Shorebound, Day 538.11.20
In the realm of the real world, DD has all of her college applications in, so we just await results! *fingers crossed* On to Talia.
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I worry about those sparks, but nothing seems to be really catching on fire just yet. I worry about how many of these Copper Hand people and their pets are hiding behind all these blind doors and corners. I especially worry about Aja, whose self sacrificial magic is keeping us going but at a great cost to herself.
Everything around me is still moving double time. Kiarra flings a magic missle at the blade trap, where it hits with a nice thunk but does not stop it. It trundles off in a random direction, so my muzzy brain is happy that at least it doesn't seem to be intelligent about trying to shred us. She whirls back to stab at the tigerman, forcing him away from Kromnir, who is starting to get that look in his eye that means there will be EXTRA more blood soon. While the tigermen are looking very roughed up, I don't think we have taken down any of the gang, just their projects and pets. Can we still talk our way out of this?
The tigerman pops open a door right next to Aja and me, and gives her a nasty bite too. She really can't take much more of this! Things suddenly snap back to normal speed. I grab Aja and whirl her behind me, getting up in the face of the tigerman. I shout into his face as loud as I can, because this is as much for Black Squad as it is for the Copper Hand crew "FOR THE LOVE OF GOZREH CAN WE STOP THIS MADNESS BEFORE SOMEONE DIES? WE AREN'T FROM SKINNER AND WE REALLY JUST CAME TO TALK!" And more directly to the tigerman, "GO bring your leader" and then shove him back and slam that door closed in his face.
Black Squad responds admirably by breaking away from the various scrums and sort of regrouping in the landing room as a wall of darkness springs up by the back room. Aja calls on her goddess for some very Just In Time healing. I can hear the tigerman yowling loudly behind the door and some other yowls answering from various areas still out of sight. I realize I am holding my breath.
A scuffling sort of quiet falls for a few seconds, and then an irritated female voice demands that someone turn the lights back on and WTF is going on. A second later the darkness falls away and a severely pretty woman with fiery hair and a scar down her cheek strides into the room and glares at us. Kromnir ventures "Might we have the pleasure of addressing Fayati Alummur?". She focuses on him suspiciously and ventures "If you are, what do you want?" I can breathe again!
After a brief rebristling of weapons when Kromnir merrily says we are Watch, we move past hostilities and into talkies. This is much better. Fayatti motions us into the next room, which is also pretty large and only slightly singed, and sits at a table. Kromnir and I sit, the rest remain standing, well, watchfully. There are a LOT of Copper Hand gang members in this room. The tigermen are applying some first aid to each other while Fayatti orders some water and tea to be brought. Information and handshake promises follow. The Copper Hand has basically been under the thumb of this person Skinner and his skinsaw cult. The cult is large and well supplied. They had been basically pressed into serving as procurers and fences - they would be given a time, place, and "supplies" like stitches and digwidgets, for instance. Fayatti seems to really warm up to Kromnir as they talk. She has not been happy with this situation, and between Kromnir pushing for them to find a new home and knowing that her hideout is no longer secret, she makes the decision to pull up stakes and take the gang elsewhere. By the time conversation is winding down we even compliment the tigermen on their prowess and they reply that they hope they didn't pass along their gift, which then has Kromnir and Aja looking particularly alarmed.
As a parting boon, Fayatti informs us that the skinsaw cult has a lair in the Catacombs of the old city, and it is well and heavily guarded. Won't that be fun. As we get up to leave, she wonders if Kromnir would like to stay and talk more. He is dragged away by the rest of us. I can't speak for anyone else, but I am really hoping Edgewatch will spring for a deep cleaning day for us all!
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I worry about those sparks, but nothing seems to be really catching on fire just yet. I worry about how many of these Copper Hand people and their pets are hiding behind all these blind doors and corners. I especially worry about Aja, whose self sacrificial magic is keeping us going but at a great cost to herself.
Everything around me is still moving double time. Kiarra flings a magic missle at the blade trap, where it hits with a nice thunk but does not stop it. It trundles off in a random direction, so my muzzy brain is happy that at least it doesn't seem to be intelligent about trying to shred us. She whirls back to stab at the tigerman, forcing him away from Kromnir, who is starting to get that look in his eye that means there will be EXTRA more blood soon. While the tigermen are looking very roughed up, I don't think we have taken down any of the gang, just their projects and pets. Can we still talk our way out of this?
The tigerman pops open a door right next to Aja and me, and gives her a nasty bite too. She really can't take much more of this! Things suddenly snap back to normal speed. I grab Aja and whirl her behind me, getting up in the face of the tigerman. I shout into his face as loud as I can, because this is as much for Black Squad as it is for the Copper Hand crew "FOR THE LOVE OF GOZREH CAN WE STOP THIS MADNESS BEFORE SOMEONE DIES? WE AREN'T FROM SKINNER AND WE REALLY JUST CAME TO TALK!" And more directly to the tigerman, "GO bring your leader" and then shove him back and slam that door closed in his face.
Black Squad responds admirably by breaking away from the various scrums and sort of regrouping in the landing room as a wall of darkness springs up by the back room. Aja calls on her goddess for some very Just In Time healing. I can hear the tigerman yowling loudly behind the door and some other yowls answering from various areas still out of sight. I realize I am holding my breath.
A scuffling sort of quiet falls for a few seconds, and then an irritated female voice demands that someone turn the lights back on and WTF is going on. A second later the darkness falls away and a severely pretty woman with fiery hair and a scar down her cheek strides into the room and glares at us. Kromnir ventures "Might we have the pleasure of addressing Fayati Alummur?". She focuses on him suspiciously and ventures "If you are, what do you want?" I can breathe again!
After a brief rebristling of weapons when Kromnir merrily says we are Watch, we move past hostilities and into talkies. This is much better. Fayatti motions us into the next room, which is also pretty large and only slightly singed, and sits at a table. Kromnir and I sit, the rest remain standing, well, watchfully. There are a LOT of Copper Hand gang members in this room. The tigermen are applying some first aid to each other while Fayatti orders some water and tea to be brought. Information and handshake promises follow. The Copper Hand has basically been under the thumb of this person Skinner and his skinsaw cult. The cult is large and well supplied. They had been basically pressed into serving as procurers and fences - they would be given a time, place, and "supplies" like stitches and digwidgets, for instance. Fayatti seems to really warm up to Kromnir as they talk. She has not been happy with this situation, and between Kromnir pushing for them to find a new home and knowing that her hideout is no longer secret, she makes the decision to pull up stakes and take the gang elsewhere. By the time conversation is winding down we even compliment the tigermen on their prowess and they reply that they hope they didn't pass along their gift, which then has Kromnir and Aja looking particularly alarmed.
As a parting boon, Fayatti informs us that the skinsaw cult has a lair in the Catacombs of the old city, and it is well and heavily guarded. Won't that be fun. As we get up to leave, she wonders if Kromnir would like to stay and talk more. He is dragged away by the rest of us. I can't speak for anyone else, but I am really hoping Edgewatch will spring for a deep cleaning day for us all!