View Flat HTML
View Metadata
Search Post
Tumunzahar makes Menegroth look like a contract project. Which, the Dwarves assure her, it was. The stonework is astonishingly careful and beautiful, silky to the touch up close while from a distance it gives the impression of stretching on forever above, a sky of stone with crystals for stars. Vast natural cave systems are connected by dozens of perfectly smooth, gently sloped broad stone pathways from which the fall, if she fell, would be several miles down. There are handrails. "We use those to move materials carts," someone explains to her, "we're not going to be reckless."
There's an amphitheater, a place where a hundred of the stone walkways twine around to create space for a hundred thousand people to sit in close proximity, and someone is giving a lecture or a demonstration at the base of it, the seats closest to him filled with eager, tiny, bearded Dwarf-children.
And they spiral down, and down, and down, past waterfalls and egg-sized gemstones left half in the rock and halls of crystal. Everything grows gradually more ornate and more perfectly maintained and the clang of hammers fades behind them. "People say," her guide says, "that we only have a council instead of a single King because there were nine winners of the competition to design the throne so we couldn't just select one person to sit it." And they push open the doors to reveal, indeed, nine thrones so elaborate it would be hard to choose between them, and nine squat bearded people sitting them.
+ Show First Post
If we're confident there's only one, Findekáno says, I can get the attention of the people around it and tell them to be prepared to leave. If there might be two better not to chance that. Can we call a lunch soon, Father?
Sure.
Sure.
purposeful_glory
I marked Artanis yesterday too and will be able to identify 'whoever was appearing as Artanis at that time', in case she's a person of interest.
Thank you, good idea.
Nolofinwë calls a lunch break and the crowd disperses, slightly, and the shapeshifter brushes past another crowd and suddenly isn't there. Except for the dot.
Nolofinwë calls a lunch break and the crowd disperses, slightly, and the shapeshifter brushes past another crowd and suddenly isn't there. Except for the dot.
Yes, in the same direction as when it was visible.
purposeful_glory
Shapeshifter can turn invisible. My dot on it stuck so it hasn't vanished.
She follows, invisible, inaudible.
She follows, invisible, inaudible.
I want to attack it as soon as there aren't any bystanders around, Nolofinwë says. Can we be an asset in that, or are we just going to be in your way?
purposeful_glory
She osanwës where the dot is and where it's going. I could use archers too far away to turn easily into collateral damage to provide suppressive fire but other than that just getting everybody else out of the way is the top priority.
Done.
A couple of the people near her freeze up when, presumably, receiving a private osanwë emergency bulletin, but most of them keep moving naturally.
A couple of the people near her freeze up when, presumably, receiving a private osanwë emergency bulletin, but most of them keep moving naturally.
purposeful_glory
Any sign of reaction from the dot when the people twitch?
No, it's still moving.
purposeful_glory
She continues following, updating relevant parties on its location as it goes.
We have a couple dozen people who can shoot at it, aren't going to be able to get more into position very readily, Nolofinwë announces a minute later.
purposeful_glory
I won't push the confrontation any earlier than necessary.
And at walking pace the bystanders clear away.
I don't see any other doubles, Findekáno says.
I don't see any other doubles, Findekáno says.
purposeful_glory
One shapeshifter always seemed likeliest.
Stalk stalk stalk. Where is it going? Is there anything interesting in this direction?
Stalk stalk stalk. Where is it going? Is there anything interesting in this direction?
At first it looks like it was just veering off out of camp, but now it seems to maybe be angling back towards its center.
purposeful_glory
The fuck does it want? Maybe it was just avoiding lunchtime conversation.
I don't really want to call the afternoon testimony and pull everyone back into one place, Nolofinwë says.
We're set, Irissë says. Though if you're going to be on top of it we're not going to be shooting.
purposeful_glory
I'm not expecting it to stay Quendi-shaped if it can do otherwise, especially if it figures out it can shake visual illusions by changing abruptly in size. And if you hit me as long as it's not enough to knock me out of commission instantly I can self-heal. Do stop it from running away from me and towards anybody else even if you don't want to fire into melee, though.
And she speeds up.
And she speeds up.
The shapeshifter doesn't.
purposeful_glory
And when she can spear it, she says, On three - one - two -
And she wraps it in one-way illusion it can't see or hear out of, visibles herself so she can watch her own weapon and arms in motion and the archers know where not to aim, and puts Lævateinn through center mass and frosts it with spikes.
And she wraps it in one-way illusion it can't see or hear out of, visibles herself so she can watch her own weapon and arms in motion and the archers know where not to aim, and puts Lævateinn through center mass and frosts it with spikes.
And there's an ear-splitting shriek and everyone in the camp turns to watch and suddenly it's visible, ten times larger and made entirely out of fire.