Scene #6666: Great King of Evil

Owner	Pose
Ganondorf Dragmire	The Hylian Warp Gate is not difficult to pass for Elites. It is the briefest of checkpoints, with soldiers in Hylian armor wearing the Royal Family's crest doing a cursory look for contraband. Indeed they barely search those coming through at all - presumably because the group is in small number and without obviously visible means of conveying large amounts of goods. Whatever magical or hypertech storage solutions they may have are apparently not the concern of the guards at the moment. The Gate's surrounding is about one-half shantytown and one-half barracks. Tents are propped up all over the place for the guards living there, lean-tos and buildings half-under-construction serve as shelter for food and blacksmithing and other necessities. There's the sense that the place was a ruin at one point in time. The slow march of rebuilding must have only come from the Warp Gate and its necessity. Getting to the Gerudo Desert is not hard. It is long, and it is arduous, but it is not difficult. The party is directed onto a road, though the guard who directs them has a funny smirk on his face, and some of the other guards laugh openly when they hear of the destination. "Nothin' out there but dust and filth," one of them says as the party passes for their hard ride. And it is indeed a hard ride. It's a hard ride across beautiful rolling countryside. It's a hard ride past large forests and fertile fields. But it is a hard ride in no small part because of the monsters that keep crossing paths. Time and again things like bokoblins and moblins run facefirst into the road to try to rob, fight, or otherwise aggress the group, offering no words, only violence. Calling them intelligent may be a stretch, despite their tools and their camps, but they are certainly malicious. But soon the rampant greenery begins to fade, replaced by high canyon walls and deep sand. And eventually even the canyon walls disappear. What stretches before the group is a veritable ocean of sand, with rolling waves of glittering grains, with howling, unpleasant winds, and with brutal, brutal heat. The only source of water is hydromelons. The only source of guidance in the almost-constant storms are poles with ribbons tied to them, visible in the brief pulses of stillness that show the desert's vast beauty before being swallowed by another whirling storm. In the edges of the storms, just beyond the whirling walls, there is laughter, otherworldly and distant, but nothing ever shows up to make of it. At last, the party arrives at Gerudo Town. The white walls are elegant, but worn. The gate is shut tight, with a pair of tall, beautiful, amazonian women at its side. They are each nearly eight feet tall, and each have eyes like the desert heat. They are armed with wicked-looking halberds. "Hold," one of them says, "Who goes there? Traders, travellers? It doesn't matter. No men are allowed inside Gerudo To-" There's a brief moment as the guards confer. Then, the guard looks...embarassed. It's somewhat comical to see an eight-foot-tall woman who could probably crush multiple people present look so bashful. "My apologies. You're expected and invited. In the future, should you visit Gerudo Town, know that men are not normally allowed inside." The gate opens. The guard beckons for them to follow.
Ganondorf Dragmire	The town is beautiful, but not flourishing. It is the faded beauty of a time gone by still cared for lovingly but slowly being beaten by time and tide. The center of the town has a fountain that no longer runs. What are obviously meant to be waterfalls and waterways that run along the walls are empty but for small trickles. The stonework is fading, though there are Gerudo children scrubbing at the dark spots with some cloth and some sweet-smelling hydromelon juice. What were once likely beautiful murals on the ground are cracking from overuse. Gerudo women stop and stare at the party as they pass. There are no Gerudo men, though there are a scant few Hylian men about, dressed in flowing fashions and wearing some obvious jewel that marks them as a husband rather than an available man. The further in they go, the less pleasant the town is. The edges of the town are rough-and-tumble, with women sprawled under tattered cloth giving dark-eyed glares at the party. Several of them have strange, distant looks from the shadows of their hoods. Others have strange-colored, glowing yellow eyes. One or two of them has an eerie glow underneath their cloth. At last, the party is brought to a stop. There is Ganondorf, the Great King of Evil. Ten feet tall, maybe taller. Dressed in elegant clothing from the desert. Eyes full of pride and strength. Nursing an old woman in a cloth with glowing eyes. "Save your strength," he says as he rises, "I will be back tomorrow." He turns. His eyes lock on the party. "Thank you, Kebauna," he tells the guard, "You can return to your mother. I can handle myself from here." She nods. "Thank you, Ganondorf. I'll let her know you asked about her." Ganondorf's smile is visible underneath his mask. As soon as the guard is gone, he is stone-faced once more, in the company of only the party and the old woman.
