In The Library With Mardaeus

June 18th 2007

Players: Lachesis, Vashbav, Mardaeus

Mardaeus is sitting comfortably in an armchair by the hearth. A wood pipe hangs from his mouth, a thin trail of smoke heading up from it. His overcoat is slung over the back of the chair and his legs stretched out before him. He seems quite focused on a book in his lap and a pile of tomes sits next to his chair, several of them bookmarked with ribbons that extend from their bindings.

The door to the library swings open and a tall woman with long raven hair walks into the building. She looks about the room a moment before walking straight to the librarians desk and speaking to the librarian quietly. She pulls a book out of her pack as she's talking to the woman at the desk.

There is a soft song, almost, barely noticeable through out the library as Vash steps into the library. Maybe she doesn't notice she is singing, rather the song just wraps around her and follows her where ever she goes. Maybe, she is just better at it then most, either way, the woman makes her way towards the hearth of the library with a book in her hand. Its not one of the library itself, rather one of her own tomes. A thick book, One of the bards that have past long ago.

Mardaeus slides yet another bookmark ribbon into place and closes the book he's reading. He sets it casually on the pile next to his chair and leans back, blinking several times. His head cocks to one side as he hears a growingly familiar voice. He turns his head and watches Vashbav approach for a moment. Something changes about his demeanor, as if he's ready for attack or to attack although he hardly moves at all. He seeks a glance towards the other arrival, suspicion growing on his features.

The black haired woman stands at the desk of the librarian, back turned towards the rest of the library. She seems to be waiting for the librarian to come back to her desk again, as she does so she glances over at the half orc woman who has just walked past humming as she did.

Vashbav opens her book and nods to Lachesis before her eyes settle on Mardaeus, "Hello." She offers oblivous of his preparing for a shot. She doesn't appear to have used any healing magic on her self, there is a few cuts on her lip, her eye is black and swollen as she flips through a few pages.

"Hello," Mardaeus replies in a venomous voice. "Is that your spellbook?" He seems amused by the question and the long draw he takes off his pipe afterwards doesn't seem to change that. He turns his head, blowing the smoke towards the fireplace. His eyes do not leave Vashbav though.

Upon hearing the mans question, the woman near the desk turns her head a bit, but doesn't look at the two behind her.

"Nope." Vash states, "You might not understand this, but this is a Tome of history." She remarks and then gives a glance to him, "100 years ago a group called the Broken Fang came to this city. They had a bard, a mage, a scout and a barbarian of the wild." She explains, "The bard recorded their adventures that helped build parts of this city." Vash motions to the book, "This is their account."

Mardaeus raises his eyebrows as his mouth flattens, but seemingly to poorly hide his amusement rather than forming a frown. "And who said history wasn't written by the victor?" Eyes still on Vashbav he turns his face towards the raven haired woman waiting on the librarian. Raising his voice he informs, "The librarian may be a few minutes. He's rather diligently acquiring some requested books for me." A smug smirk begins to form on his lips as he turns back to Vashbav, voice dropping down to his typical bold, yet not room-addressing volume. "What do a bard, a mage, a scout and a barbarian have in common?"

Turning to the man with an eyebrow quirked "I was just speaking with another, and She is looking for a book that I requested" she says to the man in the chair. She turns back to the desk after studying him for a moment, the look on her face staying sullen and somewhat unimpressed.

Vashbav looks at Mardaeus for a moment, "Blood shed." She remarks to him, "The fact that you haven't figured out that strength of one is out weighted by the unification of many's strength is sad. I had thought you you be a wise man." She remarks and tilts her head to the side, "But then again, You discredit Magic for the tool that it can be, so what more could I expect from you." Vash smirks. "Even the strongest of men in my father's tribe knew that numbers where a greater strength then singuliarty."

