2017-04-15: Sword Friends

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=============================<* Adelyn Ranchlands *>=============================

The area around Adlehyde Castle is occupied by rolling fields of grass that are the envy of nations more seriously affected by the desertification that plagues Ignas. Most of the continent's cattle and horses are bred and raised in these ranchlands, which are owned by a scattered assortment of families, each with lands and borders carefully marked out by poles and fences.

While Adlehyde's soldiers patrol the main trade routes throughout the country, the ranchers are for the most part left to their own devices except during tax season; this has tended to produce an independent and stubborn streak in the people who call this territory home. Folks around these parts are used to looking after themselves, and do so with a brutal effectiveness.

The four-footed wealth that covers the ranchlands attracts its fair share of rustlers, bandits, and other ne'er-do-wells; when local posses prove insufficient to the task, a single rider sent to the Adventurer's Guild will generally bring help quick enough.

BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfRBmqBlzzQ

<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.

If anyone is looking for Tethelle, she's pretty easy to find.

She's made a deal with one of the farmers not far from Adlehyde proper. She's technically not quite on his property but on a slightly rocky area next to it that he's hopeful he'll be able to clear out and expand into next year, and because of that he's gotten a little opportunistic and has rented out parts of the would-be field to travellers and visitors to Adlehyde for the Ancient Culture Exhibition.

The tent, surprisingly, is not entirely Baskar-style because her village isn't nomadic anymore, but it's still pretty easily identified as hers because she's outside it. Right now she's sitting at a firepit and is doing some leatherwork; she's fixing her spare sword baldric. She's also taken off her leather shoulder guard and associated strap because she's using it to measure strap lengths.

Her sword, which is in her non-spare baldric still, is balanced carefully across her pack, which is in turn against the tent. She'd rather see it than leave it under cover, apparently, since it's not raining. 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

Sephilia is looking for Tethelle! After a conversation over delicious food the night before, both Tethelle and Sephy had been left with questions for one another. Tethelle had offered Sephilia a chance to watch her Way of the Sword or--well, Sephy wasn't that interested in the sword part, but she wanted to ask questions about the Guardians, and she figures she has a friend who might actually be interested in the sword part.

That's why she's invited Talise along! "There she is, Talise! That's the person I was talking about!" 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

The Baskar stay out of town. Talise has started to figure that out, and what the Baskar are.

She's dressed lightly for the visit - her knee-high boots, sure, but she's pulled out her shorts and the nice tunic that Riese and Noeline picked out for her. The sword slung across her back isn't quite as massive as the other prominent one here - Talise's is a more modern-looking weapon, but still big, obviously a two-hander. It's hanging beside her lute.

"So that's the mysterious other girl who's really into swordsplay, huh," Talise says as she holds her hand up to her forehead to keep the sun out of her eyes, squinting towards the little encampment. The sword she spots right away. The woman takes another half-second but she immediately breaks into a grin.

"Hello the tent!" she shouts across the intervening distance, waving broadly as though to indicate to the camper therein that she's no threat. "You've got a visitor!"

Here she pats Sephilia on the shoulder, once. 

<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.

Tethelle Cirdian has nothing against towns. It is, however, cheaper to live outside it, even if she comes in for food sometimes or drinks when she's bored - and, at that, Adlehyde is a little bigger than the average town.

Tethelle recognizes that voice. She didn't have that much to drink last night that she wouldn't. Her head perks as she hears Sephilia; she looks up from her work. It's not done, but it's close, and it's her spare baldric; she can finish it later. She slides the needle into a slip of leather and sets it down on the baldric itself, rising as she realizes there's someone else coming here too.

"Hello!" she calls back. "Come on up." She's kind of interested to see who Sephilia brought since she doesn't recognize that voice, or that look. 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

"Hi!" Sephy says brightly. She's wearing her usual outfit, which is to say, it's hard to tell quite what she's got on under her poncho-like cloak--which is also a part of why she looks like a kid. That thing does nothing to accentuate any figure she might have.

