[The Stranger's Welcome] Web of Prophecies (Veldrys)

[Louie Wein]

A few days ago...

At first Louie shrugged off all the talk about the acolyte at the chapel, a symenestra no less, one of the spider people who were infamous for prowling around the Kalea region looking for females to use as surrogates in their dangerous childbirth and perverted the way of worship to the revered god Viratas. It was a strange thing to hear about and therefore hard to believe as true. A symenestrain acolyte who met face to face with Viratas in Denval? There were so many others who would be more deserving among the congregation during the ritual compared to a spider who left his home.

But as the days passed in the season, the gossip became more and more ridiculous and dangerous. At first it was just innocent talk that Viratas spotted a brother in blood and greeted him or that the symenestra was a loyal follower to the faith to join the ritual in Denval and thus caught the god's eye. But as with all rumors and gossip, the bigger they were the more they would be spread by mouth. Each time being added to add to the romance or mystery to make it more interesting than the last.

Once it had reached the point that Louie heard that the acolyte was to be the harbringer of doom to Denval, that he will bring a time of great bloodshed to its people as was his responsibility after being granted power, Louie got to work. All these words have gotten out of hand and without the truth the town might get into hysteria. Louie would be the one to get to the bottom of it all and make sure to prevent it from happening. Denval was his home and he would do anything in his power to protect it. He may not be good at using a weapon like the others, but he had other ways of doing it.

Before working on anything, Louie would have to isolate the truths from the additions. After more talking with people he found that it all went back to the god Viratas, the symenestrain acolyte and the ritual held in the chapel. He knew he had no way of talking to the god and the acolyte would just be like searching for a needle in a haystack even if the needle of a spider was different from the human hay. It was unfortunate that at a casual glance, they can easily be mistaken as just another human. If only they had more spiderlike qualities like the eypharian who had eight limbs on them.

The last one on the list was the people in the chapel. While Louie might have no way to find out who was there on the day of the ritual, the chapel would be a lot more reliable compared to anyone from seven hundred of Denval who might not be there during the ritual which could only accommodate a hundred. Once he decided on that, Louie made his way to the chapel just looking for any of those who had committed themselves to their religion to ask a question they would definitely know about. Unable to find anyone who was important like the chaplains, he made do with the acolytes. Altar boys even if the previous was too hard.

"What do you know about the ritual early last summer?" If there was more than one ritual, Louie would have to be more descriptive with his question adding "the one where the god Viratas appeared to the acolyte." If the gods really made so much appearances to their acolytes there was one defining quality which made this one so different from the others because "he was the symenestra acolyte. The one who is the talk of the town!" Giving more details was better because in the end he found out that the symenestra's name was Veldrys and he only joined the service last winter.

Obtaining the name did not make things easier. Louie still needed a way to contact Veldrys for an interview. Some may prefer their privacy but it would be a lot more simpler to get answers straight from Veldrys as the rumors all surrounded him. Failing that would give Louie more cause for suspicion and force him to hunt and stalk the symenestra for answers like a predator. His people may be the dangerous ones in Kalinor but in settlements like Denval, the dangerous ones are the majority. Louie was one of them. Human and native. He just hoped that Veldrys would humor him and give him an interview. His invitation will be given in the form of a letter to one of the chapel workers to be passed to Veldrys the next time he came.

Dear Veldrys My name is Louie Wein and you might not know me but I know you. I would also say that it is very alarming to find that suddenly you are a topic of much discussion. I know I would be if I find myself in similar circumstances. I am sure that it would be to the benefit for everyone if you would meet me for an interview. Don't worry, my bite is not as venomous as yours. All I am interested in now is helping the town uncover the truth though if you might have any need of help yourself, I could offer it as reparation to the best of my abilities. If you agree, I would be waiting with a table in the Stranger's Welcome in two days, the 2nd of Fall this year for lunch after the thirteenth bell. Don't worry, it won't be hard for me to miss someone I am expecting especially with exotic qualities such as yours. I really do hope that you will accept my invitation. Sincerely, LouieW Louie Wein

2nd day of Fall 511 AV, the Stranger's Welcome

Louie had already been here a few chimes after the twelfth bell. It just would not do to come later than the person he invited. The only thing he had with him currently was a glass of degtine. Only one to pass the time until Veldrys came and that would be when he makes his order for food as famished as he was. If Veldrys was going to be more open, Louie would have to provide a good first impression so he waited longer and longer as the time drew closer to the thirteenth bell in the letter when he will get his interview and lunch.

Once he sees the slender frame and pale skin of the symenestra walking through the door, Louie would hail him to the table asking "are you Veldrys? Here, have a seat. We can begin after you have placed an order." Due to how they came to this meal today, Veldrys would not have to worry about paying because that will be coming out of Louie's own pocket.

