bene sushi

(Tells): Benedicto tells you, "Eleanor. What information do you have
about the Nazedha? Are there any on our continent?"
(Tells): You tell Benedicto, "Oh, hello there. Why are you asking,
precisely?"
(Tells): Benedicto tells you, "I've no time for idle pleasantries! I
need to know where they are. NOW!"
(Tells): You tell Benedicto, "My good sir, you know me much better than
that. Shouting won't get you anywhere."

<log begins, Elea is fishing under the Shunai bridge. Enter Benedicto, stage Up.>


Benedicto swims in from the up.

You use Fishing Reel.
You reel frantically against the fish's bulk, trying to bring it closer to you.
Queue eqbal fishing reel
Line: [ /////------ ] Fish: [ =--------- ] Distance: [ --+-------- ]

You say, "Nice morning for it, eh?"

She is a wise Kelki with a compact, broad-hipped and utterly voluptuous build. Her skin is a steely
grey-blue colour, with blotches of darker, bruiselike blue-purple that cluster especially across her
limbs and back. Her eyes are a rich hue of brown, sporting horizontally-slitted pupils which make
for a somewhat unnerving and unfathomable gaze. In place of hair, her head is adorned with a number
of thick, lengthy tentacles which hang heavily about her shoulders.

                         (worn on the legs) : a pair of simple black trousers
                         (on the left hand) : a silver wedding ring, inlaid with dark opal
                       (covering the torso) : a thick green knitted sweater
               (hanging from the shoulders) : an intricate cabled lemniscate scarf
                        (covering the eyes) : a pair of heavy, crystal-lensed goggles
                         (worn on the feet) : tough black boots
        (underneath all her other clothing) : a skin-tight, black leather bodysuit

He is a resilient Yeleni of Kelki heritage and is clearly a creature born of the Maelstrom. His face
is smooth and hairless, with water-like veins visible beneath pale, blue skin. His broad features
are characterized by sharp cheekbones, a square chin and piercing pearl-white eyes. His left eye is
split by a neat scar which runs from his brow to the hollow of his cheek. Thick tentacles of an off-
white color form his hair and are free to dangle and rest upon his broad shoulders, the coils
undulating lazily. His body itself is covered in midnight-blue scales that shift to an electric blue
under direct light, silvery lines cut through the plating, tracing out a massive network of scars
across his entire body. The bones of his large wings are covered in the same dark scales that
decorate the rest of his form, but when fully unfolded and stretched to their full span, the same
translucent skin as that between his fingers can be seen. His body is well-muscled and toned, his
movements smooth and fluid.

             (worn crossing his other belt) : a slender, low-slung black weaponbelt
          (worn on his wedding ring finger) : an entwined feathers and starstone wedding band
                   (coming up to his knees) : boots of the wisp
   (secured by a crest embossed chestpiece) : a layered, midnight-blue surcoat
      (worn wrapped around his right bicep) : a black armband bearing the crest of the Sentaari
                (displayed on his left arm) : a pair of blackened steel manacles
             (worn loosely about his waist) : a lustrous black and gold belt
              (worn upon his right forearm) : an engraved metallic arm piece
          (glimpsed underneath his surcoat) : a shirt of fine, white silk
                    (tucked into his boots) : a pair of night-blue leather trousers with iron buck..

Benedicto slides down the embankment looking decidedly worse for wear. "Eleanor..." He growls
impatiently. His normally clear pearl-white eyes are bloodshot and red and despite his soot and dirt
covered face, there are tracks of clear skin that run from his eyes down his cheeks.

You have emoted: Eleanor leans over in her saddle, peering past the spray and foliage here under the
bridge. "Goodness, you don't look so good. Let's go topside, shall we? Out of this racket." She nods,
 and nudges her horse, who seems quite glad to have permission to leave.


Shunai Bridge. (road)
Dawn breaks across the land, the sky and its sparse clouds lit in fiery hues by the rising sun. An
elegant white letter is in danger of being soiled here.
You see exits leading east and west.
 ' You have entered a new area '

You have emoted: Eleanor leans forward in her saddle. "Now, something's the matter, clearly. If you
tell me what's going on, I may be able to help."

Hefting the blood-spattered mace in his hands a few times, Benedicto finally acquiesces. "I have
just been informed that my son..." His speech is shaky and his words come to a halt, clearly
difficult for him to utter. "...during the 'War of the Night'. My son and his ship 'The Hydra' were
in the Bay of Enorian...."


