Scene #6248: Whim of the Wind-1

Owner	Pose
Wandering Dog	The Southern desert of Creation is hot and sandy, even in a cold period such as this. As the midday sun moves over the sky, it's a terrible time to be out, which is why the shelter of a small oasis, hidden deep in the desert not too far from a warpgate, is a perfect refuge. The invitation had gone out suddenly, filtered through Multiversal communication networks. A demon known as Florivet, the Whim-of-the-Wind, has invited those 'champions' of the Multiverse out for drinks at his landship and 'a challenge', the Foremost Gale. And indeed he is here. Though 'landship' probably doesn't give the image most would expect, when they approach the oasis and see it. It's not some grand and massive ship, but a twenty-foot long skiff, made out of a polished white material that doesn't appear to be metal or wood. Florivet has set up shop under the shade, where he sits at the head of his longship-shaped boat, sitting with two women on either arm, dark-skinned blonde beauties that a Creation local would recognize as probably native Southerners. In the middle of the ship, around where chairs have been pulled up in the sand and where one could sit inside the ship itself, there's a large barrel of very fine wine, with several glasses atop it. A chest sits at the tail-end of the ship, probably full of his material belongings. In appearance, Florivet is clearly not human. With a head that resembles both a Chinese dragon and a furred wolf, dark-reddish fur, and a pair of massive white wings, his fur getting longer over his legs and feet, arms and hands, strange tattoo-like markings over his chest, and a black mixture of belts and loinclothes to keep himself decent, he's probably something that'd scare off most normal Creationites, not very attractive. But he obviously must be some manner of charismatic, if he's attracted these women to him. As people approach, he speaks up with a gravelly voice, a deep baritone, clearly in a good mood as he drinks from a cup of the wine. "Welcome, welcome! It's good to see that I was taken up on my little offer. The wine's some of the best, so dig in!"
Count Kord	Kord flies in on the wind, a twenty foot red and black dragon that comes in for a smooth and graceful landing near the landship. He settles down into a mild seated posture, looking over the edge of the landship like the enormous beast that he is. When offered wine, shadows curl into a clawed appendage, gathering a drink to pour into his beak-like dragon maw, making a little bit of a mess in the process. The long tendril of shadow seems as solid as the ship and earth, but its depth is hard to judge. "What was the challenge?" he asks, fixating an unblinking pale stare on Florivet. He seems neutral, though, instead of grumpy, because of the offering of wine.
Inga Freyjasdottir	Inga had told herself that she was going to get out more. When the offer went out, she'd decided to go for it. Afterall, she did just buy a bunch of clothing that is appropriate for the desert in Ul'dah. She may as well use it and accept the offer of hospitality and 'challenge'. Inga arrives astride her elegant grey horse swathed in a length of vibrant pink silk with a bit of gold embroidery at the hem, draped and pinned artfully over a white linen skirt and top that leaves a bit of her midsection on the sides bare. She has a few gold bangles around her wrists, her walking stick in hand. Her hair is braided as usual, pulled over her shoulder. She slides with a bit of difficulty down from her horse, rearranges her clothes, and moves to take a seat and accept the offer of good wine. A familiar...dragon? Gets a nod from Inga before she addresses their host. "I think you for your hospitality. I am Inga Freyjasdottir," she says the strange man, and sips the wine. It is tasty. Inga then digs into her...purse? And brings out a bottle, which she places nearby. "A host gift for you--a bit of mead."
Tina Natsumi	Hot, sandy places are just what Tina's prepared for. Cowboy hat? Check. Oversized duster? Check. Spurs? Double-check. Water satchel, guns, and a phone with a lapel microphone attached to it to record everything in sweet, sweet stereo? Of course. Whipping out her phone and trying to ignore the heat, the faux-cowgirl flashes a bright-eyed smile at the device briefly before turning it around to catch the landship (and to not have to hide her discomfort for more than three seconds at a time). "Howdy, y'all! FreedomWithFries comin' at you LIVE from Creation, where I've received a personal invitation to..." She squints lightly at the landship as she starts heading in. "... Somethin'! A challenge, maybe somethin' crazy, probably somethin' exciting! Let's see what we got in here." Tucking the phone into one of her upper pockets, she pans around steadily while whistling lightly at the sight of just about everything. "Boy howdy, we've got a whole lot to take in here, don't we? Bods that'd make a girl jealous, chests fulla who knows what kinda riches, and a...!" Another pause to squint at Florivet. She doesn't quite seem to comprehend what she's looking at, but brightens up once he speaks up. "Ah, you must be the host for today! Thank ya kindly for invitin' us here. Handle's FreedomWithFries, don't mind if I do~" She picks up a cup, then fishes out the phone to turn the camera on herself briefly. "Remember to drink responsibly, don't drive, and make sure you're followin' the alcohol laws o' whatever municipality you're livin' in!" And then she takes a nice, long sip. It's not what she's used to, but it's certainly not bad.