She doesn't have any figure.

Chauncey is hanging out of her big leather satchel, as she's brought something with her.

"I brought meat pies! And my friend Talise! She's my bestest friend here on Filgaia!" The girl beams brightly at Talise. 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

Tell Talise about it. She still likes living on a ship better than she likes living in a town.

Her look's certainly different if you don't know Lunar Beastmen - the elfin ears, the cheekstripes and the pointed incisors are definitely not 'Filgaian normal.' That said, the big smile and the way she carries herself are pretty universal - relaxed and cheery, but competent.

It's also evident that she has enough figure for herself and Sephilia.

"And Chauncey. You brought Chauncey too," she laughs, patting Sephilia's shoulder once more. Then she starts forward, taking stock of Tethelle with a quick glance. She recognizes a few things right away but keeps it to herself, though her smile does grow just a little more broad as she just strides right up and holds a hand out. Blessedly she didn't put her gauntlets on.

"I'm Talise Gianfair, but you can call me Tal. Sephy mentioned she met a friend she just had to introduce me to." 

<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.

Tethelle is wearing pretty similar clothes to yesterday herself. The half-sleeved shirt is a different colour (this one is sky blue) but of similar cut. She's not wearing the skirt, though - just the shorts. It's casual day and she didn't expect to be going anywhere.

Tethelle hasn't seen many Beastmen at all, let alone Lunar Beastmen, and so Talise's look gets a curious expression. "Man, you're tall," is her first response to Talise; Tethelle may be unmistakably adult in build but she's on the short side, and Talise is... not. She grins right back, gripping the hand firmly, though her instinct does not appear to be to shake so much as clasp.

"Well! It's good to see you both, then. I'd offer you something to eat, but I don't have much interesting - nothing that holds up to the meat pies, it's all travelling rations." Tethelle keeps her grin up, switching to clasping Sephy's hand too if she doesn't pull away from it. "I am Tethelle Cirdian, but I'm sure Sephilia told you that. It's nice to see you both."

Pause. "If you want a seat," she says, "I have logs. They're leftover from when the owner was building a fence, so they're split, at least, and not too lumpy." That's what she'd been sitting on. 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

"I didn't think I needed to mention that Chauncey was here too! He's always with me!" Sephy protests, not really bothered but feeling the need to say something.

"Logs are good. I'm pretty used to camping out, my Dad and I used to go on trips all the time!" She sits and opens up the parcel of meat pies, distributing them to the others before happily biting into hers.

"Tho," she says around a mouthful of meat pie, then swallows before continuing. "We were going to talk about...long stories." 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

Talise's shorts aren't too far off Tethelle's, to be honest with you. It's just a different effect because she's really tall.

That instinct is neatly matched - Talise clasps Tethelle's hand firmly, her grin taking on a wolfish note. The comment on her height evokes a chuckle and a slight blush. "Helps a lot when you're picking apples but not so much when you're going through doors," she says with a chuckle before releasing Tethelle's hand to let her get on with Sephy-clasping should the girl so desire.

At Tethelle's invitation, she nods, moving to plant a heel on one of the stumps - it's mostly to tighten a loose bootlace. Then she steps over it and settles back, sinking to a seat neatly. As Sephy offers up a meat pie, she takes it and bites in with gusto, swallowing. "Umm. 's good," she says approvingly.

Then she blinks, curious eyes moving between Tethelle and Sephilia. "I like long stories," she says. "And swords. I actually know a lot of long stories about swords and people who use 'em." 

<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.

Tethelle Cirdian laughs at Talise's joke. "I'd believe it," she says, as she sinks down onto her log like she was used to it. "I guess it's wasy if you have Chauncey and he fits in your bag."

"Thank you," she says to Sephilia at the gift of a meat pie, which she bites into with vigor. "Still good," she manages to get out around a mouthful. Fortunately, Tethelle swallows before she tries to talk more around it. "That's one thing Adlehyde does really well. There's so many kinds of foods here that I hadn't had before."

