[In the Service of the Senate] [IC] Act 01.07: After the battle

Dubious it might be, but this Anoth has to see. And if he can terrify some shop keeper who thinks he might have words about any fraud he finds, well, that's just extra, yes? And if it isn't dubious, then he might be able to find some neat stuff!
 
Certainly, there are traces of silver woven into the wool vests, but that didn't mean much and could have been easily faked. The stall seemed somewhat upscale in its construction and upbeat as its owner or salesperson extolled the virtues of his products and how it supported the rule of the Empress and the Ten Thousand Gods who dwelled with the Realm.


There is a pause as Anoth approached the stall.


"Welcome, my lords... is there anything I can do for you?"
 
Much to Spectre's chagrin he had become somewhat endeared to his new pet, and seeing the purported corpses of her kin being flapped about on display left a bad taste in his mouth. But they were still anathema... Wait, what matter of man or beast could be taking down anathema consistently enough to base a business off of it?


As not to possibly tip off the vendor, Spectre feigned interest in the pelts as trophies,


"Yes, I've been looking for material of this sort to make myself some fashion of garish garb. While the mere idea of the slain anathema being humbled as vestments tickles me, the mode of their deaths would add incalculable value to them for me. Could you please share how it is you came about them and verified their authenticity?"


Spectre gives kitty a quick pet to assure her of his falsified position, although if she were to get out of line the idea wouldn't be half bad...
 
"Ahhh... you would need to speak to lord ________ about that," The stall owner replies respectfully, even as the bypassers stepped back a bit to watch. "A number of years ago, when lord ________ was traveling in the threshold, he came upon my home city. Chaoscuro, the many towered city, had in the last few years been plagued by a dreadful anathema."


"He took to the many towers of glass and waged a fierce battle with the anathema, that most fearsome of beasts, Tamuttz the quicksilver ram of doom. The cries and blows of that fight shattered many a glass towers for many a day and night."


The shopkeeper gestured, pantomiming the battle in the southern city, drawing in the attentions of those walking by "Eventually, one morn... there was naught but silence. We emerged from our makeshift shelters and saw that lord ________ standing triumphantly over the behemoth-like form of that dreadful anathema, its horns shattered and lying on the streets."


"Seeing the calamity that had resulted from the battle, lord ________ spared the anathema's life but made it swear many a vow and oath that it would serve our city in repayment of its misdeeds for a hundred years and a day."


"And thus since, then... we have kept the anathema a corral outside of the city, where it can do no harm by chance, and shear its wool. A small portion of it was used to make the garments that I sell here."


***


OOC - If you wish to, you can make an Intelligence + Lore roll or a Intelligence + Socialize roll. ^_^
 
At the ensuring silence, the merchant looked hopefully between the two divinities of the Realm. "Is that everything, my lords?"
 
Spectre raises his left eyebrow slowly as the peddler spins his tail; He becomes lost in thought momentarily as he contemplates the ramifications of the hocker's story. The story seems to check out, but the second you believe a merchant's word is the second you become a sucker.


"This Lord _____, is he still trampsing about the South or has he moved onto greener pastures? And is this Moon-mad still in your country's possession?"

Perception+Socialize to read motivation, getting the emotional context to see if he is trying to sucker us/hiding something.


6d10 → [1,4,5,7,8,5] 2 successes
 
"Lord ________?" The merchant blinked at Spectre's question. "As far as I know, the good lord left for the further south and west, said something about visiting kin amongst the Lords of the Orderly Flames."


"And of course, the Moon Mad is in Chaoscuro, actually, just outside... but the oaths sworn by it binds it into servitude." The merchant's words certainly seems honest enough, he believed he was speaking the truth.
 
"Well, I'll take one, and thank you for your time."


Walking away from the vendor, and waiving a few pleasantries his way with a gritted smile, Spectre turns to his fellow Raksha and whispers quickly in hushed tones,


"Wasn't Chiaroscuro, and the South in general, on the little list your captive provided? I think it is time to leave this little sea-side town."
 
Anoth nods at the merchant "I'll take one as well."


As they leave Anoth shrugs at his fellow raksha. "Oh, I'm sure that we can wait a bit. It's not everyday the empress leaves her capital. Be interesting, and that moon mad doesn't sound like he's going anywhere..."
 
As the money was given to the merchant in exchange for the rather nice garments, the merchant breathed outwards in relief as he provided the goods in question.


As the pair of gods departed, they could hear the merchant start up his spiel. Only now, they were included vaguely in it... something about even gods would buy 'em...
 
And so it is that Anoth goes back to exploring the markets... He still has a collar to find after all!
 
The market being what it was... it was only natural that the place that the pair of intrepid gods found the stall they desired was the last place they looked. Or was it?


Still, there stood the stall selling collars for pets, most of them sized for animals such as cats, rabbits or smaller dogs. Still, there appeared to be some sized for larger animals... the only question was, would they fit what Anoth desired them for.


To the side, the voice of a storyteller could be heard as he entertained a small crowd of passer-bys, regaling them with tales of antiquity. The current tale that he spoke of was one from ancient times... before the Raksha, before the fallen empress' fall... it was one of Daana'd and the anathema.
 
And so Anoth lingers as he looks over the collars for just the right one, and maybe a few spares, and lets the interesting story wash through his ears. Besides, it's amusing listening to Anathema be beaten.
 
