[center][h1][b]QnA Collab[/b][/h1][/center] [hr] [hider][color=6ecff6]"There are many questions I need to make... But just to start... Who exactly are you, how do you know about the pact and most importantly... You mentioned 'shattering' it..."[/color] Karina said. [color=springgreen]”So long as we keep moving, I have no problems with answering your questions so long as they are relevant.”[/color] The woman said in her strange accent. She paid Karina half a glance. [color=springgreen]“My people once worshiped the Being. While I am not a historian, it appears that there once was a time that the Being was more open about the Pact. Part of our worship once included regularly offering him select people to make the pacts with. At some point, however, all of that seems to have changed. Regardless, my followers and I have since moved beyond such worship. Most of my kind have, actually. Though not all of us.”[/color] She hesitated a moment before continuing. [color=springgreen]“They call me the Nashep-Natjier. It is a title that roughly translates to God’s Breath in the Freshlander tongue.”[/color] She said the translation as if it left a bad taste in her mouth. [color=springgreen]“And unless you are interested in dying, preferably at a later time, I think you best not dwell on the idea that I can shatter the pact.”[/color] She drew her mouth as if considering whether that answer had been too harsh. She then gave Karina a look of sympathy. [color=springgreen]“I am sorry if I got your hopes up. Your connection to him has become a part of you. I can shatter the pact, yes, but not without shattering you as well.”[/color] she regretfully. [color=dde0c7]“She mentioned shattering it by killing us, to be precise. That leaves us with the unfortunate implication that death is our only way out of this little mess.”[/color] Octavio said. [color=springgreen]”You misunderstand. There are things out there, or a combination of them, that probably could free you from the pact, though not without experimentation and likely a high amount of sacrificial lives. I, however, am not one of those things. My power is better at making things then it is undoing them.”[/color] Octavio then added his own question into the mix. [color=dde0c7]“This escape of yours would be far simpler had you already freed us of these devices. When do you intend to do that, exactly?”[/color] The Nashep-Natjier glanced at Octavio and frowned. [color=springgreen]”Despite what my people think of me, I am not a miracle worker.”[/color] She said. [color=springgreen]”Access to the keys is usually under watch as am I to some degree or another. Given that I had little time to enact this ‘escape’, I could only do so much.” “We should be able to find a spare key somewhere at the entrance. With my distraction, we’ll likely find little to no resistance… at least we shouldn’t if we get there before he finds us.”[/color] [b][color=c4df9b]”He?”[/color][/b] Tayla asked. [color=springgreen]”Xrylos.”[/color] The Nashep-Natjier said. [color=springgreen]”The man the Hekkru-Natjier gave the Cutlerware to.”[/color] Karina listened to the woman's words paying close attention. The key word that made her even more interested about the woman's secrets was what she spoke about the being... Her people used to worship the Being. That meant they had to know a lot about it. Hopefully, including how Karina could take back what was [i]stolen[/i] from her. [color=6ecff6]"That thing stole my past, my present and my future. Offering little to no explanation, it used me as one of his pawns on some kind of 'game' with others like him."[/color] Karina said after she heard Nashep-Natjier's words followed by Octavio. The idea that sacrificial lives would likely be needed to free them from the pact left a bad taste on Karina's mouth... But if there was one way to free them from it, there was bound to be other ways. Or at least any alternative not including a large amount of sacrifices. [color=6ecff6]"There has to be a way to free us from the pact without sacrificing innocent lives... If not, at least some way to prevent this from happening to anyone else..."[/color] Karina said the last part with an especially dark tone in her voice. [color=springgreen]”Actually, the solution is honestly quite simple. Destroy the Being. Or at least the entity that refers to itself as such. But knowing the solution and accomplishing it, is far more complicated than that. This I know personally. However even if one were to destroy the Being, there would still be the power to deal with. That, I suspect, you cannot destroy, and if left unchecked, it would likely consolidate back into something else.”[/color] The Nashep-Natjier eyed Karina with and frown as if considering the woman. [color=springgreen]”Perhaps, once I get you out of this current situation, we could talk further on this. As of this moment, however, I find this topic irrelevant.”[/color] [color=6ecff6]"Very well. Let’s focus on the matter at hand. Although… I hope I will be able to find you to… Discuss about this matter once the current situation is dealt with.”[/color] Karina said, looking to the mysterious woman with a serious expression. Knowing there was a way to not only get back what the being stole from her but also repay it for what he had done was definitely something that sparked Karina’s interest. Regarding the mysterious Nashep-Natjier, while she, her goals and motives to help them were largely unknown to her, by the way she spoke about the being, there was a very good chance she would be interested in a chance to… ‘deal’ with it, just like Karina. Still, such matters would have to be left for later, as there were more pressing and urgent matters at hand. As the conversation went on, Nashep-Natjier mentioned that they would need the keys to remove the artifacts restricting their powers and mentioned a name... Someone mentioned Xrylos. [color=6ecff6]"Is there anything we should know about this... Xrylos? If he is dangerous and how to deal with him, should we need to."[/color] Karina asked, looking to the woman. [color=springgreen]”Dangerous? Yes. Though largely because he holds a powerful Stray Thought. Without it though?”[/color] The Nashep-Natjier put her finger to her lips as if considering the question. [color=springgreen]”Yes.”