I had been considering not bothering Tarl with the weird invaders, since I’m pretty sure he won’t know what they are, either. But I’m pretty sure he will at least have a better idea of just how bad they are, and might have an inkling of what we might be dealing with for them, too.
I almost need to have Fluffles drag Teemo away from Yvonne and playing with the arrows, but reminding them it’s day now helps remind them how long they were playing with the new toy. I think being reminded also made Yvonne aware of the soreness in her arms she had been ignoring from pulling a bow for so long, so she’s back to the guild for another bath and/or a massage.
I ask Thing to copy Honey’s notes so Teemo can deliver them to Tarl and the rest of the ODA. While I’ll be keeping secret the fact that the thing’s type isn’t the first otherworldly thing I’ve been involved with, I don’t mind the guild at large knowing about something this potentially dangerous. If the worst happens, they have a lot more resources at their disposal than I do.
Teemo gets a lift from Poe, who I think actually enjoys visiting the various people around town. He doesn’t get a chance to do it often, and it could help the big bird come out of his shell a bit. He pecks the door and waits, and soon Tarl opens it.
“I thought it might have been you again, Poe. You’re the only one who bothers to knock. Teemo usually just barges in.”
“Hey! I’m not big enough to barge anywhere! I slip in, thank you very much!” declares my Voice with mock indignation, much to the smile of Tarl.
“Ah, of course. How’re you doing, Teemo? Oh, please come in. Are you going to stay as well, Poe?” asks the elf, and I can feel Poe asking for direction.
You can hang out if you want. The returning expedition birds and wolves can wait for you. Most of the home scouting isn’t in any real rush. He’s a bit conflicted, but eventually decides to stay, and so he follows Tarl in with Teemo still on his back.
“How was your trip, Teemo? I would have tried to check in on you earlier, but having an apprentice is more work than I expected.”
Berdol looks up from his books and notes, giving Tarl a glower to try to hide a happy smirk. “Being an apprentice is a lot more work than I expected, too! I can’t even remember the last time I had homework!”
That earns smiles from everyone, and Telar speaks up from her desk as she stands. “How do you take your tea, Marshal Poe? The kettle needs filling, so I may as well prepare some for everyone.”
Poe looks a bit lost, but Teemo is there to rescue him. “I think he’d probably like it straight, but with some of those cookies. I like mine with plenty of honey, please. In a thimble, if you can manage.”
Telar nods and heads into the back, already knowing how her coworkers like their tea. Tarl relaxes at his desk and motions for Poe to take a seat. Poe looks at the chair, then to Tarl with a bird-smirk, before simply pushing it aside to settle himself.
Tarl shakes his head. “I’m going to need to get a perch, aren’t I. Anyway… what brings you both? With both the Voice and the Marshal, should I have my recording stone? Or should I very specifically not use my recording stone?”
“This can be as official as you like. The Boss has asked around a bit already, but nobody has had much in the way of answers. If your guild doesn’t know about these things, they probably should start learning. Take a look,” he says and hops onto the desk, where he sets the copy of the notes.
Tarl looks confused for a moment, and continues to look confused as he takes a closer look. “What is it? I’d ask if Thedeim did something weird again, but if this was one of his, he’d probably bring one along, maybe introduce his latest scion, instead of showing these notes.”
“Those are the invaders the Southwood is dealing with,” states Teemo, not quite dropping the bombshell just yet.
“Invaders?” Tarl takes a closer look at the notes, and even motions for Telar to examine them when she comes with the tea.
“I’m not familiar, I’m afraid,” she admits. “I’ve always been more focused on the paperwork and regulations, rather than the fieldwork.”
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Tarl starts frowning as he keeps checking the notes, and soon turns his eyes back to Teemo. “This is an invader? I’ve never seen one like this. The closest I’ve ever even heard about was a murderous dungeon that specialized in various insects. But something about this one doesn’t seem right.”
Teemo nods. “Yvonne and Honey both say they don’t have a real stomach, and no way to reproduce.”
Tarl’s frown deepens at that, and Berdol looks over the notes, though he doesn’t seem to have any new insight. “That’s not how dungeon spawn are supposed to work,” explains Tarl. “Every other denizen has at least the parts for reproducing in their own way, even if they don’t work quite right. I’ve heard the scholars say it’s because they’re based on life, in all its forms, and life always seeks to make more life.”
