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calderamemes2024-11-29 12:00 am
calderaevents) wrote in calderamemes2024-11-29 12:00 am
TDM #4
ARRIVAL
It happens in an instant. A heavy weight in your gut, a trembling of your limbs, the world spins and you barely have time to register that you're falling before you lose consciousness. And when you awaken, it's not where you were last. Dark, unadorned oak walls surround you in a tiny room, the only furniture the bed you are currently resting upon, and the bedside table with a folded piece of parchment resting atop it that simply reads:
As you exit you find others like yourself emerging from the surrounding rooms. You are indeed in a tavern, but there is no hustle and bustle one might think to hear in such a place. The only person down on the main floor is a humanoid figure wiping down the bar, who smiles when they see you. They're familiar, but not, and you can't quite place their face. For some reason, however, their presence is comforting and warm.
“Welcome, Visitor. I'm sure you have a lot of questions.”
And you most certainly do.
Due to popular demand, the starter tavern and the drinks provided are available to in game characters via a portal accessible only to those with a faction gem.
DRINK MENU
WINTER'S WHISPER A fragrant spiced tea that calms the nerves and inspires the drinker to share their hopes and dreams.
JINGLE BELL A crisp, bright drink...that makes jingling bell sounds as you walk. There are no bells, and yet you jingle.
S(LAY) RIDE This drink has an earthy, woody taste. Almost as woody as the tavern floor it forces you to lie down upon. You cannot get up unless someone else helps you.
MISTLETOE MEAD Made with honey from enchanted bee hives and a touch of mistletoe leaves. Time to find a smoochin' partner!
HOLLY JOLLY SPICE A bold and fiery blend of rum, cinnamon, and cloves with a secret twist—just a dash of enchanted holly berry syrup that makes your cheeks flush with warmth and your laughter contagious. One sip, and you're the life of the party, even if you're by yourself.
CANDY CANE CRUSH A festive burst of minty sweetness with a cool, refreshing sensation that tingles the tongue. The drinker’s mood subtly shifts the color of their surroundings, briefly changing the hues of objects or lights in the room to match their feelings.
GINGERBREAD MAN A thick drink that tastes exactly like a gingerbread cookie. However, candy and other delicious accents start appearing on you as if YOU were the cookie. Is that icing on your nose? Candied cherries in your hair? Gumdrop buttons? But on the bright side, free candy!
JINGLE BELL A crisp, bright drink...that makes jingling bell sounds as you walk. There are no bells, and yet you jingle.
S(LAY) RIDE This drink has an earthy, woody taste. Almost as woody as the tavern floor it forces you to lie down upon. You cannot get up unless someone else helps you.
MISTLETOE MEAD Made with honey from enchanted bee hives and a touch of mistletoe leaves. Time to find a smoochin' partner!
HOLLY JOLLY SPICE A bold and fiery blend of rum, cinnamon, and cloves with a secret twist—just a dash of enchanted holly berry syrup that makes your cheeks flush with warmth and your laughter contagious. One sip, and you're the life of the party, even if you're by yourself.
CANDY CANE CRUSH A festive burst of minty sweetness with a cool, refreshing sensation that tingles the tongue. The drinker’s mood subtly shifts the color of their surroundings, briefly changing the hues of objects or lights in the room to match their feelings.
GINGERBREAD MAN A thick drink that tastes exactly like a gingerbread cookie. However, candy and other delicious accents start appearing on you as if YOU were the cookie. Is that icing on your nose? Candied cherries in your hair? Gumdrop buttons? But on the bright side, free candy!
CHOOSE YOUR DESTINY
As the effects of your drink wear off, the Tavernkeeper speaks once more:
You are compelled to walk through the only door leading out of the tavern, finding yourself not outside, but in a deep black, seemingly endless room with five portals arranged in a circle. As the last of you leave and the door closes behind you, gone when you look back again and replaced with nothing but that black void, three of the portals illuminate:
The first portal is surrounded by an almost blinding light, prismatic rainbows shining brightly in the dewy air outside of the tavern. A soft breeze may gently caress you, pulling you toward it. The portal seems to lead to a city in the clouds, airships and winged beings of all sorts soaring through the skies. Of the little bits of visible land, much of it boasts giant waterfalls that look like clouds melting into the land below. The portal calls to those who crave independence and freedom; and especially to anyone that wishes to find the strong bond of a family not forged in blood.
