[IMG]https://i.imgur.com/NRzeHzt.png[/IMG]
[h3]Outside the southern gates of Zerul City[/h3]
“I… well, yes, I guess someone did go,” Thomas mumbled, lowering his gaze to the ground and seeming a bit more deflated than before. “I’m sorry, but as I said we don’t even know if they’re alive, and there’s no one with them to document what happens or research how it works…”
“We’ll look into it,” Jaelnec assured him, frowning at the idea of however many people having gone to Mount Zerul, facing an uncertain and dangerous future while the people in the city – aware of the likelihood of these people’s situation – opted to leave them to their own devices rather than try to help them. And yet, he also felt bad about heading out to protect the people who had been able to leave and leaving afflicted at death’s door in the city rather than bringing them to possible salvation… it was by no means an easy decision, and as such he was happy that he was no longer the one that had to make it. They could not reunite with Aemoten and Thaler soon enough.

When Domhnall inquired about the destroyer of Nemhim, Jaelnec had to pause for a moment when he considered how to explain the situation, not because he had to think very deeply, but because he was taken aback by just how little he knew about it all. Still, there was no reason not to tell the others everything he knew, however little that might be.
“His name was Immanuel, and he was with us on our quest for a time,” he explained, grimacing in discomfort at the memory. “He was a human, but then… something happened to him. Technically I only have his own word for it, which is odd since I doubt he knew anything about harvesters before, but [I]something[/I] turned him into a harvester.”
He shrugged. “Harvesters… I’ve read very little about them, and what was written was very vague. All we really know is that Immanuel produced some kind of living ichor like what Thomas mentioned, was able to mend himself after being cut in half, and became soulless. Beyond that, I know that the only other harvester in recorded history to have actually, uh, done [I]anything[/I], was a creature known as Sineater… and that Sineater destroyed an entire nation down to the last person and animal before vanishing inexplicably. They’re supposed to be invincible…”

“Hey,” Olan called out suddenly, eagerly pointing away from the city gates, “there’s Claw, you know?”
“What in the Planes – ” Thomas started, reflexively reaching for his runesword, but Jaelnec stopped him with a gesture.
“He’s the one we talked about earlier,” he assured the young Zerulic, glancing back at the lumbering furry beast casually walking toward them while everyone else stared, pointed or ran away at the sight of him, certain that something with such a bestial appearance was dangerous. “He got here quicker than expected… but I suppose that’s a good thing.”