eastbound | [video] un: a civil serpent. private network.

( Wrath has learned a lot of shit recently after months of trying to understand and exploring many different avenues, the most important being Wen Qing's inspections of Vannozza and his own investigations. He knows he has to inform the rest of the group before he makes his next move. That is the difference between living on this mortal plane instead of within Hell itself where he has far more power. There is a group to take into consideration.

At first, the video opens with nothing but a visual of the locked, hidden room. The video lingers on the altar beds, the potions and goblets of opiates, and then the piles of servant clothing and bird feathers in the corner. )

I'm in a secret, locked room within Bonaccorso's library. The Attaryl have been lengthening the lives of the Doxe for some time. Now they work on transferring a spirit from one body to the next without killing the original body and destroying one spirit in the process, which is the current result of their experimentation.

( He is quiet, serious, jaw locked though the camera is not on him. This is an affront to Death itself - his other name. )

Their efforts have come with a clear cost. ( He keeps the video pointed toward the pile of clothing and bird feathers, and it does not change course for the remainder of the video- let them see the cost. ) Many have died in this room.

I believe they mean to transfer Bonaccorso's spirit into Vannozza's body. Her spirit feels as if it is peeling from her body. The question is what to do with this truth.

( Ultimately, Wrath is ancient and powerful, and he will go with what he feels is best because mortals are fallible, but he wants to know what the group thinks. )

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( Wrath looks to her face with a tense expression on his own. He remains in the room still, searching. If someone were to come, he could transvenio out before they could find him. ) Her spirit would be destroyed, and her body would be taken over by someone else. ( Wrath does not know for certain if it is Bonaccorso but it does seem suspect given the locked room within his library. ) So it is different than death, but I... suppose there is not really an afterlife in this world regardless.

( Until they are put to rest in some way, which Wrath has not fully wrapped his head around what that means. It is not like Hell in the slightest. The eradication of the other soul that the Attaryl mentioned when speaking of the process did not feel peaceful at all. )

We will have to find a way to interrupt or stop the process. She is able to command the soldiers who work in the palace so I have no doubt she would be able to gain protection if she realized who and what she had to be protected from.

[ While often forced to contemplate death, Alayne has always struggled with what the afterlife entails, and how much it truly mattered. That way lies madness, given there's nothing about it she can change, so she tries not to focus too much on that morbid curiosity. It would only make her pity the deaths of the servants more than she already did, and then how is she going to be able to think of moving forward?

With her knuckles pressed beneath her chin, her gaze lingers on some potion bottles behind him for a moment. ]

Which could backfire if she grew suspicious of those in our group who haven't openly supported her.

[ It isn't suggested with malice, since she has nothing against Vanozza, but it seems a practical concern in her eyes. ]

Do you think she would trust us to protect her alongside the soldiers?

Which is why it will be important to point her toward her true enemies within her own courts - the ones which have been harming her for some time. They're more dangerous than we are at least politically speaking. ( Bonaccarso is the current Doxe ) I was technically placed on Macaluso's team so I have never openly supported her, but in private, I have done great a deal to find the cause of her affliction.

( His role in Taravast has only ever been something he has played once, and it was only to see the Doxe. Otherwise, he never publicly supported Vannozza, but then took the risk of seeing her in private, knowing this affliction- this weakness would make her not wish to turn him away despite the side he was placed on. )

If she is wise, she would trust no one. However, she will need all the support she can get when facing the Doxe and the Attaryl. I don't believe she can afford to turn against us.

[ She can respect him playing both sides, nurturing his preference from the shadows. It makes her as wary as much as it comforts her in it's familiarity. Given how people seem to lean, at least those Alayne has spoken with so far, Vanozza seemed the smarter choice, but she herself still knows too little to even consider herself part of this game. She's merely been an observer, and must remain so until she can actually make a difference...

If she even can. It's difficult with nobody to specifically guide her. ]

No, she cannot. Time is rather suddenly of the essence. We cannot deliberate for long. [ A little sigh, and she shakes her head. ] I say 'we', but there is little I can offer to really help. I know nothing of magic, and what potion craft I am learning would be of no use here, as it can only heal the flesh. I fear my forced connection to Bessis would only bring harm.

We are lucky that you are so sharp in your sense so as to be able to bring this to our attention. I will need to trust the others to have sound judgement in response.

[video] un: a civil serpent. private network.

private.

private.

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akjfhd this is so late it's almost moot, i am sorry!