[center][h3]Man-bat Paowow[/h3]
Snowy Thursday Night
Level 7 Heismay (38/70) & Level 9 [color=salmon]Ace Cadet[/color] (490/90)
[b]Word Count:[/b] 3065 (+4 exp)[/center]

Once the Seekers reached the cave, Heismay climbed out of the stagecoach and just stood there for a few moments before beginning to help the others. The simple fact that he hadn’t been perched atop the vehicle as it traveled like normal, silently standing sentry, said a good deal about the battle he’d been through at Oblivion’s Ingress. Even if Blazermate healed the wounds, the scars still ached, and the mental damage inflicted on him by those nightmarish monsters doggedly refused to relinquish its hold on his brain.

This physical and mental soreness, combined with the eugief’s small size and meager strength, meant that he wasn’t much use when it came to carrying things around or setting up tents. Still, work needed to be done to make this cave habitable. Even without the biting wind chill outside, it was terribly cold in here, and very inhospitable. In fact, it offered Heismay an extra dimension of discomfort with how the noise echoed off the cave walls in here. Usually, he found (or made) himself an enclosed space he could cover with cloth in order to soundproof his sleeping area and find peace, but that wouldn’t be possible here, even if he commandeered the stagecoach’s interior for himself. The best solution he could think of was to swaddle himself in as many layers as possible like a newborn; it would be stuffy in there and hard to breath, but it would be warm and quiet. Regardless, with that eldritch buzzing in the back of his mind, Heismay didn’t expect to sleep very well tonight even if he managed to get comfortable.

As he went about preparations, the hermit couldn’t help but notice someone being a lot more useful than he was. Somehow, the Ace Cadet seemed to command endless strength, energy, and optimism. With a weary smile, Heismay shook his head in bemusement. “Even after climbing the mountain, covered in heavy gear, you’ve still got the energy to move like that? Even in my youth such feats were beyond me, and I’ve left those years well behind. How do you do it, lad?”

In the middle of transporting the next set of camping supplies -tents, stakes, bed rolls, ground pads, all bundled and tucked under his arms- to a clear space in the growing circle of them, Ace perked up when he realized Heismay was addressing him. He turned to the shorter man with a pleasant grin.

[color=salmon]"You say that, but you're still out here adventuring with the rest of us,"[/color] he chuckled. Ace had already figured that Heismay was on the older side, but there was no way the little swordsman was elderly. Well, at least he didn't think so. He gave a one armed shrug. [color=salmon]"My slinger-"[/color] he vaguely wiggled his right arm where the device was worn. [color=salmon]"-did most of the work climbing anyway. Really, it just feels like all I did today was walk around and eat."[/color]

The Cadet bent to let his cargo drop to the cold ground, then stretched a little when he straightened back up before giving his attention back to Heismay. [color=salmon]"Don't get me wrong, it was a pretty cool day, but the way icy it... since I didn't do much earlier, better help out now when I can."[/color]

His tone was still on the chipper side, not self pitying but merely stating a fact. Of course he certainly didn't mind a short break in getting the chance to talk with the man, as he'd been a little curious about the eugief since first meeting back on the Avenger, however briefly.

[color=salmon]"Besides, not like I was fighting like you guys,"[/color] Ace said. When he'd gotten to the top of the cliff the dark structure was completely gone with only the odd remains left. It wasn't a stretch to assume the flying team had run into some trouble. [color=salmon]"What happened anyway? No one really talked about it when we all regrouped."[/color]

Heismay pursed his lips as one hand reflexively closed around the arm that had taken a grievous injury. “There was some sort of dark structure. It resembled a small cathedral, though in truth it may have been a gateway. Not between here and there, I mean, but between worlds. Some rather horrific monsters crawled out of it, as well as the limbs of something even bigger. But once we dealt with them, and the tentacles drew back, the whole thing disappeared.” He smiled ruefully as he shook his head. “We’ve tangled with some nasty creatures on this trip so far, to be certain, but none messed with my mind like those did. They were no mere animals, or victims of some terrible disease. I felt their lethal intent and intelligence. Let us hope we see no more of their like.”

