wizardmanor | Floor 5, Room 3

[Malice is here too, but unlike all the other Norths, he has no information to share. Doing work?? Why would he do that when he could ditch the party and go punch shadows with Kiryu???

But he is listening from the chair he's sitting in, head tipped slightly to the side as he considers all of this.]

Y'all've found some damn good info. Thanks for callin' this meetin', an' for sharin'.

[He turns his attention to Robin, though.]

'Cause you're a wizard? Did the representative have anythin' interestin' to say?

The Northern representative I spoke to was incredibly timid as well. Given the general state of the North and the disposition they might be used to, I don't think I would blame them for cowering.

[It's like being treated as a predator among prey - a wolf in sheep's clothing, where all the sheep are aware and live in fear for the days the mask is lowered.]

Inhospitable lands also make for inhospitable people. [He swirls one finger up in the air. Look he's an authority on inhospitable lands, he made his own even worse. For the humans.]

But what are we to do with nature itself? I'm certain there's a limit to even that.

[Ithaqua lacks the desire to even change such a nice, snowy place. Looks like home, honestly.]

What can we do for them? Are you thinking of showing the humans some good will?

Of course. They're our priority.

[His gaze goes slightly flat towards Ithaqua, but he continues, letting it pass.]

The previous wizards apparently set up protections against avalanches and storms. It would be less changing the environment and more helping them persist despite of it, I imagine. But it's hard to say without the details.

Then we reinstate said protections. Or build our own-- building on old, failed foundations is bound to crumble in time. [Solomon may give him all the looks of disapproval he wants, but they don't change Ithaqua's stance towards humans.]

And perhaps teach them how to be able to fend for themselves, eventually. With our duties taking us everywhere but the country we're meant to be tied to, is it not best that they have some means of surviving in the event we're not available?

[It would also be easier to be hands-off in that case, too. However, he knows they're wary of wizards, hence the keyword "eventually".]

I wouldn't call it failed so much as temporary unavailable. [Like unplugging a lamp - what causes the fixture to stop working, a fault of its own or a lack of something else?]

If it were such a simple matter of being self-sufficient, I don't think it would have been overlooked as an option. They're maintaining status quo for the time being, but it takes just one being of power seeking an opening for lives to start being lost.

I would rather not leave them to be toyed with.

[Ithaqua drums his claws on his mask to cover up a sigh.]

I still believe that continuing the status quo would be dangerous. They look to wizards for protection despite their complicated feelings towards them... but the last group of wizards disappeared. Who is to say that this will not happen to us?

Best we get them independent. Set up magic procedures, barriers, seals, that don't need us to operate. [The less Ithaqua has to give a damn about them, the happier he'll be.]

You can't control a person's nature, anyhow. Someone will always try something-- best to have a contingency plan to deal with that.

I think we're arguing slightly different points, dear Ithaqua.

It is not our job to tell these people to change their way of life. There is a reason for the current arrangements, and I imagine it's not a simple one, let alone one we can do anything about. That is just a fact we are going to have to accept.

There is a difference between someone human taking action as a way of life, and a being of power seeking to take advantage that has had generations to establish that power. We can provide temporary relief with your type of solution, sure. I would not be against it. But this is not something that can be fixed with a few simple seals and barriers.

I don't disagree with wanting them to have independence as an ideal. But they need to have some level of choice and agency in that decision.

[Now he really sighs, and doesn't bother suppressing it.]

You'd like to babysit them for as long as we're here? [Because that's what it sounds like!] Pour so much of our time and efforts into them when we already have much ahead of us? Missions, learning, the unknown--

Please tell me that is not so.

Babysitting? No, no. The last thing they need is to be treated like infants.

If it's a matter that displeases you that much, then you can focus on whatever you like. Just don't cause ill will for the people who we have been assigned to represent, and there won't be a problem.

[A problem with him, specifically.]

A problem with you, specifically, you mean. [He is not unaware. This conversation has just tuned him to the fact that Solomon... likes humans to some degree.

A shame, that. He had such a pleasant personality too.]

Don't bring me into your plans and I shan't be motivated to do something out of spite.

I wouldn't dream of it.

[They'll agree to disagree for the time being, then. He has no problems with that, so long as Ithaqua doesn't intend to become an active threat.]

