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Welcome to the world of Fortuna, a land of fantastic proportions. This is an original fantasy roleplay that takes place in a world developed over nearly a decade of work and collaboration. We aim to encourage all participants to have a hand in the stories of the characters here, and the world around them. Your choices are key - so make them with pride. You decide who wins the wars, you decide who becomes King, the world is ours, and together we will bring it to life!
The 10th of the Scales of Judgement Late Night at the Broken Temple Fort
Xanthe had spent most of the last hour meditating. Praying, in a way. Healing.
Her body was not injured, and Pelagia had brought her back to consciousness, but she was still magically exhausted which was not a comfortable feeling for her. She felt weak. Vulnerable. Without access to her magic she couldn't defend herself, heal others, or do any number of things that her mastery of evocation granted at her beck and call. She knew she only needed time and rest and it would come back to her, but it felt that time was not her friend of late and there was too much to do, too much on the line for her to rest as deeply as was needed. She would deal with it later. For now, there was a treaty to sign and it had waited long enough.
"Sa tsenthe v'nesaqs," she breathed, then got to her feet. She didn't know where anyone else had gone during their reprieve, but she knew where Feofil's room was located so that was where she would go first. As she left the makeshift infirmary some heads turned curiously her way and she heard them murmuring amongst themselves, but she didn't stop to chat. The door to Feofil's room was in the same place as before, the place where no room should possibly be located, and she knocked on it twice. She had no intention of stepping inside after what had occurred last time though, especially given her current weakened state. But there were other places they could discuss the treaty and finally get it signed. Perhaps by the shrine.
Post by Ellis Danton on Jan 2, 2017 20:11:06 GMT -7
Almost in time with Xanthe's second knock, the door opened. Not all the way, but a crack large enough for Feofil to slip out, and large enough for Xanthe to get a brief look inside. The room did not look like it had before. It lacked the plants, the clutter, and the completely wooden structure of it all. No, this new room was brick, but with walls heavily curtained in white; a window was at the back wall which looked out onto a willow tree; and everything was either wrought iron or upholstered. But just as the view was shown, Feofil's body blocked it out.
"Chief Xanthe!" He smiled, moving father out of the door and closing it more behind him. "Is it time for the signing already? How it flies!" His voice holds a kindly chuckle and he turns his head to speak through the door, "Ellis Allen, we appear to be a mite late."
"I-I'll be th-there sh-shortly!" Came Ellis' stammered reply. A woman's voice could also be heard, though she seemed much more distant, and her words were spoken with a heavy accent, and in a language unknown to Xanthe (and to Feofil). Turning back to Xanthe, Feofil stepped out of the room and shut the door, all of the noises within suddenly ceasing as the connection ended. Offering Xanthe an arm, Feofil's eyes hold some kind of... Conspiratorial glimmer: "May I walk with you, Chief Xanthe?"
Xanthe stepped back from the door when it opened and her eyes caught sight of Feofil first, then strayed to the room as he left it. The room which had somehow changed drastically since she had last seen it. Though, Feofil had said his magic allowed him to make doors to places, so who knew where this new door led. Somewhere outside of Atton, she knew, because she could feel it.
Feofil didn't seem to want her to look inside though, given how he barely opened the wide enough for himself to squeeze out. He was acting perhaps a bit unlike himself and it worried her a bit. This was not the time for complications, now that they were finally all ready to sign the treaty. She tried not to let it get to her, but after so recently being betrayed by her own people she was admittedly on edge, and with no magic to defend herself right now she had to be careful. Careful though, not paranoid. She reminded herself that Feofil had proven himself to be trustworthy thus far.
Feofil turned and spoke to Ellis, who was apparently in his room as well, and Xanthe took a breath. Ellis wasn't hiding from her, probably. There was a completely valid reason for him to be in Feofil's room and not coming to the door right now. Xanthe couldn't help but wonder if she had done something to upset him so much that he didn't wish to see her, but she tried to calm her swirling thoughts. When she heard a third voice speaking from within the room, or perhaps not within it as it seemed to be from farther away, she had to admit to herself she was probably overreacting but she didn't like anything about what was going on right now. She felt she was missing something, or it was being deliberately hidden from her, and that was a terrible feeling. She couldn't shake the thoughts of betrayal that stormed in her mind.
