Of Emblems and Patouda [Lykos, Finn]

[Hilana Chenzira]

72 Glade, Year 123

[Closed - Lykos, Finn]

With his Runes identified, there was now another puzzle to solve. Fortunately for them, it was but a single piece, but getting the information was a bit trickier. Solunarium practiced a single religion, and attention to other deities almost verged on sacrilege. Worship certainly was; citizens of the Kingdom could not bear the Emblem of other divine beings under the sentence of death.

There were Peregrini that could. But citizens? They would have to renounce their citizenship or face the volcano. Or the dragons. But no matter the manner chosen, death was what was waiting in a kingdom devoted to Avaerys and Varvara for the apostates and heretics.

With that knowledge in hand, finding information or books on the subject was not as easy as those on the arcane disciplines. In such a magic-oriented land, textbooks for about everything - Nyx being the obvious exception - were readily available. For all disciplines, all skill levels, from beginner to advanced to master, the sky was the limit. Thanks to the Sentinels and a good coin purse, Hilana had started building a small library of sorts at the Citadel for them. When Hilana was in the Capital, it gave her sister and Lykos time as they wished to study and learn the language, the culture, the religion, and the magics. Hilana taught when she was there, but since Lia needed to stay at the Citadel, the elder sister was happy to spend time with the demigod. He made for a wonderful companion and a good friend. They were committed to figuring him out, and finding his pack... but he had become part of this one all the same.

Hilana dusted the patouda with powdered sugar, gathering up the platter of pastries and heading out to the airy pagoda while a pair of servii followed behind her with drinks. There was no need for teas tonight; Hilana was going with mead, a spiced wine, and some of the stronger native spirits, ouzo and mezcal. In truth, she needed Lia to relax a little bit tonight, because in her ever-present satchel was the book she had gotten on Emblems. Books on magic may have been easy to get her hands on, but foreign Emblems? Hilana had had to approach the Sentinels and explain why exactly she wanted that information, and let the request be considered before being granted the loan of such a book. One of their found family may have been a demigod, but touching this subject with her sister, who was a product of the Solunarian education system, was a bit iffy.

“You’re going to make us all fat, Hilana,” Lia shook her head with amusement when she saw the loaded tray. At least there was some fruit, even if the star of the platter was the little rounded pastries that fit nicely in the hand. Dates, figs, grapes, and wedges of peaches and plums were also on the platter, and all of this was put down on the table. She thanked the servii for bringing out the drinks, and set the glasses out. All of them had their own little plates to help themselves with, and Lia chose the apricot mead. Sweet, with a little bit of a kick... like her troublesome little sister. Whatever Lykos’ choice was, she’d pour him a glass too, and settle herself down.

The younger sister just made an amused sound at that, and would pass around the little clay plates that they could use to stack their chosen treats upon before sitting down with the spiced wine. All the same, today had been one of those days, and she did not have a problem with a drink and some sweets. She'd gone up and down the city, and she could have teased her sister that the secret was more exercise, but it would go well without saying. "These are patouda," Hilana explained to the Rathari. "They are little hand pies, basically, of dates, walnuts, almonds, and honey." They had plenty of the warming spices that he had learned over the weeks was something that Hilana used frequently where it made sense to do so, but the caramel notes of the dates always seemed to go with the cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

[Finn]

"Her master plan has always been to fatten us for the slaughter," he agreed, a charming, disarming smile making the dire words a jest.

Finn might have been a particularly robust moonborn elf but for his rounded ears. This made him almost exotic here where the desert had warmed the tones of the Vastii. This Lykos was more like him than he was like the men of Solunarium, but that only made him more perplexing. When looking upon him again - this time while the man was awake - there was nothing. That wasn't what troubled Finn, though. What troubled Finn was that there was a shape to the nothing, a shape that was analogous to Lykos.

He could not force his mind to focus on that shape, however. It was strange and he had said so to his superiors. Something was going on here, and he hated the idea that something had been pulled out of his mind. It was commonplace in Solunarium, but he was not Solunarian.

In his Sentinel blacks, he bowed. Hilana was a friend, of course, but the others...

