Unholy War XVIII: We'll fight, cos we ain't on the same side

[Varlum]

"Insulted?" he asked with a small snarl, almost amazed they had the nerve to say it. Insulted was one word for what Varlum was feeling towards the Immortals today. "The woman who I just found out is my sister stands here, cursed, because she ignored an Immortal while she was mid-conversation. Vri stood before us all and threatened to curse us just trills after I held his cheek and gave him what comfort I could, after Faith had pleaded because her daughter was used so cruelly that it makes me shake to think about it. I'm not insulted. I'm ready to find some bandits and rapists and send them to a place so dark not even Vri will find them. Because if he had not been the man that saved Auya's life, I would have snapped long ago. This is me composed. This is me calm - and I'm about ready to break what composure is left."

But that was just the tip of the iceberg, it seemed.

His hand went to the side of his face and felt what Faith was seeing. As he did the Spark inside of him flared and readied, the Immortal blood boiled with anger. Every instinct he had told him that if his magic didn't burn them alive that he should snap his jaws around their necks and break them into pieces. Kill an Immortal or four, right now. Right here. Drag their corpses back to whatever hole they crawled out of and show every Immortal that they have no right to him. No right to use him, whether it was to help or not. But he kept paused as the bear came over, Varlum ready. If this man did anything to him, he would show them what happened when a bear stepped into a dragons neck of the woods.

Yet instead, he showed the same bitterness Varlum did. Offered his help, offered his blessing - and shot a glare to the twins. Even offered to help his sister. In that moment, Varlum looked to Faith and took the stone, focusing on the curse leaving his body and entering the stone. But the look on his face was not relief or gratitude. It was hard to hide the snarl of an animal, a beast that had been backed into a corner. They were in no way subtle. Neither was Varlum as his jaw shook with the growl that left it. "Thank you, Faith - and I am sorry" he said with a look to her, though didn't say what he was sorry for yet. She would figure it out quickly. But first, Varlum looked to Ralaith. "You've done me the only justice that any Immortal has today. I take your blessing, gratefully, and I'll embark on that journey as soon as the time is ready, when we don't need to hold Uthaldria. I can't put into words what it means, but I will show you with actions. You have my word, and my vow. My life, as promised, will be yours."

Then came his reason for apologising, eyes meeting Pier and Pre. "I respect you for scalding Vri, I respect you for standing by what he did was evil. But little girl, or Ithecal - we are not puppets. Don't ever think to put your curse on me again unless you mean to keep it there. Don't ever think me, my soul, my body or any other part of me is yours to use" he said with as much control as he could. Varlum had learned restraint over Arcs, but it was not easy to fight a nature forged in violence. "You helped our war efforts today, somewhat. You offered help to Faith, you helped in the way I asked. But you are not a friend, or an ally, to me. I am not yours to lie to, to threaten, to curse or to weaponise. I am a servant of Faith Augustin, of Ethelynda and of Ralaith. Not you. Don't ever do to me today what Vri, you two and Aeva have done. Ever."

After those words, Varlum met Faith's eyes one more time, the apology likely making sense. After those words, he looked to Ralaith with a small nod. "If you don't mind, I'd rather not stay here any longer. I'm not going to be productive for anyone - and I imagine we have plenty to talk about in the near future. Please."

[Vivian Shiryu]

Vivian had been quiet as the others spoke to Vri about his conduct, with the Immortal twins taking her recommendation on, and Vri attempting to kill himself with the Truthblade. That particular bit of cowardice cost them the sword and she ground her teeth at the lost, but Vri had acted before Vivian even had a chance to move. She did note Varlum's anger, which she shared, but ranting at the Immortals had proven, thus far, to be a rather poor idea, and she wasn't inclined to join in on setting off another potentially volatile god. Right now, her focus had to be on getting all three of them out with minimum damage sustained.

When Faith pointed out that Varlum had been cursed, however, Vivian's turned towards the twins again, dropping back into a stance that made it clear she was ready for a fight if one came. Varlum wasn't her student anymore, but she still felt no small level of responsibility for her old squire, even outside of the revalation that they were now apparently family. She relaxed some when Faith explained the stone they had and what she believed was the reason for the curse, relaxing further when the twins confirmed the idea.

