Scene #7944: CONTACT: Autocthonia (Secundus)

Owner	Pose
Staren	The Land of Wonder ...Is described on the object, and the base of operations (such as it is) is described in [LOOKTOWER]). Preparations are made for the expedition. Participants are offered torcs or belts with attached miniature air tanks which can deploy some kind of smart material environment suit, and an armored breastplate for basic protection. This includes Syril -- the three-foot-tall-and-change... blue-green-furred... creature of some kind? There is a sort of pointy snout or muzzle like a mammal that burrows and sifts its nose through things, and large, expressive eyes; Like a cartoon animal it wears shoes and gloves and a scarf. It has a catlike tail and its head has something like limply-hanging furred tentacles or tendrils that evoke the appearance of 'hair' -- who insists on also carrying a staff suited to his stature and takes a copy of Staren's pistol, and the 'KNIGHT of STORMS', a teenage boy who deploys the envirosuit immediately -- "I have a chance to stay DRY outside for once, I'm taking it." -- and is given what Staren calls an 'ion rifle' and wears a sword at his side anyway. Staren gives the team a rundown: "Explorers from the other side were killed by..." Staren sighs. Syril shouts, "The crazy fox lady!" Staren continues, "What appears to be a custodian." She holds up a bag. "But we have their soul gems, so hopefully if we run into natives, returning them will get us some goodwill... if they believe it isn't our fault, anyway. I've also fixed their bodies, but rather than bring them with us now we can arrange to return them if the natives are amenable, I guess." By now Staren's had time to get some vehicles brought in, a hovercar and some hovercycles if someone knows how to pilot them. Or everyone can just ride in the car. The journey to the gate is quiet. It's getting late according to clocks, but not yet night; Still, there are occasional monsters prowling the wilderness, with no rhyme or reason -- zombies, giant wolves, a man with a chainsaw and hockey mask, killer clowns, a human-size golem made entirely of blades, elementals, enemies that are straight up out of a videogame or something... Whatever might plague the nightmares of someone, somewhere. Staren speeds up to avoid slow-running ones, or fires weapons at ones that harass the car. Eventually they pass partway into a dark forest and come to a clearing surrounding a circular metal gate, 20 feet or so across, set horizontally flush with the ground. There are dried blood and oil stains on the ground around it, and tracks from the previous visit. "Scans of the other side indicate lots of mechanical signatures. Should be a nice break from meat world, right?" Staren smiles at Cantio. Once people jump through, though, it's complete darkness. The smell of burning oil permeates the air. Lights reveal the interior of some great machine or industrial facility, artificial walls of concrete or metal, great pipes running along them, stretching down a tunnel into the distance. There are some scorch marks nearby and parts of the walls are melted, and a paper note with 'They attacked me first!' written on it in sloppy handwriting has been left by a pile of broken machine parts which are even now being cleaned up by little machines. Little mechanical things scurry about, scraping or cleaning here and there with claws, tools, and brushes, or just stopping and looking at valves or fastenings, devoted to unclear purpose.
Ozhira	Once the gate is traversed, something in Staren's satchel starts leaking. A thick red sludge that spills out of the top and slides down the outside, pooling on the metal ground beside her at an alarming rate. It soon reveals itself to not be a simple liquid when a shape lurches up out of the pool, resolving into a humanoid figure that rapidly takes on colors; black, then red while leaving the black clothing; then white while leaving the red; then skintone for what's left. It is, naturally, Ozhira, who in a regenerated human-like guise, leans forward a bit, drawing the last of their crimson biomass out of Staren's bag using a fingertip. They glance towards the catgirl in an almost-apologetic-but-thankful way, then they turn their attention to the surroundings with their mouth slightly agape in a clear show of wonderment. "It is. Metal. Like Dorado." her eyes snap down, though her posture doesn't change, following the quick movements of tiny robots. "...The rats are. Different."
