On the return to Foxbridge

K

Krystina F

Artisan
{{OOG: this occurs one night around the fire after dinner on the journey back to Foxbridge. The adventurers that did not spirit walk will be able to hear this, if they are sitting near the fire and not sleeping…}}


Óle clears her throat, her whole body trembling slightly and starts to speak.

“There is one of us that is not here because of decisions and actions that took places in the Mountains. This person stayed behind because they feel all of the blood shed by the Jemajh – by our hands, our actions – are on their hands. They are staying behind to help rebuild and atone.

“Did any of you realize this? Did any of you realize that our actions have completely damaged the soul of one of the brightest, most caring individuals we have in our party?” Óle pauses, stares quietly at the ground for a few moments gathering her strength again. When she speaks again, it is with a stronger voice, tinged with anger, frustration and tiredness.

“Hava is not here with us because of what we have done. Our actions against the body of Abana. While I was not physically in the tavern while Hava was performing a deeply personal ritual to her and her people, I sat in the Earth circle with a promise to Khyzael to make sure to bring back any spirits of the Jemajh that came to me.

“Hava performed a Shatter Spirit, which is not a task that she takes lightly or with ease, on the body of Abana to free the remaining Jemajh from her hold. This ritual completely ended Abana’s life, and thus the lives of the eldest of the Familia. I watched as Khyzael came to the Circle and dissipated. There was nothing I could do to save his spirit, which was absolutely heartbreaking for me. Hava believes she, and she alone has the blood of all of the elders on her hands.

“She was in tears as I spoke to her about it. About the hatred swirling in the room as she desperately tried to focus to perform this ritual. About the frenzy that was being whipped up by one or two individuals, and others easily added to. I know that not everyone participated in this disrespectful display, but that no one, save one individual – from what I have heard – stood up to it… That absolutely disgusts me. What have we become? Since when has it become ok to desecrate and disrespect the dead in such a manner? Are we ok showing new adventurers that this behavior is acceptable? That it’s ok to gloat and be gleeful about conquering our ‘so called enemy?’” Óle, now standing, has been pacing, voice nearly cracking with emotion. She pauses, and stares into the fire. The flames reflect in her eyes. “Are we becoming too eager to kill?”

She starts to speak again, “Yes, perhaps she may have needed to be killed, but that does not mean we needed to react in such a manner. Everything dies, and we are responsible for making sure that is done in the proper way. How a death is done is just as important as to when it occurs. And if we are trying to cleanse this land, are we doing it in the right manner now? There is a cost for everything we do, and I do not think we are seeing the costs we are incurring for our actions.”

She sits back down in front of the fire, never taking her gaze from the flames. And lowly, she whispers to herself, “what monsters we are becoming. We must burn.”
 
Lyn stands up where Ole was speaking and begins:

"As some of you know I was highly conflicted about killing Abana and only did not outright object because of her meddling with the planes that will affect beyond just here. Had that one fact been diffrent you would have for sure seen me on the other side of that battle... and after what I saw after her ritual was complete I'm honestly not sure I made the right choice to fight by you last night.

During our invasion, and yes, that is exactly what we were just doing... I got the opportunity to meet many of the Jamajh and they were happy. This was a way of life that they honestly enjoyed and we barged right in and took the simplest solution of just murdering the problem DESPITE it causing a genocide, ruining whole cultures, and almost certainly paving the way for undead and other threats to plague these lands. On top of all of the violence we have already caused here, the people will now value their lives less since they can resurrect and almost assuredly wars and further destruction will break out across that land...

Now I'm not saying that we didn't need to protect the elemental planes from Abanas actions, but the way in which we went about it was horrific and I truly hope that everyone that is so gleeful about it right now will one day learn to bear the weight that Hava, a much better person that all of you, feels now... There could have been another way... our options were not so exhausted that we needed to resort to killing an entire Sella family. WE HAD TILL THE YEARS END FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!

One last thing I want to say is... thank you. Thank you to all those that let me see your true colours during that wicked night. You have let your guise slip and helped me truly come to the realization that you are not to be trusted at face value. I admit I am a foreigner to these lands and while I do no fully understand why Foxbridge is under attack, I am unsure that it does not fully deserve it at this point..."

At this point Lyn goes to sit with Ole with anger, passion, and sorrow in his heart to go comfort Ole.
 
Amory stands, starting quietly.

"My friends, allies, an family. My apologies if this isn't as coherent as I would like. We are all tired, drained, and emotional.

