PM to join [The Docks] The Invisible Strings (Lilith)

[Venser Rush]

10 Spring, 514

The lake. It glimmered with the radiant sheen of Syna's setting light, Rhysol's blessed waters shining with the orange and red hues of her retreating flight. Leth was visible in the east, making his ascent, his glowing face obscured just slightly by a nebulous concentration of cloud cover. The contrast between the extremities was stark, cold black interrupted only by eerie white on one side while the other was a spectrum of of reds and oranges, glare spread over the waters of the lake in the latter extremity, leaving Rhysol's lake to be emblematic of what the God himself represented. Chaos. The middle ground was, a reunion. The colours of dusk clashed, an amorous exchange between Syna and Leth had in the sky, lovers in the clouds showing their affection through the ages.

A poetic thought regarding the intricacies of love, though Venser found himself to never be interested in such sordid affairs. Too invested in his pursuits of knowledge and the outlet of study that it brought, Venser found himself frustrated by his limitations. He sought to expand them, perpetually seeking out the outlet to do so, but for the moment, he found contentment in the seeking of furthering the crafts that furthered his mundane pursuits, as well. The cover that he wore as the simple apprentice to a renowned sculptor worked to his favour, and already, Venser had learned a great deal in his time in Mikayas' employ.

The distinction was in that while Mikayas was a learned resource and a wealthy, if sociopathic man, he was also an intelligent and cryptic sort who bestowed his knowledge unto Venser without his direct involvement in the young man's growth as a carver. It was an intriguing methodology, but Venser had no right to complain.

He had gone from making terrible works like the ball he had given Verin years earlier to making smaller, more polished, if still unprofessional looking constructs such as the Maledicted Die that he at times carried with him. To date, it was his master work in terms of pure crafting ability, despite his inability to divine what it truly did. The knowledge that its purpose was unknown to him was frustrating in its own right, though, at the least, it was not proven to be dangerous and Venser would allow himself a chance to study it further when the desire manifested.

The Rush twin allowed himself a prolonged look at the lake waters before he lay back on the docks. A hand reached up to the sky as Venser envisioned the pathways of djed beneath the skin, the power to be held within the body laid bare before his eyes, neutral and untapped in the present state of affairs. Though, the mind and manipulation of the soul that is possible through sentient understanding of the concept of djed was always an incredible and powerful thing to know and accept. Venser allowed a small laugh to escape him before his eyes closed, allowing his mind to extend towards his other senses, ears listening to the force of gravity crashing faint tides against the shores of Ravok's floating mass.

[Lilith Hemlock]

Inhabitants of the floating water city may have been more than simply content with what it had to offer. It was none of Lilith's business, nor did she seek to make it so. Some days, she peered from the front door of her little home to watch them. It was perplexing; how could they be so satisfied with all the stone and wood, with the lack of conflict that there seemed to be?

The young woman was not particularly adept in hunting as her mother had been - or so she was told - but the idea appealed to her. Nothing felt better than a solid grip on her spear, the one that had been her Myrian mother's. It was still a bit heavy for her, but with time and dedicated practice, she would be able to put it to master use.

The light fell in the evening sky, all the things becoming swarmed in a steadily darkening veil. It was her favorite part of the day. Long fingernails tapped the doorframe as Lilith contemplated her evening plans, hazel eyes admiring the spear laid in the far corner near her bed. She didn't have much, but it was all she needed or wanted. Material things failed to bring her the wholeness that it did some. A short pause in the rapping of her nails along the wood have her the time she needed to slip out of her home.

It seemed pointless to go out and simply wander the city, but what else was she to do? This place was still new to her, and far different from the jungles of Taloba that she so desired to trek to. She lacked the supplies and skills that she would need to survive the trip. Although she was unsure of what exactly Ravok had to offer her as far as obtaining said skills and supplies, she was more or less stuck for now.

