Part 49b: Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark.

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Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Dworkin (GM)
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They climb to the highest point on the pass, and peer down into the world beyond, flooded now with morning light.  Low cloud and mist shroud much of the view, and even with the sun now risen, the chill still hangs in the air, lancing the lungs with ice with the drawing of every breath.

Samhain lies before them.  Grim, bleak, and somehow beautiful in it's austere splendour.

Dorian points to the left, and there is a notch in the stone there, clearly visible once you know where to look.  A gate of sorts, and from it a road winds down, across the steep face of the mountains, until it vanishes, thread thin, into the cloud layers.

The pillars of the gate are inscribed with stylised skull motifs, somehow giving the impression that they were never intended to be human.  Something in the shape of the eye sockets says that these skulls have more in common with beast than with man.

Ans so they set out, down the road, towards the cloud layer, which seems unusually dense where the road passes, thinning out further from the mountains.  The currents here play in a great circle, rotating the cloud in a great cyclonic swirl, pulling the mass closer, holding it together, though further out the cover breaks up, revealing the desolate plains which make up much of Samhain.

Lower still, and ripples seem to bass through the clouds, as if they were composed of liquid rather than vapour.

Hours pass on the descent, and a deep sonorous noise becomes apparent, like a pipe organ of gargantuan size, playing scales somewhere beneath the clouds, and  almost drowned out by that strange, discordant music, the clash of steel upon steel, like a million swords in combat.

Finally they pass through the clouds, and the air clears to reveal a great pit in the plain below, with a single tower at its centre.  The tower acts as an axis, and around it countless wheels spin.  Wheels marked with patterns and glyphs, rotating in concentric layers around the tower.  Sometimes the wheels match, the patterns merging into complex shapes which flare with blue light, projecting the transient forms onto the underside of the clouds, and then they spin apart, broken by yhe variant cycles of the great wheels.

And far down there, a single bridge springs acroll the field of wheels, from the perimiter of the pit, to the tower at the heart.

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Berd
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Berd is silent through much of the journey, staring out at the landscape, taking it in.  In a way, it affords him a glimpse into the spirit behind Dorian's face.  Even the 'music' in the air, hauntingly minor in key, full of depth and power, contains something of the man.

Or, in truth, the man contains something of the land.  And this is part of him, as well.

Finally they stand near to the bridge, and Berd stares down at the mammoth hole into the world, a coring of the surface stretching deep, through mantle and crust, into whatever passes for the middle in this land, so near to Chaos.

I believe I begin to understand Dorian a little better, now, he muses.  Perhaps it is a necessary thing for all of us, to see from whence the others come.  He glances toward James, then Meredith.  When this is over, Meredith, I may need your help to remember.  Yours and Dorian's both.  Somewhere within me lies knowledge of the Broken God, and I will tolerate the mystery no longer.  The universe demands this knowledge be known.

And perhaps the two of you will know me even better, then.  And with your help, I will know myself.

The dragon turns back toward the vast opening, the clockwork, stately beauty of the wheels, the awesome form of the central axis, the pillar.  And perhaps we will know even more of you, Dorian, and you, James, and you, Meredith, before we finish here.  Dorian - is this where the Queen lies?  Or is it further on?  What is the purpose of the structure?

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Dorian
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Dorian walks in silence. His cloak is pulled in close around him, and his hood is drawn forward. It is both to ward the cold and to avoid recognition. Around him, the landscape is like a magnificent three-dimensional mirror. This, he thinks, is this how I feel or how Dorian feels? Perhaps such philosophy is best left for another time.

As he breaks through the cloud layer, he surveys her with a clinical eye. It is not like he remembers, though he can still recognize many parts of her, near the tower. So much time has passed, and she has been busy.

"This is her," he says quietly. "This is what I once called my wife, though we pretended the alliance was political. It was, of course, but then at times it was something more. And this-- the lengths one goes to in the name of immortality and power. If it says anything about Dorian and I, Berd, only she dared commit to such an atrocity-- Dorian declined the temptation. The irony, of course, being that Dorian later found himself to be immortal. But my memory is vague. I suspect she knew that and she was merely trying to keep up with Dorian. When he began to reach beyond the world, to realize he was more than this place, she suspected of him a great secret-- a betrayl in Samhainian terms-- and that was the final wedge between them. After that, a war ensued and it wracked this world. Dorian lost. Though, in his defense, his heart really wasn't in it anymore."

So much time had passed. Now was the time to put those memories, those borrowed memories, away. Deep in his heart, the old Dorian yearned to do what he had done to the Archon breeding world. Destroy it all, wipe it clean, leave no trace to haunt his dreams. He wouldn't, of course, he was not Dorian. He didn't know what he was, but he was not Dorian. That fact, sadly, needed to be concealed for the time being.

"To maintain the facade that I am Dorian, I may be required to act in ways unnatural to me. Please, don't be alarmed. She has grown since I was here last. I only recognize some parts of her towards the center, there. If she has grown, so has her power. Who knows what else has changed."

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Dworkin (GM)
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Onto the bridge, and below, the wheels spin, hundreds of concentric circles constantly lining up patterns of glyphs and symbols, like some vast cypher machine, with a thousand different alphabets, searching for matching patterns, words, phrases.

The sound is tremendous.  The clattering and scraping of metal on metal.  And the voices.  There are people down there, walking on the wheels, cleaning them, balancing them, marking new signs upon them.  They yell instructions to each other, as they spin past at dozens, or hundreds, of miles per hour.  Each of them wears a harness, with a set of hooked rods attached, which lock into eyelets on the wheels, allowing them to hold on like strange looking insects.

These people are as much a part of the machinery as the gears which turn the wheels.

Four wheels suddenly align, and the sigils pulse with light, illuminating the swirling clouds above, and then, after a brief pause, the spin away again.  The tower twists, growing, extending a stone spine outwards and upwards to match thousands more which extend into the mass of cloud.

