The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb (Closed, Athena)

Athena wasn't dressed in any garb that might identify her as a goddess. In fact, one might say she looked anything but. Her hair was tied into a bun at the back of hear head, her dirty white cloak was plebeian as they came and her features were shielded by the shadow the hood cast about her face. It was true, that if she traveled to any place in the city dressed in her standard ensemble, too many would be able to easily identify her for what she truly was, but she didn't care to indulge in attention, no, what she was doing here was to restore some semblance of balance in the world and there was no better place to start than the slums.

Oh every grand city had it's more destitute areas, but improving the economic standing of the people within such places oft created a positive effect for the entire city over all. If the slums could be converted into an area that generated tax, then it would have greater purpose to those in power and if so, they would invest more in it. This was the kind of cycle Athena wanted to perpetuate, but there were more problems than she initially believed that plagued Orario.

Fortunately, she was the goddess of wisdom. The task ahead might be a difficult undertaking, but was it impossible? Not in the least. The only issue was how much time and effort she could invest in the matter. Raising her familia was her priority for the moment. Zeus' actions required her to assemble an martial force, not an economic powerhouse. She would need to take precaution in how she managed her time.

As her foosteps led her deeper into the slums, Athena was pleased to see that not everyone present were so hard-hearted. A young man took the time and effort to render aid to a child where few others would have. Almost everyone in this world seemed so fixated only in their own problems that the goddess of wisdom couldn't help but feel touched by this act of charity.

Still, the man didn't seem eager to remain long at all. He made himself scarce, fading into the alley where Athena witnessed something troubling. The man seemed to be suffering some kind of spell, perhaps a consequence to using his magic. It was a disconcerting revelation, but he didn't seem as bothered by it as Athena was. Hopefully this problem was transient in nature.

Nevertheless, if he could be kind to a stranger, Athena certainly wouldn't allow such kindness to go unrewarded. She approached him from behind, placing a hand upon his shoulder. "Are you unharmed, stranger?" her voice was steady and firm, but dyed in compassion. "No worse for wear I pray?"

"If you would allow me, I know a remedy for what ails you. If tour condition is as I suspect." she lifted the edge of her hood ever so slightly so that the stray light of the sun might strike her face. Though it would be hard to tell who she was still, her delicate profile and regal features did not inspire suspicion - at least at first glance, after all, many a harlot that roamed these streets did wear the illusion of sweetness and the mask of a fair kindly maiden. "If you know of a place here where I could work in peace, I would repay your kindness."

"You could call it... karma."

 

“There are those who would call it a burden and there are others that embrace it.” she answered his question succinctly. “But if it is indeed a burden, I would not be relieved of it, I would bear such a weight proudly.”

“There is something that can be done.” she protested calmly. “But it is as you claim, treating the symptoms will not remedy the situation and there is little each of us can do. At least, so long as we do not work together.”

“United however, it would not be impossible a task. But it would be a monumental undertaking, certainly.”

“Karma certainly exists.” she reassured him, her personal bias likely showing through her words. “But I think it is something that requires… an agent to set it into motion. Not quite the dream addled answer many idealistic people may offer, but still… pragmatism has served me well over the years.”

“I see.” a local then? That certainly explained his sympathy for the people here. But where many who had spent enough time here hardened their hearts, this man did not. This was a positive sign. “You could have the sky as your ceiling and the four winds your walls and it would mean little to me. You’ve given me cause to hold you in high regard, why should it matter to me where you rest your weary head at the end of the day?” she crossed her arms but smiled contentedly. “It is of no consequence, lead the way. I shall be at your heel.”

“Aaron Phim.” she tried enunciating the name just as he had pronounced it. Thankfully, she’d done well not to butcher the pronunciation. “I shall commit the name to memory.”

“You’ve shared your name with me, so you may call me Tina.” the human name she’d given herself. She did not enjoy deceiving people, but her goals required that she do just that.

At least today.

“Beautiful?” Athena blinked and placed a finger at her chin. She hadn’t been called that in a very long while. Certainly not by a mortal at least. Still, she did feel a trill of pleasure, one that she noticed at the edge of her consciousness. Human or deity, they both took pleasure in praise. “Are you perhaps one of those ‘skirt chasers’ that I’ve heard much gossip about.” she wasn’t teasing in her tone, rather, she presented her question with perfect innocence.

Still, until he told her to stop shadowing him, she would follow him to his residence. Her feet always one or two paces behind his as to give him room.

@Aaron Phim

P.S. Sorry for the low-quality post, its past midnight but I wanted to get this one out of the way so our pace would not stall.

 

“Idealism and pragmatism cannot coexist in perfect harmony because there is a definite course that nature takes.” the goddess was certainly sure in her answers. “The strong survives, the strong prospers, it is an immutable law.” Athena was fair, just, but she wasn’t blind to the truth of the world. “But humanity has long since transcended such natural laws. They are… an anomaly, a specie that breaks conventions so often in history, that you cannot help but put your faith in their limitless potential.” her small smile morphed into a bright one and she favored“So perhaps, your efforts may one day yield something.”

