username: permission granite | voice

[jatharin]

( It's all gunshot, arrows, a flurry of projectiles and the passing downcast shadow of a creeping, large flying creature — then the scowling, scratched face of Watch Tower Master Kerasstone — ...before his pendant drops down, and you're treated to footage of rushed feet kicking the device back and forth between tower floor stones. At long last, Kerasstone's slammed to the ground, landing close enough to his pendant, grinning bloodily. )

WHAT GIVES THERE? GOOD MORNING, LADS! YOU SEE, IT'S BEEN RAININ'DOOOOOWWWWN! ALL ABOARD, EH?

( Excuse him, more... skirmish, with something like a harpy. Back to howling at the pendant. )

IT'S STARTIN' TO SMELL ALL ROT IN THE AIR. OR PIG. CAN'T TEEEEEEEEEEEEELL. BUT MEANS, USUALLY, THE LIKES OF HIM IN THE WOODS, HE'S PLANNING HIS NONSENSE! WITH THE CLAAAAAWWWWIIIIIIING. GOT TO KEEP YER FINE SELVES READIED! AND WATCHFUL! AND JOLLY, HAVE A DRINK, EH?

( ...he, for one, is somehow materialising a battered iron flask from behind his shield. ) NOW, I'M TELLING YOU: YOU FEEL A CAAAAAALLLLIIIIIING? TO THE WOOOOOODS? ALL A SUDDEN? AND IT AIN'T NATURE? DON'T BE SHY, WE ALL DO IT! OR YOU'RE A MITE MORE ANGRY, BUT IN THAT MIGHTY FINE WAY THAT LEAVES BEHIND A WEE BODY? AND YER UNCLE GRASSHIM HAS TO LOOK AT YOU ALL AWKWARD, GOING, LAD, AIN'T GOT NO WHERE TO BURY IT? YOUR AUNTIE WANTED TO RAISE'EM PETUNIAS IN THAT YARD???

( Look at this smiling face. Surely he's joking. )

YOU GET THAT ITCH, YOU KNOCK YOURSELVES OUT WITH THE CAST IRON PAN! OR A BOOK! AIN'T NO USE FOR THEM ELSEWISE! NOT THEM KITCHEN ONES, WE NEED'EM, THOSE... THE ONES WITH BIG WORDS! YOU CAN CHAIN UP TOO, I SUPPOSE, JUST NOT TO A WOODEN POST! SOME'S BROKEN FROM IT BEFORE! MAKE IT STONE AND BIIIIII —

( ...regrettably, an incoming catapult briefly brings him down to ground, and Deputy Watch Master Vataz, equally battered, sighs along the rest of the instruction: )

Yes. Keep watch of yourselves, knock yourselves out, drink, and... whatever he said about the frying pan. Don't be alarmed. Rathakku only Claws those who've been touched by death, when he despairs of his lack of progress. He can't hold it up for long. If he's starting now — it'll only be days. But he will be ruthless, and he will try to turn us to seize the Chamber of Seals. Hold the lines, and you will be victorious. We will all overcome this. We are better than him, stronger, braver, more lasting. We will persevere. Do not let yourselves be Claw —

( Wait, Kerasstone is sitting up again, as a blast rocks the tower. Scrambling to catch the pendant, he points it at... an explosion by the Castle's entranceways. )

HELL'S BELLS, WHASSAT BY THE LOWER GATES? SOMEONE LET ONE RIP??


( ooc: dated to the very late hours of 6 February / the start of 7 February, as Rathakku begins his Clawing of Feb. 7-10. On a voluntary basis, necromancers, characters who once died or who are very sensitive to life/death energies can be conscripted into Rathakku's army for this duration.

A Clawed Stephen Strange kicked off the mayhem with an explosion in the minor merchants' entryway.

Threadjack away in the comments! Kerasstone and Vataz can both answer — specify in your comment header if you prefer one over the other! )

Comments

voice | un: wooden sword

[vdovy]

Can they be un-Clawed?

un: peace and prosperity

[jatharin]

They will return to their own senses, once Rathakku's finished. If he doesn't ruin them. He can't hold them long. We recovered some archers this way. Bastards were wishing they hadn't been found.

un: bee

[allforthecause]

Touched by death?

What does that mean, exactly?

[jatharin]

( Thank God this fellow's always outside, because this isn't an indoors voice. )


WELL YOU SEE, YOU KNOW HOW YOU'S SOMETIMES A WEE DRUNK, BUT ONLY, MIND, YOU YERSELF, A LITTLE, EVEN WHEN COUSIN LARRISTON BE RUNNING HIS MOUTH, YOU CAN'T HOLD UPPPPPPPP, BUT YOU'S KNOWING BETTER, YOU CAN LIFT RIGHT UP ON THEM TWO TWIGS, AND EMPTY ANOTHER CUP AFTER? YOU KNOW THAT?

