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[Parisbre56]

The world above... Beautiful... And scary. Kara lamented, wishing she had some assistant who could record everything before the memory faded. But she had to try her best to keep Alex safe.
So much knowledge... So much power... Assuming he is telling the truth, then...

"I'm with Alex on this one. Alex has never given me a reason to believe he has some secret agenda or that we shouldn't trust him. I believe that he truly only wishes to learn and to help in whatever way he can. I can't deny that I would prefer that he has this conversation in our language, if only to satiate my curiosity, but this part of the plan is Alex's so I will let him handle it in whatever manner he deems appropriate."

Keep pointing the telegrabber at Alex's head, in case the warrior starts burning him and I need to pull it out before he is completely destroyed.

Speak this to the silent warrior: "My kind was also made by the offspring of your builders, or so it is said. You could say in this we have some kinship, if you are who you say you are. My kind finds valuable goods and knowledge, strikes deals and does jobs for others, fights and protects. I sacrificed my arm as fair exchange in a deal to save a good friend. So a deal is what I offer to you now, in the hopes that doing so will protect my friends from a fight with you."

"My offer is this: Alex will listen to what you have to say. Should he be satisfied with what you say, then I will use the power of the Spheres to bind myself to the service of your crusade, to the completion of your objective. Then you can die in peace, safe in the knowledge that one of your distant kin has taken up your crusade and will rally more to your cause. What say you?"
Start convincing the warrior to die peacefully. I expect the warrior to disagree, but I have several arguments I hope will be able to convince it.

Spoiler: "Kara" the Corven (click to show/hide)

Name: "Kara" is what most humans call her, though the closest pronunciation would be  Kr'ra-Kax
Race: Corven (advantage for climb, disadvantage for falls)
Appearance: She is a crow-like Corven with matte-black feathers. A bit short. Constantly moves her head around, examining her surroundings. Moves her tail up and down whenever she's excited.
Age: Adult, but just barely
Goal: Wants to find artifacts and experiences that she can use to make an (under)world-famous museum. Wants to prove herself to her mother and piss off her brother with her success (both financially and socially).

Status
Sacrificed left arm to reverse time (eaten by giant Shluck-like thing). Bandaged.

Stats
Str:11
Dex:13 
Spe:13 
End: 10
Awa:12
Cun:11 
Kno:12
Ner:12

Skills
Rifle: 1
Medical: 1
Translate: 2
Acrobatics: 1
Caving: 1
Machine Control: 1
Stealth: 1
Geology: 1
Archeology: 2
Navigation: 1

Inventory
Heavy Crystal Mirror Armour Shroud
Golden pin (in forearm)
Crystal Friend (with riding harness + Obedience Rod)
Radio
780 fathoms (1% royalty for flame)
Telegrabber with Stasis Box (Rifle, 100 meters max grab range)
3 Stasis Boxes (diving enhanced containment container) for the Telegrabber
Ethral Rifle (scope+bipod) (rifle 3, pierce 3) 6/7
Ethral Rifle magazine 7/7
Ethral Rifle magazine 6/7
Crystal Weapon
Black Flame Crystal Golem
Field Lighter (Fire 2)
Shiny interconnected colorful gems
Grappling Hook + Ethral Silk rope 200 ft
1 Doctor's Bag
1 Dynamo Lantern (Light 3)
1 Knife (Cut/Pierce 2)
2 Slave Traps
Simple Clothes (with hood)
Cot
Book (Adventures of Pilgrim)
Deck of Cards

Kara's Diary

In Storage
15 chemical junk
22 mechanical junk
Crystal Tablets (diary about All-Eater and Great Destroyer, inventory, obedience rod instructions, construct assembly instructions)
Church Documents (document ownership and events, and recommend favorable treatment)
Metal Card with the address of the Gilded Crow (corven Gangsters of Goldshore)
Mechanical Arm (not installed)
Bomb collar (unlocked)
All bomb collar remotes
A large number of shiny gold-like messenger path rocks
Notes on insect saddle construction
Ancient Bird-people idols
Ancient Mole-jewels depicting unknown beast

[piecewise]

Nyw lowers his weapons slightly, and steps closer.  "If you wish to retain control over all information gained, you believe it may be of worth to hide some.  Else there is no motivation to reserve the ability.  No matter; do what you will, Alex, but beware of consequences for your actions.  Guardian!"

