< She Is Their Queen | Ex Pulplogs | Talking Up A Storm >
ST The city of Gem, a riotous explosion of information overwhelming to any of the five senses. The brilliant colors of the market place lava tube, the wares sold by the merchants and the plethora of styles of clothing worn by sellers and buyers alike, the scents of a thousand types of booze, food and drugs, the taste of dust and ash from the volcano itself carried by the wind. If there is anything in the South for sale, it can be found in Gem
ST The Circle just hopes that among the many things traded and sold here in Gem, one of them is information on the Black Viper Coils Cult.
Corve says, for the thirtieth time, "I hope we don't blow up." Lava!
Xar`Rex smiles at Corve, "Only by my command."
Myrrh "Gem's very stable. Although I could definitely use some of the lava...and maybe some gold."
Carmine "...What would you use lava for?" She asks from Corve's arm. Today the silk ribbons are white, though they pick up the multihued reflections from the gems to show a riot of colours.
Corve says to Carmine, "He wants to build an Orichalcum forge, love." He's overheard Myrrh's rants about the stuff and how it's distilled and manipulated.
Myrrh "Exactly! There hasn't been a working one in thousands of years! Then we'd just need the time...which we're lacking of course."
Xar`Rex "Yes, we have to save the world first."
Carmine nods
Xar`Rex "Then I will help you with your forge."
Corve muses, eyes glazing over, "Mmm, weaponry." Orichalcum bullets and accessories and... ooh, more guns.
Myrrh "Well i'd have to finish my Soulsteel project first. Assuming we can keep Oteki from shoving any more pieces of it into his body."
Xar`Rex "Right now we need information. We can come back later, if we live."
Myrrh "We should look around for the wealthy. Remeber Ugly tree. And if we're this close to their main temple..."
Woman taps Corve on the shoulder. "Excuse me?"
Corve stops walking, and turns to face the woman with a raised brow. "Yes?"
Silver is a bit shorter then Corve, dressed in silver and green robes that cover most of her body. A veil and turban complete the local costume, hiding pretty much everything but her bright green eyes and the silver cosmetics she's used around her eyes and to decorate her temples and forehead. She smells like grapes for some reason.
Silver "There are some people here I have determined you would like to meet. But since it required considerable effort and risk to myself to discover them and gain their trust, I do rather think I deserve a bonus for it."
Xar`Rex looks at her suspiciously, then his eyes widen in recognition.
Xar`Rex "What sort of bonus do you wish?"
Corve blinks at Silver, and then smiles pleasantly. "And why do you think we would like to meet them? Also. Hello." Manners, people!
Silver blinks back at Corve, somewhat surprised by manners. "Hello as well. To answer both your questions, I believe I deserve a rather hefty bonus and I think you want to meet these people because they are the enemies of your enemies and they have access to a number of your enemies' secrets."
Myrrh "Hm. They don't eat babies do they?"
Corve grins. "That would deserve a bonus. We'll determine the amount once we've seen what it's worth." At least that's confirmation she'll be getting a bonus. Now it just depends on how much. "If they eat babies you get a paycut."
Silver "...what possible reason do you have for starting with that question?" She looks at Myrrh, rather concerned.
Corve says, "He's crazy. Lead the way."
Myrrh is about to answer with something bound to be confusing before being cut off and lead after Silver. Rather odd getup.
Silver gives Myrrh another look then sets about leading the Circle through the market place. Once they're in the deepest parts of the lava tube she turns to them and gives everyone a good hard look. "I realize you all likely find a great deal of things objectionable. But please, don't go doing anything stupid."
Silver "If you really feel the need to so stupid things, please save them until after we're done here."
Corve raises a brow at Silver, and then resists the urge to smack her over the head, or ask her to define 'stupid'. Instead, he gives her a Look.
Carmine settles for a scowl. Though also, she was curious. She wondered if they'd be like the cavemen. Which then brought up the question of just how she was going to tell corve...
Silver sighs and gestures toward a side-branch of the lava tube that leads away from the main market and down, way deep down, into the bowels of the volcano. And Gem.
Myrrh "They aren't mutant land lobsters are they? We get on well with lobsters."
Corve says, "Lobsters are delicious." It's random day.
Xar`Rex "Not the ones who can talk."
Silver "....You know you are all quite insane." She starts picking her way down the slightly droopy stairway in the base of the side tube. The rocks around them are glowing faintly with a dull red light. Some are blocks of quartz which provide a very interesting view. A view of molten lava flowing gently on the other side of the crystals.
Carmine stops for a few moments to stare curiously
Corve does, too. "... Those look nice," he points to some, like he's window shopping with Carmine. They are insane. But then, they're Solars. They have a reason to be.
Xar`Rex touches the crystal, feeling the lava on the other side.
Carmine nods as she follows Corve's finger
Myrrh "Hmm...i'd need some yasalt crystal tubing...arcnodes..."
Xar`Rex makes the lava swirl in amusing patterns as they walk
Corve says, commandingly, "Hokay, we can look when we come back. Onward, boys and girls."
Corve , artistically dead.
Carmine leans on Corve's shoulder as they walk.
