Strange Strangers

City Center - 
 * The quirky architecture of the mist-laden city of Necromundus is

distinguished primarily by the absence of many right angles. Wooden-slats climb walls that are rectangular cubes, but the lines from ground to gable form rather oblong angles, giving everything from the dominant clock tower to the Purgatory Tavern a rather unstable appearance.


 * Ghostly entities of many shapes and sizes can often be seen traveling

the narrow, fog-shrouded streets, preparing to resurrect after a misadventure or accident beyond the great portals that lead to strange and distant realms.


 * The paths head out in four directions from here. To the north lies the

Boneway, and the shopping centers. To the west, the residential districts. To the south are darker paths through Hard Luck Road. Finally, to the east is the portal plaza, the dim glow showing bright even here.

Continued from Nameless Ethics.

"My Brothersss and Sssissstersss were taught to rely on the villagersss for the thingsss needed from animalsss, and the villagersss were the onesss who protected the area from predatorsss," Namo replies, "We could harvessst from plant life, but only asss much asss we needed to sssurvive. Harm wasss ssstrictly forbidden, for the world wasss fragile and harsssh all at oncsse, and the only way to sssurvive wasss to work together to protect each other and the local area from exsstinction."

Nodhi nods. "This one hails from a desert planet," he says. "Food raised in hydroponics caves, under the ground, where the water would not escape and the sun could not sear the plants, dehydrate the beasts. No ecology to speak of. But this one has heard of such worlds. Know that in this place change is constant, but death - true death - is rare. Should you take your knives and cut a kudzu plant into kindling, mere moments later it will have regrown. Even people are so. This has led to the destructive behaviors that threaten the weaker peoples. Should a lupoid hunt you down, and kill you, and devour your body...moments later, you will have re-formed. This is put forth as an argument that it cannot, therefore, be very wrong to kill and eat you."

"In my lifetime, Tirandur wasss a desssert, a paradissse, a ssswamp, and an icssy wasssteland," the Nameless One remarks, "We had very much to adapt to..." She tilts her head, then, "That isss flawed logic. One ssstill causssesss physssical pain, to kill and devour another. But in usssing that argument, I imagine... sssuch people do not truly care, do they?"

From the west comes what appears to be a Dwarf warrior, carying a stave in his hands. He's a bit tall for a dwarf, but otherwise he appears to be relatively normal in appearance. His gait looks a tad...off, for his size as well. He seems to be on a path that will cross with Nodhi and the Nameless One.

Nodhi nods to the Sauroid. "So it goes. So, your people are vegetarian, then? This one has creme pies, they are vegetarian dishes, but..." he pauses, seeing the dwarf. "...Another this one knows not."

"No, actually," Namo remarks, "The villagersss were permitted to hunt for meatsss, ssso long asss they did not unbalancsse the ecosssyssstem. We of the Monassstery were permitted to consssume the meat, ssso long asss we traded for it and it wasss not killed sssolely for usss. We did not eat much of it, though. Enough to remain healthy an no more." She follows the human's gaze to regard the giant dwarf. "Isss there sssomething ssstrange about not knowing sssomeone here? Do you know many?"

The dwarf closes fairly quickly with the other two, stopping a bit away from them, "You can tell me where the portals are?" he asks. The voice sounds cold, almost metalic. He doesn't seem to have regard for the conversation taking place, or the glances his way.

Nodhi blinks, and points toward the east. "You will find them in that direction, strange one," he says. "This one is referred to as Nodhi." As he says the word, its meaning becomes clear in the mind: 'dancer'. "Might this one inquire as to your own?"

Being mostly unfamiliar with the area, and not wanting to be rude with the new conversation that has cropped up, Namo merely bows her head and remarks, "It isss good to know you, Dancsser Nodhi. The Monksss of Tirandur have no namesss. I wasss mossst often referred to asss Sssissster by thossse of the Monassstery, and Namelessss One by thossse of the village. I anssswer to any addressss, ssso long asss it isss not meant asss an insssult."

The Dwarf pauses for a moment, a long moment. He may have memory issues, "Jonas," he replies after that long pause, "Am I required to stay?" is all that he asks.

Nodhi seems surprised. "Of course not," he says quietly. "This one only wished to know how to call you, should our paths cross again."

"It isss good to know you asss well, Jonasss," the chameleon says, entirely unphased by the brief speech, "And you are, of courssse, free to procsseed asss you will."

The dwarf doesn't even give a nod, but moves off towards the east, still moving at that very strange gait. He doesn't even seem to acknowledge that they had once been talking.

Return to Internal Affairs.