“There’s more. And this is the part the ODA at large will probably be the most interested in. Its type is unknown. Not that it’s listed as unknown, either. It’s a weird void, and the Southwood and the Boss are both stumped on what that actually means.”
Tarl’s eyes widen at that, while Berdol and Telar look confused. “Like it’s been redacted?” asks Telar, and Teemo shakes his head.
“It’s not just a blank. There’s something there, but it hurts to look at.”
“What’s Thedeim plan to do about them?” asks Tarl, looking a bit haunted.
Teemo shrugs. “Stop them, probably try to wipe them out. The Boss says they look like disposable warriors of some kind, and Yvonne agrees. We don’t know if they’re a normal invader, or sent by some dungeon, but they need to be dealt with. The Boss was actually hoping you’d be able to give some insight on what could make them?”
Tarl relaxes slightly when Teemo tells him these are one of the few things I’m not willing to live and let live with, and grimaces when Teemo asks about their potential origin. “I can’t say for sure what could be the source of these kinds of things. If I had to guess, I’d say they’re from a dungeon. Ordinary monsters are pretty well documented, and even if it was something new, it would still have some kind of type that we could make sense of. It being from a dungeon only makes slightly more sense, and even that is because dungeons can sometimes do something weird.”
He chuckles and meets Teemo’s eyes. “Thedeim has a lot of weirdness, but he doesn’t have exclusive access. If it is a dungeon, he should be careful.”
Teemo nods at that. “That’s why we’re telling you, and hope you’ll tell the guild at large, too. Getting the word out could be important.”
Tarl looks thoughtful for a few more moments, then stands. “Well, why don’t I escort you back to Thedeim then, Teemo? Poe can stay and see how he likes tea and biscuits, unless he has other pressing business?”
Poe shakes his head and eyes the tea tray, curious about the little snacks on it. Teemo shrugs. “Sure. I’ll leave the notes here, they’re a copy of the ones the Boss has.” With that, he hops onto Tarls open hand, and the two start walking back to me, with Tarl speaking up once they’re out on the street, though he keeps his voice lowered.
“Can I speak with you in your Sanctum, please?”
Teemo gives him a sideways look. “Sure. Got something important to talk about?”
“Yes,” is his simple reply. That kind of terseness usually means something big, so we should probably get on that.
Once back inside my borders, Teemo leads him through a long series of shortcuts, not so much to disorient him, but to ensure anyone following will be fully lost, before taking him to my Sanctum. Once there, Tarl doesn’t mince words.
“Thedeim knows what these things are, doesn’t he.”
Me and Teemo both are surprised at that, and confused. “No? What makes you think he does?”
Tarl stares at Teemo for a few long seconds, then deflates, slumping into a chair. “That night, when I looked at his core. I saw a vision. A vision of cities the size of small nations, of potent and wondrous artifice in everyday life, of towering spires of glass that would blot out the sky just as much as they reflect it. And I saw… weird voids shaped like people, living their lives. The way you describe the invader’s type, it seems like the same kind of void.
“I was starting to think it was just some weirdness of the vision, showing me some kind of lost age Thedeim is from, maybe even of his own dwellers at some point, I don’t know. But the way you describe the type… it’s the same kind of thing, isn’t it.”
I really wish I could exchange a look with Teemo right now, but even if I could, I don’t think he’d have much advice for what to tell him. How would I explain where I came from? I tried once with Aranya and Yvonne, but I don’t think they quite got it either.
But there’s no real point in dwelling on my origin, especially when I can’t explain it in any way that makes sense.
“He says the things in your vision are not the invader. At first, he thought they might be warped versions, but there’s practically nothing in common, aside from the weird… barrier, I guess? The Boss thinks they’re from somewhere else. Somewhere sideways? It’s a weird concept of his, basically a place that’s not here, and here doesn’t want those things here, which is why the barrier.”
“Can he beat them?” asks Tarl, looking like he’s not certain he wants the answer.
“He’s sure going to try. And if he can’t… well, that’s why he wanted to get those notes to the rest of your guild. If we can’t handle them, maybe they can.”
Tarl glances towards the entrance to the bedrooms and my core, and slowly shakes his head. “You have more confidence in the guild than I do.”