Hope, meet Faith

[Jilitse]

"What is left to recount about my history?" Jilitse wondered, voice fake and sarcastic. "Nothing significant. Let us just say that my name, my life, my whole existence, had been pointless up until one point in time. I knew I worked with golems, and from my memory I do not remember anything besides that I am an Animator, and have served as apprentice to Zarik Mashaen. You must have heard of him, given Saghal Hrinn's name lives on." "I know little. The name is familiar. Somehow." He appeared to be recalled stories told to him by his grandmother. "That was it, I guess. I created golems, they destroyed the enemies. I had my own share of battles." She paused, leaving him hanging on a little bit, trying to draw a little suspense. "Some of them I'd rather forget, some of them I'd fight to remember. Surviving the Valterrian makes you guilty, you know." A thin smile, enigmatic. "You survived while the others didn't. I'm talking about great magicians, the best of wizards. Masters of combat magic able to command elements, melee fighters armed with flux, fighters who can punch and maim and kill without lifting a finger. They were brave, valiant. Most of them are dead." Jasa'lah was creeped out with this story in tangent with magic, nearly regretting why he bothered opening his curious mouth. He found it impolite not to endure this tale. "And then you'd be there, lying in a pit of a trench, lying at a man with no arms: 'Everything will be alright. We will win soon.' That is the kind of magic I learned to live with - that even those who wield a tornado at their belt can still be killed by an arrow through the heart. And then, well, the animator - that is me - defenseless and useless except during the time that one creates the war golems - skips away from death. Just. Like. That." Her words were paced evenly now, having revealed something that she have never shared to anybody else. Jasa'lah sat by her side, his pulser warmth radiating. She was cold and dead, and she had learned to die a long time ago. Now it was time to live again. "I am not saying that I am a hero, it is never an honor to go to battle and survive without killing an enemy. Having your golems fight your fights for you does not count." She shook her head sadly. "So what kind of mage am I? Well, I am a mage who lived through the Valterrian. I have yet to decide whether I am evil or not. Perhaps it varies with how other people regard me. I have long been dead, but now I have a chance at getting that life back." "You mean like, living again?" "Reversing the Daek-Nuit is impossible. If that is what you are asking..." She said it with a straight face. "I would at least, rather use whatever is left of my life - hopefully it is long enough - to pursue Sagallius." She then asked him, "Would the Benshirans ever think of him as evil? Do you?" The thought entered her head, would there be a Benshiran who would want to kill Sagallius, for the treachery he had caused, for the madness that he continues to spread in the world? "Ah... well. That is not mine to say. It is inculcated in us that magic is evil. No, evil is too harsh a common word. Forbidden. Yes, that's what it is. In Yahebah, magic is forbidden." "Why is it forbidden?" He continued, scratching his cheek with a finger, "Ah... what I know is that it is forbidden because it is evil. It brings bad luck. It taints you with poison. If you are touched with magic, you are mad. If not yet, then you soon will be." She broke into a laugh. "What's so funny?" Jasa'lah was somewhat offended. "You just implied that I may be mad. I would admit to being so, but for different reasons." Jasa'lah's face was inexplicable. "Bother with it not. Though I fear you did not give me a satisfactory answer." Jilitse crossed her arms. "What kind of answer did you want to hear?" "There is something that has been tugging at my mind for the past few days. Weeks, even. Benshirans, from what I know, are never really thought of highly in magic circles. Perhaps it is because of that 'magic is evil' notion you had going on. But when I try to piece things together... Sagallius changed his name because he was Benshiran. Saghal Hrinn, Sagallius. It was magic that disapproved of your lineage, and from what I know about Sagallius, it was him that caused your people to look terribly upon magic. Or was it like that even before he went up and stole Aquiras' heart? Which came first, the discrimination against your people or the fear of magic?" "That is not something I can answer." But Jasa'lah appeared to be weighing the question and the possible answers himself. "I know." She stared at him, wide eyes examining his face. "But I would love to find a satisfactory answer. The answer," she stared ahead. "I have a feeling that the answer is in Yahebah." And she felt that she could somehow use the knowledge she could unearth there against Sagallius. "And that is why I am paying you as escort."