Step closer, holding weapons lower to show that it's not meant to be aggressive.  Ask the guardian this:

"Do you believe me to be human as well?  What am I, in your view?"

Spoiler: The Unpronounceable Undead (click to show/hide)

Name: Nyw'geuq Otin Sunam; calls himself "The Lords' Child"
Description:

((TWO murakumo!  FINALLY, hahahaha!))
Goal: Inscrutable, which is code for "Talks like this.".

Stats:
Str: 15 
Dex: 9
Spe:11
End:14
Awa:14
Cun: 10
Kno: 8
Ner: 13

Skills: (One unspent skillpoint)
Guard Rifle: +3
Unarmed: +1
Defense Skill: +3 (Full Plate)
Vehicle Skill: +1
Caving: +1
Navigation: +1
Murakumo: +2 (+1/3)


Inventory:
Full Plate Armor [Protective 4]
Ornamental Mask of the Child

Extremely crude harness, holding all Nyw's weapons:
Crystal Murakumo [Cut 6, Pierce 3]
----Enchanted to remove fragility.
Crystal Murakumo [Cut 6, Pierce 3]
----Enchanted to remove fragility.
Giant Guardian Hatchet [Chop 4, ]
Three knives [Cut 2, Pierce 2]
Tungsten Toothpick [Pierce 5] (10/10)
Slave Trap
Nine smoke bombs
Five flashbangs
Tunnel Clearer shotgun [5/5 shotshells] [shotgun 3] [Pierce 3] (5 spare shotshells) (3 spare slugs) (-2 on to-hit rolls)
Guard rifle [Pierce 2] (10/10) (210 spare rounds)
Pistol [Pierce 1] (?/?)

300' of silk rope
2x Silent Night
2x Black Flame
2x Cave Spider Venom
30x Path markers
10x Injectible tranquilizer.

77 fathoms.

Followers:
Gus (Young human with minimal training.  Healthy.)
--Equipped with a small iron melee weapon [Cut 3, Pierce 3] and a Black Flame [Cutting 3]
--Equipped with a low caliber ethral rifle.  [Pierce 2] (10/10), 50 spare bullets
--Armored with a mail shirt [Protect 3], and has two smoke bombs.
Baxter (Young human with minimal training.  Healthy.)
--Equipped with a small iron melee weapon [Cut 3, Pierce 3] and a Black Flame [Cutting 3]
--Equipped with a low caliber ethral rifle.  [Pierce 2] (10/10), 50 spare bullets
--Armored with a mail shirt [Protect 3], and has two smoke bombs.

Bore NPC "recruits":
--Five moths
--One lizard dude
--Two humans

We are distant kin, born with similar purpose. We have both failed, yet still we carry on. Duty guides unyielding flesh even now, long past its time.

Clate scoots a bit closer in the hopes that the being can read his words, while staying close to his teammates

Excuse me, the only living crystal person here. Do you happen to know the Crystal Overmind or the Crystal Race? I am attempting to revive my race, but the gaps in my knowledge of our past are vast.

Ask guardian question.

Spoiler: Clate (click to show/hide)

Name: Clate
Race: Shluck
Description: To bring back the crystal race
 
Stats
Str:  12
Dex:  9
Spe:  10
End:  13
Awa:  12
Cun:  9
Kno:  14
Ner:  15

Skills
Natural +3 Caving
Natural +3 Geology
Natural Mute
Natural No clothing
Natural Stonesenses
Natural Stoneshaping

Unarmed: +2
Weapon skill: Stone Blade +2
Stealth: +1
Archeology: +2
Weaponsmith: +2
Navigation: +1
Armorsmith: +1
Chemical: +1
Crystal Biology: +1

