[center][h3]To Inherit[/h3] [b][color=0072bc]Vizier Ventus, Majordomo to Zephyrion Level 7 Hero 36 Khookies[/color][/b] [img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/7f28c785-bb7c-4826-8dbd-4f45a4e28f0c.png[/img] [color=Peru][b]The Great Artisan, Divine Mason, Builder of Civilisations Level 4 God of Crafting (Masonry, Carpentry)[/b] 21 Might & 2 Free Points[/color] [img]http://i.imgur.com/vbnnTUq.png[/img] [colour=ec008c][i]The Muse. Weaver of Dreams. Beauty (Stories, Colors, Aesthetic)[/i] Might: 22 Free Point: 2[/colour] [/center] [center]==--``~~~~``--==[/center] [hider=Summary] ***Note that these events take place a while back, in the immediate aftermath of Zephyrion's banishment.*** -Ventus reacts to Zephyrion's banishment -After a time of some shock, he enters the Celestial Citadel -He finds it already full of countless djinn, some there out of curiosity yet many others there clamoring to claim the Citadel -Ventus finds Ilunabar in her quarters, which are now barricaded -They speak for a short while, and Teknall makes an entrance as well. -After some tension, it is agreed upon that Ventus and the djinn will inherit the greater part of the Celestial Citadel. Ilunabar remains as a guest, though the situation is still not so friendly. No Might or Khookies spent. Ventus gains 10 Khookies, and now has 46 Khookies [/hider] Ventus soared back to the alcazar of his master, and as the palace's spires came within his sight he could not help but notice how dull they looked. In times past he had oft marvelled at the sheer brilliance of the dawn's gleam upon those pearly walls, but now it seemed that life had lost its luster for him in more ways than one. Something was amiss at the Celestial Citadel; Ventus could hear a great tumult, and it mirrored the inner turmoil that plagued his thought. Drawing closer, a strange feeling of [i]wrong[/i] seemed to hang in the air. Vizier Ventus arrived neither early nor late, but precisely on time to witness Zephyrion's banishment. The colossal figure of Fate and the smaller (but equally daunting) ones of Amul'Sharar and Vowzra were all to be seen, though the djinni did not recognize any of them by appearance. It was in a mere instant he understood well enough what had happened, if not why. With that final, vengeful roar Zephyrion disappeared into nothingness and so too did those other Divines that had seen fit to judge him. The shout of a god was forceful indeed, and so it was for many impossibly long moments that Zephyrion's scream echoed in the wind. At last there came a time when the sound ended. Silence reigned in the soaring palace. Numb, you could say Ventus was, though by virtue of his form the feeling was more mental than physical. In an instant he had been stripped of a sense of self and a purpose, both things so integral to him and taken for such granted that he felt devoid of life itself in their absence. For one sunrise and one sunset, he stayed suspended in the sky gawking at the distant Celestial Citadel. Upon the wind he heard many murmurs; it was the talk of djinn, and there was confusion and the seeds of chaos already. The Vizier blinked, and was whole again. As abruptly as he had snapped back to his senses, he rocketed through the sky towards the Citadel. Already it was crowded with all manner of djinn come to see for themselves what had happened; where before Zephyrion and the Skylords did not allow such a rabble, now every bleak and empty hall was a wirthing storm filled with countless elementals. Through the throngs Ventus fought, seeking to find Ilunabar and her Divas in their quarter. Ilunabar had strengthened the barriers around her quarters from the moment she noticed the blinding presence of Fate and Amul'Sharar. At the first instants of their appearance she feared that the portal she opened with Belvast's help had not been appreciated, but quickly she discovered that it was, in fact, Zephyrion the one being judged. This bothered the muse; he was not only a good friend, but his force had been positive to the beauty of the universe since the beginning. She knew not why the god was being judged, but it also made it clear how vigilant the greater deities were. Ilunabar, however, was one that always thought about what was to come than about what was happening. She could not lose her time being mesmerized and instead ordered the Divas to barricade and protect the quarters. Without Zephyrion, things were surely getting messier. By the time of Ventus' arrival, the Quarters was mostly sealed off from the Citadel, with the exception of a small passage, which the goddess opened as soon as she noticed. The visage of the quarters was very different from the usual, doors were sealed, the light was dim, and most of the artwork and schematics being exposed had been stored away. Ventus was hardly surprised to see that Ilunabar's quarters were barricaded. When a small passageway was opened for him, he quickly darted through the door before any others make their entry. The dismal apparance of the chambers stood in stark contrast to what he had seen before, and it would seem that their artworks and possessions were already being packed away. As a gust of wind Ventus billowed through the drafty hallways until he found his way to Ilunabar in person. He wasted no time on formality, something that stood in stark contrast to his usual demeanor. [color=0072bc]"Ilunabar, from how your artworks are gone I take it that you intend to leave? What has happened here?"