[OOC] The Prophecy

[Ashgan]

Posts sure a-happening today. It's madness!

[Shienvien]

Lots of posts indeed... Typed something quick up myself, if slightly delayedly.

[Nib]

Sounds good. So you will make a few posts of him being healed, and then I regain control of him a few posts later and meet up with Gerald and Jillian and explain what happened? Also, I won't be able to post Friday night to Sunday.

[Rhaevnn Xeno]

Ashgan said
Posts sure a-happening today. It's madness!

It was glorious! :D

[Shienvien]

Note: I am aware that my last post might not be the easiest to write a reply to - I mainly left it there just because I didn't want to take control of Thaler/the guardsfolk too much (although Hymusia said Thaler would basically just do whatever is asked of her for the time being). Well, and Etakar apparently decided to wait this turn out. If it would help and the guardsfolk (and Thaler and Olan) do get off the roof, etc, I could write Aemoten enter the other scene?

[Dark Jack]

Sorry about my OOC-silence... Circumstances had me going to and from my computer a lot and generally not leaving me much time to stay there, so I decided to spend the time I had writing IC posts as Gerald. Did I mention that I'm excited for that part of the story to start back up? I'll mention it again: I'm very happy that it did. I really like Gerald, and his part of the story is quite promising at the moment... though I'll have to deal with Jillian and him apparently sticking with Renold for the moment, and soon Crone as well, for a little while. With those two nearby, the characters would be completely pointless.

Your garden does sound like I'd approve of it greatly, Shien; just hearing it described (or reading it, as it were) like that made me a tad envious, to be honest. And as to the companions' debatable successes, I was seeing things from a broader perspective, so to speak... eh, not sure that I can adequately explain what I mean. I guess some of them would be Pyrrhic victories at best (though the same could be argued about the Battle of Anaxim, since the forest and everything in it was destroyed but they succeeded in keeping the prison away from Hazzergash)... meh, I guess it's just in my head that the lost Battle of Anaxim was more thrilling, somehow. It's annoying, by the way... because now that you mentioned it I do remember having stated such a thing as that things could only have gone worse if everyone had gotten killed, but I cannot for the life of me recall the context in which I said it. The last great fight... hmm...
And it would be helpful if you could write a post having Aemoten arrive in front of the barracks; I was actually struggling with the prospect of having to go into drag through explaining how the guards and Olan moved and complied with his instructions, all while writing another passage about Jaelnec and the rune mage glaring impotently at one another...

And sartorous, I will include the reintroduction of Salas into the IC in my next post on the Jillian/Gerald side of things, though we can say that he was still conscious and just immobilized as Shien suggested... I just wanted to avoid a short but potentially tedious bit about Crone and Salas finding each other and such, but that can also be achieved by simply leaving that part skipped and implied. Regardless, I'll have Crone bring Salas there and heal him soon.

EDIT: Oh, I just remembered a little something I did one evening a few days ago, when I was trying to determine for myself just how important the lieutenant actually is in the grand scheme of things. I ended up having to compare his position to his command chain, and then ended up comparing it to the lines of command and various rankings from other areas of Rodoria. This is what I ended up with:

Ranks

As you can probably guess the vertical placement of the titles and where lines connect them aren't random; generally those that are higher on the chart have more authority than those who are lower on the chart, but will always be primarily bound to those connected to their own chain of command; in other words, if someone from the Rodorian army received conflicting orders from the marshal and admiral, the marshal's orders would overrule the other's because, while they would both be that person's superiors, the soldier would would be the marshal's subordinate.
Not sure if it makes sense at all, really, and I know I left out a lot, but it was just something I made really quick while I was thinking. The "special forces" referred to herein would include people like the woman fighting Ixion and Morgan at the moment; agents that report to the dukes directly.

[Shienvien]

Okay. Once I am back (have to fetch a few things and buy food ... which I probably won't enjoy too much since the apparently long-lasting lovely high-humidity 34C weather is back again after three somewhat cooler days) I will write a short addition to the post with the assumption that the guards/Thaler/Olan left the roof before Aemoten retreated back into the building and walked out. (As I read out, I've given the permission to assume as much; correct me if I am wrong.)

( - It was one of the questions/gods/random-PMs you made that statement about the outcome of the god-conflict in, for the matter.)

And yeah... On Gerald being an interesting character - I certainly agree. (If you recall, I supported going with Jillian finding Gerald for that exact reason.)

[cthulu]

@Shien I did indeed give you permission and she would pretty much just obediently go to the roof, briefly survey the number still on it and would either instruct them to leave the roof area or just grab Olan's hand and jump off herself (not the right frame of mind for having a good half a dozen peoples lives in her hands right now ;) ). I can post as much and intend too later today if I get the chance, I'm taking my kids out to see their auntie and enjoy our towns celebration day. Though I don't think anything you post as Shien or Dj posts as anyone will much affect Thaler/ her actions to the point I can't post.

