Taisper enjoyed Berrin's cooking, was quite impressed, in fact, and has added cooking to the list of things he wants to gain some expertise in. If I'm gonna end up on my own at some point, may as well be able to enjoy my meals a bit more. He takes some time to catalog what he's learned today, from Berrin's surprising culinary acumen, to Zander's relationship with his father and fondness for dogs, and Jemini's dislike for same. Tandlara's strange moods and then her caution around the...dog...thing. He recalls talking about people's talents, and who was good at what, and why. The part of him that does this is quite ingrained, almost subconscious, but not totally. The part that protects him from why he does this, however, is subconscious.
He looks at Verik. The snowball fight was a good idea, c...c...v...c...cousin. Well. There, and that was a small victory. A part of him recoils. Bits of his brain give threatening looks to other bits of his brain. Maybe next time...maybe next time out loud. Taisper thinks again about the parade of fey, and lets himself begin drifting off to sleep. Double exercises tomorrow. Prepare. Adapt. He looks over at Reggie, walking in tight little circles before he lies down next to Berrin. Dog. Creature. Four-legged. Weak at joints in leg, soft underbelly. Can be intimidated usually easily. Teeth, claws, clamping hazard, disease hazard...How would they come, if they did? Taisper's eyes suddenly open wide as he snaps himself awake out of his pre-sleep reverie. Keeper's keys was that aloud?! No. Good. How, though. Do they think of it. If they do in what terms. Things used to be easier. Things used to be cleaner. Who's idea was all this, anyway? Who's idea, really? Taisper rolls over, slowy drifting off. Dogs were never a thing his family had. There were always so many pets and strays running about that it seemed as if everyone had a multitude of pets anyway. He wasn't sure he felt one way or the other about them. They always seemed decent enough creatures. Decent enough. Decent. Creatures. C...c...v...c...crreeaturess. I'll just...count...dogs...to get to...sllll
Taisper falls asleep.
The morning arrives with a rooster's crow coming from the east. Dawn breaks over the land, bathing everything in a pale light. Berrin notices that Reggie decided to sleep at his feet, looking considerably better than how they found him. Verik jerks up from his half-sleep of last watch with a very important thought: only 12 days until Taxfest!
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Verik grunts his good mornings, and throws Reggie a bone before heading off for a bracing shower of created water. Returning he stokes the fire and adds some wood, before taking up a cross legged position and settling down to pray.
Dear Abadar,
Tensions seem to have eased thankfully. Pets and snowballs are great for bonding fortunately. I think even Jemini is warming to Reggie. While he is a bit of an odd looking dog, he ticks all the major boxes and certainly seems to be friendly enough.
Now I only need to concern myself with Taxfest! I think we could all do with an excuse to celebrate, so maybe I can set things in motion with Svetlana to kick it off by the time we return from our next trip? I doubt I can convince anyone to pay taxes by that time, but we can use it as an impetus to implement a tax system, and I can hopefully get a simple setup in place and agreed to in principle...
After an hour he stands and stretches before pulling on his breastplate and creating a puddle of water for Reggie. He takes a few bites of cold venison before asking, "So which way again Zander?"
Tandlara rises early and leaves the clearing as usual, she returns after some time, bright eyed and prepared for the day ahead, there is a small blood stain on her hand. Riddleskin is licking his snout as she lets him out of her belt pouch and he climbs onto her shoulder. Keeping a wary eye on Reggie, he refuses to walk around the camp.
Tandlara joins Verik by the food and takes a strip of venison herself, cutting off a smaller piece for Riddlekin, the rat devours it hungrily still glaring hard at the thyaline.
'Have we passed the mountains to the east sufficiently, or should we stay heading north today?'
Jemini greets the sun as it filters through on the horizon. "Ah! Blessed day. What wonders will you bring?"
She grins as she notices Verik in his finest morning manners. Not a morning person that one. So a good time to jump-start him. "Good morning Verik! I thought you'd be ideal to ask. We of House Lebeda, as you may know, are essentially glorified merchants. Our holdings and assets stem from a long line of business dealings. As such my education has, to some extent, covered theory of economy, trade and taxes. Naturally this covers implementation, conjecture and theory from distant places too. Along that line, I was wondering how you would feel about us implementing a taxless society?"
