Nikolai frowns at Shiva explains the strange dreams and transformation. "You say you feel stronger, but do you feel different? Did it feel like something had invaded you? Perhaps an infernal possession? Did you feel like something had taken control of you?"
Nimue leans forward, clasping her hands under her chin. "New, yes. I've only just met them. They are....an interesting lot, aren't they?"Elodia's last question strikes her in a way that she hadn't considered before. Had she never experienced such hate before?
"Never been to Breanne, in all honesty. And I know very little about the political situation." She smiles warmly at the human woman across the table from her."Not everyone's fond of elves, either. Some consider us to be a little too arrogant. And maybe they're right. But it’s hard to stay that way when you've fallen from grace."Sadness passes across her face, lingering for a moment before disappearing almost as quickly as it came.
Shiva tilts her head to one side, puzzled. "I do feel different. I feel...complete. Nothing invaded me, I believe that I just lost control. Maybe it was everything that I was feeling up until that moment, with anger being the spark that set it alight and caused the transformation." She looks to a corner of the room for a moment, lost in thought, before turning back to Nikolai resolutely. "The transformation seems to be part of my heritage. I truly am born of a demon, Nik. As much as I feared that fact, it may not be the agony I believed it to be. And I'm far from the first, I've seen battles fought by others like me."
"They certainly haven't been dull," Elodia agrees with a knowing smile, glancing once more to the stairs and back to Nimue. "Breanne is beautiful, though I'm aware its inhabitants are not the most tolerant. She certainly would not have had an easy time there. Though I'd hope that she can recognize I'm not my people, considering I'm also no longer there, and for good reason."
Her smile turns to a faint frown of curiosity as she catches the look that briefly flits across Nimue's face. Gently, she prompts, "Fallen from grace?"
"Well, it's certainly a more pleasant turn of phrase. The truth is a little more gruesome. And it's why I'm here." Nimue swirls her wine in her mug, mulling over Elodia's inquiry. How much to tell? I've only just met this woman. But..... Her grandmother's voice whispers in her ear: "Help will only be found by those who ask for it, Melda." She sets the mug down, and clasps her hands in her lap. She draws her eyes up to Elodia's. "What would you do if you had no one left but yourself, and a whole legacy to redeem?" Perhaps they could help each other. Nimue certainly liked the woman, she was elegant and a pleasant conversationalist. And she could hold her own in a fight, which was what had really made an impression upon her.
As Nimue was looking at her hands, a small blue-white flame flickers on her fingertips, and then vanishes. A sign? From him?
Elodia cocks her head, her stare blank for a moment as she attempts and utterly fails to consider the thought. "I truly couldn't say. My husband and I have known each other since we were children; I won't envision a world without him in it." She supposes she has come close to having no one - indeed, she'd left an entire life behind in Beaufort - but even then Francesc had always been there, one shared look enough to remind her the choice was right. She's had to overcome much, but never loneliness. Is that what Nimue faces now?
The flicker of light draws Elodia's attention, and she looks down at the ephemeral flame before up into the elven woman's eyes, softly covering one slender hand with her own. "If someone dared try to take him from me, I would ruin them," she says simply. "If that is where you find yourself, you have all my sympathy. Have you been alone long?"
Nikolai pats Shiva's hand affectionately. "First of all, Shiva, how many times have I told you and Ling both; it matters not from what or who we come. Demon-born, human-born, angel-born.... it doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is what we do! I know for a fact I am the way I am, because one of my ancestor's did something. That doesn't mean anything to me and it should be the same for you both. There is no agony in knowing this. You are definitely not the first to be born this way." He shakes his head with a laugh. "Shivala, look at me. I have horns, fangs, and a tail. There is no doubt as to part of my heritage and I am quite a bit older than you, sweet one. So, you say you feel 'complete' now? Do you feel more in control of what happened now? I will help you learn to control it, but... perhaps that is something saved for when we are not in the middle of Temnista, yeah?" He smiles and laughs. "Luckily, Caio was able to shoo those pesky guards away, but we may not be so lucky next time. So, please tell me if you feel like you're are losing control again and I will do what I can to help you."
