• Closed • A Gift for Delroth

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Devin
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A Gift for Delroth

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Ashan 16, Arc 721

On the 16th of Ashan, Devin Thorn, masterful bard, medical genius in progress and priest of Delroth, was in an extraordinarily good mood when he woke up. He smiled and almost danced when he left his bed, ate breakfast and got dressed, in fact, because he could barely contain his joy. Actually, he didn’t want to contain his joy because the trial had finally arrived – the trial when it would finally be finished, and he would be able to take the next step in making sure that Delroth would become the most popular Immortal on the island.

The young man was already normally quite fashionably dressed, but this time, he upped the ante and decided to dress in the very best and most expensive clothes, because Delroth, the Immortal of Vanity, deserved nothing but the best. At first, he had considered dressing from head to toe in gold. Covering yourself in an excessive amount of gold wasn’t really the best though; it would likely just end up looking incredibly gaudy.

Delroth deserved more than gaudiness!

For that reason, he put on a shirt that had been made of the finest white silk that money could buy, tailored to his body, and over it a waistcoat and a jacket that was made of just as fine a fabric, with delicate golden embroidery that shimmered in the early morning light and decorated with golden chains and tiny black and white pearls, and matching pants.

His cloak was a brilliant shade of white as well, and embroidered with a multitude of golden birds, and his feet were encased in soft white leather boots with a small golden heel, to make him look taller (not that he wasn’t already tall, but he liked looking just an inch or so taller, regardless).

The entire outfit was brand-new of course, because you didn’t wear something that you had already worn before on such an occasion, especially not when Delroth was involved!

Once Devin had gotten dressed, he put on some jewelry (golden, black and white and very beautiful, of course) and sat down at his luxurious vanity table in order to do his hair and put on some make-up. Well, at least that was what he planned on doing. For a while, he just looked at his reflection in the mirror (it was a gorgeous reflection in a pretty gorgeous mirror), and then he prodded his cheeks experimentally to see if that would cause a bit of divinity to reveal itself.

Delroth’s daughter had told him that he was a Mortalborn, and he believed her, and he was so happy about it because he’d always wanted to be someone special, but where were his domains? He could still only see the future which was a big responsibility. He didn’t know how he was supposed to handle such a responsibility though. He’d rather make people feel pleasure, like Zana, because that had sounded awesome, despite the side effects!

Before long, he stopped prodding his cheeks again though and focused on the task at hand. He grabbed a comb and started to do his hair, incorporating the shimmering feathers on his head in a way that made them look like a fancy hair accessory rather than what they really were – an Awakening, and then he added an ornament made of pure gold to it, and a bit of glitter so that his hair shimmered, just like his clothes.

A moment later, he decided to also use a bit of eyeliner to make his eyes stand out even more and sprinkled himself with perfume (it smelled like violets, to match his violet eyes).

