As should be known my name is Morgath and I must begin by stating that something befell the Master and I that he had of course anticipated but never truly felt would actually come to pass. Perhaps I should set the scene in order to bring everything into perspective. We had arrived from a flashback into the past of Eagle on the shores of Valn. Our mission was to follow thru on negotiations that had taken place with the Master and Klon Barr.
Now the Master it seemed had already deduced that the identity of Klon Barr whose organization known as was Merciful Dawn which had been absorbed into the Loyalists and become the Estate District but I had not. The fact that he would turn out to be not only an Outsider but a purebred Solar was indeed a surprise to me. The he had plans that involved having to remain with the Loyalists in order to try and enact a plan of his own in the future seemed foolish to me but then again it no doubt had something to do with saving the lives of those he cared about.
Klon Barr who in fact turned out to be the founder of Merciful Dawn who had basically just been passing leadership of his organization down to himself and forming a new identity after an appropriate amount of time had passed. So his weakness and that being his love for Merciful Dawn was the weakness that the Shadow Lord of the Loyalists was using against him. In fact even after a host of minor difficulties which Justice endured to find his base and they finally stood face to face a truce was almost formed until the untimely arrival of the Shadow Lord itself.
The Shadow Lord of the Loyalists laid down an ultimatum to destroy the disobedient Klon Barr and his minions then work out a deal to join him. Or submit to magical mind alterations with the use of an Artifact which would render the Shadow Lord an ally to not be betrayed which could not be broken by conventional magic. Or be left with the chance of failing to defeat Klon Barr and have their minds completely rewritten to serve the needs of the Loyalists.
It is really not worth even going into the infighting and back and forth deliberations on if they should have fought or submitted to the less severe mind wipe. What is worth noting is that of course Mordalfus chose to submit to the mind wipe using the logic that keeping Klon Barr and ally was worth the risk. On the other hand Kameron, Eagle, and Natakoo of course were willing to fight as a matter of fact when it seemed that the battle might not be easy victory Kameron even considered taking his own life.
The Master chose that moment to step in for while he was willing to fight and felt victory could be assured if he put his mind to it the others did not seem to share his faith. There was also the fact that the soul link that we shared with Justice that the Master had been spending a great deal of time communing was itself in conflict. The Master felt that the part of the Link that wished not to fight was Soulinkar. There was another part that stood with the option to fight which the Master had deduced was Narvada and perhaps something else. He was of course right as Tiberius it seemed had indeed been busy but that is another story. In the end the Master reminded Kameron that if he did not like the rules of the game he could always just change the rules.
The object that would change the rules was a strand of beads that had the magical ability when used by the skilled or faithful to contact a Deity and call forth one of their faithful servants to aid them. It took a little work on the Master part but in the end Kameron since in reality he would then be faced with true proof of his Deity’s existence could in the end not refute his logic. Indeed a good investment that the Master had given to Kameron before the mission had began for a stormy day.
The servant of Ares appeared and after a little power play by Narvada with the aid of Drago and company who it seemed was also known as the Demon Prince of Waves was countered by Klon Barr negotiations began in earnest. Sadly the talks did not go in the Master’s favor. For while in the end the Avatar of Ares cut a deal that would free Kameron and Eagle from the mind alterations and the other mind alterations would be performed by the Avatar itself while being observed by the Shadow Lord. We were given twelve hours to make any preparations we felt we needed to make.
Drago had asked me to help him communicate with Klon Barr to see if they could work out another plan. The only option it turned out to be was to sacrifice someone who would erect an anti-magic shell while the others fled as the Shadow Lord had only sent a projection. The Master had considered it but the idea of running did not sit with him or for the matter Mordalfus.
Meanwhile the Master had been speaking with the Avatar seeking to make a deal and even that deal was unsatisfactory as it would result in the binding of Amanda. No doubt since Armand had started making a presence in world he had made a point to be honorable and keep his word whenever it was given. On might wonder why he was not therefore lawful well that was because Amanda on the other hand had absolutely no problem handling situations with extreme prejudice. All the bound Souls, Undead, Liquid Pain chambers, and truly unholy rituals dark enough to give even me a Fiendish Outsider pause were Amanda’s handiwork. In truth I somehow doubted that Bel was truly the Father of the Mistress and had my suspicions that it was in reality the Lord of the Hells Asmodeus himself. Not that I could prove it due the state extraplanar restrictions of the World know as Tecra.
So in the end we would have twelve hours to make our peace before the deed would be done. The Master and the Mistress were both fuming and for moment I wondered if we were about to engage in a battle with everyone present as they had all failed us. I had already made a deal of my own with Narvada the Prince of Waves which assured mutual cooperation for the moment and I was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice if necessary but I hoped it would not be necessary.
Finally the Master had to face being beaten and accept the artifact level mind rape by the Avatar of Aries. I know the Master had made arrangements for such an eventually but to see his ultimate plan be enacted was something I had not foreseen. It would involve the loss of almost everything loved and held dear. Paramount to his plan would involve the great loves of his life that I knew not when he might see again. Yasriia Alet’tar consort and silent business partner of nineteen years, Delilah Varosh consort, partner of twelve years and Mother of Shay Quickshar their Daughter and finally Leydarfel consort and partner of six years. Along with the others who were part of the Network Inner Council Kal’Rath Alet’tar, Am’Irin Alet’tar, Markessa Nogar, and Vash Laren who would all break all ties to the Master. Even the Masters base Nym’Kren would vanish and remain cloaked and all of his business interests would now be overseen by others not known to the Master as was part of a plan he had set up with Yasriia years before.
It did not end there the Liquid Pain factory would be shut down and all of the Masters simulacra would be relocated to the Island until the Master had his back up base up and running. The Master in effect would with the exception a few contacts be starting over from scratch until either he or the Network found a way to break the mind rape. His only remaining contact would be his Mother on the Island and what I knew would quickly make the Master a more dangerous and darker person indeed the loss of his Daughter Shay Quickshar. He I know had hoped to see her soon spending time with her Grandmother Lorali on the Island but events had transpired which made the risk to those he loved too great.
Where did that leave the Master well he would still have his Seelie Silthilar apprentice Voltana Arcana and his Undead as well as a number substantial stipend of funds large enough to start a new business operation or hire a number of mercenaries as well a recently acquired Ninja Clan. My only wonder was how the Master might choose to deal with the quiet in his mind one all of the reports stopped. It didn’t matter either way we had done it before and I had no doubt we would do it again I had faith in the Master all hail to Clan of Shar.
Word’s from the Master 3
It was no wonder that now as I finally felt my power grow to a level where I felt I could have easily convinced Justice to stand with me and oppose the Shadow Lord it no longer matters. As I have allowed Morgath to record the Final Protocol as he known to him had been enacted. I really had no choice it was either that or go into hiding and be seen as a coward and watch the Network be torn asunder. Well that was not likely to happen if I had anything to say about it but the situation was I had not guarantee hence the Final Protocol.
I was of course aware of Morgath’s little dealings with Narvada and I was actually proud of him for he had gained me information which would prove useful in the future. While the full extent of the control the Loyalists would soon hold over Perciphea if their Senatorial candidate won was indeed impressive to behold as Klon Barr had revealed the extent of their choke hold on but the Government as well as the Underworld of Perciphea.
The arrival of the Shadow Lord of the Loyalist Leader and the arrival of the Avatar of Ares had saved Kameron and Eagle and Mordalfus seemed content to yield and fight another day much to my disappointment. I had of course found another ally but how much us I could put to it I would have to see as I must admit it was a long shot. I had found a place within the link where I could conceal parts of myself that might enable me to have a chance to find a way to work around the mind rape but it had never been tried hence the long shot.
Justice and the Soul Link had cost me literally everything that I had held dear and loved for while I had gained much I now had to come to terms with the price which it seemed would have to be paid. It was far from over for my former Network would never stop seeking a way to free me for the power of the artifact level mind rape to which I had been subjected. It was also more complicated as the Network would have to rework every single operation to which I was aware as my full mind had been opened and potentially all of my secrets laid bare so they would be set back a little. Not by much of course as I had left them more than prepared even leaving my beloved base Nym’Kren to them and my Daughter Shay.
I admitted to my dear Daughter Shay that I had underestimated the power and influence of the Shadow Lord of the Loyalists and the betrayal of the Avatar of Ares and to learn from my example. I had told her she would be safe and to be true to her feelings and be prepared to avenge me if the need arose. If I know anything I know this from the look of hatred on her face as I kissed her goodbye that the Loyalists, Ares and Angels had made an enemy that they would one day wish they had never angered. I spend two hours with her one as Armand and one as Amanda and we just enjoying each other being Daughter and her Master and Mistress.
Delilah was sadder than I had ever seen her since her confinement on the Plane of Shadow. She vowed to find a way to restore me and we made love for an entire hour of my leave just the two of us. As we had parted she told me the Network would be in good hands and she would send me family updates to the Island via my Mother. I would be thankful but I also realized that those messages would be the only contact with my Daughter I would receive until perhaps Hecate knew.
Leydarfel who was as haughty as I expected her to be wanted to spearhead a civil war in Perciphea which she planned to eventually expand to a global war and watch while the Loyalists entire operation fell on their Shadow Lords head. I had persuaded her against that plan and reminded her until they had more information about the Shadow Lord to bide her time and contain her fury. I loved her passion and she was unbridled force of nature and the hour we spend together was indeed epic.
The hour I spent each with Kal’Rath my first and most loyal apprentice, My beloved Am’Irin High Priestess of Hecate, Markessa Nogar my second and most disciplined apprentice, and the cute yet cunning Vash Laren beloved of Amanda I will speak of if on the day of my restoration. For to put it simply the level of loyalty and love they had showed me throughout their lives defy words and it has always been an honor and a pleasure to be their Master and almost made the sacrifice I would be making bearable. Correction I should clarify only almost mind you.
Meanwhile my Simulacra were busy shutting down all of their operations and making preparations to depart my Island retreat. I would be taking with me over one million in funds as well as over a thousand doses of Liquid Pain and leaving the remaining amount and funds with the Network as well as all future funds which would no longer be coming to me. My twenty percent profit percentage would now be split with ten percent going to the Inner Council and the remaining ten percent going to by beloved and oldest business partner Vampiric Dark Elf Yasriia Alet’tar as her operatives would now be taking over the day to day running of Darkholm Imports and Exports.
Finally all telepathic links to my lovers and companions were broken and with the exception of my Simulacra, Voltana Arcana and Morgath I was alone with the exception of a few flashbacks my own thoughts for the first time in years. All magical items that would link me or any who would be leaving with me were left behind. That left time for one last feast and orgy with all my friends which I would soon be leaving behind which lasted two hours. It was then time to leave as the Inner Council would need time to make their won preparations so that I or anyone with access to my memories would not be able to find them or Nym’Kren.
I then departed to the Realm of Under to meet with Yasriia Alet’tar to make my final preparations and for her to perform a little mental surgery of her own before I departed for the artifact might not notice that my memories had been altered before I arrived. I know she may have done a few other things but she is one of only two women I would trust to perform the procedure and I had bound Morgath to observe her. I had asked her to place a trigger that would cause me to return to a secure location in Under actually a one use Safehouse she had set up for just that purpose where once I arrived my memories would be restored after the procedure was over. I would learn she had also set a specific sending trigger just in case her Safehouse was not destroyed within six hours of my departure.
Yasriia left me with the most wonderful sexual memory just to remind me who had loved me first but sadly within her Clan she was still the Matron Mother and I a cherished Royal Consort but those are the breaks and we are both happy and neither of us have any regrets for we have both profited from or continued partnership. I know she was sad to see the price I would have to pay but she understood that with my level of ambition it was a risk of being involved in the power struggles that plagued Tecra.
I had lost another hour but of course my memories were painful and pleasant and the memories of Yasriia filled me with the resolve to face the hated Avatar of Ares and the Shadow Lord and be prepared to diplomatically submit. I still held out hope for an ace I had up my sleeve as it were and I had one last trump card to play. Time would tell if I felt it logical and wise to play it and if I played it I am sure Morgath may choke which by Hecate will be humorous indeed.
The Tales of My Master
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Day Four of Fifty Justice Reckoning Set 42 Into the Aquatic Depths of Eagle’s Past
I must begin by stating the obvious while I continue to prove my worth to the Master I am actually thankful for the return to the past of Eagle. For in our journey into her altered past as she flew for over eight hours over the ocean the Master was at peace. The reason for this was simple we were over the ocean a place that has always had a calming effect on the Master. It’s a good thing I suppose for we were soon to be thrust into yet another situation that the Masters brilliance and preparation would make our mission that much easier. Then again that seemed to always be the case actually.
We had emerged from what I would have to call a reflective flash that had revealed parts of our souls and the battle that seemed to be being waged. The Master had emerged recommitted to and agenda of eventual world domination to put it lightly. So the return to the flashback of Eagle the Abomination was a relaxing respite which gave the Master time to reassert control over his more destructive ambitions.
Eagle had been flying looking for the next Artifact crystal shard on her list. She was being lead it would seem to a ship that resembled the Prima Rose when the weather seemed to take on a subtle change. The Master noticed it but did not seem that worried or even concerned until he saw a gigantic tentacle reach of the ocean and drag Eagle into the depths of the ocean. Just like that the others who comprised Mordalfus, Kameron, Drago, and familiars and crystals went into action.
Normally what turned out to be an advanced Kraken should have been nothing more than a mild annoyance but this creature was different. It seemed to be wearing attire in the areas normally reserved for magical items and to top it off it was surrounded by a sixty foot radius field of anti-magic. I had then proceeded to swat at the Master, Drago and Kameron with ease before plunging into depths with its prize. Of course Kameron led the charge into the depths and the Master called forth with the aid of his Staff of the Magi and Elder Water Elemental in order to allow us to give chase.
I will not spend time describing all of the various traps and tricks that lay in the ship graveyard which seemed to be the home of the Kraken. Instead I will jump ahead for they all fell before the wit and guile of the Master and his companions much to the surprise of the Kraken. Which turned out to be a good thing for Eagle for when we finally caught up to it it’s item which blocked magic had been set aside so that it could play with its dinner.
The Master had erected a number of magical wards that stood a chance of negating the anti-magic and along with Drago’s bold maneuver to snatch the Krakens anti-magic item for a moment for the others it was pretty close. The Master had had his own magic turned on him and many of the others had been snatched by the Kraken. In the end the actions of the Master and the others and finally Mordalfus with the aid of his Eldritch Glaive had put the Kraken down as it would not see reason and surrender.
I was then a simple matter for Kameron who revealed his presence to Eagle and aid her to the surface. He had somehow managed to communicate with her and convince her not to struggle and that he was with companions to assist her and she had taken his suggestion. That of course turned out to be a good thing for otherwise she might have suffocated. Of course before we could assist her any further the Master and I could feel the pull of the link bringing us to who knows where and I was left to meditate on how to once again prove myself to the Master.
Word’s from the Master 2
Hello and welcome back to the Words from the Master. So as usual Morgath had my thoughts and feeling completely misread. Then again what can one expect when our intellects differ by such a vast degree for in reality the entire flashback into Eagle’s past I had other more pressing things on my mind.
Sure I will admit I was in a better mood for I had a lot of plans to see to fruition. The Network which I had spent a few years setting up was currently on Red Alert due to the nature of the situation with Justice which I had a feeling would sooner or later explode in my face. I had of course established protocols to protect the Network on the chance that any of the Inner Council was in any way compromised.
I had long ago aided each member of the Network Inner Council in finding ways to continue the work of the Network on their own. There as already an intricate infrastructure already in place to enable its continued existence in one form or another if even only one of them survived. So my mind was on other plans which I concluded would eventually place me in direct opposition to the Loyalists who had obviously been on the job longer than I. So while I would have to offer them that advantage as a given I have never been one to back down from a challenge.