Lemeza Kosugi	A challenge in Creation. Last time Lemeza Kosugi paid this world a visit, he'd explored well past the Shadowlands into the Labyrinth. He'd been perilously close to Oblivion, as well, but a curry-induced coma had stopped him from fully experiencing /that/ wonder. This time, it would seem the objective is to explore the 'real' world of the surface Creation. As for this Florivet... Mr. Kosugi can't help but think of that perverted village elder Xelpud running the La-Mulana tourist attraction back home. Said Elder also frequently has a number of sexy lady models hanging off him at any given time, having likely paid them with all the tourist money he's collected. So Florivet's probably rich too. Lemeza looks the guy up and down, trying to get a read on the guy; his best guess is that, yeah, he's a Xelpud-like. The professor decides to partake in the wine, but hasn't left behind his trademark curry. He's imbibing both as he looks on at the other arrivals, mainly observing for now. The heat doesn't seem to be getting to him that much, interestingly, presumably from his ice-like cape that adamantly refuses to melt out here.
All-Seeing Eye	All-Seeing Eye is never one to turn down a challenge, no matter how pressing other concerns might be. He arrives in standard issue Autochthonian desert attire. Velcro patches on the sleeves of his fatigues are visible--the national emblem of Claslat is missing from this uniform. Present alongside the uniform is a poncho. Its colors were carefully coordinated to match the fatigues, but its quality and intricate design suggest it isn't standard-issue. His long raven hair is braided, as usual, and a pair of tinted riding goggles rest around his neck. Moments ago, he arrived aboard the ship by way of his hoverbike, which has only just finished folding itself up into the Alchemical's outstretched palm. When the last of the whirrs and clicks finish, there is still a decidedly mechanical sound. Motions of Eye's arms occasionally cause the audible whining of strained servos. From time to time, they move sluggishly or with abrupt jerks, though Eye does his best to conceal both--as he does with any perceived imperfections. Despite these cybernetic tells, Eye appears in human guise, his skin a warm taupe brown which would otherwise suggest residence somewhere not far from Florivet's choice of company. He takes a seat in one of the offered chairs, his jaw clenching as his back touches upon it. Eye seems a mirror of Florivet. Where Florivet is ugly but at ease, charismatic, Eye is beautiful but insincere; his convivial exterior is belied by attempts to conceal a number of injuries and perceived imperfections. "I am All-Seeing Eye," the Alchemical states with a tone of transactional politeness. "Chosen of Autochthon, Warden of the Paladins." He has a glass of wine in hand before long, crossing one leg over the other and brushing a length of hair aside with an audible mechanical whine. "How shall I amaze you this... sunny afternoon?" His smile matches his tone--pleasant, but possibly insincere.
Nyrinel	SOME TIME AGO "What do you /mean/ you didn't find anything," Nyrinel exclaims, exasperated. A skeleton stands on the far side of her desk. It's wearing a flat cap that looks kind of scholarly, a tabard, and has a basket in both its hands. There's a sign on the basket. It reads: 'PLEASE INSERT RARE NECROMANTIC TEXTS'. Its eye sockets glow a baleful red, pinpricks like evil embers smoldering within. Nyrinel doesn't seem to care. "This isn't a necromantic text!" She slaps a sheaf of papers she's holding with one hand. "This is a -- a -- I don't know what! Some kind of application! For a... card?? If I wanted cards I would go to a tavern." She throws it down on the desk, obviously irritated. The skeleton does not react. "Fine! Go back to ditch-digging. And put the basket back on its peg! I'll find something myself!" The skeleton wanders off, leaving her to consult an atlas and her inbox. Maybe she can find a world with an abundance of crypts or something... NOW Nyrinel is dressed for a colder climate. The hood on her off-white robe keeps the sun off her head, but the bone-mail underneath doesn't do anything to ward off the desert heat. It's terrible. She trudges up to the oasis, followed by a pair of figures wearing threadbare brown robes that totally obscure them. They're both carrying backpacks and not at all bothered by heat or burden. There are reddish ember-like pinpricks under their hoods. It's probably nothing. "Ohhhh my." Nyrinel goes right past the shady spot and the demon and his ladies and puts her hands all over his... boat. "Oh wow. Oh wow!" Her porters stay in step behind her, paying no one any attention whatsoever. She turns and looks over, calling, "Does this come with the challenge? I /want/ one." Priorities.