Finally, he took the fancy golden silk robe that he had bought together with his new outfit and carefully folded it (he would only put it on once he had arrived at his destination so that it wouldn’t get dirty – a dirty robe would be a sacrilege!), and then he was ready to go.

~~~

In Cylus, Devin had not only made a generous offering to his favourite Immortal ever, Delroth, the Immortal of Vanity, he had also promised to improve his shrine and turn it into an actual temple, and he had immediately gotten to work. A priest of Delroth shouldn’t be lazy and take his sweet time – because Delroth deserved to get his gifts as soon as possible. Fortunately, there had been enough land around the shrine to build an extension. Approximately a season and a considerable amount of onyx nels later, it was finally ready!

He had already let his congregation know about the temple-warming ceremony (Like a house-warming party, only better and more religious!) during a previous mass, and he had also let everybody else who was willing to listen know (Provided that they were not ugly, dirty and smelly – he didn’t want the temple to stink!). Hopefully, a lot of people would come. He intended to open the new temple with prayer and lots of praise – because Delroth deserved all the prayers and praise on Idalos!

The original shrine had been small – no bigger than a garden shed – although it had been very beautiful, of course, as a shrine that was dedicated to the Immortal of Vanity should be, with golden decorations, bird sculptures that Devin had found during an actual treasure hunt and a magnificent painting of Delroth, among other things. The little shrine still existed. Devin had come to the decision that it would be perfect for private ceremonies and prayers.

Three rooms had been added next to it though.

The extension in question was so beautiful that Devin himself was rendered speechless. He stopped in front of it for a few moments in order to admire it, even though he had regularly paid a visit when he had been in Scalvoris Town in order to make sure that the workers weren’t lazy and/or tried to steal the building materials and replace them with cheaper stuff (As a former criminal, he was familiar with a lot of tricks in that regard!).

He had decided to continue with the color scheme of the old shrine so that the extension wouldn’t clash with it but complement it.

The walls of the exceedingly complex and luxurious building were a brilliant shade of white, with fine red and golden ornaments and painted with birds, and the benches where the congregation would sit during mass were made of finely carved dark wood. There were fancy decorations and big stained-glass windows with Delroth-themed motives that could be opened in order to let in fresh air – and wind, for wind was one of Delroth’s domains as well.

(Not storms though. Those belonged to Chrien.)

The central part of the temple was the altar in front of which Devin would be standing during mass, of course. Behind it hung the painting of Delroth that he had originally acquired for the old shrine – because Delroth’s face didn't deserve be hidden away in a little shrine.

Only the most magnificent surroundings were good enough for it!

It was there, in front of the altar, that Devin stopped in order to kneel and say a prayer once he had put on his robe (He had a room for himself where he could get changed and get ready for his masses now!).

Having done that, he placed two onyx nels that were encased in a pretty little velvet bag that was embroidered with blue birds in front of it (Two onyx nels were more than a lot of people earned in an entire season!) – because the first offering made in Delroth’s temple should be a huge one. The Immortal of Greed deserved more than just a handful of puny golden nels!

As far as he was concerned, this would only be the first of many impressive offerings!
Notes
Spent:
16 WP for a huge room
12 WP for three average rooms
1 WP for an offering
1 WP for two masterwork quality outfits

Total: 30 WP

As Devin is Tier 10, the furnishings are masterwork+ quality.
word count: 1361

Appearance

  • Due to an encounter with a magical tree Devin has bright violet eyes.
  • Devin has fancy black claw-like nails. The Grafter Rakvald made them from the spines that grow on the dubaebo's back and attached them to Devin's hands.

Items

Devin owns a Ring of Reversal. He's always wearing it, unless stated otherwise.

Potions

N/A
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Re: A Gift for Delroth

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A temple-warming was not something often seen on Scalvoris and, as such, it had garnered quite a lot of attention. Some of the attention was from people who were worshipers, others who were simply curious ~ and some, of course, who were envious. The work which had been done there was amazing and beautiful and there was no doubting that Devin was a devoted and loyal follower of Delroth.

Plus, of course, he looked absolutely marvelous in his outfit. There were people there, milling around and leaving offerings, waiting for the grand opening. Some people waved to him, others called greetings to him. People were looking at the many aspects of the new temple and, it had to be said, Devin was the focus of attention, most certainly. As Devin walked in, though, a woman approached him. She was flawlessly beautiful with vivid eyes which seemed to sparkle. Her skin was like marble and when she smiled at him, it seemed like everything was just a little bit better in the world.

"Excuse me," she said, her voice soft and almost like honey. "I'm looking for the High Priest here," looking at him she regarded him carefully, examining him. Her perfect lips lifted in a smile. "and you, well you must be the High Priest. So very important looking." All the finery and glory, the wonderful glass windows and all of it were - it seemed - less interesting to her than him. The woman in question gazed on him intently and spoke in her gentle, amused, tinkling voice. "I'm not from here. I wonder, High Priest, could you answer a question for me?"

Gesturing to the place, the expense and the luxury which surrounded them, she regarded him. "What's so special about Delroth?"

word count: 295
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~~Red in hoof and claw... ~~


