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Post by Shinko on Sept 14, 2014 21:47:59 GMT -5
"I suppose that makes sense," Sieg admitted when Orrin explained the impracticality of having four weapons at once. "They'd be forever getting tangled in each other. But yes, just the image would probably scare off an enemy that wasn't well educated in combat." Orrin then explained that he had assumed Sieg wasn't stopping in Percheron at all, and the half-elf winced. "No, Medieville was out of my way, but I picked up the Horsehoe Road just north of Hereford. Sorry, I'd have told you my intended route but it didn't occur to me," he shrugged. "At least on the return trip we know we don't have to split up in Destrier unless Alain wants you to stay for something!" He pushed his bowl away for the barkeeper to claim, and smiled broadly. "I'd like to see more of the city, if you're not too tired. I've heard from elves in the Nid'aigle company who fought in the Langian War that Bern has a great many interesting sights to see, and I wouldn't mind taking some of them in." Not strictly true- he hadn't heard it from other elves, he'd read it in the letters Belial sent home during the war. Morgaine had dug them out after Hope and Joffery's wedding, and let Sieg read a few. He hadn't been able to get through very many of them- seeing his father's handwriting, and reading the words penned in that same cheerful manner he'd always spoken with while alive had hit Sieg like a hammer blow. But he'd skimmed enough to glean that his father had liked Bern, and to want to see some of the sights Belial had while he was here. Morgaine had actually given him one letter in particular and asked that he bring it with him to Bern, and read it once he got there. Sieg wasn't really sure he wanted to- seeing more of that familiar handwriting was bound to put him in a melancholy mood, which wasn't what he and Orrin had come here for. But there was no rush. He could look into it when there was time. * * * * * The following morning dawned clear and bright, and as he usually did on nights when he slept well Sieg woke with the first light of dawn. He didn't see Orrin in the common room downstairs, so instead he went out into a small open area between the inn and the stables, and began practicing the familiar sweeps, slashes, and stabs of a pattern exercise with his sword. He usually practiced before breakfast when the weather and space allowed, and no doubt Orrin would find him when he woke- or returned from wherever he was if he'd woken first and gone off somewhere. Sieg and Orrin talk more. It's revealed that Sieg brought a letter Morgaine received from Belial during the Langian War with him to Bern, though he hasn't actually read it yet. The scene then changes to the following morning, with Sieg exercising outside the inn while he waits for Orrin.
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Post by Omni on Sept 14, 2014 23:44:33 GMT -5
This journey marked the first time in a long while that Orrin had slept in a bed that he'd consider 'strange.' Granted, it wasn't the first once since he set off, though it was the first one where he had stayed someplace with someone he would be working with. The last time was when he had traveled to Bern (the wedding didn't count), and before that, when he came to Medieville. He remembered that time... He was so often on overnight guard duty that he would find himself sleeping in, or to his embarrassment, even falling asleep on the job a couple times. But this time, he could get a proper night's sleep. As such, he found his eyes fluttering open shortly after the light of the sun started coming in through his window. With a yawn, and a stretch, he got out of bed and started doing some morning exercises. Normally - on his own, or in Stallion Manor - he would do at least a light workout. However, since he hadn't worked anything out with Sieg, he just did some stretches to reduce the chance he'd keep the other knight waiting. The half-dwarf exited his room, walked over to Sieg's, and tried knocking. No answer. He checked the common room... No one there except the maid. Thinking that maybe Sieg was checking on his horse or his things, he tried walking over to the stables, pausing when he heard the familiar sound of a sword slicing through air. "There ya are," he said. "Gettin' some practice, eh?" Orrin smiled. "What say we do some light practice duels sometime?" Orrin gets up, does some stretches, and looks around for Sieg. He finds him doing sword-practice exercises, and suggests that sometime they do some light dueling.
