[Icemule Temple, Meeting Hall]
The Temple Meeting Hall is an expansive space, although its ceiling barely clears six feet.  Its mithril doors open inward, swinging back to frame a promenade down the center of two banks of hand-carved benches.  Leather cushions on the benches provide a more comfortable seat atop the hard oak, and footrests add additional ease.  At the room's far wall, a raised dais holds a podium and a few imposing oak chairs with wide arms and tall backs.  You also see the Mitheirien disk, an ice blue taper and a pair of wide mithril doors.
Also here: Laeyandra who is sitting, Mitheirien who is sitting, Lady Paulaina who is sitting, Journeyman Grimlorn who is sitting
Obvious exits: none

You ask, "Allright, shall we get started?"

You ask, "Who has a tale to share tonight?"

Mitheirien blushes a delicate shade of pink.

Iscikella smiles as she glances about the room.

Mitheirien folds her arms at the waist.

You say, "Come now, don't be shy."

You say, "Surely someone has a tale."

You chuckle.

Laeyandra says, "I wish I did."

Laeyandra sighs softly.

Mitheirien agrees with Laeyandra.

Mitheirien quietly says, "My Lady has never... intervened directly."

Mitheirien blushes a delicate shade of pink.

Mitheirien quietly says, "It would be quite a story, had She."

You say, "It does not have to be about direct intervention."

You shake your head.

Paulaina appears to be trying hard not to grin.

You ask, "How does yer faith affect yer life?"

You say, "That is just as much a tale."

Mitheirien ponders.

Mitheirien nods to you.

You smile at Mitheirien.

You ask, "Have ye a tale then?"

Mitheirien quietly says, "I suppose it could be considered that."

Mitheirien blushes a delicate shade of pink.

You smile at Mitheirien.

You say, "Please share it with us."

Mitheirien nods.

Laeyandra smiles encouragingly at Mitheirien.

Mitheirien quietly says, "I follow Imaera, as much for Her place as a patron of healers, as Her place as a nurturer."

Grimlorn nods.

Laeyandra turns an inquisitive ear towards Mitheirien.

You nod to Mitheirien.

Mitheirien quietly says, "I spend my time in Icemule Trace as a healer, tending those who are wounded or killed here."

Mitheirien ponders.

You say, "A good occupaton."

You wink at Mitheirien.

Laeyandra nods.

Mitheirien quietly says, "Imaera's way is to nurture and tend those in need, so I feel it is my duty to do this; to care for the people of my home. In honor of her, I accept no payment for my services; I do not do this for my own gain, but because I feel it is my duty to Her."

Mitheirien folds her hands in her lap.

You nod to Mitheirien.

You say, "So thus She is very much part of yer life."

Mitheirien quietly says, "I suppose that isn't really a direct influence She has had on me; no great visions, or thunderclaps, or any other such things. But when I am in my worship, doing my healing... I feel truly at peace, as I do no other time."

Mitheirien nods to you.

Mitheirien blushes a pink shade at you.

Paulaina smiles.

You grin at Mitheirien.

Laeyandra smiles at Mitheirien.

Laeyandra nods to Mitheirien.

You say, "And those that so connect their faith to everyday life are much blessed."

You nod.

Mitheirien blushes a pink shade at you.

Mitheirien nods to you.

Laeyandra nods to you.

You already have that.

You remove an ora anklet incised with images of opposing crescent moons from in your spidersilk greatcloak.

Speaking to Mitheirien, you say, "For sharing."

You offer your ora anklet to Mitheirien, who has 30 seconds to accept the offer.  Click CANCEL to prematurely cancel the offer.

Mitheirien blushes a delicate shade of pink.

Mitheirien has accepted your offer and is now holding an ora anklet incised with images of opposing crescent moons.

You smile.

Mitheirien bows to you.

You grin at Mitheirien.

Mitheirien quietly says, "Thank you. It was my honor, to be able to share what little I can."

Mitheirien blushes a delicate shade of pink.

Laeyandra grins at Mitheirien.

