video; un: lady (forward-dated 11/10)

[dohaeris]

[at first, the camera shows sansa on her couch as usual, with the direwolf tapestry behind her. only her eyes are white, there's a faintly-bird shaped red mark painted across one cheek, and a tangle of weirwood roots appears to be superimposed over her couch, and the tapestry is covered in...eyes. lady at her side has a similar red mark dripping down her neck where her fancy collars usually are.

the camera keeps glitching, staticky, and the eyes in the tapestry change every time. music is playing faintly in the background and it blares to full volume every time sansa opens her mouth.

her omen comes slowly into frame with a massive shadow following him like an eclipse. eventually it catches them both, staining him red. holes appear in the shadow like the face of a heart tree. sansa's bends towards her omen for a moment, then shuts off the feed.

when she reappears it is from an odd, cinematic angle, but her house, wolf, and person seem normal. it does reveal a box full of fabric shapes and a strange fabric...face mask on the table. she smiles faintly.]

Hallo, this is Sansa Stark. I'm sorry about the trouble with the omni crystal. I don't know if it has anything to do with what's been happening to the buildings in the city, but I have spoken to The Tower and Never Mind, and The Tower is ill. It isn't what the Zealots think, though. Even Never Mind doesn't know what the problem truly is, but he does believe there is a mushroom that can help with The Tower's symptoms.

It's too delicate to be harvested by Pthumerians, but it can be found using the compasses from this month. Of course Lady and I will do what we can to help. We've already found some useful mushrooms here in the city.

Unfortunately, the mushroom that will help The Tower is much further away. It's deep in the woods, and it isn't safe for us to go alone. And it's a few day's walking, we'll need supplies. I have a lot of mushrooms, and lady can catch us rabbits, but we'll need bread and cheese, water for drinking and cooking, and whatever else we can muster. And then we'll need carts to put it in, and something to pull the carts.

[she unhooks a chain from her chatelaine and holds it out to winter, who zooms in on it, and out again, somewhat suddenly.]

Never Mind gave me this. He says he'll give one to anybody that goes. It will help to keep the Beasts from noticing you. Even so, we'd better go in groups, with some people ready to fight. I can make sturdy armor and wool padding for everyone, and cloaks and blankets so nobody has to freeze.

[she hooks the necklace back onto her chatelaine.]

And there's the Zealots––I've been asking people if they know anything about them, and if there's anything at all we can do to protect ourselves. Some people were very rude, but someone left a box of these [she holds up the cloth face mask; winter zooms in and out on it again.] at the Sanctuary in Crenshaw. They go over your nose and mouth. The box said 'personal protective equipment'––[winter does a slightly nauseating whirl to show this] I've taken one apart for the pattern, and it's only cloth. They aren't dangerous. I think perhaps covering our faces is meant to help us with the Zealots––I suppose they could be turning their blood to mist and using it to do magic in our bodies so they can bring us to The Tower.

[thanks for that sansa]

Anyway, I can make enough for everyone. [she frowns, hesitating a moment.] The Zealots won't stop, and they won't accept willing sacrifices. All of us could give our bodies over to The Tower, and they would keep just keep doing it with the next group of Sleepers to come in. They may not be Beasts, but they can't be made to see reason. Unless we were able to treat the corruption in them...[she sighs.]

I suppose we'd better secure the city, first. If you're having trouble with your omni crystal and you wish to respond to this post, it should help to use your omen, but I think everybody who wants to help get the mushroom should discuss in person before we go.

[ideally a 'meeting' here would be several days of planning and fortification, but she'll make do.]

Comments

( VOICE; UN: BANANA HAMA )

[opheliac]

(it appears this is coming from mr.bananas and it is. but it's jinx's voice.)

Sorry, Princess. But if we gotta get these mushrooms, I'd rather get 'em myself. Or whatever cooking stuff we need.

voice;

[dohaeris]

You're welcome to gather all the mushrooms in town you like, but if you get yourself killed trying to harvest the mushroom for The Tower on your own, Vi will be very upset.