[Veldrys]

Veldrys was just kneeling in front of the altar, whispering a prayer and preparing a blood sacrifice as one of the people that worked in the Chapel approached him. He rose at once and turned around, noticing that the man held a letter in his hand. The Symenestra accepted it and thanked him, furrowing his brow as he did so. Who would send him a letter? Most people in Denval just came into the Chapel and adressed him personally if they had need of his skills as a healer or required guidance in religious matters.

For a moment his heart beat a little faster. Had it come from Kalinor? Had his Web found out where he was? Did his father want him to come home? His Web expected him to find a surrogate and father a child. He had thought he had covered his traces carefully. He missed Kalinor sometimes, but he didn’t want to come back. His place was here now. He was convinced that the solution to his people’s problems could be found here. He couldn’t go back!

His hands shook a little as he opened the letter. As he read the name „Louie Wein“, his eyes widened a little, and he shook his head. He didn’t recognize the name. What did the man want from him? Why did he want an interview? Did he work for the Captain? Was he some kind of journalist? He hadn’t known that Denval had a newspaper. For a moment he was tempted to just burn the letter and let this Louie Wein wait, but then his curiosity got the better of him. He wanted to know who the man was and what exactly he wanted to talk about.

And thus he entered the Stranger’s Welcome at the time that Louie had mentioned in his letter. The Symenestra was indeed hard to miss. He was tall and pale, with silver hair and amethyst eyes. His features were delicate rather than rough and angular as a human man’s often tended to be, and his fingers ended in black nails. He was dressed in silk that would seem elegant and luxurious to a human, but was commonplace in Kalinor.

As Louie spoke to him, the Symenestra furrowed his brow, wondering again if this was a good idea, and then he came closer. „I’m indeed Veldrys“, he replied. He spoke Common well, but he still had a noticeable accent. „I don’t eat much“, he added.

He couldn’t digest most kinds of solid food, and his eating habits would seem revolting to Louie, and thus he wanted to keep them a secret from him. Something about the man’s request made him vaguely uncomfortable. He wanted to appear normal to him, trustworthy.

„I will just order a bit of fruit and a drink.“ He looked at Louie closely. „Tell me, Mister Wein, what exactly is it that you want from me?“

[Louie Wein]

It looks like Louie would not be disappointed with the person he called. Veldyrs seemed like a very nice accepting person if the clothes of luxury did not give an aura of arrogance. Or that might just be how the symenestra normally carried themselves. Louie waited until Veldrys took a seat and told him that he did not eat much. Could it be that this invitation has made him a little nervous? Veldrys if he was an acolyte at the chapel should be a lot more better at handling people especially when he had nearly three seasons of experience on the job.

But like Veldyrs, Louie wanted to appear normal and trustworthy as well. Someone that the symesnestra would not mind sharing what was on his mind no matter how odd and disturbing it may seem. But that would be hard because Louie was Denval born and Denval raised. He loved Denval as the town that he grew up in and it is all that he ever knew save from some other bits of knowledge here and there he might have read from books. People might see a difference when he spoke to another person. A person who was not from Denval but here Veldrys was not only an outsider, he was also from a completely different species! The difference in culture and physiology would bring out the racist that was hiding in Louie but hopefully he can suppress it well enough that he will not offend Veldyrs and force him to leave.

He just nodded at Veldyrs and called for the fruit and drink he wanted. "I will just have whatever it is he is having." Louie might be hungry but he did not want to have a spread of food in front of the symenestra. That could wait until Veldyrs has left and Louie was left alone with the table all to himself. When asked what he wanted, Louie produced a quill, an inkwell and a sheet of paper displaying them on the table. "Simple, I just want to know some facts in relation to the rumors floating around. Please don't feel intimidated by my things, but I have to make sure I record the facts properly because I wouldn't want to get anything wrong later."

Looking closely at Veldrys, Louie would tell him that "we will start off with something simple until our meal arrives" with a smile to keep him comfortable. Just getting some basic information about him so Louie would have a better idea when they further proceed later. There were things he knew he had to ask the symenestra. Two of them he already knew. The what and who that was "Veldrys. You are a symenestra acolyte for Viratas in the chapel right?" What everyone would want to know is "why are you here?" It was natural to be suspicious when there was a person from a race which was infamous kidnappings to be around in the community. "It can't be for work because you just got one here. Are you here for pleasure then? Or maybe you are here on an errand for the wife." Louie gave a chuckle after he asked that. It might be rude to make presumptions about another's race but he did try to ask it in the most polite way he could think of.

