Untitled

[19:19] <@Ashel|ST> Last time on RAGE AGAINST THE HEAVENS: Everyone died! Yay! Then the Emissary kicked you out of town. But at least Fukofv received his kingly sceptre for ascending to the throne of King of Rapetown, and you (still) have a new boat! Now it's off to the Lap to fuck around on some giant ass statue chasing the Anathemas. The boat trip takes <a fucking long ass time> and involves a bit of a hike

[19:20] <@Ashel|ST> through farmland, but hey, at least it's a Satrapy or some shit.

[19:20] <@Ashel|ST> The giant ass statue is now in view, but you're still a good mile out.

[19:22] <@Ashel|ST> (fuck you start walking)

[19:22] <@Ashel|ST> (make a plan or something, you're a Brotherhood, what is this shit)

[19:23] <Ichera> "Where is this supposed to be?"

[19:23] * Luiso is indeed walking! wiping a bit of a sweat from his brow. "So...We have a Wretched to kill."

[19:23] <Fukofv> "All right. So I vote we run in screaming and kill everything that looks vaguely-golden. Or even yellow."

[19:24] <Daire> "...No, Fukofv. We're here for anathema. ... Not mindless slaughter."

[19:24] <Raylin> "I'm down, but first..." Raylin rifles through her pockets until finding Jade's wanted poster (she's doodled a beard and a black eye on the Anathema's sketch).

[19:24] <Luiso> "The warrant said she comes out at night. And on rooftops."

[19:25] <Fukofv> "..Oooor we make the Child of Danaa'd and Daire go look for clues. You know, like those old legends about the talking dog and the Cynis."

[19:25] <@Ashel|ST> Raylin: Harmonious Blackbeard, Fearsome Pirate stares back at you.

[19:26] <Ichera> "Rooftops, hm? This might be a little tougher than walking in and breaking up the first fight we walk into."

[19:26] * Raylin sticks her tongue out at the bitch, then looks for any contact info for locals or something.

[19:27] * Daire sighs. "We might as well get there first. If she mostly comes out at night we'll have time during the day to prepare."

[19:27] <@Ashel|ST> Raylin: There's a note on the back. "Contact info: IT'S A SATRAPY". There's also the drawing of a cup of tea next to a crude building, and a stick figure falling off the building into the tea. If this is relevant, you're not sure how.

[19:28] <Raylin> "Looks like I'm finally getting that Dragons-damned tea. We're going to a teahouse, boys!" Raylin stuffs the page back into a pocket and starts walking towards town.

[19:28] * Ichera looks over Raylin's head, "Oh good, this time I can say 'Direct all complaints to the local satrap' and we won't get run out of town. Again."

[19:28] <Daire> "Except this time, it's actually a satrapy."

[19:29] <Luiso> "That's the joke."

[19:29] <Fukofv> "Tea sounds good." Fukofv sternly marches on behind Raylin, keeping a suspicious eye out on all passerby.

[19:30] <@Ashel|ST> The closer you get to the statue, the quicker you realize just how fucking huge this thing is. The lowest part of the city looks like it's nearly a quarter mile over your heads. Fortunately, it looks like there's some sort of tunnel in the lower part of the.. leg.

[19:31] * Luiso slowly tilts his head a little. "...Well damn."

[19:31] * Daire chews lightly on his thumbnail while walking. "... It's impressive, as far as ... giant statues go."

[19:32] <Raylin> "Wierd. I wonder if anyone lives in the, uh," She gestures obscenely.

[19:32] * Daire raises an eyebrow at Raylin.

[19:32] <Raylin> "What?! It's a valid question!"

[19:33] * Daire shakes his head and keeps walking.

[19:33] <Raylin> "Oh like the Wood of all people isn't wondering the same thing!" She calls after Daire.

[19:33] <Luiso> "It's probably the more seedy district. I mean, that'd be what'd make sense."

[19:33] <Ichera> "The Dick of The Lap. Oh, Fukofv, maybe you should see if you can move in!"

