dranbu answers // video, un: beatrix

[fiendennor]

[The video feed shows one Diana Cavendish seated at a desk, covered with large books, some open. She has some dark bags under her eyes; it looks like she hasn't been sleeping well for the past few days.

She glances at the two figures next to her-- you may recognize them as Jim Kirk and Juno Steel-- and then back at the camera.] The issues regarding the forest of Dranbu-- the disappearances and transformations-- should be resolved. The root cause was a powerful fey spirit of the forest who called herself Barthala. She claimed that this land, the island of El Nysa, was in grave danger, and that she had summoned and kept people within the confines of her forest so that she could use her power to protect them.

[Jim adds,] The fact that she meant well doesn't strictly excuse everything, but she did agree to release everyone. She understands now that removing free will isn't something we appreciate.

[Diana glances back at Kirk and nods.] Correct. I don't doubt that many of us will be upset by her actions, and have legitimate grievances, but there may be a need to move past them for the time being.

Barthala indicated that it had been the rampage of the fell dragon Ysverai that had woken her from her slumber, though she didn't know how long she'd been sleeping. [A pause.] More importantly, she is not the only one of her kind. There were once four other spirits of the land, which we can only assume are still dormant.

[Juno nods,] Barthala told us they were in each of the regions here: Olympia, Wyver, Nadril, Dranbu, and Khalo and mentioned that some of the old legends might give us some clue as to what might wake them up.

[Diana gestures to the tomes on the desk in front of her, adding with a dry tone,] Thus far, our research hasn't turned up much, but I imagine many of us working together can find the information faster than just the three of us.

Barthala seemed to be at least vaguely familiar with the Natha and the concept of the Storm, and is keen on not having the planet destroyed, [[Jim says.] We don't know the identity or temperaments of the other deities, how it would be possible to rouse them, or even if it's a good idea to do so.

But they exist and it's probably a good idea to learn all we can about them, and about the way the planet was before the Orbiters showed up. That said-- we're hoping everyone's turned back up, and if not, say something so we can organize a wider search party or see if we can get a hold of Barthala again.

[Juno adds,] Whatever information anyone here can bring to the table is gonna be to our benefit: on the history, the land, all that good stuff. The sooner we can hit the ground running with our investigation into these sleeping gods and goddesses, the better. It's going to give us an advantage against this danger that's hanging over our heads.

[Diana reaches out to touch the camera.] If anyone knows anything-- or has heard anything at all-- about Barthala or the other four spirits of this island, please let us know immediately. Otherwise, I think we all have some research to do.

Thank you, and good evening.

Comments

[stuns]

[ over his dead body, john. his dead, dead, dead, very dead body. ]

that always seems like a waste of time.

besides aren't gods like omniscient or something? don't they see everything you do anyways? i don't know how they work here.

[impavid]

Supposedly, but she sounds rusty. The higher beings I've met have pretty much been aware of everything happening, even on a different planet.

[stuns]

so you've met gods before? what're they like?

[impavid]

Didn't YOU just meet one?

[stuns]

she was just one! are you telling me they're all the same?

that's pretty boring.

[impavid]

[ Ugh, now he has to answer seriously. ]

That really depends how you define a god.

Where I'm from, most things that are interpreted as a god are just things more advanced than most humans.

[stuns]

[ damn straight you do, buddy. ]

i don't know, she's the first one i ever met. most of the ones i've read up on are kind of similar to her?

she was just... powerful as hell. able to control the entire forest to suit it to everyone's damn whims.

[impavid]

Yeah that doesn't actually surprise me. A forest isn't really a big scale considering she only needs to manipulate the bits each person is seeing. In fact, there's an equal chance the forest wasn't changing at all and it was just everyone's perception of it. Reality is weirdly fragile like that.

[stuns]

some how that just 1) makes my head hurt and 2) makes it way worse somehow. [ in the extra invasive sort of way, as if what she'd been doing wasn't invasive enough. ]

[impavid]

Personally I'd take a weird hallucination over actual physical changes, but I can see the point. I'm just not into the idea of having cat ears or something. Don't think it'd suit me.

[stuns]

clearly you're more of a dog person.

[impavid]

Well yeah but I'd prefer not to be one still.

[stuns]

i'm not the one who said the goddess who could turn me into a small fuzzy animal was hot.

[impavid]

Not because I want to be an animal! Anyway I thought this was a judgement-free zone.

[stuns]

you thought wrong, sorry pal.

[impavid]

I'm blocking you and blacklisting you from ever playing with my dog.

[stuns]

you wouldn't do that to a dog-loving lady. that's just cruel.

[impavid]

I'd do it to a rude, judgemental asshole.

[ You wanna feel Seren's soft, puppy fur you better take that all back. ]

[stuns]

uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuughhhhhhhhhhh

[impavid]

That's just how it works, I'm afraid. Seren doesn't need judgemental people in her life. She's going to grow up to be a strong, independent lady dog.

[stuns]

alright alright judgement free zone whatever. your weird jollies go unjudged.

i'll do it for the dog.