(text) (un: man's greatest treasure)

[reparo]

A moment of your time while we await the next wave of...whatever forces come our way. Let's share our findings, please - there have been many pieces moving on this board.

We know from Wrathion that the Huntress credits the Man in White for her powers, but despises him. Some of us have witnessed her somehow ripping out her heart and cutting it into pieces, and handing it to Miang-Si to bury them around Yancai - she mentioned it would make her powers take root.

A word of warning: do not touch the heart slivers with your bare hands. They hold powerful magic, and we can probably fairly assume this to be necromancy, and may sway you to - well. Eat it. I don't recommend doing this part either.

Red and I healed one of the beasts that hunt for her in the woods, and he (I am unclear if it's a he, but it feels unfair to call it an 'it' when he's been so helpful) took us to the hiding place of one sliver. On the way we unearthed a box that belonged to the Huntress and inside it a lock of hair, black hair - which possibly belonged to her son. It feels odd that she would still hang onto that, considering that she gave him into the care of the House of Ravens. Was this a demand from Matthias in exchange for power, or just zealotry?

Either way, there was a location engraved on the box, Kathul - we can thank Red for cleverly figuring out it was a location. It's south of here, and might yield nothing but also might unravel some mystery so I thought it was worth sharing with the rest of us.

Comments

un: absterge

[downswing]

Who consumed the heart?



( He Knows What He Knows, after a Certain Sith Lord. )

[reparo]

I am no snitch.

[downswing]

You mentioned finding it with Red.

private. audio. un: nah.

[damnable]

Hey, I appreciate the not snitching a great fuckin' deal, but I was gonna share with the class as is. Seems important in case there's any adverse effects or shit, y'know?

I also appreciate this post and the information sharing. There's lots of little clues out there rattling around.

Basically, you are greatly and dearly appreciated.

un: nah | text.

[damnable]

It was me.

Emphasis on the 'swaying'. I wasn't in my usual form so even more likely to be compelled to eat something that shouldn't be eaten.

[downswing]

How do you fare? Your body? Mind?

text — un: starburst.

[valeas]

( Thank the stars for Hermione.

Emilia takes the information in, jots down the key takeaways, and considers — )

While I was helping Wrathion infiltrate the House of Commerce in search of a key token, we learned the Dawn's Reach Trade Company offered to sell certain wares to Yancai. Some of them were magical, including a black mirror that grants wishes. It was collected from Ellethia.

Among the findings was also a letter written by the warlord Anurr, stating he felt a shift in the winds and how the dead sleep, some of which he could no longer control. The letter also detailed he was approached by the Brotherhood, seeking his service, and thus he could not promise peaceful salt shipments.

I arrived to this world shortly before the group left Sa-Hareth, so I'll admit my knowledge on Anurr and his territory is not vast.

text.

[reparo]

He has been... helpful at times? Unhelpful at others. I joined in Taravast, though, so I couldn't say more beyond that.

The mirrors being shipped here is concerning, though. The Doctor and I saw some shards in the waters, where the undead were coming from. Like broken mirror shards.

[somebadnews]

[ Five twitches whenever Anurr and mirrors come up in conversation, but this isn't entirely news to him. Figuring out the warlord's motives and his involvement with the village has bothered him for days now.

He still wonders about that mirror his powers were sealed away in, and how that wound up locked in a bank in Sa-Hareth. Was that part of the Dawn's Reach Trading Company too? Shame he can't bring that up here, for obvious reasons. ]

Anurr made it clear he wasn't interested in traveling this far to the east, but that doesn't mean he's not paying attention.

His only concern was about the rising water.

[reparo]

So he was an ally?

text | un: dollhouse - 1/2

[thedreamer]

You and Red, the dynamic duo! Expected nothing less. She shared some of this with me, I shared some with the Merchant and Red. And Wrathion. Good idea to put it all in one place. Sidenote: we need codenames! Not all of us, just us three. Red and I are still thinking it through. Important business. Have a think about it!

[ Surely all of what he's just said makes sense and is absolutely vital! ]

2/2

[thedreamer]

[ Oh, right! Clues to share. The heart of Hermione's message. Probably should share, too...