(Iscikella glances about the faces in the room.)

Speaking to Mitheirien, Laeyandra says, "Thank ye."

You ask, "Anyone else with a tale to share tonight?"

Mitheirien blushes a pink shade at Laeyandra.

Paulaina ponders.

You cock your head at Paulaina.

Speaking to Paulaina, you ask, "Have ye a tale mayhap?"

Paulaina grins at you.

You grin at Paulaina.

Paulaina says, "I didn't come prepared."

You say, "Ah, well this is very informal."

Paulaina nods.

Mitheirien nods to Paulaina.

Mitheirien quietly says, "If I can speak..."

Mitheirien blushes a pink shade at Paulaina.

Mitheirien quietly says, "I'm certain you can do even better."

You grin at Mitheirien.

Paulaina says, "Alright then, this will be a tale of conversion."

Laeyandra grins at Mitheirien.

Grimlorn smiles at Paulaina.

Grimlorn winks at Paulaina.

Laeyandra smiles at Paulaina.

Paulaina winks at Grimlorn.

Mitheirien attaches an ora anklet incised with images of opposing crescent moons to her ankle.

Speaking to Paulaina, you ask, "Would ye like to give it a try?"

You smile at Paulaina.

Paulaina nods to you.

You exclaim, "Good!"

You smile at Paulaina.

Paulaina snickers to herself.

Grimlorn smiles at Paulaina.

Paulaina rubs her chin thoughtfully.

Paulaina says, "My graceful elven mother was a devout follower of Mistress Oleani and so of course she wanted me to follow in her footsteps, which I did."

You nod to Paulaina.

You lean forward and rest your chin in your hand, a thoughtful expression on your face.

Paulaina says, "Everything was always peace, love, happiness... followers of Oleani, especially the young maidens are forever and always concerned about their appearance and especially their presentation to the males."

Mitheirien giggles at Paulaina!

Paulaina smiles.

Mitheirien blushes a delicate shade of pink.

You grin.

Grimlorn chuckles.

Laeyandra grins.

Paulaina says, "I grew up thinking that what I wore and what my hair smelled like and when the next ball would be, were the most important things a young woman in Elanthia could do for herself."

Paulaina says, "That and finding your lord in shining armor."

Paulaina winks.

You laugh softly, trying to hide your amusement.

Grimlorn rubs some brigandine armor.

Paulaina gazes fondly at Grimlorn.

Grimlorn chuckles.

You say, "So Oleani affects yer life very much as well."

You chuckle at Paulaina.

(Grimlorn examines his armour suspiciously, finding not a hint of shine.)

Paulaina says, "When I left my enchantress school and went out into the world to practice my profession I was greeted with the cruel reality that monsters and beasts care not for how I look, enjoy eating me even more when I smell of vanilla and the balls are very few and far between and to gain the favor of attending one with a male would be very rare because they were always at the hunt."

You say, "Very true."

Paulaina sighs.

You chuckle.

Grimlorn nods.

Laeyandra grins at Paulaina.

Grimlorn says, "We weren't allowed in the balls usually, too much grave dirt between our ears."

Grimlorn chuckles.

You grin at Grimlorn.

Paulaina says, "Looks are not everything, girls. There comes something so much more important before looks.. whether you be male or female... and that is trust."

You nod to Paulaina.

Paulaina says, "I always believed if I was devout to Oleani she would protect me from the hurt that the lack of trust brings... but even she can not do that."

Grimlorn nods.

Paulaina says, "I learned the hard way that others detest the ways of Oleani and want nothing more than to destroy those that follow her ways of peace, love and happiness."

Laeyandra ponders.

You sigh.

You nod.

Paulaina says, "Not all others."

Paulaina's cheeks flush with a soft pale rose shade, darkening her freckles even more.

You smile at Paulaina.

Grimlorn smiles.

Paulaina says, "It seemed it at the time of course."

Grimlorn nods.

Paulaina says, "My best friend, my boyfriend, those that I trusted became my enemies."

