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Post by wolsey on Nov 28, 2018 18:20:42 GMT -8
Luke quietly walks up to the temple. He pats a few of the feline regulars before heading into the temple. He's aware that he's not the most popular cleric. He also knows what he's worth, and that he's good at what he does. It does get tiresome of constantly explaining to new temple acolytes that he's not "evil". The word had dogged him his entire life, and doubly so when people figure out his heritage. Most annoying was a lot of the people that balked at Luke in the temple, never stayed as long as he did.
He knelt before the alter, and settled down to meditate. He let the cats decide who would win his lap while he prayed.
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Post by Dungeon Master on Nov 28, 2018 18:54:27 GMT -8
Some time had passed and a very fat orange tabby walked over to Luke and insisted on being paid attention to. A little more time had passed and Salkya, the Head Priestess of the Kokand Temple of Sekhmet walked into the room, her eyes smiled as she sees Luke kneeling. She doesn't interrupt him, she just took a position on a rug facing and entered a prayer form, leaving enough slack to show she would respond to anyone as they speak.
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Post by wolsey on Nov 28, 2018 19:41:35 GMT -8
Like doesn't look up, and asks, "Why is are there no paladins?" He pets th4e cat and continues to focus on the alter. "Every other religion has them. Does Sekhmet just not want any?"
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Post by Dungeon Master on Nov 28, 2018 20:08:19 GMT -8
Salkya doesn't move or respond for some time, she sits there thinking. It isn't until a small white kitten comes over and taps her on the leg several times when Salkya does respond.
"It isn't that she doesn't want any paladins. She used to have scary paladins that protected our flocks and would be sent out on things that transgressed those in need. Things changed during the Godswar. I believe the same war that elves talk about Llolth betraying Corellon. There are no facts, and no one has gotten confirmation but paladins stopped appearing. Many think Sekhmet gave up her portion of powers for violence to Nephthys for her to build up her paladins to stop the dead. You were the first to bring me word of paladins and Sekhmet, the first I have heard of in over 5,000 years, and it's your daughter." She peeks out of her right eye, and with a lot of humor in her voice says "Of course she is yours."
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Post by wolsey on Nov 28, 2018 20:12:41 GMT -8
"What is that supposed to mean?" Luke asks. His eyes were dark enough all across that is was near impossible to see him roll his eyes, but you could hear it in his tone.
"What do you think she would do if I asked if I could be one?" Luke asks. He leaves the question hanging in the quiet of the temple.
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Post by Dungeon Master on Nov 28, 2018 20:21:34 GMT -8
Salkya opens her other eye and watches Luke for a short while.
"I truly believe if it is within her power, she will grant that for you. The cats talk about you sometimes, she recognizes you, and that is why some of your brethren might be more jealous than they should be. Your vision at the island only reinforces that belief in me. She needs a hero Luke, not just another priest. Something is coming, changes, something old. You can be her hero, or at least someone she can trust." She just watches Luke quietly.
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Post by wolsey on Nov 28, 2018 20:57:50 GMT -8
"I thought since I was asking about a weapon, I'd ask about that too." Luke explains.
"I'd honestly never considered paladins at all before I met that idiot, Glorion. Most of them are assholes that create more a a problems than they are fixing. Yet, I think there was a bit of purity to that kind of faith. I also don't know if we will be able to stand toe to two with what Glorion has become. We had a prophecy that one of us would fall. I think it was from the paladin with the donkey. Glorion did. There was a lot of implied risk that the person that fell would cause a lot of harm. I'm not prepared to let that happen," Luke says.
He pets the cats, tapping his fingers to attract one of the kittens.
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Post by Dungeon Master on Nov 29, 2018 3:58:17 GMT -8
Salkya smiles at the tiefling, she is obviously proud of him.
"I am proud of you Luke. I am grateful she sent you to me and that you wanted to be here. You are a wonderful priest and a wonderful person. They talk about what you do in the warrens, not just the people but the cats do."
She coughs a little and pauses momentarily, she then smiles back up at Luke but her eyes do have concern "He can cause a lot of damage, he does need to be stopped. I suspect he has been gifted by whoever he serves above and beyond a normal hell knight, so please be careful. I am sure she will say yes if she can. You won't be alone in this fight will you?"
