Another day, another millennium, another set of ruling gods to influence the world. Aesyr has changed to the formation of the new ruling pantheon as dictated by the Cosmic Lottery. Gods of enslavement, debauchery, fertility, warfare, and conquest rule this cycle and the past couple years of their rule has shaped the land as such. Nobles openly sponsor accomplished slavers, brothels become popular meeting places, rapes are overlooked, people find themselves more prone to being captured than killed by the wildlife, and so forth. But to some individuals, it did not matter what gods were in charge. Their work is universal and unchanging. This is especially true for some individuals who will cross paths in the harsh plains of the Steppes of Sorrows. A maiden and priestess to the Saetra goddess Sylvese makes Jane Seafair comes to the penal colony of Golddew, named for the very prosperous gold mines it was made to operate. She has come here to start her journey in spreading the word of her goddess and ensure that her patron had a great start to her ruling millennium. But she in not alone on this endeavor. Hearing her call and giving their support, the law bringers of Jaris’s order allowed one of their own to escort her and to also spread the law of the new age. Paladin Ailen has traveled with Jane to ensure her protection and to punish any criminals he find breaking their penal duties. Meanwhile, Klein’Voz travels in disguise into this penal colony. His quest for understanding and enlightenment has brought him here. It marks the beginnings stages of him attempting to smuggle himself into Dwarf and Human territories. Surely, if the former slaves of his brethren were able to drive them back, then surely there might some things he can learn. And to not forget that there was a walking myth and legend amongst them. None other than the Lady of Burden has come to this place, far from her forests on one of her ventures. Or mayhaps she was just curious of creatures outside of her usual environment? What reason would a being like her need to justify her actions? Whatever their reasons may be for coming to Golddew, it only matters that they were here now. Sure, it was a penal colony and only one of the many beginning stages of the Coalition (mostly the Theocracy) to try and tame the Steppes, it was still a very successful one. Already others from the Coalition have been settling in and expanding the colony into a town so that others may enjoy the success. One would say that this was the example of success for this experiment. However, it was still in the Steppes. As such, there were still many dangers to consider...
You know me. You love me. It's time. Come home. Every step. Every beat. Each one felt with a pulse and a need that urged her to just go home. Yet, every other step was with the sense of urgency driving her forward. But there was still the feeling of a general sense of not quite weariness, but feeling "soft" the further she got. The more she traveled, she became farther and farther removed from the source, and the call back could be felt in her veins and each movement, half telling her that she was going the wrong way, but needing to ignore it because after no small amount of effort, she knew this had to be on the trail. And it lead her to...this. The woman was left gawking at the scenery, with a wide variety of emotions. It was fascinating to see the change from her lands into what the humans considered a proper settlement and she welcomed the adventure. She could have just as easily dispatched a couple of envoys, but then she'd miss out on the chance for something of a vacation. Guardian of the woods was for the most part, not an exciting job. And any being that had been at it for as long as she had, was going to get bored. Novelty value aside, even the fae folk could realize that what she was going to do was better done directly in person. She had to drop a lot on the lost little lamb, after all. But at her core, as much as she could look so close to human, the horns veiled under the hood of her robes were proof that she was far from it. A human's sense of morals would see much of how the fae worked as petty and cruel. While it was certainly possible for them to be that, the morals of fairies were almost a separate concept entirely. The fact she felt how her connection slowly dimmed told her as much. No. As amusing as their societies could be for a while, they were no place for a child of the fae to live. As far as the ways of fairies went, her whole journey was nothing but proof of her virtue. This was not a place for their kind to belong. She had humored the father's wishes of allowing his son to live as a "regular" person, at least for a while, but the rules of the court didn't bend. Eventually, they'd have to return. Leaving him here unable to develop his abilities was basically akin to crippling the child. For all rights of things, in the eyes of the fairies, taking him back home was the right thing to do. With her own sense of morals in place, she wandered into the area, wondering if she had already headed him off. She had divined some key information back in her sanctuary, but being so far gone for it, she had to doubt how reliable her information was at this point. And while she was a decent enough adventurer, her interactions were somewhat difficult. Keeping her true name a secret was important, but it left her without one to give people. It made her come across as more cold or bizarre than she liked. Surveying her surroundings, she took a look at what this place had available.
