Quothar Basically, you're to face 6 men of varying skills:
Quothar r init new
Quothar r init 10
Eklem INIT: Quothar [10] 14 16 19
Arlie_B r init 16+1
Eklem INIT: Arlie_B [16+1=17] 19 23 24
Quothar You face a new recruit in leather armor. Go.
Arlie_B practice swords?
Quothar Yes
Arlie_B r called_disarm 16-3
Eklem Arlie_B [called_disarm: 16-3=13] 14 17 22
Quothar r sw 10
Eklem Quothar [sw: 10] 11 16 18
Quothar He cries out as he drops his fake sword.
Quothar As soon as he does, he bows, then steps back. A sergent steps up, in leathers, with a practice sword.
Quothar r init new
Quothar r init 13
Eklem INIT: Quothar [13] 17 20 22
Arlie_B r init 16+1
Eklem INIT: Arlie_B [16+1=17] 20 20 24
Quothar Go
Arlie_B r body_blow 16
Eklem Arlie_B [body_blow: 16] 23 25 25
Quothar r sgt 13
Eklem Quothar [sgt: 13] 14 14 19
Arlie_B ...
Quothar r stun 15+3 wound 15+3
Eklem Quothar [stun: 15+3=18] 19 22 22
Eklem Quothar [wound: 15+3=18] 23 25 26
Quothar Practice sword is +4/+1
Arlie_B Can I karma his prowess defense?
Arlie_B love + admired?
Quothar You're not defending
Arlie_B no, but I don't want to kill him and with a +6 for the exceptional I'm likely to DE
Arlie_B r stun 16+4+6 wound 16+1+6
Eklem Arlie_B [stun: 16+4+6=26] 30 31 34
Eklem Arlie_B [wound: 16+1+6=23] 28 29 33
Quothar You can karma for a narration effect, but you can't karma his roll.
Arlie_B ok, give me a sec.
Arlie_B actually, I'll just nega my stun.
Arlie_B that will avoid a DE.
Quothar How?
Quothar Exceptional hit, then stun is still exceptional even nega
Arlie_B oh, never mind, I'm stupid, ok, give me a sec.
Arlie_B karma to say the practice sword breaks, knocking the sargent out and absorbing some of the blow?
Quothar The sword cracks as it strikes his armor. The sergeant's breath comes out in a small gale as he collapses.
Quothar Two men drag him away and check him, "Broken rib. He'll be fine."
Quothar A hardened looking soldier walks up.
Quothar He's wearing steel-reinforced leathers.
Quothar r init new
Quothar r init 15
Eklem INIT: Quothar [15] 18 23 24
Arlie_B "Bloody hell, he shouldn't have left his side open. Gods, tell him I'm sorry."
Arlie_B r init 16+1
Eklem INIT: Arlie_B [16+1=17] 18 25 25
Arlie_B hold.
Quothar He lunges.
Quothar r strike 15
Eklem Quothar [strike: 15] 18 22 25
Arlie_B r defend 16+1
Eklem Arlie_B [defend: 16+1=17] 23 26 26
Arlie_B er, no +1
- Arlie_B attacks on his turn.
Arlie_B r riposte 16
Eklem Arlie_B [riposte: 16] 20 20 24
Quothar r parry 15
Eklem Quothar [parry: 15] 23 23 24
- Arlie_B steps back after his lunge and grins.
Arlie_B r init 16+1
Eklem INIT: Arlie_B [16+1=17] 19 22 25
Quothar r init 15
Eklem INIT: Quothar [15] 20 24 24
Quothar The man smiles back, "Not bad."
Quothar r lunge 15
Eklem Quothar [lunge: 15] 23 24 25
Arlie_B r defend 16
Eklem Arlie_B [defend: 16] 21 24 26
Arlie_B r stun 16 wound 16
Eklem Arlie_B [stun: 16] 18 19 26
Eklem Arlie_B [wound: 16] 18 20 21
Quothar r stun 14+5 wound 14+5
Eklem Quothar [stun: 14+5=19] 26 27 27
Eklem Quothar [wound: 14+5=19] 21 26 29
Arlie_B -3 for graze.
Quothar Right
Quothar Stun, LNA
Quothar Err
Quothar NW
- Arlie_B coughs and falls back on his butt.
Quothar The man disarms you, then bows.
Arlie_B "So that's why we wear that bloody uncomfortable stuff."
Arlie_B "Good form."
Quothar He nods.
Quothar They give you time to recover from stun, then the next one steps up.
Quothar You still have NW (-1)
Quothar r init new
Quothar r init 16
Eklem INIT: Quothar [16] 17 18 24
Arlie_B r init 16
Eklem INIT: Arlie_B [16] 17 19 25
Arlie_B r lunge 16-1
Eklem Arlie_B [lunge: 16-1=15] 16 16 18
Quothar r parry 16
Eklem Quothar [parry: 16] 17 21 23
Quothar r counter 16
Eklem Quothar [counter: 16] 19 20 24
Arlie_B r parry 16-1
Eklem Arlie_B [parry: 16-1=15] 17 19 21
Arlie_B r stun 16 wound 16
Eklem Arlie_B [stun: 16] 20 21 25
Eklem Arlie_B [wound: 16] 17 17 19
Quothar r stun 14+5 wound 14+5
Eklem Quothar [stun: 14+5=19] 20 22 22
Eklem Quothar [wound: 14+5=19] 21 23 25
Quothar LNA, DW
Arlie_B it's a practice sword?
Arlie_B +1 wound?
Quothar Shit.
Quothar That would change the above, too.
Quothar It should be +4/+1
Quothar My bad
Arlie_B I'd still be stunned and disarmed.
Arlie_B and I'd have still been LNA this round.
Quothar We'll move along and retcon if needed later. No wound right now, to make up a bit
Arlie_B ok.
Quothar r attack 16
Eklem Quothar [attack: 16] 19 24 25
Arlie_B r parry 16
Eklem Arlie_B [parry: 16] 17 20 21
Arlie_B r stun 16 wound 16
Eklem Arlie_B [stun: 16] 20 22 25
Eklem Arlie_B [wound: 16] 20 21 23
Quothar r stun 14+4+3 wound 14+4+1
Eklem Quothar [stun: 14+4+3=21] 22 24 29
Eklem Quothar [wound: 14+4+1=19] 21 22 26
Quothar LNA, NW
Quothar They don't stack though. He strikes again
Quothar r attack 16
Eklem Quothar [attack: 16] 17 23 26
Arlie_B r parry_oh_gods_parry 16-1
Eklem Arlie_B [parry_oh_gods_parry: 16-1=15] 22 22 25
Quothar K?
Arlie_B r stun 16 wound 16
Eklem Arlie_B [stun: 16] 17 21 23
Eklem Arlie_B [wound: 16] 20 23 26
Arlie_B sorry, didn't press enter.
- Arlie_B is pressed backwards, fighting off the sword strikes frantically.
Quothar Karma is what I was asking
Quothar Anyway
Quothar r stun 14+4 wound 14+1
Eklem Quothar [stun: 14+4=18] 22 23 25
Eklem Quothar [wound: 14+1=15] 16 18 25
Quothar LNA
Quothar r attack 16
Eklem Quothar [attack: 16] 22 23 26
Arlie_B r parry_for_life 16
Eklem Arlie_B [parry_for_life: 16] 20 20 22
Arlie_B r stun 16 wound 16
Eklem Arlie_B [stun: 16] 19 23 26
Eklem Arlie_B [wound: 16] 18 20 26
Quothar r stun 14+4 wound 14+1
Eklem Quothar [stun: 14+4=18] 20 24 25
Eklem Quothar [wound: 14+1=15] 18 19 24
Quothar LNA, NW
Quothar Is that six hits?
Arlie_B 4 I think.
Arlie_B yes, 4.
Arlie_B r shift_momentum_parry 16
Eklem Arlie_B [shift_momentum_parry: 16] 20 21 21
Quothar r strike 16
Eklem Quothar [strike: 16] 17 22 24
Quothar r stun 14+4 wound 14+1
Eklem Quothar [stun: 14+4=18] 19 23 28
Eklem Quothar [wound: 14+1=15] 18 19 20
Arlie_B r stun 16 wound 16
Eklem Arlie_B [stun: 16] 24 24 24
Eklem Arlie_B [wound: 16] 18 21 24
- Arlie_B darts left as he parries, taking a glancing bow to the arm.
Quothar r init 16
Eklem INIT: Quothar [16] 17 18 25
Arlie_B r init 16-1
Eklem INIT: Arlie_B [16-1=15] 19 21 23
Arlie_B r press_advantage 16-1
Eklem Arlie_B [press_advantage: 16-1=15] 20 22 24
Quothar r 16
Eklem Quothar [16] 22 23 26
Arlie_B r parry 16-1
Eklem Arlie_B [parry: 16-1=15] 16 18 25
Quothar r strike 16
Eklem Quothar [strike: 16] 18 20 20
Quothar r stun 14+4 wound 14+1
Eklem Quothar [stun: 14+4=18] 23 26 27
Eklem Quothar [wound: 14+1=15] 21 22 24
Quothar Is that 6 hits?
- Arlie_B strikes at an opening but gets forcibly repelled. He has trouble bring his sword back down for the next attack.
Arlie_B yes.
Arlie_B r stun 16 wound 16
Eklem Arlie_B [stun: 16] 23 23 24
Eklem Arlie_B [wound: 16] 20 21 25
Quothar The man steps back, bows. "You've two failures now. If you fail once more, you do not earn your ring."
Arlie_B "Let me put on leathers for the next one."
Quothar They arrange some
Arlie_B "I can't break my ribs for the next couple of months."
Quothar The soldier smiles, and the next man to step up is a special forces man. "Battisto," he spits, "This will be fun."
Quothar r init new
Quothar r init 16
Eklem INIT: Quothar [16] 19 26 26
Arlie_B r init 16-1+1
Eklem INIT: Arlie_B [16-1+1=16] 18 20 24
Quothar r strike 16
Eklem Quothar [strike: 16] 24 24 25
Arlie_B r parry 16-1
Eklem Arlie_B [parry: 16-1=15] 16 24 24
Arlie_B r stun 16+3 wound 16+3
Eklem Arlie_B [stun: 16+3=19] 22 25 25
Eklem Arlie_B [wound: 16+3=19] 21 24 26
Quothar r stun 15+4-3 wound 15+1-3
Eklem Quothar [stun: 15+4-3=16] 17 22 26
Eklem Quothar [wound: 15+1-3=13] 16 17 23
Quothar The blow slides off your armored arm.
Quothar Go
Arlie_B r attack 16-1
Eklem Arlie_B [attack: 16-1=15] 16 16 21
Arlie_B hmph.
Quothar r parry 16
Eklem Quothar [parry: 16] 21 25 25
Quothar r counter 16?
Eklem Quothar [counter: 16] 17 19 22
Arlie_B r parry 16-1
Eklem Arlie_B [parry: 16-1=15] 16 22 24
Quothar Your swords clatter.
Quothar r init 16
Eklem INIT: Quothar [16] 18 19 21
Arlie_B r init 16
Eklem INIT: Arlie_B [16] 17 17 23
Arlie_B r parry 16-1
Eklem Arlie_B [parry: 16-1=15] 17 19 19
Quothar r strike 16
Eklem Quothar [strike: 16] 20 21 23
Quothar r stun 15+4 wound 15+4
Eklem Quothar [stun: 15+4=19] 24 29 29
Eklem Quothar [wound: 15+4=19] 24 27 28
Arlie_B t stun 16+3 wound 16+3
Arlie_B r stun 16+3 wound 16+3
Eklem Arlie_B [stun: 16+3=19] 20 25 26
Eklem Arlie_B [wound: 16+3=19] 20 21 27
Quothar Stun, DW
Arlie_B +1 for wound,
Arlie_B NW,
Quothar Still, unless you karma stun, you will be disarmed
Arlie_B ok, band karma for the stun?
Quothar Works for me
Quothar Just NW then
Quothar Your turn
Arlie_B the rules are just plain attacks?
Quothar They didn't quite say.
Arlie_B no special skills though, right?
Quothar They never said anything about that. They just brought you to a room and said "Fight these six men."
Arlie_B a room, not outdoors?
Quothar Err, sorry, it's in the compound courtyard
- Arlie_B improvises, letting the last attack drop low enough to grab a chunk of turf and throw it up into the attacker's eyes.
Arlie_B what should I roll?
Arlie_B r roll 0
Eklem Arlie_B [roll: 0] 2 3 7
Quothar Roll improv
Quothar r diff 7
Eklem Quothar [diff: 7] 10 12 12
Arlie_B r improv 16+1
Eklem Arlie_B [improv: 16+1=17] 22 23 26
Arlie_B awareness based.
Quothar Roll prowess +6
Quothar r dodge 14
Eklem Quothar [dodge: 14] 20 23 24
Arlie_B r pro 16-1+6
Eklem Arlie_B [pro: 16-1+6=21] 22 30 31
Quothar The turf slaps him in the face, leaving him blinded and losing his action
Arlie_B r downward_swing 16-1
Eklem Arlie_B [downward_swing: 16-1=15] 16 23 23
Quothar r parry blind 16-6
Eklem Quothar [parry blind: 16-6=10] 16 16 20
Quothar r stun 15+3 wound 15+3
Eklem Quothar [stun: 15+3=18] 19 21 28
Eklem Quothar [wound: 15+3=18] 24 28 28
Arlie_B r stun 16+4+6 wound 16+1+6
Eklem Arlie_B [stun: 16+4+6=26] 29 36 36
Eklem Arlie_B [wound: 16+1+6=23] 24 24 28
Arlie_B shit,
Quothar Either karma or retcon a called shot?
Arlie_B retcon a called shot, Arlie kicks the boy in the chest, knocking him over and knocking the sword from his hand.
Arlie_B if he was obviously blinded, that's the tact he would have taken,
Arlie_B asking his state took a bit too long,
Quothar We'll go with that description.
Quothar He crawls away, gets up, and bows, blinking away dirt.
Quothar The last man walks up, and it's a Silver Torch.
Arlie_B anyone I know?
Quothar You've seen him around. Overt branch.
Arlie_B "They save the best for last?"
Arlie_B "Bloody Hell, is Damon waiting out there out of sight?"
Quothar He smiles, "No, the test is designed to give you a chance, man."
Quothar r init torch 17
Eklem INIT: torch [17] 19 20 26
- Arlie_B laughs loudly and gets in his stance.
Arlie_B r init 16
Eklem INIT: Arlie_B [16] 18 20 23
Quothar He lunges.
Quothar r strike 17
Eklem Quothar [strike: 17] 18 20 21
Arlie_B r parry 16-1
Eklem Arlie_B [parry: 16-1=15] 20 21 25
Arlie_B r riposte 16-1
Eklem Arlie_B [riposte: 16-1=15] 16 19 22
Quothar You can't counter on a success of one. Or is this just yer attack?
Quothar r pary 17
Eklem Quothar [pary: 17] 18 20 25
Arlie_B just my attack.
Arlie_B r init 16
Eklem INIT: Arlie_B [16] 17 23 26
Quothar Gotchya. He parries, barely. "Not bad for a has been."
Quothar r init 17
Eklem INIT: Quothar [17] 19 21 23
- You are now known as Dionysus
Dionysus Go.
Arlie_B "You should listen to your elders. Did Damon ever tell you about the time we fought an Ka'ar brigade?"
Dionysus "He's not quite so windy as you, Battisto."
- Arlie_B tries to set his eyebrows on fire.
Dionysus r diff 5
Eklem Dionysus [diff: 5] 10 11 15
Arlie_B r invoke 13
Eklem Arlie_B [invoke: 13] 15 19 20
Dionysus Roll will+6 to hit
Dionysus r dodge 15
Eklem Dionysus [dodge: 15] 16 20 21
Arlie_B r will 17+6
Eklem Arlie_B [will: 17+6=23] 25 26 27
Dionysus r awa 14 diff 13
Eklem Dionysus [awa: 14] 17 19 22
Eklem Dionysus [diff: 13] 14 22 23
Dionysus He fails to think.
Dionysus He slaps his own face with the flat of his sword, trying to put them out.
Dionysus He staggers back and rolls after a moment, then gets up, and throws his sword down.
Arlie_B "Rub them with your hands son!"
Dionysus "You win, asshole," he says with a touch of wounded pride and good humor.
- Arlie_B smiles and wiggles his eyebrows at him.
Arlie_B "They'll grow back, except for this bit." Arlie points at his own.
Dionysus "Your ring will be done be done by the end of the week, Battisto. Any preference on its looks?"
Arlie_B "No iron, like this one." Arlie shows the pink one. "And nothing flashy, as boring as possible. Preferably ugly, so it won't get taken in a search."
Dionysus He nod, "Plain. Got it."
Dionysus +3 PRO
Dionysus Next is toughness?
Arlie_B sure.
Dionysus "You choose our implements. Six of us slap the shit out of you with them. If you're still standing in the end, you win."
Arlie_B "Keep from breaking the arms and ribs if you can help it, the rest is fair game."
Dionysus "Choose what we beat you with, Battisto," the forces man says.
Arlie_B "Anything will do. Toy, want to give these men some 'respectable' bludgeoning instruments?"
Arlie_B one of them has to be a trout.
Dionysus All of them have fish: trout, haddock, marlin, swordfish, dogfish, and carp.
Dionysus They blink, then sigh.
Dionysus "For these, you wear no armor."
Dionysus Haddock goes first.
Dionysus r stun 10+4 wound 10-2
Eklem Dionysus [stun: 10+4=14] 17 20 21
Eklem Dionysus [wound: 10-2=8] 9 10 16
Arlie_B "Alright, let's do it."
Arlie_B r stun 16 wound 16
Eklem Arlie_B [stun: 16] 20 23 26
Eklem Arlie_B [wound: 16] 17 17 26
Dionysus Marlin:
Dionysus r stun 12+3 wound 12-2
Eklem Dionysus [stun: 12+3=15] 23 25 25
Eklem Dionysus [wound: 12-2=10] 13 14 18
Arlie_B r stun 16 wound 16
Eklem Arlie_B [stun: 16] 20 20 25
Eklem Arlie_B [wound: 16] 18 19 21
Dionysus You reel under the blow of the fish, but remain standing, if dazed.
Dionysus Carp:
Dionysus r 14+3 wound 14-2
Eklem Dionysus [14+3=17] 20 23 26
Eklem Dionysus [wound: 14-2=12] 14 16 20
Arlie_B r stun 16 wound 16
Eklem Arlie_B [stun: 16] 19 21 23
Eklem Arlie_B [wound: 16] 22 25 26
Dionysus You continue to reel from the blow, but remain standing.
Dionysus Dogfish (which is rather large):
Dionysus r stun 16+4 wound 16-1
Eklem Dionysus [stun: 16+4=20] 28 28 30
Eklem Dionysus [wound: 16-1=15] 16 17 25
Arlie_B r stun 16 wound 16
Eklem Arlie_B [stun: 16] 17 25 25
Eklem Arlie_B [wound: 16] 20 25 26
Dionysus You continue to feel dazed.
Dionysus Swordfish:
Dionysus r stun 17+3 wound 17+3
Eklem Dionysus [stun: 17+3=20] 23 24 24
Eklem Dionysus [wound: 17+3=20] 23 26 26
Arlie_B r stun 16 wound 16
Eklem Arlie_B [stun: 16] 19 23 24
Eklem Arlie_B [wound: 16] 18 18 24
Arlie_B eek,
Arlie_B one sec,
Arlie_B nah, I'll take it. The swordfish takes a big gash out of Arlie's chest and he collapses. "Get.. Aurelia."
Dionysus He collapses?
Dionysus He's still standing.
Arlie_B mortal wound
Dionysus But no KO, and no Stun
Dionysus He's still standing.
Arlie_B but not dying is more important given the circumstances.
Arlie_B rather, he sits himself on the ground slowly, putting pressure to the wound.
Dionysus "Can you stand?" the trout wielder asks.
Arlie_B (This is the better story than karma-ing, I think.)
- Arlie_B pants. "Get Aurelia!"
Arlie_B "I can walk, to her."
Dionysus "Stand up, Battisto! You won't die for another few minutes!"
- Arlie_B looks at him with bloody murder that turns into a wince.
Arlie_B what is the pain on a mortal wound?
Arlie_B not bad for this, actually, because he beat stun
Dionysus -5 is the penalty during battle, -7 out
- Arlie_B stands. "I'm dizzy. You! Get her."
Dionysus As for pain, you just got slashed by a fish. How do you think that feels?
Dionysus Trout:
Dionysus r stun 18+3 wound 17-2
Eklem Dionysus [stun: 18+3=21] 22 23 23
Eklem Dionysus [wound: 17-2=15] 19 21 21
Arlie_B r stun 16 wound 16
Eklem Arlie_B [stun: 16] 18 25 25
Eklem Arlie_B [wound: 16] 20 22 24
- Arlie_B screams and agony and rage, then grabs the fish and throws it to the floor.
