first verse Augury: Ten of the Void

[+Sorana]

2 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

Taking out a sheet of parchment Price handed it to Sagitta. “Could you please read that out to him?”

Sagitta took the parchment and read it slowly. They really were a bureaucrativ lot, these Tühine. The man was a prisoner of war. They could do to him whatever they wanted and nobody would care. It was the same on all sides. Her eyes rested on the man for a while, when she suddenly realized, that she'd been a prisoner of war as well. Kidnapped, but also a prisoner of war. Her fingers shook when she held the parchment out for Price to see.

"What do these words mean exactly?"

She asked and pointed at 'neccessary', 'Addendum' and 'Mercury'.

"I can only attempt a more or less accurate translation, if I'm sure I understood it correctly."

[I think I am here.]

17 minutes ago, Sorana said:

“I can only attempt a more or less accurate translation, if I'm sure I understood it correctly."

As she read out the document the eyes of the Cahayan widened and he quickly began talking in Cahayan, tears welling up in his eyes. He looked a few years younger than Sagitta, and currently he seemed terrified.

“Please, I’m a scout I haven’t killed anyone I was just following what my superior said I promise I’m not valuable I’m just a kid I don’t want to die!”

Price ignored him and looked to Sagitta, pointing at the words.

“‘Addendum’ means something that was added to the bargain. It already existed, and it was added. ‘Mercury’ is the name of a city, and ‘necessary’ means it has or needs to be done.”

[+Sorana]

8 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

“‘Addendum’ means something that was added to the bargain. It already existed, and it was added. ‘Mercury’ is the name of a city, and ‘necessary’ means it has or needs to be done.”

Sagitta nodded, then she translated the document. Not wordly, but she was sure she managed to get the sense across. Without pausing she added something at the end, replied to the man's begging.

"They plan to test your instinct. See what you can do and what you can't."

His words, how he begged, she was tethering between despising his reaction, and telling him to flee. When you fought in a war you knew what would happen. That you could die. The man was unfortunate, he hadn't managed to die, so here he was. Sad, but just the way things were. There was nothing but war, nothing but fighting and killing and then killing some more. Recalling Price's words she thought about Ta'e'ilo, how they treated their prisoners. Better? Maybe. They had them work as well. In the quarries, in the foundries. Most died sooner than later. Still to see him, was different than knowing what was done. She'd stood guard over prisoners before. But most of the time, she had been elsewhere, in the camp, on the battlefield.

Looking t him she realized that it had been years, since she had been home, since she'd seen anything of her country but the front. Fighting for Ta'e'ilo. Dying for Ta'e'ilo. There had to be another way. Somehow. There had to be an alternative.

[I think I am here.]

46 minutes ago, Sorana said:

“They plan to test your instinct. See what you can do and what you can't."

The Cahayan gulped.

“My Instinct’s Creativity. It’s useless.” Releasing only Sagitta could understand him he looked at her with pleading eyes.

“Please, they’ll kill me.”

The group of three that been with them in the carriage had joined again, the crazy man holding some sort of wooden figurine. They looked at the commotion and began signalling farmers away. A test subject was no use if he was dead. The horse rider had finished feeding his horses and was sitting in the rider’s seat.

[+Sorana]

"I can't help you."

She shook her head. She couldn't not here, not now. He had to see the cloths, had to understand, that she wasn't the one making decision here.

"It's the price of fighting."

She told him simply, then looked at Price.

"He says his instinct is creativity."

Her translation missed a part, but she figured that they understood the rest of it, from the way the man spoke, from his shaking voice. A part of her wanted to ask Price to let the teen go, to send him back, but a look in his face was enough to know, that he wouldn't listen. Hate. He hated the Cahayan. Not because of himself, but because of the murals. Because of everything he had been told.

"Have you ever seen a battlefield?"

She asked quietly, only for Price to hear.

[I think I am here.]

3 hours ago, Sorana said:

“Have you ever seen a battlefield?"

She asked quietly, only for Price to hear.

“Creativity,” Price mumbled, writing something down in his ledger. Useful, very useful. They had a lot of speculation on how far creativity could be pushed. A Cahayan subject would allow for more... borderline unethical efforts.

