Aquiras

[Tarot]

Aquiras is an ancient god of travel and doors, and lover of the goddess of light and hope, Priskil. Best known for powering the teleportation system linking the Watchtowers, Aquiras was attacked during the Valterrian by the greatest Alahean wizard, Sagallius Hrinn. Sagallius overpowered the peaceful Aquiras, already weakened by the destructive waves of the Valterrian, ripped his chest open and stole his heart, which he later implanted into himself to attain godhood. Aquiras was left comatose and on the brink of death, from which he was saved only thanks to Priskil's courage. To this day, Aquiras' life is on the edge of the abyss, while Priskil protects him and looks for ways to restore his health -- of which there is only one... the demise of Sagallius himself. Aquiras' body has lost most of its godly properties. Resting in the fold of dimensional space between Mizahar and the Void, Aquiras is a wounded giant with a large gaping hole in his chest. Only Priskil has access to this secret room, which she will protect with her very life. Much like Priskil, Aquiras has always been sympathetic and open-minded towards mortals. Aquiras never believed in the "tit for tat" approach to worship that most gods live by; he believed that gods could make the lives of mortals happier, and mortals could make the gods happier by thriving with their gifts. He enchanted the Watchtower system and did so without any compensation other than the joy of getting people closer to one another. Aquiras believed that a life is judged by the journey even more so than the destination. Once people started to forget him and Priskil in favor of more ambitious and powerful gods, he accepted their decision and hoped it would be the right one. On his part, he was content with just being at Priskil's side for the rest of eternity. Aquiras lacks any organized cults in the post-Valterrian world, mostly because he is not around to direct and inspire mortals. Priskil's main cult, the Order of Radiance, does remember Aquiras and fights through the centuries in hopes that they will one day be reunited. Aside from them, Aquiras is still worshipped by a small number of people, which has been theorized to be the reason keeping him alive despite the loss of his Heart. Most of these worshippers are Pycon, though there is the occasional Human as well as other races. Much like the Watchtower system, which is barely operational in the aftermath of his defeat, Aquiras' Gnosis, called Traversal, still exists, but it is almost unheard of. This Gnosis should allow the user to navigate his way with ease without maps and always know his location no matter where he is. It still functions to a degree, but any Gnosis marks would be pale, almost faded. Moreover, Aquiras has not marked anyone since the Valterrian, so any Gnosis would have been granted over five hundred years ago. Clearly, no normal Human will be in possession of such Gnosis marks.

[Erekez]

Turning his Guardian of the Traveller pendant in his hand, Erekez felt the cool feel of metal against the inside of his hand. The cool air of the night had settled quickly into it, but was as quickly removed when Erekez held it in his closed fist. Erekez let his fist drop to his chest as he lay on the ground outside his tent, looking up into the night sky and admiring the lights that Leth displayed whenever he was watching over the world beneath him. Tonight, however, Erekez had not intending on preying to Leth. Tonight, he would prey to another. Over his travels, Erekez had liked to believe that he had survived by his own skills and mind alone. After the Spring of 512 AV, it had become apparent that there were those watching over that he had not known of. Eyris had been watching him for some time, so why not another whose domain covered travellers? Erekez moved his fist to his heart as he continued to gaze upwards. Aquiras, I learnt what I could of the Gods after my encounter with Eyris. I read of you briefly, unfortunately. You have fallen from the memories of mortals, save for few who devote themselves to you. Considering how you cared for mortals before your degradation in health, it is unfair that you be rewarded in such a way. I do not know how much I truly owe you during my travels. I am not even aware if you know of me or have ever watched over me, but I do feel that my survival has not been all my own. I do not know how best to show my appreciation, neither do I know your current state of health. For now, this is the best I can offer until such a time I am able to do otherwise. Erekez held his pendant in the air above him. Aquiras, god of travel and doors, I thank you for watching over me, even in such a state as you are. I hope that my Goddess, or any follower who can truly say they know you, can someday find a way to aid in your recovery and return. Until such a time, please know that you will never be forgotten by this traveller. I wish you my very best.