After he got the answer, he would continue to ask another very obvious question. "How is it that a symenestra became an acolyte at the chapel here? Pardon me for suggesting but aren't there more eligible people who have proven themselves in the community? Wouldn't it be nicer for you to serve Viratas back in Kalinor? You did come from there right?" There he would be surrounded by plenty who are the same of him instead of this strange foreign place full of humans that feel uncomfortable around his race.

There were no further questions which would be proper for Louie to ask at this point and as Veldrys spoke, he would see some scribbling forming on the paper as it would be throughout their time here. Once he was done, Louie would look intently at Veldrys trying to see his reaction when he got to the real topic. "Is there anything you want to tell me about the ritual from last season? The one that you were visited by Viratas himself?" It was a very big thing to happen in such a small town, a visit from a god. Sooner or later someone would be poking around about it so why not Louie?

[Veldrys]

As Louie stated that he would just have whatever he was having, Veldrys arched an eyebrow and looked directly at the human. He found strange. He hadn’t thought that humans were so keen on fruit. Was this his way of trying to be polite? If he had ordered a Bruka – not that he expected anybody in Denval to be able to make a decent Bruka – would he have gotten one as well? He looked at the man a little longer, and then he shrugged his shoulders and leaned back in his chair. The expression on his pale face was calm and carefully polite. He smiled a little, but not enough to reveal his fangs as most humans tended to be find them a little disturbing.

„So you are a journalist of some sort?“ he asked as Louie mentioned recording the facts and put ink and paper on the table. He didn’t know what he was supposed to think of that. In a way he felt honored that Louie wanted to talk to him and get his point of view, but at the same time it made him a little uncomfortable. He didn’t like talking about himself.

„I assume the rumors have something to do with what happened in the Chapel as well as the most recent events?“ With that he meant the prophecy of Viratas, the murder of a child of course and the fact that the murderer still hadn’t been found. He subconsciously touched his arm where the god had marked him.

„Yes, I’m an acolyte in the chapel“, he confirmed. „Although I hope to serve Viratas as a priest before too long.“ As Louie asked him why he was here, the Symenestra made a face. Of course. That was why the man made him a little uncomfortable. Something about his behaviour reminded him of Talen, the young guard he had met only recently, the barely hidden suspicion. His eyes darkened, but a moment later he was his usual, calm self again.

„I am here because of religious matters“, he answered truthfully. The tone of his voice was still extremely polite. „I had heard that the Denvali worship the same god as I do and that Denval had been isolated for centuries following the Valterrian. That made me curious. I thought that they might have information on the way the world had been before. I am not here for pleasure nor because of my wife. I don’t have a wife.“

Since he had met the Kelvic Lucette he went to the Temple of Nikali every now and then because even a Symenestra that was utterly aware of the effect that his venom had on others couldn’t be alone all the time, but that was nothing that he wanted Louie to know about. He didn’t need to know every detail of his life.

„As for how I become an acolyte ...“ He noticed the tone of the human’s voice, and made a face. „... I don’t know. I don’t know why exactly the Chaplain chose me rather than a Denvali and why Viratas decided to mark me. Maybe you could interview the Chaplain himself after we are done here. He’ll probably have a few interesting things to say on this matter.“ He noticed that the fruit and the drink he had ordered had arrived. He took a sip from his drink and then he turned to answer Louie’s next question.

„I come from Kalinor, yes. And I suppose I could serve Viratas back there, but I prefer the way humans worship him. Certain followers of Viratas in Kalinor have become more radical recently, and I do not agree with that. Besides, I wouldn’t be able to do my research in Kalinor.“ It seemed as if Louie didn’t like him particularly. In a way Veldrys could understand that. His people had abducted countless human women and comdemned them to an early death, and he looked completely different from the Denvali. But still, it was getting on his nerves a little.

„As for the ritual, I was not the only one who was visited by Viratas. Almost everybody that mattered was gathered in the Chapel that day. The Captain herself was there, and the Chaplain received a great honor as well. Viratas chose to speak through him and marked him, just as he marked me. I assume you’ve heard that Viratas gave me a prophecy?“

[Louie Wein]

Name: Veldrys Occupation: Acolyte of the Chapel (ask the Chaplain for more information if interested) Purpose in Denval: Religious matters (Viratas - he likes our way better), rediscovering the age before the Valterrian (research?) Maritial Status: Single (warn the women?) Notes: He was marked, find out more about the prophecy and the recent events he is talking about

After Louie put down his quill it was time to answer Veldrys' questions. Compared to the intrusive questions he was asking, he supposed that the current questions were not too bad. "No I am not a journalist. Just think of me as a concerned citizen as I expressed in my letter though I do spend most of my time researching about things that happen in Denval. Past, present or future. Whether anyone wants to follow, its their decision. Maybe one day you can come and see if there is anything of interest for you." Like Louie offered Veldrys in his letter earlier, he was willing to help to the best of his abilities. He was pretty experienced in hunting for information in books and it did not seem like a bad trade off for getting what he wanted from the symenestra. But for that Veldrys would have to tell him more like "what exactly are you expecting to find about the way the world was before?" While Louie might seem he only wanted to help, he also intended to try and milk as much information out of Veldrys as he could.