Sanary Rondel	The first time Sanary saw bokoblins, she gave them the benefit of the doubt. This time? They receive what they give: No words, only violence. It all feels very routine for her as she's going through the motions of cleaving, chopping, and occasionally parrying. It's just like the bandits from the old days, but with less hair. It's when they reach the sand-covered expanse that things start to catch her attention. For once, Sanary's actually prepared for a trek through the desert. Up goes the shield to be used as a heavy impromptu sun-barrier, and the white coat goes right into a backpack to be replaced by a much lighter cloak/oversized rag thrown right around her shoulders. Someone else can handle the navigation, but at least there's some form of cover if anyone's truly desparate enough to stand near the healer. Upon reaching the Gerudo Town and encountering its guards, the axe-wielder finds herself narrowing her eye slightly at them. She gives them a quick salute once the group is permitted entry, but she doesn't speak until after passing by and they're out of ear shot. "... The hell do they eat to get so tall? Cheaters." And then Ganondorf stands before them. "... Cheater." She finds herself murmuring quietly, then straightens up when the guard is sent away and leaves the group face-to-face with the Gerudo King in the flesh. Time to see if she's still got it. Sanary brings her hand up in a formal salute. "King Dragmire. Thank you for the invitation to come here today. Sanary Rondel, former Captain of..." A pause, and then she shakes her head lightly. "Sorry, old habit." It's never been a habit. It's just a crappy attempt at shmoozing! "Axe-fighter, cleric. If you need an extra hand for breaking or healing someone or... Also someone, I'm around." THere's a pause, and then she clears her throat while suddenly trying to sound nonchalant. It just comes out awkwardly. "Unrelated to that... Er. How long have you been around? Here or generally?"
Link	Link is on horseback. The green tunic and hat signals that he is the Hero of Courage, the one destined to slay evil. The horse is a reddish-brown mare, Epona, strong and fast. As the guards speak, Link tilts his head, having never actually been out in the Gerudo desert. Link is used to the hard travels in Hyrule. He's a country boy. The monsters aren't much of a problem, either, as he draws his sword and fights from horseback, draws his bow from his magic bag, or at one point, just throws a powder bomb at a group and rides away as fast as possible. The desert's hassles are entirely new. Constant storms bother Epona and buffet Link, who offers potions that help with the heat, but only barely - enough to make it far less likely to die of heat stroke. When they finally reach the walls, the Hylian looks up to the Gerudo. When they start to say 'no men are allowed', he frowns, but isn't going to argue with them. But the women confer, apologize, and he nods, waving his hand. "I understand." If he returns again, it likely won't be peaceful. He dismounts his horse, checking to see if there's somewhere to stable her, or otherwise, if he's leading her inside, but either way, Link enters the city. The Gerudo women are glanced at sheepishly as they stop and stare, and the men get curious looks. Link wonders if they're happy, briefly, but he wouldn't be able to tell. Link nods his head to Ganondorf, after listening to him talk and him turning to the group. He doesn't know the right sign of respect here, and he's not going to kneel to a foreign king. For a moment, the Hylian looks like he might be stone-faced because of an enemy, not speaking to test Ganondorf and see how he responds to his mortal foe. This is entirely incorrect, because Link has no /clue/ how to talk to a foreign dignitary without putting his foot in his mouth. He eventually lets his mind wander, and asks. "King...Dragmire? Thank you for aiding the elderly. Why... do her eyes glow?"
Staren	Staren is expecting the checkpoint guards to be harsh, demanding. But they don't really bother the elites. Huh. Perhaps Ganondorf tricked those people. Or perhaps the guards are more willing to throw their weight around against merchants rather than adventurers armed to the teeth. It's a long trip. Staren has information on part of the way from the cameras he planted on those Hylians, but still, it's a LONG trip, longer than he's had to travel in some time. Especially with the repeated monster attacks. Like, the occasional monster attack is to be expected, but this? This is a little ridiculous, even if Staren's beam cannons make short work of the *oblins. Eventually he gets tired of walking and opts to ride his broom instead, finally having to land again as they reach the desert. Sandstorms, enemy of machines everywhere. Staren puts a breezy cloak on over his armor to try and keep the sand at bay, and sets nanites to work trying to remove some of the sand that gets through. He's relieved to finally reach Gerudo Town. Whatever objection he's about to give to the guard is cut off by their conferring and changing their mind. Staren takes in the surroundings as they're led through town. He wonders what leads such an amazonian society to form. Why are there no men? He tries to recall any stories he's heard of the Shemarrans, but they're just as reclusive. At last, they face the man they came here to see. "King of Evil." He won't kneel either, but he does briefly bow his head. "Staren Wiremu, Hand and Brilliant of the Concord. I have to wonder why you accept that title. Surely you have goals that don't seem so evil? Such as fighting the, according to you and those hylians we saw the other day, corrupt and tyrannical nobles of Hyrule. Though I do have to wonder, why all the monsters? Why restrict civilians and merchants from travelling? You could have them be laying siege to the nobles' manors and castles, if bringing them down were your goal."