[Lani Stranger]

5th of Spring 514AV, Zeltiva

Now Lani needed something from her journey. She didn't have much from her journey really. She mostly sat in a covered wagon with her things and read Aquiras' book over and over. The rare times she went into the cold was to go to one of the caravan's fires to eat. Which was where she got her last item. It was a simple flower, a filan flower. It had no meaning to her other than she thought it was pretty. It was the first flower she had seen since the beginning of Fall, so Lani picked it up. The second flower was set in the center of wheel. That was it, those were her offerings. A map signaling she had reached her destination, a personal accomplishment to show what she planned on accomplishing, a prating gift from where she departed, and a trinket she had picked up on her journey. Now she needed to catalog her travel. With the clay bowl in one hand and a quill in the other, Lani opened her red ink vial.

Spires (Winter 513 AV) ➛ Zelitva (Spring 514AV)

It was her little log of her travels. All of her adventures would be logged on this bowl and one day, when she had travelled across Mizhar, the brown clay would be filled with red marks of cities and dates and whoever saw her personal offering bowl could see her accomplishments. Lani scooping the items form the wheel into the bowl. Before she could bind her travels together, she would pray.

"Aquiras. My father in the Ukalas, I've completed yet another successful journey through your domain. I pray you are doing well? I doubt you should be answering my prayers anytime soon. I wish you could. Priskil watches over you and I put my faith in her to keep you well. Thankyou for delivering me safely to Zeltiva. The journey in winter was harsh, but doable. I've come to further my education like I said I would. I've already enrolled in class . . ." Her soft voice broke the silence of the night as she leaned forward, feeling the light heat of the candles close to her face. She nodded to herself, her prayers always resembled a sort of daughterly update. She tried not to treat Aquiras as if he was her father, he was a God and she was a mere mortal. That wasn't saying he didn't care about her, but he didn't ask for her to cling to him like this. Lani always wondered if he minded. Maybe he didn't, maybe Gods relished in this kind of devotion. Lani, having never met one, wouldn't know. The God to which she prayed was practically dead so she would never know whether he thought her a nuisance or appreciated her efforts.

Lani pushed the worry from her brain. If Aquiras knew of her he would appreciate. A God couldn't hate his followers, could he? "The point of my prayer is to express my gratitude. I will not mourn you, you aren't dead. I've devoted my life to you, and I hope I make a difference. But today I thank you for being alive. Alive enough to watch over me and guide my through my journey's. I know this guidance is not of your conscious hand, but it is your domain. Thankyou."

Lani straightened her back, looking down at her offerings for a minute before proceeding with the ritual. Now she needed to bind her spoken prayer to her objects and send them to the Ukalas for Aquiras. It was mostly hypothetical, Lani didn't exactly know how to deliver to the Ukalas, or if her offerings would be of any value to the God. This was where her scented candle was important. Lani plucked a regular candle from the ground to light it before placing the first candle back. Lani watched the wick melt the wax for a few bells, entranced by the flame and her tiredness. After the candle was seeming to melt more, Lani looked around for some twigs, she hadn't brought anything for the small fire, other than the candle.

Gathering a few fallen leaves and thin twigs, Lani covered her offerings in the fuel, setting the scented candle down at the top of the wheel. The aroma was beginning to fill the air around her, relaxing her shoulders. The scent really had no purpose in her ritual, it was just nice. Lani picked up her flit and steal and began to light the twigs. This was much easier than a candle, as the sparks had more to catch a hold of. Once the twigs had started burning, the wood, flowers and map beneath it, Lani blew out the scented candle, letting the liquid wax drip into the fire. Where the was hit, a small spark flew up. It was a cool trick she had learned from the seamstress in Lhavit, but Lani couldn't figure out why it worked. Snapping the thin candle in her fingers, she dropped chunks of heavily scented wax into the fire, a little explosion of flame showing as the result.

Complete Thread

PC/NPC Talking -- Common -- Kontinese -- Thoughts

[Lani Stranger]

As the idea seemed more and more inviting, Lani remembered why she suffered. Well she didn't suffer ... she held up. She remembered why she stayed distracted and kept her mind busy, constantly turning and working on new concepts and ideas so that she wouldn't have to remember the old ones. She did it because she knew she could. She knew she had the vigilance to seal the cracks in her soul and keep the emotions held inside her so that they would not affect not only herself, but someone else. Vigilance ... vigilance for who? For herself? Yes, but she had a greater reason ...