Myrrh continues on, planning out his eventual lab.
Silver Eventually the lava tube opens up into another, but much smaller market. This one seems to cater to less...common buyers then the huge market above. People are buying, selling and trading in things like soulfire gems, ingots of soulsteel and black ore, human skulls, brains from a dozen creatures, the occasional soul. Oh, and blood. Can't forget blood.
Silver In fact, one merchant seems to sell nothing but blood in all sorts of amounts and types.
Corve says, "Well. This is disturbing."
Xar`Rex looks around with a sort of curiosity
Myrrh "Hm. Stygian Iron? That's a bit rare..."
Corve snorts, "Ya think?"
Silver The merchant looks up at Myrrh's comment. "Rare indeed! I will, however, beggar my own children and make you a trade. 10 pounds of the metal for..." He pauses, examining Myrrh "A quart of your blood."
Xar`Rex "What do you do with all the blood?"
Silver "Sell it, of course." Silver looks a bit bored. "Are you done shopping?"
Corve looks at Silver. "You're the one what stopped walking. Go." He nods forward.
Silver "Only because your friend was trying to sell his blood."
Myrrh "Maybe next time, I think i'm going to need my blood for the moment but I might takl to you later..."
Myrrh "What? You don't get samples from the Labyrinth just any day..."
Corve rolls his eyes at Silver, "And you care so very much. Let's go, Myrrh."
Silver The merchant looks sad. "What about a quart and a half of your lizard friend's blood?"
Myrrh "There's a market for Dragonking blood?" He gives Xar a confused look. He knew about mortal blood, after all it was a powerful source of essence and symbolism...
Silver The merchant blinks, having supposed Myrrh actually knew something about the trade. Apparently not! What luck! "Well. Not much of a market, really. But if you are unable to part with some of your own, I could be pressed into taking his."
Corve smacks his plam against his face lightly. "We can discuss this on the way back." He glowers at the merchant; the kind of glower that isn't too encouraging. Corve glowers fiercely.
Xar`Rex flashes his teeth.
Myrrh "Er, later. I'm sure i'll be back this way...somehow." He gives an appologetic wave and is dragged off by the others.
Carmine whispers "If you really wanted to give blood, I could heal it back." when they are well clear of the stall. She didn't want to mention the strange feeling the sight of all that blood created within her
Silver "You really shouldn't go selling bits of yourself." Silver warns
Myrrh "I agree. I just was curious is all. It's not like we know a ton about the underworld. Stygian ore is mined from the Labyrinth after all."
Silver "Well, keep such interests to yourself here. We're almost there."
Myrrh "O
Myrrh "I was just saying is all, especialy if we're going to try and..."
Xar`Rex follows Silver to their destination!
Corve snaps, "Myrrh." He gives his friend a raised brow. Not in front of the moralistically dubious Dragon=Blood henchmen, man!
Silver leads the Circle to a secret passage, revealed when she taps lightly on one of the lava-viewing crystals embedded in the wall of the lava tube several hundred yards beyond the dark market square. The crystal turns black and then slides away, revealing another side passage of the lava tube. "This is it"
Xar`Rex looks in
Corve looks at Silver expectantly. "Okay." So, like, lead the way.
Silver Silver does lead the way, walking down into the tunnel until the rocks all around are smoking from the heat of the volcano. Much further and the rocks will start glowing red. Everyone except Xar, Silver and Carmine is sweating profusely. So, just Corve and Myrrh. Even their sweat is steaming right off them.
Silver Xar's scales are prickling up a bit, bleeding off heat, but he doesn't seem much bothered. Carmine and Silver are totally ignoring the heat. How their feet are not scalding to the ground is a bit of a mystery, but not one to be too closely investigated, lest whatever it is stop working.
Carmine carries on walking next to Corve, oblivious to the heat, though occasionally glancing at him anxiously
Corve looks like a walking sauna. But he's fine. Really. He takes his coat off. Because dude.
Xar`Rex enjoys the heat, and the feeling of being back inside of a volcano.
Myrrh wipes the sweat off of his brow and looks a bit wilted. "Damn this is like the jungle."
Silver When they reach their destination, it is quite obvious. The lava tube opens up and shows them something fairly few people have ever seen: the inner heart of a volcano. The magma chamber itself. Though this magma chamber less full of magma and more full of vast, smoky crystals the size of barns all linked together in a vast gemstone cap over the magma lake that pools in the depths.
Silver Scattered in the cracks and crevices of the greyish-white-black-gold speckled crystal growths are huts, hovels, yurts and other small dwellings. A whole little village here, deep deep deep under Gem.
Silver "This is it"
Corve says, "... interesting. Introduce us." And he doesn't mean in the formal way. He means, 'find us the people we need to talk to'.
Silver negotiates a steep path down into the crystal landscape and disappears inside a small hovel made from scraps of clothing and bits of wood. She reappears with an ash-streaked man wearing his black hair in an impressive array of matted dreads, smelling very strongly of sweat and burned things and wearing little more then a leather vest and loin cloth.
Silver The way the man exhales a puff of smoke every time he blows out a particularly long breath hints that he may be something related to fire. And the way he's barefoot on the smokingly hot crystal ground.