There had been many things lately. The main reason that Louie was here today was for the Chapel but what more exactly did this symenestra know? It seemed like he was wrapped up in a lot more things than he let on. Louie was ecstatic that today he found someone very interesting. He was going to have to look at his progress in Denval very carefully just so that he would not miss anything like "the most recent events? I hope that you can tell me more after we get to the interesting bit about the Chapel." The dessert always came after the main course but in Louie's case who would take a bite of fruit when it arrived soon, his lunch would only come after Veldrys had left.

All of Veldrys strange movements and that face made Louie think that he was making the symenestra uncomfortable. Time to try and make him believe that Louie only had the best interests out of this conversation. "A priest you say. That sounds like a good goal to serve the god. So tell me. WIll you continue your service here or continue on elsewhere?" It pained Louie a bit to admit it but "you should stay here longer, the community could use people with your gifts" for the next generation just like the symenestra needed females of other species for theirs.

"If you are good enough for the Chaplain and Viratas, you should be good enough for more of us given time" and that included Louie. It was not to say that he did not trust people that easily but his interests also forced him to take an unhealthy turn with how he saw other people. At times he was happy to record the good things like bountiful harvests, successful festivals or even progress of the roadworks. Most of the time however, the only kind of news which would grab Louie's attention would be the bad things like of course, rumors of doom which brought him to his current interview here. "Eventually you might even find a wife" Louie jested. If Veldrys could come to Denval in pursuit of his god, what was stopping another symenestra woman from doing the same? A kelvic-symenestra love story would have sounded interesting too but as Veldrys thought, Louie did not have to know every detail of his personal life.

It would be a lie to say that Louie would be interested with how the followers of Viratas in Kalinor are becoming more radical. If it did not have anything to do with Denval and was not a subject which somehow caught his interest, he would not even expect himself to look into it further unless he really needed to. That could mean being requested by someone and when he had the free time. As Veldrys was explaining, Louie on habit started to swing the quill a little until he realized what he was doing. That was a very bad sign from him. One that he hoped that Veldrys would not take offence with and he feigned interest as he reminded Veldrys about "your research. Why exactly can't you do it in Kalinor?"

Hearing about the ritual finally, Louie perked up. Veldrys finally told him what he wanted to hear. "True, they say that Viratas appeared to everyone gathered in the Chapel that day but..." moving closer to the symenestra as if he was really expecting a good explanation "they say he had a lengthy conversation with you. Too many different opinions but they all said he was talking about you..." pointing at Veldrys with the quill "...and us..." gesturing around him before whispering "...and blood." What other word would people actually focus on when the god of blood comes to them?

A prophecy? That would be what Louie assumes with Viratas' words about unnecessary bloodshed in seasons to come as he heard all the other people say. Was that what Veldrys meant or was it the other one that Viratas gave only to the acolyte? Louie had no way of knowing about the latter unless Veldrys chose to tell him which only meant that he could answer "yes, I heard" as he believed. "So tell me. What do you think about the prophecy? I would give my own opinions but now its all about you" and Louie did not want to seem a fool by talking about unconfirmed rumors.

[Veldrys]

As Louie informed him that he was not a journalist, the Symenestra was relieved, but only for a moment. „A concerned citizen“ didn’t sound much better. He had met people that had been so concerned that they had chased after Symenestra with pitchforks and tried their best to kill them. Of course he didn’t think that Louie was a murderer – if he had had such intentions, he would likely have killed him right when he had seen him. No, the human simply made him uneasy.

„I research things that happen in Denval as well“, he said. The tone of his voice was still extremely polite. Even though he wasn’t at all sure if he liked this Louie, he wouldn’t say it out loud. His manners were as always perfect. „And I would love to take a look at your notes. As a native of Denval you have without a doubt much better insight into certain matters.“ It would be interesting to take a look at Louie’s research. He probably had access to a few things that the people of Denval were unwilling to share with somebody that was a stranger and not even human.

