[Temple] The Dark Paladin of Natura

[Serion D'Rinishad]

Timestamp: The Month of Kalendryas, the Season of Winter, Era I of the Celestine Mandate, Era XV Post Fractum. [After the completion of Light's Darkness]

For the most part, Serion had avoided the Temple of the Blessed Hand during his stay within Natura. He had been content with merely living in the Henges with Lhyllis and Dhwae while he had decided to indulge his desires of a bodily transformation. In that time, the dark elf had grown healthier and more fit than he could ever remember, and his studies had strengthened his knowledge of his current skills. It wasn't until Serion had managed to complete the creation of his Staff of Arcana--his Sword of Arcana--Light's Darkness, that the vysstichi had decided that maybe he should see about becoming a member of a well known establishment of good intentions.

~The Temple~ The Temple Of Blessed Hands was the only fortified place in the forest-city of Natura…While the rest of the lanes, buildings, gardens and houses opened their arms to the trees like a young maiden would her lover, one focal point always drew the eye. In the city was a small hill… it had not been a major feature for the first few thousand years of Natura’s life-span, but several centuries ago a small Clan of Dwarves had been allowed to enter, and they had taken it upon themselves to build a Basilica upon that hill. The Elvish architects of Natura, however, had seen that the Basilica had been beautiful… or at least to the best of their abilities, for there was nothing like a Dwarf for glancing at a set of drawings and then discarding them in disgust because “Airy Fairy Castles” simply didn’t stand the test of time. However, a compromise had definitely been reached, for all of the arguments and debates, and the Temple of Blessed Hands was both functional in its capacity as a fortress and beautiful as a place of worship to the Goodly Divinities. Not to be out-done though… the Dwarves had added several store-houses and armouries as well as training grounds behind the Temple Cathedral proper, simply on the basis that if you’ve got a fort, someone will, sooner or later, lay siege to it. With the coming of the Humans, however, a Library had been added to the collection of buildings, as well as the final construction of the Starlight Forge, and the Clergy had taken up residence in the Basilica, to protect the repositories of Knowledge, translated from Elvish scribes… Lore not found anywhere else in Aelyria. The Clergy of Healers, Paladins and Monks held sway here now… those Orders born from the Sphere of Thaumaturgy… the holiest pursuit of Magic that there was. As a result… the Temple of Blessed Hands was wreathed in the melodic chanting of the Monks, and a million whispering prayers echoed within the marble halls… carrying blessings and absolutions, and a message to all; Here, The Goodly Deities Listen.

Serion knew a small bit about architecture, and even with his unpracticed eye he could tell that the temple was of quality design. He wasn't all that interested in examining the way in which the place had been built however, and made his way inside without too much thought of the outside.

