Do you know where you are? [Ialari and Tazrae]

Ialari investigates the place known as the Dovecote and encounters a new..old friend.

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Do you know where you are? [Ialari and Tazrae]

Postby Ialari Pythone on May 26th, 2022, 4:22 am

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62nd Day of Spring, 522 AV


It was morning, just after the rising of Syna that found Ialari casually making her way around the Commons. She never did sleep much but in Syka, it was even more burdensome. Years spent in the Ukalas where the cycle of night and day began and ended when she decided to sleep and eventually wake, made sleep in the physical world a difficult thing to get used to. She couldn't deny the pleasant feeling of Syna's rays upon her flesh; the real rays and not the echoes created in her Dominion. She paused for a moment in her wandering and raised her head to the sky, closing her eyes and enjoying the heat of the day upon her face. Her revelry however was quickly interrupted by the smell that filled her nose...the smell of decay.

Although she found momentary instances of relief from her curse, those moments were growing shorter. The smell of decay, the feeling of the maggots burrowing through her rotting flesh, the stiffness of her joints and the dry, foul taste in her mouth, they were growing more distracting with each passing day.

Her attempts at uncovering the cause had thus far offered little hope. She used the gifts of Tanroa to travel to the past but found nothing different than what she remembered having happened. Her perception of the past was limited and her ability to interact with it even more so.

So it was that she felt the need for a distraction from the distraction. Reaching into her pouch, she pulled forth a small bottle of scented oil. Gathering a few drops on her finger, she wiped it under her nose. Although it didn't help much, what little it did was a temporary relief.

Continuing her wandering of the Commons, Ialari made her way down a path she hadn't walked before. It led north of the Commons toward the Storm Shelter but branched slightly. She took the branching path and found that the trees were filled with colorful birds. The further she walked the path, the more of these birds were present. She didn't know exactly what kind they were but she couldn't deny the beauty of their color and the gentle sounds of their callings. At one point, something caught her eye; a glint of light reflected off of something metallic. It was on the edge of the path at the base of a young tree. Pausing, she knelt down to see what it was. Partially buried in the underbrush was a small silver bracelet with a single charm in the shape of a snake fang hanging from it. Picking it up she marveled at its detail and beauty. Finding such things was not uncommon in Syka but Ialari always saw such discoveries as being a gift from the gods. With an open prayer to the divine, she put the charm bracelet in her pouch with the intent to examine it further later. As she continued on the path, she eventually came to the end of the end and was presented with quite an unusual sight.

She'd viewed such structures in other places, though she never expected to see one in Syka. She tried to remember the name that humans gave to them but she only knew it in her own language. Some of the border posts in Sultros had such structures used to house birds that were used for food and feathers. It definitely wasn't something she ever thought she'd see in a place such as Syka.

As she looked upon the structure, she couldn't help but feel something was familiar about it. It was not the structure itself that brought about this feeling. It didn't look like anything special aside from appearing a bit out of place with the surrounding jungle. She took a few steps closer to the entrance and thought she saw some strange markings. Before she could get a good look, she heard a noise behind her.

Turning she saw a young woman mounted on, of all things, a rather large lizard. Ialari took a single step backwards more out of surprise than anything else; it wasn't everyday a woman riding a giant lizard emerged from the jungle. At least not everyday for Ialari. As she met the girl's gaze, she felt the very familiar feeling of connection. There were flashes of images in her mind, fleeting and impossible to hold on to. Then there was the stirring in her breast, the call of the First Tree and the mark Caiyha on her arm began to tickle with knowing. She knew this woman but also she didn't. There was a connection impossible to deny but it was clouded. When she tried to embrace it, her eyes began to itch as the maggots chewed.

She forced herself to blink and wiped her eyes. The woman and the lizard were still there but Ialari felt herself still unable to grasp the fleeting flashes of memory before they were gone.

Clearing her throat, she greeted the woman. Her accent was thick but not overly so as she focused on pronouncing the words as best she could in the human tongue. "A pleasant morning to you miss. I...apologize, I feel that I know you but I don't remember ever meeting you before. My name is Ialari Pythone. Have we met and do you know what this is exactly? It seems out of place. I don't recall seeing it during my other visits to Syka. There's...something about it...it feels different."

Ialari stood dressed in only a thin black silk chest wrap and tattered black silk loincloth. She wore a belt with a large pouch at her side with a tucked dagger an obvious Verusk weapon slung across her shoulder with a strap.

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Ialari Pythone
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Do you know where you are? [Ialari and Tazrae]

Postby Tazrae on May 27th, 2022, 3:11 am

Tazrae drummed her booted heels against the Ixam’s side and held on. The golden skin of the creature she rode was luminous against the jungle green. It explained so much as to why the brightly colored Ixam stuck to the Settlement these days and the green and brown ones tended to stray far into the jungle. The brighter the hide, the more vulnerable the creatures were to the really big jungle predators that were out here. Sunshine didn’t have much of a chance until Syka had taken them in and most of them had formed lounges around the Settlement that was thankfully mostly free from big predators. Taz shifted her weight, sticking to the back of the Ixam, leaning slightly forward with her core tight and her hips loose. Ixam didn’t run like horses. There was no smooth free forward action. Instead, they darted in fits and starts with an undulating sideways action that had them all over the place.

Without tack, the golden Ixam was difficult to stick to but not completely unrideable. Taz had asked her to stay on the ground, not run straight up trees and across branches nor leap from growth to growth as her kind liked to do. Sunshine wasn’t happy about it, but she liked the company and the games Tazrae played with them to improve her riding. The young Innkeeper had been working hard in her spare time to make sure she was improving in this aspect. She hoped to use the Ixam to improve their variety in hunting by being able to come upon fleeter game and keep pace with them to bring them down.

To do this, Taz had to be able to use her bow from Sunshine’s back. And in order to do that, Taz had to get used to the way both Sunshine moved and the way her body moved when mounted on the reptile. To that end, Taz had set up big targets made of dried vegetation stuffed gunny sacks with big bullseyes painted on them. Those gunny sacks were hung about the fringe of the Commons, especially out the Storm Shelter, Dovecote, and Overgrown Playground. There was a variable course set up that could take them out past the main portion of the Settlement and deep into the forest, then back towards the Storm Shelter and past the Dovecote back towards the Common Area. Taz set up the shots so she could ride by firing and make multiple trips around working on her riding and working on her bow.

She would have liked to have bragged that they did the whole thing at typical Ixam surging speed, but the truth is Sunshine moseyed along at a sedate ramble, all but rolling her eyes, because Taz had a very unrealistic idea of what a good seat was. Taz was working on it though, finding it more important to find a good balanced seat while she concentrated on pulling an appropriate arrow from her quiver, notching it, and firing it at the targets she’d hung. She figured speed would come with time and the ability to figure out how to compensate for the golden Ixam’s gait. At the first target, the Ixam helpfully stopped while Taz drew and fired. Taz’s first shot went straight into the target, lodging deep. The second shot hit, but Taz was unused to Sunshine’s undulating stride, so the arrow lodged significantly wider and less precise until Sunny’s sprinting starts and stops completely fouled Taz’s ability to remotely even shoot in the right direction. It was enough to teach her quickly that at a sedate walk or a stop, Taz could fire off the Ixam’s back accurately. But once the Ixam got up to speed, her control and ability frankly sucked.

She practiced most of the morning, firing on one round, and riding by pulling arrows on the second round as they rode past. It was good practice, both for the big composite longbow she had and to stay on Sunshine’s back. The Ixam wasn’t really even her mount. She’d just agreed to go with Tazrae for the day to practice archery and riding. Taz wasn’t a shy rider, but she just didn’t have a lot of experience with the Ixam and wanted to get better.

And on her own part, Sunshine was having a blast. She liked making Taz miss because the Innkeeper would curse violently, then laugh and pat Sunny as they went by being completely awful at the practice to start. Taz was all but done when she triggered her weapons locker and put the compound longbow away in her charm bracelet. Then she slipped the sheath back into her backpack and found herself outside the Dovecote with Ialari. Taz blinked, seeing Ialari standing there, and slipped off Sunny’s back and gave the golden Ixam a hug.

“Go on… I know this woman. You can leave me here. I’ll be fine. I hope she’s going shopping… I have things to pick up in the Outpost as well.” Taz said with a grin then turned to Ialari, feeling the connection between the Caiyha Mark and the first tree seed. The golden yellow Ixam turned, gave a few reptilian clicks and a hiss, then trotted off back towards the beach where the rest of our lounge most likely was found.

“Hi Ialari. Listen, you know me… I’m the local Innkeeper and you’ve used my Philtering Lab. We aren’t exactly friends yet because we’ve only gotten together a time or two, but we are united in Caiyha’s Faith and the first tree seeds. You’ve used my Philtering Lab at the Inn. However, my Curse is to be forgotten just as yours is to have your flesh rot off. I’m very glad to see you well, but these curses are terrible. That’s why you don’t know me but your Gnosis does. No one can hold me in their mind for once I’m out of their sight.” She added.