She nodded curtly to Feofil when he asked if he could walk with her. He was acting friendly enough, just like he usually did. Part of his pseudo-paternal charm. She didn't take his offered arm and simply waited for him to start walking somewhere so she could fall into step beside him.
Post by Pelagia Xista on Jan 3, 2017 4:44:23 GMT -7
Pelagia had spent the last hour within her room in the temple, one which had been offered to her Feofil three nights ago. She had spent some time meditating, unknowingly much like Xanthe had, in order to restore her spent magics and reinvigorate her life force. Meditation allowed her to more easily connect with Ayniea, and there was no better source in all of Fortuna than the Mother of Life to rejuvenate a tired soul. In due time, Pelagia found her energy returning to her, and she used this energy to heal her own self-afflicted injuries. Her skin regained its radiant luster, and when she gazed into her mirror she was satisfied to find herself looking back to her usual, regal self.
She stood once the time for action had arrived, and made her way down to the conference room where the treaty was to be signed. She found Ilithiya and Erik inside already once she arrived, the Avian helping to establish the wards around the room that would help Ilithiya erect her usual protection spell for this meeting. By now it was no longer done as a precaution for those inside the room so much as it was a means of insurance against any dissenting party from outside who may try to disrupt the signing.
"Anything I can do?" she offered pleasantly as she stepped into the room.
Ilithiya looked at her and smiled invitingly. "We've got it just about covered! Thank you though, Pelagia."
Pelagia did not allow it to show on her face how displeased she was at the name. She allowed it in the interest of maintaining the "friendship" she had struck up with Ilithiya over the last few days. Ilithiya had been the one to push the boundary, a day or so ago, when she dropped the formality of 'Lord Xista' in favor of Pelagia's given name, and though Pelagia's impulse had been to look at her incredulously as though to ask who the hell she thought she was, she instead offered an approving smile and welcomed this personal move on the elven woman's part.
Of course, when Ilithiya had daringly referred to her as 'Pel' during that same day and witnessed Pelagia flinch somewhat, she likely got the message that that was taking it a step too far. Only Ashlin was ever permitted to call on Pelagia so personally, and only ever in private. No fake friendship would be worth Pelagia putting up with such an indiscretion from a nobody like Ilithiya.
"Then how about I get a pot of tea started?" she suggested instead, already moving over towards the pot that had been set up in the room.
"Oh no!" Ilithiya replied quickly. "You don't need to do that! Please, let me-"
"Ilithiya," Pelagia interrupted, her voice urging but playful. "I promise you, even a noble warlord knows how to brew tea. Please, focus on your wards."
Ilithiya pouted and blew a breath upward. "Alright, alright..." She went back to pushing a small statue into place in the corner of the room, muttering about how rude she was being by letting the guest make the tea.
Erik did not seem impressed by the exchange. He stood silently by the warding statue he had already put into place and simply watched Pelagia with his hawk eyes. The bird man had been scrutinizing her every action during the entirety of her stay in The Broken Temple, and Pelagia had to commend him for the fact that he clearly still didn't trust her. Frustrating though it may have been for her purposes, she always had respect for people who weren't complete imbeciles.
It was because of Erik, of course, that Pelagia even bothered cultivating her friendship with Ilithiya to begin with. If one end of the alliance was going to regard her with constant suspicion, then she would need people who would stand with her based on a bond of trust whenever push came to shove. Feofil was not enough; anyone could convince one leader of their intentions. Convincing that leader's assistant and adviser, though? That ensured they would both stay in your pocket, which is exactly where Ilithiya found her usefulness.
"Are you troubled, Sharp-Eyes?" Pelagia finally asked as she began steeping her selected mixture of tea leaves. She offered Erik a disarming smile. "Too much chai in the brew for your liking?"
The feathers around Erik's neck ruffled in irritation. He hated how obviously she played dumb with him, and she loved it. "I don't care about the tea. I won't be having any."
"You really ought to," she replied, turning away with a thoughtful hum. "It calms the nerves."
