15[20:12] <@VoxPVoxD> It's raining in Nexus. 15[20:12] <@VoxPVoxD> The lanterns are lit and it's only midafternoon. The savants say an important river-god was killed to the North some time ago, and the Gray overflowed its banks for a time. They say the cloudherders are on a pilgrimage to pay their respects. They might even be right. 15[20:13] <@VoxPVoxD> In the Windburn District, a steep hill overlooking the Yellow, life persists through the rain. It's a quiet part of town - a comfortable place to live, far enough from the stink of the waters and the noise of life. A man loads cabbage into a cart for market, but only one woman's out to see it. 15[20:13] <@VoxPVoxD> She's on the patio of the Solemn Bear, the tea house atop the hill. Beneath its slanted roof, she plays a melody on her guqin. Excessively Righteous Blossom is practicing patience. The woman she came to see isn't in town, and won't be for a few days. How has Nexus treated her so far? 15[20:15] <@VoxPVoxD> There's a game on the bowered courtyard behind the tea house. A great stone Gateway set, carved for the amusement of the tea house's patrons, Two white-haired men are playing despite the rain. One of them has skin the color of lilac, and the other is here by whim and half-recollection. Stranger feels he knew this creature once, this tempter from hell. Sharing tea, he and the demon have spoken of dreams and memories, and Stranger is behind on board. 15[20:15] <@VoxPVoxD> Perhaps his concentration is interrupted by the steady demand for sweet rolls coming from inside his pocket. What does Stranger say as he takes a winning move? [20:16] "All things come in their time." 14Then he sips the tea. 15[20:16] <@VoxPVoxD> Inside, the Bear is peaceful and well-appointed. Men and women of the merchant class come here to drink tea and relax. One of these men is a murderer, and only one other man in the room knows it. What disguise does the Judge wear today? What justice does he intend? 15[20:17] <@VoxPVoxD> Elsewhere on the churning banks of the Yellow River, the great ironworks of Nexus clamor with the sounds of clashing steel. Nestled between them is the Foundry, a hot and raucous establishment that serves as the easiest place for the city's metalworkers to get a drink and a meal. It's a favored establishment for those looking to avoid attention, or attract the wrong sort. Fighters are common here; fights, moreso. 15[20:18] <@VoxPVoxD> One man has a table uncontested, though he could probably squeeze into three-quarters of it. Mud and Straw is being rebuffed by the Gray himself. But the god of the river has made it clear through intermediaries that they will meet, just... not today. In the meantime, he's in the liveliest city in the East on someone else's coin. What's he ordered so far? 15[20:19] <@VoxPVoxD> Up at the bar, a number of rough-looking mercenaries drink shoulder to shoulder. None of them are here together, but two in particular are chummy enough to talk. Raptor Quan is a spy extraordinare, though on paper he's in the same undescriptive sort of mercenary work as Keldar. They share an employer, and have common ground to share a drink as well. What kind of mood is Keldar in today? [20:20] 4The Judge wears a face not his own, that of a much younger man with blonde hair and blue eyes, chatting with the other merchants if they offer conversation. Why stop a cutpurse in the street when you can go after the man that put him there? [20:20] 7It's an old song, some say passed down from the Shogunate. She knows it as well as any of the other Fifty Elegant Performances, and it serves to pass the time as she kneels and watches the rain form clear rivulets and run off the roof, the bowers, the Gateway board. [20:23] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar's current mood is: dangerous. It's been a little while since he's had a job, and a much longer while since someone's wanted to sign on one with him. Oh, sure, sure, he can just tackle single-handedly what used to take a score of men to finish, but there's just something missing when no one's there to see you strike the final blow - and the Tiger of Nexus'll never forget why [20:23] <@Ferrinus> 12that's been the case for so long. That fucker. Where'd he go. That fucker... 15[20:25] <@VoxPVoxD> The demon tilts his head as Stranger takes position, earrings jangling and wig skewing. "That's not how this game ended last time, is it?" Stranger can't recall, but the move felt right. [20:25] 3Mud'll have what that gentleman is having. Oh, and this looks fine, too. And that, definitely a side of that. There's so much to choose, why limit yourself to just one meal? The fat man rubs his hands together in anticipation as the steaming trays of meat and vegetables of every hue and fragrance find their way before him. First up, some sort of orange-looking stew-sorta-thing that [20:25] 3identifies itself as a fine chicken curry in all mannner of spices! [20:25] 7Nexus is filthy, far moreso than Heartspring, so she welcomes the rain. The people are pushy and occasionally forget the respect she is due as one of the Ten Thous-- a member of the Exalted Host. She's having trouble finding what she's looking for, and needs to seriously consider how she's going to make money soon. 15[20:26] <@VoxPVoxD> She's quite good with that guqin. Maybe she could put a hat out. [20:26] "Oh!" 3He winces. He forgot to order a drink! Mud will lean forward, or back, and give a pained expression as he scans the bar for someone who looks like they have the power to remedy this. [20:27] 14How does the demon take his tea? Stranger will have paid attention, so as not to have to ask. He wonders, not for the first time, if his habit of paying attention to that is real or imagined. [20:27] 14But out loud: "Perhaps not. But it did end." 15[20:27] <@VoxPVoxD> Raptor Quan claps Keldar on the back. Does his palm meet armor? "You have to lighten up." [20:28] 7But... the Essence inside her still leaps joyously toward the sun. She rises with the dawn not at the instruction of servants or teachers or stern drillmasters or even the unlamented Wu Zheng, but because she is dedicated and eager to greet the day and seize its possibilities. [20:28] 7Nexus is a filth pit, but she loves it a little for being able to feel like this. [20:28] 3He's torn between the desire to obliterate the cooling bowl before him, and the immediate need for delicious poison to go down his throat. [20:29] 4Judge's eyes constantly scan the room, even as he seems to meet the gaze of any merchants who get chatty. That music is good, but what about the musician? And that's no normal game between merchants, either. But are they dangerous? An unarmed minstrel, a quiet stranger. 