RP:A Holy Knight, A Plot Foiled

Kelay Tavern

*A damp parchment writ in squid ink is pinned here with a sea urchin spine* I seek both seaborn and land-walkers with hunting and tracking skills for an exploratory foray and recovery mission. Only the stalwart and brave need apply. Great risk brings great reward. Leave your reply with the ale merchant here. - Mac

~Mesthak hands M'cracken a handwritten note~ Greetings,

If you have need of a feline paladin of Cyris on your expedition, please send word to Mesthak here in Kelay, or to Matriarch Roahin of the Isran Collective in Cenril. I look forward to adventuring with you.

In Freedom,

Rani

*Mesthak hands Zahrani a damp missive, with bits of kelp clinging to it.~

Well met, Rani. I am presently in a booth in the far left corner of this establishment, take thy liberty to join me anon, for we have much to discuss.

- Mac

Zahrani looks over the damp, kelp-adorned note, the black Jaguar muzzle taking in the scent of seawater, ink, and paper. Cyan eyes look up from the missive, immediately focusing on the far left booth. The paladin approaches and offers the Seaborn male a smile, before speaking in a warm, raspy tenor, "Ah, the man who helped us with the vault in Chartsend...good to see you again." If offered a seat across from Mcracken, she would accept it graciously.

The Seaborn has been busy trying to master eating with a fork. Noodles slip and slide, evading every stab-and-lift effort. He's just given up and is mid-shoving a handful of tasty udon into his mouth when the stately feline approaches and greets him. "Mhmmfnghuh?" he garbles, confused. He doesn't recognise this person at all. A noodle hangs limply from his lips as he stares at Zahrani, brow furrowing deeply. He is what he is, and doesn't simply forget people. Or anything, at all. A quick munch-and-swallow combo clears the way for speech, his sea-hued eyes shifting from blue to deep greys and greens. "Forgive me, have we met?" Perhaps the feline is mistaken. Nevertheless, he is always gracious to members of her species, an old Cenrillian tradition among neighbours, as it were. "Please, take thy rest here, and let me purchase you a beverage. Perhaps some victuals?" The ragged-dressed, dreadlocked man with the dark beard and seafarers overcoat offers his bowl and fork out to Zahrani, smiling. There's another noodle, caught in his very white teeth.

The feline raises a brow at the man not recognizing her. Was she wearing a different face? She had been so busy, she didn't even remember if she had been in her more elven form or feline form during her work with Joan. As she takes a seat, she accepts the offer of a drink. "An ale would be nice," she says to Nancy with a charming grin. At Mcracken's question, she adds, "You look like a man who helped my friend and I with stabilizing a magical seal. It was in a port city far west of here." The paladin accepts the ale in a chilled glass, not commenting on the Seaborn's ability to eat land food. She lowers her hood, revealing the black jaguar head topped with well-kept micro-locs of her own. She removes her winter cloak, revealing a set of sleeveless plate armor that covers a muscular physique. "But I could be wrong. In that case, an introduction: you may call me Rani. What should I call you, in our time together?"

"......Mac," the Seaborn mutters, his brows drawn down hard, his expression betraying a thought that has him pondering something of apparently great concern. Abruptly he lays his forearms on the table, palms flat, and stares intently at Rani with eyes the colour of hurricanes. "How exactly diid he... did I..." he winces, with a quick glare at the noodle bowl - maybe eating landwalker food was not an experiment he wants to repeat, lest it repeat it on him. "... how did this individual help?"

Zahrani's eyes widen slightly at the man's intensity. A characteristically unblinking feline stare as she sizes the man up. Her ears swivel to face him as he asks his disjointed question. A pause, and the feline takes a sip of her ale before responding, "He offered help to reinforce the magical barrier we were tasked with repairing." The paladin pauses for a moment, thinking back to his words, "I think he said if anyone tried to breach it, their head would explode...I was not eager to test it, personally..." she finishes with a slight grin.