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Post by Shinko on Sept 15, 2014 6:51:51 GMT -5
Sieg heard Orrin's greeting, and finished up the last few sweeps of his current pattern before letting his sword arm fall to his side. He turned to the other knight with a smile, wiping a little sweat that had beaded just under his bangs away. "I usually try to, first thing in the morning. Habit mostly- it's actually a requirement in the Nid'aigle company for us to do physical training for an hour or so after dawn when we're on active duty. I've nowhere really good to practice in Medieville, there isn't enough space in or in front of the King's Arms, but there was a decent bit of open yard between the inn and the stables here, so I figured, 'why not?'" Sieg chortled at Orrin's suggestion that they duel sometime. "You just want to have me on my rear, I know your game. Certainly though- would be good while we're on the road, with lots of open space and less people to potentially wander into our midst." The half-elf sheathed his sword, and began stretching to cool down after the exercise. "I presume you were looking for me? What's on the agenda then? This early they're probably doing the morning mass at the cathedral and the monastery so I doubt we can question them until a little later." Sieg greets Orrin with some cheerful banter, agreeing to the suggested duels and asking what Orrin was looking for him for.
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Post by Omni on Sept 15, 2014 14:56:14 GMT -5
The half-elf gave a chuckle. "You just want to have me on my rear, I know your game. Certainly though- would be good while we're on the road, with lots of open space and less people to potentially wander into our midst."Orrin smirked in return. "It's a challenge then! Make sure to bring those fancy elven moves of yers; give yerself as much of a fighting chance as ya can!" He winked. Having finished the main part of his workout, Sieg started into his stretches. "I presume you were looking for me? What's on the agenda then? This early they're probably doing the morning mass at the cathedral and the monastery so I doubt we can question them until a little later."Orrin blinked. "Agenda?" Now it was his turn to grin sheepishly. "Well admittedly I don't have a lot of experience doin' this with another knight. I guess between us, ya'd be the expert there." The half-dwarf paused in thought. "I guess we might as well get ready for the day. Ya know, get somethin' to eat and what have you. Maybe when we're finished, they'll be finished with mass. If not..." he paused to think again. "I guess we can compare what we stocked up with. If ya have any other ideas, I'm listenin'." Orrin banters back. He doesn't have much in the way of ideas, so mostly suggests they get ready for the day and maybe compare inventories before heading for the cathedral.
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Post by Shinko on Sept 15, 2014 16:31:37 GMT -5
"Agenda?" Orrin's expression reflected his embarrassment. "Well admittedly I don't have a lot of experience doin' this with another knight. I guess between us, ya'd be the expert there.""Oh, right, you've always worked as a solo knight before Stallion took you on." Sieg winced a little as one of his joints popped from the stretching he was doing. "I guess I do have a little more experience in that area- the elven knights always travel in squads of six to eight. There's too few of us protecting the city to risk sending out alone, or so the mantra goes. Another reason I'm shocked the commander is letting me do this." He flashed a broad grin at these words. Then he stood his stretching finished. "Breakfast sounds like an excellent idea to me. And inventorying our things is probably a good idea too, since we're planning to get supplies after we talk to the priests. And I'll probably need to see the smithy too before we leave, my sword has a few nicks in the blade that need to be smoothed out." * * * * * Sieg followed Orrin as the two of them threaded their way through the streets of Destrier. As predicted they were soliciting a good many stares and whispers from the crowd- the half-elf was certain Alain already knew they were in town despite the fact that neither of them had seen hide nor hair of him. "Oh, that must be it," he remarked, as the spires of a cathedral appeared over the tops of the buildings ahead. "Fancy place. Big too... is it bigger then the Grand Woo Cathedral in Medieville? It certainly looks like it might be." They walked past a walled off building that looked like a monastery, before finally coming around to where they could see the entrance to the Cathedral. "You know, I wouldn't be surprised if word already reached these people we're coming, as much as people have been gossiping about us," Sieg remarked jokingly. "So where should we check first?" Sieg banters with Orrin more (get used to that, they'll be doing it a lot) and then we scene skip to them going to the church.
