Leilana and Natessa

[Rygothran]

   The Grand Hall of Hope
  In a magnificent feat of engineering, once wooden trusses have been
replaced by large steel girders to support the vaulted stone ceiling of the
keeps main hall.  Resting on a wide stone pedestal a large round marble
table provides a meeting place for clansmen to confer.  Iron braziers along
the walls blaze with magical fire illuminating the room in gentle light.
Tapestries embroidered with scenes of battle depict the trials of the clan
through out the histories of Aabahran, including one with the clan hall
itself on fire.  To the east the sounds of a hammer striking an anvil ring
through the hall.  In the west clansmen kneel before a stone altar.  

[Exits: east west down]
     The commandments of Hope are chiseled in to the marble table.
The Clan Master of Hope is here offering guidance to his clansmen.

A messenger walks in.

A messenger says 'Ah, Lady Leilana.'

A messenger bows before you.

A messenger says 'I have been looking for you.'

A messenger gives you A note, written on antique laid paper.

Leilana climbs to her feet and turns to the messenger, greeting him with a smile.

You say 'Well met. How may I assist you?'

A messenger says 'Just a delivery.'

You nod.

A messenger awkwardly points to the note in your possession.

A hand-written note is here.
You should try to "translate" this note.
You judge that it is in perfect condition.

Quote

You try to translate the note..
The note is written in Elvish:

Lady Leilana,

We have much to discuss.  Please meet me at the Starlight Redoubt in the
Bazaar at your earliest convenience.  
 
Natessa Lacleur

You say 'I must depart.'

You smile at it.

A messenger bows before you.

A messenger walks down.

<< I move to the starbridge. >>

Astral Starbridge
  While the name may conjure images of some massive bridge spanning in to
the heavens, the reality is significantly less dramatic.  There is no
super-structure or reaching tower.  There is, however, a beam of light which
ascends in to the clouds above, eminating from a transparant crystal.  At
odd intervals, it pulses, sending waves of light through the room.  

[Exits: west]
     (Glowing) (Humming) A humming crystal rotates slowly in the center of the room.
A hooded agent of the Astral Conclave is here.
The agent tells you 'We see you in the light of the moon, Leilana.'
The agent tells you 'If you seek to visit the Bazaar, I must ask for three hundred gold pieces.'

You give an agent of the Astral Conclave 300 gold.
An agent of the Astral Conclave nods in understanding.
The agent tells you 'The starbridge will open soon, Leilana. Wait here.'

<< A day passes without being moved to the Bazaar. >>

A righteous presence has transferred you.
Starlight Redoubt
  The concealing mists that blanket the breadth of the Bazaar are
distinctly absent here.  A clear view can be seen for leagues in all
directions.  Further scruttiny of the sector reveals why; fortifications.
This stretch must have previously been used as a defensive position against
intruders.  Now, however, it appears to have been converted to an eatery,
with comfortable chairs and side tables at set intervals around the
premises.  

[Exits: south]
( 2) A wicker chair is here, overlooking the Milieu.
(White Aura) A knight in full plate armor, emblazoned with the crest of the One, towers before you.
(White Aura) Natessa is resting on a wicker chair.
(White Aura) A hooded man stands patiently to one side.

'Apologies for my tardiness,' Leilana says, looking around the room.

As the world shifts around you, you find yourself somewhere new. A young woman in a thin, white robe drops her hand when you materialize.

You say 'It seems the astral gate is a bit slow to charge.'

Natessa says 'I am sorry to speed up the process. The Chevaliers don't like when I'm out in the open for very long.'

The woman before you seemed to radiate with holy light.  It hangs about
her like a cloak, playing off her golden hair and giving her an angelic
appearance.  Her dusky skin has been kissed by the sun by is not wrinkled or
blemished, and its bronzed hue stands in stark contrast to crystal blue
eyes.  Her figure is frail, however she holds herself with a aristocratic
bearing that speaks of an inner power.  

Her lithe frame is wrapped in pristine gossamer robes, white as unsoiled
snow.  Lightly grasped in her hand is a crosier which bears the unmistakable
sunburst of the One.  Her bare feet are somehow unsullied, and closer
inspection reveals she hovers about half an inch off the ground at all
times.  
Natessa is in excellent condition.

'Please,' the young woman says, motion toward the chair adjoining hers. 'Sit with me.'

Natessa says 'I assure you no harm will come to you here.'

Leilana approaches Natessa, her crusader armours creaking with every steps she takes. Sitting down, she nods at at the Voice of the Church.

Natessa sits back upon the wicker chair and takes a slow, deliberate sip of her coffee.