"I have a brother. But he's keeping watch over our home. It must be 40 or 50 years since I left home. Haven't been back since, but I try to keep in touch." There were more of us, before they were massacred, far from home, somewhere near this city. But she didn't speak those words aloud. It was still painful, even after all these years. "I'm hoping my luck will change. Caio told me of a library visit tomorrow morning. Perhaps there's some history here that can help me. Aralath willing, of course." And still, after all these years, she still holds to the faith her grandmother taught her. "Trust in him, Melda. He will guide you to the right path."
Shiva smiles and rolls her eyes, having heard this many times before. "Yes yes, I know. And that perspective may work perfectly well for you, but I've always needed more. And now I feel like I've gotten it, some inkling of what I come from." She absentmindedly pulls at her armor, which has become just a little too tight. "And thanks for that, Caio. I bet that would've gotten a lot messier if guards had gotten involved. But yes, I feel like I've been sleep walking, in a way. My abilities came from somewhere else before, but now I can feel that power within myself. So I'm sure that it will take time and practice to control the transformation, so I appreciate any help." She then begins undoing her armor as she continues, "Speaking of which, who stopped me? I could see myself getting ready to go after Alaris, when this wave of total tranquility came over me. It stopped me dead in my tracks. Then I saw a pair of big rainbow boobs? Though that sounds very much like Ling, now that I think about it." She laughs to herself as she rolls the question over in her mind. "So who calmed me?"
"That must be hard; I know forty or fifty years is less significant for you than it would be for me, but I'm sure he misses you dearly." Elodia squeezes Nimue's hand before pulling her own back. "A library? What sort of history do you hope to find there? I've spent most of the past year here researching; I make no claims what I've read will be helpful to you, but if the Lady and your Aralath will it, there's a chance."
Nimue gauges the woman sitting before her. Whatever bad things said about Breannians, there was nothing like that in Elodia. Just a fierce woman defending what she holds dear. Nimue understood that all too well. After a moment, she makes a decision. "Nearly 100 years ago, a group of elven monster hunters came to this city, searching for a monster." She pauses, closing her eyes briefly at the painful memory. "They were massacred, ripped apart. Nothing recognizable was left of them." A brief thought crosses her mind. Perhaps.....
"What do you know of Calaquendi Undómiel?"Have we truly fallen into obscurity?
A slight frown creases Elodia's brow at the name. Undómiel...where have I – but the thought has barely started before it summons the image of a mahogany book and scrolling Elvish script framed against the dark wood of one of many tables back home, and it all comes together.
"I've read ofthem," she notes, looking at Nimue in faint, wary recognition. "They were notable warriors, but died out long ago. Though it would seem my source was perhaps mistaken on that." She scours the elven woman's face. "You survived? And your brother. How?"
"I was too young. Barely 12. I wanted to go so badly. I wanted to be there when they 'heroically slew the monster' and everyone would come out cheering in the streets!" Nimue laughs softly, smiling sadly. "Turns out that wasn't what happened."
Nimue's smile slowly droops into a frown, her mind lost in memory. "I don't know how my brother survived. He hasn't spoken of it since the day he came back." And since Grandmama died. Nimue had always had a suspicion that her brother had confided in their grandmother, and that she knew what really happened. But she took that secret to her grave. And now Nimue had to find the truth the hard way. "And yes, the history books seem to have changed that small bit of the story. 'Died out' is a very nice way to say 'slaughtered.'" Her frown morphs back into a smile, genuine and sad. "I have to find the truth. I need to know what it was they were after. And I need to find it, and kill it." Her voice hardens with resolve.
She laughs to herself as she rolls the question over in her mind. "So who calmed me?"
