Artemesia Family/Garret

The Call of the Balance

Roleplay from Garret Artemesia (2 hours, 57 minutes ago) January 4, 2009 Message sent to everyone in the region Huanghai (7 recipients)

A stirring in the brush made the horses start. The two riders were already wary of monster attacks, and immediately drew their weapons, but only a middle-aged woman donned in a tattered brown cloak stepped forward from the brush.

"You." Said Garret.

The woman inclined her head to look Garret in the eyes. "Galahad, how are you faring in these lands?"

"I'm getting rather impatient at playing the smoke without a fire to be honest," replied Garret.

She smiled. "Yes, pateience, Galahad. The whispers take time to create a symphony. But ironically, the time is moving ever steadily towards the balance."

Captain Dietmund looked confused. "Sir Garret, what is going--" He was cut off by Garret's raised hand.

"Dietmund, scout on ahead. I will rejoin you in a while."

The captain nodded his acceptance of the noble's orders, and rode forward.

"Now, Asara, or Cielle, or Bai Yan, whatever you call yourself nowadays, what are you talking to me for? If this has anything to do with what I think--"

"It does." Replied the woman.

Garret laughed. "So then ask that hermit to do whatever you're asking me to do. It should be enough that I have been the drums from the west taht announce not the army approaching from the east."

"You do like your nonpoetic metaphors, do you not, young Galahad?" The woman said this less like a question and more as a statement.

Garret shrugged.

The woman continued, "You agreed to the Trial by Swords when you entered the Alley of Swords. You know that you cannot renege on your contract. As such, when the call of the Balance rises beyond the twilight, where neither the Stars nor the Darkness is most powerful, you agreed to volunteer as a faithful agent."

"So...I did...What of it? Do you want me to turn my back to the Bloodstars? To wage war against the light as well as the dark?" Garret angrily growled at the woman.

She did not react any differently, save for the all-knowing smile. "We are not asking you to be antagonistic. The way that this conflict must be resolved is through harmony."

"I think that a rather difficult proposition to ask of people when it comes to politics."

"Galahad, whatever made you think the Balance concerned itself with the workings of mortal men? If you truly believe we came to you today for the limited and insignificant workings of your human endeavors, then we must question how you managed to pass through the test of the Alley."

Garret stared intently at the woman. "I don't think any of this concerns me. I'm just another man, like you and the hermit said so clearly to me the first time I stepped into your...place of worship. I think the exact words were, 'You are man, made of flesh and thought. Many have walked before you on this path; many beyond you will walk this path.' And so, you can find someone else to do whatever you want. I have some monster hunting to do soon."

"Galahad, unassuming, nondescript, average, nothing special. The exceptional are found at the extremes. Do you see where this is going?"

"I see, woman, or...whatever you are."

The woman continued, "The time of the past rulers is nearing. West, and towards the east. What do you humans call them? Daimons, dragons, giants? We are rather ignorant of your terms, for we have had different names for our ancient contemporaries."

Garret continued nodding absently, "Yes, yes. But what has it got to do with me?"

She smiled. The sounds of a few Warders could be heard approaching, and Garret turned his head to see that some of their banners were visible over the plains. When he turned around, she was gone.

Roleplay from Garret Artemesia (just sent) January 4, 2009 Message sent to everyone in the region Caiyun (1 recipients)

"Here, as well?" yelled a disbelieving Garret, in a small corner of the busy Caiyun town.

She smiled. "You were not present at the battle in Shomrak."

Garret brushed past her angrily. "I had one man, Dietmund, and no gold. There was no reason to go on a meaningless sacrifice."

She continued to smile. "Perhaps you are beginning to understand what it is the Balance asks of you."

Garret did not look back. He just continued walking towards the town center.

"Galahad, of legend you were the unstoppable knight, whose abilities trumped his father, the former legend of his time. Are you worth your name?"

When Garret finally turned back, there was no one there.

Roleplay from Garret Artemesia (13 minutes ago) January 5, 2009 Message sent to everyone in the region Zhongyuan (1 recipients)

"Light ascends and darkness is quelled by the three small lights whose glow shines forth." The familiar soft voice of a woman made Garret turn his head, while still riding towards Donghai.

"You!" Cried Garret, visibly surprised. "How--Why, why do you keep following me?"

The middle-aged woman in dull travel cloak smiled, "Galahad, you know the answer. Though the light seems to be the victor for you men of flesh, by far the battle has yet to start."

"Of course, how could I forget that you care nothing for the affairs of men, but all for whatever this balance you speak of is." The noble turned his horse around to a stop. "Asara," he said.

"Please, call us Bai Yan today." She replied.

"Bai Yan, then," Said Garret, "Huh, White Sparrow, today? And you say that your name has nothing to do with the light or the dark."

Bai Yan replied, "No, it does not."

"So," Continued Garret, speaking louder as a night wind began to pick up. "If I agree to be the envoy of your balance, will you leave me alone?"

The woman looked up at Garret, and fixed him in an unsettling stare. Her eyes were all pupil, black, and deep voids. The noble tried to avert his gaze, but found he could not. She spoke softly, but her words were perfectly audible in the quickening wind. " We do not ask you to be our champion. We do not even ask you to be our servant. We ask that youcommit yourself to learn as much of the Balance as you have learned of the Light."

"The Light?" Shouted Garret, still fixed by the gaze.

"The powers you call the Bloodstars." Seeing the confusion in Garret's eyes, she explained, "We do recognize the power of your celestial lights. We in ancient times called the divine trio the Light. As well, there is a lesser known force that exists in the dimness of the Light, and it would be no difficult task to call it the Darkness. We would have you learn the Darkness as well."

"You want me to learn about two blasphemous lies?" Screamed Garret, howling as loudly and sounding quite like the wind.

The cacophony of winds did not stop Bai Yan's voice from cutting through, though. "We ask you not to learn lies. You Light shines upon the truth, but it is only a part of the truth. Light, Darkness, Balance, and the servants of each."

Garret opened his mouth to speak, but found that the wind was almost stealing it away.

"Galahad," said Bai Yan, sensing his next question. "The servants are what you men have been foolishly calling by many names. Monsters, dragons, daimons, spirits, and who knows what other errant names you have given to what you do not understand. But you have learned much today, Galahad. You did well. Now remember."

A sharp gust blew into his face, so Garret closed his eyes, leaned forward, and urged his horse to move east.