You have emoted: Eleanor grimaces, baring rows of sharkish teeth. "Not a good time to be in that
region," she concludes. Absently, she shoves a tentacle off her shoulder from where it had been
apparently trying to stuff itself down her collar. "What are you looking for, though- evidence,
recovery... or revenge?"

Benedicto draws a shaky breath as a single tear cuts through the grime on his face, creating another
rivulet of relative cleanliness. "All of them."

You have emoted: Eleanor purses her lips, then shifts in her saddle and hops lightly down from her
perch, bringing her to a much more modest height all told.

You step down off of a misty grey mare.

You say, "I was there on the ground when we put an end to Shipbreaker."

Desperation peppering his words, Benedicto Silverain says to you, "Then help me. Please? From one
Kelki to another."

You have emoted: Eleanor clearly has a mental misstep at the mention of kelki, but then glances
briefly downward and realises that, yes, that is the state of affairs. "How curious, we do match a
bit," she mutters as an aside. Then, she comes back to topic. "We'd already laid waste to his troops.
 Blown a good number of them up with the Spheres, actually, my boys did something awful clever. Then
Shipbreaker did the rest of the job, slaughtering his own men to try and snatch his ritual back at
the last moment."

You have emoted: Eleanor plants her hands on her hips. "Enorian was, understandably, swift and
brutal in their reclamation. Took the ships, took the remaining men. The queen, too, if I recall."

"What did they do with them?" Benedicto asks with sudden interest as the grip on the haft of his
mace tightens perceptibly.

You have emoted: Eleanor scratches the corner of her jaw absently. "Have you been to Esterport?
There's folk around there, what are they called..." she trails off, frowning. "The word escapes me.
But they're un-nazetu. Purified. Undone of whatever made them children of Corruption."

You have emoted: Eleanor puts her hands on her hips. "Far as I'm aware, that's what became of the
last of the fleet. Turned new leaves, wished nothing to do with the gits that brought them there or
the mission to raise the faceful god or whatever it was."

Benedicto sneers and spits on the ground. "Purified! Hah. They suddenly found the Light because the
only other alternative was imprisonment or death. I've seen it before." There is no humour in his
tone.

You say, "The ones that still actually wanted to fight and kill and overtake were still in the
square when the God rolled over."

You have emoted: Eleanor sniffs lightly. "It didn't appreciate the noise, to all evidence."

Benedicto stares blankly at you at the mention of "The God" clearly ignorant of what this might
refer to. "So, you're telling me that the only Nazedha I might get my hands on are "purified"-" he
says the words with heavy sarcasm "-and in Esterport somewhere?"

You have emoted: Eleanor waves a hand in a broadly-encompassing gesture. "They've settled in," she
informs Benedicto. "You see them throughout the land. Though not in terribly large numbers." She
sighs, and gives him an appraising look. "I can point you at Nazetu, but they're only related to the
incident by their ugliness. I can show you Esterport, but the folk living there are solid and honest,
 at least so far as running a trading port is concerned."

You have emoted: Eleanor waves a hand upward and away. "You could hop in a ship and find the place
they all came from, but far as we know all the gits who were into raiding met their end here already,
 one way or another."

Benedicto falls silent, his brow furrowed in thought. After a moment he asks, "So what you're trying
to tell me is that the only Nazedha I can get my hands on would be these "innocent" apologetic
types?"

Softly, you say, "That's all that's left."

You say, "Them that saw the horrors and wanted no more to do with it."

You say, "Enough to burn away their very birthrights."

A muscle begins pulsing at Benedicto's jaw as he sucks in a large breath and huffs it out. Then
another. The frustration within him clearly mounting until it reaches a crescendo. He swings his
mace backwards, his arm fully extended so that it swings round and up. When it reaches the pinnacle
of it's swing, it begins to keen as the metal cuts through the air. At this point, he reaches up to
grip it with two hands, and with all of his strength, hammers it into the ground.

Benedicto collapses to the ground, his anger momentarily spent, panting with the sudden exertion.

Brokenly, Benedicto Silverain says, "So that's it then? I have to accept him as lost. Not only that
but I have no-one I can take my revenge upon. He's dead and there's nothing I can do about it.
"

You have emoted: Eleanor holds her collected posture and her calm expression, though a sharp eye
would note that a rash of pale blue rings creep up the ends of some of her tendrils at the moment of
impact. It passes, and they're gone in the blink of an eye, and after a moment of polite distance,
she steps a little closer, leaning down. "Hey," she says softly, with no hint of upset or malicious
will. "I tell you what. It's my birthday today. I'll treat you to some old-Ashtan style rice rolls."
She pauses, then adds, "We can talk about things."

