Anonymous

Orisae tells you, "Locke."

You tell Orisae Adesso, "Adesso."

Orisae tells you, "We have a Triptycha game to play."

You tell Orisae Adesso, "Ah. Looking to lose are we?"

Orisae tells you, "Nonsense. We will play a random hand to be fair."

You tell Orisae Adesso, "Where will you have me?"

Orisae tells you, "I-I didn't really think that far ahead."

You tell Orisae Adesso, "Perhaps I'll come and take you instead."

Orisae tells you, "You almost make that sound like it was meant to be an innuendo.."

You tell Orisae Adesso, "Tch."

Orisae tells you, "Alright, I'll follow you this time."

On the Delosian Bridge. (Isle of Delos.) (3548) [-Slyphe-]
Snowflakes float down around you, colouring the world white. Dripping black ichor, a heaping skeleton of bone creates a construct from the earth here. A small wooden sign is here, several words having been carved upon its surface. Orisae Adesso is here. Kelliara Olahri is here, covered in red fur.
You see exits leading northeast, east, southeast, west, and in.

"It's always snowing whenever I see you, Haven." Orisae points out, thin lips pulled into an even thinner smile, an air of apprehensive thickly coating her words.

Curiously, you ask Orisae, "Is that a good omen?"

After a moment's pause, Orisae Adesso smiles and says to you, "I find.. most memorable things in life are accompanied by a downpour or snow. There is almost something magical in precipitation."

"Mm...perhaps you're onto something there." Haven comments as he straightens his stance and takes on a pensive expression. "Most of my more... abhorrent memories seem to have happened in the clarity of daylight." Without waiting for a proper reaction from Orisae, the Azudim immediately motions for Orisae to fall in line beside him.

Rather than trailing behind you, Orisae moves to stand next to the azudim, linking her arm with his own. "I cannot think of a single clear day where I thought to myself 'this is something I will treasure'. Mm.." She nods her head to you, tilting her pointy chin upward as if to tell him to proceed.

Orisae begins to follow you.

The ghost of a smirk passes fleetingly over your lips.

Before a steep cliff. (Southern Tundra.) (2720)
Filling the firmament is a lattice of heavy grey clouds. A large boulder is wedged into the far end of the cavern here, obstructing your path.
You see exits leading south and west (closed pine door)

Haven's steps crunch audibly against the icy snow surface as he makes his way towards the cliff edge with Orisae still hanging off of his arm. "I often come here when I wish to have a look at the world as it is." His tone is careful and even as it is deep and dark as he raises his sights towards the sky. "I discovered this place as a young Infernal squire making a run from Spinesreach after I got into a bar brawl."

::[ Lilith ]::   <<> Saybre enters from the south. <>>

::[ Lilith ]::   <<> Saybre leaves to the east. <>>

Orisae glances at the sudden arrival and departure of Saybre, blinking quickly as the metallic man quickly makes himself scarse. The moment passes with enough speed that she does not find herself terribly distracted, turning away from the foot prints left in the snow to glance over the side of the cliff with no concern for her own safety. Behind both you and herself, large white wings perk up with interest as the steep decline is noted, a glimmer of anticipated interested marked in the glow of her eyes. "You ran from a bar brawl? What do you see when you look off the cliff, Haven?"

Haven shakes his head at Orisae as his expression sours a touch with the sagging of his lips at the corners. "No, no. I wasn't running from the brawl, I was..." Another firm shake of his head clears the notion entirely from his mind as he starts again and gestures towards the sky rather than the steep depression of the cliff, "I first came here to escape duty when I was young. It was one of my earliest measures of doubt when the Infernals went looking for me because I had acted dishonorably. It was my first chance at really wanting peace in my life but I hadn't quite noticed then." When Haven notices Orisae's attention mainly on the fall, the Azudim takes a moment to unhook his arm and take a step back before repeating a phrase.

You say, "The icy wind gives me passage to the heavens."

A massive white taerilan dives down from the heavens, scooping you up with its long neck and ascending quickly towards the sky. Orisae follows you to the ether.

High atop the Azure Minaret. (Chatou Rehl.) (11139)
The top of the Azure Minaret provides perhaps the greatest view in all of Sapience. Over the unprotected side of the enormous round tower, the tops of numerous clouds can be seen rolling over the landscape of the realm. The relatively close peaks of the Tarean Range can be readily seen, and even the distant Vashnars can be made out against the horizon. There is little room atop the Minaret to move about, though several large glass orbs have been set up to facilitate a more close-up view of the varied landscapes below. A set of winding stairs leads down through the clouds that surround the top of the tower.
A monument in the shape of a marbled blue-and-grey feather rises up here.
You see a single exit leading down.

Orisae reclaims your arm tightly, tugging at you as the creature lands before them both, gracing it with an almost venomously doubtful look. "You're sure that this thing can get us in the sky safely?" Wings bristle, discontent with not having a useful purpose for them in the instance. Still, regardless of her issues, the harpy settles down and follows suit, looking more elated than anything as they rise up to an unknown location. "Peace.. I have words on the matter of peace but they can wait." Gaze searches for your own for the briefest of moments before dancing off to take in her surroundings.

As realization sinks in, Orisae's expression almost comically shifts from dumbfounded to sheer, unadulterated delight. "Oh gods.."

Grinning, you ask, "Isn't it wonderful?"

Wings snapping back to offer her balance as she leans dangerously over the edge, Orisae Adesso says to you, "How did I not know about this place? It is everything that I wanted.."

Orisae is driven to distraction, soft birdlike sounds of excitement audible as she twitters at herself.

The grin only grows wider as Haven allows his eyes to soften in response to Orisae and her twittering. To see Orisae's delight seems to cause the Azudim to shift uncomfortably on his heels despite his expression before he partially turns away to set his attentions on something else. Anything else but Orisae. "It's a place that I've shared with few people. It once was something linked heavily with Galleus and his most devote followers if I remember the lore correctly. How much of that is true? It's hard to guess. This place holds many secrets that I do not yet know... but it has always helped bring certain things into perspective whenever I came to visit."