In truth dealing with the Kraken and Eagle had barely taken any of my attention. For in truth my thoughts were focused on creating an Empire of my own which I would call the Clan of Shar. I had plans for Morgath who while his use to me had been diminished due to his recent failure soon I knew things would change. Soon I would be powerful enough to access the final arch of magic with ease and on that day let any who chose to stand in my way beware.
Really the only reason I was even still associating with Justice at all was that I felt a sense of hedonistic love for Mordalfus and Kameron I blame Amanda. Narvada and Soulinkar were either going to be advantages of disadvantages but for the immediate future I realized they each had reasons to aid me so it was wise for the moment to give them each time to have their say.
Now was I also considering making a deal with my Father if Hecate failed me well of course I was after all any port in a storm as they say but I was not there yet. Since the ambitions of Hecate had so far remained my own only time would tell if I had outgrown her sphere of influence. Until then let those who serve her continue to call me their Master or Mistress as my mood shifts while I remain her ambassador incarnate to wealth and power thru the power of that which will bend all to my will, Magic.
We had emerged from what I would have to call a reflective flash that had revealed parts of our souls and the battle that seemed to be being waged. The Master had emerged recommitted to and agenda of eventual world domination to put it lightly. So the return to the flashback of Eagle the Abomination was a relaxing respite which gave the Master time to reassert control over his more destructive ambitions.
Eagle had been flying looking for the next Artifact crystal shard on her list. She was being lead it would seem to a ship that resembled the Prima Rose when the weather seemed to take on a subtle change. The Master noticed it but did not seem that worried or even concerned until he saw a gigantic tentacle reach of the ocean and drag Eagle into the depths of the ocean. Just like that the others who comprised Mordalfus, Kameron, Drago, and familiars and crystals went into action.
Normally what turned out to be an advanced Kraken should have been nothing more than a mild annoyance but this creature was different. It seemed to be wearing attire in the areas normally reserved for magical items and to top it off it was surrounded by a sixty foot radius field of anti-magic. I had then proceeded to swat at the Master, Drago and Kameron with ease before plunging into depths with its prize. Of course Kameron led the charge into the depths and the Master called forth with the aid of his Staff of the Magi and Elder Water Elemental in order to allow us to give chase.
I will not spend time describing all of the various traps and tricks that lay in the ship graveyard which seemed to be the home of the Kraken. Instead I will jump ahead for they all fell before the wit and guile of the Master and his companions much to the surprise of the Kraken. Which turned out to be a good thing for Eagle for when we finally caught up to it it’s item which blocked magic had been set aside so that it could play with its dinner.
The Master had erected a number of magical wards that stood a chance of negating the anti-magic and along with Drago’s bold maneuver to snatch the Krakens anti-magic item for a moment for the others it was pretty close. The Master had had his own magic turned on him and many of the others had been snatched by the Kraken. In the end the actions of the Master and the others and finally Mordalfus with the aid of his Eldritch Glaive had put the Kraken down as it would not see reason and surrender.
I was then a simple matter for Kameron who revealed his presence to Eagle and aid her to the surface. He had somehow managed to communicate with her and convince her not to struggle and that he was with companions to assist her and she had taken his suggestion. That of course turned out to be a good thing for otherwise she might have suffocated. Of course before we could assist her any further the Master and I could feel the pull of the link bringing us to who knows where and I was left to meditate on how to once again prove myself to the Master.
Word’s from the Master 2
Hello and welcome back to the Words from the Master. So as usual Morgath had my thoughts and feeling completely misread. Then again what can one expect when our intellects differ by such a vast degree for in reality the entire flashback into Eagle’s past I had other more pressing things on my mind.
Sure I will admit I was in a better mood for I had a lot of plans to see to fruition. The Network which I had spent a few years setting up was currently on Red Alert due to the nature of the situation with Justice which I had a feeling would sooner or later explode in my face. I had of course established protocols to protect the Network on the chance that any of the Inner Council was in any way compromised.
I had long ago aided each member of the Network Inner Council in finding ways to continue the work of the Network on their own. There as already an intricate infrastructure already in place to enable its continued existence in one form or another if even only one of them survived. So my mind was on other plans which I concluded would eventually place me in direct opposition to the Loyalists who had obviously been on the job longer than I. So while I would have to offer them that advantage as a given I have never been one to back down from a challenge.
In truth dealing with the Kraken and Eagle had barely taken any of my attention. For in truth my thoughts were focused on creating an Empire of my own which I would call the Clan of Shar. I had plans for Morgath who while his use to me had been diminished due to his recent failure soon I knew things would change. Soon I would be powerful enough to access the final arch of magic with ease and on that day let any who chose to stand in my way beware.
Really the only reason I was even still associating with Justice at all was that I felt a sense of hedonistic love for Mordalfus and Kameron I blame Amanda. Narvada and Soulinkar were either going to be advantages of disadvantages but for the immediate future I realized they each had reasons to aid me so it was wise for the moment to give them each time to have their say.
Now was I also considering making a deal with my Father if Hecate failed me well of course I was after all any port in a storm as they say but I was not there yet. Since the ambitions of Hecate had so far remained my own only time would tell if I had outgrown her sphere of influence. Until then let those who serve her continue to call me their Master or Mistress as my mood shifts while I remain her ambassador incarnate to wealth and power thru the power of that which will bend all to my will, Magic.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Day Four of Fifty Justice Reckoning Set 42 Narvada Revealed by the Guardian
I began to write this entry and I could only think back to how much the Master and I have changed. A version of the face of the Guardian Spirit that had been protecting us had been revealed to be the Mage we had seen who we had believed might have been the cause of the threats to our souls. In truth it turned out to be just the opposite for it was in reality the Guardian Spirit of the Soul Link. Its goal had been eventually revealed it had hoped to reveal how Narvada was feeding on the conflict of those within the Soul Link. I believe it had hoped to find a way to reveal to us that we were all needed and the fellowship that it had helped form was at risk of being torn asunder by the Narvada. In a way I guess it worked but the price I have paid and will continue to pay and the price paid by the Master cause me to doubt it.
Thankfully the Master has allowed me to continue my journal for while the Guardian as I now call the spirit of the Soul Link had altered reality to my benefit in the past it had chosen to revoke the blessing Hecate had bestowed upon me. It just would have to be the same time that while in meditation the Master’s most prized possession was stolen as I had failed to notice. The Master awoke and prepared to use the most powerful magics at his command and they were countered. He had ordered me to do the same and my use of the Masters magics failed as well. I had at the same moment lost my direct connection to Hecate I was no longer an Adept. Suddenly within the Master I could feel the evil within him growing he had trusted me to watch over him and I had failed.
I wish I could say that the fact that Drago had also lost items important to him had made a difference. On the other hand Kameron had actually lost nothing which I bid him to not inform the Master. It was hard to watch as all that had once been ordered and honorable within the Master burned away and was replaced by the darkness within his soul. It continued to burn with such fury that the Master opened a dimensional pocket dimension and walked inside. Once inside I could feel and see the turmoil within him my loss of power and therefore connection to Hecate, and my failure to protect that which he held most precious broke his hold on his psyche. For moments the form of the Master flashed between Armand and Amanda and several others forms he had adopted in the past but none of them gave him peace. In the end he gave up and his natural fiendish form emerged and he welcomed it.
I should perhaps move back in time and explain how the circumstances arose that led to my Master decent into his fiendish heritage. We had not returned to reality as the Master and I had hoped instead we had be returned to face the barrier and witness what could only be called an aspect of Narvada feeding on the anguish and conflict within souls of those who formed the Soul Link. It had been decided to move on and approach the Wizards Tower, what had been believed to be the root of the evil within the Megalopolis that it seemed had been formed from the very souls within the link.
As we had approached we soon found that a direct approach was inadvisable for the Zombies had been formed into units which literally surrounded every avenue toward the Tower. In truth any path we took by the surface was bound to be hazardous. The Master was willing to make a run for it but both Kameron and Draco felt more comfortable heading beneath the city. The Master at the time seemed alright with either decision as he had little fear of the Zombies. On the other had the same could not be said for Drago and Kameron who had almost fallen prey to their assaults on previous occasions.
So once a summoned Earth Elemental had surveyed what she could of the ground beneath us Draco took matters into his own hands and literally beat a path into what could only be called metal lined tunnels. We entered a maze that eventually led to a circular structure and the location of four equidistant bolts and a screw. It eventually took splitting up and manipulating them which caused them to seal off all of the other passages which seemed to offer security. Both Kameron and Drago felt it was a good time to rest and while the Master who could have pressed on instead chose to offer the others additional magical protections before setting me to watch over him. I had already laid out a few mystical bedrolls for them to and since I had not used any of my Hecate granted power I set myself to watch for any danger and even set a magical ward to warn me of any danger that approached.
The Master and the others would only need an hour to rest and to be honest the Master due to previous magics he had placed upon himself had not even needed to sleep he had only needed to meditate. Fifty minutes into the Masters rest not only did suddenly fail to be worthy of Hecate’s blessings but I failed the Master as well. Reality itself had suddenly been altered and at the same time the Master and I lost items of value to each of us. Perhaps it might have been different if the Master had not lost his cornet of intellect and mystery an item that enhanced both his intellect and his ability to alter his appearance.
The Master took it all in as he realized what he had lost and I confirmed telepathically with the others what had happened and as I have already mentioned a part of the Master that had respected law and respect for others was consumed by the darkness within him. It was within his pocket dimension that Drago, Kameron and he then finished their rest cycle and the Master restored his energies and along with the resourcefulness of Drago who aided in the configuration of the bolts and the screw which lead finally to Wizards Tower.
It was a long journey up to the roof of the Tower with gravity being altered as we made our way to the door at the top of the Tower. The others and the Master prepared magics and the Masters summoned Earth Elemental opened the door and Kameron strode forth to attack the Mage who resembled some kind of floating construct. He was brought up short by a shaped field of anti-magic and a sphere of force. The Master had confirmed with Drago that he had nothing prepared to pierce the barrier and so the Master in a rare fit of anger having used magics to enhance his physical combat abilities rushed forward. He encountered once he had passed the anti-magic field a magical trap in the form of a magical absorbing field which trapped him within a sphere of force.
It was then the Master put it together he was being held by a force with power far beyond his own and if they were going to try and trap him the so be it. He therefore summoned his own Changeling abilities and attempted to take his true Fiendish form. Of course the result was him being encased in even more bubble of force. Which of course was the point for the Masters plan was to continue to build more fields around us than the Mage Construct could take down until he found a way to pierce the barrier. There was even a moment when the Master came close to ordering me to break one of his magical staves in protest and to allow it my judge, jury and perhaps even executioner but he relented realizing he had other uses for me in the future.
Suffice to say eventually the Magi Construct proved to be an aspect of the Soul Link and it offered to return our lost items and release the Master. It even offered to remove the wards that had been hindering the Masters abilities. The Magi Construct even followed up with revealing tendrils that were akin to Narvada that were attached to each of us and seemingly set up to feed Narvada. It revealed a nearby building where all would be revealed and the Master flew off in pursuit of it. The Master had correctly surmised the identity of the Magi Construct and the story it told of not being trusted by the humans and that the Zombies were just misunderstood but he wished to hear nothing more from it. With the return of our items the Master was ready to see to the end of this trial and so was I.
I know not what the others faced for once we entered the building but there were three doors and the Master seemed to not even care about the others who it seemed had followed him. He entered his own door and was confronted with aspects of those who had stood with him and against him in the past and seemed to need to answer the question about the possibility for harmony. I realized then what had saved me it had been the Masters upbringing on the Island. While being raised there he had encountered a haven of harmony and joy that he still felt deserved to exist. I realized the Master felt that Law had failed him and Chaos was a pursuit of the weak-minded or foolhardy and only with his guidance could that harmony be spread over the world. I can only deduce that Kameron and Drago were able to face their own trials for soon I could feel the bindings of the reality begin to slip away. I felt the power of the Soul Link pulling us away to wherever it felt we needed to be to fulfill our destiny.
I realized that the Master had changed perhaps forever and would soon be in pursuit of even greater power and had ordered that I conform myself to become a Dealer of Death as well as a Harvester of Souls. With my powers diminished I had lost a great deal of power and the Master no longer heeded my words seeing them as being based on concepts of law and therefore useless restraints on his intentions for the future. I could not even tell if he felt anything for those in the Soul Link or now only saw them as tools to be used in his plans which he now kept hidden from me. I have been reduced to a true servant barely more than a slave and the Master will see to it that I am issued orders which I must obey or pay the price. Hecate I know will look over me and the Master as well for I am still her servant and I will obey my Master in all things.
Word’s from the Master
My name is Armand or if you wish Amanda Quickshar and you may call me your Master or your Mistress either will suffice. It is time that I began to speak for myself within this Journal as my bound familiar servant Morgath has proved himself unworthy to truly describe the grandeur and awe that my very presence inspires.
In the future I will still allow Morgath the honor of recording his view of my journey with Justice. After his conclusions I will then offer a few observations of my own which I assure you will set the record straight. So I shall begin with a view within my psyche.
I have seen the face of one of my current benefactors which I shall call the Soulinkar until it decides to speak in plain mind speak a more proper name. I have also witnessed the threat posed by one that may or may not be an enemy known as Narvada. Both entities I realize have an agenda only time will tell which one will prove to be most beneficial to my own goals.
It is my faith in my other benefactor Hecate which has caused me to realize I have been allowing myself to be limited by scale and my current level of power. For in truth while I have built a small economic and criminal empire of sorts called the Network University or the Network I do not by any means have an army at my disposal or control an entire country. I had been content to build my power slowly due to my immortality and continue my magical research the building of my forces until the right opportunity presented itself.
Alas it would seem that the same could not be said for the rest of the World and it would seem that Soulinkar had need of my talents and those within Justice. If Narvada and it are ancient enemies I have yet to discover but I have seen and beheld their power and I want it. Don’t let me confuse you I don’t intend to serve either of them instead I will find a way to gain the power I need from whichever one of them will prove to be the most beneficial to my own goals which for now I shall keep to myself.
Perhaps I have already said too much something which I will rectify in the future or the past one never knows. It will be up to the others who have been embraced by the Soulinkar to decide on their next move on their own if they wish. Suffice to say that Narvada it seems has already made its move and the Soulinkar has now countered and guess what. It’s my turn the next move is mine and if those around me are willing to follow my lead they are more than welcome to join me for it would only be wise for them to obey their Master.
I will conclude with a note on the philosophy of a place I call only The Island. It is a place free of strife and anguish, instead it is imbued with harmony dare I say even joy a place that truly has to be seen, no actually lived to be believed. I realize that the World as a whole can only comprehend barely a glimmer within their fondest dream of such a reality. I know such a reality exists and perhaps the World will need to be broken and rebuild from within before all its people of this broken World will see the light. No doubt that is why I embrace the evil within me for I am willing to do whatever it takes even become the villain of the story if in the end all see the light.
Thankfully the Master has allowed me to continue my journal for while the Guardian as I now call the spirit of the Soul Link had altered reality to my benefit in the past it had chosen to revoke the blessing Hecate had bestowed upon me. It just would have to be the same time that while in meditation the Master’s most prized possession was stolen as I had failed to notice. The Master awoke and prepared to use the most powerful magics at his command and they were countered. He had ordered me to do the same and my use of the Masters magics failed as well. I had at the same moment lost my direct connection to Hecate I was no longer an Adept. Suddenly within the Master I could feel the evil within him growing he had trusted me to watch over him and I had failed.
I wish I could say that the fact that Drago had also lost items important to him had made a difference. On the other hand Kameron had actually lost nothing which I bid him to not inform the Master. It was hard to watch as all that had once been ordered and honorable within the Master burned away and was replaced by the darkness within his soul. It continued to burn with such fury that the Master opened a dimensional pocket dimension and walked inside. Once inside I could feel and see the turmoil within him my loss of power and therefore connection to Hecate, and my failure to protect that which he held most precious broke his hold on his psyche. For moments the form of the Master flashed between Armand and Amanda and several others forms he had adopted in the past but none of them gave him peace. In the end he gave up and his natural fiendish form emerged and he welcomed it.