The second Sagitta said caught him off-guard and he stopped his writing, looked up at her. Had he ever seen a battlefield?

“Only weeks after the battle is over,” he admitted to her. “Why do you ask?”

The Cahayan looked at Sagitta, still with wide eyes. The price of fighting.

“I was conscripted,” he said.

[+Sorana]

5 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

“I was conscripted,” he said.

Sagitta's eyes stayed with Price, nothing indicating, that she heard him, that she understood. Conscripted. She'd heard about that, knew that some of those standing beside her weren't their on their free will, but because their families sent them. And you did what your family told you to do.

"Why do you fight the Cahayans?"

She asked him, her voice still low, so low that hopefully the other man wouldn't be able to understand. She looked at him intensly, her body tense.

[I think I am here.]

3 minutes ago, Sorana said:

“Why do you fight the Cahayans?"

She asked him, her voice still low, so low that hopefully the other man wouldn't be able to understand. She looked at him intensly, her body tense.

“We fight the Cahayans because they fight us,” Price whispered to her, sure he knew where this was going.

“We’re not the villains in this. The war began I don’t know how many years ago, but the Cahayans have done unforgivable warcrimes to Tühine villages. Whatever the reason originally was now it’s become revenge to make Cahaya pay for how they’ve ruined this city with war.”

[+Sorana]

2 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

“We fight the Cahayans because they fight us,” Price whispered to her, sure he knew where this was going.

“We’re not the villains in this. The war began I don’t know how many years ago, but the Cahayans have done unforgivable warcrimes to Tühine villages. Whatever the reason originally was now it’s become revenge to make Cahaya pay for how they’ve ruined this city with war.”

Disappointed she closed her eyes, looked at him with a tad of pity beneath the other emotion.

"There is no good or evil in war."

She told him quietly.

"The moment you stand on a battlefield you are all murderers. Who do you think your revenge will reach, when you enslave a conscripted boy? You said you were different. You stand here for your country, to fight. But the way you do something is as important as what you want to achieve."

Folding the sheet of paper she handed it back to him, then stepped away from the boy.

"I thought that maybe you are different. That you found a way to serve without wading in blood. That you are strong enough to look over prejudices and fight for your country in a good way. In a better way."

"But, it seems like I was wrong."

[I think I am here.]

1 minute ago, Sorana said:

“But, it seems like I was wrong."

“No, you weren’t,” Price said, following her step away from the boy. The conscripted boy? Price had not known that, but did it really matter?

“It’s just, that is how battles are won. The fact the boy was conscripted just shows you more of Cahaya’s villainry. They are willing to send innocent boys against their will here to be captured by Tühine. We do not shed blood. We just defend Cahaya’s attacks. I do serve my country in a good way. I research. I help in science and engineering.”

He gestured to the boy. “And we do not even execute our prisoners like Cahaya does. We let them live, give them meals and a place to rest. Yes, with the catch of dangerous tests, but it is still better than what is done with Tühinine prisoners. You say we are all murderers on the battlefield but I refuse to believe that. A police officer is not a murderer if he kills a criminal. He is a hero.

“Tühinine is a hero.”

[+Sorana]

4 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

“Tühinine is a hero.”

"There are no heros on a battlefield."

She sounded bitter, raw, but she didn't care.

"But you can't know, and you can be grateful that you don't. Pray that you never learn this."

Her eyes darted to the boy, then back to Price. He was like her. Like she had been. Patriotic believing in his country at all costs. Like she did until today. You had to believe in your country. Sagitta knew, that if the boy had been a nomad, she'd might have killed him already.

"You serve your country."

She whispered when she realized that indeed she had been wrong. There was no good way. No better way. It all lead to death and blood on her hands. Even if she stopped swinging the sword, she would still kill. She would only change the when. Stumbling two steps away from him, she held on to the carriage, removed her weight from her injured leg. Exhaustion finally won and she had to lean against the cabin to remain standing. Feeling hot she wiped some sweat from her forehead. Sit down, if only he'd finish his business, so that they could finish theirs and she could finally sit down.

[BringerofShadows]

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I was thinking Ilani. 

@I think I am here.

 

 

[+Sorana]

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Maybe we could be attacked and have to flee, then end up in Ilani?

