un: Black Prince; text

[blackscales]

There's good news and bad news.

The positive side of this is I have a better understanding of what is happening.

The negative is the information doesn't appear to solve any immediate problems, but it does present some theories.

Firstly, it doesn't seem like the Huntress actually has any grand plans to take the fight to the Beastmaster. She was born locally and claims she just wants to visit the House of Ravens when it opens. According to her, it isn't possible to actually defeat him. I would argue she underestimates us, but I didn't want to tip my hand too heavily.

When the Beastmaster fully loses his powers she expects everyone else to as well. I did ask her if that was only magic or if it would be a drain of strength too, but she was unclear on that. Plenty of you have swords, after all.

I'm the least of the Beastmaster's fans, but it seems as if he has been against the concept of sacrifice. What I'm missing here is the full detail of what happens instead.

Let's begin at the beginning:

From what I understand, The Beastmaster was born Hyang-Won in Waihu. He came from a hunting family and had no particular fondness for the local beliefs and sacrifices. The Huntress was born in Waicai, and was fully sold on the sacrificial rites. Her birth name was Kye-geum but she married him as they were both strong hunting families and took the name Anui. One mystery solved there at least.

Regardless, they had a son and their clash of beliefs became a problem. She claims he was a good child who went to the House of Ravens willingly when it opened, but I wonder if the reason she's persued is the Beastmaster cannot forgive her the loss of their son.

The Huntress claims she doesn't hunt us, she flees him. She specifically said "if I go, it is because I am promised reprieve." That's certainly been the case here with us, and makes me wonder if someone suggested Taravast to her in the first place -- which would put a new spin on things.

Now, the House of Ravens only opens for a few days a year. Several are taken, but she suggests she doesn't know if her son was among them despite his going -- which makes me wonder if she thinks he might still be alive. She may be going to see it open to find out. Do several enter but they don't all die? A question.

So, we know the Beastmaster still takes people but supposedly is against the old ways of sacrifice. We've seen some dull-eyed villagers, which suggests something unpleasant is still done. We know along with these changes there was a White Wanderer who disliked the concept of worship only happening at the House of Ravens. We know he is associated with the dark water, which is safe when cold but has unpleasant side-effects when not.

I suspect the Beastmaster and the White Wanderer worked together on this. The dark water in the volcano is formed into some sort of mirror too, which made me think of reports of a pale man at the Ellethia tower. Experiments would be in line with what we know of the people there, especially ones that go awry -- perhaps this White Wanderer was a survivor from there, or someone who left before the catastrophic end.

Onto the volcano itself: it's been reported that the whole tribute process was not a direct sacrifice where they died due to the heat of the volcano, but a matter of absorbing a build up of magic to stave off eruption. My question here is, although many of these villagers were overwhelmed and died -- where did the Beastmaster and the Huntress gain their gifts? Did they go through a similar process yet survive, or develop them naturally?

If it's possible to survive the process, it's possible to stave off eruption safely. If we could find this White Wanderer, plenty of missing pieces might fit into place. Of course, there does appear to be a time limit.

Comments

un: white pawn; text

[chosenbylight]

[Anduin’s face right now, as these pieces fall into place…]

I see that you too have been busy, of late.

You are saying that when the villagers speak of the old ways of giving to the mountain, this has something to do with the House of Ravens?

[blackscales]

I like to keep myself occupied.

And yes, it certainly appears that way. The House of Ravens is due to open again soon.

[chosenbylight]

And the Huntress is here because she wishes to see after her son.

Their son. Hers with the Beastmaster.

[He needs to think about this. Consider all the information that has been laid out, both now and in the past.]

The villagers have been reconsidering this pact, with the Beastmaster and the White Wanderer. The mountain is angry, whatever his solution was, it is not holding. I would not put it past them to attempt to give to the House of Ravens again.

But what does it do to them? The children who are sacrificed -- for they are children, Wrathion. Let us not forget this, in our considerations.

[blackscales]

We do still have missing children too. 

[thebrideoffire]

That isn't what happened to the son. I have visited Hyang-Tai to discuss other means of sacrifice. It seems the wife handed over her son willingly for sacrifice. He was only of 8 summers. She had waited until her husband was away for the hunt.

[OOC: I'll be slow on replying since the thread is still ongoing and I don't have all the information yet.]

[blackscales]

I'm not surprised there's a disagreement, although technically it's simply one person's word against another's now with no proof otherwise. Still, I equally would not be surprised if her fervent belief caused her to see something which was not true.

