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

[biomed]

( tersely: )

It sucks. Don't catch it.

( alright that's out of his system, some useful info: )

It's a bacterial infection, spreads mostly via droplet transmission, and is about as virulent as it gets.

If you're from Earth– ( he's betting on it ) –and familiar with the pneumonic plague, picture that, but with a ten-minute incubation period, and rapid onset tissue destruction. Some of the locals call it "coal sick" because the pattern of decay blackens the faces and extremities of its victims, just a little before they pass from massive organ failure.

Researchers in Minaras have a serum that can provide relief from the symptoms, but it's temporary. Thus far the bacterium has been mostly resistant to whatever basic antibiotics I was throwing at it. Our more magically-inclined healers have had the best luck treating it.

[strewth]

[An answering call: Sawing laughter that is indicitive of a lifelong affair with nicotine.] Hehhhh, heh hehh. 'Sucks' don't quite seem to cover it, doc.

You wouldn't happen to know the spells they're using? Ah, I'll just ask 'em. You seem like the type owns a stethoscope, not a kundalini diagram.

Reckon it's a real plague that magic's piggy-backing on. Magic and tech love each other like cancer and lungs. [Another cough, and the distinct inhaling ssssht of a cigarette being smoked.]

[biomed]

Maybe if I took one from a museum. Stethoscope's ancient, ( he scoffs, forgetting himself, that he's one of the few future!folks here.

boy, do his ears prick at the man's cough, the warm, heavy rattle of it, and his tone softens. ) Got experience with it, do you?

[strewth]

...huh. Is it, now.

[Tell him more about your weird science.]

Some, yeah. Ain't a problem anymore. Well healed, I am. [In a sense.]

[biomed]

( nuh-uh, he's gonna be an atrocious tease and pretend there wasn't a question there. )

Glad to hear it. ( he does mean that very sincerely, and goes for the follow-up because Doctor, hello, ) You kick the habit, too?

[strewth]

[And John is going to be, as ever, a bastard.]

Answer my question first.

[biomed]

( his tone is clipped. )

Didn't hear one.

[strewth]

[John's tone suggests the curve of a smile.]

Tell me what outpaced the stethoscope. I'll come in for me first doctor's appointment in, oh, three decades?

[biomed]

( ...fuck. mccoy's a stubborn bastard, but the potential to do good will always outweigh the prime directive.

which is why he's gonna reluctantly pivot. )

I wouldn't advise comin' in for a checkup just yet. Too risky.

[strewth]

I've lived this long; reckon it can wait. Unless you being so bloody gun shy about your technology is something I ought to be worried about.

[biomed]

You've nothin' to fear from little ol' me, I can promise you that. Plague aside.

We moved from stethoscopes to all-in-one diagnostic tools.

[strewth]

Real reassuring, mate.

Still smoke. Can't catch anything off it, anymore. [At least, he thinks so.]

[biomed]

What makes you say that?

( the latter, he means– fuck reassurances, the guy's smart not to trust a stranger's word )

[strewth]

[Why lie when the truth is unbelievable?]

Devil ripped it out of me.

[biomed]

Pull the other one.

[strewth]

Pulling anything's strictly second date business, mate.

You can check yourself, with your all-in-one stethoscope.

[biomed]

( it's his turn to answer with a laugh. seriously, who is this guy? )

Tch. In your dreams.

And fine. I'd like to see what kind of surgeon the Devil is.

[strewth]

Break my heart, why don't you.

[Said with some cheer. He likes it when people can hold their own.]

Right. Pick a place; I'll pay for dinner.

[biomed]

( against his better judgment, he likes this fellow. enough to only hesitate a fraction before he shoots him their address in Minaras. )

'Fraid you gotta bring it to go; can't exactly break quarantine for a night out.

( yeah, he sounds wistful at that. god, he misses the sun most of all. )

[strewth]

Mmm. Intimate for a house call.

[Reverse house call? Whatever. John wants to know about the magic stethoscope, because he wants to know about everything, because what the fuck else is there to do with a life that's run too long but stick your nose in bloody everything.]

Be there in a tick.

[biomed]

Don't get too excited. I don't put out on the first date, least of all to nameless magical folk.

( well...he got that out of his system long ago, anyway. )

[strewth]

[There's a zigzagging smile somewhere in the shape of his voice:] John Constantine. Cheers.