She waits a moment for that to sink in, and the color to drain from Verik's face a little before she interjects: "Okay okay, that is actually a misrepresentation. The system I propose us using is actually that nobody pays taxes directly - rather the trade in goods and services is taxed. Essential items like bread and milk could be entirely free of tax burden - to help the poorest make due with what they have - while luxury items could carry a very high tax burden. This way the most affluent also carry the greatest tax. Tax collecting then becomes focused on a much smaller group of people (merchants and service providers) and requires them to keep careful books on trade - but the significant reduction in people means they can be regulated much easier and more thoroughly. And since trade in services is also regulated in this way, we can effectively tax businesses that are traditionally very hard to regulate. Like a brothel for example."
Letting the thylacine get closer at it's own pace Berrin sits still and eats. When it closes to sniff him Berrin reaches out a hand to let it sniff. "Thats right boy. Get to know the smell." Handing him a bone he coutiously strokes a hand down Reggie's back, raising his hakle with a growl Berrin pauses a bit but Reggie turns back to the bone with a yip-growl and Berrin continues to calmly stroke him down the back. Hearing a snort from Bessie Berrin chuckles, clapping Reggie he gets up and goes to the too willfull-by-far horse. "Comon girl, don't worry. I'm not forgettin ya." he says as he breaks out a comb to stroke down Bessie. Spendig some time cooing to the horse and stroking her, barely avoiding getting nibbled on more than one ocation, the horses 'feelings' seem to smoote over as she gets her due from Berrin. Shaking his head at the notion of him letting a horse run his life he packs down for bed.
Berrin finds it strangely comforting waking with the thylacine at his feet. Waking up with the knowledge that somebody to make noices at the things that go bump in the night sleeping lightly at your feet. Getting up he sits for a few moments before getting up.
"Are we heading straight back or finishing this corner of our little world? If we're heading back then I'd suggest we head weast, then turn north-west straight to Oleg's. If we're exploring we should head noth-east for two days before heading straight east to Oleg's. That route should take us just over four days but we could be back to Oleg's in about a day-and-a-half." Berrin assesses looking at Zander's Map.
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Verik splutters for a moment until Jemini finishes her tax proposal, "Ah, well yes that's basically what I've been suggesting - not that anybody has been listening apparently - at least as an interim system. And yes I think it would behoove us to tax even the more disreputable industries, brothels while undesirable will I imagine prove rather popular with trappers and the like... I suppose that it would be an easy way to win some of them over to our cause, though it seems rather grimy.
Once we get an agrarian base we can perhaps tax at market, that way the tax base comes to the taxmen, which is of course much more efficient."
"So we make every luxury so excessively expencive that only nobles and merchants can afoard it? We're talking about beer and women right? The very few luxuries the common man actually allows himself. Ask me an' I'll tell ya; it makes for a very unhappy populace that can't afoard beer and the ocational tumble. Thats a very dangerous road my friends."
"I've seen it on more than one occation, both when I was soldiering and when I was working those places. A very agitated soldier becomes meek as a lamb with a beer in his hands and a woman in his lap. And the same goes for the farmer and the fisherman. Toil, toil, toil. Thats the life. Make a few coppers to eat and the left over bits go to watered down ale and cheap women. Take that away and I rekon we're looking at a revolt in no time my frineds."
'I think Jemini meant for everything to be proportional Berrin. Beer will still be affordable, but rare wines will be more heavily taxed. A trip to a Calistrian temple will be affordable and enjoyable, but escorts trained in the ways of noble balls and orgiastic feasts will be expensive. Make objet d'arts expensive, average luxuries averagely expensive and the neccesities taxless. If the common man isn't paying any other tax, he can afford more luxuries, in fact he can afford to not be a subsistence farmer, or what have you. We can improve the land, so that we treat it right, and preserve the forests as best as possible. But that education costs money. And we need to tax something. It is of course somewhat unfamiliar to me. I've been in a few Calistrian temples, which are always pleasant, Verik would like them actually, the women and men in them are great listeners, but I've never paid taxes. There is only one elven city, and its supported from magic and the sale of artifacts we make. Most elves life in kin groups in the wild. We don't even farm that often.'
