<br/><div class="floatright">(https://i.imgur.com/jgrwQJJ.jpg)</div><span class="bbc_u"><strong><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;">Shalashaska (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2136591)</span></strong></span><br/><strong>HP:</strong>10/10<strong>AC:</strong>18<strong>Spells:</strong>lv.1  3/3<br/><strong>Status/Effects:</strong><br/><strong>Action:</strong>cast Create Water<br/><strong>Rolls:</strong><br/><hr/><br/>Shala gave a small smile at the man's joke. Though he obviously had no way of knowing, the boy's arrival here was far from an accident, and equally far from good spirited. Of course it would not make a good first impression to admit he had been driven to this far edge of civilization because the old king of his homeland had been usurped. He cocked his head as the man commented on his clothing. Glancing down he immediately understood what he meant. Though they were just the holy garments of the church, they were a fair bit...opulent. Making him stick out quite sorely no doubt, "Ah, yes, I suppose it is a bit, er, flashy. heheh. but don't fret. I've no intent to veil my purpose here. I am a missionary of the church of Sarenrae, goddess of the sun. I've been sent here to spread word of her teachings, and provide various clerical services to the community." he explained with an even bigger smile, showing some enthusiasm for his mission. Despite the less than earnest circumstances for why he was here, that didn't mean his work couldn't provide some genuine good, and he was happy to do so.<br/><br/>When the man mentioned taking off his mask, Shala blushed, "ummm, about that...you see this mask is actually an important part of our faith, especially for an orcale such as myself. Removing it in public would be somewhat sacrilegious. Not damningly so, but still. I hope you understand, I mean no offense by it" he said with an awkward chuckle, realizing that it might be hard to explain some of the more...<em>unique</em>practices of his religion. Masks like this had a lot of symbolic meaning to worshipers of the church. To obscure one's face and instead bare the visage of the sun was to dedicate oneself fully to the goddess, to put her image before one's own, to show one's faith was more important than vanity or the selfish desires that came with a public image. Many members of the church wore similar masks, as did some particularly devote citizenry, though usually only during sermons or other festivities. While Shalashaska's was gilded, and gleamed under sunlight, most where simply carved from wood or thickly layered paper, or other cheaper materials. And while the point was to show faith and unity through anonymity, it was still quite popular for people to personalize their mask in some way to show a bit of uniqueness and personality.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">lore dump</div><div class="spoiler_body">The concept of rejecting one's self to become an avatar of the goddess was especially important to those in more influential positions in the church, such as a Sunseeker like Shalashaska. The position of Sunseeker had been incredibly powerful, as you were considered the voice of the goddess. Any messages or revelations you passed down were sincerely believed to be the words of Sarenrae herself. As such it was highly important that one in such a position was of pure intent and lacked any kind of ulterior motives. The mask was one way of ensuring that. In the time one spent as a Sunseeker their original identity is a highly guarded secret. They are not allowed to use their birth name ("Shalashaska" itself was actually a ceremonial name given to all Sunseekers) and must keep their face covered in public at all times. In this way a Sunseeker is discouraged from using their position for personal gain, as they have less to gain from it. The position came with no renown or fame, you could not use it to make yourself an important public figure, and once you have stepped down from the role you could not attempt to use the lingering influence for personal gain, as there was no public evidence that you had actually been the Sunseeker. After all anyone could theoretically blind themselves to try and pass as a former Sunseeker, and as such anyone trying to claim that title was quickly dismissed. In fact this rule was taken so seriously that if one were to willing remove their mask in public they would immediately be stripped of the position. <br/><br/>Of course that had been before the change. The position of Sunseeker had been officially disbanded by the new regime, Shala himself forced to pass down a fake revelation that the Goddess told him mortals were no longer meant to speak on her behalf. Technically speaking the boy did not have to wear the mask anymore, as since the position no longer existed there were no consequences for doing so. However he persisted none the less. Just because the church had been diminished didn't mean his connection to the goddess had been severed. It may not be a position recognized by the kingdom anymore, but he was still Sunseeker, and had to conduct himself as such. </div></div><br/><br/>"Oh" the boy piqued, stirred from his thoughts as the innkeeper set down food and drink before him, saying was on the house, "thank you, that's mighty kind of you sir" he cooed. If Jak could see Shala's eyes he would seem them practically light up at the offered sweets. While the blessing of Sarenrae meant that he did not have to eat, and could simply bask in the sun's rays for nourishment, not unlike a plant, that didn't mean he couldn't still eat for pleasure. In fact it was the opposite, being freed from dietary needs meant he was free to only indulge himself in treats when he fancied it, turning eating more into a pastime than anything else. He also found that as his sight diminished his other senses sharpened slightly, most his sense of touch and taste, so he could savor delicious foods even more. Looking at the ale his reaction was not quite as excited, "forgive me sir, but I'm actually not much of a drinker. Would it be possible to have any empty glass please?" he asked politely. If given the glass, Shala would hold his hand over it and clutch onto the holy symbol (https://i.imgur.com/C3SHdQI.jpg) around his neck. While most branches of Sarenrae worshipers saw her sacred animal as the dove, his specific sect actually believed it to be the snake. After all it's cold blood meant that the snake relied on the sun's warmth more than any other animal. It was only through Sarenrae's radiance that the snake could even move, let alone survive, "And may life's water flow freely from the well of prosperity" he said, a small excerpt of a larger prayer that allowed him to channel divine magic. Suddenly, before Jak's very eyes, water would begin to fill the glass, starting at the bottom and rising up just short of the rim.<br/><br/>With all the proper accompaniments the boy dug in, giving a tiny mewl of delight and nod of approval as he took a bite of the pancakes, and quickly washed it down with a gulp of water, "delightful! And that's very kind of you. I suppose I'll take you up on that offer" he said with an innocent smile, "oh and Jak was it? forgive me for not introducing myself. I'm Shalashaska, oracle of Sarenrae. It's a pleasure" he said, giving a gracious bow of his head.