I should perhaps move back in time and explain how the circumstances arose that led to my Master decent into his fiendish heritage. We had not returned to reality as the Master and I had hoped instead we had be returned to face the barrier and witness what could only be called an aspect of Narvada feeding on the anguish and conflict within souls of those who formed the Soul Link. It had been decided to move on and approach the Wizards Tower, what had been believed to be the root of the evil within the Megalopolis that it seemed had been formed from the very souls within the link.
As we had approached we soon found that a direct approach was inadvisable for the Zombies had been formed into units which literally surrounded every avenue toward the Tower. In truth any path we took by the surface was bound to be hazardous. The Master was willing to make a run for it but both Kameron and Draco felt more comfortable heading beneath the city. The Master at the time seemed alright with either decision as he had little fear of the Zombies. On the other had the same could not be said for Drago and Kameron who had almost fallen prey to their assaults on previous occasions.
So once a summoned Earth Elemental had surveyed what she could of the ground beneath us Draco took matters into his own hands and literally beat a path into what could only be called metal lined tunnels. We entered a maze that eventually led to a circular structure and the location of four equidistant bolts and a screw. It eventually took splitting up and manipulating them which caused them to seal off all of the other passages which seemed to offer security. Both Kameron and Drago felt it was a good time to rest and while the Master who could have pressed on instead chose to offer the others additional magical protections before setting me to watch over him. I had already laid out a few mystical bedrolls for them to and since I had not used any of my Hecate granted power I set myself to watch for any danger and even set a magical ward to warn me of any danger that approached.
The Master and the others would only need an hour to rest and to be honest the Master due to previous magics he had placed upon himself had not even needed to sleep he had only needed to meditate. Fifty minutes into the Masters rest not only did suddenly fail to be worthy of Hecate’s blessings but I failed the Master as well. Reality itself had suddenly been altered and at the same time the Master and I lost items of value to each of us. Perhaps it might have been different if the Master had not lost his cornet of intellect and mystery an item that enhanced both his intellect and his ability to alter his appearance.
The Master took it all in as he realized what he had lost and I confirmed telepathically with the others what had happened and as I have already mentioned a part of the Master that had respected law and respect for others was consumed by the darkness within him. It was within his pocket dimension that Drago, Kameron and he then finished their rest cycle and the Master restored his energies and along with the resourcefulness of Drago who aided in the configuration of the bolts and the screw which lead finally to Wizards Tower.
It was a long journey up to the roof of the Tower with gravity being altered as we made our way to the door at the top of the Tower. The others and the Master prepared magics and the Masters summoned Earth Elemental opened the door and Kameron strode forth to attack the Mage who resembled some kind of floating construct. He was brought up short by a shaped field of anti-magic and a sphere of force. The Master had confirmed with Drago that he had nothing prepared to pierce the barrier and so the Master in a rare fit of anger having used magics to enhance his physical combat abilities rushed forward. He encountered once he had passed the anti-magic field a magical trap in the form of a magical absorbing field which trapped him within a sphere of force.
It was then the Master put it together he was being held by a force with power far beyond his own and if they were going to try and trap him the so be it. He therefore summoned his own Changeling abilities and attempted to take his true Fiendish form. Of course the result was him being encased in even more bubble of force. Which of course was the point for the Masters plan was to continue to build more fields around us than the Mage Construct could take down until he found a way to pierce the barrier. There was even a moment when the Master came close to ordering me to break one of his magical staves in protest and to allow it my judge, jury and perhaps even executioner but he relented realizing he had other uses for me in the future.
Suffice to say eventually the Magi Construct proved to be an aspect of the Soul Link and it offered to return our lost items and release the Master. It even offered to remove the wards that had been hindering the Masters abilities. The Magi Construct even followed up with revealing tendrils that were akin to Narvada that were attached to each of us and seemingly set up to feed Narvada. It revealed a nearby building where all would be revealed and the Master flew off in pursuit of it. The Master had correctly surmised the identity of the Magi Construct and the story it told of not being trusted by the humans and that the Zombies were just misunderstood but he wished to hear nothing more from it. With the return of our items the Master was ready to see to the end of this trial and so was I.
I know not what the others faced for once we entered the building but there were three doors and the Master seemed to not even care about the others who it seemed had followed him. He entered his own door and was confronted with aspects of those who had stood with him and against him in the past and seemed to need to answer the question about the possibility for harmony. I realized then what had saved me it had been the Masters upbringing on the Island. While being raised there he had encountered a haven of harmony and joy that he still felt deserved to exist. I realized the Master felt that Law had failed him and Chaos was a pursuit of the weak-minded or foolhardy and only with his guidance could that harmony be spread over the world. I can only deduce that Kameron and Drago were able to face their own trials for soon I could feel the bindings of the reality begin to slip away. I felt the power of the Soul Link pulling us away to wherever it felt we needed to be to fulfill our destiny.
I realized that the Master had changed perhaps forever and would soon be in pursuit of even greater power and had ordered that I conform myself to become a Dealer of Death as well as a Harvester of Souls. With my powers diminished I had lost a great deal of power and the Master no longer heeded my words seeing them as being based on concepts of law and therefore useless restraints on his intentions for the future. I could not even tell if he felt anything for those in the Soul Link or now only saw them as tools to be used in his plans which he now kept hidden from me. I have been reduced to a true servant barely more than a slave and the Master will see to it that I am issued orders which I must obey or pay the price. Hecate I know will look over me and the Master as well for I am still her servant and I will obey my Master in all things.
Word’s from the Master
My name is Armand or if you wish Amanda Quickshar and you may call me your Master or your Mistress either will suffice. It is time that I began to speak for myself within this Journal as my bound familiar servant Morgath has proved himself unworthy to truly describe the grandeur and awe that my very presence inspires.
In the future I will still allow Morgath the honor of recording his view of my journey with Justice. After his conclusions I will then offer a few observations of my own which I assure you will set the record straight. So I shall begin with a view within my psyche.
I have seen the face of one of my current benefactors which I shall call the Soulinkar until it decides to speak in plain mind speak a more proper name. I have also witnessed the threat posed by one that may or may not be an enemy known as Narvada. Both entities I realize have an agenda only time will tell which one will prove to be most beneficial to my own goals.
It is my faith in my other benefactor Hecate which has caused me to realize I have been allowing myself to be limited by scale and my current level of power. For in truth while I have built a small economic and criminal empire of sorts called the Network University or the Network I do not by any means have an army at my disposal or control an entire country. I had been content to build my power slowly due to my immortality and continue my magical research the building of my forces until the right opportunity presented itself.
Alas it would seem that the same could not be said for the rest of the World and it would seem that Soulinkar had need of my talents and those within Justice. If Narvada and it are ancient enemies I have yet to discover but I have seen and beheld their power and I want it. Don’t let me confuse you I don’t intend to serve either of them instead I will find a way to gain the power I need from whichever one of them will prove to be the most beneficial to my own goals which for now I shall keep to myself.
Perhaps I have already said too much something which I will rectify in the future or the past one never knows. It will be up to the others who have been embraced by the Soulinkar to decide on their next move on their own if they wish. Suffice to say that Narvada it seems has already made its move and the Soulinkar has now countered and guess what. It’s my turn the next move is mine and if those around me are willing to follow my lead they are more than welcome to join me for it would only be wise for them to obey their Master.
I will conclude with a note on the philosophy of a place I call only The Island. It is a place free of strife and anguish, instead it is imbued with harmony dare I say even joy a place that truly has to be seen, no actually lived to be believed. I realize that the World as a whole can only comprehend barely a glimmer within their fondest dream of such a reality. I know such a reality exists and perhaps the World will need to be broken and rebuild from within before all its people of this broken World will see the light. No doubt that is why I embrace the evil within me for I am willing to do whatever it takes even become the villain of the story if in the end all see the light.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Day Four of Fifty Justice Reckoning Set 42 Into the Depths of the Justice
As I had expected the Master and I were projected into another of what I have referred in the past temporal flashes. In reality as the Master had seen in other flashbacks that had occurred it seemed that the Zombie filled Megalopolis was actually a portrayal of the souls of those who were joined in the soul link So it seemed that the tasks laid before us to rescue any survivors while also defeating the Mage who resided within a grand tower in the center of the Megalopolis was in reality more that it had seemed. It truth the enter reality it would prove to be a representation the souls of the link and stood as a graphic representation of our situation. Somehow the conflicts that seemed to plague Justice of which the Master found unfortunate and counterproductive were in reality feeding Narvada and making him stronger and the Spirit that was the link was doing its best to issue a warning the Master and I knew might be difficult for the those within the link to heed. The Masters had many concerns regarding that warning and set me to the task of finding a solution.
Suffice to say we had arrived within the Megalopolis and the Masters translocation and divination related magics had been hindered. In addition to his Mindsight being blocked there was also a limitation on flying that seemed more a compulsion than exactly a hindrance or block more like an irritation that warned of imminent danger. Meanwhile the Master had saved two people a woman and a man who had been brought to him by Demon servants who had been summoned by the Mistress. The Master realizing that Kameron was nearby that we needed to reach him had me open the bag of holding and the humans were told to enter. Along with the beautiful female Air Elemental the Master had summoned we were soon on our way down the building and using the soul link as a guide we departed.
The Humans with the bag were able to breathe because I had left a small aperture open so air could enter. The Master had protected us both with a veil and shroud of undeath along with elemental protections so I felt assured it would be unlikely we would encounter anything that would slow us down. Of course I was wrong for as the Air Elemental carried us thru the city in the direction of Kameron we were literally frozen in our tracks. The Zombies were childlike and blew from their lips the death of winter which literally encased us in ice and would have soon started to stop our life processes if we had not been protected from the elements. Thankfully the Master was able to break free of the ice prison with his strength alone. He then cast command upon the three childlike Zombies and with two in his thrall ordered them to contain their resistant friend so we could withdraw.
We had also encountered a large rampaging Zombie and found it about to prey upon a woman with two small children which we rescued and also placed with the portable hole as we had moved on. Eventually we reached a sprawling complex where we found Drago who looked like he had been beaten to within an inch of his life. In itself that was worth noting but the Master had bid me to us a scroll to heal him as one never knew what new danger might arise or at what moment. For that matter Drago had even said that at that very moment he was being chased by a persistent Zombie who was likely to catch up with a few minutes. At least Kameron was inside but Ti it seemed had been pulled away from us to deal with some other conflict and Mordalfus was still nowhere to be found so we were on our own.
We entered the complex and soon once the link confirmed his direction the Master was able to communicate with Kameron. He seemed to also have suffered at the hands of the mysterious realm in which we had found ourselves. It seemed the Zombie he had fought had left him with four festering wounds which would not heal and upon examination we in fact cursed. Of course Kameron had not come prepared and at the time I had again wondered how Justice had faired before the Masters arrival. The Master of course had requested that I provide Kameron with four potions which would remove the curses that had been laid upon him. He had wished to offer me payment which I knew the Master would refuse since as far as the Master was concerned it was a Justice Matter and the Master still felt the scales were not yet balanced. Thankfully Kameron insisted not really understanding the Masters reverence for the Drow system of favors since as far as I am concerned favors to not always equate to profit.
Along with those who were being protected by Kameron our number of saved had grown to twenty. It was something the Master noticed that began to reveal our purpose in this realm. He noticed that everyone we had rescued seemed to be someone from his past who he had shown a liking to in the past whose lives he valued. That by all grounds should have been impossible so the Master had checked with Drago and Kameron only to find out that they saw entirely different people. The Master began to piece it together that we were within a construct build of the souls of those within the Justice spiritual link. The Zombies were therefore manifestations of the conflict within the link. Narvada on the other seemed to be the malignant force within that fed on that very conflict. So the mission to destroy the Tower and rescue those who survived within began to take on a whole new meaning.
Somehow Drago had managed to slip away much to my dismay and thankfully the Master was preoccupied with the ramifications of our situation to be that bothered. I realized he felt that if Drago was left alone he would find a way to either locate an artifact which could lead to trouble or bring trouble right back with him. The Master had not been wrong for within moment of Drago’s return he barely had time to reveal what he had discovered before it was time to leave. He of course had returned with a magically constructed spyglass and information of a construct that had runes similar to those of Narvada which had taken physical form and was on the move. Not to mention he had noticed a contingent of Zombies numbering around twenty which had been comprised of various Zombies which we had been able to identify.
We of course had to move or face being surrounded by the Zombies we had named Firemen, Ice children, Missile Men and Brawlers. The Master believed that there would be more than one force we would need to contend with. If the actions of Drago had brought about the assault could not be confirmed and Drago volunteered nothing so the Master chose to press on. The Master’s planned to capture the representations that resembled humans within bottles but Kameron was opposed to it. He even saddened by it so the Master relented and used to scrolls to create an extradimensional spaces within his portable hole and ushered the so called humans within. All that remained was for everyone to mount up on the Air Elemental the Master summoned and move out. Of course as we reached the exit of the enclosed structure we were to quickly realize as the Master had deduced we were surrounded.
There was talk of perhaps confronting one of the groups and the Master even readied his two handed sword and prepared to cast a protective magical shell or two as did Drago but their magics were disrupted from and unseen magical force. Suffice to say there were two sealed warehouses nearby and Drago and Kameron made for it and struck the wall down. I meanwhile carried the Master to the entrance and beyond and he prepared to begin creating a seal but his magics instead when to making a tunnel. For low and behold inside the warehouse were an entire mass of people who could now be seen by the growing Zombie hoard which were still massing outside. It seemed a Priest inside was able to restore the huge hole in the wall with a quick prayer. Meanwhile while the Zombies began their assault on the outside walls the Master constructed a tunnel below ground to reach the other warehouse while Drago waited behind to seal the passage behind as the over one hundred survivors followed us to the other warehouse.
Reaching the other warehouse was not all that difficult and once we had arrived with the warehouse the Master had me summon Genna the Jin from her ring to act as our eyes and ears while the Master settled the survivors in what had seemed like a lower level. Genna moved around and found a door where we could exit while the Master took the time to create another extradimensional space and escort our flock into the portable hole and it was time to set a course for the wall where the odd creature that had symbols of Narvada had been spotted. The Master figured it would be best to create a few slower moving distractions once the door was opened and so he summoned with the aid of the Staff of the Magi three Fiendish Gargantuan Spiders to go forth in opposite directions with one to attack the group still assaulting the warehouse while we departed in other directions order to create destruction.
It was odd for while we could no longer hear the noises of the Spiders we also notice no further sign of Zombie activity. As a matter of fact we were able to move directly to the edge where Drago had claimed to have seen the creature that bore Narvada symbols and what we found was not what the I had expected but did not surprise the Master. For we had found at the wall and beyond seemed to be machines mining our conflict and internal strife as well as then using to create more runes. The implications were obvious for while the Master had not until that very moment seen the internal issues that faced Justice to be little more than a mild irritation the same could not be said for Narvada. Far from it Narvada it had become apparent was becoming stronger the longer those conflicts remained unresolved. It seemed fitting then that the Master and I felt the pull of the spiritual link calling us away.
The plans of the Master to find ways to weaken Narvada had now become more difficult. I realize the Master loves a challenge but to be honest is had been rare that he has ever felt he has faced a worthy opponent. Don’t get me wrong the Master does not believe he is unstoppable. It’s just that he prefers to research his opponents so that in the end he has the advantage knowing his enemies strengths and weaknesses so that on the chance that they prove superior he can as they say stack the deck in his favor so they fall before him. It’s a plan that has worked for the Master for years but I could tell that due to a conversation he had had with Kameron regarding Tiberius who of course just happened to worship go figure the God of Strife himself Ares that the Master would have his work cut out for him. I figured so be it for the Master has never walked away from a challenge and it seemed that Narvada and Kameron were setting themselves up to be quite the challenge indeed. So of course I am not worried for as I know Hecate watches over us I also know Lord Quickshar was chosen for a reason and he has never let me down after he is the Master.
