Some Infernal Research
Log Info
- Title: Some Infernal Research
- Emitter: Cryosanthia
- Characters: Cryosanthia, Seyardu, Aryia, Aya
- Place: A14: Quill's Repose, City Library
- Time: Wednesday, August 18, 2021, 2:38 PM
- Summary: Cryosanthia is doing some research at the Quill's Repose while Lily attends a Children's Reading period there. The whitescale's research is an esoteric combination, the Crimson Pen and Infernals, specifically devils and Erinyes. She's joined by Aryia, Seyardu and Aya. Aya's arrival prompts a swift casting of Protection from Evil, as Cryo hasn't heard that she was free of compulsion, only that she vanished while under it. They discuss the events, and Cryo explains a few weapon types that might injure the Outsiders. Aryia is upset, will her Cold Iron Cestii not work? Sadly, the whitescale informs that more powerful entities often have capricious vulnerabilities, to the point where a whole cartload of weapons seems necessary to ensure one has the correct red sword to use on the green golem. Cryo also laments that battles are less fanciful exchange of verbal taunts with discrete but attractive injuries, and more brutal mutual butcheries. It's clear she's experienced many of the latter. This leads to a conversation about the town where Cryo saw the statue of Mariela, she explains how her visit went and the great danger in encountering the Demon Duke. She also advises that the group agree to flee, or it will become a trap the demon loves to exploit as people remain and fail to save their companions. Cryo lists the many people she recalls having demonic pacts with Eclavdran and glances suspiciously at Aya. It's usually people who meet him and walk away. As they converse, rain starts, followed by hail, and something occuring at the docks. They pack up the books and go.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--<* A14: Quill's Repose, City Library *>=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
A large hallway, circular in design, is what lies beyond the large doors that let visitors in to the public library. Two guards stand in these doors at all times, employees of the city Watch, hired by the library for protection and to prevent theft of books. The head librarian is more of the same--a retired Watch member, herself: Lady Octagna is a great oruch whose lined face bears with it, as well, the scars of old battle. These days, she battles over books and the impudence of Society, Engineering, and Temple students alike, who spend long hours toiling within the Library's walls and basement.
A sign above proclaims the loan of books to be illegal, and that books may not travel further than the doors. Loud noises are hushed by the Lady Octagna, whose grand stature is said to be second to none. Her movements are rarely heard, though they are often seen, marking her quite agile in her elderly age. Rumors, too, place her as a curmudgeon'd ally of Madame Gelfure, the two of them going back years, with a tradition of lunches or the occasional breakfast.
The hall has marble floors, and two staircases lead upwards, one to the left and another to the right. Bright blue carpets cover the steps to lend to the quiet atmosphere of the great library. Straight ahead of the entryway, a tall archway leads into the main library, with study tables between rows and rows of books. The upper levels contain the city records to the left, and the right is a closed off area for library staff.
The symbols of Navos, the Scribe, may be seen in the markings of columns, in the relief of marble. Marble is the prevalent building material, giving the rooms a regal, official and solemn feeling. A few benches line the walls of the circular hall, and a desk sits to the right of the entrance, a secretary always attending it to help guests, even late into the night. The occasional Seer or Temperance may also be seen, offering advisement and wisdom within the great halls.
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Checking out some Books =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Cryosanthia 6'9" 291 Lb Sith-Makar Female A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman. Seyardu 5'6" 150 Lb Sith-Makar Female A friendly silver sith-makar with a perpetual squint. Aryia 4'8" 110 Lb Shadow Elf Female A heavily scarred mul with a tired look about her. Aya 4'7" 105 Lb Shadow Elf Female Mul'niessa. Braided hair. Simple clothing. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Returning Books =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Glasha 5'8" 100 Lb Half-Orc Female Green-skinned, young lady with bleached hair. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Ready to Shush -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Lady Octagna Orc Female Elderly, retired watch captain, barbarian librarian -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
In times of strife, it can be nice to lurk in a building with nice, thick stone walls and an exceptional collection of reading material. Mikilos' Mountain Mansion certainly fits the criteria, but the same place day after day can make one go a little stir-crazy.
