what if we kissed while being chased by the ski-free yeti 😳

[beleos]

CEREMONIES OF HARMONIZATION (MERIDIAN)

Early in the month, a brief Communion message is sent out by Cetina and Kathova to their respective factions (if you’re unharmonized, sorry, you get both!) to inform them that Harmonization Ceremonies will be taking place on December 8th. While not required, it’s strongly encouraged that you at least make an appearance at the respective ceremony. This is a time for the factions to honor and celebrate you for making your choice and to symbolically represent that commitment. If you haven’t made your choice yet, you’re welcome to attend either ceremony. In fact, it would be a great honor to choose to Harmonize at the ceremony itself.

When you arrive to Heliopolis for the ceremony, the first thing you’ll be asked to do is… change? A wide variety of Greek and Roman-styled outfits are provided, all in light shades ranging from pure whites to soft pastels. But once you’re changed, you’re led deep into Heliopolis to a great courtyard where the tree is rooted. Along the edges, large tables full of appetizing food and drink are being set up, but first, you have the Ceremony to attend.

Once most people have arrived, Cyrus takes a place at the base of the tree and speaks to those assembled. He gives a warm, charismatic speech welcoming all to the celebration. This is a time to celebrate those who have Meridian’s light within them and to welcome them. He hopes that you’ll find peace and happiness here in Kenos, and just as much, he hopes the worlds you see in your Sunbeams return. One day, you’ll part ways, but for now, he hopes you find new friends and family here among the Meri.

After his brief speech, you’ll be given opportunity to approach the tree and touch your Shard to it in a ritualistic way. When you do, you’ll get the experience of briefly visiting a happy, peaceful time in another world as if the tree itself is Communing with you. You’re more likely to see the worlds of those in attendance at the ceremony, but it can also be random. Regardless, it fills you with a sense of belonging and resolve as if reminding you that this is what you’re helping someone return to and your own home is also waiting. From there, you’ll be directed to the sides of the courtyard where craftspeople are waiting. If you give them your Iliachtida, they’ll happily craft it into a piece of jewelry or other token of your choosing so that you can always carry it with you.

After this, it’s of course time to feast and to party!

You’ll find music, dancing, food, and drink, which the Tribune himself seems to be indulging in! Eventually, an interesting drinking game will begin… You’ll see Meri lounging in a circle and drinking wine, but once their cup is empty, they offer a toast, and then flick the remaining sediment towards a bowl in the center. This is Kottabos! Ask a yes or no question, and its outcome is decided by whether the remainder of the wine-lees lands in the target. Alternately, it’s a traditional gambling game as well. Make a wager with another player: candy and cakes, money, or maybe even kisses in the spirit of the season. All things work as currency in Kottabos!

CEREMONIES OF HARMONIZATION (ZENITH)

As Kathova informed you, Zenith’s ceremony is a formal affair, and you’re expected to dress as such. Don’t worry if some of the finer clothing is out of your budget—this ceremony is important, so you’ll be able to commission whatever you’d like from a local tailor, and Lady Yima will foot the bill. The ceremony itself takes place in the Courtyard of Yima’s Manor, and the twin moons shine brightly overhead in her garden. There are multiple large tables set up with enough seats to accommodate everyone in attendance and at the front of this setup is a smaller table with seats for Yima and Kathova.

However, while everyone is arriving, she’s standing at the foot of the tree. She’ll greet everyone who comes, and once everyone is settled, will give a brief speech of welcome: spreading her hands, she invites all gathered to be at peace among their kindred - as all are family among the Zenith. Each soul is connected, holding a crucial piece that will be carried into the new world to come. She understands there are struggles to come, that the road ahead may not be an easy one - but each of them lest but look around them. Do they see the faces of those at their sides...? These are safe hands to entrust themselves in, and she welcomes you as they will welcome you - with open arms. After this, she asks that each of you come to her with your Shard in hand.

