Necrophage

Caravan: Resurrection

Daelin had started to regain some of his vision. Ears still ringing, he drew his grapple-gun with his left hand. The grapple configuration was currently equipped with a spike -- for trees. He took aim at the myti through blurry eyes that was still standing outside. He narrowed his eyes until he could get a little better of a picture and aimed for the assailant's thigh. The air compressing mechanism went off with an audible pop as Daelin launched the grappling spike.

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Kel, Marvis Astorian's Manor

Kanna frowned. "And that is why you are no closer to the seat of high chancellor." She hopped down from the case and walked toward the middle of the room, leaving her back to him. "I came here fully intending on kicking the hornets nest... The hornets will lay quivering on the ground in shock." She chuckled at herself, a sound that had no real mirth. "Let me try to get back on the right foot. I apologize for insulting you. What you do you are amazing at." She complimented. There was a genuine feel to it, a soothing feeling washed over Marvis that he had no real control over. "The people of Kel aren't satisfied with how things are currently run. There's a great disparage between poor and rich that only expands. Change is coming whether you like it or not. Right now you are a in a position to gain from the change. Whether or not you'll accept it will be up to you." She turned back to him slowly. "You dug your way to this point by your work. You have no heavy ties to the other major political factions. This means that the people can look to you when those groups fail them. I wouldn't have come here if there were no benefit to you. At least trust me on this." She asked.

There was a slight pressure put on Marvis' mind. Something that felt like it was coming from him, a desire to agree, to give Kanna her chance.

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Kel, Underworld; The Whispering Cove

Vetch grunted in response. He nodded to Othozar and muttered in a deep voice as he stepped past the two into the shop. "No trouble."

The gaunt eld approached Finnick directly. He looked over the diminutive owner's shoulder at the work he was busied with. "Finnick." He stated. There was a pause as he waited for Finnick's attention. "I'm here for the powder." Vetch announced.

Caravan: Resurrection

Daelin stumbled back, getting a face full of flashbang. He held his ax between him and what he perceived was the doorway while squinting madly and rubbing his eyes with his left hand. "Holy hell!" He shouted in alarm. At least it wasn't an explosive object.

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8:08 PM
Kel, Marvis Astorian's Manor

An eldan lady clad in a purple gown that faded to white along the bottom stepped gingerly around the office, examining each little artifact and contraption that the manor's owner had accumulated. His collection was interesting but they had no real use other than looking fancy. She paused at a particular ornament. An orb fit together like a puzzle. As she drew close enough near to touch, it reacted in a display of blue energy softly humming as the pieces came apart and flew around in circular patterns around its base.

"All these baubles. Your collection is admirable, cousin. It's been at least a year since I've been over here. It's almost like nothing has changed." She took a seat on the edge of the table the artifact displayed itself around. "So many things and yet the events of late have neither grown worse nor improved." She pulled the strands of black hair from covering her youthful face. "So little ambition is unbecoming of you. Put in such a great position and all you do is collect nick-knacks and admire stale politics." She gave him a tired smile that her eyes didn't reflect. She didn't really mean it. "I have a proposition for you, Marvis."

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8:11 PM
Kel, Underworld; The Whispering Cove

A particularly tall eld limped into the cavern. His movements suggested he favored his right leg over the left. The long coat he wore fluttered as the draft from the sea swept into the cavern. His worn boots splashed against small pools of water that had gathered from the tides. The eld had been to Finnick's before. This visit didn't seem much different from the usual. Often appearing with coin to take some rare, potentially dangerous item before disappearing for another month.

The eld nodded to his kin, the brothers that stood at the door way. He gave them a grunt of recognition, his red eyes watching them ever-warily as he waited for their approval to enter and take care of his business.

Caravan: Resurrection

Daelin watched the orb roll into the chamber and panicked a little on the inside. If that was a bomb they were in some serious trouble. It rolled into Pyra's range and the eldi took interest and acted immediately. The orb matter somewhat handled he turned to the doorway and nodded to Flin as the musician made his move.

The myti outside seemed to have been effectively disrupted by Flin's sound attack. Daelin's thoughts went to what to do next. He glanced around the room for the crossbow he had lost hold of during the explosion. It was nowhere obvious, perhaps hidden under the slew of other fallen crap that had tumbled at the onset of this assault. He grimaced, still not daring to move from his position guarding the door. He couldn't allow himself to drift too far from it or otherwise the others would be in serious danger. If he couldn't find his crossbow then what else could he get? Daelin sidestepped to the wall alongside the door so he was no longer directly in the sight of assassins. He noticed a crate marked in Marrenfall merchant symbols spilled along the wall. The top had come loose, hanging part of the way open on its hinges. He lifted it with his off hand as he kept his axe up, watching the entrance. There were various survival supplies but one thing caught his eye. A big spray can with a picture of a Grim crying as its logo had rolled out. He squatted to pick it up, vigilantly watching for the assassins. In all capital letters it read, 'Migli's Mighty Monster Mace!', Daelin squinted at it and shrugged, tucking it into his belt. Better than nothing. He would be thankful to its creator if he actually knew how to read the title. He turned his attention wholly to the doorway.