Taz was dressed in a bright wash of a tank top, her light linen pants, and tall boots. She had a backpack slung over her shoulder. “That’s the Dovecote. It’s an entrance to The Outpost, Xyna’s Trade Center. You can use it to travel there. It’s a melting pot of a lot of other cultures too… every city has one. You can only go to The Outpost from here…. and return to here though. Are you going shopping? I need to pick up a few things there if you are. We could go together.” Taz suggested, coming to a halt in front of Ialari and gesturing at the dovecote. “It’s one of Xyna’s symbols… the dove.” She added helpfully, hoping Ialari was going.

“I actually have an apartment there that I need to visit to collect one of my Mussaruana Snakes. I don’t think he’s thriving in the dry heat because he was having a bad shed last time I saw him and I think I need to bring him back to Syka. I know snakes don’t disturb you, so you might not mind tagging along.” She added, offering Ialari a grin. “I could stand getting away… a girls day out. We could grab a bite to eat or some exotic things to cook back here over there.” She urged, glancing around Ialari at the tower. “There are truthfully some magic items I need to pick up as well.” She confessed, then waited for Ialari’s response.

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"A mark of an open mind is being more committed to your curiosity than your conviction.
The goal of learning is not to shield old views against new facts, but to revise old views with new facts.
Ideas are possibilities to explore, not certainties to defend."


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Do you know where you are? [Ialari and Tazrae]

Postby Ialari Pythone on May 27th, 2022, 5:10 am

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Ialari listened as the woman introduced herself and explained how they knew each other. The simple explanation matched what she felt from her connection to Caiyha. As hard as she tried, she could not remember the reality that the woman, Tazrae described. When she tried, she was able to remember feelings but actual images and memories crumbled just before they formed. She did remember someone describing a curse that removed memories of them; part of the Ten-Day celebration that was less a celebration and more a meeting of tragedy. Ialari lowered her head in pain and closed her eyes in agony as she tried to remember the woman. Pushing through the discomfort, she was able to touch a single connection that did not melt away.

“You…you’re the one who…at least in part, brought me to Syka years ago. I felt it long before you ever arrived…I remember…when we finally met…I called you…sister.” Reaching for the slivers of memory caused Ialari a great aching in her head but she refused to let it go; forcing her way through the pain which gradually lessened and vanished. She still couldn’t remember the woman before her but she did remember the feeling.

Ialari quickly made her way to Tazrae and embraced her. It was as if she were meeting the person responsible for a particular direction in her life for the first time. The connection remained even if she didn’t remember all that it was. Releasing her embrace, Ialari was taken aback at what was said next.

Ialari frowned a bit as Tazrae spoke of the Dovecote and of her having a place there. She mentioned snakes and spoke of Ialari’s favor of such creatures. The idea of shopping, exotic things and magical items left her rather speechless.

Turning back to the Dovecote, Ialari’s mind began its work. She looked at the openings in the upper part of the structure and then turned her attention back to the doorway leading inside.

“Taz…Tazrae, you say this is the entrance to…what was it? Xyna’s Trade Center? That explains what I’ve seen…to a point.” Ialari looked up and pointed to the openings where the doves entered the structure.

“This whole thing, it looks like a simple roosting spot for birds. If you look closer though, the openings there, they have a pattern to them. Each one looks the same but they are not. They are different in size yet just barely. Each one connects to the other in the design of the stones. Each individual stone is shaped in a way that it…oh how do I put this…each and every stone in this structure is deliberately designed to reinforce the other. You could say that such a thing is just good craftsmanship but it is so much more.” She then pointed out something about the doorway into the Dovecote.

“This…the shape of the doorway…look at these. They look like simple tooling marks from the construction. Even they have a pattern though that can’t be explained by random cuts in stone. There is power here…this is something that hasn’t been seen, well, not actively anyway, in more than a millienia.” Ialari pointed out the seemingly random cuts in the stone and traced them with her metallic fingers.

“There is power here…I can feel it like…” She looked thoughtful before taking a few steps back to Tazrae. Whatever it was about the Dovecote, Ialari felt a growing pulse of power around it. There were countless connections that flared in her mind. Unable to touch any particular one, she was still able to see a small piece of the larger picture. As she reached for it, she felt a surge of energy that sent a crackling numbing tickle down her spine. She raised a finger to Tazrae’s brow and traced a symbol on the woman’s flesh. As she did, Tazrae saw the Dovecote illuminated with a soft blue glow; slowly, a series of patterns…glyphs formed. The openings, the stone that made it up, the shape of the doorway, they all became clear even if they made little to no sense.

“Doorways like these…they should not be. You say it takes you to a place…in the desert? Dry heat was it? A trade center? That is why Syka has grown like it has over such a short amount of time. Xyna…she is goddess of trade. The Isur know her well. We are taught that she is the heart of prosperity. You say every city has one of these?” Ialari brought her hand to her head. “I have been gone for too long.”

“Tazrae, I don’t fully understand what you are talking about here but I know that this…this structure is special in ways that you can’t yet understand…ways that I can only imagine. I would be honored to spend this day…what did you call it? A girl’s day out? Spent in this amazing place. You’ve been there before? Do please lead the way.” Ialari smiled but there was a hint of apprehension in her eyes; eyes with iris’ ringed in sapphire lite.

Ialari waited for Tazrae to lead. She felt some small amount of hesitation at the idea of stepping through the Dovecote’s entrance. She could feel the power coming from the structure, even being able to draw upon a small amount to enable Tazrae to see the glyphs. That in itself, while somewhat exhilarating, was also troubling. What Tazrae disregarded as being just a normal thing in her life; a shopping trip, Ialari saw as being so much more significant. She couldn’t help but feel a bit of danger at the idea of entering such a place. As someone all too familiar with doorways to other places, she was more than uncomfortable with stepping through one she did not have any control over or even knowing what was on the other side.

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Ialari Pythone
I'm Poison.
 
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Do you know where you are? [Ialari and Tazrae]

Postby Tazrae on May 28th, 2022, 6:06 am

Tazrae stood there smiling at the Isur, not sure what to say until Ialari said that Taz was the one that brought her to Syka. She didn’t know about that, but she did remember Ialari calling her sister. “I remember that… you calling me Sister. It felt so good to be called….” Taz said, her train of thought interrupted by Ialari’s hug which knocked the wind out of Tazrae slightly. The human woman returned the Isur’s hug, laughing slightly in happiness because it felt good to be recognized, even if it was only through a feeling and the link of gnosis marks in common.

“You are my sister.” Taz affirmed, reaching over to her left arm which was left bare by her tanktop. Caiyha’s mark, a beautiful tall elegant jungle giant of a tree graced the whole of her forearm like an embossed tree, complete with vines and animal life of all sort circling the tree. Then Taz reached up, pushed aside some jewelry on her neck, and revealed the lump that was the first tree seed and an Ixam scale that was embedded in her flesh like a pendant without a chain. “We have two ties that bind.” Taz affirmed.

Then the conversation turned to the Dovecote and Taz nodded. “They appeared all over the world mysteriously in the Winter of 519. They just showed up already built. Brave people entered them and when they shut the door behind them and reopened it, they were in a different world. We learned quickly that the Dovecotes were like doorways to this trade center that is self-contained. People from all over the world mingle there and trade. There are restaurants, food shops, beast markets, flowers, just about anything you might want. You can also take dwellings in those places. I met a man there, who turned into a very good friend, and we have an apartment together there even though he lives in Sunberth and I live in Syka. I left a snake at the apartment, and I need to go check on it. I suspect it needs to be brought home into a more moist environment because it had a rough shed last time.” She added, knowing it was the truth.

“I’ve never looked at it with Auristics, but my Audius echos back pretty much always on with magic. I chalked it up to Xyna’s gift to the world. It’s a good place to trade.” Tazrae added, following Ialari and looking where she was looking. The young bard tapped her deep well of djed and drew from it, fueling her voice as she sang out a note inside the Dovecote and listened to it echo back at her. Her eyes told her another story as well, the aura of the building not being that of a solid sedimentary thing, but being a swirl of pulsing light and sound that made up walls rather than the normal aura stone stonework would have.

Taz froze when Ialari traced her hand across her forehead and the lines of power Ialari was talking about burst into view. It was like an artist sketched in the form of the dovecote roughly in luminescent paint that was covered with runes. The hair immediately stood up on Tazraes body, namely the fine silk on her arms and at the nape of her neck. She wanted to hiss like an Ixam, so startling was the power visible. “What in the world is that?!?” Taz said, having never seen anything like it.

