[Administrator] Wharil Choc, welcome to Grant Park (Northside) (Day)
[Nathan Spriggs] Down a path surrounded with rows of trees on either side, the other park-goers in plain sight to the front and back but not the sides, that's where the oddly forgettable blond man in a dark navy blue business suit, with a white shirt and black tie, is. His destination, where the path takes him, is a small area in one of the corners of the park where people gather to play a quiet game of chess and pass the time.
Today in particular seems like an odd day for it but at least the cloudy weather that had swept into the city with a promise of rain seemed to exclude the park for the time being, so he had time before the rain came. Time was all he had these days in fact, when nothing was falling apart or exploding or hunting them in this city. With the exception of some killer trash cans anyway, and that was someone else's business not his, not right now.
[Wharil Choc] Wharil is there, though few seem to notice. He's setting up a table for a game, lining up the white pieces and the black pieces by memory. No one stops. None of the people standing around at the other tables looking over peoples shoulders, waiting for their chance to play, turn to eye him as he set ups.
Its when he's finished, when he holds his hands clasped in his lap, closes his eyes and breathes, that they do notice him. Like a hole was suddenly filled up in their consciousness. Eyes suddenly light on the man, taking in his features as he suppresses his arcane.
And then he waits.
[Nathan Spriggs] It's one of those days for Nathan, when he's not jumping at shadows and drawing a gun every five second on people that might or might not be threats. So he doesn't immediately notice Wharil, just like the others, and he doesn't immediately walk over. He takes a seat at a corner for a moment and gets ready to prep his own table.
Then he sees him, and he's getting up in the blink of an eye, just a beat. A step over to where the man sits, waiting for a game of his own.
"Hey, how's it going?" He says, sliding slowly into the seat opposite of Wharil.
[Wharil Choc] Wharil opens his eyes, blinking slightly but smiling immediately at the voice.
"Nathan! I'm good, how've you been? Staying out of trouble?"
His hands unfold and he uses them to indicate the already set board and raises his eyebrows curiously.
[Nathan Spriggs] He nods slightly first, an unvoiced answer to the unvoiced question, then pawn at A-2 to A-4, his basic startup move.
"I've been lucky enough to, yeah. It's good to take a break from time to time."
[Wharil Choc] "I know exactly what you mean." He says, and starts out with his left side knight. "Sometimes you gotta take a step back and walk that mundane road every so often. How's the restaurant business?"
[Nathan Spriggs] "I agree, though I've kept up my research on matters. All these recent events have left me... well, more curious than ever before if you will. Also a bit lost on where I stand, so here I am... searching." He responds, moving the pawn in front of the right knight a space forward.
[Wharil Choc] "Yeah, the city's...pretty messed up. Then again, show me a city that isn't right now."
There's a bit off a huff of breath, and Wharil moves another pawn on the left side, not jumping at Nathan's bait just yet, though he has freed up his bishop for a diagonal sweep in that direction.
[Nathan Spriggs] "Yup, guess we just have to make do with what we have. Honestly, I think we could've done a lot better job with things, but at least we've resolved the situations." A pawn moved forward one more space here, the same he used to open.
[Wharil Choc] "So what do you mean when you say you you're unsure of where you stand with things?"
The knight is adjusted, lurking in position to consume the first pawn should it continue.
[Nathan Spriggs] "Well, you know how it is. You get an idea and assume it's correct and it works, then you see something that makes you doubt it. For me, well, I had my own views and goals which was what brought me into the Cult naturally, I figured 'hey, maybe this will help me out'." A beat, and then, "But not really. I've figured out it's taken me apart these days. Which is why I left the Cult. Now I'm just soul-searching you will, finding myself."
He takes his own left knight out for a ride, happy to keep the standstill for a moment longer.
[Wharil Choc] "Hmm." He says thoughtfully, though its not clear whether its in reaction to what he's said or to his last move on the board. His fingers hover over several pieces, touch a few, then move away.
"I've been there. Well, maybe not really. Once I was on the path of my tradition, I never really stepped off. Wanted to a couple times though. But...I dunno. It can be so fucking depressing sometimes. And other times...you really get to see how beautiful it all is. And how you can make a difference.
"I guess that was the most important thing for me. Making a difference. Meaning something. Not just human waste or evidence of overpopulation, y'know?"
Finally he moves, placing a pawn on his right side one step closer.
"What's important to you?"
[Nathan Spriggs] He watches the table silently for a moment, pensive. Maybe at something else too, or maybe just tracing the moves in his mind. Then, the rook that first pawn had made space for is finally moved forward three spaces.
