Chapter 10: The Drowned Caravan
Khada Dazakaar : --'t get forever polluted with void nonsense or whatever else got cracked open in Qaelemont's forgotten shoe closet or wherever else he keeps dusty old artifacts."
Deryk O'hara: blinks. "Wait.. he can swim?"
Khada Dazakaar : laughs. "Aetherial Sea, capitalized."
Zygana Nightgale : groans and mumbles something about 'dry heat' and begins to fan herself.
Qaelemont Drauculoix: regards the gruesome scene pensively. A caravan. Men. Women. Children. Bound from Little Ala Mhigo to Ul'dah. Dead. All dead. Even the chocobos. Some of the bodies bloated corpses as if waterlogged for days in the sea—curiously minus any signs of predation. Other bodies pulverized. Crushed. Imploded as though suddenly sunk to the bottom of the sea. Yet any truly significant bodies of water are far and away from this desert locale. (1/2)
Qaelemont Drauculoix: "Gunnar called me," he says in hushed tones, as if not wanting to disturb any spirits which might yet be lingering. (2/2)
Ravena Blackwind : "Seems whomever did this is aware of the complications of water magic in a desert setting. From a professional standpoint I have a sliver of respect."
Zygana Nightgale : "Called you over some dead travelers? A shame that they got set upon, but We're hardly the Brass Blades. Looks to be the work of a rogue conjuror. Not really a think we deal with is it?"
Deryk O'hara: looks to Ravena. "This.. doesn't look like regular water magic..."
Khada Dazakaar : "Seems like, yes, but this is quite the unusual scale. Forgive me for
Zygana Nightgale : "I should have brought a parasol."
Zygana Nightgale : stands under Khada's parasol.
Deryk O'hara: smiles. "Look who came out of her lab. Careful, Nee-chan. There's.. gore.. on the ground."
Khada Dazakaar : returns to the loosely gathered group. "No, no this was certainly no Conjurer looking to fly the coop. Aside from their lungs being filled with actual saltwater, there's a twinge of void lingering on the bodies. If you look closer, you can see a salt layer on some of the.... specimens. It's not crystalizing naturally."
Mizuki Akiudo: looks at the scene and frowns, "How? Was there a gateway or something?" She looks around for anything gateway-y
Khada Dazakaar : shakes his head. "There's no sign of the bodies having been moved, nor residue from any teleportation magicks."
Telural Noykin: Vath Nimbleblade would had approuched some what late. His chitinous feet tosing up a little bit of dirt on the dirt and gravel road*"I take it this is not you lots doing? *click click* " he said as his mandibles clicked away*
Deryk O'hara: furrows his brow. "That.. makes no sense..." He looked around at the scene.. but couldn't desern where any of the sea water came from.
Ravena Blackwind : sings a soft dirge for those who were lost that day. Her words are laced with magic, attempting to ensure the fallen are guided back to the Aetherial Sea.
Qaelemont Drauculoix: You disagree with Telural Noykin.
Khada Dazakaar : shrugs. "Cases like these don't tend to make sense. This is beyond the Brass Blades or the Guilds." he turns to the Vath "-- oh, trust me, I have far too much to do to, and an abundance of morals, to even consider commiting an atrocity like this."
Mizuki Akiudo: looks at Khada, "Bit of void, you said? Like the water that came into the library then. Some kind of something from the deeps maybe?"
Qaelemont Drauculoix: "Non, my agent who maintains the branch in Ul'dah was notified by my contact in the Syndicate. A Brass Blade patrol came upon them. One of the Blades touched a body...et disappeared."
Deryk O'hara: nods softly. "I can't really sense aether well, but it.. smells.. the same."
Deryk O'hara: blinks. "It.. disappeared?!"
Zygana Nightgale : "At the risk of sounding callous, I'm still unsure why we were called. It is a tragedy, yes. But how does it affect any of us? I doubt any of us can bring them back. Best I can offer is a shovel and-did you say they disappeared?"
Ravena Blackwind : hears what was just said about physically touching one of the bodies. Deciding since nothing bad has happened (yet), Ravena will finish her magical funeral dirge.
Khada Dazakaar : turns to Mizuki. "That's my thinking. As I was telling some of the group, I was originally going to leave this one up to you all until I felt something fishy coming from the ocean" he says, pun absolutely intended.
Mizuki Akiudo: "If it's the same type of water, then it's might be the same type of occurance, only this one much worse."
Telural Noykin: "*click click* Strange they didnt get the Immortal Flames involved, or the thaumaturge guild, seems like this would be up there ally."
