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

[binghua]

...Sometimes.

[aprescoup]

Well, then! You be exercising that good attitude!

Now... what would you like to ask'er? Maybe I'll ask first and... you know. I'm real good with ladies. I ask pretty.

[binghua]

[This is not what he had exactly wanted to happen, but it is possible line of communication. Xingchen will take it.]

She needs to be around the mountain when it erupts in order for her powers to strengthen, correct? If we were to shelter her in that time, would she take that in good faith and not turn on us?

[aprescoup]

Is what she thinks, she'll grow fat and strong when the mountain belches.

Me... I wonder.

[binghua]

So she isn't certain, either.

Do you know if the Beastmaster will follow her to Ke-Waihu, as it seems he follows her everywhere else?

[aprescoup]

She's certain. Me... I got me questions.

He's comin' all the same. But he'd come, if he knew'er here.

[binghua]

And she can promise no protection for us in return.

[aprescoup]

When she's asking shelter? ...don't be thinking, me... don't think that's how that works.

[binghua]

After she regains her strength. When the Beastmaster inevitably arrives.

She might also want to consider that this group of ours, whether intentionally or not, tends to leave blood and misfortune in our wake. Does she really want to entrust herself to us?

[aprescoup]

...cause she leaves only goodness and smiles in her wake, don't she?