Dionysus You barely feel it. He sends a man for Aurelia.
Dionysus Aurelia?
- Aurelia follows the man back.
Dionysus You find Arlie standing with a huge gash in his chest. Six fish lie about the room
Dionysus And six men wait near him, feeling casual, bored.
Arlie_B and scared.
- Aurelia blinks at Arlie, then moves forward, going up briefly in opal flame before putting her hands to his chest to Heal.
Dionysus r mw 19
Eklem Dionysus [mw: 19] 20 23 27
Aurelia r heal 25+3
Eklem Aurelia [heal: 25+3=28] 30 33 36
Dionysus You slowly absorb the wound, feeling a tingling pain in your own chest as you do, but it quickly fades.
- Aurelia pulls her hands away when finished.
- Arlie_B collapses on the floor, covered in blood. He looks Aurelia in the eye. "Thank you." He doesn't smile, but he feels extreme gratitude.
Dionysus One of the men says, "Your Toy coulda healed you, man. It made the fish. Anyway, your ring will be done in a week. Any preferences what it'll look like?"
- Aurelia smiles faintly and nods, half kneeling to touch Arlie's arm, then turns to go, burning for a moment in black flame as she does.
Arlie_B "Oak."
Dionysus He nods.
Dionysus +3 toughess
Arlie_B "Hold on, men, I'll be back." Arlie walks out with Aurelia.
Arlie_B ok.
- Aurelia tilts her head questioningly, but doesn't object.
- Arlie_B tags along with Aurelia for the rest of the day.
Dionysus She's probably working on paintings that day?
Aurelia Composition.
Dionysus She's writing a song that day. Why does Arlie stick with her that day?
Arlie_B Gratitude for saving his life. "Can I play along, muted? It might give you an idea. You can kick me out if it gets in your way."
- Aurelia blinks at Arlie, then shakes her head. She's working on paper, without instrument, and is being a bit secretive, trying to keep said paper at a bad angle to be seen.
Arlie_B in that case, Arlie stays with her a bit, practicing sword drills, then takes his leave.
Dionysus Does Arlie a) do anything special or b) go for more rings?
Arlie_B 1.) He needs to arrange the details of saving that Roma girl from the slavers.
Dionysus I think we're waiting for everyone to be present for that?
Arlie_B yes.
Dionysus So we do that tomorrow. Next?
- Arlie_B needs to talk to Arsul about sending notice to Gruvum that his life may be in danger because a demi-god is hunting him, but he's kinda low on the list for now so enjoy his vacation anyway, just don't enjoy it for too long.
Arlie_B I'll do that in a second.
Arlie_B as for rings, let me think.
Dionysus I just wanna get as many rings done as I can because they're slow moving.
Arlie_B I know, I need to get more in character a bit before I can decide what he'd try for.
Arlie_B Off the top of my head, the only one I can think of Arlie trying for, given his experiences, is stealth
Dionysus You're told to sneak through one of the palace libraries without being seen.
Arlie_B but he'd try that with the armor, partly to test out exactly how good at sneaking he is with it on.
Arlie_B how does the armor give +6 stealth again? Does it camouflage like a chameleon?
Dionysus It fades.
Dionysus You become translucent
Arlie_B wow, ok, he'd try it with that. He thinks the trials are good practice.
Dionysus Roll sneak hide 6 times
Dionysus r awa 10 12 14 15 16 17
Eklem Dionysus [awa: 10] 12 13 19
Eklem Dionysus [12] 15 19 22
Eklem Dionysus [14] 17 24 24
Eklem Dionysus [15] 19 21 23
Eklem Dionysus [16] 18 18 26
Eklem Dionysus [17] 19 23 25
Arlie_B r sneak/hide 15+6 15+6 15+6 15+6 15+6 15+6
Eklem Arlie_B [hide: 15+6=21] 22 23 30
Eklem Arlie_B [15+6=21] 22 26 30
Eklem Arlie_B [15+6=21] 24 25 30
Eklem Arlie_B [15+6=21] 27 28 28
Eklem Arlie_B [15+6=21] 24 28 31
Eklem Arlie_B [15+6=21] 22 27 29
Dionysus When you get to the other side of the library, you have to a wait a moment before the instructor gets there. "Sorry," he says, "I didn't see you come out."
Arlie_B haha
Dionysus "I think you've earned your ring. Any specifics?"
Arlie_B "I think I got through because of this suit. Let's make it a braid of three brass rings, for the Mother of Moons."
Dionysus He nods, "Just so."
Dionysus +3 sneak/hide
Dionysus Aurelia?
Dionysus Sue?
Dionysus Sue, Aurelia seeks you out at one point
- Subiquim is easily found within 24 hours.
- Aurelia knocks at the door to his rooms.
- Subiquim happens to be inside and calls to her, "Come in."
- Aurelia opens the door and steps inside, pausing inside the entrance.
- Subiquim looks up from his chemistry book. "Aurelia. How are you?"
Aurelia "Well."
- Aurelia pauses again, biting the corner of her lip.
Aurelia "Will your dragons fly to Malhuin?"
Subiquim "I think so, if asked correctly. Why do you ask?"
- Aurelia hesitates, then, "I must go there. And Kashaji."
Subiquim "What's in Malhuin?"
Aurelia "Wrongness."
- Subiquim frowns slightly. "I see. Is it urgent?"
- Aurelia nods.
- Subiquim grabs the key off of his nightstand and begins opening a gate. "Meet me in the courtyard."
- Aurelia leaves to do so.
- Subiquim gates to the Opus, requests one of the dragons waiting there to bear an ally to Malhuin, "... to aid our master in fighting the Wrongness."
- Subiquim then keys a dragon-size gate into the palace courtyard.
Dionysus One of the dragons willingly follows you.
- Aurelia and Kashaji pause at the edge of the courtyard on arrival, to watch and wait.
- Subiquim leads it through and finds Aurelia. He gestures to the dragon following him. "Aurelia, this is Coloxal."
Dionysus The sleek black dragon slips through the gate, white to Sue's senses, and waits patiently. The special forces people stare.
- Aurelia curtseys to the dragon.
Dionysus The dragon says nothing, unable to speak languages Aurelia is likely to know.
- Subiquim closes the gate once Coloxal is through.
Subiquim "What is your destination?"
Aurelia "The circus at Malhuin City."
- Subiquim turns to the dragon and stares at it, silently.
Dionysus It stares back at Sue.
Subiquim <Coloxal, this one is Aurelia. Bear her to the circus at Malhuin city, that she may lend her aid to our master.>
Dionysus <Yes, Avatar.>
- Aurelia waits for direction.
- Subiquim turns back to Aurelia. "I have told him your destination."
- Aurelia bows her head a bit. "Thank you." She steps toward the dragon.
Dionysus The dragon lowers its wings to allow you to get on.
- Aurelia does so, helping Kashaji where necessary.
- Subiquim waits for them to get underway before keying to Malhuin.
- Aurelia and Kashaji were both, to note, dressed in red flowers. She in a dress of them, he in something like barding.
Dionysus The flight is swift, exhilirating, uncomfortable. The scales of the dragon are... unpleasant to touch. Its emotions are driven, determined.
- Aurelia tries to ignore the feel of the scales and focus on trying to think of what to do ahead.
Dionysus The flight takes a lot of time--about 8 hours. It's cold, uncomfortable, and possibly scary.
Dionysus Kashaji is uncomfortable as well.
- Aurelia tries to comfort him as well as she can.
Dionysus He accepts it a bit, but mostly remains scared.
Dionysus You land on the subcontinent near the Circus. The dragon looks to you and feels questioning.
- Aurelia helps Kashaji down, steadying herself for a moment before turning to it and saying quietly, uncertainly, "Wait here?"
Dionysus It flaps its wings & shifts to a ready stance, waiting.
- Aurelia stands with Kashaji for a few minutes, petting his shoulder and trying to prepare mentally, then starts toward the circus.
Dionysus The whole area is of Wrong colors.
Dionysus You sense the Wrongness, too, like a ripple of unnatural emotion in the air.
Dionysus And a distinct tinge of madness in the Circus
Dionysus As well as... despair from the south, intense, potent, mixed with... a rigidity.
- Aurelia hesitates, looking to the south. Is anything visible there?
Dionysus The ruins of an urban area.
Aurelia Ok. Circus first.
- Aurelia starts toward it again.
Dionysus You sense living beings, Assimilated into Wrongness, approaching.
- Aurelia continues forward.
- Aurelia draws Grimdancer.
Dionysus r init new
Dionysus r init wrongone 12 wrongtwo 13 wrongthree 14
Eklem INIT: wrongone [12] 14 14 19
Eklem INIT: wrongtwo [13] 17 22 23
Eklem INIT: wrongthree [14] 17 20 20
Aurelia r init 10+12 Kashaji 16+3
Eklem INIT: Aurelia [10+12=22] 25 25 25
Eklem INIT: Kashaji [16+3=19] 20 20 25
Dionysus r init show
Eklem (Aurelia 25/10) (wrongtwo 22/13) (Kashaji 20/16) (wrongthree 20/14) (wrongone 14/12)
Dionysus Go
Dionysus They are moving quickly, like a pack, coming out of the ruins toward you at a quick pace.
- Aurelia continues forward slowly, waiting to attack the one in lead when it's in range.
Dionysus So, an interrupt?
Aurelia Yes.
Dionysus He comes quickly into range.
Dionysus r parry 13
Eklem Dionysus [parry: 13] 17 18 22
Aurelia r sword 13+15
Eklem Aurelia [sword: 13+15=28] 35 37 38
Dionysus Let's roll s/w this once for the fun of it.
Dionysus r stun 13 wound 13
Eklem Dionysus [stun: 13] 15 17 23
Eklem Dionysus [wound: 13] 20 21 21
Aurelia r stun 25+10 wound 25+10
Eklem Aurelia [stun: 25+10=35] 37 38 41
Eklem Aurelia [wound: 25+10=35] 38 40 42
Dionysus The blade slips through him, ripping bone and flesh asunder, leaving him dead. Before he dies, the Taint only tells you that he's Wrong.
Dionysus kashaji?
Aurelia Attacks the second.
Dionysus r wrongthree 14
Eklem Dionysus [wrongthree: 14] 16 21 22
Aurelia r kpro 16+3
Eklem Aurelia [kpro: 16+3=19] 20 22 24
Dionysus r stun 14 wound 14
Eklem Dionysus [stun: 14] 15 16 20
Eklem Dionysus [wound: 14] 15 17 19
Aurelia r kstun 17+3+3 kwound 17+3+3
Eklem Aurelia [kstun: 17+3+3=23] 24 28 31
Eklem Aurelia [kwound: 17+3+3=23] 27 28 31
Dionysus Kashaji rips his side out with his teeth, then pointedly flings the flesh away. You feel Kashaji's revulsion as he shakes the Wronged blood out, scraping it off him with his paws.
Dionysus The third Assimilated one turns to flee, in terror.
- Aurelia will persue for a few seconds.
Dionysus r ath 12
Eklem Dionysus [ath: 12] 15 20 20
Aurelia r ath 13+1
Eklem Aurelia [ath: 13+1=14] 22 24 24
Dionysus You catch up to him. What do you do?
Aurelia Cut him down.
Dionysus r dodge 12
Eklem Dionysus [dodge: 12] 18 19 20
Dionysus He dies.
- Aurelia console's Kashaji with another moment's petting, and continues forward.
Dionysus On the way, you face maybe a dozen more such Wronged ones.
Dionysus They have the same pattern: attack, get killed, flee.
Dionysus Do you kill them all?
- Aurelia tries not to let any escape.
Dionysus Most of them die, then
Dionysus As you get close enough to the Circus to see the gates, you feel... something sweep your mind.
Dionysus Roll will.
Dionysus r madness 30
Eklem Dionysus [madness: 30] 32 34 39
Aurelia r will 25+3
Eklem Aurelia [will: 25+3=28] 38 38 38
Dionysus But you repulse the power of whatever it was, something vast, evil. It is not just Wrong, but also mad.
Dionysus It revels in the Wrongness.
Dionysus And is spreading it
Dionysus It is... the focal point of this patch of Wrongness.
Aurelia Then it needs destroyed.
- Aurelia focuses on it and moves forward.
Dionysus The Wrongness drapes over everything--people, things--like a sickness.
Dionysus The ferris wheel somehow spins sideways.
Dionysus The love tunnel is inverted somehow, impossibly, like a strange loop.
Dionysus The animals in their cages are maddened, hurting, intense.
Dionysus And twisted clowns roam, chanting in a strange variation of Kren'atanic
- Aurelia looks around, frowning slightly as she moves forward.
Aurelia After feeling the focus, she doesn't attack anything that doesn't attack her.
Dionysus Another wave flows through.
Dionysus r madness 30
Eklem Dionysus [madness: 30] 34 39 40
Aurelia r will 25+3
Eklem Aurelia [will: 25+3=28] 29 29 34
Aurelia ...
Dionysus A tie means you'll have minor hallucinations.
Aurelia Quothar and Gods/Immortals karma.
Dionysus You hear something to your right that you can't feel, but start feeling real people nearby.
- Aurelia looks sharply toward the source of the sound, then around uncertainly, still moving forward.
Dionysus "Aure..." you hear gently on the breeze.
- Aurelia again turns toward her best guess of the source, Grimdancer out, but continues toward the Source.
Dionysus "lia..."
Dionysus As you go along, the clowns begin to dance twisted, dark dances.
Dionysus And on the edge of your empathy, you sense a powerful ender, far to the south, between you and the despairing rigidity.
- Aurelia pauses at that, but only for a moment, then ignores him in favor of the source.
Dionysus He is approaching, slowly. The source seems to be in the big top.
Aurelia How far away are each?
Dionysus About a mile for the ender, about thirty yards for the big top
- Aurelia approaches the big top.
Dionysus Three of the clowns suddenly change from twisted and mad to determined and mad. They start to rush you.
Dionysus r init new
Dionysus r init clownone 15 clowntwo 17 clownthree 19
Eklem INIT: clownone [15] 17 17 24
Eklem INIT: clowntwo [17] 26 26 27
Eklem INIT: clownthree [19] 26 26 29
Aurelia r init 10+12 kashaji 16+3
Eklem INIT: Aurelia [10+12=22] 24 27 31
Eklem INIT: kashaji [16+3=19] 21 22 23
Dionysus They are approaching from your left.
- Aurelia turns to face them, holdin to slash the first.
Dionysus r init show
Eklem (Aurelia 27/10) (clownthree 26/19) (clowntwo 26/17) (kashaji 22/16) (clownone 17/15)
Dionysus The first clown gets in range
Dionysus r clownthree 19
Eklem Dionysus [clownthree: 19] 21 25 26
Aurelia r sword 13+15
Eklem Aurelia [sword: 13+15=28] 30 33 36
Dionysus r stun 19+3 wound 19+3
Eklem Dionysus [stun: 19+3=22] 25 26 32
Eklem Dionysus [wound: 19+3=22] 24 31 32
Aurelia r stun 25+10 wound 25+10
Eklem Aurelia [stun: 25+10=35] 37 41 44
Eklem Aurelia [wound: 25+10=35] 38 44 45
Aurelia Oh, +6 to both.
Dionysus The clown... squeaks, like a rubber toy when you slash it in two. Warm air rushes out where blood should be, and it laughs "Hyuk hyuk hyk:" as its head pops out on a spring. But it dies.
- Aurelia blinks, and turns toward the next.
Dionysus It lunges for you, insanely long claws out.
Dionysus r slash 17
Eklem Dionysus [slash: 17] 21 21 27
Aurelia r parry 13+15
Eklem Aurelia [parry: 13+15=28] 30 32 38
Dionysus Aurelia, you sense Sue arrive and go mad.
Dionysus Sue, your paranoia intensifies to crippling scale.
Aurelia "No!"
Dionysus You believe everything here is after you, seeking to get you--the people, Aurelia, the ground, the sky, the circus equipment, the animals...
Dionysus You counter the clown, or react to Sue?
- Subiquim ... flees into the Void and closes all the gates?
Dionysus Sue vanishes, Aurelia.
Aurelia Counter the clown, then.
Dionysus r clown 17
Eklem Dionysus [clown: 17] 18 21 26
Aurelia r swd 13+15
Eklem Aurelia [swd: 13+15=28] 32 38 38
Dionysus It explodes into confetti.
Dionysus Kashaji?
Aurelia Attacks the third.
Dionysus r clown 15
Eklem Dionysus [clown: 15] 18 21 23
Aurelia r pro 16+3
Eklem Aurelia [pro: 16+3=19] 25 27 27
Dionysus r stun 15 wound 15
Eklem Dionysus [stun: 15] 19 21 24
Eklem Dionysus [wound: 15] 18 22 22
Aurelia r stun 17+6+3 wound 17+6+3
Eklem Aurelia [stun: 17+6+3=26] 31 33 35
Eklem Aurelia [wound: 17+6+3=26] 32 33 35
Dionysus He rips the clown's suit to shreds, leaving nothing there but a rubber mask
Dionysus You sense the Source... is now elsewhere, nearby, in a small building.
- Aurelia pauses again, searching also for signs of Sue. When she doesn't find any, she turns toward the Source's new location.
Dionysus You sense near it lesser beings of similar disposition: insane and Wrong, but not the Source.
Dionysus They are protective, and intense, and also within the building
Dionysus The ender is a little closer.
Dionysus That is, from where he was.
- Aurelia focuses on the Source. She murmurs quietly as she walks, "This task, for the Mightfather."
Dionysus You see a flock of birds in front of you, then they're gone.
- Aurelia stops startled, then moves forward again, carefully.
Dionysus Kashaji fights off his fear bravely.
- Aurelia keeps her free hand on his shoulder.
Dionysus "Thrice sought me out, no more chances." you hear something whisper, from behind you.
- Aurelia half turns, looking for the source. Nothing found, she continues.
Dionysus You see a man slip into an alley down that way, a man you can't sense.
Dionysus Behind you, that is
Aurelia No.
- Aurelia trusts her empathy.
- Aurelia moves toward the Source.
Dionysus When you say "no," do you just mean you don't follow, or do you reject my description?
Aurelia Aurelia does not follow the man.
Dionysus The building you approach is teaming with madness
Dionysus There are at least a dozen powerful but not as powerful as the Source beings in there.
Aurelia And the Source?
Dionysus The Source itself is at the center of it.
Dionysus And the door is slightly ajar
Aurelia What emotions are present and prevalent?
Dionysus Determined protectiveness, obssession, obedience, despite, contempt, cunning, paranoia, sadistic glee, profound belief, terror, and from the Source: pure insanity and the tinge of Wrong.
- Aurelia attempts to take the obssession.
Dionysus r wil 22
Eklem Dionysus [wil: 22] 26 28 29
Aurelia r will 25+3
Eklem Aurelia [will: 25+3=28] 30 33 37
Dionysus You have a 20 in obsession
- Aurelia switches Grimdancer to her off hand and begins to paint, then. Vines on the door, then the walls around it, spending just enough time on each to make clear what it is - Thick, ropy things, thorns long and sharp enough to be deadly.
Dionysus As you begin, another wave of madness rolls through
Dionysus r madness 30
Eklem Dionysus [madness: 30] 31 33 37
Aurelia r will 28
Eklem Aurelia [will: 28] 31 32 36
Aurelia How bad will the failure be?
Dionysus A few hours of crippling depression
Aurelia Self karma.
Dionysus The wave rolls over you.
Dionysus Roll the potency of the emotion.
Dionysus r diff 20
Eklem Dionysus [diff: 20] 23 27 29
Aurelia r obsession 20
Eklem Aurelia [obsession: 20] 22 23 27
Aurelia Would special success be worth two karma?
Dionysus What's your goal for these vines?
Aurelia Have them grow into the building, tangling and injuring or killing whatever's caught in them.
Dionysus Special success would be pretty damned good, then
Aurelia Ok then. Self karma and Kashaji karma to flood the building with vines.
Dionysus You have two self karma?
Aurelia I meant path, sorry.
Dionysus The vines become real and begin slipping through the walls. You hear glass shattering.
- Aurelia waits, for the moment, watching their progress through the response of the inhabitants.
Dionysus One or two of the servitors is hurt, one dies. Mostly, they struggle with the vines.
- Aurelia then waits for the growth to slow sufficiently and climbs inside, over the vines.
Dionysus Inside, it is a house of mirrors.
Dionysus You see your reflection in shattered glass--thousands of you, tall, short, skinny, fat, Right, Wrong, empath, ender, venomir, etc. Woman, man.
- Aurelia tries to ignore them, and heads toward the Source, keeping alert for living presences around her.