EDIT:

Luna, are you still interested? In that case, do you have an idea how to introduce your character? I fear it might be difficult for yours and Itiah's to get along, but I think we can find a way. Lots of rp potential here.

@Lunamor

@I think I am here.

Edited August 18, 2019 by Sorana

[Lunamor]

41 minutes ago, Sorana said:

@Lunamor

@I think I am here.

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I think at some point we decided to introduce my character by having her run into Price and Sagitta while attacking the base they are currently traveling to. Would that still work?

@I think I am here.

Edited August 18, 2019 by Lunamor

[+Sorana]

10 minutes ago, Lunamor said:

I think at some point we decided to introduce my character by having her run into Price and Sagitta while attacking the base they are currently traveling to. Would that still work?

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Perfectly actually. We are still on the road, well in a small village at the moment, taking a break.

Do you have a reason why our characters should stay together?

Theoretically, if we ended up inthe wild at one point, we could our journey, your characters get to know each other and at one point we could stumble over the gods. Just an idea though.

 

[I think I am here.]

10 minutes ago, Lunamor said:

I think at some point we decided to introduce my character by having her run into Price and Sagitta while attacking the base they are currently traveling to. Would that still work?

Quote

Yeah. I think we might just retcon the place we’re travelling to and say it’s Ilani, since iirc it was only mentioned once in a roundabout way that they were going to Jyzny.

And I guess wilds make sense, as they are likely to be on equal standing there (Price wouldn’t have soldiers to try and attack them with.)

 

3 hours ago, Sorana said:

“You serve your country."

The change was so sudden, from what had seemed like an argumentative tone to the end of the discussion, like she had accepted he served his nation and that was that.

“Haul him up,” Price said to the farmer and a couple minutes later the group was back on the trail, the familiar rythym of hoof beats on dirt kicking in again.

The Cahayan boy was still bound by rope, a little piece of it attached to the wall so to limit lis movement. He was placed in the seat next to Sagitta. The formal man was looking irritated at the long trip, the crazy man was playing with a wooden toy and the woman was still looking at her feet.

And the trip continued.

[+Sorana]

1 minute ago, I think I am here. said:

He was placed in the seat next to Sagitta. The formal man was looking irritated at the long trip, the crazy man was playing with a wooden toy and the woman was still looking at her feet.

And the trip continued.

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Sorry, but Sagitta won't get into that carriage before they talked about the bargain.

 

[I think I am here.]

2 minutes ago, Sorana said:

Sorry, but Sagitta won't get into that carriage before they talked about the bargain.

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Ah good point. Sorry about the implied-godmod

—before they hopped on the carriage—

As they hauled the Cahayan on the carriage Price walked over to where Sagitta leaned against it.

“You should know, our bargain is completely verbal,” he said. “You haven’t been trapped by a contract yet, but currently this is how the agreement’s changed.

“You can leave the testing at any time, or leave any individual experiment at any time. You may patrol the areas you are allowed to freely.” He looked at her.

“Good?”

[+Sorana]

10 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

Ah good point. Sorry about the implied-godmod

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Don't worry about it. Usually I'd be perfectly fine with it, it was a special situation with the bargain, that's all.

Sagitta nodded, held out her hand for him to take. She could accept it that way. Forcing her body away from the carriage she straightened, looked into his eyes.

"Verbal or not - to me it is binding. We rarely have written contracts in Ta'e'ilo."

Her leg hurt and she shifted her weight.

"I will keep our bargain, you have my word on it."

He probably wouldn't know, but it was the truth. She would keep their bargain and should the price be her life.

======

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Luna, theoretically you can attack the carriage if you want to.

@Lunamor

[Lunamor]

20 minutes ago, Sorana said:

======

@Lunamor

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I’d be fine with that, if Itiah’s ok with it. Might take me a while to get it up, though.

@I think I am here.

[Archer]

11 hours ago, I think I am here. said:

Also, where exactly is Entropy’s General Camp? Somewhere in Tühine? It could be cool if Price and Sagitta met them, it could change connect the two groups we have so far.

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TL;DR Where the purple arrow is pointing to is where the camp is. 

