Sand and Honor - RPLOG
Participants
Date
10/9/477
Log
The Shralestian desert was busy with activity this day, caravans traveling to and fro to deliver relief supplies to the outskirt of the city. More importantly for those lured here however, is a Graceful Clan Rabbit sitting on a carriage with a sign reading 'expedition here' strapped upon it! The Rabbit poorly dressed himself, mostly wearing thick leathers and a wide brimmed hat with a whip and pistol on his hips.
Lucasiel didn't like the desert, really. It was always such a bother, but at least it wasn't humid! The panther had fashioned up a bit of ice magic to keep her cool while she approaches the caravan. "Violence, huh?" Maybe she'd find a good fight, this time!
Despite the sweltering heat, the tall fern arrives at the carriage dressed in full armor overlapped with pieces of even more armor. Her shield, taller than most normal people, firmly grasped in one hand, the plant used the other hand to grasp the edge of the transport and pulls herself into the shotgun seat without a word. Looking over the rabbit briefly, and with a quick nod to the panther, Savi quietly awaits the arrival of the rest of the passengers.
A plant being almost completely covered in a heavy cloak arrives at the location. Thankfully the sky is filled with scattered clouds ensuring that there is at least some respite from the heat of the sun. Rokarion walks in a confident gait towards the Rabbit, before giving him a polite bow and asking in his usual caln and polite tone, "Hail and well met good sir. I am assuming that the scholar will be meeting us shortly?" Hopefully there won't be much fighting, Rokarion is mainly interested with the statues and if he is lucky, he would be able to take a good look and maybe sketch some of them.
A salamander, covered in her white and red robe, tailored to be worn under the hot sun, followed soon after, joining the group and watch whose who are already present. Then Cythim removes her hood from her head, and wait for the others to arrive.
Adolphus is sweating. Profusly. Tropical Good and desert heat are not mixing well today. Sun beating down on his bald head, armor, chain and leather, strapped to him. Huge warhammer on his back, wondering why in the world he was so curious about statues to walk this far out. Well he's here. Might as well get on with it.
"I -am- the scholar." The Rabbit calls out as he looks to Rokarion, before waving his hand motioning to the carriage. "The name is Bindy, Bindy Bones. I take it you're the lot then? Hmmm... Not too terrible indeed, could work well." Reaching into his bags, he pulls out a canteen to toss to Adolphus, before grinning at the group. "Well then, if folks are ready, feel free to hop on into my carriage here, and we can get moving. I just need you lot to probably help in clearing any trouble there... After all, I take strange reports of increased violence around old sites like that, rather seriously."
Lucasiel rubs at the back of her helmet and grins. "Well! Look no further, then! I will certainly do my best to deal with any problems that may arise! I imagine they will, as well," she says, gesturing to her companions as she climbs into the wagon. "It's been a few months since I've been out this way..." Comes the idle thought as she settles down, making sure her plate was all tightened and adjusted properly.
Eyes on the path ahead, Saviante sits with a sense of stoicism. Her visor down, only the long fronds that make up her 'hair' serve as any indication that there is a living being within the mass of armor. Taking her job VERY seriously, the towering Fern is already scanning the horizon for anything that seems amiss, even now before the carriage actually leaves. A bad feeling, the origins of which she cannot place, settles in the pit of her stomache.
Rokarion looks at the rabbit, before nodding his head and saying, "My apologies for the mistake." Satisified with his short response, Rokarion entered the carriage, and took a window seat. He then slipped a notebook and a pen from under his cloak, and started writing something on it, waiting for the others to enter the carriage while his jasmine scent wafted inside their transport.
Cythim nods at the rabbit, taking place on the carriage and check her equipement, to see if she had what she needed. Her spear, her dagger, her medicinal herbs and bandages before she looks around for potential dangers. Then she asks, "Where are we going? And for what?".
Adolphus catches the canteen, and the huge, heavy, husky, hippo opens his wide gullet and drinks the entire canteen in a few gulps. "Great. Let's just finish this then. Sooner we are done the sooner we can be out of this cursed sun." Much rather been sitting in a cool pool, nostrils just above the water. He enters into the carriage and causes the whole thing to lurch around as over 500 pounds of fat and muscle squeeze in.
