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Bloody Revelations     After all this, it has finally come time to return to Whitewall.

    The winter is starting to creep back into this part of the far north, and that means in a few weeks, it will be blisteringly cold and knee deep, if not waist deep, in snow. That which already covers the ground, however, seems to have no power to encroach upon the so-called 'Traveler's Road'; an impossibly lengthy trail of perfectly cut white stones barely worn with age at all, immaculately level, completely clear of even frost, and actually relatively warm.

    The gigantic walls of the same material that lie ahead are less fortunate. The once-holy city is in rough shape, but after a couple of months, certainly better shape than it was, at least. The utterly massive, stark white walls that ring the entire city that draws its namesake from them, as large as a small metropolitan hub in the modern world, appear to heavily damaged in one sector, where it looks as if they were split apart by a million cuts of a huge sword. Great amounts of construction work are still ongoing to patch it, having restored the interior lattice and enough brickwork to fill it by half, but it seems oddly slow going, likely due to the sheer amount of magic that needs to be done to fully restore the innate holy protection of the walls against the dead and the fair folk, instead of leaving a weak and exploitable patch behind.

    Entering through the gates, there is similarly plentiful evidence of the colossal battle that had taken place in the Foretown, and partway into Midtown, but the buildings within are easier to fix, despite losing some of their spartan beauty in the process. The people are in good enough spirits; and why not? The unholy shadow that had lingered over their city from its corrupted central temple had finally been dispelled not long ago, and just in time to recover before the winter spirits go marauding. As usual, the population is extremely varied for Creation, predominantly being humans of obviously northern ethnicity, but frequently including foreigners, demihumans, elementals, God Blooded, and other, more exotic people, and thus Multiversals barely draw any attention.

    They're not so much left to wander. Centurion Raneka was, a while ago, the representative of the original job, and thus the obvious liaison to finally wrap up the quest with, but there is no forced business to it. As before, passing through the walls creates a sensation of intense, tingling warmth, so powerful are their magics, the giant cathedral-temple-manse rises high at the city center, people wander streets lit and cleared by very basic magitech, and a port on the opposite side of town and down a sheer cliff apparently stays busy even in winter.
Kyoko Takada     Alpha-39 has never been to this place and had only recently gotten the bare gist of how it related to the one job she had done in this area of the multiverse. If it weren't for one thing in particular, she'd have no pressing enough reason to come out here. But there is that one thing, and as stones to overturn go, the benefit to risk seems high enough.
    That being the case, the sniper has arrived in light gear, more ready to move than for a dug-in battle, with her ever-present mask against her shoulder. She's carrying a hiking-style pack, with the wrapped-up info-device from Denandsor inside. Someone around here has to be the right one to talk to to get something out of it.
    In the meantime, she'll just pretend, as far as the centurion is concerned, that she's totally with these other people. Best of mates.
Rebecca Chambers Alpha-39 will find she's not the only stranger here. Rebecca is also a stranger to these parts, but unlike others, she's always eager to help out when the need for assistance arises. Leave it to Rebecca, she'll help you in any way she can, that's her motto.

Rebecca's arrived in light gear as well, her weapons holstered and her hip pack full of ammunition and a few healing items as well. Other than that, she's clad in her usual field medic uniform, which one would obviously recognize based on the large red cross on her back as well as the word 'RESCUE.'

Rebecca may be out of place, but she's presenting a good poker face for the time being, as she shows no signs of being uneasy whatsoever, instead standing attentively as much as she can and giving a look of readiness.
All-Seeing Eye Having joined in the effort to save Whitewall later than most, All-Seeing Eye never had the chance to see it as it was before its temple was corrupted. As his hoverbike flies over the smooth, polished stone of the Traveler's Road, his expression gradually becomes one of slight disdain. This is noteworthy in Creation? What a dump this place is. At least the residents are safe from further depredations.

     He's a little later than the other Elites arriving, mostly because he spent an inordinate amount of time agonizing over what to wear for the frigid north. And of course, when his own wardrobe was found lacking, he simply had to visit the market to see what he could find! He wears a thick, roughspun grey longcoat that hugs his svelte frame snugly, paired with a vibrant, gold scarf. Fashionable and warm!

     When he does finally arrive, he pulls the bike off of the city's main thoroughfare, space-folding technology quickly pushing the artifact back into his body until all that remains are a pair of handlebars sliding into his palm.

     Slipping on a pair of sleek, black leather gloves, the Alchemical is all smiles. He's never met this Centurion, but, owing to his late arrival, he can fairly well guess who it is. And... he'll take it upon himself to make an introduction. There's useful information to be gathered here. "Hel-lo," says the Exalt cheerfully to Raneka. "Centurion Raneka, I presume?" Eye flashes a coy smile in the Centurion's direction, flipping his long raven hair over his shoulder. He /also/ flashes his Paladin identification, which names him as 'All-Seeing Eye' and has a very flattering glamour shot for photo identification.