Raziel	'Gerudo Town was not what I expected it to be. Elegant white walls, though worn by the passage of time awaited us. In the center of a great dessert that seemed to run for miles, all traces of greenery and life seemingly destroyed by the relentless heat and dryness. At the gates of the town stood two large women, easily half a man taller than most, ready to protect the gate with their life. However, what many could not see is what lay just beyond the veil. 'The dead littered the desert, ghostly visages littered everywhere seemingly lost in just how and where to go to the afterlife. I wondered if this was the sight of a giant battle...or a massive slaughter.' Raziel himself has dressed in traveling clothes today, enough to hide the majority of his...well, deadness. Only his eyes are truly visible, though his hands are cloven and clawed, as well as his feet. He was obviously not human, though not necessarily undead from just an outward impression. 'I noticed a distinct lack of men inside these walls, though many were marked with something that lead me to believe it was more like a dog collar than anything else. There was the man, large, strong, and seemingly a font of rebellion for this world. Nursing an old woman, which drew my suspicion. How so very convenient that we should arrive at this very moment.' "It seems we have interrupted you at an inopportune time. Should we come back at a different time?" Raziel offers in potentially mock politeness. It's hard to tell, as his wit tends to be mostly sardonic. However, it was obvious that he was far less than impressed with Ganon's show.
Riku	Riku moves with the others, riding along. The aggressors find themselves not capable of aggressing for long. Unlike Link, Riku has little mercy for banditry, especially from monsters. He cleaves into them even after Link flashbombs them, removing them as a threat for the moment, at least. The arrival at the Gerudo Town Riku looking over the tall, powerful woman eith a nonchalant expression. Looks like even here he is working to maintain his cool. He seems unimpressed at the man ban, but before he needs to find an alternative solution, theyre given an exception. Finally, they're brought in, and Riku walks along, observing what the others do. The yellow glowing eyes get a pointed narrowing of his expression. By the time they reach Ganondorf, Riku's face is flat. His tone is polite, at least. "Hello, Ganondorf." He doesn't go for the king of evil thing this time it seems. The sight of the sick woman certainly drives home why he was doing what he was doing at the hospital, but Riku doesn't look guilty about it.
Ganondorf Dragmire	Sanary is offered a firm hand. "Welcome, sister," Ganondorf says...warmly, too. His grip is tight and his hand is massive, but he's careful not to hurt her (and, frankly, he isn't all that physically strong - he's not weak, but he's not exactly superhuman). "All the hands you can spare would be more than appreciated. I would have had more doctors on hand to treat the patients, but unfortunately, I was interrupted." Ganondorf does not look at Staren or cast a mean look at anyone. His face is stone as he says it. It's not a dig. It's just a fact. Sanary's question about how old he is gets a bemused smile. "Twenty-three years old. Too old to be a maiden, too young to be a mother, and not old enough to be a crone." Raziel asks if they're interrupting. Ganondorf shakes his head. "You would have seen the same at any time." It is, after all, not like he knew when they'd come. "Better now at the end of my rounds than at the beginning." When Link speaks, Ganondorf looks at him for a long moment. Those red eyes are fierce. Strong. Hotter than the pounding sun, which even now beats down, though is mostly obscured by overhangs and well-designed walls. "You're dressed too hot for the desert," he says bluntly to the boy, "If you're going to kill me, next time, wear something looser so you don't die of heat stroke first. It would be a poor prophecy beaten by sand and stupidity." He looks down at the old woman. "It is those glowing eyes that forced my hand. Medical aid from Hyrule was not forthcoming." Ganondorf sneers under his mask. "Once again, Hylian nobility remains our funniest joke." Ganondorf rubs his eyes, and suddenly he seems very tired as he turns away from the party and starts walking. "Too many of my sisters have contracted the Poeblight for folk