[Jilitse]

"There are many things to find in Yahebah, Jilitse." He said, "But anything related to magic is not one of them." He returned her blank gaze with a consoling smile. "Since you are coming, you might as well find your own faith." He continued, "I did tell you that I think we have been brought together because of something. I am beginning to realize, just by talking to you, that Yahal wants me to find my faith, strengthen it. I can feel Him working through me, too. He wants to better your faith, strengthen you." "I assure you, there is nothing religious about my travel to Yahebah." "Oh but there better be. Better you say it is so instead of claiming to be looking for the cause of the Benshiran fear of magic or the discrimination of Benshiran mages. Introduce yourself as something other than a mage. And try not to mention Sahova." He waved an arm in front of him, as if merely saying the words would taint him with evil. The corners of her mouth twitched, "Oh, is that concern I hear?" "Ha. No, but you are paying me for this, remember?" Jasa'lah's eyes twinkled. The man always found something to smile about. "There would be no point in crossing the Sea of Grass and bringing you across the Burning Lands if you will end up dead in Yahebah. Think of this as an additional service." Jil looked away, as if defending herself, "Humans say one thing and mean another. Through the course of time I have realized and noticed that pulsers tend to change what they say if given different questions. There should be something constant about your faith in Yahal. It is curious. You say you have sinned, turned back on him, yet here you are still proclaiming your faith. And, you have managed to include me in your religious trial. I do not understand what role I have for you, other than being a patron." "You have faith in yourself, maybe you just do not notice it. You have your own reasons, but I would say you already know the answer in your heart, you are merely waiting for confirmation." "You're losing me... it's as if you're speaking another language." "Jilitse, think about it. Would you go to Yahebah even if there was no sliver of hope that you would accomplish what you wanted done. You have faith in yourself, do you not? You believe in the possibility of your accomplishment. That is faith." "Well..." She thought about it. The Benshiran certainly had his own way of delivering his thoughts. He almost made sense. The Nuit slowly adjusted to his point of view. "Then I would say, given what you think about me, you are very much the same. You would not go to Yahebah if you did not believe in yourself, and your faith entrusts in you power over your fear of being rejected by your family." The Benshiran nodded gently. They were beginning to scratch at the wall between them. Slowly it crumbled away, turning into dirt blown away by the wind. "You think about it Jilitse. After all, you seem to be involved with the gods. You will need all the faith you have, and all that you can get."

[Paragon]

Jilitse

Experience

Skill	XP Earned
Socialisation	4
Observation	1
Philosophy	5
Interrogation	2
Rhetoric	4
Storytelling	5
Leadership	1
Intimidation	1

Lores

•	Lore Earned
•	Jasa'lah of Yahebah
•	Drykas Life Among the Grasses
•	Possible Effects of Ice on the Nuit Form
•	Jasa'lah's Story
•	Sahovan Diplomacy
•	Price of Devotion
•	The Benshiran Ancestry of Sagallius Hrinn
•	Half Told Stories
•	Faith and Conviction: Love of a Goddess?
•	Showing One's Gnosis Mark
•	Benshiran Devotion
•	For Good or For Evil
•	Inner Faith

Legend Becomes Reality

Absolutely beautiful writing, you brought Jilitse and Jasa'lah very much alive for me, and the issues they discussed were dealt with in detail and with much intelligence. I can see why this was a Featured Thread! I gave leadership because of her taking charge of her words as she spoke of her quest, it felt very leader-like to me. Feel free to pick and choose Lores, I gave you quite a lot! If you have any questions or concerns regarding your grade, please send me a PM and we can work from there.