All men must die, but first he must live.

[reddosmod]

SEPTEMBER 2021 EVENT

IMAGE DESCRIPTORS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
Prompt One
[Image One: Woman holding skull in bag. ]
[Image Two: Plants sprouting out of earth.]

Prompt Two
[Image One: Woman rocking back and forth in dark.]
[Image Two: Woman rowing down river with corpses on stakes on horizon.]

Prompt Three
[Image One: Beef cake man breaking arrows off of shield with a sword.]
[Image Two: Beefy man slamming axe into troll-like creature, spraying blood.]

[NAVIGATION]

Prompt 1 • Prompt 2 • Prompt 3 • Plotting • Newsletter

[JUMP TO COMMENTS]

GROWING PAINS

WHEN: September
WHERE: Everywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: Minor blood ritual.

---

September, for many in Trench, is considered a month of personal sacrifice. It is the month of self-actualization and promise. To grow your future, you must first be willing to sacrifice your past. You cannot walk forwards while walking backward. All throughout Trench, natives can be seen in yards and on plots of land digging small holes and planting a variety of items. Some plant seeds, some drop in a ring, others bury small parts of a body. But the ritual is simple: bury something that represents your past and seal it with a promise for your future.

You can write yourself a note or cut off a lock of your own hair. The ways in which people do this are limitless since it's a largely personal experience. Find a small patch of soil and dig yourself a shallow hole. Bury the item inside, say goodbye to who you used to be, and cover the item up with dirt. Once you are done, you must shed at least one drop of blood onto the sacrifice. It must be your own blood willingly given. Once the blood hits the soil, a small flower will miraculously grow out of the earth within seconds.

A single, powerless flower, but this flower will be completely immortal. You can either keep it on the patch of land or dig it up and bring it home. The flower will be a representation of your progress in Trench: if its petals wilt, you are lingering too much in the past. If it is in full bloom and vibrant, you're on the right path to a better future. If the flower starts to rot, you're heading down a dangerous path.

The flower may not be able to sway you one way or another, but it may serve as a valuable reminder of the kind of life you wish to lead. Some people abandon the flowers entirely and never bother with them. After all, there are no real consequences if you let the flower rot. If a character is dropped, their flower will fleck away like dust. Many believe that the flowers are made of the same stuff omens are made of.

You can dig up other people's flowers and watch their progress (make sure to get player permission) instead. After all, not everyone will care enough about their own flowers to really observe them closely. The flowers can come in any species or size, even fictional flowers, but they will only be replicas. Meaning if your character's flower is typically used for healing, there will be no healing properties in this replica. The flowers cannot be destroyed.

Many natives in Trench will repeat this ritual a few times every couple of years since the ritual is for letting go of the past. After all, the promises you make to yourself now won't be the same promises you make to yourself ten years from now. People change and so too will their flowers. What the characters bury is largely open to interpretation.

RIVER OF REGRET

WHEN: September
WHERE: Some obscure location within Gaze
CONTENT WARNINGS: Mangled corpses of loved ones, birds eating corpses, themes of regret.

---

You will find raven feathers all over Trench. They may drift through the air, lightly touch you, or you might decide to pick one up. The moment you come into physical contact with a feather, a conspiracy of ravens tears through the air and scoops you up into a whirlwind of feathers and caws. It only lasts a few seconds before you're deposited into a canoe drifting along a still river. Another Sleeper is in the boat with you. You pass beneath massive stone walls carved into the likeness of Never Mind and his ravens.

The world is silent around you. There is no rain here. Instead, sunlight pours through breaks in the clouds. Sunlight dapples across the water and golden-red leaves of nearby trees. It's more serene than most places in Trench.

You turn a corner and smell it before you see it. The picturesque summer day is dampened by the stench of rot. Then you come upon them: corpses. Corpses tied up to posts with barbed wire, corpses put through spikes and suspended in the air. Ravens flutter to and fro, picking at strips of meat. It isn't until you're close enough that you realize you recognize the corpses.

They are the corpses of people you have hurt. And that doesn't just mean people you killed or physically harmed. These are the bodies of people you have deep regrets towards: a lover you wronged, a best friend you lied to, an enemy you wish you had forgiven. Not everything is as black and white as murder, after all, and this grisly graveyard of mangled bodies says as much. Sometimes our regrets haunt us like the dead, and it seems like yours have followed you to Trench. You might even see your own body up on a post or the body of your canoe companions.

You have one of two choices: ignore your regret or face it.
Choosing to ignore your regrets doesn't seem to have any ill consequences at first. You pass by the corpses and continue on your river voyage. But the water grows thicker, and you come across the same corpses only in a worse state. The situation gets progressively worse each time you ignore it, and the river gradually becomes a river of blood and gore. The stench becomes insufferable and you will become increasingly corrupt. Some may even turn into beasts right there on the river.

