2018-08-08: Theory of Divinity

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===========================<* Plains of the Goddess *>============================

The Plains of the Goddess consist of an enormous prairie that occupies the heart of the Meribus continent. It is the breadbasket of the world of Lunar; Althena's blessing lives strong in the soil, and the crops grown here are healthy, hearty, and free of disease. As a result of this bounty, the vast majority of the Plains are uncultivated; farmers have little reason to expand into the untamed wildlands when their larders and storehouses are filled to bursting.

Only a few roads cross the Plains of the Goddess, linking the major cities to each other, with the ruins of Vane at the hub of a wagon wheel. Althena's Guard patrols the highways regularly, making travel (relatively) safe. Anyone heading deeper into the fields does so at their own risk, however.

BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi_p5wdBrXw

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

"Is he still in there?" Benedict Greygust asks with a frown.

"Yeah." Talise and the Company of the Fox have made camp somewhere away from Meribia, a ways south of both it and Vane, in a roadside field not far from a major lane of travel. They've just stopped for a meal, tethering their horses to a tree for now.

Talise hasn't eaten much. She's got other things on her mind. Having eschewed her armour for a simple tank top and shorts, she's sitting on a large rock, cradling a bottle of beer between her hands and staring into the opaque vessel as if she could somehow see to the bottom of it and find the person she's looking for.

Lanval - the Seraph who has been silent in there for the past few days, ever since the Dragonmaster cruelly brushed him aside despite the obvious goodness of his words.

Benedict, tall and dark-bearded, shrugs as he swallows a bite of the rabbit and sausage stew Talise had made for the group. "I don't know a lot about Seraphim, but it was pretty startling to see the Dragonmaster take that tone. Especially if a Lord of the Land is something important to Althena."

Talise presses her lips together as she continues to look into that bottle.

"...Lanval," she murmurs. 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

Sephilia is a sadface. "I miss him. He's always so...so funny, and nice. Plus I need to ask him so many questions about Rylia and stuff. It's an explorer's duty to record history! But...mostly because he's my friend." 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

    What's Ragnell's business in the area? Well that's for her to know and you to wonder about, isn't it. So for whatever reason, she's crossing the Goddess Plains, on her way towards Meribia. When she spots a campfire and smells someone's dinner on the breeze, she opts to take a detour--it smells good, Ragnell likes food despite not needing to eat, and whether this group can see her or not, it'd be remiss for her to miss on having a bite or two or ten. But when she strolls into camp, not bothering to be particularly stealthy about it, she overhears an interesting conversation.
    
    The Dragonmaster... a Lord of the Land, and Althena? Ragnell raises her eyebrows--and the first of her questions is answered when Talise, cradling a familiar bottle, murmurs a familiar name. Sephy sadfaces with her, and talks about missing a certain Seraph. Ragnell frowns, then strides right up to the gathering. Food? Food can wait.
    
    "What's this 'bout Lanval?" she asks, tone just a touch sharp, from behind the group, arms folded. 

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

Layna's been...a little on edge, ever since that day. Lanval's disappearance was a good part of it - when the most cheerful and carefree member of the group suffered, it brought everyone down.

And then, of course, there were the revelations that came with it. There was a lot to think about - too much, and the fact that he hadn't showed up to interrupt all thinking...

...Well, it was jarring, after she'd become so used to his presence.

"...Startling. Aye, that's a word for it." Layna says with a frown, glancing toward Benedict. She leans against a tree, her arms folded in front of her. "The bastard was mocking us. Mocking him. Made me want to sock his teeth out - see if the Goddess can bring those back."

At the sound of a voice she unfolds her arms, but she relaxes a bit when she sees that it's Ragnell. Layna glances toward Talise, to see if she's up for filling her in. 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.