Thus, Cryo has settled for second best. The Quill's Repose has thick walls, but not as thick as a mountain, and an interesting collection of books which doesn't entirely overlap the Mithrallas one.
It also has group activities for children and younglings, a feature distinctly lacking at the mountain store. Cryo is seated at a table with a collection of tomes, and Lily is within sight, with a group of similarly aged kids, listening to a reading by a half-orc. They are engaged enough the whitescale only has to glance over occasionally to make sure Lily is fine.
This is not a typical place that Aryia spends her time. The tomes of knowledge surrounding one self tend to fall on deaf eyes for those that aren't too savvy on parsing most of any of it.
However, the times are not typical, and a reprieve from recent events allowed enough wiggle room to continue stepping out of her comfort zone. She steps out of an alleyway of books, a few small tomes in hand, a stack of papers in another, and two pens. One tucked behind a long ear, the other dangling from her teeth. It looked as if she was going to veer off some other direction, but she spies Cryo, and adjusts.
Aryia steps up, gives a nod as carefully as she can (as to not spill anything onto the floor), and tries to put the menagerie of things onto the table.
Seyardu is one of the many who frequents the library in their free time. due to being unable to take books out of it, she makes the most of every visit. So when she is walking by upstairs, she seems to catch something in the air. And she spins the stack of books in her hands so the spines face herself, and some of the titles face the ground before she heads downstairs.
She walks by the table, offering a happy looking swish of her tail. "Peace on your nest, Cryosanthia." She greets. "I did not know they had readings for children, here."
Seeing Aryia too, she offers her a wave. "Peace on your nest as well, Aryia. What are you reading about, here?"
Some don't have ready access to mansions, mountainous or otherwise. Aya is not oft found amidst books, either, but (as someone noted) these are not normal times. Whatever perusing she may have already done must have been done between the shelves she steps from as she is unburdened. The gathering of familiar scales is readily noted, as is Aryia's presence. Whether she catches the tail end of Seyardu's greeting, or chooses to defer to half of those present, she offers, "Peace on your nests. Or perhaps upon your books?"
GAME: Cryosanthia casts Protection From Evil. Caster Level: 11 DC: 15
"Peace on your nest Seyardu, Aryia. Yes, they do." Cryosanthia says, "The richer families pay for some private tutoring, and the performers from the street guild will come in to do a read..."
Some things are large, powerful, but slow. Others are small, fast, but light in the strike. Cryosanthia is the rarer, more dangerous combination, large and fast. Near seven feet and three hundred pounds of lizard should not move so quickly, yet she does. At the sound of Aya's voice she's on her feet facing her, right hand moving through graceful arcane motions. Defensive casting usually doesn't involve a temporary shield of flung books, but this time it does.
She traces a square, then a pyramid, at the corners four quick symbols, the arcane mark which is her name in the form of a dragon eye. The peak of the pyramid gets a moon, then a sword symbol. The spell completes, a silvery light surrounding Aya.
Anyhow who has seen him cast it, might recognize Cryo's spell as a simplified version of Seldan's. Clearly she has cribbed her homework.
"Aya..." She asks firmly, "... is your mind your own?"
Finally setting her carefully selected books down, Aryia breathes a sigh as she frees the pen from her lips. She gives a soft smile and a wave to Seyardu, a crisper one to Aya, and one to Cry-
Reflex is all that can be accounted for in terms of the flying debris being deflected, one of the books being smacked out of the air with a twitch, but Aryia abruptly hits the deck.
A beat passes.
Aryia's face peeks from under the table. Her pages are scattered and her carefully selected books were strewn about. She scowls. "She's fine now," the scarred mul gestures, refraining from adding color to her signs. <Handspeech>
The flurry of movement was enough to knock Seyardu's carefully curated, but unstable pile of books tumbling to the ground. Among them were a book on handspeech, one on fishing techniques and trapping, another on common fighting styles with polearms, and perhaps the most curiously, several medical journals that seemed to focus on Sith-Makar.