When you do, Yima won’t take your Shard from you, but instead just hold her hands over yours. She speaks a Zenite blessing, and then leans down to kiss your Shard. The feeling ripples through you, but it’s not unpleasant. In fact, a sense of peace comes of you that will last the entirety of the night. With a smile, she tells you to enjoy your evening in the moonlight. If you received a Shard from her, she’ll direct you to one of the craftspeople to the side of the courtyard that will fashion a “home” for that Shard. An elegant piece of jewelry, a box, whatever you prefer, and while inside it, it’ll be magically protected. If you didn’t, then she’ll instead direct you to others who will make you a “token”. Much like the barista near the Tomes, give them your Shard, and they’ll create you a custom piece of jewelry or the like that represents your soul. The appearance, of course, is up to the player.

After this, the banquet begins. Gentle music plays in the background, but the focus here is to get to know your fellow Zenite Shard-Bearers. You’ll find a variety of food on the menu, but it’s all quite special, you know at a glance. Whatever your favorite food is, it’s offered at the banquet with your name next to it in parenthesis. This is a bit of a cultural exchange, but there’s also just a little bit of Yima’s more mischievous magic at play. While you eat, the effect is subtle, but you’ll be more open to those you talk with. It’s not so much that you’ll be revealing your secrets or anything of the sort, but just a gentle way to lower those barriers between you.

QIASU (HIGHSTORM)

On December 9th, the marker of the latter half of Takiltu, Kenos comes together to celebrate unity and togetherness, to come together with friends and family, to be kind to others and share in one’s wealth - whether that comes in the form of knowledge, monetary gains, or the exchange of gifts and one’s time. This celebration is an amalgamation of many worlds’ winter festivals, and as such, is known in the two cities as the Year’s End Festival, or Qiasu as Highstorm calls it.

This part of Takiltu is when Highstorm truly starts to hit winter. Snow is a frequent occurrence, but it’s one that the city welcomes, since with the snow comes a few of the most beloved traditions of the city. By far the most popular is heading to Greenwood Yards. The gardens themselves may be either dormant or showing their simpler winter gardens, but you may have noticed an area by the bathhouses left in surprising amount of disrepair… This is because during the winter months, this area fills up with a natural outdoor hot spring! Take a swim under the moonlight, and even explore some of those ruined old manors, now with their first floors warmly flooded. It’s a tradition to bring in your favorite drinks and spend an evening sipping it in a parlor with friends, and to make new ones by sharing your drinks. Of course, do watch out for the ghosts. They’re mischievous more than malicious, but this is their favorite time of the year too!

You can also head to the Great Tree, which is decorated for the season with glittering glass orbs and is the current roost for the pale Moonbugs of Highstorm. Write a wish on a slip of paper and hold out your hands, and one of the Moonbugs will come sit within them. Whisper the wish to the Moonbug and it’ll take the paper and fly away to find someone to fulfill it. Of course, this also means that a Moonbug is likely to come find you! Besides it being good karma to fulfill the wish, you’ll be given a brief vision of the person whose wish you fulfilled and be blessed by the tree for the duration of the month depending upon your Aspect:

• Advocate: People are more likely to buy you meals/rounds and every recipe you make turns out perfectly.
• Exalt: Animals seem to think more kindly of you, and you'll find them much easier to befriend.
• Harbinger: You're given a more silver tongue as your arguments seem to be better at persuading people.
• Iconoclast: You won't be effected by cold weather in any way.
• Savant: You heal much more rapidly from any injury and are generally the very picture of health.
• Stargazer: Your indulgences (whatever they may be) are both easier to find and are of higher quality.

And of course, there’s one more well-known practice in Highstorm, though it’s more of a tradition of Kowloon’s… The Gävle family is a well-known family who has lived in Highstorm for a long time, and they brought a tradition of building a festive Yule goat made straw in the square outside of their businesses. However, it also happens to be outside of Yura Szczepanski’s home. He’ll never do it himself, of course, but if you manage to burn it down? He’ll reward you, obviously. It doesn’t make it any more legal, so those that try generally spend some time in a Highstorm jail, but it’s an enshrined enough practice at this point that not only has it burned down more often than it’s survived, but there’s even a betting pool in Kowloon for whether it survives or not.

