timeskip ;; eachdraidh

[extramural]

THE OUTSIDER COURT Unseelie. TITLE Seaspeaker, Giftgiver. OCCUPATION God. ABLE TO FAST-TRAVEL Yes, to seaside locations at night and for the night only. RESIDENCE IN 2,701 A small ship, Lumina's manse. RESIDENCE IN 2,702 A small ship, Lumina's manse. MAJOR EVENTS THE VOID WALKER During the Roc's deepfreeze, the Outsider obtains a ship. [ ✖ ] HIGHLIGHT Description [ ✖ ] HIGHLIGHT Description [ ✖ ]

PLANS The Outsider will spend the timeskip immersing himself in the ocean culture of the Drabwurld and building his base of worshipers. He may or may not sire a new terrifying race of sea beings with Ceit the Siren. With Caer Scima destroyed, he will move out entirely, moving what few possessions he has to a small ship that can sail both the oceans and rivers. He will spend most of the year traveling on his ship, taking in the sighs of the Drabwurld and attempting to learn more about it. TIMELINE OF EVENTS SPRING IN 2,701 (Mar, Apr, May) MARCH - The new King of Birds, the Roc, brings late snowstorms across the drabwurld; shardbearers must combat its magic to un-freeze each other, natives, and whole areas. The Outsider uses his fire magic nightly, thanks to the gem in the Drowned Crown, to thaw out bits and pieces of the world. During this, he locates a small ship frozen entirely, captain dead and crew gone. After laying the captain's soul to rest, he takes the ship for himself. APRIL- Shardbearers shall be struck at various moments by the sound of harp-playing which inspires distractingly, disablingly intense and wild emotions, but be unable to determine the source! Shardbearers will discover that they can follow the sound only in their dreams to the dream-image of a harp which magically plays itself. Smashing the harp in their dreams will disable the spell which affects their waking moments. Unused to having most emotions, much less strong ones, the Outsider has a difficult time handling this event. He laughs, cries, and lashes out only to become incredibly distressed at his lack of control. A rendezvous with Ceit the Siren leaves him so worn out that he sleeps on his own for the first time in several thousand years, smashing the harp in his dream; still, the experience has marked him. MAY - Golden swans will migrate to the mainland from the southern coast, devouring newly-planted crops and seeds; slaying them turns them into solid gold swan figurines. The Maidenfish and wolfhounds are quite happy to hunt and kill the swans, and the Outsider is quite intrigued by the magic that occurs when they're killed. He collects the figurines and stores them on his boat. SUMMER IN 2,701 (Jun, Jul, Aug) JUNE - Lumina comes for a boat trip; the pair go whale watching. JULY - Whale-watching trip with Lumina ends. AUGUST - Laethann's Festival of Lights is the second week in August, a curious local celebration timed to the arrival of fireflies which will this year mark the induction of the new Oracle; overnight the boats which comprise the Water Market all seem to have vanished, and natives float candles on the river out to sea and let paper lanterns fly, while in the distance the Tower of the Oracle glows golden through day and night. The Outsider visits Leathann, sometimes frolicking as as a whale under the floating lanterns. FALL IN 2,701 (Sept, Oct, Nov) SEPTEMBER - The magical power which allows shardbearers to understand Drabbish and each other goes haywire; affected characters will be heard speaking their native tongue! All their writing, however, will still be seen as Drabbish. Time to learn languages. OCTOBER - October 25-30th: SAMHAIN! Sun does not rise; characters can go wherever they please; Black Shuck makes another appearance; giant party on the Cathraon. The Outsider leaves an offering for the Shuck for the second year in a row. This year the Maidenfish help him with a costume; he arrives shirtless, wearing a necklace of shark teeth and with swirled designs painted over his torso and arms. His mask is made of small shells. NOVEMBER- Inmates from a magical island prison-colony of Laethann have escaped, and some manage to reach the mainland and begin causing havoc! The government of Laethann posts rewards for the return of these criminals, dead or alive. Many are legitimately dangerous mages and sorcerers; others are simply individuals who are debtors to the state and couldn't pay their taxes! Some of the escaped prisoners attempt to take the Outsider's boat by force. It does not go well for them. WINTER IN 2,701/2,702 (Dec, Jan, Feb) DECEMBER - YULE! The Outsider still does not understand Yule presents, but a few special CR mates may get bone charms. JANUARY - Caer Scima is at last entirely rebuilt, and grander than ever! The Outsider visits to see if they've gotten any new books. FEBRUARY - Possibly still reading at Caer Scima. Oops. SPRING IN 2,702 (Mar, Apr) MARCH - The skeletons of unburied soldiers killed in battle begin to rise, devouring whatever living beasts or people they come upon until their skulls are struck off. The Outsider assists in defeating these skeletons and laying their souls to rest using what he was taught by Lady Red-Hand. APRIL - Great numbers of imps and fairies begin to go missing in both castles, to the point where many everyday tasks go unfinished! ... probably doesn't even notice. MAY - Unearthly black-eyed young children begin appearing at various coastal locations in the Drabwurld after hatching in spring. They pretend to be lost or drowning in currents, crying out for help... but inevitably attempt to drown and eat their would-be rescuers -- unless those rescuers have a history respecting the ocean and the life within it, in which case they are given bone tokens charmed for luck. Aw, look at his kids!