“Yes, it's as you said… every city has one. We can quickly trade in The Outpost what we can’t get or must wait for the Veronica to deliver. But only things that can fit into the Dovecote… a cart and Ixam that sort of thing.” Taz added. “A full wagon wouldn’t fit in here unless we somehow backed it in, unhitched the horses, and hitched horses to it on the other side. I just can’t see that working.” Taz added. “But pony carts with Ixam or Ashta work well. I had a load of furniture delivered that way.” She added, smiling. “Things I bought for my home at The Outpost… big heavy carved pieces we can’t get in the jungle.” The Innkeeper explained.

Taz nodded, pleased Ialari wanted to see the other side and visit The Outpost. She unlatched the door, threw it wide, and gestured Ialari inside. Then she walked in past her, moving the big door with ease. It was hung so well a small child could actually move it. Then she latched it from the inside, smiled at Ialari, then unlatched it and threw it wide. The dovecote they stepped out of was likely twice the size of the one in Syka and fancy beyond belief. It was immaculate and gilded, whereas Sykes was rough-hewn and simplistic. This thing towered over the massive courtyard before it. Taz lead Ialari out into the sun where they were immediately greeted by Paul Resan. He nodded to Tazrae, recognizing her, but handed Ialari a rolled parchment that turned out to be a map to The Outpost, with most of its businesses and buildings labeled clearly on it.

“Xyna welcomes you! Come, trade-in peace, and enjoy some leisure.” He added with a smile at both women as Taz gave him a grin and lead Ialari past him out into the courtyard proper. “This is the Fountain Square and that’s the Kalskan Fountain. Over there is the Abriske Courtyard and on the far side is the Administration buildings. The healing center… the Redynn is beyond that. Most of this place is taken up by the Open Sky Bazaar. There are bathing facilities though, restaurants, street food, gardens galore, and all kinds of activities. There’s even a dance club I love going to called Aftermath. It’s a good place to recharge your inner energy if you feel it waning.” Taz explained, then paused.

“Where do you want to go first? Is there any shopping you need to do?” She asked as she turned to look at Ialari. That was when she really caught sight of the walls and stone streets. Everything was outlined in power, everything even the sky. The magic swirled around them like the place was some sort of configured space carved out of…. Taz shook her head, not even certain she had the education to even talk about it. “Wow… this whole place is like the dovecote.” She added, shaking her head feeling scared for the first time ever here. She’d never seen such a structure of power built… and it told her that everything here… almost everything… here was artificial in some capacity or another.

Taz turned in a circle, confused by the imagery, uncertain of what she was seeing. “Ialari… what exactly am I seeing?” She said in a hushed whisper.

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"A mark of an open mind is being more committed to your curiosity than your conviction.
The goal of learning is not to shield old views against new facts, but to revise old views with new facts.
Ideas are possibilities to explore, not certainties to defend."


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"Listen to the wind, it talks. Listen to the silence, it speaks. Listen to your heart, it knows."
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Tazrae
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Do you know where you are? [Ialari and Tazrae]

Postby Ialari Pythone on June 1st, 2022, 5:20 am

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Ialari felt a few tears form as her and Tazrae embraced. When Tazrae revealed the lump just below her neck with the embedded scale, Ialari laughed aloud with joy as she was flooded with the feeling of connection.

She listened as Tazrae explained the Dovecote. It had been roughly four years since they arrived which caused Ialari to lose her grasp on joy. Four years she’d been gone or at least gone for the most part. So much time lost. Tazrae’s description of the Dovecote and where it led sparked an idea which was further supported by what she saw in the structure’s construction. When she mentioned the existence of an apartment and a snake, Ialari felt yet another connection with the woman.

“If this place you speak of is so dry…only a few snakes are able to thrive there.” Ialari said with care noticeable in her voice.

Ialari wasn’t certain if the glyph she drew on Tazrae’s forehead would work. She only did so because she felt the excess of djed flowing around the Dovecote. Normally it would not be so easy to harness magic in such a way but her knowledge and the presence of such background energy was too enticing to ignore.

In answer to Tazrae’s question, Ialari said calmly, “The glyph I granted you is empowered by the djed that surrounds this place. The Dovecote…it is a doorway to another place, just as you described. Yet, what you describe…there is so much more. That glyph would not be possible if not for the power here along with the connection we share…the magic here…it is ancient…powerful and from what I see here, has returned to the world sooner than I would have expected.”

At Tazrae’s description of what was found on the other side of the Dovecote, Ialari couldn’t help but be intrigued. The possibilities were infinite even if the potential dangers, at least as she viewed them, were also high.

Ialari stepped aside as Tazrae unlatched the door on the Dovecote and opened it. At her gesture, Ialari waited for the girl to lead and then stepped in. The interior of the structure was larger than she thought it would be. Once closed, Tazrae opened it again and Ialari was presented with a sight that took her breath. Stepping from the Dovecote and looking back over her shoulder, Ialari stepped back a bit at seeing the size of the Dovecote on the other side. She then looked back to the courtyard and to the strange man handing her a rolled parchment.

Momentarily confused, Ialari took the offering and unrolled it to see that it was a map. It was immaculately crafted with detailed locations and a key that revealed the nature of said locations.

The man welcomed them and offered trade and leisure. Tazrae led the out-of-place isur past the man further into the courtyard and the strange surroundings. The human girl pointed out a number of locations that sounded important and more than a little enticing.

Ialari was quickly pulled from her marveling of the surrounding city by Ialari’s question of what she was seeing. The glyph, although temporary, was still empowered and offering Tazrae a connection to Ialari and her magic.

“Tazrae…I am not sure how to explain. It is something that I have kept secret for many years.” Ialari blinked a few times before closing her eyes and trying to focus her thoughts. She knelt to the ground and began tracing symbols with her metallic fingers. The symbols were obviously magical in nature but their design…it was complicated. She drew a simple pattern followed by another pattern on top of the first. There were points and lines that layered upon each other. When she stopped, the strange patterns ignited brightly and briefly before fading.

Ialari looked outward on the courtyard and the surrounding structures. In her eyes, she saw the patterns of djed that made up everything around them. The walls, the windows, the buildings, even the roads, they were all made of the same magical energy that she’d come to be so familiar with. However, the design and complexity of it all was above and beyond anything she knew. There were layers of magic that stretched in all directions, to the Dovecote they’d just exited to every other thing that Ialari could see from where she stood.

“Tazrae…do you know where you are?” Ialari asked as she looked all around. The patterns she drew in the sand on the ground under her feet fed spirals of whispy energy around her feet that climbed her legs, wrapped around her torso and focused in her eyes.

“What you are seeing…the ground that you stand on…the walls that surround you and the structures you see…even many of the people who walk around us…you stand in the realm of a god.” Ialari felt a momentary tinge of fear as the realization of where they were exited her lips.

“You say this is Xyna’s Trade Center. Xyna…Goddess of Commerce. This is not just that…or…well…it is exactly that. We stand in Xyna’s divine realm. This is no desert even if it is meant to appear as one. You likely have some belief on what happens when you die. There are a few options. You are returned the cycle of life and death and are reborn. You are unable to join that cycle for some reason and become a ghost or…you are claimed by a god and are granted the blessing of joining them in the afterlife.” Ialari stared for a moment into the sky.

“You stand in the last of those. Everything you see here is created from the mind of a god…a goddess…Xyna. The air you breath…the weather you see and feel…the buildings, plants, water, everything…it exists because Xyna wills it. I know this because…in a far lesser way…I do the same.” Ialari struggled with the words that started with a stutter but eventually sounded more like a relief.

“My presence here…I can feel the goddess’ eyes upon me. She is wondering what I will do now. Tazrae, my sister, I will answer any question you may have but I strongly suggest that we find someplace…is there a shrine or temple dedicated to Xyna? I should pay my respects.” Ialari was bombarded with thoughts and feelings about what was happening but felt comforted by the presence of Tazrae. So much so that she reached out to feel Tazrae’s shoulder with her metallic hand as if to confirm to herself that what she was experiencing was real.

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Ialari Pythone
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Do you know where you are? [Ialari and Tazrae]

Postby Tazrae on June 10th, 2022, 4:08 am



[color=#9bb5f8]Taz nodded to Ialari’s explanation. She could feel the rune on her forehead glimmer with power, opening up some kind of awareness she hadn’t had access to before. Taz glanced around with new eyes, her pupils dilating in their expansion as she drank in the lines of power that traced up and down the dovecote and showed her what it was in reality. It was no simple stone structure designed to house birds and protect them from the elements. It was a fortress of power, a cone pushing up into the sky and anchoring itself into the world. Taz turned around and around, taking in as much as she can, her lips agape and her face filled with wonder.

“Is the whole world like this? Unreal… constructed?” She asked in a hoarse whisper, fear crossing her features. “This is the work of the Gods, surely…” She added, not knowing any mortal that could pull anything off like this.