You exclaim, "Oh my!"

Paulaina nods to you.

Laeyandra furrows her brow.

You fret.

Paulaina says, "So I ran away from my life, far away, into the woods and sought shelter in a tree."

You bite your lip.

Paulaina says, "I sent my mother a dove telling her that I had been forsaken by Oleani and that I could not follow her anymore."

You shake your head, clucking your tongue.

Paulaina says, "It was one foggy, rainy night I heard a rustle in the brush and came upon an altar of a sort."

You cock your head at Paulaina.

Paulaina says, "I had a vision, though a small one that it was of someone immortal that had suffered the same pains that I had and  so I prayed at the altar."

Laeyandra looks thoughtfully at Paulaina.

You lean forward.

Paulaina says, "I felt the presence of the Huntress and her comforting arms around me and I opened my eyes with a start and looked up in the sky to behold an eight pointed star sparkling brighter than any of the others."

You blink.

You exclaim, "Oh!"

Laeyandra smiles at Paulaina.

Paulaina slowly runs her fingertips along the edges of the white crystal pendant, and threads of brilliant golden light swirl to form a glittering symbol of a silver eight-pointed star.

Grimlorn nods.

Paulaina says, "She guides me now and I have become wise to the hunt."

You smile at Paulaina.

Paulaina says, "I don't worry so much about my hair and my clothes... well I do now that I have Grimmie."

Paulaina grins at Grimlorn.

You chuckle at Paulaina.

Grimlorn chuckles.

Grimlorn says, "As long as you breathe my love, you're fine."

Grimlorn winks.

Grimlorn ducks his head.

Mitheirien giggles at Grimlorn!

You grin at Grimlorn.

Laeyandra grins.

Paulaina says, "I respect Oleani in that she means well, however I have learned there are more important things to girls in these lands then love.... love should come after you are able to protect yourself and others."

You nod to Paulaina.

You say, "A wise thought."

Grimlorn says, "True."

Paulaina says, "The end."

Paulaina giggles to herself.

You grin at Paulaina.

Grimlorn chuckles.

Grimlorn hugs Paulaina, who wraps him in a warm embrace.

You remove an ora anklet incised with images of opposing crescent moons from in your spidersilk greatcloak.

You say, "For sharing."

Paulaina hugs Grimlorn, who wraps her in a warm embrace.

You offer your ora anklet to Paulaina, who has 30 seconds to accept the offer.  Click CANCEL to prematurely cancel the offer.

Paulaina beams happily at you!

Laeyandra smiles at Paulaina.

Paulaina has accepted your offer and is now holding an ora anklet incised with images of opposing crescent moons.

Paulaina says, "It is lovely."

You smile at Paulaina.

Paulaina hugs you.

Speaking to Paulaina, Laeyandra says, "Thank ye fer sharin' that."

Paulaina says, "Thank you."

You say, "Wear it for yer Grimmie."

Paulaina gives Laeyandra a friendly hug.

You wink at Paulaina.

Laeyandra blushes a nice shade of off-pink.

Grimlorn says, "She hasn't been charmed yet Isci."

Paulaina grins at you.

Laeyandra grins at Paulaina.

Paulaina laughs!

Grimlorn chuckles.

Paulaina says, "Oh yes I have."

Paulaina tickles Grimlorn into laughing.

Paulaina says, "By you."

You chuckle.

Grimlorn smiles.

You say, "I will give out charms at the end here as well."

You nod to Grimlorn.

Grimlorn nods.

You ask, "Any other tales this eve?"

(Iscikella glances about the room.)

Mitheirien rubs a crystal amulet.

You ask, "Or perhaps ye would like to hear an old one I can tell?"

Speaking quietly to you, Mitheirien asks, "What about yourself, Lady?"

Paulaina nods to you.

Mitheirien blushes a delicate shade of pink.

Mitheirien nods to you.

Grimlorn nods to you.

Laeyandra nods to you.

You say, "Is peripheral to me as affected she who was my teacher, but it did affect me in that regard."

