abraxaslogs | WELCOME TO SOLVUNN!

Entry tags:

WELCOME TO SOLVUNN!

WELCOME TO SOLVUNN!

Welcome to Solvunn! Bright suns and merriest of welcomes to you! The portal opens in a vast field on the western side of town surrounded by cattle, with a distant view of the bustling marketplace. The first impression of the settlement is one of idylic, country charm. There are no looming structures or crowded streets. Instead, there are cozier houses on wide streets and community buildings made of stone and wood. A gentle breeze rolls across the field and the sun is high in the sky.

There's not as much magic here as in other locations, but it's there. No one will be stopped from entering Solvunn, though suspicion will be cast upon new arrivals. Citizens will be friendly and welcoming, but curious about their new visitors. It isn't often that they welcome new folks- especially not so many at once!

With tensions between the other communities, Solvunn will not be keen on ratting out those who fled Thorne, but with the knowledge that sanctuary will not be given for free. Everyone does their part, whatever that part may be.

Asking questions will result in being told to find Rowan March, one of the council members, somewhere in the marketplace.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

You think so?

[ Link asks it earnestly. Frankly, he hasn't put very much thought into the secrets of the Singularity - the details had seemed rather irrelevant to the duties expected of him by Castle Thorne.

For the first time, perhaps, he is aware that this place may be very different in that regard. No one here has told him what to do...

His curiosity is piqued. Gods are fickle and unpredictable, in his experience, but they have always been good to Link in particular. ]

I've heard of the Horizon. [ Is it a place? It sounds to him like a place. ] I've yet to see it.

[ Why? Well, she really can't blame him in the sense that when it's directed towards her, Himeka is often woefully obtuse to advances. If only because she takes most things at face value. But to this, her grin widens just a tad as she raises her brow. ]

I think they found you appealing.

[ She'll let Amos mull that over to the extent he pleases. She won't tease him about it further, at least.

To his observation, she nods. ]

Some people think that being the "Warrior of Light" means an endless series of epic battles against the world's mightiest foes and gods themselves. But, in all honesty, most if it is either travel, or offering your assistance with even the simplest request. You never know when a helping hand with a local farmer's popoto patch will lead you to their father's cousin's sister's ex-husband's best friend from the scholasticate who can get you in with the local regent who has incidentally been corrupted by powers from the void and is then, of course, holding the nation in a vice grip and teetering on the brink of chaos.

[ Or something like that. ]

We've got our own histories spanning countless books in the library, but we'll always be accused of having a skewed recollection of the past. Thorne doesn't believe in them as we do. Foolish not to if you want my opinion of it. Look at the mess they've made for all of you as proof. No respect for what came before 'em or what comes after.

[ He shakes his head and offers Estinien an apologetic smile. ]

Forgive me for my outburst. I've no right to drag you through my squabble with them when you've got your own reasons.

[Estinien shakes his head, clearly unbothered. He's really not going to be upset by people complaining about Thorne at this juncture.]

No need. 'Tis mine intent to understand this place and her people - and the gods that watch over them alongside. I am interested in what history you have written... though writings are far from my strong suit.

[He can read but not particularly quickly, given his lack of practice.]

Is there a primary... church or temple one could hear your gods' teachings at?

Not a fan of all of this. [ He makes small circles with his hand as he gestures to everything around them. ] But Solvunn might prove to be interesting yet.

[ His arm drops as he fixes his gaze on a few of the buildings around them. He tilts his head as he seems to try to see through the walls, before returning his gaze back to her. ]

He'll appreciate making new friends, I'm sure. [ Nero gives a small shrug of his shoulders. ] Kid's been a little sheltered. [ He lifts his hands, wiggling his fingers, at the word 'sheltered'.

'Course, what he means by sheltered is believing that the Goddess isn't psychotic and has a loving plan in store, and the world isn't a steaming pile of shit, versus not being a feral elfling that will eat rocks if left alone. ]

I appreciate the warm regards all the same. I'm sure the pirates don't, but -- [ Nero shrugs his shoulders. Fuck 'em. ]

That so? That so?