[/color] "Dearheart, first it was Zephyrion getting punished by Fate, now there is a typhoon of elementals raging across the halls of the Citadel; simply put, the place took a sudden turn for the worse." She walked around a bit, checking her surroundings to make sure everything was getting packed correctly. "I will not leave, for now, I have many ongoing projects here, like a certain very strong beverage, but overall I think it is time for me to search for more interesting places to store my things. One without the chance of a storm spirit entering my quarters and turning everything into charred paper." Ventus inhaled, and like a roaring fire his breath seemed to pull in the entire room's air. He exhaled with a deep sigh. [color=0072bc]"Fate? Zephyrion oft spoke of that entity with disdain."[/color] He rested in deep thought, then spoke once more, [color=0072bc]"Some of those djinn outside drift in and out only to satiate curiosity, but even now I hear others clamoring to seize the palace for themselves."[/color] "As I imagined, and that could become troublesome for me. I imagine most of them won't have the courteousness to respect my personal space like Zephyrion did." She deliberated for a few moments "I would like to avoid a conflict with the elementals. I assume that as I fend off invaders from my quarters the overall opinion of the others will go down too. On the other side I cannot leave right now as there are still many tasks that I can only perform here." [color=0072bc]"Kindness and respect you have shown to me, and so I personally shall strive to return so much. But in this aspect I cannot speak for all others. Though satisfaction may evade some so long as you rest here, they be powerless to intrude if you simply keep your quarters barricaded as they are now. Perhaps a compromise can be reached, or they will forget about your presence in time. Or you could vow to leave at some point in the future, and that may satisfy them for now. It is hard to say,"[/color] he mused aloud. The ruckus in the Celestial Citadel had drawn the attention of another individual. A goblin with a leather apron descended into a portico and walked through the halls of the Citadel. He was unaffected by the buffeting of the elementals, as unyielding as a mountain to the winds. Clearly disgruntled by the trespassers he advanced deeper into the palace, heading towards Ilunabar's quarters. This goblin needed no doors to get in, for he owned the walls themselves. Teknall stepped through the stone barrier and emerged inside Ilunabar's quarters. He looked to Ventus, Ilunabar and the Divas. Finally he settled his gaze on Ventus. [color=Peru]"Let me see if I understand the situation correctly. When Zephyrion was banished, all these djinn thought that the Celestial Citadel was open to be claimed, yes?"[/color] Ventus recognized Teknall at once even behind the mask that was his goblin body; after all, when they last met Teknall had been in the shape of a humble Hain. [color=0072bc]"Claim? No, they would say [i]inherit.[/i] Reclusive as he was, the question of Zephyrion's will is rather ambiguous. It would seem an open question whether these halls pass to myself, all of Zephyrion's children, we of the sky and storm who were his favorites, or perhaps simply remain in the hands of these Skylords that have long guarded the sacred palace. I suspect that by Good Zephyrion's wishes these halls should be consigned to my ownership alone, though I know not whether I have the heart to quarrel or fight over mere brick and mortar."[/color] Teknall scoffed. [color=Peru]"Mere brick and mortar? You forget one thing, Ventus."[/color] He sweeped his arms at the masonry of the room. [color=Peru]"I [i]own[/i] these walls. I created them before your kind even existed. Even now my power rests in them. Zephyrion might have spent more time here, but my right to ownership of this place is equal to his own. If anyone is fit to 'inherit' this place, it is myself, although the term doesn't quite fit since I have always owned it. Understood?"