4728/Contract of the God's Forge - Divine

Contract of the God's Forge - Divine
Date of Scene:	28 October 2016
Location:	Lordran
Synopsis:	The entire Catacombs are aggro'd at once. Heroes discover the final smith in the trio. His focus is spoiled.
Cast of Characters:	Priscilla, 941, 1014, 1048, 919, Staren, 984, Tomoe

---

Priscilla has posed:
    Next on the checklist of a relatively simple but potentially high-payoff sidequest is a second retrieval mission. Specifically, a group of Elites are to venture as deep into a set of very deep, and very old catacombs, to retrieve what is apparently a blessed artifact, lost ages ago when the forges it was taken from were abandoned, and a troupe of clerics took it to the depths and banish some unholy threat, as explained by a certain someone on the way there.

    The man himself is Andre, of Astora, as he introduces himself; a man who must be in his sixties at the earliest, with a magnificent, soot-streaked beard of silver hair that covers half his chest and dark, squinty eyes to match, and yet is built like a solid tree trunk of pure muscle, both improbably tall and improbably broad. He is a blackmsith by trade, but apparently no ordinary one, if he has an interest in this artifact. That, and he apparently walks around totally shirtless, wearing his blacksmith's apron around his waist as if hot metal sparks don't bother him anymore.

    As he tells it, these clerics are long since dead, their powers likely failed by the waning power of their gods at the end of the last age. The artifact is a so-called 'Ember', which is described as something cubic, roughly toaster sized, and 'you'll know it when ye see it.'

    Also of interest, this area isn't just a set of generic catacombs, but referred to quite deliberately as /The/ Catacombs; as in the only set near any kind of human habitation. It has been dug into the side a series of cliffs and chasms so utterly, impossibly tall as to seem outright fake, bordering on a divide in the land that plunges so steeply as to be impossible to see the bottom, across which are sheer mountains. Despite the surreal jaggedness of the landscape, a steady mist has allowed most surfaces to be thoroughly colonized by greener, from thick moss to sparse trees winding their roots in and out of the stone.

    The entrance is comprised of a series of stairs carved around the circumference of a gargantuan pillar of solid stone, passing through a makeshift graveyard of sorts, filled up when people no longer dared enter, and into a much more conventional, well-carved tunnel. The midday sun is somewhat shrouded by what seems to be night-permanent cloud cover, but despite the dull roar of the wind below, the atmosphere feels a little more like remote wilderness than 'ominous dungeon'.

    Andre finally stops his plodding stride outside the dark mouth of the rectangular tunnel, twisting off his heavy gloves and fishing around his toolbelt. "One last thing I fergot to tell ye." He adds to his intermittent commentary. "The Catacombs were built fer the human dead in the old days of war. What few of them ye could scrape off the ground, at least. Even below that, there's the Tomb of the Giants; the final restin' place of the non-humans, if ye catch my drift. Don't take yerself that deep. There ye be tresspassin' into the territory of The First of the Dead. I hear he's taken a likin' to a few of us mortal types, but all the same, I wouldn't risk it." He finally unhooks what looks to be a rather plain, black-headed, wood-hafted hammer, a little small in his head. "Oh, and I happen to know a friend around these parts. Crazy bugger set up shop down 'ere once. If ye happen to see 'im, show 'im this and tell 'im ol'e Andre sent ye. Got it?"

Mel Brock (941) has posed:
    Mel had planned to join in on the retrieval missions; but business kept her from helping out on the first. She's here for this one, though, decked out in her full Marshal jumpsuit and kit - which amounts to 'jumpsuit, communicator, sidearm, and longcoat'. She is of course also bringing with her a weapon that's not exactly STA Marshal standard issue, but that's become expected of her by now.

    The psychic walks with steady calm, despite what they might be walking into (and Mel is someone who legitimately knows 'what they might be walking into', for once). She's got her hands in her coat pockets per usual, listening to Andre talk with some interest. She's taken kind of a liking to hearing about the histories of these places. "Don't head down to meet Arisu's buddy. Got it." She reaches out as if to take the hammer; and Andre will feel the gentle tug of telekinesis, just enough to say 'you can let go, I've got hold of it'. When he does release, it floats over to her. "You get any kind of read on this, Hravn?"

Heaven's Armory (1014) has posed:
    Hravn has taken to keeping herself materialized in this instance. Andre's a rather interesting figure to her, as an old smith would be to an old sword. She has a certain, particular interest she's unlikely to fully explain, in how he treats his smithery, though she's more taken to watching than to talking. The patience of her stare is that less often found among animate beings, if only on the level of certain breeds of knight, in this land.
    The hammer, when offered, comes under her full scrutiny. Her first thought is that this is simply some symbol or signature, but if there's anything else, she might notice.

Young Arthur (1048) has posed:
Artifact retrieval isn't much of Arthur's gig. He hasn't yet decided he wants the holy grail, but the quest for adventure is a good way to fill his time and spend his pent up anxiety on something less likely to dominate the future political landscape of Britain than the plans he's got brewing back home. The boy who would be king is clad in white, with a regular steel sword on his hip. "Nice to meet you, master blacksmith." He answers the man, before lowering his helmet to obscure his face. "If we meet your friend, I'll be sure to send him your regards."

Genya Arikado (919) has posed:
    Cliffs, sheer drops, ragged rocks, and does anyone even know what's at the bottom of that chasm? Probably not. This terrain? It's far too rough for Arikado to manage without it looking suspicious. Therefore... Genya isn't the one who's here.

    It's Alucard.

    Indeed, this investigation seems to have drawn the dhampir from wherever he's been in the Multiverse. Though kudos to anyone who recognizes the large black bat with glower red inner wing membranes that flies over. That is not impossible however; Alucard has had a presence in the Multiverse before, and has interaction with the Union and Confederacy.

    Whether recognized as WHO he is or not, it's definitely apparent that the bat is no normal bat. Mainly because it's been following the group since before they entered the graveyard. And if any more proof was needed? Once they come to the tunnel the bat flutters in place briefly, and its form changes into that of a slim, pale man in Victorian garb. All in black of course, but for the white silk shirt underneath and the red, glowing inner lining of his cape. He had a shield in hand and a sword sheathed at his side.

    To head off any possible panic, he raises his free hand, to show he has no intention of attacking. "I mean you no harm. I am Alucard, I have come to assist," he offers simply. He speaks in Romanian (not that THAT matters much) with a deep voice occupying the bottom of the baritone register.