A middle-aged man that looks as if he's a touch stooped comes around a shelf, carrying a half-dozen books of varying width and age towards the rather smug and reclined Mardaeus. "Ahhh, there he is now," Mardaeus comments. "Didn't realize this place was so well staffed." The latter bears an obvious sarcastic edge. He pulls his pipe from his mouth and covers the opening with a thumb. "Quite the contrary, Vashbav the Rose, I think the only thing more powerful than magic is the gods themselves. A sword is superior to a fist and a bolt of magic is more powerful than a ballista." He sits up a bit, pulling his large feet in towards his seat. "Do you not see /why/ magic is cowardly then? Do you not understand why I push myself with no weapons, no armor, no spells and no trinkets of mystical power?"

"You fear magic. Don't you from the first moment that I cast a healing spell on you, You feared it." Vash pauses. "Or was it before." She wonders and tilts her head to the side, "There is no wrong in Magic, it is a tool, Just as a plow or a wagon are a tool for farmers. Its a tool to be mastered just as your hand and armor are, and with out it." She remarks. "You will find your self falling very fast in a battle."

The woman by the desk seems to have not have paid any attention to the man in the chair after she's turned back to the desk. She watches the librarian bring her a black leather bound book, and smiles as she does. After getting the book she bows slightly and politley thanks the librarian and heads to the small table.

Mardaeus shakes his head side to side in rebuttal. "I do not fear magic, I simply understand something that you do not. Every crutch you have lessens your potential." He leans forward a bit, seeming to enjoy the discussion, "Magic /is/ a tool, I agree. But do you not see the wisdom in avoiding a tool in order to improve how well you do without it?  I imagine you'd kill me easily with an axe and your armor, yet you leave yourself wide open again and again without it.  What would you do in one of the places where magic doesn't work?  Or perhaps if you were magically silenced, ironic as that is? You would be weakened, whereas I would be at my full ability as /usual/."

"That is where you are wrong, If I am silenced....My fists stil brought you down Once." She remarks. "Or should I say...My head brought you down." Vash quips. A glance is given to Lachesis as she winks at the other woman.

Lachesis tilts her head a bit, seems her interest has been piqued by the conversation a bit. At least a bit from what she has heard. Not wanting to seem rude and say anthing she opens up the book she got.

"Such a pathetically weak comeback." Mardaeus sets his pipe down on the stack of books and stands up, stretching his arms over his head. "You keep mentioning that you brought me down, yet you did so after I had beaten you to your limit twice. You attack as does a mugger, clumsily and without warning.  That is to be expected of one such as yourself, though." He doesn't seem to be stiff and sore from the fight the night before. Perhaps he is a quick healer or perhaps he was magically healed again. "The sad part is what you've done to your child..."

Vashbav blinks at Mardaeus, "What have I done to my child." She asks now and grows out a bit. "Hmmm?"

Lachesis tries hard not to pay any attention to the two, over from her. She stiffens a bit though as she hears what could be an insult from the man to the mother half orc.

Mardaeus smiles toothily, like a shark. "Do you know about breeding animals? Not the details, just the general principles of breeding for certain traits?" The old man who's been walking across the massive room finally reaches Mardaeus, setting the books down next to the others and tries not to be noticed as he shuffles away with a touch of haste. Mardaeus crosses his arms as he awaits his answer.

Vashbav raises an eyebrow. "Of course I do..." She remarks and stands up. "I do suggest that you not suggest my daughter is of inferrior stock...I am sure the entire dragonclaw company would take up that as in an insult..." She remarks. "And I am almost certain, that Marian would drain you of your entire strength without uttering a spell.

Lachesis looks up again to take a look at the two, she leans back in her chair not even trying to hide the fact that she's listening to the two talking.

Mardaeus does not seem intimidated by the threats, but instead amusement plays across his features. "I am suggesting something far more grand. Perhaps you should stop and give a moment of open-mindedness before you go on the defensive, Vashbav the Rose?" He pauses for a few moments, smile fading into a neutral look. "I suggest that perhaps /all/ children are becoming oh-so-slightly less with each generation. That's what brings me here!" His arms extend out to each side, palms up as he indicates the massive collection of knowledge. "I'm gathering evidence, finding questions to guide my questions and hoping something leads to proof. How many people are healed regularly?" He raises his eyebrows, silently bidding her to answer. "Practically everyone, yes?"