Inventory
Bladed Shovel - handle coated with Pseudomagnetic mortar
Knife (cut2, pierce2)
TNT x5
Dynamo lantern
Field lighter
Path markers x10
"Muggy"(skull mug scrimshawed with "can we fix it?" on the side, "No, it's fucked." on the bottom. Has trigger on the inside of the spine-handle that, when squeezed, caused the mandible to open and close)
100ft silk rope
6 Octahedrons - supposedly replicate materials
1 container of Pseudomagnetic mortar
labradorite/Obedience rod (on loan to Kara)
Silver ethral pendant: small silver pendant in the shape of a compound eye wreathed in white fire
Ethral archive promissory note




743 (500 donated to team fund last turn) Fathoms


Crystal Babies
1. Big Chonk Ramiel, about the size of a car.
2. Pryamid with stumpy limbs
3. Crystal snake. hiss. 18 inches long.
4. snake golem. Its larger than the original by several times and rougher, sort of like a squirming line of uncut gemstones, each the size of a human fist.
5. Crystal Praying Mantis (Can fire lazer, Cut 4 Claws)
6. 3 small golems with black flames mounted on their heads. Suicide bots.

Warehouse/bore storage:
Bomb Collar
Slate box
Spool of thermoreactive wire.
Acoustic guitar (Metal + guardbone, totally mundane.)
Rifle (pierce2, 6/10 magazine)
Small Knife from crystal barrel
Small bowl from crystal barrel
roll of very thin and flexible stone
small cube of the extremely dense material
sharp pyramid shaped wedge thing
3 structural junk
30 chemical junk
1 gold ingot

I know little of your kind

The world above... Beautiful... And scary. Kara lamented, wishing she had some assistant who could record everything before the memory faded. But she had to try her best to keep Alex safe.
So much knowledge... So much power... Assuming he is telling the truth, then...

"I'm with Alex on this one. Alex has never given me a reason to believe he has some secret agenda or that we shouldn't trust him. I believe that he truly only wishes to learn and to help in whatever way he can. I can't deny that I would prefer that he has this conversation in our language, if only to satiate my curiosity, but this part of the plan is Alex's so I will let him handle it in whatever manner he deems appropriate."

Keep pointing the telegrabber at Alex's head, in case the warrior starts burning him and I need to pull it out before he is completely destroyed.

Speak this to the silent warrior: "My kind was also made by the offspring of your builders, or so it is said. You could say in this we have some kinship, if you are who you say you are. My kind finds valuable goods and knowledge, strikes deals and does jobs for others, fights and protects. I sacrificed my arm as fair exchange in a deal to save a good friend. So a deal is what I offer to you now, in the hopes that doing so will protect my friends from a fight with you."

"My offer is this: Alex will listen to what you have to say. Should he be satisfied with what you say, then I will use the power of the Spheres to bind myself to the service of your crusade, to the completion of your objective. Then you can die in peace, safe in the knowledge that one of your distant kin has taken up your crusade and will rally more to your cause. What say you?"
Start convincing the warrior to die peacefully. I expect the warrior to disagree, but I have several arguments I hope will be able to convince it.

Spoiler: "Kara" the Corven (click to show/hide)

Name: "Kara" is what most humans call her, though the closest pronunciation would be  Kr'ra-Kax
Race: Corven (advantage for climb, disadvantage for falls)
Appearance: She is a crow-like Corven with matte-black feathers. A bit short. Constantly moves her head around, examining her surroundings. Moves her tail up and down whenever she's excited.
Age: Adult, but just barely
Goal: Wants to find artifacts and experiences that she can use to make an (under)world-famous museum. Wants to prove herself to her mother and piss off her brother with her success (both financially and socially).

Status
Sacrificed left arm to reverse time (eaten by giant Shluck-like thing). Bandaged.