[ His eyebrows lift. ]

What sort of trouble are we talking about? [ Nero doesn't expect that it'll be anything bigger than like some wild boars being troublesome. But well, that'll be more interesting than standing around and doing farming

Eh. Maybe some of the cults are into sacrifices. That's always fun to see! ]

If it's too big, I might have to ask for a bow to make it easier to clear things out for you!

Yeah. You wouldn't have even felt the benefit of his sacrifice anyway. [ Again, Nero drums his fingers on his chest as he chuckles. ] Sacrificing one's life for others is really a pointless gesture.

[ He turns his head slightly to the side. ] Even if you owe him a bunch, if you never personally received anything from what he did, what does it matter, right?

[ His tone of voice is not so much as cynical as much as admitting that even though he said Amos should thank Jon that he also knows there's no point to it. ]

Huh? We do? [ The elf cranes his neck up slightly to look at the man at the odd angle that he's lying. ] Oh... that's unfortunate for you, pal. [ Nero has enough awareness that he is a terrible fucking person, and can only offer condolences to anyone who feels like they have anything in common with him.

But it's about the same amount of condolences, if they were both caught out in the rain without any shelter nearby. Sucks that it's happened, but nothing either of them can do about it. ]

Still... I normally don't get along with people who are like me. This is a real treat. [ Usually, those that end up being like him, he finds too irritating to keep alive.

His laughter does eventually die down, and he explains why he finds it so funny. ]

Oh. I just heard through the grapevine of the dungeon that you were some sort of murderer. I was under the impression that you were some dark and brooding murder boy, but you're actually quite easy-going. [ Again, he lets out a few more hoots and hollers of amusement. ]

[ Her grin clues him in to the fact that her appealing isn't exactly the kind he'd been thinking of. Less pleasant to be around, more. Ah. Yeah.

He just shakes his head in response, corners of his lips quirking upwards slightly. Nah. Probably for the best that they don't go there. His inability to do any kind of smalltalk would probably get old before long.

He hadn't been expecting her to really go into who she is, what it is she does like that, but Amos listens intently, soaking up every word as they continue along their way. He thinks back on the women they left, the connections she could easily form with them; whoever's next along their path. He doesn't think he's been down this part of town before. Has no clue who lives here. Hasn't really interacted with anybody beyond the minimum necessary amount. Thinks back on a conversation they had once about travel; thinks back on the people he knows back home who would insist on helping as many people as they possibly could. The way he'd follow them because he knew they were right, in the same way he knows it'd never occur to him on his own to help somebody he doesn't know. He's gotta be around somebody else for that. Somebody like Himeka, apparently.

It's a simple statement, said simply, but Amos really means it when he says, ] You're a good person.

[ It's kind of the most meaningful thing he can tell someone else. Isn't sure how it is he can stick around her, though, when there's an entire settlement here. It's a lot easier to just be around the same people all the time, close quarters and all, when you're living on a ship together; here, he feels like he'd just slow Himeka down. Or be a nuisance.

Shit, it's hard to remember how he got by in the day-to-day back in Baltimore. Probably wasn't up to anything good, though. He has no idea how to rectify that here, amid all of these people he does not, will never care about.

Though, there is the rest of what she said, he figures. ] That kind of thing happen a lot? Saving nations from the void or whatever.

[ Which seems secondary to everything else, really, but there's only so much he knows how to talk about any of this, and turns out fantastical experiences are a bit easier for him. ]

[ He frowns. Sacrificing yourself for others is pointless. And even if he had received anything tangible from the so-called sacrifice... ]

Not like anyone asked him to sacrifice himself, anyway. Even if I got something out of it, that would've been his choice. So it still wouldn't have been my problem.

[ Amos is barely capable of caring about people to begin with, and the ones he does — they're his people. Anyone else. Anyone else at all, no matter what they've done — unless it was something for one of his people, and even then, that's only a maybe — they just don't matter. Any sacrifice ever used on him would be a total waste.