    Lanval's resolve to turn away from what would have been a wonderful new home to inhabit - however temporary - wavers as he crests that point of no return there. He is further tested by a number of Seraphim along the way who have heard word of the Dragonmaster's decree. Most of the time prior, he was shunned. A few more territorial ones would usher him out if he lingered too long in their presence.
     One elemental of the wind keeps pushing him down a hill he'd have to have crested to return to Meribia. Lanval already has a number of interesting challenges as regards inclines, in so much that - like water - he's more inclined to go downhill to start.
     A local spat between a group of mischievous fire spirits and an older one of the element of Earth finds themselves a momentary truce just to turn their wrath upon him in a shower of flaming rocks and brush.
     A Seraphim of Darkness moves to rob him of his sight as to ensure he couldn't see his way away from that same one of the Wind before. The one who starts pushing him down hills yet again.
     An Ice Seraph haunts him the longest, in their attempt to freeze him solid so they can call for help to be rid of him.
     It's as trying as it sounds. For the mortals, the Plains of the Goddess remain a safe, beautiful place in which to wander Her land to and fro - and maybe occasionally spot some weird flashes of magical power over yonder. For Lanval, it is a trial of attrition.
     It's a miracle by some other unseen divine entity that he is left alone long enough when he gets nearer to the trail they're on. Lanval is further worried by one wrinkle of his little escapade he did not account for when he tried to escape at his lowest - the Fox Company travels and he has no idea where they specifically are.
     Smoke. A campfire, in the distance. He's almost afraid to go look and see - no, he is, because from this distance, he can make out the silhouettes. The mortals who gave him a little attention, a lot of friendship. He turned around and took something away from them he knows they'll never get back.
     ...
     That's Talise holding the vessel he snuck out of in favor for another bottle. He sits down atop the nearby hill in melancholy, from fatigue spiritual and... other gradients of spiritual that would apply, for those of his kind.
     He can't face them again... can he? 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

The stew smells surprisingly good - spicy but not overpowering about it. Talise may not be the world's best chef, but she's quite good when it comes to the kind of rustic food that travelers like.

Running her thumb over the edge of the bottle, Talise smiles sadly back at Sephilia. "We'll see him again... I'm sure of it. But what Ghaleon said hurt him...." She lifts her gaze to Layna and nods grimly, pressing her lips together in a tight line.

"I would've broken his smug jaw," she admits. "But I have a feeling he'd have just laughed. Besides, how can you kill a dead guy?" She sighs and looks down at the bottle again.

Until someone else comes striding up. Talise starts slightly and looks up, blinking twice, but the surprise wanes as she realizes that this isn't a stranger. "Oh. Oh, Ragnell! Hello," she says with a crooked smile, one she only partially feels.

She nods towards the bottle in her hands. "We had a little run-in with Sasshole." She pauses. "--Ghaleon. With Ghaleon. Lanval told him something and Ghaleon just completely mocked him. Now he's holed up in his bottle and he won't come out." 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

"I can't believe that was Ghaleon. Ghaleon wasn't such a smug meanie jerkface in the stories..." Sephy scowls at the memory. 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

    Ragnell turns her raised eyebrow to Layna, meeting the captain's eyes for a moment. Huh. While she's not a fan of Dragonmaster Ghaleon one way or another, and doesn't really expect a pirate captain to be any different, she's a touch surprised to hear such a violent sentiment against such a vaulted member of the Lunarian church. Mocking, huh? He does have that air about him, but this sounds more serious than a guy (if a rather important guy) just having a smarmy attitude.
    
    Then she looks at Talise, since it seems the task of explaining things has fallen to her. Her greeting is friendly enough, but the explanation is clearly lacking, given that one doesn't just have a run-in with the Dragonmaster. And--'smug meanie jerkface'? Really? But Ragnell knows from experience that Sephy will throw a fit if she calls her out on acting like the child she is, and her chief concern right now is Lanval, so she frowns back at Talise.
    
    More specifically, she frowns at the bottle. The *empty* bottle. "Don't lie t' me, Talise," she says curtly. "Where's he *actually*?"
    
    ...Looks like she hasn't heard word of the Dragonmaster's decree. And while Lanval might be watching from a nearby hilltop, well... he's trying not to be noticed. Ragnell doesn't spot him just yet. 

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

"Take off his head and work your way down? ...I dunno, it's a work in progress." Layna replies with a shrug. Of course, the problem was, even if they had a method, Ghaleon was still...well, Ghaleon. An ancient hero and the Dragonmaster - a man possessing of power any one of them could scarcely imagine.

Layna knew that, but thinking about it still made her feel better.

She nods to confirm what Talise said.

