[center] [h1][b][u]Evette[/u][/b][/h1] [i]29 years after Antiquity...[/i] [/center] [hr] Evette trudged through the snow with confidence, despite the moon hanging low in the sky. Her companions followed behind her, dragging sleds packed with supplies. Others huddled together and did everything they could to preserve their body-heat. It had become the Night-Templar’s custom to travel at night, partly due to their natural night vision, and also due to the fact that was when their prey was most active. Travelling during the winter was far from ideal, of course, but she didn’t have the luxury of waiting for spring. Time was of the essence, if she was to reach her destination, and she wasn’t far. The Night Templars had grown in the years since their foundation. She had only a dozen personal companions, but she had also founded multiple other groups of vampire and troll hunters that now operated independently. There would always be a limit to how large each group would come - if they gained too many recruits it would become impossible to feed everyone, and rulers would view them as a threat. She hoped they remembered that, and she had also hoped they had not lost sight of their original goal. Her companions were silent. Leaving her alone with her thoughts. Well, not quite. [colour=lightblue]”And so, halfway through the game, this monkey just up and takes the card, jumps out my window and suffocates in space! Am I really that boring to listen to, that someone would kill themselves over it? Am I? Am I?!”[/colour] There came some lunar glugs of presumably something alcoholic. [i]No, of course not,[/i] Evette replied, feeling a small trace of amusement. [i]I haven’t tried anything like that just yet.[/i] [colour=lightblue]”Well, don’t, because monkeys make for bad playmates.”[/colour] Another glug. [colour=lightblue]”Hooo boy, I’ll regret this in the evening… Sho...”[/colour] There came a burp. [colour=lightblue]”Oop, shcuse me. Sho, so, you finally decided to go - venture, even - to that cursed place…”[/colour] [i]Ha-Dûna?[/i] she asked. [i]Well, yes. There’s a lot of war or suffering over there, or so I’ve heard, and those seem to be exactly the sort of conditions where vampires are likely to be found.[/i] She paused. [i]Also, what’s a monkey?[/i] [colour=lightblue]”Wait, Ha-Dûna? I thought you was goin’ to Acadia! Well, in -that- case, you got nothing to worry about. You enjoy that.”[/colour] Glug. [colour=lightblue]”Oh yeah, I remember vampires… I miss my batman…”[/colour] [i]Batman?[/i] she asked, confused. [i]My Lady… how much have you had to drink?[/i] [colour=lightblue]”That’s a personal queschun that I will -not- answer,”[/colour] came a sour reply. [colour=lightblue]”Also, what do -you- know about drinking? All your people’ve got is smelly grain water! How do you even know about the effects of alcohol?”[/colour] [i]Well… I just noticed that um, the more you drink, the louder and more… outspoken you seem to become.[/i] [colour=lightblue]”Persheptive… How’d you know I wassen just gettin’ more and more excited?”[/colour] [i]Is excitement another effect of the drink? This… ‘alacool’ you mentioned?[/i] [colour=lightblue]”Can be.”[/colour] There was a pause. [colour=lightblue]”Mostly, it just lets me take a break from things. Those big, mean thoughts, y’know.”[/colour] [i]Hm. There’s a berry that has a similar effect - it’s quite common. Though, I never have time for such things. It’s always important to keep a clear mind when lives are at stake.[/i] [colour=lightblue]”Good girl. Berries make you fat.”[/colour] Glug-glug. [colour=lightblue]”What do you do to stay calm, huh?”[/colour] [i]I just… naturally am, I suppose. I am focused on my purpose and I have my companions to protect me.[/i] She smirked. [i]The guidance of the gods, as well.[/i] [colour=lightblue]”Oof, yeah, do not trust the gods, girl. I mean, I’m okay - I’ve gotchu - but some of my colleagues are less than savoury folk. Gotta keep your eyes and hear sharp for their sneaky, sneaky manip… Manipuhlashun.”[/colour] She frowned at that. [i]Which gods can’t be trusted?[/i] she asked. [i]Aside from Neiya, I think. You already told me about her.[/i] [colour=lightblue]”Pfft, I’unno. Depends on the day, I guess. The gods are, wossname, fickle. Loyalty’s like make-up.”