Lore of Leyuna RPG (FRPG)

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Re: Lore of Leyuna RPG (FRPG)

Postby The Kingpin » Tue Jun 13, 2017 7:27 pm

"We could do both," agreed the Scholar with a smirk, liking the idea of writing a comprehensive book elaborating on the history of existence in Leyuna. It would be a considerable undertaking, and would require the book to be rewritten several times if it was ever to become a wide-reaching source of magical scholastic knowledge. But he had nothing but time on his hands. It was an endeavour he could afford to undertake.

"In any case, I believe it is time we left this place. I do not think we will learn anything more from roaming around rubble. All we will achieve here is disturbing the dead, and leaving Beshayir, Ceridwen and Desrium with more questions and uncertainty," he rumbled lowly, making his way towards the entrance as the stones that Desrium had once blown aside began to roll back towards their positions, sealing the cavern behind the drake as he stepped out into daylight once more.
"Ah yes, organised chaos. the sign of a clever but ever-busy mind. To the perpetrator, a carefully woven web of belongings and intrigue, but to the bystander? Madness!"
–William Beckett, Lore of Leyuna RPG

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Re: Lore of Leyuna RPG (FRPG)

Postby C S » Tue Jun 13, 2017 8:16 pm

It was a more forgiving early-light hour at the Scholar's destination when he took to the sky to start the journey back. The sun was high enough over the horizon to shed its reddened visage, and in that span of time past dawn's crack to now, the viking and her unlikely band were on the move. The first hurdle in the morning's plans was waking up. Ironically, Evisa herself was no eager supporter of early mornings despite her habits. Like most people, the lady from the north met cold, dreary dawns with resignation and mild disdain. It was for that exact reason that she whipped herself into shape and drove herself onwards to face them anyway. Mind over matter: the only difference between a good day and a bad one was the lapse of discipline to face any challenge.That was how she was trained, at any rate.

Thus, Evisa pulled herself from her sleeping mound, roused the others awake so that they too could cope with the early morn and proceeded to refresh herself in one of the cavern pools. When everyone else finished their yawning and stretching, Evisa was fastening her leathery, scaled armor to her figure. She put her helmet on last after corralling her wild hair. After that, she waited patiently for the others to finish sorting themselves out in their personal ways, ranging from time in front of a mirror both improvised and not to meticulous feather preening, before they went back to the city. From then on, Beshayir, Ceridwen and Natalie were trekking behind their brash viking vanguard well past the woods and through the stone and metal corridors of Brodudika.
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Re: Lore of Leyuna RPG (FRPG)

Postby The Kingpin » Sun Jul 02, 2017 11:35 pm

Beshayir was, despite the chilly weather, surprisingly energetic today. Optimism, for one, and motivation for another. She had slept like the dead that night, so exhausted from her previous lesson as she was. It was those very lessons that were her motivation now, and it was clear in her pace she was determined to learn something new and exciting before Syria and Septimus returned.

Those hopes were almost enough to distract her from the chill of the early morning, late winter air. Not quite, though. She was, for the... she didn't know what time, thankful for her hooded coat, and the wirshah she was gifted for their ability to shelter against the cold. It was funny how seeing one's breaths materialise in front of them could put such things into perspective. Here she was, a pyromancer, learning to control fire, in a place so gripped by the cold it seemed that fire did not belong here at all.

That concept gave her cause to giggle.

"Hm?" chirped Ceridwen, curious as to what had drawn such a reaction from the Elf.

"Funny how a place so cold could be home to dragon-worshippers. Do you think they worshipped dragons because they hated being so cold?" asked Beshayir in response.

"I...don't know," admitted the dragoness, her head tilting thoughtfully at that. It was something that had taken her by surprise, considering her prior line of thought. She had gone from reflecting on the past night's sleep in a place bent to the will of the living elements; how surreal it had been for a place that was essentially just a hole in the ground to be so warm and comfortable, so reinvigorating that it may as well have been crafted with those very features in mind.

