Moonwatching
Tenebrae - Saturday, August 25, 2012, 6:17 PM
The professors at Alexandria's main university have predicted that there will be a partial eclipse of Eluna tonight, and have reserved a dock at the Airstation to view it. As a last-ditch effort to convince the public of the value of higher education, they have invited the public to come and watch. The eclipse will take place shortly after sundown. (OOC: As a tribute to Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, let's get together and have our characters discuss Ea's two moons. Any and all characters are welcome, as are stories of your tribe/vilage/race's take on why the world has two moons.)
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The main docks of the Airstation consist of both indoor and outdoor sections as gigantic docking towers extend up from the great chamber of the Guild of the Skies and from these towers extend wheel shaped decks and docking bridges to allow passangers and cargo to enter the great airships of the city. The ships themselves run the gauntlet in style, design and innovation from older fashioned galleons to newer metal clad behemoths but the technology that flies them, though refined over the years, remains largely the same as copper lines and mana feeds can be seen connecting to many of them to recharge their Floater Stones and the arcane engines tha tmake their movement possible. Machinists and Artificers are easy to spot. Many are dwarves and gnomes but a few goblins are about as well.
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Kama'o Older Egalrin female, greyish-brown in color. 0s 9h Mikilos Tall male dawn elf, rosey blonde and handsome. 3s 2m
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Locien has arrived.
Usha has arrived.
As the sun sets over the Red Ridge Mountains, Eluna's full beauty becomes clearer and clearer. The eclipse that everyone came to see has not started yet. Of course, low in the sky to the south--there sits the ominous phantom moon, which turned red during the Merkabah Siege. The stars are starting to come out, and while there are a few clouds, the night is clear enough that the group should have a good view of the eclipse.
The night is nice and warm, although the insects at the top of the airstation are fierce. Bats chitter and swoop around the group, catching the seemingly endless bloodsuckers. The raised platform everyone stands on occasionally seems to float above the ground when wisps of fog pass by below. For now, the bustle of the airstation is hushed--there is no longer enough traffic to warrant much night flying.
There are several academics present, identifiable by their strange maroon dress robes and the fact that, to a man (and one woman), they are wearing socks. With sandals. The five, all of which sport various sorts of grey hair, are clustered in a group on the opposite side of the platform as the adventurers. They are speaking to one another in whispers and generally trying to ignore the fact that anyone besides them actually showed up at the event.
Mikilos has arrived well early, whisteling softly to himself as he sets up his own amature telescope from his pack. A telescope which really shouldn't fit inside that small a pack, but that's wizards
for you. The brass device is a simple set of glass lens and adjustment dials; far less sophisticated than it's artifice counterparts, but also far less likely to go rogue and try to kill anyone.
Locien strolls toward the gathered academics and interested others who have claimed one of the docks for the observations tonight, a scrap of parchment detailing the event clasped in one hand. He comes to a stop at the edge of the informal grouping, taking a look at the others gathered and seeming to conclude he is in the right place before tucking the scrap into his belt.
Colrick has arrived.
Mikilos steps back from his looking device, nodding in mild satifaction before peering around. Spying Locien, the fellow elf raises a hand in greeting. "Salutations. Seen you around a few times, but I don't believe we've been properly introduced. Mikilos Mithralla, Builder Arcane and enthuastic amature astronomer."
As the twilight deepens, Eluna's full glory is more and more obvious. The professors are all watching their timepieces, and still ignoring the gathering crowd.
Locien's idle wandering attention is brought to a focus when Mikilos extends a greeting, smiling at his kin and inclining his head in a shallow bow as he turns to face the studious fellow elf. "Good evening, master Mithralla. I have been wandering the city these past few days, newly arrived...I am Locien Karyanni, Mourner of my Lady Vardama and, as of late, listless traveller. It is good to make your acquaintance." He looks from the mage to his apparatus. "I take it you share our hosts' academic interest in the eclipse?"
Kama'o arrives in her own full glory, gliding onto the platform and landing lightly to one side on one of the railings. Her wings create a rather large amount of airflow--on the other hand, it gets rid of the pesky bugs for a few minutes. She glances around, acquainting herself with the setup and the individuals present before turning her head to stare up at Eluna for a moment.
Mikilos grins, nods, and shrugs lightly. "I consider myself something of a sage, or at least a know-it-all, and thus would be remiss to not take advantage of such an oppertunity. But the Moon Goddess Eluna also oversees the sphere of magic as well, so is a fair touch of professional intrest involved. Are magics which wax and wane with the moon, and what effects an eclipse may have are far from understood."