[19:34] * Daire waves a hand dismissively over his shoulder at Raylin!

[19:34] * Fukofv rolls his eyes at Ichera. "Yeah, yeah. I've got 'Rapetown' to attend to still, thanks."

[19:35] * Raylin stops, entranced by jiggling masses of perky penitent protrusions dancing before her eyes for several minutes.

[19:35] * Ichera quietly ufufu's behind her hand.

[19:37] * Daire HEADS ON INTO THAT THERE TUNNEL!

[19:37] * Luiso blinks and looks at Raylin, and then just makes a '...whut' face before moving oh god why

[19:37] <@Ashel|ST> The tunnel up is much longer and much more boring. But <eventually> you get the fuck out of it, exiting onto a small hill overlooking part of what appears to be a massive, triangular valley full of orchards and vineyards. It is green as fuck. A two hundred foot high wall surrounds the entire thing, with narrow staircases and elevators inset at regular intervals leading up to what you presume

[19:38] <@Ashel|ST> to be the city above. It's also pretty busy down here - people passing by every which way, heading up stairs, waiting for elevators, taking them up, or heading into the vineyards below.

[19:38] <Ichera> "Oh, I was making the wrong lewd joke afterall."

[19:38] <Daire> "... Nicer place than I was expecting."

[19:39] * Fukofv looks around, cocking an eyebrow at more than a few different things with a slight grin. "Pretty impressive, yeah. I was expecting more sand."

[19:39] <Raylin> "Pretty. Now, where's that teahouse..." Raylin cranes her neck, shading her eyes with one hand as she sweeps the crotch-horizon for anything.

[19:40] * Luiso whiiiistles. "Well dang. That's..that's impressive."

[19:40] <@Ashel|ST> "Are you, perhaps.. lost?" A familiar voice comments in a sing-song from somewhere behind you.

[19:41] <Daire> "Maybe," Daire says, before turning around to look for the source of the voice.

[19:42] <@Ashel|ST> it's the goddamn anath no it's just the spy. Wait, what?

[19:42] <Raylin> "Probably." She turns, dropping her hand back to her side.

[19:43] <Daire> "Weren't you in Port Calin? Why are you here?"

[19:43] * Luiso slowly turns around. "Well, we want a teahouse. For some tea. Aaaand another Anathe- oh, hey."

[19:43] * Fukofv grins wryly, reaching for his swords out of reflex and then turns around and...stops when it's just that guy again. "..You know, you really need to stop sneaking up like that."

[19:44] <@Ashel|ST> Vydari sticks a cigarette in his mouth, before handing a sheet of paper to Ichera headed 'Cleaning Bill'. "Weren't you in Port Calin?" He lights it, before tucking the silver lighter back into a pocket. "Teahouses are on the Northleg." He gestures to a set of elevators to his left. "Coincidentally, also where our.. 'target'-" complete with airquotes- "Is supposed to have a base of sorts."

[19:45] * Ichera reads the paper. It better not be something she has to pay...

[19:45] <Raylin> "Great. Anything else you'd like to tell us?"

[19:45] <@Ashel|ST> It's something you have to pay.

[19:45] * Fukofv grins wider. "You work damn fast."

[19:45] <Ichera> "Fuck."

[19:46] <Ichera> "Why do I have to pay this?"

[19:46] <Daire> "Probably because you set him on fire."

[19:46] <Ichera> "...Okay, that would do it. Sorry."

[19:46] <@Ashel|ST> "Nothing important, unless you can't find something like, say.. a map. Oh, except for the rumor that the Satrap has dealt with the Anathema. But that's nothing, no?"

[19:46] * Daire sighs deeply.

[19:47] <Raylin> "See, that's two things we could use. What's this about the satrap, first?"

[19:47] * Luiso blinks slowly, before looking at Vydari with a 'uh woah now' face. "Dealt?"

