Kris and Kendrac - RPLOG
Participants
Date
6/3/480
Log
It is warm and breezy in the Easbank Forest, and the clearing that hosts the small shrine to Shaila, Kendrac, and Adrestia is quiet and picturesque.
"Right this way," Fenris says, leading a pair of other beings along the little trail that trickles into the clearing, "You honestly could have found it on your own, but I like the walk."
"Mmn, well, I was already on my way here, honestly," Kris offers up in a chipper tone. The shark's gaze combs over the semi-familiar landscape, having come across it several times in the past, and he murmurs in that feminine lilt, "just happened across the pair of you on my way. And, company is always appreciated on such a wonderful day, right?" The shark's beaming smile shows quite a bit of teeth.
"I'm okay with a little bit of wandering," Cirrus points out, trailing behind Fenris. She had come here for the express purpose of exploring, after all. The forest was rather beautiful, if mildly dangerous, which explains the armor and the claymore, but she had figured that a party of three was less likely to draw the dangerous sort of attention than a party of one. Or, at least, more likely to not die from said attention. "Thank you, though, Fenris."
Fenris is not, apparently equipped for battle. Instead, he is equipped for lunch! The big tiger is carrying a heavy, wicker basket and sets up at the edge of the clearing. "Well," he says, "either way, there is the shrine. Why was it you wanted to come out here, anyway?"
Stifling a bit of a giggle, the shark seems fairly confident, winking back over at the leopard, "Oh, it can't be that bad, can it? I mean, there are far worse places with far worse denizens than here. It's usually quite pleasant, around about here, but, then, calling on the spirits..." He puffs out his cheeks a bit, a slight tinge of apprehension, "well, I certainly won't shy away from able company." Sporting his battle skirt and the light, hide-like armor that gloves him in a comely manner, Kris seems to make sure they can move swiftly, a slender blade, curved and ready, at his hip and rugged, tooled gloves with accented knuckles..
"It goes both ways! But, it's good to be prepared, I suppose." Cirrus says with a bit of a shrug, but motions to Fenris, anyways. "For example, he came prepared for lunch! Arguably as important as a sword." She smiles and nods sagely. Food was always welcome. "And, Fenris, I was just out here to take a peek at the shrine. I've heard things about it, but. Haven't made many trips out."
"It's interesting," Fenris says, nodding at the shrine as he unpacks a blanket and sprawls out, "And if you are planning on calling on a Spirit, well, I doubt you could ask for a better spot! Don't mind me." There is something comical about the juxtaposition of Fenris laying out fruit and sandwiches beside the quiet elegance of the shrine and a strange air of expectation in the clearing, though it does not seem to bother the tiger in the least.
Giving a casual nod over towards the tiger when Fenris sets up his picnic, Kris glances over to Cirrus, "Are you certain about this? I know I am. I've been meaning to visit the shrine here for more than a week and some, now." He lets out a breathy sigh in the wake of a deep inhalation of the forest's earthy scent before starting towards the shrine itself and specifically towards the statue that stands of Kendrac, "to fight the corruption, to cleanse those who've fallen to its sway... a pact with him will aid the greatest."
Cirrus shrugs again at Kris, instead sitting down across from Fenris on the blanket to snatch up an apple. "Are you sure? I've been hearing lots of negative things about spirits, lately. Perhaps Ken-... er, that one, will be different, but I can't say. I've never met them."
Fenris watches Kris with interest as he makes his way to the altar itself and the crude depiction of a stag headed being. His eyes are drawn to Cirrus when the leopard settles down on the blanket by him. "If you want to meet the Warrior, I wouldn't plop down here by me!" he says, "Guy is big on respect and ceremony."
"One can have no doubts about their convictions, "Kris says over his shoulder with a light smile before stooping in a bow before the statue. Taking a knee, he lids his eyes shut, taking to a moment of silent contemplation before whispering, "Oh spirit Kendrac, the strong protector of his brethren, warrior against the corruption, cleanser of tainted hearts... I humbly wish to offer my services, my strength, and my stalwart heart to the task. I offer to battle to protect and to cure."
A warm wind blows through the clearing, sending ripples through the long grass. There is sound like wet paper tearing and suddenly, an enormous stag being stands over Kris, mysterious green markings glowing from his yellow fur, even in the afternoon shadows under the trees.
"You have called and I am come, Child of Promise," the great stag rumbles, look down on Kris, "What is it you see-" he pauses for a second, his glowing eyes flickering over to where Fenris and Cirrus sit. He frowns for a moment, most specifically at the tiger, who gives him a cheery wave, shakes his head, then looks down at Kris again. "What is it that you seek, mortal?" he asks, starting again, "Who calls for Kendrac, The Spear Wielder?"
