07.14g: To Onsen And Beyond!

The goings on of courts
Wyvern
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Re: 07.14g: To Onsen And Beyond!

Post by Wyvern »

Alys frowns. "Hm. Quin may have a point; it is possible that I am overreacting. Was your original shapeshifting magical in nature?"
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BringMeThatHorizon
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Re: 07.14g: To Onsen And Beyond!

Post by BringMeThatHorizon »

"To deal with what." It wasn't a question so much as a mixed expression of disbelief and confusion. What the hell was 'cancer*' and how the hell do shifters get a disease? That's what it sounded like, anyway. "What in the hell is 'shifter-cancer?' What in the hell is 'cancer?'" He's boggled for a solid few seconds, but in a nearly ironic turn takes a long drag and tries to relax himself by doing the exact thing that can cause this mysterious illness**.

Eventually he just sighs out a breath of smoke and reaches up to rub his temples with a free hand. "Yes, it was magic-based. My species had a sort of innate magical talent for shapeshifting that, in some individuals, could develop further to full-out imitation of any previously observed humanoid form. It's one of the gifts passed down to us by the gods who created our kind, supposedly.***"
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*: Hahaha, his world doesn't have advanced enough medical knowledge to know what that is- and even if they did, he's not a medic.
**: Surgeon General's Warning, ladies and gentlemen.
***: He says that with only a slight degree of disbelief, as though while he doesn't really think so he doesn't dismiss the possibility anymore.
Me? I'm dishonest, and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly. It's the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly... stupid.
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Re: 07.14g: To Onsen And Beyond!

Post by Wyvern »

Alys nods. "Cancer is what happens when one's ability at shapeshifting goes wild, turning against the person. If your current ability is still magical, then it should be a non-issue. If it is not... well. When you are rested, someone with a suitable mage-sight effect can watch you shift. Or there are other ways to tell for certain."

She looks over at Quin, "There is enough of Chaos about him that he could be. But you are right that it is not necessarily true."

And then, directed at Jaeger and Quin, "And, for the record, I would prefer for my abilities to remain secret. I would not reveal them at all, save that Dworkin has failed to provide the majority of his appointed Royalty with necessary context..."
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BringMeThatHorizon
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Re: 07.14g: To Onsen And Beyond!

Post by BringMeThatHorizon »

"Chaos? Are we talking philosophy, now? I'm a Rogue- I'm- Oh, for fuck's sake." He sighs tiredly, genuinely feeling rather a bit drained from playing with words among all this more complicated talk. The male takes another long drag, breathes out a sigh of smoke, and without further ceremony-

"Thief. Bounty-hunter, sometimes. Monster-hunter most of the time, but also thief. The Crows, my guild, are a syndicate of thieves and hunters. And before anybody levels a weapon at me, we have a code. I would keep weaseling my way around admitting that, but amidst all these metaphysical things my more mundane employment status is becoming...wearying to hide. So," He shrugs without further elaboration of that statement, as though the 'so' was nothing more than rhetorical.
Me? I'm dishonest, and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly. It's the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly... stupid.
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Re: 07.14g: To Onsen And Beyond!

Post by ShadowOfPreservation »

Lyra nods appreciatively to Quin, quite satisfied with his explanation as well.

Turning back to Jaeger, she smiles. "The Crows..." Lyra remarks with the hint of amusement in her voice. "I'll have to introduce you to my friend Jiga. You're not the only Rogue present so there's nothing to worry about. I was a member of the Purveyor's Guild back home...still am technically. Having a particular set of skills or being born a particular race doesn't define who a person is. It's what you choose to make of your life that matters. My advice is just be yourself." After a short pause, she adds, "I'm sure we can find a suitable location where you can test yourself a bit. The Striders have some training grounds and there's been lots of festival activities going on that allow for a bit of a challenge."

"As for talk of Chaos, it's not philosophy really. Depending on the context the word is used, it's a Power, different but similar to Pattern, that can effect reality. Beyond that, I think we can save the details for later."
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Re: 07.14g: To Onsen And Beyond!

Post by Wyvern »

Alys nods. "I wanted to bring the topic up, but the full explanation should wait until you are rested. Perhaps it would be useful to explain the legal system, such as it is, however..."

"At the top is Dworkin and/or the Pattern. Since the latter does not give orders, this leaves Dworkin's whims as the basis for everything else; he tends to prefer order over chaos - in the philosophical sense - but only rarely sets out any specific laws."

"Next are the Amberites - those who have attuned to the Pattern, or who he believes will attune, or who are otherwise in the Deck - excepting only Rolf, Richard, and Will."
Alys fans out the cards of those three for a moment, then puts them away again. "The only rules Dworkin has applied to us are that we do not kill each other, and that disputes between us are to be resolved by challenge. Which could mean a fight, or it could mean a coin flip, or it could mean a speech-writing test... so far, we have had little cause to explore the available nuances."