Mikilos raises a hand in greeting to the Aunty Bird as well.
Colrick came prepared this evening with a smokestick that he's muffled with some cloth, causing it to dispense its smoke at a slower rate. The fumes ward off most of the bugs, as well as leaving a little plume as he walks closer to the viewing site where everyone else is gathered. Eyes up, he watches Eluna's slow movement across the sky, lightly bumping into Mikilos when he tries to sidestep someone else. "My apologies." he quickly says, moving the smokestick to his other hand so it doesn't blow into the elf's face.
Locien nods to Mikilos. "My mother was a faithful servant of Ni'essa...whenever a spectacle like this would occur it would be an event of great interest...as I am sure it is to the servants of the temple within the city now." The arrival of Kama'o gets a smile and wave, remembering the excitable eaglefolk from the night before. As Colrick brushes Mikilos he steps aside, both to minimize the other elf's displacement and to avoid a collision of his own.
Kama'o snaps halfheartedly at a bat that dares too close to her face, and then turns to eye those assembled. "Iiii. Kama'o hopes that -this- is not about chick-eaters eating iiwas again," she says, upon noting Locien and Mikilos. The comment appears to be in jest--she flicks her feathers once, and appears decidedly less agitated than she did last night. That done, she begins to shuffle along the railing toward them.
As the twilight deepens, the youngest professor walks around and lights some dark lamps, giving the platform an eerie look from the diffuse light. As predicted, several of Eluna's faithful are puffing their way up the stairs at the moment, slowly gathering to see the spectacle as well.
Usha is a little bit late. She had considered not coming. Public places tend to make her nervous, especiall since the newest wave of paladins has started interrogating her on sight again. Still, though, it sounded interesting and the shadow elf worships Eluna now. She comes in behind the main group of Elunites, and finds a space near the back. The dark lamps don't bother her elven eyes.
Mikilos tsks but nods to Colrick. "Quite alright." he accepts the appoligy distractly, assureing himself his telescope wasn't bumped. While fragile, the device isn't likely to be broken by a simple bump, but the delicate settings might easily become misaligned. Content all is well, he nods to Locien. "Perhaps moreso in the city. I don't believe we've had even a partical eclipse since the city's return, so this is really our first chance to see how the moon affects the flows of magic since the departure of god Animus." Grinning to Kama'o, he nods, glancing to the side and rasing a hand of greeting to Usha as well. A fellow elf is a fellow elf, whatever their skin might be.
Colrick's eyes go wide at the telescope, and with a grin he crouches beside to examine the device with great scrutiny. "I think I might know the craftsman who made this. May I know where you acquired it?" he asks of Mikilos, still crouching as he continues to inspect it without touching.
"Oh, yes. I had forgotten that this city was...elsewhere for a time." Locien replies, looking skyward for a moment before returning his attention. He smiles at Kama'o's comments, then follows the direction of Mikilos' gesture to spot Usha. The sight of her triggers...something in the elven priest's eyes, not the disdain she is likely accustomed to, but a tremor of something amiss in his mind. It passes like a shadow across Eluna, however, and he looks back to those gathered and nearing his position near Mikilos.
The knot of professors who have re-formed now appear engaged in a heated, albeit whispered, debate. If they weren't already separated from the others by a short distance, their wild gesticulations might send someone plummeting off of the tower.
"An eclipse?" Kama'o has good ears, although few people seem to be speaking loudly on the platform, almost as if it were possible for their voices to scare away the moon. Even Kama'o's usually strident tones are slightly hushed. "Iiii. Kama'o sees now." The Egalrin looks skyward, first at Eluna, and then at the phantom moon. "Eluna, Kama'o supposes." Judging by those present. She glances toward Usha, and her feathers flatten slightly before she turns back to the others. "When is it supposed to happen?" she asks.
Mikilos grins at Colrick, stpping back a pace to allow unhindered access to the telescope. His voice is kept low and soft, though that's has more to do with his normal way of speaking than anything special about this event. "You are correct, though perhaps also mistaken. I made that particular device myself, based off plans by Master Llucen of the Jade Isles. I have some ideas for alterations, but wasn't confidant enough in my understanding to fiddle with this first effort." Glancing towards the sky for a moment, he shrugs to Kama'o "Soon. I'm not certain exactly when." Crouching a bit, the elf rummages briefly thru his pack before pulling out a long roll of simple white parchment.
Usha peers up into the heavens, and she peers towards the dark shadow of the phantom moon. That thing has always given her chills. Red eyes flit about and she offers nods to the people who greet her, but otherwise keeps to herself, letting more curious minds investigate the device.
