>>> Serra goes to seek the place she always does, when she is lost or mourning.
A Window by the Sea | This room is clean and sparsely furnished, with a simple | table upon which is a small assortment of gathered wild edibles. | The walls, floor and ceiling are lined with cured pine boards, | which fill the room with a light fragrance. A gigantic window @ | to the west reveals water as far as the eye can see. The | | sound of gentle waves can be heard, hitting the shore where * | the cabin stands. | | * | ---------+
[Exits: south] A small fur rug has been placed by the window with a cushion upon it.
You sit down and rest on a small fur rug.
You say 'Again I come.'
Your ears fill with sounds of muted waves rushing upon the shore.
Seagulls cry faintly over the sound of the ocean.
<SCHOLAR> (Polymath) Ilromie: 'Very well, I shall put my words to ink.'
The whisper of waves breaking upon the beach casts an aura of calm over you.
<SCHOLAR> (Doyenne) Serra: 'I am sorry. I am grieving for my friend.'
Your ears fill with sounds of muted waves rushing upon the shore.
Your ears fill with sounds of muted waves rushing upon the shore.
Players near you in Drkshtyre Wood: <PK> Serra A Window by the Sea
[ Elf ] <PK> Kali Windbreeze the Grand Spectre of Beguilement [ Elf ] <PK> <SCHOLAR> (Polymath) Duchess Ilromie Illistarre the Sage of Arcane Power, Polymath of History [50 Storm Hea] <PK> <SCHOLAR> (Doyenne) Serra the Holy Matriarch of Healing, Doyenne of Physical [ Beast ] Mariku the Learned of the Fletched Arrow Players found: 4 [KEEPER] The Balance prevails within the four kingdoms. There are 4 characters on; the most on this past month was 18.
Your ears fill with sounds of muted waves rushing upon the shore.
A bedraggled bird bursts out of the undergrowth with a caw and flutters away.
Your ears fill with sounds of muted waves rushing upon the shore.
>>> Time to reflect in a journal entry.
Background entry created. Type 'background edit' to work on it.
The whisper of waves breaking upon the beach casts an aura of calm over you.
Title set.
Your ears fill with sounds of muted waves rushing upon the shore.
Fat drops of rain fall loudly through the trees. A bedraggled bird bursts out of the undergrowth with a caw and flutters away.
Sissell tells you 'Adventuring?'
Seagulls cry faintly over the sound of the ocean.
You tell Sissell 'I am grieving.'
[ Half ] <PK> Sissell the Grand Mistress of Thieves [ Trean ] Asterak the Staff Polisher [ Elf ] <PK> Kali Windbreeze the Grand Spectre of Beguilement [ Elf ] <PK> <SCHOLAR> (Polymath) Duchess Ilromie Illistarre the Sage of Arcane Power, Polymath of History [50 Storm Hea] <PK> <SCHOLAR> (Doyenne) Serra the Holy Matriarch of Healing, Doyenne of Physical [ Beast ] Mariku the Learned of the Fletched Arrow Players found: 6 [KEEPER] The Balance prevails within the four kingdoms. There are 6 characters on; the most on this past month was 18.
Sissell tells you 'Condolences, what was your loss?' You tell Sissell 'A friend took his life.' Sissell tells you 'Sonuvgwym?' You tell Sissell 'Indeed, miss.' Sissell tells you 'Hate to see a good dwarf go, myself.'
A nearby leaf twitches as it is struck by a falling raindrop.
The whisper of waves breaking upon the beach casts an aura of calm over you.
Journal #10: Breaking
> Day of the Horizon, 21st Renewal of the Celestial of Tyranny > > Everyone around me seems to view life with such polarity. With me or > against me; good or evil; valuable or worthless. Can a friend, who has > supposedly aided an enemy, still be called a friend? Can a paladin who has > inadvertently broken an oath be redeemed? Can I choose to be objective, or > is this simply a dream? > > Again and again, I see how unseen forces in Serin drive us apart. It was no > chance that Ilromie fixated on the story of Thalandir for over half of the > event this past Renewal. With this fresh in her mind, for reasons unknown > to me, she decried the behavior of Gwevym with such intense disdain that he > took his life for it. What for? > A messenger arrives and hands you a NOTE.
>>> Serra stops writing to read the note. It is from Ilromie, but strictly on Consortium business, not a mention of Gwevym... or what befell him.
You say 'And nothing of anything else.' You say 'I see.' Serra crumples the note in a hand and frowns.
> A tree falls in the forest. Perhaps, to an outside eye, simply one among a > thousand trees. But to those connected to it - those who knew it, for which > it represented home, sanctuary, or familiarity, the loss is monumental.