Lachesis chuckles "Some without permission as well" she intercedes for a moment.

Vashbav tilts her head slighty, "When you reach a battle, and lay dying. I will do you the honor of not healing you." She states and crosses her arms over her chest, "I do suggest though. =you= watch yourself." She states to Mardaeus, "Your past...is out there for any to see."

Mardaeus sagely nods towards Lachesis, seeming to surpress a laugh for a moment. Quickly refacing Vashbav he says, "Now, now. We're having a nice, philosophical converation here.  No need to spoil it.  I'm almost to the point of this inquiry.  Shall I quit or do you wish for me to continue?  Who knows? Perhaps you'll write a book that involves me someday." A lopsided smile spreads slowly across Mardaeus's face. The kind of smile a sadist would get while clubbing a baby seal to death.

Lachesis nods "It's not that I do not appreciate it Ma'am, I was in a tumble the other night and because of someone thunking me in the head with a wand to Heal me I was unable to hit my opponent.  I would prefer that after the battle, either ask me if I need help or I will go to my priests for it" she says to Vash, clarifying her interjection.

Vashbav eyes Mardaeus, "I doubt it...the respect I have for you is gone." She gives a glance to Lachesis, "You are both fools.." She pauses, "Maybe you should form a group...spread your idiocy in drones." Vash picks up her book and looks at Mardaeus over, "Oh, and you insult my child again, I will slice you from neck to nuts." She states with a feral grin to her face.

Lachesis hmms "I didn't realize that my wishing someone not throw my concentration while in battle was me being an idiot," she says standing up and crossing her arms in front of her as she frowns at Vash's outburst.

"The one who judges before listening is the fool. You cannot learn unless you learn to listen." Mardaeus continues to smile his wicked smile, "Enjoy your reading, Vashbav the Rose. Oh, and let me suggest a book for you." He points over to a nearby reference area, "It's called a dictionary. You might wish to look up that word you toss around so freely." He speaks in a mockingly stately voice, as if quoting, "Fool: One who lacks judgement, sense and understanding." His smile grows more even and with it, more smug.

Vashbav growls and moves to head out of the library, "fucker." She states on her way out.

Lachesis shrugs and sits back down at the table she was at and reopens the book she was reading as the half orc woman walks out.

Mardaeus takes a deep breath and yawns audibly before retaking his seat. He muttters, "Now where was I..." half to himself. He begins to rummage through the pile of similarly themed books. They all seem to be historic or religious texts. He replaces his pipe into his mouth and strikes a match off of his neck stubble before he settles fully.

After a few minutes and a couple of adjustments in her seat, Lachesis looks over to the chairs. "Do you mind if I come sit over there?" She asks to Mardaeus "Seems after only a couple of minutes of sitting this chair is quite uncomfortable"

Mardaeus's smugness seems to have left with Vashbav. He regards Lachesis and somehow shrugs, shakes his head and puffs his pipe alive as he says out of one side of his mouth, "Feel free..." He eyes the bloody image that decorates the woman and asks, "Can you define what makes a god a god?"

Lachesis stands and walks over to the more comfortable chairs and takes a seat, she looks over to him for a moment and shrugs "No, why would I want too?" She asks lightly.

Mardaeus seems rather practiced at talking with a pipestem held between his teeth as he answers, "Because defining something is a step towards understanding something." He raises his chin up and to the side in quick gesture, indicating Lachesis's back or shoulder. "That's a religious symbol, correct?"

Lachesis turns her head a bit and then looks to Mardaeus again "Think of it more like a family crest" she says "and trying to understand something such as the gods, would mean that you would care for them" she states.

Mardaeus nods slightly at her response, as if absorbing it rather than agreeing. He raises one eyebrow at Lachesis's last statement though, and retorts rather coldly with, "Does a man who cuts apart an animal to see how its insides work care for that animal? Understanding is what seperates us from beasts.  Unlike that bitch who just left I like to understand something before I pass judgement."

