[Telka] Saoire's Heroes: The Fire Table.

[Ralgar Warborn]

As the meals began, Ralgar gave a small nod to his translator, seeming that he wouldn't need one tonight. Despite that, it was still a pleasure for him to have company from someone of his tribe. This wasn't an event that the Bro'ky'na would ever host, nor would it have been something Ralgar enjoyed in a usual situation. But it meant he was here with the people he had journeyed alongside, people that had traveled with him through dangerous terrain his own tribe was too afraid to enter.

When it came time for the first meal, Daia answering questions she had been asked, Ralgar listened intently for a moment as she gave her answer. "I hope you're right" he said bluntly, nodding his head in respect to her honest answers. The Immortals were powerful beings, not even Ralgar could deny it, but they were still as likely to make mistakes as humans. It made them dangerous. Powerful beings, many of which with power-hungry mentalities like the human governments. It was one of many reasons Ralgar could never worship them.

As he took the final bite of his food, Ralgar was offered a new course, deciding to go with the Chef's choice as others seemed to do. As they did so, the man looked forward to the speeches being given by Saoire, to honor those that gave their lives as a sacrifice. When it came time to applaud Ralgar made sure to do so, honoring those that had put themselves through great peril for Scalvoris. As someone who worshipped the Maiden of Death he knew the honor they had faced, giving their lives for the good of the world, and he showed all the respect he could with his applause.

When his second meal arrived there was a small edible leaf on top, some sort of plant or herb Ralgar had never seen. As he took a bite of it he nodded, finishing it in a quick bite, before continuing on to the rest of the meal. Inside the drink he was given was herbal juice, a mix of different tastes such as herbs and spices. All of the food he had reminded him of home, even if it was a fancier version. It was reassuring to have familiar tastes in a place so alien to him. That alien feeling came even more to life, however, as Xiur arrived at their table. Another Immortal, this time one he didn't know. Ralgar nodded his head as a show of respect, saying hello to Xiur once the celebration of the four latecomers had been done.

At his question, however, Ralgar paused. It was a harder question to answer than Daia's had been, he thought. Something that was more creative, and harder to think of a deep answer for. After some pause, he looked to the Immortal, letting others speak before giving his own answer. "I know nothing of the stars, or the constellations. But if one does not exist, a man or woman. Not just idle. Doing something. Showing what man is capable of when we're pushing our boundaries. Like those that fought for Scalvoris."

At that, he allowed others to ask their questions, deciding to keep to himself for now and ask no questions.

~~Haltunga~~ Common~~

[Pegasus]

Telka
Saoire's Realm

The tribute to Nir'wei was heartfelt and shared by all. The Immortals stood and spoke, each of them - each gave tribute to him, showed their appreciation of him. His own words back were simple. It was his honour to serve. Saoire smiled at him and nodded. Then, she spoke to all in the room. "It is incumbent on us all to not forget, " she said. "I could suggest that we each owe Nir'wei a debt, and that is right. But I believe that the best thing any of us can do to repay that debt is to live our best lives. Those lives, after all, have been earned by the actions of those we are celebrating here this evening. It is the greatest gift."

Then, when things had settled down a little it was time for another entrance. This time, Bao, Darius, and Zoro. They stepped through to applause and it was applause Saoire led. When they were all seated, she spoke once more. "I would ask every person here to remember and celebrate the actions of these brave individuals, " she said, gesturing to Nir'wei, Bao, Darius and Zoro. "To celebrate," she said. "Not simply to remember, but to act on that remembering. To give, without question. To help each other. When we each do that, the world is a better place for it."

That said, she walked over to Ruari. Kneeling next to her, Saoire smiled at her. "This is for you, brave Ruari," she said softly as she handed Ru a necklace with a glittering turle pendant. Everyone heard her voice, but it was quiet. "It is like the necklace Doran put on you before. It will keep you safe. And for you, Wren, the same." Looking at Hart, she smiled softly. "It also keeps my gaze on them. Should anything ever harm them or try to, I will know. " Standing, she put her hand on Hart's shoulder and then moved back to the main area.

The Fire Table

When she saw Natalia's reaction, Daia smiled slightly. The woman was obviously shakenCompetent Discipline and it was obvious for all at the table to see both in her expression and her tone. Neither Natalia Novice Etiquette or Woe Competent Etiquette were aware of the expectations of behaviour on them, and she could not blame them for that. Watching, though, she shook her head. "I am not mistaken, no." It was strange to her that, having been given that information, Natalia turned to Woe rather than asking her more, but that was what she did. Evidently, their companionship was dear to Natalia and Daia chose not to intrude on that by giving more information unbidden.

Once Daia had left, Xiur was a cheery and borderline rambunctious table member. He looked at Hart and Natalia and raised an eyebrow. "Well, you two seem not entirely happy." Looking at Hart, first, he spoke to the young father. "We surmise, not know, Audrae's intentions," he said. He and Daia had exchanged no words, yet he seemed to know exactly what had gone before. "And I promise you this," he said, looking at Hart with an intense gaze. "We will keep our gaze on them. The stars, after all, are always there, even when you can not see them," He smiled at Ru and Wren. "And you two, you have been very brave, and very clever." Hopefully, Hart would feel better. To Natalia, he spoke more briefly, but with equal intensity. "The only thing that has changed about who you are," he said with a smile, "is that you were ignorant and are no longer."

With a cheeky and friendly grin to Wren, Xiur turned then to their questions. The first was from Iago and Xiur considered it for a moment, quite seriously. "Well, that's a good question," he said. "And what I do is I think about what make me like them," he included Wren in his words as the other young man at the table. "And then, I tell them what makes me like them. Sometimes, they like me back. Other times, less so. But that's alright with me, either way." He nodded, thoughtfully. "Because if they are going to like me, I want them to like me for myself. So, if I feel shy I say so and hope they understand."

He nodded when Woe suggested a broken chain for the constellation. It had merit as an idea and he smiled. "I like that, thank you!" Woe's question, though, seemed to catch him somewhat by surprise. Jacien answered it first. "Yes, many times. I am not, by nature, an optimist and people often live down to my expectations. However, there are those who are lights in the darkness, and I have been surprised by the good in others." As for Galena, she considered it and nodded. "In my work, I see the best and worst of people. Sometimes, it is overwhelming. Thus far, though, the good has outweighed the bad."

And then, Xiur answered. "Never without hope," he said. "No matter how slight, how unlikely, hope is there. To recognise that is a choice, and I choose to always do so. But sometimes," he nodded, "it is hard to see." He turned then, to Iago and Wren with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "What a serious table this is!" He nodded at Natalia's suggestion of a star for each person, "I like that, too! Thank you!"

Alyssia's question was a sensible one and Xiur nodded. "Well, if I'm entirely honest, mostly I just wing it and hope it turns out right," he said to the red haired teen. He nodded when she asked if there was anyone who bore his mark. "A few, here," he glanced around. "Padraig Augustin over there, he studies the stars. Nice chap, very clever. I marked him some time ago. Over there, though - the pregnant redhead? That's Vega. She's my Champion. I marked a few after the forging. Bao, Nir'wei, Elisabeth, Zoro, Xander. And there, Professor Doran?" he showed Alyssia who he meant, every time. "He's one of mine, too." He smiled at her.

Hart offered a story, which Xiur eagerly agreed to. He listened carefully to the story and raised an eyebrow. Then, he grinned. "A wheel? I like it. So - a wheel with the symbol of the Forged at the center and the spokes of which are broken chains with a star for each person in the forging? What an excellent thing it is to come to this table!" As for Hart's question about whether Immortals dreamed, Xiur smiled. "Well, we don't sleep," he said with a slight shrug. "But now, with this change you all brought, we can imagine much more. Does daydreaming count? I do a lot of that!" He chuckled, obviously pleased with himself. Wren's words of Vega being his champion and Doran being marked by him caused Xiur to nod. "And you, Wren. You took part in building my beacon, too. Vega tells me that you were invaluable. " He smiled and opened his hand. Like a magician pulling a bunny from a hat, there were two small pendants shaped like stars. "I am in your debt, young man," he said softly. "And this is for you, the other for your sister."


What was the most important thing when making friends? Xiur considered this and then waited while first Jacien, then Galena answered. Jacien looked at Wren and said, quite honestly. "I do not find making friends easy. But I believe that being honest is most important in any relationship." Galena glanced at Jacien as he answered and then turned to Wren. "I think it's most important to be yourself and not ever to be afraid to act in a way you always would. If someone is your friend, they'll like you for you, just as you like them for them."

