[Raelia] Shook II

[Visna Namdalen]

10 Ymiden 721 - Draugen Bay Harbour

Using the Calendar event "Turbulence & Treasure"
Continued from here.

Visna held the man’s faraway gaze, searching, willing more to come from that one word. Frustratingly, he said nothing more and resumed his stiff rocking and incoherent mumbling. The Druid’s lips drew into a tight line as she sighed, realising this would be an uphill battle. She knew she needed to continue to comfort this man, to try and assist in what ailed him, but she couldn’t shake the curiosity that burned in her. He knew something about all of this, had borne witness to whatever catastrophe had just occurred this day. And perhaps -

Noatun.

Once she took a minute to go over everything he had said again, his description of the sea, the waves, how they had destroyed everything in their wake. She had heard of something like it before and that single word he had uttered last was the connection. Noatun had endured something similar arcs ago -- was this history repeating itself? The man seemed to think so and that was all Visna needed for her mind to begin hypothesising more. Was there a connection between the two? Or was it purely happenstance - nothing more than freak acts of nature?

Visna didn’t know enough about Noatun, about rogue waves or the tremors that had happened earlier. She had barely even seen what had happened here in Raelia. If she were to satisfy her inquisitive mind then she’d have to look more into each. She’d need to seek out Lore Masters and Druids who knew about natural phenomena as she knew so little about any of it. What even caused the ground to shake like it had? The sea to swell and eat up the shore? Were these even natural occuring? If so - her thoughts scurried forth - she could look into their history and see if there were any patterns. Most things in nature had patterns. Maybe she could ask some Ydalir too.

But what if it was something more? The spirits, when angered, often played a role in things happening that were uncharacteristic. Would Shamans be forthcoming if she inquired more?

And Noatun? She could look into the event while here in Raelia but, she decided, it would be best to head there to learn more as she never did well studying things at a distance. She'd need to get hands on if she really wanted to get into this. But then she’d have to figure out how to take her leave - how to even get there.

For now, however, she was here amidst the aftermath of the day and it needed to be her sole focus. It took every bit of mental fortitude she had to rein in her torrent of thoughts and to keep herself fully in the present, to not let her mind roam to 'what if's'.

In the corner of her vision, Visna noted another Druid as he drew near, arms laden with blankets, and Visna pulled her attention away from the man to address the fellow healer, rising to her full - yet middling - height.

“Over here!”she called out, motioning to the still mumbling man before her.

The other Druid approached, his eyes taking in the scene and noting the Aesir robe being used as a makeshift blanket. However, just as his hand moved to offer a blanket, Visna’s shot forward to take one, sweeping the top blanket swiftly from its perch as she explained, “This man is struggling after witnessing what happened here. I sat him down but he needs to find calm. I think he might need-”

“-Water?” The other Druid offered, procuring a flask from his belt.

Visna’s eyes shot to him and then dropped to the proffered flask, reaching for it more slowly this time. Her eyes ventured back up to the other Druid’s face as she took it from him, “Yes, thank you.”

She turned and offered the water to the man, assisting him with holding it with both his quivering hands. She uncorked it and then aided him in bringing it to his lips. The Aesir robes slipped down from around his shoulders, then, and she gently tugged it free from his body, replacing it with the blanket. Redressing herself, she crouched before the man once more, observing him as he nursed the water down.

[Visna Namdalen]

Sensing the other Druid still lingered, Visna glanced back up to him, venturing, “Have you been sent down with others?” She watched as the other Druid confirmed this.

“We grabbed what we thought we might need but none of us were quite sure what to expect.” He glanced sidelong back in the direction they all would have taken to get from the Citadel to where they are now before his attention returned to her. “More should be coming as information is passed along.”

Visna nodded. This was still so new to everyone.. except.

Her eyes briefly wandered back to the man as he sat there, holding the water. Without a second glance to the other Druid, she stated plainly, “We’re fine here, for now. Continue on. No doubt there will be more in need of what you carry.”

She sensed the other Druid hesitate, his shoes crunching against the shelly sand as he shifted his weight, but she said nothing further, instead reaching out to try and prompt the man to drink more water.

The other Druid left.

Visna cast a quick glance over her shoulder to ensure this and then shuffled closer to the man, settling a small, warm, tattoo-covered hand on his blanket-covered forearm.

“You mentioned Noatun,” her words were measured and low, almost soft, working to tease as much information she could out of him without causing him undue harm. “What happened here,” she reasoned, “made you think of what happened in Noatun arcs ago.”

She paused, big dark eyes never wavering from his own pale face. He had lowered the flask of water and was gazing blearily out to sea once more. She noted his tremoring had calmed somewhat, and that he had stopped rocking. Finally, she pressed forward, giving his arm a squeeze through the thick wool fabric, “Was that because you were in Noatun when it happened then… as it happened now?”

Her gaze wavered as she noticed a slight change in his composure, a small shift in how he held his shoulders. She scanned him diligently, trying to anticipate what might happen next, what he might need, fearing she had pushed too far. The grip he had on the bottle, she saw with some regret, left his knuckles white.

“Yes,” came a shaky hiss of a whisper.

Visna frowned as she fixed her eyes on his face, unsure how to proceed, torn between wanting to know more and knowing she must help this man. Her hand smoothed up his arm while the other met one of his own that clutched the water flask, trying to make her touch gentle, reassuring. She knew comforting was not one of her stronger skills, but she tried.

“Easy, now,” she said, voice remaining even and soft, “you’re here, you’re alright. I’m looking after you. The threat has passed and you are safe now.”Then, in a bid to further assure him she added, “Safe and warm.” She attempted a small smile as her eyes sought his own, the hand at the water flask moving to draw the blanket tighter around his shoulders for effect.