"Aye. He mocked him, then said the Goddess didn't need 'im anymore. I'm not surprised he hasn't come back out yet - a cut deeper than any knife, it was." Layna replies...then raises an eyebrow, as Ragnell insists that Lanval isn't there.

"She speaks the truth. He disappeared, and hasn't come out since - not even when you leave some drink out for 'im." Layna says, in a tone that suggests that she's tried. 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.

    'Where's he *actually*?' He should be in that bottle. That's his vessel. Since they've all become acquainted, the only time he changed out of it before was when they went to Mount Manfred in a Holy Bottle that had barely touched mortal hands. He has to be in there. He wouldn't run away from them without prompting, would he?
     Lanval sits atop that hill, paralyzed by indecision and guilt. They'd know now. They would - that's... almost as bad as what he already did to them. It might be for the best he never comes back--
     Then comes that previous Wind Seraph, who is oblivious to the drama unfolding ahead of them. They only see someone sitting on the hills that shouldn't be there. They shouldn't be anywhere on Lunar, any more. They do what comes natural to them - by blowing Lanval off that hill with another freak gust of wind that might draw attention.
     If that doesn't, the sight of a certain bearded fellow of generous heft and ratty aquamarine clothing rolling down hill like a tiny rock caught in a great breeze will do it. Lanval bounces and rolls down the verdant hill, through gentle blades of grass that seem less welcoming of his presence on account to how fast he barrels through them.
     He comes to a stop face-down next to Benedict, silent, motionless, and totally busted. (In more than one way.) 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

"I couldn't believe it either," Talise admits. "The Ghaleon in the stories was an honourable man. The Ghaleon in reality is pure nastiness."

Cradling the bottle in her hands, Talise lowers her eyes to it again. "What was really surprising was that Lanval had a serious warning about the Barrier and Ghaleon just chuckled at it. I wouldn't expect that from the Dragonmaster...."

Then Ragnell flicks an accusation at her. Talise looks up from the bottle with a dull blink, caught completely off guard. "Uh, last I checked he was in the bottle," she says lamely, a bit too thrown to actually formulate a lie.

"...You mean he isn't?" Holding the bottle up, Talise squints down the neck of it. "How could he not be in there?"

PRobably because he's getting foofed on.

The water seraph comes trundling down the hill. Benedict jump a bit in surprise. "Wha--"

With a gasp, Talise leans past Ragnell, darting over to the Water Seraph. "Lanval! What happened to you?!" 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

"Lanval! Omigosh!" Sephy rushes over and starts immediately offering her healing magic to her wayward friend. 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

    Ragnell's frown deepens, and her eyebrows furrow, when Layna clarifies matters--both of Ghaleon, and Lanval's supposed whereabouts. She'd assumed at first that Talise was lying, but with Layna chiming in on the same, claiming that Lanval's holed himself in his vessel and won't come out... If his 'friends' don't know he's gone, then it might be better for her to play along.
    
    "I see," she begins to say--but before she can get any further, Talise takes her accusation to his logical conclusion... and then Lanval himself comes rolling down the hill, shoved by the blown air of a Wind Seraph. Ragnell looks sharply in that direction, then down at Lanval as he comes tumbling over. "...Hmmmm," she murmurs. Talise said he'd had a serious matter about the Boundary, and Ghaleon had laughed him off... "Does this have to do with that, ah, swampy underground place we explored recently, Lanval? S'not like you to confront anyone or make waves, let alone someone like the Dragonmaster."
    
    And if he said Althena didn't need him... 

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

Layna can only shrug. She was never one to put too much stock in old stories, and this just seemed like further evidence as to why. The reality was often greatly different.

And then, Talise comes to a conclusion - Lanval must really not be in the bottle. Layna stares...but before she can even wonder where, the Seraph himself rolls on down.

Layna stares in surprise, losing her composure for just a moment.

"Lanval!" She says, stepping toward him. "Where were you? We were worried about you, lad!"

She doesn't approach right away, instead letting Sephilia do her thing before glancing toward Ragnell. 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.

