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Raullaur	It's been a while since the leader of lions has come to Lin's smithy, but today he's returned. Still dressed in unbleached linens and leathers, but now with gold beads braided into his mane, he looks...tempered. Perfected. Refined and polished somehow. "Greetings," he says, rumbling. "Welcome back. The tournament is not causing too much chaos, I hope?"
Lin	Lin is behind the counter in the workshop floor, currently examining an extremely large and ornately decorated iron cauldron that has, unfortunately, developed a spectacular crack along one side when Raullaur comes in... But when she hears the bell jingle she looks up and over... and, after a few seconds, beams a smile his way. "R...Raullaur! It's been a while. Oh, it's been chaos alright. The good kind. I've had plenty of business thanks to it! Speaking of... you here for the ordinary kind or something special...?" Whatever 'special' means, it probably has to do with their shared secret... She steps over to the counter and leans slightly over it, bringing her hands out onto it for support while looking up at him. Blinks a few MORE times... "And are you planning on going on stage? Lookin' good."
Raullaur	"At this point? Looking for lots of well-crafted armor for my troops. I think we might be dealing with things in the aftermath of the tournament. Beyond that?" He grins, "Well, what would you do about people using a small artifact to eavesdrop? How could you try to track them?"
Lin	At news that someone's using mystical powers to eavesdrop on the tournament, Lin flinches. She makes a gesture and draws what looks a few strange sigils in the air and, behind Raullaur, the door locks, open sign flips to closed and drapes all unravel to cover the windows. At the same time, several torches and candles placed around the shop blaze to life. "Don't you worry about the armor, I've got armor for armies. 'long as there's materials to make it. An tracking artifact though, huh? Can't say I'm SURPRISED to hear that someone's trying to SPY on a tournament that features EXIGENTS and CHOSEN..." Her tone's slightly sarcastic, but it fails to disguise hints of worry. "Well. As you might know, every artifact, every bit of sorcery one weaves... it has a connection back to the user or caster... or a connection to something, anyways. If there's a sender, there's gotta be a receiver. If there's an artifact, there's a spirit that's attuned to it. Close scrutiny of the artifact's aura could lead to some clues, but without having a look at it myself... hard to say for sure..."
Raullaur	"I've heard it, but I know no sorcery. There are some who do...a couple of them are investigating. As for spying like this?" He shakes his head. "It almost sounds...inept. How could we /not/ notice? How could we not respond? And...is that what they want?" He shakes his head, then shrugs. "Still, not a reason to not act. And...the item was both sender and receiver. We heard what sounded like a quill writing on paper through it...writing what we said?"
Lin	Lin's eyes widen. "This sounds like very sloppy work, or a trap, yeah. So strange. And? What'll you do when you find who it is?" She leans in a little closer, partly worried and partly excited, it seems, at this development of intrigue.
Raullaur	"And no way to find out which. As it is? I am a guardian--so I will likely protect those who hunt out, and we will see what happens. If they are...reasonable in negotiation or not." Raul grins toothily. "But the type to steal secrets like this are rarely reasonable."
Lin	Lin nods solemnly. "Figured that was the plan. I'll help out of I can... carefully. If there's spies about, best not to show one's face if you don't gotta. So many risks out there, so many eyes and ears... and in a city like this, even a sorcerer would have trouble doing the usual. Dematerialized spirits AREN'T gonna slink about unnoticed in the City of Temples. So stealthy demonology's right out..."
Raullaur	"I get it. Still. Not much I can do on the hunt, so I'm not too worried about it. And if people do want to fight me..." He growls, then shakes his head. "Well, come as that may. Until then, there is fighting, and, eventually...I need to carve out land for my people. Soon. Lest we start falling from our ways."
Lin	"I feel sorry for anyone dumb enough to pick a fight with one bearing the mark you do." Lin declares. "They're gonna have a really bad time..." His last comment gets her tilting her head. "Huh... that's a concern? But what brought you here if so? Or do you mean... maybe what you found here isn't quite what you imagined...?"
Raullaur	"Came here since the Guild raided us where we were. Working to be back on our feet, with arms and armor, equipment, and money. But then it will be time to go, to become hunters again with warriors to defend our borders rather than simply fighters." He shrugs slightly, "What about you? ARe you enjoying the City?"
