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Post by Ray Castien on Dec 3, 2022 13:56:40 GMT -5
As Kamille bought a meal they could share Ray could sense her curiosity growing. She was far quieter than usual, he hoped it wasn't a sign she was pondering the voice he'd mentioned earlier further. His hopes were dashed as she led him to a corner table, out of the way and perfect for sensitive topics, like the insanity of hearing the voice of divinity in one's head. The first question was to further expand on the wanderer, he could do this, the second was one he'd not practiced before and still wished to learn more about himself...Qil.
"Seeker, trust is in short supply among you mortals. Fear not, she cannot harm us with such simple knowledge." Qil always seemed unfazed by exposure of the bond, despite Ray's hesitation to do so.
With a deep breath Ray sunk into a deflated position, relaxing into the chair. He sat quiet for a moment to ponder his response, then pulled his food over and began to eat slowly.
"Let's start with the Wanderer..." Ray pulled the books from his side, laying his own journal to the side and opening the Journal of The Blessed Wanderer for her to peruse.
It was an autobiographical work that had been annotated by a prominent scholar and follower of The Wanderer while he still lived. Within the pages were a multitude of sayings, stories, prayers, and theological pondering about divinity and mortal's role in it.
"The Wanderer was a mortal who traveled the world to do good. His reasoning was that fate would carry him where he was needed. The gods guided him, each in their own ways, and through moral discipline and humility he was able to help a great deal of people. At times he fought, at times he provided wisdom or guidance, but much of his time involved healing or teaching others how to do so." He flipped quickly to various pages and paragraphs within the book as he mentioned the specific acts contained in them.
"Eventually, and it's... unclear, how. He was given a gift by the gods, who deemed him fit for a role among their own number. From then on he has served as a guide to mortals and pushed them towards their own fate, providing assistance to those who follow his example so that he can continue to help the people of Charon through his divine influence." He flips to the back of the book, a small 10 page section written by the scholar's hand detailing The Wanderer's ascension and continued influence.
"You have grown more confident in your delivery, Seeker, yet I remind you that The Wanderer was and is far more than you comprehend." Qil said that often, yet refused to reveal more, saying it would 'come in time'.
Ray took a long drink of the ale, now feeling his body ache more as it felt the result of the exhaustion of chasing Kamille through the streets. Now it was time to move to the more difficult topic...
"This...voice...in my head. It has only appeared recently, its name is Qil. A celestial who's been around far longer than I comprehend. He claims that I drew his attention through my following of The Wanderer and through some strange work of fate has bound himself to my soul..." Ray's gaze grew intense as he waited for Kamille's response to a disclosure such as this.
He mostly expected her to dismiss him as a fanatic with delusions of grandeur.
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Dec 5, 2022 10:35:56 GMT -5
There was no better way to make a thirsty mage happy than to give them a book. Kamille imediatelly forgot about the ale and food to take a look at the book Ray put in front of her. There was some kind of reverence in which she treated the pages, probably not out of religious beliefs, but for the fact it was a book and contained knowledge - though it could be easily misinterpreted. She became a totally different person once she focused, and probably could ignore a meteor landing by her side if she truly chose to tune everything out. But she was still listening to Ray, nodding and grumbling something once in a while to acknowledge she was listening and Ray wasn’t talking to a wall.
When it came time to explain Qil, however, she raised her eyes to him. She watched him explain the "voice in his head", and once again, there was a light of recognition in her eyes. Her eyes wandered to the side for a few moments, as if she was searching her memory. Kamille didn’t look surprised, exactly, nor did she look at him like he had grown another head. For a moment she left the book forgotten in front of her, so she could speak truly to Ray.
"I met someone else that... Well, he tried to explain it to me the best he could, but I suppose his story is very similar to yours. About Qil, I mean, though I don’t think that was the name of his.... entity? Celestial? Regardless."
Ray looked like he was being honest, if only careful. Though she assumed it was for a good reason: she wondered how many people he might tell that story that would think he was crazy. Luckly, on top of already seeing that before, Kamille looked very open minded.
"Elrodan is a dear friend of mine, and also a healer like yourself. As for your Wanderer... I've never heard of him. Would you allow me to read this at night, while we travel?"
Kamille certainly didn’t look like the pious one - instead, her curiosity and interest sounded much more academical than anything. Curiosity, would certainly be the sin that would kill her.
For a moment she put the book aside so she could eat and drink a little bit. Now, the questions started to get a bit more personal.
"How did you came across the teachings of the Wanderer? Was it passed down from a Master, or something? Your parents? Where are you from? What were you doing when you found me? Also.... I guess I already thanked you for helping me, but..."