Benedicto laughs humorlessly before repeating "Rice rolls." He releases his mace and it topples
sideways with a dull clang. Tears roll down his face as he stares at nothing. "Happy Birthday." He
mumbles with vague sincerity.

You have emoted: "Rice rolls," Eleanor replies firmly. She crouches down now, offering a monogrammed
handkerchief that is in her hand so abruptly that it's difficult to recall if it was always there or
not. "And tea," she adds, "Or perhaps brandy."

Benedicto gives a faint nod whilst accepting the handkerchief with a quite word of thanks. He takes
care to wipe just the tears away from the corners of his eyes in an attempt to not dirty it overmuch.
 He disjointedly tries to co-ordinate his limbs into some semblance of movement.

You have emoted: Eleanor gives a wry, razor-toothed grin. "Blow your nose, you great lummox. I have
a thousand of those things. Now up you hop, I'll get us somewhere quick-smart."

You slap a misty grey mare on the rump and send it cantering off towards 'The Winterbreeze Stables'.

Benedicto shambles to his feet, gripping the heft of his mace loosely as he does so. It scrapes
against the floor before it leaves the ground as he straightens up. He blows his nose loudly before
giving it a final wipe. "Very well then." He croaks.

Benedicto begins to follow you.

You have emoted: Eleanor nods, firmly. "Right then. Hold onto your lunch, some folk find this
disorienting." She reaches out without so much as a by-your-leave and grabs Benedicto's wrist,
flicking out a small butterfly knife with her other hand. Her palm is warm. She glances away. "Let
me see, there's one..."

You say, "Ixurya."
You flick out your butterfly knife, slicing swiftly at the threads of reality. A shimmering fault
appears in the air, and moving quickly you step through.
Benedicto follows you to the ether.

A dim, cobblestoned crossing (49820) - The Junction (Unmapped)
You find the weather around you imperceptible. Burnished and weathered, an iron street lamp showers
its surroundings with warm golden light. Someone's magically-preserved letter has been lost here.
A decorative pendant has been left here, looking like a key.
You see exits leading north, northeast, south, west, northwest, up, down, in, and out.


At the base of the overlook. (road)
The sun beats down oppressively upon the land, banishing any moisture beneath its rays.
You see exits leading west and up.
 ' You have entered a new area '

Benedicto follows you to the up.
The hill's crest. (road)
The sun beats down oppressively upon the land, banishing any moisture beneath its rays. Dripping
black ichor, a heaping skeleton of bone creates a construct from the earth here. A mule stands
stubbornly, hooves planted solidly in the ground. Heavy barricades of stone and wood have been
constructed here, flying the flag of the Republic of Spinesreach.  A great furrow of upturned earth
runs north-south, ending in a cratered ditch.
You see exits leading northeast, northwest, and down.

You have emoted: Eleanor's feet hit the ground as everything shifts once, twice, with an abruptness
that makes the ears ring. The air is suddenly fiercely cold, and the terrain nothing like it had
been mere moments ago.

Benedicto reaches out to grip your shoulder in order to steady himself. He looks blearily about
himself in order to reorientate himself. "That was interesting." He says with something like his
usual humour.

You say, "Less nauseating than going somewhere with my boys, I tell you what."

You have emoted: Eleanor mutters something along the lines of "like being pulled backward through
the eye of a needle", as she makes for the path up toward the citadel.

<they walk up to the city>


Benedicto follows you to the west.
Brass Monkey Imports (21061) - Spinesreach (25)
Absently polishing a flagon as he eyes the crowd, a surly bartender stands here. Hands folded in the
sleeves of his dark, voluminous robes, a cabalist stands ready to guard his city. A sigil in the
shape of a small, rectangular monolith is on the ground. A midnight black stallion trots menacingly
here. A long hardwood bar is here, a few paper Brass Monkey coasters, a basket for used cups, and a
brass monkey statuette atop it. There are 4 tall wooden bar stools here. A round wooden table is
here, a few paper Brass Monkey coasters atop it. A circular bar table stands here. There are 2
wooden spindle-back chairs here. There are 2 wooden ladder-back chairs here. A large mat decorated
with brass-hued monkeys has been spread out here. A large, crimson-felted table stands here. A
simple, porcelain cup has been dropped here. A glowing red flame-shaped sigil has been left here.
You see a sign here instructing you that WARES is the command to see what is for sale.
You see exits leading east (open pine door) and down (closed pine door).

