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 Posted: Fri May 19, 2006 4:06 pm
"Visions of the future complicate the present. The question that truely plagues your mind is, do you believe that you should act in a way the focuses on the future or on the present?" Cedric said softly.
"Well," He paused dramatically, "You should decide whether or not the future is more important than the present. Then you should decide if you should do good, or not."
"I can foresee some rather difficult situations preceding from those questions, as devilishly complex as they are. I asked you to directly tell me if the present is more important than the future. Upon an intial examination, it is a fairly simple question that presents the issue of living now, or living later. On a very superficial level, it does not matter which answer you pick. Given the present, your vision of the near future, as in, ten minutes from now, become the focus of your life. You could travel from place to place, trying to save as many lives as you could, using your spider like danger sense."
"Or, you could p***k the future. You can manipulate the heroes of the future into action, for the greater good of mankind or whatever you decide to make your goal. Obviously I believe you are a good person, or want you to be, because I keep emphasising that you will use your power for good. Well, you don't have to do that, now do you? But, I'm a conceded basterd, so you will."
"Back to the topic at hand," The elf made a guesture of coughing, "The inner analysis of that basic question: Is it more important to focus on the present, or the future? As basic as that sounds, it really is not something that should be arbitrailily decided with a few choice decisions. You should examine each angle, examples, and cause and effect, and then decide that one is better than the other. But, that is very time consuming, and you humans do not have the life spans to actually delve deeply into such things, so trust my aged opinion. I will spend a few hundred years researching the subject, and then contact your dead soul and tell you the answer when I reach it. There can be no other way to decide it... But, you do see the future, so you could look for the memory of that moment of discovery. Which means, I have already discovered which angle you should pick, because at this moment I made it a reality that you willl be told in the distant future what my findings on the subject are: therefore, any further debate on the subject is void, we should move on to happier things and live happily ever after."
"Wrong. You probably have seen the results of my research provide you evidence for both answers, because time is not exaclty a one way street. It is like a river. Rivers flow in one direction, but the water within the river is effected by stimulae from both the bank and other obstructions along with the other drops of water. Its a mush of things, which would drive a normal person mad to gaze upon, a madness that drove my uncle into seclusion, and eventual death. Chronomancy is not for the weak minded."
"Now thay we have discovered that I had an uncle who tried to learn chronomancy, perhaps we should get back to the question. Future or present."
"Well, which one would make you more happy?"
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Posted: Fri May 19, 2006 4:27 pm
She actually chuckled, she was enjoying this. "I choose neither." She smiled. "picking on over the other would limit my options for doing good, and i may end up doing evil for fear of being a hipocrate."
"My answer is not as...wordy...as yours but you'll have to forgive my current position." Aella yanked a little to hard on her head, and she winced. "It has beens oem time sicne I was last able to think freely."
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Posted: Fri May 19, 2006 4:32 pm
Cedric srhugged, "If you try to do everything, you will fail. If you do nothing at all, you have failed." The elf stood rather relaxed. "Well, I guess we can live in the present for now, as it seems most prudent. How's the food, the survice, do all the ogres have the lingering stench of death, or just the ones I meet?"
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Posted: Fri May 19, 2006 4:36 pm
"Wonderful sumerization."
"My food is better, the service is lacking when the master are slacking, and all ogers smell like rotting flesh. If it weren't for Deep Water being in such a bind, I might have asked to be moved there."
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Posted: Fri May 19, 2006 4:42 pm
"They all do."
Malik had woken shortly after Piper, and after a short conversation of how she felt, and if there was anything he coudl do for her, adn promising he would look after her father and make sure he was alright, he'd wandered, trying to avoid Zahara for now. wait until Sevilin leaves.
"The Ogre servants of mine are part of my military troops, and they are the enacters of my more severe punishments, as well as breaking new slaves in that are particularly stubborn. hence they are refered to as Breakers."
Onyx was in his room, sitting, fidgeting, then pacing, then sitting, then pacing, then conjuring his little wisps to watch Whirlwind through. he was afriad to see her, afriad he'd do something, say something that would upset her or make her afriad of him again. but not seeing her, not being in her presence, was driving him up the wall.
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Posted: Fri May 19, 2006 4:52 pm
Cedric turned to see Malik enter the room, the splender you would expect from one of his calibre and mannerisms. The elf's eyes quickly scaned him, mostly reflectively for weapons and any signs of spellcasting ability. Reflecxes were sometimes rude.
"Oh." Cedric replied, "You are proud of your slave system." Well, that certainly answered a few questions, but one that the elf constantly thought about the most was surfacing like mad, but no need to be excessively rude.
"I am Cedric the Songblade, currently of the GTS Integrity, in peraticularly, in service of Aella, who is in the service of Celeste." He bowed his head. "Can I ask you "Why is this building called the Triumverate Fortress" when there does not seem to be three people equally in charge?" He turned back to the Oracle, "Sorry about that, I've just been really curious about that since I learned of this place."
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Posted: Fri May 19, 2006 5:00 pm
Meilikki waved a hand. "Quite all right. Let the conversation drift to other things, lest we reach a pause that cuases a silence." She took the hairbrush away from Aella. "That's enought now. My hair is brushed."
The girl was a little exceive, wasn't she?