Suddenly, her cheeks flushed red, and she looked to the side, as she remembered how she tried to trick him to get away with the flask. Putting both of these two facts side by side made her embarrassed and ashamed of her actions.
"Sorry about earlier. I really am sorry."
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Post by Ray Castien on Dec 7, 2022 20:06:01 GMT -5
Kamille's reaction to the Wanderer's Journal was far from what he expected. Earlier she seemed so wary and now she dove into the book with a hunger for its contents. It was a trait he looked for in acolytes, though he could tell it was a different sort of hunger that drove the mage to search the journal. It was reassuring to see her open mindedness for the religion and its tenets. That she was at least willing to ask and listen was more than he could say of most folks.
His surprise grew greater as she mentioned knowing another person with a celestial attached to their soul, he had no idea there was such a thing. The name Elrodan rang no bells. Perhaps it was the celestial's name, they seemed attached to odd names, like Qil. His face was intensely focused as she discussed this, brows furrowed and eyes staring intently. Then he drifted slightly as Qil spoke, his eyes looking past Kamille to no where in particular.
"You will in time meet many, Seeker, who share your burden." That was news indeed to Ray, who'd assumed his connection was a miracle of the 'one of a kind' variety.
He focused back on Kamille as she asked more questions of him. Taking a few bites of food as she asked them and sitting for a while to form a response. She pried into his past comfortably, almost excitedly asking question after question. It had been a while since someone had taken such an interest in the priest. He grew slightly uncomfortable from the pressure mixed with the emotions of the memories they brought to the surface. He lowered his head slightly, avoiding eye contact, and held back tears as thoughts of his parents rushed in.
"I... Sorry, some memories... Anyways..." Ray tried to remove himself from the thoughts, rushing his mind to the first time he met a Wanderer, he could answer the rest from there. He brushed his hair back and used the chance to wipe the tears that had welled up with his sleeve before continuing.
"I was in a rough place when I first heard The Wanderer's teachings. I had just lost my arm, my income, lifestyle, brothers, really almost everything I had ever had. I was loitering about a small village not too far from the one I was born in in the swamps, stealing and begging to feed myself when he found me." A slight smile crept onto his face, a fond one, as he remembered the priest he'd met.
"Fella was different, from everyone...Name was Carolus... He spoke to me like he knew me, shared a meal with me right there in the dirt. Kept on talking about The Wanderer and how his fate had met mine. Then, he noticed my stump of an arm was festering and healed it without a thought. I asked him how, so he offered to teach me. One thing led to another and I found myself a traveling healer in only a few months. Wanderings call to us, and we go about the world following them. That's what led me to the camp where I found ya."
The smile grew to one of brightness as he told the story only fond memories followed his conversion.
As she went to ask a final question her face turned red and she looked embarrassed, it was a very new look on the woman. Ray's mind went back to the trick just as she mentioned it, yet he felt embarrassed instead of angry now. His face reddened more than her own and he coughed, covering his face with his hand.
"Ur, uh, no matter. Apology accepted." He wanted to put that in his past...
"So, enough about me, what about you? What were you doing that day? Where are you from? Aanndd, where did you learn magic from?" He was just as curious about the woman in front of him as the flask and the cult. She was powerful, cunning, and yet also gentle and open minded. A strange mix that kept his curiosity high.
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Dec 13, 2022 4:23:34 GMT -5
There were emotions welling up behind Ray's eyes, and Kamille hesitated a moment with her hand, but ended up retracting. She usually found comforting a light touch on the forearm, but was getting used to the idea that it wasn’t an universal feeling. As Ray told her of his story, he could see the same emotions behind her eyes, as she seemed to be fairly empathetic to his plight. The Witch was a good listener, nodding along his story without interrupting.
When he moved on to better memories, she couldn’t help but smile at his expression. This surely meant a lot to him, and even if she didn’t walk the same path or didn’t have nearly as many hardships as Ray, she saw it all in his eyes.
"Instances like this make me wonder about Fate... I'm not sure if you’re aware, but it is said that some people can... 'see their fate'? You know what I mean? It's hard to put into words, but... I used to hear some mages could have some kind of indication, and it was different for everyone. For some, it was a noise or a song. For others, it was the image of an animal, like a bird or a cat. But anyway... I'm so glad you got an opportunity to lift yourself up once again. I hope your path ahead is even better than what came before."
Kamille clearly wasn’t a religious person, even if sometimes she got caught up in some talking about fate or shouted frustrated at Ginma. Her relationship to the Gods was much more.... contentious, and it often got her curiosity perked up how other people connected to the deities. And even more: how there were other deities on top of the more stabilished ones.