Tethelle smiles. "That you might, but I actually had a question for Sephilia. She said how she got here from - wherever she came from - was a long story; I was curious about it. Though I'd be interested in any of your stories, too." 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

Sephilia looks at Talise a little apologetically. "Ida said it should be okay, sort of," she said. "I think it should be safe to tell her about home?" The girl's not exactly discreet, still, but she's learning at least. Perhaps she can be taught after all!

Turning to Tethelle, she explains. "I come from a place called Lunar," she says. "I don't know exactly how far it is from here, or really how to go back. I got here after I was exploring a ruin back home, and then there was a flash of light, and...well...here I was." 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

"Yeah, a lot of stuff in Adlehyde's new to me too," Talise agrees around a bite of meat pie. She takes another bite and swallows, scratching the back of her head. "I mean, they had meat pies back where I'm from but they make 'em a bit different here."

The statement from Tethelle startles Talise momentarily, though, until Sephilia explains it's alright. A corner of her mind makes a mental note to remind Sephilia not to blab about Lunar to everyone in sight, but she takes this as a step and nods, giving her a little smile. "It's always good to ask, yes," she says agreeably, before Sephilia explains the basics of the story.

"And I'm from the same place Sephy is, though we got here from different places. I was at the bottom of a ruin when I fell through something and wound up in another cave out here. A couple of nice ladies found me and that's history. We're sticking together and trying to find a way back." 

<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.

Fun fact: Tethelle doesn't know 'Lunar'. That's the Old Moon.

"I see," she says, a little uncertainly. "Both of you? That must be hard. I came here by choice and it was hard enough; I know how to get back." Though she's not sure she could afford to do so right now, even if a ship would take her. The merchant fleet of Guild Galad doesn't work for free.

Fortunately, she doesn't want to go home right now. So there.

"Have you figured out anything?" Tethelle asks. She's pretty sure this wasn't why she was sent here, but strangers from a faraway land... well, that's interesting, isn't it? "I'm from far away as well. What was your home like? Maybe I've heard of it, in the histories. I had to memorize enough of them." 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

"Um." Sephy says, then points upward. "It's up there, we think." 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

"If you mean how to get back, not really. But we sort of figure the Sorcery Globe going over had something to do with it," Talise says with a little grimace.

The last question from Tethelle brings a quiet smile to her face. "It's a long ways behind Filgaia in some ways... there aren't any ARMs, or much by way of machines. But it's a nice place full of happy people. Music, until recently. Trade. For my part I grew up on a ship, so I got to see a lot of places."

Sephilia points to the sky and Talise lets out a low breath, setting her shoulders, then releasing them. "I always feel like a weirdo, explaining this," she mutters before venturing, "We've got an old story from something like four or five thousand years ago. There's a goddess called Althena who took a bunch of people from Filgaia and went to a place called Lunar to start a new life. We've been there ever since. To us we called Filgaia the Blue Star. And we didn't even think it was inhabited, to be honest."

She points to the shape of the Old Moon, barely visible in the late day. "That's Lunar, we think. We know it's not the black one - the Black Star. We can see that from home. It's creepy." 

<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.

Tethelle looks up when Sephilia points. She sees nothing that isn't supposed to be there. "Like... in the sky?"

But then Talise explains, and Tethelle sits there for several long moments afterwards. "So long ago," she breathes out. "And you think - you think you live on the Old Moon, the realm of Celesdue? There's nothing on it but silver and grey!" It isn't that she's having trouble accepting it, but -

Okay, yes, she is. It's a hell of a story. Tethelle lets out a breath. "Well. That's certainly something. If it's true I understand why you don't run around telling people you're not from Filgaia! Is everything silver there?" she asks, suddenly. "Not metal-silver, just the colour. What makes the... weird lumpy bits?" She means craters. "If you were on a ship, where do you sail?"