Untangling herself from her covers, she sat straight up. How could she forget him? Aquiras! How could she forget the God who ruled to domain that she resided most of her life in? She had always travelled, she had never been able to stay in one place. It was because of Aquiras, even though he stayed in his sleep, unable to see the world again, but still not dead, she was who she was. She didn't know if she owed much to the God, but she felt as if she did. Maybe she did owe him. She owed him her life, her love and her devotion. It was the least she could do for the God, struggling to stay alive. I would do so much more. If only I knew what I could do ...

It hadn't taken Lani long to address the God, even though she knew he could not hear her. Aquiras? I know you can't hear me ... and I don't know if this will actually help you. I always thought it could. I do. I do believe that there is a way to bring you back. If there is a way I could do it, I will. I learned of a magic! Alchemy, where you can make whole new substances out of whatever is around you. Of course, you must know about it, you are a God. I don't know much about it. I will figure it out, I will. If I can make you a heart ...

But I wouldn't be able to would I? Mortals can't make a God. I could never ... But I will try. I swear to you that I will try to bring you back. I will ...

I still want to kill him.

Lani paused. She couldn't talk to him like that. All she ever did with Aquiras was whine. She just talked about hopes for him, wishes for him to get better. Then she swore she would find a way. But she never lifted a finger. She never actually did anything for him. Even now, Lani couldn't claim to do better, it was only words after all.I'm sorry. I ... I'm just glad you are still alive ... Lani had to hold back her next thoughts, she wasn't going to make him any empty promises this time. This time she was going to do something about it. However long it would take, she would find a solution for him. She would do it. She would ...

Thread

[Lani Stranger]

8th of Fall, 518AV
Excerpt from Making the Climb

“Thank you for my safe travels, father of the road.” She said, twisting the base of the bowl into the ground slightly so that it stayed. She then dropped the no-longer-glowing shells into the bowl. “From the City of Illusions…” She picked up the candle, dropping a few dots of wax onto the shells, a symbolic way of cementing them into the bowl. Then she dropped the shard of the now-known eggshell on top of the shells. “To the City of the Eagles.” Lani then dropped a few dots of wax onto the shard.

She picked up the red ink and dipped the scraggly quill into it, wiping the tip on the edge, so that the ink would not drop and mess up her writing.

Carefully, with a practiced hand, Lani identified the last line on the interior of the bowl. The date that she left Alvadas, and a note saying so. Next to it she drew a fine arrow, and wrote the name of Windreach, and the date next to it. Followed by a square to note that this is where she stayed. Now, with the markings done and the contents offered, Lani dropped some twigs into the bowl and some tinder. She picked up the candle once more, and leaned it into the bowl, letting the wax drip, and the flame ignite the tinder. Once it caught she blew and covered it from the chilly wind to let it grow. Once the items of the bowl were burning well, she sat back on her haunches, and watched.

“I think good will come of this journey. Because your realm requires skill that I do not have, or coin which I can’t give, my travel took me here to Wind Reach. Is it a sign of something? Ivak had mingled with mortals in my lifetime, which I remember. But does the release of his imprisonment have anything to do with waking you from your slumber?” She paused after asking the question, as if for whatever reason he may answer.

“I’m working on it.” She muttered to herself, as if answering herself.

“Anyway, I have high hopes for Wind Reach, although I know that is Priskil’s domain. I will pray to her, I always do. I just wanted to make sure I talked to you before the mayhem of entering a new city distracted me. This isn’t Alvadas or Lhavit which I know so well, but a city that does not welcome my kind. Not simply by my hair, but by both of my heritages. The last time I brushed paths with the Inarta, I was treated poorly, and I didn’t even enter their city. Does that mean I will be taken down? No of course not. This is a stop on a greater journey. You led me here for a reason, and I will find it. Thank you.” She realized she was babbling. She had faith in the God of Travel. Wherever Aquiras was leading her, it was for a reason, and she would find it. She would do right by him, she always did.

[Gossamer]

Silence echoed back at Lani. There was no response nor had there been any response for many lifetimes from the God she sent prayers too. And though the Goddess of Hope reigned in her Domain, as always, everything else - seemingly Mizahar itself - had none for the God of Travel and Doorways.