"Out into the desert, there are a few statues not too far from the monastary that I've taken an interest to lately. They depict strange looking things from something far before us... And given that whole snake thingies temple, I'm inclined to believe it's of importance." Ever so intellectual, refering to the spirit of Ser'ther as snake thing, but never the less once the group is inside of the carriage it lurches, and begins to move forward. THankfully for them, they've a nice cover of cloth to provide them with shade as they cross through the desert. Nothing does seem to happen though for this first portion, with only errant breezes of sand to irritate eyes and skin, and soon enough the group arrives at their destination!
Their carriage ends up parked at the edge of what appears to be a gently sloping crater of sand, caused by a variety of sandstone formations with the statues in question resting at the bottom of this depression... Most appear damaged by time, or resemble beings almost, but few do stand out as more 'unique'. Be it a serpent with several heads that each seem to gaze a different direction, or a large four legged winged serpeant that carried four horns above his head.
"Well, here we are. Why don't you guys head down inside first, and make sure it's clear before I come sliding after... Not that I wouldn't be willing to fight along side you all, but well, if I die then so does your pay sadly."
Lucasiel passes the trip in silence, mostly just listening to the scholar go on about spirits. She had yet to meet one that had impressed her. Eager to stretch her legs, as soon as the carriage comes to a stop she hops out of it, dragging her large battle axe with her. "You think it has any kinds of traps in there?" She asks to no one in particuarly as she starts on the way, taking up point with her kite shield at the ready.
Not moving more than a foot from the Rabbit scholar, Savi speaks the first words she has uttered the entire trip. "I am here to guard you, leaving you alone here while we all go there would not be doing my job." Despite the whisper-soft volume of her voice, the words are spoken with an almost chiding sterness. Taking the time to draw her spear, the Fern stands her ground and contunies to scan the horizon slowly, as concerned with what is up here as whatever might be lurking below.
The young plant being spends the trip scribbling on his notebook and listening to the surprisingly simplified language of the scholar. When the carraiage arrives, Rokarion steps outside, and takes a good look at the statues and the craters from his elevted position. Seeing as how not everyone was ready yet, he once again opened his book, and started doodling the area from here. Thinking to himself, He will still need to go down into the crater for a proper look on the statues, and hopefully learn more about them. He then says, head still focusing on the book, "So are there any plans? Going down a crater that we have no information about is begging for disaster to strike."
Cythim wonders to herself, "Snake deity? It doesn't sound similiar to the Creators...". Then she jumps out of the carriage, her dagger ready if needed. She joins the others around the crater as her left hand softly become luminous in a hardly noticeable yellow color. "If we could know how deep it is...".
Adolphus will stand back again in the desert sun. He does unhook his warhammer and lets the head rest upon the ground. "Is this a new excavation?" he rumbles. "Has anyone been here before? Has anyone tried to enter before?" he looks around the crater, walking slowly for a sign of a former staircase, or some sort of carve out.
"Oh damn it you're serious." Bindy sighing at Saviante as he shakes his head before following after Lucasiel as he continues to explain. "It's not a dangerous walk down, just be careful to not tumble down if you're not used to walking in sand. As for how deep? No real clue, nobody has tried to really dig it all out... It isnt new either, been here awhile. Granted, it used to just be statues that didn't have increased violence around them."
As those whom enter into the crater look upon the statues and head deeper inside, the strange sensation of a wrongness as though they were being watched from every angle begins to assail the back of their minds, that little prickling sensation like when one is walking in the dark after reading a particularly frightening novel.
Lucasiel flips her axe around and holds the blade near the ground, ready to help stop her fall should she lose her footing in the sand. Thankfully, it proves to not be needed! She keeps her attention straight ahead as she makes her way into the crater, but her eyes pass momentarily over the statue as she narrows her eyes at the feeling. It was nothing new, but she never really liked it much.
