• Hello, Guest. Welcome to Telath, a Play by Post fan forum made by and for the community of Aelyria!
    Stop by the General/Welcome forum and say hello. Returning player? Pick up where you left off or start afresh and get to posting! New player? Check out our new player guides to get started!

 Starlight

There are no significant content warnings for this thread.
Timestamp
Era XXVII (27)
Location
Great Mountains, Centripax
Content Warnings
Potential NSFW
Up!
Next? Uh, nothing all that impressive,
Not when it was much of what they’d already claimed Dibs!
Had their base camp for the adventure and so, really didn’t need to be doing anything much with the one on the floor up, nuh-uh!
The workshop wasn’t all that much Interest either,
But then, Clairé had pretty low expectations really from a bunch of worshippers of Time,
Where the biggest question really appeared to be why they kept looking up at the night sky rather than building clocks or the like,​
There was a disconnect in the faith,
That Clairé not only didn’t Understand, she was, t’was starting to suspect,
Was deliberate,​
Perhaps this was,
Just like Jorelites and black, spiky armour,
A theme cropped up that didn’t really mesh, but people just went on and kept going because it was what they knew,
No wonder Lady Time was dead-ed…​
Personal rooms?
Tempted to poke about there, for all that,
When the Observatory had been abandoned? Couldn’t imagine anything of value would have been left behind - and not enough corpses behind for it not to have been a more sensible withdrawal. Unless everyone within had been carted off as Slaves, in which case? Still too intact really a building for that…​
Main workshop though?
Ooh! “I wonder if the stars that are ours,
Have actual names…” and how in Aeternia would they even figure that one out…
So much about, and Clairé really not having the faintest clue of where to even get started,
 
It was an interesting question, and there was a potential mountain of work ahead of them.

"Well, the first thing to do would be to see which of these charts actually corresponds to the section of sky we were looking at," Melissa noted. "Which... will be a little difficult, I imagine, unless anybody here is possessed of a photographic memory and recalls the layout of the stars that we were gazing at?"

Yeah, uh. Yeah. Hm. Yeah. That might be a little tough. There were a lot of stars.

"Maybe we'd have better luck trying to recall which constellations were relatively close to the stars we chose, or at least, use that to help orient a relative idea of where we should be looking?" Anna offered. They'd been looking towards the south, right? What constellations were that way? Anna wouldn't be of much use there, the skyline she remembered was based off of Aslangrad towards the north for the most part. Melissa'd have better luck, one imagined, Enamoria was her area to begin with.

Nevertheless, it was still going to be tricky, trying to sift through a system that total strangers had put together. Who knew how obnoxious the Kalendryans might have made their paperwork bureaucracy?

"Maybe I can come back here and take a look once we've had a look at the rest of this place?" Melissa offered. This felt like it was going to be a real 'sit down and have a look' sort of thing.
 
Sure, what a bunch,
Of heretics called the stars,
Didn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things: the stars were theirs,
And if any Kalendryans wanted to argue about it, well, they’d had quite a bad enough time as it was without picking a fight,
Never mind that Clairé,
Had been the one starting such,
In Secylion and Daltina - or was it Arconis? Memory back then was a fickle beast,​
”Sounds like it’s going to be rough…”
Which, given Clairé’s penchant for laziness, well,
Whim and what not was all well and good, but there was such a thing as spending too much time and effort upon novelties too when they were supposed to be relaxing,​
“Uh no,
Definitely don’t have that kind of memory.”
Especially when she’d put a great many holes in hers trying to drown out the years before Melissa and Anna - with some considerable success in areas! Vic-tor-É of a sort when the less she could recall of the years prior, of Team Evil and her stint in the Sherian? The happier Clairé tended to be over all,
”Might work better then having a proper look tonight,
So we can try to map the constellations nearby, rather than guesswork…”
And hopefully, their little cluster would be visible again tonight and no clouds or storms to spoil things,​
Obnoxious, alien structure of paperwork?
Not at all making things any easier, and Clairé? A definite believer in giving themselves a little bit of a handicap if they could,​
“Mhmm!
Later sounds better,
Maybe after dinner, collect what we can of the constellations so when it gets dark out, we know more.”
 
A whim from Clairé resulted in serious dedication from Melissa!

Oops.