Lilith walked slowly, but with purpose, the pride of her half-Myrian blood pulsing like wild river rapids through her. Her dark chocolate hair fell in unruly, fuzzy curls and waves down the length of her back. It was a thick and untamable mane, proving quite a fight just to even pin back from her eyes. Her face was bare of markings or paint, something she usually indulged in. She loved the way she looked with the designs smeared across her skin. She could be mistaken for a full blooded Myrian.

The far end of the docks appeared unmarred by the presence of other beings. Standing with her toes just barely over the edge of the platform, Lilith gazed down at the distorted reflection staring back at her.

[Inoadar]

It had been some time since Inoadar had restocked his Ravokian Eel mucus, the primary component of 'Intellect Mist' poison. The Ebonstryfe had "detained" the fisherman that he'd been getting them from and Inoadar had never seen the man again. He didn't know why there should be an issue. He knew that the Black Sun was aware of his identity and his presence. And while it was true that the fisherman had helped fake his death several seasons ago, it was part of the overall scenario they wished to legitimize. He shrugged, deciding that the authorities must have decided that the arrest and incarceration of the old man lent the needed credibility to the story that they'd been fooled and that the "traitor" Inoadar had successfully eluded them. Now, other subversives would feel safer to approach Inoadar, going by the alias, "Nolan Parnell", to seek his aid. Inoadar had standing instructions to give them the aid they requested, but also inform on them. Whatever designs the Black Sun had for the marked malcontents was not his concern. Making the Black Sun aware of them was. But that arrangement did not enter into this trip to The Docks. This was purely for the purpose of trying to find another fisherman that could catch the unique Ravokian Eel for him. Chefs did not buy them, since they apparently lacked the flavor of their more common cousins. Nor did they possess the elegant color patterns that would make them attractive as aquarium pieces. No, all they did was emit a mucus that served to broaden the mental capability of a man to an extraordinary, if temporary, degree. Inoadar had not had 'Intellect Mist' stocked for a season and a half now at his shop, and it was missed. It was not truly habit forming, which was to say you suffered no debilitating withdrawals for lack of using it. But most people that tried it liked it enough that they wanted more and felt its absence when it ran out. But it was not a fisherman he encountered when he cleared a stack of pallets to complete another arc of docks. There was a man lying on the extension of a different dock across the span of water separating it from the one Inoadar himself was on. And there was something else that caught his attention. He looked exceedingly familiar... "Verin?..." he said aloud, but still only to himself as the gap was wide enough to disperse his voice among the slapping eddies and sighing piers. "VERIN?" he shouted, loud enough to be heard this time.

[Venser Rush]

The light of the water brought clarity to the Rush twin's mind, even with the power of the sunset's clash of two lovers bringing poetic, and therefore vague and blurred thought to his mind. There was an idea stirring in his mind, the recollection of Thadeus Lazarin's lecture pooling with the thought of the die rising in his mind, but it was quickly interrupted, not by the sound of a single set of footsteps, but two.

Venser struggled to maintain his concentration with the thought, the formation of the idea to employ the use of Auristics upon the Maledicted die he possessed, and synchronize his djed to its aura rising in his mind, but, his concentration was shattered as his twin brother's name was shouted callously, the name echoing in his mind.

Verin?

Venser's lips curled into a frown as rage began to fester in his mind. Being confused for his brother was by no means something new to him, but the frustration associated with it in combination with the interruption of his thoughts bringing rise to the breaking of his attempt at concentration and subsequent ruination of forming his idea, it was unwelcome in the worst sort of way. Usually, the Rush twin maintained a facade of calm around people, taught by Mikayas the Sculptor that a simple smile and polite word was the difference between a sale and an unsatisfied customer, the motivation to be pleasant was simply not there.

It took a deep breath to fill his lungs that soothed him to a large extent, the Rush twin reaching into his bag for the pipe that he was partial to using. Pain was perpetually present in the Rush twin's body for some reason or the other, an injury or the results of his experimentation with magic driving a wedge through him, though the Heldrog he had invested in the previous season remedied this to a large extent. He packed in a bowl of the Heldrog, striking flint on steel to form a spark atop the pipe, the piece of which held between his teeth. The spark ignited, Venser taking several puffs to ensure that glowing embers rose from each bit of the medicinal substance as he took yet another breath.

