Ezekiel waits for Amos and C'Deth to finish before smiling and raising his hand; his index finger is extended into a point as he speaks. "I am afraid, Lady Chou, that I must disagree with you. We were told by Pearson to make sure that history unfolds as it is preordained to do. And we were given dispensation to lead them to their fates ourselves if Jack was to be indisposed. There is much more at play than ensuring that two bodies are found." "We do not know who Jack was; his identity will go undiscovered even into the future. It could be that he was insignificant and will go unnoticed--or not. He may be a pauper but he might be a prince, and a missing prince will have repercussions. In fact, this creature suggest that if Jack is to meet an untimely demise that you should be sure that you learn his identity so you can inform us if there are further ramification to his death," he continues, wrapping one arm across his stomach while scratching his chin with his free hand. "And this is London, not some isolated village. The English had driven the last wolf from their doors when I was born and I imagine they have only become less common since then. If the doctors here are unable to tell a living body from a dead one, they might not be able to tell someone who fell victim to an animal from someone who was prey to their fellow man. Jack could be mistaken for another victim. And in my day, a body had to be examined quickly before further decay set in--and given the nature of these deaths I assume the doctors would want to examine the bodies immediately." "I do not know how your magic functions--you can borrow these women's faces, but can you appear as a corpse? Can you spill your viscera onto the street? We may have to go body snatching to ensure the deception is complete. These women were not notable but their deaths were gruesome enough to catch the attention of the world, as it were." "A tiger is a fearsome creature, but we do not know Jack's nature. There are monsters that walk on four legs but the worst ones know how to walk on two. Lady Mei's spell worked--that means there is some magic on this world, even if only a little. And that is not even taking account our opponents--if they had not eliminated Jack at that point they are likely stalking him as well, and might attack once you reveal your powers." "We have the addresses of Eddowes and Stride, as well as the last known address of our opponents. I suggest that we check those locations and if we are unable to find them we begin to search for them as I suggested. If we wish to take a more active stance against our opponents then I know a spell that can search for them. And Iban can gaze into the hearts of men. And of course, a silver tongue is a magic all its own," he finishes with a brief little flourish and a slight bow in the direction of Thom and C'Deth. "But forgive me if I have spoken out of turn. I only wish to ensure that we are able to complete our mission as was required of us."
The battle's almost over by the time that Chase is even able to react; two giant heads roll across the road and the remaining giant and the motorcycle man are both greviously wounded. It would be easy to finish one of them off, or both of them if he got lucky. But--they had missed the opportunity to interrogate anybody back at Bodie, and while the information that Ulf had gotten was a start, to be sure--it couldn't be a coincidence that they had fought a giant and here were three more of them, plus a half man half motorcycle creature. This was an opportunity. And Chase felt something whispering at the back of his mind--these creatures had come here to steal away these dwarves and transform them into monsters against there will. The death that Dustin and the others were offering them was far too generous. They deserved something slower--and they would spill every secret in their mouths before they ever felt Hel's embrace. He walks to the front door and as he steps over the threshold it is like the floodwater long held back by a dam bursting forth and drowning the land beneath its waves. His hair darkens as he steps forward, as if it had just been dipped in water but it does not hang damp on his neck--instead it unfurls itself like Medusa's coils, floating in the air of its own accord. The veins beneath his skin all burst at once, serpents tracing blue blood up and down his neck and arms and face as if he is being eaten alive by some deep ocean worm that has nested itself in his flesh. His lips and throat are drowning black and blue as he opens his mouth to speak to the monsters assembled before him. "Knock yourself over," he says, staring at the motorcycle monster. His words have a weight to them, like cement chained around the neck of a man thrown into a reservoir--they are inescapable and the monster will have no choice but to obey his command. "Listen up," he continues--his words seem distorted and far off, as if he was speaking from under the water--a little bit of bile drips out of his mouth as he speaks, second drowning seeping out from his lips. "You can strike at us but you might as well aim your weapons against the clouds or the sea for we will turn them back as easily as the ocean does eat away at the shore. Full fathoms five I will feed your bones to the sea and not even Hel herself will take you as company. We are so close to Ran's home--throw down your weapon and grovel at our feet and we won't take you to meet her eternal embrace." He waits, staring out at the monsters from distant eyes, gone gray like a corpse pulled out from the ocean, waiting to be pulled out from the ocean or else find its grave in Ran's golden hall.