"You must be Lia," he acknowledged. "And Lykos, the new Lord of Winter. Well met both. I see the book found its way to you." He smiled, then sat in an open chair. He might partake, but he would be moderate about it; this was his work now. As a subvigil, he was able to help Arvaelyn in his own way, as well as earn money against a rainy day - rare as those were in the desert. Since it was considered gauche to earn coin for his art, he had to have some employment, and this was it. His friendship with Talon Novalys as well as his mark from Deus Avaerys made him well suited for Phocions divine directorate.

"I am Subvigil Finn, and I am part of the team assigned to your protection. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to make your stay here more comfortable."

[Rickter]

Of Emblems and Patouda

Glade 72nd, 123rd Year, A.o.S.

Lykos had felt like he'd gain a rather solid grasp of himself prior to today, only because he now had enough understanding of all the Runes that were in his possession. Truthfully it had been interesting learning and developing his grasp on every one of them, and with it, he could potentially refine the control he had on his powers in the days that remain ahead. There was of course one other enigma to him though, and that had been the emblem crest found on his left forearm.

In the meantime though, studying and learning more about Solunarium proper had been his occupation. The wolf wanted to at least be able to mingle if not integrate within the society, well, integrate as much as he possibly could for one of his stature at the very least. Being a Demigod likely limited that approach severely but even so, he wanted to be ready come the time he would finally meet the Founders themselves. Though that thought always made him a bit nervous, Lykos wanted to make sure he was ready once that time finally came.

Despite the lessons, there was always one thing that brought comfort to the wolf in turn, which was the nature of food that the younger sister somehow always cooked up for everyone. Lana's concoctions today were of an interesting sort, as they looked to be little pies that smelled sweet and grainy to the wolf's nose. Of course, the fruits were a welcome addition to the platter, but when the pies were the attention grabber, well, Lykos couldn't determine which of the baked goods he wanted to try out first.

"Undoubtedly," He mused in agreement with Lia, "I've actually felt heavier in the gut thanks to her." Though the fact he felt so starved upon meeting them didn't help, granted, he also ate voraciously after they had arrived in Tertium and the Citadel. When given the name of the pies he tilted his head in curiosity, admittedly a bit more excited to learn that dates and honey were key ingredients in their delicious makeup. He wondered about the flavor profile of them right away, but, then the voice of another that had entered the room distracted him.

Odd. Lykos didn't even notice the footsteps of this one when he entered, of course, the wolf had been so occupied with food it was hardly an omen. The sentinel getup the man wore also suggested a sense of formality to the man, but when the wolf sifted the air with his nose he found a blend of smells came off of him. "Well if that's the case," he then mused in regards to the hearty jest, "she's doing a fine job with me already." The wolf glanced to Hilana a bit more playfully in that regard, before he returned his attention back to Finn as he introduced himself.

Evidently, Lykos needn't worry about reciprocating the formality, though, it felt courteous to do so even if his charge knew enough about him already. "Appreciate that, Sir Finn, it is a pleasure to meet you." He greeted with a respectful bow of his head forward, though his hands still remained rested on the edge of the table he sat at. "New or not, I hope to live up to that moniker honorably." He admitted with a faint smile to his demeanor, admittedly curious of his protector now that he traced smells of the North on him. They were very subtle now, but still there, and the accent rang familiar to the wolf's ears after he'd listened to the man.

Giving the sisters a thoughtful glance, the wolf didn't hesitate to be the first to reach for a patouda. With a mindful observation of those gathered, he took a bite into it with a raise of his eyebrows after, and nodded in approval of the flavor as the tangy sweet of fruit merged with the nutty texture of the bread.

"Every side attacks you when you don't pick sides."

[Hilana Chenzira]

“Oh, come on now, I don’t want to slaughter everyone, I need everyone alive so they can partake in a massive culinary empire,” Hilana raised a hand in an arc. “Just think of it, taking over every city in the world, one by one, with delicious, properly cooked food. I shall learn every secret recipe in the world, and incorporate those that are worthy.” She had a perfectly straight face, until Lia started laughing at her, and Hilana dissolved into giggles herself. She may have had big plans, but taking over the world as a culinary titan was not one of them. Not at the moment. If anything, another year she wanted to win the Kalzasern Curry Festival for Solunarium, if only to make a splash there and introduce some of the amazing native spices and peppers that they cultivated in Atraxia.

