Alathos' Arkrist Analysis

Swana made her way down the road towards the Den of Fools. She had been sitting outside the tavern on a rogue bench when Alathos rushed past her with a purpose inside the Shady Corner. After inspecting his note left on the board, she grabbed her new journal and trusty basket and made her way to the home of the Benevolence Society. Of course she stopped by the markets first to grab a few things. A couple of baked goods and a fresh pot of ink were added to her basket as she continued her way to see her friend. She could make out the various hills and mounds that made up the society's home and walked up to the main door, giving it a hearty and friendly knock.

Alathos’ ears perk up as he hears the knock at the door of the Den of Fools. He quickly shuts the book and jumps up from the table. Opening the door, his face lights up as he sees Swana standing on the other side. “Swana!” he says, greeting her a bit too loudly. “Please, come in, come in.” Alathos steps aside to allow his friend to enter the Den.

.

"Thank you! It's been a while since I saw you last, I hope you've been doing well along with everyone else in the Society."

Swana stepped through the threshold of the den and immediately felt a sense of hominess and comfort she hadn't experienced in a long time. "I think this is the first time I've ever been inside the Den, it's so...different..compared to Jhorvagr and the cemetery. But in a good way, I promise."

She walked over to the table where she spies Alaothos' books and places down her basket, unfolding the top tea towel layer to reveal the various baked goods from the market. Gingerly she grabs and places the bottle of ink and her journal along side it.

"So I'm judging by the note at the Shady Corner that you've been having troubles locating that lost immortal the drunk ordained told us about in Poulo?"

Alathos takes the seat opposite of Swana, putting his hands on his head. “Yes! I’ve been reading every book I can find that’s even vaguely related to Arkrist and I’m not any closer to finding any these Prophecy Weapons.” He lets out an exasperated sigh as his upper body slumps down onto the table. “I finally got fed up with my lack of momentum that I put that note up in the tavern. I figured SOMEONE in town must have encountered one of these weapons at some point in their adventures. Then I’d at least have a lead. Even if it’s a 10-year-old lead, at least it’ll be better than what I have now.”

Swana removed her cloak and draped it over the back of her chair. Sitting down, she grabbed a small muffin from the basket and pushed the rest towards the middle of the table. "Remind me again why you have to find this immortal?"

"Vipinbehari sent me a note," Alathos says, pulling a wrinkled slip of parchment from his journal and sliding it across the table. "Since Arkrist's betrayal of Antasia, and by extension Banekeril, he's been absent from the mortal realm. After talking to Nidscyld, Arkrist is probably hiding in his personal Immortal domain, and the only way to get to him there is for one of his Ordained to use a Prophecy Weapon to open a gate there." Alathos jestures to the pile of books adorning the table where the two sit, "But it seems these weapons have disappeared off the face of the planet! Even Nidscyld doesn't know where his is, and according to him he's the last Ordained of Arkrist, so once again I'm stuck with no leads on obtaining council with Arkrist." The homunculus looks up hopefully at Swana, "Have you ever seen one of these weapons, or heard of them? Maybe Xavix might know where to find one of them?" Alathos' desparation begins to show through much more now. "I'll take even the smallest of clues at this point."

Claudia stepped through the doorway of the Den, carefully kicking off any dirt from the road that may have clung to her boots. Pulling her fur cape from her shoulders, she paused as she heard the voices of Alathos and Swana coming from the Den's main room. Tipping her head slight, she kicked her foot a little harder on the doorstoop, just to alert those within that they were not alone, should their conversation be of a personal nature and then closed the door, stepping from the entryway into the main room. 

"Good afternoon, Alathos," she smiled at her guild brother and then turned to the Death Knight, "Greetings, Swana."

Swana inspected the note Alathos slid to her. She opened her journal and flipped to a brand-new page. Grabbing her pen and dipping it into the fresh ink pot, she copied some of the information down as she listened to him speak. As she finished writing, Swana heard the desperation in his voice which was something she hadn't heard from the paladin prospect and her head tilted in questioning. "I haven't had a chance yet to speak with Xavix recently, but these three here." She points to the Horned-Helm of Wisdom, Fist of ??? and Blade of Vengeance. "These remind me of other immortals. Arimir, Lemesin and maybe Khulzan? I honestly have no idea of the others. What did the ordained tell you of Arkrist exactly? Because I didn't even know he was an immortal till that point."

Upon Claudia's arrival, Swana turns in her chair to see her enter the room and smiled gently. "Oh, hello Claudia. I hope you're doing well."