[allforthecause]

[ he is desperately trying to parse this ]

When you’re very drunk and can keep drinking?

Sure, yeah, I know it.

[ Pray continue with wherever this metaphor is going, incredibly loud friend ]

[jatharin]

YOU CAN ALWAYS BE A LIL MORE DRUNK. AND A LIL MORE DEAD.

[allforthecause]

[ There’s a bit of a breath of a laugh on the other side. ]

Not where I’m from, friend. Dead is dead.

But you mean touched by death as in died ourselves? One thing I won’t have to worry about.

[jatharin]

DEAD ONCE! DEAD AIN'T NEED BE FOREVER! OR THEM WHO RAISE THE DEAD, YOU'S ALSO RIGHT PRETTY FOR THE STINKER. OR THEM WHO'S DOING ALL SORTS WITH LIFE'S SORCERY, LIKE OUR PALADINS. WE KEEP'EM DOWN LOW THROUGHOUT.

[allforthecause]

[ There is a pause on the other end as he reformats his thoughts. ]

What about those who have killed? Or does it only call to the magic?

[ Because if the former, then they all have to worry. Probably. ]

voice | un: oil change

[nachocheese]

[ Swallows hard. ]

So, "touched by death." That only means people who've died here, right?

[ Please say it only means people who have died here... ]

[jatharin]

DON'T KNOW, LAD. YOU'RE SORT OF, YENNO, NOT THE REGULAR FARE. GUESS WE BE FINDING OUT, EH?

[nachocheese]

[ Somehow manages to sound like he's shrugging, even though that definitely wasn't the answer he wanted. ]

Guess so, man. Thanks anyway.

[ That's all he has to say on the matter, so Nacho won't be responding any further; better to just watch and listen and observe from here on out, he figures. ]

[jatharin]

CHEER UP. COULD BE WORSE. YOU COULD BE MARRIED TO ME AUNT.

video | un: off scarlet

[westviews]

[Wanda is looking very much Unimpressed, not only because of Stephen Strange.]

We need to end it quicker.

[jatharin]

AIN'T LIKE NONE'S TRIED!

[westviews]

What have you tried, actually? There are people now within your walls that have worlds of experiences that might help.

[... you know, just in case a very powerful sorcerer happens to be Clawed and blows shit up.]

[jatharin]

THEY WHO'S SMARTER TRIED: WARDS. NOPE. COUNTER CURSIN'. NOPE. SENDING GOOD FOLKS TO'IM WITH EXPLOSIVES BOUND TO THEIR BELLIES. NOPE. AND MADE'IM ANGRIER.

ME? I SAID, BURN DOWN ANY BODIES, AND KEEP THE PANS AROUND.

un: qishan (voice)

[silverneedles]

Do not recommend people knock themselves out with a pan or a book. Do you want more injuries?

[jatharin]

DO YOU, LASS?

un: mansbane | vataz, if only because he's addressing him

[bravelyrunsaway]

When this Clawing runs its course, love, and the lasting calls for a little breathing room, do let me know.

As it stands, if he's feeling desperate, are we trying to move more people out while he's straining himself edging everyone else on? Holding fast doesn't matter for the young, ill, injured, and non-warrior.

[jatharin]

We find it's best to use this time to pull back and reocup our losses. Burn our dead, before he may touch them. And focus on the Chamber.

[bravelyrunsaway]

Yes, that's all speaking militarily, what of the civilians? They're part of the burning, regardless, that much is clear. They're unrelated to the Chamber, and there's people like me who're expendable by the measure of those of you who've fought the year holding this fortress and that Chamber. Fewer living bodies to die inside means fewer he can touch, love, we both know that.

[jatharin]

What are you proposing?

And we are not 'loves.' You will afford me respect, as I do you.

[bravelyrunsaway]

A pattern of speech, love, not a call or claim. Respect afforded to differences in culture, isn't that part of it? I'd call lover if it's what I meant. Wouldn't you?

As for proposals and propositions, I have the knack for it, let me lead more out through the Gut's Binds while he Claws up above. Each only has its own limited lifespan, and unlike what that creature does, your people ensure no path is revived after it falls.

[jatharin]

No. We will have no conversation while you name me as you please.

You will deploy respect. Try again. Try until you master it. And if you can't, you speak to someone else.