The carriage rocked to-and-frow as it traveled down the beaten road and Jane bounced along inside. People complained about seasickness but at the moment the young priestess felt like her head was rattling inside her skull. 'Dear Chaste Prostitute, give me the gentle sway of the ocean waves any day. I cannot stand this much longer.' The young priestess closed her eyes, pressed to fingertips to her forehead, and tried to imagine herself on the deck of a ship. She tried to smell the salt in the air and the breeze on her face, but all she received was the taste of dust on her lips and dry air that seemed to suck the moisture from her skin. She was headed to inspect a new temple for the goddess, a temple whose construction had fallen far behind schedule. 'A task that seems terribly important.' Jane thought sarcastically before she chastised herself for it. She was doing the work of the goddess. She was exactly where she was supposed to be. 'At least I have company.' She thought, staring out the draped window. She wasn't surprised when she didn't see him. There were three of them in all: her in the carriage, her driver atop it, and her companion riding horseback either in front or behind; it varied occasionally. The three exchanged pleasantries in the morning when they got up, in the afternoon when they stopped for lunch, and in the evening when they set up their camp. All-in-all she'd estimated they'd spoken fifty words to each other over the trip. 'Such camaraderie.' Jane thought sarcastically, before trying to enjoy what scenery there was...
The young paladin keeps his eyes on the horizon, watching carefully for any threats, nervous. I can't screw this up. He rides up next to the carriage and speaks to the occupant, keeping his eyes forwards. He hopes that Jane believes his reluctance to look at her is simply due to caution, and not because of the sharp pangs of lust he's been feeling every time he sees her incredible body, and the urges to forget his vows of chastity. "How are you finding the trip, priestess?" He asks Jane, looking in the opposite direction.
Klein'Vos was used to keeping a low profile when necessary and the life of a nomad made it necessary quite regularly. Usually said low profile was needed to escape from some place rather than enter it but a lot of the same rules applied: Stay quiet, blend in with your surroundings, and do nothing that would draw undo attention to yourself. To that end, he was grateful for the large straw hat he had found on his trip that he was able to hide his ears and horns under along with a brim wide enough to cast shadows obscuring his fox-like facial features. He hunched over, his posture combining with his slow pace and dusty clothing to hopefully give him the appearance of a harmless hermit carrying a heavily wrapped bundle on his back. As he approached the city, his face was grim but his eyes darted around with an almost gleeful excitement. He had never been in a city belonging to those who had thrown off the yolk of servitude his kind had once placed upon it and he was eager to see how they lived and how they had managed to not only escape but thrive and become so strong. He looked forward to the experience... provided he could move past the entrance along with the flow of the crowd and not wind up either thrown out or into one of their prisons.
Jane smiled towards the young man, not that he would see it with his head turned the other way. Within a minute of their meeting, she'd known he was uncomfortable around her. He'd only look at her when he thought she wasn't looking or paying attention. His folly was three-fold: first, there wasn't anything to do on the trip, and she wished she'd brought something other than her holy text to read. Scripture was wonderful, but there were only so many times she could read the same passages outside of preparing for a sermon. Second, she was a priestess of Sylvese; that meant she was always paying attention to everyone. Third, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little smitten with the young paladin. He was handsome certainly; powerful build, chiseled jaw, piercing blue eyes, noble and virtuous in that way only young men can be. What wasn't to like? But there was something else about him... something she just couldn't place. Something incredibly alluring. He'd made a point to keep his distance, and she'd let him. She wanted him to be comfortable with her after all. But she was pleased with his company now, however brief and disinterested he would try to be. "It is... not something I am accustomed to Sir Ailen. I do prefer the gentle sway of a boat to this rather graceless box." Just as she finished, one of the carriage wheels hit a rather large rock. Momentarily airborne, the young woman's prodigious breasts jiggled under her attire before her bottom landed back on the cushioned seat. With a frustrated grimace she asked, "Would you happen to know how much longer until our arrival?"
"If there's anything you need, I'll do my best to accomo-" As the carriage sways, Ailen turns with alarm, worried for the safety of his charge, before becoming hypnotised by the swaying of her impressive chest. Hearing her voice, he snaps out of it, looking the priestess in the eyes. "A-Are you okay, priestess?" He looks up at the carriage rider. "My friend, how long 'till we reach our destination? Carriage riding doesn't agree with our passenger."
