cryptsleeper | Inbox for breathofusir

it was in the ashes of koroc's body.

[ How and when Koroc became a body, he conveniently leaves out. ]

i don't know if you saw that courier message, but he all but confessed to working with the cult that raised those dead soldiers. seems he replaced anyone who was still loyal to lykos with a thrall.

Is that how the situation has been resolved? Forgive me, I've been stuck in Einjar for a time.

[Which is a much nicer way of saying "I haven't been paying attention" and "there was a lot of drama in Einjar."]

This concerns me on many fronts, although it more or less confirms that the cult stirred up the attack on Krimnos for whatever their goal is. I presume that you're aware of the fact the soldiers who were attacking had vials. Is it known if Koroc had one as well?

i hadn't thought to look for one, but the defender camp will need to be searched. i'll keep an eye out.

speaking of einjar, i take it something happened. that ringing water appeared in the river by the city. it had more or less the effect you'd expect it to. what happened up there?

It's telling either way. Blood magic like that can be used in multiple ways, or Koroc was also dead and re-raised. It begs the question of what is this cult's aim(s) with raising all of the dead that it has and clearly trying to get a war going. I doubt that it's chaos for the sake of chaos.

Yes, well. To begin, a basilisk has been responsible for those in the mountains going missing or else curious statue works appearing. It charged into Einjar as we left. As for the rest, that water was overflowing within the city when we arrived.

If you recall the dragon sightings back in February, then you'll be (dis)pleased to learn that the aforementioned dragon reappeared, and sealed our group in with ice and with the water levels rising for several days.

It is unclear where that dragon has gotten to now.

Naturally, this remains quiet.

the orb seems to have parts made of dragonglass, like our vials. could be related to whatever raised us.

[ Though while the cult's moving in a concerted effort, they clearly aren't ... and don't have much direction. Great. In any case, there'll be a lag of time between that brief response, digesting the rest of what Alucard has to say. ]

naturally.

did you get a good look at the thing and the condition it was in? do you think it was being controlled?

Perhaps. Or perhaps that's simply the most useful material for such work, I'm not sure if correlation is causation in this particular case.]

[Einjar was just a lot, and that's leaving out the personal level of crazy that it inspired too.]

I was not able to on either account, the basilisk for obvious reasons and the dragon because it was attempting to set myself and another aflame at the time.

still, besides the spellwork, the materials and mechanism of the orb must have a source. the tinkers of krimnos might recognize its make. perhaps they were even involved it creating it, without knowing what it was for.

unfortunate about, about the dragon.

[ Though since he said 'attempt,' even not accounting for resurrection, Daud will assume it didn't succeed. He weighs how much to say here, and then abruptly changes tack: ]

what do you know of dragonborn?

I'd be very, very careful about who you ask. I know that there are knights among their ranks, and they might be honorbound to report it to those in charge.

It needs to be destroyed sooner rather than later. I don't trust it has any good intentions.

[Alucard doesn't like dragons on good days. Being trapped in a mountain by one is very much another point against them.]

More than enough to know that question is worrying. Where are they appearing?

sitka seems like he's no stranger to keeping secrets as well. what story have they spun for einjar this time?

to be more accurate, it seems our cultist friends are now in the business of making scaleskin -- transforming people without their consent or the dragon's. an orc afflicted with it was attacking the city, under someone's control. she said they were making more like her, and she had blue scales.

[ Fiven how dragonborn take on characteristics of their dragon, well... he doesn't think he needs to fill in why he was asking about the dragon that attacked the Einjar expedition. ]

At the moment, nothing. My residence is also not within the city itself, so I cannot speak to current rumor.

[TMW you live in the mountains like your crazy vampir dad.]

...Fuck.

that would be a fair description of the state of present affairs, yes. though the cult was unable to install koroc as a king, it's clear they're continuing to have an interest in interfering with the affairs of the living beyond raising the dead. have a care.

[ Contrary to rumor, Daud does have a sense of humor, it's just usually shitty. moving on... ]

was there anything else at einjar? were the kobolds there still?

[He's so glad he's in the mountains right now.]

Maybe having him be king was just one route of many that they chose to take, and his potential loss was factored into their plans all along. Whatever those plans may be. This does, to me, confirm the need to take care of that blue dragon.

[Alucard doesn't know Daud well enough to pick up on the humor, and in discussing dragons and that cult, he never will have any desire to make light of the situation.]

There were. They exited when they did, along with Monty. He seemed...perfectly within reason. A contrast to what you've encountered.

the blue dragon may have gone mad. if so, putting out of its misery would be a kindness.

did the knights attempt to take him in for questioning again?

May isn't even a question anymore. The issue then becomes killing a dragon.

[...mods haven't said as far as i know, soooo:]

Not to my knowledge. But I was occupied with issues brought upon that madness of that ringing.

[ Dragons aren’t affected by the sound, but there’s no way to say that without it then looping around to the question of how he knows that, so... ]

do you intend to search for that blue dragon, then?

There is more immediate aftermath from that expedition that I must attend to within my own household.

I am also sure with the surplus of young dragons now, a simple fact is likely to be taken poorly. I am not the correct person to suggest such a thing.

[Read: Too many people know Alucard's got personal dragon problems and out of his mouth, everything is just bias and bitterness.]

[ Ha ha ha. Yeah ... Daud's not a fan. ]

if previous experience is anything to go by, that cult will force the matter one way or another. they may be content to remain in the shadows for now, but if their ultimate goal is conquest, they'll have to announce themselves and their intentions eventually.

[Welcome to the club, buddy.]

You are doubtlessly correct. Being proactive and preventing that requires an extensive amount of resources and far more people.

or some very resourceful people in the right place.

how did you get out of einjar? the singing waters stopped, but i don't know if that means the curse was broken or not.

I fully expect it is column A and column B.

I don't know if it was fully broken or not either. There was a break in the ice wall that kept everyone trapped in - we all left without questioning why, as that singing water was close to driving everyone to madness.

Survival was the word of the day.

if that's the case, i expect there'll be another expedition to einjar in the future.

Doubtlessly, as I believe the fear is that whatever lies there would spread to Krimnos first before the other cities.

I do not know if I would be so bold as to attempt to join this third adventure.

even the deathless have something to fear.

Edited 2019-06-10 05:58 (UTC)

What, you mean aside from discovery of our natures and the inevitable backlash from it?

i was contemplating the likelihood of being corrupted into some monstrous form, since the cult's gotten such a taste for it.

unless we're useless for the purpose of their rituals.

(no subject)

cryptsleeper - 2019-06-10 21:53 (UTC) - Expand