Temple Bread
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=<* A10: Temple District *>=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
The air of solemn, heavy divinity in the area is often broken by laughter. The dual presence of the deities Althea and Daeus, man and wife, stand towards the center, with their children and their children's temples positioned around them. The presence of the divine is felt not only by their temples, but also by the actions of their worshipers. The great plaza is as a social center, paved in brilliant, white flagstones and covered in benches and sitting areas. Priests, acolytes, and servicefolk of all stripes roam the plaza, going from one task to the other.
At the front of the temples of Daeus and Althea, at the Plaza's centermost point, rests a great fountain, the cheerful waters reflecting the Sun during the day, and the Moon and Stars at night. The fountain is strategically centered, and is oft a place for wisdom and lesson-giving. It is not uncommon for a priest of some stripe or the other to stand there, surrounded by the curious and faithful, delivering messages of hope or contemplation. At other times, it and the plaza become a landscape of celebration of the holy holidays.
Few vendors are seen in the plaza--the nearby temples provide most food or services. Towards the west, the great Bridge stretches across the river, and towards the east, the Redridge mountains. The plaza rests in the midst of it all, the temples massive and grand on the Alexandrian scale.
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Kerbasi A young priest, cheerful despite his somber garb. 0s 44s
Serraphine Muscular, grey-red skin, and bright yellow eyes. 1s 10m
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Temple of Tarien <TAR> Temple of Serriel <TSE> Temple of Gilead <TG>
Temple of Eluna <TE> Temple of Daeus Temple of Angoron <TAN>
Temple of Althea <TA> North <N> Bridge <W>
Up Mountain Road <NE>
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GAME: You invite Arynel to join you. Offer will expire in two minutes.
Serraphine is walking along between one temple and then the other before stopping outside of the Temple of Serriel. She flicks the ear of the person who's holding the cult poster and on their way to hang it up. "ARVEK RITUAL OF FORGIVNESS! You are forgiven." She nods and continues to look about as if at a bit of a loss.
Arynel has arrived.
I don't see that here.
GAME: You invite Baz da Ork to join you. Offer will expire in two minutes.
Baz da Ork has arrived.
Serraphine is walking along between one temple and then the other before stopping outside of the Temple of Serriel. She flicks the ear of the person who's holding the cult poster and on their way to hang it up. "ARVEK RITUAL OF FORGIVENESS! You are forgiven." She nods and continues to look about as if at a bit of a loss.
The freezing rain seems to not really be in this area, instead it's a light showing with the wind wipping up some of it into flurries from time to time. It's a wonderfully brisk winter day.
The person coming out of the Althean temple isn't Kerbasi. He isn't wearing the robes of the Vardamen. And he totally is not carrying a basket or three of baked goods. And he is not stuffing them into his pockets, as he munches on a sweetbread, and walks down the steps.
He is totally doing all of those things, and he is Kerbasi. The young priest looks worse for the wear, with mud along the hem of his go--his robes, and his workman's boots scuffed and marked. He glances up at the sky though, as though he expects the weather to return at any moment.
Sitting on the edge of the great fountain is a massive Ork. His green skin covered in dull metal armor boast series of triangular spikes along it's expanse. About his hips and shoulders are other oddly shaped spikes, from which a few skulls hang. He's currently dipping one skull, large enough to either be human or dwarf into the foutain itself then sanding it roughly with heat wood from a pine.
Arynel seems to be handling the weather just fine. She just quietly walks through and tilts her head at seeing Kerbasi.....and how he seems worse for wear. She walks her way over, even as Serraphine yells for forgiveness.....and tilts her head. "Mourner? Are you all right?"
Azog has arrived.
Azog walks down the street, wrapped in cloak and furs. He is headed towards the Temple of Angoron.
The person holding the poster grabs their ear and then starts inching away from Serraphine with a bewildered expression. A mumbled sort of expla-- "REPENT!" And she throws her arms up in the air as she towers over the man, then starts running after him while wearing her fullplate, "REPENT!" She yells again until the man breaks into a run at which point she slows down in her clattering metal armor.
A slow turn and the eyes land on Kerbasi and Arynel. She starts clomping over in his direction, as she passes Baz the hand comes up at a ninety degree and she says in a very Alexandrian accent, which sounds very different than the one she was just yelling in, "Hail Traveller!" and still continuing toward "Cookie man!"
