219 lines
No EOL
17 KiB
Text
219 lines
No EOL
17 KiB
Text
The warbling gate is a golden ring with a green magic wall, looking like a slow swirling tornado
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In the meadow:
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https://youtu.be/TZSA5HbOIEA?si=LsifjOBxxEd7iTrq
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In the Archery range:
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https://youtu.be/D9X-bE51G08?si=v7PRWVioJGvBxWTb
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## Upon exiting the GREEN gate,
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you feel the gentlest of breezes grazing your faces, you hear the lightest rustling of leaves in nearby trees, and as far as the eye can see is almost all lush green grasses, only sparsely populated by the occasional tree. The sky is as blue as the ocean, only decorated by a few small clouds, and for the first time since you entered the island, you are greeted by almost pure silence.
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Welcome to the **Grasslands** demense!
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(ATHLETICS ROLL)
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The silence is abruptly interrupted by a sputtering noise coming from right beside your group, a horse head leaning down and nibbling the shirt sleeve of (lowest roller). You notice the horse is inside a large wooden corral connected to a stable with a dozen different shape and size horses, all behind a sign on the front that reads "Villi's Fillies, Rentals 10z."
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*IF ANYONE COMMENTS ON IT*
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A female voice from behind you speaks out. "Knock it off Rosa, they don't have food for you!"
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The gate is attached to a fairly large boulder, and lying atop said Boulder stretched out is a white kitsune, her arms under her head as she stares into the sky, one leg crossed over the other. "Dont worry about the horses, long as you don't mess with them, they won't mess with you too much."
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*ASKS ABOUT HER*
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She doesn't really move, but her head turns a little toward you. "Name's Villi. You new here? Most people know this to be the place for some peace and quiet."
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*ASKING ABOUT DM/REGALIA*
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She sits upright and perks her ears, listening for a moment before pointing out a rather large oak tree in the distance. "You want Corentin, he's that way. Either practicing or sleeping on some warm rock." At best, you're looking at an hour of foot travel.
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*IF ANYONE COMPLAINS*
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She will roll her eyes a bit. "Follow me." She jumps down to the other side of the rock, stepping out from behind it and walking into the ranch's main entrance.
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*IF THEY FOLLOW*
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She will lead you into a walkway outside of the main pen, a few of the horses within approaching your group curiously. "Walking would take a while, but if you were to ride THESE, you'd get there in a few minutes."
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*IF YES*
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She will guide (1/2 the number of players rounded up) horses toward the entrance, and straps a double seated saddle on each. "Pick your pairs, I don't have enough single saddles for all of you right now." While you decide, she will also put on a simple set of reigns, holding them for your group.
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*REGARDLESS OF WHICH OPTION*
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As you travel through the lush grasses, you see mostly open greenery all being pushed around by a light breeze, and you hear leaves rustling in the nearby trees. Other than that, it's a quiet calm journey to the largest tree you can see.
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(NOTICE ROLL) You detect a peculiar scent in the air, something delicate and sweet. And it gets stronger as you approach the tree.
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You arrive at your destination, and it sticks out alot more than you'd expect. The first thing you notice is the grass in front tof the tree is kept incredibly short, while the grass AROUND it almost acts like a tall natural fence line.
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The tree itself is huge and healthy, about 50 feet wide at its base and easily just as tall. There are also some ropes hanging from some of its higher branches to the ground.
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To the left is a fairly large wooden corral with a dozen horses inside, wearing similar saddle and bridle sets as Villie's.
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To the right is a fenced in garden with rows upon rows of bushes covered in flowers, which is where the scent appears to be coming from.
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-----
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*CORRAL*
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All the horses inside are casually eating grass or drinking from a nearby trough of water, all of them wearing saddles, most of which are single seaters. The corral doorway has a large sign on it saying "hold your horses" and a latched gate that CAN be opened from the outside.
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(IF THEY BROUGHT HORSES)
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The gate opens easily enough, and the horses walk inside with mo real complaint. Yours happen to be the only ones with double length saddles, so picking them out will be easy. And your horses seem pretty content in here, as the first thing they do is go for the nearby food trough.
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-----
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*GARDEN*
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There are a dozen rows of bush that stretch out several yards back, all contained within a handcrafted wooden fence. The lattice archway at the entrance is about eight feet high and ten feet wide, with a wooden sign on the left stating "Camellia Sinensis" and an identical sign on the right stating "free to take."
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The bushes all look identical from beginning to end, some having flowers and some having tiny brown or green berries. The bushes that DO have flowers are either a brilliant white or with some small amounts of pink, seven or eight petals each, with yellow stamen in each of them.
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(ACADEMICS ROLL) Camellia Sinensis is the scientific name for the Tea Plant. You are looking at an acre-sized tea garden.
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-----
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*OAK TREE*
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You couldn't see it from so far away, but there is a large treehouse hidden inside its higher branches. It is masterfully crafted, shaped right in and around the branches themselves, blending in seamlessly. There is also a rope ladder AND a climbing rope leading up to it.
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*IF THEY CALL UP*
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You get no response except for some chirping of birds around you.