[Shienvien]

There should be a bit over dozen people on the roof if no one has gotten off. There were sixteen guards in the beginning - two are dead and one is the rune mage outside, which leaves thirteen guards and Olan along with Beatrice (Beatrice is the raven).

Bleh... Roleplayerguild has been seriously acting up for me these past few days. Either it says the guild is temporarily down, loads only some of the page (and almost never the reply box), keeps loading indefinitely... Some other people have complained over similar problems, too, but it appears I am especially unlucky with the times I check here.

[Dark Jack]

Incorrect, for once; there were indeed sixteen guards at the post initially, but since the companions arrived there some of them have left on patrol. When Aemoten asked the lieutenant how many guardsmen were at the barracks immediately after they had fled back inside after the crows attacked, he explained that there were ten guardsmen left at the barracks: seven halberdiers, one rune mage (the sergeant), one arcane mage (the corporal) and one elementalist (himself). With two halberdiers dead and the rune mage outside, seven guards remain. Including Olan and Beatrice, that's nine.

You're right about RPG acting up recently... It's not been quite as bad for me as you describe it, for some reason, but I've had some lag and the occasional report that the site was down.

[Shienvien]

Ah... I did think the number of halberdiers didn't match up when he was listing them down from sixteen in his mind a number of posts back (I have now edited said post).
(I suppose it might be easiest if cthulu posts first, and then to post as Olan, rather than detail the guards' actions separately? With Jaelnec it doesn't matter as much, since we have two scenes once more. Just a random thought.)

Okay, and RPG certainly has been acting up even worse for me today. Before now it loaded once at around 4 PM or so, and in the morning before 9 (I've been checking once-twice in an hour).

[Shienvien]

Huh... He managed to conclude the room was empty with a single glance despite being eighty feet away from the door (which should leave rather narrow field of vision, even more so with an elongated building such as the borderhouse) and the outside being rather bright compared to the interior? In any case, is he watching/looking at anyone specific at the time being?

[cthulu]

@Dj Got a PM sent, not sure how Olan would react right now to be honest so left it a bit short.

[Dark Jack]

Well, for one thing, while the barracks is elongated, the doorway is situated on one of the narrow ends of the building, not the broader length of it, so the view he would receive would encompass pretty much the entire length of the interior. For another... nah, I'm not going to explain that one, actually; let's just say that in this case, seeing clearly despite significant difference in light-levels is not so improbable. It would far from let him see the entire building interior - just the lower floor in itself would be out of his field of view altogether and easily reachable - but coupled with the fact that Aemoten abruptly just came out there and immediately engaged him after an extensive stare-off with Jaelnec and Etakar, it's enough to be a pretty significant hint that something has not gone as planned.
The rune mage has turned slightly more in Aemoten and Etakar's direction (I got the impression they were going the same way? Otherwise it would just be Etakar's direction) than the door.

[Shienvien]

...To be honest, I *have* been picturing the door as being roughly in the center of the broader side of the building ever since the the arrival to the borderhouse. Whoops. Still seems a bit strange that he'd be able to draw such conclusion by sight (fair point about Aemoten, though), but it isn't really important ... if he did, then he did. And yeah, Aemoten started off moving towards Etakar.

[Shienvien]

And posted again.

Is sartorous/Ink Blood by any chance waiting for you? It wasn't made very apparent whether or not he should assume control of his character right away or after Crone has healed him, but then again you wouldn't even know what condition he is in...

- Why do I imagine plenty of the reunions on the upper plane (or many other interpretations of heaven) would be rather awkward at best? From the potential awkwardness of encountering a person one once knew, but has had vastly different experiences from and forgotten most besides there having been a fondness since to discovering the loved one as moved on and remarried and what not. (The Sekalyns - who basically lack the concept of what we might recognize as marriage - and other people who have somewhat "unusual" outlook on family units and relations probably wouldn't care as much about the latter, but I imagine, say, Rodorians or deigan might have some more things to settle...)

[Nib]

I was wondering the same thing as Shien. Do I assume control now or wait for another post?

[Dark Jack]

Well, my original plan was for me writing the post where Crone teleported herself and Salas in - which I did - , then Ashgan would post once, then I would post again and have Crone heal Salas and things would just develop naturally from there... but I didn't really count on a week passing after that first post with Crone and Salas without a response from Ashgan. You're welcome to write a post now if you want, sartorous, if you want to go with the explanation of Salas simply being immobilized by his injuries (whatever those may be), but I'm not too keen on posting again for the same scene immediately after I posted for it once. That's like replying to myself... Optimally it would be Ashgan's turn, but in lack thereof, you can post.
Speaking of which, how are things Ashgan? Any ETA on a post that we can plan according to?