A soft chirp finishes the yeleni's tirade, composure falling over Orisae like a cloak she'd easily pulled over her shoulders. Hands roam to clasp either of her feathered shoulders, the down standing on end as the excitement unnoticably continues to roll down her spine. Glancing back over to you, the glow of her pupils has dilated to take up the entirety of her sclera, a pure shining force with nothing to control it. "I've heard of that before. When I was younger. As a Sciomancer, Mazzion and the others followed the Lord of the Air. It was commonly referred to in conjunction to His Order."

Continuing, Orisae Adesso says to you, "I never thought.. it would be this lovely. It's very freeing."

"So," Haven unclasps the buckle of his crimson cloak before removing it and folding it over his arm as he says, "you were telling me how you wanted to lose at a game of Triptycha." He makes a point not to look at Orisae to gauge her reaction - instead opting to look for a suitable place to set up shop for the game.

Orisae bites at the inside of her cheek, the glow of her eyes shifting into a low smolder as she pulls out her deck. With soft clatters, the tiles are shuffled in her hand until no one but the most suspicious could claim it was not possible to pull a random hand from it. "I did. The same rules as with our chess game but with Triptycha. You.. recall those rules, yes?"

"No questions that'll compromise someone's loyalty is the only rule I recall." Haven settles himself near one of the glass orbs that magnify the region over the Morgun Forest before he pulls out a deck of his own and begins to mimic Orisae in shuffling them. "Everything else was fair game, no?"

"Mm. That was about it. No organization secrets, aye. That rule stands." Orisae chuckles, tucking her talons beneath her rear as she settles down next to you with her deck in a pile before her. Her attention is distracted for a moment as she takes note of the glass orb, squinting her eyes as she mentally identifies many of the landmarks shown. Groups of people make their way through the targetted location, unidentifiable but still vaguely familiar.

"Has much changed in Duiran since I've been..." Haven takes a moment to mull over the right word to use before he eventually decides on, "gone?" Setting the deck down against the glass, the Azudim looks completely at ease seated upon his cloak with one leg hooked beneath him and the other bent towards his chest. "Before we play that is. I wouldn't waste my first question on that."

"To be honest, I have not paid much attention to the state of things outside of my immediate location. Life seems to have been set on a different path and, please do not repeat this, I am not so very interested in the minut happenings of the Council." Orisae's fingers tap on the top of the gathered deck, lifting eyes to watch you after she's responded. "I've other things that mean more to me, in the long run."

"Fair enough." comes the simple reply as Haven spreads his cards out in front of him. "Shall we begin then? I'm just itching to win again...perhaps we should have a little bit of a wager. If I win, I get you to buy me a really expensive drink. Sound fair?" The Azudim allows mirth to spread across his features, infecting his smile that spreads even to his eyes.

Orisae first checks the state of her coinpurse, peeking in before nodding to you. "Deal. Likewise, you owe me one. Pity we do not have any here with us or this could get fairly interesting." A brief girlish giggle, brought on by nerves is soon swallowed up by her hard fought for composure, lips falling back into a straight line.

"A good soldier never goes anywhere without the proper tools." Haven answers sternly before producing his own flask from beneath his belt to which he shakes pointedly. "But we want the good stuff, yes?" It takes the Azudim a moment or three to rummage through his canvas pack but he eventually retrieves the items he's looking for - several cups to which to pour the beverage into.

Sniffing at the cup, Orisae Adesso says, "Gods, this might ruin me.."

Orisae Adesso smiles and says, "Very well, let's start."

Orisae has challenged you to a game of Triptycha using the following rules: random Do TT ACCEPT ORISAE to accept.

Orisae frowns as her hand seems to disappoint her, incapable of keeping the soft simmer out of her expression.

Frowning and having a tinge of uncertainty in his tone, you say to Orisae, "I plan on being merciless!"

Waving her free hand at you, Orisae Adesso says to you, "Right. Right. And you will also consume me, I assume."

You say, "Something like that!"

Clarifying again, Orisae Adesso asks, "So, winner per game gets a question and a drink?"

You nod your head in agreement

You say, "Sounds reasonable enough."

Haven nods more to himself than anything, looking satisfied as he lays down a piece on the board.

Orisae's eyes sparkle with amusement as she gazes upon you.

You pointedly say nothing at all.

A frown wrinkles your brow as you articulate a "Hrm...."

"Ha!" you exclaim.

Orisae's jaw drops. She says nothing.

Haven looks smugly at Orisae as he says, "I wonder what embarrassing secrets I can dredge out of you Lady Adesso."

Orisae sighs, not even capable of shooting a dirty look at you as she places another worthless tile down into an empty niche.

You have WON the game of Triptycha against Orisae!

You smile impishly and say to Orisae, "I believe the first drink is yours."

Orisae, defeated, calmly gathers up her losing deck and shuffles it with movements brisk and sharp. "I believe so."

Resolutely, Orisae takes a quick gulp of Singularity, looking staggered.

Orisae cringes at the taste, the teetotaler clearly unhappy with taste, texture and alcoholic content within the cup. Smacking her lips, a shudder runs down her spine.

Haven chuckles and swirls the contents of his cup. "Perhaps you'd be better off with this one. It has some sort of wine within it.

Briskly, you exclaim to Orisae, "My first question!"

"No, this is fine. Look.. my tongue is numb already." A slight slur marks her words, barely noticable unless one was looking specifically for it. "Alright, first question is yours. True.. true.." The cup is twirled in her hand, dark liquid within nearly sloshing out the sides.

"Good. I wasn't actually going to give mine up." Haven muses as he brings his nose down to draw in the scent of the rich red wine while studying Orisae over the rim of the chalice. "Is there anything you wouldn't do for someone you care deeply for?"

Orisae falls into silence, thoughtfully glancing into the cup as if the alcohol would provide her with an answer. Half a minute passes with no response, her brow slowly furrowing as each second continues along. "I.. I would not betray my core values but I would, possibly still care for the person, even if they asked me to change so abruptly. No, even that.."

"I don't know, Haven. I have yet to face something that has made me adamently say 'no'." Orisae honestly responds, looking troubled at her own answer. "The closest that I can come up with is refusing to apologize at times."