Of course, if these traditions aren’t quite your vibe, you’ll also find the city just generally set up for a metropolitan winter. The Antiques & Baubles Market is rearranged to make room for a large ice-skating rink, Tasseography (the coffeeshop by the Tomes) has a seasonal special for a hot chocolate that will fortify you from the cold for a few hours (and make you fire resistant? Weird,), and the city also hosts a full-size gingerbread house that you can indeed take a bite from, to name a few things. Generally speaking, if it’s something you could do in a snowy city at home, you’ll probably find an equivalent somewhere in the city of moonlight.

YEAR'S END FESTIVAL (SPRINGSTAR)

Springstar will never turn down a chance to celebrate, but eternally Highstorm’s opposite, this is the warmest time of year. With the sun always shining, some days can get near sweltering, but that just means you have a different set of traditions to have fun with it!

The ivy-like vines that decorated the city in the beginning of the month (November) are now in full bloom, and you’re now likely to learn why the Meri consider them sacred. Wherever the flowers bloom, they encourage feelings of warmth and slightly higher inclination for physical contact within those that encounter their magical pollen*. Holding hands with someone by the flowers will give you feelings of liveliness and happiness, and for a few hours, the positive traits of the person you’re holding hands with become more prominent in you and vice versa. These effects do linger a bit longer, since for a month, you’ll also find that being around this person also gives you both a little boost in energy. It’s very sweet! This also comes with a bit of a further game, if you’re at all a frequenter of Psychagogía...

Madame Dee’s hosts a very popular competition simply called Kiss Bingo. Approach the booth set-up outside the brothel and touch your Shard to a special card, and names will appear upon it. From there, the rules are simple. Just give that person a kiss! It can be on their hand, their lips, their [redacted], all of it counts, and once you do, a little kiss mark will mark their name out. Get a bingo, and you can pick from a variety of prizes such as a ticket for a week’s worth of visits at a local buffet, a shopping spree at a nearby store, or a box seat for a day at the Coliseum. Of course, if you’re really an overachiever, fill out the whole card to get multiple prizes. Madame Dee might just give you a job!

With the promise of home that the Meri deeply believe in, they have their own gifting tradition. The Shard-Bearers know best that it’s possible to receive gifts from the Timestream, and for Year’s End, it’s tradition for the Tribune to pull out all the stops. For a week of the Festival, the Tribune works just outside of Heliopolis, and with the help of priests from the Church of Helios, reaches into the Timestream to produce a gift for anyone that comes to ask. However, this is a tradition taken with great humor. For one, the Tribune wears a particular costume for the duration, said to be a figure from the first Tribune’s world, but with some tweaks for the hotter climate. And two, this was a tradition started when the city was much smaller. Now that it's such a bustling city, pulling good gifts out of the Timestream gets more difficult. It may not be what you asked for, but Cyrus will still hand over a gift just for you with a laugh and a smile, wishing you a Meri year of prosperity to come. There’s no time to stay and chat, however, since the line is quite long!

On rainy days (or simply the unbearably hot ones), you can also go to Starlight Park, which offers a reprieve from the weather. Inside the dome, you’ll find a idyllic, snowy valley where you can partake in all the natural joys of winter. There’s (highly) competitive snowball fights, sledding, and skiing to partake in, though you might be cautioned away from one slope. Head down that course and about halfway down, you’ll be chased by… a yeti? Luckily it doesn’t seem to be able to harm you, but it’s still shockingly fast and will catch you no matter how quickly you ski. You can also spend a bit of money to rent a yurt along the river for a relaxing and exceptionally cozy glamping experience. Some Yurts are even adorned with the sacred vines. You know, for no reason.

You’ll also find the Meri heading away from the city of Springstar a bit to head down to some of the beaches that surround Springstar. Being an island within an Island (capital ‘I’ meaning the Kenos kind of island), Takiltu is the traditional start of Springstar’s summer season and all the fun that comes with that. The beaches are bustling, but the cool and crystal-clear waters of the ocean surrounding the city make it worthwhile. Surfing, diving, and sailing are popular activities, but just make sure to stay within sight of the shore. It doesn’t take too long to hit the end of the Island and sailing outside the magical barrier that keeps Springstar floating in Kenos’s starscape generally isn’t survivable.