Facing your regrets means talking about them, even mildly, to your canoe companions. You simply need to acknowledge the corpses, acknowledge the slightest truth to your feelings towards those regrets. When everyone in your canoe has acknowledged their regrets, the ravens will come for you once more. You will be brought back to Trench and awaken in the School of Mutter. Those who faced their regrets will discover that they have been gifted a white gold compass. The compass's needle will always point in the direction of the nearest Lamp Friend no matter the chaos going on in the world. But the compass only works once you have calmed down and focused.

QUICK FACTS

1. Each boat can hold up to 4 people. There can be multiple canoes in the same area.

2. If you try to leave the boat, you will drown in the River of Regret.

3. This does not have to encompass every regret someone's had. It can only represent one or two things. The regret should have to do with another individual or one's self. Something like "I regret not going to college" wouldn't necessarily work within the parameters of the prompt.

4. The river can only be accessed by touching a fallen raven feather. Touching a raven feather attached to the bird or a quill does not count.

5. Characters can engage with this prompt as many times as they touch a raven feather.

6. Characters with no regrets will not see corpses, but they will still be able to interact with characters who do have regrets.

BLOODSPORT

WHEN: During the Blood Moon
WHERE: Everywhere but specifically, The Gate
CONTENT WARNINGS: Violence, fighting, forced aggression/violence, forced fighting.

---

The Blood Moon invokes religious reverence among Trenchies. September and October are the ultimate months of sacrifice to pay tribute to the gods and the blood that rules this world. An energy begins to swell among Trenchies and you keep hearing the same word whispered excitedly around the city: "Bloodsport."

As the Blood Moon floods the streets in red, you begin to feel antsy, like you don't know what to do with yourself. You're not necessarily angry, you just have an abundance of energy. You don't need to be told what it is: your blood is reacting to the moon. The Blood Moon enhances blood powers significantly and you're simply not used to that yet. You don't feel in control of your own power or maybe even your own mind. At least until you exert some power, some force. Slam a door shut or swing a sword, shoot some electricity or spit some poison and you'll feel at peace with yourself. That nervous energy will ease out.

Only to come back twice as strong. It starts to put you in a real fighting mood and you start to realize why the locals call this Bloodsport. Hunting down beasts and monsters might seem like the fun thing to do right now, but the real attraction for Bloodsport takes place at The Gate. You can hear the roaring crowd blocks away. Hundreds of Trenchies have settled in to watch Sleepers duke it out with each other or with locked-up monsters. Maybe join in the fight. At least you know the other Sleepers there want to be there...Right?

Unfortunately not. Those who resist Bloodsport will find themselves passing out more and more frequently. Eventually, they will be taken by Mysterious Forces to The Gate to be pitted against other Sleepers and monsters. Some Sleepers will be forced into a gladiator-style fight that they either must win or die trying. Most fights at the Gate do end in death, but there are some circumstances where someone surrenders. Of course, that never stops their opponent from killing them anyway...Hopefully, you're fighting someone who is still relatively reasonable. Both parties can be resistant to fighting, but they will feel obligated to fight each other. If they don't, monsters will be unleashed into the arena and your situation will get a whole lot worse.

Bloodsport can greatly enhance a Sleeper's ability and many believe it is a gift from the Pthumerian gods. It is generally considered an advantage to Sleepers during the Season of Blood to prepare them and train them to hone their skills for the Season of Bone. Many believe it is wisest to submit to Bloodsport and let yourself get used to the motions of violence in order to survive the remainder of the year.

QUICK FACTS

1. Casual physical training will alleviate Bloodsport feelings. You could get through the month just by jogging around a lot.

2. Characters forced to the Gate will not remember how or when they arrived - they will just wake up and be thrown into the Gate by some shadowy force.

3. Characters who willingly participate in violence/fighting will feel temporary relief from Bloodsport only for the feeling to increase.

4. Effects of Bloodsport last as long as the Blood Moon shines through September and October.

5. You can treat symptoms of Bloodsport with calming techniques such as aromatherapy, meditation, medications, etc. Can be based on what would ICly help calm your character but it should require a lot of it.

6. You can invent the monsters/beasts that are at the Gate. They should be killable creatures and easily captured for the purpose of the Gate.

CODING

Comments

Growing Pains

[opress]

Savage had seen plenty of people digging right into foreign traditions of this place, and he so far wasn't so certain of the need to bury anything. Blood rituals were not unheard of, and for a male, it was probably more common than it should have been. Life force had to be given to the River of Ichor, and sometimes it was said that Zabrak males produced enough and could survive a good blood letting by the Sisters. He'd never experienced it himself, but that didn't mean it wasn't true.

He was currently exploring the neighborhoods and gathering information about where certain people were. It also allowed him to see how many people were creating flowers and to see more of the various parts of Trench. It also doubled as a way for him to walk Ruin who was definitely getting bigger and was eager to put anything and everything in that toothy hole of a mouth.

He was alerted to Willow by her exclamation to something-something working, and he lumbered his way over to investigate. Was she casting some of her human magic? No, it seemed that she had grown a flower, and he frowned as he regarded it.

"Most people seem to be growing plants in any patch of dirt they can find. What's the point?" He wasn't a big flower person. They didn't seem useful.