Staren has posed:
    Staren's armor is a bit scuffed from fighting a giant spider the other day. He takes the oddness of a shirtless blacksmith in stride. With all the weirdness of the Multiverse, who knows, man. The cliffside ruins are kind of interesting... Staren wonders how many people lived here, and how they got food. "If there are not one but two people still living here, why don't /they/ have the ember? Do they not know about it? Have they been here this whole time and never looked all around?" he muses.

    And then they are joined by (nananananananananananananananana) bat man! Staren looks at him, briefly alarmed, but he seems friendly enough. He looks the vampire (with a name like that, it has to be a vampire) over, as if he was expecting that name to match a different appearance. "...Huh. Well, nice to meet you, I'm Staren, a researcher for the Union."

Karal Rei Lin (984) has posed:
The blacksmith of Astora isn't the only metalworker here, but Karal Rei Lin would have a serious problem doing her work bare-chested and and it isn't hot metal sparks, that's for sure.

    This may or may not be why she gives him the FUNNIEST look a few times throughout the meeting.

    Although there's probably much more to it than that. That's just silly.

    She does offer a respectful deep bow of her head in parting, but just... CANNOT keep the exuberant anticipation from showing all over her face. The prospect of delving into a dangerous place might be terrifying, but to her it's also exhilarating.

    Because she can actually be serious without needing to worry...

    "You can leave this to us, gr-.... er... master smith." Was she about to address him as something else there? Seems maybe.

    She doesn't recognize Alucard, but the pasty complexion mixed with black and red has her frowning. Like maybe HE MIGHT BE A DEATHKNIGHT OR SOMETHING.

    "If you say so. But then I'd ask to hear your allegiance, or failing that goals...?"

Tomoe has posed:
Had felt a sense of purpose here even if she'dbeen a minor player in it's rebirth she'd still not been lying with the promise of aid she's given Priscilla and addtionally? She was curious to see the world when it was not over run with undead and decaying away. SO here sh was again and she looks ot Andre for a moment with a grin on her face as she arrives.

"IT's good to see you again. She takes note of what they are hunting for today as he tells them a bit more about the Ember.

"One of those items? I know the sort you mean my friend. Don't worry we'll find it."

She seems ready as she nears the tunnel and she nods

"Thank you for the warning I don't plan to dig deep unless I have to, Will do and really a merchant down there? Damn they are a bit nuts but if they will do business who am I to complain."

She looked to Mel, Arthur and Genya for a moment.

"Good to see you and ... that Alucard? Damn, that sure is something."

Dungeon crawling with Arthur Pendragon, Alucard, Divinely Chosen Champion of a Sun God, a Human Alien hybird and a PSI Cop who has a self ware blade. How did her life come to this? She has no idea but she seems ready to go.

"Easy Karal..."

Priscilla has posed:
    Andre seems a little put off by telekinesis at first, but quickly gets the picture, gingerly releasing the working hammer. It looks a little crude, but that might be because it is very, very, very old by Hravn's reckoning, as in, older than it has any right to be without wearing away to a nub. Sure, the head is an improbably large block of solid iron, but the gloss is atypical of the simple, black metal, indicating some other compound smelted into it. There is also a sense of something like an enchantment, but not quite. It feels less like magic, and more like the residual faith of many people over many long years of use in this little hammer, and a deep sense of tradition. Were this place more like Japan, it would probably have become an object youkai by now.

    Arthur is more of a familiar sight in this kind of landscape and culture. The blacksmith looks pleased to have what can clearly only be a young knight aspirant along, waving off the bow a little bashfully. "Make sure to do it quietly. He doesn't like a lot of loud noise. You mind yerself in there though, ye hear? If ye get yerself killed, I lose a potential customer! Ha!" He belly laughs briefly at his own joke. "More likely the latter, young man." He replies to Staren. "He's a . . . focused, sort. Besides, the thing was lost ages ago. No need to go scourin' about for it in these times, aye?" He cracks a coal-stained grin at Tomoe. "Heh. I was going to, but now I think I'll leave that little bit a surprise."

    "Oi oi, no need for all this 'master' business! True, I've been doin' this work longer than you wee ones have been alive, but a blacksmith can't call himself a master of the arts until 'es had a real Ember to work with. Men like us don't often get the chance. I'm lucky to be working with that giant lug these days; he's been doin' it before my grandfather's grandfather picked up a hammer. To think that one day I'd be smithin' in the halls of Anor Londo . . ."

    Alucard draws his attention from daydreaming pretty handily. The blacksmith carries no weapons, but the air of impending violence from him is immediately palpable, as if all the subtle tensions of the hundreds of pounds of muscle beneath his skin were a rattlesnake's hiss. It'd be odd if someone couldn't defend themselves in a rough and primeval land like this. Fortunately he relaxes somewhat when nobody else springs to the attack. "Try to keep the surprises to a minimum, aye? It's not good for my heart." One could imagine his heart likely capable of crushing a brick, looking at him. It sounds a little silly.

Priscilla has posed:
    Departing from the blacksmith and heading into the tunnel, the assembled are treated to a very stereotypical trip through damp, rocky twists and turns, overlaid with chiselled bricks in sections, and worn away to the natural rock in others. The sound of dripping water and the skitter of visible, black streams of what look to be migrations of scarabs are their accompaniment, until rather abruptly, they breach into sunlight once again.

    Specifically, they are greeted by what must /once/ have been a sprawling, labyrinthine tomb fit to make any dungeon master squeal with glee, but which has since been subjected to some incredibly violent force that cleft the entire pillar straight down the middle, breaching the ceiling and then every one of the dozens of floors beneath, until age had done the rest. Far, far, /far/ down below, there stretches a plane of rubble that has mostly been reduced to gravel by running water, but to either side, the guts of the catacombs are laid more or less bare to the open air, like looking at two halves of a skyscraper split apart.

    Here and there, elaborate columns, arches and pillars remain intact, and various rooms remain dark and isolated as they spread further away from the breach, but most of what is visible comes down to many layers of slowly crumbling brick and rock, natural bridges of stone as well as artificial ones where none prevail, high outcroppings, a wide but tall trickle of a 'waterfall', what might be buttons and levers set into various points in the far distance, likely to maneuver the bridges, and coatings of moss and hanging plants that disappear as the light dims further down.

