2017-05-19: Of Guardians and Seraphim
- Log: 2017-05-19 Of Guardians and Seraphim
- Cast: Rose, Vin Barrett
- Where: Adlehyde - Starfall Saloon
- Date: 2017-05-19
- Summary: Rose seeks to know more about Vin's worship of fire and pyres, hoping it connects to the White Knight in Lahan (K.K.).
=========================<* Adlehyde - Starfall Saloon *>========================= Located in the southwest quadrant of Adlehyde, the Starfall Saloon is situated next to the local Adventurer's Guild outpost and kitty-corner from an ARMs Meister; the mostly-happy not-at-all-coincidence has turned the Saloon into a popular gathering place for Drifters. The Saloon has been carefully constructed to recreate the feel of a frontier alehouse - it has stables and a livery out back, and the main floor is taken up almost entirely by the sort of dark, slightly dank wooden tables and chairs that appeals to its clientele. An old harpsichord even sits in the corner, although it does not seem to be heavily used. Or in tune, for that matter. The Saloon's proprietor and bartender is known as Honest Tom; this is a bit of an in-joke among the regulars, as the man rarely speaks more than a dozen words over the course of an evening. The Starfall Saloon is widely known among Drifters for offering warm beds, cold beer and decent grub for a fair price, and so it sees a great deal of out-of-town traffic. It is also known for the three rules hung over the bar: NO GUNS, NO FIGHTS, NO CREDIT. BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MQRL7xws7w
<Pose Tracker> Rose has posed.
As Vin checks the Memory Cube, he'll find a message from Rose! It simply says: "Hey there! It's Rose. I've been meaning to ask, do you have some time to talk about something? It's awkward just sending a message about it so meet me at the Starfall Saloon tonight if you can make it."
A simple invitation, easy to answer.
And so we find ourselves at the STARFALL SALOON, a busy friday night too. The tables are all almost filled, save for one, which Rose is occupying by herself. There's several seats free there, namely one saved for Vin, and in the center of the table is a basket full of MABO CURRY BUNS, which is heaven wrapped in delicious dough. You can't comprehend the nature of the Mabo Curry Bun's flavor, it just overwhelms your senses.
Really there's nothing weird going on here, but it'd be easy to be lured by the smell of those buns alone. They're a very recent addition to the menu to boot, courtesy of Rose handing the recipe over and a few crates of ingredients.
<Pose Tracker> Vin Barrett has posed.
...Oddly, Vin has taken to using the Memory Cube more often than not. It's not for any real preference of convenience or anything, mind you, it's just that his beloved Aunt and Mentor is old-fashioned enough to prefer ink and paper. And also kinda terrifying when annoyed, and hoooo is she annoyed about Vin's newfound literary fame.
Still, that nice girl who shanked an evil devil hydra seemed nice enough, if a bit afraid of 'ghosts', so, hey, why not indulge in a bit of casual conversation instead of worrying about the impending Spooky Evil Ghosts of Doom?
The Baskar saunters into the Starfall without too much trouble, eyeing the waitresses warily for a bit before relaxing. Phew. The fan isn't there among their numbers. After all, he has -heard- terror stories about her and her teeth. Strolling through the crowd, the cloak-wearing Baskar pulls up a chair at the reserved table, nodding politely as he leans his chair back. "Evening there, Miss Rose. Your note said you had something on your ind?"
<Pose Tracker> Rose has posed.
The sight of Vin reassures Rose, who actually had no idea if he consulted his Memory Cube records or not. Religious sorts seem to be more classical and prefer pen and paper sometimes, you never know. That she gambled correctly is cause to rejoice, since all the delicious buns won't go to waste.
She waves him over cheerfully and, once he's seated, pushes the basket of buns towards him as an offering. "Mhm! Well, a few somethings, so I hope you won't mind a bit of prying. See, I'm from Lunar, and even then I wasn't exactly a big city person, so my exposure to religion is pretty..." She wobbles a hand in the air. "Lacking! That's the word. And I noticed you seem to know your books and your religions, so I thought maybe you'd be the right person to ask for pointers."
To be more straightforward: "Specifically, I'm interested in the pyre and flames you kept mentioning." Also, you know, the ones he literally created at the altar, that was a thing too!
<Pose Tracker> Vin Barrett has posed.