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*IF THEY CLIMB IN*
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The treehouse has a front landing that stretches a good 5 feet out from the front, and there is no real front door. The inside is surprisingly well crafted and cozy, full of breezy open windows, and comprised of three main rooms: the living room, the kitchen to the left, and the bedroom to the right.
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- The central room has a wood and wicker double couch & single chair set with a coffee table in between them all, and a fireplace centered behind them.
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- The left doorway leads to the fully functional kitchen, including a wooden table & chairs, cabinets full of glass & wood dishware, shelves full of jars of dried leaves, an actual metal sink, and an old-fashioned ice box fridge.
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- The right doorway leads to the bedroom, which is fairly empty aside from a couple small tables around what LOOKS like it should be a bed, but it resembles a giant fabric sack full of... hay or straw?
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-----
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(INVESTIGATE ROLL) From the higher-up window, you can see what looks like the backyard, and it is FILLED with people of all ages and types doing all sorts of activities. Which you completely missed because the giant tree itself completely blocked your line of sight.
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*BEHIND THE TREE*
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You spot not only a couple dozen people, but also a group of tables & chairs with people crafting things in the middle, yoga practicers on the left, kite flyers on the right, and archers in the back shooting targets FAR into the distance.
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This explains why you couldn't hear them, everyone is doing quiet activities.
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-----
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*YOGA*
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You see one instructor, a swan woman in a black leotard, leading a group of nine other men and women in stretching exercises. They bend in a myriad of directions that you... never really expected a person to be flexible enough to bend in, honestly.
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The teacher advises everyone to take a ten minute break, then approaches your group with a smile and a towel slung over her neck. "Hello, can I help you?"
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*SENT BY SISTER SCHOOL*
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"Oh you met my twin sister, lovely. This is where we host our classes, as this grassland is so open and free for everyone to bond with nature. But some people prefer a more... rigid facility, so we co-opted the gym building. Were you interested in signing up for one of our schools?"
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*DM/REGALIA*
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"Oh you're here to see Corentin? I believe he is practicing his Archery today a bit farther down."
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*TABLES*
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The eight or so people relaxing at the table seem to be doing arts and crafts projects with the twigs, berries, and leaves of nearby trees. Some of them appear to be makeshift arrow shafts, others look like they're stripping the leaves and petals of the flowers from the front yard.
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*IF THEY ASK*
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A young boy in an indigo hoodie and white shorts turns to your group, his green nametag reading CAELUM. He hops down from his seat at the table, hands in pockets, and approaches you. "Can I help you?"
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*DM/REGALIA*
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He points toward the archers. "Corentin should be that way. Just ask the other archers."
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-----
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*KITES*
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The four people flying kites are all lying in the grass, each one's kites string tied to their ankle or wrist and actively being guided in the soft wind. One is flying a diamond kite, one is flying a square box kite, and one is flying a mini hot air balloon.
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*APPROACH*
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The four people in the grass are actually a group of identical looking geckos, and they all look up to you at the same time. "Yes?"(x4)
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*DM/REGALIA*
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They all pointed their respective kite-holding appendages toward the archers. "That way." (x4)
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-----
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You spot five different people in all manner of dress, aiming what looks like homemade arrows in professional grade old fashioned wood bows and firing them. Most of them actually make their mark, aside from one or two that break on release, but that doesn't seem to deter anyone.
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*APPROACH*
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A moth woman with black hair tied in a ponytail turns to you, lowering her bow. She's wearing an old fashioned white kyudogi training shirt, and a bright red hakama long skirt, and a green nametag reading BELL. Her eyes carry a tired expression, but she approaches with an odd amount of grace. "Good afternoon, can I help you?"
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*DM/REGALIA*
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She nods quietly. "Follow me, please." She walks a bit farther into the grassy distance to another cut down clearing, where there sits a solitary green snake man in a loose fitting white Japanese Yukata with blue sky sleeve ends. The right arm is completely slid off, revealing the black shirt with red trim underneath, only barely obscured by the quiver of arrows on his back.
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"Lord Corentin, you have visitors." Instead of responding, he pulls out a fresh arrow and pulls it back in his bow, aiming it directly at the sky in complete silence, holding perfectly still.
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*AFTER ANY RESPONSE*
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His eyes slowly open and reveal the serpent slits within, before turning and launching the arrow in a seemingly random direction, staying in the air for several seconds before finally coming down and disappearing in the taller grass. And the moment it disappears, you hear a young voice in the far distance shout "OW! SON OF A BITCH!"
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A far off head suddenly stands up, looking like a human woman under a bandana, rubbing her forehead and holding the arrow in her hand, which you now see is tipped with a green rubber ball. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?! WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"
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*IF ANYONE ASKS ABOUT HER SAYING 'WE'*
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*OR IF NOONE NOTICES, (NOTICE ROLL)*
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Several more people pop up form the grass, one of whom smacks her upside the back of the head. They will suddenly charge your group and the archers, revealing themselves to be Marauders.
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But right when they get close, the blue rubber ball on the arrow will suddenly POP, causing them all to scream that their ears are now either hurting immensely, or they can't hear.