She blinked, drawn back to reality by Ialari’s question. “We had a lot of water out for him, far more than he needed, so he would stay comfortable. Twilight was not unhappy and he did his job well. He’ll be glad, I suspect, to come home.” She added, agreeing with Ialari but knowing it was important too that Alric have some exposure to the reptile because Syka was full of them, moreso than he might yet realize.

They passed through the gateway, for Taz could tell what it was exactly now, not that she hadn’t known before. But seeing was far more than just opening and closing a door and being somewhere different. She smiled at the Dovecote Keeper, and took a map which she handed to Ialari. She linked an arm through the woman’s normal arm, drawing her close, so they could speak and walk together without being separated. And she drew the Isur further out into The Outpost past the Dovecote and out of any other gate user’s way.

Five steps. It was five steps, no more, before Tazrae ground to a halt and saw the world around them painted in Djed. Everything was djed. It wasn’t like Syka, where she could sense the djed in everything. This was pure djed. Djed bent and twisted to form the walls, the sky, the streets. Power coursed across everything. It was like staring at the corpse of a skinned animal and having the blood still flowing through its veins and arteries as if it were a living thing. Djed traced everything, outlined it, defined the world, and it caused Tazrae to stagger. She’d never seen The Outpost with this vision before… like this… and she marveled at how she’d slept in its confines without understanding she was in some Goddess’ belly in a giant pocket of power with every crack and crevasse, every weed popping up from cracks in the stone, being utterly planned.

“Gods. I didn’t know, Ialari. I didn’t know.” Tazrae said softly, trembling against Ialari.

The Innkeeper was moved beyond words seeing with Ialari’s borrowed vision. She tilted her head and took in what the Isur said, and trembled again, involuntarily. “I thought I knew… I thought I understood. But I had no true idea.” Tazrae said softly, low, her voice a hoarse whisper. Ialari would understand, recognize even, how deeply the woman was affected seeing this as it was for the first time.

“I didn’t know.” She said again, glancing around at all the living people wandering through the corridors of power oblivious to what they were living in. Tazrae drew in a breath, a deep one, and nodded to Ialari’s final question. She willed her feet to move and without hesitation, they turned her and the Isur in the direction of Xyna’s Shrine and the Temple Complex that housed the Keiss. There was no trials of power leading to Xyna’s core. All the lines of djed glittered like the stars and stretched forwards and back, across their pathway and outlined everything they touched.

Tazrae knew the building they headed for was beautiful. Men and women moved from it, dressed as the Keiss in their odd loose pants and tank tops. Visitors entered the Shrine as well, with as many leaving. Tazrae knew the building was gilded, gleaming with power and pops of bright sky-blue turquoise. But to her current gaze it was outlined with djed and glowing with power. When they drew nearer, Tazrae reached out and trailed her fingers of her free hand along the stonework on one side, and saw the djed coil around the tips of the digits, curling against her hand, reacting to her even though it felt as solid stone beneath her touch. They passed under an arched doorway, into a public chapel that was an elaborate courtyard housing a gilded statue of Xyna.

Taz bypassed the museum of currency and walked Ialari right up to the kneeling pillows that rested before the statue. She released Ialari then and knelt down, bowing her head. She had her own prayer to give, that much was for certain. The shrine seemed to flare as she knelt, the power ebbing then flowing back into the center of the room along the glittering lines of djed. The effect made Tazrae certain the Goddess was watching, listening, curious. She was shaking now, outright, as she knelt with her hands on her knees and her head lifted to the Goddess.

She didn’t care if Ialari heard her words. She didn’t care if strangers heard. All she cared about is that the Goddess understood.

“My name is Tazrae. I am daughter of Matari Arcadius and Talsis Lisuli. I was born of the desert and claimed by the jungle. I have taken shelter in your gift the last two seasons and have met my soul’s other half here. You have granted us a gift in the form of a bridge and I will be eternally grateful for that. I am an Innkeeper of Syka, a Guardian therein, and a follower of Rhaus, Kihala, and Caiyha. You have given the people of Syka a great gift, providing a place to trade and to co-mingle. We owe you a great debt for that, and so I would humbly ask that you allow me to worship you as well for all that you have done. Trade brings us prosperity and growth. I will add your name and a place to give you thanks to the Commons of Syka as I have already done for Kihala and have promised to do for Eryis.” Tazrae said softly, whispering, but not so low as to not be heard.

“Thank you for allowing me this sight of the truth and to understand I walk within this place by your leave and your grace.” She said softly. As she prayed, a shadow slowly cast itself across the artificial sunlight in the sky, coating her and Ialari in shadows.

A man stood there, tall, with a gentle nurturing expression. He studied first Ialari, then Tazrae. He was dressed as the Keiss dressed, though his arms were folded behind his back. He wore no weapons, but Tazrae knew he needed none. The power emanating from him was tangible. She could almost taste his djed and feel the massive extent of his djedpool as he stood blocking their sun.

The man was a mage, and a very powerful one. “Innkeeper. Domineer. The Goddess has asked me to come speak to you. It is not every day we are visited by two such as yourself. It is not often that our secrets are stripped bare and blind eyes can see. Xyna asks that you respect her space and tread within it using the intent it was designed for…. commerce, pleasure, and to some extent shelter. You have the power as a Master Domineer to wreak havoc on what has been carefully built here. Xyna politely asks you to be respectful and do not. And she has a task for you, Ialari. She thinks its time the skills you have come back to the world. And she worries about your stability and ability to be the one to bring them back. You once tore yourself apart, our Goddess says, to save yourself from coming to the end of your story prematurely. Your life is supposed to be long and eventful, due to your own actions. She knows information on the whereabouts of two items you seek, both cut off from the mortal plain in lost pockets of otherlands. You must rebuild yourself to be stable enough to bring Dominion back to the mages of Mizahar. They have been punished enough, crippled as they were, and stripped of their knowledge in the hopes of weakening them. I will be here to help you, if you choose to do as Xyna asks.” He added.

Taz listened, not exactly sure what was going on.

“My name is Eliah, and I am one of Xyna’s priests. This is still early in your journey… for both of you actually. The help at this point I can offer is rather limited. So, my intent is simple. You may both ask me three questions and I will answer them to the best of my ability. Then I will get to ask the same of you. If your answers satisfy me, we will part company with polite words and with hopes of a future friendship.

He left the ‘if they did not…’ part unspoken. Tazrae immediately glanced at Ialari, unsure of what she would say in response and if she would indeed ask him three questions and answer three for him in return.

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"A mark of an open mind is being more committed to your curiosity than your conviction.
The goal of learning is not to shield old views against new facts, but to revise old views with new facts.
Ideas are possibilities to explore, not certainties to defend."


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Tazrae
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Do you know where you are? [Ialari and Tazrae]

Postby Ialari Pythone on June 20th, 2022, 1:52 am

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Ialari smiled at Tazrae’s reaction to the sight granted by the glyph. She nodded slightly in response and said in her normal thick accent with slow, deliberate enunciation. “Indeed, it is kind of like this although much more complicated. I will explain more in a moment.” She allowed Tazrae to take in the experience of the enhanced sight while she herself considered the implications of what they were now both seeing with the dovecote.

She took comfort in hearing that the snake that Tazrae spoke of was well cared for considering the environment that the girl described. As they entered the dovecote and passed through the gateway, Ialari embraced the familiar feeling of passing into another place; one that was farther away from where they began than Tazrae would initially be able to comprehend.

Following the greeting of the keeper on the other side, the two girls drew close to one another as they walked. When Tazrae stopped, her eyes wide as she looked around at the surroundings with the empowered sight of the glyph, Ialari paused as well and allowed her partner to take it all in.


Ialari gave Tazrae a few moments before speaking. She remembered her first time experiencing the Ukalas with the guidance of Dira. While she would never be able to give Tazrae quite the same experience, she felt the need to at least bring some sort of context to what her sister in faith was experiencing.

“What you are seeing is crafted from the imagination of a single god…or more correctly speaking, a goddess. This place…it is created from the magical weave of energy that surrounds and connects to all things. You know of the First Tree…think of the Ukalas as the wind and water that carries the seeds of the Tree to all corners of existence. From the smallest grain of sand to the greatest mountain, the Ukalas touches it all. Within the Ukalas, the gods are able to shape and fold the space within to create entirely new places such as this one.” Ialari looked upon the surrounding outpost with her own magical sight, noting the layers of patterned djed that was woven together with such mastery.

“The physical world, at least that is what I have come to think of it as, the world we know, is indeed constructed.” She paused a moment before continuing, just as they continued their slow pace deeper into the outpost.

