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Post by Lucian Lucifen on Jan 15, 2024 22:55:11 GMT -5
Some time recently, a draconynh had arrived on the Crescent Isle, now rather far from home. A native of a small island nation in the Luna Sea, he had left to explore the world and gain a better understanding of the world. And, now, he was staying temporarily on the isle.
This draconynh was Lucian, and at the moment, he was approaching the door of a home that belonged to a friend of a friend. During his brief time thus far, he had managed to befriend an aviankin named Rena. The crow had mentioned a friend of hers, and so he couldn't help but have been curious as to meet this person.
Was it a good idea to meet this person without Rena to possibly guide him? Probably not. But his excitement to get to know someone knew was greater than any common sense he may have.
"I believe this is the right place..." He muttered to himself, as he braced himself.
And then, he knocked. A gentle rapping on the door.
"Hello? Ms. Sylvari?" He called out from his side of the door.
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Post by Sylvari Dawnsage on Jan 16, 2024 13:03:12 GMT -5
Within the towering spires, vaulted ceilings and religious paraphernalia of Paladin's Rest, the vampiress Sylvari Dawnsage sat in meditation in a little nook devoted to Solaria, awash with the glow of golden candles in front of a small altar and statue of the god. With her friend Rena, and her spirit husband, being away to continue working on her home, Sylvari was not expecting any guests. A gentle knocking at the front door carried through the otherwise-silent home/cathedral to reach the justiciar's ears. That's odd. I don't get many visitors out this way. Part of the reason the noble gave me this home was for its seclusion. It may be worrying for Rena's training if this location becomes known. Still, it may be a traveler in need. Curious, she quickly affixed her customary half veil to conceal her pure red eyes, a dead giveaway to her cursed nature and moved to answer the knock.
Staring back at her when she opened the door was a blue and yellow dragon-kin, dressed in formal wear that matched his scales. Delicate gills could be seen framing his neck, an oddity amongst the other draconynh she had seen. Sylvari managed a close-lipped smile for the visitor.
"Yes, I am Sylvari. How can I assist you?"
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Post by Lucian Lucifen on Jan 16, 2024 14:57:35 GMT -5
The draconynh blinked a bit in surprise as the door opened. Well, he should have at least expected the door to open, but it was still sudden to him all the same after having waited for a little while. To be fair, though, Lucian wasn’t exactly used to knocking on people’s doors.
“Ah, wonderful, I’m glad I found the correct place.” He spoke, with a bit of a toothy grin. “I’m Lucian, a recent friend of Rena’s. She had mentioned you, so I wanted to meet you for myself and acquaint myself with you. After all, I’m rather new to the area, and knowing more than just Rena would likely be beneficial.”
His tail swished almost lazily behind him, careful not to knock into anything. It seemed almost like a nervous gesture of sorts of his. His politeness and anxiety quickly got the best of him, though. Right, he should make sure he offers a way for Sylvari to back out of such an interaction.
“Of course, you don’t have to talk to me at all. I could just leave if I’m bothering you.” He added, making a small gesture with his claws as though indicating he could go if that was Sylvari wanted.
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Post by Sylvari Dawnsage on Jan 16, 2024 17:38:56 GMT -5
Sylvari graced the draconynh with a wide, close-lipped smile.
"Not at all, Lucian. Any friend of Rena is a friend of mine. She's out at the moment, but I wouldn't mind speaking to you if you'd like. Would you please come in?"
Sylvari's invitation was one that was obviosuly expected to be accepted as she turned and strode into the house, leaving the door open as she headed toward the kitchen. She was very grateful to have stocked up on mortal refreshments for Rena's sake in this situation with an unexpected visitor.
"Would you care for some tea? I have.... varieties. Honestly, entertaining is more Rena's sport than mine. I'm only just coming into home ownership, you see. Nevertheless, I am happy to heat any type tea you would like. I also have... well, it's mostly meat. Rena again. I might have some crackers squirreled away somewhere. Perhaps a nice tray of assorted snacks?"