    Already, Talise and Sephy move to his aid like he remains a dear friend to them as Layna asks the biggest question while poor Benedict has to deal with being near ground zero of the latest Lanval antic. The gentle warmth of healing light - Althena's gift to Sephilia - eases the wounds he's sustained just returning back from Taben's Peak. He whines a little more pathetically than he can usually manage. He is on record for being a sack. Usually he's a happy sack. He is just as good at being a sad sack, turns out, but he's a sack all right.
     Being sad might be all that's left.
     "...I had to..." He says. It might help if he goes face-up instead of face-down like he currently is. Like he's afraid to really face them and say. "...None of thish... should be happenin'... ever. L-Let alone... let alone... twice, at the shame tiiiiime..."
     Does this have anything to do with that swampy udnerground place?
     "...Ishn't jusht that one, Ragnell... there'sh Mount Manfred too... I, after I shaw... after I shaw what wash goin' on down in Ryl-- the bashement," why bother correcting himself? That is what the place used to be, by his word, "shomeone had ta... had ta tell 'em shomethin' wash wrong."
     "...N-No... I alwaysh knew shomethin' wash wrong the day the Guard," he rolls onto his back. Yay, his slurring is marginally less difficult to understand now, "shmashed my divine vesshel there... I jusht..."
     Sniff.
     "...Talishe. Layna. Shephy. Benedict. Uhhh... Tethelle..." She's here somewhere! "...Ragnell. I watched that part of Meribush for over five centuriesh... it wash like... it wash like the Goddessh hershelf shaid then that she'd rather no Boundary there than what wash."
     What was there was unambiguously an awful place for the mortal and the divine alike - but he was, indeed, still managing to keep his reinforcement of it up. Somehow. It might be a mystery lost to the ages, because how could anyone have tolerated that for more than a week? At best?
     "The shame of it all... not even othersh of my kind wanted anything ta do with li'l ol' me."
     Lanval rolls back face-down again.
     "...Shome yearsh later, you all show up, 'n... yer the firsht group of mortalsh I'd gotten ta shpeak to. It wash... it wash fun... jusht goin' 'round... sheein' all of Lunar I never woulda... 'n... I didn't wanna trouble ya with it. It wash a Sheraphim problem then... but..."
     Another pause.
     "No... it wash well beyond that already... even before I shaw Mount Manfred havin' that nashty Domain. I... I knew the Boundary might've had a hole when I got the boot, shince it'sh jusht... j-jusht far enough from the next Lordsh of the Land." Old Vane, and... where else? "I didn't have the heart ta shee the place again until I shaw Mount Manfred like that, 'n..."
     "...I'm shorry. I... I, I... I couldn't face you all again. 'Shpecially... you, Talishe... I finally got it in me ta go shee the Dragonmashter and shay what wash up... 'n not only do I get banished..."
     Lanval starts muttering something in that ancient tongue again, as though he really, really, really doesn't want to have to say it in a way Talise can understand. Then he recognizes Ragnell absolutely could and might translate on his behalf, so he stops half-way, breathes in deep out of that weird acquired habit of his, rolls back face-up, and opens his eyes almost all the way open.
     He forces them open. The color is not as brilliant, or as bright. Eyes that should be wet with tears - he is water, after all - instead look unnaturally dry.
     "I stole your love of the Goddess away from you. The love I felt when you sang before that door... I'd never heard such reverence since the one who enshrined me."
     Well, that's why, but not where he went. 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

Sephy just hugs Lanval. "There's something wrong, but it's not your fault, Lanval! You're our friend, and that's not going to change!" 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

Worry flickers in Talise's face as she leans over Lanval, checking if he is indeed still alright.

But something Ragnell says startles her. "So you went to the Rapier too, huh," she murmurs, looking up towards the dusky-skinned Seraph.

For her part, with no Blessing to share with Lanval, Talise leaves it to Seophilia. Sinking to one knee beside the big drunken Seraph, she reaches out to rest a hand on his shoulder, as if to support him. "Easy," she murmurs, tightening her grip to give him a squeeze - but nope, there he goes, rolling over again, and she just bites gently down to her lower lip, little fanglike incisors dimpling it slightly.

At which point he says something startling. Talise blinks, then blinks again.

