blackscales: Commission, Do Not Take! (3)
̶W̶R̶A̶T̶H̶I̶O̶N̶ ([personal profile] blackscales) wrote in [community profile] eastbound2022-05-12 10:33 am

un: Black Prince; text

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.
chosenbylight: do not take (015)

un: white pawn; text

[personal profile] chosenbylight 2022-05-12 11:57 am (UTC)(link)
[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?
Edited (forgot the header oops) 2022-05-12 12:18 (UTC)
thebrideoffire: (Default)

[personal profile] thebrideoffire 2022-05-12 11:59 am (UTC)(link)
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.]
Edited 2022-05-12 12:00 (UTC)
thebrideoffire: ([Daenerys] Disapproves)

[personal profile] thebrideoffire 2022-05-12 02:18 pm (UTC)(link)
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.
chosenbylight: do not take (065)

[personal profile] chosenbylight 2022-05-12 03:43 pm (UTC)(link)
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.
beitangmoran: (side eye)

un : dappled peals of the parted seas (voice)

[personal profile] beitangmoran 2022-05-12 03:47 pm (UTC)(link)
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?
chosenbylight: do not take (schematise-004)

[personal profile] chosenbylight 2022-05-12 06:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[By the Light, the missing children. That's right. They had been concerned with the snake woman taking them at the time, but now...]

They were not among the number that I helped to rescue from the tributes to the Beastmaster. Not that I am aware, at least. I would have remembered there being an infant.

And then there was what happened to Dong-Yun. They certainly had some plan in mind, for that young man, and it did not have anything to do with the Beastmaster's presence here.
downswing: (interim)

un: absterge | 1/3

[personal profile] downswing 2022-05-12 10:33 pm (UTC)(link)
The man in pale dress of Ellethia.

Befriended by Wei Ying's...
downswing: (first day alive)

[personal profile] downswing 2022-05-12 10:35 pm (UTC)(link)


( ...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: (medusa)

[personal profile] downswing 2022-05-12 10:36 pm (UTC)(link)
resting charge.



( That'll do. )
incantates: (007。)

text; un: iwannahexyouup

[personal profile] incantates 2022-05-12 11:11 pm (UTC)(link)
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.
incantates: (103。)

[personal profile] incantates 2022-05-12 11:31 pm (UTC)(link)
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.
Edited 2022-05-12 23:32 (UTC)
chosenbylight: do not take (161)

[personal profile] chosenbylight 2022-05-12 11:46 pm (UTC)(link)
It is the best we can hope for. Being able to stop this so that no child is taken from their home again.

Do you know, Dong-Yun did not even wish to tell his own family what had happened to him? I do not know whether it is because he did not wish to trouble them, or if perhaps he had been ashamed of what had happened, perhaps?
rumorate: (70)

@taken for granite

[personal profile] rumorate 2022-05-13 01:20 am (UTC)(link)
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?
chosenbylight: do not take (schematise-002)

[personal profile] chosenbylight 2022-05-13 02:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Perhaps so.

Still, it is a heavy burden for him to carry on his own.
downswing: (j'adoube)

[personal profile] downswing 2022-05-13 05:36 pm (UTC)(link)
You mistake me.

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

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