[Nexus] CURATOR I: The Evil Has Landed

[Devixer]

[HQ - Main Room]

Kenneth gives a small, rather sad smile. "Thank you for the offer, but I can't actually taste anything anymore. Though I do remember enjoying cookies." He takes the pen and fills out the form. His handwriting is fairly neat, but a little shaky.

Spoiler

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Name: Kenneth Walker
Species: Zombie
Eye Color: Clouded and grey.
Fingerprint: All intact fingerprints were given.
Photo: Photographs were taken.
Reason for Joining: Enjoyment of the job, suppression of hunger.
Special Abilities: I survive dismemberment. Beyond that, not much.
Medical History: Currently undead.
Blood Type/Essential Bodily Fluid Type: N/A
Fears: None, anymore.
Regrets: Being killed.
Psychological Records: Constant hunger for human flesh.

He pushes the form to the puppy. "Is everything in order?"

[FireFox]

[Forest of the Ith]

Okay, this was funny, but now it's time to get to work. Aurea tries to link her arm with Reinholdt's. <He is taken. Please lead us to your shaman.>

[The Alexandrian]

[Forest of the Ith]

The reptile-girl sighs. That was more than a little disappointing. Oh well. She is still sure that she can steal Rein away from Aurea if she puts her best foot forward.

"Very well. I will take you to the storyteller of our tribe."

The reptile-girl smiles at Reinholdt and motions for the happy couple to follow her deeper into the camp. Oh no! That certain reptile-girl that Will traumatized is running toward the center of the camp!

"How fortuitous! Here she is now!"

You're kidding me, right? The warrior reptile-girl (let's call her Liz from this point on) waves to the girl that was assaulted by Will and his vile datapad (let's call her Tiff), motioning for her to come over. Tiff stares at the center of the camp and then at Liz, Rein, and Aurea. Her eyelids close until they are just two tiny slits in her head. Tiff begins marching toward Rein and Aurea in an openly hostile fashion, "muttering" something along the lines of,

"You are not wanted here!"

with her body language.

-----
[CURATOR HQ - Main Room]

The puppy glances over the form! It looks up at Kenneth and barks at him twice!

"Yep! That's all we need! You're now a member of CURATOR! Welcome!"

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you end up becoming a zombie? There are probably cures for your specific condition somewhere out there, if you're willing to scout around for them for a long time."

She is wagging her cute little tail! D'awww!

[Reinholdt]

[Forest of the Ith]

Reinholdt is arm linked and dragged along with a nervous smile.
"I don't suppose I'm going to understand a word either of you are saying throughout all of this, am I?"

[FireFox]

[Forest of the Ith]

I regrettably had to insinuate that we are a couple, lest she insist on... Then Aurea sees Tiff and bows low. <I beg your pardon, most esteemed shaman. I would like to apologize on the part of the brute who was traveling with us. However, we require information about the lake.>

[Devixer]

[HQ- Main Room]

Kenneth now has a happy smile on his face, or as happy as it can get with a decomposing face. "Thank you, madam."

Upon the question, the zombie ponders. "Well, I became a zombie after I was assassinated. I believe my condition is the result of a botched resurrection via necromancy."

[The Alexandrian]

[Forest of the Ith]

Tiff gives Aurea a "who the heck are you" kind of look. She was temporarily blinded by a bright light when they first met, so Tiff probably cannot identify any of them as her the companions of her assailant. Tiff isn't angry with Rein or Aurea. Tiff is furious with Liz.

"You're an idiot, Liz! You can't go around slaying great beasts like you were for no apparent reason!"

"I can, and I did, sis."

"You're lucky I don't exile you right now!"

"You're just jealous because I can do my job and your's at the same time better than you can with just one."

Tiff and Liz are both right up in each other's faces. They are hissing at one another fiercely. If Aurea and Rein want more information on the lake they'd better try being a little more assertive before Tiff murders Liz or vice versa in a battle for dominance over their tribe.