[frogfear]

The rathar accompanying Savage makes Willow pause - the creature reminds her a little too much of a smaller version of both the tentacle monster in Deerington, and the Hellmouth spawn from home that she had only ever encountered twice.

"Hey," she still greets Savage with a smile, though. She's sure he's there because he heard her performing the ritual, or heard her declare afterwards that it had clearly worked.

"It's, uh, a local ritual," she explains. "The idea is that you say goodbye to the past, and the flower represents your future."

[opress]

Ruin the rathtar was currently chewing on a fence post, but it was fine. Savage had the creature on a leash and harness that was most definitely for dogs, but the squeaky hissing creature seemed contained... mostly.

He leaned over the fence to have a better look at the plant that she had created with, what he assumed, was some kind of Earth witch magic. That seemed to be going around lately if the various people burying items and bleeding all over the ground.

"Why would you say good-bye to something that's behind you anyway?" He raised a brow, leaning closer as if expecting something dramatic to happen. "How does a random plant represent a future? That seems foolish."

[frogfear]

Puck gets up and moves closer to Ruin to investigate - he's cautious and stays well out of reach, and he's clearly ready to bolt, but he's curious as well.

"A lot of people have a hard time letting go of the past." She's no exception either. Sometimes it's hard not to think too hard on Sunnydale - the things she regrets doing there, missing her friends. Choosing to move onto Trench instead of going home means she never will know whether or not she would find herself welcome there again. Sometimes it's hard to hold onto the idea that it doesn't really matter any more.

"Anyway, the flower's supposed to show you if you're on the path you want to be on by how well it's thriving - if it's doing well, you're going in the right direction, if not, it's time to reexamine."

[opress]

Ruin thankfully remained engaged with the fence post, tentacles grappling it as if the creature was 'play fighting'. Savage also was keeping an eye on the rathtar, ready to reel the clingy creature back to him. However, he was also curious of the canine that was Willow's omen, reminding him of a few creatures he had heard of.

"I don't enjoy my past. No one probably does." he remarked softly. On Dathomir, life was hard, sometimes short, and brutal. There were a great number of expectations placed on them from a young age, but at the same time, death was more of an inevitability. Hatred was easy to fall into with the natural Dark Side presence of the planet. Life after Dathomir was better but sometimes lonely, just as hard and equally as short.

"What do you suppose will happen if you fail to let of it? Will your plant die off and you'll be cursed?" After all, not everyone could be perfect. Or even insightful. Or so many other requirements necessary to be a better person.

[frogfear]

Puck tilts his head curiously at Ruin - is it trying to play with the fence post, or destroy it? He's not sure. He's distracted from the odd creature, though, when Savage speaks of his past, and sits, curling his tail around his front paws, and watching him with a sympathetic gaze.

"Especially with what you told me about your past - I can understand that," Willow answers gently. They both have very different reasons for wanting to let go of what came before Trench. This is supposed to be a new life, and a new chance, and she doesn't regret choosing to come here, but she still finds her thoughts wandering back to Sunnydale often - if her friends and family are okay, if she's okay. How the battle against the latest apocalypse is going.

"I don't know," she says honestly. "I mean, how the plant does depends on how you're doing - so you see the flower's not doing so hot, you can always try to change course."

[opress]

Savage sighed when Ruin was chewing higher and higher on the fence post, forcing him to give the rathtar a firm tug. Random property damage was more in line with his brother Maul than himself. The rathtar's tentacles released and it rolled with a squicky hiss over to Savage's leg to attach and start chewing there. It was so common that he didn't even move.

"It's something one can never escape. The past defines us." He was who he was because of his past, because of the decisions and experiences he had made - or were made for him. He had his regrets, but he still had to stand by the fact that his past had put him on the path that he inevitably had some enjoyment of, short time that it was before his death. "It seems... silly a spell will provide motivation for the future over the past."

He raised a brow at the idea of a flower dictating how the path that a person was on. That seemed skeptical. "Who would actually let the health of a flower dictate their actions?" He hadn't, of course, factored in the idea of blood corruption.

[frogfear]

Puck stands and gives a single bark of alarm when Ruin starts chewing on Savage. Willow glances over at the pair and raises an eyebrow. He's allowing it, so she assumes it can't hurt, but it certainly looks like it should.

"That's, um. Some pet you've got there. Looks like he needs more chew toys?" You know, something more appropriate than fence posts or people.

She considers his point of view for a moment before answering. He's gone through a lot more than most have, and it feels important to acknowledge it would be harder for him to move past that trauma than it might be for someone who's experiences were not quite so terrible.

"It can be hard, but sometimes it's important to let go of the past - especially if you want to change who you are now," she answers. She's not sure she wants to get too specific about what she's trying to put behind her. "Especially with what we all did by coming here - I mean, we chose to come here instead of going back to our old homes, and we all did it for a reason - whether it was because we didn't have a choice or anything to go back to, or if we just decided it was time to do something else. It seems a little extra important to try to let that go, especially since we can't go back to it anyway, you know?"