Moving on! ]

I've got loads to share! What's easiest, bulleted list? Cue cards?

[ He stops typing for a moment and then finally — ]

Number One - The Man in Black! Smokes a pipe. Shared it with me. Called me nephew. Family's long gone. Storms or sickness he said. He mentioned mastering the secrets of the universe but he couldn't do anything to stop a cough. No one left for him. Immortality's a joke. Bit more about immortality. The theme of the night. But then one day he would be immortal. Curious sort! Make up your mind! Lovely fellow. Looking forward to being followed by him in the future.

Theory time! After the Merchant spoke of pockets in time, and given how they've meddled with it here, I began to wonder if the Man in Black isn't perhaps our White Wanderer, come to the end of his life. A manifestation that's traveled through time. Or an alternate universe. Just a theory for your bedtime story tonight!

Number Two - The beast that Lan Wangji and I rescued led me to something in the forest as well. A tablet with the Huntress' sigil on it, along with a map and a destination she'd circled that said: Hawevasthan, in the east. She'd marked and inscribed it, THE PLEDGED LAND. The Merchant spoke of it being a sanctuary of sorts. He mentioned priests and cults, mirrors and shadows. An improvement over Yancai from the sound of it, perhaps they've taken my complaints to heart.

One last thing, when we're through this, I'm absolutely penciling in tea and film night for all of us.

1/2

[reparo]

Should we? I'll have to consider some codenames, then. Something more clever than Curly, please.

2/2

[reparo]

Many thanks for sharing your thoughts.

An interesting goal to have, immortality. I've never met a single wizard who tried to cheat death and it all worked out for them. Some of them tired of it, and gave it up, and one of them was dreadful and corrupt and evil.

He also split his soul in many pieces and hid the artifacts that kept those pieces of his soul, and we had to find and destroy them all to have a chance at defeating him.

Which is beside the point, probably. It's a good theory, why not? Should we dig into it?

Many directions are tempting to explore, so reasonably the Merchant will send us in the opposite direction of all of them. If we make it out of here.

Doctor, what is your opinion on the loop?

un: ut malum pluvia

[somebadnews]

[ That warning came a little late. Wrath is the only reason he didn't eat the whole thing, so of course he should have figured what happened with the others who went searching. ]

You found and lost two?

[reparo]

Did I say that?

[somebadnews]

[ It's moderately implied. ]

We should be happy we walked away with any.

@whitewolf

[northerndragon]

If she did not lie to me, it was zealotry. She mourned the child — she mourns him still, and so she should. She told me that he wished to go to the volcano, or she assumed he did by his silence. Might be that this is what she tells herself.

Matthias came later. She did not think that he had any influence on her son beforehand.

[reparo]

Oh, I got the timeline wrong. Thanks for the correction - so she spoke to you as well?

Probably better than taking over your senses and sending you after her enemies, I've seen you with that sword, sir Snow.

un: dam it to hell

[vestments]

I've heard of hearts being consumed as a means of keeping power.

[reparo]

I've heard of a lot of things that people will do for power.

[vestments]

Touche.

Was the heart eaten?

[downswing]

Primitive. But true.

un: a civil serpent | audio.

[inferus]

One of the shards I pulled from the lake changes material from liquid to air to solid, and occasionally, it stops to mimic an object near it. It only stops its constant changing when it attempts to mimic a living individual in some manner. This is not altogether surprising given what we have already learned about this substance.

If Kathul relates to the Huntress, we should find means of travelling there and discover if there is anything else that may be used against her. I've kept some of the heart slivers to utilize in a spell that may weaken her or trap her, but it's better to have multiple advantages and truly know our enemy.

audio.

[reparo]

Oh, good - yes, that would be a good idea, with the spell. How would you even make that work?

[Not the time for exchanging spells? It's never not the time to exchange spells.]

Maybe wards - runes, potentially? Ugh, what I wouldn't give for books from my world.

Anywah, Kathul. I assume that it would be easier if we could travel there fast. By air rather than water?