TDM #4

[calderaevents]

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:

“The Tavernkeeper is awaiting your arrival downstairs.”

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!

CHOOSE YOUR DESTINY

As the effects of your drink wear off, the Tavernkeeper speaks once more:

”It is time, my friends, for you to find your new homes.”

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...

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 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.

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.

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Comments

no no heresy is BAD!!

[thecodexabides]

This is true. Many are unworthy to serve in the fight against our enemies. [Only the rare few can survive the process of becoming a Space Marine, after all. Everyone else is just...weak. Confirmed.]

You have completed your duty there? [Maybe he's envious. To have fulfilled one's duty is the highest honor. ]

They must store them somewhere. [And if he figures out where all he'll need is a huge derelict Astartes warship to aim at it. Solved. ] It would gall me to have to perform as some entertainment for these foul creatures of Chaos.

Not if the powers that be are STUPID!

[holdshisown]

[Maedhros just raises a questioning eyebrow at that. Humans can be so incredibly strange at times. That is not even remotely close to the point he was trying to make.] I'm just glad they don't have to go through the horror of it.

Yes. For better or worse I have done my duty there and my story has come to it's end. [Time for others to take his place and usher in a brighter future. There might be a touch of melancholy in his voice but otherwise he seems quite at peace with it.]

Of course they must. But where? Certainly not here, since I doubt they are so foolish as to leave our weapons and such so close at hand when we will no doubt be more prone to act out. [That would just be stupid of them.] I doubt anyone likes it. But there are many things in life that are unpalatable that still needs to be done to achieve your objective.

The glorious emperor is never stupid HDU

[thecodexabides]

[The jury is still out on if Astartes can still be considered human. Gadriel thinks himself, clearly, better than humans. Humans are fallible and blasphemous, even the 'good' ones like the Cadians.] There are worse horrors. Being helpless in the face of unnameable evil is worse.

Then you have nothing to regret. [If you did your sworn duty, all is well.] I hope one day to do the same.

Then they likely keep them in the Immaterium. Chaos itself. [He KNEW it. It all makes sense now. He may in fact just act out anyway. ] Chaos can never force me to betray my cause.

He'll need proof of that to believe it

[holdshisown]

[Humans are humans in Maedhros's opinion and he'd be unlikely to see Gadriel as anything but that, though he might humor him in the same way he'd do a child if he were to claim to be otherwise.] No doubt there is, I might even have lived through a few of them myself, but it does not change that war is a great enough horror on it's own.

I have many regrets. One does not grow as old as I without accumulating a few of them over the years. [Nothing is well. But he's long since come to terms with the fact that his life was unlikely to have a happy ending.] Duty is a heavy thing to carry, yet carry it we must. To do otherwise is unthinkable.

I do not know what that is, but considering we are likely from vastly different worlds that's hardly a surprise. [Please don't act out. He's going to have to knock you out if you do something that stupid and unproductive.] Might be best to make sure it truly is this Chaos before you do something rash. Nothing wrong with observing and gathering what information you can before you take action.

Well, uh, the Emperor is kind of hard to reach RN.

[thecodexabides]

War is an honor. To destroy the enemies of the Imperium and rout heresy is the highest honor. [So says the ten thousand years of psychoindoctrination he's been through.] If war is the worst horror you can imagine, you have lived a sheltered life.

If you died well, what is to regret? [Nothing, obviously. The only regret would be falling to Chaos. ]

[The Gadriel Does Something Stupid issue is a question more of a when than an if. Still, not quite yet. He gives a huff. Assenting, but really not happy about it. It makes sense, but while the Astartes have many virtues and multiple extra organs, not a single one of them imbues them with patience. ] They will reveal themselves before long.

Then he'll continue to be sceptical

[holdshisown]

War is war. Sometimes necessary but always an unfortunate thing. [Maedhros turns cold and ancient eyes upon this human that thinks he can lecture him about war and it's horrors.] When I was young I did. But there have passed millenia since then and the rest of my life has not been sheltered in any way. But I am old. Too old to believe in the lie that war is anything but a horror.

First and foremost I regret not being by my grandfathers side when the Enemy slew him. He should not have had to die alone. [As for the rest he does not know this human well enough to share those regrets.]

[Better not do it around Maedhros then. He has come to care quite a lot about some of the people here and if Gadriel were to do anything he thought might cause a threat to them he's not above using his sword to remove that threat.] One can only hope. But at least if they do we'll be able to glean some information from it.

and so we're back to HERESY.

[thecodexabides]

[Gadriel is willing to agree to disagree on this, by which he means--tolerate that you're absolutely WRONG. ] War is where we prove ourselves. War is where we protect our brothers. War is where we lay down our lives so others might survive.

