"You need to be more positive Lune, today is gonna be a great day~" Chi's optimism shined through, perhaps this Armasse was getting to her or maybe the festive attitude of the people.
Ah yes, Halrun. It was surprising a man of such important still managed to find the time to show up at such a frivolous event. Still, his speech would likely be worth it so she would attend.
The odd girl nodded cheerfully. "Yes, it seems to be a common mode of thought among those who are particularly worshipful of the gods. Of course, I suppose that having real and active deities does motivate such things - many of them are hesitant to strike out against any tenets of their faith lest they be branded heretics, so they prefer to accomplish their goals and excuse their measures. Of course, some intelligent fellows have realized the value of following multiple deities and doing whatever they want by various means through claims of following each patron... I wonder why more of them don't do that?" She still seemed quite entertained, even as they continued to approach the cathedral.
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"I guess it would get more confusing?" Tryggve replied, thinking about it himself. "It would get annoying to worship multiple gods if you wanted to gain any benefits or favor with them. Besides, sometimes people feel that the god they worship best represents what they think is most important in life...at least that's what I feel."
"Most people do not obtain significant benefits from any deities." Korina observed. "And is it not also true that many aspects of life are important? The farmer may be known for growing his crops, but the god of the forge oversees the creation of his tools, and the goddess of travel the transportation of his products. The lord of merchants supervises the sales and judges the fairness of the contracts. Life is like a sweetroll - many components for one delicious result." She snagged one of the items in question from a stall, flicking over a coin to pay for it. "Still, the annual speech does tend to highlight the behavior for the year. It will be interesting to see if the great Inquisitor has decided for a more moderated approach." She didn't seem to think that was very likely... but she was here to listen.
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Tryggve's eyebrows furrowed, thinking hard about Korina's statement. He couldn't deny that she had a point about the gods all playing a part in their lives, but at the same time he thought it was difficult to grasp. Just how many gods should one worship? For what purpose does one worship then? And how about himself? For everything he's been through, why does he keep praying to Torag if it doesn't seem to help...
"I guess," he slowly started, still trying to think hard about it. "Well...hell I don't know. I guess you just acknowledge the other gods and then worship the one that you feel leads you in life? The best example I can think of is myself; I don't really worship Torag, but I pray to him now and again because he symbolizes protection. It helps me focus on what I think is important...I guess?" With a grunt and a head shake, he continued. "I don't usually think about the philosophy of worship; I pray for focus, hope for the best, and take care of trouble myself when it comes up."
With a familiar flash of red out of the corner of his eye, Tryggve glanced across the crowd to catch sight of a familiar elven woman with burns on her face. He stared at her for a moment; even with the burns, she was quite easy on the eyes. The red eyed barbarian still felt a bit guilty for scaring the poor woman off, but as usual, he felt that going to apologize would cause more trouble; she might think he was following her to cause trouble, and he didn't need a headache like THAT again...
"Many people do prefer such methods." Korina agreed. "After all, we cannot know the future in full, so doing their best is all most can hope for." With that noted, she glanced towards the stage, though most of her thoughts remained private. Still, how very interesting things were in this world. It was a shame that Thuaarlla could not experience them in full, but that was the way things went.
Like her kind were known to do she was chatting away on a number of subjects as Lune listened. "... so many shiny items, I am sure Mr. Jitters will be upset if I don't bring him something shiny from Armass..." She had the familiar twinge between her shoulders, the one that made her hair stand on end as if she were being... Observed.
She turned and scanned the crowd for a moment before her eyes rested on the same unique individual from earlier. Flustered she pulls her cloak tight around her and looks back at Lune. "So Tea? Crumpet, maybe some bread? Yes, No?"
Chi waves her hands at Lune to get her attention. "Calm down Lune. Neither of them did anything I ran into his... him earlier. My fault. Probably mistook me for someone less, hmmm, friendly? Sneaky Sneaky? A Thief? Yes, probably thought I was a sneaky thief. But he apologized so lets not cause trouble..."
She was careful and watched the large man and his companion head towards the temple out of the corner of her eye. It was an old gulch gunner trick. Her teacher believed that looking directly at ones target would tip them off as it was instinct to feel foul intent. She hadn't ever seen it happen but she followed the practice anyway. Once she realized where they were going she nodded to Lune. "Lets follow the crowd, we'll have tea after."