15[20:30] <@VoxPVoxD> The Judge sizes the place up. Apart from the strange game out back, and the quite competent musician out front, only his quarry seems notable, and he's already had the measure of him. He's been sending scavenging thieves out to do his dirty work, putting competitors out of business - permanently. He's jittery, far too jittery to be drinking tea. He's expecting danger. [20:30] <@Ferrinus> 12Just the kind of lightly-reinforced jacket suitable for a man to wear about town - though Keldar's still got a sword at his hip, unless the house rules here are really stringent. "Heh. I can definitely manage that." 15[20:31] <@VoxPVoxD> The strictest rule in the Foundry is no shop talk. You can bring any worked metal inside its walls you can carry - but gods help you if you strike up a conversation about how they were made. [20:32] 4Does he know who hunts him? Almost certainly not. But he knows he is hunted, that's for sure. 15[20:32] <@VoxPVoxD> The demon takes his syrup with just a hint of tea flavor. Stranger didn't know that much sugar could dissolve in that little water. "That's the nature of things, isn't it? To end. Everything ends." [20:33] 3Mud and Straw's never had problems with weapons. The real issue's trying to find clothes that fit him. His robe is of high, quality, though there are a few tears here and there- and, well, there's no getting out the dirt and plaster stains that give him away as a craftsman of some stripe. Really, though, in the candlelight of most buildings you can hardly tell. It only looks a little [20:33] 3shabby in the sun, is all. And glancing out the establishment's windows into the rain cascading off the tiled roofs, Mud's confident that's not a problem he'll be having today. [20:33] 14Stranger nods. "That it does. But that is reductive thinking. Everything also begins." 14He sighs. "And that is also reductive thinking." [20:35] 3He waves down someone who could plausibly be a paid employee or servant of such and begins to run down a laundry list of brews, receiving a headshake or a confused expression until finally just ordering whatever's cheapest, in the largest quantity an individual can receive. 15[20:35] <@VoxPVoxD> Mud's feast is drawing eyes from around the Foundry. Raptor nudges Keldar so he'll take a look too. "Think he'll be able to finish all that?" [20:36] 3He punches his palm as the last of the trays are set down before him. [20:37] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar narrows his eyes in concentration at the meal, then swipes them up and down, twice. "...yyyes." 15[20:39] <@VoxPVoxD> Raptor: "Five dinars says he won't." 15[20:39] <@VoxPVoxD> The server Mud flags down scurries into the back room, only to have to duck beneath a billowing gout of white fire. There's a number of gasps and the sound of drawn blades, but no one's hurt. A spry little man stumbles out of the smoke. What on earth was Xu Sim doing back there? 15[20:40] <@VoxPVoxD> He'll have time to muse on this as every eye in the room turns, however briefly, to him. [20:40] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar looks at Raptor out of the corner of his eye. ”Assuming he ain’t interrupted.” 15[20:40] <@VoxPVoxD> Raptor: "It's a b-SHIT" 15[20:40] <@VoxPVoxD> Raptor ducks like a meerkat when the explosion happens, and rises only after a prolonged silence. [20:42] 3Such carnage is completely fitting for a lair of mercenaries and scoundrels; in moments, the fat man has set aside an emptied plate to serve as a dumping ground for refuse. Bones denuded of flesh, the rinds of various fruits, shells of animals of all shapes and sizes and number of legs. Mud doesn't let anything slow him down, and only notices the explosion reflected in the oily sheen [20:42] 3covering his fingers as he goes in for a fresh bowl. 15[20:43] <@VoxPVoxD> Blossom sees him first, a mountain marching up the hill, a man with massive shoulders wearing a full suit of white jade plate. A bald little man scurries behind him, struggling to keep pace with the giant's strides. On the armored man's breast is the sign - known throughout the East - of the Seventh Legion. [20:43] 05 The distracted Xu skids on his heel as he sidesteps the fireball, taking momentary cover behind the doorframe. A spry fellow in a loose jacket and pants, every inch of his body from the waist up and from the ears forward is blackened with soot, or something stranger. He wipes his eyes clean with a bare hand and glances out at the rest of the hall, staring out at him. [20:43] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar’s acknowledgment of the blast involved one of his hands suddenly appearing up by the side of his head, as though to apply a basic forearm block to a potential gout of fire. ”I’ve seen that one before, see.” [20:43] 3He glances up, chewing. [20:44] 7Has he noticed her? [20:44] 05 He takes a breath, recovering his dignity in this moment, and raises a finger as if to ask for a moment's consideration, before striding back into the room he came from. He emerges a moment later with a pair of crystal vials and small stoppers, which he fiddles with as he approaches the rest. 15[20:44] <@VoxPVoxD> He has. The children of the Dragons have eyes like eagles, they say. Despite his notice, there's no recognition in his eyes. 15[20:45] <@VoxPVoxD> The demon sighs. "Everything's reductive. No mind, no word, no simple head could contain the totality of something. But sometimes a simple answer is the truest, no? Everything ends." [20:46] 14Stranger: "Not everything. But enough." 14Has the demon given a name? Stranger won't have asked. [20:47] 3As though sensing that everything is about to take a precipitous turn for the worse, Mud returns to his meal with redoubled effort. Beads of sweat are forming on his forehead. [20:47] 05 A moment later, a small, pristine dog emerges. As it nears, its apparent that despite being unaffected by the blast, it is, nevertheless, totally hideous. The dog has a haughty bearing despite the strip of leather around its neck, and it follows three paces behind Xu. [20:48] 7Then she'll play on until he passes, and after a polite amount of time follow him inside. A man like that won't be quiet about what he wants, and she needs to stay apprised of what the Legions are up to. [20:49] 4That's definitely notable. The Judge keeps an eye on his quarry, of course, but he's sizing up this newcomer at the same time. [20:52] 14There's some commotion in the main room behind them, but Stranger won't turn away from the completed game or the rain unless the demon does. 15[20:53] <@VoxPVoxD> Stranger and the demon have not exchanged names. The demon turns to look back at the armored man and his little servant as they stride in. "But something's always beginning, too..." [20:54] 3Some might consider putting frosted sugarloaves alongside salted duck eggs in one's stomach to be hubris. This has never occured to Mud and Straw. [20:54] 14And so Stranger will take a look. [20:54] 14Murmuring: "But will it be enough, I wonder?" [20:54] 14Even he's not entirely sure what he means. 15[20:56] <@VoxPVoxD> Raptor: "He's slowing down..." [20:58] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "He hasn't even got his second wind yet." [20:58] "Sure is warm in here," 05 he notes. Xu loosens the hemp jacket he's wearing. [21:00] 3Mud exhales a bone stripped of flesh and gingerly plucks it from his mouth, setting it aside on the growing mound of indedible remains, sweaty palms ever reaching for the next bowl. A piece of flatbread is pounced upon and immediately, messily drowned in a bowl of red, creamy curry. [21:00] 3It's time to take this up a notch. 15[21:03] <@VoxPVoxD> Judge takes the armored man in at once. He's got the fine plate and insignia of a Lookshy elite, but some things aren't right. One, this man is clearly Exalted - his ancient armor would be far too cumbersome on a mortal frame. A dragon-blooded of this rank - Judge makes him out to be a Dragonlord by the pips on his helmet - should be accompanied by at least a half-dozen more attendants. He's out here as alone as he can get, but he isn't willing to take off his armor. 