     "I wonder if I might bend your ear a bit about the local politics?" He pauses, making a show of faux-chastising himself. "Ah! How droll--of course, it can wait until the official business is over~"
Miari It's a lucky thing that there are people available to invite the entire party of Whitewall's defenders inside - or else, Miari might not be able to enter the city at all. Of course, the locals remain completely oblivious to the true nature she displayed halfway across Creation. The seems-to-be-a Solar sorceress is dressed to impress, now sporting an Orichalcum Dragon Tear Tiara with a pearly Hearthstone set in its center - a milky jewel filled with swirling cloudy patterns.

    It's one of the few times where a Creature of Darkness has ever entered the city.

    "It's good to see that the calamity won't permanently impair On--... Whitewall. Surprising that Righteous Guide's work can be so easily repaired... perhaps the walls were designed with this contingency in mind." That anything short of another Zenith Caste could HOPE to repair the walls back up to original spec is very impressive, in her mind!

    It makes her wonder if perhaps they have one working for them, covertly.
Tomoe So here they were toi see the Whitewall job through to the end she's still not happy with herself but Bloodyreason was far more reasonable about the soultion to it than she though evne wuth what she did. At least Bloody had kept her word so far, as it seems the city is back in order now as she arrives. She's clad in her armour and doens't seem too bothered by the cold. Allseeing Eye might note the pointy eared woman doesn't seem to change her gear too much as arrives along side Miari.

"It wouldn't shock me, there are old holy sites on my world still standing without any care for Mellnia when your building something that's not just functional but a trubute to what you worship? You tend to not cut corners on the job."
Starbound Flotilla     Who could possibly be making so many repairs so quickly? Miari's question is revealed with careful examination. It may not be quite the original spec, but it is quite high power. The Starbound Flotilla are here if you look closely for them at work, and well equipped, but hardly for battle. They are doing what they've been doing for many of the weeks following the Whitewall battle, which is assisting in its reconstruction. Partially because Seft has demanded they engage in a little bit of altruism. Partially because Pavo can use it to assert some control and to gain some significant profits. Mostly because that is what they do, this band of builders. They build. It is their role.

    Moonfin is the one who visits the liaison once again, wherever she may be, hopefully somewhere easy to find. "Centurion Raneka of Whitewall's 14th Guardians. Once more I greet you as Moonfin of the Hylotl, and a captain of the Starbound Flotilla. May your city find balance and prosperity. I am sure we have much to discuss, and I am sure that your own Syndics have some rather strong opinions on the final conclusions of all this." He bows deeply. "Each setback a necessity and each loss a trade. For a peril as great as that which faced Whitewall, what have your Syndics come to think of the losses?"

    The others are still hard at work, but the rest of the Flotilla will likely join in the conversation as it goes on.
Gawain Gawain arrives, but his first action as he does is not to stick with the group and head to meet the Centurion. He goes the long way around, to the temple gates of the Solar Manse, where he kneels, prays, and speaks softly. "I thank you once again for your aid, and your service to your town. It is good that you are still alive, even if you may be weak! Please be well in the future, goddess of Whitewall." After a few moments, Gawain departs to rejoin the group, bowing to the Centurion as he does so. "Hello there, Centurion Raneka! Sir Gawain, Knight of the Sun, Paladin Warden. It is good to see that Whitewall is safe and sound, even if repairs are required! How are the people?"
Bloody Revelations     For those who have not met the Centurion before, it might be a small surprise. Rather than a casual affair like the tea shop of before, they're lead to meet uptown, in an official office building, stark and austere on the outside, but lavishly furnished indoors, and very warm, likely due to the basic but robust magitech heating. All of the little lights, heat, and similar things to municipal electrical appliances, seem to run without batteries of their own. Miari already knows this is because of the sprawling lines of geomantic energy focused under the city by its very design, as badly defaced as the city itself is.

    That isn't the surprise though. The surprise is the fact that the Centurion is a human-sized (albeit short) frog woman, bright blue in colour, but wearing appropriately quasi-Roman armour, down to the bronzed segmentata and winter wool. Despite a lot of subvocal croaking, she is intelligible, and pleasant, enough.

    "I see a few new faces. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, should I? What you did was no mean feat, and I assume it was even more difficult to do . . . whatever it is you did, to dispel the evil power lingering here. I'd like to hear about it, when time and circumstances permit." she croaks, completely and professionally glossing over Miari's suspicions about the speed of wall repair, or even the fact that it's possible at all.

