[Effie]
At some point on their way to Leilon, Effie would approach Idris. With a suspicious look on her face as she turns towards the paladin, she asks: "Why did you go through the trouble of talking to and helping every single person back at the tavern, after the attack?" Almost with an intimidating ring to it. Right after, her eyes widen, as if she had an idea, and looks around them before continuing in a whisper: "Was it because the bard was there and you wanted to make a good impression for the stories he'll tell?" She has yet to meet a nobleman doing good without an ulterior motive, so what's this guy's hidden agenda?
[Idris Doryu]
Idris, as was his custom, sauntered through the party, his gaze darting around the area with avid interest and curiosity. Meanwhile, within the confines of his mind, he engaged in spirited discussions with Eefe, the imp companion who always seemed to accompany him. Their conversations often delved into ludicrous ideas aimed at bolstering the stability of the sword state—such as the absurd notion of filling its cracks with gold coins.
His mental reverie was abruptly interrupted as his attention was diverted to the presence of yet another Effie. Confusion flickered across his features as he regarded her quizzically.
"I suppose I aided them because they were in need?" he replied, his tone tinged with uncertainty.
"Why, though? What made you to help them?"
[Effie]
"Well it would be rude not to." Effie answered plainly before shrugging. 'I wouldn't want to be rude.' She continued in her thoughts, as if it was a good enough reason.
"And as for why I asked," She said casually, her gaze moving to the path ahead of them as they walked along the others before continuing: "People in nobility usually have an agenda. Gain popularity, receive praise to boost their ego, or just entitlement - somehow expecting the people around them to feel indebted to them..." She trailed off a bit at the end, seemingly in thought, before turning back to him and asking in a daring tone: "Is that not the case for you, you mean?"
[It would be fun to roll an insight check on the answer, to see if Effie, as a character and not me the player, believes it haha]
[Idris Doryu]
His brow furrowed slightly as Effie's words sank in. He hadn't really considered his actions in such a calculated manner before. To him, helping others was simply what he believed to be the right thing to do, guided by the teachings of his old master and his own innate sense of compassion.
"I... I don't think so," he replied slowly, a hint of uncertainty in his voice. "I mean, yes, I am a nobleman, but I don't see helping others as a means to an end. It's just... what I'm supposed to do, isn't it? To be kind and helpful to those in need?"
He paused, tilting his head in confusion, feeling a bit unsure of himself under Effie's scrutinizing gaze. "I guess I never really thought about it that way before."
As he finished speaking, a nagging doubt crept into his mind. Was he truly as selfless as he believed himself to be? Did he always consider the benefits of helping others, even if subconsciously?
Turning inward, he mentally addressed the spirit residing within his sword, seeking its counsel. "Eefe," he thought, addressing the spirit "do you always consider the benefits of helping others?"
[No need for the insight roll. Idris generally believes in what people say and wether other people believe him or not he usually shows (tries to) with his actions]
[Effie]
[omg now I feel bad for questioning Idris as Effie 😭 I'm sorry, I blame it on her whole character idea, Idris is teaching her that not all noblemen are the same xD]
Effie was almost caught off guard with the paladin's initial answer. She softened her gaze as she analyzed his facial expressions while he continued.
Usually she would sense a hint of deceit when questioning - admittedly with a tad too much arm-twisting in her look - a person of nobility on their ulterior motives for helping people in need. But Idris showed... Confusion? Self-doubt? It made her feel uncomfortable as she realized she felt a little bad about the whole conversation.
When he seemed to be done with his reply, she said with a much softer tone: "I'm sorry." She let that linger for a second before continuing, now back to her normal voice: "I didn't mean to make you question your whole existence." That was an exaggeration, probably. But she tended to be a little extreme sometimes.
She pondered for a minute if she should try to mend it somehow, but what could she say? She wasn't going blurt out the reason why she had painted a certain image of nobility in her mind, and risk exposing who she is. Better to wrap it up and run away. Somewhere... She looked around at the group of people moving forward toward Leilon. 'Over there!' She thought, as she spotted the familiar "green lady".
"I think I'll just leave you with your thoughts now. Again, so sorry!" And she skipped away from Idris, like a circus artist leaving the scene at the end of a show, moving towards Arya and the "big creepy cat".