“Tina is a shorter alternative to my true name, Athena.” she saw no more reason to keep him in the dark, but then Athena wasn’t a name exclusive to her. It was a common name, in certain parts of the world. So she wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t jump to conclusions immediately. Besides, she was suppressing her aura, he would not likely be able to divine the truth with just a name. “Which in turn was based from the word Ather, which means sharp. My parents saw that quality in me, I suppose.”

“Oh, not at all, I was merely confirming my suspicions. I did not mean to cause you discomfort.” she replied with an apologetic nod. “That type of impression you say?” she echoed his words, mulling over them before shaking her head softly. “I suppose not, my father is quite a womanizer… and you do not share certain qualities.”

“I hail from a distant land, so to speak. On a mountain flanked by Thessaly to the south and Macedonia to the north.” again truth, but she wasn’t exactly being specific either. It wasn’t as if the denizens of this country could know the geography of a place that might as well be the subject of storybook tales to them. “A beautiful place, though my opinion on the matter is dyed by my love of my home.”

She waited patiently, until he cleared out his desk and once he did, she would place her bag upon the table and slowly produce things from within. A wooden mortar and pestle, seeds, a jar of tincture and a number of freshly obtained herbs. Likely bought off a street vendor on the slums. Athena worked on the materials she had on hand, her movements quick but economical and before long she produced a few grams of power and enclosed it into a square piece of paper. “Half a tea spoon each serving, one in the morning and another in the evening.” she wrote down her instructions on a strip of paper, handing it to the young man. “This should help you relax and promote rejuvenation. More often than not, the state of one’s Mind is directly related to a person’s prevalent feelings, rather than a physical issue of being strained.”

“Your accommodations are quite… comely, but with your talents, would it not be within your means to do better for yourself?”

P.S. its just a personal quirk. I am concerned about this reply's dip in quality, but I must sleep, I've been awake too long.

 

“There was a word that bore the meaning before that reputation came to eclipse that origin.” how long ago was it since she wasn't worshiped as a goddess, those were simpler days... how she missed them. “People sometimes are overbearing in their zealotry. Before long, they even found a city, Athens, among other things. Not that they were ever asked to, not all gods and goddesses crave worship.”

“I could tell you, but not without giving you proper instruction.” she cautioned him as she started placing her instruments back into her bag. “You are aware of that mortal saying, everything in moderation? It applies too well in this circumstance, what I created requires precision, each component must be the precise amount, it serves its role as medicine quite well when perfectly brewed. On the other hand, an error would make it dangerous.”

“It is not, I shall not lie to you.” Athena could have worded her sentiment more delicately, but as the man was being forthcoming, she felt the desire to repay his honesty with her own. “I suppose that might change your life.” she replied, a crinkle forming in her eye. “A companion more dear to you than life itself.” her face turned wistful, for but a moment, but she recovered quickly enough. “Not that I would fault you if you were determined to live your life alone. I’ve seen love move people to greatness… but I have also seen it damn others. With you humans, it is hard to tell how such feelings could affect you.”

“The dungeons are a dangerous place to tread, even for adventurers that have been touched by the divine. I would not suggest returning again, Aaron.”

“Falna is no tool, it is something that could very well change your life.” Athena’s voice turned serious. Not harsh, but the weight of her words carried into each syllable, lending them power and the impression of great importance. “But too many people see it like they might a mere sword, they become emboldened by power. It… changes them. But not all deities care how they might change a person’s life, no, many care only about their own ambitions, their own designs. The lives of mortal men are something they do not nearly value so much as their own.”

When his question came, the goddess merely blinked. Still, it seemed insincere to lie at this juncture. She hooked her fingers around the corner of her hood, sliding the fabric back behind her nape to expose her head completely. Even in the darkness her hair seemed to almost glow, her features, unclouded by shadow seemed even more ethereal. Her skin was pale, almost pearl-like and her iris seemed to shift colors every so often. The transition wasn’t so unnatural, but each time he looked away and each time his gaze fell back on her face, the color would change.

“Hmm?” she hummed softly but nodded. “I suppose I would be.” she admitted with little fanfare. The expression Aaron would see was one that could be best described as hopelessly neutral. Athena was neither proud nor shy of revealing the fact. It was merely something that was. An immutable law of nature that was out of her control.

“I simply saw no reason to tell you, you did not appear to be looking for divine intervention.” it was her personal assessment, she was rarely ever wrong. “Nor did I seek you out. We simply happened to be the same place at the same time.”

“I suppose I should explain myself… I was looking at the slums, my kin have neglected it for too long. A hundred years and still nothing has been done to improve it.” she slowly approached the windows, unlatching the pane so that she could push it open and observe the streets. “I have designs for this place, though I imagine it will take time to bear fruit. A decade perhaps, but if I am unimpeded I am certain poverty would become a minor problem here. I cannot promise that the occupants of these quarters will be wealthy, but I know how to make the manpower that can be drawn from this place into one that the other districts would find worth in. The cycle I mean to inspire would raise them from poverty to an acceptable existence.”

