TDM #5

[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

FLAMEFRUIT SANGRIA a deep red wine based punch with chunks of softly glowing fruit floating in it. A single serving makes you feel relaxed, social, and maybe even a little flirty.

MOLTEN MEAD Though the thick drink itself is room temperature, it bubbles sluggishly, and feels very warm going down. The bold flavor affects your mood. You feel very bold! Like you could do anything!

BESALT BRANDY a hopefully staple drink for the brewery, this liquor is smooth and rich with a peppery bite. Ironically after consuming it, you kinda want to bite someone! Not hard! Just a little nip and nibble!

THAT ASHY ESPRESSO a single potent shot of dark espresso swirled with a gold-tinged cream. Intense and bitter with a hint of caramelized sugar. You are now very awake, hyper, and excited.

PYROCLAST'S WHISKEYa glossy black whiskey that turns a vibrant glowing orange when swirled. You now breathe fire.

EMBERMARK WINE a rich, velvety, spiced wine that immediately makes one feel mellow and calm.

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.

IGNACIA'S CRADLE/EMBER VEIL

Months ago, a piece of land from Heaven’s Bow fell from the sky and scarred the land below, damaging a part of the city. From that chaos and ruin rose new life, a new ruler, and a new city: Ignacia’s Cradle. Just a short walk from the edge of Grey Ward, the gates of the city are guarded by two massive obsidian golems, and any who did not rise from the lava itself are warned at the entrance that to travel about the city will be most difficult, unless they have obtained a way to mitigate the extreme heat: be that with a charm, an ability, or a potion. The very streets themselves are paved in slabs of volcanic rock, tall spires of buildings constructed and shaped by rapidly cooled lava. The main method of travel are the mine carts, with tracks that wind through the spires ready to take one to almost any location.

Currently, the main feature of Ignacia’s Cradle is the Lava Flats, home of skilled smiths that use the extreme heat of the lava to melt the strongest metals and create unbreakable weapons, glassmakers and jewelers who fashion elaborate headpieces, rings, and amulets. These items are sold at the Ember Market on the outskirts of the Flats.

At the edge of the city lies the Ashfall Terrace, where a small farm using the rich volcanic ash and soil is in its infancy, as well as the Basalt Brewery where clever alchemists are researching ways to use the extreme heat to craft new and unique beverages that they are eager to find folk to test them out on.

---

The hot spring of Ignacia’s Cradle is a breathtaking anomaly located just beyond the Ashfall Terrace, tucked into a secluded crater formed by the celestial impact that gave rise to the city. Here, molten veins from the Lava Flats weave beneath the earth, heating a natural reservoir that bubbled to life amidst the chaos. The spring’s waters shimmer with an ethereal brilliance, hues of deep turquoise blending with molten gold and fiery orange, as though Heaven’s Bow itself left behind a fragment of its essence. Steam rises in curling wisps, carrying the tang of minerals and faint traces of sulfur.

The spring, known to locals as The Ember Veil, is both a sanctuary and a marvel of natural wonder. Its soothing waters are reputed to heal wounds and fortify the spirit, with the temperature kept in perfect balance by an intricate system of naturally formed vents and channels. The edges are lined with intricately carved obsidian benches, where patrons can soak their feet or meditate in the rising steam. Plants resistant to the intense conditions—vivid fire lilies and ash ferns—dot the perimeter, their resilience a symbol of life’s ability to flourish even in the harshest environments.

Sometimes, when two or more individuals share the waters, the spring creates a subtle connection between their minds, allowing memories to surface like ripples on its surface. These shared memories appear as glowing, translucent scenes that hover above the water, visible to all within the spring. Participants can relive moments from their lives, experiencing them through each other’s eyes, fostering profound empathy and understanding.

Another of the spring’s mystical properties occurs when bathers who enter the waters feeling drained, injured, or burdened by grief often find their vitality restored. The waters seem to draw out negative energies and emotions, replacing them with a warm, invigorating sensation that spreads through the body. In rare instances, the spring has been known to accelerate physical healing, mending minor injuries and soothing chronic aches, as though the magic itself is stitching the body back together.