15[21:04] <@VoxPVoxD> Two, his frustration is mounting - he's clearly been looking for someone for some time, or been made to do so under duress - and is about ready to snap. [21:04] 3Mud brings his hands together with a wet smack and pops his knuckles before upturning a bowl of still-steaming soup into his mouth, letting only a little of the excess dribble down his chin. Then he's back to work, next gripping a kebab, sword-like, and stabbing yet more food onto the stick alongside the skewered meats. 15[21:05] <@VoxPVoxD> Three, he's about to be attacked. The man Judge came here to get is twitchy too, and has apparently concluded that this titan in white jade is here for him. He draws a black dagger from within his robes-- [21:05] 7Blossom enters shortly after. She's dressed in muted reds and browns, in a knee-length robe belted at the waist over loose pants and traveling boots, with a high-collared piece of armor protecting her neck, shoulders, and chest. Her hair's drawn up in a topknot bound with a small bronze ornament, cut in the "Dragon's Fangs" style popular to young women of the Blessed Isle- Nexus is [21:05] 7cosmopolitan enough that Stranger might know this, Judge certainly will. Her fingernails are sharpened to points, and her clothing of good enough quality that she's not a common soldier. A patrician daughter with a purchased commission, maybe. [21:05] 14Stranger stands. [21:06] 4The Judge is up, subtly, but definitely a panther stalking his prey. Surely he can't be that stupid? [21:06] 3Each course is annihilated in turn by the hungry, sweating man. When he finally allows himself to roll back into his seat with a contented gurgle, there's naught left on the plate but bones and toothpicks. [21:06] 05 He sniffs at himself, the dog - which he lifts into the air (it tolerates this affront to its dignity), the air, and slowly turns to ogle the fat man's enormous portion. 15[21:06] <@VoxPVoxD> "It was cooler before you blew it up," says a dull voice from behind Xu Sim. 15[21:06] <@VoxPVoxD> A big shadow throws itself over the little man. [21:07] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Hah. HAH! See? Now we just gotta watch out for the third wind." 12He pauses, then goes 'Eh?' and nudges Raptor in the side. [21:07] "I wouldn't." 7Her voice is loud, harsh, and she's looking right at the twitchy merchant. [21:08] "One possibility," 05 He continues the slow turn to see who has suddenly blocked out the light around him. 15[21:08] <@VoxPVoxD> Raptor: "Fuckin' A. Serves me right for betting against the luckiest man in Nexus." Five dinars are forthcoming. [21:09] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Barkeep! A drink for the fat guy. Let none say Keldar is not magnanimous in victory." [21:10] 14Stranger's only action will be to hold a hand out to warn the demon to stay where he is, lest he walk into an errant blade, then step inside the back doorway and lean against the frame to watch. [21:10] 14His hand will casually fall to his cane. [21:10] 3He washes it down with the throat-burningest admixture to be found in Nexus and slaps a small treasure in silver talents onto the bar. [21:13] 3If and when a free drink arrives to Mud, he'll lift the flagon overhead, cheering at the most generous stranger before downing it in turn. [21:13] 14Meanwhile, a small mouse will slip out of the collar of Stranger's robe to take a look, then slip back inside the fabric only to emerge poised on top of one of Stranger's crossed feet, leaning with similar affected laziness against the white-haired man's ankle. 15[21:14] <@VoxPVoxD> The man staring Xu Sim down is a big, hulking brute wearing a set of steel tiger claws. He's drunk and surly. "You think you can just get away with that?" 15[21:14] <@VoxPVoxD> "Huh? Asshole?" [21:15] 3Mud's still slurping down the swill, tankard to his face as his eyes turn blearily to the blooming confrontation. [21:15] 7She puts forth a hand, and a tongue of flame curls around her fingers like the tame snakes the false holy men use to bilk newcomers to Nexus. "Don't be a fool. Even if he didn't kill you with one hand, you'd never make it out the door." [21:15] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar rotates one shoulder idly and twists in his seat to look over. Who's the bully? Who, in fact, is the scrawny old man - is Xu Sim a regular, such that he and Keldar probably recognize each other? [21:17] "And you are?" 05 he asks, with a vaguely courteous gesture. 15[21:18] <@VoxPVoxD> Keldar knows the big guy - Qal Sisma is a mercenary about three or four tiers below him in one of the cheap, hardscrabble companies. When he's not shaking someone down for the Guild or some unaffiliated merchant, he's here drinking. [21:19] 7Somewhere, a thread snaps and a bureaucrat grumbles in irritation. What actually happens, is Blossom glares at the sweating merchant and says: "Don't be a fool. He'd kill you with one hand, and even if you got very, very lucky we all know your face. Murder in a teahouse is bad for trade." [21:22] <@Ferrinus> 12There's a creak as the secret Dawn Caste rotates his stool all the way around so's he can lean back on the bar, cross one leg over the other, and watch this play out. Keldar, now he's facing the room, is a handsome, muscular man with tanned skin, an appropriately-cool amount of stubble, and a head of medium-length dark hair that's held back by a bandanna. He's got on what look like [21:22] <@Ferrinus> 12simple traveling clothes, albeit high-quality ones, and his forearms, shins, and torso are girded with leather. A finely-made straight sword's sheathed at his hip. Dark green eyes regard the future beating in the middle of the room with some mirth. [21:24] 14Stranger had planned on intervening...but this young lady seems to have things firmly in hand. Or she's convinced she does, at least. [21:24] 14...something... 15[21:24] <@VoxPVoxD> "You hear that?" Qal Sisma bellows at the other patrons. "He wants to know who I am?!" 15[21:24] <@VoxPVoxD> Qal looms over Xu. "Better yet," he growls. "I'll show you." [21:25] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "He what? He WHAT? Doesn't he KNOW that you're, uh... uh... sorry, gimme a sec..." [21:25] 3Mud and Straw wipes his hands across his mouth and licks his palms, turning his head to follow the sound of shouting. [21:25] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar gives Raptor a look of helpless, pleading bewilderment, appropriately exaggerated. [21:27] 3Mud presents his gut to the crowd. There's a surprising lack of food upon his clothing- chalk it up to the all-encompassing voraciousness of his mouth. He's enormously fat, of average height, and balding. Brown beady eyes narrow while he divides his attention between the soon-to-be scuffle and calculating the appropriate tip for his meal. [21:29] 3He flares his nostrils and rises. Piggish and full of liquor, Mud and Straw steps toward the two men, palms upturned and a beaming smile upon his face. "Come now, friends, this is no place for a fight!" [21:30] 3He points a stubby finger out the door. "Let's go outside!" 15[21:31] <@VoxPVoxD> The merchant snaps to look at Blossom, knife held out. The armored man regards the merchant as if only just noticing an ant he was about to step on. "What on earth?" 