You say, "Right, let's get you settled in. What do you drink?"

Benedicto looks at the shelving, his eyes scanning across the various bottles. "Some sort of rum
will suit me fine."

You say, "Rum! A fine choice. Tony, let's have... hm, some of the mulled stuff, that's a good place
to start."

A surly bartender says, "Right you are, boss."

You pay 225 gold sovereign and receive a stout glass full of Spirean mulled rum.

You give a stout glass to Benedicto.

You have emoted: Eleanor slides the glass handed to her along the bar. "Pull up a seat, hm? Tony
will keep you topped up."

Benedicto accepts the glass gratefully and brings it to his lips, sampling the liqueur. "Mm. Good."
He grunts his approval before taking another sip. He moves to a nearby table and sits at one of the
chairs.

You have emoted: Eleanor seems pleased by the approval, nodding. "It's a good drop, one of the lads
in the wards makes it special. Now, you stay here, and I'll come right back with something to eat."

<Elea goes and gets the sushi. And some chopsticks, which there is no word for in Aetolia.>

You have emoted: Eleanor reappears, her arms stacked with an array of plates. The ease with which
she navigates the crowd without dropping anything is testament to what is clearly a lot of practice.
"It's a lucky thing, I made a batch fresh."

You place a decorative 'courtesan' rice roll on a round wooden table.
You place a 'bad boy' rice roll on a round wooden table.
You place a 'crunchy lizard' rice roll on a round wooden table.
You place a 'white tiger' rice roll on a round wooden table.
You place a dish of mixed vegetable rice rolls on a round wooden table.
You place an artful dish of raw seafood on a round wooden table.

You have emoted: Eleanor slides into a seat nearby, settling one last dish- a small ceramic bowl- in
front of herself. "Most folk this far north don't understand food that isn't either still walking,
or well-done, but I hope you'll appreciate this old style."

"I've not really eaten anything since before it became 'old style'." Benedicto replies looking over
the array of dishes in front of him. "Becoming a Yeleni has both it's pros and cons."

You place a paired bamboo stick utensil on a round wooden table.

You have emoted: Eleanor has a pair of sticks of her own in hand, which she uses to dexterously pick
a slice of meat out of the bowl she has. "I hear that a lot," she says. "Folk who just stopped
eating as soon as they could, it's awful sad."

You have emoted: Eleanor tucks the meat into the side of her mouth, but continues speaking:
"Eating'sh one of the finer things of bein' alive. Should do it anyway."

Benedicto picks up a paired bamboo stick utensil.

You have emoted: Eleanor points at the pair of sticks with the matching one she holds. "Didn't know
if you used those, by the way," she says. "Sometimes I think I'm the only one who remembers what
they're for. But I find them quite marvellous for not getting sticky fingers."

Benedicto reaches out to select one of the vegetable rice roll. His use of the utensils is awkward
but after a couple of practice grabs he eventually manages to grip one successfully. "I am very out
of practice. But yes, I did learn to use these when I was a lot younger than I am now."

You have emoted: Eleanor nods her approval. It seems she has more uses for the sticks than just
eating, because she pauses to pluck a rogue tentacle out of her dish before returning to the food.
"Like falling off a horse," she says sagely.

Benedicto gives a faint nod as he takes a bite of the rice roll. He swallows and casts a piercing
glance your way. "You're not how I remember you. I don't recall you being a Kelki or quite as...."
His mouth opens and closes as he tries to find the word. He gestures vaguely with his sticks at your
form.

You have emoted: "Blue?" Eleanor supplies, either oblivious to the actual angle of conversation, or
politely dodging it. She pauses to reach over and seize a slice of one of the nearby rolls. "Mmn,
well." She pauses, the morsel halfway to her mouth. "Come to think, was I still a human the last
time we met in person? It was such a long time ago."

"You were." Benedicto responds choosing to not pursue the matter any further. He takes takes another
bite of his rice roll, quietly chews and swallows it, before he reaches out to select another rice
roll.

You have emoted: Eleanor nods. "It's as regular as getting dressed in the morning to me, but I
suppose I forget that it's not to everyone else- since becoming an Idreth, I sometimes weave myself
a new skin." She gestures to herself with the sticks she has. "My boys made something like a great
big eel-man, quite the thing to see. And so I thought I might attempt my own." She sticks out her
tongue, briefly, revealing it to be a lurid shade of bright blue. "I'm pretty sure this thing is
ridiculously poisonous, but it mostly works."