Suffice to say we had arrived within the Megalopolis and the Masters translocation and divination related magics had been hindered. In addition to his Mindsight being blocked there was also a limitation on flying that seemed more a compulsion than exactly a hindrance or block more like an irritation that warned of imminent danger. Meanwhile the Master had saved two people a woman and a man who had been brought to him by Demon servants who had been summoned by the Mistress. The Master realizing that Kameron was nearby that we needed to reach him had me open the bag of holding and the humans were told to enter. Along with the beautiful female Air Elemental the Master had summoned we were soon on our way down the building and using the soul link as a guide we departed.
The Humans with the bag were able to breathe because I had left a small aperture open so air could enter. The Master had protected us both with a veil and shroud of undeath along with elemental protections so I felt assured it would be unlikely we would encounter anything that would slow us down. Of course I was wrong for as the Air Elemental carried us thru the city in the direction of Kameron we were literally frozen in our tracks. The Zombies were childlike and blew from their lips the death of winter which literally encased us in ice and would have soon started to stop our life processes if we had not been protected from the elements. Thankfully the Master was able to break free of the ice prison with his strength alone. He then cast command upon the three childlike Zombies and with two in his thrall ordered them to contain their resistant friend so we could withdraw.
We had also encountered a large rampaging Zombie and found it about to prey upon a woman with two small children which we rescued and also placed with the portable hole as we had moved on. Eventually we reached a sprawling complex where we found Drago who looked like he had been beaten to within an inch of his life. In itself that was worth noting but the Master had bid me to us a scroll to heal him as one never knew what new danger might arise or at what moment. For that matter Drago had even said that at that very moment he was being chased by a persistent Zombie who was likely to catch up with a few minutes. At least Kameron was inside but Ti it seemed had been pulled away from us to deal with some other conflict and Mordalfus was still nowhere to be found so we were on our own.
We entered the complex and soon once the link confirmed his direction the Master was able to communicate with Kameron. He seemed to also have suffered at the hands of the mysterious realm in which we had found ourselves. It seemed the Zombie he had fought had left him with four festering wounds which would not heal and upon examination we in fact cursed. Of course Kameron had not come prepared and at the time I had again wondered how Justice had faired before the Masters arrival. The Master of course had requested that I provide Kameron with four potions which would remove the curses that had been laid upon him. He had wished to offer me payment which I knew the Master would refuse since as far as the Master was concerned it was a Justice Matter and the Master still felt the scales were not yet balanced. Thankfully Kameron insisted not really understanding the Masters reverence for the Drow system of favors since as far as I am concerned favors to not always equate to profit.
Along with those who were being protected by Kameron our number of saved had grown to twenty. It was something the Master noticed that began to reveal our purpose in this realm. He noticed that everyone we had rescued seemed to be someone from his past who he had shown a liking to in the past whose lives he valued. That by all grounds should have been impossible so the Master had checked with Drago and Kameron only to find out that they saw entirely different people. The Master began to piece it together that we were within a construct build of the souls of those within the Justice spiritual link. The Zombies were therefore manifestations of the conflict within the link. Narvada on the other seemed to be the malignant force within that fed on that very conflict. So the mission to destroy the Tower and rescue those who survived within began to take on a whole new meaning.
Somehow Drago had managed to slip away much to my dismay and thankfully the Master was preoccupied with the ramifications of our situation to be that bothered. I realized he felt that if Drago was left alone he would find a way to either locate an artifact which could lead to trouble or bring trouble right back with him. The Master had not been wrong for within moment of Drago’s return he barely had time to reveal what he had discovered before it was time to leave. He of course had returned with a magically constructed spyglass and information of a construct that had runes similar to those of Narvada which had taken physical form and was on the move. Not to mention he had noticed a contingent of Zombies numbering around twenty which had been comprised of various Zombies which we had been able to identify.
We of course had to move or face being surrounded by the Zombies we had named Firemen, Ice children, Missile Men and Brawlers. The Master believed that there would be more than one force we would need to contend with. If the actions of Drago had brought about the assault could not be confirmed and Drago volunteered nothing so the Master chose to press on. The Master’s planned to capture the representations that resembled humans within bottles but Kameron was opposed to it. He even saddened by it so the Master relented and used to scrolls to create an extradimensional spaces within his portable hole and ushered the so called humans within. All that remained was for everyone to mount up on the Air Elemental the Master summoned and move out. Of course as we reached the exit of the enclosed structure we were to quickly realize as the Master had deduced we were surrounded.
There was talk of perhaps confronting one of the groups and the Master even readied his two handed sword and prepared to cast a protective magical shell or two as did Drago but their magics were disrupted from and unseen magical force. Suffice to say there were two sealed warehouses nearby and Drago and Kameron made for it and struck the wall down. I meanwhile carried the Master to the entrance and beyond and he prepared to begin creating a seal but his magics instead when to making a tunnel. For low and behold inside the warehouse were an entire mass of people who could now be seen by the growing Zombie hoard which were still massing outside. It seemed a Priest inside was able to restore the huge hole in the wall with a quick prayer. Meanwhile while the Zombies began their assault on the outside walls the Master constructed a tunnel below ground to reach the other warehouse while Drago waited behind to seal the passage behind as the over one hundred survivors followed us to the other warehouse.
Reaching the other warehouse was not all that difficult and once we had arrived with the warehouse the Master had me summon Genna the Jin from her ring to act as our eyes and ears while the Master settled the survivors in what had seemed like a lower level. Genna moved around and found a door where we could exit while the Master took the time to create another extradimensional space and escort our flock into the portable hole and it was time to set a course for the wall where the odd creature that had symbols of Narvada had been spotted. The Master figured it would be best to create a few slower moving distractions once the door was opened and so he summoned with the aid of the Staff of the Magi three Fiendish Gargantuan Spiders to go forth in opposite directions with one to attack the group still assaulting the warehouse while we departed in other directions order to create destruction.
It was odd for while we could no longer hear the noises of the Spiders we also notice no further sign of Zombie activity. As a matter of fact we were able to move directly to the edge where Drago had claimed to have seen the creature that bore Narvada symbols and what we found was not what the I had expected but did not surprise the Master. For we had found at the wall and beyond seemed to be machines mining our conflict and internal strife as well as then using to create more runes. The implications were obvious for while the Master had not until that very moment seen the internal issues that faced Justice to be little more than a mild irritation the same could not be said for Narvada. Far from it Narvada it had become apparent was becoming stronger the longer those conflicts remained unresolved. It seemed fitting then that the Master and I felt the pull of the spiritual link calling us away.
The plans of the Master to find ways to weaken Narvada had now become more difficult. I realize the Master loves a challenge but to be honest is had been rare that he has ever felt he has faced a worthy opponent. Don’t get me wrong the Master does not believe he is unstoppable. It’s just that he prefers to research his opponents so that in the end he has the advantage knowing his enemies strengths and weaknesses so that on the chance that they prove superior he can as they say stack the deck in his favor so they fall before him. It’s a plan that has worked for the Master for years but I could tell that due to a conversation he had had with Kameron regarding Tiberius who of course just happened to worship go figure the God of Strife himself Ares that the Master would have his work cut out for him. I figured so be it for the Master has never walked away from a challenge and it seemed that Narvada and Kameron were setting themselves up to be quite the challenge indeed. So of course I am not worried for as I know Hecate watches over us I also know Lord Quickshar was chosen for a reason and he has never let me down after he is the Master.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Day Four of Fifty Justice Reckoning Set 42 Justice Faces Death and Rebirth
The Mistress and I had just returned to temporal zone zero or the present take your pick. After having been bound by the Guardian Spirit which is watching over our fate I soon found that much seemed to be as we had left it with the exception of the timely arrival of Gul’Vol and Tal’Vol. The day turned out to be quite more interesting than I would have expected but it was the arrival of Tiberius which brought about the timely return of the Master which brought about a sense of order that had been missing the set the chain of events that would follow in motion.
To set the stage if you will a few of the Masters other simulacra were at that moment spread out around the globe as it were keeping an eye on the Masters investments. So of course I am speaking about Justice for while the Master did not exactly consider himself a member of the Street Gang called Justice it had proven to be quite profitable to have made their acquaintance. This among other reasons was why the Master had dispatched the Elite Rank Eight Simulacra Sebastian to keep an eye on Kameron since the Master had enacted a Protection Protocol which rendered most of Justice protected from all of the elements as well as scrying. It was primarily due to the fact that Kameron was a chaotic violent hot headed Destroyer whose actions were likely to bring about conflict at the slightest provocation. Don’t get me wrong the Masters cousin and half Howling Dragon can really help to stir fear and terror into your enemies it’s just that sometimes you have to make sure there are enemies around for Kameron to devour or he is just as likely to get, as I like to call it restless.
Kameron with Eagle at his side was at that very moment staging a battle to face his Senator who to be honest looked like a well placed plant but until the Master knew who had planted him he was willing to let him live and play out the role he seemed to have been given. So it came to pass that Kameron faced his Senator to be Bobby Stallone an advocate of Ares in a field of anti-magic maintained by the familiar rat of Sebastian. The battle between them lasted thirty seconds and went to a stalemate which to Sebastion’s well trained eyes had favored Bobby but the assembled crowd was more than willing to accept the terms of the battle. Our deep cover NU Agent on site Kameron’s trusted advisor Andros Lamar would also make a similar report to his fellow operative at the Network University. It is worth noting that Kameron in the end while not exactly trusting his new Senator was willing to allow him to continue his duties and report his operations to Andros who would see that the information reached Kameron on a timely basis.
Drago and Ti on the other hand were visiting Aurora along with Drago’s girlfriend Sara and his adopted daughter Alma. The Masters former personal Rank Seven Simulacra Mandy had been recently promoted to Elite and if Drago would have her in-between duties at the Justice Base would become his new assistant. Drago had managed to acquire an audience of Nobles and Merchants within the Aurora Court. He had even attempted perform an elaborate performance designed to win the Nobles and Merchants over to his cause. Now of course trying to convince them to fund the construction of a new Air City where he would be training an elite army of Monk-Mages could have gone better. As it was he ended up causing so much political strife that there was a failed attempt on his life and it took all of Mandy’s impressive diplomatic skill to assist them in withdrawing from the area without the entire affair erupting into a complete disaster.
On the other hand if was Mordalfus who would end up in the most dire of straights that I am sure allowed the rest of Justice to see the value of the Masters Protection Protocol but I get ahead of myself. For while Mordalfus had left the Justice Base with the intention of assessing the territory of Justice within Center I am surprised grown so brazen. Well not really I am sure he was aware that the Master had dispatched another of his recently promoted former personal simulacra to him. It was therefore the Elite Rank Seven Simulacra Armana’s duty to watch over him and to die if necessary to make sure he survived. It is something all of the Masters Simulacra have to face for while the Master gives them an immense amount of personal freedom they are after all servants to his will and his assets and investments are more important than there semblance of life.
Now back to the Master whose personality and form came back to him the moment that Tiberius had entered the Justice Base. The Master had been eager to see Tiberius ever since he had vanished recently. It was obvious to the Master that he had acquired a form of mind shielding and the actions of Tiberius like the Masters had already had subtle effects on the timeline. So the Master engaged him in conversation eager to learn all that Tiberius was willing to share and all that he could deduce. For the chaotic wild card known as Tiberius had already managed to form an entire Paladin order dedicated to love which literally worshipped the ground he walked on. He had even been seeking a place for two of his new companions to stay in town. It seemed Don Wan was a Human male who sought to do good in the name of love along with female Fey who might very well have been Seelie named Colin. The Master had just the place as it would turn out none other than Markessa’s Companions and Inn where Don could stay in a room and Colin would be more than welcome on the roof. Since the Inn was also the ideal location for Markessa to collect the Ambrosia that the Master had been stockpiling and it being a house of pleasure it seemed to fit perfectly.
The Master had continued to fill in Tiberius of what had been happening while he was gone and Tiberius informed him of his desires to become a deputy to the new High Speaker with the ability to fill in for him if something were to happen to him. He had of course managed to befriend one of the contending Senators named Jefferson during his temporal incursions and Jefferson seemed alright with the arrangement. With the current political structure Tiberius’s plan did not stand a chance but you never knew and the Master after having seen the work of the Tale of the Artifact Pants was not planning to be against Tiberius. The Master therefore took the time while they spoke to protect Tiberius from the elements and even with his permission establish a telepathic bond to make sure in the future if he was ever again stranded or in need of assistance he could contact Armand to assist. The Master had learned long ago it is best to keep an eye on the chaotic ones for they could be just as likely to bring about wanton destruction as opposed to delightful opportunities for profit.
I was wondering if all was well with the Master as his thought had suddenly started to race and I soon realized he was conferring with Quick and receiving a status report on the Network. I also realized he was having a conversation with his daughter Shay Quickshar regarding her continued experiments. I will not go into details on those matters but suffice to say that all Network University operations were currently performing above expectations. I suppose what can said about Shay but at least the apprentices Voltana and Collum were keeping her occupied within the Master’s Magical Laboratory. I did catch that she had heard about her Mother Delilah’s meeting with Kameron and her convincing him to fund the operation to seek out the weaknesses of Narvada. Shay it seemed was eager to meet her cousin and see what she could convince him do for her. Let’s just say and I quote that “I have big party plans and woe to any that would dare to stand in my way.” Now let me remind you Shay is ten years old and don’t get me wrong I am as evil as they come but she takes the concept to a whole new level. That vacation the Master is planning for her on the Island with her Grandmother Lorali will not come soon enough as far as I am concerned.
The Master was about to retire to his room to share the company of Leydarfel who had number of details to discuss with the Master regarding his commitments to Justice and how they might begin to cross over into Network University territory. She had taken the form of a raven and sat on his shoulder while I chose to enter a familiar pocket on the Masters belt. One might say that Seelie Fey Leydarfel was a bit haughty but she had learned early on by the grace of Hecate that the Master and she shared the same goals and she and her Clan had prospered and of course she loved him and was his newest Consort. She had wanted to discuss certain issues that dealt with Mordalfus, Kameron, and Drago. Mainly she was concerned that if he continued to associate with them that their issues might soon require him to step up his level of commitment. In other words she did not feel a simple Protection Protocol would be sufficient and that a Retribution Protocol was in order.
In other words it was time for the Master to assume that he might very well soon become a target or that either Drago, Kameron, or Mordalfus or any of the others enemies might soon try and bring death to his door unless he dealt with them strongly and firmly. Or to put it mildly showed them why he was called the Master by actions and not just words. So it came to pass that the Master cast upon himself and therefore I as well the veil of undeath a ritual designed to protect us as if we had embraced undeath itself. I would require a sacrifice of the Master’s power and the use of a metamagic rod to enhance the duration of the ritual but it would be I did not doubt the wisdom of Leydarfel and neither did the Master.
The timing seemed to have been a sign from Hecate to always be prepared to bring magic to bear against your concerns, problems or desires. For while the Master had been spending time with Leydarfel for I assure they did more than just talk Mordalfus and Armana had expanded their tour into the surrounding territories and Mordalfus had decided to stop into a new desert shop which was new in a line of shops that had started to spring up in the area as of late. Mordalfus along with Fey Aria, Psicrystal Alth and of course Armana were being served when all of a sudden a rain of arrows suddenly erupted from twenty of the twenty two patrons who it had seemed at first were also enjoying desert. Alas it was a trap for Mordalfus and Armana had failed see it coming and if it had not been for the quick actions of Aria that failure would have been her last.