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Devin
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Re: A Gift for Delroth

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When Devin noticed how much attention his temple-warming ceremony had garnered, his eyes immediately lit up, and he began to smile all over his face. He greeted them all, everybody that had come to take a look at the gift that he had decided to give to his favourite Immortal. He thanked the people that left offerings, he exchanged a few words with the people that regularly attended his masses, but he also welcomed the people that had never been at his old shrine (provided that they were not ugly, dirty and/or smelly), his face practically radiating from within because he was in such an excellent mood. Throughout it all he tried his best to be absolutely charming and personable.

This was a prime opportunity to persuade people to become followers of Delroth. His goal was to make him the most popular Immortal on the entire island, and eventually even beyond, and he planned on giving his best – no, more than his best, his absolute and indubitable best – in order to realize that goal. In his opinion, Delroth deserved nothing less than utmost admiration, adoration and popularity, because he was that great!

He had to admit that he enjoyed the attention that people were giving him and his absolutely marvelous outfit, and he occasionally bowed a little like an actor after a great show, and once he even did a little twirl so that people would be able to admire him from all angles, but he made sure that they never forgot who the entire trial was ultimately all about (and if it seemed as if they had forgotten, he gave them a gentle reminder).

Normally, Devin quite liked absolutely loved being the center of attention (and if he wasn’t the center of attention, then he made sure that he became the center of attention), but this was Delroth’s ceremony, and it was Delroth’s new temple. The focus should be on him, and people should flock to the temple because of him, like birds, and worship him with every breath and with every word and every action. He was the Immortal of Birds!

So, whenever someone made an offering, for example, he did thus not only thank them, but finished the interaction with a little prayer or with the words “Praised be Delroth!” or “Praised be his Magnificence!” because that was exactly what Delroth was in his opinion. Absolutely magnificent!

When he finally walked into the temple, a woman approached him, and the young Mortalborn stopped and smiled at her, radiantly, and his violet eyes widened. She was flawlessly beautiful, with eyes that sparkled like a pair of jewels, and skin that was as smooth and shiny as marble, and the way that she looked at him … there was something about it that made an already great trial even better and brighter. He met her gaze, and a moment later, he kissed her hand, provided that she allowed it, like a gentleman should when facing a woman of such exquisite beauty, and replied, “I am indeed the High Priest of this temple. Baron Devin Thorn, at your service”, he introduced himself. If he was the only priest here, then he was the High Priest by default, right?

When she wanted to know what was so special about Delroth, he raised a perfectly groomed, midnight black eyebrow, smiled once more and remarked, “Let me ask you a counter-question, my lady. What is not special about Delroth? He is glorious and magnificent and wonderful. His appearance is breathtaking, his voice is like honey, and his domains … have you ever wondered what the world would be like if there were no greed, if nobody ever coveted anything, and if there were no desire, and no vanity? There would only be stagnancy, and boredom, and ugliness, and who could ever want such a world? Greed and vanity are everything”, he pointed out, smiling the most brilliant and charming smile that he was capable of.

“And would you not say that birds are the most magnificent animals in all of Idalos, the kings and queens of the sky that make everything better with their songs? And wind – think about the wonderful feeling when the wind caresses your face. Wind is life. Wind is power. Wind is energy. It brings us new weather, and it brings the world warmth. Few, if any plants would grow if there were no wind to carry their seeds across their land, and if there were no plants, we would surely starve”, he told her, his eyes shimmering brightly with enthusiasm. “So, let me ask you again. What is not special about Delroth? Is he not the greatest?” he finished and looked at the woman expectantly, at the woman who was so very beautiful and so strangely familiar.

word count: 803

Appearance

  • Due to an encounter with a magical tree Devin has bright violet eyes.
  • Devin has fancy black claw-like nails. The Grafter Rakvald made them from the spines that grow on the dubaebo's back and attached them to Devin's hands.

Items

Devin owns a Ring of Reversal. He's always wearing it, unless stated otherwise.

Potions

N/A
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Re: A Gift for Delroth

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There were no ugly people. No dirty or smelly ones. It was like the sun shone on the beautiful and the rich that trial - and brought them to him.

One of the things about being a High Priest (which is, of course, what he was ) is that people fawn over you. This was certainly true to-trial. People fussed over Devin and they made sure that they spoke to him - they wanted to let him know how wonderful Delroth was, how beautiful this place was and how utterly marvellous he, Devin was. His focus on Delroth was needed, therefore, and even when he did gently remind people, they gushed about how devoted he was.

All in all, it was a good day to be Devin.

So, when he met the beautiful woman inside the Temple, Devin was undoubtedly used to beautiful. She was beyond that, though, and she looked at him with a challenge in her eyes, not adoration. "A high priest and a Baron, too?" She sounded dreadfully impressed. "Well, how wonderful. Your .. wife? ... must be very proud. " She put a hand on his arm and smiled at him, listening raptly as he answered her question. She listened to his "counter-question" and her lips lifted in a smile.

