With a nod and a bow, Misaki watched as Haruno left, leaving both her and Nobunaga behind on the beach. To think that a race of people in the same make as classic oni, not too unlike those seen in old folktales, would be in such a state in this world...

It was intriguing to the foxgirl, of course; there were a lot of questions to ask and a lot more to dig into, but if she wanted to pursue this in its entirety, then actually getting to Chagawa was her top priority.

That, of course, led her back to the schematics she had briefly drawn out in the sand. The oni hadn't exactly reacted to them—whether that was a good thing or not was up for debate—which meant that she only needed to execute what it was that she had in mind. Of course, it seemed like getting her to help was out of the question by now...

Which, in other words, left few others she could attempt to ask for help. Most of the other residents of the town were unlikely to see the benefits inherent in making paper—not as they were now, at least; the caravan was even less of an option, really, given how much they would stand to gain after the fact.

In short, she could only ask Lazirha and the others living with her at the moment for help, and with them being out of the town at the moment, the most she could really do was detail her plans for the near future before wiping them all away as the sun began to set.

Being engrossed in her work as she was, the foxgirl found herself only now growing hungry, which in turn only led her to head back to her benefactor's home to see if the other group had returned.

And when they hadn't? That was cause for concern, but given that she had no knowledge of the lay of the land nor any actual combat capabilities, the only thing she could do was wait.

When the group (or, rather, pair) had finally returned , Misaki found herself listening to a rather hard-to-follow synopsis of the day's events. To be frank, the situation was one that she could only barely grasp the basics of. What was clear, though, was that some mess involving the god they were attempting to usurp on their end had taken place, which meant that they were at least on the same page.

Well, that and the fact that Lazirha was important regardless of that fact, which, given Enli's words, was not too much of a surprise anyhow.

Of course, Misaki did not fail to give them the far-less-eventful synopsis of the events on their end, either; it only seemed right, after all. The matter about the paper could be discussed tomorrow, when the other two were less worked up about the day's happenings.

---

After waking up after a night's rest, Misaki found that Narkissa was already up and about, with Lazirha nowhere to be seen. Though the latter's absence was a bit troubling, given how the same thing had occurred the day before, the foxgirl decided that it would probably be best to not worry about her for the moment. Instead, though...

"Ah... Excuse me," she began, calling out towards the white-haired girl before pausing and taking a deep breath. "...I'd like to apologize for being so curt with you the past few days. It's been... A bit difficult to adjust, admittedly, and being asked if I was from Earth so abruptly in front of so many people was a bit troublesome for me. There was another yesterday, when we went to see the Kyrinth, who was a lot more brazen about his origins and attempted to spread ours, and given how I have no idea about how that would affect how the people here would perceive us..."

The foxgirl found herself nervously scratching the back of her head as she rambled before getting up and giving a proper bow of apology instead.

"...I hope you might be able to forgive me. I am not particularly skilled at dodging questions, and so if I have insulted you in doing so, I apologize."

There was a pause as Misaki let the moment hang in the air before taking a step back; regardless of if a response came, though, after waiting a few moments, the foxgirl would move on to continue speaking once more.

"Shameless as this may sound, and despite the situation, I would like to ask if you could assist me in something today. I wish to create screens and frames for papermaking, but I'm not certain if I can do so alone. Of course, given what happened, I would understand if you were to decline in favor of searching for the one who went missing, but..."

A few minutes after she had made her request, Lazirha's return caused Misaki to focus her attention towards her words instead. There was undoubtedly a problem at hand now, though; that much was certain. But coupled with Enli's meeting with the Kyrinth today, this only seemed to bode ill for everyone involved.

"...I can... Sort of understand what you're saying, but I don't think we have enough information to try and find it without putting everyone at risk. You mentioned that there were people who were trying to kill you, right? I don't think that you can afford to throw yourselves into danger again—not until we know a bit more, at least," she finally said, glancing at Narkissa and Lazirha before shaking her head. "But if we have the Kyrinth's cooperation, it might be possible to ask him after Enli's meeting... Which would mean that would have to proceed without incident. I don't think I can be of much use, though; I'm not much of a fighter to begin with, so if anything was to happen, I'd likely end up a burden."

Making paper seemed like a far less productive way to spend her time, given the situation, but at this point the only thing she could think of doing that might have a chance of helping with regard to the more violent problems was experimenting with the plants she had gathered the day before, and even that line of experimentation wasn't guaranteed to bear fruit at the moment.

@VitaVitaAR@Click This@Rune_Alchemist

Augusta sighed. Somehow she expected Rullphana would say as much. "I suppose I haven't be able to practice as much as I would like." Augusta continued with a shrug. "I only started practicing less than a week ago though, so I hope you don't expect as much out of me as your apprentice. I've had to figure most of this out on my own." The elfen woman added. "I like to think I've had some steady improvement... Though, I suppose that attempt casting Lightning was a failure." She looked at her hand for a second, clutching at the air with her fingers before giving a small sigh and looking towards Rullphana.

"If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to witness your studying of Octavia." Augusta mentioned, "I think you'll find her more cooperative anyhow. Also, I'm curious as to how you'll study her." The woman moved a little closer, "Besides, you can never know too much in this world."

"Good to meet you too," Novak replied to the dwarf as he took a seat at the table. Despite the fox opting to sleep on him last night, he had slept fairly well, or at least better than if he had gone back to Enli's place. After everything that had happened, he didn't feel particularly safe sleeping among the villagers, within reach of the hunters, and it was of no small relief to be offered to stay at Lady Mie's tent for the night. While it was true that he hadn't actually seen any of the hunters trying to kill him, the mask's vision, the Illuminator's warning, the smell of smoke, and the fox's guidance all pointed towards someone having malicious intentions towards him yesterday.

Novak speculated that the mask he picked up might allow him to identify among the hunters served the Illuminator, but wasn't sure how people would react to him donning the mask, especially if they recognized where it was from.

"I have to say it's a very tempting offer," Novak spoke to Lady Mie. "I think some traveling would do good for me, and provide the opportunity to learn some new skills." There was a lot he could see himself gaining from traveling with Mie; he could learn to use a sword properly, gain some firsthand understanding of this world and its civilizations beyond this little village, and perhaps pick up on prices of goods and value of whatever currencies this world has. Not to mention traveling from place to place in a merchant caravan could help to track down the orb that the Illuminator desired, while simultaneously getting him far, far away from whoever had tried to kill him and his companions yesterday.