“As I was taught long ago and have come to realize has quite a bit of truth to it, our world began as a plan put forth by Izurdin. From that plan, other gods at the time put in place their own influences. Ivak created the physical foundation. Caiyha and Kihala provided life with Laviku filling the new creation with water. Tanroa set the whole thing in motion with the concept of time and the effects it had on everything. Other gods such as Zulrav gifted the weather and Dira brought the balance to life with an end. Other gods arose and laid out their own blessings and the patterns of the world became more layered as it grew. At some point, I don’t know when or who was responsible, sentience was introduced. With sentience came civilization and the god, Sylir. As with everything else in the newly created world, balance was essential in keeping it all going. Thus came Rhysol and the concept of evil, lies and chaos. With sentient life also came things like memory, wisdom, justice and even manipulation, undeath, hatred. Disease had been there from the beginning of life but with sentience and the explosion of civilized life, it took a greater role.” As they continued further into the outpost, Ialari took note of the careful attention to detail put into their surroundings. Each line, each point and each pattern of djed was nearly perfect. It was above and beyond anything she was currently able to create herself.

“Imagine what you see now but with countless more layers and connections. That is what the physical world would look like if you focused upon it with such sight. Doing so though…It would likely destroy you. Even I, with something of mastery of it…I dare not focus on the physical world in such a way…it is too much for a non-divine mind.” Eventually they approached what was Xyna’s Shrine in the outpost.


As they approached the Temple Complex, Ialari watched the people who entered and exited. She thought their particular dress to be quite fitting for the environment the goddess had created but it was quite different than what she was used to in Syka and even in her childhood home of Sultros. The heat she felt around her was a bit uncomfortable with its dryness but thinly dressed as she was from living in Syka, it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. She did however marvel at the mastery of manipulation it took to shape the weather into what it was.


As Tazrae reached out and toyed with the threads of djed that surrounded them, Ialari couldn’t help but smile again. She knew what it was to see such things for the first time and the wonder, confusion and even bits of fear that came with it. It wasn’t everyday that one was shown such a deep glimpse at the foundation of existence.

As they passed under the arched doorway of the temple into the courtyard of the public chapel, Ialari gazed upon the golden statue of Xyna. As she looked upon the great statue, she couldn’t help but feel the eyes of the goddess upon her more than ever. She watched as Tazrae knelt before the statue. For her part, Ialari continued to look into the eyes of the statue for a moment longer before reaching into the pouch at her side. She pulled forth a piece of silver jewelry. It wasn’t anything truly special, simply a chain with a disk that may have long ago held some detail. She’d retrieved it many years ago from a shipwreck on the eastern coast of Syliras, a place not far from where she established the first physical connection to her Dominion.

With the silver in her metallic hand, she squeezed it in her palm until it became little more than a clump of metal not unlike a small piece of clay. As she gazed upon the statue, she manipulated the silver, moving her fingers and flexing her palm in order to flatten it. She then moved it to her flesh hand while using her metallic one to round the edge. Having quite a bit of experience with manipulating metal in such a way, it took her but a few moments to produce a flattened disk that was slightly larger than the original. She then used her metallic fingernail to carve a small symbol on what was looking more like a coin. It was the symbol she’d been seeing more of as of late; the symbol of a snake curling around and eating its own tail. Although the detail wasn’t there, the intent of the symbol was. When she was done, she closed her flesh hand around the coin and joined Tazrae in kneeling before the statue.

Ialari listened as Tazrae spoke to the goddess. She learned things about Tazrae that she hadn’t known before…or at least that she couldn’t remember having heard before. The prayer felt honest and intimate and it reminded Ialari of how she prayed to Izurdin as a child.

Ialari closed her eyes as Tazrae prayed and when the young girl was finished. Ialari offered her own prayer.

“Lady Xyna, my presence here is one of honest exploration and potential trade. I wish only to offer my respect and if necessary, service. You know who and what I am even if I only know part of it myself. I wish to pay my respect to you with this.” Ialari flipped the coin in her hand into the air before catching it and placing it on the ground in front of the statue. It was then that she noticed the shadow that slowly came over her and Tazrae.

Ialari noticed the man standing nearby. Ialari, although not familiar with the dress of the Keiss, did sense the power surrounding him. Although she wasn’t able to tap into the surroundings like she could her own Dominion, it wasn’t necessary to be able to do so in order to understand just how connected the man was to the outpost and to Xyna. Just as the magic that made up the dovecote was obvious to her, so was the magic surrounding the man.


When he spoke, he did so as though he knew who they were. Having encountered similar individuals, Ialari suspected he was speaking on behalf of someone else…

When he addressed her as Domineer, Ialari knew immediately that her suspicion of who the man spoke for was correct…he spoke for Xyna herself. When he continued to speak of things regarding who she was with such detail, Ialari’s curiosity exploded as did, to a slightly lesser extent, her concern. He spoke of Xyna worrying about her stability and ability…it was something that reminded her of how Dira initially felt when they first met.

Mention of tearing herself apart…that was the confusing part that led to a flurry of questions she desperately wished to ask. However, she knew from past experiences with the gods, they were not too keen on offering the answers to those specific questions. Then there was the part about two items that she supposedly sought that had been cutoff from the physical world. There was to be an acquisition it seemed of things she didn’t really know she wanted but somehow felt that she needed. It was a feeling that left her somewhat speechless as she tried to sort it out.


The man then introduced himself, breaking Ialari out of her mental tangle. He offered to answer three questions and in return would ask three of both her and Tazrae. Although Ialari had never been offered such an opportunity so upfront like this from a divine representative, her mind had already jumped at forming questions in a way she hoped could be answered.

She took the opportunity to stand before Eliah and gave a slight bow of respect. He’d introduced himself as a priest and in her own experience with faith and religion, Ialari knew that priests of the gods were second only to divine champions and were deserving of great respect.

Swallowing, Ialari considered what Eliah had said and offered her first response.

“Eliah, I will engage your proposed trade. My first question…it relates to what you said about…bringing my skills to the world and the idea of reintroducing Dominion. I have considered many possibilities for how to do such a thing and I think I have an idea. I believe I can use my magic to expand the reach of trade and commerce in the physical world. This would not only allow for Dominion to return but would also offer a service to Xyna. My question…if I am able to do such a thing, would Xyna be willing to grant me her mark as a sign of support and faith in my ability to bring a less…destructive use of Dominion back to the world?” Ialari considered her second question before waiting for an answer to the first.

When she offered her second question, Ialari did not try to focus as much on finding the right words in the common tongue. Instead, she mixed in words from her native tongue when she couldn’t find the right word otherwise. “As for my second question, what would it take to gain the knowledge of the location of these two things you say I am searching for. If it requires another deal to be made, I am willing to engage in such a transaction.”

Finally, for her third question, Ialari glanced at Tazrae and then back to Eliah. “As for my last question…I wish I could say I knew exactly what to ask. I mean, I have so many questions yet I know the answers to my most pressing ones…well, I know that only I can answer them in time.” She thought a moment longer before continuing.

“I guess my last question is…well…born of curiosity. I am beyond impressed with the construction of this place. The patterns are…inspiring and the folding of space and placement of points and lines are glorious. My question though is, why the desert? I ask because, when claiming space in the Ukalas and shaping it, the space tends to become an extension of the one shaping it. For me, it is a great cavern because being there brings me comfort and focus. Does the desert have some significance to Xyna that goes beyond just feeling like a good idea? Is there something more intimate and close to the goddess that made her choose the desert?” Ialari found herself asking such a question because of her wanting to understand the gods more. She’d spent some time amongst the divine as well as spent nearly a decade in the Ukalas. Understanding why gods do what they do, even if it was just learning why one chose a desert for their realm, helped her feel closer to them. It helped to fill that void within herself that once thought impossible to fill. Faith, closeness to the gods, it was one of the only things that gave her sustained comfort and joy.

With her questions asked, Ialari looked again at Tazrae. The look on her face was one that said she would explain everything later. She could only imagine what Tazrae thought of her and Eliah’s conversation.

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Remade In My Dominion!

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Ialari Pythone
I'm Poison.
 
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Do you know where you are? [Ialari and Tazrae]

Postby Tazrae on June 29th, 2022, 3:41 am

]

Mizahar’s history as told by the oldest of races still rang in Tazrae’s ears, filling her mind with wonder and putting things into a deeper perspective for her. She listened to Ialari carefully, but did not interrupt her or stop her for questions. She had a sense… a deep sense… that Ialari didn’t speak much, and not this openly and she didn’t want her to have any reason to stop on this particular occasion.

She told Taz of the construction of the physical world and intertwined it with the world Xyna had seemed to create here. Taz had heard of the Ukalas before… and in fact had been there with a Dreamwalker once. But the way Ialari told the tale linked it all together neatly giving her a broader picture of what she’d already witnessed and experienced. Izurdin had been the builder of the physical world, according to Ialari, and Caiyha and Kihala provided it with life. Laviku water…. It all made sense. Images filled Tazrae’s mind from the words Ialari used to paint the picture for her.