~The Windows~ The windows were stained glass. That was the fist thing that was noticeable when stepping into this place… the windows were an intricate pattern of coloured glass, staining the light from the sun as it passed through the vaulted, domed, ceiling. And the second thing to notice was how the dome was segmented into fourteen sections… each, with a Deity, or a season, depicted, the dome’s windows separated by a long, graceful arc of the purest white marble. Thus, when the sun shone upon each window, it was illuminated separately, to fall upon the pristine white floor with a surprising clarity… even on cloudy days and at nighttime, the windows glowed their pictures onto the floor, the cause of some ancient enchantment. There was Ioannes, with his three faces… each one with the elvish symbol of Law, Order and Justice superimposed upon his forehead, standing upon his traditional sweeping cloudscape, glowing lightning snaking about his forearms to be trapped, writhing, in his hardened fists. On the next pane, was Aslan, the God of Honour. He bore a shield, with the Elvish symbols of Nobility and Virtue embossed upon it… his face was serene and his pose was most certainly that of a consummate gentleman. An impression of chivalry was gained from gazing upon his handsome features. And then, flanking her son on his right even as his father flanked his left, holding their child between them, was Diana the Patron Goddess, her great white wings fully extended, her pale eyes wise and benevolent. She wore upon her fine brow the Aethercrown, and in her left hand she wielded the Sword of Ioannes. The next pane was that of a tree, a mighty Oak, in the coldness of winter, standing strong and implacable against the storm… representing the strength of the Three before it, the unquestioning self-sacrifice of body and spirit. The next pane was of Maj and Phedos… both Archons with sweeping snowy wings, Maj backlit by a celestial sun, and Phedos backlit by a celestial moon and a starry sky. Maj the General held his customary sword, wreathed in blue flames that speared into the golden sun-drenched sky behind him. Phedos, for his part, had his hand extended into a map of stars created by the night sky behind him… obviously a metaphor for the Strategist, although his other hand held that of a tiny Elven child, showing his part as Father of all Elves. And the pane after Maj and Phedos in this fresco was that of Srennius, small, childlike, peaceful, biased from the top, the Deity’s face upturned and arms outstretched as if the whimsical little divinity wanted to be picked up. True to Srennius’ basic nature, the childish face was neither male nor female, and the main feature were the huge dark eyes and the scales that were draped artfully over one slim wrist… symbolising this Deity’s fascination for events that hung in the balance. The pane after these previous two was that of a Cherry tree, laden with delicate pink blooms, representing the fragility and the hidden beauty of the souls of the three spirits in these two panes. And to the right of that… was Orod, the God of Logic and Mathematics, his fragile old frame garbed in a robe, his thin hands folded, his wise old face vague and rather abstracted, staring off into some immeasurable distance as if he were contemplating a problem of infinite complexity. Next to him, a mischievous grin on her impish little face, was the Planetar of Time, Kalendryas, bearing an Hourglass that she had stolen from the distracted Orod, her face drawn up in a laugh. Beneath each, were the elvish symbols for Logic and Time. The next section bore the likeness of Kaimela, the Planetar of Dreams. All about her was a veritable fever-dream of images… some nightmarish and horrific to behold, others sweetly gentle to the eye, memories of happy days and imaginations of good times yet to come. After her, in the next pane, was Rak, the Planetar of Power… his likeness was that of a man walking upon fire, the flames licking up about his legs and robes, and behind him was a crossroads… symbolic of all the choices that he believed that all individuals with free will must make. The seasonal section of stained glass after them was that of a Aspen in midsummer… slender, graceful, bursting with vitality and bending with the wind… always active, never resting. And this pane, after the summer tree, was of Materna… she sat, regally, upon a simple, rough wooden chair in a kitchen in front of a well-swept fireplace, and with a plethora of gifts about her feet and in her lap… it was quite clear, however, that the gifts were not for the Planetar of Hearth and Home, but from her. There were cakes, and sweets, and sweetmeats, and many assortments of other food-based treats, both sweet and savoury… and, strangely, mixed amongst them without any consideration for value were luxurious gemmed boxes, crystal goblets, and finely wrought golden necklaces. The last was a Goddess… and most definitely Carmelya, daughter of Materna. She was enthroned upon a seat made of living wood, coiled with jasmine vines, blushing tiny tea-roses, and in her hair was a glorious coronet of flowers. There was a flat basket of fruit in her lap, and she was bejewelled with the gems of a million dewdrops. Carmelya, the Goddess of Fertility…The last seasonal tree was a Maple, the colours brilliant to the eye, its sap sweet, backed by a world overflowing with milk and honey and fruit, picked out in autumn colours, symbol of the Fertility and the Gifts of the last two Divine beings. Once the attention slid away from the breathtaking stained glass dome and it’s fresco of the Pantheon, it noted the building itself… the halls were large and tall, all constructed of snowy white marble, the lines simple and yet at the same time graceful… here, all the goodly Gods and all of the Planetars were worshipped and paid their due in a tribute of hymns that resonated throughout the Temple of the Blessed Hands. For all the goodly and benevolent hands of the Pantheon were represented here, and it seemed that the discerning student of either Thaumaturgy or of the Holy Paladins would be quite at home here in this place.

Not saying anything as he examines the stained glass, the dark elf notices that the Planetar of Power, the great Lord Rak, was not present amongst the colored depictions. It was a slight annoyance, but nothing that Serion couldn't keep to himself. As his eyes scan the room, the vysstichi paladin finds the marble, glass covered board bearing the information of the factions within the temple.

