RP:True Neutral

This is a Devout's Guild RP.

Summary: Zahrani and Scandal meet after a significant time apart. Just as they start to catch up, they must respond to a potential conflict between two overzealous devotees: one of Cyris, and another of Vakmatharas.

Small Chapel of Cyris, Larket

Zahrani can be seen in the courtyard, wrapping up a physical conditioning regimen. The woman bears her less-panther-like appearance, allowing her to stay cooler as she keeps herself fit. It's a hot day in Larket, but the feline thrives in the sunlight. She's currently out of her armor; it's just a tad too hot for that right now. Beads of sweat on her face coalesce, running down her chin as she does a set of pull-ups. After the last, she drops dexterously to the ground, breathing deeply and wiping her brow. Pretty soon, it'll be time to help the clerics prepare the evening meal.

Scandal entered the courtyard, sporting a very non-dragon appearance. He was human by his appearance. Sun-kissed complexion, lean but muscular, about six feet tall with a short head of hair, with the front lifted up and with highlights of orange on the tips, like his hair was a blaze of fire. He wore a light shirt, brown pants and a pair of short ankle high leather boots. Dressed for summer, and currently walking into the courtyard, his red-brown eyes occasionally flash a dragon fire red. His face well-defined and chiseled, but not excessive. He looked mostly average, aside from his eyes. "Long time no see."

Zahrani reaches down to grab her satchel, the paladin in a sleeveless shirt and pants made of light gray linen; ideal for summer as well. Cyan eyes look to up find an impressive-looking visitor to the Chapel. She scans over his visage, hair, and physique with curiosity, tinted with a small amount of caution. Upon hearing his voice, the panther offers a grin, "It has indeed, old friend. What brings you all the way to Larket?" Before she can hear his answer, her ears are distracted by yelling, just down the road from the Chapel. "Blasphemer!" shouts a familiar, aged voice. She recognizes the man's shouting as that of another paladin. Swiftly donning her chest-plate, greaves and boots, the panther jogs out of the courtyard, grabbing her crossbow in one hand and her spear in the other. The projectile weapon is slung over her back, along with a quiver of bolts, her spear in hand as she makes her way towards the sound of conflict. Upon arriving, she calls out to the other paladin, "Balthazar!" She surveys the zealous paladin facing off with a dark armor-clad figure, a small gang of mercenaries at their respective backs. This was not good.

Scandal offers a wry grin as his old friend turns to offer a smile and short start of conversation, only to be rudely interrupted by of course something, I mean how typical. "Well, obviously that now." Scandal said hurrying soon alongside her as she fetched her armor and jogged over to the two figures and the mercenaries. "Oh boy," He said as he looked between the two. "Well this will definitely be a problem." Scandal said. the dragon had not changed nor had he any reason to yet. As he looked between the one called Balthazar, and the dark clad figure.

Zahrani steps in front of the other paladin, her back exposed to the death knight and her tail swishing impatiently. Normally, she would not expose her back to someone threatening a comrade of hers, but she trusts Scandal to watch that part of her. The feline's armor shines in the setting sun, taking on a warm, golden hue to complement her aura, as she speaks patiently, but sternly to Balthazar, "My old friend, I know your passion for Cyris is unrivaled, and I know that you fought hard and saw much in wars long past. But as your friend, I need to tell you that this is not how order handles things. We do not raise armies or give orders unless asked. You want to start a religious war and get bystanders caught in the maelstrom? This is not a good path to take towards Freedom." The old man's gaze narrows, his grip tightening on the sword at his belt before responding gruffly, "This foul agent of Vakmatharas represents a grave threat against this city and this land. It is enough that I stay my hand against...others." Even in his zeal, he is wise not to mention the death knight that currently rules Larket in the context of ~staying his hand.~ The death knight of Vakmatharas smirks, a posh woman's voice emanating from the armor, "No, no, by all means, please share with the class...As long as there are devotees to my Lord here, I will remain. If I must snuff you out to keep my place here, then so be it." Rani wonders if her dragon companion could impart some wisdom and temperance to the fiery death knight.

Scandal stood behind the feline who seemed to reappear as her cat self, or supposedly, he couldn't guess. He watched to make sure the dark clad night was there. and he watched the paladin of darkness smile and lay remark against his friend. "Death has its place in the world this much is true, to rule it out, is to rule out the value of life, as then both are meaningless apart, when they go hand in hand they create something beautiful and of value. Death is not biased, it doesn't take sides, it doesn't choose whom it merely comes, whoever and whatever it takes, but in the hands of those who seek to issue it before it natural course often reap tragedy, death has a place in the world, and it happens naturally," The Dark Knight made a face, "Who are you to talk? You're no death-knight. You would not know our creed or our words; what weight do you have to draw from?" Scandal turned to Rani, "A little room please."