"Ah, now, you see. I feel that you have misunderstood something." Her voice whispered to him. Only to him. "He is the Immortal of Birds. Which means, he is the Immortal of Skullguls. Vile scabby little creatures that they are. He is the Immortal of Vultures, which pick away the bones of the dead. Ew. He is the Immortal of the marvellous birds, but also the ugly ones. That's a flaw, don't you think?" She smiled and let out a soft chuckle, as though she was sharing a joke with Devin. A deeply personal joke. "As for wind. Well, yes, a gentle breeze is a wonderful thing. But, he's the Immortal of that horrid gust which messes your hair. Of the freezing, biting wind which causes you to shiver and need to wrap up and hide your wondrous flesh from it - and from everyone else. Vanity, now, vanity is all well and good. But my dear, we both know," leaning forward she whispered into Devin's ear. He felt the breath tickle against his flesh. "Ugly people can be vain, and that's a dreadful prospect, is it not?"

Gesturing outside, she continued. "Think of it. The ugly, old, rather smelly person who is also vain. Ew. Add in a skull gull and a gale force wind, and that too is the remit of Delroth. I think, personally, there's one thing missing." Stepping back slightly, she looked at him, her gaze assessing him - taking in every last detail. "Beauty. Beautiful birds are the kings and queens of the sky, yes. A beautiful, gentle, soft wind is a beautiful thing. Vanity for vanity's sake is ugly. People should have the good grace to be vain about what's important." She smiled. "Beauty. So, I answer you and ask again. "

A smile played on her ruby lips, her eyes entranced. "What's so special about Delroth?"

OOC: Sincere apologies for the delays!
word count: 535
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~~Red in hoof and claw... ~~


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Devin
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Re: A Gift for Delroth

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“Of course“, Devin replied and met the woman’s gaze before he added, “And a Mortalborn, too, although I have yet to figure out who my Immortal parent is. There is no wife though, and no husband either”, he told her and smiled the most radiant smile that he was capable of. She put a hand on his arm, and a moment later, he offered her his arm, as if he were quite willing to give her a tour of his of Delroth’s new temple, and possibly more.

He even batted his eyelashes a bit!

The woman, whoever she was, Devin decided as he continued to listen to her, was not just beautiful. She wasn’t even flawlessly beautiful, as he had thought before. She was beyond flawlessly beautiful, if such a thing was at all possible. She was so beautiful that he might have been a tiny bit envious of her if he weren’t so absolutely fascinated by her, and he didn’t mind that there was something quite challenging about the look in her eyes.

On the contrary, he liked that!

“Ew”, he agreed, shuddered almost imperceptibly and proceeded to make a face (But not too much of a face because that would have made him look ugly!) when the woman told him that Delroth was also the Immortal of Skullgulls and Vultures and such and pointed out that ugly people could be vain as well. He had, he admitted, never thought about such things a lot before because he didn’t want to have anything to do with them. He preferred a world that was filled with beautiful people and shiny things. That’s how it should be!

“That old, ugly and smelly person should have the good grace to stop being old, ugly and smelly, don’t you think? They should show a bit of self-respect and either fix themselves or go away! Delroth”, he pointed out to her. “Does not approve of the ugly, the plain and the humble that are content with their place in life and don’t care to improve. As for Skullgulls and such”, he continued. “Do you think that Delroth wants to be called the Immortal of ugly or flawed things, or beings?” he asked in a charming tone of voice and raised an eyebrow slightly.

He was thinking about the Avriel, Delroth’s failed prototypes, in particular when he said that. There were very beautiful to look at – especially that Kalortah, even though he’d never admit that he found him in any way attractive – but that aside, they were a bit of a disaster.

Thinking about Skullgulls, vultures (And Avriel!) for more than a moment made him feel kind of unhappy though, so he decided to focus on more pleasant things again. He didn’t want to be unhappy, especially not on such a glorious trial and in the company of such a beautiful woman!

“The Vain”, he replied in a soft tone of voice, using one of Delroth’s titles and leaned a little closer to her because she had brought up the matter of beauty which was something that he enjoyed talking about, and because there was something that needed to be said. “Is not just beautiful. He is so beautiful that even Edasha, the Immortal of Beauty, is envious of him and worried that her looks will fail her one trial. That’s something special, don’t you think?” he asked and raised an eyebrow. He did not fall silent and wait for her reaction, or her next question though. He was not the kind of person that just stood there and waited for someone’s questions; and besides, she was just so beautiful, and so fascinating.

He couldn’t help but be curious about her!

For that reason, he looked at her from out of his violet eyes once more and remarked,

“You told me that you are not from here before. Where are you from – and what’s your name, if you don’t mind me asking? Perhaps, we could talk about Delroth in more detail while I show you around? We have some time before the mass begins, and I'll hold my sermon”, he told her and gestured forward, with a hand that ended in perfectly manicured black nails (magical, grafted nails rather than his natural nails; he’d gotten rid of those because natural wasn’t good enough in his opinion).

word count: 744

Appearance

  • Due to an encounter with a magical tree Devin has bright violet eyes.
  • Devin has fancy black claw-like nails. The Grafter Rakvald made them from the spines that grow on the dubaebo's back and attached them to Devin's hands.

Items

Devin owns a Ring of Reversal. He's always wearing it, unless stated otherwise.

Potions

N/A