15[21:34] <@VoxPVoxD> The merchant's feet quake, and then they're dangling off the floor as the Lookshy officer holds him up by his scruff. "Were you going to stab me?" [21:35] "I doubt--" 05 Xu makes to turn away from the towering, drunk, fellow; but Qal throws a dagger-encrusted punch at just the wrong moment. Xu Sim pivots and drops. He grabs the hand with two of his own, lands on the ground, and kicks his legs up in the air. It's a simple matter of redirecting energy. It has the effect of sending Qal flying through the bar, bouncing off of Mud and Straw's... [21:35] ...table of discarded bones, scraps, and discarded napkins before slamming into the bar next to Keldar, shattering the adjacent barstool like a handful of twigs. 15[21:36] <@VoxPVoxD> The merchant stammers, "I-i, it's not- you- it's- I thought-" 15[21:36] <@VoxPVoxD> The armored man squeezes. [21:36] "-you're worth the trouble. Please have a good night's rest, and in the morning please be more considerate." [21:36] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar's eyes widen with fear - but no, barely any beer got spilled, there. He takes a careful sip before leaning over and looking down at Qal Sisma. "Damn, dude. Look at you." 15[21:36] <@VoxPVoxD> The merchant struggles to get air now, but he has the voice for, "The Black Judge is coming!" 15[21:37] <@VoxPVoxD> His legs kick in the air like a freshly hanged man's. "He's coming for us all!" [21:37] 14Stranger is about to step forward, disrupting Ra on his sandal, when he hears the merchant speak. He frowns, eyes darting to the young woman. [21:38] 3The fat man stares, shocked as the bar explodes into a cloud of powdered chicken bones and misted curry sauce. He's silent for a moment still before turning to the tiny Xu Sim, eyes beaming with joy. An incoherent shout of joy announces the victor as Mud and Straw throws up his arms! 15[21:38] <@VoxPVoxD> Qal Sisma groans and passes out against the bar. 15[21:38] <@VoxPVoxD> The Foundry explodes with hoots and hollers. [21:39] "Drinks are on me! DRINKS ARE ON MEEEEeee!" 15[21:39] <@VoxPVoxD> "I'm glad," says Raptor Quan, "that he didn't give me time to bet on that." [21:39] 4The Black Judge isn't coming. He's been here all along, and continues to let things run their course, unless the scales tip towards someone who doesn't richly deserve it. [21:39] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar raises his mug in a silent toast before draining it. 15[21:40] <@VoxPVoxD> The armored man holds the merchant up like a stray kitten. "I am Nessun Dorma. Who will claim this man?" [21:41] "Thank you, thank you- oh, no need to worry, Princess, the bad man isn't going to hurt us!" 05 says the little man, to his dog, before setting it back on the ground. It immediately goes for the chicken bones on the floor and starts scarfing them down with a horrible shuffling sound. [21:41] 14Stranger is loath to get involved. The man -- the merchant, it appears -- did pull a knife, as a fool would. He's quite content to stand here and keep himself between this great armored mountain of clearly-looking-for-a-fight and his drinking partner...unless someone more worthy of his support gets involved. [21:42] <@Ferrinus> "So what's your name again? And who're you, friend?" 12As drinks have only figuratively flooded the room, Keldar's ended up nearby his two chief sources of entertainment for the day. [21:42] 7Does the name 'Black Judge' mean anything to Blossom? [21:46] "Xu Sim, to my friends. Pleasure to meet you... ...?" [21:46] "Mud and Straw my father named me!" 3Drink sloshes in the man's cup between words. "I work on the River! It's very official....s'why I'm here!" [21:46] 14Nessun Dorma. Hrm. From Lookshy, if Stranger has his measure. Probably in town for the business about the artifact. Interesting...but this is not the particular avenue by which to make introduction. 15[21:46] <@VoxPVoxD> Blossom's been in Nexus long enough to hear the name. A demon-king, a god of the shadows, a terror of the underworld. Here in the heathen Threshold, the disposessed pray to the Black Judge for justice. Criminals pray to the Black Judge for mercy. 15[21:47] <@VoxPVoxD> He only ever seems to answer half those prayers, if the stories are true. [21:47] "That was some right hook, friend!" 3Mud experimentally jabs Xu Sim with his elbow, gently. [21:47] <@Ferrinus> "Keldar," 12says Keldar, with the air of someone laying down a winning hand. He glances carefully at each man's face in search of the flicker of recognition. 15[21:47] <@VoxPVoxD> Nessun Dorma: "Then he is a stray, and he belongs in the gutter. BUBO!" [21:48] "Ah!" 3He beams. "The mercenary! One of the bandits stealing from my work camp, probably!" 15[21:48] <@VoxPVoxD> The little man pops up, bald and goateed, with beady eyes behind dark glasses. "Yes master! Yes yes yes!" 15[21:48] <@VoxPVoxD> The merchant sails out through the front door and into the rain-slick street. "Pay his tab." [21:48] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar stares off at the wall momentarily. "How long ago was that?" [21:48] 14Interesting. 15[21:48] <@VoxPVoxD> Now there's a name the Judge remembers. [21:49] "Six weeks ago! Then four!" [21:49] 3He's not angry, it seems. [21:49] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Ain't me, then, I'm fuckin' - work camps is small time, man." 15[21:49] <@VoxPVoxD> Bubo... he's actually seen this guy before, albeit in a painting. Remember Moira, the surgeon he saved from an erymanthus? Moira Malcavet. She had a husband name of Bubo. Seems she still does. [21:49] "I believe you! That's what's so funny about this!" [21:49] 7He can't have been too effective, if the Council of Entities hasn't dropped on him for obstructing trade. Assuming he's real at all. Blossom smirks as the merchant makes an undignified exit, and looks for a table. [21:50] "Not like it would be wise to fight anyway, lest I be hurled someplace worse than the bar!" [21:50] 3Another jab into Xu Sim's side, though by now it should be endearing, right? [21:50] 14Well. With the excitement over, Stranger will return to his tea. [21:51] 4Has she said anything about him? Maybe it's her they're after. 15[21:51] <@VoxPVoxD> As Bubo meticulously lays coins down on the bar, Nessun bellows, "I SEEK ANATHEMA!" [21:51] 14Pause. [21:51] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar peers, uncertain if the joke is supposed to be that he's been robbing this Mud guy or that he hasn't. "So wait, work camp? You're what, kinda, Guild official or project admin or something?" [21:52] 4No time like the present. "What are anathema, sir? I've heard tell of them, but I don't know much." 4The young blonde man has a pleasant voice, deferential too. [21:53] 3Mud jams his thumb into his sternum. "The Grey River Levee Foreman, Subdistrict 3, Southern Bank!" [21:53] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Foreman? How many kindsa debt did you have to go into to eat like that, then?" [21:53] 14Stranger's return to his table with demon is smooth, but swifter. Quietly: "You may wish to take your leave. Thank you for the tea, and the game." [21:54] 14He grimaces. It's gotten cold. "I wouldn't go through the teahouse." [21:54] "A great deal," 3he beams, proud of his achievements. "But my pay has been adjusted according to inflation in accordance with the times! And also I saved everyone so they took that into account!" 