Seifer Almasy	Seifer Almasy is just this kind of guy. He's dressed in his Hand formals, because if it's a formal occasion, he's got to look the part. He's dressed to the nines, and by god, he intends to make it clear that he's earned it, too. A regal, royal blue haori hangs off his shoulders like a cape. It's tucked under two silver pauldrons, entirely for shoulder armor. On his chest is a dress uniform, white with dark red highlights. Around his neck, bridging the haori, is a chain with three triangles in the shape of a fox face. His pants are white with red stripes down the side, ending with tabi and metal boots. On one hand is a silvery gauntlet. On the other are the Command Spells for Caster, wrapped around his pointer and ring fingers like a wedding ring as they twine up to his wrist. Hyperion, his long, slender gunblade, rests on his shoulder in its standard carrying position. He looks like a cross between a Japanese nobleman, a modern-day soldier, and a medieval knight, and it's clear he actually took his time and coordinated this for that effect. "Seifer Almasy, Hand of the Concord, Fox Knight, King of the Moon, kind of a big deal. Let's make this clear." Seifer jerks his thumb at himself, a wild grin spreading across his lips. "I'm gonna win your challenge. I'm gonna take the prize. And I'm gonna walk away with the victory."
Wandering Dog	People start gathering around, big and small, normal-looking and dragon-looking. Florivet doesn't seem to mind too much who shows up, though Kord gets an eyebrow raise from the demon. As Kord asks immediately about the challenge, Florivet raises a hand, leaning into one of the girls on his shoulder. "Ah, patience, not everyone's here just yet. Drink some, first!" Pretty women are part of the gathering group, and they immediately get Florivet's attention. As Inga introduces herself and brings mead, the demon grins. "Ah, excellent, excellent. A lovely woman such as yourself bringing me gifts always puts a smile on my face!" He cracks opens the mead and gets straight to it, offering a cup to Inga before pouring himself some and partaking in it. "Quite nice! Reminds me of the mead up North, but this has its own merits, its own...differences." Florivet seems to enjoy it, and be in a very good mood - from a dune nearby, sweet-smelling winds blow over towards the ship, filling the air with fragrances. Tina's talking to herself, it looks like at first, but Florivet's dealt with crazy people plenty of times, being from Hell and therefore not actually human. But then, as she fishes out the camera and talks to it, he realizes it's some sort of speaking or recording device, and that's she communicating with someone, so Florivet leans into the camera and grins, flashing a talon-up with his free hand. "FreedomWithFries! Well then, miss Freedom, thank you for taking me up on my offer." Yes, he actually thinks that's her name. The way Florivet is flirting with every girl on the boat probably makes Lemeza's guesses about him accurate. As he eats the curry, Florivet glances over him, interested, but then changes his attention again towards All-Seeing Eye, who actually greets him. "Well! Autochthon, you say? That's certainly an amazement already. Tell me, does the wine fit your foreign sensibilities?" It's not meant rudely, it seems, just a way of Florivet making small talk as everyone filters in. Nyrinel focuses on the boat. Florivet is most amused by this, bursting out laughing. "Ah, what exquisite taste you have! She's a one-of-a-kind, made out of my own bone and sinew. Now it's all crimson glass in here." A tap to the chest, as he motions to the wine. "Come, have a drink!" Seifer is the last person to arrive, and he arrives in style. Florivet sits up straight, especially when he says he's the King of the Moon, though his slight respectfulness doesn't change how jovial and casual he is. "Well, I didn't know the moon had a king, the Multiverse must surely be an interesting place. You say you'll win? We'll have to find out, your highness! Let me spell out my challenge for all of you, then." He does take appraisal of Seifer's garb, and seems to like it, despite not being much of a 'wears clothes' type of guy himself.