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Posted: Fri May 19, 2006 5:19 pm
"Because there was a third party, until his needs became overly excessive and his desires became a danger to myself. The Lich, Dimitri was the third party. however, since his darkness has become a danger to myself, and to those that I do have a care for, he has been severed from my buisness dealings."
He didn't mind the look. no weapons on his person, dressed in usual elegant attire, though teh natural aura of nercomantic power was about him.
"As for being proud..it's a traditional family buisness. Piper has been given the challenge to find one as lucrative as the slave trade, and if she can, I will turn my efforts to that. she hasn't suceeded yet."
A shrug though.
"I do have pride in my work. the same pride a fletcher has in his bows and arrows, or a weaponsmith in his weapons, or an armorer. I breed, train, and sell slaves that are not only nice in form, but in manners. but that doesn't mean that I do not take personal care. no slave leaves this house unless I know that the one they are with will care for them appropriatly."
A second on that.
"Except the Drow. and if it wasn't for the fact that most customers perfer women to men, I wouldn't be selling to them at all. but male slaves are born, and I cannot keep all of them as militia or gladiators."
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Posted: Fri May 19, 2006 5:43 pm
Cedric nodded, having little knowledge of Dimitri beyond he was a lich probably made that subject go by so easily. Malik's self assuredness in his talking about slavery really ended any debate over that subject. It would be meaningless to try to debate, the contradiction within his statements really brought to mind the pitiful lives those slaves would live. Cedric managed to keep a straight face through his inner thoughts, not revealing physically any of his feelings, but guessing that this drow would probably assume what a high elf felt about such a barbaric profession.
"Your aura suggests why the halls have a perticular flavour."
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Posted: Fri May 19, 2006 5:53 pm
"Necromancy. as a shadowknight, my studies are both in that circle of magic as well was warfare of a general nature. I employ many necromancers in my service, a few enchanters, and have bound a few of the wizardly types souls into objects. I take it you dislike the necromantic arts? And don't both with the slavery is barbaric thing. Piper gives me that lecture on a nearly weekly basis. and I know it's not exactly a wonderful proffesion. but I did agree to that deal. and I will honor it, as soon as she finds a replacement. perhaps you can make a few suggestions to her."
A small smile.
"Songblade. you a bard, by chance?"
Should he see her? should he not? does she want to see him? or is she leery...pacing back and forth again, bolting a few more feathers from stress and anxiety. damn this indecision, and damn that his emotions are so...dark and hard to control.
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Posted: Fri May 19, 2006 6:03 pm
Did you know that it is rude to read peoples minds, and idiotic to let them know about it? Cedric shrugged, "People often make that mistake. I am not a bard, I merely carry that name. For some reason, people think it describes my fighting style rather accurately."
"You are a drow, and you don't walk around in your armour. Either you magic can summon it, or create it, or you are very confident that you will not be killed here. A very colleted individual."
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Posted: Fri May 19, 2006 6:05 pm
Sometimes, Malik wasn't as compassionate at he thought he was. Either he was too pushy with it, or didn't dig deep enough. And there were indeed some hard things to ask him...because she knew what his answers were, truthful or not. This drow thing...had truly been a bother to her. Then again the whole week had been a bother for her, not letting up at all. She sighed, staring at herself in the mirror a moment. Maybe Zahara was right. A shake of her head before heading to the closet and pulling out that bar of silver and her little notes, returning to the room, and sitting down at the desk. Might as well occupy her mind.
Kieran was, whether it was good or not, up and about and acting like nothing was wrong. After all, he was like that and he had things to do. And he was never one to be idle. Thus he walked down the hall, steps a bit more careful and stiff than usual. But to Catawa's door was now being knocked on, after all, he had to take Raziel's advice and tell her of the...setback.
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Fractured Moonlight Captain
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Posted: Fri May 19, 2006 6:10 pm
Catawa was still curled up on her nest, not doing much of anytihng, sicne she had nothing to do, and not having moved much since yesterday. She was a cat, she could literally sleep all day. And night.
"Mrow?"
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Posted: Fri May 19, 2006 6:16 pm
Malik of course didn't read his mind. that gift was only when he had Malvolence on his person, the blade possessed the gift and gave it to it's wielder. he just had this conversation..or similar ones, with others about his profession and guessed at most the objections that might have been being held back.
"True. I am quite confident I will not be killed. and there are reasons for my confidence, wether I like them or not. But how interesting...describes your fighting style, you say. blade dancer, perhaps? though you might not be familiar with the term...but I have found that similar fighting style do seem to share similar names even across planar distances."
Then a slight grin.
"Though, come to think of it...perhaps, regretably, the newest third party in this Trimuverate woudl be Kimmuriel. he seems to enjoy getting involved in affairs and dragging me into them. the elf has no patience."
Though he felt something in Piper's mood..and tried somethign he hadn't before. tried to send a strong emotion sense of love through that bond they shared. might not work, he wasn't really up to par on how this functioned, but worth a shot.
"Do I disappoint you, Cedric? perhaps you were expecting some dark armored tyrant sitting on a skull laced throne with naked slaves gathered about his feet?"
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Posted: Fri May 19, 2006 6:25 pm
"There was the hope that you were being slandered because of your race." The elf replied without thinking.
"I am afriad that I am also not a Blade Dancer." This was interesting, how many names would Malik try to press to him.
"Are you trying to size up my skills?"
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