Roleplay Recap: Week 24

Katja

We begin the week with our resident firecatte who went into a necromancer’s abandoned laboratory with her friends, Valeria Camena and T’Shira Rihll in the company of the armored familiar, Litany. Together, the four of them scoured Rihad’s abandoned lab for more information on Litany, his past, or any clue as to what happened to him in the necromancer’s command. They found more than they bargained for, learning of Litany’s true name, Taylin Rahil. There were also suggestions among Rihad’s hidden notes that his goal had not been for Taylin himself, but possibly for Taylin’s wife, a powerful magess.

Among the information they found, it was confirmed that Taylin had undergone some manner of experiment as Rihad tried to turn him into a host for his aether in the event of his death. A phylactery as Valeria had called it once. There was nothing in the notes that said whether or not he was successful, but given that Litany was walking amongst them, it had to be assumed there was some kind of moderate success, at least.

With everything they’d uncovered, Litany soon became overwhelmed by it all. It was still hard to imagine a construct having feelings, but have them he did. He soon departed and the Talented Trio left not long after. However, not before Katja resolved to find Litany soon and make sure he was all right.

Gospel

If there is one thing that ever calls Gospel home like a bolt of levin, it’s hearing that her family is in trouble. She received a letter from the Seventh Chantry’s retainer, Ryoshi, detailing the decline of the Light’s Respite and how the facility was draining what little remained in the Chantry’s coffers as Valeria struggled to keep it going. The half-Garlean refused to listen to reason, so Ryoshi wrote to the one person he felt might get through to her.

Gospel returned to find the Respite dilapidated and Valeria living in near-squalor. The sight of it was simultaneously heartbreaking and horrifying for the cleric as she took in just how far her sister had fallen. It made guilt loom large within the cleric’s spirit, for just as she had failed to protect her mother from being poisoned by Galen, so, too, had she failed in protecting Valeria from whatever demons plagued her. Rather than stay to face her failures, Gospel had thrown herself into her work in Akela Springs. A mistake, she realized in retrospect, and entirely counter to her character. Always she’d been prepared to fight battles of uncanny proportions in the past, but seeing her mother’s illness, watching Valeria’s decline — those were too much for her to bear. Yet, she should have stayed to bear them and it was a disappointment to her that she had not.

It was clear to her that Valeria was overburdened, exhausted, and at her wit’s end. Valeria lamented the loss of Hydaelyn, the one thing that Valeria well and truly held the most dear, what she believed was the one, true constant in her life. People were ephemeral, coming and going, present then gone, never staying in Valeria’s life for long. She even barbed Gospel with blame; that Gospel never came around unless something “important” called her there, never to simply visit Valeria on her own. That Gospel preferred to be off being happy and finding purpose in Akela Springs.

Gospel explained nothing of her own doubts, her own troubles to her sister, preferring to focus — as always — on helping the young half-Garlean through whatever travails weighed her down. She said nothing of her guilt at being unable to cure her mother of the malady that Galen had afflicted her with, nothing of the heartache and sorrow she’d experienced when she parted ways with Syrio, the worry that gnawed at her for Zerey whom she’d not heard from since he told her of his plan to lead his House in Doma in an insurrection against the Yakuza that held them under their thumb. There was no mention of how Gospel had felt so abandoned and alone when she was left to face Galen by herself, everyone she knew so preoccupied with their own matters that he had been able to kidnap her to enact his grand plan of turning her into a succubus. Not so much as a whisper of how it had felt to twist the knife home in the heart of a man who had once loved her. No, now was not the time; Gospel wasn’t sure there would ever be a time.

Who heals the healer? Upon whom does the Pillar of Strength lean when she expends her strength for others? Mhumbra had once asked her. Gospel had no answer for him at the time; she still didn’t. It was fortunate then that Gospel had recently reunited with Archambaut Vremaix. If she had no answer to those questions, undoubtedly he would. As he often did.

It’s been a little while since I last posted one of these, hasn’t it? Life’s been happening a bit too much lately, so I haven’t been able to get out there and RP as much as I might want. As always I appreciate those of you who spend your time with me either providing the roleplay herein, or taking the time to read through these blog posts to live vicariously through my adventures. Either way, I’m glad to have you here and there’s always more on the horizon! Comments, kudos, and tips in the tip jar are always welcome!

Until path and friend meet again…