Lin	Lin flinches, shoulders bunching up with sympathy. "... Sorry, don't think I heard that tale... the Guild strikes again." The youth's teeth start to clench and grind rather noticeably before she catches herself and sucks in a deep breath to restore her composure. "It's a nice change from the little village I grew up in, but I've found no clues as to my father's identity... and I'm kinda restless. Teaching people people tradecraft and getting some real competition going for proper artisanship's a great endeavor but... ugh. It's like an itch that I'm subduing the urge to scratch, constantly. I wanna let loose, make some kind of super manse workshop! But that's too visible..."
Raullaur	"Indeed. I wonder whether to let loose in the arena and draw the Wyld Hunt, or not, and possibly let another win. But such would be rude to my hosts...unless they agree." He grins a bit. "Still, that's a ways out. And as for craftsmen...I really appreaciate what you do, but have no desire to do it myself."
Lin	"Wouldn't have much of a way to make a living if everyone knew how to do what I do, now would I?" Lin responds to Raullaur's final comment with a bit of a lopsided grin. Good thing her prices are more than fair, right? "... yeah. I'm still not sure whether to call that courage or stupidity... being courageous for stupid reasons is still stupid after all. I, at least, see no honor to be won or lost by putting your life on the line needlessly. Still, that's just my view on things. I'm not gonna impose it on anyone else. You do you. ... all of us have to make decisions we can live with, after all..."
Raullaur	"Very true. And is it courage if you aren't resisting fear? If you aren't of two minds about something because all within you is in agreement to do something? Stupidity that may be!" He laughs, "Still, if you have a chance, come to the stadium some time. Hopefully I'll be fighting then!"
Lin	"I'm planning on it. Been so busy but... starting to think it's time to just close up for a while and only do work for V.I.P.S. or I'll never get a chance to see this thing!" Lin laughs back. "Though I've got plenty done that's not exactly things I can show off on this floor... just about ready to get the big business going."
Raullaur	"Thinks you can't show off? All right...are they things you can show /me/?" Raul chuckles a bit. "After all, you've already seen my things. I'm curious what you have that's special.
Lin	Lin once again draws a strange glowing sigil in the air with a finger, grinning the whole while. With a clunk, the bar blocking easy passage to the workshop lifts and also another mechanism groans into activity near the back... She beckons Raullaur to follow and starts walking towards the back, where sections of the floor against one of the walls steadily descend, forming steadily into even and easy stairs sliding into place against a safety railing. Whatever mechanism drives it is clunky and noisy and clearly made of wood and stone from all the creaking and grinding noises. Sounds like lots of elegant mechanical gearwork like the sort found in a water or windmill... Lin hurries down the stairs and... Down there is a second workshop, which is illuminated mostly by oil lanterns and similar low-smoke, long-lasting but cheap solutions. Below her main forge and no doubt shoring the chimney is a second, much more elaborate furnace engraved with numerous Old Realm hieroglyphs which are prayers and devotions to various gods and spirits. Wondrous, sparkling clean tools are abound, everything down here is kept in tip-top shop. The floor is polished, cool stone tile and walls are paneled with treated wood. And on the many tables and wall racks are... Well. Lots and lots of experiments from the look of things. Enormous, hefty weapons fit for the use of the Chosen and other Essence-wielders, and several hunks of Jade, Orichalcum, and even one hunk of Moonsilver she has no doubt been carefully acquiring, as well as a number of other strange ingredients stored on shelves. Jars full of all number of things - some glowing, some not. All of it's labeled and most of it has SOME kind of use in sorcery, alchemy, or artificing... Assuming Raullaur follows her down, she folds her arms confidently in front of her chest facing him. "Well I'd hope I can show it to you... you're one of the few who can use it, y'know."
Raullaur	Raul does indeed come down and looks around, nose wrinkling slightl as he looks around, and listens to everything. "I can make out a couple of labels, but most are gibberish," he says. And then looks at the weapons, the raw materials. "Interesting. Do you have plans to use these? To shape them? A purpose they will serve?"
Lin	"Some of it's projects that're going straight to my benefactors." Lin admits. "But some of it's stuff I've got leeway on... which is why this tournament has my interest!" She grins at Raullaur. "This is my REAL workshop though. And a good place to meet for anything that you don't want anything overheard!"
Raullaur	"Sounds good! You must have done a lot for this." He smiles and looks around, "So...is there anything around here I can try out? Or is there anything you want to talk about without anyone overhearing?"
