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

[techmaturgy]

Meatalworking? Are you a smith, of some kind?

[arsmechanica]

I am. Blacksmith, mostly I've been dealing with weapons and armor these days but that's less a matter of what I know and more a matter of what's been in demand.

[ He'd...kind of love if the world could do with a break from weapons and armor, but he doubts his luck in that regard is going to be much better out here than it was back home. ]

[techmaturgy]

Weapons and armor will always be in demand.

[Ugh.]

What do you prefer to make?

[arsmechanica]

I'd like the chance to make something more productive, rather than destructive. I do some tinkering on the side - spring traps, archery turrets, that kind of thing. More things for the war. But I'd like to start working on automating farming tasks, maybe? Something like that could be a game changer for my homeland.

[ Norzelia is...not far along the path of technological discovery yet, but he's trying to get it there. ]

[techmaturgy]

[Well, it gives him a good idea of how far along Jens's home is. And this is admirable, all things considered.]

Yes, I can attest to that. [Jens, you're going to launch your home world into a revolution and it will be great.] Is it a lack of funding that's holding you back? Resources?

[arsmechanica]

[ excitement ]

Right now, it's mostly the war. I think Lord Wolffort will be pretty supportive of such efforts, once we've lived to see the end of this, but we're right in the middle of...everything.

Our kingdom is in a good position in terms of resources, though. Trade routes all run through Glenbrook.

[techmaturgy]

Right.

[War! What is it good for! Scientific advancement, unfortunately. Viktor sounds a little bitter, maybe also about the fact that Jens is talking like going home is a possibility--for him, maybe.]

Continue to aspire to it, regardless. Seeking to improve lives...it's an admirable goal.