Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
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Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 16:31:33 GMT -6
 Tèarlach / 'Terry'Stamina: 3
Strength: 3
Resistance: 3
Dexterity: 4
Mentality: 3
Special Abilities: Pack Instincts, Super-Luck
Moves: Bite
The sphinx had been visiting the quest board for some time now, having made it something of a habit. The board had presented various opportunities in all that time, from fighting eldritch undead and overgrown gardens, to something as simple as sitting around to watch a play. Sometimes people needed help with tasks, other times they've lost things that needed retrieval.
That latter part was a popular one, to be sure. Even so, when she read one of the most recent notices on the board, the seemingly innocent-looking request seemed to take a bit of a.. darker turn. Once all the dots were connected together.
But it was still a job, and a job for a small child more-so, even seeming one that most appeared to have neglected, and so here she was, at the gates of a cemetery of all things, with a pup by her side for company. This could prove to be an.. interesting day.
(1)
Tèarlach: 4 (1/5) |
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
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Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 16:31:56 GMT -6
Now, in all fairness, the cemetery shone a might bit different in her perception than those of other City denizens. Different cultures had different customs when it came to their dead, and although her people certainly engaged in burial as part of said custom, what followed rather branched away from the standard perception of City folk. A body would be covered in linen and cloth, interred deep into the sands of the desert (or the rocks of a crag outcrop, depending on the terrain available).
What happened after was largely up to the desert - whether animals could find it at night for an easy feast, or the bodied dried and hardened into a mummy. That part was no longer the concern of the people, nor the spirit. Being nomadic, it made it rather hard to constantly travel back and forth all the places someone had been buried, and carrying them with you was harder still.
(2)
Tèarlach: 4 (2/5)
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Darky
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Veritas et Aequitas
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Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 16:32:14 GMT -6
So there was a practical sort of approach, without sacrificing the essence of the memory - for every deceased member of the family or tribe, a small effigy was made from clay or wood, with clay being more popular (and sturdier). As the body was buried, a part of the soul within was transposed into the effigy, to be carried still with the people as they continued the travel.
It made honouring the dead something possible to do on the road, so long as the effigies were well maintained. Losing one would be considered a terrible ill omen, and sure to anger the spirits.. Equivalent to becoming cursed, for no amount of appeasement or prayer could dispel such bad luck.
By and by, it could happen, though, as more and more family passed, leaving their descendants with more and more effigies (And these days, it almost felt like there were more effigies in a tribe than the people to carry them).
(3)
Tèarlach: 4 (3/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
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Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 16:32:35 GMT -6
When the last family member would pass, their effigies could sometimes be adopted by friends of the family, to carry on the tradition and their spirits, but more often than not the last bearer would be buried with them, the final in the line with no descendants to carry the memory than those already passed over..
Darky didn't have any trusted to her care, though their family otherwise had a few, and the tribe overall even more. So while the concept of a cemetery was not something she could inherently feel a connection to, she none the less understood the importance of the memories it held. Headstones, after all, were effigies of a sort, allowing anyone passing by to know this person once existed, and thus bringing to life their memory for even those fleetest of moments.
What terrible fate it would be for this to be burden for a child, though..
(4)
Tèarlach: 4 (4/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,921
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Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 16:32:58 GMT -6
The gates were open, but the day was dark and gloomy, with night quick to close in this time of year. They'd have to be quick about it, to avoid the nightfall which could truly make their search that much more difficult. But just in case the dark became an issue, she did bring along a flash light, to light the way, should it be needed.
While eyes were certainly the main tool of the day, she was rather hoping to utilize a slightly different advantage as well. Having taken the ad from the board with her, the sphinx rather hoped Terry might be able to bring them closer to the general vicinity of the doll through scent. It wasn't something they had necessarily tried to do in the past, and in truth she wasn't entirely certain if it worked quite as well with the windrunners as it did with some others..