You smile.

You say, "So I will share it."

Grimlorn smiles at you.

You say, "When I first came here to IceMule Trace from community, I found methods of healing here different than those I knew from home."

You say, "And I was greatly confused by them."

Your cheeks flush with a soft shade of apricot.

You say, "I had to relearn everything the way was done outside community."

You say, "But fortunately a more experienced empath, wise in the ways of the world, took me under her wing."

You say, "I will not speak her name here tonight as perhaps one day ye will meet her and she will tell ye this herself."

You say, "In any case, she was fine healer."

You say, "And fine woman.  Elven, but not of my people, of the political elves."

You nod.

You say, "She followed Eorgina, a faith quite foreign to me."

You look about with a puzzled expression on your face.

Grimlorn frowns.

You say, "And one in the end which I could not accept."

You say, "But she was strong in her faith."

You nod.

You say, "Very strong in her faith."

You say, "Now I am sure some of ye have heard of how an elf named Terate some years ago released the power of Vvrael upon this plane."

You shake your head.

You say, "It was a terrible thing."

Laeyandra furrows her brow.

You say, "He had invoked a chant from an old manuscript."

Paulaina nods.

You say, "And been... possessed by the Vvrael."

Paulaina says, "I remember."

You say, "Creatures not of this plane, but of another entirely."

You nod.

Laeyandra shivers.

You say, "The Vvrael threatened the very existence of the Arkati."

You say, "And because of this all the Arkati banded together against the Vvrael."

You say, "Their power was sapped by the Vvrael."

You say, "We were warned at that time not to commune to any Arkati as such would be a great risk."

You shudder.

You say, "Lorminstra would come when she was able to talk to some with regard to the Vvrael."

You say, "But each time she came, she was weaker."

You say, "The situation was dire."

You shudder.

Paulaina whimpers.

You say, "My teacher, however, could not accept the Arkati being joined in this venture."

You say, "She thought Lorministra sought to find a way to defeat the Vvrael by herself and thus claim not only glory for doing so, but great power."

You shake your head, clucking your tongue.

You say, "She could not be convinced otherwise in this regard."

Laeyandra shakes her head.

Paulaina says, "Power."

Grimlorn nods.

You say, "She insisted Lorministra would betray the Lornon Arkati and she said she would not let Eorgina be so abused."

You say, "There were, as Lorminstra had instructed, seven stones -- the Stones of Virtue -- which could aid in sending the Vvrael back to their own plane."

You say, "And folks searched for them."

You say, "As each was found, it was given to one of Lorministra's Chosen."

Grimlorn nods.

You say, "My teacher's blood boiled."

You say, "She still insisted Lorminstra would betray those of Lornon."

Laeyandra shakes her head.

You say, "Though she was an empath, she determined a plan.  She would commune to Eorgina and offer her one of the stones that a fellow believer had found."

You say, "If Eorgina had one of the stones, Lorministra would need to come to her for it."

You say, "And thus Eorgina could bargain from a point of power."

You shudder.

Grimlorn nods.

You say, "Since, as an empath, my teacher could not commune herself, she sought out a cleric to do so."

You say, "But she did this... slyly."

You cough.

You say, "She sought out those newly trained in the power, those who did not yet understand it."

Laeyandra cocks her head at you.

Grimlorn winces.

You say, "And told them it would do no harm to commune, though we had been warned against doing any communes."

You say, "During that period."

You nod.

You say, "One inexperienced cleric, not of Eorgina but willing to try a commune, agreed to use his power."

Great Lord Moswell just came through a pair of wide mithril doors.

Moswell sits down.

You say, "Ah, but ye see my teacher did not understand."

You say, "The Arkati were together in this."

Grimlorn nods.

You say, "They may have but seldom stood together, but in this they did."

You nod.

Laeyandra asks, "All of em?"

Laeyandra cocks her head at you.

You nod to Laeyandra.

You say, "All Arkati were united against the Vvrael."

Laeyandra nods.

