Intriguing Introductions Incognito (Hadrian)

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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]

Intriguing Introductions Incognito (Hadrian)

Postby Venidus Larkspur on August 16th, 2011, 8:07 pm

Venidus scowled and brandished the knife handed to him. He tried to look dangerous, but he began to snicker upon realizing how ridiculous he must look. It would have to do though and holding the weapon brought a certain reassurance. Venidus toyed with the idea of smearing some of his own blood on the knife for added effect, but that would come off as more serial killer than guard so he decided against the idea. He tossed the knife up and caught it. He tried to look casual but a moment later and the knife would have taken one of his fingers.

“Vizyous Aconitum...” Venidus ran the name through his head. It had been a while since he was in Ravok, but names, especially those of Webs, were still fresh. “He is Web Aconitum’s kid that left a bit before I did. I doubt they were pleased, but my folks were pretty furious too. Staying in Kalinor is too much for some. I see we who leave as kindred spirits.”

Maybe I should cut back on the personal information... but all of this was in the past. As long as I don’t divulge any information about my current work in Ravok, I will be safe... and smart.

He began speaking of himself in an attempt to gain some information from his unlikely friend, “I couldn’t stay in that subterranean city any longer. I would have been pushed to take a surrogate as my own or go on a harvest! Completely unacceptable... To take the life of an innocent woman would be unfathomable. I say my birth mother is the only innocent person I’ve ever killed... Thinking that every one of my people are born murderers is quite chilling.”

By the time he was done talking, they were out of the alley and in a slightly more populated canal area. He had found a nice slow rhythm to walk with that didn’t make him look entirely wounded. As suspicion continued to fade, curiosity began to bloom. Andry was a person from Zeltiva who had traveled to Alvadas and was now in Ravok. One does not simply end up in Ravok on a whim.

The Symenestra gave a quizzical glance at Andry, “So what brings someone like you to Ravok? Alvadas is famed for illusions of the senses, but I warn you that Ravok fosters completely different types of illusions. Around you, you will see a city, but it is truly a coffin. You will see people who are happy, but they are merely blind. You will see virtues that are truly vices. Only the wicked and the most righteous find reasons to travel these streets.”
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Intriguing Introductions Incognito (Hadrian)

Postby Hadrian on August 20th, 2011, 4:35 am

"Well, they can likely find him in Alvadas if they wish to seek him out, but he seemed rather determined to go his own way." There had been times where Hadrian had wondered if Vizyous wasn't attracted to him in the way that a man was attracted to a woman, but he always wrote it off as the blood-bond between them. It felt faint nowadays, only twinging from time to time and he had no idea what that meant. Perhaps that was a question for Viratas or one of His priests.

But he offered a brief smile for the small bit of personal information, sending a pulse of reassurance through his aura and into Venidus' with that smile. Let him trust, slowly but surely. It was manipulation, but Hadrian knew he would not take undue advantage of it. Besides, he was a spy and couldn't let people know that or his friends would suffer for it.

"I never understood why the Symenestra never started currying the favor of Siku and Rak'keli," he mused aloud. "The first might make your mothers less susceptible to the poison of their children. The second might help you keep the mothers alive long enough to wean the children, and then you could have pureblooded Symenestra without such a death toll."

When they were out on the canal-sidewalks again, he tried to look a bit wild-eyed, not wanting to feign true fear as he was not an actor, but at least looking nervous enough that a bloody bodyguard would make sense. That was the trick to illusions, giving enough keys and connections to let the mind of the observer do most of the work. But as he let some of his very real fear leak out into his aura for any Aurist to observe, he continued to send the occasional pulse of reassurance to the injured Symenestra, who probably didn't need much more emotional strain to break.