To then be asked why someone would worship dragons was a considerable shift of focus.
"Ah yes, organised chaos. the sign of a clever but ever-busy mind. To the perpetrator, a carefully woven web of belongings and intrigue, but to the bystander? Madness!"
–William Beckett, Lore of Leyuna RPG

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Re: Lore of Leyuna RPG (FRPG)

Postby C S » Mon Jul 03, 2017 8:27 pm

Natalie raised a fist to her lips to cough and clear her throat in a less than inconspicuous manner. Evisa angled her head off to one side a tad, not nearly enough to glean what was going on behind her. Natalie had drawn her attention away from the basking city that was gearing up for the day's work, yet her display was so utterly unconvincing that Evisa did not feel it pertinent to ask about her health. Furthermore, Evisa held back her own input on the subject, which wasn't so much input as it was another witticism about her northern heritage.

"I think Natalie has something to say," Evisa observed plainly, and then returned to skimming the myriad signs that hung from storefront awnings and pylons in the hopes of attracting patrons. The recent weather may have been against her in this, but if they could find a place that had a fresh batch of milk bottled and ready to go, then all the better for them.

Natalie folded her hands and looked at her shoes as she strode alongside Beshayir and Ceridwen, not wanting to appear rude for her outburst. "We don't worship all dragons. Just Greshlynk. The orators and texts recount how a splinter of his being integrated with mankind when he merged with the physical and spiritual realms; a form of enlightenment that resulted in his rebirth as a divided being. Now living on as the Draks, Greshlynk can understand life through multiple lenses, even if these perspectives contradict and are bothersome. This is why even those like me, who are not of Drak blood, are attached to his legacy. He represents unity through diversity, and the ultimate understanding... even if that example has been twisted to fit the ideals of rulers over Draxonian history..."
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Re: Lore of Leyuna RPG (FRPG)

Postby The Kingpin » Mon Jul 03, 2017 9:04 pm

"Oh," responded Beshayir at that, lingering on the latter portion of the explanation especially. "So hating elves isn't part of their faith? Something the rulers used for power?" asked the young elf. She supposed, in a manner of speaking, it made sense. Keeping the weaker portion of the society subjugated and subdued through religion would mean that any effort to fight back would have resulted in a theological war.
"Ah yes, organised chaos. the sign of a clever but ever-busy mind. To the perpetrator, a carefully woven web of belongings and intrigue, but to the bystander? Madness!"
–William Beckett, Lore of Leyuna RPG

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Re: Lore of Leyuna RPG (FRPG)

Postby C S » Mon Jul 03, 2017 11:28 pm

Natalie's nod was staggered and reluctant. "In the simplest terms, yes. Near the beginning of the Drakon dynasty, there was a mandate in the guise of an addition to the teachings. The mandate decreed that Greshlynk's will barred those with half-elvish blood from expressing his true likeness, as the Draks are able to. But only mankind can produce Drak offspring -- Greshlynk can only manifest in human form -- so all of the other races on Aster -- on this world -- lack this ability. It didn't matter to the queen who told these lies. She spoke on the podium of vanity to sway the masses, and her king reveled in the unbridled power she afforded him."

The verger looked ahead down the cobblestone street they walked and narrowed her eyes. "I think she was jealous. That was the wording she used to prove why she was right; why Draxon was right in persecuting elves, but I think she was jealous. She claimed that elves being unable to produce a Drak was a sign that Greshlynk was jealous of their gifts, and erred on the side of caution with them, so that their natural beauty would not be paired with the power of the dragon-god to create an unstoppable race. What does beauty matter to one who ascended, though? However, if you were an aging queen, an elvish maiden whose looks outlasted your whole lifetime would be the object of your envy, and something you would want to... destroy. And the idea of the Draks being the best of humanity, a treasure to keep from others, was a boon for the Draxonian subjects, even the commoners pressed underneath the thumb of the nobles. They believed they were doing holy work while they were being exploited. I know that some of them were my ancestors."

Her eyes went to the clear sky, cut and defined into an irregular pattern by the taller city buildings on either side of them when she spoke, "There is a part of my life I can't remember, but it is something I regret... so deeply... for so many reasons. One of those reasons is that I remember these teachings. When the Drakon dynasty was unbroken, peasants like me couldn't pursue education, but even then we were learning. Our great grandparents taught our grandparents, and they taught our parents, and they taught us... we were moving away from the lies. We were being shown the truth, pulling at it until our hands were raw from the strain. We wanted Draxon to be better for so long..."