Dionysus You hear echoing: "I never loved her..."
Dionysus And you see shapes in the distance.
Dionysus And the floor is rippling.
Dionysus But you sense living beings near to the Source, and the Source is in the center of the now ruined maze, behind a wall of whole mirrors.
- Aurelia tries to keep her balance, and to ignore the sound, just focusing on what her empathy tells her is alive and dangerous.
Dionysus Vines stretch through passages, shattered pathways now open, and a few servitors now dying or dead
- Aurelia and Kashaji continue toward the Source, unless any of the servitors to the sides seem able to recover.
Dionysus Not yet
Aurelia Not yet?
Dionysus None seem able to recover yet
Aurelia Ah. Onward.
Dionysus As you get to the central area, another wave flows outward.
Dionysus r madness 30
Eklem Dionysus [madness: 30] 36 37 39
Aurelia r will 28
Eklem Aurelia [will: 28] 29 33 38
Aurelia Ow.
Dionysus Got any more karma?
Aurelia Second path karma. I /do/ have two of those.
Dionysus And another?
Dionysus Oh, you don't need it
Dionysus The wave rolls over you.
Dionysus The central area is walled in by mirrors.
Dionysus The vines futilely try to break them
Dionysus r mirror 30
Eklem Dionysus [mirror: 30] 34 35 40
Dionysus Roll strength, or don't
Aurelia How do Grimdancer and the already encroaching vines fit in?
Aurelia r str 26
Eklem Aurelia [str: 26] 29 31 32
Dionysus If you strike the wall with Grimdancer, add its damage bonus
Dionysus The vines are on their own
Aurelia +9, then.
Dionysus The glass cracks down the center of the mirror you strike, a slit opening into... something
Dionysus Do you look closer in?
- Aurelia looks at the crack. She doesn't try too hard to look through it, if it's not big enough to pass through.
Dionysus It's not, yet.
Dionysus r wall 30
Eklem Dionysus [wall: 30] 34 36 40
Aurelia r str 26+9
Eklem Aurelia [str: 26+9=35] 36 42 45
Dionysus Another crack forms as the old one widens a bit.
Dionysus Wrong colored light flows out
Aurelia Is it wide enough?
Dionysus Not yet.
Aurelia Once more.
Dionysus r wall 30
Eklem Dionysus [wall: 30] 36 38 38
Aurelia r str 26+9
Eklem Aurelia [str: 26+9=35] 39 40 45
Dionysus It's about half big enough for someone to fit through.
Dionysus Inside, you can see the Wrong Mad Servitors peeking out, malice in their eyes.
Aurelia Can I take their protectiveness and obedience and push it into the nearly dead ones?
Dionysus That might make them recover.
Aurelia Is there anything relatively harmless in range?
Dionysus The vines?
Aurelia I can't feel them, so I don't think I can push emotion into them.
Dionysus Kashaji? That ender way back?
Dionysus Clowns outside? Animals in cagesoutside?
Aurelia Small caged animals.
Dionysus Roll
Dionysus r wil 25
Eklem Dionysus [wil: 25] 26 30 32
Aurelia r will 25+3
Eklem Aurelia [will: 25+3=28] 30 31 38
Dionysus You have one of their emotions, at 25
- Aurelia pushes it off on one of the relatively harmless of the caged animals outside, and does it with another, trying to systematically strip of it what keeps it from turning on its master.
Dionysus Five of them are within, but you can drain each one in turn
Dionysus They simmer into despite and contempt, glaring angrily at you.
Aurelia Not what I hoped for.
- Aurelia takes those, too, in hopes of at least taking them out of the fight.
Dionysus r wil 25
Eklem Dionysus [wil: 25] 27 32 34
Aurelia r will 25+3
Eklem Aurelia [will: 25+3=28] 31 34 38
Dionysus You drain these from them as well. Insert it into animals?
Aurelia Yes.
Dionysus You sense distant caged animals turn on each other.
Dionysus Cunning and paranoia take over the servitors
Dionysus And they turn on each other.
Dionysus The Source pushes them aside.
Dionysus A man, if he could still be called that
Dionysus Stands there
- Aurelia steps back, Grimdancer out.
Dionysus Wrongness flowing in his veins
Dionysus "You (you) dare (dare)."
- Aurelia watches him, silent.
Dionysus "I (I) am (am) Madness (Madness). You (you) are (are) mine (mine)."
Aurelia "No."
Dionysus He erases the Servitors, unravels them. "No (no)?"
Dionysus You sense her behind you.
Dionysus Diana is right behind you.
Dionysus "Aurelia," she says simply.
- Aurelia doesn't respond, or turn. She remains still, staring ahead, petrified.
Dionysus The Champion laughs, then vanishes. You no longer sense him. Or anything but Diana.
Dionysus "Look at me, Aurelia," she says gently.
- Aurelia takes a stumbling step toward where the Champion was, hesitates, then turns.
Dionysus She's about your age. A little plumper than you'd expect. She has a scar on her arm and one on her face.
Dionysus Her brown hair and blue eyes sparkle. "You never apologized."
- Aurelia starts to reach toward Diana with her free hand, tentative, then pulling back as if stung.
Dionysus She doesn't feel angry. Just observant. She stares at your hand.
- Aurelia feels for danger, then slowly unshoulders her bag and withdraws the Oboe, tucking Grimdancer away.
Dionysus Nothing but Diana is about.
- Aurelia begins to play, then. 'Diana'.
Aurelia r Oboe 17+10
Eklem Aurelia [Oboe: 17+10=27] 28 31 34
Dionysus You feel her emotions begin to stir as you play, and her heart slowly goes to shimmering awe.
- Aurelia stumbles over the first few notes, but gradually gains her stride as she focuses on the song. When it ends, she lowers the Oboe and says quietly, "My apology. The song called 'Diana.'"
Dionysus Diana weeps as she watches, then suddenly gasps. Terror fills her, "Where am I? How did I get here? Aurelia?!" she's shocked.
- Aurelia frowns slightly. "Wrongness. Malhuin."
Dionysus She looks around, "H-how? I was just home, and then you were here. I... I was... I mean. How?"
Aurelia "The Source of the Wrongness... brought you..."
- Aurelia looks around as well, searching for him again.
Dionysus Diana begins to panic.
- Aurelia puts a hand on her arm, trying to reassure.
Dionysus Kashaji barks encouragingly.
Dionysus Diana just shudders, then weeps. "Why did he bring me here?"
- Aurelia flinches back at the shudder.
Dionysus "Please, don't let me die here."
Aurelia Will my dress fit her?
Dionysus The flowers are very stretchy
Dionysus And actually
Dionysus She's about your size, what with her being plump and you being pregnant
- Aurelia touches a plate of her skirt. "Armor..."
- Aurelia then begins to remove it, offering each piece to Diana.
Aurelia Rather,
Dionysus Diana stares a moment, watches you get naked (?).
Aurelia Nearly. Aurelia's wearing underclothes.
Dionysus She hesitantly puts the armor on?
- Aurelia waits until she's finished, then starts back out of the house of mirrors.
Dionysus She follows, hesitantly. As you go, the world returns to you: the dead or dying Servitors. The approaching ender (now in the circus), and the Source.
Dionysus The clowns, the animals.
Dionysus And Diana./
Dionysus Like an albatross upon your neck, Diana.
Dionysus Her terror is not pleasant to you, despite your enderness
Dionysus Her terror is a reminder.
- Aurelia bites the corner of her lip, looking at the source, then toward the dragon, and back.
Aurelia How long would it take to get to the dragon and back?
Dionysus Diana whispers, "What happened here?"
Dionysus About an hour to go there and back
Aurelia "Wrongness. Its source is there." She looks toward it.
Dionysus "Can you make it go away?"
Dionysus It revolts her
Aurelia "Yes."
Dionysus She gulps, "These flowers are... strange." She likes them
Aurelia "If you stay... Kashaji will protect you."
Dionysus Kashaji barks.
Dionysus She looks to him and hesitantly touches his side.
Dionysus He licks her.
Dionysus What do you do now?
- Aurelia starts toward the Source.
Dionysus Kashaji and Diana follow at a safe distance.
- Aurelia murmurs again, "This task, for the Mightfather..." and walks, Grimdancer ready.
Dionysus You approach the big top again.
Dionysus Within, the Wrong color is rampant, and in the midst of it is the Champion, wearing a raggedy clown suit.
Dionysus "Emotion (emotion) is (is) your (your) strength (strength) and (and) weakness (weakness)."
Aurelia "Yes."
Dionysus "Feel (feel) pain (pain)."
Dionysus He just makes everyone in the area suffer, Kashaji and Diana included.
Aurelia What does it feel like to me?
Dionysus You're probably fighting delight
Dionysus "No (no)."
Dionysus He intensifies it.
- Aurelia starts forward again. If she gets in reach, she slashes at him.
Dionysus As you move forward, he unleashes a new wave
Dionysus r madness 30
Eklem Dionysus [madness: 30] 32 33 34
Aurelia r will 25+3
Eklem Aurelia [will: 25+3=28] 31 34 38
Dionysus You resist it, but you feel Diana go mad
Dionysus r init new
Dionysus r init champion 25 diana 9
Eklem INIT: champion [25] 26 29 31
Eklem INIT: diana [9] 11 13 13
Aurelia r init 10+9 kashaji 16+3
Eklem INIT: Aurelia [10+9=19] 23 24 25
Eklem INIT: kashaji [16+3=19] 22 23 28
Dionysus r init show
Eklem (champion 29/25) (Aurelia 24/10) (kashaji 23/16) (diana 13/9)
Dionysus The Champion hurls essence of Wrongness at Diana and Kashaji. Roll Kashaj's dodge
Dionysus r hit 25
Eklem Dionysus [hit: 25] 27 29 35
Aurelia r kdodge 14+3+3
Eklem Aurelia [kdodge: 14+3+3=20] 24 27 30
Dionysus Roll his will
Dionysus r wrong 25
Eklem Dionysus [wrong: 25] 30 33 34
Aurelia r kwil 10
Eklem Aurelia [kwil: 10] 15 17 18
Dionysus The Wrongness begins to consume Kashaji and Diana, slowly
Dionysus r init show
Eklem (champion 29/25) (Aurelia 24/10) (kashaji 23/16) (diana 13/9)
Dionysus Go.
Aurelia "NO!"
- Aurelia lunges at the Champion.
Dionysus r dodge 25
Eklem Dionysus [dodge: 25] 28 28 34
Aurelia r swd 13+12
Eklem Aurelia [swd: 13+12=25] 28 31 31
Dionysus r stun 30 wound 30
Eklem Dionysus [stun: 30] 31 36 38
Eklem Dionysus [wound: 30] 32 32 35
Aurelia r stun 25+10 wound 25+10
Eklem Aurelia [stun: 25+10=35] 38 42 44
Eklem Aurelia [wound: 25+10=35] 41 42 44
Aurelia If DE is worth it, I've karma.
Dionysus Definitely
Dionysus Which karma?
Aurelia The child. Ultimately, I need to do this to protect her as well.
Dionysus Grimdancer slices into the Champion of Madness's side, showing you via Taint that devotion to Mad evil and genocide are his sins, before his life flickers out in a fountain of Wronged blood.
Dionysus Suddenly, you feel sanity return. Little things you were hallucinating vanish.
Dionysus Calm returns to the area.
Dionysus But there is still Wrong everywhere.
- Aurelia turns as soon as she feels his life go out, burning opal, and hurries toward Kashaji and Diana.
Dionysus You sense the approaching ender enter the big top.
Aurelia Do they need immediate help?
Dionysus They're being consumed by Wrongness, but otherwise, no.
- Aurelia moves between them and the ender.
Dionysus He stops in the doorway, saying something in a language you don't know, or languages, until he stops on elven, "Do you speak elven?"
Aurelia "Yes."
Dionysus "You killed the Mad Champion?"
Aurelia "Yes."
- Aurelia watches him, wary and worried about Diana and Kashaji.
Dionysus He is clearly surprised. "You're pregnant."
Aurelia "Yes."
Dionysus "How did you...?"
- Aurelia gestures vaguely at Grimdancer, still wary.
Aurelia Or did he mean the pregnancy?
Dionysus If you inspect, he means all of it.
Aurelia My response stands.
Dionysus He shakes his head, "Who sent you?"
Aurelia "The Mightfather."
Dionysus His eyes narrow, then he says, "Very well. I am Servitor Vashath, Assassin of the Ender Corps. I was sent to try my hand against the Champion."
- Aurelia 's wariness increases.
Dionysus "Can you cleanse the Wrongness?"
Aurelia Uncertainty.
Dionysus He looks around, feeling that himself, and caution, "It likely will no longer spread. I will keep guard while you investigate further, Strange One."
- Aurelia keeps her senses open to malicious intent and returns to Kashaji and Diana, to first try Healing the one she can.
Dionysus Which one?
Aurelia Diana. Can she Heal Kashaji?
Dionysus Maybe
Dionysus r diff diana 20
Eklem Dionysus [diff diana: 20] 22 27 29
Aurelia r Heal 28
Eklem Aurelia [Heal: 28] 29 35 38
Dionysus The wrongness burns from her in opal fire
Aurelia Relief.
- Aurelia moves to Kashaji. She's never tried Healing an animal since she started sensing them. She does now.
Dionysus r diff 25
Eklem Dionysus [diff: 25] 30 32 35
Aurelia r Heal 28
Eklem Aurelia [Heal: 28] 36 36 38
Dionysus The Wrongness burns away in opal flame
- Aurelia hugs him tightly before standing and changing back to Ender.
Dionysus He licks you.
Dionysus Diana is weeping in terror. "It was so... unnerving."
- Aurelia smiles a little, then the smile fades as Diana's reaction gets through.
- Aurelia touches Diana's arm again, tentatively.
Dionysus She stares at you a moment, panic flowing, then calms, "Help me?"
Aurelia "How?"
Dionysus "Get me out of here!" she screams
- Aurelia flinches away at the scream.
Aurelia A swirl of panic and guilt accompanies the flinch.
Dionysus She cowers into tears there on the grounds
Aurelia "The Wrongness must be healed, then... The Sisters..?"
Dionysus "The Sisters?"
Aurelia "Do the Three Sisters... remain home?"
Dionysus She looks surprised, "I moved to Dreamport shortly after your... attack."
- Aurelia looks away, and nods.
Aurelia "After the Wrongness, Dreamport."
Dionysus She nods, warily
Dionysus She says, "How do you heal the Wr-wrongness?"
- Aurelia looks around at said Wrongness. Is it something that can be drawn?
Dionysus You register it empathically
- Aurelia tries to draw it with the ring.
Dionysus You fill up your ring to brimming 25 with Wrong energy.
Aurelia How much space does that clear?
Dionysus A few inches.
Aurelia Right. Can I put it back?
Dionysus Yes.
- Aurelia does so with a small frown.
Dionysus Diana watches.
- Aurelia burns Opal again and tries Healing it.
Dionysus It burns opal and fizzles away in about a foot square patch
Aurelia If I had a few decades perhaps.
Dionysus Diana watches it burn away with fascination.
- Aurelia burns black again and stands back to consider.
Dionysus "Why do you catch on fire?" she asks with fear
- Aurelia bites the corner of her lip. "To become empath. A change of aspect."
Dionysus She stares, "How?"
Aurelia "Bloodjewel. A relic."
Dionysus "Oh." She doesn't really undersand
- Aurelia returns to her bag for a brush and tries sketching out the big top in calm on one of its canvas panels.
Dionysus Roll potency
Dionysus r 19
Eklem Dionysus [19] 23 24 25
Aurelia r potency 10
Eklem Aurelia [potency: 10] 16 20 20
Aurelia Hahaaa. Wasted roll.
Dionysus She can tell she needs something stronger.
- Aurelia will take a few minutes to try to focus to a 16.
Dionysus Try again with the painting?
Aurelia Yeah.
Dionysus r diff 19
Eklem Dionysus [diff: 19] 23 25 26
Aurelia r potency 16
Eklem Aurelia [potency: 16] 19 22 26
Dionysus The painting still needs more power.
Aurelia More would be crippling, and even if it worked for the tent, applying it to such a large island... Mm.
Dionysus You still sense the Wronged animals about, the ender assassin, and the rigid melancholy to the south.
Dionysus Random assimilated people wander aimlessly without the madness to drive them
Aurelia Anything emotionally potent enough to make its use an option?
Dionysus The rigid melancholy is insanely powerful. Stronger than anything save the Wrongness itself
Aurelia That would make the island a rather depressing place if it worked.
Dionysus He feels both melancholy and rigidity. So depressing or unchanging
Aurelia Unchanging is depressing.
Dionysus You could go investigate who feels that way
- Aurelia tentatively and carefully tries to Wound the Wrongness. Just a scratch.
Dionysus Blackfire consumes a line of it
- Aurelia tries Poisoning, again carefully, to see if it spreads, and if it damages anything but the Wrongness.
Dionysus Greenflame consumes it
Dionysus A small circle, about half a foot in diameter
- Aurelia changes back, and thinks.
Dionysus Any thoughts?
Aurelia Nothing good. I could find the source of the meloncholy to find out if it'd be alright to draw from. I can't think of anything using my abilities that wouldn't take years, save painting with an extreme power source. Or possibly making a deal with it or something, depending.
Dionysus My only other suggestion i sto leave and do some research
- Aurelia frowns after a few minutes and points south. She asks of the assassin, "What is the sorrow there?"
Dionysus "The fallen Father of Order."
Aurelia Definitely not acceptable to steal from him.
Dionysus The assassin smirks as your emotions register
Dionysus The ender sneers, "Can't do it, can you?"
- Aurelia frowns slightly at him.
Dionysus "Too weak, eh?"
- Aurelia ignores him and looks for a largish swath of cloth, preferably softer than the canvas.
Dionysus You can find some within the circus
Dionysus "Don't worry," he taunts. "I'm sure one of you do-gooders will come clean this mess up."
- Aurelia tears a large swath and Heals the wrongness from it for a makeshift toga.
Dionysus Easily done
Aurelia To Diana: "I will speak to Him..."
Dionysus She watches in awe, saying nothing but nodding
Aurelia If she's not inclined to follow, "Kashaji, guard Diana."
- Aurelia leaves the tent and follows the rigid meloncholy.
Dionysus He stays near her
Dionysus It takes maybe half an hour to reach his makeshift tent in the midst of some ruins
Dionysus He looks like a tired, confused old man
Dionysus In the armor of a paladin of order
- Aurelia pauses a few yards away, to wait for acknowledgement.
Dionysus He waves you over, "Servitor."
- Aurelia approaches. After an uncertain moment, she curtsies.
Dionysus He watches, sadly, "I'm sorry."
- Aurelia blinks. "Sorry..?"
Dionysus He looks around, "This is my fault."
Dionysus "But I cannot fix it."
Aurelia "I am to heal this place."
Dionysus He looks to you, "You are multifaceted, like a jewel."
- Aurelia blinks again, canting her head slightly.
Dionysus "Ender, empath, venomir, black ender, silver empath... And other unseen facets. There is more to you yet. You are beautiful, did you know?"
Aurelia "The Bloodjewel..."
Dionysus "Ahh. It was Changed, when Avagen died. I could alter it, then. He was my opposite, and I still carry the scars he gave me. You are as much mine as you are Nightmare or Might."
Aurelia "Alter..?"
Dionysus He sighs, "Would you be different than you are?"
- Aurelia looks down at herself with a small frown, absently touching her belly with one hand. She looks up again and shakes her head.
Dionysus He smiles, and his melancholy melts slightly. "How do you intend to rid us of this scourge?" He gestures to the Wrongness
- Aurelia smiles faintly in response, then shakes her head. "I do not know how."
Dionysus He frowns, "Nor I. I've power to expend, but not vessel to expend it. I am bound and crippled."
Aurelia "What vessel is needed?"
Dionysus "One that has means to heal this Wrongness, I suppose. One that can bear Justice, Law, Order. Structure. Systems. One that is capable of Right."
Aurelia "Oh..."
Dionysus He looks to you, "Oh?"
Dionysus He looks you over, "How do you view the Wrongness? What metaphor do you use, Artist, Poet?"
Aurelia "Pain. A heart turned in on itself, and against itself, again, and again, until its song can hold no harmony."
Dionysus He looks off, "Harmony. Music is a fascinating system, a structured artform. I, personally, view the Wrongness as a cancer."
- Aurelia watches him, listening silently. If he's finished there, she nods.
Dionysus "To rid the world of it, one needs a cutting implement."
Dionysus He looks to you.
- Aurelia looks back at him.
Dionysus He puts his hand on his chest, and makes a pulling motion.
Dionysus Agony flows from him as energy bolts, sheer white, flow out of a cavity in his chest
Dionysus And from it, he pulls a gleaming white blade.
- Aurelia blinks again, then stares.