"The new girl," Alaris intones. "The Breannian. Elodia, I think her name is..." the paladin continues. "She bled for us." Alaris paces the short distance between wall and door, then turns back to the three tieflings sitting on the bed. "I will go make our apologies to Andrei for driving off an afternoon of his business - but I hope you two will consider that the... agreements... you've made may have dangerous consequences." The words are spoken softly, without anger or judgment, but rather a deep concern for the hearers. "I love you, and I'm glad you're well." Alaris cocks their head slightly and gives them a lop-sided halfgrin before leaving the room.
Making their way downstairs, Alaris approaches the bar and sighs. "We are sorry, Andrei. What can we do to make it right?"
Eshuvenniel Kazander Ravid,Valor Bard and Acolyte of the Goddess of Luck Caradoc Langham, Halfling Rogue - Lost Magics - Epic of Pre-made Proportions! I'm not looking for heaven or hell... just someone to listen to stories I tell...
Shiva's rather jovial attitude melts as Alaris informs her that it was Elodia who was the fulcrum to stopping her rampage. With all that had happened in such little time, she had almost forgotten about the woman. Her brow wrinkles as she thinks about their exchange, the catalyst to her transformation. But what Alaris says next cuts through that contemplation. "Thank you for trusting me. I'm sure that your instinct told you to cut me down." There's a pause as the smile returns to her lips, and her voice floats softly across the room. "I love you too, Ari."
She's quiet for a time, before finally saying "I need to speak with Elodia." Leaving her armor behind, she gets up to head downstairs.
Andrei is, as ever, stood behind the bar polishing a glass. He glances up at Alaris as they approach. The patrons are already filing back in.
"They always come back," he tells the Bogatyr with a blasé shrug, "but I'm glad that you're sorry. Sometimes your trio are more trouble than they're worth," he adds with a wry smirk. "Sometimes. I hear you're headed east?"
Nikolai assists Shiva with removing some of the more awkward straps upon her armor in the absence of Alaris. "Worry not about Alaris, I will never let anyone hurt you... Unless of course you wanted to be hurt." He grins cheekily and winks as he nods towards the marks upon her neck. "Just... please be careful with that one, Shivala. Vampires are tricky. I just you know what you're doing, but..." He sighs as he sets a piece of breastplate aside. "If she breaks your heart, I swear to all the Gods that I will burn this entire city to the ground to destroy her."
When Shivala announces her intent to speak with Elodia, he holds up a hand with a questioning look. "Are you sure you are ready for that again? Do not rush yourself into that if you feel you are not ready, but if you are... then I shall be right there with you."
"Awww, that's very sweet of you, Nik. But I don't believe that I'm in danger of having my heart broken, I barely know her, to be honest. She's just very good at ******* me, so it's all in good fun for the time being." She smiles her overdramatized smile of innocence, then removes the last of her armor with Nik's help.
"I think that I'm ready. Thank you dear, but I need to speak to her privately. There are things that her and I need to discuss if we're going to be working with her." With this, Shiva heads downstairs to the bar area. After a moment of searching, Shiva locates Elodia at the bar, sitting beside the other new addition to the group. Slowly approaching, she does her best to communicate her amicable intent before ever saying a word. "Excuse me, Elodia? May I speak with you in a more secluded area of the Black Sheep?"
"That's horrible. I'm sorry you've had to carry that all this time." Elodia's face is lit with sympathy as she listens to Nimue. "Though I have to ask - if it was a century ago, what makes you so certain what slew them is still alive? Could there not have been monster hunters who came after and avenged them already?"
Out of the corner of her eye, she sees movement from the stairs, and her gaze cuts over briefly to see the paladin head towards the bar, and gestures towards them with a manicured hand. "Our mutual acquaintances even, perhaps."
Nimue smiles wryly. "My family specialized in the Undead. I think the likelihood the monster survived is high." She quiets as Shiva approaches the table, leaning back and returning to her wine, to give the two some privacy. Their first meeting was not...…pleasant to witness. She hoped this one would be different.