Natalie's voice cracked, and her breathing shuddered. Freyr-Lunge, first city of the Drakon, burned down from within, opposing understandings of the dragon-god flaring into war. And while everything was falling apart, she fell apart with it. Despite all she was taught, all she learned and what she knew to be good in body and soul. It was not enough.
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Re: Lore of Leyuna RPG (FRPG)

Postby The Kingpin » Fri Jul 28, 2017 7:10 pm

"Our...friend, tried to save it," chirped Ceridwen, lingering a bit as she considered what to call Septimus. To her, he was a friend, a saviour, a mentor of sorts. But to Beshayir, she had no idea what to call him. A father to replace the one she had lost? A guardian? It was difficult to say. And it was clear from the expression the young elf made that she hadn't quite chosen the best word for it.

"He's regretful. He blames himself for its fall. But from the story he told me, it sounded like he tried his best," continued Beshayir, not wanting to interrupt the conversation to adjust the dragoness's choice of words. "Apparently there was a man there that wanted to rule so badly that he'd decided he'd destroy it if he couldn't have it."
"Ah yes, organised chaos. the sign of a clever but ever-busy mind. To the perpetrator, a carefully woven web of belongings and intrigue, but to the bystander? Madness!"
–William Beckett, Lore of Leyuna RPG

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Re: Lore of Leyuna RPG (FRPG)

Postby C S » Fri Jul 28, 2017 8:35 pm

Natalie reeled her emotions back and said, pressing through the obfuscating screen that her own remorse presented, "There was no way for one person to save Draxon. Its people had to remember their story, and reject the convenient tales that the nobles pushed through the scribes and thinkers. A king's throne is nothing if his people are lost... and we were lost. We still are, I'm sure."

She stumbled over herself, hearing these words leave her lips. Where did that come from? No doubt, it was the cloud of controversy that hung heavy as a fog over the city, even on its brightest winter-cold days. It amounted to a jerk of Natalie's shoulders as she lurched forward, stamping her leading foot down to regain her balance. The sole of the verger's shoe make an audible clatter against the cobblestone underneath. Natalie's next step was better described as a skip, just about throwing herself forward to fall into rhythm with the others again, less than graceful in her method.

Clearing her throat and choosing not to reflect on her moment of shame, Natalie pressed, "This man's unchecked lust for power ended him, but I don't think he ended Draxon. In his failure to take control, he undid the last bandages that kept a divided kingdom together. With them gone, the lost scattered in search of... something. Stability... a way forward. Maybe, once Greshlynk can see eye-to-eye with himself, Draxon will find its spirit and rise again, better than before."
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Re: Lore of Leyuna RPG (FRPG)

Postby The Kingpin » Fri Jul 28, 2017 10:23 pm

"I hope so," was Beshayir's quiet response. She didn't like the thought of the old Draxon being around. In a way, she was glad it crumbled, much as it hurt Septimus to see it so. Such evil couldn't be allowed to live on in the world. But a new Draxon, purged of the evil of tyrants? She could see some beauty in a thought like that.

But then there was the question: how long until the corruptors attempt to pervert that beauty into something wicked, as they had countless times before?

Ceridwen, stirred by the thought, spoke up on the matter. "Any dragon arrogant enough to think himself a god is a poor patron for a civilisation in my opinion. Arrogance begets arrogance."

"But aren't all dragons very proud? It's like you're saying civilisations shouldn't follow dragons at all," argued Beshayir.

"I didn't mean that. I mean that people em-... Ugh, where's Septimus when you need him... Em-yoo-?" she stumbled, though not quite as literally as the verger had.

"Emulate?" offered Beshayir, feeling a burst of pride all her own in that moment.

"Yeah! Emulate," responded the dragoness, her crest rising in response. "They emulate what they see. So if their role model is arrogant, they will be arrogant as well. A dragon's pride is usually deserved, but if people emulate it without justification...That's arrogance. And it's not a good thing to have."

"What if Greshlynk wasn't arrogant? What if he's like Septimus? A lot of people respect him. Some might even follow his example..." suggested the elf.