Mordalfus was in mortal danger and the link shared by the Master and select members of Justice flared with his pain and shock. Meanwhile Drago, Ti, Kameron, Eagle, and even Tiberius were shocked and ready to go into action but alas they had no idea where to help Mordalfus. For while they had all decided to spread out and had not checked back on Mordalfus since they had left the Lighthouse only the Master had planned ahead and seriously I no longer wonder why Mordalfus was always hiding and never allowed himself to be seen when we had first encountered him after many years. Don’t get me wrong but for being a supposed team Justice seems to leave itself open to disaster quite often brought about by their own actions. Thankfully the Master had arrived in their midst and it seemed just in the nick of time.
The Master of course was not shocked but instead he was angry that someone would dare to arrange an assault that had caught one of his prized Simulacra the crossfire. That it was Mordalfus someone the Master considered intelligent and wise enough to be considered his friend literally put him over the edge. Orders went out at the speed of thought to Mandy, Gul’Vol and Tal’Vol to prepare to transport us all to the last known location of Armana. We arrived within seconds of Mordalfus being felled and a Dvati or a set of bonded female twins who shared one soul stood over him. Armana had been saved by Aria who herself lay helpless after being poisoned. Mordalfus had been stuck by Eternium weapons actually several had been stabbed into him and one no doubt held his soul. It would seem that the Dvati Ninja and their twenty other Ninja’s of Clan Youa-Youa would soon learn the cost of crossing the Master.
I have to admit that the Gargoyle Ti is faster than I expected it had not surprised the Master for when Ti had arrived he was not sure what to do. The Master directed him to the Dvati and said to him “Stop the two that stand above Mordalfus and I will handle the rest.” So it came to pass that Ti unleashed the second great volley in the shop only this time Youa-Youa were on the receiving end. One of them dropped unconscious the other her life force fleeing was transported away by a contingency teleportation. We stood in their midst and so therefore the Master called on metamagic to chain and reach out to them with a smoky containment transmutation ritual which acquired and trapped the remaining Youa and fourteen of their twenty remaining Ninja’s. I then followed up on the remaining six with a chained evocation ritual loaned to me by the Master and cut them down with orbs of acid. Just like that they were down but still one remained and the Master had plans for the other Youa.
The others began to act and Kameron and his Second the Priest Marcus saw to the revivification and healing of Mordalfus. Drago seemed disappointed that he had arrived and the Master and I had already dealt with the remaining Ninja and only clean up remained. Gul’Vol and Tal’Vol for all intents and purposes stoic magical muscle saw to the healing of Armana. Mordalfus rose and thanked everyone and even praised them for their timely arrival and no doubt he noticed the Masters eyes were still glowing red. I say that because the next thing he said was not to kill the remaining six just as the Master reached out with the ritual he had just used to contain the remaining six unconscious Ninja into another bottle. I had of course erected a major illusion around the shop to conceal the ongoing events from the public eye. The Master looked to Mordalfus and asked if he was ready to leave and he had responded indeed but also told the Master that he needed dimensional shift the captured Dvati as if the other had risen she could find her anywhere on the same plane.
The Master had already considered that option as Tal’Vol threw the Master’s portable hole to the floor entered with the two bottles to hand over to Leydarfel for safekeeping. He then had the healed Armana and Mandy use scrolls to transport us back to the teleportation site near the Justice Base and then asked everyone to come inside the dimensional dark forest realm that had been created by Leydarfel so they could discuss the fate of Youa-Youa and their Ninja Clan. Just for the record the reason that Leydarfel was with the Master was due to the Protection Protocol but as the affairs of Justice were not official sanctioned Network University business the Master had chosen to not even let her presence be known. The capture of the majority of a Ninja Clan kind of blurred the line and while she would still remain silent around Justice just seeming to be only a spirit within her domain I assure she was interested.
Meanwhile Mordalfus seemed to be considering the implications of turning Youa-Youa over to the law. The Master believed that was just a little too messy and not quite tidy enough for an example needed to be set that you did not mess with the Master much less Justice or at least not when the Master was around our you paid the consequences. I almost felt sorry for Youa-Youa for the Master next peeled her mind like an onion with a mind probe ritual that revealed much about her Clan and her plans. The Master was still angry and I knew why for Mordalfus had mentioned that he had a Ninja Clan and the Master had actually thought he had been joking but he obviously had not. In the end the Master sought and found exactly what he would need to shall we say make the situation profitable if he wished.
The Ninja Clan Youa-Youa had been in their mind wronged by a minor insult and set in motion plans to eliminate Mordalfus. When their original reason to eliminate him had vanished they had already invested too much to not continue and they hoped for the Artifact Pants payoff. Their plan was actually quite elaborate they had set up a number of new shops all around Center solely with the plan to lure Mordalfus into on and spring their trap. They sadly seemed to know little of the other Dvati that Ti sought who were believed to be part of a mysterious sect that sought Drago but it was still a lead. The Master also gained detailed information on their Clan with included their fifty one members, safe houses, operations and of course the most important part that if one of the Youa’s were captured they would disperse to the wind and attempt to vanish without a trace. Well that of course would just not do and the Master had just the ritual in mind.
The Master I should note is by practice a devoted Conjurer and Necromancer and when he had spoken to the Estate’s Districts proxy he had not been boasting about his ability to trap and contain souls. So while the members of Justice had busy discussing the plans to find the other Youa and the fate of their Ninja Clan the Master had reminded me of one major flaw of their race the Master reminded me of a Dvati flaw. That flaw was of course that while their souls were actually one and what was done to one would occur to the other as well. So the Master trapped their soul using their link to bring the body of the other Youa into a prepared gem and the one out of the bottle as well that the Master kept around just for such a propose. He then had ended the Justice discussion and informed them that they need no longer worry for he now had Youa-Youa and if Mordalfus wished he could burn their souls to oblivion.
I will admit I was a little taken aback and wondered for a moment I wondered if the Mistress had returned. I was actually more interested in the fact that they were women and Kameron was even at that moment still speaking of how any torture was not good enough for them. While Drago and Ti the ones I knew to be good natured seemed only slightly taken aback and were not urging the Master to show mercy. Thankfully Leydarfel was nearby and stepped into the Masters mind like a smooth caress her aura of glory bathing him and she spoke of nature and the potential value of having a Ninja Clan owing him their lives and one day soon calling him Master.
There was more to her words than I shall record but suffice to say that she and the Master had decided if Justice was willing a compromise might be possible. Leydarfel had convinced him to look into their minds again and seek a path within their minds that they would accept to allow them to continue to live with only a few necessary compromises. Those compromises would of course entail them becoming an adjunct of Justice and answering to Armand to deal with any conflicts of interest as they would know he was true to his reputation being well mannered diplomatic and above all honorable. As a matter of fact while it had been his magic that had defeated them it had also been thanks to his keen intellect that realized that all that had transpired between Justice and Youa-Youa was nothing more than a tragic misunderstanding. Which was of course why they had been spared and the Master had stepped in to speak for them lest they be destroyed which had been quite with his power to do. He also instilled in them as Mordalfus wished them that Justice did not always stand for death and that as the people of their territory knew they could be just and fair. The Master of course followed that up with a minor glimmer of loyalty to Justice for sparing their lives when they had no reason other than the word of Armand regarding the misunderstanding between them.
Of course the Master also included few safeguards a minor one regarding a minor attraction to Armand that the Master would use to further instill himself into their Clan operations. Another was far more insidious which was twofold one they would actively work to avoid every having a cast any ritual to break the spell placed upon them and second if for some reason they ever felt that they ever needed to turn against Justice they would first speak to Armand to release them from any bindings that might cause their Clan’s demise. In truth the Master had done far worse too many individuals in the past but he had learned by keeping a mind rape quite closely to the truth even if one day it was broken than what they knew of Armand would still ring true which was indeed the ironic charm of the whole thing. Don’t get me wrong the Master of course acquired blood from Youa-Youa and their twenty other Clan members for various reasons we need not to discuss and gave them each a sending stone in order to keep in contact with them and if only that had been the end of the talk of Ninja’s but alas I had forgotten that Kameron was in the room.
Suffice to say that the talk of Ninja’s had sparked a memory of the Justice Soul Link that had caused Kameron to suddenly begin to speak of the fate of Natakoo. Now of course Armana had already spoken with Mordalfus regarding that issue and the terms the Mordalfus was comfortable with were not quite equitable to the Master. On the other hand Kameron and Mordalfus flew into an intense argument on the subject that lasted for hours.
Meanwhile Drago who clearly had others things in mind decided to depart and of course Mandy went with him. He choose that time to visit the darkest part of Center and meet with Absidian a figure who claimed to be a Paladin yet shared the company of two Demons. He also made a journey to Valn to seek out a guide who could direct us to the location of the hidden fortress of Klon Barr. Believe it or not he had the time to travel around Perciphea making both personal and arrangements for Justice before Mordalfus and Kameron were even done arguing as a matter of fact it looked to be coming to a duel to the death phase actually you have to remember that we are talking about Kameron but oddly it was Mordalfus who seemed almost ready for it.
Drago had returned and Mandy realized he seemed sad and so asked him what seemed to be the trouble reminding him that he had and experienced Elite Rank Seven Simulacra at his disposal so why not use her expertise. He decided to take her advice and soon they were on their way to Markessa’s Companions and Inn to pick up a little of the Ambrosia that the Master had been producing and storing for Drago just in case his level of ambition ever grew to the task. So soon his other concerns became apparent he wished to representation on Spearhead Island and beyond so Mandy informed him that Spearhead Island was even as they spoke making arrangements to build a magical school. It therefore came to pass that Ben Simulacra of Drago came in to being with plans to assist in the building of a magical school and orphanage which would be cosponsored by the Network University.
Meanwhile Leydarfel had produced the body of Natakoo and the Master gave the scroll of speak with dead to Tal’Vol to use so they could ask their questions. Suffice to say a point of contention for the Master was answered early. Natakoo had indeed been in communication with Celestial Entities who had given him tools and advice on how to repair the seals that had held Narvada. It was a small concession but along with others Kameron felt he deserved a chance. Mordalfus and the Master conferred on the matter and his warning was altered to the Master still being responsible if anything went wrong. The Master at that point was going to insist on bindings upon Natakoo to make insure that he would remain loyal but of course Kameron would have none of it.
I tried to make the Master point with Kameron but of course it was Kameron and my words went upon deaf ears. Kameron as usual saw things his way and no other way which I realized was why the Master wished for the bindings. As it had already occurred Kameron had pressed the Master about loyalties regarding him and Mordalfus and the Master had made it clear that those were the reasons why he often chose diplomatic solutions whenever possible. In the case regarding Natakoo if Kameron was willing to speak for him then if Natakoo ever turned against Justice than not only would the Natakoo life be forfeit but Kameron would also share his fate.
Delilah who was about as chaotic as Kameron or Tiberius combined having been informed by Leydarfel of what was going on had chosen to speak to the Master on my behalf. I tried to dissuade Kameron for I truly liked him and I did not really like the idea of him risking his very soul on someone he had never even met. The Masters concessions would have spared him the risk but as Delilah often says “What is life without risk and what better way to live your life than to risk it! “ it therefore seemed he could not live his life without risk such is the life chosen by Kameron.
The Master therefore conferred with Mordalfus informing him of the new deal that Natakoo would be resurrected and as he had discussed with Kameron would be unbound but still be honor bound to serve the Justice and the Network. As it had been established that he still held certain members of Justice responsible for him losing his honor which forced his suicide he would forswear any type of vengeance in order to gain assistance in finding a way to once again contain Narvada if it were possible. It was also stated in very clear terms that his life would be forfeit as well as Kameron who spoke for him if he broke his word.
It therefore came to pass that Natakoo was resurrected and the Master of course peeled his mind like an onion which was of course standard procedure in such arrangements and Leydarfel informed him of the concessions that had been made and his responsibilities to Justice as well as the Network and its intention to assist him in his Holy Quest. Of course the Master also made the knowledge he had gained from Natakoo available to Mordalfus in order to assure him as it had been his willingness to deal with Kameron but it had become more of a problem for Kameron with the price for failure being the loss of his soul. I will be honest I was not content with the deal for I did not doubt that the Master would keep up his end of the bargain it was more what I knew it would do to the Master and the dark and evil place he would enter and while I recognized the whole Mistress as a way for someone with the Masters intellect to cope with his darker side I also knew the price he might pay if Natakoo failed Kameron.
An hour later after the Master took the time to rest in order to restore his magical energies which he had expended over the day with the aid of a fortifying bedroll. He also loaned a fortifying bedroll to Drago, Kameron as well as Natakoo as it seemed again against the Masters wishes Kameron wished him to come with them. Mordalfus it seemed to agree that he would be useful so it came to pass. Drago made his arrangements and the Master along with Gul’Vol and Tal’Vol transported us all to the shores of Valn. Mordalfus made sure as this was a Justice operation to inform everyone that we were going to try and solve the situation with the Estate District with diplomacy before violence of course making sure to remind Kameron. He had also reminded everyone to stay near the Master for he would be responsible for containing the souls of the fallen as he previously explained to Klon Barr on the behalf of Justice. It was finally the time and soon the fate of the Estate District would be in the hands of Master or else they would face Justice.
Of course I had spoken to soon for it was time for the mysterious link which bound the Master and I to Justice had chosen that time to once again latch onto our souls. I knew not if we were heading into Eagle’s past who I should note was acting a bit odd towards Kameron by the way but she is Anthropomorphic Eagle after all so who could really tell. Or to the strange world filled with mystical runes that a mysterious Arch Mage had pushed power into causing strange Zombies to arise and the very fabric of reality to seem to bend to his will I knew not. I had faith in Hecate and the Master for as the famous tenet of Hecate states magic is the key that unlocks all desirable things I had learned my lesson. For while I had and still paid the price for my hubris in seeking power beyond that of the Goddess in the Far Realm I have since learned my lesson due to the patience of the Master and the grace of Hecate who spared me but that of course is a story for another time.
To set the stage if you will a few of the Masters other simulacra were at that moment spread out around the globe as it were keeping an eye on the Masters investments. So of course I am speaking about Justice for while the Master did not exactly consider himself a member of the Street Gang called Justice it had proven to be quite profitable to have made their acquaintance. This among other reasons was why the Master had dispatched the Elite Rank Eight Simulacra Sebastian to keep an eye on Kameron since the Master had enacted a Protection Protocol which rendered most of Justice protected from all of the elements as well as scrying. It was primarily due to the fact that Kameron was a chaotic violent hot headed Destroyer whose actions were likely to bring about conflict at the slightest provocation. Don’t get me wrong the Masters cousin and half Howling Dragon can really help to stir fear and terror into your enemies it’s just that sometimes you have to make sure there are enemies around for Kameron to devour or he is just as likely to get, as I like to call it restless.
Kameron with Eagle at his side was at that very moment staging a battle to face his Senator who to be honest looked like a well placed plant but until the Master knew who had planted him he was willing to let him live and play out the role he seemed to have been given. So it came to pass that Kameron faced his Senator to be Bobby Stallone an advocate of Ares in a field of anti-magic maintained by the familiar rat of Sebastian. The battle between them lasted thirty seconds and went to a stalemate which to Sebastion’s well trained eyes had favored Bobby but the assembled crowd was more than willing to accept the terms of the battle. Our deep cover NU Agent on site Kameron’s trusted advisor Andros Lamar would also make a similar report to his fellow operative at the Network University. It is worth noting that Kameron in the end while not exactly trusting his new Senator was willing to allow him to continue his duties and report his operations to Andros who would see that the information reached Kameron on a timely basis.