"I am called Kris, and I am a warrior of Promise. I wish to pledge my will to fight to protect others to you in order to share in your strength and to use it to help those who cannot help themselves and to pierce the veil of corruption that has fallen across beings, to shred it from htem so they can see clearly again without that taint," the shark says, head inclined in humility to the spirit manifest.
Cirrus rises to her feet, still biting on the apple, if the stag was really that insistent on ceremony and such. Perhaps she hadn't have started eating the apple. Too late for that, anyways, as the leopard decided to linger a decent distance away as the spirit addresses Kris directly. There's no point interfering, particularly when it was Kris that wanted to seek them out the begin with. She had more words on the topic, but now was definitely not the time.
The stag looks down at Kris in solemn approval, though his gaze is drawn once more by Fenris, who seems to be. . . offering a sandwich?
"Harmony and Dischord, Seeker," the stag growls, "Yes, I see you there and no, I do not want a sandwich! Have you no dignity? You are as bad as the fox!"
He snorts, as though dismissing the tiger and turns all his attention back on the shark before him, though Cirrus does merit a passing glance.
"Kris," the Spirit says, as though tasting the word, "Your goal is a noble one and I will share my power with you. But what has brought you to seek me?"
The shark whispers reverantly, "I have spent much of my life under the salt of combat, and I have seen friend and foe alike fall prey to darkness, to corruption. I have seen what has happened in Mossy Stone and it is in my heart's core to wish to protect those I cherish from that corruption. It is insidious, and mortal tools alone cannot fight it without far more loss. I do not wish to lose those I care about. I will be both the shield and the blade that protects them."
Cirrus can't help but snicker softly at Fenris' antics, peering at the sandwich with a sidelong glance. Though the spirits were indeed powerful, the leopard personally thought that made them a little overtly haughty, to the point of rudeness. Much like some of the higher nobles, around Promise. Besides her internal musings, Cirrus is otherwise quiet, shifting her weight slightly while she watches the exchange take place.
The Spirit seems pleased with Kris's answer and reaches down to lift the kneeling shark to his feet. "Your goals are noble and your heart pure," the huge stag praises, "You shall be my spear and strike out corruption, wherever it may lurk."
Just then, a loud snort of laughter echoes across the little clearing. Kendrak shoots a glare toward Fenris, but the tiger only shakes his head and points to another part of the clearing, a sandwich hanging from his lips.
There, under the shadow of the trees is another being, this one a strange mix of being and Creator. He has the upper body of a strong, beautiful Creator male but with the curling horns of a goat and similarly caprine legs. "And you know all about corruption, don't you Kadrac," the creature says in a smooth, deep voice, "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot you changed it. Kendrac now, was it? I should think this brave being's words would cause you at least a little shame! The Blade that Defends? Sounds familiar, doesn't it?"
Warmth floods through Kris at the acceptance, and he stands at the guiding beck. When that laughter cracks across the clearing, though, he pivots, hand on his hilt and his muscles tensing with reflexive readiness. The past six years or so in teh army had disciplined his body quite a bit, and since he'd become a Freesword, it hadn't become any less a need. His eyes narrow in focus, regarding the strange-fleshed interloper like no being he'd met but more like some amalgam like those Kindcraft monstrosities, but far fairer by comparison. He speaks, "And who would you be to try and tarnish a blade's resolve?"
Cirrus peers at the newcomer curiously, her hands halfway to drawing her claymore, before she realizes that, given the situation, that'd be pretty silly. So, instead, she glances at Fenris, suspecting the tiger had some hand in this, but eventually shakes her head and shrugs, taking another bite of the apple. "Oh. Someone new."
"That blade rusted long ago," the intruder says, waving a lazy hand, and stepping into the light of the clearing, a rather odd sight with his digitigrade, ungulant legs. "I honestly just came to watch. I suppose I should try to woo you away from this bone headed failure, but I really have no interest. Please, carry on, Olg'Ish of the Mind's Eye has little interest in swords as dull as the pair of you seem to be."
Fenris, for his part seems to be only a spectator in all of this, though he does not seem especially surprised.
Kendrac frowns at the odd goat-man, his hand twitching as if imagining holding a weapon, but he turns his attention back to Kris.
"It is ever the way of the polluted to distract the noble from their calling," he says in a rumbling bass, "But they are only a wind and a noise! Now, will you take up my spear? Will you be my weapon against this darkness?"
"Ah, the 'Controller', I see. Even your corruption will be stripped bare, and mayhaps you'll see the light again and rejoin the proper Court," says Kris towards the Satyric figure before looking away, turning his back towards the figure, and he inclines his head to the mighty Life spirit, "Yes, I will take up your spear, and I will pierce the darkness as your weapon." He bows his head solemnly towards Kendrac.
