[HQ Ignorance] Re : Scene 62: Marianne and Aalmon

[Loran]

- “Indeed theses words are bitter words, my friend, answered Azhur softly. Since the death of your… hum… brother, you have changed and I can understand somewhat the challenge that you are currently facing. Some months ago, some of us paid at a great cost a hard lesson and were changed forever. Having to live with a definitive loss, they are probably still mourning every morning when they woke up and discover, again and again, that time will never flow back and that what was lost will never come back again…”

Azhur took the cup of wine and considered it for a while.
- “Some sacred books I have heard of, tell us the story of time being the price for survival. What was eaten by time will never come back, but survival is the chance for a new life… If I drink this cup of wine, it will be gone for ever, but if it permits us to ease your pain then it will not be gone for nothing…”

Azhur drank the cup and added:
- "When we rescued Karala, I lost my spiritual belief and religious certitudes… Strangely, it was the elf Icthya who spoke for me the words of hope, reminding me that departure was the price for travel, while travel was the chance for success. Perhaps plants are nearer than us to the cycle of Life and Death and may accept it more easily. She reminded me that a part of me was still alive and offered to it… a meaning. She said that we were a fellowship… More than a family, we were bound by our duty and our common goal to save our countries…”

Azhur glanced at Aalmon in hope that his words will convince him to stand up and see the world as a worthy place once again. He recited, the words being inscribed in his mind forever as if they were the first words that Azhur ever heard in his life:
- "Put your faith in the Fellowship, she suggested, however different we all may be from one another, for the next few months there will be but one constant in our lives…”

- “Aalmon, I know that I’m here just a symbolic name. It will be a monstrous lack of humility to think that I was chosen for something else than being the neutral element useful to stabilize the contradictions of this land. But instead of thinking about some petty plots, I prefer to see in this event a formidable opportunity to continue our quest with a greater dash. Is the One God’s scheme in action there or is our faith bringing some order in an absurd situation? I can’t answer this question and, in fact, I don’t care, because whatever the answer, still remain our duty… If you return in Arrolia, you’re lost for the quest and you will become a simple soldier against the Kingdom of War, but if you keep on your duty and stay with the fellowship, you’ll keep the chance to reach greater achievements than anyone in your land.”

- “And I have a confidence to do to you… I’m just discovering that losses aren’t the only obstacles we may face in our quest. Gains can also become torments, as my new Love for Marianne is certainly as much a bound than a joy for me… I'm torn between my wish to make her happy now and my duty to save my land later… That’s why your present is the most precious I might receive. It will help her and I to preserve the sacred bound of our marriage, whatever the distances between us while permitting me to continue the quest more easely. Truly, even if you doubt it now, you deserve a better destiny than being an anonymous soldier against the Kingdom of War. We will soon take the road and I will use whatever means this petty king position gives us.”


[OOC1]
I know that Aalmon isn't a NPC, but to convince him:
- Convince others 15
- Dedicated to Talor's Felloship 15
- Protect the Poor 13
- Questing 17
- Charitable 17
- Honorable 17
- Loyal 17
- Try Harder 17

And for an empathic touch :
- Witnessed and Endured the Atrocities of the Kingdom of War 13
- Touched by Death 13
- Melancholic 17

[OOC2]
Nic, should I say the same words to the player?
With perhaps some excuses for having recently raised an opposition to your last initiative?
Then consider it is done.
Stay with us, Nic, you're a great contributor to the game. We need you.
Loran


----- Message d'origine ----
De : Nic Hughes <nicolas.h at virgin.net>
À : HeroQuest Glorantha <ignorance at mimesisrpg.com>
Envoyé le : Mardi, 29 Avril 2008, 19h57mn 11s
Objet : Re: [HQ Ignorance] Scene 62: Marianne and Aalmon

On the eve of the celebrations Aalmon walks into Azhur's apartments, 
carrying a jug of wine and two cups.

"Well the time is nearly here and its a custom of ours to toast a man 
before his wedding, so please share the last of the wine with me. You 
have two ceremonies ahead of you, one is real and the other a piece of 
fakery. I am sure you realise that you will be king in name only, I hope 
you have thought through why someone would want such an obvious puppet 
on the throne and what price you might pay for it. I thought that 
dragging you away from the capital to this isolated provincial spot was 
rather rubbing your nose in it but if you don't mind I guess it is no 
concern of mine. I'm afraid I have no coronation present and even if I 
did I am not sure I would want to bless a pretence.

On the other hand the marriage is real enough. I confess I thought 
Marianne was part of the political plots to manipulate you at first - 
but I was wrong. If she has any ulterior motive I think its only to 
marry someone she has fallen in love with. You are a luckier man than 
you know. I am a long way from home so I have to apologise for the 
modest wedding gifts I can give to you."

He takes out a small velvet pouch with two polished tin stars on chains 
and hands them to Azhur

"I enchanted them so that if you hold one in your hands under the stars 
then the other star will glow slightly with the starlight.

Anyway I have spent long enough in a kingdom far away from home, I doubt 
if Lord Death on a Horse is as idle as we have been in the past few 
weeks. I came here to save Arrolia, not Seshnela. I will head back to 
Riverjoin as soon as our host has finished revealing all his oh so 
clever plans. Whichever weapon the fellowship seek out next I think the 
safest route will be via the trade routes across the Empire, I will 
request the necessary passes and permits and maybe if we are lucky I can 
arrange passage on a moon boat. You seem in no hurry to carry on the 
quest so I will probably rejoin my unit, I don't suppose it is any more 
futile a way to try to save my people than this has been.

Well good luck" and with that he drains his cup.

OOC: I think that wraps up Aalmon's involvement in scenes 61 and 62 well 
enough. I am going to drop out for a while. I will lurk keep an eye out 
for a suitable point to rejoin sometime later if you want me.

Nic


_______________________________________________
Ignorance mailing list
Ignorance at mimesisrpg.com
http://mimesisrpg.com/mailman/listinfo/ignorance_mimesisrpg.com

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
En finir avec le spam? Yahoo! Mail vous offre la meilleure protection possible contre les messages non sollicités 
http://mail.yahoo.fr Yahoo! Mail