"--SO YEAH HERE BE THE PLACE I WAS TELLING YE ABOUT," Captain boomed to the boar beside him. "IT BE ALMOST LIVIN' AND BREATHIN'! YER 'VOICES' ANYTHING LIKE THIS--?"

Speaking of 'voices' that emanated from a magical rock, Captain led Edric to the foot of the Black Spire. "THIS THING 'ERRRE ESPECIALLY BREATHES! YARRRR, MADE MY STOMACH FEEL LIKE A LANDLUBBER'S THE FIRST TIME I SET FOOT IN 'ERE." And also the last time he set foot in here. But a pirate always helped his hearties, and if Edric had fought the same crew Astraea was fighting against then Edric was also his crew, and Captain would satisfy his weird fascination with creepy talking rocks!

"YOU SAID THAT THE VOICES IN YOUR ROCK GAVE YOU POWERRRRS?" he added, and looked as thoughtful as a water buffalo with a stone arm sticking out of his back could look. Maybe he could try to get some loot out of this thing too!

+3 Corruption points from black spire proximity

To his credit, Edric did not wince at Captain's excessively enthusiastic volume. "... Not exactly," he answered to Captain's first question, though his attention was more focused on the Black Spire. Tall, oily and iridescent, and radiating heat and power. This was the kind of vision the Voices had shown him, and was it possible that this spire here could be even more powerful than the Altar in Tunnel K? If the gigantic monsters that gathered here, by Captain's account, were any indication....

Edric found himself drawing closer and closer to the base of the Black Spire. His breath came in hot pants, unconsciously matching the sound of the Black Spire itself. A dripping tentacle slapped wetly against his side with every step. "Voices..." he breathed as he took another step forward. And another. Then Captain's question snapped him from his near-trance. He had almost forgotten the buffalo was there. "Yes," he said shortly, trying not to snap with annoyance. (Captain was, after all, bigger than him. And he might still be able to tell Edric something useful.) "They showed me... they commanded me..." They also hadn't exactly given him any powers, but Edric had nearly forgotten about the fact that all of his spikes and armor were thanks to a different magic rock, a much more cheerful and benevolent one in Polaris.

But the most important question now was: how could he get something from this particular magic rock?

+2 Corruption points (Black Spire proximity)
@Fenmyre gogogogogo

Fenmyre was familiar with Edric, if only by sound alone. It was much the same with all Valkhounds who prayed and stabilised at the altar - but she was under strict order not to interfere with the matters of the Forge, even when they wandered so close to her den...

But she'd never heard the booming voice of Captain before, bouncing of the dark walls and almost begging to be silenced. Thoroughly awakened and with no chance of further rest until they both left, Fenmyre rose to approach the strangers.

The Creator's gift was absent from her mind, for the moment. She was forced to proceed without it.

Fenmyre slunk into view, oddly quiet for something so huge. She turned to face neither voice, instead holding her head proudly above them both. "What do you seek from the Creator?"

@Captain

Captain frowned and was about to reprimand Edric on his frustrating vagueness--a crew couldn't afford that while sailing the high seas!--when someone new joined in. "AHOY, MATEY!" he exclaimed in surprise. "WHY - ME HEARTY HERE TELLS ME THAT A MAGIC ROCK SPOKE TO HIM ONCE! AND POSSIBLY LEFT HIM A STASH OF BOOTY!" Although he hadn't been clear on that part, and Edric's 'clarifications' hadn't really clarified anything at all. "WE BE SEARCHIN' FOR SOME PIRATE'S BOOTY FROM THIS ONE, TOO! ASSUMING IT'S ALSO MAGIC."

Edric turned to look at the new arrival with some difficulty. It loomed over him, and he could not really turn his head upward, but he thought it looked quite similar to the beasts he often saw in the visions the Voices had granted him. "The Creator?" he grunted. "Is that what you call the Voices? They told me, once, to DEVOUR. And showed me the truth of the world!" He took a moment to recall the feeling of the Voices' magic surging over him, closing his eyes with pleasure.

"Has this one spoken to you?" he asked, turning back to sniff around at the ground in front of the Black Spire. How could he get it to commune with him like the Voices had?


@Fenmyre

What the hell is a booty?

She disregarded the Captain, focusing entirely on his compatriot. Perhaps this one isn't Forge at all. A terrible thought for Fenmyre to have, if one cared for Edric's safety. Wouldn't Vargas appreciate the cutting of another loose end? Consider it an apology for having been born.

"It sounds like he chose you, Valkhound." She hissed, a sweet twist to her voice. "He is truth."

"If you have heard him, you are one of the few. The lucky few. I'm sure, if you wait here, you will hear him again." She is scheming. She is trying so hard not to sound like it, but she is.

Something began to press at the edges of Edric's mind, testing. Closer to the spire, hound. Closer. Heed the call.

@Captain
fenmyre is pretending to be the "voices" edric hears

Fenmyre's hiss played right into Edric's own expectations. It made perfect sense to Edric that serendipity would find him once more, and as soon as he heard the Voices began to whisper in his mind, he listened. "I am," he breathed quietly as he obeyed the urge to move closer to the Black Spire. "What do you want me to do?" Would it ask him for another sacrifice? Give him another command? Another vision? He would welcome it.


+1 corruption from magic exposure; 3 total

Captain's frown deepened as he was ignored by both Corrupted gembound for a second time. "A-HOY," he barked, annoyed. What were these scurvy dogs thinking? Surely they weren't planning to hoard the booty all to themselves, were they? That would be MUTINY. He followed Edric closely so that in case the boar tried anything, Captain would not be far behind.

@Fenmyre

Fenmyre's head snapped toward captain at his interjection, hissing furiously. This would not be interrupted. "Silence."

But she realised he might be of some use, assuming he had at least one functioning eye. She relented briefly. "I will have a task for you, soon. be patient."

Hound, whispered the voice in Edric's head, reverent - The Spire... It channels our will... Break off a piece, and allow it into your shell. Consume him, and you will become him.

Fenmyre had to credit the pair of fresh-hatched Valkhounds with the idea. She'd been disappointed that neither had followed through - it'd been eating at her for days now. Finally, finally, her dreams would be a reality.

In the silence, she spoke to Captain again. "I believe our Creator wishes to... Commune, with your companion. It's a great honour, but... I wish to know what it looks like, from someone with eyes to see. Could you describe it to me, friend?"

@Captain

Edric allowed himself only the barest moment of confusion at the address of hound, because he wasn't one. As far as he knew. But the Voices were always confusing anyway, so he shrugged and let it go--actually, this was the clearest the Voices had pretty much ever been. Maybe this magic rock was more powerful after all.

He stared at the Black Spire contemplatively. What would be the easiest piece to do this with? His eyes settled on a chunk that looked the most palatable. He would DEVOUR IT, yes, he would CONSUME it. Edric started forward with a sudden jolt, charging at the piece. Building up momentum to smash it to mouth-sized pieces. Only to be interrupted by a sudden hard impact into his side and nearly knocked over.