    It's even quieter than outside, with only the trickle of water and the very odd rustle of leaves, save for one thing: a single, young, female voice wafting up from the deepest reach of the Catacombs -- or perhaps, actually, deeper. Eerily, the group can hear her singing to herself all the way at the top; a very simple, but instantly memorable tune, sung to oneself without concern for an audience.
%

Mel Brock (941) has posed:
    When Alucard arrives, Mel just sort of quietly stares at him. She doesn't vocalize the thought aloud, but Hravn can hear it privately. 'Yeah. It's Halloween all right.'

    Once Mel has the hammer in her hands, she's careful with it, holding it in both hands. If they get into a fight it's gonna have to be set aside, but for now she can keep it on her. In they go, and boy if this isn't a dose of Halloween cavern-diving she doesn't know what is. Right down to the part where it's creepy. "Oh god, the bugs..." she mutters under her breath. Other than that, she's more or less quiet as they walk, but the sound of a woman's singing voice down below does draw her attention. Didn't Arisu say something about a girl? Or did he? Damn, now she can't remember. Best not to go down and look either way, though, They've got a job to do and she already wants to do it and get out.

Young Arthur (1048) has posed:
Arthur's head turns towards Alucard when the dhampir appears, his hand slowly reaching for the hilt of his sword, just as a safety precaution. When it appears unnecessary, he relaxes his hand, until they start to go in, at which point he makes it a point of staying near the front, shield out and sword drawn, ready for danger. The song causes him to pause a step, trying to figure out where it comes from. "Should we investigate whatever that is?"

Heaven's Armory (1014) has posed:
    Hravn hasn't given much of a look to those she's seen previously, which means Arthur gets one, and she then does a rather graceful job of bristling at Alucard's appearance. He gets a good, long stare, and then she relaxes and looks back at the hammer. "Very, very old," she explains to Mel as they get on their way. "But cared for, reverently. If there's further magic to it. Something else to it, perhaps."
    Ah, darkness and depths. Those are two words that go well with 'catacombs.' "I could feel around for the winds, here. But there seems little reason to let them carry two, separately." With that said, the woman in the flowing dress disappears, collapsing down to a quick spark, and then vanishing entirely.

Staren has posed:
    At the scenery, Staren comments, "Makes me feel like I'm headed down to fight that dragon again..." And then there's a song! He looks for a way up, for those who don't have a way to fly.

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe makes note of the warning about loud noises. "Got it Andre." IT was good to know and she grins abit as he mentions customers. "Ha isn't that always the way of things? Still when this is over I might want to talk business there are some things I might have need of later. However for now away we go!"

She'll move to take point it's her job to tank, right? She's also got experiance with the local traps on this world. The sort of suffering that felt like of a sort she'd never expected to see in reality. She has Mourning wall ready and she had her sword ready to be drawn should it be needed.

"Would you look at this place.... and let me keep on point it's my job to take a beating so others don't have to."

Genya Arikado (919) has posed:
    Alucard nods to Staren in greeting. "A pleasure." Karal's question has him turning to her. "An ally of mine is a member of the Union. I have been tasked with assisting the Union interests here," he answers politely, ducking his head.

    It's not a lie. An ally of his IS a member of the Union. Two actually, Julius and Soma. And he HAS been tasked with assisting... by himself! It's just... the truth is offered to Lin in a rather sideways fashion, even if he speaks flatly. Tomoe's warning to Lin gets a shake of his head. "No. She is quite right to suspect me," he says quietly. "I offered no motivations. For all she knew I could have been planning to harm any of you. Or all of you." Seems like Arthur's not the only one who can make ambiguously not-ominous but totally ominous statements!

    Andre the giantsmith gets the ghost of a smile from Alucard. However he bows politely. "Apologies, good sir. I would assume it is not good for MY heart, either." Because... Andre's likely to stab Alucard in it if he does it again! But he does head down the tunnel with the rest of the group.

Karal Rei Lin (984) has posed:
"W-well, you remind me of dad. 'specially the beard and nose..." Lin's quick to say, through a warm and bubbly smile. But enough is enough! On with the adventure.

    Alucard's answer is taken at face value though. She offers him a nod too. "Karal Rei Lin. If that's the case, I have no complaints. Welcome to the adventure... Alucard?" The name is so odd she can't help but sound it out testingly.

    Oh well.

    Lin skitters away from the bugs, giving them a WIIIIIDE berth. She's learned they're not only creepy, but they can be downright DANGEROUS when they swarm...

    Eventually she walks up to edge of the central shaft that's breached straight through the construction and ends up peering down, down, down....

    "It's as though a star fell from the heavens, plunged in and simply kept going..."

Priscilla has posed:
    Thankfully, there should be no Gaping Dragon this time. Hopefully. Dear god hopefully. The place looks a little too vertical, and sounds a little too peaceful for there to be any of that, not to mention a lack of adequate prey in a place built to honour the dead; at least the dead that the bones could be retrieved of.

    Flying is, as it is every so often here, a cheatsy shortcut. Staying to the ruinous chasm rent through the once brilliant masonry, Staren has quite a fair amount of space to proceed, letting him check out the insides of many of the Catacomb's sprawling levels at a casual and easily accessible pace. There seem to be three, not entirely discreet 'layers' of bridges, both across and downwards, and a larger number of staircases, and places where they used to be, making for perilous jumps.

    He can also start to see the odd signs of lanterns, both in brief glimpses of ruddy light, and traces of smoke where oil flames had been lit and left for a while, usually over sarcophagi having likely been used as tables. Slightly suspicious. There are a couple of obvious routes he can trace out for the rest, since Tomoe is currently stuck to leading the party down only one bridge available at the top.

    It doesn't take much investigating past that point. The downsides of splitting off from the discussion and plunging headfirst, as they usually are when counterbalancing sequence breaking, are aggroing everything at once. He's halfway down before what appears to be literally a swarm of flying, human skulls barrels out of him from several points in the architecture. Judging by their erratic path, they're self-guided rather than thrown, and judging by the ghostly trails and high pitched screaming they let off, they aren't normal. A cluster of them track him down immediately, detonating on or near him in blasts of typeless, spiritual energy with a rather considerable yield. More begin pouring out at the upper and lower levels, weaving back and forth to hunt down any other intruders.

Mel Brock (941) has posed:
    "Well, that's... that's one way to do it," Mel observes dryly. Staren has made ever so many friends. "This is why I didn't just break us off a platform and float all the way down," she adds, taking a few steps forward and lifting her right arm.

    They're too far away and moving too quickly for her to accomplish anything with Hravn for now. But they're well within range of something much more simple and utilitarian. Specifically, they are in range of being 'smashed'. At the speed they're moving, the psychic's not sure she can hit them all, but at the very least she can hit SOME of them... which she does by forming a wall of telekinetic force and swinging it right through the swarm, like a colossal psionic flyswatter.

