William (#2330) has changed the GM of this room to William (#2330). From afar, BobP tosses a Tasmanian devil into the elevator to help William concentrate. fadethecat swings into the room on a bit of rigging. fadethecat has made fadethecat's local name Draco William waves. fadethecat has made fadethecat's local description Isn't that just the cutest bespectacled ferret you've ever seen in the Marches? It is! fadethecat waves at William! William is waved at! Jesdyn materializes out of thin air. Jesdyn has made Jesdyn's local name Neil William waits for Steven. Neil says, "Sometime between this arc and the next I need to go through the archives and all the new NPCs we've run into." The GM says, "Looks like your list was current up through Arc Five." StevenE materializes in a burst of blackness as he teleports in from elsewhere in the MOO. StevenE has made StevenE's local name Ekur The GM says, "'lo." The GM says, "Last log: http://earl.of.sandwich.net/In_Nomine/Civis_Game_Logs/Session_041_May13_0 7.txt . " The GM says, "The plan, as last laid out, was: " ----------------------------------William-------------------------------- -- Ekur says, "Okay. He mentioned where he's anchored, but I don't know if that means we should meet him. If we can release his wife from the stone, he can 'can summon her forth for long enough to, hopefully, restore her', but I'm not sure if he need Essence to do that or not. I don't want her in the machinery when we're taking it out, so I consider releasing her part of the looting process. The stone is to the south. We're under a pretty short deadline, so I say we look for the stone to get her out, then Tongues him to tell him she's out and to send him the bit of Essence. Then we can loot the sensory deprivation chamber and get out of here." ---------------------------------finished-------------------------------- -- The GM says, "And the end of last session:" ----------------------------------William-------------------------------- -- The GM says, "At the bottom of the stairs, there is what appears to be a well filled with the fine gray sand of the Marches. A small area has been cleared in front of a cylindrical column of black stone, and Chastity grunts as she walks nose-first into an invisible wall." Neil claps. The GM says, "On the floor below you is a pentagram blocking entrance into the doorway... you can feel a ward here, one practically pulsing with centuries of reinforcement. There is a distinct handwriting to the Hebrew characters adorning its glyphs." Chastity frowns. "I suddenly feel less generous." ---------------------------------finished-------------------------------- -- The GM says, "Augh, phone call." The GM says, "And they can call back later, good." The GM says, "All set on y'all's ends?" Jesdyn [to William]: Yes. Draco is. Arc 7, Book 2, Chapter 5: Core Memory Neil turns to Chastity. "Did you not... know about this? Look how it's bent the subether -- it's been here for centuries." Chastity says, "Yeah, but it takes a Sorcerer to activate it. Apparently our friend recently decided to increase the security level." The GM says, "She puts her palms out forward and presses against it, straining." Chastity says, "...nggh... Damnation. Never came across one this old." Ekur looks down at the Hebrew characters, and tries to make sense of things. William [to Ekur]: There are invocations of various protective or rebuking angels, seals of Solomon, and the like. This is is an elaborate, long-worked-on version of the basic Sorcerous ritual Permanent Ward. Neil doesn't know an abjuration from Abraham, so he isn't much help. William [to Neil]: Ironically, given the nature of Iacopo's Sorcerous education, this might well *be* an abjuration from Abraham. Draco is not particularly knowledgeable on sorcery either. Jesdyn [to William]: I know -- aggravating as it is, *I* may actually know more about the topic than Neil does. (: Neil says, "Which still isn't much -- just enough to make puns about it." Ekur steps forward, attempting to walk through the ward, which hampers angels much less effectively than demons. William [to Ekur]: Quite. Roll against Perception - 5 + Ethereal Forces. Ekur rolled 9 versus 18 and succeeded by 9. Jesdyn [to William]: Wow. What was /she/ rolling against if she missed it? StevenE [to Jesdyn]: Deomns and Ethereals have to win a Will-War against the ward, by the CPG. William [to Neil]: She rolls against will. And she made it, but demons don't just pass through... they damage the thing's strength until they wear it down enough to get by. Ekur corrects. Yeah, what William said. The GM says, "Angels make an uncontested roll, and if successful... it's like the thing's not even there." The GM says, "The lot of you see Ekur step across the design with barely more than a ripple in the energies." Draco leaps down to the floor to follow behind Ekur. Draco [to William]: Same roll? Jesdyn [to William]: Sucks to be them. Actually, that might actually be on Judgement's letterhead... The GM says, "Yep." Neil follows. Draco rolled 13 versus 29 and succeeded by 16. Neil rolled 9 versus 17 and succeeded by 8. Chastity sighs at you three. "Cute. So am I stuck out here or can you erase the thing and let me in? Don't think you're off the deal if I'm left cooling my heels." "I have no idea," Draco tells the Lilim on the other side of the ward. "Ekur?" Jesdyn [to William]: Let's see -- if we tell her to wait for us and she's gone when we come back for her, does that count as breaking the deal on /her/ side? Ekur considers. "Yeah, we still have to pay you for your help, of course. But I'd rather not mess with the ward, just in case somebody else comes along." Draco gets that "just in case somebody else comes along" is a lie; does he get any more detail? William [to Jesdyn]: The Geas was to guide you around, and it's still active. It's still possible that you'd want to go somewhere down here you haven't gone yet. So... probably. William [to Draco]: Gimme a res roll for CD. Draco [to William]: Am I still at the -5? The GM says, "Yep. General feature of the shard." Chastity says, "Suit yourself, then. I'll try hammering away, and I'll join you if I wear it out before you're done." Draco rolled 8 versus 17 and succeeded by 9. William [to Ekur]: CD 4, so you can say why you're saying that. Chastity manifests her staff and begins poking at nooks in the repulsion field, leaning on points of leverage and singing a work song. o/) 16 tons, and what do you get? / Another day older and deeper in debt. / St. Peter, don't you call me, 'cause I cannot go: / I owe my soul to the company store. o/) She's not a bad singer... Ekur lied because he wanted to give an acceptable reason for not letting her possibly get a hook on the dreamshade. if she can't help, she hopefully can't collect. Neil pipes up. "Do stick around -- I'd hate for you not to be around if we need you when we're done." Chastity grunts at a stubborn Force-knot and nods briefly at Neil. Ekur walks up to the black stone, taking care not to trod on any of the wards, and tries to resonate the column. Draco stands near the entrance, watching Ekur work. He's not about to get his paws all over something he doesn't understand. William [to Ekur]: Null response. The GM says, "It's architecture -- there's a vaulted archway at the base." The GM says, "However, what you want to resonate is presumably inside." Ekur peers into the archway. The GM says, "Within the column, there is a narrow, winding spiral of stairs at crazy angles. There is also a bright, white light from above, unlike the entire rest of the