“You are a lying liar that lies, Hilana. Summon that Ambition and Hunger and honour His Divine Radiance. But it is my honour to meet you, Subvigil,” Lia bowed her head respectfully to him, smiling at the Peregrini. Hilana had mentioned him more than once, and he had gone with her to help her bring everything back from Tertium. Apparently Finn was also a student of hers, as well as being from Kalzasi, like Lykos and His Exalted Highness. Finn was the Amatus of the Princeps Draconum, which added another layer. But Lia knew how it went. When the blacks were donned, that was who they were. Magnatus, Bard, Prince, Princess... they were Vigil. Or Subvigil, as the case may have been here.

“Thank you for helping me get the book,” Hilana smiled at him. “It wasn’t an easy request to make, and I know you’ll be taking it back with you later, but this way we can at least identify and learn about Lykos’ mystery Emblem.” The Vastiana had been true to her word that they would sit there and work out piece by piece what all of these markings and sigils on the Rathari’s skin were, and steadily doing their due diligence had been key.

There was a very subtle taste of liquor in the pastry itself, though the alcohol had been baked away in the heat of the oven, but the evaporation of that alcohol made the crust extra flaky. The honey and date mixture, combined with the powdered sugar on top made for a rather sweet treat, though Hilana was certainly leaning on the sweet side with these desserts. The spices lended their own notes in the inside of the mixture, and Hilana offered Finn his choice of drinks. Maybe one of the meads?

Lia took a sip of her own and followed it with a delicate nibble on the pastry, using the napkin to avoid getting sugar all over her outfit. “That does raise an interesting question,” she remarked thoughtfully. “Of how long Lykos has been the demigod of Winter. I don’t believe His Divine Radiance nor Her Argent Luminescence ever had an Emblem from a foreign deity before their ascension to divinity. So this may be a unique case.” She glanced at her sister. Hilana couldn’t know. The only other demigod she knew was Talon, and if he had any Emblems from other divine beings, she didn’t know about them.

[Finn]

From his seat, Finn observed. Hilana had already told him about her travels and travails, and he had read the reports. He didn't deign to share what the Vigilia knew, not without express permission to do so. Even when he didn't wear his blacks, he had to remember which details were confidential. Of course, he wouldn't keep information from Hilana that would put her at risk, but she had asked for the book and so he had procured for her the book.

His mind's ear was attuned to things, however, and he could hear a resonance of Talon's aura in this Lykos' emblem. They would figure it out soon enough, or Phocion would inform them.

"I can't speak for the Divine Twins in this," he allowed, "but when Talon attempted to mark me, Deus Avaerys vetoed him in no uncertain terms." At first it had irked him, but now it felt right to belong to one god only. It would tear a man asunder to have divided loyalties between two such luminaries with two such powerful forms of personal gravity. "I suppose time will tell whether that mark proves a boon or a shackle. As for the duration, I wonder if it is in any way connected to the eclipse that brought unending winter to those lands not protected by the Sceptre of Avaerys."

Finn frowned.

"I will be in Kalzasi soon for the coronation of the next Shokaze. I hope my family thrives in the long dark." He brightened, then. "I have been bidden invite them to Solunarium, however. So you will have the - dubious - pleasure of meeting them without having to travel to Karnor, Hilana." He hoped he could leverage them citizenship, perhaps, if that would protect them. He still wasn't sure, but for the time being, the invitation of Zalkyriax would certainly keep them safe.

He reached out and picked up a patouda in his long, elegant fingers.

[Rickter]

Of Emblems and Patouda

Glade 72nd, 123rd Year, A.o.S.

Lykos admittedly grinned as he watched the banter that Hilana carried out, dearly amused by her candor even when Lia broke into laughter after. He was admittedly ever curious of the Subvigil present for their gathering, if only because of what he had brought to the table for them to discuss. From what he understood the texts of other Emblems were blasphemous to the Solunarian culture, and those with an Emblem could be punished with execution if they were devout citizens. But this of course was only simple research, something that Finn had agreed to help Hilana with evidently.

