Grekhaus and Shandak bargain

Characters in this scene: Chloe, Shandak

grekhaus — 03/16/2021

Scene: OMO poster grekhaus AKA Chloe Savas AKA me steps through a glowing portal leading to the Abyss in order to meet with OMO poster and Abyssal Guardian Of\_Deep.

Of\_Deep — 03/16/2021

"Welcome, Chloe Savas. The journey has found you well, I presume?"

grekhaus — 03/16/2021

"It was in fact only moderately alarming, which is quite the gentle trip when planar travel is involved."

Of\_Deep — 03/16/2021

"Excellent. Shall we proceed, then? I have several options awaiting your selection."

grekhaus — 03/16/2021

"I must admit some curiosity as to what you have to offer. You did not give much detail in your online inquiry." Chloe looks around, inspecting her surroundings and her interlocutor with obvious interest. The practitioner herself is wearing practical clothing suitable for wear in the desert and seemingly bears no magical instruments, aside from her implement - a ring - and a talisman around her neck. "Shall we?"

Of\_Deep — 03/16/2021

"Indeed." Of\_Deep is a massive being, easily topping 10 ft tall, covered top to bottom in pure muscle, and (of course) wearing nothing but a loincloth. He leads Chloe into what looks to be a small medieval home, within which there are 4 Others of various description. "I will not yet grant you the name of these Others, so that you will not simply summon and bind the lot of them once you have left this place. The first of them is an Other to whom I will simply refer to as Bert. He is most skilled in reconnaissance, with senses capable of detecting a great deal beyond the simple eyes and ears of mere mortals." Bert is a strange creature, half-wrapped in its own skin, and, while vaguely humanoid in shape, it's hard to tell how effectively it even moves, given that all of it's limbs are wrapped and bound with each other and the rest of the creature's body. It has no eyes, or even a distinct head. "He is quick, and nimble; he would be well suited to the kinds of tasks you specified."

grekhaus — 03/16/2021

Of\_Deep — 03/16/2021

"He can indeed grasp, and hold; however, he cannot read in the human sense. He can detect intent, and meaning, but not the written words that are on the page."

grekhaus — 03/16/2021

Chloe nods, frowning. "I see. The ability to heed written instructions, and to discern between different documents is an important ability for my purposes. I do not discount him yet, but permit me to see the others first?"

Of\_Deep — 03/16/2021

"I will note that this ability of detection is not limited to the verbal, but also to items held, or, with time, touched." "The second of these beings I will refer to as Cord, for this meeting. He is a watcher, a guardian. He Sees all in front of him, though Seeing does not mean understanding. He is slow, but certain. I have not seen him fail a task to which he has been assigned, though it may take time." Cord appears to be composed of great metal rods, twisted into the shape of a thin cone. There are a number of rods that project downward to the ground, serving almost as feet, and among the other rods there are braided cords of smaller rods that seem to be able to project out as appendages. His face, such as it is, is a concave metal plate, within which what seem to be facial features are reflected. "He is fluent in English, as well."

grekhaus — 03/16/2021

Of\_Deep — 03/16/2021

He nods briefly. He indicates the third Other, which appears human, almost - or is it several humans? Its form shifts, and staggers, and fades in and out, appearing as various different humans, or even as multiple humans, partially or entirely inhabiting the same space. Even approaching him, there is a general haze, or is it a static? Whichever it is, it is felt, very slightly, through every one of your senses. "This third Other I will call Dox. They do not hide, or slink, or hide when sent on errands. Instead, they attack the senses, disorienting or even incapacitating those who would detect them. They are useful for the defense of a place you don't want found, as their abilities also have mnemnonic properties which remove them from the active memory of those they choose to affect. I believe they can read."

grekhaus — 03/16/2021

"Promising!" Chloe looks away before directing her request: "If the Other who has been introduced to me as Dox is able to confirm their ability to communicate without harming me, I would be pleased to have them do so."

Of\_Deep — 03/16/2021

Of\_Deep gives a brief nod to Dox. "I indeed can, and am fluent in multiple languages." His voice sounds distorted, twisted, and echoey. In one place you can clearly identify at least two voices speaking, slightly out of time with one another.

grekhaus — 03/16/2021

Of\_Deep — 03/16/2021

"As the Guardian Shandak has spoken."

Of\_Deep — 03/16/2021

"This final one we will refer to as Arkham. They are perhaps the best suited to the task of couriership from among these, and the most dangerous to use for such a task.They are capable of teleportation to any target that has seen them, but this great power comes at a cost. Namely, that of the target's sanity. The only limitation is that he cannot cross between realms via this ability. Thus, you are protected from his power once you leave the Abyss, should you not choose him." Arkham is an odd creature. In some places, his humanoid form appears solid, in others, like a writhing mass of tentacles. He wears a cloak, tattered and torn, and robes underneath, but none of these are any less torn than the outer cloak. His form never changes in visible places, only underneath the various garb. "He does not speak. He wields the power of telepathy, and I believe he reads."

grekhaus — 03/16/2021

Chloe shakes her head. "Given that I intend to have my courier deliver to potential customers, I am afraid that his method of teleportation poses a major impediment to his usefulness. I am currently leaning toward the Other that you have introduced as Dox, but I would ask one more question yet before I make my choice."

Of\_Deep — 03/16/2021

"Proceed, then."

grekhaus — 03/16/2021

Chloe turns to the away from Shandak, addressing all four of the Others presented in unison. "I have explained my needs to the Guardian, but I shall explain them to you - I seek a courier who can carry deliveries on my behalf to Practitioners, and who can do so without unduly alarming Innocents or endangering my clients. I wish to take on the one among you who is most self-sufficient, reliable, trustworthy and *willing* to work under my command. As such, I bid each of you to indicate the one among you - other than yourselves - who you feel best suits my needs, based on whatever information you four possess regarding one another."

Of\_Deep — 03/16/2021

Each pauses, and then points. Arkham is the first to point, choosing Dox. Bert points a short moment faster than Dox, pointing to Dox. Dox points third, pointing to Bert. Cord does not point. Instead, he speaks. It is a harsh, yet sonorous noise, which sounds as though it was created by metal rubbing against metal. "I believe the answer to that question depends on which of those qualities you are more concerned for, Ms. Savas. If safety is the lesser of your concerns, then Arkham is the best choice. However, from what you have already stated, I gather that this is not the case, and therefore Arkham is not the Other whom you would prefer. Bert is the next fastest, and perhaps the most versatile of us. If speed, then, is your greatest concern, then perhaps Bert is the one you should prefer. You have expressed interest in Dox, and this, of itself, speaks to what your greatest concern might be, that being discretion. Dox is perhaps the best among us at remaining undetected, and as such for the discretely minded, Dox should be the one you prefer."

grekhaus — 03/16/2021

"Dox it is. I thank you all for your time. Particularly you, Guardian Shandak." Chloe withdraws the book from a satchel at her side, holding it out.

Of\_Deep — 03/16/2021

He takes the book. "Very well. You may have him for a year and a day, as we discussed. Their name is Lunacidian. I wish you well on your journey, and good fortune in your Practice."

grekhaus — 03/16/2021

"Good fortune to you as well, and to your servants. Your custom is valued, and I would be pleased to offer you any other of my wares in the future. Lunacidian, please follow. We will need to make arrangements for your care and housing in the material realm, I suspect."