Briefing: Animus the Ressurectionists and the Shards
Log Info
- Title: Briefing: Animus the Ressurectionists and the Shards
- Emitter: Whirlpool
- Place: A05: Adventurer's Council, Great Hall
- Summary: Orvald, a Guild official, briefs the adventurers on matters related to the death and possible resurrection of Animus. The Shards of Animus are introduced and their nature discussed. Many questions are asked and answered, before the briefing wraps up with an exchange of views on the Ressurectionists, an organization whose end goal is to restore Animus to life.
The meeting hall of the Guild of the Explorer's, the Adventurer's Guild, is packed full. A lot of people have come to the briefing. City officials, sure, probably some of the people here are speakers, or members of the public with an accesible, allowable interest in the matter. Tonight, it seems, is the matter of the death of Animus, its impact on magic, the so-called 'Shards of Animus', and the organization known as the 'Resurrectionists'. Apparently, it's all quite important that Guild members especially know what they might run into out there.
Not surprising, really, but 'dead gods' and 'shards of said dead god' do sound rather ominous.
Mikilos takes a position to the side of the room, trying not to block anyone's view while still being able to see himself. The overly tall wizard wears his usual Grey robes, fussing absently with the gem studded headband upon his brow.
One of the figures in the room is leaning in the corner, away from the rest of the press of people, watching the proceedings. Dressed in full plate armor that, while polished and cared-for, is well-used and not particularly special-looking, with an open-front robe in blue and silver that but for the clasp in the front might look more like a sleeveless duster, Seldan has chosen to put his back to a wall and remain unnoticed as he can. He has blonde hair, a sword at his hip, pale eyes, and a sturdy wool midnight-blue traveler's cloak over all. The symbol of a crescent and sphere hangs from a chain around his neck, over armor and robe alike.
Jacob Ben-Hassid, servent of Serriel, stood in his armor and robes, though noticeably lacking his typical weaponry with the exception of his lance. This was a peaceable assembly and assemble they shall in peaceable fashion. The topic is of great interest for him - the shards of a dead god in particular seem to reach him. He stands tall, his hands clasped in front of him. The symbol of Serriel is present on an amulet around his neck and his eyes are ever forward.
Ous was new in town. Having been in the vicinity for a little onder 36 hours, the Ranger made his way into the Adventurer's guild. Primarily wanting to see what there was for work in the area, the Tall Aesir takes in the crowd with Dark emerald green eyes and fades into a corner out of the way, unslinging a quiver from his back holding arrows and an unstrung longbow so as not to accidentally strike someone with it in the crowded hall, he watches the going on with interest, pausing as he looks over his shoulder at Seldan, the bearded man nods and steps out of his view. "Sorry mister."
Aelwyn has been lingering around the hall for quite sometime now; mostly to defrost himself. His ruddy scales dance amongst the crowded people; as he nimbly weaves around the room, the red ribbons from the tip of his glaive flutter like little flags of his house. If he had one. Most of his attention seemed to be on the dry jerky he was gnawing and find an appropriate spot to sit or stand; one has to deal with one death at a time, there are still matters left for the living to resolve.
Lucius strides through the great doors at the entrance of the Adventurer's Guild. He peels back the hood of his cloak and turns his head from side to side to quickly scan the surroundings. Running a gloved hand through his hair, the young adventurer heads into the meeting hall, squeezing through the crowd to join the gathering. He finds himself next to a familiar looking sith-makar, and recognition soon dawns. "Evening, Aelwyn! Glad to see you again," he greets with an upbeat smile.
Aryia is a figure familiar with all of this Ressurectionist business. A heavily scarred mul woman in a green buckle jacket rests nearby, scribbling into a journal. A hard look rests in her glowing eyes, her taking stock of those here. She shrugs, rolls her shoulders and cracks her neck before finding someplace closer to sit. A wave is afforded to those she knows (and can tell it's them), and an appraising glance to those she doesn't.
"Good evening, everyone."
A rather officious looking individual dressed in a well tailored set of comfortable looking robes emerges into the meeting area.
"My name is Orvald. I'm going to delivering your briefing tonight. Understand the matters we're going to review are of the highest degree of importance and that while you may not encounter anything relating to any of this on your journeys with us -- in fact you probably won't -- it is important none the less that each of you be informed and ready for whatever might happen to you. Our job here at the guild is to ensure both the adequacy of the information you receive and your ability to safely utilize it."