You say, "The cleric recited his prayer of commune, and fell into a trance."

You say, "And lo and behold Eorgina herself -- in all her regalia -- came into the chapel."

You say, "Not a servant, not an avatar."

Laeyandra gawks at you.

Grimlorn nods.

You say, "Eorgina in her queenly state."

Mitheirien stares at you.

You shudder.

Mitheirien turns an inquisitive ear towards you.

You say, "She was beyond angry."

You say, "She was beyond furious."

You shudder.

You say, "She railed against the communers."

You say, "And when my teacher set forth her reasons for the commune, Eorgina flew into a fit of vengeance."

You say, "She killed all in the commune."

You say, "And then sealed the doors to the chapel."

You say, "Keeping all rescue from them."

Paulaina fidgets.

You say, "And all touch of the living."

Mitheirien shivers.

Laeyandra furrows her brow.

You exclaim, "She stated outright: Do not doubt we stand as one in this!"

You exclaim, "Never doubt again!"

You shudder.

Laeyandra nods to you.

You say, "And she left them all to rot, and rot they did."

Laeyandra shivers.

You shudder.

A pained expression crosses Grimlorn's face.

You say, "Meanwhile, in a chapel nearby, Luukos came as a snake to one of his followers."

You say, "He told his follower that any who so communed again would receive worse punishment."

You say, "The Arkati stood as one against the Vvrael."

You say, "And none were to question this."

Grimlorn nods.

You say, "And as for my teacher, sadly Terate found her corpse and threw it into a void."

You shake your head.

You say, "She learned a very hard lesson indeed."

You say, "And that is the tale."

You shiver.

Paulaina gulps.

Mitheirien nods to you.

Grimlorn nods.

Laeyandra shivers.

Paulaina leans softly against Grimlorn.

Laeyandra nods to you.

Grimlorn says, "A good lesson."

Grimlorn smiles at Paulaina.

Mitheirien quietly says, "If harsh."

Speaking to Moswell, you ask, "Have ye a tale to share this night?"

You smile at Moswell.

Paulaina stands up.

Grimlorn nods to Paulaina.

You cock your head at Moswell.

Grimlorn stands up.

You ask, "No?"

Grimlorn bows to you.

Paulaina curtsies to you.

You remove a silver arced split-moon charm from in your spidersilk greatcloak.
You offer your split-moon charm to Paulaina, who has 30 seconds to accept the offer.  Click CANCEL to prematurely cancel the offer.

Moswell says, "Naw none worthy of this gathering."

You smile at Paulaina.

Grimlorn says, "We must go I fear, good night to all."

Grimlorn smiles.

Paulaina has accepted your offer and is now holding a silver arced split-moon charm.

Paulaina hugs you.

Paulaina says, "Thank you again."

Speaking to Moswell, you say, "It is very informal."

You nod to Paulaina.

Journeyman Grimlorn's group just went through a pair of wide mithril doors.

Speaking to Moswell, you ask, "Would ye like to share a tale?"

You smile at Moswell.

Moswell says, "Aye but I know few tale I am an empath I heal and release the undead."

You ask, "So none comes to mind for tonight?"

You smile at Moswell.

Moswell says, "Nae."

You say, "Well, perhaps another night then."

You smile at Moswell.

Laeyandra grins.

You remove a silver arced split-moon charm from in your spidersilk greatcloak.

Moswell smiles at you.

You say, "Please accept this token of the festival."

You offer your split-moon charm to Moswell, who has 30 seconds to accept the offer.  Click CANCEL to prematurely cancel the offer.
Moswell has accepted your offer and is now holding a silver arced split-moon charm.

Moswell bows to you.

Laeyandra says, "Sorry I nae got an Arkati yet."

Laeyandra sighs.

You smile at Laeyandra.

You say, "Well, perhaps another day from ye as well."

Laeyandra nods to you.

Moswell puts on a silver arced split-moon charm.

Laeyandra says, "I hope."

You say, "But as that is all the tales this night, I will conclude the storytelling."