(5)
Tèarlach: 5 (0/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
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Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 16:33:23 GMT -6
But it was worth a shot. Darky didn't know the exact intricacies of cemeteries, but she knew well enough that they were often quite large and filled with a lot of nooks and corners (And not all nooks and corners can be walked upon, lest that annoyed the spirits interred there). Any sort of advantage to help narrow things down couldn't hurt (even if it's founded on misguided hope. Perhaps even especially then, for hope itself was still a benefit, regardless of true or not).
Taking the piece of paper from her pocket, she knelt down next to Terry, who, for his part, was rather uncharacteristically calm for the time being. One could have almost expected him to dash off into the cemetery first chance he got, but then perhaps he's grown more used to the concept of a leash and the limitations there-in.
Or he could just be suspicious of the whole thing, that was also a possibility.
(6)
Tèarlach: 5 (1/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
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Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 16:33:46 GMT -6
It was rather though to tell with him, since the look ahead with a lolling tongue could equally be excitement as it could be concern (though in so far as she's been aware, 'concern' doesn't always factor into the decisions Terry made, especially considering 'consequences' were equally new a concept to him. Things just.. tended to work out on their own, and he seemed okay rolling with it).
"Alright, buddy.. I have a bit of a task for you. This is going to be a little tricky, but also fun." The words didn't really reach him, but the raised piece of paper certainly did. The lolling tongue retreated back into the mouth, and suddenly his eyes were fixed on the object, the nose starting to work.
Whether he assumed it was a treat, food, or something else worth trying to nibble on would be anyone's guess, but at least the interested in it to begin with was promising.
(7)
Tèarlach: 5 (2/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
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Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 16:34:09 GMT -6
The sphinx removed the paper after a while, too suspicious of the fact that Terry might still try to take a nip at it if left too long, and stood up. "Got the scent? Think you can find us a trail?" and she nodded her head towards the cemetery proper.
Terry, for his part, was still sniffing the air, but not quite seeming to grasp the concept of 'go find'. Curiosity didn't quite lead to innovation, in this case, and it almost seemed like the thought passed out of his mind entirely after a couple of moment, as he turned to look at her, tongue beginning its lolling again.
Darky's mouth made a small twist to the side. Well, it was worth a shot. "Old fashioned way it is, then.." She tucked the paper back into the pocket and pulled out the flash light instead. "C'mon, let's find us a lost doll."
(8)
Tèarlach: 5 (3/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
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Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 16:34:38 GMT -6
With a tug on the leash, the two entered the grounds proper. Graver softly crunched beneath the feet, making up pretty much the only sound in the entire vicinity. There was a small breeze and some creaking of nearby trees, but beyond that the two seemed almost alone in the cemetery. A fact which would have given concern to most city dwellers, considering the mythos around cemeteries, but the sphinx came from a different place and those ghostly tales were largely outside her knowledge range.
In essence, it oddly paid to be so far removed as to be ignorant. Even so, it wasn't her first time in a cemetery, as the lepus had one that she and and ympe had occasionally graced out of necessity, and she was all too aware of undead creatures existing as such. Nightmare being prime such example, though there was no shortage of stories about dark mages raising the dead to do their bidding..
(9)
Tèarlach: 5 (4/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
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Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 16:35:05 GMT -6
A though which was still weird to her, considering one would think the raised spirits would be annoyed at the disturbance and turn on the summoner. Then again, some spirits might not be strong enough to (as memories of a ghastly midnight chase through the woods by a pack of undead equines briefly flashes to the forefront of her mind..)
This cemetery is one for people, however. No undead equillions here, and certainly no dark mages, as far as she can see. But there are plenty of graves and plots to inspect. The flash light's spotlight moves from one to another as they pass the rows, trying to make out which dark shape would be more closest to a doll.
Unfortunately, in this case the names themselves help little. While the note was descriptive of the circumstance, it rather lacked the name of the girl or their deceased father, much less how long he has been dead.