[19:48] * Fukofv frowns. "If they've already dealt with it, people would know. Defeating an Anathema is a victory that doesn't come lightly. Hell, they'd celebrate it, I bet."

[19:48] <@Ashel|ST> He shrugs. "Simple conjecture. Whether there is truth or not to it is not something I know, nor any details. That is why you are here though, is it not?"

[19:48] <Daire> "I assume ... the type of dealing that doesn't end with a dead anathema... unlike our 'dealings?' Otherwise there'd be no point in saying it."

[19:49] <Raylin> "Well, we're in the neighborhood, right? Might as well hit two patricians with one punch."

[19:49] <Fukofv> "So unless they're protecting it.." Fukofv's lip curls into a slight scowl. "..Or worse. Anyway, good intel."

[19:50] <@Ashel|ST> "His office is in the Lap Proper. Or, as others might call it," he takes the cigarette from his mouth and flicks it behind him. "The Crotch." He stares pointedly at Raylin as he says it.

[19:51] * Ichera pulls out her wallet and counts up some jade script, then hands the small wad to Vydari. "Here."

[19:51] <Ichera> *scrip

[19:51] * Daire sighs, watching some people walking past disinterestedly. "We may as well go say hi to the Satrap anyway. Maybe we'll learn something there."

[19:51] <Raylin> Raylin's eyes go wide, then dull as a conga line of shaking sifu shafts scurry across her vision.

[19:51] <@Ashel|ST> "The Immaculate temple is there as well, should you wish to visit it." He accepts the script with a quiet thank you, tucking the cash away into another pocket.

[19:53] <Daire> "They deserve a proper warning, yes."

[19:54] * Luiso stuffs his hands in his pockets. "Ohhhhh boy, martial arts."

[19:55] * Raylin perks up again, no longer lost in a dance of dicks. "Martial arts?! Let's do this!" She assumes a fighting stance.

[19:55] <@Ashel|ST> He shakes his head. "Unless you require something else, I believe we are done here."

[19:56] <Daire> "Well," Daire glances back at the rest of the group, distracted from observing passersby, "Thank you. Let's head for the Satrap's office first."

[19:57] * Luiso curtly nods. "Thanks for the notices...It's good to know."

[19:58] <Raylin> "Wait, are we not fighting something?" She drops her hands. "Aww..."

[19:58] <Fukofv> "Fine with me." Fukofv gives a stern nod to Vydari as he goes. "Thanks again for the help. We'll be on our way."

[19:58] <@Ashel|ST> He nods, then vanishes into the crowd in seconds flat.

[20:05] <Ichera> "After we talk to the satrap, we should try to enjoy our time here. We got kicked out of Nexus right after we arrived."

[20:05] <@Ashel|ST> The Cr-- Lap Proper is best described as 'steep'. Every road is horribly narrow and less a road than a staircase through ornate houses and government buildings. The temple is easily enough spotted by the (grumpy-looking) monks, and the Satrap's office has a nice fancy sign defining it as such almost right next door! Yay. Inside, there's a waiting room with empty chairs and a very bored looking

[20:05] <@Ashel|ST> blue-haired secretary behind a desk.

[20:06] <Raylin> "Tight fit, isn't it." Raylin flops into one of the chairs, folding her arms and leaning back.

[20:07] * Daire shrugs one shoulder. "Maybe. Makes sense, though."

[20:07] * Luiso flops into a waiting desk, one leg over the other as he stares at the ceiling some.

[20:08] * Daire glances back and forth, then approaches the desk. "Excuse me? Is the Satrap free?"

[20:08] <Fukofv> "Doesn't bother me." Fukofv takes his seat, straightening himself up and looking as serious as possible.

[20:09] <@Ashel|ST> The secretary lets out a long, bored sigh. "Name, address, and reason for visiting?"

[20:10] * Luiso whispers to Fukofv. "Use our Brotherhood name!"