"Impressive." Colrick admits as he stands up, giving the sensitive apparatus a little space to avoid any future mishaps. "His work bears a certain amount of over-engineering, so to copy it so well is a credit to your patience. There are certainly easier schematics to follow." he comments with a grin, before glancing over to Mikilos and his elven associate. "Pardon me, Colrick Voss." he introduces, extending a hand to first Mikilos than over to Locien.
Locien takes the offered hand and shakes it, nodding a greeting as well to Colrick. "Locien Karyanni. Well met." He lets the techs talk specs in peace then, his attention drawn toward Kama'o and, past her, the discusion of the animated academics. "It's hard to say, precisely, from what I remember mother says. Our...less than gracious hosts may have an exact time, but they seem preoccupied. Curious." He frowns a bit. "I wonder what they're expecting..."
There's another flurry of activity by the professors, which looks a great deal like the goblin, rocketbooster, wall game. (Goblin beats rocketbooster, rocketbooster beats wall, wall beats goblin.) Eventually, the female professor steps away from the others with a roll of her eyes. Turning to the crowd, she clears her throat. "A-hem. Ladies and...er..." her eyes have fallen on Usha. "Er, that is...um. Well. Ahem. Thank you for coming. The eclipse should start soon. Our calculations suggest that the whole of Eluna will not go dark, but rather just the lower right-hand corner. As you may or may not, er, know," she adds, getting into her stride, "The shape that always covers the moon is a disc. This lends credence to the idea that the world is a gigantic disc..." One of the other professors gives a loud, disbelieving snort and is briefly glared at by the woman. "Er, well. We can discuss that later. You will be able to see the event from anywhere on the platform, and it will last approximately one, er, hour," the professor finishes, hastily stepping back to her colleagues. "Er. Have fun."
"Iiii. Well. Now we know," Kama'o says, beaming at Locien, finally coming to a rest on the railing nearby. "Kama'o did not introduce herself last time. I was too worried about the iiwa in with the chick eater. Everyone calls me Kama'o." Anyone who speaks Auran would know that that translates as 'Auntie.'
Mikilos grins, accepting the offered hand. "Easier, certainly. But better? Perhaps not. Wouldn't be as fun if wasn't a challenge." Stepping a bit towards the railing off to the side, the wizard unrolls his blank parchement, smoothing it out and pressing the corners firmly into place, a bit like a large poster hung upon the wall. Save there isn't actually a wall for the poster to hang upon, just empty air. Wizards, go figure. Pauseing to listen to the academic's brief statement, the elf frowns. "Had thought would be a full esclipse. Ah well, what I get for not checking the details. No matter, still be quite a spectical."
Colrick finds a spot on the railing to plant his altered smokestick, lazily drifting a plume of insect-warding smoke into the air beside him. With his hands free to grab the railing and stare up, he idly comments to himself. "World is a giant disc... makes you want to see what the edge would look like, if it is even true." he remarks.
Locien listens to the reluctant mistress of ceremonies, then places his hand over his chest and gives the eaglefolk a small bow and a smile. "I am Locien, my lady. I understand your concern last night, it was...a rather peculiar exhibition. I'm glad nobody was eaten, though." The name is not commented on: apparently Auran escapes him.
As promised, Ea's shadow begins to turn the moon dark, eliciting appreciative murmurs and a few gasps. The professors immediately begin arguing about the shape, size, and other features of the shadow in nearly unintelligible jargon. The rest of the crowd cranes their necks up at the sky, only occasionally speaking to one another.
"Iiii. Kama'o is pleased to meet you, Locien. Kama'o appreciates good manners. There it goes. You know, we tell our children that...iiii. Kama'o does not know the name of the god in Common. That the evil wolf-god begins to eat the moon, but it is all right, because Cernan hunts him down and cuts him open. Then he throws the pieces back into the sky and Althea can heal Eluna."
Usha frowns a bit at the sound of the world being a giant disc. "But disks are flat. And the world is very deep." She comments, mostly to herself. "My people say that the phantom moon is a devil that... uhm... joins with Eluna. I think they only say it to disgrace Eluna, though."
Mikilos shrugs lightly. "Expeditions have been sent to find out. Thus far, none have been successful. There must be a... rim, or some such, to keep the seas from draining off the side. One theroy is the world is a sphere, floating in space, so if you travel far enough in one direction, you'll end up back where you started. Are problems with that theory as well." The wizard doesn't elaborate, as the eclpise starts, adn he's busy peering thru his telescope. Fishing through one pocket, Mikilos draks out a small stick of charcoal, which he crushes in his hand, murmuring arcane phrases before gestureing to the blank poster. Moments later the bits of charcoal sparkle and fly out, rapidly drawing themselves across the parchement to sketch a drawing of the moon. Most likely what the elf sees through his device.