Then Ralaith finally stepped in and started speaking again, Vivian could have hugged him. He was the first of the Immortals since she had joined the others who spoke plainly. She did, briefly, frown when Ralaith mentioned that he had trusted Alistair at one point in the past. Alistair must have played the hero at some point, because she couldn't imagine how anyone could trust a man who had sold his own family out to a torturer, but she supposed that hadn't been the narrative that the Rynmere government had pushed after the war.

When Ralaith turned to her, she nodded to him when he asked about Aeva's curse, then smiled and took the glasses he offered. "My thanks. Lady Aeva told me how to remove the curse, but I'll need to be able to see clearly for that as well." she said, before pausing in thought as she looked at the glasses. She heard Varlum's anger and she understood it, but her own was gone as her mind raced, only looking up when he mentioned Aeva's curse. "My curse from Aeva is not on the same level as the rest of this, as I said, I have very clear instructions on what to do about it. It'll take me some time and practice, but it's not that onerous. She wants me to forge a hammer, is all." she said, her voice half distracted before she went back to the train of thought that had been going through her mind.

When Varlum had finished she looked up at the twins and gestured at the shards of Truthblade. "You made that sword. It's been so...hectic here, that I'd forgotten, but you made that sword. I saw the forging, you made it for Famula's Champion." she said, before explaining how her ability to read a weapon worked and what she'd seen of the forging. "But it wasn't just the forging I saw, I saw Ellasin do something to it. Shaved bits off and aimed to break hearts, specifically hers and Faith's." she said, before explaining in detail what she had seen. "Do you happen to have any idea what Ellasin may have done? Or if all that Vri did when he stabbed himself was heal his injuries? Because if not, it may be a good idea for someone to keep an eye on Vri, in case what Ellasin did the sword has some side effect on him." she said, her tone serious. "And if you don't know what she did, can you tell me how I can find out. I feel like knowing what she was after there will be...helpful." she said, her tone intent.

[Faith Augustin]

There was no sense in this place, and Faith's head was spinning. On the sixty ninth of Ymiden she should go to her Rose garden? Faith nodded her head. "I will. Thank you," she said. It was obvious that the young woman was in a state of pure emotional turmoil and she did not rightly know just what it was that she should do once there, but she didn't think to ask. What stone, she wondered? Did they mean the miracle stone? That was odd, most odd.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Faith put her hand on Varlum's arm. There was a time to stop arguing and this was it, she thought. Like Vivian, though, Faith could have happily hugged Ralaith as he came forward and spoke sense. More than that, he gave Varlum a clue, a very real one. Looking up at the ithecal, Faith smiled at him. "If you'd have a companion, my friend, I'd be honoured to help you." Varlum had been an absolute and unwavering friend, after all, and Faith could not deny that he made this whole experience easier. He was kind and honest and straight-talking - she very much liked all those things.

When the twins asked about redirecting the curse, Faith nodded. "I believe that, since it is not active, the Prayer Stone will redirect it, yes? If so, yes. If not, no." A wave of nausea washed over her and Faith swayed slightly where she stood. Still, there were things which must be dealt with - duties which must be discharged fully.

When Ralaith spoke to Vivian, Faith smiled and, as they stood together, she inclined her head in a bow of respect. "Thank you. Thank you so much for the help you have given." She considered apologising for her emotions, for telling him off but, at the end of the day, Faith could not do so honestly, for they were not things which she regretted and, thus, she stuck with the truth, which was to thank him. And, of course, "If there is ever anything that you wish of me, I am, within my ability and morality, yours." Pier and Pre had, it seemed, given all the answers they were going to, such as they were, and Faith smiled to the twins too. "Thank you, both of you, for intervening when you did. It was most upsetting, and we are all pleased beyond measure to not be cursed by Vri." Most genuinely, Faith added to them. "I hope he is quickly recovered and soon feeling back to himself."

She turned and looked back at the spot where her daughter had crumbled into dust before her. Twice-lost, Faith wasn't sure how she was still standing, and so, she simply nodded to Varlums suggestion that they get out of here. Vivian was right about the shards of metal and Faith hoped that the twins or Ralaith answered her. But right now, all she could do was try her best not to crumple into a heap ~ it took all of her concentration and, judging by the way even her lips were trembling, she wasn't doing so well.

[Pig Boy]

Ralaith nodded to Varlum, as the big Ithecal excused himself from the seance. He would awake sometime after, when everyone else present awoke from it. For now, he was privy to all that continued to unfold within.

"Hmm, Ellasin breaking hearts? She always had a flair for the dramatic." Ralaith grumbled. "I wouldn't put much stock in it, yet her doing something to the truthblade? That does sound... troubling."