    "Whitewall's Manse surely lost a great deal of its energy, but after thorough examination, the highest authority in the gods within the city have been assured that it should return to full strength by the end of the month. Just in time too. I'd hate to have to start cutting civil services now of all times. Normally, I'd say there's no doubt that the dead and winter faerie would be at the walls immediately, with their damage, but they've been uncharacteristically quiet ever since the attack. I can't shake the feeling that they're somehow afraid of going near it, as illogical as that is."

    Raneka greets Moonfin with the same degree of fellow amphibian pleasantness as before, especially so after the Flotilla's efforts to help out where they can over the past few weeks. "Rest assured, the Syndics' opinions of you are highly positive. Even for three gods of their stature, accomplishing what you've done would have been nearly impossible. The matter of reward is, I am sad to say, currently hitting something of a delay, with how much wealth is necessary to bring the city back to full functioning capacity, but rest easy that you all and those you label as accomplices will receive the full amount, plus extra. Call it 'overtime pay'." She actually winks. It's kind of weird with froggy eyeballs.

    Kneeling outside the temple, nothing particularly special happens to Gawain. It's warm and sunny as ever, but inaccessible as it was for centuries until the one day it had let him in, though perhaps the feeling of the light of the sun returning to it might be heartening. When he goes to speak to Raneka, however, she happens to say: "Oh, that reminds me. There are special deliveries for two of you. A Knight Gawain and a Pavo. Anonymous, though I don't think the /same/ anonymous." She reaches under the desk to bring out a small, highly polished mahogany case with gold latches, and hands it to Gawain, then a case the size of a large shoebox made of thin iron and hands it off to the Flotilla reps. The former is oddly warm, the latter is very cold.

    "I assume anyone here is someone looking for compensation for their efforts. We can work out a monthly payment scheme if it's just wealth you want, but other plans can be accommodated. Exchange. Facility access. Term of study. Trade rights. Audience with the Syndics. Residency, even, if you want it."
All-Seeing Eye One of the things Raneka mentions is indeed something he'd want to work. "How direct!" Eye brushes a couple fingers over his cheek, resting his gloved hand beneath his chin. He'd have appreciated a little more back-and-forth with the Centurion... but she's clearly got a lot on her plate. "I can appreciate that, from time to time," he admits with a giggle.

     The Exalt clears his throat, a petite little sound made more for disarming effect than necessity. "In my case, at least, you assume correctly, dear Centurion. I serve a new polity within Creation, interested in peaceful coexistence and trade." This new face comes representing other new faces! "If this exciting offer interests Whitewall, my nation will gladly send a delegation to discuss the matter at length."
Kyoko Takada     Magic walls that keep all the terrible monsters out are a nice, fantasy-like idea that A-39 wishes someone on her world had the resources to get made. Those get another few looks from her, enough to notice the involvement of some familiar figures. All the more so as Moonfin shows up, and the child soldier gives him a nod. Then there's Gawain showing up late as well, Miari... a mix of those she's at least seen once and the less certain. And one person she shot the last she saw, which is why she's not looking long at Tomoe.
    After listening long enough to get a feel for how everyone stands here, A-39 speaks up, first giving the centurion her own bit of introduction. "I'm Alpha-three-nine, and I joined for the cursed city operation." She's not about to admit that she still has basically no idea what capabilities this place has. Study? Facilities? "If you can transfer funds off-world, I can work out a place for you to send them to. I'm not that hard to contact if you don't mind delays, so I'm going to put that aside for a minute. I pulled something out of the city, and I don't have the right kind of reader for it. Maybe you can help me with that." Those who were there with her at the time should remember her mentioning that piece of loot. If they remember.
Miari "I would be content with access to the city's libraries and other repositories of knowledge. Material wealth can come and go, and applied knowledge is the hand that governs that." Miari states proudly at the offer of a reward, a beaming smile.

    She's not the least bit bothered by Raneka's interesting heritage, or the fact that she's making no response whatsoever about the walls.

    Miari can hazard many guesses about Whitewall's political stance about its true past, after all. And its complicated national security present.

    "I can hazard a few guesses about why the Creatures of Darkness hesitate to press. Gawain's display may have them cowed." And worrying that the Eyes and Godspear of the Unconquered Sun might be upon whoever next assaults the city...

    She does nod to Tomoe! "The utmost care and dedication went into this city's walls. ... You have NO idea just how much."
Rebecca Chambers "Payment is not a problem," Rebecca says after processing all the information she's heard and seen just now. "I'm here to provide assistance. I am paid through a separate party." After that she then adds, "The libraries would be a good place, indeed. I'll go there too if necessary."
Gawain Gawain did not kneel for a response, but simply to show respect to the goddess. When he arrives to Raneka, she is a blue frog woman. That is neat! He doesn't seem to even react to it whatsoever, though he does look down to make eye contact. As she hands the box over, Gawain takes it. "Ah, thank you, but I have no need of payment. Please put my share into whoever in the city would need it most, such as the poor or homeless." Gawain's words clearly make an image of a 'knight' to those who are non-elite, some sort of passive mental effect. "I would be appreciative of being able to visit and assist however you may need, though!" Pay me in more work and volunteering, please.

