A Light Guiding Home

[Lyuin 65]

Lyuin Avern watches Skale move forward ignoring or dismissing the new arrivals and their false smiles. He glanced up where the Itharel's face would be if not hidden by hood. For a moment he remains still listening to his apprentice before hesitantly raising a hand and taking a step forward.

 

"I-I must question such an action Iva--" He falters, allowing his hand to drop to his side. Slowly he glances around the room taking in the architecture for a moment before speaking once again: this time with more certainty. "Though I am bemused by the fact you wish to act against my apprentice despite previously making use of his services as well as not questioning his right to possess the gift in the past, I will say this..." He hesitates once more, his conscience screaming it's disapproval as he realises what he was about to say.

 

"The Itharels have tolerated worse Clerics in the past. You've allowed Dreadsmiths and lust-driven Valah to gain access to the highest of Tahariae's gifts. I have seen far more 'clean' Clerics do less in Tahariae's name than this mali. He is pious and determined because he has been granted hope and a chance for redemption through enacting Tahariae's will. He requested harsher trials than any apprentice or Cleric I have ever known...few of us were perfect before finding purpose with Tahariae and even now we continue to find ourselves flawed.  Thus if he truly to be punished..."

 

He allows the words to sink in for a moment before straightening his posture and standing tall, a stern tone enforced by stoic expression.

 

"Then as his teacher I must request penance for not only have I been misguided and misjudging Tahariae's will but giving him false hope in the first place."

[dandan1350 479]

"Honestly if you had even half the wit your past generations had.. I amongst the council have and will continue to constantly deny every single member who has been stripped of his power or thrown from his patrons grace when they are so ill-fit to be additions to the clerics. Everyone of those you speak of I objected to fiercely to the point I nearly drew blades in a duel against the others while in that council and I still regret their decisions. Now the Itharel objecting me have gone from this world I am left to push forward my case and remove them. As for your attempt to take on their crimes, you will be punished for your idiocy but the true blame falls upon the council who allowed such to be placed in our ranks, it is despicable they did accepted them and allowed them to get this far. Take your seat and hold your tongue, Cleric. My judgement stands."

 

His gaze drifts to Jakir now with a look of disgust hidden beneath his hood. 

 

"As for you, fallen one. You are not welcome in my patrons halls, your service is over and you are dismissed. Take your leave now."

[IcyJazzy 6]

Neo looks to Daniel after his words to Jakir, a deep frown appearing on her face. 

 

"I will be fine." She mouths to him, hoping he can read her lips.

[GodEmperorFlam 3447]

 

-snip-

-snip-

 

Katari clears his throat and steps forward, a neutral expression spread across his face aside from a small frown.

 

"First off, the only reason why the Xan and Tah followers split off was because you abandoned your post and the Order started to crumble. Second off, there was no council that allowed Skale to become a cleric, as the order was still in ruins and hadn't been reformed yet. Third off, Skale is one of our better Clerics, who has repented for his ways and has been serving his duty out among the people. I'd wager he's been doing more than you have.

 

For your point on the prayers and whatnot, we've already been working on that and are creating a book of hymns and prayers. The old ways died when Lenia died and then you abandoned us. They'll be brought back, but it takes time.

 

What's done is done, and I don't particular give two shits about what you want, if you had actually cared you wouldn't have run off to traipse around Avalon with the Ascended. You can take your judgement and shove it up your ass."

[Jake the Dog 290]

Jakir turns to Daniel, sighing deeply. "You have no reason to command me. I gave my life to this order, and while you sit around, and complain about us, you once again fail to do the work of Tahariae. You told me my work was un ethical, you complain and ranted about me, you never once even tried to help me." he crosses his arms. "I have my place here, I will carry on my patrons work. I will assist my brothers and sisters I spent so long with. You have no right, to demand I give up. For you are not Tahariae, you are but a servant, just like we all are. And my choice, is my own. That choice is to stay. Stay and help those who gave me reason in life." he looks around to the room. Shaking his head. "I shall heed the words Hosper spoke to me, before I was disconnected, for he knew I would not be so easily broken, he still had faith in me, and I will not let that faith go to waste."