Genya Arikado (919) has posed:
    The moment he hears the screeching Alucard is moving. Rather than pulling his sword, he raises his free hand. It starts to glow, and he makes a quick series of gestures. The air above him warps, as if a hole had opened in reality, and several white wisps with contrails pop out. There's about five of them, and they head for the nearest batch of screaming 'splodey skulls.

    He frowns. "Traps are always a secondary danger," he comments. At least they're not Medusa Heads. He's left all his anti-stone potions and tiny fairy hammers at home. As well as his Familiars.

Karal Rei Lin (984) has posed:
"Don't--" Lin begins to hiss out, but... too late, there goes Staren. She scowls a bit, a hand dropping to her blade. For now she sticks with Tomoe, staying on guard.. and light on her feet.

    The swordswoman does NOT like the looks of those bridges. In fact she hesitates before stepping ONTO them, no matter how sturdy they might appear. This entire REGION looks structurally unsound after all!

    OH HEY. FLYING SKULLS!

    "Aaaaah! Necromancy!!" All but panicking, Lin focuses her will... and shapes it into a blade most suitable for fighting such monsters. Ordinary steel will NOT do! Not for this.

    In mere moments her ferocious understanding of swords manifests in her grasp, a blazing curved blade that glows like a torch!

    She backs AWAY from the bridge (probably a smart away) and raises a guard. The moment the first wave of those things approaches... "SEEEITYAAAH!!!"

    A single step forward and swing... the blade's swung with enough force that one doesn't need to be struck directly. The wake's fierce enough to kick up a short-lived, low-quality 'razor wind' that even gouges into the ground for a few yards before dissipating.

    She's still working on that one, but it will hopefully be enough to batter back at least the first wave and give her a chance to break away!

Young Arthur (1048) has posed:
As the monsters awaken, Arthur raises his shield forward and takes point at the bridge but not on it. While he does have his sword in hand, and attacks any that come close enough for him to do so, his primary goal here is to abuse his position to force the enemies to go through him to get at any of the squisher members of the group. This is much harder than the boy's size may suggest.

Staren has posed:
    <"Hmmm. I see a couple of ways you could get up there..."> Staren radios to the others... and then SKULLS. <"Uh-oh. I found something! What are these?!"> He brings a forcefield up after the first one explodes, but that forcefield is left looking like a cracked, chipped and worn glass sphere after they hammer it with repeated explosions. Three of the emitters on his chestplate have shorted out, and the field has lost over half its thickness.

    The combination of ALO-style flight and high-tech weapons makes him fight like a cross between a plane and a mecha... not unlike his own machine in miniature. He immediately takes evasive flying maneuvers, trying to make his way back to the party, but first trying to get enough space between him and the clusters of skulls to start trying to burn them up in groups with plasma minimissiles from his shoulder racks. He has six if he needs them, and it's better to use them not dying now than hoping they'll be needed against some threat later!

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe sees where Alucard is coming from and replies "You make a good point."

There isn't too much time to think about things lkike that? They need to find the ember and Karal's puts it pretty well. "IT really does look like that, though if it was an actual star...actually? Never mind let's focus on the task at hand."

She Does attempt to avoid anything that might set off some of the locals hazards. The smells are noted by Tomoe and she looks about pondering which way they can go.

She moves ahead along the bridge and keeps her self alert.

"Well I have to say things have improved, in general.

She sighs as Staren runs off ahead of them and she keeps with Karal not wanting to split up.

Then comes the skulls and she'll follow up Karal drawing her blade Dawnbreaker and moves in ot enage the enemy and tries to keep them all on her as much as possible.

"Looks like we got company! COME ON BONEHEADS! YOU THINK YOU CAN GET AHEAD WITH ME!?"

Priscilla has posed:
    All things said, human skulls aren't all that sturdy after age has eaten at them. Granted, they probably wouldn't survive Mel dropping a telekinetic hammer of her strength on them anyways, but one of the patrolling squads erupts like a chain of firecrackers as the invisible force smashes them to pieces. Five wisps is also sufficient for five of Lordran's grim version of wisps, intercepting a number like missiles. Equally like missiles are Staren's own. They oddly have a difficult time acquiring aspect lock, since for all intents and purposes, the skulls seem to come up as just . . . skulls, magic or not. Even firing them like rockets however, one explosion is sufficient to wipe out the cluster on his tail.

    Several of the roving patrols converge on Karal and Alucard at the top of the pass, skipping the topography completely to hurtle straight at them, screaming bloody murder the entire way at ear-ringing intensity. One wave blows up immediately as Karal swings at them, but in dangerously close proximity; enough to batter at her regardless, but Tomoe manages to interpose herself in time to take the peripheral cluster explosions to her shield. The rest seem undeterred.

    With a large number of the sentry wisps being shot down creating a rather considerable light show, signs of motion appear from the darkened doorways. At first glance, it'd be easy to mistake them for Hollows, though the curse had long since been lifted almost a full year ago. The sallow complexions, withered flesh, sunken eyes and wasted physiques of the shuffling men in tatty old cloaks must be entirely natural. Rather than conventional lanterns, they come bearing tiny skulls of their own, issuing sickly yellow light rather than that of natural fire, but they are otherwise unremarkable specimens, and hardly powerful looking mages, save for one outlier fully swathed head to toe in high quality black cloth, affixed with a silver mask somewhere that implies his face is in the middle of his chest. This one disappears as quickly as anyone can catch sight of him.

    Sooner rather than later, reinforcements are being hurled into the fray, as the colony of necromancers struggles to defend their setup, now deprived of Hollow soldiers after the Union's previous work. Typical fantasy-style skeletons come charging up the bridge, directly to meet Arthur in his solo stand. Despite the cliche, they are surprisingly capable fighters, wielding falchions and curved swords atypical of the era, and piling on him with an impressive degree of speed and efficiency; enough to go toe to toe with a regular, mortal soldier. Additionally, a handful of them begin scrambling to animate more loose bones into deadly, roving projectiles, replacing those lost to Elite attacks, albeit in a very rough and slipshod manner. It seems like they've been metaphorically caught with their pants down after the whole Undead business concluded.

Heaven's Armory (1014) has posed:
    Hravn transmits her impressions to Mel. A hundred nuisances, but no single, effective threat. Inevitable conflict, likely pointless. These people weren't the target, so couldn't they have been bypassed? Couldn't they have cooperated? Resignation. Business to attend to.
    Plenty of air to work with. Hravn is quiet on the 'how.'