"How do you think he would react if he found out people decided to worship him?"

That got Beshayir to pause. How would Septimus react to that?

Nodding in satisfaction at the long pause, Ceridwen filled in the thought. "Probably not very well, is how. He'd probably try and stop them. And that would make it worse because the humility would make him even more respected."
"Ah yes, organised chaos. the sign of a clever but ever-busy mind. To the perpetrator, a carefully woven web of belongings and intrigue, but to the bystander? Madness!"
–William Beckett, Lore of Leyuna RPG

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Re: Lore of Leyuna RPG (FRPG)

Postby C S » Fri Jul 28, 2017 11:06 pm

Natalie opened her mouth to speak, compelled to defend the honor of her divine; the dragon that had slipped the bonds of the self to become something much more grand. Arrogance did not factor into this high esteem! However, her voice did not get the chance to pass her lips before Evisa's voice reached their ears through the tinny barrier of her helmet.

"He's got the example of his father, Achtdvaghun, to follow if all else fails. I don't know if anyone sees him as a god, but he isn't a nobody either," said the viking, eking out the elusive cream from the gridded lattice behind store windows.

Natalie closed her mouth, degrees away from literally biting her tongue. Her silence came about from a combination of not being acquainted with the dragon well enough to comment -- all she had to go on were rumors of his counterintuitive mannerisms from his previous visit to the city, and she had learned before then from their mutual metal friend that rumors were not an accurate metric to go on -- and the self-conscious wariness that she was being to overbearing about her faith. Greshlynk welcomed contrarian perspectives. He was the only one she knew of that could debate himself through the lives of others.
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Re: Lore of Leyuna RPG (FRPG)

Postby The Kingpin » Sat Jul 29, 2017 12:26 am

That statement gave the dragoness chills as a sickening knot churned its way in her gut. The thought that that may well have been how Desrium, Septimus and Syria were in the predicament they were in was one she had no fondness for. The idea that that same path may have applied to an untold number of people who deified the Stormweaver and were betrayed by their perceived god unsettled her greatly.

"I remember some people telling Septimus stories about how his father reacted to that. I think I remember them saying that most people listened when he told them to stop."

"Probably out of fear. He seems to have that effect on those around him. Well, aside from his equals. Those tend to just get very irritated with him."
"Ah yes, organised chaos. the sign of a clever but ever-busy mind. To the perpetrator, a carefully woven web of belongings and intrigue, but to the bystander? Madness!"
–William Beckett, Lore of Leyuna RPG

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Re: Lore of Leyuna RPG (FRPG)

Postby C S » Sat Jul 29, 2017 1:09 am

Evisa made a muffled 'ah' sound at the insight gleaned from Beshayir and Ceridwen. She found it especially interesting that Arashi's equals found him irritating. Visions of prideful bastilles of scales and scutes rendered envious by the lack of people revering them as heaven-born beings humored her greatly, earning a few chuckles after her introspective tone. "I didn't get that effect when I met him a little while back," Evisa told them, though she neglected to describe the otherworldly body he had chosen for the occasion. "But that's another thought for another conversation, I feel. What I can say right now is that Septimus has a way to build on his father's act, being a follower of the Grace. I'm thinking it'll be difficult to form a faith around a god who serves another god... and I don't think anyone interested in doing so would testify that the dragon is an angel."

Upon concluding her thought though, the consideration that there were some in Brodudika's corps-for-hire that embraced the reputation of its armored benefactor as "archangel" entered Evisa's mind. "Of course, there really is no accounting for these things..."
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Re: Lore of Leyuna RPG (FRPG)

Postby The Kingpin » Sun Jul 30, 2017 9:32 pm

"You would be surprised," responded Beshayir matter-of-factly, addressing both points at once. She could recall quite vividly the tales her grandfather had told her of the faiths of the Abirus-Sahari and their pantheon of lesser and greater deities.
"Ah yes, organised chaos. the sign of a clever but ever-busy mind. To the perpetrator, a carefully woven web of belongings and intrigue, but to the bystander? Madness!"
–William Beckett, Lore of Leyuna RPG

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Re: Lore of Leyuna RPG (FRPG)

Postby C S » Sun Jul 30, 2017 11:42 pm

"No accounting for what people can come up with when given too much time and too little to do," Evisa reiterated, her musings now spoken words. "I'll admit, before the Grace returned with her kin to face the Desolate, us vikings had our own idea about what gods were like. No dragon-angels... we put our stake in things like the mother of all leviathans, Oghramaar, 'Crypt Womb'. The squall-stalker, Faafengar, 'Berg Tiger'. Things we'd seen on top of the world -- and things that tended to give us a load of trouble, more often than not."

