Late Night Talks: Aravashnial

[Farmerbink]

"Aravashnial?" he calls. "It's Filburn. May I come in, sir? Tomorrow we begin an assault on the enemy stronghold and I would like to discuss it with you before we no longer can..."

The sound of shuffling papers scarcely passes the doorway in response to your query. After a few moments, the door opens, revealing the wizened Elf you know and a young man with a dark blue robe behind, holding a sheaf of parchment with an awkward expression. "Yes, of course, Filburn. Come in, come in. Oh! Carson, we can continue tomorrow, assuming the world does not end before then." With a laugh that may or may not be forced, the young man places the papers on a desk and makes his way past you into the hallway. They don't appear to have been place in a particularly orderly fashion, but then he didn't take long, either.

As his footsteps fade down the hall, Aravashnial turns to you. "So," he begins. "Off to save the world, or die trying, I hear?"

[DarkOne-Rob]

Spoiler: Reference Post

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Filburn salutes Irabeth smartly as he is dismissed and then makes his way to the armory. There he works for several hours, combining his rudamentary instinctive magic, the tools available, and some hard work to repair his broken shield. Once it is done he spends some time working on his other pieces of equipment, polishing and sharpening his blades until they all but shine.

After a light dinner he makes his way to bed, exhausted and drained from the day. The half-elf sleeps soundly, waking refreshed in the early morning. Once he has washed and eaten he makes his way to find the elven wizard. "Aravashnial, yesterday we were hard-pressed and had little time for sorrow, but I wish to offer my condolences for the loss of your comrades. These days have proven dark indeed, but we have been blessed to have you amongst our company...

When first arrived here several years ago, I was the squire to a Hellknight sent from Cheliax to aid in the fight against the abyssal hordes of the Worldwound. When he was killed I was too old for the orphanage, but a member of your order happened to notice me one day. He pulled me aside and asked my name and history. After speaking for several hours, he told me that he had known my parents...They were apparently Riftwardens as well, but had died shortly after my birth. He had been asked to watch for me and provide me a small inheritance they had saved for me, should I take up the fight they so championed.

I thought you should know, sir. Be well, and I will come to you tonight after we investigate one of the demonic safehouses today..."

Filburn then excuses himself from the remaining Riftwarden's presence and finds his allies, ready to take the fight to the enemy.

Filburn nods for a moment before realizing that the wizened old elf cannot see him. "That's right, sir - things are certainly bleak, and I guess I am trying to get some perspective on things before I go off to try and save all of creation...

By the holy gods of righteous war, that sounds preposterous! I...I...oh, nevermind that..." Filburn stops talking for a moment before sighing deeply. "This is all too crazy, and I don't think that talking about it will help much. That's also not really why I am here.

Sir, you said you don't recognize my family name, but what can you tell me of the Riftwardens? You may be the last man on Golarion that would have known anything about my family, and if you would teach me I would listen and learn...both about the order and what my parents likely did too..."

[Farmerbink]

Aravashnial snorts in amusement at Filburn's preposterous claim. "or die trying," he repeats, betraying a more morose humor than one might have expected from the wizard. "It does sound perhaps ambitious," he agrees, "though one might posit that ambition is precisely what is most needed, given the circumstances."

"Oh? Then pray tell, if not to talk, why are you here? I am... sadly, poorly disposed to most other pursuits, as of late."

As Filburn voices his interests and concerns, Aravashnial nods slowly- a gesture easily recognizable as usually paired with a knowing expression. The expression is of course absent, but nonetheless, the intent is made clear. "I see... Well, the Riftwardens are..." He pauses for a moment, and purses his lips. "-One might suggest were, but I have good reason to suspect otherwise- an eclectic bunch."

He gathers his thoughts briefly before continuing. "The purpose of the order is to protect the innocent from the reckless abuse of interplanar travel- and punish those who choose to abuse the power. As you might imagine, this can lead us to pursue a variety of activities, from things as relatively simple as seeking out and destroying a demon, to as complicated as tracking an errant mage across the various planes. As for your parents... without knowing more of their goals or assignments, there is little of use I can say. The broader scope of what it means to be a Riftwarden encompasses years of professional instruction, which I am unprepared to provide- and of course we lack the time, regardless...."

[DarkOne-Rob]

"Well, I am not asking for training right now, but more just...well...something to give me hope for our return," Filburn says, trailing off. "I am not a mage, nor even a blood-sorcerer, but I have learned some tricks...ways to kind of exploit the way things work to make something like magic happen. Is that something like what the Riftwardens fight? I don't want to end up opposing the legacy of my parents...it might even be nice to carry on their quests in my own way. Can you tell me anything more about the Riftwardens? How does one join?"

