un: ut malum pluvia | audio

[somebadnews]

[ Five has, maybe predictably, not yet shared the information he overheard when he and a few others followed Sairen some days ago to his secret gambling arena. When he decides to in the middle of the night, it really sounds like he's just postulating out loud while he's pacing around a room, because... that's exactly what he's doing at two in the morning. ]

What do we know about the Beastmaster? The village has ties to him, and the Hok-Shinn's offering didn't satisfy him the last time he came. How often does he come, and what were they offering? I'd assume either bodies or weapons, but they seemed purposely vague about it.

Then there's that chemical that the clan controls to make the land fertile enough to grow on. Supposedly they withhold it from farmers who rebel against them, but where does it come from and where do they keep it? Without it they wouldn't have the same hold over their people. And who is the white wanderer that gave it to them the first time? Is that related to their deal with the warlord, or is it something we can exploit?

[ He just says these things like they're already public knowledge. Be useful and fill in the gaps for him, he'll appreciate it. — The next part comes out more direct, because he's really getting sick of spilling hot drinks on himself whenever a pair of gossiping ghosts wander through the wall. (He gets it, Klaus. They might have driven him to drugs too.) ]

Also, I need to borrow an exorcist. If one of you knows how to dispel ghosts, we've got two who don't know how to mind their own business.

[ He's absolutely looking directly at them when he says this. Take a hint, ladies. ]

Comments

un : dappled peals of the parted seas (voice)

[beitangmoran]

All very astute questions, and if we do nothing else, breaking up that little cartel thing they have going on will, at the very least, bring me some satisfaction.

[Ask Moran how he feels about Hok-Shinn.]

I did not meet the Beastmaster when he came to Taravast, but I believe some of the creatures we encountered in the city were his.

un: teamzero

[gladiokinesis]

where's klaus when we need him

un: absterge

[downswing]

( 'Exploit.' A fine thing, he does not flinch. )


We cannot ransom a people's feeding.

What work of ghosts?

kind of action tbh

[reparo]

[The communication comes through at a time when Hermione is also awake. It's been getting worse, the ancestral curse. She's working on it, and has nearly gotten it solved, but writing pamphlets for Ke-Waihuan women is hard work. How does she assume one thing is common knowledge?

Regardless, the moment Five starts rambling, her crystal tells her there is an audio and she switches it on, while working on getting the badge right. Transfiguration and multiplication takes work - she's been using stones for this.

After a while of listening, however, she decides that she's done enough spellwork tonight. She sets it aside, locks it up, and picks up a potion from her stash. Dreamless Sleep is promised, but it isn't very strong. She keeps it in one hand, and Apparates herself right into Five's room, at the end of that rant.]

Can't sleep?

un: Black Prince; text

[blackscales]

The Beastmaster's return appears to be seasonal, but local villagers are not privy to the details -- only Weisi himself.

un: ut malum pluvia | audio

[somebadnews]

They already seemed to be losing their grip. If they didn't control whatever that substance is that they all need to survive, they'd have a hard time staying in power.

[ And... he's going to be careful about highlighting the last time they encountered the Beastmaster, but it is the only thing he has to go off of. It's fine. ]

I heard that. We can probably assume that if the village didn't provide whatever they agreed to, he'd do the same thing here that he did to Taravast.

un: ut malum pluvia

[somebadnews]

[ Not that he wasn't just thinking that, but he still feels responsible. Klaus doesn't do well on his own. ]

That's a good question. Has he ever managed to get rid of one of his ghosts?

un: ut malum pluvia

[somebadnews]

[ They cursed him and his family, nothing is off limits. But in the interest of Lan Wangji actually agreeing to help with his ghost problem, he ignores that first comment. ]

Apparently they used to work here, and now they just hang around for the gossip. Can you get rid of them?

[somebadnews]

[ If Five is surprised by her sudden appearance in his increasingly cramped room, he only shows it by stopping in his tracks to frown at her. Not that he doesn't teleport in front of people all the time, but it feels wrong when they do it to him.

He's immediately drawn to what she's holding, and it nearly derails his train of thought. What's that about? ]

I'm busy. [ Like it's weird for her to ask. But apparently she can't sleep, so she might as well help. ] We should have followed one of them back that night. Did you get a look at any of them without the masks?

un: ut malum pluvia | text

[somebadnews]

[ That would make sense, but he still wants to know what that transaction is. He can't be interested in their crops, so what does he want?

Weisi might be next on his list. ]

Any idea where they are on that schedule?

[blackscales]

Soon. Typically, children disappear weeks before the Beastmaster appears.

Children have already gone missing.

This is unlikely to be a coincidence.

[somebadnews]

[ ...That's not what he thought their offer would be. What good would a child do? ]

I don't remember him going after children before. Are they sacrificing them?

[blackscales]

Under investigation.

[somebadnews]

I'm assuming by you. It shouldn't be too hard to find out if they go missing and never return.

How many?

[blackscales]

Not returning doesn't always mean dead. The detail is important.

Three so far.

[somebadnews]

[ ...He really doesn't know who he's talking to. ]

How did you get involved? Were the families looking?

[blackscales]

The families appear to have accepted the children will not return, as they have not before. I've been investigating regardless. Blame is currently being cast on some naga-like creature who is in the area, but nobody has actually seen her take a child. I'm hoping she'll know something -- either because she knows who is taking the children, or because it is her and she works for the village patron.

[somebadnews]

[ It's possible. It's also possible that saving a few children might only speed up the Beastmaster's arrival. ]

And if she does work for him, what's your plan?

[blackscales]

Make her talk.

[downswing]

If they concede their haunting done.

[beitangmoran]

They definitely are.

And as to your second point, I wonder... look at how all the spirits around, born of beasts, are besieging them. Does it look like what a protector would do to his territory? Or is this happening precisely because the last tribute was unsatisfactory?

[somebadnews]

They might need someone to convince them.

[somebadnews]

You don't think that will get back to him?

[blackscales]

Several options.

One, she attacks us and escapes. We learn nothing.
Two, we interrogate her, she escapes. He's on his way anyway, but now annoyed he lost a pet.
Three, we interrogate her, we kill her. She doesn't report in, but he doesn't know why.
Four, she has some mental link -- a variation on the previous two. She informs him but we're not as aware the warning has gone out.

I'd prefer to risk learning something rather than waiting around for the patron to turn up and recognise us.

After all, she may not work for him and we'll not learn where she fits in this puzzle without addressing her.

[somebadnews]

That puts them in a precarious position. Whatever deal they have with the warlord must be valuable if he keeps giving them second chances when he could just as easily take over.