The second portal is encircled by a fairy ring of spotted white capped mushrooms, the faint scent of damp stone and rich earth wafting from within the faint green glow. Peering inside, one can see a sprawling harbor city of gray hewn stone, a melting pot of humanoid beings going about their day, and beyond, rolling green farmland and cottages clustered in small villages. This portal is destined for those who crave stability and solid ground beneath their feet. A simple life, an adventurous one, and everything in between can be found within.
The last portal is adorned with shells and seaweed, the glow of blue around it catching on droplets cascading down the circular opening. Beyond it you see a city housed inside a massive bubble deep under the ocean, spiraling towers encrusted with coral, and a variety of different creatures mingling about the streets. Outside of that bubble, merfolk swim, a massive squid engulfs the view from the portal as it smoothly glides through the water, and schools of fish disperse as it passes. A sanctuary in the sea that calls to those with a hunger for knowledge and a desire to aid those in need. Or perhaps it is the mystery that beckons you - the lure of the unknown in the depths that bids you explore it.
Upon following the pull of the breeze through the first portal, you are thrust into the beauty of a lively city that goes by the name of Heaven's Bow. Much of this main city feels exactly as you would expect on a city below, but there are clouds surrounding every direction you look. The walls of buildings are made with light-colored limestone, and buildings are generally built up to heights made even more grandiose by their position in the sky.
The Skyfall Docks are the first thing you notice, boasting hundreds of airships sailing in and out across the clouds with shouts that accompany a typical port city. Just outside is a fantastic market with goods not only from the other regions of Caldera, but from what some shopkeepers claim are other worlds--items sold or left behind by Visitors. Almost anything can be found in the markets if one is willing to look hard enough. Transport to other locations throughout the sky and even to the land or sea can be found here.
If the docks are too lively for you, you may instead find yourself roaming the underbelly of Heaven's Bow and finding brothels and gambling parlors filled with the promise of pleasure and fortune. The guild house for the Sylphs can be found here as well, giving out quests and training to prospective adventurers and guards alike--though none of them seem concerned with the illicit activities that surround them. Perhaps the freedom the Sylphs boast of extends to what others may deem an undesirable activity.
But most curious of all, you find a shimmering opal gemstone in your hand. When placed anywhere on the body, it will transform into a piece of jewelry with the gemstone set in the center.
If it was the second portal that called to you, you will find yourself in the busy city of Grey Ward, with its cobblestone streets and sturdy grey stone buildings. You are in the heart of the city, the Glass Market, so named for the colorful stained glass windows of the surrounding buildings. The scent of cooking food and the sound of barkers fills the air; watchful guards keep an eye out for pickpockets and thieves, and citizens go about their day. From here, one can investigate the rest of the city: the Sundown Docks, where both sea and sky faring skips transport people and goods. The Soot Spire, home of inventors and engineers. The Hearthstill, the main residential area. The Downs, a smaller residential area for those with less means.
Outside the city walls, one can explore acres of farmlands to the east and west, or follow Terra’s Pass to the less settled areas, but take care. Past the Skyward Range, out in the smaller burrows and villages, the influence of the city guard diminishes quickly, and you’ll have to keep your wits about you. Bandits along the road are always a risk, and the wildlife are less controlled by regimented hunting.
In your hand is a gemstone, a brilliantly green emerald that, when placed anywhere on the body, will transform into a piece of jewelry with the gemstone set in the center.
If the last portal beckoned you through it, you find yourself within that bubble covered city beneath the sea, the city of Salt Spire. Your ears pop with the change in pressure, and the smell of the salty sea fills your nostrils. All around you buildings made of dark stone encrusted with coral and seagrass tower high above your head, the backdrop outside the dome a deep blue, seemingly endless sea filled with fish and merfolk and all other manner of creature swimming through the water. You stand in the heart of it all, surrounded by people with gils on their necks and scales upon their vibrantly colored skin, all of whom seem intrigued by your arrival. You have many options of where to visit in the city under the sea, but where oh where will you go first?
The Salt Spire Library is right before you, an impossibly large building housing thousands upon thousands of books of all genres. Fiction, non-fiction, romance and mystery and all between. You may even find books from your world and others! Oddly enough though, no Calderan history books are to be found, and if you ask for them, the librarians and locals all choose to ignore your questions.
