Ambassador Kaydin
A07: Lower Alexandria Market District
It's Eliday, Bernfleur 08 23:49:12 1020. The full moon isn't up. The tide is low and rising. A cool breeze blows from the west, driving dark clouds before it which blot out the stars in patches overhead. Elsewhere they glitter brightly in the dark sapphire sky.
Fazahd is here. He's not been around for months, but he's here now - this fact is made plain with the sort of tremendous obviousness that only Fazahd is capable of, as in he stands outside the Fernwood in a suit of crimson armor that causes him to tower over the rest of those around - some seven and a half feet tall, swallowed in heavy plating, built like an ogre with an overdeveloped back unit faced with vents from which a vaguely electric-scented vapor wafts. The thick plates of the suit, so /very/ different from the lighter, spryer armor which he once wore, are engraved with ornate geometric patterns and set with signs of Reos declaring him a member of the Forge-Father's holy orders. It's a bit like watching a particularly militant golem pondering human architecture.
So that's the Inquisitor, Fazahd. His helmet off, the stern young man stares at the facade of the club as if perhaps the paint might boil off and the masonry crumble away as he stares at it. IT's possible! He's so severe.
Ga'Elian emerges from the shadows of a nearby alley, and hops up onto a newsstand of the Alexandrian Tribune to where he can get a more eye-to-eye look at the young man in the large armor. He asks, "Fazahd? Is that you?"
Kaydin was walking along when he finds a familiar face. "Ga'elian." He says as he waves to the man and looks to the seven foot tall man. "Friend of yours?" Kaydin asks curiously, poking at the armor to see if it is armor or skin for some human headed golem.
"Yes, it's me," says Fazahd, his voice echoing faintly witin the armored cowl of the suit - he looks down at Ga'Elian, smiling at the fellow, but not lifting an arm in hail as, after all, his arms are rather enormous. "How are you? I'm sorry, I've been, ah, revamping my armor. It's a bit larger now."
This is what he talks about, and he's been gone for months. This guy.
Ga'Elian looks at Kaydin with a smirk, says, "Friend? Yes. This fine fellow is a pious man, raised among the khazad. And Fazahd, may I say that you look quite at home in all that get-up. That," he says, pointing, "is Kaydin, a sort of protege, hunting companion, something. Another friend and ranger."
Kaydin smiles to the man and raises a hand to him. He then looks to Ga'Elian and smiles at being considered a protege to the man. He then turns his attention back to Fazahd. "So you serve the church of forge father?" He asks curiously.
"Raised among the Khazad? Come now, my friend, I /am/ Khazad." You can tell, cos he's seven feet tall in that armor and likely six feet out of it. Sure looks human, though. "And hello, friend of Ga'elian. I am Fazahd Masterbuilder - and yes, I am born human, but my heart and soul is of the stone and the mountain as all the rest of my Khazad family." At Kaydin's question, he nods. "I am an Enginebreaker in the Father's service, which you would also call an Inquisitor. It is my duty to seek out and slay those creatures which would ruin the Father's creaton and to destroy their plots, so that they cannot poison the world even after the death of those which engineered them."
Ga'Elian says, "Kaydin here specializes in hunting and battling the abominations of Thul. And his mother is a connoisseur of honey. I've been tracking demons around the Felwood lately, and gather that Asumit is up to something new. I don't know what, though."
"'The abominations of Thul'. What a charming way of referring to the undead - before the Father remade me, Kaydin, that was my primary foe as well. Now, however, I spend far more time hunting down and slaying the creatures of the Abyss." Fazahd looks to Ga'elian then. "I'm sorry that I've been gone. After the banishment of Mar'tek and the slaying of his son, it was...necessary for me to return home for a while, to Ironhold. To speak with the fathers and matrons there, you see."
"Is that where you are from, Ironhold?" Kaydin asks curiously as he listens to the people. "The Undead are an abomination on nature. Everything they touch sickens and decays life. I seek to restore the balance." Kaydin says calmly. "My mother beekeeps. Infact she sent me to town to sell some of her honey." He says as he holds up a purse. "Made a tidy bit. And still have some left over." He says softly.
Ga'Elian looks back to Fazahd, "Don't worry about it. Alexandria's still here. Although, if the Charn threat materializes, war is likely, and an ugly one as they go. The Spell Cannon is said to be malfunctioning. There's all kinds of trouble on the horizon. It sounds like a perfect time for the Binder to try to wreak havoc."
"Enginebreakers also slay the undead," Fazahd says with a nod. "It was only a year ago when I helped fight the death-drake's risen minions on the field outside of Rune. A noble pursuit, in any case." The armor emits a soft whine as its right hand raises, a massive hand resting on Kaydin's shoulder lightly before dropping back again. Lightly for the armor, of course, is enough to rattle his shoulders a bit.
"I've heard," he says to Ga'elian then. "Which is why I returned. As you can see, my armor has gone through some...re-engineering, but that's how that is."
"To be honest you look like a human headed golem." Kaydin says softly to the man. When the man's hand comes onto his shoulder he nods and reaches into a pack and pulls out a little jar of honey and offers it to Fazahd. "Here. I can afford to lose a jar or two." He says calmly.
"Well, that's the point," Adhar says with a chuckle; his massive arm raises to take the jar in its grip, though it's held with all the gentleness of holding a tiny kitten. "I am an artificer as well as an Enginebreaker, and this isn't /just/ armor. Inside these plates are all manner of devices that allow me to further my task, you see. Weapons, shields, other defenses."
Ga'Elian chuckles, and says, "Kaydin, you have all the diplomatic charm of a sweet, innocent child. Maybe Alexandria should send you to deal with Charn."
"Oh it would end terribly. I am no diplomat. My ideal method of solving problems is to go on a grand hunt." Kaydin says with a grin and he looks to the man. he then looks to Adhar and he watches him hold the jar. "Most impressive armor. I didnt think technology came this far ahead." He says calmly.
"But then there will be bees, and the bees will then be undead, and I am not ready to deal with undead bees." Fazahd smiles to Kaydin then. "I know a little boy for whom this honey would be a wonderful treat, my friend. Thank you." One of the plates of his armor hinges open and the Inquisitor puts the jar inside, where it will undoubtedly be defended against all stresses and shocks now.
Ga'Elian grins, "Well, I think these complicated messes the civilized world gets itself embroiled in might, just might all be toppled by the simplicity of a hunt. Anyway, I was on my way to meet someone, and I'll need to hurry if I'm not going to miss the chance. It was good to see you're back, Fazahd, and it's always a pleasure to run into you, Kaydin." He hops off the newsstand and disappears again into the city.