Young Arthur (1048) has posed:
Arthur is more than a regular mortal soldier, though he remains mortal. It's only the narrowness of the bridge and the single direction from which they come that allows him to stand his ground. Every attack parried or blocked forces him to steady his footing, until he takes a hit to his arm that cuts through the chain that protects him, drawing blood.

He responds with greater ferocity, he will not allow them to pass this bridge, and one advantage of fighting enemies like he is, is the potential to knock them off. His big sturdy shield is briefly used for something other than defense, a rapid smack intended to destabilize the closest skeletal enemy, knock him back into the others, and hopefully cause some of them to fall off.

Genya Arikado (919) has posed:
    Seeing the other types of undead coming out of doorways, Alucard then draws his sword. He doesn't see the second patrol of screaming skulls until they're close, thanks to the noise all around him. He raises his shield to try to mitigate the damage, but an explosion is an explosion. It knocks him down, but thankfully it doesn't damage the shield. Somehow.

    He is getting back on his feet though. His tactic? Confuse and attack. He can teleport. Which he does. Several times around the area, near where there are undead. Teleport in, attack, teleport away. Yes, it's cheap. But he's way too old to not use an advantage when he has it.

Staren has posed:
    Okay, after that initial scare, they seem to be handling it. Staren can't relax though, because necromancers and skeletons are showing up. "Hey! What are you /doing/ here?" he shouts. "This place was supposed to be uninhabited, maybe we don't have to fight, you know?" He flies around the skeletons, firing a few beam cannon blasts at an angle that won't hit the bridge or Arthur, when he sees more bones incoming. "Alright, you had your warning!" He turns his fire on the necromancers, letting the others handle the skeletons then.

Mel Brock (941) has posed:
    "I think I've got an idea or two myself," Mel decides.

    Then she takes off her jacket.

    She's gotten very good at pulling the garment off without dislodging Hravn's sheath, which is good, because once she's tossed the coat onto the ground, the Marshal reaches for her sword next, with the hammer floating in the air beside her. Taking the long weapon in a two-handed grip, the space cop sweeps it around herself, pushing her will into the blade to create a whirling, high-speed 'bubble' of wind around herself. With that protection to ward off projectiles, she steps onto the jacket - which stiffens itself into a platform, and lifts her up into the air - floating across the gap straight towards the groups of necromancers on the other side.

    "Alright, people, this is your only warning. Stand down and cease your attacks, or I'm gonna have to get rough."

    If they /don't/ stand down, then as soon as she lands, she's going to start making... well, less-lethal strikes. Slashes that will disable and cause pain, but not kill. Hopefully.

Heaven's Armory (1014) has posed:
    Hravn's magic gets to work. The spherical protection is mostly invisible, thin layers of mostly-porous atmosphere. 'Mostly porous' does mean that it's infinitely more solid than any atmosphere should normally be, with its strength directly in proportion to Hravn's own, rather than any properties of a natural, N2 + O2 mix. Worse, for any incoming projectiles, is the chaotic, constant wind swirling between the solid layers.

Karal Rei Lin (984) has posed:
Lin splutters as bone fragments and mystic energies tear into her, peppering her with cuts and burns and bruises. She goes skidding back across the ground.. SOMEHOW keeping balance... and is only spared from more thanks to Tomoe taking point!

    The Exalt hisses!

    Her weapons aren't a good match here. She does have one more trick up her sleeve though. Seeing how EASILY these things go off...

    She reaches up her sleeve and draws forth handfuls of kunai. Flicks of the wrist later she sends several flying at different streams of the heads, sticking behind Tomoe for cover!

    Since they EXPLODE, she reckons she only needs to hit one to set off several at once in a chain reaction! ... Hopefully.

    Her attention's focused mostly on the bloody skulls, but hearing SKELETONS rattling about and other footsteps gets her glancing around and spotting... enough to worry her.

    "Restless dead and you who make them that way! Only gonna give one warning! Cut it out or I'm sending you all down this pit!"

Priscilla has posed:
    This would normally be the point where Arthur gets to see the really nasty thing about these skeletons, dramatically while locked in mortal, blade to blade combat. Doing the smart thing of just throwing them straight off the bridge circumvents that rather neatly though. Whatever magic is holding the bones together doesn't stop them from violently scattering when they hit the bottom.

    Staren is instead treated to the gimmick, where the skeletons he blasts to pieces quickly reassemble themselves and charge right back into battle, several of them firing at him with rather large composite bows and uncommonly good aim. Genya, on the other hand, is moving too quickly for any of them to strike back by the time he teleports. Mel is likewise free to ride down on her jacket carpet, with arrows and wayward skulls deflecting off of her, and forcing the latter to search for other targets, largely intensifying the effort to dislodge Arthur, chasing after the nimble, flying catboy, and converging in greater numbers on Karal and Tomoe. The former is correct in presuming the daisy chain effect, errant kunai blowing up a number of incoming.

    Of course they don't actually listen to the cop though. This isn't space America. This is the medieval 'hood. None of these weird, mute, shut-in dabblers have ever heard of the idea of non-lethal law enforcement, and it's a good question what they're actually doing here, since raising endless skeletons for no reason can't be all that fun. When she KOs the first one though, a succession of skeletons crumble right away, adn the wisps prematurely detonate. The same follows as Staren very non-lethally fires on another, obliterating the squishy, feeble human frame, and taking out the cluster on the bridge menacing Arthur, allowing him to move forward. Genya having the chance to teleport to them as well, cutting them down confirms the same.

    Just as the animate remains crumble as the necromancers crumple, somehow, it seems sort of weird. With how slow, disoriented, unresponsive and totally mute these guys are, they don't come off as a coven of reclusive sorcerers and instead more of 'another step in the chain'. It feels uneasily like hitting puppets controlling puppets.

    Nevertheless, they are dealt with quickly, leaving ankle deep bones to clatter through, but an ostensibly clear cavern. As the noise dies down, two things become apparent. One is the sound of metal striking metal deeper down, only just barely audible now after the group has advanced somewhat. The second, is that the female voice hasn't stopped singing this entire time. The echo suggests that, somehow, her voice is being heard from much, much deeper than just the pit floor here.

Mel Brock (941) has posed:
    Sweep and strike, parry and slash. Mel has been training well under Reiji. It's enough to get her by with the necromancers, at least. And while she may not have the skill to aim for nonvital spots easily (though she /is/ taking those swings when she can get them), the psychic has the next best thing - Hravn. A sword whose power over wind she can call up, blunting the edge of the sword to a degree, allowing her strikes to at least pose /less/ serious risk of death for her enemies. And that is how she pushes her way through the fight.