The town of Golddew wasn’t the most impressive town of the Empire nor of the Dwarves, but it was probably the best you were going to find in the Steppes, due to its normal lack of civilization. Outside of the city center The Lady would see the graceless blocks of mortar used to house the penal colonists at the start of the original colony. It was there that the mines are also at. Those buildings were now only temporary lodgings, storage sheds, and administrative work sites to keep the mines operational. Showing great foresight of the founders. The main town itself looked to be a blend of Human architecture with hints of Dwarven aesthetics. The buildings being both functional and pleasant to the eye, giving plenty of enough room for their purpose but given many lavish trimmings and decoration to show the prosperity of the town and the skill of the builders. Outside of the houses, there were some points of interest to look into: There was a rather large pub that also doubled as a small jobs point. If someone needed something done, there was a board for people to post them up. Of course there was the brothel. It is not needed to be said what one can find there. It was one of the most elegant buildings in the town. In the center of the town was a large golden statue of Norvaskr himself. The statue was made of the very gold from the mines and towered over the surrounding buildings. Smooth of face and taking an authoritative stance with his great sword of ruler ship. Not too far away from the statue was the marketplace. This one took on more the aesthetics of the Sultanate’s open aired and busy bazaars. Seems even here has been touched by the merchant kingdom of mystics. Close to the center there seemed to be a construction site of a large building. It seemed like it would share the same style as the brothel, but the materials were of significantly higher quality I, the design more elaborate, and it was considerably more spacious. A temple mayhaps? Also on the outside of the town was a large and elegant building which only had a small road leading up to it. Surrounding the road were saplings of what would hopefully be large trees to bring some life to the place. The building looks like a large mansion. Probably the home of the governing nobility sent to run the town from the Theocracy. Thanks to the successful nature of the colony-turned-town, Klein’Vos had little trouble slipping in with his experienced infiltration methods. There were too large crowds and very little actual defenses to halt him. And really, no one was worried about some old hermit. There were bigger fish to be wary of out there in the Steppes. Meanwhile, the carriage driver who so happened to be one of the few Dwarves without the mark of exile in the Steppes was busy. Busy not imagining the priestess bouncing and jiggling about in his carriage as he drove. By the gods how he wished he wasn’t a professional and give that whore a ride she would never forget. He blinked when he heard Ailen talk to him and cleared his head of his lustful thoughts. He would need to visit the brothel after this to get some closure. In response, he pointed eastward. “Take a look fer yerself, lad.” They rounded a bend in the path around a hill and then they would be able to see it. The statue of Norvaskr, the mansion, and the mining buildings on the far hill. Golddew was in sight and it would only take less than an hour to enter the city proper.
@Jizzrar The fairy had to debate for a while of what looked like the best place to be, before deciding the first thing she’d have to do was properly secure some money to fund her adventure. She wasn’t above needing to eat or sleep and to do that with any amount of quality required coin. With that in mind, she mad a mental note to come back to the other places later, but ruled she would at least need to take a job before someone else did. (I’m unclear how much we have for starting money)
"I see, thank you." @Omega98 Ailen nods to the dwarf, before reigning up beside the carriage. "Did you hear, priestess? The town is in sight. Less than an hour away, I'd say. Then you can relax in the comfort of civilisation." He flashes her a smile.
The giant, gleaming statue of such a powerful looking warrior was enough to catch Klein's attention and he moved towards it for a closer look. Such a monument to strength was unlike anything he had ever seen before and it was hard not to openly gawk at it... so he did. He lost track of time as he rapturously studied the towering monument and he was only drawn out of his stunned stupor by a bit of movement out of the corner of his eye. Looking in that direction, he saw the bustling of the marketplace off in the distance and, deciding a better look at how these races bartered for goods might be instructive, began to walk towards it.
"I did, thank you Sir Ailen." Jane replied and tucked a strand of hair that had come loose back behind her ear. She found his smile infectious, and hers brightened in response. "That is pleasant news." Less than an hour? she was sure she could endure that long. But eventually she would find herself counting the seconds anyway. "If you would be so kind, please inform our Kady that when we arrive I should like to stop and see the governor or mayor or-" she waved a hand around in the air "...whatever this town has for local leadership. We should want to introduce ourselves before engaging in our business, as it's only proper."
If she was used to how Humans and Dwarves operate or had any idea on how they do, or just made some safe assumptions, the Lady could reasonably assume some spots to gain coin. The pub could probably use some hired help, or mayhaps there was something on the board that could pay reasonably well. Considering that she didn’t have much need for wealth back at her sacred groove, any coin at all would be useful. Then, there was the brothel, in this age sex was a highly sought after commodity. There was always a buyer. Though of none other f the legitimate means intrigued her, then there were other options. Pickpocketing or probably stealing some raw gold for black market trade from the mines could prove profitable, albeit risky. Nevertheless, there were options. Klein’Voss was for the most part left alone. Some would give him a glance, but then ignore him. No one really had the time to deal with a vagabond. So he was allowed to go into the marketplace unhindered. And what a sight it was. If he never saw the men from the Dune Seas, then he saw a rathe or exotic sight. He may not understand the nuance behind being from the Sultanate and being a merchant abroad, it the effects it allowed were breathtaking. His sensitive nose would have gathered all the enticing smells of foreign and exotic perfumes and foods. The smells practically visible as a delicious smog the blended with the tarps and carpets of the booths and produce. The entire bazaar was alight with the background noises of foot traffic, chatter, and the odd instrument or two from street performers. There was no shortage of distractions for the senses for the line and curious Beastman. Back to the holy duo, the Dwarf driver needed the request of his client. They went through the center of town and around the statue of Norvaskr, which also happened to have a communal fountain. Rounding it, he got them on the path to the mansion. Once there, the time Aladdin would notice that it seemed they were expected. For there was a lone figure waiting at the door to the manor. It appeared to be humanoid and quite armored. In quite the get-up as well. As they got closer, he would recognize it as one of the alien women known as the Daeva. She just stood there, an ever vigilant sentry awaiting for the moment to act.
