Discovery! Explore the "Holy Kingdom"!

[Kowsauni]

IRENE EMERSON

As Valian leaned down to look Irene in the eye she suddenly became nervous. No one had looked this closely at her since her flight from home. Would he be able to tells something was different about her? If people new what she really was, then it would all be over. Her decades of yearning to experience life for herself would be for naught. If took her a moment or so to realize he was just trying to show her his strangely altered eyes.

Irene would look away quickly after their eyes had met for a bit. She would cover the lower half of her face with her sleeve covered hand as if she had suddenly become shy. "A-ah yes, that is quite the interesting alteration. I'm sure you will be able to ply those skills to good work once we arrive in the Holy Kingdom. I wonder how many days it will take us to reach our destination."  

[Winter Wondork]

Irenes worries were completely unwarranted as the elf showed
off his eyes. He wasn't observing her as he was twisting his eyes around to show off the swirling within. Though the shy reaction was a bit past his expectations. The elf smiled, lowering his hand as he straightened up. "Aah. My apologies, Miss. That was a bit forward of me. It's just so rare that I get to talk about my works in a more civil environment."

The elf took a step back, leaning on the railing with a hand as he looked out over the water. "Hhm. I'm quite curious what kind of place this is however. A 'Holy' Kingdom, seems a bit strange don't you think?" He let out a little grin as he shot into the dark with his ideas. "Mayhaps there's an Unholy kingdom just on the other side from where we'll land? Or perhaps the ruling class is all Angel-Blooded."

 

[Raganui Minamoto]

"We have to see. Perhaps land is blessed by Kami." He frowned slightly, still watching the see. Like the girl, he could see nothing wrong as of the moment. Maybe he was just being paranoid. Shaking his head to clear it, he shifted his gaze towards the others again for a second. "Prefer small prey to plants."  

[Kowsauni]

IRENE EMERSON

Irene looked a bit confused at Kei's comment. "Kami? Who's that? Well in any case, whatever the reason for its name, I just hope we all find what we are looking for. People back home probably think we are a bit crazy for embarking to an uncharted and unknown land. But Ii feel like this must have been exactly what we all needed at this juncture in our lives." This was particularly true for herself. Though 40 years had taken its toll, there were still those who would recognize her noble name or possibly remember her appearance. If she ever was going to live life absolutely freely, she would need to completely severe herself from her past.  

[Raganui Minamoto]

He closed his eyes and scratched a finger under his chin, speaking slowly instead of his previously clipped lines. "Kami spirits in everything. Fire to water to stone to wind. Wood and metal. All things have them. Blessed means they flourish and all in abundant and good. Above them O-kami, such as Amaterasu or Inari. They divine that guide world."  

[SCN_ Grey_fox]

"Let me be as the mighty oak, against the storm's wind. So in my branches, many may thrive." The young elven maiden prayed in her quarters, as she held a simple wooden symbol of her god tightly to her chest. Though, her word spoke for strength to protect, her heart wanted strength for a completely different reason. For every outlander visiting her homeland, their were two reasons she wanted to stay in their's. But, those of her expedition had already made plans to return home, on this ship, and she was duty bound to see them safely home.

Tharee felt almost naked without her armor and shield, as she left her room and continued above deck. But, on the ship, she feared her presence in it would damage the crew and passanger's moral. So, she choose to make due with a simple dark green traveling attire, that looked like it was made for a human male, a dagger at her side and of course Serenity's symbol.

It could have been her hesitation to see her home, or the simple fact that walking on a ship at sea was nothing like walking on land, or wading though a swamp. But, as she took her final steps above deck, her foot met with the step causing her to trip and landed face to wood plank. "Damnit!" the very human phrase slipped from her lips, as her checks turned red from the embarrassing fall.

(Kow: I will leave it up to you, if you still want Irene and Tharee to know each other.)  

[Kowsauni]

IRENE EMERSON

To Kei, Irene would respond. "Ah so Kami is sort of a... religious thing?"

Before Irene could continue she was interrupted by sound of someone crashing to the deck behind her. Turning to see who it was Irene's heart would skip a beat... If her heat still did actually beat. The person who had tripped and fallen was Tharee, an elven war-priest from the very lands they were traveling to visit. In fact it was because of her she had decided to embark on this trip. Irene had no idea she was on this ship however.

A few months ago Irene had first encountered Tharee in a comprising situation. It was shorty after she had fled from her mother's mansion. She was starving and in a moment of weakness, she had visited upon a graveyard to munch on some freshly buried corpses. It was an elderdly couple who had just passed. Irene preferred old people. Their bodies were flavored with life experiences. It was when she was in the middle of such a feast that she was discovered by Tharee on a sleepless night walk. Through some quick talking she was able to stay her hand from violence and at a latter point they were able to meet up and learn a little bit about each other.

Irene had mixed feelings about seeing Tharee here. The elf was the one person on this plane (that Irene knows about) that knew her secret. Despite this, Tharee was a kind person dedicated to her god. She was a bit of a tomboy who was terrified of the of the idea of finding a significant other. Though their circumstances were different, Irene could relate. As much as Irene craved a romantic experience, she was not sure she could ever be a person's special someone. She could never bear children, she couldn't grow old with them, her body lacked warmth and her heart did not beat. How could someone love an undead abomination. That kind of relationship seemed best to be avoided.