As they walk, Savi (likely without any active thought) elevates her shield to provide shade, and a discrete layer of armor, over the scholar. "You keep using that phrase. Increased violence. Do you not know the form this violence takes?" Despite speaking to him, the Fern doesn't look directly at the rabbit, choosing instead to focus her attention on the area ahead. Loose sand is an ambushers dream. With the feeling of unease bleeding into the feeling of being watched, the armored Crusader grips her spear, which she is currently using as a walking stick, a little tighter.
Rokarion keeps on sketching down on his notebook, as he moves down the slope. Taking careful steps not to tumble down. The strange sensation starts to nag on him. The scholar did mention discovering a statue of Ser'ther, can this be related to the statues here? Either way he is sure there is a presence here, most likely spiritual too. When Rokarion arrives at the bottom, he starts to slowly move between each statue, stopping on the three more fantastical ones, and sketching them down on his book. Hopefully, there will be no one interrupting them.
Cythim was slowly spreading her light into her whole body while she was sliding down into the crater. When suddenly a strange impression of get to her mind. She whispers, "Something is wrong here...", and tries to go on as she checks the statues.
Adolphus grunts, "So no one has tried to enter the sands. Or dig it out. I would be careful about getting caught in them then." he doesn't look that confident now, but he will follow the others. Grabbing a rope nd attaching it to the carriage first at least. Somthing should there be a dry sand pit, or a collapse and he needs to pull out.
"No clue. Reports range from insects, to giant things, to regular critters trying to bite and harry people away." Bindy shrugging some as he arrives at the statues, pulling out his own journal to begin writing. "Just keep a watchful eye out, and probably shouldnt touch anything as well." As if heralding his world then, a small plume of sand on the opposite end of the crator shoots out in a tuff, before it calms down... A large moment of silence decends then before just a few yards from the group inside of the crator, the sand explodes in a flurry as a large insect like creature claws it's way forward.
The Creature itself is strange, and one not often, if ever -actually- seen around these parts! It's body is covered in thick, plate like chitten, and is large enough to be able to carry four carriages upon it's back, with numerous beady eyes watching them. Two large claws, easily able to inflect massive pain, sit upon front arm like devices, with three large stingers each hooked to a seperate tail each that leads to it's back!
"Well. Would you look at that!" Comes the jovial reply from the armoured titan of a feline. "I wonder if it's friendly," she says in jest as she props her axe back up on her shoulder. "Not likely. Wonder how we'd best deal with it... I say hit it from the side, if it's anything like the last big thing I fought with claws. Hm. It didn't have three tails, though," Lucasiel murmurs.
Takng a calming moment to observe the creature for what it is, Savi decides the most obvious weak point is the same here as for any creature. Making sure to stand between the insectasaur and the rabbit, the Fern woman points her spear as a focus and unleashes a gout of jet-black fire at the soft and squishy eyes of the giant beast. As tghe snap and hiss of the burning stream arcs towards the target, she speaks quite clearly. "Increased violence... I get it now."
Rokarion looks at the creature emerging, a new specimen it seems. However, he resists the urge to draw it now, it is a hostile no time hopegully there will still be enough of it for study. Rokarion starts slowly moving towards the group when he notices the larger fern attack the beast, deciding to take advantage of the momentum, The jasmine, slips his notebook back under his cloak, and utters some equations. And with that he lets out a huge stream of flames from his hands.
Cythim notices the big bad scorpion and pull back her dagger, too small for being of any good use and grab her spear, better against big foes. Then she concentrate as a flash of light suddenly goes off from her, attempting to daze the scorpion while she ready herself, standing in a defensive stance.
Adolphus grunts, "A damnable bug..." he gripes his warhammer, sand grains starting to swirl around the head as he activates the earth magics. Having and Earthshaker in a sandpit not be be the best idea, but he's going to smash the everloving crap out of it if it charges. He's too hot to charge in first. Twirling the large war hammer he brings it up and down onto the send. Sending the shockwave through the sand right at the beast.