Dionysus He drops to his knees.
Dionysus "There is none other here. You must be worthy, or we all fail. Take this, and cleanse Shem."
Dionysus As you touch the blade, you sense... /everything/
Dionysus The whole system of systems
Dionysus From the multiverse and how it connects down to the way atoms interact.
Dionysus And how each level interacts with the others.
Dionysus And then...
Dionysus It all comes into focus.
Dionysus And as long as this blade is in your hands
Dionysus And your heart feels those of others
Dionysus You can sense, empathically, the systems that which you view is a part of.
Dionysus And the Wrongness all flows from one spot in your senses now.
Dionysus One tiny spot just needs to be cleaved.
Dionysus His heart.
- Aurelia says quietly, "Thank you."
Dionysus "Thank you."
- Aurelia returns the sword to him, putting its tip to his chest and pressing, as gently as she can and still have it find his heart.
Dionysus It runs right through him.
Dionysus Like through butter.
Dionysus His life instantly just stops.
Dionysus His heart stops registering
Dionysus And the Wrongness is gone.
Aurelia Is there a body?
Dionysus There is then a blinding white light
Dionysus And when it fades
Dionysus He is gone.
Dionysus The sword remains in your hands
- Aurelia bites the corner of her lip, staring at the empty tent for a few moments, then turns to slowly return to the big top.
Dionysus The ender is gone.
Dionysus Kashaji and Diana sit there, a little awed, scared, and worried.
Dionysus The dhole runs up and licks you when you arrive
Dionysus He barks
Dionysus Happy
Dionysus Diana says, "Can I go home now?" Her voice is hoarse.
- Aurelia smiles a little, then at Diana, then nods.
Dionysus She weeps relief
- Aurelia guides her to the dragon.
Dionysus She gapes at it when she sees it, & it just lowers its wings to let you on.
Dionysus Do you speak to her on the way, as she lies there terrified?
- Aurelia introduces them before boarding, Coloxal and Diana and... yes, if she does not speak first.
Dionysus She ignores the introduction, and says nothing until you speak.
Dionysus What do you say to her?
Aurelia I'm trying to figure that out.
- Aurelia tries for a while to think of something appropriate to say. Finally she simply says quietly, "I'm sorry."
Dionysus "It's not your fault. 'Madness' was his /name/, even."
Dionysus She sounds tense, scared of the flight, not entirely paying attention.
- Aurelia is silent again for a few minutes.
Dionysus Diana holds on for dear life.
Aurelia "The flowers are Viollca's Rose. Pulled from stem, they burn eternal, never wilting, never fading."
Dionysus She looks up, around, "They are beautiful. And... invigorating."
Aurelia "In Maraddon, a garden of them grows."
Dionysus "Just one? Why don't they spread them over the world?"
Aurelia Uncertainly, "They are new?"
Dionysus She looks at you a moment, then laughs, "Well, tell them to hurry?"
- Aurelia blinks, then smiles a little. "Yes."
Dionysus "I'll take this off in Dreamport, for you."
Aurelia "I will send its sister to you."
Dionysus "But I'd like to keep it for now."
Dionysus She blushes, "Thank you."
Dionysus After a moment of silence, "It turned out, in the long run, to be the best thing to ever happen to me."
Dionysus "They had to operate on me, and they found... a lump inside me."
Dionysus "If you hadn't hurt me, they never would have known. It would have killed me."
Dionysus "I'm not saying there weren't better ways to find out, but..." she shrugs, "I never held it against you. When I was little, I was too young to understand or even remember it well, and when I got older, it just seemed... strange luck."
Aurelia "I'm happy... you're well."
Dionysus She smiles, "I have a good life. Do you... have a good life?"
Aurelia "Chaos. Bartleby the Rogue and..." She touches her belly lightly. "Music. Fear. Burdens. Family." She pauses. "Yes."
Dionysus She looks at you with a grin, feeling amusement and confusion, "I followed some of that. I've heard of Bartleby the rogue, anyway."
- Aurelia smiles. "He is my heart."
Dionysus She smiles, "Oh. I've a man, too, but he's a sailor."
- Aurelia tilts her head, curious.
Dionysus "I don't see him as often I like, but one day, he'll settle down."
Dionysus She talks about her man unles you change the subject
- Aurelia doesn't, content to listen.
Dionysus You arrive in Dreamport in something like 7 hours.
Dionysus She is exhausted when you arrive
Dionysus And fumbles to get the dress off.
- Aurelia accepts it gratefully when it is. She'll stay with Diana to her front door unless unwelcome.
Dionysus She lets you walk her. She's a little dazed.
- Aurelia sees her safely inside, hovering outside for a moment to make sure she's settling in alright, and returns to the dragon.
Dionysus At her door to her little cottage, she fumbles, "I was in my house when he took me. The keys are inside."
- Aurelia looks at the cottage uncertainly. "Window?"
Dionysus She looks around, "I can try. Can you... lift me up to it?"
- Aurelia nods and kneels to do so.
Dionysus She climbs in through a window.
Dionysus When she gets in, she turns back around, & says, "Thank you."
- Aurelia smiles at her, and turns to go.
Dionysus "Goodnight," she says qyuietly as she closes her window
- Aurelia lingers a moment then to be sure she's already, and heads dragonward.
Dionysus The dragon lets you remount
Aurelia "Maraddon."
Dionysus It takes flight, and you're in Maraddon City in a matter of hours.
- Aurelia cuddles up with Kashaji and stares at the clouds, as well as she can on such a perch.
Aurelia When he lands, she thanks the dragon, and heads wearily for her rooms.
Dionysus Bartleby is sound asleep when you arrive.
Dionysus Kashaji lays across your legs and his.
- Aurelia curls up against him.
Dionysus You two practice your parts a bit before hand?
Aurelia Of course.
Aurelia We'd need to do the last bits together to be sure they mesh anyhow.
Aurelia Do you have the description I gave of it?
Dionysus Distant rain at sunrise. Uplifting and beautiful, adventurous throughout with an a theme that shifts between tender, strong, playful, and occasionally hints at or flirts with thunder.
Dionysus His theme for you is minor key, but beautiful, haunting, with spikes and swirls, key changes that are out of this world, complex, and solid, eternal, two things or more at once, with a keen edge of creativity to them.
Arlie_B [18:26] * Arlie_B knocks on Arsul's door.
Arlie_B [18:27] * Arsul says "Come in."
Arlie_B [18:27] <Arlie_B> "One of the drawbacks of knowing anything, you never get any piece and quiet."
Arlie_B "Arsul, I had a though last night after Sue got me up."
Arsul "What can I help you with?"
Arlie_B "We're competing for the Song, right?"
Arlie_B "What happens to Avery or Sue or Aurelia if they touch a Gift while having part of the Song?"
Arsul r pro 25
Eklem Arsul [pro: 25] 29 29 30
Arsul can the band members have the Song and their own Gifts at the same time?
Arsul wield the Song, rather
Arlie_B "I should be able to handle it, and you might be able to as well, but I'm worried about the others. Do they need to climb the Mountain of Trials in order to compete?
Dionysus You see them with both at the same time, yes
Arsul "They will be able to use both."
Arlie_B "That's what I needed to know, thanks. Oh, I have one more question. Where should I address this letter so that it gets to my house's tender in time? I let him go on vacation before I knew Rex was hunting our families and friends."
Arsul "Where can Arlie send his letter to reach his servant?"
Dionysus A small town in the mountains
Arlie_B "Thanks, Arsul. How are things going for you? What does Dionysus have you working on?"
Arsul "I help where I'm needed. Mostl been working with Magnum and Leia in Barfighting Basics."
Arlie_B "Ha! Now there was a good time. If you guys need a test run, just let me know, I'll show you the old haunts."
Arlie_B "Alright, I'll give you a chance for some peace and quiet. Thanks again."
Dionysus The test of prowess is done with wooden practice swords. You must face six men in turn. If you are disarmed or knocked out, you lose. Three losses and you fail to get the ring
Dionysus A cadet squares off with you.
Dionysus r init new
Dionysus r init cadet 10
Eklem INIT: cadet [10] 12 13 20
Avery r init 9+1
Eklem INIT: Avery [9+1=10] 13 18 19
Avery r attack 9+1
Eklem Avery [attack: 9+1=10] 12 13 17
Avery ...hah.
Dionysus r parry 10
Eklem Dionysus [parry: 10] 13 13 20
Dionysus Graze s/w-3
Dionysus practice sword is +4/+1
Dionysus r stun 10+3 wound 10+3
Eklem Dionysus [stun: 10+3=13] 17 19 23
Eklem Dionysus [wound: 10+3=13] 15 20 22
Avery r stun 10+4-3 wound 10+1-3
Eklem Avery [stun: 10+4-3=11] 16 17 21
Eklem Avery [wound: 10+1-3=8] 14 17 18
Avery Doesn't even phase him.
Dionysus Oh, you also have to disarm or knock out, but not kill, to succeed
Dionysus He retaliates
Dionysus r strike 10
Eklem Dionysus [strike: 10] 15 17 18
Avery r defend 9+1
Eklem Avery [defend: 9+1=10] 16 19 20
Avery hey. I'm not too bad with defense.
Dionysus You parry with a clatter of wood.
Dionysus Someone watching says, "How's he do that while blind?" And another says, "He can see through the cloth. It's just a trick."
Dionysus r init 10
Eklem INIT: Dionysus [10] 11 12 19
Avery r init 9+1
Eklem INIT: Avery [9+1=10] 13 14 15
- Avery is vaguely amused by the comment, but tries to remain focused on the test.
Avery r strike 9+1
Eklem Avery [strike: 9+1=10] 11 15 15
Dionysus r parry 10
Eklem Dionysus [parry: 10] 12 13 16
Dionysus r stun 10+3 wound 10+3
Eklem Dionysus [stun: 10+3=13] 14 22 23
Eklem Dionysus [wound: 10+3=13] 18 20 20
Avery r stun 10+4 wound 10+1
Eklem Avery [stun: 10+4=14] 15 15 20
Eklem Avery [wound: 10+1=11] 15 15 17
Avery tink.
Dionysus He shrugs it off in his leathers.
Dionysus He strikes
Dionysus r strike 10
Eklem Dionysus [strike: 10] 12 13 14
Avery r defend 9+1
Eklem Avery [defend: 9+1=10] 15 18 20
Avery and counter, as I think that qualifies.
Avery called to disarm.
Avery r counterstrike 9+1-3
Eklem Avery [counterstrike: 9+1-3=7] 10 12 16
Dionysus r parry 10
Eklem Dionysus [parry: 10] 11 12 16
Avery karma.
Dionysus Which?
Avery mine.
Avery oh. hangon.
Avery He's doing this so he can protect others.
Avery So protection karma
Avery [sorry. bantering with NAthan and not thinking]
Dionysus His practice sword falls to the ground with a clatter, and a soldier steps up in his place.
Dionysus r init 12
Eklem INIT: Dionysus [12] 17 19 20
Avery r init 9+1
Eklem INIT: Avery [9+1=10] 16 17 18
Dionysus r strike 12
Eklem Dionysus [strike: 12] 16 18 21
Avery r defend 9+1
Eklem Avery [defend: 9+1=10] 14 18 20
Dionysus r stun 12+4-3 wound 12-3+1
Eklem Dionysus [stun: 12+4-3=13] 16 20 23
Eklem Dionysus [wound: 12-3+1=10] 13 15 17
Avery Is ths after he's got his armor? I'm assuming wearing such is allowed in the test.
Dionysus It's up to you
Avery dice d2
Eklem 2 | [d2=2]
Avery r stun 10+3 wound 10+3
Eklem Avery [stun: 10+3=13] 15 18 21
Eklem Avery [wound: 10+3=13] 15 19 23
Avery [he borrowed some leather armor. it's before he got his own.]
Dionysus You're knocked back, but wounded.
Dionysus He strikes again
Dionysus r strike 12
Eklem Dionysus [strike: 12] 13 16 18
Avery r defend 9+1
Eklem Avery [defend: 9+1=10] 14 18 19
Dionysus You block his attack
Dionysus r init 10
Eklem INIT: Dionysus [10] 14 14 16
Dionysus r init 12
Eklem INIT: Dionysus [12] 16 19 21
Avery r init 9+1
Eklem INIT: Avery [9+1=10] 11 12 16
Dionysus r strike 12
Eklem Dionysus [strike: 12] 13 14 16
Dionysus Okay to hell with this
Dionysus This takes too long
Dionysus Roll prowess six times
Dionysus r pro 10 12 14 15 16 17
Eklem Dionysus [pro: 10] 19 19 20
Eklem Dionysus [12] 17 19 19
Eklem Dionysus [14] 17 23 24
Eklem Dionysus [15] 18 18 22
Eklem Dionysus [16] 22 23 25
Eklem Dionysus [17] 26 26 27
Avery r pro1 9+1 pro2 9+1 pro3 9+1 pro4 9+1 pro5 9+1 pro6 9+1
Eklem Avery [pro1: 9+1=10] 16 18 20
Eklem Avery [pro2: 9+1=10] 11 12 20
Eklem Avery [pro3: 9+1=10] 14 16 17
Eklem Avery [pro4: 9+1=10] 18 19 20
Eklem Avery [pro5: 9+1=10] 19 19 20
Eklem Avery [pro6: 9+1=10] 13 16 18
Avery I suck.
Avery I beat the first guy, though.
Avery previously, before this.
Dionysus True enough
Dionysus We'll come back to this trial
Dionysus Roll perception six times
Dionysus r diff 9 11 13 15 16 17
Eklem Dionysus [diff: 9] 10 15 18
Eklem Dionysus [11] 14 18 21
Eklem Dionysus [13] 14 15 21
Eklem Dionysus [15] 16 16 20
Eklem Dionysus [16] 17 22 24
Eklem Dionysus [17] 20 22 25
Avery r perc 13 13 13 13 13 13
Eklem Avery [perc: 13] 18 23 23
Eklem Avery [13] 15 17 17
Eklem Avery [13] 17 20 20
Eklem Avery [13] 14 16 16
Eklem Avery [13] 16 16 18
Eklem Avery [13] 16 18 19
Dionysus Why is Eklem an asshole?
Avery I don't know. I'm trying to figure if I can karma one more win out of that.
Avery I've got three, by my count.
Avery meh.
Dionysus Yeah, the tie is yours
Avery yay!
Dionysus Nega the second, and you've got the fourth win
Avery I'll use my Aurelia karma, justification being he's trying to get a ring to boost his ability to notice things, and she really started him noticing things most didn't to begin with. unles sI'm reaching a bit for that.
Dionysus Works for me
Dionysus You notice all the items they ask you to find in the courtyard
Avery hurrah!
Dionysus The keeper of the test says, "You've earned a ring. What style would you like it to be?"
- Avery thinks a moment. "Silver, I think...in a Kearin style. Maybe with the Eye of Balor?" [or Shem equivalent.]
Dionysus I have no idea what that is
Avery Me either, it's something NAthan suggested.
Avery disregard it.
Avery the kearin style request stands, though.
Dionysus Noted
Dionysus "It will be done by the end of the week."
Dionysus +3 perception
Dionysus Roll dodge 6 times
Avery r dodge 11 11 11 11 11 11
Eklem Avery [dodge: 11] 20 20 21
Eklem Avery [11] 18 19 21
Eklem Avery [11] 16 19 20
Eklem Avery [11] 15 18 21
Eklem Avery [11] 13 13 16
Eklem Avery [11] 15 17 18
Dionysus r diff 9 11 13 15 16 17
Eklem Dionysus [diff: 9] 10 10 15
Eklem Dionysus [11] 12 15 18
Eklem Dionysus [13] 16 17 22
Eklem Dionysus [15] 20 20 23
Eklem Dionysus [16] 20 22 26
Eklem Dionysus [17] 21 24 24
Avery feh. missed by one.
Dionysus Karma?
Avery ...yeah. Arlie karma. The better I can dodge, the better I can survive what's to come with him.
Dionysus You dodge each archer's shots.
Dionysus In the end, one says, "Your ring will be done in a week. What style do you prefer?""
- Avery runs a hand through his hair. "Something maybe combining Kearin and Dhunic influences?"
Avery [as a side note, he's likely going to say 'kearin style' for most if not all the rings he gets.]
Dionysus They nod. +3 dodge
Dionysus Roll stun 6 times
Dionysus Resist stun, I mean
Dionysus Actuallyt
Dionysus Wait
Avery waiting.
Dionysus They give you a choice of what weapon you're hit with in the toughness test
Dionysus What does Avery choose?
Avery ...What are my choices? any weapon?
Avery and am I allowed armor?
Dionysus The choice of weapon determinesif you are allowed armor
Avery After some thought, he'll say short sword.
Avery wait.
Dionysus Waiting
Avery Are they real weapons, or wooden practice ones?
Dionysus That;'s up to you
Avery He can't really afford to get hit with a real blade...so he'd opt for something like a watchman's cudgel, or a wooden practice blade.
Dionysus Practice blades it is
Dionysus Roll stun
Avery straight, no borrowed armor?
Dionysus You get scale mail (+4)
Dionysus r stun 9+4 11+4 13+4 14+4 15+4 16+4
Avery r stun 10+4 10+4 10+4 10+4 10+4 10+
Eklem Dionysus [stun: 9+4=13] 14 17 19
Eklem Dionysus [11+4=15] 19 23 25
Eklem Dionysus [13+4=17] 23 25 25
Eklem Dionysus [14+4=18] 20 27 28
Eklem Dionysus [15+4=19] 21 24 28
Eklem Dionysus [16+4=20] 23 26 30
Avery ...I so lost this.
Eklem Avery [stun: 10+4=14] 19 22 23
Eklem Avery [10+4=14] 18 18 19
Eklem Avery [10+4=14] 18 22 24
Eklem Avery [10+4=14] 18 19 20
Eklem Avery [10+4=14] 20 21 22
Eklem Avery [10] 14 15 20
Avery 19 on the last.
Dionysus You're on your ass by the second roll.
Avery yeah.
Dionysus Patience, roll will six times.
Dionysus r diff 7 9 11 13 15 17
Eklem Dionysus [diff: 7] 16 17 17
Eklem Dionysus [9] 14 15 17
Eklem Dionysus [11] 12 14 21
Eklem Dionysus [13] 15 16 18
Eklem Dionysus [15] 18 20 23
Eklem Dionysus [17] 23 24 26
Avery r will 10+3 10+3 10+3 10+3 10+3 10+3
Eklem Avery [will: 10+3=13] 15 21 22
Eklem Avery [10+3=13] 16 19 20
Eklem Avery [10+3=13] 15 15 18
Eklem Avery [10+3=13] 14 17 21
Eklem Avery [10+3=13] 14 17 17
Eklem Avery [10+3=13] 15 18 23
Avery ...I think I got that one without karma. is my count off?
Dionysus "What style would you like your patience ring, your Grace?"
- Avery describes basically a silver claddagh ring, with a blue topaz stone for the heart.
Dionysus +3 patience (under wil)
Dionysus Reaction, 6 times
Dionysus r diff 10 12 14 16 17
Eklem Dionysus [diff: 10] 13 20 20
Eklem Dionysus [12] 13 15 16
Eklem Dionysus [14] 16 20 21
Eklem Dionysus [16] 20 23 24
Eklem Dionysus [17] 18 19 25
Avery r react 13 13 13 13 13 13
Eklem Avery [react: 13] 17 20 21
Eklem Avery [13] 18 21 21
Eklem Avery [13] 16 18 19
Eklem Avery [13] 18 18 23
Eklem Avery [13] 18 20 23
Eklem Avery [13] 17 19 20
Avery [going with reaction being under awareness by Tim's system]
Dionysus 3 losses. Wanna karma one?
Avery Yep. Jack karma, the faster I can react the better I can adapt to his actions on and off the stage.
Dionysus What style do you want your ring?
Avery Kearin knotwork, with a stylized horce central to the design.
Avery er. horse.
Dionysus +3 reaction
Dionysus Okay, for prowess, I'm gonna let you pick two of the rolls to reroll
Avery Kay. *scrolls up*
Avery the 12 and the 14.
Dionysus r 12 14
Eklem Dionysus [12] 15 18 20
Eklem Dionysus [14] 16 18 18
Avery r pro 9+1
Eklem Avery [pro: 9+1=10] 12 14 15
Avery r pro 9+1
Eklem Avery [pro: 9+1=10] 18 19 20
Avery if I double-karma do I get the tie?
Dionysus Sure
Dionysus Which karmas?
Avery Then I do. The conviction leadership and the goal leadership karmas. I can't be much of a leader if I can't defend myself in battle.
Dionysus What style ring?
Avery Kearin with a bow-and-arrow motif.
Dionysus Okay, you know archery doesn't fall under prowess, right? It's a professional skill?
Avery Yes, I do. but it's his chosen weapon, that's why.