Because I am a wizard favored by the Northern spirits here, I would say. Same as all of us present. I told the man to carry himself with a little more self respect and he reacted as if he thought I would kill him on the spot for the disrespect.

[ so, you know, they're doing fine up there. he breathes out a sigh before continuing. ]

The monsters up North seem to be more active than usual, and manpower for day to day survival seems to be stretched thin between the more frequent attacks, and their city apparently having taken in more mouths to feed in the form of children.

[ with no one else to look after them, apparently. ]

Really? Damn.

[This is going to be tough with our assorted Northies, isn't it... We're all a little intimidating...]

Good to know. There's definitely stuff we can do to help out with that... but I dunno what exactly we're gonna be tasked with whenever we're sent up there.

[Those poor kids, though...]

[ that thread is pending, so robin, or whichever name he's given them to use ... huh he wouldn't have actually given anyone here his name. well, whatever they've had filter to them over time. some people have his name, they might have heard from them.

anyway point is he doesn't go further into details for now, instead just vaguely affirming what it is malice says with a low 'hmm'ing noise. ]

My thoughts were about the same. If it is a matter of supplies, then that, at least in the short term, is a relatively easy fix... same goes for if we need to do any extermination.

The issue is that these remain simply stopgap solutions at best. Maybe that is all we're here for, in the end, and we should leave the bulk of the problems for the native mages here to deal with should they be recovered— but who knows when that will be.

But who knows. [ he shrugs, languid. ] Perhaps we'll find the root of all issues whenever it is we're called up North.

[ and maybe they won't, and they'll have a merry little time having their own chances at getting possessed. ]

[i am choosing to believe that malice has not gotten robin's name at all because it's funny. how long will it take him to find out.......]

I'm hopin' it's a little more enlightenin' than the last couple've been...

[No shade to our Souths, they did great. Definitely shade to our Centrals and their rolls, who managed to get possessed.]

Regardless, it'd be good to help if we can. I ain't one for stickin' my neck out too far for others, but they feel a bit more like our responsibility 'cause we are claimed by the Northern spirits.

[But he'd prefer not to be possessed so...]

[ in the interest of the funnies i am going to encourage this. robin is never going to give his name unless prompted, let people 'hey you' him all the way to endgame. ]

An excess of altruism is hardly a merit others would attribute to me. [ said, with an amused air. ] Still, on the most practical level alone, it would hardly do to simply leave them to fend for themselves and ignore the happenings there when we know there's potentially something amiss in the countries here.

[ though what that something is remains to be seen if it is not merely just weird moon rocks, the saga. in any case, that's his justification for his interest in this: he is a being of pragmatism and logic, after all. ]

They have so kindly done us the favor of alerting us to what's currently out of place, after all.

[ the potential cause, on the other hand... a matter for another meeting, maybe. ]

[Nods! That makes sense to him and he won't question Robin's practicality any further, since he does agree with that idea.]

What a hassle, but I guess we'll see how things go, huh? Seems like we can work well enough together, anyway.

[...glances at Ithaqua and Solomon... you guys okay over there...]

As well as a group of strangers thrown together almost entirely arbitrarily can hope to, it seems like...

[ also looks over at solomon and ithaqua. ]

[dw about them... just getting their differences out of the way...]

[hm,,,]

Heh, better than it could be, yeah? We could all hate each other.

[Instead of being mildly neutral like most of them seem to be...? Have fun, Ithaqua and Solomon.]

It's not too late to change that, I'm sure. Who knows.

Maybe something will still happen to put us all at odds before we're sent out on our little trip.

[ have fun sorting out your differences, ithaqua and solomon ]

Hah, true enough. With the way things are goin' 'round here, I wouldn't be surprised...

[It's just one incident after another, isn't it??]

But here's hopin' we can at least put aside our differences for long enough to do what we gotta do.

Oh, we'd better. I would like to see us being able to leave at the end of all this.

[ as opposed to being horribly cursed into staying, or somehow being stuck because they couldn't fix whatever this moon problem is, or because they lost their magic due to an ill-advised pact or promise or something. ]

Yeah, I got some important stuff to get back to.

[revenge!!!]

But I guess it ain't worth thinkin' too much 'bout that right now. Gotta focus on gettin' stronger first, then takin' care of problems here.

Floor 5, Room 3

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