Chase grins, slurping down the last bit of red licorice hanging out of his mouth while he spins the Queen Anne’s Revenge in his right hand, inexplicably holding on to the mobile in his left. Finally, it was time to have some fun. This was going to be just like the Almighty Johnsons. He wonders if the gods had seen the Almighty Johnsons or if they just had American TV in Valhalla; probably a question for another time. Maybe they’d run into those talking crows again and he could ask them. He twists the piece of shipwreck round in his hand--it still just looks like an unwieldy bit of flotsam but he wields it as easily as if it was designed just for this. He charges at one of the trolls but veers off at the last second, running up along the wall before sliding back down on the dirt, riding along it like he was surfing on the soil and dipping backwards, bringing the Queen Anne’s Revenge down onto the troll’s head. As he does, the reason he didn’t stash his mobile when the battle started becomes apparent; he’s taking a selfie as he attacks the troll, showing off a full smile of white teeth as he does.
Still around
Presenting Airic Graysea, seascarred skinwalker hunter. Background and RP sample are in profile
Oh, also: I opened up a Carrion Crown recruitment. Any of you all should feel free to apply if you're interested
Update: I got selected for the campaign, so I'm not going to be running one. Sorry! I still might end up running a Carrion Crown campaign though if I feel up to it.
My move's done and I have internet again so I'll be able to post in the next scene
Victory! Hail Mazmezz! On to the church, I believe?
There's nothing on the needle. I figured that Charm Person would solve the problem so I decided to take the opportunity to have a little fun. Amatsu's trying to get Bo to do a version of Mazmezz's obedience on Denton. Because have you heard the good news about spider demons?
The woman was alone, lonely little creature with no horde of friends to protect her, no one to notice when a spider's web ensnared her. This would be easy--so easy, that Amatsu could not help but take the opportunity to toy with her prey. "Greetings, dear Boluisia," says Amatsu, stepping forward and bowing, far lower than what would be required for a gatekeeper--or even a king. And when her bow reaches its lowest point, she looks up at the gatekeeper--and the words she speaks are neither Taldan nor Minkain, but the guttural language she used back at the tannery. "Dearest Boluisia, my friends and I come on behalf of the Archbaron, who bares a simple request: that the gate be closed, and that this notice be placed upon the gate. Such a simple request, is it not? And so easy to fulfill," she says, as she stretches back up, like a snake uncoiling itself before striking at a mouse. "Denton--he may disapprove. But I am sure you can do a simple favor for me and convince him to do this, yes? The decrees are so minor--surely you can persuade him." "And of course, I would never ask a favor without offering something in return. There is a secret remedy we use in Minkai, to relieve the pains of a long day of labor. I will tell you this secret," she says, reaching into her robe and extracting a bone-white needle from Hime's body. "Do this for Denton, and I promise you will face no objections from him. Tonight, when you sleep, take this pin, and press it into his skin, where the shoulder meets the neck. He will find it painful at first, but do it enough and all his pains will be relieved, I promise you that." Amatsu smiles, tight lipped, and stretches out her hand, offering the needle to the gatekeeper,
Alright, now we bar the door, burn the place to the ground and on to the next place, right?
Maybe "start a riot" shouldn't be my go to plan for everything but I am Chaotic Evil...