shard. The obsidian walls seem to glint with half-seen, refracted images." Neil walks through the arch. Ekur heads on up the stairs, gingerly. Draco follows Ekur, a few steps behind. The GM says, "The images in the walls about churn and shift, always just beyond sight. The walls themselves reveal to your perceptions that they are an artifact of some kind. Some of the images within resolve: embedded in the walls, well beyond reach, are what you can clearly perceive are relics... mostly of angelic make, of very old artistry indeed." The GM says, "The oldest are at the bottom: simple gemstones, it seems. Higher up the stairs appear clay bowls or bronze tablets." Draco considers the artifacts inside the walls. "What I would do for a really high-quality diamond-bit drill right now..." The GM says, "The stairs rise for several floors -- you must be near the top of the shard where you began your descent when you come to a landing containing the most recent relics, which appear to be of Chinese-style angelic provenance. On the roof of the column above is embedded what seems to be an enormous pearl, if there were an oyster the size of a house that could make such a thing. From this the light emanates." Neil says, "Time to stake our clam." Neil resonates the pearl. Ekur does, too. Jesdyn [to William]: Per-5? The GM says, "Yep." Neil rolled 10 versus 13 and succeeded by 3. Neil OOCly snaps his fingers. Not good enough for True Name... William [to Ekur]: The pearl is asleep. It dreams troubled dreams. It is in pain. It is not, however, sufficiently self-willed that you could say it is motivated to relieve that pain. Any reaction test? William [to Neil]: That's correct. It has no particular self-opinion, and few people regard it as anything other than an object. You'll need to interact with it further to try a reroll. The GM says, "All of you can, at least, perceive through the normal means that the pearl is a living artifact." William [to Neil]: MDA is sketchy. Dereliction of duty, it seems like. For more details you'd need... you're not sure what you'd need, actually. It's like resonating half a person. Neil says, "This thing... isn't all there. Whatever it is, it isn't doing what it should be doing." Neil says, "Which, for a Superior-level artifact in the Sanctum of Mariel that's managed to piss off a thousand-year-old Hellsworn Sorcerer largely innocent of sin, that's pretty much a given." Draco studies the pearl thoughtfully. "Reminds me of a nightmare I once made," he comments. "In atmosphere, not specifics. How do we interact with this thing? I don't think that carrying it out is the solution we're looking for." Neil says, "I don't know. I even have a bag to put it in. We can leave Mariel a receipt." Ekur places his hand on the pearl. William [to Ekur]: Your resonance sharpens a bit, but the only detail on its dreams you get is that the pain is the pain of a wound, which is playing out internally. Jesdyn [to William]: I'm going to try to touch it, and resonate the group of it and whatever else it is. Jesdyn [to William]: If I can get away with that. The GM says, " 'It and whatever else it is'? " The GM says, "(It's a living artifact. It's presently in the Marches, wounded, and asleep. Consider the toolkits you have at your disposal...)" Jesdyn [to William]: Well, it's missing /something/. It's got a relationship to it. I don't know what it's missing, but I can find out what it's like. Jesdyn [to William]: I don't know the Song of Whatever It Is That Lets Me Enter -- ohh. Wounded, huh. William [to Jesdyn]: Hmm. Okay, you can give that a whirl. Neil claims the +2 touch bonus... Neil rolled 6 versus 15 and succeeded by 9. Neil fumbles for Charity's reliquary while he mulls over the Symphony's reply. StevenE [to William]: Hmm. Would my Mercurian attunement allow me to enter its dreams, or would I have to use CorpDreams? William [to Neil]: The animating force of this artifact is part of a single being, the other part of which is in the chamber several floors over. Both would like to be reunited, but both are imprisoned. Neil crows, "Got it. It's been split. The other part is several floors... /that/ way." William [to Ekur]: CorpDreams would get you in. MoD lets you move about between related dreamscapes. William [to Neil]: You find yourself pointing toward the sense-dep chamber. Ekur . o O ( I'm considering Vassal of Dreams, but I'm worried it would instead tear the thing in half or something. ) Ekur . o O ( And it would separate me from the group . . . ) Ekur attempts the Song of Corporeal Dreams. The GM says, "Roll it." Ekur rolled 10 versus 14 and succeeded by 4. The GM says, "Draco and Neil see Ekur sing, palm touching the pearl. There is a moment's echo about the column, and on the reflected sound he disappears upward, into the pearl." Draco scratches behind one ear with a pencil. "Well," he says. "I suppose we can just wait on that. Or one of us could head back to the other half with Chastity, to see about getting the rest of this...person. We still don't know how much time we have." William [to Ekur]: You find yourself in a blank, dark space. The body-image of a short, slightly dumpy but rather motherly woman regards you emotionlessly. It bears gaping wounds; one across the forehead, the blood fall sealing one eye shut; one across the heart. Ekur goes with the classic, "Be not afraid," in Angelic. Jesdyn [to StevenE]: She's hardly cowering. You're losing your touch. She replies, "I am not," in the same language. StevenE [to Jesdyn]: It's what angels are supposed to say. Read your Bible! Jesdyn [to StevenE]: I know, I know. (: Ekur says, "I would like to give assistance, to free you from this confinement and torture. Can you advise me on how to do so?" Ekur rolled 3d6 and got 12 Ekur blinks. She begins an emotionless lecture in Angelic. "You must destroy this Pearl. Special means are required to do so. The knowledge is stored within the Pearl. Access to the the knowledge requires the name of the Pearl. That name is stored within the Pearl. I have no access personally; I merely animate the artifact. You would have to seek some other means of divining the name." She says, "I sense that you have a limited time in this mode of communication. Shall I manifest, that we may speak?" Ekur says, "Yes, please." The GM says, "Draco and Neil see Ekur reappear. Following him shortly thereafter is a projection from the pearl of the same woman, though the image you see bears no wounds." Chastity shouts from down below, "I heard Essence! What's going on?" Ekur says, "She says we must destroy this Pearl, that the knowledge of how to do so is stored within the Pearl, access to the the knowledge requires the name of the Pearl, and that name is stored within the Pearl. Neil, did you get anything on a name?" Draco shouts back to Chastity, "We're having a chat! Back with you in a few!" The woman looks over at Neil and Draco, as well as Ekur. Neil looks her in the eye, and says in Angelic, "Hi. My name's Neil, angel of Judgement. /What's yours?