Smoke escaped from the Rush twin's lips in dark gray wisps, amorphous in shape and plentiful in quantity, a harsh taste set in his mouth, though he ignored it as he turned around. With the inhaling of the herb, Venser felt his pain, and with it, his edge, begin to fade away, a smile still noticeably absent from his expression as his gaze moved to and fro along the form of each person.

The first was a she-warrior, from what Venser could tell, intricate painted markings and the length of a spear clearly visible, her features clearly showing the mark of a fighter. Venser, with the delving into the practice of Auristics and allotted an entirely new world of knowledge to sense and understand, pulled upon the fabric of his djed just as his gaze placed itself at the second shape, a man who by his look, was several years older than himself, a crop of black hair atop his head, his features unreadable, though clearly, he knew who Verin was.

That fact, in it of itself, was enough of a reason to wish to synchronize with his aura, and the Rush twin decided to do so, the tugging at the weave of his djed moulding itself, pushing from the Rush twin's body and synchronizing with the new gentleman's aura. The process itself was nearly instantaneous, but it took ticks to draw anything from it. Focus returned anew, the delay between sight and reply would be immediately noticeable, a full fifteen ticks passing before Venser caught a taste in his mouth.

The man's hands exuded a strange aura, the taste of it immediately drawing into his senses. A harsh, bitter taste filled the Rush twin's mouth, constricting his throat as a cough escaped his lips. The smell, linked as it was to taste, filled his senses, as well, a plethora of scents, washed away and diluted by time, wrought anew and repeated endlessly. The mark of a profession... The scent reminded him slightly of the poisons that he knew Verin to experiment with at times.

At the very least... some of them... I can't be completely sure, but a simple fact can lead to marvelous deduction with the use of logic. This man... is likely some sort of philterer or poisoner. I'd need more time, but to continue with this is to leave the world behind, and to do that is to arouse suspicion.

Approximately one chime had passed since Venser had begun his synchronization with the man's aura, enough time for something to be noticed, though if the gods were on his side, neither of these people were familiar with magic to the extent required to figure that it was what he had done. The breaking of the Rush twin's concentration and the retraction of his focus and djed from the other man's aura brought with it fatigue, Venser taking a deep breath in an attempt to offset the tiredness, his mind flooding with oxygen, and then after several puffs of the medicine, Heldrog.

His reply came after the smoke fled from his lungs, his head shaken as his lips parted to speak,

"No, not Verin. He is my brother. I am Venser Rush. And you are?"

Just as soon as the question was asked, he changed his line of sight to the woman, her barbarian appearance reminiscent of a woman he had met in the previous season, a name escaping her in the moment, though it was very clear that they were not the same person,

"Did the two of you come together? I am not one partial to interfering with romantic entanglement... Though, of course, I was here first. Unless you have other business with me, I'd suggest another part of the docks, friends."

There was no malice in his tone, nor an impolite inflection in his words, though his words made it abundantly clear that Venser was not partial to socializing with others.

[Inoadar]

