It had heard of this place, but never visited personally. Draco had its very own spire of corruption, after all, so it never felt the need to make the trek. But it was certainly... different. The Black Spire was alive with chaos, a thrumming, twisting heart that burned hot with heat and power. This strange hole had a quieter sort of dread. It was pitch black and ice cold, leaving both its eyes and heat pits unable to sense much of anything. The air was still and silent, other than nearly-inaudible whispers that began to seep into its mind. It wasn't quite sure if it was actually hearing anything, or if this was the beginning of corruption already setting in.

As it approached the altar light returned, but wrong. It's usual vargasian-colored hide was now a sickly green accented with electric blue quills. It was disorienting, even more so now that the whispering was truly penetrating its mind. It would settle down next to the altar and close its eyes. The whispers seemed to get louder without distraction, but no more decipherable. It would try to ignore it the best it could, letting the corruption wash over it as it pondered its deal with The Collector.

@Audland Takes place directly after Requisite Stuff. [+3 Corruption Points from 'Praying']

Some stupid pink thing (Ruse) had directed Audland's attention back to this place. Every time he came here, he remembered his third cycle being in this place. No vision he'd had before or since had provided him with such understanding. Most of it was rehashing the same boring concepts (war, violence, chaos, destruction), like microwaving the same dang leftovers for way too many meals.

But he made a deal. Ironically, being here was a step in the path of getting further away from... this.

What was this?

Well, it looked like some kind of creature. No, the 'this' we're getting away from. That's the guy he's supposed to be going towards. What is that guy? Why was Audland's brain on the fritz? Honestly, when is it not?

The dubious pink guy had said this valkhound was likely to be a potential new friend. Maybe a new lover, if Audland played his cards really really really right. There had been a nudge and a wink after that, which Audland had met with a glare and a snarl. Pink man had just tossed his hands up in surrender and walked off to some dark corner wearing a smirk that Audland understood to be intentionally upsetting. Audland was still trying not to be too upset about it.

Focusing, now, on the goal though. Tall creature. Long creature, too. The top of its shoulder blades met the top of Audland's head. Both their tails were quite long, extending trains, but this creature's whole body length was probably beating Audland's by a few hairs. Maybe more, I dunno. It's not written on the profile.

It seemed like they were focusing, probably on the altar. That wasn't so weird, was it? Valkhounds generally needed to stabilize. That was Audland's understanding, anyway. So, that probably shouldn't be what he starts this conversation with. That would be kind of like going up to the stall next to someone else and talking about how they had both come there to pee.

Audland would approach the other valkhound's side with a bit of unease in his footsteps. "Hey," he'd offer as he sidled up to it. He would kneel to the altar and follow along with V-Chaos-Fourteen's reverent display. And try to swallow down the gushing Chaos that leapt from the metaphorical cup down Audland's gullet without making too much fuss.

"Um, Vee-Chaos-Fourteen, right?" When Ruse had told Audland the name, Audland had groaned with irritation. He hated this stupid naming convention. What do you mean there were fourteen of them? Who keeps making these things!!! Did this one know... the others? "Name's Audland," he gestured to himself. Woulda tipped his hat if he'd had one.

At a loss for other things to say, Audland suddenly found himself desperately grasping for more information on the other creature. He attempted to put forth his magic, so that he could at least understand something about the state of this guy. Only after sending out the bloodhounds would Audland think that was probably a stupid idea, given how valkhounds tended to be...

...not Corrupted?

Huh. He'd come back to that.

OOC: Ruse is my own character so I'm powerplaying him lol. Snail gave permission for Ruse to be in the room and watch.

@V-Chaos-Fourteen

Ruse had slunk off to some corner of tunnel K where the conversation was watchable and eavesdroppable. Hy had promised to gather intel on how these contracts each got fulfilled, in order to fulfill hys own. Plus, people were fun to watch. Hy had no intention of participating, or being a bother. As he listened in, Ruse would go over the information about both provided by their contracts. They both wanted similar things, although hy hadn't told Audland everything about how or why. They were approaching the same problem from different sides. They would be receiving different but somewhat similar rewards, if they could pass the test. The thought to bring them together had come naturally as a result.

Ruse could only speculate what hys father had in mind for them.

From this vantage, Ruse could just barely notice... well, the conversation had barely begun, so it hadn't gotten interesting yet. But Ruse found it funny how the gruff blue oaf could be made to squirm a little by being forced to be polite.

OOC: Don't tag Ruse, he's just in the background teehee. Occasionally he'll be making Other rolls to see what he catches / sees / correctly interprets from their conversation.

It has been some time since Fourteen has indulged in corruption any stronger than the aftershock of a corrupted valkhound's magic. It quickly finds itself overwhelmed, thoughts drifting from how it will fulfill it's contract to what havoc it will be able to sew when it earns its reward. This devolves further into violent daydreams that are steadily stripped of context, until all that matters is the spilling of blood and the searing of flesh as chaotic magic tears it all asunder. It is almost consumed fully into this reverie when a voice abruptly pulls it back into the present. The room is almost painfully quiet in contrast, whispers ringing in its ears like tinnitus.

Its head automatically turns to look at Audland but it takes a couple moments for it to fully dredge itself out of the corrupted mire of thought, and at first the only response its able to give is a grunt of acknowledgement. It doesn't even feel annoyance at the interruption to what it hoped would be a private affair. There is just a deep, gnawing sense of hunger and a muffled sense of terror at how scattered and violent its thoughts are as it struggles to wrangle itself back into coherency.

The silence verges just on the edge of being incredibly awkward before it finally speaks. "Mmm. Haven't seen you around before.." It turns to face Audland and draws its limbs closer together so it's hunching like a gargoyle, tail coiling loosing around the side of The Altar. "Most valkhounds still associate with The Chaos Forge even if they never formally join us." Its voice takes on a slight bitter hiss towards the end. It can't stand those who think they're above all the rules but STILL insist on hanging around like a filthy scavenging pitch rat. "You've never been to The Black Spire? Most find it preferable to this place." Certainly far less cramped.

@Audland