Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to Imythess, the border between dreams and reality. We hope you enjoy your visit.

Imythess is a creative writing board where you narrate the story of a character in the medieval land of Imythess, on the planet Chaon. Each topic is an opportunity for your character to interact with the world and its peoples by cooperatively writing pieces of a story with other members, one post at a time. We call this role-playing, because you assume the identity of your character as if it were your own.

In order to play, you must register an account for each character you would like to write about, and begin their tale by filling out their basic profile information: Race (human, elf, demon, etc.), class (warrior, mage, etc.), physical appearance, and any other personal details you would like to describe. You are also encouraged to come up with some background history information for what your character's life has been like up to the point at which their story in Imythess begins.

There is no approval process or application required to join, so long as you follow the rules then you are free to write whatever character details you choose. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Create a character now!


If you're already a member, you can log into your account below:


Username:   Password:
Reply
[P] Religious Revival; Keelin
Topic Started: Fri Aug 22, 2014 7:33 pm (1,172 Views)
Keelin
Member Avatar


"Okay, open your eyes and listen, but don't lose your mindfulness. From now on, try to work mindfulness practice as much as possible into your daily life. If you realize you've been distracted, just pay attention to that distraction and then move your focus back on task." Keelin hadn't moved an inch from the spot where she was sitting, having never even fidgeted this entire time. "And don't forget to focus inward. I want to ask you something: what are you feeling right now? Not just emotions, but things like aches and pains, anything bothering you. Just anything under the surface."

She rose to her feet and approached Claire as she gave her answer. Keelin sat down just a few inches in front of the girl, propping her palms on her knees and holding her back stock-straight like it was the most comfortable posture in the world. Had she been wearing a robe instead of a ridiculous drifter outfit, Keelin might have looked like a real monk. "Okay. Now that you're being super mindful, I have a final quiz for you. What is the element of your mana?" It seemed like a ridiculous and impossible question -- or at least not one that most people asked each other, nearly rude to place a person in such a discrete category -- but Keelin was quick to elaborate. "My hint for you is that it's possible to tell right now. I moved closer to you for a reason. You should feel something out of the ordinary, almost resonating in the face of my super strong and well-developed mana. That sounds technical enough, right?"
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
Claire
Member Avatar


Claire opened her eyes as she was bidden. Galea snapped fruitlessly into the water and sighed. "I feel fine. Some old injuries, nothing much." Druid Verlin had seen to her injuries from a recent fight. It wasn't an insightful answer, but Claire was a person of optimism and a bit of stoicism. She didn't feel off or poorly without good cause. Keelin sat in front of her, Claire's eyes making a quick and reflexive up and down motion before locking her eyes on Keelin's. Keelin asked a question Claire couldn't immediately answer, and then the woman lead Claire's logic down a particular path. Telling was impossible from Claire's position, but she may as well play Keelin's game.

"Holy, because your element is clearly enough holy and that's the answer you wanted me to give." Claire cocked her head to the side. "I can't use magic nor even detect it particularly well, beyond places where it is thick, so I couldn't have answered that question if I really meditated on it. I've never cast a spell in my life." Claire leaned forward a bit. "So, did I pass?"
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
Keelin
Member Avatar


Keelin's big idiot grin turned into a mild scowl, or at least an expression that wasn't awfully amused with Claire being all cute with her. "With an attitude like that, I'm not surprised you've never cast a spell. Did you listen to anything I said about mental discipline? If you think you can't cast magic, you can't. Simple as that. If that's all you got for me I might as well stop here. Then you can come get me when you actually think you're capable of this."

"Or," the elf went on, leaning back in her spot so that her arms straightened out, "you can try to go at this with a bit of an open mind and I almost guarantee that'll at least make it possible to proceed from here. It's not that you can't use magic, it's just that you haven't used it yet. There's a difference. In fact, I'm not even going to give you a choice about this now. You're gonna believe you're capable and then you're going to try it until it works, and then I'll show you I'm right."

