RP: 3 Sith and an Elf
Tariday, Hattanani 17, 1018. The full moon isn't up. The tide is lowand rising. Fair weather clouds sail across the blue sky, propelled by light breezes from the west. It's warm in the sun, cool in the shade, and the air is clear and dry.
W02: Mictlan
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls FavTerrainStealth: aliased to Stealth+2: (14)+7+2: 23
Ga'Elian is standing just inside the treeline, looking into the clearing where the bones of the dragon repose.
Svarshan streeeeetches out near the Fire. Not a fire, not a cookfire, of which there are plenty--but the Fire out in the center of Mictlan, a place of community and symbology. It flickers proudly in the evening, illuminating the bones and lending shadows, lending light.
"Sssa..." he is saying to the youngling on his stomach. "Remember: we change our sscales. For no one." Svarshan's eyes are serious as coal buds as he regards his daughter. He glances over then, and goes quiet at the sight of the hunter.
There is more than one hunter about. Another enters from the north, opposite the trail south towards the wilderness pointe. Un'eth holds a simple wooden spear in one hand and drags a deer carcass of venison-to-be with the other. She doesn't move quickly due to the load, but she moves.
Ga'Elian, having observed the lay of the land, walks gracefully into the clearing, heading toward the Fire, but steering clear of any campfires in his direct path.
Svarshan presses his muzzle to his daughter's forehead, before standing. The warrior-cast rises to his full height, his body relaxed as he watches the hunter. He looks towards Un'eth, then the sildanyari. His daughter moves behind him, her claws on her father's calf as she stares wide-eyed at the newcomer.
"Peasse to you, ssylvanori," he says.
The plants at the edge of the grove part....and Durrankar steps through the middle of the parted plants. He lets out a small groan as he leans on his staff. "ugh....Thes Dranei are getting on my nerves."
Un'eth drags the carcass to a cookfire before releasing it. "Peace on your nest, Brightscale," she greets the rising Svarshan, first. Her snout lowers to look to his daughter, but the arrival of a familiar (and complaining) one causes her to turn instead towards the silver. "Are you injured, Cihuaa?"
Durrankar looks to Un'eth. "Cihuaa....Arcane users have some very screwed up imagination. I will be fine. I just don't want to encounter another magical dimension again for a long...LONG time."
Ga'Elian turns to look at the Sith Makar who saluted him, and responds with "Likewise, sir. I am called Ga'Elian Faravanilas among my people." He bows.
He thumps his tail once, heavily, this brightscale. "Welcome to. Mictlan. Ssvarsshan, of the warrior-casste, and sservice to our Empress," he says to the sylvanori. He reaches down then, grasping hold of his daughter. She clings to him, watching the surroundings with wide-eyes, even as her father heads Durrankar-the-Muttering's direction.
He pushes Yoli into Durrankar's hands.
"Not all relams are so twisted," Un'eth snorts, "only those of magi." She is about to reach a claw to the passing Yoli to offer some comfort when she realizes where the youngling is bound. She does not interfere with this in the slightest. Instead, she now greets the sylvanori. "You are welcome in Mictlan so long as you respect it, the Sith-makar, and Ea. I am Un'eth, Warden of Ea."
Ga'Elian stands by, choosing not to insert himself in the discussion, but instead reaches into a pocket and withdraws a few pinecones and a short length of twine. Crafting them into a crude doll, he holds it out toward Svarshan, and says, "For your young one."
"Have never. Favored them" Svarshan agrees beneath his breath, the words rough and low. He smiles towards Durrankar then. It turns up at the edges and settles, a real smile before he looks back to the sildanyari. And then the doll.
"...ssa," he says awkwardly. "Thank you," he says. And then he stands there, just as awkwardly, this warrior who is not used to such things.
Durrankar hrfs softly as he looks to Uneth. "have a pig nearby. After that adventure.......I need a bit of good meat." he then hrfs before looking to Ga'Elian. "You are.....new to these wilds....are you not?"
Ga'Elian nods. "As you say, sir. Heretofore I have not visited these lands. I hail from the Periantha, but I try to acquaint myself with the various regions around."
