Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Sun Apr 30, 2017 11:09 PM, Post Subject: Wrong Turn, Dead End

"I would imagine so. Underestimating deities for any reason never ends well." The stories from a book of myths and legends she had read once had taught her well. It simply was not an intelligent decision, no matter how you sliced it. The clarification on which souls the Reaper took when the time came was a welcome thought. If said deity harvested souls indiscriminately, then she would've lost any remaining faith she had in them whatsoever. It was good to hear things that made logical sense. "I will be sure to remember that." she said in reply, nodding. From Angela's words, entering from another world was as commonplace as the sun rising and setting. She wondered if there was a reason for that, but didn't think further on it. Turning her attention to the direction where Angela pointed, she spotted the shambling husks of formerly-living beings. And before she could hear their ghastly moans, the stench of decaying flesh hit her nostrils. 

She clenched her teeth as she kept quiet, watching the woman draw a thin blade. She recognized the shape and function as an excellent assassination tool, perfect for quickly dispatching enemies with minimal effort. Shiloh herself moved her hand to the hilt of her sword, and drew her buckler from behind. Should the walking corpses continue their advance, she planned to use it offensively as opposed to its defensive purpose. She briefly considered bringing out her torch and lighting it instead, but reconsidered as it would draw attention and force her to suffer the stench of burning flesh. Waiting for the woman to make the first move, she would then draw her sword to cut down the undead when they were within range.

Author: Dalanesca, Posted: Sun Apr 30, 2017 9:32 PM, Post Subject: Wrong Turn, Dead End

“More or less,” she agreed. “And you would be surprised, actually, about the Reaper,” she said, continuing to speak about herself as though she were someone else entirely. “There are many misconceptions about the Harbinger,” she said, using another of the many titles held by the Goddess of Death and Darkness. “From what I have heard, she is not nearly as evil as some make her out to be. Yes, she takes the souls of mortals - but only the souls of those who have committed heinous crimes in their time on this plane,” she said. Inadvertently, her voice had taken on a more serious and sinister tone. “I would suggest you remember that thought, through your life,” she said, and the words were not meant as a harmful warning - merely informational. “You seem to have your head on your shoulders fairly well,” she added, and quickly reverted back to her earlier state. “I’ve just seen a lot of people underestimate or misunderstand the deities and pay dearly for their mistakes,” she said, attempting to give Shiloh what was meant to be a reassuring grin.

“That makes two of us,” she said, in reference to not being from the world they were currently in. “It’s hard to explain where I come from - came from, that is,” she said. “However, I have been a part of this world long enough to consider myself such.” She looked fairly contemplative for a moment, before speaking once more. “You are a smart one,” she said, rather quietly. She fell silent as Shiloh slowed, her own pace falling as well.

“It’s not just you,” she said, and turned quickly, gesturing to the left of the pair. A small dip in the landscape created a large divot. Just beyond, a few dark figures could be seen, shambling slowly toward the pair. Dalanesca - or Angela, as she had introduced herself to Shiloh, internally chastised herself. She should have noticed the presence of the stumbling corpses - death was her thing, after all. “Undead,” she said, quietly, and brought a finger to her lips to indicate to Shiloh to be as quiet as possible. She slowly reached behind herself, withdrawing a long slender blade from a spine sheath. She would easily be able to subdue the undead with a wave of her hand, but she would wait for that moment if it was necessary. It was unclear how many of the creatures there were, but she would wait and see if the two of them could best them with steel, first.

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Sun Apr 30, 2017 4:44 PM, Post Subject: Wrong Turn, Dead End

When Angela made the comparison of Adeluna to Vilpamolan, she nodded in agreement. She couldn't have described it any better herself. When you starting from the bottom, it wasn't hard to see anything above it as an improvement. The answer to her next question was interesting, and surprising. In general, the world was polytheistic in that it recognized many deities. However, regional beliefs ranged from polytheism to monotheism depending on the local governance and then that too varied once you came down to the individual level. Normally she expected principalities to be wholly devoted to one or two deities, with each having their own personal pantheon. The idea of people picking and choosing from a universally-accepted group of gods was something new. Shiloh wondered if any of the said deities ever became jealous if another received more attention than they did, but decided it was a silly thought. They probably didn't really care all that much having existed for an eternity anyway.