She raises an eyebrow when he asks why someone would let the health of the flower dictate their actions. That's far easier to explain. "Don't think of it as just a flower - it's part of you, too, and part of the promise you made to yourself to try to put something you don't want ruling over your future behind you. So, it's more like a compass. If you lose your way, you check your compass to help you get back on track, right?"

[opress]

There are buckles on his boots that receive particular attention from the rathtar and Savage was rather tolerant to the toothy mouth wrapping around his leg. "That's Ruin. I think it is getting hungry." Walks were good for letting Ruin find vermin and other creatures to consume rather that just letting to rathtar loose to do so. Less complaints of missing pets that way.

It was true that they had made a choice coming here, for better or worse. He considered with the usual frown on his face that meant he was actually taking the time to think about it rather than just discount what was being told to him. "Can anyone truly let go of their past though?" He couldn't say that aside from Maul, his past was one of the few things he had to reflect on. It wasn't as if he had close ties with anyone or anything else here in Trench.

So far, he preferred to keep his blood in his body where it was supposed to be. He regarded the flower again skeptically, not certain how a plant was part of her just because she bled all over it. "We don't use compasses. Just where the sun is and then the stars at night. Aside from that, nav computers are better at course correction." Missing the point, he knew, still not convinced of the relevance of a plant being his potential moral compass.

[frogfear]

"What do you even feed it?" She's not sure she wants to know, but at the same time, she can't help but be a little curious about the creature. It's not like Savage seems like the pet-keeping type exactly.

She mulls over his question carefully before answering - he's told her enough about the trauma he's suffered over the years that she understands it would be far harder for him to move beyond those experiences than for most.

"I like to think so. If you're determined enough, and you really want to change, sometimes that's the only way forward." She watches him quietly for a moment. "I asked you on the beach, what you'd want to do with your life, if you could do anything at all, and you said you didn't know. Have you thought about it any more?"

[opress]

"Ruin mostly feeds itself," he reflect. "But anything that can fit in the mouth hole of teeth is fair game." Voracious eaters, rathtars were not picky and tended to overwhelm their prey quickly and viciously. "I tend to get it eating insects and rodents. Now that its getting bigger, we will have to see." There was a reason that Ruin was on a harness and leash, all so there was a slight bit of control.

She had been somewhat honest about her own experiences, so he knew that she was probably going to go all in with this new world. She had friends to protect, and she being a witch meant that she had a strong background for digging into the semantics of blood magic and how it operated more than most. She could be a boon of knowledge.

"It doesn't seem like this place is going to let us remain the same as we were," he remarked. One way or another, these sort of dream towns would nudge them along. Maybe he was just more stubborn or set in his ways than most. "No, not really. It's been about adapting so far. What are you thinking of doing now that you're here and seen for yourself some of the possibilities?"

[frogfear]

"Ruin, huh? Seems like kind of an appropriate name." She grins a little. Despite her curiosity, she's not entirely comfortable with the creature, but she does trust Savage to keep it under control. "Do they, uh, ever grow out of the chewing thing? Like dogs do? And just how big do they get?"

He mentions that this place isn't letting them remain the same as they were and she nods. She's had the same experience - it's been a difficult and sudden adjustment. She no longer has the same command over her old magic as she used to, which is forcing her to dig deeper into the blood magic that is standard in this world, and then there's sleepwalking as a wolf thing.

"I'm still considering teaching - I've been picking up some classes at the School of Mutter, but I think it's gonna be a bit before I'm ready to run my own. How have you been adapting so far? You're settling in okay?" She is concerned for his well being, especially if he's found himself changed as much as she has. He seems perfectly like himself, though, or at least, how she remembers him from the beach.

[opress]

He gave Ruin's leash another quick tug and called down, "backpack". The tentacled creature squeakily began to climb Savage fully, still teething away and then seemed to attach to his back, tentacles curling under and around his arms, but it settled for the most part. "No, never. They are vicious predators and will eat anything they can. Normally they can get to be the size of a small house, but Ruin seems stunted." Which was disappointing but also acceptable.

He still wasn't so certain about the effects of his blood, though he had noted the colour change of it and that it did not act normally was the initial welling of it happened. He hadn't tested it out, and even more confusing was that Maul's blood did not act as he did though it was the same colour. It seemed important, though he wasn't entirely convinced by the rituals yet.

"You said you wanted to teach on your home world. I suppose you have an edge being a witch," he remarked, thinking she might pick up knowledge about this blood magic business faster than most.

He blinked at the question, not used to being asked about his own well-being. He froze for a moment then offered a small shrug. "Fine," he said a touch defensively, like she might be looking for admittances of weakness even if he expected she wasn't. "We have the same house and most of my brother's pets arrived..." he trailed off and automatically seemed drawn to looking back towards the direction of the Farther Shores.

[frogfear]

The size of a small house? Willow is not at all disappointed to learn that Ruin's growth is apparently stunted. "Yeah... I saw something similar at home a couple times. It sounds like it was pretty similar to this guy. Except, uh, less obedient."