"So you're just like me and got old injuries. Think of the one that hurts or hinders you the most. Close your eyes again."
Keelin opted to join along with this exercise. Her empty eye socket was always aching even after removing the Celestial parasite from it. "For lots of beginners it's easiest to draw magical power from your emotions. So really focus on your injury. Try to imagine the little... bones and organs or whatever that are affected, and how they're affected. Then think about how you got the injury. Really try to bring it back to life in your mind, and watch all the emotions it might bring back. And then my next advice is to basically tell those emotions to go [removed] themselves and forgive yourself for feeling them. That compassion is what's gonna heal it, or at least make it hurt less."

"Oh. And your mana is primarily Holy, by the way."
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
Claire
Member Avatar


Keelin gave a more full explanation this time around. She didn't seem pleased, but Claire at least had more to go with.

"I do have an open mind, but you have to realize I have no experience in these matters. None. The only spells I've ever had cast upon me were from the local druid and he's not much of a teacher." She wanted to offer a bit more of an explanation but held her tongue. She didn't want to annoy Keelin, just check her expectations. And then things became complex again. Claire cocked her head to the side. No incantations, no gestures, just a vague feeling. But with an open mind, Claire tried. She found her emotions, pictured her wounds as she'd seen them when she last had her bandages changed, and then tried to imagine them fixed, while suppressing the ill feeling she received from imagining her own body stitching itself back together. She felt nothing, so she tried again, except this time it was more vivid and she had to remember some rather painful bits of fighting. She imagined her body coming back together and removed the ill emotions as she did.

"Uh." Claire didn't particularly want to say she had failed, twice. Her wounds still gave that dull ache to announce their presence. Keelin seemed to have short patience. "Verlin always uses, uh, gestures and incantations and such. Do you...know any of those? Those might be helpful, maybe?" The young adult tried her very hardest to sound as unsure and submissive as possible, fearing a second snap.
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
Keelin
Member Avatar


For several seconds Keelin didn't answer. Her own eye was closed, breathing deep and controlled, and all emotions on her face were wiped clean. Claire's meek questions seemed like they'd been totally lost on her. Lines of light bristled across the top of her right hand, caressing her knuckles and down into her palms, at the same time as the barest hint of a halo appeared behind her head. Keelin reached up and touched her blindfold lightly with her fingertips. What she whispered was in Elvish, so stilted that it was likely recited from something. "<'I pulled my Shadow from the ground and brought it closer to the True World.'>" The redness in and around the open scars faded.

She sighed and opened her eye. "I-- ah, oh. Right. To be honest I thought things would go really smoothly and you'd just be so moved you'd come up with gestures and incantations on your own. Um... I have two problems: I never learned magic this way myself, and I've never taught anyone magic before this. Yeah. Uh. Sorry I didn't mention that sooner." Rubbing the back of her neck with one hand, Keelin glanced around the park before her eye returned to Claire. "That stuff is so different from person to person, I don't know what to tell you that'd be best. My own gestures are either very direct or based on the stances and forms I learned in my martial arts training. And my incantations are just... words that meant a lot to me."
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
Claire
Member Avatar


Keelin didn't seem angry this time, but instead meditated deeper. Claire's eyes rose to the woman's halo and the slight glow she had achieved but chose not to comment on either. It was distinct, a symbol of Cascadia that even one as spottily educated as Claire could spot. Claire nodded at Keelin's words after the woman healed herself. That made sense. Gestures and incantations were a helping hand, so it would be possible to develop her own system. But she didn't know any fancy languages, and didn't particularly feel like babbling in tongues. Claire concentrated, again, and this time imagined what sort of hand gesture would deliver what she wanted. She held her palm towards her stomach, but not too close, and her fingers separate. She spoke, reflexively, but not in a language she knew. It had a meaning, however, one that drifted at the edges of her mind.

The ache receded and a big grin came on Claire's face. "I think I did it. I did speak nonsense but it worked. Just a moment." Claire snuck around to the other side of the tree that root hill sprawled around and removed her coat, and blouse. She quickly undid her bandages and took a look. She looked better, but the sight was still unpleasant. She quickly rewrapped her bandages and then put her blouse and coat back on before returning to Keelin. Fatigue, however had crept in at the edge of her form. A slight feeling of exhaustion, like she'd exerted herself in an unfamiliar way.