Cesran comes in and finds a seat just before the briefing gets done. He has his staff with him and sets it next to him, where it stands on it's own. He takes out a small notebook and opens it. As Orvald starts to speak, Cesran starts to write.
Mikilos straightens a little as the meeting begins, nodding at the words. "'Probably won't' is not the same as 'definately won't'. Powerful artifacts have shown up in unexpected places, not just Shards."
The familiar voice, and even brighter greeting makes Aelwyn turn his head - and his mouth splits open into a teeth filled 'grin'. "Rider of the dragon," He greets with a very careful bow of his head. He realized that carefulness was required after he poked a nearby oruch with the tips of his horns. "Is he in need of sustenance?" He offers his piece of (nearly) ungnawed jerky. "This one suspects this will be a long briefing."
Leaning around, he also spots Mikilos - towards whom he bows his head as well. "Wizard."
The blonde man in the corner has said nothing, beyond a polite, "You are no trouble," to Ous. He sharpens when the robed man enters, but does not otherwise make any move.
Turning his attention back to the Speakers as Orvald begins to talk, Ous finds a spot against a wall to make his own. placing the tip of his bow on the ground, the bearded ranger rests his hands on top of it, the weapon coming to just below his chin, he leans on it lightly, getting comfortable. Talk of dead gods and safety precautions has definitely piqued his interest.
Aryia notes those that entered, as well the speaker. It's a new one she's unfamiliar with. But a long ear twitches at a familiar voice, her looking over a shoulder, finding nothing, then back to the meeting at hand. She nods along with Mikilos, agreeing with him. oddly enough.
"Oh, thank you very much," Luke nods, cupping his hands to accept the gift. He sniffs the jerky before tearing off a chunk and popping it into his mouth. His eyebrows shoot up almost instantly. "If I may ask, where did you acquire this? It's delicious."
Like Aelwyn, his attention also wanders toward the elven wizard. With his jerky-free hand, he waves a tentative greeting to Mikilos.
Carver has her feet rudely propped up on the chair in front of her, oblivious to any meaningful glares that her presumptious posture might draw. She's interested enough to show up! It's like spotting a really rare, awkward bird staring at you through the window. In between her fingers, she plays a simple child's game of Egalrin's Knickers, twisting and shaping a simple thread.
"First, let's begin with the basics. Fifteen years ago, the God of Magic, Animus was struck down by the Goddess of Deceit, Taara."
He lets out a breath. "The death of a God is an act without precedent in modern history, but it is one we know has occurred before in the distant past, in the old days of the Gods-War long before the world that is was built. Animus' death had immediate consequences. Navos, Eluna, Taara, and other Gods became embroiled in a battle for control of the Sea of Mana, for to control magic would be to control fate, and there is nothing more that Taara wants than to control fate. Alexandria missed many of the more immediate consequences of this, as some of you no doubt remember that we were locked out of time for a short period... for us. It was five years for everyone outside the city. Locked behind a wall of mist due to the occurences in the Court where the peace negotiations between Bludgun and Myrddion wereongoing, we saw the disappearance of the High King of Myrddion, and the Lord of Bludgun -- again, the consequences of which are still felt today."
He lets out a breath.
"Over the following years upon our return, it became clear that Divinity doesn't 'die' the same way you or I might. Instead, objects that resonated with Animus' nature in some way became infused with small embers of his divinity and grace. These items became collectively known as 'the shards of animus', which is what we're here to discuss."
Mikilos nods politely to Aelwyn and his unfamiliar companion, the majority of his attention remaining with the speaker. Again, the wizard nods in agreement with the words spoken.
Listening to the man talk about shards, Ous tilts his head slightly, doing some mental math, the tall aesir ranger leans towards Seldan, who happens to be closest to him and mutters. "Wait. Am Aye understandin' right that this lot were trapped in th'city fer 5 years?" it was hard to place the accent from Ous, his dialect not speaking to any one region, but more a smattering of multiple areas. "Tha' would be a trick. Head out tae do a bit o' hunting an' come back tae find yer home has run away from ye."
