You have been taken by the Mists

Author Topic: The Exil - Ailne Niven of Touraine  (Read 1885 times)

ASymphony

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The Exil - Ailne Niven of Touraine
« on: October 30, 2017, 12:55:07 PM »

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I decided to spend the night in the Broken Bell for once, less flooded with those denizens of other places outside this world, which, all in all, makes it a lot quieter. I get the occasional odd look, my fair skin, blonde hair and blue eyes giving me away as an outsider easily enough. Outlander I am often called and I suppose it is true enough, I am not off these lands, not even from the core. Yet my own homelands, Nidala in the Shadowlands are in some aspects not too different from Barovia. Forests, mountains, wilderness. Still, my homelands were saver, no monsters scoured the nights, driven off by the Knight Protectors forces. Of course, that was merely a different kind of dread, in lieu of literal ones, the Knight Protector created her own in form of her suffocating laws.
But that lies behind me now. The lands of Barovia have displayed a multitude of dangers. I encountered ghouls, vampires and countless minor undead. A few of these encounters have led to a good amount of coin spent on financing the local inns. Best to forget these things and drown them in a sea of alcohol. I have made some acquaintances of various kinds and gotten to know the local selection of outcasts. Some capable warriors, mages, priests, others blind to danger and often only serving to feed the ever-growing graveyards. Some have their hearts in the right place, others only united with us through circumstance, likely the only reason they are not joining the dark forces being that they would not accept them in their ranks.
I recently started to learn how to work the prayers of my god, I am not overly apt with them yet, but might be in time. I doubt I'll become a priest any time soon but it might be enough to help me with my tasks.
It will be necessary if I want to have even a hint of a chance to fight the powerful creatures that threaten all of us. So far, I can serve as a minor distraction. And that will simply not do
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ASymphony

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Re: The Exil - Ailne Niven of Touraine
« Reply #1 on: October 31, 2017, 09:52:09 AM »
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Spending the night in Krofburgs Wandering Billy has given me ample time to think. Since none of my usual acquaintances or traveling companions are about, I decided to take the time to write down some of my thoughts. The last night when we drank with Mihai in his mountain home gave me a lot of fodder. The silver changed the ways of these people, that is undeniable. They suffer from earthquake and the recent tide from undead. But even without these things, life here is not and likely never will be quite the same. Men like Mihai prefer their life as it was, simple, quiet and in his own way happy. Or at least content. The mining is changing things. And that makes him unhappy. I wonder how many like him are out there.

ASymphony

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Re: The Exil - Ailne Niven of Touraine
« Reply #2 on: November 03, 2017, 11:54:20 AM »
Scribbled into Ailnes diary is what is purported to be one of the last drinking song in Nidala, shortly before both drinking and song were outlawed:

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When the last rider comes home from battle he wrought we all raise our glass, one final time!
When the last rider comes home from battle he fought, we all raise our glass, one final time!

For we all know that the battle is lost and so we drink, one final time!
For we know what comes when the rider has passed and so we drink, one final time!

The last rider brings the news, of what is known, one final time.
That each song will be sung only one final time!

And so we sit here, deep in the night, lifting our glass, one final time!

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Mihai - The Man of the Mountains
« Reply #3 on: November 03, 2017, 10:04:46 PM »
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We won a war. Yet many, me included, can not say we are happy. The final battle, all of us made it alive. And yet. It all seems wrong. So wrong. Its unfair, of course. When has life ever had a tendency to be fair after all?

I remember the last blow I gave him before another took him down. I struck hard, I remember the silver coated steel cutting deep into his flesh, his blood on my coat. It felt so wrong. Every fibre of my being seemed to scream out against this injustice. Yet I did it nonetheless. I liked the man. And I participated in his death.

I suspect, at least in part, he wanted it this way. Deep inside him he probably knew his fight was futile, that Bellegarde would continue on one way or another. And after reading his diary, I suspect that he sought us out for his own death.

I am sorry, Mihai, my friend.

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Re: The Exil - Ailne Niven of Touraine
« Reply #4 on: November 05, 2017, 09:40:00 AM »
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I hear that it is over now, that Zeno is dead, for good. I did not see the final fight and in some ways, I do not regret that. As much as I may have felt relief to witness his end, in others, I think some distance to the matter will do me good. For I need to consider closely where to go now. The end of Zeno means the end of some temporary alliances, though hopefully not to friendships made.
Where will I go next? Once, these sort of questions did not exist for me. Once, the answer was to wherever I was commanded to. Then the answer was, far away. Then, it was where my loyalties needed me. Now, I am not bound by any of these things. There are no particular dire threats I need to lift my blade against for now. Of course the lands are still numerous, many a thing that likely needs a blade to be wielded against. Which begs the question as to what I will do with my temporary freedom. Will I become some mercenary, putting my blade and talents to service for another cause I do not believe in? Will I simply take odd jobs, continue to wander the Core without much intent or destination? Will I collect wealth to sit on till the end of my days? Or will I find something else?
Only time will tell.
There is an inkblot on the page, as if the writer had paused for a while. The next words seemingly written after the page had been hastily dried.

I am Ailne Niven of Touraine. I will endure. I will do what I believe is right.

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Re: The Exil - Ailne Niven of Touraine
« Reply #5 on: November 07, 2017, 11:50:18 AM »


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Its all over now. Our final enemy - for now that is - gone, her remains scattered. I am free now, my own obligations no longer binding me. Maybe I need to find a new one. I realize that I am not one for a mercenary life. Changing loyalties, primarily working for coin, it does not appeal much to me. I need to find greater purpose. But I will also need to choose carefully. Once I chose the wrong cause. I will not do so again.
My friends are leaving the country and I will admit, my heart aches. I saw them all enduring the worst and I regret that we did not get the time to know each other better. Still, I do wish we will have one day the opportunity to amend that, that one day I will learn more about them. Whatever else might happen, I will not forget them. In the meantime, I have some more work to do, I have a project I would like to complete.
I wonder if it will change anything. If so, likely not much. But I think one of the lessons I learned is that even a little bit can make some difference sometimes at least. And maybe, that is the best we can hope for.