Dionysus A'ight
Dionysus +3 pro
Quothar Paintings? Song? Do you make the flower dress?
Aurelia Paintings and song. She hasn't the knowledge or the skill to make a dress with those.
Quothar She won't even try to figure out how?
Aurelia Maybe at a later point she'll play with them. Right after at least, she's also feeling awkward about the source.
Quothar How do we wanna do this?
Aurelia We could do it with lots of rolls the old way, one roll, or try the glossing system.
Quothar Remind me of the glossing system?
Aurelia Fewer rolls with a multiplyer.
Quothar What's a fair multiplier?
Aurelia I'm not sure.
Quothar Err, wait, what would we be multiplying?
Aurelia The number of boxes, I think? I don't really remember the details well myself.
Quothar Let's roll one for each month, with a box multiplier of 3?
Aurelia So max of 9 boxes on one project over a month?
Quothar You and your math.
Quothar Let's roll it first, and if you find the final results unfair, we'll rework it.
Aurelia I don't think it can be. That's one roll with max result of 9 for each painting in the minimal gallery, with nothing at all on the song.
Aurelia Unless you mean rolls for the gallery as a whole, which might work.
Quothar You're only working for one month? You can have a 27 in three months.
Aurelia One roll per month per project then?
Quothar Well, you can't roll song and painting as one roll.
Aurelia Right.
Aurelia I thought you meant one roll per month, six rolls total, and I'd have to decide what each applied to.
Aurelia So is it two rolls per month then, general painting and composition?
Quothar Unless you feel it's more fair to do the paintings one at a time, but that seems too much to me
Aurelia No, no, I was just confused. I got it now.
Aurelia r m1p 16 m1c 13
Eklem Aurelia [m1p: 16] 23 24 25
Eklem Aurelia [m1c: 13] 17 21 21
Quothar r p 1 s 1
Eklem Quothar [p: 1] 3 5 8
Eklem Quothar [s: 1] 5 8 11
Aurelia r m2p 16 m2c 13
Eklem Aurelia [m2p: 16] 19 24 25
Eklem Aurelia [m2c: 13] 14 16 16
Quothar r p 10 s 10
Eklem Quothar [p: 10] 11 11 17
Eklem Quothar [s: 10] 13 15 17
Aurelia No worries.
Quothar r p 19 s 11
Eklem Quothar [p: 19] 21 23 27
Eklem Quothar [s: 11] 13 18 20
Aurelia r m3p 16 m3c 13
Eklem Aurelia [m3p: 16] 19 20 21
Eklem Aurelia [m3c: 13] 17 18 22
Quothar Any karmaing?
Aurelia I can't really karma the one that needs it.
Aurelia So not this round I think.
Quothar r p 18 s 11
Eklem Quothar [p: 18] 20 20 28
Eklem Quothar [s: 11] 17 18 19
Aurelia r m4p 16 m4c 13
Eklem Aurelia [m4p: 16] 22 23 25
Eklem Aurelia [m4c: 13] 18 22 23
Aurelia That puts it at 20 and 16?
Quothar Err, I guess the penalties shoulda been times 3 as well, and the tie shoulda been +1.5
Quothar So...
Quothar r p 16 s 12
Eklem Quothar [p: 16] 17 23 24
Eklem Quothar [s: 12] 13 18 21
Quothar It puts you at 16.5 and 15.5?
Aurelia And if I karma the painting, 21 and 15.5?
Quothar Yes.
Aurelia Is that realistic for this timeframe?
Aurelia If so, I will use path karma on the painting, and have one more go with the song.
Quothar I'm fine with it.
Aurelia Ok.
Quothar r song 16
Eklem Quothar [song: 16] 20 25 26
Aurelia Ow.
Aurelia r comp 13
Eklem Aurelia [comp: 13] 16 17 21
Aurelia ... Bartleby, and my other path karma, and finish it with that I think.
Quothar So it tops at a 16.5 box song?
Aurelia Not 18.5? Three points for a normal success?
Quothar Sorry
Aurelia If I'm figuring wrong, no worries. From 16.5 I'll roll again.
Quothar I keep forgetting due to juggling
Quothar 18.5 it is
Aurelia Aah. Also no worries.
Quothar Go to main chat and ask Arsul about the Circus
Aurelia Should I try once more?
Quothar If you want
Aurelia That's really tempting fate.
Aurelia Just to see what my roll would be:
Aurelia r comp 13
Eklem Aurelia [comp: 13] 15 16 17
Aurelia Right.
Quothar Ha
Quothar Well then
Aurelia Stupid gods.
Quothar Champion, actually
Aurelia I was faulting the god who told me to ask Arsul about the area.
Quothar He just asked the wrong question
Aurelia Well then.
Quothar So what does Aurelia do then?
- Aurelia tries to work on her projects for an hour or so, uselessly, then goes to see if the flowers are workable.
Quothar How do you try to work them?
Aurelia Find out if they can be pressed, if there are any parts that a needle could be put through, um,
Quothar A special needle is needed, but you can get one. You can press them, but it takes some powerful force. However, you also find that they are very... malleable. Their stalks are like thick twine.
Aurelia Alright.
- Aurelia will try to make the dress, then.
Quothar Give me some details
Aurelia Trying to think.
Aurelia The inspiration carries no further direction?
Quothar It looked woven?
Quothar Hundreds of flowers woven together?
Aurelia I've got nothing.
Quothar Err, does Aurelia try anything with them?
- Aurelia has nothing. Pride won't let her make something without style, but she has no direction for it at the moment. She's just grasping at straws for an edge, out of fear of the circus.
Dionysus If you weave two flowers together, they merge together into a vine-like string.
Aurelia How strong?
Dionysus With all your might, you can separate them. But it takes effort.
Aurelia Wow. That'll definitely suffice for cohesion.
Dionysus Yep.
Aurelia Excellent. Mechanically, that'll probably suffice for the bulk of the body with some creative sewing to shape the petals in some places and work other materials in.
Dionysus As soon as you give me a style, we'll discuss rolls.
Aurelia That's where I've got nothin.
Dionysus Err, discuss its powers. Right now, we should just roll.
Aurelia Ah. Ok.
Aurelia r sewing 13
Eklem Aurelia [sewing: 13] 17 18 22
Dionysus x3, one roll/mo?
Aurelia How many months are left?
Dionysus 4
Aurelia Ok.
Dionysus r dif 1
Eklem Dionysus [dif: 1] 4 8 9
Dionysus r dif 10
Eklem Dionysus [dif: 10] 12 14 18
Aurelia r sewing2 13
Eklem Aurelia [sewing2: 13] 16 17 19
Dionysus r diff 13
Eklem Dionysus [diff: 13] 17 19 21
Aurelia r sewing3 13
Eklem Aurelia [sewing3: 13] 17 21 23
Dionysus r diff 16
Eklem Dionysus [diff: 16] 20 25 25
Aurelia One sec. Considering karma on the previous one.
Dionysus Noted
Aurelia Child karma for special, and stop there?
Dionysus 18, then?
Aurelia Yeah. My odds of raising that are pretty low.
Aurelia What would look good in flowers?
Dionysus Red flowers? Not sure.
Aurelia Neither am I.
Dionysus Actually, form implies powers, so I might not should say much
Aurelia Yeah...
Dionysus They give fortitude and energy, soothe, and they're incredibly resistant.
Aurelia I'm indecisive. A more voluminous dress could impede movement. Close fitting could look odd with something as fluffy as flowers.
Dionysus Which do you value more? Function or style?
Aurelia Dresses that cover everything look stuffy. Dresses that don't would be less well... functional.
Aurelia Desire to survive the circus wants function; pride wants style.
Dionysus Doesn't have to be a dress. Could be a bodysuit.
Aurelia True. As the hind fur, with accessories.
Dionysus Indeed
Dionysus What accessories?
Aurelia What shade is the red? How workable with sapphire shades, violets, or blacks?
Dionysus It's fiery red
Dionysus The flowers are fiery red
Aurelia Ok. Needs touches of blue and green, then maybe the black.
Aurelia A vest?
Dionysus Oh, the stems are green
Dionysus Just a vest? Nothing more?
Aurelia That works.
Aurelia Yes more.
Dionysus WHat more?
Aurelia Skirt.
Dionysus Neat
Aurelia Armbands?
Dionysus I can dig it
Aurelia So, open vest of a flexible leather, soft brown, loosely woven armbands of blue and green, skirt of..?
Dionysus Pleated scale?
Aurelia Militant.
Dionysus Well, it is armor.
Aurelia Also a dress, though.
Aurelia What does pleated scale look like?
Dionysus Pleats, made of scales?
Aurelia Aah. Hmm.
Dionysus But scales
Dionysus The flowers link together like tightly woven chainmail with red blossoms every three inches or so.
Dionysus The skirt would look like flaps upon flaps of that. The vest is leather under the flowers?
Aurelia I had been thinking over the flowers, to break up the pattern a bit.
Dionysus Interwoven with them, perhaps?
Aurelia Interwoven?
Dionysus Strips of leather instead of just a flat piece?
Aurelia Built into the dress? Or just hanging in strips?
Dionysus Built into it, interwoven with the flowers.
Aurelia Yes.
Dionysus Any other details?
Aurelia I think that's it. It's already enough of a chaotic clash without overcomplicating it.
Aurelia Actually,
Dionysus Yes?
Aurelia With the stems green, the armbands could probably be just blue. And perhaps also some feaux 'lacing' of the same sort for the front of the vest.
Dionysus Lacing in the form of...?
Aurelia A crisscross of blue down the front, loose enough to cross maybe six times.
Aurelia The armbands similar, a loose net of blue woven in among the green and red.
Dionysus So... Woven leather and flowers with blue lacing down the front. A pleated skirt of flower 'scales,' and armbands of blue woven in with the flowers?
Aurelia Yes.
Dionysus Give me a sec
Dionysus +1 ath for the loose skirt, empowered by the free feeling it gives. +3/+3 on the whole vs. unholy on general flower principle, +6 fast talk for the flowers' scent making you more... agreeable to deal with, +6 s/h if blood spills on the flowers, which then turn you to smoke; smoke body also makes you impervious to physical attacks if it happens; physically, they are +9/+9, +6 showmanship, +3 empathy for the vest (over the heart), +3 pro
Dionysus wess for the armbands (near the hands)
Aurelia Wow. Alright.
Dionysus Also, the smoke body goes away after the wound heals, or if you receive further damage
Dionysus Or if you somehow lose the armor, but that'd be hard since it's also smoke
Aurelia Can I affect anything when smoke?
Dionysus Just if you choke it to death
Dionysus Or pray
Aurelia Doesn't count as skin/skin contact for Wounding/Healing purposes?
Dionysus Sorry. That's the trade off for being impervious to any attacks and basically undetectable.
Aurelia No worries, just getting the rules down.
Aurelia +3/+3 on the whole vs unholy means any roll involving them?
Dionysus Yes
Aurelia Jinkies.
Dionysus Wil or Str
Dionysus Or attack
Dionysus Err, hmm
Dionysus No
Aurelia No?
Dionysus Not on attack with Grimdancer or wounding or rending
Aurelia Interesting. Alright.
Dionysus Or venomiring
Aurelia Also not sneaking past or spotting, say?
Dionysus But any not unholy attack gets holy attack bonus vs. unholy
Aurelia Nice.
Dionysus Oh
Dionysus Just resist or hurt.
Dionysus Attacks or defense
Dionysus Because it's /
Aurelia Does that also mean that say punching or bludgeoning kills undead/demons?
Dionysus S/W
Dionysus If you're not an ender at the time
Aurelia Cool.
Dionysus Or evil race, rather
Aurelia Right.
Aurelia What are the flowers called?
Dionysus Viollca's roses
Aurelia Nice.
Aurelia So the blood/smoke thing. Anyone's blood triggers it? Or just mine?
Dionysus I had envision just yours.
Aurelia Ok.
Aurelia It'd be hard to fight without getting anyone's blood on me.
Dionysus Right
Aurelia If I get badly hurt I could be smoke for months?
Dionysus Only if you bleed for months
Dionysus Once the bleeding stops, the smoke does.
Dionysus I should be more clear
Aurelia Aaah. Ok.
Aurelia I thought you meant when it healed completely.
Dionysus Nahh
Aurelia What happens to the state of the wound when I'm smoke? Will it worsten?
Aurelia Worsen?
Dionysus How could it?
Aurelia It can still bleed.
Dionysus Oh, right
Dionysus I think it stops you from bleeding out
Aurelia My concern is, is a mortal wound a death sentence if I'm not really treatable?
Aurelia Aah. Ok.
Dionysus And at a 25 empathishness, you heal pretty quick
Aurelia 28 if the bloodjewel applies. Or 31 if empathishness is empathy.
Dionysus healing is the key
Dionysus so 28
Aurelia Alright.
Aurelia So, I'd forgotten about training bonuses till you mentioned Arlie's. Are we going over those in bulk just before the contest, or are they negligable in the face of the rest?
Dionysus I'll go over them right before the contest, honestly, unless you demand them before
Aurelia Alright.
Aurelia I won't demand them before, but if I die, I'll blame it on their absence.
Dionysus Remind me of the training style you 'chose'
Aurelia Got shunted into the assassin course.
Dionysus It was assassin's?
Dionysus No, it was standard special agent
Aurelia She started there. I thought though you'd said she'd end up in the assassin course if she just went where told.
Aurelia If it was the standard course all the way through, that's cool.
Dionysus That was pre-game discussion. In actual game, she just got shunted into standard course.
Aurelia Aah. Alright.
Dionysus Anyway, that's a pretty "all around" course.
Dionysus I'll have to look at her stats. They'd modify it to fit her needs
Dionysus IE, they'd give up on weight training the first day
Aurelia Makes sense.
Aurelia She's weakest in prowess (without buffs) and ath, and would probably have just enough initiative to focus on swordsmanship and hand-to-hand on the former, unless strongly pressured elsewhere, for what that's worth.
Dionysus They'd eventually just switch to minimal sword practice, moderate hand to hand, a bit of etiquette, a touch of stealth to keep you from getting rusty, and a /lot/ of gymnastics.
Dionysus Acutally, I lie.
Dionysus They'd do a lot of gymnastics for about a month.
Dionysus Then focus on hand to hand as best they could, and the rest as I stated
Aurelia Interesting. Alright.
Dionysus So +1 ath, +1 sword, +3 hand to hand, etiquette score of 10 or +2 if you already have one, +1 rog
Dionysus They'd have to stop gymnastics when you got too pregnant
Dionysus Regardless of your strength
Dionysus You might be strong, but you're strong enough to break your own back, see?
Dionysus Or crush your own baby
Dionysus Though I think they might could still make you run.
Dionysus So... +2 ath
Dionysus +3 endurance
Aurelia Right.
Aurelia (I'm in and out of the kitchen is why the slowness)
Dionysus Noted.
- Aurelia does not have etiquette.
Dionysus So it's a 10
Dionysus Which is just a byproduct of teaching you social rogue techniques. Your ability to read is unquestioned. They just try to teach you what to do with what you read.
Dionysus So we'll call it another +_1 fasttalk on top of the +1 rog
Aurelia Awesome.
Aurelia Shortly after she asked Arsul about it.
Dionysus Gotchya. What preparations would she make? How would she go there?
Aurelia It's what she made the dress for. And she'd try to requisition the airship again.
Dionysus She talks to the captain, then?
Aurelia Yes.
Dionysus "Ye wan' me tae go where? I dunnae think so, lassie. Closest I can take ye is across the channel frae it." The channel is about the width of the Mediterranean
Aurelia "Oh. Thank you..."
- Aurelia turns to leave and think.
Dionysus He shrugs.
Aurelia Do I have access to a map that shows the wrongness?
Dionysus You can request one, and it will be provided.
Aurelia I could walk or ride from the edge...
Dionysus Edge?
Aurelia If there's an edge of it on the continent.
Dionysus It's the island of Malhuin up there
Dionysus The circus is next to the city of Malhuin
Aurelia Ah.
Aurelia How far into the water does the wrongness extend?
Dionysus The island is about the size of India
Dionysus It doesn't
Aurelia The city is close to the shore. If they could drop me in a lifeboat in rowing distance...
Dionysus The captain's not gonna be cool with that, and the logistics of dropping a longboat from the airship are insanely risky
Aurelia I'm trying to think of preparations she could make.
Dionysus Ahh
Aurelia I got nothing. She has little idea what to expect.
Dionysus So she goes without other preparations?
Aurelia A portrait bolstering peace of mind might help in theory, but wouldn't likely be strong enough to actually do so.
Dionysus Interesting
Dionysus It wouldn't hurt to try
Aurelia True, I suppose.
Dionysus So does she?
Aurelia Yes.
Dionysus How long an interval do you roll for?
Aurelia A week at most.
Dionysus Roll
Dionysus r 1
Eklem Dionysus [1] 5 8 8
Aurelia r 16
Eklem Aurelia [16] 21 21 23
Dionysus Umm, is 6 boxes fair?
Aurelia For the full week?
Dionysus Is that a no?
Aurelia If this is while she's working on the other projects, that's probably about right really...
Dionysus That
Dionysus makes sense.
Aurelia So once more, then she leaves.
Dionysus r diff 7
Eklem Dionysus [diff: 7] 9 13 14
Aurelia r painting 16
Eklem Aurelia [painting: 16] 17 19 24
Dionysus +4 boxes?
Aurelia Alright.
Dionysus Okay, since your target it is you, we just roll for the potency of the effect?
Aurelia 10 is acceptable for something cribbed together in free moments. And she won't be avoiding its effects, so the paint is more important than the quality.
Aurelia Sure.
- Aurelia is using confidence borrowed from the Tunic and love and contentment from nights with Bartleby, primarily.
Dionysus One night, Gruvum returns.
Arlie_B interesting. Arlie had hired some people to fix that sewer.
Arlie_B "Mr Toadbucket! It's good to see you back!"
Dionysus "What did you do to the yard?"
Dionysus He sounds... curious, not upset.
Arlie_B "Ah, Martony had some buried treasure about, so I tried to find metal.. Did you know sewers are metal? Anyway, I had someone come out a and fix it, it stunk for a bit."
Arlie_B "I think Martony had a thing with Annavera, if you can believe it. I'll show you the letters. Want a coffee?"
Dionysus "Well, it's all better now, it seems. I just need to fix the yard."
Dionysus "Coffee? Oh, I'll get it, don't you get up."
Arlie_B "How was the trip back? Sorry to cut things short, I had a prophet check where was the best place to send it."
Dionysus "The trip was relaxing, your Grace."
Dionysus "Troubles from abroad coming home, eh, your Grace?"
Dionysus He makes coffee
Arlie_B "Something like that, the guy who is currently eating the Goddess of Music has sent assassins after all the kin of the competitors."
Dionysus He blinks, then chuckles, "I never know what to believe in your tales, your Grace, but I find it best to just let it lie. Here you go, just as you like it."
Dionysus He hands you coffee
- Arlie_B sips. "How in the Hells do you get it nutty like that? I did the exact same thing and never got it tasting like that."
Dionysus "Cyanide," he says.
Arlie_B r read 15
Arlie_B what color are his eyes?
Dionysus His eyes are the same muddy black they ever were
Dionysus And he's joking
- Arlie_B laughs. "I recognize that flavor now. Mom used to feed me something like it when I was 3."
Arlie_B 'The short story is, I'd spend most of the time in the compound if I were you, at least until we go commando in the plains."
Arlie_B "So tell me about your trip, what did you go see?"
Dionysus He sighs, "Well, I always knew that was a possibility. I'll get my things together tonight." And he begins to talk about his trip:
Dionysus He went to the mountains and relaxed in the wilderness. Camped. Fished
Dionysus Did a little trapping, roughed it a bit
Dionysus He gathers his things and makes for the barracks that night
Dionysus Before he goes, he thanks you for the warning
Arlie_B ah, one last thing
Arlie_B before he goes.
Arlie_B "Gruvum, you like history, right?"
Dionysus He pauses, "Yes, sir."
Arlie_B "I've got a bit of a problem, Perival wants me to write a book in exchange for some enchantment work I'm doing."
Arlie_B "You've read more history than I've lived, and you know about the family better than any of us,"
Dionysus He suppresses a grin.
Arlie_B "Would you help me compile something for the records?"
Dionysus "I shall endeavor to be of servic.e"
Arlie_B "Thanks, mate. C'mon, I have to go back to the compounds for something anyway. I'll take the bags, it's more interesting than working out. We can talk on the way."
Dionysus He reluctantly lets you play servant
Sue Is Arsul findable for a consultation?
Arsul yes
Sue "A dryad is seeking a song from Uur Sodzul. Based on her story, she has extensive power over plants. Is there any way such a person can be of use to us?"
Arsul "let me look."
Arsul How can the dryad be of use to us?