Are you saying you would prefer to have died alongside your ancestor? [It does sound like it. Gadriel's loyalty to his family is nothing to his devotion to his fellow Ultramarines. ] And you say you do not understand honor. [That wasn't what the other one had said at all, but that's how Gadriel understood it.]

[Gadriel did not get where he was by being afraid of mere swords. Or doing ill-advised things with poor timelines and minimal chance of success. He would not try to harm bystanders...but he wouldn't lose too much sleep over them. Collateral damage. ] And how long have you been trapped here and learned next to nothing? [Tsk tsk. This is why Astartes are needed. To get results where mere mortals cannot.]

He's a Fëanorion, of course he has no respect for any sort of religious dogma

[holdshisown]

[And he'll only agree that Gadriel is basicaly a toddler and so nothing he says on the matter should be taken seriously.] War is a bloody mire where hope goes to die. War is desperation and starvation and the despoiling of the very land it is fought upon. Sometimes it's the only option left to you to prevent greater horrors, but it is not a thing one should venerate.

Mayhaps. I likely would not have been able to change anything had I been there, but he was my grandfather and my king and he should not have had to die alone. [Finwe had deserved better than that and even though Maedhros had had no reason to believe he was in danger back then he'll always consider it a failure on his part that he was not there.] I do understand it. It is just likely we do not exactly agree upon what it means. Different worlds and cultures does tend to color the way we view these things.

[It might do him well to be a little bit wary of a pissed of elf wielding a sword. Especially one that was as effective a killer as Maedhros was. But as long as he kept from doing anything stupid it was a moot point.] Since the end of summer. Barely even the blink of an eye the way my people would see it. [Who said he'd learnt nothing? But see if he'd tell you anything he has learned with that kind of attitude.]

SIIIGH he's been trying to ignore those eldar ears but if you keep it up, bro...

[thecodexabides]

Better to be a land ruined than fallen to Chaos. [The Imperium has been known to bomb a planet to glass pronounce Exterminatus on lost causes. The Imperium are sore losers like that. ] One does not venerate war. We venerate the Emperor. War is our service to him.

A good death surrounded by one's own kind is the highest honor. [See, keep talking like this. Gadriel at least understands it. This stranger is not so bad after all.]

Summer. [That sounds like a foreign word. He knows he's heard it before, but long ago. Long before he became what he is. It is the stuff of those who live on planets, not spending centuries aboard candlelit warships tearing through space.] And what is it now? [Is it...what comes after summer? Spring? He forgets. ]

Don't ignore them, he's very proud of his pointy ears

[holdshisown]

The kind of war I'm talking about crumbled the land into the sea after the Enemy's poison had already sapped the very life out of it. [Not much land left by the time his own end approached. Not of Beleriand, at least.] If you say so.

Dying for my grandfather would have been a high honor indeed. [But that was not his lot. Like his grandfather he'd died alone.]

Winter. [Just a scant few months. Barely any time at all the way he sees it.]

They are quite pointy

[thecodexabides]

That is regrettable. That is what happens when the enemies get too deep a foothold onto a planet. [That's why his kind is sometimes called the Emperor's Angels. They fight so these things don't happen. Too often.] It is why we exist. [Well, that, and the Mechanicus couldn't stop messing around with the geneseed.]

That's months. [See? He's smart. He knows things. Like winter being months after summer. ] And have you learned anything useful?

That they are

[holdshisown]

That is what happens when the Valar refuse to take responsibility for their mistakes until it's far too late to do anything about it. [And he's never going to forgive them for it. Neither the fact that they let Morgoth out or for delaying so long in dealing with him.] It never should have happened and they bear the blame for it.

Yes? [Barely any time at all as he said.] I've learned enough to get my sword back. [He gives the man a look.]

[thecodexabides]

[Gadriel can understand lifelong grudges. He's developing a few himself.]
Those who bear blame refuse to acknowledge it. It is why every man should search his soul for his duty and to exterminate any impurity in his soul.

[Gadriel frowns.] And what indignities did you have to suffer to accomplish that? [He's ready for the worst. ]

[holdshisown]

[How could he not hold a grudge against those that so naively released the evil that slew his grandfather and then refused to truly take responsibility for it? To him that had always seemed a terrible dereliction of duty on their part.]
They are not men, though, nor even elves like I am. I doubt they'd take such advise to heart.

Nothing I would not have done even had no reward been offered. [He says cassualy.] I helped capture two fire lizards, I helped safeguard a nest of sea turtles and I helped rescue some children that had been taken by some sort of twisted spider creature. [Hardly anything he'd call an indignity. Especially on the part of fighting that twisted spider creature.]

[thecodexabides]

[Oh no, he said the e-word. Not the good e-word (Emperor), either. But the other e-word, the one that was...really complicated for Ultramarines, since their Primarch had had been rather well acquainted with one of them.]