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Re: A Gift for Delroth

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The woman looked at him and, when Devin spoke of Edasha, her eyes narrowed slightly. She frowned when he suggested that Edasha worried her beauty would fade. She scowled at him, and even her displeasure was beautiful. Then, she sighed and she took his arm. "It appears," she said, casually, "that you were correct, my brother."

"Why, of course I was," Delroth said. He was standing right in front of them, although Devin was sure that he hadn't been there before. Devin recognised him but, judging by the way that people milled around and continued doing what they were doing, he was not visible to everyone. "I make it a personal rule to always be right, my beautiful sister," he said to the woman, and then he turned to look at Devin. He smiled at his priest and nodded. "Especially when I am talking about my faithful servants. Devin, can you believe my sister here thought that she could turn you away from me, to her?" He smiled radiantly. Edasha chuckled slightly. "I would have made sure you enjoyed your time, had you chosen to cheat on my brother with me," she said and then she looked at Delroth. "Very well, you win. It would seem that some people are able to be greedy, vain and loyal." Reaching up her hand she stroked Devin's cheek. "And deliciously handsome too. Such a wonderful cornucopia of vice and passion. Such a shame," she said quietly, her red lips lifting in mirth. "Such a shame that I won't get to taste you."

Delroth looked at her and she sighed. Then, she leaned and whispered in Devin's ear. "Goodbye, Devin Thorne. Try not to waste away, thinking of me and all the beauty we could have made, together. Sweet dreams." She blew him a kiss and then, turned and walked out.

Which left Devin alone with Delroth.

"I like this place, love what you've done here," Delroth said. Then, he smiled at Devin and flung his arm in a wide-reaching gesture. "And I am pleased with you, my most faithful servant." He hadn't doubted it, of course, Delroth thought to himself. He was very aware of his priests and he was astute and clever and cunning and... he looked back at Devin and re-focused. "I want Scalvoris to love me, Devin. They should, don't you think?" It was a rhetorical question. Didn't need answering. The sky was blue, water was wet and he, Delroth, should be adored.

"So, why don't you give your sermon. Praise my name and, at just the right moment, I will appear and bless you and the crowd. Can you imagine?" He seemed almost child-like with glee. "They'll love us!"
word count: 463
Image
~~Red in hoof and claw... ~~


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Devin
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Re: A Gift for Delroth

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The beautiful, beautiful woman narrowed her eyes slightly when he mentioned Edasha, Devin noticed, which didn’t make any sense to him, unless she was … a follower of Edasha on top of being someone who was very obviously interested in Delroth. Having decided that that was probably the case, the young man began to think about what he wanted to say next, because he would convince her that Delroth was the most amazing Immortal ever before the mass began – and that she should spend a little more time in his company, of course!

When she suddenly started to talk about a brother, the Mortalborn blinked for a moment before he turned around – only in order to face none other than Delroth. He looked at the Immortal for a moment before he bowed, as deeply as he could, because Delroth deserved nothing but the greatest respect in his opinion. He’d always, always wanted to see him again one trial, and now he was finally here, and he was absolutely gorgeous and glorious (Not that he had expected him to be anything else, because he was Delroth!), and the woman was …

Edasha?

Had he really just kind of almost flirted with Edasha?

Devin momentarily wondered if he might just be imagining things, after all, before he came to the conclusion that he had indeed just done that. He had flirted with Edasha and told her that she was envious of her brother’s beauty, and apparently, it had all been some sort of test of his loyalty, and an attempt to make him “cheat”. This did not cause the young man to be nervous though, at least not for longer than a couple of moments. On the contrary, it was like a dream come true!

Delroth and his sister were here!

“Nobody will ever be able to turn me away from you”, he replied with utter conviction, looked at his favourite Immortal in Idalos and in all the other worlds and gave him the most radiant smile that he had ever smiled, his volet eyes shimmering brightly. He couldn’t imagine ever not worshipping Delroth and honoring him serving him and loving because he was so absolutely amazing and marvelous, and his sister was …

… quite naughty!

He liked that though, so when Edasha stroke his cheek, called him deliciously handsome and remarked that it was such a shame that she wouldn’t get to taste him, he smiled at her, and when she blew him a kiss and walked out, the Mortalborn who could be a bit naughty as well every now and then bowed (She was an Immortal too, after all!), one arm in the center of his chest and a bright smile on his face before he turned to Delroth again.

“Thank you so much, my lord”, he replied when Delroth said that he was pleased with him and even called him his most faithful servant. He was about to tell him that he agreed, that Scalvoris should love him, and all of Idalos on top of it, but then he realized that it had been a rhetorical question. There was no need to answer. Delroth should be adored, and that was it, there was no alternative and nothing else that was in any way acceptable!

“They will”, he agreed with Delroth in almost the same tone of voice when the Immortal said that people would love them, his eyes shimmering with excitement and a wide smile on his face. There was not a single doubt in his mind. It was impossible to not love Delroth, and he would make sure that his congregation would realize that, if they hadn’t done so yet. With that thought in mind, he opened the doors of the temple wide once Delroth had disappeared (his gaze never had never left him until he had done so, of course).

