un : dappled pearls of the parted seas (voice)

[beitangmoran]

[No, he still hasn't changed his user name on the network, and no, he is not going to. he's actually grown weirdly fond of it.]

Greetings to all. I come to you with some tidings of the Beastmaster. The information I managed to get is fragmentary at best, but I think will be of interest at some point.

I met with the lady Hyang-tai, the leader of the blind fetters who live outside the village. She was here giving food to the poor, and spoke with me for a little while. I happened to learn a little bit about them through our conversation.

The blind fetters appeared only after there was a big eruption from the volcano. Soon after this, children started being born with the gift of prophecy and they were soon... set aside. She says they chose not to burden their families, but it is quite obvious they were cast out. People spit on them in town, and hide if they go to ask them for readings. In any case, their power appears linked to the volcano in some way. She said she carries a 'Great Ancestor' and the villagers are afraid of him, and by extension of her.

I asked her when the Beastmaster appeared, and her answers were most interesting. Just like Anurr was from Sa-Hareth, the Beastmaster was born here. His name was Hyang-won. He is from the same clan as Hyang-tai, as you might have guessed from their names. He is a distant cousin of hers. 'Distant enough we could have married' she said. I could not parse her age well, but that would make him rather younger than Anurr, at least, although I cannot tell if this says anything in terms of his power.

I could not get her to tell me more how he became what he currently is, but she calls him a gift, and their 'good master'.

[Well, there you go with his info dump, and he is about to switch the communication off when he seems to suddenly remember something.]

Oh, she also mentioned she had a vision about our presence here and that we are going to ruin them. I cannot claim to be very surprised by this. And she hasn't told anyone in the village that because, I quote 'they haven't asked'.

[And honestly, as someone who also sees the future, he thinks that's pretty valid.]

Hopefully, we can make something of this.

Comments

video;

[soulsrob]

Ruin them? How optimistic!

[She sounds terribly amused by it though.]

Well, I suppose we shouldn't disappoint then.

[Voice]

[beitangmoran]

We do seem to have had some unfortunate effects on every locale we've been through. I don't think we have left a single one in better shape than as when we arrived... although, well, that depends on your definition of 'better, I suppose'.

[soulsrob]

Hmm. [She hums thoughtfully and taps at her lower lip as if in thought]

I suppose it depends on what they do with themselves afterwards. How did everything fair before? After the mirror broke and all?

[beitangmoran]

Ah, the mirror...

Well, apparently, it contained some of Anurr's powers that had been sealed away, and so we ended up with a blizzard on two thirds of the city of Taravast. The city was literally iced over.

[soulsrob]

[Her eyebrows raised, though she doesn't seem all that surprised.]

Hmm. Hope they're brushing up on their ice skating and skiing! [She laughs, straightening out her dress and smoothing the creases.]

Is Anurr going to be a problem, or is he off enjoying life again back home? Hopefully he has bigger problems back there.

voice; un: xunxian

[topoiran]

Do you think her visions are as reliable as yours?

[ Xunxian wants to go find Moran...

And yet the very idea sits ill with him. Not to mention the fact that he would have to shy away from many touches because of the damage to parts of his body, and that will raise too many questions. ]

voice

[beitangmoran]

[Where are you Xunxian? :<]

I cannot say, but so far, I have no reason to doubt it.

[topoiran]

[ ... he can practically hear that and all right, and reluctance to join him decreases drastically. But he still remains where he is - at home - for now. ]

I understand. It does not seem that we will leave things differently than the previous two places.

Does need for food still haunt you?

[beitangmoran]

... Yes.

[And he is still annoyed by that.]

How much does it cost to set up a funeral banquet for a family, Xunxian?

[topoiran]

... not something I cannot provide for, though I should make inquiries about the local customs. How big a banquet are you thinking?

un: Black Prince; text

[blackscales]

So his gifts may also be connected to the volcano, then, if the people he is related to began gaining their gifts through it.

Interesting that despite being afraid of her, she continues to be exiled -- and he is instead a patron. Perhaps the difference in power gives him the edge.

[ Or maybe just some sexism -- who knows! ]

[Voice]

[beitangmoran]

She did not say that all the blind seers were from her clan, just that he was. Or rather, she admitted to it after I guessed when hearing his name.

I asked many questions, but she balked at answering all of them. Her serpent was very protective of her too and seemed to advise her on which of my questions not to answer.

Audio; un: Black Prince

[blackscales]

[ Fine, fine, he switches. Everyone here seems to love chatting. ]

It makes a degree of sense that animals would be inclined to work with her, given his title and their relation. I wonder if the gift exists in others who are seers to, and is just more... pronounced in him.

[Voice]

[beitangmoran]

If he too can prophesize the future, we might be in trouble.

[Or not, who knows. Moran doesn't always feels he gets more of an edge being able to see what will happen.]

It's certainly interesting that they are related, though. And that she sees him favorably where the rest of them are much more circumspect.

[blackscales]

Perhaps the volcano bears some investigation, if it may be a source of power in some way.

[ Some source may exist there, some natural wellspring of magic. If nothing else, it may be a good way to understand how magic in this world works if that is the case. ]

un: ut malum pluvia | text

[somebadnews]

[ Not twitching at all when he sees him and Winnie talking. It's fine. He's got other concerns about Hyang-tai's motivations, and how trustworthy her information is. Interesting, considering her connection to the Beastmaster. ]

And she told you all this because she was desperate for company? She makes it sound like she’s hoping for their downfall.

[Voice]

[beitangmoran]

Do you understand what is like to see and know the future and know there is nothing you can do to change it, Young Master Five.

un: ut malum pluvia | audio

[somebadnews]

[ His response throws him enough that he audibly scoffs, and not just because he's still referring to him as young master. The Commission tried to sell him on that 'what's supposed to happen' bullshit for years, Moran. ]

I'd find a way.

audio

[beitangmoran]

There isn't a way.

The future I see is the future that will happen. It is how it is, and nothing anyone does will change it. Ever.

At some point, you have to learn some acceptance and levity, or else you'd just fall into despair.

I don't know if her power is similar to mine in that regard, but if it is, I can understand her on that point.

un: white pawn; voice

[chosenbylight]

[Anduin may not be on video but it's very clear that he is Frowning here.]

This village is not kind to those that they consider 'Other'. I am surprised they look favorably on the Beastmaster himself, though I suppose it may be out of fear.

voice

[beitangmoran]

He might be 'other', but he is also one of theirs, if he was born in this village.

And, you are correct he does have power to back up his demands, if indeed he is making any. I would not put it past the ruling people here to use his influence and supposed punishments of the people as a way to flex for power.

After all, what do we know of where the tributes go?

un: man's greatest treature (video)

[reparo]

We arrived here as runaways from the civil unrest in Taravast, of course she'd believe we'll bring the ruin with us. [Divination means nothing. Nothing!]

The information about the Beastmaster would be more useful if we - [She cuts herself off short here. Then looks at the camera.] Does she know how to resist his sway?

(voice)

[beitangmoran]

I think she meant it more literally.

I would not get her to answer any questions about his nature or his powers. And his relationship to her, she only reluctantly conceded because I had already guessed. But she does not fear him.

(voice)

[reparo]

What was your opinion? That she does not fear him because she is powerful, or because he holds no power over her?

(voice)

[beitangmoran]

I am not sure it is a question of power. He is her kin, however distant.