He still smiled. As if it was all a joke.

“Rohka, do you know now?”

She couldn’t know. She wasn’t sure. It felt like a blur. Who could she possibly mean?

“We are all liars, child.” Said Lelia, her voice loud and clear for the entire chamber to hear. “Every one of us. Including you. EVEN RHYSOL. He is the God of Lies and it is so sad that you never knew. Most of you will NEVER KNOW! And you, Rohka.” She paused, chuckling.

“You will not know in the next river of time, child.” Lelia grinned again.

She whispered ‘Tanroa’ and took a step back.

Time went back five chimes.

Challenge prize :
Tanroa’s 5th Chime Ring – This plain silver ring is etched with a gnosis mark from Tanroa, Mistress of Time. Manufactured long ago by mages who were also priests and priestesses, this simple silver ring allows a user once per season to turn back time five chimes. The user need only whisper Tanroa’s name and then take a step back. As they step backwards with Tanroa’s name on their lips, time will simply rewind back five chimes in that instant.
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Creative Prayers

Postby Rohka on July 2nd, 2019, 5:57 am

The Divinist tapped Rohka’s arm, urging her forward.

A look of amusement splayed across Lelia’s face, and the sybil watched curiously while she stepped forward. Rohka smiled, curiosity turning into excitement for her turn. There was something about this moment that felt like she’d been here before. It was a rare feeling, but she always took it as a sign that she was in the right place at the right time.

Feeling completely emboldened to make a statement, Rohka rushed up to the front of chamber, her simple boots thumping loudly against the black marble floor. Once she reached the front, she turned to find the little boy who had thrown the paint on the canvas and she pointed at him.

“You! You are an inspiration young sir. May Rhysol bless your spirit!”

With that, she dipped her bristled brush into a pot of black and picked up a pot of red, then circled the canvas until she stood facing the back. She saw the wooden frame that built the support for the stretched canvas and she poured red onto the frame. The red dripped along the grains and she quickly stroked the wood with her brush, getting as much covered in a few ticks. Time was running out, and her inspiration ran to watch alongside her while his parents called out to him, the Acolytes letting the boy free and holding his mother back from reaching him.

Rohka used the black paint to write as big and as fast as possible.

TRUTH HURTS.
SAY IT!
BE IT.

“Time’s up!”
The Agent was by her side now, his face expressionless, nodding, then guided Rohka back to the front where the Konti stood ready for her turn.

She held out her hand and was given the molten pot of gold by the Agent himself. Lelia then motioned to Roh and they both walked to the back of the painting. The Konti took a tick to read it, smiled, and added her piece.

TRUTH HURTS.
SAY IT!
BE IT.
KNOW IT.


The bold words dripped excess paint down the sheet, looking as if they were locked behind a flaming red cage. Turning to the Calico, Lelia leaned forward, stepping closer, as if coming in for a kiss. Rohka froze, taking in the meaning of the golden words now written across the back of Rhysol’s offering, feeling silky white locks brush against her cheek. The Konti whispered into her ear.

“You’ve prayed well, child. Your time is now. Report to the Mystic Eye tomorrow morning. Bring your cards.”

The little boy ran back to his parents and told them what he’d seen.
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