If scholarly pursuits aren't to your interest currently, perhaps a trip to Bluetide Market would be more your style? The marketplace is host to every manner of shop one might ever need: artisans of all varieties, apothecaries and healers in the Shimmer Quarter, the most in fashion undersea clothing shops, food stalls, and all between can be found in Bluetide. There are also the Tideshore and Fogbottom docks on either end of the city. The former allows transport to the surface via large, magical bubbles for those that cannot hold their breath or make the swim themselves yet. The latter allows people to venture further into the sea. Those without their underwater abilities are offered rebreathers for travel that last for four hours before needing to be replaced.
In your hand is a gemstone, a shining sapphire that, when placed anywhere on the body, will transform into a piece of jewelry with the gemstone set in the center.
Visitors in all starter cities are offered a standard home with basic necessities provided (your choice in design, etc.) that can house 1-4 people if they so choose. Home upgrades can be purchased via rewards.
FANNING THE FLAMES
The renewed seething of the lava flows brought on by the tempestuous events deep below the sea seem to have been dealt with, though city guards have been stationed around the crater and are barring anyone from approaching to investigate any further than the outskirts. Interestingly, not only does the crater seem calm, it appears to be changing. Any remaining lava flow is being directed as if by unseen hands, and when the light catches just right, the barest hint of a shimmer can be detected surrounding the glowing rivers. New rock formations take shape as the days pass, though one never can catch the presence of a mason working on the structures. It's as if something intangible or invisible is repairing what was broken, turning what was previously chaos and ruin into order and life.
SEASON OF LIGHT
The world remains unsettled, still bearing the scars of the trials endured just a month prior, not to mention the oddities happening with the volcanic crater and the ominous shadows creeping in from the sea continue to haunt the collective psyche, leaving both locals and visitors on constant edge, fearful of a sudden, unprovoked assault. Despite these lingering anxieties, the leaders have publicly reassured all that calm has been restored. They claim that the worst is behind them and that every measure is being taken to prevent such devastating magics from ever threatening Salt Spire again. The protective bubble holds, new Undine are being ushered into their roles, and the world, it is said, is slowly healing. Or so they claim.
Whether or not the assurances of the leaders ring entirely true, life, as it often does, presses on. The people of Caldera have once again immersed themselves in the comforting bustle of distraction, turning their attention to the imminent Season of Lights celebrations. This holiday, it seems, bears a striking resemblance to the festive cheer of Christmas (and a mix of new years), with gifts exchanged in abundance and decorations of shimmering silver and radiant blue casting their glow across the sky, sea, and land in harmonious splendor.
One of the seasons's highlights is the grand Feast of the Sky, a night when the people gather beneath a star-filled canopy to exchange gifts—ornate trinkets, hand-crafted items, and tokens of affection that carry deep personal meaning. In the days leading up to the feast, a tradition of "Lightwalking" emerges, where families and friends embark on midnight strolls through streets aglow with lanterns, singing carols and sharing stories of hope and renewal. Sea-going vessels, too, partake in the festivities, their sails and riggings festooned with glowing orbs that drift like stars across the waters.
The Season of Lights is, above all, a celebration of resilience, a time when the people of Caldera set aside their worries, if only for a little while, to bask in the glow of community, generosity, and the promise of brighter days ahead thanks to the Visitor's arrival...
Whether or not the assurances of the leaders ring entirely true, life, as it often does, presses on. The people of Caldera have once again immersed themselves in the comforting bustle of distraction, turning their attention to the imminent Season of Lights celebrations. This holiday, it seems, bears a striking resemblance to the festive cheer of Christmas (and a mix of new years), with gifts exchanged in abundance and decorations of shimmering silver and radiant blue casting their glow across the sky, sea, and land in harmonious splendor.
One of the seasons's highlights is the grand Feast of the Sky, a night when the people gather beneath a star-filled canopy to exchange gifts—ornate trinkets, hand-crafted items, and tokens of affection that carry deep personal meaning. In the days leading up to the feast, a tradition of "Lightwalking" emerges, where families and friends embark on midnight strolls through streets aglow with lanterns, singing carols and sharing stories of hope and renewal. Sea-going vessels, too, partake in the festivities, their sails and riggings festooned with glowing orbs that drift like stars across the waters.
The Season of Lights is, above all, a celebration of resilience, a time when the people of Caldera set aside their worries, if only for a little while, to bask in the glow of community, generosity, and the promise of brighter days ahead thanks to the Visitor's arrival...
