Adventure is its own reward

[Pegasus]

27th Cylus, 718

It was a solemn and almost religious moment. Right up until Arlo told of how it was that he looked different and at that, Cassion's laughter reverberated around the place. "A biqaj woman enticed you? You have a type, it seems! Ah, what price a few arcs to hear the universe sing! Everything is an adventure is it not?" It certainly was, every step a journey and yet it was obvious that every story had a weight to it and here, in a cave carved in ice, a tale had begun a hundred lifetimes ago which stepped into a new phase of the story now. Sixteen souls which had been trapped here for all that time had been set free.

So too had the elemental wolves who had been their guardians for all that time.

And the very epitome of those creatures which would now begin to walk upon Scalvoris soil once again, each one of them greeted and marked Arlo. Then, they turned and left, each one, and the human and the Immortal were alone once more. When given the option of what to do, Arlo chose and Cassion said nothing but there was a fleeting look of approval on his face, there and gone in a blink. Either way, he nodded and they turned and walked.

Out, into the dawn. As they exited the Ice Caves of Ishallr, the dawn of the new trial was there, albeit it in darkness due to the date, but nonetheless, somehow in his heightened state of awareness maybe, or perhaps because of the proximity of the Immortal, Arlo was in no doubt what time it was. They walked back, this time with a tale from Cassion of a huntress who was cursed. It was a long, drawn out tale of daring and adventure - but this one had funny in it too. Said huntress got herself into all sorts of tricky situations and got herself out of them usually with brute force and ignorance.

Eventually, in the blink of an eye, they were back on the crest of the snowy ridge. This time, the lights of Scalvoris below them were the lights of the beginning of the trial and then Cassion turned and looked at the tent from which Arlo had exited. "I'm pleased with you," he said, his voice deep and serious. "Your devotion is without doubt and your loyalty unwavering." Then, with a smile he put his hand on Arlo's shoulder. And every nerve, muscle and fiber of Arlo's being lit. It was a feeling he had experienced once before, when their blood had mingled and in this moment he knew what had happened.

Twice blessed.

The blood inside him, mingled between his and the Immortals, seemed to burn for a few trill and then it froze. He was at once incredibly heavy and as light as air. And in his pocket, the wolf-tooth thrummed in time with the beating of his heart. "There is a darkness coming," Cassion said, almost like he didn't notice. Maybe he didn't, "and it will test you. I would advise you that you wait to share this last bit of news." Of the adventure itself, of what had happened in the caves, well those were tales he should regale with. But the Immortal said no more than that, choosing instead to let Arlo make his own decision. He'd given his advice, after all. "Take care and travel well, Arlo," Cassion said - and when he looked at him, Arlo saw that the Immortal was watching him with some concern. Like he knew what was to come. "Enjoy the journey."

And with that, the Immortal turned and walked away, back down towards the town itself, leaving Arlo to wonder what he was talking about there.

Off Topic

And we're done! One more post from you, please, then I'll review!

[Arlo Creede]

"Well I wouldn't exactly say I was enticed," Arlo muttered in response to Cassion's take on what had happened. The woman and her potion. But then adopting a sort of sheepish expression when he thought a little more about it, he conceded. "Well, maybe." And then he grinned and shrugged. A type? "I guess I do. Got in a lot of trouble when I got home," he added, probably stating what ought to be obvious. It was just a few trills or a bit of levity, in surroundings that given the history, was more than solemn.

He watched the wolves leave, presumably out into the world again, and chose to take nothing extra with him when he left. It would feel a little like desecrating a temple, a monument, even a grave in a sense. They'd been in the caverns longer than Arlo had believed they'd been, judging by the color of the sky and the number of lights that had come on down below. And the story that Cassion told took up most of the walk back to the hilltop where they'd joined up before. It was a story that the young traveler took in as if he was food and water. And he even grinned a little at one point. The huntress reminded him very much of his Vega.

When they reached their destination and Cassion said he was pleased with him, Arlo without a second thought dipped his head in deep respect. There was nothing that a devotee could be prouder or more humbled to hear than that. "Thank you," he said, knowing the words weren't nearly enough. "It never occurred to me to do anything but serve. Nothing I wanted more." Just that, without the promise of any sort of reward for doing it. And he knew what was happening when the Immortal placed a hand on his shoulder. He'd felt it once before but this time, it was more. It was an electric sort of feeling and his blood sang with it as the sensation rushed through and over him.