So saying, he took up one of the shards of Corvantite from the ground, and began tracing its edges, where it had fractured from the rest of the blade. There, he activated his psychometry ability, to determine the history, purpose, and intent behind anything surrounding the object. An immortal's power wasn't on the same level as that of a mere mortal that was marked. His power ran deeper than even his champions, and was absolute within his domain. He was able to go back as far as he wished in the history of this item, down to every speck of Corvantite dust. Fortunately, he didn't have to go back far in order to discover what had been done.

"You see..." Ralaith began, "While Aeva, Pre, and Pier had a hand in this blade's creation, they weren't the only Immortals to have contributed toward its forging. There was also Vri, who intended this to be a gift to Famula's champion in bygone days. He contributed a scattering of his essence, in the form of Euvomite. These contained a tap into his memories, perhaps into his very domains of Sorrow, Love, and Remembrance. It seems that Ellasin was trying to extract Love from the blade? She didn't seem to know what she was doing, but the effect was the same. She ruined the blade's balance."

Ralaith sighed, "However..."

"Don't start, old bear. This is my area of expertise." Came the familiar voice of Aeva.

Ralaith went red in the face, and turned his head upward. "You've said enough, woman."

There was a silence, and the presence of Aeva seemed to retreat. Then Ralaith began speaking again. "Now, the blade may have some use in it yet. The essence of these Immortals hasn't been completely disrupted from the blade... As for what happened to Vri when it touched him? I believe that was the essence he contributed returning to him, to heal his fracturing. I will keep watch over him as best I can..."

"Now, I think it's time you left. It's dangerous to meddle so deeply in Immortal Trinkets, more than one needs to. I realize there's irony in saying that, given what I've just tasked Varlum to do, but that is a necessary folly. And probably an innocuous one. Jyvran's Device has perhaps one use in it before it will fall into disrepair."

So saying, Ralaith nodded to the two women. He spared one last word to Faith, "Don't think too harshly of Vri, the fracturing and loss of his child had twisted him temporarily, I suspect, but he will soon improve." He gave her a mirthless smile, "Don't expect me to intervene as I have tonight again. It is not normally my way to do so. Vri's meddling went on under my nose, but my mind was on other matters at the time. It was a childishly fool thing, he tried with Ellasin and your daughter."

[Pig Boy]

Faith

Points

15/15 these points may not be used for domain magic.

Knowledge

Caregiving: Don't leave your baby behind.
Caregiving: Asking how mother can help a child.
Caregiving: Introducing adults to a young child.
Caregiving: Motherly instincts prompt one to put oneself between an abusive father and a child.
Caregiving: Asking a child to receive your help.
Caregiving: Part of caring is being afraid.
Gambling: Drawing straws to choose participants.
Detections: Drawing comparisons between a younger version of a person and who they would become.
Detection: Recognising your child's heartbeat.
Detection: Seeing things in mirrors.
Detection: Guessing the age of a child by the sound of their voice.
Discipline; Having your heart broken, all over again.
Etiquette: Thanking your companions for accomopanying you in your vision quest.
Investigation: Knowing how old your daughter ought to have been by now.
Investigation: Intuiting a conclusion based on gut feeling.
Leadership: Giving harsh commands to one of your seconds.
Logistics: Preparing your people for the worst.
Rhetoric: Pleading for your baby's existence.

Loot/losses

Next three powers of Gwelliph:

Self Reflection Upon being granted this ability, the Gwelliph may dedicate a mirror to the twins and may use this to commune with the “essence” of the Immortals. While looking into the mirror, when faced with a decision, the Blessed speaks, apparently to their own reflection. This then replies and they are able to discuss with another how they should approach a situation. The “reflected self” is often quite opposite to the Blessed, reminiscent of how the twins themselves are. Should the mirror be broken, the Blessed may dedicate another ~ only one mirror may be in effect at any time.

Show Yourself When this ability is used the eyes of the blessed turn a weird mesh of black and white, making it hard to hide. When thinking of a victim of any kind of abuse, attack or crime which the marked is aware of (they must know at least basic details), they sees a glowing red trail to the victim of that crime. This might lead the marked to a missing person, the owner of stolen property or to the body of a victim of a hidden murder. If the victim can not be found (perhaps their body has been destroyed, for example) the trail will take them to where the victim last was. The glowing red trail does not, however, take into account the environment and so is always in a single straight line directly towards the victim. There is no time limit on how long ago this crime was committed. This ability may be used once a trial and will last until the victim is found or the search abandoned. No more than three of these may be active at any one time at Favored, five at Adored and seven at Exalted.

