EVENT | GUIDING LIGHT

[alderwood]

Characters: ALL!
Date: June 1st-5th, 2014
Location: Keeliai, all sectors
Situation: Following Evandau's announcement about the soul lanterns and new housing, the Foreigners are shuffled around while Malicant's agents try to complicate this as much as possible!
Warnings/Rating: Possible mentions of violence from the cultists, plus various characters' reactions to moving.

LINKS
Fire Sector | Earth Sector | Metal Sector | Water Sector | Wood Sector | Cultist Shenanigans | Speak with Eva & Celaunn | OOC Plot Post

The new Basswood Commander, Celaunn, stands watch outside of the building with one ready hand resting on the hilt of her sword while her protectorate goes inside. A prodigy of magic as she is, liberating all the Foreigners' souls right out from under Malicant has left Evastelei far more expended than any of them care to admit. She looks as tired and worn as Evandau sounded on the radio post, but she tries to cover it with good humour, much as can be mustered given the situation. Eva's sent out messages to the ones whose essence she's felt resonate for each address and upon arriving, carries the lanterns into the new units whether they're all present or not... she's a busy lady and when this is all done she might just sleep for a week.

"Couldn't rightly explain some of these set-downs," Eva says as she goes about hanging the lamps up in the central part of the house. For most of the units, this equates to the main living area, though sometimes in the kitchen or unfinished room -- the layouts on each building has variations, after all. "One of those things you just have to feel, I reckon. Never figured Evandau much for leaving new bottles of wine on the pillows after all, so this will have to do."

While she's in the buildings, she'll run her hands over the wards built into the walls, letting them light briefly with various colours of light depending on the purpose, a symbol-based language not unlike runic illuminating at her touch and then fading to invisibility again.

"Now for these," she'll continue once she's sure she has all their attentions. "These are the best I could do on short notice, what with the Creature throwing all his resource at breaking Eshai's spells. That's why none of you could get into the Throne Room few weeks back-- that was a right bold move on your parts, by the way. See if you can't talk tall and smileless up there," she jerks her head toward the front of the building to indicate Celaunn, "into learning something from it. Chilu's are too by the book."

She'll explain how the lanterns are strengthened by proximity of those whose soul they house, and the dangers of staying away from them (particularly in a Dreaming state) for too long. "You don't want the Creature coming to rip you out of here," she says, jabbing them in the chest for emphasis, a deep frown distorting the burned scar on the one side of her face. "Be something like putting your insides through a wind shearer. Don't recommend it, that's for certain. Are you paying attention? Don't be moving these anywhere. With the power of these, I can understand why Eshai wanted to keep them close but keeping them from you... well, it wasn't the only thing she and I disagreed on."

Once she's satisfied that they've got as much information as she can provide at this time, she'll remind them as Evandau did: these lanterns are their Keeliai anchors and should they be destroyed, it won't be a trip back to their worlds that they can look forward to. "Without these, I can't keep you from being lost for good," she'll add seriously. "Good luck with them."

Comments

[wintershepherd]

Being the Spirit of Winter was the easy part, actually. I mean, once I figured out what I was supposed to be doing, there's a lot of freedom in it and that's what I'd wanted. Other spirits pretty well left me alone.

[ Seeing that Armin was interested enough to make this more of a conversation than just passing in the street, Jack nodded towards a nearby cafe where there were outdoor tables and seats in silent offer. ]

Being a Guardian on the other hand... that part was scary.

[strategisch]

[Armin willingly follows him, easily led along by an interesting conversation. The cafe is very pleasant.]

I would have assumed that would be easy. I mean. "Guardian of Fun".

[wintershepherd]

[ Jack laughed, bobbing his head in agreement. ]

You'd think, right? But being a Guardian, people are counting on you. The kids you protect and the other Guardians... I didn't think I was ready for that at first. I was sure I wasn't, actually.

[strategisch]

So you protect children, somehow? I mean, I get the feeling that you mean all children when you say that.

[wintershepherd]

[ Jack nodded again, though this time with a more serious expression. ]

All kids, exactly. It's what the Guardians do... have always done. When they believe in who we are... that gives us power.

[strategisch]

[Armin mulls over that thought for a second.]

I can't claim to know much about gods, but you sound an awful lot like one. Isn't it belief, and faith, that gives any god power amongst people? Children, even.

I don't mean to be presumptuous, I'm just drawing random conclusions.

[wintershepherd]

[ Jack actually took a step backward, shaking his head. ]

No no, nothing like that! We're more like... well, patrons kind of? Representatives or-- it's hard to explain. But definitely not gods.

[strategisch]

Oh-- [Armin sees Jack's discomfort, and flushes in embarrassment.] Oh, I'm sorry. I understand. Something you'll find about me is that I just... Go at the mouth sometimes...

[wintershepherd]

Don't be, it's all right. It's just kind of... I don't want people to get the wrong impression, that's all.

[ He flashes Armin a grin, letting him know that he's not upset or anything. ]

I mean, imagine if people went around calling you a great leader or a hero just because you were in the military, without you having done anything to earn it. It'd be weird, right? Not saying you couldn't be, but it makes people think a certain way about you.

[strategisch]

Yes, that would be awful, I'm... Not that good with attention. But. I understand. When you do your job right, and children believe in you, that gives you your power?

[wintershepherd]

I don't like it either, the attention.

[ Jack settles again, running his fingers over the gnarled wood of the hooked staff, little patterns of frost following the trails of his touch. ]

Sort of. It doesn't affect Winter's power but... becoming a Guardian, means you place yourself in the power of kids' belief. It's what makes you strong but it also makes you weaker, if they stop believing in you.

[strategisch]

I see. And, how do get children to believe in you?

[Semi-mythological beings, like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, don't exist in Armin's world, so he's not exactly sure what that entails.]

[wintershepherd]

Well... there are stories, legends... some take charge of certain holidays that people are familiar with, so there's association through that.

[strategisch]

You have stories? [You've caught Armin's attention; this is the sort of things that he loves.] Is there a story about you, then? Jack Frost?

[wintershepherd]

A few. And a song, done by Cole. Really once you've got Nat King Cole singing your name across a million radios, things start looking up.

[strategisch]

I know you said that you don't like the attention, and I respect that, but... [His eyes light up a little.] Could you tell me one? Or a little bit of one? Please feel free to refuse, though, if it makes you uncomfortable.

[wintershepherd]

[ Jack's gotten a lot better about it since he's been in Keeliai and started getting this question. ]

There's the one time that I made a bet with the harvest spirit, Marzyana.

[strategisch]

[Harvest spirit-- that's something that's more Armin's level. He sits at attention, eager for more.]