Alathos begins flipping through his notebook. "He didn't really say much. Arkrist is known as the Immortal of Heroes, and he gave out these Prophecy Weapons to all his Ordained, but from what he said, it sounds like he's the last one around." The Homunculus closes his notebook and places it on the table. "Whether that means they've all changed career paths, or are dead. Either way, they're not going to be much help now." Alathos then quickly turned his attention to the door of the Den as he hears boots rapping against the doorframe and sees Claudia entering and greeting him and Swana. He stands to greet the Ixifar as she comes into the room. "Claudia, it's good to see you. Swana and I were just discussing our recent trip to Poulo in Rica. I don't suppose you saw the note I tacked up in the Shady Corner?"

Frowning, Claudia nodded to each, taking a seat at the table, glancing at the notebook in Alathos' hands, taking note of his obvious concern and frustration. "I am sorry, my friend. I have not been to the tavern in many days. Trip to Poulo?." Tilting her head slightly, she asked, "What is in the note?" Her frown deepened. "Is something wrong?"

Alathos sits back down at the table, letting out a deep sigh. “Nothing’s wrong, persay. I’ve just been frustrated at my lack of progress on an assignment I’ve been sent by Vipinbehari. He’s in search of the Immortal Arkrist, but since his betrayal of Antasia, he’s been missing. We visited Poulo and met one of Arkrist’s Ordained, who told us Arkrist is most likely currently residing in his own personal domain, and that he could take us there to speak with Arkrist if we could acquire one of his Prophecy Weapons.” Alathos flips through his notebook, stopping on a page listing out seven weapons. He slides the notebook across the table for Claudia to study. “He told us there’s twelve weapons in total, but he only knew details about seven of them.” Slumping back in his chair, Alathos motions to the books littering the table. “I’ve read all kinds of books but haven’t been able to find any information about any of them, so I posted a notice at the tavern hoping someone in town might know something, but I’ve had no luck so far.”

Gorbash enters the Den in an unusually quiet manner. Walking into the main room, his face red, his eyes to the floor, and a large scroll in his hand. He looks up at everyone in the room, and adjusts the scroll to try and hide it from view.

Not speaking a word, he softly but quickly walks across the floor. Never raising his eyes to look at anyone, and it seems as though he is holding his breath as he goes.

He disappears into his room, the sounds of rummaging echos from within. After a bit he emerges with a scroll of similar size, but different color.

Stepping into the hallway, and walking back into the main room. He looks around at everyone as though they were foes made of dream silver.

The list with Alathos's journal reads:

Shield of Heroic Deeds: "Defendat Infirmum in Ortu Virium"
Glaive of Influence: "... gratiosorum positum"
Horned-Helm of Wisdom: "..."
Fists of Something: "Tange corda multorum"
Blade of Venagance: "Vita Cadit in Mortem Excitavit"
Something of Victory: "Ab Agricola ad Gladiatorem"
Bow of Heroic Insight: "In sapiente disciplina ..."

Multiple blanks left among the titles.

Claudia pulled the notebook close, reading the entry carefully. She gasps, words and breath caught in her throat and she stares at the name of the sword. "Vita Cadit in Mortem Excitavit". She looks up at her companions, her face pale. "That sword," she whispers. "That is my family sword. The one I wielded when I was a vampire." She looks directly at Alathos. "I may know where the blade rests."

As Swana listened to Alathos explain everything to Claudia, she spies the familiar soul of the werebeast cross the room. Her head tilts on confusion at first at his uncharacteristic quietness. She turns her attention back towards the group for a moment when Gorbash returns and she watches his demeanor shift from the corner of her eyes. Her posture shifts so her back is straightened more in her chair and she immediately regrets not having her hammer with her. Swana looks at Claudia, her brow furrowed in question. "Is Gorbash okay?" She gestures with her head towards the werebeast.

"Wait, really?" Alathos exclaims. His face immediately brightened at news. "Claudia that's incredible! Where is it? And, more importantly, when can we leave to retrieve it?" As Alathos stands to celebrate the breakthrough Claudia had finally been able to provide him, Swana's voice reaches his ears. Alathos looks up to see Gorbash, the expression he wore on his face seemed foreign to Alathos. His smile immediately fades. "Gorbash, I'm sorry, I didn't see you come in. What's going on?" He then looked down to see the large scroll in the werebeast's hands. "And what's that scroll there?"

So focused upon Alathos' journal, and that her family sword - the one she wielded for years, had taken decades before from the family vault - was one of the items of power her friend's immortal tasked him to find, she had not noticed Gorbash's strange behavior. Glancing up, she frowned, suddenly uneasy and concerned. She was unarmed, being in her guildhouse with no need to be armed and armored. "Gorbash?" she added her concerned voice to those of Swana and Alathos.

