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[center][h1][color=gainsboro][i]Celestine[/i][/color] meets [color=violet][b][u]Cadien[/u][/b][/color][/h1][/center]
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It had been an unmeasured amount of time since Celestine had arrived at her visitation chamber, and before too long she began to ponder on the possibility of how this particular room might function. Rising from her throne, Celestine stepped forward gently towards one of the doors in the room with an idea in mind. [color=Gainsboro][i]”If perhaps this room enables others to visit my personal realm, couldn’t I use it to visit the personal realms of others? I suppose there is only one way to find out.”[/i][/color]

Coming to a halt a step from the door, Celestine raised her left hand and knocked upon it gently, extending her divine senses beyond the borders of her realm. Briefly, she saw nothing. But a few moments later her senses picked up the presence of other realms and other deities. Celestine paused for a moment as she considered which of these realms she would request entry to in order to begin meeting with the other emerged gods and goddesses, but soon found an answer when she noticed a common connection among seemingly all of them, even hers.

Focusing in upon the connection between her realm and this seemingly central realm, Celestine lowered her hand for a moment as she contemplated how she would carry herself forward. Confidence was natural, but Celestine could also rationalize that the other gods that had emerged earlier would likely have a better understanding of their capabilities than Celestine did right now. Thus she opted for a more cautious approach, and with a small nod she placed her hand upon the door and pushed it open.

On the other side of the door Celestine found a wide colosseum that was lined with many other portals. Stepping through the door Celestine closed it behind her and, after noting that the colosseum was empty, she began to simply walk gently around the room in order to observe the various features it possessed in peace for the time being. It didn’t take her long to find a noticeboard that had been placed overlooking the arena, and Celestine stopped to raise a hand to her chin and examine it briefly. As she looked it over, she took notice of a notice about posting notices properly, a note from someone known as Cadien on having something known as an avatar upon Galbar, a torn notice with a partial drawing of a sun with a smiling face, a note about the zodiac, and a survey. A few of these things stood out as somewhat odd to Celestine, some were quite informative, and others held information that Celestine personally deemed irrelevant for the time being.

The odd notice out was the torn drawing of a sun with a smiling face. Who drew and posted it? Who tore it? Why was it torn? Why wasn’t it repaired or replaced? What were the consequences of this piece of paper getting torn? Celestine could garner no other information from merely looking, and so she simply left it as a mystery with some possible answers to be found later. Stepping back from the board and lowering her hand to her side once more Celestine continued her examination of the colosseum at large for a few minutes before she nodded to herself a few times.

As no one else was here, Celestine resolved to merely return to her realm and wait a while. She didn’t want to leave it for long, and was almost certain that others would attempt to enter and greet the freshly-born goddess before too long. Stopping in her idle walking, Celestine looked at the portal she was in front of and noted the presence of what appeared to be a blurry castle. Celestine also noted that this portal was close to the area where she had emerged from, and logically presumed that this portal would return to her realm given that she had been within a castle when she had left. Stepping through gently, Celestine expected to end up emerging from the same door that she had entered into within the greeting room of her realm

She didn’t.

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She found herself standing on a grassy island, with a cobblestone road beneath her feet. The path led to the castle that she had seen, but now that her vision had clarified, she could see that it was nothing like her own.

Another path branched off to the right, to a bridge which led to another larger island. This one held a village of colourful buildings and equally colourful inhabitants, and she could hear the distant sound of music.

Behind her was another island in the distance, this one with a town of its own, but also a vast open field where she could see black-clad figures galloping around on dark-looking mounts, practicing riding formations.

Before she could explore any of these things further, a figure appeared in the castle’s gateway. It was a tall man with white hair, clad in golden armour with a violet cape. He looked at her with an expression of mild surprise, but then the armoured man smiled and began to approach.