[20:11] <Daire> "Mnemon Caras Fukofv, Peleps Najalin Raylin, Sesus Ichera, Tepet Kulim Luiso, V'neef Daire. We're from outside of town- the Realm. We're here on business."

[20:12] <@Ashel|ST> "What kind of business?" She shifts her head from leaning on one hand to leaning on the other hand as an expression of how interested she is.

[20:13] * Fukofv clears his throat very audibly, fixating the secretary with an intense glare. "Wyld Hunt business."

[20:14] <@Ashel|ST> The door behind the secretary damn near flies off its hinges. "NO MORE GOD DAMN HUNTERS!" Apparently, the Satrap heard you!

[20:14] <@Ashel|ST> For her part, she shrugs.

[20:14] <Daire> "... Ah."

[20:15] <Fukofv> "..Everyone and their mother after the Dragons-damned Wretched, then?"

[20:16] <@Ashel|ST> She nods against her hand.

[20:17] <Luiso> "Makes me wonder if everyone else is that stupid, or she's just -that- good."

[20:17] * Daire nods slightly. "If you could just let him know that we apologize in advance for any property damage that may occur while we kill this Anathema?"

[20:18] <@Ashel|ST> She pushes a sheet of paper towards Daire vaguely. It's a list of sorts: the name 'Peleps Deled' appears about twenty times and some very large numbers of jade are listed next to each entry, with brief blurbs like 'annihilated market stall' and 'repairing dissolved elevator'.

[20:19] * Daire picks it up, glances it over, then sort of waves it vaguely at Raylin. Papers go to the water aspect.

[20:22] * Raylin looks up, fiddling with the papers. "What the hell are you giving these to me for? It's just a list of property damage already caused, I don't think they give a shit about us breaking stuff."

[20:22] * Fukofv rubs his chin suspiciously, eyes still narrowed and deadlocked in a glare. "M'am, are we to expect some kind of..interference in our Dragon-given duty from your Satrap? Because if I find that this place happens to be aiding. Or abetting. Or sheltering..."

[20:22] <Daire> "Just in case you wanted to see it, I guess? You seem to like that sort of thing."

[20:23] <Raylin> "Papers are #4 on my annoyance list. #1 is boats." She scowls.

[20:23] <Ichera> "You keep a list for that?"

[20:23] <Raylin> "Why wouldn't I?"

[20:23] <Daire> "... You're bad at being a water aspect, you know."

[20:24] <Fukofv> The fiery Earth aspect leans in reeaaalll close as he speaks, coming nose-to-nose for just a second. "Well. You get the gist of it, I presume." He pulls back, straightening up in his chair again.

[20:24] <@Ashel|ST> The secretary shrugs at Fukofv again. She doesn't seem very receptive.

[20:24] <Raylin> "Am not! If I'm a bad Water aspect, you're a terrible Wood aspect! You don't even have drunken sex parties or anything!" She throws the papers in the air.

[20:25] <Daire> "You're thinking of house Cynis. I'm from house V'neef."

[20:25] <Raylin> "A Wood is a Wood!" 8I

[20:25] * Daire shakes his head slowly.

[20:26] <@Ashel|ST> Fukofv: She's very mortal. Her eyes match her hair, though. Might be pretty if she didn't have the most apathetic expression you've ever seen on her face.

[20:27] <@Ashel|ST> Fukofv: Clearly, the Anathema caused this boredom! You don't need facts! Just look at that slackjawed expression!

[20:27] * Luiso slowly walks towards the door. "This is getting very silly. And pointless. I think we should all go take a breather over some...uh..tea or something."

[20:28] * Daire sighs again, nods at Luiso, and follows him towards the door.

[20:28] <Raylin> "Tea sounds good." She stands, shooting a dirty look at the paper full of words as she leaves behind Luiso.

[20:29] <Fukofv> Fukofv frowns, heading out with the others as he murmurs to the rest of the group. "..By the Dragons. This Wretched is going around and making everyone with an office job soul-breakingly bored."

[20:29] <Daire> "... An office job is making everyone with an office job soul-breakingly bored. They do that."