[/color] A disappointing reaction was Teknall's, though hardly surprising. Ventus' mind at once conjured memory of his master comparing the only gods to flies and carrion birds, all prepared to descend upon whatever they could steal. It seemed a fitting metaphor; where before Zephyrion's cynicism had seemed absurd, now it was truth. Ventus stiffened and found some of the resolve that he had only just claimed to lack. [color=0072bc]"Is a fishmonger entitled to the entire sea? These walls were hewn by your hand yet built for Zephyrion, and though your power simmers still in those walls, it is drowned out a thousandfold by that of your dear brother, for these were where he spent near his every moment. In my time here I have seen the creation of mortals and this planet and witnessed Slough's power a dozen times, and yet in all those eons you walked these halls...perhaps thrice? I remember too Zephyrion welcoming you as a [i]guest[/i], to no objection on your part then. Yet here you stand now, come to claim our home. You realize that in His absence, it is [i]we[/i] whose power holds this citadel in the sky? Fight the djinn of storm and wind in those halls then, and witness your triumph lead to this palace shattering upon the earth below."[/color] "Oh please do not crash the citadel into the ground. That is where I store most of my things." [color=0072bc]"I threaten nothing, merely warn that forcing out myself or my kind will have dire consequences."[/color] Ilunabar sighed. "Teknall, Ventus, as much as I find this rivalry kinda endearing, I do need to question the why of such behavior. On one side a god who spends most of his time very far away from here, on the other, an elemental who doesn't even need most of these rooms. In fact, most of the rooms have been empty since Lifprasil left, no?" Teknall grunted, and his temper simmered a little longer. Although he may have only visited occassionally, he still held an equal share of the divine power within the Citadel. He could easily drive every elemental out by force, have the very walls fight against them, but what would that gain? The majesty of the Celestial Citadel would stand just as well regardless of whether it was occupied by himself or the djinn. [color=Peru]"The traces of Zephyrion's presence may drown out my own a thousand fold, but that is transient. The Celestial Citadel intrinsically contains equal parts of Zephyrion's power and my own."[/color] He paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to explain an abstract concept. [color=Peru]"Ilunabar, as a fellow diety you would understand the concept that this place, the Celestial Citadel, forged by the divine power of myself and Zephyrion, its very presence and splendor... reinforces our divinity. It is intrinsically tied to our very essence. That is my claim to this place, one much deeper than any measure of time spent here."[/color] Teknall thought a little longer and took a breath. His temperament had cooled somewhat. He continued, [color=Peru]"But perhaps I am being rash. As the architect, whoever takes up residency here does not impact my connection to this place. I maintain that I still own this place, but Zephyrion owned it too, so it would make sense for someone to take care of the Citadel in his stead."[/color] [color=0072bc]"Beyond simple residency, understand that in Zephyrion's absence it falls to us to maintain Change, carry out Nature's Decree, and enforce the Natural Hierarchy of the djinn. These halls will no longer rest empty; I would claim this palace as the seat of power for myself and the djinn. "By Zephyrion's grace he allowed guests, but now, having seen the horrid machinations of Toun and Vestec and Jvan, I have no desire to suffer the meddling of divines. The uppermost levels of this Citadel, at least, I ask to be ours alone."[/color] [color=Peru]"As Zephyrion's self-claimed hiers, you can claim what Zephyrion had,"[/color] Teknall replied, [color=Peru]"so you can use it as a palace, or seat of power, or whatever, just as Zephyrion did. Zephyrion already had the upper levels as his own private space, so that would continue. Aside from these rooms here the Citadel is presently unoccupied anyway, so that makes little difference. The physical structure is still mine, as it always has been. Just as Zephyrion was never the [i]sole[/i] owner of the Citadel, neither can you. But you are free to do as you see fit in the Citadel, provided neither you nor your djinn disturb Ilunabar, our resident. Of course, if Zephyrion returns, which is a possibility, he will likely want the Citadel back, but that is your problem, not mine. Is that fair?"[/color] The Muse was just happy her home wasn't going to be blown up today. Thought she also took the event as a sign that it was time to look for a new area to set up her atelier. [color=0072bc]"This arrangement shall do,"[/color] the Vizier answered, [color=0072bc]"for now."[/color]