Double Rainbow Man (Again)
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=<* A10: Temple District *>=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
The air of solemn, heavy divinity in the area is often broken by
laughter. The dual presence of the deities Althea and Daeus, man
and wife, stand towards the center, with their children and their
children's temples positioned around them. The presence of the
divine is felt not only by their temples, but also by the actions
of their worshippers. The great plaza is as a social center, paved
in brilliant, white flagestones and covered in benches and sitting
areas. Priests, acolytes, and servicefolk of all stripes roam the
plaza, going from one task to the other.
At the front of the temples of Daeus and Althea, at the Plaza's
centermost point, rests a great fountain, the cheerful waters
reflecting the Sun during the day, and the Moon at night. The
fountain is strategically centered, and is oft a place for wisdom
and lesson-giving. It is not uncommon for a priest of some stripe
or the other to stand there, surrounded by the curious and faithful,
delivering messages of hope or contemplation. At other times, it
and the plaza become a landscape of celebration of the holy
holidays.
Few vendors are seen in the plaza--the nearby temples provide most
food or services. Towards the west, the great Bridge stretches
across the river, and towards the east, the Redridge mountains.
The plaza rests in the midst of it all, the temples massive and
grand on the Alexandrian scale.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-- Contents --=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
Agril A human man in priestly garb. 0s 1w
Svarshan Be a brightscale! Chomp a demon! 10s 2d
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= Exits -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
Temple of Tarien <TAR> Temple of Serriel <TSE> Temple of Gilead <TG>
Temple of Eluna <TE> Temple of Daeus <TD> Temple of Angoron <TAN>
Temple of Althea <TA> North <N> Bridge <W>
Up Mountain Road <NE>
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
Jessa has arrived.
<Meet> Jessa joins Agril.
Azog has arrived.
<Meet> Azog joins Agril.
Arissa has arrived.
It's Ceriday, Daeshen 15 23:30:54 1014. The full moon isn't up. The tide is low and rising.
Cold rain falls from a grey-black sky without moon or stars. A raw wind blows from the east.
Agril is outside the temple of DAeus. Really. He's sweeping. Some things never do change. This one of them. Sweep, sweep, sweep.
The rain has come on and off all day. Late this evening, it starts again, and the priest at the podium looks up...and gathers her notes, belongings, and makes the run for Eluna's ground. The grounds begin to disperse save for a few stubborn souls, and those on sentry duty. One such looks half-dazed, and tired. He rests on one of the benches, a tired reptile with a book in front of him, a book that looks old and well-worn. *yawn* "And then the Double-Rainbow Hero lifted his sword..."
As he slowly tells the tale, the children, and there are children, glance up towards the sky. One or two looks over, one of the brighter ones, and points to the sweeping man. "Is that...??"
When the newest Ceinaran Muse arrives in the Temple District, riding atop her faithful mount, she's singing. Now, the lucky thing for all involved is that she actually has a pretty lovely singing voice. Unfortunately, she's singing one of the bawdier and more popular tavern songs. She's aimed right at the temple of Daeus. It is Jessa. This will surely end very well.
Arissa is an on-again, off-again sight around this part of the city; often spending either an unusually high amount of time here, or none whatsoever for quite a while. Pacing alone, she stops several steps short of Daeus' temple, staring above and past Agril... eyes fixated on the building rather than him. She's rigid, near motionless... silent, and showing a distant expression. Almost mechanical, with only a slight flinch as Jessa approaches.
Azog rides into the courtyard, rain soaking his scalp and topknot, fully armored, but his helmet tied off to his pack and collecting water. He looks around at the children, and the rain, and the storytelling. And the sweeping. And it may be that he's about to speak up to the storyteller, since he's ridden close, but then the singing halfling arrives and Azog's train of thought derails completely. "Why would anyone sing about that?" he demands, puzzled.
The reptile gives a cavernous yaaaaawn. He looks over towards the working Sunguard, and then back to the book that rests against his leg. And then he turns the page. This close, the cover is visible: TOP SEKRIT is scribbled across it, along with AGRILS along the other side. The cover shows a child's scrawl, a stick figure with a giant, muscly arm who hoists a stick-sword overhead, his face a mark of the powerful, angry, double-vs. The figure stands over the downed body of a dragon, and a pair of rainbows show in the background. And the children are still listening, though one points again to Agril before Svarshan picks up the story again. "He lifted his sword, and said, "I SMITE THEE EVIL ONE!" and lo, it was so. The..." he squints at the pages, for the writing is apparently very difficult to read. There is a small canopy over Svarshan and the children: the rain has been on and off all day.