But even more than the Gods, she was interested in Ray's lifestory. He spoke in broad terms, and she wouldn’t pry for now as it was apparently a difficult topic for him, but she got the feeling he was an outlaw in his life before the Wanderer. Or at least some kind of mercenary. When it came to her story, she gave him a sheepish smile.
"Oh, I uh...... My Master was, uh....... the Court Wizard......"
Which would account for her lapse of humility that saw her put into the position Ray first found her. Which would also explain how she must know people at the Arcane Academy that might help them. Which meant... she lived at the Sun King's Court, probably. A much more glamurous life, that didn’t seem to fit getting her face dragged to the dirt at Dragon's Craddle.
"But that is past too. Now I live at Moonglade, a wonderful place to study in peace. If you ever find yourself in need of a roof over your head when going to Moonglade, I'd be glad to welcome you."
She hasn't answered what she was doing in Dragon's Craddle just yet...
"Which brings me to the question.... If I understood it correctly, you don’t know where you're going next, right? I mean, after we find out more about this flask.... Do you have any plans for... Afterwards?"
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Post by Ray Castien on Dec 14, 2022 21:57:53 GMT -5
Kamille continued to grow on Ray as she spoke on matters of Fate, his redemption, what lied ahead for him. It was the kind of speech that Carol's himself had talked on. Musing about the ways things fall together and how in our own little ways we make enormous changes. Meeting Kamille in the camp had been the result of Qil sensing Mischief, the Wanderer had orchestrated the meeting for sure in Ray's mind.
As she moved to answer his own questions, her usual easy demeanor faded to one of reluctance. The reason was apparent when she mentioned the bloody Court Wizard. Ray leaned in with his arm on the table in amazement.
"The Co-... the court wizard???" He spoke loudly at first, catching himself and hushing his tone.
That was a big deal, it meant she'd lived in the court, learning from the highest authority on magic in Charon proper... He was amazed the whole camp had been more than cinders when he'd arrived to help. As she continued he understood that she was not too different, preferring a bit of peace and solitude to the hubbub of court. He'd no interaction with those of nobility besides in killing their guards and kidnapping their family members. A cabin in the woods was much more his style.
Now, another question, one he himself struggles to answer from time to time. What next? He reclined again, thinking for a moment before chuckling slightly. He noticed her avoidance of the Dragon's Cradle question, but chose not to pursue until he'd given an answer, besides, her own question gave him a better path to pursue.
"I'd love to tell you. I'd love for the Wanderer to tell me, so I could tell you, is what I mean. It's no easy task to decide a direction unless The Wanderer's provided a sort of push in some direction. The bond has made things easier, yet even then I've dealt with long silences where I just meandered about doing what felt right... I imagine I'll stop by the hospitals and the areas of the city other healers avoid, see who I can help, and hope another push comes towards some greater purpose." He had a look of uncertainty, he'd told the truth but it could change any moment he'd found.
Now was the time to push a bit more, he'd given more than he would to most, trust needed to extend both ways. He allowed a bit of his old edge to come through as he continued to question Kamille.
"What about you? You came here for... something... got yourself snatched, found a flask, now we deliver the flask. Then what? You seem the intentional type, a planner even, I doubt you wound up in this situation or back at that camp without reason."
He made hand gestures to emphasize certain words, making it clear what he was asking. The hour was getting late, they'd need to sleep soon if they wanted to head out before dawn without being exhausted. They'd have more chances to talk if Kamille was unwilling to disclose things now, Ray simply hoped to shed light on the ambiguity and ease his mind.
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Dec 15, 2022 7:15:07 GMT -5
Ray's reaction was warranted, and though she would've preferred he didn’t shout, all she did was to offer a sheepish smile in return. More and more people were being aware of her not-so-humble beginnings at Court, and even if by now she held no real power at it or at Charon's politics, it still got her an advantage early in life.
Kamille preferred to focus on Ray's story for now, slowly eating her own food and drinking ale. Their lives couldn’t be more different and, for one, for her own life, she often found the absence of structure a bit... frustrating. She had a goal and a clear path ahead to trail. With all her plans thrown into the trash now though, her life resembled a little bit more to Ray's, and she felt like a leaf blowing in the wind, at the mercy of the Gods.
Ray seemed to be okay with that lifestyle, and she envied the peace of mind he seemed to have. But to say she didn’t have any life goals was a bit of a stretch, and the man before her reminded of that when he asked what she was doing at the cultists camp when he found her...