~~~

Some priests rang a bell when it was time for the mass to begin which could be a rather unpleasant sound. Some also sang (mostly off-key, because a lot of religious officials unfortunately had rather ugly voices). Devin on the other hand stood in front of the altar, in front of the most glorious painting of Delroth, his beloved lute in his arms and played an ode to Delroth. His lute was a beautiful archlute with fourteen pairs of strings which expanded its range greatly compared to more conventional lutes with eight or nine pairs of strings.

He always played his ode before and after every mass, mostly not so that they congregation would admire his skill as a musician, although he was very skilled, of course, but because Delroth should have songs about him, a dozen songs, a million songs, a billion songs and because he deserved so much better than an unpleasant, loud and utterly conventional bell.

The first part of the song was gentle, like the songs that birds sang early in the morning, before he switched to more breezy notes and finally quite dramatic ones to signify Greed and Vanity. He played with utter dedication and passion, his fingers almost flying across the strings, until the temple was full, and then he finished with one last exciting sequence of chords, put the lute away and began to speak, spreading his arms wide.

He spoke in a loud and clear and enthusiastic tone of voice, with a wide and confident smile on his face because he really loved talking, and more than anything else in the world he loved talking about Delroth.

“Praised be Delroth”, he said and let his gaze drift across the congregation, so that they would feel as if he were addressing each and every one of them personally. “Praised be the Vain. Praised be the Winged Calamity. Praised be His Magnificence. To-trial, ladies and gentlemen, marks the opening of the new Temple of Delroth that I have decided to give the people of Scalvoris in His name and that will only be the first of its kind, and for that reason, my sermon will be a little different this time. A new chapter, a new beginning, deserves a new sermon”, he told them.

“One of the first things that we learn, and rightfully so, is that Delroth is the greatest and that we should all worship Him and be forever grateful to Him. We acknowledge His greatness on a regular basis, through our utter devotion, through our prayers, our actions and the hymns that we sing in order to honor Him. This trial, I want us to look at His Greatness in more detail though in order to be able to understand it better - and why it is relevant to everything that we think and do”, he continued, pronouncing the words “he”, “him” and “his” in a way that made it sound as if he were capitalizing them – because Delroth’s pronouns should always be capitalized!

“What does greatness mean though?” he wanted to know which was a purely rhetorical question, of course. “We often use the word ‘great’ when we want to admire someone’s accomplishments or their skills. In the case of Delroth however, greatness is a designation of such ultimate supremacy that it surpasses mortal understanding. Delroth is the pinnacle of every admirable quality that exists in the world of Idalos, and beyond, making him utterly and indubitably worthy of our worship. Delroth’s supreme greatness is visible through His Vanity and His Greed which are, and I say that without the shadow of the doubt, two of the most important traits that any being can have”, he proclaimed and paused for a moment in order to give the congregation some time to think about what he had just said.

“Greed is motivation”, he continued in an enthusiastic tone of voice. “Greed drives change. Greed is change. Without greed there would be never be any progress. Society cannot function without greed; it would just dissolve into utter chaos. Greed is one of the core principles that is necessary for the world to work. Vanity is self-respect. Those people that are content with their ugliness, their questionable personalities, their lack of style and their poverty, have none of it and will not find Delroth’s approval. Delroth is Vanity, and Delroth is Greed. His greatness can be felt in the wind that gently touches our skin and that carries the seeds of new life across the land every spring, and it can be seen in the birds in the sky”, he explained – and summoned his familiar, a parrot with red, green and blue feathers as adding a visual component to a sermon could render it even more effective.

The magnificent bird, one of Delroth’s own creatures, circled above him before it retreated so that the congregation would not be distracted from the sermon and could focus entirely on pondering – and admiring! – Delroth’s greatness once more. Devin smiled at them all for a moment before he pointed out, “Without birds, the forests and the meadows around us would cease to exist. There would only be a barren wasteland instead. Without either of Delroth’s four Domains the world around us would grind to a halt.” That was something that he believed with all of his heart and without the shadow of a doubt.

His sermon was accompanied by dramatic gestures and changes in his facial expression. Devin tended to be someone who talked and talked (and talked!) and barely stopped in order to take a breath because he wanted to get as many words as possible out, and because just loved the sound of his own voice so much (It was a very nice voice!); this time, he held back though, and even made a short pause at strategic points in his sermon.

He wanted to give Delroth an absolutely amazing sermon, because he deserved nothing less than that!

“Ultimately”, he told the congregation in a firm tone of voice. “The best way to understand Delroth's greatness is to look upon His face though, and to subsequently be in awe of it. To look upon Delroth’s magnificent face and to see his beauty, and perhaps hear his voice, even if it is only for a moment, is to immediately understand and recognize greatness. Delroth’s greatness is so expansive that it stands unmatched, anywhere and at any point in time, and we should all honor His Domains and live them – and praise Him. Let us thus praise Him together now, from the bottom of our hearts. Delroth is great! Praised be Delroth. Praised be the Vain! Praised be the Winged Calamity! Praised by His Magnificence!” he finally exclaimed, an utterly brilliant smile on his face, spreading his arms wide once more because that was what Delroth was.

Great!

word count: 1799

Appearance

  • Due to an encounter with a magical tree Devin has bright violet eyes.
  • Devin has fancy black claw-like nails. The Grafter Rakvald made them from the spines that grow on the dubaebo's back and attached them to Devin's hands.

