Our First Time [Lucca]

[The Jenn]

Vanja shifted in mild discomfort within the confines of the long wooden greeting center. He wore the heavy robes of his station, a blessing in the cold outdoors of the realm and an oven in the indoor common area.

The building resembled nothing so much as an elongated wood cabin, with a fire roaring in the central hearth and a scant handful of people going about their business. Many of them wore darker suits, serving their community on the outskirts and away from the more outspoken opinions of several prominent priests. They could raise their large families in more peace than they might have beneath the Fjords proper. Many of the more important Clubs stationed here could also communicate in some fashion with their brethren further inland. News from the border was rarely slow to the priesthood.

These people all seemed familiar enough with the presence of a very young priest in their midst, barely to adulthood. They would likely see him again soon when he graduated from the first level of the order to the second and began his missionary work abroad. He only had a short time before he was considered for this honor and he anxiously awaited it, while at the same time fretting.

Being trained in the priesthood from youth, he had never left the confines of the Fjords to visit other realms. There was too much to learn in youth, all of it under the guidance of older and wiser Calloo. Seeing other realms walking through the caves was not unusual. All of them had accepted the blessing of the true gods, however, and had placed their faith in Odom. They were already converted.

"Mr. Graeme McDuck" was not. According to his elders, this man had never before set foot within the realm. All the more important that he had a guide, but it left the young rat nervous. He reached carefully overhead and tapped at his burner, breathing in the heavy scent to soothe him before the man arrived.

[Lucca]

They really thought he was crazy for this one. 'They're all nutters,' he was told time and again, or 'they're gonna try to convert you to their religion,' or possibly just 'they'll never agree to a deal with an outsider like you.' Graeme shrugged all the unwanted advice off. There were very few Realms he'd never managed to step even a webbed foot into before. This was one of the few he'd never had occasion to visit before, and so he would take any excuse to change that.

Of course, he couldn't exactly announce that reasoning to the entire company. So he was 'looking to negotiate a trade agreement'. From what he'd read, he wasn't entirely convinced it would go over well. In fact, he was surprised they actually agreed to send him a guide. Looking back, he could never even recall having met one of this Realm in person. Well...that was not entirely true. He saw one once, some sort of travelling...prophet? priest? minster of the faith? Whatever they called them. But only from a distance, and he'd been in far too much of a hurry to stop and listen.

So this would be...interesting, the Duck mused to himself as he came in sight of a long wooden building. Twirling his cane and whisting a bit, he pushed open the door and looked around with mild curiosity mostly concealed by a simple confident air. His guide, he assumed, would approach him shortly.

[The Jenn]

Spending the night in this building meant that Vanja felt perfectly refreshed, and also perfectly restless. He had to fight his nerves and a faint tingle of excitement with every hour that passed. He spent his early morning running his runes through much-practiced motions in his hands and talking to one or two of the people who worked in the building.

When the door opened and a flash of gold and red and blue caught his eye, he shifted his body to the right and caught his first sight of a true outsider to the Fjords.

Bright. Insanely bright, and very exotic. He had seen a Highlander before, yes, but this man seemed to radiate all of the confident vanity his parents had spoken of. The only black on his person was artificial, the detail on his hat and his cane. And the little detail on his outfit. 'M'? For his name? In black? How unsettling.

The rat stood slowly, making sure that all of his adornments were in order and putting out the burning incense with a practiced motion before approaching the man. "A blessed day to you, sir," he said politely, tucking his hands against his middle. "May the light of the gods shine down upon our meeting. My name is Vanja Lacković. You are Mr. Graeme McDuck?"

[Lucca]

Graeme was certainly surprised to see the mysterious inhabitants of this Realm. Most surprising of all was how...plain they looked. Their garments were modest colors, there fur was in simple shades of black and white...it was nice, but he felt like he stood out a bit. Of course, that failed to bother the vain Duck, and he stood straight and smiling as one of the men approached him. Was he wearing some sort of...burner on his head? How eccentric. Graeme liked him already.

"And good day t'you as well, lad. Aye, that's me name." He hesitated, unsure what the custom upon meeting was here. Vanja didn't seem like he was extending his hand for a shake, so the Duck merely nodded politely. "Ah appreciate you coming out to meet me." He folded his wings and walked a bit further into the room, so he wasn't blocking the door. Not that he'd seen many other travelers on the road, but it was only polite, just in case.

[The Jenn]

Vanja stepped back into the room to allow the foreigner room, the chill wind coming through the door almost welcome to him in his heavy robes. Still, everyone else breathed a small sigh of relief when the wind abated.

Much as the rat could speak Common fluently, his speech came out overly formalized and with a noticeable accent. Someday he hoped to speak the other languages as readily as he could read them. A Diamond's suit would have been welcome in his life, and for more reasons than the red mark.

"The priesthood would not wish for you to be lost in our realm. That is why this building exists. Would you care for some rest and refreshment before continuing further into the Fjords? Or is it your wish to head out straightaway?"

While he would have preferred to depart within moments, he knew that the duck must have been traveling for a goodly while, rather than tucked away inside. He fully expected to spend several more hours in the warmth of the building.

[Lucca]

Graeme closed the door as soon as he was far enough inside, though the wind was not as bothersome to him with his jacket. And, of course, his down feathers were fairly good insulation against the cold. Compared to travelling in the mountains, this was nothing. The Duck himself spoke with a noticeable accent that tended to get thicker when he lost his temper...which was more frequent than he'd like, really, but sometimes other people were just infuriating!