To show Ace a little better, Heismay reached into a pocket and withdrew the spirit of the Exemplar, which he lifted up to show to the monster hunter. “Take a good look, lad. Twould be best to dispose of it right away, I think.”

Ace squinted in distaste when peering into the spirit displayed a fleshy monstrosity split open only to give rise to another disturbingly human-like fiend missing its head. The flicker of flame that floated over its cut neck melted into the spirit's own wisps, so the Cadet almost didn't notice it, but when he did his expression changed to one of surprise. 

[color=salmon]"Is that the same fire we passed through before?"[/color] he wondered. If these gruesome monsters were connected to it he hoped that they were its source, rather than a product of exposure to the flame itself. Just briefly moving through it had felt awful enough... he didn't want to think about it potentially turning them into these freakish zombie things. 

The red head pulled back with a grimace. [color=salmon]"Yeesh. Yeah, it really is gnarlycuga though. I'm with you in getting rid of it. Crushing it's the way to go here, right?"[/color] He paused for just a moment before adding with a small, awkward, nearly nervous laugh, [color=salmon]"do you think it'll spit out something cursed?"[/color]

Ace’s response elicited a chuckle. “I’d not be surprised,” Heismay told him. His keen ears detected the slight edge of unease in the hunter’s voice, and he reconsidered his options. “Hm…although, come to think of it, perhaps we could turn its horrific strength toward our own ends. I have yet to experiment with the ‘spiritbinding’ aspect of Spirits. Tis rather unclear on how to do so, but I can try to connect with it.”

Summoning that thing as a battle partner would not have even crossed the Cadet's mind. Of course he was normally item-minded regardless of the spirit, but even so. Still, if it was that strong that Heismay thought it was a good idea, then far be it from Ace to say otherwise.

[color=salmon]"I haven't either, so I can't give you any pointers,"[/color] he confessed. To his knowledge he'd never seen it fail or backfire for anyone else trying it though, so he did at least offer Hesimay a thumbs up. 

The eugief held the spirit at eye level, narrowing his ruby-red peepers at the gruesome image within. It possessed no discernible head when it lived, and now it seemed even less likely that it could hear him in spirit form, but Heismay chose to trust the process and address the Exemplar as if it could. “You sought entry into our world, and you craved violence. Heed my summons, and you shall have both in ample measure.” The spirit seemed to react, its wispy prismatic energy flowing toward him, and the pact was made.
 

[center][hider=New Striker spiritbound][b][url=https://darkestdungeon.wiki.gg/images/Exemplar.png?d40ac0=&format=original]Exemplar[/url][/b]
Pinnacle of the nightmarish brood, apex of the cultists who beckon otherworldly evils, a headless giant whose ghostly flame burns beneath a crown of shadow. This powerful striker is on a very long cooldown, but its token-applying abilities feed into one another across subsequent summons. It can mark an enemy with Prelude, inflicting Pull, Blight, and Combo. If an enemy has Combo, it can unleash The Fall to deal heavy damage and gain Worship. If it has two Worship, it can use Exultation to deal heavy damage to two targets, give the host Death Armor, and summon a random friendly cultist. Friendly cultists are independent entities that can use their full abilities, but don’t gain Worship themselves[/hider][/center]

Heismay blinked a couple times as the spirit faded away. “I did not expect that to work. Perhaps anything goes?” Shrugging, he ambled over to a rock and sat down, then reached for his flask. “After seeing that thing in action, I need this more than ever.” Today’s misfortune wasn’t over yet, however, as Heismay found there was scarcely enough moonshine in his flask for a single swig. His ears drooped, dejected. “Curses.”

The swordsman's reaction wasn't all that dramatic, but the gap between his expressive body language and sort of reserved personality was amusing enough that it brightened Ace's smile back up even more than the good news that Heismay hadn't ended up as some outlier and his new striker's dreadful nature wasn't somehow bleeding into him.