I understand your anger. I was not present for the end that Abana found, and I was not present for much of the aftermath, though I did hear about it.

It is true, that by the words of the Fae, we had until the end of the year before the planes cracked and fell. However, during this last gather, we heard from one of the Death/Bureaucracy elementals that the plane was already collapsing. Our time was far shorter than we originally thought.

There were terrible consequences wrought by Abana's death. Any Loss Of Life Outside Our Enemy Is Unnacceptable. However, not all of the Jemaje were lost. There are still songs to be sung, life to cherish, and those to bring home safely. Bandoleer Ian has spoken with the other Selunari families, and those of the Band of the Fabulous Pants will be bringing the Jemaje to them in order to begin the healing process and start their lives anew and away from the influence of Abana and her Red Euphoria.

I understand your anger. I understand your feelings. But you must understand our anger as well." Tears begin falling, and her voice waivers.

"Abana destroyed the natural order of spirits within Fortanis. She Consumed the spirits of our friends, our families, and the loved ones of AerAstria. If you -managed- to ressurect, the blades cut into your spirits like knives through skin. I will never -ever- forget their piercing cut. I, and many others, will always carry those scars on our hearts and minds.

She took away loved ones before their time, consuming their spirits. She denied loved ones a chance to say goodbye through a spirit farewell - instead they were met by the tortured screams as their spirt was torn to shreds and consumed.

She TWISTED what it means to be Rai. To be welcomed into the Families of the Selunari and given their trust. For nearly Three Hundred Years she warped the hearts of the Jemaje to her purpose, using them as cattle and tools for her terrible purpose.

You speak of anger? You're right. We are angry. Those of us who are Rai are angry. Those of us who know the loss felt by the families of AerAstria are angry. T Hose of us who have watched our Selunari families go through the torture of fighting their brothers and sisters, are angry. Many of the words spoken at her end were spoken from that place of great anger. Abana is dead. But the wounds she has left will take time to heal.

That should be our focus. Helping to heal the wounds left in the hearts and minds of the Jemaje."

She leaves, going to the refuge camp. Until travel, that is where she will be found.
 
Squire Raganzi stares into the flames.

"If you care at all for your friend, one of you should go help Hava join the group, there will be nothing left here in our wake except for powerful undead."

He pauses for a moment before looking directly at Ole' and Lyn

"The Jemajh, a tribe that is still more intact than seemingly any other tribe of selunari, will be following us about half a day back. By my count they are still healthy and able, while there elders might have perished, it is my understanding that they only lost those whom were outside of their natural life span. So things return to balance."

His eyes return back to the fire.

"War broke out before we left, this is with Valenzia knowing nothing of our plan to kill the medusa. So to claim wars will start now is foolhardy. War is war is war is war is war. People will take advantage of each others weakness, it is seemingly the way of things. That is why our house is here. That is why many of us are joining noble orders, to protect the weak from those who would usurp their will, and their freedom. If you believe we had until the end of the year, and choose to wait, every person consumed by those chains is on your hands. Every child who falls out of a tree in the forest, every teen slain by the torn, every single person whose spirit is ripped to shreds in agony is on your hands. We restored the natural order of things. Lyn, If I ever catch you brooking with unnatural magics or beings to get some sort of half thought out revenge because you cannot grasp the concept of natural order, I swear upon my family name I will bring you to justice. We did not commit genocide, we did not ruin whole cultures, we paved the way for nothing, we were the ones who brought the Jemajh here. Feel free to be upset about not understanding what is going on, but do not attempt to enflame the community with lies. We have a long trek back, if you cannot find peace on this walk, you can find the mists."

His eyes return to Ole'

"Ole' if you cannot understand the good that you participated in by the time we return I would ask you to join Lyn. I understand why you would be upset at the catharsis of berating a beaten enemy, I too find it distasteful, but I would never complain about another finding peace in their own way, for we are not monsters and should not stifle our companions passions. I am currently dissapointed in both of you, but we have a long way ahead of us. Take some time to think about what you are doing, and if you cannot come to terms with what happened in Auros by the time we return, I would ask you to find new homes. We do not have room for enemies from within while we fight this new war..."

Raganzi lays back and just stares at the stars.


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Squire Raganzi pops back upright

"Wait, I have been fighting too long. We should never disrespect the dead or our enemies. We should be noble in our victories, and humbled by what we have accomplished."