[/colour] There came a hairy rub. [colour=lightblue]”I guess you could keep your eyes out for this, uh, what wassit, Thaa-dude. All bones and no heart, that guy. Gets very upset at living things, which, y’know, a lot of things are - alive that is. I’unno, don’t lissen to me.”[/colour] Glug. Evette had no honest clue who ‘the dude’ actually was, but somehow she got the idea that further questioning would be unproductive. [i]Well… at least I can trust you and Cadien.[/i] [colour=lightblue]”You trust me? I wouldn’t trust me. I mean, Cadien’s loyal as a dog - for better or worse - but me? Pffft… I’m not worth it.”[/colour] There came a sniff. [colour=lightblue]”I’m not worth anything…”[/colour] It became a sob, followed by a series of sobs, then a weak howl. Evette waited patiently for the waterworks to abate. [i]You know that’s not true,[/i] she said, and not for the first time. It still felt odd, to have to console a goddess instead of the other way around. [i]You’re the goddess of the moon and the patron of druids. That’s worth quite a bit. And you’re pleasant company too.[/i] Which was true. Emotional outbursts aside, Evette did find herself enjoying these talks. [colour=lightblue]”I’m nozz the Patran of anythiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing! Iss a group effort and I’m juss lettin the ozzers do the wooooooooooooooork!”[/colour] There came another howl. [colour=lightblue]”I’m juss a useless moon-moon!”[/colour] The crackle of snacks cracked in the background. Oh no. [i]You gave me that stone,[/i] Evette pointed out. [i]And these conversations have been very informative. Both of those are useful.[/i] Sniff. [colour=lightblue]”R-really? You actually use it?”[/colour] [i]Of course I do,[/i] Evette nodded. [i]It helps with sleeping shifts when we make camp. Sentries are never tired, so they never fall asleep, and we never get attacked. Not without warning, anyway. For all I know I could have died without it.[/i] [colour=lightblue]”Uh… Uh-huh? You mean it?”[/colour] [i]I do,[/i] Evette nodded. And she did. She might have been overplaying it a bit, but to be able to sleep for short periods of time and not wake up tired was an immense boon, and one she would have trouble living without. Sniff-sniff. [colour=lightblue]”Oh-... Okay. Hey, you’re real nice, y’know?”[/colour] [i]I have been told that quite a few times,[/i] she nodded. [colour=lightblue]”Wow, okay, someone’s cheeky.”[/colour] There came a snorting giggle. [colour=lightblue]”I’m juss kiddn.”[/colour] A raspberry. [i]For a moment there I almost thought you were flirting,[/i] Evette smirked again. [colour=lightblue]”A mortal couldn’t handle me. No god nor goddess nor anything else can handle me.”[/colour] She giggled in embarrassment. [colour=lightblue]”I am a wreeeeeeeeck.”[/colour] [i]You and me both,[/i] Evette remarked, suddenly pondering her own circumstance. It was nothing like Gibbou’s, of course, but upon self-reflection Evette’s own life was hardly the most stable or secure. She wandered from village to village hunting abominations. Coming across dead ends more often than not, often relying on either charity or mercenary work for food, and never settling down. It was these thoughts that occasionally kept her up at night. [colour=lightblue]”Damn, you, too, huh? Yeah, I can imagine - your quest being what it is and all. Life ain’t easy for nightfolk, is it? Sorry about that. If I coulda made it nicer, I would.”[/colour] [i]What’s stopping you?[/i] There came a gritty glug. [colour=lightblue]”Me.”[/colour] [i]What do you mean?[/i] [colour=lightblue]”Pfft, I’unno. Juss tryin’ to be poedic or somethin’...”[/colour] There came a sniff. [colour=lightblue]”No matter what I do to make the night better, it always, always, always seems to make it worse for everyone. I can’t do anything right.”[/colour] There came a low weep. [colour=lightblue]”... I can’t do anything right…”[/colour] [i]Hey, we just talked about how that’s not true,[/i] Evette said, hoping to get the conversation back on track and simultaneously restore Gibbou’s spirits. [i]Are you sure you can’t reach out to the other gods for help? Oraelia’s avatar and Cadien himself have both blessed my cause. Maybe things will be better if you work with them?