She was spared from having to hear whatever disgusted noise she was sure Erik would be making when Feofil entered the room with Xanthe in tow, their entrance thoroughly distracting them both. Feofil was rambling on to Xanthe in a manner that Pelagia felt quite certain the woman likely didn't understand at all; Feofil did not seem to grasp the idea of simplifying his choice of vernacular when speaking to a non-native speaker.
Xanthe was nodding along in what Pelagia could only assume was politeness as Feofil finished some long-winded tale of comparison between the temples in Niseca versus the Broken Temple in this land, and Pelagia did not miss the way he overused flowery speech and vivid metaphors to describe the structures. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
"Well, I'll have to continue that another time," he said to Xanthe, smiling warmly. "Perhaps we should take a seat at the table? I'm sure Ellis will be along any moment now."
"And what might my favorite scout be up to?" Pelagia asked of Feofil, bringing the brewed pot of tea to the table and dutifully pouring it into the cups that had been set about (Ilithiya looked mortified to allow Pelagia to do such a thing). She could only assume that either Feofil or Xanthe had been with Ellis after she had adjourned to her own quarters an hour ago, so if both were now present without him, she imagined that at least one of the two of them knew what was keeping him.
OOC Note: I imagine that Xanthe probably understood more of what Feofil was telling her than Pelagia believes, and Feofil would by now, I'm sure, know to tone down his word choice when speaking to Xanthe. Pelagia's description of how he is speaking here is based entirely in her own perceptions of him, rather than objectivity, since she doesn't like him very much.
Post by Ellis Danton on Jan 3, 2017 7:53:32 GMT -7
Feofil was the one to pipe up with an answer for Pelagia's question as he poured a tea for himself and Xanthe. Ilithiya's eyes flew to Xanthe, but Erik looked unphased. He even rolled his eyes, as if he knew what was going on, and he thought it was stupid.
"With the excellent healing you laid upon him Lord Xista, he felt well enough to take on a special task, for which he asked my aid," Feofil smiled knowingly as he dropped a cube of sugar into his tea and took a seat at the table, "He'll be along shortly... We lost track of time. Now..." Feofil placed his tea cautiously to the side and waved a hand to conjure the treaty, which unfurled itself on the table length-wise. Despite the length of the table, and the flatness the magic forced upon the thing, it still managed to droop off one of the table, running along the floor. Perhaps intimidating to some - but Feofil knew that no matter how trustworthy he had decided Pelagia and Xanthe were, that they still needed to be certain.
"I will read through each clause, and Ellis Allen will translate for Chief Xanthe. Should each clause be acceptable--"
The door opened suddenly, but the ward prevented whoever it was from entering. Ellis stood there, no longer in Attonian garb, but also not wearing something belonging to a soldier. No, he looked strangely... Casual. A powder blue button up shirt, brown slacks, scuffed shoes. His face was pink with exertion - he'd obviously been rushing. Ilithiya smiled and hopped to adjusting the ward to permit him entrance, offering him a hello and a tease about his clothing that had his ears go even redder.
"I-I'm s-sorry I-i'm late," He offered, bowing at the waist to all those present. Feofil chuckled, and then pointed out a bit of white powder on Ellis' collar, which Ellis brushed off quickly with another flush as he stood by the seat next to Xanthe. He would wait until everyone was sitting before taking his own, but he knew where he most wanted to be.
"Now, as I was saying... I will read through each clause, permit Ellis Allen to translate, and ensure we all understand it's terms. If they are agreeable to all, we shall vote 'yea', and each initial it. Should there be disagreement, we can discuss adjustments--" He looked to Ellis who blanched for a moment before realizing what the look meant. He translated best he could, and as he finished, Feofil continued, "Does this sound acceptable to all parties?"
Xanthe felt that Feofil was trying to distract her, but she listened anyway as he spoke while they walked towards the meeting room. The topic was admittedly interesting to her, as he described the temples located in Niseca and compared them to the temples here in Atton. Mostly, she was always surprised by how many deities they worshiped in the outside world, and gods under the deities as well. No wonder they were all so divided.