Made up for it, though, by having the idea that perhaps they could just use the fact that they were probably going to spend an extra night to just... you know, have another look? Supposed, then, that they were definitely committing to the idea of not going back down by the end of today, it seemed. Fingers crossed, of course, that it'd be clear skies and nothing inhibiting their ability to once again find their triangle of stars in the night sky.

"Sounds perfect!" Melissa beamed.

Which meant, sod this room, time to go off exploring the rest of the observatory!

"Shall we grab the linens on our way down?" Anna suggested. "We can wash them, or at least air them out, once we're back down at the bottom." Might as well try to be efficient, right, since they were passing back by the base camp on the way down?
 
Happened!
And as ever, roll with it!
Couldn’t always predict how Her Loves would treat her idle curiosities and that in turn made life that much more Interesting over all. Having a good idea of it was one thing, but did so enjoy seeing Melissa and Anna in their element,
That it might end up making,
For a second late night? Not the worst of it either,
Not when they’d come all this way, that having a little more stargazing wasn’t going to hurt - so long as they didn’t stay up so late anyway that it interfered with setting off the next day for the return trip to civilisation!​
Onwards? Onwards!
Come back to it later!​
“Sure!
I mean, it’s only been a night,
I’m sure they’re fine, but given we have this place all to ourselves,
Isn’t like we can’t just claim some clean ones from the closest…” Clairé, really not seeing the point, in doing laundry for those that came after them… not when for all she knew, they might well be more heretical Kalendryans…
 
Oh, there were plenty of spare linens? It did still seem polite to at least do a bit of washing up, as thanks to the person who had set these linens aside in the first place... pay it forward, that sort of thing, right? Well, maybe it could be done later, sure. If Melissa was going to spend her time trying to look up the potential names of the stars from last night, then perhaps Anna could spend the time doing some washing. That seemed fine.

Later, then!

Downward, downward. More private rooms, more lounge areas. A few workshop spaces had been set up, where it seemed like people had been given an area where they could just work on whatever they might fancy. A bit of gardening here (alas, the plants had not survived). Some tinkering over there, perhaps somebody who'd been responsible for the maintenance of the telescopes. Somebody had been scribing a book over there, on the relationship between fate, luck, and the position of celestial bodies in the skies overhead.

Kitchen, cafeteria. A little more unpleasant, a fair amount of leftover food having rotted away.

Supply closet, full of cleaning supplies! And a few other things at that, it seemed like even the Kalendryans got a little bored with work every now and again. Decks of cards, board games, and other such things were stored in here, to be pulled out and brought to a lounge area or potentially outside as need be. Look, here. A set of wooden pins! A throwing pin, and a number of shorter wooden pins each with a number on them. It seemed like the Kalendryans had gotten a good mix of indoor and outdoor activities mixed into their occasional entertainment.

For all that they seemed to be rather studious folk who were usually absorbed in their work, of course. There wasn't much else interesting to be found in exploration. At least, without breaking into some of those private chambers.
 
Pay it forward?
Manners for sure, for all that,
Clairé couldn’t imagine that anyone else that braved the Frogpeople ghosts were worth giving that kind of credit towards. No, couldn’t at all imagine that anyone else that ventured to the Observatory after being neglected for all thee years being worth taking the time out of their vacation for,
But Anna would do,
As Anna did, and Clairé knew better,
Than to voice complaint, the ghost of her own smile touching the young woman’s cherry red lips,​
Later!​
Which made,
For a reverse in their explorations,
Down next!
Which… wasn’t too much of Interest,
Sad at the damage to the gardens and kitchens,
Even if it too was much to be expected that between a lack of people to water the plants, and well, nobody to restore the kitchen larder? Woe!​
Ooh!
Board games and cards though were totally worth claiming!
Loot! Those Clairé was all for bringing up with as something to do to - even if the wooden pins looked all kinds of StrAngE to the Jorelite. Did Meli or Annie have any idea how to play that kind of Game?!
Which left the abandoned,
Rooms of those that had come before?
Something… normally? Clairé wouldn’t have minded ransacking, but also…
It felt kind of rude, and mostly, well, trying to behave a little given Her Loves were about too!​
 
Uh... the wooden pins did remind Anna a bit of another game she'd played as a child. Namely, the pins had points attached to them, and you had a throwing pin, which you threw to try and knock down the other pins. The scoring system might vary from game to game, but that was basically the gist of it - strategically knock down pins with the throwing pin! It felt like this one was probably something similar!

In which case, they could probably just come up with their own rules?