"...You didn't steal that from me, Lanval," she assures him with a quiet, sad smile. "If anything I feel like I understand a little more. Because whatever happened at the Rapier to make it that way, you're still a Lord of the Land, and that means Althena chose you. The fact that the Guard burned it down so casually... the fact that she's outlawing song and drink, things that people use to suppress negative feelings...."

Talise lowers her head. "...I grew up loving Althena because of the songs and stories I'd heard. I always wondered why she decided to be this way when she returned. Seeing the holes in the Barrier and how Ghaleon treated you makes me convinced more than ever that something's wrong.

"That this probably isn't Althena," she guesses. "That maybe it's a Hellion pretending to be her." 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

    "..." Ragnell hunkers down, elbows resting on her thighs, as Lanval explains the situation. She listens quietly and attentively, red eyes sharp as she looks at nothing but him. The old inn, Mt. Manfred where the Furies have holed up... The latter being over an Earthpulse, at that. Something was wrong, and has been wrong since his old vessel was smashed. If he's putting it like that, the others probably know about the inn, then. Talise confirms it, and the Seraph nods her way, though she doesn't take her eyes off Lanval. He eventually speaks in Ancient Tongue--and while Ragnell wouldn't translate it if she thought he didn't want it shared, the two of them honestly don't know each other that well. Ironically, that makes Lanval take the courage to say it outright: that he stole Talise's love of the Goddess from her.
    
    Ragnell finally glances over at the others. Layna, asking Lanval where he's been. Sephy, insisting she still sees him as a friend. Talise, claiming that having been a Lord of the Land meant he was chosen by Althena, and--
    
    "Huhhh," she utters, eyes widening at Talise's suggestion. "...So you noticed that too." She looks over at the others, finally sitting down entirely with legs crossed. "I don't think your average Hellion could fake bein' the Goddess," she says. "But--well, at least some of you've met Lucia, Hiro, an' the other so-called Vile Fiends, right? Which means you mighta heard Hiro's tale 'bout an entity called Zophar who stole Lucia's powers away, hit her with that banner o' Malevolence that got her branded the Lord o' Calamity." Ragnell rubs her chin. "If he could do that... he could probably either do somethin' to cloud Her vision--or replace Her entirely with a servant or somethin' of his own. It's not like humans would know the difference." Though it's more complicated than that... but she wouldn't know that, not having heard Ghaleon outright say that whatever was going on with the Boundary, he and Althena were in on it together.
    
    "Anyway, good on you for tryin', Lanval. Know that sorta thing doesn't come easy to ya. But..." Ragnell leans her cheek on one hand. "...lookin' at ya now, I got a feelin' it was two steps forward, ten steps back." Her eyes narrow. "Am I close to th' bull's-eye?" 

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

"Aye. I was there, too." Layna confirms with a nod Talise. Her attention then returns to Lanval.

Layna studies the Seraph with a slight frown as he speaks, as he explains himself. Explains that he had always felt there was something wrong, and how he feels...and apologizes, for stealing the love of the Goddess away from them.

"...Aye, what she said." Layna says, nodding toward Talise. "...And even if ya did, I'd rather know somethin' was up, then remain ignorant while she and Ghaleon go off and plan...whatever the hell it is they're plannin'."

Layna shakes her head.

"...But, I think Talise has the right of it. I don't think that's Her."

Ragnell has her own take on the situation - that the average Hellion wouldn't be capable of that. Layna frowns, and thinks it over.

"Can't say I know 'em as much as I'd like, but...aye. Aye, maybe you're right." She says, with a nod and a frown. "Question remains, to what point and purpose?" 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

"I bet that Dad an' me could find historical proof an' stuff but...I...I guess if Lanval's word isn't enough..." Sephy sighs. "Then Dad an' me, even if we *are* famous..." 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.