"I haven't the wisdom to know if I'm virtuous or wicked."
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Intriguing Introductions Incognito (Hadrian)

Postby Venidus Larkspur on August 20th, 2011, 9:02 am

“The Aconitum kid is in Alvadas? I’ll take your travel tip and avoid the city, but I would beseech you not to give my location to the next Symenestra you meet,” Venidus said grinning. The thought of the Larkspur’s tracking him down amused the preacher, but if it actually happened, the result wouldn’t be as humorous. They might drag him back to Kalinor or kill him before he could return and cause a ruckus with his odd beliefs. I may want to meet this Vizyous one day...

Venidus was feeling a bit more open than he was used to being. The exposure made him a bit confused. The challenge now was not deciding what to tell but rather what to withhold. He stopped grinning in order to maintain his bodyguard appearance. A stranger bumped into him and the Symenestra flashed his fangs while his hand reached towards the knife, which he had put into his belt. The stranger jumped away and cursed. Venidus, reveling in his fake job, continued to walk beside Andry.

Andry’s musings struck the Symenestra as ingenious. The ideas made sense and the Symenestran people seemed a bit foolish for not pursuing the ideas. Embarrassed for his people, Venidus raised an overly serious counterargument, “The Symenestra are people of tradition and habit. Their Blood God is all they have time to worship, and two more divines would shake Kalinor’s foundation dangerously. Also, getting gods to hand out gnosis to the females of an entire race may cost more than we could pay... Most importantly, many don’t think that lesser races really add to the ‘death toll’.”

He frowned trying to imagine what his mother looked like. Venidus jested despite a being quite serious, “I should bring you back to Kalinor. Your ideas could bring the Symenestra into a golden age. Maybe I could wed you to my sister. She could name the child after you... Dra-Andry...” The thought was a sad one. His sister had gone insane due to hypnotism overgiving and would probably never have a partner.

Andry’s last comment didn’t please Venidus at all. This Andry character was humorous but the Symenestra would not be made a fool of, “Please don’t toy with me, Andry. It does not take a wise man to know virtue from vice. When I said that this city is full of the righteous and the wicked, perhaps I wasn’t clear. Ravok is a city for those who run and those who seek. Those who run, usually from the law, justice, or guilt, are wicked. Those who seek, usually for the truth, answers, or retribution, are righteous. I told this to a beggar once and he told me I was wrong. ‘What of the wicked that seek power in this city,’ he said. I told him those wicked that seek power actually are running from their weakness... Of course this whole philosophy is debatable and open for debate, but... According to the idea of seeking and running... I would like to know which you are. Are you a seeker or a runner?”

The preacher added quickly, “I am righteous. One may say that I am a runner because I left Kalinor, but I didn’t run to Ravok. I traveled to the surface to seek an alternative. There is a lot of room for twisting ideas and words, but try to be honest and answer from my point of view...”

OOCVenidus is a preacher but he hasn’t been preachin’ much. So that’s where the dialogue block came from... a little philosophical dance...
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Intriguing Introductions Incognito (Hadrian)

Postby Hadrian on August 21st, 2011, 9:31 pm

"Hm, perhaps you shouldn't tell anyone what I said about Vizyous. I don't want to be responsible for his people getting in the way of his freedom." It was troublesome to think, but perhaps in nudging Venidus toward trusting him, he was nudging himself toward trusting the strange Symenestra -- not that he had ever met a Symenestra he would call normal, but he was also less inclined to categorize people the way many were. There were trends in personality, in desire, but everyone was, in fact, a beautiful and unique snowflake. The problem was, everyone was a beautiful and unique snowflake, so there was nothing unique in being unique.

He continued to play the part of the Zeltivan dilettante with his Symenestra slave-guard, and it seemed Venidus was beginning to enjoy the role as well. Hadrian had a habit of pulling people into his orbit, it seemed.

"I'm flattered," he said, and meant it. Surely for such a xenophobic race, the idea of wedding one's sister to a human was a repugnant idea. It would not be a case of harvesting flesh, but an actual partnership, an admission of equality. He thought he sensed a sad note, though, and sent another little pulse of reassurance. He watched the strange shifts in the man's aura, how he would jest when he was serious, and then get upset when Hadrian himself made a jest.