Each bit of Orisae's angular face is under Haven's scrutiny as he listens to her answer. The slate-colored hair with the silver streaks. The sharp nose and the thin lips. Everything. It's almost as if the Azudim wasn't quite listening to a word Orisae were saying, instead interested in the features that make Orisae Orisae. "I see." He answers with a light tone. With the furrowing of his brow, it isn't quite clear whether his dissatisfaction came from her answer or her features or some other source.

After a time, you say, "Well it's good to know there isn't much that limits you when it comes to those you care for."

Apologetically, Orisae Adesso says to you, "Not that I've faced. Trials will prove me wrong, no doubt."

"What if they asked for death? Would you grant it?" Haven asks suddenly.

A cold chill washes through the yeleni, her face twisting in pain at the very thought. Whether the concept of allowing herself to be abandoned or killing a loved one, Orisae seems to torn enough that her response is yet again delayed. "Haven. If a loved one asked for death. I would find my way to Lord Dhar's halls and bring them back if such a way was possible." Voice grows small, the question clearly shaking her as memories flood into place. "But I have said my fairwells to loved ones and watched them leave, thinking them lost forever. I let her walk away after she handed me a token. I did not follow her at the time, no. I let her have that peace even if I did not cause it."

Haven looks down at his deck to avoid studying the twisted pain wrecking havoc across Orisae's features. "Then you're kinder than most." He utters before falling completely silent as a grimness settles upon his demeanor.

"It was.. one of the hardest things that I've ever done. She returned to me, stronger and more at ease than before. Calls me her light but, to this day, that memory and the ones leading to that moment still cause me to feel such loss." Orisae admits, fighting the tremble in her voice as she scoops up her deck. "Come now. Another game."

Haven merely nods, content to remain silent for now.

Orisae has accepted your challenge to a game of Triptycha.

Staring at her wreck of a hand, Orisae Adesso says, "Gods.."

Orisae Adesso says, "Eee!"

You pointedly say nothing at all.

You exclaim, "What the bloody hell was that!"

Tapping her cheek and quietly responding, Orisae Adesso says to you, "Talent."

You stare stonily at the ground, dark thoughts swirling through your mind.

Orisae chirps happily.

Orisae scoffs loudly, arrogantly dismissive

"Not going to get that corner, Locke." Orisae warns.

"That was a dirty move." Haven scowls.

Correcting, Orisae Adesso says to you, "No, that is a good tactical move."

Orisae Adesso frowns and says, "I could have done better, though."

Orisae Adesso says, "Like that."

Orisae Adesso says, "AH. No."

You crease your brow in a frown.

You say, "Crap."

 (Enorian): Nola says, "Greetings."
 (Enorian): You say, "Hello Nola."

"Bah!" you retort disgustedly.

You say, "I saw my mistake too late."

Not looking up from her remaining hand, Orisae Adesso says to you, "Locke, you are getting slow in your elder years."

You have LOST the game of Triptycha against Orisae!

"You must've hexed the game some how." Haven mumbles as he collects his tiles.

"Not in the least! That was cold, calculated skill." Orisae murmurs, waving her hand at you in response. "My question.. Haven."

"You spoke of the Infernals and trying to find peace.. have you always been at war with yourself?" Orisae asks, her head quirking to the side in a decidedly birdlike movement.

 (Enorian): Daskalos says, "Hiya, Nola."
 (Enorian): Aren says, "Hi Nola."
 (Enorian): You say, "I hope everyone is doing better than I am. First I lose a bet to Rivas. Now I lose to Orisae. Who's next? Xavin?!"
 (Enorian): Aren says, "Maaaybe."
 (Enorian): Nola says, "Maybe you just shouldn't gamble, seeing your luck."
 (Enorian): Ayanala says, "Greetings everyone."
 (Enorian): Rivas says, "Losing a bet to Rivas is considered a high honor in most civilized cultures, my good man."
 (Enorian): Daingean says, "Stop trying to claim you're the prettiest bird in the room, then."
 (Enorian): Ayanala says, "You're losing all your bets, you say?"
 (Enorian): Rivas says, "ALL of them."
 (Enorian): Aren says, "He's a terrible gambler."
 (Enorian): You say, "Don't listen to Aren. He's been at the bottle again."
 (Enorian): Rivas says, "And yes, Haven, I'm likely doing better than you are. I'm ten thousand gold richer than last month, after all."
 (Enorian): Damonicus says, "I think a new hobby would be in order."
 (Enorian): Saybre says, "I want to bet on who Haven's loses a bet to next."
 (Enorian): Saybre says, "Anyone in?"

The deepening dusk yields to impenetrable darkness as night claims the land.

 (Enorian): Rivas says, "Haven will probably take that bet."
 (Enorian): Ayanala says, "But the possibilities are endless."
 (Enorian): Aren says, "I think Haven would do well placing a hat on the ground at four corners and dancing for money."
 (Enorian): Ayanala says, "Oh, and he'd bet against himself I would wager.."
 (Enorian): You say, "...how about a game of Triptycha? I'm sure I can make some coin from that somehow."
 (Enorian): Rivas says, "Dear gods, I didn't think anyone still knew how to play that game."
 (Enorian): Aren says, "You need to be somewhat savvy to win at that Haven.."
 (Enorian): Ayanala says, "...they still sell that game...."
 (Enorian): Daingean says, "There's some sort of thinking involved."
 (Enorian): Daskalos says, "I'll play you, Haven."
 (Enorian): You say, "I'm mastering it as we speak actually!"
 (Enorian): Daskalos says, "It's been a while since i've played."
 (Enorian): Aren says, "OO a challenger!"
 (Enorian): You say, "I'm 1-1 with Orisae at the moment."
 (Enorian): Aren says, "Betting what?"
 (Enorian): Daskalos says, "Let me know when, Haven."
 (Enorian): You say, "Betting drinks at the moment."
 (Enorian): Ayanala says, "Bet ya Orisae wins..."
 (Enorian): You say, "I'll take ya up on that one! Soon as I figure out how she's hexing this game."
 (Enorian): Ayanala says, "Yup.. she's winning."
 (Enorian): Rivas says, "Feminine wiles, likely."
 (Enorian): Damonicus says, "Is she smiling at you?"
 (Enorian): Ayanala says, "Have you looked away from the board?"
 (Enorian): You say, "I...when the pit did Damonicus join Enorian?!"
 (Enorian): Aren says, "When you were dead."

