To Err and to Forgive (Open)

koel tryin' to take what's lost and broke and make it right Not for the first time in his life, Koel needed some guidance. He’d normally be too proud and to seek help. Indeed, that was still somewhat the case. Even in this new world, some things never changed, and he would always got it alone if he had his druthers. However, this time around, there was an option that he was fully convinced would fail, but felt compelled to try anyway. Namely, prayer: there’d been scattered grumblings of strange occurrences around the weird shrine—shrines now, he guessed, since apparently there was more than one of them—that no one was really sure what to make of. While Koel certainly didn’t know anything about it, and he didn’t have much truck with divine beings, not after one took his lady away from him (kind of, it was complicated), he was more than willing to face whatever was lurking there. Better him than someone less able to handle the danger or the burden. If this shrine was anything like the other one they’d encountered, they needed to know sooner rather than later. Besides, if it worked, maybe he could get some much needed answers and clarity. So, it was with great reluctance, but no hesitation, that he found himself moving deeper through the glade until he came upon the shrine. It was beautiful here, but he found he couldn’t appreciate it given that he might actively be in danger. Instead, he just watched the for a moment, wondering what was so special about this place. Just looking at it, it wasn’t anything special, just a random collection of objects. Still, it was a place of power, that much he’d heard. They didn’t understand it—and they certainly couldn’t harness it—but it was there if one knew how to look. Unfortunately, Koel didn’t. Still, he was willing to try; though he felt increasingly foolish, he approached the shrine. Before he knelt, he called out using that peculiar power of his and asked for assistance; he was probably being paranoid, but as a hawk settled on a nearby branch and let out a triumphant screech (it was much faster here in nature than it had been battling that monster) he felt his heart ease. Giving it instructions to watch his back, even though he wasn’t really sure how this process worked, he then knelt and bowed his head. Though it would surprise many who knew him, Koel could do humble quite well. In fact, he had a lot of humility: it’s just that it was tempered by the knowledge that a lot of people were stupid. Just because he had little patience for fools didn’t mean he couldn’t show the proper respect. Although he didn’t know how to pray, he knew how to kowtow to a king, so he would improvise. ”To the powers that dwell here, I thank you for your myriad gifts and request permission to enter this holy place. I also ask that you bless me with knowledge and insight into this world. Though I have no right to it, as I am not yet your humble servant, I would be blessed to be in your presence.” Flattery on both ends around his actual request, and keeping it vague, all fit within the realm of engaging with what he was basically thinking of as potentially hostile probably souped up super royalty. He already felt like an idiot, but this was apparently how it was done. He obviously didn't believe, but he could follow the routines and rituals and see what happened.