Inoadar wondered what the man was hesitating for. He was sure Verin would recognize him. 'The presence of the woman may have something to do with it,' he reasoned, but he didn't know what it might be. The only thing he noticed about her was how she seemed to be from the same people as the woman he'd met in the forests to the northwest of the city a few seasons ago. Her name had been Kaie, and she'd aided him in the slaying of a monster, one whose wings now decorated one of the walls of his shop. The scaly bastard had killed his horse and he'd returned the favor. The thought of such combat now sent several spasms of pain across his back and left side, where he'd received sword wounds just days before. He'd been bandaged up, of course, but most common movements served to remind him of the swordsman's successes. He tried not to show this debilitation though. Ravok was not a town to extend kindness to a man unable to fully defend himself. He eventually saw 'Verin' exhale some sort of smoke. This seemed fateful to a degree. He was here to see about recruiting a man to procure the component he needed to recoup his stock of 'Intellect Mist'. This was an 'inhalation' type chemical that he usually spiked into tobacco. It was not that he believed 'Verin' was smoking Intellect Mist, that would be quite a coincidence indeed, but he might be a future customer. He was a bout to broach that very subject when the man announced himself to be Verin's brother, Venser. Inoadar returned the courtesy of his name, giving, of course, the phoney "Nolan Parnell" he was now operating under. This would not contradict anything Verin knew either, just in case they compared notes later. But it seemed as though this Venser was not the socialite his, obviously twin, brother was. He was not blatantly rude, but it was clear that he would become that way if Inoadar chose to press his camaraderie much further. Still a brief explanation and question should not aggravate the man. "I apologize. I DO know your brother, and thought it was he enjoying a product I make at my shop. It aids in mental clarity and I am trying to find a man here that helps me obtain the materials I need. was there, by any chance, a fisherman here in the last bell?"

[Venser Rush]

A change of pace. The man before him did not reveal himself to be the poisoner that Venser suspected him to be, but his words did fit with the analysis that the Rush twin's analysis via Auristics provided him with. Mental fatigue pressed into his thoughts, another breath taken with the Heldrog as the pains and aches of the life of a woodcarver's assistant slowly ebbed from his senses. The feeling was one both of pleasure and of relaxation, the sensations and their keen, strange and intoxicating methods of mixing. It was a powerful motivation to stay exactly where he was, for it allowed the blonde to overcome his underlying fears, as well.

Venser hated the water that Ravok sat upon. He despised it beyond all understanding. The fear gripped at him, the hatred of it burned at him. There was a beauty in it that he could not quite avoid, but in the pits of his very soul, he knew that he despised water and everything that it was outside of the service of mankind. Tamed, it was sustenance and life, but untamed and vicious, it brought forth the worst of Venser's fears. He recalled it still, his inability to swim and his inability to ask while he had drowned... It was the absolute worst of all things. But, right now, he felt passive regarding the fears, and as his spare hand reached for his collarbone, the pendant upon which his Legacy lay upon, he felt his mind clear.

He managed a laugh for a moment as the poisoner's words rang through his mind once again. He had stated the obvious and he had, without knowing it, relayed exactly what the mixture between the Heldrog in his possession and the Legacy whose power he tapped into on a regular basis had accomplished. Mental clarity was what Venser desired, for everything that was conspired to wrest it from him. Awareness bordered on omnipotence, Auristics driving him into an insatiable lust for understanding. The Flux drove him to power that he knew not how to control and inspired fear in those who were ignorant of its existence. The discovery of another magic welling within him, the ability to draw Res and tap into it, thanks to the wizard Miro, completed the instability of mind. Power was beginning to permanently discard the chains, and he needed clarity of mind to ensure that he was not consumed by it.

"Of course you know Verin, my new friend. He's, from what I know of him now, a very popular young man."

Venser chuckled for several ticks before he returned to the words at hand, managing a grin in the midst of his words as he continued,

"Alas, I cannot say that I have. My brother is a poisoner. If you know of him and he comes of mind, am I wrong to assume that you are, as well?"

Venser knew his brother's heart as well as his own, and if the elder Rush twin associated with him, it meant that he was either highly skilled in his craft, or highly sought after in some other form. Verin, like Venser, saw fit to only associate with those of benefit. Verin simply went about it in a far more legitimate and polite manner. The elder wove into the fabric of society and plucked upon the strings that interested him. Venser looked for the individual thread and intertwined with it as was necessary before making his way towards a different one. So was the way of Venser's world.

That product sounds interesting. Perhaps he'll bring it up again? If it is inhaled like this one, it could be of interest to me once my supply of Heldrog is depleted...

"You were talking about a product, Nolan? I would be keen on learning more about it if you would care to show it to me."

