[Nexus] HALO 178: Mia clementia denor esto

[Arkhosia]

Entrance Hall

Kyne and Rien may notice Caelynn walk by. She's dressed in an open black trench coat with violet details, black leggings, and a violet shirt. She is wearing her weapons, and has a bandage encircling around her forehead, as well as a few bruises.
She looks like she's been crying recently.

[Reinholdt]

[Entrance Hall]

Telling the truth. That could be inconvenient for you, so you'll promise to tell only the truth to me and then I'll never see you again. She teases him. At least, she thinks she's teasing him. It's touching a bit on her unconscious fear that he's just stringing her along. Anyway, I won't ask why you picked me of all people. Of all the sluts you fool around with when you're not with me. But I accept.

Entrance Hall

"Right. Ok... anyways, they want to meet you first. Guess they don't trust me for whatever reason." Reinholdt hasn't a clue why.

"Would you prefer doing that, Thanksmas, or... something else first?" Something else being rather suggestive.

But it might be dealing with Caelynn.

[FireFox]

[Forge]

The pilot nods in agreement. "Somewhere to belong"... Yeah, I hear ya.


[Entrance Hall]

The sooner I get to hear the truth from you, the better. Kynegetis starts to reach out to take his hand, but she's distracted by Caelynn walking past. She won't stop the catgirl, but she does scrutinize her.

[Reinholdt]

[Entrance Hall]

"... I am still allowed to decline answering questions." Reinholdt clarifies, taking Kyne's hand and preparing to step back in the pod. GLoG's already going to take time and if they stop for extras they might miss Thanksmas. But Caelynn or Kyne could decide otherwise.

[Arkhosia]

Entrance Hall

Caelynn looks like she sustained a bad beating. As I said earlier, she has a bandaged head wound and a couple bruises on her face. She actually has a couple of cuts on her chest and a lot of bruises on her torso as well, but the only evidence of those injuries is that Caelynn occasionally winces when she breathes.

[Recaiden]

[Entrance Hall]

Continuity untangles itself and Arlem arrives again. Wearing no mask nor knives, only her normal pink outfit and a jaunty hat that reads 'HALO', she should be easy to recognize by people who know her.
More noteworthy is the shackled gnome boy chained to her wrist.

"Inevitable? Hah. Any power you gain will be a gift. You need to learn, Arteitheo, that the means are secondary. What is important is that the power exists, and how it is used. If you had sufficient power, what would you do?"

[FireFox]

[Entrance Hall]

Yes, you have the freedom to exercise as poor a judgment as you like. Kyne says agreeably as she joins Reinholdt in the pod. She has something she needs to ask him and she'll get an honest answer or... Well, or the whole honesty thing won't work out. She wouldn't beat him up over that. She only does that when he seriously flusters her. Like if he takes advantage of the long trip to the surface and then to GLoG to take advantage of her.

[Reinholdt]

Pod to Surface

I'm not sure what qualifies as 'taking advantage of her'.
He does scoot up to her considerably close. "These pods are just soooo cold. Especially in Winter."

[Morty]

[Forge]

The pilot nods in agreement. "Somewhere to belong"... Yeah, I hear ya.

"What about you? Is that why you're here as well?" Thariza asks the pilot, in a rather transparent attempt to shift the topic from her.

[Earl of Purple]

Entrance Hall

"Political, magical, military, religious, personal or monetary power?" It all depends, and most comes with access to another form of power in some way. A High Priest of Bane has lots of religious power, yet also can command His Paladins and Blackguards, giving them military power, too. A politician can raise taxes, giving them monetary power, and a rich man can hire armies. Personal power can be used to intimidate and gain the loyalty of various types of monster, and so on.

[Recaiden]

[Entrance Hall]

"You tell me, boy. You are the one seeking power in Bane's church. What are you looking for?" Since the most are usually translateable to the other forms one way or another. Arlem has only some kinds of those, but sees little distinction.
She tries to lead him out of the entrance-way toward the living rooms. Needs to find a place to lock him up.