Equality of Treatment It is the duty of the Gwelliph to impart punishment upon those that have committed actions which go against the moral code the Gwelliph embodies. This does not necessarily mean that a crime has been committed but that the target of this ability has does something that the Gwelliph deems a sin or is not in line with their morality. The Blessed must make physical contact with the target in order to impart the effect of this ability, which may be used once a trial. Once touched a punishment will be dealt. This punishment is up to the Blessed, although at this level it will be no more severe than physical discomfort (pain, high fever, etc), physical restraint (such as being unable to move out of a small room that the Blessed has selected for a short period of time), or emotional discomfort (such as overwhelming feelings of remorse). The punishment is such that it would require expert levels of Discipline or Endurance to resist, and even then the target would be significantly affected by the punishment. The Blessed can determine how long it lasts, to a maximum of one break (Favored), ten breaks (Adored), one trial (Exalted) or up to five trials for the Champion.

-1 Truthblade
+1 Shards of Truthblade and some Euvomite dust.
+1 Promise to see Rose again.
+1 Prayer stone containing the curse of Gwelliph (hated).

Wealth

n/a

Renown

n/a

Vivian

Points

15/15 these points may not be used for domain magic.

Knowledge

Caregiving: Reflexively attacking an abusive lout for hurting his child.
Detection: When an ithecal shoots up about a dozen feet, must mean he's got Immortal blood.
Detection: Noticing that you're cursed by Aeva.
Detection: There's something different about Varlum, is he... Taller?
Discipline: Telling off an Immortal, and living to tell the tale.
Investigation: Using weapon-based telemetrics to divine the purpose of a weapon and origin.
Investigation: Drawing conclusions based on the nature of a subject.
Investigation: Guessing the identity of a child.
Intelligence: Ellasin's childhood nickname was Elle.
Psychology: Recognizing that someone is far kinder than you would be.
Smithing: Taking up the tools of the forge, like an old habit.
Smithing: The Forgemaster has good information on Immortal metals.
Smithing: Flowery language has no place in the forge.
Etiquette: Don't turn your back on the Immortal of Pride, to have a side bar with your friends.
Etiquette: At least you excused yourself from speaking to Aeva.
Etiquette: Apologizing to an Immortal.

Loot/losses

Hated of Aeva:

The First Level of Aeva’s Curse results in two effects. The first is the Hated acquires Farsightedness, meaning that things close to them appear blurry while things far away are more clear. The second is their hands will mimic any non-biological material they touch. However, this only applies to the first material they grasp in each hand after a new trial begins. The hands still fully function and move, still retain feeling, and remain whole regardless of material. This can range from wood and metal to sand or excrement. Any damage to these hands can still be healed as wounds normally would. The strength of the hands, however, is determined upon the material they are currently mimicking. Because of this, many Hated will go to bed grasping specific items, and be very mindful as to the time of trial, for the trial change marks the renewal. Usually this curse is maintained until the Hated makes things right and expresses the genuine desire for forgiveness to Aeva.

Mark of Gwelliph:

This is the truth: (Minor) The Blessed is able to influence someone’s perception of truth. When looking at an individual, the Gwelliph must concentrate on the words they say. They then attempt to inject their own truth ~ be that of a person, situation, etc ~ into an individual before ending with, "This is the truth." If the character is successful in convincing the individual of their "truth", the individual will respond back by saying, "This is the truth." At this level, it is hard for the character to convince anyone of their "truths". It is recommended that characters start with small forms of manipulation such as, "You want to buy me an ale, this is the truth." If the words the Gwelliph speaks are true to them, this strengthens the ability; at Favored this ability only works with statements which are true to the Gwelliph and can be deflected with expert level of meditation, deception, or discipline. When the Gwlliph reaches Adored, they can work in less absolute truths, and can only be defended against by someone of Master levels skill. Exalted Gwelliph can impart truth or lies with equal strength and the Champion of Pier and Pre may only be resisted by someone with Grandmaster levels of skill. When using this ability over the course of several days, the character will become mentally exhausted. Continued use will deteriorate the mental health of the character until they began to confuse their forced truths with reality.