"FUCKING SHIT!" Bindy calls out as he ducks behind a statue and readies his pistol. The large beast doesn't have much time to react, as it lets out a pained cry from the flames spreading at what must be it's face, before being blinded and then suddenly shocked and rolled by Adolphus' attack, causing it to dive back below the sand to defend itself! Small jutts of sand explode perioudically around them, though the beast doesn't seem to approach the statues as it tries to dig around to their rear!
Lucasiel starts to approach the beast, ready to hit it... Then it goes back under. Pah! That's no fun. She remains patient, however, and instead opts to just wait, ready and poised for it to come back up. It should, sooner or later, and when it does... Then she will hit it!
Savi does not wait for it to reemerge, After the second spout hits the air an inde forms, on the third she moves. Spinning and running as hard as her long legs will carry her, Savi angles her path in what at first appears to be a random direction. Praying her estimation of distance is correct, The armored Fern leaps into the air and with a fierce cry drives her spear as hard as she can into the ground; using not only her strength, but the force of her fall to push the strike home in an attempt to intercept the next spout at it's source.
Rokarion takes a deep breath, well looks like their new friend is smarter than it looks. Rokarion rushes closer towards the group, being scattered won't help much in the fighting effort. Reaching a comfortable distance, he looks back at the area wondering where the thing might be. Not having anything else to do he decides to coat Savi with a protective layer in case if the scorpion attempts a counter attack, and with a circular motion of his finger with the equations done, he attempts to cover Savi in a protective stone layer.
Seeing that the scorpion decided to stealth itself into the sand, Cythim calm down then rally the groupas she talks to the whole group, "Come one everyone! Don't let your guard down! We can do it!". A rush of power browsing through the place, bolstering everyone's moral.
Adolphus watches the sand puffs, and he motions with a meaty arm, "Watch yourselves, this might stun it..." again he raises his hammer and sand twirls around him in elliptical patterns as the earthmagic on his braces flares, and once again he launches a targeted strike through the sands. An Avalanche right into the sand pile and down at the criter.
As Lucasiel attempts to join the fray, she's sadly harried as she hits a soft pocket of sand and sinks to her knees! Left to try and forcefully pull herself out while the others fight! Savi's spear strike rings true, and though she's buffeted by a burst of sand, she's left without any damage! Though, once Adolphus' attack slams into the creature, a pained cry is let out from below the sand before Savi finds herself lifted out of the ground as the beast errupts out! It's chitten torso cracked in multiple spots from Adolphus' attack, and bleeding slightly, with Savi's spear having pierced right ontop of it! The Three tails striking forward, though the one that connects merely scratching against her armor!
With no thought towards defence, after all that is why she wears so much armor, Savi yells again and swings her shield in an overhand arc. Aiming not at the beast, but her spear which had already found the mark. Using the underside of her shield as a wide hammer, she strikes againa nd again with all the strength her body can muster, trying for all she is worth to drive the spear in as if it was a simple tent spike, and this giant beast is the land she seeks to camp upon. "Just.." She swings "Stop..." she swings again "MOVING!"
Rokarion moves closer towards the large beast, taking on defensive stance. He scans the beast for a minute, noticing how his shell is cracked in the middle. The Adept decides that now might be the time to attempt some stronger mathemagic. Focusing on the center of the beast to avoid hitting the other plant clinging to the front of the scorpion, Rokarion starts uttering some equations, aided with geometerical movements of his head. The air above the socrpions glows for a bit, before it explodes into a mixture of elements aiming for the center of the overgrown bug.
As the beast is getting attacked and exploded by the other of the group, Cythim moves in, her spear ready, and attempt to strike where it got already hit, trying to further worsen its wound in the process, making sure that the tails doesn't swing where they shouldn't as she doesn't wear any armor.
Adolphus grunts, armor cracks? He can get behind that, watching the various cracks and chips in the chitan armor, and savi riding it now, the big guy lifts his hammer up. Trying to aim for a leg joint, a front one, and start crippling the thing by popping it's legs like he was eating a crab.