[color=salmon]"Forgot to get a refill at the village? It totally slipped my mind too. They gave us a bunch of food to take but didn't pack any drink, not even water."[/color] Ace remained standing as he spoke, but in casual posture with his hands resting at his sides. He glanced out of the cave's mouth for one thoughtful moment, where snowflakes were still falling. [color=salmon]"Not that water's gonna be an issue in this area, heh."[/color]

Ace's gaze passed over the coach where part of said care package remained before settling back on Heismay. He recalled that he'd heard mention of the eugief helping out in the kitchen ahead of the feast preparing at least some of the food himself, so perhaps Heismay liked cooking (even if the night prior he'd left the hunter, Edward, and Geralt to themselves in the lodge's kitchen, which in hind sight was probably a wise decision to distance himself from the mess). 

[color=salmon]"Ever tried making it yourself before? I think there's a few extra fruits; if we're gonna be in the Highlands for a few more days, there might be time to try fermenting them?"[/color]

His question seemed to intrigue Heismay, who tilted his head ever-so-slightly as a thoughtful expression crossed his face. He scratched his furry chin with one talon. “Tis an enticing prospect, and one I have not attempted. But…do we really have the equipment for that? Or the time, for that matter? I was under the impression that fermentation took years, not days.” 

[color=salmon]"Was hoping you'd tell me,"[/color] Ace admitted. He figured equipment wouldn't be much of an issue unless the process was a lot more sophisticated than he assumed, but did it really take so long to make? Maybe it depended on the type or the ingredients? Or maybe it just affected the quality? 

Heismay shrugged and moved to help stoke the soon-to-be campfire, almost ready for Blazermate’s tinderbox or Mokou’s pinions. “No matter. With or without alcohol, I’ll survive.”

A few moments after he finished his task, the bonfire was lit. After scooting a little closer to the much-needed warmth, Heismay sat for a few moments, then drew his longsaber. He examined its blade in the flickering glow of the flame, and came away less than pleased. “Twould seem that battle dulled my sword’s edge. Whatever that thing was made of, it was no ordinary flesh.”

The Ace Cadet had not gone far, since the row of tents were going to be surrounding the source of warmth. They were distinctly more modern than what he was used to, just like a lot of things they'd run into, but it was easy enough to get them standing. Poles were pulled up, tarps draped, and metal pins were hammered into the frozen ground with only a little difficulty. 

[color=salmon]"Now that I can help with,"[/color] he said, adding a 'one sec' to finish securing the last of the stakes. With the latest tent built he shifted to rummaging through the smaller pack he had with him that had served him well through traveling his own world and this one. He produced a block of some dense material that was easy enough to identify as a whetstone and turned to Heismay. The hunter could have just tossed it over the short distance, but instead he sidled close to the eugief to hand it to him personally - and to get an up close look at the man's weapon. 

“Thank you!” Heismay accepted the item with a grateful bow of his head. “You’re much better prepared than I.”

Ace just waved a hand to dismiss the compliment. Now he hadn't seen too much of the eugief in battle so far, too far away or in separate parties entirely, so he was glad to see his chosen arms now. It was very similar in make to the common long swords he was familiar with, but it had some glimmer to it that was no doubt a product of the material it'd been forged with.

[color=salmon]"Made from a sandworm shell, I think you said?"[/color] Ace asked, that brief moment aboard the Avenger having stuck out in the hunter's mind. Even then he'd been a little too far for a good look, but when he'd heard Nadia talking with Heismay about the weapon he'd made sure to tune in. The Cadet's interest was as plain on his face now as it was then, too. [color=salmon]"What's it called?"[/color]

Heismay chuckled as he shook his head. “Oh no, tis not the same sword. I replaced the shell blade early on, back when we passed that shipwreck. Before we even reached that plagued menagerie.” He held up the reinforced longsaber. “Though I am no bladesmith, I could tell that this was leagues better. And I’d no sentimental attachment to its predecessor.” He laid the saber across his lap, peered at the whetstone for a brief moment, then adjusted his grip and began to scrape.