She didn't speak during the walk, and simply nodded where it seemed input was wanted. Feofil was the kind who was more than happy to continue speaking regardless. When they reached the room she saw that Pelagia, Ilithiya, and Erik the bird man were all already here. Feofil said his parting words and smiled at her and once again she nodded back before moving to a free chair at the table and taking a seat. Pelagia asked what Ellis was up to and Xanthe's face was unreadable as her gaze turned to Feofil who answered that Ellis had taken on a 'special task' and they had lost track of time. Xanthe tried not to let her stormy thoughts provide her with all manner of awful hypotheticals. She may only trust Feofil as far as she could throw him, but she trusted Ellis without question. Ellis, who had thrown himself in front of a blade for her. A blow that should have killed him. It was her fault he had been injured, and she hadn't even been able to fully heal him afterward. It was no wonder he probably hated her now. She hated herself for letting it happen.
Xanthe held her teacup between her hands on the table, thanking Pelagia briefly when the woman poured the tea. She wasn't thirsty. Or maybe she was very thirsty. Feofil was speaking again, and for the second time she noticed that he called Ellis 'Ellis Allen'. The first time she had thought nothing of it, perhaps it was a slip of the tongue, but now she wondered what he meant by that. Allen wasn't a word she had been taught in their language. Did it mean something? She knew she would have to ask, but now was not the time.
It was especially not the time when suddenly the doors opened, and despite knowing there were wards set up by Ilithiya Xanthe flinched and her hand went to her waist where her sword was usually located, thinking immediately it was some sort of attack. It wasn't an attack though. It was Ellis. Ellis Allan, whatever that meant. She recognized his shock of red hair immediately, though if he had more conventional looks it might have taken her a moment to recognize him in his new outfit. He wasn't wearing his attonian garb anymore, which she supposed was fitting because it was covered with blood and the shirt had been ruined by the sword and subsequent healing, but he also looked unlike she had ever seen him. Even before the attonian garb his outfit had been that of a soldier, but here he looked.. different. She wondered if this was the kind of thing he wore when he wasn't being a soldier. When he was home, in Aurcaele, just existing as a person. For a moment she worried it meant he was leaving - that he quit as a soldier and wanted to go back to whoever he was before the war. She pushed the thought aside.
He bowed and apologized for being late, and then moved to the seat next to Xanthe. He didn't sit yet, but the fact he was standing there was reassuring. He didn't appear uncomfortable to be near her, despite his general flustered appearance, so she dared to think perhaps he didn't hate her. She knew he had to sit next to her so he could translate for her, but she hoped he would sit there even if he didn't need to. Feofil spoke, again saying Ellis Allen, and Xanthe could understand most of what he said but she didn't know what 'initial' meant. It was hard for Ellis to translate that part as well, because the attonians didn't have a word for something they didn't do. They were an oral culture, not a written one. But she got the gist of it.
"Fa eyshos ot v'nasi," she commented to Ellis before turning her attention to Feofil and nodding her assent to his terms.
--
Translation: Fa eyshos ot v'nasi - your outfit is pretty/handsome
Post by Pelagia Xista on Jan 3, 2017 13:35:56 GMT -7
Pelagia took her seat silently as Feofil explained how the treaty-signing would work; she assumed it was mostly for Xanthe's benefit, as she was sure everyone else in this room was no stranger to treaties and contracts. She had to say, though, she found Feofil's use of 'Ellis Allen' to be a bit irksome. Did he really need to say it every time? Or at all? Pelagia had never really seen the point of middle names aside from perhaps adding an extra flourish to one's title upon introductions. Did Feofil take to using them when he felt familiar with someone? For a moment she dreaded the idea of him referring to her as "Pelagia Parvata" at all times.
However, more irksome than that was the fact that he didn't truly answer her question earlier, when she had asked where Ellis was. Merely stated he had been fulfilling a 'certain task'. Ellis was her scout, her soldier. She had every right to know exactly what he was doing while he was on military time, and this secrecy Feofil was maintaining would have made her squint angrily at the man if she weren't trying to maintain her composure for the sake of just getting this damned treaty signed already.
And so it was that when Ellis finally appeared, apologizing for his tardiness, she decided she would simply ask him herself. He could not, would not, hide anything from her.
She waited until Feofil finished speaking, and then for everyone to take their seats so they could begin. Before Feofil could open his mouth to begin reading the treaty clauses (a process which was surely going to take ages given the size of the thing), Pelagia cleared her throat.
