Materialism At It's Finest (Open)

[Kassan]

It wasn't just finding his saviour, that Kassan cared for. If he heard rumours of a slaver caravan passing near, he would have the chance to save the children inside. Yes, children. For that was what they were, subjected to the cruel ordeals of this world. He could never let another soul go through the pains he suffered. There would be something cathartic about saving a slave from a future of abuse and oppression. He touched at his glaive half heartedly, the Xannos monks facing him in a united fashion. "Is there a problem?" he asked. Three against one. He bristled, age old enmities rising to the surface. "I always associated Xannos with cowardice."

[Aberdon]

((Written with permission of Jett))

Before Aberdon could react, words coiling in his mouth violently, Jett launched himself at the Uphis his hangover momentarily forgotten in an impulse of fury, "Cowardice!" he shouted, his eyes alight with righteous indignation, "I'll show you cowardice!" His hand withdrew his hammer quicker than either monk could react, but Aberdon was at the forefront and spread out both arms to hold his companion back. Jett wasn't in the shape to fight, not without the risk of a mistake, and Uphis monks were infamous for taking advantage of those openings.

"Peace, peace," the Isur growled, angry himself, "Let me handle this, brother." Jett settled back on his feet, but his hammer did not withdraw. It remained in a white knuckled grasp, his chest heaving with partially restrained urges. Ordinarily, Aberdon would have let Jett go...but his brother was not his best, and Aberdon was.

Shade...Shade he relied on to be the leveler head as he had little ability to restrain himself. If necessary, Shade would diffuse the situation or let it unfold. Admittedly, part of the Isur was excited for the possibility of conflict...his bones felt stiff, in need of impact.

"Funny," Aberdon snorted, a wry grin pulling at the edges of his mouth "I always associated Uphis with stupidity, so I suppose your ignorance is excusable." He smiled, but some river of barely restrained fury was coursing through his veins. It wasn't that he particularly hated Uphis or any of the other divine for that matter. Each held their own position of importance in the city. However, the way they all interacted, the charged words they layered conversation in...it was easy to fall into the old rivalries.

It smelled like Ravok, the way masters would pit the slaves against each other for paltry favor. Brutality, guile, any method to separate the chaff from from the cream of the crop...

Aberdon breathed fire, his breath a hot insistance on his lips. His left arm itched, it itched to take that Uphis blade Kassan was so proud of and snap it in half. It didn't help that he'd been trained to repair and build blades rather than smash them, but somehow he always got carried away with the smallest of conflicts. Among the Xannos, Aberdon was infamous for his temper. Fast fading bruises and scars lancing across his thick skin stood as an organic testament to his headstrong nature. It took every bit of his being, controlled to the most finite of points, not to simply step forward and bring his fist into Kassan's jaw.

He channeled his breath through his nose, snorting like a bull as he rubbed his left arm.

"Not even you are confident enough to fight three of us, but if it's a fight you're looking for, boy, I'll give you one...I don't need my friends to send you back to your kind in sore need of healing."

His teeth were gritted into a smile, now more ghastly than light hearted. It pulled across his face like a taught warning, his eyes blazing. Despite his relative size compared to the other monks, the Isur had proven time and again that he could take a beating. All he needed was the distance to bring his fist against his opponent and bones shattered.

The virtue of a permanent guantlet did not require the Isur to have a traditional Xannos weapon...no, instead his weapon had been given to him at birth.

It was an extension of himself, and it blazed against the sunlight with all the pent up fury Aberdon could not seem to control, all the battles in blood arenas or against finer fighters. His past walked with him, as surely as his shadow.

Now it boiled in his veins.

It would take his friends and an act of discretion on Kassan's part to keep the Isur for reacting rashly. He stood on the precipice of fury, teetering over a sudden plummet.

((Jett, let me know if there is anything I should change or edit and I'd be glad to, sorry about the wait ya'll...shouldn't happen again))

[Shade]

The situation exploded, as things tended to do in Nyka, and at Kassan's words Jett blew. Jett normally could be counted on to explode, though Shade was surprised and pleased Aberdon was actually the one that caught him and held him back. The Isur might be shorter than the lot of them, but he was like trying to charge through a brick wall.