Seyardu takes a step forward, closer to Aya.
"Your concern is not unwarranted Cryosanthia, but peace, she is not controlled." She says with her own reassuring scent. "I and Aryia have met with her prior, as have others, including Seldan, I believe."
Aya blinks. She had expected the whitescale to possibly startle at her unexpected arrival (this would not be the first time), or simply turn her direction. The displayed combination, however, was not. Not initially, at the least. After a heartbeat, connections are made and Aya simply nods.
"My mind is my own, as is my body. Only the latter has any lingering effects from being gnawed upon." She holds up two empty hands, palms forward; a gesture of non-aggression and weaponlessness that... really isn't applicable to her in the slightest. Yet it is offered nonetheless. A nod towards the others, albeit aside as she continues to regard Cryosanthia. "They state the truth."
"Oh..." Cryosanthia says, her ready stance relaxing, her arms lowering and her partial wing lying lower behind her. She's interrupted the reading. A half-orc in jester clothes is staring at her, as well as many pairs of little eyes, including Lily's. There's the stern thump of Lady Octagna on the steps, as she approaches to fling a deadly 'shhh!'.
"Knocked some books over, sorry." The whitescale smiles awkwardly at all, then looks sheepishly at Aya, her head lowered, snout pointing down. "This one apologies."
"Mikilos told me you were overcome and vanished. We hadn't heard any news since. I haven't seen Zeke in a few days. Last I heard was from Mikilos, about meeting at the Tarrace." She glances at Seyardu, "You nearly getting in a fight with someone. I guess I'm out of date."
Aryia steps out from her makeshift cover, her mumbling something to herself has she plays twenty page pickup. She also scoops up her small books, a cursory glance would show titles in large letters and child-like drawings, but were quickly shoved under another piece of paper as she helped pick up the other books.
With all the looks, Seyardu just smiles and waves to Little Fang. She was used to being stared at. She reaches down to pick up her books, setting them down on the table.
"Much has happened here. This one is glad to know you and Lily are safe." She says. The comment from Cryosanthia makes her sigh. "Yes, I was frustrated at several matters, and the lack of elaboration from a suspected slaver was not helping matters. Especially not when they were suggesting 'getting rid of Seldan' as the solution to the problem."
"But on more pleasant news, this one can tell you they met Zeke and Seldan in the temple district yesterday. Zeke has been busy most likely, but he was not in danger during the fighting."
"Zeke was also not too otherwise occupied," Aya starts, stepping to Ariya's vicinity to assist in retrieving any other fallen reading materials, "to tend my wounds when he returned. While he is many things, a healer is a large portion, I expect. As for Seldan," she looks to Seyardu, mouthcorners curling upwards, "I think those wishing to rid the world of him would form a rather long line..."
Lady Octagna arrives. She glares at all assembled, "Keep it down." She points at the half-orc with the children, "Keep reading." Barbarian librarian orders issued, she vanishes from sight, perhaps ready to sneak attack at aggressive page turning.
Cryosanthia nods once at the matron, then picks up her books as well. She caught sight of Aryia's, the covers and the contents, but didn't react. Hers seem to be a rather eclectic mix, an few rather exceptionally bound publications from the Crimson Pen, and other more worn leather texts with infernal symbology on them.
"This one should go by the Temples..." Cryo says reluctantly. The district holds a lot of bad memories, even if she's been hanging around the fountain there, it being the loci for most of them. She looks between Aya and Seyardu, her brow ridges furrowing. "Really? Someone is criticizing him yet again? He and I have trust issues, but those are personal. His commitment to good ideals and his goddess is unwavering."
She mumbles a few things, about to slam her stack of books down. At the last moment, she halts and rests them gently. After, she squirms back onto her bench and stares at her books. "I'm glad Zeke tended you. That's something. Yes."