Lin	Lin slightly flinches at that question. "You've got the audacity to ask a Chosen if they've got things they wanna talk about without anyone overhearing?" She responds with sharp exasperation. Oh boy does she ever. "Well... maybe. I was more hoping to give others like us that luxury by building this little workshop hideout..." She does give him a kind of sad, uncertain grin that clearly says yeah, she's got her secrets, though. "Afraid lots of my thoughts aren't really great for small talk or even too nice about some things, though..."
Raullaur	"So...anything you want to talk about /with me/? Besides the fact this place exists?" Raul seems unphased and still grins "Looking forward to making a forge worthy of the first age? What fire drives you?"
Lin	Lin plants a hand on her hips, looking Raullaur over thoughtfully. "The fire that drives me, huh? So... I guess you'd have some experience with the topic given what you've been through... have you ever stopped and thought about it long and hard...? Why must good people lose everything, when they're trying their hardest just to make a living? You know it too, don't you? You and your people. One day everything's fine, and the next... someone's yanked the rug out from under you. Taken everything away..."
Raullaur	Raul nods. "It happens everywhere. I don't know it will change. if it does, well...it'll cause a lot of earthquakes before things settle," he says with a grin. "But I bet that's what you want to do...change things. Make them better."
Lin	Lin leans against one of the worktables, nodding in return. "Boy do I ever. There's so much wrong. So much to fix. So much that might be so broken that it can't even BE fixed. Hard to even tell where to start. And if I reach for too much... that'll draw the Wyld Hunt in no time. I'm not some fearless warrior like you, y'know."
Raullaur	"True. But...the Three know who and what you are. Tell them you aredriven for more. And that you will draw attention...let them know now. Before...anything else happens. If it's...not acceptable, they'll ask you to leave. But better to be polite to our hosts."
Lin	Lin sighs heavily at that response. "Of course, but that's not really the point I'm getting at. The whole world's against us in whatever we do, and all I could really do about something like the Wyld Hunt is summon a bunch of demons and lay some traps." She hopelessly shrugs. "Sorry. Just kinda depressed. I've been thinking a lot about my goals and kinda realized I can't go about them the way I thought I could and... ugh."
Raullaur	"Oh, the Hunt could come. But they'd need to bring a /lot/ of them. I'd match my men against them man for man and win handily. So they'd need more, and if they did, well, then they'd be weak throughout all the East as they come here, and then their control cracks...."
Lin	Lin grins a bit at that. "Love the confidence, but I hope we never gotta pit your men against the Scarlet Empire or anyone else's angry Dragon-Blooded. It'd be ugly." Her spirit's starting to recover thanks to his confidence it seems! A bit. "You don't sound too surprised that I know how to summon demons, though... that doesn't bother you?"
Raullaur	"I don't like demons, but I've seen others summon and bind them," Raul mutters. "Besides, you learn to have /nothing/ surprise you when you lead men in combat, or even if it does, you have to take it in stride, for their sake." A grin, "I'll still lose at the gambling table, but I won't let my man panic.:"
Lin	Lin briefly frowns at the certainty with which Raullaur declares a dislike of demons. "Ah, yeah, nobody likes demons, of course..." She mutters. "They're one of those things that's also so broke, you wonder if they could ever be fixed."
Raullaur	"When they are bound by a sorceror...they often do terrible things, but that is the sorcerer's fault. When they are not bound...I have still seen them do terrible things. Maybe a demon is just a god or spirit that is evil? Or maybe that's what everyone who doesn't deal with them professionally thinks." He shrugs. "I'm not a loremaster. I'm a warmaster. I'll gladly use them myself, if the price is not too high, but..." He shrugs. "I just don't know.
Lin	"You are absolutely correct there, if a bound demon does something terrible, their summoner is at fault." Lin emphatically agrees with a quick nod. "The 'evil' thing is... very dependent on the demon. The least of demons and most common, are called First Circle Demons. Many of them are driven by primitive urges, and have no patience for anything more complicated. And, sometimes those urges are violent, gross, or, more often than not, woefully unfamiliar with the frailty and values of us Creation-born. Others are very intelligent, cunning and crafty, and appreciate things like art, music, shows of skill or strength of character... but, the thing is, all of them came into existence in, and have been strugging to survive in HELL. They come from there, but it's not kind to them either. Hell is brutal to everyone and everything, only the strongest have any chance to survive. So, the culture of the place forces any who survive to be largely self-serving assholes who only value power and who are very used to following orders from their betters, on pain of death or worse things."
