reeds would become swords

DEIMOS

The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head
The thunder of the drums dictates

Experiences and ventures of lethal and dangerous varieties sometimes made him appreciate his own region more and more – the cold, bewitching air, the glacial expanse, the freezing tundra laden with treacherous beauty; an entanglement of survival, intimidation, and steadfastness that crept into his bones and stayed there while they strived to undo vicious and vile portions in another world. So upon returning, after mending, after speaking to Vi, he simply existed in the sovereignty he’d missed over the past weeks.

Back and forth diatribes and conversations with others, plotting, planning, and infusing multiple nuances to cover their impacts, had left him bereft of the place he called home – and wandering down the streets, swinging back into the marketplace, snagging at treats for persisting, enduring, and his family – gave him exactly the repose he’d craved. Shoulders a tad lighter, he waited in line with several other citizens, still towering above almost all; Belial at his heels and Zuriel surveying, watching, from a chosen bench, intending to grab a quick bite, then perhaps spend some time at home in front of the fire, catching up on things he’d missed.

The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead
The rising of the horns, ahead

I have never feared the storm

Sah's morning had been one of the slowest he'd had in a while. After delivering a pair of luxere antlers as a part of commission, he'd found himself walking through the Snowcloak as he lazily made his way home. Listening to the hustle and bustle of his neighbors was soothing, a reminder that not everything was lost. Not yet.

Spotting Deimos in a line, Sah sped up a little to join him. The younger hybrid made sure to stand clearly out of the line to avoid any disgruntled glares from the patrons.

"Hi, Deimos. How are you?" He hadn't seen the man since he'd started his initial amulet quest. The Wild Thunder was doing considerably better now, far less frenzied. His second quest was beginning, but now that he knew he could complete it swiftly, Sah was allowing himself to breathe just a little.  He hadn't decreased his speed or the urgency to his actions, but he was certainly calmer.

Sah

DEIMOS

The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head
The thunder of the drums dictates

Citizens and Warden alike inched upwards in the line as others hastened to their goods first – the rich smell of gingerbread, cinnamon, and molasses keeping him patiently content amidst the usual hustle and bustle. Some greeted, others gave him a singular nod, and several plain conversations meandered their way through, light and easygoing, perhaps realizing that was the best sort of respite after the last few weeks.

But then another was greeting, and he turned his head to see Sah approaching – though clearly not in the queue, which instilled a gathering of amusement in the corners of the Sword’s mouth. “Better, now that I am home,” he rumbled thereafter. Sensing some others would likely be listening in as they moved ahead another pace, his head inclined in a slight tilt. “How are things going for you?” Presuming his quest had been moving along, and perhaps, intrigue in the days before. While Deimos certainly wanted to take a break from the plotting and scheming, the offer would still be extended to others, especially if they had intentions of breaking forward into further skirmishes. I have some information from Starfall, if you are interested.

The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead
The rising of the horns, ahead

I have never feared the storm

"I bet. It's good to have you back." Halo always felt oddly empty when Deimos wasn't around. The man's presence seemed to shift the very energy in the region. Sah's best guest was that the citizens simply felt safer and happier when their Warden was around.

Sah nodded at the inquiry, "Better. I finished my first contingency quest and will be starting the second one soon." Tomorrow most likely.

The Wild Thunder's eyes narrowed as the conversation shifted into the bond. Yes, please. I've been speaking with Hadama and I'll likely be going there with him in the future. If there's anything that you can tell me that might help, I'd greatly appreciate it. Whether it be the enemies they'd faced, the terrain, other threats, what to bring, the color of the earth, or any other random fact or facet of information that might be useful. The Wild Thunder would do his best to memorize it all and use the information to better prepare himself and the team.

Sah

DEIMOS

The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head
The thunder of the drums dictates

Given how rarely he cared about opinions of himself, Deimos arched a brow, then snorted. “Thank you.” Advancing in line, he listened at Sah’s swift report, nodding at the insinuations. He wasn’t surprised to find the Wild Thunder had acted quickly on his children’s behalf, and would likely have it settled before the season was out.

