RP:Matters of Flesh and Bureaucracy

Part of the Venturil's Bane Arc

This is a Necromancer's Guild RP.

Blood Fountain, Vailkrin

"The.. things.. I do." Tenebrae was leaning precariously over the fountain's edge, arm-deep in whatever fluid now collected in its massive bowl, and wearing an expression fit to sour milk. Spatters covered her garb, and a small pile of sodden, inky-hued matter lay upon the ground in a dehydrating pool close-by. "For you. You ought to be damned grateful. You might wish to.. you know ---not explode-- when I need you." She'd ramble thus, all the while swishing her hand about, apparently fruitlessly.

Kasyr meanders into the square, with a blood spattered bundle of grey scarves and tax documents firmly held under an armpit. Now, whilst the Revenant does look fairly purposeful in his stride, he can't help but pausing when he takes note of Tenebrae's...current pass-time. "Mmm. Lose something in there? There's probably a broom ou something quelquepart, so you can dredge up the depths of that, et get all the accumulated...whatever, into a neat," Murky, "pile in there."

Tenebrae withdrew her arm from the fountain, giving it a spatter-y shake, and sat upright to address Kasyr. "I don't need a broom. I can feel where they are. It's just..." she nodded toward the pile, in which three or four of the pieces were starting to wiggle free of their fellows and inch, on stubby, malformed tentacles, down the road. Tene's sigh was ragged as she stood and went about kicking them back into a pile again. "And I can't find -all- of him. And there's little bits of something else, Kasyr. It feels.. " she shrugged, and wrinkled her nose, "... powerful. Or it was.."

Kasyr get's a particularly thoughtful look, "Mmm. Well. I had reports of some weapon or another getting broken in the area", really, there was little mistaking what weapon it was, even if some of the reports had been..indecipherable due to the mental state of the speaker, "Magic, et all that. Though, if what you're looking for es closer in nature to..uh." Kasyr gives the pieces of Maladroit a look, "His Wibblyness over there, it might be bits of the things that dropped out of the sky. I mean, we tried to collect them all et burn them, but things do fall through the cracks." Or escape into the depths of the sewers, and woods. Whichever.

Tenebrae was careful not to make her words to follow sound too.. careful. "I've heard about the .. thing. That fell out of the.. " she glanced up, for a moment. Out of the sky. Much as she, herself, had. "I'm sorry I missed it. Perhaps, flesh being my .. art.. as it were, I may have been able to help. Or at least, identify it. You wouldn't have any larger pieces of it lying about anywhere, would you?" There was a hessian sack at her feet, and this was employed as she bent to scoop the flailing Mala-parts up. "I'd not mind studying them. In fact, I should like nothing better. Except, you know. My house." But that was accompanied with a sharp-toothed grin.

Kasyr offers a hapless shrug, "Well, I've given the orders to my people to put some help in the reconstruction of your house, et made a request to Red. I mean..really, that's the extent of what I can do. I mean, I could -personally- help...but given you're worried about things blowing up whenever I get personally involved?" He can't help but grin there. "As for remnants to pick through; that's a little bit trickier." Whatever mirth was held in his voice is dispelled, instead replaced with a formal neutrality, "Following the conflict with the entities that had 'besieged' Vailkrin, a full-scale movement had been undertaken to obliterate the remnants as thoroughly as possible, given that many of those creatures had a penchant for getting back up despite grievous injuries, or apparent death. And occasionally changing." The revenant frowns at about that point, one hand running up through his hair, "That is not to say there -aren't- remnants however. One...type of creature proved to be in possession of an extra-ordinarily durable shell. Given that destruction of said object proved to be a long and difficult process, the left-overs are currently stored at the necromancers guild. To be contained, studied, and eventually slated for destruction, once they have a better idea on how to efficiently do it." Because, face it, a shell that could endure the type of damage that Dami -and- Kasyr could do was bound to be a bit problematic to break. "And I don't doubt that some people have squirreled away odds and ends for their own purposes- though I'm doing my best to try and find those."

"A shell.. " Tenebrae’s eyes could not meet his for a moment, and she busied herself tying up the sack. "I have also heard that my familiar..." she gave the bag a little shake, ".. spent most of his time here attempting to offer people I knew a glimpse of.. where I'd been. Did he show you anything, Kasyr?" Her attention was back on the kensai now, sharply. "And if you could manage to gather up some of those leftovers for me, or have somebody do so, I'd be extremely grateful. And .. in your debt. They might just offer me a means to find my way back."