She leans forward slightly. "Sorry, it's just - it's hard to imagine! Do you have anything from it I could see?" Tethelle pauses. "I guess that's everything you have, isn't it." 

<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.

"Wait," Tethelle finishes, a moment later. "Goddess?" 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

"That's one of the things we don't understand," Sephy admits. "But it makes sense. If you think about it."

She definitely doesn't sound sure about that.

"Anyway no not everything is silver, or Chauncey would be too. Right? And, what's a Celesdue? The Goddess is Althena. She's how come we're safe on Lunar, and stuff. And how come there's magic for us. The magic you have here is...different. I haven't seen loooots of magic back home, I mean. But! I should point out that I am a member of the Magic Guild of Vane! So I'm gonna learn about it. Uh, Vane's...back on Lunar," she adds, a little lamely. 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

"Yeah, I don't know why it looks like that from down here. It's green and nice when I live there," Talise says, holding out her hands in a wide shrug. "The honest truth is, we don't know what's going on with it, and we don't know how it all fits together. We're as stumped as you are and we're still trying to figure it all out."

Smiling faintly, she nods along as Sephilia explains, then reaches back and shrugs the double straps off of her shoulder. With care she maneuvers both her lute and her sword across her lap, side by side.

"I can show you these," she invites. The first one she shows off is the sword, figuring it's a common interest. Laying her hands on it, she holds for a few seconds as if to make sure Tethelle isn't going to take it the wrong way. Then she slips the sheath back a few inches to show off a section of the blade, neat and polished. She's wrapped the hilt in white cloth but the huge green gem in the pommel and the crosspiece of it are shown off; they're elegantly made.

"I pulled it out of a crystal back home," she explains. "The inscription says its name is Rastaban but I don't know what it means. But it's a sword from Lunar." 

<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.

Tethelle Cirdian is definitely interested in the sword. She can tell it's old... or she thinks she can. Her eyeball might be confused by the whole 'not actually from Filgaia' thing. "Hmm..." If she comes to any conclusions, she doesn't say them out loud, rising to retrieve her own sword. She sets it on her knees where Talise can see it.

Tethelle's sword is of archaic design but actually not very old itself. The heavy two-handed weapon is bigger than is usual nowadays, when longswords or even lighter blades are most common, and heavy. The etching around the pommel is in archaic Baskar, and completely incomprehensible to the Lunarians (don't feel bad; most Filgaians would have trouble with it too). "This is mine," she says. "It was forged by my master. When I - well, it's not really anything you'd know about, but eventually I'll be expected to forge my own, and then pass it on when I retire."

"I knew that this was an era of change," Tethelle admits, "but I didn't realize it was going to be visitors from outside Filgaia." The Guardians sent her to Ignas for a reason. What if it was because of something from Lunar? She has no answers, and the Guardians have not seen fit to tell her.

Tethelle turns to face Sephilia directly since she asks the question. Then she finishes the last bite of meat pie to give herself some time to think. "Do you know what a Guardian is?" she asks, curious. She's not sure if they don't have them, but only have this 'Althena', or if they do have them but don't recognize Celesdue. 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

Sephilia listens with interest while her friends talk about their swords. She didn't realize they had so much history and personality. Having finished her meat pie, she reaches into her satchel and pulls out her journal. "Do you mind if I sketch your swords?" she asks, eyes wide with awe.

When asked about knowing what a Guardian is, the girl shakes her head, expression one of wonder. "I don't think we have those...but we might just call them something else. Um...is it okay if I write some of this down?"

All channels have been gagged. 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

There are some stark differences between Tethelle's weapon and Talise's; Rastaban is more of a traditional arming-sword, though finely wrought. Talise spots the differences immediately. Leaning forward, she bites down to her bottom lip, pointed incisors leaving little dents. "Huh. It looks incredibly well-balanced. Looks like a good weapon," she muses, then raises her eyes to meet Tethelle's as the woman explains herself. To the curious girl, she says, "Go ahead, Sephy."

