These Are Not the Books You're Looking For (D7, EM, Open)

[Canary]

"Great-great lights were spotted in the north. Only one fell south, though. Went from big light to big-big light. Then turned down, sharp." The nezumi made a gesturing of a diagonal line curving suddenly down in an arc. "Hit big-big center city. Many met Tomorrow. Chief of chiefs. Great stick hall. Much-much lost. Sent many-many rocks through sky, landed many places. Left big-big hole - the Crater. Green light at the center. From there, worse things come. Big scary spirits emerged. Goblins and ogres and trolls change. Many-many more meet Tomorrow following."

(snip)

The white rat spoke to Reo. "It is that which spreads, from the Crater. Many-many things it changes. Plants, animals, goblins, ogres, trolls. Many-many things."

[Nanzi]

Nanzi glanced to Jin as this seemed his wheelhouse.

[Jin]

"What have your people learned of these spirits that have emerged?" Jin, of course, focused on the threats more in his wheelhouse first.

[Canary]

"What have your people learned of these spirits that have emerged?" Jin, of course, focused on the threats more in his wheelhouse first.

"Creatures of the crater. Maybe from place in hole," they explained. "Very big, very dangerous. Interested in Name, but ours is too strong." They eyed Jin carefully. "Can be tricky. Mind your Name. Human Name weak."

[Jin]

A slight darkness takes Jin's face for a moment, "Well they'd starve themselves there at least when it comes to me." He shakes his head then nods, "Another of your kind mentioned magic based on names. Do you have a way to..." He grasped at the right idea, "protect names? So that these spirits could not impact them."

[Reo]

"Oh. Not-not area of knowing, but can give basics," they replied.

Reo shrugs. "It's more than what I've got now. Lead on."

[Reo]

"

(snip)

The white rat spoke to Reo. "It is that which spreads, from the Crater. Many-many things it changes. Plants, animals, goblins, ogres, trolls. Many-many things."

"How does it change the "many many" things?" Reo pauses, realizing , "What are the changes made, and what method does it use the change them?"

[Canary]

"How does it change the "many many" things?" Reo pauses, realizing , "What are the changes made, and what method does it use the change them?"

"Not sure how. Spirit-sick gets in, changes bodies, makes stupid," they explained. "Makes..." They made a gesture like they were wearing a hand puppet.

[Canary]

A slight darkness takes Jin's face for a moment, "Well they'd starve themselves there at least when it comes to me." He shakes his head then nods, "Another of your kind mentioned magic based on names. Do you have a way to..." He grasped at the right idea, "protect names? So that these spirits could not impact them."

They shook their head. "No starve, just easy or hard. All things have Name. All things."

They considered, then nodded. "Yes. Not useful for humans, though. Can't do Name Magic."

[Nanzi]

"How did the goblins and ogres change, what were they like before-before this?" he asked.

[Reo]

"Not sure how. Spirit-sick gets in, changes bodies, makes stupid," they explained. "Makes..." They made a gesture like they were wearing a hand puppet.

"Spirit-sick. Good word." The rat things didn't speak properly, but that meant fewer words. That was fine by Reo.

Maybe it will catch on.

"How?" Reo mimes the hand puppet gesture. "Body? Mind?" He pantomimes someone controlling the puppet.

"Way to cure?"

[Canary]

"How did the goblins and ogres change, what were they like before-before this?" he asked.

"Ogres get..." They gestured up. "Big-big. More violent. No talk, no think. Just attack-attack. Goblins always stupid, but they turn against us and spread spirit-sick."

"Spirit-sick. Good word." The rat things didn't speak properly, but that meant fewer words. That was fine by Reo.

Maybe it will catch on.

"How?" Reo mimes the hand puppet gesture. "Body? Mind?" He pantomimes someone controlling the puppet.

"Way to cure?"

"Both. The ones south, they get sick quickly. Hard to tell signals. Up here... notice they sleep-scream. Look behind all day." She mimed looking over her shoulder. "Then attack. Run or get killed. Run south."

[Reo]

"it get worse in South? Deeper you get?"

The rat person was surprisingly helpful. Nightmares and erratic and nervous behavior would be an early sign.

"No way make not sick-sick?"

[Canary]

"it get worse in South? Deeper you get?"

The rat person was surprisingly helpful. Nightmares and erratic and nervous behavior would be an early sign.

"No way make not sick-sick?"

"No way we found. Green stone detects. Tried to see if cure. No cure there. Look-look more."

[Reo]

Reo pulls out a finger of Jade that Reiko had helped him obtain.

"How it detecc? Wear away?"

It was a terrifying thought that there was no cure, especially after getting so close to a creature.

[Nanzi]

"Hrrm, are these forces organized?" Nanzi asked.

[Canary]

Reo pulls out a finger of Jade that Reiko had helped him obtain.

"How it detecc? Wear away?"

It was a terrifying thought that there was no cure, especially after getting so close to a creature.

They frowned. "We knowing human speak. No need to speak simple. ' ' ' ... Yes." they wobbled their hand. "Turns black and soft, then falls."

"Hrrm, are these forces organized?" Nanzi asked.

"No. Strong, but... loose."

[Jin]

Jin nods at the words, though he wasn't so certain there wasn't an intelligence at play, leading a foe to underestimate you was a wise tactical decision in itself.

"We call on the spirits of the elements, you call upon names, have any of the sick shown a magic of their own we should prepare against?"

[Nanzi]

Nanzi nodded in agreement at that question, yes tell us that.

[Reo]

Reo nods. "You say that they change. Is it always the same or is it different every time?"