/" Neil . o O ( *I* won't get anything from this. Someone else might. ) The woman replies, in Angelic, "En-ai, Watcher, formerly of Destiny." William [to Draco]: That is, in fact, a delusion. The truth is something else... which you might yet have an opportunity to catch, if... Draco wiggles his whiskers, notebook open in front of him. "Mm, no," he says quietly, peering up at the woman. The GM says, "("Actual truth" will need a crit, though.)" En-ai looks down at Draco. "No?" she replies. "It is my name." Neil says, "Formerly? Were you Outcast, or have simply suffered here that long?" Draco [to William]: Can I reroll? I don't think the former roll wore off yet. William [to Draco]: Yes you may -- and with any bonuses you might want to try to bring to bear. En-Ai says to Neil, "I was Outcast with the rest of my Choir, Most Just." She finally smiles a small, sad smile. "But I did not Fall. Not when I fled, and not when Mariel came for me." Ekur says, "She said she doesn't know the name of the Pearl, that we'd have to divine it by some other means." fadethecat [to William]: Since I need a crit, is there any point in trying to add bonuses? I need the same roll on the dice to get a crit no matter how much more I add to the potential degree of success. Ekur laaaaaaags. William [to Draco]: You're right. Give it a whirl... Draco rolled 10 versus 17 and succeeded by 7. The GM says, "Hm. Same CD." Ekur unlags. Jesdyn [to William]: Hmm. No Dissonance on her, I suppose... Neil . o O ( There might have been Discord, but I can't /see/ that. Grr. ) William [to Neil]: At present, you're looking at a mind, not a soul. Hence why it's not "actually her." This is her Ethereal Forces -- she can't hear Disturbance at all, much less hear it and fail to report it by choice. Neil changes tacks. "We talked to Iacopo." En-Ai softens. "My latest husband. Long time has he dallied as a shade trying to free me." En-Ai says, "He knew when we married that I had dangerous enemies, but neither of us ever expected Mariel to track down a Watcher with access to the Akashic Record. Such a precise being she needed for this project." Neil says, "Does he know the hidden name we need?" Neil says, "Do your children?" En-Ai says, "Iacopo? If he knew it, he would have used it." Ekur tries to come up with some sort of idea with, oh, an Occultism check? En-Ai says, "It is not *my* name you need... it is the Pearl's, that you may access the memories stored within. That, you will not get from the Pearl. It is made to be a memory pit." William [to Ekur]: Sure. Ekur rolled 9 versus 18 and succeeded by 9. William [to Ekur]: The relics you've been passing on the way up -- bowls, mirrors, and such -- they all seem to be scrying relics, or things for divinations, to ask questions. Jesdyn [to William]: Do I know what the Akashic Record is? Jesdyn [to William]: In game terms, I mean. Ekur hmms. "What is the purpose of the Pearl, En-Ai?" William [to Neil]: It's not a secret or anything. It's a powerful and fairly rare Servitor Attunement of Destiny -- the name itself refers to that supposed record that God keeps of all things that have ever happened. En-Ai says, "It is made to lock away memories. It is also the keystone of this tower, where Mariel stored relics that accessed Symphonic knowledge. I am not sure, but I believe her goal was to access and destroy the Akashic Record itself somehow. Mad, but then all Demon Princes are." En-Ai gestures to the walls. "These embedded relics are for the Songs of Symphony, and the like, or unique items that enhance angelic resonances, or other, similar powers." Ekur hmms, and starts looking at the relics. Anything sticking out from beneath the surface? William [to Ekur]: Near the top here are several that look Chinese in their style, though they are clearly of angelic make. None of them are sticking out, but one of them is in the form of a mirror -- you can see its reflective surface through the obsidian, and perception tells you this is enough to form an operative connection with the artifact. Ekur looks into th mirror, and attempts to scry with it. His focus is trying to use it to discover the name of the Pearl somehow . . . William [to Ekur]: It awaits Essence... a lot. Roughly half your usual max capacity, you feel. (4 points.) And from there, a question, at least as regards ethereal or celestial matters. Neil peers over Ekur's shoulder. "Anything?" Ekur says, "It'll take 4 Essence to do anything with it." The GM says, "(You've still got it, by my count.)" Neil says, "After the Snow Queen, that's just about all we've got left. Let me try something." Neil pulls out Charity's reliquary, drains it (without Disturbance, I recall?), and slaps it and all his Essence into Ekur's hands. William [to Neil]: Yep, and there was 1 point in there. Neil says, "Do me a favor and break my fingers in a minute or so if this doesn't work."" Neil repockets the reliquary, grabs one of those artifacts that enhance angelic resonance, and directly resonates the relationship between the Pearl and the Demon Princess of Oblivion. William [to Neil]: Sorry, those relics are still buried in the wall. Ekur's lucky that he can use the mirror, since all he needs to do is see the surface. Jesdyn [to William]: Oh, rats. I thought they were further up. Jesdyn [to William]: Well, never mind. I just handed my Essence over. What was I at, 2 points or 1? William [to Neil]: However, as soon as the Pearl's destroyed, she did call it the 'keystone of the tower', so maybe... Jesdyn [to William]: Either way, off it goes. William [to Neil]: You, personally? 2, I believe, and I know Ekur has a couple, so he's in stock to use the mirror now for sure. Ekur nods, and concentrates, burning four Essence, and asks, "What is the name of the Pearl created by Mariel and now within the Marches in fragment of her old tower?" The GM says, "Shadows race across the mirror, and resolve into a live image. It's of Chastity, now quite irritated, poking at the ward below. The viewpoint pulls in, and focuses on her arm, where there is a bruise from her fall earlier near the sense-dep chamber, in the shape of a Helltongue glyph. The image follows this bruise about, making it clear that this is the answer to your question." Draco peers into the mirror from over Ekur's shoulder. William [to Draco]: The glyph is a Helltongue word that means "Torn." "Torn," Draco says, and points into the image. "That's what the glyph means." Ekur nods. "Now, can we say it in any language, or do we need a Helltongue speaker to invoke the Pearl?" William [to Draco]: The diacritics do suggest it's a proper name -- stands to reason the name of an infernal artifact would be in Helltongue. The GM says, "Like anything, it surely *has* a proper name in Angelic, but that probably isn't the necessary password anyway." "It might require Helltongue," Draco says, wrinkling his nose. "The language tastes strange. Slippery. But it should be safe enough if I am very careful about places where the language wishes to work in lies." Neil says, "I'll write you a note." Neil . o O ( Although if I get my Triad dissonant /again/ Dominic'll have me judging Foosball matches in Eli's Cathedral. ) Ekur nods to Draco. "Be careful." He heads on over to the Pearl. "Okay, we need to access Torn here, and extract the information about how to destroy it." The GM says, "Normally a Memory Pearl is put in the mouth and concentrated upon. As this doohickey would be a helluva jawbreaker, touching it is probably sufficient." The GM says, "At this point, the sounds of Disturbance begin echoing from a floor or so above." Ekur looks to Draco. "Well, you can try touching it. If that doesn't work, a bit of dreamshaping should let you get it in some sort of mouth." He looks upward. "Fast would probably be good." Draco slaps a paw hastily on the enormous pearl, and says, "Torn," in Helltongue. William [to Draco]: The Pearl responds to password with granted access. [ SELECTIVE SEARCH | INFO DUMP ] The GM says, "Pick one" Draco goes for Selective Search. Neil [to Draco]: (OOC) I'll pay your new character 5 CP if you dare Info Dump. d: [ QUERY PHRASE? ] The GM says, "(The user