That voice. Agril recognizes that voice. The color drains from his face briefly. Oh no. It's her. *HER*. Somewhat, Agril has wound up on the other side of Svarshan. Somehow. Then finally, he stops and sighs and steps back out from behind the lizard and calls out, "Jessa! Is that really you?" He thought better of the initial efforts, it seems.
Arissa goes OOC.
Arissa has left.
Constantin has arrived.
The song, thankfully, breaks off. And the little halfling stands up in the stirrups and waves excitedly. "HI! AGRIL! I AM BACK!" Really, the best thing for the paladin to have done would have been run away. But. Well. Agril. Eternally optimistic. "I know that you missed me very much. Hello large lizardman," she adds cheerfully to Svarshan.
Constantin saunters across the plaza, wrapping in his flowery cloak.
Selia has arrived.
Azog goes back to watching, listening, as events proceed. He looks puzzled, a bit, and heads over to Svarshan now, since Agril is clearly busy with Jessa. He doesn't interrupt the reading, though, he's interested to see where this leads.
The evil fell, powerless before the Hero's rainbow glow..." Svarshan pauses in the midst of reading the book. He looks up to see a Muse and an oruch, and then some irritating fellow who calls himself a Sunguard. The reptile clears his throat and nods once to Azog before going back to reading, silently inviting the oruch to stay a while. During the pause, however, one of the kids had started to get up. He's staring at the PONY. And he begins to bumble that way.
"As the Double-Rainbow-Man stood there, the glow overcame him in all its holy glory...and lo, it began to speak!"
Constantin is making his way slowly towards the temple of Althea, taking his sweet time. Jessa's shout slows him, though, and there's a brief flash of recognition.
It rains in fits and spurts, as it has all day. Svarshan sits to the side near a group of children, and is reading to them, slowly, from an aged book, with Azog nearby. A lucht had wandered in just earlier, and Agril had wandered over to say hello.
"Double-r... Svarshan," says Agril, in a pained tone. He knows what he has done by saying that in front of Jessa. "You're back. I see that. It is a wonderful thing," he adds. "Jessa, this is Svarshan. He eats demons. Svarshan, this is Jessa. Cleric of Ceinaran, veteran of Whitefoot's War and more. It *is* good you're back. I am sure Ceinara's faithful could use your presence."
"Oh, the whole city needs the inspiration and creativity of Ceinara's flock," Jessa says cheerfully. "Demon eating. This is behavior I can approve of because, as we all know, demons are bad." She nods sharply to puncuate that. She then looks Agril up and down. "Well. Still an enormous giant. I suppose that's good."
Selia idly tugs on the wandering toddler, pulling him back towards sitting with the other kids. "Don't interupt. I wanna hear wot the guy says!" Though she speaks to the child, it's at the priest whom she looks.
...wait, when the heck did she get here? Has she always been sitting amoung the kids? Sneaky little halfer!
Younger has arrived.
Younger goes Bridge <W>.
Younger has left.
Younger has arrived.
It rains in fits and spurts, as it has all day. Svarshan sits to the side near a group of children, and is reading to them, slowly, from an aged book, with Azog nearby. A lucht had wandered in just earlier, and Agril had wandered over to say hello. (re-sceneset)
"And you're still an extremely tiny halfling," answers Agril, dryly, to Jessa. "I am not a giant. You're just very short." Not that Agril is an extremely tall human. Actually, he's a little on the 'average' side -- maybe even slightly under. Never the less, he eyes Jessa and says, more warmly, "Welcome back."
"The...young ones like the stories," Svarshan says to the Muse and Azog. He holds up the book briefly for them to see, in all its DO NOT READ!!!! glory and the Stick Figure with the Powerful Muscle Arm, before standing and tucking it underneath an arm. "Ssaaa. We will find out what the...rainbows said to our hero next week."
As the children start to scatter, he pauses. Clears his throat. And, "But before we...dissssmisss. I would like. You to meet the. Real Double-Rainbow Man."