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Post by Omni on Sept 15, 2014 18:15:41 GMT -5
It wasn't long before the two knights spotted the tops of the cathedral. Sieg, having never seen it before, seemed to be in awe of the building. "Fancy place. Big too... is it bigger then the Grand Woo Cathedral in Medieville? It certainly looks like it might be.""Hard to say," Orrin replied. "Either one is impressive. I wonder how they build those things?" he remarked. It wasn't long before they found themselves between the monastery and the cathedral. "You know," the half-elf said, "I wouldn't be surprised if word already reached these people we're coming, as much as people have been gossiping about us." Sieg joked with a smile. "So where should we check first?""Heh, we'll see when we get there, I guess," said Orrin. Though I'll still give him a quick report before we leave, he added silently. "I think we should try the cathedral. It just... seems more like the place to go for advice. C'mon." As the two knights made their way to the door, Orrin spotted large, ornamental knockers. They approached the entrance, and Orrin took hold of one of the knockers and gave the door two, firm knocks. Then they waited. The knights comment on how impressive the cathedral is, head to it, and Orrin knocks on the door.
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Post by Celestial on Sept 15, 2014 19:57:30 GMT -5
In between the morning mass and the divine reading of the word of the Woo, the monks had a little time to themselves to pursue whatever works they felt would further their spiritual life. Some chose to do it through magic, some through meditation and some through physical labour. But like most monks in Bern, those of the monastery attached to the Cathedral of Saint Absolon chose to explore the world of the Lord Woo and all his many mysteries. Right now, it was alive with the eager reading of younger monks and the rigorous (though sometimes messy) experiments conducted by the older monks. Of course, despite this free time, there were still duties to attend to. So when the knock rang through the abbey’s front entrance and travelled through into the library, all of the monks inside looked up but only one in particular got up. With a sigh, he closed his book on Bernian herbalism, placed it back in its proper place and headed for the door. Outside the high pilgrim season, one monk was assigned the duty of looking after any who arrived or sought the aid of the monks for some other reason. Stephen happened to be that monk. He approached the door and removed the bar from it before taking the heavy key off his sash and thrusting it into the keyhole. With a click, the lock opened and Stephen pulled the door open. The first thing that caught his eye was the enormous four-armed ape-man standing in the doorway. That was not encouraging. The second thing was the fact that said ape-man was wearing the colours of House Stallion. That, on the other hand was more promising. The third thing, something which almost escaped his notice, was another man...or rather, not quite a man, judging by his pointed ears and his eyes. This Stephen found curious. He was sure that elves were of greater height, had more pointed ears and never had black hair. Then again, four-armed ape men wearing the colours of the ruling House were unusual too. The Lord Woo worked in such odd ways. Nevertheless, he had to do his duty. Neither of the two standing in front of him appeared to be pilgrims, their armour suggesting knights, but nevertheless, they were here for a reason. There were rumours flying around the town, as there always were, but idle gossip was not for people such as him. He had to find out what the true reason was. Is that not how the Lord Woo wished they approach all things, with logic and reason? Regaining his composure, Stephen clasped his hands and bowed his head to the visitors. “Greetings and welcome to the Monastery of the Cathedral of Saint Absolon, good sirs. May I ask why the Woo has sent you here today to us?” he told them both before looking up at Orrin. “Does House Stallion have business with us? Or is there another matter you wish to address?” Celes makes Knight Adventures debut. =D In the form of Stephen the monk, who lives in the monastery outside the cathedral. He opens the door for Orrin and Sieg, and after recovering from the shock of seeing them, greets them politely and asks whether they’re here on Stallion business or something else.
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Post by Omni on Sept 15, 2014 22:13:05 GMT -5
The monk that opened the door paused when he saw the knights. That was pretty much expected, and Orrin was used to it, but it was still funny to see that reaction coming from a monk of Woo. After a moment, the monk remembered to speak. [i[“Greetings and welcome to the Monastery of the Cathedral of Saint Absolon, good sirs. May I ask why the Woo has sent you here today to us?”[/i] He turned to address Orrin specifically. “Does House Stallion have business with us? Or is there another matter you wish to address?”Orrin blinked, pausing, pondering how to answer that question. "Well, not quite either, but a bit of both, I suppose?" He paused again, trying to stand a bit more formally and speak a bit less casually, but still retaining most of his usual accent. "House Stallion doesn't have business with you directly. However, we... agreed with Grand Duke Alain to investigate rumors of strange beasts across Bern, and we were wondering if you could tell us anything about them. So far, we've heard of a... black hound I believe, a vampire, and a water creature that drags citizens into a lake and drowns them. Could you tell us anything about those?" He paused, turning to the half-elf knight. "Can you think of anything else we can ask about?" Orrin says they're looking into rumors about beasts, and ask if they can get any information about the three specific beasts the knights talked about. He then asks Sieg if he can think of anything Orrin missed.