There are guards, of a sort, on the bridge.  Armoured men, their limbs seeming unnaturally long, equiped as they are, with the hooked rods which allow them to navigate the wheels.

At the far end, a gate and, within, a spiralling causeway into a slim tower within the tower, suspended above a deep pit by hundreds of chains.  Within that inner tower is a chamber, where a rake-thin woman sits huddled upon a throne, bound by cables and cords which pierce her flesh, making it impossible to tell where she ends and her environment begins.

"Hello Dorian." she says, her voice a dry rasping rattle, echoed and repeated from the walls around her, reverberating through the cords and cables.

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Dorian
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"Drusilla," Dorian nods, though his voice is flat and cold. "These are my servants and generals with me." Turning slightly towards James, Meredith and Berd, he says, "Drusilla, my wife." There is no hint of irony in his voice.

Seeing her, the her he remembered the most, the flesh, brought back even more memories and emotion. He had to supress them. He couldn't let he sense his feelings. He could only hope Berd was working on something in the background, though he had a few plans of his own.

Turning back to her with the barest hint of a smirk on his face, he continues, "And how are you, Darling? You've... grown. I have to admit I'm impressed, though only mildly surprised. You were always finding new ways to impress me. How have things been on Samhain in my absense? I have grown, I suppose, emotional in my age. I miss this world; I am curious how things are now. Do you rule openly or from behind a curtain, now?"

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by James
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James is hard pressed to maintain his composure in the face of the abomination that Dorian names Drusilla.  This element of flesh, seemingly the sole organic component in the vast array of machinery seems wholly unnatural to him.  Still, Berd and Dorian had been uncompromising in their assessment of her power here in Samhain, it would not do to underestimate her.

It occurs to James that if this then was the sacrifice made to gain power over a world and a form of immortality it would not be wise to reveal his origins and the power of the Pattern that was his birthright.  An attendant soldier he would be and nothing more.

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Meredith
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Meredith has trouble keeping pace as they descend the mountainside. While the sweeping vistas are a beautiful sight, she is too intent on staying with the others to take pause and notice. When they stop to take in the view, mull over duplicated memories, or talk Meredith stays silent and uses the time to catch her breath.

Before leaving Meredith retrieved Dorian's outer cloak and is grateful for it's added protection against the chill morning. It also masks the blood that has soaked through the sleeve and glove of her right arm, the by-product of absorbing what remained of Luke's physical wounds. Minor scrapes, cuts, claw marks, and purpling bruises visibly mar her face and neck. Similar, unseen marks are covered by the clothing on her arms, legs, and torso. The bite marks on her upper arm and split lip are as bad as it gets. They are inconsequential and Meredith wishes that she could have helped more. She knows that a few of the stiches in her right arm have popped, but thank goodness that wound did not re-open. The same could be said of her back. The injuries there hurt more as well, but their condition has not worsened. It is the feeling that her entire body had been sandwiched between too slabs of rock and squeezed that really slows her down. The glove is back on her left hand, it's incessant chant of sin and wrong doing somewhat cancelled out by her right glove, which as tasted blood given to aid another. A good deed to battle with the bad one. Still it is another thing weighing on Meredith's mind and she is tired.

When Berd speaks of needed her assistance, along with Dorian's, to remember the Broken God her answer is mechanical. I will assist in any way I can when you are ready Berd. Other than that she stays silent along the trip to Dorian's wife, stumbling every now and then until they hit the flat ground before the chasm that contains Drusila.

It is easy for Meredith to slide into the 'role' of Dorian's servant. She was already at the back of the group. When they are presented before Drusila she takes her place three paces behind Dorian's left side. She remains completely still with her head bowed. When Dorian makes his introduction she curtys deeply to Drusila. Meredith does not look up at Drusila or speak after Dorian's brief introduction. Such actions would be intolerable to any decently trained servant and if anything Meredith has been well trained.

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Berd
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Berd's eyes are lambent as he stares at the horrifying perversion of nature before him.  No offense is taken, Dorian.  Some obfuscation is certainly necessary, here.  But this...such a powerful desire to gain parity...and a terrible, awesome fear of losing it, forever, in death.

I grieve for her.

But whatever pity he feels, he keeps that and his words carefully cloaked, as strongly as he can manage.  Should she suspect, he knows, it would not go well with them.

His eyes turn toward Meredith for a moment.  Another one to pity.  A martyr, though she would never claim to be so.  Duty, Meredith names her pain, and suffers further.  He wishes there was something he might do, knows there is not.  Not unless Berd again steps across that line.

Now Dorian...the man is conflicted.  On the one hand, he summons a semblance of the other Dorian most effectively.  On the other, he pays a price - a price to see this monstrosity, a price to act as something that is not himself, never been himself.  Berd wonders if the other Dorian knows what he created, here, if he is even aware.

James' words almost bring a small, chiming laugh.  Almost - in the face of this horror before them, laughter is deadened, stillborn.  As always, James is the rock.  Shocked, perhaps horrified, he continues with calm equinamity.  Somehow.  Questions of ettiquette should be directed to Dorian, though I suspect the phrase 'speak when spoken to' holds a certain amount of validity, here.  I will maintain the bridging, and assist in shielding your thoughts.

Enough stalling, old fool.  Finally Berd turns his attention from the wheels, from the people, back to Drusilla.

He stares at her long and hard, his reptilian face void of emotion.

Is there any saving this one?  Is it possible?  For the sake of the murder of Jadus, I must try.  And because...it is what she would wish for me to do.

It is what she would do.

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Drusilla
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There is a sound, the whisper of laughter, echoing through the chamber, and then that voice again, coming from everywhere, "With you gone, Dorian, there was no point to ruling secretly.  I only considered that option to protect you.  You did, after all make many enemies, and if it became known that your own creation had usurped your rule... well, I suspect that they would have been encouraged to move against you by such a display of weakness."

"Our own relationship may have been purely motivated by politics in the beginning, but towards the end, I had come to think of you in terms of... well, you were like a treasured pet to me."