A lesser-known but equally fascinating effect happens on particularly clear nights, when the moonlight reflects on the spring’s surface, some bathers report fleeting glimpses of potential futures. These visions are often cryptic, appearing as brief, dream-like flashes, but they have guided many to life-changing decisions. The alchemists of the Basalt Brewery believe this effect stems from residual cosmic energy, and they have begun experimenting with enhancing it through the addition of rare minerals and lunar elixirs.

RADIANT SUN

The day begins like no other, with the skies painted in hues of golden-pink as the Radiant Sun ascends. Its light spills over the world, warm and soft, caressing the land and filling every heart with a sense of peace. Beneath its glow, emotions of love and connection bloom like never before. Strangers exchange heartfelt smiles, old friends embrace as though no time has passed, and lovers find their feelings deepened, their bonds strengthened.

Even the air feels different—lighter, sweeter, as though the universe itself is celebrating. The songs of birds harmonize with the melodies of impromptu musicians who feel inspired by the sun’s radiance. Those with magical abilities sense their powers of healing and creation magnified, as if the sun itself lends its strength to their intentions. Long-held grudges seem to melt away under the sun’s tender gaze, replaced by tears of reconciliation and words of forgiveness.

The Radiant Sun touches every heart differently:

◾A widow finds peace as memories of her late spouse no longer bring sorrow but gratitude for the love they shared.
◾A timid youth finds the courage to confess their feelings to the person they’ve admired for so long.
◾A gruff warrior lets down their guard, laughing freely with their companions for the first time in years.

For a fleeting moment, the world feels as it should be—unified, harmonious, and drenched in love.

But as the day wanes and the Radiant Sun dips below the horizon, an unease begins to settle...

JEALOUS MOON

The golden light gives way to deep purples and silvers as the Jealous Moon rises, its glow pale and cold. Its light pierces the heart, not to warm it, but to expose the insecurities that lie buried within. Where love had flourished during the day, doubt begins to creep in.

Under the Jealous Moon’s influence, emotions twist and darken:

◾A once-reconciled pair of siblings argue over old grievances, as jealousy over perceived favoritism resurfaces.
◾A couple, who had spent the day lost in each other’s arms, now question each other’s loyalty and intentions.
◾A nobleman, inspired to be generous during the day, grows suspicious of those who received his gifts, fearing they may exploit his kindness.

The air grows heavy with tension, and the magic of the Radiant Sun fades, replaced by the sharp sting of distrust. The moon’s pale light seems to follow people like a judgmental gaze, amplifying every fear, insecurity, and lingering resentment.

Worse still, the night seems endless, as though time itself has bent beneath the weight of the Jealous Moon’s envious glow. For three long days and nights, the moon lingers high in the sky, its pale, piercing light casting a shadow over hearts and minds, amplifying discord and despair. Its power sows strife among even the closest bonds, driving some to dangerous extremes. Yet, when all seems lost, the scholars of the three factions unite their wisdom and uncover a glimmer of hope—a means to dispel the moon’s cruel influence. For those who have not yet succumbed to jealousy’s grip, there remains a chance to reclaim harmony, a chance for redemption before the damage becomes irreversible.

The solution lies not in complex rituals or rare relics but in the simplest and most instinctive actions: physical connection. To weaken the moon’s hold, people must embrace one another—offering a hug, a handshake, or even resting a hand on someone’s shoulder. These gestures of closeness disrupt the isolation and mistrust that the moon thrives upon. Sitting side by side or holding hands creates a barrier against its oppressive light, reminding the afflicted that they are not alone. Even small acts, like sharing warmth through proximity or clasping arms in solidarity, build a shield of connection that the moon cannot penetrate.