Drago and Ti on the other hand were visiting Aurora along with Drago’s girlfriend Sara and his adopted daughter Alma. The Masters former personal Rank Seven Simulacra Mandy had been recently promoted to Elite and if Drago would have her in-between duties at the Justice Base would become his new assistant. Drago had managed to acquire an audience of Nobles and Merchants within the Aurora Court. He had even attempted perform an elaborate performance designed to win the Nobles and Merchants over to his cause. Now of course trying to convince them to fund the construction of a new Air City where he would be training an elite army of Monk-Mages could have gone better. As it was he ended up causing so much political strife that there was a failed attempt on his life and it took all of Mandy’s impressive diplomatic skill to assist them in withdrawing from the area without the entire affair erupting into a complete disaster.
On the other hand if was Mordalfus who would end up in the most dire of straights that I am sure allowed the rest of Justice to see the value of the Masters Protection Protocol but I get ahead of myself. For while Mordalfus had left the Justice Base with the intention of assessing the territory of Justice within Center I am surprised grown so brazen. Well not really I am sure he was aware that the Master had dispatched another of his recently promoted former personal simulacra to him. It was therefore the Elite Rank Seven Simulacra Armana’s duty to watch over him and to die if necessary to make sure he survived. It is something all of the Masters Simulacra have to face for while the Master gives them an immense amount of personal freedom they are after all servants to his will and his assets and investments are more important than there semblance of life.
Now back to the Master whose personality and form came back to him the moment that Tiberius had entered the Justice Base. The Master had been eager to see Tiberius ever since he had vanished recently. It was obvious to the Master that he had acquired a form of mind shielding and the actions of Tiberius like the Masters had already had subtle effects on the timeline. So the Master engaged him in conversation eager to learn all that Tiberius was willing to share and all that he could deduce. For the chaotic wild card known as Tiberius had already managed to form an entire Paladin order dedicated to love which literally worshipped the ground he walked on. He had even been seeking a place for two of his new companions to stay in town. It seemed Don Wan was a Human male who sought to do good in the name of love along with female Fey who might very well have been Seelie named Colin. The Master had just the place as it would turn out none other than Markessa’s Companions and Inn where Don could stay in a room and Colin would be more than welcome on the roof. Since the Inn was also the ideal location for Markessa to collect the Ambrosia that the Master had been stockpiling and it being a house of pleasure it seemed to fit perfectly.
The Master had continued to fill in Tiberius of what had been happening while he was gone and Tiberius informed him of his desires to become a deputy to the new High Speaker with the ability to fill in for him if something were to happen to him. He had of course managed to befriend one of the contending Senators named Jefferson during his temporal incursions and Jefferson seemed alright with the arrangement. With the current political structure Tiberius’s plan did not stand a chance but you never knew and the Master after having seen the work of the Tale of the Artifact Pants was not planning to be against Tiberius. The Master therefore took the time while they spoke to protect Tiberius from the elements and even with his permission establish a telepathic bond to make sure in the future if he was ever again stranded or in need of assistance he could contact Armand to assist. The Master had learned long ago it is best to keep an eye on the chaotic ones for they could be just as likely to bring about wanton destruction as opposed to delightful opportunities for profit.
I was wondering if all was well with the Master as his thought had suddenly started to race and I soon realized he was conferring with Quick and receiving a status report on the Network. I also realized he was having a conversation with his daughter Shay Quickshar regarding her continued experiments. I will not go into details on those matters but suffice to say that all Network University operations were currently performing above expectations. I suppose what can said about Shay but at least the apprentices Voltana and Collum were keeping her occupied within the Master’s Magical Laboratory. I did catch that she had heard about her Mother Delilah’s meeting with Kameron and her convincing him to fund the operation to seek out the weaknesses of Narvada. Shay it seemed was eager to meet her cousin and see what she could convince him do for her. Let’s just say and I quote that “I have big party plans and woe to any that would dare to stand in my way.” Now let me remind you Shay is ten years old and don’t get me wrong I am as evil as they come but she takes the concept to a whole new level. That vacation the Master is planning for her on the Island with her Grandmother Lorali will not come soon enough as far as I am concerned.
The Master was about to retire to his room to share the company of Leydarfel who had number of details to discuss with the Master regarding his commitments to Justice and how they might begin to cross over into Network University territory. She had taken the form of a raven and sat on his shoulder while I chose to enter a familiar pocket on the Masters belt. One might say that Seelie Fey Leydarfel was a bit haughty but she had learned early on by the grace of Hecate that the Master and she shared the same goals and she and her Clan had prospered and of course she loved him and was his newest Consort. She had wanted to discuss certain issues that dealt with Mordalfus, Kameron, and Drago. Mainly she was concerned that if he continued to associate with them that their issues might soon require him to step up his level of commitment. In other words she did not feel a simple Protection Protocol would be sufficient and that a Retribution Protocol was in order.
In other words it was time for the Master to assume that he might very well soon become a target or that either Drago, Kameron, or Mordalfus or any of the others enemies might soon try and bring death to his door unless he dealt with them strongly and firmly. Or to put it mildly showed them why he was called the Master by actions and not just words. So it came to pass that the Master cast upon himself and therefore I as well the veil of undeath a ritual designed to protect us as if we had embraced undeath itself. I would require a sacrifice of the Master’s power and the use of a metamagic rod to enhance the duration of the ritual but it would be I did not doubt the wisdom of Leydarfel and neither did the Master.
The timing seemed to have been a sign from Hecate to always be prepared to bring magic to bear against your concerns, problems or desires. For while the Master had been spending time with Leydarfel for I assure they did more than just talk Mordalfus and Armana had expanded their tour into the surrounding territories and Mordalfus had decided to stop into a new desert shop which was new in a line of shops that had started to spring up in the area as of late. Mordalfus along with Fey Aria, Psicrystal Alth and of course Armana were being served when all of a sudden a rain of arrows suddenly erupted from twenty of the twenty two patrons who it had seemed at first were also enjoying desert. Alas it was a trap for Mordalfus and Armana had failed see it coming and if it had not been for the quick actions of Aria that failure would have been her last.
Mordalfus was in mortal danger and the link shared by the Master and select members of Justice flared with his pain and shock. Meanwhile Drago, Ti, Kameron, Eagle, and even Tiberius were shocked and ready to go into action but alas they had no idea where to help Mordalfus. For while they had all decided to spread out and had not checked back on Mordalfus since they had left the Lighthouse only the Master had planned ahead and seriously I no longer wonder why Mordalfus was always hiding and never allowed himself to be seen when we had first encountered him after many years. Don’t get me wrong but for being a supposed team Justice seems to leave itself open to disaster quite often brought about by their own actions. Thankfully the Master had arrived in their midst and it seemed just in the nick of time.
The Master of course was not shocked but instead he was angry that someone would dare to arrange an assault that had caught one of his prized Simulacra the crossfire. That it was Mordalfus someone the Master considered intelligent and wise enough to be considered his friend literally put him over the edge. Orders went out at the speed of thought to Mandy, Gul’Vol and Tal’Vol to prepare to transport us all to the last known location of Armana. We arrived within seconds of Mordalfus being felled and a Dvati or a set of bonded female twins who shared one soul stood over him. Armana had been saved by Aria who herself lay helpless after being poisoned. Mordalfus had been stuck by Eternium weapons actually several had been stabbed into him and one no doubt held his soul. It would seem that the Dvati Ninja and their twenty other Ninja’s of Clan Youa-Youa would soon learn the cost of crossing the Master.
I have to admit that the Gargoyle Ti is faster than I expected it had not surprised the Master for when Ti had arrived he was not sure what to do. The Master directed him to the Dvati and said to him “Stop the two that stand above Mordalfus and I will handle the rest.” So it came to pass that Ti unleashed the second great volley in the shop only this time Youa-Youa were on the receiving end. One of them dropped unconscious the other her life force fleeing was transported away by a contingency teleportation. We stood in their midst and so therefore the Master called on metamagic to chain and reach out to them with a smoky containment transmutation ritual which acquired and trapped the remaining Youa and fourteen of their twenty remaining Ninja’s. I then followed up on the remaining six with a chained evocation ritual loaned to me by the Master and cut them down with orbs of acid. Just like that they were down but still one remained and the Master had plans for the other Youa.
The others began to act and Kameron and his Second the Priest Marcus saw to the revivification and healing of Mordalfus. Drago seemed disappointed that he had arrived and the Master and I had already dealt with the remaining Ninja and only clean up remained. Gul’Vol and Tal’Vol for all intents and purposes stoic magical muscle saw to the healing of Armana. Mordalfus rose and thanked everyone and even praised them for their timely arrival and no doubt he noticed the Masters eyes were still glowing red. I say that because the next thing he said was not to kill the remaining six just as the Master reached out with the ritual he had just used to contain the remaining six unconscious Ninja into another bottle. I had of course erected a major illusion around the shop to conceal the ongoing events from the public eye. The Master looked to Mordalfus and asked if he was ready to leave and he had responded indeed but also told the Master that he needed dimensional shift the captured Dvati as if the other had risen she could find her anywhere on the same plane.
The Master had already considered that option as Tal’Vol threw the Master’s portable hole to the floor entered with the two bottles to hand over to Leydarfel for safekeeping. He then had the healed Armana and Mandy use scrolls to transport us back to the teleportation site near the Justice Base and then asked everyone to come inside the dimensional dark forest realm that had been created by Leydarfel so they could discuss the fate of Youa-Youa and their Ninja Clan. Just for the record the reason that Leydarfel was with the Master was due to the Protection Protocol but as the affairs of Justice were not official sanctioned Network University business the Master had chosen to not even let her presence be known. The capture of the majority of a Ninja Clan kind of blurred the line and while she would still remain silent around Justice just seeming to be only a spirit within her domain I assure she was interested.
Meanwhile Mordalfus seemed to be considering the implications of turning Youa-Youa over to the law. The Master believed that was just a little too messy and not quite tidy enough for an example needed to be set that you did not mess with the Master much less Justice or at least not when the Master was around our you paid the consequences. I almost felt sorry for Youa-Youa for the Master next peeled her mind like an onion with a mind probe ritual that revealed much about her Clan and her plans. The Master was still angry and I knew why for Mordalfus had mentioned that he had a Ninja Clan and the Master had actually thought he had been joking but he obviously had not. In the end the Master sought and found exactly what he would need to shall we say make the situation profitable if he wished.
The Ninja Clan Youa-Youa had been in their mind wronged by a minor insult and set in motion plans to eliminate Mordalfus. When their original reason to eliminate him had vanished they had already invested too much to not continue and they hoped for the Artifact Pants payoff. Their plan was actually quite elaborate they had set up a number of new shops all around Center solely with the plan to lure Mordalfus into on and spring their trap. They sadly seemed to know little of the other Dvati that Ti sought who were believed to be part of a mysterious sect that sought Drago but it was still a lead. The Master also gained detailed information on their Clan with included their fifty one members, safe houses, operations and of course the most important part that if one of the Youa’s were captured they would disperse to the wind and attempt to vanish without a trace. Well that of course would just not do and the Master had just the ritual in mind.
The Master I should note is by practice a devoted Conjurer and Necromancer and when he had spoken to the Estate’s Districts proxy he had not been boasting about his ability to trap and contain souls. So while the members of Justice had busy discussing the plans to find the other Youa and the fate of their Ninja Clan the Master had reminded me of one major flaw of their race the Master reminded me of a Dvati flaw. That flaw was of course that while their souls were actually one and what was done to one would occur to the other as well. So the Master trapped their soul using their link to bring the body of the other Youa into a prepared gem and the one out of the bottle as well that the Master kept around just for such a propose. He then had ended the Justice discussion and informed them that they need no longer worry for he now had Youa-Youa and if Mordalfus wished he could burn their souls to oblivion.
I will admit I was a little taken aback and wondered for a moment I wondered if the Mistress had returned. I was actually more interested in the fact that they were women and Kameron was even at that moment still speaking of how any torture was not good enough for them. While Drago and Ti the ones I knew to be good natured seemed only slightly taken aback and were not urging the Master to show mercy. Thankfully Leydarfel was nearby and stepped into the Masters mind like a smooth caress her aura of glory bathing him and she spoke of nature and the potential value of having a Ninja Clan owing him their lives and one day soon calling him Master.
There was more to her words than I shall record but suffice to say that she and the Master had decided if Justice was willing a compromise might be possible. Leydarfel had convinced him to look into their minds again and seek a path within their minds that they would accept to allow them to continue to live with only a few necessary compromises. Those compromises would of course entail them becoming an adjunct of Justice and answering to Armand to deal with any conflicts of interest as they would know he was true to his reputation being well mannered diplomatic and above all honorable. As a matter of fact while it had been his magic that had defeated them it had also been thanks to his keen intellect that realized that all that had transpired between Justice and Youa-Youa was nothing more than a tragic misunderstanding. Which was of course why they had been spared and the Master had stepped in to speak for them lest they be destroyed which had been quite with his power to do. He also instilled in them as Mordalfus wished them that Justice did not always stand for death and that as the people of their territory knew they could be just and fair. The Master of course followed that up with a minor glimmer of loyalty to Justice for sparing their lives when they had no reason other than the word of Armand regarding the misunderstanding between them.
Of course the Master also included few safeguards a minor one regarding a minor attraction to Armand that the Master would use to further instill himself into their Clan operations. Another was far more insidious which was twofold one they would actively work to avoid every having a cast any ritual to break the spell placed upon them and second if for some reason they ever felt that they ever needed to turn against Justice they would first speak to Armand to release them from any bindings that might cause their Clan’s demise. In truth the Master had done far worse too many individuals in the past but he had learned by keeping a mind rape quite closely to the truth even if one day it was broken than what they knew of Armand would still ring true which was indeed the ironic charm of the whole thing. Don’t get me wrong the Master of course acquired blood from Youa-Youa and their twenty other Clan members for various reasons we need not to discuss and gave them each a sending stone in order to keep in contact with them and if only that had been the end of the talk of Ninja’s but alas I had forgotten that Kameron was in the room.
Suffice to say that the talk of Ninja’s had sparked a memory of the Justice Soul Link that had caused Kameron to suddenly begin to speak of the fate of Natakoo. Now of course Armana had already spoken with Mordalfus regarding that issue and the terms the Mordalfus was comfortable with were not quite equitable to the Master. On the other hand Kameron and Mordalfus flew into an intense argument on the subject that lasted for hours.
Meanwhile Drago who clearly had others things in mind decided to depart and of course Mandy went with him. He choose that time to visit the darkest part of Center and meet with Absidian a figure who claimed to be a Paladin yet shared the company of two Demons. He also made a journey to Valn to seek out a guide who could direct us to the location of the hidden fortress of Klon Barr. Believe it or not he had the time to travel around Perciphea making both personal and arrangements for Justice before Mordalfus and Kameron were even done arguing as a matter of fact it looked to be coming to a duel to the death phase actually you have to remember that we are talking about Kameron but oddly it was Mordalfus who seemed almost ready for it.
Drago had returned and Mandy realized he seemed sad and so asked him what seemed to be the trouble reminding him that he had and experienced Elite Rank Seven Simulacra at his disposal so why not use her expertise. He decided to take her advice and soon they were on their way to Markessa’s Companions and Inn to pick up a little of the Ambrosia that the Master had been producing and storing for Drago just in case his level of ambition ever grew to the task. So soon his other concerns became apparent he wished to representation on Spearhead Island and beyond so Mandy informed him that Spearhead Island was even as they spoke making arrangements to build a magical school. It therefore came to pass that Ben Simulacra of Drago came in to being with plans to assist in the building of a magical school and orphanage which would be cosponsored by the Network University.
Meanwhile Leydarfel had produced the body of Natakoo and the Master gave the scroll of speak with dead to Tal’Vol to use so they could ask their questions. Suffice to say a point of contention for the Master was answered early. Natakoo had indeed been in communication with Celestial Entities who had given him tools and advice on how to repair the seals that had held Narvada. It was a small concession but along with others Kameron felt he deserved a chance. Mordalfus and the Master conferred on the matter and his warning was altered to the Master still being responsible if anything went wrong. The Master at that point was going to insist on bindings upon Natakoo to make insure that he would remain loyal but of course Kameron would have none of it.
