Czlaplon Quest

[Kasbak]

I'll simply shrug as the couple turn and walk off. If you ask the question, be prepared for the answer. At least they're informed now.

I'll allow myself a slight approving smirk to the reply. "Hello Audelia. Please, have a seat." I'll offer openly and wait for her to get settled. "You've got it part right. The good guys break the rules a lot of the time too. Many times you have to lie, decieve, and cheat better than the bad guys to win. What makes it good or bad is which rules you choose to break, and why."

There's a grain of truth in my words, but in actuality I don't entirely agree with them as stated. I'm still going to speak as if I do, but my real aim here is to give her an obscured, moving target and see how well she does at keeping true. Test one is the world view; if she can't manage the appropriate perspective, none of the other abilities will come.

[TarlimanJoppos]

Isaac: “I dunno,” says Garsevan. “Shouldn't be too hard. You and I have the rest of today, until dinnertime, for whatever. Tomorrow, we have to do a bit of a show in the afternoon, which pretty much lets out meditating. But the day after that? Last I checked, my schedule is clear.” Make a Perception test.

Alston: Audelia frowns. “You're not one of those snipers, are you? The evil archers? You don't talk like an archer, at least like the ones in the legends.”

[Kasbak]

I'll give her a slight smirk. "Straight to the point. Good." Whether it's from actual viewpoint or just from teenage brashness doesn't matter; a hit is a hit. Either way, it does take some gumption to make such an accusation, let alone make the correlation. And it flows right in to my point.

"The single greatest threat an Archer faces is losing sight of his target. A sniper is one that has fallen down that path and lost sight of their true goal. All Archers often have to snipe and kill, but taking life is always just a means to get to another end, never the end itself. Regardless of whether or not we find adept potential in you, always remember that. Also, don't make the mistake of thinking evil has to be in an Archer's heart before they become a sniper; any archer can fall down that dark path if they lose vigilance. If you find one, don't treat them with hate; treat them with kindness and sympathy, like a lost and frightened child. It is possible for some of them to redeem themselves and come back." After all, the goal when you find a sniper is to eliminate the threat to others, and if there's a way to do that without killing them, that is the path that will keep you from falling prey to the same mistake.

I'll give her a minute for that to sink in, and watch for her reaction. Once she seems to grasp it, I'll also add, "And what really makes the good guys good is that they don't need rules. They'll naturally do the right thing just because it's the right thing to do." Sometimes that breaks rules in society, but only when necessary, and only when it benefits everyone over all.

[arcomniflash]

(Adding 1 point of Karma to the Perception Roll - d12+d8)

8+8(+3) = 19

[TarlimanJoppos]

Alston: Audelia still has a frown and doesn't like some of this. “So the rules just exist so you can tell who the bad guys are? Cause they cheat?” She seems confused and annoyed, and sits down on the railing to think about this.

Isaac: That woman, the one who ducked under the awning, is sitting at a small table over by the railing, embroidering. She's by herself. If she's human, as she appears to be, then she's out of hearing range, but if she's one of the taller races, as her actions suggested, such as an elf, then she can probably hear you and Garsevan.

[Kasbak]

"The rules exist to tell people how things should work to be good. In theory. In practice, obstacles arise, and you have to navigate around them. The bad guys don't try to navigate around them, they ignore or disrupt the rules entirely.

To give it an archery metaphor, "You can practice shooting a target on an open range all you like, and many times your shots will be similar in circumstances. But then try shooting in a forest where there are branches and leaves to obscure your vision and grab at your missile. You have to read the shifting of the wind, spot the hidden holes, watch for patterns. You have to open yourself beyond just what your mind tells you should happen; you also have to listen with your heart and trust your instincts to guide you."

With a pause for emphasis, I'll continue, "The bad guys, however, wouldn't try shooting through the obstacles and working with or around the natural structure. They would simply cut or burn away the foliage blocking them. Destruction of years of nature's work only to serve their purpose for a few moments." Pretty sure my Elven cultural upbringing is showing with my emphasis there.

[arcomniflash]

Without looking at the woman a second time, I'll take a sip of my drink and look into my glass. "This stuff is going to my head, I think." I'll say, continuing to stare. "I'm such a lightweight when it comes to wines, strange, I'm fine with beer." I'll stand up, finishing the glass and placing it back on the bar. "Oh, Garsevan, I wanted to talk to you about one of the items we're going to use in our choreography tomorrow. It's the one barrel in the...ah...um...it's probably just better if I show you. Could you come with me a sec, you can bring your drink if they'll let you take the glass." I'll give him a smile, since I don't do this often, if ever, it might give him the impression that something's up. Nonetheless, this is all, of course, a ruse to get us out of earshot of the woman and warn Garsevan that she's there.

[TarlimanJoppos]

Alston: Audelia's still frowning., and looking down at the deck now. “So the bad guys need to get made into compost?” She sounds like she's grasping for understanding, or at least solid ground.

Isaac: Garsevan raises an eyebrow at you. “Best to leave the fancy stuff to the Troubadour, then,” he says, tosses off his drink and puts his glass down. “You mean the bind in tierce?” he asks, floating away from the bar to join you. As he does, he flicks his eyes in the woman's direction, just briefly, but he was making eye contact with you when he did it. The woman sighs, and starts picking out a stitch from her embroidery. She makes no move to follow you.

[Kasbak]

"If they insist on staying bad, then yes, it often comes to that. Some people can learn to change, some do things that aren't that severe and can be punished in less harsh ways. But when it comes to bad guys that want to hurt others and can't be reasoned with, it's an Adept's job to stop them. We have powers that other people don't, and we have a responsibility to use them to defend those other people." I wouldn't expect her to have an understanding of such concepts - she's not an Adept, and hasn't lived with that responsibility first hand. But if she's going to pursue it, she'll need to be able to handle what it entails.

Speaking of which, since we've strayed a bit from the true purpose of our meeting, "So what are you able to do that others can't? What can you tell me and show me about yourself that is unusual?" Still a rather direct question, but hopefully it doesn't come across as heavy handed as it could be otherwise worded.

[arcomniflash]

Once I've managed to get Garsevan to a more secluded area I'll nod to him, a quick flicker of Astral Sight should make sure that there isn't anyone around. "That woman has been following us around since we left port, and I'm pretty sure she isn't what she appears to be." I'll fold my arms and lean against something. If Garsevan is unaware of it, I'll relate to him the story of the man I saw in the floating city and remark that, for whatever reason, someone is following us. "The problem is that we need to find the right time to confront them directly, otherwise they'll just slip into the shadows and we'll never know what they wanted with us."