[Earl of Purple]

Entrance Hall

"A nice house, obedient servants, enough money to live well but not flamboyantly without having to work and nobody to tell me what to do. I won't say no to a larger house, more servants, and more money, but that's a start. I don't want too much responsibility, though. Administration is boring and lame." So considerably less than world domination, but the only way to avoid having to do what he's told by anyone is to be the head of a nation, and above the law.

[Recaiden]

"That's so petty. You guys kill people for that?"
Arlem shakes her head. This kid will be easier than she thought. Guess it's true that people raised evil have a mellower time with it.
"You'll always have to work. The work might be in managing and keeping employees and servants, in selecting people, but there's no getting something for nothing." Even the heads of nations must heed other nations. And is it ever a lot of work.
As a note, she doesn't leave his thoughts unless he finds a way to shut her out. That would be like closing her eyes and letting him run off.

[Earl of Purple]

Entrance Hill

"No, I killed to please Bane. Pleasing Bane means I'm more likely to receive divine assistance on the path, and far less likely to displease Him and get punished by Him or His followers." Such as having slavers directed to his house to drag him and his family off as slaves. "Managing the employees won't be work, because I don't want employees. Well, maybe one; I don't want a chef I can't trust." The rest will be slaves.

[Arkhosia]

Entrance Hall

Caelynn is still here!
She's sitting down with her back against the wall, watching Arlem & the gnome. She looks like she suffered a bad beating, and is weary.

[Recaiden]

[Entrance Mill]

"Foolish. It would better to never follow Bane. It says as much in your own book. Failed servants are more harshly punished than infidels. And you know, slaves are even more work. They'll always be hoping to kill you or escape."

Then Arlem spots Caelynn on the way out, and hurries over to the weary person. "What happened to you? Here, be healed." She traces an anchor-like shape in the space before Caelynn, who should have the worst of her injuries close up and some weariness lifted.

[Earl of Purple]

Entrance Hall (Mill? What?)

"Wait, what? No it doesn't." Arteitheo's read it several times, both in the original Abyssal, and translated into Common and Gnome, but he doesn't remember it saying that outright.

[Arkhosia]

[Entrance Mill]

"Foolish. It would better to never follow Bane. It says as much in your own book. Failed servants are more harshly punished than infidels. And you know, slaves are even more work. They'll always be hoping to kill you or escape."

Then Arlem spots Caelynn on the way out, and hurries over to the weary person. "What happened to you? Here, be healed." She traces an anchor-like shape in the space before Caelynn, who should have the worst of her injuries close up and some weariness lifted.

I-I was captured by AMEN. My a-archenemy is a m-member.
She sounds like she's holding back tears.

[Recaiden]

[Entrance Wall] ((You said it was an entrance hill, so I assumed we were playing a letter-exchange game.))

"'Those who cross the Black Hand meet their dooms earlier and more harshly than those who worship other deities.' Do you not recall...you worship the Other Bane, don't you? Tell me, what do you call the world?"

((Eep! I posted this out of order, sorry.))

Arlem tries to read Caelynn's mind and rifle through her recent memories to figure out just what happened. "Don't worry. You're out safe now." Must be nice. All of Arlem's enemies are fellow HALO members.

[FireFox]

Pod to Surface

I'm not sure what qualifies as 'taking advantage of her'.
He does scoot up to her considerably close. "These pods are just soooo cold. Especially in Winter."

Pod to Surface

Is it cold at GLoG, too? I didn't bring a coat. Is she leaning into him? I think she's leaning a little into him.

"What about you? Is that why you're here as well?" Thariza asks the pilot, in a rather transparent attempt to shift the topic from her.

[Forge]

... He stares off into space for awhile. ... Pretty much, I guess. I need to keep flying.

[Reinholdt]

Pod to Surface

Reinholdt will be more than happy to lean back into her and wrap one arm around her shoulders.

"It's not too bad if you're standing in the sun and it's not windy that day."

[FireFox]

Pod to Surface

The Aspect relaxes. Anything else I should know about GLoG?