"I think it does take a wise man to see virtue and vice for what they are, Venidus," he said seriously, and he was well trained in rhetoric. "Most of it seems to be a matter of perspective, for what passes as virtue in Ravok is not what passes for virtue in Syliras. In Nyka four godlings play chess with the lives of their faithful. Is that virtue? If not, we cannot depend on the gods for our path. So I don't know about you, Venidus, but I am seeking a path, though it seems a tricksome and circuitous one. Whether I will be called good or evil in the end, I do not know. I do not care."

The preacher got his honest answer, even if Hadrian's moral code was more difficult to pin down than most.

"And I don't think the race should seek Siku's favor en masse, but a woman who wanted to survive childbirth might consider it. The death count of human lives might not matter to the Symenestra, but the purity of their blood would seem to. I've met the castoffs that were not Symenestra enough to remain in Kalinor."
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Intriguing Introductions Incognito (Hadrian)

Postby Venidus Larkspur on August 22nd, 2011, 6:25 am

Andry was shaping up to be the most intriguing person that Venidus had met in Ravok. That was saying a lot considering the characters he had met earlier in the year. Andry’s answer wasn’t exactly as clear-cut as the Symenestra would have liked, but the honesty and intelligence of the response earned the preacher’s deepest respect. He spoke in a very hushed voice, realizing that his previous comments were best not shared with entirety of Ravok, “Andry, you are probably the smartest person that I’ve met. Your openness and honesty to stranger are truly examples to be followed... Your thoughtfulness truly something to strive for!”

Venidus had to stop himself. Escalating volumes had served him well while preaching in Sunberth. There, his shouting served to force the ignorant to see the truth, but the truth would get him killed in Ravok. He continued while continuously reminding himself to keep his voice down, “Sometimes the light’s work is not always done in honest ways. Sometimes the only way to defeat the wicked is to play their games and use their tools.”

The preacher glanced around to make sure there were no disagreeable persons in earshot. Venidus’s milky white skin was pink with minor embarrassment despite his best efforts, “If it means anything, I will call you good. I’ve known you for less than a day, but if you were to do evil, it would be misguided and not malicious I’m sure. Perhaps I have to believe you honorable, but I trust you regardless. I must say my reasoning is as poor as my coffers.” He gave a defeated sigh before continuing, “If you are Black Sun, I’ll be dead by the next day’s break... So you can’t possibly be Black Sun or Ebonstryfe... because I have yet to fulfill my purpose and will not die until I do.”

His golden eyes wandered over passing strangers and nearby buildings. He found the city quite exquisite. It had taught Venidus many lessons about appearances and internal realities. Though the apple may look pristine, its center is rotten and tainted by a big ol’ worm named Rhysol. The Symenestra ran his long fingers across the knife’s side. The metal was pleasantly cold. The tactile sensation made him aware of all of his other senses. His and Andry’s soft steps augmented the silence. The faint taste of blood lingered on his tongue, but he could almost taste the food whose scent drifted from a few nearby doors.

For a moment, Venidus wasn’t sure where the sudden rush of life had come from, but then he realized. This is living. I haven’t lived in so long... Having a friend allows me to do more than survive here.

After a moment of thought, Venidus did something uncharacteristic for the lone wolf, “Well if you ever find that path and need help, I would be more than willing to lend a hand. If you need help finding it, I can help with that too... though I fear I have little experience in such things. I spend most of my days walking aimlessly and collecting bruises. My sister taught me how to shoot a crossbow though so I am not totally useless.” He grinned at the bit of self-deprecation and looked over at Andry who didn’t seem very slave master-ish, but it is hard to see someone one way when you know them another.
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Intriguing Introductions Incognito (Hadrian)

Postby Hadrian on August 23rd, 2011, 6:34 am

"Or you can vote me most likely to die for his compassion," he replied tersely. He admired Venidus' conviction, but felt that he would end up dead before long if he didn't temper it with the wisdom of survival tactics. The pulses of hypnotic suggestion seemed to be working, and so he continued with them, the next bursting into Venidus' aura when he said: "I am not one of them."

