RP:Of Gods And Morals

Summary: The first of Lanara's lessons on Lithrydel's gods begin, and in starting such a heavy topic, it brings up distant and recent past memories for both the witch and Khitti.

Sanctum of the Divine, Kelay

Khitti || The Sanctum of the Divine’s main room had been tidied up and the pews cleared out for the day. In their place, a table has been placed in the middle and Khitti’s ‘Big Book O’ The Gods’, as well as a small tray of sandwiches, a carafe of peppermint flavored coffee, cream and sugar, and two mugs on top of it. The sandwiches themselves looked amazing; they were much like the one she’d made for Eli when he came to visit the bakery several weeks ago: thin slices of mammoth meat were layered neatly on a rye kaiser roll with cheddar cheese, a bit of tomato, lettuce, and a nice dollop of spicy mayo. The guild’s leader waited patiently, thumbing through her book and munching on one of the sandwiches, doing her best to not get crumbs all over the informational tome. Whenever Lanara did arrive, she’d be greeted with a wave and a “Hey!” and then Khitti would motion to the seat beside her. “I wasn’t sure if you’d eaten or not, so I brought foodstuffs with me. Something of more substance this time, since I’m sure everyone’s sick of cookies at this point,” she said with a smirk. If she saw another cookie right now, she’d spontaeneously combust--it’s too bad she owned a bakery and had to see them anyway (#RIP).

Lanara arrives on the hour to which they agreed upon meeting, with a smile on her face, and a backpack slung over her left shoulder. She was eager to begin her lessons, and so she had headed straight to the Sanctum, as soon as her work at the sanctuary was complete. Eli would be dining alone this evening, as his witch hadn’t bothered to head home to prepare dinner. Hopefully, their alcoholic butler could steer clear of the liquor cabinet long enough to make the man a meal, otherwise Lana would pick him something up from the market on her journey home. The tray of sandwiches is a welcome surprise, and it’s almost as if Khitti had read the woman’s mind, which earns the redhead even more points in Lana’s mind. “Hi! I hope it’s alright that I brought some notepads, pens, and things like that…” The backpack is rested on the floor, as she rummages through it, before a notebook and a quill pen is deposited atop the table. Taking a seat, she laughs at the comment about cookies, and gives a nod. “I think my pants would protest if I had another bite of anything sweet! I swear, I must have gained like ten pounds this holiday season! How was your Yule?” Clearing her throat, she takes one of the sandwiches and takes a dainty bite, knowing that they’d get down to business once they had caught up since their last meeting.

Khitti nodded to Lanara, offering her a smile, “That’s all perfectly fine. I don’t expect you to remember all of this stuff at once. Hell, I can barely keep it all straight most of the time, which is why I’ve put a copy of this book in the guild’s library too. Taking notes is definitely a good idea… and maybe you can even share them with your sister when she’s ready.” She said this last bit with a grin, before continuing, “Yule was great! Dominic said his first word: frak. As I should’ve expected, knowing how both Brand and I are--as well as Meri and Lionel… and practically everyone on the Tranquility--it was a swear word.” Despite this, Khitti seemed proud nevertheless. “How was yours?” Once they had properly caught up, Khitti would open up the book to the section where it detailed each of Lithrydel’s gods, “So, there’s actually quite a few known gods in Lithrydel, a lot of them classified as good, neutral, and evil. There’s three, however, that are in a category of their own: The Divine Three. Sven, Hind, and Lore gave their lives a very long time ago, while fighting dark forces in Lithrydel, and were given the godhood status because of it. Sven is the supreme god, as well as one of wisdom; Hind’s domain is all of nature; and Lore’s the archknight of Cenril.”