Finally, Ralgar added his ideas to the constellation. Xiur nodded. "That's good! Movement, but a person. A person acting, as you did." He beamed, then. "I have an idea now, thank you, thank you all! "

Telka
Saoire's Realm

As the plates for the second course were cleared away, Saoire once again rose and spoke to them. Again, as she did, there was a small palate cleanser ~ this time in the form of a rice-spoon with a perfect quenelle of sorbet with a flavour which would please them. Looking around at them, she smiled once more. "It is a gift," she said, fairies chattering and twinkling around her. "To be able to celebrate the achievements of our friends and companions. So much was achieved, so much was given. It is fitting that we do so." The sky outside now was dark - it was night, no longer dusk - and there were stars shining in unison with them and their celebrations.

"There are so many ways to give, and all of you gave so much." There was no doubt of this in Saoire's mind. "But now, we will celebrate two who stood and gave more in the Forging than we truly could have hoped for. When the Induks were first imprisoned, there were six Forgings. The four we know of and, of course, Life Forged and Death Forged. We must give thanks to the two who stood in the Forging and took those roles. The Forging itself was painful and uncomfortable for all, but these two suffered in order to bring balance to Scalvoris, in order to free the Induks. They gave their own energy, their own strength - one in song and one in story." She smiled at Elisabeth and Arlo as she spoke.

"And, of course, we must remember that, arcs ago it was Arlo's willingness to sacrifice himself for others which freed the trapped souls. That action allowed one to stay behind," she gestured to Ledas, the tiger at Darius' side. "To guide you through the caves of Ishallr." She gestured then, to the two of them, first Elisabeth and then Arlo. "Please, accept our thanks for taking on the very difficult and painful role, for giving of yourselves and doing so with an unwavering commitment" She gestured for the two of them to stand. As they did, Cadouri brought them each a small gift box. They had no lids so inside the beautiful and delicate boxes they could see, nestled on some organza fabric, a chainstone. "From the Induks, and from us all,"

Then, she gestured around. "Please, join me in giving thanks to Elisabeth and Arlo for what they did." She lifted her hands and began to clap -- she was joined by all the Immortals and, again, there was rather that feeling that someone, somewhere, expected a speech from them both.

As the guests started on their third course, it seemed that they were to be joined by more than the Immortals. At every table, fairies fluttered around and their giggles tinkled like bells.

The Fire Table

As Saoire gave thanks to Elisabeth and Arlo, Xiur stood and - when it was his time - he spoke to them both. "Life forged, death forged. These are not simply titles, they are representations of what you are. You stood for balance, for Scalvoris. Arlo, your bravery from arcs ago, both in the Heart of Scalvoris where you both fought against Wilma the Wonder Weed," he grinned at the name. "And in ishallr where you unhesitatingly were prepared to sacrifice yourself to free others. Both of those things meant that you were Life Forged. Elisabeth," he said, turning to her. "You faced more than death, you faced the attempt to obliterate your very being and you did not give in. That meant you were Death Forged. Well done, both of you. "

Then, when that was done, he turned to the people at his table and he bowed low. "My friends, I bid you good evening!"

And, of course, another Immortal joined them. There was no doubting who this man was, but still he introduced himself. "Hail and fair greetings to you, I am Ziell", he said and bowed.

​"It is my honour to join you. for the third course" Seating himself, Ziell looked around at them. Then, he smiled and thanked the waiter who brought him his third course - a clear soup which seemed both very simple and also very fragrant. He tasted it and smiled. ​"Truly, good food is a wonder in itself, is it not? Now, there have been lots of questions, no doubt," his eyes gazed around them intently. The people at this table were some of them Forged, others honoured guests. When Ziell gazed upon the children, though, from Ruari to Iago to Wren and Alyssia, his eyes were gentle. He seemed almost emotional when he looked at them, his ice blue eyes sparkling.

​"Please, ask of me what you will, I will do my best to answer you. Forgive me for taking such liberties, but I have two questions for you." Everything he said was softly spoken, gentle words that almost seemed like a flurry of snow itself.

​"My first question to you is this," he said and then he paused as he seemed to almost gather up his words. ​"Winter is a time of dormancy, snow covers the ground and it allows a peaceful rest. What does winter mean to you?"


Looking at them, he continued. ​"And my second question is one of more whimsy. What is your favourite game to play outside?" A smile flickered across his face and he sat back, listening for their answers - and, of course, their questions.

OOC Info

Please split your post into the following sections.

• Second Course
  • Here you should answer the questions posed by other PCs.
  • You may also respond to the Immortal more (but no more questions, cos they're leaving in a bit)
• Between Courses:
  • This is where you respond to Saoire's tribute to Arlo & Elisabeth
  • Please make sure you state if you applaud or not. All NPCs do.
• Third Course
  • Here you get to answer the question of your new Immortal table-mate.
  • Also, you get to ask your own question of the Immortal.
  • And each of you may ask a new Group Question.

Note: To keep this thread on track and moving, we are asking pcs to post weekly. If you do not post by the 'next post' date, you will be considered to have missed a round. If you miss one, you will simply be considered to have been quiet that round. If you miss two, you will be written out of the thread. Please let Pegasus, Avalon or Vulpes know if you will have trouble meeting a deadline.
Ralgar you have missed 1 round.

Objectives

• Make a menu choice! (Third course)
• Describe the flavor of your sorbet
• Answer the question you have been asked by Ziell
• You may ask Ziell up to two things. This may be a request for information, for understanding, or a plea to do something. Up to you!
• You can ask up to one question of everyone at the table (including Ziell) . PLEASE ONLY ASK THESE GROUP QUESTIONS this round - we'll direct you to answering them next round.
• Describe one of the fairies who are visiting your table

Next Post: Sunday 12th September

[Woe]

Woe was sorely tempted to quirk a brow when Natalia suggested that she didn't know who she was anymore. It seemed like a fairly extreme stance to take. In any event, Woe wasn't impressed with the melodrama of such a statement. "Well? Welcome to reality. If you're anything like me, you'll spend the rest of your waking hours wondering just that, so you're in... questionable company, but don't fret. Nothing has truly changed."

He suppressed an eyeroll, and tried sticking a fork in his food. In fact, however, he was barely touching it. He hadn't much of an aappetite tonight. Perhaps he'd become like Magpie, and stop eating entirely one of these days.

Woe shrugged when she claimed she wasn't upset with him. "No, I suppose the fault lies with whoever your Immortal Parent is."

Woe couldn't identify the emotions running through him at that moment. But it almost felt like bitterness. What right had she to complain about her origins? She'd led a charmed life, pampered from an early age, given no end of advantages. She had at least one or two people who she could find solace in. Her Grandfather having been one. But Woe had no appetite for arguing over the reasons for her upset, anymore than he did for the food.

And then Wren was asking a question of the Table. Woe thought about it a moment and waited for Galena and Jacien to answer first. Jacien's answer was close to what his own would've been. But then, he hadn't exactly shown much honesty to Natalia.

Nevertheless, "I don't make many friends myself, Wren. But I do know Magpie. I didn't realize you were acquainted, much less lived with each other... As for important thing in making friends, I'd say to keep your appointments, and don't make promises lightly, lest you break them. It's too easy to say you will do something when you have no immediate requirement to fulfill that promise. The person you are tomorrow may think differently when the deal comes due."

Woe wanted to know more about Wren's association with Magpie, but given the eccentricity of the Archmage, he thought better than to ask details.

Xiur's answer to Woe's question didn't surprise him, given who he was. But then he wasn't asking it with the expectation that Xiur would actually admit to have ever lost hope. Still, the Immortal's answer was insightful enough.

Woe stood for the tribute to Arlo and Elisabeth, but said nothing, only clapped politely as everyone else did, and sat when most everyone else had done the same.

The third course arrived, and it was as spare as his prior dishes. He didn't ask for much, in truth. Roasted carrots with rabbit meat, and a slice of watermelon. The drink was snapdragon watermelon. Nothing too fancy, but he found the quality of the food satisfactory. The watermelon sorbet was also nice.

When Ziell arrived at the table, Woe bowed his head in respect. He waited a while for him to sit, and take his food. He asked an interesting question, one that Woe didn't have an immediate answer to. Yet, after some thought he did have an answer. "Winter means a lull to toil in most places. But for me, it's a time to stay more inside, and turn inward to more intellectually stimulating pursuits. I've had more than one misadventure in the snow, however."