[color=violet]“Ah, a visitor! I don’t believe we’ve ever met before, but welcome! This is Meliorem, and I am Cadien, if you don’t already know that.”[/color] He came to a stop just a few paces away, briefly looking at her choice of attire with approval. [color=violet]“May I have the honour of knowing your name?”[/color]

Celestine blinked to herself a few times as she was greeted with a realm that was distinctly [i]not[/i] her own. Letting out a soft hum, she looked around gently and noted the cobblestone road beneath her feet. [color=Gainsboro][i]”I should see about doing something like this within my own realm. It’s certainly a lot more pleasant than just hard-packed earth.”[/i][/color] Taking a look at the path off to her right Celestine noted the hustle and bustle of various folk that looked incredibly distinct from herself, and pondered if perhaps the creation of such similar looking people within her own realm would be considered odd to other deities. The somewhat faint sound of thundering hooves behind her caught her attention more than the music did and Celestine spun on her heel in a stance that was suddenly much more energetic than before.

Thankfully it only took Celestine a few moments to notice that the riders were both quite some distance away and not charging her down. Relaxing again, Celestine turned back around to look at the castle that now lay at her back, and she took notes of how the stonework was done and wondered if she could implement some of the design choices into her own castle in order to improve it.

The trail of thought on improving her castle was interrupted by the arrival of what appeared to be the master of this realm. Celestine blinked a few times as she examined him quickly, and took note of the interesting similarities between their choice of attire. If she had dressed herself in this manner to reflect her status as a goddess of soldiers, why perhaps might this god dress himself similarly? Such a question would have to be asked, but not now. As Cadien introduced himself, Celestine instinctively gripped the edges of her cloak and curtsied, much like the elf servant had done to her recently. As she did so, she spoke gently. [color=Gainsboro]”Greetings, Lord Cadien. I am Lady Celestine, Goddess of Soldiers. I recognize your name from what I believe to be a noticeboard placed within a grand colosseum. I must apologize for the intrusion, as I have only emerged just recently and my divine senses are not as sharp as they should be. I was intending to return to my own realm, which possesses a castle of its own, and mistook a passage to your realm for a passage to mine.”[/color]

As Celestine finished speaking, she would stand normally once again and await Cadien’s reply.

Upon seeing her curtsy, Cadien’s smile widened slightly, and he offered a bow in response. [color=violet]“It is nice to meet you. I suppose that is a reasonable mistake to make. There’s no harm done; I’m always happy to receive visitors.”[/color]

Celestine gave a nod to Cadien’s answer before thinking for a moment. She didn’t know if it would be impolite to ask after what Cadien was the god of, but she figured that since she had given her divine association it likely wouldn’t be too offensive. [color=Gainsboro]”Lord Cadien, if I may inquire, what is it that you are the god of? I have noticed that you don armor just like myself and I wonder what might motivate you to do so?”[/color]

[color=violet]“Because I am the God of Beauty, Strength, and War. A fitting look, is it not?”[/color]

Celestine gave a blink in surprise at this answer. Two of those three were quite relevant to her domain over soldiery. Cadien was likely someone she would want to remain on good terms with. Giving a nod, Celestine spoke. [color=gainsboro]”Indeed, the look suits you well if I do say so myself. Do you have any projects that you’ve been working on that you would be willing to share details on? Two of the three domains you just mentioned are quite relevant to my field of interest as a goddess of soldiers, and I would be happy to collaborate on something with you… On the condition that I remain a sort of neutral assistant, if that makes sense. Soldiers can come from anywhere, and I do not want to abandon those who I should shelter. I must apologize for the inconvenience that such a request likely makes, but I feel gravely compelled to remain as neutral as I can.”[/color]

Cadien’s eyebrows rose at the sudden request. [color=violet]“Hm. A bit forward, aren’t you?”[/color] He kept his smile to show that he had no real issue with it. [color=violet]“Yes, I do have a few projects, and I would love to have some help with them. But I think we should get to know each other better first, and if you a newly-emerged goddess, perhaps there are some topics I can fill you in on. In the meantime, would you care for a tour?”[/color]

Celestine gave a nod at Cadien’s alternative suggestion before speaking once more. [color=Gainsboro]”Of course, Lord Cadien. You have my apologies for my forwardness, I merely wanted to start making myself useful. As for a tour and some more information I would appreciate both greatly, as there are many things that I have yet to get to grips with. If you would lead the way, I will ask questions as they come to me.”[/color]

[hr]
And with that, the God of War and Perfection began leading the Goddess of Soldiers throughout his realm.