[/i] [colour=lightblue]”HEY! Hey, hey, hey, no. There are -some- lines we don’t cross.”[/colour] Evette recoiled in shock - for all her casual awkwardness, Gibbou was still a goddess, and if there was one thing the stories emphasized it was that a god’s ire should never be drawn. There came a deep, frustrated breath through the nose. [colour=lightblue]”I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to shout. It’s just… The night is -my- element; -my- home. I will not get help to fix my own element - especially not from those two.”[/colour] [i]Especially?[/i] She raised an eyebrow. [i]Do you have something against them?[/i] [colour=lightblue]”N-no… So what if I do? It’s nothing against them personally. Or maybe it is, in some cases, but mostly not. Why should I tell you?”[/colour] [i]Gibbou, would you be willing to take some advice from a mortal?[/i] There came a scoff. [colour=lightblue]”Look, the last thing I want is a lecture. If you wanna preach, go find a flock or something. I am outta here. P’chooo.”[/colour] The voice then disappeared. The sudden change in the goddess’s tone had once again caught Evette off-guard. One would have thought she would have grown used to the goddess’s mood-swings by now, or the dismissive attitude toward advice and criticism. But Evette thought she was actually close to an opening there, only to be shot down and dismissed in the blink of an eye. Once more she began to wonder how a being with such great responsibilities could act that way. Too much power? Too little oversight? In truth Evette knew very little of the gods and her ways, despite her encounters with the divine, but if Gibbou was to be believed then the only thing holding the Night Goddess back was her pride. Troubling. Very troubling. [hr] The sun had just risen when Ha-Dûna finally came within sight. Great palisades were being erected around the larger city as though its people were preparing for an attack any day, and sleds and pulks pulled by man, elk and reindeer all flowed in and out the gates like an eternal river of flesh and hide. Small war parties patrolled the vicinity, armed with copper or stone spears, clad in thick fur clothes with their woolen family plaids proudly wrapped around their torsos. The many housesteads - ´[i]tún[/i] in the local tongue - sported thick columns of gray smoke through holes in the roofs. Inside the city, barely visible from their position, a scattered number of tall buildings were in the middle of construction. Evette’s wings were not visible beneath the heavy furs she wore for warmth, but it was only a matter of time before they noticed the golden halo or the glowing sword at her belt. She continued her approach. Thankfully, the roads this close to the village weren’t packed with snow, which made things considerably easier on her weary companions. As the peasants caught sight of her, a small war party approached, led by a tall, broad woman with her torso wrapped in a blue and red tartan plaid. As opposed to the others, she wore a leather-upholstered bronze helmet and had a long dagger at her hip, also likely fashioned from bronze. Her beltbuckle, too, barely visible under her plaid, had that familiar sheen: She was very likely an officer of high rank. Her nutty hair danced in the snowy wind, and her war party behind her flanked out to flex its numbers and strength. When they reached the Templars, she held up a hand to halt them. [abbr=“Halt, Reiyar.”]”Brehmse, Reiarling,”[/abbr] she spoke sternly. ”What [abbr=”doing”]dorran[/abbr] you [abbr=”here”]seo?[/abbr]” Evette grimaced. She had tried to pick up what she could of the local language during her travels. Unsurprisingly, she had yet to master it in so short a time, and her companions had not fared much better. She had hoped to find a travelling merchant who could serve as an interpreter, but very few travellers frequented the roads this time of year. Communication would be difficult, to say the least. But an attempt had to be made. “I… Evette,” she said slowly, in the unfamiliar tongue. “Daughter of Cadien. Hero of Reiya. Listen of Gibbou.” The officer cocked her head to the side and put her hands on her hips. The other soldiers looked at one another. [abbr=”Listen here”]”Lytja anois[/abbr], outsider.” A word Evette had heard many times in these parts. “We [abbr=”are not really taking in crazy people these days.”]”