[Farmerbink]

"At the risk of sounding rude, that sounds decidedly less... serious than the behavior the Riftwardens oppose. In very simplistic terms, it is usually best for a creature to remain on the plane where it exists. With only a few exceptions, travel between- for example our plane and the elemental plane of fire, or the literal hells- is likely to cause more trouble than it would be worth. In particular, when a sorcerer or warlock attempts to summon one of the denizens of either plane to ours, he treads on particularly thin ice. Even the most capable of arcanists invariably lose control at some point. Such a creature freed to roam here would cause untold damage- as the Worldwound can attest.

We cannot study the fissure with sufficient patience to determine its precise qualities, but it appears to be essentially an open gate between our world and the world of demons. Obviously, the wars of the last several hundred years give credence to the severity of this threat..."

"How does one join?"

He purses his lips, obviously considering his response carefully. "All that is strictly required to become a Riftwarden is to understand the tongues of devils and demons, and possess the arcane acumen to oppose their efforts to corrupt our world. Of course, there are many ways to serve the cause of the Riftwardens, without formally joining our ranks. A handful of paladins and clerics, and more than a few great warriors have proven to be staunch allies in the past. Our struggles against the demons of the Worldwound would have been lost three-hundred years ago, without the staunch and unceasing resistance of men called to other pursuits..."

[DarkOne-Rob]

Though the blind elf cannot see it, Filburn's disappointed expression is unmistakable. "You don't think I should try and follow in my parents' footsteps," he says as he looks down. "Well, it might be unorthodox, but I would like you to reconsider, at least after we return tomorrow. I may not be a cloistered magister or even trained in the arcane sciences at all, but I think I could learn. I can already speak the fiendish tongues -
such training is all but a requirement of squires in Cheliax. The Hellknight who trained me was a harsh, strict master, but he seemed to have my best interests in mind at least...

Have any Hellknights served alongside the Riftwardens?" he asks, suddenly curious of the possibility.

[Farmerbink]

Filburn's tone being what it is, Aravashnial is quick to pick up on it. "I did not say that, though I think you sell short many thousands of men and women by your hastening to judgement. As you said, you already possess a certain knack for something at least resembling magic. I have not had the good fortune to truly witness it, though I have felt remnants of your power as you and your friends rescued me." He listens to the rest of your concerns without further interruptions, nodding slowly in acknowledgement of the language familiarity.

"Now I find myself confused. It seems clear you want to follow in your parent's footsteps, but you ask of the Orders? Truth be told, there have been many, many times that a few of the Orders have shared common ends with the Riftwardens. Perhaps ironically, they have on occasion even joined forces to quell errant Hellknights of the Gate." He breathes deeply, and waves his hands to the side, as if to cut through that line of thinking.

"All that aside, one need not stay on their current path, simply because they have walked so far. If you care to seek training, I am unsure that I am most suited to it, but it would be the height of impropriety to deny one of my saviors what I have to give. Think on it, and think well. The path of the arcane is not one taken lightly, and the path of the Wardens is steeper and narrower, still."

[DarkOne-Rob]

"I...think I understand better. It isn't that you think me unfit - rather, you know the path's challenges and remain limited in your ability to instruct by your blindness. Thank you," says Filburn thoughtfully. Sitting in silence for several moments the half-elf meditates on his thoughts and continues, "If your concerns prove true and the training necessary to become a full Riftwarden prove beyond me, how would you advise me to learn more of my parents and their work within the order? To be honest, I desire to learn of them as much, if not more, than I desire to follow in their footsteps..."

[Farmerbink]

Aravashnial manages to appear saddened, despite the physical limitations. The Elf considers his words carefully, before putting them to voice. "I am afraid," he begins, "that what you truly desire may be beyond all of us." He sighs.

"Magic can tell us many things. It also has the power to conceal much. The Riftwardens being what we are, existing under the pervasive and imminent threat of the Worldwound as we do, have long-since availed ourselves of every reasonable tool to protect ourselves and our work. While for decades, the costs have been considered worthwhile, I am forced to wonder now if it was truly so.

You see, the beauty of magic is also its curse. Nothing is foolproof. All the magic in the world is of no use, if one places trust in the wrong man, or fails to adequately cover his or her tracks. It is possible that your parent's work can be discovered, but I suspect mundane investigation will be the manner in which it is accomplished. Unless they wanted to be found, no doubt their goals were warded against, and if they wanted to be found, the findings cannot be considered reliable." He shakes his head slowly.

"With so many lost, and no secure means of communication, I am afraid it would be folly to pursue this course directly. There is no way to be sure who would have known your parents, nor the veracity of someone's claims. Perhaps, in time, the truth will come to light. Perhaps, in time, such a person- a trustworthy person- may be found. For now, this may be the greatest source of hope..."

[DarkOne-Rob]

Filburn nods for a moment before remembering that the blind elf cannot see his response. "I think I understand, though it saddens me to hear it. Oh well...perhaps if we survive tomorrow I can spend more time worrying about this. If you will excuse me, sir..." he says as he makes his way to the door.