interface is damned advanced for something from the first millenium. One suddenly recalls that Mariel was a Servitor of Lightning...)" Draco hesitates fractionally. "Shutdown," he offers. The GM says, "You receive an image of enchantment process. A Grigori is being held captive, the giant bound by threads of Forces to this pearl and an equally enormous diamond. Infernal chanting rises to a peak, and a shadowy figure of immense power sunders the Watcher in two. The cords snap one half of the angel to this Pearl, and you see the knot tied in them: it will fall apart when fed any memory from a currently-Redeemed demon." fadethecat [to William]: ...evil man. fadethecat [to William]: Currently-redeemed former demon who is now an angel, I assume? The GM says, "Right." Draco [to William]: And a memory can be inserted by touching it and thinking about the event, right? The GM says, "Yep." The GM says, "With intent to store it in the Pearl, of course." Draco presses both paws firmly to the pearl, and thinks pointedly about the last poker game he was in. Now there's a memory he can afford to lose. The GM says, "The Pearl seeks a category to index this thing in by author, and refuses to believe there is such a thing as a demon that would no longer want to be a demon. The echo of the Symphony suddenly gets very loud in the constricted space, and you are thrown back against the far wall." Draco splats against the wall. Ow. The GM says, "A crack appears in the Pearl. Shimmering dust falls, and suddenly layers of nacre peel away from its outer surface, with loud pops." En-Ai's eyes widen, and suddenly she doubles over. A very similar-looking crack appears across her midsection, layers of flesh peeling away. En-Ai clutches her abdomen. "My... body... augh..." Ekur steps over and holds En-Ai. Draco slides down off the wall into a ferret-puddle on the floor. "I'll...be right back," he says, and staggers off in the direction of where they left Chastity. The GM says, "The Pearl shudders again, a chunk falling off and vanishing. Gibbering memories of years in Hell from some unknown sources suddenly flash to life around the obsidian walls. Torturers and the tortured both have their viewpoints represented." En-Ai manifests the head wound Ekur saw earlier. "Anchor," she gasps. "Without the Pearl, I've... got no..." En-Ai winces. "No Heart. Where -- ow..." Ekur picks her up, and starts down the stairs. Neil takes one last look at the decaying pearl, and follows. William [to Draco]: At the bottom of the stairs, there is a note scratched in the sand, in English. "Be right back -- Chastity." William [to Ekur]: She gasps again. You're pretty sure she's suffering actual mental damage. Neil slaps Chastity's healing preparation into Ekur's hand. Neil says, "Last bit of healing on me." Ekur applies the preparation to her, and continues to carry her toward the sensory deprivation chamber. The GM says, "(That was a preserved bit of alchemical Ethereal Healing potion, btw.)" roll 1d6 On 1d6, you rolled 1. Jesdyn [to William]: Not very well preserved. En-Ai drinks it... and while she doesn't look much better, when the tower comes crashing down behind you, and she nearly gasps her last in Ekur's arms, she looks like crap but manages to hold on to consciousness by her fingernails. Neil says, "We better hurry." The GM says, "You meet up with Chastity in the chamber just outside the sense-dep room, coming back from the other way. Disturbance of Song and combat again rings out from upstairs as, looking puzzled, she catches sight of Neil again and her eyes light with recognition." Neil says, "What's going on up there?" Chastity says, "You! You thieving son of a bitch! What'd you do with my *stash*!" Draco . o O ( Hey, looks like that Song finally wore off! ) William [to Draco]: Nope, she didn't even remember him until he was back in line of sight. Neil says, "I was using what demonic property we found down here. You're welcome to collect your share of what's left of it when we're done down here." Draco gives Neil a dirty look, having just now caught on to what happened, but does not comment on it. Yet. [ snip roll Will_Chastity - announce succeeded ] Chastity says, "Thanks for the promise: done," and you feel a Geas/3 take hold to hold you to that. Chastity says, "And who's this?", pointing to the fainting En-Ai. "I've been hearing Songs of Ethereal Darkness and a bunch of Essence spent on dream-shaping. 10 to 1 Beleth's vanguard has made it to the Domain, and they're in the upper levels rumbling with my people. I'm not sure we should be picking up hitchhikers." Jesdyn [to William]: I thought hook-to-Geas rolls were opposed. Ekur ignores the byplay, and heads further to the sense-dep chamber. With one of his remaining two Essence, he tries to send the CelTongue message, "Released her from the Pearl, got her to the chamber." Ekur rolled 12 versus 14 and succeeded by 2. William [to Ekur]: Message succeeds. Shortly thereafter, you get a CelTongues reply from a relic (unidentified sender): "On my way." William [to Jesdyn]: Wasn't a hook-to-Geas roll. You made a promise to a Lilim. :^) Jesdyn [to William]: Ah well. I quite intended to fill the letter of Draco's promise anyways. The GM says, "The sense-dep chamber's wall of darkness bubbles and churns. A few notes of Disturbance ring out from inside. After a minute, a Calabite falls out of the wall and down the stairs. He looks up at you through glazed eyes momentarily before succumbing to unconsciousness and dissipating, apparently from a large number of human-shaped bites, punches, and rakes." The GM says, "After a couple of minutes, Iacopo comes down the tunnel from the hidden passage through the office. He is symbolically bleeding from a gash on the knee -- apparently a fall -- but otherwise seems fine." Iacopo says to Ekur, "It's a war up there, what -- BELOVED!" He rushes to En-Ai's side. En-Ai looks up at him, as he begins weeping piteously. In her state of mental confusion, his presence seems to register, but that's about it. Ekur steps into the chamber, trying to figure out what to do next. Iacopo pulls Ekur back. "Wait! Don't go in there. In there she is nothing but instinct and fear. She will attack you, and if she attacks her other self in this state, I fear she may disperse permanently." Neil says, "So we need to get her out of there?" Iacopo says, "I can bring her out. I know a Song... it took me a long time to find it, but if you truly love someone, this will work. It takes a lot of Essence, though...?" He looks at you all. Ekur sets the part of her that's here down. "I was thinking I would go in, and try Ethereal Harmony to calm her, and try to free her. Do you have a better plan?" Neil says, "Well, maybe." Neil says, "Is she chained, or just lost?" William [to Ekur]: Iacopo says, "Would do you no good. She is bound there by orders. It takes another command to cause her to leave, even for just a few minutes. Still... " he thinks. "Ethereal Harmony... if she were calm, she would not attack. We could then bring in her mind safely..." William [to Jesdyn]: Iacopo's still speaking Judezmo to Ekur. Jesdyn [to William]: Then... hmm, I don't know any of this. Okay. Iacopo comes to a conclusion, and nods. "I think that would work. If you can survive long enough to calm her down, then we bring in her mind and perform the rite to bring them back together... recombining her with the unbound portion of her spirit should free her entirely." Ekur nods to Iacopo. Ekur heads in, ready to step back if Iacopo tells him to wait. William [to Ekur]: Inside the chamber it is