"That said, I do have a bit of unfinished business in this village that I'm hoping to conclude before I could commit myself to your service," he continued. "I'm hoping that I can get it taken care of today." First, Novak was hoping that Bolcha will have finished the armor he had agreed to craft, so he'd have some form of proper protective attire. Second, it might be enlightening to track down one of the Illuminator-worshiping hunters and ask them about the orb, about the theft, and about Lazhira. Alternatively, they could be as blinded to the theft as the Illuminator was, and/or try to kill Novak to maintain their secrecy. Perhaps he'd be better off asking one of the other of the Goddess' chosen if they had learned anything about the situation in the village.

If Lady Mie had nothing else to discuss, Novak would grab his belongings, leave the tent, and head for Bolcha's place of work. It might be too much to ask for someone to make armor out of the creature's hide in a day and a half, but it wouldn't hurt to see what progress had been made.

I wonder how many of the hunters are with the Illuminator, he pondered. A few of them? Most of them? Is Akando one of them? Novak hoped that he had garnered enough goodwill helping against the armadillo beast and retrieving Bolcha's tools that whatever malefactors resided in the village would stay their hand.

@Rune_Alchemist

The raw force of creation that the ancient Gods once made the world and universe out of.

That was an interesting way to phrase it. Isidore wasn’t much of a scientist himself, but if the very fundamentals of the world around him wasn’t understood in terms of the building blocks of atoms and the origins of the Big Bang, then that certainly changed many things. More importantly, however, was the revelation that such power could be granted just as easily as it could come from within. Sorcha came to mind, with her ‘unique’ ability of electromagnetism. The Urutha, with their demonic ties, must have the same roots then. Gifted the power to survive in a world that had drastically changed due to the Moonless Era. And as for arrogance…

That got a smile out of Isidore.

The arrogance of childhood, believing the world centered around one’s self. The arrogance of adolescence, believing in one’s own invincibility. The arrogance of adulthood, believing in experience and strength. The arrogance of age, believing in wisdom and connections. Mellowed out as he may have been, he always was an egotist, and considering Augusta’s own predilections, she must’ve been one too.

Though the lack of a unifying theory was disappointing, and Rullphana’s general rule seemed like a rather intuitive one, that addendum about the Elder Beasts was useful. Powers not bound by the concept of magic, nor constrained by the consumption of mana. What difference was there between that and the gifts of the Storyteller? And how would the Stieneter’s power clash with the crystalline growths that emerged from Isidore’s own body when encountering physical trauma? Questions he wouldn’t voice until he exhausted other sources. And as for the grand mage’s assessment of Augusta’s powers…well, that too was a nice bonus. What applied to the reincarnated Sirithen applied to himself as well, after all, and the little display from Raezel helped as well, in offering a view of ‘magic’ as an energy in and of itself, capable of existing outside one’s body.

“Thank you,” he intoned after some contemplation. “It was enlightening.”

The nature of magic was that of creation. Creation of flame, creation of flesh, creation of restraints. So everything around him, in some way, possessed magic. Which meant that his visualization of a furnace wasn’t wholly correct. Which meant…

Isidore re-imagined his core, burning bright, burning hot. There had never been a real fire in his stomach though, nor real coals that searing blue and white. Rather, it must have all taken the shape of that strange light that passed from that Urutha apprentice’s hands. And the fuel it took in must not have been oxygen, but some form of atmospheric mana. Connections were made more and more easily now, synapses forming in a brain unfettered by age or scientific sense. Augusta’s physical form was still merely a construct of mana. That was why she became translucent, fragile when the demon flower tried to draw her into the depths. What was magical could create the physical, and what was physical could return to the magical. In which case, it was only natural that the magical could also augment the physical.

The dark-haired man tightened his stomach, focused his will…and did not take a breath.

Slowly, his body relaxed. He let go of that image of a furnace within his stomach. It was rude for an observer to participate in a lesson that someone else had paid for, after all. Instead, Isidore reached into the folds of his ragged outfit again, and this time handed the seed of the demonic plant to Rullphana. “It’ll be a privilege to witness the work of a professional, if you'll allow us.”

@Rune_Alchemist @PKMNB0Y

As far as archaeological (mis)adventures went, the temple excursion could have been better.

Then again, it was hard to top the disaster that was her last archaeological jaunt. That one had cost Narkissa her life. Thankfully, as close as it had seemed with the temple burning itself down and being hunted by misguided devotees of a questionably sane god of knowledge, she and her two would-be companions made it out safely with the help of a strange, but apparently friendly black fox.

It turned out that the fox in question belonged to a drunk merchant named Mie. As things were, Narkissa was tired, hungry, and without an offer of food or shelter from the woman, she followed Lazhira back to her home without much protest after giving a brief recounting of their temple tale. As soon as she had some of her stew, she slumped over to bed and was out like a rock, despite her lingering worry for her missing catgirl friend.

--

Despite her tiredness, she was surprisingly early to rise. It helped that she was still unsettled by the events of last night. She had no intentions of helping the Illuminator, but it was still… worrying. Even more so when she received the news that the temple was just… gone. How can a temple just up and leave? There were questions that Narkissa needed to ask Lazhira. And in private.

Before she could approach the girl in a place that was out of the earshot of prying eyes, though, Lazhira had up and disappeared off to somewhere, precluding her questions, and any rescue missions for Leannah, too.

When Misaki found Narkissa, she was a little bit irritated at the distraction, but the fact that she was being approached by the Japanese girl surprised her, and the apology she received surprised her even more. The impression she’d gotten was that the girl was way too secretive for her own good. She didn’t know what changed, but she appreciated the gesture, at least.

“Apology accepted, and no offense taken,” she replied, after a moment. Her opinion that her fellow companions from earth should stick together had not changed, even if she'd been annoyed by the response she had received the other day. “Perhaps I was a little too forward earlier,” she admitted, raising an eyebrow at the Japanese bow. She knew Asians often did that, but it was still… jarring.

“Well, I suppose we should properly reintroduce ourselves, then. Narkissa Langdon, nice to meet you.”

The impression she got was that she was approaching her for something, though, and she quickly got the answer for that after a moment. “Papermaking?” She raised her eyebrows. Of all the things that she thought she was going to be asked, being solicited to recreate paper was not one of them.

