CrIsis and the Games

Part Two

INDARIS AND CAMINATA- THE STRAIGHT SCOOP

Kids and cuties, your intrepid voice of the people is here to reply to requests for more information about CrIsis and the Games. I have decided to interview the (perhaps) fallen priest Indaris and his lovely Druid compatriot Caminata.

I started, as is my custom, with a hard-hitting question. ”Indaris, you were arrested publicly for cheating at the Lopanic Games, but subsequently were found innocent. Can you shed some light on what happened?” Let it not ever be stated that Helara plays favorites!

Indaris replied, composed, as if he expected my directness. ”I was tricked by agents of the Church of Dark in a very clever manner as they seek to destroy CrIsis before we can complete our Holy Quest, and they will use everything they have available to do this. From bad press, to kidnapping and torturing innocent people. They will lie to, maim and kill anyone who gets in their way, and currently CrIsis is in their way.”

I ignored the bad press dig, and pressed on, ”Do you feel your innocence is further proven by Rurga not slaying you?”

“I would be foolish indeed to speculate on a gods thoughts who isn’t part of a Pantheon I worship, Her thoughts and actions are her own, but I am thankful for still being alive.”

Not willing to give up the line of questioning, I asked, ”Has Isis abandoned you or CrIsis?”

“Never,” Indaris replied with a calm that was eery, as if he had spoken with the Goddess.

One last stab, I thought….”Will you continue with the group, or are you being replaced?”

He paused here, and I now know to keep following up! “I will be with the group for as long as the gods wish it, unless circumstances change of course.”

I decided, in true reporter fashion, to now truly push the issue, to see if the priest was truly worthy. “Are the rumors not also true that you have lied, tortured, and killed anyone in your way to achieve CrIsis goals?”

He immediately came back with a criticism of the Dark, saying, “No the rumours aren’t, we have killed a lot of people mostly defending ourselves or our friends, we haven’t strapped __them__ down and tortured them for days without end.” I swear that is how he said it, italics and all!

I was not done, not at all. ”Specifically, I understand you slaughtered a Dragon that was not capable of any hostile action, or even able to protect itself, just to assuage your anger.”

He seemed burdened by this, truly. This priest of Light has been through much. ”Wasn’t really anger to begin with, it attacked us and in the fight Overkill was struck down. I then managed to put it to sleep with the magic of Isis and kill the evil creature, its hostile actions had already been done. At the time all I could see were team members that were either hurt or down and dead, and once the spell wore off it wasn’t going to suddenly stop attacking us, so I killed it. At the time the anger of its treachery burned in my heart.”

“Do you not speculate on the Gods of Dark regularly?”

He answered, by rote, “We are taught to try and respect other beings.”

“Why not then speculate on Rurga?”

“The Dark gods would like to kill us for what we represent, I don’t think the same could be said for Rurga, but my guesses are only guesses,” Indaris responded with a scholarly tone.

“How are you sure that Isis has not abandoned you?”

Indaris gave me a sardonic smile, stating, “I am standing here in front of you alive.”

Now I was curious as to his connection with Isis, so I tried an outlandish question. “Can she appear- I would love to meet her!”

He seemed to answer as if I were a child, “If she chose to appear to you she could.”

“What circumstances could change to have him no longer be in CrIsis?” I asked.

“Maybe I’d be needed to do something else, the Members of CrIsis can change as need seems to require, and those who are needed for certain events seem to be there for those events from what i have seen.”

I refused to let him off the hook. “Are there other dark secrets that you hold?”

He responded with a real smile. “Depends of your definition of Dark, if there’s stuff that I wouldn’t tell the world, of course, but my secrets are known to many people, and on the whole I think the evil ones still would say I’m a champion for Good, and will be a bar to their path of Evil!”

My last question was hard to ask, for I genuinely had come to like this self-tortured priest. ”Do you feel that you may be slain by Bennu as happened to Ferrel?”

“Only if I did something bad. If I have done bad, It’s because the options would have been worse, including doing nothing. We have been in many a stressful circumstance.”

All in all, my public, Indaris seems genuine. Flawed, and acknowledging of his flaws, but genuine. This reporter would gladly go to any church he settled down in. He is not fallen- in fact, he may be rising!

Now, to my telling interview with the gorgeous Caminata, I started with a question that has charmed many an interviewee. “‘Can you tell us how you came by your ravishing beauty?”

“Until joining Crisis I never really ventured into a city and wasn’t aware that it was all that unusual,” she replied. She must be joking.

”Have you found a fit suitor here in Lopania?”

“No suitor as such, the gentlemen have been mostly very kind here but as part of CrIsis I feel it would be unfair to begin a relationship when I know I will not be able to stay,” she said with a straight face. This girl must have read all those romance novels, for her answers were unbelievable. I decided to change tactics.

”It is rumored that you are a master, or is it mistress, druid- is that true? What does that mean? What are your powers?”

“Some call me by the title master but as to my abilities, I think you’ve witnessed some of the forces moving against us so I feel it would be wise not to share to much in that department. A lady needs to keep some air of mystery doesn’t she Helara?” She finished this with an adorable wink. Hell, I was even getting charmed. Time to push buttons.

”Have you had romantic relations with anyone in CrIsis (like that luscious Azariel)?” Yes, I asked about Azariel- girls, he is just dreamy!

“Absolutely have not had relations with any of the party, I currently feel for them as family, brothers.”

I was aghast at some of her rote answers, so I decided to go after them. “So all those that you have in your village or tribe are beautiful? Where is that? What area area are you from?”

“Due to the previous abduction and torture of family members I’m reluctant to share too many details with you about my home but I can say it is rather less populace than here, their looks are as mixed as those from any region but due to my mostly solitary upbringing and segregation it’s not something that has brought to my attention before now. ” She was now blushing! Either she is the most innocent gorgeous woman I have ever met, or she is one very conniving seductress!

“So since you are not interested in a relationship, and why would any woman as beautiful as you tie yourself down, I am sure that you are having lots of intimacy with many men, like I do.”

“I haven’t found the time or right person to mate with as yet but doesn’t mean it’s out of the question.” Finally an opening guys! There is a chance!

“Master? I would so prefer Mistress! Powerful women such as you should push for more respect. What does being a Mistress Druid mean? Our secrets are a woman’s greatest weapon!”

She smiled, and I am not ashamed to say that I would believe anything that came out of her mouth now. “As for being called Mistress I expect the respect you should give any person regardless of title until they prove themselves undeserving.”

“I must find out how you resist these men! I am sure that if I traveled every day with them I would not be able to resist.”

“Resisting the men of CrIses for me is a non-issue I consider them brothers and traveling on the road you get to see every bad habit and quirk. I hope that they think of me the same way.” No, I am not going to reveal to you bad habits of CrIsis, peoples, they are humanoid after all….

Caminata is a breath of very fresh mountain air in the smoke-filled room of life! She is a joy to be around, and even better to look at!

Until next time!
Helara Hoppner

Included in this article are pictures of both Indaris and Caminata. Portraits by our own Gaitkeeper.