"Have they all lost their divine status?" Natalie broached suddenly, her eyes widened with growing surprise. The notion of simply... abandoning the foundations of one's beliefs... Natalie was confounded by the casual tone Evisa spoke in. Were the old teachings worth nothing? Was it really so easy to turn away from them? Then there was the worry that was much more personal: how did Greshlynk relate to these beings once thought as godly?

Natalie found Evisa's response even more scandalous in a way she could not articulate. If she were younger, she would have audibly gasped from the perceived disregard of powers demanding respect. "Well... yeah," Evisa had said, while she continued to parse the visual stimuli around her for signs of dairy. "They aren't things that could just... end the world if they wanted to. They could cause a fuss that could end with a culture or two being wiped out, but it's clear that they aren't anything compared to what the god gods were like."

Natalie fell silent. That was a heavy implication to bear so early in the morning. "I see," she said after a stretch of quiet in the waking city, out of courtesy of offering a response in some measure. "That is... interesting."

"I don't think so." Evisa came to an abrupt stop, her confident lead allowing the three behind her to slow in their own time so as to not bump into her back. Before anyone could inquire about the turn of events, she said, "What I do find interesting, is how I completely neglected to look around the place where I get the hay from! If they have hay for livestock, they're bound to have milk there too!"

Evisa balled up a fist and punched into her waiting palm, punctuating the impact with a grunt.

"I'm usually better about these things, I swear," said the Lady of Light to her troupe, before turning about and walking around them to make haste back where they came.
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Re: Lore of Leyuna RPG (FRPG)

Postby The Kingpin » Mon Aug 07, 2017 9:25 am

The young elf smiled at that, entertained. There was an oddly Syria-ish ditziness about the Lady of Light that seemed out of place but no less endearing on the fiery viking than it did on the innkeeper-turned-mage. "Even if we find the milk, there's still the matter of the qahwa. It's not exactly common grain."

"Maybe not, but there are only a handful of Thimeyrans in the city, and Faruq... seems to be a good friend. What's a helping of qahwa between kinsmen... err, kinselves," responded Ceridwen, halting on that last note before a more subdued "No. That doesn't sound right either. Where's Septimus when you need him?" He had a knack for not being where he was needed.

"Knowing the elders they'd refuse on the premise that I'm not a tired matron in need of the energy... Probably just to save their supplies. I don't imagine they get it often with the roads being so dangerous for caravans," responded the elf with muted disappointment. She hadn't thought this whole thing through at all...
"Ah yes, organised chaos. the sign of a clever but ever-busy mind. To the perpetrator, a carefully woven web of belongings and intrigue, but to the bystander? Madness!"
–William Beckett, Lore of Leyuna RPG

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Re: Lore of Leyuna RPG (FRPG)

Postby C S » Mon Aug 07, 2017 7:58 pm

Natalie folded her hands and twiddled her thumbs while she mulled the matter over. Her gaze fell to the ground just past the tips of her shoes as she walked, deliberating. Unsurety left her when her thoughts turned to things she felt weren't blasphemous to the faiths she was familiar with and those she was not; for she was but a humble assistant dedicated to the care of her holy site. Maybe she would come across someone so worldly as to discuss the validity of godly figures in the era after the eight, but from her personal point of view, Natalie was in no position to question what anyone believed. As long as no harm came of it...

"I could be a tired matron," she purported with mild optimism. "I try my best... but it isn't unreasonable that someone may think I am... frail."