She breaks into a broad smile, rubbing a hand against the back of her neck. "That's a pretty cool tradition," she answers Tethelle.

The tall woman wolfs down a bite of meat pie and scuffs a heel against the turf lightly. At the talk of Guardians, she frowns lightly. "I don't know a lot about them. I know that there's a statue of one of them in Adlehyde but I don't know enough to really understand it," she says, leaning forward and cupping her cheek in her palm. "So what are they?" She seems genuinely interested. 

<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.

"You can." Tethelle is more surprised anyone is taking an interest in the Guardians. "Most people in Adlehyde don't really believe in them, you know; I wasn't expecting it. And you can sketch the sword, also - here - "

Tethelle gets up. She takes the sword out of the baldric, pulling her pack over and resting it across it. This means that Sephilia can see one side of it, from pommel to tip. She considers it a moment, adjusts it slightly, then calls it good and leaves it where Sephilia can see it easily.

"Then listen, and learn," Tethelle says, smiling despite the tone of her voice - that sounded almost ritualistic. But when she starts up again, that doesn't; more her natural manner of speaking. "You heard yesterday about spirits. Many things have spirits. Rivers have spirits; mountains have spirits. They're small, and local, and often don't have a form; the sensitive can hear their voices on the wind, or in the fall of stones, but they don't appear. These are the small spirits."

"Guardians," she continues, "are similar, but not the same. They are greater spirits - some might say the greatest spirits. They are linked to an aspect of Filgaia itself. There's a little bit of Moor Gault's essence in every fire we light; Lucadia watches the entire ocean. But they're more than just their physical nature. You said you saw the statue? That's a statue of Zeldukes, the Castle Guardian. But he's more than just physical castles. Castles are a place of safety, a place to guard the land around them, and a place to watch from. He's linked with all of them."

She grins. "I didn't tell you everything about myself," Tethelle says. "I am a Priestess of Equites, the Sword Guardian. Or, well - I will be once I finish my pilgrimage," she corrects. "Equites is the Sword, but she's also the strong arm, the one who takes a stand on behalf of others. Where others might not, she acts with power and determination. I only hope to follow her."

Tethelle looks up for a moment. "Celesdue is the Guardian of the Moon. That's why I asked if you knew about her." 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

Sephy is absolutely engrossed, listening intently with a focus Talise may not have seen in the girl before, save when the journal comes out or she's working on her sewing. It'd be easier to believe that she was an adult when she's so focused, save that her expression is one of pure childlike wonder at what she's hearing.

"Celesdue...uh, how is that spelled? And...can you SEE these spirits? Can anyone?" Her voice becomes very small and hopeful. "Can I?" 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

The idea of spirits isn't one Talise is blind to. After all, the Seraphim exist.

She plants her elbow on her knee, chin resting in a curled palm as she listens to Tethelle explain. Leaving the writing to Sephilia, she just listens and takes mental notes, committing the basics to memory. Her interest is plain, eyes following Tethelle's as the woman speaks. The storyteller in her appreciates the way the girl puts it, at least.

"No kidding," she says with a raising of her eyebrows, before breaking into a broad grin. "That's pretty excellent - that there's a Sword Guardian. I'd love to know more about her. And you! You seem like you can tell a pretty decent tale, too."

Sliding a hand over the sheath of her sword, she shakes her head slowly and admits, "No... as weird as it sounds, we've never spoken of Celesdue on Lunar. I think that if our ancestors did come from the Blue Star, they've forgotten a lot of the things people here once knew, thousands of years ago. The legend goes that there was a great calamity on the Blue Star - what we call Filgaia. A group of the faithful pleaded for a savior. That's when the Goddess Althena took them to the world of Lunar. It was a lifeless world, then, but by her power she made it a green place, full of life, and erected the Boundary to keep the demons and monsters of the Blue Star from following." She's dropped into a bit of a storyteller's cadence here. 