The silence stretches on for a moment as the young woman just... states.

Stares with her crystal blue eyes.

You say 'It is a pleasure to finally meet you, although.. the world is buzzing with rumours.'

Delicate lips pull into a smile. 'To put it coyly,' she responds.

Leilana offers a smile of her own, 'My heart rejoiced when I received your first letter.'

Behind her the enormous figure of a Chevalier stands like an iron statue. His head slowly swivels left and right, gauging the situation.

Natessa does no respond. She simply watches you, sipping at the plain black coffee in its frail porcelain cup.

You say 'What you write is true. The One's love and light is meant for all, yet wicked men would turn the flock astray from Him.'

Natessa nods in agreement. 'We live in dark times.'

Leilana asks 'May I be upfront with you?'

'I was waiting for just that,' she replies.

Natessa lifts a thin brow, waiting.

'Men have approached me,' Leilana says, meeting Natessa's gaze, holding it for a moment, 'They made claims that you consider my faith poison to the Church.'

Natessa carefully sets the coffee cup aside, folding small hands in her lap. 'By men you mean the one who smells of death, and the wordsmith.'

Leilana tilts her head slightly to the side.

You say 'It is not true, then?'

Natessa says 'I respected that they at least shared their mind in calm tones, but those gentlemen had their mind made up when they saw me in Maelbrim.'

Natessa says 'The unfortunate truth is that preconceptions color our memory of events.'

Leilana nods her head slowly, contemplating the woman's words for a few moments.

Natessa unfolds her hands and gestures toward you. 'I called you here to talk, so that these preconceptions could be laid to rest.'

Natessa says 'First, allow me to answer a question I'm sure you've been pondering since the first missive... No, we are not affiliated with Wynnethan.'

You say 'I am grateful. I would welcome you and the Chevaliers with open arms, to see the Lord's gospel spread across the lands.'

You say 'But then allegations were made of indiscriminate slaughter.'

'That is at the core of my concerns,' Leilana says, chewing lightly on her lip.

Natessa gently nods her head, causing silken tresses of gold to bob against her shoulders. 'Indiscriminate slaughter....'

She considers the words for a moment, peering off into the beautiful, star-studded vistas.

You say 'For the people of these lands to be baptized into the Church, or be cut down.'

Natessa says 'You are a crusader, yes?'

'I am,' Leilana nods.

Natessa returns her eyes to you. Piercing, cold.

Natessa says 'You have killed?'

Leilana meets that cold gaze with a profound calmness in her own eyes.

You say 'I have killed.'

'Why?' The question is soft, almost a whisper.

You say 'Because it was necessary.'

Her response is to nod. 'Necessary. Funny word. Meaningless.'

Natessa says 'Or rather, too meaningful. It changes depending on who you ask.'

You say 'Because unbelievers would come at me with their swords brandished and murder in their eyes.'

You say 'To defend the Castle and my brothers- and sisters-in-arms.'

Natessa says 'So you killed them for the betterment of the world. Because -you- felt it was necessary.'

You say 'Ah, yes.'

The constellations move slowly overhead in a beautiful, astral dance.

Natessa says 'I could argue the Chevaliers do much the same.'

Leilana leans forward in her chair slightly, staring across the table, watching Natessa in an almost scrutinizing manner.

Natessa says 'I might also note that we have not -killed- anyone.'

Natessa says 'And those the Chevalier have... confronted... were never innocent towns folk.'

You say 'I want you to argue. I want you to proclaim loudly the One God's will, I want to see your earnest desire to shepherd and protect the people of this world. For if you did, I would give my sword to your cause.'

Natessa returns your gaze, peering deep into your eyes and allowing the words to wash over her.

You say 'But if you tell me that the men and women of Aabahran will be put to the pyre if they do not acknowledge Him as their Lord, then... I would be more hesitant.'

Natessa leans forward as well, gently taking your hands in hers. 'Leilana...'

Natessa says 'You are a woman of boundless compassion. I see it, welling up within you.'

Natessa says 'I was, too, before... before I heard the calling. Compassion is a wonderful gift, but...'

'I am compassionate because I know what it means to suffer,' Leilana replies, nodding her head slowly.

'Suffer...' Natessa reports, trailing off. She drops your hands and leans back.

Natessa says 'You mean the death of your children.'

Leilana narrows her eyes in response, sitting up more upright, shoulders stiffening. She had clearly not expected that response.

Natessa watches you carefully.

You say 'Yes. I suffered when I lost my children.'

Natessa retrieved the cup of coffee from the side table, now cool. She takes a tentative sip.

