audio | username: raven master

[pulvisetumbra]

( Moaning, laughter, lewd innuendo — the fixtures of the House of Dew's channels. Until, a steeled voice cuts way: )

Tamaiu, if you please. Impress on your ladies the virtue of silence for the next hour.

( All too suddenly, betraying how often the mistress of the house listens in, the cacophony of sound dispels. He continues: )

Good afternoon. You’ve made rather a mess of things, haven’t you?

I made my first fortune in Sa-Hareth. Inevitably, through sales of salt. Now, this was before, when death was still a reliable constant, and trade margin weren’t unhelpfully eroded by the competition’s ability to deploy dead contingents that require no rest, no feeding, and minimal attendance while they operate the production line. I assure you, immortality is infertile ground for business.

( A moment, for amateurs to appreciate this economic downturn. )

At this time, I volunteer no name. You do not require it. Allocate me one as you please. I am a merchant, by trade. I am accustomed to a degree of discretion. But I have no guarantee that you would offer me the same courtesy in the event of your capture, and the ambitions of this enterprise frankly surpass you. It is of utmost importance that I survive.

It is of secondary relevance that you do the same. But my collaborators and I have allocated a not insubstantial volume of coin, sweat, blood and personal sacrifice to progress your escape and survival. The hope, the gain, and the only purpose of this operation is to remove you from Akhuras and direct you to pastures new. Any alternative allows for Unhalad, his siblings and their masters to utilise you in a war that has devastated our world.

( Another pause, measured. He is accustomed to the protocols of rhetoric. )

To be clear. You are not so naïve to assume our first efforts didn’t study the merits of your murder. We tested this on a batch. Regrettably, our enemies proved sufficiently apt to resurrect their captives and use them after.

We will therefore proceed with extraction. Some of the standing eastern portals still offer the possibility of transfer to other worlds. Although… most have not been tested in generations, and we may need to deepen our voyage east, if and when the beacons cannot accommodate us. The safety of portal transportation to your persons is candidly immaterial to us and remains your concern.

( Be that as it may. Another moment's hesitance: )

My part in this endeavour is to secure information on the portals and their location, along with facilitating transit, on occasion. You will contribute with coin, with labour, with discipline. Begin by assisting Haltham and Karsa as much as possible.

Now. If you attracted Unhalad’s attention, it is not unfair to assume you were all previously situated in a position of power. You are used to being heard, perhaps also heeded. Some of you may have commanded every room you stepped in.

Except for this one. I am master here. You are merchandise. I have no interest in hearing objections of stupidity, vulgarity or sentiment. Any other questions, proposals or comments may be submitted in an orderly manner.

( And perfectly civil once more: ) Tamaiu, if you please again. My thanks and regards to your ladies.

Comments

[beitangmoran]

We seek knowledge where we can, dàren. Right now, you have it, and we do not. I do not think you can begrudge me my curiosity.

And while I would be frustrated not to get answers, I can understand if you are not able or willing to provide. But you must admit someone in our situation would naturally seek answers. Rumors in town are all well and good, but they provide only bits and pieces, not a full picture.

I think I can safely assume you and this Unhalad fellow do not see eye to eye on many things.

[pulvisetumbra]

I begrudge a lack of protocol. One question at its turn. You may ask one.

Unhalad and his allies are our predators. Most creatures do not liaise well with their killers.

[beitangmoran]

[One. Fine.]

How did we get here?

[pulvisetumbra]

You, specifically?

I don't know.

[beitangmoran]

Any of us, really. Us now and those who came before.

I just remember waking up here... although 'waking up' might be a bit of a misnomer. But then if our arrival is a mystery to you, and you don't believe Unhalad is responsible either... that gives us quite the little mystery as to how this whole thing works. It doesn't feel random, and yet...

Our first goal should still be to get out of this city. That is the most urgent, I believe.

[pulvisetumbra]

( An unfriendly snort. )

You mean our plan all along? Yes, thank you. Although, the weather's souring. And this business with Anurr might raise tensions at borders and customs.

[beitangmoran]

Just trying to convince our more... morally-inclined companions that we may not have the luxury to entertain those notions too much right now, dàren.