She does not admit that she still occasionally has nightmares about the spawn from the Hellmouth.

She hasn't uncovered much about her blood type yet. So far, as far as she can tell, it just appears to be normal blood. There have been changes, though. She has learned that trying to use her regular magic does not work - even attempting the simplest of spells is virtually incapacitating, between pulling her out of reality for a few moments, and causing sudden and severe headaches. On top of that, there's this uncomfortable business with turning into a wolf whenever she sleeps. Adapting so much change all at once, certainly hasn't been easy.

Is she even still a witch without her magic? She's unsure so far, but she's willing to make the attempt to try to learn blood magic so she can still learn to defend herself and her friends, and once she's more comfortable with her abilities again, perhaps, then she can teach others.

"Yeah," she says with a small nod. "I guess it does mean I might pick up the magic here faster, but I have to be honest - it's way different from what I'm used to. There are spells I've read about that need someone to shed blood for them to work, but it's all pretty dark, dangerous stuff."

He says he's adjusting fine, and that he and Maul both are surrounded by both home and pets that are familiar to them. She's never met any of Maul's animals, and her assumption is that she'd probably rather not, but it's good to hear that at least Savage is doing well. She smiles a little and gestures at the mansion behind her.

"Yeah. It's nice to have some familiar things around us still, huh? Radar and Rosie are here too," she can't remember if she's ever mentioned the name of the horse before, but she doubts she's ever mentioned the cow Jack rescued with his plane that she ended up taking in. "I'm glad you're taking to everything okay."

[opress]

Ah, so she had a point of reference then. That was good in case she encounter Ruin on her own when the creature was rolling around town looking for food. "I've been training Ruin since I arrived. It knows two commands and its name." Which didn't sound like a lot, but rathtars were not known for anything other than their viciousness. "Do you want to pet it?" That's what humans did with their pets, right?

After all, Ruin had settled and was currently attached to his back and tentacles were wrapped around his arms and waist. They were easy access! The tooth filled mouth hole was gnawing on his armour anyway.

Their blood types seemed to be different and caused certain effects. He had noted a few different colours, and while that wasn't odd given the galaxy and the thousands of species in it, he did find it odd to see humans with different blood colours. It didn't seem to have anything on what colour people had come to the shores with as squid either. He would have to start experimenting with his own blood, though normally he preferred to keep it in his body pumping through his veins.

He nodded. "There are probably books on how the blood magic works, right?" He wasn't someone who was keen to start reading. He was a visual learner and took verbal instructions. Pictures were better as far as he was concerned; there was less mix up. "Are the spells accessible to everyone?" Could be useful for his brother at least. "You could use people you don't like to shed blood for spells? Or buy it."

He shrugged his shoulders at the idea of familiarity. It simply meant he had a base to operate out of and a familiar space to sleep. "Which ones are those?" He definitely hadn't heard the names of her pets before. "Who is that?" He pointed at the omen; his own was not currently present.

[frogfear]

Oh God. She very much does not want to pet the tentacle monster, even if she does want to trust Savage wouldn't offer if he didn't have complete control over it. She shakes her head. "No, no, that's okay. What, uh, what commands does it know?"

Willow has not uncovered much about her blood type yet - just that it seems like normal blood so far, red and liquid, and entirely ordinary, and she's only scratched the surface with researching in the Archives. It's a new place, and there's so much to learn both about Trench itself, the Pthumerians, and blood magic.

"Yeah, there's a ton of information in the Archives on just about every topic you can think of. It's just - some of it's kind of hard to find, and there's a lot of it," so far what she's found has been mostly helpful, though. It occurs to her suddenly though that maybe one of the Scholars at the School might be more helpful in regards to working out her specific blood type. "The school is a pretty good resource too."

She nods. "I mean, I'm sure there's probably spells that are going to come easier to some people than others, but there's at least some - like summoning these flowers - that everyone seems to be able to do. I don't think I'd feel any better, really, though, about using someone else's blood than mine. Even if it's someone I don't like, but I guess in theory it would be possible." Realistically, the person she dislikes the most is Maul and she does not want to get close enough to him for there to be any bloodshed.

The animals are a far easier topic to discuss, and she smiles. "Radar's the horse I was riding the first time we met. I found him - well, he found me, really - back in April, when those worms were around. Rosie's a cow - she fell from the sky when the dream was breaking, and someone rescued her with their plane and ended up landing at my house." You know. Before Maul destroyed it. It hits suddenly too that Jack is one of the people she has not seen here in Trench yet, and she can't help but wonder if he's okay, and if he's a squid somewhere out in the ocean still, or if he simply chose to go home instead.

It occurs to her after a moment that Savage might not know what a cow is - Obi-Wan didn't know what a sheep was after all, because apparently they did not exist in their universe. "Do they have cows on Dathomir?"

She reaches forward to ruffle the fur between the fox's ears affectionately as he stares up at Ruin and Savage curiously. "And this is Puck. He was my dream guide in Deerington. So I guess he's the equivalent here too."