Haven winces at the question before opting to take a deep drink from the chalice, the smooth wine sliding down his throat with ease. After the third gulp the Azudim sets the cup down and clears his throat. Only then does he return his eyes to Orisae and nods as if all that would help prepare him for delivering his answer. "The Infernals were never the problem in my life... not really. They taught me many things that I do not think I would have learned any where else. But no. There was a time where I didn't war with myself. It was back when Seryn was alive."

Orisae takes a deep gulp from the glass you'd given her, ignoring the taste as she reinforces herself for the next question. "Who was Seryn?

You say, "She was my older twin sister."

A sudden look of horror sweeps across Orisae her lashes fluttering as she fights to blink back tears that appear to have been building for the past few minutes. "You have family? Gone?"

Haven clenches his jaws at the subject and opts to change it as he states, "How about another game? Enorian seems to be wagering that I'll lose to you again."

"Haven. Please. I'm having family issues, myself. At this very moment. Can we not segway into something where neither of us are closing up?" Orisae murmurs, sighing just before responding to the implied challenge. "You brought it up with the city. Tell them that you're cheating.

Quietly, Orisae Adesso says, "It just sounding a lot like how I was feeling, is all.."

Grimly, you ask, "Were you responsible for your own family's destruction?"

Nodding, Orisae Adesso says to you, "Yes. In a sense. I caused myself to become estranged, along with my brother, for decades on decades. Tore apart my relationship with my adoptive mother. Faced years of solitude and regret."

Haven grits his teeth as he tosses his head from side to side in clear debate before eventually uttering in a hoarse tone barely above a whisper, "I murdered my sister which eventually caused my mother to take her life in grief."

"Aie..you.." Orisae's glance becomes a piercing stare, settled entirely on you without any chance of distraction. ".. you've carried that with you for so long."

Haven holds out his clawed hands, all of which is covered in a deep obsidian right up to the elbows, as he states, "My hands are tainted, Orisae. Drenched in blood to the very bone all because of one mistake. One moment where I let my emotions get the best of me. How can I ever ask for peace when I've sinned so much? No, Orisae. I am not too hard on myself as you say... I deserve all that which befalls me until I've atoned for what I've done."

"Oh, for the love of pits. Haven." Orisae grabs at that hand, pulling on it with a strength suitable for a combative person. Raising up to her knees bracing herself, the yeleni fights past any barriers that you set up and tugs. "You.. you have to believe that, someday. Someday. Not this day, maybe. Perhaps before. May tomorrow. You are forgiven." Lips peel back in one corner, the slightest of snarls.

Haven's own features contort and twist into a hideous snarl as Orisae draws him closer with her grip. "How can I Orisae?! She was the better one. She was supposed to live on to do great things. She was the one supposed to escape father not I! But no... I stole it all from her. I ravaged her dreams and left nothing but an emptiness. A mockery of how things should be. How can I ever forgive myself without first making things right?! TELL ME!"

"A younger, irresponsible you did that. You cannot fix the past, Haven! Stop trying to fix the things that you've done! It is impossible! That is like telling yourself, the night after you've drunk too much wine, that you should have stopped. It is not going to happen.." Orisae's voice raises, a sharp, biting snarl taking hold of her tone as she juts her face closer to yours. "Impossible. You argue with impossibility! Sentimental, yes. Live for, yes." Her hands draw up to clasp you by his muscular throat, holding him in place.. just in case.

Dangerously, you say, "I'll forgive myself when I've unified House Locke. When I've done real good in this world."

Shaking the hand holding your throat, Orisae Adesso asks you, "What is the definition of good?"

Haven's lips pull back significantly to reveal his razored fangs as he continues to grimace wildly under Orisae's grip. The Azudim tries to turn his head away as if to hide from... what? Was it shame? Embarrassment? He wasn't sure himself but he felt the need to hide. "When I've reassembled her dream. When I've... when I've removed this pit that sits in my stomach."

Orisae's free hand slaps the side of your face, pulling it back to face her own. "You have no idea what her dreams would have been, growing to the ages we are. You're tied to a cause that has no end because you have no idea when it is accomplished."

The slap is what finally stirs the sea of emotions that have been bubbling within Haven . With a roar, the Azudim makes to stand and place a firm grip about the wrist of Orisae's hand clutching his throat. His silvered eyes are small and tight but fierce to match the predatory glance that dominates Orisae's features. For a brief moment the Azudim could feel himself welling up inside, he could feel himself wanting to lash out - getting one fist drawn back high above his head. Would he strike? Would he succumb to the guilt? To the fear? To the churning rage that scorched his insides? For a moment it might have looked like he would but Haven merely stands there before Orisae with a raised fist frozen like he were banished in time.

Eventually, in a rather pathetic almost pleading tone, you ask, "Why do you all have so much faith in me? Why can't you all just let me go? Let me perish and reap what I've sown? Why do you all drag me back to torment me so?"

Lacking any hint of taunt, Orisae shows a pure lack of composure that leaves her entirely open to your scrutinizing gaze. "Because you're a person worthy of forgiveness. You need to learn yourself and let yourself go. Your sister, if she was around, forgive you. You cannot afford, living as long as we do, continue in doubt."

Louder, Orisae Adesso exclaims to you, "Because you're worth it and every damned person that's said similar can see it!"

Haven stares down at Orisae for a long moment as a multitude of thoughts races through his mind. "This. Game. Is. Over." Each word is poured out of him as dark and cruel as the contortion of his facial features from the snarl that dominates his mouth to the knitted brow. His chest rises and falls in slow but heavy succession that nearly causes his entire frame to tremble from the effort.

"What? Because I called you worth it?" Orisae's hold on your form is unreleased, "Gods damned, I'm falling for you so hard. This is no game. This is always the future. Now!." With that burst of emotion, the yeleni yanks you down towards herself, lips meeting possibly reluctant lips

Haven is pulled into the kiss and finds himself reaching over to slip his clawed fingers between the strands of Orisae's hair until they're practically entangled. The kiss is fierce as it is passionate but as quickly as it began it is over. With the sudden yank of Orisae's head, tries to tear himself away and leave in a rush.