Unsurprisingly, the bartender seems to have turned hostile, which makes Amatsu smile to herself. She considers simply setting back and watching what unfolds, but a plan has begun to form in her head and Justimar is doing an excellent job distracting the oaf. Glancing one last time around the bar, Amatsu skitters towards the kitchen, getting as close to the pot as she can--though still leaving about ten feet between it and her, and attempting to find a spot where she can still be unnoticed. Once she does, she begins to chant, gesturing at the pot and whispering to herself in a strange, foreign tongue. Abyssal:
Wormturn fleshfall maggotreign poisongrow
When she finishes her chant, she walks to the pot, not bothering to be subtle, and dips her finger into the brew. "My lord, it seems that you have greater things to worry about than decrees," she hisses at the proprietor before turning to the rest of the tavern. "The food this man is serving is spoiled! Who knows what he has been trying to pass off as meat? Praise be to Asmodeus that the Archbaron has protected us with his decree!"
"I have no objections to this plan," says Amatsu, as she begins to comb her doll's ragged hair. "Kyandoru can stay behind, and ensure that the mansion is not disturbed. For now. But soon she'll have to make her debut, won't she?"
"She is this mansion's owner," sighs Amatsu, smiling as she returns to stroking the creature's cheek. "Quite a fearsome landlady you have, Cimri, but I think I've convinced her to forgive the lack of rent. For now."
"The dead envy the living. They fear us and hate us and most of all they love us because they yearn to be us and the only way to do that is to devour us," whispers Amatsu, smiling, as she reaches out a hand to touch the creature's face, pressing against it, smoothing out it's skin like wax. "Oh, you are so beautiful. Beautiful daughter, what happened here? Did you spill your own blood, or did another?" she continues. "Can you speak or has death taken your tongue?" "She had a name, once, when she was a son or daughter of this city, but I fear death has stolen it from her--and what kind of mother would deny her daughter a name? Kyandoru, you are so beautiful--are you ready to serve your mother?"
It's just like Pokemon Go!
Amatsu watches as Justimar and Arruk attack the poor pathetic creature. She had never seen an undead monster before, only dreamed of them and listened to Hime's whisperings to her in the night, so she had no idea if this monster was undead or not. But she had a hunch--this place was supposed to be haunted, after all. And wouldn't it be a joy to find a new playmate for Hime... Without a word, Amatsu retrieves her doll from between the folds of her robe and a needle from her hair, which she then plunges into her doll with her eyes still locked on the advancing creature.
Also still here
Amatsu had stayed towards the back of the crowd during the speech--a speech she found incredibly distasteful, of course. She was more than disappointed that such talk of rooting out evil and restoring honor was allowed in a nation in thrall to the Ruby Throne but she was going accustomed to such laxness. At least it allowed her to do her work more easily. She was looking for an opportunity to cause a little chaos when the woman disappeared back into the temple. At first she thought she would have to abandon her plans--but the woman had left her two sons at the front of the church--they might be even more easy to turn the crowd against. She wasn't about to denounce the evils of truth and love herself, of course. During the speech she had watched the crowd, looking for anyone who looked like they might not have appreciated the words of the priestess--and looked like they were willing to argue the point. Standing as far back as she can she chants quietly in Abyssal, weaving a spell over them before approaching.
"Excuse me. This speech. The woman's words--are they not treason? She seeks to bring an army--this Reclamation--down on our heads. And she expects us to do so based on--a mask? She must think us all fools, yes?" says Amatsu, exaggerating her accent as she speaks. "This is not my country. But if it were--I would never allow such words to go unchallenged. The woman leaves her children," says Amatsu, mockingly describing the young men who are probably older than her, "Children to watch over us. She thinks so little of this town, it is clear. I can say nothing. But you--you could say something, yes? Show them that this town does not need her as a mother hen, not when she seeks to lead us all into the fox's den."