    At the end of it, she's left scowling faintly. "...poor saps. Bet they didn't even have a choice being here." She looks around to the rest of the group, calling out, "Anyone hurt real bad?" Assuming no one needs evac, she'll return Hravn to her sheath, throw the longcoat over one shoulder, and then reach out to take the hammer again. "I get the sense that sound of smithing is where we need to be headed next."

Tomoe has posed:
The patrols are going after Karal and on Alucard but Tomoe has other ideas about that. She's going to try to intercept them and she doe sintercept the explosions but there's a price to pay for it? That was one hell of a hit her avatarf warps for a moment showing red wireframes and Tomoe is stagged from all of that force.

"Damn it! You want more?!"

She'll now start trying to use several sword skills whih are focused on drawing as much attention as she rapidly moves striking out with Dawn Breaker but she's now at risk of more explosions she's maybe taking risks she shouldn't but she's still trying to shake the mentality she's disposable.

Lin is showing she knows how to fight pretty well and is doing a good job backing her up.

"Don't let up on these things!"

Is all Tomoe has to say to her friend as they contiune to deal with the undead and she mutters. She thought most of the undead were no longer a problem but it seems they have found some of the last of them who are oh so happy to try and eat their brains today.

Tomoe sees the skulls are cooking eachother off like a flight of missiles taking eachother out.

"Recall the merchant doesn't like ... noise I hope he didn't hear that...also the singing hasn't stopped."

She grunts for a moment lkooks to Mel and Hrav, Lin, Staren, Alucard. She has no idea what's causing the undead here and it's troubling her none the less.

Staren has posed:
    Staren rolls his eyes when the couple of skeletons he shoots reassemble. Oh well. The others can handle it. Arrows strike his forcefield from above -- as long as it isn't a large squad of archers with repeated fire he doesn't really need to worry about it, at least compared to dodging the exploding bones while shooting the necromancers nonlethally*.

    With the immediate enemies dealt with, Staren guides the others down the path he's found to the bottom.

*Not nonlethally at all, really. The effect of beam cannons on mortal flesh is colloquially described as 'misting'.

Genya Arikado (919) has posed:
    Alucard is keeping his sword unsheathed now that he knows there's enemies around. Though if it looks like things are more-or-less dealt with for now, he'll rejoin the group. this may or may not involve another teleport. His hearing is pretty sharp, so he'll definitely hear the sound of metal striking metal. "...A smith." The remark is pretty much rhetorical and to himself, though. Andre did say something about a friend of his being here, didn't he?

    He shakes his head to Mel's words. "I was not injured badly." Of course he'd probably say that if he was bleeding out, but this time at least, it's true. He nods to Mel's mention of the metal-on-metal sound. "That is likely." He does also hear the singing voice yes. But what does it mean? They'll only know once they get down there.

    He is, however, staying with the group as they descend into the lower levels, hopefully closer to the sounds. And hopefully NOT closer to something big and nasty.

Heaven's Armory (1014) has posed:
    Knowing that Mel wants the force blunted is all that's necessary for Hravn to manage it. While it's usually useful to have a diamond edge on the wind she throws around, using a soft cushion is considerably easier. Relatively speaking, a wooden cudgel is pretty soft.
    That taken care of, she listens to the singing, trying to map down through the cavern via the echos, all just vibration on the air.

Karal Rei Lin (984) has posed:
Lin's starting to get ANGRY here. Like Mel, she's not of a mind to tolerate these kinds of shenanigans. Unlike Mel, the Exalt has fewer compulsions against using lethal force...

    Particularly when it involves Necromancers.

    The Glorious Solar Saber Lin's grasping pulses and flares even brighter as she gathers her spirit and focus. Lips peel back to reveal a fierce, scowling grimace.

    Lin takes a flying leap over towards the bridge, no longer concerned about holding back or giving these monsters any quarter.

    "Anyone else care to harass us? Who's next!?"

    Yeah there's an effort to not make TOO much noise, but she can't be competing with explosions really, now can she?

    When things seem fairly clear, Lin breaks ito a gale-like sprint. Her body's held low and arms are held at either side with blade at the ready.

    She's up for joining the front lines and giving any more troublemakers what for!

Priscilla has posed:
    Going down further, there is something to be said for the effect of the staggering crack in the mountainside that lets through that thin but bright curtain of colourless sunlight. Rather than the feeling of descending hopelessly deep into a pitch black maze, wondering how far one has been and how far one has yet to go, fearing being lost, the descent is instead very clearly marked, and measured by the slow dimming of the light. Being taken as a normal dungeon crawl, the faint, cold tension of the world dimming and the crack of sun growing further and further away would accept the increasing danger very well.

    It can be considered a good thing the group here isn't entirely reliant on swords, shields, and their own two feet, in every sense save the artistic; that way where the sequence break feels satisfying, but also like a missed experience. Odd. It's just a set of catacombs. Non-specifically named ones too.

    Mapping the sound of the voice is a considerably trickier affair than taking the cleared roads. By all rights, it should be totally inaudible, given the distance Hravn should feel she'd want to peg it at, rather than being as relatively clear and strong as it is. It's /entirely/ likely it hasn't stopped because the girl singing can't hear /them/, even with all the missiles and explosions going off. It feels as if it's passed through some mind-bogglingly huge, cavernous space, then bounced, fractured and reformed a hundred times to get here, and in fact, shouldn't be as audible as the air physically suggests it should. Little creepy, even if it sounds entirely innocent.

    Going further down, the group is just in time to catch up with Karal and the bizarre sounds of rattling and creaking wood, swiftly accelerating towards the distance with much clattering of rubble and splashing of water. It is at this point, that the insistence on following the other sound of activity, pays off with . . . something alright.

    Though most of the surroundings this far down are natural stone, a few of them expose brick to the elements, where the filler between former rooms has been worn away by the water and air. One in particular sounds to be the loudest source of clanging, only for it to go silent, and then erupt outwards in a spray of shattered masonry a moment next, as someone punches through it with a pickaxe, and an extremely grouchy yell of "Cut it out! And be gone with you! You're spoiling my focus!"