It was a momentary leap of understanding. For Venser to learn about a new thing was of interest to him, but primarily, this was a perfect opportunity to learn about his brother's whereabouts, a thing that neither of the Rush twins were privy to in relation to one another. It was... more than anything, the product of differing interests. Venser and Verin were no longer as close as they had been in the past, and whether the younger knew it or cared, it affected him.

[Inoadar]

Inoadar was taken aback momentarily. 'From what I know of him'? this "Venser" had said. He found this very curious. Not that two brothers may be at odds, that was hardly anything unusual. Many brothers were rivals for inheritance or recognition, spending a lifetime, undermining each others' efforts to achieve, building a solid foundation of resentment and hate upon which to build plots and retribution. No, he found it curious that they would appear indifferent to each other. His experience was that brothers either loved or hated each other. Often, women were a primary part of that equation. He shook his head at the thought. 'Such fools men are to allow such irrelevance to impact their lives so harshly.' Verin had never mentioned a brother. And now this one displayed no real interest in knowing where HIS brother was, or gathering confirmation of how he was doing. Inoadar immediately began to gauge if this was something he could exploit. A test came to mind, but it would need to be built toward, not just blurted out. "Well, I can only say that how I got to know him has little to do with any popularity he may be currently enjoying." He could see that there was no point in denying his trade. The deduction that he must be a poisoner if he knew Verin professionally, and that Verin may have purchased items from him was quite conclusive. Anyway, this man, Venser, did not appear to have any moral qualms about it. "It is never safe to assume, but in this case, no, you are not wrong to conclude that your brother and I share an interest in...'chemistry'. Would I be wrong to conclude that you and he are twins?" He wondered if they were both separately registered as citizens. Schemes based on the scenario of "being in two places at once" began making the rounds in his thoughts. They were tempered, however, by the downside of blame being manipulated by one upon the other. He decided he preferred not having a twin, and relying instead on disguise and acting. He began to round the walkway end of the dock, and slowly made his way in Venser's direction. "You seem to be a man that appreciates candor. I would be happy to sell you any product I make. But I do not give out trade secrets for free. Verin and I have come to terms on a few such exchanges. Now, I have both rivals and enemies in this town, as any man of consequence does. And it occurs to me that a look-alike for Verin would be quite useful as a tool to employ against me. Now, I will admit, you have not gone into any act that would support this suspicion, but I would like to be sure..." Now was the time. Inoadar watched the man carefully for his reaction, "...You see, he is supposed to meet me here tonight. But not for another half bell or so. And so, arriving early, and finding you, an exact double, that may not have been expecting me so soon, I cannot help but wonder if some mischief is afoot. I would find it most inconvenient for some grudge against Verin to...accidentally affect me. I'm sure you can understand." His courteous tone was not intended to fool anyone. He stopped a few arms lengths away. This man did not seem to know much recent information about his brother. He wanted to see if this Venser actually disliked his brother, perhaps enough to want to leave before he arrived. He also wanted to see if the man would reveal anything about connections HE may have, in an effort to verify his identity. Such information was always valuable.

[Venser Rush]

Nolan seemed like the sort to be very careful with his words. He and Verin shared a mindset of that way. Roundabout words intent on discovering the secrets of a person's mind. For Venser, it was an amusing, almost laughable concept. In the younger Rush twin's experience, one did not need to ask questions in order to know a person's mind. Questions that needed asking were questions about others. To know a single mind, it was simply a matter of looking upon them, and using one's own reasoning to decipher the rest.

A poisoner.

The craft required diligence, and a sort of moral depravity that the Rush twin was not entirely sure that his elder brother was capable of. This man, however, was a professional in the craft. He sold and learned secrets, obviously experienced in the craft.

One who delves into their craft with a true artistry and passion for it delves into it both mentally and emotionally. They adopt the mindset of the trade and pull it from their profession and into their very life. Verin has other ambitions beyond poisoncrafting, I'm sure. But I see nothing as of yet that will prepare him for a life among the faith he claims to be so insistent on keeping.