Mac doesn't echo her humour, his expression growing grim, eyes lit with the glower of distant lightning. "Rani.." his tone is grave and quiet. "That creature was not I." He appears to be thinking a moment, gaze wandering the table. Then he looks to Rani again, "It is imperative that you do not repeat whatever it was he imparted to you." That shaggy, silver-streaked head shakes in deep sorrow, "And if the youngling has learned to change shape from an unholy source, his power is greater than I feared. He must be contained,, by any means, and at all costs."

Zahrani 's grin fades. Her cyan eyes remain fixed on the seaborn as he shares his revelation. Another swig of ale, before adding, "So I should probably warn my colleagues in the Healer's Guild about this wayward youngling of yours. Who, and what, is he?" The paladin glances around briefly, checking for any prying eyes or ears.

Mac nods to the forepart of Rani's reply, "He may be seeking to lure victims to his lair, or taint the healers with a darkness. Or outright kill them, perhaps have them kill their patients. I have felt traces of him in the Dark Lands, but he remains obscured by his corruption. As to who and what he is, I know not his name -- creatures of his kind... my own kind... are secretive on these matters, for there resides much power in a name. The youngling is as I. A kraken." And faint rings on his palms gkow suddenly brilliant electric blue as he holds them out as proof of this highly irregular assertion. "And under the power of something capable of corrupting such a mind. Or he has simply gone rogue. Either way, Selene would have me rein him in, lest he cause worse havoc on land and at sea. And for that, I would be most glad of thy help."

Zahrani looks down at the man's hands, reaching out with a black-furred hand of her own. The divine aura emanating from the paladin's form plays across her fur like a golden amber reflection from a pool of water, brushing against his as a strange warmth. If she had any doubts about him, they are gone. The mainland was still recovering from a war between city-states; the last thing they needed was a kraken running rough-shod with unchecked corrupted power. Her eyes return to his, before asking, "I will come with you and aid however I can, though I know little of your people. Do you still need periodic access to water, even while changed?" Conventional wisdom would say: maybe. If so, they could search bodies of water in the Dark Lands, if the Seaborn had not yet done that.

The kraken's countenence brightens somewhat as Rani agrees to his request. He has already long ascertained that the paladin is a channel for holy light, but the emanation of it warms the chill off his spirit, "My abiding gratitude is yours," he says, as the elctric blue fades to a paler hue and he lowers his hands. "And aye, but only a little salted water, which I would carry with me. Thus is the gift Selene has bestowed on me, to aid my mission. But before we embark to the Dark Lands, I would be much comforted should you seek out thy friend and warn her of the imposter. I must know whether she has had any further contact with him, in case he stalks her as prey."

Zahrani nods in understanding, taking another sip of her ale before saying, "I'll let her know. She's usually quick to respond, and she may also wish to help." The feline removes a piece of parchment from her satchel, along with a quill, sending a message via Mesthak to Joan. Turning back to the Seaborn, she asks, "Should we become separated, how will I know it is you, and not the imposter?" Perhaps a code word, or an aura projection.

"Again, my thanks to thee. As for foiling the mimic... " The man-apparent quiets, before a low hum begins in his throat. The sound is soothing, drawn from the very song of the kraken's own creation, and the air ripples with dancing lights in strange colours barely visible to the eye. Among this display emerges a visage of a moon, first as a crescent, then full, then crescent again. Finally, a dark sphere, the face of Selene when it it turns inward for deep rest and reflection. Mac reaches into that dark space... and draws out a small object, placing it on the table before Zahrani. The visions glimmer and fade, the hum silences. Mac points to the object. "He will balk from that," he says, nodding. "Nothing truly corrupt can bear the touch of the Mother of the Seas."

Zahrani looks down at the object provided by Mcracken's connection to the Sea Goddess. "Alright then," she responds, looking back at the man. "Let me know when you are prepared to start the search. I must return to Cenril to get some supplies, in the meantime. You can come with if you wish, so we do not get separated."

Mac shakes his head, "I will leave word with the keep, here. But let us not tarry too long. Meantime, I must continue to gather help where I can. The glass will protect thee from the mimic, may the Mother and thine own gods guide thee far from his path. "

Part of the No Seaborn Left Behind Arc