ònskan ik galningi om láan.”[/abbr] She waved her hand dismissively. “Go back to [abbr=”that castle where the”]bórgan soem[/abbr]rest of your kin live.” Evette looked back over her shoulder in brief confusion, before turning back. “Walk long way. Need home. Can’t walk back.” She knew she was making a butchery of it, but she doubted this guard spoke any language she had a better understanding of. The guards looked at one another. Some giggled mockingly. The officer drew a curt sigh and held her hand out. [abbr=”Alright, then… Hand over”]Ya, yah… Gitte[/abbr] your [abbr=”weapons and”]klingan aug[/abbr] we [abbr=“will give”]jakr gitta[/abbr] you [abbr=”place to stay”]turasbo[/abbr].” She pointed fervently at her sword, while the others gestured for their weapons. It took a moment for Evette to realize what was being asked. In truth, it was a reasonable request. But she knew that if she gave away an object so priceless as her sunlit sword, she might not get it back. And she didn’t trust the snickers and chuckles of the guards. They had to have noticed her glowing halo by now, and the fact that they didn’t even comment on it suggested the sword itself would do nothing more to convince them that she had a connection to at least [i]one[/i] of their gods. She shook her head. “Sacred sword,” she answered. “No.” The officer raised her brow. “Sacred? [abbr=In]Pà[/abbr] what [abbr=way]heada[/abbr]”? Evette took some time to think of all the possible questions the woman could be asking. “Reiya make,” she said at last. The guards looked at each other. “To [abbr=the druids]druïthanas?[/abbr]” they asked one another. They nodded amongst each other, but the officer quieted them down. She eyed the templars one by one, stopping on Evette. Then she pointed at her companions. “They [abbr=will give up]overgittan[/abbr] their [abbr=weapons]klingan[/abbr]. You - [abbr=follow us]gengangen ochm, betta.[/abbr]” Evette frowned in puzzlement. “No hear.” The officer groaned something about foreigners to her companions and tried to gesture - she pointed at the Templars, then patted her dagger, and thumbed at her warriors, who all gestured impatiently as though waiting to be given something. She then pointed at Evette, made two fingers walk down her palm, and then thumbed her chest. Evette eyed her guardedly. “No give sword?” “You [abbr=won’t.]burdan ik[/abbr]. They [abbr=will]burdan[/abbr].” She shook her head at Evette, then nodded at her companions. She then pointed at Evette and said slowly, “Yooooouuu… Waaaaalk… [abbr=With]Leeeeeee[/abbr]... Us!” Evette’s expression hardened into a glare, and the next thing she spoke was in Ketrefan. “The winter is almost preferable to your company,” she said, earning a snicker from one of her own men. She then gestured for them to give up their weapons, and they grudgingly complied. The Dûnans eyed the weapons hungrily, for almost all were made out of bronze. The officer smirked. “[abbr=”Bronze weaponry, huh? For almost everyone at that! Not bad, not bad. Wouldn’t expect less from a damn Ketty.”]Balklingi, yah? Fòr all seom aon? Ei slóft, jakr seia. Slik an stygja Ketlai.” She shook her head slowly and gestured for them to follow, her war party bring the weapons ahead of them into the city. “In [abbr=the city]han[/abbr] is [abbr=somebody who can speak Ketrefan]ketlamálsnakkling[/abbr]. We [abbr=will get her for]jakr finna hén fór[/abbr] you, [abbr=little]beag[/abbr] outsider.” Evette grit her teeth and followed. There was no doubt in her mind now that whatever the guard had said was either mocking or insulting. Probably both. But this was not her first experience in such things; sometimes her wings and halo inspired fear or suspicion instead of awe. Nonetheless, her pride was wounded somewhat, but she could say nothing. They all walked together through the bustling streets in a long row, Dûnan guards flanking the Templars and Evette at a short distance on each side. The officer walked at the front, hammering her