As the combination of damage strikes into the beast once more, one of it's legs crippled from Adolphus' blow, and pieces of Chitten blown free from Rokarion's attack as Cythim's strike finds a nice spot to draw blood from it, while Savi is hammering her spear down into it! The Great beast shuddering from the spear piercing through it's body, before collapsing to it's body as it's legs can't find the energy to hold it, and it's tails lash out once more. The one aiming for Savi is far too slow, and misses her by a mile, while the one heading for Adolphus is quicker, and comes close to almost hitting the hippo as it lays upon it's deathbed, fight ebbing from it!
Deciding the beast will die regardless, Savi Grabs her spear (what little there is of it still protruding) and removes it. With a sound like pudding being forced through a funnel at high speed, The Plant raises her shield to block the gore as the weapon comes free. Dropping down, she rolls the spear in the sand to clean it, then begins to head back to the group. "Is the Scholar okay?" she asks softly upon reaching the gathered cluster of adventurers. "I hope someone was paying attanetion to our charge, after this I would really like to get paid."
Lucasiel curses the fate of that fickle sand! With a growl and an unladylike word, she claws her way out of the sand and charges full speed ahead into the fray. She couldn't be known as the person that just -watched- a battle happen! Even if it was already dying, she brings her axe with her as she tries to cleave into the scorpion's side.
Rokarion looks at the beast, and once again adopts a more neutral stance. Noticing the pain of the felled bast he wonders if it could have been avoided, he says regarding the group, "I think he is still hiding behind one of the statues hopefully. But what about the agonized scorpion we can't leave it to its pain like that. We should probably end it's pain as soon as possible." Not having anything else to add, Rokarion once again slips takes out his notebook, and looks at the scorpion, debating drawing it or finishing it off.
Seeing that the scorpion would be dead anyway, she removes her spear from the scorpion's body, and clean it to keep it in shape for future fights. Then, for some reasons, she wondered if she could keep one of the scorpion's tails, as she patiently waits for it to die before trying to cut off said tails.
Adolphus grunts and sucks in his gut. Feeling it wiff across his chainmail, and letting his rotund stomach flop back out, "Damnation. How does it even grow this size. Anyone ever seen a critter like this grow this big in the desert." he looks back at the rabbit. "No, can't leave it to pain...nor should we let its tails threaten any passerby." he just raises his hammer and brings it down right between the eyes of the scorpion.
With a sickening squish, Adolphus's hammer ends the beast's life as it now lay still upon the desert sand, Lucasiel's axe cutting a nice gash into it's side as it spurts out bright green globs of what -should- be blood mixed with gods knows what. "Yeah, I'm alive!" Bindy calls out from amid the statues, though his voice is drowned out in a crack that sounds of thunder, as the sand around the area whips into a whirlwind around the group, cutting them off from the outside.
"Enough!" Booms through the area, almost shaking the very sand the group stood upon as a large black dragon rises from the sand, his form built like that of the Dragons the creators made, though he was kept to purely four legs, and had various armor and adornments strapped onto his towering mass. Two violet pupiless eyes staring down into the group as he seems to assess them.
Lucasiel rumbles softly and props the axe back up on her shoulder, still a little sour at having missed the fight. "Well," she mutters, turning to look towards the others. "What now-" she falls short upon hearing the booming voice. "Ah. So they have come, then. I was not expecting it so soon."
"I was wondering when the puppet master would speak." Taking off her helmet and letting it drop to the sand, the sphinx that looks like a Fern consideres the Dragon for a moment. "A lot of pain could have been prevented if you would have just spoken up sooner." Driving her spear tip into the sand next to her helm, Saviante shades her eyes from the sun as she looks up to the majestic creature. Her whisper like voice dwarfed by the distance between her and the giant beast. "So, how can we help you?" whether this comment is serious or scorn is undeterminable.
