un: dappled pearl of the parted seas [voice]

[beitangmoran]

[In the usual background noise that accompanies their communications on the brothel's network, one can hear more distinctly the notes of the guqin, plucked quite intentionally to draw attention. The slight musical accompaniment will continue all along the communication as Moran's voice rises to tell the tale he was told.

It doesn't require secrecy, he thinks, since it was told to him by a local and is obviously common knowledge here, and while there is no way to verify how true it is, knowing what people believe happened is as important as knowing what actually happened.]

Once upon a time, in a land that would then become Sa-Hareth, there lived many mountain tribes. And in their midst was a young warrior named Arne, renowned for his kind heart and his strength and his bravery, and the men of his tribe wanted him to succeed as their next chieftain.

Their current chieftain, however, wanted his son to succeed him and loathed Arne's popularity among the people. When Arne came to ask for his daughter's hand and to be named his successor, he wanted to refuse, but he knew his people would revile him for it. So he decided to design a trial, that Arne's rejection or demise could be attributed to fate and the gods instead of him. So he ordered him to prove his commitment and ordered him to be bound three days and three nights against the oldest tree of the forest. To prove himself, Arne must stay as he was put and never flinch or ask release, and hold on to his ring.

Arne agreed, and it came to pass. The chieftain was devious and wanted Arne to fail the trial, so he sent people to taunt him and tempt him away. But Arne's spirit was undaunted and he resisted all attempts to make him give up. Finally, in his despair, the chieftain called upon malicious spirits, and they sent a bear to attack Arne still bound to the tree.

The bear mauled him and took his arm within its jaws, but still Arne made no sound and bore the pain of the attack, even as the bear's teeth closed on his arm and all but severed it. And once the three days and three nights had passed, Arne then freed himself and killed the bear. His arm could not be saved and Arne had it cut off, but before that he showed he had held his side of the bargain and in his severed hand the ring was still held. The chieftain had no choice but to give up his mantle to him and Arne was then even more renowned for his fearlessness and bravery.

After this, it became a manhood rite of passage in the tribe that every boy of age should get a tattoo of a red sleeve circle on their arm, and then be bound to that same tree for three days and night. And thus, Arne came to be known, among all the people as Anurr the Bold and Anurr the Red Sleeve, or Anurr the Red.

[The music finally stop after a few more plucked notes.]

I was told this story by some of the locals. It appears to be an origin story of sorts for the Red-Sleeves, and it might explain why the people seem not to be too adverse to them, in spite of their own misdeeds. They too were people of this land once.

[Another moment of 'silence' - as much of it as there always it in the brothel, and then...]

Bai Mingyu, I have what you requested.

Comments

action, later, because let's be real he prefers to be there

[topoiran]

There is so much about this realm that we don't know, isn't ther?

My Lord, [ softly, because this is not the distancing himself address but I will follow your lead kind of address, ] do you think now that we're here, we should try to change things to be less horrible, or focus on surviving and finding a way back?

[ The two things would require entirely different things, after all. It would be good to decide which way to commit. ]

[beitangmoran]

Our gracious host seem to believe we are pat of making the place more horrible, and in spite of that not being our fault, I'm inclined to agree.

[Moran knows a lot of their younger cohorts would probably be incensed at hearing him speak that way - probably why he hasn't mentioned anything like that in front of most of them right now.]

They are in a difficult situation already, and we bring an extra dose of chaos and potential ruin to a precarious equilibrium they are trying to maintain. We are trouble, not help, in their eyes. Besides, we are expected to be out of this city by the end of the month, and there isn't enough of us to even hope to make a sizable dent in the number of the Undead. I have already had a vision that they will be fighting among themselves soon.

They want us out of the way when that happens, and they're right. There's nothing we can do here that would make any noticeable improvement to anyone's situation in the grand scheme of things. We shouldn't go out of our way to make things more difficult either, but for now risking life and limbs for the locals when there is no benefit to be taken from it and the possibility of it being used against those helping us doesn't appear judicious.

[It sounds cold and ruthless, and it probably is, but Moran hasn't ruled an Empire for ten years by being entirely kind and sympathetic.

He gives a sigh.]

Some of our young heroes will be angry with me if I tell them this.

[topoiran]

I... know we won't stay in this city long enough. I meant the world on the whole.

Here, all we can do is not make things worse. The next place we are going, probably the same. And the one after that. But eventually we will know enough to make a difference, if we look for that kind of information. Should we?

[ Xunxian looks down for a moment, mouth twisting. ]

I know they asked us for coin, and we did what we had to do, but it almost felt wrong to try to get it from people who already have rather little.

[beitangmoran]

I don't know, Xunxian. That depends on what the future holds, and I don't know about that.

Besides, I hardly think this is a decision for us alone to make.

[As for that objection... yes, he's heard it before.]

It's not ideal. But I believe they won't miss the coin as much as they'll miss their lives if we end up used against them. And besides, we did not... appropriate that much in that manner. Some of it was legally acquired, and without coercion.