The Baskar hmmms, idly snagging a bun and taking a bite, blinking at the sudden rush of delicious heat. Chewing and swallowing, he calmly sets the bun down for a moment, humming. "Alright...Hmm. Well, to put it simply as background, I'm a follower of Moor Gault, the Guardian Lord of Fire."
...She's not from around here, Vin.
Oh, right. "So, since you're from Lunar that probably isn't too helpful, I'll give you a bit of an overview." The Baskar draws himself up, snagging a flask out of his cloak and taking a sip before tucking it away. "Right. So, very broadly. According to the legends we have handed down from our ancestors among the Baskar, in the ancient days, humans once lived in harmony with the Guardians, the spirits of Filgaia, as well as the ancient Elw. At some point, -something- happened, and the Guardians had to retreat from this plane and the Elw were wiped out, leaving humanity and the like behind to live on Filgaia."
The shaman chews on a bun, huffing slightly at the taste. "Now, the Baskar are one of the oldest cultures still remaining on Filgaia. We managed to pass down some of our ancient knowledge from those days, and unlike the civilizations who arose in the wake of the calamities that destroyed them in the ancient eras, we still remember our old teachings. So, we still pay our respects to the Guardians of Filgaia, even if they are somewhat distant now."
Vin shrugs slightly. "As for the pyre thing in that creepy cavern...Honestly, I think it might have just been a puzzle. Guardians know that the older civilizations loved making those damn things, like their unbreakable doors and the like. However, since it freaked out that other lass with us...well, fire tends to solve most problems when firmly applied."
Chew chew. "...My being a strong adherent of Moor Gault -might- have had some effect on my problem solving skills, I will admit."
<Pose Tracker> Rose has posed.
Rose nods as she listens. Vin is nice enough to explain slowly for her too, and that's quite appreciated! So, Moor Gault is the Guardian Lord of Fire, presumably there was one for each element, there were some ancients called Elw too, and one day it all went terribly wrong and they vanished. Now the Baskar pass on the story and knowledge.
That's not too hard to follow so far.
"So it's a faith based around elemental gods and spirits, I see. Seems similar to how people worship Althena back on Lunar." Rose taps her hand on the table, thinking.
"I'm asking because... there was a knight in white, at the ruins of Lahan. He injured a friend of mine pretty badly and he was in league with the monster there. He kept talking about tests, trials... and pyres. He seemed to be able to perceive a lot about us, including whether we can see Seraphim and Hellions or not. I guess I was hoping you might know something about him. Or her. I couldn't really tell with all the armor."
<Pose Tracker> Vin Barrett has posed.
The Baskar has given her hope with his explanations! How nice!
"Ehhhh...Not really. We don't really have a single, all-powerful sort in charge of everything, from what I've overheard some of the other folks from your neck of the woods chattering about here and there." Sip. MAPO TASTE. Sip. "See...Mm...Well, the way I was taught, the Guardians are each tied to an element or concept. They reside in an world apart from this one now, as I mentioned, but can't directly touch Filgaia anymore. Normally."
The Baskar grins, white teeth gleaming. "Generally, if a Guardian manifests, it is to their followers, near one of their shrines, which tend to be in ruins or our villagers, and we can hear a voice when they communicate with us." He taps his fingers on the table, humming. "Some people, though...Some people attract their attention and favor, and gain a Guardian's blessing. If they can acquire a Medium, a small stone tablet, then they can channel a sliver of that Guardian's power. So, even if they are watching and can't directly interfere...well, indirectly, through chosen intermediaries channelling their power? THAT is how they still affect our world."
He snickers slightly. "Bit more personable than the fancy ritualized hogwash the Ethos worshippers seem to go for. Those folks are crazy." MAPOMAPMAPO. "Just as well. Never have trusted any institution that tells you how to think, y'know?"
Then, pondering, he shakes his head. "Never heard of this knight fellow."
Hope: The First Step on the Road To Dissapointment.
"Frankly, I don't care for pyres. I've always been more a fan of hearth metaphors, really. Works well for fire. Inside a hearth, a fire's safe, banked, and useful, but it'll never grow beyond its limits. Outside a hearth is dangerous, and a fire can be snuffed out or grow out of control...but growth is dangerous in this day and age." He ponders again, shrugging. "Might check with that nice lass...what was it, Sephilia's friend, Talise? She's a bard of some sort, seemed to have some tales of that knight of yours. Makes me think he's from your Lunar."