After a few moments, Gawain steps back, and moves to open his box. He wasn't told to save it for private, but he still wants a bit of space to do it and see what he was gifted.
Starbound Flotilla     Moonfin has never had a problem with frog people, considering his extensive dealing with Frogg merchants. "As we shall always work to earn." He says, in that smug tone, when she mentions the high opinion, bringing his hands together pleasantly in a single clap of sorts. "As for wealth, such is no object. I speak for the Flotilla and we have many alternatives and plans. But--"

    "Did someone say wealth?!" Pavo runs into the office.
    "...Weren't you working on the /wall/ of--"
    "Yes. Now who said something about getting paid? We've always got the alternative." She says, eagerly. "Delays are fine, lass, but if ye want the debts paid up faster, there's a better way! /Contracts/!" Pavo says, beaming. "'Tis the one thing a group like ours has troubles gettin'. Too many around the multiverse keep a hard grip on the contracts they've earned! Let us get a crack at some of those contracts that are exclusive, lass, and the prices will always go down from us."

    Yes, indeed, Pavo's focus here is DoD-style contract poaching. There is, quite literally, no evil she will not stoop to in her greed. She also swiftly snatches up the iron box eagerly, looking inside. Moonfin resumes his conversing. "...Indeed. Simply facilitate some greater access to the local markets, and we shall call that quite a substantial fraction of our pay. As for interim matters, facility access and trade of knowledge are certainly of great interest to us, I would like to negotiate matters in all three areas."
Tomoe Tomoe is with the group and is just being quite at the Centurion speaks she's not saying much yet she's just got a lot of things on her mind she is glad though they seem to have done some good. Until the comment about services. "I here you there that's a game everyone loses out on. It's good it's not had to be done."

She notes for a moment and she tilts her head a bit at the mention of the fairfolk. She's not sure what to think about it. She looks,

"Understandable, right? Got to get thing rolling again before winter hits."

Tomoe has no idea what's up with A-39 though she's wondering now if she's offened her somehow? She looks to Eye as he mentions trade.

"Trade you say I may have to talk to you later I know a small settlment thatmight have needs of certain goods."

She notes to the Exalt and then she turns back to Miari.

"I suspect it would boggle my mind but it's a heck of a place though. Given how long it's been standing before it was reclaimed, right?"
Bloody Revelations     "A new polity?" Raneka repeats after the Alchemical. "Well . . . frankly, Whitewall needs to take all the allies it can get. Northern states are usually either distant, minimally helpful, suspicious, or outright hostile to one another. I don't have the authority for that kind of thing, but I can pass it up. I'm just . . . I admit sort of curious about where your 'nation' came from?" All-Seeing Eye looks waaaay too well off to be from some random new community that just grew big enough to appear on a map.

    "That shouldn't be too difficult. I think." the frog then says to A-39. "I'm no merchant or banker, but there's enough currency that can't be put to use in purchasing winter supplies and repair materials with trade limited by the coming snow. I can have monthly installments written up. Probably. If you've some sort of book or artifact, I'm absolutely confident there are at least two dozen people that can make sense of it." Raneka puffs out her throat sort of like someone would puff their chest out in pride. Or patriotism. Either or both.

    So far, the requests keep rolling, and they're pretty easy. The Centurion gets out her pen and dips it in ink, but then lets go of it, where it begins writing by itself as she takes down notes verbally, continuing to Miari and Rebecca. "Of course. Signing you up as a temporary resident or an exchange scholar would make that trivial. Obviously, you don't actually have to move in. Probably best not to. I certainly /hope/ that's the reason, and even more so that we'll have a very uneventful winter." She doesn't put a plug in Miari talking up Whitewall's history, back when it was known by a different name.

    "I can't promise much of anything in the way of staple domestic goods at the moment though." Raneka replies to Tomoe. "Whitewall needs to focus on supporting our own citizens, at least until spring. That curse or whatever played real hell with the last harvest of the season, so food stocks are leaner than we'd like them to be, and a lot of time, money, and manpower is going back into making Foretown livable again. If you're looking to sponsor a patron village, it'll have to wait, though I can write the bonds in paper."
Bloody Revelations     Gawain does the Gawain thing. Unlike everything else that seems to attribute itself to him, this thing is entirely and unique his own. Read: the Gawain thing to do, not the Solar thing to do. Even Raneka looks a little surprised. "I . . . well, of course. No officer would ever turn down a volunteer like that." she says, a little confused, but confidently handing him his delivery anyways. When he steps back, he unlatches it to find a felt interior with no note of any kind, containing only a small, but rather heavy piece of wrought gold and whole diamond that clearly couldn't have been hand made due to its shape. Even to his senses, it feels like a condensed piece of magic. A token of the immense holy energy that bubbles to the surface beneath the skyward temple-manse of Ondar Shambal. Nobody knows where something this priceless came from? Doesn't that seem a little odd?