Shade mentally shook his head. There would never be peace in Nyka. The monks should be standing side by side with each other instead of at each others throats continuously. They had bigger enemies to fight than just each other. Instinctively Shadekas' eyes glanced towards the Aperture. Yes, there were far worse things.

But lacking a threat in that direction, Shadekas turned his blue gaze back on Kassan. "You mistake cowardice for excitement, an easy thing for an Uphis to do since everyone knows you lot lack any real common sense." Shade pointed out good naturedly as if it was the most logical thing in the world.

"We were all just keeping Jett here company until the end of his shift on watch. True cowardice would be refusing to come have a drink with us and prove which of us - Uphis verses Xannos - can hold our cups better. Jett here is in sore need of an ale or two chased by some hard whiskey to ease his pounding head. The alcohol in his blood is getting dangerously thin and it makes him surly. Surely you are suffering a similar condition, Uphis, to start insulting other monks when the day is so young. And, to top that off, rumor has it that our favorite watering hole here in this neutral zone is tapping their infamous winter berry ale this very day." He added, tossing his chin in the direction of one of the many drinking establishments the Monks frequented after getting off duty from the fourth day market.

"What say you? Spare your pretty blade some dirtying and come have a draught or two with us." Shadekas invited, seemingly totally ignoring the fact that Aberdon was still standing between Jett and the other monk that Jett still looked furious. Jett could have his revenge, in the form of sweet winter ale, which in the long run Shade hoped he appreciated.

His brethren might protest, but Shade was known to have friends among the other orders and generally this was the way he made them. Shadekas' logic was simple. If he was fighting something that would more likely kill him than not, he'd rather only have to worry about the thing he was fighting rather than whether the monks at his side would stab him in the back or not when his attention was diverted.

The banter continued but Jett seemed to rethink his decision to flatten the other Monks skull. That was a good thing, since Shade didn't relish the cleanup that came when grey matter got spilled across the cobbles of Nyka's streets.

"So, shall we?" He asked, knowing that by the time they walked the length of the market again, hopefully picking up his soapstone on the way, they'd be at the establishment he was mentioning and Jett would be off duty.

[Jett Variona]

He almost connected his dear Agnis against his own friend's head in his rage, but managed to instead get himself under control. He almost wished he hadn't, for when he calmed himself his head pounded as though Agnis had shattered his own skull. To hide this from the uppity Uphis Jett retreated backwards and sheathed his hammer, folding his arms against his chest and letting out an indignant hmpf! What was Shade thinking? Had his wits gone into the Aperture? Invite a monk of Uphis to drink with them? Jett was about to shout his protest, but then rethought the matter. His brother was on to something after all. He could not openly convey a hearty beating while on duty, but later on he could surely beat him in a drinking contest. And after that, perhaps he would end up saying something stupid that would earn him a physical beating as well. The prospect was seeming more and more appealing. "Fine." He replied gruffly. "If you all want to drink later, I won't pound poor Uphis's into the dust. But only if you buy the rounds Shadey!"

[Kassan]

Kassan didn't quite know how to react to the offer. He relinquished his hold on his glaive, and folded his arms. A very faint smile formed on his lips, as he stared down the men of Xannos. He wasn't a heavy drinker. Faith was pleasure enough in his life. However, he was not a completely sober individual, and he had enjoyed a drink or two in his time. What an interesting predicament, he thought softly. Monks of Xannos inviting him for drinks - and they even promised not to start a bar fight. "How generous," he said to the one who would not pound him into the dust. These men of Xannos needed to learn to temper their anger. They would never walk the path of their Lady if they did not calm themselves. He turned to the one they called Shade, the one who had held out the olive branch, and ignored the third man, bristling for a fight. He had the day off duty. There were better things to do, he was sure of it. Frivolity would get him nowhere... yet. The offer intrigued him. And besides, he could ask them of news. Perhaps they knew of a slave caravan passing through. "I will take you up on your offer, man of Xannos." His words were spoken carefully, and he did not move, maintaining eye contact. One could never be quite sure in Nyka.

[Shade]

Grades

Shade-

Socialization +5, Observation +5, Interrogation +2, Leadership +2, Negotiation +1, Persuasion +2

Markets: Sources of Inspiration, Nyka: Gets Poor Trade From Merchants, Nyka: Upkis and Xannos Monks Do not Get Along, Persuasion: Defusing A Fight.





If you other two return, I'll gladly grade your threads.