At his second question, once more Woe nearly had to physically restrain his brow from quirking. So he frowned instead. "Games. You mean... as a child? I used to enjoy hiders and seekers."

Woe said, and then took a sip of his watermelon snapdragon cocktail. It tasted very good, actually, and almost brought his spirits up. "Lord Ziell, I have a question and a request."

"Is there anything I can do for you, now or in the future? And my question... Will Toutouye ever speak?"

That said, he waited for others to have their chance to ask something of the Immortal. He ate some of his food, and drank more of hte watermelon snapdragon. When the chance came for him to ask a question of the table, he drew a blank, and so drank more of his watermelon snapdragon.

Make a menu choice! (Third course) Did
Describe the flavor of your sorbet Did, watermelon.
Answer the question you have been asked by Ziell. Did.
You may ask Ziell up to two things. This may be a request for information, for understanding, or a plea to do something. Up to you! Did
You can ask up to one question of everyone at the table (including Ziell) . PLEASE ONLY ASK THESE GROUP QUESTIONS this round - we'll direct you to answering them next round. Didn't.
Describe one of the fairies who are visiting your table No

[Natalia Gregorios]

Ymiden 39, Arc 721

Second Course

The newly revealed Mortalborn had been stunned and shaken at the revelation by Daia of her parentage. Enough so that it took a bit for her to regain a sense of what she was doing, and had asked for no further information. Woe’s comments didn’t help, but they didn’t hurt either. Information was information and she was getting plenty by listening.

The young man with the children – Hart – spoke softly to her, reassuring that she wasn’t alone and telling a small portion of his story. Natalia didn’t necessarily trust her words right then, offering up a small smile and nod of her head in thanks for what he said and offered. It would have to suffice. She didn’t want to interrupt the table with her issues, at any rate.

Xiur had arrived and assured her that nothing had changed, to which she smiled and nodded. “Thank you.” Of course, her mind whirled with the possibility that the Immortal before her was her parent, but she didn’t think so. It was an Immortal that didn’t wish to claim her and that alone gave her a clue to go off.

Woe had proceeded to ask the table a question and to that, Natalia finally found her voice. “No. To lose hope means one feels as though there is nothing actionable left to do, and that is never the case.” It was a brief statement, but very much highlighted her perceptions on life.

Her eyes fell to the little red-headed girl – Hart’s daughter - who had been given a beautiful necklace by Saoire. Ruari wasn’t that far away, and perhaps Natalia could do something to distract herself from the torrents of thought going through her mind. “Ruari, would you like help putting on your necklace? It’s very lovely.” Giving her a smile, she turned in her chair to address the girl, curious to see if she would respond.

Glancing across the table at the other young girl, Alyssia, Natalia smiled. She appeared to be alone, and Natalia knew what that could feel like, remembering back many times in her past when she had attended events alone. Of course, there had always been people she knew, and it appeared there were perhaps some at the table that she was familiar with. The girl seemed to be an inquisitive creature, which was always a good thing. That trait would serve Alyssia well in life.

Wren’s question was intriguing, but Natalia’s answer came out of Jacien’s mouth. Nodding as the man replied, she followed up. “Honesty, yes. A foundation to build on. Without that, any relationship will go tumbling, sooner or later.”

Between Courses

Saoire began to speak of the events again, and two more were honored. Natalia, of course, rose and clapped, but she didn’t have any personal knowledge of either of them. Listening to what the Immortal spoke, the young woman tucked information away in the back of her mind regarding the events that had transpired. She didn’t yet fully know the story, but she would figure it out at some point.

A palette-cleanser arrived in the form of sorbet. Tasting hers, Natalia smiled at the tart bite of raspberry, curious to see who would arrive next.

Third Course

The group was then joined by another Immortal, Ziell, and Natalia listened as he greeted them. Their third courses were arriving, which for Natalia was a delightful bowl of chicken and wild rice soup, and Ziell asked a few questions of them, one of which was what winter meant to them.

Considering her answer, she gently glanced over the table at the Immortal. “Winter, personally to me, is like no other. People consider it often to be simply a matter of weather, but there’s a different feeling to it – it goes deeper for me.”

Glancing around, she felt a bit silly, but that didn’t stop her from answering. “Renaissance – my horse – and I, used to spend breaks and breaks outdoors in the wood in winter, exploring. People look and see barren landscape but forget about what’s happening beneath the surface. Just because one can’t see progress or growth, doesn’t mean it’s not happening. When I think of winter, I think of that. What appears to be, isn't always the truth of the matter.“

She nodded her head and let others answer the question, sipping her soup quietly as she listened, ever aware of what was being said.

His second question caused a look of confusion across her face. Games? Had she ever played an outdoor game before. Casting back, she remembered one occasion. “Once…I was perhaps Alyssia’s age. A few acquaintances I knew wanted to have something called a snowball fight, where you toss snowballs at each other. I won. That was the trial I discovered I had a bit of a competitive streak.” Grinning a bit, she declined to comment further.

In the corner of her eye, movement caught her attention. Turning a bit, she noted a fairy visiting their table. Beautiful, glittering iridescent wings, the fairy made its way to Natalia, seemingly curious. The long cascade of blond hair almost reached the fairy’s feet but was littered with brightly colored miniature flowers.

People began asking questions, and Natalia wondered what she might ask. There was brief consideration of asking about her Immortal parent, but Natalia quickly decided that if that being didn’t want to claim her, it wasn’t any business of hers to inquire. Instead, her thoughts landed elsewhere.

“Lord Ziell, I gather from listening to what Saoire said, that balance is very important. Is there anything we can do to help ensure that balance remains for Scalvoris?” Natalia knew it was a broad question, but she was looking for a place to begin.

It brought her to another thought.

“Are there other places that are out of balance? Not in Scalvoris, I mean. If this happened here, it could happen elsewhere, yes?” Many people were tied to Scalvoris – Natalia wasn’t. Maybe she could go elsewhere and help in some meaningful way.

As for the table, she had another question. “What are you most grateful for?”

Objectives

• Make a menu choice! (Third course) - Yep
• Describe the flavor of your sorbet - Raspberry
• Answer the question you have been asked by Ziell - Yep
• You may ask Ziell up to two things. You betcha!
• You can ask up to one question of everyone at the table (including Ziell) . Yep
• Describe one of the fairies who are visiting your table. You got it!

[Hart]

39th Ymiden, 721

second course

Saoire spoke to the group once more, and -when she was done speaking- she walked over to Ruari. Hart was quiet when she gave Wren and Ruari the necklaces. They were beautiful, of course, very like the soul turtle they'd ridden over on, and Ruari noticed the likeness. "Jewel!" she said, smiling at Saoire.

But it wasn't the beauty of the necklaces that got to Hart. It was what Saoire said about them. The immortal touched his shoulder, and -should she let him- Hart would touch her, momentarily, gently, on the hand.

"Thank you," he said breathlessly. Hart didn't know if he would never not worry about his kids.

But, "I'll be able to sleep tonight, and other nights, because of this," Hart told Saoire. Wren and Ruari would be in less danger, with the necklaces, than they would be otherwise. Hart wouldn't have to worry they might just disappear, kidnapped by the shadows.

"Thank you," he said again.


Daia had left the table and Xiur was with them now, and Xiur looked to Hart and Natalia. It had been evident to Hart that Natalia had suffered an emotional shock when Daia had said she was mortalborn; but though Hart too had suffered an emotional shock when Daia had said Ruari had been kidnapped because of Wish, he'd thought he'd gotten through it. He'd gotten through it okay.

Still, Xiur spoke to him, and his words -coupled with the necklaces from Saoira- made him feel better.

Where Saoire's necklaces had made him breathless, Xiur's words made it feel like he was able to breathe once more. It made him feel like maybe Audrae -and possibly others- wouldn't be able to go after Wren and Ruari like Audrae had gone after Ru. Please, he thought. Please, though he didn't know who he was praying to.

Maybe it was to the immortals in the room.

"Thank you," Hart said to Xiur. It wasn't much, he knew. His thanks would never mean as much to Xiur, he thought, as Xiurs' words meant to him. But he was thankful.

The table answered Iago and Wren's questions, and Wren listened intently to all of those who'd spoken. Hart brushed a hand over the boy's hair, tucking some of his hair behind one ear, while Wren listened. He didn't seem to notice Hart's touch; Hart could see that he was thinking, committing what the others said to mind. Xiur's answer, of course, was important to Wren. But Jacien's answer too, it seemed, was important.