Deryk O'hara: shakes his head at Zygana. "We are not here to mourn them. If this is the same.. yes, exactly what Mizu-chan said. This only bodes ill for us all."
Ravena Blackwind : continues her dirge in spite of Deryk's comment.
Qaelemont Drauculoix: "I spoke with monsieur Glitchy la nuit dernière. He said nothing untoward has been happening in his library nor estate."
Khada Dazakaar : sighs. "So? Even if it didn't affect any of you directly, this is unknown, highly dangerous magic without a currently quantifiable source. The chances of this being a one-time incident are incredibly slim. It's better to start unraveling the puzzle now instead of when it's REALLY a problem."
Deryk O'hara: thinks. "Just.. ours?"
Qaelemont Drauculoix: You shrug at Deryk O'hara.
Qaelemont Drauculoix: "Thus far."
Deryk O'hara: sighs. "Well.. they don't seem to have taken any books from our library.. so that makes no sense.."
Khada Dazakaar : thinks back to his comment about the hypothetical dusty old shoe closet Qalemont stores old artifacts in.
Mizuki Akiudo: nods to Deryk, "That's why I came out here. My analysis of the water shows it was likely from the dark depths of the sea, and likely has some kind of...force behind it. Not sure what in our little library, and now here drew it's attention or ire, but it's for sure visiting, or trying to."
Ravena Blackwind : finishes her song then looks to the others.
Deryk O'hara: remembered Qaelemont's fear.. how heavy the box got every time he used any aether around it.. how unclean it made them all feel. He just wraps his arms around himself and backs up, looking away from the gore.
Telural Noykin: Vath Nimbleblade would get closer and focused on looking over the bodies trying spot any clue, being carely not to touch any of it.
Zygana Nightgale : walks away from the group for some moments before she spots a small lizard basking atop a nearby pile of rocks. Stepping closer she eyes it for a moment before casting repose, then lifting the poor creature by one of it's front legs. She strides back to the group, lizzer in hand. "Ok, let's see if the stories are true." Without hesitation she tosses the somulant critter atop one of the adult corpses, smacking the bloated man in the face.
Deryk O'hara: looks behind him and softens a bit, feeling.. all that much more safe. "Kaasan.."
Scarlett Clover: poofs beside Mizuki in a flash of green and purple smoke. She beams at Deryk's greeting and pulls him in for a hug.
Ravena Blackwind : observes the result of Zygana's "experiment" with keen interest.
Deryk O'hara: hugs her gently. "I.. am sorry I'm not more bright. The scene is.." He looks over at the carnage..
Scarlett Clover: embraces Mizi, then follows Deryk's gaze. Her eyes narrow slightly and she grimmaces upon seeing the caravan of drowned dead. "This is problematic."
Khada Dazakaar : also looks closely, clearly curious about the outcome. He has a handy pen and notebook floating off to his left.
Deryk O'hara: nods a bit, watching to see what happens.
Ravena Blackwind : taps her chin in thought.
Khada Dazakaar : nods in agreement with Scarlett. "Indeed it is. The Void is involved, too."
Scarlett Clover: purses her lips as she nods to acknowledge Khada's words. Her eyes focus on
Qaelemont Drauculoix: frowns deeply when the somnolent lizard disappears with a subsonic *pulse.* It's like a ripple of pressure from where the lizard touched down upon the bloated corpse which spreads outward—a wave through the air rather than through water.
Ravena Blackwind : "Fascinating."
Deryk O'hara: steps back and blinks. "Bordel de Merde.."
Zygana Nightgale : "Well, that story checks out. Don't touch the dead. Or do if you're tired of the heat."
Deryk O'hara: makes a face. "I.. think I'd prefer swimming in the pools of Goblet than touch these..."
Mizuki Akiudo: explains to Scarlett, "The water from the library had deep ocean water properties, with a good amount of void taint and...oh! Oh, that's....I don't knwo what that is"
Ravena Blackwind : watches Telural Noykin intently. Ravena keeps her grip on her umbrella to act should something bad happen.
Deryk O'hara: nods at Mizu-chan. "I don't either.."
Mizuki Akiudo: "I don't think it's accidental."
Scarlett Clover: nods as Mizi explains, all while keeping her eyes on what just happened.
Mizuki Akiudo: frowns, "So..we get a bunch of dead things from the sea, and our lizard ploops like dropped into a pool. Some kind of displacement maybe? An exchange?"
Deryk O'hara: nods. "It had to have gone somewhere. Nothing just.. disappears."