Lanara is munching on her sandwich, when she pauses, lofts a brow, and catches the grin on Khitti’s face. “My… Sister?” Had Talyara joined the Paladin’s Guild?! This is news to the witch, as she hadn’t seen her sibling since the escape room incident in Xalious. And Taly had been experiencing a bit of shock at the time, so she hadn’t mentioned that she had hopes to join the guild, or that she was a member. It makes sense though, and she states as much, “Rani and Taly have been inseparable ever since the feline arrived in the lands! Krice is a suitable man for my sister, though… I much preferred when her and Rani were an item.” Had she just spilled the beans on their somewhat secret love affair? It was old news by now, and Lana didn’t think either woman would truly mind, as they had remained close friends to this day. The sandwich is finished soon after, and she dabs at her lips with a napkin, eyeing the peppermint coffee, though she finds her attention drawn to Khitti and forgets about the beverage altogether, “Oh my Goddess! Frak!?!” Unable to contain the bubble of laughter that escapes, she shakes her head, imagining Dominic uttering his first word, and a –curse- word, at that! “It’s adorable!” Of course, the witch with no filter would find this endearing, as she had a reindeer that didn’t hold back, either! “I still haven’t met Brand! I truly hope you both will attend the wedding.” A pause, “My Yule was wonderful! All I did was relax and stuff myself with sweets, as I was exhausted after the ball… Eli and I, actually, were hoping we could arrange a cake tasting at your bakery within the next few weeks… Would that be possible?” Of course, the wedding was scheduled for the middle of February, yet again, short notice for the lavish affair she was planning. Lanara loved to cut things close to the last minute, it seemed, as she truly shined when under pressure. Opening her book to the first blank page, she dips the quill in the inkwell, and begins to scribble on the parchment. Sven. Hind. Lore. Once the trio are written, she lifts her head, and pays close attention to Khitti. The woman was knowledgeable about the deities, and Lana waits on bated breath, making certain the facts are committed to memory, before they are recorded in the notebook. “So… Hind sounds a lot like Gaia… She’s the earth mother, our Goddess, in Kelvar.” Nipping her lip, Lana taps the quill against the book, before locking eyes with Khitti. “So the three supreme… Are they of a particular alignment? Or are they strictly neutral?”

Khitti || The redhead snickered at Lanara’s reaction to Talyara’s joining of the guild, “Yep, she did. We ended up running into each other at the Adventurer’s Guild’s museum and got to talking about god-stuff when I noted that the museum was lacking in that department--though not without good reason of course.” That stuff was hard to find, most of the time, after all. Not every bit of deity-related artifacts just dropped themselves into people’s laps like Tenbatsu Kaji did Khitti. “Krice seems… well… I’m not even entirely sure I know -what- to think of him. Brand was never fond of him and someone else I knew way back when did seem to get along with him. I dunno.” Khitti wasn’t even about to go into the whole mess of the fact that there was another Dominic before her child existed--and that Dominic version 1.0 was Brand’s other half, much like Amarrah had been to Khitti. She shrugged, “I’m sure Rani will find someone else that suits her though, some day.” The subject of Brand and the wedding was touched upon briefly, another shrug given there, “Whenever you two want to stop by, is fine. Just let me know in advance and I’ll have the place cleared out and ready to go. I’ll definitely try to be at the wedding; I’m not so sure about Brand though. His job keeps him rather busy, unfortunately, but we’ll see.”

Khitti || “If anything out of the three, I think Hind would be the most neutral, purely because of the nature aspect, because of what we talked about before about there needing to be a balance,” she said at length once Lanara’s comments and questions had been voiced, “Lore and Sven would very likely be some form of good. Perhaps lawful good for the former. Unfortunately, there’s not a whole lot of information about them. It’s something that’s definitely on my list of things to better research, so we’ve as much information here as possible.” A couple pages were flipped until Khitti reached the next section, “Next are the ‘good’ gods. Loda is the dwarf goddess of magic and weaponry; Arkhen is the god of light and justice; and Cyris, the one Zahrani and I have chosen, is god of freedom and independence.” She paused, letting Lanara write this down before continuing, “I want to note, however, that just because these gods are considered good, doesn’t always mean that their followers will be. Zealotry runs rampant in all parts of the morality alignment spectrum. And likewise, the gods themselves aren’t always going to be nice. Do something to upset them, and well… I’m sure it’s not really pleasant. It’s why I chose to be a templar instead of a paladin. I’m not too keen on being able to follow the strict rules that come with that line of work, under Cyris.”