    Lanval just soaks in Sephilia's innocence. Even after all she got to witness and hear, she hasn't changed. Those gathered here are witnesses with foreknowledge, now, that something is going terribly wrong in their world. Layna makes it clear that she would've had the truth of the matter any day over any deep-seated beliefs of hers - a sentiment she understands the depths of and acts accordingly. Talise reassures him, most of all - he didn't take it from her. She's still a believer, then, of a depth and sincerity that truly astounds and humbles him...
     ...And the subject goes to the worrying possibility that maybe, just maybe, in the wake of Lanval's testimony about how nonsensical the aftermath of Her decree was... that it might not have been Her to start.
     "...Mmmph." Lanval's eyes start to shut, as though uncomfortable with the prospect - and Ragnell seems to confirm she shares the same idea, and those eyes widen dumbfounded again as she goes down the mention of the Vile Fiends. He remembers being surprised he was in the company of that Lemina... he was a bit too preoccupied with wanting to try to nibble a bit on one of the offerings left out for their Lord(s) of the Land. Old Vane's Seraphim worship was - is - exemplary. Even the potato-based snacks, for the nibble he got to have, felt so lovingly and devoutly made for their humble make that he wished he could've had more of it. (It was kind of rude to have the nibble to start, which was why he only ever let himself have the nibble.)
     "I-It'sh true, I guessh... that Lemina washn't a Hellion, for oooooone," and he's back to slurring again as his eyes start to close as Ragnell starts to address him anew. He looks ready to flop face-down again, like he can't decide where or how to settle. Turbulent waters, and all.
     Two steps forward, ten steps back...
     "Wh-whatever'sh goin' on... the Dragonmashter and Althena're in it together... 'n that they don't need me around any more... ha ha ha," that's not the happy laughter he's known for. That's not the obnoxious constant chortling and cheering he encompasses, "I've been attacked by every Sheraphim between here 'n... 'n where I went. I'm not welcome on Her land...." 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

"Of course Lemina wasn't a hellion, she's my friend!" 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

"Wait, you were thinking along the same lines?" Talise says with a rapid blink, staring at Ragnell.

Talise tenses visibly at the mention of the name of Zophar, but it's gone in a flash as she forces out a short, chuffing breath. "Yeah, Lynnai and I talked to Lucia about that a year or so ago and she mentioned Zophar. But if it's the same Zophar, then it's an awfully old Hellion." She slips easily into recounting the old story: "One from Ghaleon's days, actually. The whole reason Dyne and Ghaleon took the Trials to begin with is that Dragonmaster Anno had been killed by a group called the Sons of Zophar. Their whole deal was they believe Althena was fake and wanted to convert the world to their god."

She crosses her arms against her knee and scowls down into the dirt. "...It could even explain Ghaleon," she murmurs. "Though it wouldn't explain why he's in cahoots with a fake Althena or a corrupted Althena... if he is a Hellion, he doesn't show it. But you would think the real Althena would've invited a Dragonmaster to take the Trials... I mean, Ghaleon's the only example in history of Althena resurrecting a man who's been dead for a thousand years. That I know of, anyway."

Holding an arm out, Talise stretches it across Lanval's chest to try and keep him from flopping down into the dust. She smiles crookedly at him. "...That isn't true," she points out.

"Ragnell hasn't attacked you." 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

    Ragnell looks at Layna as she talks about Ghaleon and Althena. Lanval confirms it. She had figured as much--Ghaleon hadn't struck her as anyone's fool--but it sounds as though he's definitely in on whatever's going on with the Goddess. Talise expresses surprise that she was thinking the same; Ragnell only shrugs. "I brushed off Her strange behavior at first as panic over the state o' th' world when She woke up an' figured She'd calm down after a century or two, but the more I see an' hear, well. The more certain conclusions seem likely."
    
    Talise then recounts an old story, and Ragnell nods slowly. "Hellions are immortal, as long as they aren't killed or purified," she says. "So if he's a Hellion an' not somethin' else entirely, he could be very old indeed." Layna wonders why Zophar would replace or bedazzle Althena, and Talise wonders why Ghaleon is in cahoots with her/him. "Who knows?" she says to both. Briefly, she eyes Sephy, and decides some things are better off ignored. "I doubt he'd tell us, even if we asked nicely," she continues. "People who love their secrets an' plots tend to be awful jealous o' th' details."
    