It definitely interested her, though. It was experimental archaeology, after all; she rather enjoyed recreating old things the way they were supposed to be made. “Well, count me in. You’re going to have to fill me in on this matter of the Kyrinth and this Enli fellow, though. I’d otherwise like to look for Leannah, but with Lazhira gone for the moment, there’s not much else I can do besides sit on my ass here since I don’t know the land at all. What sort of help do you need?”

Why? Why did he trudge forward? Heaven above, his feet and legs burned with exhaustion and his stomach grumbled for sustenance. Nick could barely walk when he reached the base of the mountains. He fell to his knees, filled with immense regret that he did not hunker down for the night back in that forest. He gasped for breaths, inhaling cold air and exhaling hot. Raising his head high, he beheld the mountains' height. Nick knew he was going to die if he tried to climb that. And yet, what choice did he have? There was nary a sign of civilization on his way here.

Nick wondered what to do next. He closed his eyes to give himself a brief respite and room to think. He could--

“Yahooo!~”

His thoughts were broken when he heard a joyful yell. Right after, something big, very big, tumbled down the mountain and landed next to Nick. He had to cover himself from the blown snow debris before discovering that it was some huge humanoid - a giant! Nick was at a loss for words, awed at the sight.

“Ahahah, I thought giants were supposed to be tough! Man you guys are pathetic! Some world-enders you’re supposed to be, ahaha!~”

Nick's gaze went to the voice. It belonged to a woman, fair-skinned but leaning to pale with short, black hair and dressed in red with a black cape flowing behind her. By her side was a large, single-edged sword reminiscent of a cleaver. She was surrounded by three other giants, armed with spears and axes scaled in size to suit them. Despite the giants' towering figures, the woman was not at all worried. In fact, she seemed to be winning this altercation.

The ground rumbled again, and Nick jerked his head to the side to find the fallen giant getting up. It had noticed him and reached out a hand to grab him. Nick panicked. This was the end for him, most definitely, but he could at least try, right? His mind raced and adrenaline pumped in his blood, survival instincts kicking in.

It was a giant so theoretically, Nick would be faster. In fact, he noticed that the hand reaching out to him was a bit slow. Still, a giant's a giant and if Nick ran away, he could still be caught thanks to the giant's range even if it was slow. What Nick could do was use the giant's size against it. He thought of a plan, a risky one but it could work.

Just when the giant was about to grab him, Nick would roll forward before breaking into a dash. Not away from the giant, but towards it. Specifically, he would attempt to run between its legs in an attempt to confuse it. But even if he succeeded, what could he do to fight? All he was really doing was delaying the inevitable. He thought about the woman higher up in the mountain, maybe she could help. But he'll have to shake off this giant for a while to do so.

Nick wondered if it could work, it was certainly a longshot but he had to try it. If he succeeded in running in-between the giant's legs, Nick would summon all his strength to crash himself against one of the shins of the giant. It was an attempt to make the giant lose its footing and at best, make it fall over again. Hopefully, this would give Nick enough time to reach the woman. He would get as close as he could, yelling all the while.

"Help! Heeelp! I've got a huge problem here! Literally!"

Skill Seeker

---

@Crimson Paladin

---

“Hm, seems like we have a deal, then.” Mie replied. “Heheh, don’t regret it later, human. I’m not exactly known to be an easy fox to work for.” The fox would lightly chuckle, taking a moment to eat some of the food in front of her. “You have time, though. I have another deal with some of your companions. Three days before I leave. You have that long.” She’d let Novak leave, having assumed they had an agreement. He could catch a faint start of another bit of conversation about Mie asking the dwarf something about an Elder Beast Lure or something similar…

Most of the people in the village were amicable as they had always been, but it seemed they were discussing some news about the temple as he’d walk by. Something about the hunters saying it had just upped and vanished, with a waterlogged altar being found underneath - but most importantly, was that fog seeming to have expanded outwards, nearly doubling the size in which it covered. The hunters were seemingly on high alert, all positioned at stations near the edge of the village, ready to intercept any aggressive animal that might wander near.

The butchery and workshop that Bolcha worked, was as busy as ever. A group of hunters would rush by Novak, carrying in a fresh carcass for disassembly before swiftly also heading back out. As Novak would approach the craftsman, his face would light up with seeming eagerness as he motioned for Novak to follow him to the back.

“I was wondering when you’d show up.” He’d say to Novak, leading him to the nearby leatherworking station. “Here you are. One good, nice set of armor made from the scales of that beast.” He’d say, feeling a bit self satisfied. It was a simple garb, really. Flexible cloth stitched to plates of scales woven together, effectively creating a form of scale-mail. It included a simple vest that hung past his waist, long sleeves that would protect ones arms. A cap with cloth on the inside to cushion blows, and thick fur boots for travel. He seemed to have thrown in warm fur gloves, too, to protect Novak’s hands from the cold.



“Rather proud of it. Don’t get to work with that material often. The things meat is good, but they’re tough to kill if you don’t ambush ‘em. Threw in some gloves and a quiver for arrows too, if ya want.”

---

Lazhira’s House
@VitaVitaAR@PKMNB0Y@Click This

“Erm, yes.” Lazhira would reply, a bit uncertain sounding as Misaki made a reply to her statements. “...are you going to do that today then?” She’d ask. “Er, oh, meeting with Kyrnith? It’d probably be a good idea to go with him. Make sure nothing happens...but I don’t think I’d be going if you did.” She’d suggest, assuming that Misaki and Nobbu might be going with Enli to meet with the Kyrnith. Lazhira seemed to be obviously on edge for some reason, from the way she was speaking and otherwise seeming a bit distracted...but she didn’t seem keen on talking as usual, either.

“Uhm...if you don’t need me for anything today, I think I’m just gonna stay here. I should be fine.”

---

A Traveler
@PaulHaynek

---

The giant certainly at least, seemed slower than he was. Nicholas would dash towards the giant, a risky gambit to avoid getting grabbed by it. He would narrowly avoid the hand, the appendage diving into the snowy ground behind him with, kicking up a mist of snow and dirt from the rocky ground. He would then, attempt to take shelter near the Giants shins - he barely came up to its shins! The giant would let out a deep, rumbling laugh as it would lift its other leg, pulling it back and then driving it forward in an attempt to kick the human.