Anurr? Who might that be?

[pulvisetumbra]

Unhalad's predecessor. His forces were defeated and pushed into withdrawal. He has not been seen in years, although the recent suspicion is that he has resurfaced and is responsible for the recent... displays in the marketplace. This entire conflict has the bearings of their sorts' showmanship. But nothing is certain.

[beitangmoran]

Is he the one people think is controlling the other Undead? The red-sleeved ones?

[pulvisetumbra]

The red sleeve is his brand. I encourage you, when you have a moment, to ask the locals for the sordid little local legend behind it. I believe they last constructed a... limerick. Or two. A quaint people.

[beitangmoran]

Interesting. Some of them... actually seemed to mentioned they preferred the red-sleeves to those newer undead. They seemed to find them more predictable, in spite of the whole, well, undead thing.

Haltham said they were a lot more dangerous, though. And that death was preferable to capture by them.

[pulvisetumbra]

Yes, he would urge you out of their path.

Both Haltham and the natives are equally wrong and correct. Yes, Anurr's governance allowed for a more predictable, enforced peace. But to say he was the superior option is to prefer a gut wound to an amputation. Anurr was simply a longer death.

[beitangmoran]

That is what I inferred from what they said as well. But from this, I assume some in town might not, in fact, be very opposed to the red-sleeves returning in spite of their viciousness.

Understandable that you would rather have us out of town before they start fighting each other in earnest. This could come sooner than later, if my visions were accurate about the weather.

[pulvisetumbra]

The weather is a poor signal. It has ever favoured Anurr.

[beitangmoran]

The locals did say the red-sleeves moved more and faster in cold weather and advised us to stay inside.

I am afraid I wasn't given a long enough vision to see which side won.

[pulvisetumbra]

Of the two, Unhalad is the more immediate threat. Of that, I make no mistake. Regardless, we prepare for either option. We evacuate you.

[beitangmoran]

Understood. We will do our best to gather the funds necessary. And keep our ears open as we do.

And since I don't want to impose on your time too much with all of my questions... are there written records to be found somewhere about this place and its history?

[He can get as much info from books as from people, but one has to a) find the books and b) be able to understand the books. But if they're found, time can be devoted to understanding them.]

[pulvisetumbra]

I imagine you are not unfamiliar with book keepers.

[beitangmoran]

Indeed. Are they to be found in a specific neighborhood?

[pulvisetumbra]

...you are surely not wasting my time with questions that can be answered by any man in the market.

un: yiling patriarch

[weifinder]

Vision?

[beitangmoran]

Do you remember, Master Wei, when we first met? I told you I was a Star Master, and each one of them has a specific ability granted to them by the constellation they preside over. One of my nephews can clone himself, for example.

The Aquarius constellation gives me visions of the future.

[weifinder]

Ah, let me guess, something like that, it's possibly unclear, without much context, or unpleasant, are any of those things right?

( Said laughingly, even if he was serious about it. )

Cloning himself, this nephew sounds like more than two handfuls. What does Aquarius mean then? Or more, what kind of constellation is it that you see future visions?

[beitangmoran]

It's all three at the same time, Master Wei.

[Honestly more trouble than it's worth a lot of the time.]

We call it 水瓶座, the Water Carrier. It presides over those who were born between the twenty-first day of the first month and the twentieth day of the second month, because it goes through the course of the sun then.

Our Zodiac had thirteen constellations, now only twelve, but of course there are countless others. Simply, those are said to preside over destiny and influence people's characters. I am not quite sure how each power became assigned to each Constellation, that is lost to time, but in spite of its name, the Aquarius is an Air sign. This might be why.

When were you born, Master Wei?

[weifinder]

( He's listening, but as soon as he's asked, he holds up an unseen hand and then makes himself pause. He laughs a little, shaking his head. )

Mah, if you're looking for my eight characters, I can't help you, but a date of birth? That much I know.

( SO HE TELLS HIM AND HECK IF I'M MAKING OCTOBER 31ST MAKE SENSE ON A LUNAR CALENDAR )