Rhysol.

Venser knew little of what it was to worship the God of Chaos and Betrayal, but the Rush twin wondered just how deep Verin's own faith extended. The younger Rush twin was seeing more and more how useful currying favour from such a God could be, particularly in light of where he lived, but blind faith was not something he could understand. Very, very few knew about Venser's reverence for Harameus, Verin being one of them, and he would likely come to the same hypothesis. Having never felt the present of the God of Transformation, perhaps Venser's faith could be called blind, but he knew it not to be so. He felt the sway of Change within his life, the whirling storm of transformation elevating him, choosing him. The scars on both of his arms were prime example of the influence in his life.

But, in the moment, it was irrelevant. Venser Rush looked upon the poisoner with an intent stare, repeating his words in his mind as a nod moved his head,

"Of course. It is my opinion that when speaking to one another, a person's words should be direct, rather than an eternally spinning loop which fosters little progress. I certainly would like to see the product which you were referring to."

The next words the poisoner spoke brought a smirk to his lips.

Paranoia?

Nolan referred to Venser as a double, he spoke assumptions that most would admit purely as paranoia. And most of all, he overlooked a dramatic flaw in his idea,

"If I was a body double looking to oust you, then you would likely be dead, Nolan. I did not bother to mask my identity, and in doing so, put you on guard. If I am, as I say, Verin Rush's twin, then I would know much, much more about him than you. I could have masked my presence long enough to..."

Venser motioned to the clip upon his waist, a punch dagger suspended, just hidden from casual view, though by making it obvious, the Rush twin queued the stranger to its presence,

"Pierce you through the heart. I think, with that, you should be satisfied of my neutral intentions. It took me by surprise to meet an acquaintance of Verin's tonight. And a poisoner, to boot. Verin's told me nothing of the work. And you seem to have a similar trait of secrecy. Though, a purchase is beneficial, as well."

The Rush twin wanted nothing to do with the craft of a poisoner. It was a mundane, wasteful art that could just as well be accomplished through superior means. Magic was of interest to the younger of the Rush twins, much more so than his elder brother, who had the Black Sun in his sights, or at the very least, Venser suspected that much.

[Inoadar]

Inoadar kept his expression bland. As soon as he'd begun to spin his comments into the sphere of antagonism, he'd kept a part of his focus on contacting that sense of self, that pulse of life, and djed. He was still just a beginner in The Flux, but what meditation and practice he'd had, both routine and under duress, had been almost exclusively in his leg muscles. That particular flow was coming ever more smoothly to him. He'd let his arms feel the drain of energy flow up and over his shoulders, and down his back, to bring a surge of speed and strength to his legs. He held it as he'd made his suspicions clear. This Venser fellow had shown no intimidation, which meant, almost certainly, that he would opt to reciprocate with a dose of his own. Inoadar wanted to be ready to sidestep any sudden aggression the man might attempt. He was actually disappointed to find the precaution unnecessary. But the hint of disdain, as well as the outright threat of Venser's words, was sufficient stimulus to his competitive nature. His short laugh carried no mirth. "Oh dear, such a grim misunderstanding. And so contradictory as well. I think it fair to remind you that you initially advised the woman and myself to find a different dock, citing how you were "here first". Now, I confess it could have been an incredibly subtle attempt at misdirection, based on an assumption that I was already suspicious of your identity, and needed to be put off my guard, so you could circle around and...how did you put it?..."oust" me?" He made a dismissive wave of this concept, then went on. "But no, I had not, in fact, believed your behavior was in any way consistent with someone dispatched to assassinate me." He brightened with partly sincere approval, "Though I DO applaud your choice of weapon, were I mistaken." He returned to his blandly-stated deductions. "No, I believe, if you think back, you will have to admit that I did not, metaphorically, refer to you as a "weapon" to be used against me. I'm quite certain I said a "tool". There is a far greater degree of versatility implied with that comparison. You see, I was not worried that you would try to kill me, Mr. Rush. I thought, rather, you might try to...infiltrate...my connections." His smile grew wider, yet colder, "And given this, your very reasonable dismissal of the first concern, would serve you well in facilitating the second. You establish a false trust by stretching my suspicion to a point reasonably discounted as absurd, then exposing its foolishness to make me feel that I should harbor none of ANY kind." He'd been counting off on his fingers as he spoke, but now stopped, appearing ready to make a summation. He took a deep breath, "So you see, demonstrating how foolish I must be to suspect you of lethal intent, sets me up to be victimized by mere mischievous intent instead. But the fact is, I never suspected you of lethal intent. Had you, at the outset of my arrival, played along with my erroneous identification, and claimed to be Verin, I should think one of us would be dead. Thank Rhysol for honesty, eh?" He met the others' gaze squarely. His cheek twitched as he tried to keep a straight face.