Wandering Dog	Now that everyone is here, Florivet motions out towards the sands. "I am Florivet, Whim-of-the-Wind, as the introductions said. I have come across the sands of Cecelyne in search of adventure, and with the advent of this Multiverse, I believe I could spice up my treasure-finding by making it a competition. You see, I have recently discovered a tomb to an ancient god-king, a man known as Durod who ruled across the sands, despite not being one of the Solar Exalted. There are multiple entrances into his tomb, and my information tells me that it's a dangerous, well-guarded journey to get to his treasures at the center of the ruin." The way Florivet says Durod and talks about it makes it sound like he knows quite a bit about it, but doesn't want to bore his guests. "So, I had a challenge in mind. Working either in tandem or alone, at your discretion, we all start simultaneously at different entrances, and race towards the center of the tomb. Whoever gets to his body first, through any means at their disposal, not only gets to claim the tomb and its riches for themselves..." Florivet smiles, panning out an arm as if he's being generous. "But will also get some of my finest treasures to sweeten the deal. Doesn't this sound exciting to you?"
Seifer Almasy	Seifer's grin widens. "Hell yeah it does." "I'm in alone. Don't put me with any of these losers." Seifer jerks his thumb at himself again. "Co-operation is another word for a chain around your neck." "Just point me at my door, or gimme a wall to make one myself."
Inga Freyjasdottir	Inga glances toward the girl in the cowboy hat with a curious raise of her pale brow. Why is she talking that way? Is she...mad? The Seer shakes her head slightly and looks toward the other man that arrives and introduces himself. Her lips purse at his title. She's met someone else who was chosen of Autochthon...a long time ago, wasn't it? She can barely remember. The word Warden causes a slight wince before she manages to return to a neutrally pleasant expression. Soon enough her attention is stolen by Nyrinel. Her appearance gets a smile, and a slight chuckle as she excitedly fondles the boat. "Good day Nyrinel, what a pleasure to see you again," Inga greets. Then there's Seifer. "And good day to you as well Seifer," she says, taking in his clothing with a hint of appreciation. Sheesh. Good thing she /did/ decide to dress up. Inga then pulls a section of her dress up over her head to help shade her eyes--it looks as though it is made for this purpose. Inga looks back to their host and smiles graciously. "It is only right to bring a host gift when hospitality is offered," she replies and accepts another cup. Well, wine and mead? Why not? The flirting is met with a bland smile--he's the type. After dealing with Merlin, she's used to it and knows its essentially meaningless. Then they get to the heart of the matter. A treasure hunt? Inga smiles. She reaches up to touch her linkpearl earring, speaking softly into it for a moment before she answers. "Very well, I will accept the challenge. I will partner with my friend that was unable to be here today," she replies. Then Inga looks toward Seifer, narrowing her eyes slightly.
Lemeza Kosugi	The food and drink is pretty nice. But that's not what Lemeza was /really/ here for. He was here for the challenge. And Florivet's challenge is... surprisingly straightforward! Especially for an archaeologist. He grins. Very widely, in fact. This is what Lemeza knows best: raiding tombs, dodging traps, and-- well, he didn't /race/ through the La-Mulana ruins, but surely his efforts there will pay off. "When do we begin?"
Tina Natsumi	Tina doesn't seem to mind being referred to by her handle rather than her actual name. She wouldn't have given it out if she did, after all! Besides, for someone like her? That handle might as well be her name half the time. It certainly helps that Florivet's hamming it up for the camera as well, and she makes sure to keep it trained on him when he does. With so many unique people from all walks, the cowgirl tips her hat back as she makes sure to get a nice, clear recording of their different greetings and ways of grabbing attention (or lack thereof). "Sounds like somethin' outta a movie. This is probably gonna be a pretty dangerous outing, but that just makes it fun~" Whipping out her revolver, she checks the safety before spinning it around and tapping it on her hat. "Long as we don't kill each other on the way, yeah? Any ground rules you wanna lay out? Or.. Hm." A pause, a tap on her chin, and then she smirks at Florivet. "Anything in there we should be keepin' our eye out for besides this body?"