They walked as they talked, with Tazrae listening intently and not asking questions. She was soaking up what Ialari was saying. Those spoken words were a lot to take in, filling her mind with wonder and her heart with possibilities. And she touched as she walked, even reaching out a time or two to tangle her fingers in Ialari’s hair or brush an article of her clothing. Taz felt like a child at a festival for the first time… maybe the one of lights or candy in Riverfall. There was too much to see and it was hard to look everywhere.

The temple though… was more organized, somehow pulled together in a way Tazrae couldn’t explain.

Tazrae listened to Eliah carefully. He would be the third priest she had come to know in her life. She was struck, suddenly, with the thought of how different her life had turned out from what she’d anticipated as a younger person. Taz couldn’t really have honestly pictured her standing next to a Domineer and listening to a Priest speak to both of them as if they had some importance to a deity.

The Innkeeper had no allusions that she herself was important.

It was the fact that she was in Ialari’s company and somehow the magic and knowledge the Isurian woman knew put in a whole new league or class as far as these prominent people were concerned. And from what Ialari had shown Taz, the young bard could completely understand why. It seemed…. on the outside, that Xyna was somehow concerned with Ialari’s presence here and they were talking and somehow establishing some sort of mutual terms to co-exist. It was exciting and concerning all at once. Taz’s emotions swung back and forth between those two feelings rapidly, not settling anywhere one would consider a ‘happy medium’. Regardless of that fact, Tazrae prayed anyhow, and laid out her feelings on the subject of Xyna, Syka, and what the Outpost meant to the Settlement. She made promises she knew she would keep, and knew this was just one more important thing she needed to put on her list of to-do for Syka.

Taz patiently waited for Ialari’s prayer, listening to it with an open mind as well. She didn’t thank Xyna, but instead seemed to offer sincere respect… leaving a coin for the Goddess. Taz hadn’t made an offering. Should she? Quickly, she slipped off the tourmaline ring she wore, one she loved, but didn’t need anymore. The ability the ring had given her had somehow absorbed into her system and became part of her. But maybe it could give someone else an equally important gift. She left it beside Ialari’s coin.

Eliah then introduced himself, laid out his proposal, and nodded at Ialari’s question.

Eliah informed them they could ask three questions and he in turn would ask three questions of them. Ialari’s eyes glowed with eagerness at this chance, but Taz filled with dread. She wasn’t so much curious as to want to know three things of Eliah, but she was far more worried as to what he would want to know of her.

“Many people have the best of intents, Isur. What you wield is a powerful magic that others will… no have... noticed. The intent of your actions might be pure, but your execution is what is in question. Xyna’s favor would be solely based on result not intent. If you successfully do what you say you wish to, and do so in a way that benefits what you want it to benefit as you have stated, then I suspect you will get her favor. Such a thing is not easy though and involves the cooperation of others. You can’t endeavor to do it alone. You must do it as a team, and teamwork is not your strong suit.” He said, answering her candidly but without malice. It was not a yes, nor was it a no. It was simply a ‘maybe’ contingent on results not intent.

“That which you seek would be offered up freely. It would be an act of forging alliances and perhaps solidifying future dealings. But there would be no cost. You will find, if asked for information, some if not most of the Gods of Mizahar are often forthright in giving it out. People simply don’t think to ask. The Gods often give information freely in hopes a debt of gratitude will be paid in worship. It is, however, not required.” Eliah said thoughtfully, then nodded for Ialari to ask her third question.

At this, Eliah smiled. "Xyna has a fondness for setting. There is a term you humans use… dearth. It means a scarcity or lack of something. Most environments are abundant and provide thanks to Kihala. But in the desert, Kihala decided to make life precious and fleeting so it could be more appreciated. Desert environments are always dearth environments. And the lack of something makes a niche opportunity for a plethora of something else… such as innovation. Or, as in Xyna’s case… trade. If you think about The Outpost in her perspective, why would she provide a setting of anything else? Dearth’s inspire. It’s a simple elegant answer to a curiosity question. But it is an answer nonetheless.” He said, looking fondly at Ialari.

Eliah’s voice grew more resonant, powerful, as if djed-infused. “Now… my three questions for you are simply this. The first… ‘Why do you think you were the one chosen to be the Domineer?’” He asked, knowing that while there were other people that knew Dominion throughout the world, but all of them were reclusive, isolated from the world – as Ialari had been in the past – and disconnected. She was obviously not thus anymore, though he was curious as to what changed. “My second question is… ‘What are you really?’…. and my third, even more curious and straightforward. ‘What do you actually WANT to be?’” He said simply. He gave time to Ialari to reflect and think on her answers, while he turned to a very confused and somewhat stunned Tazrae.

“You also are allowed three questions. Please ask them.” He urged, his voice gentling from the firm almost divine voice he used to ask Ialari’s questions.

Taz swallowed, afraid suddenly, not sure if she should ask personal questions or if she should ask questions that would better the settlement, maybe even help Syka out. She met Eliah’s eyes, thoughtful, and pensive. “My parents were both Benshira. They were high-ranking members of two opposing tribes. My mother came from a long line of mages bred to be mages… the best of the best. I don’t know much about my father’s lines or his people. But both of them sent me away from them, to be raised outside the desert. I would really want to know why they did this.” She said thoughtfully, her voice the tone a person used when they wanted to know something but wasn’t sure they really wanted to know what they wanted to know… as if knowing it might make their world worse than not knowing it would. Still, she squared her shoulders and asked.

“I… know highly intelligent creatures from off-world. Those born away from Mizahar. They have taught me that magic isn’t always as we learn it here on Mizahar… in the structured disciplines. They have taught me and I’ve used it in ways outside these disciplines. Can you tell me why Mizahar, of all the other worlds, teaches magic so structured… fitting it into neat little boxes of do’s and don’ts?’ Tazrae asked, knowing this might be her absolute one opportunity to learn something she’d always wanted to know. She wasn’t sure a priest of Xyna was the best person to ask such things… but priests were wise and if she asked that same question to enough of them, she might end up with a well-rounded answer. Or maybe… just maybe he was exactly the right person to ask.

Finally, for her third question, she glanced at Ialari, then back at Eliah. “I’d like to know if people are born to Mizahar with pre-determined destinies. Meaning, are they here to do specific things? And if so… do I have one?” She asked, curious, though she was mindful to not ask WHAT hers was exactly if she indeed had one. She just wanted to know if everyone’s fate was supposed to go one way or another… or if they were cast loose on the world and left to fall where they will… like dice.

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"A mark of an open mind is being more committed to your curiosity than your conviction.
The goal of learning is not to shield old views against new facts, but to revise old views with new facts.
Ideas are possibilities to explore, not certainties to defend."


Garden Beach Syka The Protea Inn

"Listen to the wind, it talks. Listen to the silence, it speaks. Listen to your heart, it knows."
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Tazrae
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Do you know where you are? [Ialari and Tazrae]

Postby Ialari Pythone on October 25th, 2022, 4:07 am

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When Tazrae placed her ring next to Ialari’s coin, she felt a fleeting, almost imperceptible cool breeze upon her face. The coolness of the breeze felt like a piece of ice placed upon burnt flesh and with it the feeling of a promise of something pleasing on the horizon. It was the feeling one got when they offered a hard earned coin for a much needed piece of bread; the feeling of loss replaced by one of satisfaction that would come upon taking the first bite of it. It was a confusing feeling filled with sensations that were not easily processed. It would take time.

Ialari’s questions brought answers she was not sure how to take. To her first question, Eliah’s answer, while not coming as much of a surprise, did cause her to think. Gaining Xyna’s favor would take opening up to aid from others. This was not something Ialari was fond of. People...they were dramatic, troublesome and untrustworthy at best. The idea of needing to team up with others caused a physical reaction. She momentarily burped up a bit of bile that burned her throat. She’d surrounded herself with the idea of intent. Intent is what drove every thing she did; her magic, her thoughts and her overall outlook on life. Eliah’s words enforced a new way of interacting with her reality. Results...it was something she knew was important yet for Ialari, results always seemed like something far off...something that was driven by intent. In this case, it was all about results...or at least as far as gaining Xyna’s favor was concerned. To this, she nodded in understanding even as she struggled to bring it all together in her own mind.

The answer to her second question came, as she’d expected, with more questions than answers. What she sought would be offered up freely. It came though with the caveat of asking. Still, she did not know exactly what to ask. Maybe that was the most important part, she thought as she pondered Eliah’s answer. She often thought of the gods being the ones to approach with offers with a price built in. The idea that she simply needed to approach on her own and ask was something quite new. As Eliah said, she never thought to simply ask outright. Sure, she asked a lot but it seems she never asked for the right thing. She was willing to offer worship, she was willing to even offer her life yet...that was not necessarily required. Again, the limits of her understanding were expanded.