<Pose Tracker> Rose has posed.
"So all the Guardians were equal? There weren't any lesser Guardians or Guardians of less important concepts? I mean, I don't know about you but I think the Guardian of Fire would be a bit more important than the Guardian of... I don't know, Fruits?" Rose's questions aren't in a dismissive or insulting tone, though it's easy to see how it might bother someone as faithful as Vin.
The thought of spirits in another world, unseen, does send a mild chill down Rose's spine. It's obvious, it's visible, but as long as Vin doesn't start talking about how there's spirits right around them right now it should be fine. What IS it with invisible people ever since she met Sorey?!
... the fact they help people is kind of cool though.
"So you just... ask the spirits to start a fire for you and they do, basically? Like you did in the cave?" Sounds kind of similar to what the Shepherd claims he does. Wonder if the two concepts are connected?
Of course, Rose nods when Vin explains fire is better when it's contained and controlled. That's something most people understand on the fundamental level of "don't set your house on fire but don't stop cooking either". More interesting is the fact the knight is from Lunar?
"Huh, that's... well, I've heard tales of a mysterious knight spreading misfortune and misery where he goes, but... I can't recall the knight's name. That's kind of the problem, he didn't give us one. He's just the White Knight. I heard Talise singing about it, I guess I'll have to find her again and press." This didn't dead-end! Fantastic.
"What's a Medium like? Do you have to carry it with you everywhere you go?"
<Pose Tracker> Vin Barrett has posed.
"Mmm. Some debate there, varies by the person you talk to, really. I suppose there might have been more Guardians in the older days, but if they're small enough, they might not have enough power to punch through to Filgaia and bestow a Blessing on someone." He shrugs, then taps the table. "Among the Baskar of Ignas, we generally break 'em down into groups based upon their purviews. The Elemental, Terrestrial and Celestial Guardians are the easiest to communicate with, and the most common, and are Guardians of physical or elemental things, like Fire or Mountains or the Moon, that sort of thing." He pauses, cocking his head to the side. "Well, that, or their shrines are just easier to find. Could be a bit of a chicken or the egg situation there." Shrugging, he takes another bite of delicious firey Mapo Tofu Bun.
"Then, there's the Guardians of Ideals. They're the Guardians of more...esoteric concepts, like the Saint Guardian, Light, and Darkness." He sips some more from a drink, humming. "Then, there's what we refer to as the Greater Guardians, who have power over Time, Luck, Life, and Death. The most powerful, I've always personally thought, though, are the Guardian Lords."
He just grins happily, shrugging. "Can't recall the last time I heard of someone with one of their mediums, but if you have someone blessed by the Guardian of Courage, Love, Desire, or Hope? Well, they're going to be the sort who can set the world a-shaking."
He hums. "As for mediums...The Baskar still remember how to make them. They're small stone tablets, and yeah, a shaman usually has one tucked away somewhere. Tis for luck, if nothing else, but there's other forms that the Guardians' favor can take." The Baskar grins, pulling out a small hardwood totem of some sort of dragon-bird, eyes small red chips of glowing crystal, the whole thing fire-hardened.
<Pose Tracker> Rose has posed.
Authentic cultural artifacts! Rose's merchant eyes perceive the value of such a relic far before the symbolic value or utility. Even if this was made recently, surely someone out there would pay a fortune for real Baskar mediums. She's no thief, lucky for Vin!
"Ooh, fancy. Makes sense too. So bigger, more important concepts have more powerful Guardians and rarer blessings. Can't say I know anyone besides you who's blessed like that though, or maybe I just didn't badger enough for answers, eheh." Rose has tended not to question where people get their powers from. Powers are powers, you know? Sometimes just a martial arts style can do it.
"So... you think there might have been more Guardians before, but not anymore. Wouldn't that imply whatever happened to make them vanish was pretty violent? What kinds of people can even kill beings like that, if they can only interact with the world through people like you? Wouldn't it take a Guardian to harm a Guardian?"
Or someone with potent spiritual powers, anyway.