( codes by whambam )

Comments

[extramural]

[ How? Because his own mark burns blue and orange and black on the back of someone else's hand, on other body parts on other people. Perhaps it was more assumption than knowledge, but it is quite amazing how often the two are confused for the other. The Outsider was correct, and for him, that is what matters at the moment -- just as if finding out more would have been what mattered had he been wrong. ]

Know, then, that many will hunt you. Though perhaps not this night, with this cold and your efforts to warm others. The naiads, at least, may help you as you have helped them.

[ The dog barks again, dashing across the ship; she is growing rather excited at the presence of a stranger, though as soon as Lavellan is on board her excitement will change to fierce protectiveness over her human. Ah, well. He said he would not harm her; he makes no promises for the most ferocious of his two pups. ]

I am not creature of this world, though.

[ As if that is meant to be reassuring. Perhaps it is. Either way, the Outsider waves a hand and pulls the up and off the side of the ship with magic. It hits the shore near the elf, thudding softly in the snow and frozen mud. ]

To help them further, you will need to warm up more. Even your fire can be snuffed out by the winter of the Roc; come aboard, get out of the wind. We will speak.

[arla]

Of that, I have little doubt.

[ The Anchor is permanent. She might close every rift in Thedas and ensure the Breach will never be reopened, but the mark will remain for the rest of her days. Whatever it means, whatever it holds, she is certain there will be others looking to claim it for themselves. When the Inquisition lays down its arms and sheathes its sword, she will not have the safety and protection of her banner. She is prepared for that.

But she is not prepared for a land so unknown to her, with its own creatures and monsters, shadows and secrets, the way she is armed in Thedas. He is right about that in every way. ]

If you are not a creature of this world, then are you telling me to trust your word?

[ She should question it, at the least, but for the moment she wishes to believe what he has said, that he will not harm her and that she can have a moment's respite from the wind and cold. When he offers a way up to the deck, she takes it, feet testing the wood for a moment before taking careful steps upwards.

The ship is impressive once she is close enough to examine it, the fire in her hand dimming as she draws closer, containing her power that she might not present as a threat to the wood. When her feet touch the deck and she is able to take stock of her surroundings, she is finally able to get a good look at the two small pups she heard before...and the 'man' standing there, acting captain to the vessel. This close, she can feel something, a shimmer of power or magic, indelibly familiar in a way she cannot describe for the moment. His eyes, unfathomably dark, surprise her.

That does not, however, stop her from offering a respectful nod that can be mistaken for a short bow. ]

You have my thanks for the reprieve from the wind. This weather is enough to kill most people.