Cantio	Cantio finds that arriving at Staren's base of operations is simple enough after following her directions, and it's none to soon while still feeling rather sore about her encounter with Kale earlier in the day. She's already prepared for an expedition in her usual wear sans blood stains from bringing a spare set of identical clothes, although she still smells kind of off even after washing up as best she can. Opting for the belt, Cantio holds off on deploying it until the last moment, apparently trying to take in as much fresh air as she can. "A crazy... Fox lady." She repeats after the three foot creature, rubbing her chin lightly before remembering that her head still kind of hurts and flinching afterwards. "Would they think it really was us? It's not as if we know who they are, right?" Cantio doesn't know who they are, at least. As she's about to continue, she backs up quickly when Staren's back seems to be leaking sludge, and she's already getting meat flashbacks by the time Ozhira starts putting herself back into something more humanoid. Cantio looks from Staren to Ozhira to the robots, then back to Ozhira again before managing a slow wave. "Oh! O-Ozhira, right? Your voice is familiar. I.. Er. Wasn't expecting you to come out like that." Needless to say, Cantio's already feeling rather intimidated by her arrival. "Er... Y-yeah, I did need the break, anyway." She finally answers Staren with a somewhat anxious chuckle, bringing out one of her drones to light the way forward. She keeps it out even when there's lights ahead, taking note of the note left behind and watching those robots again to see if they lead anywhere she can follow. She's totally going to follow them.
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone Yamakawa has heard word there was something, it had taken her a bit to find her way on Afterus to the facility. Once there it had been a quick hop skip and a jump for her to get to Staren's base world. Kotone would happily take a hovercycle to ride escort with the group. She exits the gate and has taken a bit to get an idea of whom she's working with. The crew seemed to be good from what she could. "A meat world? Like all of it being Meat?" She'll let loose one of her cheap little scout drones to go on ahead. It's not lost on her that the drone might count as a snack for the local wildlife. "Got an eye in the sky scouting ahead for us." She has no idea about Ozhira and maybe that's for the best.
Sleek Shimmer	"Saying now. No relation to other fox." States a critter who seems to have perhaps gone unnoticed until now. A red fox - the source of the voice, somehow - steps through the gate behind the others, and paws uncertainly at how everything - EVERYTHING - seems to be metal here. She cautiously approaches what looks like a large beetle-esque robot drone roaming around on just a single wheel and sniffs at it while keeping some distance. "Staren... weird habit of finding strange places. Every week..." She then comments, "This place is full of power. All in the walls. Tightly contained. Very... smooth. Sharp? Something strange about it, don't have the words..."
Staren	Knight has a flashlight on him, and once there's light, dares to retract his suit's helmet so things will be less stuffy. He stays near the middle of the group, not exactly eager to run into any sort of fight. He strikes up conversation with Cantio though: "So, um... you're the one who's... setting up in Meatworld, the way '''my daughter'''" (he makes the air quotes with the hand not holding the flashlight) "is setting up in Wonder? And you have to fight some bird guy?" The first machine spirit Cantio tries to follow, like a roomba on tiny legs, scurries along the pipe for some distance and then disappears into a tunnel just big enough for it. Staren slips on some magical night-vision goggles, then jumps at the containment breach of her bag, but seems to quickly realize what's going on, "Calm down, she's one of us, I think... Hey Ozhira!" She greets with a smile while the two Secundian denizens look on with :concern:. Ozhira's attempt to be a deep-sea dangler-fish gets some attention from little scuttling bots that are drawn to her hair-lure, staring at it, eventually prodding it, trying to determine if it is a piece of malfunctioning Here. "Yeah, a meat world." Staren answers Kotone. She makes a face. "It's disgusting but... it could be a great source of food?" ("I could go for some fresh-grilled burgers." comments Knight. "...Is any of it cow meat? Ooh, or fish?") Shimmer's assertion that she's unrelated to 'other fox' gets a laugh from Staren, followed by a dry, almost-deadpan, "Let's try not to bring up the subject of anyone being related to her if it comes up." Then she brightens up, "And you'll find plenty of strange places in the Multiverse if you just look!" Most of the 'wildlife' here seems to be programmed to not care about intruders that aren't interfering in... whatever is going on, although sometimes there is something behaving erratically that attacks the other automatons as well as intruders. Nothing REALLY deadly is encountered yet, though... Eventually they come to a branch in the tunnel -- there are plenty of TINY side-tunnels Ozhira and maybe Finna can get in, but this one appears human-size. Unfortunately it is also flooded in what turns out to be completely opaque dirty water. The path ahead through the main tunnel, meanwhile, opens up into a wider space, a chamber dozens of feet across with walls made of twisting, interlocking gears -- don't fall in! -- and the path ahead being a railing-less catwalk that occasionally has bits of scaffolding at perfect tripping height crossing it, or valves disgorging steam, or electric arcs zapping from a nearby damaged conduit. There is the sound of distant voices and footsteps in the distance, to the more sensitive ears in the group.