NOTES

Weather summary for the second 30 days of Takiltu (NOV & DEC):

• Highstorm is out of fall and into winter. While there are some milder days, snow (and heavy snow at that!) is getting more common.
• Springstar is hot and humid, and it's not uncommon for brief thunderstorms to roll through in the afternoon.

Notable city changes:

• A new bar has opened in Springstar by the name of Punch Drunk! Located in Psychagogia, it's already seeing good business and Meri seem to especially enjoy people watching on the balcony.

Faction updates:

• Rumors have started to circulate that A Zenite Shard is being held hostage by the Meridian. There's a slight increased tension between Meri and Zenites as a result, but it's still understated. This is a matter that's expected to be negotiated, after all.

CODING

Comments

iii

[cutlery]

[ Each new curiosity of Kenos was one that Sebastian absolutely had to experience for himself. It's an indulgence, in a way, but it was those very indulgences that had slotted him as a Celebrant-now-Stargazer, despite his rather prim and proper personality. And in the latter half of this month, he does find it charming. He doesn't have a strong opinion of preference for weather (his perception of temperature while in human form still needs work, after all...), but he does enjoy the snow. The quiet of it is something he finds rather lovely.

It's what leads him to Starlight Park for a pleasant stroll since even if it's not exactly real... It's certainly convincing enough to enjoy. It also leads him past a certain snow drift that's more on the "outskirts" of the park where there's a bit more exploration than the busy excitement of the sports or even the yurts. Sebastian is a little uncertain at first, and honestly depending on how Liem is stuck in there, he might not even know it's Liem... But there is someone, and that's plenty for Sebastian to approach with a gentle concern in his voice. ]

Ah, goodness... Are you- Do you need assistance?

[sterngaze]

[This has never happened to Liem before.

Fond though he is of creature comforts, and used as he is to the bustle of a large city, Liem still considers himself to be a (usually) capable outdoorsman. He knows how to navigate cliffsides and swamps and the thick tangles of deep forest, all of which he’d ended up wandering at some point or another over his long career as an itinerant inquisitor, back in Taldor. He’s spent many nights wandering roads that were little better than game trails and many days camped in neglected farmlands long since reclaimed by the wilderness. The idea that he would get get himself so hopelessly stuck in a bog or a bramble-filled ditch or some other such hazard would be patently ridiculous.

But he— Well, ok. He underestimated the snow.

Liem did not know that it could build in… piles like this. He did not know that there could be this much snow all in one place. He’d come upon a thicker patch gathered in a trough of land, gotten a little bogged down, and opted to use just a little magic to jaunt up the nearby “hillside” where he assumed the snow wouldn’t be so heavy.

Except, once his magic wore off and his steps stopped being feather-light, the hill revealed itself to be a snowdrift, and he sunk right in.

So far, his efforts to wade back to safer ground have only succeeded in getting him wedged even deeper into the drift. In fact, he still hasn’t located the ground, and he’s a little worried that if he sinks any deeper he might not actually be able to find his way out.

When Sebastian comes upon him mid-thought, he’s more than a little embarrassed.]

I very well might. I think my struggles have availed me all they’re going to.

[cutlery]

Well, then I am glad that I happened to find you.

[ There’s a tiny playful note in Sebastian’s voice, but he’s definitely keeping the full extent to himself as not to be rude. He doesn’t understand the struggle of being from somewhere too warm to encounter this!! Well, ignoring the hell part, but. He does take a few careful steps closer before he starts to sink in as well to get a better look at how Liem is stuck and ends up nodding with a thoughtful noise. ]

I believe can lift you out, but it may be a bit… odd. [ He could explain it further, but he’s also not sure that explaining it really conveys his shadows properly. So, rather than do that, he’ll just opt for an alternative. ] Or I can make a bit of rope? I imagine digging you out would be quite the process...