    Pavo's demands are significantly less altruistic. Even here, it seems Creation is well aware of some of the true horrors of bureaucracy. "That would . . . be a matter for higher civil authorities than me. I have authorization to access emergency funds and the war chest, some of which was originally set aside for you. Long-term employment will have to go through the proper offices." Despite the odd, frog-frown, she has no objections approving what Moonfin asks of. Notably, she doesn't lump the Flotilla together as one entity just because they work together. Six people helped, they get six people's payment. That's real life.

    Pavo's gift is even less beneficent than her terms. When she removes the lid from the container, a wash of icy cold fog billows out, settling to the ground as refridgerated vapour usually does over a few seconds. The inside is magically chilled, as a preservative apparently. Occupying the box is nothing less than a severed head, instantly recognizable to the Avian as belonging to Samea, the Solar Sorceress. Judging by the death expression, she clearly hadn't died peacefully or by surprise. It comes with a note, written in elegant vermilion scrawl:

    "I heard that you were starting a collection, so I thought I'd help you along by way of thanks. -V"
All-Seeing Eye Gawain's here! And what a show of charity he makes. Eye spots this, pressing the back of a gloved hand to his forehead with a sigh of adulation. "Such a noble soul, our dear Gawain! My heart sings at his selflessness." Though the entire room is visible to him regardless of where his golden eyes lay, he feels it only polite to turn them back to Raneka after his fawning. The hand upon his brow is lowered into a solemn salute, fist closed over his heart (or its Alchemical equivalent).

     "My dear Centurion!" He lowers his fist. "I shall gladly offer my unconditional assistance as well, so moved am I by our daring, darling, charming Warden." To complete this grandiose pledge, he offers a bow at the waist, a coy smirk painted on his delicate features as he does so. Yeah, his motives are entirely altruistic.

     Upon rising, he then deigns to answer her question, hoping that his emphatic show of support may have caught her off guard. "Ours is an old one," he says as his smirk becomes a less mischievous smile. "Possessed of a long, storied history, but regrettably quite insular. Our government feels it's time that changed!" An excellent non-answer, given with the friendliest, warmest smile.

     Ever so gently, Eye takes Raneka's hand and places a small scrap of paper in it. "A means of contacting me," he explains. "If and when your leaders should decide to meet mine, it would be my delight to hear your sonorous voice again."
Kyoko Takada     All the chivalry and dramatic gesturing gets a couple of silent looks of "really?" from A-39, with Pavo's reaction being the easier to understand, even if she knows nothing of that sort of contrcat work. It's not so much the act of doing something for free as it is the curiously high-brow mannerisms that quirk her brow. The reactions are momentary. She still has stuff to do.
    "Sure. I'll leave you some contact details." Not that they'll actually tell anyone how to reach her, but they'll be a way to get a message out to her, and that will lead to a way to put the money out somewhere she can reach it. Gold, jade, whatever's salable on common markets. "In the meantime, just point me in the right direction to get this crystal recording looked at." The thought of staying to chat or snooping in on other people's gifts doesn't particularly cross her mind any more than the idea of volunteering. She tiredly rubs her face with a palm, kept clean enough by the gloves. The others have their own business, and she has hers, and they'll either intersect again or they won't.
Miari Strangely enough it is All-Seeing Eye's declaration of unconditional assistance to this place that gets Miari's attention the most. She can't HELP but swing her head around and affix the Alchemical with a somewhat disbelieving, amazed stare. Eyes wide as they can get!

    Soon her attention's back on Raneka though. "Oh, I suppose there are a few things of material worth that I could make do with. Artifice raw materials. Orichalcum, Moonsilver, Jade. Sealed containers of frozen lightning. My workshop is far from here but I need to secure a supply of things. I'm willing to provide a slew of First Age magitech designs and other lost secrets with the libraries too, as a gesture of goodwill."
Starbound Flotilla     +_+

    Just because Pavo is obsessively greedy doesn't mean that her aspirations of godhood and her intense and irrational hatred of what she perceives to be blatantly Sunborn won't give her a significant moodboost at what she sees in the box. She doesn't really show it off to anyone, but she's hardly going to keep it away from prying eyes as she sets it down and reads from the note that she sets on the table, tapping her feathered fingers together repeatedly, happily, with a sort of subtle and poorly restrained glee.

