audio; un: Sabriel.Abhorsen

[bindsthedead]

Greetings. I'm a new arrival here, and while I have many questions, I think it might be best to start with an introduction- my name is Sabriel. I'm a Charter mage and- the Abhorsen, which means I'm also a necromancer, although rest assured, I do not raise the Dead. [Sabriel's voice grows more emphatic on that last point. Hopefully it will reassure people.] I lay them to rest.

In any case, I think it might be best if we organized ourselves- we need to gather information about this place, and recover the Orb, and that will be easier if we combine our skills. How many among us can fight? How many are mages, or have some knowledge of healing, either through medicine or magic? How many of us are willing to teach our skills to those that lack them? I could teach people how to use swords, or Charter magic, or the basics of first aid and wilderness navigation, for example.

In addition to pooling our skills, I think we should coordinate for the mission- it's likely this 'ghost girl' has the orb, but what is she? A restless spirit? A human with the power to control the monsters? Or some other sort of creature disguised as a human? And there's something strange about the city- there have been many deaths in the inner city- so I suppose they weren't lying about it not being safe, a normal amount in the Merchant District... and none at all in the outer city. Are we sure it hasn't been abandoned?

I'll see what the Dead can tell me, and what I can learn from the living.

[ooc: Feel free to threadjack amongst yourselves.]

Comments

audio; un: majimagoro

[hikae]

Can't help ya with magical gimmicks, not really the type— [ Magic is fiction back in his world ] But I can fight, patch wounds, look into shit and listen, that sort of thing.

[ Okay, that's more of personal interest, or rather personal goal kind of thing. Like what the heck is even that goal... nevermind, he might start gathering resources ]

Disguises too, let's say I got some experience around stage performance. [ He is not going to explain what a cabaret is, and how much of a pain is to manage one ] If ya wanna wander outside it's best to wear one. So if anyone's unsure 'bout fittin' in with local fashionistas on their own, hit me. Just bring yer own trinkets and cosmetics as a tribute.

[bindsthedead]

And all of those are useful skills. Particularly gathering information- we won't get anywhere if we don't understand what's going on.

And I may request your help with disguises. For being so eager for our help, our hosts seem unwilling to let us try to do so.

[hikae]

Bah, can't really compare that to talkin' to the departed. [ He means it!! ] Tho— it would help ya if we knew where the cemetery is, no?

[ Like... how do you even talk to the dead. Wait, maybe he doesn't even want to know. But he can figure the address of the catacombs, or whatever they use here ]

Aside for gettin' ya some local robes. That shall be handled.

[bindsthedead]

Actually, I just need to know where they died. Besides, for all we know, they might cremate their dead here, like we do in the Old Kingdom. [Although probably for very different reasons here, given they don't seem to have problems with the restless dead.]

I'll see what I can acquire. I'm sure they have some spares around here.

un: major.yzak.jule

[coordination]

I have basic first aid training.

Basic meaning I can make the best out of a situation as I can until better help arrives. Not anything magic. It's pretty easy to learn. [ Which is an offer. ]

I'm also a soldier. I don't think mobile suit combat will come into play down here, but I've been trained in more than just that. Hand-to-hand, firearms, explosives, knives.

[bindsthedead]

Sometimes, just keeping people alive is enough- and it's something everyone should learn, if we're to fight monsters.

I take it your experience is in fighting other humans, and not- other things?

[coordination]

That's right. It looks like many others here are used to ... contact with other lifeforms. We—

Well, saying they don't exist would be wrong. We've found proof of life outside of our own. But not living proof.

text, un; dustywolf

[softmouth]

I can fight, kind of. I've been trained by someone who's really good, but I didn't pay a lot of attention. I can turn into a wolf, though, when I want to, and I'm a good fighter in that form

can you teach magic to people who didn't have magic at home?

[bindsthedead]

It takes more than a good instructor to make a good fighter- it takes a good student as well.

I haven't tried yet. I know how to do the baptism though, so it's an option if I have potential students and we have a need for more mages.

[softmouth]

hah! that sounds exactly like something he would say, though it'd be probably less eloquent and more angry and russian

you have to be baptized for it? that's weird. most of the religions where I came from that involve baptizing are pretty anti-magic

voice || un; hanguang.jun

[taciturnly]

( ...a necromancer who doesn’t raise the dead but instead lay them to rest. huh. an odd term for an action lan wangji has done over and over, but he’s learned that words can be just that, sometimes hollow, or crooked with man-made and self-serving purpose.

sabriel here doesn’t really give off the type of solipsistic vibe lan wangji might frown upon. instead they seem to speak a language he knows, and laments. so here, a voice, steady and deep and soft-spoken, as poised as the rest of him. )

Wangji, GusuLan sect. ( a pause. ) My sword and guqin, at your disposal. Should the dead wish to speak, our combined efforts could prove valuable.