Kerbasi looks up as Arynel approaches. He fumbles with the baskets he holds--laden with sweebreads and honeyloaves and other, freshly baked things. "Ah...that is. Yes, why do you ask?" he asks. Kerbasi lowers the baskets of freshly-baked Althean foodstuffs, as though to hide the sheer number of them from sight. THERE IS NOTHING REMARKABLE HERE.
"You haven't happened to run across any soap, have you?" he asks, as he fumbles with them.
Baz da Ork has disconnected.
Arynel tilts her head. "I have not." She then ponders. "It's possible I could find it, if need be." She then ponders a bit. "I asked because you did look a bit weary and.....your robes are dirty." She then looks over towards Serraphine and lowers her head a bit. "Greetings to thee...."
Azog is close enough as he walks by to overhear Kerbasi, and asks, "Soap? I'm sure there was some at the market. I was there this morning..." He'll nod a greeting to Serraphine and Arynel.
"Well...it's more I'd asked Chord Boshter to help with some of the unloadings. After that, the soap seems to have vanished. I'm sure it's just been misplaced," Kerbasi says reasonably. Though perhaps, the comment may conjure images of the Temple of Dead People surviving for even a day without soap.
Which might explain his appearance. Kerbasi looks hopeful as Arynel offers her suggestion. It doesn't stop him from slipping baked goods into his pockets. He just waits you know, until she is turned a bit away.
Serraphine saw it though, saw Kerbasi slip baked goods in. She stares at him, but there was no sign of the coffin cookies. A blink and she frowns, "Cookie man, I need my fixed up coffins for the people at the settlement." A nod, a few really, as she watches him. LIKE A HAW-Oh, she turns and waves at Azog in responds to the nod.
"Hail Traveller." She says back to Azog, then to Arynel. A blink, "The what?"
Arynel's eyes roll playfully at Serraphine's reaction. "never mind." She says before she touches her medallion and actually uses a spell.....it seems to be on herself though......
Azog says to Kerbasi, "Have no fear. Boshter would never steal your soap." He nods gravely. "I think me must have simply put it away someplace. Away, though, for a skillful person like Boshter, may be tough to access." He peers at Serraphine. "Hail, Traveller," he replies.
"Graaah!" Kerbasi jumps as the arvek comes up the stairs. Stealthy, those are. Over six-foot, those are. "I ah, heh. And how may I be of service?" he asks. He's managed to tuck away one of the baskets, though there are still a few more. Many of them are sweet, laden with sugar and spices, or sprinkles of cheese. Others are more garlic, and pepper.
"You would think there would be enough. I'm afraid I just don't know where he's stored it at," he says to Azog, when he can recover, enough. Spooky arveks. No one hears them coming until it's too late!
"Err, the coffin cookies. They are out of them." A nod of her head and then she steps a bit off to the side so that Azog could join into the half-circle about Kerbasi. Best to try and box him in after all. She turns her eyes on Arynel then, a deeper frown.
"But I don't get it." Fi says, "You said Greetings to the. The what? I AM NOT A RAINBOW DEMON LIKE SANDY."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- At a glance around A10: Temple District -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Arynel 0s 5'2" 120 Lb Dawn Elf Female
Blonde Sildanyari with Blue eyes.
Azog 5m 7'0" 350 Lb Orc Male
A huge male orc with long black hair in a topknot.
Kerbasi 0s 6'0" 198 Lb Human Male
A young priest, cheerful despite his somber garb.
Serraphine 9m 6'5" 185 Lb Hobgoblin Female
Muscular, grey-red skin, and bright yellow eyes.
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Arynel is in the middle of casting a spell...can't answer.
Azog fears no boxing in. Close quarters just means he doesn't have to stretch so far to clobber. He says to Kerbasi, "Is there no Detect Soap spell, then? What use are wizards?" he grumbles. To Serraphine, he says, "A rainbow demon? I saw her just yesterday in the woods, hunting demons, and there were no rainbows."
Kerbasi takes advantage of the momentary distraction to pack a few more of the baked goods away. He just...takes one of the loaves, and it vanishes into his pocket, with nary a bulge nor rustle of the fabric. Rinse, repeat, while smiling congenially, that priest's smile that says blessed be the kittens, and praise be the rainbows. "Rainbow demon?" he asks. He doesn't seem to notice that he's being boxed in. Perhaps he's just being urged closer to Azog, because the oruch needs a healing hug. That's it!