Jemini shakes her head, with an inflection of pity. "Beer and women are luxuries to you? I think I have to re-evaluate my lifestyle." She continues with a bit more verve, "No, beer and women (and boys for that matter) fall under normal taxation; they are a luxury to you and soldiers only to the extent that they are of the few joys that they allow themselves and can afford. Luxuries, in terms of this taxation, are things like rare silks from Tian Xia, exotic herbs from Vudra, magical items, and so forth. Things that the common man and soldier typically has no interest in because they are outside his means even before considering the element of taxation. If you recall, the norm around here is that everybody pays a tenth of their earnings every month. A tenth of the earnings for a poor family is a lot - but it hardly matters much to the rich. I propose - and I see Verik agrees - that the poor can pay significantly less tax by making necessities essentially tax-free, while mundane things are taxed normally, and luxuries are taxed heavily. So a not-well-to-do family may only effectively pay 5% - while the rich with their excesses may pay 15% or even 25%."
"Trust me, the merchants and nobles will be considerably less happy with this arrangement than the poor."
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"Well we might have to see how things pan out before making decisions like that. As it is we don't seem to have any rich so it would be profoundly stupid to implement a tax system that relies upon the. We need to tax pelts, first and foremost, and we need to tax crops sold, but not those grown - we don't want to hurt subsistence farmers, but if they have enough to sell they obviously are not starving." Verik says, as he brushes down Virtue.
"Its all a tad pie in the sky at the moment anyway, people need to consent to be taxed, and so we need some form of legitimacy and to be able to show them what their money would be going towards. If we can convince the trappers to give 10% of the price of their pelts, and Oleg to give 10% of his profits then we will be on our way and we can consider everything else in greater detail. The simple fact is that in order to achieve anything we need coin, which means we need to figure out what we can tax now. Markets, Inns, and houses of ill repute will eventually pay for themselves, but immediately we need to pay for them, or at least find men to construct them."
Zander wakes late and finds Jemini and Verik already midway into more governmental debate, 'Don't those two ever stop? I guess this kind of thing is sort of like flirting to them?' He is quickly surprised however to find Jemini actually proposing a tax system that benefits the working class and hurts the nobility, "Whoa whoa whoa Jemini, are you saying what I think you're saying? I think this may be the first time I've ever heard a member of the nobility propose a system that doesn't just end up with the rich getting richer and the poor staying poor until the end of time. What's the trick here?" He gives her a pointed look, "Are you really serious about this?"
Once the discussion has died down, Zander goes to grab his map, but realizes that Berrin is already studying it. Moving over next to the big warrior, he joins in, pointing a finger at their current location, "From where we are, I think our next path lies to the Northwest through these hills. From there we can loop around the mountain back to Oleg's easy enough. I hope Reggie can keep up, we've still got a pretty good ways to go before we're done with this expedition."
"Ah, I wouldn't worry about Reggie. He's got more bounce in his step and fat on his bones than when we found him." Berrin hands over the map and sets do digging up the meat interred last night and lays it out on the skins for breakfast. Eating his full he tosses Reggie a meaty bone. "Maybee it will help if we get him used to cooked meats instead of raw? Maybee he'll be more ameable?" he muses over breakfast.
Finishing breakfast Berrin sews together the skins to carry the rest of the meat in, it would serve a snaks on the road and possibly do for lunch too. Dressing up in his armor and gear Berrin strokes down Bessie quickly before saddling her up and stowing his gear. "Are we ready to be off? I'm all for finishing with exploring this corner of the map. Four days more dosn't seem so much to me. Although if we could get a message to the Leventon's and Kesten it would be a good idea."
Jemini smiles enigmatically, but limits her response to Zander to: "There are many things to consider in economics, and House Lebeda has a long history of doing just that. Think of it this way Zander: would you rather have 10 gold pieces out of a treasure of 10 gold. Or 20 gold pieces out of a treasure of 1000 gold? There are many, nobles and plebeians alike, that don't see this big picture and are driven by short-sighted greed."
Once the discussion has died down, Zander goes to grab his map, but realizes that Berrin is already studying it. Moving over next to the big warrior, he joins in, pointing a finger at their current location, "From where we are, I think our next path lies to the Northwest through these hills. From there we can loop around the mountain back to Oleg's easy enough. I hope Reggie can keep up, we've still got a pretty good ways to go before we're done with this expedition."