He started by showing her the Ink Village, and introducing her to the local Songs. He told her the story of how he had found them in another realm, the owner of which had seemingly abandoned both the realm and its people. He told her of the strange ‘Lady’, and how his attempt to wake her had only served to throw the realm into instability, so he had taken them here where they would be safe.

[color=violet]“I had made a pledge to protect them, you see,”[/color] the god had explained. [color=violet]“And I still feel partly responsible for their realm’s collapse. So the least I could do is give them a home and see that they are well-cared for.”[/color]

After watching a quick musical performance, Cadien took the tour elsewhere, to the other large island. There, he had the strange cavalrymen form up and assemble before them. Then, he told their story. How the goddesses Oraelia and Neiya had created the Aiviri, but had disagreed on their purpose, and split the species into two warring groups: the Oraeliari and the Neiyari. The Oraeliari had been more compassionate and better at healing, while the Neiyari had been better at waging war and instilling fear. Eventually Oraelia had cursed the Neiyari with infertility, and so in order to prevent the subspecies from dying out, Cadien had brought a group of them to his realm, where they would live forever.

[color=violet]“I did it for two reasons,”[/color] the God had said. [color=violet]“One was out of love for Neiya, the Goddess of Love, who is quite dear to me. The other was because it seemed both unsporting and unjust for an entire species to be sentenced to slow extinction. They had their failings, it was true - a bit too cruel and ruthless for my taste - but it seemed an overzealous punishment nonetheless.”[/color]

After taking some time to watch the armoured warriors spar and continue practicing horsemanship, Cadien once again moved the tour elsewhere - this time to his castle. He showed her the pristine courtyard, before taking her into the castle itself where she witnessed a hall of statues of various races and genders, each one sculpted to fit that race’s ideal image of beauty.

Finally he moved on into the throne room. Several paintings hung on the wall, most of them depicting warriors and battles. A great table rested in the center, with a golden chandelier hanging overheard, and at the far end was his marble throne. There were at least a dozen different side doors, but Cadien made no move to go through any of them.

“So, there you have it,” the God of Perfection smiled. “What do you think?”

To say that the tour of Cadien’s realm was interesting would’ve been an understatement. Celestine kept her external appearance and mannerisms calm and collected, reacting to everything with compliments and praise. Internally, Celestine was thoroughly impressed time and time again and could’ve truthfully spent weeks observing the details in everything that they passed by. The ink village was astounding in its construction, and the compassion Cadien had shown to take on The Songs earned him no small amount of respect.

This respect was built upon when Cadien showed her the Neiyari and explained both their origin and why he had some within his realm. Celestine would attribute generosity to Cadien’s repertoire with little hesitation. The display of combat prowess and coordination from the armored warriors and horsemen inspired Celestine to take a few notes on the techniques that were applied. Perhaps one day she might have something similar set up.

As the tour moved on Celestine was once more impressed when she was guided to the castle. She took many mental notes about the various design choices she encountered, and opted to see about replicating some within her own castle once she returned to her realm. The hall of statues was interesting, and the collection of the various races was the first thing to cause Celestine to break her polite exterior and give pause to study them. Though this was only for a moment and she would catch up quickly with an apology.