"Kanojo wa shūkyōde wa nai nodesuga, watashi wa akuma sūhai ni kanojo o henkan suru tame ni nozonde imasu," says Amatsu, smiling and speaking rapidly in Minkain. Of course, no one can understand her, and once everyone looks suitably perplexed she laughs before speaking again. Minkain:
She's not religious but I'm hoping to convert her to demon worship "I am sorry, I forget how far away I am from my home sometimes," she says. She looks at the sheriff and at Cimri--so there was familial drama between the two; the aunt a sheriff and her niece a criminal! How utterly delightful. She could not resist but to pluck a string or two between them. "And I know so little of your ways. This Sword Knight--she is a priestess. But not of the Crimson One--Asmodeus? You are not here to arrest us for hearing the priestess speak, are you?" Cimri had not told us of you either. I am not surprised that she is the niece of the sheriff--I can see the resemblance between the two of you," she says--and now comes the chance to twist a knife, if only slightly, to sow a little strife. "She was a customer at my apothecary, you see--we were chatting while she browsed my wares, and soon I found my first friend in this strange land. She was buying herbs for childb---for pain, as I recall. But I have spoken out of turn; forgive me."
"We do not have such a luxury in Minkai," says Amatsu, admiring the filigree and the intricate carvings of the carriage. It was a bit baroque, especially compared the more austere fashions of her homeland, but Amatsu was still capable of knowing luxury when she saw it. And she had not expected such an ostentatious show of loyalty from the driver. She wonders--how much of this is sincere, and how much of it is for show. "I would sometimes take a palanquin when visiting other estates. This--I imagine that it is much better. Horses are so much faster than people. Less fun to break, I imagine." On the ride over, while playing with her doll, she notices Justimar watching her speak to Hime; she smiles at him while bringing the doll closer to her chest. I take it that as a Lord of House Leroung, you are a cultured man. This luxury must be no novelty to you, of course. Going at such speed--little Hime is a great comfort to me," she says, as she puts her doll back into the folds of her robe. "On journeys back in Minkai, I would sometimes compose poetry to pass the time. The events of the past day have given me much for inspiration. Are you fond of poetry, Lord Leroung?" before continuing to speak. "Hungry ghosts now wait
Hey, the great thing about spiders is that all those extra arms makes them the best at hugging!
"The church of Iomedae. I am surprised that Thrune allows the inheritor to be worshiped openly at all. Her followers are a troublesome lot," hisses Amatsu. She had heard much of the cult since her arrival in Avistan--she had hoped that at very least a nation devoted to Hell would have had the good sense to chase them all from its soil. "But perhaps--let a hundred flowers bloom, if only so you can cut them all down in their height? So--delightful." "I must agree with Lord Leroung, at least in part. While the people must know that House Fex is watching--some eyes are better if they are unseen. It's one thing to hear what people say when they know that you are watching--much better to hear what they say when they think you are absent. Perhaps some of us could wear the sashes, while the others keep them hidden--the better to strike unseen?"
"Such a delightful meal you have prepared for us," says Amatsu at the spread of food that Cimri provides them. "It reminds me a bit of home. You must excuse me though, if my table manners are lacking--I am a stranger in this land still," she says, as she begins to partake of the food. She fills her glass half full with wine, but she does not partake of it during the meal, only occasionally bringing the glass to her lips and feigning drinking it. She laughs as Justimar so swiftly imbibes his drink--always trying to stay two steps ahead, that one is. "As I said before--our patron has the most excellent taste," says Amatsu as she withdraws her treasure from its case. "Blue whinnis. A lovely flower. The petals, when ground with a mortar and pestle, produce a sap that is quite--potent. The slightest prick--and you are asleep, just like a princess in a fairy story. It is quite useful for--surgery." "Oh, I am afraid I must demur; I've had far too much to drink," says Amatsu with a little laugh, holding her sleeve to her face. She watches as Justimar and then Arruk take their turns. "It looks like your competition will be quite fierce, dearest Cimri. Show these boys how to make proper use of a knife, yes?"
