not that different, you and i
Harper
Gideon Clemments
The Priest

Age: 52 | Height: 6' 1" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
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#1
GIDEON

pulled out all your stitches
Had his sermon in Torchline been a success? Many would probably say no; after all, he'd had things thrown at him, words of derision among the projectiles and he'd had to make a quick exit using his compass. However, Gideon did not entirely consider it a failure. He had spoken the ideas, let out the truth that so often stayed hidden; if just one person in the crowd had listened, he had successfully done his job.

It had been quite the tumultuous time lately, between that and the spirit's attack on the Temple. He'd manage to wrangle the place back into a level of presentability, but Gideon was still going around and perfecting the details, scrubbing stains and neatening up pews or altars that were scuffed; the God's Temple had to be clean and neat at all times, after all; anything else was a show of disrespect.

He heard someone step onto the stone floor by the door and looked up from where he was stood at the main altar, inspecting the cloth. A young man - someone he felt he recognised, maybe from Torchline, but he couldn't be sure. Immediately Gideon could tell he wasn't Abandoned, so he opened his arms in a welcoming gesture. "Come in. Our next service starts in a couple of hours, but you're welcome to come for private prayer."
Hubris is a bitch
Harper Quinn
the Stalwart
Teacher

Age: 33 | Height: 5'10 | Race: Attuned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Nomadic
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#2
HARPER
His first venture on the skyboats had been thrilling to say the least, an adequate distraction from what it was that had forced him to finally visit Stormbreak. Certainly the place itself was fine as a destination, but with Phoebe’s silence he had procrastinated coming, terrified to find that she was missing once again. Lost to the winds, to him.

That fear could not chain him forever though. Especially not after the sermon of sorts he had witnessed, the words that had entered his dreams and plagued his waking hours. It hadn’t been a huge logical leap to assume the man on the wall hailed from Stormbreak, and the residents had been kind enough in guiding Harper to the Temple where he could hopefully be found.

The temple itself is a majesty unlike anything he has seen before. The one in the Grounds was old and damaged by time, even stone and mortar unable to resist the strain of life in the barrier. Stepping inside feels blasphemous somehow, like Harper will dirty the place with his inelegance and boyish charm (or just his shoes). Except once he has crossed the threshold he is greeted and encouraged further inside by a smooth, undulating voice; clearly practiced in the art of speech. The man at the altar is the one he seeks. Harper rarely forgets a face with all the training he’d been forced to endure.

Every step feels a little easier as he obligingly walks between the pews, readjusting the staff on his back to ensure it doesn’t knock against the fixtures. “I’m not sure what it is I seek. Guidance, maybe. I heard your speech in Torchline - I wanted to know more.” He slows as he approaches the altar, boyish shyness enforcing distance even as his spine remains straight and proud. “My name is Harper.”
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Gideon Clemments
The Priest

Age: 52 | Height: 6' 1" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 4 - Strg: 18 - Dext: 17 - Endr: 17 - Luck: 16 - Int:
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#3
GIDEON

pulled out all your stitches
Hearing what Harper was there for, that he had paid attention to the words spoken in Torchline...Gideon's face broke into a wide grin; perhaps the crowd had tried to silence him, to use their brutish ways to scare him into obscurity, but they had not been able to stop the hot knife of the truth from cutting through their lies. "Oh, of course."

Gently folding up the Altar cloth to deal with later, he stepped around it and shook Harper's hand. "Gideon, if you didn't already know. I'm sure my name is black and blue over there." Honestly, he didn't mind that; hated or loved, at least people were talking about his preaching.

Gesturing for Harper to follow, since he was going to be talking, Gideon went to sit on one of the first pews, looking up at a stained glass window depicting the three heralds. Sun and pinpricks of light and dust floated in the air before them, the Temple as beautiful as ever. "What more do you want to know? Ask me and I will tell you the truth, not whatever comforting lies they spread in Torchline."
Hubris is a bitch
Harper Quinn
the Stalwart
Teacher

Age: 33 | Height: 5'10 | Race: Attuned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Nomadic
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#4
HARPER
The man's smile inspires a small one that flickers on Harper's face, incapable of being stifled even in the face of uncertainty. His own hand is scarred and calloused in comparison to Gideon's, but the squeeze of his fingers is sure and cordial. "I try not to listen to what they say, admittedly," he confesses, chagrined as their hands part. "All I've heard yet is emotional outcry. Nothing concrete." Precisely why he was here now. Gideon had proven himself eloquent even in the face of vitriol and Harper had high hopes that trait would shine through once more in private.

