@Auraicide The Lady would find that the temple under construction had much of the frame work done, but there was still a lot of work left to be done. Who knew how long it would take before it was actually completed. However there were some signs that led to be large tent. Outside it was an elderly looking woman. Upon approach, the lady in the traditional verbs of the past cycle looked to her and said, “Yes, young child? How can this humble servant of the gods help you?” She seems mostly unaware of The Lady’s true and identity. @Daylan Klein found a stall that was set up to show its produce as it was cooking. A large spit with metal bars laid over a fire as slabs of different meats sizzled on it, there was a rock that was within boiling water where already cooked meats were staying warm and fresh, a rack had strips of meat being dried and dehydrated, and there were meats being slowly turned on carving rods. A rather chubby man in decently looking robes from an exotic land was talking with a man in armor. They seemed like retry into a heated discussion about pricing with some traveling rations. Though, despite the debate, Klein. Hold tell that both men were enjoying the moment. The man in armor trying to assert dominance in the discussion and the merchant just enthralled with business dealings. Some imaginative swears were even thrown into the mix. It eventually, a deal was struck and the two men laughed as coin and meat were exchanged. A rather interesting interaction. @Omega98 and @Tjf The Dwarf blinked in surprise at the sudden grab for his beard and began smoothing it out. Normally that would be considered a grave insult, touching a Dwarf’s beard. But he wound up chuckling as he climbed back into his seat to wait. “Ah knew tat was somethin’. Had fallen be more than ‘er tits tat were special. By the gods...” Meanwhile the Daeva nodded and led them inside the manor. The foyer was rather grand with multiple doorways in almost every direction and the staircases leading upwards. There was many iconography typical of Theocratic nobility. Many portraits of the Lord’s family and of Griffinwald, as well as the many gods and their symbols and tales. The Daeva turned to the and pointed to the door under the staircase, “The cues meeting room. I shall go fetch the Lord, meanwhile...make yourselves comfortable. The room was very comfortable. There was many lounge chairs and sofas in o sit in. There was also many creatures native to the steps that were stuffed or mounted to show off the Lord’s hunting prowess. There was also a large library filled with books on many subjects that had passed imperial censor. @asddas193 Meanwhile, a new player has joined the game. And this is one that nobody would ever expect. An ancient being that was once held by the cosmic lottery and had narrowly dodged oblivion. But she didn’t do so unscathed, weakened and cursed as she is. But that wouldn’t be for long. She needed to grow in strength and become feared once again. That is why she came here, to Golddew. In a land bathed in warfare and conflict, and a town that was so prosperous it was like the juiciest meal for starving warbands and bandits. This would be the beginning step, to have world fear the name of Aryn once again.
Aryn walked toward the town, wearing a cloak over her shameful body, and flimsy clothes. "How dare those bastard turn my glorious armor into... this!" She screamed inside her head, her "armor" transformed into what she considered as scraps of cloth. That could barely contain her new body's... size. The goddess of war's former armor which could absorb attacks from magic of the highest tier, was now a blue bra with black lace, and a lace corset that only covered the sides of her back, and the her sides. Leaving her abdomen bare, where everyone can see the mark of her curse. Her gauntlets which she used to wield her divine armaments, nothing more than fingerless elbow gloves. And the greaves she used to step on the corpses of her enemies, were now a pair of boots along with black thigh high stockings. Needless to say, her former appearance, which made even deities cover in fear was gone. And in exchange, her current form seemed to be lust incarnate... After pissing herself off by recalling her shameful appearance underneath her robe, Aryn decided to cool off by wandering around the town. Despite her diminished strength, she could still feel conflict was just around the corner in this place. Which means there might be a chance, no matter how slight, that her sealed powers was some place close. So for now, walking around and gathering information was all she could do.
Fairies always say exactly what they mean. Even when it’s detrimental to them, they must always speak the truth. However, any intelligent species develops deception and the fae are no different. While outright lies were impossible by definition of their existence, that’s also what makes them so skilled at finding loopholes. With careful enough word choice, the inability to lie was generally pretty easy to get around. “It’s actually myself curious of what I could do to help you. I’ve seen the troubles that this colony faces and it made me think that the temple here could benefit from magic by the gods. A healer would be a great asset to you and I thought to inquire within, if you want help.”