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Post by wolsey on Nov 29, 2018 6:03:24 GMT -8
"No, I won't be alone," Luke responds with a shake of his head. "My normal crew will be there. Key, Jack, Te'Teh, Rabbit, and maybe Nightscale depending the situation. We kicked his ass last time, but it took everything we had to do it. He disappeared in a puff of brimstone ash to escape. He only really knows one tactic, to rush face first into every fight. He was never the brains behind our best strategies in a fight. We should probably watch out for holy fire, he had a thing for setting everything ablaze. His fall isn't without president or signs. He cut the head off an Umberly priestess, and left her undying head on a pike to see the desecration he wrought on her temple. That was not a good act. He de-limbed a ghoul to bring to town as a trophy. That was a cruel act. I thought we were getting through to him, and maybe it was a bit of Elven overkill. Now I know it was just him. It might take us all to bring him down, but it's who he serves, and who is actually putting things in motion that I worry more about. He's just a dumb weapon in all this." Luke speaks with derision, and disgust at his former teammate's actions.
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Post by Dungeon Master on Nov 29, 2018 6:15:07 GMT -8
Two young kittens race over to Luke and his tapping fingers, playing with them. Small meows filling the room in their kitten excitement.
Salkya leans forward, she seems to want to touch Luke, but doesn't want to intrude on him. "I am not sure, but this may have to do with your mother and maybe your father as well. The cats have talked about your father looking for you. I am not saying your father is doing something bad like Glorion, but I have a feeling and it isn't just the normal stereotyping of devils. Do you need protections against him? I can see about arranging some warding so he can't find you."
She cocks her head, "Can any of your people talk to animals, maybe teach you how to do that? They want to talk with you, or at least some of them do."
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Post by wolsey on Nov 30, 2018 15:47:29 GMT -8
Luke smiles at Salkya, giving up on his prayers. "I know my father had power, and my mother courted him for her agenda. He hasn't shown any interest in me until recently. I'm in my 30s and think it was a blessing he didn't come for me when I was 10. The rumors about him are not good. I don't know if warding would help, or if he can be reasoned with. I have never met him. I don't know if the rumors were true, but my mother was fond of him. She was capable of love and care, because she was a good mother to me despite her hobbies, so that leads me to believe he could be find under certain circumstance."
"Rabbit is a ranger. She might be able to speak to animals. I don't know. She never ever talks about being a ranger. I was under the impression that would come if I was accepted as a paladin," Luke says.
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Post by Dungeon Master on Nov 30, 2018 16:23:47 GMT -8
Salkya smiles at the kittens playing with Luke as she listens to him talk. She hesitates when he mentions Rabbit as she leans over to pet an old Tom missing his left eye and ear.
"I am sure you will learn it as a paladin, but ours have been gone so long I can’t be 100% sure when. She surely will gift it to you, even some of the higher ranked clerics can speak to her envoys, it wouldn’t make sense if her paladins couldn’t."
She leans over and whispers in the toms remaining ear and he seems to allow her to pick him up and hold him.
”I can teach you if nothing else, but it will take some time and it may be beneficial to get a translator until you pick it up.”
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Post by wolsey on Nov 30, 2018 17:56:24 GMT -8
“I’d like to learn. The cats try to talk to me already. I’m just not smart enough to hear,” Luke says.
“When I get to the island, is there anything I should say specifically when I make my request?” Luke asks.
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Post by Dungeon Master on Nov 30, 2018 18:29:10 GMT -8
She looks over at Kuke playing as another kitten comes out.
"Maybe they will teach you themselves. Very few get their attention like you do my son."
She looks at him when he asks what he should do and gives him a smirk’
”I might recommend imitating the cats. Maybe bring her a trophy if you have something you want her to have.”
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Post by wolsey on Dec 1, 2018 7:09:02 GMT -8
Luke looks bewildered, and asks, "A trophy? What constitutes a trophy? I don't keep souvenirs!" He glances around at the bare bones temple, and considers his options. Then he looks back up to the high priestess. His face fading from steadfast in his decision to giving a window of almost youthful confusion.
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