Harper sits beside the man in the pew, gaze following the priest's to the glass structure before them. It is the closest thing Harper has seen of technology and art that mimics his own highly modernized origins, much like everything else in Stormbreak, and he marvels quietly a the beauty of it. "I feel I should start at the beginning," he warns, maneuvering his staff into his lap and tracing the edge of the star symbol with his thumb. "When I first came here, Safrin was the first god I met. From there, I met Ludo as well, but my heart always returned to her. She has given me guidance every time I have dared to ask it of her, though I was always so hesitant - in my home world, deities were usually far from benevolent." And their offspring usually went mad, and had to be slain - unfortunately, usually by his own hands. "As such I trust in her word. When she Attuned me, I asked what I could do to shore our defenses against the Ascended, and was tasked with using her power to ward them away from the Skyboats." He has not told anyone of this, but Gideon is the only one he feels he can trust with it, despite knowing the man for mere minutes. He is a man of faith, staunchly against the Ascended, and that alone lends credence to his assumed silence.

"She gave me this," here he gestures to the staff, "which can nullify Ascended abilities within a certain radius. As such I feel I am on the right track in aiding her in this fight, but..." Hesitance curls over his features, suddenly self-conscious as he ducks his head, ringlets of dark hair concealing his eyes. "I'm struggling. I was taught to kill against my will as a child, so once I was freed I spent my adult years trying to only save. To preserve life instead of end it, so that I might redeem myself for what I was forced to do. Safrin is Vi's herald, and I know life is her realm. It is part of why I am so faithful to her. And while she hasn't tasked me with murder outright, I feel the threat is only increasing - and that our efforts must match." A hand rises to rake through his curls, biting his lip and staring up at the images of the heralds in the glass. "But I can only see them as human. For all the threat they pose, they seem as human as the rest of us. I have managed to avoid befriending any Ascended - aside from one. The one that attacked you." Frowning heavily as he thinks of Nate, Harper sighs. "And that violence has forced me to rethink that moment of weakness."
this is your ocean, an ocean of night

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Gideon Clemments
The Priest

Age: 52 | Height: 6' 1" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
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#5
GIDEON

pulled out all your stitches
Gideon nodded, glad that Harper could see behind the curtain: those that had been taken in by the Ascended had their affections and feelings, but in the face of actual danger and evidence, that didn't matter; it couldn't matter.

Patiently he waited for the lad to start speaking, looking at the way his finger moved on his lap but not quite noticing what symbol he drew out. It was interesting to hear yet another speak of Safrin; it seemed that the Goddess had been extremely busy in the last year recruiting people to the cause, mostly handsome young men - not that Gideon would dare make any assumptions about that.

As soon as Harper explained the staff and what it could do, Gideon leaned over to take it in his hand and turn it over, look at the blessed weapon. That Harper had been trusted with such a thing said something about his character. "..You have been chosen out of many for this fight. This kind of thing isn't given to just anyone."

Still, it was understandable he had doubts; one couldn't go from being embroiled in all their lies to the light in a moment. "You must remember that the Ascended are not alive. The Voice has taken any part of them that was human, that did live, and replaced it with her machinery. They are good at replicating our emotions, good at appearing to still be like us, but they are her tools." Gideon looked over Harper gently - he seemed like someone who wanted to do the right thing. "The Voice has power over all of them. Could make them do whatever she liked; this is why they cannot be trusted."
Hubris is a bitch
Harper Quinn
the Stalwart
Teacher

Age: 33 | Height: 5'10 | Race: Attuned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Nomadic
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#6
HARPER
As the Priest reaches for it, Harper hands it over with a confident grasp, trusting the man in a way he wouldn’t normally. Gideon clearly holds a deep reverence for the Old Gods; surely he will handle the weapon with the respect it deserves. His head bows slightly beneath the smooth tone as it bestows a weight upon his nape that has been absent since he was brought to Caido. A war to fight, a mantle to take up. Things he has weathered in the past and come out successful, but which he had lost utterly when transported here. Purpose found at last…but at what cost? “I intend to serve her to the best of my abilities,” he vows quietly, the expansiveness of the church humbling.

He listens like a quiet pupil at Gideon’s side as the man explains, and his heart hardens further against the cause. Possession is the word he’d use, but magic had been different - more ghastly - where he’d come from. At least he’s not unfamiliar with the threat that kind of puppeteering poses. It merely makes it all the sadder, that they’d been led astray and could not be redeemed or even trusted. In many ways it was their fault. In others, the fault lay entirely with The Voice. And that is all it takes really - this gentle wording, concise and compassionate, to turn him away from the singular man that could have made him doubt.