[20:30] <Luiso> "Anathema invented office jobs."

[20:30] <Ichera> "Is that why we still have the Thousand Scales?"

[20:31] <Luiso> "...Yes."

[20:31] <Raylin> "The Thousand Scales is for children who can't fight for the health of the Realm."

[20:31] <Fukofv> "..All right. So I'd suggest if we don't have any leads after the teahouse, we go and investigate all the office buildings in the area. Maybe she's using evil word-magic on their files."

[20:31] <Daire> "I'm leaving." Daire pulls out in front of the group, heading for the teahouses.

[20:31] <Ichera> "Hey, my brother is in the Scales."

[20:32] <Raylin> "Sounds like your brother's pretty boring and kind of a baby to me!" Raylin grins at Ichera, hands behind her head.

[20:33] * Ichera just stops and stares at Raylin, "You take that back."

[20:34] <Raylin> "It was a joke! Would you want to be a bureaucrat fiddling with papers all damn day?!"

[20:34] <@Ashel|ST> It's a short walk to the nearest teahouse on the Northleg, at least after you've navigated the weird three-dimensional road system that involves roads on rooftops and narrow alleyways and strange spontaneously-appearing markets. It's a pretty nice place, actually - and you can smell the scent of tea before you're even within thirty steps of the building. Granted, it's

[20:34] <@Ashel|ST> a bit cramped - but so is everything else in the Lap, it seems.

[20:34] <Ichera> "No, but someone has to do it."

[20:35] * Daire just heads right on in. "...If you two are finished."

[20:35] * Luiso follows Daire.

[20:35] <Raylin> "And that's why it's for babies who can't handle the shit we go through like this, y'know?" Raylin continues straight into the teahouse.

[20:36] <Fukofv> "Finally. Some Dragonsdamn tea." Fukofv is marching the FUCK into that teahouse.

[20:36] <@Ashel|ST> Too bad the teahouse is empty! Except for you. And the smell of tea. There's a steaming pot on the counter, though.

[20:37] <Daire> "... Excuse me? Hello?"

[20:37] * Luiso blinks, quickly scanning the scene. "Okaywhyistheteahouseempty"

[20:37] <Daire> "Maybe it's closed."

[20:37] <@Ashel|ST> The teapot begins to whistle, the only response in the small building.

[20:39] <Ichera> "Hello? Anyone?"

[20:39] * Raylin raises an eyebrow, then grabs a cup and pours herself a cup of tea.

[20:40] * Daire hesitates, taking another step inside, then stops and looks around.

[20:40] <@Ashel|ST> Raylin: It's tea! At least, it looks like tea.

[20:40] * Fukofv looks around. Suspiciously. Teahouses should be full of people! Tea is a dragonsdamn tradition. His hands go for his swords. "Be careful.."

[20:41] * Raylin passes the cup to Daire. "Here, taste this for me."

[20:42] <@Ashel|ST> Fukofv: There's a very nice door in th-- wait that's the one you came in through. But there's another door behind the counter!

[20:42] <Fukofv> "Nice doors, at least." Fukofv nods at the brilliant architecture approvingly.

[20:43] * Luiso leans over a table, rummaging through some teacups on tables and stuff. Maybe something's still warm- there really SHOULD be someone around...

[20:43] * Daire takes the cup. "... I get the feeling you're not asking this just so I can appreciate the blend?"

[20:44] <Raylin> "Well, Wood Aspects can eliminate toxins, right? I know I'm not drinking poison, so..." She shrugs.

[20:44] <@Ashel|ST> Daire: You narrow your eyes slightly, and then holy shit you see everything. The tea is tea, a simple variety of black tea grown locally. As for the counter and where people were before, it was apparently closed before you got here (no big surprise) and whoever was running it left in a damn hurry. There's no sign of struggle or blood, but everything is in slight disarray and the door is slightly

[20:44] <@Ashel|ST> ajar from a lack of caution in actually closing the goddamn thing.