THE GRAND MASQUERADE
Another highlight of the season is the Grand Masquerade that unfolds high above the world in Heaven’s Bow, the floating city where the wind dances in the sky and the stars seem close enough to touch. The event is more than just a celebration of the Season of Lights—it’s a gathering of hope, a last-ditch effort to save Caldera from its slow unraveling. Here, among the clouds and the wind, the people of Caldera and the mysterious Visitors from other worlds come together in a shimmering, ethereal celebration, their faces hidden behind elaborate masks and appropriately fancy dress provided when one steps through the threshold of the castle gates.
The palace at the heart of Heaven’s Bow is a breathtaking sight, its walls adorned with silver and blue decorations that catch the light from thousands of lanterns floating in mid-air. The atmosphere is both jubilant and tense, a world on the brink of collapse holding its breath in the hopes that this fleeting night will offer a glimmer of salvation. The sky above is painted with the colors of dusk and dawn, swirling in a palette of purples, blues, and silvers.
Sylphs—the free-spirited, airborn people of the Sky—flutter about, their wings glinting in the light, performing acrobatic feats in the air, their laughter and music mingling with the sounds of the celebration. Guests, their masks intricate and stunning, move among the crowd, exchanging pleasantries and stories, some joining in the dances while others linger near the grand tables, laden with food and drink from every corner of Caldera and beyond.
As the night unfolds, the guests find themselves drawn into different corners of the event—each space offering the Visitors a chance to prove themselves worthy of the leaders’ favor. There is no shortage of opportunities to learn, grow, and, perhaps, change the course of this dying world.
The palace at the heart of Heaven’s Bow is a breathtaking sight, its walls adorned with silver and blue decorations that catch the light from thousands of lanterns floating in mid-air. The atmosphere is both jubilant and tense, a world on the brink of collapse holding its breath in the hopes that this fleeting night will offer a glimmer of salvation. The sky above is painted with the colors of dusk and dawn, swirling in a palette of purples, blues, and silvers.
Sylphs—the free-spirited, airborn people of the Sky—flutter about, their wings glinting in the light, performing acrobatic feats in the air, their laughter and music mingling with the sounds of the celebration. Guests, their masks intricate and stunning, move among the crowd, exchanging pleasantries and stories, some joining in the dances while others linger near the grand tables, laden with food and drink from every corner of Caldera and beyond.
As the night unfolds, the guests find themselves drawn into different corners of the event—each space offering the Visitors a chance to prove themselves worthy of the leaders’ favor. There is no shortage of opportunities to learn, grow, and, perhaps, change the course of this dying world.
THE SKY'S ASCENSION
At one end of the palace's terrace, a floating platform hovers above the clouds, surrounded by shifting air currents. Sylphs glide effortlessly through the space, their wings leaving trails of light as they move to the lively music, which seems written by the wind itself.
Aella, Admiral of the Slyph, stands at the center of the platform, her cloak of shimmering feathers rippling in the breeze. She surveys the crowd, inviting those brave enough to take part in her challenge. Before them, a maze of floating platforms stretches out, some wide and stable, others narrow and swaying in the wind. The task is simple: leap from one platform to the next, navigating the shifting air and ever-changing obstacles.
The platforms move unpredictably, some rising higher, others sinking, and a few disappearing entirely. Guests must time their jumps perfectly, balancing agility with timing as they avoid falling into the clouds below.
Those who succeed will earn Aella’s favor (in the form of 100 Bones and a single white feather). And those who falter will simply reappear the start of the challenge to begin anew or give up with no repercussions for the latter save perhaps a bit of embarrassment.
THE SEA'S SECRETS
On the other side of the terrace, a serene water garden unfolds, its shimmering pools reflecting the stars above. Water flows in delicate, endless cascades, filling the air with a soft, soothing melody that mingles with the distant sound of waves. The Undines, graceful and serene beings of the Sea, glide effortlessly through the space, their robes flowing like gentle currents, their movements as fluid as the water itself.
Cordelia, Queen of the Sea, stands quietly on a raised platform at the edge of the garden, her presence calm and powerful. Her eyes, deep and unfathomable, seem to reflect the vastness of the ocean, and though she watches the guests, she does not engage with them. Her stillness holds an air of mystery, as if she is both present and yet unreachable.