“And even if they regret their decisions, they can’t be trusted all the same because of her control of them.” His frown does not stop him from nodding to himself. “But Sunjata is Safrin’s chosen as well. He rules Torchline, and the Ascended are welcome there. I don’t know how to oppose him without also opposing Safrin.” She had encouraged him to consider ruling Torchline, but that was something Harper didn’t see happening. Torchline was too attached to Sunjata currently.
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Gideon Clemments
The Priest

Age: 52 | Height: 6' 1" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
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#7
GIDEON

pulled out all your stitches
Gideon handed the staff back after a moment of feeling it's weight between his hands. Like all artefacts from the Gods it was beautiful in it's inherent holiness and he gave it the reverence it deserved, slowly and carefully placing it into Harper's hands. "Good." They'd need willing soldiers in the next years.

The way Harper listened was encouraging too; Gideon had seen many that had lived among the Ascended that immediately wanted to argue, to insist there was humanity within the cold metal veins and hearts of those corrupted by the Voice. It seemed that while Harper didn't have the words himself to put to it, he could sense their cold danger.

"Exactly. She has the final word on their actions and we must oppose her." Not that Gideon believed any of the Ascended did doubt their Goddess. He'd only seen them disgustingly devout, loyal to a fault to their rebel queen.

As for Torchline...he tilted his head and took in a breath, letting it out as a sigh. "I know. This is why I go there to speak. Sunjata is misguided...all I hope for is that Safrin knows what she is doing, and will soon be able to convince him to leave behind the Ascended. If not...then I am sure he will be handled another way eventually. We cannot have such leniency."
Hubris is a bitch
Harper Quinn
the Stalwart
Teacher

Age: 33 | Height: 5'10 | Race: Attuned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Nomadic
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#8
HARPER
The metal of the staff is warmed by foreign hands when he retrieves it, but it is a comfort instead of an intrusion. A reminder he is not alone - at least not in the war. Thumb cresting over the phantom warmth of Gideon's touch, Harper listens, head bowed like a disciple where he sits in the pew as the Priest's words wash over him. Invade him. Chasing the cold of empathetic doubt from the marrows of his bones where it had sunken in and chilled him from the start.

"They were people, once. Even before the war has begun, we've already lost so many." Pain tightens the corners of his eyes. They still think and speak, but they are effectively gone all the same. Yet ending them...he knows it will not be any easier, knowing that. With the vows he'd taken after escaping the compound to never take a human life at nearly all costs, Harper wonders if he'll be able to kill one of them at all.

You know you can, his mind whispers in dark betrayal, and Harper shudders hard.

It's not a concern he feels safe in revealing to Gideon however. Not for fear of judgment or disappointment, but the vulnerability that he would be forced to perform in order to explain.

"I have faith in her," he agrees softly. "She posed the potential of me leading Torchline when I spoke with her. It seemed a laughable idea at the time, but now...even if I don't lead it, perhaps there needs to be a change." Somebody else in Sunjata's place. In a way, Harper thinks the man would appreciate the chance to live outside the spotlight. At least it would grant him the opportunity to live the next two years at peace with Nate, before everything inevitably burned.
this is your ocean, an ocean of night

BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
Gideon Clemments
The Priest

Age: 52 | Height: 6' 1" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 4 - Strg: 18 - Dext: 17 - Endr: 17 - Luck: 16 - Int:
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#9
GIDEON

pulled out all your stitches
"Yes. There is tragedy in every element of the Voice's plan. I have...empathy of a sort for those dragged in by her promises and lies, but we cannot allow that empathy to stop us from taking the necessary action." Gideon laced his fingers together, face grim as he looked over at the alter, decked in it's Longheat regalia and bursting with reds and vibrant floral displays. "The sooner we can stop her, the sooner we nip it in the bud, the better our world will be for it."

It was interesting to hear about Torchline's internal politics from someone more involved in the region; Gideon nodded thoughtfully. "And...do you feel capable of leading a region? There's a lot involved in it. I've seen a lot of men with good intentions try to be leaders, but unless it comes naturally to you..." He shrugged, indicating a rough end. Not that he thought Harper couldn't do it, but he didn't know the young man well enough to judge.
Hubris is a bitch
Harper Quinn
the Stalwart
Teacher

Age: 33 | Height: 5'10 | Race: Attuned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Nomadic
Level: 5 - Strg: 15 - Dext: 15 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 19 - Int:
Played by: Brit Offline
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#10
HARPER
"No," he agrees softly, and traces the star pattern with his thumb as he says it. Harper is a man built on empathy, but he knows all too well how to crush that side of himself, store it away in a place it can't be hurt so that he might return to it when the hell of war is done. "But it seems as if everyone is delaying. I can shore our defenses as Safrin demands - and I have. She enabled me to protect the Skyboat dock in Torchline. But the rest...we are merely waiting in limbo, with the smallest of actions taken here and there." And Harper - a man who can't sit still on the best of days - can't help but chafe beneath the slowness.