[opress]

Safe and control were relative terms when it came to the pets that Maul and Savage had; both of them were quite used to being chewed on, grappled, struck and knocked over. That was just a fact of life, and he considered Ruin to be in the best position to not bring too much harm currently.

"Backpack," he said, a touch of pride in his voice. She had already seen that command in action of course. "Open door." The second command might not have been the safest to teach, since Ruin didn't need a command to do it, but it saved windows from being broken. "We're still working on fetch and drop it. Ruin doesn't like to let things go once whatever it is happens to go in the mouth parts." Imagine that.

He considered that for a moment, and, while he was certain his brother would know about the archives, it might be worth seeing if they could go together. After all, he and Maul seemed to share blood types though the effects appeared to be quite different. They hadn't set out long to investigate it in depth.

For now, he wasn't about to admit that he didn't like or was even good at reading. That seemed like it would reinforce the idea that he was dull. So far she hadn't treated him as such, just with a necessary caution at times. "Brother is always interested in books. He's probably gone through some of it already."

He shrugged at the idea of her not wanting to use blood other than her own. He likely wouldn't have that kind of problem. "Maybe you should dislike more people and it would be easier to blood-let them." Was that a joke? His tone didn't indicate as much, but he was watching her keenly to see if she might be amused all the same.

Oh, yes, he knew what a horse was. He had Rampage who dwarfed all other horses as far as he could tell. It was true that he had no idea what a cow as. They didn't have such ruminants where he was from; they would have all been eaten and made extinct very quickly on Dathomir. "I don't think so. Unless it's extremely dangerous and has a high chance of killing you." So, negative on the cows.

"Puck." He sounded the name like he might be committing it to memory. "What kind of animal is that? It looks like a similar species to Vulptices."

[frogfear]

Willow can't help but smile a little bit - she might find Ruin a little mildly terrifying, but Savage is clearly proud of the work they've done together. "It can be tough to teach an animal to do what you ask it to - sounds like you're doing well with Ruin. Drop it's probably a good one to teach too."

She shouldn't be surprised that Maul is interested in books - he's complicated enough that she figures she also shouldn't be surprised if Savage had told her that what he's really passionate about is becoming a ballet dancer. She is not overly thrilled at the possibility of running into him in the maze of stacks, though.

"You should come by sometime yourself - you might like it there too," Willow is certainly happy enough to encourage Savage to come to the Archives as well. Even if he's left the impression that Dathomir is not a place where education is the highest of priorities, she certainly doesn't consider him unintelligent at all.

Making more enemies is a joke. It has to be a joke. She lets out a soft chuckle and looks at the ground for a moment with an amused smile. "Yeah. I think your brother is enough of a 'people I dislike' list for me for now, thanks, and trust me - no plans for blood letting there. Not from me anyway. Having enemies is kind of a lot of work."

It's not surprising he's not familiar with cows at all, under the circumstances. "They look a little like horses, except they have shorter necks, and they're way stockier. Humans usually use them for meat and milk, but even when Rosie stops producing milk, she'll still be just a pet. The males can be kind of grumpy, but she's really sweet."

Puck's ears twitch as Savage repeats his name, and he looks up with a steady gaze to meet the Zabrak's eyes as Willow nods. "Yeah - that's right. He's a fox. We don't have, uh, Vulptices? At home."

[opress]

"Yes, Ruin is very one-tracked minded," he said. Which was an understatement. So far, he had learned that Ruin would response to tastes, so there was now a lack of trying to eat himself, Maul, their pets and... well, that was about it. Savage didn't have friends to throw Ruin on, and most of those that talked to him seemed to be plenty against a rathtar being tossed at them. Case in point. "It has learned not to eat anything in the house."

This was something to be proud of honestly. He didn't have much of his own, so those things which he considered his he tended to invest plenty of time into and covet.

His brother was definitely the 'reader' of the male side of the family; it helped that Savage and Feral had limited access to reading material growing up. It was not advised that males become too learned in things outside of what made them useful, and much learning was done through showing and storytelling. Maul did encourage him to read, but he was not good with Basic lettering and tended to get frustrated trying to make sense of it.

"It would be quiet, no doubt." Which meant he could open a book and put it over his face to nap. That was the exact opposite of what he should be doing, but it was the most likely scenario. "Reading isn't... strongly encouraged where I'm from." Dathomir, he meant. It was as close to admitting he was closer to the illiterate side than the literate one.

It seemed the jest landed. He was pleased with himself, since human points of amusement often was varied and complicated. Willow seemed like she had a higher standard for humour unlike some of the mercenaries he had seen. "It's no more work than it seems having friends from what I've seen. You have to talk to them and do things with them. It's the same with your enemies."

He brightened a little at the mention of stocky horses. Well, didn't Brute sound similar? He wasn't so certain about the milking part, but definitely, he knew that Reeks could be used for meat. "That sounds like Brutal," he remarked and turned his head to issue a sharp growling howl. Savage's Omen bellowed and lumbered out from behind a nearby house, snorting out a harsh greeting and trotting over. "Is this like a cow?" Brutal would stand much taller and stockier than a standard bull. He gestured at Willow and Puck. "No stomping or charging."