<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.

Tethelle spells out "C-E-L-E-S-D-U-E. Guardian of the Moon." She gets the idea that Sephilia is taking notes.

She grins at Talise. "I try," she says, before she answers Sephilia's question. "Can people see the Guardians? It's rare. They don't appear very often... I have heard the voice of the Guardians, but I have never summoned Equites into the world myself, or any other Guardian. It's easier to call upon their power. Some of them are more common than others. There's the four Lords: Zephyr, Raftina, Justine, and Luceid. Hope, Love, Courage, and Desire. They don't usually make themselves known, but when they do... it's important."

Tethelle rests her hands on her knee. "I don't know history back that far," she admits. "Our village was founded a thousand years ago, and forced to move five hundred; thousands of years, and I wouldn't know anything. But it's said we've had disasters that far back, so, there's that at least." 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

Sephy asks for - and is presumably given - the spellings of the other Guardians mentioned. "Sorry," she says, "but this is really interesting and I don't want to forget any of it. Um, do you think they're like the Seraphs, Talise?" The girl is indeed taking notes, in between working on the sketches of the swords. The swords in fact have the notes written around them on the page! 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

"That's amazing," Talise murmurs, her eyes widening ever so slightly. "The ability to summon a spirit like that... wow. I can't imagine having a personal relationship like that with Althena."

Something dark flickers behind her eyes; a hint of bitter sadness. It's gone with a shake of her head, replaced with a smile. "Well. All I know are the old stories. But they go back a long time!"

Sephilia's question leaves her blinking in thought. "I... I honestly don't know what to make of the Seraphs. I think they might be different? But only because the ones who follow Sorey around seem like they're always there, just invisible. I just think in general, whatever's going on on Lunar is totally different than any paradigm Filgaia has." Here she smiles at Tethelle and says, "I figure both of our beliefs are equally true." 

<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.

Tethelle Cirdian will spell out any of them she's asked for.

The catch, of course, is that you need a Medium and skill to summon a Guardian; Tethelle has the second but not the first, and doesn't feel like explaining that, which is why she didn't go into summoning details. "It's an exceptional thing," Tethelle says instead, and leaves it at that.

She caught the hint of something from Talise. She's more alert and empathic than she sometimes gets credit for. She doesn't dwell on it for that reason. "I don't know what a Seraph is," Tethelle admits, "so you might have to explain that, Sephilia. But the Guardians don't... follow people around. They can't. They don't live in this world, even though they're so linked with it - it's said they lived closely with the Elw but that would have been centuries ago, and nowadays they can't."

Tethelle looks right back at Talise. She understands she's being challenged, sort of - possibly a bad experience with a Nisan priest or a Granasite. "I have no reason to doubt you," she says. "I know what it's like to have your beliefs disbelieved. Most people here don't believe they're true, anymore. In Adlehyde, that statue is a relic of the past, not something they believe now."

She doesn't know who this Althena might be, but her worldview has room for more great spirits. Why not? If the Guardians are so tied to Filgaia, they would have to have something else somewhere else. 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

Sephilia frowns. "That's so terrible," she says, on hearing that most Filgaians do not believe in the Guardians. "Don't they remember where they came from, or give proper gratitude? Even if Althena's been getting weird and kind of bossy lately she's still our Goddess, right Talise?" 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

"I don't fully understand Seraphs either," Talise admits. "But they're spirits associated with Althena, and they empower the Shepherd. That's the person who watched over Lunar once the Last Dragonmaster died."

She blinks back at Tethelle; she picks up an odd note of challenge but doesn't otherwise respond to it, just flashing her a smile and nodding slowly. "No, it's okay, I don't disbelieve anything. I don't know a lot about spiritual things. I'm just the one my friends bring along when they need something lifted, or someone to play a song. Or to fight something." Chuckling, she gives her head a shake. "I'm pretty simple people and I just kind of hope Althena's happy with me - even if her priests have all gone crazy."

