audio | user name: raven master

[pulvisetumbra]

( White sound, fragments of murmurs. Two men and a woman drowned by the tinny crescendo of a strained musical instrument. The music rises shrill and shrill, until it nearly deafens — then all is inexplicably quiet. At last, a man’s voice: )

...good afternoon. Following your... discoveries in Serthica, it appeared only prudent to reinforce every measure that protects our conversations. Our discretion is your survival.

You speak to the Merchant. We number a wealth of new... associates. I bid you welcome. Know this: whatever trials await you in your travels, they are as nothing before the ruthless undead enslavement the warlords would have intended you.

( A pause, then carefully: ) You are in Serthica. My initial recommendation was for you all to investigate which of the citadel’s halves houses undead and unnatural creatures. Since, Karsa has relayed the results of your efforts.

If I follow well, then you have unveiled the Remembrance insurgent group whose mannequins gain human likeness. I hope we have not chosen to bring home cursed dolls. ( His gritting teeth suggest otherwise. ) You have found that the old sickness that once splintered Serthica remains... alive. To that end, I salute the sacrifice of Master McCoy. We shall aim to recover your health, sir. And there is the matter of dragons, some living, some... troubled.

( A long, deep sigh rip from him. ) I fear Eidris and Minaras may have both been compromised. I first urged you to keep your head bowed and await the yearly opening of Serthica’s Neutral Zone beacon. We can no longer afford this passiveness. We must know what we protect against and how deeply the rot of Serthica runs.

The great Neutral Zone clock of Vassarizhia is the old heart of Serthica. Its beats regulate the rise and fall of Eidris and Minaras. Before the sundering, it was Serthica’s foremost watchtower, with vantage across the citadel whole. Karsa toils to finalise magical instruments that will allow us to forcibly but briefly reveal the state of this world, if you can reach the topmost levels of Vassarizhia and its enhanced telescope and watch monitors. I understand security will ease within the week, when Eidris and Serthica hold further summits.

( And now, a sprawling silence: ) As for the... white wanderer. I thank the consummate professionalism of Master Constantine and Mistress Pitts in delivering the uniforms of Ellethia. I understand one such garment was worn by the man who visited you during the Unwinding. The same intruder who haunted Ke-Waihu.

Let us be candid. I believe we speak of a former member of the institute of technology and magic of Ellethia, where the undead first surfaced. If this is correct, I can only recommend caution. I cannot say if the white wanderer is friend or foe. I know my preference.

Irrespective of this: onwards, upwards. To Vassarizhia. I leave this with you.

( ooc: threadjack away! You will get further details on the tower infiltration and our Halloween event mid-week for your plotting purposes. )

Comments

un: Black Prince; voice;

[blackscales]

[ A measured, even sort of tone: ]

It seems Ellethia's past continues to keep step with us. You say you know which way your preference lies, with regard to this White Wanderer. Which way would that be?

[pulvisetumbra]

( E q u a l l y measured: )

I would prefer for him to be a friend and for the entire... string of tragedies that appears to pursue him to be... a series of unrelated, unfortunate events. Though I am not unfamiliar with the odds of such a fairytale conclusion.

But, elsewise... the men and women of Ellethia's institute were selected on merit of talent, achievement and intellect. We would have a prodigy against us.

un : dappled peals of the parted seas (voice)

[beitangmoran]

It seems to be the unfortunate truth that the city on the whole is not as ... populated as we thought. And this dark water seems to have unending strange properties.

If you do concur that this white wanderer is also from your homeland and from the institute, do you have suspicions as to his identity?

[Surely, you must have some idea, sir.]

[pulvisetumbra]

None above others. But... any one of them could be — an extraordinary challenge, if he chooses to make himself a weapon against us. As I have told Wrathion: this individual would possess wit, talent, power and expertise. And clearly a finer understanding of undeath than us.

I would wish such a man sooner our friend. At least, until we learn how to dispose of him.

video; un: owl lady

[traaaaaash]

[ Eda has her staff at the ready. ]

I vote flying. Seems a good way to avoid most of the guards.

[pulvisetumbra]

By no means. Between dragons and airships, Serthica has the aerial advantage.

But let us first see what Karsa finalises.

video; un: pretty-pretty butterfly

[littlemimic]

[ She's only using video to see if she can get him to do the same. Sure, consummate professionalism is exactly the phrase she'd use to describe what happened. ]

It was certainly an interesting trip out there. As for how to get to the top of Vassarizhia, your handy little teleportation devices won't work?