“Aha?” At least his shouting seemed to have gotten the attention of the woman. “Ah!” Before she could reply properly, the trio of giants would take this moment to launch an assault of their own. One, wielding a massive club that seemed to be the tooth of some massive beast, slammed it into the ground.

“Ahaha, how slooow~!” If nothing else, this woman seemed like she had massive amounts of energy to spare if she was taunting these giants so casually. The club barely grazed her cloak as a motion almost faster than Nicholas’ eyes could see followed. Her sword slashed upwards, a long, brutal gash being cut into the giant's flesh, blood staining the ground beneath them.

“Here we gooo~!” Instead of making another strike however, she would wrap her arms around the giants wrist...and in an impossible display of inhuman strength, would pull. The giant would groan, as Nicholas could see its body being lifted by the comparatively smaller human, as it would swiftly be pulled off the ground as she would toss it right over her shoulder in the direction of the giant that was attacking Nicholas.

The body of the giant would crash into the other, sending them both tumbling back down the mountain side. Nicholas would just barely miss being punted like a soccerball by the other one.

“Ooooi!~ Cute little guy, up here if you wanna live!” The woman shouted. “Can’t be sure there aren’t any more of these guys that’d wanna take a nibble out of ya~!”

The remaining to giants seemed perplexed by this humans strength, but the two spear wielding ones would ready their weapons, undaunted though, and set on proving they were indeed, strong.

The Roma Mob
@ERode@Pyromania99

---

“L-less than a week!?” A shout from Raezel could be heard from off to the side.

“...that...is rather impressive.” Rullphana would inform them, doing a rather poor show at hiding surprise at the mention of having only a week to perform such feats. “Since I doubt you’ve been given any sort of blessings or boons from anywhere, normally even harnessing a base level requires months and months of training, focus, and often meditation.” There was a tinge of both suspicion...and a little bit of jealousy in Rhullphana’s voice. A brief check with Augusta’s eye definitely confirmed it - it would inform her that the Shadow Elf’s mood had soured slightly due to both jealousy and mild contempt. “But very well. I suppose that’s your right as her owner...but I want no questions, and I’ll do what I need without any interruptions or I will throw you out.”

She would take the seed from Isidore, holding it in her hand in a brief moment before handing it to Raezel.

“I’ll study it in a moment. Make sure its kept safe while I handle the pup.” Assuming Augusta agreed to that, Rullphana would grab the pup, an annoying huff coming from the hound as she was grabbed by the elf. “Now then, if you’ll excuse us Isidore, I’ll be busy for the next few hours, most likely. Raezel, tell Vallanur I do not wish to be disturbed.” Rullphana would lead Augusta over to a small section of the circular room - a table with various magical apparatus and implements. She’d clear out a small section and set Octavia down on it. "Watch closely. I'll explain if you wish, but I won't answer things you can see for yourself." She would say to Augusta as she would pickup what seemed to be a small syringe looking implement.

Raezel would meanwhile walk over to Isidore and make a suggestion herself.

“Probably a good idea to leave her alone. She’d get annoyed if we interrupted her.” Isidore could choose to leave or stay, if he wished, but if he did follow the pale skinned elf out of the tower, he’d have a chance to exchange words with the blade wielding guard outside. “Hey, Vallanur.” Raezel would greet. “Rullphana doesn’t want to be disturbed for a few hours.”

“That so eh? Ha, never thought’d I’d see the day where Rullphana of all people would get cozy with a Tamaln floozy and a human.” The guard, apparently named Vallanur would grunt. “Guess her majesty’s words were true a bit then, huh? Whatever, just don’t cause trouble and don’t annoy me and I could care less what you do.”

“Yep yep...well, bye!” Raezel would run off, likely off to get up into some more mischief. Of course, this left Isidore free to do whatever he wanted.

---

Send Feet Pics
@Cu Chulainn

---

“Well, now that Novak is gone...” Mie would turn her attention to the other occupant of the room, finishing a brief discussion with the dwarf about that lure she was carrying earlier. Malphas had been quietly standing by himself since the morning. She was vaguely aware of everything going on, though she didn’t have the specifics. Ayumi was quite good at gathering information, after all. “Malphas, was it? I don’t intend to let you mooch off me forever. I let you stay as a courtesy and as a potential business endeavor, but I’m not a charity.”

She would get to her feet.

“We have an understanding of sorts, so as long as you pull your weight you’ll be fine...but I’m curious. What do you intend to do? You’ve made quite a bit of enemies in this village. The other travelers are probably getting suspicious, and well, maybe a little fox told me a snowy huntress might have it out for you.” She chuckled. “If maybe, you want to leave or find some other place...I might be able to point you in the right direction, but it’ll cost you. Or maybe you want to stay. I can offer the same deal I made to Eirhild and Novak, if you want, but I’m not sure you’d be a good fit for my caravan. The Oni usually aren’t fond of those with words of honey.”

That was a strange doubt to have.

Did Rullphana have something similar to Augusta’s eyes, capable of discerning lies from truth? Or was the claim of having had less than a week to learn the arts of magic so outlandish that even liars wouldn’t speak of it? But more importantly…it may have been the wrong thing to say. The arrogant, especially those who rest their pride upon their experience and their powers, have a habit of becoming ever so spiteful when faced with a prodigy whose potential surpasses their own. He’d like to have a ‘good’ relationship with the Urutha mage as well; no need to mention how his own magical aptitude mirror’s Augusta’s.

And as for an examination that would last a few hours…

“I’ll take you up on that suggestion then,” Isidore replied, turning towards the door. “And Augusta, enjoy.” Hopefully neither party involved got into a fight once they went from spiritual studies to anatomical ones.

Following out after the great mage’s apprentice, he noted once more the singular gateguard. Vallanur. A name to remember, an individual with their own prejudices. Guards, cops, spooks, they were good people to get to know at a distance. The harshness of legislation and the rigidity of society was determined largely by how passionate the enforces on the streets were, after all. Maybe he’ll come back in a few hours with a drink. Chat with the man a bit.

For now though, it was Raezel, the literal child, who had been given the demon seed for safeguarding, and who was currently running off to who knows where again. Isidore still had the deal with the Dirithen to investigate, but considering the hearty earth of this cavern, so many times better than that miserable garden beneath the prisons, if the demon seed were to somehow find root here…

Didn’t need that strong an imagination to think of the apocalypse.