Ailen nods. "Right, I'll tell them." Ailen rides up to the manor, dismounting and approaching the Daeva. He bows his head slightly in a respectful greeting, before saying "Greetings, I came here escorting the priestess Jane Seafair. She would like to see the leader of this town and introduce herself."
Jane set her cloak about her shoulders as the carriage had come to a stop. She waited for the door to open before moving to get out; while she was eager to get as far away from that box as possible, she did have an image to uphold. The dwarf, behaving like a gentleman, held out his hand to steady her as she descended the steps. Once her feet touched the solid ground she turned to her Kady with a warm smile, "I thank you for your assistance and company master dwarf. I fear I am uncertain as to how long our visit here shall last as I am... rather new to these duties. If our meeting should run into a later hour, I hope I would be able to impose upon you to deliver my belongings to our lodging? I would be grateful."
The Daeva guard looked Ailen up and down, evaluating him. Being satisfied at how he carried himself, she returned the bow, the line crystalline horn becoming dipping long enough to line up with her spine. When she stood back up, she said in a courtly tone, “Lord Xanthon has been informed of the Blessed One’s journey here. He has prepared a meal to help you recuperate from the long journey. He wanted me to mention that he took efforts to prepare Saetra meals to help her settle into Golddew.” The Dwarf had to fight really hard to not violate the priestess with his eyes. By Bruudalf the things he wanted to do to this girl. He wanted to show he the true magnificence of Dwarven kind with his own personal hammer. He grinned up at her, “Aye, lass. Tat won’ be a problem. Let it not be known tat ah would leave a pretty thing in distress. Ah’m somethin’ of a studier of the holy doctrines meself. Mayhaps you can compensate the extra service wit’ some...enlightening, discussions? Over a drink? On me?” The priestess to a lust and love goddess would be able to pick up on the vaguely subtle nuance of the Dwarf. She can assume that he was only trying to get into her robes. It was probably something she was already used to. Though at least he tried to mask it as flirting or something similar to professional chatter.
After weighing a few options in her head, she had to wonder where her skills would best be suited. Her strongest skills were still in her ways of nature and even this far outward, she was capable of utilizing some impressive forces with it. While humans tended to hate most types of magic, they did allow the idea of holy magic. Their idea of holy magic seemed to be whatever was granted by their gods as well.It was probably possible that using the healing spells her druidic magic had to offer, the difference would be lost on most non magically inclined people. Plus, with the ability to purge diseases, she couldn't imagine that many people seriously willing to try selling her existence out because of it. Not to mention that she would still need to be somewhere to find him later and that required being in a somewhat decent position. Ruling that if she was going to get a chance to find him later, she'd need to be taking the same footsteps he was. It was a little silly to imagine he had been brainwashed into worshiping human gods, but at least they could be legitimately recognized as such. Opting to head over to the temple, she decided that it was best to introduce and offer her services to the local priesthood.
Jane stifled a chuckle, instead she let her amusement play across her lips and into her eyes. Her fingers traced lightly across his forehead and down his face. "A drink perhaps would be a suitable payment for your services." Her hand then gripped his beard. "Buti if it's truly enlightenment you seek... you'll have to attend my sermons." She said with a smile and moved to catch of with the paladin and gave her ass a little extra sway as she walked away.
Ailen coughs uncomfortably at the dwarf's obvious attempts to proposition his charge. "Unfortunately, we have business right now." The paladin walks with Jane to follow the Daeva inside.
The sights and smells of the market were dizzying to the young Beastman and Klein's stomach rumbled at some of the more powerful food odors. Since his family had spent all their lives avoiding others, he had never been to a place that was so loud and chaotic. Yet, he could see there was still an order to it all stopping everyone from just taking what they liked, when they liked and that fascinated him as well. He started drifting closer to the stalls, especially ones that smelled of delicious meat, to take a closer look at how their interactions worked.