And yeah, I imagine reunions in an afterlife in the Planes can be rather awkward, if not downright unpleasant at times... not even considering the various other versions of afterlife that can be found elsewhere. What is worse is the fact that in the Planes, the extreme opposite moralities actually capitalize on the potential pain of dead spirits seperated from their loved ones, or the equal or worse pain of reunion; there are few times that one is more willing to escape themselves and discard their memories than when their memories and feelings become burdens, so clearly at that point throwing it all away and becoming an angel or a demon is pretty attractive... not that people usually last long enough as dead spirits in the Lower Plane to experience that kind of regret, but hey, there are always those few exceptions.

[Ashgan]

Yo, sorry about that; didn't really get to much of anything this week. About the post, uh, I'll try to get something up reasonably soon, as in today or tomorrow morning. That said, I do not imagine Jillian is going to be directly interacting with either Crone or Salas right away, meaning that Ink / Sartorous (whichever you prefer?) can post on the assumption that those characters would be left undisturbed for as much time as a post roughly covers.

[Shienvien]

Hmm... Extreme moral opposites? I was more under the impression (from what was discussed at some point in the OldGuild OoC) that the dead would be separated to the two sides based on some rather ambiguous line between "more evil than good" and "more good than evil" that furthermore depends on the judgment of the surrounding people ... which would essentially mean that the people on the Upper Plane would be better than those sent to Lower Plane, but far most of the people on either side would not be anything even remotely close to representatives of either pure good or evil respectively. Back then you furthermore said that it perfectly possible for a person on either plane to commit deeds which make them tip over to the other side (but they wouldn't be "judged again", so they'd just stay there as people of the other alignment). - And that is not even delving into the matter of good and evil being rather subjective things, which they ultimately are.

And yeah... As I have mentioned it before, the concept of angels and demons is rather disturbing to me personally. The manner in which they are created, that is. "You do not have to kill the body to kill the person", or in this case, you do not have to destroy the soul to kill the person. Look at it as I might, I cannot see the process of becoming a demon or angel as anything else but one of the very few ways to achieve final death in a world wherein a person can be other than the body and a spiritual suicide. A person who simply has forgotten all is still the same person - the ... way things are processed, the personal kind of logic, the base personality, all those things and then some remain when memories are gone, after all. With the lesser immortals, these things do not stay from what I recall. (Which would make them much less of the same people than even the karakon are.) It would take quite the emotional overcharge and ... yeah, quite a lot to opt for something like that rather than simply a way of forgetting or overcoming and moving on, and possibly a different image to avoid being recognized. The Upper and Lower Plane have to be immense to accommodate for the people of all ages, after all, and avoiding your past shouldn't be too much of an issue. Angels are truly a sad testimony...
The entire concept of afterlife is built around (the hope of) living on past the obvious death of the body. Granted, there are many incarnations of it, and I haven't really seen one which I have considered preferable (quite often the opposite - the afterlife is notably less desirable) to simply living on in the mortal world. You can make a truly beautiful and perfect world for all the good people, but in the end simply living under easy conditions without nothing to fight for tends to lead to indifference and monotony. It is not my own conclusion here - many before me have said the same, many books have been written over the concept of all utopias being doomed to collapse for that exact reason, all scientific research I've seen has basically reached the same conclusion (though spending all on just surviving hinders progress the same) -, but I, too, feel I would rather accomplish something of significance than move on to some "perfect" plane of existence. Improve the world - even by small things such as helping a person or a two where I can - and all that. That much of an idealist I am, I suppose.
...Then again, it is perhaps the reason why immortality is a condition pursued by so many people of Reniam despite afterlife being a widely-accepted fact rather than a fairy tale or something people only hope or believe to be true, but cannot prove or know for certain.

(The line of "you do not have to kill the body to kill the person" I occasionally cite is from a book. - Sciencefictional scenario wherein many members of a culture that had long developed independently were forced into surrendering, after which they had their brains completely rewired to cover up the existence of the culture for the people who were not supposed to be aware of it, with memories and personalities and everything else being redone. The protagonist got to speak to one individual both before and after, and that experience was quite terrifying on a level you do not exactly see often in actual "horror", although with me it is one of the things which might make me actually think for a bit and register as uncomfortable.
The author as a writer is ... okay, but barring two specific reoccurring themes which I disagreed with - again, subjectivity or right and wrong, good and evil and so forth -, there were quite a few good ideas and notions I agreed with. None of his books, sadly, have been translated to English, or any other language...)

- Various other versions of afterlife that can be found elsewhere? Outside of the world of the Prophecy, I presume?
(As a random note, I briefly thought of a character that is reborn again and again (not quite in the Buddhist sense, though there would have been some inspirations otherwise - in Buddhism the "self", "I" whatever you wish to call it actually does die and only some a bit harder to define part moves on), but this one would probably have been even harder to fit in the world than Aemoten ...atop of the fact that he would not have been a fighting character. I am still slightly tempted to NPC him. Would also have him speak Sanskrit as his native language, just cause - you see Latin come up very often in (western) fantasy settings, but very rarely Sanskrit or something more exotic.)