chest and waving at the people they passed, all of whom bowed back in fearful respect. The roads were hardly straight, and the trip took them through dim alleys and flourishing winter markets where root vegetables, dry meat and stockfish were being sold in droves. The ooze of borderline rotting food was offensive. Eventually, they passed by a tall, triangular building, which roof seemed to start at the ground and spear upwards to the heavens. Surrounding it outside were both men and women dressed in very simple clothing and no plaids, doing chores like shoveling snow and chopping firewood. A little beyond that again, another of its kind appeared not too far off the main road they were walking. However, the group had set its course on a rammed earth wall in construction at the end of the road, which was open and bustling with people like a human beehive. Inside, there were more tall buildings, as well as a great stone structure, reminiscent of a temple. Megaliths lined the roadway, upon which were painted stories accompanied by strange scriptures. When they reached the centre of the walled district, a white-robed woman approached them and bowed to the officer. “[abbr=”Gods’ blessings, théin Hilda. Who are these?”]”Helgingshelsnar, théin Hilda. Kven an?”[/abbr]” “[abbr=”Gods’ blessings, Kaer Cwenn. Just a few outsiders asking for lodgings for the night. Bloody Ketrefans, too, would you believe it? The one with the halo speaks for them. See if you can get her to spill the beans on their business here.”]”Helgingshelsnar, Kaer Cwenn. An kun ustalamlingan soem sòkan óichebo. An dritans Ketlai, kanan Ihr trû? Hatan ring om hóvuda an hóvding. Próvi faa hén seia kvifor an seo.”[/abbr] Kaer Cwenn blinked and sighed. “[abbr=”... Very well.”]”... Yavel.”[/abbr]. Uhm, pardon?” “Do you speak Ketrefan?” Evette asked, rather abruptly. Kaer Cwenn approached and nodded. Meanwhile, the officer and the soldiers took the weapons into one of the larger houses. The druid offered a polite smile. “I do. It’s still expected of druids to know the tongue by heart, seeing as we encounter quite a few of your kind on our travels. What brings you here?” “I’m not Ketrefan myself,” Evette corrected. “My village was on the edge of Ketrefa’s shadow, but I have never actually been to the city. Anyway, my name is Evette, leader of the Night Templars. I was sent here to hunt vampires, trolls, iskrill, and other abominations. And also to learn more about this war, too.” “Oh, my, a, what’s the word, monster hunter, is that it?” She immediately began suppressing a mocking smirk. “Well, I fear you’ve travelled quite astray from the right path, in that case, for there are no monsters in these lands - save for barbarians and brigands. There was talk of a vampire somewhere to the south near Kirin’s Rest, but apart from that one, we’ve heard nothing. Troll and iskrill, on the other hand, well… Try north or south. You’re free to stay here as long as you need to rest up, though.” She paused briefly. “Oh, yes, and the war is over, my child. These lands have once again been brought to peace, and we wait out the winter so these lands may once again be sown. Would you like to know anything else?” Evette frowned. “The war is over? The things I saw and heard on my way here had me convinced otherwise.” “Oh, but it is. Whatever you saw on the way, it was surely just the villagers shoring up their defences in response to the heightened pressure from roaming hoodlums. Highway crime has, after all, risen through the roof since the chaos of the Sigerans began. Oh, sorry - that might not have made sense to a foreigner. If you’d like, we could share the whole story with you over a hot bowl of [abbr=A sticky oat porridge with onions and peas.][i]grautan[/i][/abbr] and some sour milk.” “I’d like to hear it,” Evette said, wondering just why Cadien had pointed her in this direction if everything was resolved. “Oh! Fantastic. We’ll get to that eventually, then. First, though…” She eyed her up and down. “Would it be rude of me to ask what a dwarf Reiyar is doing in these parts, leading a band of humans? And what’s that thing above your head? Legends say the [i]helgen[/i] Lucia had one, as well.” “A dwarf Reiyar?” she furrowed