“In this line of work, we must always seek better equipment,” he reasoned, raising his voice over the scrapes. “With how this performed against that monster, I could stand to find a replacement. It is a quality blade, to be sure, but it is no more than that, and I’ve seen many a weapon with special properties among our ranks.” He nodded at Ace. “I imagine you’re no exception.”

The hunter gave a hum of agreement. [color=salmon]"Mhm. I've been swapping out when I can, but..."[/color] he held up a hand and twisted it in a so-so motion, implying that it'd been a while but he would rather not get into the details. He had just recently added two new weapons to his arsenal, but they were currently increasing his carry load rather than replacing his old ones. 

[color=salmon]"Actually most of my weapons are elementless right now, but back home we'd use ones that could inflict statuses or shock or burn. Guess it's about time for an upgrade."[/color] Ace finally sat down properly, turning thoughtful for a moment. [color=salmon]"Do you only stick with swords, Heismay? They [i]are[/i] pretty radalos, but if you wanted to get into archery I do have a spare bow I haven't been able to figure out the trick with."[/color]

Although he gave it some thought, Heismay wasn’t too attached to the idea. “Swords, specifically single-edges sabers, are simply what I was trained for, drilled into me during my time with the Shadowguard, and I’ve never used aught else. Even a standard straight sword would be a departure for me now.” He tried to imagine himself shooting a bow, assuming a shortbow that suited his stature could even be procured. From what little he knew, drawing a bow took surprising strength.

“Trying out something else might be an interesting change of pace, but I wouldn’t trust myself with anything but a curved sword in real combat.” By now, Ace was probably getting tired of comparisons and compliments…still, Heismay couldn’t help but marvel at how proficient the hunter was with different weapon types. Was there anything the kid couldn’t do?

The hunter just nodded though. Options were good, and he in particular had no lack of them, but he couldn't fault anyone for sticking with what they knew - especially if they'd been formally trained, which it sounded like Heismay might be. The 'Shadowguard' definitely sounded like it was some sort of fighting unit.

[color=salmon]"You were a military man, then?"[/color] the Cadet asked. It made sense if so, thinking about it.

Heismay slouched down wearily. “In a sense. I originally joined the night watch in the city of Grand Trad, serving well enough that I was eventually eyed for the royal guard. But there was no room for a mere eugief among the public’s most celebrated defenders. Instead, they found a spot for me in a lesser-known, more unsavory cohort, offering warriors of ‘lesser tribes’ a chance to serve their country through dirty deeds and necessary evils. A far cry from knighthood.” He did not disguise the bitterness in his voice. “I tried to serve with pride, but in the end I wound up disgraced and exiled.”

Unintentionally touching on a sensitive subject, Ace couldn't help but grimace. [color=salmon]"Sorry, didn't mean to bring up any sore memories."[/color]

That was probably putting it mildly, but he wasn't quite sure how else to put it. Or how to move on without avoiding the topic entirely, which he thought might be rude. Ace turned his head to face the campfire, and after a moment's hesitation he relied on his optimistic outlook and spoke up again.

[color=salmon]"It always sucks to hear when any of us have gone through things like that. I haven't known you long but I can tell you came out the other side of it a good guy, at least, and... if anything, you're putting the experience to good use."[/color] He finished with a more sheepish smile, unsure if Heismay was even receptive to such idealistic speech. [color=salmon]"Fighting to save the world and everything."[/color]

Heismay gave him a grateful smile. Even after all this time in the World of Light, it still felt surreal that people of other tribes would be so readily sympathetic, much less offer him comfort and praise. Though it was shaping up to be a fairly miserable night in this icy cave, having real comrades by his side helped warm Heismay’s weary heart. “My thanks, lad. Sleep well tonight.”

Though pleased with the positive reaction, Ace dared not go overboard in saying much else other than, [color=salmon]"You too! Kecha ya in the morning."[/color]

He stood up, letting Heismay have a few moments peace before the eugief found his way to wherever he planned to spend the night. Ace had learned a little about a companion, and gained a couple of things to think about while putting in the last little bit more work to make sure the makeshift camp site was as complete as possible, so all in all it wasn't a bad way to have spent the evening.