Lanara doesn’t comment about Brand possibly being unable to attend the wedding, as she knew how busy the male was, as Khitti had told her he was often caught up in work. She has no idea what line of work he’s in, though the lesson continues and she doesn’t think to bring it up. It wasn’t her business, nor would she wish to answer, should her mentor turn the inquiry towards Eli. He was an ex-assassin, and though he no longer killed for gold, it would still be frowned upon, especially in a place devoted to religious purposes. The remark about Krice is noted, as everyone seemed to have a rather mixed opinion on the enigma, and the witch didn’t know him all that personally, aside from the tidbits that Taly fed her when they managed to get together. As long as her sister was happy, that’s all that matters in Lana’s eyes, and she’s certain that Zahrani will find love soon, as the feline had so much love to give. Taking a mug of coffee, she adds a spoonful of sugar, a dollop of cream, and takes a tentative sip, managing to shield her tongue from being scalded. Enough time had passed that it was safe enough to drink, and she gives Khitti a satisfied smile, before settling her mug down and returning to note taking. Was there anything this woman couldn’t do, perfectly? Even the coffee was delicious! “Yes! I’m familiar with this… It’s like… Karmatic justice, when the Gods are forced to intervene.” Of course, in these lands, the rule of three wasn’t believed in as heavily, though they feared the wrath of the higher powers, and it was somewhat similar. The pen is dipped in ink again, as she continues to take notes, nodding to show that she fully understands. “I’ve heard of Arkhen from Sir Kelovath, though I haven’t seen him in quite some time. And Cyris? It’s the God of freedom? Do the other Gods and Goddess’ not allow mortals to have free will?”

Khitti || If Brand and Eli’s businesses weren’t their own, Khitti and Lanara would have quite a bit to talk about. It seemed both of their husbands-to-be had been in the same line of work, although Brand’s had been some time ago, back in Catal. Khitti wouldn’t even really look down on it, though others might. She understood things in that dark grey of the morality spectrum. “Yes, it’s exactly that,” Khitti replied on the topic of gods and their anger. When Kelovath is mentioned, Khitti frowned a little, her olive-green line of sight settling on the tome before her, “I’ve not seen Kelovath in awhile either. Not since the reformation of the guild.” The redhead sighed and continued on, “Free will is a tricky thing, as Brand once pointed out to me. In some way or another, we’re all slaves to something, for a lack of a better word. Even simple things, like my job at the bakery or yours at the sanctuary. It’s sort of like that when you put yourself in service of a god. You follow their rules. I assume things with your god and goddess are somewhat similar?” She paused briefly, allowing Lanara to correct her or agree with her, whichever was the case. “But, those are usually things we choose to do, so we never really look at it like that. Cyris’ thing is that things should not be forced onto other people. Not religion, not anything. Even destiny. You should still be able to make your own choices, even if eventual fate still gets you in the end. The easiest example of this is Larket. The monarchy has been trying to force Vakmathras down people’s throats and that’s why Zahrani and her father has been trying to help people leave, if they need to. Stuff like that is why most people consider Vakmathras evil, because of the things his followers do, and it’s what I’m wanting to try to take the spotlight off of. Death is a part of life, but they--and other followers--take it to such extremes. It’s not necessary at all.”

Lanara is quiet for a moment, absorbing everything that Khitti is saying, as it gives her much to think about. There was the witches creed, which is what most believe in, that study the craft. Lana lived her life around obeying the thirteen principles, though many didn’t fear karma, as much as they should. “Well… Yes, I understand what you mean. Some religions have a set of rules to follow, and others have no rules… But as long as you are truly remorseful of your past discretions, the Gods are willing to forgive them, in the afterlife. So… Cyris is an understanding God, that trust his followers know what’s best…” The witch is intelligent, and she grasps the topic rather quickly, so she gives a nod for Khitti to continue. The pen never seems to leave the notebook, as she’s now starting on the third page, when she awkwardly presses her palm to the page, and tucks her hair behind her tapered ears. The mention of Vakmathras seems to make her uneasy, and it's obvious why, as she’s a witch, the zealots in Larket worship the God of Death, and she’s unable to shake the stigma that goes along with anything related to the target that was wrongfully placed upon her back. All because she carries the blood of her ancestors and chooses to serve the Goddess. “So, um… The evil aligned Gods would be next, right? I know that… Vakmathras… Is considered to be in that dark area.” Had she really just spoken ill of a God? Or was it fear lacing her words? “Khitti… Do you think a God or Goddess is truly capable of being evil? Or do you think it’s the twisting of the scriptures… By their followers?”