[ Which he would do, since it’s not like it bothers him, but. He doesn’t think Liem would enjoy waiting for however long that might take. ]

[sterngaze]

[Liem catches the hint of amusement lurking in Sebastian’s tone at coming upon him in this predicament, but he can’t find it in him to be annoyed about it. After all, probably most of the mortal people he knows wouldn’t bother to hide how funny they found his current situation; he can hardly expect better from a demon. Though if anything, Sebastian has been consistently more polite to him than many humans he’s known, including some currently here in Kenos.

Twisting from the waist, he peers around to look up at Sebastian where he’s standing closer to the drift’s edge. He makes a valiant attempt to raise an eyebrow at him, but the effect is mostly obscured by the woolly edge of his hat.]

Is there a compelling reason why “odd” should make me reluctant to accept your help in this instance?

[He’s not sure he likes that word coming from Sebastian, in such a vague context.]

[cutlery]

Ah, not an unfair question…[ He admits it easily, at least ] Do pardon me for being vague. In part, they are simply something I do not know how to explain very well.

[ He nods down towards the snow to direct Liem’s attention there, since Sebastian’s shadow darkens to an abyssal quality before it expands in a thin tendril that curls across the snow. It’s abyssal black and immediately ethereal in a strange, slightly unsettling way. It doesn’t make any impression upon the snow, since it doesn’t have weight, and it moves a bit like water. But as it comes to the edge of where the snow is indented because of Liem, it lifts up from the snow into a sharply whorled curl for Liem to inspect more closely if he wants to. ]

I can lift you out with these shadows of mine. [ …Probably, anyways. Technically, Liem will be the heaviest thing he’s tried to pick up with them since being restricted in Horos, but. No need to have him worry about that! ] They can feel a bit odd, though, which is more why I ask.

[sterngaze]

[Liem looks back down at the snow in time to see Sebastian's shadow deepen, then lengthen in a strange, liquid tendril towards him. He regards the sight a little apprehensively — that's not a normal thing to see a shadow do — and wonders again at the use of the word odd. He wonders in what contexts Sebastian has received such feedback from people, and aborts the thought before it can gain any traction.

Truthfully though, he's not especially worried by this particular revelation. It isn't that he thinks of Sebastian as a tame demon, but if he had a penchant for wanton acts of unprovoked predation, Liem thinks he would have noticed by now.]

I would rather feel odd than remain stuck in the snow for however long it might take to dig free.

[He shuffles one arm around to prod at the tendril with a mittened hand, testing its solidity. Sebastian might notice that when Liem extends his arm to meet the wisp of shadow, no matching shadow extends toward it from his direction. In fact, Liem doesn't seem to be casting any shadow at all.]

If that is the simplest way for you to offer assistance, I have no objection.

[cutlery]

[ The wisp of darkness is definitely strange when Liem reaches out to give it a poke. There’s some solidity to it, but it’s more like touching a film of something than anything more rigid. It gives slightly with his hand, and smaller wisps curl around his mitten and flatten out the detail of it with the depth of the darkness. Overall, it gives a somewhat doubtful impression that it would be able to help pull Liem out, but Sebastian seems fully confident in it. ]

Then at the very least, it should only be momentary. So, pardon me—

[ He shuffles slightly closer, since he does notice Liem’s lack of shadow (an odd thing that he’ll certainly ask about), but that just means using a bit more of his own and those cast by other things. The shadow withdraws from Liem’s hand and splits into quite a few more, seeming to just multiply itself. They dip into the indent in the snowbank that Liem is in, and then up his body from his feet. There’s at first no sensation with it at all, bundled up as Liem is, but as they tighten to get a stronger grip, that’s definitely perceptible through his layers. The pressure is tight, but not uncomfortably so, and rather impossibly for how ethereal they look and feel, he does indeed start to be lifted out of the snow with care.

Where those wisps hold him securely, there are smaller ones that peel off and don’t seem quite as controlled as the primary ones. It’s one of those that eventually brushes over a piece of exposed skin, and that’s where the “odd” descriptor makes more sense. It’s weightless, not really conveying any pressure like those primary ones, but the sensation is almost like cool, running water.