-----
[HQ - Main Room]

"Cheating death is never as simple as it sounds. I hope you fired those necromancers. They sound fairly incompetent to me."

"Do you think a ring of sustenance might help alleviate your hunger? We could pick one up for you to test out. We also should probably get a little preservative to shoot into your body and brain. I don't think decomposing is exactly good for humens."

D'awww! She mispronounced the word humans! That's kinda cute! Kinda.

[Devixer]

[HQ - Main Room]

Kenneth nods. "One of my last actions before relinquishing my title was releasing all my mages from their employment."

Then he looks very curious. "I've never heard of a ring of sustenance before. I suppose any option is as good as another, though. As for my decomposition, it can be partially reversed via negative magical energy, such as spells meant to harm the living. The reason I'm rotting like this is because I haven't found a necromancer in a good while."

[Reinholdt]

[Forest of the Ith]

Reinholdt continues to smile awkwardly, hoping the two lizard people aren't arguing about who gets to eat them in a pot of stew.

[FireFox]

[Forest of the Ith]

Aurea takes a minute to reassess the situation and correct her mistaken impression. Then she clears her throat and steps forward. Excuse me, but it is imperative that you answer my questions, please.

[The Alexandrian]

[Forest of the Ith]

Liz and Tiff wouldn't eat Rein and Aurea in a pot of stew. A pot of soup, maybe, but not a pot of stew! Seeing as Rein already knows that Liz just propositioned him, I'd imagine he'd be secretly rooting for Liz. Liz surely wouldn't eat Reinholdt. That might have put Aurea in hot water (both literally and figuratively), but better Aurea than Rein from Rein's perspective, right?

Luckily, the lizard-women are not having that argument.

"What the heck do you want?"

Tiff growls in her language! She's really riled up. Liz shoots Reinholdt an arrogant smirk. Rein is still nice to look at, even if Liz can't have him.

-----
[CURATOR HQ - Main Room]

"I have a solution to your decaying state! Follow me!"

The puppy leaps off of the couch and begins scampering down a nearby staircase leading to the library! Kenneth can become his own necromancer, if he is willing to commit himself fully to the study of the dark art.

[Devixer]

[CURATOR HQ - Main Room]

"Of course, madame." Kenneth follows the puppy down the staircase, though he has to negotiate it carefully - atrophy is not good for you.

Actually, the zombie would probably be eager to learn necromancy, if only to keep his health up.

[Reinholdt]

[Forest of the Ith]

Reinholdt smiles weakly back!
Also gives a subtle glance around the place for a better understanding of the village.
Primarily for escape route purposes.

[FireFox]

[Forest of the Ith]

Aurea bows respectfully to the shaman. <My companion and I desire to learn about the monument in that lake. Your... sister? could not tell us anything useful at all, obviously, but I am sure that someone as intelligent and knowledgeable as yourself would be able to help us.> She's hoping to mollify Tiff with flattery.

[The Alexandrian]

[Forest of the Ith]

The forest is a good distance from the village, though it wouldn't be too hard to reach, if one was in fair shape. The reptile-women's huts are spaced pretty far apart, so getting into and out of the encampment shouldn't be difficult by any means. The reptile-women do appear to be in exceedingly good shape. Unless the escapee was a sensational runner, that would make the task of fleeing problematic at best. An inordinate number of torches are also stationed around the perimeter of the camp. Unusual...

Very unusual...

Tiff is very pleased with Aurea's words. She turns to face Aurea, smiling cheerily and completely ignoring Liz, who scowls at Aurea as though she is now actually considering boiling her in a huge iron cauldron.

"Why do you happen to be so interested in that shrine, might I ask? It is critical to my people's very existence. I'm wondering if I shall have to dispatch a runner to the male camp...to benefit you and you alone, of course."

-----
[CURATOR HQ - Library]

Down to the library the pup heads then! Once arriving inside of the room, she immediately bounds up to one of the bookcases, knocking it to the ground, spilling priceless pieces of literature, scrolls of antiquity, and books filled with immeasurable amounts of otherwise long forgotten knowledge all over the floor. Fortunately, the bookcases aren't aligned so as to cause any sort of domino effect.

