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

[inferus]

Emilia is capable of powerful wards. If necessary, she potentially could help you as well.

( They're enough to contain the devil at the very least, but they may need to be modified in this particular case.

Still there's a reason Wrath asked before making any definitive vote. They are the two who are most affected by the Huntress' presence, who experienced her influence before. )

I have not entirely decided yet. I do not want to be controlled again, but at least in this instance, we will be aware and prepared for her approach.

[weifinder]

Mm, and the awareness of the lord of beasts coming sometime within the next three seven days.

[inferus]

If not one undead then the other, yes.

I have stayed my vote for the time being. We are similar, you and I. ( and so wrath wishes to understand his opinion and feelings on it all. wrath values choice over all the rest, and he would prefer not to vote for an option that takes choice away from another. at the same time, he will give what he can to help protect him from losing that choice. )

[weifinder]

In all likelihood, two of them.

I don't like her coming. I don't like this pretense, which it is, genuine or not.

But I don't deny the practicality in having one closer, to learn better how to work against her. Anurr's particular call, much like Unhalad's, aren't ones I bow before. I've hungered, and survived. I've touched vengeance, as was owed by filial piety, but it has no compelling taste to it.

( a pause, because when it comes down to it, they both need a way for this to... not. not claim them, not sway them, not take them from themselves or pitch them against those they care for.

... not that he's as powerful as he suspects wrath is, but their contexts are so different from what he gleams as to make that irrelevant. )

I need to understand how to prevent this Huntress from what she does.