"Ellis, before we start, I dare say you have us all most curious. What might you have been up to?" she asked, smiling pleasantly at him. She leaned her chin on her bridged hands casually as she spoke. "Feofil mentioned a task you were off on. Would you care to enlighten me?"
She hoped that Ellis had not gotten so comfortable in her good graces that he wouldn't recognize her friendly words as an order.
Post by Ellis Danton on Jan 3, 2017 15:49:50 GMT -7
Ellis took the compliment from Xanthe with as much grace as everyone had expected from him - his ears went red and he looked down at his lap... But a moment later he looked back at her and offered a shy smile, and an Attonian thanks. Feofil smiled over his tea, taking a sip before beginning to read the treaty he had drafted--
Which was when Pelagia spoke up. He knew that being late was worse than anything else he could have done today. But he couldn't help it. He couldn't come to the meeting looking like he had. Pelagia would be embarrassed, Xanthe would be offended. But now... It wasn't worse, but it was second worst. He opened his mouth to come up with some severe apology, but Feofil answered first: "Perhaps after the meeting would be--" Ellis shot Feofil a look of thanks at the same moment that Pelagia had shot him one that told him to let Ellis speak.
"Uh... I-if I m-may... Perhaps... T-tell you in p-private, my L-lord?"
Post by Pelagia Xista on Jan 4, 2017 7:51:53 GMT -7
She could tell Feofil was trying to help cover something up, something that Ellis may perhaps have even been embarrassed of considering it didn't especially seem as though he was hiding anything dire. She could also tell that Erik was very unimpressed with her disregard of this meeting in favor of being filled in on Ellis's little secret.
She didn't care. There could be no secrets from Ellis, especially not today.
"Ellis, I would prefer to be enlightened on this as soon as possible. And I'd rather not have Ilithiya lower her ward for us to leave this room just so that you can do that. What could possible demand such secrecy?"
Her tone had not yet switched to anything especially negative; no anger, irritation, or annoyance just yet. But Ellis would probably be able to tell that while she was still smiling, she was also increasing the urgency of her silent order to tell her what he had been doing.
Post by Ellis Danton on Jan 4, 2017 11:30:52 GMT -7
There wasn't an option. Pelagia wasn't asking, and she didn't want it to be private. But as Ellis opened his mouth to speak, Feofil waved his hands and brought forth a small sheet of parchment in a golden flourish. "Here," He offered, "Write it out, and then we can carry on without further delay."
Ellis took the parchment with a nod, grabbed one of the quills from the table, but just as he dipped it into the ink, a slam on the table stopped him. Erik.
The bid man had slammed both talons the table, and as Ellis raised his eyes he met with Erik's sharp, hawk ones. "Enough of this. My men are out there putting their lives at risk, and you're in here playing this like some stupid little game." Ellis opened his mouth to speak, but as Erik took his seat he turned to Pelagia and told all: "He's planning an evening surprise for Chief Xanthe. I went to speak with Feofil, and found his room had been replaced by some shitty little room in a shitty little cottage in Aurcaele. Nothing worth Feofil's time, nor mine, and I should hope it's not worth your's, Xista," His frustration was apparent, dripping off of every word, "Now we've got a treaty to sign. If you actually care about peace, "Lord" Xista, perhaps we can get to work."
Ellis was staring at his lap, avoiding Xanthe's gaze, Pelagia's gaze, Ilithiya's gaze, and the embarrassment of the whole situation. This was his fault, after all, if he hadn't been late, none of this would have happened. Pelagia wouldn't be the subject of Erik's rage, Ellis wouldn't be the subject of everyone's wasted time, and Xanthe wouldn't have found out. "I-i-i... I... I-i'm... s-so-s...S-sorry..."
Feofil, on the other hand, was looking between the two other lords in his presence. He knew he needed to speak before Pelagia, to prevent this treaty signing from devolving into war, but he couldn't help but feel some responsibility for the tension. He took a deep breath, cleared his throat, and spoke more commandingly than normal: "I suppose that settles the matter. Assuming that meets your satisfactions, Lord Xista?"
Last Edit: Jan 4, 2017 11:31:24 GMT -7 by Ellis Danton
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