To her final question, Ialari couldn’t help but offer a bit of a smile. She asked the question without thinking...at least not consciously. The answer however gave her her more to think about. Xyna created her realm to influence the need for something...something that she in turn could provide; the foundation of trade. It revealed that intent was just as important as results. It was quite similar to how Ialari designed her own Dominion. She created a place that was meant to give her peace and stability where she could focus on discovering herself. Her intent brought results. The result was indeed important but without the intent, there would be no results. It was then that Ialari paused. She thought intent was the most important and that results came later yet with Eliah’s answer, she realized that, while she was right, she missed the point. The results, they gave context to the intent. Her smile softened and faded.

With her questions answered, Eliah then offered his own. The power of his voice sent anxious shivers throughout her body. She lowered her head and listened to the first question with a mix of anticipation and a small amount of fear.

The first question was asked. Why did she think she was chosen for Dominion. It was a question she’d asked herself countless times over the past decade. The question still echoed in her head after Eliah asked it.

Leaning down, she picked up something from the foot of the statue; a coin not her own. She looked at it closely, twirling it around in her fingers. The coin, it was an offering not her own. She looked at it a few more moments before placing it back before the statue. Turning to Eliah, she said, “That is a question I’ve asked more times than you can imagine; a question that few really understand. I was a broken…AM a broken soul lost in the River of Time. Pinned up in pieces on the Tree of Death. Scattered across existence. With what I was, I wanted to destroy. My rage was directed at those whom I thought wrecked the world...My rage still lingers. My only goal was to eliminate all of humanity in hopes of preventing from ever happening again. I was a monster. Yet, despite all of that, I was granted the greatest of gifts. It was a gift that changed my course in this life. I did not ask for this nor did I ever expect such a thing. Why do I think I was chosen? I think it was because I was meant for something more...or at the very least, something else. Dominion is a path to finally realizing what that is.”

Realizing that the woman next to her was likely thinking how crazy the isur with her seemed, Ialari turned to look at Tazrae; her eyes holding a hint of restrained sadness. “I have but a single piece of a soul. The rest of the pieces...they are scattered across...well, everywhere. I don’t know exactly why or how it happened. It’s sounds crazy.” She paused a moment and then added, “Later, if you are willing to hear, I would be happy to explain more so I seem less...insane?”

On to the second question. When Eliah asked what she really was, Ialari unconsciously shook her head. “I...what I really am? I feel like I am someone lost in a series of broken dreams. I close my eyes and I see things that I don’t remember having ever seen before yet they feel familiar. I am one who is always looking for answers; answers to questions that never seem to end. I am alone. I am unable to feel things like I think others do and I am stretched between so many different things that I feel I may break at any point. I am filled with rage at all this chaos but I keep it contained...for now. At the same time, I am a Domineer, Avatar of Nature and favored of Izurdin with all the complexities that come with such things.” She wasn’t exactly sure what sort of answer was expected but that is what came to mind.

Finally, the last question of what she wanted to be. It was a question that she’d surprisingly not put as much thought into compared to the countless other ones. “What do I want to be?” Ialari chuckled softly. “What I want to be...that’s something that feels so far away as to not even be worth giving much thought. Yet…” She looked down for a moment before continuing. “I want to be more than just a broken, crazy wizard wandering the realms of the mortal and divine looking to fix myself. I want to be sturdy, stable and strong...and at least feel sane more often than not. I want to be able to reshape not just myself but the world around me as well as others in a way that inspires understanding and self-discovery.” She looked at her metallic hand, closing and open it. “The isur tend to label themselves in a way that ties their various qualities to things like metals, gems, tools or even weapons. We have sentinels who are our knowledge and hammers who are our strength. We have anvils who are our soul. Our family names, they represent aspects of who and what we are in life. I became a sentinel; the keeper of knowledge and oh the wonders I’ve learned. My family name, Pythone represents the constrictor with all its strength and subtlety. With all the strength, knowledge and power I’ve gained...what I really want is strength of soul; I want to be an anvil.”

When Tazrae offered her own questions to Eliah, he nodded and with his divinely-charged voice proceeded to offer her answers.

Eliah’s otherwise stoic gaze softened slightly as he answered Tazrae’s first question. “You think of yourself as having been sent away. There is more to it than that.” Eliah began to slowly move his way around the area near the statue. As he spoke, his voice still emanated divine power. “You are right, Tazrae, magic flows through your bloodline with no small amount of strength. Centuries ago, such a thing was more common; entire families of mages passing their power to the next generation and so on.” Eliah paused to look up at the statue before he continued his casual wandering.

“You inherited your mother’s magical potential but it was your father who provided a bit of an...unpredictable variable. This variable is what caused you to be...how did you put it? Sent away? There is a reason for everything that happens in your life even if you don’t know what that is. Your parents, they did not send you away, they sent you on a journey. You have an ancestor on your father’s side who...let us just say that he is not of this world.” Eliah’s response would certainly leave more questions to be answered however that was for a different time and place.

Eliah smiled with a nod at Tazrae’s second question which connected to his answer to the first. “Magic on Mizahar...that is a complicated topic but I will attempt to sum it up as best as I can.” He gave a glance to both Ialari and Tazrae before continuing. “You are both aware of the existence of other worlds...this being one of them in a manner of speaking.” Eliah motioned to the city that surrounded them.

“These worlds, they exist with different conditions, different histories and different fundamental foundations of creation. From them, the gods took various bits of inspiration and set out to create a new world. This new world, Mizahar, would be built from a carefully laid out plan. The plan involved countless systems all working together to form a balance. Magic, as you both know, is the manipulation of the various aspects of creation and existence itself. Reimancy allows for the transmutation of the basic elements of those systems. Auristics grants the ability to see the systems as they work. Magecraft provides a means to mixing those systems and giving new shapes to them. These being a few examples of how magic allows one to change creation...if only in the smallest of ways.” Eliah looked at Ialari with a look of knowing that she returned in kind.

He held the isur’s gaze a few moments while he spoke before looking back to Tazrae. “With so many systems coming together to make this world what it is, there is a need for rules and structure. Imagine if you will, one or more of the rules that govern magic use on Mizahar being broken without consequence. Imagine what someone who has mastered Reimancy could do if there were no rules, no chances of over-giving. What if they were not a kind or stable person? What might someone who is...unhinged...be able to do with the unlimited power to rain down fiery devastation upon an entire city. Unfortunately we’ve seen this from an angered god but what do you think would happen if anyone could have a bad day and decide to wipe out a few thousand lives? My point is that the balance must be maintained which is why there are structured rules for magic use. So many other worlds have met a grim fate because of unstructured, uncontrolled access to magic. So, when you ask why magic on Mizahar is taught in such a structured way, it is because if it were not, there is a possibility that the entire thing could collapse upon itself.”

Eliah paused and allowed for his words to sink in before offering words of caution. “Take care with the knowledge you’ve gained, Tazrae. Using magic in the ways you have been can produce wondrous things...yet it can also bring about possible calamity. There are always eyes upon you.”

For Tazrae’s third and final question, Eliah lowered his head for a moment before answering. “That feels like a diplomatic way of asking, what is the purpose of life. A question that priests and the divine alike have been asked since the beginning of both. In this one instance, I am granted the ability to answer such a question even if it may not give you exactly what you seek. There is a lot that goes into the whole idea of what it is to exist. The main concepts of existence consist of a beginning, reality, destiny and fate with time connecting all of it. The beginning in your case is your birth. Your soul takes a physical state upon birth. You live and grow and create your own reality through the way you perceive the world around you. Your destiny is made up of your choices in life and how you live it over the course of time. Those choices lead you down Time’s River and inevitably toward your fate. Fate governs all of us, including the gods. We all have an end date; a point in time where our journey down the river ends. For some, the journey is all too short. For others, it may last what seems like forever. Yet there is an end for us all. Your destiny? That is what you choose it to be. Your fate however...that has already been written...I know that much. What that may be? I don’t know.”

Eliah looked up at the statue of Xyna, nodded and then back to the two women. “You are both gifted with the potential to do great things. Think of it not as much as a plan...that you are alive to do something specific and out of your control and more like it being a map. You are given directions, even if you don’t always see them or understand them at first. You eventually see the way to get where you are going but maybe you want to see something else before getting there. Maybe you think that there is a better way to reach that destination than what the map shows. Maybe, just maybe, you want to throw the map away and go at it alone. All of that is up to you.” With a profoundly thoughtful look on his face, Eliah looked over to Tazrae’s offering to Xyna. He then reached into his robe. He approached Tazrae and opened his hand; offering her a coin. The coin had on one side, an engraving that looked a lot like the face of her mother. On the other side, the face of her father. “Xyna is pleased with your offering and in return, she wishes you to have this. When you are ready to learn more about why your parents sent you from them, flip the coin into someplace special to you back home. Your answers will come later.”