And, he nods towards Agril, the movement slow. But deliberate.
And the children's eyes grow Wide.
And /Worshipful/.
"I am not." Well. Jessa IS a little short for a halfling. "I--" And then Svarshan speaks and names Agril that name and then her whooooooole face lights up, like a child receiving a present on their birthday. "Oh -really-?"
Constantin slows down, arms folding on his chest. Double Rainbow Man! His grin splits his mouth.
Azog looks back and forth between Agril and Svarshan at the funny name, and he rubs is damp scalp. "In what way?" he wonders. "I do not see any rainbows."
Selia is every bit as short, but not nearly so impressed with the rainbow man. Weaving deftly thru the kids, the dancer steps over towards Agril and Jessa. "Halfer's ain't short. They's concentrated." she corrects mildly.
"We're normal. Everyone else is oversized," Jessa says absently. She's still staring at Agril.
A sewer grate rattles some ways away. It rattles once more, and then bursts open with a loud clang. Younger's dirt-striped face appears, cigar clenched between his teeth. A great gout of steam rises up and engulfs him a moment. When it finally clears, he is pulling himself and his gear out of a sewer opening nearby. Selia's voice catches his ear, and he narrows his eyes, looking over his shoulder. He spots the Halfer there, and shouts, "AYE! AYE!" Younger shouts, obnoxiously, instead of walking closer. "SELIA!" He bellows, cigar nearly falling out of his mouth with every word. "IT'S ME, YOUNGAH!" He has to hold on to his badly-fitted helmet in order to keep it from bouncing off his stupid head.
"...I am *not*," begins Agril, but then he pauses. "Hello, children." HE places his broom in front of him. He can not possibly disappoint them. At all. He's far too nice for it. "You are all blessed by Daues," he adds, warmly.
Svarshan looks over at Agril, and scratches at the underside of his own jaw. "Sssaaa. ...it is. Part of a program. ...would you like to lead the next...chapter? My voice..." and he hands the book over to the Muse. And it is an old book, with a child's writing across it: DO NOT READ!! The cover shows a child's scrawl, a stick figure with single and a giant, muscly arm who hoists a stick-sword overhead, his face marked with the powerful, angry, double-vs. The figure stands over the downed body of a dragon, and a pair of rainbows show in the background. "It tellssss of his journey. Into faith." Solemnly. To Jessa and Azog. "Agril drew the rainbows on the book." A very long time ago. And meanwhile?
Meanwhile, Agril is being beset by children. Children with tiny, grabby hands and giant, worshipful eyes. A few of them look towards the scary-looking Younger, but this? This is RAINBOW MAN!! The questions come pouring out. And pouring out. "What'd the rainbow saaaaaaay, Mister Rainbow Man??"
"Yeah, he won't tell us!"
"Can you fly??"
"What's your favorite color!"
"Mine's blue!"
"Are you MARRIED?"
"Do you have kids??"
And from Svarshan: "We...read every week. Would you like to lead them next?" to Jessa. Because she might not have heard him the first time over the clamor.
Constantin hooks his thumbs into his swordbelt and just /smiles/. Gotta love hero worship.
Jessa looks absolutely evil now. In the sense that her smile is extremely wide, like a cat looking at a tasty little mouse. "Next week? Surely. I have an appointment. But." Jessa looks from the lizardman to smile extremely sweetly at Agril, "I would not want to disappoint any children -at all-. Shall I take this to....practice?" Read extensively for blackmail material?
Selia snorts in amusement, and wanders a few steps towards Younger, raiseing a hand in greeting. "'O course ya is! Nobody else would claim dat mug!" she teases fondly. "Wot ya been up to?" She keeps an ear cocked to the comottion behind her too amused to miss out.
Azog seems surprised at the reaction of the children, and he scolds them, "You should show respect for the Rainbow Man, you know. He has done many deeds so that you may live comfortably. If you would hear more of his deeds, you must listen and try to be like he is."
Agril puts a hand over his face. He looks positively horrified behind his hand. The look at Svarshan reads: You know not what horrors you have unleashed.