(10)
Tèarlach: 6 (0/5)
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Darky
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Veritas et Aequitas
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Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 16:35:25 GMT -6
Details which could have at least helped point them in the right general direction. Even knowing whether the death was recent or years past could have helped sort some graves from others, based on the state of dirt or flowers upon them - It could seem strange to some to see so few fresh graves in a city this size, but then, between the two temples, it seemed death could be a force that could be conquered, unless the conditions or gods were truly against it.
Which begs to question - What could have happened as to be so terrible to deprive a child their father, to the point that even the temple couldn't help? Was it long enough ago that it pre-dated the temple's building? But then, surely the child would no longer be as attached to dolls, for the temple had been standing for quite some years now, well into the city's founding.
(11)
Tèarlach: 6 (1/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,921
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Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 16:36:01 GMT -6
Elements of the story weren't adding up, but it wasn't enough ground for too much concern in her mind. For all she knew, the details to involving the odd contradictions were also part of the trauma surrounding the story of the strange family. And trauma was something best not poked at, if at all possible.
In the whisk of the flash light, the two wandered along the path, but found few clues and even less indication of where the doll could be. Even the gravel here looks to have been evened out or stepped over by more than one pair of feet, making it impossible to tell which way a child might have went.
Moreover, the further in they went, the more the single path began to turn into multiple - additional rows and paths stretching out in their own right, to other parts of the cemetery with more and more graves to search.
(12)
Tèarlach: 6 (2/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
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Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 16:36:20 GMT -6
As the enormity of the task became more evident, the sphinx began to wonder if she should have perhaps mapped out the area first, in order to go through it a bit more systematically. Fortunately the cemetery did have a sense of orderliness in its layout - the paths and roads, while numerous, were still loosely formed into grids, of sorts. So all they had to do was wind their way through one grid and then head to the next, making sure to avoid doubling back too much (or getting lost for that matter).
An idea with merit, but also one that would take some time to complete. As such, the gloomy evening gradually began to turn into more proper night time, making the flash light that much more vital a tool. For all that her people are feline-like, they never really seemed to have retained that well-known ability for seeing in the dark (And, well, if you're from the desert, the light's that much more of a problem anyway).
(13)
Tèarlach: 6 (3/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,921
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Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 16:36:45 GMT -6
Terry didn't seem to be off much better, and occasionally even getting distracted enough that he tried to start chasing after the flash light's whisk instead. But at least he was largely keeping quiet, mostly just breathing and murmuring, without feeling a need to bark outright. Having never really been that vocal, the sphinx hadn't had to fear too much over the noise issue in a cemetery. For some reason a sense of silence was paramount here, though she wasn't entirely sure why (Though suspected it had to do with the concept of the dead 'sleeping', in a way).
The two rounded a path and switched to another lane, still out of luck in finding anything. There were a few plots that almost made it seem like they'd found the doll, but it quickly turned out the slumped shadowy forms near the tombstones were, in face, only black bags left behind by the grave tenders.
(14)
Tèarlach: 6 (4/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,921
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Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 16:37:14 GMT -6
About a quarter of the cemetery had been scoured by that point, so there was still plenty to go, though. For all its size and general organization in layout design, there wasn't necessarily a sense of new to old among the plots, and ancient stones could intermittently be found with freshly cut without distinction to the location. Some plots seeming to be so overgrown as to be abandoned (Which made her worry for whatever descendants they had that much more, unable to discard the thought at how angry that might make the spirits).
A few plots even showed up with sculptures and figures placed on the graves, almost like perpetual gargoyles, though the shape of them was distinctly monstrous enough as to not be confused with a doll (though easily confused with something lurking in the shadows instead. If not for the flash light, the sphinx might have encountered quite a few instances where the figures gave a right good spook).
(15)
Tèarlach: 7 (0/5)
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