tushanshu_logs | EVENT | GUIDING LIGHT

Characters: ALL!
Date: June 1st-5th, 2014
Location: Keeliai, all sectors
Situation: Following Evandau's announcement about the soul lanterns and new housing, the Foreigners are shuffled around while Malicant's agents try to complicate this as much as possible!
Warnings/Rating: Possible mentions of violence from the cultists, plus various characters' reactions to moving.

LINKS
Fire Sector | Earth Sector | Metal Sector | Water Sector | Wood Sector | Cultist Shenanigans | Speak with Eva & Celaunn | OOC Plot Post

The new Basswood Commander, Celaunn, stands watch outside of the building with one ready hand resting on the hilt of her sword while her protectorate goes inside. A prodigy of magic as she is, liberating all the Foreigners' souls right out from under Malicant has left Evastelei far more expended than any of them care to admit. She looks as tired and worn as Evandau sounded on the radio post, but she tries to cover it with good humour, much as can be mustered given the situation. Eva's sent out messages to the ones whose essence she's felt resonate for each address and upon arriving, carries the lanterns into the new units whether they're all present or not... she's a busy lady and when this is all done she might just sleep for a week.

"Couldn't rightly explain some of these set-downs," Eva says as she goes about hanging the lamps up in the central part of the house. For most of the units, this equates to the main living area, though sometimes in the kitchen or unfinished room -- the layouts on each building has variations, after all. "One of those things you just have to feel, I reckon. Never figured Evandau much for leaving new bottles of wine on the pillows after all, so this will have to do."

While she's in the buildings, she'll run her hands over the wards built into the walls, letting them light briefly with various colours of light depending on the purpose, a symbol-based language not unlike runic illuminating at her touch and then fading to invisibility again.

"Now for these," she'll continue once she's sure she has all their attentions. "These are the best I could do on short notice, what with the Creature throwing all his resource at breaking Eshai's spells. That's why none of you could get into the Throne Room few weeks back-- that was a right bold move on your parts, by the way. See if you can't talk tall and smileless up there," she jerks her head toward the front of the building to indicate Celaunn, "into learning something from it. Chilu's are too by the book."

She'll explain how the lanterns are strengthened by proximity of those whose soul they house, and the dangers of staying away from them (particularly in a Dreaming state) for too long. "You don't want the Creature coming to rip you out of here," she says, jabbing them in the chest for emphasis, a deep frown distorting the burned scar on the one side of her face. "Be something like putting your insides through a wind shearer. Don't recommend it, that's for certain. Are you paying attention? Don't be moving these anywhere. With the power of these, I can understand why Eshai wanted to keep them close but keeping them from you... well, it wasn't the only thing she and I disagreed on."

Once she's satisfied that they've got as much information as she can provide at this time, she'll remind them as Evandau did: these lanterns are their Keeliai anchors and should they be destroyed, it won't be a trip back to their worlds that they can look forward to. "Without these, I can't keep you from being lost for good," she'll add seriously. "Good luck with them."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The Aerial Corps, huh? Rex can't help but wonder if any others who can actually fly are involved, but that's a question for another time. Right now, he's more interested in sharing information regarding the palace raid.]

I'm pretty sure it's kedanese. I took pictures of some of it, but I haven't shown them to much of anyone just yet. Taking them to one of the kedan I know would probably get me some answers, but given where we found the writing and what was used to make it... Probably not the best idea.

Well, if you're comfortable with with showing me, I could translate it for you. I learned to read Kedanese awhile ago... by accident.

[Rex nods, already reaching to take his cell phone from his pocket when that last bit gives him pause.]

By accident? How did you learn another language that way?

I'm honestly not entirely sure how it happened. [He laughs a little, sheepishly.] I simply woke up one day and... I could. Someone who can look in people's minds examined me, because I thought I was going insane, and they said that someone or something had forcefully put the knowledge there.

Sabriel thought it might have been one of the turtles, in my dreams. But I've never been able to confirm it.

[Rex wrinkles his nose at the idea of someone or something forcing their way into another person's mind and leaving information behind. In this case, at least it was just how to understand kedanese, but what if it had been something else? Like an in-depth understanding of how to effectively assassinate people along with a code word to activate it? ...something Rex can't help but come up with after spending the last couple of years of his life being raised and trained by an ex-mercenary.]

[As is, Rex has issues with people screwing around with the minds of others. One of those things that strikes a nerve fairly quick.]

That's...weird. And oddly convenient. But I guess if that's all that got left with you, it's...not that bad.

[He shakes his head once, trying to get past that before finally digging his phone out and turning it on. As the screen lights up, however, he suddenly shifts his gaze to the nearby street to see if anyone is within earshot.]

Um. Maybe this is going to make me sound kind of paranoid, but would you mind going inside to discuss this further?

[It's the sort of thing that's impossible in Armin's world, so after becoming acclimated, he didn't worry about it overmuch. It's been quite awhile since it happened, and consequences have yet to develop, so he's fairly sure he's dodged the proverbial bullet on this one.]

Of course, I understand. My new room isn't that far from here, would you like to go there?

[Rex nods, feeling as though he's taking from a page right out of his mentor's book. Better safe than sorry in a situation like this.]

That works, and if it's more than a few minutes' walk away, I can get us there quicker using one of my machines.

Tempting, but it's really just right over here. [He smiles, and begins to walk, looking back to make sure Rex follows.] However, if you're familiar with alternative fuel sources, remind me to ask you about it after we're done with business. I have some gear myself, that's running out of gas...

Here we are. [He opens the door, letting Rex into the apartment block he shares with Zatanna and Jack.] I don't know if my roommates are about, but they're trustworthy folk, I assure you.

[Rex follows along after.]

Sorta kinda? I'd like to take a look at what you've got in the way of gear anyway, though. At the very least, if I know how it works, I could give you a hand by doing some asking around, myself.

[Stepping inside the apartment, Rex glances about briefly.]

So who are your roommates, anyway?

Thank you. It's really very basic compared to a lot of the things I've seen here. You could probably figure it out.

Zatanna Zatara, and Jack Frost. Have you heard of them?

[Rex couldn't help but grimace just a little.]

I've never met anyone here named Jack, but Zatanna...

It might be better if we get business taken care of and get me out of here before she finds out I'm in here. Things could be, um...awkward, otherwise.

Really? [Armin looks very, genuinely surprised. Zatanna has always been especially kind to him, he can't imagine her not getting along with anyone...] I-- won't ask. Okay, show me quickly, it should only take a second to decipher.

[Armin doesn't have to ask twice, as Rex is already getting his cell phone screen lit again as he speaks. It takes a few seconds to call up the correct photo files in gallery, but once Rex has one of the images on screen, he holds the phone to where Armin can easily see it.]

[The image is clearly of a wall inside the prison. The marks on the wall are a little haphazard, as though scrawled by an unsteady hand. Given the color, that also may not be paint.]

This was inside one of the cells and it's not the only photo I've got, either. Can you tell what it says?

((OOC: Info tag regarding the prison mission, for reference. Feel free to pick out a meaning based on what's there!))

Oh...

[Armin tilts the screen around in Rex's hand a little so he can get a good look. His expression sours immediately. The words that were written, the hurried handwriting, the obviously dried blood...]

I would say whoever was in there was being tortured in some way. All the messages are like... "they're coming," or "the experiments are becoming unbearable". This one over here-- "we're losing numbers"?

Did you find any instruments in the cells? Anything bloody, that looked like it had been used?

EVENT | GUIDING LIGHT

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