<SCHOLAR> Xerties the Sage: 'Farewell Ilromie, may the winds guide you to a swift return.'
You say 'And not a farewell...'
[ Half ] <PK> Sissell the Grand Mistress of Thieves [ Elf ] <PK> Kali Windbreeze the Grand Spectre of Beguilement [50 Storm Hea] <PK> <SCHOLAR> (Doyenne) Serra the Holy Matriarch of Healing, Doyenne of Physical [ Human ] Mariku the Learned of the Fletched Arrow Players found: 4 [KEEPER] The Balance prevails within the four kingdoms. There are 4 characters on; the most on this past month was 18.
You tell Kali 'May I speak with you, sir?' Kali tells you 'Of course, Serra!' Kali tells you 'Where would you like me to find you?' You tell Kali 'I am in the cabin in Mystic Forest, by the garden.' You tell Kali 'Err, the wood with ogres in it.' Kali tells you 'I shall be there momentarily.'
Kali smiles happily. You bow deeply. Kali says 'That just happened to be the most recent path I learned to run whilst blindfolded!' You chuckle politely. Kali bows deeply. You say 'You are very devoted, sir.' Kali says 'I will be a great mage someday.' Kali says 'But tell me what is on your mind Serra.' Kali says 'I have heard such a sad tale.' You say 'Indeed. I am greatly troubled by what happened.' You say 'What did you hear?' Kali nods. Kali says 'Ilromie said that when she arrived, you invited her to join in the killing of Sheundan.' You nod. Kali says 'Naturally.' Kali chuckles politely. Kali says 'She says that when she joined, she saw that Abellyith was with you, so she left the party.' Kali says 'The next thing she knew, there was a vendetta placed upon her head.' Kali says 'So she attacked him, of course.' Kali says 'And then I know not the specific words, but I know she questioned your judgement and Gwevym's judgement in traveling with the foul beast.' You say 'I see.' Kali says 'And the next thing she knew, Gwevym was lost to us.' Kali says 'That is what I know.' You say 'This is my perspective...'
>>> Serra recounts her tale, from the very beginning of the Isles of Illusion...to its sad end.
You say 'I feel as though I have destroyed two friendships now.' You frown disapprovingly.
The whisper of waves breaking upon the beach casts an aura of calm over you. Seagulls cry faintly over the sound of the ocean.
Kali says 'It is very sad that Gwevym did not take time to reflect, and seek redemption.' You say 'I have left his soul on Lord Phostan's altar.' Kali says 'But your friendship with Ilromie is not destroyed, Serra.' You say 'It was not mine to keep.' Kali says 'Your relationship with her runs very deep.' You say 'Is it not? She said she was sickened by the sight of me walking alongside the Warlord.' Kali says 'Perhaps as deep or deeper than my own.' Kali says 'Relationships such as that do not shatter from a single blow.' You say 'She could not see what happened from another view.' You say 'And she holds such strict expectations, for everything. If we do not follow them we are lacking.' You say 'Or wrong.' Kali says 'Do you think you were right in this? Or is there any truth to her words?' You say 'I was fully to blame for what happened. Not Gwevym.' You say 'I am firm on that.'
The whisper of waves breaking upon the beach casts an aura of calm over you.
Kali says 'I doubt Aberdour would agree with you on that point.' You say 'He followed Phostan.' Kali bows his head in worship of Aberdour. Kali says 'I do not know of Phostan's edicts.' Kali says 'All I know of him are the battle stories passed down of when he was mortal and fought alongside my ancestor, Kalist the first.' Kali says 'It is a verry difficult situation.' Kali says 'I believe if I had awoken, instead of Ilromie, and you had invited me, I would have acted similarly to her.' Kali says 'Certainly I would never travel with that filthy duergar.' Kali says 'And if he had marked me, I would have killed him.' Kali says 'I would have questioned you and Gwevym about the wisdom of taking such a companion.' You say 'Not all of us see the world in such rigid form.' Kali says 'I may not have been so hard on Gwevym.' Kali says 'Though I am not as wise as Ilromie.' Kali says 'I am young, still, and impetuous.' You say 'Wise...' You say 'Wisdom is to guide those who have made error. Not to drive them to despair.' Kali says 'If only Phostan were there to intercede before he had made up his mind.' Kali says 'If only he had taken some time to think and reflect.' Kali says 'If only he had sought the beginning of the long road toward redemption.' Kali says 'I am very sad to have lost a good friend.' You say 'Believe me. There was plenty of time to think and reflect while Ilromie belabored me and ignored him sitting at North Square.' Kali shakes his head. Kali says 'I mean real time.' Kali says 'Not the span of a banner or a storm.' Kali says 'One cannot reflect upon and process such momentous events that quickly.' Kali says 'Especially when one's very life is on the line.' You