Raganzi's eyes look across the assembled around the fire

"We do not know the cost others have paid for our victories. We do not know what they have had to give or sacrifice. While some of us have slain a monster, to others it was a mother. If you feel the need for catharsis, and to celebrate others loss, please do so in a planned time so that others may remove themselves from your reverie, or take it into a private place. This is not to say don't celebrate, but just be respectful of the cost others have paid to get there, they might not be as ready to celebrate, and that too should be respected."

Raganzi leans back and stares back into the stars mumbling something about order elementals
 
Óle quietly speaks back up. "I am sorry I appear to have disappointed you Raganzi, but more to your second point was my aim. We completed a task that needed to be done, I personally may not agree with how it all ended up, but making sure the planes do not collapse is extremely important for everyone's survival, and that part I do agree with. My awkwardness with others sometimes makes it difficult to convey that how we treat others, friend or foe, teaches those around us what kind of people we are. So we need to be aware of how we are openly displaying our victories and losses. There is a time and a place for everything, and we need to consciously be aware of how we are presenting ourselves during those times."
 
*Hengin sits up from his reclined position and tosses back his fur*

There is some smoke that needs to be cleared here.

I was present in Tavern during the ritual that Hava performed. I saw the faces of mourning, sorrow, exhaustion, relief and jubilation. It was my voice that raised the cheer after Abana's final demise, and I absolutely spit on the monster that was tortured and destroyed before my feet.

It has already been said, but I will say it again. What Abana did to resurrection was so twisted and perverted that I can barely comprehend it. I have been fought my way back to Fortannis through an Earth Circle on seven separate occasions. I know the value of life, and what it means to cling to it. What I saw Bevin, one of my oldest and closest friends, go through on her first ever resurrection in these lands makes my struggles and trials look like a game for children. I will spit, dance, and bellow over the corpse of a creature that has brought so much pain and destruction. I will show the Never forget that Abana destroyed the Jhemaj culture when she addicted them to her vile concoction and Abana has committed DOZENS of genocides through the centuries of her tyranny by consuming the spirits of the fallen.

I am deeply saddened to know that I didn't get a chance to tell Hava that this burden is not hers alone before we left. The actions in the tavern were is celebration for a new era of hope and life...but there was not a single person in that place that didn't know the deep deep cost that was paid. We mourn for the loss of the innocent among the Jhemaj. Those that remain will have a long difficult life ahead, but they will be able to face that life with hope and freedom to follow their hearts where ever it takes them. It is something that their parents and their parents parents never knew thanks to the vile creature known as Abana.

Lyn,
If you ever wish know the essence of my spirit all you need is ask. An invitation is open to you to join me in a sweat on the night of a full moon.

Ole,
Killing does come far too easily for many of us. Monsters we are not, but often the line is blurred. I had a difficult time when we first arrived in the Auros mountains with the focus that Squire Diego had on our fight against Abana. However, in the end I came to a decision to join him in his focus. Know that you are far from becoming a monster...as monsters never reflect on the destruction they have, or will, bring to process guilt and regret. Will you join me in going to tell Hava that her sacrifice may have been eclipsed in the moment, but that it was not unnoticed?

Squire Raganzi,
You're right that we don't need enemies among us, however, casting out those who we have fought besides and bled with on the field for openly airing their pains does no good. These things take time. We have done a difficult task with many consequences. You're right that this long walk will be good for many of us to process what has happened.

I will go to Hava and return with the Jhemaj. It will do me good to see them, and talk with them.

*Hengin stands and begins to pack his things*
 
After taking some to think about what Raganzi said

"You are correct Raganzi... I do not feel that I can find peace on this walk back while in certain company and as such I will be leaving this land for some time... I will be staying here for just a few more days making sure the trip back will go smoothly for all of you but then I am going to take some time of my own in the mists.

Perhaps I will check in at the maelstrom or search out entirely new lands that are in need of aid, I guess in the end it is the mists that decide. That said, I am not fully abandoning Sedovia quite yet for there is a lot of good in her still and you may yet catch a glimpse of me tending to my mine or helping out common folk here and there but I would not expect me to fully engage in the adventuring community until I can justify for myself that these new invaders are something I should stand against.

I will always seek to help those in need in any way I am capable and perhaps right now I am too emotional from the actions... and reactions, I saw from what I thought of as good hearted people..."

Lyn solemnly stands around for a few moments and then starts to walk off into a gathering of trees nearby.
 