"Oh please," Evisa replied dismissively. "I don't think they'll deny me the chance to let a girl sample their drink with a bit of cream in it. No need for the damsel act."
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Re: Lore of Leyuna RPG (FRPG)

Postby The Kingpin » Mon Aug 07, 2017 11:55 pm

Far from the rocky plains and busy streets of the City of Friends, Crestvale loomed over the still dark waters of the Jade Sea. Two veterans of the Eternal War stood at the top of the seventh of fourteen flights of cliffside steps leading up to the Royal Palace, looking out over the city walls and towards the sea that separated them from their home. Construction was still in full force, several towers having risen out of the water since they had arrived. The harbour, thanks to some incredible efforts by the Valenhadians, the Hueilin, and the modest Tyrbenetan workforce, was now almost completely repaired. The crew of the Equinox, now in more familiar territory than they had been when conducting ship repairs, were quick to show their Asterian peers all the ways they could streamline and accelerate their repairs, and how best to make the most of their resources, having uncountable millennia of building heritage behind their own techniques.

It was something Sanguine felt especially proud of, as it had changed the perceptions the locals had of him and his men drastically. It had gained him the respect he needed to establish a more concrete chapter for the Justicars in the city, based in the industrial district where resources were easily accessible. The Justicars, still trying to get on their feet for now, had taken on jobs as dockhands, builders and blacksmiths, doing all they could to make some gold and endear themselves to the locals.

It was during this time of collaboration and development that Sanguine learned of the impact Arashi had had on this place. It seemed that at the mere mention of his moniker, everyone had something to say about the Stormweaver. It was with surprising reverence that many of the Valenhadian's recalled the fairytales that seemed to float around the Experimentalist, perhaps brought on by the discovery that this being of myth was in fact a real being. And those who revered him most carried him with the same sort of esteem that the Justicar's held Desrium.

"I never thought he would be so successful," mused Sanguine.

"Hm?" asked Ghul, his back to the cliffside as he sat atop the wall paving the flights of stairs they had ascended to get this view.

"Arashi. When he came to us he was so young, so wide eyed and inexperienced. To think he could have become something so renowned never crossed my mind," clarified the djinn Lord.

"I don't know if I would call it that. There were as many who disliked him as there were who revered him," noted Ghul.

"No doubt," agreed the taller djinn. "But even those who dislike him respect him. The Hueilin in this place recognise his power, despite the fact he has hurt them."

"Perhaps," conceded the armoured Justicar.

"And that's to say nothing of Mercutio. He is to them what Desrium was for the Order."

"I don't think we ever worshipped Desrium as a deity. It would not do for a servant of the Dawnmother to be deified in such a manner," stated Ghul gravely.

"You know Arashi better than that, Ghul. He is many things, but drunk off his own power is not one of them. I doubt he would be so arrogant as to condone this behaviour." The elder djinn's expression was firm, and perhaps ever so slightly surprised at Ghul's lack of faith.

"I pray for his sake that you are right."

"We will look into it in time. But before that, we have a more pressing matter to attend to." There was a shift in the older djinn's demeanour, giving away the fact he didn't want to linger on the previous topic of their conversation.

"Oh?" asked Ghul, taken by surprise and showing more than a bit of rekindled interest in their conversation.

"Desrium has established a 'city of friends' South of us. It is about time we re-established a connection with him."

"He has been busy," responded the armour-clad djinn, intrigued. "What do you know of this place?"

"Let's head towards our lodging. I'll tell you along the way," concluded Sanguine as he leapt off the wall, Ghul following with a hefty thud.



"The city is protected, and its missions around their lands and beyond carried out, by wanderers," he elaborated once they had descended the last flight of stairs, the taller djinn covering ground with surprising haste. It was something that Ghul had grown used to acclimating to over the ages, even when his proportions tended to make it difficult. "They're peacekeepers. They roam the continent helping others at Desrium's behest. And in exchange, these soldiers earn a sum for their trouble."

"So it's a city of mercenaries. I do not see what is special about it," said Ghul bluntly.

Sanguine shook his head, sipping some water from his skin as he walked through the cobblestone streets of the recovering capital city. The clatter of construction and the echoing calls of men nd women of various races directing one another in their duties did much to mask the two djinn's conversation from prying ears. "Not just mercenaries. These are people who wish to do good for others, and are rewarded for it with coin as an incentive."

