Shroud in his undeniable charismatic manor broached the
twins and wadded in as a third party on their conversation. They were not
dressed in the cloaks of the Guldspar or of the Order of Truth. Their fashion closely
resembled that of a religious follower but of no particular denomination The
twins were dressed a little differently, the woman had a longer robe with a
more ornate design, while the man had a hood and a fur trim. The materials used
were the same however, each the same hue of byzantium and spun from the wool of
one of the heard animals outside the caldera. From their looks Shroud presumed
these were Purple Order Monks from Jyrek. They were polytheistic of sorts, each
member holding their own belief in a god or gods, but all believed in the same
end to existence. The Eyren in Jyrek will crack open and a monster will devour
the world. United in this belief they had sought ways to save themselves and
anyone else they can convince or convert. Some have moved to Auspar to recruit
but most have come to study the glass. They are convinced the patterns and
colours in the glass of Auspar, in their vials, equipment, and windows all
convey a message, or messages from another plane of existence; a way to survive
the end of days. Those that studied in
this Atrium believe the messages direct them to look towards the untethering
process. Most did not believe the god Guldspar could save them, some even doubt
his existence, but he could at the very least empower them.
The argument at hand involved a small piece of jewellery,
earrings to be precise. Copper in colour with liquid gemstones and quite visible,
hasty soldered wires. They gave off a
faint smell of static and iron. The woman wished to follow after a fellow monk
Geirik. Had had an idea on a source of the intense object untethering a few
spires from here. He had been missing for a over a week before his body had
been fished from a washing line three
floors up, this was only days ago. His body however, showed no signs of
untethering, rather he was bloodied and wounded. The woman had been working closely
with one of the elder ladies from House Narrkonis. A woman with luxurious white
hair, sparking golden eyes, and a Numenera interface that coursed over her
skin. The earrings could, theoretically, protect against the radiation and if
Geirik interpretation of the messages were right, and he was attacked for it,
then she must find out what he knew. Her brother on the other hand refuted
Geirik's belief as an impatient conclusion, and that she shouldn't risk herself
for what was probably due murderers, thieves or something more unexplainable
and more dangerous. This was Shrouds moment. He solved both their problems by
offering his services instead. Of course he was not volunteering himself, but
rather that of Chloe, but they were not to know. The woman initially refused
because she was not the one to go but eventually agreed after pressure from her
brother. Shroud palmed the earrings and asked if there were lodgings. In most
situations this would have been refused, Atriums are closed to the public after
dark but in light of Chloe's condition, all three were given supper, mulled
wine and makeshift bedding. Chloe had trouble sleeping that night, in part due
to her condition, but also by the
quality of rug and the uncomfortable mattress she had been given
.
The next morning was served with a local tea, picked that
morning and bread. Shroud looked all over for Cairn but to no avail, she had
well and truly gone. This was something he didn't want to admit, although he
already knew she would not return. He had left the earrings beside Chloe in one
of the brief periods she did sleep. Her excitement at the new jewellery woke up
Eryn, who half awake, nearly set his bed on fire as he tried to bat away the
sound. She instantly put them on and leapt out of bed, forgetting the weights
she had been given the previous day and fell straight to the floor. Eryn felt a
little happier, at least his day started off with a smile. Shroud asked the twins for directions, with
the most important detail being that the rubbish in the area, along with any debris,
or plant matter, perpetually rose and fell two floors but the aura of the area was
certainly not strong enough to lift a human but could cause the chain reaction
of the untethering process. In Chloe's excitement, her behaviour was distracted
her travelling companions, to the point where Eryn had forgotten all about his
personal artefact that had been 'fixed' by the Order of Truth and all left
perfectly content.
As they passed spire after spire, things that were destined
to fall, fell so slowly it was as if they were to freeze in place. In others,
detritus from the city above would violently explode upwards, an eruption of
rubbish and waste. Even the plants that usually knew at least the direction to
grow in were trailing downwards, and across the open spaces, some catching
debris in a web of vines. Eventually all
these converged on the point of a mound between three walkways. Its contents constantly
rising and falling. Chloe immediately waded in, more determined to live life,
or perhaps end it quickly. Her actions stirred the rubbish around her and synthetic
yelps and snarls circled her. Shroud and Eryn waded in hoping to pull her out.
They were in the perfect position for an ambush.
However this was to be not by any natural creature
but constructed. There were in the form of hounds, seemingly half repaired from
the rubbish around them; their teeth sharpened on metal, their tails clasping pipes and serrated
blades. Three against four was not the worst of odds. These creatures tore at
Chloe, as she was weighed down in her escape. Their attacks left them with
scorch marks after pouching on Eryn and their power was eventually drained in
their weekend state by Shroud. These creatures had been here for some time, and
without maintenance, they were half the beast they were when first constructed.
In their efforts to rebuild themselves they had gathered parts of working Numenera,
trying to augment their functions to survive. There were similar shaped parts
strewn across the area, too heavy to be lifted by the aura, a chiselled
construct made from stone each bearing teeth marks. Eryn tried to piece
together the smaller fragments but his
movement stirred something underneath. The rubbish was falling beneath him,
pulling him down like the sands in the Crystal Skyfields. Chloe tried to reach
over but also fell victim to the sinkhole of debris. Shroud momentarily
hesitated before he attempted to rescue them. He was instantly held back by two
Order of Truth priests, who had appeared out of nowhere. They insisted he was not allowed to follow. Shroud continuously
struggled as he watched Eryn and Chloe drown in the leftovers of
society. His only consolation, after their muffled cries had stopped, was the
mention of Cairn and of Neave's location by the priests. This confirmed he was
being watched, and they obviously only cared for his safety.
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