Stats
Str:11
Dex:13 
Spe:13 
End: 10
Awa:12
Cun:11 
Kno:12
Ner:12

Skills
Rifle: 1
Medical: 1
Translate: 2
Acrobatics: 1
Caving: 1
Machine Control: 1
Stealth: 1
Geology: 1
Archeology: 2
Navigation: 1

Inventory
Heavy Crystal Mirror Armour Shroud
Golden pin (in forearm)
Crystal Friend (with riding harness + Obedience Rod)
Radio
780 fathoms (1% royalty for flame)
Telegrabber with Stasis Box (Rifle, 100 meters max grab range)
3 Stasis Boxes (diving enhanced containment container) for the Telegrabber
Ethral Rifle (scope+bipod) (rifle 3, pierce 3) 6/7
Ethral Rifle magazine 7/7
Ethral Rifle magazine 6/7
Crystal Weapon
Black Flame Crystal Golem
Field Lighter (Fire 2)
Shiny interconnected colorful gems
Grappling Hook + Ethral Silk rope 200 ft
1 Doctor's Bag
1 Dynamo Lantern (Light 3)
1 Knife (Cut/Pierce 2)
2 Slave Traps
Simple Clothes (with hood)
Cot
Book (Adventures of Pilgrim)
Deck of Cards

Kara's Diary

In Storage
15 chemical junk
22 mechanical junk
Crystal Tablets (diary about All-Eater and Great Destroyer, inventory, obedience rod instructions, construct assembly instructions)
Church Documents (document ownership and events, and recommend favorable treatment)
Metal Card with the address of the Gilded Crow (corven Gangsters of Goldshore)
Mechanical Arm (not installed)
Bomb collar (unlocked)
All bomb collar remotes
A large number of shiny gold-like messenger path rocks
Notes on insect saddle construction
Ancient Bird-people idols
Ancient Mole-jewels depicting unknown beast

"I would rather your conversation be accessible to all of us, Friend Alex. I have made great concessions to allow you this opportunity to learn. Let the merit or fault in the Warrior's tale be judged by each of us. Why keep secrets from us now?"

Carefully follow the conversation. But more importantly, keep a close watch on the Warrior and his stream of conscience imagery and such. Ensure that it does not leak out from the Cist. Close the door at the first sign of threat.

Insist that the Ancient speak in our language, since he seems willing answer all questions of all present.

Spoiler: Not so much a character, but a mistake (click to show/hide)

Name: AsHul
Description:Former human. Awful, ugly, indifferent.
Goal:To find God
 
Stats
Str:10  Dex:10  Spe:10  End:12  Awa:13  Cun:13  Kno:12  Ner:16

Skills (+1 skillpoint from levelup)
3 Diving
2 Animal Handling
1 Survival
3 Weapon skill: Guitar

Inventory
Relic Fragment
Black Book (Genuine)
Black Book (copy, strata 1,2,4)
2 Silent Night
4 Worm Blood
100 ft of rope
1 knife (cut/pierce 2)
2 Occult Junks (1 a skull currently holding Lighter Water)
some kind of lightning tree from the plane of elemental forces
Song Book (Treasure, Vomit, Dissociate, Shred) (Shape Steel: very hard to play. untitled song that makes people feel well but fall asleep and have a seizure)
neodymium collar (enchanted to be explosion, plasma, and mindbreak resistant.)
1 Bone-fretted haunted electric guitar
1 mundane acoustic guitar with wave patterns in abalone and turquoise
1 Crystalline Clate Guitar
140  Fathoms

"Thank you for welcoming us despite our hostile intentions. I have learned much about the world of the ancient humans since our last encounter. I'm now mostly fluent in the language of the ancient humans and while my studies have led to some answers, they've raised far more questions.

While I have many questions about you and your mission, I first need to know what happened when the comet arrived at Earth. I already know about some of the properties of the comet, which is why I think it would be better if we continued our discussion in private."

Compare its answers with what I already know, also try to make this discussion private by talking to the warrior in the language of the ancient humans.