[extramural]

What you trust and distrust is your choice. But I rarely make promises; those that I do make, I intend to keep.

[ He is different in this world and he knows it, but very few others do. He would have done nothing once, would have let her freeze in the cold. He would not have this ship, these dogs, anything but far more power and a realm outside of the waking world. But this is not his world, just as it is not hers.

The smaller of the two dogs whines, unhappy about the presence of the stranger. The larger, though they're of the same breed, growls; the Outsider soothes her with a whispered word, though she still looks at the newcomer with clear distrust. This close, he can feel magic: her own and something other, something older, from the mark on her hand. ]

This weather has killed people, [ he says, but it's an agreement. When she is on board, he Pulls the gangplank back up. It is left within reach; she is free to go whenever she wishes. He simply doesn't want others joining them uninvited. ]

There are stores of tea and such in the galley, should you wish some. I am afraid you will have to make it yourself; I am rather unskilled in it.

[ Mostly because he doesn't eat or drink. ]

[arla]

[ And that is a fair allowance, one she will remember if she should cross paths with him again.

The dogs do not seem keen to greet her, though she offers them a smile as she rises to her feet. They're curious looking animals, not as bulky as mabari, and they appear out of place. Or perhaps it is he who seems out of place, a wisp of power and un-reality surrounded by permanence. Even the cold does not seem to bother him like it does to her. It shows in her gaze; she is wary and curious both, the smile fading as her eyes return to his face. ]

I can make you some, if you wish.

[ Though he does not seem the type who is incapable, even if he calls himself unskilled. ]

How are you out here? The ship should not be able to pass through the ice so easily and you have no fires going, no lights, no torches. [ It's not an accusing tone she takes but, rather, an inquisitive (hah) one. ] You tell me you are not of this world. Who - what - are you?

[extramural]

[ They are not dogs of this world, and he is not of this world either. They are different, but in time, perhaps there will be more wolfhounds. Perhaps he'll even let her have one. Who can say? ]

I have not had tea in... a very long time. I would not turn it down, if you were to make some.

[ He does not need to eat, drink, breathe -- but he can, and a cup of tea is similar enough to a gesture of friendship or an offering that he will take it. ]

I am the Outsider, a representative of the Void in my world -- a god. And who are you?

[arla]

[ Tea might not be an interesting offering but it's certainly adequate enough. She even has a moment to believe she can brew it well enough to satisfy him before he speaks again. Lavellan is careful to allow her surprise to shine through but not all of her outright concern - not all of it for him, either. ]

A god?

[ A representative of the Void in my world. And so there are other worlds with similar attributes to the Drabwurld? That's an interesting - and startling - piece of information. She wonders if all worlds are doomed, then, to fall into the Void and the Abyss. ]

I didn't realize the monarchs could draw proper gods into this realm as well. [ In truth, she believes what he says. And with this information in mind, she realizes there'd be little point in lying to him. ] My name is Nasrin Lavellan, Inquisitor and leader of the Inquisition in Thedas, once First to my clan. It's an honor to meet you, Outsider.

[extramural]

I do not think any did.

[ And yet this is the First World, from which all worlds have come -- who can say how truly powerful the monarchs are? Powerful enough to be feared, that much is certain. ]

I have not heard of Thedas, Nasin. [ Titles mean little when you have seen empires rise and fall, and he knows nothing of her world. Yet. ] I will show you to the galley. Will you tell me of your world? I have met other elves in this one, but not of your universe, I think.

[ And all gone now, swept away like ash in the wind. ]

[arla]

I have found that not many have. But I would be glad to tell you of it.

[ And that is a promise. She follows him down to the galley, shivering a little bit still. She's careful to keep her distance from the dogs, allowing them to set the boundary on how close she is allowed to linger near her host. Lavellan allows the silence to lapse between them until they are out of the wind and most of the cold, and then she can focus on the small semblances of warmth she can leech from the ship itself while she orients to her surroundings. She has been out in the cold for far too long. ]

I have not met many elves here. Many, I have been told, live in the Great Greenwood in Seelie lands. [ And so she is separated once again from any potential kinsmen she may have. ] My world is not so unlike the one here. There is magic and the lands are divided into kingdoms. But no two groups of monarchs rule over everything...and magic is greatly feared among many. It is not safe for people to be mages.