For now, let's observe and do what we're told. These people know more than us what is safe or not, and their motives might not be our safety, but seeing us dead is not in their best interest either. Obviously, some amount of help is expected from us. We'll see about when and how much when it comes to this.

[topoiran]

[ Xunxian clears his throat as the sudden urge to laugh (darkly) or simply kiss Moran at the admission of not knowing. Of all people, Xunxian knows how difficult that must be, for Moran. ]

We will learn, Moran. Perhaps not all about the future as we have ideas back home, but we will learn.

Enough to help.

[ Somewhere partway through his words, the certainty of promise settles in his tone. Yes, a moment ago he was more or less asking for direction, for reassurance. But with the two of them...

He knows right now, Moran needs it a little more. So he will give it, and mean it, too. ]

[beitangmoran]

[Listen, if anyone gets to make jokes about not knowing what the future holds, it's him.

Besides, they are not home. If Xunxian wants to help people, Moran can't very well order him not to. Although, technically, he could, and Xunxian might even obey, but he's not going to. Moran isn't someone who takes pleasure in peoples' suffering. He's just had to make difficult decisions before included some that many would call cold-hearted and callous. He lets other people's judgement of him glide over him with no care.

This is not their world, and following the lead of those who will stay behind when they are gone seems more prudent for now. If this succeeds, they are not the ones who will bear the brunt of the consequences, after all.]

Every decision we make will have consequences for other people. Just keep that in mind.

voice;

[soulsrob]

[The sound of delighted clapping.]

I wonder why it's always people trying too tightly to hold to power that causes all sorts of mischief. Stories so rarely seem to have good kings in them!

I wonder how truly devoted he actually was though. [She hums, thoughtful]

[beitangmoran]

As far as I know this is only a legend. It's been transmitted orally, and most probably heavily modified along the years. Probably written after the fact. There's not even any proof that Arne even actually existed, but people have made stories of it, and knowing what people believe is as important as knowing what actually happened.

un: drenched kitten of heated purrs, voice

[jeoha]

[ He's quiet for a moment as he processes, and then: ]

So the undead with the red tattooed sleeves... They were created from these people? Or in replica of them?

The tale of heroism does not easily match the description of their current deeds. How old is this story?

[beitangmoran]

If the legend is to be believed, yes. Keep in mind it is only a folk's tale and transmitted orally. Our friend the Merchant didn't seem to put much credence in the tale itself. He probably thinks it's pure fantasy, and I am quite sure most of it is. But knowing the tale, and what people's beliefs are around it, would bring us more clues nonetheless

The girl who told me the tale said it was already an old story back when her grandmother was a girl.

sweet lily of the hidden valley

[bearshermark]

The ones in the square were all missing an arm. I wonder what it means.

[beitangmoran]

Our friend the merchant told me it was a show of power by the red-sleeved undead against their enemies. Apparently, they do this sort of posturing.

[bearshermark]

Haltham said the red sleeves are more dangerous, but we have the same enemy..

[Hm]

But I guess as undead, that doesn't mean they're allies.

[beitangmoran]

I do not think they will be any more friendly towards us than the others, no. And it is not in our best interest to be in the middle when they start fighting amongst themselves which they will do soon.

[bearshermark]

It must have been Unhalad's forces that slew them for them to rise with such vengeance.

[beitangmoran]

That is certainly possible, but this conflict appears... ancient of some kind. Unless Unhalad's arrival is more recent that I think it is. Maybe no one even remembers how it started.

un: anglicized

[descendency]

[ Neat story. Try not to trigger Lee Chang too much, please. But more importantly— ]

Excellent. How much do I owe you, cousin?

[beitangmoran]

Owe me? Well, I'm not even sure what the price of it was, it was bundled with the rest of the stuff I was buying...

I really have no notion of things like that. Can you ask Xunxian?

[descendency]

As you like.

[ He calls out a little louder, just... presuming. ]

Su Xunxian, how much would you like to be reimbursed?

[topoiran]

Me? Well.

What would you want to be reimbursed with if you had procured it for someone?

un: heart-fluttering... hummingbird

[downswing]

If he won rank and honour, why haunt the lands?


( For his arm, alone? )

[beitangmoran]

A good question, isn't it?

This story is probably something created long after the fact, if such a thing even happened and it's not simply a myth. It's been transmitted orally and probably embellished over long years of retelling. I do not believe much of it is actually factual, but knowing what people believe is important to, I think.

I also could not find any information about how this Anurr might have become undead. Did he do it to himself? Was it done to him? No one seems to really agree.

[downswing]

A hero turned to wickedness to pursue the righteous path.

[beitangmoran]

It is very possible there might have been resentment on his part if the story is true. He'd have had to be naive not to think this trial was an attempt to get him out of the way.

That being said, if their intent is only land domination, one does wonder how it came to be and why.

It's also interesting that these particular undead seem to thrive more in the cold. that's the one thing everyone seems to agree about, on top of them being more predictable than the other lot.

[downswing]

The cold has hardened.

( Even a man of Gusu Lan senses the subtle worsening. )

Do they thrive within it, or cause it?