"I did do it. It wasn't much healing but it looks less...angry than before." Claire sat again, this time mimicking Keelin's pose. " I get the idea that magic is a personal thing now, and that I shouldn't expect results in a linear or...simplistic fashion." Behind Keelin, Galea had fallen asleep on her flank, limbs splayed out. "Thank you very much for showing me this bit of magic. It feels like a good start, and Creekharbor could always use another healer."

(OOC: Claire spoke celestial, but I couldn't think of a way to fit that into the narrative without coming across as ridiculous.)
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
Keelin
Member Avatar


Keelin kept a vaguely tranquil but mostly emotionless look on her face until the second Claire left her view. Then the act disappeared, replaced with a much darker expression. Orphan girls who only knew Common didn't just speak fluent Celestial on a whim. The elf glanced around the park and even over her shoulder. The Forward Path priests on their stupid, impossible barge were preaching a bit further down Deep Creek. Keelin met eyes with the priest man for a hot second. He hastily turned away, pretending he was never paying attention.

By the time Claire came back into view, the angel hunter had restored her previous face and pulled herself together as if nothing was the matter. She got up. "Good job. I agree -- it's very good progress for a first day." Keelin laughed at the idea of Claire becoming a healer. "If the healing arts are you true calling, I'm afraid I won't be able to help you with any of the specifics! I specialize in magical sabotage and full-on smiting." Which wasn't a specialty at all, but at least it was more specific than 'holy spells.' "Rest up, keep being mindful, and I'll see you in the tavern this afternoon. I'm serious -- a nap would probably help the mana fatigue!" She gave a casual wave as she walked off.

She had some business to take care of, anyway.



The preaching from the barge had stopped. It was anchored on the creek shores near the middle of town, a wooden ramp acting as a bridge between the deck and solid ground. The three Forward Path holy people currently infesting Creekharbor sat cross-legged near the front, eyes closed and backs straight, taking long deep breaths.

Keelin placed one boot on the ramp and all their eyes snapped open at once. Both her hands were shoved in her coat pockets and the fat cigar she was chomping forced her to bare her teeth like a grin that lacked humor.

"You selling copies of the Book of the Wanderer?" she sneered. "My memory's getting rusty."

"I'm sure it is," the herald grumbled, standing. "Keep your filthy influence off my barge. What do you want?"

"The Creekharbor Guard commissioned me to do an inspection of this watercraft. Can't sail in these waters if you haven't gotten inspected."

"Nice try. Need I remind you that I am not, in fact, an idiot?"

Keelin paused, grin turning genuine. After a short staring contest, she lifted her boot and placed it back on the Deep Harbor shore. "No. You're not an idiot. Quite the contrary. Heh heh." She took her cigar out of her mouth and breathed a cloud of smoke. "And I'm not, either. That's why I'm here. Consider this a warning. If you don't stop following me around this town, well-- you'll wish you had. All three of you."

"You're paranoid. Why would we care about you more than the lost souls of this town?"

"You're the worst Herald I've ever seen. Grumpy, not charismatic. I see you people out of the corner of my eye no matter where I go. Oh, and this whole freaking boat is loaded up with wards. What the hell are you people up to?"

"We have already tolerated your presence long enough. Leave or we'll call the guards. Wouldn't want you getting arrested in this town you like so much."

The elf eyed them, but left. She had one card still hidden: a sneaking suspicion that the priests would start going after Claire now, too. After she'd spoken Celestial in their distant presence, Keelin couldn't be too safe about this. Now that her business was done, she needed to go find Claire. Little orphan girl didn't need to know that Keelin was going to protect her for a little while, at least until the priests got tired of them and moved on.
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
Claire
Member Avatar


Claire shrugged her slim little shoulders and tailed after Keelin. Her house was on the way to the tavern. "I was thinking of an immediate use for my powers. I don't really want to go all-out healer. Sounds...dull." Claire replied. She picked up her pace a bit. She was tired in a way she'd never experienced before, and thought a nap would be a good idea. She split from Keelin and entered her cute little house. It had a small living room stuck to a sparse kitchen that Claire rarely used. She had a full magical sanitary room, which was nice, and the second floor of the tiny house was a bed she had to squirm into because there simply wasn't standing room in the loft. Claire hefted herself into the loft and sat down, quickly removing her clothing before crawling beneath a single sheet.