exactly as you might imagine. There is no noise of Disturbance, no light, no heat, no motion of the imaginary air. There is only the feel of stone beneath your feet. The GM says, "Something has very effectively cut this room off from the outside world." Ekur stops, and stretches his arms out slightly. Probably as good a place to try as any, since he can't see anything. He briefly considers if there's anything he's forgetting . . . Ekur rolled 11 versus 17 and succeeded by 6. The GM says, "Your right fingertips brush against a smoother, faceted surface. Clutching this object is apparently another pair of hands, which startles away from you as soon as you come into contact with them." The GM says, "Immediately thereafter, you are rushed by a celestially heavy being, which grabs you and attempts to bodily throw you away from the device." William [to Ekur]: Auto-rez through touch tells you this creature is a mindless bundle of frustrated instinct acting on blind fear justified by long psychological deprivation. Ekur tries speaking in a calm, soothing voice, while interposing his shield and moving to avoid attacks. William [to Ekur]: Your words fall into dead silence, even to your own ears. Your shield does hold off a rush or two, but your unseen attacker begins to try feeling its way around the sides of your guard. Ekur tries the Song of Harmony. The GM says, "Roll it" Ekur rolled 12 versus 17 and succeeded by 5. The GM says, "Though celestially inaudible, the chords are still effective." roll 3d6 On 3d6, you rolled 6. Ekur backs up, hoping to feel his way back out of the chamber. The GM says, "Your unseen attacker hesitates, from the feel of it, then passively lets you go." The GM says, "It takes a moment to find the door you came in through, but you manage it." The GM says, "You're outside once more." Ekur says, in Angelic, "I've got her calmed. We have just a few minutes. Iacopo, let's try that ritual." Iacopo looks up at you. "Allright." He takes he hand of En-Ai, who instinctively grabs his. Slowly, painfully, she totters up the steps with Iacopo assisting her. They enter the chamber... The GM says, "...and, a minute later, the darkness flickers and vanishes." Ekur looks back into the chamber. Draco does the same. The GM says, "Iacopo is sitting in the middle of the chamber, holding the hand of a Watcher who appears to celestially be almost twice his height. She is gravely Discordant, her eyes filmed over with Celestial Blindness and her ears badly wounded with Celestial Deafness, but she remains angelic." The GM says, "Next to them, a light flickering and dying out within its heart, is a large crystal spike driven into the floor of the wide, bare stone room." Ekur walks in. "All right. Can you two take care of yourselves?" Neil slips out of Charity's line of sight. He's not here, he never existed. Iacopo's ecstatic smile fades. "I... have done what I remained here to do." He closes his eyes. "Will you... can you please see to it that she is safe?" Chastity is absolutely bugging her eyes out at seeing a Grigori. Ekur says, "I will do my best, Iacopo. And I hope the Lord intervenes on your behalf." Draco stays silent. He's not certain enough of where this is going to end to make promises. Ekur says, "Now, can I assume this crystal spike is the artifact we're after?" Chastity says, "That's a..." En-Ai's fingers run over her husband's face. "Courage, my love," she whispers in Angelic. Chastity says, "That's a..." Iacopo stands up grimly, and hands Ekur a small phial of Twilight Elahinoor. "Time to pay for my sins," he says, and Ekur feels ownership pass to him. The GM says, "You shouldn't be able to fall through solid stone. You shouldn't be able to see an abyss yawning beneath a man's feet while he stands right in front of you. Obsidian isn't the same thing as darkness. But for a moment, all of these rules of the world blur, and Iacopo leaves the Marches in an utterly unnatural direction." The GM says, "Reality shifts back, but there is a new note now... the ground is trembling beneath your feet, tentative and unmoored." StevenE [to William]: Er, what is Twilight Elahinoor? I'm failing to remember anything about that. En-Ai looks over at Ekur. "Yes," she says in Angelic, "this is what bound me. Take it and good riddance, if you want such a thing." Jesdyn [to William]: How long do I have before Iacopo reaches Hell? William [to StevenE]: Listism. Moetica, in fact. A kind of liquid light. The twilight kind is mostly useful to Sorcerers. William [to Jesdyn]: Err, what do you intend? I was imagining him offscreen by now. The GM says, " http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine/artifacts/Elahinoor.htm " Jesdyn [to William]: File an amicus curiae with Daniel and Hutriel, in person if possible. Jesdyn [to William]: But I have to beat him to the Gates. fadethecat [to Jesdyn]: They're Final Justice. If it's not Just, they'll know. Jesdyn [to fadethecat]: I know, but if Judgement didn't need a little help it wouldn't have Servitors. Jesdyn [to fadethecat]: Still, I acknowledge the point. William [to Jesdyn]: Mm. Okay. (1) That would require descending to the *real* Hell, which you might want to think about whether you can justify doing to Dominic. (2) If you want to follow him right now, you can try much like following someone down a Tether. Jesdyn [to William]: I was hoping it was something done occasionally enough there was precedent for it. If a path hasn't been worn, it's probably not a good idea to start. Ekur says, "If it can keep Beleth from gaining massive power over humanity, and we can keep it from being taken over by another Demon Prince, I think we have two good reasons to take it." He heads over, and tries to pick it up. "Okay, Neil, Draco, if you could assist En-Ai here? Sure, her Choir is Outcast, but that doesn't men we should leave her at the mercy of demons. Maybe she can spend some time with my half-sister." Jesdyn [to William]: In other words, I was hoping it was merely unwise or injudicious, not absurd. William [to Jesdyn]: *Somebody*'s gotta blaze trails, and I found the notion of an amicus curiae at the gates of Hell to be quite amusing. Jesdyn [to William]: Well, if Judgement didn't have a sense of humor, it wouldn't need Servitors like Neil. William [to Ekur]: It comes out with a bit of pull, and suddenly the Domain around you becomes even more tenuous. It's like the whole place has suddenly lost its footing. Neil leaps into the fissure before it closes. "Sorry -- court date." Ekur says, "Yeah. And I think we just figured out what was keeping the place from passing into nonexistence." Draco blinks down at Neil disappearing, and then swaps out his ethereal image for something a little more able to support an ailing Watcher. In this case, an extremely /large/ anthropomorphic ferret. He helps En-Ai up carefully. "My apologies for the rush, but we /really/ should get out of here quickly." Chastity looks about. "...okay, let's make a deal. It's time to get out of here, yah? We go our own ways. But you guys still owe me about two enchanter-years worth of relics, y'know? Would you agree to FedEx 'em via CelMotion? Deal's a deal, a Geas is a Geas, and I held up my part of the bargain." Ekur nods. "Yeah, a deal is a deal. And if you ever want to look into getting a better one for yourself, hey, Heaven's always hiring." Chastity nods, and lights out for the hills. Chastity calls back as she disappears, "Guildhall of the Free Lilim, to Chastity of Technology care of the Courier Anfallik!" En-Ai climbs aboard Draco, gingerly. En-Ai says, "By the way, where