"Oh, dear master Justimar of House Leroung, you say you don't mean to dance with your words, but they bely so much. You ask what I am but do you mean my race? My nation? My power? You speak of the creatures we summoned so I shall assume the last. I am a mage, like you, though your power and mine are not the same, I suspect. The creature you summoned lasted quite long, indicating a conjurer of some power--yet the creature itself was fairly weak in the grand scheme of things, was it not," says Amatsu, raising Hime to her lips to cover her mouth as she laughs--a quite girlish giggle, considering the circumstances. This noble was intrigued; how delightful--it was time to weave her web. "And my dear little Yurei is no monster. She saved us from that cur back at the tannery, did she not? There are spiders far worse than my sweet little ghost, I can promise you that," continues Amatsu, pulling Hime away from her mouth. "And surely a krenshar is not so strange. A little frightful, perhaps--but this is a nation of frights, is it not? The things I have heard--well, best not to speak them aloud."
"Such a lovely mansion. All the stories say that it haunted; I do hope that is true," says Amatsu, smiling slightly as they enter the ruined building. As they do, she removes from the folds of her robe a doll--it is dressed in a tiny white kimono, stained with dirt and something dark red, and someone has stitched two extra pairs of arms to it. "The whole thing could collapse at any moment, killing us all. Wouldn't that be beautiful?" Despite her words, Amatsu follows after Cimri with confidence, ignoring the creaking of the stairs under her feet.
"A krenshar. Our employer has delightful taste in pets," says Amatsu as they enter what appears to be an abandoned library. "Master Razelago. It is an honor to at last meet you. We had heard so little about you--but I am glad that you seem to have heard of us already," says Amatsu, not bothering to bow despite her words. "In Minkai, the true rulers so frequently sit behind a veil when they give their orders. So good to see that some things are true the world over. I am eager to see what sort of prize our veiled master has in store for us," she finishes with smile, following Cimri back out the door.
Justimar's slave, I think
"I look forward to proper introduction to him." hums Amatsu. "Such a strange choice of meeting place for government business. Do you Avistani do all your ruling in the shadows?" Amatsu summons up a new set of lights, glowing sickly green and heads towards the edge of town to avoid prying eyes on her way to the Ash House.
We might, as a group, want to consider tweaking our skills/traits somewhat, to cover the niches that Ghivinus and Ryde were going to fill.
Upon hearing the eagle's cry, Amatsu gives the room one more perfunctory look over, this time activating her magic as she does, before turning to leave the room. As she does, she touches Arruk on the arm, just for a second. "It is time for us to fly, less we become trapped in another spider's web," she says, glancing back at the others and then looking at Louslik. "One might want to hit that one over the head before we do, though," she whispers, her voice only audible to Arruk. "Lest he try and warn the sheriff of our escape." Amatsu heads to the hole in the wall where they initially made their entrance, wriggling through the gap just as she did when they first arrived. Once she passes through it, though, she does not immediately start to run; instead, she summons up her magic, and four ghostly green lights spring out from her hand, circling around her--but slowly their light shifts, becoming a more comforting dull yellow, like that of lanterns or torches, and they descend to a few feet off the ground, lining up in a row. The lights then march northwest, shaking as if they had hands carrying them along--and only then does Amatsu flee into the darkness.
It was a celestial giant crab spider, I swear! Didn't you see the halo? At some point, Justimar will probably figure out that Amatsu is speaking Abyssal. Hopefully after he's been snared by the powers of a kyton so he won't immediately rat her out to the authorities. Interestingly enough, Amatsu is actually a noble, though being Minkain nobility might not count for much in Cheliax or in Justimar's eyes, though it could make for some interesting interaction between them. Amatsu hasn't brought it up b/c she largely doesn't care, and she did deliberately leave her estate in ruins (chaotic evil!) Also, I think I may have found a better image than the one I originally linked for the spider I summoned...
Aww, scared of little ol'me? Why, I wouldn't harm a fly! Well, maybe that's a bad example...
Abyssal:
"Runbloodred poisonflow worldend" says Amatsu, finishing her chant. As Amatsu finishes her spell, the shadows behind Louslik and his dog coalesces, forming a patch of darkness in the shape of a spider--and then the darkness bursts open, and a monstrous spider crawls out of the shades, a creature so pale and white you can almost see through its caparace; it is a spider, but not quite--it has far too many legs, jointed in too many place, and eyes, burning red and staring out from not just its head but its body and limbs, even for an arachnid, and a what appears to be a second mouth just below its mandible--which is open wide and dripping with venom. The thing hisses at the dog before springing forward at it, it's jaws open wide, ready to poison the creature for its next meal.