She adjusted her pack and giggled at the clink and jingling of the items attached to it before heading towards the Cathedral.
"Well, the pale-skinned and vivid-eyed appearance is very distinct." Korina observed. "Perhaps she is simply jealous of how much you stand out in the crowd." Though by that logic, she'd stand out as well... which, in fact, she actually did. Korina had turned a number of heads along the way, and her primary purpose in partnering was, in fact, to deter people enough to let her enjoy the festival. Hmm. Oh, well! One couldn't care too much about what others thought. Behaving in a socially appropriate way was important, but not at the cost of destroying who you were...
Chi approached quietly, trying not to startle the large man from before and when she reached him she gently tapped him on the back.
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"Maybe, but then how come I don't feel so flattered?" Tryggve replied flatly to Korina. A there were a few other people who gave him strange and wary glances as well, though he was used to such looks by now; his presence my have drawn attention to the pair, but at least Korina's suitors would leave her alone like she wanted. It's just that...unless people already knew about him, they didn't give him such angry glares.
Maybe the woman thought he was tainted, like the inquisitors suspected?
Then he felt a lite tap on his shoulder, prompting him to turn around. To his surprise, the hooded elf woman stood before him.
"Oh," he stated, not exactly sure how to respond to her presence; he was sure she would avoid him for as long as possible. "Umm...yes?"
Chi looks down and away, suddenly shy now that she had attention. "Was rude of me to leave like I did. The name is Chi Chi and you are?" Her eyes switch between Tryggve and his companion before she realizes she forgot Lune. She bops her self on the forehead as she utters. "This is Lune Lune... Just Lune." He speech sometimes reverted to her true origins when she didn't pay attention. Being an intelligent ratfolk didn't mean she was completely different... It just took more effort was all.
"Greetings, Just Lune." Korina said, peering around from the other side of the mountainous form that was Tryggve. "Ah, is this perhaps an example of the theory of courage amongst friends?" she inquired, bright and curious. "So it does go both directions. I was beginning to be perplexed by that, but it is a good thing if mutual support is not limited to bullies and braggarts."
Chi tilts her head at the girl who was speaking, mesmerized by her grace, beauty and silken voice. It took her a moment to shake off the fascination with the newcomer and ask.
"I'm not sure, I haven't met him before today but I am curious who you are?"
"I am Just Korina." the odd, pale-haired girl said, somehow managing to look both amused and serious at the same time. At least, that was the name she could give them - people tended to give her very strange looks (and start reaching for their inquisitor's tools) when she told them what she thought her name should be. "Sadly, I would have to be much more important than I am if I were to claim it the other way around." She looked at Chi, her eyes seeming just a little too deep, but smiled. Almost unconsciously, she raised a hand and caught a rock that had been shooting up from the air. "Stop that." she scolded, tossing it into a nearby garden bed before turning back to Chi. "Of course, in the end, all of us are simply who we decide to be." She pointed to Tryggve. "He, for example, decided to be helpfully enormous."
Chi saw the rock and tilted her head curiously for a moment before looking to the larger man and nodding in agreement with Korina's perception. "He was formed as the world intended and needed. His journey required him to be strong and... umm. Tall." She was sheepish to be talking about someone as they were standing there, it felt almost rude.
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Embarrassed, Tryggve scratched hat his cheek while glancing away from the group. Korina and Chi immediately began to converse while Lune kept glaring at him. At first, he just looked curiously back at her, not feeling very threatened at the moment; but their talk about him was something he wasn't used too. The near-albino usually spoke for himself, but have others put all of their attention on him so suddenly and non-violently was...strange.
"Not that the attention isn't flattering," he spoke up, coughing into a fist for attention. "But...yeah. No worries about running off; actually, I wanted to apologize. You startled me back there, and I'm not used to people bumping into me like that unless...well, nevermind. Sorry I scared you like that."
He nodded toward Chi respectfully as he continued. "The name's Tryggve; Tryggve Enoch Mathias. As for what the world intends of me," he glanced off to the side again, his brow furrowed, "I honestly couldn't care less."