The justiciar flitted about, happy to have a guest, but clearly out of her element when it came to hosting new people.
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Post by Lucian Lucifen on Jan 16, 2024 23:49:10 GMT -5
The draconynh followed her inside, careful to shut the door behind him. Wouldn't want any bugs or creatures sneaking into this beautiful home! His claws clacked against the floor as he walked, and he kept his tail raised a little above the ground as to not drag it behind him.
Lucian felt a bit more at ease within this place than he had at Rena's work in progress lodgings. Sylvari's home reminded him much of the higher class homes of his home nation, made from much sturdier materials. Not crashing his head into the ceiling was also a benefit in his book.
At Sylvari's question, he smiled a little, his expression rather relaxed. "Tea would be nice, yes. Anything herbal would be good. And don't worry about primarily having meat, my constitution is best suited for digesting it anyways."
Such was evidenced by the sharp teeth within his mouth. Like other draconynh, they were primarily sharp in appearance, but they looked much closer to those of a shark's in his case. They were designed to tear apart fish rather easily. He'd have a bit more difficulties with tougher meats, considering the meat of a fish was more flaky than solid, but he'd be able to digest any meat just fine.
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Post by Sylvari Dawnsage on Jan 17, 2024 11:39:35 GMT -5
Sylvari gave Lucian a nod and a smile as she quickly began preparations. She had seen Rena preparing tea many times, and so moved about with confidence in her preparations, grabbing the appropriate leaves to steep as the water boiled. True to her word, the justiciar prepared a lovely little charcuterie board of sliced meat, small crackers and a few choice vegetables that she had triumphantly found buried amongst her other foodstuffs.
With all the preparations complete, Sylvari presented the refreshments with a flourish: a display of manual dexterity that betrayed her as someone who had mastered her physicality. Conspicuously, the justiciar made no tea for herself, nor made any motion indicating that she would partake of the small platter she had arranged. Surely, she was just being an attentive host.
"Here we are. I do so hope it's to your liking. I'm open to critiques to improve my hosting." Sylvari gave a wry little smile with the implication that she had winked under her veil. "So, how can I help you today, Lucian? I'm more than happy to just meet and chat with you if you'd prefer, but few are those who seek out a justiciar of the light without thought for training or a request for assistance."
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Post by Lucian Lucifen on Jan 17, 2024 13:06:02 GMT -5
Lucian started with the tea, as he considered it would likely be rude to start eating immediately. He picked up the cup gently in his claws. He was careful not to press too hard on the cup, knowing that he may accidentally break it otherwise. He brought it to his scaled lips, taking a small sip of the tea, and letting the herbal taste coat his tongue. He took note of her not partaking, however. He'd certainly have to ask about that. But, first, he should respond to her question.
"Well, in truth, I primarily just wish to speak with you." He replied. "I may be... unskilled, but it would be rude for me to impose upon you and ask for training. I wouldn't even know what you would be willing to teach me regardless."
His tail swished back and forth a little in his seat. He was much more of a mage anyways, and Sylvari seemed more of a physical fighter, at least based on his minimal assessment thus far. He couldn't even be sure that she could teach him more light or space domain magic, his specialties. He may have to continue training on his own.
"And... This may seem rude, but are you not going to have anything to eat yourself?" He asked. "I know I'm a guest, but it does feel a little awkward that I'm the only one partaking in this."
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Post by Sylvari Dawnsage on Jan 17, 2024 13:36:58 GMT -5
"Oh, of course, dear. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." Sylvari's smile was just barely pained as she pressed her lips together dreading the coming experience. She had gotten much better at hiding her displeasure and found herself not to have a gag reflex since muddling the lines between life and death, so her charade was as easy to maintain as it was grueling to endure.