Jemini nods enthusiastically, "Sure! I don't mind how we travel forward." There's a bit of concern swinging in her voice as she continues, "I just hope that Berrin gets a good handle on 'Reggie' by the time we get back to Oleg's. Who knows how he'll react to all the new faces and weird human structures."
"I'm not promising anything princess. We might have to put it down if it gets too aggressive, I've already confessed to not knowing much about animal handling."
Taisper is awake a little earlier than normal, and gone twice as long as usual. When he makes his way back, he is glistening with sweat and his breathing is clearly quite labored. It settles quickly, but it takes longer for the flush in his skin to die down. After cleaning up as best he can, he listens to some of the discussion between his cousin and Jemini while letting Reggie sniff him and recognize him as a member of the pack and not a threat. The creature remains very cautious around the inquisitor, not unfriendly as it's clear in its animal mind that he is part of the pack and ranked above him, but not friendly either as his scent is unnerving.
Misgivings are quickly smoothed over and set aside, at least temporarily, by bits of meat and rations that Taisper provides, smiling as he watches the critter eat its fill. As plans seem to form for heading out, he saddles up his horse and prepares to leave with the rest.
The day moves along rather pleasantly as they plod over the hills in the pass between the mountains to their east and west. From their vantage point, the plains of Rostland stretch out to the north. Squinting, Jemini believes that she can barely make out the shape of Silverhall, though Verik points out that it is likely only the small towns to the south of Lebeda's stronghold.
Before any of them realize it, the expedition is setting up camp and having some venison leftovers. After the excitement of the last few days, a quiet day of exploration is a welcome surprise.
Berrin quickly falls into the routine of setting up camp, the many small jobs needing to be done filling him with a sence of quiet as he goes to them in no particular order, combing Bessie, starting a fire, gearing down and setting up his bunk. All the while he chats freely with everyone and even tries to play fetch with Reggie, an utterly failed attempt as the thylacine, who had been following him for most of the day, just sits and stares at him tilting his head questioningly acompanied by what Berrin swears is a snigger from Bessie.
Try as he might, Berrin is just unable to get Reggie to fetch the stick. Once Reggie actually walked over to the stick, sniffed it and then proceeded to piss on it, at wich point Berrin threw up his arms and gave up casting accusing glares at Bessie, convinces she was somehow to blame he plods down on his traditional place by the fire and helps himself to some venison.
"Heya Zander, I've been wondering," Jemini starts, "I've met my fair share of not-so-nice lords and ladies. Likewise I've met some exceedingly kind ones. Very much like the population at large: there are decent people and insufferable people at every station of life." She takes a serious look at Zander, "I imagine that you have had a similar experience - but you often behave and speak as if nobles are a particularly wretched bunch. I wonder why that is? Surely there must be a specific reason for you to feel that way; as opposed to generalized misgivings."
Tandlara is content with the days peaceful exploration and spends her time between idly chatting and simply observing the world around her and her small party as they travel, their growing entourage of animals making a parade through the wilderness, she chuckles frequently to herself at the image of Berrin as a ringmaster.
Two days and we'll be back at the outpost. I feel that we have achieved a lot even if we have just wandered the countryside. I'll miss the wilderness. But it will be nice to have everyone together and safe.
As the party sets up camp, Taisper watches Berrin play with Reggie -- or try -- and laughs along with everyone else when his attempts at fetch end in an exercise in territory marking. Taisper looks at Berrin's big arms when the warrior throws the stick and then glances at his own much smaller arms and makes a face. Though they were almost the same height, Berrin had maybe two stone or more on him, and most of it was muscle. With a thoughtful expression on his face Taisper gets up and ambles over to where Verik is seated. "Hey...cousin. Hey, I heard you and Jemini and Zander talking a bit this morning, but didn't really catch all of it -- you guys were talking about taxes and stuff, yeah?" The teenager looks relieved about something, but it's unclear what. He sits down cross-legged by Verik. "We're, uh, we're gonna celebrate Taxfest, aren't we? I mean, regardless of what anyone else says you and I will show 'em how it's done, huh? Even my family celebrated it back home and it was always...well, it was always a great day, and I'd hate to let it just slide by without some marker. We could have a good-sized feast with the bounty around here, and maybe to honor the Airing of Grievances and Exchange of Ideas, we could talk about some of the things you and Jemini have brought up in more detail. Not really sure about the actual collection of taxes, though, I admit. That was never really my, uh, area of expertise, you know?"