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Nikolai frowns at Shiva explains the strange dreams and transformation. "You say you feel stronger, but do you feel different? Did it feel like something had invaded you? Perhaps an infernal possession? Did you feel like something had taken control of you?"
Valaith "Rimehand" Kalukavi - Chronicles of Arden
Nimue leans forward, clasping her hands under her chin. "New, yes. I've only just met them. They are....an interesting lot, aren't they?" Elodia's last question strikes her in a way that she hadn't considered before. Had she never experienced such hate before?
"Never been to Breanne, in all honesty. And I know very little about the political situation." She smiles warmly at the human woman across the table from her. "Not everyone's fond of elves, either. Some consider us to be a little too arrogant. And maybe they're right. But it’s hard to stay that way when you've fallen from grace." Sadness passes across her face, lingering for a moment before disappearing almost as quickly as it came.
Shiva tilts her head to one side, puzzled. "I do feel different. I feel...complete. Nothing invaded me, I believe that I just lost control. Maybe it was everything that I was feeling up until that moment, with anger being the spark that set it alight and caused the transformation." She looks to a corner of the room for a moment, lost in thought, before turning back to Nikolai resolutely. "The transformation seems to be part of my heritage. I truly am born of a demon, Nik. As much as I feared that fact, it may not be the agony I believed it to be. And I'm far from the first, I've seen battles fought by others like me."
"They certainly haven't been dull," Elodia agrees with a knowing smile, glancing once more to the stairs and back to Nimue. "Breanne is beautiful, though I'm aware its inhabitants are not the most tolerant. She certainly would not have had an easy time there. Though I'd hope that she can recognize I'm not my people, considering I'm also no longer there, and for good reason."
Her smile turns to a faint frown of curiosity as she catches the look that briefly flits across Nimue's face. Gently, she prompts, "Fallen from grace?"
"Well, it's certainly a more pleasant turn of phrase. The truth is a little more gruesome. And it's why I'm here." Nimue swirls her wine in her mug, mulling over Elodia's inquiry. How much to tell? I've only just met this woman. But..... Her grandmother's voice whispers in her ear: "Help will only be found by those who ask for it, Melda." She sets the mug down, and clasps her hands in her lap. She draws her eyes up to Elodia's. "What would you do if you had no one left but yourself, and a whole legacy to redeem?" Perhaps they could help each other. Nimue certainly liked the woman, she was elegant and a pleasant conversationalist. And she could hold her own in a fight, which was what had really made an impression upon her.
As Nimue was looking at her hands, a small blue-white flame flickers on her fingertips, and then vanishes. A sign? From him?
Elodia cocks her head, her stare blank for a moment as she attempts and utterly fails to consider the thought. "I truly couldn't say. My husband and I have known each other since we were children; I won't envision a world without him in it." She supposes she has come close to having no one - indeed, she'd left an entire life behind in Beaufort - but even then Francesc had always been there, one shared look enough to remind her the choice was right. She's had to overcome much, but never loneliness. Is that what Nimue faces now?
The flicker of light draws Elodia's attention, and she looks down at the ephemeral flame before up into the elven woman's eyes, softly covering one slender hand with her own. "If someone dared try to take him from me, I would ruin them," she says simply. "If that is where you find yourself, you have all my sympathy. Have you been alone long?"
Nikolai pats Shiva's hand affectionately. "First of all, Shiva, how many times have I told you and Ling both; it matters not from what or who we come. Demon-born, human-born, angel-born.... it doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is what we do! I know for a fact I am the way I am, because one of my ancestor's did something. That doesn't mean anything to me and it should be the same for you both. There is no agony in knowing this. You are definitely not the first to be born this way." He shakes his head with a laugh. "Shivala, look at me. I have horns, fangs, and a tail. There is no doubt as to part of my heritage and I am quite a bit older than you, sweet one. So, you say you feel 'complete' now? Do you feel more in control of what happened now? I will help you learn to control it, but... perhaps that is something saved for when we are not in the middle of Temnista, yeah?" He smiles and laughs. "Luckily, Caio was able to shoo those pesky guards away, but we may not be so lucky next time. So, please tell me if you feel like you're are losing control again and I will do what I can to help you."