To become a Naturan Paladin… you must have at least; Initiate – Apprentice Thaumaturgy. Intermediate – Advanced in Swordsmanship or Maceman. You have the option to train up to Journeyman in Thaumaturgy, and all the way up to Mastery in Swordsmanship or Maceman The Naturan Paladins are a rather dedicated force. Since the Temple of Blessed Hands has become a Pantheon-wide centre of worship, a Paladin and the Thaumaturgists (Summoners and Healers both) can choose whatever goodly god they wish to worship and be able to pray and fast to that Deity without any problems. To become a true Naturan Paladin you must forge your own Mace or Sword at the Starlight Forge… these are reminiscent of the Soul Blades, and they must be Consecrated, much in the same way a church is consecrated, to a goodly God. These Magical blades are infused with the very soul of the Paladin, and quite powerful. This sword also their reward. To become a Naturan Monk… you must have at least; Initiate Thaumaturgy or above Intermediate Unarmed Combat or above You have the option to train up to Journeyman in Thaumaturgy, and all the way up to Mastery in Unarmed Combat. The Naturan Monks are a peaceful lot, living in their own private Abbey within the Temple of Blessed Hands, but unlike many other orders, the Monks of Natura are an outgoing lot, dedicated to enjoying life, and to learning the True Way… not Mind over Matter, but more a case of Mind over Myself. It isn’t easy to become a Monk… there is years of meditation, prayer and the learning of special techniques… such as tuning into the Monk’s life-force in their own body, and utilising that in ways that no Mage can even begin to dream of. A well-trained Naturan Monk, for example, can punch through solid rock with their fists, walk barefoot happily through blizzards, and survive by extracting energy from the air around them, negating the need to eat. They hold the symbol of the Silver Benediction… a hand raised in blessing, two fingers extended to show their faithfulness and serenity. Those Monks that we currently have are trained in Thaumaturgy equally, and have then augmented their learnings with the unarmed combats… this insistence on using their bodies as deadly weapons currently has the Paladins baffled, but the respect that the two Holy Battle-Orders have for each other is immeasurable. That, and the fact that the Monks are rumoured to be experimenting with the brewing of some fine Trappist Ales seems to have eased their merging with the Temple of Blessed Hands… and incidentally earning the order the nickname of “The Trappists”. Those of spirit pure wishing to pursue Thaumaturgy within these halls to become a Healer are most welcome also... choose ye a God to worship, Paladin or Healer ye be, Paladins, take up thy holy swords, Healers, thou shalt learn the medicinal arts of plants. Will ye, Nil ye and rest thy soul within the hands of the Gods and Planetars.

Excellent... Serion thinks silently to himself as he notes the requirements for joining the order. He easily matched what was required, so now it was simply a matter of determining who was in charge of inducting members. With that thought in mind, the dark elf turns from the board, letting his eyes scan those within the temple, hoping to see someone that might know that which he seeks.

[Fox]

Of all the sights to see, and of all the people to approach him, perhaps a female dwarf wasn't quite the person that Serion expected. And yet, it was a exactly that which walked up to him as he looked around. She was a fairly typical dwarven woman and she walked over to him gruffly.

When she spoke, it was with an equally gruff voice as she had an expression "Serale" she said, looking him up and down "What is it that brings you to the Paladins of Natura... how may we serve you this brightening?" she asked, looking at him like she wasn't entirely trusting of the dark paladin in front of her, not knowing what he was, nor yet judging him by appearance, but more simply mistrusting him on general principle, it seemed.

She looked at him and waited for him to answer. She didn't seem to be put out by his race, although as a dwarf perhaps everyone without a beard looked the same to her. It was certainly possible.

[Serion D'Rinishad]

A dwarf. A short, squat, stubby dwarf. A short, squat, stubby, female dwarf. Serion did not really like dwarves--or gnomes for that matter. Serion had learned to live with Fae, since Snibly had been a very close friend, but dwarves and gnomes were just creepy looking. So not only was Serion dealing with said dwarf, but a female of a species where body hair was a glorious mantle to them. To display his feelings towards the female would have been a foolish notion, and a slightly raised eyebrow was all that Serion let slip upon her confronting him before smiling and giving a slight bow.

"I am Serion, Lord of House D'Rinishad. I have actually been in Natura for a few seasons now, training with Lhyllis and Dhwae. I have managed to rustle some free time and decided to see what else was within Natura." Motioning towards the board, Serion keeps his eyes on the dwarf. "I was actually pondering the attempt to join the Naturan paladins as a member. Is there anyone I might speak with in regards to signing up?"

While the sign had given the requirements to join, it had nothing in regards to the proper procedure of joining. He had been in Natura for a while now, and the two women would surely vouch for him. While they knew Serion wasn't blatantly evil, they knew that he was capable of good as well, should the need to do so arise. Waiting calmly, the vysstichi awaited the response from the dwarf in front of him. His composure hid the thoughts that ran through his head, but a mystic might have been able to pick out something referring to the similarities between dwarven women and harry bullfrogs. Serion really did not like dwarves.

[Fox]

Gunilla looked at him and one bushy eyebrow raised. As he continued speaking, the eyebrow raised further. Too much more and she might end up with eyebrow meeting hairline, truth be told.

"Pondering? Rustle up some free time?" she said, and her voice was sharp "The Naturan Paladins are a way of life, young man, and they are not something to be played at. I don't care if you were travelling with Carmelya Herself, you can name drop all you like, but you don't join the Paladins on a whim. Go away. If you ever decide you do want to join, rather than 'pondering' whether you'll join us in your 'free time', you come back and ask to speak to Gunilla Thunderthighs. That's me. I take the new recruits.."

She glared at him with an expression of barely disguised anger at the... the audacity and for the love of the gods, spewing out of the mouth of a Vysstichi scum as well. Gunilla had barely ever been more horrified and her face told him as much.