For Sebastian’s part, though, he’s just glad that he can indeed help Liem as he’d promised. He’s a bit slow going out of caution that they might give since he can definitely feel that a person is about the upper limit of what he can pick up with them now. But luckily, the path is brief, and so it only takes a few moments for him to set Liem back down in the snow where it’s much more traversable. With that done, Sebastian gives a small wave of his hand, and as quickly as they had appeared, the shadows turn to a dark mist that dissipates quickly. ]

There we are. Not too terrible, I hope?

[sterngaze]

[Liem is interested to see the shadow extending toward him withdraw, then thicken and split into an entire little forest of umbral tendrils. The view of them sliding noiselessly closer is admittedly a little unsettling, as is the feeling of being slowly constricted — but the feeling never becomes actively uncomfortable, and the slow, painstaking way Sebastian maneuvers him out of the snow suggests that either he is being very careful, or his shadows aren’t strong enough to do much more than this. Either way, he’s doing a good job of making Liem feel unthreatened despite being swathed in a web of animate shade.

Admittedly, he doesn’t love it when one of the smaller tendrils sneaks into the gap between mitten and sleeve and slithers, liquid-like, over his skin. But he’ll just have to live with that.

Finally, he is deposited safely on solid ground and released from his shadowy prison. Liem breathes a small sigh of relief; the snow here doesn’t even come up to his knees. That is much better.]

Exactly as advertised, [Liem says briskly. It was a little odd, yes, but he’s had far worse.] Thank you for your assistance. I’ll make sure to be more wary of these “hills” in the future.

[cutlery]

[ Sebastian nods with another smile that leans towards apologetic, but at least it’s all taken in stride. That experience is rather novel, though before coming to Horos, he wasn’t exactly using them so casually. Or kindly, to be honest, but! ]

Of course. I am glad I happened by.

[ He laughs gently, since now that Liem is unstuck and perfectly fine, he can’t help but to tease, if just a tiny amount. ]

I take it Oppara gets mild winters, then?

[sterngaze]

[This time, when Sebastian laughs, Liem favours him with a rueful smile, aimed over the rumpled barrier of his scarf as he attempts to straighten out his layers and brush off the worst of the clinging snow. He does feel rather silly about wandering so blithely into what now appears to clearly be some sort of snow dune; hopefully Sebastian won’t be moved to mention this particular interaction to any of his other acquaintances.]

Very mild, [he agrees.] Most years it didn’t snow at all. The last time I saw enough snow to actually cover the ground was maybe twenty years ago.

[There had probably been a flurry or two in Oppara in the intervening years — but snow of this kind? Enough to pile up on itself and blow into deep drifts? Never.]

I wonder what the winter is like outside, in Springstar. It might end up being similar, though of course Golarion’s sun set every evening, so it wouldn’t be exactly the same.

[cutlery]

[ Once Liem has readjusted and cleared off the majority of the clinging so, Sebastian gestures from the way he had come where there’s a bit of a pathway made by people treading through earlier. It at least helps assure that they won’t have a repeat, but he makes no further comment on it! Liem’s secret is safe with Sebastian, if only because a minor embarrassment isn’t the sort of thing he gossips about… ]

I would at least guess so, though it is admittedly only that! Horticulture is not one of my strong suits, but it at least seems that most of the plants would not fare well in especially chilly winters.

[ It’s another way in which it resembles Greece, but since they’d essentially chatted about that before, he takes a different route with the conversation. ]

This and Highstorm must be quite the sight, then! This is even a very pleasant snow, though I suppose that should be no surprised here, with how the park apparently works. It would be a waste to pick the bitter, icy sort. [ unless they wanted to run a yurt racket, but, ] I take it that the quiet of nature was more appealing than the sporty activities?

[sterngaze]

The experience is novel at least, I’ll grant that.