Claire awoke sometime in the early afternoon, her sheet pulled down to her hips. Sweat drenched her sheets around her, and she couldn't tell if it was from the heat or a dream she hardly remembered. She dragged herself towards her dresser and picked out some light, airy clothes before going downstairs. Galea woke up as Claire dropped from the loft and immediately went to snuffle her. Claire put on clothes while ignoring her drake's worried eyes. It had been just a dream, after all.

Claire spent a moment looking at herself in her sole mirror, a bit of confidence brimming up in her. The elf spent a moment brushing her hair into something reasonable before she went to the tavern. Her mid-thigh length and dark red skirt swayed in the slight, warm breeze. She pulled at the base of her blouse, an istani style that rose to just above her bosom, with a pair of slender straps to hold it on. Galea tromped behind her, closer than normal. Claire walked into the tavern and sat beside Keelin. She waved to Waiter John to indicate she wanted the regular.

"I hope you didn't want combat. I came dressed to cool myself down." Claire said. She was still sweating. "I do feel much better. But I want something substantial for lunch." The mere act of bringing up her feelings had driven her to hunger. She waved to Waiter John. "Uh, John, some mutton thing with a lot of vegetables." The John nodded and went to amend the order. She hadn't eaten meat in months.
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
Keelin
Member Avatar


Keelin hid her relief that Claire hadn't taken long to return to the tavern. She was seated at the bar this time instead of the table, savoring the last third of a piece of cheese and cracker. She pushed the whole platter a little bit toward Claire and gestured for her to have at it while she waited for her meal. The little elf made a comment about dressing for the weather, and Keelin groaned in assent. Her coat and hat were hanging from the back of her chair, shirt rolled up to her elbows and unbuttoned so far down that her breast binding was showing. "Yeah, you never really get used to the humidity, do you? Don't know how you wood elves do it. I'm from the mountains. Colder up there, but at least it was crisp. Here, before you dig in let me show you what kinds of cheese are on this platter--"

She wrapped one arm around Claire's shoulders and brought their heads close so that their cheeks were almost touching. Keelin pointed to different parts of the plate but her low voice had a much more conspiratorial tone -- and she didn't start talking about cheese at all. "Stranger in town. Bet she didn't check in at the desk. And it's not just me being crazy, I actually asked Waiter John and he said he'd never seen her before. Behind us. Golden hair, tattoo, unrealistically perfect body. Don't look. Been here for hours." Like Keelin had, admittedly, but she had a good reason, dammit.

The angel hunter pulled away from their impromptu huddle and acted like nothing strange had happened.
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
Claire
Member Avatar


It took effort for Claire to keep her eyes up. But she managed. She sat beside Keelin as the woman's discussion on cheese abruptly turned into a comment on a woman behind them. With a flawless body. This only made following Keelin's instructions to not look difficult.

"Oh, yes, I really do enjoy deep creek soft sheep's milk cheese." Claire commented. She wasn't much of an actor, but it could have also very well sounded like exasperation. She mixed a soft sheep's milk cheese with a bit of fruit and bit down. "I'm also a fan of the long aged cheddar." She ate that as well. "And the mild goat's cheese." With another bite, she solidified her hankering for cheese, and her vaguely requested meat arrived. It came between two slices of crusty bread and was essentially a mountain of random veggies and mutton. Claire bit down, juice streaming down her arms.

"Mm. Meat." Then she leaned closer, as though giving Keelin a bite. "Why do you think that woman is here? Should we get the rest of the guard?"
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
Keelin
Member Avatar


Keelin frowned a little, knowing that she didn't have time to explain her suspicions in full detail or describe her confrontation with the Forward Path priests. "I strongly suspect it's an angel. And new to this plane." No time to explain that last part either. The more stereotypical their physical form was, the more likely they were clueless about or inexperienced with Chaon. That was especially true for anyone dealing with the angel hunter Keelin. She didn't have a surefire way of picking an angel out of a crowd, but she did listen to her instincts and pay close attention to things going on around her -- two finely honed skills that had saved her life and landed her some good kills in the past.