15[21:55] <@VoxPVoxD> The demon smiles. His face is slenderer now, and the white wig frames it heavily. "A rare pleasure, old friend." And with that he sidles out of the courtyard. [21:55] 3He gestures out the window at the torrential rain. "It's strange, no? I saw the River-Goddess, Daspes die at the levee and I have come to Nexus to seek the Grey himself for counsel!" [21:55] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "They pay you for saving people now? What's come of this world." [21:56] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Wait, you saw the what do what?" [21:56] "Well, if everyone had died how could we finish the levee?" [21:56] 7Blossom pauses for a fraction of a second while stirring her fresh cup of tea. So bizarre to hear the men of Lookshy talk about hunting Anathema and their Legion, as though they were civilized. [21:56] 14Stranger will drink to that. But the pot is cold. He will bring the pot, the cups, and the board inside, and discreetly leave them with the help before quietly requesting another pot of the same. He takes a table just as the young lady from earlier looks around the room for a seat of her own, and Stranger gestures for her to join him. [21:57] "There were drowned corpses, and a dead river-god, and the levee broke but it's okay because I fixed it." 3Mud smiles pudgily. [21:57] 14It is, after all, very close to the back door, with a very clear shot to the street. [21:57] 7She carries the cup carefully to the table the odd (blind? no, he noticed her) man indicates. [21:58] 4Judge is talking to the Dragon-blood, but he's watching Bubo. [21:58] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Which one was Daspes...?" [21:58] "How did you do that? A broken levee is a huge amount of energy!" [21:58] "All that water, an entire river's worth! And the God of the river, dead?" [21:59] "Salamander, two heads. Sorta big, can be sorta mean but that's okay because I figured out she likes offal and so I'd give her some as a peace offering! Best of all, that's why I'm here, to meet the Grey and make sure she's okay!" 15[21:59] <@VoxPVoxD> Nessun Dorma regards the young blond man. "The Anathema are demons, young man. Demon-kings of old, who enslaved the world until the dragons beat them back. They lurk at the peripheries of Creation... they sneak into our farms and our cities... they bring ruin beneath our very noses." [21:59] 7Blossom: "Three teahouses before I found one remotely tolerable, and some petty thief has to try and start a brawl." [21:59] 14Stranger will nod as she sits, pouring himself a new cup. "And now this." [21:59] "Well, I uh! I can't tell you!" 3Mud blurts. "Maybe later friends!" [22:00] "It's complicated and maybe illegal." [22:00] 14Stranger: "At least I finished my game before the mountain walked in shouting 'Anathema.'" [22:00] "Goodness! I'm glad you're here to take care of them then. Have you fought many of these demons?" [22:01] <@Ferrinus> 12Oh, good, not one of the hot ones. Keldar takes a drink, then says: "So wait, though. She piss some monks off or what?" [22:01] 7Blossom: "Did you win?" 15[22:01] <@VoxPVoxD> "Hear their names! Learn them well. There are three Anathema lurking in this city this very day! The reward for information on them will be handsome indeed." [22:01] "Nossir, no monks. The Immaculates are a little on the scarce side, s'why the provinces are putting up the Levee!" [22:01] "River-Gods threatening to flood the plains don't mean nothing if there's a wall!" 15[22:01] <@VoxPVoxD> "Xu Sim, wanted for regicide twice over, for bringing demons into the world and setting them loose!" [22:02] 14Stranger: "I'd like to think we both did." 14He lowers his voice. "He was Neomah." [22:02] 14He was already almost whispering. [22:02] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Then what happened? You don't actually kill gods, do you? You just send 'em on time outs, and that's if you're lucky." [22:02] "That's what's so weird! She's not back yet!" [22:03] "The important thing is that only a few people died and I wasn't close friends with them." 3He looks down and away, shakes his head, and takes another gulp from his tankard. [22:03] 14At this moment, the little fat Mouse of the Sun pokes his head out of Stranger's sleeve, sniffing around at the new lady. At a frown from the 'blind' man, he retreats back under the cloth. 15[22:03] <@VoxPVoxD> "Wilting Vine Dancer, the cannibal and bandit!" [22:03] "And I got paid! And mostly everyone lived and now I need to make sure everyone else is okay!" [22:04] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "That IS weird." 15[22:04] <@VoxPVoxD> "And Wu Zheng, kidnapper and murderer!" [22:05] 7Ha ha ha. [22:05] "What of you, friend? You are, eh, a blade for hire, yes?" [22:05] "He's got a rough look, to be sure." [22:05] 3Mud's quick to shift gears, so to speak. [22:05] 7Blossom: "You're a sorcerer?" [22:05] "And you.. a beggar? No! I insult you, I plead forgiveness, honorable elder!" [22:06] "You must be... a drunkard!" [22:06] 14Stranger smiles. "Not in the sense I think you mean." [22:06] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "I'm Keldar! Best sword Tenth Orchard's got. You hear about the eversnake? That was me." [22:06] 3Mud shrugs. "You're a snake?" [22:06] 4The innocuous young man eyes the Dynast's companion. "And you, sir, do you hunt these demons as well? I could swear I've seen a portrait of you somewhere. Are you famous?" [22:07] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "C'mon, dude." [22:07] "Give me something to work with!"' [22:08] 14Stranger finds his attention drawn, somewhat, by the young blonde man speaking to the Lookshy mountain and his companion. He doesn't recall seeing him in here earlier...or does he? He's so non-descript. [22:08] "What, me? I'm no beggar! I'm a sage!" 05 He sounds legitimately offended. [22:09] "Ah, beg pardon. So hard to tell the difference in Nexus." [22:09] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Why does no one - this was like two months ago. Some eastern sorcerer fucks up, right, and what happens is that more and more snakes keep tying themselves together into bigger and bigger snakes which - it was a real problem. You had, like, teams of guys with axes and they were just treading water, really." 15[22:10] <@VoxPVoxD> Bubo turns to regard the young man, squinting behind his glasses briefly. [22:10] "So how did you fix it?" [22:10] "Oh my! And that must be why the price for fine shoes has bottomed out!" [22:11] 3Mud glares despairingly down at his fine moccasins. And they seemed such a deal... [22:11] "Why didn't the sorceror responsible just create an ever-mongoose, to finish off the ever-snake?" [22:11] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Anyway, I get out there, BAM! Fuckin', annihilated. Cut my way straight in and through, found the glowy whatever that was generating them, sprinkled some alchemical crap on it, yadda yadda. It was a whole thing." [22:12] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Probably cause he couldn't afford me twice." 15[22:12] <@VoxPVoxD> Then he chuckles. "Ho ho ho! Quite the opposite my friend. Have you taken ill recently, perhaps? My wife is a prominent physician." [22:13] "Ah! That must have been it. I do occasionally trade in medical supplies." [22:13] "Now, alchemy! That's an elegant study! There's little you can't do, with the right reagents." 15[22:13] <@VoxPVoxD> "She is quite fond of those portraits of us. Gods! That was years ago. Still as lovely as the day I met her. Yes, yes, yes." [22:14] "Wonderful!" 