As Louie asked him what exactly he expected to find out, the Symenestra hesitated for a moment. He didn’t know how much about his people’s past and their current, desperate situation he wanted to reveal to him. He didn’t want to talk about the Harvest, about the venom that killed their women. This was a topic that was best left untouched. He didn’t doubt that Louie had a similar opinion of it as the majority of the population.

„I want to find out more about what my people were like before the great catastrophe took place and why they changed. Before the Valterrian my ancestors lived in the jungles of Falyndar, in trees, and they weren’t as pale. Their home was famous for its beauty. Nowadays they live in Kalea, in an undeground city named Kalinor and are often met with distrust. I want to find out what the whole world was like before. If I reconstruct the past, I might get a better idea of how to help my people in the future. Do you know what I mean?“

„I can tell you more later“, he agreed. „As for where I will continue my service, I hope that I’ll be able to stay here. I’ve come to like Denval.“ As Louie told him that the community could use people with his gifts, the Symenestra arched an eyebrow. The human’s statement clearly surprised him. He hadn’t expected to hear such a thing from him. Louie seemed too much like Talen, and Talen would never say something positive about a Symenestra.

„A wife?“ He furrowed his brow. That was an odd thing to say. It almost seemed to him as if Louie wasn’t aware of what kind of effect a Symenestra’s venom had on women and that they rarely ever survived the birth. Was he really that ignorant? „Maybe.“ He shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t really want to talk about any relationship he might have in the future. The topic was complicated, especially when your love could kill.

„As for what I can’t do in Kalinor“, he continued. He found the way that Louie swung his quill mildly irritating. „I obviously can’t find out more about the surface and what life on the surface used to be like if I’m stuck underground, can I?“

„Yes, Viratas talked to me, about all that“, he confirmed. „Were you not there when it happened? As for what I think about the prophecy, I’m not sure. It’s strange, ominous. Would you like to hear it? I’d rather hear your opinion. The prophecy doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, even after all this time, although I’ve finally figured out what the part with the butterflies could mean.“

Without waiting for Louie’s answer he began to speak.

"Ware the butterflies of precious paint
Writ large upon the fallen's walls
Find the root of entropy's taint
Fuse the orbs ere Denval falls."

He shuddered.

„There was an incident with Cian Noc recently. There as blood that formed the shape of a butterfly on the floor. Somebody wrote something with blood, the day that the child was murdered.“

Was it right to share this with somebody like Louie? Would he spread it in the entire city? He didn’t know if the man was at all trustworthy. But on the other hand it was possible that this man who claimed to know so much about Denval would be able to help him solve the riddle.

[Louie Wein]

Symenestra facts: They used to live trees and were not as pale (I don't think you can get a good tan underground) Length of stay: As long as he can? Research: Life on the surface (for symenestra before the Valterrian) Prophecy: Ware the butterflies of precious paint Writ large upon the fallen's walls Find the root of entropy's taint Fuse the orbs ere Denval falls. Recent events: Incident with Cian Noc, murdered child and a bloodied butterfly (is there a connection?)

Louie just nodded as Veldrys took him up on his offer to let him use his notes. As Veldrys thought, some things are just hard to share with a stranger or someone who was not completely human. Louie did not have a problem allowing strangers to use them since it would be a waste for them to gather dust in his house but Veldrys could very well be the first non-human, forget about symenestras who would use his collection he has been working on throughout his life. A human would turn the pages with their fingers and the stupidest that he could expect is if one accidentally tears off a page while they do it. It would still be salvaged and rewritten but he did not know what sort of damage a symenestra is capable of doing to his precious. When Veldrys did research of his own, Louie would be around. Giving the symenestra the same amount of suspicion as he had experienced with other citizens of Denval like that Talen Veldrys found Louie so similar to at least for his first few visits.

Unless the people of Denval used to live in the trees of the jungle as well, Veldrys will be a little bit disappointed in Louie's collections. The most that Louie might have in his collection about life before the Valterrian would be about how Denval was a military outpost for the Suvan empire and after five hundred years, their military ways are still evident in the community although their way of life had changed so that they may become a self sustainable population. However, "I'll see what I can do for you Veldrys." It was no more a promise than a general statement knowing what he actually had to offer but Louie felt that he really wanted to help because "I do know what you mean" because it was similar to his motivations to do what he does.

Louie was joking about the wife part. But with what he knew about the symenestra people and their reputation of kidnapping only the women of other races, the best conclusion he could think of is they were going to be made wives or something. What else could they use the women for? Anything else they could use men. For slaves the stronger of the species which are normally male would be better. For food, unless the extra mass the women had at the chest were more of the symenestra's, tastes men could be just as good but why should they go through all the trouble which could potentially harm their reputation? As Veldrys displayed they can also eat fruit which would be a lot easier to forage than the act of kidnapping females. So yes, Louie thought that Veldrys had come here to find a wife.

