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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Aust Thale" data-source="post: 7348538" data-attributes="member: 6804768">Aust Awakens & Learns of Jabbar's Demise  ~ Avar?  Why are you giving me Avar's keys? He needs them for...Wha? Where's Jabbar?  No. No. ~Aust doesn't say a word.  He accepts the key, opening the door wide.  His eyes go from elven large to closed as he suddenly hugs the dwarf, knowing full well that neither Avar nor Aust would ever engage in such an act were the loss not so great, so profound.  Aust leaves the door ajar, turning toward his bed.  Instinctively, he reaches for the bottle of wine on the table serving as his desk, but he realizes that it was empty before his head hit his pillow.  Living here and doing what they have done for as long as they have done it, a certain amount of emotional preparation should have been had; this sort of thing could happen anytime.  After all, it was just hours ago that Aust nearly died, poisoned by a half-drow named Chuth and then again if he had not properly deceived the authorities.  And then there's the matter of the alchemical fire in the dumped barrels, and the likely attacks to come later.  Aust sits down on his bed, head in his hands, the keys' metal cold against his forehead, skipping the disbelief phase of grief and moving to anger and negotiation.  " What happened Avar?  The Vul?  These newcomers?  Noro and his goons? " [ooc] I'll presume that Avar motions for Aust to come downstairs, and that he tells him what occurred; feel free to let me know if that does not occur, and I will edit the post accordingly . [/ooc]Avar motions Aust to come downstairs, relaying the high points of what transpired.  Frustrated with what and the way things happened, Aust is angry by the time he enters the basement.  He stops at the sight of Jabbar's body, freezing mid-sentence into a long string of elven curses about newcomers and the Vul and Noro and where certain objects should be placed in their bodies.  His eyes tear up.  The odor of still fresh death penetrates his nostrils.  He looks upon Jabbar's face and remembers their first meeting, their last conversation, and a noteworthy moment or two.  In that moment, Aust stops being angry and simply mourns the loss of his friend.  Profoundly sadness takes over his countenance.  After a few minutes, he speaks, primarily to Avar, but in earshot of the others.  " Avar, leave no details out.  I need to know.  I must tell his family.  We must create a narrative and settle on some explanation that doesn't get us killed as well.  "  Aust enters the living area, and despite being familiar with death, gasps as he see's Jabbar's body on the table.  He slowly, silently moves toward it, reaching out to Jabbar's forearm.  Aust is grieving the loss of his friend, but also the loss of stability, insomuch as they had any.  Jabbar had provided an opportunity for Aust to have a future.  Jabbar was a father-figure to him, or at least the brother that Aust had wished he had.  Aust takes a deep breath.  His emotions are as disheveled as he is.  He clears his thoughts and addresses Avar, "And the rhat? What's that about?”  Aust attempts to take all of it in, only half-listening to Avar. He appreciated Avar being aware of it and not becoming frustrated with Aust.  Looking again at Jabbar's body, "I want to mourn you, my friend.  But right now, time might not permit it.  If you indeed look down on me and my doings, do not judge me too harshly.  I am thrust into your shoes, and I am not you.  I will do my best.  You have my word."  Aust moves to the cellar, speaking to Avar as he moves into it.  “I have much to do and little time to do it.  I was to go to the cleric.  That must happen quickly.  Can’t very well be dead or furry with all this going on.  I must at bare minimum look and feel like an elf.  First things first, WHAT?!?  You kept the Vul?!?  Yes, Avar had shared that with him quietly as Aust had held Jabbar's arm.  The small crowd gathered in the cellar was tense, and it was clear they had exchanged words.  Aust was simultaneously resentful of their presence and mindful of Jabbar's intentions with them.  "Well?  What now?  Surely you royal fools have a plan, no?  I didn't think so."   Aust continues, specifically to Aletia, Ersun, Burrai, Elloral, and Bill without looking at them, continuing to contemplate Jabbar’s body while walking around the Vul on the table. Aust speaks calmly, seething underneath at his friend’s death as well as those responsible for it, in whole or in part.  "Aletia is it?  I’m unused to restraint; that’s Jabbar’s temperament.  It appears that all of you had business with Jabbar.  It also appears that none of you are particularly disposed to restraint.  It is not my strong suit either, but let me make this clear for you: right or wrong, this place belongs to the Vul; they loathe disruption, and they fear magic, killing on sight those who engage in either.  Makes conversation a trifle difficult.  Jabbar agreed to assist you, and I will do my best to do the same, as our paths seem to be intertwined.  That said, I’ll say this slowly, so you understand; do not start a battle or use magic in the open again, unless you are prepared to die quickly and alone.  If you didn't know better before, you do now.” To Elloral, “You are a healer no?  Can you heal me?” And a question pops into his mind, “Wait, can you heal Jabbar?  I heard a story once that an Elven healer could raise the dead if only a little time had passed.  Are you that powerful?" "We shall keep Jabbar's death a secret at the moment.  If his body can be protected in this state, and it's within any of your abilities, please make it so.  I'll have to share his death publicly it at some point soon, but at the moment, I will do what I think Jabbar would do.  Jabbar's family...they are not to be trifled with.  And when they discover of his death, it needs to be from me, and it needs to be in a way that they will react against those coming for all of us.  The guildmasters fancy themselves powerful, with powerful allies.  However, it is my intent to make both the Vul and Jabbar's family their mortal enemies.  And these corpses will serve that purpose.  When the shop opens in the morning, I want no evidence that this has happened.  Move his body down in this cellar and clean up all of it.  At some point, the Vulfear will notice this Vul's absence.  We should make haste."   "As to the rodents, what happened to Rhen, and what can this rhat tell us?  I might well say he should be sent back to his brethren with a message that they are Vul-bait."</blockquote>

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