Gorbash tenses at the mention of the scroll. He looks to it in his hand. With a sigh, and his face turning red again,"Gorbash made mistake."

He opens the scroll to show pictures of various swordsmanship poses, demonstrating various techniques.

"Gorbash got this fer 'is son, te 'elp with 'is trainin' fer when Gorbash ain't 'ere." Not looking at his friends, and Swana,"But te scroll Gorbash showed Gorkaidus, was te wrong one."

He rolls up the scroll,"Their so similar, but the color's differnt. Ones brown, this'n's tan. Gorbash can't see colors no more, so they both look grey."

"Gorkaidus saw somethin' 'e wasn't supposed te see."

Swana had a puzzled look on her face as she turned in her chair to face Gorbash, her arm casually draped over the back of the chair. "I'm going to be honest Gorbash, I didn't even know you were colorblind. I think that is more surprising to me than anything else. But whatever you showed your son probably isn't as bad as you're making out to be. He's a tough kid, he's an angori! He's probably seen plenty of stuff in Angor worse than whatever you showed him."

Claudia frowned, glancing at the parchment in the werebeast's hand. "Children are resilient," she said as she rose form her chair, stepping around the table. Eyebrow raised, she asked, "What did Gorkaidus see?"

Gorbash turns towards Claudia, and lowers his head. He squints his eyes, as shame come to his face," It' as a scroll o' pictures o' Angori women crushin' thin's like watermelons with their thighs."

Gorbash clenches his fist, and grits his teeth,"It's Gorbash's shame, e'er since Gorkaidus's mother. 'E don't know why, but it 'aunts 'im. Gorbash'as ne'er known a woman before."

Turning to Alathos,"Sorry fer burdenin' ye with this, since yer invested in findin' those magic stuffs."

Claudia's eyebrow twitched slightly, and then she turned to Alathos in response to his multiple questions. "After I lost my vampirism, Grandfather sent couriers to collect the blade. I believe it was placed in the family vault, however," she frowned slightly, "I am not allowed entry into the vault, so I cannot say for certain." Shifting uncomfortably, she added, "And I cannot say that Grandfather would willingly turn over the blade, not after I had...absconded with it for more than three decades."

“That’s quite alright Gorbash,” Alathos says, “besides, I’m sure this won’t be the last time he sees such things.” Alathos turns back to Claudia as she describes the sword’s location. “But we must try and speak with your Grandfather. If we’re able to explain the situation, I’m sure he’d be reasonable and allow us to borrow the sword. Or, at least, I hope so.”

Gorbash perks slightly at Alathos's words. Hearing of the sword, and remembering Claudia's family; Gorbash lifts his head. He looks at Claudia,"Forgive Gorbash this, Lady Claudia, 'E means no disrespect, but..."

He turns to Alathos,"Who says we ask?"

The werebeast turns to Claudia, with a soft, but serious look in his eyes,"Gorbash don't want te do anythin' te 'arm our friendship, Lady, but If'n it's somethin' we need, 'n yer family won't 'elp. Then we fight fer it."

"We'll give it back after'erds, a'course."

Claudia shrugged at Alathos, saying, "I will most certainly ask my Grandfather. I simply want to point out that he may not give up an artifact of our family legacy as readily as we would hope." She was about to say more, when what Gorbash said filtered into her mind. Frowning deeply, a slight anger rising in her, she turned, eyes narrowing slightly. "If you want to bring a battle to one of the vampiric Noble families of Tarkalsys - one of the oldest and more powerful of the families of Tarkalsys - I will not be fighting on your side of it." Her voice was flat, and very serious as she spoke the words.

Gorbash's mood shifted to serious, he met Claudia's eyes,"Gorbash ain't suggestin' we start te fight, but if'n Alathos needs it, Gorbash's do what's necessary."

He looks to Alathos,"If commanded."

"Gorbash won't mourn te undead, but 'e knows Alathos won't command it. You're too important te this family, fer us te 'arm your's."

He steps closer to Claudia,"We know 'ow Gorbash feels about the undead, 'n you know Gorbash won't do anythin' to fracture our friendship, Lady Claudia. Te abomination 'ere in te Den's proof where Gorbash values sit. So maybe all Gorbash's words just bravado 'n bluster."

He lets his head lower,"We need te 'ave a plan fer if Claudia's family won't 'elp. Gorbash won't 'arm 'em, without reason, but we need te know what our next step is."

Swana had relaxed as Gorbash brought up the details of the scroll he worried about so much. She let out a light chuckle and waved it off as her friends spoke to one another. She reached towards her basket once again for a cookie and made a slight gesture and comment towards everyone at the table in between conversation.