Rose isn't sure even Sorey's there yet. And besides, Guardians sound a lot more important than Seraphim from the sound of things. Oh, why not ask?
"What about Seraphim? Do they fit into your faith at all?"
<Pose Tracker> Vin Barrett has posed.
The Shaman reaches out and lightly bops Rose on the forehead, before snagging another Delicious Mapo Tofu Bun. "Not killed. We just don't know where their shrines are anymore, and none of their followers survived the cataclysms that wiped out the ancient civilizations. It's perfectly possible someone's going to knock down a wall in an ancient ruin somewhere and find an ancient shrine and Medium to the Guardian of Fruits or Plants or the like. The main ones that are commonly worshipped are just the ones we still know of and who have the power to manifest. I'm pretty sure any 'lost' Guardians are perfectly fine on their own plane."
He ponders on the Seraphim question, then shrugs slightly. "Not really? Frankly, I assumed they were just minor Guardians when I first noticed one. Powerful enough to have innate control of an element on a local scale, but still able to manifest on this plane." He hums, contemplating the Mysteries of the Universe and Mapo Tofu. "It's...hm. Well, odd, I suppose, if they are related to the Guardians. I think it's a...balancing act, kinda? I mean, our legends tell us that the Guardians used to be able to exist side-by-side with us. I think...maybe, the reason is that now? They're too powerful for this world. Moor Gault, for example, can only manage it for a few moments and with the assistance of a Shaman and their Medium. On the other hand, one of those other Seraphim does a lot of cooking, and two of the others spent Sorey's speech devouring cheesecake. So they obviously don't have any problem existing."
He ponders, finishing off Delicious Mapo Tofu Again...and then just shrugs. "Hell if I know, when you get down to it. Just guesswork, but Seraphim seem to be in a weird niche, from the little I've seen, where they have a large amount of power over an element but aren't up to a Guardian and their ability to have multiple chosen Shaman who can manifest their powers at the same time?"
<Pose Tracker> Rose has posed.
"Eh?" goes Rose as she's bopped on the forehead, and then gets told what she did wrong. So the Guardians can't die? Rose seems not to be buying it, though she also seems to hold her tongue quite well, since she doesn't ask Vin if that's just what they tell themselves to feel better about it.
That would be mean-spirited.
"I guess you've got a great pitch for Drifters to look for shrines in ruins, at least. No shortage of people looking for work and places to look!"
Then it's back to Seraphim. Rose frowns as Vin reminds her of the cheesecake incident, which was shortly afterwards followed by the punching Sorey incident. "I know. One of them did it on purpose to get a rise out of me, I just know it! Ragnell, that's her name!" Rose is agitated. Big surprise. "There was a male one with Sorey too, he kind of... really scared me for a moment when Sorey let me hear them. I'm not sure if I prefer to be blind and deaf or not, honestly, it's... a hard choice to make. Maybe seeing and hearing them would be better in the long run but everytime I think about it I just freeze up."
She shakes her head, deflecting the matter by returning to the Guardians. "Still, that's weird. I think Seraphim originate from Lunar though, so... maybe the lesson here is that separate faiths can just be separate takes on the same myth? A lot of the religious stuff on Lunar is about Althena, her blessing, elemental forces and magic, that sort of stuff. I'd bet the princess would be better at explaining it than me."
<Pose Tracker> Vin Barrett has posed.
Guardians are immortal, and they don't die, they just go to a different plane of existence! That is Vin's story, and he's sticking to it! Much better than the alternative (and logical) explanation, which might explain why Filga is a dustyball.
Ignoring that moment of possible angst with exquisite skill, the Baskar instead snickers slightly at the Seraphim antics, getting himself a drink from his flask. "Heh. Nah, no shortage at all for work. Things are fine, well, there's plenty of work to keep it that way. Things are going to hell, just as much. Drifter work never really ends." He ponders. "Well, at least if you can see them, you'd be able to catch them off-guard when they try to tease you and, I dunno, steal their cheesecake or something? Look on the bright side! These Seraphim of yours look nice and human, at least, so that's downright relaxing compared to some of the critters out there. Like, the Berry Cave? Giant undead abomination made out of flesh."