Orisae fiercely touching at the lips left tingly, haughtily responds. "I did not thing so..." She states, a great amount of heat behind her words as she notes your rapid departure.

----- Some time later -----

Arthas tells you, "Greetings."

You tell Grand Duke Arthas Nebre'seir, "Hello."

Arthas tells you, "How are you? We've been friends before, many years ago."

You tell Grand Duke Arthas Nebre'seir, "I am a man of old age you'll have to forgive me."

Arthas tells you, "ThaT's quite alright, I have hunted with your daughter. Though I hope it did not overburden her within her guild.

Arthas tells you, "During which some tree hugger said some things I did not understand. They see you as an enemy of sorts? What has happened?"

You tell Grand Duke Arthas Nebre'seir, "You must understand my predicament then as a Luminary of Enorian divulging any information with a Grand Duke of Nebre'seir."

Arthas tells you, "I'm hardly the type of man that attempts to steal intelligence. I only desire to assist."

You tell Grand Duke Arthas Nebre'seir, "Well. There is no need to assist here. I'm not interested in making amends with the Duiranites.

Arthas tells you, "But why do they call you mad?"

Arthas tells you, "Even so why does your daughter say that you are dead to her?"

You tell Grand Duke Arthas Nebre'seir, "I... Taelyndara said this to you?"

Arthas tells you, "Aye."

You tell Grand Duke Arthas Nebre'seir, "When?"

Arthas tells you, "This was recent and I really wouldn't want to mess up with your relationship..."

Arthas tells you, "I was simply curious and hoping to find out what is going on."

You tell Grand Duke Arthas Nebre'seir, "What is it to you anyway?"

Arthas tells you, "I have a soft spot for families."

You tell Grand Duke Arthas Nebre'seir, "I'm not here for your amusement."

Arthas tells you, "There is no amusement to be had."

Arthas tells you, "I truly wish to assist and find out the truth. A girl like her, who shows no emotion tears up at the mention of you?"

Arthas tells you, "Especially while that tree hugger boasts about how he had "taken care of you"... That did not sit well with me."

You tell Grand Duke Arthas Nebre'seir, "Might I have a name for this... this tree hugger?"

Arthas tells you, "Angwe."

Orisae tells you, "Locke.."

Arthas tells you, "What has happened to warrant all of this?"

You tell Grand Duke Arthas Nebre'seir, "Warrant all what?"

Arthas tells you, "Your daughter to erase you from her family bonds... And to be treated such by the tree huggers.

You tell Orisae Adesso, "Adesso."

You tell Grand Duke Arthas Nebre'seir, "I think you should stay away from my daughter."

Arthas tells you, "I actually have praised you to her."

You tell Grand Duke Arthas Nebre'seir, "Even so."

Arthas tells you, "I'd be willing to do that, if you could do me a favor in return."

Orisae tells you, "If I die, please tear this man apart."

You tell Grand Duke Arthas Nebre'seir, "What favor do you ask?"

Arthas tells you, "A simple one truly, that you do not storm out when talking to Orisae."

You tell Orisae Adesso, "...what are you telling this man about us?"

Orisae tells you, "I- I didn't tell him anything. He asked me what I desired most, out of the blue. Than I told him, thinking he wouldn't be an idiot. He is an idiot."

Orisae tells you, "He did not harrass you.. oh gods, he did. That idiot."

You tell Orisae Adesso, "I'll live."

Orisae tells you, "Bothersome man. Wanted me to close my eyes and let him slaughter me."

You tell Orisae Adesso, "The old me would've put one between his eyes."

Orisae tells you, "I rather informed him that his offer was not acceptable, in more colorful words."

Orisae tells you, "And you.. are you well?"

You tell Orisae Adesso, "I'm... Decent enough."

Orisae tells you, "I apologize for some of the things that I said to you the other month. They were not all very kind, were they?"

You tell Orisae Adesso, "I'll live."

You tell Orisae Adesso, "Besides, if words could defeat me alone I would've been vanquished ages ago I think."

Orisae tells you, "Perhaps someday we can see how truthful that statement is."

Orisae tells you, "Sovereign for your thoughts?"

You tell Orisae Adesso, "I'm always interested in coin."

::[ Lilith ]:: <<> Orisae enters from the east, riding a donkey. <>>

Orisae gives 1 gold sovereigns to you.

Orisae looks expectantly at you.

Prelatorian Highway approaching Delos. (road) (Prelatorian Highway.) (37) [-Slyphe-]
Filling the firmament is a lattice of heavy grey clouds. Delos perches on its island in the center of the Zaphar River and can be seen shimmering to the east. The highway stretches east towards the river, and west up into the Siroccian mountains. Little wildlife can be seen from here, though surrounding the highway are verdant grasslands. A ripped and shredded husk lies here, its innards splayed open to the air. Constructed atop a sturdy abutment, a shining steel bridge offers passage southwest across the chasm. The glowing form of a woman with straight-backed military bearing stands here. A cloaked figure is here, hidden. He is riding on a grey mule. He wields a lambent staff of milky skycrystal in his left hand and a rune-covered cavalry shield in his right. Orisae Adesso is here. She is riding on a donkey.
You see exits leading north, northeast, east, southeast, southwest, and west.

You ask Orisae, "What would you like to know?"

Orisae Adesso asks you, "You confuse me. How many coins will it take to get that mist lifted?"

You ask Orisae, "...how much coin do you have on you?"

Glancing into the box in her arms, Orisae Adesso says to you, "8650."

You look about, rubbing your chin thoughtfully.

Orisae Adesso smiles impishly and says to you, "Or perhaps use the gold for more drinks and Triptycha disks. I promise to not slap you this time around."

Haven wrinkles his nose and turns his eyes away from Orisae. "I should turn you over a knee."

Something strange flashes through Orisae's face, unreadable and distant.

Jostling the box until the sound of coin jangles throughout the air, Orisae Adesso says to you, "You'd have to earn that right, Locke."

The snowflakes begin to come down more regularly.

You ponder Orisae's profile, deep in consideration.