"Hm, I dunno. I think finding the answers is, but I'm not sure. I guess that's part of what I'm searching for? All I know is it's not the hippie revolution by far." A small chuckle to himself at the stereotypes of his former affiliation, even if he knew better.
[Wharil Choc] Wharil smiles and shrugs.
"So you're a seeker of truth. Yeah, I can see how intense navel gazing and free love can make that frustrating. The truth is out there, and you're probably being encouraged to focus inward."
Another pawn comes forward, this time riding next to the previous one.
[Nathan Spriggs] "Aren't we all? Y'know, in our own ways." He adds with a smile. Meanwhile, the right side pawn is moved forward within striking range of the knight.
[Wharil Choc] "No, actually. We're not. I've known Chakravanti that are really pretty happy to devote the majority of their time to kicking ass and taking lives. Sure, they're doing it for a fundamentally spiritual reason, but...they don't really care for the details.
"And I'm sure that's the case with all the Traditions. Everyone's just trying to find their fit. Its perfectly normal."
[Nathan Spriggs] He considers it for a moment, then sets the matter aside for another moment. Something else had him curious, something he wouldn't usually ask before, but that was before. "I've always wondered, how do you and yours choose? Y'know, decide who goes and who doesn't? I've heard the whole criminals bit, murderers, rapists, etcetera... But really, what if taking one live affects the world in such a way that maybe you'd have saved more, done more right in not doing so?" A beat. "Sorry if this is personal for you."
[Wharil Choc] His mouth tilts slightly as he considers, then he shrugs.
"Not too personal, no. I just had to cover this with the new kid actually."
His hand reaches for the pieces again, hovering, touching lightly.
"Most Euthanatos, really, are scholars and students. The words we use for one another, for example. Acarya, Chela, Guru, Paramaguru. They all mean teacher or student. What most people see are the hands of the tradition. The workers. The movers."
He lifts one piece, the bishop, and moves it somewhere more central where it could go in either direction.
"Behind the scenes though? More scholars. People who devote their entire lives to studying cause and effect, study ancient prophesies, chaos theory, politics, genealogy. The scholars are who really decide. The others, the ones everyone sees, they just decide how it happens."
[Nathan Spriggs] For a moment he's uncertain if he'll get an answer or not, then when it becomes clear his mouth curls into a small smile, thankful even. "I see. It's always been one of those things, as masters of Entropy I'm sure you'd understand 'for every action, there's a reaction', the Butterfly Effect. So it was something I've always been curious about." Not to mention the value of life, even a murderer's. For everything he was, Nathan was and would never be someone who could commit premeditated murder without batting an eye.
His own move was simple, a knight to take the furthermost of the pawns.
[Wharil Choc] "Think of it as a reset button. That's what we do, anyway. There's an entire offshoot of our tradition dedicated to tracing, not lineages, but incarnations. I'm pretty sure they know who I was in a past life. And if I've learned anything its that, if you know one half of a pattern, its pretty easy to guess the rest.
"We've also got prophets second only to the Cult."
He shrugs, and moves the other pawn forward, but out of range of the knight.
[Nathan Spriggs] He nods, acknowledging that the Euthanatos undoubtedly had their own group of amazing prophets. His move was a taking out the right bishop which he'd opened the space for earlier.
"I see. That's good to know. I've never been one to put too much stock in prophecy myself though, honestly. Farther ahead you go, more inaccurate it becomes, Butterfly Effect at work even with Entropy to counteract and nudge along."
[Wharil Choc] He shrugs, nudging another pawn forward.
"Different strokes for different folks, I guess. Y'know, you should ask Kage. I think she's done some trad-hopping of her own, actually."
[Nathan Spriggs] He responds almost reflexively this time, pawn forward as well to meet them half-way. "I guess. Everyone's got their own methods that work, that's why we some times reach impasses right?"
[Wharil Choc] "I guess so. What about Jonathan? What's he been up to?"
And another pawn. He might run out of them soon.
[Nathan Spriggs] "Not sure, I think he's still searching for leads. We've been pretty disconnected since the whole Chalice affair. I've been too busy running around and helping Solomon and Israel find information."
And he takes out the other knight from it's place.
[Wharil Choc] "Lots of new folks in the city. You guys should consider expanding a bit. Get a couple more troublemakers in the mix."
[Nathan Spriggs] A small pause before he arches a brow in curiosity. Then a nod as he adds, "Maybe. We'll see, first I need to meet a few of these new arrivals. There seem to be a few I keep missing."
[Wharil Choc] "Hm. I get the feeling you'll have plenty of opportunities for that."