Turning back to Lune, he realized that she was still glaring at him. With an exasperated tone, he crossed his arms and glared back at the priestess-looking-woman.
"Alright, I give up. What the hell's you're beef with me, lady? If you think I'm tainted or some dumb s#&$ like that, the idiots at the front gate already checked me, so stop giving me that look."
"It's fine Lune we don't need someone reporting a disturbance. Those Inq-Inquisitors are not so nice..." Chi looks at Lune smiles appreciatively at her companion before looking back at Tryggve. "It is nice to meet you both." Chi nods to each of them in turn before proceeding to brush the floor absently as she spoke. "I'm eas-easi-Easily spooked by nature and these burns startles many. The cloak covers the rest and before you ask. No they don't heal, never have... But I prefer tight places, and I am not used to so many anymore... Its distracting." And a little sad. Her stutter was worsening and she nearly chided herself aloud. And she was babbling both were bad habits of hers.
Korina grinned slightly at Lune's words. "There are those who think being human is taint enough... or a sign of purity that all others must bow before. I've found that such things are often based around what those in power would like to be true, rather than what is." She certainly had a very different idea of good and evil than most, though she did consider Chi's words for a moment. "Indeed, the branding irons were less than pleasant, though I was particularly unfond of the nail-rippers. Guilty or innocent, it is indeed best to avoid attracting attention you would not like to have..." Wait. Was... was she serious? Of course, it was no great secret that she'd been in the care of the inquisitors for quite some time, even if they had eventually pronounced her innocent. And in a city like Kenabres, you could be certain they'd, ah, thoroughly investigated the matter.
Chi wilts somewhat at the explanation from Korina, remembering only how she narrowly avoided the Inquisators by fleeing. Since then she didn't reveal her true form hardly ever above ground.
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"But isn't she the one who-...never mind. I'll avoid 'bumping' into her again, alright? You can calm down." He couldn't blame Lune now that he understood what her deal with him was; she was just looking out for her friend. He could completely respect that, even if it did cause him a little grief from the strange priestess.
When Chi mentioned the inquisitors as well, Tryggve glanced curiously at her. It seemed like she herself had some experience with the unpleasant men at the front gate, but the way she said it put him on edge. He himself had only been read the riot act and threatened with something more physical, which he narrowly avoided by explaining how that WASN'T going to happen. But Chi was someone weaker, at least when compared to him, and he suddenly wondered exactly where she had gotten those burns from. But before he could comment, Korina spoke up.
At the mention of Korina's own encounter from the inquisitors, Tryggve's whole body instantly tensed up. As he listened to her description, he could slowly feel his teeth unconsciously begin to grind and his hands gripping tightly in his crossed arms. Branding irons, nail rippers, and other forms of torture. On a young woman who, if she hadn't been proven demonic, was completely innocent of wrong doing. It was like a paladins ability to sense the evil within a person wasn't good enough for them.
His steely gaze shifted between Chi and Korina, pupils slowly dilating as he felt his anger rise. The intense, beastly focus he had become so used to over the years began to slowly slip closer to his mind, and it took every ounce of effort to keep his voice calm and his face expressionless.
"Is this true?" His voice was somewhat colder than usual. "Did they do this to you? The both of you? Chi, is that how you got those burns?"
Chi shakes her head as she raises her hands in an attempt to calm the big warrior. "The Inquisitors never caught me, I am good at running and hiding in tight places where men refuse to follow. The burns came from a fire-fire demon that I antagonized. I burned it and it burned me back, I lived but the burns remain." She looks around having been trying to speak quietly. "Best to leave those Inqies alone..." She looked sadly at Korina feeling bad for her over her tale of woe with the Inquisitors.