[ Her eyes travel the galley, looking for a teapot. ]

There are elves and dwarves, a great many humans, and a race of peoples known as Qunari: large individuals with horns. There is apathy at best between our races and animosity at most. Thedas is not a very kind world, either.

[extramural]

[ The male paws at the Outsider's leg as soon as they stop moving, whining; he's scooped up and almost immediately tries to burrow into the god's shirt. He's really getting too large for it, but the Outsider allows it anyway. The female simply settles down next to one of the cupboards, keeping an eye on this whole thing. ]

You seem unlike the other shardbearing elves I have met. [ It's an observation, nothing more. ] My world has a similar attitude toward magic. It is hunted, yet my followers endure.

[ There is a teapot in one of the cupboards, slightly dusty but not terribly so. It was used a short time before the Outsider took possession of the boat, most likely. ]

I have yet to meet a dwarf, or a Qunari. Perhaps I shall, someday.

[arla]

[ She finds something like a kettle and brings it close, opening it up. Ice forms carefully at her fingertips in one hand; the other beckons with fire, allowing for every small bit of ice to take shape, to form, and then to be reduced to water that falls into the kettle. Better than going outside and getting some snow to melt. When she's satisfied that there is enough for two, she begins to heat the kettle with her hands, fire mounting to incredible degrees of heat so she can boil the water while she speaks. ]

What were they like, if you don't mind my asking?

[ With a careful look cast over her shoulder, she regards him solemnly and nods. To be hunted for what you believe, for what you are, is cruel in any world. ]

People fear what they do not understand and what they cannot control. They would rather harness and bind it, shackle it, than attempt to understand it. And those who try to understand and revel in what is there are often persecuted and punished for it.

[ Magic is a wonderful, beautiful, and powerful thing. She is grateful for her gift. Others are not. She reaches into her pack for some herbs to put in the water to steep for tea. And with that done, she can turn back to him with a small smile. ]

I hope that you might. They are interesting races and I am saddened to not know more of their number and to learn from them. But tell me: are there only humans in your world?

[extramural]

[ Her control, the finesse and ease with which she uses magic is admirable. The Outsider watches, eventually settling down at the small table that takes up the space. His eyes don't move off her. ]

Old, full of stories. Almost musical when they spoke. And yet, for all their age, they were remarkably similar to humans. Proud, confused, defiant...

[ They were certainly not gods. ]

Yes. The Abbey perhaps once had good intentions. Now it uses outcries of magic as a tool to eliminate the competition, to solve personal grudges.

[ When she turns back around, his elbows are on the table, long fingers resting together. ]

Yes. Humans and those who were once human, at least.

[arla]

[ Her smile is small but wry as she listens. ]

Elves - our people - forget that we are just as small and powerless as others. It's a difficult thing to cope with. The Dalish are very similar. We talk of great stories and are proud of our history, myself included, and yet we cast out other elves because they have chosen another path or because they are not as 'pure' as we are. It's deplorable.

[ And the Dalish will die without new blood within them. She wishes her Keeper understood this. Accepting the city elves into their fold would only strengthen their number.

But here, she pauses as she turns back to look at him, brow furrowed. ]

The Abbey? What do they do? [ Lavellan's frown is mild, though her eyes glimmer in concern. ] And what are these 'once human' creatures now?

[extramural]

Not so different from humans after all.

[ It's not meant as an insult, simply a wry observation. Still, he does seem to appreciate that she sees how poor an idea it is. One who bucks tradition, who makes her own path, who is marked... yes, she's an interesting one. ]

Corrupt, mostly. They hunt those that use magic, those that follow me, those that interfere with their order.