Spoiler: Alex Wells (click to show/hide)

Name: Alex Wells
Description: A middle aged man standing 5'7" feet tall. He has short brown hair and an unkempt beard.
Goal: Exploring the depths and collecting its wealth.
Status: Fine.
Stats:
Str: 12
Dex: 11
Spe: 12
End: 12
Awa: 12
Cun: 13
Kno: 12
Ner: 12
Skills:
Explosives 2
Mechanical 1
Survival 1
Caving 1
Chemical 2
Geology 1
Persuasion 2
Armorsmith 1
Inventory:
Weapons:
Bladed Shovel (Cut 3)
Black Flame (Cut 3)
Rifle (Pierce 2) 3/10
4 TNT (explosive 4)


Armor and Clothes:
Silk shirt
Gas mask

Tools:
Dynamo Lantern
Field Lighter
Grappling Hook

Tinkering:
2 lenses
Crystal Golem (flat disc and hooks)
Crystal box of golem limbs
A severed leg
17 structural junk
19 mechanical junk
20 electrical junk
20 chemical junk

Valuables:
533 Fathoms
5 ancient human books
34 additional ancient human books.
Cognition Magazine volumes 475+
20 copied ancient dictionary pages
Peculiar Rose

Agreements:
Moon blade and 500 fathoms held as collateral by the Ethral Archive in Anvil until they're presented a being from the surface.

Ashul suddenly raises his hand and the cist's barrier slams shut with the sudden regrowth of they fleshy door.

 "For a second time, this mission is sabotaged by teammates. I knew, when you stole the Warrior's fire, that you did not have humanity's interests at heart. I did not expect you to swear yourself to the enemy so freely. And though his actions have been subversive of late, I was willing to allow Alex his opportunity to talk to the Ancient. I am disappointed that you thought it best to keep secrets from me. Disappointed, but not surprised."

He says, shaking his head, and then returns to the crawler without another word.


Alex, now sealed in the cist with the Ancient warrior, turns to his new cellmate.

The fire in the depths is cunning. It rules through reverence, not fear. ITs converts are willing slaves, even after its power warps their flesh. Do not judge him harshly; though misguided he seeks humanity's preservation. A noble goal perverted by others is still a noble goal at heart.


The ancient warrior settles into a crouch.

We may have a great deal of time to speak now. Ask and I will answer, in whatever language you desire.

[Parisbre56]

((Oh, look! What a lovely chance to RP ))

Kara was shocked. She felt so insulted. For him to think like that of her. For a moment her feathers ruffled and she felt the need to satisfy some primal urge by screaming loudly and pecking the offending creature's eyes out. Instead she sighed and went after AsHul, planning to speak calmly with him, despite the sense of urgency.
"Adam, Clate, can you try to keep an eye on Alex to make sure that thing doesn't do anything to him? Can you see through the wall or affect what's behind it? We can't attack the wall directly because it might attack us back, but maybe you'll be able to influence the area behind it enough to keep Alex safe while I try to fix this mess?"

An outburst of emotion would be cathartic but with no benefit. Trying to defend herself would also offer no benefit, not when her accuser had already decided she was guilty. She knew from all the times she'd resorted to such things when facing her family, she knew they wouldn't work, that she had to suppress such urges  But no matter what he though of her or Alex, AsHul was still a person with the capacity to doubt his own choices... or so she hoped.
"You do realize you're being really stupid right now, right? You're going to have to open that door eventually. You're going to have to kill that thing. You took an oath to do so. Only now you'll have to do it with less allies and potentially more enemies. And if you were worried about Alex keeping secrets before now you have made sure we'll hear nothing at all about whatever goes on in there. I have no way of helping him now while that thing is free to do whatever it wants to him, with none of us being the wiser!"

[Ozarck]

AsHul's voice is more grating, more staccato than usual. Blotches of color cross his face, spreading, pulsing, blending. One hand clenches into a lump reminiscent of a fist - or at least, of a potato shaped like a fist.
"Suddenly, you take note of my oathborn commission? Suddenly, you take note of my participation in this? Suddenly you think to consult me as to how to proceed?

Whether I have to open that door or not is my concern. That I decline to do so aside one willing to bind themselves by the spheres to the will of that which I am bound to destroy is also my concern. Perhaps there will be fewer in attendance the next time this door is opened. But will there be fewer allies? What happened to the flames from the Ancient Warrior, Corven? Has Alex' heart not turned to the surface? Has he not begun to desire to bring that down upon us? He can keep his secrets. They will be safe where he is."