As these actions ripple through the night, the Jealous Moon’s light begins to dim, its sharp, cold glow softening until it fades from the sky entirely. The tension in the air lifts, replaced by a quiet calm that feels almost foreign after the chaos of the past three days. Slowly, the world seems to exhale, and the darkness that clung so tightly to the hearts of many begins to loosen its grip. People step back from the brink of despair, their minds clearing as if waking from a long, disorienting dream. Relationships strained by the moon’s influence begin to mend as apologies are exchanged, tears are shed, and bonds are reaffirmed.

ALL IS WELL(?)

With the Radiant Sun rising again, its golden-pink hues spilling across the horizon, life begins to return to normal. The birds resume their morning songs, markets reopen, and the hum of daily activity fills the air once more. Though traces of the moon’s influence linger in whispered memories, there is a collective sense of relief and gratitude among the people—gratitude for the light, for connection, and for a second chance to heal.

In the outskirts of Ignacia's Cradle, Aella and Terra, two of the three leaders of the factions, come together to address the gathered crowds. Together they assure the people that this celestial event was a rare anomaly, something never before recorded in the annals of history. They explain that while the Jealous Moon’s influence was unprecedented and deeply unsettling, it was a unique alignment of cosmic forces that is unlikely to occur again in their lifetimes—or ever.

The leaders thank the people for their resilience and compassion, emphasizing how their acts of unity—simple gestures of closeness and connection—proved stronger than the moon’s envy. They commend the scholars for their quick thinking and the Visitors for their role in guiding others through the chaos. Finally, they urge everyone to move forward, not in fear of what has passed, but with the knowledge that even in the darkest moments, their strength lies in the bonds they share.

QUESTBOARD

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.

*February will be the last month to complete quests for this rotation. New ones will go up on March 1st.

OOC NOTES

Welcome to Caldera's fifth 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! Ignacia's Cradle and Ember Veil have been added, along with details about the Violet Drop regarding the Cult of Triton.

The TDM is game canon and all completed quests can be carried over once accepted into the game.

Participation in the Radiant Sun/Jealous Moon effects is not mandatory.

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Comments

[dreamflowers]

[The suspicion doesn't go unnoticed, nor unearned. If the roles were reversed, Jade would be cagey as fuck of a stranger swooping in and incapacitating two people that were ready to bash each other's heads in.

[But all the Psionics she's been exercising today has worked up a thirst, and Jade came for a drink. She just sighs at first, before hopping onto the counter and swinging her legs over, helping herself to the top shelf selection while the bartender himself seems completely without a care in the world.

[Casting a glance over at the woman, she shrugs and starts pouring herself a drink.]

Just a calming spell. You can try talking some sense into them while they're compliant, since I can't make any guarantees how they'll react once it wears off in a few minutes. Sometimes people go right back to wanting to kill you, but others they'll forget what made them pissed off in the first place.

[She didn't know what the dispute was about, but people were getting emotional over the most minuscule of offenses, so she wouldn't be surprised if it was a simple molehill.]

I'd probably recommend just putting some space between them 'til they cool off.

[odare]

Finnick laughs softly at the wink, looking down. Jeeeeeez, this place needs to stop putting so many pretty people in front of him, it's becoming untenable. As he listens quietly, he can't help but develop a crush on Dorian- he's pretty, yes, but there is also something very admirable about someone willing to perform music for others. Sharing a part of their soul, and mastering a skill in order to do so.

When the song ends, Finnick saunters up slowly, throws a few Bones in Dorian's case.

"Lovely."

[wildwarden]

"If I had known... we could have gone together, at least." Maybe that would have made it a little easier.

"You're not being selfish. You have feelings too, Halsin, and you need to express them. Let me help you — please." She felt the tears welling in her eyes. "I... I will be. It hurt, but in the end, if that ever truly happened, I would want that to be how it ended. I know you don't want to hear that, but the alternative is... awful."

[lettersfrombel]

Bel laughed. "Or it could be your brain justifies biting someone by thinking of a time when it would be welcome rather than unwanted."

"Still having the urge?" Bel is mentally checking to make sure Finnick is comfortable with... well, whereever this is going. Look, it's not like Finnick hasn't left marks on Bel's skin before, but generally not in public. And Bel imagines that being married, being part of a revolution, and dying might change one's outlook on life.