That being said, in lieu of particularly wanting to loot the personal rooms of the Kalendryans? Well, they could always just explore the other buildings around here. Reaching the base of the observatory, there were a few other facilities scattered about. They'd already been to the bathing area, of course, but they could take a look at some other other places if they wished? Seemed to be perhaps half a dozen or so small buildings scattered about.

If there was a lack of interest there? Well... nice, sunny day out! Could just go for another hike!
 
Ooh, was familiar?
Off to a good start at least!
Sure, the rules that the Kalendryans played might well be different,
But that wasn’t at all Important to Clairé,
Much more keen upon learning Anna’s game than what a bunch of heretics got at in their spare time!
Do things their own way?
Sounded far superior! Main thing was that they had fun,
And when combined with the board games? Plenty to do!​
Looting,
However tempting it was,
Well - the place didn’t appear as if it’d been looted, no, abandoned in quite a hurry if anything given the remains of the kitchen. But evidently, nobody had returned to collect anything - and if there were valuables? Surely after a decade someone would have risked the Frogpeople ghosts!​
Right?
Maybe!
But either way,
Was mindful that even if they did start looting - would have to carry things back down with them,
And wasn’t all that keen upon any heavy lifting or making Anna’s load that much more difficult especially after lugging their supplies up,
Hike?
Giving Melissa a day to recover a little bit,
Felt like in their own best interest, but poking around the other assorted buildings? Why not! See what else was about!​
 
On the one hand, loot needed to be carried down the mountain.

On the other hand, they had consumed food supplies. So surely there was a bit of extra space?

Decision made for now to poke around at the other buildings! Already acquainted with the bathhouse, but might as well explore it in daytime, just as they had their basecamp, right? Nothing much more to show for there, except that there'd been stashes of shampoos and other soaps that they'd missed the first time around. The equivalent of a changing area and little cubbies for things to go, but not anything in the way of valuables, more temporary areas where clothes and such could go as a person bathed.

There did seem to be an area where there had perhaps been some renovations ongoing, a pool where one could lounge and stare up into the sky - soak and stargaze - but the project didn't seem to have been completed before abandoning the premises.

"The more I think about it, the more I have to wonder what stars actually have to do with Kalendryas,"
Anna commented, looking up through the large square hole in the ceiling, where perhaps a bit of glass might have been put in to allow one to see through while protecting from the elements, or another sort of temporary covering might have been placed over when not in use. "Or do the Kalendryans somehow have nothing to do with Kalendryas?"
 
Trying to avoid,
A situation where Anna,
Ended up becoming something of a pony!
That even if their Love was easily the strongest of them, didn’t at all like seeing Anna being left to carry all their baggage so! Wasn’t okay with it, and sure, expecting Melissa to manage was bound to be asking for trouble which, well, meant doing her best to balance her own packs with Anna and share the burdens between them as best she could,
Looting,
While very much something Clairé enjoyed,
Just wasn’t really on the cards as far as she was concerned,
At least, not intentional looting for all that the Jorelite wasn’t at all avoiding any possibilities either of bringing some… souvenirs… along with!​
Bath house?
Ooh! Just… okay, fine to bring some of the supplies with,
But all in all? Nothing hugely interesting beyond making their evening bath just that little bit more pleasant,​
A bit of promise with the pool,
For all that whatever the Xet Alliance had done,
It’d quite spoiled the Kalendryans intentions alas - leaving them quite high and dry for mixing swimming and stargazing - which really didn’t sound all that unpleasant. Just… floating, relax and !
”Really haven’t a clue!
I mean, I thought this place would be more,
Clocks and stuff! Y’know, time!” Clairé replied, voicing,
What had been going on in her head all this time, “Though the Kalendryans in Secyclion had been the same… so like, it’s kind of weird. And the Calendar, the seasons is all… well, time, but how does that fit in the sky? It’s a bit out there for sure…”​
 
"Maybe it's similar to how you can keep track of time by the movement of the suns in the sky," Melissa offered. "The change between night and day. Perhaps the celestial objects also move in their own way, somehow? And that's another way to do it?"

"Possibly!"
Anna beamed, just delighted that Melissa was all SMRT and stuff. Still seemed like a lot of work when there were way easier ways to do it. And the question then became why they had to keep track of so many things in the sky if they had simpler things like the day-night cycle or clocks, but one supposed that it was like asking why a craftsman might keep on making more of a thing when they'd already made the one.