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Post by Shinko on Sept 15, 2014 22:30:48 GMT -5
Sieg's mouth quirked a bit at the corner as he tried to fight back a smile at the monk's reaction. At least the man recovered quickly. Sieg let Orrin speak, since he was the one who actually had authority in this region, but when the Stallion knight prompted him the half-elf readily stepped forward. "More to the point, my compatriot and I were hoping you might have some insight as to how ordinary knights, wielding only steel and their own wit, might hope to stand against the wrath of these unearthly terrors," he said, unconsciously slipping into elven formality in front of the monk. "It struck us that you might have the answers we seek, being servants of Woo in a region where forward thinking and innovation supplant the ancient mystic arts upon which we- not being mages- cannot rely." "Of course, as my friend indicated, any other insight you can offer would be appreciated. Neither of us is actually native to Bern, so our knowledge of local lore is somewhat lacking. Kine and Corvus are our home regions respectively, and as you might be able to discern neither of those places has nearly the same amount of untamed mountain wilderness as exists in Bern. It would serve neither us nor the citizens we should seek to help if we charge into things without forearming ourselves." His manner eased somewhat, and with a sheepish grin he added, "But forgive me, I neglect my manners- I am called Sir Sieg Braham, and my friend is Sir Orrin Ironbeard. I do hope we are not imposing upon your hospitality." Wow, Sieg, I forgot how much you can talk when you really get going with the pseudo-fancy babble. Hopefully the monk actually got something out of that. XD
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Post by Celestial on Sept 16, 2014 14:08:11 GMT -5
Stephen nodded slowly as he listened to the knights speak in turn, first the Stallion knight who he had addresed, and then the elven knight, who he noted with a smile was almost as long winded and formal as some of the older, less...humble monks. As he listened, the idea that Brother Benedict had mentioned to him just a few days ago surfaced in his mind. He had to ask. Whether this man was a proper elf or not, he at least had some elvish blood in him. He had to take this opportunity for his fellow monk. "I have heard that elves speak more formally, Sir Braham, but this is the first time I have heard it. Is this due to your great age or simply your learning of Kythian?" he asked rather tenatively. "Forgive me, a friend has this hypothesis. He would be livid if I did not ask." He shook his head and waved away the question with his hand before stepping aside from the door. "If you are truly here on behalf of his Grace and he has given you this task then we will do my best to provide you with what you need. Please, come in, Sir Ironbeard, Sir Braham. You are not imposing, far from it. The Woo does not turn away those who need his aid and neither do we." Once they had entered, Stephen closed the door behind the two knights though he left the key in the lock if anybody needed to open it. He was going to be quite busy imparting information onto the knights. Once the door was frmly closed, he clasped his hands and turned to them, doing his best to hide his grin. It was not proper for a servant of the Woo to appear as excited as he felt but it was not every day that he got the chance to explain some aspect of the workings of creation to fresh minds. "I have some interest in the supernatural creatures which live in Bern. Though it is not my field of speciality, I can provide you with most of the information you need to combat them," Stephen began and gave Sieg a wry glance. "Like ordinary knights, and unlike our Corvus brothers and sisters, we have no magic to speak of," he allowed himself the slightest trace of a huff. "They pity us but they should understand that magic is not the only way to the Lord Woo. We have come to find that in studying and understanding his creation, we can also come to understand our Feathered Lord You have come to the right place for explanations." The monk turned, leading them out from the main building and across a beautifully maintained garden which was being tended by several monks. They all looked up at Sieg and Orrin as they