"Bah! Silly softshells always mate, never think. Us kreen more smart, always think more good. Sloshy inside organs make softshell more dumb, dumb like braxat."
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"Silly softskin, us kreen never sleep."
Hissing in frustration, Skarsnikt lobs a rock in the general vicinity of Aso. "Silly softshells! Now not time for that! Get through wall-hole first, mate later!"
As the party prepares to step between the broken wall's energy pulses, Skarsnikt skitters up the wall. Once he reaches the top, he rains a steady stream of rocks onto the approaching undead.
"Yes-yes. Us kreen help softskins climb up wall, then help climb down wall. Once clutch outside hive, rattlebones walk into magic energy, melt away like morning dew."
"Now no-no fight time. First clutch fool silly rattlebones, then fight and establish mating rights. Now, us kreen will save clutch, will climb wall, attract bony ones, then jump off wall, lead skullheads into magic energy. Reast of clutch split and hide, bone-men follow kreen."
"Good-good. Rattlebones angry now. Clutch want rattlebones chase it. Now, clutch move-move." Skarsnikt starts jogging towards the breached wall at a leisurely pace. "Move-move, softskins!"
"Perhaps clutch trick walking dead, lead them into magic energy in wall, yes? Rattlebones explode like old head templar."
Skarsnikt follows after Fandriac, doing his best to appear as a loyal Raam citizen. "What now, boss, go repair other wall, no?"
Skarsnikt nods as the mantis-woman speaks. "Are you enslaved by the death-priests, or are you just temporarily forced to work like us?"
Skarsnikt waves his antennas excitedly as he approaches the female with small hops. After a quick greeting, he starts dragging rocks around.
Skarsnikt lets go of MalaKi and slowly approaches the templar, making a tapping motion against the carapace covering his head. "Sorry-sorry, mighty templar", he mutters, hanging his head. "Hearing not good after storm. Repeat please, yes? Again, sorry-sorry." While feigning hearing loss, he quickly scoops out the situation, looking for a sheltered spot where he can rip the templar into small pieces in relative peace.
"Run-run, fire priest. Fight deadf not possible, dead numerous, feel no pain." Skarsnikt grabs MalaKi in one set of arms and set off down the street, looking for a room low enough to jump up on. "Run, clutch, run!"
"That storm highly bad. Highly strange, perhaps Aso-angered ghosts bring it?"
MalaKi goes to the door and yells out to Skarsnikt, “Sand storm coming.” He then beckons for the kreen to join the group inside. "Coming presently." Skarsnikt skitters inside the bar, happy to get out of the stinging windblown sand.
Skarsnikt shakes his antennas in disbelief at the aaracockra's news. "Softshell Aso truly act like hatchling. He no realise power of angry ghosts? This most distressing. Here, nothing happen. Elder softshell try hire we kreen for job; however, we refuse. We need no job." He pauses for a few seconds. "Now wind increase, storm possibly come. Fly carefully back toward new hive."
In kreen Spoiler: ::Good idea. We kreen stand out among the softshells, and should serve as decoys. Also, this way we do not need to buy the hatchling's drinks.::
Skarsnikt is right behind Kirrish as he enters the bar. However, his attention quickly moves to the maimed dwarf and his odd musical instrument, and he is of no use for info-gathering.
Skarsnikt takes the bracers and slides them onto his upper set of arms. "Thank you, MalaKi, this kreen highly grateful." Greetings, honoured ghost!
MalaKi joins with the kreen. As they walk he makes small talk with Skarsnikt. He knows that Skarsnikt doesn’t like ghost weapons but wants to see how the kreen warrior would feel about wearing Mistress Sable or Ostro. "World ghost-full, they all different. Some ghosts good, some ghosts bad, some ghosts helpful, some jealous of living things. Knife-ghosts in Radik-blades clearly highly bad. This kreen will carry haunted item, not antagonise ghost; however, if ghost bad, this kreen give item back."
Skarsnikt comes along with the group that goes to the meeting. "THis kreen happy-happy leave ghost weapons. Too many voices, difficult make clear thought."
"This kreen no believe softskin Shenker no eat dog." Skarsnikt waves his antennas in a mildly reproachful manner. "Also, when snake hiss, when rat squeak, they talk. And this kreen see you eat rat in desert."
"That notion silly. All things talk with other things. Kank talk, sadly nobody talk kank language back. When dog bark, it talk, yet you eat dog."
"This place no different from other softshell hive. Softshells poor builders, unlike kreen. No wonder their hives close-close together, otherwise they fall over." The kreen shakes his head - a human affectation he has picked up somewhere. "Good thing softshells copy kreen, otherwise no softshell live in hive anywhere. Now, time for ghost ritual. Pass meat, please."
To the Inn Between!
"If clutch no destroy body, templars animate Issiki with evil magic. If clutch no show Issiki respect and eat body, best option Zuko burn it. This kreen no allow Issiki become walking dead."
"How should clutch treat body of hatchling Issiki? Him good softskin, deserve respect. This kreen suggest clutch eat body - that honourable, keep spirit of Issiki with us, make ghost happy."
"When nest destroyed, sad times. This kreen highly sad."
"'This one' makes his point, bug." "Certainly. But what point? 'Radik possess excess blood'-point? Such point highly odd."
"This kreen confused. Why Radik stone-man cut himself? Him try attract bloodsucking insect? Him possessed by dagger ghosts? Him have head boiled by hot-hot sun?"
"Not wise carry large amount iron in street - especially ghost-iron. Plan good one!"
"This kreen intend raise many, many little larva, eat many meals, live many days. Thus, this kreen leave through rear door at high speed. Templar, giant, too many."
Skarsnikt nods in appreciation as Kirrish gives him the pouch, attaching it to his harness. He wanders over to Holdrus. "Ghost in ground desperate. This kreen thinks abandoning buried ghost unwise - present ghosts become angry. This kreen help Holdrus dig out buried one. Kreen great diggers, this happen fast. However, this kreen desire no interaction with haunted objects - intersts and dreams of dead ancestors not same as living creature. Taking orders from dead spirits unwise. Mollifying angry ghosts wise, though, which why this kreen help." With that, he starts digging into the mud with all four claws, shards of hardened clay flying everywhere.
Skarsnikt stares in bewilderment at the azure rod. "Room undoubtedly cursed. Too many haunted item. Too many angry ghosts. Here good idea: we leave."
"Foul softshell", Skarsnikt hisses, "stop your twistiness." He tightens his grip and, almost as an afterthought, snaps his manibles around the muscular woman's neck.
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