Taking a deep breath, Rokarion opened his book, and started sketching down the large scorpion remembering how he looked before it got bashed. As he contuined with his scribbling the sudden voice stopped him for a minute, Rokarion turned away from his notebook to look at the dragon in front of the group, turning his confident gaze towards the dragon's eye he says "Greetings Dragon, I am assuming you were testing us or something with this scorpion? It is a pity that we had to kill it, and it is even more pitiful if you forced the poor creature to fight us. So if you don't mind me asking what is your desire?" Rokarion then flips another page, and starts another sketch most likely sketching the dragon in front of them if his occasional glances is any indication.
Cythim was working with the tails, checking the weight and the resistance of them as she grab some bamdages and her dagger. She cuts one at around the length of her dagger, wrapping around carefully before putting it on her with more bandages. She was going to cut another when she heard the dragon, making her immediatly going into a defensive stance with her dagger ready, the dragon in her sight.
Adolphus tilts his head, "A dragon? What's the point of this?" he asks with a sigh and just lifts his hammer up. "All right. So are we talking?" he asks. "At least this one can hold a conversation." The Good does not look that impressed. Once again his bracer glows, the sand swirling around him suddenly falls. Controling his own earth magics.
"Put your weapons away fools, you've not the strength to harm one such as myself." The Large dragon waving his hands as the sandstorm around the crator continues, and he lays himself down upon the sand. "And puppet master? Truly? All I have done, is find a creature that seeks to hunt and feed, and lead it to a place where I may observe the actions of mortals... Rejoice though, for you have failed to disapoint me. I am Heiour, the spirit of Glory and honorable combat mortals." Bindy seems merely content to just sit and gape at the spirit.
Lucasiel stares intently at the dragon for a moment, her body language hidden beneath the titanic set of plate she was wearing. Eventually, she flips her battle axe around and embeds the head of it in the sand, leaning against it. "Glory and honourable combat, hm? As much as I enjoy a good fight, I'm not sure how honourable a... Mismatched fight is. Many of us, one thing. Maybe if there were three of them! -That- would be a grand fight!"
Without a single utterance beforehand, the usually standoffish Saviante drops her shield to the sand, takes a knee and bows her head. Awash with aww, the stoic plant feels the twinge of joy ripple through her body. "I have never called any creature master, but if ever I were to do so, you would be the one." Her voice low and with a reverence usually only seen in church she says no more, feeling that even speaking too much in the presence of the embodiment of honour would spoil such a meeting.
Rokarion closed his note book and moved closer towards the spirit, keeping his gaze levelled at the spirit's eyes. Moving until there were like 3 meters between him and the spirit, Rokarion stopped and sat down, Rokarion then said in his usual polite tone, "A pleasure meeting you Heinour, spirit of Glory. I am Rokarion, please do carry on speaking, and if you don't mind keep your movements to a minimum." Rokarion then opened his notebook on a new page and began a new drawing, hey if the dragon is going to remain there might as well draw a proper sketch of him. He merely glanced the suddenly adoring plant, before looking back at the spirit, and carrying on with his own art.
Feeling that it wouldn't be wise to fight the dragon, she decides to put her dagger back. Then, as she still keep her distances, she says, "Heinour, spirit of Glory, what do you want from us.".
Adolphus is very resistive to bend his neck. Spirit or no, he is a Good of Sweetwater. He hefts his hammer, and lets the gripe slide in his fingers. Holding it by the base of the head. Not dropping it, but simply holding it, not ready to use. A halfway measure that allows his some manner of control. "A new spirit, well then, well met, Heiour, spirit of Glory and Honorable Combat." figuring the full title would be good, "I am Adolphus Good." he takes the giving of the dragon's name as a call for introduction. Saviante's reaction causes him to raise a brow.
"Mismatched? Perhaps. A test? Yes. I did not seek to place all with something that could not be overcome, no... I offered a challenge that had bested others before you. You have bested a mere challange, and in a manner that was rather amusing I must admit. I most expected the fight to draw out for some time, though you curious plant one, and the man of 'Good', had done a admirable job in weakening the beast for your fellows." Heiour's eyes looking to Lucasiel as he grins for a moment. "A glorious fight, though not one I wish to set upon the untested. If those whom I begin to test are killed because they do not have the strength yet, than I am lost their ambition in the future." That violet gaze snapping to Savi then as his tone turns more serious. "Rise, I've no call to be kneeled to good warrior. You have impressed me, but not earned the privilage of service yet."