She selected a few small slices of meat and vegetables from the tray, and began slowly and methodically eating them, one by one. She fought the urge to pop all the gathered foodstuffs into her mouth at once, keeping her face carefully neutral as she agonizingly slowly ate each of the vile portions in turn. As bad as the taste of the food was to her altered palate, it was the prospect of needing to regurgitate this unwanted meal later that she really dreaded, but for the sake of propriety and the comfort of Rena's friend, Sylvari was willing to endure it.
Once her portions had been consumed, and she took a moment to carefully school her expression as the last lingering vestiges of the meal washed down her throat, Sylvari smiled at Lucian.
"So, what would you like to speak about?"
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Post by Lucian Lucifen on Jan 17, 2024 23:17:32 GMT -5
Lucian watched her eat the meal, tilting his head just a bit. It wasn’t typical for most people to eat food with such a neutral expression. But, to be fair, she did admit that this selection was more to Rena’s tastes than any of hers. He still felt a bit bad about effectively pushing her to eat.
“Ah, my apologies. You didn’t have to eat if you didn’t want to.” He spoke, his tone almost a little sheepish. “It just felt odd for me to eat in front of you when you weren’t eating anything yourself. Nothing I couldn’t deal with, though.”
He took another sip of his tea before digging into one of the small slices of meat. He let out a quiet hum of enjoyment at the taste. The preparation of the meat actually made it a lot easier for him to chew, compared to the straight up raw deer flesh he had eaten the other day. He may have to invest in learning how to slice up meat so thinly himself, if it meant that it would be easier time to eat it.
On the topic of what to talk about, his mind drifted a little. Right, if Sylvari had a home here, she’d know a lot about the Crescent Isle, right?
“Well, I’d like to know more about the Crescent Isle itself, to be honest,” he spoke. “I… May have taken a boat here without knowing too much about this land.”
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Post by Sylvari Dawnsage on Jan 18, 2024 13:36:15 GMT -5
Sylvari drummed her fingers against her chin as she pondered her guest's question. "The Crescent Isles themselves? I'm sorry to say that while I have a home here and have lived here the better portion of my life, my childhood was rather insular, and these days I find myself travelling the wider world quite frequently. Therefore my own scope is necessarily a bit limited. I do have several noble contacts within Starlight City that would be much better equipped to address your specific questions about the land and customs."
Sylvari frowned slightly, unsatisfied with her explanation. "Let's see if I can provide a bit more, the Isles are beautiful, rife with flora and fauna unlike most other places of the world. Politically, the nation is associated with Moonglade, and it shares geographical features with its motherland as well, with jungles and flush wildlands. The lands are a great place to train if you're looking for that sort of thing..." The justiciar trailed off, keenly aware of how she sounded like a travel guide, and not an adept one.
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Post by Lucian Lucifen on Jan 18, 2024 22:09:17 GMT -5
Lucian nodded, paying careful attention to her words. He should at least head to Starlight City at some point, then. Not only could the nobles introduce him to the customs of the land, but also how the government ran. He may actually be able to get some proof as to why his home island should introduce democracy into the system! Well, should the government of the Crescent Isle be a democratic one. Even if the government wasn't democratic, he was sure to at least find a government or two within Charon that was lead democratically.
The draconynh laughed in a little bit of amusement, however, as Sylvari tried her best to talk about the land. It sounded like she was really out of her element. He assumed that she didn't usually have to talk about such things, as she had better things to do that to give a spiel about how great the Crescent Isle was to what was essentially a tourist.
"It's certainly been helpful to train here," he confirmed, a soft smile on his face. "I've learned quite a bit in my time coming here, compared to my home island. But, considering my home was rather isolated, there would certainly be a lot more knowledge outside of it."
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Post by Sylvari Dawnsage on Jan 20, 2024 18:51:58 GMT -5
Sylvari smiled kindly as she nodded along with Lucian's assessment. "Even growing up here, training from the time I could walk, it would not be an overstatement to say that I have at least doubled my skills since venturing forth into the wider world. The greatest limiter on a warrior's potential is their mindset. Getting stuck in the same patterns of thinking because one's environment is not varied enough to facilitate thinking on the go is a predicament best remedied by exposure to other lands, in my experience."