Well, he now knew a human word for a different kind of animal. This one had nice fur, probably made for different climates. Probably more than a cold rainy season anyway. "What does his name mean?"

[frogfear]

"Hey, that's a good start!" The way Savage talks, Ruin sounds a little more like a disobedient puppy that needs to learn some manners rather than a potentially dangerous monster. It's a little endearing even if Ruin is not the sort of pet who is to Willow's tastes.

Under the influence of her blood's reaction to this month's pale moon, she's dozed off once in the Archives herself while reading. It's a quiet spot, and in spite of some of the more... disturbing exhibits on display there, it feels comfortable enough.

She nods in understanding at Savage's confession. It probably shouldn't come as a surprise given how he was treated at home, but it's still a reminder that he deserved far better than what he got. She's not about to discourage him, though, and if it wasn't clearly such a difficult topic, she'd offer to help him improve.

"You know, there's more than just books in the Archives - there's specimens and exhibits and stuff. It's kind of like a museum and a library all in one."

He gets another chuckle out of her with his comparison between enemies and friends. "Well, I don't know about you, but I try not to spend a whole lot of time hanging out and talking with my enemies. It's kind of a recipe for, you know, attempted murder and stuff."

Brutal comes trotting up, and Savage asks if he's like a cow, and all Willow can do for a moment is stare in awe. The Omen is huge, and more intimidating than a bull, but she's already figured out Savage shouldn't be judged by outward appearances, so she figures it's a safe assumption Brutal is the same. Puck, likewise, is curious, but he's a little more forward than Willow. He gets up and approaches cautiously - not too close, but close enough that he can lean forward and sniff at Brutal and get a good look at him without actually touching him.

"Puck is the name of a fairy from a really old story from home." She watches the little fox with a bit of a smile. "He's supposed to be mischievous, and likes pranks, but he's got a good heart too." ​

She studies Brutal for a moment, contemplative. "He's, um... kind of like a bigger, and less fuzzy cow? I'd call Rosie out, but I think she might be a little too afraid of these guys." Instead, she pulls out her Omni and flicks it on to look for a picture and holds it up so he can see. "This is her."

[opress]

If Ruin was a regular rathtar, he expected that the learning curve would have been a lot steeper. He and Maul had already discussed that Ruin was defective and runty, but so far, both of them had agreed that there was no current reason to kill the little creature. Oddly, his brother seemed to encourage the potential bond. "We'll see if it starts eating things it shouldn't again."

His brows drew together when she encouraged that he still show up to the Archive. The description of specimens and exhibits wasn't a big draw for him, but he understood that she was gently pushing for him to learn instead of relying on being fed relevant information. He was more wandering around looking for interesting things around town, but the history of this place could make him more useful to his brother.

"Maybe. What sort of specimens? Do they... show about why everyone's blood is odd colours?" And they all seemed to have different effects. Of course, the blood seemed to grow plants of anyone doing the ritual, so perhaps there were similarities. "Any powerful artifacts?" He might want to try to wield one.

He shrugged as if her not wanting to spend time with enemies was a missed opportunity. It had worked out well for his brother and him when it came to the Death Watch. They trusted each other about as far as they could trip one another, but it had been advantageous to work together. In the end, the in-fighting had destroyed them while his brother had taken over. "What's wrong with 'murder and stuff'?"

Brutal snorted and pawed at the ground, eyeing the new pair with distrust at first. Slowly lowered that great head to sniff at Puck in return before nudging at Savage with a cheek horn. He pushed the big beast aside, making it clear that he was trying to uphold a particular image here! Brute seemed to show some bemusement and nudged harder, nearly shoving him over.

"Ah, so the name is from a legend of your world," he replied, shooting Brute a waspish look. "This is Brutal. He's a Reek," he said before looking at the image of a 'cow'. Some similarities but definite differences. "What's wrong with her? Why do her bones all stick out on her hips?" This cow must not run very far or fast with a udder like that.

[frogfear]

"I'm sure you'll be able to remind him what's okay for him to chew on and what's not." Some day she might even get up the nerve to pet him. That day is not today, though.

"I haven't seen any exhibits that deal specifically with Sleeper blood - there's books about it, though, but nothing I've read so far really says why our blood is different, just that it is." She shrugs a little. She's been trying, and she has at least found information on what the different blood types are and some of the abilities one would expect to find with them.

"There's, um, some artifacts, and a lot of monsters and stuff that people have found, though. It's interesting, but they're all in among the stacks. It's, um, a little startling if you're not expecting it." Yes, she absolutely came across monster specimens while book hunting, and yes, she absolutely jumped and yelped.

What's wrong with 'murder and stuff'? He has to still be kidding. He knows she tries to avoid Maul so she can avoid confrontation, and he knows she isn't much of a fighter. "Yeah, I'm not much for violence - I'd rather things, you know, peaceful."