passed by, with the exception of one who was busily tending to a few neat rows of peas. Stephen could not help but feel a little awkward. There were definitely going to be questions as to what he was doing with such strange visitors later. Nevertheless, he coughed, trying to divert their attention back to him. "Much of what I will tell you has nto been tested by us personally, fortunately Destrier and its surrounding areas are devoid of supernatural creatures. However, I can tell you what the lore says and I hope it will be useful," Stephen explained. "You mentioned a black hound first. Black hounds are a type of malevolent ghost. They are usually omens of death, though exact lore varies about them. Some say that they appear to those who are about to die, others say their howl causes all those who hear it to die. That is exaggeration, I believe, as there are many accounts of people who heard it and lived, especially ones coming out of Haflinger just now. I assume you're investigating that one," Stephen glanced between the two knights before he continued. "Because they are malevolent ghosts, it is easy enough to repel them. Salt and holy water both contain the essense of the Lord Woo and therefore are effective in fighting it." "Vampires are more complicated. They appear human save for their pale skin but their power is anything but human. They are stronger than regular humans and can hypnotise people through the power of suggestion, which is how they feed. Typically, you can kill them by removing their heads or stabbing them through the heart. On top of that, they do have several weaknesses: sunlight, silver, Wooist iconography and, inexplicably, garlic," he chuckled. "We do not understand the last one either, it is a strange Langean custom but it works for them. They often apply it to the wounds of those who have been bitten, though again, we have not had the chance to test this custom out and see if it holds water. My personal theory, however, is that there are enzymes in the garlic which neutralise-" He suddenly broke off, smiled sheepishly and coughed. "I apologise, I tend to get excited. I doubt you're interested in my theories, however," Stephen rubbed the back of his hand as they entered back into the cloisters. "The water creature...you will need to be more specific, there are several such creatures in Bern. However, only the one in Lake Moran is actively malevolent. It matches the description of a kelpie, which can either be tamed by tack marked with the sign of the Woo," here he held up his own Woocifix, "But it can also be killed if that is too much effort. Iron and silver are effective against it, as they are against most supernatural creatures, so your swords should be enough, sirs. That and faith in the Lord Woo, which they all fear. All supernatural creatures fear the Lord Woo and anything that reminds them of it, hence the effectiveness of items such as salt and silver." "That should answer the questions you asked me, Sir Orrin," Stephen bowed his head, pondering some more. "I am trying to think of what more...unfortunately my mind is drawing a blank. There are stories of creatures that hoard gold, however everyone here is convinced those are merely explanations for bandits. You do not need to bother with those. And old demons...those I am afraid I have no research about and they have been vanished by Saint Absolon anyway, a long time ago. But at least I told you everything you needed to know. I apologise for not giving you hard data but the lowlands, and especially the area around Destrier, are not rich in the supernatural. It is only in the mountains, where there are fewer people and far less industry, that they can make their stand." The monk gave a slightly awkward laugh. "I have talked your ear off, haven't I? But the world that the Lord Woo created is so fascinating," he stopped and turned to the knights. "Do you have any other questions? Or...oh!" Stephen grinned as an idea occured to him. "Since you are going out into the wildneress to fight these beasts, and you are with House Stallion, perhaps you need some equipment? Since you are going on this quest to rid the land of the monsters that plague it, I feel it is our duty to the Woo and to House Stallion to provide you with what you need." Stephen info dumps on Sieg and Orrin and asks if there's any stuff they need.