Valaith "Rimehand" Kalukavi - Chronicles of Arden
"I have a brother. But he's keeping watch over our home. It must be 40 or 50 years since I left home. Haven't been back since, but I try to keep in touch." There were more of us, before they were massacred, far from home, somewhere near this city. But she didn't speak those words aloud. It was still painful, even after all these years. "I'm hoping my luck will change. Caio told me of a library visit tomorrow morning. Perhaps there's some history here that can help me. Aralath willing, of course." And still, after all these years, she still holds to the faith her grandmother taught her. "Trust in him, Melda. He will guide you to the right path."
Shiva smiles and rolls her eyes, having heard this many times before. "Yes yes, I know. And that perspective may work perfectly well for you, but I've always needed more. And now I feel like I've gotten it, some inkling of what I come from." She absentmindedly pulls at her armor, which has become just a little too tight. "And thanks for that, Caio. I bet that would've gotten a lot messier if guards had gotten involved. But yes, I feel like I've been sleep walking, in a way. My abilities came from somewhere else before, but now I can feel that power within myself. So I'm sure that it will take time and practice to control the transformation, so I appreciate any help." She then begins undoing her armor as she continues, "Speaking of which, who stopped me? I could see myself getting ready to go after Alaris, when this wave of total tranquility came over me. It stopped me dead in my tracks. Then I saw a pair of big rainbow boobs? Though that sounds very much like Ling, now that I think about it." She laughs to herself as she rolls the question over in her mind. "So who calmed me?"
"That must be hard; I know forty or fifty years is less significant for you than it would be for me, but I'm sure he misses you dearly." Elodia squeezes Nimue's hand before pulling her own back. "A library? What sort of history do you hope to find there? I've spent most of the past year here researching; I make no claims what I've read will be helpful to you, but if the Lady and your Aralath will it, there's a chance."
Nimue gauges the woman sitting before her. Whatever bad things said about Breannians, there was nothing like that in Elodia. Just a fierce woman defending what she holds dear. Nimue understood that all too well. After a moment, she makes a decision. "Nearly 100 years ago, a group of elven monster hunters came to this city, searching for a monster." She pauses, closing her eyes briefly at the painful memory. "They were massacred, ripped apart. Nothing recognizable was left of them." A brief thought crosses her mind. Perhaps.....
"What do you know of Calaquendi Undómiel?" Have we truly fallen into obscurity?
A slight frown creases Elodia's brow at the name. Undómiel...where have I – but the thought has barely started before it summons the image of a mahogany book and scrolling Elvish script framed against the dark wood of one of many tables back home, and it all comes together.
"I've read of them," she notes, looking at Nimue in faint, wary recognition. "They were notable warriors, but died out long ago. Though it would seem my source was perhaps mistaken on that." She scours the elven woman's face. "You survived? And your brother. How?"
"I was too young. Barely 12. I wanted to go so badly. I wanted to be there when they 'heroically slew the monster' and everyone would come out cheering in the streets!" Nimue laughs softly, smiling sadly. "Turns out that wasn't what happened."
Nimue's smile slowly droops into a frown, her mind lost in memory. "I don't know how my brother survived. He hasn't spoken of it since the day he came back." And since Grandmama died. Nimue had always had a suspicion that her brother had confided in their grandmother, and that she knew what really happened. But she took that secret to her grave. And now Nimue had to find the truth the hard way. "And yes, the history books seem to have changed that small bit of the story. 'Died out' is a very nice way to say 'slaughtered.'" Her frown morphs back into a smile, genuine and sad. "I have to find the truth. I need to know what it was they were after. And I need to find it, and kill it." Her voice hardens with resolve.