Stop.
Please.
All of you. I do not normally enter these conversations in such a public manner, as they are usually easier to manage in more intimate or private settings, but I can see that in this case there are more than a few afflicted.
Long have I been a healer, and though adventuring hasforced me to learn many other skills, I feel my roots in solving problems and curing wounds.
The wounds I see here are not physical. When a snake bites, you can suck out the poison. When the wounds are emotional, the poison takes no physical form, but it can still be sucked out. Only by understanding the poison, can it be removed however.
I have heard many speak of, or in, anger. And certainly anger is present in many of us. That anger however, is a symptom, not the actual problem. Anger comes from pain and loss. For those that reacted in what many see as a distasteful way at Abana's death, I believe it is because they were hurt. Hurt by her, or by things she caused. That hurt is like poison. If left inside, it will slowly destroy us.
Some spit that poison back at her.
Some laughed of cheered to release that poison.
Many around those events, clearly got some of that poison on them. Myself included. I did not enjoy seeking mg anyone revel in the death of so many, but I understood those that were rejecting the poison in them.
I am not "immune" to such emotional poison, but I have suffered it enough times to know that spreading it is not the cure.
So now, we have more people who have been hurt. They feel the poison. The anger it creates. It is the same poison that needed to be released at Abana's death. Those that now feel that anger, the effects of such poison, toward Layn or Olle or Orin or Hangin, please stop and realize that the poison you feel is the same as what they felt.
It's making you turn away from friends.
It's making you do things that are destructive because you are in pain.
I do not wish to contradict Raganzi, but I ask that before anyone exiles themselves, you first try to cure the poison.
Many have heard the quotes I believe were already mentioned here.
"When one fights monsters, one must take care lest they become the monster."
"When one stares long into the abyss, the abyss also stares into you"
What the abyss has seen is that the most effective way to destroy the morta races, is to do so from within. To separate us. Divide us. Find ways to make us fight each other. To poison us. That is the insidious ways of outsiders.
I ask you not to let that poison consume you.
Take time if you need to, but solve the issues. Do not let them fester. There will come a time when these wounds will resurface if you do not heal them correctly. Let not the poison continue.
"A warrior is like their sword, when they lose their temper, they lose their edge."
 
A young Jemajh rides up on horseback and delivers a letter from Hava...

My dear friends,
I want to let you know where I stand with all that has happened. The people of my land, Arcanta, have a deep reverence for all life, and a deep honor of all dead. The challenges that we face here are unknown in my homeland. Therefore, all actions that I take here require me to look inward and evaluate what I have done.

Abana needed to die for the sake of all life and death in these lands and for the integrity of the planes. What she was doing was a perversion of the natural order. Taking on the responsibility of a Shatter Spirit ritual (on anyone) would be difficult for me. But, I have taken a oath to serve the highest good and that required the spirit destruction of Abana. I do not mourn her, but no spirit death should be taken lightly. I did my very best to perform this ritual with honor and kindness. To do that I had to open myself fully.

I know that I am different than the peoples of this land. My people would never have laughed, taunted, screamed at, or disrespected the shattering of any being's spirit no matter what the being had done to deserve it. To me, the correct position is to be a somber witness to the aftermath of a shatter spirit. I cannot understand how anyone could witness that torture and cheer it on. I do not understand how anyone could witness that and not be moved to compassion. To be surrounded by so much hatred was horrifying to me. These are the people that I rely on to keep me safe?! I know that people need to process their rage, despair, and grief. To me, it was not the time for that.

I was fully aware that the Jemajh might be completely obliterated if I did this ritual. I fervently hoped that they would be able to resurrect in the Healer's Circle with Abana gone. Alas, they did not resurrect. I performed the ritual which killed them. It is on me. The blood of those that died is on my hands. I am grateful that there are some who were not killed. I am grateful that I am not responsible for a total genocide. I would never have thought myself capable of this.

I will atone for my actions. I will help the Jemajh remnant to mourn and heal. Then I will go to the woods for a while and meditate on what I have done. The outcome of that will determine if I will ever return to Foxbridge. I may seek a way home to Arcanta and remain there.

This has been a difficult time for everyone. Please be kind and comfort each other. Please know that I love you all.
~Hava Amalaya
 
*Ian wanders over to the group, looking like he was very recently asleep, and sits near the fire with a sigh... he waits for the young Jemajh to roam back out of earshot before continuing the discussion*

Hava volunteered to cast the ritual. Because it was necessary, because I asked her to, and because there wasn't an adventuring Selunari on hand with enough power to do it.