Klein watched the transaction with amazement. After such a combative exchange, how was it that one of them was not heavily injured or even dead? And they were LAUGHING about it afterwards no less? On top of that, he was fairly certain, unless the merchant was hiding some unknown skill or magical ability, the warrior could have easily taken what he wanted and spared himself the coin (and Klein realize he was... probably going to need some of that currency at some point). Waiting for the warrior to walk away, Klein approached the merchant himself and asked, "Forgive me for what may seem a strange question to you, sir... but why did you not rip out his throat after he insulted the sexual loyalty of your mother so?"
"Thank you milady," Jane said as the Daeva turned to leave, but before the woman left she added, "perhaps we may trouble you for some tea?" the young priestess cast a glance towards her paladin companion and a sly grin crept lightly across her face "Or maybe some wine would be better." After the Daeva had left, Jane removed her cloak and folded it before she placed it on one of the lounge chairs. Since no one had offered to take it from her and she didn't feel like walking around inside with it. Finally out of the carriage and with a spare moment, the priestess stretched and enjoyed the sensation. She'd settled on cautious formal wear that morning. She'd never been to the Stepps of Sorrow before, and unfamiliar with the people or their customs, she opted for attire that was likely to prove the least offensive. Her longsleeved top was modest but hugged her form fairly well; meanwhile, she'd selected a straight skirt that descended to her ankles. It was her least favorite skirt and she felt it made her look much more... matronly. But it was also the least risque. The robes of a priestess of Sylvese were primarily white with either a pink or purple hem and hers were no different. Jane nestled her staff with her cloak and turned away from Lord Xanthon's trophies. The young mage understood the necessity of hunting for food, fur, and coin; but hunting for sport? That rational escaped her. 'Give a bear the weapon and see how you like it.' She thought and turned towards the bookshelf. Her eyes passed over the spines of several books as she titles. Nothing much on the top of the shelf caught her interest, and as her gaze moved down, she bent at the waist jutting her ass out behind her. A thought occurred to her and she turned her head to look behind her without straightening. Her long hair fell over one shoulder, "Do you like to read Sir Ailen?" then she cocked one eyebrow "Or do you like to play games?"
Eyes up. Keep your eyes up. Look at her eyes, not her...behind. Gods, her eyes are so pretty too. What is wrong with me? I'm acting like an adolescent! Ailen blinks, stirred from his reverie by Jane's words. "Um, well." He looks at the assorted books. "We were taught to read during training, to understand the holy texts, and fighting manuals. Apart from that, not really." He perks up at the mention of games. "Yes, I love games. Chess especially, I've always loved it." He smiles, before looking at the taxidermied animals. "I'm guessing that you're not overly fond of our host's...hobby?"
"Everyone has their hobbies." the water mage answered. "But it's certainly not how I would choose to spend my time." Jane straightened, turned to face her companion, placed her hands on her hips, and arched her back. She always did so after bending over, she found it helped keep her back from aching, it also thrust her breasts out emphasizing just how big they actually were. "Pity about the books." She said moving to sit on one of the sofas. "I've always found a good book to be quite... stimulating." The last she remarked with a slight twinkle in her eye and an upward curve of her lip. "When I was a Neophyte some of the tutors tried teaching us girls chess." She waved a hand dismissively. "I know how the pieces move and such but I didn't take to it much beyond that." Jane watched the paladin in his awkward shyness, actively trying not to ogle her. He struck her as a nervous boy only now having grown into a man but uncertain how to act like one. It was adorable, so long as he outgrew it eventually. He just needed to gain confidence in himself and then figure out how to project that confidence outward. Then he would be nigh irresistible. As it was he was just... cute. So why did she find him so alluring? "Maybe what I lacked was the proper teacher..." She mused as her eyes ran over him again. She licked her lips and fixed him with a gaze. "Perhaps you'd like to show me how it's done when we have some time to ourselves?"
"I do suppose I should read more. Anything you'd recommend, lady?" Surprisingly, even as her body is put on display by the her poses, Ailen is starting to loosen up. Engaged on a subject he knows well, he beams. "Teach you chess? I'd love to, lady. It's deceptively simple, but it's very fun once you get the hang of it, especially if you have a talented partner.
Jane eyed Ailen curiously as she thought. "I'm afraid my taste in books may be too... startling for you. But given enough time I'm sure I could find something that'll entice you. As to the game," her ever-present smile turned genuine "it's a date!"
He grins. "You're probably right about the books. It would probably be best to start with something tame. I'm glad to hear you're interested in learning the game. I have a set in the carriage, somewhere." He blushes slightly at the word date, but otherwise seems generally enthusiastic. Ailen continues to make small talk, awaiting their host's arrival.