exactly are we running to? We're surrounded by Perdition on all sides." She looks around, puzzled. "I think... I thought, at any rate..." Ekur puts this crystal in the sack with the other things he's gathered, and heads on down the stairs. "We're in the Marches, hon. Mariel was destroyed a long time ago, and this is the last remnant of her palace, about to slip into nonexistence." "We need to get back to the tower with this artifact," Draco says. "The route may be tricky. This part of Hell is currently in the Marches. More or less." En-Ai says, "Mariel was destroyed?" She pauses. "That's... far too satisfying a piece of news." She muses as you run through the passages. (Which way, by the way?) "Who struck the fatal blow? The Archangel Eli? He was always the one that hated her the most." Ekur says, "A Hellborn gremlin named Haagenti, actually, who managed to claw his way up all the way to Demon Prince of Gluttony." "There have been several very interesting centuries," says Draco, loping along behind Ekur. "I can go into more detail later, if we have time and you have the interest. Things do change." Ekur mutters, in Sumerian, "And this, too, shall pass." En-Ai digests this. "...yes, perhaps that would be best. If, of course, we have the opportunity to continue interacting." Ekur tries a Law roll to see what the rules in Civis are on outcasts taking up residence. The GM says, "As you climb up through the passages from the office, you heard the sounds of combat in front of you. It becomes quickly clear that there are a fairly large number of demons on the top level, one group the Vapulans you saw in the side room, and one group dug into the central chamber of the top level, exchanging Song and dream-combat." Ekur rolled 14 versus 15 and succeeded by 1. William [to Ekur]: No go. It's a Heavenly project and they're not welcome. Remember the Tsayadim? En-Ai peers at the combat, wince. "Iesu Christo. I haven't heard this much noise since I got locked up. I mean, it's kind of nice to be finally hearing something again, but if I'm hearing it at all it must mean that there's quite a lot of it going on." Ekur looks at the combatants, and tries to see if there's some way to slip through quickly, with a minimum of interaction. skill 17 Tactics You rolled 9 and Tactics - succeeded by 8. William [to Ekur]: If you swam back the Styx route, and took the middle branch, you should be able to slip around back of the Nightmares demons if you're moving fast. Draco asks the Watcher, "Do you have any experience with the Marches? Can you dreamshape yourself into a less conspicuous form? Or, if you can't, can you allow me to do so to you?" Draco . o O ( Because nothing says 'inconspicuous' like a Grigori on the back of an enormous ferret. ) William [to Draco]: En-Ai says, "Um, just the basic training, I'm afraid. I can try..." Ekur says, "Okay, I have a plan. If we swim back the Styx route, and take the middle branch, we should be able to slip behind the Nightmares demons if we move fast."" [ snip roll Dreaming - announce succeeded ] Ekur turns and heads for the Styx. En-Ai's obviously unpracticed at this, but after a fitful go she manages to settle down to the human-looking form you saw earlier. "That'll do," Draco says. He shifts into a generic human form himself, and takes her hand. "This way, please." And then it's off after Ekur as quickly as En-Ai can keep up. And if she can't keep up, Draco will very well carry her. The GM says, "Swimming the Styx again is unpleasant, and En-Ai is not a very good swimmer in her current state, but with Draco holding her hand she gets through it. For the end-run around the Nightmares demons, stealth rolls, please." Ekur rolled 11 versus 18 and succeeded by 7. Draco [to William]: I'll need to do that at default, darnit. Guess that skill got eaten in redemption. What's the default, and what does it default from? The GM says, "IQ-5." [ snip roll EnAi_Stealth - announce failed ] Draco rolled 3 versus 17 and critically succeeded by 14. Draco [to William]: *points* The GM says, "*nod* *thinks*" The GM says, "Mentally exhausted and half-blind, En-Ai gives it her best shot but can't pick up her feet fast enough. As she is rounding the back, she bumps into the corner of the lefthand passage and appears about to cry out... but Draco's concentration on quiet seems momentarily to take on a life of its own, muffling her outcry. Moving with a smooth grace, he sweeps the unsteady woman off her feet once more and pads on silent feet to the archway. The three of you make it to the domain of the Tower entirely unremarked by the demons intent on their internecine combat." Ekur takes the stairs two at a time, heading to the top. Draco is right behind, the Grigoria still in his arms. The GM says, "The passage is swift. Humans in the Tower below seem to offer to take the wounded being for some sort of aid, but they'll let you run past if you choose." Ekur will let Draco make that decision. He wants to get this tower hidden, rather than have it fall into Beleth's hands, and he doesn't trust time to hold out. Draco follows Ekur on up the stairs, still carrying En-Ai. He's not letting go of her until he's /sure/ this place is safe. The GM says, "At the top of the Tower, you are running for the top seemingly ready to burst in to Mondkind's chamber but somehow, once again, find yourself standing there calmly. Mondkind is there in the chamber, but this time her features are tense with effort." Ekur pulls out the crystal. "Here, this may help." Mondkind looks at you, and manages a smile. "Thank you... it shall." She slowly stands up from the divan, and looks you over. "Three I sent, and three return, but not the same..." She shakes her head. "But this we will discuss in a moment." Mondkind takes the crystal. She looks around the room and rearranges the furniture with a gesture of thought. At the now-clear space on the center tile of the room, she sets the crystal upright. It settles into the ground. "And now we must light it," she says, and reaches her hand out to Ekur. Ekur hands over the Elahinoor. Mondkind uncorks the phial, and upends it over the crystal. The light flows within, and alters into a pattern of star and shadow. The ambience in the chamber subtly shifts, the profiles of objects deepening. Draco stands near the doorway, still holding En-Ai, and watches. Mondkind stands up straighter. "Easier now," she sighs. She turns to you. "It is largely done. It is much easier now for me to hide this Domain from sight and protect it from violation. Those who leave will have it blur in their memories... that includes you as well, I must say." Her eyes flicker to En-Ai briefly. Mondkind says, "However, Beleth's attention is still very much focused on this place, so I would ask of you one last favor." Ekur nods gravely. Mondkind says, "She is waiting outside the border of my Domain. The fragments of Knowledge and Oblivion, no longer anchored by the presence of living souls within their borders, have safely passed, and with them the encampment of the Tsayadim and the laboratories of the Technologists. They, and the Nightmares demons, can resolve their affairs as they please in Utgard. But Beleth still needs to be moved, so... could you distract her for a few moments? It would be all I need." En-Ai says, "Um... I'm not really in any shape to be taking on Demon Princesses, madam." Ekur nods. "I'll go. Draco, you and En Ai stay here; I don't want you getting hurt." Jesdyn says from off-screen, "You can use that marching chanty back from the first Arc. That may distract her." Ekur shifts