[/color] She said at last. [color=springgreen]”Yes, I suspect he still is. The things I’ve observed from him disturb me. He is Crazed, yes, but a Crazed who has had his madness calmed by the Hekkru-Natjier. And yet, something still isn’t quite right with him. There is something… sadistic in the way he acts.” “At one time he was involved with a Nation of Hearing group known as the Order of Candor. Something happened there… I don’t know the specifics -the Order seems to be keeping that under wraps- But whatever he did caused a stir some years back. So much of a stir, in fact, that became widespread news at the time. Rumor is Xrylos drove the Great Scholar Plaaphenikis to madness. Turning a once brilliant man into something more akin to an animal.”[/color] She gave Karina a grave look. [color=springgreen]”According to those rumors, Xrylos’s own powers were what broke the man. It is said that he is capable of permanently altering the functionality of another’s brain.”[/color] She sighed, and forced her gaze ahead. [color=springgreen]”Based on the things I have learned during my time here. I give these rumors much credence. Some of the prison’s staff appear to still be the original workers… and they act as if nothing is wrong.”[/color] The Nashep-Natjier shook her head. [color=springgreen]”On the upside, such powers are not typically the type that one can just toss about like conjuring a fireball. Instead, powers like those are often more intricate. Requiring planning, time and patience.”[/color] [color=6ecff6]“Another Crazed holding far too much power… A dangerous puppet maybe?. Does this Hekkru-Natjier still hold the leash to control Xrylos? Or was there never something to ‘control’ them to begin with?”[/color] Karina asked, thinking about the woman’s words. [color=6ecff6]“Even if his powers work in a more gradual manner instead of a sudden and explosive way, it is still dangerous to have your thoughts manipulated.”[/color] she continued, sighing as she heard the Nashep-Natjier’s words regarding Xrylos’ powers. [color=6ecff6]“If the rumors about his powers are true… Then just going near him is quite dangerous… Unless…”[/color] Karina began, with a thoughtful expression, before she turned to the woman once again. [color=springgreen]”Everyone’s mind is different. Such powers would likely require him to probe around a little first. He would have know what he is dealing with first.”[/color] [color=6ecff6]“Are crazed still susceptible to Xrylos’ powers?”[/color] Karina asked, with smirk as she looked at the Nashep-Natjier. The Nashep-Najier shrugged. [color=springgreen]”Probably?”[/color] She said with an air of uncertainty. [color=springgreen]”I’ve never known a magic not to work without someone else employing countermeasures first. Honestly though, my conjectures on this man’s abilities are entirely speculative. Even if they are correct, then in a conflict, they would be the least of my concerns.”[/color] She frowned as she caught a glimpse of Karina’s smirk. [color=springgreen]”I’m not sure what you have in mind girl, but you might be hard pressed to turn the other Crazed against him… or at least in this conflict. Xrylos was put in charge of this operation by the Hekkru-Natjier. Most of the Crazed here, including Xrylos, have bonded themselves for life to the Hekkru-Natjier. More accurately, they’ve bonded themselves to the one who holds the title and power rather than to the man himself.” “It is a similar tether to the one you all have with the Being. A tether required to fuel a Vessel of Power. The inner workings of this tether may be different, but its necessity is consistent among all Vessels, myself included.”[/color] [color=springgreen]”What’s important here is that our followers, the followers of the three remaining Hemtypt-Natjier, have all bound themselves to an ideal. While the ideal is different depending on the Hemtypt-Natjier, all of the Hekkru-Natjier’s followers' actions and goals align in some way with the same ideal.”[/color] A strange in-human cry, screeched in the distance. The Nashep-Natjier seemed to curse in an unfamiliar language. She then turned back the other way. [color=springgreen]”Crazed man! He really did let the monsters loose. Come on, this way.”[/color] She said waving them up a stairwell. [color=springgreen]”We’ll try to avoid them as long as possible, but a clash is likely inevitable. We’ll try to go up and around. With any luck we can make it to the stairway at the entrance with minimal to no contact.”[/color] She moved on up the stairs not waiting for the others to follow. Then she continued where she left off. [color=springgreen]”I don’t know what intentions the Hekkru-Natjier had for putting a man like Xrylos in charge and giving him such a powerful artifact. Whatever his intentions though, he clearly doesn’t fully trust him. Xrylos may be bound to the Hekkru-Natjier’s ideal, but all ideals have room for interpretation.”[/color] For a time, nothing more was said, other than a few directions given by the Nashep-Natjier. Then Tayla broke the silence. [b][color=c4df9b]”Soo….”[/color][/b] She began hesitantly. [b][color=c4df9b]”What exactly is your ideal?”[/color][/b] The Nashep Natjier frowned, as she turned to look at Tayla. [b][color=c4df9b]”You’re a Natjier too, aren’t you? So what is your ‘ideal’.”[/color][/b] The Nashep Natjier lips drew in a line, before answering. [color=springgreen]”It is… more of a concept than a single idea, really. But if I were to simplify it, then I would say it to be responsibility and the sharing of power. In your language, I am God’s Breath. I breathe the Power of Gods into existence, and shape it into a form best to enable the people.”[/color] She hesitated before continuing. [color=springgreen]”For a long time, it was the Nashep-Natjier’s duty to be there for the Nhatkelese people. To give them the strength to survive. It was that way for a long time, the ideal’s interpretation changing ever so slightly with each generation of Nashep-Natjier… until…”[/color] Her words trailed off. She closed her eyes and shook her head. [color=springgreen]”Our ways could not continue.”[/color] She said at last. [color=springgreen]”No matter what we did, we wouldn’t have lasted much longer in those broken lands… Still though… It should have never come to this. A once whole people, now scattered across three factions… This was never how it was supposed to be… We were supposed to be in this… together…”[/color] Tayla frowned, not quite following along. She tried to prod further, but the Nashep-Natjier merely frowned and shook her head. It was much longer before they made it to the foyer. Just in time to bump into Chres, the princess and two others.[/hider]