RE: The Search for Santinal
06-28-2012, 05:39 AM
Khagash had once been described a puss-filled blister, burst open and exposing its infected filth into the already-diseased mires that engulfed it. Ari felt that such a description was bestowing unwarranted honorifics upon the city-- the swamps were only slightly preferable to the den of crime she now skittered through. Every step through the city caused the precepts of Av'ka to rattle in her mind-- that she was to not tolerate defiance of the law, even when there was little to no law present to uphold. Only a combination of well-practiced self control and years of jading experience kept the paladin from making a brazen-- but ultimately futile-- attempt at vigilantism. The folded slip of paper held between the digits of a chitinous hand helped reconcile the dissonance with her beliefs. It promised a chance to get closer to her duty, a chance to redeem her conviction. The thought of reaching that distant goal helped assuage her dismal failure to help the needy of Khagash.
That was assuming the ant could navigate the city.
While ostensibly built on a foundation of dirt and dredged-out deposits of silt, the need for land had long since outstripped Khagash's supply of solid anchoring, and the city had expanded out into the bog-- developing a dense network of wooden boardwalks and neighborhoods precariously balanced on top of stilts. The edifices and buildings set upon soil, while not as confusing as the ramshackle habitations of Khagash's periphery, were still difficult to move through. Ari could handle complexity-- the ant hives she had grown up in were comprised of numerous labyrinthine layers. But those same hives were ordered, not the sprawling, organic mess that was this city.
The insect paused, unfolding the slip once more. A single compound eye focused on its contents-- a call for adventures, the promise of a compatriot, and a tavern to meet in. Her destination refreshed, Ari once more began to wander through the city, her small size allowing her to quickly navigate and circumvent some of the dangers present. She resented that she could not adorn herself in the armor and regalia of a full-fledged paladin, but the pragmatic desire to remain unnoticed out-weighted whatever pride would be gained from such accoutrements-- and such decorations would show support for a corrupted institution. Ari reminded herself of that fact once again.
It was then that she noticed the tavern advertised. She paused for a moment, taking in the momentum of the occasion-- that after many years, she would have finally gotten a step closer to achieving her goal.
And then Ari entered the Troll's Head.
That was assuming the ant could navigate the city.
While ostensibly built on a foundation of dirt and dredged-out deposits of silt, the need for land had long since outstripped Khagash's supply of solid anchoring, and the city had expanded out into the bog-- developing a dense network of wooden boardwalks and neighborhoods precariously balanced on top of stilts. The edifices and buildings set upon soil, while not as confusing as the ramshackle habitations of Khagash's periphery, were still difficult to move through. Ari could handle complexity-- the ant hives she had grown up in were comprised of numerous labyrinthine layers. But those same hives were ordered, not the sprawling, organic mess that was this city.
The insect paused, unfolding the slip once more. A single compound eye focused on its contents-- a call for adventures, the promise of a compatriot, and a tavern to meet in. Her destination refreshed, Ari once more began to wander through the city, her small size allowing her to quickly navigate and circumvent some of the dangers present. She resented that she could not adorn herself in the armor and regalia of a full-fledged paladin, but the pragmatic desire to remain unnoticed out-weighted whatever pride would be gained from such accoutrements-- and such decorations would show support for a corrupted institution. Ari reminded herself of that fact once again.
It was then that she noticed the tavern advertised. She paused for a moment, taking in the momentum of the occasion-- that after many years, she would have finally gotten a step closer to achieving her goal.
And then Ari entered the Troll's Head.