Benedicto looks confused at your proffered appendage. "When you say 'mostly works' are you talking
about tasting or using it to do people harm?" He asks curiously.

You have emoted: Eleanor blinks, then clarifies: "Oh, I mean the... creature. The kelki in its
entirety. Functions as one should." She gives a little smirk. "I won't let the boys kiss me to see
if it really is as poisonous as I think it is, but the animal I studied as a reference had enough
punch to kill an awful lot of things an awful lot bigger than it."

Benedicto gives a faint sigh of relief. "Well then. Let me say, you're very well 'put together'. You
suit being a Kelki." A hint of his usual humour is back in his voice, though it sounds mostly forced.
 There is a tightness around his eyes and a stiffness to his posture that belies the hurt he
currently carries.

You have emoted: Eleanor seems genuinely pleased by the praise, flushing a little (it's purplish in
hue) and ducking her head. "I always feel a bit shy when I'm around -real- kelki," she admits.
"Seeing as I'm- what did the Boss call it- a hobbyist?" She gives a brief chuckle. "But if you
approve, then that's something, eh?" She seems intent on continuing easygoing and non-pressuring
conversation. "Speaking of, though, something relevant to bumping into you again. I'm planning a
study, on the nature of the Ascendant." She pauses to pluck another bit of meat- eel, it looks like
it might be- from her dish. "Are you interested in perhaps answering a few questions for a book?"

Benedicto's natural curiosity momentarily distracts him from his grief. "Of course. I'm more
familiar with being Ascended than what I was before. It's almost like my previous mortal form is a
distant dream. Hazy. The desires and the needs seem so trivial now."

You have emoted: Eleanor nods, a little eagerly, and finishes the morsel to make way for words.
"It's strange, isn't it. All those years spent thinking how strange it would be to ascend, how
distant, and then it happens and before long it's like you came home."

You have emoted: Eleanor taps her chest. "It took me a long time to come to terms with what..." she
makes a slightly uneasy face. "With what I became. It seemed terrifying that it was waiting at the
heart of me all that time." She seems thoughtful as she adds, "But I've come to understand that it
suits me well enough."

Benedicto gives a nod of agreement. "I find that it creates a natural pomposity. We Ascended tend to
look down, or at the very least, treat regular mortals with a patronising kindness. As one would a
particularly dull child."

You have emoted: Eleanor gives a short bark of laughter, at this. "Perhaps for a Yeleni. It's worse,
for me, because I always get folk asking me how I do it."

You have emoted: Eleanor rubs her temple, looking aggrieved and amused at once. "As if I could
explain it in Three Easy Steps."

Benedicto does not register your words, instead he looks momentarily distracted as he communicates
to someone via other means. The grief he has been struggling so hard to contain registers across his
face once more. His gaze refocuses on you and he apologizes, "My fiance has awoken and could sense
my grief. I have had to tell her the news."

<psychic conversation. It's a thing in Aetolia.>

You have emoted: Eleanor inhales slowly, then lets the breath go in a sympathetic sigh. "It's the
hardest thing," she replies in a tone that holds an unexpectedly real note of understanding. She
reaches over and pats Benedicto's hand gently. "Are you going to go to her, then?"

Benedicto turns his palm face up to yours so that he can curl his webbed fingers around your hand.
He gives it a gentle squeeze. "Thank you for your understanding. I should probably go to her,
however, I would like to see you again to continue our discussion around the Ascended. It would help
to distract me." His tone is warm and grateful.

You have emoted: Eleanor nods, giving a small smile in return. "Any time," she says sincerely. "I'll
let you know when I've got my questions together for the thing, too."

You have emoted: Eleanor straightens in her seat, and gestures to the morsels still arranged on the
table. "Take some rice rolls with you, hm?"

You have emoted: Eleanor wags her sticks like one might a finger when scolding an errant child.
"Mustn't forget the little things, like eating for pleasure."

Benedicto releases your hand and pushes his chair away from the table so he may stand. "I'd all but
forgotten what it was like to do anything for pleasure." He responds with a small grin. "I will take
a couple of rolls for the road I think." So saying, he reaches down to select a couple of the rolls
from a plate, heedless of their stickiness.

You have emoted: Eleanor taps her nose. "Does a person good to remember, once in awhile." Sobering a
little, she continues, "Look after yourself. Sometimes it's the most we can do."

Benedicto gives a faint nod. "Thank you again Eleanor."

You have emoted: Eleanor nods in reply, but doesn't apparently see the need for any more words,
instead returning to her eel dish.

Benedicto leaves to the east.