Kasyr looks quite bemused, "Non, I don't believe he ever got in contact with me, Madamoiselle. I was too busy diving into trouble, or drowning in paperwork to really..fraternize, ou quoi-ce-soit." Offhandedly waving, the Kensai then adds, "As for those leftovers, I suppose I can retrieve you a box of the contents, for the moment- though I'll eventually need it back for it's inevitable destruction. I'm not taking any chance for a large shelled..squid-y thingy to go running amok in Vailkrin again." Kasyr can't help but scowl there, before simply shaking his head, "And should we happen to find any other remnants out in the wild, we'll be sure to offer you a chance to study them, before we toss them into containment, or a fire. One or the other."

Tenebrae perched herself on the fountain’s lip again. "And what if I find a use for them, Kasyr? As I said.. flesh is my art. And I can think of a thousand uses for those .. parts. If they' prove more than simply dangerous, that is." She poked at the bag she held, perhaps somewhat fondly. "And if I cannot contain them, I'll call the .. what? Fire brigade?"

Kasyr goes right back to looking amused, "There's this nice cavern out around Cenril. Have to go scrabble through the ruins of a castle to get there, but it houses a rather large...lava pit. Makes for a fantastic disposal spot for things that can be burned. Honestly, I've even considered finding out whether or not the shell would melt under such duress. That being said, the Church of Cenril apparently wants to go to war with this city..for..whatever reasons they may have. Discarding parts, en masse, of some eldritch monster in their region and hoping it melts would likely not sit well with them- so I've held off on that one."

Tenebrae smiled and slapped her leather-clad thigh. "It's settled then. If you could have all of that delivered to the Guild, I can not only contain it but perhaps.. make it less of a liability, as it were. Not to mention..." she frowned. "Me, finding a way home. Which reminds me. I meant to ask you - what steps you may have taken to prevent further.. things, falling from the sky. Here," she gestured at the fountain behind her with her free hand. "I think I caught the coat-tails of the last.. incident. But something tells me, this rift is useless to me, now."

Kasyr stretches out, before he realizes his error and then immediately starts scurrying around to scoop up the scarves and papers he's incidentally dropped. "It's..hard to describe. That..rift was like a large tear in the sky, oui? Red got this idea to stitch it up. Which. We did. Je suppose. We also sort of killed all the people who had gone about trying to create that rift for a while, et that seemed to have fixed the issue." The revenant has by this point stuffed every back under one arm. "Pourquoi? Why, even? Hoping I wasn't quite as thorough, so you could have gotten back?"

Tenebrae nodded, and her composure slipped, for a moment. Just a moment, though. "I.. don't belong here, anymore Kasyr. It isn't my home now." She glanced around the street she'd once been willing to lay down her life for. "And my new home... well. It's a bit more familiar with creatures like the one you had trouble with." To say the very least, said her expression. "Still, it's a wonderful place. I have a husband.. a life. A city of spires.." she ceased speaking then, and gathered back her steeliness. "And if I have to stay.. if there's no way home that won't make me .." she lifted the bag, which was dripping with dark fluids and writhing like a.. well, a shoggoth in a sack. Kasyr'd get the picture. ".. I will just have to stay. The question then is: where."

Kasyr nods slightly, before he places a hand over his chest and intones, "You'll ever have a place here, Madamoiselle. I will do my utmost to ensure that. Although.." He can't help but get a wry grin, "If you ever wanted to get a summer home in Cenril and give their clergy something to fret over.." The revenant shrugs then, before he carefully folds his arms- being sure not to drop his current 'burden', "J'en sais pas, en verite. Mm. Anyways. Was there..anything else you needed to address?"

Tenebrae snorted, "I'm not one of your.. citizens, Kasyr." The mild rebuke at the phrasing of his last question imparted, she shook her head. "I think that was all. Except... I am, of course, eager to have .. somewhere.. to use as a base here in Vailkrin. You know I don't like to nag," and by George, it appeared she really believed that, ".. but it's getting rather urgent. The Guild Hall .. we have Novus Morii wandering about everywhere, currently. I need my cellar, toot sweet. Oh..." she added, raising a forefinger, "And should you need a hand with the Cenril situation, though I am sure you have Frostmaw's many, many, many.." Tene took a deep breath, ".. many strengths at your disposal, do feel free to hire the Guild."