She heard him release a shaky breath.

“And so I am…” came that same weak voice, “how, I do not know.”

Then, grimly, “The bodies will wash up soon… just as they did then.”

A small furrow formed between Visna’s brows as she watched him.

“So many gone..”

[Visna Namdalen]

“The bodies?” she inquired softly, again trying to gain his attention, to coax more out of him, “the ones swept away when the wave came?” another pause, making sure not to rush, “Should we inform others to go looking for them? Could they be recovered?” Having spent the bulk of her life either in forests, mountains or valleys, the sea was very much a foreign entity to the young Namdalen Druid. She knew not what the protocol might be when it came to people being swept out into its depths. However, she reasoned it couldn’t be too unlike people getting lost in the wilds.

“It will be too late… just as it was then,” he whispered. “Again..”

Her gaze had followed his own to the vast openness of the deep green-blue waters of the bay. It was so unfamiliar to her that she didn’t even know what to look for. Ships? Her attention returned to the man as he uttered that last word, however, fearing she might lose him to the shakes again, feeling tension in his body where her hand remained on his arm.

Gripping him, she tried to distract him, “Hey, hey, I want you to look at me. Can you look at me? She urged, once more shifting herself more into his path of vision in a bid to further encourage him to do as she requested. “My name is Visna,”she then offered, still keeping her questions and statements slow and broken up, not wishing to overwhelm him, “What’s your name?”

His rheumy eyes were wild, expression wholly disoriented when, at last, he looked at her. Visna waited, doing her best to be patient, hoping to keep him from slipping, from deteriorating further. His dry lips parted, revealing a mouth missing teeth. The young Druid kept her hands on his upper arms and rubbed them through the blanket, trying to ground him.

“What is you-”

“Why was I spared?!” he wailed suddenly, catching the Druid off guard once more. “Then - and now?? Aesir robes - I recognise what you are. Tell me, what will it cost me? Cheating death twice in as many arcs!”

It was Visna’s turn to be disoriented, big dark eyes darting about the man’s face, unsure what he was asking, unsure how she should answer. Her patience and care began to slip as her lips turned into a frown that touched her whole face.

His eyes widened and she knew in an instant she had faltered. She rearranged her face, ridding her features of the uncertainty that had been there, and attempted to appear calm and - with immense difficulty - warm.

“I am an Aesir, true - a Druid. My name is Visna. I’m trying to help you but I need to know what to call you. Right now, I only know you as a survivor.” She attempted to sound sincere but fell short.

His look didn’t change and, for a moment, Visna was certain she had lost him, that he would descend into blabbering, muttering nonsense once more, but then something changed in his face. His eyes seemed to soften.

“Wylem,” his words were but a whisper once more, “Call me Wylem.” Then, with a bit of venom, “I’ll not have you call me survivor.”

She nodded at this. An ache was building in her legs and ankles so she unceremoniously lowered herself to the sand, briefly separating herself from him. Once settled, she returned a hand to his knee, “Have some more water for me, Wylem.” She watched as he did, movements a bit shaky, and decided she needed to keep things lighter to settle him again. “Are you originally from Raelia?”

He drank deep, avoiding the question for half a bit. When he did speak, his words were still weak and distant, “No.. came here but shy of two arcs ago.”

“After the events at Noatun? she asked, voice still even, lacking warmth despite her best efforts. “Is that where you are from?”

“Oh, aye… after.. after what happened.” He had stilled, the flask resting on his other thigh.

Visna, unable to help herself, pressed once more, coming to her own conclusions, “You thought Raelia would be safe after what happened in Noatun?”

Now his face changed, tightening, distressed and forlorn. “I thought I would be safe,” he parroted back, words sounding far away.

Her lips tightened again, wary that she was pushing too hard once more. In the back of her mind, she feared his health was too delicate for her to handle on her own. She once more found herself at a crossroads, unsure how to venture forward. Her mind wanted her to try and get more out of him, but her teachings warned her he needed more attention.

Despite herself, she stood, movements slow for Wylem’s sake. She bent and put a hand on his shoulder, dark eyes seeking his own. “Come now, Wylem, you are safe. Let us get you somewhere more comfortable.” She offered him her free hand and some more encouragement, “and away from the sea.”

note for reviewer

word count total: 2149

[Doran]

Visna:

Knowledge:
Investigation: Asking questions
Investigation: Organising ones thoughts and making a plan of action
Discipline: Staying present
Investigation: Rephrasing questions to get more information
Medicine: Knowing when you need help when treating someone
Socialisation: Gentle encouragement and persuasion

Loot: -
Lost: -
Wealth: -
Injuries: -
Renown: -
Magic XP: -
Skill Review: See below.
Points: 10

- - -

Comments: I’m I really enjoyed the first thread in this series, so I decided to review this thread as well. I really liked in how much detail you described Visna’s thoughts and how she tried to figure out what was going on. I agree that heading to Noatun is better than studying things from a distance!

I think your skill play is fine here for the most part – it makes sense that the other druid won’t hesitate, but do as Visna tells him, especially in a situation like this one.

I would have appreciated if Visna had struggled a little more when it comes to comforting the traumatized man and getting information from him though. She has 0 Investigation, Socialization and Caregiving, but she seems to be quite competent to me at times.

That being said, I thought that the interaction between Visna and the traumatized man was very well-written. I like how gentle and caring she was, and how she tried to reassure him.

I look forward to reading the thread where Visna goes to Noatun, and I hope that Wylem eventually recovers from his trauma!

Enjoy your rewards!

P.S.: I would have added “Leadership” to the list of skills used as Visna called out to the other Druid in the first post and told him what she thought that the traumatized man might need.