Well of the Watcher

The Sacred well supposedly created by their goddess, The Watcher, several thousand years ago, this spring of water has become the spiritual center of Diarmid.

This underground well is one of the only places in all of Cathmhaoil actually capable of sustaining water and this makes it vital for the survival of Diarmid's people. They would sooner die than surrender it to anyone. 

The water is naturally pure and untarnished, flowing with all the nutrients needed for healthy living. 

It is believed that the honored warriors of the past live at the bottom of the well as guardians of it. 

Because of it's importance both spiritually and practically, it is considered a great honor to visit it. Almost no outsiders have ever seen it or even stepped foot in it excepted guest who have ever been loyal allies to Diarmid for many years or war heroes who have saved Diarmid from a great disaster.

"This... Reminds me of home."

She stared in wonder, remembering images of the underground network with Fierre, exploring caves with her shapeshifter friends. They had been incredibly kind to the daywalker, and she now realised how much that kindness had kept her morale through her torture. Shed known they'd rescue her eventually.

"I could not envision a place so beautiful underground." Annelise wondered if the water was safe to drink fresh, bending down to examine it.

She looked to Degar for comment. "I assume not many are allowed here?" She thought it would be far more busy

"Oh Watcher no." He assured her, "this place, this sacred place is one only the most revered may enter."

"Luckily for you, my clan is one who's deeds are honored throughout the ages." He recalled with a very convulted mixture of both Pride and disgust. "Some of us want to earn it, others are content living off of their valor, like leeches."

"what honourable deeds has your clan done?" She sat down on a rock, stretching her battle robe over her knees to keep them warm. "Perhaps I could tell you about my Father, too." Not many had heard the story of the Raven's caring side.

Degar appeared pleased by her interest, "very well."

He cleared his throat and readied the story in his mind, as though the act of poorly telling the tale was akin to treason, "many years ago, my forefathers made up an elite group of warriors. Ra Division they called themselves, named for the mythical creature that's said to live in the wastelands."

"Now, understand that these were very different times. Diarmid was a vast, far reaching empire back then and it seemed like no force throughout the realms could challenge us. And Ra division was the best unit during those days."

"The sacking of the Stricken Kingdom, the rescue of our lord emperor from assassination, the bombardment of Joligoh. All them." He told her without any shortage of pride. "Some of Diarmids greatest victories are linked back to them. And there's more than just those listed..."

He pointed to his branded forehead, "this mark is more or less a symbol of honor here, a step below the high priest and the emperors of course. Some choose not to display it but I do." 

"But like I said, this brand is akin to royalty. So some in my family stay content with just riding on our ancestors glory and achieve none for themselves."

"They are fools. The Watcher warns against the sin of stagnation and I shall not join their fate in Plulga when they die..."

She was captivated by his words, blinking in astonishment at his clan's achievements.  "That's... amazing. I believe you will be a worthy successor to your family." She smiled warmly at him. 

"But do you not think your brandishing makes you a target? Most people do not choose to be targeted, like me." Annelise pointed to her paper-white skin and meek expression. "Is it not better to work from the shadows with the element of surprise?" 

The Ravensworn girl had not wanted to reveal all her cards so early in Diarmid, for the reason that the Diarmidian's could have betrayed her and exploited her weaknesses. She had also heard of war from Kastanika, worried that her life here was more fragile than a Dhampir in daylight.

He grunted with a grateful smile, "Thank you..." However the second bit contorted his face into revulsion.

"Let them come. I prefer straightforward fights anyway." Boldness, fire in his stomach, pride, strength... no finer specimen of a young Diarmidian could be found in the lands.

"But now, the tale of the Raven..." He leaned against the stone walls, listening intently. The ways of the outside world were quite foreign to him. Following their defeat in the rebellion with the other realms, Diarmid was forced into an isolationist state to regain their lost strength. Some believed this got them back to their roots and made them new while others thought it was their manifest destiny to sweep through the realms and conquer all under the sun.

Degar admittedly was undecided on that front, the most atypical trait he had for an otherwise perfect Diarmidian. But he was eager to learn more about the world beyond the wasteland.

She nodded, accepting that her way of fighting was vastly different to the Diarmidian's. Being an isolated state themselves, Kastanika was very swift and stealthy in their actions.

"I suppose you won't know how our city is comprised, so I'll give you a little context." She then spoke very quickly. "Kastanika is split into three factions; the daywalkers, the shapeshifters and the Dhampirs. I am a daywalker who used to work for the shapeshifters, but now they consider me one of their own." She offered with a smile, before continuing.

"Within the shapeshifter faction we are split further into how we change. We have clans of pack animals, lone animals, flying and underground animals. The Raven was part of the aviansie clan, since he could fly, but he was far stronger than any shapeshifter."