( another beat, loaded with a quiet exhale. ) There are daggers here, concealed behind smiles.

[bindsthedead]

It is an honor to meet you, Wangji of the Gusu Lan sect. [Sabriel's pretty sure they're operating from different frames of etiquette, but if he's being formal, she'll try to match it.] I am not sure what a guqin is, but if you also wish to seek answers from the dead, so they might rest peacefully, then let us cooperate.

[A warning. One Sabriel understands.] For all that they welcome us as saviors, the court here seems rather secretive.

[taciturnly]

( in lieu of a detailed, spoken response, a short video is shared, plucked strings and glissando notes. )

An instrument to soothe, seek, and secure. ( when played by the lans, anyway. otherwise it’s nothing more than a musical instrument. pretty similar to the ones he's seen around here, actually! as for their hosts... ) Mn. Where spirits haunt, the living shroud. Both persist in unrest.

( a barely there sigh, a hint of hesitation. ) Items of potential interest have been located.

audio; un: ratchet

[neveroutwrenched]

[ Ratchet was starting to realize from the chatter over the network, just how different his world really was from many of the worlds of the people here. All this talk of magic and swords in complete earnestness...it was like something out of a holo-vid.

Although he was also learning a lot of people here thought the same about him, in all fairness. At least the ones he'd met in person.]

I'm pretty new to this, uh...world with real, actual magic thing. [He pauses. He had a LOT of questions about that, but it felt rude to dump them onto someone he didn't know, the first time he'd ever talked to them.] Given the information we've got, I don't know how many of my skills are gonna be of use to you here, but I can definitely help in a fight.

As for the city...I think in these situations it's always worth looking at the top for the answers to a place's problems.

[bindsthedead]

Combat can be a useful skill, but we also need to use our eyes and ears. [And in Sabriel's case, a few extra senses.]

I wouldn't be surprised if the people in charge know things they're not telling us. What do you think is going on?

[neveroutwrenched]

Well...without more information, it's hard to say. But it's gotta be money or power, right? [Isn't it always either money or power?] Like you said...keeping our ears and eyes open and not rushing to any conclusions is probably the best course.

[He hesitates for a moment, considering.]

...do you really have the power to talk with dead people?

audio; un:scifo

[thinkfirst]

[ A necromancer, huh? Not a word Flynn has heard outside stories, and certainly not one who talks like this. Interesting. ]

Pooling our resources and combining our skills is a fantastic idea, and I would be glad to assist. I can use a sword, as well as combat and healing artes, and I'd be glad to teach swordsmanship and defense to those interested. Monsters are a common problem for us at home.

If you do learn anything from the dead... I would be very interested to hear what they say.

[bindsthedead]

I'll tell you what I learn.

And self defense seems like something everyone in our group should learn. Even if we're willing to defend those who can't fight- we might not always be around when needed.

[thinkfirst]

I agree completely. Self-defense is one of the most useful skills, and one my new recruits are often somehow lacking. You mentioned your magic—are your artes teachable?

audio; un: shiro

[earthshine]

I have some military background. I specialized as a pilot, which doesn’t seem to be of much use for this mission, but I have training in hand to hand, use of firearms, basic field medicine. If any of this is useful to anyone, I’m happy to help where I can.

[ also, he led the offense against an alien empire, after spending a year fighting an array of alien species in gladiator death matches. so monsters? if the term is applied loosely, he has experience in combating the unusual. buuuut details. ]

As for the outer city… we won’t know for sure until we get eyes on it. There’s a hefty guard presence there but they can’t be everywhere at once. Maybe we can coordinate a group to get over the fence and see what’s going on back there.

[bindsthedead]

There seems to be several soldiers among our number. [Although Sabriel's not sure if there's a deeper reason than that warfare tends to breed regrets.]

We should see the outer city with our own eyes, even if it means dealing with the guards. Perhaps we'll find some clues there.

[earthshine]

[ death and destruction do have a way of making one reexamine the choices of their life. ]

Soldiers? Good. That’ll likely be a benefit for us. [ easier to work with people both trained for high-stress situations and who know how to follow orders. ]

And that’s what I’m thinking. Lady Jeung-Sun spoke of the outside being unsafe, so I’ll work on pulling a team together who can handle a possible confrontation. If we find anything, I’ll report back here.

un: zee | voice

[directrix]

A necromancer who doesn't raise the dead. Fascinating.

[ Is it possible to sound both bored and genuinely impressed at the same time? ]

[bindsthedead]

A rarity, I know. [Given most Old Kingdom necromancers outside of her family are mostly interested in cheating death and raising minions] But it's an effective means of laying the Dead to rest.

[directrix]

I suppose it would be. [ Necromancy isn't something often practiced in Zelda's experience, for good reason. ] Is necromancy practiced widely where you're from?