She stopped eating for a moment. Ray was pressing slightly for it, and she felt like she shouldn’t evade now. Kamille have already done enough to challenge his trust, and even so, he was willing to work with her now. She felt like she owed him honesty, and she didn’t have to reveal it all at once too. The Witch sighed heavily, as there was no way to tell how he would react to it.
It was a leap of faith.
"I was looking for the Sol Stone."
As much as everyone else looking for the stone, she was also tracking the cultists and scouring for their camps in search of the clues to the whereabouts of the stone. But for everyone it was a quest for power, while for her...
She lowered her eyes to her food.
"I am hoping the stone will give me whst I need to help someone."
In the end, it was a quest for power, the kind of power the Gods seemed to think she shouldn’t have, of the domain of Solaria.
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Post by Ray Castien on Dec 26, 2022 17:03:32 GMT -5
As Kamille mentioned the Sol Stone Ray was intrigued and worried. Most who searched for it had no good plans in mind for it. In his own thoughts an item of such immense power should never exist in the first place, let alone fall into any old person's possession. He'd known countless people, good people, who'd fallen prey to the temptation of power. All it took was too much of anything, power especially, to allow havoc to be wrought...
As she mentioned her purpose, helping someone, it made the plight seem less dangerous. She was likely desperate to help someone in a tremendous bind if finding the Sol Stone was the best option. What kind of trouble could this person be in, Ray wondered. If they were sick... maybe he could even help. Though she'd likely tried everything else if it had come to this.
"I understand the lure of the stone. But... I hope you never find it...." His voice was full of concern, almost pity.
He thought of the cultists, each likely had a similar reason to search for the stone. No-one joined a cult simply because they wanted to destroy the world. Pure evil was something he'd rarely encountered. Most often simple lust for power or some desperation was the reason for people's atrocities.
"Whatever this person needs, it's likely not to be found in such a thing. Power like that doesn't fix anything, it only corrupts. What kind of a bind is this person in that you've no other option than a legend?" He was sincere in his interest.
If there was a way to help her, or whoever she needed to help, he would do whatever he could to deter her from continuing down her current path.
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Dec 28, 2022 4:52:16 GMT -5
While she understood Ray's concern over the Sol Stone, she was irreducible. If she was to praise the Gods for something, it would be Ginma for giving her the resolve and stony will of seeing things through to the end. For a moment, she lowered her eyes to her food, not actually seeing it.
There was no way to deny a hint of a power lust in her eyes, but even that came with a weight uncharacteristic for those who sought power for their own pleasure. The hunt gave her no console, and Ray was right to guess it was a desperate move, and that maybe she didn't fully believe it would be the thing to fix her problems...
But she would try regardless.
"There's this person that..."
What was she doing? How many times had she shared this story she had thought she never would share? She didn't feel the need to explain herself to Ray, but... Maybe there was some hope down there that he could help?
"They said he got mad because of his old age or... Something along those lines. I'm... No entirely sure I believe it. Maybe it was some kind of illness... Or curse? Regardless. Nothing worked. I'm already expended on alternatives."
Desperation was the name of that, certainly. Probably someone important to her, for her to go to such lengths for his cure. That was uncharacteristic of Kamille to share so much with someone - it was, after all, the only secret that truly mattered to her. A very badly kept secret. She felt her throat dry all of a sudden, which caused her to drink the rest of her ale and eat the remaining of her food. It was a touchy subject for her - she shouldn't have brought it up.
"Would you mind if I kept your journal for tonight? I wanted to take a look at it, read a bit..."
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Post by Ray Castien on Feb 2, 2023 17:16:23 GMT -5
As Kamille sat unswayed from her pursuit of the sol stone Ray felt a tinge of sadness. The way she looked betrayed a resolve he imagined would last until she either found the stone or some catastrophe found her. His hope was for some miracle along the way. That, a cure at best, closure at least would find her along the way and she'd be able to walk a different path of her own choosing.
"I see... Losing loved ones is the greatest pain I can imagine..." He looked to her with compassion in his eyes.
"I apologize for assuming your reason was something lesser, I would likely do the same if I were in your shoes."
His thoughts drifted to his own family, a fleeting thought crossed his mind and for a moment he pondered if the sol stone might be able to return them to him...
"Seeker, your heart is a source of strength and weakness, master it lest the weakness consume you." Qil's voice was gentle yet stern.
The though left as quickly as it arrived, spurred on by Qil's words of warning, as Kamille brought up the topic of his journal. He was unsure if she'd meant the Wanderer's journal or his own.
His own would contain travel notes, words of wisdom he'd heard on his journeys, and wonderings about the Wanderer's will and Qil's motivations.