[20:45] * Daire takes a cautious sip. "It just looks like a local black tea ... either way, it looks like the shop was closed, but the owner left in a hurry. No signs of a struggle, though, so probably on their own free will."

[20:46] * Raylin shrugs. "Aha. Well, to non-poisoned tea." She immediately downs the rest of the tea, and pours herself another cup, then downs that too.

[20:47] <@Ashel|ST> Raylin: HE WAS WRONG IT'S POISON no it's actually really damn good.

[20:47] <Raylin> "MMMmmm..." She sighs contentedly. "So, what's our plan, then?"

[20:48] * Daire glances at Raylin, then heads for the door behind the counter. If they'd left through this one in a hurry, then...

[20:48] <Ichera> "What do you think made them leave? I saw Deled's name on that sheet, think it was him?"

[20:48] <Raylin> "If this place was more busted up, probably. He's not exactly subtle."

[20:48] <Daire> "I'm not sure."

[20:49] <Luiso> "I say we investigate that door."

[20:49] <@Ashel|ST> Daire: You can see through the crack in the door that it leads into a small staircase to the floor above.

[20:50] <Daire> "There's a second floor," Daire calls over his shoulder, then heads on through the door. There weren't any signs of trouble, but nobody flees a room that fast for no reason, so...

[20:51] * Raylin downs a fourth cup of tea and follows Daire, watching closely for any traps.

[20:51] <Fukofv> "Just stay wary." Fukofv snags himself a cup of tea as he follows up the stais, taking a few quick sips.

[20:51] <@Ashel|ST> AND THEN THE STAIRS COLLAPSE no they're just stairs, if a bit dark. Another door at the top is securely closed.

[20:51] * Ichera pours herself a cup of tea and savors it, sipping slowly.

[20:52] * Luiso seems to spare himself the tea. At least for the moment.

[20:52] * Daire considers knocking, stops, then tries the knob on the off-case it's unlocked.

[20:53] <@Ashel|ST> Daire: The doorknob falls off in your hand!

[20:53] <@Ashel|ST> Terribly inconvenient, that.

[20:53] <Daire> "... Well."

[20:53] <Ichera> "Knock?"

[20:54] * Daire knocks. "Hello? Is anybody there?"

[20:54] <@Ashel|ST> It echoes hollowly. Not a sound from the other side.

[20:55] <Raylin> "Scoot, babe." She steps next to Daire and then kicks that fuckin door down like it's some dick anathema who tried to make a pass at her.

[20:55] <Daire> "Concerning." Daire takes a step back. "Would someone like to attempt to pry it op-" welp

[20:56] * Fukofv clears his throat, stepping forward and assisting Raylin with the door-slamming, balancing his tea in one hand.

[20:56] <@Ashel|ST> The door flies through the room and lands in an armchair. It's a pretty ornate study of sorts, actually - lined with bookcases, lamps, and surprisingly fancy rugs.

[20:56] <@Ashel|ST> Muddy bootprints track across the rugs to (yes, another) door set in the wall of the room. It's also shut, and also cracked in several places.

[20:57] <Luiso> "I think we're on a lead! Keep smashing doors."

[20:57] <Daire> "... So many doors." Daire heads across the room (avoiding stomping all over the rugs) to the next door.

[20:58] <Ichera> "What are the odds we just find the right place?"

[20:59] <@Ashel|ST> A book falls out of the bookcase and lands on Luiso's head.

[21:00] <Ichera> "..."

[21:00] * Ichera sips.

[21:00] <Daire> "Not v- Are you okay, Luiso?"

[21:00] <Luiso> "...It's a book." He casually looks at the cover, before rubbing his head a bit. "Eh, i've had worse fall."

[21:01] * Raylin continues over to the next door and also kicks it down with the fury of a tea-filled water aspect.

[21:01] <@Ashel|ST> Luiso: It's a book! The cover is something vague, like 'the Art of Sorcery' or wh-- wait.