"So universally polytheistic but depending on individual practice. Interesting. I'm sure the kings back home could learn a thing or two from people here in coexistence and tolerance." In response to the comment on the sacrifices to the Reaper, she remarked. "I'm not surprised. I'd imagine the Reaper would find such tribute incredibly boring and unimaginative. I mean, the Reaper's job involves taking the lives of mortals. I doubt having people offer up more human souls is going to garner much appreciation. It's nothing new and very predictable."

"Me? I'm not from 'here'–wherever this world is. The first place I arrived in was that pirate den, but I wouldn't consider myself part of it's inhabitants. I myself hold no religious affiliation, but I give respect when it is due. Do I believe in a higher power? Yes, but I don't personally go out of my way to commit sacrilege. I only believe in what makes sense, in short." Fiddling with one of the straps of her knapsack, she slowed her pace while walking. "…Is it just me, or do I hear shuffling? Someone's dragging their feet, or walking awfully loudly." Shiloh doubted it was the woman travelling with her, and she was sure it wasn't her own footsteps.

Author: Dalanesca, Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 2:57 PM, Post Subject: Wrong Turn, Dead End

“They weren’t wrong,” she said, nodding as Shiloh described the way Adeluna had been explained to her. “It’s one of the more hospitable settlements, that is for sure… but as you say, in comparison to Vilpamolan, anything would seem like a shining gem.” Shiloh’s next question caught her off guard - but a moment’s recollection gave way to the fact that it was pure coincidence that she was asking this of Dalanesca. “Canelux is fairly polytheistic,” she said, trying to come up with the best way to phrase what she was trying to explain. “The many gods of Revaliir are worshipped by many - some follow all, some just one - it is a fairly split culture,” she said.

She paused, before continuing on. “I would say that the majority of people in and around Adeluna are fairly monotheistic themselves. You will find many areas of worship, but each one will contain people just dedicated to one deity. I once saw a very strange temple dedicated to the Reaper,” she said, containing a laugh. “They were conducting human sacrifices. Suffice to say, they didn’t please her,” she said, snickering in a fairly dark way.

She cleared her throat. “Wherever you are from, what do you follow?” she asked, finding herself merely curious. She was never upset by people who did not believe in the polytheistic existence that actually held Revaliir - she just found their reasoning to be rather curious from time to time. Eventually, she would reveal her true self - but she needed to wait for the proper time.

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2017 2:09 PM, Post Subject: Wrong Turn, Dead End

Shiloh nodded but said nothing in response to the woman's statement. It wasn't that she didn't know there were many reasons why people kept quiet about their past deeds. She was venting, and the weariness of traveling so far was getting to her. Besides, her resentment was only directed towards a very specific group of the populace; but she didn't want to think about that right now. Listening carefully to the information relayed to her, she relaxed knowing that none of the local governments were likely out for her blood. The mages in Iria were more like independent scholars than a high council, all the better. Adeluna seemed like the typical kingdom, nothing special. At least it was being managed properly according to Angela's opinion. That place would be the most similar to Marhaven, so she wouldn't need to expect too many differences.

"The person who gave me information in the seaport told me Adeluna would be the place to go for a more orderly city. This was in comparison to the pirate den, however. It was the only thing I had to go on before I left the place, so here I am." That was the truth, as simple as it sounded. It was all she had to go off on, yet she had managed to get this far. "So is there a centralized religion here or multiple practiced faiths?" Shiloh was never one to be religious, but she understood piety and knew when it was due. Or rather instead of giving offerings, she gave reverence and respect. She had doubted that a being more powerful than her needed anything from the material world and would prefer acknowledgement.

Author: Dalanesca, Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2017 11:14 AM, Post Subject: Wrong Turn, Dead End

"Well, then, Shiloh, I am pleasured to make your acquaintance," she said, giving her a courteous nod in recognition of the introduction.  She found herself in disagreement with Shiloh at her next declaration, however, but did not bring that up.  Being the one who reigned over darkness and death gave her a bit of a bias towards the darker aspects of humanity, and hiding your true nature was a given part of that - but she did not want to draw attention to her true identity, just yet, at least.  She knew that in well enough time, she would not hide her true identity for the entirety of their journey - but she would save the revelation for a time when it was necessary.  "While I understand where you are coming from, perhaps there is a reason why someone would hide the blood on their hands.  Not as a general rule of thumb, but at least in some capacity," she said, and there was a definite air of mystery to her words.