GAME: Mikilos casts Silent Image.
Colrick listents to Mikilos' words before fishing a spherical vial of some alchemical agent from his gear. He holds it aloft with his right hand as he gazes up at the shadow that begins to form on Eluna, matching the shadow with the vial as best he can. "Daeus would know if the world had an edge, seeing as how he gazes down upon us from the Sun. One would think a priest would be curious enough to ask." he remarks, before putting the vial away and observing the magical sketch that Mikilos is constructing.
As the murmur of the other observers begins to die down Locien turns to look up, watching with the rest. Listening to the Egalrin's, and then the Mul'niessa's stories, he nods to each in turn. "Mother never offered the same explanation for something like this more than once...these events were always preceeded by much talking amongst Ni'essa's faithful. Sometimes mother said She was merely being coy...sometimes Her face was hidden for darker reasons. We didn't always see how it affected us, but a shadow across Eluna was always an important time."
"Iiii," Kama'o drawls slowly, staring up at the eclipse. "An important time. Kama'o likes that." She bobs her head once, and is blissfully silent for an all-too-short time. "The gods," she tells Colrick, "Generally do not give simple answers to questions. Especially when they wish us to find out for ourselves." She glances over toward Usha again, stares for a moment, and then clacks her bill once. "Kama'o thinks Eluna is too smart to take a devil to bed. Though my people do not like that moon either. It is...iiii. The chicks that are hatched when it is high in the sky turn out wrong." She gives herself a little shake, and then cranes her neck up at the sky once more.
Mikilos mmmms. "Mortals ask, but gods don't always answer. I don't think gods see the world the same way mortal eyes do anyway, so even if gave an answer, might not really answer the question." Peering and magically sketching for a bit more, the elf sighs and sits back for a moment to rest his eyes. "Do wonder about those cresants and circles. Valleys of some sort? Pools? I wonder how they're caused."
"Maybe it's those cryptic answers that pushed the Kulthians to poke mysteries best left alone." Colrick comments as he gazes up at the shadow's growth across Eluna's surface. "A curious child that won't accept 'because' for an answer." he adds, before returning his attention to the drawing. 'They're all perfectly circular, though sometimes overlapping, and nothing that looks like a river." he adds as he scratches the burn scar on his neck while contemplating them.
Locien tilts his head toward Mikilos and Colrick without taking his eyes from the shadowed moon. "As Kama'o said, sometimes the journey to seek the answer is a greater thing than the answer itself. And dark beings are just as capable of great things as good ones." His eyes close for a moment, head bowing, and he begins murmuring in Sildanyari: those near enough to hear and comprehend hear solemn prayer.
Kama'o blinks at Colrick. "Why on Ea would there be a river on Eluna?" she asks, briefly turning away from the ever-more impressive eclipse and overshadowing poor Locien's prayer. "And Kama'o thought everyone knew that the circles were the holes in the veils that Eluna peers through. Iiiii. If you look hard, you can even see the shadow of her beak behind the veils." She points a taloned hand up at the sky. Where, if you squint and tilt your head to the side -just- so, and if you're really, really, REALLY drunk, you might see a few circles that sort of resemble an Egalrin bill. Sort of. Maybe.
Mikilos bites his lips for a moment. Laughing at the Aunty Bird seldom helps anything. "Perhaps. Perhaps there are no rivers, or perhaps we can't see them. Is a vast amount we simply don't know. I do seem to recall some tale of a special airship trying to make it's way to the moon. Never did hear the full tale of what came of all that."
Usha stares up at the the growing eclipse, and she draws her arms up around herself. She realizes she doesn't like this. Watching the shadow creep across ELuna's face is sending chills down her spine. She glances about to see if anyone else is creeped out by the whole occurance.
Colrick doesn't seem unsettled by the event in the slightest, judging from his expression that sways between wonderment and academic scrutiny. "That would be a bold expedition; I'd rather start with just seeing the edge of this world, before trying to leave it entirely." he replies with a grin at Mikilos' comment.