Aryia just finishes picking up everything that had fallen, though Aya does find one small book that she missed, as well as a pen. It looked to be a children's book, though anything further about it was unknown as it was quickly plucked out of Aya's hands by the scarred pugilist, a shade of red dusting her face followed by a fumbled gesture of "Thanks" towards the shadow walker.
Aryia nods along, agreeing with Seyardu and pinching her brows together. Yes. That topic.
Aryia had no idea what the symbology was that Cryo had in front of her, though that was ignored from the warning from the librarian. She gives them a sharp nod and a shaky thumbs up. Yep. Nothing crazy going on here. Nothing at all.
"You know, you can always ask me if you're looking into more books Aryua. "You are always welcome in the temples, yes."
"Apologies, librarian. You know, you can always ask me if you're looking into more books Aryia. Unless you are wishing to do so yourself, which is also fine." Seyardu offers. She turns to Cryo. Tilting her head."You are always welcome in the temples, yes. But something bothers you. Would you wish to speak your mind? I would hope that those present are all ones you could trust."
If Aya noted details of the book formerly, if briefly, in her possession, she states nothing. With or without it, she knows enough of the other mul to have suspicions as to the cause of her brief change in tint. Regardless, she offers a slender smile.
On the note of suspicions, she nods to Cryosanthia as she now takes a stride whitewards, expression returning to neutrality. "It is something, yes. He still holds ... many concerns. Perhaps more, now." That her volume is lower may be due to the librarian as much as closer proximity. A gesture of one hand to Seyardu at the inquiry and a brow is raised to Cryosanthia.
"The wound has healed over Seyardu. There is no good to be had digging at it. Trust Seldan, he has made mistakes but his heart is true. Anyone opposing him is... likely mistaken." Cryo bobs her head slowly, as if agreeing with herself and staring off at the spines of books on the stacks. She meets no ones eyes.
She interrupts her gazing with an abrupt change of topic and pulling one of the worn, less pleasant tomes out of the pile and opens it, "So, Erinyes. This one gave you poor information prior, Seyardu. You need a good aligned weapon to harm them, which much be made so by enchantment or spell. Or in the hands of a paladin. Celestial summons might also work. The devils are immune to fire and poison, and resistant to acid and of course the freebie, cold."
Only a tiny bit of resentment there, that her element is the most commonly ineffective.
She looks over at Aya, "do I want to know what happened to you, after you took the statue. You were chewed?"
Maybe Aryia will take such a suggestion later on from Seyardu if she wasn't picking out children's books to copy. Being a bundle of insecurities, at least one of them she'd rather handle herself. The pugilist merely nods at Seyardu while she rearranges her books and papers, idly listening to the warning about Seldan.
Though, her attention shifts towards Cryosanthia at the mention of Erinyes. Her brows pinch some at the information given, not understanding the first half of it in the slightest. Though, she does question the list, her holding up one of her cold iron cestus tied to her hip and tapping on the metal. "This works, right?" she asks with a motion, wanting to affirm her alternate method of infernal beat down. <Handspeech>
"It has not healed over, clearly, but I will take your word for it regardless." Seyardu replies with a sigh. Though, the new information was welcome, and she nods, taking out a journal to jot down the notes in elegant script and shining ink. "I do not know exactly what it means for a weapon to be aligned with good, but I will look into it, thank you. And the knowledge you gave was not poor, it has been valuable in understanding. And yes, I too would like to know more of what happened, it was only mentioned in passing at the baths. Is your leg healing well?" She asks Aya.
Aya frowns at the mention of Erinyes. They are relevant to recent events, but also an annoyance of the past, insofar as Aya is concerned. She looks to Aryia's lifted subject of question. "Perhaps, if enchanted thoroughly?" a shoulder rolls as she looks back to Cryosanthia as one who is more educated on that topic.
Her other shoulder now shrugs to Cryosanthia. "I don't know that you wish to know, but the majority of what happened were my actions to remain alive. I regained my senses to find a rather sizable, pig-headed fiend attempting to render me otherwise. I assume it has the statue, and that its return is why I was compelled to wherever it was. I do not know precisely."