Lykos could tell the Subvigil was a good sort, as he smelled interestingly of the alpines in the North, but the musk of the desert and scent of bath oils covered it. Regardless of the Subvigil's well-kept hygiene, there were only subtle but good changes to his pheromones, indicating that the man was there in part for the company as well as his duty. "You think it probably hasn't been for very long?" He inquired with retrospect to the suggestion of him being the new Lord of Winter. "I honestly don't even know what sort of Emblem I'd grant..." He admitted with a deeply introspective look at his patouda.

If he were to guess the most obvious connection would be to Frost. The cold bite of Winter seemed only too eager to answer to him, and heed his calls, so it was only natural his subjects would share in part that power. But what else? What all could his Emblem possibly do? It raised so many questions on such short notice, that he quickly rested his snack back down on his plate, if only to focus more on the conversations that kept him engaged. "I sometimes long to see Kalzasi," funny he could admit that given he didn't learn the name until the other day, "if only to seek out any trace of what my former life might've been."

There was no denying that it was more than likely the first place he'd referred to as 'home' when he awoken, but since that time he'd found a new place to think of as that; thanks to Hilana and Athalia of course. "The long dark? You mean the lingering winter?" He inquired respectfully with a gentle drumroll of his fingertips, admittedly a bit flustered that he had no idea nor control over the state of things. If Winter truly plagued the world beyond Solunarium's borders, then he felt highly responsible for trying to put an end to its constant presence. The darkened cold was not meant to stay for longer than a season, harboring dormancy and before the end of a cycle, heralding a change when the warmth of Glade filled the world once more.

"I'm sorry that I've not figured out how to stop it, but mark my words, I'll bring an end to this winter spell." He assured those present after realizing he felt responsible, even if he might've played no part in its presence.

"Every side attacks you when you don't pick sides."

[Hilana Chenzira]

"Hardly dubious," Hilana smiled at him. "I would be honoured and delighted to meet your family, you know that." And she would be. What had been dubious was Finn meeting her own family, with the exception of her Great-Aunt. And now Lia. But the bulk of them... well. Her father was as ever frustrating, her aunt horrified that Hilana was involved with a Peregrini, even if he was a subvigil and the Amatus of the Princeps Draconum... which was another whole horror story: she had been expressly told to keep her head down, her mouth shut, and stay out of trouble in the Capital.

None of which she had done, and certainly hadn't on this ill-fated trip in the stolen boat.

"I hope that they are doing well. Have you gone to check on them, or talked to them via a mirror, maybe?" She knew that it wasn't the same, not like going and actually checking on them... but that would be something. Besides, Finn bore the Emblem of Avaerys, which meant, as she knew from Ecith, he was not overly hindered by the Eclipse that was beyond the borders of Solunarium... though it could certainly attract more attention from the voidspawn.

"I don't know," she admitted when Lykos asked if it had been very long. "The great darkness, the long winter, the permanent Eclipse... beyond the borders of our Kingdom, which is protected by the Sceptre of Avaerys... the big jewel in the sky that keeps the light shining... there is a foul magic at play. Last Ash - this is now Glade, so over two full seasons now by the calendar... an eclipse covered the sky. It interrupts magic, and all around the world, creatures and monsters from the Void have poured into Ransera. They hunt and gather aether, stealing it from whatever sources they can, for some reason. And I believe that it is connected to the ones we fought back at the Crystal Tree, those elves there. Talon," she used his Kalzasern name as opposed to his Solunarian one since Finn had used it first, "told me before that he believes it had to do with Shaeoth's ascension from demigod to something much stronger. But it's being prolonged by someone, for some purpose that we do not know. But it involves these structures that are at the compass points. The crystal trees to the North and East, the towers to the West and South. These are all connected by something or someone that is able to utilize and harness the Void for their own purposes."

Athalia was quiet at that, selecting a pastry and taking a very careful bite, using a cloth napkin to protect her caftan from the powdered sugar. "This is a concerning problem, soror. And one you are insisting on following through in a few days. When you come back," not if, but when, Lia was not giving Hilana any chance of not returning to them, "we will need to make plans to visit Kalzasi if the Vigilia should agree. Even if it's just a day trip or three to explore and see if anything connects in Lykos' mind." That was doubtful, but it was something that they needed to try. They had made promises, and they would see them through.