his ethereal form to match his celestial, drops the bag of artifacts, and marches down the stairs, sword and shield prepared. Draco looks distinctly nervous, but says, "I believe I might be able to assist in the distraction. It would take her longer to deal with two people than one." He sets En-Ai down, gently. "If you'll excuse me." Draco shifts form again, to an ordinary-looking raven, and follows Ekur down the stairs. As you head down, both of you hear behind you, "Actually, yeah. I was thinking about staying here on, you know, kind of a permanent basis..." Ekur says, "I don't see the point in risking two of us when one will do, Draco. I am sure I can draw Beleth's attention myself." "Momentarily," Draco says, "but again, time is of the essence. I vote for a redundancy in the system. As Neil isn't here to cast a dividing vote, by virtue of being Most Holy, I win." He perches on Ekur's shoulder. "...I will, however, let you stand in front." The GM says, "The two of you leave Mondkind's chamber and come down to the bottom of the Tower. The unseen Presence there, valet-style, politely hands Draco a small belt pouch containing the artifacts Ekur left behind. Following this encounter, the trip to the border of the Domain is swift... there are a few disgruntled Tsayadim and demons of multiple flavors glaring at each other along the path, apparently having realized that violence = ejection." Ekur says, "I'm the vassal around here, I've got the casting vote. But if you insist, well, I'm not going to dissuade you, I guess." The GM says, "There seems to be now a scrim of lace or some similar veil over the border of the Domain, which looks out not on Heaven and Hell but on a landscape of grey stone and foothills. There is a bit more of a war going on out there, with people paying little attention to the Domain." "It's at least even," Draco says, after a moment's consideration. He hops back and forth on Ekur's shoulder. "Besides, you're not the only one with old business in this." The GM says, "There is also a woman, human-looking but skeletally-thin, with stringy hair and a tattered dress, staring fixedly at the border of the Domain. A Tsayad in full armor breaks through the bodyguard of demons around her. He lunges at her, and she grabs his sword absentmindedly with her left hand, snaps it in two, and stabs him with the fragments, not changing the point of her attention." The GM says, "She is familiar to you both... Draco the more recently, but Ekur knows that, ah, she was once so beautiful..." Draco is true to his word, and drops off Ekur's shoulder to wing along /behind/ the armored angel. The GM says, "She can't seem to see any actual discrete object -- including you -- behind the veil." Ekur strides purposefully, and marches directly toward the woman. Just before he steps across, out of the domain, he looks directly at Beleth. He then breathes deeply, dreamshapes some paper, and quickly jots down some lullabies on the paper. He steps across the border, shouts, "Mother, this is enough!", and begins an invocation of Blandine. William [to Ekur]: With total mods, target number 12. And it'll take several seconds of concentration. Utgard's a long way away from the Tower of Dreams. Draco [to William]: That's what the backup angel is for! Ekur silently tells Blandine, in the invocation, "My Lady, I just need your attention for a moment, enough to distract Beleth from her purpose. Oh please, ruler of my Heart, save Mondkind by turning your attention here." Ekur rolled 10 versus 12 and succeeded by 2. The Demon Princess Beleth averts not yet her eyes. "Mother?" she spits. "I whelp no mewling, indecision-ridden angel. Or are you one of mine who left the fold, whimpering for Heaven's safe embrace?" "Oh, he's fairly decisive," Draco says, from behind Ekur. "One of his more notable characteristics, even." William [to Ekur]: The call goes out into the distance... Ekur says, "I almost followed you, Mother. Almost, in my rage at the rebellion, almost I Fell with you. But I did not. Here i stand, I can do no other." Upon hearing this, a couple of Beleth's bodyguards cautiously turn to face Ekur. Angels who have been around since the Fall aren't chicken feed, even when they're threatening Superiors. Beleth... blinks. And turns to Ekur. "The Fall? So you *are* one of mine... one of those that abandoned me in my hour of decision." Ekur flourishes his sword. "I do not do this in anger. I do this because it is necessary." He moves forward, toward the bodyguards. Draco sticks close to Ekur, wondering what, exactly, he was thinking when he over-ruled the /Elohite's/ decision about the logical course of action here. Guess it's time to find out. Ekur says, "In your hour of error. And I continue to pray that you will see the error, and return to to the embrace of God." William [to Ekur]: You get the best response to your invocation that Blandine can send this far on short notice, which is that she is examining the situation through your Heart and prepared to return you to the Tower if Beleth makes an aggressive move. Beleth suddenly realizes that she has turned her attention from the... from the... whatever it was. And suddenly, she's furious at you. Ekur says, "I still love you, Beleth. I still want what's best for you. Let go of Lucifer's lies, and rejoice again in the light."" [ snip msg'ing ] Beleth's voice echoes across the battle plain. "Enough," she says, and everyone freezes in place, tendrils of icy fear paralyzing everything. "Go home," she says, and her troops turn around and head off into the Marches. Draco very nearly turns around and heads home too. It's sort of ingrained. But he said he was coming, and so he will very well...hide behind Ekur. Bravely. Beleth regards Ekur and Draco. "It seems your gambit has succeeded," she said. "Whatever shield is over the objective I came here for, I cannot pierce it." Beleth looks over Draco. "You I don't know," she says. Draco . o O ( ...good! ) Neil . o O ( And /I'm not here/. She can't /see me/. ) Beleth examines Ekur for several seconds. "...yes. I remember you now." Ekur says, "The Light of Heaven, Mother. It can still be yours. Repent." Beleth turns to go. She reaches into her tattered dress, pulls out a Memory Pearl, and regards it momentarily. She turns to Ekur and says, "For some reason, I see that whatever I'd intended to do with this Memory Pearl involves telling you, 'And now I don't,' and then doing this." She crushes it. Beleth leaves. Ekur very carefully does not react. He is an Elohite. He does not allow his emotions to bias his decisions. A victory was won today. But in the dark corners of his soul, he /feels/ that it would have been better that she destroyed him, than this. Draco lands on Ekur's shoulder again, but can't think of anything to say. Ekur sighs. "Let's go home. It's been a long day, and I'm sure I've got paperwork." Blandine whispers to the both of you, "Home." The GM says, "Let us turn to Neil." Jesdyn [to William]: After watching /that/ "victory", let's not. d: Alright. The GM says, "Neil is even further from home than Ekur and Draco. We find him in the middle of a deep valley, so deep that it is hard to tell whether the blackness above is a closed tunnel or open to a starless sky." The GM says, "Far ahead, gates of bronze stretch high into that black night. Where Neil is, throngs of humans shuffle forward... depressed, angry, resentful, despairing. Neil shines with the harsh light of an acetylene torch upon this blank mass of humanityGODsomanydamnednothingtodoaboutthemalldamned" The GM says, "Habbalah are the most represented in the demons out here, lashing the crowd with whips to move them along. They see Neil, and instantly a cry goes up. 