Zander keeps his eyes staight ahead, looking into the fire as he replies, "I'm sure you've met plenty of friendly aristocrats in your day, but I think you may be giving too much credit. It's a rare nobleman who cares a mite what regular peoples' lives are like and an even rarer breed who would ever put themselves or their coin at risk to really help a commoner out. I've seen enough of the kind of opression the aristocracy lays on the common man and frankly it's disgusting. That's all there is to it really."
There's something more to it that Zander doesn't seem to want to talk about.
Jemini considers Zander's words, then replies, "I see what you're saying. But that measuring stick needs to be applied to all then. I have not seen particularly many farmers that give away their crops to charity. Or common worksmen that help out a beggar, because they feel it is their duty to do so. Nor have I seen many whores that give a smile and a wink to a man who doesn't look like he's got coin."
Obliviously Jemini continues, "Do you feel that nobility somehow confers a greater responsibility? That the morality you give to the simple man is in some way different from that of their leaders? If so, then credit to you - it marks you as a good man (either that, or a leech, but I don't see that in you) - but that is not the way of the world. The average aristocrat is in my experience not more and not less saintly than a beggar."
Turning away from Jemini as she continues talking, Zander picks up a stone off the ground and runs his thumb over its surface as he listens. When she is done, he snaps his head back in her direction and speaks in a rapidly escalating tone, "Of course it comes with greater responsibility! If nobles claim the right to rule then they have to accept that! It may be a responsiblity most of you people take for granted, but it's not something you can just ignore! And sure, a common farmer isn't going to give his crops out for free because he has a responsibility too - a responsibility to his family. A responsibility to keep them clothed and fed on the little he brings in that isn't taxed away by you people."
Zander is clearly quite agitated and is practically yelling at this point, Punctuating his last sentence, he throws the stone into the campfire, shooting up a cloud of sparks. Standing up, he grabs his bow and walks away from the camp. "I'm starting my watch." he pronounces to no one in particular before turning away and walking into the night.
Hearing the agitation in Zander's voice long before it rises and he starts to practically shout, Taisper trails off while talking to Verik and looks over at where the archer was just a moment ago speaking with Jemini. When he throws the rock and takes off, Taisper starts to stand, exclaiming under his breath "Zander...!" But as Zander stalks off, ostensibly to start his watch, the young inquisitor stops himself, his expression one of someone with a hangover trying to do complex math. He looks at where Jemini sits, then at Zander's retreating back, then at last, hesitantly sits back down by his cousin.
"...a...anyway, do you think Svetlana and Oleg would be into it enough that Svetlana would help with the cooking for the feast? 'Cos that would be aMAZing." Taisper is obviously distracted, but not so much as to detract from his actual, sincere, interest in the current conversation with Verik.
Berrin looks up from the fire as he detects Zander's relucance to discuss the entire reasoning for his distaste of aristocracy. Thinking nothing of it he turns back to calmly stroking the fire. Getting somewhat used to the group arguing he realy is just waiting for the argument to die down so, hopefully, happier discussions can comence.
But as sparks fly up from the fire, too close for comfort, after Zander's stone Berrin is startled out of his reverie. "Hey!?!" he calls out indignantly as the sparks fly toward his face, zinging his beard. With the smell of burnt hair in his nose he glares after Zander as he stalks off.
Sighing he gets up, "I'll have a word with him." he says quietly to Jemini as he gets up and heads off after Zander. "Hey! Big guy! Wait up!"
Berrin finds Zander leaning against a tree about fifty feet from the main camp. He hears Berrin approaching and when he looks and sees who it is he mutters out a, "Hey," before turning back towards his watch.
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Verik nods enthusiastically at Taispers words, "Oh definitely yes, I was already thinking about it, its still a couple of weeks I thought I might see if I could hire Svetlana to organize a big party and time our next trip to return in time for it... Invite the locals that sort of thing, good chance to get to know folks in convivial circumstances. It will be great!"