[Finn]

Hilana's enthusiasm for meeting his family made him smile, but he put such social issues aside given the gravity of the demigod in their presence. He would certainly make some inquiries while in Kalzasi, but what scared him the most was something he shared aloud:

"If Shaeoth has ascended, 'tis worrisome that his light-sided twin hasn't risen to match him. Such primal forces ought to be balanced..."

Blue eyes settled curiously upon Lykos. Where balance was concerned, a new lord of winter ought to be balanced by the other seasons as well. As far as he knew, they had all died long ago. The seasons marched on, of course, but their divine patrons had not. Perhaps eyes should be peeled for signs of more divine rebirths or new apotheoses. Arcas and Sheoth, the return of the Divine Twins, the vanquished Draegir of Rebellion, and now Winter - these were interesting times.

"Cold, death, rebirth... The Emblem of Winter could be literal or metaphorical. I suppose that will depend on you, Draegir." Finn smiled, curious what the future held for them, and honored to be present for the youth of a new god. The Twins kept their own counsel with regard to the other gods, and the Custodes Deorum's mandate was to protect Solunarium from whatever clashes of divine titans might affect them to their detriment. Winter hardly touched the Atraxian Expanse, but Lykos' rebirth and presence here surely offered hints to the patterns woven between the Dragon King and the Masked Queen.

The Sentinel didn't claim to understand those patterns, but he found them fascinating. Perhaps someday he would ken the symphony of Creation, and wouldn't that be something?

[Rickter]

Of Emblems and Patouda

Glade 72nd, 123rd Year, A.o.S.

Lykos nodded along thoughtfully as he listened intently to the flow of conversation, determining the starting point for the Long Winter once Hilana debriefed him on its initial occurrence. Last Ash it would seem. So it had hit early before the year's end which... sounded unusual to Lykos given that Frost, as a season, was intended to arrive well closer toward the end of Ash. The troubling fact of it perplexed the lupine demigod greatly, as the lingering cold should have also waned with the arrival of the new year. Glade was about bringing renewal and change, a fresh breath of life into the world as it were.

So why did Frost continue to linger throughout the rest of the world? Innately there was something deep in his heart that unsettled him, as he felt something off balance with the question the more he pondered it. To top it off the Voidsent were creatures desperate to sap the world of aether, another problem that led him to reflect on the relevance of the Eclipse and the connection to Frost. Admittedly, this mention of Talon sparked interest since he seemed well versed with the event, leading Lykos to ponder if he might know more about how to handle the Eclipse altogether.

Whatever the wolf could to do help, even if he'd supposedly done enough under that tree, felt all the more important for him to carry out. It was likely a bit selfish of him but he did not wish for people to hate or fear Frost, and the lingering cold would only exacerbate those feelings the longer it remained a hindrance to the world. To top it off, there were greater forces at play from what Hilana shared. This left the wolf to eye the sisterly pair with a bit of concern, as he knew Lana herself was going to investigate one of the said towers in the days to come. As much as I don't want her to go, I can't force her to stay either... He reasoned with himself as he introvertedly grasped at his own faculties.

Demigod or not he was still recovering from whatever stunt he pulled under the tree. It wasn't lost on him when it came to how exhausted his physical and spiritual bodies both felt. "I'd like that very much," he reasoned with a thoughtful glance to Athalia upon the mention of Kalzasi, "of course I don't wish to make it a priority above all else. There's other important things going on, things I can certainly try helping with even as I recover." His remark came with a sentimental smile to the pair then, as he hoped that would come sooner rather than later over his course of recovery. Naturally, learning more about himself had taken precedence what with his memory taken away, but now that he'd grown familiar with his being and the Divinity coursing through him... well...

