Session 53

[Bynw]

[20:01] * Playing 'recap.txt' to #teara-adan with 1000ms delay
[20:01] <~bynw> |--------------------------------------
[20:01] <~bynw> |
[20:01] <~bynw> |     Session 53 - Imperial Dreams
[20:01] <~bynw> |
[20:01] <~bynw> |--------------------------------------
[20:01] <~bynw> |
[20:01] <~bynw> | The Matrix Holders and their alies
[20:01] <~bynw> | are putting into motion the plan to
[20:02] <~bynw> | end Leopold's reign before it ever
[20:02] <~bynw> | begins. They must work together
[20:02] <~bynw> | without adding any new members who
[20:02] <~bynw> | may cause a breach in their secrecy.
[20:02] <~bynw> |
[20:02] <~bynw> | And they must trust one another in
[20:02] <~bynw> | all things otherwise the plan will
[20:02] <~bynw> | be lost and Leopold will win the
[20:02] <~bynw> | day with or without a fight.
[20:02] <~bynw> |
[20:02] <~bynw> | Alderic is the new champion but he
[20:02] <~bynw> | still needs several skills and
[20:02] <~bynw> | abilities to make the plan work.
[20:02] <~bynw> |
[20:02] <~bynw> |--------------------------------------
[20:02] * Playback of 'recap.txt' complete
[20:03] <~bynw> ::Temere again takes the position of leadership of the council:: "We all have talents that can assist in the comming tasks."
[20:04] <Alderic> ::Nods:: "We will need two of us to make an assault on each of Leopold's Matrix's"
[20:04] <~bynw> ::Temere:: "Myself, Master Gibran, D'nar and Lady Maylda will do the empowerment ritual for Alderic and a place chosen by Master Gibran."
[20:05] <~bynw> ::Maylda looks a bit shocked at the mention of her name and squeaks out::
[20:05] <~bynw> "Me?"
[20:06] <~bynw> ::Temere:: "Yes you. You are Anadari as is Master Gibran and myself. I'm sure Master Gibran approves?" ::he gives Nym a smile::
[20:06] <Alderic> "Master Eldan has the uhhh..." ::motions to his shaved head:: "Crazy halo of nulling or what not and should lead the assault on Kirsh I think." ::mutters:: "crazy versus loonie..."
[20:07] <Alderic> *Nym* ::gives a half-smile and nod to Temere::
[20:14] <~bynw> ::Temere:: "We will coordinate the attacks on the Matrix at Kirsh and the Matrix at Deever. But we need to get you up to speed first. Master Nym how soon can you be ready to conduct an empowerment ritual?"
[20:16] <Alderic> *Nym* "I am ready whenever I am needed."
[20:18] <~bynw> ::Temere:: "I forget you have done this a few times before. You are an old hat at it. Then we need to speak on the mundane skills Alderic needs to defeat Leopold and to win Valimar."
[20:21] <~bynw> ::Temere:: "To win the hearts and minds of the Valimarian people. Alderic you will need to be able to speak Valimari like a native. Right now you can muddle through it but the people won't accept that in their leader. And you will need to be an expert at Elden's Javelin."
[20:22] <Alderic> *Nym* ::looks at Temere and raises an eyebrow at the mention of being and 'old hat'"
[20:22] <~bynw> ::Temere:: "Elden are you ready to assist in Alderic's training?"
[20:23] <~bynw> ::Elden:: "Give me 3 days and he will be speaking Valimari like an native and he will have his javelin skill to sufficient needs." ::he stands gives Temere a little bow::
[20:25] <Alderic> "Three days!?"
[20:26] <~bynw> ::Elden walks over to Alderic:: "Yes. Three days, maybe even less if we get lucky."
[20:27] <Alderic> "I'm not shaving my head."
[20:27] <~bynw> ::Elden:: "If you are ready we can start right away ... no time like the present." ::he laughs:: "That wont be necessary."