Cirrus' eyebrow quirks. She opens her mouth to speak, then closes it, thinking better of it, shaking her head. Instead, the leopard turns to the satyric being, gesturing towards them politely. "Uh... who are you? It seems I'm getting a crash course in spirits these past few weeks. I mean, what you do. You said your name. I know who he," The leopard similarly gestures towards Kendrac, "Is, at least."
Must one spirit never show up without another slipping in?
The interloping Spirit rolls his eyes at Kris and his short sermon and walks over to take Cirrus's hand, bending over to kiss it. "Olg'Ish, my dear," he says smoothly, "Mine is the realm of the mind. You seem to have finer sensibilities than your companion."
Kendrac does not allow himself to be distracted. He holds out his hand and where there was nothing, there is suddenly a long, black spear.
"I bid you to battle!" he says to Kris, "I offer you my strength and guidance. You will be my spear, striking at the corruption, guided by my hands to lay telling blows and bring balance to the world."
Curling his hand over the haft of the spear, Kris accepts it, and the shark whispers, "I will do as bidden and be your spear," before pointing its blade towards the visage of Olg'Ish, "and, I will pierce teh corrupt," with his eyes narrowed before he calls over to Cirrus, "Do not heed his words. He is one that seeks to control and corrupt. If you desire to be a puppet to darkness, now, before the grace that is, is not that time, nor would I stand idle to let the foulness overtake any being."
Cirrus' eyebrow raises further, letting the goat spirit kiss her hand without too much fuss. She's amused enough by the comment of "finer sensibilities" to allow it to happen, anyways -- out of the many things to be said to her, that was pretty far down upon the list. She shakes her head, snickering softly, before turning to peer down at Kris, with a steely gaze. "I can handle myself around those sorts of people, shark. It's not the first time I've had to, and it surely won't be the last."
When Kris reaches out to take the spear, half of it comes away in his hand, though it seems that Kendrac retains an entire spear to himself. Swirls and geometric patterns slowly start to take shape along his skin, mirroring those of his new Spirit patron.
The strange satyr seems unimpressed by the shark's declaration of enmity, and saunters over to pluck a sandwich from Fenris's basket. The tiger does not stop him, but only watches as the Spirit takes a bite. "Hmm. . ." Olg'Ish says, "Not terrible, seeker, but I expect you can do better before next we meet." The strange being turns and walks away into the shadows of the woods again. "Best of luck, Tool," he says, obviously referring to Kris."
"I do not generally take the Corrupt lightly. To discount what they can do and to cater to their whims both is a way to garner their influence," Kris says crisply to the claymore-toting kitty. He lets out a soft sigh after a moment's scrutiny, "It's a sort of slippery slope, so, I don't generally follow that trend. Too much discipline and respect, you know?" He offers up a wry smile before turning back towards Kendrac and bowing deeply, "Thank you for entrusting me as your weapon."
"I still subscribe to the theory that our sense of right and wrong doesn't entirely align with the spirits'. They're all-powerful, after all. You don't see the nobles' sense of morals aligning with that of your common farmer, do you?" Cirrus says to Kris, lightly, not putting too much agression behind her words. She peers a little bit at the goat as they slip back off into the forest, shaking her head a bit. "Besides! Everything deserves a little courtesy. Corrupt or not."
"Beware the Corrupt Court and their lying tongues," Kendrac advises gravely, "They make themselves to seem fair and comely, but they are polluted, wayward and lost and will see that others too lose their way. Go now with my blessing."
There is a tearing sound again in the air and Kendrac is gone.
Fenris has not moved from his spot on the blanket, despite the arrival of two Spirits. That one probably ought to be watched carefully. "Sandwich?" he offers, opening his basket, "I have lots and it is a long walk back to town. Congrats on the pact."
"Courtesy is given to those deserving courtesy. When they start out with insults, they've lost that courtesy to begin with, and those of the corrupt are just that, corrupt. All Powerful isn't a truth, though they have great power in their aspects. I honor and revere thsoe who aren't corrupt, but would you give such courtesy to a farmer who slaughters his spits in your face or a noble who openly has poisoned his or her siblings? A modicum of distance is needed with teh Corrupt." Kris gives a slow shake of his head before gingerly sliding his new tool into a leatehr strapping to keep it in place. Looking over the shimmering green patterns that play across his skin, he murmurs, "Well, this is new." Glancing over towards Fenris, he offers up a wry smile, "Thank you for the offer and for the congratulations, but, I believe I've other errands to run, with the day so young."
Cirrus goes back over to the blanket, sitting down across from the tiger cross-legged. She adjusts her sword slightly, as to not bump against the ground, taking one of the sandwiches to munch on it politely. "All deserves a little bit of courtesy when you first meet them, else you are no better than them. And, in fact, I probably would. The former would get a strange look, and the latter would be arrested as we spoke, but I would." The snow leopard points out to Kris, in-between bites. She shrugs, and makes a small gesture. "That's my primary hesitation with Kendrac, anyways. Corrupt is vague."