"This is kind of a tall order, but can I stay in your house until my vacation is over? I can sleep anywhere, so if you don't have an extra bed I'd be fine with a chair, an open piece of ground, the drake's stable, whatever. Hell, I'll pay for rent." Near the middle of Claire's reply, Keelin's ears twitched. She heard footsteps coming their way. It took all her willpower to avoid glaring over to see who it was, and Keelin didn't want to risk using her magic to look behind herself.

A woman who smelled like vanilla sat down at the bar right next to Claire despite there being plenty of open seats elsewhere. When she leaned slightly over the countertop, her thick head of golden-blonde hair fell over the front of her shoulders. A pair of little triangle-shaped ears poked out from that mane.

Waiter John asked what she wanted. The woman responded, but he had to ask her to speak up in order to understand what she said. "I'd like the same thing she ordered." She pointed sideways at the demolished mutton and veggies on Claire's plate. He went off, and the woman finally looked at the two next to her. She gave a warm smile and a slight wave. "Hello. I like your blouse."

"New around here?" Keelin wasn't having any of this small talk crap.

"Yes. My name is Shakti. I work for the Academy of Magic. I'm just passing through." This very clean delivery segued a bit awkwardly back to the woman smiling at Claire. "What's your name?"
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
Claire
Member Avatar


An angel killer had just warned Claire about angels. Claire didn't say as much but she couldn't imagine all extraplanars were evil. "I have space." Claire acknowlegded. Claire had one king sized bed, it was enough for two. And Galea didn't have a stable. Yet. She was going to need one soon. Then came footsteps and a little waft of vanilla scent. A beautiful woman sat beside her, the sort that were painted and never seen by the eyes of normal folk. The angel, then. The angel came on strong, ordering what Claire had and even making awkward small talk.

"Uh, sorry ma'am but I'm not interested in ladies." Another terrible done lie, but Claire was letting her own unease through. Her name was safe information, she thought. The woman could get her name from any member of the town. "Guardsman Recruit Claire, miss. Why would someone from the academy of magic come all the way out to Creekharbor? There isn't much out here except the old fort. I suppose that would be worth some attention." A partial lie. Murderer King Jaiten would be worth attention, and he was about the only thing of magical interest around. Admittedly, she did feel bad for driving someone straight to one of the most dangerous entities on Imythess.
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
Keelin
Member Avatar


The possible-angel deliberately blinked her eyes in an expression of befuddlement that she quickly recollected into something more happy-looking. "Oh, I'm sorry! I wasn't flirting with you. I just wanted to be friendly and meet some new people here. To be honest I don't really know anyone in the area that well." Shakti giggled nervously, eliciting an increasingly uncompromising look from Keelin. "You're young, so I hope you can figure things out! As for me, I'm interested in people. My specialty is Holy magic. Did you know that it's fairly rare for a person's mana to resonate Holy from birth?"

Keelin had gotten up during these intermittent words and, upon the ending of Skahti's last question, practically slammed her palm into the piece of table between her and Claire, causing her arm to form a physical barrier between them. Facing Claire, she had her coat folded over her other arm and was hastily placing her hat on top of her head. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I just realized I had some really important keepsakes in my horse's saddlebags. Gotta offload those into your house as soon as possible. Come with me."

"...It was nice meeting you." Shakti gave a sheepish smile as they left.

The elf didn't speak again until they were a few blocks away from the tavern, walking through busy afternoon streets. "There was some good mindfulness practice for you. What was your reaction? Your instinctual response to what just happened there?" Keelin's own instincts were going haywire. In the unlikely case that Shakti woman wasn't a Celestial, she was still way up to no good. She had made it pretty obvious that she'd followed Keelin to the tavern, knowing she was going to meet Claire there, and then started striking up a conversation with Claire about holy magic almost as soon as she'd arrived there. Even if Claire had fallen into the trap that was the maybe-angel's warm personality and pleasant appearances, Keelin would be there to stop anything bad from happening to her.