Listening to Jemini and Zander he nods along with Zander's words, and when the scarred man walks away says to Jemini. "I to think nobles are more commonly of poor morality than the common man, or at least more commonly ruthless. I've always assumed that those who became nobles were generally a ruthless lot and that they in turn instilled that in their children, with a healthy dash of self entitlement and corruption by wealth. I try to judge folk by their individual merits, but my parents were lawyers and they dealt with a great man nobles, generally getting them out of the various troubles their arrogance bought them. Of the nobles I have encountered the vast majority were less than worthy."
Berrin disapears into the night after Zander and a short while later whispered conversation can be heard from their general direction.
"Hey buddy, whats up? You alright? Sounded like Jemini was touching on some sencitive issues for ye. Don't mean to pry but I just thought to tell ya your not alone out here with a past, see. Umm.." Berrin hesitates, looking at his shoes. "Oh frack, here goes." he mutters nervously before continuing.
"So, eh.. I don't know what your issues is with nobility but I'm guessing it's personal. You don't wana tell me, thats fine, but I thought I'd share somthin with ya that might make ya change yer mind, ok?" Berrin takes a deep breath before continuing.
"Ok, here goes. I killed a man Zander." he says in a rush. "Not in a fair fight like see, but I took a scrawly little noble and strangled him in cold blood." he pauses to let it sink in but continues before Zander can interrupt. "I'll tell ya straight the fracker deserved it, but nevertheless I'm here on the run. And before you aks, no, I have no idea who he was. The fracker was beating on a girlfriend of mine with a whip and I just snapped see? Next I remember I'm sitting on top o'im and he ain't moving."
Letting out a deep breath Berrin feels startlingly relieved for sharing this with Zander, suddenly worrie crests his brow as he's suddenly unsure how good of an idea it was to spill his guts he looks quickly to Zander. "So eh.. I dunno.. You know, eh.. Whatever you eh.." Berrin seems utterly confused as to how to continue and proceeds to get red in the face and sweat forms on his brow as he waits on Zander's reactions.
Verik nods enthusiastically at Taispers words, "Oh definitely yes, I was already thinking about it, its still a couple of weeks I thought I might see if I could hire Svetlana to organize a big party and time our next trip to return in time for it... Invite the locals that sort of thing, good chance to get to know folks in convivial circumstances. It will be great!"
Taisper smiles. "Yeah, exactly! Maybe it could help us when we eventually need to approach people about setting up actual government, you know, if we're already friends and they know they can trust us and we put on a good party; make 'em a lot more inclined to listen and give things a try, whatever it is we end up coming up with."
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"Precisely cousin, plus I am not averse to a party. Maybe we can hold some contests, and see if Oleg and Svetlana know of any performers who they can contact at short notice. I imagine archery would be quite popular, maybe an eating contest, drinking even - since it is a party - I suppose we could have a little miniature tourney, with wooden swords and the like. Charge a small fee for entry and give a purse to the victor that sort of thing..."
Jemini shakes her head at Verik's suggestion: "No, I don't think so. I guess I'm biased - but I've not seen that many commoners who would not act in the same way as many nobles do given the chance. In that sense, judging nobles poorly is unbalanced, if common folk are at the same moral level - the only difference being the level of means." She ponders a bit to find an example, though only manages, "You must have seen it too: many soldiers will loot and pillage if given half a chance; and many a hard working fisherman drowns most of his earnings in liquor - leaving his wife and kids to make due. There is much that is not right in the world - that I agree with - but I've never seen evidence that, on the whole measure, those of noble birth act less or more ethical than every other man."
While Berrin speaks, Zander watches the man's face as his eyes adjust to the starlight. Taking a moment to digest the warrior's tale, Zander begins to nod and then lets his head fall back against the tree and looks up at the stars. After a long pause, he finally speaks, "I guess I killed a noble once too."
Letting his head roll along the trunk to face Berrin he gives a strange smile, "At least as far as the rest of the world is concerned I killed him. I sent him into hell and burnt him to a crisp. When he came out his own parents couldn't even look at him, much less still acknowledge him as their son. They told the world he was dead to save face, couldn't live with having a monster as the heir aparent." His voice cracks and Berrin can glimpse the shine of tears winding down the craggy terrain of the burned man's face. "What do you think of that Berrin? Do you think people who would do something like that deserve s*#@ from regular folk?! F~%~ing Jemini and her f&!#ing nobility... What the f*$+ makes them so noble? They think just because they have a fancy title before their name that they can s~%~ on whoever they want? That they can just write someone out of existance because they aren't convenient to have around anymore?"