Arsul r pro 25
Eklem Arsul [pro: 25] 29 31 33
Dionysus You see Little Wing eating a small pile of seeds and aging to maturity as he does so.
Arsul "She can give Little Wing some seeds which will make him grow. The grown simurgh has many powers. I'm not aware of them all."
Arsul "So really, it depends on Jack and Little Wing I suppose."
Sue "Thanks, Arsul. I'm sure this will be helpful."
Sue Can the information in the wiki about simurghs be easily obtained IC?
Dionysus Maraddon's libraries would have it
Sue "I will most likely return, as more contestants seek songs from Uur Sodzul."
Arsul "Of course."
Albert do I know someone among the contestants that I think would be willing to do some whoring and draw in the last succubus?
Albert from my old music contacts
Dionysus Hmm
Dionysus Arsul doesn't know anyone amongst the Contestants from his old contacts that would work that isn't already at the arena.
Dionysus Aurelia, describe the paintings?
Arsul anyone from the list they're searching for that's in Maraddon?
Dionysus A few people who are connected to other bands, but none of them are likely candidates for sexual escapades.
Arsul thenI might just let it go
Dionysus He won't leave Maraddon for it?
Arsul ummm not to proposition someone he doesn't know or has no real reason to approach
Dionysus Keep 'em coming, Aurelia.
Dionysus So, about 18 weeks in, Arsul, one night, there is a knock on your door.
Arsul fine, who would be a likely candidate that isn't at the arena?
- Arsul answers it, putting his cello aside
Dionysus A harsh, quiet voice says, "Prophet Toutant?"
Dionysus He smells of guano.
Dionysus His accent is Kren'atanic
Arsul "Yes. Please, come in." he resists the urge to wrinkle his snout
Dionysus You hear the soft flap of bat wings as he walks in, but they don't seem to be part of him.
Dionysus He steps in, moving slowly.
Arsul "Who are you?"
Dionysus He has a large pack on his back, from the sound of it.
Dionysus "Uriah Trumble's the name."
Dionysus "I come with a question, and I've been lead to believe one such as yourself can answer."
Arsul "I can try."
Arsul "What is your question?"
Dionysus You hear the smile in his voice as he says, rasping like paper being crumpled, "Who is the finest songwriter in Kyellezhi that will give me a song for the Contest?"
- Arsul smiles himself. "I'm sorry. I don't help other contestants. Nothing personal, I hope you understand."
Dionysus There's a pause, and you're certain he's looking at you with more than his eyes. Finally, he says, "So be it, Prophet. May I ask a personal question?"
Arsul "You may ask, of course."
Dionysus "Have you used your ability to discern the outcome?"
Arsul "I have used my ability to look at possible outcomes. There are too many paths to discern the one the world will go down."
Dionysus Relief fills his voice, "So there is no certainty. That is some great relief. Chaos bids me bring down such things, and I would hate to face you. Are you open for some conversation, Prophet? I would hear your thoughts on how things stand."
Arsul "I am. Please sit. May I ask, are you with the church or with the Cult of the Mouth?
Arsul "
Dionysus He snorts, "The church is a farce. I serve true Chaos, as told by the Mouth." You hear him take his pack off, and at least six bats squeak, but do not fly. He sits.
Dionysus You hear him open his pack and pull out what sounds like a piece of paper. "I'm getting my Ticket for reference."
Arsul "Before we begin do you or your-- friends require any food or drink? One nice thing about living in the palace."
Dionysus He laughs a little, "We're fine, thank you. Know you the current listed contestants?"
Arsul "I do."
Arsul "Not all personally of course."
Dionysus He chuckles [eat it, Dani], "I don't know almost any of them personally. My musical ability was only shared with my brethren until recently."
Dionysus "Which of these on the Ticket do you know, if I may ask?"
Dionysus Arsul would be able to pull this from memory easily.
- Arsul will list those he knows personally or has met on his travels
Arsul he'd also list Gaja's brother even though he hasn't met him
Dionysus "The Servant of the Never's title chills my bones. What is the story there?"
Arsul "He is actually known better by a bandmate of mine. I met him briefly once I believe but to be honest I find it hard to keep the athaks apart. It took me over a year before I could distinguish Sue from anything else squeaky. I still can't tell his voice apart from the rest of them."
Arsul "I also have limited ability to see them with prophecy."
Dionysus "And the Vagabond Toutant, he is your brother?"
Arsul "He is. Domy Toutant."
Dionysus He breathes in sharply, "Careful with the names, Prophet. Know you not the risk there? What if I were not who I claimed to be?"
Arsul "You needn't worry. But thank you for your concern."
Arsul "You know of my family then I take it?"
Dionysus "I've seen it in you, Prophet. I have keen senses."
Arsul "Ahhhh I was wondering what you were seeing."
Arsul "Or sensing, I suppose."
Dionysus "The ways you affect Chaos are fascinating. As a being bound to fate, you bring the tendrils together, but as a being of hope, you make possibilities appear in the swirl."
Arsul "The most wonderful thing I have seen while using my Sight was a path that forked and twisted with more possibilities and outcomes than I could possibly sort through. In some ways perhaps Fate is a way of viewing the chaos of our world. The future is filled with possibilities.
Arsul "
Dionysus "Chaos is all things, including order. So we say."
- Arsul nods, mulling that over
Dionysus "I, too, met this Qualla the Fool. A scathing tongue, that one."
Arsul "She's dangerous. Be careful if you meet her again or face her in the competition. I think she'd do most anything to sabotage her way through this competition. She works for the God of Pestilence."
Dionysus "Sabotage is a nasty thing, Prophet," he says with some humor in his voice. "Her words are powerless. It's her cooking I'd fear."
Arsul "Cooking?" he grins. "I'll admit it wouldn't be something I ate too readily."
Dionysus "You did not mention the Starlings. Have you no knowledge of them?"
Arsul "I do not I'm afraid."
Dionysus "Their leader is one similar to you in some ways in the chaos: he is both binder and breaker. A formidable individual."
Arsul "You've met them? Is he a seer?"
Dionysus "I saw them play. He is no seer. He serves balance, I believe. He had that feel to him."
Arsul "I have met another server of Balance. Jack Crane's relative. I think they're out of sorts with what has been happening to their god."
Dionysus Order is what you are thinking of, Dani
Arsul ummmm cut that then....
Arsul "Interesting. His god is also a formidable being.
Arsul "
Dionysus "They have one amongst them I could not discern the portents of, and another who cured me of a disease most foul. That was how we met."
Arsul "Diseases. They're going around."
Arsul "You have a question about them?"
Dionysus "Not so much. I just thought you might know them."
Dionysus "The only other one I'd like to bring up, I suppose, is the Cuniaid."
Arsul "The son of the Goddess."
Dionysus "No. He I would rather not speak of. I mean his son, the one at the Arena."
Arsul "I had not met --him. I didn't realise he was his son."
Dionysus "Know you who holds this contest?"
Arsul (The champion of music?)
Dionysus Yes
Arsul "The Champion of Music."
Dionysus He nods, "What worries me is that this obvious soldier of our foe is in the midst of the very contest she designs to defeat him. Why even let him in? What point?"
Arsul "I don't think she can control who enters. It's an open contest."
Arsul "As long as he follows the rules."
Dionysus He pauses, considering, "Perhaps. Still, I worry."
Arsul "Understandably. We will have to do our best to win against him."
Arsul "Unfortunately sometimes that's the only option."
Dionysus "That we shall. I believe I've taken enough of your time, Prophet. Are you certain there's nothing I can give you in exchange for my first request?"
Arsul "Allow me a moment?"
Dionysus He nods.
Arsul What will his rank be if he gets the best song possible from Kyehlizi or whatever?
Arsul r pro 25
Eklem Arsul [pro: 25] 26 26 29
Dionysus 23
Arsul "What do you have to offer?"
Dionysus "I bear a Gift of Chaos, the Bolos of Entropy, and their powers are to undo the bindings of the natural world in such a rapid, unpleasant way that I only use them in extreme circumstances. Against the living, they usually kill out right. Against the inanimate, they create passage if I am careful, and wonton destruction if I am not. I also have an understanding of rules only available to those outside of them, and the abilyt to understa
Dionysus nd the workings of chaos. I also have my bats, who can travel anywhere and gather me information."
Arsul "I'm interested in the rules. I'll give you the answer and you tell me about them. Tell me as much as you believe is fair payment."
Arsul r pro 25
Eklem Arsul [pro: 25] 30 32 34
Arsul who will give this contestant the best song in that country?
Dionysus You see the court composer you got a song from, a bardess just recently returned, her hands broken and crushed, and a young man who is newly learning his trade at songcraft.
- Arsul describes the three who can help the man
Dionysus He listens, then says, "Thank you, Prophet. The rules, then, you ask about. For the contest?"
Arsul "If those are the ones you know about, yes."
Dionysus "I have sensed that we are... being graded even before we get there. This is how we are seeded. /She/ is judging our every action, and who we are.
- Arsul nods as he listens. "She is. Our members, our talents, our abilities, our songs, all are being judged."
Dionysus "When we get there, we will play against other bands, as the Ticket seems to indicate. But what it does not say is that each round will have... themes. I know not the exact themes, but they will involve our musical skills--improvisation, reading music, and so on.
Dionysus "And there are other rules. There is sacred ground in the Arena, not to be disturbed. There shall be no fighting. And there shall be no leaving once we are there. There will be judges other than the Champion...
Dionysus "And... I get a sense that...
Dionysus "It's not something I can put a finger on."
Arsul "A sense of what?"
Dionysus "There is... room in the rules. That is the best way I can put it."
Arsul "Thank you. I look forward to seeing you at the contest."
Arsul to hearing you
Dionysus He nods, "I look forward to... No, Prophet, I look forward to being there with you, but not facing you." He laughs
Dionysus "There are not many who I think might touch that number one spot, but you are one of them. I know I will be lucky to be in the top half."
- Arsul offers a hand to shake "It's been nice to meet you. I would like to talk of Fate and Chaos, Hope and Time again one day."
Dionysus "If you see me at the Arena and there is time, we shall. And if we all survive this, I will seek you or you me, and we will talk again. Thank you, Prophet." He shakes
Dionysus He pauses, "There will be much to anger you at the Arena, I sense. You are not known for losing your temper, I sense, but all the same, I suggest keeping it in check."
Arsul "Thank you. That's always good advice."
Dionysus He nods, and heads out.
Arsul What will the flexibility in the contest rules allow?
Arsul r pro 25
Eklem Arsul [pro: 25] 26 29 32
Dionysus You see... a prestidigitator doing a card trick.
Arsul that's it?
Dionysus Yes.
Dionysus See main channel
Arsul Which contestant is that?
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Eklem Arsul [pro: 25] 26 31 32
Dionysus Pomilla the Green Piper, seed 21
Dionysus Druidess of Flora
Arsul How will that affect the contest?
Arsul r pro 25
Eklem Arsul [pro: 25] 26 26 35
Dionysus How will what affect it?
Arsul the card trick
Dionysus You just see the card trick again
Arsul why would she be doing the card trick in the competition?
Dionysus You see a blinking neon sign that says "IT'S A METAPHOR."
Dionysus I mean.
Dionysus You get no vision
Arsul all right
Dionysus We'll wait for Sue's next go round, I think, unless you got other visions to pursue?
Arsul not for now
Arsul oh shit
Dionysus Yes?
Arsul I meant to ask that guy if he wanted to lure a succubus
Arsul but I forgot
Dionysus Uriah would have declined.
Arsul well that solves that
Arsul he married?
Arsul celibate?
Arsul attracted to his bats?
Dionysus "I intend to remain invisible to them. They seek the threads of sexuality, and I am a breaker of threads by nature. To bind my threads might weaken me."
Arsul "All right. The last won't come near our band. I'm seeking someone who will help us lure the third sister."
Dionysus "A contestant I have met, named Ramon Jericho, is a lover of... the carnal delights. Seek him."
Arsul "Thank you. I'll look into him."
Arsul Where is he?
Dionysus A prison cell in Mwyr Aeld.
Arsul Why is he in prison?
Dionysus He's a former love priest in a nation of dopplegangers
Dionysus Damon receives you.
Arsul "I need your advice, maybe your help, with a negotiation with Mwyr Aeld. How long would a negotiation to release a prisoner take?"
Dionysus "Months, most likely, at the very least. Who is the prisoner?"
Arsul "Ramon Jericho. He can help us lure the last succubus. A succubus that's targeting some of Mwyr Aeld's contestants. If I went in person to negotiate would they recieve me?"
Dionysus "Almost certainly."
Arsul "All right. Do you have any advice for me?"
Dionysus "Don't let them touch you. Be polite. Don't take off your Tunic. And bring your bear."
Arsul "I shouldn't touch them then. All right. Thank you."
Arsul "Do I need to announce myself before arriving?"
Dionysus "I will write a missive you can carry yourself."
Arsul "Thank you."
Arsul once he has it he'll see about an airship. How close will they go?
Dionysus If they have guards, they'll land you by the cty
Dionysus city
Arsul can I get guards
Arsul ?
Dionysus Yes
Arsul ok
Arsul so we go
Arsul actually I'd tell Dionysus I was going
- Dionysus would note this and offer to go along if you wanted.
Arsul "I'd appreciate it."
- Dionysus saddles up and hops along
Arsul excellent
Dionysus The flight is uneventful, and you land outside the capital city of Mwyrdrysi.
Dionysus A patrol approaches as you disembark and asks you in Aeldian, <Who goes there?>
Dionysus The translator translates
Arsul "Arsul Toutant, Baron of Maraddon and Dionysus Berrywright, Duke of Maraddon."
- Dionysus whispers, "Grand Duke." The translator translates, then says, "They ask our business here."
Arsul "We've come to negotiate the release of the prisoner Ramon Jericho." he hands the papers to the translator
Dionysus The translator speaks to the guards, who check the papers, then speak again and wave you through. The translator tells you they said to go straight for the palace.
Arsul "Thank them for us."
Dionysus He nods, but says nothing more.
Arsul do dopplegangers have a smell?
Dionysus Weak ones do have a particular odor
Dionysus Moderate ones can sometimes be detected
Dionysus Strong ones perfectly mimic their victims
Dionysus The sounds of the city are not pleasant, and the smells are faintly acrid
Dionysus The people's voices are harsh, stilted.
Dionysus When you reach the palace, you can tell by the smooth stones of the street and outside stairs
Dionysus And by the warmth flowing from within it.
Dionysus The air here is still chill.
Dionysus You are brought inside by servants who pointedly hold their hands behind their backs when they greet you.
Dionysus And you are taken to a small chamber, where a weak voiced official greets you and asks you your business again
- Arsul nods in way of greeting when he's introduced
Arsul "We've come to negotiate the release of a prisoner of Mwyr Aeld. Ramon Jericho."
Dionysus The man sifts through some papers, "Ah. Is he of Imperial Blood?"
Arsul "No. He is a contestant in the Contest. He is also needed to help protect many of the contestants."
Dionysus "Contest?"
Arsul "Excuse me. The musical Contest being held in Kren'atan."
Arsul "I believe a couple of your subjects are contestants. Including a Cuniaid."
Dionysus He says nothing and Dionysus taps your arm slightly in warning. There is a long pause.
Dionysus "Baron, what do you offer for this prisoner's release?"
Arsul "Did I say something wrong?" he asks Dionysus quietly
- Dionysus nods his head faintly, a soft noise only you can hear.
- Arsul frowns. "I'm open to negotiation of course. We can offer a song for a contestant, we also have other talents."
Dionysus He pauses, then says, "Ah. No, no. We know of /you/, Baron. You know what we wish."
- Arsul swears under his breath
Arsul "I'm sorry to have wasted your time."
Dionysus "You will not scry for us?"
Arsul "I will seek answers for questions but I will not reveal to you spontaneous visions."
Dionysus He frowns, "You presume much of us. We simply would like some information."
Arsul "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend. I assume this because many have asked. I'd be glad to help you seek some information."
Dionysus "Who and where is the... shall we say mortal leader of the Srisian rebels?"
Arsul r pro 25
Eklem Arsul [pro: 25] 28 28 30
Arsul do I need to roll will?
Dionysus You see a spiderwebbed human with one eye in an intricate webbed camp in the Night Wood.
Dionysus Nahh, she's watching, but you can't tell.
Arsul shudder
Arsul I relay that
Dionysus He smiles, "Name... Oh, let's go easy. Two traitors in our government."
Arsul Who are the traitors in the government of Mwyr Aeld?
Arsul also what have they done?
Arsul r pro 25
Eklem Arsul [pro: 25] 29 31 35
Dionysus You see... the doppleganger before you selling secrets to the Champion of Slavery in exchange for prime slaves. you see hundreds of others, doing all sorts of horrible things
Arsul are we in this room alone?
Arsul I mean, is he the only official we're with?
Dionysus You, Dionysus, and the official, yes
Arsul I'll come out and can I do a read?
Arsul r perception 25
Eklem Arsul [perception: 25] 32 33 35
Dionysus He's... smugly expectant
Arsul "Are you sure you want me to answer that?"
Arsul read again
Arsul r perception 25
Eklem Arsul [perception: 25] 27 28 30
Dionysus "I think that answers my question. Name one other."
- Arsul does. A lower official than this one.
Arsul not the lowest, but a lower one
Dionysus He smiles, "Thank you. Just a test, you see. Tell me, can you identify the next High King?"
Arsul Who will be the next High King?
Arsul r pro 25
Eklem Arsul [pro: 25] 27 27 32
Dionysus You see a woman with green eyes lounging in a bath in a mountain tower.
Arsul her name?
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Eklem Arsul [pro: 25] 31 34 35
Dionysus Vera Griffith.
Dionysus You hear it announced at a abll.
Dionysus ball
Arsul "A woman named Vera. You know her?"
Dionysus "I can guess who she is. There's only a few such who might be High King."
Dionysus "Who do I have to kill to be the next High King, and in what order?"
- Arsul pauses a moment. "This will be the last question."
Dionysus "Agreed."
- Arsul nods and then prophecizes
Dionysus It's a long, convoluted, bloody path.
Arsul (i never know how that should be spelled)
- Arsul takes the time to learn the names and the order
Dionysus About thirty people of varying importance.
Arsul and reports them faithfully
Dionysus He is almost crowing with delight as he stamps the release forms and hands them to you.
- Arsul takes them from him, careful to take them by an edge
Arsul We retrieve the prisoner?
- Dionysus is quite ready to leave when you get them. He whispers, "What a disgusting person. Be glad you couldn't see him."
Dionysus You are allowed to go down to the dungeons and retrieve him. When you arrive, you find him hitting on the guard.
Arsul "I'm sorry I screwed up in there. It was mentioning the royal bloodline?"
- Arsul scries to ensure he's still Ramon
Dionysus "He was very... unpleasant."
Dionysus It is, Arsul.
Arsul "We can discuss this on the ship."
Dionysus The guard lets him out, and the man switches through languages until he lands on Maraddonian, "So they say you're getting me out?"
Arsul "Ramon?" he tries Maradonnian
Arsul well no that's not Maradonnian
Dionysus "Yes. I'm grateful and all, but who are you?"
Arsul "Yes. We can discuss it on our ship."
Dionysus His voice is deep, resonant.
Dionysus He smiles, "Of course."
Arsul "I'm Arsul Toutant and this is Dionysus Berrywright."
Dionysus He smells kinda ratty.
Arsul he's a were creature?
Dionysus He stops in his tracks, "Dionysus Berrywight?" he asks in awe. Dionysus nods and smiles.
Dionysus Wererat
Arsul figured
Dionysus He's again stunned to see the airship.
Dionysus "I thought you'd have a boat on the river."
- Arsul doesn't say anything till we're in the air and I've scried to find out if any Mwyr Aeld or doppleganger agents are on board
Dionysus There aren't any on board.
Dionysus What do you say?
Arsul "Ramon. I'm a contestant. And Dionysus is the patron for our band." (I would've used the correct word)
Arsul "We've found that there are people working to hurt contestants."
Arsul "Three succubi are among them and we still have to get the last. She won't come near our band members. I was wondering if you'd be interested in helping us. Wether you're up for it or not we can take you where you'd like to go next."
Dionysus That is the correct word
Arsul ok good'
Dionysus "A succubus? It was my duty, once, to slay them when I could, before She stopped answering. I will still do my duty, even though my collar is gone. My faith is not lost, merely the ethereal potency, see."
Arsul "She'll be back. You'll help us? We can help with the slaying. We just need some help with luring her."
Dionysus "As I said, it is my duty. I will help. What do I need to do?"
Arsul "Well you pick a brothel in Maraddon City and we stay in the room next door."
Dionysus "A brothel?"
Arsul "Or umm you can stay in an inn. You just need to have lots of different partners. You don't have to pay I suppose.