[20:29] <Alderic> ::looks dubiously at Elden, but nods:: "This should be interesting. Okay, what do I need to do?"
[20:30] <~bynw> ::Elden:: "Have you ever read Lord Fallon's book on spacial symmetry in relation to time? What a load of crap. Come with me." ::he reaches out with his hand touching Alderic and utters a Word of Power and the two vanish from the chamber::
[20:32] <~bynw> ::: --- Elsewhere --- :::
[20:32] <Alderic> ::begins a scathing retort to defend Lord Fallon's marvlous works, but is cut off as they leap::
[20:33] <~bynw> ::Elden and Alderic have teleported from the council chamber and within a span of a couple of heartbeats are standing in darkness:: "Don't move" ::comes Elden's voice just off to Alderic's side::
[20:33] <Alderic> ::stands still:: "load of crap indeed!"
[20:35] <~bynw> ::a flare of light ingnites the darness as Elden has conjured a ball of Hand-Fire, silver light spreading out on the stone floor and walls around them::
[20:35] <~bynw> ::Elden:: "It is crap. He has a few things completely wrong. Welcome to where few have ever been."
[20:37] <Alderic> ::chuckles:: "You've transported us to....your mind! That incredible." ::gives Elden a wry look::
[20:38] <Alderic> "I really expected it to have more in it though..." ::looks about::
[20:38] <~bynw> ::the stone floor is a raised platform a step up from the rest of the chamber they now find themselves in. it is small chamber, just a bit smaller than the council chamber that the two have left behind. but instead of a table, this one has an inky black pool of water at its center::
[20:38] <~bynw> ::Elden steps off the raised dias:: "Watch your step Alderic."
[20:39] <Alderic> ::steps down as Elden does, staying close to him:: "Little small, though they say it's not the size of the mind...."
[20:40] <Alderic> ::chuckles again:: "Though I imagine they would....Oh sorry, bit off track. You where being annoyingly mysterious as you like to do. PLease go on."
[20:42] <Alderic> ::smiles at Elden and raises an eyebrow::
[20:45] <~bynw> ::Elden:: "This has been my sancutary for all of my lifetimes"
[20:46] <~bynw> ::Elden walks past the pool of black water and stands in the far corner of the room waiting for Alderic:: "Over here is where we need to go next."
[20:48] <Alderic> ::Nods looking about:: "It is an honor" ::he says in seriousness:: "Thank you for trusting me." ::points to the pool in the center:: "Is that....your ummm reliquary? Or a seeing pool?"
[20:48] <Alderic> ::moves slowly to stand at Elden's side, looking about obviously curious::
[20:49] <Alderic> ::anagin noding to the pool:: "A Phylactery?"
[20:50] <~bynw> ::Elden:: "It's a scrying pool. Though I haven't used it much in many centuries. The dias does have an operational Transfer Portal on it for those who have such talents. As you will in the future. But it is keyed only to me."
[20:51] <Alderic> "You don't fear Leopold is watching us now?"
[20:53] <~bynw> ::Elden touches the wall next to him which lights up:: "Level 5" ::he shakes his head:: "I don't use a phylactery like our Lich friends use. And yes I fear that all the time. But this place is very heavily warded and underground." ::the floor drops below them as they sink into the ground::
[20:53] <~bynw> ::the only light coming from the lighted wall that Elden touched::
[20:53] <Alderic> ::looks a bit concerned for a moment as the floor suddenly lurches beneath his feet but recovers quickly::
[20:54] <Alderic> "I thought I was the one who taught you how to create the travel disk, but here is one such device?"
[20:55] <~bynw> ::Elden:: "Never thought about putting something like that in one of the airships before. Always used the ladder."
[20:57] <~bynw> ::after about a minute the floor and walls stop moving and come to a rest. again surrounded by darkness save for the light on the wall that Elden conjured.::
[20:57] <Alderic> "You know I've been thinking, scrying is a form of spacial distortion, linking two spots at once even if tenuously..."