Mizuki Akiudo: "Except food when Devin is involved."
Scarlett Clover: side-eyes Qaelemont, then looks to everyone else before stepping forward slightly. "Does anyone object to me trying to speak with the dead?" She says in a very hushed, serious tone.
Deryk O'hara: chuckles softly. "All of that aether goes somewhere, I assure you."
Deryk O'hara: nods to Scarlett. "You should try, I think."
Zygana Nightgale : "I'd be honored to watch you do so, Lady Scarlet."
Qaelemont Drauculoix: "By all means, mon amie."
Telural Noykin: Vath Nimbleblade's mandibles clicked as he thought and said "*click click* Crushed? "
Khada Dazakaar : nods. "Be my guest. My methods are too aether-disrupting to be any sort of help here."
Scarlett Clover: smiles at Zyggy. "Please, with this group, I believe you have all earned the right to just call me Letty."
Qaelemont Drauculoix: "Don't touch any of them," he warns Scarlett.
Ravena Blackwind : remains ready to act should one of her friends suddenly get affected by a magic attack.
Scarlett Clover: nods to Qaelemont. "Absolutely not."
Khada Dazakaar : adds: "Be very careful. That lizard didn't just poof- I'm getting traces that hint it's been translated vaguely, but deeply, downwards."
Deryk O'hara: nods. "I thought that about the books that kept eating aether at the library.. They are clearly feeding something. I think that lizard went to the same place."
Zygana Nightgale : steps away to look at what the wagons were carrying.
Khada Dazakaar : nods. "It's aether was converted somehow." He says a quiet word for the poor thing. Thank you for your sacrifice, lil guy
Scarlett Clover: digs into her bag and pulls out 5 candles and some chalk. She draws a small circle in front of her and arranges the candles in a pentagram shape in the middle of the circle. In the center, she draws a series of runes before chanting something under her breath as she attempts to speak to the undead!
Scarlett Clover: stares straight forward, eyes glowing misty green for a moment as her magic weaves into the minds of the dead. Her eyebrows furrow and her ears twitch under her hat as she strains to listen. The candles all go out at once and she turns to look at the group. "They said they did not fall, the sea found them." Her lips purse tightly. "I felt a crushing pressure and a cold, watery sensation."
Scarlett Clover: collects her candles and chalk and erases the circle and runes with her shoe.
Deryk O'hara: gasps. "T..they were drowned out here?? The.. the kids.." He chokes out and shrinks into himself.
Scarlett Clover: "Yes."
Qaelemont Drauculoix: nods faintly, another frown etching his brow at Scarlett's words. "Trés intéresant..."
Scarlett Clover: "I apologize, that's all the information I am able to glean."
Qaelemont Drauculoix: You nod to Scarlett Clover.
Qaelemont Drauculoix: "I've heard of dry land drowning... mais this seems... excessive."
Mizuki Akiudo: nods, "Lines up with what I discovered from the water. If the kind of...flash flood we got in the library happened on people...."
Scarlett Clover: "Hydromancy?"
Scarlett Clover: looks over at Khada. "Know of any powerful enough to do someting like this?"
Deryk O'hara: just.. goes non verbal. He can't even look at the bodies.. his chest aching.
Ravena Blackwind : "Uh, Q?"
Ravena Blackwind : "Your protege?"
Mizuki Akiudo: shrugs, "Have to be very powerful to pull the water from where that water came from, or push it -from- somewhere deep."
Scarlett Clover: steps toward Deryk and slips her arm around his, trying to help ground him.
Khada Dazakaar : nods. "That corroborates my findings based on the area's aetheric resonance, too. This, combined with the aether-siphoning action of the bodies, points to something beyond the power of the average practitioner."
Telural Noykin: Vath Nimbleblade would walk over to the group "*click click* If we were near the ocean id say Leviathan"
Deryk O'hara: swallows hard. "I'm fine." His voice no more than a whisper. He leans a bit on Scarlett. "Sorry.. my kids.. this.. this is.." He faulters.
Scarlett Clover: "Aether siphoning?" She perks up, looking at Khada. "That's what I do!"
Qaelemont Drauculoix: glides over behind Deryk and gently rests a hand on his shoulder.
Ravena Blackwind : "Scarlett and I would easily tell if the Whorleater used his magic here. Leaves a very distinct signature."
Deryk O'hara: turns and presses against Qaelemont's chest. "Sorry.."