3He beams. "Oh, you fancy yourself a chemist?" [22:14] "I never met a chemist I didn't like!" [22:14] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "How about a geomancer?" [22:15] "Ehh." [22:15] "But a chemist!" [22:15] "She is. You are quite a lucky man, to be blessed with such a wife and such a strong companion. I will leave you to your hunting, by your leave, gentlemen." [22:15] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar was asking the both of them, to be clear, here. 15[22:16] <@VoxPVoxD> Bubo is cinching up his purse. Nessun Dorma says, "Anyone with information on these Anathema should bring that information to the Council of Entities. The riches of Nexus and the treasures of Lookshy await the helpful." [22:16] 7Blossom: "I suppose there must be a dozen unbound roaming the city. Dangerous to play against them, I'm told." 7That mouse... just a pet? It strikes a chord with some of the lore she's been searching through. What is it? 15[22:16] <@VoxPVoxD> "COME, BUBO!" 15[22:17] <@VoxPVoxD> Bubo puts the money away and balances a small, square hat on his large bald head. "Well, good day, young man. What's your name? I'll ask after you to Moira." [22:17] "It has its rewards." 14His eyes follow her interest for a moment -- then the loud mountain yells, and his attention returns to the other side of the room. [22:17] 14It's like a dream, all of this. Stranger can't shake it. It's like something out of a dream. 15[22:18] <@VoxPVoxD> "Coming, master!" Bubo scurries after Nessun again. [22:18] "Almin Jera, sir. It's been a pleasure." [22:20] "Oh, yes. Consider, these two phials - " 05 he produces them. [22:22] "In the correct proportions, they could produce a noxious gas, or a filth-banishing solvent! Or even, a firey explosion!" [22:22] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "'zat what happened back there?" [22:23] 14With Stranger distracted, Ra will dart out again and this time attempt to abscond with one of the complementary flat crackers that came with this pot -- Stranger has been a generous and constant presence in the teahouses of this district since he arrived...recently. [22:24] 14Noticing the distance in Stranger's already-empty eyes, he will then attempt to dunk it in the tea. 15[22:25] <@VoxPVoxD> The old man behind the counter makes conversation with the Judge as he wipes down cups and sets them aside to dry. "Do you believe that? Anathema, here! The generals of Lookshy asking after them!" [22:25] 14His reach exceeds his grasp. "Ra," 14Stranger says quietly but sharply. [22:25] "Oh yes, I imagine so. Though it seems a bad place to practice practical alchemy?" [22:25] "Open flames, raucous volume, unfamiliar odors..." [22:26] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Well, it's like the saying. If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere." [22:26] "General? He did look impressive." [22:26] 14The mouse dunks the cracker anyway, then scurries back up Stranger's sleeve. 15[22:26] <@VoxPVoxD> "Oh, well, he must have been, don't you think? And he had that... that... was there someone with him?" [22:26] 14There will have been more than enough time for the young woman to observe the mouse's golden eyes. 15[22:26] <@VoxPVoxD> The Judge is fairly certain there was. 15[22:26] <@VoxPVoxD> ...fairly certain. [22:28] "Oh, well, I'm... ah, between true patrons at the moment. But it's no matter. I make these little baubles to be able to afford the cover charge at fine establishments like this." [22:29] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Like I asked, though. You know any geomancy?" [22:29] "Somebody. But after that warrior, he must not have been that important." 4That's what the Judge's brain is trying to tell him. But he remembers bits, pieces. [22:29] "Nnnnooo..." [22:29] "I'm an engineer!" [22:29] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "I mean him!" [22:29] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "You're not the guy says he's a sage." [22:30] "I have my moments." 15[22:30] <@VoxPVoxD> Everything's shaking. 15[22:31] <@VoxPVoxD> In the Foundry, forks and sabers rattle. Beer sloshes from mugs. In the Solemn Bear, teacups clatter against the saucers, laying moats around themselves. The windows quiver. 15[22:31] <@VoxPVoxD> And then there's the sound. 15[22:31] <@VoxPVoxD> BONGGGGGGG [22:31] 3Mud: "Uuuuh..." 15[22:31] <@VoxPVoxD> BONNNNNNG DONNNNNGGGGG [22:31] 14Strangers eyes narrow and he stands. [22:31] <@Ferrinus> 12Is that... normal? [22:32] 3"IS THIS NORMAL!?" 15[22:33] <@VoxPVoxD> Hear the tolling of the bells. Iron bells. The size and tenor of the sound is without precedent in any Nexus resident's memory. And they're all called to think of it. They feel it in their sternum. They hear it in their souls. 15[22:33] <@VoxPVoxD> From horizon to horizon the bells are tolling. [22:33] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Nnnnnno it isn't." [22:34] 4Does that mean what I think it means? [22:34] 3Mud reaches into his pockets and draws a few more silver talents for the tip, slapping them onto the bar and rushing clumsily out the door into the rain. [22:34] 3What under Heaven....? [22:35] 3Does anything present itself as immediately odd or out of place? He's off-balance, being a foreigner to Nexus and its ways. [22:35] 14Like something out of a dream. [22:35] 14No one said it was a good one. 15[22:35] <@VoxPVoxD> Along every river, on every hilltop, the sky burns red. 15[22:36] <@VoxPVoxD> It's like the air itself is all aflame. [22:36] "This is bad!" 3Mud shouts. "Like, what-happened-at-the-levee-bad! [22:36] " [22:37] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar pushes himself to his feet and follows the man outside. He pulls a rough poncho off one of the hooks by the door, but doesn't put the hood up as he stops in the street and glares upward. [22:37] 7Blossom is about to ask if the stranger has had his little friend long when the infernal noise starts. Is this some kind of civic holiday? [22:37] 7Then the sky turns red, and she's on her feet. [22:37] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "What exactly happened at the levee?" [22:37] 4The Judge is already gone, without a word. [22:37] "God died, walking corpses, levee broke," 3Mud wheezes. 15[22:38] <@VoxPVoxD> Those drawn to the windows, to the skies - as untold thousands are - will see a red star ascending like an awful flare. The district... there. The red star shines above Sentinel's Hill. [22:38] 3Is it a far walk? [22:38] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Sky do that?" [22:38] "No!" [22:38] "But it's weeeeeird." [22:39] 14Stranger knows, vaguely but certainly, this is why he wandered to Nexus. [22:39] "This is a dread omen!" [22:39] 4This is bad. Go faster, got to go faster. 15[22:39] <@VoxPVoxD> It's not that far. Mud walked farther than that trying to find the best place to have lunch. [22:40] 3Still! It's the principle of it! "Huff, huff... huff!" [22:41] 14To the young woman next to him: "You are no mere musician." [22:41] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar's nostrils flare as he breathes in. "Alllll right, yeah, that's gonna be a - where you goin'? Could be dangerous." [22:41] "To another adventure!" [22:41] 14He's still staring at the sky with empty eyes. [22:41] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "That's Firewander, friend. Wyld zone." [22:41] 3Mud reaches into his pocket and draws an uneaten kebab, now pointing down the road like a saber. "I have no idea what that means!" [22:41] 14Stranger: "You want to know about my mouse." [22:42] 3And off he goes, trundling along in that curious half-run, half-waddle. [22:42] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "The Wyld, man, the damn Wyld! Where fuckin' faeries come from! You're gonna - you know what, up to you. Free city." [22:42] 3This is his first day in Nexus. [22:42] 7Blossom: "How many wandering Gateway masters have a pet like that one, I wonder." 