She grins at the exchange between Brutal and Savage. They're clearly well suited to each other. "He looks a little more like a rhinoceros. They're not quite as big, but they're all grey, similar shape and skin, and a bit of a longer face."

She shrugs a little at his question. "It's just the way they're bred, I think. She might get a little more muscly after she's done producing milk, though? I've never had a cow before, but I've done a lot of reading about them, and she seems healthy."

[opress]

"Perhaps. Depends what it chews on. My enemies wouldn't be a terrible choice," he reflected, though he didn't consider himself to be strong enemies with anyone so far. He mostly threw himself behind his brother and Maul's enemies were supposed to be his enemies. Honestly, it was more investment than he bothered with and rather would blanket statement that he hated everyone.

He grunted softly, shifting his weight so he could lean an arm on one of Brute's cheek horns. The big beast remained stationary and seemed to enjoy the attention. "There are shops that sell blood, and their affects on others seems to be a controversial matter." He, of course, had been more interest in the Black Market and what sort of items were there rather than books themselves. "Consuming blood seems to be a frowned upon tradition."

Yes, she did have those noodle arms and he was certain that a strong wind could blow her over. Violence clearly wasn't well established in her wheel-house, especially given their only combat together, she had used mostly defensive spells. "Diplomacy only goes so far, and you know it. In the end, it all comes down to power and gaining it."

Savage had no idea what a rhinoceros was, and he didn't even pretend. He could imagine it based on her description and Brute gave a rumbling snort in reply. Apparently the word was not offensive. "He says they are herd-bound herbivores except when in fighting rings where they feed them meat to increase their aggression and their skin turns this red colour."

The cow looked a bit sickly based on the picture, but he wasn't so certain. Maybe Brute and Rosy would get on once the initial fright of a massive Reek was over. "She looks strange." Then again, Savage hadn't seen all the weirdness in the galaxy either. Rosy could be positively normal compared to some species out there.

[frogfear]

"Yeah, that's one possibility," Willow nods. She recalls in the past Savage saying that if Maul asks for help, he won't refuse, and all she can do is hope that it's not her he ever gets asked to help with.

Puck goes back to Willow and flops down on the ground beside her, rolling over on his back. Savage and Brutal are no threat to them, and his initial curiosity is satisfied, so he may as well just relax.

"I've read about that, yeah," she replies, shaking her head. "I mean, I can't really imagine why anyone would want to drink blood in the first place to learn that it's a pretty bad idea - actual vampires aside - but I guess it really is a thing here. It must have been some kind of ritual or something someone decided to experiment with."

She considers his words thoughtfully as he points out that she's only going to be able to get so far with diplomacy. It has been on her mind more lately. She almost wants to admit that there's some interference here preventing her from using her usual magic, but it's probably not a good idea for someone so closely connected to Maul to know about that. "Well, I've fought before. I've killed a handful of vampires back home and stuff, but it's definitely not a strong suit."

Brute's answer is an interesting one. "Huh. A meat-eating herbivore seems like a little bit of a contradiction. He's cool, though. Foxes are pretty, uh, indiscriminate with their food. They'll hunt small animals or insects, or scavenge, but they'll eat fruit and vegetables too."

She smiles. She supposes Rosie probably does look a little strange to someone who's never seen a cow before, and she can't help but wonder how she would react to the Omen - would she see him as a threat, or would she recognize him as something not entirely animal? "I guess she does. Cows are really common at home, so I've never thought of her that way. The males can be kind of mean, but Rosie is sweet, and a little nervous of new things, but she usually warms up pretty quick. Especially if there's food involved."

[opress]

Savage had heard of very strange cultural traditions, so it wasn't at all beyond him that drinking the blood of others would be one based on a culture that relied so heavily on the stuff. If their blood types all had unique effects, it made sense that someone would try to steal, covet or manipulate that power.

"If blood gives power, people will do whatever it takes to have that power," he remarked with a shrug of his shoulders. "If one believes it enough, there can be a market for anything." He had seen it with his brother's operations; it wasn't just the illicit trades either like drugs or weapons; it could be anything that someone wanted and had trouble finding. Blood might be abundant here, but it was locked up in bodies mostly.

"You can be taught such skills if you wish to." Anyone could learn with enough patience. Being part of a warrior clan meant that there were few options but learning to fight and survive. "Books don't always have all the answers. Experience counts for something."

He shrugged his shoulders, not familiar enough with the fighting rings where Reeks would be used. There was plenty about the galaxy he didn't know, but Brute was mostly calm when allowed not on their territory. "They don't have a choice, I don't think. Their masters want them ready to maim and trample." He leaned a bit closer to look down at Punk again. Indiscriminate eater? That probably came in handy. "So he isn't likely to starve ever."

There were so much to learn about other people's planets. It was hard to keep track sometimes; he'd write it down but... well, no need for that. He made mental note about Rosie, that's all. How long it stayed there was up to how much interest he had in what cows were and what they did. "What does she eat?"