Arsul "
Dionysus "I can pay if time is of the essence. It doesn't offend me. It's just not usually necessary. Given time. Do they all need be female?"
Arsul "I'm-- not sure. I think just quantity is of the essence. I could find out, if you'd like?"
Dionysus "That's okay. I can stick to women anyway."
Arsul "Ok--"
Dionysus Anything more to that convo?
Arsul ummm no
Arsul so first he goes with Ramon
Dionysus When you land in Maraddon, after some rest, you set Ramon up?
Arsul yes
- Arsul waits in the room next door
Dionysus It's less than a day before she arrives. You're awed. He goes one woman after another without stopping, and each one comes to a screaming climax.
Dionysus And before you can even get to the room, you sense the succubus die
Arsul jesus
Arsul "How--? Are you --ok? Tired?"
Dionysus He sounds satisfied, "I could rest. The smell is awful."
Arsul "Dionysus can help with that. Actually maybe you can. Can you bless some water?"
Dionysus "Not without a lot of effort."
- Dionysus starts helping with that
Arsul "Well Dionysus can do that then."
Arsul "Thank you for your help. This will help keep many contestants and their friends and families safe. Can we do anything else to show our thanks?"
Dionysus He considers, "Get me back to Mwyr Aeld? I still need a song there."
Arsul "They will put you back in jail. Can you wait just a short while? I might be able to help."
Arsul he goes to see Damon
Dionysus Damon receives you.
Arsul "Ramon Jericho has killed the last succubus. He's asked to be returned to Mwyr Aeld. I think they'll arrest him again. I--I was wondering if you'd help me get him a song. I have some very important information for the right Mwyr Aeld official. I know of every current traitor to the Mwyr Aeld government."
Dionysus Damon... stares a moment.
Dionysus Then just says, "Yes, I can arrange something."
Arsul "Good. Can I send Ramon to meet with you? I'll need a scribe as well."
Dionysus He nods, "I'll send a scribe to you."
- Arsul leaves Damon and first goes to Ramon. "I think we'll be able to help you. I'm giving Mwyr Aeld some important information, and we're going to negotiate a song for you. Would this be acceptable to you?"
Dionysus He nods, "As long as no one else sees the song, of course."
Arsul "Of course. It will be a useable song. You should come to meet Damon Argent. He'll be able to tell you about the deal. And we can give you a ride to your next destination too. Thank you."
Dionysus He bows slightly, "Thank you, my friend."
- Arsul smiles. "Come. Perhaps you can use some sleep after that marathon. I've never heard anything like it." he ends near laughing
Dionysus "I'm blessed."
Arsul I take him to see Damon and then sit down with a scribe
Dionysus You write the list of traitors?
Arsul yes
Dionysus Things are arranged for Ramon.
Arsul excellent
Dionysus Damon asks you if you would like a reward for such priceless information.
Arsul "No. The man who asked me for it will be getting his reward, I hope."
Arsul I would've included in the report that he was plotting to become High King
Dionysus Damon says, "He most certainly will, I believe. Aeldians are not forgiving."
Arsul "It's an ugly business. They have many traitors among them."
Dionysus He pauses, "It's taking all my strength not to ask the same question of Maraddon that he did of Mwyr Aeld."
Arsul "You can always ask." he says it very levelly
Dionysus He sighs, "What if the answer includes a friend of mine?"
Arsul "Would you want to know if that was the case?"
Arsul "I won't compromise my goals, but otherwise I'd tell you the truth. I don't believe that question would require me to keep anything from you."
Dionysus He pauses, then shakes his head, "Just asking would be sentencing men to death. But not asking could means other deaths. What, then, is the right choice, Arsul?"
- Arsul smiles, sadly. "I can't answer that. Even if I could, I wouldn't. This is a choice you have to make. However, knowing would give you an opportunity to approach these people before it's too late for others, for Maraddon."
Dionysus He narrows his eyes, then nods, "Make the list."
Arsul "Yes sir."
Dionysus It's a much shorter list, and no one you know of is on it.
Arsul ok
Arsul I also look into what Damon will do when he learns the names
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Dionysus He'll do as you suggested: speak to each of them. Find out why they are doing it, and then act. No one else will ever hear this list.
Dionysus He will deal with each one in a nonlethal way.
Arsul well then I return to Damon and name names and deeds
Dionysus He listens quietly, and says nothing but "Thank you, Arsul," when you finish
- Arsul nods. "I'm sorry Damon." he rises and leaves.
Dionysus Any other special plans right now?
Arsul not at the moment
Dionysus It's close to the day Aurelia's child will be born, a date Arsul knows if he ever reflects on it, and he gets a knock at his door.
Dionysus "Prophet Toutant?"
Dionysus The voice is feminine, quiet.
Arsul "Yes. Please come in."
Arsul he opens the door
Dionysus You hear the quiet whisper of robes as she steps inside.
Dionysus "May I make you some tea?"
Arsul "I'm fine. I can call for a servant if you'd like some?"
Arsul "Miss --?"
Dionysus "I prefer to make it myself. I am Indoria, Seer of the Lands of Widdins."
Dionysus "And I am here to ensure you are not using the title improperly."
Dionysus She sets water on to boil.
Dionysus Then sits down without being asked.
Dionysus "Now, Prophet."
Arsul (Do I have any idea what she's talking about?)
Dionysus "Tell me about your powers."
Dionysus No,.
Arsul "Yes?" he sits down, a little uncertain
Dionysus "You're mundanely blind. I assume you have visions?"
Arsul "Yes. I'm sorry, why do you need to know, now?"
Dionysus "I'm with the Guild, of course. Do you ever use media to discern the future?"
Arsul "Media? What guild?"
Dionysus "Tea leaves, pigs guts, crystal balls, threads? Anything like that? The Guild of Prophets, Seers, Oracles, and Farseers, of course."
- Arsul furrows his brow. "No. When I prophecize I use none of these. When I pray I use a holy symbol."
Dionysus "Do you get unbidden visions?"
Arsul "Yes." he says, slightly cautious.
Dionysus "And controlled ones? Clairvoyance? Do you see past, present, or future?"
Arsul "I can seek controlled ones. I don't succeed every time of course. I can see any of those if needed."
Dionysus "Hmm," she says. "Do you get premonitive feelings? How do they manifest?"
Arsul "Yes." he shakes his head. "They're feelings. Bad or good or leading."
Dionysus "How does your Gift affect your powers?"
Arsul "It affects anything I have confidence in."
Dionysus "Hmm."
Dionysus "Can you call upon your power right now?"
Arsul "If I wanted or needed to."
Dionysus "Please. It's for the guild. Can you tell me, for instance, when I am going to die?"
Arsul "I'm not a member of this guild."
Arsul "I don't plan to be a member."
Dionysus You feel her eyes on you. "Excuse me? It's not expensive, and the benefits are well worth it: publicity or lack thereof, territorial disputes settled, a pension plan if you need it, and professional certification."
Arsul "Territory? I have no desire for any of these things."
Dionysus "From what we've seen, you've had over 100 territory violations as is. Freelancing is frowned upon."
Arsul "I'm not a member. This is not a profession for me. This is a part of who I am. This is my bloodline."
Dionysus She sighs, "You're in the church. I know. But they're not the only game in town."
Dionysus "A psionist is born a psionist, but he can still use his powers as a profession."
Dionysus "We represent those who use their powers professionally, and your usage is well over the norm. We've noticed. We want you in our Guild, and we're prepared to sweeten the deal."
Arsul "Yes. But this is not my progession. I'm a musician. I'm a Servant of my country."
Arsul profession
Dionysus "We have a Servant or two in our Guild, and a musician or two. You can be all three."
- Arsul sets his jaw stubbornly
Dionysus "We're prepared to give you all of Maraddon as your territory, waive your fees, make you either the most famous prophet in the world or the most obscure, and supplement your Service pay."
Arsul "I'm sorry. I don't want to join. Soon I won't even be on this plane and I'll be out of your way."
Dionysus She sighs, "I don't suppose beautiful voiced women, extra protection for your family members, and a fate-enchanted sword would help?"
Arsul "No. I can find my own lovers. And while protection for my family is always appreciated, you frankly rub me the wrong way. I don't feel comfortable with this."
Dionysus She nods, "I knew this would fail, but after I saw it happen, I knew I'd get sick if I didn't go through with it. It's such a pain when your visions are rigid and not fluid. I assume you get both?"
Arsul "Of course." He softens a bit. " I'm sorry."
Dionysus She shrugs, "Not your fault. Once the dust clears, if the faith isn't all you thought it'd be, look us up. We're new, but we're gonna be big one day. And I lied, of course. We've no Servants or musicians... yet."
- Arsul smiles slightly. "One day soon, maybe."
Arsul "Good luck with the Guild. I will keep you in mind Indoria."
Dionysus "May your path be ever steady, Prophet."
Arsul "May your path lead you in many directions: unexpected, varied and wonderful." he smiles slightly to show it's a good thing he's asking for her.
Dionysus She thanks you as she walks out without asking or waiting
- Arsul sits for a moment, sighs and then throws her tea away
Dionysus You don't notice the leaves form the shape of a cat's cradle of infinite complexity in your waste basket.
Quothar Aurelia comes to you with a question.
Aurelia A few days after the previous conversation.
- Aurelia knocks at his rooms.
- Arsul opens the door on her approach
- Aurelia asks quietly, "Will you see for me?"
Arsul "Of course. Come in."
- Aurelia does so
- Aurelia sits carefully.
Aurelia "I have dreamed of paths and selves, ender, empath, venomir, black ender, silver empath, also others shadowed."
Aurelia "The Law-Keeper also spoke of facets undiscovered. What selves are these?"
- Arsul frowns slightly. "Selves of your own?"
- Aurelia nods.
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Arsul What facets of herself has Aurelia not discovered?
Quothar You see aclock face: In the center of the clock's face is the contestant Indigis, his shadow Aurelia wrapped in white flames, connecting each hour of the clock.
Quothar The 12 is Valara, with Aurelia as her shadow, wrapped in opal flame, and above that brighter opal flame wrapping around a figure in the court of the God of Healing.
Quothar The 1 O' clock is an empty spot, the shadow is Aurelia wrapped in grey flames.
Quothar The 2 O' Clock is Aurelia wrapped in black flames, her male and female selves.
Quothar The 3 O' Clock is an empty spot, the shadow Aurelia wrapped in intense red flames.
Quothar The four o' Clock is Hornet Rust, his shadow Aurelia wrapped in yellowish brown flames.
Quothar The 5 o' Clock is a pale, sore-ridden figure in the court of the Goddess of Despair, his shadow is Aurelia wrapped in scar-white flames.
Quothar The 6 o' Clock is the Vendale, his shadow Aurelia wrapped in green flames, with an empty spot just below with a shaodw of Aurelia in even greener, more intense flames.
Quothar The 7 o' Clock is the child of Emily Argent, with its shadow Aurelia wrapped in argent silver flames.
Quothar The 8 o' Clock is empty, with its shadow Aurelia wrapped in golden flames.
Quothar The 9 o' Clock is a woman of intense beauty hiding from vicious monsters in the Winter Lands, her shadow Aurelia wrapped in sapphire flames.
Quothar The 10 O' Clock is empty, with Aurelia wrapped in purple and white flames.
Quothar The 11 O' Clock is empty, but a scene plays out: the Father of Celebration rising from near death to grant Aurelia a cloak of violet, green, and gold flames. This spot is waiting to be filled.
Arsul sooo just as confusing as Aurelia speaking
Quothar I thought it a neat representation.
Arsul it is I just have no idea what it means
Aurelia It's an awesome representation.
- Arsul would come out of the vision and describe it to Aurelia just as he saw it. "I don't really understand it. Perhaps you do?"
Aurelia "Aspects, and their bearers..."
- Arsul brow furrows. "I still don't understand. Do you want me to look into things further?"
- Aurelia tries to change aspect, focusing on colour in absence of knowledge of what it represents. Sapphire.
Quothar No change.
- Aurelia tries again, gold, red, opaler.
Quothar None of the ones you've not met work.
- Aurelia bites the corner of her lip.
- Arsul waits patiently, listening
Aurelia "What is the purpose of the sapphire flame? The feel?"
Arsul "Feel?"
Aurelia "When does the aspect's heart sing?"
Aurelia "The ender's heart sings for pain, the empath's for pleasure."
- Arsul is confused. "I-- I don't understand."
Arsul "Oh."
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Arsul The sapphire flame represents which emotion?
Quothar You see the woman cradling a male faerie in a hidden grove, by a pool, deep in love, her heart swelling with his.
Arsul "Love."
Aurelia "What is its strength?" She cants her head. "How are these flames to be aquired?"
Arsul How can Aurelia find the sapphire flames?
Quothar You see her in the Winter Lands helping the woman and faerie evade the monsters that hunt them.
Arsul "You can't meet this aspect yet. Till you meet the woman and her love."
Arsul "After the contest."
Aurelia "The others also? The must be found, met, to be gained?"
Aurelia Second the = they
Arsul Does she have to meet the individuals in order to attain the shadow selves? And the empty spaces?
Quothar You see her meeting all the spots that have something in them, a repeat of the vision of the Father of Celebration, and the empty spots... you see the Goddess of Undeath, the Father of Hatred, the Father of Pestilence, the Mother of Light, and the Father of Creation talking to Aurelia.
Arsul "Yes. The empty spaces. You will speak with gods of Undeath, Hatred, Pestilence, Light and Creation."
- Aurelia says quietly, "Thank you."
Arsul "Of course."
- Aurelia is quiet a moment, then asks, "How is the Oboe of Duration to be mastered?"
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Arsul the exact question
Quothar You see three distinct paths of paths: one is Aurelia using the Oboe to break another Gift of Music somehow, and turning the Oboe into the Quietening Oboe. The second is Aurelia using the Oboe in conjunction with a good faith or with special music, making the Oboe stronger, more powerful. The third is Aurelia selling herself to Rex Cuniaid, making it the Shrill Oboe.
Arsul what kind of music?
Quothar You see divine lights emanating from the hands of faithful and wrapping around music in the air.
Arsul "Using your Gift with a good faith or music imbued with faith. It's a little unclear."
- Aurelia frowns slightly, then nods. "Thank you."
- Arsul is confused and a little reserved
Arsul you might be able to tell he's holding back
- Aurelia stands and repeats quietly, "Thank you."
Arsul "Any time."
Quothar You talk to Bartleby
Quothar When, where? And how do you start it?
Aurelia Home, the evening after the Gallery.
Quothar How do you start it? He's likely trying to do housework badly.
Aurelia Hm
Quothar "Aurelia, we're hiring servants. I'm not sure what this even does," he puts down a feather duster.
- Aurelia picks it up, smiling a little. "To dust."
Quothar "But won't that ruin the feathers?"
Aurelia "Yes."
Quothar He frowns, "We're hiring servants."
- Aurelia smiles again, putting the duster down, then tugs his arm lightly toward a seat.
Quothar He glances, then sits. "What's up?"
- Aurelia sits beside him, leaning against his side.
Quothar He waits for you.
- Aurelia is trying to figure out how to begin.
Quothar He waits.
Aurelia "Last night... a woman... asked how I would protect her."
- Aurelia touches her stomach.
Quothar He takes a moment to understand, "Oh. I... Well, I can repel most evil..."
- Aurelia smiles a little, hugging to him for a moment to show her gratitude of that.
Quothar He hugs back a little, waiting.
Aurelia "'Use your strength as sword, not shield', she said."
Quothar He pauses, "So she suggested you be more offensive. Err. You know what I mean."
- Aurelia looks up at him with tilted head, then nods.
Quothar "I suppose that makes sense."
- Aurelia hesitates a moment, then asks, "How?"
Quothar "How does it make sense?"
- Aurelia bites the corner of her lip and shakes her head, then nods.
Quothar "Well, I suppose the thinking is, if you're shielding against it, those attacking you aren
Quothar 't gonna stop attacking.
Quothar "But if you're attacking them, you have a chance of permanently stopping them."
Aurelia "Other facets... Enemies without form..." She searches for words. "My strength... 'You do not wield it to empower yourself. You use it to build walls.' Is this right?"
Quothar He looks at you, a little confused, "I'm not sure what that means."
Aurelia "Her words. To be stronger."
- Aurelia shakes her head, confused herself.
Quothar "I've seen you lift a couch on your own, so I don't think this is about physical strength, right?"
Quothar "So the walls you mean are mental walls?"
Quothar "Holding back what?"
Aurelia What was done with the paintings? Were they brought back here?
Quothar As far as you know, they are still in the gallery
Aurelia "Cruelty. Anger, sometimes. Frustration, sometimes. Fear, sometimes."
Quothar "Holding it back from without, or within?"
Aurelia "Yes."
Quothar "From within is probably not the best idea. Just find an outlet that doesn't involve hurting anyone, or at least, doesn't involve hurting anyone not made of Hell. From without... isn't a bad idea, I suppose. I mean, way I figure it."
- Aurelia looks up at him a moment, then puts her head on his shoulder. "How?"
Quothar "How what?"
- Aurelia shakes her head a little, unsure.
Quothar She really can't just identify which part of his previous sentence she meant?
Aurelia "Where is cruelty's place?"
Quothar "If it's cruelty you need to expend, do it in art. We all do that. I always assumed that's what you did."
- Aurelia shakes her head again, at the last.
Quothar "Try it. If you're art's this good without your using it as a catharsis, imagine how amazing it'll be if you do. Look at what Dionysus has done with his experiences, and what Avery and Jack do with all their emotions."
Quothar "For that matter, look at what Sue creates, and Leonas."
Aurelia "Rage, fear, joy, sing notes to be played or turned to paint or cloth. Cruelty hungers, only singing when fed. A beast."
Quothar "Cruelty is just anger looking for satisfaction. Find satisfaction in the fantasy of your art."
Quothar He holds you tight, "Don't bottle yourself up. It'll just drive you crazy."
Quothar "At the very worst, talk to me if you need to."
- Aurelia curls in against him.
Quothar "Tell me what's bothering you."
Aurelia "If you are harmed, or..." She touches her belly. "... or I am taken from you, and could have prevented, and did not know how..."
Quothar He laughs a little, "Fill in the gaps in those sentences."
Aurelia "I would call her 'Marilyna'..." She looks up at him and 'listens' for his approval or disapproval of the name.
Quothar He nods, "Does the Emperess know?" He approves.
- Aurelia smiles a little. "Yes."
Quothar He nods, "Back to what you were saying before. Prevented what?"
Aurelia "Harm. Loss. Because of strength misused."
Quothar "You're worried about not be able to protect us?"
Aurelia "Of being able, and still failing."
Quothar He laughs, "Well, that's pretty reasonable to worry. We /are/ proposing to save gods from something that's harming them."
Quothar "Well, what can you do about it? How can you make sure you're aware enough to be able to use your strength when it's needed?"
Aurelia "Learn. Dreams and the Law-Keeper spoke of undiscovered facets of the Bloodjewel. Enyina-Emwe spoke of mastry of Gifts and self. Empowerment."
Quothar "So, you have a goal. Now, make a plan to reach those goals."
Aurelia "Arsul will know of the Jewel and Gifts."
Quothar He nods, "So that leaves yourself and empowerment."
Quothar "So how do you do that?"
- Aurelia shakes her head slightly, uncertain.
Quothar "Oh, don't do that. You know more about emotion than anyone. You know yourself better than you think you do. So how do you master yourself?"
Aurelia "Enyina-Emwe spoke of the walls. Diana of guilt. In the past, mastry came through restraint and control..."
Quothar "Well, are the walls hindering you? The guilt?"
- Aurelia looks up at him, then stares at a table, thinking about that.
Quothar Bartleby waits, holding you
- Aurelia says quietly, after a few minutes, "Yes."
Quothar "How do you get rid of walls? How do you get rid of guilt?"
Aurelia "Envisioning. Practice. 'Fake it till you make it.'"
Quothar He nods, "And making amends, for guilt."
Aurelia "Yes."
Quothar "Well, you've identified what's wrong, made a plan to deal with it. Let the worry go. You'll make it, and you'll have all my love and support while you do."
- Aurelia hugs him tightly.
Quothar He hugs back
Aurelia "Thank you."
Quothar "It is my pleasure."
Aurelia "'Lament of the Patrons.'"
Aurelia "The first night we played, you taught me music without walls..."
Quothar He blinks, "That takes me back. I haven't played that in ages."
Quothar "I guess a mind without walls might be the same: open to the points of view of others, instead of the musical styles."
Quothar "Bree died," he says suddenly. "She left to find her sister, who had been kidnapped, and she never came back. I heard later her body washed up in southern Akazad. It alerted people to that mad tyrant kidnapping nightingales," He feels sorrow for her, the loss of an old friend.
- Aurelia blinks, looking up at him, then hugs him again. "My aunt was taken. Cherry..."