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*ALL ENEMIES WILL HAVE DISADV UNTIL THE START OF THEIR SECOND TURNS*
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*CORENTIN WILL BE JOINING THE FIGHT AND PROVIDING COVER FIRE*
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AFTER THE FIGHT
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The Marauders lie in a heap, many of them with ears bleeding. Corentin slithers closer, his bowstring broken. "You have disturbed the peace of my demense. I would like to know why."
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The one out of the group that can actually hear him will reply, "That's what we were sent here to do! It's literally our job!"
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The archer will close his eyes and shake his head in disappointment, before pulling down the other sleeve of his yukata and unfurling a large pair of reptilian scaled wings, an array of deep emerald green scales glittering in the sun.
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"Please take your occupational hazards elsewhere." He then flaps his wings once, twice, three times, each one blasting a larger and larger gust of air until it begins to circle the Marauders on the ground, picking each one up into a windy cyclone, all of them suddenly ascending into the sky in a dizzying spiral and headed straight for the gate.
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*IF THEY ASK*
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All but one are unanimously flung through the gate by the air current, the last one flopping on the ground in front of it. And when he raises his head, his eyes are greeted by the sight of Villi, cracking her knuckles.
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*BACK AT YOUR GROUP*
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The archer collapses his wings with a soft sigh, resleeving his yukata over his left arm only as before, then finally turns to you. "I appreciate your assistance in removing the troublemakers. I do not have much to offer in compensation, but would you like to join me for a cup of tea?"
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*BACK AT THE TREEHOUSE*
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He hangs his broken bow and arrows by the door on wooden hooks, slithering to his kitchen, coming out with three kettles, all of which are placed in the fireplace. He lights a match to start a fire in it, the smoke rolling out the top and out a fairly well hidden chimney. "While the kettles warm, why don't we discuss what brings you here today?"
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As you chat, he will grab a jar of honey and (number of players +1) cups out of his cupboard, placing them on a nearby table, each with a saucer and a spoon.
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*HE WILL POUR TEA FOR EVERYONE AS THEY TALK*
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The first kettle will pour white tea for anyone wanting something sweet and fruity.
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The second kettle will pour green tea for anyone wanting something flowery and earthy.
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The third kettle will pour black tea for anyone wanting something malty and spiced.
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*WHEN DM/REGALIA IS MENTIONED*
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"My Regalia is no longer in my possession. It was stolen from me some months ago." He oddly doesn't seem to care that much about it, treating it no differently than losing a sock he would never use.
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*IF THEY ASK WHY HE DOESNT SEEM TO CARE*
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"Well it wouldn't do for a demense master of the most Serene paradise in all of Diadem to stress over such things, would it? The living embodiment of peace in the most peaceful demense showing stress would be... counterintuitive."
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"All the demense and their respective masters are direct reflections of each other. Tell me, which ones have you visited thus far?"
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(READ OFF THE FOLLOWING BASED ON WHICH ONES THEY SAY THEY HAVE VISITED SO FAR)
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- Aodaghan has a location with a fiery attitude no different than his own, with an endless task he could labor over forever.
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- Conroy has a knowledge base to potentially sate his endless curiosity for new information.
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- Zahir has a place of whimsy and smiles, somewhere he could celebrate endlessly.
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- Dorrin has a vast and unending depth he could work out his frustrations without breaking his vow of stoicism.
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- Arledge has a bountiful paradise, where the land would always yield an endless supply of goods for everyone to enjoy together.
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- Miranda has the unyielding vastness of space to look upon all the ahem... potential friends she could one day meet.
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- Whitaker has a hiding place of slowly growing isolation, where it is as cold to others as others have been toward him.
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- Fulmo has a stormy land that reflects his powerful and steadfast view of the law and its refined absolutism.
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- Thanatos has a proper ceremonial grounds and final resting place for those whom have passed.
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- Cassius has the most dangerous and solitary place imaginable, somewhere as empty physically as he is emotionally.
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- Tlaloc has a land of endless challenge, a kind of playground for him to constantly climb to greater heights.
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"As for mine, it is a peaceful home, somewhere where stress and aggravation can be left behind, and one could embrace the true sensation of serenity. Not just in the gentle sound of the winds, but also in sight of the rustling leaves from the vine, the smell of the inviting flowers, the taste of the cleanest & purest air, and the feel of the softest grass pressing against one's skin. This place is a delight to all five senses, and embodies the purest aspect of peace."
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He looks down at his cup of tea, noticing a small twig of a tea leaf floating upright. "Speaking of... I don't fancy myself a therapist, but I can see some of you are very stressed for a multitude of reasons, and I doubt it has much to do with the Marauders either. Perhaps while you are here, we could discuss what ails you?"
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HE WILL ATTEMPT TO LISTEN AND REASON THROUGH THEIR ISSUES, PROVIDED THEY WISH TO SHARE ABOUT THEM
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After the conversation, he will stretch his arms high over his head. "Today has been a rather exciting day... I believe it is my turn to relax... If you happen to come across my bow, please do return it to me, and we can discuss a potential challenge then. In the meantime, feel free to enjoy my demense anytime you like." |