"The new girl," Alaris intones. "The Breannian. Elodia, I think her name is..." the paladin continues. "She bled for us." Alaris paces the short distance between wall and door, then turns back to the three tieflings sitting on the bed. "I will go make our apologies to Andrei for driving off an afternoon of his business - but I hope you two will consider that the... agreements... you've made may have dangerous consequences." The words are spoken softly, without anger or judgment, but rather a deep concern for the hearers. "I love you, and I'm glad you're well." Alaris cocks their head slightly and gives them a lop-sided halfgrin before leaving the room.
Making their way downstairs, Alaris approaches the bar and sighs. "We are sorry, Andrei. What can we do to make it right?"
Eshuvenniel Kazander Ravid, Valor Bard and Acolyte of the Goddess of Luck
Caradoc Langham, Halfling Rogue - Lost Magics - Epic of Pre-made Proportions!
I'm not looking for heaven or hell... just someone to listen to stories I tell...
Shiva's rather jovial attitude melts as Alaris informs her that it was Elodia who was the fulcrum to stopping her rampage. With all that had happened in such little time, she had almost forgotten about the woman. Her brow wrinkles as she thinks about their exchange, the catalyst to her transformation. But what Alaris says next cuts through that contemplation. "Thank you for trusting me. I'm sure that your instinct told you to cut me down." There's a pause as the smile returns to her lips, and her voice floats softly across the room. "I love you too, Ari."
She's quiet for a time, before finally saying "I need to speak with Elodia." Leaving her armor behind, she gets up to head downstairs.
Andrei is, as ever, stood behind the bar polishing a glass. He glances up at Alaris as they approach. The patrons are already filing back in.
"They always come back," he tells the Bogatyr with a blasé shrug, "but I'm glad that you're sorry. Sometimes your trio are more trouble than they're worth," he adds with a wry smirk. "Sometimes. I hear you're headed east?"
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
Nikolai assists Shiva with removing some of the more awkward straps upon her armor in the absence of Alaris. "Worry not about Alaris, I will never let anyone hurt you... Unless of course you wanted to be hurt." He grins cheekily and winks as he nods towards the marks upon her neck. "Just... please be careful with that one, Shivala. Vampires are tricky. I just you know what you're doing, but..." He sighs as he sets a piece of breastplate aside. "If she breaks your heart, I swear to all the Gods that I will burn this entire city to the ground to destroy her."
When Shivala announces her intent to speak with Elodia, he holds up a hand with a questioning look. "Are you sure you are ready for that again? Do not rush yourself into that if you feel you are not ready, but if you are... then I shall be right there with you."
Valaith "Rimehand" Kalukavi - Chronicles of Arden
"Awww, that's very sweet of you, Nik. But I don't believe that I'm in danger of having my heart broken, I barely know her, to be honest. She's just very good at ******* me, so it's all in good fun for the time being." She smiles her overdramatized smile of innocence, then removes the last of her armor with Nik's help.
"I think that I'm ready. Thank you dear, but I need to speak to her privately. There are things that her and I need to discuss if we're going to be working with her." With this, Shiva heads downstairs to the bar area. After a moment of searching, Shiva locates Elodia at the bar, sitting beside the other new addition to the group. Slowly approaching, she does her best to communicate her amicable intent before ever saying a word. "Excuse me, Elodia? May I speak with you in a more secluded area of the Black Sheep?"
"That's horrible. I'm sorry you've had to carry that all this time." Elodia's face is lit with sympathy as she listens to Nimue. "Though I have to ask - if it was a century ago, what makes you so certain what slew them is still alive? Could there not have been monster hunters who came after and avenged them already?"
Out of the corner of her eye, she sees movement from the stairs, and her gaze cuts over briefly to see the paladin head towards the bar, and gestures towards them with a manicured hand. "Our mutual acquaintances even, perhaps."
Nimue smiles wryly. "My family specialized in the Undead. I think the likelihood the monster survived is high." She quiets as Shiva approaches the table, leaning back and returning to her wine, to give the two some privacy. Their first meeting was not...…pleasant to witness. She hoped this one would be different.