Upon arrival to the throne room, Celestine noted a small similarity to the great hall that she had within her own realm, though she did not bring up such similarities right away. As Cadien asked what her thoughts were, Celestine raised a knuckle to her chin as she thought. After a few moments she began to speak. [color=gainsboro]”It was all quite excellent. I was especially impressed by some of the design choices that you’ve made with the castle. The armored warriors and horsemen are also something that has truthfully inspired me to seek out something similar within my own realm. The statues of the various races upon Galbar were most interesting, and in particular I noticed some with longer ears like my own, though they did not entirely match my physique, nor the physique of the others that inhabit my realm. What race do those statues depict exactly?”[/color]

[color=violet]“I believe they are called Night Elves, or ‘Nelves,’”[/color] Cadien remarked. [color=violet]“They were made by Gibbou, the Goddess of the Moon.”[/color]

Celestine would once more raise a knuckle to her chin as Cadien explained before she came to two differing conclusions. With these in mind, she explained the particulars of her question to Cadien. [color=gainsboro]”Well, that explanation leads me to one of two conclusions for a small mystery that had befuddled me about the decisions I apparently made as I was being separated from The Lifeblood. The first conclusion, which I don’t think is likely, is that I have unconsciously populated my realm with a sort of copy or mutation of these Night Elves. The alternative, which I’m surprised by, is that I created an entirely new race in my image. Unfortunately I didn’t think to ask one to come along with me, but neither I nor they share too close of an appearance with the Night Elves.”[/color]

[color=violet]“Is that so? I would like to meet them, then. Especially if they are as beautiful as their creator,”[/color] Cadien’s smile returned.

Celestine nearly gave a blink at the forward complement from Cadien, but she quickly moved on mentally in order to avoid making the conversation awkward. [color=gainsboro]”I would be happy to show you around my realm as you have shown me around yours, and along the way I’m sure you will have ample opportunity to meet and study them for yourself. Alternatively, if you’ve things to move onto, I could simply request that a handful accompany me into… What did you say that it was called, Antiquity? So that you could simply observe them for a time in order to not delay things that you had already scheduled.”[/color]

[color=violet]“Oh, there’s no need,”[/color] Cadien said. [color=violet]“I’d be happy to see your realm. I can even accompany you once we are finished here, if you wish. But first, do you have any more questions?”[/color]

Celestine thought briefly before speaking once more. [color=gainsboro]”Well. There are a few things that I am not quite certain about… To begin with, what is the general stance on interacting with mortals? I would assume that they would be used to divine interference with the world, but I am not entirely sure.”[/color]

The God of Perfection adopted a thoughtful look. [color=violet]“There is no general stance,”[/color] he said after a moment. [color=violet]“Every god has a different attitude toward that sort of thing. I involve myself quite heavily, but Neiya doesn’t much care for them, and doesn’t understand why [i]I[/i] care. Gibbou, I think, cares a bit too much; she wants to help them, but her actions have a tendency to backfire. Then there’s that cur Yamat, who would bring ruin to them purely for his own amusement,”[/color] he shook his head disapprovingly.

Celestine too a handful of mental notes as Cadien spoke and nodded a few times as he finished. Thinking once more, she presented another question. [color=gainsboro]”This one may be a bit… Hazardous to ask, so if you would rather decline to answer then please feel free. But how are the current relations between the emerged deities going? Is there anything I should be aware of?”[/color]

[color=violet]“That’s an easy enough question, so long as you give your word that you will keep what I say to yourself.”[/color]

Celestine blinked in surprise, but nodded before speaking. [color=gainsboro]”It goes against my chivalric code to lie, and so perhaps it would be best if that question went unanswered. My apologies for the awkwardness surrounding it.”[/color]

The god held up a hand. [color=violet]“No no, it’s quite alright. In truth, I find your honesty on this matter to be quite refreshing. I shall tell you anyway, because this information will be vital if you are to interact with the others.”[/color]

Celestine would give another nod before speaking once again. [color=gainsboro]”Very well. I will do my best to not cause undue distress upon any relations with the information provided. You have my thanks for taking this risk.”[/color]

Cadien nodded. [color=violet]“Gibbou and Oraelia are the oldest, and the closest. I have not met Oraelia herself, and while I have heard good things about her, I have found some of her actions - like what she did to the Neiyari - to be rather questionable. Gibbou and I have met on more than a few occasions. As I said before, she has good intentions, but her actions tend to backfire, and I believe that his has wounded her self-confidence. She deflects compliments and responds poorly to criticism.”[/color]

[color=violet]“Gibbou is also bitter rivals with Neiya, the Goddess of Love, due to what I believe may have been a misunderstanding - they both offer conflicting accounts on what happened. They both become angry when the other is mentioned and don’t seem open to reconciliation. Now, Neiya and I are lovers, and as I said before, she is quite dear to me. I have found her to be beautiful, witty, and calming, but…”[/color] his voice trailed off, and he seemed reluctant to continue.

