Altis Part 1 - Opening

Terbish Mol || Was just about to close the door behind himself as the others followed, pausing and leaving the door open while making space by sidestepping.
Njorthrbiartr Hjallr continues to somehow, still pull glitter from her various wild locks as she makes her way through the door - announcing her arrival by feigning to clear her throat with a balled fist.
Sui Eclair steps in after the two, eyeing the new faces. She doesn't think she's seen them before, and with a nod in greeting she looks towards Nathaniel next. "Father Salem."
Nathaniel Salem: "...We'll need one more head to proceed--And there he comes. You are all present, yes? Let us proceed."
Sui Eclair: "...Ah, Ruran." She gives him a small wave. Yes, hello.
Nathaniel Salem: "You are here today because I will need level headed characters for today's /unusual/ excursion. Has anyone caught wind of the peculiar materia Lady Sui came across?"
Ruran Vas pushes through the door and gives a sheepish start at those present. He offers a little wave to Sui in return, then listens.
Ruran Vas: "O-only in passing. I do not know much."
Sui Eclair keeps to herself for the moment, waiting to see what the others would say.
Terbish Mol brought his head into a swift shake at the question presented.
Njorthrbiartr Hjallr rolls her shoulders up and down - languidly. "Not much, aside from various whispers here and there."
Nathaniel Salem: "...I'll keep it short, then. An... /ally/ of us is conjuring memories in the form of these temporary crystals. Some are ours. Some belong to our rivals. A troublesome situation, but one I look to make the most of. As always."
Nathaniel Salem: "We stole magitek from a cache - inside, readers meant specifically for the crystals," he extends a hand graceful, conjuring an image of the typical memorabilia materia for illustrative purposes. The feat of magic simple and useful.
Sui Eclair seems surprised at the deft of ease he uses to create that, seeming intrigued.
Nathaniel Salem: "These crystals, combined with readers, typically display a memory for us to divine - and the materias disappear after use."
Nathaniel Salem: "The process is minimal, with no aetherial impact. A feat of aetherochemistry I will not elaborate on."
Terbish Mol kept his gaze fixated from behind the mask on Nathaniel, at times turning his head a little in thought, or maybe just confusion.
Nathaniel Salem: "...Sui found something /peculiar/, however. I imagine Iron Deer hadn't noticed, either."
Nathaniel Salem tilts his head. The materia turns to a dark brilliant red, pulsing. Nefarious in nature. "This one materia, in particular, seems... layered."
Ruran Vas 's head cants. He glances to Sui, then back to the conjuration in Nathaniel's hand. His feet shift. "Oh..?"
Sui Eclair seems to be following along well enough, nodding to what Nathaniel has to say. "...Indeed. It was..." She trails at first, struggling to put to words. "...Malign, to put it mildly."
Njorthrbiartr Hjallr nodded along, eagerly - her attention now on the materia in question where ger gaze would squint, leaning forward onto her tip toes briefly.
Nathaniel Salem: "I tried to read it myself - as did Lady Sui." He looks to it. "Though I think its secrets will not be accessible to us without a bit of external help. Which is where I come in." Back to Sui. "...Malign, yes, though not nefarious in aether. ...The /emotional weight/ that came with it, however..."
Terbish Mol looked shortly over to Sui before refocusing onto Nathaniel.
Nathaniel Salem: "But there's more to it. While materias are typically attached to /one/ individual, this one belongs to /four different characters/."
Nathaniel Salem: "A shared experience so potent, Scylla had no choice but to merge these thoughts in one." He closes his fist, the magical display vanishing in the process.
Ruran Vas looks back and forth, mentally counting the heads in the room. It was making sense now.
Terbish Mol: "It is rare for such /materia/ to hold more?"
Njorthrbiartr Hjallr: "Could it be possible that a situation bear such emotional weight to all of those involved...that it manifest in su--" She's cut off, somewhat surprised that she was actually...right.
Sui Eclair goes quiet again, letting him do the talking. Much of what is said is already known to her, indeed, but it doesn't stop her from seeming to react to it, constantly pensive.
Nathaniel Salem: "It is most certainly the first we have seen... Behaving like that." to Terbish.
Nathaniel Salem turns to Njorthrbiartr. "Though we are passive as we read memories, this one /demands/ activity."
Nathaniel Salem: "...I suspect that, once read, you may dive into bodies that aren't quite yours."
Nathaniel Salem: "Worse yet, you will have to go with the flow - with the instincts imposed by the memory. Trying to act as yourself might jeopardize the viewing."
Nathaniel Salem: "...Think of it as... Role-playing."
Sui Eclair: "Role...playing..."
Njorthrbiartr Hjallr shifts her weight from one foot to the other -- and back again, uneasy.
Sui Eclair: "I think I understand."
Ruran Vas: "I see..."
Sui Eclair probably understands. Of course she does.
Terbish Mol: "Like the Ugdans of the Tribe who allow themselves to be spoken through, they cannot be in conflict for it might cause issues."
Nathaniel Salem nods in Terbish's direction. "These strange machines /still/ attempt at /copying/ magic. It is no different than divination, even in its traditional, Eorzean ways."
Njorthrbiartr Hjallr: "My own people have prepared me for such an act as a vessel - though perhaps this wasn't the practice I imagined it, either."
Sui Eclair: "...Acting through another's actions. It's not that we aren't already unfamiliar with such a thing—not along the others we've...observed."
Terbish Mol || A nod was given in understanding and while Terbish his lips thinned a little bit at the idea of it all, he offered no true complaint.
Nathaniel Salem: "...I know the situation unusual. But what we could learn through it may be useful in understanding our rivals' motives."
Ruran Vas nods slowly, processing the information and the weight of it.
Nathaniel Salem: "And so I come asking for your /assistance/."
Sui Eclair nods slowly. She's more or less resigned to this.
Sui Eclair: "...You have mine, of course."
Nathaniel Salem looks to Sui at that, then to the others.
Terbish Mol: "I shall assist."
Ruran Vas: "Yes, certainly. I shall do my best."
Njorthrbiartr Hjallr gives a firm nod. "Of course."
Nathaniel Salem: "...Then I will get us ready. We will practice outside the ship - away from prying eyes."
Nathaniel Salem: "Lady Sui, do you still have the linkpearl I gave you?"
Sui Eclair: "Oh! Yes." She digs through a pocket, before pulling it out. As if to confirm. "Yes, I still do."
Nathaniel Salem: "Excellent. I will let you know when the field is ready."
Nathaniel Salem: "Until then, gather your spirits. They will be /much needed./"