Reaching over to Sephilia, she gives the girl's shoulder a good squeeze, smiling widely. "Yeah. I think Althena isn't really as bossy as the Guard says she is. When we get home, we're gonna figure that out." 

<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.

Tethelle Cirdian thinks she's being challenged by Talise, like she expects Tethelle to start yelling about the impossibility of Althena. Similar, but subtly different.

"They have other gods," Tethelle says. "I don't actually know very much about them, so... you'd have to talk to them. I actually hadn't ever seen a Granas church before I travelled," she admits, a little sheepishly. "Or a Nisan one, but I at least knew what they looked like. Nisan priests don't even name their God; I don't know if they're not allowed to tell me, or they don't know themselves, but I can't tell you anything about them."

She tilts her head. "What's this about Althena's priests?" 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

Sephilia's eyes bug out at the mention of other gods of Filgaia. "There's MORE gods? And they don't...they don't know the name?! But how do you pray to thank a God with no name?!" The girl seems utterly stupefied. "Filgaia keeps getting stranger and stranger! Um. Lately Althena got a lot more active and like...made some new rules. Like no singing, or drinking, or things like that. It's...really weird, and we don't like it." Whether 'we' refers to her and Talise, or a larger population remains unclear. 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

A grimace flickers across Talise's face. "They're a group called Althena's Guard. They go around accosting people who sing, dance, drink and play music, because they say Althena has declared all of them a sin. So basically they get on me all the time, considering I'm a singer-storyteller and I love a stiff drink when I'm done." Her hands settle on the lute drawn across her lap, thumb idly stroking along the strings with a lingering twang that hangs pleasantly in the air.

She looks over to Sephilia with a shake of her head and a smile. "Well, we're gonna figure that out when we go home. For now, we're not gonna let the Guard tell us what to do. Singing and dancing have always been okay, so I'm gonna keep dancing and singing."

She taps the lute with her fingers and flashes Tethelle a grin. "Among other fun stuff. What's life if you don't live it, right?" 

<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.

"They might just not be allowed to tell me what it is." Tethelle seems thoughtful. "I never asked, because I don't intend to worship them. I mean, there are some things we don't teach people outside the priesthood, either. It does seem like it would make prayers hard, though."

Tethelle stretches out her legs. "Those are strange rules. None at all? I understand maybe asking you to not do it in the shrine, or on a holy day, but that's not quite the same. Well, the Guard isn't going to be here, or at least not anywhere they can tell you what to do." Tethelle is slightly confused by this situation but is willing to take the side of the people she's talking to.

Then she grins. "Absolutely," she responds to Talise. "Why would I not want to have some fun? I'm serious when things are important, but sometimes they're just not. That's actually how I met Sephilia; I came in for a drink and dinner, because I got tired of my own cooking." 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

"Talise is teaching me to sing, too," Sephy says proudly. "It's really fun, even if I'm not as good at it as she is."

Sephilia's expression turns a little sad as Tethelle suggests that the guard isn't around. "They're here," she says quietly. "They're looking for someone they say is really bad, but I've met her and she's really nice, if a bit weird. And...um." She doesn't continue, pausing to let Talise tackle the topic of the confrontation with Amelia Rose herself if she chooses to. 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

"None at all. One of those bastards even smashed my lute," Talise says with a grimace, patting the instrument. "Took me forever to fix the thing. Glad I even could. It was given to me by someone very important."

A sigh slips from her, then. "But I don't want to rope you too much into a bunch of problems," she says with a note of apology. It passes to a smile. "You seem like you've got your own mission to deal with, anyway! Just if you see someone who says they're from Althena's Guard, be careful. Some of them are okay but others are really zealous."