Khada Dazakaar : nods. "When Zygana conducted her experiment, the corpse acted as a sort of threshhold, where it used the aether of the lizard to translate it somewhere down beneath us"
Scarlett Clover: widens her eyes, looking between Khada and Ravena. "And there are traces of void..." She trails off. "This could be a place a portal could be opened to the void then, yes? The information seems to point to that. I know I missed some, though. Perhaps I'm jumping to conclussions to quickly."
Telural Noykin: "*click click* Could it be som new primal. *click click* Not in thanalan, though.. the Library isnt even on the same continent"
Scarlett Clover: "Mizi, were you able to sense any kind of void portals or anything?"
Khada Dazakaar : shakes his head. "No traces of teleportation or portal magic here. The mechanisms that are at play here are more complex than just a hole in the fabric between realms"
Ravena Blackwind : looks at Khada Dazakaar . "I was going to head to the library on a research project; but, I could remain here instead and get a thorough examination started."
Mizuki Akiudo: grins, "Exactly what I said when I got here, but I didn't sense...." She looks at Khada, "Yes..that.."
Scarlett Clover: looks at Nimbleblade, burying her disgust for bugs to nod at their words. "I suppose it could be." She nods to Mizi, then Khada. "My apologies, of course you both already looked for that."
Deryk O'hara: looks to Scarlett from his safe place. "It.. was a good idea anyway, Kaasan."
Ravena Blackwind : looks to Scarlett Clover, "I'll be sure to send my results to all parties involved."
Khada Dazakaar : nods. "I'm curious to get some more in-depth readings myself. I'll stick around too"
Scarlett Clover: "Void, hydromancy and something below us drawing in energy...." She says allowed, as if talking to herself?
Qaelemont Drauculoix: gently cradles Deryk against him while the others speculate. He lets out an indelicate snort at Khada's 'in-depth' comment.
Ravena Blackwind : "Remember, no touching. We still don't know the specific safety range, so be careful when you're close."
Telural Noykin: Nimbleblade continued to ponder *" I dont have the knowledge needed to think of much else, this is more something you lot can figure out.."
Scarlett Clover: "Perhaps we could research more at the library?" She looks to Mizi.
Mizuki Akiudo: "Salt water too."
Deryk O'hara: nuzzles into Qaelemont and smiles. "I.. I'm ok.. I think.." He turns to look at the bodies.
Khada Dazakaar : shoots Qaelemont a quick Look. That pun was NOT on purpose... This time.
Qaelemont Drauculoix: smirks at Khada.
Khada Dazakaar : agrees. "I have an aetherometer back on my bike that I'd like to set up. It can pick up a lot more detail than I can"
Khada Dazakaar : mentions to Scarlett- "I'd suggest taking a closer look at a few of these bodies--" he points to a specific one "-- they exhibit highly unusual salt crystalization patterns that you might be able to cross-reference in the archives."
Ravena Blackwind : nods. "I'll assist you with your approach so that I don't affect your readings with my magic."
Deryk O'hara: pulls from Qaelemont's arms.. and the comfort that they bring.. and steps forward. Not close enough to touch.. but close enough to feel. He closes his eyes.. and reaches into the mass in front of him with the golden dynamis.. that has thankfully mostly refilled from the family's last.. tea.. party.
Scarlett Clover: "Perhaps we can scrape some of that off into one of your alchemy vials?"
Zygana Nightgale : digs through the cart, noting all the mundane cargo typical of migrating families. "I see nothing here that would be cause for such an arcane anomaly. And yet there must be something that initiated their drowning. Some seed to the chain of events. >>
Telural Noykin: "*click click* Not see the lizard?"
Zygana Nightgale : spies a rag doll on the ground next to one of the girls and takes it up, dusting the thing off before stepping over and handing it to Deryk. "Worry not, friend. I'll see that they are given rest. Thal will hold them in his arms soon."
Khada Dazakaar : shakes his head. "If you give me a few minutes to take a reading off you and your magics, I can just exclude it from the final analysis"
Deryk O'hara: nods to Zygana with a smile, but the golden glow in his eyes would tell her that he's looking for.. anything. Any emotion.
Deryk O'hara: || from the bodies, that is.
Mizuki Akiudo: rubs her hip absentlymindedly
Qaelemont Drauculoix: attention is fixed on Deryk. He's still and silent, slim and sharp as the blades he favors.
Ravena Blackwind : nods and consents to Khada's preparations.
Khada Dazakaar : continues-- "I'd actually prefer a multi-pronged approach, because it's not uncommon for people to pick up on little things that machines just ignore."