Lachesis shrugs nonchalantly "No, the man who slices open the beast to see how it works whether it be animal or other, doesn't necessarily care for the animal, he however must care how it works for the intrigue to be there" she looks towards the door that Vash walked out of and then shrugs again.

"I'll agree with that," Mardaeus says with a ponderous look, "but my concern isn't..." He stops with a frown, searching for the right word within his mind. He comes up with, "typical." Face resuming its neutrality, he adds, "I think my concern will be public rather soon, however."

Lachesis shrugs again "Whether your concern is typical or not you still must be intrigued by how they work to want to understand them, I assume so that you can do whatever it is you plan"

"Very," he states, however his voice betrays deeper interest than passing intrigue. "Shouldn't we all be? They are the source of all of /this/ after all." Mardaeus absently scratches the back of his head. "I've just read that some of the higher ranking members of the church can speak with their God. Now that would be... interesting. To say the least." He looks into Lachesis's eyes rather casually and asks, "Are you not intrigued?"

"At a priest being able to speak to a god? No" she states her nonchalance not waivering "Why should I?" she asks curious at the answer.

Mardaeus shrugs every so slightly. "What are they like? Are they people with abilities above and beyond our own?  Or are they as these texts would have you believe?" He smacks a hand on the pile and continues, "So possesive of omnipercipiency that you would have no reason to talk at all, since they knew your every action before you were born."

"Maybe they don't exist at all and it is the priests ways to try to get people to follow what it is they believe" she offers "How do you know that they exist? because you read that they do? Is it not mere mortals that put the ink to the pages and tell us the 'stories' of the Gods?"

The left corner of Mardaeus's mouth hints up in the barest of gimp smiles. He removes his hand from his pipe to point at the woman he's speaking with. "Now /you/ are a thinker." He wrinkles his nose for a moment in brief twist of half-frown, half-smile. "Let's just say I've seen enough to want to know more." He leans back into the armchair and wiggles a bit, getting even more comfortable, "It's Mardaeus, by the way."

Lachesis nods slightly "Lachesis" she says simply "I refuse to believe that which is written by victors, tale weavers and cowards" she says nodding towards the stack of books beside Mardaeus.

Mardaeus confides, "The best advice I was ever given was 'Question everything.'" He makes a clicking sound with his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he looks back over to the books. "But when it's all you got, you deal." Rolling his eyes upwards he adds with disgust, "And the fucking clerics always seem to be busy unless you want to convert, not that I expect anything unbiased from that lot." He finishes the herbal contents of his pipe yet doesn't reload it right away, instead he taps the ash out on his hand and rubs it into the thigh of his trews.

Lachesis nods slowly "I just always naturally did" she says and rests the book in her lap and snickers a bit amusedly "You could try speaking to a Paladin" she seems amused by this comment.

Mardaeus mutters rather sneeringly, "Had my fill of them, thanks." He grabs his coat from the chair and rises to his feet throwing it around his shoulders as he does so. "And as much as I would love to bitch about paladins and their lackeys for a while, I've got some money to raise." His wicked grin returns, lopsided as ever, "For the best of causes, of course." He slides his pipe into a pocket and makes that clicking noise in his mouth as he looks over the books again.

"Yourself?" Lachesis asks with a smirk as she watches him get up and put his coat on "So you're leaving already then" she says witha nod.

Mardaeus cackles silently, looking quite amused as he responds with layers and layers of sarcastic tone, "No, for propriety." He sorts through the pile until he has three specific tomes in his arms, all rather aged. "Yep. But knowing me and knowing this city, partings never last." He turns towards the closest librarian, a good forty feet away and raises his voice well beyond the normal acceptance level of the library, "I'll bring these back within a fortnight." Pushing his hat more firmly onto his head he adds at a more conversational volume. "Come by the Dryad sometime if you want to talk more about it. Paladins just get fucking mean-mugged in there." He flashes a somehow violent grin and turns towards the door. "See you soon, Lachesis," is added as he heads that way.

Lachesis chuckles and nods at Mardaeus "Yes I'm sure you will" she says and opens the book on her lap back up and starts reading it.