Again she drums her fingers across the bowl of the lute, flashing a fierce grin back to Tethelle. "Maybe we oughta grab a drink soon and just talk," she suggests. "I really want to know more about how you use that sword. About your style and such. And about where you come from, and the Guardians. And I can tell you some of my old stories from home."

She doesn't say it in front of Sephy, but there's a twinkle in her eye that suggests 'And we might get roaring drunk' is part of this package, too. 

<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.

"How did they get here then?" Tethelle reaches up and scratches the back of her neck. She doesn't get it. "Well, I don't think they'll bother me, unless I look like that woman they're looking for - I don't, do I? - but I'll keep an eye out anyway. I don't intend to stay around here the whole time, though - I'd like to explore some more, so if they're staying at Adlehyde, well."

Tethelle grins at Talise, sudden and bright. "Sure," she says. "I would love to hear them. And if you want to see the sword, well. I have a blunted one I do practice with, so there's always that option." She's excited. Just a little. "But we should also do the drinking. I don't know many places around here for that."

"Yet." 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

Sephy makes a face at the mention of drinking. "That stuff made me really sick," she says simply. She sets aside her journal and pulls out Chauncey--poor, neglected Lord Chauncey of Foxington, almost absent from this scene--and gives him a big tight hug. 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

Talise holds her hands out and shrugs a big smiling shrug. "We don't know either! Stuff is weird and I'm dumb."

She gives Sephilia's shoulder a gentle squeeze, smiling. "That's because you drank too much of it too fast! If you've never done it before, your body's not used to it, and there's only so much most people can handle. There's two ways to do it: You either take it slow and get used to it... or you do it how I did it and you just get used to it and figure out how much your body can hold before you want to throw up."

Throwing a grin back to Tethelle, she pushes a hand through her hair. "Sure! I'd love to see both - the sword and the style. I've never really met a swordsperson from Filgaia since everyone seems to use ARMs." She's enthused too; her eyes practically gleam. "There's a tavern in Filgaia. And if you're into cactus liquor, I've got a bunch as it is." 

<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.

"Then you drink less of it," Tethelle says, reasonably. "I felt a little off this morning, actually, but exercise cleared that right up. I don't know, I've got a pretty good capacity for everything so it doesn't bother me as much. Maybe you'll get into it more when you're older; tastes change, right?"

Tethelle grins. "I will spar with you soon then. You know where I'm staying, now, so it shouldn't be hard to find... and he doesn't mind if I use the field where nobody's staying. Cactus liquor, eh? Sounds like it'd come out okay. We made that at home, so I've had it before... but the cactuses here are different, some of them, so I bet it's not the same."

Oh yeah, she's interested. 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

Sephy sulks slightly at the comment of "when you're older." "I'm old enough now to know I don't like that stuff," she says with a disdainful sniff. "It's okay for other people but I don't think I like it."

"But not just cause the Guard says I'm not supposed to, though. That's important." 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

The grin Talise shares with Tethelle is broad and toothy, her eyes aflicker with the sparks of interest. "I'm going to look you up soon and you can bet on it," she assures. "And I'm bringin' my cactus liquor with. And some other stuff. I'm gettin' a secret stash together." Lowering her voice, she glances between Sephy and Tethelle conspiratorially, then raises a hand to half-shield her mouth as she stage-whispers: "Don't tell the Guard!" She winks.

Then she reaches over and gives Sephilia a big hug about the shoulders, as if to assure her that everything's alright. "That's your choice too!" she assures, giving her hair a little floofing with one hand. "You don't have to drink if you don't want to. If your friends are good friends, they'll respect you no matter what you do in life!"

And now, a glimpse into Talise's mind:

. o O ( she'll come around once she starts noticing boys ) 

<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.

Tethelle Cirdian put her foot in her mouth again. "I didn't mean it that way, just that people like different things eventually," Tethelle says, a little lamely. "Or you'll find one you haven't tried yet that you like. Whichever. But nothing says you have to. It can just be fun to do with your friends," she grins.

She winks at Talise. She won't tell the Guard.

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