Un'eth returns her attention to Durrankar. "Then I will cook and bring it to you. There is also deer. I expect others may hunger." A look is given to Yoli, Svarshan, and the sylvanori, in that order, before she seeks out the pork, first.
Svarshan turns the doll over in his claws with care. He offers a thump of the tail. the air around him silent and--"Thank you," he says again.
"What 'at?" asks the young one. She clutches Durrankar's leg, now, then drops onto his toes and hugs his ankle. "I'm a creeper-vine!" Sith-makar version of 'house shoes.'
Durrankar thumps his tail towards his cihuaa before he looks down at the young one. "Do you like plants young....." he then looks to Svarshan. "What is her name?" He then looks to Ga'Elian. "The Alexandrian forests are quite diverse......"
Ga'Elian nods to Durrankar. "I have found them to be so. A few days ago, I had been tracking a large wolf in the Felwood, west of the city. In fact, the wolf that left those tracks must have been as large as a heavy warhorse. As it turneth out, though, I was not able to follow them to their end as an Egalrin happened to be exploring those same woods and neede me to guide him back to the road."
With a quiet smile, the brightscale thumps his tail and turns towards the creatures the shamans had brought in. He drops a hand on Durrankar's shoulder for a moment, before then lifting, and aiding with the meal.
Un'eth locates the pig. A pig, at the least, or, rather the remnants of one. Previously cooked, presumably by Durrankar. She tears a hunk from it and approaches cihuaa and the youngling, watching both somewhat intently. It is towards the sylvanori that she speaks first, however. "Wolves can be difficult to track when they do not wish to be. Larger only means more dangerous, not less proficient.
Un'eth tears a smaller piece from the hunk of meat to offer one to each; the larger to Durrankar.
Durrankar eats the hunk of meat and tailthumps at the taste. "needed that after that adventure." he then licks Un'eth's cheek.....
Un'eth exhales in a not-quite snort at the show of gratitude and affection. Her tail flicks lightly against Durrankar's and her muzzle bumps his before she lowers her attention to the rest of his scales. She steps to make a small, purposeful circle of him as she eyes him from all angles. "You returned unharmed...?"
Svarshan falls down near the Fire. After an, "Ick, gross!" his daughter follows, tumbling and landing against his leg.
"They're gross just like you and mom!" she announces. "Eeewwww!"
Durrankar holds up a small stick for Un'eth. "Not unharmed.....Wand of healing. Used a LOT of charges from it." he then looks over to Svarshan and his daughter.
Ga'Elian glances around the surroundings again, then takes a piece of waybread from another pocket, nibbling one corner of it.
The brightscale looks over with a quiet grin, and then back to his youngling. "Sssa," he says. "Let me tell you a. Sstory," he says, gathering the potato-tumble-bundle that is his child against his side.
"There'ss not nipping in is, is there?" she asks.
"Ssa, jusst wait," he says. Then, "It iss a good sstory. Ther wass onsse a young sshaman. Her favorite passttimes were riding her. Sswiftclaw and tormenting the. Young warrior that worked the tribal groundss. Hiss name wass Ssvestly. But sshe never called him. That," he says and pauses. "Issn't that a. Good beginning?"
Un'eth was already dubious, now feels vindicated. She snorts. "You appear unharmed to me. See that you always return so. Take a bundle of sticks with you if you must." Now the flick of her tail on his leg is more a thump. Perhaps a distraction, as she also tears a piece from the hunk of meat she previously handed him. Before she consumes it, she looks to Ga'Elian. "There plenty of food. Come. Join us."
The elf bows deply to Un'eth and seats himself, kneeling somewhat stiffly among the group. He says, "I am honored at your welcome, lady." He asks, "Do you encounter many of the fae folk in this region?"
Un'eth tears another hunk of meat from the remains of the pig to offer to the sylvanori. "There are many creatures here," she comments in answer. "Do you seek fae over others?" She tears another clawful for Durrankar, expecting that he will soon, or already did, devour her initial offering. Finally she looks to Yoli and the budding story.