remedies to deal with. I had hoped foreign medicine and foreign doctors would be able to lend a new eye and perhaps find some cure, but that attempt was stymied and cut off." As he walks, he gestures Sanary to fall in next to him. "If you are indeed a foreign healer, the most useful thing you could do is teach other sisters your arts. Even a little would go a very long way. This is not a place where we have access to even simple potions." Staren asks The Question. Ganondorf clenches a fist. "Embrace it?" The Triforce pulses on his hand. "I embrace it because it is mine. I am the Great King of Evil. Now and forever. Why should I turn away from it? What does it matter what my goals are when my methods are monstrous?" He looks over his shoulder, and his visible eye is a death-glare sharp enough to cut through steel. Then he turns away from Staren, and he's still walking. "I am the Great King of Evil. I am not the Great King of Noble Causes. Why should I settle for attacking their manors when I can strip them of their wealth? Why should I settle for killing their soldiers when I can force them to feel the pain of our poverty?" He looks back over his shoulder at Staren, and that glare is full of even more malice, even more power. "Why should I spare the wealthy when I can punish them alongside their noble brethren?" "They have never shown us mercy. Neither shall I show them mercy. Their own goddess gave me the power to burn Hyrule to the ground. Why should I show her anything less than the gratitude of the Gerudo?" The party leaves the slum and enters the palace. It is choked with the sick. All through the halls, people are being ministered, mostly women, some husbands, a few Hylian women expats in Gerudo gear, even a female Zora or two. All of them have the same symptoms - the glowing eyes, the strange pale light. Gerudo women in light robes are moving between them to give them what water they can spare. All of them stop and lower their heads for Ganondorf, who waves them off and continues into the throne room.
Ganondorf Dragmire	There is no one in the throne room. Not even guards. Ganondorf sits down upon the marble-and-gold throne, a throne that's almost too small for his sheer height. He presses his fingers to his brow, and now, finally, answers Link. "We call it the Poeblight." "Another cruelty of the desert. A disease that kills by making you part of it." Ganondorf drums one finger against the arm of his throne. "It devours your insides and transforms you into one of the desert-dwelling ghosts. Hence its name."
Link	The response to Link makes Link swallow. And then, he replies. "This is a traditional outfit for the hero. It's comfortable and easy to wear...even if it is hot." He'll have to figure out a solution to heat stroke, besides his potions. And then, Ganondorf replies sharply to Staren. Link takes a step back, but doesn't put his hand on his sword, even though he feels that that's his /duty/. That's what would be expected of him. Insulting Hyrule, attacking it, treating it like a blight...Link wants to say 'you're wrong'. But he can't bring himself to. He doesn't know enough about the nobility. As they enter the palace, Link's eyes again wander to the foreigners. As Ganondorf takes his seat, Link stops, and Ganondorf explains what it is. Poeblight. "That's...awful. I've never heard of it..." Link pauses, and then resolves himself. If his confidence is waning, there is only one action he can take. He has to prove himself. "How can we help?"
Staren	Staren flinches just slightly when that glare is turned on him, then he returns it with a cold look of his own. Before he can reply, though, they're led to halls of the sick. Cold detachment is how Staren deals with this. He waits a moment after Ganondorf explains the disease. "...I meant that I wonder how even the poor can prosper when each village is forced to be self-sufficient and abandon trade, but I confess I am not well-versed in local economics. The poeblight certainly presents a more immediate problem." Staren activates scanning equipment in his armor, searching for magic, specifically to see if the /disease/ is powerful enough magic to detect. "I am not familiar with this disease, either. Is the issue that no reliable cure has been found, that the synthesis of the cure is too difficult, or that the ingredients are too rare or difficult to acquire? If a cure is known, what is required to make it?"