    "Disgusting..." Moonfin mutters under his breath, to absolutely no negative reaction from Pavo. "Our hope, in this, is to resume and restore some work we have intended for fleet construction. While our resources are sufficient, it is our exploitation-prevention heterogenous system design that requires assistance, which means looking into production methods and design details from a multitude of worlds. That, of course, alongside the opportunity to make positive connections." Moonfin's nod is so deep that it's almost a bow. "The connections made here shall be worth more than any payment you could render; favors owed are a priceless commodity, especially when one of our associates intends to employ us heavily in the various regions of Creation."
Rebecca Chambers Meanwhile, Rebecca is perusing the data of the library. One might think she'd need reading glasses or something, but she's been able to afford LASIK so her vision is perfect. As she peruses the data, she looks for anything that might be pertinent, although given she's kind of new in this world, it might not be easy...
Tomoe Tomoe says "It's something to talk on later I just wanted to bring it up before I got distracted." She nots she seems in good natured about it and is thinking long term from the looks of it. "Sounds like something to work out later though. She's also curious about the idea of talking with Eye later on the matter but that can wait till later. She thinks for a bit on the money and maybe Gawain has struck a cord with her as well she came for a job and now it doesn't feel so right to her to take the money. She also catches the offer Eye has made as well she thinks on that a bit.

"Oh don't misunderstand me, I was not demanding that as my reward it was something I wished to speak on at some point unrelated to it."

She flails a little bit inwardly and maybe will just not ask for anything? She'll think on that she has time really right?

It's lucky for her she doesn't see what Pavo got, or she's likely lose her lunch...and possibly her temper.
Gawain "Thank you!" Gawain nods. If he's a Solar, which even the local cosmology sometimes thinks he is, he definitely is a compassionate one. Eye's response gets a large grin from Gawain. "You are a compassionate man, Eye!" As he sees the gold diamond, he senses the magic, picks it up, and holds it in his palm. The sensation and familiarity Gawain feels makes him smile. "When did you receive this to be delivered?" Not from where, as he tries to figure out what he can /do/ with it before putting it away. The head makes him frown, slightly, before he speaks to Pavo. "Please close the box! Decapitated heads sort of destroy the mood of discussion, and it may be unpleasant to some."

"So, I must ask, what is the next step for Whitewall? Where was most of the damage that needs to be repaired?"
Bloody Revelations     As a primarily a commander, significantly a soldier, and only part-time a politician, Raneka seems familiar with All-Seeing Eye's extensively flamboyant and eccentric mannerisms and overtures, but but is not /probably/ not canny enough to suspect them. She takes the slip and copies that one over by hand, just to have a duplicate. "The older kingdoms are known for being insular, it's true. It's a temptation, I think, to stay with what has worked for a long time, when in an age like this, opening yourself up is so risky. By no means would I want to reject an overture like that, any more than we rejected others of the North like Gethamane. I'll have it seen straight to the Syndics, mark my words. I'll try my best to get you a personal seat too." She then squints at Tomoe. "You as well? Is it related?"

    She perks up considerably at A-39's mention of a memory crystal though. "Memory /crystal/? Wherever did you get that? I could call up an expert on the Dragon Kings' technology to see it, but if it's the kind that's more likely from way up north, I'd expect it's probably a recording or journal. If it's simple, there are probably a hundred savants in town capable of analyzing it without charging you your firstborn son like one of the /visitors/ would." implicit: Dragon Blooded from the Realm. Aristocratic tourists with god complexes.

    Raneka shallowly nods along with Miari, but it's obvious she's doing the mental arithmetic about how much all those things are going to cost. "The Syndics have limited access to those things which local savants and sorcerers wouldn't have, but if you're looking for a steady supply of something that valuable, I'd have to ask you to establish a steady working contract. We can't exactly afford a lifetime supply of orichalcum and moonsilver. You'd be luckier petitioning Yu-Shan." i.e. laughably impossible.

    The frog lady has to blink (asymmetrically) a few times before she figures out what the hell Moonfin means by 'exploitation-prevention heterogeneous system design' through context. She doesn't look into the box, both because it's rude and also because it's below her desk now, and she's pretty short. Frogs aren't known for being tall, lanky animals. "/That/ costs us as little as a thank you, so long as you'd be willing to sign a limited term non-competition form, probably. That's how it usually goes." She looks to Gawain then, a little bug-eyed (moreso than usual, anyways). "Not long ago at all. This morning, in fact. Why?"