[21:02] <@Ashel|ST> Raylin: The smell that hits your nose the second you kick down that door completely overpowers the tea you just drank.

[21:03] <@Ashel|ST> It's a unique sort of horrible, like the House of Bells barracks after a week without cleaning combined with a sewer overflow and a butcher's in the heat of summer.

[21:03] <@Ashel|ST> It might be because the room is absolutely drenched in blood.

[21:03] <@Ashel|ST> .. Maybe.

[21:04] <Ichera> "Hachi machi, what the fuck?"

[21:04] * Luiso pockets the book, before his eye twitches. And jaw drops. And fffffffffffffff.

[21:05] * Daire looks over an- "What- what in the world is- what the hell happened here, why is there blood, what's happened are there any bodies blood has to come from somewhere, if someone's still there and hurt then-" He basically elbows Raylin out of the way to hurry into the room.

[21:05] <Raylin> "Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck" Raylin backpedals, falling onto her ass and scrabbling away.

[21:06] * Fukofv set his teacup down on one of those little dishes (which he was carrying all along I mean why wouldn't you, eyes narrowing as he shoves his way past the others into the bloodied room. "By the Dragons..."

[21:06] <@Ashel|ST> Daire/Fukofv: There's a corpse! It's headless! It's also female and skewered to the far wall by at least three spears, sticking out at odd directions.

[21:06] <@Ashel|ST> Make that fo.. no, f.. s.. a fucking lot of spears.

[21:07] * Daire covers his nose and mouth with a hand as he approaches the body. "... Headless. Spears. ... Peleps Deled in town..."

[21:08] <Fukofv> "..And they say I'm the overkill one."

[21:09] <Ichera> "And we're absolutely sure he's not the anathema?"

[21:09] <Daire> "He glows a non-anathema colour."

[21:10] <Daire> "... Is this the Wretched? I guess it's hard to cross-reference a facial profile with a headless corpse."

[21:10] <Ichera> "I... guess we can stop by the Immaculate Temple and check with them?"

[21:12] <Raylin> Raylin stands, a little shakily. "I...Yeah. Deled is a bastard, if the stories are right, but I don't think he's this brutal. What if this is the Anathema's doing, we all know they're mad..."

[21:13] <Daire> "You don't think he'd be this brutal? Even if she were Anathema?" Daire gives the room a lookover while he talks, just in case there's anything other than blood everywhere.

[21:13] <Ichera> "ESPECIALLY if she were."

[21:14] <Raylin> "If this is an Anathema corpse, it'd fit, but we don't know if it is or not." Raylin folds her arms, glaring around the room and mentally cataloguing everything she can see in the blood-soaked room.

[21:15] * Fukofv stomps forward toward the corpse, waving a hand to the others. "I'll cross-reference this. Someone give me that wanted poster." Meanwhile, he pops open his own small manual, "IDENTIFYING ANATHEMA";  the cover depicts an everyday mortal staring into a Blasphemous' caste mark with a magnifying glass.

[21:18] <@Ashel|ST> Raylin: It's hard to see anything through the cloud of blood, but.. you do find a few shattered and bent gold chainmail rings on the floor. Devil gold. Fukofv, upon seeing you pick one up, is struck with the knowledge that THIS MUST BE ANATHEMA METAL

[21:19] * Raylin holds up the chainmail scrap, glaring at it. "Well, that's part of an answer, but we don't know if it's off her or the attacker."

[21:20] * Daire lifts up enough of the corpse's shirt to check for the rest of the chainmail, because, hey.

[21:20] * Ichera adjusts her glasses and checks the body as well, "This is so fucked up..."

[21:20] <@Ashel|ST> Daire: Haha, just kidding, there is no shirt. A couple more rings stuck to it through the blood, though!

[21:20] <Fukofv> "All I know is that there's a fucking Anathema around here." Fukofv glares at what's left of the chainmail.

[21:22] * Daire pulls one of the spears out, checking the material of that.