Eventually, his turn in the queue arrived, so he briefly parsed his attention from Sah and to the merchant, finagling a few coins from his pockets and snagging at multiple stacks of gingerbread in exchange. Only peeling one away from himself, he gave gratitude towards the worker, before gesturing his head in the direction of the wooden tables nearby, heading there will biting off a chunk of the treat.

A very brief entanglement of worry and concern flickered through him at Sah’s words though – they weren’t unexpected, based on prior conversations, actions, and onslaught borne against him and his family, but it didn’t mean Deimos would want to see him come to blows within Starfall either. Claiming one of the tables, he hoisted his bag off his shoulder, and began to clamber through the massive holdings, before grabbing at the journal Koa had granted to him. I will start by saying it was one of the most difficult battles I have had in a while, by way of warning, glancing back at the other man. We were not able to subdue the monster entirely, but enough so the lily could be planted. Which means whoever goes next has a safe place to start. Had we been better prepared or understood the mechanics sooner, I think we could have decimated the creature.

The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead
The rising of the horns, ahead

I have never feared the storm

Sah waited patiently for Deimos to make his purchase, chatting amicably with some of the others in line. When Deimos broke away, the younger hybrid followed and joined him at the table. He glanced curiously at the journal but quickly focused as the Sword began to describe what lay in wait for him.

His brows furrowed, taking a moment to absorb the situation. I'm glad that you all made it out alive. Sah couldn't imagine what kind of monster would be powerful or clever enough to evade the Demi-gods. Knowing that it was alive and likely recovering as they spoke was concerning. There was only mild relief to hear that there might be a work around.

What were the mechanics? And how can I prepare for them? Sah hadn't used his crafting for the season yet. He was originally planning to use it to master the twins' weapons, but maybe there was something that he could make that would increase their chances of success at Starfall.

Sah

DEIMOS

The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head
The thunder of the drums dictates

Taking out a sheet of paper, and turning to the journal where Koa had already copied over information from Safrin, he nodded. It was a giant eyeless wyrm. We hit it quite well, until it went underground. It was substantially faster there, and we could not reach it. However, it seemed to be triggered anytime we tried to grab a void crystal. There, on the blank portion of parchment, he drew out the angles and creature, so Sah would have another visual. If it can be lured, either by snagging at crystals or another way, it should be easy to take out with air or gravity. Sighing, his eyes narrowed. Otherwise, you will spend most of your time, like I did, trying to stabilize the cavern or getting rid of poison. He added hints of falling rocks, miasmas of poison, and how the environment worked against them.

You will also want gas masks, and he arched his brow back towards the Wild Thunder. Easy to make and will not require enhanced magic, but ensure they go over your eyes. As the toxic vapors and fog seeping through bit and tore at sight. Pausing, he wanted to ensure the notions and wisdom were fully grasped before unfurling the next level.

The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead
The rising of the horns, ahead

I have never feared the storm

Using magic, Sah created a piece of paper and charcoal. Listening to Deimos and scanning the journal, he jotted down the key points. The more Deimos described, the deeper the younger hybrid's brow furrowed. Starfall sounded like a purple hell. A burrowing monster, poison, and toxic gas? No wonder it had been such a difficult fight.

Is the poison in the air, and on the ground? If there was poison on the ground too, he wasn't sure how to get around that. Regardless, Sah would be sure to create the gas masks ahead of time. Five would be good. One for each of them and a spare in case one broke. He could always make more, but it would save time if they had an extra ready to go. He quickly sketched a crude design and turned the page for Deimos to see. The masks covered the entire face, a filter over the mouth, and goggles over the eyes. There was a thick strap to secure it to the face. Is this the kind of gas mask you're describing?

Sah

DEIMOS

The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head
The thunder of the drums dictates

In the air, from what he’d understood. Rippling out along their eyes, and not into their lungs due to the masks. He nodded at the indication of the mask detailed and exacted on Sah’s paper, passing the parchment of the eyeless wyrm to him for further study or perusal.

Then, there was the matter of the next portion. Turning the page in the journal, he referred to the information spun from Safrin and given to Koa, holding the paper down so it avoided fluttering in any passing breeze. The next level, however, seems to be even more treacherous. The Arclight runs beneath the island, but where the Family has touched it, it has become corrupted. He pointed to the denizens of vapor, poisoned mist in caverns. Safrin mentioned things in the water – not dragons or beasts. Things that should not be. Repeating the words back, to emphasize the heart of the matter.

