[ OPEN ] split tomorrow from today

[godshattering]

Who: Claude and various
When: November + December
Where: Nocwich, Cadens, TBA
What: Catch all for both months
Warnings: None currently, will add/mark as needed


( Open and closed starters in the comments! Also good with prose or brackets and please feel free to wildcard into the open prompts with something else. If you'd prefer plotting first, you can find me at indech, arboria#1862, or by PM at any time! )

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[godshattering]

[ When it comes to Libertas - Claude just offers a smile a bit too thin to be anything other than what it is: agreement over something terrible. First in the attack, and then with the dead rising, and now with still nothing but a tense stalemate between Thorne and the Free Cities where brutal strikes against each other could happen again. It's not a place any of them want to be, and yet here they are.

As Kyle explains his research in a bit more detail, he goes back to browsing mostly to assist their appearance. That's until a pen lined in marbled green stone catches his eye - and that interest catches the shopkeeper's. There's a familiar enough routine in the haggling that ensues, something he remembers well from Derdriu's markets though he's careful to err on the side of not offending their hosts. He pays a bit more for the pen than he assumes is the true price, but it's well worth it to add to his growing collection.

It also, hopefully, buys them some goodwill in being left alone to continue to talk. ]

I've heard Solvunn is much more involved with the concept of gods than anywhere else. Or, more than the Free Cities since that's really all that I know about, and they lean towards... I'll say not putting their faith in the gods they know of. [ Something that doesn't particularly bother him personally, especially after leaving behind the Church of Seiros, but it does complicate finding more now. ] With that in mind I wasn't surprised there wasn't much to be found, and I haven't started asking here in Nocwich just yet. Were you able to find anything out from them?

[ushiri]

[ While Claude begins to haggle, Kyle continues to loiter nearby. Nothing catches his eye enough to make him open his purse: no one's selling blades or rifles here, as per the rules. He does spot a leatherbound journal, embossed with moons in different phases, and for a second he wonders if Jack would like it.

But then Claude is finished and his thoughts are turned again toward his very recent conversations with the natives. He goes back to speaking in a lowered voice out of habit. ]

From what I can tell, the vampires feel the same way about these things as Thorne and the Free Cities do. [ It's all myths and fables. ] But the werewolves... they seem to believe that the old gods are real. Not to be worshipped, but more like... forces of nature. Something to weather in bad times.

[godshattering]

[ With the pen tucked away in his satchel for safekeeping until later, Claude listens to Kyle attentively with the illusion of still browsing more items. Unlike in the labyrinth, however, he's more focused on what all of that could possibly mean rather than zeroing in on one specific detail. ]

I have to tell you, it's been an adjustment coming to somewhere where people have different beliefs about gods. In terms of who or what they are, and then let alone whether they exist.

[ Also in a low voice as to not let it carry - a habit after living somewhere where one church and one goddess dominated everything, though even long before that when it came to the gods he grew up with and the belief in them he'd lost some time ago. The forces of nature echoes, somewhat, those childhood gods found in everything and everywhere, and Claude's own belief that he'd rather thank the land for what it offers. None of that necessarily factors in here - not yet, anyway. ]

But. Based on the experiences we had, they certainly were a force and a bringer of bad times. If they really are tied to nature, it would explain not only the dead rising but the problems with crops and animals I've heard from others happened all over Abraxas.

[ushiri]

[ He might've had an equally difficult adjustment, if not for these memories he has of Nayeshi, a place of many religions and beliefs. His own hold true, though, even when his world had torn down its church and barred all from speaking Parfir's name.

He frowns, turning over Claude's words. ]

I don't know if they meant a tie to nature so much as... a force that cannot be fought against. [ You can't fight a storm, an earthquake, a flood. You can't argue or bargain with it. You can only survive it.

Another customer begins to crowd their space, wanting to take a look at the hand-made journals. Kahlil moves a bit to the side. ]

Will you be back here next month? There's something I've been wondering if you might teach me.

[ They should meet in person again. ]

[godshattering]

[ A force that cannot be fought against is decidedly not comforting. It's something else familiar - a feeling he'd had while standing with Hubert's letter in hand and knowing what had to come next to prevent from creeping across the land. What happened in Fodlan had been enough of an unknown even with knowing the land and countries, and that's not the case here in Abraxas. There's far too many variables now with gods of unknown origins added in as an additional layer. No time to dwell on that now, however, so he hums a tuneless note in response and means to move on to contemplating the notebooks himself.

Until Kyle asks something which catches his attention more than yet another journal to fill with endless notes about everything he's researching, and Claude looks up with faint surprise from the pocket sized notebook he'd been reaching for as it's immediately forgotten. ]

I was planning on it. Not that I don't like Cadens, but it is awfully nice to have somewhere else to look around. [ As for what he could teach? He straightens up and studies the other man for a second before cracking a slight smile. ] If the teaching part is weapon related, I don't think they'd like it if I dragged a bow in here. And the axe, unfortunately, is in the Horizon only.

[ Gods help them all if the Relics ever somehow make it here. ]

[ushiri]

[ The bone axe and it's strange red glow. He hasn't summoned the yasi'halaun in Horizon since the incident in the labyrinth. It'd probably be safe now, but his reluctance lingers. It's not like he's had need for a weapon, at least.

He shakes his head, smiling faintly. ]

Actually, I was hoping to learn that healing spell. Seems like it should come in handy.

[ Next time things go awry, in reality or in Horizon. ]

[godshattering]

[ The healing spell gets a tilt of his head implying curiosity as he continues to study Kyle. There's no doubt on his end of whether it'd be worth it - the amount of times it's come in handy here has made him quite thankful to Teach for insisting they all learn basic healing along the way - but it's the logistics he needs to consider. It'd be far easier if they were in the same place all the time when it comes to practicing, and that's before even getting into the study of the theories, and -

Wait a minute. There is a solution for part of that. ]

Have you seen the monastery in the horizon yet? My domain's right by it, and I only mention both because we've - we being the others from Fodlan, too - created some of our old textbooks recently. I have some copies in the study in my domain and there's also several in the monastery's library if you'd rather browse it. The reason I mention it is because there's some studying you'll have to do of the practicality before using them.

Or I should say, that's the way it worked when I learned them and we didn't have a large magic rock at our disposal. [ A slightly cynical smile at that, but: he's not all that kidding about the latter. Hopefully it'll help rather than hinder. ] There's actually two healing spells that I know, but it'd be easier to start with the lesser one first before moving onto the more intensive one.