her brow in puzzlement. “What in Cadien’s name is that?” Kaer Cwenn cocked her head to the side, genuinely confused. “Wait, so you are not Reiyar? A warrior of Reiya, a person blessed to serve at her side as a soldier of the sun for all their good deeds?” Her puzzlement only deepened. “Well, you could say I am a warrior of Reiya,” she said. “I’m also a warrior of Cadien. And Gibbou. But I know nothing about serving at a god’s side - Reiya, or anyone else. And why did you call me a dwarf? I’m taller than you.” The druid’s tone went from somewhat patronising to giddily curious. “Oh, how fascinating! A Reiyar with amnesia - with loyalties to others than the sun!” She circled around Evette with scanning eyes. “Hmm… Yes, yes… Perhaps you are midway through a sort of… A sort of transformation stage. You are taller than me, but still much shorter than a proper Reiyar - it could be that the circle over your head is some sort of marker or sign that your body is still in development. Oh, what a serendipitous specimen to encounter!” Her confusion twisted into a scowl. “Don’t be absurd,” she scoffed. “You know nothing about me, and I’m not some research sample for you to study.” Kaer Cwenn quickly ended up in front of her again and put on a guilty smile. “Sorry, please do forgive me. There is so much to uncover about the other servants of the gods! You wouldn’t mind an interview after dinner, would you? Just a bit more about the nature of your relationship with Gibbou, Caden and Reiya?” She frowned, but nodded. “So long as you tell me what happened here, and provide food and shelter for me and my companions.” “Oh, aaabsoolutely! Our home is your home! Just so you know, I will be asking a slough of questions regarding that little sword on your hip, too - looks very well forged; one could almost say it is of divine make.” She gave her a wink and then led them on to a nearby longhouse. Evette followed reluctantly. The druidess was irritating, to say the least, but so far she was the only one here she could actually speak to, and for now that gave her little choice but to cooperate. The druid led them into an inn of sorts - surrounding two large central hearths hissing hotly at enormous clay pots filled with soup and porridge placed in their coals were a number of benches, tables and rugs of wool, hide, fur and fiber. Baskets with oat cakes, flatbread and raw roots lined one half of the wall at the far end of the longhouse at which side was the entrance; situated opposite of the door from the baskets were clay pots large and small, some filled with sour milk and others filled with water. Next to the baskets were bowls covered with fiber towels, a bulb under the towel having left grease spots on them. Kaer Cwenn took one of the bowls and grabbed a basket with a varied assortment of baked goods. Evette and her companions, in the meanwhile, suffered everything from curious looks to hard scowls from the other patrons. Kaer Cwenn turned towards her and smiled. “Help yourselves to whatever you may want! Take a bowl from that stack over there,” she pointed to a stack of wooden bowls next to the pots of water and milk, “and take as much porridge as you want. I’ve got bread here and some cheese. If you’d like drinking horns, I’ll see if I can find some of those, too, but we usually just use our bowls. Alright? I’ll be sitting over there when you’re done.” She moved over to a table by a second hearth further inside. Conscious of all the eyes on her, Evette did indeed help herself - within reason. It struck her as somewhat odd that a city which had just come out of a war and was now undergoing winter was so free with their food. When she was done, she took her bowl over to where Kaer Cwenn was sitting, while her companions found their own seats and began to talk amongst themselves. The druid began to tell the story of the war. Some years ago, now, there had been an unjust attack upon their people by an enemy tribe. Appropriately, therefore, they had demanded justice be served, but an evil presence amongst them had cursed them all with the madness of the dark god Sigeran. It had thrown them into a vile rage, decimating their neighbours throughout the land. Their minds had been twisted