Cesran continues to write in his notebook as the briefing gets underway. The crystal dragon head on his staff turns towards him and whispers when there is a brief pause, "Don't you know this all ready?" Cesran nods before he tries to quickly and quietly reply, "I do, but others that could not be here do not. Rather than try to memorize everything said I'm writing it down as it's presented so that I can send this briefing to others. Now please pay attention, I will require your aid when I compile this all later." The dragon head gives a slight nod before shifting it's focus back to the speaker and those asking questions.
A flash of sharp teeth, and the ruddy draconian's tail coils. "Tch, betray this one's supplier? Is the Rider prepared for the consequences?" Aelwyn asks, and then slowly leans in closer towards Lucius, as if he was giving away a big secret. Never trust this sith with anything that can be bitten. "Visit, Rider. This one will share a drink."
Aelwyn reaches behind into his satchel to pull out another piece of jerky, moving to sink his teeth in as he listens on. "Hmmh, some of those plays rang true, after all." He rumbles.
Aryia listens, as do others, but her hand raises up in the midst of her writing, it coupled with a whistle. Her hands move when prompted, and those that see her get the gist of her gesticulations. "What precautions must one take if they encounter a shard? Because coming across one fucking sucks, in my experience." <Handspeech/Tongues>
Lucius blinks. "Gladly, Aelwyn, it would be my pleasure." He looks down at his feet, closes his eyes for a moment, and then looks toward Osvald. He listens and holds his tongue for now, but as his gaze flickers around the hall, it's clear his mind is racing with questions. "I see," he murmurs to himself. "That is unfortunate indeed."
Jacob waits patiently while the 'basics' are shared.
The God of Magic Animus was killed by Taara, the Goddess of Deceit. No doubt it caused massive consequences for the world. "Incredibly fortunate for us.' That Alexandria was spared from the war of wrath and ruin. He falls back into silence as it's made aware to the room that divinity doesn't just 'die'. Nothing is so cut and dry. Rather, things charged with the dead God's power still remains.
"It makes sense, that such objects would still remain. He hums a moment, falling into a silence as he stands tall and proud.
"A good question." He remarks to Aryia.
"It was but a span of weeks for those within rhe city. It caused considerable difficulty at the time," remarks Orvald in response to the question. He glances around the room briefly, listening, nodding. Aryia's oddly understandable signing gets him to pause, briefly, before answering, "We will be getting to that in a moment," he assures her.
"As a result of the death of thr God of Magic, the sea of mana and magic itself are under enormous strain. The world, as some of you know, is infused with the Sea of Mana. It permeates all that is but there are channels and courses it takes across the land. These channels, ley lines, sometimes converge into places we call Magus Points, where magic is unusually strong. We have had reports from areas where these magus points have suddebly evaporated, and others where magic has suddenly become stronger and almost uncontrollable, and worst of all, magical dead zones, where magic no longer seems present at all."
Mikilos looks to Aryia. "Caution, and a healthy respect. Beyond that, like asking precautions of meeting a person. Some are violent and deadly, others, perhaps not 'friendly', but receptive to others."
He nods seriously to Orvald. "Mana has always had a flow. Ley lines shift and move. But such was over the course of years, centuries. Not weeks or days as we've more recently seen."
Cesran continues to transcribe what's going on and he pauses for a moment to raise his own question, "Please feel free to let me know if we are going into this later in greater detail but do we have a current count and description of these shards of Animus that have been found. As well as who is currently in possession of them? Or is that on a need to know basis?" He asks politely before he continues to take notes, "Do we have a map of where the laylines have been moving? A while ago I was part of an expedition to try to help cleanse some of the ley lines of a corruption. Could it be something similair to that." He pauses, "Sorry I didn't mean to pepper you with questions."
Carver doesn't raise her hand. She blurts out instead. "I though' ole Silver Moon was the Goddess of Magic. If Taara killed this Animus fella, how she get to be puttin' on his wizard hat rather than her?" Unless Eluna IS Taara. Carver's brow furrows at the *deceitful* twist. It all makes sense now!
Listening the the presenter, Ous nods quietly. It explained a few things he had seen in his travels. Watching Aryia as she begins signing, the ranger tilts his head again. It wasn't exactly the language he had grown up with in the field, but there were enough similarities that he could understand what she was saying, more or less.
Aelwyn looks over Lucius, watching him murmur by himself. "Something bothering Rider?" He asks. Continuing to chew on his jerky, he glances around the room as more questions are being leveled at the speakers in the middle, looking blankly at all the connotations. The ruddy sith-makar was never one for history, magic, or details. But he has to ask.