[Gathius di Silvari 73]

Mia de Silvarois sighs, glancing at the others in the room including the Itharel. "Are we blind to the purpose of healers? To mend, to cleanse? No one is so far in the dark that they cannot come to the light. Purity. Purify means remove the taint that plague poor souls. When did Tahariae become about blindly annihilating all trace of darkness? We must leave that for those that are unwilling to change."

[Dromui 755]

Skale looks back and forth between the various people gathered about. For some time he remains silent, simply listening to each person before nodding slowly. With a slow intake of breath, he clears his throat and raises both hands, motioning for those speaking and wishing to speak to remain silent.

 

"Greetings brothers and sisters. For those of you who do not know me, I am Skale. If that names means nothing to you, well, praise be your soul, as I am not fond of my own name anymore." He laughs awkwardly for a moment before stopping abruptly and continuing. "Before I made the decision to serve Tahariae, I was a cultist. A powerful one at that. I joined the followers of Ikuras originally with the intent of saving my niece's life. I failed at that. Because of that, Ikuras was brought forward into our realm and I was held responsible for it. I will not say I am without guilt, as I've made many mistakes in my search for power. But with the death of my niece and the release of a powerful dark spirit into our world, I began to rethink my life."

 

Once more Skale pauses and looks about, gauging the response of the others. After a moment, he picks up where he left off.

 

"After some odd years, I met the love of my lif- I mean one of my closest friends, Lyuin. He is more to me than just my friend. He became my mentor, my teacher, and eventually, my hero. He brings forward so much to this order. He is what Tahariae truly stands for. He is willing to purify the taint and corruption of this realm with more than just battle, but also his mind, with words, and with true healing. Through these means, I turned my life around and joined the order." 

 

Skale looks to Lyuin and smiles before turning to Katari, giving a nod.

 

"Just like Lyuin, Katari does the work of our fair patron in more ways than just thoughtless slaughter." He turns away from Katari and focuses his attention entirely on Daniel. "Now, I'm sure you'd like to believe you are doing the work of Tahariae. But truthfully, you are doing the work of wrath and anger. If Tahariae did not want me in his services, he never would of accepted me and granted me his blessed power. If Tahariae did not want me, you would have long since killed and purified me, Itharel. But to speak up now, in an attempt to disconnect me when I've done nothing but good for nearly a decade now... It.... it is foolish and you simply look foolish. I will not stand by and be tossed aside by you, you who have not been here for this order. If the others under the service of Tahariae wish me gone, then so be it."

 

With that, Skale steps back to stand beside Lyuin once more, silencing himself.

[Ventusyr 233]

Heshakomeu's eye narrows at Katari's expletives. "Katari Stirling, we understand your anger, but do not allow it to come out in such passion. It is ill-suited for a mali, and even moreso for a servants of Tahariae. Daniel may not have been present as our Order crumbled, but he is an Itharel of Tahariae; respect that."

 

Heshakomeu inclines his head in a nod towards Skale, remaining seated, he looks up at Daniel. "Our pasts do not determine our present, great one. Do not tell me that you have committed no sin before receiving Tahariae's light. We all pursue His grace and purity. Those who claim to and do not, well... They are those who are deserving of the removal of Tahariae's blessing, not those who are lost and deceived by the wicked ways of the impure."

 

Heshakomeu's gaze then turns to Jakir. His chin raises slightly and his eye remains narrowed. "Do not speak of following your patron, Jakir. Daniel is right. Our Order and the Chantry have lost sight of the old ways and traditions that I am attempting to record and share with the true servants of Tahariae, and you are one of the greatest contributors to their fading from memory. You created an entire generation of clerics who heard not the old hymns, who learned not the rituals of healing and worship, who followed not the traditions, who slept with whatever flesh they found themselves beside in a tavern. I tried to overlook your transgressions, Jakir. I tried. For all the years I knew you, I tried. But your sins have corrupted the shambles the Order has been left in, and it was only through Katari, one of your apprentices who knew hardly anything of the old ways, that we are reuniting.

 

"I called myself the 'Last of the True Priests' for a reason, Jakir. That is because all those so-called 'priests' who learned under you only know healing, the most basic of callings Tahariae has, and that does not make a priest of Tahariae. If you did not know the old ways and instead felt your golden flames were enough to grant your apprentices priesthood, you were mistaken, as you were mistaken in helping a cultist.