Unfortunately for Anoth, the tale wasn't so much of Anathema being beaten soundly, rather it was one of their almost victory with the capture of Daana'd and her suffering in captivity.


"~ for surely the very stars sang of what was to come. Of the coming doom for the anathema that would come from the loin of Daana'd and her siblings. ~"


"~ And lo, did the anathema of the west beneath the command of the Desus the Dire Swan gather to decide what was to be done with their captive trapped in the tank of water. ~"


The selection of collars were many, for pets, both small and large. Alas, it appeared that there were none for the more adventurous of mortals in their bedroom romps.


"~ And thus did the anathema defile Daana'd and gathered from her loins, their debased offsprings that they had forced upon her, and raised them upon the behemoth; Blue Haven. Thus were the Lintha born. ~"
 
And so Anoth sighs as the story ends, for the Lintha are some of his more amusing enemies... well, if their aren't any collars the size he needs, he may as well buy some and then see about either getting some reshaped later or finding some other inhabitants for his kennels who they will fit... and speaking of fit.. "Spectre, weren't you going to get you little kitty a collar?"
 
While some might claim the story ended, the original tale did span further on at length. Of the heroes, mortal, who fought against the anathema who would keep Daana'd in captivity breeding the Lintha. And of their dark fates.


Of the dreadful Queen of the Deep Wyld, the Mother of the Countless Glows rising forth from the depths to destroy the leisure boat that the anathema kept Daana'd on as they sailed the West, knowing that she was unable to use her essence to escape or fight if she desired to eventually bring forth the countless righteous water aspected Dragonblood.


But for now, the story teller gathered the coins given to him for the tale as he quenched his throat and relaxed his hands as they rested from playing his ornate five stringed pipa.


Still, the collars available would be easily shaped. For they were certainly not magical, nor forged of the various magical jade or the anathemic metals.
 
While Anoth purchased a number of collars, the tale smith could be heard warming up once more with his fingers dancing upon the taunt strings on the pipa that he played with a virtuso and energy that was hard to mimic.


And so he began the tale once more, as he wove words and song to speak of the captivity of Daana'd, and of her salvation when the anathema proved that their arrogance and hubris was greater than their common sense (madness that!)...


"~ For lo, the anathema pleasure barge that the demon princes of old had kept their prisoner aboard and bred of her the degenerate and debased ancestors of the Lintha had sailed far into the west... when upon the flotilla that surrounded the pleasure barge came the Queen of the Deep Wyld. ~"


"~ Monstrous and dreadful was the Mother of the Countless Glows, and yet all the more beauteous in her radiant aspect of absolute terror. The flotilla stopped, their anathema masters curious why this most divine being would dare to attack them. Even as terror consumed their mortal proxies, the anathema stood in bemusment at the entity who had risen up from the ocean depths to swim before them... looming down upon them, her countless glows shedding light to rival the sun. ~"


"~ Why would such a magnificent beast, such as yourself, attack us? Has your existence become so ennui that you seek to end it by facing us? The Chosen and Knight Errants born of the Tyrant Kings of Shape, the Yozi Princes? ~"


A smile from the storyteller could be seen as he looked at the engrossed listeners. Ah, he hewed to the Cup grace, and likely would have been of the entertainer caste if he had been a Raksha.


"~ The Queen of the Deep Wyld hissed and spat in response, the serpentine lengths of the tendrils that made up her form undulating sinuously. Her words were sang, in tones that was as of the invisible riptide currents that tore flesh and metal alike apart. You have come into my realm uninvited, Demon-Spawn, and I would have satisfaction ~"


"~ This is our realm, for our patrons have given us the mandate to rule all of Creation. Perhaps satisfaction should be taken from you for making so bold a claim over our holdings. thus did the anathema cry back in defiance. ~â€


"~ Now didst the Mother of the Mother of the Countless Glows laugh with her many toothed maw. Her responding song, ahhh... it showed the folly of the anathema, as she flicked one thousand of her tendrils to the east. Creation is that way, far away... here is the Deep Wyld, and I am Queen. ~"


"~ At this, the anathema murmured in amazement. For surely, they hadn't traveled that far from their holdings. Still, they essayed a response. Then, we shall tame you and make of you our pet as we have with the immaculate dragon of water that we may claim the Deep Wyld as have claimed the Waters of Creation. ~"


"~ The Queen of the Deep Wyld howled in fury, as the anathema broke their promised parlay to strike at her... and in response, out of the darkness of the depths came endless broods of creatures with scales of glittering adamant and tentacles that glowed with lightning. The Countless Glows. ~"


"~ Of the battle that resulted, there were but two victors... for the Queen of the Deep Wyld pulled the leisure barge and its flotilla of guard ships into the depths, drowning the hosts of the anathema as the Countless Glows chased the demons back into Creation Proper. ~"


"~ It is said that Daana'd did tarry a-whilst in the court of the Queen of the Deep, paying homage to the Mother of the Countless Glows not just as her saviour or as one of the kin of Gaia... but in time as mother of her husband. For Daana'd didst swim back to Creation with her husband, one of the Countless Glows, and laden with the countless jade eggs from which were hatched the first of the aspects of water. ~"
 
Anoth pauses, and listens to the rest of the story before starting back towards his fort... he does need to give his kitty her new collar after all.
 
With that, the group of Raksha nobles went their seperate ways for the night...


***


OOC - scene fade and that's a wrap.


4 XP per 7 pages = 28 more XP.
 
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