"Kamu kamu kamu, sukoshi Yūrei," says Amatsu with the slightest hint of a smile, before looking past the dog and locking eyes with the tanner. The smile stops being a hint and she opens her mouth so wide it almost seems that the top of her head and jaw are about to split in two--a silent scream echoes out from her--silent, that is, to everyone except for Louslik.
Minkain:
Bite, bite, bite, little Ghost,"
Cursing under breath, Amatsu aims her crossbow in the direction of the door the voice was coming from while beginning to chant quietly to herself. It is not common she is speaking, but it is not the language she spoke before--it is far harsher and more guttural, the words interspersed with strange clicking sounds, almost as if it is not a language but the sound some horrible creature makes before the kill. Abyssal:
"Mandibleopenfang chitterbitevenom preymortalsoul hungerkilldevour snapbonesrendflesh" Amatsu chitters in the strange language, her eyes focused on the door, as the darkness around the building begins to coalesce into the shape of some creature with far too many legs...
As the others slip through the hole in the wall, Amatsu dances towards the dog, drawing her crossbow as she does. Though her steps are erratic and her path is uneven, she is still as quiet as the void, just as she promised Cimri. When she reaches the canine, she presses her bow against its neck before pulling the trigger, sending the crossbow through its jugular artery and blood spraying across the ground.
Awesome, I've switched Amatsu to a gravewalker and traded Poison Focus for Extra Hex so she can pick up Healing Hex, and gotten rid of the blue whinnis so she can afford three scrolls of CLW. Fingers crossed that this tannery employs undead guards for her to play with, tee hee hee
I'm fine with tinkering with Amatsu to pick up the slack on healing. The obvious option would be to make her a hedge witch. I could also drop her poison hex and switch to the healing hex. I could also spend her last bit of coin on some scrolls of CLW. The idea of Amatsu recommending painful treatments when she could heal someone fine without them is pretty perfect for her character. Of course, since we won't be having anyone doing stuff with the undead anymore, I could also switch from veneficus to gravewalker. As hard as it would be to lose little Hime, the idea of Amatsu running around with a horrid little doll she's fashioned to look like a spider that she refers to as "Princess" and talks to is almost as great. And getting to play with undead would make up for the pain of having to be a healbot, of course ;)
"Dogs--or dog? I saw only one. Poor little creature--something has injured it. Perhaps they are beating the poor creature. A little bit of food--the beast will be calm--it will do us no harm," hums Amatsu at the well dressed man's mention of the hounds. A little bit of food, laced with poison and broken glass--to ensure the poison properly enters the bloods, of course. "Oh, forgive me! My name is Amatsu Mi," she says, taking a short bow that would've been barely sufficient to give to a servant back in Minkai. The man was a noble--Amatsu could tell by the clothes he was wearing and the way he was ordering around the--she couldn't tell what the man called Arruk was, he looked a bit like an oni--an orc, the noble had called him. She wondered what a noble was doing indulging in burglarly--he didn't seem particularly happy to be among them. "I am surprised that one of your stature would even deem to enter such a low place. A tannery--it is unclean. The stench is--nearly unbearable."
"Another construct! It will resist our weapons--but cold could harm it! Venture not too close--it will attempt to devour you!" says Ishia, as she begins to call upon her magic. As the electricity surges through Say'ri and Petra, Ishia can tell they are in grave danger--and she reaches further into the Great Beyond, hoping to summon a creature beyond her normal ken to assist them. The air in the room begins to take on a slight chill as the space around the sarcophagus begins to warp... Ancient Osirion:
"I call upon the fell powers of the void, the darkness that devours all warmth and light, assist me--grant me but a fraction of your power!" chants Ishia, her eyes darknening, shadows speckled with starlight forming around her hands
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