"I'm like that too," Wren said to Jacien when Jacien said he didn't have many friends. "I..." Wren hesitated. But then, looking at them he said, hesitant but determined to speak, "I'm not good at making friends with other kids. I'm friends with the grown ups in Hopetoun. But grown ups..." He hesitated some more. "They have to be nice to me because they're grown ups, so it's different."

"Kids don't have to be nice to me," he said quietly.

The quietness didn't last long, though, because Xiur gave Wren and Ruari pendants. Wren lit up, looking at his pendant, and he said to Xiur, "I have the necklace you gave me too!" When Xiur spoke about the beacon, a small smile lit Wren's face, and he held up the

starlight necklace

Xiur had given him before, looking up at Saoire's stars.

"The beacon was about hope," he said to Xiur. He was quiet, but his voice became more and more sure as he spoke. "So it was good to build it because it was like building hope. Mr. Xiur, Vega told me I was her hope. Vega was my hope too. So I think we built the beacon really good because we had a lot of hope to build with." He looked over where Vega was sitting. If she noticed him looking he would say, a smile in his voice, "Vega, I'm sitting with Xiur!"

When he'd told her that, he looked back to Xiur. "Vega's really good at building things other than hope, too, though."

Woe had asked a question, and Hart was about to answer. But before he was able to, the mortalborn spoke to Natalia. Hart didn't know how Woe and Natalia knew one another, but he knew that Natalia was Woe's guest. Because of that Hart had thought, when Natalia had learned she was mortalborn, that Woe would speak to her about it.

That he would speak impolitely, though, was something Hart hadn't thought he'd do.

"Woe," Hart said. "I would appreciate it if you would be polite to Natalia."

With that said, Woe had asked a question. Looking at the man gently, Hart answered. "Like Jacien, I don't think of myself as an optimist."

Wren looked surprised by that, and he looked at Hart questioningly, but it was what it was.

"There have been many moments where I thought I was without hope," Hart said. He looked at Xiur apologetically, but went on. "There have been many moments, as well, where I thought that I myself was hopeless." He wasn't proud of it; it was difficult to speak about. But, Woe had asked and so Hart said, "In those moments, I don't think it was optimism that drove me."

"I do think emotions drive us," he said. "I also think, though, that we determine what our emotions drive us toward."

Ruari had been looking quietly at the crystal statuette of her mother. But when Natalia spoke to her, the little girl looked up at her and smiled. "It's Jewel!" she said, because Natalia had spoken about the turtle necklace Saoire had given her. If Natalia would like to, Ruari would let her clasp the necklace around her neck.

Once the necklace was on, Ruari smiled happily down at it. "I'm go see Jewel," she told Natalia. She'd decided she loved the soul turtle, and -Hart guessed- would like to meet her again sometime.

"Jewel is the soul turtle we rode over on," Hart said to Natalia, so that she wouldn't be lost.

"This is mama," Ruari told the young woman then, showing her the crystal statuette. It was quite obvious from how she spoke that Ruari thought Natalia should be impressed by it.

between courses

Between courses, it was time to honor two more of the night's guests. Saoire spoke, and Hart stood to give the two of them -the life and death forged- a round of applause. When the immortals had spoken, Hart spoke as well.

"I'd like to say thank you," Hart said to them. "Without the two of you, I don't think Scalvoris would have been saved." The forging had needed a life forged and death forged.

But it was more than that.

"Arlo," Hart said. "Thank you for what you've done, for many years, to save Scalvoris. Thank you for those you saved on Ishallr; thank you -to both you and to Vega- for saving the Heart." There was so much that Arlo had done to save Scalvoris, in the Forging and in the years before.

"Elisabeth," Hart said then, "Thank you, too. Thank you for saving Scalvoris; and thank you for saving my daughter, Ruari." Elisabeth had been with Ruari in the storm.

The memories of the storm hadn't been in the vial, but Hart knew what Elisabeth had done for Ruari. There were

rumors

that Elisabeth had saved a little girl's life, and Elisabeth had said in the Glass Temple that she had looked after Ruari in the storm.

"Thank you," Hart said to Elisabeth. He was getting emotional once more, and he looked at young woman who had saved his daughter's life. Losing her wouldn't have been like losing Scalvoris. "Losing her would have been like losing the world."

third course

Hart's sorbet was lemon, refreshing in its brightness. His third course was a salad, with dark greens and a lemon mustard vinaigrette. The vinaigrette was zesty from the lemon and the mustard, and sweet from a touch of honey. It was a delicious course, and Hart sipped some water before bowing, once more, when Xiur left and Ziell arrived.

Ziell had two questions, and Hart thought about them as he made sure that Wren and Ruari were happy with their courses as well.

The first question Ziell asked was about winter, and Hart said, "I admit I've not experienced much of winter. I think I've seen four, maybe five winters in my time. Growing up on my mother's ship, she didn't much like the cold. We never traveled north in the wintering cycles, and did very little travel in locations like Viden, where it's very cold."

"The last number of years, though, I've experienced winter. It's been lovely," Hart said. "It's different than what I've experienced before. I love the snow; the snow is so quiet. It's like the world becomes thoughtful in winter," Hart said.

Ziell had said winter was dormacy, and Hart said, "It's dormancy, but not... nothingness. The dormancy is not without thought; or maybe it's not without progress, like Natalia said. Winter, to me, is forethought; it's looking out a window on the sparkling white snow, and thinking that the world will soon be very different."

Ziell's second question was about games outside, and Hart smiled at the question. "In winter?" he asked.

"In winter, I like to cliff dive -or ship dive- into ice water. It's good fun, jumping into the ice cold seas wearing nothing more than a layer." Or maybe just his skin. "I think in Scalvoris the tradition is called dunking, and they do it out by Ishallr. It's lovely. There's nothing like that shock of cold."

A number of faeries had flitted over to the table for the third course. One -maybe one of Saoire's faeries- danced over to Hart's salad to have a nibble. He smiled at her expression when she tasted the lemon mustard vinaigrette, and another of the faeries danced over to have a bite.

One of the faeries was smaller than the others, and she flitted over to Ruari, who gasped in happiness at her appearance. She was small and glowing white, with wisp-thin translucent wings and a beautiful white dress that seemed to dance, weightless, on the air. The faerie alighted on Ruari's shoulder and kissed her gently on the cheek, and Ruari nearly glowed with happiness.

"Ziell," Hart said, thinking of Ruari and -because she was so happy- of Joy. "I know it might be asking too much, or that I might need to ask Saoire. But the necklaces that Saoire gave to Wren and Ruari," he said. The kids both looked over at him when he said their names. "If it's not too much, I'd like to ask for such a necklace to be given to Joy, as well."

Wren and Ruari had been given the necklaces because they were in danger of Audrae. Joy was in danger, as well, because her mother was Audrae. Audrae had attempted to kill Joy. "Please," Hart said.

There was one other question Hart had for Ziell. "I've been thinking a bit, tonight, about consequences," Hart told him. "And I'd like to know the limits of mortals to be able to forsee the consequences of their decisions. I know that I don't have the domain of Prophecies. But it would be nice to know how much the consequences of my decisions might be forseen, if I'm meticulous and I think them out. And how much they will never be able to be."

Hart sipped a bit more water, thinking, and then he asked the table, "What is the decision you've been happiest with, in life?"

Objectives met in this post are
- all objectives

• second course, Hart answered Woe's question
• between courses, Hart clapped for the two being honored; he also thanked them
• third course, Hart had lemon sorbet
• third course, Hart had a salad of dark greens with lemon mustard vinaigrette
• third course, Hart said that winter was like
  the world was thinking
• third course, Hart said he liked jumping in ice cold water naked
• third course, he asked Ziell if Joy might be given a necklace like the ones that were given to Wren and Ruari
• third course, he asked Ziell to what extent the consequences of his decisions were able to be forseen
• third course, he asked the table what was the decision they were happiest with in life
• third course, Hart described a faerie!!!

[Ralgar Warborn]

As Xiur arrived and conversations began, Woe asked a question of the group, Ralgar nodding his head respectfully. "When I came to Scalvoris I was taken by the Bro'ky'na, after fighting off two of the warriors they sent to attack me. Before they offered me a place in their tribe, a life for a life, I felt lost. As if I had found death and it would not let go, even with my powers to fight" he confessed to the table, glancing to them all. "Instead, I found my people, and my hope" he said with a nod to Xiur, respecting the Immortal despite the feelings he had towards the Immortals in general.