The Undines move silently through the garden, offering peaceful company to those who wander nearby. The garden is a place of contemplation, where guests can simply pause and connect with the tranquil beauty of the water—its soothing flow, its quiet depths, and its promise of renewal. There are no tests or challenges here, only the peace of the Sea to calm the mind and soul.
Those who linger may feel the weight of ancient knowledge in the air, a silent understanding of the oceans' mysteries and the healing power of water. In this place, the answers are not spoken, but felt—a quiet reminder that some of the world’s deepest truths are best discovered in moments of stillness.
As the evening fades, those who have found solace in the garden’s stillness will discover, tucked gently in their palm, a lustrous pearl. Unlike any found on the shores, this pearl is soft and warm, its surface shimmering with an inner light. It is a symbol of the wisdom that comes from quiet reflection—the knowledge that some things, like the depth of the sea, cannot be rushed.
Cordelia, Queen of the Sea, stands quietly on a raised platform at the edge of the garden, her presence calm and powerful. Her eyes, deep and unfathomable, seem to reflect the vastness of the ocean, and though she watches the guests, she does not engage with them. Her stillness holds an air of mystery, as if she is both present and yet unreachable.
The Undines move silently through the garden, offering peaceful company to those who wander nearby. The garden is a place of contemplation, where guests can simply pause and connect with the tranquil beauty of the water—its soothing flow, its quiet depths, and its promise of renewal. There are no tests or challenges here, only the peace of the Sea to calm the mind and soul.
Those who linger may feel the weight of ancient knowledge in the air, a silent understanding of the oceans' mysteries and the healing power of water. In this place, the answers are not spoken, but felt—a quiet reminder that some of the world’s deepest truths are best discovered in moments of stillness.
As the evening fades, those who have found solace in the garden’s stillness will discover, tucked gently in their palm, a lustrous pearl. Unlike any found on the shores, this pearl is soft and warm, its surface shimmering with an inner light. It is a symbol of the wisdom that comes from quiet reflection—the knowledge that some things, like the depth of the sea, cannot be rushed.
THE LAND'S EMBRACE
In the heart of the palace gardens, beneath a canopy of flowering trees, the Dryads drift gracefully among the guests, their earthy skin glowing with life and their eyes bright with the vitality of nature. The air is thick with the scent of blooming roses and jasmine, while the ground beneath the guests' feet pulses with a quiet energy, inviting them to pause and feel the garden’s magic.
Terra, the Lady of the Land, stands at the center, her form adorned in living vines and blossoms, moving as if the garden itself flows through her. Her presence is both nurturing and fierce, a silent invitation to those seeking connection—to the land, to love, and to one another.
Guests are drawn to the tranquil beauty of the garden, stealing soft moments with their partners among the flowers. Lovers exchange quiet glances, touch petals with gentle fingers, and share unspoken promises beneath the soft glow of lanterns. The garden hums with romance, as if the earth itself is blessing these tender moments, offering the quiet assurance that love—like the land—can grow in the most unexpected places.
As the night draws to a close, Terra’s gentle power is felt in the air, and for those who have taken the time to connect with the garden’s beauty, a soft gift of nature is bestowed. A flower—unique and radiant—appears in their hand, a token of love and growth, a reminder that even the briefest moments can take root and blossom into something everlasting.
QUESTBOARD [NEW QUESTS ADDED]
Settled in? Good. It's time to make your way to the Questboard located in every city in numerous, easy to access locations. That is, if you want to make any kind of impact on the world or just get some Bones for anything you might wish to purchase. Visitors are given a very small stipend in which to survive every month, but all it does is keep you fed and housed. These quests will assure you greater wealth, and they're the main reason you're here: each finished quest helps the Calderans fix their shattering world.
Quests can be accepted at the questboard via magically signed parchment upon the board. Just sign your name to accept and the paper will be whisked away... somewhere. You're not actually sure. Probably nothing to concern yourself with.
Once quests are completed, earned Bones will be dropped off at the character's residence by Bonita, the mysterious artisan who has supposedly handcrafted every Bone circulating in Caldera. Please do not speak to her, she startles easily.
OOC NOTES
Welcome to Caldera's fourth TDM! All characters awaken in a strange tavern with nothing save the clothes on their backs, all of their powers stripped, and a piece of parchment directing them downstairs to the Tavernkeeper. There is a thread of all questions answered by the Tavernkeeper here, and if you have more, feel free to ask there for what would be offered ICly.
For OOC questions, please direct themhere.
All locations are available to be explored!