[Liem doesn’t know what would make snow that’s bitter and icy any different than the kind that’s currently all over the ground. It feels icy and bitter enough when it works its way between his layers, that’s for sure — although he does have to admit that the look of it dusted in plump layers all over everything is appealing in its own way. And although he can’t stay out here for too long without starting to feel the effects of the cold, the smushy feeling of snow beneath his boots during his walk is rather nice.

Just as long as the amount of snow remains at manageable levels. He heads for the pathway without further prompting, eager to be moving his legs again.]

I’ve no familiarity with winter sports, [obviously,] and “the quiet of nature” is something that is in rather short supply in Springstar. One of my most recent positions back home kept me in Oppara most of the time, but I travelled frequently prior to that, and sometimes I miss the open country.

[cutlery]

Ah, that is true—

[ He nods in light agreement, though it’s with an expression that’s a bit thoughtful. Highstorm had more in the way of natural spaces than the busy and bustling Springstar, but it was merely a city with less need to utilize all space. His thoughtful look is more recognizing that such space would be missed since it wasn’t something he had really thought about here. ]

It is certainly something that Kenos is missing. I had been planning a bit of a journey in Horos to familiarize myself with the wider lands outside of Achamoth, but— [ He waves a hand dismissively as if to say “so much for that” ] It is also admittedly not something I have had much opportunity to do. Those that summon me are generally not predisposed to wanderlust.

[ If you’re the kind of person that summons a demon, you generally have a pretty specific thing you want, and that just also tends to not mean travelling. Not that it was anything Sebastian missed since he was more fond of cities than open country. He found wonder in what humanity created than “Creation” itself, more or less. ]

Were you travelling frequently for work or for pleasure?

[sterngaze]

[It doesn't especially surprise Liem to learn that Sebastian has not done a great deal of travelling, even if he has probably been all over the mortal world he'd been familiar with. Probably he saw a lot of secluded parlours and attics, a fair number of cities, some estates, and the occasional out-of-the-way little hamlet. Horos would have been an exceptional opportunity to do some sightseeing, if they hadn't all been brought here so soon after Sebastian's own arrival.

As for his question… well. Sebastian has known Liem for longer than just five minutes. He could probably guess the answer.]

It was for work. After I finished training at my home temple, I spent many years travelling to visit underserved communities in Taldor's countryside.

[There were many such communities, since Taldor was a large and old country, and much diminished since its glory days some seventeen-hundred years ago. Many parts of it were neglected, badly run and ill-maintained. There was much call for the care and guidance of one of Abadar's priests, and even greater need for the sharp eye and stern hand of one of his inquisitors.]

I probably saw every single corner of the country during that time. [He smiles wryly.] But I never saw snow hills like this, so I suppose I wasn't as well-travelled as I imagined.

[cutlery]

[ He listens with interest, though his smile does tilt a bit knowingly since it is indeed more or less what he expected. So, he similarly can’t resist his first comment. ]

I venture you hear such often, but you are a very dutiful sort, Mr. Talbott.

[ It’s said with faint praise rather than the teasing tone he might have expected, though! It’s a quality Sebastian values, which is why he can be almost a parody of it at times himself… ]

It does sound like your work as a priest would be a bit different from what I would expect from the profession. Naturally, I have not had much occasion to talk to people in that area of work… [ Sebastian gives a little laugh and a shrug ] But largely they are usually educated and then sent to a parish where they very well may stay until they die.

[ Those parishes may indeed be underserved, but they’re also just as likely to be perfectly fine. It seemed to be based mostly on openings, at least from his understanding (though he had never been interested enough to investigate it too deeply). Though naturally, the topic does bring up a larger curiosity. ]

Though, actually, if it is not rude of me to ask... Would you tell me of your faith?

[sterngaze]

I see.

[Liem never said that his work travelling around Taldor was as a priest, but it’s fine if Sebastian thinks that. He prefers that, actually, considering that there are aspects of his job as an inquisitor that he prefers not to discuss with people who might otherwise think of him as a dutiful, law-abiding itinerant cleric.]

I strive to be worthy of that impression.

[All men are fallible, but he takes pride in rewarding whenever possible the trust that people place in him. Getting such trust in the first place was often a hard-fought struggle for him, in the country where he came from.]