7She looks back at Stranger. "I'm going to see what that red star is. Are you coming with me?" [22:42] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "I'll see you there, if you're lucky." 12The mercenary himself ducks down a side street. He'll show up at Sentinel Hill shortly thereafter, armed and armored. [22:43] 14Stranger: "I was about to suggest it was the more pressing inquiry." 14He puts coin on the table, and finishes the rest of the cup. [22:43] 14As they leave the teahouse: "His name is Ra." 15[22:46] <@VoxPVoxD> Each of them must contend with confused throngs spilling out into the street and staring at the star. There's a slow ebb in Firewander's direction, as if gravity were pulling every man, woman, and child in the City of Liars to that one spot. [22:46] "The Wyld... I know the Wyld..." 05 Xu Sim hurries after Mud [22:47] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar, wearing a suit of finely-made articulated plate that's got a thin green ribbon tied around one of the shoulders: "Outtatheway, comin' through, I got this..." 15[22:48] <@VoxPVoxD> The crowds are moderate in their analysis of the situation. "The gods will drive us to the sea!" "The world is ending!" "Hell! Hell!!!" [22:48] 3If and when Keldar arrives, Mud and Straw will be there alongside Xu, waving and standing tiptoe on the balls of his feet at the mercenary. [22:48] 4Judge definitely doesn't know the Wyld, but he doesn't have a choice. Should he show up with the same face? [22:49] 7Blossom will clear a path, shoving the more recalcitrant citizens when she has to, or darting from atop hitching-poles to stall awnings when the streets are too packed to effectively navigate. [22:49] "I knew you'd come!" 3Gushes Mud. "Your bearing is too heroic to miss this!" [22:49] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar's cracking his knuckles, which is harder to do than it looks when you've gauntlets on, and shouldering his way to the front of the crowd. Just what's going on here? [22:49] 14Stranger will slide through behind her. Someone should silence the fool yelling 'Hell!' It's doubtful that's what this is and the demons won't be pleased. [22:51] 3Mud, of course, breaks crowds like a truffling pig through underbrush. [22:52] "Ha, friend, I'm just walking where it's easiest to walk!" 05 It's true! [22:52] 4An affable blond stranger touches many people on the shoulder and advises them to take shelter, both from the oncoming disaster and from the crowded streets. Many do, at least enough that he can continue unimpeded. 15[22:52] <@VoxPVoxD> It's still raining. As the sun sets, the red star makes the clouds glow pink. [22:52] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Hey! Outta the - that's Firewander, kid, the hell are you even -" [22:55] 7Fortunately, Nexus is riddled with 'thieves highways', and Blossom is able to dart across rooftops, clamber through open windows of abandoned buildings, and generally make excellent time by avoiding having her feet touch the ground. [22:56] 14Stranger keeps pace behind her, but doesn't go for anything so flashy as rooftops -- he moves through the crowd like a wisp of white smoke, his mouse quick with him. 15[22:58] <@VoxPVoxD> By some reckonings, Sentinel's Hill is the heart of Nexus. Certainly it overlooks great swaths of the city, and the Council Tower stands here. The red star, they realize as they approach, shines almost directly over it. 15[22:58] <@VoxPVoxD> The crowds grow less frantic as they push through. "Is that-" "Can't be-" "He's not-" "He's dead! The Emissary is dead!" [22:59] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar's sure he's mishearing that. [22:59] 4The stoic Judge's heart skips a beat. This can't be a coincidence... can it? 15[22:59] <@VoxPVoxD> Blossom sees it first, poking her head past the rim of the crowds being held at bay by a wall of mercenaries forming up even now. Keldar recognizes some colleagues and is able to push through. [22:59] 14A dream. A nightmare. 15[22:59] <@VoxPVoxD> The others, from their directions, will soon see it too. 15[23:00] <@VoxPVoxD> The cobbled square beneath the Council Tower plays host to two bodies, one kneeling, one supine. The kneeling man is cowering behind his cart, overturned. Cabbages roll gently down the street. Smoke is rising from his head, his shoulders... he's weeping, too. 15[23:01] <@VoxPVoxD> The supine man is garbed all in white, hair spread out behind him. His face is obscured by a silver mask polished to a mirror shine. The red star is reflected clean and true in the Emissary's forehead. The rain is already rinsing his blood away. [23:02] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "That ain't... no. No way." 12Who's the other guy? Is he anyone famous? 15[23:03] <@VoxPVoxD> He's nobody. 15[23:03] <@VoxPVoxD> He just sells cabbages. [23:03] 14Hmm. 15[23:03] <@VoxPVoxD> If you listen beneath the clamor and the rain, beneath the burning and the bells, you'll hear him sobbing that, to himself, as he refuses to lift his head from his hands. [23:04] 3Mud turns questioningly to Xu Sim behind him. "Who..." [23:05] 14Stranger now is less interested in the dead man -- and uninterested in the weeping man -- and far more interested in how everyone else is reacting to the dead man. [23:05] 14Who else has arrived with him and the young woman...? [23:06] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Hey. Hey!" 12He takes a single step forward, but doesn't actually approach the corpse. "Who're you? What happened?" [23:07] 7How unlikely all this is. Oh! Somebody's taking charge. Who's this? [23:07] 05 Xu strides towards the mysterious, fallen Emissary and kneels beside him to see if he is truly dead. Is he even a man? 15[23:07] <@VoxPVoxD> Stranger sees the mercenary with the green ribbon on his shoulder, striding past the barricade as if it wasn't there. He sees the fat man and the little man huddled together, conferring in the rain. He sees, rising like a behemoth over the crowd, Nessun Dorma. He sees the width and breadth of Nexus, princes and paupers alike, gaping in awe and confusion. 15[23:07] <@VoxPVoxD> "You there! Halt!" [23:07] 4The Judge is kneeling at the front of the crowd of people, not moving too close, but his eyes dart across the fallen Emissary, cart, and everything around it. [23:07] "I'm a doctor!" 15[23:07] <@VoxPVoxD> A woman, hair matted down by the rain, draws her sword and points it at Xu Sim. "Stand slowly or never again." [23:08] 4He sees Nessun Dorma, and curses internally. Knew I should have left this face behind. 15[23:08] <@VoxPVoxD> Keldar recognizes her immediately. Councilor Pellicia. The Dawn Sergeant is the closest thing there is to law in this town. Well, after the Emissary. [23:08] 3It is now Mud that follows Xu Sim! He would laugh at this reversal but now is very obviously not the time for that! [23:08] "Very well," 05 Xu raises his hands. [23:09] 3He backs off when people start pointing swords though! [23:09] 14Stranger steps out from the crowd into the open, blank eyes narrowing. He sees the blonde man from the teahouse. [23:09] <@Ferrinus> 12Heyyyy. "Councilor!" 