But eventually, he did. [color=violet]“She can also be rather envious and possessive. She did not wish for me to bring the Songs into my realm, for fear that I was using them to ‘replace’ her, which wasn’t true. Sometimes it seems I can’t interact with any woman, be they a mortal or a goddess, without her casting suspicion on me. But I can say with complete honesty that I have never once betrayed her.”[/color]

Celestine gave a nod to what Cadien had said. It had been quite a lot to process, but something did occur to her now that Cadien had explained things in such a specific way, and she was quick to illustrate her concern in order to avoid causing problems in time.. [color=gainsboro]”Well. With the way you’ve explained things I’ve come to consider that it may be unwise for you to visit my realm. Not that I have rescinded the invitation, but on the consideration that I would not want to be a catalyst to disturb the relationship you two have, if that makes sense.”[/color]

For a moment, sadness flickered in Cadien’s eyes, but it quickly vanished. [color=violet]“No,”[/color] he said, after a moment. [color=violet]“Neiya is very dear to me, but she cannot control me, and she must learn to trust me. I’m sure she’ll understand once I explain things to her. I did manage to get her to tolerate the Songs, after all.”[/color]

Celestine gave a nod, and took note of the sadness that made a brief visit to Cadien’s eyes. She spoke quickly in order to shift the topic away from the relation troubles that Cadien was having. [color=gainsboro]”I understand. Do you have anything else on the other deities to share, or would you perhaps like to simply move on from this topic altogether?”[/color]

[color=violet]“I must talk about the others, yes,”[/color] Cadien nodded. [color=violet]“Artifex is the God of Insects and Construction. I have found him to be quite friendly and reasonable. And with your manners, you should have no issue befriending him, if that is your wish. Then there is Qael’Nath, the God of Magic. He, too, is also quite reasonable, but he is a bit aloof, and often gets distracted by his work. Nonetheless, I consider both of them to be friends.”[/color]

[color=violet]“The only god I have a truly negative opinion on is Yamat. And he is perhaps the only one of our kind that I consider an enemy. If you ever meet him, do not trust him. He has warped my creations, and made countless abominations which seek only to cause pain and misery. I suspect that he only wishes to cause suffering for the sake of suffering.”[/color]

Giving a nod to what Cadien had said, Celestine took a multitude of mental notes on the various deities that he had mentioned. She didn’t show it outwardly, but Celestine began to think of mitigation plans for encountering Yamat. She wouldn’t shun him, as it would be impolite, but precautions to prevent disaster would likely be fine. Seeing that Cadien had stopped for a few moments, Celestine spoke once more. [color=gainsboro]”Is that all concerning the others? If so, I can change topics onto something that may be a bit more comfortable to speak about.”[/color]

Cadien fell silent. It began to feel like he hadn’t heard her. But then, he started speaking again, his voice quiet. [color=violet]“There were other gods, too. Some of them were my friends. Some of them I never even had the chance to meet. But… they vanished. Their portals were sealed up, or disappeared entirely. I do not know if they disconnected themselves from Antiquity, or if some worse fate befell them, but I thought you should know. In your interactions with mortals, you may hear some praying to gods that you have never met or heard of. Some of these gods are mere fabrications, made up or imagined for some reason or another, but others are the gods who have disappeared. This… might help explain that.”[/color]