@Auraicide The elderly woman looked to The Lady curiously for a moment. But upon hearing the offering of lending aid via the men’s aid healing using the way of the gods, the elderly woman gave a bright smile. “Oh my! I heard that a blessed woman of the gods would be here to help us. I didn’t expect it to be so soon, though! Well, thank you, blessed one. Please, this way.” She motioned for The Lady to come inside the large tent. For the most part it seemed rather nice inside. There were several people in there already, both of the cloth and not. And there were many hasty alters set up to many of the gods. Though, since this city was mostly made by the Theocracy, it was mostly Human gods here. There wasn’t too much representation of the Dwarven pantheon, though it was present. The old woman came beside her, “We’ve yet to truly settle on the patron of the temple, but we’re hoping to resolve that soon. So far the populace is favoring the dear Lady of Love in hopes her blessings of luck can further bless the town with greater fortune.” She motioned The Lady to a door flap towards the back, “The construction has been halted due to an accident that occurred during construction. Many workers have been injured and unable to work. We don’t have any healers here, so it has been a long recovery.” @Daylan The foreign merchant looked down at Klein with a raised brow. At the disguised Beastman’s question, he just chuckled. “What? That? Ha! What’s a few words among friends, eh? That is one of my best customers, and we get a bit too passionate for our own good.” The man chuckled some more. The man then raised his brow again at Klein and gave a curious hum as he inspected him, “I must say, I haven’t seen you before. New here? Probably running from some problems back home, right? You’re not the first!” The merchant motioned to his booth which was filled with bits of traveling food items and bottles with interesting looking liquids inside, “If you’re looking to continue traveling, then I have the supplies you could be looking for. And my prices are always fair.” @asddas193 From her experience, Aryn knows there is no environment to start a conflict was the pub. High stress environments like the Steppes mixed with alcohol was always a pleasant combination. Though there was always the risk of the brawl being out of sport rather than hate. But you never know right? Otherwise, mayhaps the job board may have something that can give her the conflicts and struggles she desires? Surely a mercenary or two may want her company that she could use to gain something of her powers. The temple may also be interesting. What better way to stick it back at the cowardly gods who cursed her than some good ok’ fashioned sabotage? @Omega98 and @Tjf It took some time, but eventually someone arrived into the guest waiting room. He was a very thin man, but not sickly so...sinewy possibly. He wore the clothes common if the religious nobility of the Theocracy. This mostly consisted of a dress robe that mimicked the look of religious garments but was trimmed with the fineries befitting of his station. Which helped give the appearance of him being a representative of the Theocracy’s authority here. He also bore a necklace that represented the church, that being Norvaskr’s great sword acting as the main body to the scales of justice given by Jaris. His sharp and very trimmed face with much grey hairs looked to his guests before he straightened his ascot of holy purple and bowed his head. “Lady Seafair, Sir. Welcome to my manor and my charge of Golddew. We have been expecting you for some time, it is a pleasure to finally meet you.” He looks to Jane and frowns a bit, “I apologize to you especially, mi’lady. Compared to the islands, this land must be awfully dry and uncomfortable. But so goes the business of the gods, I suppose.” He shrugged before continuing, “Your welcoming meal is being prepared as we speak. Until then, would any of you care for a drink? Or maybe there is some questions I may answer? Let it not be known that Regent Lord Josiah Xanthon is unable to accommodate esteemed guests loyal and blessed by the faith.”
Yes. You could benefit from divine magic. Like usual, she didn’t say anything that wasn’t really true. But she was left raising an eyebrow at being thanked. “Thanks” is usually better offered after you see results. I do have a lot to ask of the temple, I’m afraid. The basics of lodging and food, and..” The red haired woman started to laugh at her own joke that only she’d understand. “I’m also here to find myself a man. But while I’m keeping an eye out for my prince, I will give what I got here. We can discuss arrangements, if you’re happy with the work I do today.” This was neglecting to mention that as far as the Lady saw it, her offer had been accepted and there was the admission of a debt owed. She hadn’t actually promised anything either. All she said was she was simply curious of what could be done. But she still went along with the elderly lady anyway. The fae didn’t need bother to fully explain the meaning of her words out loud and the woman seemed happy with her assumption of them. What piqued her interest is that these people had yet to properly commit to choosing a patron. “That’s interesting. There’s so many gods, it’s hard for people to agree on which ones should be valid. I can understand the struggle. I have a few I personally prefer and more than a few that I am not fans of.” Shaking her head, she looked for the people who would need the most immediate treatment. “Let’s see if I can’t help these people. Let’s focus on the ones in the worst condition first.”