Again the ghostly laughter, "I chose to support the illusion of your personal power.  But with you gone... that illusion became pointless."

A series of coloured lights flicker briefly behind her, "Samhain was quiet, and peaceful, until your return heralded the unleashing of strange forces.  I would thank you not to do anything so disruptive again.  I lost several hours of work because of the distraction."

"Your new allies seem interesting."  "The small one is... oddly attractive."

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Berd
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Berd sits up a little more straight, and his concentration on the bridging sharpens.  So much for dissembling.  She observes me with a spiritual eye.  There is only so much a Cloak may cover - I am certain she knows what I am not...that being a small, harmless drake.

She holds a tight rein - as in control, not rulership - upon the world, but she seems less interested in holding it than studying it.  Fascinating.

He does not address her other thoughts and concerns - they are personal, and for Dorian to consider.

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Dorian
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Through the link, he thinks, I can only wonder how long until she realizes my nature, then. Berd, this is Dorian's creation. I knew when I commited the act she could not be separated from the device, yet... can you see a way to do so? Is there an alternative, here?

"My companions are of no concern, they act as I direct them in all things. You're description of the past is generous, Drusilla. You were always kind beyond measure. And how does your search progress? Have you found more of these Vhuul, here?"

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Berd
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You have been anchored, Dorian.  You no longer 'feel' as a self-aware construct of Dorian's power.  You are an empowered creature, free in your own right.  She may not see any difference.

Berd pours over his findings, briefly.

She uses...interesting.  She uses Sorcery to produce effects mimicking those of palanquet.  Small, short-lived magical effects that operate in a similar fashion.  I cannot determine the power source, but I have my suspicions.  palanquet is caused through a reverberation effect within the Underflow - an excitation of its 'fluid' to attune it against a stored psychic image.

If she produces similar effects, it may be she has discovered the Underflow, to some extent or another.

*amusement*  And the Lords of Order and Chaos think that they, themselves, are the ultimate masters of power in this universe.  Content to sit upon their ivory thrones, they miss the greater mysteries while the 'ants', far beneath them, scrabble in the dirt...and discover gold.

One should always be wary of their boot, though.

I cannot see a means to separate her at this time.  I will continue to study and prepare a defense.

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Drusilla
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"The search... continues.  One of those creatures was here, for a long time, and until your companions released it I was entirely unaware of its presence.  I, who can see for thousands of miles in every direction, and hear the grass grow at the far end of the world, I who am aware of everything that lives in this world, from the lowliest mayfly to the eldest of drakes, never suspected that entity was here."  A wry laugh, "I knew nothing of it, and is not the basis of my rule that there are no secrets from me?"

"That is why the people of Samhain fear me.  There is nothing that is hidden from me.  Take a secret, whisper it into a sack, tie the sack to a large stone, and drop the stone and sack down the deepest well you can find... and I will still know that secret."

"To be surprised by this creature's appearance was... disconcerting.  And oddly pleasing."

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Dorian
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All the more sad, then. If not for her interest in awaking the Vhuul, we could have left her alone. She told me she was aware of the Underflow, 'the energy' she called it and that she planned to study it closer later. It is of no doubt in my mind that she will be able to expand her search beyond this world soon.

We must hurry, it is only a matter of time before she wants to know why I'm here. If I can keep her thinking I am no threat, we have some time.

"And you are not concerned? You witnessed the power brought to bear in destroying that one entity. They are from a place uinverses away from ours and care nothing for a puddle like Samhain. They will as soon destroy you with a thought as give you the time of the day. How is it you are so sure you'll gain anything by awakening them? You gained nothing from this one."

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Drusilla
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"I gained nothing from this one? Drusilla laughs, that same dry, rustling laugh, "I gained the knowledge that these creatures exist.  That they have enemies.  And that they can be slain."

A pause then, and a Drusilla's face turns upwards, her expression becoming, momentarily, filled with fury, before smoothing out again as her eyes return to Dorian, "I am no fool Dorian.  My first priority is to find these things without awakening them.  Should I find one, I would then attempt to develop a method of studying it, again without awakening it.  Failing that, I would attemp to find a method of learning from it without releasing it."

"Should that prove impossible, then I would be forced to content myself with knowing the location of a place where it is dangerous to tread.  I have no intention of releasing these things upon the world.  It is a pity that others are not so careful as I, is it not?"

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by James
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James is content to stand and watch the exchange between Dorian and the Queen, although he has to bite back a wry grin at Drusilla's sharp comment on the group's lack of caution.

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Drusilla
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"One thing that was of particular interest though... that ability which was domonstrated, to block my view of the mountain.  Was that a natural capability of one of the creatures, or did it have access to it through some outside source.  The latter case might prove useful, if I were able to obtain the use of that ability."

More of the rustling laughter then, "It would come as a surprise to those who would oppose my rule over Samhain, and there are a few, still, Dorian, just as in your day, plotting and scheming, all unaware that I know of them."

"Some of them are even known to you.  One has to almost admire their determination...  To keep going for so long, maintaining their dreams of revolution.  And some of their plans are most entertaining.  But... it would be good to know that I could cut them off from their sources of power, in an instant, should I so desire."

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Berd
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Berd listens silently.  This woman is far more than they expected.  It is good that they chose this manner of approach.

She does speak of things of which she knows not.  Through no fault of her own.  She castigates them on their lack of caution, when she has no idea of what occurs outside her world, that the universe itself teeters on the brink of dissolution.  They have reached the point where risks are necessary.  Demanded.

The questors can no longer simply plod along from circumstance to circumstance, hoping that through slow, careful work they might somehow catch up to the Archons' vastly advanced plans, or stumble across the magic bullet that will somehow save them from destruction.

They have come down to a game of poker, where the stakes are high and the cards cannot be counted.  Bluffing, knowledge of the odds, correct choices - all of these can take one only so far.  Sooner or later, in each hand, one must call...or fold.