"I brought these for sharing everyone, please help yourselves."

Swana leaned back in her chair listening to Claudia and Alathos talk about a plan to talk to her grandfather. At Gorbash's mentioning again of his feelings on undead and the word 'abomination' piercing her ear, she instinctively gripped her hand into a tight fist. She felt her nails dig into the palm of her hand as she took a deep breathe in and exhaled slowly, doing her best to keep her temper in check while in her friends home. She brought up her own thoughts on the matter in a voice that came out a bit more coldly than intended.

"They may just be 'undead abominations' to you Gorbash, but they're Claudia's family.There are also 5 other weapons we have the possibility of finding."

Eyes narrowing slightly as she gave Gorbash a slight glare, Claudia choose instead to ignore the werebeast's additional words. She would remember them if needed. Turning, she gave Swana a slight, appreciative smile and then turned her focus upon Alathos. "I will, of course, ask Grandfather for the blade," she said with a slight nod. "However, I am a little lost. Why do you need this weapon? It is not the god-killer blade you and others seek."

Ignoring the looks, and condemnation of the others, Gorbash does perk up at the realization of the other weapons.

"Aye, Master Alathos, what's te other weapons, why're they so important?"

Gorbash has a inquisitive and excited look as he asks Alathos,"Can'ey really kill 'n immortal? We finally be able avenge Master Marloff with 'em?"

Alathos shakes his head. "No, no, these weapons aren't meant for that. They're called Prophecy Weapons, they were given out by Arkrist to his Ordained. But it seems like they've all since disappeared. Given up the title, died, I'm unsure of what happened to them, but Vipinbehari was able to track down one." Alathos stands, grabbing a sweet bun from Swana's basket. "See, Vipinbehari has been looking for Arkrist, he hasn't shown his face in a while and, after he betrayed Antasia and Banekeril, Vipinbehari wants him to face justice for what he's done." He takes a bite of the sweet bun as he contines explaining. "According to Arkrist's Ordained that Vipinbehari found, Nidscyld was his name, Arkrist locked himself up in his personal Immortal realm, which can only be accessed by an Ordained while wielding one of the Prophecy Weapons. Nidscyld apparently lost his a while back, but he said if we bring him any of the Prophecy Weapons, he could take us to see Arkrist." Alathos finishes the sweet bun and sits back down at the table with a sigh. "This is my first official mission from Vipinbehari, so I really want this to go well, which is why I've been so desparate to find these weapons, and why I'm so eager to visit your family, Claudia. I apologize if I've come off a bit too eager in our conversations today."

Listening to Alathos' words, leaning slightly forward to pick out a treat from Swana's basket, Claudia's face twisted slightly at the mention of Arkrist. "Supposed Immortal of Heroes," she whispered with disdain as she reached into the basket and, with a smile and nod asking for permission, pulled a muffin free. Picking a piece and popping it into her mouth, she turned to face her friend fully. "And I apologize for becoming too defensive," she gave a shrug as she sat down with her prize. "Grandfather will not allow me into the armory any longer. Mostly for fear of what the sword would do to me since it rejected me when I lost the my family trait." She stopped, staring at the muffin in her hand. "But we can always ask him. I do want to extract a promise from you, however." She looked back up at the Ordained of Vipinbehari. "If Grandfather says no, I do not want anyone to force the issue." She tipped her head slightly. "Just...leave any convincing beyond the initial request to me. I do not wish to strain Grandfather's relations with Jastrey. You do not have the protection of Blood as I do." She raised one brow, tilting her head slightly. "Do I have your promise?"

Alathos' eyes fell to the floor for a moment before they returned to meet Claudia's. "I understand, and you have my word. I won't push him any further if he says no at first. And I understand your priority of keeping his relationship with Jastrey in good standings. Just promise me you'll do your best to convince him if he does deny our request." Alathos paused for a moment, looking for the right words to convey his feelings on the situation. "I greatly appreciate you for providing such assistance, I know it's not easy for you to face your family, so it means a lot to me for you to offer to help. This mission going smoothly means a lot to me, I just don't want to mess it up."

With a smile and a shrug, Claudia bit into the muffin. Chewing thoughtfully, she gave a moment and swallowed. "They love me. It is just now they treat me with kid gloves. Afraid I will break apart at the slightest provocation." She looked up. "And you have my promise that I will do whatever I need to in order to convince Grandfather and obtain the blade for your quest. Who knows?" she laughed shortly. "Perhaps Grandfather will be willing to give up the blade. Afterall, it was missing from the family armory for decades before. They may not miss it."