Corve eyes the man, and then gives him a curt nod. Still, he waits for introductions. The kind that come with names.
Xar`Rex inclines his head to the man, recognizing the fire in him.
Xar`Rex "You are the enemy of our enemy, yes?"
Ogon exhales a puff of smoke "I suppose I am, should your enemy be Sceadu."
Corve says, "We haven't heard it called that. But it wouldn't be the first time something had a plethora of names. We're battling the Serpent of Shadows.
Ogon "Its name s Sceadu."
Corve notes, "I didn't say it isn't."
Myrrh "Whatever it's name how can you help us against it? We know it's already dead. Killing it again might be problematic."
Ogon "Now that's the problem. It's not completely dead, only mostly dead. And there's a big difference between the two, as you may have noticed."
Corve "Obviously. Do you have somewhere more comfortable where we could discuss this? My name is Corve, and this is my Circle. Glorious Carmine Elegance, Myrrh, and Xar'Rex."
Xar`Rex "Why is it not completely dead?"
Ogon "What's wrong with here?"
Myrrh "It's a might warm."
Corve "I actually meant somewhere we could sit." Comfort. You know, that thing where you relax a little so evertything flows smoother.
Ogon settles himself down on the burningly hot crystal. "I don't leave the crystal chamber. Too many enemies outside, you know."
Corve sighs, and nods. "I can understand that." He rubs his forehead a little. Damn heat.
Xar`Rex sits down on the burning crystal as well, and, realizing why Corve is upset, coaxes the fire away from a section of the crystal big enough for several people to sit on.
Carmine seats herself next to Xar.
Corve says, watching the rocks cool off. "Thank you, Xar." He waits for a few more moments, and then tosses his orichalcum coat on top of the rocks, and takes a seat, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "So. What can you tell us about... Sceadu."
Myrrh sits in the cool spots.
Ogon "I gather you already know the basics?"
Carmine "Great Shadow Serpent. Wants to be free. Willing to kill the world to do so?"
Myrrh nods. "Giant undead snake."
Ogon doesn't really wait for a reply before going on "Yes, then you know that Sceadu started life as a behemoth, forged by the Ebon Dragon when the Primordials ruled Creation. And that it was mostly killed during the First War. But as it died, it took the last of its life and buried it deep inside one of its killers."
Ogon "And so, while that one lived, the Serpent had an anchor to the world and could not be totally destroyed."
Corve listens, though he really doesn't understand much of it. It's not his thing. He hopes Xar and Myrrh can parse this better for him later; just in case.
Myrrh "That would make whoever's the bearer...a few thousand years old."
Corve rubs his temples, "Which makes them very dangerous."
Ogon "The hidden life became part of the killer, but Sceadu made a mistake. It waited to take action, hoping that time and war would kill off many of those who had battled it directly." Ogon ignores Myrrh. "And it did happen that way...but not in the exact way Sceadu had hoped."
Ogon "The killer himself was slain by the Great Uprising, along with his brothers and sisters. And his essence, along with that of Sceadu's life, was trapped for all time in the Shining Prison of Jade."
Xar`Rex "What is that?"
Ogon "Or so it was hoped. But now the prison is broken and Sceadu's life has returned to Creation. In the years since the breaking of the Prison, Sceadu has been working through his life-vessel and others to seduce, revive and otherwise regather his slaves."
Ogon "If you intend to slay Sceadu, you must kill the life-vessel in such a way that they can never return to Creation."
Corve asks, somewhat nervously. "Who is the vessel?"
Ogon shrugs. "What, I know everything?"
Xar`Rex "Do you know how to kill the life-vessel so that it will never return to Creation?"
Ogon "No."
Ogon "If I did, do you think I might have already tried?"
Xar`Rex "Do you know where this Jade Prison is?"
Corve shrugs, "You never said you didn't try. And trying doesn't mean succeeding. Do you know any way of detecting who it is?"
Ogon "The Shining Prison of Jade is shattered into a thousand pieces at the bottom of the Inner Sea. And no, I don't know how to find out who the life-vessel is. I might suggest slaying all Solar Anathema one at a time until there just aren't any more. Or until Sceadu dies. I'm fairly certain that would be effective."
Corve snorts, "And a bit of an inconvenience."
Carmine , sitting next to Xar, suddenly stiffens as she realises that she knows just how to kill it. It would mean giving up a lot, but it would work ...
Xar`Rex "It is a Solar..."
Ogon "But even if you did kill the life-vessel, there's no guarantee the rest of the Sceadu would die properly. It's had years to heal itself and consume lesser spirits to strengthen it's grip on life."
Ogon "But killing the life-vessel would mean that, if it died, Sceadu would die forever."
Corve eyes Carmine's tension, and raises a brow at her, concerned.
Carmine smiles at him
Corve smiles back warily, and then rubs his eyes. "Well, then, this just became either a hell of a lot easier, or a lot harder. We need to find out who it is."
Ogon "Good luck with that."
Corve peers at Ogon. "Why do you fight it?"
Ogon "Lost a game of cards>"
Corve blinks, "Right."
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