As the shamans see to the guests, the brightscale continues his tale. He rests there by the fire, wriggle-child held nearby. Now and then the curious creature glances over, but for now he has her rapt. For now, at least.
"Warrior, polissh my sswiftclaw's saddle, sshe would say. I want to ssee my fasse in it in the. Morning," Svarsshan replies. He flicks the small frill on his daughter's head, as she listens, wide-eyed. "Ass you wish,' Svestly would. Reply. Ass you wish was all he ever. Ssaid to her." Her father's voice takes on warm tones. As he continues the story, his voice even relaxes, the pauses becoming less frequent.
"'Fetch me the. Pitcssher," sshe said. And he replied: 'Ass you wissh.' And then--"
Durrankar tears a piece of his own neat off and offers it to Un'eth. Just the way he shares his food with her shows a genuine amount of affection for the female.....along with his tail thumping....as he listens to the tale.
"This warrior is respectful. Well-trained. Obedient. As he should be," Un'eth opines with a mild snort. It is somewhat conveniently-times as Durrankar offers her a portion of pork, which she takes.
Ga'Elian accepts the meat offered him, and takes a small bite. He listens to the story, fascinated at the honor done him by the teller in using Tradespeak to relate it. At a pause in the tale, he responds, "I am often curious about the fae. My tribe had few encounters with them, but our scouts told frequent stories of them when they returned from their travels."
Durrankar says, "A warrior should also have his own spirit. Otherwise, he is just a shell." He then looks to Un'eth. "Un'eth is better connected to the land than I am, but I wouldn't not hold her back...ever."
"--and then," her father says. He continues the tale, with gestures and warm tones. He portrays the young shaman's voice in a warm growl, and then Svestley's. And then--
"Wait, what is this? Are you trying to trick me? Where iss the hunting?" More gravely, from Yoli, "Iss this a nipping sstory?"
"Ssa. Hold your sscales and let me sshare the sstory. ...ssee. Ssvestly had no kills to offer her, and wass not yet that good a hunter. Sso he packed hiss few belongingss and went deep into the. Jungle." As the brightscale continues the story, he too, continues to relax. He gestures, telling the tale where Ssvestly and the shaman embrace, just before the warrior leaves. "'I will alwayss come for you,' the warrior tells her." Svarshan's daughter snuggles up against her father's leg. It doesn't mean she doesn't look at him you know, suspiciously. There could be NIPPING. That you know, would be horrible.
"Murdered by piratess is good..." his angelic, perfect daughter says earnestly, at some point in the tale.
"See? She does not hold him back." Un'eth turns her head to meet Durrankar's look. Without any snorting nor tail-thumping. Aside from the sudden hrfing sound at Yoli's comment. Perhaps just for that, she ensures that there is nipping by taking advantage of Durrankar's snout's prosimity to hers.
After a while of listening to the story, Ga'Elian smiles. "Perhaps the Felwood has places that resemble this..." He makes his best attempt at copying Svarshan's accent. "Fire Sswamp."
The nipping doesn't seem to bother Durrankar's tough hide, but he does noesbump Un'eth back after the nip. Then he blows smoke at her. "Should I say 'ow' now?"
The tale winds on, comfortably. Svestly become lost and after many years, the shamano agrees to undertake cihuaa with a neighboring tribe, to preserve pease among the Children of the Flame. The tribe she would claim from is led by a selfish Speaker who does not support their Empress. "Her heir would joing the sshaman ass cihuaa. And sso perhapss the binding would bring the People colsser together, esscept--her heir iss good hunter, but heart iss. Not with the People. It iss selfish," he explains. Much of this is lost on the little one, though she listens wide-eyed, and goes ick! when there's NIPPING.
And then the tale winds to Svestley's trials, and his bravery as he works to return to the shaman, and challenge the selfish one. "Perhapss it doess," Svarshan says to Ga'Elian at some point. "I have not been there for ssome time." He thumps his tail, words and self comfortable as he focuses on keeping the small one occupied, so that the adults can do their thing.