AsHul's face drains from purple and green to a bleak ashen grey, the circuit lines flickering in the light.

"I should have insisted. Alex' foolishness went beyond even my expectations. perhaps I have let my guard down too far. I truly knew as little of you and he as you know of me."

[Hotfire90]

Secret conversation is in progress. Nothing to see here for now.

[Ozarck]

Alex' conversation ought to be carried out via PM at this point, as no one else is privy to that information.

[Parisbre56]

No, that's not really it.
Kara sighed.
Maybe a bit more...
"You said it yourself. You are bound to destroy that thing. So why not let me try to convince it to die without fighting us? If you're concerned about about what I'd do afterwards you could just kill me after the warrior is dead. I'd be much easier to kill than that thing."

[Radio Controlled]

Try to use wizard eyes to keep track of the guy inside the cist and see what's going on there, if possible. Be careful when looking at it though, since I remember the warrior giving off a lot of light, don't wanna blind myself.

That image of the surface the ancient warrior had displayed had momentarily stunned Adam, so beautiful it was, even more idyllic than the stories he had heard. He knew he shouldn't let the promise of such a paradise distract him from the corrupted nature of this being, but for a moment he couldn't help himself.

However, the events that were now rapidly unfolding snapped him out of it with startling effectiveness.

"Ok, everyone, calm your tits, beaks or whatever you have. This situation is volatile but at least it's stable for now, so let's not do anything rash that will jeopardize our mission or our teammate's lives. Those that are loyal, at least." He added, with a meaningful glance.

So, right now I don't think any of us on either side of this godforsaken door has the possibility to open it aside from the holy blade given to you, brother Ashul, so we can decide on a plan and actually bloody communicate for a change, which would have prevented this mess from forming in the first place.

First of all, I think we should consider listening in on that conversation through a dive. Not because I wish to hear the heretical thoughts, but because I want to establish whether Alex is truly a traitor or merely catastrophically misguided. That would then determine whether we want to try and preserve him when we either destroy the warrior or leave them both sealed once more. That last point, let me be clear to any non-Cthonics among you, is non-negotiable here, we are not risking that thing getting out into the world. The consequences would be disastrous beyond your wildest nightmares.

Second of all, Kara, I need to know: are you on our side? Know that I can rip the unadulterated truth straight from your mind if I had to, but out of respect for our camaraderie I will not, even though your words back there were so absurdly vile I struggle to see how you even uttered them."

Spoiler: Adam Blavatsky Darvaza (click to show/hide)

Name: Adam Blavatsky Darvaza
Description: A young man of slightly pale complexion and eternal 9 o’clock shadow, he was raised in a small village. While the village priest and passing mystics droned with endless sermons of the Church and their teachings, what had always captivated young Adam’s attention more were the stories of his Granny.
Old stories of the world as it once was, before people were forced to flee to the caves and crannies of this damp hell. Of warm days where pleasant green plants tickled your feet as you walked through them and a cool breeze blew through your hair. Where food was plentiful, nature was benign and endless vistas reached as far as they eye could see.
Adam was nominally a card-carrying member of the church, though he mostly did it for the connections and perks that brought. They were powerful and had ancient lore, all things he would need to fulfill his true heart’s desire: to return to the surface, vanquish the madness that tainted their homeland and reconquer paradise.
After his encounter with a Word of God, the edges of his vision are flickering with black flame and his skin is extremely pale with what appear to be black veins instead of the normal blue ones. It also forced him to reevaluate his views on the cthonic church and god.
Goal: Plunge the secrets of the depths below to find an answer to the horrors above.
Stats
Str: 11
Dex: 11
Spe: 13
End: 12
Awa: 12
Cun: 11
Kno: 10
Ner: 14 
Skills
Diving: +3
Stealth: +2
Occult: +1
Flammenvision!
Inventory

Soldier's chestplate
Clothing: simple priest robes, currently worn long to hide the black veins
Rubber Suit