The Wanderer's would be a religious tome made up of a combination of original writings and biographical and interpretive addendums.
"I'd be willing to let you read the Journal of the Blessed Wanderer, certainly. My own would be much less interesting and far less well written, though I've little to hide and would be okay with you looking through it."
Ray's face was one of curiosity, very few had shown so much interest in the Wanderer or his beliefs, perhaps she would see some inspiration in the writings. If they had any positive effect on her it would be a source of great joy to him.
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Feb 17, 2023 14:23:02 GMT -5
"There is no need to apologize, I know how it comes across... And what to expect of people searching for the Sol Stone. But I thank you for the sympathy."
At this point she had finished her meal, chugging the rest of the ale down and resting the cup softly on the table. Despite her size, she looked like the kind of girl who could drink like a sailor - possibly one more thing he would learn throughout the next days or so.
Kamille seemed surprised to know Ray kept a journal of his own.
"I was referring to the Wanderer's journal, actually.... But if you'd allow, perhaps I'd like to take a look at yours one day...."
For the moment, she felt like she had already crossed enough lines. It was surprising enough for her that Ray would accept to travel with her despite of all she did.
The devotion to the Gods was something that intrigued her, really. She had tried to like the gods before - she had tried praying to them, any of them, and found no rewards down that path. No rewards, no love and no words. Only silence and indifference.
Was she doing something wrong?
"I think I'm gonna call it a day, if you don’t mind.... I'm tired, and I'd rather start our journey sooner rather than later. Can I?"
Kamille stood up, putting one hand on top of the Wanderer's journal.
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Post by Ray Castien on Feb 23, 2023 21:06:26 GMT -5
Seeing Kamille chug an ale was, at this point, less than surprising. She had proven herself full of surprises and, therefore, they no longer seemed as such. He surmised that drinking was as natural a coping mechanism as searching for artifacts of untold power when a loved one's suffering was on the mind.
"Maybe once the flask is taken care of I'll see if I can't look into this malady. I know some folks in the medical field a lot better with strange disease than myself." His healer's mind couldn't help but offer more knowing she was in need and someone was suffering.
Once the question of the journal was answered Ray breathed out in relief. Though he was honest in having nothing to hide in the journal, it seemed an odd request from someone who would, only hours before, have betrayed him. He was joyful in hearing that she was interested in looking through the Wanderer's Journal. He would have to ask her thoughts as they travelled in the morning, hearing a perspective such as her's on the record would be very interesting. He'd heard and read scholars, theologians, and philosophers' takes on The Wanderer and his biography, but never the thoughts of a powerful mage.
"Of course. I've memorized it, so keep it as long as you like. I'm excited to hear what you find... The Wanderer has a way of finding folks in... unexpected, ways." He smiled as his own memories of reading the journal for the first time entered his mind.
Taking a final drink Ray nodded in agreement at her proposal to call it a night. He stood from his chair and waited to walk with Kamille to their beds. The conversation they'd held calmed his paranoia towards her and he hoped it had done the same for her. With an agreement on the flask in place and deeper understanding of one another the sleeping arrangement felt a tad overcautious now...
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Mar 13, 2023 9:42:52 GMT -5
Kamille flashed a sincere smile towards Ray as he proposed to look into this problem, but her smile was tinged with some kind of hopelessness. The woman had already reached a point where she was willing to try everything, without having much expectations towards the desired result. Stubborn to a default, she would rather try everything she could before admitting a lost cause.
"Thank you, Ray. I really appreciate that. And don’t worry about the Wanderer's journal, I'll take good care of it."
And just like she promised, once they retreated to their room, Kamille became absorbed by her reading, seemingly blocking out everything else for a good couple hours. It was no wonder she was as successful as a mage as she was if her intent was just half of that.
Even if her intent on reading about the Wanderer wasn’t to follow his teachings, she wouldn’t deny an opportunity to learn about him. The Gods were a somewhat complicated subject to her, and if it wasn’t complicated enough, her father also had an influence in that too...
It would be very curious if the same Gods that he had forsaken were the ones to reach out to help, right?
Kamille had no hope in that.
Still, she tried to understand the love people reserved to the Gods, even if in her own studious way. It was already late at night when she set aside the Wanderer's journal with a big yawn, gingerly setting it beside her bed and rolling over to the other side to sleep. She didn’t seem to spare half a thought about sharing a room with Ray - if anything, out of them both, she was the untrustworthy one, and she understood the consequences of her actions.
Morning would come and they would have another journey to plan, hopefully leaving the distrust and prior misunderstandings behind.
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