It’s not a rude question at all. [He aims a reassuring look Sebastian’s way, perfectly unruffled.] My church served Abadar, who was one of the more prominent deities in the pantheon around my home region, as well as throughout the world. He was the god of cities, law, wealth and commerce, so his churches traditionally provided moneylending and lawyer services at fair rates. In a more general sense, the role of his priesthood was to spread his wisdom and assist the orderly growth of lawful civilization.

[cutlery]

[ Sebastian first smiles and gives a little nod, genuinely glad that the question doesn’t cause offense. It would be fair for it to be taken with a degree of suspicion, considering what he is, but his interest in faith was one of genuine curiosity and essentially always had been. It was the sort of thing that revealed a lot about the culture at large, and indeed, he feels he has a better understanding from Liem’s description. It also makes Liem’s dutiful personality make perfect sense, which is a little tidbit he's lightly amused by. ]

How very interesting. It was not so anymore by 1889, mind you, but the legal profession was very separate from both faith and from wealth when it started in the human realm I know.

[ Which didn’t last that long, relatively speaking, but. It’s definitely an amusing little association to him. ]

Is there something that drew you to the faith? Or was it simply a natural inclination, what with him being prominent in your homeland?

[sterngaze]

[The look that Liem gives Sebastian when he speaks of the legal profession on Earth is keenly interested, as he has a great deal of curiosity for the way his faith's areas of interest were handled on other worlds. In his own country, lawyers backed by Abadar's church were the most trustworthy and often the most reliable. An unaffiliated lawyer was much more of a gamble, though they could sometimes be cheaper.]

In that case, what did the common person seek for assurance that the person representing them was worth their money and their trust? Did another institution govern such things?

[Perhaps there was a secular board that provided such marks of quality. Though Liem is inclined to view Abadar's church as being the most reliable institution to turn to for such matters, he's willing to accept that another well-managed organization could function just as well for the same purpose.]

My introduction to Abadar's church was not my own choice. I was given into the temple's care as a boy, and that is where I received my education. But it was my choice to pursue entry to the priesthood, because I believed in the message of what I was taught and I wanted to share it with others.

[cutlery]

[ Liem’s interest is met with an warm smile since it’s a history he’s happy to explain. He does find it genuinely interesting, and Liem’s questions are fair ones! But since that explanation is a bit long, he speaks to the second topic first in this case. ]

Ah, that was not an unusual path in my world’s churches as well. And you know, for a very long period, it was not too bad a prospect. It was certainly the only way towards education unless you were gentry or more.

[ Ah, the Dark Ages. What a fun time. ]

Though very well before that time, there was no money in legal representation. For several hundred years and before they would be called “lawyers”, there was a bit of a moral idea behind it. A civilized man was one with skill in rhetoric, so he should be able to defend himself was the original precept , but obviously this was a rather idealistic understanding, so it was expanded to be one’s friend. In practice, it just meant that money for a skilled orator was exchanged under the table. It was made more official eventually, but still with a salary cap that was but a pittance. The original assurance was the hope that goodness would shine through injustice more than gold. Again, idealistic, but charming.

[ There’s a warmth to his voice as he says “charming” that speaks again to the odd fondness Sebastian had for humanity. It’s condescending, no doubt, but it seems genuine. At least, in his distant and inhuman way. ]

But eventually, they made their way to the system as it has more or less been for well over a millennium at this point. As law was the governance of the state, so too did the state govern lawyers themselves. Now, mind you, there not insignificant times where the Church was also involved in such matters, but they essentially were the state for several centuries. [ He waves a hand dismissively, so clearly he didn’t consider it important to the overall history of law, simply worth noting as a detail. ] To become a lawyer, a man was first a scholar. They would study the law itself and rhetoric for many years, and once their skills were sharp enough, they were able to apply for the credentials that certified them as competent. If their skills were ever found lacking after, such credentials would be removed, and they could no longer practice their trade. So, in short, the institution that governed representation in court was a bit of a handshake between the state and academia.