"Motives are easy things to falsify. I could claim all day that I walk the streets to make the ground flatter so that carriages can move through them smoothly. That doesn't make it true," argued the armoured djinn as he looked up at his taller companion.

"Perhaps," conceded the elder djinn. He took note of the markedly pessimistic attitude Ghul had to the concept. Coming face to face with the reality of the races of Aster had done much to dull his enthusiasm. People here were greedy and selfish, unlike those in Tyrbenetus.

"But from what I was told, this city was cobbled together from remnants of a collapsed kingdom. A ruined nation tearing itself apart. Wealth would be scarce. A city like this likely did not have much of it to speak of when Desrium arrived. How do you think Desrium managed to motivate them to do what they are doing in the first place?" asked Sanguine, trying to lighten the armoured djinn's mood.

There was silence beneath the cowl of the djinn battlemaster for a few moments as he mulled the question over. Eyes narrowing, he gave his reply. "I think the more important question is, how does he keep paying them? If it is a city with a legion of mercenaries hungry for gold, he must have the wealth to afford them. Where is this wealth coming from? Who pays to pay these people?"

"All the more reason to believe that money may not be the only motivation," argued Sanguine as he ducked under a sign along the road; a blacksmith that was hammering away loudly on what appeared to be a steel half-circle, the purpose of which he was unfamiliar with. "Many of these people may well be former soldiers from the collapsed kingdom; people who want to see their homeland strong and safe again and end the chaos that's undoubtedly plagued them. To give their children a safer future, to bring the rule of law back to a lawless land. To drive out the things that want to destroy them. It was enough to bring all of Tyrbenetus together once upon a time."

"I wouldn't be so hasty to compare them to us, Sanguine," warned Ghul firmly. "We were a special case. We were forced to pull together to survive. We had nowhere to go. If we hadn't banded together, we would have been wiped out. These people have other options. Other kingdoms to move to, other lands to cultivate."

"Then perhaps they are better than we are, Ghul, to prevent darkness from claiming land that they may not strictly need." Sanguine stopped, turning to face the shorter, stockier djinn, raising his head slightly to lift the oppressive shadow of his hat-helm and reveal his face, showing a concerned expression.

Ghul stared back, his gaze as harsh and unwavering as his intimidating physique. "They're selfish. They want the wealth of their land. The crops it can yield, the treasures it may conceal. It is a place where any man with a small band of soldiers at his back can crown himself a lordling over the less fortunate."

"Are you suggesting that Desrium may have lost his path? Been claimed by greed? The Dawnmother's Chosen himself?" asked Sanguine, taken by surprise.

"I am saying," started Ghul, noting the reaction his friend and leader had to his statement, "...that we shouldn't have unwavering faith in him simply because he shared a battlefield with us. He is my student, and I am proud of his strength. But demons are the very embodiments of corruption. We do not know what may have happened to him in the fight with Xrtlyxx. We must not drop our guard or forsake our vigilance simply because he was the Champion."

"Perhaps. But what you suggest is not vigilance; it's outright prosecution. You speak as though you have already decided that no other case may exist. These are not demons, Ghul. We are not in Tyrbenetus, and we are not at war. It would be unfair to condemn him, or those that stand at his side, to the worst possible assumption without first seeing things for ourselves. If you are right, we will bring the Dawnmother's light to their lands and purge them of the poison plaguing them. But until we know more, we must take the path of impartiality. Balance in all things."

Ghul said nothing, lowering his head with a grunt that was neither dismissive nor acknowledging. "When do you intend to make way?" he asked, shifting the path of the conversation away from this particularly heated thread.

"Tonight. Midnight," responded Sanguine. "Travel provisions are already being put together. The Crestvale chapter is established well enough that they can operate without our supervision."

