1. [19:28] The trip goes by quickly, hours passing as the trio travels past one conflict zoneafter another quickly. Only occassionally do they stop to rest, and only long enough for a water break or to relieve themselves. Then? It was back onto the road.
2.  
3. Far and away from western Meranthe and into the central portion of the continent they would travel, until finally they arrived at a lone cottage perched upon a cliffside. "We're here." Tharizdun muses to his collared companions.
4.  
5. Then without so much as a knock, he'd open the door and lead them inside.
6.  
7. Within they would find a house of no small oppulence, furnished nicely as if for a noble family. There standing in the middle of the great hall was a woman, one who needed no introduction.
8.  
9. Tharizdun would offer her a low bow, far more respectful than the one he'd offered the Wolves of Fort Crescent. "Your Majesty." The raspy voice of a half-dead man echoes from beyond the goldenskull.
10. (Tharizdun)
11. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12.  
13. [19:29] Tharizdun says in telepathy, Bow.
14. [19:29] Epitaph of Pity remains on the side, looking straight at River.
15. (Epitaph of Pity)
16. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17.  
18. [19:31] The house that they enter makes River relax, near immediately. Wisteria's fears? Unfounded, no doubt. There's a glance towards Tharizdun with that mental statement before the Valmonte glances forward and offers a quick bow.
19.  
20. Beyond where he is, he's at a loss as to how this all worked out so well.
21. (River Valmonte)
22. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
23.  
24. [19:31] Ugh. The exhaustion is really started to get to Wisteria. That, and the pain...
25.  
26. It took a second for her to react, but she ended up bowing, reluctantly to the older woman. "...man I'm tired..." She lethargically stays bowed for a few moment, raising her midnight hues back up once more.
27. (Wisteria)
28. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
29.  
30. [19:32] The entrance of the first was met with a smile the golden gaze of the woman falling on the two behind him.
31.  
32. "Very well done."
33.  
34. Praise came as she extended her hand for any remotes that were available, surely the Wolves would have handed those over.
35.  
36. "Now then... You. I want."
37.  
38. Melione pointed first to River before gesturing aside for him to join the hooded figure. "I already have plans for you."
39.  
40. Next the Drakanite's gaze fell to the woman.
41.  
42. "You get to tell me why I should take you with me and not let you be taken by my friend here into a different captivity."
43.  
44. Her gaze shifted to River.
45.  
46. "You may also advocate for her."
47.  
48. The gaze remained upon River, a smile drawing to the corners of her lips.
49. (Melione Hiraeth)
50. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
51.  
52. [19:34] Epitaph of Pity says, "I'll be taking this man up stairs, M'lady."
53. [19:35] Melione Hiraeth says, "I asked him a question."
54. [19:35] Melione Hiraeth says, "You need to wait."
55. [19:39] The tired Wisteria took a single step forwards towards the powerful elder. Those midnight hues looking to focus on their figure.
56.  
57. "I'm... not really sure what you'll be needing from the two of us. River is an artificer, and medic. Myself? I'm an alchemist. I want to learn how to become.." She grunts softly, the wound on her arm giving her a pulse of pain.
58.  
59. "A medic as well. I've... done a lot of deals with people as well. But, I'm not very sure what you want from us. I can adapt to situations well... I just... need to be exposed for."
60.  
61. For the first time in forever, her voice held a sincere tone behind it. Those eyes looked genuine. She wished to help.
62.  
63. "I-I'll help in any way I can... my magics will be yours if you need."
64. (Wisteria)
65. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
66.  
67. [19:42] Taking in the words of those around her mental or otherwise Melione nodded her head.
68.  
69. "I may not have explicit use for you, but my friend here does. When he is finished he will release you and send you home."
70.  
71. Looking to River the woman let out a sigh.
72.  
73. "No harm will come to your friend. He has information I desire and once I have it, he will be freed."
74.  
75. With that the woman snapped and gestured for Epitaph to follow her with River.
76.  
77. "Do not do anything I would not to her and ensure she understands any choices you've decided to make to equate to her cost." She commanded Tharizdun before tearing open a violet purple to exit.