[pulvisetumbra]

So far, the attempts to utilise them to purpose have been unsatisfactory. I suspect we are dealing with wards. But we will try a few times more.

un: white pawn; voice

[chosenbylight]

[Anduin is wary of speaking up, given the way that his previous conversations with the Merchant have gone. And yet...]

It is as you describe, sir. It would seem that both sides of the citadel are experiencing "disturbances", if you will. Groups of the citizens of Minaras suffer disturbing blackouts, while handfuls of the dragons of Eidris are... Similarly damaged, as you might say.

But to what purpose do our investigations serve? Do we serve as your agents, merely reporting back the information we find? Or is there a particular objective you have in mind here that you would care to share?

[pulvisetumbra]

Candidly, if the situation exceeds what we are able to answer, we should evacuate. I appreciate... losing a few months of wait here is — unpleasant. But equally, at all times, the worst outcome to our coalition would be your death.

I cannot risk allowing you to persist in a place where you are set up to fail.

un: dr.mccoy ; voice

[biomed]

Don't salute me, salute the folks keeping me alive. You got anything useful outside of well-wishes?

[pulvisetumbra]

For the particulars of your sickness?

un: wooden dice.

[strewth]

[Accent: British, heavily scouse if one of familiar with such things, otherwise, just... Northernish.]

Oi! You, the doctor. Tell me about the plague.

un: magic wand (voice)

[faceblocker]

Magical instruments that are going to force out the truth? Sounds like weapons.

[ Vi's not complaining. Not about the concept, at least. Everything else... ]

Reminding us that our other option is worse doesn't make you any less of a taskmaster, you know. Are we just playing spy for you, or are we expected to actually do something if the truth's revealed?

[pulvisetumbra]

If it emerges that the number and distribution of the dead or unnatural exceeds what we can defend against, my recommendation would be to extricate you all from Serthica.

It would imply a loss of a few months' time and further travel. But... we must think reasonably.

un: lunar.rabbit

[edgerun]

WATCH MONITORS?

[pulvisetumbra]

Formerly. Enough of the equipment remains that we may try to make use of it.

@yiling laozu

[weifinder]

Master Scorpion, were time magics any explicit part of what you guess or know the Tower in Ellethia to have touched upon? That or the collection of spirits.

[pulvisetumbra]

Time magic... perhaps, as minor experimentation. And the shifting of realities, the turning of dreams, illusions... yes, it would align, certainly. But I do not believe it was ever the heart of the work there.

un: tin soldier

[hatejakku]

If she wants to, she's coming with us.

[ 💀 ]

And she isn't a doll.

[ 💀 💀 💀 ]

[pulvisetumbra]

You are correct, sir.

It is a monstrous creation upon which you are projecting the similitude of human free will, because it has somehow appealed to your sensibilities.

(private)

[growlies]

Hey,

It's been a bit. Hope you're okay ( she inquired on the original video by kirk but he assured her he was good ), but if I could see your mannequin that'd be cool. I can see... uh, souls and auras and shit.

@wooden dice.

[strewth]

Alright, you lot. S'Constantine the consummate professional here. Do us a favor, would you?

Tell me all about this bloody plague turns folk into Twilight Zone mannequins. Everything you know.

un : dappled peals of the parted seas (voice)

[beitangmoran]

I spoke to a... survivor, I guess I should say although there is no guarantee that the man I spoke to was actually alive at the time, even if he looked to be.

The epidemic happened about five years ago and tore through the city. People would be fine one day, then start coughing, then get a high fever, and then drop dead. The man I spoke to said people literally dropped dead on the streets.

But somehow, no one seems to remember how it stopped, or how the authorities took care of the problem if they did. But someone must have done something, or else how would Minaras have containment contingencies for the sickness?

un: mansbane

[bravelyrunsaway]

Don't forget, love, we've found their new stronghold, those Remembrance enthusiasts. Who I can't imagine won't be moving during those same summits, unless you've heard little birds whispering otherwise.

Re: un: mansbane

[pulvisetumbra]

Unless you have born me a child or introduced an irresistible dowry, we are not lovers, so. Kindly spare me your affections.

Your point on Remembrance is correct.

audio; un: hopscotch

[clavesregni]

What form will this forcible revelation of truth take? And what's your plan to help the people here, should the undead presence prove to be significant?

[pulvisetumbra]

I believe, if the damage is as extensive as all your findings suggest, we are labouring under the thrall of an illusion. We must dispel it.

...as for the plan, so far, there is none.