"Is magic disappearing?" Another bite from his jerky.
Aryia casts a wary side eye at Mikilos, but shoots a thumbs up as her question is set to be answered later. News of the city vanishing wasn't new to her, but the specifics was.
A weird glance is given to Cesran, and she huffs silently before gesturing a bit more, this time towards Carver. "Taara and Eluna fighting over it made magic fucky. Ever met a witch? Pretty fucky." Finished with her comments, she blinks at the short makari. Then sloooowly turns to the presenter. <Handspeech/Tongues>
"I see. So...is there any way to cure the world of this?"
Maybe a dumb question, but Jacob asks it all the same. 'The Death of a God may be irreparable...but what if it wasn't? Is there a way to revive a dead God?" He's young and he's hopeful, but he tries all the same. He frowns as he crosses his arms over his chest. "Magic is in chaos, there has to be a way to repair what was lost."
Lucius frowns in thought. "Sure, I guess you could put it that way." He scratches the back of his head. "If I'm being honest, all this talk of magic is totally out of my league. I was but a child when Animus fell, and I knew nothing of what actually happened, because it didn't seem to affect myself or my family at the time. At least I'm learning about it now. It certainly can't hurt to know about these things."
"I'll get to the Shards next, because it does get to several of your questions, but I have a couple other things to get through first. Yes, we do have a map of where these events are unfurling based on your reports. ONe of these locations is the Felwood, an ancient cursed wood adjacent to the Mythwood, and the curse there seems to be faltering. It is possible we may be able to take advantage of the faltering of magic there to undo what was done to it, to free a cursed wood from this. It is why we have established a camp there, and some of you will soon be visiting it to begin exploring these possibilities more actively." He unfurls a map on the table, allowing those interested to come and glance at it. There are indeed a map of leylines criss-crossing Alexandria, intensely connecting at various locations around the city, and one in the city as well as others southwest of it, such as the ruins of Genrivia and a pair of others in the Red Ridge Mountains. Many little pins have been stuck to it -- areas where problems have been detected, no doubt.
"Magic is not ... disappearing, we think, but it is changing somehow. We're not clear on if that means it will stop working or not. So far, that doesn't seem to be the case outside of limited areas, but we don't know enough to say what the worst case scenarios are."
He turns to Carver and says, "Eluna was able to assume the mantle with the support of the other Gods -- something Taara was unable to gain. Her position as Goddess of Magic presents Taara from truly gaining the hold she wants, but it does not mean there is not an active conflict. There is, and perhaps some of that is the consequence of that conflict being played out on a scale we don't understand. The Gods do not ... operated within a frame work we can comprehend. For example, some scholars have speculated that because the Gods exist within a non-linear sense of time, that Animus has always been dead and alive at the same time. I get a headache just thinking about it."
He lets out a breath.
"Believe me, I agree with you on this," he terlls Lucius, "This is out of most of our leagues, mine included, but the impacts are something we have to contend with until we can understand the shape of the unknown."
"Now, the Shards of Animus," he continues, "can be anything, anywhere, at any time. They will have a localized impact on their surroundings in tune with thier nature, whatever that is. Some of them, for example, have animated local objects. Others, have possessed those whgo came in contact wit hthem, leading them to believe they are Animus in some way, operating with considerable magical power. Others have caused intense visions while grasped. A common refrain uttered by those who have had contact with them is someone informing us that 'you must save her'. We have no idea who 'her' is, and what 'saving' her means, but it was clearly some kind of warning from the God as he fell as to something that must happen. If you encounter a shard, it is best you do nothing and report it immediately. IF you have no choice but to do something, well... it's going to depend on a lot of your local conditions. We've heard some success with very heavily lead-lined boxes. Anti-magic and dispel strong enough to counter one are unlikely to be in most of your reprtoirs, but should you possess it, those are your best bets. I am not at libery to say where the Shards we've recovered are being kept, only that they are not being kept together and they are as secure as we can possibly make any magically dangerous artfiact that is also a piece of a dead god, a sentence I can not believe I have lived to utter."
"Maybe it's jus' a role that's cursed." Carver says. "An' her is Elune. Maybe it's not just Taara lookin' to... ya know," The young woman mimes thrusting a knife. Hyuh! Hyuh! "Maybe it's jus' that Magic, it ain't meant to jus' be a one pony show." Now, she probably knows she isn't being helpful but when things are way over your head, you start creating wild conspiracies like, maybe Elune shoulda just shared the Magic with Taara.