Hot and cold, light and heavy, those were the feelings of being transformed all over again. Even the wolf's tooth in his pocket seemed more...there than it had been before. "I won't disappoint you," he vowed. He'd do his very best not to. Not ever. But what darkness? What test? He wanted to ask, but knew that if Cassion had wished to tell him more, he would. So Arlo merely nodded solemnly. And then he smiled again when Cassion turned to take his leave. Enjoy the journey, take care and travel well. "And you as well," he said as the Immortal walked away, and before he headed down the hill himself to find Vega.

[Pegasus]

The Review

Overview

I had such fun with this thread - I hope you did too! I love Arlo and how well you play him; his devotion to life, to Cassion, to squeezing every last moment from every last story. It's great. Congratulations on the addition of two statues of Arlo as a permanent marker of his presence on Scalv AND a new species too! PM me if there's any questions.

Points

XP: 15
Renown: 15

Loot & Loss

Congratulations! Arlo is now Adored of Cassion. You have gained the following abilities:

[td]transparent border_color= #9f9993]Dust-Eater[/td][td]Often, famine can sweep the land. Food will fall away, herds will travel to distant pastures, and even the insects will dry up and perish. In times of starvation it is the fate of most to die. But to the god of Hunger, no such thing will slay his chosen. Dust Eater is an ability that allows a Sojourner to subsist on material that would normally give no nutritious value. Dirt, small stones, bones, and discarded clothing can all be consumed by the Sojourner without ill effect. They will draw sustenance from these materials without any internal difficulties processing. Perhaps most unfortunate, however, is that Cassion imparts no balm for this. All things consumed taste like the material they are, making these starvation meals ruinous to consume, almost torturous, if necessary. The item must be deliberately recognized as one to be consumed using this ability, allowing a Sojourner to eat deadly poison with no effect, but only if they deliberately meant to eat the deadly poison in the first place.[/td][/tr]

Memorabilia

A Memorabilia is an evolution of the Souvenir. So important is the Memorabilia that it becomes vital to the mark itself. To lose ones Memorabilia is to lose access to the activated abilities of this mark tier. While new Memorabilia can be dedicated, it is often difficult to find something that holds the same kind of emotional resonance and importance on the fly. Memorabilia is similar to a Souvenir in that its power is variable. Although while a Souvenir is fairly minor in effect, a Memorablia has a moderate effect. The Souvenir achieved in the first mark can be upgraded into Memorabilia, either gaining a new minor ability or losing its minor in exchange for a moderate, but the story must be sufficiently impactful to apply. A Sojourner who leads a boring or uninteresting life will find they have few things by which to dedicate into these items. Cassion craves risk and adventure and one who follows such example will have no trouble finding suitable things. Moderate abilities might be classified as a necklace of gathered pearls that imparts the ability to breathe beneath the waves, or a burned stave that renders the user immune to smoke inhalation or even with extreme resistance to being burned. These items tell a story and their ability manifests by way of that story. Supernaturally enhanced, the objects are unnaturally resilient, but still able to be borrowed, used by another, and even stolen. If stolen, a Memorabilia does not impart this mark’s abilities on the thief, but they do have possession of the magical item in question.

Traveler's Skills II

Add an extra six skill points to one of the following skills: Discipline, Fieldcraft, Sailing, Storytelling Cooking, or Navigation. These points can exceed the 100 point limit

Wolf ToothThe wolf tooth is your Memorabilia: As a relic of your time fighting the fire wolf, this token imparts Arlo with an extensive resistance to being burned. He takes no damage from most burns, but this doesn't mean that he doesn't feel the pain of it, he does.

Statue of a Bear: In his pocket is a small statue of a bear. It is carved from ice which does not melt. It's excellent quality - eerily so.

Arlo has a scar on the palm of his hand, it is a burn mark and is in the shape of a wolf tooth.

Knowledge

Acrobatics: Maintaining balance over a chasm
Blades: Longsword: Draw and slice in one move
Discipline: A leap of faith
Discipline: Recognising when a place should be respected
Endurance: A deep burn on your hand, hurts.
Endurance: Turning into ice
Endurance: The feeling of your blood burning
Interrogation: Lots (and lots) of questions
Investigation: Sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction.
Investigation: Try to find the limits of the situation
Navigation: Finding your way from memory
Ranged Combat: Bow: Firing in close, dark situations
Ranged Combat: Bow: Consider the most effective weapon for your target
Rhetoric: Smited or smote?
Storytelling: The Ice Caves of Ishallr
Storytelling: The Story Cassion Told
Storytelling: There is always truth in stories
Tactics: Try to minimize risk where you can