Ozhira	The dark doesn't bother Ozhira. They, in fact, might be more at-home in a dimly lit, cramped environment like this than anyone else present. The dark-haired girl glances over their shoulder at Kotone for a long moment, before their gaze wanders to Cantio. Only then do they turn fully and present a little bow, "We are called Ozhira, yes. It is good to meet you in person." Their attention keeps getting nagged at by the little scuttling robots, though. In this poor light, the girl representing Ozhira seems to just drop low and slink forward. To those with night vision style things-- the girl has gone on all fours and is, in fact, moving in a way that joints should not be moving. They skirt the deepest parts of the shadows, orienting like a crab to keep their eyes on the little disassembly machines. A spring of hair flips out of the girl's head, like a simple ahoge except it keeps getting longer. As it nears the little robots scavenging for parts, the end curls on itself and starts glowing a warm orange-yellow color. This bobs about, back and forth in an effort to attract machine attention while the Devourer's shape remains concealed in darkness with only the faint crimson glow within her eyes and the possible glint of light off of too-many too-sharp teeth in a too-broad smile. Well, at least they're trying to gather samples of the local fauna. As proven when, as the glowing lure is prodded, the hair-tendril snaps open into a set of jaws and clamps down on the offending bot with a noisy crunch. The Ozhira further back in the shadows makes a 'Bleh' sort of sound, though, and the hairmouth spews out broken robot pieces with a similar, slightly different 'geh!' of its own. That is, apparently, enough of that. Rising to their feet, the Devourer's proportions return to normal as they trot after the group, "We believe a meat world would taste better. But this place. Feels good for hunting. Reminds us of our birth." At the fork in the tunnel, however, they pause, and then sink into the water without much hesitation. As perhaps the best-suited person to such a venture, Ozhira slips out of sight beneath the murk, where their shape alters into something more aquatic and distinctly less Human to proceed.
Cantio	"That's another region, thankfully. It's..." Cantio trails off after clarifying that for Kotone, squinting at her briefly. "Have we met before? Your voice is familiar, but..." She's still got her guard up somewhat, but she's relaxing for the time being despite the surrounding area. Sleek Shimmer, meanwhile, isn't familiar at all, but addressing Staren's habits do seem to put Cantio slightly more at ease in comparison. "It's very... Mechanical here. Rigid. Unnaturally comforting?" She suggests, and it almost sounds like she believes it. "Cantio. It's good to finally meet you, too." Cantio introduces herself to Ozhira, seeming far more relieved once she's able to confirm that Ozhira is in fact the person she's heard on the radio and not an impostor of sorts. "If you need anything involving music or testing done, let me know. I'll help where I can~" Even Ozhira's method of moving doesn't seem to bother Cantio too much, likely due to their allegiance more than anything else. Should anyone being paying attention to her purple-haired woman, they'll even notice that Cantio's actually taking notes on how their joints move. Knight's question is answered first with a quick nod as Cantio notices the machine spirit going somewhere she can't follow. She watches it a moment longer, then straightens back up. "That's right. It wasn't my first pick of places to go, but it has been... An experience?" She's still straining to try and make it sound good. "Most of the meat seems to have the texture of beef, but there's definitely fish, too. And... Whatever type of jerky the trees are supposed to be." At the branch, Cantio squints at the gross water and immediately turns to the path to the main tunnel instead. Taking note of the platforming challenge before her, she stretches a bit to limber up, then... Calls out a couple of clones: A ninja, an office worker, and a track runner. She sends them out ahead of herself, letting them handle that issue and waiting for any one of them to make it to the end before swapping places to circumvent actually having to take the risk herself.
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone Yamakawa will be starting to cycle into night vision and if that doesn't work she'll try UV or thermal. Either way she doesn't seem to be botherd by the dark. "That's about normal for here. At least this machine world's alive... Wait it was? I think I'll pass on that myself." She will now check with her drone sending it ahead of the group and she'll pause for a moment. "I'm getting, voices on the feed I think..." She'll push on ahead now being careful not to fall. She'll also test the walkway to make sure it can take her weight. If nothing goes on she's going to try to cloak and get an idea of just what they might be running into.
