RP: Barbecued Bunny
It's Tariday, Quintoos 29 16:50:03 1018. The full moon isn't up. The tide is high and slack. A chilly wind blows from the west, driving dark clouds before it and blotting out the stars in patches overhead. The air is clear and elsewhere they glitter brightly in the dark sapphire sky.
A08: Northern Banks of the Tornmawr
The wind is chilly this clear night, but high up the riverbank sits Ga'Elian beside a griffon with feathers and fur as white as the driven snow. The elf is roasting a rabbit over a roaring bonfire on a makeshift rack woven from twigs, and singing to himself merrily, apparently oblivious to the weather.
Selerik is walking along peacefully, by himself for a change. He has a cold weather cloak over his usual clothes, helping to keep out a bit of the evening chill. He takes note of the bonfire, lifting a hand in friendly greeting and deviating to come closer.
Ga'Elian smiles, and beckons for Selerik approach. "Hello. Beautiful night, isn't it? The meat should be just about done, if you'd like to try it. Wild coney. I caught it this afternoon."
Selerik gives a small wave of his hand, shaking his head. "I thank you for the offer, and the night is beautiful. I just had a fine meal, though I have some salts you might use to cure any that would go to waste." He glances up at the sky a moment, before looking to Ga'Elian and the griffon. "Thank you both again for the kindness you showed those children, they talked about the experience for some time."
Ga'Elian smirks. "Certainly. You know what I like about children? They seem to employ less guile in their dealings. They may be selfish, but they don't seem to live so much of their lives in a constant effort to disguise their real intent."
Selerik nods agreeably. "Guile is a survival skill, and like most survival skills only the fortunate lack it. Those children will not be guileless for long, for better or worse."
Ga'Elian chuckles. "Perhaps you're right. Where I grew up, we played tricks on each other, but the sort of deception I've seen and occasionally fallen prey to in the City is unknown. In the wild, everyone needs to trust each other to survive, and besides, my tribe is like a large extended family anyway. Everybody is related, and when you live with the same people for hundreds of years, you tend to have most things out in the open."
Selerik chuckles. "It is just survival on a different stage, is it not? People do not thrive in peace, they thrive in adversity. It is an unfortunate truth, but knowing it makes us better able to find peace." He inclines his head to Ga'Elian, and then to the gryphon. "I hope our paths cross again."
Ga'Elian smiles. "As do I, Master Selerik." He resumes singing... a classic with a very Llyranesi melody.
Selerik lets a little sigh escape at being called 'Master', but does not challenge it as he returns to his path.
Astaren is making his way along the river, and is distracted by the river. He pauses as he hears the singing and holds a hand to his head, "One of my two stalkers, or am I stalking them?" Tilting his head as he heads on closer to the bonfire, "Ga'Elian?"
Ga'Elian stops his song and rises to his feet. With a smile and a bow he says, "Astaren, elen síla lúmenn' omentielvo. A star shines at the hour of our meeting." He gestures toward the meat and says, "Wild coney. I caught it this afternoon. Would you like some? I think it's done by now."
Astaren tilts his head, "A coney? Never heard of em, but I am always willing to try something new." Nodding to Ga'Elian, "I thought I reconized your singing. Was out exploring, not to far from civilization this time I hope."
Ga'Elian stoops to pick up the rack of roasted flesh. "Coney is rabbit. Goes nicely with lingonberries, of which it just so happens that I have some." He smiles sheepishly. "Kinda planned it that way." He takes the dagger from the strap on his thigh and divides the meat, then hands over a chunk, wipes off the blade, and resheaths it. He asks, "Did you find anything interesting in your exploration?" and bites into the meat.
Astaren shakes his head slowly, "Rabbit is coney? Oh my, I did not know that. I avoid animals as you know. What lands are they called Coney in?" Moving over to the fire and stopping there for a moment, "Nothing of all that much interest, I appear to have lost my other stalker. Have not seen her in weeks. Is she ok?"
Ga'Elian chuckles. He says, "I confess, I've not seen Yelrona in some time, myself. Perhaps she is traveling. The fact is, I really have no way of finding her. She's much better than I am at figuring out what people are up to."