Your inner spark burns at 3%.

You say, "I have to regenerate my spark."

Orisae Adesso asks you, "Ah. Can more than one person do that at a time?"

You nod your head affirmatively.

You beckon to those around you.

Orisae Adesso says to you, "Than I will follow you. I have to regenerate spark, as well."

On top of the Luminary Watchtower.
The bright sun shines down, blanketing you with its life-giving warmth. There are 2 monolith sigils here. An intense white flame, inexplicably formed into a sphere, hovers above the altar. There are 4 bright-eyed missionaries here. A peacemaker of Enorian stands here, one hand on the pommel of his sword. Tossing her august mane, a sprightly white mare stands here. There is a small stack of planks of wood here.
You see a single exit leading down.

You meditate on the power of light, and feel your reserves of illuminating essence grow.

You finish your meditations with your inner spark fully replenished.

Haven steps away from the flame and proceeds towards the watch tower's edge to look out over the city with his hands collected neatly behind his back in his typical fashion.

Orisae cracks open her eye to watch at the sudden movement, quietly watching you from her warm perch above the flame.

Haven tilts his head slightly towards the side as he silvered gaze sweeps over the streets one by one as if he were looking for something or perhaps tracking something odd. "Funny where we find ourselves after so many years."

"Mm." Orisae's lids lower again, her eyes sealed from the sight of you and the city beyond as she continues to bask in the warmth. The light of the flame casts odd shadows and shapes along the feathered expanse of her large wings. Down fluffs up in delight as the chill she'd carried with her from Delos is slowly vanquished. "When I was younger, I never would have thought I'd be where I am now."

A calmness spreads across Haven like the sea after a storm's passing. His shoulders are set even and his chin is even upraised in contemplation... All while the silver lining of his eyes gradually recede and surrender to an azure hue - the blue eyes of his more human days. "I can only imagine what you must've thought when you were younger. Perhaps a castle and my hide in the stockades. That sound about right?" He muses before shifting on his heel to regard Orisae.

"Actually, when I was younger, I was obsessed with shadows. I wanted to bathe myself in Shadows and speak to the Shadow Mother." Orisae admits honestly to you, a soft smile touching at her lips. The tension riding taut along her shoulders along with shallow lines of stress, barely visible before, fade from her stark complexion with each passing moment. "You were a slight annoyance. Areka and Kaedin, such close persons to myself, enjoyed your presence and I could never understand why. I did not hate nor dislike you, in the beginning. You confused me."

Opening her eyes to focus on you, Orisae Adesso says to you, "You still do."

"What's there to confuse you Lady Adesso?" Haven asks as a faint smirk crosses his features. "I am nothing more than a simple soldier." As if to put some emphasis on this point, Haven produces his spiritual mace with the flick of his wrist. The twisted metal of black and gold steel seeming to shimmer before the glow of the Great Spark. "A scoundrel as you would say. Right?"

"There is nothing about you that is simple, Haven. You should take caution that you do not lie too frequently." Orisae chides, a playful lilt to her otherwise tenorous tone.

Amused, you ask, "Or what? You'll smack me again?"

The smolder returning to her gaze as she recalls that moment, Orisae Adesso smiles impishly and says to you, "Perhaps. You seemed to respond well to it."

Haven returns his mace to the loop of his weaponbelt as he relinquishes a harsh 'tch' at Orisae. "Just count yourself lucky that I am a man bound by oaths. I'm not to trouble anyone anymore." He utters as he sets his blue eyes on the darkened city.

"Or what would have happened?" From Orisae's spot before the flame, the harpy moves to stand along the railing a few feet away from you.

Haven takes to adjusting the clasp on his shoulder so that his crimson cloak better drapes about him rather than answering Orisae's question. "Why not come to Enorian Lady Adesso?" The question is sudden and brisk - almost like the beginning rays of the morning sun as it makes its journey from beyond the horizon. Unlike the sun, however, there doesn't seem to be any warmth to his tone. It just simply... is.

"We are in Enorian, Locke." Orisae gestures out to the city below the tower, her own gaze following to travel along the winding streets and bustling crowds as the carry along with their business. Perhaps she purposely misunderstood and was averting an open response to it or perhaps she really thought the question that simple to reply to.

"I suppose we are." Haven clenches his jaws before stepping closer to the edge of the tower. Being so high up, with the winds circling the watch tower like hungry birds, causes his crimson cloak to flare and billow actively around him. "I think... I think I will show you something that I've only shown two others."

You say, "Your hand."

Without any hesitation, Orisae places her hand out to you. No hint of wariness or suspicion shows in her expression, just curiousity and trust. Her hand is large but slender with long fingers tipped with sharp nails, similar enough to how they'd appeared in the years when she'd been a smaller Tsol'aa.

You close your eyes and begin to focus on your haven.

The wind dies down and the light fades, leaving the Luminary Watch Tower no where to be seen. Not the Great Spark, tossing and churning in its merciless fury. Not the distant view of a bustling city. Nothing...nothing at all of the normal world remains. The earth beneath Orisae's feat would feel soft and cold, almost moist, hidden beneath a thick frothy blanket of mist. With a low whisper of a breeze whistling and sweeping through the void, Orisae would also find herelf alone and free of Haven's grip. For he too is gone, leaving Orisae under a dark sky with not a single star to taint it.

Quiet and somewhere distant in the void, you say, "You will know my sorrow."

Orisae's eyes glow with a brilliant light, flaming with an energy that most would have considered painful to stare into. Still, even with that increase, her sight never goes beyond a few feet, swallowed by the rolling mist and bland blanket of grayness that fills the entirety of the haven. Coils of frothy fog waft in front of her vision, soon obscuring even what she'd begun with, blocking out the sky itself.

After a moment of contemplation, Orisae Adesso asks, "This is no sanctuary, Haven. You have a prison?

The mist wars with the cool breeze. Or perhaps it is a simple and delicate dance? Whatever the case, it tosses and curls unto itself every so often, reaching out to cling to anything and everything like a grubby spoiled child. Orisae's question goes unanswered and left hanging in the air of the grim void. "C'mon, Seryn. It's not funny anymore." Haven calls out in the dark. The entire void seems to spring to life then as a white hot fire ripples across the sky above Orisae. With that comes the benevolent sun and the world surges all around Orisae. Slow at first but it shifts with a strange life of its own faster and faster until Orisae stands before a small cottage under a clear blue sky where a young boy sits fiddling with a wooden sword.