Khitti side-eyed the book somewhat, “Welllll, Cyris isn’t -as- forgiving as Arkhen is. Which is why I didn’t choose the paladin path. Whatever magic he’s bestowed upon you, you’d lose, if you screwed up. He’s definitely the more strict of the two. Sometimes he reminds me of my mom, heh.” Her mother was a stickler for rules and Khitti, in true Khitti fashion, was a rebel. Lanara’s uneasiness is noted, and frown formed on Khitti’s unpainted lips as she listened to the witch, “They would be next, yes. Vakmathras is, as well as Delisha, the goddess of pleasure, and an unnamed spider goddess that the drow once favored before Vakmathras. The spider goddess, from what I’ve read, was absolute evil. Was. Is. Whatever the case may be with her. The other two though, I’m of the mind that they can certainly be considered neutral, but many of the sentient races are convinced that those that dwell in darkness are pure evil, always.” She paused, thinking over the last of Lanara’s words carefully before saying at length, “I think anyone sentient--gods or mortals--is capable of evil. All it takes is the right push. Someone close to you could die, and you could seek revenge--if you went too far, that’d be straying into the path of evil. Being forced to do someone else’s bidding, I think, applies there too. Mind flayers are not kind folk and they rather like having their puppets do their dirty work for them. The person might not be evil, but their acts are, because of the flayer. The zealotry I mentioned a bit ago could be considered the same. Righteous people thinking that their cause is the best and all must support it can be evil if taken too far. Like I told Talyara, the world is so much greyer than people realize. It’s not black and white. It never has been, and a lot of people are just deluding themselves into thinking so, just to make themselves appear spotless and pure.”

Lanara cants her head to the side, confusion evident in her expression, “The Goddess of Pleasure is evil? I can understand how lust can push someone to do things they shouldn’t… But… Well, where I’m from we don’t see anything wrong with intimacy, or sharing our hearts and bodies with another. It’s the exchange of positive energy, and on high holidays it’s encouraged that we, um, venture in those areas.” Lana’s cheeks flood with color, as she had never gone to a skyclad event, nor had she done as the Goddess of Fertility advised each Beltane. Sure, the witch was known for that legendary derriere, and for her prowess on the dance floor, but aside from that, Lana could be undeniably shy, and it was rare that she allowed herself to be vulnerable around the opposite gender. Daddy issues and being kept in isolation during her youth, all attributed to her aversion in allowing others get too close. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to speak inappropriately…” Thank goodness Dominic wasn’t here, or ‘Skyclad’ and ‘Pleasure’ would surely enter his vocabulary, next! After Khitti explains, Lana would move right along to penning some notes about the unnamed spider deity, pursing her lips. “It’s strange that they worship an insect. Are there any other Gods or Goddess’ that worship animals in the lands?” The talk about mind flayers and those that take their worshipping too far earn a nod, before she softly replies, “I’m taught to live a life of good, to embrace neutrality, and to understand evil, though not to dabble in such magic. When you believe, or pay too much attention to the dark side, it begins to consume you, and it’s stronger than your beliefs.” Lanara was far from a snow white dove, as she had a few dozen kills under her belt, and she had hexed a few in the past, though ninety percent of that was done in self-defense. “My sister… She tends to see the good in everyone, she’s naïve, and I always worry about her, as it opens her up to being mistreated. I’m quite the opposite… I tend to think of these doomsday scenarios, to dwell on what if’s, and to question ones intentions, all the time.”