Irene would run over Tharee and help her to her feet. Her petite body contained an amazing amount of strength. "Tharee! What a ...surprise to see you here! I never thought you were going to leave my homeland."  

[Winter Wondork]

The elf tapped his fingers on the railing slowly as he thought. " Hm.. It sounds much like the Shamanistic practices I've heard about that are practiced by the more.. frugal tribes that occasionally dot the landscape of my homeland." Saying something along the lines of 'less advanced' seemed, less than polite even if it was true that they had not advanced as the sprawling kingdoms and empires across the land had.

He was about to continue as someone.. hit the deck behind him. Again that potion nearly went into his mouth, a twitch he needed to learn to control, before he could get his senses about him and turn, with a small glare to find the culprit. More out of mild annoyance from drawing out that worrying twitch than anything, though as Irene rushed by him and started up a conversation it softened and he turned away, returning to glancing at the islands and fantasizing.

 

[Raganui Minamoto]

"Religion, yes. Shugenja beseech Kami aid. Seen similar, clerics?" He tilted his head in thought, frowning softly. Kei really needed to work on his knowledge of these lands a bit more. Maybe also work on his accent. "I not most religious, cannot give much. Am one of Inari-Okami."

He'd turn to look back at the thump, hand curled slightly. Upon seeing no threat, especially with Irene running to talk to the person, he turned away and resumed his original stance before the talking all started. Hopefully this 'Holy Land' would be the point where he could catch his prey.  

[SCN_ Grey_fox]

Pushing her self back to her feet, Tharee paused when she felt someone with tremendous strength started to help. Expecting someone two or three times her size, the elf turned to see her helper was about her size. A pale skinned female human, blue eye and blond hair... someone from her past.

"Irene?" Surprised at seeing the the small girl again and seeing her strength. Then again, many of the undead had such unnatural strength.

The last time they meet, Tharee felt comfortable enough with the unliving human child grant her leniency, but seeing the girl ghoul once more, raised the same feeling of worry in Tharee she left buried back then... Could Irene take a life? Not in the sense of a hunter looking for food, even the great eagles do that, but as an assassin. The answer to that question would change how the Shield Maiden's disciple would be required to handle her.

From Tharee's understanding, Irene was a tale of a parent who couldn't let her daughter go. A sad story really, but one the priests hear often. The result is usually the parent slipping into understandable grief and either find the strength to move on or takes their own life. But, in Irene's case her mother created an undead.

To many of the faithful, the answer to creating such an abomination would be to destroy the undead child and arrest, or kill, the parent. But, Serenity commands her followers to protect the weak and innocent... in this case, Irene seemed innocent of any wrong doings. Still...

"If it were my choice, I would be in Ravendale. My people, on the other hand, are heading home and Serenity requires me to see to their safe passage. So, here I am." Tharee answered dusting herself off, after standing on her feet again. "Though, I could say the same to you. Why are you traveling to Ferelein?"  

[Kowsauni]

IRENE EMERSON

Irene would giggle a little nervously. "Hehe well, I guess you could say I got the idea from you. I decided a needed a fresh start and I wanted a clean break from any baggage that might be left for me back home. So I figured why not head to your homeland. When you told me about it it seemed like a nice place. There, I would be a nobody, where even my noble name would not carry any weight...or raise any eyebrows. It seemed like the one place I could truly be free."

A little uncomfortable with the topic of conversation focusing on herself, Irene would try to redirect it. "Hey, I met some fine travelers who are heading to your homeland as well. Let me go introduce you to them. I'm sure they will have some good questions about the Ferelein that only you could answer."  

[SCN_ Grey_fox]

The request seemed a little spur of the moment, but Irene was right. "I only spent a hundred years there, I don't know how much help I can be." Tharee spoke plainly, if it came out sounding sarcastic she didn't mean it to. "But, lead the way."  

[Kowsauni]

IRENE EMERSON

Irene would smile at Tharee without exposing her teeth and lead her over to the the other people she had met earlier. In her cheery voice she would introduce everyone. "Hey everyone, this is Tharee. She is actually from the Holy Kingdom so she might be able to answer some of your questions. She's spent about the last decade or so in my home country though so her information might be a bit out of date for human standards."

Irene would then point to the others and state to Tharee. "The one in the mask goes by the name of Kei and this fine elven man over here is an alchemist named Valian. We are all going to be new residents to your homeland, isn't that neat?"  

[Southern Cross Nemesis]

With a small smile, Tharee would give the two other's a curtsy. "Le suilon!" She spoke elven as she greeted the two

(edit: This is SCN Grey Fox. I forgot, I was on this account when I made this post.

Elven phrase= I greet you)  

[Raganui Minamoto]

Kei looked at the two from the corner of his eye before turning them back to the horizon. "Man erin (Elf-Good Morning). Traveler, Hunter. Seek prey. Leave after."