Who is your god, then, Eldar? [He bristles. There is one correct answer to this. A bunch of incorrect answers as well, but if the answer is Slaanesh, the stranger might get intimate with Gadriel's fist. This must be settled before he can decide if he trusts the seemingly benign picture the other is painting of this place. ]

[holdshisown]

[He'll have you know refering to his people as the e-word feels terribly insulting. If he ever were to do it out loud offense will be raken.]

God? Eru, I suppose. [He says after some thought.] Though I can't say I'm a terribly devout man. Or that Eru ever have demanded that we worship him in the first place.

[If Maedhros ever made claims of worshiping something like Slaanesh he'd be terribly disappointed in anyone who didn't slit his throat for it. For he'd obviously had his mind taken over by the Shadow then and leaving him alive would be cruelty of the highest ordet.]

[thecodexabides]

[Well, that was neither the correct answer nor the incorrect answers. It was someone he had never heard of. This complicated things. ]

What god does not demand devotion? [The Emperor denied his own divinity, but of course he would, being the perfection of the Imperium, and holding all virtues, including that of modesty. But he still demanded duty and obligation from his own.]

[holdshisown]

Why would a god feel the need for it? [The elf seems genuinely puzzled at that.] He is a being that can create worlds and breathe life into his creations. What need would he have of our worship? The fact that we are as he made us seems to be good enough in his eyes.

[thecodexabides]

[All right, you know what? Gadriel's just going to accept that they're from different places and what would be instant death heresy is maybe...not where this man's from. He still doesn't like it. And he's not sure if it's quite safe for him to be hearing all this heretical talk.

[He's not afraid of danger, he's just not excited about danger he can't kill his way through. ]

He made us in his own image, to do this exact work he demands from us. To be given the gift of the Astartes and not live up to the obligation is to fall into the profoundest sin.

[holdshisown]

[It's really not. For all that Arda can be a terrible place at times, it's not quite as bad as all that. Probably a whole lot less now that Morgoth is imprissoned again.]

Our creator made us because he desired children. Because he is a force of creation and takes joy in the making of things.

[thecodexabides]

[That just makes no sense. All right, the wanting children does--every Primarch is proud of his geneseed descendants. But they didn't just make them to like...just have them running around.]

Desired children to what end? There has to be more. He has to want something for you. [Even the Chaos gods wanted something from their underlings beyond mere existence.]

[holdshisown]

[Well... they didn't just run around. Eru had made them to be curious, to seek knowledge, to Sing and to craft things of great beauty and power. Basicaly he had made them to enrich his creation. For what reason Maedhros could not say, nor was he in the habit of speculating as to the motives of a being so much greater than him.]

Perhaps he was lonely? In the beginning there was only Eru after all. Him and the Void, but the Void is simply an emptyness so there's not really much for him to interact with there. No doubt he has some sort of plan. He himself said so before he departed for the Timeless Halls, at least according to the Valar, but whatever it might be is likely to vast for us to truly comprehend. Likely we'll never know what it is until the Second Music, whenever that will occur.

[thecodexabides]

It is probably not all emptiness. [If the Void is like the void of the Warp, especially, it is not empty. It is filled with malign energies waiting to tear open the rift and extend their malignant power.] It would be better for us all if it was.

So your Eru has a plan but no one can divine what it is or when it would be made manifest? [That sounds terrible. Trust Gadriel, you want to live in a world where it is very clear what's going on.] How do you tell ally from enemy, then?

[holdshisown]

Likely not. We do believe that is were Ungolianth came from, but we can't know for sure. [And that had always been a somewhat terrifying possibility. Because that meant there might be more like her out there.] I can certainly agree to that. If I never have to be in the precsence of anything like her again I'll count myself lucky.

Not even the Valar can. Or if they do they have not spoken to us about it... which considering how they can be is not an impossible scenario. [He's not too bothered by it, however.] Fairly easily. When Morgoth rode in on that Void spawned horror, killed the Two Tree's as well as my grandfather and ran off with my fathers Silmarils as well as all other treasures of our house he made it pretty clear that he and his were no friends of ours. Not that we trusted him before, mind you. [He says with a sour look on his face.] That was the Valar's mistake not mine.

[thecodexabides]

If there was only your Eru and the Void, it seems the list of likely places for that...thing to originate is fairly narrow. [Wherever this other was from, their names were unwieldy and awkward, like some ancient tongue, and not good simple High Gothic. ]

[Suspicion is always good, in Gadriel's mind. To be suspicious is merely to ward oneself against the touch of the Archenemy.] These [He's going to try it and probably butcher it, but he's an Astartes so A for effort.] silmarills are holy relics? Have you retrieved them?