Picking up his own pace, Isidore caught up to the apprentice. “Eager to return to the forge?"

The that things Novak overheard were disturbing. The Illuminator's temple had supposedly vanished and the unnatural fog had spread over a wider area, with nothing left over but a waterlogged altar. An entire temple, gone in less than a day, right after they had ventured through it and met the Illuminator within. The possibility that their adventure in the temple may have escalated the threat that the village faced worried Novak greatly. To make matters worse, he still heard no word about Leannah. He began to wonder if they'd ever see her again.

Novak reached Bolcha's workplace without incident. The craftsman led him to the finished product, seemingly quite pleased. Novak's eyes practically lit up when he saw the garb.

This is much better than I expected, Novak thought as he looked over the armor, quite impressed. It was more than just some scale armor, it was nearly an entire outfit, with boots, gloves, a helmet, and vest, all of which looked quite warm. Bolcha had really gone the extra mile with this. It was good to be reminded that there were kind, helpful people in this village. It was all the more reason to do whatever he could to help save this village from whatever was menacing it.

"It looks great, thank you, Bolcha," Novak replied, happily. "I hope I have an opportunity to repay you for this kindness." Aside from the protection that the scales should provide, the ensemble looked pretty practical for the cold climate, it pouches to make carrying things easier, and it might help him to not stand out so much. He wasted no time putting the outfit on, gearing up for whatever trouble seemed to be approaching the village.

As he put the armor on, he turned his eyes to several hunters, and once again considered his options. With the situation as dire as it was and without any other leads, perhaps it might be a good idea to find out what Iva'Krorh's followers knew about the theft of the orb. They'd probably be unwilling to cooperate if the merely approached one on the street, but if he were able to approach them from a position of strength- perhaps backed up Enli, Akando, or some of the other of the goddess' chosen, then they might be more willing to answer his questions.

Yes, it'd probably be wise to get Enli up to speed about everything that happened at the temple. Perhaps he could tell me what's going on, and what Nobunaga and Misaki got up to while I was at the temple. With him having returned at such a late hour yesterday, Novak had never gotten the chance to report their findings to the chief, and had no idea if Narkissa or Lazhira had done so. He couldn't be sure if Enli would be able to believe the part about meeting the Illuminator or the claim that some of the hunters are still worshipers of the god of knowledge, but the chief needed to know the whole truth, as wild as some of it was.

After he finished donning the armor, Novak departed Bolcha's workplace, waving goodbye to the man and heading to the chief's longhouse. The armor would take some getting used to, but there was no time like the present to begin breaking it in.

@Rune_Alchemist

Misaki found herself slightly surprised at Narkissa's response, having half-resigned herself to work on her newfound project on her own. It was somewhat comforting to have her request humored, at least, despite her initial wariness regarding the situation as a whole.

"Thank you very much. In that case, I should introduce myself as well. Takeshima... Misaki. I'll be in your care," she responded, bowing again before taking a step back. What Lazirha had said did not escape her notice, of course, but given Narkissa's response, the only person who could possibly take up the role of bodyguard among their group would probably have been the warlord off to the side.

"...Right," she began, glancing towards the black-haired girl and nodding slightly before turning back towards her papermaking companion-to-be. "With regards to the process I had in mind... As far as I recall, there are two things to handle right now: the pulp and the frame. Both are issues, of course; though I found that there was a plant not too far off from bamboo that exists within this area, gathering and processing it to the consistency that we'd need to make even low-quality paper would be difficult, and with regards to the frame... Well, that still has yet to be figured out. I was hoping that we could split the workload somehow and try to get a basic prototype functioning, but..."

The foxgirl trailed off, scratching the back of her head nervously as her ears drooped slightly.

"...That's about where it ends."

Of course, she would give a synopsis about the events surrounding the Kyrinth if prompted—the terms they had proposed, the meeting, and so on and so forth—but given that everything was still being planned and how long they had until Mie left the town, the deadline hanging over her head to get something underway left Misaki somewhat anxious about whether or not they could finish in time or not.

@Click This@VitaVitaAR@Rune_Alchemist

Ahh, she seems to have hit a nerve. Or something of the sort. Perhaps she should tread very lightly. For the most part, she'd probably definitely want to let the powerful mage do what she needed with Octavia. "Now Octavia, if you do well, we'll get you some good food, alright." She encouraged the pup before turning to Isidore before he left. "Yes, it will be an enlightening experience. We'll have much to discuss later Isidore." They've spent much time apart since coming to this village. Perhaps it was a good move to cover more ground, perhaps it was bad... Regardless, they were going to learn something significant today, probably.

Rullphana grabbed Octavia and took the creature into a portion of the tower. Augusta followed of course. Then Rullphana gave her instructions. "Don't be an idiot and disturb me during this delicate process." Is what it translated to in Augusta's head. Or, perhaps her contempt was just being kept in check. That was to be seen, perhaps. "Understood, Miss Rullphana. I'm just interested in watching a master work." The woman mentioned as Rullphana grabbed a syringe. Well, she knew what to expect so she had braced herself. She use to be squeamish with this sort of thing but... Since coming to this world, she had seem enough bloodshed and those odd zombie-like things, she wonder if she'd wince.

Needless to say, given the role she had in the plan ahead Lazhira's behavior was a cause for concern, combined with the news of the vanished temple. Be that as it may, that did not take away from the fact that ensuring negotiations between Enli and the Kyrinth proceeded smoothly was top priority. That meant that acting as as sort of bodyguard for the village elder was hardly a bad idea.

Besides, Nobunaga's designs had only grown more grand since she learned of the state of the land of Chagawa. She could hardly begin her plans if her first campaign ended in failure.

"I shall be accompanying Enli," she informed Misaki, taking note of the woman who had previously guessed at their origins. There was still no reason to reveal her own foreign nature unless pressed, and certainly not to expose her identity. Therefore, it was best to leave them to their devices. Papermaking would greatly assist in their goals, after all.

With a bow, she turned and departed.

Nobunaga's ambitions were clear in her mind, but she had to claim her first goal to continue with the others.

The God of Knowledge had to fall.

@PKMNB0Y@Rune_Alchemist@Click This

Malphas had been weighing his options heavily since the morning. For the most part, he has not left the tents, content in the safety he had been afforded by the merchant. However, he is aware of his awkward placement within this pack. There was also the issue of the hunters potentially going after him, as well. Either way, Malphas knew that if he were to stay in relative safety for the coming days, he would have to pull a bit more than his weight.

