un: absterge | video

[downswing]

( Dark and damp and Lan Wangji's pallor strained under moonlight. Behind him, flickers of broad, long temple columns — and the smoke smears of... ghosts, gathered. He seems short of breath, the silvered sheen of his sword half drawn from her scabbard, a spate of parchment papers littering the walls: active talismans. )

They have crowded their halls of the dead, to excess.

Here, the key withholds itself. Who hunts the other locations?

( And a pause, hesitant — whether to find his words or, absently, slap another talisman on the spirit that looms with a gaping maw behind him. ) Ke-Waihu stands safe?

( ooc: forwarded dated to the group's incursions in Ke-Waicai. Feel free to run into him in person, if you're also chasing the haunted temple key! )

Comments

[downswing]

You require more enmity?

[somebadnews]

Why not? If I let that hold me back, we'd never get anywhere.

[downswing]

Not all paths must lead to bloodletting.

[somebadnews]

...I'm sure you can find another way to convince them.

[downswing]

Repetition.

[somebadnews]

Has that ever worked for you?

[downswing]

One man is not an army.

[somebadnews]

You'd be surprised.

[downswing]

Five.

[somebadnews]

[ Oh, come on. He could have been referring to anyone in their group, they have literal immortals. ]

Did you find something?

[downswing]

( Oh, for. )

Lend half a shi. The temple is winding. Thralls suspected.

[somebadnews]

Are you asking for help?

[ Thralls... is not his favorite word. ]

[downswing]

Inquiring the dead is not your territory.

Only their creation.

[somebadnews]

Good to hear you're making progress.

[downswing]

You need not question our progress.

[somebadnews]

[ Rude. Remember that he's doing great. ]

The forge isn't haunted, so you know. It's just a matter of being thorough. [ And he'd thank you to ignore any insignificant chatter in the background. ] I'll meet you with the key in a few.

[downswing]

No tally of corpses.

[somebadnews]

[ Why do you constantly bring that up like he's the one with the problem... ]

I'll try to resist the urge.

[downswing]

Succeed.

[somebadnews]

[ He doesn't always kill people. Whatever! Doesn't bother him at all. ]

Worry about your own end. We don't have time for you to lose focus.

I'll see you soon.