"Also at the level of Amberite is Ashara, the Regent of Rebma, who has been granted full rights to make declarations with regard to her person and realm, backed by... well, most of the rest of us, at least."

"Aside from that, however, there are no legal restrictions on the actions of an Amberite. The only limits are what the rest of us are willing to let you get away with."


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* She'll go on to explain the lower levels of the legal system as well, if Jaeger seems interested, but I figured this was a good place to pause the infodump and wait for reactions.
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Re: 07.14g: To Onsen And Beyond!

Post by BringMeThatHorizon »

"Okay, so the big thing I'm picking up from all that immediately: I'm above the law here." Jaeger chuckles. No, not chuckles. It starts out as a chuckle, but it grows and grows. In seconds that pass it grows bolder, more unhinged. The laughter of a man who realized a terrible joke, the joke of existence itself. A man who spent his life on the run from law, family, and lords- stealing and hunting for gold and glory now left with virtually no consequences to his own power. This goes on for a good few seconds like an unnerving refrain. When the male does eventually stop, he's left at a loss for breath and gripping his chest.

"What an awful joke, and the punchline only makes it worse. I've landed myself in a terrible situation. A prince of thieves, above the law, and filled to the brim with some magical super-power. It's like hitting the ultimate jackpot, and now what? Just be myself? And what if I'm a terrible person with a decent amount of face? I highly doubt either of you would like that." He's chuckling again for a few moments before waving the matter off. "I kid, I consider myself to be somewhat decent for a criminal- and I do have standards. But if you're looking for a hero, you've found the wrong man. The Crows have three simple rules, no trade of flesh, no sale of substances solely to profit from addiction, and no kills without good cause. I have a few rules on top of all that, but it's a good code for a collection of thieves and I've followed it well. So, here- let me make a simple request of you three."

Jaeger looks between the three of them, Quin, Alys, and Lyra. There's a bit of an unhingedness to his expression, a sort of wildness really, but he's clearly still got a grip on his wits. "If you're a shapeshifter of considerable skill, I'd challenge you to show me the means to meet your skill. If you've a gift for magic, I challenge you to see if I possess any skill myself. And, most of all, if there's a system to all this madness- I'd challenge all of you to show it to me so that I can learn the ropes. If a 'challenge' is the only way to make a splash here, you'll find no shortage of them from me."
Me? I'm dishonest, and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly. It's the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly... stupid.
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Re: 07.14g: To Onsen And Beyond!

Post by ShadowOfPreservation »

Lyra gives Jaeger a somewhat skeptical look. "You sure you're a thief? That laugh sounded more like 'maniacal despot' or something to me." She sits up, devoting her full attention to the kitsune. "Even if all of this is funny to you at the moment, it's very serious stuff. There might not be many established laws here but anybody thinking that their status as an Amberite makes them above the law is going to get a rude awakening. Everyone I've met here seems to be quite decent and in telling you to 'be yourself' I'm making the assumption that you wouldn't have been chosen to come here if your values weren't comparable. I really hope that's the case." She pauses for emphasis, meeting Jaeger's eyes with a penetrating gaze for a moment before settling back in the water.

"As for your requests, you walked the Pattern of Ht'gon An-rit, one of the 4 "houses" that make up Amber. Morgana, our Queen, asked that I help out with your orientation so I'm more than happy to meet your challenges. I know some magic, some of shape-shifting, and am a member of the Court here. I can evaluate your skills and find the right person to appropriately test you if my skill level isn't quite up to the task." She nods to the others assembled. "Lady Alys is certainly more skilled than I with shape-shifting and I've never seen a more impressive display of magic than what Quin is capable of."
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Re: 07.14g: To Onsen And Beyond!

Post by Joshua »

Quin will shrug. "Actually, all things considered, Jaeger is taking this rather well." He will look at the kitsune. "You should be slightly more careful when making a demand; as those WILL be granted here. Regardless, If you wish to learn magic, I can teach you the basics. But... The basics are dreadfully boring, just to warn. There is no test for magic ability. It's all in the training and how much book-learning you're willing to put yourself through." He will add as an afterthought... "There are also at least two other kitsune* in the city... Although they're probably variations on what you are."
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*: And Quin is very specifically not dating one.
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Re: 07.14g: To Onsen And Beyond!

Post by Wyvern »

Alys looks at Quin and raises an eyebrow. "I did not hear him make demands, exactly. And I suspect that when he mentioned magic, what he really meant was Pattern."

She looks back over at Jaeger, "What I heard was a challenge. The first I will deny for now - as Quin mentioned, it is possible that there is nothing I could teach you there, and we should determine that before we set any further terms. The second... neither magic nor Pattern is my specialty, so I shall leave those to others. The third..." Alys grins, her teeth momentarily pointed and predatory, "if you are looking to make a -" there's a momentary hesitation "splash, as it were, I do think I have an appropriate challenge for you: Take your 'three simple rules' - and apply them here in Amber. As yet, no-one has even declared the first two of those illegal, so such a proclamation would make a good starting point."
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