Korina held up one of her hands - a small, delicate appendage with the softness and luster of youth. There were no scars or blemishes on it - in fact, a close examination revealed that it seemed a little too flawless, like an artist's imagining instead of what a real hand looked like. "And if it were?" she inquired mildly. "This city is built to stand against the forces of evil, many of whom are as subtle as they are vicious. When over ten thousand people live within a city, including one's spouse and children, is it such a surprise that they'd want to be absolutely sure there were no threats? Prelate Hulrun is not known for his restraint, either, and the forces of evil are often more than enough to make failure a frightening prospect for a young man trying to do his best. When you combine that with a goddess who has not stopped their excesses..." Korina shrugged slightly. "I would be surprised at any other result. However, at least they retain the honesty to judge truthfully and only truly condemn the guilty, and they have indeed shown improvements in recent years. I do not blame them for the things they have done." She did, however, understand them... and seemed to have come through her own encounter without permanent harm, which was rather odd in and of itself.
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As both Korina and Chi spoke, Tryggve began to calm down. His anger, though subtle and calm, was still obvious, he realized. It wouldn't do to get angry with Korina's torturers if she didn't hold a grudge herself, nor would it do to make Chi more nervous than she already was. He hated how she acted nervously around him; which was strange in itself.
Tryggve stared at Chi's form for a moment, his gaze still tense but softened with curiosity. The large man had been used to getting those types of reactions from all sorts of people, and even if he found it annoying to find decent folk look at him with concern, he was used to it. Something about Chi made him really not want to give off that impression. Maybe he was tired of scaring off the wrong people, or maybe it was something about her specifically? He brushed it off, however.
"Who knows...
Still, the thought of a young girl being tortured like that easily boiled his blood. He could understand to an extent, but in a world where a paladin could sense those kinds of things, it didn't make sense to him. The thought of Korina being tortured in such a vivid way, as quiet and frank as she was, almost made him ill, especially since she looks so much-"No, stop that. What the hell is the matter with you..."
Shaking off the tension he held, Tryggve nodded in reply.
"Alright, good points. It's just hard to think that things are so bad over here, where there should be a lot of paladins and clerics and such, that even kids can get caught up in this fearful insanity. Still," he glanced over at the city walls toward the World Wound, a melancholic look on his face. "I guess I can't blame people for going overboard...protecting what they care about."
Chi looked a little saddened by Tryggve's comment, not that it was his fault but the memory it invoked. It didn't matter how many defenders they had, the demons had more and it hurt remembering the brave ones who stood against the tide before their home fell. "Yes... Protecting what you care about is important. Because demons never stop..." She shakes off the creeping sadness and tries to smile, her attempt is well meaning but weak. "So. What have you found so far during Armasse? Does Korina stay with you Tryggve?"
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"Stay with me? Well, it's more like I've been sticking around her this entire time; I just got to this city after all, and she offered to show me around." He nodded to Korina before continuing.
"But we've seen a few things so far; I was planning on visiting the competition area before the day was out...and..." He stared down, looking at the tiny box he held underneath his cloak.
It was odd, he thought, how much he began to speak. It was small, barely noticeable since it was him doing it, but even he knew he wasn't much of a talker. Not just that, but he would rarely find himself surrounded by good company without actively seeking it out. These people merely found him and surrounded him, even if a one or two were still wary of him. It was nice to be sought out instead of being the one seeking others...
He smiled just a little brighter than before.
"Might as well enjoy this," he thought. "After all, I may never see these people again after today."
Pulling out the small box, he held it out to reveal his prize catch for the day.
"I was surprised when I found a stand selling strawberries so far up north like this. I guess I couldn't help myself."
"When there is a market, merchants will travel." Korina mused. "Of course, agriculture is difficult when you worry about demons infiltrating the fields and throwing in enough poison to bring down the entire city." She really had a thing for thinking up horrible scenarios, didn't she? "Ah, but I suppose the farmers would notice that..." she glanced at Lune, a considering glint in her eyes. "And you have been enjoying the festival as well?" she inquired.
Chi liked the talk about the festival and pulled out some of the beakers she bought. Marveling at the glint they made while simultaneously squinting as it hurt her sensitive eyes. "So many useful and shiny things for sale isn't there. And strawberries, I'd never tasted those until I came to Kenebras~ They are the nectar of Desna I swear, especially as they are easy to travel with!" She was practically oozing delightful energy at the thought of the fresh fruits and things she was going to blow up create with her new beakers~
Walking in to Kenabras is a couple that stands out quite a bit. The man is tall, with golden skin and silvery flowing hair, while the young lady is just a little shorter whose pale skin and purple hair are a stark contrast to her companions. That she has a noticeable pair of horns and a tail that swishes behind her also do not help her to blend in.
