Todd
He laughs, his voice dark and cruel, "Why not both?" He asks, rhetorically, "The Afflicted all have a wasting disease, they come from High Rock, on a Pilgrimage, to see Kesh the Clean. I think they were all hearded to Bthardamz, for some reason. Though their leader is no longer on good terms with Peryite, I'll have to see to his punishment at some point. Perhaps get help from a mortal."
John
"Clavicus never had any Cults that i know of. Notable ones anyway. Lord Vile is a very... Personal... Prince."
*She was having a bit of trouble keeping up with barbas. She wasn't the most fit, and she was carrying the gigantic backpack.*
Todd
"Peryite has had a few. There's one full of wealthy nobles, the Natural Order is what they call themselves. Funny name. Fairly contradictory to the other cults." He says with a laugh. Zethizz is keeping decent pace, using his staff as a hiking stick
John
"I don't get their reasoning for following him... He's so hands off. He doesn't offer any boon of Power, or much other benefit, unless you revel in disease."
*She seemed to be pushing the envelope of disrespect.*
"Lord Vile offers fair deals and hard bargains, with loose contracts, obviously."
Todd
"I wouldn't consider any of Vile's deals 'fair'." He says, "Many of the followers either do revel in disease, or believe disease is a tool they can use to get more power. Some, like the Afflicted, are given disease, but are resistant to any deadly effects."
John
*She raised an eyebrow.*
"That doesn't sound like natural order to me..."
*She hadn't been in Falkreath before. In all the green, it had felt so... Off. Mysterious, somewhat threatening.*
Todd
"He has to give his followers some sort of boon, no? And even so they act as a nexus point of disease. Not only that but is disease not everywhere, already? It kills some but not others, balance. If you are too weak to resist the disease you will die, if you are a strong you live: That, is Natural Order, the law of the wild."
John
"I guess that makes sense... In a backwards sort of way. What do you think drives people to Peryite? I understand a reason for mortals to worship most of the princes... Peryite ain't one of them."
*She worried slightly about what Lord Vile would do if he found one of his Skaafin living free. Best to ignore it.*
Todd
"Aristocrats wish use Peryite as a tool to keep the poor and downtrodden underfoot, while the Outcasted believe him to be the Prince to deliver them to their salvation. And in a way Peryite is both of those."
John
"The Rich could call upon the Lord of Domination, the outcasts could call upon Malacath."
*She looked forward, thinking.*
"Maybe I just shouldn't ask questions. Some things just are the way they are... I'm sorry if I offended you."
*A daedra with such politeness was rare, and rather offputting.*
Todd
"They could, but they don't, quite peculiar, isn't it?" He says, "The Ashlanders consider Peryite the 'Figuring Father', as the do Mephala as the 'Black-Handed Mother'. Isn't that interesting." He says, "And I take no offense. If I did you wouldn't still be standing."
John
"It is interesting... How the mortals view us. How incomprehensible we seem to them. They're so interesting to me, their mortality itself. How some resent it, yet some seem to cherish it. I just wish they weren't so cautious of me..."
*She sighed, looking up the mountain they were ascending to Haemar's Shame.*
"Oh! This is the shrine I tried to visit... With the grumpy vampires."
Todd
"Vampires. Great. I'm not gonna be much help, then. Most of my magic is in disease and poison, things they're immune to. Well I've still got a blade, And I've got a few other tricks up my sleeve. Suppose their thralls will be nothing against me, though."
John
"I've... Only... Got blades."
*She doesn't know magic. At all.*
"You can rely on a good blade. That's what all those nords say."
Todd
"I suppose, but magic is such a useful tool." He says, I suppose we should get in there, now." He says, "We've got killing to do."