    Business moves on. "The damage to the inner city is plain and simple restoration work. We aren't so crowded that there aren't some spare places, and . . ." she coughs, briefly, with a low little deflated croak. "More people died that day than homes were destroyed. The masons can take their time. The main issue is the wall. It requires an incredible degree of laborious, dedicated, and powerful consecration on each brick before it is fit to be laid in with the others, and has to be done in a way that is harmonious with the whole. Even with the support of no less than three powerful gods, it will take us some time. Unless something comes out of Marama's Fell, I don't think we'll worry about the dead this winter though."

    "It turns out that Lookshy has made a formal declaration of war on the city-state of Thorns. You can bet whatever hellspawn crawl around in the Underworld beneath us will be watching that campaign. Probably to profit off of it."
Kyoko Takada     "Yeah?" A-39 gives the frog a blink. Crystals aren't common in the current era. Duly noted. "I couldn't tell you whether it's simple or not, as crystals go. I could show it to you, if that'd help." She gives her pack a meaningful heft. If it'll get her moving on her way, she doesn't mind taking out the thing here, even if it does turn out to be really valuable. This is about as private-yet-not a venue as she could hope for in that regard, what with the number of different interests represented. "I found it during the op. You know, in the cursed city. Just laying around." She shrugs, equipment shifting with her.
    She makes a mental note to check up what these "Thorns" and "Lookshy" places are, later. One of those at least sounds familiar, but no one she's met.
Miari "Naturally, I don't expect miracles. It would probably be better if I could speak to them directly regarding my aspirations, but ah... yes. A long-term working relationship is what I have in mind. I will gladly put my expertise and knowledge to good use for Whitewall in exchange for materials and whatever forgotten secrets are buried in the libraries. With any luck, some of the things I've already uncovered could revolutionize local industries. Then there'd be need to speak of shortages and difficulties procuring wonders like the Jade or Frozen Lightning. Or food, for that matter."

    Wow, that's quite a claim from the sorceress. But she DID display quite a pile of powerful sorcery...
Rebecca Chambers Rebecca didn't find anything, so she listens intently to what Miari is being told. She takes down some notes as she listens. She also overhears what A-39 says and she notes that as well. "They may not be common in our world either," Rebecca comments, "But I'm sure in this place they'll be very important!"
All-Seeing Eye Raneka's reaction is received with glee. Eye clasps his hands together excitedly, his soft smile widening into a bright grin. "Splendid!" He can count that objective as a success--the Tripartite will be pleased! And so will he, for unrelated reasons, should he get the opportunity to volunteer.

     Across the room, he can spot the astonished gaze of Miari. Without turning to face her, he addresses the sorceror. "Miari, dear, you're staring." He figures he knows /why/ she's staring, but a little good-natured needling is always good fun. "Surely by now you're used to my beauty? Or are you simply moved by my limitless compassion, as Gawain is?"

     He chuckles, looking over his shoulder and paying the sorcerer a sly look. As he does this, he saves a snippet of the Centurion's answer regarding the city. Specifically, what they're in need of--meticulous, exacting labor, and protection from this 'Marama's Fell.' Good to know! It might provide a Claslati delegation with some leverage, should trade negotiations arise.

     Folding his hands behind his back, he poses one more question to the frog. "Are there any other threats besides the dead? Perhaps something warranting a... proactive solution?" Read: Is there anything not destroyed you'd rather would be... well, destroyed?
Gawain "Ah, I was just curious. And you don't know who sent it, I assume?" Gawain smiles brightly. "I will have to return to the manse and thank her again." He hums brightly, looking at his diamond, before nodding about the wall. "I'll see what manpower the Paladins can provide, if any, though I do not believe we'd be capable of that. I can promise that I will give my all to protect this city. I am indebted to it." That's probably the oddest thing he's said yet, especially seeing the circumstances of everything.
Tomoe Tomoe says "No it is unrelated to my companions nation."

She'll fall in line though with eveyrone else, she starrts to wonder if this was a bad idea. She kinds shinks back for the moment, letting others do the talking. She hears about the wall and thinks pretty hard on it. Finallys he speaks

"That is good news but what can be done to help the wall, I don't think i could help setting it but looking for materials is something I could do."
Starbound Flotilla     Moonfin's face shifts to an easygoing, albeit a bit arrogant smile. "Your city contains a sorely untapped resource of diversity. And in that diversity, we can amass the benefits and flaws of many systems, and in turn, link them in ways which complement each other. As for non-competition, well." He gives a pleasant chuckle. "Within this region and within this particular market, I foresee no overlaps of significance that cannot be addressed with civil exchange of funds. Of course."