At Nero's awkward attempts to look at him, Amos leans forward, resting his forearms on the tabletop, just that little bit closer to the elf. ]

Is it? [ A treat. He already knows it's incredibly unfortunate for him. He dips his head slightly before looking back up, doing his best to meet Nero's eyes considering their angles. ] There anybody you get along with?

[ Amos' style of not getting along with people is more passive. The way he is is off-putting enough, so he doesn't actively antagonize anyway. Nero, on the other hand.

Maybe that's why they've been able to carry on this conversation: Amos' general passivity unless provoked, Nero's outward brashness able to keep things going. Living out here, in the outskirts, this close to him, where he'll probably run into him more often than not. It might be a bad idea.

Tilts his head slightly at Nero's assessment that he's easygoing, just a little surprised at it. At least that's enough to replace his bafflement over the laughing. ]

Sure, I've killed. Not like it's a whole thing. [ Dark and brooding — geez, that'd be fucked up. ] It's done, you move on. Just like anything else.

Aye.

[He doesn't have a ton to go off of - it's more just instinct.]

If the Singularity is truly the source of all magicks... it must be the source of the gods as well, by some means or another.

[He contemplates it for another moment and then glances back to Link.]

It was first brought about in the rest of us when we were exposed directly to its presence... can you feel its power here, when you think on it with a clear mind?

The source of the gods...

[ Link repeats those words in a hushed tone, a little dumbstruck. He'd known, instinctively, that there must be some link between the Goddess and this place. There was no other explanation for how or why he could have arrived here.

The notion is easy for him to accept. And when put that way, the notion that the Thorneans would want to control the Singularity suddenly feels patently wrong.

He frowns slightly. He has to admit, he hasn't spent much time thinking on the power of the Singularity with any sort of mind, clear or otherwise. ]

I searched for my Goddess in prayer, but she doesn't speak to me as she did before. I've been looking in the wrong place.

"I have."

He's enjoyed the Horizon more with his memory intact. There's less drama to it that way, and when one knows there's a world outside of it, threats to your well being there are almost non-existent.

"I suppose I grew fond of what I created." He still cares for the sheep there, even if the circumstances of his valley are made to be so ideal that he barely needs to. "Though not all that much has changed since our first journey there. Some new constructions, some things reorganized... some were less pleased with what they had made once they had the benefit of context."

Personally, he liked what he made the first time just fine and hasn't seen much need to build more.

"'Tis... quieter, now. Fewer people are present there at once, with most of them busy with their waking lives. Running into another traveller is a matter of chance, for the most part."

A bench? You're sure?

[Phoenix looks skeptical, but far be it from him to tell a grown man what to do.] Okay. But remember, your body may be there a while.

Edited 2021-10-02 17:20 (UTC)

[Estinien's impressions are far from fact in this case, but they are rooted in his own personal experiences with gods. The gods of his world seemingly came after the beginning of the world, if they were not created whole cloth from the will of their people. Naturally, he imagines it'll be the same here - gods created by the power of the Singularity, and not vice versa.

In that sense, he wonder if they were not simply created by beings that had managed to harness the thing to its full potential.]

Mayhap so. We are far from home, after all.

[He lets the bowl rest in his lap, already having finished most of what Link gave him. Definitely preferable to finding a local business.]

I feel as if... if we are to find a way back to whence we came, 'twill be through the Singularity's power. Mayhap, someday, she will once again hear your calls.

[He smiles slightly, shrugging a shoulder. It's brief, as his expression falls back to neutral only moment later.]

As it is, I would focus on quieting my mind, and turning my will towards the Singularity. 'Tis much like praying, now that you mention it.

[Except Estinien actually got a response with this one.]

[His fresh smile has a light edge of relief to it.]

You know, I think at this point I'm about due for one. I'm not much of a drinker, though, so if you want your money's worth you'll definitely have to join me. If we're going to be here for a while I think we ought to, you know, get to know one another?

[Besides just as another rough tunic and some esoteric tarot symbol.]