Eliah closed his eyes for a moment and then spoke again. "Now, my questions for you Tazrae. First, why do you wish to learn magic outside of the rules that govern it's use in your world? What do you hope to accomplish?"

The priest then produced another coin from his robe and tossed it in the air; catching it in one hand before placing it on the top of his other. Pulling his hand away, he looked upon the side that presented itself.

"Next, if I were to have told you that your fate was to die in three years; that you would end up dead and forgotten on the side of an ancient, broken road buried in the jungle, how would you spend what time you had left?" Eliah had no emotion displayed on his face as he asked.

"Finally, Xyna directed Ialari's hand in pulling back the curtain as it were, on your reality. You have seen things through the eyes of a Domineer and reality for you is forever changed. How has that changed your perception of your existence and what do you do with that knowledge going forward?" Eliah waited patiently and allowed Tazrae time to process it all.
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Ialari Pythone
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Do you know where you are? [Ialari and Tazrae]

Postby Tazrae on November 11th, 2022, 2:01 am

Taz was starting to wonder about the “This is still early in your journey…” part of the scenario. She was often completely blindsided by things going on in the world that she had no clue of. There were take home messages after take home messages to be learned here. One thing Tazrae pulled out of Eliah’s answer to Ialari’s question about making a deal for the location of what she sought was simply that if you ask the gods, they often give information freely. The debt to them was gratitude and thus worship. Taz could see that. She also learned the word ‘dearth’. It was a good lesson to learn. Business thrived when a service that was otherwise at dearth was provided. Drought conditions? Provide water. Your business will be successful. It was a simple yet powerful lesson. Tazrae made note of it.

Then she got to ask her questions.

Meanwhile, Ialari got to answer her own. She learned more about Ialari in those next few moments than she’d learned about most people in Syka over the course of seasons. Taz didn’t know why Ialari was not a whole soul… why her soul’s pieces had been scattered across the world. Ialari herself didn’t seem to know. But it was something Taz might be able to help her find out. Ialari needed to meet the Old Ones. They could help her whereas Taz could not. They saw with new and different eyes. Ialari had probably been staring at answers so long she couldn’t recognize them for what they were. Her uncle used to say that one could not see the trees because the forest was in the way. It made a lot of sense to her. Perspective was everything.

Then Eliah started to answer her questions and Tazrae’s world froze. Her mother was the mage with the magical potential but her father was the one that gave her an unpredictable variable? She was not sent away, but sent on a journey? Her head started to spin but that mental thought process came to an abrupt halt when the man said her father’s side was not of this world? Was she something akin to the Mulgon then? Taz met Eliah’s gaze, curious, but there was no malice in the man’s face. Instead, there was just a certainty. He knew…

When next he spoke, moving on to her second question, Taz was still trying to absorb the answer to her first question. She had to take a deep breath, focus, and listened to what he had to say. She nodded to him clearly stating that magic was the manipulation of various aspects of creation and even existence itself. She carefully recited back to herself silently the examples he gave to them both.

“Reimancy allows for the transmutation of the basic elements of those systems. Auristics grants the ability to see the systems as they work. Magecraft provides a means to mixing those systems and giving new shapes to them.”

Mizahar had structured rules because there needed to be a balance maintained in the magical workings on Mizahar. She knew she’d been playing outside of the rules. And Eliah warned her that there were eyes on her and consequences for that sort of thing. It was a warning and a clue mixed into one. Eliah didn’t say she shouldn’t proceed with all the things she was experimenting with. What he did say however that she would be watched and judged and it was upon her shoulders to make sure whatever she did was done with care for the whole of the world.

That she could do.

Now… the one she truly wanted to be answered more than the rest. And then he said another thing she committed to memory. “The main concept of existence consists of a beginning, reality, destiny, and fate with time connecting all of it.” If birth was the beginning, was death the end? She wanted to know the whole of the answer fed in one big chunk, but instead, Eliah was answering her quietly in bits and pieces. Her fate was written…. her destiny she got to compose herself. Taz smiled at this, liking the idea that the Gods allowed them to be born and live with free will. She liked that her destiny was made up of her own choices and how she decided to live her life over the course of time.

It was a lot to think about… a lot to mull over. It would even make a good song, she thought, as she met the Priest’s gaze and offered him a smile. He had questions for her, that much was the deal they’d struck and she’d have to answer them honestly.

His first question was an easy one for Tazrae to answer. “It’s a feeling I have. I feel there’s so much more out there. I feel the walls of magical rules close around me when my mind screams that there should be more… like when you are standing in a room that looks one size, but if you look at that same room from outside a house and you see clearly that the room you were in wasn’t big enough in size to fill the space the actual house occupies… that there must be something hidden… a hidden chamber, more rooms… that sort of thing.” She explained. “Most of the magic teaches us for a certain action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Except, in many magics, there are not. Those are the same hidden gaps… the same concealed dimensions. I see them clearly whereas others just skim their eyes over the discrepancy. Overgiving… for example. We have healers that can reverse the effects of cuts, bruises, and major illnesses. But we do not have a counter to overgiving? If we can leech djed, for example, can’t we gift it? Don’t you see the empty spaces? The hidden rooms behind the walls yourself?” Taz asked, curious, tilting her head to study the priest.

He laughed then, not answering Tazrae’s question directly. “Xyna said you both would be a handful. I see what she means now.” He said, turning to look at Ialari and the look on her face. “I can tell by your expression that you are somewhat startled by what the human says, but now that you think on it a bit… you agree with it.” He grinned. “Sometimes it just takes looking at something from a slightly different angle to understand it.” The man said, then gestured for Tazrae to continue with her answers.

Taz looked thoughtful at his next question. “Life is short. Life is precious. Have you heard the term… ‘Live like we’re dying?’ I am an avid believer in that. I don’t put off tomorrow what I can do today. I don’t hold back words when I can put them out there – especially gratitude, thankfulness, and appreciation. If I want to explore something, I go explore it. It might be dead or gone before I get another chance. If I were dying in three years and I knew it, I’d probably go harder, sleep less, do more… and I do a lot now. But it would never be enough. I don’t want the hands of time to get faster for me. I want them to slow. My list of things I want to do grows longer and longer and longer the more life I get under my belt. There is so much to know… so much to learn. You’ve opened a thousand roads for Ialari and I to walk down. We just have to pick a couple.” Taz added, shaking her head. Her curls bounced lightly and caused her to reach up and push them out of her face.

The last question Eliah had for Tazrae gave her pause. “I don’t think it puts barriers in my way or anything. I think it expands my awareness and increases the number of questions I have about the world in general. Ialari is as a God in her Dominion, from what I understand. It’s not a power I’d want or enjoy. I like to be challenged by my world and see which ways I have to bend in order to thrive. It seems to me that Ialari just bends her worlds to suit herself… and to me that’s … not nearly as fun.” Tazrae said with a grin.

“If anything, this knowledge makes me want to know who bends and who is bending. I honestly think the mortals bend this world as the Gods do, and they don’t like it. I think that’s the nature of existence and the struggle we have with religion. The Gods would like to see us bending more to bow to their wills.” Taz added, grinning… and then lifts an eyebrow. “Does that make sense?” The Innkeeper asked, her face crinkling with mischief.

Eliah nodded. “Of course.” He said, offering a smile. “And you two have been lovely. If you ever want to chat again, come back… bring others. I’ll leave an open invitation for you to come back and discuss things further.” He said, opening his arm and gesturing to the door. “Bid Our Lady of Commerce Goodbye, and please enjoy the rest of your time here at The Outpost. Ialari, Xyna will be holding you to your promise to not interfere with her constructs.” He added, then bowed to both of them and turned, heading back out of the temple the way he’d come in.

Taz glanced at Ialari, then walked to the Xyna statue where they’d made their offerings earlier. “Thank you for the knowledge you’ve given to us. Now we fully plan to go enjoy your trade and commerce and spend some good hard coin on things we need. Syka in general owes you a great debt for connecting us to this place and allowing us to thrive through your trade. We will make sure you get a place in our settlement to be honored.” Taz added, then bowed to the statue.

She turned, let Ialari say her goodbyes, and waited by the door. She had a gadgeteer to visit… one that had promised to sell her an ice cream maker when next she visited him.

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"A mark of an open mind is being more committed to your curiosity than your conviction.
The goal of learning is not to shield old views against new facts, but to revise old views with new facts.
Ideas are possibilities to explore, not certainties to defend."


Garden Beach Syka The Protea Inn

"Listen to the wind, it talks. Listen to the silence, it speaks. Listen to your heart, it knows."
User avatar
Tazrae
Be savage, not average.
 
Posts: 1337
Words: 1919090
Joined roleplay: May 3rd, 2020, 2:02 pm
Location: Syka
Race: Human
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Journal
Plotnotes
Medals: 5
Mizahar Grader (1) Overlored (1)
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Syka Seasonal Challenge (1)

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