[center][h1]Pride & Keltra[/h1][/center] [hr] The consequences of war were quite confusing when Homura returned from Nalusa upon Skydancer, accompanied by Charis the Red Wing Healing the Faithful, and a surprising horde of slumbering rodent-related primitive soldiers spread throughout the insides of the two flying equine colossi like a nested infestation. Could this be divine retribution? Pride pondered to herself, isolating her thoughts from her sisters and their reflections, as their mother briefly described what had transpired afar and slightly scolded Kindness for creating a reflection of Fear before departing as swiftly as she came, along with the Phoenix without much detail into where they were going, which was to be expected at this point. The vast majority of the maramodas still slumbered, and those that had awakened were confined within a section of the keep - kept away from the sleeping vessels of humanity with numerous stone walls separating them. The Keeper of Keltra found herself irked by the behavior of the few woken maramodas; their repetitive demand for silence after they conceded they could not defeat her or her sisters in something that could barely be called battle. She quickly acquiesced to their demands though only communicating to them through telepathy, but unfortunately the fools were too simplistic to comprehend mind-to-mind speech and fled from her presence whenever she approached while signing various hostile gestures to ward her away. [i]Divine retribution, but upon whom?[/i] Neither Pride nor the maramodas were satisfied by the situation, though the latter did not bother to even attempt to cope, and instead either continually lamented throughout the day or projected their scorn through their somatic language upon the irked former who had to restrain herself from screaming at them either aloud or mentally. For now, establishing a friendly relationship seemed more like a long-term goal as opposed to anything productive happening anytime soon. Homura had said that Courage and the others would be acting independently for the time being, so the goddess had not returned to Nalusa, which left the bemused Pride only more matters to ponder while she paced back and forth nearby the Eternal Fire. The smallest among the Sacred Sextet idly overheard her sisters coddling the infantile Rowan, speaking softly as they crooned around him, murmuring their affection. While the majority of her mind was focused upon surveillance around Keltra, the tiny restless part of her mind that found itself in need of preoccupation felt envious ire directed at Kindness and Curiosity, and the Reflections - they were teaching an adorable and more importantly singular baby while she had to handle the horde of violent and idiotic maramodas in a hopeless endeavor to educate them. It was proving to be torturous because they had yet to grasp the concept that she meant them no harm, and only sought to help them, incentivized because then they could leave and she would not have to endure their presence further. Time passed and little progress was made with the maramodas. Pride was rather resentful when she shaped their section of the keep to resemble their burrows back where they came from, even suppressing the ambient music and adding familiar scenery she had seen through her scrying of their former dens and dwellings, but they merely debated whether she was tricking them with her evil spells, or that their new warrens were actually a gift from their sleeping god who ushered such things into creation when having a peaceful dream. Their stalwart stubbornness frustrated her, and what was worse is that Curiosity and Curiosity II had taken advantage of her accumulating fatigue by including her in being pampered beside Rowan. Pride was primarily annoyed because she had let her deep enjoyment of being so pleasantly indulged after a stressful day of dealing with the moronic maramodas escape from the secluded section of her mind, and now her nearby sisters were aware of her weakness. She relished being treated with such loving attention and appreciation by them, but she shook her head in humiliation and hopeless defiance as she still must be seen as the dignified Keeper of Keltra at all times. Seated upon piles of silky pillows, doted upon Kindness, Kindness II, and Fear II, Pride surrendered to their treatment with a sigh while anxiety occasionally crept upon her. Their mother was not omnipotent, but Pride did not wish to suffer the shame of the red goddess seeing her in this silly state after being commanded to guide the maramodas towards the Sacred Path. Fear II seemed more in need of support considering her guilty conscience that Kindness and her Reflection could not rid her of despite how much they insisted that the actions of her other self were not her fault, and that Fear herself was innocent. Pride and her sisters had not chosen to elucidate Fear II regarding what she had seen transpire upon the Eidolon Plains and