The TDM is game canon and all completed quests can be carried over once accepted into the game.
main navigation
For OOC questions, please direct themhere.
All locations are available to be explored!
The TDM is game canon and all completed quests can be carried over once accepted into the game.
no subject
We just need to figure out which Chaos god is ascendant. [He heard your maybe as an enthusiastic yes. He will figure this out. ] Are there people here who crave the pleasures of the flesh? Or embrace pestilence and disease? [Or maybe both? Maybe there's a Nurgle/Slaanesh combo platter here. ]
no subject
[Look, he kind of respect your enthusiasm but that's not really what he meant. Still he'll awnser the questions in any case.] I don't think so? Not more than humans are normaly given to in any case, I think? But seeing that my people are a bit different in that regard I can't really say what'd count as normal for humans. [For his people are positively chaste in comparison. And, in fact, once they've been married for a long enough time the urge seems to leave them completely in favor of a more spiritual type of intimacy.] There haven't been much in the way of pestilence or disease either... but once again I would not be able to be entirely sure. My people don't get sick, you see? But I can at least be sure that no one I've interacted with has been enthusiastic at the prospect of getting sick.
no subject
[This is a LOT for his tiny brain to take on. Please have patience.] Why would you refuse your responsibilities? [Not blaming just asking. ]
[Well, this is inconvenient. He was counting on you to know these things. ] I do not know either. How can we be sure they are not contaminated by Slaanesh's vile touch?
My kind is also immune from disease, save those of the God of Pestilence himself. Sometimes. [
or so he thinks]This proves nothing other than that they do not--yet--have total control over anyone here.
no subject
[That's easy. After having to deal with six brothers and nine cousins patience is a thing he has in abundance. And the question is a fair one, he'd say.] I did not refuse them. Say rather that I fullfilled them the best I could. As High King my duty was to make the best deciscions on behalf of my people and my father had left me with many... complications to solve.
[He sighs.] My father was many things but a good High King was not one of them. His disdain for his half-brothers led him to make many rash and unforgivable deciscions. One of them was to strand my uncle and the better part of our army on the other side of an ocean. A deciscion I had opposed but been unable to stop and which led to much death and suffering. As my father had already passed by the time they reached us it fell upon me to set things right.
I had to make a choice... to let things escalate into a civil war or to give up the crown. The choice was an easy one for I knew my uncle would rule much as I myself would have. [To him it had been the most pragmatic solution at hand.]
Well, since people are not so engaged in it that they are distracted from their day to day chores and responsibilities I think it's safe enough to assume it is not beyond the ordinary. [It's not like he's made a study of mortal mating habits.]
Or that perhaps other forces are at work. Different worlds opens the door for other possibilities... [Just as long as it's not Morgoth he's going to take it in stride. For if that particular evil pops it's head in he'll probably turn just as dogmatic an unyielding as Gadriel.]
OMG Gadriel needs you after this disaster he created in town.
Our Emperor scattered his sons across the Imperium, doubtless to avoid such strife.
It did not work. His favored son became his traitor. Our emperor chose to fight Horus himself. [It...didn't go great. The Emperor is still technically alive, if by alive you mean 'fed the souls of a thousand psykers a day so he can maintain the psychic network of the Empire but he can't move or speak. ]
The Emperor sacrificed much of his life force to save the Empire he created. If he had not, we would all have fallen into ruin. What matters is that the kingdom holds. [He ain't judging, bro.]
We shall see. I do not trust any manifestation of Chaos in this place. Many of the Chaos gods are cunning in ways that are hard to parse.
He's going to get such a headache when he learns about that...
Perhaps it would have been better if father and uncle Nolofinwe grew up so seperated. Not that I blame my uncle for giving as good as he got... but perhaps some distance would have made my father think more fondly of his brothers. [If only because he could have thought of them in more abstract terms.]
I am sorry to hear that. Treachery is a bitter chalice to drink from, especially when it comes from one so close. [The treachery of Ulfang and the Easterlings had stung badly enough, he can't imagine how it would feel if it had come from someone much closer to his heart.]
Duty is sacrifice, I think. We just don't always see what it is that's going to be demanded of us before the time comes. [He nods in approval.] Aye. That is what matters. My brothers did not understand it, and the fault for that is at least partialy my own. I should perhaps not have shielded them as much as I did from the duties and responsibilities of the court... [But he'd not wanted them to have to give away as much of themselves as he himself had done at times.] Still, I have no regrets about my abdication. It was the correct choice.