78. (Melione Hiraeth)
79. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
80.  
81. [19:46] The words prompt the inclination of a nod from Tharizdun, the skull-masked man turning his attention to Wisteria. There is a long silence that follows before at last, his voice begins. "Understood, your Majesty."
82.  
83. "I shall take this one elsewhere to extract my payments and make future arrangements." A pause, and his gaze shifts to Jonah. One gloved hand disappears into his cloak before appearing again once more with a remote control. It is handed off to Melione. "The child's restraint."
84. (Tharizdun)
85. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
86.  
87. [19:48] Wisteria asks, "What's the plan with me?"
88. [19:48] Tharizdun says, "Until next we meet, your Majesty."
89. [19:48] Melione Hiraeth says, "Until later."
90. [19:48] Tharizdun says, "Hmm hmm. For now, come along quietly."
91. [19:49] Wisteria says, "Always wondered what this house was for."
92. [19:58] "Many things, though it's already been compromised." Tharizdun would admit, gesturing to the large hole in the wall that opened unto the secret room they had just entered.
93.  
94. "Now then, as I said, three choices and one."
95.  
96. A gloves hand rises, a single finger extended. "First, to earn your freedom you may make a payment of blood. A small wound, nothing too severe but quite permanent. If you make this choice you will be provided with a trauma kit before I release you." What a generous necromancer!
97.  
98. Then his middle finger would extend, two fingers up now. "Second, to earn your freedom you may instead ensure that whenever you are called upon you will provide healing to me and mine. As a Necromancer it is rather inconvenient not being able to treat my Undead, and more healers are always useful."
99.  
100. Then finally he'd extend a third finger, "Finally, to earn your freedom you may provide payment in materials or information of equivalent value to what was paid for you. What precisely this entails is up for negotatiation."
101.  
102. Another longer pause and the hand falls.
103.  
104. "And the final choice- Is to forsake true Freedom entirely, and instead pledge yourself as an agent of mine. The opportunity to earn my trust, and to become connected to the true powers that run Meranthe. The opportunity to prove yourself as worth more than a mere pittance of five eternite, five arcanium and a necromancy lesson." The gold masked man's chin would raise slightly, "And the opportunity to show gratitude to one who has intervened on your behalf with no gaurantee of gains."
105. (Tharizdun)
106. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
107.  
108. [20:01] Wisteria gives a ponder. It wasn't a long one, but it was definitely a ponder.
109.  
110. Between the first and second one. "So, the second one entails me providing medical support to you, correct? Is that it? Well, you and your creatures."
111. (Wisteria)
112. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
113.  
114. [20:01] Wisteria says, "I am not a medic yet, but I'm looking to become one."
115. [20:01] Tharizdun says, "Medical support with discretion, yes."
116. [20:03] Wisteria says, "To prevent people from shitting on me for my lack of morals."
117. [20:04] Wisteria says, "I wouldn't actually /mind/ healing them."
118. [20:04] Wisteria says, "I'll go with the injury. If need be though. You can call upon me to heal them."
119. [20:04] Wisteria says, "Just...."
120. [20:08] Considering the response for a moment, Tharizdun would eventually nod his head and begin removing one of his gloves. What would be revealed is a deathly pale hand that appears to be made entirely of scar tissue, as if it had been horrifically burned.
121.  
122. "Then extend your hand, whichever you would prefer to be marked by a ring which shall e'er signify our bargain." The raspy voice instructs even as that pale hand begins to make small gestures in the air, the unsettling energies of Undeath and the Occult coalsecing and slowly weaving together into an elegant black band.
123. (Tharizdun)
124. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
125.  
126. [20:12] Wisteria extended her right arm out, and gives Tharizdun a thumbs up. "The thumb. Also, I'll heal them for about, two fifty each undead. Something like that. Maybe five hundred....
127.  
128. I'll let you know when I actually become one, alright?" She says with a smirk. Business deals while possibly on the verge of being turned into a zombie???
129.  
130. The lack of empathy current doesn't help. She's tired. She just wants to go home.
131.  
