Silver Insanity

Precious, Valuable Madness
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 12:13 pm 
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Prismatic Pangolin

Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 8:50 pm
Posts: 2283
The four of you are able to get all sixteen were-rats safely (and secretly) ensconced in a room in the inn without any serious problems.

The time passes quickly; Stewart has a few more components to gather for the rituals (chalk, and a silver holy symbol - technically any lump of high purity silver would do, but buying a holy symbol is the easiest way to make sure you're getting something of the necessary quality), and then books to read.

Twill, on the other hand, simply gets a head-start on his sleep; he has gone two nights without rest, now, after all. The nightmare spell does strike again, but Lauren has the appropriate scroll on hand to get rid of it before it actually disturbs Twill's slumber.

Sleep, however, once achieved, is not entirely uneventful...


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 12:20 pm 
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Prismatic Pangolin

Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 8:50 pm
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Stewart:
You find yourself in a vast cavern; the only borders you can see are the floor under your feet and the ceiling, maybe twenty feet above you. The place is silent, dry, and dead. A few pillars, stalactites, and stalagmites remain intact, but most of the cave has been smashed, like some giant went through it with a sledgehammer. Even the few bits of rock still in place bear scars; claw marks at least two inches deep into the stone.

Due to your extensive experience with the plane of dreams, you can tell that this is almost but not quite a normal dream - something is imparting direction to it, but you are in no more danger than you would be in dreamless sleep.

Of course, knowing that you're in no danger, and actually believing it are two entirely separate things - for an emaciated, almost skeletal, displacer beast with burning red eyes appears out of the shadows.

"Greetings, mortal." He pauses a moment, and seems to be staring through you, "No, don't bother to reply - this is... a sort of a message in a bottle. Anything more direct would probably end in your death, and that simply would not do." He starts pacing in circles clockwise around you (or around where you were, if you move...) "So. Why am I talking to you? Because Luma won't listen - not that I can blame her. Had there been any other way... But there wasn't. Isn't. I ask, then, that you help her; protect her; show her the kindness I cannot. My old enemies will move against you soon - they know well enough that..."

He breaks off, and the scene from back in the gully near the Circle of Daria fades in, superimposed over the cave. You and Luma stand, somehow below you, and you can see the zombie hyenas coming in from the north.

"Minions of Surl already? Does she really think those will accomplish anything? Still," the scene fades, leaving you back in the cave as you were, "There will be stronger attacks to come. Speak my name again, and I will provide what aid I can." He pauses, and you realize that he looks more feral now than when he started talking; more dangerous; more... hungry... and a second pair of red eyes is visible in the far-off shadows, slowly stalking; and now a third...

"Enough." His voice echoes oddly, as if it was coming from several different places around you. "I am... near my limit. Someday..." His voice wavers, and fades out as the entire cave seems to dissolve around you.


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 12:31 pm 
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Prismatic Pangolin

Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 8:50 pm
Posts: 2283
There is a timeless moment of darkness, and then a new scene comes into view. In front of you is a map of the world, divided and sectioned off like some great chessboard, your shadow stretching out in two directions across it.

Just the map alone is worth years of research, as it shows not just the material plane - floating above it are similar representations of the plane of dreams and all its various sub-realms.

Scattered about the board are game pieces of all kinds - some, ornately decorated and painted to exacting detail, you recognize as various major deities; a few less-detailed pieces you can still identify; and then, scattered about (mostly on the material plane), are hundreds of simple stone carvings - most with not so much as a scrap of paint on them. Other pieces are stranger still; several appear to be carved out of wood, or crystal, or in one case living fire.

Aside from the board, your surroundings are empty - a featureless black plane beneath your feet, and an empty black sky above.


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 12:45 pm 
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Sane. VERY Sane.

Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 8:32 pm
Posts: 610
Stewart simply stands still for a moment, attempting to analyze and memorize his surroundings. Then he will carefully, without disturbing anything, attempt to find three features of interest to him: Dornsby, Targrove, and his own home (presumably floating near the previous).


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 12:50 pm 
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Prismatic Pangolin

Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 8:50 pm
Posts: 2283
All three locations can be found relatively easily from where you're standing; none of them contain even a single piece.

There is a piece - one of the simple stone carvings - at the Circle of Daria, one square over from Dornsby. The living flame piece is several squares away, on the northern edge of the Arkwood. There are a few other of the stone pieces in various somewhat near locations, but nothing you recognize.


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 1:59 pm 
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Sane. VERY Sane.

Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 8:32 pm
Posts: 610
Glancing around these locations and finding nothing of interest, Stewart frowns. He comments, "Well, if I'm going to be stuck in the middle of this, I'm damn well going to be involved." He looks at his home floating in the air above Targrove and adds quietly, "It's not like I haven't already made my mark here."

Having reached a decision, he stretches forth his hand and forms a construct that very strongly resembles himself, attempting to plant it on Dornsby's square.


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 2:56 pm 
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Prismatic Pangolin

Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 8:50 pm
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Your magic reacts... oddly, once it passes the edge of the game board. It seems to ripple, and diffuse, and for a moment you think you're going to lose the spell entirely. And then, with a faint pop, a tiny figurine appears in Dornsby. It seems similar to (if somewhat smaller than) any of the other stone pieces on the board, and bears a striking resemblance to you.

From behind you, a deep, rumbling voice comments, "Well. That was... unexpected. So, do you plan on playing - or are you just another piece on the board?"


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 5:44 pm 
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Sane. VERY Sane.

Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 8:32 pm
Posts: 610
Stewart frowns for a moment when his piece becomes stone instead of ectoplasm, but then shrugs. Without turning, he gestures at the figurines of deities, "if they're just a piece on the board, then I'm not in horrible company. But, no, I intended that to be a declaration of self-determinism. It's just that the only piece I can truly claim at the moment is myself. I'm rather surprised my companion isn't on here, either, but I don't quite have the..." Stewart trails off, looking for the appropriate word. "Ego? Arrogance? Something like those, anyway, to claim her as mine."


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 7:53 pm 
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Prismatic Pangolin

Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 8:50 pm
Posts: 2283
There is a faint snort of laughter. "Perceptive of you. Fate doesn't apply at the level you just promoted yourself to, unless you let it, of course - a lesson that many would-be players still haven't learned. As for your companion..."

The board is suddenly filled with another layer of pieces - these, simple round tokens with images. They cover the board, somehow stacking in the thousands in places, and yet all still visible. Among the tokens in Dornsby, Luma and Twill stand out as the highest ranked, followed (at some distance) by Lauren, and a middle-aged human man you don't recognize.

"The full view gets a little cluttered; hard to follow. Usually just watching the major pieces is good enough."


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 8:06 pm 
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Sane. VERY Sane.

Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 8:32 pm
Posts: 610
"Interesting. I would have thought she's be a major piece after all the excitement around her. Oh, well. Things aren't always what they appear."

After a moment of thought Stewart adds, "And standing outside of fate may give me an edge in what's to come. It certainly couldn't hurt, especially if I was already in there." He'll grin and turn predatorily towards the voice.


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