It certainly seemed that Venidus was not either, and certainly the Ebonstryfe and Black Sun would take no non-human into their ranks unless it were specifically marked by their dread god and Venidus eyes were a warm gold, not a corpse white.

"I appreciate the offer," he said, a bit gruffly. Suddenly he felt guilty for his hypnotic suggestions even though they had done the man no harm. It was difficult to know if he would have offered the same on Hadrian's own merits or if they were due merely to magical manipulation. He shook his head. "Let's just get you home safely and you won't have to worry about me getting in your way again."
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Intriguing Introductions Incognito (Hadrian)

Postby Venidus Larkspur on August 23rd, 2011, 8:02 pm

“I am not Black Sun either,” Venidus said jokingly because it was so obvious. He warned with a little less humor, “You shouldn’t automatically exempt people of other races though from suspicion. The Black Sun is a tricky bunch and probably has more than a few morphers. I doubt that they imitate a Symenestra very well. Though this will most likely never be of use, you should know: pale skin, grey, silver, or black hair, gold, red, and purple eyes with large pupils, fangs, black nails which are usually long on the hands and short on the feet. Between the Aconitum kid and me, you should be fine. My nails are filed though. The more human you look in Ravok the better.” Venidus held up his hands so Andry could see but also so he could look at them himself.

Venidus added, “We can see in the dark and walk on walls too.” Andry had been such a good person that the Symenestra felt a little guilty about not being able to return the favor. Perhaps all this useless Symenestra information will come in handy one day and save his life... Regardless, Tarsin’s was very close now and he could see it just a bit down the canal. The safety from the streets and a nice bed to lie in made the journey back seem to take forever.

Soon, Tarsin’s loomed overhead. The three-story building was quite large. An assorted mix of people entered and exited as Venidus and Andry stood there a moment. The Tarsin family glanced out on occasion with not too kind of expressions. “I am not the best about paying my rent and I am one of those kidnappin’ Symenestra. I swear they thought I was going to take one of their daughters back to Kalinor for breeding.” He laughed as one of the aforementioned daughters walked through the lobby.

“Well here we are... Tarsin’s. Thanks for being a friendly face. It has been months since I’ve seen one. You can come with me to my room...” What could we possibly do in my room... He continued hesitantly, “... and I could show you my red crossbow.” That sounded so wrong. He sputtered trying to make clear that it was an actual crossbow he was talking about, “It was – It’s – I don’t mean – Of course...” He gave an exasperated sigh, hoping that his awkward display disproved any falsely percevied intentions.
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Intriguing Introductions Incognito (Hadrian)

Postby Hadrian on August 27th, 2011, 6:39 am

Hadrian wished Venidus hadn't said that name, but it was done and could not be taken back. Names had power and he could only hope that saying Black Sun would not call them down upon them. But when he spoke of morphing and faux Symenestra, Hadrian merely smiled, focusing the djed within his eyes and winking to the man. When his eye opened, it was golden as Venidus' own; the both of them were upon further notice. It was a game he had played with Kendall's heterochromatic eyes, and with Vizyous himself. But his morphs were minor things. Eventually he might be able to morph an eye that not only looked Symenestra, but worked like one too. He wondered if that would require dissection of an eye...

"You want me to come into your room?" he asked, dubious. Then he shrugged. He would just Flux djed into his muscles and pay very close attention to Venidus' movements when it came time to see this crossbow of his. But there didn't seem to be any thoughts of violence skittering around the outer parts of his aura where surface thoughts often created wisps of chaos. "Take me to your room. I'll patch you up to the best of my ability and leave you to your sleep."