"Hm... I still think it would be in both our best interests if we had me aboard. Rather, instead of a manager like we had discussed, perhaps you could put my silver tongue to other uses. It's clear that I do have an influence on others, whether for good or for grim. I could help find new clientele in our travels, or find rumors on potential plunder?"

Malphas knew he was a bit of a hard sell to Mie. Malphas also knew that all he needed to do was play to what she desires. Perhaps his charisma would work on w demi-human, such as herself?

"Say you had employed someone with my skillset. What would you have that person do that the rest of your pack is incapable of? A charming smile and the right things to say may not hold value to your other subordinates, but what does it hold to you?"

@Rune_Alchemist @PKMNB0Y

Oh, it turned out Lazhira was around after all. Well, it would probably be a bad idea to back out of this new project now, and it still interested her, anyway. Sorry, Leannah.

Still, Narkissa shot Lazhira a look that basically said ‘we need to talk later,’ before falling in with Misaki and her papermaking experiment. Making paper was hardly her expertise, but Narkissa had experience fashioning wooden tools before, and she was certain that papermaking needed various sorts of such implements. The question was where they’d get the pulp, which the foxgirl helpfully explained.

Apparently, Narkissa hadn’t been paying enough attention to the local shrubbery.

“Hmm, well, I can try to work on making the frame you need, if you’ve got any specific specifications. Normally, doing these sorts of things, I’d have the reference books to work with, but well,” she shrugged, stating the obvious.

The other Japanese girl from before came around and announced her departure, earning a raised eyebrow from Narkissa, before she was reminded of something else.

“I am a bit curious about this Kyrinth matter, though.” The earlier exchange had distracted Narkissa slightly, especially when she had gotten the feeling that it might be involved with whatever ahd happened at the temple.

Skill Seeker

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@Crimson Paladin

---

“No need, as long as you put that to good use.” The craftsman would reply with a grin. “Bring me anything else, I might be able to make more stuff from it if you stick around.” He’d give Novak a friendly wave as he left, before getting back to work on the fresh game that was just brought to his workshop. His trek to Enli’s longhouse was rather uneventful. He’d pass a few more villagers, but nothing would impede his steps across the snow covered ground until he arrived.

The warm air from within was as welcoming as always, with the smell of freshly cooked fish, meat and a few vegetables. Curiously, he’d notice a certain black fox named Ayumi skulking about the place though she’d quickly flee to some other corner of the longhouse. What was she doing here?

“Ah, Novak.” Enli would say, greeting the skill seeker with a warm tone. He was dressed in his usual robes, though his demeanor was noticeably more lively than it had been in the past two days. Perhaps he had been given some measure of hope, or just relief since things were potentially looking better for the village now, save for the sudden increase in the danger in the forest. “Apologies. I don’t have much time to chat. I do not wish to keep the Kyrnith waiting. We might not get another chance to meet peaceably. I also heard from a few hunters you went into the temple yesterday. You’re lucky to have come out in once piece...ah, but never mind that. What do you need?”

Just an old man

---

@VitaVitaAR

---

Nobbu would leave the safety of Lazhira’s home, stepping out into the cool morning breeze that was coming from the sea. It seemed to be as pleasant of a day as any here, in Dawn. Yet there was a tangible feeling of unease over the place. People were milling about, starting their day as usual, yet there was an undeniable feeling of...disquiet.

And then there was an old looking man, a rather exquisite cane was somehow managing to stand up on its own, while his hands pressed what seemed to be a simple wooden flute against his aged lips. The melody played was somewhat disconcerting. It was familiar -

Ah, it was the same melody that she had played yesterday. His silver eyes would lock with Nobunagas as he’d slowly put the flute away, grab the cane by its head and give her a grin.

“Oi, lass, over here!” He’d call out towards Nobunaga. “I’ve got a proposition for ya.” If Nobbu would care to look, she’d notice the figure was more well dressed than most of the villagers. His silver, aged hair was well groomed, and his dull grey robes were inlaid with flowing, gold patterns. “Of course yer free to run, but I don’t just talk to anyone ya see.” There was little mystery to who this old man was, from the way he was carrying himself. It might be best to not get involved. “Don’t worry about bein’ seen. No one will notice...well, unless you call attention to us. Probably best we don’t, that.”

---

Lazhira’s House
@PKMNB0Y@Click This

For the most part, Lazhira would remain silent as her guests discussed whatever it was they were discussing, not caring to get involved for the moment. She mostly kept herself busy by cleaning up the room, or by doing some random busy work, but eventually it seemed she’d run out of things to keep herself occupied. Oddly, she didn't seem interested in their paper making scheme, despite her seeming curiosity and desire to learn things. After spending some minutes cleaning the pot she had used for the stew, she'd look over to the two occupants of her home.

"Uhm...so if you guys don't need me for anything, I'm gonna go...erm, maybe help some fishermen or maybe go find some fruits or herbs in the forest. Need to restock and stuff." The look Narkissa gave her though, wasn't lost on her though, and she'd quickly inform them of where she'd be later. "...if you need me, erm, I'll be at the obelisk by noon! Promise! Its a great spot to see the sea from...hm, maybe I can make everyone something to eat and we can eat out there..." She'd trail off, and unless stopped would make her way out of the home.

The Roma Mob
@Pyromania99

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Rullphana would say nothing as she began her examination. The Syringe worked as expected - drawing blood from Octavia. The pup would growl as its skin was pierced, but would stay still as it was ordered too. She would place the blood in a small vial, studying it briefly before placing it on the desk. A small dagger Rullphana would use to cut the pups flesh, for seemingly no other purpose than to see how quickly the pup would heal from physical trauma. More Esoteric instruments seemed to follow, too. She would place the pup in some sort of magic circle - seemingly some sort of ward. Rullphana would perform a few spells, too, though the complexities of them were far too difficult for Augusta to notice on her own without some use of magic to attempt to decipher them as well. One of the last tests involved placing a blood sample in a small cylinder with some sort of crystal on top.

It would promptly shatter upon being supplied with magic, causing Rullphana to stare at it slightly in a mix of disbelief and wonder.

