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Post by Darxaia on Jul 4, 2013 6:30:27 GMT
The final day of the Quondam Festival. The day of celebration. The day where families and individuals celebrate the accomplishments of their ancestors. Emira's hall and her Room of Judgement in the temple through out the week, and especially today, has been filled to the brim with worshipers -- even those from other deity factions -- seeking the blessing of their ancestors and of Emira, hoping to gain fair and favorable judgement in the coming year.
Of course, this is where one could find Harper, the Priestess of Judgement, attending to her duties. During this week Emira's room in the South-Eastern area of the temple was almost constantly packed with worshipers. Harper would do what she possibly could to keep the room from becoming occupied by offering to personally hear out prayers, answer questions, and take offerings at the hall's entrance in the main room -- Allura's worshiping room.
Among Harper's hair were a few feathers from her beloved falcon, Hayato, a small hint at her preparations for her performance later tonight. She wore a simple sundress in muddle shades of purples and blues. It was only early afternoon but Emira had more worshipers visit so far today than she normally got in a regular week. Such is the norm for the final Quondom day, but it was still busier than Harper was ever prepared for. Hayato himself was perched upon Allura's statue observing the commotion, his gracefully long tail feathers coming to rest on the goddess' shoulders.
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Post by Aeolus on Jul 5, 2013 13:28:43 GMT
Aeolus sat in silence within the corner of the hall closest to Emira's room of Judgement. He had been there for most of the festival, scoffing in silence to the selfish prayers of many who had come in, and yet he never once had made a prayer for himself, nor for anyone else. To him Judgement was best passed outside of such a clean hall. If he was not here to pray, then what might he be there for you might ask.
It was simple. He was paying the goddess a silent token of respect, honoring her name by dedicating his time only to her great hall. On the first day he had left an offering of a decently sized money pouch. Now that the last day had arrived, he had an even larger one sitting on his lap, waiting for that moment for when the crowd would file out and leave him be.
Every year he had spent performing this self imposed ritual, and every year he had been careful to ensure his offerings were always the same. In his eyes it was never too much, but never too little. A soft voice caught his attention and he looked up to listen to its source. A young child, praying that good Judgement be placed on her ill friend.
It made him smile only just a little, thinking for a moment that the older generations should pay mind to such young ones from time to time. Their innocence could often serve as a reminder to those who lost sight of their path in life. As the child turned to leave, he lifted the pouch and spoke gruffly. "Little one. Come." The child was startled and turned to see the armored man, a look of fear visible only from her eyes. "You are the first today to make a prayer that was not for yourself. Here," he spoke only loud enough for the child to hear.
Taking the pouch in hand, he tossed it to the girl. "Use that to get your friend a good doctor. Emira will do the rest." The child looked startled and muttered a thanks, giving him a quick bow before scampering off. He hadn't intended to donate money at all to anyone but the goddess, however he believed that Emira would look the other way for his deed. At least he hoped. The Goddess of Judgement often worked in mysterious ways, and was very difficult for him to predict despite his devout following.
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Post by Darxaia on Jul 5, 2013 14:34:59 GMT
Harper was distracted by an elderly woman. The woman was requesting that Harper herself pray for her goddess' intervention in reaping the soul of the lady's dying husband, telling Harper of all the good things she and her husband did for the community. Outwardly the priestess smiled gently, taking the woman's hand in hers as she spoke softly, reassuringly. "I assure you ma'am, I pray for all of Wystrea's residents to receive fair and timely judgement by Emira's hands. Emira will take him only when she feels is right. Only she can decide when it's someone's time and she knows more than any of us -- even I -- about the timelines of this world. I pray for your husband's long life of course."
The elderly woman thanked Harper and walked away with a look of confusion, not sure if Harper was saying she would ask for more time for the man, or if she had simply been told that what happens will happen when it does. Truthfully, Harper did pray for all the residents. But she knew neither their grievances nor their well-doings, so she prayed simply that Emira be fair to each and every being and that the goddess stayed in such a merciful mood at all time. Bad things tended to happen when Emira felt scorned. Harper's own past was proof of such.
As the daylight started to fade some the crowds in the Temple started to thin with only the most desperate and devout, or the late-comers, remaining. Harper turned to walk down the hallway at her side and towards the Room of Judgement to survey the offerings for Emira, straightening her dress along the way and making a mental checklist of the things she needed to prepare for the performance in just a few short hours. It took her observant ocean-blue eyes only moments to see the young child leaving Emira's prayer room with a pouch of gold. While a normal priest or priestess would have stopped the child thinking she had stolen someone's offering, Harper did nothing. As the Priestess of Judgement, it was her duty to simply hear out the prayers and confessions of the citizens and relay those to Emira -- not to pass judgement on them -- and to help educate the people on Emira's workings. The normal citizens believed that by making confessions to her, that it cleared them of their transgressions in Emira's eyes. Despite all she tried to explain to the common people, it seemed like few who were not true followers of Emira truly understood that that was not how it worked.
She gave herself a small smile as an afterthought towards the young girl, and grabbed a small broom from a dark corner, proceeding to sweep out the dust, dirt, and broken or crumbled offerings that had fallen on the floor, being sure to not disturb those who remained. She hoped to get her maintenance duties done soon so that she could prepare for her performance that night to honor her goddess. Hayato soon followed her down the hallway and into the small prayer room, landing on a perch Harper had put in for him in the corner of the room, his golden eyes observing the rooms residents a little more critically than Harper's soft caring eyes did.
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Post by Aeolus on Jul 11, 2013 22:16:31 GMT
Typically the first to arrive, but always the last to leave, Aeolus rose from his spot and fumbled for his own coin pouch. He had given the child his intended offering, but that wouldn't stop him from doing such, as he counted out the coins he had, and set half of them with the rest of the offerings. He gave the priestess a quick glance. He had noticed her looking at the child that had run off with the coin pouch, and found it amusing that she hadn't stopped her.
He offered a quick silent prayer to Emira, asking her to do as she always have, and that her Judgement always reign true along the lands. Standing there for but a moment longer, he soon turned and made his way to the door, leaving the priestess to her duties. With the festival over, that meant he was back to work, and work always seemed to be much more plentiful after the festival. Already he could hear all of the jobs running through his head.
Being known to be a devout follower of Emira, many people viewed him as a man of absolute judgement. A Judge Jury and Executioner all rolled into one. It annoyed him greatly, but he let people think what they wanted. There was little point in correcting them, and in the long run it helped prevent unnecessary blood shed. Soon he was back in town, deciding it was time to make his way to the tavern.
-end-
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Post by Darxaia on Jul 12, 2013 12:26:46 GMT
Harper followed the man out with her broom, being sure not to be so quick about it that it looked like she was encouraging him to leave. Anyone was allowed in the temple at any time, the rooms were never locked. After a few moments longer she finally finished up her duties and turned to leave. "Come on Hayato." The words needn't be said because the falcon would always find her, but she always said them anyways. She never caged him not kept rein on him. He was free to go about his business or go hunting, but he was never away from Harper for long. Hayato launched off his perch and raced down the hall ahead of the girl, soaring high into the dome of the main room before settling onto the girls shoulder when she finally left the Temple to head home.
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