[fundamentalchaos]

"Yeah," They nod, shifting to relax back in the water. "Guess it's just always sorta lingering...that kind of fear."

When it's all over...will everyone go their separate ways? Will they be alone again? Sure they'd still be friends, right? But if they all survive...what would happen then? When there's nothing left for a band of idiots to save...what's left?

[odare]

"Yeah," he says quietly, with a nod. "Some of it. Is she okay?" His brow creases with concern, and he places his hand on Halsin's shoulder.

[lettersfrombel]

Bel laughed, since it did seem to be... well, if you want to. "Well, you'd probably have to get some first. This place is a pain about not letting you pack things to bring with you. Which you've probably noticed. You look like the sort of man to carry a weapon."

You can totally do flirting and orientation at the same time.

[dreamflowers]

"...Indeed."

Her eyes dart from his hand, to his face, and then away, slightly ashamed of her reaction. But Jade pushes herself up onto her feet, and she is clearly no small human woman, though she keeps her Aeterna ears hidden under her hair.

Dusting herself off, she puffs out a nervous laugh. "Well, at least I know what not to drink. That was the whiskey, yeah?"

[swordbreaker]

"I would rather not." She wasn't getting it. He was a monster, plain and simple.

Oh.

Dimitri bowed his head. "I'm sorry." He muttered again. "I should not have left you alone after that, to suffer it on your own. But I feared what I might do. It was safer for you."

[makingmyway]

With a small nod, Dorian settles beside Barcus. “It’s good to see you too. I’m sorry about…” He gestures to the vision that’s already faded. “I know that was probably something you wouldn’t want anyone to see.”

He’s about to ask if Barcus is all right, but the answer seemed obvious. “…is there something I can do?”

[fundamentalchaos]

Ashton wasn't expecting that sort of forwardness from the gnome. One minute the guy is incredibly sweet and seems so easy to fluster, the next he's the one making Ashton hot under the collar. It's a rollercoaster that the barbarian isn't used to but definitely is not against.

In fact, he can practically feel every fiber in his being yelling 'Challenge accepted'. He looks at Barcus with a raised brow before chuckling low.

"I don't know, do you think you could handle bending me over? Might need me to get on my knees for you." Trust Ashton to try and make a short joke sexy.

[soldforless]

He wasn't getting it either. She didn't care.

"Were you worried that we would do some of the images he was showing you?" She was going to ask it plainly and watch him closely, trying to figure out what exactly bothered him.

[swordbreaker]

"I—"

He didn't know what to say to that. The images he had seen were so graphic he always certain his mind could not conjure them on his own.

"Imogen, I cannot even speak aloud of the images I saw."

[thecodexabides]

The person who aided me came to my aid because it had been the same for her as it was for me. I see no reason why it would be different this time.

[He had doubted Sky and her motives when he had tried, insisting that he could do it alone. He did not enjoy admitting he was wrong. ]

I will need your aid, sister. [That's about as close as Gadriel comes to asking for help. ]

What have they taken from you that you are trying to regain? [Because no one does quests, especially with strangers, unless they need the bones.]

[makingmyway]

Dorian nods, having similar thoughts himself. He knows that after everything he’ll have to take over the Silken Squall, and he’ll have to leave his friends. But would they still be friends, and would he ever get to see them again?

Pushing those thoughts aside for now, he gently nudges Ashton shoulders with his own, offer a small smile. “I can understand that. But for now, you don’t have to worry. We’ve got your back, as long as we can be here.”

Here, in Caldera, or as long as they can be by Ashton’s side.

[pokeabear]

"It seems she is doing better than I am." Which made him feel guilty considering it had been worse for her than it had been for him.

Rubbing a hand over his face, he closed his eyes as he tried to take comfort from the touch. "I was there. I went into the same quest and I was different, I was a worse version of myself. I came across them, I fought the other two in an attempt to save her...and I watched her..."

He had watched Sky die right in front of him. Even if it had been a clone of her, he couldn't get rid of the image in his mind.