As the map is rolled out, Ous pushes off the wall, making his way towards the map to take a look. Reaching into his cloak, the ranger produces a much smaller map and stick of mixed charcoal and wax. Staring at the map, the tall Aesir begins to make marks on his own map. Carvers comments make the ranger smile as he continues to peruse the map. "What if ye find one right? Ye dig a deep hole, push th' bastard in, an ye bury it? seems like th' sort o'thing ye does wit' th' dead. That work? or are ye going tae be dealing wit' homicidal shrubbery in a fortnight? Dinnae want tae be dealin' wit that twice."
Mikilos snorts softly in amusement, but nods in agreement. "We're trying our best, but we're trying to win a game where we don't know the rules, the players, where the pieces are on the board, or what the conditions to winning are. Loseing, however, may very well be torture forever in an afterlife ruled by Taara, simply because it might amuse her."
"Enough." The blonde man speaks up, and straightens up from the wall, finally drawing attention to himself for the first time as he strides forward. "I shall have no more blasphemy in my presence. The Temptress does not share the Sea of Mana. She will not rest until she controls all, and does that happen, magic shall be turned to evil entire." The man's voice is a light one, Myrrish in accent, even and steady but laced with ice. "I shall aid as I may, and do I find one, I shall do as you ask." He bows politely to the Guild representative before turning and stalking towards the door.
Aelwyn tilts his horns towards Lucius. "Tch, this one thinks Rider will have plenty of chance to get to know magical things." He swallows the last of his jerky. "And some of it might not even try to kill him." He gives a wide grin and a bump to Lucius' side with his hip. Picking up his glaive, he moves to walk over the map as well, glancing at it momentarily as the discussion reigns in different shades around him.
Aryia sits up slightly to peer at the map, a brow raising at the extent of it. And the pins. All the pins. Scribble scribble. Ask to see that later...
She gestures to the speaker. "Heed their advice. The shards will do weird things. One messed with time itself. Or.. near it. Was fucked anywas." She shudders at the memory.
The blond man's words gets her to look over. Blink. Ah. She nods towards him. That is something they could agree on. "Give the bitch no wiggle room," she signs slowly, certain. <Handspeech/Tongues>
Carver rolls her eyes, but does at least stop proposing the New World Order of Taara.
"I agree." Speaks Jacob against the Tenptress. "Damage cannot be helped with more damage, especially that which caused it all to begin with." Jacob nods to Seldan before he leaves. "Then we will keep looking for the pieces of this divine puzzle. Even if we must traverse the breadth of the world."
Lucius grins back. "Oh, I'm counting on it," he calls after the makari. Then he clears his throat and raises a hand. "Excuse me, I'd like to ask a question as well. What does the Guild plan to do with the recovered shards?"
He looks toward Mikilos. "I find your analogy most helpful, sir. If we're to play this game, learning more information about the game itself would seem to be of absolute importance. Given that we know little of the rules, the players, the board, or the winning conditions, one of the few tools we have at our disposal are the pieces the Guild has already collected. Would it be possible to learn more about this game from the shards themselves?"
Cesran nods his head in gratitude towards Orvald for answering what he could of that questions that Cesran asked. He focuses on the map as it's unfurled and while he does not try to replicate it now, he is staring intently at it trying to memorize every detail that he can. Most likely for later replication. He looks over at Carver, "As one who had worshiped Animus when I was younger and who currently worships The White Magician, I echo Seldan's statement. Should the Shadow Sorceress gain any sort of foothold into the Sea of Mana it would be disastereous for all of existance. Speaking as one who's been to the Sea of Mana and felt it's effect and see what happens when once touches the Sea of Mana, it is power in it's truest rawest form."
Cesran turns towards Jacob, "When I was younger and more foolish I had concerned what kind of spell or ritual could be made to bring Animus back from the dead. As I grew up and researched spells of such power I came to one conclusion. Even the most powerful spell that a mortal can cast, one that can change the very fabric of reality would not be enough to bring back a dead god. There are just too many variables and the mortal mind even at its very peak cannot hope to calculate them all to phase the spell in such a way to at best just kill yourself and at worse blow a hole in the world the size of a small country. Just the variables we can account for would be too much, that doesn't even begin to consider the unknown variables."
