A Matter of Poetry and Prose (Corum)

[Kendall Saarinen]

It was a settling feeling to hear hay Corum claimed to be there for Kendall if he ever needed him. He had not thought anyone would be there for him again. His family made him feel like a pariah and without them he was lost. Kendall smiled at the nuit. The smile was genuine and was not seen very often. "Thank you… I don't believe you told me your name." Kendall cocked his head in confusion and then bit his lip. Did he want to tell the nuit his name? His gut told him no. Giving out his name only lead to trouble. Giving out one's name meant one had to trust the person they were giving it out to. In a more poetic sense, names equaled control. It had been a lesson he had learned at the university. If one wanted to control another than their name needed to be known. "My name is… Ken." He was not sure if half of his name counted. The whole topic of the owning of names was purely metaphorical anyway. "I am heading to Ravok. I know that it might not be the safest place for me but I just want to see the rest of the world. I will most likely visit Syliras along the way." Kendall's spirits raised a bit at the talk of leaving Zeltiva. "I am sure I will return someday but for now I think it is best if I leave. Things just… are not good for me here. I'm not sure where I will be welcome. Not many people are as kind as you are to Azenth." He looked down at the red flames on his arm and then back to Corum. "None of it matters though. I am happy with who I am internally. The external half of me seems to be the issue. "

[Corum]

Corum took to staring at Ken... That was his name, apparently. From the shake of the young
man’s voice, there seemed to be something else... But one such as he would not pester the chosen of the Gods. He took comfort that his words had not offended the priest of Ivak. His friend was heading to Ravok, or so he claimed... a very dangerous place. If Corum remembered the stories well, it was Rhysol who had, indeed, sealed the fate of Ivak’s mistress. That was the last place he’d think Ken would wish to go. Before asking as to why, he needed to answer a question first.

“ I am called Corum. It was the name i was given in life. I... no longer have a family name, so that is all you may know me by. Not many people will be kind to the Azenth, that is true. I do hope, however, to one day join your ranks. It is something i will strive for as long as a new body can receive me... Perhaps i will find you once my studies here are finished. As far as i know, i am the only man in the scarlet robe.”Corum would pray for Ken’s safety, but as they both worshiped the same lord, it seemed a bit silly.

[Kendall Saarinen]

A wave of discomfort hit Kendall. He really did not feel comfortable as the Nuit looked at him. He felt as though the undead can could see through him. That was the one thing he was afraid of. If anyone knew what was going on in his rushing head all bets were off. He would be ridiculed and knowing himself, he would get depressed and embarrassed. He did not care if this man leveled with him on a spiritual level. He was convinced no one would ever understand him as long as he lived. It might have been a bit prideful to think that due to the fact he was conversing with a man who was far more intelligent than him. He wanted to leave quite badly. He had exposed too much of himself, or at least he thought. "It is nice to meet you Corum. It is good to meet someone who has a love of knowledge." He was trying to act cavalier. If he could just keep of the facade of being fine then maybe this meeting would be over and he would not have to threaten the man working his way into his mind. This is when Kendall's boughs of insanity kicked in. When he said things that he wished he did not he started to worry. Soon the worry turned into anxiety and then simply to madness. He bit his lip and crossed his legs trying to act natural but it was hard to hide the fear when it played so clearly in his eyes.

[Tabarnac]

XP Award! Kendall XP Award: Writing +3; Calligraphy +3; Interrogation +3 Lore: Nuit (basic) Corum XP Award: Meditation +1; Interrogation +3; Philosophy +2 Lore: Azenth (basic) Additional Notes: Interesting stuff, folks! So sorry Corum has gotten busy, but perhaps these XP will lure ‘em back. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or concerns. Keep writing!