RP:A Ranok in the Rafters

Part of the A Different Halloween Arc

Kelay Tavern

Cyllth : A brief flicker of green light in a remote corner of the rafters heralds the arrival of the sleeper again, come to eavesdrop on random conversations and learn more of the modern world.

Ranok whips out a jar and tries to catch the flickering light. "Ha! Knew hyu vould appear if Hy stuck around long enough!"

Ranok had hopped up on a table, did a running leap at the wall, rebounded off said wall to retain height, and then landed on the ground when that wasn't quite enough. So, instead, he just shortcuts and uses the mechanical device on his wrist to just grapple up close enough to pull himself up.

Cyllth notes the jar being drawn from the pocket and the muttered comment. Apparently his Emissary was indeed spreading the news of his return, and some of the locals were reacting with typical irrationality. Or ignorance. Either could explain the behaviour adequately. But, no matter. He took a brief glance around before settling back into a corner to observe the activities.

Ranok chuckles lowly to himself. A hand wrenches the barb that had bit into the wood free so it could be used again later. "Vow. Does dis brink me back." The remark was a little cryptic, but nothing overly unusual. Balancing on a rafter, duster billowing in a breeze that damn well wasn't blowing through the room, a quick scan to see where that damn light went.

Ranok causes a veritable trail of dust to trickle down. These rafters he was hopping between hadn't been cleaned in ages. If ever. The footprints of others that had lurked up there before him could be seen here and there. His boots make very little sound as to his passage, the muffling enchantments ever present, as always. He didn't seem overly worried about the people tens of feet below him, and Korenai was completely ignored. Hadn't she seen him grapple up? Just pretending not to hear her, he heads in the direction the light had originally come from, "Kome out, kome out, you pathetic excuse for a fairy light..."

Cyllth watches the human jump confidently across the dusty beams. While it would be amusing to grease one of them in his path, or shift the apparent location of one a couple of feet to one side, that wasn't his purpose in being here today. He continues to observe the interactions and ebb and flow of relationships between the patrons. There was an interesting focus effect centered on the rat, of all beings. Curious. Perhaps worthy of future study, or perhaps not. Curious effects were everywhere, after all. Including a few around this human diligently hunting his remote at the moment...

Ranok crouches low on one of the beams. His balance wasn't utterly perfect, but it didn't take an acrobat to make sure feet stayed on the beams. The threat of falling wasn't really present to him. At most, the fall would have been about 30 feet. It would hurt like a mother, but he'd probably survive. To mention nothing of those boots. They were well gripped, and had a number of enchantments. Namely, a slow fall one. They really were built to live up to their promise of 'all terrain'. A hand reaches into a pocket and fishes out a small box. Another limelight, only much more compact. This one was just a light, not a weapon. Flaring the spark that would burn the light and make it shine with a flick of a chemical twist for such a purpose, the rafters were suddenly imparted with a rather shiny directed light. If there was any inconsistency, any solid form of the remote, Ranok would see it. He was looking at the ever telling dust, his motion halted so as to not disturb it any further.

Cyllth is soaking up all the information the remote can gather. Human, rat, dragon, avian, feline and vampire, all in one location and not, as yet, at each other's throats. This phase of the world was apparently a more tolerant one. It had happened before, of course, and undoubtedly would again in the future, around the inevitable ages of intolerance and war. While he is aware of the light being shined around the rafters, he pays it no heed. The only way it might reveal his remote is if it happened to be looking at the light source while it was being shined directly at the remote. The light intercepting the flat front of the remote would be blocked by the spell as it observed the room, as would an eye in that spot. From the side or from behind, the remote was effectively not there, and light would pass right through it.

Ranok keeps sweeping the upper area of the rafters with the light. Looking for any hint of something. A slight shuffle forward. A sliver of shadow that seemed to persist catches his eyes. The limelight was damn bright, even being as small as it was. Any shadows that it cast were in sharp relief, and the source of the interception of light would be obvious with looking. A few more sweeps, heedless of any requests for his presence on the floor, and he shuffles towards the sliver of shadow, the only thing that seemed to stick out. Anyone viewing on the otherside of the remote would be blinded, as the light wasn't magical, but chemical. Unless specific filters had been set out to block things like the sun shining directly, there'd likely at least be increased brightness, if nothing else.