"Where'd you learn to write like that?" Cryo asks suddenly, noticing Seyardu's beautiful notes and attractive ink. Her own education was very, very strict. And painful. And perfect. "It means... it's 'Good'. It glows when you look at it with a Detect Good spell. Or someone is smiting."
The whitescale smiles awkwardly at Aryia, "Those will work. Hitting things hard always works, but they're resistant to cold iron too, it's like punching them through Adamantine armour. Some of the blow doesn't make it."
She listens intently, then nods to Aya. "Pigs... pig devils now. We've had worms, and sheep, and goats, now pigs. Let me think..."
Cryo looks through another book, idly she adds, "I saw a big version of a statue at an abandoned town. Toha and Verna died there, the rest of us lived because we ran. Rather... cowardly..."
"The one I took away from there didn't take over my mind, and I gave it to the Vardamen. I don't know what happened after. That was over a year ago."
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls knowledge/religion: (1)+4: 5 (EPIC FAIL)
The whitescales research and memory prove futile.
Aryia shakes her head and scribbles on a page in front of her, "No, its just cold iron." Though, her visage drops at the mention of the ineffectiveness that her specially crafted weapon poses. She lets the cestus fall to its string, it clacking with its matching one before she throws her hands up into the air. "Th-n w-t w-s th- f-ck-ng p-nt -f g-tt-ng th-s- th-?" she complains in a library approved hiss.
"I though that's what you're supposed to kill those shits with." <Handspeech>
There is a glance stolen to Aya's leg, curious about the answer to what Seyardu asked earlier.
"Ah. I, think I know something that may work?" Seyardu suggests. "Seldan recommend something similar. Magical oil for blessing weapons with. Perhaps you could buy a vial Aryia? The cold iron is still useful. I have run into creatures that I could not hit normally without them, some manner of gremlins in a warehouse." She also suggests to Aryia. "I do not know an pig devils, unfortunately. I might look into that."
"Adamantine, the smith from the other day is making a weapon for myself out of the material. It should be ready soon."
The question makes her pause. With a recognizable scent to the whitescale of confusion as she shakes her head. "Someone taught me. Though, this one cannot remember who. This one is sorry."
"The leg is all but healed," Aya now answers Seyardu, "though I must admit that Zeke handled the majority. I have only had to stretch, once all was scrubbed off." Aryia's display of frustration is understandable, and not uncommon as of late. "You can defeat anything," she assures, "if you strike it enough, enchanted weapon or no. You can also do so by denying it its goal, and escaping with your life..." Her eyes pan to Cryosanthia, "Which is exactly what I did. A withdraw to fight again or enable others to do so is not cowardice, any more than an ignominious death is bravery."
Cryo stares at Aryia's hands, still not understanding the signs but getting the gist from her angry expression, "They'll work on some things. They'll work on those Ram demons. They might work on the worms, or..." she waves a hand, pulling a random outsider off the top of her thoughts, "...or on a succubus. I can't remember what I used on the infernal scorpions I fought."
"As you meet tougher opponents they get weird, harder to hurt. Red sword for the green golem. They use poison, they'll only be damaged by a blade with their name on it on alternate Tuesdays. You need a wagonload of specialized weapons or simply dump spells on it, which I can't do much of either. It's frustrating. I know. That cestus will work on most things."
"The rest you have to hit hard and hope."
After which, the whitescale stares at Seyardu for a long while. "My Mistress' victims smell and act like you do. They had gaps and agitation from where she took memories. You might have suffered something similar."
Cryosanthia looks back to meet Aya's eyes and listen through her assertion. "This one agrees. Victory is many things, as is losing. The fanciful softskin stories I read didn't have the heroes running away. It wasn't why I took up a blade. I was expecting banter, and humorous combats, not... mutual butcheries with things that don't converse."
She sighs, "nothing like the stories."