1 ethral rifle [7 rounds]  (pierce 3)
5x black flame
2x smoke bomb
1 flashbang

3 Silent Night
4 worm blood

1 minor artifact
1 beaker artifact (found in crystal ruins) => in locker
1 crystal construct

Transport mission papers
1 black book copy
1 black book
1 book "Artifacts of Faith"
1 empyrean city map
1 field lighter
1 radio
portal knives design
445 fathoms
4 unspent skillpoints
copy of cult papers
cult holy book
scribbled notes with faces of cult conspirators
lenses of telescope that can look through solid matter
slabs with the history of the crystal people
mysterious cult chest

- 1 x portal knife, not yet enchanted
- 1 x large collapsible doorway (large enough to allow crawler to move through)
- 2 x sacrifices for +3

1 x portal knife, enchanted
1 x Custom collapsible doorway, enchanted (Warning: portal's end point isn't very well anchored to the physical object. There's some drift involved (4,5 meter), so you will come out in the general area, but maybe not spot on.) Currently deployed on the bore, there is padding on the floor to prevent damage from drift.

[Ozarck]

AsHul starts to speak two or three times, but restrains himself as Adam speaks. In the end, he grunts with a sound closer to a squawk than a grunt, nods twice, and falls silent.

[Pancaek]

Clate holds up a tentacle

"Actually, someone elaborate for this crystalline non-cthonic. What are the consequences of that being getting out again? I've been rather busy thinking on how to save my adopted race from complete extinction, so I may or may not have missed a few important points"

[Parisbre56]

Kara's feathers puffed involuntary and her now clenched fist trembled slightly.
"'Out of respect for our camaraderie'" she responded with barely restrained anger "I won't respond to your threats and insults with ones of my own."
She took a few short breaths in an attempt to calm herself down somewhat. She felt the urge to raise her hand to wipe the tears starting to gather in her eyes but stopped herself, for she felt that doing so would somehow make her look even weaker.
"I will instead point out that the only one overreacting and endangering people here is you two. If you really think you are not, then please, explain to me how all of this is helpful."

[Ozarck]

Clate holds up a tentacle

"Actually, someone elaborate for this crystalline non-cthonic. What are the consequences of that being getting out again? I've been rather busy thinking on how to save my adopted race from complete extinction, so I may or may not have missed a few important points"

Kara's feathers puffed involuntary and her now clenched fist trembled slightly.
"'Out of respect for our camaraderie'" she responded with barely restrained anger "I won't respond to your threats and insults with ones of my own."
She took a few short breaths in an attempt to calm herself down somewhat. She felt the urge to raise her hand to wipe the tears starting to gather in her eyes but stopped herself, for she felt that doing so would somehow make her look even weaker.
"I will instead point out that the only one overreacting and endangering people here is you two. If you really think you are not, then please, explain to me how all of this is helpful."

"An excellent question, Friend Clate, and one that should have been addressed long ago, before we traveled this long way together on a mission that only a few of us seem to find pressing or important. Perhaps, Miss Corven, you are as unaware of the circumstances as Friend Clate expresses himself to be? Tell me, what is the purpose of our visit here, and what are the consequences of failure? Why would Adam and I be so insistent on what we are attempting to achieve, and why would we see your actions as interference?"

[Parisbre56]

"If you want me to try to guess your perspective, then from your perspective you struck a deal with some being that you believe to be a saint of your Church to kill this trapped creature in exchange for power and recognition, though failure threatened you with death, a literal sword hanging over your head. Since your objective was clearly only to kill said creature, I fail to see how Alex wanting to learn and me trying to help you kill it interfered with that in any way. Unless you also want to gain power and recognition amongst certain politicians of your Church and feel that letting such knowledge be known outside of its inner circle might reflect poorly on you."

"Now, if you want my perspective on things, then our group decided to explore the new messenger path for knowledge and treasure. In preparation for our trip, I struck a deal with a Saint to bring her a piece of this creature's flesh in exchange for making the impossible possible, a most difficult dive. When we reached the path, I used this" Kara raises her arm to show the place the Golden Pin was implanted "to steal the knowledge of its layout from the mind of this place and guide you to its heart. There you struck your deal to kill the same creature whose flesh I was looking for, which I found most fortuitous, since after we killed it I could just take its flesh."