He glanced at Tarsin's, but didn't need to explore it with his eyes. Clyde lived here, and here was the room he had rented for their magecrafting experiments. All those times coming and going and he hadn't ever seen Venidus coming or going, but if he was avoiding rent, that was understandable.

"Lead the way. And give me back my dagger, please?"
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Intriguing Introductions Incognito (Hadrian)

Postby Venidus Larkspur on August 27th, 2011, 7:27 pm

Venidus grinned uncomfortably upon seeing Hadrian’s new eyes. The eye was quite accurate and made the preacher question how skilled at morphing Andry was. The person he was talking to could be anyone if a morpher. The Symenestra was starting to regret inviting the wizard back to his room. He had once trusted in all magic until it robbed his sister of her sanity. This could be a madman! Robbed of his senses like my sister, but she was a gentle soul. I can’t be sure with this one.

He reluctantly handed back the knife and began to walk to his room. He felt like his only protection was gone. Venidus still trusted Andry but wizards are a fickle people and he would be foolish not to be a little suspicious of his relatively tightlipped companion. He decided the subject was unavoidable and spoke carefully, “So you are a practitioner of magic? Very interesting. I must admit I do not know much about such things. My sister was... is a hypnotist. There was a moprher who worked in Kalinor’s nest as well, but other than that I am fairly clueless.”

The pair reached Venidus’s room rather quickly. The door was at the very end and the Symenestra swore it was the worst room in the entire building, but he didn’t care much for extravagance so, in a way, the room was perfect for him. The door was so difficult to open for the relatively fragile preacher that he had to violently kick the door after unlocking it in order to get in. Today was no different. Venidus fished the key out of his pocket, unlocked the door, and began kicking at its center until it swung open lazily.

Closing the door was much the same. After beaconing Andry in, Venidus kicked it a few more times and it slammed shut. The whole ordeal left him a bit flushed. He breathed heavily as he spoke, “Sorry about that. The floor or walls or something must have shifted because that door does not work as intended. Or maybe it does and Tarsin gives it to the least human of his visitors.”

Venidus sat on the bed and picked up the large crossbow lying beside it. The wood was dyed red and the entire weapon was textured with small, carved words. The crossbows size looked a bit ridiculous compared to the slight Symenestra.

“This was my sister’s. It still is but she gave it to me before I left Kalinor. The entire Viratassa is carved on it believe it or not. Its not the easiest to read, but I have good eyes,” Venidus was almost whispering when he spoke.

The small room was very hot despite the curtains being closed. He walked over to them and pulled them open after putting the crossbow down. Sun filled the tiny room and a small breeze drifted gently through the window.
Last edited by Venidus Larkspur on August 30th, 2011, 4:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Intriguing Introductions Incognito (Hadrian)

Postby Hadrian on August 30th, 2011, 3:46 am

Hadrian let the morph dissipate when the response was less than enthusiastic. The information was noted, but he didn't speak of magic anymore, not until they were behind closed doors and even then, he wasn't sure what this whole red crossbow business might entail. One never knew with Symenestra. After Venidus' apology for the door, though, he shrugged.

"Likely the humidity off the lake has warped the wood of the door or the frame or both. Not your fault, anyway." The knife was put away, and he felt traceries of Fluxed djed seeping into his limbs despite his attempt to control his action. The crossbow was not cocked, not aimed at him, but all the same he was leery of attack. He tried to play it off, though, clinging to his Andry persona who was much better with people.

"May I?" he asked, indicating the crossbow when Venidus set it aside to let in some air. He tried to spread reassurance through his aura to make the hypnotic suggestion to the Symenestra's battered mind that he would not be attacking either. He was merely curious to squint at the crossbow, feel it in his hands, and see how much clearer its aura came into focus then. Perhaps he might find some traces of magic upon it if his sister was some sort of a magus.
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