[21:23] <@Ashel|ST> Daire: Mundane. Steel and wood.

[21:25] * Daire puts it down. "Mundane spears, but anathema chainmail rings lying around, although the actual chainmail shirt is nowhere to be seen. Headless corpse. I don't think we're going to get much more from here, j ..." Pause. "... If this is the owner, then she can't have been here long, and we would have seen the killer leaving if they left the way we came in, right?"

[21:25] <Daire> "And if it's not the owner, we still haven't found the owner. Is there another door around here somewhere?"

[21:26] <Raylin> "Or a window."

[21:26] <Ichera> "Wait, we saw muddy footprints going in, right?"

[21:26] <Daire> "We did."

[21:27] * Ichera retraces the muddy trail to see where it goes, since it will point to something important.

[21:27] <@Ashel|ST> Ichera: It goes.. back to the stairs you came from? But there were no muddy footprints coming up, and..

[21:28] <@Ashel|ST> As if on cue, there's a crashing noise from below, and a gruff voice: "Where is she?" Answered by a lighter, feminine voice: "I.. upstairs is where.." And then the sound of rapidly approaching (and loud) feet.

[21:28] <Ichera> "Shit."

[21:28] <Fukofv> "...This was a FUCKING SET-UP."

[21:29] <Daire> "He said 'she', not 'they', so it's not about us."

[21:30] <@Ashel|ST> Stomp stomp stomp CRASH. The wall next to the door promptly explodes inwards, and what can best be described as a very pissed off eight foot tall lionman enters through the cloud of dust, one arm held behind him. "... Who are you?"

[21:30] <Raylin> "Oh boy."

[21:30] <@Ashel|ST> His mane is best described as 'fabulous'.

[21:30] <Daire> "... Although maybe it's about to be about us."

[21:30] <Ichera> "...Uhhh...."

[21:31] <@Ashel|ST> "Who. Are. Y--" He sniffs the air, and glances sideways into the bloody room. Then crashes through THAT wall, dragging someone else behind him.

[21:31] <@Ashel|ST> "Hey, stop draggi-- ow! Put me down!"

[21:31] <Ichera> "....Um..."

[21:31] <Daire> "... Should we ... leave, or ..."

[21:31] * Fukofv glares right back at the lionman, arms crossed. "What the FUCK?"

[21:31] <@Ashel|ST> Daire: The voice is familiar, though you can't quite place it. Something's subtly.. off.

[21:31] * Luiso promptly makes a 'ffffffffff-' face, pressing to the wall as the lion-man drags someone through the room. "H...huhbluh.."

[21:32] * Raylin sidesteps the freaky lionman, looking for what the hell the guy's dragging.

[21:32] <Daire> "... Although..." Daire frowns slightly, shifting to look at where the lionman just crashed through the wall.

[21:33] <@Ashel|ST> Fukofv: It's a fucking anathema, man.

[21:33] <Ichera> "Was that a...?"

[21:33] <Daire> "... Well, it sure looked like one."

[21:33] <Fukofv> "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?" FUkofv draws his shortklaives, charging the fuck in. "IT'S ONE OF THOSE FUCKING MOON-MAD THINGS!"

[21:34] <@Ashel|ST> ".. she's dead." "Are you sure it's-- put me down, I can't see." He barges back through the wall - right into Fukofv, who bounces off his chest.

[21:34] <@Ashel|ST> The girl in his arms punches the lionman in the mouth, before hopping out of them - and oh.

[21:35] <@Ashel|ST> It registers in Daire's mind, like the last number of a lock clicking into place or the last piece of a puzzle being moved into position.

[21:35] <@Ashel|ST> "D.. Daire?"

[21:35] <@Ashel|ST> [END]

[21:35] <Fukofv> "HEY! 4HEY! WE'RE FIGHTING, PAY THE FUCK ATTENTION TO ME YOU MIDNIGHT-HOWLING CORPSEHUMPER!"