"When we finally came face to face with the creature, it turned out to be non-hostile. However, rather than using that to our advantage to find out more about it, gain knowledge and maybe even rewards from it and find out how to best kill it, you recklessly attacked without warning. Partly due to that, we were unable to defeat the creature. However, quite fortuitously, I was able to obtain a small sample of the creature's flesh. Rather then return to the Saint with that piece to have my wish granted, I instead decided to trade that piece for more knowledge about the creature, both so that I could help you kill it and because I wanted to make sure the Saint wouldn't use that piece for some terrible purpose. After all, if she was willing to offer me such a price for it, then it must be worth that much to her. If I knew why it was worth that much to her, then I could make the trade without fear or guilt. During that time Alex used the materials I had bought to build you a bomb that would hopefully kill the creature. He also came across some knowledge that he wanted to do his best to confirm to be true and find out more about, fearing that sharing it without more evidence to support it would either lead to condemnation by zealots or reckless actions by the hopeful and the foolish. The same reason your Church gives for it withholding its information, might I add."

"And then we got here and once again your reckless actions have endangered one of us, perhaps all of us. Can you see why I would be really really angry with this? When you treat the people who try to help you like that? Or do you want me to make it even more clear to you? And for what? Because you thought I was stupid enough to actually accept a mission to kill your god? Do you have such little faith in me? Or is it that you have such little faith in your god that you're afraid even a stupid little Corven girl could kill it?"

[Ozarck]

"You were tehre when I, as yo uclaim, 'made a deal' with a Saint. I was not there when you, as you claim, made a Deal with a Saint. I WAS there when you took the Fire from the Warrior and when you left to sell it to the Ethral, Over my objections, and without explanation, rather than honor your deal - a deal I never heard one word of. I - WE - have been clear and forthright in our goal and methods. You have not.

I have done nothing rash, except to allow Alex to speak with the Warrior. If you want totalk about reckless, look to yourself. Look to Alex. For lyingn to those who came prepared to do deadly battle. For keeping secrets from those who needed to know the most!

As for your insults about God, it is not that Being I am concerned would suffer the consequences of your actions. It's those!" AsHul waves aggressively in the direction of the pilgrims who followed them this far.

"Those and any other ignorant, powerless persons caught up in the crossfire.

No ... this confrontation was not the time for secrets and schemes. And Alex brought his own fate onto his head. Don't you dare put that on me."

[Parisbre56]

"Was I really there? The only one that thing spoke to is you. For all I know you made all this up. For all I know that thing over your head is just a simple diving trick or something completely unrelated to the killing of this creature. But I didn't doubt you, I helped to the best of my ability. I merely objected to the methods you used and stated clearly that talking with it first was the better option, an opinion you didn't discuss with me at the time."

"Neither was I there when you had your secret meetings with the church nor was I consulted when you decided to give the flame to the church, to some person you barely know and have no idea what they'll do with it. So why should I consult you about how to handle it? Why should I not search for knowledge, for my own answers, so I can make a better decision? Why should I not do what I think is best? Do you fancy yourself to have some position of power over me? Do you think that I should do whatever you say, simply due to your strength or your connections?"

"Witnessing that sort of behavior, what you did then and what you're doing now, and knowing the sort of reputation your people have, you can see why I would be reluctant to share everything I know with you. When I know that if you do not agree with my choices you'd try to force me to change them or even get the Church to kill me. But even then I never lied to you or undermined your objective or threatened you or tried to control you. The only one I lied to is that creature. Because I lack physical strength and powerful weapons, because the only thing I can hope to use to help is my tongue and my mind."

"And before you claim you're doing all this for the greater good, because you know what's best, I'll remind you that despite your power you're a fallible and ignorant being like the rest of us. So are the people of your Church, perhaps worse because unlike you they are also motivated by politics and their desire to retain their power. Don't expect me to be bound by their word as if it is God's."