[Morty]

[Forge][/B]

... He stares off into space for awhile. ... Pretty much, I guess. I need to keep flying.

Thariza nods, then blinks a few times.

"Makes sense, but... I'm afraid I didn't quite catch your name."

[Earl of Purple]

Entrance Hall (I have no idea how that happened.)

Arteitheo licks his left little finger and holds it up in the air, moving it around slightly, seeming to respond to various small breezes. "Well, I think this is still the Nexus, but I could be wrong. Why do you ask? And, what 'other Bane'? There is only one Bane." But until His faith is more firmly entrenched within the Nexus, He's being more forgiving towards those who do worship Him; with few tools, conserving them to the best of His ability is the wisest course.

[Arkhosia]

[Entrance Wall] ((You said it was an entrance hill, so I assumed we were playing a letter-exchange game.))

"'Those who cross the Black Hand meet their dooms earlier and more harshly than those who worship other deities.' Do you not recall...you worship the Other Bane, don't you? Tell me, what do you call the world?"

((Eep! I posted this out of order, sorry.))

Arlem tries to read Caelynn's mind and rifle through her recent memories to figure out just what happened. "Don't worry. You're out safe now." Must be nice. All of Arlem's enemies are fellow HALO members.

She'll learn that Caelynn followed her nemesis (Arkhosia (and yes, that's a PC of mine) to AMEN, where she was caught and interrogated/tortured by Saa (A thrax) and Arkhosia. Magtok rescued her by pretending to be Harley.

She doesn't look very reassured.
I know, but...

[Recaiden]

[Entrance Hall]

"Well, you will have to deal with her someday. But here you can rest, recover...what's troubling you?" She kneels down and tries to set a hand on Caelynn's shoulder. It's very reassuring.

Arlem taps the manacles, which glow for a moment, displaying a map of stars.
"This was my world." She taps one of them. "On it was a god named Bane, Lord of Strife, the Eternal Tyrant. He is dead, along with all the gods of that place. Here is Beyril, a world I once saw, where Bane is not known. Over here," She points out another tiny glow, "is another world, attested by star-travelers. It knows a god named Bane of the Black Hand, Lord of Strife. But his church is rather different. They are peaceful, and human sacrifice abhorrent to them. He and his people yet live, so far as we can see. And somewhere, off the map, is this Nexus. They are not the same."

[Earl of Purple]

Entrance Hall

"Then they aren't necessarily the same deity as the one I worship. His followers originated in a world called Abeir-Toril, specifically a continent called Faerun. Some of His followers found their way here, and converted my father and taught him, before moving on somewhere else." The Temple is inspired by, but is not necessarily identical to, the Forgotten Realms 3.5 version.

[Arkhosia]

[Entrance Hall]

"Well, you will have to deal with her someday. But here you can rest, recover...what's troubling you?" She kneels down and tries to set a hand on Caelynn's shoulder. It's very reassuring.

Arlem taps the manacles, which glow for a moment, displaying a map of stars.
"This was my world." She taps one of them. "On it was a god named Bane, Lord of Strife, the Eternal Tyrant. He is dead, along with all the gods of that place. Here is Beyril, a world I once saw, where Bane is not known. Over here," She points out another tiny glow, "is another world, attested by star-travelers. It knows a god named Bane of the Black Hand, Lord of Strife. But his church is rather different. They are peaceful, and human sacrifice abhorrent to them. He and his people yet live, so far as we can see. And somewhere, off the map, is this Nexus. They are not the same."

I... I told them things about HALO.
Caelynn says resignedly.

[Recaiden]

[Entrance Hell]

"Ah, I get it. Your Bane is from the past. Ugh, I hate time-travel." The star-map winks out, and Arlem sighs.
"Well it's not the first time. What all do they know?"

[Arkhosia]

[Entrance Hell]

"Ah, I get it. Your Bane is from the past. Ugh, I hate time-travel." The star-map winks out, and Arlem sighs.
"Well it's not the first time. What all do they know?"

They know the names of a few members and about the patrol and intelligence teams, as well as how many there are of each. Caelynn replies forlornly.