The idea of having to carry around an oil seemed silly to Aryia, her chuffing and crossing her arms. What, was she supposed to hold up the fight with a finger raised so she could grease up her fists? She nods towards Aya, her kicking her foot against the ground idly, thoughts returning to the stairwell that she pulled herself out of.
The thought of the demon goat made Aryia grimace. "I guess. Goats suck," Aryia complains with a gesture. She does take the advice to heart though, despite how annoying the premise of it was. A wagonload of gear or magic to make it work. She had neither. The pugilst clenches her fist. <Handspeech>
"It seems more commonplace when I thought, when dealing with creatures not of this plane. I suppose, that I should not be surprised." Seyardu sighs. "At least I can prepare for them."
She grows visibly saddened, as she take a moment to continue. "The more I think about it, the more confused I get, but the more I cannot attribute it to shock. Which leaves me wondering, why? But regardless, that is something else. The town you mentioned? Seldan has plans to return there, and I was planning on accompanying him, in case anything attempts to control him. This one will trust him to do the same."
And she turns to Aryia, finally smiling again. "This one has a plan for the warehouses, the statues. To gather people from the temples, to witness reverting one of the statues back to life. Then, they will have to acknowledge it, and the other temples can hold each accountable. I would ask for your assistance Aryia, if you are willing."
Aya exhales a breath, lips pursing as she nods with Seyardu. "As much as I, or anyone, would prefer to prepare for any and all eventualities... it is simply not possible. That is why knowledge is as powerful as a good weapon." She makes a general, vague gesture with one hand to their surroundings, perhaps in explanation for her own visit. "And it can be easier to acquire," she adds with a pointed look to Aryia.
Aya may have intended to say more, but Seyardu's comment draws her focus and attention. "What town?"
Cryo stares at Seyardu at that piece of information. Her neck straight, her head aligned, her nostrils flaring as she inhales scents. "You're going to the town." She repeats it as if she thinks it's a bad idea.
"Alright. If you're going to the town, and He shows up, Run. Any Korrites with you will stay to fight him, and die. Don't stay to try and save them. You'll end up dead, or worse."
"Worse, he takes you to the Iron Hells and he breaks you like he broke Merek. Or he kills you slowly. Or..." She turns her head, looking directly at Aya, "Or he lets you live because you enter into a demonic pact with him. He forces you to drink his blood. He marks you."
The whitescale stares t Seyardu again. Her pupils have spread wider, "Mikilos, Halani, Acedia, all had pacts with him. Malik, Seldan's cihuaa, had a demonic pact. You won't win a binding game with him."
"When we were there, we used the message cantrip to keep in touch. This almost worked, we had to renew it every half hour or so. He appeared when we gathered to do that. I suggest you stay spaced out, with a lookout watching, and everyone sneaking as they search."
Aryia gives a small nod towards Aya. At least now she would consider it should it come to that.
Though, as Cryosanthia begins to explain more about the town, the pugilist begins to pale. She stays wrapped in her head for a few beats before shakily scribbling down something on the page in front of her.
"I wish my problems didn't make me have to consider eternal dammnation as a result of fucking up. Id rather get eaten by the kowbowlds outside of town."
She starts to gather her books, shaken by the information and seeking to have a quiet spot.
Aya blinks at Cryosanthia's unexpected (to Aya) controlled regurgitation of an informational smorgasbord on 'that town.' She was aware that the white-scale had more than enough encounters related, but... Taara's Tiny Tatas... Both brows arch in surprise and/or curiosity at all of that. A long moment or two passes before she finds words. "I would strongly urge all to mind her counsel. She obviously knows far more than most."
The scents were those from before, lingering confusion and sadness from the silver makari. There was no confidence, the smile shared was forced in a way it usually was not. She nods finally to those present.