say 'Not when they are thrust in one's face instantly without an ounce of forgiveness or hope.' Kali says 'Ilromie is like a raging cyclone.' Kali says 'Woe to those who stand in her path when she is fully empowered.' Kali says 'But even the strongest cyclone cannot maintain it's vigour forever.' You say 'Empowered by what?' You say 'Self-righteousness?' Kali taps his chin in thought. You say 'I attempted to speak with her and she kept "in fact"-ing at me.' You say 'Yes, yes, facts, they exist - but these are hearts and minds one speaks to, not books.' Kali says 'I am remiss to speak for her or to explain her actions, as I was not here and she did not fully elucidate such to me.' You say 'There must be another way that does not require violence.' You say 'Or prejudice.' You say 'There must be a path to peace.' Kali says 'Prejudice?' Kali says 'Against the dirty duergar?' Kali says 'It is not prejudice, Serra.' <- "dirty/filthy duergar" - is it not? Kali says 'He has made himself known.' You say 'It is not only Abellyith of whom I speak.' You say 'She looks down on our own Consortium members if they walk a dark path.' Kali says 'And?' Kali inclines his head slightly. You say 'What have they done to her? Nothing.' Kali says 'You are much more tolerant than we are, Serra.' Kali says 'Perhaps it is our heritage.' Kali says 'Perhaps it is a lifetime of fighting and dying those that walk that path.' Kali says 'She has been fighting their kind for so very long.' You say 'I have traveled with one to the depths of the Underworld. He could have slain me at any time. He did not.' Kali says 'She has been attacked by so many, and killed by so many.' Kali says 'Being constantly on the defensive can shape a person's worldview.' You say 'I have been attacked by others during my lifetime as well. But I do not incite further violence.' You say 'I was slain by Glorbag. I then sat with him for an interview.' You say 'My work is more important to me than revenge.' Kali says 'Her work is very important to her.' Kali says 'But she has never shied away from a fight in her life.' Kali says 'Nor will she.' Kali says 'She is very sad about Gwevym.' You say 'Ocelia told me she was reprimanded by a Goddess for fighting too much.' Kali says 'And she is very sad about the strain this has caused her relationship with you.' You say 'Rather than dealing with Consortium matters.' Kali says 'But that relationship is not broken.' Kali scoffs at the idea being presented. Kali says 'She was to simply let Chul slay her then?' Kali says 'Lay down and die, then resume writing as a ghost?' You raise an eyebrow at the notion.
Your ears fill with sounds of muted waves rushing upon the shore. The whisper of waves breaking upon the beach casts an aura of calm over you.
Kali sighs. Kali says 'I am sorry.' Kali says 'I fear I possess the same inclination to be easily riled.' You say 'She did not even say farewell to me. Just sent a note while I was laying Gwevym's soul to rest.' Kali says 'She was saying that you were refusing to speak to her?' You say 'I was grieving!' You say 'Do you stop for chatter while weeping?' Kali shakes his head. Kali says 'That is why I did not attempt to speak with you after telling you that I was sorry to hear about what had happened.' Serra growls. You say 'She will say what she will say.' You say 'And will see what she will see.' You say 'And none can turn her from it.' Kali says 'None other than Vanisse, perhaps.'
Your ears fill with sounds of muted waves rushing upon the shore.
You say 'She believes in no God.'
Seagulls cry faintly over the sound of the ocean.
Kali says 'I fear that I must take leave, my friend.' You say 'Very well.' Kali says 'Thank you for speaking with me.' Kali says 'It is always best to know all sides of a story.' Serra composes herself with a quiet gaze. You say 'Be well, sir.' Serra stares out the window at the sea. Kali slowly approaches from behind and gently places a hand on your shoulder. Kali says 'I am so very sorry, my friend.' Kali says 'I shall always remember Gwevym.' Serra's shoulder tenses, then relaxes. Serra continues to gaze out, quietly.
Your ears fill with sounds of muted waves rushing upon the shore.
Kali gives your shoulder a gentle squeeze, then retracts his hand and turns for the door.
The whisper of waves breaking upon the beach casts an aura of calm over you.
Kali says 'What would you have me say to Ilromie, if I should see her?' Kali says 'Anything, or nothing?' You say 'I do not need you to speak for me. I will speak to her myself.' Kali nods. You say 'But I thank you for the offer.' Kali says 'Of course.' Kali says 'Farewell, my friend.' You nod. Kali leans down and places a scroll on the rug. A messenger arrives and hands you a NOTE. A ray of light shines down briefly nearby, then vanishes.
>>> Serra finishes writing her journal entry in a haze of sadness and anger, and takes her leave.