Staren	Ozhira: Cleanerbots sweep up the pieces Ozhira spit out; Fortunately she's stealthy enough to not attract aggro as something that has done violence to the environment... The water is home to eel-like robots that watch Ozhira curiously through echolocation, and jellyfishbots that are holding themselves in place with their tentacles and deployingsealed welder-cups to fix the broken pipe that has flooded this area. Unfortunately it is ALSO home to a corrupt, malfunctioning bot the size of a horse with a serpentine lower body and sharp blade arms and a buzzsaw maw it uses to snatch up and eat the jellyfish-welders and any eels it can eat alone. It can swim agilely through the water despite the confined space, but so can Ozhira -- THAT fight is going to go about as you'd expect. Once that's out of the way, Ozhira can find an air pocket where a small pile of glittering and dark metals and chunks of jade have been gathered, appearing to have been ripped out of other machines.
Sleek Shimmer	Shimmer, following her namesake, does easily fit through a great many service tunnels used by the drones in this place, and she does just that, darting in and out of them while following the group, sniffing around for anything that might be useful. Or maybe edible. So far though, the place doesn't seem very edible. This talk of a meat world is making her a bit hungry. Quite out of nowhere when the group reaches the branching paths, she drops down from an access panel just above the path and dangles by her hind legs somehow, bringing her swinging into view in front of the group. Directly in front of Kotone, in fact. "Smelly, steamy, ugly place. Why bother with it? Why go forward and not back?" She's feeling a BIIIIIT adventurous and so does decide to take the platforming challenge, nimbly leaping and scrambling about. Her body seems strangely light and glidy during some of those jumps... like she's lighter, and floatier than she ought to be at times. Leaping around with precision doesn't seem to be any kind of challenge for her though she does nearly get her fur singed by an errant bolt from the conduit. "Yah!!" ... That causes her to dart ahead in mild panic.. for a few seocnds, anyways.
Ozhira	Machines Do Not Taste Good. A lesson that Ozhira occasionally forgets in their excitement. But with the little scavengers clearly in memory, they are merely distracted by but not drawn to hunt the eel-machines or the jellyfish-machines. When the corrupted machine attacks one, the Devourer flattens and spreads out against one of the flooded walls, slithering across the surface to get closer without being noticed; taking on the texture and color of the pipes, warping around ruptures and leaks that the jellyfish-machines are repairing. The Beast watches the machine hunter as it flits about. When it passes by Ozhira; the Devourer strikes. A single spine of chiten-covered bone lances out, spearing the serpenting creature through its center of mass. The bone shifts in shape, expanding upward and downward to split the machine in half. The spike recedes then, and the malfunctioning machine is left to the scavengers. Finding an air pocket, Ozhira extends a small tentacle from the water. With no immediate danger, this tendril touches the floor and they pour the rest of their biomass out, forming their humanoid shape once again to investigate the shiny objects.
Staren	"Comforting?" Staren wonders to Cantio. "I feel more like I'm... hmm. A mouse, no, a curious cat investigating a giant machine built by humans for a purpose I don't understand." Beat. "What the hell is IN these pipes, anyway? Where are they going?" She kneels by a pipe with her tools, very carefully setting up a seal and manipulating tools through it to begin cutting a pipe. Syril watches curiously. Knight answers Shimmer, "To see what's there? I dunno about you, but I've been cooped up in the Tower for..." he furrows his brow, "...a long time." As they look ahead at the wider chamber full of Platforming Hazards though, he comments, "Maaaaybe we could find someplace else to explore, though..." Cantio, and a cloaked Kotone at the other end of the chamber, see people rounding the tunnel. One is a well-toned cyborg (His armor bares parts of his torso so his implants aren't covered) with golden-looking machine parts, and a handful of humanoids in completely body-concealing safety gear consisting of armored leather coats and sealed hoods with goggles, with protective plating on the chest and carrying melee weapons and crossbow-looking things. The cyborg steps forward to address Cantio, "Who are you? State your name and why you are here! I am Shining Lantern of the nation of Nurad! Unauthorized presense in the reaches is theft of air and anything else you've taken from our Great Maker!" The other figures gather behind Shining Lantern, muttering things like 'who is THAT' and 'why is she dressed that way?' and 'In the Reaches? Alone? Is she ill?'
Staren	Ozhiraquest: There's what looks like gold, silver, and wirey bits of iron(?), and colorful rocks with the same sort of finish as one might find in something like jade or aquamarine, in red, blue, and other colors (psst I forgot what the normal colors are). There is also some kind of black metal with an eerie quality to it. When the light hits it right one might almost think they see faces in it... It's tiny bits, taken from machines that must use tiny bits of these materials for some key purpose. You'd less than half-fill a backpack with them, but hey, loot!