Fold too many times waiting for the straight flush, and one finds oneself without a stake.

At least they know enough NOT to disturb the Vhuul's 'family'.  Thus, they have gained.  Information as well has come to them.  They were close...too close.  But.  They.  Have.  Gained.

Hopefully now this woman is not lying regarding her plans.

And now...another risk.

I believe it would be best if we change our plans.  I see no reason to nullify one who has sufficient control over her base urges that she does not torment this land despite her power.

Is she different from what you expected?  Having listened, I expected much worse.  And now, I look upon her and think that with access to the Underflow she would make a powerful ally.  A powerful means of gathering information.

Yes, like the Vhuul, we might release a monster upon the Myriad Worlds.  But do we take the risk?  Should we?

I believe so.

With access to the power she now possesses, she has become more introspective.  Access to the Underflow might change her for the worse, or it might contiue the trend.  She might yet become something even greater than she is, in a positive fashion.

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Dorian
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"If you know of their plans, why let them live? Your rule is absolute and you know all. What reason is there to let them continue? Making an example of them would be just as effective now as later."

Your thoughts mirror my own, Berd. Yet, I know who she is and she admits she yet rules Samhain and defends her rule. That alone is not a crime- someone must rule- but it could be a ploy to gain our trust and learn from us. I will not be tricked so easily.

I know change is possible, because I know the man I was split from. He changed, but then he snapped back in the face of great sorrow. I won't deny her the ability to change, but on Samhain I won't take anything at face value.

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Drusilla
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"They are a safety valve, of sorts." she answers, her voice like the rustling of taffeta, "While they live, they believe they are fooling me, and moderate their own schemes to avoid alerting me."

"They also moderate the schemes of others for me, for the same reason, not realising that they are, themselves, very effeciently doing the work of the secret bureaux that they think I have at my disposal."

"Thus I don't need such extensive bureaux, and can devote time and resources to other projects."

A whisper of laughter, "It is an elegant process."

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Dorian
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"Elegant, indeed," Dorian smirks as he steps forward, slipping into the persona of Dorian much easier now. It was comfortable, familiar and frightening. "And yet, is it still limited to only Samhain? I'm afraid I couldn't live with such limitation. Do you know there are countless other worlds like Samhain out there? Each one an almost exact copy of the next, save for some slight variation. Farther out, there are worlds nothing like Samhain at all. I've been to worlds full of trees taller than mountains. I've seen worlds where machines fly through the air and think faster than humans. It's infinite, really. And yet, there are places beyond the worlds. There are places where the universe boils and changes every second, so that you and I couldn't survive there. One could study it all for millenia without getting bored. Samhain, I'm afraid, is a rather small chunk of real estate. I came here seeking something else, a mere diversion."

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Drusilla
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"This is not news to me.  Some of my agents have travelled out into these other worlds.  I study them, and perhaps, one day, I will be able to use the knowledge I have gained.  But progress is slow, and care is needed, since there are forces which might object to my interest."

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Meredith
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Master Dorian, for that truly who he is now, steps forward and Meredith stays still. Normally she would move forward, shadowing her Master to be accessible if needed, but he was approaching the Queen, and there was a different set of rules for these types of interactions.

Meredith follows the conversation, but isn't intent upon it. She can stand like this, back ramrod straight, gloved hands at her sides, head bowed for hours. Her mind begins to wander a little as action becomes delayed, motives questioned and altered. She didn't understand enough about this Underflow to offer a respectable opinion, so she remains silent in the bridge... and her mind wanders.

First to the wider hole in her shoe. Some sharp rock on the descent from the mountain had torn it open and she could feel the cool stone floor. It wasn't shocking cold, but cool enough to soothe the scraped sole of her foot. The rustling laughter of the Queen and the way it made her skin crawl, the whisper of her glove, a constant reminder that she had Tainted herself. It's call was less intent now that she was getting used to it, but it was still there, a running acompaniment to all others thoughts. And of course there was their situation, with Master Dorian still advising caution about the Queen, he still does not trust her... and a thought occurs to Meredith. Still unmoving from the outside, she opens her mind, allowing her sensitivity to the life forces of others to unfurl and scan around them.

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Berd
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Berd sits silent, waiting for these two players to complete the laborious process of revealing their hands...as much as is necessary, of course, for cooperation.  Or confrontation.

It is best to do as you are, Dorian.  As you say, you will not be tricked so easily.  I am curious as to your conclusions, when we have enough information to make them.

She is aware of other worlds - not surprisingly, considering she now utilizes Sorcery to mimic palanquet - and aware that there are beings 'out there' who might very well put an end to her.  A good start.  She is wary.  Even better, for it indicates someone with a sense of self-preservation that exceeds their desires.  Such a person might be willing to assist, whatever their eventual plans.

Again, Berd reaches out in search of Luke.  Again, he is foiled.  Is something wrong?  Is Luke deliberately shielding against him?

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Dworkin (GM)
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"You needn't worry though, Dorian.  It is not my intent to spread my hold to these other worlds.  No... I am aware of my own limits.  If, and only if, I was able to increase the strength available for my use, then I might consider opening relations with some of these places, but there would be a great deal of hazzard involved in doing so, and I would be most careful about how I approached such a venture."

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Dorian
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No, as long as there is doubt, I cannot act against her. It would be a crime.

When I think of what must be done, I hear Cyan's voice in my head. She's telling me I can't take the risk.

Perhaps a test is in order, though I doubt we'll ever be able to know for certain. As you say, it may be a risk we have to accept.

Meredith- it's an even larger risk, but do you think you could learn the truth from the lies if you touched her? I don't know how your gift works, so I don't know how that would affect you. I'd like to know more, if we can learn it without risk.

"I must say, Dru. You've softened in your old age, I think. I expected you to find me something of a threat returning here, though obviously not a serious one. I have to confess, that I'm not the Dorian you knew, either. In fact, I'm not Dorian. He created me for another task, and I happened to arrive here-- seeking to stop him from a foolish plan, actually. He intended to stop here on his way to destroy an archon's breeding world. While that seemed a valid plan at first, we soon realized it would unify them against us and we sought to stop him- we were not successful.To excuse his actions, he acted out of anger over the death of a very close friend and ally.

I tell you this because I am a pretty damned good copy, though my personality truthfully isn't as cold and ruthless as he was in his anger. I came here out of concern. I feared that time had hardened you and that with access to the Energy, what we call the Underflow, you could reach beyond this world. That, in itself, isn't a problem. But your interest in the Vhuul worried me. I came here to see if you needed to be stopped.

The real Dorian destroyed an entire world full of his enemies without ever stepping a foot into that world. I have no doubt I am capable of the same, and I come with allies who I consider Dorian's superior. I have 'tricks' that I didn't have before- among them, I could enhance your body to reach beyond the world and extend your sight to the entire Universe of Universes, worlds without end.

I realize in doing so, it would mean we couldn't stop you anymore- not without grave effort, anyway. However, I would like to think you could prove to be an unprecedented ally in our efforts against the archons.

They seek to destroy all we know, they come from a Universe of Universes beyond ours. They have the pieces of the Broken God that snuff out all powers, and they would use them to end you and this world, in time.

Though I am a clone, I am real. I am Dorian, in my heart, and yet not Dorian. What do you say to reforming an old alliance?"

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Drusilla
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Drusilla shifts upon her throne, and sighs.

"Did you really think I didn't know the difference?  There are changes in you so subtle that the original Dorian could not have seen them.  I did though.  After all, what I have become was originally created to observe, to study, to draw conclusions.  Dorian made you an exact copy of himself, but in doing so he introduced imperfections which he was unaware of."

"Yes, you are different, and so am I.  Let me tell you something I have learned since I started looking at other places."  There is a flicker, and light fills the room, an image of the myriad worlds spreads around them.

"I would be stupid to attempt to conquer this.  For every choice of direction, for every event, for every word, new worlds are created.  In one world this direction was chosen, this choice was made, this was said.  In another, that direction chosen, that choice made, or that word spoken.  In another the traveller was killed at the crossroads, the choice was not made, or silence reigned."

"So... if I reached out and grasped another world, then a new world would be created where mt attempt at conquest is thwarted.  In another place, I would die in the attempt at conquest, or my generals would rebel against me, or I would wake something too dangerous.  For every success, there would be a multitude of failures, and all of them would be just as real as my victory."

"For every world I rule, I spawn even more that I don't rule.  That way lays frustration, because the more I try to control, the more there is beyond my control."

Stars multiply on the image of the myriad worlds, filling in the spaces, faster and faster, until light floods everything, and no darkness remains.

"No.  I have Samhain, which is all I ever wanted.  My enemies work for me, all unknowing, and I can study as I will.  Even the real you never really understood me.  He thought I had a limitless thirst for power.  He just didn't understand that my thirst had a limit, and that limit was the whole world."

"What do you propose?"

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Meredith
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Meredith pulls back into herself, satisied with what she saw. Like a light switch, the sense of life force is switched off in time to acknowledge Dorian's request.

She answers Dorian through the bridge. If she looks me in the eye while speaking I will be able to discern truth from lie... touching her would be more risky for I cannot always control what I see, but we would have access to more information that way. A clear focal point helps. she shrugs mentally, open to either option I will do as you see fit

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Dorian
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At this point, I believe that if she had any true interest in conquering the universe, she would have tried to do so already. She knows enough of the world beyond Samhain that she could have sought some way to break out, if she felt the need.

I don't think it will be necessary, Meredith. Despite my best judgement, I'm coming to trust her. Her reasoning is sound.

Yet, I can't discout the fact that this very trust was the downfall of Dorian in times past.

"No, Drusilla, when it comes to you I don't limit my expectations. I'm not surprised that you knew, but it hadn't been said and it needed to be said.

"As for the myriad worlds, and decisions creating them, that's a long debated matter among even those who have walked the worlds since time began. If you have first-hand knowledge of this creation, then that is truly remarkable. Nevertheless, they exist where they didn't seem to exist before the decision, and you are correct. This is similar to the lessons Dorian learned, eventually- though his lesson was much slower and less profound, I fear.

"So far, your knowledge of any of this hasn't surprised me. This next part, you might surprise me a bit. There are poles, if you will, to the universe. At one pole is what some call the Pattern..."

Dorian goes on to explain in detail what he knows of the Pattern, Logrus, Amber, the Courts, and so forth. The explanation is textbook, if not a little dry and monotone. He tries to not rush through it.

"The pattern that I wield is a bastard of the Primal Pattern, a mix of chaos into what is mostly Pattern. I have long theorized that I can, well... upgrade the foundation of the machine. The nature of sorcery is generally that it is limited to the present world. By nature, Pattern and Broken Pattern can cross boundries. Adding this to the foundation, I believe, would remove the limitation without altering the fundamental workings of the machine itself. I don't need to tell you there is some risk. I'll do this free of obligation, but we would ask you to help us in our quest to overcome the archons."

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Drusilla
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Leaning forward now, she studies Dorian, silent for a while, until, "Very well, a trade of information.  Yes, the power you left me with was limited, you are correct in that, but I discovered that I could draw similar power from other places, allowing me to extend its usefulness.  The source is everwhere, and though it bubbles to the surface in many different places, it is the same river underneath."

"It was the very simplest of matters, to learn to ignore the different... flavour, and taste the reality beneath.  That seems to be the problem with Sorcery, most of those who use it do not have my perspective to draw upon, and never realise that the basic power, which underlies their magic, is the same everywhere."

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Dorian
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Dorian smiled. Indeed, she was more advanced than he had guessed in that. She had learned of the Underflow in much the same way he had, though he had Argus and Yggdrasil as inspiration of sort.

Argus….

Yggdrasil…

He bowed his head and closed his eyes, for a moment, thinking. When he opened them again, he looked on her with Dorian's eyes. Drusilla, who he both loved and loathed, sat before him. Cables ran in and out of her. He looked about him at her extended body, so much more than he remembered.

Decisions of crushing weight pressed down on him. Trust her, and they could either gain much or suffer greatly. Not trusting her could cost them a valuable ally or even death if she proved too great an opponent.

Underneath the crushing burden, he yearned for the soft voice, the gentle wisdom of Cyan. What would she say now? She would never easily approve of murder, which was indeed the alternative. Yet, how well did Cyan know the ilk of Samhain, where they had a dozen words for murder but no words for friend. Would Cyan fathom the threat and accept the necessity of ending such a threat? She had faced such decision on the battlefield. She had ended lives, had she not? He didn't know. It was an assumption. What kind of warrior did not such things?

He glanced at Berd, Meredith and then James. What would they think if he declined to trust Drusilla? Would they see him as the monster, Dorian?

He tried to understand his feelings. Did he act out of revenge, for conflicts in the past? At her calling him pet. Did he act out of greed for the power and insight she promised? It was a horrible strain all at once to both be and not be Dorian, to separate truth from lie both in his head and from her.

What was his past? He was a clean slate. He was less than a day old. He had no connection this woman, this abomination against nature. He had a databank of memories to learn about her and this place. He had a pool of emotions that swelled when he looked upon her and everything here. Those, he had to push aside and apply logic to the question.

He had offered and he wouldn't withdraw it. She had given little reason to distrust her motives, and sound reasons to trust her. All the reasons here that she belonged to Samhain and she had a past of deception and cunning. That was all a part of the past.

There was more to explore.

"Yes, of course," he said, his voice cold and smooth. "All of the various powers access it in different ways. As my companions noted, your unique use mimics what some call Palanquet and others call Trump. It is direct, but has certain limits. Sorcery, on the other hand, tends to be more broad in use, but less direct. The Underflow can be channeled and used, but never directly- well, so it seems. It is like the lightning, which some use as a tool to light and heat homes, but it can never be held directly. Given the urgency of our conflict, I've had little time to sit down and study it, but it is a fascinating subject to me.

"Now, what of my offer? I'm afraid the process might be a bit invasive, on a spiritual level, but I know my art well and my offer stands regardless of whether you choose to help us or not."

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Meredith
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Meredith stiffens and almost takes a step away from Dorian, the movement betrayed by the very fabric that masks the exact movement. The cloaks hang so loose on her slight frame that the slight stiffening of her shoulders causes the fabric falling down her back to sway as if caught in a slight breeze. But there is no breeze where they stand.

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Berd
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Berd listens, fascinated, as Drusilla gives her own ideas about the universe itself.  Different terms...different viewpoints...yet amounting to much of the same.  And, amazingly, Drusilla shows no greedy desire (none visible, in any case) to seize power over the universe.  She comprehends her limits.  Perhaps, Berd considers, this comes with age?  Age and a knowledge of mortality?  Immortals rarely learn, Berd thinks.  They assume they will live forever, and failure only encourages them to try again.  Not so with mortals.  They learn to try something different or, if pressed, recognize the futility and danger of their actions.

Drusilla, he sees, does not wish to lose what she has gained...and realizes that reaching too far carries drastic consequences.

You could do worse than listen to Cyan's voice, he remarks to Dorian's comments.  She was always more...generous in her dealings with others than myself, and it rarely turned poorly for her.

There is a lesson there, I think.  A lesson in trust.

And then, the Underflow.

Dorian has explained the basis behind the universe.  Berd's mouth crooks into his thousand-dagger smile as Drusilla explains, correctly, the basis behind the Underflow, with a few comments from Dorian.  Clever, clever.  Dangerous, too, but sooner or later knowledge of the Underflow will spill out across the Myriad Worlds.  Likely people discovered it before Berd remembered its existance - foolish to think otherwise.  Would it be hubris to simply destroy all traces of that knowledge?  Is Berd more capable of guarding it, uncorrupted, than any other?

He knows the answer to that question.  Nobody is perfect.

Dorian...I may be able to assist you.  Through aspecting the Underflow to Drusilla's life-pattern, pouring it into her, I would be able to 'solidify' her.  Give her more stability in the Myriad Worlds.  You understand?

Meredith.  Is there something amiss?

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Drusilla
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"I will have to give it some thought.  My own research has proved useful, allowing me to extend my studies ever further, it is true.  But one thing I have discovered as a consequence of that research, is that such powers are seldom free for the taking.  A more direct use of this Pattern of yours might draw the attention of others.  And one of the first rules of increased strength is that there is always somebody stronger still."

"I have grown cautious.  The longer I live, the more I have to lose." Drusilla muses.

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by James
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James twitches, reacting to Meredith's movement.  She catches herself quickly, so James too restrains himself.  In truth, she covers so well that he would not have seen had he not been keeping an eye on her.

He has been concerned that she was injured in assisting Luke.  Her absorption of information has him worried that she would use a similar technique in healing and for all that she tries to hide it, James thinks he is right to be concerned.

Think about what you are offering, Dorian, Berd.  By the reckoning of Amber she is right, with each choice a new world branches off.  The choices of a Prince of the Blood are thought to be of more consequence.  Partaking of the essence of reality they affect the worlds around them.  If you make her more solid she will cast a greater shadow.  I'm not sure that's what she wants.

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Berd
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Berd continues to act as though nothing has occured.  Nothing of note, in any case.

Behind his 'primary' mind, the one currently occupied with the bridging, mirror-bright walls begin to silently slip into place.  An armada of spiritual weapons slowly deploys, hidden below layers and layers of subconcious thought.  Psychic sensors engage, return to their study of Drusilla...all from beneath the affable outer shell.

Berd's grin does not waver in the slightest.  Only now he converses on multiple levels simultaneously.

<b>A valid point, James.  The grounding voice of reason for us.  My thanks.  This is something to consider, Dorian.