    "As for the Wall, our services shall remain. I believe Pavo has recently... Ahhh..." Moonfin starts, anxiously, before Pavo's attention is caught.
    "Aye. I hear talk, always, of how this Wall could only be built with the hand of some sun god involved. Ye shall have a mighty discount on our help for this, matey. It's to prove that wrong. Anything -- anything -- that people could be claiming only some Sunborn could do, I'll be one to prove them wrong." Pavo says, her eyes suddenly /blazing/ with determination. "Ye won't have worries of the winter. Nor any season after, matey. Ye take the contract and the Flotilla and I will be craftin' for ye a wall that would make the sun itself take the long way around Whitewall. That's a promise."

    Yeah, Pavo's obsession with proving her points about Solars and Sunborn isn't something that has calmed down, it's just something that isn't as relevant so frequently these days.
Bloody Revelations     Raneka pretty much insists on seeing the memory crystal the moment she indicates that she has it. She either has a good idea what it is, a good idea what to do with it, or a general passion or curiosity for old technology like this. Upon seeing the crystal 'chip' with its inlays and sub-gems, she immediately fingers it (figuratively). "That's a /very/ old style there. Favoured by the Shogunate. Judging by the fact it's wearable, I'd say it's a personal recorder. It's too complex to be for taking notes. Some form of body camera, maybe? Possibly a personal assistant." That, belonging to an official of the Shogunate on the day the city died, could be a huge deal. "I can give you quite a few numbers for people who deal in that sort of business. A few might give you a substantial discount for the chance to handle something like that."

    The Centurion half shakes her head at All-Seeing Eye. "The Icewalker Tribes were completely broken with the death of Yurgen Kaneko. The usual Silent Ones and other spirits and monsters won't be trouble. There are the Fair Folk, but you'll have no success ever thinning the numbers of anything that comes out of the Deep Wyld, and they have their end of a treaty to uphold, meaning they wouldn't try anything direct. I've heard the most powerful leaders of the Underworld in the region have too, but . . ."

    "It's still in living memory how Thorns was conquered. From below. By the forces of the Underworld. The commander and necromancer responsible has had it under his sway ever since. He claims that he can make use of the dead to improve the lives of the living, and that might even be true, but as far as I've heard, and as far as I've concerned, the walking corpses only do the backbreaking work because they're more efficient, and the living aren't important until they have the 'decency' to become ghosts. It's obvious to everyone in the north and east that he's been building up military force since then, disguising it with diplomacy and platitudes, so I for one am happy someone finally had the stones to call him on it. Lookshy is a big military power. Tough. Disciplined. Crack troops. Equipment better than anyone still around. If something suddenly got them confident enough to break the peace just now, it must be something big; they're no fools. I imagine they'll have steamrolled in and liberated the city by the end of next year."

    "Even the Mask of Winters, with all the stories about him being true, couldn't do anything against an army like that, and where there's a battle, there's vultures circling it already. A man like that, dead or alive, has rivals, and they'll be quick to snatch what they can from a campaign as major as that. Only the uncoordinated and leaderless rabble from Marama's Fell should bother us at all, if they care to travel so far. Frankly, I'm jealous. I'd love to be on that frontline, putting those that thing back in the grave where he belongs."
Bloody Revelations     That thorough explanation as to why she thinks Whitewall won't be a target this year, Raneka raises her voice from the somewhat conspiratorial and angry tone it had sunk into, just in time to gracefully accept Miari's terms, and Gawain's 'terms'. "A direct meeting with heroes such as yourselves should be an easy thing to arrange. If something like what you've done isn't worth an audience, what /is/? Please though, don't trouble yourselves overmuch on our behalf. A great misfortune has befallen Whitewall, it is undeniable, but we are an old and strong city, and we won't be toppled by just that. I'm sure there must be at least a few clamouring for your attention." she croak-chuckles with a weirdly wry grin, even splitting into an interested laugh at Pavo's impassioned speech.

    "That's a bold claim to make. Very bold. Were it not for the end of the Golden Bull's campaign, I probably wouldn't have believed it. I'd like to see you try. In fact, I'd like to see you succeed. Tell you what. If you can prove you have a full replacement for the old holy magic that went into this place long before we got here, I'm /sure/ the Syndics will have more jobs for you." There's a big, very unsubtle wink. One or two of Miari's minor suspicions are probably confirmed.

    After that, Raneka hands out the addresses of several magitech savants in descending order of her personal recommendation to A-39, addresses of the handful of halls of research and learning within Whitewall to Miari and Tomoe, takes payment and contact information from several if needed to get ahold of later, strikes an agreement with Pavo in wax-stamped writing, and writes up a petition to the Syndic council for abrupt filing, brief enough that it's clear she expects it to be accepted without any prodding, in the space of 'not very long', clearly a capable manager as well as one of the main leaders of the city's supernaturally empowered defense forces. The Elites are left to pursue their individual objectives on their own timetable, with little pressure and a great degree of help for a damn change, as well as to ruminate on what they've heard, and possibly plan anything they feel like discussing with each other."