My advice would be to take some time to simply observe. If it is as you say even the most cunning of evils will show itself in time, it is simply not in it's nature to stay silent and dormant for too long. But if it is not, and there are other forces at play, observing and gathering information might well be the best course of action. [Patience, dear human, is the key. He knows it does not come easy to your kind but you should try it. For it often saves one from making too much of an ass of oneself when an assumption is proven wrong.]
He did listen to you and not attack anyone. it didn't work out so hot.
The best one can do is the course that leaves you with no regrets. That is rarely possible. So, the fewest after that. [ He's just being practical. He had no regrets about becoming a Space Marine. Not really.]
It is not in my nature to sit quietly and observe evil as it ensares innocents. [What is he supposed to do, just watch others fall to Chaos?][ooc: oops lmao]
He kind of gets the feeling like they aren't exactly on the same page on what counts as an 'attack'
That is so. Life is rarely kind enough to leave one with no regrets, I agree. [For it's certainly not been kind enough to him to leave him with no or even few regrets.] But One should always be grateful that another stone is not added to the proverbial load.
That is not what I mean. But running headlong into things before you have a good grasp on the situation often creates more problems than it solves. [Be patient? Make sure they are actually falling to Chaos before you act?]
He used his words! Isn't that what you wanted? GOSH.
Your kindom was stable after you left, yes? [That was a big matter.] You discharged your duty with honor. What other could gainsay that?
[He gets it? but he also doesn't get it.] But then you lose the element of surprise.
He'd have liked it better if you kept using your words for a bit longer than that...
Under my uncle we enjoyed the Long Peace that lasted for centuries and when he died he did so only after wounding our Enemy so badly he limped ever after. The Kings that came after him too served well and of our current High King I have only great respect. Despite his youth he comported himself well in the War of Wrath and now he'll get to lead our people in peace now that Morgoth has been cast down. [So he has no regrets when it comes to that either. It may not have been perfect stability. Such things did not exist in war, but they persevered and that was enough.] Now it is time for other stories to be told. They no longer need an old remnant like myself hovering over them as they build a new future for our people. I am... at peace with things. I know they will do well and that is enough for me.
A thing that must at times be sacrificed to make sure one does not make a mistake. Things are different here than in my own world, it might be different from yours as well... which means what might be an appropriate course of action in our own worlds might be the worst one to take here.
Counterpoint: OR maybe words SUCK since they got him almost killed.
[Maedhros is probably trying to impart something useful here but all Gadriel hears is this:] Your lineage is long with warriors.
But that's not right. We keep our oldest brothers as sources of great wisdom and counsel. [Sure, they're little bits of the people they once were, now wired up to horrific life support and wired into giant dreadnoughts, but they were, in fact, any chapter's Venerable Brothers.] You should have been held with more respect.
In any world, it should be simple. There is life. There is death. There are those who try to destroy life. They need to die. [So simple a child could grasp it.]
He's pretty sure him chasing after someone like a maniac is what almost got him killed...
[Well... he's not wrong.] It is. Though I hope my foster sons will have peace enough in their lives that they need not devote themselves wholly to such skills.
I don't doubt parts of my stories will live on. But it is a new age that is dawning. [A better one, hopefully.] I'd not like them to dwell overlong on me when they have lives to live and their own stories to write.
[Simple, yes. But that's part of the problem. It's too simple. Life is too complicated for such simple solutions most of the time.] In my world death was not meant to be such a frightening thing. It was Eru's gift to Men, but Morgoth found the humans first and so he twisted it in their minds and made it a violent and frightful thing. Your kind was meant to go to him afterwards, to dwell with him in the Timeless Halls until the Second Music when all things would be turned to right.
Maybe the other guy shouldn't have run then.
It is the wish of the Emperor, too, which is why he has created his Angels, so that his other subjects may live in peace. [Relative peace, like Macragge, which is a pastoral beautiful homeworld. Not a hive planet.]
If they are allowed to forget, they will learn the lessons a second time. [It's why every Chapter studies the history of the Heresy and the Indomitus Crusades. So that they might avoid repeating those lessons.]
Death is one's duty, to be given in service to humanity. And with luck escape the snares of the Warp. It is nothing to be afraid of, to either deal or receive. [If you lived on a battle barge where half the servitors were lobotomized failed Astartes and the other half died on a regular basis...death wouldn't seem so scary.]