Cythim's question causes him to grin once more as he looks to her, and merely offers a slight shrug. "What do I desire from you? I desire to test your mettle in battle, to watch you as you grow in strength and glory. I am not of your courts of life or corruption, I am merely an observer, whom lends his praise to those whom have proven themselves."
Lucasiel rumbles softly as she mulls the words over. "I do suppose you have a point. Need to gauge someone's strength before you can find a suitable test and all that, yeah?" The tall feline reaching up to remove her helmet, letting herself catch a refreshing breath of air. It was always so stuffy trying to wear helmet in the desert. "An Outside Court, then. Admirable."
At the words of the Dragon Savi rises. Eyes still averted she smiles and brings herself to speak. "One needs no permission to serve honour." Her soft voice almost sounding hurt by the comment. Pulling her helm out of the sand as she stands, the tall woman shakes it once and then returns it to it's almost ever present place, visor down, and awaits more information. Having nothing important enough to say to the Dragon, she turns her head slightly and looks to the rabbit. "I hope you are learning something."
Adolphus ahs a small bit, and he looks around the group, "I'm going to go up and make sure the scoprion didn't scare away the horses. I wouldn't want to be stuck in the middle of the desert when it gets dark." he looks up at Heior when it's clear that there's some manner of additiona test. That and the fact that the spirit appears to be neutral in the battle of dark and light.
Cythim puts her hood back on her head before looking back at the dragon. To her, glory meant little as it doesn't give any tangible advantage. "Strength and glory? What's the point of glory
Cythim says, "What's the point of something abstract such as glory? It doesn't help the feed the body and doesn't help the mind.", then sighs. "I don't think i would need to prove anything to you, as i don't see the point of it."
Rokarion stands up, and puts his notebook down. He then circles around the spirit once, you don't always see one this close, before returning to his position, grabbing his notebook, and wokring again on his drawing. Rokarion stopped momentarily to look at the dragon's face and said, "So you are an otusider? Interesting, that would suggest that you are more of a neutral spirit and you only respect honour in combat? Am I to assume that even a bandit or say a mercernary are worthy of your attention as long as they fight with honour? May I ask what else do you know of the other spirits? What about the Puzzler, do you have any relationship with him?" Rokarion stopped his stream of questions for now, and went back to his notebook waitng for the large lizards answer, he personally was not that interested in the spirit's domain as much as he was in the spirit itself.
"TO serve honor? No young one, you need no permission to live honorably. But to serve me with my pact, you must provide proof of your strength in battle, and honorable nature. I do not offer the boons of my pact so loosely as many upon this world do, but your enthusiasim brings me joy. I shall watch over you to see your progress I believe." His gaze turning to Lucasiel as he nods. "Of course. I've no desire to take part in their childish debates."
Cythim's words cause him to flick an ear, before his lips pull back into a snarl. "Then I've no need to look upon you child. If you see no need for honor, and glory, than you shall be left to wallow in dishonor and shame for your own life. Excuse it with a life that lives longer, but yours shall not be a name that shall live through time to be told in the future, while I carry the names of those whom have shown themselves, to eternity."
Bindy merely blinks before slightly nodding to Saviante. "Uuuuh... Yeah. Learning lots alright, like what the -fuck- happened."
Heiour glances to Rokarion then, taking his ire away from Cythim as he nods. "I would yes. I have honored bandits whom have proved a soul of honor and lived gloriously. My tenants are simple for even them to accept, as I ask that they do not needlessly kill... For by culling the future, we lose the chance of more great warriors and champions rising." He seems to sigh at the mention of spirits, shifting slightly. "The Puzzeler is... A quick minded boy, whom wishes to play games. But as for the other spirits, it is not my place to reveal information of them to you."