Raullaur	"If you want to conquer hell and make it a better place..." Raul grins an easy grin, "I'm fine with that. But I think we should get Creation running better first. Unless you think that conquering and fixing Hell would be easier, and make fixing Creation easier?" His eyes widen in speculative curiosity. "Not sure I believe it myself."
Lin	"Yeah, wasn't planning on going after Hell anytime soon. 'sides, you have no idea what kinds of beings actually run that place, or why... it's not anything I have the right to change, y'know?" Well he probably doesn't, but she grins anyways with a bit of a shrug. "I spent a few years in Hell as almost the first thing I did after ... after, well after solving the immediate problems I was dealing with that lead to me being Chosen in the first place. Figured it was one of my best options, if a bit of a crazy one. Nobody'll chase you all the way there. So I've picked up a knack for all things Malfean. Can't exercise it much here, though. The divinities of this city freak out at the scent of anything Demonic." She sticks her tongue out with disapproval. "Otherwise I'd have this workshop cranking out all kinds of things in no time."
Raullaur	Raullaur looks surprised now. "Spent years. In Hell." He shakes his head and looks amazed, "All right, that sounds like a story and a half, if that was oe of your /best/ options." He gives a laugh, "Might have to buy you a few drinks to hear the story! How did you end up getting back, then? How did you /survive/? I...am truly amazed."
Lin	Lin's face twists in a slightly uncomfortable fashion briefly but she ends up laughing awkwardly in response. "As long as you avoid the really big cataclysmic trouble, most of which gives you plenty of warning... and make sure nobody thinks you're an easy target... it's not that terrible for the Chosen. You'd probably be fine... more or less. The journey there and back's also decent if you prepare enough to do it in style... but otherwise it's a very boring and very desolate five days trek, hope you brought enough food and water." She quickly shakes her head a moment later, hoping to change the subject. "I guess I could put it this way. Sure, the Yozis and the Incarnae are enemies, in a political sense. But if you're on their turf, and you're the right combination of too-tough-to-fuck-with, and show the local rulers a pinch of respect, the only thing that you've gotta watch out for are those roaming disasters and... well, finding food that you can agree with."
Raullaur	"Hmm...so if we're doing our jobs, we're supposed to work for the Incarnae, at least as best we can. And right now, well..." He ponders a bit. "This is getting too much. I think I'd rather deal with logistics, strategy, and tactics for a five-faction war," he says with a laugh. "NOt sure I really want to study demons or ghosts. Or gods, reall. Rather deal with the living."
Lin	Lin nods, the grin turning sheepish. "Gotcha. Sorry, guess I kinda went off on a tangent there... don't get me wrong. You're right to be wary of demons. But not knowing what you're dealing with is just worse in my book..." She finally straightens her stance again. "So... you said you wanted to eventually head back and... I guess reclaim your ancestral lands? S'that going to involve rebuilding... I don't know a whole lot about how your people lived before they were displaced... so I don't wanna make any assumptions there, but... I've been itching to cut loose and just build a town or something... anything..."
Raullaur	"No. Well, perhaps. Or we may go elsewhere to find land unclaimed. Or a land of wickedness that needs to be broken and razed, and then fixed--built up. There is nothing left of the Golden Tomb that was at the heart of the land, and having been taken once, we will look elsewhere where we will not be taken again." He chuckles, "We will likely be mostly nomadic, but even we had settlements before, and we will do so again."
Lin	Lin gives him a 'guess that answers that' look, grinning lopsidedly, and shrugs. "So no big towns then... ah well, someone'll want one sooner or later." "Me... I don't know yet. I grew up in a small town not too far from here, and I find this hustle and bustle city to be a bit much. Plus, I've got a thousand ideas about how to make a city like this more livable and comfortable.."
Raullaur	"Well, as long as the folk who own the area are all right with it--ask and it should work. Offer to do the first bit free, then brag about how the spot you did is better. Get more people to want you to do stuff, and pay you for it. Think that would work?"
Lin	"Now that's sure spoken like a true merchant." Lin admits, her tone quite appreciative. "Not at all what I've been raised to expect from the nomad people types... guess it's like you said, need to be able to handle everything, huh?"