Orisae fights the nausea that sets her stomach rumbling with discontent, lurching forward slightly until the scene has changed and the whirling colors and sensations drop out as if they'd never existed in the first place. Still, her stomach remembers, the sick feeling growing with a sharp spike as the warmth of the sun shines down on her head. A light breeze ruffles hair as the yeleni attempts to make sense of her surroundings, her attention eventually settling on the only sentient creature within her sight. "No, it really is not funny.." She repeats the words she'd only half-heard, mumbling them out as she takes a step closer to the cottage.

Leaning out of the collage is a young girl who could be no more than a dozen years. Her hair is a silky black and cut short at her shoulders. She has a warm but teasing smile about her face as she says, "Oh, Haven, you have to admit it's a little funny. No one told you to make that bet with me." The boy stands at this and glares up at the window with wooden sword in hands and pleads, "But I hhavve to practice before da gets home. You know what happens if I get hit again."

Realization hits Orisae like a backhanded slap to the face, her eyes widening as the scene before her continues to play out.

"Fine." The girl utters before vanishing from the window and reappearing by the door with shield and blade in hand. "If you're going to do this then you're going to do it right." The boy Haven smiles at Seryn's words before falling in line behind her towards a makeshift ring not too far from the cottage. The world groans and surges again before settling upon a new scene where a big burly man with hard brown eyes stands off to the side of the ring with his arms crossed over his chest. "Again." He thunders to the two children who stand across from each other panting heavily. Clothes torn and dirt upon their faces, they stare at one another wearily before thinning their lips into a tight line. Determination in their eyes, they set at one another with rapiers. The girl moves gracefully despite her tired appearance whereas the boy ) lags with each passing moment. "Faster! Back straighter, boy! The sword is a mere extension of your arm. HIT HER!"

Orisae struggles to find a comfortable position for herself, shifting herself around until she stops, figuring it to be a lost cause. Comfort seemed an impossiblity in her current location, the yeleni instead setting on moving closer into the figures in front of her. A test, she reaches out to put her hand against the man that appeared have once been your father.

"How can you expect to be strong when you cannot even manage a girl? How can you call yourself /my/ son?" The boy Haven cringes beneath the thunderous roar of his father. Where the large man's face was once shrouded, it twists and distorts more with each word that leaves his lips. He grows larger and more demonic, sprouting a tail and claws. Horns twist and curl from his very brow as serrated fangs protrude from his mouth! Orisae's hand passes through the man unhindered causing his entire frame to ripple outward like her touch were upon a water's surface. None of which seems to make the figurines notice Orisae or Orisae's interference as the scene continues to unfold. "Where is your strength?! Swing that sword like you mean it! TEAR INTO HER!" The boy launches himself at the girl in a flurry but she easily diverts the blows with a flick of her sword. A side step and dart in, the girl too seems affected by the demon's roar as she swings her blade wide with a snarl. She could be strong too! Why wouldn't he recognize her?! The blade bites into the side of Haven's face with buttered ease. The boy falls with a cry and the anger that swelled within Seryn's breast is gone quickly as it had come as realization settles in. "Haven!" She cries.

Orisae frowns at the sudden demonic appearance of the father, her lips twisting to the side as her hand retracts back to cross over her chest. "How large they seem as a child.." After her failed attempt to interact with the figures, ceases worrying about being a distraction to the memories. Crossing through all obstacles as if they were intangible and insubstantial, the Shaman ends up near the wounded boy and worried girl.

With smooth, calm movements, Orisae's mace is put to the side and a staff of bone and wire removed from its location against her back.

The boy clutches his face in profound disbelief as he stares at Seryn despite the pain wrecking havoc through him. Like vapors lost to wind, the boy and girl gradually dissolve before Orisae as the world, again, surges as violent and hot as ever. With the sun winking out of the sky, the scene that unfolds is the same cottage from before but under the relentless veil of a rainy night. It is not the call of thunder that resonates across the land as thick sheets of rain lay siege upon the earth but the pounding of small fists upon a wooden door. "Da! I'm sorry. I won't fail again. I promise!" The boy Haven cries. "Please, just let me in! Da!" He pleads until the door suddenly opens and the demon emerges. "I have no son here, beggar." The demon draws a blade from his scabbard with a sickening swish but the boy is gone - dashing away into the night. "RUN! COWARD! THE WORLD WILL CONSUME YOU! YOU WILL KNOW NO END TO YOUR SUFFERING WEAKLING!" The demon-man howls.

With the change in scene, Orisae finds herself just beside the cottage and able to round the corner in time to hear and witness the exchange between father and son. Glowing eyes narrow into dangerous slits as she ignores the running boy and settles her attention on the demonic man. Hot and angered, the piercing glow dilates and consumes the entirety of her eye. "Creature of chaos. Parasitic." She calls to it, feeling for some shift or change to offer her an acknowledgment. Before that comes, negative or not, the yeleni thrusts her hand forward towards the creature and opens her sense to her surroundings. Feeling for something -anything- that could be considered unnatural.

The entire void would feel unnatural as the mists become visible again under Orisae's strange eye. In the distance Orisae might notice a charred throne on which the Azudim is seated upon with his chin resting upon his up raised fist. The world groans and surges again around Orisae, opening a new scene. "... Haven . Come home." Seryn stands by the window's edge with a band of cheese and bread for a time, listening to the gentle pelt of a lessening rain against the glass. Eventually the rain has all but stopped before she places the plate of food out on the window and returns to bed. What she doesn't notice, however, is the dark shape that stands quietly in the corner. Only when her eyes have fallen close does the shape move closer and reveal itself to be a shuddering boy with dagger in hand. Is it the chilling rain that affects Haven? Or is it the silent rage that sears his heart black? Standing over the bed the boy raises the dagger above his head as tears quietly flow down his cheeks. Just before the drop, Seryn's eyes flick open and she catches her breath. "Haven?" There is a delicate grief that dances across her gentle sea blues as she utters, "It's okay... E-everything will be okay." Relief begins to flood her expression as Haven's face seems to soften for a moment. But alas, it lasts only a moment before he brings his dagger down and slashes Seryn to ribbons on her feathered bed.