Items

Devin owns a Ring of Reversal. He's always wearing it, unless stated otherwise.

Potions

N/A
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Re: A Gift for Delroth

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The sound of Devin's lute called forward the faithful - and the curious - to hear the sermon. Of course, Devin knew that he was giving a sermon in the presence of the Immortal himself, and he began to speak.

As Devin began his sermon, a gentle breeze made it's way through the windows - and it caught Devin's hair just perfectly. He made an impressive sight as he stood and spoke. People watched, entranced, as he seemed to be caught in a breeze which accentuated his hair and then - started to carry his voice. Or, no, that wasn't quite what happened. It wasn't only that his voice carried on the wind but actually, a small and quiet chorus of birds started to accompany him. Their voices joined in with his and when he spoke the word "Delroth", they sang in accompaniment with him.

It was quite an astonishing sound.

But it seemed that Delroth wasn't stopping there. When Devin said "it can be seen in the birds in the sky", a flock of incredibly - impossibly - beautiful birds with exotic plumage flew in. Circling above the congregation, they landed and hovered then all around Devin. As Devin called for the congregation to "Praise be the Vain" - to Praise Delroth, the whole congregation did so, praising Delroth as the beautiful birds sang in unison.

At Devin's final words, though - "Praise be His Magnificence" - behind Devin suddenly appeared enormous, truly enormous beautiful wings. Every colour of the rainbow, they glowed and they were magnificent. And then, where the wings were, suddenly there stood Delroth himself. He was tall - standing head and shoulders above Devin, with his hands resting on Devin's shoulders.

"Your worship, your devotion and your love for me, Devin Thorne, have called me to this place," Delroth said with a voice which reverberated around the room and was as beautiful as if the most magnificent songbird had spoken it. "Your devotion to me means that here, in front of your faithful congregation, I will bestow another blessing upon you." Devin felt himself encased in a warm, glowing light which radiated out. The congregation stood, entranced. "It will give you power and allow you to perform marvelous miracles. All that I ask is that you do them in my name!"

Looking out at the congregation, then, Delroth spoke. "And you, my newly faithful. Followers all. Any of you who have been here on this most holy day" He was, there was no doubting it, magnificent. "To mark this day, step forward and worship me and I will give you my blessing! Go forth and spread the word that Devin is truly blessed by Delroth!" And, slowly at first but then in increasing numbers, they started to step forward.

"Stand with me, Devin," Delroth instructed, "and anoint these people in my name, for you are my High Priest here!"

Oh, Delroth thought, this was fun.
word count: 488
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~~Red in hoof and claw... ~~


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Re: A Gift for Delroth

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As Devin began to hold his sermon, the sermon, the sermon that would be his best sermon ever because only the best was good enough for Delroth, he could suddenly feel a gentle breeze touch his hair. He smiled and momentarily wondered if he had just felt his favourite Immortal’s presence before he came to the conclusion that he had of course done that. He did not have a single doubt that Delroth was listening to him and paying very close attention. Another man might have been nervous, but Devin was just so very happy and excited that this was happening; and besides, he loved nothing more than to talk about Delroth.

And to be near Delroth.

After a little while, a small chorus of birds started to accompany his sermon, Devin noticed. It was such a wonderful sound that it almost warmed the young man’s heart, and then the most beautiful birds that he had ever seen, in his entire life, suddenly started to appear and proceeded to circle above the congregation. His eyes widened as his gaze fell on them, and then he started to praise Delroth together with the congregation, enthusiastically. He felt as if he were on top of the world. This here, he decided, this here was absolutely and incredibly exhilarating, and it was, of course, utterly and indubitably perfect.

Because Delroth was never anything but perfect!

His focus was on Delroth and on praising him, as it should be, but he did notice the enormous and utterly magnificent rainbow-colored wings that suddenly appeared behind him when he said his final words, nevertheless. For a moment, he wondered if he had suddenly grown wings – he dreamt of being able to fly one trial – and then, when he felt a touch on his shoulders, he turned his head. He looked up at Delroth who had appeared, just like he had said that he would, his violet eyes wide and filled with utter adoration.

Delroth towered over him, he realized – and he was by no means short – but that did not surprise him. Delroth, he decided, was simply great in every single sense of the word!

He had already known that Delroth would appear to him and bless him, but that did not make the moment in any way less amazing and exciting. When his favourite Immortal ever said that his worship, his devotion and his love for him had called him to his place, in such a beautiful voice that it touched something deep inside of him, the Mortalborn smiled, absolutely radiantly. He did in fact bask in Delroth’s warm glow, and in his light for a moment.

“I thank you from the bottom of my heart, Lord Delroth. I will perform countless great miracles in your name – and continue to spread your worship far and wide”, he finally assured the Immortal and bowed, deeply in order to show his respect and his devotion. He spoke in a firm tone of voice that was filled with utter and indubitable conviction, because everything else was out of the question in his opinion. Delroth needed to be worshipped far and wide. It was an irrefutable fact as far as he was concerned.