My dude... who in their right mind wouldn't have when you were acting like THAT?
All fathers hope for that, I think... at least the good ones do. Even though they sometimes must face the harsh truth that it is not always a thing that can be avoided. [Which is why he made damned sure the twins learned everything he knew to teach them about fighting and warfare.]
They'll remember the important bits. They'll remember what started the war and the suffering that came from the betrayal of kin against kin. Those are the lessons that need to stick. [Wheteher he was remembered or not mattered less.] And, considering my people do not leave the world after death. If they forget I suppose I could haunt them as a housless spirit, though I'd much rather rest from the trials and tribulations of my life than do that.
It can be. [Not all deaths are, of course, but some are a duty.] The Warp? [Ok, now you've lost him a little bit...]
Like...some guy trying to protect them from having their tasty souls devoured by an evil elf?
[NEGL you could have done more. Like, what? No extra organs?]
That is not enough to keep them alive. Just knowing that evil exists without teaching them how to fight it makes them victims.
[Wait. What?] You do not leave? You do not leave and return? That is the fate of servitors, we are told--that their souls, like their bodies, are recycled to a greater purpose.
The Warp> The Immaterium. A place of dark energy, where sorcery is the very air you breathe. It is a place of nightmares.
[ooc so you good with a network post? y/n/muffins?]
That would only be a good excuse if someone was ACTUALLY attempting to devour anyones soul
[How dare you? He'd never change his prescious little half-elven kidnap sons like that!]
What makes you think I did not teach them how to fight? By the time I sent them away to the High King I'd taught them all I knew and they could hold their own against me in a fight. [Which means fighting pretty much anything or anyone else will be a breeze to them.]
My peoples souls are bound to the very world we live on, as long as it persists so to do we. [He is actually a little bit jelous of humans for being allowed to do so.] Most of us go into the Halls of Waiting to rest and heal before eventually being reembodied... but some simply linger in the places of their death as housless spirits.
...Sounds like Angband.
[ooc: I'm good with it.]
how was he supposed to know she wasn't? He's not a psyker! she could have been *nibbling* daintily
[Fair question, and Gadriel considers for a moment before he gives an answer. Thinking before he speaks? WHAT?] You. You do not seem to have the necessary hardness to train warriors. [Bro you're way too nice to be an Ultramarine.] You cannot be kind to recruits, because war is never kind.
How do you [Wait.] Are you planetbound? You cannot travel the stars? I can see why you would fight so hard for your home. [Instead of exterminatusing it from space like the Inquisition tends to favor.]
How could he not know? Is this disconect from his soul a human thing?
[He wonders bemusedly if he should take offence at that but he's just to amused that Gadriel thinks his general kindness prevents him from being a harsh taskmaster in other areas of his life.] Looks can be decieving. I prefer to be kind when and where I can, but what is kindness in one circumstance is anything but in another. Himring was a harsh and dangerous place and so I could not afford to be soft with those who served under me there. It would not have been a kindness had I done so. [You only think that because you haven't seen him in battle yet. There's a reason he used to send the orcs running the moment he showed his face on the field.] I can assure you I was a very harsh taskmaster.
Planetbound? [Travel the stars?] I do believe we are... but that has little to do with what I speak of, I think? Our souls are linked to the world in a way humans are not. When you die you do not linger. You go someplace else. [He's pretty sure no elf would do any 'exterminatusing' even if they had that sort of technology.]
Gadriel isn't really the guy to ask about normal human anything
I will take your word for it. [Who's going to say to a high king that he was lying? Not Gadriel. ] It is terrible enough to send brothers into battle without standing beside them. I cannot imagine how any Primarch feels sending his own sons.
That is the theory. I do not know for certain. Death is the end of our duty. That is all I know. This is a matter for Chaplains and I do not want to speak wrongly.
Probably not. Still... an Elf would know if their soul was being munched on
[He can tell you don't believe him. That's fine though, he knew he could back it up if ever asked for proof.] It is not a good feeling, I can tell you that much. I watched those boys grow and nurtured them as best I could... it tore at my heart to send them away but it had to be done. I knew I did not have long left before I'd need to leave them anyways. This way at least I'd known I'd given them the best chance I could.
No one knows. Not even Mandos knows where your kind goes, or if he does he does not speak of it. We have theories, sure. But we do not know.