Khitti blushed a bit too at the subject of pleasure--it wasn’t something that Lanara and Khitti ever spoke about before. Hell, Khitti never spoke about that sort of thing with anyone else but Brand. “It’s not all sex though. Pleasure’s more than that. Eating can be pleasurable. Reading is pleasurable. There’s lust for power too. Greed. Both of those, taken too far, can be evil.” The subject of sex was touched upon again, Khitti’s signature frown resurfacing, “Sex can be evil, if it’s done for the wrong purpose. Between consenting people? Sure. That’s fine. But there’s a lot of people that trick others into having sex with them or doesn’t even do -that- to get what they want and that’s certainly evil. I have read a little of those types of customs, amongst others, if only because I’ve been so associated with you and some of the other witches lately. I think, if things had played out differently, I probably would’ve found myself amongst you all, instead of what I’m doing now.” This is said with a reassuring smile, so that Lanara didn’t have to think that the things she said were out of place or improper, “It -is- possible to dabble in the dark arts and not be evil though, Lanara. -I- did it. I guess some things -were- questionable, like the ritual I had to do in order to become human again, but beyond that, my skills were used to fight for those that needed it. I do know what you mean though, about it consuming you. I’ve definitely seen it. Larewen Dragana is one of those people. There were times I would’ve considered her a surrogate mother, but… she’s much too far gone for that. The same with the entity I used to be bound to. Both her and her father fell to darkness. Their people though, in the Shadow Plane, their work Vakmathras’ will, but they protect the dead from the living. They’re basically shepards of the souls that fall into purgatory there. Without Facilier lording over them now, they’ve gone back to their old ways. -They- are not evil. Amarrah and Faciler weren’t always like that either, but fate is not kind to everyone.” It’s a wonder Khitti could even think like that, after all she went through with the two umbrawisps from the Shadow Plane. It’d been pure hell, and yet, Khitti could still understand why things were the way they were. “Lydia was like that too. She was very naive. But… I think that sometimes that’s okay. She’d been happy and I had been there to protect her, so it wasn’t all bad.” Khitti’s frown deepened a bit, as she thought about the past and tried to push it away again into the back of her mind where it lurked.

Lanara lowers the quill and takes another sip of her coffee, hoping that the warmth from the beverage would be to blame for the heat in her cheeks, though obviously she’s enduring a rather obvious blush. She didn’t even discuss the topic of sex with her own sister, and whenever someone asked –her- for advice, she’d laugh and brush it off. Sure, she could appear to be confident and use her appearance to gain one's attention, and she’d been more than happy to discuss flirting or fashion, but pleasure was something she thought best kept between someone and their partner. Why was she the outspoken older sister?! Talyara took everything at face value and kept her thoughts to herself, yet another area they differed. “You’re right… I didn’t think about that… Pleasure most definitely can come in other forms, not only from the flesh.” Come to think of it… Lana had quite a few guilty pleasures of her own, in the form of adopting a new animal each week, and don’t even mention food! She may look slender, but she was much like a bird when it came to sweets, as she ate thrice her weight. “And some do use others for their own gain… Political weddings, to produce an heir, that sort of thing.” As Khitti mentions she may once have walked the path of a witch, Lana can’t help but give a wink, a faint chuckle ensuing, “We –all- are witches, Khitti. If you hold a love for nature, revel in your independence, respect the God and Goddess, and are capable of using or studying magic? You’re already a witch in your own right. Some think we’re all about voodoo dolls and dancing around a fire… It’s much more than that; it’s a way of life. There’s a bit of a witch in –every- mortal. However, only a few are willing to answer the call, and embrace their powers.” The witch is relieved that the topic moved from sex to witchcraft, and she already considers Khitti to be like a sister, so the fact that she’s that accepting of her kind strengthens their bond. The recording of information continues, and Lana somewhat frowns at the mention of Larewen, and how Khitti once looked up to the banshee, before she was entirely consumed by evil. Amarrah is a name that isn’t familiar to Lana, and she’s sure that Facilier was mentioned once or twice before. Were they also evil aligned Gods? The name Lydia, she’s certain Khitti spoke of… She was her sister, right? The witch is momentarily stunned by all this knowledge, and she’s now on page seven of the notebook, her fingers slightly numb from all the note taking. “Naivety is a tough subject… You want to protect those that don’t know any better, or are easily swayed by others. Yet, they cannot learn, if they don’t go through some hardship, or see things for themselves. Taly was dating this creep, Emrith, and he was all sorts of wrong for my sister. He cheated on her several times, he sent a messenger to kill me, and he broke her heart… She kept taking him back, time after time, until she –finally- had enough. It’s hard to see that, and just stand idly by, but I do see how naivety isn’t always a bad thing… Thank you, Khitti. Although we don’t see eye to eye on every level… I like that we are both adult enough to listen to each other’s viewpoints, and to learn from them.”