“...hm, well, that was enlightening.” Rullphana frowned, looking to Augusta. “In short: I have no idea what demon this is. I can make a few educated guesses, but aside from that...I’ve got nothing. Its not something we’re familiar with as far as demons go. No bloodline that I am aware of has these properties. What I can tell you though, is that its blood functions as almost a near limitless source of magical energy - which is why she can seemingly heal from nearly anything. It can also likely be used as a medium to empower spells and magic...though there are likely some side effects. I’ll need some more time with the blood before I determine conclusively anything else from it. I can also tell you that its makeup is unstable, weak, as its still in its infancy.”

Overall, it didn’t sound like she discovered many things about the pup from these initial tests.

“I would like to keep her overnight, though I assume you won’t let me?” Rullphana would ask. Octavia was already whining and didn’t seem too comfortable with it. Augusta’s eye would reveal she was tired, uncomfortable, and a little upset and angry. If Augusta hadn’t ordered her to behave she’d have likely already attacked the shadow elf.

@ERode

---

“Pfft, no. Why would I go back there.” The shadow elf replied with a huff. “I told ya I hate that place. Swords are boring, ya know. No creativity. Slash slash stab poke.” Her rather simplistic view of swordplay, aside, she was heading in the direction of the markets again, specifically the more out of the way places of it. “How’d you even use one to defeat a magic user anyways? We’ll just fireball you from a distance.” Raezel would keep a steady pace as she walked, not caring too much if Isidore tried stopping her or tagging along.

“...you gonna keep following me? Someone might think you’re a creep.” Raezel would say, offering Isidore a teasing grin as she’d stop walking. “‘Sides, I got super secret stuff to do and humans aren’t invited - h-hey!”

Someone bumped into Raezel. A taller figure that...also appeared to be a Sirithen? Pale skin, pointed ears under their hood.

“Watch it ya tree hugger!” Raezel would call out.

“Sorry, sorry. In a bit of a hurry.”

“Yeah yeah, you better run or I, the magnificent apprentice of Rullphana will-eh?” Raezel would quickly check her pockets. Cold sweat would form on her forehead. “...die. That’s what I’ll do. Die. Painfully. Horribly. H-hey get back here with that you thief! You stole from a kid! What kind of a terrible person are you!” In a somewhat expected turn of events, seemed that elf had just plucked that seed from her pocket. She would quickly glance to Isidore. The apparent Elvish thief though, was already quickly disappearing from sight. “...H-hey. Wouldn't mind uh, you know, making sure I don't die?”

---

Send Feet Pics
@Cu Chulainn

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“Heh. Trying your charm on me won’t get you anywhere.” Mie said with a chuckle, though the friendly smile was short lived as she would don a more serious expression. “Truthfully, Malphas. You have nothing to offer me. You are charismatic, to an extent, but I don’t really need help with the whole charisma thing. I’ve plenty of that myself, fufu.” She’d giggle in a smug fashion as her gaze would slowly fall on Eirhild.

“Though...perhaps...” Mie would look to Eirhild, pausing a moment. “...well, maybe. Yes, mhm, perhaps that could...” She would mumble to herself for a few moments, expression shifting a few times between deep thought and dollar signs before she’d finally reply. “...Hm. You know what. Maybe it’s about time I started expanding the reach of my little caravan. I’m just a single little fox, after all. I can only go so far by myself, and most humans south of the mountain don’t like my fluff. Uncultured fools~” She’d turn her gaze back towards Malphas.

“Of course, entrusting someone I just met with that sort of responsibility is well, a dumb idea. So here’s a proposition. On our way back to Chagawa, I’ll let you handle any sales or talking we do. I’ll give you pointers on the value of items and things, and by the time we return, if you do well enough...I suppose you could say, I’ll invest in you. Give you something to start up with, and let you do some trading yourself. Of course, I’ll take a cut of the profits as you’ll be a branch of my own caravan, but you should still make quite a profit.” Her mouth would curl into a sly smile.

“All I ask...in return, is your loyalty, fufu. Maybe if you do well, you'll earn something nice."

But when Raezel glanced towards where Isidore had been, the Urutha girl wouldn't find him.

It had been amusing, if nothing else, listening to the natural audacity of the kid. If he had been the same age as her, her dismissive attitude towards the value of a sharp edge would be enough of an excuse to start throwing hands, but with his perspective and his inexperience with the world, it was enough to simply accept her words as the common sense of a child living in a magically-rich society. She hadn't seen what Sorcha and Railey were capable of, just as how he had yet to see what Rullphana was capable of. Time will tell, naturally, whether it was through sword or sorcery that the face of warfare was shaped.

Though no matter the fascinating nature of this one-sided discourse, Isidore remained aware of his surroundings. Raezel was heading for the outskirts of the market, and considering the time of day, the crowds were smaller than they were a few hours ago. Gloomhaven was no modern day city, after all, no city that never slept. It was a city with less distractions as well. No smartphones to cause one to look down, no neon advertisements pulling at your vision. There was no reason then, for a hooded Sirithen to make a beeline towards a very loud, very visible Raezel. Within the few seconds he had to make a decision, however, Isidore decided not to act yet.

Having her purse stolen would make it a teachable moment about the awareness one ought to have about their surroundings. Having her stabbed by a jilted lover would also be a teachable moment, a moment regarding the efficacy of a sharp edge in surprise attacks. Having nothing happen at all other than a bump would mean that his natural reaction would become an overreaction.

So the Sirithen man bumped into Raezel, then lied about being in a hurry. He left, she raged, and...

Idiot excuse.

...Isidore moved, his own steps mirroring the Sirithen's as they got closer and closer to the core of the market. Maintaining a distance of two meters, enough to speak but not enough to threaten, he said, "Don't run. Keep walking. Explain."

One could not yet know for certain, after all, whether the pickpocketing of a demon seed was the man's intention or just thievery gone wrong. And in polite society, Isidore would presume ignorance before guilt, stupidity before malice. Couldn't so well as get into real trouble on his first night in Gloomhaven, now could he?

"A lot happened in the temple that needs to be discussed, but if you're getting ready to meet the Kyrinth, we can worry about it later." Novak paused for a moment, then spoke back up. "Well, actually there one thing you might want to know first, we think we might have learned why the Kyrinth is upset with the village. Lazhira told us that the covenant with the Kyrinth was to give up worship of the Illuminator. And we think that some of the hunters are still secretly worshiping the god of knowledge in defiance of the deal. I'm not asking you to take my word for it, but if the Kyrinth doesn't bring it up, you might want to ask about it."