The shock of the sight leaves Orisae cold, frozen down to the very core of her being. A place that could never be so immediately warmed by any ordinary flame. Like the most fragile glass, the yeleni's composure breaks as she raises up her staff and slams the ivory base down into the ground next to her talons. Drawing up all of her resources and fueled by alien desperation, her voice increases in volume as she speaks with a booming voice. "Life is a SONG! Creatures of chaos, demons, and all that is unnatural to the very rhythm of what we stand in, daily, are wrong. They are the wrong notes in what would otherwise be a masterpiece! Even the most sorrowful of moments are parts of the song but THIS." Holding her free hand up to jostle the fetishes that decorate her quarterstaff, a steely resolve filters into her very posture as she stands before the gruelsome scene. "THIS is not a part of any CYCLE. IT is a prison! I cast clarity where chaos crouches and stands!" With that, the yeleni's words trail into the twisted tune and song of a Shamanic exorcism.

The small room gradually fades away, leaving only the boy stabbing into a bed of crimson over and over and over. His breath is haggard and strained as tears stream down his eyes, his mouth open agape before he tosses back his head with an unearthly howl made more sinsiter due to the fresh wound carved across the side of his face. It resonates with a deep grief right down to his very soul before that too fades. Each note that rings loud and clear from Orisae causes the entire void to shudder and groan from the effort. Eventually what remains before Orisae now is the Haven she has come to know. Clawed fingers clicking idly across the charred arm of the black throne, Haven mournfully asks Orisae, "Is that such a man you can readily forgive? A crime you can easily absolve? Tell me again Lady Adesso... tell me I don't deserve my prison. My misery. My end."

"Yes." Orisae inserts the word into her song, casting it towards you with prideful defiance. The look flung at the fearsome throne is equally as fierce, a sharp hatred that dims into something else as her gaze settles on you once more. Her words lose the luster of the song as she shrugs it off to be reclaimed later, clearing the distance until she is at the foot of the furnishing.

At a hoarse whisper, you ask, "Why?"

Without hesitation, Orisae Adesso says to you, "Because you are worthy of redemption."

Firmly, Orisae Adesso frowns and says to you, "You always have been. You are just too stupid to let yourself believe it."

Haven remains silent and brooding as his azured orbs drift over Orisae, devouring everything about her frame and demeanor. From the staff of bone and wire to the heavy iron circlets right down to the tips of her feet and up again, Haven takes it all in. "The answer is always the same and I wonder if maybe you, Roux, and Kerryn are blind." The Azudim swallows as he tightens his expression and jaws like he might be fighting down a grimace or maybe more nefarious words. Eventually he rises to his full height from the throne and takes a heavy step down to reach Orisae's level, crimson cloak spilled neatly across his back. "I forgive myself and then what Orisae?"

"You keep that memory close so you know what you're capable. The horrors that your actions can cause. You never forget them." Orisae responds, jutting her chin upwards to stare at you straight in the face. "I was once called a Rememberer. I carry the memories of many loved ones that will never be able to reclaim them, they having died or lost them from other means. Memories are the gold that we use to better our worth when the time comes to move on and, sometimes, that gold is covered in blood. Yes, you did a horrifying thing. There is no denying that but.." Hand reaches out to grab at the cloak that's pooled around your shoulders, just before it falls like water down your form, twisting the fabric around her fingers. "Don't you think that us, all of us, have done terrible things in the past? No ONE single person has a life lacking mountains of bloody gold!"

Orisae Adesso asks, "Accepting that we need to grow and move on, keeping those memories close? Does that make us blind? All of us? Every single person in this world?"

"I do not think I can ever understand such a creature as you." Haven reaches out to run his clawed fingers delicately across Orisae's face - to capture Orisae by the chin. With his face drawing nearer, his eyes focused fiercely upon her own, the Azudim utters, "I can make no promise to you as I am. I feel... empty. I feel broken. I feel lost. For that to ever change I must first find a way to make amends, Orisae. Kerryn says I do that by being a better man than my father with my boy Demarcus. Roux says that I do that with my heart. With the way I draw those I care for within my fold. Protect them. Shield them. She says I do it with my conviction. Yet...why do I still feel so empty Orisae? Why do I feel so incomplete? So tainted? Love does not absolve me. Duty does not release me. Then what is it that I need. TELL ME!"

"I.. I don't know. The path to redemption is something created specifically for and by the person searching for it. The only person capable of answering that question is you, Haven." Orisae's eyes widen slightly, her free hand snapping up to grab at the hard black skin of your forearm.

Haven's lips start to part as if he had more to say but nothing escapes him. Eyes heavy and brow knit together, the Azudim seems to weigh Orisae's words as he scours over her shape facial features. There was a sense of hunger in his expression. Something primal and predatory in his glance. Closer and closer he draws himself toward Orisae until he says, "You once told me that you would do nearly anything for those you cared deeply for. If I asked you... to give up on me, could you?"

"No!" Orisae grits her teeth, holding fast in her position even as she tugs tightly on the cloth in her hand, assisting you in his approach. "I am too invested now to let you turn and walk away. Not without feeling you were.. if that was truly what you wanted.." Her words are firm at first, slowly becoming questioning as her syllables draw to a trailing end. Glowing eyes search your face for confirmation, tilting to the side

Quietly, Orisae Adesso says to you, "You do not want that."

An answer does surface but it is hardly any more comprehensible than a hushed grunt. Why could the words not leave him? He should spare himself the grief. He should let go! He should... Haven's eyes start to drift shut as his mind continues to race endlessly with questions and doubts. With guilt and horrors. "No... I do not want that." Eventually comes the reply at a tone just a smidge above a whisper.

The sound of clattering bones against wire sounds as Orisae drops her staff to the side, abandoning it with no care. Empty hands move to capture either side of your face, firmly with fingertips pressing in with a good amount of pressure. "Good. It would break my heart to walk away."