Sylvari cocked her head to the side, a wry smile on her face. "Forgive my lecture. Every time I speak on the intricacies of self-improvement, the old man's words flow forth from my mouth as water from a fresh spring. In any case, may I inquire as to why you are keen on surveying the customs of the Isles? Most journey here simply to view the natural beauty, to trade, or to improve, as I have mentioned." The intensity of Sylvari's questioning gaze could be felt even absent the visibility of her eyes.
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Post by Lucian Lucifen on Jan 20, 2024 22:16:55 GMT -5
Lucian nodded at her words, humming a bit in thought as his tail slowly swished back and forth. "Ah, I see, so it may be helpful for my training as well to continue traveling to other lands." He spoke, taking in her words like a sponge.
He truly does want to get stronger, and to learn what he can. Ever since coming to the Isle, he's found himself easily outclassed by both people, and the majority of things he's come across. Although he doesn't exactly like fighting, he'd rather not find himself dead because some of the fauna were too hungry, or he managed to annoy someone. After all, he only had a few spells in his arsenal, and only one actually directly beneficial in combat. The other was helpful when combined with weapons.
At the mention of her asking about why he wanted to learn the customs of the isle, his fins seemed to perk up a little, similar to the ears of a dog. "Oh!" He exclaimed, a bit surprised that what he wanted was different than most visitors to the Crescent Isle. "You see, the island where I come from is rather isolated, and doesn't have much influence from other lands. It's run as a feudal monarchy and I... may have made a bit of a social faux pas trying to introduce some democracy? So I've been sent off to learn about the world to see whose views on this matter are better supported."
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Post by Sylvari Dawnsage on Jan 22, 2024 11:07:12 GMT -5
To Lucian's unexpected explanation, Sylvari gave an impish little giggle. "I can certainly see why your leaders would want you to leave after presenting such a bold idea." The justiciar's mirth warmed quickly to a soft, fond smile. In truth, she might have been a proponent of forcing such egalitarian measures on everyone in blind pursuit of total justice. Her curse had matured her quickly and her travels had tempered her passion with practicality, however.
"That's certainly a noble goal, Lucian. It speaks favorably of your heart to be so concerned with the proper governance of your people at a young age." The vampiress paused, feeling herself compelled to leap right into a lecture on the pragmatic argument for gradual change. But no, that's too quick a judgment by half. I don't know the specific circumstances of his political climate. I should take time to ask more questions, like all my mentors always advise.
Sylvari breathed a small sigh, mostly a gesture of habit, but also a reminder to herself to continue to appear breathing for a new acquaintance. "If you don't mind sharing, would you please tell me of your motivations for such an enterprise?"
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Post by Lucian Lucifen on Jan 22, 2024 12:22:58 GMT -5
“Well, much of the common folk of my island do the greater share of all of the work,” Lucian began to explain, his voice heightened with his passion for this subject. “They’re ultimately the reason why our kingdom is able to thrive in the first place. And yet, they have so little power over the government. Nobles like myself profit off of their hard work while doing little themselves. We’re barely capable, and although we might know how politics work, the majority of us have done practically nothing! So, I believe that the commoners deserve a say in our government, as they’re the reason our kingdom doesn’t end up falling apart and being reclaimed by the oceans below.”
He panted slightly, a bit out of breath from that whole effective rant. It felt good to explain his full reasoning without being interrupted and told to shut up and keep quiet. But, he realized it was likely very rude of him to go on a tirade like this. He cleared his throat as he did his best to regain his composure, fins fluttering a little bit in embarrassment.
“I apologize for that entire explanation, it might have been a bit too much.” He spoke, his tone softer now. “I at least want to see proof of my ideas, proof that my island’s form of government is flawed and should be reformed. The nobles benefit so much from the system, while the common folk are exploited.”
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