prismatica | video; un: caduceus

[ The video starts with a blank screen and a muffled sound. The one operating it has yet to get used to such technology. After a little blackness, the screen focuses on the Firbolg. His skin is a sickly grey fuzz, drawn in around the cheeks, a little unhealthily thin but not gaunt. He smiles, both his eyes and the shock of mohawk hair are a very natural-looking pink. When he finally speaks, his voice is has a very low, relaxing timbre to it. ]

Oh, hey there. Is this on? Am I sending or however this works?

[ Turning his comm around a few times until he was back in the frame. ]

I eh, let's start again, shall we? My Name is Mister Clay, Caduceus Clay and I just wanted to offer my services to anyone in need really.

[ Oh God, he's not used to public speaking. This is kind of terrifying. ]

Well, healing magic is my forte, among other things. So, like, yea. If anyone needs any healing or their mind calmed, oh, I can also do that too, calm you. I'll uh, I'll be around and willing to help out. I've heard these moons do strange things to folk, wouldn't want anyone hurting when they don't need to.

[ He pauses for a long moment. Contemplating ending it there before finally adding. ]

Oh, um and, one more thing... If you've seen anything, anyone dying or dead around the place... Give me a shout? I'd really appreciate it, thanks.

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What business do you have with the dead?

[His voice is guttural; otherworldly.]

[ Oh... Oh, you are giving him some serious vibes right about now. His ability to sense the undead is tingling all through him like electricity. ]

Ah, well you see sir, the dead are my business.

[Cad's vibes are right on, because he's looking directly at a very undead man (elf).]

Say what you mean.

[ His tingles have yet to let him down.

Despite that intimidating voice and the fact he was talking to someone who would be considered an abomination in Caduceus' world, the firbolg smiles softly, giving a sage nod. ]

I'm a Grave Cleric. I tend the Graveyard of the Blooming Grove, my ancestral home. I eh, put the dead to rest and make sure they're not disturbed.

[ He pauses for a second before looking the other male over. Sorry, it's been a while since he's seen an elf? Most of the corpses he's buried were well-to-do elven folk. ]

Being a Cleric of that domain, I kinda have some magic that's all about death and decay. Can I ask why you're interested?

[He makes an irritated gesture with his hand, a little dismissive swoop.]

There has been some foolish talk regarding the dead here as of late. I merely wondered whether or not you were another fool.

[He exhales--an uncanny sound, like wind through a broken window.]

But if your concern is only for the truly dead, then you're not like to find much work at present. There is a graveyard, but it's rarely open to the public.

[ The firbolg was practically unflappable. Even being dismissed like he just was didn't seem to bother him. ]

Fools talking about the dead? What kind of talk? I eh, I can assure you, Sir, I'm no fool. I'd eh, I'd still be very interested in seeing the graveyard. Don't s'pose you know how I could get in?

[ Though his smile is a little sloth-ish. A devilish curiosity sparked behind his pink eyes. ]

Can I be forward? I'm gonna be forward, I mean no offence but... I've never met anyone like yourself who was so sentient.

Why? What is there for you to do among the already buried?

[His long eyebrows furrow. As far as forward statements go, it's certainly not the worst thing he's heard.]

Not all undead are mindless. That is the kind of foolish talk I spoke of.

Actually quite a lot. I help make sure the earth remembers them. Give the natural process a helping hand. Hmm well, I also protect them from anyone wanting to interfere with them. As well as grow useful plants and fungi from them. I only have the dead's best interests at heart.

[ Oh dear, oh man, that came out wrong didn't it? Caduceus knows well that not all the undead are mindless, however, it's been rare that he's actually met any that weren't. It was kind of a backhanded compliment now he thinks about it. ]

Oh wow, I think I've gotten off on the wrong foot. It's been a while. I agree, simply trying to say I've not met one like you in oh gosh, it's been like... Seasons man.

Can I start over? Hi, it's real neat meeting you.

[ -it's real neat meeting you and nothing having to cast turn undead or use healing magic. Caduceus was obsessed with the dead, the undead, he was a bit starstruck in all honesty. ]

[In truth, Caduceus has been nothing but gracious and amiable. Koltira's just a grumpy asshole.

He mulls over Cad's description of his duties, makes a 'hmnh' noise in his throat.]

You are not a necromancer, then?

[Followed by, a little begrudgingly:]

Well met.

[And, after a brief pause, because he's really just terrible at social interaction in general:]

My name is Koltira, called Deathweaver.

[ Ah he's not the grumpiest asshole he's spoken to. He'd never call him out on it. ]

No sir, not me. I eh, well, I do have some spells that verge close to necromancing... But it's really not what I'm into. The dead should remain dead. Un, of course, that is, with their consent.

[ Is he putting his foot in it again? It's hard to tell. Caduceus wasn't a shining beacon of social correctness either. ]

Deadthweaver...

[ Excuse him for a moment as he fanboys over the name. It was possibly the most badass thing he'd heard since arriving here. ]

Well, Mister Deathweaver, I'm Caduceus Clay, and I'd be very interested in learning more about you. if eh, that doesn't seem too much of an inconvenience?

[Koltira seems to settle down at Caduceus's assurance that he is not a necromancer. It's less that he has any moral objection to the practice--he's capable of it himself, and has done so before--and more that he's wary of anyone else with such powers. Given his circumstances.]

Simply Koltira will do, grave tender. But if you have a question, I will answer it.

[ Admittedly, Caduceus has used a spell, one that lets him reanimate a corpse in order to ask it questions. Though he is very certain it's only a memory of the soul and not that actual soul itself that he's bringing back. Just an echo. Other than that, he tends not to mess with it. His job is to protect the balance between life and death, not meddle with it. ]

Okay, Koltira, it is. Ah, yes, thank you. How long have you been undead for?

[One side-effect of undeath is that his memory isn't what it used to be. Besides which, he's still an elf, underneath it all, and his reckoning of time has never quite matched with the more mortal races.

So it takes him a minute to respond. He has to think about it.]

Perhaps twenty years, at this point. Possibly more.

[ Mortal as he is, Caduceus race outlive many of the different lifeforms in Exandria where he's from. He's almost 90 in humanoid years but for a firbolg, he's roughly in his 20's as well. ]

I see. I guess you stopped ageing when you were turned?

[ It sounded like there were memory problems, which is honestly to be expected. ]

I eh, I have a spell I can do, it's been useful I'll admit... It lets me make someone like you turn around and just leave. I eh, I just wanted to apologise to you on behalf of all the undead I've really rather rudely removed like that.

Aye. True death is yet possible, but it would require a great deal of effort on someone else's part.

[He quirks an eyebrow. He's heard of such things.]

Holy powers are anathema to my kind. Paladins have such abilities. I cannot say I'm fond, but I allow that not all undead--even the thinking kind--look well upon the living.

I can imagine.

[ Caduceus had spells that could make giving the undead permanent death possible, though, he didn't think it wise to mention that just now.

A smile and a curt nod of his head as he listened. ]

That's where I'm a strange one. See, I'm a follower of the Wildmother. I use her Holy power that resigns in nature to cast my spells... But I'm a Grave Cleric, so most of my magic is based around death and dying or at least the balance between that and life.

[ He pauses as he thinks for a moment. ]

I'd be real interested in picking your bones, figuratively not literally that is, about your kind if you wouldn't mind? I think not enough people know or understand the Undead and that causes some unnecessary tensions.

video; un: caduceus

video; un: deathweaver

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