Another grunt. It seemed that the Battlemaster had lost interest in pressing the issue any further. It was something that worried the djinn Lord.
"Ah yes, organised chaos. the sign of a clever but ever-busy mind. To the perpetrator, a carefully woven web of belongings and intrigue, but to the bystander? Madness!"
–William Beckett, Lore of Leyuna RPG

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Re: Lore of Leyuna RPG (FRPG)

Postby C S » Wed Aug 09, 2017 12:52 am

Crestvale was not unlike the citadel the pair had ventured across the waves from. The obvious differences were in the size of the city and its foundations at the ocean's edge, but the common spirit persevered even in these most drastic contrasts. Was it not the same salty air that blew over the Keep now, though it sat farther away from Tyrbenetus' shore? Did the cliff-heights not draw the eye of early Vale in the same way the battle-minded artisans were allured by mountains held aloft by the flux of mana? Were they not fortifications erected for the same purpose: to protect the ones who would build their lives within their boundaries?

The infrastructure could have used some work in the eyes of the sailors-turned-staffers. Space could have been utilized more efficiently -- there wasn't even a sub-surface hub for forge work! -- and Asterian methods were downright counterintuitive in some ways, yet nevertheless they saw themselves in these people separated by time and distance. Attributes of hair and skin, styles of dress, mannerisms and disposition aside; they all generally had two legs and two arms, two eyes, two ears and a mouth. Language was troublesome, yes; the same trouble it posed when the disparate factions of yore joined underneath the Dawnmother's banner all those ages ago. A small problem, relatively speaking, all these ages later. It would be overcome through interactions with the varied cultures that congregated in the populous over time, as it had been conquered in the past, and maybe the people of Crestvale would come to appreciate the example of races of different walks of life identifying as one, greater collective.

Compared to Tyrbenetus, Aster was another world unto itself. What a discovery it was then, to find traces of home on foreign soil. Here in Crestvale, and in the rumors that came from the south.


There were no such far-reaching introspection for the viking woman.

Tyrbenetus was far from the forefront of Evisa's concerns by the time she and the others left the compound that served as the intermediary between Brodudika and its farms. Underneath her regimented exterior, she brimmed with the gratification of fulfilling one of the tasks set for herself that morning. Even the likes of Morialus slipped into obscurity as she carried the pale pail at chest level like a thing to be treasured. The container had handles on either side, and a cover that had an extrusion on top of it that vaguely resembled a funnel, presumably for pouring out the milk into smaller jars. Overall, the pail was similar in size to a clay pot.

"You certainly have a way with people," Natalie commented in a way that flitted between being wistful and wary. "It was a pleasant surprise to learn that they set aside a bale on the off chance that you may show up some time in the day."

"I keep being a regular, and I'll always have a cushion to sleep on. Sleeping mound. Whichever," Evisa replied.

"I wonder if that works for more conventional shops... not that I expect to be able to sleep on the things I purchase." Natalie's features creased, bemused at herself.
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Re: Lore of Leyuna RPG (FRPG)

Postby The Kingpin » Mon Aug 21, 2017 10:16 am

"I don't see how you expect to drink it all," commented Ceridwen, bewildered by the sheer quantity of milk the viking carried. "Surely even the three of you couldn't drink that much."

"Aren't you going to have some?" asked Beshayir, tilting her head as she considered the dragoness.

"Me?!" asked Ceridwen, seemingly appalled by the suggestion. "You couldn't get me to drink that if you had a ballista to my chest. I'll never understand how you humans and elves can bring yourselves to drink the fluids of other animals. It's revolting."

"Babies drink it all the time," responded Beshayir with a shrug. "Calves, lambs, young turuks, all those others. It's why their parents can make milk."

"Yes, but you're not the young of those animals. There's a difference!" insisted Ceridwen firmly.

"It's tasty, and we're keeping them for what they provide us. We don't hurt them. So what's the problem?" asked Beshayir, to which the dragoness sighed.
"Ah yes, organised chaos. the sign of a clever but ever-busy mind. To the perpetrator, a carefully woven web of belongings and intrigue, but to the bystander? Madness!"
–William Beckett, Lore of Leyuna RPG

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Re: Lore of Leyuna RPG (FRPG)

Postby C S » Tue Aug 22, 2017 1:48 pm

"I can't say it for a fact, but I'd imagine the dwarves, orcs, goblins and all the rest have their own favored... dairy... or what counts as dairy to their stomachs. Maybe that's why you find it so scandalous: you came out of an egg and grew into eating meats," Evisa pointed out. Though that begged the question as to what yolk was considered colloquially.
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