When Shiloh asked about the governments of the kingdoms, Dalanesca paused and remained silent for a moment.  "I do," she said, thought it was clear that she was being rather hesitant.  "I know about them, that is… however, I do not necessarily acknowledge their 'governments' as a sanctioned entity," she said.  She found it rather droll that the cities and kingdoms of Canelux had chosen to rule themselves rather than look to their governing deities who made their very existence possible.  "I am more a follower of the divine than of man, if I am to be honest," she added.  "However, Adeluna is a monarchy - and a rather well-ran one, at that," she said, a fondness in her voice as she spoke of the town that had once acted as a home base for her, long ago.  "The only council of magic users I know of would be the Mage's College in Iria… but they do not like to be referred to as sorcerers," she said. She could garner enough that Shiloh was a bit hesitant in asking about the sorcerers, but chose not to pry at that moment.  

"Adeluna is mostly militant," she said.  "They use magic, but not like a lot of other places.  The kingdom has an army… and many of them worship the deities of Revaliir," she added.  "Might I ask why you are wanting to travel to Adeluna, anyway?"

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2017 12:18 PM, Post Subject: Wrong Turn, Dead End

Shiloh thought it over for a while, then spoke. "…Shiloh. I've been called plenty other things, but you did ask." Putting her map away and adjusting the straps of her knapsack on her shoulders, she added. "Though to be fair, I'd rather a place be upfront about being a den of thieves than acting otherwise. At least they have the honesty to openly admit it. There's nothing more infuriating than someone who acts like their hands are clean when they wear gloves to cover the blood on their hands." She said the last sentence with a hint of resentment in her tone. Of all things that irritated her, that one made her blood boil. Then the thought reminded her of something important. This woman seemed far better informed on the state of the world than the one who had brought her out of Vilpamolan. If there was a time to ask about the governmental systems of the principalities of this region, this would be it.

"Out of curiosity, what do you know of the governments that rule the kingdoms on this continent? Would any of them include a council of sorcerers, perhaps?" The memory of her supposed final execution was still fresh in her mind, and she would never allow herself to forget the faces of the ones who tried to bury her alive. At this point she did not care about revenge. Let them bring themselves to ruin through their ignorance and narrow-mindedness. She just wanted to be as far away from the council of magi as she possibly could, and the sooner she was forgotten the better.

Author: Dalanesca, Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2017 10:37 AM, Post Subject: Wrong Turn, Dead End

”Sounds like you know the place, then,” she said with a laugh. Vilpamolan was not one of those places that one could easily forget - which was rather disappointing, as there were many time Dalanesca had been there that she would rather not remember. From the way that the woman spoke, it was clear that she had been through a thing or two and had lived to carry on. She found it admirable, that the woman had such a ‘get back on the saddle’ kind of attitude about things.

”I can’t guarantee I can stave off trouble appearing,” she said. ”But if it shows up, I’m more than happy to assist in dispatching it,” she said, with a bit of a smirk. She found the woman to be rather pleasant thus far, and the prospect of traveling with her to Adeluna seemed appealing. ”Besides, I’m always fine with an excuse to go to Adeluna. The Winking Mermaid has a very fine aged whiskey that I quite enjoy,” she said with a grin. She stood for a moment with her hand on her hip as the woman prepared herself. ”You’ve not yet told me your name,” she said, rather matter-of-factly. ”I’m all for understanding secrecy, but at least give me something to call you, if we’re to travel together?” she asked. She pulled a hip flask from her waist and took a swig of the dark liquid inside, placing it back in its holster after she had finished. ”Can’t very well be calling you ‘woman’ or ‘girl’ the whole trek,” she added, with a laugh.