[pokeabear]

"We still found each other. Or at least I found you."

His throat tightened as he lowered his head, wincing internally as he understood her point but he didn't think he could bring himself to accept it right now. He supposed he would if he had to in the end but he didn't think he would survive it either, not this time.

"Not like that," he croaked softly. "It was too violent and hearing you..."

[soldforless]

Oh.

Oh.

She pushed away from the wall where she had been leaning against, drawing closer to him but only so he could hear her whisper. "Dimitri, are you a virgin?"

[iamthepyre]

He just gets a shrug in return. Fair enough, not like Touya's about to judge someone for needing to yell. Especially not because they're pissed to be here.

"You're tellin' me. Place is bullshit." He's still not sure how he feels about missing his flames.

[wildwarden]

"You did. You always will." They had a bond that transcended realms, she had no doubt about that.

Night Sky draped her arms around him then, propped her chin atop his head and smoothed her fingers through his hair.

"I know, love. If I can find a way, somehow, I'll make sure you never hear it again. I'll be with you, always. I swear it." She just had to figure out how.

[swordbreaker]

It would be so cool if the volcano erupted and killed him right now.

"...I do not see how that is relevant."

[arlathvhen]

Beleth does not come to anger easily--she used to simply be better at hiding it, but experience and life has rendered her a great deal more tranquil about matters. Annoyed or frustrated? Perhaps. Irked or irritated, at times. Rarely does her true anger get properly roused. But as she watches, her lips pull into a snarl that quite nearly mimics the one in Solas' memories.

She feels for Solas, yes, but more importantly, she feels for her People. The Dalish may doubt her for what she's done to her face, for what she's done with her heart, but they are hers. The pain of what has been inflicted upon them burns, with a rage that grips her heart. Beleth lashes out, her hands going through the water: one through Elgar'nan's head, and the other through Mythal's.

"Damn them both! They deserve each other." It's the greatest curse that Beleth can inflict upon them. Tyranny and Retribution, two sides of the same coin. She hated them both. "We shall not despair for want of variety! Variety!" Her voice is rising. She should calm down--even before her beloved, giving in to fury is not wise. But each part of the memory is a new treachery upon her.

"And no pain--Do you know, Vhenan, how we get the vallaslin?" Her hand raises, a finger tracing the path that green vines once carved across her face. "It is a mark of adulthood, and a test. You must prove you are worthy of it through the hunting of a beast. Then you choose the god you feel most close to," And it burns her to say it, voice trembling. "That you feel best represents the traits that you admire," The word is spat out, leaving a vile taste upon her tongue. "And when the needle hits, you can't cry out. If you make any noise while the needle carves your skin, then you have to stop. You can only start over when you show that you are worth the second try."

She hisses, and slaps the water where Elgar'nan's face was again. The only balm she has is that the man is dead now, though she had been unable to do it with her own hand. Lucky Rook. "They were not worth our devotion. None of them."

[soldforless]

"It sort of is." Because now some of his behavior made sense.

"I'm doubly impressed now that you were able to handle the creature." She slid forward to settle in beside him. She wasn't quite touching him, someone could still get a couple of hands between them but she wasn't going to sit across from him anymore. Call this exposure therapy or something.

[iamthepyre]

Touya doesn't seem as keen to let go of Bart's hand either. IT's a familiar tether, a lifeline almost.

"I mean, I'm cold but other than that I'm fine." He starts guiding them down the hall and down the stairs towards the tavern's main floor. "I'm not lettin' anyone else treat me without you there. I'd rather not be treated."

He trusts Bart, and that trust was hard won. Hell the man had talked his father into helping him for Touya, that had meant the world to him. There was no way in hell, cold or otherwise, that he was letting someone else take up where Bart left off. Not so long as Bart was there with him.

[knight_with_wings]

Was she flustered? Wing was susceptible to most kinds of flattery, but this was, he decided, one of the nicest. So shy, about something so natural and normal.

"Interfacing?" He grinned. "There are many options. What interests you?"