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Post by Shinko on Sept 16, 2014 18:06:16 GMT -5
"I have heard that elves speak more formally, Sir Braham, but this is the first time I have heard it. Is this due to your great age or simply your learning of Kythian?" he asked rather tentatively. "Forgive me, a friend has this hypothesis. He would be livid if I did not ask."Sieg's face flushed a very deep crimson, and his mouth opened and closed a few times without so much as a squeak emerging. Finally he covered his face in his hands, trying to fight back his embarrassment. "Er... n-no, I can speak Kythian perfectly fine. It's just habit, that's... that's just how Elves talk, even in their own language. For them it's normal. Sometimes I forget if I'm talking to an authority figure or someone in a position of respect that among humans such speech patterns come off as stilted or arrogant." His face was still very red when he looked up, though at least now he was smiling. "I'm only half-elf, you see, I learned to speak Kythian on the knee of my human mother. But I lived most of my life among my father's people, and the habits of twenty-nine years are hard to break. I suppose for the sake of your friend's question, the best answer I can give is that elves are very attached to etiquette. Even the most ugly of arguments among their kind are usually carried out with extreme polite formality. I don't know if that's a side-effect of their long life or not- it's just how things are so I've never thought to ask about it. It would be akin to my asking you why humans are direct and largely much less formal- that's just the culture." As an afterthought he added, "Though if you meet an elf who addresses you with a lot of thees and thous and wherefores and whatnot, yes, that is an age thing. It just means they learned Kythian several centuries ago and haven't spent enough time with humans to keep up with the language's evolution." He fell silent at that point, watching as Stephen lead them through the gardens of the monastery. The place was certainly homely, and had a very quiet and peaceful air about it, though as always he wished the people wouldn't stare so much. He felt a rush of sympathy for Orrin- did he really have to deal with this all the time?The knight turned his attention back to Stephen, listening with rapt attention as the man spoke and trying to commit what he was saying to memory. He wished now he had thought to bring some paper along to take notes with- there was a lot of information to take in all at once. And some of it was just plain baffling. Salt contained the sacred spirit of the Lord Woo? How?! Still, the monk told them a great deal, and at least some of it was bound to prove useful. Sieg bowed respectfully to the man, "Thank you sirrah, and don't worry about not being able to tell us much that is concrete. I understand only too well how difficult it is to verify something, especially where the supernatural is concerned." Realizing he had slipped into formal speech a bit again, he coughed and added, "And I appreciate anything you can give us in the way of equipment. As much as we have in terms of weaponry, it seems to me from what you've said that we're woefully unprepared for this." "I do have a few other questions though- you mentioned the 'kelpie' and something about 'tack.' Like a horse's tack? So is the kelpie a horse? And will salt or holy water banish a ghost entirely, or simply weaken it? If the later, is there a more permanent method that can be used to stop them from harassing people? What happens to a vampire wound if it isn't treated with garlic?" He stopped the flow of questions, and winced. "Sorry, I don't mean to seem demanding. I simply wish to know as much as I can before we go to face these creatures. You do guess correctly though- we are for Haflinger, and Lake Moran after that. And from there we plan to backtrack to Tarpan, which is where the rumors of the vampire are said to circulate." He glanced at Orrin, tilting his head to indicate the half-dwarf should speak if he had anything else to add. Sieg explains that the formal-talk is kind of just a normal elf thing and he doesn't know any special reason for it. he then thanks Stephen for his advice, accepts the offer of equipment, and asks for clarification on a few points that were sort of vague.
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Post by Omni on Sept 16, 2014 21:37:41 GMT -5
Orrin listened as the monk and Sieg talked about monsters... and languages. He raised an eyebrow when Sieg showed embarrassment about his manor of speech, and a lot of it. Why was he so flustered over a simple misunderstanding? If the half-elf was embarrassed so easily... It seemed like something that could prove troublesome in combat. Obviously it wasn't too much of a problem, or Sieg wouldn't be standing there. Still there was the possibility. Granted, out of combat, it might make for some fun with a little bit of teasing - just a little bit. Or at least, it might be something to talk about. He blinked for a moment when he thought the monk meant 'Woo being created,' rather than 'what Woo created.' He knew it wasn't what the monk meant but... Eh, he had other things to focus on right now. Namely, he had to learn as much as he could from what the monk told them. Granted, as they walked through the garden, all the staring didn't help. Orrin looked over at the gazing monks, as he made a habit of doing. It just wouldn't do if he ignored stares to the point that he ended up ignoring the gaze of an enemy. Plus, sometimes people looked away when he looked at them, which could be pretty funny at times. The monk finished his explanation of the monsters and smiled, likely from excitement (or at least, the knight hoped). "Since you are going out into the wildneress to fight these beasts, and you are with House Stallion, perhaps you need some equipment? Since you are going on this quest to rid the land of the monsters that plague it, I feel it is our duty to the Woo and to House Stallion to provide you with what you need."Orrin paused, then smiled in return. "I'd certainly like to look at what you have to offer. Is there anything you'd like in return?" Sieg asked a few questions on the specifics of the monsters, then looked to the half-dwarf. "I can think of two questions that my follow knight didn't cover." Orrin said. "My primary question is about any weakpoints these creatures might have, such as whether decapitation will work on the hound or water creature. Secondly, you mentioned iron as a weakness, but what about steel? I know it has iron in it, but does the rest... interfere with it's effectiveness?" He paused. "Other than that, I don't have anything to add at this time." The half-dwarf paused. "Though if you don't mind my asking, I don't think you've told us your name." Orrin's notices just how flustered Sieg is. He listens to Sieg and the monk, asks whether or not the equipment the monk is offering is free, asks a couple things he'd need to know for strategy, then asks the monk's name.
