A while after the conversation with Kolar, and when Alexis feels he and Ethelred are far enough away from any outside listeners. Alexis addresses Red.
“How do you feel that conversation with Kolar went?”
18 thoughts on “Let’s Circle-Around For A Post-Meeting Retrospective”
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“Interesting. Kolar is one of those true believers. Devote to this God above all else. I do worry that me might have gotten the wrong impression of our cause. Priests make me a bit nervous. More so since our adventures. Gods it seems do have some directly influence in this world.
But Alexis you were oddly silent during the conversation withe Kolar. What are your thoughts? Should we try and revisit the priest to clarify out intentions? There is a chance he know something of the item we seek.”
“I was taking in his little temple when you started having the conversation with him. If I’d realized how much you were going to tell him, I would have rudely interrupted.”
“Kolar was very, very uncomfortable with that conversation. When I finally added to your story, I know I made him more uncomfortable, but it seemed like a chance to put him in an uncomfortable position and hope his god leads him to the correct choice.”
“Are you taking up with Anashar now? It’s like you were in a bashful confession with Kolar.”
“I told you priests make me nervous. Anashar? No. Raiden is the God for us Agerians. And when we have been acting like heroes it could be said I felt his presence. Could also just have been fear.
If there was a god devote to creating, to crafting, to manipulating the physical world.. that would be a god that could interest me. Not a god a harvest. Not a god of nature. But a god that take reverence in structure, order and craft. That could be interesting.”
“We’ll come back to the conversation with Kolar, but since you mentioned it, I know of god of crafting and structure. Cults of humans even used to worship him. But he is far from Raiden.”
Ethelred pauses for a brief moment. He wants to lean into the current conversation, but knowing Alexis pivots.
“Now as I reflect a bit more on the conversation with Kolar something occurs to me. I was nervous. And priests do make me a bit nervous. But this was different. Saying out loud to someone that wasn’t there.. talking about the (whispers) g n o l l s… about the vision, about she who is fierce .. all of it. I saw it in Kolar’s face. I don’t blame him for being confused and alarmed…”
“What was ‘different’?”
“The difference was who we were telling our story to. Many of the people we have talked about our adventures are familiar with… adventures, with the wild things of the world. Seeing how Kolar reacted, how wild our story sounded… made me nervous.
Following up on a request from a God given to us by Gnolls is not normal. I have been..we all have been so caught up in our tasks that it all hadn’t really sunk into me. Until talking to Kolar.”
“So what’s the lesson for next time?”
“Next time we talk to Kolar.. or next time we get a vision with (whispers) g n o l l s ..
The lesson for me is to think a bit more about what has happened since leaving home.
What lesson should I have learned?”
“I think this is a good point to get back to Raiden; the god you’ve pledged yourself to.
You have pledged yourself Raiden, yes? His cause is your cause?”
“I know you said you are not a priest but….
Raiden is the God most revered, at least by young boys, in Aieger. All who hope to be a hero and defend Aieger against the evils of world look up to Raiden.
But I have pledged my life to Raiden? No. While we have been being heroic I can say I was inspired by and felt like I was approaching the path of Raiden.
But I feel best when I am creating, making, building, planning, taking apart… Those are not attributes of Raiden.
What God are you pledged to?”
“That’s a good start. Now don’t distract me, this is going someplace. But apparently we need to get to the bottom of who your god is. We don’t need a specific one, but we need something approximating.”
“And you’re telling me your god is about making and breaking. Perhaps engineering. Perhaps about making plans. This is your purpose.”
“Yes?”
“Sounds like priest talk? Everyone needs a god? I guess so.”
Ethelred start to appear a little nervous.
“I guess Raiden is the God most Aiegerians seek to honor. Especially with King Eldefred being spoken of as Raiden reborn.
.. do I need a God to worship? That seems like something for priests. My family was always too busy working, building to really worship a God. We of course took part in the holidays and the feats. We crafted idols, build alters. But those were never our, but our patrons.
Must all people have a God?”
“Does every farmer give worship to Oor-rin (or maybe Eb-bosen)?”
“Does every horse trader give worship to one of the horse gods?”
“I haven’t met that many other either. I know that my family gave thanks to the work, to the material, to the client. I guess Mother was did give prayers at night when father was out celebrating. But I never paid them too much attention.
And yet you are not a priest.. odd. You talk like one at time. Always on and on about the gods. Yet very reserved when talking about ones own faith. Your devotion is a bit a secret it seems. Yet on an on about all the gods other should worship. Odd really. Like a backward priest, I guess.”
“You’re losing the thread, Red. Stay with me here.”
Alexis snaps his fingers between the two of them a couple times.
“Are you with me on the common people giving worship? On people, in general giving worship? On you giving worship?”
“Yes many people offer prayers, say words, hope for help from the gods. But I can’t tell how sincere most people are. Priest are obvious about it. But some just mutter the words as if it is expected, or formality.
How can I tell who is honestly devote to a god, from those that are just mouthing the words passed down to them.
Personally I don’t see how me giving worship to a god could help. I don’t need luck in craft, not big on gambling. I don’t need a great harvest. I don’t care too much if it rains. I am only a occasional ‘hero’, if really one at all.
I am starting to see that asking for a gods help only complicates matters. Here we are hoping to find and break a powerful sword. For a god? That is annoyed by another god, who is crying all the time?
Tell me what is there truly to be gained from worship?”
“We’re losing the thread entirely. This is becoming like talking to Gus.” Alexis shakes his head as if he’s no longer going to pursue this line.
“The lesson is: don’t talk to priests until you know where you stand with your ‘god’ “