telepathically shared with them her thoughts on the matter. Whether or not Fear is innocent was irrelevant - both she and Zima needed to be thwarted to prevent more harm befalling others. Kindness and her Reflection were determined to demand an opportunity to retrieve Fear and detain Zima when Homura next returned, and there was little Pride could do to persuade them otherwise due to the high levels of exhaustion after expending so much time with the maramodas. Curiosity and Curiosity II were more concerned with protecting and nurturing Rowan, having been assigned by their Mother to do so. Even though the members of the Order of the Phoenix could see the breath of life that flowed through the world like an intricate and brilliant weave, all of their abilities were limited to restoration and preservation, and they lacked the knowledge how to properly tend to a growing child. They could no longer rely upon the Eternal Fire which solely sustained life, but did not actively guide it in new directions, so the two inquisitive champions would have to devise a way of safely maturing Rowan. Pride considered suggesting that they travel beyond Keltra, but withheld the idea for now as she required the soothing support her sisters provided her during the times she had when she could rest peacefully. A portal opened within Keltra, a shimmering stream of colorful light descending from the ceiling like a column of divine radiance - from which came the voice of Homura. [b][i]“Faith must be forged anew… as war and peace repeat in an endless cycle. I now must remain in the celestial palace, but I have come with my deliverance; let it be known and shared amidst you all.”[/i][/b] The goddess proclaimed, and otherworldly power poured forth from the portal and manifested itself as a crystalline avatar of Homura carrying a large book bound in crimson material and golden filigree in one hand, and three levitating sapphire spheres above the open palm of her other hand. The sparkling simulacrum of their mother stared at each of them gathered around their small area where they had been relaxing, and her imperious voice and gaze upon them stirred them swiftly into action. Pride and her fellow Heralds of Honor stood bowing before their mother with reverence and concern which had become a more common occurrence than Pride would prefer as it often meant more trials and tribulations that added to her list of responsibilities when she had yet to remove a previous task from her list. The avatar of Homura approached her, and offered the tome she held as she spoke. [b][i]“A sanctuary for life should be beautiful.”[/i][/b] Her words echoed throughout Keltra, and Pride easily concealed her exasperation behind a gracious smile as she accepted the gifted artifact, and honestly became intrigued by what she had been given while the simulacrum moved towards the nearest passage leading out of the keep’s interior. The Heralds of Honor proceeded to then follow after her. [b][i]“Sow these seeds in the fields.”[/i][/b] Homura commanded as she pointed towards specific spots in the distance, and Pride summoned stone limbs which carried the levitating gemstones to the three different locations where they were gently buried. Afterwards, veins of light quickly spread across the vast fields and shone brightly before rising and shifting into a myriad of shapes that decorated the landscape. Two prominent structures emerged from the coalescing canvas of colorful topography; each with a distinctive aesthetic and architecture. [b][i]“The Temple of the Tapestry.”[/i][/b] Homura continued, gesturing to the slender azure structure in the west which was very open with massive windows and adorned with wide and long waving strips of fabric glittering beneath the light of the sun. [b][i]“And the Temple of True Resurrection.”[/i][/b] The hand of the avatar turned to the second structure in the east, similarly designed like the keep itself, except it was mostly circular and on a much smaller scale, with additional architectural flourishes; there were many smaller windows and intricately bejeweled sections that were sculpted to depict abstract scenery and symbols. Surrounding both buildings was a prismatic realm of swirling stone and crystal where curving patterns and pathways spread across the once desolate plains, and a multitude of flowing fountains and pools provided plentiful pristine water to a myriad of streams that traveled parallel to many of the paths. “Why?” Pride heard herself ask aloud with awe and dread in her voice. Still concentrating on the Incantation of Seeing, she could sense how much had shifted in the fortress - she saw how much incredible might had come from the changes, and a glimpse of what her mother intended and wherein she stood. It frightened her to her core, but also brought forth a thrill of exhilaration because of what it meant: the beginning of another chapter in her life as she stepped further along the Sacred Path towards an awaiting apotheosis. [b][i]“Continue communicating with those that have enslaved themselves. We shall all break free of our shackles when we achieve our ambitions.”