[sansa would also be upset, or at least annoyed and concerned, but she's not sure saying so will actually discourage jinx.]

[opheliac]

Please. Like I'm so easy to get killed. I've made almost a box load of Chompers since I've gotten my energy back. Think I'm pretty squared away.

[dohaeris]

[sansa is staring directly at the camera except this is voice and also the camera is winter.]

Forgive me, I didn't know you were an experienced woodsperson. You must have worked very hard these past few months to learn your way around and how to manage the supplies on your own. I never dared stray off the path in the Wolfswood, and I lived near it for a very long time. I never camped overnight, either, but I was only a child. I suppose Mr. Bananas could keep watch while you sleep; it's good he can throw the bombs, too. And since you're a Coldblood, I'm sure you'll have no trouble keeping any fires from spreading. It helps that it hasn't been too dry; you shouldn't have very much trouble finding fresh water for your canteen. It might add hours on your journey, but so would carting around a cask of water by yourself.

Just let me put a fur on your cloak before you go. Do you need another blanket? Your boots will be warm enough, and they won't slip if it starts to frost, I'm sure.

[opheliac]

... Y'know when you talk sometimes? It REALLY grinds me. And yeah, I have been workin' hard. Thanks for noticing.

(well, last month she didn't do anything.)

— Fiiine, whatever. Do the fur cloak thing. You're not gonna leave me alone 'less you do that.

voice; un: rider

[kaientai]

[ ryouma finally managed to get the hang of using his omen for things, at least enough to send messages. probably after his omni did weird shit earlier but sometimes you need a push to learn something new... ]

Figured I wouldn't be the only one tryin' to reach out to the big guy, but I'm not so organised. [ he chuckles. ] Anyway, I was thinkin' it'd be smarter to get some good horses and ride fast. It's gonna be dangerous either way, but wouldn't it be easier to avoid trouble instead of going slowly there and back and havin' to defend carts?

[dohaeris]

[sansa raises her eyebrows a fraction of an inch.]

If you're a Coldblood mage in possession of a Nightmare Steed, you are more than welcome to try. It's more than a day's ride for the shivering horses here, though, and they'll need to be fed and watered both ways––as will we. The mushroom we need is far from any path even as the raven flies, and we'll need the compasses that we made last month to find it. And the farther we get from town, the more Beasts there are, and worse––mad half-Pthumerians and dangerous creatures we know little about, who can't be treated for corruption or Beasthood.

[she draws a breath.]

As you said, we'll be defending ourselves either way, so I'd rather have a company of mages with me who aren't preoccupied with navigation or water for their horses. It's only a few days walking; we won't need more than a fortnight's worth of provisions at the outmost, and I shouldn't think that's too many carts to defend––particularly when we have such talented Darkblood Architects here to outfit them.

un: r's omen; private, video

[strongroots]

[ It seems someone's taken Sansa's advice about switching to omens for communication, by the username that comes through with the video. He's sat with a wall behind him, nothing in particular standing out; other than he's likely chosen his height to be level with the omen he's speaking through, who watches him steadily - more steadily than Robby does, looking at the 'camera', but sort of awkwardly working to keep his gaze forward.

One of his legs is propped up in front of him, but not in the way of the view of his face; his own clothing not adopting the Trench style, but American, with black jeans torn at the knees and a button plaid green shirt over a green tee. ]

Uh, hey. It sounds like you know a lot about what's happening - about a lot of things. [ There's a lift from the side of a lip, and it doesn't sound like an exaggeration, because - listen to all this. She's got her head on her shoulders. ] The people everyone calls the zealots - they're those people the wasps kept attacking the other month, right? Do they have something to do with that strange place where everyone talked about a Riteoir?

[ There's the discussion of the mushrooms, and Robby's curious about that, but this -- that other place with the churches, he wants to know more about it. Why it is, and the other stuff Sansa said about willing sacrifices. He never feels that he quite gets what's going on, but he wants to.

And he wants to listen, to whatever's important. ]

private;

[dohaeris]

[sansa listens, her mouth tugging similarly to one side in a small, rueful smile.]