Humming at Gideon's insight, Harper slowly shakes his head. "I have lead before - years of it, but only in wars and battles. I instructed legions of new soldiers, vigilantes, even individuals with godlike powers who came to me with no experience and only a heart to lead them. I'm not being egotistical when i say I know how to lead - but not in the way a Governor would need to." Politics, business, that was all outside of Harper's purview. "But perhaps in a different role? I would not be opposed to that." Whether they would accept him after Sunjata's ridiculous response to him reaching for Nate, well. That's up in the air - and the man is unaware of how the titles are changing in Torchline as they speak.
this is your ocean, an ocean of night

BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
Gideon Clemments
The Priest

Age: 52 | Height: 6' 1" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 4 - Strg: 18 - Dext: 17 - Endr: 17 - Luck: 16 - Int:
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#11
GIDEON

pulled out all your stitches
Gideon himself had felt impatience at the speed which their crusade moved, but now he played the role of the wise sage and gave a knowing smile, shook his head. "We cannot rush this. Everything is orchestrated; the Gods will have their reasons for giving us this time and we must find the ways to make it productive. In fact, you could even go to a shrine and ask how to make yourself useful." Hopefully the heralds could busy Harper with some mission of his own, so that he wouldn't get reckless.

"It is very different. Perhaps you should seek a more supportive, military role. For now though, focus on what you can do directly with your hands. There are searches to be made, beasts to be slain; things to be done that could use a strapping young man like yourself." He could see Harper being very useful, but Gideon doubted it would be in a position of leadership; if he'd have known who was being raised to Governor in Torchline as he spoke, he might have changed his mind.
Hubris is a bitch
Harper Quinn
the Stalwart
Teacher

Age: 33 | Height: 5'10 | Race: Attuned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Nomadic
Level: 5 - Strg: 15 - Dext: 15 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 19 - Int:
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#12
HARPER
Harper bows his head, fingers twirling the staff slowly across his lap. Gideon reminds him so much of his mentor, and it's the first time he has felt like this since arriving in Caido. It's easy, so easy, to fall back into the old mindset of student instead of teacher. Listening, accepting guidance and input, changing to be what somebody needs and hopes to see of him. "I wanted to prove I had done something with the gifts she had given me before I returned," Harper confesses. His shifts, his staff. He'd almost needed to use it in Gideon's defense that day, but some sort of magic had delivered the Priest from the clutches of those who had wished to harm him before Harper needed to step in.

"I'll ask what use they can have of me, it wouldn't be hard to hide my intentions or loyalties. For all he straddles too fine a line, Sunjata is Safrin's man as well." Denying Harper for being the same would be a level of hypocrisy he can't see them falling to. Or so he hopes. "Phoebe is drawn here, to the Celestine and the other demigods. If I can help here as well, please," he reaches for the man's elbow, tactile and giving as was his nature, "you only need to say. Until I have my own mission, aiding others in theirs is all I can hope to do."
this is your ocean, an ocean of night

BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
Gideon Clemments
The Priest

Age: 52 | Height: 6' 1" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 4 - Strg: 18 - Dext: 17 - Endr: 17 - Luck: 16 - Int:
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#13
GIDEON

pulled out all your stitches
Gideon nodded; he could understand that. He personally would not return to Ludo until he had completed it's tasks, difficult as they were...he paused, that train of thought leading to an opportunity. "I need to get to the Climb for Ludo and Safrin. Collect some crystals. If you'd like to help with that, that's a direct way to assist." Someone a bit younger, a bit fitter, to defend him in the event of anything going too wrong; Gideon would be able to assess Harper's ability too.

"So long as Sunjata allows one of them to stay by his side, he's not to be trusted as an ally. He has too much temptation pulling him to the other side." It frankly baffled Gideon and insulted too, that the man had been so blessed with Safrin yet still slept with the enemy. Had he no pride, no idea of the blasphemies he was committing?

Nodding and shifting forwards, running a finger along the wooden grain of the pew before him, Gideon thought over all the young Demi Gods he'd met recently. "Ah, Phoebe; Frey touched. An interesting girl. Amalia stays in the Temple for guidance too."
Hubris is a bitch


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