Kotone Yamakawa	There are people here that's hopefully good news. She'll be scanning the group over she however hangs back as Cantio does the initial contact. She talks over the radio for a moment. A plan is forged and Kotone will head back around the corner quietly as she can. She'll then decloak out of sight and come in calling out. "Hey... you find..." She beams for half a second then pauses. "Err hello there we're explorers who have found our way here. We came to map and explore this world." It would be fairly easy if locals are paying attenion nto noice Kotone weighs more than she should and she's moving almost with machine percision as well. "I am Kotone Yamakawa of Earth."
Ozhira	Seeing no other particular thing to do with the baubles, Ozhira places their hand over the entire pile and expands her fingers into a cage around them. A membrane forms as well, translucent, encapsulating the objects in a neat squishy red container. A new hand forms and they pick this item up, receding back into the waters and retracing their steps back to the prior intersection-- then going the other way. The chasm of gears is actually more difficult for Ozhira to cross quickly. Oh, not in the sense that it's hard to get through. They simply slide up the wall and across the ceiling, sticking to things and anchoring as they move. What causes them to delay is simply staring in awe at the gears. Machines have always fascinated the Devourer, especially complex mechanical things. Electronics, slightly less so. They drop down to floor level on the other side somewhere out of sight, then wander into view in a fully restored human disguise, carring their discoveries in what looks like an ordinary wicker basket now. With other people present, Ozhira opts for silence, but slips into place behind and to one side of Staren as the person they are most familiar with.
Cantio	"A lot of machines can be pretty hard to understand." Cantio admits with a chuckle, eyeing those pipes for a few moments. "I hear some of the best inventions still don't make sense to their own creators. Or designs, even, like my drones!" Yes, she likes her drones despite their weird faces. When she's approached by the cyborg, Cantio jumps a bit before holding an empty hand up in greeting. "I'm Cantio, Drive Core Candidate of Cadenza. I'm here to..." Theft? Great Maker? She might be able to work with that. "... Formally welcome the Great Maker and the people of Nurad to the Multiverse." Time to make an impact. Cantio steps back and closes her eyes, letting a pixelated light surround her for extra flashiness. The light becomes a pillar around her, and it eventually disappears to reveal that Cantio's still there, but now dresesd in a plasticky white leotard with purple accents and techy-looking wings! If the onlookers were confused by her appearance before, then this could very well end up being even more confusing. "It doesn't have to be today if your Maker isn't prepared. I just wanted to extend an invitation to them so they know they're not alone here." She explains with a soft smile, wisely keeping her sword stowed away for the time being.
Sleek Shimmer	Oho, so there are people in here after all. Shimmer focuses and her body melds and morphs, shooting upwards to human height and rapidly taking human-like appearance and clothing. Seems she'd rather make an impression that way with strangers in strange lands.
Staren	"Your... drones don't make sense to you?" Staren gives the Cantio that Cantio swapped with a quizzical look. Ozhira finds that up there are rafters and narrow catwalks that are completely free of stage hazards. Huh! The populat back away at Cantio's transformation, while the cyborg looks surprised. "... ... Multiverse? Earth?" The populat murmur things like 'What kind of name is that?' and 'Through the void?! Impossible!' A second figure, inches taller than the populat though not quite as large in build as Lantern, gently pushes through the crowd and removes his hood, a middle-aged man with greying hair and a large nose... but patches of dark metal on his neck and the back of his head, and who knows what else under his clothes. "You are from the strange portal that has appeared at the end of this tunnel. We are in contact with another world, then?" His words sound... planned. Deliberately thought, not allowing any surprise to show. "What is the world beyond like? What sort of invitation might you be extending, exactly? Have you encountered our scout team? Ah, where are my manners." He steps forward, ahead of Candle, and bows. "I am Necessary Cure, also of Nurad. The Great Maker is all around you, and currently slumbering." Back on the other side of the big chamber, Staren cuts into a pipe that leaks magical energy right through the seals she put in place, supercharging any spellcasters. "Aah! Oh. Woah, what?! The pipe is a leyline?!" Candle starts to shout, but Medicine holds an arm across him, motioning him to stop. "Tell whoever that is to seal up that conduit again or let the custodians fix it. If you are from another realm, you did not know, but you understand that we cannot have damage done to the Great Maker, yes?"