Rean Schwarzer	Rean follows the group into the desert, trailing along behind Sanary. At least he's dressed for summer, though even that wasn't enough against all the sand. He covers his mouth and nose with his arm as they walk on, trying to keep the sound out of his nostrils. The monsters are no problem for him, hitting them with swift strikes as they pressed forwards. Even if they were vaguely humanoid, they were about as mindless as monsters on his world, weren't they? They approach the gate to the Gerudo gate and are almost stopped because their group is primarily men. Rean raises an eyebrow, as the women confer. Some sort of sisterhood, perhaps? Eventually they're let through anyway, though. The town is...ancient, it seems. This place has been lived in for a very long time, despite being in such a harsh environment. He watches the children clean the stone for a few moments, making a mental link between them and the children who lived in the Nord Highlands. And then they come across Ganondorf himself. Rean winces, feeling the darkness and malice coming off the man. Even as he was assisting an elderly woman, it was clear that the title King of Evil was well deserved. "...Your majesty." Rean finally says, composing himself. He sighs as Gandondorf explains why he chose to attack the nobility and rob that hospital a while back. It's not the first time he's heard of nobles shirking their duties in favor of their own wealth, and it likely wouldn't be his last. "...Is this area even under the Hylian nobles' jurisdiction?" He asks as they enter the throne room. "Not that them ignoring this area is any less wrong if it's not, of course." Then Link asks how they can help. Rean pauses for a moment, looking at the boy in green. "...Yeah." He says. Even if Ganondorf himself was basically a wellspring of evil, there was no reason for his people to suffer as well.
Raziel	Raziel was even less impressed now than he was a few seconds ago, listening to the reasoning behind the man it was so painfully clear that this man could easily be Kain it was painful. Though as the conversation turned to the Poeblight, it matched up with what he saw. There was a thoughtful look in Raziel's eyes as he considered the situation. "That much, at least, is true...even if partially so. I have seen the ghosts which haunt these lands, and their same expression as those suffering is undeniable. It is likely not a natural affliction...then it would mean that it has a source. I would highly doubt that it's just the desert itself, but rather something in it." Raziel looks at Staren, who would more likely be able to isolate a cause than he. Though that is up to the boy genius. Raziel turns his gaze back towards Ganon, remembering what he said of the Hyrulians. "Vae Victus," he says at first, softly, "Woe to the conquered...a sentiment I have heard too many times in my long life. If you wish to wage war on them, I care not. It is not my war but bringing those outside of it into it without even bothering to pursue other options even when you have the means to do so is unconscionable."
Sanary Rondel	That handshake is a bit of a surprise. Sanary was expecting it to an extent, sure, but holy CRAP Ganondorf is bigger than he looked from across the room. He's also kind of hot. Dammit. "R... Right. Well, I'm not a doctor with a license or anything like that, but I've trained with plenty that did." A beat. "I think. Treated loads of battlefield injuries, sanitized a whole lot of dirt and... Sick." Smooth. Her reaction is somewhat relieved when he reveals his age, and it doesn't look like he recognizes her. Maybe. "Give it some time. Everyone here'll become an old fogey sooner or later." She chuckles lightly and has to visibly hold in a laugh at his advice to Link, then quiets down once she takes a closer look at the old woman. Sanary has no idea what she's looking at. She's never even heard of poeblight until now, but.. Hell. What better way to impress people than learning how to fix it? "Countin' on nobility is a waste of time. If you want it done right, you just gotta learn how to fix it yourself." A beat, and then she offers Ganondorf an awkward grin. "Er. No offense to you. Just at the Hylian nobility. Sounds a lot like the Ylisseans from home." She chuckles bitterly at that, then steps towards the old woman while holding a hand out towards her. Green light wafts from her hand, the healing energy providing pain relief and some regeneration for at least a couple of seconds. "I can teach your people what I know, sure. I won't lie and tell you I've got a... A miracle cure or bullshit like that, but..." Sanary seems to be having trouble coming up with a coherent thought, likely from having to realize that shoving more healing juice into someone isn't going to help when they're getting eaten from the inside steadily. "...If there's someone with real talent for this sort of thing? They can probably do way better than just making 'em comfortable."