Long answer: No one has established exactly where The General’s Camp is, but we know from what’s been written that it took the horse carrying Entropy and Sensation from around midnight to pre-dawn to get there, with one short stop along the way. Let’s call that five hours, going at 5 kmph (which Google tells me is the speed of a walking horse, erring on the slower end of things to account for the load, darkness, and initially inconsistent terrain). That puts them away 25km away (15.5 miles) from ‘where the three borders meet in the Earn'Lamath Forest’. Our map is lacking a scale, but I’m going to guess that most cities wouldn’t be more than a days’ travel on horseback from other settlements, say 80km (50 miles). The trouble with that assumption is that our map only lists major cities, there’s likely many small villages and hamlets dotted about the land. So let’s just say, for sake of argument, that the circle I’ve placed on the map covers everything within a 25km radius from the meeting point of the gods. That estimation is based on the guess that Jyzny and Renaji are under 80km apart.

Now, I don’t think it was ever specifically declared, but I suspect that Entropy would have made her camp in the country where she is a member of the military, Tühine, but close to the border with Cahaya so it can guard against enemy incursions. Arbitrarily, I’m going to declare that to likely be in the spot pointed to by the purple arrow.

 

Edited August 18, 2019 by Archer

[AonEne]

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I've added Sorana's worldbuilding to the OP, unless you want me to undo that.

21 hours ago, Archer said:

Ghanderflaffle! his General Victoria voice cursed in German. Soldiers, get in here and seize them. Don’t let them get away or I’ll make you wear mismatched socks in public while I read the character description scenes from young adult romance novels at you – as you slowly dissolve in a pool of simmering acid!

This paragraph is amazing.

Um, so. First,

the forest is on a different three borders. However, we can retcon their meeting place too, and say it was in a different, smaller forest where the other three borders meet instead. It works for Entropy's camp to be close to Ílaní or where Archer said then too.

Apologies for not having a longer post below, Creativity isn't my instinct right now

Gati gasped, taking a step backward, but before she could so much as curse soldiers thundered into the tent. She shot an angry look at Entropy, then a pleading one at Tion and tried to lift Truth into her arms. It would take too long for her to work her power on the injured god here, and she wouldn't be able to safely with soldiers rushing at them.

[I think I am here.]

14 hours ago, Lunamor said:

I’d be fine with that, if Itiah’s ok with it. Might take me a while to get it up, though.

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I’m fine with that, it’s a good idea. So the carriage will be going to Ílaní, where they will meet the gods? Cool!

 

14 hours ago, Sorana said:

He probably wouldn't know, but it was the truth. She would keep their bargain and should the price be her life

Price took her hand, sealing the verbal agreement. He didn’t quite believe to how much she held the verbal contract to, to Price a written agreement had always seemed the better option. A written bargain was final, with the blood signatures of all involved it was the law, and no one in Tühine wanted to cross the law.

“So it is settled,” he said, and hopped into the carriage.

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See previous post to them driving in the carriage  

 

[+Sorana]

1 hour ago, I think I am here. said:

See previous post to them driving in the carriage  

Back in the carriage Sagitta resumed her position next to the door, rested her head against the door once more. She could leave when she wanted to. And while a part of her suspected that their bargain was a lot more important to her than it was to Price, it was what she would get right now. So she would work with it.

"How long are you doing this?"

She asked him with a gesture indicating herself and the other subjects. The Cahayan was bound, probably unable to understand them at all. She was careful to avoid his glance, felt almost guilty for a decision that wasn't her own. This was war. And people died in war. Conscripted or not. The world wouldn't suddenly change only because she wanted it to change. It would always stay the same. As long as the gods ruled, as long as the countries existed, the world would stay the same.

[I think I am here.]

1 hour ago, Sorana said:

“How long are you doing this?"

“Just over two years, now,” Price said, and smiled, because it seemed he’d been doing this for so much longer. And yet, it had all been two years. The movement underground, the tests, the experience and the promotions until he’d practically led the research section of the Renaji base. Not a small thing, if he could say so himself.

Careful not to spill any water due to the rocking of the carriage, Price took a sip of his canteen.

“I’ve tested every Instinct in that time. Even my own, though I’ve never tested on myself.”