I tried to make the Master point with Kameron but of course it was Kameron and my words went upon deaf ears. Kameron as usual saw things his way and no other way which I realized was why the Master wished for the bindings. As it had already occurred Kameron had pressed the Master about loyalties regarding him and Mordalfus and the Master had made it clear that those were the reasons why he often chose diplomatic solutions whenever possible. In the case regarding Natakoo if Kameron was willing to speak for him then if Natakoo ever turned against Justice than not only would the Natakoo life be forfeit but Kameron would also share his fate.
Delilah who was about as chaotic as Kameron or Tiberius combined having been informed by Leydarfel of what was going on had chosen to speak to the Master on my behalf. I tried to dissuade Kameron for I truly liked him and I did not really like the idea of him risking his very soul on someone he had never even met. The Masters concessions would have spared him the risk but as Delilah often says “What is life without risk and what better way to live your life than to risk it! “ it therefore seemed he could not live his life without risk such is the life chosen by Kameron.
The Master therefore conferred with Mordalfus informing him of the new deal that Natakoo would be resurrected and as he had discussed with Kameron would be unbound but still be honor bound to serve the Justice and the Network. As it had been established that he still held certain members of Justice responsible for him losing his honor which forced his suicide he would forswear any type of vengeance in order to gain assistance in finding a way to once again contain Narvada if it were possible. It was also stated in very clear terms that his life would be forfeit as well as Kameron who spoke for him if he broke his word.
It therefore came to pass that Natakoo was resurrected and the Master of course peeled his mind like an onion which was of course standard procedure in such arrangements and Leydarfel informed him of the concessions that had been made and his responsibilities to Justice as well as the Network and its intention to assist him in his Holy Quest. Of course the Master also made the knowledge he had gained from Natakoo available to Mordalfus in order to assure him as it had been his willingness to deal with Kameron but it had become more of a problem for Kameron with the price for failure being the loss of his soul. I will be honest I was not content with the deal for I did not doubt that the Master would keep up his end of the bargain it was more what I knew it would do to the Master and the dark and evil place he would enter and while I recognized the whole Mistress as a way for someone with the Masters intellect to cope with his darker side I also knew the price he might pay if Natakoo failed Kameron.
An hour later after the Master took the time to rest in order to restore his magical energies which he had expended over the day with the aid of a fortifying bedroll. He also loaned a fortifying bedroll to Drago, Kameron as well as Natakoo as it seemed again against the Masters wishes Kameron wished him to come with them. Mordalfus it seemed to agree that he would be useful so it came to pass. Drago made his arrangements and the Master along with Gul’Vol and Tal’Vol transported us all to the shores of Valn. Mordalfus made sure as this was a Justice operation to inform everyone that we were going to try and solve the situation with the Estate District with diplomacy before violence of course making sure to remind Kameron. He had also reminded everyone to stay near the Master for he would be responsible for containing the souls of the fallen as he previously explained to Klon Barr on the behalf of Justice. It was finally the time and soon the fate of the Estate District would be in the hands of Master or else they would face Justice.
Of course I had spoken to soon for it was time for the mysterious link which bound the Master and I to Justice had chosen that time to once again latch onto our souls. I knew not if we were heading into Eagle’s past who I should note was acting a bit odd towards Kameron by the way but she is Anthropomorphic Eagle after all so who could really tell. Or to the strange world filled with mystical runes that a mysterious Arch Mage had pushed power into causing strange Zombies to arise and the very fabric of reality to seem to bend to his will I knew not. I had faith in Hecate and the Master for as the famous tenet of Hecate states magic is the key that unlocks all desirable things I had learned my lesson. For while I had and still paid the price for my hubris in seeking power beyond that of the Goddess in the Far Realm I have since learned my lesson due to the patience of the Master and the grace of Hecate who spared me but that of course is a story for another time.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Day Four of Fifty Justice Reckoning Into the Depths of Eagle’s Past Part Two and Beyond
Sometimes when you think you are out of the frying pan you seem to be right back in the fire. As the Mistress and I soon found out as we had felt the now familiar tug of our spirits back to the present as it were. Somehow instead of fading back into our own time we returned instead into our bodies of the past still chained to Eagle in the Party Palace with puzzles still to be solved. Although the puzzle the by far more intrigues the Mistress was as we had managed to assist Eagle past another part of her journey we found ourselves somewhere else entirely.
All and all it was an interesting puzzle due to the presence of a Weirdstone with served to block dimensional travel and of course scrying magic within six miles. It was therefore left to the Mistress to figure out solve the puzzles and along with Drago’s understanding of the complex dance steps required along with the ever changing form of her dance partner Kameron the way to the secret underground vault was eventually revealed. Suffice to say it was dark and the Mistress sent me ahead to make sure we did not encounter any artifacts that might tempt any of the members of Justice. It did not take long to locate the vault and I barely had time to fall back to the Mistress and issue a warning before Eagle was spotted by a large pack of Shadow Mastiff’s.
Eagle was far more fragile in the past and therefore Justice moved in to assist with the takedown of the Mastiff’s. In the end only Kameron in the form of one of Eagle’s previous dancing partners and Mordalfus were visible. The Mistress and I were able to assist with the clean up as the Mistress was willing to wait and only act if Eagle seemed to be in danger. So in the end Eagle was left facing a vault which she opened with her sonic breath with ease. She only had to still deal with the presence of Kameron in his child form who was trying to in vain convince her that she was among friends.
Only the cooperative efforts of the Mistress, Dragon, Ti and I was Kameron spared for he chose to bow before in some failed attempt to convince her he was her ally. I will admit there is a side to Kameron that I like but I have to admit there are times when his actions defy all logic or comprehension. Of course we had encountered one of those times due to the fact that not only had Kameron bowed before Eagle but he had also entered a deep trance akin to sleep and had rendered himself helpless. So it came to pass the Ti had to carry him once with the Mistress’s help I had rendered him invisible and he was taken beyond her detection range.
Eagle was able to escape the Party Palace and we felt that we could finally fade out if we wished but the Mistress also realized that we had been unshackled from our eighty foot chains. She therefore had me remove my Kirra N' Vaelahr or Kirra for short and then she transported it to a location that she knew the Master would not find the moment it breached his chambers. It would eventually be found and only be able to bestow the knowledge of time travel and to be prepared for it. second The Kirra would give the Master knowledge of everything that had happened up to date and help to expedite a few issues from his past.
As Eagle flew off the Mistress noticed we were free to do as we wished or so it had seemed. Instead when we felt the familiar shift we had come to recognize as the pull of the time and space shifts we encountered something far more intriguing. Instead of returning to our bodies in the present we were once again in a formless state able to observe our surroundings. It soon became apparent we were somewhere that was unknown to either the Mistress or I and let me assure you that is something worth noting. What we witnessed below us was a large Metropolis and to be serious that does not really describe the size of the city that we observed. We could make out mystical runes of every mystical description as well as holy symbols of Gods all rumored in our current age to be nothing but legends or fairy tales used to frighten children. There would be more of course and the Mistress realized and what we say next was indeed quite impressive.
There were structures in the Megalopolis were advanced to a degree that even the Mistress was impressed and of course what stood out was the Wizard’s Tower that stood in the absolute center and the completion of a dark ritual that the Mistress was too determine the exact nature. The nature of the magical ritual actually did not need to be understood for it could be observed within seconds and people that we could see as our view descended on the area showed. For the people of the Megalopolis were turning into Zombie like monstrosities of with no readily known description seemingly set on bringing about Armageddon to what had looked like an otherwise nice vacation spot.
The mad ravings of the Wizard who continued to rain down destruction in the form of spell-like natural effects that literally froze entire regions or brought about elemental destruction out of thin air seemed to be calling out for anyone to challenge him. At about that time the link that had brought us here informed us rules. Somehow teleportation, flight and certain extrasensory perceptions including the Mindsight of the Mistress were being suppressed. In addition we were informed that we needed to stay together if we expected to have a chance to prevail. Then to add a final insult we were then flung away from each other to make our way in the Land of Zombies and told to save as many as we could.
The Mistress and I were thrown atop one of the great towers which would make the towers of our world look like shacks by comparison. The Mistress had taken the time to protect us from all of the elements with her magic but still what was odd was that her energy had not been restored which was yet another strange change which we both noted. The Mistress’s first concern was of course the fate of Kameron. I realize it might seem odd why she cared but the truth be told Kameron was till family and as we had observed he had still been in his helpless trancelike state when he had been flung away from us.
Before the Mistress could extend herself she had to first test the limits of the reality we had been placed into. We found that flight was still possible but strangely limited to the height that we stood. It was not like we could not fly higher but strangely there was a feeling of dire dread that could be felt. The Mistress sent and Air Elemental into the sky to test the power of the so called dread and witnessed the absolute destruction of the Elemental. It had been quite odd for a mysterious barrier had formed or been always apparent with an intriguing reflective surface. There had been strange sounds coming from the barrier as the Elemental had been consumed by it and I swear I could see the faces of our group trapped within. I had quickly informed the Mistress of my theory regarding the Surface Barrier Artifact Shards and the Chrysalis. I was not surprised to find out that she had already beaten me to a similar conclusion.
The powers that stood against us seemed literally divine in power beyond the powers of just some artifact. The Mistress believed we might very well have been drawn into a reality that had been influenced by someone who had been allowed to complete the rituals that had been tried by the Sealers. If that were true then this might very well be a Chrysalis created reality that might very well be trying to at the very worst break into our own. Then again the people still alive might be able to provide the only clues we might be able to find to uncover the truth. Somehow the Mistress and I knew the Surface Barrier was a key to the landscape and unlocking what now seemed like another form of deadly puzzle that needed to be solved. The Mistress doubted that the reality of Eagle and this new one were truly connected but in reality they were all connected in some way it was just a matter of finding out how.
Regardless of the how and why and since it seemed like it was Artifact time the Mistress did not hesitate to assess her current situation and using the powers of her Staff of the Magi by comparison a truly weaker Artifact than the ones it seemed already in play to call forth a trio of Demons. She could sense the others in the link and they were all far away but none seemed in danger so we had moved inside the building which was entirely covered in ice. She had also called up and Air Elemental to protect us and act as an additional buffer just in case since the Mistress believed one could never be over prepared.
I had overheard what I thought to be whimpering, moaning and of course the sound of flesh being devoured and we focused on the sounds of whimpering figuring them to be survivors in hiding. The Mistress three Hezrou Demons moved forward in the three directions which were available. The Mistress monitored each individual step of each of her bound servants and one was dispatched without ever knowing what had hit it. Another was frozen where it stood unable to move and was slowing being frozen solid. The third found a man and a woman scared but of course willing to come with the Demon to a place of safety which led them to the Mistress and me.
Before we were able to determine more I sensed that Kameron was in danger which meant due to his anger he was finally awake. The Mistress I knew wished to locate him and already determined a method to reach in a few moments due to him being more than a mile away. The Mistress had been ready to move back to the roof to depart and join Kameron when we once again felt the pull of the temporal space and time shift. We were able to determine that Ti and Drago had joined each other since Ti had been near him and had managed with only a little trouble reach him but then we were pulled away.
It’s ironic that I have entered a similar entry already but in truth looking back the events I related were the events that should have occurred instead due to another time alteration Gul’Vol and Tal’Vol already existed and were waiting for the Mistress to call them to her side. That still left the matter of the Amanda and Mandy to be settled but that would be a matter to be dealt with after consulting with Justice. I planned to suggest the Mistress place them on permanent duty assignment within the Justice Base to assist with the remodel but I would have to wait and see if any of Justice were opposed the idea.
So that left Sebastian with Kameron on Spearhead Island dealing with Changling drama, Drago with Mandy on Aurora still making his case for an Air City, Amanda with Mordalfus just to make sure the friend of the Master had the support just in case anyone tried anything out of the ordinary. Ti and Virgil had for the moment vanished but as long as by morning they were ready to face the Estate District all would precede as the Master had planned.
Of course Tal’Vol had my Kirra and upon having it returned was akin to never having been without it. Quite similar to the trick the Master had pulled with the improved magical spear that he had acquired to give to Kameron which had been a gift from the Wizard Picard Uncle of Magi Vash some years in the past. You just have to love temporal time shifts the possibilities are almost endless and if I have anything to say about it I may even be able to lead the Master or more likely the Mistress to find a way to take down the Great Barrier. I realize the idea is farfetched but with the intellect of the Mistress at my disposal it just might be possible. Seriously even Baatezu Imps can dream after all.
All and all it was an interesting puzzle due to the presence of a Weirdstone with served to block dimensional travel and of course scrying magic within six miles. It was therefore left to the Mistress to figure out solve the puzzles and along with Drago’s understanding of the complex dance steps required along with the ever changing form of her dance partner Kameron the way to the secret underground vault was eventually revealed. Suffice to say it was dark and the Mistress sent me ahead to make sure we did not encounter any artifacts that might tempt any of the members of Justice. It did not take long to locate the vault and I barely had time to fall back to the Mistress and issue a warning before Eagle was spotted by a large pack of Shadow Mastiff’s.
Eagle was far more fragile in the past and therefore Justice moved in to assist with the takedown of the Mastiff’s. In the end only Kameron in the form of one of Eagle’s previous dancing partners and Mordalfus were visible. The Mistress and I were able to assist with the clean up as the Mistress was willing to wait and only act if Eagle seemed to be in danger. So in the end Eagle was left facing a vault which she opened with her sonic breath with ease. She only had to still deal with the presence of Kameron in his child form who was trying to in vain convince her that she was among friends.
Only the cooperative efforts of the Mistress, Dragon, Ti and I was Kameron spared for he chose to bow before in some failed attempt to convince her he was her ally. I will admit there is a side to Kameron that I like but I have to admit there are times when his actions defy all logic or comprehension. Of course we had encountered one of those times due to the fact that not only had Kameron bowed before Eagle but he had also entered a deep trance akin to sleep and had rendered himself helpless. So it came to pass the Ti had to carry him once with the Mistress’s help I had rendered him invisible and he was taken beyond her detection range.
Eagle was able to escape the Party Palace and we felt that we could finally fade out if we wished but the Mistress also realized that we had been unshackled from our eighty foot chains. She therefore had me remove my Kirra N' Vaelahr or Kirra for short and then she transported it to a location that she knew the Master would not find the moment it breached his chambers. It would eventually be found and only be able to bestow the knowledge of time travel and to be prepared for it. second The Kirra would give the Master knowledge of everything that had happened up to date and help to expedite a few issues from his past.
As Eagle flew off the Mistress noticed we were free to do as we wished or so it had seemed. Instead when we felt the familiar shift we had come to recognize as the pull of the time and space shifts we encountered something far more intriguing. Instead of returning to our bodies in the present we were once again in a formless state able to observe our surroundings. It soon became apparent we were somewhere that was unknown to either the Mistress or I and let me assure you that is something worth noting. What we witnessed below us was a large Metropolis and to be serious that does not really describe the size of the city that we observed. We could make out mystical runes of every mystical description as well as holy symbols of Gods all rumored in our current age to be nothing but legends or fairy tales used to frighten children. There would be more of course and the Mistress realized and what we say next was indeed quite impressive.
There were structures in the Megalopolis were advanced to a degree that even the Mistress was impressed and of course what stood out was the Wizard’s Tower that stood in the absolute center and the completion of a dark ritual that the Mistress was too determine the exact nature. The nature of the magical ritual actually did not need to be understood for it could be observed within seconds and people that we could see as our view descended on the area showed. For the people of the Megalopolis were turning into Zombie like monstrosities of with no readily known description seemingly set on bringing about Armageddon to what had looked like an otherwise nice vacation spot.