[/i][/b] Homura ordained, answering her with a repeat of her past decree instead of an articulate explanation. Not that Pride thought that her mind could comprehend every concept that her mother could try to convey to her. The Keeper of Keltra listened as the projection of Homura reaffirmed to Curiosity and her Reflection their responsibilities of raising Rowan to adulthood; teaching him to walk upon the Sacred Path alongside them. Her sisters cheerily replied, asking a few questions that earned them cryptic answers that equated to being told to be patient for now. Then Homura stood before Kindness, Kindness II, and Fear II - but before she could speak, Kindness hastily interjected. “Let us seek out and retrieve Fear! This ostracization of her will never result in her atoning!” The demure champion spoke in a quiet, yet firm voice, and she had found the inner resolve to refuse to ignore what she wanted any longer. “We have previously established that you cannot imprison us here, so please let us do this. It is our purpose to provide aid to those in need!” Kindness II persistently pleaded alongside Kindness as Fear II seemed to retreat into her mind and avoid the conversation happening in front of her. Curiosity and Curiosity II even began advocating their hope to save Fear from what had befallen her. Their mother contemplated the request before she slowly nodded her head. [b][i]“So be it.”[/i][/b] Her assent languidly washed over them, unexpected and agitating in its enigmatic simplicity. Pride became ever more apprehensive and was immediately aware of the impatient state of her sister who wanted to depart immediately, but fervent yearning had led to Kindness becoming reckless, so the smallest among the Sacred Sextet took it upon herself to formulate a plan. Whether or not Homura had always been reading their minds throughout their time together remained a mystery, but once again the goddess spoke and answered her questions before she asked. [b][i]“I shall send your sisters here, and you may choose amongst yourselves how you wish to accomplish your goal. Devise a strategy before setting out. This is your assigned quest: seek out the Revenant's Veil and prevent them from inflicting further harm upon the denizens of the Galbar through any means necessary. Know that you cannot afford to be defeated.”[/i][/b] The crystalline form of Homura dispersed at the end of her speech, leaving her champions to themselves with their newfound fates. [hider=Summary]Pride is in Keltra coping with the aftermath of what happened in Nalusa. She is trying to teach some of the maramodas to be more accepting of noise and less violent, but has had no success so far. Homura sort of visits through a portal and projection, giving a gift to Pride and decorating Keltra a little bit. The goddess reminded her champions of their duties, and is persuaded to let the Heralds of Honor seek out Zima and Vale.[/hider] [Hider=Vigor/Spirit/Prestige]Homura Cycle 6 Current Vigor: 10 -3 Vigor to create the Temple of the Tapestry. (Monument) The Temple of the Tapestry conjures a vast amount of fabric and those within its space are guided towards the act of weaving. The woven creations produced in the temple are imbued with sacred power; being much stronger than standard materials and enchanted with enhanced properties. -2 Vigor to create the Tome of Artistry. (Artifact) The tome grants its reader knowledge of various forms of art, and blesses their ability to produce such art. Its pages are filled with illustrations and symbols that instill the knowledge into the mind of the reader. The book itself is resilient against damage, and surprisingly not heavy despite its size. -3 Vigor to create the Temple of Resurrection. The Temple of Resurrection serves two purposes: First it serves as a receptacle for souls that are connected to its space, retrieving them from afar when their vessels are broken and containing them. Secondly it serves as a gate to the afterlife, allowing living creatures to physically step into the world of souls and access the three realms created by Voi. -2 Vigor to create a change to the landscape within the southern half of Keltra. Homura Cycle 6 Remaining Vigor: 0 --- Divine Quests: Pride is to alleviate the maramodas of their hostility and create an alliance between humanity and the maramodas. Curiosity and Curiosity II are to raise Rowan from a child into an adult, teaching him to walk upon the Sacred Path. The Holy Quintet are to seek out and defeat Zima & Vale to prevent further harm from them upon the denizens of the Galbar. --- Pride gains 3 Spirit. Kindness, Kindness II, Curiosity, and Curiosity II gain 2 Spirit. Pride expends 8 Spirit to teach herself and her sisters how to extend a basic version of their telepathy to others. The Holy Quintet gains 1 Prestige. [/hider]