[Something about that truly is a relief to hear; maybe it's just the month of high-tier stress and the recent bloody execution, but his resolve melts a little, and he has to rub his eyes briefly with his sleeve.]

Thank you. Really- honestly, i-it's been-- a while, for me, to- to have someone honestly on my-- o-our side. And-- [He squares his shoulders a little, then, trying to look professional.] I-if there's anything at all I can do to help your community out, I'd be honoured. I used to work at a- a-a historical institute for- I suppose magic, uh- we kept records of unique, um-- encounters, with powerful beings. So, I'm familiar with a wide range of unusual, weird situations.

I, um. Well, not now, but if we go to where I'm staying we'll be accosted by the kids, a-and the library isn't particularly private...

[There's a faint flush on his cheeks, a bit of self-consciousness manifesting.]

How long were you guys there for, for your first time?

Relena startles for a moment when it kicks, but she hugs the sheep's leg more firmly to keep it still, instinctively making a hushing sound as if it were a child rather than a sheep. Some part of her wants to comfort it, but she keeps herself still so it doesn't flail out of Estinien's grasp.

"Do you have to keep cleaning it until it's healed then? I imagine there will be a lot of dirt build up even after a day, right?"

She can't help but think of such a thing on her own foot and wrinkles her nose. She wonders what kind of ointment would exist in a place like this.

[ Himeka nods, never one to besmirch the use and reuse of old items. Things like pots, knives, pans--they can be a cherished and reliable piece of any culinarian's preferred toolkit. A well-loved pan may create better masterpieces than something brand new.

(Sometimes it's the remnant of flavor!) ]

Considering there's only one blacksmith in town, it must be by the same person.

[ That makes her decision very easy.

She claps her hands together with a nod. ]

Then it's settled! This should last long enough to--well...for however long we are here, I suppose.

"Huh," is all Amos can offer at first. He knew some of them had gone back to the Horizon, but hearing it affirmed is something different; a verbal confirmation that he's been missing out, not that he particularly minds. There's also the idea of going back there knowing who you are, the idea that you can change things.

He sips from his new drink while he thinks it over. Somehow, he'd known enough to create a replica of the Rocinante; it had also really bothered him that he couldn't remember its name when Era— Hime brought it up. But otherwise, for the most part, he'd just existed in a void that, unlike space, had air and didn't have any radiation. It had been fine. He probably wouldn't feel the need to change things too much.

Lucky him, based on Estinien's assessment of what others apparently had to change. Lucky for the both of them, really, if Estinien liked whatever it was he had. Amos hadn't seen, but his words are enough.

He lowers his glass from his lips; idly keeps his hold on it. "You know, I didn't really see a whole lot of anyone else the first time. Kind of kept to myself." Shocker. "That doesn't sound too bad, though. Works with the whole 'keeping in touch over long distances' thing. Hell, you make it sound downright nice."

He sounds contemplative now. Not like Amos had doubted the Horizon's value; more like he just needed an incentive. Estinien's a good sales rep for the kind of shit he likes, apparently. Or at least in this case he is.

"Yeah, alright. You got any tips on how to meditate?"

[ Though they haven't known each other long, Himeka is becoming well attuned to the fact that Amos is a man of few words, so the words he does share are chosen with care and intent and should be taken as such. It's why his statement, while simple in its structure, is enough to slow her pace a bit as she draws quite for a moment herself. And just looks at Amos, at the dirt path they walk, and then back at him.

He wouldn't know that she's been questioning that very fact of late. The past year or so of her life has been...tumulus. And forced more self-reflection than she would have liked. ]

I try to be.

[ She wants to be. ]

It helps if you surround yourself with good people. It might rub off one day.

[ Himeka winks with that. It's what she hopes for, at least.

His question is easier to answer with her typical casual exuberance. She's mastered the art of speaking of exciting things while making them feel like an old hat at the same time. ]

More often than it should. Sometimes it's just saving people from each other or themselves, and if I'm honest, the nebulous "void" is a much easier enemy to point fingers at.

[ Something nameless and dark. Where the evil things spawn.

Or so they say. She knows now it's not so simple.

