Karmordi seemed as anxious and conflicted as the witch seemed indifferent. Plainly he thought the decision momentous- after all, it could be the making or the breaking of him, as a person, as a hero. His symphony sang of nerves, of being upon the precipice of a dream which you still did not clearly understand as a real possibility. There were undercurrents of fear, of doubt, even a note or two of embarrassment for the audacity of his desire. But...
"If what the Great and Ancient Witch says is true..."--and Karmordi's tone made it clear that he would never suspect Imogen of lying--"...then perhaps I should go there. Koid is not known to roam the jungles, but if He were to become corrupted..."
He didn't go on, in large part because he wasn't really all that familiar with the Blood of the Earth's actual capabilities. Still, the possible dangers of it weren't hard to imagine. Fire was not generally much of a danger in the great northwestern jungles of Ecith; the environs were too dense and wet for a blaze to travel far. But the power of a Primal was sufficient to change nature, and one could only imagine the fate of the unprepared villages caught up in a supernatural wildfire spurred on by the beast's rampage.
Still, Finn didn't feel the kind of certitude from Karmordi which he might have liked. The brash young berserker had an easy confidence about him on the battlefield, and even in matters of what passed for society in the Commonwealth. But now that he had finally been given the direction he was seeking, his spirit was restive, unsure.
The Great and Ancient Witch gave Karmordi a bland smile. "Alright. If that's what you want to do... then you should start with a prayer, I think, to calm your spirit and give you resolve. The top of the mountain is not far up the trail from this shrine, and that's where the old priests of Ysadrin and Ysandre conducted their rites. Head up to the top, and offer the departed gods your respects."
Karmordi blinked in surprise at this sudden command, but it was a reasonable proposition. He began to turn, as if to look at Finn, when Imogen interrupted again:
"It's traditional to make this step of the pilgrimage alone, for the sun shares the sky with no other stars."
The berserker stopped, hesitating, but then he nodded. It made sense, really. Divine communion was a personal matter, even when speaking to a deity which could not respond. "...yes. I will return before night, then. Thank you."
If Karmordi realized that Imogen was tricking him into giving her time to speak with Finn alone, he did not show it in either his demeanor or his Symphony.
"If what the Great and Ancient Witch says is true..."--and Karmordi's tone made it clear that he would never suspect Imogen of lying--"...then perhaps I should go there. Koid is not known to roam the jungles, but if He were to become corrupted..."
He didn't go on, in large part because he wasn't really all that familiar with the Blood of the Earth's actual capabilities. Still, the possible dangers of it weren't hard to imagine. Fire was not generally much of a danger in the great northwestern jungles of Ecith; the environs were too dense and wet for a blaze to travel far. But the power of a Primal was sufficient to change nature, and one could only imagine the fate of the unprepared villages caught up in a supernatural wildfire spurred on by the beast's rampage.
Still, Finn didn't feel the kind of certitude from Karmordi which he might have liked. The brash young berserker had an easy confidence about him on the battlefield, and even in matters of what passed for society in the Commonwealth. But now that he had finally been given the direction he was seeking, his spirit was restive, unsure.
The Great and Ancient Witch gave Karmordi a bland smile. "Alright. If that's what you want to do... then you should start with a prayer, I think, to calm your spirit and give you resolve. The top of the mountain is not far up the trail from this shrine, and that's where the old priests of Ysadrin and Ysandre conducted their rites. Head up to the top, and offer the departed gods your respects."
Karmordi blinked in surprise at this sudden command, but it was a reasonable proposition. He began to turn, as if to look at Finn, when Imogen interrupted again:
"It's traditional to make this step of the pilgrimage alone, for the sun shares the sky with no other stars."
The berserker stopped, hesitating, but then he nodded. It made sense, really. Divine communion was a personal matter, even when speaking to a deity which could not respond. "...yes. I will return before night, then. Thank you."
If Karmordi realized that Imogen was tricking him into giving her time to speak with Finn alone, he did not show it in either his demeanor or his Symphony.