The relationship between the surface and underground should be redundant if Veldrys actually wanted to learn about his people. "You mean your people do not have any texts?" While the Lyceum is not even half a century old, before that Denval people had passed down their history by word of mouth. It would be surprising that such a prideful race, at least to Louie who would wear silk like it was commonplace as displayed by Veldrys, "or do not pass down stories of your glory days in your beautiful home? A more promising place than Denval" if he wanted to discover "would be the remnants of your people's former settlement" if he could find it because there, what he could find is set but here it would be unknown. Unless of course some old files and documents about the symenestra would suddenly turn up but this was only an outpost in the past, not a center of military intelligence as much as Louie could find out.

Shaking his head to say that "no I was not there" because if he was he would have tracked down Veldrys much more earlier than this. Hearing that the prophecy was going to be strange and ominous, Louie prepared his quill to take it all down. One word missing and it would be totally messed up. Especially one with very archaic words and strangely structured verses. Butterflies of precious paint? Writ on the fallen's walls? Roots of entropy and orbs to be fused? The last words brought Louie to shudder as Veldrys did whispering "ere Denval falls..." Of all the words which did not make much sense, this one most of all would stand out since it spoke of the ruin of Louie's home. A lesser man might take this as a cue to escape but not Louie. This only motivated him further to look into this more.

Only when Veldrys spoke about the incident, Louie could make some connection. The key piece of the puzzle was Veldrys. Butterflies and a butterfly. "Could this only be the beginning?" A god would not make such a mistake in quantity and so far there is only one butterfly. Louie heard a little about this incident and it happened only after the ritual at the Chapel. No doubt that the "paint..." precious to the god of blood himself and people alike would be "blood right?" Putting the quill down Louie would cover his face with his hand trying to hide himself from the world muttering feebly that "gods...one writ and we are all doomed..." This was a whole lot bigger than he expected when he begun the day. The high of excitement that he found something interesting became the low of worry in one single moment.

Trying to compose himself Louie went back through everything that was just said. If he could come to this conclusion, just how many other people would? Chugging down a few mouthfuls of degtine he said "all we have to do not is wait for this writ before deciding on anything I suppose. I do hope that it was Viratas just being bad at math. I would not want to hear anymore about pretty butterflies painted in blood." giving one small, short laugh wearily. "I'll try and see if I can find anything which matches this prophecy. What about you? Is there anything else that you know?"

[Veldrys]

„Of course my people have texts!“ Veldrys informed Louie and rolled his eyes. If the human believed that they didn’t, then he was a fool. Was he really that ignorant? Did he think so little of Symenestra? „My people value literature greatly, and every single one of us can read and write. Not every human can, as far as I know.“ He couldn’t help but feel a little superior for a moment. His culture was in many ways more advanced than that of the humans, even if his people were slowly dying. „We also tell stories. Maybe I’ll tell you a few of our legends sometimes if I feel like it.“

As Louie suggested that a more promising place would be the remnants of his people’s former settlement, he nodded. „True. But Falyndar is full of bloodthirsty Myrians now. I don’t know what you think of that matter, but I’d rather not become somebody’s dinner. I’ve been told they can survive on blood for days, and even venom doesn’t truly harm them. Even if some of these stories are exaggerated, staying in places that are mainly inhabitated by humans seems to be the safer choice for now. I’m confident that I will be able to find something out here. There is no other place quite like Denval in all of Mizahar.“

„That’s a pity“, he remarked as Louie admitted that he hadn’t been there when Viratas had appeared in the Chapel. „I can tell you what happened, but it’s not the same as actually being there. Hearing about a god pales in comparison to actually seeing him and feeling him. It was the most amazing thing that ever happened to me, but in a way it was also the worst.“ Thinking about the prophecy still filled him with dread.

Judging from his reaction Louie seemed to feel the same way towards it. „Probably“, the Symenestra said as Louie wondered if this was only the beginning. „Since that day in the Chapel hardly a day has passed without somethign bad happening. And I still don’t know how to stop it!“ The Symenestra who was always so calm looked scared for a moment, desperate. He didn’t know if he’d be able to do what Viratas had told him to do, if he’d be able to protect the people of Denval. He was just one man, even if he had been marked by a god.

