Andarin: The Mountains: You’ll burn in hell, yeah you’ll burn in hell for your sins.

“This city is afraid of me. I have seen its true face.
The streets are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood and when the drains finally scab over, all the vermin will drown.:
The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout 'Save Us!'...:
...and I'll look down, and whisper, 'No'"

Andraste sensed the silent admiration beginning in Skepsis and that was all it took. Unfortunately such beauty came with a lack of humility. She was vain, and despite being over a hundred years old, she knew no bounds when it came to ego. She could pick up on admiration even if it was faint. With that knowledge, she swoops in, circling the him and performing an array of aerial maneuvers that only a bird could manage. Her song came then, and with it a circle of fire formed around Nicodemus and the man, high and impenetrable. Sure, she was allowed to be egotistical, but to those like Nicodemus, it was ever so slightly annoying. Give her a mirror and she’d fall in love. God forbid the day that someone else came across Phoenixsong and got a phoenix of their own. I think Andraste‘d kill it. She liked being the only phoenix in Andarin, and well, the element as a whole.

Nicodemus snorted, and the Phoenix rounded to land upon his wither and gave Nico a rather smug look. Nicodemus ignored her, placing his attention on the other’s words. At the mention of his name, Keir emit’s a low growl, raises his head for a second to pinpoint the location of the stranger and yawn really big. He flashes with that yawn a set of rather horrible teeth, and it was then perhaps that you realized that this was a creature who could easily take out a bear on his own. Lucky for them he would be rather content to sleep upon Nicodemus’ back.

“Well, Keir is my familiar, something that every Seer here holds, only they don’t all have wolverines. Each is a different sort of creature. Andraste actually found me. She’s a phoenix. A very special kind of bird. She can be reborn from her ashes once she dies and resurrect others. Among other talents that you have seen.” He juts his jaw out to the ring of fire about them. “This ring around is is impenetrable. She saved me and my daughter many times with it.” He nods at the mention of his name. “And I’m Nicodemus.”

He pauses, because really for Nicodemus, that was a mouthful. That was a damn speech.

SEER

**NICODEMUS**

Existence is random. Has no pattern save what we imagine after staring at it for too long. No meaning save what we choose to impose. This rudderless world is not shaped by vague metaphysical forces. It is not God who kills the children. Not fate that butchers them or destiny that feeds them to the dogs. It's us. Only us.

Picture Copyright to Artwithapulse at Deviantart