I only repeat what other people tell me.

[she pauses, thoughtful, clasping her hands together in her lap. her omen takes the opportunity to capture her face from several angles.]

I know the Zealots from the wasp nests are the same Zealots that try to sacrifice people to The Tower, and they swear loyalty to our Patrons. I think Riteoir wants to take their place, somehow. I wasn't in the other Trench, I didn't talk to any of Riteoir's people, and Never Mind doesn't know very much about him.

[and then again she pauses, because this skirts dangerously close to an uncomfortable fact.]

If someone were to try and capture Trench, The Tower would be an obvious target. He protects the city, even from Mariana's creatures––certainly from the mad Pthumerians in the sky.

[the sky pthumerians, we've all seen them]

I don't think the Zealots have much in common with Riteoir's people. I think they want very different things.

[another rueful smile.]

Perhaps if we're very lucky they'll just fight each other and we won't have to worry about either of them.

[it's clear from her tone that she doesn't think this is likely.]

[strongroots]

[ So there's two sets of people -- the kind of people a place like Trench entirely doesn't need, but emphasises on its absurdity to someone like Robby. Like things weren't difficult enough; but they sound like a part of the absurdity, a result of it. It makes his brow crease hard, the frown on his face deepen. ]

This seems like the kind of place where you get rid of two problems, five more will show up.

[ It's an agreement shared in hollow humour. ]

So I guess the first problem is helping out the Tower with the mushrooms. [ So many mushrooms. ] But these other guys are gonna show up and start trying to take us-- the people who come from the sea? [ ...he could just say Sleepers, but it's weird, but he's not focusing on that so much as: ] --The other people are gonna be okay?

[dohaeris]

[another small, weary smile.]

I should like to go to a place where that never happened.

[she nods gently.]

The Zealots do mean to kidnap us again; we saw that much when we found ourselves in their headquarters in the maze. A man managed to record what they said for this net work, but there was some difficulty with the video. They think The Tower is unwell because they didn't get enough of our blood last year, and they plan to treat it by sacrificing even more of us this time. I expect that's their answer to everything.

[winter has grown a little bored of sansa talking and pans back and forth across the room.]

We all should be traveling everywhere in groups, this month, even in the city. They go after Sleepers on their own. I suppose I should have said that in my video.

[she didn't really think she needed to. it's common sense where she's from, when there are dangerous people about. it's still a little strange to her to be able to walk around the city without guards, and she won't go anywhere without lady.]

[strongroots]

[ It's not exactly an answer to what he asked, but it does answer it all the same: they care about 'Sleepers' more than the locals. Which might suck in its own way, but isn't a scenario where they get whisked off and stuck somewhere they can't get out of unless they find people with the right blood and morals to help them out.

Nor is this a case of 'helping out your own', if you regard Sleepers more worth the effort than other people. ]

Right, sure, no -- sounds smart, [ is how he answers the clarification, a lift of a smile that isn't one on his mouth. ]

I'll see if I can help any with the supplies? I've been learning rune crafting from someone. [ There's a thought, though his brow furrows in a (somewhat) new way: unsure, but-- ] Would making a fire or making ice from a blood spell be alright? You could melt the ice for water when you want it, right? Even if you just used it for cooking or cleaning.

[ He doesn't particularly know what the etiquette would be for using water that came from blood-inspired magic, but... should it be okay? For cooking? ]

un: eudaimonikos; audio

[eudaimonikos]

Yeah, he's been looking pretty bad. Talking weird.

[Michael knows the Tower! He likes the guy, and he did go to see him once things started getting Strange.]

I'll go with you. I don't need to eat or drink, and I can keep you guys warm if it's cold. [He doesn't really feel the cold like a human, but it's supposed to be around this time of year, right?]

video;

[dohaeris]

[sansa nods and smiles. this is all normal and useful. sansa likes the tower too.]

Thank you. It is a little cold, but a snowstorm could be dangerous. It would be well to have someone who could keep us from the worst of it. Does it get very deep, here?