12Keldar says, his voice a little gruffer and more serious than Mud may remember it. "Did you see what happened here?" [23:09] 3It's his first day in Nexus and it would be very unfortunate for a sword to be drawn on him already!! [23:12] 3Mud takes a worried bite from his kebab. [23:16] 4The Judge has seen what happened here, but he obviously can't bring it to the armored Dynast. He takes note of the other interested parties, however. This might be too big for him to handle alone. 15[23:17] <@VoxPVoxD> Pellicia wheels around at Keldar's voice. "Keldar!" She'll wave him closer to confer. She's on good terms with the city's mercenaries, including the ones she dislikes personally, which is almost all of them including Keldar. It never gets in the way of business. "The cart ran the Emissary down. It was coming from the northwest, by the Yellow somewhere. The man was riding the cart, and was bent over him when that thing-" she trusts she doesn't need to point to the star "-went up." 15[23:18] <@VoxPVoxD> "And he just... went down." [23:19] 14Stranger is staring at the star. Anything...? Does it stir in him anything? 15[23:19] <@VoxPVoxD> "The Prosector's clerics are getting here as fast as they can." [23:19] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar narrows his eyes. "A cart? A damned cart? Hang on, he crashed and then the star went up, or the star went up and then he crashed?" 15[23:20] <@VoxPVoxD> Stranger looks up at the star, and his face burns. He remembers a man of limitless dignity. He remembers the finest tea he's ever tasted, sweet with honey. He remembers that a vow was broken. He remembers that vengeance is due. [23:21] 14And that is enough to get involved. 15[23:22] <@VoxPVoxD> Mud's neck tickles. 15[23:22] <@VoxPVoxD> The back of his neck. Something's crawling on the back of his neck. [23:22] "Agh! Mosquito!" 3He slaps. [23:22] 14So he will circle around to the blonde man -- and assuming he's not running for the crowd -- whisper to him, "You will need help. I will check up the road." 15[23:22] <@VoxPVoxD> He was wrong. It's not a mosquito. Smeared across Mud's palm is the remains of a honeybee. [23:23] "Ooh! Ooooh... Sorry.. friend..." 3Mud winces and tries to collect some rainwater in his hands to wash away the evidence of his crime. [23:27] 3He slaps his palms together. "Okay, let's... let's start with... who is this guy?" [23:28] 3Mud: "Looks... looks really important." [23:28] 7Blossom turns her attention from the murder(?) scene to the star. A generic omen? A beacon? What is this thing? [23:28] 3Judging from the crowds.. and the armed guards.. and the city officials, and the swords, and the serious looks everyone's giving. [23:28] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar frowns at the corpse, then frowns at the sky. "...we're not the only ones that beacon's alerting. ...we're probably not even the only direction the news's just hit." 15[23:28] <@VoxPVoxD> Pellicia: "What?" [23:29] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "This thing, it's like - imagine a trap, right, that sprays something sticky or acidic on the hand or face of whoever trips a catch first." 15[23:29] <@VoxPVoxD> Pellicia: "I'm with you so far." [23:30] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Apparently, someone knew the Emissary could die... and set it up so they'd know... and, seeing as that's Firewander and its sky is as fucked up as the rest of Nexus's, set it up so they'd know way the hell out in fairyland." [23:30] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "This guy is fucked." 15[23:30] <@VoxPVoxD> The crowd is at turns somber and agitated. It's increasingly clear that the Emissary isn't getting up again. [23:31] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "...Except this doesn't explain how in the gods damned hell the Emissary gets taken out by a street cart in the first place! What is this?!" 15[23:31] <@VoxPVoxD> Pellicia looks over at the cabbage merchant, head in hands, huddled against the rain. "Whatever's coming for him... at least he won't see it coming." [23:31] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "It got his eyes?" 15[23:34] <@VoxPVoxD> Pellicia: "His whole face is terribly burnt. He won't let us near him, and there's no point holding him down. The Prosector's people will drug him and take him back to the Crematorial Temple." 15[23:34] <@VoxPVoxD> "Well..." she hesitates. [23:34] 7Hrmph. Blossom leaps to the ground and tries to shoulder her way near to the magistrate(?) and her deputy(?). 15[23:34] <@VoxPVoxD> "Almost his whole face." [23:34] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar heads over to kneel by the man. He gives Stranger a brief glance - oh, some old guy - before trying to make out the merchant's features, or what remains of them. [23:35] 3Mud: "Here, let me see... I know a little of medicine.." [23:35] 3He's ambled over in the interim. [23:36] 14Stranger walks to the top of the road...yes, here. There's a block here, and another right next to it -- wooden blocks, the kind you use to stop a cart. One assumes it's the one down at the other end of the street; the cart just up the way still has its wheels stopped up. It rolls downhill from here, drifting gently to the left...and it's losing cabbages the entire time. The incline, [23:36] 14the size of the cart, and the distance don't work. A child might be hurt by this, if the edge of the cart caught his head the wrong way. [23:36] 14But even putting aside his considerable reputed powers, even had this Emissary been merely a man, the cart would have caught him in the ribs. [23:37] 14Likely rather gently, considering the shredded cabbage halfway down the road. It was braking on its own produce on the way down. [23:37] 14How very interesting. [23:38] 3Mud cups his hands around his mouth. "EVERSNAKE!" [23:38] 14Stranger looks about. Has the blonde man left? [23:39] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar looks up. "Wha?" [23:39] 7The mercenaries try to stop her, but they're here to be a wall against the gawping masses, not a trained daughter of the Realm. She's through their line before they can even lay a hand on her. "Aren't you going to take this man into protective custody?" [23:39] "I- huff- FORGOT YOUR -huff- NAME!" [23:39] 3Mud:"Xu-Sim's an ALCHEMIST and I know some MEDICINE!" [23:40] 14...Xu Sim? [23:40] 14Oh no. 15[23:40] <@VoxPVoxD> "XU SIM?!" [23:41] "Not now, you oaf! I'm thinking!" [23:41] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Yeah, apparently these guys - eh?" 15[23:41] <@VoxPVoxD> The man-mountain barrels through the crowd like an avalanche. He shines white, not just with jade but with the living will of earth itself. [23:42] 14Stranger's eyes dart from the loud mountain to...who is this Xu Sim? The physician? [23:43] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "What's that guy's-" [23:44] 14Stranger: "He cannot be allowed to disturb the scene of this crime!" [23:44] 4Shit. Well, that's blown it. Maybe they can talk them down... [23:44] 3Mud's eyes widen in shock. Is yelling illegal? What did- Nexus and its ways are utterly alien to him and now a burly man is running at him. He could cry. 15[23:46] <@VoxPVoxD> "ANATHEMA! DEMON! YOUR RECKONING IS AT HAND!" [23:46] 14Idiot! [23:46] 7Blossom: "He's in Nexus looking for-- yes, there it is." 15[23:46] <@VoxPVoxD> Nessun Dorma roars, and a great white maul strikes the earth like a meteor. The cobbles split. 15[23:46] <@VoxPVoxD> "DIE!" [23:46] 14Stranger isn't sure who he means here. Perhaps all of them. 15[23:47] <@VoxPVoxD> NEXT TIME: The Wicked Dead