It was just what they did.

"How similar was the facility in Secyclion to what's up here?"
Anna asked, as Clairé mentioned the Kalendryans there. "There's no mountains in Eunesia, right? Where was their tower located, then?"

"I'm surprised it was on Secyclion and not one of the smaller, more remote islands,"
Melissa pondered aloud.
 
Head tilted to one side,
Knew the suns moved from left to right, or was it right to left?
But had never considered that the moons too might be drifting across the sky - especially not when Clairé tended to be quite well indoors and asleep given the opportunity,
Staying up past one’s bedtime?
All well and good, right up until one married a Baker,
And yet still insisted upon trying to be up early enough also to walk them to work,
Late nights made for a lot of regret and feeling it the following day,​
Curious,
And slow nodding as Melissa explained,
Treating it as gospel rather than theory, especially once Anna confirmed it with a ‘possible!’,​
Melissa said it?
Anna confirmed? Truth!
Obviously! That it brought some notion of sense to the Kalendryans insanity? Obviously this had to be reasoning! Sure it could just be a bunch of people being crazy, but trusted Meli far more than a bunch of heretics!
”Umm, there was a mountain,
‘cause there was an Oracle… but that was on Chelseanna?
I don’t think the Secyclion one though was way up high, pretty sure I’d remember that.” Nods!
“But the tower there and the one in Enamoria… well, Maeve now, they were just… towers, like, tall enough, but I don’t remember any of the gigantic cylinder things at the very top?”​
 
Huh!

"I guess maybe they can be a little regional?" Melissa shrugged. "Each of them does things a little differently? I suppose as long as the core 'looking up into the sky' remains the same, it's probably not that big of a deal?"

"I'm sure it's big enough of a deal that they argue about it all the time,"
Anna laughed. This was how schisms started, after all. Minor details for people on the outside, but the most important thing for the people actually participating in the debates.

"For sure. In the same way that some of us don't dress up in 'doom and gloom' 'black and spiky' sorts of outfits these days," Melissa grinned, offering her wives her hands. Shall they continue exploring? "The difference being, of course, that we're right."

"Of course!"
 
“Maybe!”
Certainly wasn’t going to discount it,
When most of the other Jorelite’s that Clairé had met tended to be more or less varied too - even if, well, a little lacking in style insofar as she was concerned,
Biased view was biased,
But also, obviously Her Mister Jorel Approved,
Of her methodology given well, blessed! And rewarded with Melissa and Anna in her life and all that came with and so, clearly superior! Havina and Kaith certainly hadn’t fared all that well, and the Oracle barely surviving the encounter too!​
Vic-Tor-É!​
Only,
There was a teasing smile from Clairé,
“I mean, we can get you some black spiked heels if you really want a nostalgia trip Love.”
As she claimed Meli’s hand, giving a fond squeeze. “But let’s stick clear of the full plate, it looks awfully heavy for starters.” and if a hike was making for a bit of a trek? Could do without being loaded down with a heap of steel or iron on top!
Definitely doing things,
The best way possible! Of that Clairé had utmost confidence!​
 
"Maybe if they sparkle," Melissa noted thoughtfully. "Black can be tasteful."

And who'd have thought that this day would be Countess Maarkan's first on the path towards big "step on me" energy?

Onward! More exploration! Let's see what the other buildings around here might hold.

Well, a brewery, for start. Big difference between utility water and drinking water, so best make sure that the water they had on hand was actually converted to a (generally) safer form, right? The smell of hops and it seemed like the beverage of choice for the Kalendryans had been beer - or at least, one of them. Perhaps they'd contented themselves with ale as well?

Nothing to suggest they'd gotten to indulge in anything like a honey mead, though. Only...

"...hey! There are runes on some of these barrels!" Anna noted, crouching down by one of the kegs. "Huh. I already have this one, though. Cold. Chilled. Cold beer whenever you'd like!"

A small luxury for those who lived atop a mountain.
 