Ole, were you in the room when we had that conversation? Were you, Lyn? *Ian shakes his head* No, you were not. You weren't there when I told two of the most respected Selunari in Aer'Astria that I'd accept the weight of every star that went dark. You weren't there when Piotr Anatahl, bandoleer of the entire Anatahl family of Selunari, gave that scroll to me. Hava was. Burning someone's blood - you know it as the Shatter Spirit ritual - is one of the old ways, a punishment reserved for the absolute worst of traitors to the family. The stipulation was that the rite would be cast by one of the family, and Hava stepped forward. Though she isn't Selunari, she is considered family, and that was acceptable.

You claim we had the better part of a year - did you not see the Death elemental that came into the Tavern and told us the plane was splintering in every sense of the word? They were desperate enough to consume our Wards in order to keep things standing, so what do you think Fortannis would look like in 4 months? You claim that perhaps there were other options - where was your voice before it was already done? I was desperate for solutions, I listened to everyone who spoke my name. In fact, the most effective suggestion I received came from one of Hengin's companions - who I now owe two debts, because I've forgotten his name... Did you speak with Little, who came to the tavern to try to mediate the conflict? Did you continually tend to a Jemajh Celestialist using his High magic to commit suicide rather than outlive Abana, like Tyron?

How did you spend the hours leading up to the fight? I sat with Khyzael, listening to the history and the true beliefs of the Jemajh.

I understand I'm not the gentle soul that Hava is. I understand that I made my feelings and intentions quite clear before we ever stepped into the portal. And you and I don't share the same relationship you do with her, but these are my family. Don't you DARE assume I've taken this lightly. I bargained with Michon, the savviest of the Fae, to save every Jemajh I could from the blood they had consumed. I strongly suspected before we ever left Foxbridge that the Jemajh whose lives had been extended were going to perish no matter how we resolved this, but I called for a Life spell to try to save one of Abana's lieutenants anyway...*Ian finally chokes up, and needs a moment*

*he clears his throat*We are all damaged. Every one of us. You can't do what we do, see the things we see, and not be affected. I'm bandoleer because two of the three people who deserve it more than I do decided they couldn't carry the weight of being an adventurer any longer... I don't think less of them, and I don't think less of those who feel ugly things when they're stuck in uglier circumstances.
 
Speaking of thinking less of others....
I'm interested what makes all of you think MORE of others.
It seems to me that all of us have a long list of things we have done that are probably things we would think MORE of others for. Of course we all make mistakes and do things we have to grow from. This might be one of those things.
I would like to think MORE of anyone who can realize that the actions that were distasteful, by Abana, by other adventurers, or by anyone who needed to release the poison of their hatred. Alana certainly did many things to make people hate her. Who among us can let go of that anger and hate?
I hope those that needed to react to her spirit being shattered are now free of their poison.
I hope those that are angry with the people who needed to react can also let go of their poison.
I hope anyone who has been so angry and hurt that they lashed out, can both forgive, and be forgiven.
 
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Tadeusz's eyes dart from speaker to speaker, listening to everyone say their piece. It has looked like he had attempted to start talking numerous times, only to stop and rethink what he wishes to say.
"I wasn't in the tavern when the ritual was being cast. I heard Hava singing, but I was in the jail we had built, attempting to administer first aid to one of the captives from the battlefield. There were three in that warded jail, two from the battlefield that night and one from earlier in the day. One was bleeding out while his partner kept trying to kill him. My only guess is to try to get his spirit to merge with Abana. At the conclusion of the ritual, under my administrations, both the one I was working on and his partner dissipated. Just *POOF* gone. The other, captured earlier in the day, remained. So right there, frustrated and saddened by the loss of 2, there was a glimmer of hope, as there was one still there. I cursed up a storm with the loss of two, and left the jail. I saw Demona walking with a purpose down towards the Earth Circle, followed by many who were in the tavern.
"I had to see with my own eyes what was there myself, but seeing the loss in Demona's eyes, I could tell her that at least one yet lived. From what I've heard since, about one in ten of the Jemajh still live. I don't know if that is true or not, I suppose we'll see.
"What we did back there, each one of us will have to reconcile what happened and what we did in our own ways. I don't think lashing out at each other is going to help. I don't think we are monsters," he looks to Ole," but we all will be dealing with the consequences.
"And while we here doing this, another power moved in to take over Sedovia. I find that rather ironic. So, we react. Like we do. It seems that everything we do is in reaction to something."
He goes quiet, gazing into the fire.
 
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