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Thu Apr 6, 2017 12:11 PM, Post Subject: Wrong Turn, Dead End

"Ah, that hive of scum and villainy–I mean sea port. I was just there weeks ago. Nothing like coming out of the frying pan to fall into the fire." The last comment was a self-referential remark to how she had entered the place. Vilpamolan still was far too long of a name in her opinion, hence the epithet. Checking her map, she moved her index finger until she found the marked point of reference labelled 'Perditi'. It indeed was south of the pirate den, meaning she had walked a giant loop around a mountain range in the continent. Hearing the woman recount her previous adventures in said pirate den, she seemed to know her way around. She looked capable too, if her story was true. One did not simply say they entered a three-on-one brawl and left without a single injury unless they had the skill and finesse to back it up. There were always those who were braggarts, but from her words and tone she wasn't one of them.

Shiloh nodded as she listened to the description of the route. She must have passed the Ancense and gone east prematurely. According to the map's topography, Adeluna was further south from the mountains than when she made the wrong turn. It was a matter of retracing her steps, then making a left at the right place. At the woman's offer to accompany her, Shiloh shrugged. "I don't mind the company. I think I've already proven myself perfectly capable of running into trouble on my own. Maybe if I travel with another person my chances might go down," she remarked. She didn't really think that was possible, as logically speaking the chances would normally increase but with luck you never knew. Luck was fickle, and played favorites. Shiloh was very sure that she was not one of those favorites. Tucking her map away, she prepared for the walk back.

Author: Dalanesca, Posted: Thu Apr 6, 2017 10:16 AM, Post Subject: Wrong Turn, Dead End

”We’re near Perditi Cemetery… south of Vilpamolan,” Dalanesca responded as she seemed to question where about in the southern part of the continent she was. Canelux was a rather large place, and even one section of the continent contained numerous destinations. ”If you aren’t familiar with Vilpamolan, it’s not the nicest of places. Pirate haven, most refer to it as. You’ll find lots of unsavory types there,” she added, with a bit of a laugh. She remembered her last visit to the place - it had been before her ascension to divinity, of course, so the story was safe to share with her new acquaintance. ”Last time I found myself there, I ended up in a brawl with three very large men,” she said. She chuckled again. ”I was the only one who walked away, and I did so without a scratch.” Her pride was rather apparent in her voice. ”You seem like you would be able to hold your own,” she observed. ”Fortunately for you, Vilpamolan isn’t in the direction you need to head. You’ve got to skirt the southern side of the Ancense Mountains, and head west. If you go straight west, you’ll hit Adeluna in a few days time,” she added.

She grew quiet for a moment, contemplating on how to next proceed with their conversation. If she wanted to reveal her true identity, she would have been able to easily assist the woman in reaching Adeluna nearly instantly via magic, but she was unsure if she was ready to reveal that information yet. Instead, she decided to continue describing the route, and offering her accompaniment if she so wished - Dalanesca was rather enjoying being out of Porta Inferi for the time being.

”If you want, I can head with you - I haven’t been to Adeluna in a while,” she added. ”Once the range isn’t to the North any longer, you just keep going west along the river until you reach the port - that’s Adeluna,” she added.

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Wed Apr 5, 2017 12:13 PM, Post Subject: Wrong Turn, Dead End

"Yes… I've realized that now." Shiloh fumed between her teeth. It was a foolish idea at the time, but she had still decided to do it. Though at that particular moment she was dazed and disoriented, and desperate. It could have been worse; he could have told her to go north of all things. Still, she should've known better than to ask a random bystander for directions. "I know I'm in the southern part of this continent, though where exactly I have no idea." When the woman who referred to herself as Angela offered her assistance, Shiloh was grateful but wary. "Yes, I very much would like help. Though I'm not very good at approximating distances on paper, so if you wouldn't mind I'd like to ask a few questions to determine where I am. Once I know where I am in relation to Adeluna, I should have a general idea of where to go."

Miles and meters on a map were different than the real thing, so Shiloh had a habit of using landmarks to keep things straight. The cardinal directions were easy, but lines on a map didn't express the height, breadth, and depth of things.

Author: Dalanesca, Posted: Wed Apr 5, 2017 11:58 AM, Post Subject: Wrong Turn, Dead End

Dalanesca could make out the person’s form, and began to take a few steps towards her as she spoke since she seemed to be staying where she was. She stifled a laugh as the woman mentioned getting directions from a goatherd. ”That’s your problem right there,” she said, and picked up the pace in which she was travelling towards the woman. ”The only sense of direction a goatherd has is where to send his herd… other than that, they’re mostly useless,” she said. She tried to make her voice sound as warm and as friendly as she could - she was not in the mood to find souls to bring back to Porta Inferi. In fact, idle conversation sounded rather appealing to her right now.She walked until she was standing close enough for the woman to see her, but kept her distance enough to not seem threatening.