Ozhira	'The Great Maker is all around you' the old man says. Ozhira blinks, looking up towards the ceiling with their mouth agape slightly in awe, "Maker... Is a machine. And a world? We have never seen such a thing." But on the subject of damaging 'him', they glance down at the baubles and wires accumulated in their arms. The basket is held out to Necessary Cure as the Devourer steps forward to offer them, "We. Found these. In the flooded tunnel. Someone hunts your machines." Somewhat guiltily, the Beast offers, "We also hunted. We were curious the first time. The second time, we saw our prey as a threat. These-- were not our kills, though." After a moment, the 'girl' blinks somewhat, "...Ah. We are Ozhira. These are our friends." Staren striking a leyline prompts Ozhira to turn, glancing over their shoulder at her in curiosity. There sure are a lot of noisy, flashy things that vie for their attention, between Shimmer and Cantio both transforming.
Staren	As diplomacy gets underway, someone does something to machinery in the walls, and the electricity and steam in the larger chamber shut off. There are still gears below, no railings, and pipes and scaffolding at perfect trip-height though. Watch your step.
Cantio	"Functionally, I do, but the way they look is just so... Cute, you know?" Office Cantio answers Staren, visibly beaming as she brings out a smaller version of one of her drones with its vacant stare and boxy head. She thinks it's cute, at least. Actual Cantio, meanwhile, maintains her transformed state as Necessary Cure introduces himself, greeting him with a light dip before setting her feet back on solid ground. "That's right. I know it might be a bit of a shock, but it's true." She explains with that same smile from before, tapping her chin at his next question. "The worlds outside of here... There's too many to count. Familiar worlds with great technology, explainable magic, sand and water as far as the eye can see, a sky covered in stars..." She speaks with an almost dreamy-sounding quality, putting on a bit of airs to make her recounting sound just that more whimsical. "There's just as many dangers out there, though, and the Concord would like to make your introduction to the Multiverse a pleasant one." She gestures towards Ozhira and Staren, then turns back to Necessary Cure. "Please, rest assured. Damaging the Great Maker is the last thing we'd want to do. I don't remember seeing anyone else on the way in, though. Just the Great Maker's... Creations?"
Kotone Yamakawa	So far so good things have not turned to violence, that's the good news right? She relaxes a bit. She is looking about at the man. "Good to meet you, wait so the entire world is the great makers? I think I can grasph the concept. Which would mean every machine would be like the organs of a human body?" She looks to the water. "So the maker's blood? You were speaking of air being stolen. Is the Great Maker ill or injured?" She then looks to Staren for a moment. She frowns. "I fear we found what was left of the team. I'm sorry....we do have some items to return."
Staren	Something hunts the machines? There are murmurs of 'blight' and eyes and faceless goggles stare at the basket of magical materials. The mention of what's out there gets some gasps as people realize the importance of EXTERNAL RESOURCES. Staren briefly pulls a few innocuous-looking items from her pack. A crystal orb, a car battery, an obviously magical staff, and so on -- a lot of magical storage devices have been recovered from Wonder's dream fragments, and she may as well charge them up! Then she seals up the breach and puts everything away before standing and approaching the diplomacy going on. The two from Wonder look across the room -- lights carried by people have lit up those who are talking -- and at eachother, unsure whether to get involved. Syril doesn't speak, but DOES cross the catwalk just to show that he can, looking pleased with himself. Staren looks at the natives and takes another deep breath, before extending a hand. "Staren Wiremu, of the Concord." Hands are shaken -- as are the other party members', if offered. "I am sure our contact and the potential for trade will be beneficial, but I come baring grave news. Your scout team met their end at the hand of... how do I explain this..." "Crazy fox lady." mutters Syril. "She's not with us." Staren continues. "Power has driven her insane. ...Actually, last I saw, she fled this way, so..." Cure is clearly trying not to let this get to his composure. "We need to see the--" Staren holds out a small sack, of some quality, soft fabric. "We recovered the soulgems. I repaired their bodies, but I don't know how to... Can you put the souls back in?" "That is... I see. Thank you." Cure takes the sack, gingerly, looks inside it gravely, nods, and then closes it up and holds it carefully to his chest. "I... don't know. Despite my name, medicine is not my specialty." It is worked out that the bodies, too, will be returned to Nurad. Ozhira's treasure is also accepted as a sign of good will -- the locals seem in general pretty excited, with both hope and concern, about all this, and the prospect of contact with another world. A good start to diplomatic relations!