#wovenmidnight

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Why restrict yourself to one god when you could worship all of them?

That was certainly what the architects of the Stormshore Tabernacle thought. Ashen was not terribly on board with the idea. Some days, it was very difficult to accept some worshippers' requests, but his devotion to his duty was stronger than his hatred of certain gods. The latest incident of that kind was a Lolth follower complaining that her prayer did not have any effect. The Helm cleric had to practice incredible restraint not to answer "You should rather be glad she did not notice you".

Of course, he would have preferred if he were back in Elturel and became one of the many clerics of Helm's Shieldhall, the grandiose place of worship erected to the Watcher. Unfortunately, this was not an option. He was well aware that other Elturian refugees like him were not granted access to Baldur's Gate, and that his work as a cleric alone saved him. He was in no place to choose his fate.

Dressed in his ivory clergy robes and stole, Ashen was reading a theology book when a wizard entered the Tabernacle, asking him courteously where was it that he could worship Mystra. Uncertain of how the young man somehow missed the large statue of her that stood near him, he guided him near the goddess' effigy and started to recite with him:

"Hallowed Lady, Mother Mystra, I speak my faith and devotion into your Weave..."

Pleased with having shown his respects to the mother of all magic, the worshipper was gone as fast as he had entered the building, leaving Ashen once again alone with his thoughts, in the silence of the temple.

It turned out that his current thought, at the moment, was spoken aloud after eyeing the statues surrounding the main altar:

"How amusing that the Great Guard's statue was placed right in front of Mystra's."

⚝ 𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕕 𝕞𝕖 ☀ 𝕚𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕞𝕦𝕤𝕖 𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕤 𝕞𝕚𝕟𝕖 𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕧𝕖 ⚝

❥ source

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𝐌𝐘𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀

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The guardian remained untroubled by the goddess' quip concerning his courtesy. In this, she was right. He was a figure of little words, of silence even, if he considered it necessary. In the long history of his godhood, he had only pronounced one word in front of a mortal, his Chosen: "Vigilance".

"You hold grudges from even beyond this incarnation, Lady Mystra. Despite our differences, I recognised your role in keeping the balance of the Weave, but you are verging on shirking this role. What will you tell Lord Ao if your Chosen strays to Karsus' path? Do you not remember that the last mortals who coveted godhood have targeted you? Do you not realise that you have given him reasons to resent you?"

Not Drows, only Lolth worshippers. They just happen to be mostly Drows meddling in my temple RIGHT NOW.

@anderwelt

꒰ "Take it easy on the Wizard will you? I still have plans for him..." ꒱

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It's like she walks her dog and he has to make himself known too.

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The near but ungranted touch of their lips added to the agonising tension in his chest, an ache for touch stretched thin by years of abstaining from such intimacy, nevermind the teasing sensuality of a goddess.

The question made him slightly tilt his chin upwards, a perhaps vain attempt to keep some of his pride in the face of a rivalry uncoiled in the shape of physicality. Of course he knew the answer. Is the Watcher watching? But he would not give her satisfaction, just like she denied his own the second before.