"It. Issss yours," Svarshan says to Jessa. And he reaches over and picks up one of the children, and settles it on his shoulder before looking to Azog and Constantin. "...sssaaa. The scar-oruch is right," he tells the kids solemnly. "You mussst study the deeds of the Rainbow Man." And to the two warriors specifically, "It is good to see you, Azog. ...you." He narrows his eyes thoughtfully at flower-cape. "I sssaw you fight in the cages."
Younger steps closer as well. It becomes apparent he is covered in dirt; "Workin'." He looks toward the children and the other Adventurers with equal amounts of disdain. Then toward Selia again, "Did ye jus' call me ugly?" He asks, and then laughs out loud. Somehow he still doesn't lose that cigar. "If'n ye weren't so tiny, Oi moight punch yer head." He laughs again and slaps his leg. "What're dese up tah," He asks, tossing his jaw in the direction of the other Adventurers and the children. He goes about re-lighting his cigar.
"Oh lizard warrior. You are my new very good friend." Jessa hugs the book to her chest, her eyes all dewy. "Well! This..." ....is exactly when the Muse should be leaving. "....is the time for me to be meeting with some of my flock. Ceinara's blessings be upon you, filling you with joy and inspiration." She smiles beautifically at Agril. "It certainly has me." That? That is a threat. With a merry little laugh, the halfling clucks to her dog and sets off into the streets of Alexandria.
Selia snorts again and grins. "Ya might try. Dem? Story time. Rainbows and heros and that sorta thing. Good for little kids, funny for adults."
Azog nods in reply to Svarshan, "It is good to see you as well, though I'm surprised so many children are out in this weather. I just attended a funeral for a small boy who wanted to be a knight. There is no honor in catching your death of cold." He says this last loud enough that the children will hear.
"I will pay you a visit very soon, Jessa. And you, Svarshan. I suspect I shall have to try to figure something horrible out. Children, you are all blessed," he repeats, sunnily.
"Go ahead, Agril!" The halfling calls back. "You know where the temple is!" And then her dog carries her around the corner and she is out of sight.
Younger pulls smoke from his cigar, seeming to honestly consider going to blows with Selia. Younger, casual with his violence. Blowing a smoke ring, he chokes out a laugh, "That woul' be quite ah soight, me 'n ye." He shakes his head, and narrows his eyes about story time. "Dey talkin' about me?" He asks, almost hilariously.
Jessa goes home.
Jessa has left.
Azog clambers back up into the saddle and rides off into the rainy, wet night after delivering his message about getting in out of the rain. He's taking his own advice, it seems. He offers a wave as he rides off into the ... streetlights, probably.
Azog goes OOC.
Azog has left.
Selia tences for a moment, ready to dodge, but relaxes as Younger does. "Be intresting, but think rather not. Prefer fights am pretty sure I'll win. Sorta doubt the story was about you. Somthing 'bout a 'Double-Rainbow Man'. Think is supposed to be the priest there, or something."
Svarshan looks towards Azog thoughtfully, and then nods, once. The weather is dark though growing darker as the evening wears on, and the rain still comes and fits and spurts. The warrior's ridden off by then, however and he smiles somewhat before heading back towards the tarp. The route takes him past Younger and Selia, though he's slow, determined in his tread.
Agril has disconnected.
Agril has connected.
Younger doesn't seem to mind the rain. It pelts off his scarred face; one might be surprised if he could feel any sensation above the neck. Smoke rolls out of his mouth, "Heyou, Hisser." He says, to Svarshan, "Why you all'ays hangin' out wif dem pups?" He demands, pulling smoke from his cigar once more. He rolls it around in his mouth, waiting for an answer to his simple-minded query. Venting smoke, Younger follows up. "An' wha's ah fuggin' Rainbow Man? An' why ain' ye tellin' no stories 'bout me?"
Constantin puts up his colourful hood, turning back towards the temple of Althea.
As Jessa departs, Agril just remaisn silent for a moment. He stares after her. Then he turns and glares at Svarshan. "You don't know what you've just done," he says, with half-hearted and not really all there indignation.
"Svarshan slows to a halt and he looks at Younger. It takes him time to respond, to put the words together, and Younger's thick brogue doesn't help. But he scratches at the dry scales beneath his jaw, and along his neck. "A story," he says at length. And he looks over at Agril, at Younger. And, "Sssa. I should pick up the tarp." And he goes to do just that. Bravery and wisdom and running away and all that. Ahem!
Svarshan goes OOC.