On the deck of the Second Shank...
Scott, glad that the near-murder of his master is all water under the bridge, grabs Mark and looks for Craig around the area. Considering that he's not in the den, the cargo hold, on the deck and probably not in the kitchen, either, that just leaves a few possibilities. The likeliest of these is the late Bernie's room, which Scott invades without a second thought, finding it open.
Inside, he observes an interesting sight. The bed seems to have been tipped on its side, resting against a wall. Also, the entire room is completely covered in chalk drawings of varying complexity and continuity, circles within squares within parallelograms and more, strange shapes decorating every side of the room. Craig is in the middle of it all, currently drafting an important-looking circle on the floor. As Scott enters, he stands up and quickly shuffles his foot, interrupting several lines in the process as he turns to the visitor.
"Hello, didn't quite expect your arrival, sorry. Do you require anything?"
At Gunther Gunnarson's stall...
Sigmund, not having expected such a response from the blacksmith, asks what the deal is.
"And what exactly would be your method of fixing him?"
"And why will you charge another gold coin if it works?" Kevin immediately adds.
"I suppose both of those are valid questions. You see, judging by the way your friend seems to be freely rolling about on the ground with a mostly shattered internal structure, I'm guessing he's not alive in the conventional sense, just like the skeletal friend you asked about before, yes? From that, I can extrapolate that he's a construct of some kind, and that I'm probably able to do something about his condition - I do pride myself on being an all-purpose blacksmith, after all. And to survive in the smithing business, you have to have two, no, three things - tools, the will to improve... and experience. Truth be told, I really want to see what you're made of, starman. If you're some kind of new construct type, it's beneficial for me to get as much info on you as soon as possible, yes? In light of that, I suppose my offer was a little too steep. After all, I'd be gaining a whole lot more than you'd be. How about I shave off one gold from the price? Free if I only mutilate you pointlessly, and one gold if I fix you? You look like you could take the abuse in all likelihood, so you've got everything to gain, really."
In the streets of Shriekpot...
Morton believes that no good news should go unheard, and asks accordingly.
"Good news? Hm... I have heard good news today, yes, but I'm always happy to hear more. The day's always brighter when-"
"Velusius has shown his countenance to the blessed ones at the Mothdale Temple of Death's Mysteries, destroying an impertinent demon with a thought. The Demon of Hate was brought low by divine power, shattered in the Deathly Master's grasp as the primal power of change flowed through him. Those who saw the spectacle saw the five sigils of ultimate truth flash before their eyes shortly afterwards, easily seen yet hardly grasped. The faithful rejoiced, devoting the last five days to the Festival of Revelations, and now order is restored to the world. Rejoice, for we live in a golden age!"
"Not quite what I expected, I'll admit," Art notes, somewhat impressed, then shrugs. The man turns to Art, who shrinks back. "No offense, you know, it is really impressive," he adds right after, whereupon the man eyes him warily, turning back to Morton.
In evidently extreme danger...
Niklas, faced with impending extinction, tries to hoof it on his aerodynamic steel chair arms!
[Niklas' balance roll: 6]
Fortunately, he is entirely ambidextrochairous, which is a word that he didn't make up just now to describe an increasingly inhuman range of experience. He leaps to his hands, perfectly in balance, and tries to escape as quickly as reasonably possible.
[Niklas' escape vs. ?'s targeting: 2 vs. 5]
However, as this happens, Niklas' arms begin to rapidly heat up, the spikes beginning to grow softer on his steel hands. The sensation of steel bending is strange, and Niklas most certainly does not enjoy it.
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Topic: Life Begins At Death - Epilogue: We Live And Live Again (Read 556335 times)