Kasyr gives a thoughtful scratch to his chin, "The offer is noted, and should the situation with Cenril boil over, I'll be sure to take advantage of your services- so as to ensure the situation ends as swiftly and violently as possible." From there, the kensai simply adds, "Moreover, if Redhale hasn't already contacted you, he's currently trying to do his utmost to..make up for the recent dent in Vailkrins undead population. There's a potential contract to be found there, I'm sure." The revenant pauses then, contemplates his last two statements, then simply shakes his head, "Anyways, as to your home. Again, if labour isn't moving rapidly enough for you, you can go and direct it personally. I've already set it as a priority, so short of you involving yourself in it's completion, it'll be done whenever those individuals are done. " Kasyr, in all honesty, has very little idea of when it'll be done, having sent people along there with orders...and then resumed immersing himself in a tedious world of taxes, complaints, threats, and a never ending request for favours. Which is to say, his daily mail and documents.

Tenebrae said, "Can't I just.. have them whipped, or something?" She seemed serious for a second, but then grinned, exposing her rows of needle-y teeth. "I suppose I can spare a few Guild members. We have much to do ourselves, however. Speaking of.. when can I expect that shipment of .. thing-parts? I'll have to make sure there's adequate security to deal with it."

Cerys had been wandering for a greater part of the day, with a makeshift, dingy black sack slung over her shoulder, a rather large spot of dried blood on the side and bugs beginning to gather around the stinking thing inside. Her other arm cradles a red-wrapped bundle. Her blonde hair, recently combed to a straight sheen, covers the pointier signs of her heritage, though her high cheeks and lithe physique under her monochromatic wardrobe will give that away quickly enough. The ever dark city seemed to draw her steps yet again as she comes to one of the few landmarks she actually remembers, only to find two others already occupying the cobbled space. She lingers by the edge of the square, her right eye finding her intended destination: the armored vampire with the striking eyes. Her left, however, ever the curious one of the pair, flicks towards the man of its own accord.

Kasyr finally gets aggravated enough with the bundle of papers that he's carrying, that he proceeds to use the scarves he's also picked up to tie everything together in a neat, albeit bloody, package. Once done, he now finds himself armed with an excellent pointing implement, "Well, as I said, the remnants are currently contained at the necromancer Guild. Rife with otherwordly energies, and belonging to entities that occasionally decided not to die right- I figured it was a fitting disposal area. Given it's somewhat on-hand, I could probably see about getting a crate moved within a days time? Sooner if you had someone pick it up, j'suppose." A pause, and the Kensai adds, "And your assistance in the construction of your home is thoroughly appreciated. " Especially because it will at least stymie the tide of complaints about favouritism being directed his way. Really, with the amount of paperwork the kensai ended up stuffing into his fireplace, it's no wonder his office is sweltering.

Kasyr feel's those peculiar cattish ears of his perk-up, before he glances over towards Cerys position, than glances fixedly back at Tenebrae.

Tenebrae said to Kasyr, "I think I'll just wait until my cellar at least is.. not buried under the rest of the house. One less thing for you to be .. concerned about, eh?" She caught sight of Cerys then, and eyed the various bits of baggage the woman carried. "It seems I have a little business of my own to see to now. Carry on, Kasyr. And.. thank you. For your assistance." She stood, and planted one boot-heel firmly on the squirming sack she herself had been holding, her attention shifting to Cerys. "Ah, girl. You managed to find me some mandrake, I'd hope?”

Kasyr said, "You need a bigger cage for your chitterling, by the way."

Tenebrae eyed him, "That thing's still alive?" She beamed at the thought. "Have that delivered, too. Of course, I'll pay you for the trouble."

Kasyr , considering he hasn't gotten to use his tax-documents-turned-pointing-drive, points emphatically at Tenebrae. ..And then waggles the bundle at Cerys, before he simply begins to amble off. The following request makes him miss a few steps, "It's alive. Lively, even." Hungry, as ever. "Uh. I'll get you the report, and see if you still want it...and would know where to keep it." Preferably out of Vailkrin, at this point.

Cerys' left eye flickers between the sack and the two vampires. The right stays fixed on the Guildmistress, though the young woman's head goes down in a small bow of silent greeting toward Kasyr as he makes to depart. As she is addressed, she gives Tenebrae a short nod and closes her distance until she stands at a more conversational gap between herself and the vampire. She offers the red-wrapped bundle for the other woman's inspection. "Harvested yesterday, m'lady. The shop was out..." she says. She blinks to prompt both of her eyes to sync on her recent employer.

Tenebrae gave Kasyr's back a long, curious stare - how big did sandwyrm larvae actually grow? She had no idea, the creatures being so rare as to be an unknown quantity. Surely not too big for her cellar.. With a shrug, she turned back to Cerys with a businesslike smile. "Harvested, you say? That's no easy thing to do, call me impressed." Tene took the bundle but did not open it. The mandrake's mind-numbing scream wasn't something she really wanted to experience right now.. Staring at Cerys, she pursed her lips. "You.... seem.... I don't know. Familiar? Or something. Have we met before?" It was a chore, dredging up memories from a life put aside for a better one. But some things were turning out worth the effort.