 

"Leave, Jakir Axem. You may continue to purge those Tahariae deems impure, but this discussion is a matter for the true clerics of Tahariae, not those that prefer good sleep to Tahariae's command and would forget that Tahariae is to be worshiped, not used."

[IcyJazzy 6]

Neo looks to Heshakomeu as he talks, biting her lip. She looks to Jakir and Katari half way in the speech, tightening the grip on her shift. Neo takes slowly breathes to calm herself. 

[Jake the Dog 290]

Jakir frowns, turning to Hesh. "You blame me for the downfall of our order? You say I am the reason no one did the job they were given? I took students, because no one else would. I am a fighter, not a priest Hesh, remember? As for me wishing to sleep with everything, where do you get these ideas from? I did not do such things. You claim to know me, you say I did all these things, but I did not, get your facts right. If my sins were that of being one of the few left who even did anything, then fine so be it. I shall not leave, I have a place here, and no one can tell me otherwise, it is my choice to stay. And, if I was to blame for our whole downfall, why did you do nothing? Why did you sit idle while I did all these things hmm, why only now do you wish to voice them, when you could of so long ago?"

[GodEmperorFlam 3447]

Katari scowls, first at Hesh and then at Jakir.

 

"Enough... Out of the both of you. Jakir at least /tried/ to further Tahariae's will and was out there fighting evil. I'll admit, I was not taught the ways of a true priest, but I do not hold that against Jakir. He is a warrior, not a priest.

 

You forget, it was Jakir who was out there slaying evil while a majority of this Order stagnated. It was Jakir who gathered more recruits, myself included, who now are being gathered in our reuniting of the Clerical Order. It was Jakir who was the posterboy of the Clerics, even when there was only ruin to represent."

 

Katari's scowl deepens, sending a glance over towards Daniel.

 

"Heshakomeu, Daniel may be an Itharel of Tahariae, but he does not deserve my respect. You say he was not present when our Order crumbled, and that is true. BECAUSE he was not present, our Order crumbled. He was supposed to lead us, and he did lead us... He led us down the road to ruin.

 

We will return to our ways of old, and I look forward to that, but I will not stand for a deserter such as Daniel to dictate what goes on in our Order. Hosper and Ryth were the last true Itharel, Daniel is merely a husk."

 

Katari gestures towards Skale, gaze fixated on Daniel now.

 

"I will not stand for such a man to call for the head of a fellow brother. What Mia said is true. Skale was indeed in the dark, but he saw the light and left it. Not only did he leave it, he is now just as much a Tahariae follower as any of you are."

[Jake the Dog 290]

Jakir just nods gently to Katari, moving over to Neo, as he raises his arm, going to wrap it around her. Whispering softly to her, hoping to calm her down.

[Dromui 755]

Skale mumbles to himself, awkwardly scratching his head.

 

"Man, this spiraled out of control rather quickly..."

[Ventusyr 233]

"I did not say he did nothing." Heshakomeu's grip on his staff tightens. "And I do not deny others of the Order did nothing. It stagnated. It disappeared. I said his actions corrupted the Order. He did great work to Tahariae as a warrior, but he was no priest and should have clarified to his students they were not priests either. He was one of the last who had the authority to teach and he made no move to understand the full responsibilities of a teacher of priests. I was idle, to be sure, but because I was a minor cleric who, although I knew the rituals and traditions of the priesthood, had no authority to teach and was never remembered where my healings were performed. There was nothing I could do for the Order.

 

"My point remains: he is no cleric. He betrayed Tahariae and has no place here. I know not how he knew to come here, but someone must remove him."

 

Heshakomeu's eye then flicks up to Daniel, awaiting the Itharel's reaction to Katari's attacks.

[Jake the Dog 290]

"I did Hesh, every student I took I told them I am not a priest. As such, I took the warriors, the rest I sent on for someone more versed in the priestly arts to take over, but that was just it. There was no other, no one was left. I would tell the council of hopefuls, and I would be ignored." he just looks down to Neo, smiling softly. He just goes quiet again. Watching her closely now.