Thinking about her options, and as much as she wanted to plunge the world into total chaos again. Aryn decided against it, since using her powers meant activating her curse... which took away her better judgement. "No, it was far too risky to lose my reason in an unknown environment." She thought to herself. "For now, those mercenaries seem to be the better option. Petty revenge can wait, for the moment I regain my powers, and rid myself of this curse. I'll make sure they're the first to perish." She thought to herself again, while clenching her fist tightly, while wearing a furious expression. For now, the goddess of war headed for a job board to gather information.
@Auraicide The old lady smiled, “If it is just food and housing you need, we would be more than happy to repay you in that for your services. It would be the least that we could do. As for your man problem,” the old lady gave out an amused chuckle, “then mayhaps devoting the temple to Sylvese will help you there. She is quite the matchmaker, after all.” With that said, the old woman showed The Lady the back room. In there she would find many men of Humans and Dwarves in various states of injury. Some were even missing limbs! And all they had to comfort them were men and women of the cloth trying to soothe their pain with ointments that were both made locally and imported. Not every follower of the gods were given divine magic, and that certainly wasn’t helping these poor men. @asddas193 Aryn certainly wasn’t left wanting for jobs. The board was littered with odd jobs aplenty. A lot of it being clean up work of pests and savages. There were a few fetch requests, some looking for protection. One caught her interest however. Whatever passed as the leadership for here put up a rather interesting job that seemed like many were hesitant to pick up. It seemed that a small band of Beastmen scouts have been found nearby. Naturally, the Regent Lord desires a capable party to take up arms and put them to the sword before they go back to their kin with information of Golddew. The sum fit the job is very hefty as well. If she were to take this job, there would be only one question. Where would she get a crew to assist her?
Klein tried to not drool too obviously. He was running low on food supplies and hunting could take time he was not sure he wanted to waste right now, but he was not sure if he had the necessary funds this land required either. "I am," he replied to the merchant's question, " And I suppose you could say I am less running FROM problems back home and more running to FIND solutions to problems back home. Something that requires seeing new points of view." He sighed. "And what would you consider fair for your wares, sir? I do not know if I can meet your expectations now but I vow that if I cannot, I shall find a way to return later with what will." With a small smirk to himself he added, "As payment for the enlightening conversation."
The smile on her face quickly turned into a frown. “That’s just sick.” Shaking her head, she had to wonder about the human religions and what they were really up to and what kind of twisted things they were involved in. Not explaining the shift in her tone, she became a lot more serious looking as she found the first injured man. Regardless of the church’s debauchery, the terms were laid out now. The elderly woman seemed like the type who could be expected to uphold her end of the bargain, so she was going to do what was expected of her. In her home, even this number of people would be a snap of her fingers, but she was in much more limited capacity currently of what she could do. Taking a look at the first little wounded creature, a dwarf, she quietly approached him from the side, her eyes accessing all of his injuries and what was the most serious part to focus on. She could probably completely restore him easily, but with the amount of people, she ruled it was better to only use as much as she would need to given how much energy she’d need to expend. “Shhh..” Letting out a calming motherly sound to the dwarf, she placed her palm on top of his chest and began to let her energy flow to begin the healing process, directed at his major injuries, ruling the little cuts and bruises would heal over time, and she would need to budget the amount of power she was willing to use at once.
Looking at the jobs available to her, Aryn was immediately drawn to the regent's request. "Interesting." She cooed to herself, even in her weakened state. A small band of weaklings would be no problem. Wearing an evil grin, she takes the quest. Inquiring on the whereabouts of the scouts. She planned to kill all but one of them, thinking of blessing that sole survivor with her remaining powers before her reason dissappeared. Aryn knew a good report from a scout would be enough to start a war. She only hoped no one would be around while the curse was active...