    The plaintiff appears to be a blacksmith alright, judging by an almost uncannily identical hammer to Andre's. He also appears to be a skeleton. Literally a skeleton. Even as a skeleton however, he is still built like a human tree, with a ribcage and shoulder broader wider than they have any right to be, and arm and leg bones thick enough that it looks like they're trying to give the impression of muscle. He actually has a beard too, though in the sense that a lot of pressed and hammered steel links have been made into a bunch of threads and attached to his jaw, to kind of look like silver hair, even if it jingles.

Tomoe has posed:
Karal is just living up to the reputation of Solar Exalted today, by being plain out ridiculous with how she's behaving. Tomoe could normally fly but generally she could not in this world and she'd long accepted this is how it is when she serves here. Tomoe would sprint after Karal as she listens to her try to call out who ever or what ever is behind this.

"It may just be left over undead, there might not be anything with a mind truly behind it I'm afraid."

She's pressing on ahead now and keeping track of everyone's location as they head down she however seems more uneasy the deeper they go like the deeper down she expects there to be more and more trouble, the deeper they all go.

"I'm fine Mel, and your right. We should follow the sounds of the smithy hopefully there's nothing waiting there for us."

They travel for a bit and Tomoe can't shake the feeling that she's gone deep into some horrible pitch black maze and might never get out. For all her time spent here? This world is still able to get to her. The singing doens't help either as she's finally caught up with KAral.

"Seriously don't run off like that Karal..."

She halts now and pauses to see as someone punches right through the wall they have found the one they seek and pissed them the hell off.

"Hold, I think this is the person we came to find. Andre sent us...sir. Please forgive our rude intrusion we were attacked on our way into the depths."

Staren has posed:
    Staren doesn't constantly fly -- it can get tiring after long periods, and requires a bit of constant concentration. So he lands somewhere, waits for the group to go down a ways, then flies over to them.

    And there is a skeleton-blacksmith. Staren's not sure what to say. 'You're a skeleton.' seems pathetically obvious. "...Sorry. We're just passing through, but... yes, Andre sent us."

Mel Brock (941) has posed:
    "Here's something to focus on," Mel replies blandly.

    She holds out the hammer with both hands; it floats up into the air, and then crosses the distance, until it hovers right before the skeletal blacksmith. "Said you'd recognize this. We're here looking for an 'ember', and then we'll be out of your..." She falters here, realizing what she's saying. And then she decides to say it anyway. "...hair."

Genya Arikado (919) has posed:
    Alucard remains quiet on the descent, only making noise if he has to fight something on the way down. He's bringing up the rear, to make sure that nothing is going to attack them on their way down. Though he's instantly on alert when the wall explodes! He turns to the source of the noise, sword raised. But when he realizes that it's who they were looking for, he relaxes again.

    He sheathes his sword and aims his shield down and away. "Apologies," he offers, with a respectful bow. He doesn't add anything else, as Mel has the hammer and others have said who they were sent down here by. He merely stands by to defend the group if necessary. It's notable that, even though his sword has been sheathed, he's still tensed for spring.

Karal Rei Lin (984) has posed:
Lin slows down when the hammering noises stop and it becomes apparent that nothing's going to come out of the shadows and challenge them further.

    Here comes Tomoe bhind her though. She grins a bit sheepishly. "Run faster!" The Exalt suggests, though with a hint of apology in her tone. Now that she's calming down... well, that's an improvement.

    A few moments ago, she was broadcasting enough 'get the hell OUT OF OUR WAY' rage that it looked like she might plow through a wall or something if it annoyed her enough...

    But, well. The skeleton does that instead. the BIG skeleton. She brandishes her weapon guardingly, but... it speaks. It's different. And it has a chain-beard.

    Lin's left gaping a bit, some part of her refusing to compute what she sees very clearly.

    "Mel, the uh. The trinket."

    And Lin promptly quiets down... yeah, seems Mel had the same idea she did.

    "Uhhh. Pardon me, uh. Setting up shop in a place like this... whatever for?"

Priscilla has posed:
    Despite having no eyes, eyebrows, lips, or facial muscles in general, the skeleton manages to look like he is violently scowling, adding to the fact he is bigger than everyone present, and has an appropriately sized pickaxe in terms of a highly disgruntled appearance. He trudges out of his hole in the wall with the begrudging, flat-footed gait suggesting that he should be toting a shotgun and a pitchfork.

    That attitude mellows out somewhat once he spies the hammer, and hears that name dropped. "Andre?" he echoes back in his strange, skeleton voice. The question of how he's doing it becomes pertinent when one sees the lack of mouth movement, to go with the lack of lungs. "What. Must have been a hundred . . . two hundred years? I'm surprised the bare-chested old bastard's still alive. Thought the Hollows probably would've got him by now. What's he want?"

    Somehow, he makes a snorting sound at Mel. "That's it? He want's that cruddy piece of junk? It's not a proper Ember it is. I don't deal with that kind. What's gone wrong with the Embers of today, eh?" He begins trundling off all the same, slumping his shoulder blades and slackening his pickaxe arm in resignation. "Bah. If the old bastard thinks this is a favour then he's gone Hollow himself. He's doing /me/ a favour by taking this load of rubbish off my hands."

    All the same, the skeleton man comes tromping out of his hole with an appropriate sized, and appropriately cube-shaped, box of pristine, gilded white gold, carved over every inched with elaborate designs, and here and there, the old script of the gods Priscilla had taught to some in fraction for the sake of writing their own summoning signs. The interior blazes with a brilliant flame so pale it is almost white, as if too pure to shed mundane orange and red illumination. He slaps a lid on it immediately.

    "I set up here so I could bloody well pay attention to my work! You'd think the dead at least could get some peace and quiet! At least the bloody pinwheel stays clear, but now there's been those clerics stomping through and splattering all over the ground when that local rat drops them off a bridge, then the bloody pilgrims and some nonsense about bells, and now that awful singing!" His bellyaching immediately drops off to a cold, soft, murmur. "Gives me the willies it does. Spooks me right out." His beard jingles as his animate bones rattle together with an oddly convincing shiver.

    "You want it, be gone with it! I can't get any work done like this!"

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe was not expecting such a pun out of Mel and she tries to not just state at her for it. They need to not end up in a fight with this skeletal smith, he is undead but he seems to have kept his mind so Tomoe isn't on edge for what he is. No she's on edge in the event that everything ends up going south with them. She's mostly concerned with Karal given her response to the undead and tries to make a hold it gesture to her but it seems to not be needed as Karal does seem to have calmed down also her comment about run faster just gets Karal a hell of a look over go faster.

"Karal? I'm not like you, I can't remake Physics on a whim."