[Venser Rush]

Nolan's words did little more or less than inform him more deeply about the man's paranoia. The deep, sounding status of it was not representative of a citizen, nor was it common in Ravok. Or, at the very least, people did not tend to so easily display it. At the least, Nolan Parnell was an eccentric and extremely paranoid individual, at the most, a threat and a highly dangerous individual. The Rush twin felt the inkling desire to delve deeper, to probe Nolan and attempt to learn more about him. But, he was setting guards rather than dissolving them. Asking questions at this point would be akin to acknowledging his words as the truth, but Venser merely ignored them.

The Rush twin's gaze intensified, looking directly into Nolan's eyes as djed welled at the blonde's eyes. He pulled at it from the depths of his soul, synchronizing his mind with Nolan's aura as the man delved deeper and deeper into what was the manifestation of Nolan's djed. Venser saw the man's aura as a deep, thick mist, dispersed across the man's body, wafting from him at the space of several feet, which seemed standard for the auras of mortals. From the aura, he gleaned disguised truths. Woven lies, though Venser had no means of discovering what they were. The impression he acquired spoke more and more, though the words were blurred, merely the idea clinging to the Rush twin that this man, in addition to being the paranoid wreck that he was, also claimed the title of liar, deceit seeded deep within him.

This, of course, was not surprising, and the Rush twin decided not to probe into it, a smirk materialized upon Venser's lips as he lingered upon the irony of the man's last chosen words. Honesty. The man before him, from what Venser gathered, lived nothing of the sort. Venser's own existence was enshrouded in secrecy, woven and high were the walls that barred him from the rest of the world, deep and dank was the abyss that was the enigma he made himself into. But, Venser preferred this fate. A select few need be privy to the details of his existence, for Venser desired nothing from the vast majority. Friends were useless. Alliances were crucial, and Nolan, despite his personality, had much to offer him.

"Yes, thank Rhysol for honesty. In fact, let's take that honesty to a different level. You are a poisoner, yes? I..."

The idea formed in his mind, a tidbit of information that Verin had told him long ago compared with notes he had taken, an idea materializing within his mind, a plan that spoke of a desire to further the pursuit of his own craft with the assistance of the poisoner's. The bridge leading to this man's favour seemed to be burned well enough, but he seemed to be reasonable, if anything. Insane, but no mage fully tread the path of secured sanity.

"Rather than dwell on the unnecessary, I will present a solution. I have an idea, Nolan. There is a craft which I work with. One that could possibly benefit from from the expertise that you lay claim to. But, first, I would like for you to indulge me in a question. One that you may need to consider carefully."

The Rush twin paused in order to word his question as concisely as he was able, his mouth opening as he looked directly upon Nolan.

"How deeply can a poison seep into the body? Is it possible, with a fatal or otherwise permanent dose, that the poison could imprint its chemical structure, and with it, its djed, into an animal or person? Could this, if possible, alter the very nature of a creature's djed?"

The Rush twin left his reasoning for asking out, preferring the change of topic, and the blonde would be oblivious to any confusion the sudden change would cause. An idea had formed and Venser, by word and by tone, requested the change from Nolan, as well.