into thinking this was a good presence, too, so they had arranged for the god’s worship and everything. Only when the time was almost too late had the mighty Fírinn given them clear sight at least, and Seeros had descended from the heavens, himself, to save the true sons and daughters of Ha-Dûna from Sigeran’s evil. They had all escaped the city, saved again by the grace of Gibbou, and for the next few years, they had journeyed throughout the land to reunite the scattered tribes under the traditional Dûnan values of peace, piety and co-prosperity. “... And that brought us here. This city was recaptured from the evil Sigerans just earlier this winter, and by the grace of the Sun, we were not left to starve even though the city had been stripped of all supplies one could think of.” She offered Evette a broad smile and dipped her flat bread into her bowl of porridge with an anticipating grin. Evette listened to the story with some skepticism. She had the impression that the druidess was laying it on a bit too thick, and she doubted that resolving the war had been as simple as was claimed. At the same time, however, she wasn’t entirely familiar with the situation here. “What was it you mentioned about a vampire earlier?” “Hmm? Vhe vam-… Scooh-me…” She finished chewing and swallowed. “The vampire? Oh, well… A little over two weeks ago, some traders from the south said some Stone Mauls had banished a vampire in… Trrrrrolbane, I believe… It’s to the south, as well. Mainly ruins still, I think, but the Stone Mauls are settling in there.” She leaned in. “Stone Mauls aren’t too popular around here, actually. Pretty warmongering people, those. Best not to get too close to ‘em.” She then straightened back up and had a scoop of porridge. She frowned. “What do you mean by ‘banished’?” “Well… Killed, of course. Whatever else could I mean?” That was a relief. “Normally ‘banish’ means ‘exile.’ If it had been let go… I wouldn’t look forward to having to chase such a creature in the midst of winter. Especially not with a two week head start. Now, are you certain there are no other vampires in the area?” Cwenn shook her head. “Haven’t heard anything, at least - and these sorts of news travel pretty quickly on account of all the chaos and such.” She shrugged lightly. “As I said earlier, the only monsters around here these days are robbers and raiders. I’m sure the [i]sanndatr[/i] would be very appreciative if you and your most capable-looking companions were to arrest some of those, though.” It was Evette’s turn to shake her head. “I’m no stranger to fighting raiders, but I tend to avoid conflict between fellow humans when it’s not necessary. I will need to take a closer look around this city, just in case. I was sent here for a reason.” Cwenn shrugged. “That’s your right, friend. I mean, I’m sure Hilda will have a guard or two on your tail as long as you carry that sword around with you, but don’t take it personally. People are still jumpy after the war, y’know.” “Who is this Hilda?” “Oh, she didn’t introduce herself? Wow, that’s… I mean, she has no love of foreigners, pardon the term, but this is a new low even for her. One ought to have the most basic decency, at the very least…” She huffed hot air. “She was the [i]théin[/i] who brought you in - the officer. She is very, very powerful - if she’s got her eye on you, she’ll use any excuse she can get to oust you for something, no matter how insignificant.” She lowered her voice and looked around, leaning in. “Whatever you do, do -not- do anything that could get you in trouble, okay?” “I’ve faced down worse things than a guard with an inflated sense of self-importance,” Evette said dismissively. Kaer Cwenn frowned worriedly and leaned in a little closer. “She’s much, much more than a guard, friend, and she has a lot of influence around here - a lot. Just… Don’t get on anyone’s bad side while you’re here, okay? Please?” “I’m the daughter of a god,” Evette countered. “I have no intention of antagonizing anybody, but I won’t be intimidated.” Cwenn pulled away and looked down into her bowl. “Well… Let’s just hope the two of you won’t see each other anymore, then.” She then took another bite of bread. “Now I believe you have some