Cesran takes a breath, "It is just my personal opinion, but I believe that Animus knew that this would happen to him and that his sacrifice is for some greater unknown purpose that will lead to something greater. I put my faith in him and in his sucessor, the White Magician."
"One organization known as the Resurrectionists has already made itself felt. It's members believe that the only way to change matters is try to restore Animus to life, as their end goal. As insane as that sounds, they've been remarkably restrained. Their leader here in Alexandria is a Khazadi wizardess named Griva Brassbringer, and they've played a substantial role in tracking, identifying, and bringing to heel several of the Shards of Animus, and in taming some of the tangles in the sea of mana we've spoken of earlier." He lets out a breath.
"They, themselves, have stated that their own goal may well be impossible, but they are determined to at least *see* if they can manage it. Right now, they seem primarily interested in an orb-shaped Shard, immovable quite, that appeared in the wilds. It demanded that the 'pact' between Animus and the world be mended. This pact required several steps be taken, and a rite perofrmed. I believe they are still preparing the ancient rite that Rune once engaged in and it is only a matter of time before they are able to perform it. They are likely to be people you have dealings with as they promote their views and agenda."
Mikilos nods to Cesran. "The resurection of Animus, by mortal means alone, is almost certainly impossible. Thru whatever aid Animus himself might have prepared? Might still be impossible. Or it might be as easy as putting all the Shards together in a room and letting them do the job."
Aelwyn lifts his head at that, actually paying more attention this time around. Maybe there will be more places to sell his blade then he was anticipating. Stepping away from the crowd, he moves to retrieve his cloak and belongings; to prepare for the cold outside.
Listening to the speaker as he continues to make marks on his own map, Ous considers the new information, then hears Mikilos. Looking at the Wizard, the tall Aesir frowns. "Wait. ye mean like cats? Doesnae work well with cats. And is that a no to digging a deep hole? Aye'd really like tae know where we stand on th' murderous shrubbery angle when it comes tae these shards."
Aryia raises a brow at the new info, both from Cesran and the speaker, her jotting more notes down. "Better them than some other crazy fools."
The mute clicks her pen and stuffs it between the pages. A lot to think about. Seems as if she's going to stick around a while to ruminate. She's got some things to plan. "Hole won't work. Had to dig one out, do a fucking dance and put on a play to get it out. AND run out while everything was crumbling." Her scared face tinges. Still hung up over it. <Handspeech/Tongues>
"Maybe, but as far as I've seen everyone is looking for shards here on this plane, there could be other shards that are floating in other planes. I've searched, the best I could to the planes that I have access too, but I've not seen or heard anything of them. It doesn't mean that they don't exist. We might not be able to find all of them in our lifetime. Not to dismiss the work that's being done here. I'm here to lend my aid in any way that I can now that I've returned from my own searching." Cesran replies and nods to Aryia, "Agreed for now, but the closer they think they are to their goal the more I worry that zealotry will take over."
"Given the vastness of the planes, I suspect locating htem there would be even harder than it is here, especially given that many of them have inimical configurations to us mentally or physically," remarks Orvald. He lets out a breath, then stares at Aryia a moment. Points at her.
"See, the shards are ... they are whatever they are."
Luke listens and slowly nods, his green eyes flashing with concentration. "Perhaps there are related matters on which the Guild and the Resurrectionists could find some common ground," he muses. "Some amount of cooperation could be to our mutual benefit. On the other hand, I agree that we should keep a watchful eye on their activities. Better to proceed with caution when danger abounds."
Mikilos nods. "'Cats' might apt. If they follow any sort of rules, they do so on their own terms."
Catching Aryia's response to holes, Ous nods slowly as he considers it. "Ok, Well. Tha' isnae going tae work then, but th' story sounds amazing." Looking to the directors of the event, the Ranger nods as he begins to fold his map once more. "Aye know nothing about magic. Aye do know some of dangerous woods and cursed places. If Aye can help wit' the Felwood, Aye am willing." Slinging his bow and quiver over his shoulder, Ous heads for the door, needing to be back at camp before they decided to close the gates for the night. Hearing Mikilos as he walks past, the Aesir pauses for a moment to reply. "Sure. much th's same from th' sounds of it. Lots o' noise, highly unpredictable. an' if ye get enough together, ye're pretty sure ye dinnae want tae be in th' room as well."