As they near the plaza where the majority of festivities are being held, one can see that the man is an obvious holy warrior. He wears scale mail, and there's a longsword and bow across his back. Dangling from his neck is the red, silver and gold symbol of Iomedae.
Korina tilted her head a bit as she saw someone else striding in, looking... quite distinct, even within this city. "Oh, wonderful." she said. "I do believe our day is about to get considerably more... memorable." She didn't have the fondest memories of inquisitors - months of determined torture (there was really no nice way to describe what had happened) had been a bit of a downer, and even Korina's odd personality could only handle so much.
The shorthaired woman felt as if she was disappearing in the crowds. She'd been supposed to meet with Phillips, a longtime comrade of Aurius' by the northern gate. He'd responded to letters with a long and eager text concerning the coming turning-point in the war.
He never turned up, and Arae found herself somewhat disoriented. She kept her blue cloak gathereed around her, and observed the festivities. They've decided to forget that there's a war going on. I suppose a little excapism can be good for morale. I hope they sober up well, though.
She stopped to watch the dancers. It wasn't a dance she was familiar with, but she thought she could pick it up. She joined in eventually. It kept on for hours, until she found herself lead towards the cathedral plaza. Admittedly, escapism is fun. I can always make plans later.
She wound up walking right behind a most interesting crowd. There was a cloaked figure, wearing quite a lot more than might be thought appropriate for the weather, a shelyn priestess and an exotic pair of siblings.
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Tryggve continued to smile Chi's agreement over his love for strawberries. It was nice to know that some people found the delicious fruit as amazing as he did. Though not very keen on sharing his rare treasure with anyone else, Tryggve felt Chi's enthusiasm earned her at least one. So, he plucked one from his small treasure box, and handed it over to the scarred elf woman.
"It's good to know that others have good taste."
Prompted by Korina's statement, Tryggve looked in the direction of the silver haired man and his...exotic traveling companion. Now, the near-albino warrior was never one to judge by looks alone; after all, that's how you got killed quickly in the world. But in a city like Kenabras, where anything considered demonic or even out of the norm was mercilessly hounded (including himself), he couldn't help but wonder HOW the woman with horns and a tail next to the man could continue walking without being hounded by local authorities.
The other thing he noticed, which was more surprising, was how the man seemed so protective of the Tiefling. Oh, it wasn't as obvious as keeping her shielded from people, but it was in the way he stepped and the gaze in his eyes; Tryggve would be a fool not to recognize that the man cared a lot for her, or at least considered her worth protecting.
He also took notice of the woman who stopped just behind their little group. Hey barely turned his head and glanced in her direction; he didn't like being caught off guard by new arrivals. She looked fairly attractive, with short raven hair and a lithe figure. More interesting, however, was the inherent grace she held; she was obviously someone swift and deadly.
"More strange company, huh?" He stated aloud.
Though the strange couple was walking toward them, Tryggve kept his attention more on the woman behind him. Swift warriors were always annoying for him to handle, and if she turned out to be an enemy, he would damn well be prepared to counter. Such were the thoughts that went through the warriors head.
Chi looked around nervously at the newcomer as she wondered how long her magic created form would hold up. "Memorable? What do you mean?"
The pale girl merely blinked at Chi. "In my experience, those who boldly proclaim their faith are the least likely to ask questions." she observed. "However, there are many questions which deserve to be asked if one wishes to be certain that they are following their faith..." She wished - and not for the first time - that more of the city could be understanding... but she also recognized that it could be hard to accept others when you were in the middle of a war with demons that could creep into your minds and break you from within.
Arae couldn't help herself but to jump in on the conversation. "Guilty as charged, I'm afraid. And further, when we do ask questions, it is far too often the entirely wrong ones. For example, I see a large man and a small female and wonder how a child would merit the escort of an armoured relative; it does not occur to me to ask if I'm not looking at a child after all." She punctuated her sentence, bowing before the group. "I'm Arae. It seems to me that it will be my very good honour to meet you." She smiles warmly at Korina. "In my defence, you look younger from behind."