Wiping his nose with his sleave, he turns back to face Berrin, sparing a glance for the rest of the party sitting at the campfire behind him, "Well f&@~ that. I'm still here. I still exist no matter how inconvenient it might be for them to deal with. And hells, I don't even care anymore who knows it."
Holding out his hand, Zander's mouth twists into a wry grin, "Berrin Myrdal, my name's Zander Orlovsky. Good to meet you friend."
Taisper nods at Jemini and says hesitantly "...yeah, that's...that's part of why there's me. Us. I mean those like me, and who taught us. The Inquisitors. All the churches have them, you know, not just Abadar's. I've met a couple others. Many aren't as, uh, nice as me; Inquisitors of Asmodeus...Pharasma...Lamashtu..." He winces as if remembering a fight; "...of Zon-Kuthon. But so but yeah; It's because of the basic fallibility of us all, to get the ones too distant, or that the Law can't touch. That's why there's us. We're supposed to be less..." Taisper looks struck with revelation and gives a small, sad smile. "...we're supposed to be less...human, I guess. And it helps if we start that way." Taisper sighs and is lost in thought for a moment, then he smiles more genuinely. "I'm not looking to argue or say I was right about Orlivanch or anything, I'm just...you guys seem not to know about my Branch, and if we're going to work together, I figure you should all know these things. I'm just saying we exist, and that what you and Zander are talking about is kind of why. It's...it's at least one reason. And also to tell you, there'll be others. I'm just the first. And when others come, you probably won't even know. There might even be others here now for all I know. Hunting. In the nearby towns. In the woods. We're taught to lay low when we need to." Taisper laughs then, and shakes his head. "Oh man, listen to me, willya?! Ha! I sound like I'm telling scary campfire stories. Ugh." He stands up. "Cousin Verik, I love how you plan a party, I think our first Taxfest here is going to be great! I need to do some more Exercises before bed you guys, I'll be back. Hopefully Reggie won't try to eat me when I return. Heh."
Taisper pauses as he hears profanity coming from over by Berrin and Zander. He angles his head, listening, but in then end continues on his way, just choosing to catalogue what he heard. He wasn't sure it all made sense, and the name Zander said didn't mean anything to him. He could bring it up later, it didn't seem a good time to barge in.
Berrin's face screws up at Zander's tale. "Oh man! That makes for some seriously sour grapes man. S@@&! They just up and left you? Oh man thats harsh."
Taking Zander's hand Berrin clasps it firmly and gives it a solid tug. "Well it's good to know ya, Zander Orlovsky. Must admit I don't know much of your family but f%+% 'em. Your with us now an' thats where ya belong. Ok? Don't let noone tell ya different."
Still clutching his hand he points back to the camp, "Those guy over there, the s$*! we've been through for the last week? S+$# man, we're closer than any blood can get. Seriously mate, none of us are gona leave ya hanging like that. At least not me, I'll wow to that for ya."
Tandlara watches the conversation between Zander and Jemini unfold with a growingly worried expression. I don't think this is as academic to Zander. I can see he's getting emotional. She is debating whether or not to steer the conversation elsewhere, and how she might dissuade Jemini who was as dogged as Verik when Zander got up to leave and was shortly followed by Berrin.
Tandlara decides to stay put, stroking Riddleskin and looking between her companions. She almost smiles when she sees Verik and Taispar go on with a conversation about a festival. Surely they won't argue over that!
She looks out into the woods and overhears Zanders exposition. Her eyes widen, and she turns her eyes away from the men, trying not to hear anymore of the private conversation. Poor Zander. How terrible, no wonder he hates the nobility.
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"Hey Tandlara what do elves do at festivals, maybe we can try to incorporate some elven entertainment. Do you think we can persuade Jemini its her noble duty to occupy a dunking stool, 1 sp a go? The funds could go to something charitable. I'll volunteer to of course, I just think more people will want to see Jemini we... to dunk a noble." Verik taps his chin with a finger as he speaks.