[ They're like extra asshole Templars, Lavellan. ]

And many are dead. But I am one.

[arla]

It's frustrating. My people are better than this. We can learn and help others with the knowledge we have. We can be more inclusive, more accepting. But we become just like the people we hate by pretending we are better.

[ She has seen it, time and time again. When she went to the Exalted Plains and met the Dalish there, they would not trust her because she worked with humans. How, then, will her clan treat her when she returns to them after being Inquisitor?

She already knows the answer. She just doesn't want to accept it. ]

They sound like Templars: warriors leashed by the Chantry, the church, who hunt down mages and try to lock them up...or, more likely, kill them.

[ Sounds like asshole Templars. She brings over the kettle and sets it down on the table. Fetching two glasses, she pulls off her scarf and dusts them off, cleaning them with frost and heat in her hands. She does not pour just yet, wanting the tea to steep a bit longer. ]

Are you an arbiter of magic, Outsider? Do you give the people their power or does it manifest for them naturally?

[extramural]

Such is the way of many mortals. Most are terribly uninteresting; predictable, stuck in their own heads and too proud to do any different. It is... distasteful.

[ Not because they are proud, really, but because they are boring. So much wasted potential. ]

I give it to them. There are ways one can call upon the forces in the world, enchantments and charms that one does not need to know magic to be able to use, but for more than that -- I bestow it on them as a gift.

[ One that tends to be unlooked for, but is generous nonetheless. At least as far as he's concerned. ]

[arla]

They can change, [ She protests, but there is a follow up that goes unsaid on her tongue: But not all of them can. Or will. She has faith in some but not in all. ] If they're given the right opportunity.

[ But some will be greedy, will use power or gifts for their own gain rather than changing the world around them to make things better. ]

So it is...natural in your world in some ways.

[ It would sound nice if he hadn't already spoken of the problems. ]

They say magic was natural to us in the beginning. The People, elves, I mean. But that has died out. Some clans take great pride in their mages. Others cast their mage children out of the clan if there are too many. Too much magic means the Templars will come.

[extramural]

[ Unsaid, but not unknown. The Outsider simply looks at her for a moment, head tilted. ]

Perhaps.

[ He drops that subject to continue on with the others. ]

Yes. The Void of my world created and will destroy, but its power is everywhere, if one knows how to look or call upon it.

[ And he hasn't even touched upon the rat plague yet. ]

They are afraid. Afraid to change, afraid to cling to part of their past; they will stagnate. You know this. [ So much for abandoning that line of conversation. ]

[arla]

Have you gotten close enough to the Void here to know if it is...similar? I am wondering how alike each of our worlds are, threaded as they are from their birthplace here.

[ Or how much time and natural distance has shaped and changed them into something different, something more.

Lavellan's hands still for a moment over the pot, taking care to note the temperature. When the leaves have steeped enough, she pours a cup for each of them. She keeps her frown mostly to herself, the corner of her mouth ripe to be picked at by the edge of a tooth, thoughtful. ]

Clinging to the past has stagnated many of us. But what we believe of our past is true...isn't. There is so much more we do not know, could not dream of knowing. And so steeped are the Dalish in their perception of the old ways that they will not accept the truth as it is.

[ She pauses, eyes lingering for a moment on the pot as she finally sits across from him. ]

And they are so caught up in what they believe is right that they are dying in a mire of pride and little else. If we do not grow and change, we will lose everything.

[extramural]

Not close to it, no. I have been warned away more than once. [ He looks toward the fish that swim around his head. ] But I have heard stories, and it is... similar in at least one aspect. That it is what will end this world, as it will end mine.

[ As all worlds will end, when this one does.

The Outsider takes the teacup and, after a moment, sips. Is is hot, of course, but he doesn't seem to be bothered by it. ]

I am certain that many would consider it callous to say, but there is little and less you can do about it in this world, save to share what you know to be true with those you encounter here.

[ He nods toward the pot. ]

I imagine many would enjoy a cup of tea, in this cold weather, and to hear your stories.