Himeka shrugs. ]

What about you? What do you and your friends do while you're traveling in your endless starry skies?

Wow, you're really heartless!

[ Nero sounds almost impressed by how cold Amos is. Sure, he thinks that sacrificing everything for someone else is absolutely worthless. One wanted to dedicate his entire life to someone else -- someone that was already dead. Why? Would that person even see what he's doing? Would they cheer for it? Would they understand it? His friend was creating a narrative all on his own, but then again, so does every martyr.

Every martyr creates a narrative of how their actions would benefit the many, of how it would make the world better, of something would come from what they did. It forced a story onto others -- and those other people might never know the tale they were supposed to be the characters for, too.

Really funny shit. ]

There is really only one person I get along with, but they're not here. [ He tilts his head to the side. ] Sad. [ Lifting his hand, he puts his index finger underneath one eye and drags it down his face to indicate a tear falling. ]

Everyone else tolerates me. [ Which is the bare minimum that he asks for, but also more than what he deserves. ]

You think that way, huh? About killing? You don't lament at all about how many you've cut down? Or how much blood is on your hands? [ As he says the word 'blood,' Nero lifts his hands up in the air dramatically like his hands are indeed stained red. ]

I knew there was a reason I liked you.

[ He'd built up quite a bit of momentum with his food-and-cooking-related enthusiasm, but even the oblique mention of their... well, temporal displacement difficulties is almost immediately sobering for young Link.

It feels wrong to say that he hopes it won't be for long. This world claims to need them, after all... ]

Only the Gods of this place know that, I think.

[ Despite himself, he looks worried. ]

How long? I... honestly, I'm not sure. It felt like a lifetime. It must have been a few days at least. Maybe a couple weeks? But wouldn't we have been starving...? [He frowns, rubbing the back of his neck. It's really hard for him to keep track of time in the Horizon.] You should be able to leave consciously, though. People can guide you through it.

[ Amos registers the way Hime slows, the way her demeanour shifts into something he's not used to seeing from her. Kinda only makes him like her more, maybe. People who outwardly think they're on the right side of things, who believe in themselves more than anything else, above others or a cause — they're not as good as they think they are. People who can quietly accept the idea that they're good people, the ones who actively try every day? They're the ones who actually are.

So, yeah. She's a good person. He huffs softly, some kind of amusement, at the idea of surrounding yourself with good people. That's exactly what he does. At the idea of it rubbing off one day? Well. ]

That's the dream.

[ And dreams aren't reality. That's what makes them dreams. They don't come true. Surrounding himself with good people is more a mitigation strategy than borne of any hope that he'll ever improve as a person. He's not capable of that.

Amos cocks his head at the idea of a void being an easier enemy. ] Suppose so. Anything people don't understand makes for a good target. [ And he's someone people don't really understand. Not that he's an easy target; anyone back home who's challenged him there has usually learned that quick enough. ] Shit, anything that don't got a face is probably a good target.

[ Face, no face; it doesn't make a difference to him. But he knows it usually does to other people. Just because he doesn't understand it doesn't mean he isn't aware.

He glances upwards in thought, back at Hime when he's gathered them. Not reminiscing, more just. Remembering, because he's starting to forget what day-in, day-out life was like on the Roci. It's been. A while now. ]

Up there? Boring shit, mostly. Keep a routine, like checking on the systems, making repairs so everything's holding up alright. Otherwise, you know, you die. That's shit for Naomi and I to do. Been working with her for years. Otherwise, you know, you eat, you sleep. We'd try to get our schedules cleared to all eat together once a week; just chat and hang out, I guess. There's not always a lot of time for that when you're running a skeleton crew like we do, but we all like each other, so. 'S important.

[ Okay, maybe he is reminiscing, at least a little. While he still can. Before it fades from memory. He doesn't think the experiences will, but how he'd feel in those moments, those family dinners... yeah. That'll probably disappear. Only a matter of time there, really.

Oh well. That's life. ]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 19 of 21

WELCOME TO SOLVUNN!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject