fadethecat swings into the room on a bit of rigging. fadethecat has made fadethecat's local name Thais Jesdyn materializes out of thin air. Jesdyn has made Jesdyn's local name Neil StevenE materializes in a burst of blackness as he teleports in from elsewhere in the MOO. StevenE has made StevenE's local name Ekur Jesdyn has made Jesdyn's local description A sharply dressed man in Civis blue and a halo that just surmounts the tips of the horned helmet he's wearing in deference to the locals. The GM says, "Since it has been a month, a mildly extensive recap. Neil and Ekur, having engaged in a near-melee with Wrinth and his bodyguards, are being escorted by Utgard-Loki's men to a guest chamber. You don't actually have to stay -- the main point is to get you separated for a moment. Thais still appears to be in the guise of a random Viking warrior." The GM says, "It's presently about noon, and the announced contest is getting underway with boasts, challenges, and resultant competitions. Utgard-Loki sits on a throne overseeing the matches. It's starting off with the simple wrestling challenges, this being a handy combat style for dueling that doesn't result in making your genteel opponent Discordant. This will go on for a couple of hours before more creative challenges get under way." Neil will follow Ekur's lead for now. Jesdyn [to William]: I've got Wrestling, and I'll play if nobody minds. The GM says, "Dorotea is currently on Earth, of course, presumably awake and doing whatever; Ekur last saw her waking up with a guard-Cherub named Aaron assigned." William [to Jesdyn]: You express an interest in joining the challenge? The escorts look at you funny. Jesdyn [to William]: Well, I went to the trouble of building the crossword. Jesdyn [to William]: I'm with Ekur, right? The GM says, "Yeah, the both of you." Jesdyn [to William]: I'll just watch him for a lead. If he thinks it's a good idea, I'll push. Jesdyn [to William]: If he headshakes or waves me off, I'll drop it. The GM says, "They pause in the door of the guest chamber and the one of them carrying a spear says, 'The contests are usually for Ethereals loyal to the Domain...' He scratches his chin. 'Come to think of it, what *was* the prize announced?'" Neil will ping his guards, while he's at it. William [to Neil]: Two rolls, three if you're also looking for group. Ekur Remember, Ekur *just* showed up, and immediately got into a fight with Wrinth. So he can't give much advice. Neil says, "Just two." The GM says, "The other ethereal says to the first, "Something about 'the opportunity to make a name in the Marches,' or something." Ekur zaps both guards, too. The GM says, "Roll 'em." Neil is having trouble loading Gmail. Phooey. Skill 16, right? William [to Neil]: 18, though 17 or higher is a critfail. Ekur says, "Reaction of the guards if Ekur mentioned wanting a rematch." The GM says, "The first says, 'Oh yeah. And it was for "trusted spirits of the Domain." So I'd guess you'd have to at least either be Norse or be willing to naturalize here...'" Neil rolled 13 versus 18 and succeeded by 5. Neil rolled 6 versus 18 and critically succeeded by 12. William [to Neil]: Lars and Pyotr are both native to the Domain, created figments that hung around long enough (and won enough fights) to nab themselves a Celestial Force each. They're low-level troops with no particular status or animosity directed at them. Your detail on Pyotr notes that he's somewhat heavily indebted to other spirits in various currencies; enjoys gambling. William [to Ekur]: The two spirits are both impressed by you and would love to see a rematch, but the king appears not to want this at the present time. They're somewhat in awe but don't feel particularly threatened. Neil briefly considers taking the guise of another spirit and having Pyotr vouch for him, then having him bet heavily on the crossword, but rejects it. Jesdyn [to William]: GM consultation (with IQ roll). Is "I want to compete even if I can't win" an unusual demand? I'd've guessed it'd keep things interesting, especially since the contest doesn't seem to be heavily structured. The GM says, "Lars and Pyotr fidget, waiting for your cue. Pyotr, summoning some courage, says to Ekur, 'That was quite a story you told, sir. Well-performed. I've seen skalds that would have been proud to be behind that tale.'" William [to Neil]: Quite unusual. People would wonder what you were up to, and would mostly think you were trying to throw a wrench in the competition. William [to Jesdyn]: They'd probably *let* you compete, since backing off isn't really done around here. William [to Ekur]: Lars says, "Pyotr and I were thinking about what you said, and, well, we agree. We're proud of our homeland, and we don't want to see it bend knee to Hell. Or Heaven, begging your pardon, but you didn't come here demanding that." Ekur nods to Pyotr, "Thank you. I just hope it raised doubts with Uthgard-Loki about the wisdom of dealing with demons. Still, if anyone can deal with demons and not get the short end of the stick, it would be him." Neil . o O ( Okay. I've got Wrestling-16 in the Marches, and that's not half-bad. Definitely respectable. If I spin it just right... ) Pyotr says, "Would you know what the king is after? Every spirit knows not to take gifts from Lilim, they'll always have a hook in it... we're willing to help keep that from happening, if we can." Ekur nods to Lars. "Only Uriel ever expected the Marches to bow to Heaven." Ekur looks back to Pyotr. "I myself do not know for certain. Wrinth has a mission to drive Heaven out of Civis, and I assume he's trying to gather strength for that mission, but I cannot know exactly what he's after." Neil . o O ( ... /ding/. Got an angel. ) Pyotr and Lars shift a bit at the mention of Uriel, and nod at your reply. "Well, whatever it is, if you could use our help let us know. We're to escort you about until our lord gets back to you and the demon, other than that you're free to go where you will." The GM says, "(Pause for a moment and turn to Thais, since her response to something may affect what you guys do in a few minutes.)" William [to Thais]: The matches begin in the open space in the hall a few minutes after Neil and Ekur are escorted out. Standing on the sidelines, you feel a tap on your shoulder, and a distinctive American accent says, "Saw ya help out da angel oilier. You're wit dem, aintcha?" Thais glances back to see if it's one of Wrinth's minions, or someone else. The GM says, "You see an improbably busty tanned young woman in a somewhat more improbable chain mail bikini, with a positively unlikely claymore strapped to her back. She is grinning at you and apparently chewing bubblegum." Thais tilts back her horned helmet, and smiles cheerfully. "And what if I am?" The GM says, "I'm gonna give dat crosswoid a shot. Bet I'm the only person in de hall who's ever even seen one, so it gives me a leg up on the challenge. Wanted to get in touch with the angel who wrote it to have some copies ready." Thais points to the direction Ekur and Neil disappeared. "They've been escorted away, but if you don't mind missing a few minutes of the competition, they should be able to set you up with a copy." She glances over the crowd for a moment. "Somehow, I don't see you having stiff competition on that challenge, no." She says, "Thanks," but seems in no hurry to leave. "So you wit Civis, right?" She says, "They got synagogues theyah? Some people says Heaven's all Muslim now, but I hear about Laurence and that. I try to get to temple when I hit doitside but it's not all that often so you can't exactly say ye're from Brooklyn Beth-El, y'know?" fadethecat [to William]: I know there are a few different places of worship beyond Temple; any synagogues in there? William [to fadethecat]: Lots! Thais says, "Sure, I live there. There's Temple, but plenty of other religions represented too. I've seen more than one synagogue around." William [to fadethecat]: Well, several. Synagogues, parishes, meeting-houses, and mosques aplenty. She says, "Good to heyah. Maybe