Lucasiel reaches up to rub at one of her pierced ears, sweeping some of her bangs back as she studies the spirit. "Mmh. I see. Then allow me to introduce myself, as well. I am Lucasiel Longtail, formerly a vagrant warrior," she says, placing a fist over her breastplate and dipping into a bow. "Pacted or not, I am eager to see what challenges and tests you have in store, if only to better myself from them." She does turn towards Cythim, though, and frowns. "Honour and glory to indeed help nourish the body and mind. Through seeking honour in battle, you can better yourself. And by doing so, you are in an increasingly better position to help others. It is no different than seeking knowledge."
Her initial awe reducing itself to her normal levels. Savi gathers her shield, but doesn't yet touch her spear. Listening raptly to the words of the spirit, the plants inner fire burns with delight; knowing now what she could have only hoped before. Her life has, as yet, been spent honourably. With a small inward smile at both the antics of the flower, and the fear of the rabbit. Saviante eagerly, but with restraint, awaits the culmination of this meeting. "My name you shall know by my deeds, to learn it another way would be without merit" is the only words that come from the visored helm.
Rokarion nods, "I see, so spirits have some kind of pact not to share information about other courts? And your knowledge of the Puzzler implies that you are also indeed in the same group as him? Interesting." Rokarion says, before finishing up his sketch. He then opens a new page and starts jutting down words, the questions and answers of this session to anyone who cares to look. Rokarion then looked back at the spirit, before saying, "So if I may ask why are you here? Was this your old temple? Did some of our ancestors worship you or was there some other people that worshipped you before us? I am assuming due to the statues they were beings. So what does the statues around us represent? Where they some of your champions? What about the two reptilian statues and the leonine statue? And when and why did people abandon this place and stop worshipping you?" Rokarion then took a deep breath, secretly hoping that his onslaught of questions won't raise the spirit's ire. Almost as an afterthought to, and probably to appease him, Rokarion showed the creature the picture he drew of him. Drawn in green ink and showing the dragon his exact position in nice details.
Cythim states, "I said nothing about honour, as it is a different matter. Glory, on the othet hand still stand as meaningless as like i said, doesn't give us anything worth.". Then, she looks at the others. "On thr other hand, Honour is something that keep someone into the right path and help one's mind to keep going into the right way."
"Very well then, my challenges will come in the future for you to prove yourselves against, and I will await your trials." His tail flicking as he looks back to Rokarion and tilts his head for a moment. "Child, I am not here to provide you answers to all of your questions... I am here, merely, to observe." With that though, Heiour begins to turn to sand it almost looks like, before his figure and the sandstorm blocking them from the outside world, merely vanish.
Finally picking himself up, Bindy brushes himself off with shakey hands and begins to walk back to the carriage. "Crazy... I've gone freaking crazy... Eh... Come on you lot, I've your pay to hand out, and a trip back to take..."
Lucasiel watches as the dragon turns to sand, still appraising him before pulling her helmet back on. "Very well then," she says, pulling her axe up to prop on her pauldron once more. "I look forward to seeing what comes of them." Turning back towards Bindy, she nods. "Let us be gone, then, if we've no more business here. I need to be getting back home as soon as I can, anyway."
Grabbing up her spear Savi looks to the ridge, not really looking forward to the climb. Taking up her place beside the scholar she hefts her shield, still on the lookout for other dangers, despite the surprising outcome of the trip she still has a job to do. Turning to follow the rabbit up the sand she speaks only one soft phrase. "I call front seat."
Rokarion looked as the spirit disappeared, he wasn't really expecting it to answer, but nothing is lost by tyring. Rokarion then stood up and shaked the sand on his cloak, before following the rabbit, well looks like they won't have extra time to study the ruins. Rokarion is satisfied with the sketches, and the answers that he recieved from the spirit however, doubling checking the page with the answers written on. Having nothing else to do, he nodded towards his companions and followed them upwards.
Cythim looks at the dragon disappearing before her own eyes before checking on the piece of tail she grabbed, getting remind of his words. Then, seeing that they had to leave, she tags along, following the rabbit.
All this taken care of for now, the party is left merely to return home and enjoy the high payment for their hard work, and for a few, perhaps a new incentive for actions have been given, but only time will tell!