The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead
The rising of the horns, ahead

I have never feared the storm

Sah let out a hum at the clarification. He put his notes to the side for a brief moment to scan the monster's depiction. Jotting down a few notes, he returned it to Deimos.

Listening, the Wild Thunder absorbed the next wave of information. His brow furrowed, jaw tightening. A creature in the water suggested that they'd be equally difficult to spot. Possibly even to reach if it dove down deep enough. They'd also likely need to treat the water itself as if it were corrosive. 

Sah thought for a moment before tilting his head. Do you have any ideas as to how to go about handling the water? Hopefully that was the last hurdle on the level.

Sah

DEIMOS

The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head
The thunder of the drums dictates

Deimos wished he had a more straightforward answer for Sah when the inquiry was delivered – brows furrowing in concentration, semantics, and above all, speculation in the midst of multiple possibilities. He didn't have any other information to share on the notions - save for what was in front of them, and experiences in the brink. That depends on what you would have to face, and how. Would they need to be underwater? Would the element itself be dangerous and volatile, void-touched and extreme? Manta crystals would be a good thing to have on hand, just in case. And your control over lightning and water. He could surmise any cretin within the portions would be susceptible to a battering condition of tempestuous, stormy afflictions; but they’d have to be careful that his allies weren’t in range either. As well as any air or gravity, given what they knew about weaknesses of their enemies.

Then of course, he glanced back at Sah. Do you? Thinking out loud, jotting things down, and running through potential calculations and machinations always benefitted him; he wasn’t certain how the Wild Thunder thought about such things.

The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead
The rising of the horns, ahead

I have never feared the storm

Sah nodded, Manta crystals will handle part of it. I'll see if Hadama can bring some. He could use air magic to breath underwater but the strain of long-term use of multiple would be tricky. Especially if he were hit and lost focus. Drowning would be a horrible way to go.

The Wild Thunder hummed, showing Deimos a list of jotted down ideas. I'm considering if we need some kind of way to ensure that sight isn't obstructed. If the water is dangerous, part of me wonders if it'll be steaming or too dark to see through. If that's the case, the masks might need to be magical with some kind of sight protecting magic. I'm not sure what to do if we can't touch the water apart from stand back and try and attack from a distance. If magical items were required, he hoped that Deimos would be willing to help him out. The Wild Thunder could only craft two things, and that would leave half the team vulnerable.

Sah

DEIMOS

The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head
The thunder of the drums dictates

While Deimos often preferred the use of his own enchantments underwater, utilizing it and simultaneously striving to wield dual incantations could be limiting, if not costly in the long run. At least they are easy to gain, and would not require the use of your magic. Simply resting against one’s throat while implementing other means – if something were to occur within the water itself.

More calculations persisted and continued, and the Sword began sketching out probabilities on the parchment from earlier. Fire could provide light, as long as you have it out of the water, obviously; but he could picture some portions of flames bounding up in the air, rather than in fathoms below, quicky diminished and gone. Or hordes of them carrying lanterns. Could attach a headlamp to the gas masks, maybe he began to muse, drawing it out along the mask images. If we do need something magically enhanced, I would need to know the exact parameters before promising anything. I have four slots, but if they require any extra means - he tilted his head, frowning slightly. Well, they wouldn’t be able to be conjured – for he wasn’t going to supply some and not all.

The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead
The rising of the horns, ahead

I have never feared the storm

Sah nodded, Understandable. I have two slots that I can use, so you don't need to use all of yours for this. Deimos was helping him and the Wild Thunder couldn't bring himself to possibly ask his friend to pull the full weight of the task. The younger hybrid jotted down a few notes on his sketch as he explained his vision. I'm picturing that we magically enhance the masks so that the goggles can see through environmental effects. The vision would of course be limited given that we're making them, and not a god. But I think even that minor edge could be beneficial. He turned the paper around, showing a few additions. What do you think?

Even a few feet might grant the team just enough visibility to doge an incoming attack. Or to ensure that they didn't step on anything dangerous, though that would require bending down some. The goal was victory, yes. But surviving to make it home was just as critical.

Sah