132. "I'm ready though."
133. (Wisteria)
134. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
135.  
136. [20:12] Tharizdun says, "That is acceptable."
137. [20:12] {Lost Restrained RPB against Tharizdun}
138. [20:19] ** Tharizdun has inflicted an injury upon Wisteria. ("Ring of the Weeping Hexagram", "Wisteria's thumb has been ringed with a band of uncanny darkness, it's surface swimming with the faint energies of Undeath. On closer inspection though, this band is in reality inlaid into her skin and within it's ringed confines weave a stream of Occultic energies constantly tearing through muscle and sinew in the pattern of a Hexagram.
139.  
140. What purpose this strange band truly serves is impossible to say without asking the one responsible for inflicting it, but it is easy to tell that it carries a certain attunement to insanity, decay and darkness. Perhaps if left unchecked it would lead the wearer down paths wrought with such.
141.  
142. Lastly, when exposed to Light or Holy magic there appear infernal runes which read quite simply, "All is not as it seems, nor as it should be."", "Permanent", "Severity: MINOR (-5 VIT)") **
143. [20:23] With Wisteria's hand offered, Tharizdun would place the black band upon her thumb. It slides down half-way between the knuckle and base before suddenly tightening, a slow and gradual process. The skin beneath the band begins to rapidly decay before being destroyed entirely, until at last? The black ring has inset itself flush with Wisteria's skin.
144.  
145. "So it is done- Until it is treated it will continue to ablate the flesh within. Not enough that you should ever lose your thumb, but enough that it will be a constant and painful reminder of the pact struck this day."
146.  
147. Retracting his hand, Tharizdun would humm softly, "Now wait here and I will return with the trauma kit you will need to provide when you have it treated."
148. (Tharizdun)
149. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
150.  
151. [20:27] Wisteria says, "W--"
152. [20:27] Wisteria asks, "An arcanium one??"
153. [20:27] Tharizdun asks, "Do I seem like the sort that stocks anything less?"
154. [20:27] Wisteria says, "Very true."
155. [20:27] {Item} You picked up Enhanced Trauma Kit. Dropped by Tharizdun..
156. [20:27] Wisteria says, "Well.."
157. [20:28] Wisteria says, "If your an artificer."
158. [20:28] Wisteria asks, "Can you make me a new mythril weapon?"
159. [20:28] Tharizdun says, "I could, but not now."
160. [20:28] Wisteria says, "The dogs have it."
161. [20:28] Wisteria says, "Unfortunate."
162. [20:28] Tharizdun asks, "Where do you live?"
163. [20:28] Wisteria says, "You've done a lot for me."
164. [20:28] Wisteria says, "Like, seriously."
165. [20:28] Wisteria says, "Probably saved my life."
166. [20:29] Tharizdun says, "Mm. Simply remember what I said. Not all is as it seems."
167. [20:29] Wisteria says, "I expected death."
168. [20:29] Wisteria says, "Or... well."
169. [20:29] Wisteria says, "A new life."
170. [20:29] Tharizdun says, "Yes, I imagine you did."
171. [20:29] Wisteria says, "I'm glad it wasn't."
172. [20:29] Wisteria says, "Well -- you know my name."
173. [20:29] Wisteria says, "I live in the Final Frontier."
174. [20:29] Tharizdun says, "That I do. "
175. [20:29] Tharizdun says, "Hmm... Understood."
176. [20:29] Tharizdun says, "Perhaps a weapon will be sent for you in time, then."
177. [20:29] Wisteria says, "Alright."
178. [20:30] Wisteria asks, "Could you take the collar off?"
179. [20:30] Tharizdun says, "-I suppose."
180. [20:30] Wisteria says, "Ahh..."
181. [20:30] Wisteria says, "I feel fre."
182. [20:30] Wisteria says, "Well."
183. [20:30] Tharizdun says, "You are, yes."
184. [20:30] Wisteria says, "Until next time, then."
185. [20:30] Tharizdun says, "Now go, and do not let me find you among the Wolves again."
186. [20:31] Wisteria says, "I'll try."
187.