[thebrideoffire]

That is what was suggested to me. The belief in her old ways had influenced her to do this. I suspect that's possible. I also wonder if it's the reason that matters have gotten so bad here.

un : dappled peals of the parted seas (voice)

[beitangmoran]

She was his wife, and she gave up their son for a sacrifice tribute he disagreed with? I guess that explains the bad blood between them and the fact that he apparently does still pursue her after all this time. It makes it more surprising that they somehow managed to be part of the same group for a while.

I also find it interesting that I have met people who spoke fondly of him, but not one who even mentioned her. And even in general, his presence is known and expected, but hers seems to be hardly spoken of ever.

We still don't really know how they become undead. Honestly, with Anurr, I would have been ready to believe he stayed out of sheer stubbornness and refusing to die.

But if it is anticipated he will lose his power entirely before the eruption then potentially he could absorb all of that energy that will come out and stave off at least some of the damage if he takes it into himself... But do we want to bet on this?

voice also;

[blackscales]

I wondered that as well. Nobody seemed to know who the 'Huntress' was, however perhaps they simply only know her as Anui. Perhaps she vanished from the village after this, fleeing as he pursued her.

Speaking with Daenerys, I am beginning to suspect the White Wanderer inflicted this state upon them both -- which renders that figure powerful and dangerous both, but equally of great interest.

I prefer to bet on nothing but myself, where possible. Trusting an unknown feels unwise.

[beitangmoran]

That is my read on it too, or else why would he be present?

And that begs the question of whether he was involved in turning any of the other undead lords we have met before, including Anurr.

[blackscales]

And for what purpose he does so, if it is the case.

un: absterge | 1/3

[downswing]

The man in pale dress of Ellethia.

Befriended by Wei Ying's...

[downswing]

( ...what does one call the comatose body one's soulmate has dragged across the sea and now flaunts at home as a misshapen interior decoration? )

[downswing]

resting charge.



( That'll do. )

[blackscales]

Conjecture only, but the ruinous results feel in line with the experiments at the tower. Interfering and involving mirrors, to right something only to cause damage in the process. Perhaps the results of the tower experiment succeeded in some twisted way. They did wish to live. Perhaps he is now like the sleepers, unable to die, only with a new and strange gift like the undead lords themselves.

[downswing]

You mistake me.

If the dark waters align with the magic of Ellethia, they will bear the same print as the resting elder.

text; un: iwannahexyouup

[incantates]

I appreciate the summary as someone who just happened to
stumble in on this mayhem mid-drought and mid-mass panic.

I know this probably seems rather obvious, but I have to ask:
Has anyone tried to ask the Beastmaster and Huntress where they got their gifts?
Otherwise, I don't think anyone is eager to volunteer to be a sacrifice just to test out your theory.

[blackscales]

The Huntress had limited patience for my questions, and it wasn't my priority.

The Beastmaster and I have a disagreement: I have no desire to be in his presence.

You're welcome to try asking yourself, of course. The risk is substantial.

I do hope you're enjoying your unpleasant vacation.

[incantates]

Oh, I know the risks.
I was just hoping someone was foolhardy enough to try before I even considered it.
Honestly, it's still more of a plan B at this point.

And considering I was trapped in Hell not too long ago, I'd rate this experience
as slightly more pleasant.
The weather is far less dry here unsurprisingly.

@taken for granite

[rumorate]

Do we know for sure that their abilities didn't come from agreeing to be Anhurr's Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

[That's what Allison always assumed, that maybe it was title passed around to those who volunteered, but the idea of it coming from the volcano is a curious one.]

Also how long ago their son was sacrificed?

[blackscales]

The order of events, and when they may or may not have met with Anurr, is unclear to me -- I couldn't say if they gained them from him.

The child I believe was sacrificed several years ago now, I'm fuzzy on the exact timeframe.

[rumorate]

I would have thought them older.

[Granted, most of her experience with them has been in the wake of Anhurr. She had never really spoken to them the way Wrathion has seemed to.]

I guess when it comes to undead creatures, you never really know.

[ Video; un: anzhi ]

[balancedwire]

So, the Huntress believes that he's undefeatable? Does she actually know that he isn't or just assumes that he isn't?

[ There were quite a few of them that had their ways about them. Which meant that they were being underestimated. That? It doesn't surprise him. He may not have been around long, but he knows that they all had their strengths. ]

Which means we should try and find this White Wanderer, especially if we have a time limit. Though, now I'm curious on where they get their abilities from or how they gained them.

[ Xie Yun does not carry a sword, he uses internal energy. The idea of losing that is something he can handle. He went years being unable to use it, after all. ]

un: Black Prince; text

[blackscales]

I believe she assumes it -- she cannot, and she thinks it is the same for everyone else. Arrogance.

[balancedwire]

So because she can't, or won't, do anything about it she just assumes that we can't. We're not from her world and she seems to be piling us in with those she knows, or thinks she knows. We'll just end up proving her wrong.