„I doubt that Viratas is bad at math“, he remarked. „He is a god. I would assume he is better at math than all of us combined. And the butterfly ...“ He emphasized the ‚fly‘ so that Louie would know that it had only been one. „... wasn’t pretty. There was nothing pretty about it. Cian Noc and Theo were lying on the floor. They were very sick. And the blood – I don’t know if it had been their blood or somebody else’s – formed this strange shape on the floor.“

As Louie asked him if there was something else that he knew, the Symenestra hesitated again. He still didn’t trust this self proclaimed concerned citizen, but on the other hand he had offered his help and honestly seemed to care about Denval. The situation was so desperate that he was willing to accept any kind of help, no matter where it came from.

„The Chapterhouse. You should go there. Something happened there. And there were markings on the cliffs, near the Road. There was writing as well. ‚There’s a devil inside of me‘, that’s what it said. Talen Stirling was the one that discovered it first. We tried to find the one who had done it and who had killed the child, but there were no traces of the murderer.“

[Louie Wein]

OOCSorry buddy, got really caught up in some RL stuff lately.

Symenestra facts: They actually have books (because they value literature) and tell stories of their legends (Veldrys owes me some) Myrian fact?: They survive on blood and are not harmed by symenestra poison (would be good to know how) Butterfly incident: Involved a sick Cian Noc and Theo (Is this the entropy's taint?) The Chapterhouse: Something happened there? Cliffs near the road: Someone wrote "There’s a devil inside of me" (the writ by the culprit or a victim?) Notes: Old symenestra homeland is somewhere in Falyndar (the one not underground)

Louie was not ignorant, he was being practical. Why travel all the way to Denval which is so cut off from everywhere else? "If you are telling the truth and your people have those resources, won't those be better than what we provide here?" The distinction between humans and spiders, or if they preferred to be referred to as symenestra is not seen physically except on close observation but their culture is very much different. So different that "the way our ancestors see yours could be a lot different from what your ancestors see themselves." Perhaps with those stories and legends that Veldrys would tell him can provide some insight into symenestra society and culture for Louie? "I will hold you to that then Veldrys. I expect that it would be a suitable trade for the both of us." Even if Louie was going to find out about what happened at the Chapel in return for allowing Veldrys to look through his collection, that would not stop the man from sucking up whatever he could from the symenestra just as he would do with his fruit.

Thinking a little bit more about what Veldrys said Louie would point out that "we also thought that you symenestra are nothing but kidnappers who take our women for love slaves or food" taking a bite out of his own fruit to illustrate the point. "And yet here we are..." To Louie it would be better if the symenestra and myrians all wiped each other out. The result would be a lot less trouble and worry from the symenestra coming into Denval for their evil deeds though Veldrys seems to be an exception that Louie was slowly gaining respect for if his goals were as he explained. As for the myrians? They were a bonus. There was no telling when the barbarians would suddenly get bored and come make their way across the continent to Denval. There was no other way of explaining it than realizing the fact that "yes, there is no other place quite like Denval in Mizahar." Even the ancient civilization of an extinct people with their magnificent structures.

Unless Veldrys had anything else to say, Louie would know all about the god's appearance but what exactly was he trying to point out? "Are you telling me that Viratas appeared with the prophecy to warn us about the trouble that will come? Or" an unthinkable truth that the revered god issued "the prophecy is a declaration of what he is going to do?" Call Louie a little bit stupid for trying to accuse the god for something but then "if he already knew what was going to come he should already have taken steps to stop it or at least tell us how to stop it but all we have now is this cryptic prophecy" and as far as Louie could tell they only had until the part of fusing the orbs before they all fall together with the town. The ones about the paint and writ is already pretty bad saying that some deaths have occurred but fall was a lot worse because it can mean more deaths which will make the recent ones insignificant in comparison.

Trying to make himself calm and in control as the voice of reason so that Veldrys might find it easier to tell him more Louie just shrugged and made a joke that "he does not need to be bad in math I presume. I would prefer if he is a bad poet or seer so that the prophecy will be all wrong but that is just asking too much right?" with a short nervous laugh at the end. Louie pretty much ignored the part about a butter-fly that Veldrys had emphasized because what he said about Cian Noc and Theo seemed a lot more important. "They were lying on the floor...sick...and there was blood?" asking with a puzzled look on his face because "I thought that it was the child's blood? So the pair had their blood" trying to hold himself back from getting sick at the idea that it was "as paint?" What was this strange shape? "Was it butterflies?"

Only after he got past the grotesque part he realized something wrong with Veldrys story. "Cian Noc, the one who started the Opal Clinic for Denval under the Opal Order" where everyone went to get healed from sickness "got sick" himself? That was very strange because if it was only his companion Theo, Louie might believe that. "So, how did Cian Noc not notice the symptoms on himself and stay put at home? Or is this some sort of fast spreading contagious disease and will be the reason for Denval's fall?" What was the next line of the prophecy... "Find the root of entropy's taint?" he repeated to himself. Wait, taint. "That's it! Is that the third line?" While Louie thought the timeframe was a bit too soon he was no expert of the way prophecies work. Still it was imperative that "we need to talk to them. Find out where the both of them had been, done and eat. It might be nothing but it is still something and if I am right this is the only way we can find the root of their taint!" before it spreads to everyone else.