"Oopsie!"

The puppy yips as she crawls atop the wreckage and then plucks a rough, epidermis-bound book out of the busted wooden bookcase and trots over to Kenneth, casually offering the repugnant book gingerly stuck between her teeth to him with a silly smile.

"Thiff thastes terrible!"

This tastes terrible. I never would have guessed.

[Devixer]

[CURATOR HQ - Library]

Kenneth seizes a little as the bookcase topples. "Oh dear, let me clean that up." Regardless of the answer, the zombie shuffles forward and tries to right the bookcase. Being undead came with some perks, like increased strength.

Then the book is offered to him. "I imagine so." He gives it a curious look, but soon takes and studies it.

[The Alexandrian]

[CURATOR HQ - Library]

The book contains assorted information on necromancy which might include things such as raising the dead, summoning demons and daemons, binding souls, eradicating souls, draining life essence from others and stealing it for one's own use, a tidbit of info on resurrection and immortality, a number of spells necromancer's use in fighting, and a number of generic rituals that both necromancers and normal wizards are known to perform.

The info actually presented within the book is left up to you, RB, to decide. The list above consists only of examples of what may or may not be included in the book.

Most of the books in this library are weird like that.

[Devixer]

[CURATOR HQ - Library]

"My thanks, madame," Kenneth says. "I shall peruse this further later. Do members receive private quarters?" He's cleaning up the spilled tomes while talking.

The book probably contains everything you mentioned.

[The Alexandrian]

[CURATOR HQ - Library]

"Yeah! Of course! What sort of organization would we be if we didn't provide free lodging to members! Upstairs on the second floor, there are a bunch of basic rooms to choose from. Feel free to claim one as your own and then alter it to suit your tastes! Just use one of the fingerprint scanners to make your room selection official. If the door is locked, the room is already taken."

The puppy starts to giggle, tail wagging in the air joyously.

"Just leave that mess for the Guildmaster to clean up. She's more than accustomed to my antics by *hic* now."

I didn't know that dogs could hiccup!

[Devixer]

[CURATOR HQ - Library]

"Ah. In that case, I shall take my leave. Thank you for your direction, madame." Kenneth does a little bow as he says this, and turns to head upstairs and take a room, book of necromancy in hand.

[The Alexandrian]

[CURATOR HQ - Library]

The puppy happily barks at Kenneth at he leaves!

"See you later!"

As soon as Kenneth leaves the library, a spectacular flash of white light envelops the room! Suddenly, all is as it was before the puppy entered, spare the pup's own presence. She curls up by the great hearth, inside of which a great fire has mysteriously and spontaneously crackled to life! Hooray for the magical puppy!

[Reinholdt]

[Forest of the Ith]

The forest is a good distance from the village, though it wouldn't be too hard to reach, if one was in fair shape. The reptile-women's huts are spaced pretty far apart, so getting into and out of the encampment shouldn't be difficult by any means. The reptile-women do appear to be in exceedingly good shape. Unless the escapee was a sensational runner, that would make the task of fleeing problematic at best. An inordinate number of torches are also stationed around the perimeter of the camp. Unusual...

Very unusual...

Tiff is very pleased with Aurea's words. She turns to face Aurea, smiling cheerily and completely ignoring Liz, who scowls at Aurea as though she is now actually considering boiling her in a huge iron cauldron.

"Why do you happen to be so interested in that shrine, might I ask? It is critical to my people's very existence. I'm wondering if I shall have to dispatch a runner to the male camp...to benefit you and you alone, of course."

Reinholdt looks around the camp at the torches, curious. He tries to figure out if they're in a specific pattern or something and starts counting them as well.

Gives him something to keep him preoccupied.