[Serion D'Rinishad]

Anger flashed in the dark elf's silver eyes for the briefest of moments. Serion was not some punk kid wandering in off of the streets, and in fact he probably had lived longer than the female standing before him. Had this been Imperia a few eras ago, Gunilla Thunderthighs would have found her head flying across the benches of the Temple with but a mere motion from Serion's swordarm. This was Natura though, and Serion had a different way of doing things when in the public eye these days.

"A way of life? You stand here and play a game of semantics, and question my way of life? You will know nothing of life until you have your dreams smashed before your very eyes, testing the very foundations of your being, forcing you to question the path you have chosen for yourself. A way of life is something you live because you choose to live it, not because of some title that you slap on your chest like some sort of badge."

Serion almost spit in disgust, but the fact that it would not have aided him in his argument caused him to hold back his action. His stare was as hard as the dwarf's, but the anger was not disguised. To think that she would take his idle conversation and turn it against him was an outrage, as he was only trying to be friendly.

"I need not throw out names to gain entrance into an organization, as my deeds speak for themselves. I merely mentioned them as a reference for my being in Natura, as apparently even the most devout followers hold a deep seated distrust for those races that the world has dubbed evil." His left hand was pointing sharply at the dwarf now. "I have surpassed those connotations long ago, had thought that an organization such as the Naturan Paladins was one that upheld the same morals and codes I myself held. To me, a Paladin order is not a way of life, but a collection of people that share the same ideals."

Lowering his hand back down, letting himself calm a bit from his anger, Serion's eyes never leave the dwarf's own. "You speak so proudly of your way of life, but you take the first opportunity to spurn away a member that is willing to put his all into a group that shares his goals. Tell me this Gunilla, why would I even want to come back to a group of people that act in such a way that even the gods they follow would find appaling?"

[Fox]

"Do.. Not... Point... At ...Me" she said, looking at him unwaveringly "You come here, wishing our hospitality, wishing to walk amongst us and you do so with a cavalier attitude. It isn't semantics, it's a way of life.. truly a way of life. Will you give yourself over to that? Will you? Will you allow your anger to be stripped away?"

She glared at him as he spoke and shook her head in clear displeasure "You think to judge us.... yet you come here and speak as though this would be a hobby. This is who we are, what we do and where we live. It isn't something to be taken lightly. So if you wish to join, you sign up... sign up and stand to be counted. I do not care what race you are" she said, and then stopped.

"Or perhaps I do." she sighed, considering and then looked back at him. "I would not have responded so forecefully if another Dwarf had come in here and spoken as you did. But I *would* have responded... and in the same vein, perhaps just a little less forecefully."

She looked at him and motioned to him "So, come, and we can discuss it if you want to join. But I take this very very seriously, and I'll expect you to also."

[Serion D'Rinishad]

The Dark Paladin could perhaps understand the feelings the dwarf would feel when someone points accusingly at them. It was perhaps required in order to make his point, and Serion knew that he had succeded with the female's thoguhts on the situation. It was very seldom that Serion encountered a situation like this that he couldn't use racial tensions as a stepping stone.

Sighing slightly at Gunilla, Serion nods. "Yes, I would indeed like to speak of joining the order. I have put too much effort into seperating myself from the stigmatism of the vysstichi race amongst others that to walk away after such a small disagreement would be walking backwards." Finishing with a short bow, Serion smiles.

"Serion D'Rinishad is at your diposal, ready to give his all in the way of a Naturan Paladin." It had been only a slight disagreement between him and Gunilla, but the knowledge he had of the Naturan paladins lead him to believe that this would be a valuable step in his plans for the future.

[Fox]

ooc: fetch is going to be modding this from now on. He has my full permission to marmalise Serion in his own unique fashion - seriously, he's got lots of ideas, and I think you boys will have fun!

[fetch]

Gunilla pulled at her beard twisting stubby fingers through its luxury , with an annoyed shrug of her broad shoulders she brought the hand down by her side and nodded ….

Very well Serion D’Rinishad Lord of the Vysstichi you seem determined to prove yourself if we decide that one such as you can serve the Paladins of Natura then understand this, your deeds your reputation your experience will mean nothing here. We live to serve the peoples to protect and heal to raise our weapons in the defence of the all that is right and never betray the trust that our office gives us. I will be blunt Serion your fellow Paladins will be suspicious of a Vysstichi some will be reluctant to work with you but I cannot deny that your words have the ring of sincerity about them…….

The fingers went back to beard unbidden as an idea formed in her mind ….. Right we will accept you on a trial basis. Report here at dawn fully equipped for a cycles march into the Dolwoods. You will be accompanied by Paladin Argo Stonethrottle and this particular dwarf has no love for your race but he is fair minded and will treat you well. Impress Argo and we will accept you.

It was an after thought but pertinent … I assume Serion that you have the skills that we require for our work if you have not then this conversation is over.