"No, but Nicola Tesla famously had a weapon that could make it strike prematurely by ...Making a path in the air for lightning."

"Something like laying a line of tinder in front of a fire?"

"Yes, but it can drain the energy of a storm for a moment- Imagine forcing blows to hit your shield dead on, right when you want them to!"

"I think I see - it makes an easy path, but it doesn't add strength to the storm, and so the storm wears itself out that much faster. I wouldn't have guessed that storms needed - time to recover their strength? - but I suppose even the Edict-Storm isn't at full blast every hour." He's scribbling notes rapidly, of course.

"And now I'm inspired to build one! And a way to make use of the energy drawn out! Mwahahaha."

"I will be delighted to see it. ...From a safe distance, admittedly."

"Well, I'm sure I'll get to it eventually. I have an actual mission to try first."

"As do we. Much as I'd like to just plan this library."

"This life, here, is probably better than worrying about freezing to death in the next few days. I think I'm gonna go get to work."

He nods. "And I should send these birds and return to delving the Oldwalls for a relic that might let us get into the middle of this blasted storm. Though... actually, do you want to field test that spear? I think we could get you a fairly safe test with one or two of the weaker Bane, to test if your lightning is just as good as magic."

"Hmph.

Yes, actually. It's not like I can avoid violence forever. However, is there any indication that Bane are - smart? And - do physical shields stop them at all? Because I want to go get my defense rig too, if I'm actively going looking for a fight."

"They fight somewhat intelligently, like wild cats or wolves, but not very. We've been ambushed once, but it wasn't clear it was intentional. And they - well, it's hard to look at one and think it might be clever. They're a swirl of ghostly claws and teeth and not much more. I'd expect Kills's opinion on whether they were fellow people to be conclusive, being savage and all, but my reading says Beastmen all find them viscerally disgusting and kill them whenever they come into contact. ...If the shield's magic, it may help; mundane armor doesn't. Best way to stay safe from them is to dodge."

"Maybe they have rich inner lives and their language just sounds like horrible screeching. Probably not, right, but you never know."

She shrugs and heads off to limber up and brace herself for a real fight.

Verse gets up from looking out to sea.

(There's so much sea from here, anywhere between about west-northwest and due south there's a thin strip of land and then nothing but ocean as far as the eye can see. It's almost making Verse feel awe, which is not a particularly natural emotion for her. Further east the storm blocks the view, it doesn't touch the Spire but it blocks visibility. Probably when it's clear it'll be ocean all the way to the southeast as well.)

"I'll tell the boss to scope out a spot."

She heads out through the portal.

Lantry folds his remaining parchment into his pack and traces one of his more complex healing sigils, making a field of faint green light that swirls around anything living and heals any damage; some of Walta's training-derived bruises may heal.

"Right behind you whenever you're ready, Waltana."

(The sea didn't impact her nearly as much. She knows what the oceans are. Not so much awe as before.)

"I'm ready." She has declined to go fetch more protection, since dodging is better than blocking with Bane.

Then they will be down in the Oldwalls promptly.

"We left one of these unpopped over in that corner; snuck by. Every one so far has popped two or three total, usually one Scourge - the red ones - and a couple Wisps - the littler white ones. None of them has had a Malice yet, and I doubt a Havoc could fit. Wisps resist lightning, so we'll clear those out, leave one Scourge to beat on us. If the lightning works as expected, it should go down in two, maybe three hits. Call for Eb if you need it put down fast, she's our heavy blaster. Sound good?"

She's aware that she's trying to distract herself, dwelling on the construction of the Oldwalls, thinking about how weird this world is and how fucking mysterious her arrival in it is, how Kohl is so - in charge, maybe lying, maybe emphasizing certain things, clearly ambitious and not planning to abdicate whatever power, he's connecting to the mysterious spires and clearly drawing some sort of immense power about it - but no she already adjucated that in her head and decided it was fine, or at least, her best option - she's trying to distract herself and these thoughts are going nowhere-

Deep breath. "Wisps are resistant to lightning. Scourges aren't. If lightning works, two or three hits might end the Scourge. Call for Eb if things go badly."

Nod. "Good."

They move into position, then Lantry throws an enchanted knife at the thing - it's a crystal octagon swirling with dim light that goes between white and red - and the crystal cracks, and three wispy glowing shapes pour out onto the floor. Two red, one white and slightly smaller. As promised, they look like they're entirely made of claws and teeth, with no particular body plan. The red ones both charge, the white one behind them.

"Left hand for test!", Kohl calls, and that's all the rest need for instructions; they've pretty much done this before a dozen times. Verse gets in its face, menacing it with her swords just enough to keep it from leaving. Eb traces something and then Killsy has claws glowing with purplish light, and she rips through the other Scourge. Kohl is in the center, smashing the Wisp, but mostly watching the whole scene. Lantry's doing something that throws illusion doubles around Verse and Kohl.

It's maybe thirty seconds before they're down, and it's just Verse dancing with the Scourge. Green light suffuses her for a moment and her cuts close over. Kohl slides backward and to the left, opening space for Walta. "Go when you're ready."

The things are unnerving, they feel WRONG on a gut, instinctual level. It's easy to hate, indeed... She stands ready but very specifically does not get in their way as they work. 

When called forward, she snarls and holds down the trigger in a way that will drain it remarkably quickly, but leaves crackling lightning dancing along her spear.

A textbook thrust; Or it would be if she had read a textbook on spear work instead of had a live trainer.

Textbook or not, it's a good hit, and gets it center... mass? Center something, anyway. The Scourge writhes and howls, and some of the cloudy energy dims and vanishes to sight. It spins in place, and flows its cloud of claws toward her. She has some distance to spare, though.

Also there's a field of green light in the area, covering Walta, Verse, and Killsy. (Healing, in case it closes with her or does something unexpected. Lantry's doing.)

Step back keep the range. Stab again, methodically, smooth, like a knife cutting away at an imperfection in a piece of wood.

Yeah, there isn't much left of this Scourge but wisps. The whole center is gone; if she waggles the blade around a bit it looks like it would completely fall apart. (And this is in fact the case.)

She sighs in rel-

She sweeps around in a circle, checking the battlefield, as has been hammered into her.

Then she sighs in relief and lets electricity stop dancing through her spear.

"Well fought. And well crafted."