questions for me?” Immediately, her mood shifted to excitement and she put down her bowl and bread. She turned so her whole body faced Evette and grinned from ear to ear. “Oh, do I! Okay, okay… First, I need to get it straight… You… Say you're -not- a Reiyar, yes? Not even a little bit?” She shook her head. “I never even heard that term until today. I may have wings and a halo, but I am still human.” “Veeeery interesting… So you’re not in some in-between stage between human and Reiyar? Oh, i can’t wait to present this to my colleagues! We’ll be rewriting volumes of biological literature, depending on your answers, just so you know. Well, not volumes, maybe, but at least one whole scroll. Now, how did you get that halo and those wings, if you are not some sort of inbetween stage of transformation?” Evette sighed. “When I was a child, my village was attacked by raiders. Everyone in it was killed, and I was forced to flee. I was captured by a vampire, who broke my legs and held me captive, intending to feed on me until I died. I would have died too, if Reiya’s avatar - Solus - hadn’t rescued me. He blessed me with a halo and wings, gave me this sword, and tasked me with hunting down all the vampires I could find.” “Wait, Solus? But he leads the Reiyar over in the castle… So you -are- a sort of inbetween stage! Or at the very least a hybrid! Oh, this is so much to consider. What are the implications of all this?!” She nearly tipped her porridge bowl onto the floor. Others were staring at her excitement with light amusement. Evette’s eyes widened. “Solus is here?” “Should be! Well, not here-here, but in a castle to the… Southeast! Very hard to miss, especially in the winter - not even the thickest snows can lay themselves upon that sunstone keep.” “I will need to travel there when I have the chance…” Evette said, barely able to believe it. After a few seconds she regained her composure. “Did you have other questions?” “Oh, a bunch!” The druid then started asking her all sorts of questions about everything from her sword to her diet to her past adventures and connections to all the gods. [hr] [hider=Post Summary] Evette is trudging through some snow in the winter of 29 AA. Drunk Gibbou is rattling on about a monkey or something. They talk about a few things: the other gods, alcohol, why can’t Gibbou just fix the night, and whether or not Gibbou is useless. Eventually Gibs cuts off her end of the conversation. Evette arrives in Ha-Duna and is immediately confronted by a language barrier. It doesn’t help that the first person she meets is a total b-word. After some unproductive back-and-forth, eventually she agrees to turn in her weapons (except the glowing sunlight sword) and is taken to see a druidess who can actually speak Ketrefan. This druid is immediately fascinated by her, much to Evette’s annoyance, but eventually they sit down and the situation is explained to her. Evette is told that the war is over, which she doubts (based on what she saw on her journey there), but she doesn’t know enough about the local politics to press that argument with any confidence. Evette also tries to learn if there are any vampires in the area, but finds nothing aside from rumours of one that was killed weeks before her arrival. Anyway, the druidess then gives her a warning to avoid pissing off Hilde, and also asks Evette a bunch of questions about herself. [/hider] [hider=Prestigious] 32k characters: Circle of the Long Stride 2 + 5 = 7 [u]Evette[/u] [b]Beginning:[/b] 12 +5 for 10k+ characters. -2 for part of a major cultural shift: bands of Night Templars can now be found throughout the Highlands, west of the Neiyar River. The tactics, habits, and traditions employed by these bands will vary, though Cadien may punish those who stray too far from their path. [b]Ending:[/b] 15 [u]The Night Templars[/u] [b]Beginning:[/b] 1 +5 for 10k+ characters. -6 for part of a major cultural shift: bands of Night Templars can now be found throughout the Highlands, west of the Neiyar River. The tactics, habits, and traditions employed by these bands will vary, though Cadien may punish those who stray too far from their path. [b]Ending:[/b] Bankrupt. [/hider] [hider=MP Summary] No MP spent. [/hider]