Admittedly, they didn't actually have proof of it, and they didn't even have any faces to go with such serious accusations. With any luck, the Kyrinth would be able to confirm or debunk their suspicions.

"Actually, it's worse than that," Novak continued, a bit hesitant, "We're pretty sure some of them tried to kill us when we were in the temple. When we were leaving, we saw evidence of an ambush at the entrance, and when we didn't come out, somebody lit a fire in at the entrance try to flush us out or suffocate us. If we hadn't found another exit, and if it weren't for Lady Mie sending help to guide us back safely, we might not have been able to elude them out there."

Again, he had no proof for this, but perhaps the mention of Lady Mie's involvement might help lend credence to it. He also began to wonder if sure whether it had been wise to reveal this to Enli. Could it put Enli in danger, to be told these things? Would the meeting with the Kyrinth go smoother if he stepped into it ignorant of the possible cause of the Elder Beast's displeasure?

"Oh, one last thing, this meeting...is this just between you and the Kyrinth, or could I come along? I still don't know understand the context of some of what I saw and heard in the temple, and if I were able to hear the Elder Beast's side of things it might make those things clear."

@Rune_Alchemist

"Specifications..."

To that, Misaki found herself glancing downwards, one hand upon her chin as she considered the possibilities in front of them. Obviously, scale would mean that something akin to a large wall scroll would have been ideal; resizing the paper would take extra effort regardless of which size they chose to make, but that size seemed acceptable enough to not have to worry about the logistics of the drying process at length. After all, it was far easier to cut something large down to size than vice versa.

"...Half a square meter... Maybe? That'd give us a proof of concept to present, at least," she concluded, nodding her head as she continued. "Not so big that we'd have to invest too much effort into creating it, and not small enough to write off as worthless. I think that might be worth it as somewhere to start, at least."

Of course, Lazirha's unusual discomfort regarding the situation did not pass by Misaki unnoticed, and the foxgirl silently took note of how anxious she was acting. As much as she would have liked to help her resolve that issue, given what she knew, there was nothing that she could really have done to set her mind at ease.

It was Narkissa's following comment that promptly brought the foxgirl's focus back from Lazirha's wellbeing, well-timed as it was to coincide with their host's hasty departure. Honestly, there was no reason to leave Narkissa out of the loop at this point—not when it was likely that everyone who was resting in this house would get wrapped up in this web of troubles sooner or later.

"With regards to the Kyrinth, though... Apparently, this village used to coexist alongside what I would be inclined to call... Hm... Well, native god may not be quite right, but I suppose that's the closest I can get to explaining the Kyrinth. The arrival of this 'God of Knowledge' split the village's faith, so to speak, and his attempts to unseal something here have only furthered that rift."

It was at this point, though, that the young woman paused, as if trying to figure out how to piece together what Lazirha had said upon her return with the situation she knew thus far.

"...And apparently, that if he was successful, this place would be flooded outright. Of course, we attempted to propose a deal to the Kyrinth to re-establish that bond by placing it in a more secular position in this town—namely, a teacher of sorts—but the details of the negotiations as they are to proceed today are yet to be seen. I suppose we'll find out how they went later, though."

With that, Misaki took a deep breath before glancing out the door, lost in her thoughts for a moment before continuing.

"Hopefully things should proceed without too much issue. In the meantime, though... I suppose we should get to work. I'm not particularly looking forward to pounding plants to a pulp, though; would that I could automate this with a waterwheel or something similar."

@Click This@Rune_Alchemist

Augusta was intrigued in what she was learning from what she would basically call an operation. Somehow, she was unsurprised that the elf was unable to learn much about Octavia. Her eyes were being rather evasive about certain bits of information about Octavia so she was hoping that she'd be able to learn more from Rullphana but... Well... She'd need to find out in other ways. "As much as I'd love to learn more about her, I think it'd be a bad idea to keep her here with you overnight. Mostly because I can just tell how irritable she is now being poked and prodded. I believe it's in everyone's best interest to reprieve from this for the moment." She went over to the pup and stroked her head. "I'm going to have to feed her some good food tonight so she isn't too angry with me now." The woman said with a slight giggle.

She hoped that Rullphana would come up with some more information with the blood sample. In all likelihood, Octavia was still probably connected to the seed which Augusta assumed was just a part of that demon and if it grew, everyone would have a bad time. If there was a way "Though, I forget. In terms of money, I have no money. Isidore bought this rapier for me so he has some, I should have asked him for some." She gave a slight sigh before she picked up Octavia. "That said, I look forward to working with you and learning from you in the near future, Miss Rullphana. Until tomorrow then, dear Teacher." Augusta said, turning to the exit. Unless the elven mage stopped her, she would take Octavia and leave, heading elsewhere.

@Rune_Alchemist @PKMNB0Y

A square meter. That too, would have been easy, except…

“Hmm. You know, it occurs to me that we’re not going to have any rulers or standardized measuring equipment, whatsoever. I mean, I’m sure I can approximate a meter to within a couple dozen centimeters or so, but still, something to consider.” Something like creating a standardized set of universal measurements… like reintroducing the metric system, for example. Narkissa was sure that even if some country did have some system set out, it would probably be terrible like the imperial system. Base-ten was superior, after all.

“Right, regardless, I can do that. I’d say the most difficult part would be getting the right mix and consistency of the pulp. Get the ratios wrong and we get a communion wafer on one end, and a poorly manufactured rag on the other. Wonder if we’ll have the time to get it right, really, but it’s still worth a try.”

Aside from the papermaking matter, there was also the Kyrinth, which Narkissa was beginning to realize was a bigger deal than she had originally thought. In fact, it tied directly into her run-in with the Illuminator, actually. The context she gained was… enlightening, but not exactly reassuring.

“Huh. That… explains a lot of what we ran into yesterday, actually. I knew that god was up to no good.” If Misaki didn’t know already, she gave her an edited recollection of her run-in with the god of knowledge. “Sounds like this Kyrinth is the way to go, here, but I’m studied well enough in the classics to know that making deals with any sort of gods –especially ones in a pantheon—is only going to end in misery for mortals. Hopefully things work themselves out,” she agreed.

“Right then. You have fun with the plants… building a waterwheel will be a project in and of itself. I’ll need to find some good wood from somewhere to work with, in the meantime.”