All-Seeing Eye	Eye takes a sip, savoring the taste. He finds that Florivet was being truthful about the quality, after a moment's evaluation. "My people work hard, and play hard," says Eye with a satisfied smile. "This would be a warmly welcomed addition to any recreational facility." His visual augmentations allow him to see everyone present without having to take his eyes off the demon. His focus is on Seifer, for the moment. His smile widens slightly. As Florivet explains, he makes chaste little sips of the wine, reaching up to stroke his chin with the other hand. "How exciting!" He puts on a fake frown. The Exalt looks around, actually turning his head to do so. "I should advise you all, my talents will make me particularly well-suited to this." With his next sentence, his tone becomes chipper, helpful. "If anyone wanted to give up, I'm sure no one would think badly of it." The corners of his mouth twitch slightly upwards. "Though I wish you wouldn't, peronsally! I'd like to have something resembling a challenge, hm?" The sentence is punctuated with a quiet chuckle.
Nyrinel	Nyrinel is not, at first, completely certain if Florivet is making fun of her. She gives him a sidelong look, and then double-takes from the explanation. "It's... all your own? That's..." Her eyes trail back to the boat. She's pretty clearly amazed. "How did you replace your skeleton like that?" Is she considering doing that thing? ... maybe a little. After a minute, Nyrinel goes over to join the group proper. She smiles right back at Inga, and mumbles something that sounds like magic words under her breath before she says anything else. Her generally miserable demeanor lessens significantly with a faint heat haze that briefly rolls over her from head to toe. "Ahh... hello again! I hope you've been well since our last meeting." Nyr helps herself to a glass of wine and a spot in the shade. She waggles her fingers in Seifer's direction, and seems to be particularly keen on keeping the enormous dragon-thing hanging out nearby in her line of sight. She takes a sip of the wine, pauses a beat, and then promptly downs the whole glass without further pause, going to fill it up again almost immediately. "A race... well, alright!" She pumps a fist. "I won't lose something like this!" A bold declaration -- and one with absolutely no basis in reality other than guts and liquor.
Lemeza Kosugi	Lemeza puts away his curry. He sits straight up, turns his head to face All-Seeing Eye, and grins. "So have you explored tombs of the gods before? Perhaps this will be even more interesting than I thought." He's plainly putting effort into hyping himself up, but there's no real indication he's bluffing about his own abilities. "All-Seeing Eye, was it? I will admit, I am curious to see how you operate, but I also want to pit my skills against yours. Decisions..."
Inga Freyjasdottir	Despite it being a distinct part of her culture, Inga is not prone to boasting. She smiles to everyone and simply nods. "This should be interesting," she says. She's just signed herself and Raha up for grave robbing. Welp.
Seifer Almasy	Seifer turns. "I got nothin' else to say to people who only have guts in response to somebody with real confidence." He gives a two-fingered salute from his forehead towards Nyrinel, then moves for the door. "Call me when you're ready for this thing to start. I'll be there. An' don't worry." He glances over his shoulder at Florivet and Tina. "Every time somebody says 'my skills are uniquely suited for this' or 'I got an aptitude at this' or 'I'll win because I'm a natural'..." "It just makes me work all the harder to rub it in their fuckin' noses. So expect some quality entertainment."
Tina Natsumi	Those sparks flying between Nyrinel and Seifer draws a sensible chuckle from Tina at first, quickly growing into a more erupting laugh. "Perfect! I'll make sure to get y'all's good sides for the viewers at home, then. Don't disappoint 'em now!" Does she think she's going to win? Nope. Is she going to try? Yes. Is there a chance she'll do something dumb for the subs instead of pursuing victory at all costs? Very yes.
All-Seeing Eye	Eye idly twirls his hair around a finger. The motion is, at times, jerky and obviously mechanical. "Very well," he says to Seifer, at the latter's proclamation. There is a moment for which he is silent, until someone gives him the opportunity to further talk about himself. Lemeza is blessed with his full attention, for now. "Yes, as a matter of fact!~" The Exalt beams at the archaeologist. "A lovely little place called Denandsor. Not a tomb by design, but it had all the classics." His finger slips loose of the silken black braid, and he raises his fingers with each item on the following list. "Automated defenses, traps, elaborate underground architecture." As an afterthought, and with mild disinterest, he adds, "I suppose there was treasure, too." "How about yourself?"