Once that answer was out the way Ralgar stood for the tribute to Arlo and Elisabeth, applauding politely as others did, before sitting back down and taking a sip of his drink. While this place was beautiful and he liked the company, he had to admit he missed the warm campfires and alcohol. Once he returned back home he would be sure to see his tribe, celebrate with them as he had with the civil folk today. Until then however, he enjoyed the place as it was.

After the tribute Ralgar simply ordered something herbal, from Scaltoth. He wasn't sure if they would have food from Scaltoth here but he could hope. Then came Ziell. As the Immortal arrived, shortly after Xiur left. Another immortal he knew nothing of, yet one he had respect for, knowing that Ziell had granted them peace in time for the war, making Scalvoris cold despite the season and allowing them to enter the place with no risk of violence occuring. It was something that had earned the respect of the Deathkissed.

As he took a bite of his sorbet, tasting a bitter lemon and nodding softly, Ralgar listened to Ziell as he spoke and asked his question. Both question, for that fact. Ralgar let others answer before answering both himself. "Winter is my people, sat around the fire in the cold, after pulling in the hunt. It's the songs, and the warmth" he nodded at the question. "It's when my people stand strong, like they did in my place of birth. Fighting the cold, as one."

Then when asked his favorite game, he paused. "The Children of my tribe play a game where they hunt eachother across the camp, hiding in various places. Sometimes they ask and I hunt them all, so they can all try hiding. Seeing them run and laugh is the best game of all" he smiled softly, in a way that most would never see from a tribal man like Ralgar.

As he did, he took another spoonful of sorbet.

~~Haltunga~~ Common~~

[Pegasus]

Telka
Saoire's Realm

Once the tribute to Arlo and Elisabeth had finished, Saoire smiled around the room as the applause died down. "So far, we have celebrated those whose actions in the Heart of Scalvoris meant that things went so much better than we could have hoped," she said. Then, she gestured to the room. "And I want to be clear with everyone here. Whether you have seen the events via the vial, whether you were there to witness them or even if you have only the word of those who were there, there is an undeniable and absolute truth." Pausing, she breathed in and fairies danced around her. Stars twinkled above her, shining through the window, and for a moment there was silence.

"Each and every person, every individual who was there that trial, is a hero. We are here to celebrate you all and I must make it clear that you saved Scalvoris." With a smile, she watched the fairies as they flittered around. "And while we make note of specifics, of people's actions and deeds which tipped things further, you all saved Scalvoris, the Induks and, quite possibly, a lot more than that" Who knew what Audrae's machinations would have ended with, after all. "And so, to each of you were there in the Heart that trial, to each of you who gave so much, we have a gift for you"

The "we" Saoire referred to was evidently the Immortals, judging by her gesture. As she spoke, cadouri brought small gifts to each person who was there in the Forging that fateful trial. For each one of them it was the same thing. A small crystal-carved turtle with an emerald-encrusted shell and sapphire blue eyes. "One favour to each of you, from any one of us who was present," she said as the gifts were given. "We hope that it goes some way to showing you the depths of our gratitude."

Then, she raised a glass of what seemed to be pink fizzy wine, and spoke once more. "I propose a toast. To those who saved us, to The Forged!" Every waiter, every Immortal, all stood and toasted them.

The Fire Table

Ziell watched with a concerned expression on his face as he saw the disharmony between Woe and Natalia. Hart, too, spoke of it and Ziell gazed upon them with pale eyes. Yet, the Immortal did not intervene. Their relationship was theirs to resolve and it was not his way to act rashly. He glanced at Hart as he asked for politeness and he pressed his fingertips together as he watched the interaction between Natalia and Ruari. Ziell observed the table and the way they were together, and he did not say anything. At least, until they asked their question.

Woe's first question was if there was anything Woe could do for him. Ziell considered it a moment and then he answered quietly. "It is my hope that you will choose a life which makes you happy," he said. "Until you find that peace within yourself, you will not know happiness." He smiled slightly at Woe, his eyes looking at the Mortalborn with a level gaze. "Your mood and tone have fluctuated this evening from moment to moment. I would hope that, with some self-acceptance and choosing to not be unhappy, choosing to stop punishing yourself, you will gain a sense of stability and will be able to grow from there. " He nodded. "That is what you can do for me. A soul at peace is a great gift." As for his second question, of whether Toutouye would speak, Ziell gazed into the middle distance for a moment. "It is possible, certainly." he said. "Even probable. But what is needed, and what will be the determining factor is what Toutouye needs. Stability. Consistency. Patience."

Then, there was Natalia's two questions and he considered those. "Balance must be actively sought," he said. "And it was, by those we celebrate tonight. Now that it is restored, it would need to be actively broken. It was, once, and could be again." He considered that and seemed content with it as an answer to her question. As for the second question she asked, he smiled at her. It was a smile of an adult who has seen a child say something the adult approved of, but which was also rather sweet or endearing. "It is not so straightforward, I am afraid," he said. "One aspect of balance was restored on Scalvoris, but nature exists in balance and it is a most delicate one. So everywhere is in balance, and everywhere is not." Could this precise thing happen elsewhere? "Imbalance is unique, so unless there was another island atop a fracture where four Induks had been imprisoned and then one released in a chaotic manner, this situation is specific to this place and time. But imbalance itself? It exists everywhere, it's all a matter of degrees."

It was Hart's question which brought a smile to Ziell's face, though. "Joy will be given the same, yes. Thank you, Hart." He looked at Wren and Ruari. The gesture of thoughtfulness and kindness was important. When Hart then asked about the limits of mortals ability to foresee consequences, though, Ziell considered it. "I think it varies," he said, honestly. "and I think it grows with experience. Once you have experienced something, you begin to understand when it might happen again, I think? There is no hard and fast limit, but there is limitless potential for learning."

Although he had no questions for him, Ziell turned to Ralgar. "The laughter of children is a beautiful sound. Your words are wise"

Telka
Saoire's Realm

As the staff collected the plates from the third course, Saoire once again rose and spoke to them. Again, as she did, there was a small palate cleanser ~ this time a small sphere which, when they ate it, exploded in their mouth with a very briefly intense flavour and the sensation of popping candy. Then, it was gone. Gazing around the room, Saoire beamed with obvious delight "One of the things which amazes me beyond explanation," she said as the stars seemed to twinkle in agreement with her "Is the bravery and resourcefulness of all of you."

"In terms of that bravery, that resourcefulness - and that willingness to go the extra mile, we have two people to give our thanks to." Her eyes moved around the room and then alighted on the first. "Woe Morandi, when all this began and you became aware, you stepped in to protect Egilrun. Your actions led to the protection of Egilrun, the strengthening of the Rangers and the Order of the Adunih. That you saved lives is without doubt and you did so not only without any quest for personal glory, but in a time when such action was both desperately needed and not your responsibility." She smiled at Woe and raised her hands to clap for him.

Applause for Woe echoed around the room and Saoire waited for it to die down, before speaking again. "Would you say a few words, Woe?"

After Woe had spoken, or declined to, Saoire spoke again. "Next is someone who went above and beyond in the greatest manner," she said and again, her smile was beaming. "There is no doubt that any endeavor requires logistics and management, but we all agree that in this there has been one individual who has exceeded our expectations above all others" Her gaze turned to the man in question. "Your actions, Doran, saved Scalvoris, there is no doubt. More than that, your analytical thinking and logical approach meant that every detail was adhered to. However, what amazed us was that you also managed to come up with solutions so elegant that they surprised the great Storyteller himself." As she said that, Cassion spoke. "Hear hear! That hasn't happened for many an arc!" Saoire smiled at Doran and spoke once more. "You saved us all. Thank you."

Then, she gestured around. "Please, join me in giving thanks to Doran," She lifted her hands and began to clap -- she was joined by all the Immortals and, again, there was rather that feeling that someone, somewhere, expected a speech from them both. then Cassion shouted once more. "Speech! "

And both of them were given gifts, also. For Woe it was an exquisite glass coin which was icy cold on one side, warm on the other. For Doran, it was a plain platinum ring.

The Fire Table

When it was his time to give tribute to Woe and Doran, Ziell stood and spoke. "Woe," he said. "You worked for peace and you did so unhesitatingly. I admire your courage and your commitment. Scalvoris owes you thanks." Then, he turned to Doran and spoke again. "There are no words for what you did, so great was your impact," he said. "Thank you, Doran. Thank you so much for what you did. You make me proud, more proud than I can tell you."