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Re: The Exil - Ailne Niven of Touraine
« Reply #6 on: November 08, 2017, 09:05:58 PM »
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Sitting here in the Wayfarers Lodge, as it was described to me, faintly listening to their conversations makes me feel a little odd. It is neither too similar to the clandestine meetings in various locations that I recently had to do, nor the militaristic structures of my former employment. It has something homely, even if I am not, maybe not yet, a part of it. I suppose time and another talk or two will tell in time.
I wonder where they are now, my friends. Are they even still in Barovia? I still remember this day we spoke.

What they said. And it stuck in my heart. That we need to part struck unexpectedly deep. It hurts to think off.

I have the time now to allow myself these emotions, nothing is required of me now, so I can give into them. Even though we only knew each other so shortly, they burned themselves into me deep. I know why. Some things do that.

Until we meet again, my friends.

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Re: The Exil - Ailne Niven of Touraine
« Reply #7 on: November 26, 2017, 08:45:33 AM »
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I believe many underestimate what makes a good spotter. The skill is, at least not exclusively, so much about looking at things and learning how to differentiate color patterns to recognize a sneaking thief in front of a wall, but to a large degree about understanding what one sees. This skill also comes into play in other situations. And so I watch a lot, even subconsciously.
A lot of the things I was afraid I'd see, did not come to pass. Yet I fear this may be due to different reasons then I'd have imagined. And I wonder if this will not pose a bigger problem in the near future. I will need to find out if my theory is correct, idle speculation is not a good thing and ultimately only leads to a slew of other issues. Hence a test is needed. I believe I have an idea of how to conduct them.
Which leaves me with the question of what I'll do if I am correct? Will I just leave it alone and start looking for other avenues? Will I try to fix the issue? Can I fix the issue? Should I fix the issue?

No matter. I feel like I put these thoughts primarily down to free my own mind of them, little good they do like that. On more concrete matters, my time with the Wayfarers and in particular with Medea have been quite learning. And while she and I have certain disagreements on philosophy, I found her sense of companionship admirable and I will certainly not forget her kindness, even if I disagree with her at times.
Beside her, I have only met a handful of others on a regular basis. I think that should be changed at some point, knowing on whose side I fight in depth is quite important I believe. I will seek to change that.
[/shadow]

ASymphony

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Re: The Exil - Ailne Niven of Touraine
« Reply #8 on: February 01, 2018, 09:30:19 AM »
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I am unsure if I found what I sought. This, after all, is not why I stayed in Barovia. In retrospect, looking at the sheets of paper containing the notes on my investigation, I have to question my time spent doing just that. They are meaningless now, my goal, even through different ways then I intended to and without my doing, have been achieved anyway. Still. My time was not used to fight the darkness, but on efforts to remove those who sabotaged us.
I miss the feeling during that one week, where those I worked with all kept our common goal in mind, fighting the dark was the overriding all important objective. I have found this not with many. One I do find this in is Agnès however, her heart is with the cause and I am not sure I have ever seen her be focused on anything else as much and that I admire. I suppose in a sense I found this examplified when last, it was only the two of us out there to face the dark with none else responding to her call.

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Re: The Exil - Ailne Niven of Touraine
« Reply #9 on: March 18, 2018, 07:31:05 PM »
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I believe in many things. Some of my believes in the past have proven untrue, others true. The one believe that I, above all, think is unwavering and correct is this. We only truly know who and what we are when it comes to the extremes. Where there is wiggle room, we may take an unpleasant path for later rewards.

I now know how far I am willing to go to do what I consider right. I now know if it comes down to it, I am indeed capable of sacrificing myself if I must, even if a fate worse then death awaits me. Having this true knowledge is odd in a sense. It comes with implications I am only slowly growing aware off, particularly when combined with some other realizations I had not too long ago.

With this, I carry responsibility for others and I wonder how I will unite this realization with that responsibility. Though I suspect, whatever happens and even if I do end up sacrificing myself, I think she would understand.

At times, a part of me thinks, it may be this very quality above all that attracts me to certain people.

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Re: The Exil - Ailne Niven of Touraine
« Reply #10 on: May 02, 2018, 08:31:07 PM »
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The fight continues once more. Another mistake made on our, my part. Shouldn't have let her go. Stupid. Well, no point in lingering on this, I need to move on. We need to move on. Entrusting ourselves to the Vistani, what could possibly go wrong?

I do not like the very name of our destination - in fact, even knowing that it is unlikely that I'll even encounter anyone who as much as speaks my language, I am unwilling to write it down. Still. I will keep my word, given as my sister and I sat out in the rain in the grimy streets of Vallaki. Whatever its price might be.

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Re: The Exil - Ailne Niven of Touraine
« Reply #11 on: June 25, 2018, 06:08:14 AM »
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Months passed, nothing happend. Marielle is gone, her paths taking her to distant places once more. Who can say if and when we will meet again? I have traveled to distant Port-A-Lucine, a city one barely notices, is at war - if it weren't for the occasional minor riot. I suspect if this goes on long enough, it is just a matter of time until minor riots grow into large scale ones.
Agnès and I had much to speak about. Somehow I do not feel much different. Which all things considered, is probably odd. I likely should feel more. But all I truly have is concern for her and for the people. An odd thought. I will likely stay a few days longer before I return to Barovia - on another mission.