[20:58] <~bynw> ::Elden:: "The wall in front of you is an illusion just walk through it."
[20:59] <Alderic> "In theory it should be possible to detect such distortions localy and perhaps even strike out at the viewer through the spacial distortion. Perhaps only a nasty headache or such with the connection being what it is, but it might be satisfying and make Leopold think twice."
[20:59] <Alderic> ::Walks up to the wall slowly and runs his hands lightly over the surface as if studying it, then steps slowly through::
[21:00] <~bynw> ::Elden:: "It is very possible to do such a thing" ::he says as he walks through the wall::
[21:01] <~bynw> ::there is light here. much brighter than the chamber and travel disk just used. enough to see clearly but still not harsh to the eyes. it's source appears to be everywhere, and nowhere all at once::
[21:02] <~bynw> :: there is a long stone corridor with several doors on either side further down its length::
[21:03] <~bynw> ::Elden:: "That is why myself and Temere are reluctent to scry on Leopold directly. He might detect it and lash out at us. Which could prove to be our undoing." ::he says as he steps down the cooridor stopping at the 3rd door::
[21:04] <Alderic> ::Again he seems half- distracted as he studies everything about him, marveling at even the most inconsequential tricks of magic as if they are grand magics::
[21:05] <~bynw> ::the door itself has no window, hinges, or handle visible. there is writing on the door but it is clearly in Arrinic.::
[21:06] <Alderic> ::follows Elden:: "I like the trick with lights, but I prefer the luminecent moss that my father uses in the fortress in the glass desert. It's a very subdued light, easier on the eyes and very beautiful once your eyes adjust::
[21:07] <~bynw> ::Elden:: "I don't keep it too bright here. It only seems that way coming from the disk"
[21:08] <Alderic> "He has the most fasinating moss locked away in the depths there. It actually feeds on psionic power."
[21:09] <~bynw> ::Elden walks up to the door and passes his hand slighlty to the right of the door on the wall where it lights up a small area just as at the wall for the disk and the door slides soundlessly into the wall::
[21:09] <Alderic> "He has the druids working on crossing it with the plant Merasha is distilled from. Fasinating work."
[21:10] <~bynw> "He has some black mold? I though it was all lost centuries ago." ::Elden steps inside::
[21:10] <Alderic> ::passes his hand over the same spot looking to see if it reacts::
[21:11] <~bynw> ::the door slides out of the wall blocking his path into the room that Elden just walked into::
[21:12] <Alderic> ::passes his hand over it again::
[21:15] <~bynw> ::again the door slides into the wall and disappears leaving Elden standing in the room waiting for Alderic to enter::
[21:18] <Alderic> ::grins widely:: "You have the most fantastic gadgets here! What happens if someone keys the pad and the doorway is blocked? Will it refuse to close? Or crush them? High probability of accidents that is..." ::he seems to be babbling to himself, his senses overcome. However, he does follow Elden if a bit annoyingly chatty as he does::
[21:18] <~bynw> ::the room itself is quite large, even bigger than the council chamber room. at the enter is a narrow raised table, no chairs. and the table is padded almost like a rich mans upolstered chair. along the walls are counters and cupboards by the score. each cupboard is labeled::
[21:19] <~bynw> ::Elden:: "Either really. Depending on how it's been set. Right now it would refuse to close."
[21:21] <Alderic> ::his eyes grow wide at the cabinets and he ignores Elden as he moves into the room and begins reading the cabinets labels with an almost furious speed::
[21:23] <~bynw> ::the cabinets labels are like the doors, written in Arrinic::
[21:25] <Alderic> ::mutters some arcane words under his breath concentrating on one of the cabinet's labels as he does::
[21:25] <Alderic> !df 4
[21:25] <@ChanServ> Result: (-)(-)(+)( )
[21:27] <Alderic> ::his eyes glow a pale green and he begins reading the labels, muttering to himself as he does::
[21:27] <Alderic> ??what's one of them say??