Serraphine holds out her back, opens it, and shakes it. The bag looks like it wouldn't be able to hold more than a handful or so of the cookies. She stares at Kerbasi, waiting for coffin-shaped confections with her dour expression quite set. "Yes, Rainbow Demon. Have you not seen the Alexandrian article with the rainbows that shot from the demon's mouth?" A nod of her head.
(New BB message (16/28) posted to 'IC: Alexandrian Tribune' by Tribune Staff: Rainbow Dragon Illustrations Wante)
"...I've not heard of it, I don't think. What does it look like?" Kerbasi asks. He gives Azog an awkward pat on the arm. He IS being shoved that way because the rugged, manly warrior is in need of hugs, right?
He looks inquiringly to Serraphine. And, reluctantly, hands over one of the delicious, buttery garlic breads.
Azog has, perhaps, never been hugged in his life. He doesn't look the type. And oruch mothers are more of the tough love type, at least in his tribe. Very tough love. Not much hugging in the monastery, either. As far as Sandy goes, he says, "I assume that is metaphorical," by which he means lies. He's bad with metahors.
The loaf of bread goes into the open bag and seems to just... disappear into it. She scowls at Kerbasi, "What? Nonono, the coffin cookies! The cookies man!!" She looks toward Azog then with another tilt of her head. She blinks.
"No." Serraphine says, a nod of her head, "I'm sure that she is a demon. She is resistant to holy water however, very strong that one, and she shoots rainbows from her mouth. She is indeed, a Rainbow Demon disguising itself as a novice Sorcerer."
The priest blinks a few--"Oooh. Ah, heh. You know, Acleese has th' recipe for those," he says, possibly dooming the man. "He volunteers out here once a week. Somethin' about the Altheans not tryin' to kill him regularly. ...ah. That reminds me!"
"Do you think you'll be havin' children? It's not that it's any of my business, I suppose, but if it's in th'cards. ...I thought I might get busy on a few of th' gifts," he priest says hopefully because well, of course. PRIEST.
Azog says to Serraphine. "No, I have heard stories of her honorable fights. Demon, she may be, but she chose the city over demons. She kissed them goodbye and killed them," he explains. "It was in the play." He peers at Kerbasi for backup on this. "You've seen the play, I think? You've been in the city longer than I have."
Another shake of the bag and... then she frowns, "Oh. I thought you had them all." She looks toward the direction she expect Acleese to be in. Not that he is, but that's the direction she expects him to be. A turn back and she scratches at her chin. "Hmm." A pause and she looks up and to the side, "He would have to accept the dinner invitation first. Perhaps that's how I will get him to dinner, tell him that his children depend on it." A nod-nod-no
Wait.
"SHE KISSED THEM?!" Serraphine says looking to Azog, "Now it all makes so much more sense! She is the Rainbow Dragon and kisser of demons! OF COURSE SHE'S IMMUNE TO HOLY WATER!"
"Hah! Oh, now that you mention it--! It was a production with the local college, I believe. There was a sort of...there was an oiled man in it, who danced while calling her goddess. I can't remember the details, other than the lady seemed quite fond of it." In the spitting fire, threatening to crucify the crew sort of way!
Kerbasi reaches up, and adjusts his lenses. "You know," he says to the arvek, "You are a very smart woman," he says. He beams, and offers her another garlic bread. Because they're delicious.
(New BB message (10/233) posted to 'RPP Awards' by Job Tracker: A: Duncan: Delving in the Felwood)
Azog shrugs to Serraphine. "Never the less, she is honorable. Whatever other stains you find on her soul, she has great honor. And she is not a man. She told me herself." He nods. He hrms to Kerbasi, and says, "I do not know why she would even go to see it. She has experienced her life. She was there. Why would she need to see it in a play?"
"For fear that they let slip her true nature!" Serraphine says as she flings her free arm up in the air, the other one still holds the bag that the next loaf slips into without growing and - frankly - still looks like it could be empty. She gives the bag another shake in the direction of Kerbasi.
She glances to Kerbasi then, "I am flattered, but you are not Arvek. It would not work."
"Heh. A question for th' Lady, I imagine," Kerbasi says. And then questions turn to Sandy's One True Nature and the young priest find it in him to check the bread baskets again.
"Well!" he says, clasping his hands together. "Well, then. I should be off. I need to see to th' dead, and all of that." And if he doesn't, Serraphine might hip-shove him into hugging Azog, again. And that's just...
...aaawkwaaard. ...