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Post by Celestial on Sept 17, 2014 11:21:21 GMT -5
"I see. It certainly explains why you do not look completely elvish. I apologise if I embarrassed you with my question, that was not my intention," Stephen gave him a small smile once he had finished listening to Sieg explain," Oh, Brother Benedict won't be happy to hear that, he's been working on his theory, but if I tell him that I got it from a native speaker of Elvish, he'll be pacified. That is life, unfortunately, you have theories and they are sometimes wrong so you have to adjust them. Still, what you told me is no doubt going to be very useful. especially about the old Kythian. Brother Benedict mentioned thinking something similar too. I don't think he will have to discard all the facts, just modify them slightly in light of this new information. He has a fascination with elven culture. Sometimes we joke that he came to the wrong monastery if he wanted to study the elves. As soon as Orrin pointed out that he had never mentioned his own name, the monk's eyes widened. He laughed awkwardly and slapped his palm against his forehead, going slightly red in the process. "Oh dear, I'm sorry. I hope you don't think it's rude of me. I just got so carried away and...it really isn't proper for a servant of the Woo to neglect his manners just because he wants to prattle on. Please forgive me," he shook his head and looked up, rubbing his cheek a little in order to make the redness go away, "My name is Stephen. Brother Stephen, technically, but since you're not part of the order, you can just use my name." Once he had recovered a bit, the monk gave Sieg and Orrin a smile and a small bow of the head. "Oh, you are very welcome. I'm not going to deny two knights council, especially if it gives me a chance to talk as much as I have. This is a pleasure, believe me" Stephen coughed as his thoughts returned to the questions the two knights had asked. "Yes, exactly like a horse's tack but a kelpie is not a horse, far from it. It is simply its most common form. Some kelpies are shapeshifters who can also take on a human form but if you are going after the one in Lake Moran, you should not worry. There are no reports coming from there about the monster taking on the form of a human." "As for vampire wounds...not quite sure. It is told that the person will become a vampire unless their wounds are rubbed with garlic. It's what the Langeans do to vampire bites," He put a hand to his chin as he thought about the next question. "Salt and holy water usually only repel ghosts temporarily, to kill them entirely you either need a lot of it or use other methods," he shook his head at Orrin, "The water monster is a normal creature, by all appearances, you can kill it with regular weaponry. But if the hound is a ghost, decapitation with an ordinary sword, iron or steel will not work, since spirits are manifestations. The Courdonians supposedly have some kind of runes or charms to ward off ghosts but," Stephen's eyes turned dark for a minute "Who knows what sort of disgusting rituals that involves? Best not get involved with the ways of those slavers. There are exorcism rituals in Wooism that will allow you to get rid of them, however they are complex and will most likely take a while to teach. Some of us who are gifted alchemists have experimented with chemicals which could potentially and permanently ward off ghosts but they are unreliable. I can give you some, if they will let me, but I cannot make any promises. It is also said that ghost weapons or other ghosts can hurt spirits but that is a superstition and unlikely to help you," he sighed. "I am afraid your best hope would be to hit them with enough salt and holy water until they break apart, I think." "Speaking of which, I best take you to the store rooms and see what we can set you up with for the journey ahead," the monk smiled and walked past them, doubling back down the corridor they had come from. "We have no weaponry, Woo forbid, but you are knights, you should have plenty of your own. Salt can be bought easily at the marketplace across the river but we can easily provide you with as much holy water as you need. That and holy charms to ward off evil creatures. Iron, I'm afraid we cannot spare any silver," Stephen gave them an embarrassed grin before suddenly, his eyes lit up. "And if you would wait for me, I know a few Brothers who have been working on inventions or chemical mixes which would be perfect for your trip. The aforementioned ghost repellant is one but another one ofus, Brother Augustine, has made something to provide light in the dark. If I can convince him to lend it to you for a field test, you can have it." "As for payment, monetarily we could always charge House Stallion but that is dishonest of us. We are charitable enough, we can spare you some supplies," the monk smiled, "But we can work out a deal. In additiono to testing out the inventions, if I am allowed to give them to you, if you come back to Destrier, please stop by and tell us all about your adventures. In particular, if you could check that everything I told you is true or false, or if you have new information. I feel like that's a fair compromise. Besides, it can be a little boring sometimes in the monastery. We do welcome stories." Stephen replies to Sieg about his elvish before realising with embarrassment he never told them his name. He answers the questions the knights give him in yet more infodumps and starts leading them to the storerooms to get them equipped. Plus if the other monks let him, he might give Sieg and Orrin some other, experimental things. But all this in exchange for information and stories.