[FireFox]

[Forest of the Ith]

The forest is a good distance from the village, though it wouldn't be too hard to reach, if one was in fair shape. The reptile-women's huts are spaced pretty far apart, so getting into and out of the encampment shouldn't be difficult by any means. The reptile-women do appear to be in exceedingly good shape. Unless the escapee was a sensational runner, that would make the task of fleeing problematic at best. An inordinate number of torches are also stationed around the perimeter of the camp. Unusual...

Very unusual...

Tiff is very pleased with Aurea's words. She turns to face Aurea, smiling cheerily and completely ignoring Liz, who scowls at Aurea as though she is now actually considering boiling her in a huge iron cauldron.

"Why do you happen to be so interested in that shrine, might I ask? It is critical to my people's very existence. I'm wondering if I shall have to dispatch a runner to the male camp...to benefit you and you alone, of course."

Does the male camp know about the... Aurea suddenly realizes what they would be calling the male camp for. Oh! Ah, never mind that right now. We are scholars, sent on a mission to study the shrine. What can you tell us about it?

[The Alexandrian]

[Forest of the Ith]

The torches actually don't have much of a pattern to them. They are essentially just circumscribed about the camp, forming a perimeter of light in the darkest of darkness. They are far from even the outermost hutches.

There are ninety-five of them, spread out with no more than a distance of six feet between them. The barrier of torches is dual layered. There is a reserve in place to compensate for any of the torches that are, heavens forbid, extinguished during the night. The torches appear to be covered, thereby shielded from the wind and the rain.

Stranger and stranger this mystery grows...

In truth, Tiff would be contacting the male camp for security purposes. The temple at the bottom of the lake is rather treacherous. Let's just say that it holds something(s) more than a few treasures and a gory history.

Tiff's mind isn't in the gutter like Liz's is. But if that's what Aurea would have wanted them for...

"I have much information which I can tell you regarding the shrine. It's getting late, though, so we should discuss this matter over supper. You may travel again in the morning, but it will not be safe to do so when the moon rises."

Tiff cautions. It'd probably be wise to follow her advice. These might just be superstitious beings, but is it really worth the risk? Aurea, Rein, and Will could continue their expedition early the next morning. It'd also give the group time to establish contact with Percilia-prime.

If Reinholdt and Aurea don't send for Will soon, he's going to be in a heap of trouble when the sun sets...

-----
[CURATOR HQ - Driveway]

Percilia-prime and Mister C likely end up here in a nice, green, open-cabin jeep! Yay!

[FireFox]

Thank you for your hospitality. Aurea bows to Tiff, then turns to Reinholdt and switches to English. They are inviting us to dinner. Apparently it is dangerous at night in these parts. We need to bring Will to the camp with us and ask Percilia just what she wants us to do.

[Reinholdt]

[Forest of the Ith]

"While you were off diving into the lake without concern, I already tried contacting Percilla. Seems her interest in this is extremely limited and she wasn't available. We're probably on our own on this one. The number of torches indicate the danger at night. But can we really bring Will here after he attacked her?" He asks, nodding at Tiff.

"I'm not sure if they'd fall for the classic, 'he's our prisoner' gag."

[FireFox]

Actually, the shaman may be more appreciative of Will knowing that he attacked her sister. The shaman knows more about this shrine, so we should support her in this sibling rivalry. Aurea shrugs. Unless you think that a spiky armored creature, a fire-breathing dragon, and a world-destroying madman can survive whatever this night has to offer.

[Reinholdt]

Actually, Will attacked Tiff, who is the storyteller if the above posts can be believed. I don't think she'd be much appreciative of him at all.

Reinholdt knows very little about all this though. "I think the last thing we should do is get involved in a local rivalry. You two are more than welcome to go wait outside the village and fight the unknown monster."

[FireFox]

... *doublechecks* ... whoops.

If we cannot get Will inside the village, then I will stay outside to protect him. You are welcome to copulate with the natives though, if that is your choice.

[Reinholdt]

"I was simply asking how you wanted to approach getting Will into the village. If you want to play this sniping game of let's be difficult, then forget it. I'll just deal with it myself."

Reinholdt heads out of the village to go find Will.