india ♔ cut the bonds with the moon and let the dogs gather

[sirsolace]

♬ The Moon - Swell Season

WHO || Faye, Andie, Scout, Solace, Riddick, Nessa [closed]
WHAT || The Knights try to find their way into the Temple to see the
WHERE || Khajjiar, India, near the Temple of the Moon
WHEN || Sometime last week, afternoon
HOW || Actionspam

The Knights have spent the last week or so gathering supplies and intelligence in the town close to the mountains where the elven sisters have sequestered themselves inside their temple.   And what they've heard has been disturbing:  tales of the fanaticism of the sisters' followers seems to run contrary to everything Solace has to tell them about the usual clergy of Sehanine Moonbow.  These people are dogmatic to the point of violence, and the temple has been sealed against entrance by anyone at all as the sisters seek to complete their 'ritual', which is meant to seal the Veil from the Shadow World and prevent anymore incursions of Shadowkind, monsters, or objects.  

Finally, the Knights take the long journey up the mountainside to approach for themselves.  The road up is dotted with wagons and tents, and when the temple finally rises up out of the fog above, silver and gleaming, it's clear that even reaching the doors could prove difficult.  The steps are obscured by the massive amount of tents and people moving about.  There are probably hundreds barring the way, camped together so tightly that moving between them seems an invitation to trouble, given the supposed lynchings that have occurred when others dared to try and break in.

Solace halts the group at the edge of the crowd, with one hand held out slightly to the side.  He frowns as he looks over the faces of those gathered, none of whom look exactly friendly... or even hopeful.

Comments

[wildmind]

[

"This isn't about what she wants, it's about what is needed. It takes powerful energy to enact magic of this magnitude: our Lady of Dreams wishes to bind the tears in our world that have threatened to merge the Shadow Lands with Earth. There is no energy so potent as the sacrifice of the faithful: the ultimate sacrifice." ]

[reallywicked]

[This concept is just leaving Faye dumbfounded. Also, for being charismatic, her diplomacy skillz are in the shitter.]

Are you crazy? You have no idea what will happen!

[wildmind]

[

Her hand tightens around the blade and her brows furrow. "Not knowing is the grounds of belief. You have faith, not guarantees. What we do, we do willingly because we believe in our Lady."

Nessa takes one step forward tentatively but the girl moves instinctively closer to her sister, raising the knife slightly, and Nessa halts. ]

I'd never heard anything about Sehanine being a large supporter of sacrifice.

[reallywicked]

[Faye looks from Nessa to the girls.]

See? Let's just stop with the knife and sacrifice talk.

[asap]

Seriously. How about putting the knife down so we can talk about it, kay? [Andie smiles. Nat 20 diplomacy check she is CHARMING.]

[wildmind]

[

The girls meet gazes, seeming to have a silent conversation and nessa holds her breath as they seem to come to a decision...

and the knife falls from the right-most sister's hand, clanking onto the altar, as they both fall into each other's arms. tears spill down their cheeks as they choke on their attempts to talk. ]

[asap]

[Yes, score one for diplomacy girl! Andie breathes a sigh of relief and quickly moves forward to grab the knife, though she doesn't think they'll change their minds. Still, better to be safe.]

[reallywicked]

[Faye heads over once she sees that Andie has secured the knife. She's relieved that they avoided whatever spell the two had planned, but dealing with weepy elf girls? Not her specialty. So, instead she just turns to Nessa.]

Now what?

[wildmind]

[ nessa steps up to the plate, asking them in a gentle voice: ]

What are your names?

[ the sister who had been clutching the knife initially sniffs and says: "Aenith." and then gestures to the other. "And Methenith." ]

[asap]

[Andie gives a little wave.] I'm Andie. Hi. [She grins at Aenith.] Our names totally almost sound alike. [Sort of...]

[reallywicked]

Faye. [She offers with a half hearted wave.]

So... who put you guys up to this?

[wildmind]

[ "Aenith had a dream," Methenith says, nodding towards her sister, who ignored Andie's remark, more or less. "Sehanine is the Lady of Dreams... it's how she imparts messages to her followers." ]

[asap]

Maybe it was fake. [Or maybe Sehanine is just a really nasty goddess.]

[reallywicked]

So every dream you have is some divine instruction manual? Aren't there other gods or whatever who can hijack your dreams, too?

[wildmind]

[ aenith's eyes flash, and she looks insulted.

"We prayed for this! We said we would pay any price, and she responded. You think I would kill my sister if I doubted the message to be real?" ]

[reallywicked]

Well... I'm mostly wondering why you'd kill your sister at all, no matter what sort of magical goddess dreams you were having. Blood of the faithful isn't exactly a price that the good guys ask for.

[wildmind]

[ "You know nothing of what a goddess would demand. Who are you to condemn me for what I would be willing to do?" ]

[asap]

[...Andie's glad she took the knife away. She puts a hand on Faye's arm, hoping the other girl will get the hint and shut up.]

No! No condemning. You're both clearly very faithful and, uh, I'm just glad you're both okay now. [Diplomacy 13]

[wildmind]

[ Methenith looks slightly torn, fiddling nervously with the hem of her dress.

"But," she says quietly, "if we don't proceed with the ritual, thousands will continue to have their memories, their lives, their families ripped from them. That can't be okay. That can't continue forever." She seems on the verge of tears. ]

[asap]

It's not... so bad? [Andie flits forward, looking anxiously at the sisters.] Look, my great-great somethings came here a long time ago. And I know it's not the same as over in the other world, but it's really been okay. And plenty of people build awesome lives! [A beat.] And you two can too.

[wildmind]

[ "That doesn't make it right! If you were ripped out of your life here, had your identity erased, if your family lost you and you didn't even remember them... you wouldn't stop that system, if you could find a way?" ]

[reallywicked]

How do you know we even have a family to go back to? How do you know it's not better here?

[She didn't know either, but the reality of the option was certainly there. Faye knew how lucky she was to have joined up with the Knights. She couldn't imagine that she was better off in any other world. Especially since she didn't remember anyone to miss.]

What gives you the right to make that decision for everyone?

[wildmind]

[ "Divinity gives us the right. And you can't take that from us." Abruptly, she's up again, the knife in her hand, and she moves to grab her sister and yank her roughly towards herself, dark intent in her eyes. Nessa acts rapidly, raising a hand and making a quick motion at the girl's head. For a moment, she freezes in place, eyes glazed over, and Nessa shouts a thought into Andie's brain. ]

Get the knife.

[asap]

[Andie makes a startled noise, straightens, then dashes forward to take that second knife that magically appeared out of nowhere! She's quick with her hands, as with everything else, and she manages to wrest the knife from the girl's hand with no trouble at all (sleight of hand 30 which seems like a success).]

[wildmind]

[ shut up, i rule at keeping track of shit. the knife is gone before she can even blink and when she makes a motion to cut her sister's throat... her hand is empty.

methenith's widen and there's an awkward beat before she lets out her breath, and turns her gaze slowly back towards her sister, looking horrified.

"You..."

aenith releases her and scrambles away, looking defensive.

"We agreed to this. You agreed to this. Don't try to claim any different now! You believe in this just as much as I do!"

nessa's voice breaks through the accusation, eerily calm. ]

No. She believes more than you do. [ aenith shoots her a sharp glance. ] Tell her. Tell her the truth.