Cerys lets the bloodied sack drop from her shoulder, nothing wriggling within just yet, though it might if a few of those flies flitting around it had their way. "The specialist gave me good directions," she says, her left eye going to the sack and the canine body within. Her thoughts briefly consider what to do with that piece of her cargo, but with a blink her focus is back on course to answering the question at hand. Her usual pensive expression breaks for a moment once both her eyebrows go up with moderate surprise. With the new eyes, she did resemble her mother a mite too much for her liking, and she had once lived within that very city. "Perhaps... My mother used to waitress at a tavern in this district. The...Hanging Corpse I believe. She may have brought myself and my sister along on occasion, but that was a long time ago, and I was much younger."

Tene frowned, the girl's features stirring up an image, somebody she knew well, indeed. "And what was your mother's name, girl? I used to run that tavern. And I must ask you.. what have you got in that sack?"

Cerys did not necessarily answer the questions in order. Her fingers stay clenched to the top of the sack, something concrete. She lifts it ever so little in reference. "The dog I used for the harvesting," she says. "I am...debating on saving it and perhaps using it as a demonstration of my skills." The question of her mother...well she was prolonging that one as long as she could without being obstinate. "Her name was. Lalki, m'lady. It has been too long for me to remember her surname. I had a twin sister as well, Bellatrix..."

Tenebrae said, "Lalki... " Then, ".. Was?" Her features lost their shape for a moment, a subtle shift to somewhere between beauty and the creature she had become. "Are you telling me that your mother is dead?" Even the heartless feel sorrow, sometimes, and this was evident presently. "I was quite... fond of her, you know. Sweet girl.. " She didn't ask what happened, but left the topic hanging in case Cerys wished to elaborate. "As for the dog, that was clever. And what skills would those be?"

Cerys shakes her head, her expression hardening ever so little. "Not dead, left. She did tell tales of these lands, though, you included m'lady." She takes a slow breath, her expression evening out as her fingers tighten over the sack. "My father's arts, and yours if what the shadowmancy specialist, Valentin, said was correct. He said I should come to you because I 'like to make dead things dance.' That, I believe, is how he put it. Specifically, I have taught myself some reanimation, nothing higher than animals at the moment, and preservation on a canine's corpse for an extended period of time. My only circle, sadly, does not work on humanoid forms."

Tene's dark brows lifted, even she exhaled her relief at the news regarding her old friend, "Well. Lalki's child is indeed a welcome sight, and presence. And you've spoken to Valentin, regarding the Guild? We could do with fresh bl.. er... members, so I'd be more than pleased to witness your demonstration, if you've a view to joining us."

Cerys ' mouth almost quirks into a smile. Almost. "Yes, I have. My father was lax with my education, so I have been craving proper instruction for quite some time now. Do you have a preference for a time and place for a demonstration? At the moment my time is completely at your disposal."

Tenebrae chewed her lip, frowning down at the sack she still had her foot on. "I must see to a matter, rather urgently. It may take a little time. But you may seek me out tomorrow, I'll be here - getting my house in order. "

Cerys nods her compliance, doing her best to hold down the grin on her lips. Her left eye becomes fixated to that sack as her right chooses to focus itself on its owner's sack instead. The young woman sighs and simply closes her lids over the blasted things. "Of course. My abundant thanks for the opportunity." She pauses, peeking open her right eye to test its compliance with her wishes. "I was...honestly surprised anyone remembered my mother still. My thanks as well for keeping her somewhere in your thoughts." With that, the girl hefts up the sack anew and supports it on her narrow shoulder. She does flex the arm that had been holding on to the mandrake root. It was starting to go a bit stiff.

Tenebrae said, "Of course." Though which of Cerys' comments she was addressing with that wasn't clear. Perhaps it encompassed all of them. "If you need somewhere to stay while you're in town, go to the tavern and tell Steadman who you are, and that I sent you. I may be back later today, I might not. In any case.." she gathered her own various sacks together in preparation to depart. "It'll give you a chance to polish up your skills. I wish to see them at their very best." And with that, and a quick smile, she was ticking away along the black stones of the street.

Cerys allows herself a small answering grin toward the vampire as she departs. With that she pivots on her heel and takes off in the opposite direction to take the guildmistress up on the offer, off to hole up and bury her nose in that little notebook in her pouch and not let it rise until she was thoroughly refreshed.