Jane hopped off the sofa to her feet once the master of the manor entered the room, and curtsied. Once he was finished greeting them, she chuckled in good humor. "Fear not Lord Xanthon," she replied, "your good standing will remain intact." "I thank you for welcoming us with such hospitality. I must say when we arrived I'd expected only a quick greeting, not such a grand engagement. Your home is quite impressive, and you are a most gracious host." The young priestess paused a moment to consider something and then continued "It's quite considerate of you to concern yourself with my comfort in your lands my lord. While it's true the Stepps are not like my home islands, there is a certain... charm to the realm that helps." With a self-amused smile, she added "The business of the gods indeed." "Although I cannot speak for Sir Ailen, I wouldn't mind some wine, thank you." she said with a polite nod. "I must admit to being curious about Golddew and its inhabitants. Regretfully, the order hasn't told us much about the assignment apart from our general instructions. But if we're to serve the gods and the people here, I would like to know more about them. Local customs and traditions for example; I shan't wish to commit a faux pas during a sermon. Also, how well have the people adapted to the pantheon? I know there are races here from outside the coalition; how're they acclimating?"
Realising that he's just a bodyguard, and isn't actually part of the discussions, Ailen stands aside, remaining mostly quiet whilst the two clergy members have their discussion. When offered a drink, he responds "Water would be appreciated, your grace. The road here wasn't too hard, but it was long. I confess to being somewhat tired." With little else to do, he decides to do a cursory check of the room for threats, and looks out the window to see if there's any hint of trouble, moving slowly so as not to disturb the speakers.
@Daylan The merchant raised a curious brow at Klein and looked him up and down. Raising a hand to rub at his chin thoughtfully, one could almost see the gears turning in his head. “Hmmm...low on coin, eh? Well, normally that would be a problem, but I believe we may help each other out here.” The merchant would look about a little warily before he leaned in to Klein and whispered, “How’s about we make a deal? You see the mining housing complex up that hill? On the far side of town? I have a...business associate, you see. Deals in raw gold to sell to the sorcerers back at the Sultanate. If you could produce some of the ore for me...I can see to it you receive a hefty payment.” The merchant grinned as he extended a hand towards Klein, “Tempting, my friend?” @Auraicide The elderly woman was left puzzled by The Lady’s comment. Was something she said offended her? If so it made her worried as offending one blessed by the gods sometimes equates to offending the gods themselves. But what did she say or do that has done so? This sent the old woman on a path of thinking that distracted her too much to note what the Lady was doing. The Dwarf continued to groan in pain as she worked. The Dwarf had several crushed ribs, some ruptured lungs, and a broken leg. He was barely hanging on through the efforts of the clergy and natural Dwarven resilience and stubbornness. But when The Lady worked her magic and the Dwarf felt his bones and tissues mending, he let out a sigh of relief. This caused the priests that had been working on him gasp in surprise at hearing him be quiet for what seemed like the first time. “She is the blessed one...” One of the clergy members whispered under their breath. The sigh of relief almost reverberated in the sick room, a sound that seemed alien at the time and drew attention to The Lady. @asddas193 Ayrn would be inside the pub to tell the keeper her intentions for the quest. The keeper entertained her enough to give her the last known location of the scouts. “Ah would recommend gettin’ a group to go wit’ ya,” the grizzled Dwarf with the exile’s mark being displayed said, “but g’lick findin’ someone who cares enough to do it. It’s a fat sum of coin, but not many are keen wit’ taken on the beasties on their home field.” And Aryn certainly had options of mercenaries to choose from. That is assuming she didn’t want to tackle it solo. @Omega98 and @Tjf The Regent Lord narrowed his eyes at Jane’s last words and scoffed, “If you’ve seen some of those savages about, do he sure to tell some of the guards, or maybe some of my Daeva escorts. This land is too dangerous to even entertain some of those wretched to know if our wealth and prosperity being ripe for the picking. Already bad enough we have some of the Northalkin and Shi’qae here...they’re barely loyal as it is.” Xanthon then sighed, “But, let us not let the afternoon be nothing but talk about that. As for Golddew itself mi’lady, I am afraid there isn’t much to talk about.” He motioned for his guests to sit as he sits down with them. A little Human girl in a maid’s dress and iron collar came in pushing a cart that had a bottle of wine and a pitcher of water, along with a tray of some biscuits and cheeses. “This town, as prosperous as it is, is still a penal colony. Many of the prisoners are still here toiling away in the mines and construction sights. Lil’ Delilah here was forced to be here due to her parents being blasphemers. They sold her to me so she could at least have an easier life, which I humbly obliged. After all, it’s not her fault.” The little girl didn’t say much of anything and just stayed quiet off to the side, awaiting another order or task. “However, many of the prisoners will be rewarded their freedom once that temple is built and we become an official part of the Theocracy’s reigning territories. However an accident occurs and many of the laborers are being treated for their injuries. Unfortunate, that.”