“I am a patron of crafts and civilization, I would see the chaotic spiral that muddles these people in misery to be lifted… but I am not allowed to wield my powers freely in this world. It is a sad thing to admit, but alone, I am as powerless as you.” for a moment, her confident and proud visage faltered, but she recovered and that moment of sadness was replaced once more.

 

She nodded sagely at his words, at least he was being practical here. "I have no intention of confronting these difficulties alone. I am indeed relying on the aid of like-minded people." a confirmation of something the both of them already knew. Though she seemed somewhat convinced he thought she wasn’t trying to gathering people under her banner. She was, but she wasn’t about to advertise the usual way. That would increase the odds of drawing people who were only interested in receiving Falna and nothing more. "But consider this Aaron. My familia offers no wealth nor glory. My goal and that of those that will follow me will be humanitarian in nature. I will not acquire the most... competitive of individuals, nor the most powerful.”


But that in itself wasn’t important. She was the goddess of wisdom and intelligent warfare. As long as the people that joined her familia had promise, she was certain she could work with them and guide them so that they might reach or come close to their true potential. She believed everyone had some hidden potential, something they were intuitively good at. Finding it and polishing that to usefulness was something Athena was good at.

“But perhaps that in itself is a blessing, more likely than not I will find recruits of high moral standards. They will make more loyal companions, rather than stalwart allies, but that should suffice my purposes."

"However, this means people will not flock to me readily.” she sighed and sat on the window pane, swaying lightly back and forth as her feet hovered in the air. “Raising my familia will take some time no doubt.”

“Indeed.” her reply was sharp, she didn’t appreciate blind devotion. “You do not have to kneel, in fact I see no reason for you to. I have given you no cause to hold me in such high esteem. Nor do I play some great role in your life. Nor am I a capricious deity that would cause trouble for you simply because you would not show me deference.”

“Do the other gods demand or encourage this?” likely, if mortals could have a god-complex, well, there were gods that were even worse.

 

"I suppose there are those who might." she agreed, if reluctantly. "But I hope none of the members of my pantheon engage in such deplorable acts, otherwise I will be forced to educate them personally."

"I have three trials, by which I determine if one has the qualities necessary to join my familia." she held up three fingers, folding one into her palm as she counted each one of her tests. "A trial of the mind, for I cannot accept those who are not sound of mind to conduct the tasks I will bestow upon them, a trial of spirit, to determine if one has the will to withstand difficulties and temptation - also that I might ascertain if their heart in the right place, and finally a trial of strength - to determine one's aptitude in battle, for this world is fraught with danger and those that would set things right must at times be able to defend themselves and more importantly others."

"You've satisfied two of my requirements." she told him bluntly. "A trial of strength is not necessary because I am Athena, strategic warfare is one of my domains, as long as you have the other two, I can hone the last one - even develop it from nothing if I am ever forced to."

"In your case, I do not believe you would fail in that regard either." he did, after all, appear to be solidly built. A health man in the prime of his life - or was coming into it.

"If you truly wish it, you are welcome to join me." her smile was soft and radiant at the same time. She was hopeful, but her optimism was tempered by a strong will that wasn't immediately obvious due to her delicate appearance. "Though the base of operations is still being erected by the masons. We should be able to accommodate up to fifteen adventurers in the time being, you will be the first... of many, I hope."

"I can show you to the temple... though the masons called it the Temple of Athena and the name has stuck for better or less... and show you what work is to be done. If after, you still feel the same way, we can conduct the ritual tonight. Remember however, after it is conducted you will become more than human and I shall expect you to use your newfound strength wisely. Many an adventurer becomes drunk on power shortly after receiving Falna, the power to contend with a dozen mortals with ease I suppose, is not something that leaves most people with humility." and this was why Athena was careful, those that would represent her would need to earn the trust of the populace. Not their scorn. Even if many of her followers did good work, she was aware how one black sheep could often ruin things for the many innocents in her flock.

"I can have some of the men working for me to send a cart here to retrieve your possessions."

"But I do think it is a foregone conclusion." without giving the blone man enough time to react, Athena strode forward, her slender hands shooting underneath his armputs to clasp his back. It was most certainly an embrace and the goddess was evidently shaking. "I am glad..." she said, weeping silently before parting away and wiping the tears on the sleeve of her cloak. "I had thought no mortal would ever join me of their own accord."

"I apologize." she bowed deeply, her pale golden locks falling out of place to veil her face from his view. "Descending has... I suppose changed the way I think. I no longer possess the same omniscience, nor the same self control. My emotions can get the better of me, sometimes."

OOC: You are officially part of the Familia, everything else after this will be mere formality if we RP things out. You may tell any staff member about it if they are required to list your new affiliation anywhere.