When Delroth told his congregation to step forward and worship him and spread the word, and said that he would give his blessing, the Mortalborn turned to them. He smiled at them, encouragingly and benevolently, his arms spread wide once more as they stepped forward, slowly at first, before they moved towards Delroth and him in increasing numbers.

A few moments later, when Delroth told him to stand with him, the young man moved towards him, producing a small and very beautiful crystal container that was decorated with little birds and filled with oil. It was not any kind of oil though, it smelled pleasant, like roses, because his congregation shouldn’t be anointed with an oil that smelled far too intense and kind of stank, like some of that stuff that he had seen a couple of holy men and women use. In Delroth’s Temple, everything should be beautiful and pleasant and absolutely perfect!

When the first member of the congregation had reached Delroth and him, the young High Priest looked at the magnificent and utterly perfect Immortal next to him before he stepped forward. “What is your name?” he wanted to know in a friendly, confident and appropriately priestly tone of voice because it was important to know who was part of your congregation before he wet his right thumb with a little bit of the anointing oil, gestured for them to incline their head and proceeded to draw a symbol on their forehead that was shaped vaguely like a wing, for birds were one of Delroth’s domains.

As he drew the symbol, he said the person’s name, provided that they had told him, and subsequently spoke, “In the name of His Magnificence Delroth, the Vain and the Winged Calamity, I anoint you with this oil here. May you live a life in Greed and Vanity from this trial forth, and spread the word. Repeat after me: Praised be Delroth!” he told them, gesturing for them to pray with him, and smiled radiantly at them before he asked the next person to approach him.

This, he decided, was fun!

word count: 892

Appearance

  • Due to an encounter with a magical tree Devin has bright violet eyes.
  • Devin has fancy black claw-like nails. The Grafter Rakvald made them from the spines that grow on the dubaebo's back and attached them to Devin's hands.

Items

Devin owns a Ring of Reversal. He's always wearing it, unless stated otherwise.

Potions

N/A
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Re: A Gift for Delroth

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Your Review
Devin

Overview

What a wonderful, fun thread! I enjoyed writing this with you enormously and Devin has more than done the work needed to get his Tarouz advancement here. I love how you play Devin - he's so happy to be where he is, so focused on living life to the full and making life a beautiful thing. It's great, really great, to see. Your writing is fantastic and I have such a clear visual of Devin standing there with the wind blowing in his hair and these wings suddenly appearing behind him. I'm always impressed by the way you write Devin, and I feel that he had a very lovely trial blessing people and being (almost) the center of attention. I hope that you enjoy your rewards - they're very well deserved!

Consequence : Devin has gained enormously in terms of renown / fame now - and he has also drawn Edasha's attention. From this point onwards, Devin will find himself developing a small group of devout "followers" who will do their best to meet his every whim. Are they genuinely adoring of him (they are all devout Delroth followers) - or are they more of Edasha's attempts to seduce him? Up to you! If you ever choose to pursue Edasha's mark, please cite this thread as a reason for why she would look favourably on him.

Please add this thread to the Impact Thread tracker. Thank you!

Points

XP: 15
Renown: 20

Loot

Devin is now an Adored Tarouz. You gain the next three abilities:

Nest
Considered by some to be Delroth's greatest blessing, Nest allows a Tarouz to designate a home or building as his or her 'nest' once per arc. By doing so, the Tarouz grants the abode the ability to remain hidden, even against practiced eyes, of any who should seek to rob or harm the Tarouz. Addtionally, the Tarouz will always be aware of his or her Nest, and may be able to recollect with certainty every object held within. As a final benefit, the Tarouz will always rest fully and peacefully in his or her nest, cutting their time needed to sleep in half.

Feathergrace
The Tarouz' avian familiar may, once every 9 trials, grant the Tarouz a single feather from it's coat. The feather may then be imbued by the Tarouz to improve the charisma of the one wearing it, drawing the eyes of those around them without any true explanation as to why. The Feathergrace draws the targets' interest and attention, forcing them to focus on the Tarouz. This effect may only last two trials, after which the feather must be incinerated lest it confer a curse that causes the opposite effects to happen to the wearer.

The Charismatics Toolbox II
The character is granted an extra six skill points which may be spent only on the following skills: Appraisal, Cosmetology, Animal Husbandry, Animal Training, Flying, Socialization or Seduction. 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.

I have updated your Wiki.

Knowledge

Discipline x 3
Etiquette x 4
Leadership x 4
Psychology x 4
Socialization x 4



If you have any questions or concerns regarding this review - drop me a PM.
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word count: 560
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~~Red in hoof and claw... ~~


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