Quothar He hugs back, "She survived."
Aurelia "The tyrant's song was silenced soon enough for Aunt Cherry. I'm sorry..." She holds to him.
Quothar He holds back.
- Aurelia doesn't say anything else.
Quothar So Aurelia comes to find Arsul sometime near the end of her pregnancy
- Arsul opens the door for her. "Aurelia."
Aurelia "Arsul..." A pause. "Will you see for me..?"
Arsul "Of course. Come in and sit."
- Aurelia does, moving easily, but still sitting carefully.
Arsul "What would you like me to search for?"
Aurelia "After the birth, if my mother and child go to the protection of the Dragon Church, will they be safe?"
- Arsul frowns slightly and then moves into a trance
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Arsul will Aurelia's mother and child be protected by the Dragon church?
Quothar Of the paths where Avery succeeds in shaping the child into something that won't kill Aurelia or end in stillbirth, and where the child is born before midnight on the day it is born, if it reaches the Dragon Church before midnight, Valara and the child are taken to a safe chamber beneath the Kren'atanic mountains, where in the most astonishing dragon you've ever witnessed exists: three times the size of the largest behemoth, color undisti
Quothar nguishable, the King of the Dragons' den is the safest spot on Shem.
Quothar He is the traditional form of a dragon: massive body, four strong legs ending in huge claws, a long, snake-like tail and neck, which ends in a saurian head. His wings are folded at his side, massive bat-like wings that could shelter a whole town beneath them.
Arsul ok then
- Arsul comes out of the trance. "If your mother and daughter arrive at the church before midnight on the night she's born. They will be safe. But--" he hesitates, worried.
- Aurelia watches him.
Arsul "Avery needs to shape her further. She's not ready yet. One of you will die if she isn't ready."
Arsul he waits, listening and smelling Aurelia, trying to read her reaction
- Aurelia nods slightly. She's not happy to hear that, but not surprised either. It's a worry she's had for a while.
Arsul "There are paths where you both live and where she is safe." he says after a moment
Arsul he's trying to be reassuring but he's still worried about you currently
Aurelia Then, after a moment, "Avery is shaping her. Is there more that can be done?"
Arsul "I can try and find out."
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Arsul What can be done to help save Aurelia and her child?
Quothar Having Viollca as midwife is a positive contribution. A whole long list of nutritional and medical things. Other than that, the shaping is the most potent magic for this. Having the child in a life, home, or healing temple would help.
Arsul are there any life home or healing temples near dragon temples?
Quothar In Maraddon, all the temples are closed.
Quothar But in your vision, the dragon temple didn't have to be open.
Arsul I'm asking this question in prophecy
Quothar You wouldn't have to. In most cities the world over, almost all the temples are close together.
Arsul ok
Aurelia Did the vision require the healing temple be open?
Aurelia Or life or home
Quothar Holy ground is all tha is needed
Aurelia Ok
- bjm has quit (Quit: Leaving)
Arsul "Avery is helping the most and can do the most to change things. Viollca Driver as a midwife would be helpful. And giving birth in a hallowed building of life, home, or healing would also help."
- Aurelia nods again, then after a moment says quietly, "Healing."
- Arsul nods
- Aurelia bites the corner of her lip. "After the contest, after the... After. Will she be safe if the Father remains?"
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Arsul Can Aurelia's daughter be safe if her father is alive?
Quothar Aurelia's daughter will never, ever be truly safe, whether Xanar is alive or not is the short answer. In ever path you see her go down, she has to go to extreme measures to resist the forces that will come after her.
Arsul Is she in more danger if he's alive?
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Quothar Actually, if he is gone from Shem before he becomes a part of the pantheon, dead or simply not allowed in, Nightmare reverts back to the Webweaver, and she's rarely able to live past her 20s. If he becomes part of the pantheon and dies, she is hounded by those who would have her replace him, or by his replacements for fear that she will take their crown. If he's part of the pantheon and lives, she's hounded by his forces to take her right
Quothar ful place in his kingdom. He doesn't want her dead--he wants her as his queen.
Arsul that's sick
- Arsul comes out of his trance, slightly disturbed
- Aurelia watches him silently.
Quothar As his queen doesn't mean as his wife
Quothar He's the God, then his underlings are the king and queen
Quothar Or, he's the player, and she'd be the queen on the chessboard.
Arsul "She will never be completely safe. The dragon's den is the saest place on shem but when she comes out it won't matter if he's alive or dead. Although, she's safer if he's made a god of Shem before he leaves or dies. She will always struggle though with evil forces and rulers of the realm of nightmare."
- Aurelia nods slowly. After a moment, she murmurs, "Thank you."
Arsul there should not be 'leaves or' in the above
Arsul "Are you all right?"
- Aurelia doesn't answer that for a moment.
- Arsul would wait for her to say something
Aurelia "Yes."
Arsul "It would be easier if the news was always good or at the very least helpful."
Aurelia "It is helpful, knowing what waits."
Arsul "Sometimes. It's never pleasant when I find Fate has tied ones' hands. Although, there is always a choice."
Arsul he rises with her
Aurelia "Yes."
Arsul "if you have any other questions or ifI can help, I would like to."
- Aurelia looks at Arul silently for a moment, then says quietly, "Thank you." She turns to go.
- Arsul listens to her leave
Dionysus So after talking to Bartleby, revealing the gallery, etc. what does Aurelia do?
Aurelia Also after talking with Arsul?
Dionysus Yes.
- Aurelia thinks about faith, a lot. Works on a painting of the star-elven city.
Dionysus Does she seek external sources of information? Can you reveal her thoughts?
Aurelia No external sources, I think.
Dionysus Then what does she think?
Aurelia She thinks about the way she used to see the world, tries to hold it up against the things she's seen now. Thinks about the... significance of faith.
Dionysus Which is>?
Aurelia Trust. Belief in the meaning and value of everything that is and that happens.
Dionysus How do the gods fit in?
Aurelia Paths. The faces that define meaning and value.
Dionysus How does the way she currently sees the world affect her views on faith?
Aurelia Or perhaps the justification of the meaning and value.
Dionysus How does the way she currently sees the world affect her views on faith?
Aurelia I'm trying to figure out the answer to that.
Dionysus Just making sure it didn't get lost due to being up there right before your previous statement
Aurelia It didn't.
Aurelia Back when, she understood a lot of this intuitively, never questioned it because of the perceived omnipresence of beauty.
Dionysus Go on
Aurelia So when her faith got cracked, she didn't know how to repair it because she didn't understand it in the first place. So the crack got worse and worse, till it shattered altogether.
Dionysus Go on
Aurelia Her perception of the things with Nightmare and Might didn't help either.
Dionysus I wouldn't expect them to. Go on
Aurelia So now she's thinking, reasoning out the above consciously, trying to figure out what her worldview is.
Aurelia There has to be room for faith because she's said, and meant, that her life and the world were worthwhile.
Dionysus Which faith?
Aurelia Love and beauty are what she lives for, love more than beauty now.
Dionysus Has she put two and two together about the straits the Mother of Love is in?
Aurelia Potential ramifications if She were gone?
Aurelia Or just that She /is/ in trouble and represents the faith?
Dionysus That, too, but does she real--the latter.
Aurelia Yes.
Dionysus And the former?
Aurelia She's not sure what such ramifications would be.
Dionysus Just curious. Is she worried about it?
Aurelia Concerned might be a better word. But if we succeed in what we're doing anyway she should be fine and it'll never come up. If we don't, everyone's probably dead anyway.
Dionysus What is her faith like now?
Aurelia She worships the concepts fairly wholeheartedly, and without her god and self-doubt/blame issues, she can accept the gods as the faces of those concept, as well as show them her face unashamedly.
Dionysus Would she ever pray?
Aurelia Yes.
Aurelia That's more or less what I meant by showing them her face.
Dionysus To whom?
Aurelia The goddesses, if prayer is taken as a sort of metaphorical entering of their presences.
Dionysus All goddesses?
Aurelia Love and Vision were the intended ones, the two she's likely to pray to. She won't feel unworthy or needlessly antagonistic of any other deities though, I suppose.
Dionysus Not even evil ones?
Dionysus Not even Nightmare?
Aurelia I did say needlessly. It might've been better to say antagonistic without specific justification.
Dionysus Fair enough.
Dionysus So she can define her faith, and the two deities she is most apt to revere?
Aurelia Yes.
Dionysus I would say that's... faith. Is there more she thinks about?
Aurelia It is. It feels warm, to welcome it back.
Dionysus You feel... a strange sensation. Something comes untethered within you, and is instantly filled with a warm lake of feeling and strength. You lose 1 point str and wil, but your faith scores are whatever you want them to be up to 9.
Aurelia Not at that time, re: thinking. Faith was the focal issue.
Aurelia I hope Gargu's not upset. She does like him.
Dionysus You just can't be a High Servitor and have other faiths. You still have your strength, more or less, but your race is no what it was. You are still expected to finish the feat, and you are expected to do it in his name.
Dionysus And he'll still support you.
Dionysus But you've actively chosen just now, whether you knew it or not, to not be devoted to him with your whole soul.
Aurelia I can accept that.
Dionysus And the faith you have fills the void anyway.
Dionysus What else does she do in those days?
Aurelia Tries to master the Oboe and, starting from further back, works on Shaping suggestions.
Aurelia And kills gnomes.
Dionysus How does she try to Master the Oboe?
Aurelia Intermingled playing and prayer, and prayer via playing, initially.
Dionysus You feel the Oboe grow warm while doing either of those, but they don't seem to expand its powers any.
Aurelia She'd ask Bartleby's help and advice as well, then Dio. If anyone knows about 'music imbued with faith', they might.
Dionysus Bartleby says, "Hymns? Or blessed songs?"
Aurelia "'Music imbued with faith' were Arsul's words. I have played hymns, prayed through song."
Dionysus "Oh. Sacred music. You need to either write it yourself, or earn it from a saint or something."
- Aurelia considers this, then nods and hugs thanks.
Dionysus He hugs back.
Aurelia When next she's on her own afterward, she will try to evolve Blue Walker.
Dionysus Evolve?
Aurelia It was already written as an expression of reverence of beauty. She has the skill now to perhaps improve it to something more worthy, while bringing love into it more cohesively. That should fit well, as it was also inspired by a Walker of the path of Love.
Dionysus Interesting.
Dionysus How many boxes is it?
Aurelia It was a five under the old, old system, I think. Three or four minutes long and of good quality.
Dionysus Call it 15?
Aurelia Wow. Ok.
Dionysus Or less, if you think that's too much
Aurelia I don't think it's too much at all.
Dionysus A'ight
Dionysus Too little?
Aurelia No. The wow was 'it's generous', but thinking about it, I don't think fails its making sense check.
Dionysus A'ight
Aurelia 12-15 range would've made sense. Higher or lower wouldn't, I think.
Dionysus So, roll songwriting?
Aurelia r composition 19
Eklem Aurelia [composition: 19] 24 25 29
Dionysus r 16
Eklem Dionysus [16] 21 24 26
Dionysus One box.
Dionysus r diff 17
Eklem Dionysus [diff: 17] 18 21 22
Aurelia r composition 19
Eklem Aurelia [composition: 19] 27 27 27
Dionysus Two.
Dionysus r diff 19
Eklem Dionysus [diff: 19] 26 28 28
Aurelia r composition 19
Eklem Aurelia [composition: 19] 21 22 23
Aurelia r composition 19
Eklem Aurelia [composition: 19] 20 20 29
Dionysus No boxes, or -1.
Aurelia Or?
Dionysus She can keep the changes or revert to what she had an hour ago
Aurelia Oh. Revert.
Dionysus Do you continue trying?
Aurelia Yes.
Dionysus r diff 19
Eklem Dionysus [diff: 19] 21 24 24
Aurelia r composition 19
Eklem Aurelia [composition: 19] 21 24 28
Dionysus .5
Dionysus r 19
Eklem Dionysus [19] 26 28 29
Aurelia r composition 19
Eklem Aurelia [composition: 19] 21 22 25
Dionysus -2.
Dionysus Or revert and lose that hour.
Aurelia Keep changes, and continue.
Dionysus r 17
Eklem Dionysus [17] 19 24 24
Aurelia r composition 19
Eklem Aurelia [composition: 19] 22 23 26
Dionysus -1
Aurelia Revert, continue.
Dionysus r 17
Eklem Dionysus [17] 19 25 26
Aurelia r composition 19
Eklem Aurelia [composition: 19] 22 25 27
Dionysus .5
Dionysus r 18
Eklem Dionysus [18] 24 27 28
Aurelia r composition 19
Eklem Aurelia [composition: 19] 23 24 25
Dionysus -1
Aurelia Keep, continue.
Aurelia r composition 19
Eklem Aurelia [composition: 19] 20 25 29
Dionysus r 17
Eklem Dionysus [17] 23 24 26
Dionysus +1
Aurelia r composition 19
Dionysus r 18
Eklem Aurelia [composition: 19] 27 27 28
Eklem Dionysus [18] 24 25 26
Dionysus +1
Dionysus r 19
Eklem Dionysus [19] 23 24 25
Aurelia r composition 19
Eklem Aurelia [composition: 19] 24 26 28
Dionysus +1
Aurelia Quicksave, continue.
Aurelia r composition 19
Eklem Aurelia [composition: 19] 22 22 27
Dionysus r 20
Eklem Dionysus [20] 24 27 30
Dionysus -2
Aurelia Revert, continue
Aurelia r composition 19
Eklem Aurelia [composition: 19] 22 25 25
Dionysus r 20
Eklem Dionysus [20] 21 25 30
Dionysus .5
Dionysus r 20
Eklem Dionysus [20] 23 23 25
Aurelia r composition 19
Eklem Aurelia [composition: 19] 23 25 29
Dionysus +1
Aurelia So it's at 20.5?
Dionysus Yes
Aurelia r composition 19
Eklem Aurelia [composition: 19] 24 25 27
Dionysus r 21
Eklem Dionysus [21] 22 25 26
Dionysus .5
Aurelia r composition 19
Eklem Aurelia [composition: 19] 22 27 29
Dionysus r 22
Eklem Dionysus [22] 23 28 30
Dionysus -1
Aurelia Revert, continue.
Dionysus r 22
Eklem Dionysus [22] 23 29 29
Aurelia r composition 19
Eklem Aurelia [composition: 19] 20 21 27
Dionysus -3
Aurelia Ow. Revert, pray for inspiration.
Dionysus r 22
Eklem Dionysus [22] 23 25 31
Aurelia That's the prayer difficulty?
Dionysus Oh, I didn't see that
Dionysus What faith?
Aurelia Both.
Dionysus r love 16 vision 13
Eklem Dionysus [love: 16] 17 19 23
Eklem Dionysus [vision: 13] 15 17 18
Aurelia r Love 9+7 Vision 8+7
Eklem Aurelia [Love: 9+7=16] 17 18 25
Eklem Aurelia [Vision: 8+7=15] 22 24 24
Dionysus Either +6 for the next roll, or you can get a helpful vision.
Aurelia With the +6 and luck I might could get a 24 quality befofre stopping. A vision's the 'or what's in the box' here, though. It could help with anything including improving this or telling me it's futile. Not that she'd stop until it was done at this point anyway, but, hm.
Aurelia I don't suppose you're in the mood to advise?
Dionysus Absolutely not.
Aurelia Ok, the vision.
Aurelia Curiosity wins
Dionysus You see a path that loops, weaves, and takes you back to the concert of Jack's faith. You merge into yourself there, and play this song in the set, the one you are writing now, dedicated to the holy goddesses (love, vision, and music--since it is also Jack's concert). You must, to walk this path, weave the moment the Oboe drags out into a path through time, and to do that, you must Master the Oboe, but to do that, you need to perform t
Dionysus his song at the concert... which, of course, you've both done and not done...
Aurelia Oh my.
Aurelia In the present, the concert has already occurred?
Dionysus Yes
Aurelia Ok.
Dionysus What's she do?
Aurelia Ok, I should finish it first, then work that out.
Dionysus r 22
Eklem Dionysus [22] 25 25 27
Aurelia r comp 19
Eklem Aurelia [comp: 19] 23 28 28
Dionysus +1
Aurelia Did it seem... better than a 22 in the vision?
Dionysus You're not certain
Aurelia 22 is where it's acceptable, but... she'll keep trying to find improvements a bit longer.
Dionysus r diff 23
Eklem Dionysus [diff: 23] 26 27 31
Aurelia r comp 19
Eklem Aurelia [comp: 19] 21 22 25
Dionysus -2
Aurelia Revert
Aurelia r comp 19
Eklem Aurelia [comp: 19] 23 24 28
Dionysus r diff 23
Eklem Dionysus [diff: 23] 25 26 32
Dionysus -1
Aurelia Two more tries.
Aurelia r comp 19
Eklem Aurelia [comp: 19] 22 24 29
Dionysus r diff 22
Eklem Dionysus [diff: 22] 24 25 27
Dionysus -1
Aurelia Might karma that.
Dionysus Upt ye
Aurelia Rediscovering beauty
Dionysus +2
Aurelia One last try, with fingers cross't.
Aurelia r comp 19
Eklem Aurelia [comp: 19] 22 24 25
Dionysus r diff 24
Eklem Dionysus [diff: 24] 28 30 33
Aurelia ... Right then.
Dionysus -2
Aurelia Stay.
Aurelia Rather, revert and stay
Dionysus Ahh
Dionysus So a 23?
Aurelia Gherkin. I really want to try for the 25.
Dionysus Well, you've been working on it for what? 30 hours?
Aurelia Nearly, I think? My eyes blurred trying to count.
Dionysus Anyway, I think it's fair to stop.
Aurelia Somewhere between 22 and 24 hours at a roll per hour, not counting vision.
Aurelia Ok.
Dionysus So how does she try to time travel?
Aurelia With the Oboe, at first, focusing on the sustaining of a note and drawing out of a moment.
Dionysus Roll will.
Dionysus r diff 25
Eklem Dionysus [diff: 25] 26 27 33
Aurelia r will 24
Eklem Aurelia [will: 24] 27 33 33
Dionysus You sense time stretch slightly as you do this.
Aurelia That should've been +3, if the exceptional would've made a difference.
Dionysus You feel it stretch slightly more
- Aurelia holds that, repeats if she has to, to learn the feel before changing her playing.
Dionysus What does she change it to?
Aurelia Variations on the sustained note. Vibratto, Crescendo and de-.
Dionysus de-?
Aurelia Decrescendo. My sloth has bitten me.
Dionysus The moment slips away if you stop sustaining the note.
- Aurelia does not, in that experiment. Does the moment react to vibratto or volume?
Dionysus It reacts, but nothing useful: it doesn't take you anywhere. It simply makes the shape of the moment change slightly, the "space" it takes up shifts.
Aurelia Can I identify that space well enough to make it curve in such a way that successive curved notes could form the path I saw?
Dionysus Your vision seemed to indicate one note
- Aurelia will, then, try to sustain a note and shape the effect nonmusically, with will and envisioning.
Dionysus Envisioning?
Aurelia Picturing the desired shape for the moment.
Dionysus Roll will
Dionysus r diff 25
Eklem Dionysus [diff: 25] 31 32 35
Aurelia r will 24+3
Eklem Aurelia [will: 24+3=27] 30 32 37
Dionysus It moves a little in that direction
- Aurelia focuses harder, sustaining that same note.
Dionysus r diff 25
Eklem Dionysus [diff: 25] 28 30 31
Aurelia r will 24+3
Eklem Aurelia [will: 24+3=27] 31 33 35
Dionysus It slips into shape
- Aurelia lets go of the note.
Dionysus The moment passes.
Aurelia Nothing changed?
Dionysus What?
Aurelia I got the shape of the path from the moment, but need to do more?
Dionysus Yes.
Aurelia How does one traverse a moment if not by being?
Dionysus You have to control the moment if you want to bend the laws of time.
Aurelia Does the shape of the moment have standard spatial meaning?
Dionysus You shaped it, but didn't traverse it. You quit controlling it.
Dionysus It reverts if you don't keep playing.
Dionysus I already told you it reverts if you quit playing.
Aurelia Did it have spatial meaning when I was controlling it, then.
Dionysus It's more like you have to find a way to traverse the moment while playing it.
Aurelia Ok. Traversing it the natural way was just the first thing that came to mind.
Dionysus What's she do next?
- Aurelia plays again, recreating the path's shape.
Aurelia r will 24+3
Eklem Aurelia [will: 24+3=27] 30 32 36
Dionysus r diff 25
Eklem Dionysus [diff: 25] 26 29 31
Dionysus The shape slides into place.
- Aurelia then focuses on it without dropping the note, trying to sink mentally into it as she does sometimes with emotions, to follow it that way.
Dionysus You feel the crowd before you hear them, the warmth of the night, the melodious music around you...
GrandGuignol
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