Avishraa Reloaded

Puugwol had remained unusually quiet for some vigils after Einriss' conversation with Dlyss, though it seemed to be more a matter of being preoccupied with something rather than an unwillingness to speak to Einriss in particular. Among other things, she had become heavily invested in the cultivation of the fungus she was cultivating, which remained a topic she was keen to speak upon.

This remained the case, even in the face of the delivery of their first official test subject for Dlyss' project. Evidently, a way had been found to render Shyriath harmless enough to install him in the laboratory space.

“-and the wood you so kindly assisted in finding appears to be a very suitable growth medium,” Puugwol babbled happily as they waited. Violently colorful patterns eased their way across her scales as she spoke. “I hardly dared hope that the spores would fare so well, so far from Dunooma. Some testing will need to be done to ensure that the properties of bilaak-tesh have not suffered, of course, but I am hopeful.”

While Einriss was generally not much of a social talker, he did not at all mind listening, especially to a matter where science was involved. It was made considerably more entertaining by that he was quite capable of understanding some of the challenges involved - resulting in, frankly, a growing fondness for his colleague, where there had been no need to grow it given their general rapport so far. He did not say 'I hope you will keep me apprised,' since he did not think of it, but his body language said it for him without any subtlety. It was good to talk about something other than work that was nonetheless practical and real. In another situation, he might even have remembered to ask her whether she was hoping to 'speak to her gods' soon, then, and what that meant, but it would have required an undivided attention, and while she had most of his, there was a fraction preoccupied with the delivery of their test subject.

“This place is not designed to contain the spread of something like a fungus,” she continued, “and I have wondered about its impact on other local life forms, but I suspect that bilaak-tesh will not be able to compete with-”

She stopped speaking as their subject was led in by a pair of guards. Shyriath looked to be in somewhat better health than he had been, but his eyes were wild in the manner of one experiencing something new and terrifying. His movement was hindered by a collar around his neck and manacles around his wrists and ankles, all clearly formed from stone via Element magic and all joined to each other by short lengths of steel chain.

Clearly the restraints were heavy, but that was evidently not their only function. Inscribed on the surface of each stone ring was an intricate series of symbols, occasionally flickering with light. Presumably the designs were what contained Shyriath's magic, and if so, their effectiveness was attested by his inability to affect anyone's mind or break his shackles.

“Where did you want him put?” one of the guards asked.

The whole manner of having a prisoner as a test subject was a strange set of emotions for Einriss. On the one hand, it was triggering various 'this is your guest' instincts, on the other in practise it would be much more like keeping an animal around for the purposes of experimentation, and the juxtaposition between the attitudes that allowed either of these things to thrive for some reason caused him no mental friction.

“The cage, if you would,” he said, a bit of eagerness creeping into his tone. Awkwardness of the whole thing notwithstanding - and when had awkwardness ever deterred Einriss from anything? - this was a lot like receiving a birthday present. He gestured cutely toward it.

And that was where the 'this is your guest' mindset came in. Much like any animal, they would need to tend to Shyriath. He would need food and water and someone had to take care of his piss and his shit. The whole 'cage' thing made it all a little less dignified, but Einriss reasoned they could probably at least minimise the unpleasantness. He certainly would try, regardless whether Shyriath would appreciate it or not.