Caravan: Resurrection

Daelin bolted back through the doorway to avoid the two assassins and pulled his ax out. He held it at the ready with both hands and stood just on the other side of the doorway to the cockpit. If the would-be assassins wanted to come in they'd have to funnel through. "I hope we have a plan to get out of here!" Daelin shouted to the occupants, Zay in particular. "If they have another explosion like that I don't think the caravan will hold out through a direct hit!" He was ready to swing at whichever assailant entered first.

Caravan: Resurrection

Daelin complied, dropping down into the hatch and scanning the room for everyone. With Pyra and Zay on top, everyone was accounted for except Marilyn. He went toward the pilot area. It was a mangled wreck. The reins were destroyed, a venbu was missing and the remaining one had been violently gored by the explosion. Unless Lyullia had some crazy magnetic skills they were stuck with this fight. Daelin kept low as he explored part of the pilot area and briefly peeking just outside the cockpit for Marilyn, wary of exposing himself to any archers.

Caravan: Resurrection

Daelin only barely noticed Zay's outstretched hand as he careened up. He stretched his own out as he plummeted back down, nearly missing the aid before being caught just over the edge of the caravan. As Zay caught him in his momentum he swung down toward the caravan and plunked right into its side with his shoulder. With his wounded Captain's help he managed to secure a hold and clumsily climb his way back on top. His ears were ringing, he may have been in shock from the proximity of the explosion or mana burst or whatever the hell that was. "Thanks Cap'n". Daelin managed. He held his hands against his temples to try and fight off the headache before more realization hit him. "Marilyn!" He shouted. Daelin stumbled back toward the hatch and fell on his hands and knees. He sat there a hard moment, breathing steadily and trying to recover.

"Cap'n." He said. He made two loud coughs, waving the smoke in front of his face. "Marilyn was in the brunt of that explosion." He reported. He decided it would be safer to crouch and stayed with one knee on the ground. "Orders, Cap'n?" Daelin asked.

Caravan: Resurrection

Daelin complied with a nod and poked his head out of the hatch to the roof. "Hey Cap'n. Marilyn wants to know when to stop."

Caravan: Resurrection

"A library?" A look of consternation crossed Daelin's face. "Yeah, no can-do on the library." He looked away from Marilyn out into the darkening night. Daelin looked like he was holding something else back on that subject. "I prefer to experience things rather than read them."

Caravan: Resurrection

Something tiny and prickly scurried across Daelin's nose. Despite somehow having slept through the yelling and arguing between the guest of their caravan and its members this little purple bug had stirred him. Daelin swatted away from his nose as it floated across the room. He sniffled as he lurched back up and rubbed at his bleary eyes. "Hey Captain! Why are we letting these things in? They're nothin' but bad luck." He complained. These violet dragonflies were seldom seen but from what he'd heard they meant something bad was coming. Kind of like the volcanic firebugs that floated around an impact area days before an earthquake or an eruption. Rare but consistent little buggers.

Daelin lurched over the side of his bunk, dangling his legs and yawning. "Might as well get up." He muttered, popping down on to the floor. He moved toward the rations to grab a snack and paused. Perhaps it was the dragon flies that were humming around the caravan or the night air moving in but something was making the hair on his neck stand on end. He didn't know what it was but he'd learned to be paranoid when his instincts told his something was wrong. Sometimes he was wrong, but he would rather be wrong than dead. Daelin had survived years of this for a reason. He grabbed himself a piece of jerky regardless, placing it in his mouth and half-chewing it as it stuck out the side.

The crossbow he had used against the maw hounds earlier was nestled against some of their heavily secured supply crates. Daelin picked it up and pulled a few bolts out of the same crate he'd used earlier. He took them to the front of the caravan and looked out into the dark night over Marilyn's shoulder. Daelin started trying to say something that came out as more of a garbled yawn before he actually said it. "Notice anything off? Something's bugging me." He prodded a pair flies from his shoulder and continued. "An' it ain't just these flies. Nothing in this blasted place does something without a reason. These dragon flies have an agenda. I think they know something we don't." He concluded.

Caravan: Resurrection

Daelin mulled over the answer. "I've had mixed experiences. There's been some trips where there were no encounters at all but those are generally few and far between. The wilds are always encroaching on the routes and no two seasons are the same for the beasts, especially of late." Daelin looked over to Lyullia and shared a forced smile. "The wilds aren't what scares me though. If something is going to eat me I can at least see it coming. I can do something about it." He dwelled on the real topic in his mind.

Politics were scary and Daelin, despite his demeanor payed attention to what he heard. "It's the cities I'm more afraid of lately. There's unrest in Arcadia. The slums and lower classes are getting fed up. If there's a civil war I want no part of it. And that's not all. I've heard the fanatics in Berganfont are getting worse. There's been more cases of disappearing civilians, even whole families than there were before. That's only what gets fed down the vine too." Daelin raised a hand to rub the scruff on his face, this time he started to share a genuine smile. "Don't let me depress you, even I get paranoid." He started to get up so that he could descend the ladder.

"I'm going to get some rest before night falls. Figure I can take first watch." Before his head dipped down into the hatchway he mentioned one last thing. "Just don't forget Lyu, not all beasts wear fur and claws."