"Okay. Maybe I'm paranoid or crazy. I'd really, really like it if I was wrong. But there's no way I'm gonna just sit around eating cheese while my instincts are damn near screaming at me that you're in danger. Too many red flags with this one and I know firsthand what kinds of mindtricks those things are capable of." Keelin didn't want it to, but she accidentally let her worry slip through in her tone. She liked Creekharbor too much and this little wood elf orphan girl was her very first student ever. Claire looked at her like a hero and flat-out told her she didn't think Keelin was evil, which was some of the highest praise she'd gotten in months or even years. Celestia would have to pry all that good stuff from Keelin's cold, dead body if they were aiming to steal any of that away.
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
Claire
Member Avatar


Shakti was pleasant. And not in a deceptive way. Keelin's suspicion was practically a suffocating fog. Claire looked between the two nervously. Shakti also felt familiar. Like she knew the woman. It made for a difficult few moments for Claire that were abruptly ended by Keelin slamming her arm between the two parties. Claire lurched backwards, looking up at Keelin.

"Ah, uh, okay. It was nice to meet you as well." Claire murmured. She followed Keelin quickly, worried about what she would say next. Very worried. But it turned out to be mild. Claire answered honestly. It had done well for her so far. "She felt familiar. And not like a bad person. Her body language was mild and unsure, not aggressive." It felt like the wrong answer to give to Keelin.

Claire looked down the path and noted a lonely Shakti staring with some surprise at the preacher barge. A mix of anger, as well. "She doesn't look all that pleased with the Forward Path."
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
Keelin
Member Avatar


Keelin side-eyed Claire. Her first instinct was to go into a long speech about how angels could manipulate people's emotions and create any kind of reaction they wanted, from the most primal fear to a state of intense, artificial bliss. She reconsidered at the last second, worrying that it would alienate the girl and contradict her earlier talk about trusting one's instincts and reactions to people. "Some angels believe in the Path, but most don't. And besides, the priests poking around here are up to something. I took a little trip to their barge earlier today and noticed it was covered in wards. Seriously, the magic damn near put a jolt in me."

They had wandered far enough through Creekharbor for Keelin to stop. She took off her hat and ran her fingers through her hair, sighing. "Whatever you think of that lady, just let me protect you until everything blows over. Your teacher knows best!" The angel hunter plopped her heavy hands on Claire's shoulders and attempted a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I've had bad experiences with angels that like me a little too much. Trust me here, you don't want to get tangled in that. They get fascinated with Chaonites far too easy. But there are ways to deal with them."

"Anyway... I have no idea where I'm going. Is your house somewhere over this way? I won't hassle you while I'm your teacher-slash-bodyguard, so you can go on with your life like normal."



The Deacon knelt before the suit of armor mounted at the center of three overlapping Celestial runes. The voices moved through his mind as easily as his own thoughts. An operation such as the one described here would not interfere with international law as written. Chaon is a neutral entity.

Then Sahegael should go forth, another voice responded, almost overlapping with the previous speaker. Only he is needed.

"Forgive my interruption, but I have news. A Celestial calling herself Shakti has taken an interest in the girl."

She is not one of ours.

Consider her nothing more than an obstacle. We want the Saint-Apostate now. The girl can wait.

"My ignorance knows no bounds as I question this decision. I humbly ask: is this Sahegael truly strong enough to face off against an unknown 'obstacle' alongside the Saint-Apostate herself?"

A new voice: Yes. If you've prepared a strong enough shell to contain me.

Kneeling deeper, the Deacon spoke while his nose was brushing the ground. "A suit of etched adamantium awaits you, hunter-killer."

The Celestial made a sound like a haughty snort. Paint the Eyes of Laneroct on the right half of the faceplate. I will attack at twilight.

"All I ask is that you avoid collateral damage." No response. "I'm located at the center of a town."

I will do exactly as I must.

The voices stopped.
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Norwood Forest · Next Topic »
Reply

Top RP SitesVote for Imythess at Top Site List Planet
Top Site Lists
Misty Woods created by Helena & Cory of ZNR