Khitti would certainly expand on subjects like Facilier, Amarrah, and Lydia if she were asked. But for now, when Emrith is mentioned, the templar’s spine straightened just a little, her demeanor shifting from sadness and reflection to one of spite and ire. “People like Emrith are the reason why I’ll never be able to be a paladin. Not too long before I died and was reborn, I was visiting Larewen in Vailkrin. Her and I were leading the Necromancer’s Guild at the time and we had that and my cure to discuss. We’d barely gotten started when Emrith showed up. He’d meant to kill her, to sap her magic from her with a magic-draining dagger, so that she’d ultimately die from the severe wounds. I took those hits instead. I don’t even know how many times that blade got me. I’d had a teleportation spell enchanted onto my bracelet--”, she lifted her wrist to show Lanara the silver seashell charm bracelet she always wore, “--and that’s the only way I survived. It is certainly best that your sister stays away from him. Him and I never really got along, but after an interaction with a very large, very old spider in Vailkrin, during a mission with the Warrior’s Guild, he was not the same afterward.” She paused, reflecting on that as well, and wondered just what she might do if she ever did come face to face with Emrith again, but she didn’t voice it. Ultimately, Khitti shook her head and sighed, and closed the book of deities. She did manage to muster a smile for Lanara though, nodding to her, “So do I. It’s not often that happens.”

Lanara can sense that Khitti holds a strong dislike for the vampire, before the words are voiced, and she slams her notebook, tucking the quill in the spine. The ink was mostly dry by now, as she had written multiple pages on notes, and she was sure every last page would be filled with their lessons. Pure hatred flickers in those chocolate hues, as her jaw clenches, and Lana fixes Khitti with a feigned half-smile. “I’m sorry that you had evil dealings with that jerk, too. Emrith was a fine fellow when I first met him… A week or so after I arrived in the lands. I aided him in the war with the drow and Sage. I provided him with an elixir that masked his appearance, so that he would be able to enter the Underdark. The thanks I got? He stole my little sister’s heart, stomped on it, wrecked her cottage, and sent a bird of prey… It latched onto my throat, and slit it so deep, that I almost died, defending myself. I was in the healing center for –months- learning to eat, drink, and speak. Infection set in… It was hell. Taly… She took Emrith’s side, believing that it was a bird gone astray, that he wasn’t capable of such a malicious deed on her own flesh and blood.” Shaking her head, Lana blinks, forcing the memory from her mind. Karma would set its course on Emrith, and one day, he would endure suffering that Khitti and Lana would never know. This brings a genuine smile, “If he ever returns… There’s no need to teleport. We can make sure he never harms another.” The witch doesn’t explain her intentions, as she rises to her feet, and glances towards the door. It was getting late, and the hours seemed to breeze by, as the two were quite chatty and eager to discuss their Gods. “I enjoy your company, Khitti… Thank you for the meal, and for the lesson. Would you like to stop by the manor next week, for another lesson? I’d love to tell you about some of those that I worship, too! And I’ll supply the food, this time.”

Khitti could certainly feel for both sisters. There was a time where Khitti’s heart too had been stolen by a vampire, the one that sired her, and stomped all over it. If not for Brand, Khitti would either likely have sworn off romantic interactions all together or just sought it out from other genders. “Likewise, about your own unfortunate dealings with him.” When Lanara made it obvious she meant to leave, Khitti nodded. Time certainly had passed by them and the redhead was now eager to go home, if only to reflect more on the past in the comfort of her own bed and Brand’s embrace. Thankfully, he too understood what it was like to have a bad past. “Sure. I’ll be sure to bring the book and my own notebook and pen. And it’s definitely for the better that we end here anyway; the list of neutral gods is as long as the other three sections combined. It’s too much, even for me, to take in all at once.” For once, Khitti was the one to stand and hug Lanara first, both hands gingerly laid atop the witch’s shoulders briefly before she’s allowed to fully depart, “You and Talyara will be fine, whatever befalls the two of you. You two definitely remind me of my sister and I, and even with the fighting, we did well enough for awhile.” Until the undead came, anyway. “I’ll see you soon.”