Zahrani turns her face towards the death-knight, then back to Scandal as he requests additional space. She raises a brow, before offering a wry smile and saying, "Go easy on her and the area around you. It'd be a shame if you got kicked out of Larket." The woman who serves Vakmatharas gives the dark-complexioned paladin an incredulous look, "And just what do ~you~ take me for?" She is ignored by the cat-woman, who turns to Balthazar and whispers, "You and your new friends here might want to take a few steps back." Rani then nonchalantly jogs a few yards away, the other paladin of Cyris and his sell-swords joining with a rather confused look on their faces.

Scandal took a knee as his form morphed and changed darkening and swelling like a balloon and inflating, his tail emerging and his body stretching his arms being replaced by massive clawed legs his neck expanding his features melting and reforming his body swelling. His form cast an immense shadow over the square but for Rani's request, he did not assume full size, this was plenty big enough. The towering Dragon was Black scaled with a red underbelly and massive eyes that radiated like twin blast furnaces so bright that the shadow bore on the ground twin eye shaped orange glowing marks. Each big enough to fit both bands of mercenaries within them. The immense dragon was over 200' tall and 600' long bent around the area of the courtyard as to prevent his tail or other appendage from trampling the surrounding area. Swords were soon dropping from mercenaries hand on both sides. Scandal looked between them and said, "Does this answer your question, do you have any idea how much meat one has to consume to feed this body? Do you have any recolationfor the total number of deaths of animals and people that would be need to fill this belly, I know death, and while i am not proud of the cost, its is a fact of life, and in some ways it is the nourishment for life to continue to exist" His form suddenly caving in on itself like smoke when a building collapses, and Scandal walked back out of the cloud appear as he did before. "When instinct beckons I must play the judge as whether to listen and obey for sake of obedience or to choose and save my nourishment on things that cannot feel, simply because i am does not mean I need to do." He looked into the eyes of dark woman who had paled beneath her armor. "So what says you, are you killer for the sake killing, or do you play a part as a necessity in life?"

Zahrani watches the exchange, picking up the sounds of clattering armor as the sell-swords, and the knighthood, did their best not to tremble too conspicuously. The devotee to Vakmatharas takes off her helmet, revealing raven hair, pale skin and deep green eyes. For a moment, she's awestruck by Scandal's incredible size, but she comes back to her senses upon seeing the man emerge from the cloud of smoke. She isn't sure what to do at this point. She's a zealot, but it appears she's a somewhat inexperienced one. Her voice shakes as she looks up defiantly at the dragon, "That's...not important. People and things can die by my hand. I do it for my Lord...I..." The young dark knight inhales, then motions for her group of mercenaries to leave. This isn't a fight she can win; not today at least. Green hues glare at the feline paladin, who stares back with determination in her cyan gaze. The zealot of Death then leaves, both relieved and ashamed of her own fear of dying young. Balthazar, releases his grip on his blade, before muttering to Zahrani, "I'll be keeping an eye on that one…"

Scandal glances back towards rani and the other mercenaries. "Gentleman, I do believe we should hold off on the fighting until later, perhaps at a tavern brawl, somewhere." He said removing two bags of gold and tossing one to one group and one to the other. "Your meals and drinks and heck your clothes for those that shat, on me. Go on." He said motioning with his hand away, which the two groups at first hesitated but then complied. Departing. Scandal Looked over at Balthazar, "I would keep an eye, but I would also send someone her way that is able to listen, more often than not people who join are often broken inside, they are looking something to fill there lives and to strive for, and something tells me, she is not to different, then to Rani he said."So we have like 16 swords that seemed to be littered here, surely they would make good donations for paladins would they not?"

Zahrani observes Scandal's trademark generosity after seeing the death-knight leave. She does her best not to wonder where the heck he even gets it all. It's not her place to ask such things. The mercenaries leave in a slight haze, carrying their money and some of them completely forgetting their weapons. A small group of clerics runs out to meet them, the eldest of them speaking to Scandal politely, "Perhaps a warning next time, if the Chapel must be enveloped by an entire dragon?" He then glances down at the swords littering the area, before adding, "We will keep them secured in case their owners come to collect them." The younger priests carefully take the weapons into the building, not missing a beat. Rani smiles to Balthazar, "Since you're not doing anything right now, I'm going to be helping the clerics prepare dinner, should you wish to join us." The elder paladin has a slightly bewildered-yet-resigned look on his face, and he gives a silent nod of his head. To Scandal, the feline says, "Thanks for being here, by the way. You're welcome to join."

Scandal nods an apology. "Sorry it was a bit on the fly." He directs to the clerics. "I will try to endeavor to do so next time, provided i need to be so bold." he offered a friendly smile, to them and to Rani who casts the invite. "Hey when have i ever refused food?" Of course that one guy in the back shouts, "What about that time you were offered a couple of kids to eat?" Scandal turned around at the that and shouted, "That's the one exception." He shouted. "Show up as a dragon and a tiny village thinks that the dragon wants a sacrifice, yeesh." He looked between the two. "Yes food sounds great lead the way."