I'll stop by." She looks around and drops her voice. "Hoid about the prize. Rumor is it's a coupla Domains." Thais lowers her own voice. "I'd be careful about any Domain a demon's handing out like candy, myself. But that's what I hear too. I have to wonder where he'd get a few of those that he can pass around like that." She says, "Yeah. If it's not claimed already, dere's gotta be a reason. Just wanted to give you guys a heads-up... I'd like ta win this thing but I darn sure don't wanna get eaten by the prize." Thais grins sharply. "If you win this thing, and want company when you go check up on what's behind door number three, we might be able to arrange something." [ snip msg'ing ] Jesdyn [to fadethecat]: Nice! She raises her voice back to normal. "Hey, that's right nice of ye. Oi'll take ye up on it if I do." She waves. "Well, gotta go register my challenge and talk to your friend. TTFN!" She bounces off. The GM says, "Okay, back to Neil and Ekur. What are your current plans?" William [to Thais]: She sounds out "Tee Tee Eff Inn," by the way. :^) Ekur says to the guards, "I'd like to go out and watch the competition a bit. Not every day you get to watch this sort of thing, and I'm sure you two would rather see it than nursemaid a couple of angels in a back room." William Can anybody name our erstwhile swordbearer? ^_^ Jesdyn [to William]: I'm going to compete in the contest on the theory that if they're going to insist on taking a bite from the poisoned apple, I'd like to see a winner strong enough to resist Hell. fadethecat [to William]: Hee. I like her already. fadethecat [to William]: Though, alas, I cannot name her. Jesdyn [to William]: Is she from Asprin's Myth series? William [to Ekur]: "Sure. Like we said, you're free to move about. This way." He heads back out to the main gathering hall. Ekur would instinctively expect her to be from the Chicks in Chainmail series, but never read any of those. Jesdyn [to William]: I'm also going to ping everyone I fight and take detailed notes on them after the fight; Heaven might as well get dossiers started on the winners. William Nope. Ekur may be possibly right, I haven't read all of those... however, Neil will doubtless resonate her as soon as she crosses his path, so we'll know then. :^) Jesdyn [to William]: To sum up, I'm looking for intel, throwing a minor wrench in Wrinth's plans, hopefully garnering respect for Heaven, and frankly I'm going to take anyone dumb enough to fight for a gift from Hell and kick them in the head if they give me half a chance to do it. Ekur seeks out the disguised Thais, to learn what she's heard about what's going on. Thais [to William]: ...I can't believe I forgot to /resonate/ that swordswoman. Argh. Can I retcon having done so as she left? The GM says, "There is presently a second-round wrestling match going on between a giant and a dwarf, both of whom are making good use of tactics suited for the size variance. Thais is watching from across the hall. Wrinth is next to Utgard-Loki, and both of them look mildly bored." Neil . o O ( She managed to distract Thais with her exit bad enough to make her forget to res? Wrinth is gonna be /jealous/. ) William [to Thais]: Since she's still hanging out in the hall, go for it now. Thais rolled 12 versus 17 and succeeded by 5. William [to Neil]: A scribe in brightly-colored clothing comes up. "Excuse me, angel. A challenger has entered a claim of wit and has declared your..." he pronounces carefully, "cross...word... as the duelling ground. She has paid for several copies to be made and distributed when the wrestling matches are over." Neil says, "If you're asking for my permission, you have it." William [to Neil]: The scribe holds out his hand for a copy of the crossword. Neil hands one over. Neil . o O ( Is there a cue I'm missing? ) William [to Thais]: This spirit is cheerfully unorthodox, and defines honor in terms of fairly anachronistic behaviors -- a modern girl in love with an idealized past. She's also, you get the impression, a great deal smarter than she lets on. William [to Neil]: Nope. He thanks you, takes it, and heads off to make copies. He pauses and looks back. "I suppose you'll be the judge of correct answers, then?" he says. Ekur [to Thais, after finding her, with an Acting roll to give no indication he knows her] "Well, hello there. You're a likely looking fellow. Do you happen to know what this competition is about?" Ekur rolled 5 versus 18 and critically succeeded by 13. fadethecat [to StevenE]: That's some acting. The GM says, "Yes, no one nearby suspects a thing." Neil says, "I can be if necessary, although if I've done well there will be no need for a judge." Neil blinks as he considers his statement, and hopes Dominic's not around. William [to Neil]: He considers that momentarily, shrugs and heads to work. roll 1d6 On 1d6, you rolled 2. Thais nods politely back to Ekur. "Rumor says the winner gets a Domain, or some say two. Handed out by a demon but loyal to Utgard-Loki. You hear otherwise?" William [to Neil]: Not at present. :^) Ekur says, relatively loudly, "A couple of Domains, eh? Back when Civis was being founded, I and my associates were seeking out unmastered Domains. The only pair I can think of are Selkirk and Roxburgh." Thais glances briefly at the wrestling currently going on. "Thought those were unmastered for a reason, last I heard." Neil says, "I remember those two. What were those guys -- the "Black Oaths"?" The GM says, "All three of you, IQ rolls, high successes needed." Thais rolled 14 versus 17 and succeeded by 3. Ekur rolled 16 versus 18 and succeeded by 2. Thais [to William]: Not so much for me. Neil rolled 14 versus 18 and succeeded by 4. The GM says, "Carry on. :^)" Neil says, "Erf. I am not teh smarty." Neil . o O ( Alright, when we find out what landmine I just set off, you guys remember you missed your rolls same as I did. d: ) Ekur autorezzes a few Ethereals nearby, to find out how they're reacting to this Selkirk and Roxburgh statement. William [to Ekur]: None of them are much disturbed by it, and would profess ignorance of its existence if asked. The GM says, "Err, of the Domains, not the statement." Ekur . o O ( Rats. Well, there fails another torpedo attempt. ) The GM says, "Lars and Pyotr are interested -- they're nearby -- but haven't heard of the Domains either. Remember, they've been essentially untrafficked, as far as the rest of the Marches knows, for hundreds of years. Younger Ethereals have basically forgotten them." Ekur turns to Neil. "What was Grandmother Spider's reaction, when Wrinth said to send her answer to his demands to those domains?" The GM says, "The matches hit an intermission. Courtiers cry out various challenges, including the Angel's Grid Riddle, among other riddlings more traditional, and one fellow gamely claiming an eating contest (for which there seem to be no takers)." Neil answers in Angelic, not loudly but pitched to carry. "Grandmother Spider believed Wrinth was sending her servants to die, when he sent them to Roxburgh." The GM says, "*This* gets the attention of several people standing nearby." The GM says, "The information enters the crowd's conversation stream." Neil continues. "A tangle she blamed on Anansi. We're glad we stayed well clear of it." Thais looks appropriately interested in what's being said by the nice angels, though she's not sure how many people have already worked out her allegiances. The GM says, "You catch Wrinth and Utgard-Loki looking over at the knot of the five of you. They've obviously counted heads, but seem to have said nothing yet. They go back to watching the contests." Ekur walks over to another part of the crowd. The GM says, "Pyotr follows Ekur, Lars stays with Neil." Neil turns to Lars. "I feel like stretching my legs. And somebody else's. What's the best way for me to enter the competition?" Lars looks slightly panicky at the moment, then with a rush of relief says, "Well, the wrestling's more than half over; I don't think they'll take new entrants now. There's the, uh, riddlings, if you really want to, though of course I doubt you can enter your own...." Ekur shakes his head, and says in Angelic, "One Ethereal I talked to said that a demon told him the 'Black Oaths', whatever they are, are the only things that live there now. Of course, the demon could have been lying. They've been known to do that." Lars says, "So, you, uh, just talk to the scribes, they'll sign you up for one if you want." Neil says, "Hmm. Let's go, then." Neil wanders over to the scribes, with Lars trailing him uneasily. Neil will look over the possible contest, and pick one once Ekur's scene ends. William [to Neil]: The scribes eye each other uncertainly. "You... err... want to compete?" says the one who asked you earlier for the crossword to copy. Ekur has nothing to add at the moment. The GM says, "(Ekur's mainly working FUD into the crowd at the moment, I think.)" Thais is still watching the competition, and waiting to see if that swordswoman shows up soon. She isn't sure quite how publicly the puzzle-solving will be done. William [to Neil]: The scribes huddle for a moment, then send an emissary to Utgard-Loki to ask for instructions. William [to Neil]: After a moment of conference he comes back and asks you, "What do you want to compete for? You're incapable of receiving the prize." Jesdyn [to William]: Loki asks, or the scribe? The GM says, "The scribe is asking you, apparently on instructions from Loki. Loki is still in his throne. Wrinth is next to him, watching your exchange with apparent interest." Neil says, "To have tested the winner. There's a big prize Hell's handing out. You might as well be sure they can keep it." Ekur adds at some point (not in Angelic), "The Israelites had a rule that only the best animals could be sacrificed to God. I wonder if Baal had, or more to the point, has, the same rule. What better way to select the fittest Ethereal than a competition? But there's probably no need to worry. After all, not demons, nor Uthgard-Loki, nor Loki, have ever been known to lie." William [to Ekur]: The jab at Loki doesn't go over so well. William [to Neil]: The scribe blinks at that. He thinks for a moment, then scurries back to the throne for further instructions. When he comes back, it's with Wrinth in tow Neil pings Wrinth again. Neil rolled 15 versus 16 and succeeded by 1. William [to Neil]: As usual, Wrinth considers himself the superior of everyone in the room (including you). The scribe says, "My Lord is willing to let you compete in the riddling to test the winner, but without prejudice to his own decision. The demon further asks that before you be allowed to do so, you challenge him in same, and win." Wrinth says, "Alternatively, Ekur could do so. He is the highest-ranking member of the three of you presently." Wrinth looks around. "And where *is* your pretty little friend? She doesn't seem to want to show her face at the moment." Neil says, "You know very well she's circulating through the hall unseen and spreading vile and pernicious truths. If that's your opening volley, this is going to be quick." Wrinth says, "Oh, you shall be unpleasantly surprised, I think. I'll even spot you a favor to help even the field: if Ekur's the contestant, you can be the judge, Neil. After all, who would question the fairness of an angel of Judgment?" He smiles brightly. Thais . o O ( Various Servitors of Eli and the Wind, most BalProp, people who subscribe to different legal codes than they do, people ruled against who are holding a grudge... ) Neil says, "Nah, that's okay, I got this one." Wrinth shrugs. "Very well. But one more thing: let's make it with actual stakes." He looks at you sharply. "Loser and two additional beings of the winner's choice are banned from Asgard for a year and a day, starting the moment of the loss. And replies to the riddles are strict native tongue: Angelic for you, Helltongue for me. The Domain will translate." Neil says, "Agreed, if Loki agrees to enforce this personally." Neil . o O ( I know full well he's setting a trap for me. I'm gambling that I can use Angelic better than he thinks I can. ) Wrinth says, "I'm sure he shall." He nods at the scribe, who hustles back to Loki and speaks with him momentarily. Loki eyes you two, nods, and the scribe comes back. The scribe inks in a riddling match between Neil of Civis and Wrinth of Gehenna after the first round. Wrinth heads back to the throne. The GM says, "The wrestling matches conclude a few minutes later, a brawny frost giant standing completely naked before Utgard-Loki. The king praises his prowess, saying, "Surely strength of arms and valor in battle will serve Asgard well. Rest now and let us see the outcome of the other contests." The giant bows and heads off to get dressed and chill for a bit." Thais [to William]: ...that's a /dreadful/ pun. I admire that. One of the scribes announces, "The Riddle of the Angel's Grid. Maureen Birnbaum, Barbarian Swordswoman, makes the claim." The woman Thais spoke to earlier hurries to the scribe's side and whispers something. He nods. "Barbarian Swords*person*. In keen wit and familiarity with human culture, important for bringing Essence to a Domain, she claims to surpass all others here, capable of completing the angel Neil's riddle before any other. Are there acceptors to her challenge?" Neil . o O ( MAUREEN. Of course. ) fadethecat [to William]: ...I've heard that name, but I can't remember /where/. William [to fadethecat]: Eponymous novel. fadethecat [to William]: Ah, guess I haven't read it. Jesdyn [to fadethecat]: Not speaking well for her Essence-garnering capacity. The GM says, "She stars in a series of short parodies of other science fiction works." The GM says, "The hall is silent in response. Sensing that she may be losing her opportunity, Maureen turns to Loki, pointing. 'Three famous challenges in this hall were lost by those challenged, but we still remember their bravery,' she says without a trace of the thick Brooklynite accent Thais heard earlier. 'I challenge *you*, great King. And I suspect I'm gonna lose, but I bet you I'll lose tighter than you think. Give me a chance to go down swinging.'" The GM says, "The hall murmurs. A direct challenge to the king, especially in a battle of wits, is pretty rare." [ snip msg'ing ] Loki is amused, and agrees to the test. Each is given a copy of the crossword and a pencil. The hall is silent as they work rapidly through the clues. roll 3d6 On 3d6, you rolled 11. The GM says, "Maureen's a smart girl, but she's no trickster god. Loki is finished in fifteen minutes, and hands Neil his copy of the crossword to judge. There is a second grid penciled below, with the same shape and the same clues but the answers (correct ones, or close synonyms) written in Futhark runes." The GM says, "Maureen sighs and hands you her copy, which is a bit more than half filled in." Neil laughs delightedly. "I'm sorry, Maureen. I'm giving this one to Loki." Neil shakes Loki's hand. "You've beaten us both. I hope you enjoyed it." Loki nods. "It was nevertheless audacious. Tell me, Neil, how well did she do for a spirit not a god?" Jesdyn [to William]: I'll give it a once-over and take a look at the pattern. How well DID she do? All the easy ones, or did she make inroads on the nasty ones? The GM says, "A bit more than half filled in, what answers are there are all correct, she caught some of the puns like Baal (bounces like rubber, rebels against YHWH), and this is in 15 minutes." Neil says, "She did very well. If anyone but you had taken her challenge, she might well have won." Loki nods. "I will remember. Keen wit coupled with daring is as powerful as an axe held by strong thews." Loki claps his hands. "Now then! We have the angel and the demon settling their dispute in the next round of riddling. Come forth before my throne, Neil and Wrinth!" Thais valiantly resists the urge to dream up a bag of popcorn for herself, but is most certainly watching this next round of challenge with interest. Wrinth passes by Neil to stand on his left hand. As he passes, he whispers, "I've already won, you know." Neil says, "We'll see. The prize is a nice one." Loki announces, "This contest and those following will be of more traditional Asgard rules. Contestants alternate asking each other their riddles. A failure to respond matched by a success from one's opponent on the next riddle constitutes a loss. Do you both understand?" Wrinth indicates acceptance. Neil nods. Loki dreams up a coin, with feathered wings on one side and batwings on the other. He flips it onto the floor of the court. (1 Wrinth asks first, 2 Neil.) roll 1d2 On 1d2, you rolled 2. Jesdyn [to William]: Alright, how are we doing this? Are we rolling for riddles, rolling for answers, or playing the whole thing out? The feathered side lands up, and Loki dismisses the coin. "Neil, you have the honor of the first riddle. The stakes have been described between you two, as has the condition that Wrinth must answer in Helltongue, Neil in Angelic. I shall judge the fitness of all answers." William [to Jesdyn]: Oh, I think it's much more fun if we ask real riddles. :^) Jesdyn [to William]: Err. Ignoring the fact that even I can't claim to have IQ 18... well, alright, I haven't been stopped by good sense yet, no reason to start now. William [to Jesdyn]: If you think Neil would do better than you, so to speak, I'll let you roll, though I'll probably do the rolling with real dice here. Jesdyn [to William]: Ehh. I have Google, private messages, and the Internet Oracle archives. Let's go. The GM says, "fade, Steven, you two can pitch in to help ooc. Wrinth's 'player' has had the luxury of doing research." William [to Jesdyn]: Okay. You get to ask first. fadethecat [to Jesdyn]: Lordy, I /suck/ at riddles. But I'll start googling. Ekur . o O ( "I run up and stab Wrinth before he can answer. The rules didn't specify no stabbing by third parties." ) fadethecat [to Jesdyn]: I'm having a hard time coming up with /difficult/ riddles, alas. William Would the players like a few minutes to gather their wits? Alternatively, if you figure it's too stacked, we can make some rolls and move on. William I thought this would be a riotously fun scene, but if it's a sudden gasp of suck, plans can change. ----------------------------------Jesdyn--------------------------------- -- We'll start with one of Judgement's old chestnuts. You are given 5 souls. There are 10 sins in each of the souls. In four of the souls, the sins each weigh heavily. In the remaining soul, each sin weighs slightly less heavy. All the souls and sins look identical. You must find out which soul has the lighter sins. The problem is that all the souls look identical and all the sins look identical. You can use a Scale, but it has to be a single-tray Scale. Also, you may use the Scale only once. How can you find out which soul has the lighter sin .. sins? ---------------------------------finished-------------------------------- -- fadethecat [to William]: I'm just looking at all the riddles I know and going "...but that's too easy!" It's hard to find a challenge for IQs this high. Jesdyn [to William]: I'm just gonna end up Googling all day long for my riddles and doing a touch of search and replace. I've got freaking Game Theory and points in Angelic. Jesdyn [to William]: And I'm not bad at this myself. Jesdyn [to William]: I think we're looking at a week-long stalemate. StevenE [to Jesdyn]: A man walks into a bar and asks for a glass of water. The bartender pulls out a shotgun and points it at him. The man says, thank you and leaves. Why? Jesdyn [to StevenE]: My answer to those damn things has ALWAYS been "Because the inscrutable alien intelligences from Arcturus V arranged it to be so". I hate those damn things. fadethecat [to Jesdyn]: See, I liked them as the basis for a game of twenty questions. Though the one with the sawdust and puddle of water is the real classic. William thinks of this one his own, has Wrinth reply... Jesdyn [to fadethecat]: After Mindy once saddled me with "the event of the conception of Ulysses S. Grant" in a game of Infinite Questions, I shied away from those too. Wrinth says, "Watch the souls in sequence as you put the first two in, one in each side. If one side is lighter, that's the soul. If they're even, put one more in. If one side is lighter, that's the soul. If they're even, the one remaining is the lighter one." He nods confidently, looks at you. Jesdyn [to William]: Single tray violation, multiple uses of Scale violation. Wrinth blinks at you. "What do you mean by a single tray scale then? And what's a single use of a Scale?" Loki says, "It doesn't matter. You failed to answer the riddle with your attempt. Make yours good." William Though I gotta know. What the hell *is* the answer? Jesdyn [to William]: Weigh one sin from the first soul, two from the second, three from the third, up to fifve from the fifth. That /should/ be fifteen sins weight if they all were equally heavy. The difference between that and what it actually is tells you which soul the heavier sins came from. Jesdyn [to William]: Err, lighter sins. Neil | http://www.justriddlesandmore.com/weightyproblem.html William ... you know, without knowing how much lighter the lighter sins are, that doesn't make any sense. William But anyway. Wrinth took the bait and gave it a shot, so that moots any questions about the validity of the riddle. Jesdyn [to William]: I realized that halfway through. Good thing I never claimed the riddle was internally consistent in Angelic, and Loki never called me on it. Jesdyn [to William]: I'll do better. Wrinth takes a deep breath, looks around the room, and nods. "Time whistles through the doorway, faces laughing and frowning at each other's back. I am the lord of the ever-mutable, carrying off all things." He looks at you. "Answer *precisely*. In Angelic." Neil says, "Answer WHAT? There's no question there yet." Neil . o O ( Alright, he's slamming me up against CDaU. ) Wrinth looks at Loki, who thinks. Loki rolls his eyes. "He might be expecting a technicality. Specify." Wrinth says, "It's a traditional form of riddle. The question, posed by the supposed narrator, is 'Who am I?'" Ekur Entropy? Theater? Janus? Neil . o O ( It's Janus and Valefor, I think, but I'm trying to figure out where the trap is. It's CDaU meeting Angelic and the response to be specific. ) skill 18 Neil_IQ You rolled 14 and Neil_IQ - succeeded by 4. William Neil Partially right. It's Janus and Janus -- Wrinth's trap is that 'Janus the thieving Archangel of the Wind' and 'Janus the two-faced god of doorways' are two different things in Angelic. Jesdyn [to William]: Is "This question isn't specific enough" an acceptable answer? William [to Jesdyn]: You can try. :^) StevenE [to Jesdyn]: Maybe, in Angelic, "The beings designated by the Corporeal word "Janus"?" Jesdyn [to StevenE]: I'm thinking of just declining to answer and letting HIM try. Do I get to challenge bad answers, you think? fadethecat [to StevenE]: I think it would have to, considering how many riddles depend on specific English puns/homonyms/etc. Jesdyn [to William]: WAIT a second, does the Roman Janus even exist? Jesdyn [to William]: Wouldn't the divine Janus eat him and his Image? Jesdyn [to William]: Even if it does, do we mean the actual Ethereal Janus, the human perception of Janus, or the Archangel Janus? And humans /named/ Janus don't count. William [to Jesdyn]: He existed, because they were sufficiently different beings -- the Roman god wasn't named 'Janus' in Angelic. Technically he only existed briefly -- a Greek god ate him -- but he existed and his name could garner Essence. Until he was killed in the Purity Crusade, which, now that you think of it, is another point Wrinth scores with the crowd on this litle gambit. :^) Wrinth taps his foot, although he seems to realize that you've worked out the existence of the problem from the expression on your face. Neil answers -- in Angelic -- "Meaningless words do not a riddle make, Wrinth. There can be no answer more specific than "Janus", unless you'd like to provide more clues." Neil says, "Note!" The GM says, "Yeeees?" Jesdyn [to William]: "Janus" was shaded with the every bit of Angelic I could find to leach meaning and implication out of that glyph. The GM says, "Roll Angelic." Neil rolled 10 versus 19 and succeeded by 9. The GM says, "You do pretty well at making it sound corporeal." Wrinth calmly replies, "That is a default failure to respond. An answer properly exists:" and he says... [ snip Wrinth rolling ] "Janus," blurring the meaning between the two beings in question in its Helltongue inflection. "That you can't say it is your own damn fault for agreeing to the terms." Neil . o O ( Hmm. ) Loki thinks about this for a minute. Neil says, "Not bad, not bad, Wrinth. If I'm going to meet you in this contest you've set me I'm going to have to allow you to twist my essence and mold me into the form you choose." William Welcome, class, to Lesson #2 of dealing with demons: they don't offer good deals. :^) Jesdyn [to William]: Nope. I knew there was a trap, and I haven't lost yet. Loki says, "Agreed... two failures. Neil, you may start again. The slate is clean." William Tell you what. I can't be around on the 23, and I've got plans on the 16th, so what say we pause here and schedule something within the next two weeks? Let you guys do some research to match Wrinth on more level ground. William Or, again, alternatively make some rolls and call it a contest. Jesdyn [to William]: We could, but -- give me a little more time. I think I can wrap this up. William [to Jesdyn]: Okay. Go for it. StevenE [to William]: Okay, I was going to mention I couldn't be around for the 23rd (will be on an airplane) . . . . Neil says, "I could've won there, Wrinth, with a simple effort. You would've left Asgard in disgrace, and all it would've taken is one single step against my nature, one little point of Dissonance. I might've even been able to square it with Dominic." Neil says, "That's what it takes to win against Hell when you play on the terms it sets." Neil says, "I do not, and so I concede the field. Damn who you like who remains." Wrinth listens warily, one hand moving to his belted rapier... then he straightens in surprise at your declaration. "Very well then!" he says cheerfully. "Neil, Ekur, and Thais of Civis, the three of you get lost. Come back not to Asgard for a year and a day from this moment." The crowd lets out an aah at the results. Utgard-Loki looks over at Thais in her disguise, and taps his toe on the ground. A line of fire traces out a rune zipping across the floor toward her, and the tip of one of its branches touches her foot momentarily. Her disguise burns off in a painless burst, and she stands a Malakite whole. Neil smiles. "You got off easy, Wrinth. One note of dissonance and you'd've trapped Loki and the Chained Queen from Asgard." Thais toys with one of the ribbons on her sword belt, not far from the hilt of the sword, and waits for her companions to rejoin her. Wrinth blinks at you. "Ban Loki from As... you think the Chained Queen is here..." He laughs uproariously. "I had less to fear from you than I thought. I should have taken the subtler tack years ago, it's much more successful." He chuckles. "Go on, shoo." Ekur nods. "The terms will be fulfilled as you wish, Utgard-Loki. But a riddle from me as I leave, which all may ponder. "It's more powerful than God, it's a better liar than Lucifer. The poor have it, the rich need it. If humans eat it, they die. What is it?" Ekur walks over to Thais. Neil says, "You paid me a compliment with your response to my challenge, Loki, and I thank you for it. We've done all we can here, and we won't soon return."" Loki says, "In a year and two days I expect to host you in this hall for a welcome feast. You were brave and witty. Go with luck." Neil pings Wrinth and looks for the Chained Queen. The GM says, "roll it." Neil rolled 12 versus 18 and succeeded by 6. Ekur pings reactions as he makes his way out. Thais takes a place beside and very slightly behind Ekur, with the vague connotation of an honor guard. William [to Neil]: Looking specifically for her, you see that a person who could be described such is someone of interest for him; he considers himself in a position of power in the relationship and she acknowledges this but believes he has something she wants. There's something oddly faded about her end of the relationship, though. Like a Superior fuzzing, but... different. Translucent rather than fuzzy. Neil thinks for a moment. "Wrinth? A riddle for the road. When is a Superior translucent instead of fuzzy?" William [to Ekur]: You lost well. Some of them are disappointed, some of them are pleased. There are more of the former. Most are in agreement with Loki's expression -- you will be welcome back here. Wrinth says, "Uh.. when he's dead, usually." Neil says, "Really? That's... moderately disturbing, especially since you don't seem to know why I'd ask. Try not to get too many of these guys killed in Roxburgh."" Wrinth says, "Is that where you're going. Thanks for the tip, I'll see you there." Neil shrugs. He was worning the Norse, not Wrinth. Neil . o O ( Err, warning. ) Neil joins Thais and Ekur, he's ready to go. The GM says, "The crowd stands silently as you head out of the hall. Lars and Pyotr escort you... both look glum. Maureen is nearly in tears." William The procession might be well accompanied by spasyeniye sodyelal... the next-to-last or last track, if you have the CD in. The GM says, "Lars and Pyotr stop at the gate, with you on the threshold. Pyotr says, 'I think we can trust you to head out of the Domain. I...'" He stumbles to a stop. Neil stops Pyotr. "We did what we came here to do." Neil says, "Killing Wrinth would've been a bonus, but he's ultimately irrelevant." Neil says, "Hell has /lots/ of demons." Lars and Pyotr look hopeful that there was somthing better achieved. Neil says, "We wanted you to know what you were breaking bread with. That there WILL be a price." Neil says, "We can't stop you from making those choices." Thais adds, not quite under her breath, "Besides, we keep killing him, and he keeps coming /back/..." Neil says, "Think what I would've had to do to myself to 'win' against him." \The GM says, "They both nod." Neil says, "We'll leave quietly. Go back and enjoy yourselves." Neil says, "And remember that if this place becomes one you don't like, there's other realms. Like ours." The GM says, "They both agree, then turn and head back in."" The GM says, "You are alone at the threshold of Loki's Hall. Where to now?" Ekur, to Neil and Thais, "I still should have all-out attacked him at the first opportunity. If he'd been removed from the field of play, well. Hindsight is always clearer than foresight. Shall we head back to Civis, or hang around outside Asgard to ambush Wrinth as he leaves?" Thais says, "I wonder how the, ah, swordsperson will do. She seemed an honorable sort." She shrugs. "Do we want to ambush him? Finding him later shouldn't be difficult, but I'm not sure what jumping him would accomplish on its own. Besides giving me a great sense of personal satisfaction." Neil says, "I say we go home. If we want to bushwhack him later, we can get ten or so angels to help us out with it." Thais says, "No reason not to spread around the personal satisfaction." Ekur says, "Well, it would give him more Discord, making him less effective, and we might be able to engage him Celestially and hurt or destroy him. But they are minor bits, and a full report on what he's been up to in the last two Domains is probably a good idea." Neil says, "When he leaves he'll be leaving with a pair of the most badass Vikings Loki can field." Neil says, "I don't want a piece of that without good reason." Ekur nods. Neil says, "Let's go home." Neil summons the Judgementmobile. Neil . o O ( Or Neil walks to where he left it. Whichever. ) The GM says, "It takes a few minutes, driving its way from in front of the trade city under Bifrost. It is in a cheery mood, doing a little doughnut in the snow and spraying the three of you before catching a hint of the mood." Thais pats the Judgmentmobile on the hood as she goes to take her usual place inside. "There's always later, for Wrinth," she says. The GM says, "Driving out of the Domain, it takes a couple of hours to get back to Civis. On the way there, you pass a very familiar-looking dreamscape making its way toward Asgard...." The GM says, "...any decision?" Jesdyn [to William]: We've got nowhere to be immediately. Jesdyn [to William]: Wait, Dream/scape/. Dorotea? Ekur asks for the 'bile to stop, and runs for the dreamscape. William [to Jesdyn]: You got it. William [to Ekur]: You can catch up to it. Ekur plunges in, and looks for the Cherub. The GM says, "Jussasec... Neil, Thais?" Neil keeps pace with the dreamscape for now, since he can't enter it. Neil says, "I'll turn away if I get too near Asgard." Thais is...in the car. Can't enter the dreamscape. Jesdyn [to fadethecat]: Yup. Ekur's show now. The GM says, "The Judgmentmobile is tugging on the wheel to enter the dreamscape. It seems eager to head right in..." The GM says, "...however, it keeps up alongside as the dreamscape buzzes toward Asgard." Jesdyn [to William]: Could IT enter and carry us with it? Neil taps the wheel towards the dreamscape and tries to figure out its intentions. If it can get us in there, I'm all for it. William [to Neil]: I was thinking it would be a reasonable fudge. Living ethereals don't need any special attunements to enter dreams. Jesdyn [to William]: Most Awesome Car Ever. Neil . o O ( Maybe I'll call it the Magic Judgement Sleepy-Time Bus. ) The GM says, "Inside, the dreamscape tonight is a complex building, some kind of atticlike space filled with utility pipes and rafters. Dorotea, not entirely lucid at the moment, is not at all surprised that a convertible has just parked itself on a slab of insulation off in shadow. She is examining various pipes for leaks, a squirrel curled up in the beams above watching her." Jesdyn [to William]: The Marches don't have time or distance, true, but how far are we away from Asgard? Jesdyn [to William]: We better be gone before she arrives... William [to Jesdyn]: That's an excellent question it's very difficult to answer. Her dreamscape is travelling close to the Judgmentmobile's top speed or even its turbo, and you were a leisurely hour away when you entered. Assuming time sense isn't unduly distorted in here, ten minutes is safe, twenty is pushing it. Ekur looks up to the squirrel. "We're headed for a rendezvous with the demon. Is this the plan, or would you like me to redirect this to the Tower?" William [to Ekur]: Dream-realm mechanics -- if you can 'wake her up' to lucidity, of course, her instinctive travel will stop. She's headed to Wrinth right now, due to their supernatural bond. Neil . o O ( If she's not lucid... ) Aaron looks down at Ekur. "Uh, demon bad, Blandine's Tower good, I'd certainly say..." Jesdyn [to William]: Walk up and shake her hand. "Quantum mechanics, ma'am. Quarks here all quirked. Be a little while." Ping her /hard/, looking for exact details of her relationship with Wrinth, specifically tensions. Claiming bonus for touch. Ekur nods, steps over to Dorotea, and invokes Vassal of Dreams again. Because this way, we don't have to make her lucid and then try to deal with her, we can just stop. The GM says, "The dreamscape halts, brightens, and develops little zippy-orbiting quark figments lighting up the attic and being pumped along the pipes." William [to Neil]: Roll, effective skill +2 to 20. Neil rolled 16 versus 20 and succeeded by 4. Neil . o O ( GYAAAAAAAH. ) Thais gets out of the car, but waits by the Judgmentmobile. For all her time in the Marches, she doesn't really have any experience with dreamscapes (aside from calling in someone to herd one away when it pops up in someone's garden back in Civis). William [to Neil]: She knows who's in charge right now and it's not her, but she's hoping that will change in the mid-term (weekish) future. William [to Ekur]: You can sense its 'traveling momentum' change, and head toward the Vale, Blandine'sside. Neil . o O ( Ehh. Nothing good off a res like that. I'll leave it to Ekur. ) Neil pings Aaron in passing. The GM says, "Roll it." Neil rolled 8 versus 18 and succeeded by 10. Ekur says, "Okay, folks, we've had a slight change in our course, and we'll be landing at a much friendlier airport. The Tower will clear our landing. Please direct any questions to the space alien in the cabin." William [to Neil]: Typical resul... oh, say, you'd like a deviance, wouldn't you. Jesdyn [to William]: Don't really care, just looking for Giant Looming Problems. Jesdyn [to William]: That was just a due-diligence res. Ekur autorezes Aaron and Dorotea. Dorotea, reaction to being provoked into Lucidity. Aaron, no action in mind. William [to Neil]: Aaron's most deviant act recently has doubtless been agreeing to be a 'familiar to a Sorcererss'. Although he'd certainly justify it as staying closer to his charge, he's aware it could be encouraging unwise behavior on her part. Jesdyn [to William]: ... huh. Interesting question. William [to Ekur]: Aaron is feeling safe and supported; three of his friends just showed up with heavy metaphorical artillery. Dorotea is feeling a bit better, but as if there's something elsewhere she ought to be doing... it would take very little to prod her into lucidity, and she would begin attempting to assess the situation and travel in the Marches to achieve certain personal objectives. Jesdyn [to William]: Huh. Could /she/ beat VoD and get out of the Vale? William [to Jesdyn]: No. She could get lucid, but can't leave the Vale. The GM says, "Blandine's side, at that." Dorotea looks at Neil, vaguely shaking his hand. "Uh... what?" She looks around. "...why is there a car in my attic..." Neil says, "Didn't have a quarter for the meter." Thais waves to Dorotea from next to the car, brightly. Ekur tries to dreamshape himself into a box, just to be inconspicuous. Ekur rolled 7 versus 18 and succeeded by 11. Thais . o O ( Wait, the plan was /in/conspicuous? Oops. ) Jesdyn [to fadethecat]: Yeah. William [to Ekur]: This you do. Being boxy has a certain dry, plumb-and-level satisfaction to it. StevenE [to fadethecat]: Nah. it's just she's seen me before. You, on the other hand, who knows what you are? Jesdyn [to StevenE]: Very good roll. Take pride in your kraft. Jesdyn [to fadethecat]: Well, she's seen me too -- on the other hand, I'm still wearing my horned helmet. Dorotea waves vaguely back at Thais, more confused now. Dorotea says, "There's not supposed to be a car... hey, wait!" The dreamscape collapses, and the six of you find yourself somewhere in the misty middle of Blandine's Vale. The GM says, "Aaron's legs scrabble for a moment as he falls from where a beam used to be to the ground, but he is unhurt and scrambles up Dorotea to her shoulder." The GM says, "Ekur is still a box." Neil waves. "Hiya again, lady." Dorotea jerks her hand out of Neil's grasp, giving the impression that she'd like to avoid an armlock. She steps back. "You again." Thais says, "See, Neil, you're developing a regular reputation around here." Neil says, "Yeah." Dorotea says to Thais, "And you, I remember you. You're another angel. You were both at that bar." Ekur continues to sit as a box. Thais nods, ribbons waving from the ends of her hair. "That would be me." Dorotea looks around. "Okay... okay... I know this place. You wake up here a lot of the time, this is sort of default Dream-state. What am I doing here, and what are you doing here with me?" Neil says, "You were about to head back into Asgard to see Wrinth." Neil says, "We stopped you." Dorotea agrees with that. "Yeah, I usually go lucid near him ever since we bonded." Dorotea says, "I'm not in love with that happening, but Asgard *was* where I wanted to go. Sort of. That's where Utgard-Loki is, right?" Thais says, "Last I saw, it was." Neil says, "Yeah. Hey! Got a gift for you. I was going to keep it, but I think you need it more." Dorotea says, "Okay. I've got stuff I needa ask him, so I -- a gift?" She turns to Neil. Neil says, "Before I got kicked out of Asgard, I got peripherally involved in a riddling contest with Loki. Heard you were interested in that?" Neil says, "Well, the man had never heard of a crossword before, and I gave him one I wrote just for the occasion." Neil gives Dorotea Loki's submission. Dorotea says, "Uh... not so very, other than talking with ..." Dorotea looks at what you hand her. Dorotea says, "This is a crossword." Dorotea says, "This is a *rune* crossword." Neil says, "Yeah. In fifteen minutes he rewrote mine. In Futhark." Neil says, "Correctly, I'll add." Dorotea gets wide eyes and says, "A *GOD* wrote this?!" She opens up Ekur and fumbles around for a pencil and paper. Neil leaps past Dorotea and gently closes the box. Neil says, "Sorry, those're mine." Neil says, "Allow me." Neil dreams up paper and pencil for her. The GM says, "Oh... thanks." She sits down crosslegged on the sand and begins copying the rune part. "This is so cool." The GM says, "Oh, man," she says. "I'm never gonna be able to remember this perfectly when I wake up." Dorotea says, "There must be some sort of code. A key. Or maybe it's a Song, do you think? This is *so* *cool*." Neil switches to Angelic. "It's none of the above." Dorotea pauses and looks up. "How do you know?" Neil says, "Because I wrote the original and vetted his translation for accuracy." Ekur hmms. Converts himself into his old Vessel appearance -- cripple-legged Babylonian blacksmith. Neil says, "It's not magical, it's not powerful, it's not even secret." Ekur rolled 14 versus 18 and succeeded by 4. Neil says, "And the more time you spend on it, the more time -- huh." Neil downshifts from Angelic. Neil says, "Tell you what, I changed my mind, it /is/ a powerful riddle that will provide the key to awesome magic, and it's important that you not revisit the Marches or Asgard until you figure out the true power it can bestow on you." Dorotea looks a little disappointed. "Somehow I suspect one or the other of these is true and it's not the one I'd... interesting box." Ekur bows to Dorotea. Dorotea bows back, seatedly. "Are you a god? I've never met a *real* deus ex machina." Thais says, "I think it was more deus ex box, really." Neil says, "But he's not a god. Dude ex box?" Dorotea says, "Perhaps, but ex box would be a very silly name for something, don't you agree?" Neil . o O ( I dunno. It was a really big box. ) Ekur says, in Ancient Sumerian, "No, I'm not a god." "Ray," chides Dorotea, "if someone asks you if you're a god, you say yes." Dorotea says, "But at any rate, it was just a pun. Who *are* you?" Thais looks blank. "I'd think that would be a dangerous policy in the Marches." Dorotea says to Thais, "I think you'll find that most spirits want to be called gods. It's sort of a career booster." Ekur says, "Over the years, I've been a little of this, a little of that. Right now, I'm an associate of those four." Neil . o O ( "Not when I'm around, they don't. I can /hit/ gods. ) William [to Ekur]: Still in Ancient Sumerian? Thais nods thoughtfully. "But it's not really a good policy for an angel to go around claiming to be one. Gives the wrong impression." Ekur points to the 'mobile, Neil, Thais, and a random direction. StevenE [to William]: Yes. Dorotea says to Thais, "No I'd imagine there are rules about that. Like 'don't." She smiles. "By ze way, I can't understand a word your friend is actually saying." Thais grins. "Neither can I. I think that language is from before my time. Last Domain we were in translated, but the Marches in general don't usually provide that little convenience." Ekur doesn't think *anybody* here can understand it, then. Which is okay, he almost slipped and revealed Aaron was associated with angels. Jesdyn [to StevenE]: Wondered about that. Ekur switches to Ancient Greek for, "Who opened my box?" and then repeats in Sanskrit, Latin, and Hebrew. Dorotea says, "Would that Domain be Asgard? What does it mean that it translates?" Thais pauses slightly, not sure if Ekur (or the squirrel she doesn't know, but has her suspicions about) is going to prefer that she not go into this kind of detail. William [to Ekur]: Dorotea turns at the Latin, and says, "I did! To start off with. Then maybe the angel did something, I'm not sure." in fluent Latin. Ekur looks at Dorotea, and adds in Latin, "So, you're a Roman?" Dorotea says, "You must have been in that box for a very long time. Not even the Romans speak Latin anymore. I only know because it is a good language to know for mystical studies. I am an American." She thinks. "Though my ancestors were from Rome." Ekur nods. "Lousy Romans, they went with a lame blacksmith god, but did they go with me? Of course not." Dorotea says, "So you are a god? Or, wanted to be?" Ekur says, "Nope. And nope. Always was happy serving my god. Got an offer, once, to set myself up as the equal of God, but it was a bad deal, from a smooth liar. Hmm, American, maybe you'd rather switch to English?" Dorotea says in English, "That would be most helpful." Ekur, in English, says, "Okay. That way the angels can listen in, too." Dorotea looks over at the angels. "I don't suppose either of you know anything about Utgard, do you?" Thais says, "He appears to be very good at crossword puzzles." Dorotea says, "The place, not the god. Although they may be one... I'm not entirely sure." Dorotea looks sequentially at you three. "Anyone?" Dorotea sighs. "I suppose not." She stands up and dusts her dress off. "I really do need to go to the source, I suppose." Neil says, "Not tonight." Ekur nods. "Later. Tonight you have been corralled by me. The angels can go, as can their car, but you and me, we are stuck here." Dorotea frowns at Ekur. "What do you mean, corralled?" Ekur says, "I am a sneaky trickster, a manipulator, an ancient being. And I acted to bring you here, and here we must stay. It is the way of things." Neil . o O ( This story has holes I could drive through. ) Dorotea looks at the hills behind her, and produces her wand. "I think I'll pass." She waves the wand, which disappears -- and a curtain of air springs up whirling around her. She turns and bolts away from you. Neil says, "Err. That's not what I expected." Dorotea gets over a rise, disappears down the other side, and from behind you, you hear, "Crap." Dorotea is standing there, her Corporeal Shields dissipating. Dorotea looks at Ekur. "Neat trick you got there." Thais says, "I think it's rather clever." Ekur says, "Think of it this way, Dorotea. I am as stuck here as you are, and you will have plenty of time to try to discover my secrets. And it will only be one night." Dorotea looks up at Blandine's Tower. "The only landmark I know in this area is this Tower and the other one. I've been to the other one and don't intend to go back. I can never seem to get to this one." She puts her arms akimbo. "You're delaying explorations which could advance the cause of human well-being." Neil follows behind. "God disagrees. Well. He disagreed, and He hasn't told us He's changed His mind." Ekur says, "In any case, what has been done has been done. Even my destruction will not release you any sooner. But let us, and your familiar, head toward the tower, and let the angels head on their way." Dorotea stares at Neil. "God has yet to make His displeasure known to *me*, angel. I have finally found something in this arcane art I like doing, I'm good at, and that can help people. Why are you against letting me explore the boundaries of human intellect? People do it in more metaphorical fashion every day." Neil says, "Well, I'm against it /right now/ because your soul is in desperate danger of being lost to a being who will use your broken shell to damn others and otherwise commit acts injurious to Heaven's cause. I've SEEN his actions through Judgement's eyes. They're not pretty, Dorotea." Neil says, "You break off your contact with Wrinth, and you're suddenly not my problem. You may be somebody else's problem, but they probably won't put you into armlocks." Dorotea says, "Is that what it will take to get you to leave me alone? Fine. I give you my word. At the end of my bondage to the demon, I will not use his name to struggle anew with him for power. He has already given me entrance to the knowledge I seek with Utgard-Loki." Neil says, "As for exploring the boundaries of human intellect... I'll tell you a secret." Neil says, "That means a lot to me, and I thank you. Let me offer you a gift in trade. The Laws of Heaven are very clear. Angels are to intervene in human affairs only subtly. We're not to give humans the secrets of the Symphony, or of Heaven." Neil says, "But, near as I can tell? God never told /you guys/ what to do about any of that." Ekur says, "In any case tonight she is my problem, and I am her problem." Ekur leers (with an acting roll) "Or maybe not such a problem after all, eh, pretty one?" Ekur rolled 16 versus 18 and succeeded by 2. Neil says, "You're playing with impossibly dangerous forces that will easily destroy you. But... we said that about fire, too." Neil says, "Bottom line? It's your life. We'd like you to be safe. We'll settle for careful. Goodbye, Dorotea." Dorotea pulls another wand out of her pockets, and brandishes it at Ekur. This one is tipped with a bit of sulfur. "Speaking of fire, you lay a hand on me and it will burn. You're obviously no angel, and I don't like being trapped here." Thais is not saying aaaaanything. Neil says, "Ah. Hmm. You think you're gonna be okay with Gimpy here?" Dorotea says, "I'm going to wake up as soon as anything seriously bad starts happening. I'm perfectly happy to stay here and chat as long as there's the possibility of learning something interesting." Ekur says, "Forgive an old spirit his foibles, lady. If just jaw, jaw is what you want, then that is as it shall be." Neil says, "Works for me. Later." Dorotea says, "And since I'm physically restrained from going where I want to go to either explore, or to ask the necessary expert where to explore, I'm largely stuck with whatever drabbles I can pick up here." Neil enters the Judgmentmobile and departs. Neil . o O ( Err. After Thais finishes speaking, if she chooses, and gets in. ) William Fade, ping? fadethecat [to William]: Sorry, RL distraction for a moment. William n/p Thais is considering silence the better part of wisdom for her in these circumstances, and follows Neil promptly into the Judgmentmobile for the ride back. The GM says, "Left alone with Ekur, Dorotea considers her options and promptly wakes herself up. Aaron drops to the ground and looks up at Ekur." Ekur says, "Well." Aaron says, "Interesting choice of options, boss." Aaron says, "I'm astonished it worked out, but she did agree to stop seeing the demon ASAP, so I guess I'd call that a win." Ekur says, "Probably. I wish I'd had a better idea, but I was getting more madness than inspiration tonight." Neil . o O ( Behold the diplomatic juggernaut that is Neil. ) Ekur says, "You should probably wake up and keep an eye on her." Aaron says, "Well, you lot have certainly made my job a lot easier. How are things working out on the strategic front?" Neil . o O ( Err. Behold the miserable failure that is Neil. ) Ekur says, "It's hard to say. We don't seem to have foiled the plot, but hopefully we did cause it some trouble. And there are still avenues to explore." Ekur swaps back to usual Elohite form. Ekur rolled 9 versus 18 and succeeded by 9. Thais says, "There was a certain paucity of stabbing, but I think we came off fairly well." Aaron says, "Anything it'd help if I know about? Dorotea was in on at least some of the demon's details." Neil is gonna take that crossword home and frame it. Ekur says, "The demon is doing something with Selkirk, Roxborough, and a champion selected by trial before Loki. There's something really dark brewing there. Keep an eye open." Aaron says, "Will do boss. She's talked about those Domains but doesn't know very much... I gather the demon's got something in mind involving -- woop, wakeup time!" He pops out of the Marches. William [to Ekur]: You're free to leave as well. Ekur heads for Civis. Ekur rolled 10 versus 19 and succeeded by 9. William Okay. On the upside, I have a strong defense against any charges of railroading at this point, but on the downside I'm actually at *your* mercy on what you're planning next. There are several possible routes of development. assuming the lot of you get back to Civis a few hours before dawn, what are your plans? Neil says, "I plan to return to Civis and make a full report. As far as Neil's concerned, he's done until something else goes wrong. We're unlikely to get a squad of Malakim to perform a recon in force on the suspect domains, and that's really all that's left worth doing, isn't it?" Thais is not big enough to constitute a squad, so is likely to do the same. "Report back, ask for further instructions. She's all about the chain of command, baby." Ekur says, "Yeah, though Ekur is willing for a recon-by-stealth attempt by the three of us, too." The GM says, "Congratulations, the three of you hereby constitute a squad and are ordered to make the necessary examination. :^)" Jesdyn [to William]: Aaaaugh, I hope you're kidding. d: Ekur . o O ( What can they have that's worse than Wrinth? ) Thais says, "Well, a 1/3 Malakite squad is...similar to a squad of Malakim!" The GM says, "By preference, you are to remove whatever hold Wrinth has on the Mastery of the Domains that allows him to offer it to other Ethereals." Thais . o O ( Also, it's not like Malakim have any superiority over anyone else in combat when it comes to the Marches, as no-Trauma is no longer a real benefit. ) StevenE [to William]: We continuing tonight, or going to start fresh next session? The GM says, "Definitely next session." Jesdyn [to William]: You're -- you're /not/ kidding. The three of us are gonna go to a domain, punk a god and/or various artifacts and agreements, escape, and do it to somewhere forewarned of our exuberant hijinks. fadethecat has deleted all of their local references. fadethecat says, "Woo!" fadethecat says, "Sounds like fun." Neil says, "Alright." fadethecat says, "Maybe Thais can stab someone a few times." William [to Jesdyn]: If it were *easy*, it'd be less fun! ^_^ Jesdyn [to William]: Is this arc still open, or is that going to be a new one? William [to fadethecat]: How do you do that, by the way? All I know is @clearlocal. William [to Jesdyn]: This will be the termination of this one. Neil says, "Good. XP will help." fadethecat [to William]: @lrm. The GM says, "Yes, I have a tally. It's been accumulating nicely." @clearlocal Do you really want to clear all of the local names and descriptions? [Enter `yes' or `no'] yes All local names and descriptions have been cleared. Jesdyn [to William]: Alright. Jesdyn [to William]: But we DID report to Civis? "Yes. This assignment you just got from Matthias. (Jack doesn't much care.) The GM says, "Yes. This assignment you just got from Matthias. (Jack doesn't much care.)" Jesdyn [to William]: Alright. When the next session opens, I'm going to try to recruit help from Civis. William [to Jesdyn]: Will do. The GM says, "It's too bad about one scene I'd wanted to run. Well, two, but I'll save one, which I may yet get a chance to do. But it would have been amusing to have a small conference after the contest involving Thais (our Swordie), Dorotea (wand at the ready), Wrinth (flipping an ether-coin) and Loki with winecup, all in some tense negotiation..." fadethecat snerks. William [to fadethecat]: I was hoping someone would get the ref. :^) Jesdyn says, "Boooooo." The GM says, "?" Jesdyn says, "I'm booing your reference." The GM says, "Not a fan of Tarot imagery?" StevenE [to William]: Yes, but who'd be the Major Arcana? Me as the Fool? Jesdyn [to William]: Well, puns and jokes usually merit a "boo". William [to StevenE]: We're in Asgard, it'd have to be The Hanged Man. Jesdyn [to StevenE]: I'll be Judg--- hah hah! Nah, I'll be one of the dudes in Staves wailing on people. The GM says, "A'ight, I'm -- whoa, did we game for nearly six hours? Aye caramba. I'm out, g'night." Jesdyn says, "'Night."