As the first of the waiters began to bring out the fourth course, Ziell stood and bowed low to the group. "It has been my pleasure to spend this time with you." That was said to them all and then Ziell offered his hand to Wren, to shake hands, and he bowed a deep and courtly bow to Ruari. "Meeting you two has been the highlight of my time here. May peace follow you, all your days."

And with that, he left. Quickly, he was replaced by a new guest to their table. "Aha! Hello! I am Cassion, and I bid you welcome!" Cassion looked around at them and beamed at them. "I bring you news," he said, as he sat down. "Arlo and Vega are Joy's new parents, they will be taking her home with them and she is their new daughter. In light of that, Qylios discussed with them how to manage this. There are many here who wish to remain in touch with Joy, who feel a level of responsibility for her. Therefore, it is my pleasure to offer those of you who were involved in the Forging, one of these," out of one of his many many pockets he pulled a scroll. "If you wish it, then you may take one of these. Each of these connects to a single scroll held by Vega and Arlo. You write on here, they see it. They can then reply to individuals or more than one of you at once." He smiled slightly, like he was a little amused. "If you were in the Forging and you wish to be involved in the child's life, then please take one. " However, he was clear that there was no pressure to do so. "But only if you wish to."

When that was dealt with, he looked down at the plate placed in front of him and thanked the waiter. This course, for him, was a bowl of mixed fruits with a honey glaze. He looked around at them and raised an eyebrow. "There's a story here, I think, at this table. And so that is my question to you. What story is unfolding here, in this table, for each of you, and what is your part in it?" The Storyteller's face was amused, but there was a more serious intent there. "Understanding your own part in the story that unfolds is the beginning of true awareness, after all."

He chuckled then and drank from his flagon of ale. "And, of course, you may ask of me what you will." Opening his arms in an expansive gesture, he added, in case anyone was concerned. "I am, after all, an open book."

OOC Info

Please split your post into the following sections.

• Third Course
  • Here you should answer the questions posed by other PCs.
  • You may also respond to the Immortal more (but no more questions, cos they're leaving in a bit)
• Between Courses:
  • This is where you respond to Saoire's tribute to Doran & Woe
  • Please make sure you state if you applaud or not. All NPCs do.
• Fourth Course
  • Here you get to answer the question of your new Immortal table-mate.
  • Also, you get to ask your own question of the Immortal.
  • And each of you may ask a new Group Question.

Note: To keep this thread on track and moving, we are asking pcs to post weekly. If you do not post by the 'next post' date, you will be considered to have missed a round. If you miss one, you will simply be considered to have been quiet that round. If you miss two, you will be written out of the thread. Please let Pegasus, Avalon or Vulpes know if you will have trouble meeting a deadline.

Objectives

• Make a menu choice! (Fourth course)
• Describe the flavor of your popping-exploding sphere
• Please be explicit and let us know if you are taking the scroll offered to you or not. These scrolls are only available to those who were in the Life Forged/ Death Forged end-thread.
• Answer the question you have been asked by Cassion
• You may ask Cassion up to two things. This may be a request for information, for understanding, or a plea to do something. Up to you!
• You can ask up to one question of everyone at the table (including Cassion) . PLEASE ONLY ASK THESE GROUP QUESTIONS this round - we'll direct you to answering them next round.

Next Post: Sunday 19th September

[/code]

[Woe]

Third Course:

Woe was chastened by Ziell's and Hart's words. He nodded to the Immortal and then to Hart himself, "I was wrong to speak so blithely over something so important, apologies."

He turned briefly to Natalia, and said, "I'm sorry Natalia, my words were not helpful. I suspected you were Mortalborn, like me, although I could possibly have insight into which Immortal it might be, if you would want to know?" Depending on whether she answered in the affirmative to his offer, he'd tell her:

"We Mortalborn have an ability to tell if someone is marked by our parent. When you said you felt a striking familiarity to me, I was marked by both Sintra and Chamadarst. I think perhaps that is where the feeling you described came from. So... I can perhaps narrow it down to those two." Woe sighed and shook his head, "I thought perhaps because of certain parallels between our backgrounds, you might be of Sintra. We were both raised by uncaring fathers who tried to control us, only to later rebel. However, it's not normally Sintra's way to give away her children to whoever she mated with, much less let that person live... But I thought since such happened to me, it might have happened again. Perhaps some form of a social experiment by the Webspinner, or else Labrae's mischief." It was a thorny topic, the issue of Sintra and her children. He couldn't quite believe that she was Sintra's offspring, as he said it. Sintra would've claimed her daughter, at least, as she did with Labrae, while letting her male offspring wander off from the brood.

"The other possibility is Chamadarst..." Woe turned his head back toward his meal, and spoke once more before resuming the meal, "If you have questions about Chamadarst, or me, or anything else. You need only ask, and I will try and inform you as much as possible."

Ziell's task was an appropriate one and a good place for Woe to start. He'd indeed been at war among himself for some time, and that war was swiftly coming to a head, time after time, war after war. The advice Ziell had regarding Toutouye perhaps might've amended his opinion of Immortals as parents. Perhaps they weren't all bad at it. "Thank you, Ziell."

After settling in to eat his food, Woe listened to the questions that arose from the table. Ruari was given a necklace, which Natalia then was given permission to put on her neck by Hart. He watched the exchange curiously. It was good that Ruari would be so protected. Woe hadn't appreciated that the Warden and his ilk had been able to use her so easy to lure Hart.

To Natalia, who asked the first question, Woe thought for a moment. It was Iago who spoke first, however, "I'm grateful to my father, for rescuing me from the rubble of Quacia..." Woe thought on that, and kept his reaction to himself. He was slightly embarrassed. He'd not been a good person, even when he'd saved a child from abandonment and ruin. He didn't like to remember aspects of his stay in Quacia.

Then Hart's question was even more difficult to answer in a positive way. Woe was lost for an answer. What decision had he made that hadn't ended in ruin and disaster? His indiscretions were so many that it was hard to separate a diamond from the rough. But then, he mulled over Hart's wording of the question. It didn't have to be a decision that he himself had made. So he felt comfortable answering honestly, "My father's decision to free me from slavery. It took a long time for me to forget that I'm a slave, and that my actions had personal consequences, that I have responsibilities as a free person. But happiness isn't and wouldn't be possible without that first act of mercy by Erastus."

Woe patted Iago on the shoulder, as he said it. He just kind of shrugged off the contact, like the teenager he was.

Lifting his eyebrows briefly at this display, he shrugged himself and lifted his drink in following Saoire's toast to the Forged.



Between Courses:

When the time came for the toast to himself and Doran, Woe was genuinely surprised that he would warrant a mention. In his own mind, his role was minor. He landed on Egilrun with little more than an unsubstantiated rumor delivered by Fleaface. He'd dug in just a little to find that there was something of substance to that rumor, and uncovered a sweltering quagmire beneath it. But even so...

He did have a few words to say in response, and he didn't want to boast or self-aggrandize where it wasn't earned or warranted. "Like Lord Ziell said to us at the Glass Temple, as single flakes, we would've melted as we hit the ground. Instead, we were a flurry. I may have been one of the first to fall upon the surface, but I would have melted into the quagmire without the help of my friends and the other Forged. Perdita Westcott and her invaluable research and support, and the backup of Hart as I sought out answers in the field. I would rather defer that toast to them, instead. But thank you, Lady Saoire for the recognition of our part in this."

Woe lifted his glass to Doran as well, and nodded to him, "Thank you Doran, for your part was instrumental in seeing the success at all stages of the mission." That said, he took his seat again, but not before accepting the gift of the coin from Saoire. It was beautiful, black glass, etched with veins of copper glass in the shape of a Willow tree swept by a winter flurry. The same mark that Moseke had given him. And so all three of his patrons were represented on this one object. Woe wasn't much of one for material attachments, but even he had to admit that this was a precious symbol of a gift.

The pallate cleansing sphere, which was given to Woe, strangely tasted of intensely sweet Blood fruit, the kind that was served and grown in Quacia. As it exploded, memories of that time flashed before his mind in an instant. But just as swiftly, they were gone.



Fourth Course:

Woe nodded his farewell to Ziell, as his patron departed from the table. Ziell had given him much to think about, but he was grateful for the task he was called to, and the promise that Toutouye may improve his condition.