"Taisper maybe you could look out for good folks that we could trust? You can see if someone is good right? We are going to need to rely upon a lot of people, and put some in positions of power, it would be good to know if they are good men."
"You hear that Tandlara? This is why you need to train him - priests! Always thinking with their little hammer..."
'As long as its little and unobtrusive I don't really mind in truth,' Tandlara replies, unable to keep a straight face she turns to Verik to tell him of elven festivals but at seeing his expression breaks into a fit of giggles. Riddleskin leaps out of her lap at this disturbance and gives his mistress an irked look. Then finding himself near Verik's leg he stares at the man for a second, before relaxing and curling up at his boot, his eyes still glaring at the tittering witch.
"Taisper maybe you could look out for good folks that we could trust? You can see if someone is good right? We are going to need to rely upon a lot of people, and put some in positions of power, it would be good to know if they are good men."
"I can now, yeah; it happened after the vision in the cave. It's part of why I was so excited. We'd always been taught to see the Judged and just trust our instincts, and the Master Hunters told us it'd happen some day, but to actually be able to do it. It...it's humbling. The world looks so different. But sure! As long as someone is good enough I can tell. Certain beings, or certain people don't...it's hard to describe...they don't project enough of whether they're good or chaotic or whatever. I assume this is a weakness on my part, and so I try to practice a lot. I have to be Worthy of this Gift, you know?"
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Carefully looking at the rat Verik slowly inches a hand towards Riddleskin, gently running two extended fingers down the rats back as he looks at Taisper out of the corner of his eye.
"What about me? What do you see?" He asks, his voice a bit too casual... I am a good man, right? Or am I, are my motives for being good purely selfish? What if...
Carefully looking at the rat Verik slowly inches a hand towards Riddleskin, gently running two extended fingers down the rats back as he looks at Taisper out of the corner of his eye.
"What about me? What do you see?" He asks, his voice a bit too casual... I am a good man, right? Or am I, are my motives for being good purely selfish? What if...
Taisper takes a deep breath and concentrates, and that flat glow emanates out from his eyes, turning them into two solid orbs of color, radiating golden light. After concentrating on his cousin for not quite half a minute, the glow subsides. "I don't see anything." Taisper says after a pause. "It doesn't mean you're not good," he adds quickly, "not necessarily. It probably means that you're like what I described; you just don't...you don't radiate good. Not yet. I don't know if it means you need to be more good or just more powerful or...or something else. " Taisper smiles abashedly and looks down. "It, ah, it could also be I'm not doing something right. I'm still new to this. I believe, from meditating, that this Gift comes from the Lawgiver, and well, there's no instructions, as you can imagine, and none of the Master Hunters are here, so all I can do is just practice a lot and pray a lot and do my best to be Worthy. But yeah, I don't think it means anything about you. I wouldn't assume anything. Yet." Taisper gives an apologetic shrug, then notices Riddleskin. "WHOA! Riddleskin is letting you touch him?! I...I thought he hated men! Wow!"
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Verik nods, "Ah, well that's disquieting... I thought clerics were supposed to radiate more strongly with these things... But then I suppose I am still far below most of the hierarchy, and the wandering priests generally have a lot more life experience - maybe one day..."
I'm not a good person... S~*&.
"I wouldn't worry my head about it too much just yet, Verik," Jemini mentions as she catches the slight disappointment in Verik's voice. "You're probably just picking it up in parts - I think you're a good man; but foremost you are organized, well-ordered and structured. ...though, shouldn't you be able to look at yourself? I'm sure the magic granted to you could be able to do it?"
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"I don't think the results would be any different Jemini, and I would rather prepare something more practical, you never know when you will need it." Verik says shaking his head slowly,
"I hope I am a good man, but a lot of my actions are motivated by guilt for my baser thoughts... Are you really good if your motivation is guilt? Of course I do like helping people most of the time, but then I like how it makes me feel, so isn't that a kind of selfishness?"
Zander gives Berrin's hand a firm shake and puts a hand on the warrior's shoulder, "Thanks Berrin, that means a lot man. Anyway, I should probably get up in one of these trees and start my watch; we've still got a few more days of travel before we get back to Olegs and it would be a shame if we got eaten by trolls before our first expedition was even finished!"
Patting Berrin on the back, Zander turns and begins to climb up the nearby tree to begin his watch duty.