Ganondorf Dragmire	"I do not care about the suffering of the Hylians," Ganondorf says to Staren, plain as day, "The Gerudo are my concern. The Gerudo are my people. The Hylians can sort their own troubles. They brought their suffering upon themselves time and time again. Now they are reaping what is due." Staren tests, and he can indeed detect the Poeblight magically, but it's clearly not in and of itself purely magic. There's something else at work, something that isn't just a curse. Calling it a disease might just be apt. It's certainly a magical disease, though. The woman he's examining is slowly losing her mouth. It's slowly vanishing, turning into a blank space on her face as her eyes turn more and more yellow. Ghostly. "No cure is known," Ganondorf replies when Staren returns, "I had hoped, as I said, foreign doctors would be able to deduce one. It is not purely magical, or we could deal with it ourselves. My mothers are more than capable of something like that." Rean asks a question that gets a withering look. "Their jurisdiction? They think they rule all the world. This is the ghetto they forced us into generations ago. This is the place that they decided would be our home. The Gerudo people, driven out of the wind and the sky. The Gerudo people, reduced to thieves and bandits, and they who forced us have the temerity to-" His hand is shaking. The aura of malice is palpable now, radiating out from him like a shadow. The strange little blue light shows up at his side. After a moment, a deep breath, and a relaxing of his fist, the aura fades. "No. This is Gerudo land. They don't come into the desert. They fear it." "Wisely so." Raziel gets a Look. "Woe to the conquered indeed. Do you imagine that I have not met them? That I have not spoken, in the hope of averting what was coming? The King's wife claimed to my face that I had gerudo eyes, and was not to be trusted. That is what they have made us. Bandits and thieves to blame all their ills upon." "So that is what we have become. It is a cycle that will not break by my hand." Ganondorf's fist is tight. "Let them come pleading on their knees for my forgiveness. For my mercy. Let them come to live in these sands and struggle for life as the Gerudo have, while we take what is owed." "An impressive resume," the King says to Sanary, "I welcome such expertise. Even if you cannot cure it, mediating it is...enough. Especially with power like that. That is impressive power, power the Gerudo do not have. My mothers and myself aside. Our power is sacred from a time long ago, and not suited to healing in the slightest." Indeed, nobody here is using magic except Ganondorf. Most of the Gerudo are just doing basic 'comfort' rituals and simple folk treatments. "Don't sell your talents so short. Especially not when you were trying to impress me earlier." Yeah, he saw through that, but he's smiling. "More hands is more hands. More help is more help. You're welcome to stay in the palace if you are willing to teach all that you know. I have never expected a miracle cure from anyone." His face gets dark. "No. The Gerudo do not expect miracles anymore." Sanary's crack about nobility gets a smile. "I'm hardly noble. I am not of unique blood; a common Gerudo lady and a Hylian man whose name I never knew. The only thing remarkable about me is that I am the only male Gerudo. Once in a hundred years, a century king is born, and leads the people into a new age. This time it is on my shoulders."
Ganondorf Dragmire	Link offers to help. Rean backs him up. Ganondorf laughs. "I have often wondered what the man who will kill me is like. I am almost disappointed that I was so close to the mark. Even knowing that I would never help the Hylians without personal gain, you offer without hesitation to aid my people. You are indeed my opposite." He stands. "Yes. You can aid us, Hero of Courage." Ganondorf points into the desert. "To the distant east, it is said, there is a place where the stones are piled as cairns around tombs older than Gerudo Town. Legends say it is where the Poes go, where the souls of wanderers and the ancient kingdom that once held this land congregate. If anything has a means of alleviating this suffering, it is the Mirage Graveyard. A magic, an item, a sacred herb. I do not know what. But if anything has such a cure, it is there."
Staren	Staren frowns as he scans a patient and then notices her mouth is fading away. What kind of eldritch bullshit is this?! "There's something drastic I can try. I don't know if it will work -- it involves moving the soul to a new body. But who knows if this ailment would follow the soul? Or perhaps it affects the soul directly, and these changes are a physical manifestation. But, if there's someone who is going to die anyway before any cure can be found, I can give it a try." Staren looks between Link and Ganondorf. "If you believe the Mirage Graveyard might have a cure, why haven't you gone there yourself? What can the Hero of Courage do that you can't?"
Ganondorf Dragmire	"Have free time," Ganondorf says to Staren with the tone of a ruler, "Be expendable."
Riku	Riku continues to not look guilty about that. "I'm sure you'll find some accomplished healers... around here." He says with a straight face. "You're having a lot of problems here. You might not be one for noble causes but your methods aren't going to win you any friends either. He looks around, considering the situation. "That's pretty horrible." He says. "So what's causing it? Is it the ghosts or something else? Is there something that can be done to stop new infections?" He might have his Opimions on this but that doesn't mean people have to suffer. The various recitations of casus belli seem to just irritate the white-haired boy. His visible grating just causes him looks away and considers the move to deal with the investigation. "Fine, we'll check into this graveyard. In the meantime, stop trying to kidnap people."