You say 'Which is why I made it my solemn duty to shepherd the One's children back to Him. To guide men and women who has abandoned His radiant light back into it.'

Natessa says 'Before... all of this I was healer in a small parish.'

Natessa says 'I helped where I could. Sometimes in childbirth.'

Natessa says 'There was a phenomenon we noticed in some of the women who came to us. They would describe cramps, abdominal pain, heavy bleeding...'

Leilana briefly touches the sunburst pendant around her neck, fingertips brushing against it before she rests her hand against her lap again.

You say 'Did you figure out what was amiss?'

'We did,' she replied.

Natessa takes another slow sip of coffee.

Leilana smiles at Natessa, waiting for her to continue.

The Chevalier appears not to be paying any mind to the conversation. He watches as other visitors to the bazaar come and go.

Natessa says 'What I told your friend, the one who smells of death, is that your ailment is of poisoned faith. Not that your faith poisons the truth.'

You say 'How does my faith relate to these women?'

Natessa says 'Unfortunately life for women in our time is often cruel. Especially for women like you - caretakers, compassionate souls.'

Natessa says 'In giving wholly of yourself you keep nothing. Not enough to sustain the small lives struggling to survive inside of you.'

Natessa says 'The women who came to us were much the same. Women who were desperate to save the world, but drained themselves in the process.'

Natessa says 'Part of their treatment was understanding that they couldn't save everyone.'

Those words pluck at the strings of guilt deep within Leilana. She looks away briefly, a lone tear trailing down her cheeks.

Leilana wipes her cheek with the back of her hand then looks back at Natessa again.

Natessa pauses for a moment, as though consider something, before continuing. 'I told you I was a healer in a small parish...'

Natessa says 'I tried to save everybody. I lost many. '

You say 'I think -everyone- deserves a chance to be saved.'

Natessa says 'People get sick, they become old... they die.'

You say '..because..'

Natessa trails off, eager to hear your reasoning.

'..if there are those who do not deserve redemption,' Leilana murmurs quietly, '..then why did I?'

You say 'The One never turned me away, despite the pain I was in, despite the anger I lashed out with. His light filled my soul when it was nothing but an empty void.'

With a shrug, Leilana says, 'How can I turn away those who need His love and forgiveness the most, when I found it when I needed it the most?'

Natessa says 'The One, in his infinite wisdom, knew that you were capable of redemption. He saw that your sins were not ingrained but sins of mortal failure.'

Natessa says 'And it required of you a terrible sacrifice.'

Natessa says 'The live of your young son...'

Natessa says 'If the One's light is to shine on others they will not feel it, not until they understand the darkness.'

Leilana stares at Natessa. It is a long stare, silent, her expression inscrutable.

And then, Leilana just closes her eyes briefly, a wave of relief visibly washing over her. She seems more at peace.

You say '..thank you, Natessa.'

Natessa says 'Change does not come to us until we are stripped down to our bones. Only then, we we are laid bare before His gaze, are we receptive to the truth.'

Natessa says 'Have you spoken with anyone who has come under the sword of my Chevaliers?'

You say 'Nay. I have only heard rumours of clashes between the Chevaliers and faithless men. Thyrius, I believe.'

Natessa nods. 'I wish to explain all, but to understand the urgency you must know a bit of history.'

Natessa says 'Ours is a world that teeters back and forth on the precipice of destruction. More than once the world has been scoured clean.'

You nod at Natessa.

Natessa says 'Each time this apocalypse has been levied upon us it was because of strife that tipped beyond the point of redemption.'

Natessa says 'The One looked upon his flock, and in despair... chose to begin again.'

Natessa says 'Millions died in these events. Women, children, the elder. -That- was indiscriminate slaughter. Because we were too far gone to recieve His love.'

Natessa says 'The Church we represent... we are trying to save everyone from this tragedy. For we see that it comes again.'

Natessa says 'The Chevaliers cut, tear and stab. They cause terror and pain... because -only- when we are brought low does out pride faulter, and the One can lift us up.'

Natessa says 'And each time they are sent forth I weep... for I know what it is to be in pain. To be terrified.'

Leilana lightly taps her fingertips against the surface of the table.

You say 'I find that hard to accept. That the ends justify the means.'

'I understand,' Natessa replies. 'It was a very difficult thing for me to come to accept as well. But you cannot argue with reality.'

Leilana recites one of the commandments, 'Let not there be Slaughter, only Mercy.'

Natessa says 'Those are the tenets of your Castle, not my Church.'

You say 'I have a question for you, Natessa.'

You say 'You say we are to cause terror and pain, but in doing so we become that which we are sworn to destroy. Is.. it really worth it?'