[21:32] <~bynw> !!see OOC!!
[21:34] <Alderic> ::Moves from one cabinet to another, sometimes peering in at the contents, sometimes looking a bit confused:: "Is this your personal collection? It must have taken you a lifetime to collect all of this!"
[21:35] <~bynw> ::Elden:: "Technically it belongs to my people. I am its caretaker."
[21:37] <Alderic> ::Takes a moment at one of the labels, reading it slowly:: "What is brimonidine tartrate ophthalmic? Nevermind." ::moves onto another label::
[21:40] <Alderic> "Sildenafil." ::looks thoughtful for a moment:: "I swear I'd heard that somewhere, but I can't place it." ::moves on to another label::
[21:42] <~bynw> ::Elden:: "Purhaps in your grandfather's Library somewhere."
[21:44] <Alderic> "Possibly. Whatever it is you'll need more seems your out of it." ::moving from label to label still::
[21:49] <Alderic> "dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane." ::Looks to Elden:: "Do you just make this stuff up to sound impressive or what?" ::doesn't wait for an answer as he moves to another label, slowly the glow in his eyes begins to flicker and finally fades out: "Damn!"
[21:50] <Alderic> "Never enough time."
[21:52] <~bynw> ::Elden:: "If you are done reading for now. We can get started." ::he says gesturing to the low padded table::
[21:53] <Alderic> "Started? OH! Excuse me. I sometimes get distracted. We've no time for that now, of course." ::hops up on the table::
[21:56] <~bynw> ::Elden:: "Memory is a fickle thing. Being an adept like myself or even one as powerful as the Anadari. Memory can be altered, erased, and created. And that is all that a skill really is ... a memory."
[21:58] <~bynw> ::Elden:: "But skills are particular memories. They take a lot of beating and use. It is far easier to give someone a memory of what they had for dinner last night than it is to give them knowledge of a formerly unknown subject. Even the greatest Mindwalkers find that difficult to do."
[21:59] <~bynw> "Lay down and try to relax Alderic" ::Elden says going over to another of the counters and opening up one of the drawers and pulling out a small metal rod::
[22:00] <Alderic> ::lays back, looking a bit worried:: "and by difficult do you mean dangerous?"
[22:03] <~bynw> ::Elden walks back over to the padded table:: "Orion. Set up an anti-magical field." ::he looks at Alderic:: "No not dangerous, just for some reason mundane skills given to others don't last. Much like the magic you used to read the labels here. It fades. So the Mindwalkers don't bother with it. The psychic skills seem to set and retain themselves as you will find out soon with your father and the others."
[22:05] <~bynw> ::Elden:: "But fortunately its not the only method available. You must be able to use a javelin. And speak Valmari like a native. The process has been known to cause pain however." ::he holds up the small metal rod:: "With this I can prevent most of that, if you allow it."
[22:07] <Alderic> "I like less pain."
[22:09] <~bynw> ::Elden lays the metal rod down on a small try next to the padded table and begins to finish his setup. He pulls out several small metal half spheres, no bigger than the nail of a man's pinky. He places one at each of Alderic's temples and they stay there without falling off. He places another at the base of Alderic's skull::
[22:11] <~bynw> ::Elden takes the rod from the tray and places the end against Alderic's neck. There is a moment of a sharp prick of pain but it is gone just as quickly as it came:: "You may feel a little drowsy but it is not enough to make you sleep. But you can fall asleep easier if you want to do so."
[22:12] <~bynw> ::Elden:: "Orion. Begin the skillsoft updates."
[22:13] <~bynw> ::there is another sharp pain, again it lasts just a moment but it feels like knife being slid through Alderic's skull at the 3 points where the metal half spheres lie. And now only feels like a bad headache::
[22:15] <Alderic> ::takes a sharp inhale of breath through clinched teeth, but relaxes just as fast::