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Post by Shinko on Sept 17, 2014 12:46:17 GMT -5
The half-elf shrugged helplessly at Stephen's apology, "I've had issues with social awkwardness since I was very young, and as I've gotten older it has metamophized into a rather embarrassing penchant for putting my foot in my mouth. Generally I am able to suppress it, but when a situation arises that flusters me, I tend to overreact. You don't need to apologize, I'm... glad I could help." He listened as the monk elaborated on the points they had questioned him about, nodding occasionally to acknowledge a particularly important point. He frowned a bit at the mention that vampire bites would turn the person who'd been bitten into a vampire themselves- certainly he'd heard as much, though it was still unsettling to imagine. Orrin and I will just have to take care not to get bitten- if the vampire is vulnerable to sunlight, doing most of our investigating during the day should neutralize that threat, and if we keep close to each other during the hours of darkness it won't be able to sneak up on us.The conversation turned to the water horse, and then back to the Black Hound. At the mention of the Courdonians having methods for exercising ghosts, and Stephen's obvious distaste with the idea, Sieg scowled. Once the monk had finished speaking, he said, "I certainly have no objections to 'field testing' anything you would like to recommend to us. That sounds like a perfectly fair compromise. And..." His expression darkened. "Reliable or not, it will snow in the Anvil Desert sooner then I would stoop to using methods employed by Courdon. If I had a coin for every time I had to fend off one of their mercenary raids on Nid'aigle, I wouldn't have to work for at least a year." He sighed, and with dry humor in his voice went on, "Bern is the region of innovation, so if your alchemist's mixes don't work I suppose we'll just have to be innovative. I'm sure we'll work something out. Though I hope we don't have to stoop to digging a moat of holy water around all of Haflinger- that would probably get no few people annoyed with us." He grinned to indicate that this last was intended as a joke, and went on in a more cheerful tone, "I don't mind telling you about what happens, and I know for a fact Sir Orrin hear loves to hear and tell stories," he elbowed his friend lightly. "Destrier is centrally located, so I've no doubt we will be back through here at least twice during our trip." A though seemed to occur to Sieg and he added, "And if your friend would like to gather together any questions he might have about the elvenborn in the meantime, I'd be happy to answer anything he wants to know as well. You've been very kind, and I'm certain the information you've given us will prove invaluable." Sieg admits he overreacted to Stephen's question and he is just very easily flustered. He has a brief >8C moment at the mention of Courdonians, then agrees to accept whatever help the monks want to offer. He also says he doesn't mind telling them stories, joking that he knows Orrin loves telling stories, and also offers to answer questions about the elves for Stephen's friend when they get back.
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Post by Omni on Sept 17, 2014 14:51:18 GMT -5
Orrin made a mental note about Sieg's response about his being flustered, figuring that at least now he had his answer. Personally, he didn't see any problem with using Courdonian method's that weren't immoral, but considering Sieg's response to that, he figured he should keep his mouth shut about it. Trying to find any such methods would probably be more trouble than it was worth, anyway. Above all he figured they should stock up on salt, and get some garlic when they came back from the lake. The half-dwarf chuckled when ribbed about a love of stories, then cleared his throat. "Yes, we would be glad to try anything you'd be willing to give us. And to report the results. May we take a look?" Orrin notes what he'll need to buy, agrees to the monk's offer, and asks to see what trinkets they have.
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