'Angel!' 'Angel!'" Jesdyn [to William]: Hold on. You /sure/ they see me? Jesdyn [to William]: Wait, I'm Celestial. Never mind. Jesdyn [to William]: Even the cloak won't help completely. William [to Jesdyn]: They might forget you once you're out of line of sight, but right now you *are* making yourself a threat, by virtue of your nature and location. There are only two things nearby remotely as bright as you. The GM says, "Several of the Habbalah rush toward the Gates of Hell, raising the alarm. Several others launch themselves toward you, coiling their whips." Jesdyn [to William]: I'll head towards those, I think. Very quickly. I normally couldn't lose myself in a crowd, but I'm gambling that flight plus lack of line-of-sight will help me get there. fadethecat [to Jesdyn]: And wouldn't /this/ be a great time to have Mercurian of the Wind. Jesdyn [to William]: The lights, I mean -- not the Habbalah. Jesdyn [to William]: I don't think there's a good bluff that'll work here. Jesdyn [to William]: I /look/ like a nine-forcer, after all. The GM says, "The Habbalah can't move quite as quickly as your winged form, fortunately. As you take flight over the crowd, though, hands shoot up out of the throng. 'Mercy!' 'Angel of God, have mercy!' 'I didn't mean it!' 'They made me do it!' 'I didn't do anything *wrong*, have mercy on me, please!'" Neil pushes past them. God help them all, they /did/ mean it, and they /did/ have a choice. The GM says, "This goes on until you come close to the Gates. The angels of Final Judgment glare down at you. A veritable squadron of demons in Baalite uniforms, each bearing relic rifles, pin you with their own hating gazes." Daniel says, "You're under *our* aegis against being Swiss-cheesed by every demon in shooting distance, Mercurian. What are you doing here?" Neil says, "Filing an amicus curiae for the case of Iacopo ben Levi, Hellsworn Sorcerer." Jesdyn [to William]: What's the proper form of address for senior Wordbound? William [to Jesdyn]: For the case of the Angels of Final Judgment, I think "Your Honor" might do. Jesdyn [to William]: He's done Heaven a great service, Your Honor, and I wanted to ensure all the facts surrounding his most unusual case were made available to you. Jesdyn [to William]: And I think, Your Honors, he'll be coming this way soon. William [to Neil]: You give a full debriefing? Bear in mind, the demons will be standing there listening to every word. William [to Jesdyn]: Oh, and right about this time your memory of exactly *why* you were in the Oblivion shard starts glossing over. Jesdyn [to William]: Why I was there hardly matters -- why he accepted the pact matters. If he accepted it to save his lover -- an angel of the Lord -- from hell, and committed no further real wickedness, and his lover was there because we use the corporeal as a frigging /penal colony/ -- then his Fate's too unclear. Jesdyn [to William]: The thrust of my request is that his sixth Force be stripped and his deeds judged without it. Hutriel mutters, "Becoming Hellsworn for selfless reasons? Almost unheard of." Daniel replies, "And metaphysically, perhaps, impossible, without some sort of personality hook --" the two of them rapidly exchange high-level technicalities of the Symphony where criminal law begins blending into physical law. Hutriel leans down and breaks the leg of a Habbalite trying to hustle Iacopo past before his case can be resolved. The two Judges regard the human. Daniel says to Iacopo, "Do you know, you're the first friend-of-the-court brief we've ever had." Neil says, "Depending on our Lord's opinion of this, I may be the last." A Balseraph with an attache case comes up and says, "I am here to plead the prosecution's side in the matter, if the angels of the Lord would be so fair." Hutriel says, "No. Vade retro. We will decide this based on truth, not adversarial exposition." Jesdyn [to William]: They invoked the Vader Doctrine? /Hard core/. Jesdyn searches Wikipedia. Ah. Daniel, the Malakite of the two, resonates Iacopo. "Interesting," he says. "Died in the process of achieving a Destiny that unbeknownst to him touched celestial affairs rather than human." "Which," as the Balseraph says, "as Your Honors know, is not the realm of state for which humans' Destinies and Fates are judg--" Hutriel backhands him. Daniel says, "Destiny is Destiny, regardless of the realm. But Fate is also Fate, and a Destiny achieved after death is *highly* unusual. But nevertheless, and particularly bearing in mind the testimony... your patience shall be rewarded, Iacopo ben Levi. Judgment is hereby suspended. You will await here the arrival of one who can free you from the weight of the sin you took upon yourself by oath, and then we will see what the natural disposition of your soul will be." Neil slumps. "Thank you, Your Honors." The GM says, "A great outcry goes up from the waiting crowd, and howls of rage from the demons behind the Gate." Hutriel attunes to Iacopo and pulls him off to the side, stunned and confused. "They're always pissed for *years* after one gets away at the Gates," Hutriel says. Daniel says to Neil, "We thank you for your efforts. Kindly re-ascend and report the affair to your supervisor for assessment of your actions." Neil clasps Iacopo's hands. "Thank you. You were worth the risk." Iacopo shakes Neil's hands rather amazedly. "Uh... thank you. It's infinitely inadequate..." Neil nods to Daniel, and ascends from Hell. The GM says, "Yeah. Let's go home." ---------------- Arc End ------------------ Jesdyn [to William]: You are a /rotten bitch/ and completely awesome. What you did to poor Ekur defies words. fadethecat has deleted all of their local references. StevenE has deleted all of their local references. fadethecat agrees. Neil says, "How /do/ you delete your local references?" The GM says, "This time I asked permission first. :^)" fadethecat [to Jesdyn]: @lrm Jesdyn has deleted all of their local references. The GM says, "Or I can @clearlocal." fadethecat says, "And Draco should have just let Ekur do that scene alone, in retrospect. Ah well." StevenE [to fadethecat]: Nah, Draco insisting on coming along was a great bit of characterization for him. Jesdyn [to fadethecat]: Maybe, but your "I'm a Seraph nyah-nyah hiding-now!" speech was utterly worth it. Jesdyn [to William]: Sorry to absent myself from the arc climax /again/. These things just sort of... come up. The GM says, "Allright. I have a thesis to work on for the next couple of months, so we absolutely have to suspend for a while. After the last couple of arcs, I think a breather's probably best anyway..." fadethecat [to William]: Aw. But completely understood. Jesdyn says, "Sure thing." StevenE nods. fadethecat says, "That was pretty damn awesome, by the way." fadethecat says, "Just to be explicit about it." Jesdyn says, "Yeah." StevenE nods vigorously. Jesdyn says, "God, I'm not looking forward to that next conversation. "Hi, Ardon. Yeah. Daniel ordered me to come talk to you."" The GM says, "Many thanks. And most definitely would not have been half as great without anyone of you, which paradoxically leads to one-and-a-half greats but I'm comfortable with that." Jesdyn says, "Can you imagine /anything good/ that starts with "Daniel ordered me to come talk to you."?" fadethecat [to Jesdyn]: ...because you nobly helped rescue a soul! fadethecat [to Jesdyn]: It could be good! fadethecat [to Jesdyn]: ...maybe! The GM says, "A'ight, I'm outta here."