Black and glittery?
Done! Really should have checked,
If the cobbler of Temperance could have achieved such, certainly it might have been a nice gift for Meli to sneak into her wardrobe!
Plus, all for encouraging,
Melissa (and Anna!) to be open with their wants,
That, ayup! Meli? Step on me energy was most welcome, just as Anna too deserved to be spoiled and pampered!​
Onwards!
Always more to see,
Even if Clairé’s penchant for indolence tended to make for a good deal of procrastination too,​
Brewery? Ooh!
That was kind of neat! Sure,
Wasn’t at all big on beer - far too watery or bitter for her tastes,
But a dark ale wasn’t too bad, certainly in the absence of Honey Mead or the white sparkling wine that Clairé mixed with the lemonade - perfectly drinkable and far better than water (so, so bland and flavourless! And when there was flavour? That just felt deeply suspicious),
Runes? Wait what?
That though was all kinds of Interesting!
Sure, already had Cold, but that there was something related to Anna’s Magic lurking about? Nifty!​
”Wonder if there’s any others…
‘Warm’ or ‘Hot’ would go down a treat,
Though… think it’d be too cold if we went swimming in the pool thing tonight?” Clairé wondered out aloud, not all that keen on a chill but really - it couldn’t be that much worse than going for a dip in the river in Temperance could it?​
 
"I'll keep a more careful eye out," Anna nodded. It was hard to say whether the barrels had perhaps been prepared elsewhere and brought here, or whether an enterprising Ikonomancer had been among the Kalendryans. Still, it was something for Anna to pay attention to now!

As for the pool? "Well, two things," Melissa noted. "One, I'd guess it is too cold, yes, considering it gets rather cold at night up here in the mountains. Perhaps they planned on introducing some way to keep things warm enough for its use? And two... normally such bodies of water need maintenance, otherwise the water gets a little... unclean. I feel like it might be best for us to just stay away from the pool, unfortunately."

Stagnant bodies of water. Perhaps it was less a problem, way up here in the mountains? But the Countess was hardly going to risk Clairé or Anna (or herself!) in trying to learn whether that was the case.

"I'd agree that it probably feels like pushing our luck, trying that pool out," Anna concurred. "Let's be content with everything else that we've managed to find." Water pump, linens, and now alcohol!

Now, shall they move on?
 
Curious!
For all that Clairé admittedly,
Was already daydreaming about lazing about the pool, floating with the sky above them,
Only… potentially super cold too, and well, Clairé really didn’t cope all that well with the chill given how quickly temperature drops caused her to end up all kinds of useless and hibernating-like,
Anna sensibly,
Leading with Cold, and Clairé’s cherry red lips pursing into a sad pout in turn,
Acknowledging the risks, even if she was saddened to have it confirmed,​
Oh…wait?
It needed to be looked after?
So how did that work with rivers and lakes? Was their Honeymoon destined to be all kinds of gross at the Great Centripax Basin?!​
Hadn’t even considered,
Only for Clairé to mouth a soft,
“Kay! Can wait until we can find somewhere nicer then for sure!”
Really wasn’t the kind of place to risk coming to harm when it was just the three of them too! Just because Clairé had packed some Healing Potions didn’t mean that they were to be expended because of reckless whimsy,
”Luck’s to be pushed,
But still, a pretty nice score!” Clairé agreed with a grin,
Onwards? Ever onwards!​
 
Clairé earned herself a sympathetic headpat from Anna. Alas! They were so far from Temperance, and its niver and heated pool.

Oh well, they'd just have to find other ways to entertain the Jorelite tonight.

Onward! What else was to be found around here? It did seem like there had been a fair amount of open space and fields, presumably for recreational activity. How many of the Kalendryans had actually made use of it, well, it was hard to say. Some no doubt were absorbed in their studies, others perhaps flocked towards the little that could be done way up here in such a remote location. A bit of sun, a bit of exercise, a bit of fresh air. And perhaps just to get away from their co-workers every now and again.

Over there, a greenhouse, where somebody had perhaps been interested in ensuring that they had a few fresh vegetables. It'd been just a little more successful in surviving than the garden in the observatory, if only because it was slightly more 'open' to the elements. Somebody having left the door open, it seemed, and a bit of overgrowth having occurred. Perhaps in time it would engulf more of the site, but for now it was still mostly just contained to the greenhouse itself. Life was hard up here!

A firepit, and some places to sit around it. Oh, and a grill. The occasional barbecue, perhaps? Or even just sit around a fire and chat with some folks. Perhaps grab some of the beers nearby.

Ah, over here, this seemed interesting. A small waystation, presumably to receive whatever shipments of supplies were brought up here. It did seem like there was a back room where perhaps there were packages and other supplies left behind to be found... doors locked, but through the window could be seen parcels. Loot?
 
Top Bottom