video | un: haltham

[aprescoup]

( Friends, family, travellers: you might remember this friendly speaker, eyes bright and wild while blood's drenched the better half of his grinning face. )

Hello? This is Haaaaaaltham. How do you do? Me... I'm — ( The pendant briefly slips from his hands, showing glimpses of Haltham and a rolling, feral dead creature he subdues with a final snap of its neck. Patiently, after recovering the pendant: ) Fine. You, um... you're fine, yeah? Also? You're good people. Good people.

So I told m'friend, I told her... said, me, these are good people, and they will help you. ( Another pause, as a rabid goat jumps over Haltham's head to crush a dead man. Behind him, rows of burning homes distinctly different from the snowed-under peaks of Haltham's native Sa-Hareth. ) Goat says hi. Good goat.

Now... now, my friend, yeah? She's... last we met, she wasn't that, she was... riding hard. In the fancy magic city. And them others coming after, her old friends. One of them. Only... now she's not feeling friendly with the Brothers no more. Now, she's wanting to be friends with us. All of us. Cause she's... in a bit o'trouble with that one. The mean one. The one that brays like animals... and... that's no nice way to treat a lady. Me, I always thought... you got a lady friend, you treat'er well.

She's got to stay in Krrrr-Croak-Weeeey-who? Couple o'days. Call it... three? Four weeks? But she doesn't want no finding, when the animal comes. And she's a little... slimmer in her strengths. Til the old man mountain breathes fire again. So, you know. If you can be nice to her, our huntress. She'll make it worth everyone's while. Yours... mine... ( Another undead creature assaults his back, only to solidify in pure ice within half a heartbeat. Haltham points behind himself: ) His.

What do you say? ( All at once, warmth wanes from Haltham's voice, hollowing it: ) ThIn K. Th ErE aRe BenEfitS o F Gi vInG HER tHre E weEks o F shElt Er. WhaT Do YoU saY?



( ooc: — cast an IC vote until 23:59 GMT on 2 April if the party should hide and protect the Huntress for a few weeks in Ke-Waihu, during the Beastmaster's upcoming visit

— new characters can assume party NPCs Asgeirr or Hatisse have shared told them about the Huntress, Haltham/Anurr and Beastmaster

— feel free to spam/threadjack/discuss IC opinions in this post — Haltham will respond sporadically; no input from the Huntress at this time! )

Comments

un : deft hand of little deaths (voice)

[scrapgege]

........ You're asking us for help now?

[aprescoup]

Well... if it isn't no hardship.

video

[soulsrob]

[Cheerfully:] Darling! How have you been! Your lady friend seems quite nice, but whatever would this Beastmaster want with her? He seems horribly rude already.

It'd probably be for the best to try and find a way to keep her safe...

[aprescoup]

Hello! You. I remember you.. .you... kept my... mirror Fr Om ME.

[un: sprite bulb] voice;

[bearshermark]

[You know what. He doesn't have the temperament for this]

No.

[aprescoup]

I'm sorry you feel so, little friend. You got you your reasons... and I'm... I'm... a N uN DErSt ANdinG soRt.

un: absterge

[downswing]

Evil unstudied cannot be expelled.

[weifinder]

Name me curious, what course of study would you propose?

un: daerienn

[violetchaos]

Benefits, hm? I'd ask what those would be but from what I've learned, you're not exactly the kind to hold to your side of things.

[aprescoup]

That's an awwwwful mean thing to say. And it's not me... no, not me offering it.

un: yiling laozu | audio

[weifinder]

Give her your pendant to contact us directly, Anurr. There are no friends here, and you oblige yourself to no guarantees for her--for yourself, only the normal misleading of any century's politics.

( ooc: there's not going to be huntress input, as i read, so this is just what he'd be asking, not me expecting otherwise! )

[aprescoup]

Can't. She's not with me. Reckon she's... s hY.

audio. private.

[inferus]

A valuable request to make though I doubt it will be answered.

What are your thoughts on this?

( they are the two most affected by the huntress' presence. wrath can ask emilia to stay near him, to lock him in a circle again when he feels the effects become too strong. he sees little benefit to not allowing her 'sanctuary' even if wrath does not and will never see her as an ally. sometimes it is best to keep one's enemies closer than friends. )

un: moonage daydream (text)

[lancifolium]

Where's Karsa? Is she alright?

[aprescoup]

Karsa...? Kar... uhhhh.... she the... she... she's the... she... the one with... yeah? That?

un: ut malum pluvia | audio

[somebadnews]

[ Before now, Five was of the opinion that Anurr was in opposition to the other warlords, so this came out of nowhere. Pitting them against each other isn't a bad strategy, which means he trusts her to stay on his side after she recovers.

There's a pesky rumor of the Huntress spreading rot and disease wherever she stays, but maybe she's too weak for that. He's listening, and watching, for a while before he finally pipes up. ]

How long have you been friends?

[aprescoup]

Call it... eight days?

un: c a t o, video

[unpurposed]

[ his black faceplate has a little white dot of light blinking in the upper left corner as he watches quietly for a while, before it goes off. ]

Is shelter the only aid she will be requiring? I cannot speak for the the others, but I must offer help when it is requested.

Unfortunately, I do not make for a good house.

[aprescoup]

Hello, little friend. You are very kind. People like you, good people... that's what it's about.

I reckon, me, she'll just be needing... some shelter. Some food. Some hiding. And that's... that.

un: Black Prince; text

[blackscales]

I was under the impression she and the Beastmaster worked together regularly. Is that friendship ended permanently, in favour of switching sides? We are in his territory, after all. If he arrived while she was here, would they worked together or be in conflict?

[ He doesn't like either of them, but if they're fighting each other then that's useful. ]

[aprescoup]

Look, friend... is like this. You see. When she comes, he comes after. Running. Hard, real hard. And she rides harder, and so he doesn't catch her.

But now she's got to wait in oneA place a little while. Because she don't know when the mountain goes — boom. So she can't be running. So she'll have to hide somewhere.

You see?

un : dappled peals of the parted seas (voice)

[beitangmoran]

And what is she offering you in exchange, then, my Lord?

[aprescoup]

What's... that to do with you? All you's got to know is... I'm happy to put the word.

un: daozhang | audio

[binghua]

I cannot speak for everyone here, but I do imagine you will be met with resistance after what happened in Taravast.

But to give you the benefit of the doubt, Anurr, what are the benefits of sheltering her? Is there any guarantee doing so will not come back to haunt us?

[aprescoup]

That's for you to be working out with her, isn't it? Don't mind me saying, but... none of my business.

un: white pawn; video

[chosenbylight]

[Anduin frowns. There is quite a lot to unpack here.]

You say that the volcano... Will be erupting? I have heard that she is drawn to such things, fire and sorcery.

This is why she seeks to come to the village?

[aprescoup]

Well... she thinks it will. Me... ( A pause, considering. ) I think so too.

un: cloud on the wind

[badlypoisoned]

Hm, I'm sure there are benefits, but the question is, how can we know if we will receive these benefits? Promises are fine and all, but promises are just words. If we are to offer shelter, and against such a dangerous pursuer, wouldn't it be reasonable to expect a little insurance that it won't be for naught?

[aprescoup]

Hello, little friend. You're... not very trusting, are you?

un: stormborn

[thebrideoffire]

With such a risk posed by her, we should have fare compensation for taking someone like her in. We do not need anything that might further disturb the locals.

[aprescoup]

You take no risk, you make no gains...

...but she doesn't like her man, is what I'm saying, me.