Natessa says 'I put the same to you? You have experienced what it is to lose a child.'

Natessa says 'It's the same agony every mother suffers when her child is destroyed in a watcher raid.'

You say 'I am sworn to uphold the One's light. And when my soul departs this mortal coil, His eternal gaze shall come upon me, and He shall judge me.'

Natessa says 'It's the pain every parent feels when their son or daughter falls before a demon horde.'

You say 'We can do what is good, we can do what is right. We can be the lanterns that bring His light forth. And we can sway others to our cause.'

Natessa says 'These are the same ideals that guided us to the last cataclysm. Lady Leilana, boundless optimism -does- -not- -work-.'

You say 'No, you misunderstand me.'

You say 'What if boundless optimism is what -will- -one- -day- tip the scales of balance into the favour of redemption?'

Natessa says 'And in the meantime? Without catalyst? Then we stand idly by. I put my faith in the One just as you do, but the One helps those who help themselves.'

You say 'I maintain that we may very well corrupt our immortal souls if we take the weapons of Evil into our hands and levy them against Evil itself.'

You say 'We may save this world, but jeopardize our place in the next. '

Natessa says 'What method of evil do we employ? We take no lives, we present opportunity.'

You say 'This life is fleeting, but the soul is eternal. '

You say 'This world is fleeting, but the One God is eternal.'

You say 'Is it not evil to employ terror and pain?'

Natessa says 'Just as the One God chose to take your precious children?'

Natessa says 'Did that not cause you pain? Fear? Self-loathing?'

'Ah,' Leilana says, a gentle smile emerging upon her lips, 'The One God has taken nothing from me.'

Natessa says 'Sometimes you must -hurt- in order to -heal-.'

You nod at Natessa.

You say 'I agree with that.'

Natessa says 'That is all we are doing. Because when an illness becomes chronic the rot is ignored. OR worse.. it is considered 'just the way it is.''

Natessa says 'Sister.. we -must- cut out the rot.'

Natessa says 'Or else all of us are doomed.'

You say 'I agree that listlessness and inaction are terrible woes upon this world.'

You say 'We can not stop to enact change because we do not immediately see results.'

'But I believe that goodness begets goodness,' Leilana continues.

You say 'Same as pain begets pain.'

You say 'I find it hard to come to terms with your point of view.'

Natessa offers a sad smile. 'I know. It was... a distant hope, at best.'

Natessa says 'You are a gentle soul for a gentler time. I have such respect for you. But this dark period requires harder hearts.'

Leilana's lips curl into a smile that mirrors Natessa's sadness.

Leilana suddenly blinks her eyes, tears welling up in them, overcome with emotion again.

Natessa sighs, her coffee cup finally empty. THe Chevalier behind her looks pointedly at his charge and she nods.

You say 'Natessa. Perhaps you -truly- are what this world needs. Part of me wishes you are right, that -someone- has found redemption for all of us. But another part of me... it simply can not accept that path.'

You say 'If I am wrong, I pray the One will forgive me.'

Natessa says 'May the One forgive us all. Like you, I would very much like to see generations of children grow into a prosperous, safe world.'

Leilana shifts slightly in her seat, turning her head to watch the sun begin its descent beneath the horizon.

Natessa says 'But I must go. There are doubtless many who would see me harm and the Chevlaiers will give me a stern talking to when I return to the cloister.'

Natessa says 'If I may, there is one final... perhaps painful thing I must share with you.'

Leilana shifts her gaze back to Natessa, 'May the One's light shine your path.'

You nod.

You say 'Oh. Of course.'

Natessa shifts upon the wicker chair. 'When I... things... changed... the One blessed me with wondrous abilities. Tools to aid in our holy quest.'

Natessa fixes you with her crystalline eyes. 'I can employ these tools to make you fertile again. To have children, and another God-given chance at a family.'

Natessa says 'But it only works if your faith is pure.'

You say '..you would.. do this for me?'

Natessa says 'Sister, I would cure the world if it were in my power to do so. My great burden is knowing that my deepest hopes will never be realized.'

Natessa says 'But I -can- help you.. -if- you can just see...'

The Chevalier places it's heavy gauntleted hand on Natessa' shoulder. She sighs, loathe to draw her eyes away from you.

Natessa says 'I... must go.'

Leilana nods her head slowly.

You say 'Godspeed, Voice of the Church.'

Natessa rises, smoothing out the creases in her gown. She offers an almost regal nod. 'And you. Executioner.'

A Sunburst Chevalier walks south.

Natessa leaves in a swirling mist.

You feel a divine presence guide you to new found experiences!
You earn 25 rp points!