Cyllth : The remote does not apparently react to the increased light, continuing to peer down into the crowded tavern, presenting only a slim cross-section toward Ranok's approaching form. Occasionally it will flicker slightly as it glances from being to being below, observing the interplay of the world, as reflected in the behaviours of those below.

Ranok examines the area where he'd spotted the sliver. Shining the light around, reaching in to feel for any object that he might not have seen that could have blocked the light, along those lines. Whether he would find anything of note remained to be seen.

Cyllth : The remote reacts when the intruding human's hand passes through the viewport, rising nigh-invisibly upward and turning to face Ranok directly. At this close range, the remote focuses momentarily on each of the items and enchantments borne upon it's target, getting a rough estimate of ability and effect. A voice seems to echo directly inside Ranok's skull, "curiosity is a valuable trait, yet forethought one even more important. tell me, human, now that you have found Me, did you have a Plan for what to do afterwards?"

Ranok was a haze of ill defined magic. It was mostly interference, a likely byproduct of the magic that created the items. While the vambrace was clearly made to call the wind, the duster and the armor were hard to make out. The armor bore a strange murk of intelligence about it. Infused into that bone white metal was a being not of great power, but simple intelligence. Such a weak thing did not concern Ranok. The intelligent could be taught. And cleverness was more useful by half then any sword. As for the duster...even Ranok didn't know what was going on, there. Magical corruption would likely be the most concise explanation. Voodoo was unpredictable, and coupled with the weaving of the other artifacts on his person, the end results were still emerging. The man is silent through this scrutiny, if he even noticed it, considering the response to the question asked. "Hy intend to ask de right question." Recalling the conversation with Ocano, that seemed to be the best response.

Cyllth : Ranok hears a faint chuckle, as if borne on the breeze from across a field. "mortal, I have yet to hear a wrong Question. if the Price is worth paying, then the Question is worthy of an Answer. but, this is not what you want to hear, is it? this is no quest to save the world, mortal. I will neither save nor destroy lives unless the Hero solves my riddle. I am no fiend come to enslave all. I Am. that is all. any who wish may seek me out and Ask. I make it difficult to find me because I have no desire to Answer every single inane Question the addlepated masses might come up with. those who truly wish an Answer will do the work required to find me, and may Ask if they can meet the Price I levy."

Ranok thins his eyes, slightly. "So Hy see. Ancient und vise beyond imaginink. Hy see. However, Hy hef found hyu, hef Hy not? De findinks hain't particular, onless hyu are gunna schplit heirs. Hy vould ask a qvestion uf hyu." A mere technicality, but when they worked in his favor, he sure as hell exploited them.

Cyllth : The remote viewer seems to twist in on itself slightly as it hovers in front of Ranok's face. The voice continues within his skull, "an amusing concept, but no, you have not found Me. if only it were that easy. is your Question important to you? if so, seek Me out. the keys to my location have been released, and those clever enough, dedicated enough, and worthy enough may be able to use them to find Me."

Cyllth : the remote seems to blink once, twice, then vanishes.

Ranok clenches his hand into a fist, "Vait...! Gotterdammerung hall. Jimbob kurse Ancients to hell. Kryptic remarks...useful information my ass." A few minutes would be spent ensuring that, yes, the presence was gone. Once confirmed, the limelight was extinguished. He just drops from the rafter he'd been standing on. He doesn't really float like a feather down to the floor, more like a ball of parchment then a rock. The feather fall enchantment wasn't super powerful, but it was enough to turn any deadly landing into a merely painful one. This one was less the former, and so, less the latter, as well. He lands in a crumpling motion to absorb the shock, a roll unneeded at the speed he was going, duster spread out around him. Straightening up, he brushes himself off. And sneezes. All that dust he was covered with bit him in the ass. He pretends that no one saw it, however, and instead opts to mull over what little information he'd been given. A challenge presented to the blacksmith. A challenge to be won.