He hadn't been on the road for as long as the Rat might suspect, and that combined with the fact that he was a seasoned adventurer meant he was also anxious to be on his way. But since it had been offered...he paused, leaning on his cane (which was more for show than comfort, although his right knee sometimes ached from an old injury). "Ah believe a cup o'tea would be most welcome, if that could be arranged. But ah should nae need a lot of rest." He chuckled a bit, sharp eyes gleaming. The formalness of the other man's common didn't bother him; he was used to speaking in such a manner for business.

[The Jenn]

"Tea. Of course. If you make yourself comfortable in front of the fire, I will make the residents aware of your need." With a polite dip of his head that lightly rattled the incense burner, Vanja turned and walked away.

A few moments and a few quiet conversations brought him back to the duck, who would have been left in peace by the handful of other people in the building. A man came out moments before the rat and hung a pot carefully to the side of the fire where it would heat, and also brought two mugs with bundled leaves. Then he withdrew, offering a polite nod to the Highlander as the guest of the priesthood but giving him no special regard besides.

As he approached, he silently cast an ability that he had practiced numerous times on believers... but that he had never yet used on a heathen. With an excited hitch to his breathing, he watched as the man's aura became apparent to him on approach.


Moderate Ability: Once a week, he is able to perfectly read another Card's aura to see if they are at all suceptable to his willingness to teach them about Odom. He will see their capacity for spirituality... even if it's a different religion... if they believe in something then they have the abiltiy to believe in the true Gods, do they not? The aura appears in various colors; the darker the color, the less of a chance he knows they have. If he has absolutely NO chance of converting them, their aura will appear to be black. He will find this to be morbidly terrifying and may even run from them.

To the Owner: What would you gauge as his aura's depth of color?
Converted Believer - Highly Spiritual - Moderately Spiritual - Casually Spiritual - Skeptical Agnostic - Spiritually Embittered - Militant Atheist

[Lucca]

Returning the Rat's polite dip with one of his own, Graeme settled into one of the chairs with a sigh. He set his cane beside the chair and put his feet up, letting his eyes slip half closed, though he was far more aware of the other occupants of the room than he appeared to be. He wasn't too bothered that they didn't pay him much mind. After all, he'd been to Solandria (once) and Tulgey (twice, with a guide both times, of course) so he had recived much colder receptions. (Literally, in the case of the Solandrians...he'd never expected to be thrown out into a snowdrift, somehow. It wasn't an experience he'd care to repeat.)

He nodded absently back to the man who set up the teapot, rousing himself a bit to look at the tea leaves that had been selected. It didn't seem to be a variety he was familiar with, but then the only time he ever made his own tea was when he was roughing it on some adventure or another. He was still pondering the tea upon Vanja's return, and so did not at first notice him. Of course, if he had it wouldn't have changed anything...since the ability was so discreet. Graeme's aura would appear to the Rat as a slightly dark grey. The Duck had seen far too much in his life to think he knew everything about the universe, but on the other hand, he'd never seen any evidence that a higher power was mucking about in mortal affairs, either.

((he registers as Skeptical Agnostic on that scale. <3))

[The Jenn]

As the subtle glow appeared around the duck, Vanja's claws dug into the edge of his robe and he had to sincerely fight with himself not to react.

A true heathen. It was so dark, at least compared to anything he had ever seen before. He wondered how he should judge that? Surely it wasn't the darkest color possible - that would likely be black, if it held true to type - but it was the darkest he had ever personally witnessed. He would have to gently probe the man to find out what it meant.

He relaxed his hands and tucked them close again, moving carefully back to his seat with an eye for the kettle. It was near to boiling, hopefully. "Sir," he murmured politely to announce his return.

How to approach it so that the man would be most likely to answer...? "I have a brief question, if the subject does not sit ill with you. I have had very limited interactions with those of your realm at this point in my life. Gods willing, this will change within the next year. My studies have encompassed many realms, however, and their customs. I find myself prompted to ask if you subscribe to the Highland religion in any sense."

[Lucca]

Graeme looked up, finally, at the quiet murmur, and he smiled at Vanja as the other man sat down. He crossed his legs and settled his hands across his chest, lacing his fingers together. As long as they were going to be here for a bit, he may as well make himself comfortable. He chuckled slightly. Most Cards, he knew, were glad not to make the acquaintance of many Highlanders. They tended to be a rather difficult Realm to deal with sometimes. And though Graeme liked to think he judged others less on their Realm and more on their own merits and their worth ethic, he did have a bit of Realm pride, for both of his Realms, and so he knew he was as guilty of that as anyone.

He nodded to show Vanja he was fine with him asking questions. Ah, so he was asking that. Interesting, and it made sense given that the Rat was obviously a highly religious man. "Oh, aye, I was raised with it," he began, carefully. "But..." He paused, studying the Rat over his spectacles. He didn't want to offend his host, but at the same time he didn't want to lie, either. Finally he shrugged. "Ah don't pretend to know whether or not there's a higher power, some sort o'God or otherwise. There's a lot o'things in this world beyond my ken, and one thing Ah've learned is t'nae discount anything as impossible. But Ah've never seen any evidence of a God. The good things that come t'me, are by my own hands, and the bad ones are me own fault, or else the workings of another man against me."