Rae ArdGaoth
Explorer
"Shields", his shields removed with some teeth gnashing and struggling, refuses Keldar's help. He squeezes the utensils and the bowl between his palms, lifting awkwardly to his mouth, a look of fierce concentration and chronic pain on his face.
He speaks grimly. "Listen, you don't know what you're getting yourselves into. I don't know what you were doing down there, but whatever it is, you'd best forget about it.
"These... Archaeologists, you called them? They've got a dark reputation at home. They can get anywhere, completely unnoticed, do anything, entirely undetected. And they never leave any witnesses. Nobody knows anything about them. When they do a job, the only way we find out is... well, that nobody else did it. And that's when they screw up; usually, it just gets reported as an accident, and nobody has a clue.
"They've got their own agenda, see. Nobody hires them. Or at least, nobody I've ever met knows how to get in touch with them. What jobs we glean, they make no sense. But they've been active lately, and getting careless.
"We heard of two jobs last week, had to be them. An apprentice wizard destroyed half his master's lab. He's badly hurt, scarred for life with burns, says it wasn't him but nobody believes him. And a priest, dead in his room, lying in a summoning circle, demonological lit' all around him. Killed by demons? Maybe so, walking around on Gundar's gray ground. But these, they're too loud for them, drawing too much authoritative attention, even though they got out. They must be running out of time, or something, but I...
"So, me. When they come to me, tell me I've got a place with them, I jump. They're the best, they don't muck around, see? I'm the best, I thought, so here I go. My suspicions, all out the chute; my caution, to the wind. And now, my... Now I'm finished, and my suspicions are confirmed, too late. I'm getting as far away from here as I can, and I suggest you do the same. Orussus, you say? Might not be far enough. This town's getting flooded, in blood or water, mark my words. Seto, keep me hidden."
He speaks grimly. "Listen, you don't know what you're getting yourselves into. I don't know what you were doing down there, but whatever it is, you'd best forget about it.
"These... Archaeologists, you called them? They've got a dark reputation at home. They can get anywhere, completely unnoticed, do anything, entirely undetected. And they never leave any witnesses. Nobody knows anything about them. When they do a job, the only way we find out is... well, that nobody else did it. And that's when they screw up; usually, it just gets reported as an accident, and nobody has a clue.
"They've got their own agenda, see. Nobody hires them. Or at least, nobody I've ever met knows how to get in touch with them. What jobs we glean, they make no sense. But they've been active lately, and getting careless.
"We heard of two jobs last week, had to be them. An apprentice wizard destroyed half his master's lab. He's badly hurt, scarred for life with burns, says it wasn't him but nobody believes him. And a priest, dead in his room, lying in a summoning circle, demonological lit' all around him. Killed by demons? Maybe so, walking around on Gundar's gray ground. But these, they're too loud for them, drawing too much authoritative attention, even though they got out. They must be running out of time, or something, but I...
"So, me. When they come to me, tell me I've got a place with them, I jump. They're the best, they don't muck around, see? I'm the best, I thought, so here I go. My suspicions, all out the chute; my caution, to the wind. And now, my... Now I'm finished, and my suspicions are confirmed, too late. I'm getting as far away from here as I can, and I suggest you do the same. Orussus, you say? Might not be far enough. This town's getting flooded, in blood or water, mark my words. Seto, keep me hidden."