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Meredith
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Under the cover of her hair, Meredith's eyes widen involuntarily, the reaction causing pain to shoot through the one that had started to blacken. Inwardly she curses her weakness. A few days out of the Parish and already she betrayed herself so obviously that Berd had noticed. Yoli was going to... do nothing. She was not there anymore. She was here and she had him to worry about now.

No Berd, nothing is amiss Meredith replies through the bridging he provided, and in strict terms nothing was amiss, not yet at least. Please accept my apologies, I am unsure of our reasonings behind allying with Drusilla. What is it we hope to gain? she asks. Questioning in and of itself is out of character for the young woman, but she has to know... is She right? And if She is, does this mean that She was also right about him?

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Dorian
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She was wise, not jumping at such an offer. It was unlike anything he had ever known in her in the past. How much of his memory was tainted by prejudice, anger and hate?

"Of course," Dorian nods. "It is merely an offer, but I should clarify. The reason I offer it free of ties is to avoid painful struggles in the past. I was tempted to make it a trade, an upgrade for your assistance. I'd prefer to base our future on trust, unlike... well, you know. Obviously, even defective from the original as I am, I find it a struggle to trust so implicitly. It is an exercise in faith, so to speak. Thus, the offer stands, and I will neither withdraw it nor push it upon you through encouragement."

It was indeed a test of will and faith, but he could see the changes in her.

James, Meredith, Berd, do not worry. If she were the power-mad despot I made her out to be, she wouldn't have let us come her unchallenged. I must apologize, there is a certain subtext to our conversation that might be a bit subtle. I had my doubts, I still do of course, but I feel we can trust her. Meredith her ability to see and study things far off is unparalleled in the universe. She would be a great ally against the Archons if she chose to help us.

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Drusilla
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Again the rustling voice, but for several seconds the words are incomprehensible, then, "Forgive me.  Work goes on here, and instruction was required.  I have transferred efforts to another study for the moment, so we should not be disturbed again."

"So, Dorian, you say you offer this... upgrade, free of charge, as it were?  Out of interest, and this is purely hypothetical; had we agreed, in the past, upon a trade in this, the upgrade for something of presumably equal value, what would you have looked for as my part of the arrangement?"

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by James
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James is silent, his eyes lowered, apparently lost in something faraway.

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Berd
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Berd considers as he studies James, studies Meredith, studies Dorian...studies Drusilla.  Suddenly things are not looking as rosy as they were a short time before.

He goes back to contemplating the figure before him, the woman-in-the-machine, then suddenly hops from Dorian's shoulder to float to the ground a short distance away.

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Meredith
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Meredith looks up sharply at Drusilla, her grey eyes settling on the Queen of Samhain, taking in her wired form for the first time After a few long moments the young woman shudders and then lowers her gaze. A few more long moments and then she takes a deep, calming breath and then opens her mind again.

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Berd
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Berd, seated on the ground, abruptly sits up straight to stare directly at Drusilla.  His voice is a deep whisper through the bridging.  Enough games.  I have forgotten the lessons of my daughter.

His mental voice suddenly echoes a conversation he is having with another, and any response she makes is also echoed over the bridging.  He does not allow her entrance into the link between the questors, does not put them in psychic danger (though it is likely a moot point), but he opens the disucussion for all to hear.

Drusilla, what you say to me now is open for my companions to hear.

No, I would not trust the first Dorian, were he to come among us now.  But I would listen to him - he has, in the past, been a friend if I might be so bold to say.  There would need to be some kind of answer for his actions, but I would listen in the hope of hearing the man who had become my friend, hearing that he had fought his way clear of his own, personal darkness.

And yes, I trust the Dorian with us now.  I trust him to do what is right for himself and for us.  He has proven his own independance, his own strength of will, his own caring.  I would watch him, I admit, for signs that the other Dorian was interfering.  I would attempt to assist him should this take place.

These are mine, these people, and I am theirs.  I give my trust to them with a whole heart, and I should not have kept this discussion from them until now.  My daughter would not have done so.

But perhaps I would never have spoken in the past.  Perhaps I have learned - and if I can learn, so too can Dorian.

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Drusilla
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"Very well, Berd, since you have revealed the nature of my inquiries to all, thus putting an end to them... "

"You all seem to trust this Dorian at least, and none of you give the impression of being stupid.  That, to my mind, suggests that he may be trustworthy.  In which case we can stop the fencing."

"Good."

She rises then to her full height, standing, while tendrils and cables shift around her, realigning themselves and sliding about each other, moving as if living things themselves.  They twist and twine and braid themselves into a single umbilical, leading from her flesh, deeper into the darkness behind her, and with the removal of the shroud of cables, her form becomes clearer to the eyes.

"Now, if you give me the secret of this Pattern, which I see is incomplete, I will try to assist you in your own quest.  I can give you little more than knowledge, but such knowledge will be as accurate and pertinent as I can find."

"Do we agree on this?"

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Dorian
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A word tumbles through a small, buried fragment of Dorian's mind. The word is secrets. Layers above, the surface of the ocean rolls gently with thoughts of trust and reason. She shows no reason why she cannot be trusted. She answers every question perfectly, giving perfect reasons why she wouldn't be some tyrant out to conquer all- like Dorian once was. She shows restraint.

Miles deep into the ocean, where no light can shine and depths crush all but those evolved to thrive here, other thoughts broil like magma leaking to the surface. A dark bubble spins in an orbit so secret even Dorian doesn’t know it exists in his own psyche. This tiny mind within thinks thoughts the other mind cannot think. Secrets, she says. She sees all. She saw the conversation on the mountainside. She heard the words shared by Dorian and Berd in the space between thoughts. She knew they came here to attack her all along. She called Dorian a pet. That opinion hasn't changed. All things are beneath Drusilla. It remembers. It remembers an obsidian bridge and armies waging a war of magic and minds. It remembers all, collects, organizes, categorizes, decides and plans. It knows it is being watched, so when it reaches a waypoint. It winks out, shifts, adjusts and reforms elsewhere in a see of subconsciousness and unthinkingness.