It's a playful joke but also serious too serious as well. She listens to what the undead smith has to say and she's paying very rapt attention.

"Woah I think that's it,a nd I understand I am sorry that we have disturbed you. We will put it to good use and ...sir? Thank you, best of luck in your work."

She'll take the box if no one else does and intends to make sure it gets back to where it needs to be.

"We should depart."

Genya Arikado (919) has posed:
    "Not a 'proper' Ember?" Alucard asks. "How is it not?" Mind, he doesn't really know what an Ember is in the first place, but he's sure that, if the skeletal blacksmith will give any information in that direction, he's likely to get both questions answered. Besides that, this fellow seems like he likes to gripe about things. And that's offering him a massive can of worms that he can open!

    Er, figuratively speaking.

Staren has posed:
    Staren shrugs at the skeletonsmith's take on things. "Well, we cleared some necromancers out for you, I guess... And hey, if you don't want the Ember, and he wants the Ember, everyone wins, right?" It is so bright and shiny! The ooh-ahh factor is dimmed only by the fact that he's been adventuring in the Multiverse for so long that he's lost count of how many impressive magical artifacts there are. This has got to be at /least/ the third Glowy Magical Cube he's seen.

    "Maybe we could investigate that singing for you, though? I mean we're here, and we're curious about it, right? Or does everyone want to just leave?"

Karal Rei Lin (984) has posed:
"Your work for...?" Lin's a bit confused, but she mumbles that... so the giant skeleton may not hear it. Mumbled, because her eyes were on the Ember. THIS is somehow a blacksmith's tool? She's not sure how. But a being like her can feel some kind of spiritual power from that thing. Something of great significance. If she could but study the thing!

    She'll have to ask Andre about it later. This guy's irritable.

    "The singing's bothering me too. It's either some awful ghost or... someone of very profound skill... maybe both of these things. But who are they singing to, and what about?"

Mel Brock (941) has posed:
    Tomoe's got the ember. That's good. And Alucard's got the question Mel herself would be asking. She's got little else to add for the moment, so after retrieving the hammer again, she falls into step with the group. "Trust me, I can appreciate a good bit of peace and quiet. And look, you might not consider it a favor, but it is for us, and it is for Andre. So you ever need help with something, don't be afraid to get in touch." He might be a skeleton, but he's not an /asshole/. Might as well offer that olive branch at least.

Priscilla has posed:
    "Sir is damned well right! Vamos, of- well I guess it doesn't exist anymore, right? It's been an age." The skeleton apparently named Vamos looks a little confused for a moment. He looks up at the sliver of sun as if it were a new feature, not exactly looking like he'd been tracking its rising and setting.

    "What do you mean how is it not?! An Ember is supposed to be about Flame! /Blacksmithing/ is supposed to be about Flame! It's the very most primal art of man putting the Flame to use! Grasping just a wee little bit of that power to change himself, arm himself, and bring something new into the world; then inevitably when he ceases to fear it, be burned by it. What does this look like to you? All wrapped up in gold and runes and blessed by the gods. An Ember made just for hunting their enemies, for the good little servants who suckle off of their teat! That's not smithing, it's a fancy badge! A real weapon isn't something that just smites people off of a narrow little list and gets given to you to do the legwork. A /real/ weapon is something that's made to kill; anyone and anything that gets on the wrong end of it! It's the test of a man to hold and use and /respect/ that little piece of fire. If a weapon doesn't kill the man who ceases to fear it, what good is it?"

    It's the most verbose Vamos seems to want to get. It's clear already that his art is his passion, and likely nothing else. If he let himself turn to bones to keep smithing, or else came back from the dead to do it, and moved down to this place to keep at it uninterrupted, it's no wonder that'd be his best topic of conversation. "I'll be happy to get rid of it. Shiny piece of junk stinking up my workshop. Looks like it should be set out on a lily-white cloth, not a blacksmith's bench." He does freeze up at the mention of investigating. Why does a little girl's voice scare a /skeleton/? "I wouldn't recommend it. At least, I'd ask you not to do it before I've had a chance to get well out of the way. You know the very first death wouldn't like you messing with his little ones?"

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe has the ember and knows it's time to get it the heck out of here Mel speaks wisely it is time to go. Alcuard also speaks something she lernedin SAO, one quest at a time. With the Ember in hand and she's now making ready to move onward she does listen to the undead smith as she move to depart she is pretty curious about what Vamos said but it is time to get going. It is an interesting thought on weapons but it is time to go, the song? They can come back later to look into the song for now the Ember must be delivered.

"Thank you again Vamos."

Genya Arikado (919) has posed:
    Alucard pauses, to listen to Vamos's speech. There is a light of something in his eyes at the speech. He's more an artificer himself, but he can smith. And he can certainly appreciate that point of view. He did, after all, exist way before the advent of safeties for guns. So he very much appreciates someone who believes that weapons should be respected at all times, not just throttled and 'turned off' when they're not needed.

    "Each weapon deserves respect. Some of the smith goes with each one he forges," Alucard adds. "I can see how that piece of the smith being whittled down, bound into a cage, and allowed to only grow in one direction, would be upsetting." Looks like Vamos isn't the only one being unusually loquacious.

    Still, he nods. "But we are happy to take the Ember off your hands," he replies with a nod. The mention of the voice and 'the first death' gets a raised eyebrow. 'The first death' means something completely different to Alucard. Or at least, completely different as he assumes it means here. But he isn't going to ask Vamos about it now. The smith seems like he wants to be left to do his work alone, so there's not a whole lot of reason for them to keep poking him.

Staren has posed:
    "Wait, death's little ones? What?"

    Staren considers the man's philosophy on weapons. "I don't think I can agree that a weapon that can discriminate targets is /always/ bad. But it certainly carries an element of risk. If the weapon decides who it can hurt, and you don't know how, then you run the risk of an enemy fooling it -- either into not hurting them, or perhaps into hurting your friends, if you're careless. I never really thought about it in terms of weapons, but whenever someone seeks some wish-granting artifact I always find myself wondering, can you really trust wishes if you don't understand how they're granted?"

Karal Rei Lin (984) has posed:
A title like 'First of the Dead' has Lin shivering. She can't quite place WHY, but it resonates hard and spooily in her gut. "Aaaalright. Leaving her alone then..."

    And this, of course, leaves her more than able to focus entirely on Vamos' great speech. THAT sets a grin blazing on her face. "Hah! Well said, Vamos! My dad would've loved to hear that one. KNow I did! Gonna keep it in mind for future works..."