The fourth course arrived, which for Woe was some white rice topped with a savory marinade and bits of beef. On the side, a cup of mock turtle soup.

Then Cassion arrived at their table. He announced that Joy would be the daughter of Vega and Arlo. Woe couldn't think of a better set of parents, truly, and so he couldn't suppress a smile of happiness. "Congratulations on the granddaughter then, Cassion." He didn't dare venture an opinion on whether Immortals made better grandparents than parents, so he left that comment in his mind, where it should remain.

Woe gratefully accepted the scroll, which would serve as an occasional correspondence to Joy herself.

When the time came for questions to be asked by their Immortal companion, Woe answered, "A story? I suppose for me, having abandoned magic and the evil entity which spawned me, it's the beginning of a new series. A time for reinvention, and learning who I'm going to become. Whether I'll remain a miserable sod or a less miserable sod."

At the word 'sod', Sod himself perked up from where he rested on the tree. His voice called out to those at the table, "Oh! I'm... Sod. How do you all do."

As for the questions Woe had for Cassion, he gave it some thought, and then replied, "Have we met before? I've traveled much in my days, but this event, this Forging, was the first time we met, correct? What adventure that I or any of us at this table have undertaken, do you suppose is your favorite to recall, supposing you're aware of any of it?"

For the table, Woe had no questions, but Iago did. "Which color sand is your favorite, and why?"

Template by Natalia Gregorios

[Natalia Gregorios]

Ymiden 39, Arc 721

Third Course

So much happened at the table in such a quick manner that Natalia wasn’t sure where to begin. Daia had revealed that the young woman was Mortalborn, and within a blink of an eye, Woe had gone from concerned to …..well, she really didn’t know what. It hadn’t been a surprise to him, but after assuring him she wasn’t upset with him, a switch had flipped, and he began speaking to her in a more distant manner. Sometimes it was hard to keep up with his moods and she didn’t have the emotional capacity to do so at that moment, dealing with other matters, so Natalia had picked the path of least resistance and turned her attention elsewhere.

Ruari has assented to allowing her to help her with her necklace, and as such, a delightful exchange ensued between the child and young woman. Upon the mention of ‘Jewel’, Natalia’s eyes flickered briefly over to Hart, and he filled in the gasps in understanding. “Oh! Yes…Jewel sounds like a lovely turtle. Our turtle’s name was named Panoply.”

Unclasping the mechanism carefully, she gently smiled at the little girl and slipped the chain around Ruari’s neck, refastening and straightening the piece. “There we are, young lady. All set. Now Jewel can go everywhere with you.”

Little hands brought to her the crystal statue, whom Ruari called ‘mama’. Natalia smiled, showing the little girl her own crystal statue – a perfect representation of Renaissance in full gallop. “This is Renaissance, my horse. I call him Renny.” Gently, the young woman held out the statue for Ruari to hold, should she want to. Natalia reached out and stroked Ruari’s hair gently, finding something soothing about her presence, although she would be unable to explain what if asked.

A voice had spoken to Woe regarding his comments, and Natalia knew it was Hart. She appreciated his kindness greatly. From what she had seen that evening, he was a good man, and she was glad to have been afforded the opportunity to meet him.

Ziell had also spoken to Woe, a bit more sternly, causing Natalia a bit of concern. She wasn’t entirely sure what was up with her friend’s mood, but Woe apologized, telling Natalia what he knew, asking her first if she wished to know, to which she nodded.

He explained the base nature of Mortalborns and their ability to sense marked of their Immortal parents. As he explained his parentage, which she already knew, and thought process to narrow down whose child she was, the answer became clear to her.

“Chamadarst. Of course.”

It was the only logical answer. Having heard of the Immortal time and time again from her father, given the information Woe had imparted, it was certainly Chamadarst.

Nodding to Woe, Natalia gave him a brief smile. “I appreciate the information, and apology. I will, at a later point, have questions.” There was no desire to clutter the table with her issues, and as such, she sought to move things along.

Hart was the only one that asked the table a question, other than herself, and she quickly replied. “Rejecting a choice someone else made for me and leaving the situation. Life is full of wonder and mistakes, but the mistakes will be ones I make myself, not those forced upon me.” Smiling at Hart, she waited to see what would happen next.

Glancing to her left, she noted the quiet man sitting there was eating something of a different variety. Ralgar, she thought his name was. Smiling, she pointed to his food. “May I ask what that is? I assume it is from where your home is?”

Natalia watched the interactions at the table with interest, especially between the fathers and their children, curiously questioning herself as to why she was interested. Perhaps it was because she had never had such a relationship, at least with her own parents. Her grandfather was a different story, but regardless, the subject intrigued her.

A toast was given to the Forged, which Natalia stood for and drank.

Between Courses

Saoire spoke again, highlight the efforts of one person she didn’t know…and Woe. Glancing his direction, she stood, clapping for the men, listening to what Saoire and other Immortals said about their achievements. It did, indeed, sound like Woe had played an important part in the event, and she was proud of him for that.

Palette cleaning sphere were distributed. Natalia’s, surprising with a burst of orange and mint, was refreshing and accomplished what it was intended to. Glancing around, she noted that it appeared the servers were getting ready for the fourth course.

Fourth Course

Smiling fondly as Ziell departed, Natalia let her mind wander a bit briefly, back to the identity of her Immortal father. She really should have known it would be him, and while she didn’t know much, it began to explain why he had never claimed her.

As plates were brought, the group was joined by another Immortal – Cassion. He seemed like an outdoorsy, happy type and as such, Natalia was glad for his presence. Perhaps it would lift the mood that seemed to be pervading the table. Smiling, she greeted him, listening as he explained about a girl and an Arlo and Vega. While she wasn’t exactly sure of what he spoke of, she did put enough of the dots together to understand that a child was gaining loving parents, and that was enough for Natalia.

In front of Natalia, her fourth course of Boeuf Bourguignon. The tender vegetables and meat with rich red wine sauce was something of a comfort food for the young woman, and as such, arrived at the perfect moment. Smiling, she began eating while listening to Cassion’s question.

Arching her eyebrow gently, she wasn’t sure if the Immortal was speaking of what was happening right that moment, or of their stories in general, but she had to assume a bit of both, so that’s what she ran with. “Daia informed me that I’m a Mortalborn a bit ago. I had no idea.” It would have been rude and inappropriate to speak of others involvement, so she didn’t. “I took the news roughly and disrupted the table, and for that I apologize to all.”

Move it on, Nat. Don’t linger. As always, the words in her mind urged her to not let the conversation stagnate. “As for my further story, I suppose it’s the same as it was before tonight – figure out what I’m going to do. My life is before me, new options and choices. Being a Mortalborn doesn’t change that.”

She considered what to ask Cassion. Everyone seemed to have deep, meaningful questions but Natalia really didn’t have anything of that vein to ask. Her life was in a state of flux – at a crossroads, but asking an Immortal questions about that wasn’t appropriate. Instead, perhaps, something else.

“If I may, I’ve heard rumors about the missing Egilrun representative. Liza, I think her name is. Has anything else been learned about her disappearance?” An idea was forming in her mind, and Natalia was curious if there was anything more to learn of the wayward council member. Politics was an interesting beast, but it seemed to her that the timing of everything was suspect. People wished Woe to become the new Egg, but what happened to the old one? Was no one curious? Perhaps there was a story to be had there and Natalia liked stories.

As for the table, that question was a bit easier. “What is your favorite tradition? It could be a family tradition, or a Scalvoris holiday tradition.” Her reason for asking was simple – she didn’t have any traditions, and as such, she wanted learn about other peoples’ favorites.

Objectives

• Make a menu choice! (Fourth course) - Yep
• Describe the flavor of your popping-exploding sphere - Yep
• Please be explicit and let us know if you are taking the scroll offered to you or not. - Nope - not Forged.
• Answer the question you have been asked by Cassion - Yep
• You may ask Cassion up to two things. - Yep
• You can ask up to one question of everyone at the table (including Cassion) .- Yep

[Hart]

39th Ymiden, 721

third course

Woe spoke to Natalia, with Natalia responding that she thought her father was Chamadarst, and Hart looked between the two of them quietly, thoughtfully. He was quiet, though he smiled briefly when Natalia spoke to Ruari.

Ruari loved nature; it was something that Hart had noticed about the little girl, in the brief amount of time he'd been looking after her. It was why she'd loved the soul turtle so much. Because of that, when Natalia showed her the horse statuette, Ruari loved it.