It is a secret, this tiny mind buried so deep, and all secrets are known. Its defense is not the usual walls of diamond hardness that Dorian normally employs, barriers so thick they can only be penetrated by brute force- brute force must be noticed. This stealth structure, once detected uses traps and subtly. Once detected, it is open and inviting, but its signals are subtle and pervasive. Riding on the thought waves are subliminal pulses of the art of High Compelling, of which Dorian is a master. Those pulses are subtle, turning the viewer away to other parts of darkness and nothing, gently blurring out any memories of that bubble that seemed to be there, changing what might have been glimpsed. All the best of subtly and deception has been bound up into this tiny bubble and given only one mission: stay hidden and survive until the Time of Awakening. It is not architecture of power, but of trickery, stealth, misdirection and subtlety.

"Agreed," Dorian says, and he is sincere. He is glad, save for the small bubble that flits through his subconscious.

"Your inquiries are perfectly understandable, Drusilla. They are wise, too. Honestly, I expected you to request more time, though I imagine it takes little time for you to study all and make your decision. Yes, the pattern I know is sometimes referred to as Broken Pattern. It can be seen as incomplete, or as a combination of both Pattern and Logrus. If you look deep into the cracks, the tendrils have a strange similarity, I'm told, to the threads of the Logrus, of which I know little even now. That infusion gives it some versatility lacking in the Pattern, but also flaws. That is why I will use only the barest touch. Berd also has ways of making anchoring things, such as he did with me. Ordinarily, a conjuration such as me could not traverse worlds."

He turns to Berd and smiles. "Ready?"

Stepping forward, he says to Drusilla. "I am prepared. As I said, this will be a bit invasive. The design has changed, but the core I imagine is the same. Just a touch is all that is needed in addition to Berd's work. Because of the flaws, sorcery will add a sort of check and balance to make sure everything goes as planned."

Dorian closes his eyes, and tendrils of broken pattern extend unseen outward and begin probing Drusilla's body, the machine. They don't probe anywhere they meet serious defenses or resistance. Though intrusive, they are respectful of her secrets. They seek the core, the anchor points where broken pattern could infuse her.

He inhales a breath, preparing to speak the words of spell. It's a spell the original Dorian prepared for this purpose, guiding the broken pattern and adjusting flaws out of the design. A copy of Dorian's spells carried over, along with the items Dorian used to store his spells.

In that breath, however, something happens. The bubble rushes to the surface and bursts from the deep and vast subconscious ocean and pops.

Thoughts, plans and decisions flood Dorian brain and the man shudders as his mind adjusts to what had been slowly pushed down and forgotten. The shell of High Compelling used to alter his own thoughts dissolves.

Across the bridging comes a single, but loud, command.

DESTROY HER

In the same breath drawn to speak the spell, instead he begins to utter lynchpins. A spell meant for the archons is called forth.

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Dworkin (GM)
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In an instant which lasts an eternity, Dorian starts to phrase the lynchpins of his spell...

But there are other forces present, forces which had been alert and poised to deal with treachery since the four had entered the heart of the machine.  It matters not where that treachery originates.

As Dorian speaks, those forces are unleashed...

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Re: Part 49b - Through shadowed eyes, the world is dark. by Berd
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Berd listens quietly, wondering if any others will chime in with their own views on the matter.  It seems that Drusilla considers the matter closed, the information sufficient to allow for trust.

And so it begins.

The woman’s transformation is unearthly, almost terrifying.  No longer a huddled figure within a cocooning machine, she stands tall and proud before them, a figure of dark power and will.  And standing upon the bridge beneath her is Dorian, a relived smile on his face.  They prepare.  Berd’s spirit touches the Underflow.  And then things go horribly, horribly wrong.

Dorian’s spell reaches out to destroy, not to create, and his mind within the bridging alters, ever so slightly...and commands.  A command to which Berd has only a single response.

No.

Concealing shadows strip away from Berd’s inner selves, revealing a vast defensive array - a hydra of many heads, each of them focusing upon a different aspect of the spiritual battle that now begins.  An armada of prepare countermeasures explodes into the aether, striking instantly across the space between minds, riding the bridging into Dorian’s even as the lynchpins fall from his lips.  A blizzard of static explodes into his mind and a psychic lance strikes to his brainstem, hunting, seeking the proper places upon which pressure may be applied.  Shut the muscles.  Lock the jaw.  Stutter the breath into and out of the lungs.  Disrupt the nascent spell before it is ever completed.  A quick and brutal assault builds upon the beachhead, the strike to Dorian’s vocal system, by spreading a sub-lethal paralysis throughout the body.

Simultaneously another hydra-mind opens a conduit into the Underflow, a connection to Drusilla, and unformed power washes through the lens of a third head that has studied the reality of this World.  The purpose is to anchor, to strengthen the Lady in the Machine.  In this case, it may protect if Dorian’s assault manages to even partially succeed.

Another mind orbits Dorian’s spirit, hunts for threads of power that lead elsewhere, threads that might indicate the presence of another, of a second Dorian who has activated...protocols.  Commands so similar to what Berd, himself, implanted within Cyan so very, very long ago.  Behind it hovers a fifth structure, the equivalent of a spiritual missle-boat, prepared armaments ready to be locked and fired back along any trace of psychic contact.

A sixth hydra-head flits ‘between’ Dorian and Drusilla’s psyches, and a mirror-bright aegis leaps into place to reflect her own psyche back toward infinity.  Another throws a clouded shield around the bridging to hide it from view.

More still take up neutral positions, prepared to defend, to sense, or to switch to back up the primary assault constructs at a moment’s notice.

The final mind rises above the others and burns like an aetheric sun.  HOLD.  STAY YOUR HAND, DRUSILLA OF SAMHAIN.

This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 22:41, Fri 26 May 2006.