Locien continues his communion with the higher powers through the majority of Kama'o's instructive lesson, but finally loses the peaceful meditation at about the word 'beak'. Opening one eye to look at the egalrin sidelong, then the other, he mentally bookmarks his prayer for another time. He shakes his head with a smirk and looks around to the others, most of which are two focused to notice the attention, but when the shadowed elf falls under his gaze again he notes her discomfort with a bit of a frown. "Come, cousin..." he calls softly,gesturing her closer, "...your unease is evident. Come and tell us what vexes you."
Constantin has arrived.
"A special airship? Kama'o has not heard this story. Tell us," the Egalrin encourages Mikilos. Tilting her head, she takes in both Locien and Usha. She's silent for a moment, as if deciding what to do, and then waves a hand to a nearby space. "It is all right, iiwa. Althea will heal Eluna. The evil wolf-god will not eat her all up today. Not until Ea falls into the Void will that happen."
Mikilos mmms, frowning faintly at Locien's words before glancing towards Usha as well. "Not a troublemaker, I hope? Too many small minded people around as it is." Glaninging towards Kama'o, he shakes his head. "That's all I know of the tale. Was a couple months back. I vaugely recall some word about a drake fought on the deck, but not who told the tale or if they were present themselves."
Constantin picks his way up onto the platform, carrying a wicker picnic basket in one hand. His hair is freshly wash, combed and styled, and he's taken care to polish his boots. After all, this is an Occasion.
Colrick has left.
The eclipse is past the halfway point now--approximately three-quarters of the moon was covered at the zenith. The academics are still arguing, but most of the clergymembers present have relaxed slightly as Eluna begins to reappear.
"Iiii. Brave souls, to steer for the moon in an airship. Kama'o doubts very much they made it, though. My people have flown for much longer than the airship pilots, and none of us have made it to the moon. Except in stories, of course, but those are just stories." The Egalrin glances over, and offers the newcomer a nod before looking back at the sky. "Sometimes iiwas do not believe they are just stories, and they try very hard to fly there. But it is too far for us. Still, it is fun to watch their eyes as they dream."
Locien looks between Mikilos and Kama'o, his visage to them in that moment no more accepting than theirs is to the dark elf. "We shall see..." he replies quietly to the elven astronomer, "...by her actions, as we would anyone." The darkness recedes from his features then, his voice returning to the conversational volume. "Dreams are a fitting thing for Eluna to inspire. They are Her domain, after all." He peers upward again. "I wonder what we might look like from there. Does Ea seem so strange and remote from afar?"
Mikilos mmms. "Likely so. Top of a tall tower or from an airship, things look odd. Image would be moreso if from even higher up." The elf falls quiet again, focued up the view thru the telescope.
Mikilos has disconnected.
"Fly me to the moon," Constantin sighs, setting out a blanket, a bottle of wine, and some fruit, as he gets set. "That sounds wonderful."
"Kama'o thinks things look right, from up here," the Egalrin murmurs, leaning out over the rail to peer down at the ground, far below. She glances back up, but seems to have lost interest in the eclipse, now that it's nearly over. "Kama'o imagines it looks much the same for Cernan and Ceiwen, flying over us all. Iiii. Speaking of dreams, Kama'o is going to have strange ones tonight if Kama'o does not find a good perch soon. There are too many people up here, and besides, if the airships come in the morning they do not always expect Kama'o to be perched up here." That sounds like experience talking. The Egalrin gives the nearest airship a baleful glance before continuing. "Iiii. It was nice to meet you, Locien. If you need anything, Kama'o's aerie is north of the city. The guards at the gate can point you in the right direction." Blinking up at the sky one last time, she murmurs a benediction: "Ceiwen and Cernan fly with you all." With that, she launches herself off of the railing and out into space, her wings spreading wide.
Locien steps away from the group as some are lost in their observations and others retire for the evening, strolling through the others who have gathered for whatever reason. In time he comes across Constantin's curious and comfortable setup. He stops, inclining his head in a deep nod of greeting. "A rare soul who hasn't come to agonize over the deeper meaning of the night. Better to enjoy it. I approve."
Constantin glances over. "Agonize? No. Its a fantastic show." He sips from a goblet of wine. "I mean, why wouldn't one enjoy this?"
Usha has disconnected.
Locien sighs softly, shrugging. "People seek to understand the unusual. To glean meaning in portents. I am not above such, to be honest...it takes discipline to be at ease amongst the extraordinary." He looks upward to the slowly returning moon, then back. "I am Locien, by the by. A newcomer to these walls."
Constantin nods. "Constantin. Me too. And after they're done, someone will make gold from it."
"Someone always does." Locien remarks dryly. "I suppose there's a purpose in that as well. Is that why you've come to this city? To find a place in the fortune seekers?"