    Lanval laments the situation, his being unneeded, his being attacked. Talise protests the last one, citing her as an exception. "That's true." Ragnell shrugs. "I've never been a Lord o' th' Land an' I never care to be. What do I care if you're out of favor with a fake Goddess an' her smarmy mouthpiece? Those other Seraphim need to learn some critical thinking skills." She frowns. "...Doubt Amaranth would care either. She's fond of you an' all. An' Nimue an' Edna don't care about anything, an' Lailah's too nice to attack you without at least hearin' you out first." She couldn't say for certain about Mikleo or Dezel, but Dezel's mono-focused on his own circumstances and Mikleo is likely to follow Sorey's lead, and Sorey doesn't care about the Church of Althena. "I suspect the Seraphim who *aren't* Lords o' th' Land will probably give you less shit in general... but you never did have much luck.
    
    "In any case, it sounds t' me like you might be smart to reach out to Lucia, speak with *her* directly. Her whole mission is to get to Althena an' warn her about a thing or two, an' the way she talks, she expects to be heard--if she can just get to her without the Guard lockin' her up or executin' her on the spot," she continues. "Don't know what she'll do if we're right an' the Goddess has been compromised, but if nothin' else, you'll gain allies. Maybe." 

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

Layna glances toward Talise as she talks about the past. She didn't know any of this stuff, but that was just one of the many reasons she liked having Talise around - her knowledge of history had been vital many times throughout their journeys.

"...Well, if we're operatin' under the assumption that Althena's not Herself, maybe he ain't, either?" Layna considers with a shrug. It was just an idea, though she wasn't entirely confident in it.

And then Lanval speaks. Layna offers him a slight smile.

"They might not need you, but we do, aye? An' I'd say that's more important than anythin', lad." Layna says. "An' if any more of those Seraphim attack you, let me know. Whatever it is you may or may not have done, I'm not about to let anyone bully a friend o' mine, aye?" 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

"Chauncey an' me will protect you too!" Sephy declares firmly, nodding. "You're our buddy!" 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.

    The whole episode turns a lot on its head, doesn't it? If the Dragonmaster and Althena - or a presumed stand-in of Her - are up to business that appear to not be of benefit to anyone gathered, and there has been a strong, even vehement push towards hunting down and eradicating someone like that... someone who supposedly projects immense Malevolence... Lanval lets the actual adults of the room keep talking about matters as he wallows in what-ifs and other world-shattering thoughts he still grips with. A quiet turn of his head is the only indication Ragnell has that he's listening at all - with Talise resting a strong arm on him to stop him from just turning over and over.
     "...Mmmmm." The friends he does have are few. Ragnell lists a couple candidates right there - it sounds he needs to hold them that much closer, when he makes them. Or has made them, in the case of Amaranth.
     But the friends he has right now, with as much faith as they place in him for all the difficulties they've had because he wasn't speaking up... he tries to work up that laughter of his again. He almost succeeds.
     "....Awww... yer all too kind... ha ha ha... ha ha ha...." It'll be a while yet before he can get his cheer back, if ever. After all, they're all now company to what could be a plan to save Lunar itself. Save Lunar, or at least get a better idea what the hey's going on!
     He's not sure how Ragnell would take it if Layna did make good on her word on that front...
     He goes quiet again. It's good he came back to them after all, isn't it? Instead of running, trying to pretend nothing is wrong, and attempting to settle right back down on Taben's Peak. 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

"I wish I knew more about Zophar," murmurs Talise, scratching her cheek a little. "The old stories don't say nothing about him... Dyne apparently didn't even battle a being like that. The one him and Ghaleon beat was some wizard named Eiphel."

Her eyes dip, then rise again, her smile thoughtful. "Yeah... talking to Lucia would be a good idea. Hiro too, since they're always together. I mean... we've all seen that the Church was lying about Lucia being the Lord of Calamity. So what else are they lying about?"

The swordswoman smiles gently as Ragnell professes that she doesn't care what Althena and Ghaleon think about Lanval. It's about what she expected: She's gotten enough of a feel for Ragnell to recognize she's got her shit together. "I can't speak for the Shepherd's retinue, but Sorey seems to have his heart in the right place. If nothing else he seems to recognize something's going on."