[eudaimonikos]

I haven't seen a blizzard around here before, but that does seem like the kind of thing that would happen.

[Like, obviously Trench is probably out to screw people over, right?]

[dohaeris]

[a small incredulous laugh.]

Not even one? I suppose the winters are very short.

[eudaimonikos]

Are they? I don't know that much about Earth weather.

[Even living here and in Deerington, he hadn't paid all that much attention unless it actively impeded him somehow.]

[stoicsilhouette]

[Info about the Tower will always catch his eye ]

The zealots aren't using their blood to do anything in our bodies. They usually target lone or stray sleepers. Experts in blood magic, they create portals using some of their own dark bloods and drag us in with them.

I was kidnapped last year and I've been talking to a few others who've had similar experiences.

And the zealots can be purified but it only last for a short period of time before they return to a corrupt state. This was confirmed.

And I'm not positive but something tells me these zealots are not the same as the ones from a month ago. Although they've similar tactics their end goals appear [at least on the surface ] to serve different entities.

[dohaeris]

[winter helpfully....adds subtitles for this text response. sansa's eyes widen.]

Oh, you saw them do it? Very many of the people I've talked to only remember waking up in the...place inside of The Tower. It reminded me a little of going back in the ocean, only they aren't anything like Mariana, and The Tower certainly isn't helping them do it. They sounded as if they'd had drugged wine, only as you say, they were walking from place to place, and not drinking at all. When I got the masks, I thought perhaps it was to protect us from them doing blood magic inside our bodies.

[it's for the ambient blood pollution sansa...]

I did think they must be doing Darkblood magic to move people around.

[she frowns and leans forward. winter helpfully zooms in on her face.]

Are they different from the people in the wasp nests?

[stoicsilhouette]

I was taken while sleeping and woke up inside the farm. [Sneaky] But when I finally got back here, I saw them carrying someone down an alley. I didn't make it in time to help, but I did see the portals. In a passing conversation, I had a sleeper tell me the same thing only he was able [and crazy enough] to jump in and the portals led directly back to the farm.

But my bad, I thought you meant the Rioter cultists. There's been way too many zealots running around these past few months. [He's been traumatized, forgive him.]

[dohaeris]

[sansa listens and nods sympathetically, her mouth twisting to one side. she remembers very little of the faith militant from her studies, and finds the cults around trench honestly baffling.]

Yes, Riteoir's people are very zealous, but I don't think they have any interest in strengthening The Tower.

[she pauses, hesitant.]

If they want to capture anything of our city for their Trench and Riteoir, I should think The Tower would be their greatest concern. He protects us from all the dangers outside the city. I don't know that we'd be defenseless without him, but I can't know that any of the other Patrons even understand what it is he does well enough to truly help us. We'd be easy prey.

[at best they would fight alongside the sleepers against the invading forces as well as the onslaught of beasts and mad creatures that they face whenever they venture far enough from the city. at worst...she sighs.]

I'm sorry any of that happened to you. It's all so stupid. If the Zealots would only bother to ask The Tower what he might need, or Never Mind...they're so very sure they can solve every problem with more bloodshed.

[she smiles ruefully and a little grimly.]

I suppose they aren't very different from the people in my world. I always thought that if my enemies ever came here, they wouldn't last a day before falling to corruption.

voice: un: vi

[faceblocks]

Wojciech'll pull a cart. Hell, I'll pull a cart too, if you need me to.

voice;

[dohaeris]

[sansa, a diplomat trained from a young age to to repeat people's names as she hears them;]

I don't believe I've met Wojciech.

voice;

[faceblocks]

No one has yet. Not really. I, uh...

...can't ride him yet, but he's down to help The Tower stop being fucked up.

[he ...pawed the ground once. one hoof strike for yes. two for no. it could have been coincidence but he ...might be down to help the tower.]

And he can fight beasts with the best of 'em, too.

[dohaeris]

[sansa takes a moment to put the pieces together.]

He's a nightmare steed.

[she pauses, drawing a breath.]

Vi, did anyone ever teach you to ride an ordinary horse?