Re: Floor B21 - District of Earth, Gatekeeper Core
"And I am Garnet Cog, Clockwork Goddess, and Guardian of the Key." The materialized machine-spirit communicates in polite High Realm, rather than the old tongue, though she is more accustomed to the latter. She gestures toward Veldygar with arms that lack joints; rather they are constructed entirely of a jigsaw of magitech parts held together by some unseen source. "This is my young apprentice. We are here to help corroborate the stories and claims our comrades will make."
"I am sure you can tell that we speak the truth. We have nothing to hide." It's a bit of a bet, Garnet Cog cannot read minds the way the Gatekeeper can, after all. But her time spent among the group of Celestials gathered here, thus far, has given her the impression they would rather win the Gatekeeper's trust with truth than lies.
Another silence passes after Cog finishes speaking, leaving Shining Eye's question hanging, though not ignored. Finally, there is motion from the statue, slow, laborious motion, as if the stone entity had not moved from the spot he is perched in for hundreds of years. All he even bothers moving is his head, the marble chin tilting up to meet the gaze of the strong personality that has recently assumed control of Third's body. "YOU ASK WHO I AM? YOU DO NOT RECOGNIZE HE WHO ILLUMINATES BOTH WORLDS WITH MAJESTY AND POWER? HE WHO STOOD AT THE CENTER OF ALL CREATION, AND ENDURED AS THE ANATHEMA THOUGHT TO BREAK HIM A SECOND TIME? I AM PASIAP! I SERVE AS A BASTION OF MY PEOPLE, UNTIL THE DAY WE CAN RECLAIM WHAT WAS LOST!"
"YOUR NAMES, I DO NOT RECOGNIZE THEM. NO. I KNOW SOME OF YOU!" A warning rumble becomes an ominous one, the platform shaking and tilting, becoming unstable to stand on. "YOU, KARES PERIAN, HAVE BEEN ASSUMED DEAD FOR TWO YEARS. AND YAISHIN HIGURA, SAINA NANARET, YOUR NAMES ARE LISTED AS ESCAPED, UNCOLLARED ANATHEMA! YOU DO NOT HIDE, YET YOU PRESUME TO THINK I WILL LET YOU PASS? DEMONS, I THINK NOT!" The statue's marble-carved fingers jerk and twitch, then abruptly grab hold of the goremaul on his lap, as a bright white light surges from his carved eyes!
OOC: Posted Cog speaking for Veldygar, RL is making it difficult for him to post.
You have a post each to come up with some sort of good, or at least distracting argument to keep 'Pasiap' from turning hostile, setting what sentinels he has in reserve to recollar all confirmed Anathema, etc. (Admittedly his best fighters are already distracted, but a hostile situation may not be what you want here.)
[Private to Kares Perian: BTW is Kares Perian the name you had while collared? Or did you assume the name after joining Free?]