The sooner he was able to help everyone out the better, at least, that's how he felt about the whole ordeal to say the least. There was indeed some depth of thought to be shared from Finn's contemplation, if only because Lykos considered his role as the Lord of Frost seriously. "Such a power would hopefully be a boon to the world." And not a curse to inflict upon it either, as the cold wasn't meant to be prolonged for as long as it were. "I can see where you find death and rebirth as part of Winter. The cold can be bitter and merciless to the unwary." He expressed with a heaviness in his expression, thoughtful glances oft shot to Finn as he ruminated on the matter.

"But as the late, or rather new, Lord of Frost I would prefer the world didn't see it that way. Death is a finality that Wraeden himself must confer, whereas Winter simply heralds a transition for the world. A change." Such change was necessary even if it brought things to a halt, then again, it was in that dormancy one could find seek out a metamorphosis. The volition to harbor change for the better as the world breathed with new signs of life. Perhaps Frost was easier to associate with death because of that change, but the lupine demigod deeply felt that therein remained greater significance with that meaning. "Whatever the case, the Long Winter isn't going to help with that. If people grow to fear or even resent the cold, then I solely feel responsible for the fact they carry that burden."

He gave a near-soft chuff as he leaned back into his chair a bit, suddenly a bit disinterested with his Patouda as he heavily thought further on the subject. "I just wish I knew where to start is all. Having no knowledge on how to preside, let alone influence, an entire season hasn't done me any favors thus far." He meant it out of humor, of course, but it was clear Lykos had found frustration with the circumstances once more.

"Every side attacks you when you don't pick sides."

[Hilana Chenzira]

"Frost and cold are necessary to awaken and transition the cycle. One needs the other, just as fire is needed for many plants to begin anew," Hilana was reflective. "We've been fortunate here, with the Sceptre. Without it, Solunarium would have been in more trouble than most, I think... though the Voidspawn have been drawn to it." Hilana could say that, of course, having never experienced as brutal a winter as Finn had. The Vastiana's experience with Frost was, at the most, literal frost, where the temperatures dropped to less than half of what Searing might have been at its height. But even still, there were ways to deal with that here, with additional layers. In some place that was permanent darkness with permanent cold? She might be well out of place then, too.

She'd learned the lesson. If she left the Kingdom's borders, it was with dragonshards to help her cast. She wasn't going to be caught off-balance like that again.

"Whatever your Emblem ends up being... I'm sure it will resonate with you, and what you stand for," she reached and squeezed Lykos' hand. There was no rush. They would figure it out and go from there. "But resentment can fade over time. There will always going to be those that moan about the weather, and once the seasons begin the cycle again... It will settle. But you cannot make yourself responsible for the feelings of everyone around you. The only thing you can control is your own reactions to a situation. Not those of anyone else."

"Hilana is right. If it's not in your control... let it go," Lia was gentle. "You didn't cause all of this. This surely happened because of other divine beings," that felt absolutely blasphemous of her to say it, but she was going to have to acknowledge it, "beyond yourself. If one ascended, and now there is a lack of balance as Subvigil Finn points out," she nodded to the the Sentinel at the table with them, "then that is perhaps the most likely source. You may be blamed for it, but people will believe what they want to believe. Hilana can tell you that scorpions and spiders are delicious. Are you going to believe her?" She pulled a face for half a moment. "You might some day, or you might not."

Neither of them could help him understand what it meant to be a god, and all of the powers and responsibilities that came with it. The Founders might. Talon might. But the three at the table couldn't. All they could do was try to figure out what God had marked him, because there had to be some record somewhere.

Hilana wiped her fingers, and reached for the book that Finn had procured for them for the afternoon. This was tricky material, and it was discomforting, but promises had been made. And she kept her promises. She opened the book to check for an index, eying Lykos' left forearm and going over the pages, her finger running down the drawings. "This is it, right here, isn't it? Eminence... the Emblem of Arcas."

Lia dropped her patouda on her plate in a very uncharacteristic way, looking horrified. "This is not the time for a joke, Soror. Especially not one in such poor taste. Arcas, cursed be he until the end of days." Finn likely understood her attitude, considering his time here in Solunarium, even though things had changed greatly in the last few seasons for those that were in the know.

"I am not joking," Hilana was solemn, turning the book around and holding it so that the other three could inspect the drawing of the Emblem of the Justicar. "Does this not look like it?"