Her smile broadened. "The Raven could summon physical wings from the strength of his will; They were practically indestructible. When outsiders neared our borders, he scared them off by flapping his wings. The power unleashed from them was staggering, and used to knock any opponent down" 

"Only the most powerful of the aviansie clan bears the title of The Raven, but it became immortalised under him. The next strongest is now the Ravensworn - me." She pointed to herself. "He believed that one day I would be able to summon the spirit wings he had developed, but I am just a daywalker." Annelise considered it physically impossible.

"He used to be able to summon animals to aid him in battle, even turning tamed beasts against their owners. I could do that too, but it drains me far more than it ever did to him." She saw herself as weak compared to her father, her body unable to cope with the energy she could muster because of him. 

"Fierre is the leader of all the clans in Kastanika, but my father was the greatest shifter of all time. At least that's what they would say."

These people are so powerful...

Degar had never imagined such persons could exist. All Diarmidians were human and while some were Ignited and they were generally gifted with great endurance and strength, they were only human. Imagining meeting one of these shapeshifters and seeing them in action made him wonder what other sights he's not seen. 

"You must be a very proud people. Especially if this Raven is half of what you say he is. Just from what you can do I can't imagine how grand he must've been."

"I'm sure you'll surpass him one day you know."

A thought came to mind, an odd thought he had no idea why it sprung to mind but he felt no harm in asking, "Do you know if the Raven ever met a man named Ríalanna?"

"I couldn't tell you, honestly." she admitted, considering it. "He left the city a lot, even though we have been on official lockdown until now. Being who he was, he could go where he pleased." Annelise chuckled to herself.

"I don't know why, but it sounds familiar. Maybe he mentioned it to me in passing." She clasped her hands together and thought for a second.

"I know the shapeshifters are rather...extraordinary, but we have our weaknesses. The Raven was one of a kind, and I seem to have adopted some of his traits. But I am as human as you are, and the shapeshifters are only strong when we are united. The different clans cover each other's weaknesses, usually." 

Annelise appeared almost solemn at hearing his words. "I wish I could surpass The Raven, but even now I stand in the shadow of his legacy." Being here had meant she had been judged on her own merit, rather than being left alone because of her adoptive family.

"Only time will tell. Even Ríalanna The Great had to learn to use a blade once." Degar knew he probably wasn't the best with words, but he was making an attempt.

"He was the greatest of us. He along with Deocroa founded this village and to date none here have been their equal..."

"A bit like The Raven for the shapeshifters then." She offered with a smile. "who was Deocroa?"

"He was the the first of the two emperors, the pair of them establishing the two emperor tradition. One represents the most powerful of the Ignited, the other the strongest of the Emberless."

"This it was and always will be..."

She nodded, considering her place in Diarmidian society. "Do you think I'll ever meet the emperors?" Annelise briefly wondered if all of the strongest had been men, but it was not her place to ask. In Kastanika, gender was not a limit on a person's mental strength. In fact, most leaders had been women until Fierre ascended. 

"They seem like people I'd only hear about in tales and newspapers, but I'd like to chat with them." She believed she had a lot to offer to the Diarmidian people, thinking her mental resilience would empower them.

"Newspaper?" The young warrior gazed at her in unblinking confusion.

"One does not simply see the emperors. Would you send a whelp to meet a god?" He challenged. "You must prove you're worthy of the emperors presence to speak with them." Merit and deed was more valuable than currency in this volcanic empire. 

"What would you even say to them?"

I always thought monarchy was a Dhampir thing.


"A newspaper is a way of communicating in print - in Kastanika we have the birdhouse bugle." Which was considered ironic, for the Aviansies were notorious for boycotting and never reading it.

"I thought the emperors would like to interact with the people they rule over, that they protect and serve in a way that we protect and serve them. There is no hierarchy in Kastanika."

She simply saw it from a perspective of someone who found it unusual, rather than someone trying to offend. If however Annelise ever spoke to the  emperors, she would warn them of war. Fierre had informed her of rising tensions, but the potential of the news making her a hostage in Diarmid was too high a risk, the shapeshifter had thought.

"They serve as the pinnacle to what all of us should aspire to be. They rule by example, not cuddling." He corrected her. 

"Here, everyone is focussed on their own strength and developing it. Be it personal, financial, political or any other form, power is what all strive to achieve here. Does not a strong people form a strong culture?"

"If we relied solely on the emperors for strength, we'd be no better than the Stricken Kingdom..."

"That's not what I meant." She sighed, understand what he said but unsure how to explain herself. "In Kastanika, the leaders live amongst us, like other ordinary citizens. We embolden them, and they embolden us, it's like a mutual exchange of courage which is only positive. Anyone could speak to the leaders if they requested their presence."