Raziel	Raziel casts his sights into the spectral realm, trying to see if he could see a partial bit of the woman there, mostly looking for what was faded on the material side. Rather he sees anything or not, he looks back into the Material and sighs. "I care little for your dispute with the leaders of other lands. People will war, that is inevitable. I was referring to your kidnapping and raiding of a world's hospital that was outside of the conflict," Raziel replies bluntly. However, his candid response towards Staren gets a laugh from the ancient knight. "He is not wrong in this, as a leader, he is far too important to lose and to chase every rumor that may crop up. It is likely he has already dispatched forces there, and none have returned. In fact, it is a good idea, why not use the champion of your enemies. If he succeeds, then he wins...if the Hero of Courage fails, then he wins. Either way, he wins." "However, I am loathed to see people suffer, especially with such a disease..." he muses, "The ghosts I had seen on the way in are proof that this is something not natural. Unlike the Hero of Courage, I can not so easily be destroyed."
Staren	Staren gives Ganondorf a 'did he really just say that?' look, but after a moment, he can see that yeah, if Ganondorf died the gerudo would be in for a bad time, so, yeah, that's sorta fair. But theeeeen it occurs to him that if the poeblight keeps spreading, Ganondorf will lose everyone he cares about and have no subjects left to need him anyway. Of course, it could be that the King of Evil absolutely WOULD do it as a last resort, but if he can get heroes to do it for him so much the better. So Staren doesn't comment, he just files that away as more information about Ganondorf.
Link	Ganondorf is intimidating, but Link is finding his confidence. As Ganondorf calls him his opposite, and stands, Link looks where he points. "I will seek the cure. But..." Link isn't much of a talker, but he wants to say something. "You don't have to be thieves and bandits. You can still work for peace...find common ground with my people. We're all connected to Hylia, aren't we?" It's a little innocent. A little naive. A country farm boy trying to find common ground based on country farm boy beliefs. "I would like our people to one day be friends."
Sanary Rondel	As Ganondorf speaks of why the Gerudo live where they are, Sanary grimaces just a bit at the circumstances being revealed. Strangely enough, she doesn't seem all that disturbed by that menacing aura of his when he takes on that more hateful tone, and she even scoffs at the talk of eyes. Some small part might be related to just having the one, but the understanding is still there. "I hope I don't miss it when they do come. Should be a nice show." She chuckles lightly, then raises an eyebrow when the talk shifts to the healing arts. "That so? Huh... Maybe they just need the right..." She starts snapping her fingers. Words are hard. "Trigger... Stick... Button... Catalyst!" That's the one. She's really doing terribly at trying to impress anyone, and that jab that shows he knew all along is like a spear through the gut. "Heh... Y-yeah, got a point there. And if it works, it works. Doesn't matter if it's coming from someone with all sorts of fancy degrees and schooling if they can't even teach someone how to use a staff. Speakin' of..." As she loses her slightly proper tone more with each passing minute, Sanary takes a moment to dig around in her backpack. Soon, she's fishing a mildly bent staff out of it and nearly whacks herself in the face when the gnarled top half springs out at her. "I'll take a walk around town once we're done here and see what we're working with in terms of raw ability. Make sure this thing isn't busted, too..." Listening to the talk of the Mirage Graveyard, she furrows her brow while brushing off the staff idly. "Sacred herb... Hm. Y'know, an herb growing means there's probably seeds somewhere around. We find those, we can get more growing and combine that with the magic!" So much easier said than done. At least she shares that much with Link.
Rean Schwarzer	And ow, the evil aura's back, and at a much higher intensity this time. Rean visibly flinches when this happens, but quickly rights himself. That was why they were out here, not of their own will but as those who were conquered. "Sounds like a plan." Rean says to Sanary. "The rest of you ok with going in there?"