Celestine gave a few nods as Cadien explained. She thought for a moment if there would’ve been any kind of closure she could offer him due to recently being within The Lifeblood herself, but no distinct memories came. Instead she simply offered some comforting words as she spoke again. [color=gainsboro]”My condolences, Cadien. To lose a friend is no doubt painful.”[/color] Taking a moment to pause so that Cadien would have time to breathe and compose himself, Celestine pondered what next to ask in order to change topics. When inspiration struck she spoke once more. [color=gainsboro]”Lord Cadien, if I may inquire about this once more, do you know of any projects that anyone is working on that I could be of assistance with due to my dominion over soldiers? I am eager to provide assistance where and when I am able.”[/color]

The God nodded. [color=violet]“I cannot say I am fully up to date with what the other gods have been doing, but there are a few things I have in mind myself.”[/color]

Celestine gave a nod to Cadien’s reply before speaking once more. [color=gainsboro]”That is unfortunate, but understandable. If you would not mind sharing details of what you’ve got plans for I will happily assist as I can, so long as my desire for neutrality is respected.”[/color]

[color=violet]“Very well, then. As I have already told you, I am a God of War. There are many mortals who fight and risk their lives in my name. There are others who do [i]not[/i] do so in my name, but their actions are still commendable. It seems a shame to let these individuals go unrewarded, and I have been rather neglectful in paying attention to what happens to my creations after they die, so I am long overdue to correct both of those oversights.”[/color]

Celestine would give a hum as she raised a knuckle to her chin once more. When she remembered the great hall that she had first opened her eyes in she began to speak once more, lowering her hand as she did. [color=gainsboro]”Within my realm there is a great hall that was being arranged for a feast. Perhaps you could do something similar? It would appear that when my realm coalesced it did so with something like that in mind.”[/color]

Cadien raised an eyebrow. [color=violet]“Hm? Whatever do you mean? We are in a great hall right now, are we not?”[/color]

Celestine would tap her hip for a moment as she thought of a better way to convey her idea, and after she got it she spoke once more. [color=gainsboro]”Well. It would appear that the great hall within my realm was being set to host a feast for fallen warriors, though I don’t think anyone will be arriving as I don’t believe I have control over their souls or the ability to give them an afterlife as it stands. Perhaps you could have a great feast of your own for your subjects? Assuming you have the ability to have their souls arrive and so on.”[/color]

[color=violet]“Perhaps,”[/color] Cadien nodded. [color=violet]“But first and foremost, I will need to have a word with the god that is already collecting these souls. To see if I can convince him to relinquish them.”[/color]

Celestine would give a nod of her own before speaking again. [color=gainsboro]”Of course. I may have to have such a conversation myself sometime in the future. Now… I have a more complicated question. It poses a similar risk to the question I posed earlier, and so, keeping my stance against lying in mind, if you wish to not answer then I will be happy to accept such a response. That aside, is there any particular topic among other gods that is just better left unsaid?”[/color]

[color=violet]“None that immediately spring to mind, no.”[/color] Cadien shrugged.

Celestine would give another nod before speaking once more. [color=gainsboro]”Very well. You have my thanks for answering my questions, and I will reaffirm that I will do my best to avoid damaging any relations with the information that you’ve provided me. Now, I think it would be best if I returned to my realm for a time. I am not eager to leave it unattended for too long. Could you perhaps show me the way back to the colosseum that I was in earlier? I don't quite remember the way.”[/color]

Cadien smiled. [color=violet]“Why, of course. I do hope you will visit again.”[/color]

[hr]
[hider=Post Summary]
Celestine ventures into Antiquity and has a look around, discovering the noticeboard. She then accidentally wanders into Cadien’s realm. Cadien meets her and gives her a tour, showing off the Songs, the Black Hussars, the statues, and all that stuff. Celestine is impressed.

Eventually they sit down and have a more in-depth conversation, with Cadien basically telling her the Beginner’s Guide to Interacting With Other Gods. Basically he tells her what he knows about the current gods - which ones are trustworthy, which ones hate each other, and all that good stuff. 

They also have a talk about the possibility of creating afterlives for warriors, with Cadien deciding he will need to have a talk with the God of Death (this takes place before the collab with Thaa.) On that note they part ways, on friendly terms.
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[hider=MP Summary]
No MP spent.
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