Natalia let her hold the statuette, and Ruari touched the horse lightly on the head, her little fingers noting the exquisite detail of the horse, in their gentle way. "Rensa," she said, happily, like she was speaking to the horse. She looked over at Hart. "Look, Hat, Rensa!" she said.

"Yes, it is," Hart said. He said the horse's name once more, so Ruari would know it. "Renaissance."

"Rensa," she said.

The little white faerie that had kissed Ruari's cheek flitted momentarily to Natalia, then to Alyssia, then to the others at the table, before alighting upon the white heat tree.

Hart had been looking at the tree, attempting to determine what was the glow of the faerie and what was the lights and what was the gentle white of the tree's flowers. But when Natalia spoke her

question

, he looked to her.

"Most grateful," he said thoughtfully.

"It's difficult for me to determine who I'm most grateful to," Hart said. "I guess, in the moment, I'm most grateful to the people who saved Scalvoris." He looked briefly to Woe, Ralgar, and Ralgar's translator who'd been with them in Scaltoth, as well as to Jacien, who had worked with Doran and Kura in the Glass Temple, and to Galena, who had worked with the Order.

When Saoire toasted the forged, Hart toasted them. He toasted Saoire and the waitstaff, as well, when Oram spoke up quietly from his table.

between courses

Wren didn't like his popping candy, and the face he made when it popped made Hart laugh. Ruari loved hers, and asked the cadouri who'd brought it to her for more. "More please?" she said in a sweet voice. Hart said, "Maybe you'll have some more later, Ru."

Nonetheless, if the cadouri did bring Ruari more of the popping candies, he'd say, "Thank you."

Hart, like Wren, thought the candy to be bizarre. The flavor was good; it was light and sweet and vaguely flowery, though he wasn't able to identify the flower. The candy itself was a light purple; maybe it was flavored like lavender. He liked the novelty of the candy. But he agreed with Wren; the popping was bizarre. He made a face at Wren when the candy popped, and Wren hid a smile.

When Saoire made a speech to Doran and Woe, Hart clapped, like he had for the others. To Doran he said, "Having witnessed -through the vials- the mastery with which you organized others and researched in the Forging, I'd like to say thank you."

"Other than that, I'd like to thank you for the research you and others did before the war. Going into the Glass Temple, I knew nothing about what was going on. Thanks to you, and to others, I didn't go into the Forging without the information I -and our group- needed to succeed."

The information Doran had provided in the Glass Temple had informed Hart's decisions throughout the Forging. Because of Doran, Hart had made the decision to look for a different way into the Ruins, rather than go into the Rip in Reality.

He'd likely saved their lives.

"I'd like to thank you for Ruari as well," Hart said. Like Elisabeth and like others, Doran had saved Ruari that day.

Elisabeth waved to Hart and Ruari, and Hart said quietly to Ruari, "Ru, look." The little girl, noticing Elisabeth, smiled.

To Woe Hart said, "I'm grateful to Perdita for the research she did in the war." He was grateful to her, like he was grateful to Doran for his research. "But I'm grateful to you, as well, Woe."

"I admit that I don't know all of the things you've done for Egilrun. When we met in Egilrun, and in the Forging, I knew only of your involvement with the Order and of our investigations. But I thank you for all you've done for Egilrun. From what Saoire said, you saved Egilrun as surely as you saved our group in the Ruins."

Woe hadn't remained with the group when they'd gone down into the darkness. Because of his ingenuity and forethought, like Doran's ingenuity in the Glass Temple, their group had succeeded where otherwise they might have failed.

"Thank you, Woe," Hart said.

fourth course

Ziell stood to leave the table, though not before speaking to Wren and Ruari. Wren looked questioningly at the immortal, maybe noticing something about him that Hart hadn't, but nonetheless Wren shook his hand. "Thank you, Mr. Ziell," he said. "It was nice to meet you, too."

Ruari, having seen Wren and Ziell's interaction, interrupted the immortal when he bowed to her. She held out her little hand to him, and -if Ziell let her- would grasp his hand, though she didn't quite grasp why she should be doing it. She just knew that it was something Wren and Ziell had done.

"Oh," Hart said when he'd said his goodbyes to Wren and Ruari. "Ziell, I didn't thank you." He was surprised at himself. He knew Ziell had to leave but,

"In the vault," Hart said. "Thank you for sending Bao. Thank you, too, for-" he wasn't sure how Ziell had done it, but, "-I guess for letting me Wish."

Before Bao had appeared in the vault, Hart had been stopped from Wishing. Something about the vault had stopped him; otherwise he would have Wished on Ruari's behalf, to save her. But when Bao had appeared, Hart had noticed that the room was cold -Ziell's doing, he'd thought- and he'd noticed that whatever had been stopping his magics before was not stopping them any longer.

It was because of Ziell that they had gotten out of the vault.

There were so many people to thank for saving Ruari.

One of them was Cassion, who sat down at their table when Ziell left. Hart bowed to Cassion like he had the other immortals. "Thank you," he said. He spoke quietly but, "Because of the vials, I know what you did for Ruari in the Glass Temple." Both Cassion and Daia had saved Ruari from Audrae's Darkness.

They'd likely saved Hart from Audrae's Darkness, as well. "Thank you," Hart said to him once more.

Hart was brought his fourth course -cedar plank salmon with a small side of tomato salad, the tomatoes salted and peppered to perfection- though he momentarily forgot the course when Cassion told them about Joy's parents. "That's good news, indeed," he said, smiling over towards Vega's table.

"Vega said I'm going to be good friends with Joy," Wren said to Hart and Cassion, and Hart smiled at the boy. "I'm sure you will, Wren. I think Joy-" and Wren, as well, "-would like a friend."

Both Vega and Arlo were very good with children; but, for Hart, their being Joy's parents was more than that. The two of them were good people, both of them with many outstanding qualities that, through their interactions with Joy, they'd be able to give to her. It was a gift to Joy, for them to be her parents. Vega had given much to Wren in the time that she'd spent with him.

Other than giving her themselves, Vega and Arlo would be able to give Joy a good life; they'd be able to give her the kind of life that Hart had wished for her in the Forging, when he'd decided that he wished her neither Life nor Death.

Thinking of his decision then, Hart looked momentarily thoughtful; maybe troubled. But he thanked Cassion for the echo scroll.

Cassion asked about the table then, and Hart listened to Natalia as she briefly spoke. "Like Natalia said," Hart said when she'd spoken, "She learned that she was mortalborn."

He was quiet a moment, thinking.

Then he said, "When I learned that I was a mortalborn, I was angry at my immortal mother. But I was angry at my mother, too," Hart said quietly. "It was difficult for me to learn that my mother, who I'd thought was my blood, wasn't my blood. Blood is important to biqaj, and I grew up thinking I was half-biqaj; half my mother."

"To learn that I wasn't was difficult," Hart said. "My mother isn't a bloodline purist, and she wouldn't think less of me; but other biqaj are, and they would." Most biqaj would think less of him; bloodlines were, in many ways, culturally important.

Most biqaj would not think of Hart as biqaj, because his blood wasn't silver. Hart didn't think of himself as biqaj, now; he thought of himself as of the biqaj culture. It was one reason why he'd dropped his biqaj surname.

"I guess that's my part in the table's story, then," he said. "Natalia learned she was mortalborn and said she'd thought she'd known who she was. What she said wasn't all that different from my thoughts, when I learned my mother was immortal."

Hart looked at Cassion when he was done speaking and said, "Did I make a mistake when I didn't decide either Life or Death, for Joy? Would my decision have hurt her, or hurt others, if it had been down to my decision and my decision only?"

To the table, Hart questioned, "If you were able to relive one day -not to do anything different, but to relive it- what day would it be?"

Objectives met in this post are
- all objectives

• third course, Hart answered Natalia's question
• between courses, Hart had flowery [maybe lavender] popping candy
• between courses, Hart clapped for the two being honored; he also thanked them
• fourth course, Hart had cedar plank salmon with a side of salted and peppered tomato salad
• fourth course, Hart decided to take the echo scroll
• fourth course, Hart said his part of the table's story
• fourth course, Hart asked Cassion if he'd made a mistake not deciding Life or Death for Joy
• fourth course, Hart also asked Cassion if his decision would have hurt her
• fourth course, he asked the table if they were able to relive one day, what day would it be
• fun fact! Hart says thank you more than 10 times in this post! Wren says it 1 time!