Justified Skills The character is granted an extra three skill points which may be spent only on the following skills: Persuasion, Detection, or Investigation. Any skill points granted by this Mark can break the 250 (or 100 if fast track) point cap on skills. Within these skills, the points may be spent how the pc chooses.

Hear No Evil This ability allows the character to decipher what is the truth and what are lies when communicating with other individuals. Regardless of language, the character will be able to tell lie from truth when they concentrate on the words someone else is saying. This is a kind of sense that the mark grants the character, the exact sensation of which is up to the PC. However, this sense has little effect on the dead or Wisps. This ability cannot work if the speaker is convinced of the lie itself. At Favored, the PC can be fooled by Expert levels of Deception. At Adored, it takes Master and Exalted are only blinded by those with Grandmaster of Deception. The ability is activated by the Blessed’s intent, and so happens immediately, and lasts for a break.

+1 Promise to remove Aeva's curse if you fullfill a simple task.
+1 All seeing spectacles: These spectacles grant 20/20 vision in all light levels, even pitch dark.

Wealth

n/a

Renown

n/a

Varlum

Points

15/15 these points may not be used for domain magic.

Knowledge

Caregiving: Caring about a little girl getting hurt.
Caregiving: STanding by your friend.
Detection: Memorizing a face so you'll know them upon running into them again.
Discipline: Life outside Ivorian is more difficult than expected.
Discipline: Some weird shit isn't gonna scare Varlum away.
Discipline: Having the heart to turn away from Curiosity.
Discipline: Resisting the urge to throttle a pack of foolish Immortals.
Investigation: Hypothesizing about the subject's intentions, based on what you're seeing.
Leadership: Telling your former mastster that it's time to go.
Leadership: Insisting that the group stay together, no matter what.
Meditation: Sometimes, when things are bad, you just have to fall to your knees and pray to a trio of unknown entities.
Negotiation: Offering your very soul to make things better.
Persuasion: Persuading another member of the party to come along and not get sidetracked.
Rhetoric: Pleading on behalf of the abused.
Smithing: The signs of an abandoned and ill-equipped forge.
Tactics: Adherence to the leader's plan is paramount to a successful mission.

Loot/losses

Mark of Shirvain with first three powers:

Compendium of Immortal Wisdom This book exists as one that may store an infinite amount of knowledge for the wielder to explore. The wielder must experience this knowledge first hand to record within the book. The compendium exists as a portion of the blessing itself, and may be stored in a sliver of time and brought forth upon the user willing it. The Compendium does not exist as a normal book. While the pages feel as if merely a high quality parchment, all of the contents of the book are blessed by Ralaith and the way in which this information is accessed is largely variable. You may turn a page and find that there is no words, but instead an image. This image can tap into the past, and play visions in the reader's mind. You may guide your fingertip over a mere word, and entire paragraphs will consume the page of the book, retracting when you are done with them. The Compendium of Immortal Wisdom recycles information that is unimportant or unnecessary, and by the end of a long life a true follower of Ralaith will find that their Compendium is a library of great knowledge that is both true and genuine. Upon the death of the wielder of Shirvain, the Compendium finds itself in the hands of Ralaith, and he will read it and study upon all the knowledge they have gained before offering this Compendium to a library of great pieces of writing.

The Bear of Ralaith Those blessed with Shirvain are granted with a large spirit bear familiar, similar to that of a Sev'ryn familiar. This bear, though at this level cannot effect the Material world, has the unique ability to increase the strength and endurance of the Shirvain, granting a moderate boost when close by. In this form, the bear is a shimmering arrays of colors, all looking like woven strands. It tends to be the species of bear most commonly encountered nearest to the Favored's home.

Scholarly Minds I The character is granted an extra three skill points which may be spent only on the following skills: Meditation, Teaching, Research, Writing. Any skill points granted by this Mark can break the 250 (or 100 if fast track) point cap on skills. Within these skills, the points may be spent how the pc chooses.

Wealth

n/a

Renown

n/a

Comments: Wow, what a thread. I'm at a loss for words. I very much enjoyed writing this thread with you all, and thanks for being my first Immortal thread.... With no less than Five Immortals involved lol. It was ridiculous.

You all played your pcs brilliantly, and were able to pick up on many of the secrets without my help. Amazing insight.

You're good sports, even though I cursed some of you or threatened to several times. Even threatened to remove Faith's Bellinos!! :eeek:

Thanks again for having this thread with me, was fun. I'm sure we'll have more than a few more before the war is done.