The Baskar tsks in annoyance. "And I couldn't burn it fast enough before we had to leg it. Vexing." As for the Seraphim... "Or maybe this 'Althena' eats all the magic so Lunar's version of Guardians aren't as big and the like, but they don't have to exist in another dimensions or something. I dunno, I just know I'm highly skeptical of any big religion claiming to have all the answers, y'know?"
<Pose Tracker> Rose has posed.
"Don't worry, you don't have to sell me on that. I'm not a religious sort to begin with! The whole Shepherd thing was the first time I saw anything that made me feel like maybe there was some truth to all the legends people pass along. Even then, it's a pretty dramatic shift to adapt to. One day you're a non-believer and the next you have to fight invisible supermonsters and some weird knight saying I'm blind to the truth and how he'll test us all in some pyre or another." Rose sighs.
"Even then, I can't expect faiths that are hundreds or thousands of years old to have "all the answers". Information is lost over time, you know? You send a message to one kingdom and the next week they can't even recall it exactly as-is."
She realizes what she's saying halfway through and flails. "N-Not that I'm accusing the Baskars of that too! But, I mean, it makes you wonder, right? How much of what you've learned is exact or modified from what was taught a long time ago? What information's been lost and what information's been misinterpreted over time? Or tampered with, you never know." People are jerks like that. Religion is a weapon to a lot of folks.
The mention of the Berry Cavemakes Rose shiver. "UGH, I know! I ran into one of those things with a group of Drifters once. It was already dead, but its body was blocking the way and... well, when we tried to move it it just... burst open." Another shudder. She decides to stop that tale there.
<Pose Tracker> Vin Barrett has posed.
Luckily, Vin is a very easygoing Baskar! He doesn't take any real offense to Rose stumbling into an accusation of the Baskar being crazy backwater nature worshippers! None at all!
"Heh. I imagine that would be a bit of a life-change, y'know? And eh, we know we probably have lost information. Hell, if we had kept all our knowledge, we'd know where the Elw went, or at least what happened to them." Shrug. "Pity. The old fragmentary tales you hear about what they got up to...well, I think I heard somewhere they were involved with those fancy Golems and everything."
He does wince at the Tale of the Dead Critter. "Oh, yeah, gotta watch out for putrification with undead corpses. Fresher ones have all sorts o' nasty gunk in 'em that goes rancid reeeeal fast."
The Baskar finishes off his flask, tucking it away and also taking care of his last Mapo TOfu Bun. "But...yeah, hope that helps a bit? Sorry I can't help more."
<Pose Tracker> Rose has posed.
"It's fine, it's fine! Thanks for answering the questions. You reminded me of Talise so it's not like you didn't turn up a lead of some kind. It was too good to be true that maybe this knight is part of the same faith as you and so you'd be a way to them, but at least I learned about one of Filgaia's religions a bit more in-depth!" The mention of the Ethos went unquestioned, but she'll get back to that one day.
"And yeah, heh, having you around to burn that body would have made it a lot easier on us. You're pretty close to right that you can solve a lot of problems with the right use of fire."
Rose gets up, offering a hand out to shake Vin's. "If I need anything else I'll be sure to ask you! And if you need anything the Sparrowfeathers'll be at the Fairgrounds for a while still, you can check our wares out! Tonight was on me by the way, don't worry, it's all already paid for. Mabo Curry Buns are a specialty on Lunar, anywhere you can get them you immediatly know it's a great place!"
<Pose Tracker> Vin Barrett has posed.
Vin Barrett grins good-naturedly, shaking the Entrepid Merchant's hand, nodding genially. "Hey, let me know if you're ever in the market for trail rations and Genuine Home-Recpie Baskar Moonshine or Cactus Juice. I can generally wrassle up a few bottles or jugs here and there."
Vin stretches as he stands up, cracking his neck back and forth. "Look me up if your Sparrowfeathers ever head up towards the Badlands. Nasty place, but they've got some interesting trinkets and a fair amount of gunpowder weaponry and ARMs. Also my home stomping grounds, so, y'know."
Grinning, he snags the last of the still warm buns, tucking them away in a rather nice patterned cloth scarf, stowing them in a satchel for later. "Anyhow, catch you around, Miss Rose."
And, with a last jaunty wave over his shoulder, Vin saunters back out onto the streets, off to his next job. Or to find dinner. Or maybe just take a spell and grab some shut-eye at a friend's casino. He's easygoing like that.