Ganondorf Dragmire	Riku gets a thin smile from the Gerudo King. "The Gerudo have never had friends. The Gerudo had a reputation for kidnapping when we still lived in Hyrule's borders. We have no men. Only Gerudo. Myself, included; I am male, but I am Gerudo. We cannot marry within the town. And, as you might imagine, many men would come to marry Gerudo, and this earned a jealous reputation from the people. And so slowly lies were spun that we kidnapped men." "And now that we are bandits..." Ganondorf says, and leaves the thought hanging. Obviously not all of the men here are kidnapped - a fair number of them seem perfectly happy with their lot in life just from the palace, and there's a few of them trying to help various Gerudo through their suffering - but the statement remains an ominous warning. They are obviously not going to stop. It would actually be unsustainable for them to stop. "That's correct," Ganondorf says to Raziel, "Either way, I profit." He sits back down in his throne and crosses his arms, his legs spread as he sits like a great khan before his subjects. "But I do not imagine he will die. He is fated to kill me. Fate does not often make such mistakes." Link speaks. It is a stirring, idealistic speech. It falls on ears so deaf he might as well be wearing a hearing aid. "Don't confuse your gods for mine. Don't confuse your land for mine. The time for peace was hundreds of years ago. The time for peace was before the Gerudo became outcasts in the land of their birth. There will be no bridges built by us. We will not once again submit ourselves to mercy only to find the hand we offer burned by scorn." "We are not connected to your land. Your land cast us off. We are what your land begged for." Ganondorf leans forward and sneers. "A /convenient scapegoat/." Sanary offers her thoughts. Ganondorf shakes his head. "The Gerudo magic is old. Curses, curse-breaking. War magic. Magic for mastery. It is not magic for healing. It is not meant to heal. And only a few of us carry that knowledge at all. Only a few of us carry the Witch Gift." Sanary offers to walk around town. Ganondorf nods. "Thank you. Your aid is much appreciated." Staren talks about brain-scanning and removing someone from their body. Ganondorf gives him the stare of a man who is smart enough to figure out what that means and yet is wary as hell of the statement. "No. I don't think that would be wise. If the disease follows the mind, you would expose yourself and any others you've saved in such a fashion. A gamble I am unwilling to take. Such a thing could see more hate rained down upon the Gerudo."
Link	Link's words fall on deaf ears. He frowns, fidgeting slightly, as he replies. "I...see." He goes quiet. For now, the hero moves to the side, to hear what the others have to say. He can't bring himself to speak any further. His idealism failed, and that makes him anxious. He'll have to prove himself to Ganondorf, that peace between people is possible. He'll have to cure the Poeblight.
Staren	Staren's not going to argue. He simply nods acknowledgement to Ganondorf. He thinks back to other matters, like the state of the town. "You won't be friends with the Hylians. I can't blame you for that. But will you ever be friends with others? There are countless peoples across the Multiverse."
Ganondorf Dragmire	"I am not opposed to friendship," Ganondorf says, "But I am not willing to indebt my people to any outsiders. Not now. Not ever. I will repay your efforts in salving the Poeblight. But I will never allow the Gerudo to be put under another's thumb."
Raziel	"It is a sound strategy, especially for anyone else that would rival your enemies here in your world. It would be easy to support your cause and undermine your power as well as win favor with the people. I imagine any alliance you would want must needs be on even footing, with services paid for but no charity is given." "Then what do your people offer those who would offer an alliance to you and yours? What do you bring to the table, that may bring an even relationship so that both sides benefit?" Raziel is even in this, simply stating the facts as they were, as well as any potential offerings. If he was not willing to take charity, then the trade would be the next best thing.
Ganondorf Dragmire	"Let's speak of that when you return," Ganondorf says to Raziel, "And when the Gerudo have begun recovering. At the moment, no agreement could be equal, with the illness sweeping through our ranks."
Sanary Rondel	"Heh. Glad someone else understands. I ain't as dumb as I look." Sanary responds to Rean with a self-satisfied chuckle, quieting down again to listen to just how dire the Gerudo situation is in regards to breeding and survival. Thankfully, she doesn't come up with any well-intentioned suggestions about that matter, instead focusing on her own objective of teaching these giants how to bring healing magic back into their repertoire. When he mentions the Witch Gift, though, the gears start turning. Her brow furrows in thought, but she doesn't say anything. No, she'll need to think over what she can do about the healing magic first, then worry about the Witch Gift. For now? It's time to see what kind of people she's working with.
Staren	Staren nods. "Of course." Well, that seems to about cover what they can do today.
Rean Schwarzer	Rean sighs. The past made things difficult, and they couldn't move towards the future until the present was dealt with. So the only thing left to do was to go cure the Poeblight. There was one last thing he wanted to try, though. He walks over to the woman and kneels next to her. A blue ring of light surrounds him and then changes into an aura of glowing bubbles around the woman. It probably wouldn't do anything- the spell was meant for closing wounds, not purifying disease. In fact, Orbal Arts weren't meant to be used to do that at all. But it was worth a shot.