”You’re a long way from Adeluna, if that’s what you’re looking for,” she said, furrowing her eyebrows. ”It sounds like he sent you in the completely wrong direction.” She fell silent for a moment, before speaking up once more. She extended her hand to the woman in an effort to show she mean no harm. ”My name is Angela,” she said, lying quickly and not making it obvious. It was a bit of an inside joke to herself that she took on the name of a fellow goddess when staying incognito. ”If you’d like help, I could get you set back on the right path, towards Adeluna?” she offered.

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Mon Apr 3, 2017 3:25 PM, Post Subject: Wrong Turn, Dead End

Shiloh's head looked up, scanning the area quickly. Had someone called out to her? Auditory hallucinations were a common thing in graveyards, likely caused by a combination of paranoia and sound distortions by the wind and fog. Focusing her sight and senses she detected something or someone a little ways from her. Fearing it was a banshee or some other horrid graveyard apparition, she did not move from her spot as she replied back. "Yes, unfortunately I am. Though this isn't the first time I've taken an unnecessary detour outside of my plans. That's the last time I'll ask for directions from a goatherd ever again." In spite of all the obstacles she had weathered throughout her journey, she wasn't feeling suicidal to the point of abandoning all hope yet. In her lifetime she had encountered enough brushes with death to where they were probably close acquaintances by now.

"This clearly isn't Adeluna, so I've bound to have made a wrong turn somewhere." Folding up her map, she surveyed her current location as she considered retracing her steps to walk back. 

Author: Dalanesca, Posted: Mon Apr 3, 2017 2:01 PM, Post Subject: Wrong Turn, Dead End

On rare occasions, Dalanesca felt it rather necessary to venture from Porta Inferi into the land of mortals. There was only so much in her realm to occupy her time, and she got bored rather easily. At present moment, she just felt like going for a walk more than anything. The cemetery near Vilpamolan had always been a favorite place of hers in her mortal life, and it called to her now and then to make an appearance.

She dressed rather quickly, and without a trace she was gone from her realm. Moments later, she had materialized in Perditi Cemetery. She scanned the area, noting no presence of life, and smiled to herself. Perhaps she would get that relaxing day that she wanted after all. She walked on for quite sometime, in the direction of the swamp that bordered the burial grounds. Before long, she could make out the trace of another being in the area.

She did not use much caution as she approached the area in which she detected life, but before long she had come across what seemed to be a woman, standing near a bank of headstones in an old necropolis. ”Lost?” she called out from a fair distance. Her tone was not threatening in the slightest. She was merely curious, and felt no ill will towards the woman. Her incognito capabilities allowed her to remain unnoticed as a deity, appearing merely as a normal human woman, wandering the area much in the same way that the one she found had been. ”Most people aren’t meaning to be here when they are here,” she said, raising an eyebrow as she waited to hear the woman’s reason for her being there.

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Mon Apr 3, 2017 12:26 PM, Post Subject: Wrong Turn, Dead End

"This stinks." Shiloh muttered to herself as she kicked the dirt in frustration. Her statement addressed many things, figuratively and literally. Somewhere she had taken a wrong turn and instead of arriving at Adeluna City she was in a stinking swamp. The vague directions from that goatherd she questioned after leaving the forest echoed in her mind. "Just go straight south and 'round the bend when you reach the mountains–you can't miss it!" She repeated the words with snide sarcasm. She had walked all the way across the plains by herself, fighting off monsters and avoiding bandits. By now her patience had worn thin to the point where it was practically threadbare. "It would be straightforward, he said. 'Good luck' he said. Well you can have your rotten luck back sir, because I'm sure that this isn't Adeluna!" 

As if her mood couldn't sink any lower than it had already, the land turned into a swamp. The fog was making her see things moving in the shadows and she hated the dampness. Soon she came upon a massive necropolis. At this point she was no longer surprised when she entered a graveyard. After all everybody would end up here sooner or later. Stopping just outside of the outermost edge of the rows of headstones, she took out her map again. Now if only she knew where in this continent she was.