[Wharil Choc] [Wits+Enigmas]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 5, 7, 7, 9 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Nathan Spriggs] [Two enter, one leaves; Wits+Enigmas]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 3, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Nathan Spriggs] Down a path surrounded with rows of trees on either side, the other park-goers in plain sight to the front and back but not the sides, that's where the oddly forgettable blond man in a dark navy blue business suit, with a white shirt and black tie, is. His destination, where the path takes him, is a small area in one of the corners of the park where people gather to play a quiet game of chess and pass the time.
Today in particular seems like an odd day for it but at least the cloudy weather that had swept into the city with a promise of rain seemed to exclude the park for the time being, so he had time before the rain came. Time was all he had these days in fact, when nothing was falling apart or exploding or hunting them in this city. With the exception of some killer trash cans anyway, and that was someone else's business not his, not right now.
[Wharil Choc] Wharil is there, though few seem to notice. He's setting up a table for a game, lining up the white pieces and the black pieces by memory. No one stops. None of the people standing around at the other tables looking over peoples shoulders, waiting for their chance to play, turn to eye him as he set ups.
Its when he's finished, when he holds his hands clasped in his lap, closes his eyes and breathes, that they do notice him. Like a hole was suddenly filled up in their consciousness. Eyes suddenly light on the man, taking in his features as he suppresses his arcane.
And then he waits.
[Nathan Spriggs] It's one of those days for Nathan, when he's not jumping at shadows and drawing a gun every five second on people that might or might not be threats. So he doesn't immediately notice Wharil, just like the others, and he doesn't immediately walk over. He takes a seat at a corner for a moment and gets ready to prep his own table.
Then he sees him, and he's getting up in the blink of an eye, just a beat. A step over to where the man sits, waiting for a game of his own.
"Hey, how's it going?" He says, sliding slowly into the seat opposite of Wharil.
[Wharil Choc] Wharil opens his eyes, blinking slightly but smiling immediately at the voice.
"Nathan! I'm good, how've you been? Staying out of trouble?"
His hands unfold and he uses them to indicate the already set board and raises his eyebrows curiously.
[Nathan Spriggs] He nods slightly first, an unvoiced answer to the unvoiced question, then pawn at A-2 to A-4, his basic startup move.
"I've been lucky enough to, yeah. It's good to take a break from time to time."
[Wharil Choc] "I know exactly what you mean." He says, and starts out with his left side knight. "Sometimes you gotta take a step back and walk that mundane road every so often. How's the restaurant business?"
[Nathan Spriggs] "I agree, though I've kept up my research on matters. All these recent events have left me... well, more curious than ever before if you will. Also a bit lost on where I stand, so here I am... searching." He responds, moving the pawn in front of the right knight a space forward.
[Wharil Choc] "Yeah, the city's...pretty messed up. Then again, show me a city that isn't right now."
There's a bit off a huff of breath, and Wharil moves another pawn on the left side, not jumping at Nathan's bait just yet, though he has freed up his bishop for a diagonal sweep in that direction.
[Nathan Spriggs] "Yup, guess we just have to make do with what we have. Honestly, I think we could've done a lot better job with things, but at least we've resolved the situations." A pawn moved forward one more space here, the same he used to open.
[Wharil Choc] "So what do you mean when you say you you're unsure of where you stand with things?"
The knight is adjusted, lurking in position to consume the first pawn should it continue.
[Nathan Spriggs] "Well, you know how it is. You get an idea and assume it's correct and it works, then you see something that makes you doubt it. For me, well, I had my own views and goals which was what brought me into the Cult naturally, I figured 'hey, maybe this will help me out'." A beat, and then, "But not really. I've figured out it's taken me apart these days. Which is why I left the Cult. Now I'm just soul-searching you will, finding myself."
He takes his own left knight out for a ride, happy to keep the standstill for a moment longer.
[Wharil Choc] "Hmm." He says thoughtfully, though its not clear whether its in reaction to what he's said or to his last move on the board. His fingers hover over several pieces, touch a few, then move away.
"I've been there. Well, maybe not really. Once I was on the path of my tradition, I never really stepped off. Wanted to a couple times though. But...I dunno. It can be so fucking depressing sometimes. And other times...you really get to see how beautiful it all is. And how you can make a difference.
"I guess that was the most important thing for me. Making a difference. Meaning something. Not just human waste or evidence of overpopulation, y'know?"
Finally he moves, placing a pawn on his right side one step closer.
"What's important to you?"
[Nathan Spriggs] He watches the table silently for a moment, pensive. Maybe at something else too, or maybe just tracing the moves in his mind. Then, the rook that first pawn had made space for is finally moved forward three spaces.
"Hm, I dunno. I think finding the answers is, but I'm not sure. I guess that's part of what I'm searching for? All I know is it's not the hippie revolution by far." A small chuckle to himself at the stereotypes of his former affiliation, even if he knew better.