When Layna speaks up, Talise grins, reaching out to clap Lanval briskly on the shoulder. "Layna's right! I don't care what some fake goddess impersonator says. You're our friend and we've got your back. And like Layna says, if any of those other Seraphs give you grief, we'll give 'em grief right back!" 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

    "Also possible," Ragnell says to Layna, nodding. "What's likelier, resurrectin' a man who's been dead a thousand years, or findin' an imposter an' juicin' 'em up with enough power to fake it? But..." She lets herself trail off. When Layna and Talise explicitly say they'll protect Lanval against other Seraphim, Ragnell doesn't say anything; she just flicks a glance towards Lanval. He's not exactly cheered up, but he does seem to genuinely appreciate the offers, anyway. If he holds his Seraphim friends tighter, so much the better on that mark, too.
    
    "No kiddin'," she says to Talise. "I've tried lookin' into it ever since I heard about it, but I've never managed to find anything beyond what you just mentioned. Maybe I'm lookin' in the wrong places, though." It hasn't been a top priority, either. It sounds like it would be a good idea for 'Domitia' to request an audience with Althena sooner rather than later, though... If only to confirm what exactly the Goddess is.
    
    "Anyway, it sounds like you're in carin' company," she says, rolling onto her feet. When she's upright, she taps a boot on the ground in thought. "Sorey's told me he isn't interested in the Church of Althena, he jus' wants to focus on helpin' the common folk who're afflicted by the havoc this abundance o' Malevolence is causin'. I sent him a message recently that one o' their cardinals is a Hellion--Cardinal Forton o' Rolance, if you're wonderin'--so maybe his stance on that will change." She shrugs. "I got no way of knowin' for sure, though. In the meantime... well, I already made my suggestion." 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

"No, Ghaleon's real," Talise says with a haunted look in her eyes. "I've fought Hellions before... Ghaleon didn't feel like one. He wasn't using Malevolence at all. Just skill and sorcery. He could've killed me in a heartbeat."

She goes quiet from there, looking off into the distance.

    Why do you walk upon this star?

"...He worries me in a way the Hellions don't." 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

"He sure was rude, though. I can't believe how rude he was. He didn't need to be that rude. Chauncey wanted to wallop him one but I didn't let him do it." 

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

"Aye, lad. That we are." Layna remarks with a grin, then glances toward Talise with a contemplative frown. She had a point, they didn't know a lot about this 'Zophar'...

...And, well, there was a lot they didn't know. That Sorey wasn't interested in the Church was helpful, at least...though the idea that one of their higher-ups was a Hellion was news to her.

That was something she hadn't picked up in all her snooping around.

"...Aye, I think you're right. Talkin' to Lucia might be a good idea...and Hiro, aye." Layna says, nodding toward Talise at the last bit.

There was a lot they needed to do...but at least they knew now, rather than remaining oblivious. 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.

    Lanval continues to sit in the company of good friends (and Ragnell). It occurs to him that while he is far older than most of the gathered, there's a whole lot he honestly doesn't know - Talise's grasp of history might actually put his to shame, and he's lived some of it... in a sense. Definitely existed parallel to history happening, but... that's a little story for another time, isn't it. The Fallen Lord of the Land decides - if temporarily - to change the 'fallen' part in the physical sense by sitting back up. The news about the Shepherd being more interested in working the ground level is great news - there's probably more upswells of Malevolence in places about Meribus that shouldn't be than he already knows of. A worrying thought.
     That now there's a number gathered here, and elsewhere, that know something's up and may yet be in a position to truly do something about it... he strokes his beard at mention of a Cardinal being a Hellion down in Glenwood. Not like the idea of anything terrible being in Glenwood would surprise him... but that high in the Church?
     "Thanksh... Ragnell... fer everythin' sho far..." Lanval gets that out. He sounds tired and exhausted, after all that's transpired. He might have to keep a low profile for a while, but... as it turns out, looks like he's going to keep on going on adventures with this bunch of mortals for some time to come.
     The thought of what will come after their time is put aside, for now. 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

    Ragnell gives Talise a long, contemplative look when she says Ghaleon is the real deal. 'He worries me in a way the Hellions don't,' huh... She holds her chin in thought. "I see."
    
    She half-smiles at Layna when she chimes in on talking to the Fiends, then turns that half-smile at Lanval. "No problem," she says, winking. "Let's keep sharin' information, eh?" She nods to the rest of Fox Company... and then over at the rabbit stew on the fire. "An' dinners, if it pleases ya."
    
    After she gets a bowl of that stew, then Ragnell will be on her way.

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