"I believe what you say, and I agree, but the leaders just don't live separately to us Daywalkers in Kastanika. It creates a bond that no foe could break, our unity is our greatest asset."

Degar grunted, nodding his head. The ways of foreigners were quite different. It made him wonder if Diarmid was revolutionary in their approach or just behind the times.

OOC Want Annelise to meet Polidus? :3

Ooc yesss

Ic "sorry." She blanched. "I didn't mean to be rude, i guess all we've ever known are our home cities."

"These are new ideas." He admitted, "I need to think on them." Degar shrugged. It wasn't opposed to new concepts, provided they were functional. But after years of hearing the same ideologies, it was hard to grasp new things.

Just then war drums could be heard faintly echoing in the cavern. Stepping down upon them was the frail high priest, returning from his voyage to Kastinika. He would deem the trip successful when he relied it to his emperors as he did manage to get at least one faction to their side. The rest he needed to come up with some kind of stratagem to get them to the same page as well. 

But such could wait. For now, he merely wanted to clear his spirit in the blue magma. And he was more than a little surprised to see two acolytes down with him, "Great Watcher," He stated in astonishment. The many times he frequented the well, he was typically alone or at maximum only the priest deemed worthy of drawing and providing the blue magma to the village were down with him.

"My apologies, I didn't know in here was occupied." He humbly pardoned himself.

Degar turned to him and he fell to one of his knees, "High Priest Polidus, forgive us if you are displeased..."

Polidus smiled and shook his head, "Child, please. Ones seeking spiritual cleansing are never worthy of my displeasure." He took note to the markings on his forehead, "Especially from a clan as distinguished as yours..."

He gaze turned to the new face. She clearly was not from Diarmid, and she fit the description given by Fierre to a T. Could the Watcher have arranged this most fortuitous meeting? He did wish to speak to her but never did he imagine that one of his impromptu whimsies would suit that agenda. 

'The Watcher guides me.'


"And you, must be the outsider that became an acolyte..." Polidus greeted and extended his frail, bony hand to her shoulder, "How inspiring your tale must be for it to have been woven to me all the way from your homeland..."

She blinked at Degar's demonstration of respect, carefully offering a bow to the High Priest. His name appeared familiar, and not just from Fierre. He must've been the emissiary who foretold war, appearing to have chosen the Dhampirs over her people. Maybe he just didn't know any better...

"I did not realise my people spoke of me. I hope I will live up to your expectations." Her pale lips creased into a smile, blonde hair falling in front of her face like a curtain. 

"I hope my being here will enable our cities to understand more about each other."

"That is my hope as well." He gave her a grandfatherly smile, but one laced with regret, "I may have accidentally offended some of your people when I went to meet them."

"Please know that was not my intent by any means and I'm hoping to find a way to mend that fence..."

"Perhaps the two of us could aide each other..." He offered.

"Of course." She returned his smile, recalling what she had heard from Fierre. "The leader of the Kas- I mean shapeshifters, is Fierre. He said he watched you leave the Council's castle. He was under the impression that you had given them weapons intended to maim our people, since the Council appeared very pleased."

She struggled to stop her lips forming into a thin line, knowing that what she'd heard was almost entirely speculation. The lack of solid evidence caused her to reconsider what Fierre had said.

"But Fierre would not fearmonger unless he believed it to be true. We Kastanikans want to avoid war at all costs, since our conflicts with Dhampirs have cost the city so much already. But peace does not seem to be natural between the Dhampir and Shapeshifters." Although she was a friend to the shapeshifters, Annelise tried to consider herself as neutral as possible as a Daywalker.

"If you have given them weapons - that's fine. It depends on what substance they are. And you didn't mean to do it." She seemed to remain calm even though there was the chance that the High Priest had unintentionally tipped the scales far into the favour of the Dhampirs.

"Oh dear...' His smile faltered, "I wish I had been more diligent in my study of your land before making such brazen movements." 

His tone grew soft as the drips of water that fell into the pools below, "You see, we're involved in our own war, one not entirely open to all the realms yet but soon will be." The gravity in the situation couldn't be understated. "The only thing that prevents open warfare is the assurance that we would win. Please know that needless conflict has no honor in it."

"My emperors can be a bit more..." he chose his words carefully. Although he had a direct connection to their goddess, insulting an emperor on any level was worthy of execution no matter the status of the offender. "temperamental than I and as their advisor, they charge me with ensuring to do what is best for Diarmid."

"Our might may be unmatched but I prefer to be completely certain. So I made a trip to your homeland and offered a deal with them to help facilitate an alliance should we require as I had done a few other realms."

"It would appear I had made a slight miscalculation in my arrogance. I shall be praying for repentance after this..."