[Wharil Choc] Wharil smiles and shrugs.
"So you're a seeker of truth. Yeah, I can see how intense navel gazing and free love can make that frustrating. The truth is out there, and you're probably being encouraged to focus inward."
Another pawn comes forward, this time riding next to the previous one.
[Nathan Spriggs] "Aren't we all? Y'know, in our own ways." He adds with a smile. Meanwhile, the right side pawn is moved forward within striking range of the knight.
[Wharil Choc] "No, actually. We're not. I've known Chakravanti that are really pretty happy to devote the majority of their time to kicking ass and taking lives. Sure, they're doing it for a fundamentally spiritual reason, but...they don't really care for the details.
"And I'm sure that's the case with all the Traditions. Everyone's just trying to find their fit. Its perfectly normal."
[Nathan Spriggs] He considers it for a moment, then sets the matter aside for another moment. Something else had him curious, something he wouldn't usually ask before, but that was before. "I've always wondered, how do you and yours choose? Y'know, decide who goes and who doesn't? I've heard the whole criminals bit, murderers, rapists, etcetera... But really, what if taking one live affects the world in such a way that maybe you'd have saved more, done more right in not doing so?" A beat. "Sorry if this is personal for you."
[Wharil Choc] His mouth tilts slightly as he considers, then he shrugs.
"Not too personal, no. I just had to cover this with the new kid actually."
His hand reaches for the pieces again, hovering, touching lightly.
"Most Euthanatos, really, are scholars and students. The words we use for one another, for example. Acarya, Chela, Guru, Paramaguru. They all mean teacher or student. What most people see are the hands of the tradition. The workers. The movers."
He lifts one piece, the bishop, and moves it somewhere more central where it could go in either direction.
"Behind the scenes though? More scholars. People who devote their entire lives to studying cause and effect, study ancient prophesies, chaos theory, politics, genealogy. The scholars are who really decide. The others, the ones everyone sees, they just decide how it happens."
[Nathan Spriggs] For a moment he's uncertain if he'll get an answer or not, then when it becomes clear his mouth curls into a small smile, thankful even. "I see. It's always been one of those things, as masters of Entropy I'm sure you'd understand 'for every action, there's a reaction', the Butterfly Effect. So it was something I've always been curious about." Not to mention the value of life, even a murderer's. For everything he was, Nathan was and would never be someone who could commit premeditated murder without batting an eye.
His own move was simple, a knight to take the furthermost of the pawns.
[Wharil Choc] "Think of it as a reset button. That's what we do, anyway. There's an entire offshoot of our tradition dedicated to tracing, not lineages, but incarnations. I'm pretty sure they know who I was in a past life. And if I've learned anything its that, if you know one half of a pattern, its pretty easy to guess the rest.
"We've also got prophets second only to the Cult."
He shrugs, and moves the other pawn forward, but out of range of the knight.
[Nathan Spriggs] He nods, acknowledging that the Euthanatos undoubtedly had their own group of amazing prophets. His move was a taking out the right bishop which he'd opened the space for earlier.
"I see. That's good to know. I've never been one to put too much stock in prophecy myself though, honestly. Farther ahead you go, more inaccurate it becomes, Butterfly Effect at work even with Entropy to counteract and nudge along."
[Wharil Choc] He shrugs, nudging another pawn forward.
"Different strokes for different folks, I guess. Y'know, you should ask Kage. I think she's done some trad-hopping of her own, actually."
[Nathan Spriggs] He responds almost reflexively this time, pawn forward as well to meet them half-way. "I guess. Everyone's got their own methods that work, that's why we some times reach impasses right?"
[Wharil Choc] "I guess so. What about Jonathan? What's he been up to?"
And another pawn. He might run out of them soon.
[Nathan Spriggs] "Not sure, I think he's still searching for leads. We've been pretty disconnected since the whole Chalice affair. I've been too busy running around and helping Solomon and Israel find information."
And he takes out the other knight from it's place.
[Wharil Choc] "Lots of new folks in the city. You guys should consider expanding a bit. Get a couple more troublemakers in the mix."
[Nathan Spriggs] A small pause before he arches a brow in curiosity. Then a nod as he adds, "Maybe. We'll see, first I need to meet a few of these new arrivals. There seem to be a few I keep missing."
[Wharil Choc] "Hm. I get the feeling you'll have plenty of opportunities for that."
[Wharil Choc] [Wits+Enigmas]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 5, 7, 7, 9 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Nathan Spriggs] [Two enter, one leaves; Wits+Enigmas]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 3, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
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