-PHOENIX COURT 3-
Roleplay from Selenia JeVondair
THE PHOENIX COURT: Part II – Gods and Men
June 1019
The Hall of Elysia was the primary feature about which the entire temple edifice had been planned and built. After ascending the stairs and passing through the great oak doors, she expected to find a foyer or a series of rooms and passageways. Instead, she found herself in an immense cathedral. The Hall was more akin to an amphitheater shaped like an X with its points aligned in the cardinal directions. From where she stood in the entrance, stairs lead down to a central pulpit with a raised dais for speakers to walk and preach and be both seen and heard no matter where one stood. From this central point, seating radiated in concentric circles stepping all the way up to where she now stood. At the top of these circles and even to her current level were four great statues, all with female traits and each set into their own alcoves, with altars at their feet. Selenia thought it strange number for a faith called the Triumverate, and wondered which of these gods had either died or been cast down. The interest was fleeting, however, as the business of the realm weighed heavily on her mind. To her right and left were the northern and eastern alcoves, respectively. The northern alcove featured a statue of a goddess bent with age, while the eastern on seemed the opposite. Across the Hall were the southern and western Alcoves, the former carrying a spear and shield, the latter carrying a sickle. Upon the altars of each goddess, rather than offerings, a feast had been laid out for the guests of the temple. To Selenia’s eye, all seemed equal, and she was about to select where she was going to sit when laughter from behind where she’d left her riders caused her to turn.
Nemean JeVondair Renodin was bounding up the steps after her. Followed by waves and hoot or two from her Fearless. Her features softened into a smile as he drew close. Rather than wait for him to bow or kneel, she went to him and embraced him just as tightly as she had Hogni. “My son†she said after breaking the embrace, “I have missed you lad.†She looked him up and down with a note of appraisal. It had not been so very long ago that she had knighted him, but already he seemed so different! He was growing up before her very eyes. Darkly, she mentally cursed the circumstances that caused it. Hogni placed a firm hand on her shoulder, pushing her a bit, a reminder that he hadn’t seen his brother in nearly as long. Selenia stepped back, and Hogni almost lifted Nemean off his feat, armor and all, in a great bear hug. “Come†she said aloud simply, and turned to enter deeper into the hall with her sons to either shoulder.
It was no surprise to find that Andross Blint had already arrived. He’d watched her as she entered. He looked as if he had been pacing. His face was that dangerous calm death mask that she’d seen on his father’s face on more than one occasion.
“Low, Duke of Blades,†she called in greeting as she extended her arm and crooked a gauntleted finger at him in a “come-hither†gesture. Selenia had chosen to sit with her back to the southern alcove so she could see all who entered. She turned left, passing the eastern goddess on her way. She noted the runes that named this statue as Elysia before moving on to her destination, where she promptly poured herself a flagon of something the local priests had provided. It was a sort of beer, dark amber in color. Then she tore off a baby-wyvern drumstick and sat down to face the pulpit and the entrance. No sooner had she done so did Arbiter Godric arrive. The massive, hawk-nosed old Toren appeared just as fearsome as ever with his huge spear and grave demeanor. She waved him over, hooking a thumb over her shoulder to indicate the food. Selenia had long held that nothing of import should be started on an empty stomach. She contemplated the duke and the judge as they approached. Both men were tied to her family by love and tragedy, for both had loved the same woman, albeit in very different ways, and Selenia felt a deep kinship with them both. Since they were among the first to arrive, they would sit with her.
Selenia rested her elbows on her knees as she alternately at off the dripping drumbstick and drank appreciably from the flagon as she waited.