Talen...that was a name that Louie did not expect to hear today. "So...Talen found the writ huh?" because Louie as somewhat a writer through his job had issued some writs of his own. Louie just wanted to laugh instead of thinking about what this meant by trying to figure out who else would make a better doomsayer than Talen. The writ in question said that "there’s a devil inside of me?" Louie had no idea what that meant and there had been too much guesswork going on today even if Veldrys has been very informative. "What do you think about it? Is our murderer calling himself the devil or is he telling us that he is being controlled by the devil?" While the possibility of him being controlled is pretty sad the danger still remained and they will have no choice but to "stop him before he hurts anyone else" if they could find him. It looks like Louie was going to have to pay Talen, the Chapterhouse and the road very soon as well.

It looks like Louie did not make a mistake in seeking out this Veldrys because today he had just found three more leads. The only problem was how he was going to follow them. He could try it alone but he could feel its weight on him right now. It was Veldrys prophecy. Maybe at the end of it they would be able to arrange something for themselves but first Veldrys failed to tell Louie something or just did not want to tell him. I still will not hurt to ask "what happened at the Chapterhouse then?" At least it will be one less visit he would have to make.

[Veldrys]

„Maybe some of our resources are better“, Veldrys replied. He tried his best to hide the fact that the human was beginning to get on his nerves a little. Didn’t Louie understand anything? How often would he have to repeat himself? „But as I said before, there is no place quite like Denval in all of Mizahar. No other city was isolated for such a long time after the Valterrian. In certain aspects Denval is like a historian’s dream, and history interests me. I also want to know how your ancestors saw mine. Does it not interest you what kind of reputation Denval had before the Valterrian, Mister Wein? There is a lot that can be learned from such things.“

He paused to cut one of the fruit into tiny slices, each the exact size of the next one. „Food, Mister Wein?“ he asked. He sounded fairly amused, and the corners of his mouth twitched a little. „You must confuse us with the savage Myrians. We Symenestra are not cannibals. As for love slaves ...“ He shrugged his shoulders. It was better if Louie believed that Symenestra abducted women to use them as love slaves than if he revealed to him that they were raped, forced to bear their children and then discarded like trash.

„The prophecy was a warning“, he replied. „As for your statement that he should have taken steps to stop it if he already knew what was going to come, Viratas isn’t the kind of god that guides his followers every step of the way and pampers them like babies. He wants us to stand up and do something rather than wait for him to save us. He wasn’t forced to give us anything, but he gave us the prophecy. Don’t you agree that this is better than nothing?“

„And I doubt that the prophecy is wrong“, he remarked in a somewhat dry tone of voice. „Viratas is not Sagallius or one of those other treacherous gods. He doesn’t have anything to gain from lying to us. Viratas is also the god of loyalty, of community. He doesn’t betray his people.“ He said the last sentence in a very firm tone. His dislike for the „concerned citizen“ was growing stronger, but if he lost his temper, everybody in Denval would know it shortly. He needed to remain as polite as possible and answer his questions without giving him any information that could be used against him.

Men like him could be dangerous.

„The child was killed somewhere else“, Veldrys remarked. „There were two separate acicdents.“ Had Louie not paid attention to what he had said? „And yes, Cian’s and Theo’s blood – or was it their vomit, mixed with blood?“ He furrowed his brow as he thought of it. „It was used to paint a butterfly on the floor. Or maybe it formed that shape by chance. Anyway, it was unusual. And yes, Cian is the one that started the Opal Clinic. As for how it is possible that Cian didn’t notice the symptoms, go and ask him, although I suspect that it had something to do with the gods. There was something with both Theo’s and his gnosis marks as well.“

He shuddered.

„I think it might be useful to talk to them again“, he agreed. It seemed as if Louie was capable of halfway good ideas after all, although it bothered Veldrys that he had said „we“. Did Louie want to accompagny him? He wasn’t sure if he wanted him nearby when he talked to Cian and Theo. The human would do more harm than he would do good.

„Talen found it“, he confirmed. „At least that’s what I think. It sounds more like there is something inside the murderer, something evil. I don’t think ‚devil‘ is meant literally. It probably stands for something really bad. As for what happened at the Chapterhouse, a murder took place on its steps. It was the murder of the child that I mentioned, but again, this is something that you’d better discuss with Talen. He probably has more information than I do.“