Deryk O'hara: stumbles back and snarls. "They were a fucking test!" He looks to the rest of them. "This.. thing.. it's.. I.. too dark.. it's too deep. However.. it's not just feeding at random. All of these things we have seen? It's a fucking test. To see how we react.. maybe.. even to see what resistance there would be. We're not prey.. we're.. curiousities.."
Ravena Blackwind : taps her chin in thought. "I'm also curious what information your machines can gleam. I wonder just as much what information will overlap. This will be fun!"
Qaelemont Drauculoix: arches one elegant brow at Deryk. "Quoi ?" he fairly blurs out. "Lab rats?" he adds, sounding almost offended.
Zygana Nightgale : "A test? How so? What did you sense?"
Deryk O'hara: nods. "Kind of.. like.. when you walk into an unknown place and sent your bats to test how.. aggressive.. the life can be."
Ravena Blackwind : has her moment with Khada immediately interrupted as her attention was grabbed by Deryk's callout.
Qaelemont Drauculoix: You nod to Deryk O'hara.
Mizuki Akiudo: nods, "That kind of makes sense. Something testing barriers...or walls of a cage."
Deryk O'hara: shakes his head. "I thought I'd find hunger.. and I did.. but.. it's being.. patient."
Qaelemont Drauculoix: You nod to Mizuki Akiudo.
Qaelemont Drauculoix: "Ancient predators know how to wait," he comments in a low voice.
Khada Dazakaar : 's head snaps towards Deryk's outburst. "Well, fuck. If it's sentient this changes things."
Deryk O'hara: looks up at Qaelemont. "I've felt your patience. I've felt your hunger. This thing.. makes even my Sire look like a child."
Scarlett Clover: "That was a very elloquent way to make the 'I am rubber, you are glue' argument, my friend."
Ravena Blackwind : "A malevolent entity from somewhere deep below is testing means of reaching out to us."
Qaelemont Drauculoix: 's brows rise at Deryk's words.
Ravena Blackwind : narrows her eyes at Deryk as she says under her breath, "that's not good."
Scarlett Clover: "An ancient void being below us that is patiently testing... us?"
Qaelemont Drauculoix: glances sidelong out the edge of his glasses at Scarlett. "Quoi ? C'est vrai."
Qaelemont Drauculoix: You shrug at Scarlett Clover.
Deryk O'hara: makes his way back to Qaelemont, almost.. protective of the Elder.
Ravena Blackwind : "Not specifically you and me. But the general "us" that all live up here."
Scarlett Clover: "I see."
Khada Dazakaar : mutters. "Time to re-evaluate and implement my aetheric sanitization protocols..."
Qaelemont Drauculoix: You nod to Ravena Blackwind .
Deryk O'hara: nods to Ravena. "I.. think so."
Zygana Nightgale : "Before we retire from this place, do any of you have the means to dig a grave? We shouldn't leave them in the open like this."
Qaelemont Drauculoix: "That seems an accurate assessment, oui," he agrees with both Ravena and Deryk.
Deryk O'hara: looks to Zygana. "Didn't.. one of them disappear when the Blades touched it?"
Scarlett Clover: "We should definitely research in the restricted section about every ancient void being we can. Especially anything that uses hydromancy. That still seems key to me."
Qaelemont Drauculoix: "Gunnar et my staff from the Ul'dah branch are making preparations to deal with it."
Telural Noykin: "*click click* Sense we cant touch them, the best choice it to burn."
Deryk O'hara: looks back. "Merci.." He whispers to his mate.
Ravena Blackwind : "Astral-aspected Hydromancy. Don't forget the void traces."
Scarlett Clover: "Yes, thank you." She nods to Ravena, then pulls out her notebook and quill and writes that bit down.
Khada Dazakaar : thinks for a moment. "I'd widen your search a touch just to be safe. There's a chance that it might be umbral-aspected yet native to the Source"
Qaelemont Drauculoix: "We should return to the library et research what we might."
Khada Dazakaar : "I'll stay behind for a while to see what needs to be seen"
Qaelemont Drauculoix: You nod to Khada Dazakaar .
Telural Noykin: " *click click* I will see you at some other point, i hav eother business that must be dealt with."
Qaelemont Drauculoix: "Gunnar et Celestaux will be upon their way, soon."
Scarlett Clover: reaches down for Mizi's hand so that they could teleport back together. She seemed excited about having so much research to do!
Qaelemont Drauculoix: wraps his arms around Deryk and summons his aether, pulling them through the aetherstream together.
Scarlett Clover: "Oh wait! The sample so you can test it!"
Deryk O'hara: clings to him, needing to be away from this.