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Knowledge/Geography: (4)+5: 9
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Linguistics: (12)+5: 17
Ga'Elian adds, "As for the word coney, I believe people north of here use it, but where exactly I could not say."
Astaren shrugs his shoulders as he takes some of the rabbit and takes a bite, "Not bad, a bit crispy, but not bad." Clearly a bit of a spoiled eater, "I am sure she is ok, used to having her pop in on me everywhere." grinning a moment. "So what brings you out here?"
Ga'Elian wipes his mouth on his sleeve and responds, "Well, I guess I'm just looking for a little peace and rest after some significantly... uh, dark things lately. Between fighting the Dranei, and getting whisked off out of this world after seeing none other than Heth himself, then battling his wights for a few days, then conversing about morality with a caged devil, and sneaking into a secret cult meeting, I thought a day of wholesome normality was good to throw into the mix. A respite to hang out with Erithamiel here for a bit before I head back down and keep an eye on that devil again."
Astaren stares at Ga'Elian for a long moment, "Wait run that by me again, we have a devil caged in this plane, and you were having mortality conversations with it? Why haven't you passed it back to its own realm?" Tilting his head, "And yeah, sounds like you have had anything but normal for a while. I guess I will hold off on my experiment then."
Ga'Elian snickers and says, "Morality, not mortality, but that might be more interesting." He takes another bite, then "Oh, go ahead. Your experiments are part of what defines normal. Like, there would be something off about the world if Astaren weren't doing mana experiments, or something." He winks. Continuing, "As for why we didn't just send him to hell, that's really kinda complicated, but the Daeusites are working on it. Suffice to say that at least with him caged here, we know what he's up to, and have more ability to prevent this cult I mentioned from getting access to him than we would if he were freed from his cage, regardless of what plane he were on."
Astaren shakes his head, "I have read books on devils and demons, never understimate their guile or cunning. I would put money he is already working on something and had something in the works." He offers with a hmm and moves over to the waters edge, "Well your bonfire is perfect for this." Pulling out from his back several metal shards and some silver cords. Starting to set them on the ground, "OH, and stand back. People get upset at me for not warning them."
Ga'Elian stands and withdraws a couple paces, his griffon doing the same upon a gesture from its rider. The ranger says, "I'm sure he's been plotting and scheming for as long as he's been in that cage. "You should have heard him go on about how bored he's been, stuck in that cage. It must have been one hell of a long time."
Astaren glances back to Ga'Elian, "Truth in that, a very long wait." He offers and then looks back to Ga'Elian, "Maybe a bit further back?" He offers with a smile then looks to what he is constructing, a three dimensional figure at least two stories high. "Ok, water, and fire." Stepping back he walks to the river and gets a cup of water, then walks over to the bone fire and gets a burning stick. "Seeing if we can convert energy to another energy type. A adamixture type that can shift elemental energies around." Grinning as he walks over to his sigil.
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Knowledge/the Planes: (1)+5: 6
GAME: Astaren rolls knowledge/the planes: (14)+12: 26
Ga'Elian and Erithamiel do move back a bit further. Elian calls, "A silver cord, huh? I seem to remember something about silver cords and one of the planes. Huh. I don't know."
Astaren shakes his head, "I am using silver as a conductor of energy. Artificers discovered this as well, but there are multiple channeling elements." He offers and pours the water onto one side, and the fire onto the other side. That is when things start to go crazy. The sigil glows blue, then red, then blue again, then red. Suddenly it starts shooting out fire in random direction and setting things on fire, then starts to shoot out water in random directions dousing out those fires, most of them. One of those fires was Astaren, who was set on fire for a couple of seconds, and is now dripping wet. Who is now grinning like an idiot.
Ga'Elian asks, "That had to hurt. So, was it... successful, then?"
Astaren shakes his head, "Not in the least, complete failure actually. Still great results!"
Ga'Elian chuckles, "Par for the course, I guess. Well, if you're alright, I think it's about time for me to go report for watch duty. Good to see you, and if I see Yelrona, I'll tell her to stalk you." He mounts up on the griffon and waves.