Lemeza Kosugi	While before the Eye had Lemeza's curiosity, now he has his attention. Seems this living machine knows a thing or two about dangerous ruins. "Myself? I delved into the ruins of La-Mulana. It had traps, lightning, spikes, ancient beasts, spikes, the history of my world, spikes, our creator goddess, spikes, Philosophers, spikes, exceptional architecture, and spikes. And yes, it had its fair share of treasure too." He holds up a lightweight claw with long slender talons and an amber gem embedded in the back of the hand part. "Including this. I, uh, may have had to kill the aforementioned goddess... but that's what remains. Still functional, so I /might/ be able to restore humanity in case of apocalypse? One can hope, anyway."
Wandering Dog	Everyone seems to accept the challenge. Florivet raises his glass in the air, excited, the girls at his arms giggling, before downing the mead in a quick drink. "Excellent! Due to obligations and preparations, we will begin in one fortnight. For now, let us drink, banter, perhaps even show off your ability if you'd like. Or if that's all you came for, that's fine as well, ahaha!" He's drunk. Which means he's in an excellent mood, probably. There's a nod to Seifer as he moves to take his leave. He's most interested in seeing what this man can do, with all of his talk. Which means Nyrinel gets an explanation. "Ah, a connoisseur of crafts such as this, I take it? I painstakingly cut out my bones piece by piece with crimson glass blades forged from the sands of Cecelyne, and had it crafted into the Foremost Gale here. I could easily get you the information you'd need to do such yourself." And in doing so, hopefully become friendly with Nyrinel, which is all good for the demon man. So far, though, he's just being pretty casual. Maybe demons aren't all bad in this world? Or he's just a weirdo, either-or. Tina gets a reply. "Oh, you can kill each other! That might make it more interesting. There should be all sorts of traps, guardians...the like. I know quite a bit about King Durod, so I have an idea of what sort of threats might be inside." But it doesn't seem like Florivet's gonna share, as he goes back to drinking. It seems he's keeping that as an ace up his sleeve.
All-Seeing Eye	Eye uncrosses his legs, finishes his wine and leans forward in his seat. "Well, that /is/ fortunate, isn't it?" He offers Lemeza a slight nod. If only his venture into Denandsor had proven so fruitful. Then the reality deviant might have been put down before all this. Upon Lemeza's admission, Eye tilts his head slightly. "You killed her? Whatever for?" His tone seems conversational, perhaps a bit odd for that nature of question. "Was she jeopardizing the well-being of your people? All the rage with gods these days, it seems. I'm glad the Great Maker isn't one for fads!"
Lemeza Kosugi	Lemeza chuckles nervously, realizing what he'd just said. He /did/ leave out that critical detail. "She indeed threatened my people. With extinction. Admittedly, she had always created a new population after wiping out the old one, but this time I was part of that population. I really didn't feel like dying, and neither did anyone else." He pauses, looks at the Treasure of Life embedded in his claw, and sighs. "Heh. I still haven't fully come to terms with the deed. But, what's done is done. Good to know you don't have to worry about that sort of thing."
Nyrinel	"I like to think I have some small skill in bonecrafting," Nyrinel says, moderately modestly. "If I could use my /own/ bones for something like this... it would be amazing! Maybe I could...?" Nyrinel is going to absolutely chat up this demon, totally oblivious to the overly friendliness. It's arts and crafts. And wine. Lots of wine. And maybe horrible decisions involving glass incisions.
Tina Natsumi	A lot of the talk of killing deities and restoring civilizations goes right over Tina's head. Visibly, anyway, since she's got an audience to keep in mind, although her quirked eyebrow does linger as eavesdrops on All-Seeing Eye and Lemeza even while the rest of her body is facing Florivet. "I'm sure some of my viewers would be into the competitive bloodsport sorta thing, but I can't go too overboard. I got a pretty nice deal goin' on here, and I can't get my account banned or nothin' for some cheap pops." She strokes her chin lightly, eventually starting to chuckle mischievously. "Then again... Ah, whatever happens off-camera is off-camera!"
Wandering Dog	As people start leaving out for the night, after talking with Florivet, drinking, doing whatever it is they do, the last to leave will sea the demon wrap up, as winds suddenly kick up into his sails from over the dunes, and the landship sails off. They'll get their information in about two weeks...and then it'll be time to venture into the tomb of Durod.