"Cryosanthia, you know that I would not leave them to die. But, I will make them aware of a need to flee, those who come with us, if I have to. But, I need to do this. I need to ensure no more will end up like those statues, no children there grow without their parents, or parents with the loss of their children. Cihuaa and family reunited and are not broken again. If there is risk, I will acknowledge it, and heed your advice. And, it was Zeke's suggestion that I join Seldan, though I would most likely on my own. I will trust him with that judgement, as I will trust Seldan. This one hopes you will trust me, to be alright and return."
There's a patter of noise, that would surely annoy Lady Octagna. She will have to take it up with the weather gods. It has begun to hail in Alexandria. First small stones, growing larger. Hail, in the dead of summer?.
A quick glance out the windows confirms. This is happening. This abnormal weather anomaly seems to be centered around the docks.
Cryo is briefly distracted by the noise, looking away, but then looks back. She nods her head, "We thought we were going to look at a statue." She noses towards Aryia, "that one you drew. It's huge, bigger than a Jotun, grossly pregnant." The hail rattles down on the roof, white dots filling the streets outside.
Cryo rubs down the front of her corset, pulling at it. She inhales and looks at Aya, "This one didn't mean to sound accusing. This one doesn't think you have a pact, but merely wanted to emphasize my surprise at finding out who did and how many there were. Darius and Kira had ones also. We should go swimming soon." Accusation becomes proposition?
It's dropped as Cryosanthia stares at Seyardu, shaking her head from side to side. She didn't listen. Seyardu won't listen. They don't listen, and they die.
"If he appears, go. Get everyone to promise, if he appears, they will run. He held off the forces of heaven, in heaven. He killed Silverguard Serene in one hit. She is the most powerful Arch-Paladin of Eluna. This is what you face."
Her pupils have grown even wider, "these are the painful lessons I learned with great reluctance. Survive so you can claim the bodies after."
"That only means that the means to stop this, him, is not yet discovered..." Aya attempts some measure of clarification, perhaps assurance, but her train of thought derails as she looks to the sounds and then sights of ...falling ice? "Something is not right..." Because of course it isn't.
Aryia picks up her things faster, the hail not helping in the slightest with her psyche. She frowns at Seyardu. "Yes, and your death will cause more death as you will be unable to help future souls from being bone headed," she gestures quickly.
The ice begins to thrum, and Aryia finally tears away to look up at it. "Fucking... I have to look at this, that's where I work." And with that, Aryia jogs out of there, leaving the books so she wouldn't be hunted down by the librarian. <Handspeech>
Lady Octagna would be pleased.
In the wake of Aryia rushing out into the hail, and the fact that it is hailing in weather that is far to warm, sun too bright... a bit of darkness falls. That is, Aya vanishes, presumably to appear outside and possibly ahead of her kin.
"Cryosanthia, I know my limits. If a single Ashwing is such a threat to me, then, I will not stay for something even greater. I just, I cannot do anything for bodies the way others can. We should go swimming some time, yes. It was suggested, but never came to pass." Seyardu admits, looking around at the curious noise. "I am sorry, but Aryia knows I do not like people dying for me. It has made me tired over the years. but I will not, now that I know I need to find my brother, since none other seemed to have done anything about it."
The whitescale is not without sympathy. She closes her eyes and nods slowly. Her scents are strong, protective, an almost motherly scent, "This one is worried for you. This one didn't listen to other's advice, and it cost me greatly. This one knows, you must find your own way, but... consider." Her eyes open, dark pools of distress, "... consider what I've said."
"And that's the end of 'The Little Artificer that Could'." The Half-Orc declares to cheers, claps and laughter, and at least one "but isssn't more?" The narrator is looking out the window, examining the hail. Alexandrians aren't fools, parents will already be on their way to collect their children.
Or shelter in a place with thick, stone walls. Only fools and adventurers go out into the noonday anomalies.
"Lily, come here, we need to go." Cryosanthia calls, "I'll pack up. I'll meet you there. Keep up with Aryia and Aya."
She rests a hand on Seyardu's arm, white scales on silver, "Come by Mikilos', I'm getting a spell, he might have some. We can search. We can try."
"Lily. Ssassa needs to go. Come! Let's go!"