The mad ravings of the Wizard who continued to rain down destruction in the form of spell-like natural effects that literally froze entire regions or brought about elemental destruction out of thin air seemed to be calling out for anyone to challenge him. At about that time the link that had brought us here informed us rules. Somehow teleportation, flight and certain extrasensory perceptions including the Mindsight of the Mistress were being suppressed. In addition we were informed that we needed to stay together if we expected to have a chance to prevail. Then to add a final insult we were then flung away from each other to make our way in the Land of Zombies and told to save as many as we could.
The Mistress and I were thrown atop one of the great towers which would make the towers of our world look like shacks by comparison. The Mistress had taken the time to protect us from all of the elements with her magic but still what was odd was that her energy had not been restored which was yet another strange change which we both noted. The Mistress’s first concern was of course the fate of Kameron. I realize it might seem odd why she cared but the truth be told Kameron was till family and as we had observed he had still been in his helpless trancelike state when he had been flung away from us.
Before the Mistress could extend herself she had to first test the limits of the reality we had been placed into. We found that flight was still possible but strangely limited to the height that we stood. It was not like we could not fly higher but strangely there was a feeling of dire dread that could be felt. The Mistress sent and Air Elemental into the sky to test the power of the so called dread and witnessed the absolute destruction of the Elemental. It had been quite odd for a mysterious barrier had formed or been always apparent with an intriguing reflective surface. There had been strange sounds coming from the barrier as the Elemental had been consumed by it and I swear I could see the faces of our group trapped within. I had quickly informed the Mistress of my theory regarding the Surface Barrier Artifact Shards and the Chrysalis. I was not surprised to find out that she had already beaten me to a similar conclusion.
The powers that stood against us seemed literally divine in power beyond the powers of just some artifact. The Mistress believed we might very well have been drawn into a reality that had been influenced by someone who had been allowed to complete the rituals that had been tried by the Sealers. If that were true then this might very well be a Chrysalis created reality that might very well be trying to at the very worst break into our own. Then again the people still alive might be able to provide the only clues we might be able to find to uncover the truth. Somehow the Mistress and I knew the Surface Barrier was a key to the landscape and unlocking what now seemed like another form of deadly puzzle that needed to be solved. The Mistress doubted that the reality of Eagle and this new one were truly connected but in reality they were all connected in some way it was just a matter of finding out how.
Regardless of the how and why and since it seemed like it was Artifact time the Mistress did not hesitate to assess her current situation and using the powers of her Staff of the Magi by comparison a truly weaker Artifact than the ones it seemed already in play to call forth a trio of Demons. She could sense the others in the link and they were all far away but none seemed in danger so we had moved inside the building which was entirely covered in ice. She had also called up and Air Elemental to protect us and act as an additional buffer just in case since the Mistress believed one could never be over prepared.
I had overheard what I thought to be whimpering, moaning and of course the sound of flesh being devoured and we focused on the sounds of whimpering figuring them to be survivors in hiding. The Mistress three Hezrou Demons moved forward in the three directions which were available. The Mistress monitored each individual step of each of her bound servants and one was dispatched without ever knowing what had hit it. Another was frozen where it stood unable to move and was slowing being frozen solid. The third found a man and a woman scared but of course willing to come with the Demon to a place of safety which led them to the Mistress and me.
Before we were able to determine more I sensed that Kameron was in danger which meant due to his anger he was finally awake. The Mistress I knew wished to locate him and already determined a method to reach in a few moments due to him being more than a mile away. The Mistress had been ready to move back to the roof to depart and join Kameron when we once again felt the pull of the temporal space and time shift. We were able to determine that Ti and Drago had joined each other since Ti had been near him and had managed with only a little trouble reach him but then we were pulled away.
It’s ironic that I have entered a similar entry already but in truth looking back the events I related were the events that should have occurred instead due to another time alteration Gul’Vol and Tal’Vol already existed and were waiting for the Mistress to call them to her side. That still left the matter of the Amanda and Mandy to be settled but that would be a matter to be dealt with after consulting with Justice. I planned to suggest the Mistress place them on permanent duty assignment within the Justice Base to assist with the remodel but I would have to wait and see if any of Justice were opposed the idea.
So that left Sebastian with Kameron on Spearhead Island dealing with Changling drama, Drago with Mandy on Aurora still making his case for an Air City, Amanda with Mordalfus just to make sure the friend of the Master had the support just in case anyone tried anything out of the ordinary. Ti and Virgil had for the moment vanished but as long as by morning they were ready to face the Estate District all would precede as the Master had planned.
Of course Tal’Vol had my Kirra and upon having it returned was akin to never having been without it. Quite similar to the trick the Master had pulled with the improved magical spear that he had acquired to give to Kameron which had been a gift from the Wizard Picard Uncle of Magi Vash some years in the past. You just have to love temporal time shifts the possibilities are almost endless and if I have anything to say about it I may even be able to lead the Master or more likely the Mistress to find a way to take down the Great Barrier. I realize the idea is farfetched but with the intellect of the Mistress at my disposal it just might be possible. Seriously even Baatezu Imps can dream after all.
Day Four of Fifty Justice Reckoning Into the Depths of Eagle’s Past Part One
The Master and I had been yet again hurled into the past and this time we were in a ghost like state and observing a much younger Eagle during a time where she was perhaps only six years old. The Master and I were able to make out more of her heritage or shall I say at her current state anyway. It became obvious that she was originally an Eagle then altered into a humanoid Anthropomorphic Eagle which gave her a humanoid shape of sorts. Then it seemed other racial characteristics had been added including Half Vampire, Half Fey, Unseelie Fey, Half Howling Dragon, and finally Half Celestial. Of course it now became apparent why the Masters cousin Kameron was attracted due to her Dragon Heritage and the Master somewhat repulsed due to her Celestial Ancestry. It also seemed apparent that as we noticed Mordalfus, Kameron, and Drago among us that we were about to get peek into the past of Kameron’s infatuation Eagle.
It seemed were near the Tower that Kameron in present day was converting into a temple of Ares. In the time we were view which the Master was able to narrow to around fourteen to sixteen years ago the Tower was in full repair and two figures were talking. Those figures fit the description of two Sealers know to be deceased in the present. None other than Eagle’s former Masters Moore and Ideal who it seemed had an important mission for her to handle. It was about that time while they were discussing the pirate Red Sam and Party Palace regarding pieces of the arcane Chrysalis. For a moment it seemed they about to acquire both of the pieces when the Master and I suddenly sensed some kind of mystical temporal shift. For it seemed that they originally acquired both pieces they now had decided to put Eagle in charge of acquiring the piece at the Party Palace.
Ideal who had seemed for the moment Eagle’s direct Master still bore a fresh scar it seemed from the disobedient Eagle which spoke something of Eagle as well as Ideal and there power struggles. It seemed that she and her Master had come to some kind of disagreement but they both still lived which was indeed a mystery. She was given the ability to think what he called Class Three thought to achieve the mission he would set her upon.
Her mission it seemed would be to travel to the Party Palace and acquire the chrysalis piece from a suit of armor on display inside a viewing room and return. Meanwhile Moore and Ideal could be overheard discussing that if she failed she could always be replaced. I had been wondering why we were watching these events as I noticed to huge creatures sparing nearby what seemed to be a modified flying Titan and a modified flying Tarrasque. Not that the Master was worried but Tarrasque Slaying as the Master had studied in the past was dangerous business and while I knew he felt up to the task but the cost of the Wish spell needed to keep it down would make in a profitless enterprise.
We did not get that chance anyway for soon Eagle was being teased by another Guardian of the Waste a small wolf like one at that. He actually looked familiar to a creature I had seen in Under but I was not sure. Eagle had flown up to top of the tower and he had climbed and proceeded to hurl rocks at her and insult her stating that she was a weak Guardian who could not even kill her own Master. It was about at this time that I noticed we were bound to Eagle’s current location by an eighty foot bubble. We also were still aware of her in the link and even seemed to be able to send thought to her mind which she might see as her own or directly talk to her mind.
Eagle seemed for some reason extremely sad and while Kameron started to send to her stream of emotions to try and alter her current mood it did not seem to have a discernable effect. The Master was thinking suddenly about how this mission was already changing time and if actions we took in this timeline if we got the chance might alter the future. The Masters thoughts were actually beginning to alter and I had a feeling that Amanda might soon emerge which was something I did not really look forward to.
As a side note I realize I have not spoken that much about the Mistress known as Amanda Quickshar. Since as we flew to the Party Palace or actually Eagle flew tirelessly as we were pulled along the Master came to the realization that the Mistress might be of more use in our current situation. Now of course I have already mentioned the philosophy of the Mistress and since she is a Becomer Changling I should be used to it. So I will just state the major differences in the behavior of the Mistress as they differ from the Master. The Master I should say focuses on his lighter nature shall we say being that of a loving, well-mannered loving Magi willing to play by the rules. The Mistress on the other hand is quite dark and fiendish being a greedy, egotistic, and immoral woman willing to do whatever it takes to get what she wants.
So as Eagle had made her way into the Party Palace and eventually not only charmed nearly everyone inside but also found the suit of armor she sought she came up empty handed. It just so happened that there was mystery to be solved. Ti it seemed had worked for the Master of the Manor while served as the Party Palace and being over three centuries old at the time we had arrived perhaps still did. It was he that had provided the vital clue to the mystery of the missing chrysalis piece when he had stated he had observed the never ending party which was the Party Palace and notice that often the contents of the display rooms often changed without any apparent effort. The clue of course was that he had never seen anyone actually moving anything around in the rooms which meant a puzzle and also that someone might have to join Eagle to assist her.
Of course the Mistress had found a pattern on the floor which seemed to comprise of four exterior puzzles and two inner puzzles. In the center was a figure that was known to Ti a Tempar Joe who was also the head of security. While he was the center of attention he also seemed to also maintain an excuse to stay near his post which he shared with an extravagant sweet table. About the same time as the Mistress tried to explain her plan to Kameron and it mainly focused on his unwillingness to hide his Ares holy symbol while he changed forms to help guide Eagle through the puzzles. Kameron as I expected went thru the room literally and I believe would left if he could have.
Perhaps it might have had something to do with Mordalfus putting Drago in charge after almost putting Kameron in charge. For what it worth Kameron had not seemed all too proceed and Drago had stepped up which revealed a flaw I had not realized existed within Kameron. It seemed he already had become adjusted to being worshipped on Spearhead Island and being with a group like Justice that did not and had already shown themselves more than willing to eliminate him if he proved to be problematic for their goals had unbalanced him. The issue was only resolved after I managed to calm the Mistress for she was unwilling to budge on the issue being much too proud.
In the end I had to persuade the Mistress to leave her fate in the hands of Kameron regardless of how illogical it sounded and allow his superior insight to guide him. The Mistress actually only relented in the end by writing off Eagle entirely for she would not be a willing participant in a plan she did not endorse. It was only the mystery of the puzzles that the Master wanted to solve and the thoughts of what she might be able to gain either by altering the past or in the present from the Party Palace while using Eagle as her unwitting pawn that made it profitable and worthwhile.
So it came to pass since Drago had figured out a complex set of dance steps which would allow a dance partner to lead her which would allow access to the puzzles. Kameron emerged into her reality as we had realized that we could manifest for a number of minutes yet still be bound by our eighty foot reins. He had emerged as a human wearing a symbol of Ares which had of course been the part of the plan which the Mistress had opposed and lead her on a dance to bring her to the puzzles. Oddly Mordalfus had in the end actually embraced Kameron’s plan seeming to believe that perhaps seeing the symbols might have made it easier for her to accept him in the future. I suppose time would have to tell.
The first puzzle of four was solved and then the second which was an intriguing puzzle of logic. What had stood before us was a grid on the floor with we needed to clear by directing Eagle to step on the correct positions. I could make out that we had just cleared the puzzle when suddenly I could feel the now telltale pressure which indicated we were heading back to the present.
When we returned the Master suddenly assumed the form of the Mistress and suddenly I knew something was wrong. I soon realized what it was as the Mistress spoke the words that would take us back to Nym’Kren. The Mistress was an egotistic being and having two female attendants serving her would just not do. That meant of course that Armana and Mandy who were even at that very moment assisting Mordalfus and Drago respectively were as they feared being replaced by newer improved models. The lives of Gul’Vol and Tal’Vol Simulacra or in Drow Predator of the Blood and Sword of the Blood began just that quickly.
So in the end the Mistress tasked me to acquire identical equipment that had already been bestowed upon Sebastian for shall we say Gul and Tal for short and the rest of the story will be told in my next entry. Since seriously while the Master might have been content to allow Sebastian to exist and be the only superior Simulacrum the Mistress Amanda was most certainly not.
It seemed were near the Tower that Kameron in present day was converting into a temple of Ares. In the time we were view which the Master was able to narrow to around fourteen to sixteen years ago the Tower was in full repair and two figures were talking. Those figures fit the description of two Sealers know to be deceased in the present. None other than Eagle’s former Masters Moore and Ideal who it seemed had an important mission for her to handle. It was about that time while they were discussing the pirate Red Sam and Party Palace regarding pieces of the arcane Chrysalis. For a moment it seemed they about to acquire both of the pieces when the Master and I suddenly sensed some kind of mystical temporal shift. For it seemed that they originally acquired both pieces they now had decided to put Eagle in charge of acquiring the piece at the Party Palace.
Ideal who had seemed for the moment Eagle’s direct Master still bore a fresh scar it seemed from the disobedient Eagle which spoke something of Eagle as well as Ideal and there power struggles. It seemed that she and her Master had come to some kind of disagreement but they both still lived which was indeed a mystery. She was given the ability to think what he called Class Three thought to achieve the mission he would set her upon.
Her mission it seemed would be to travel to the Party Palace and acquire the chrysalis piece from a suit of armor on display inside a viewing room and return. Meanwhile Moore and Ideal could be overheard discussing that if she failed she could always be replaced. I had been wondering why we were watching these events as I noticed to huge creatures sparing nearby what seemed to be a modified flying Titan and a modified flying Tarrasque. Not that the Master was worried but Tarrasque Slaying as the Master had studied in the past was dangerous business and while I knew he felt up to the task but the cost of the Wish spell needed to keep it down would make in a profitless enterprise.
We did not get that chance anyway for soon Eagle was being teased by another Guardian of the Waste a small wolf like one at that. He actually looked familiar to a creature I had seen in Under but I was not sure. Eagle had flown up to top of the tower and he had climbed and proceeded to hurl rocks at her and insult her stating that she was a weak Guardian who could not even kill her own Master. It was about at this time that I noticed we were bound to Eagle’s current location by an eighty foot bubble. We also were still aware of her in the link and even seemed to be able to send thought to her mind which she might see as her own or directly talk to her mind.
Eagle seemed for some reason extremely sad and while Kameron started to send to her stream of emotions to try and alter her current mood it did not seem to have a discernable effect. The Master was thinking suddenly about how this mission was already changing time and if actions we took in this timeline if we got the chance might alter the future. The Masters thoughts were actually beginning to alter and I had a feeling that Amanda might soon emerge which was something I did not really look forward to.
As a side note I realize I have not spoken that much about the Mistress known as Amanda Quickshar. Since as we flew to the Party Palace or actually Eagle flew tirelessly as we were pulled along the Master came to the realization that the Mistress might be of more use in our current situation. Now of course I have already mentioned the philosophy of the Mistress and since she is a Becomer Changling I should be used to it. So I will just state the major differences in the behavior of the Mistress as they differ from the Master. The Master I should say focuses on his lighter nature shall we say being that of a loving, well-mannered loving Magi willing to play by the rules. The Mistress on the other hand is quite dark and fiendish being a greedy, egotistic, and immoral woman willing to do whatever it takes to get what she wants.
So as Eagle had made her way into the Party Palace and eventually not only charmed nearly everyone inside but also found the suit of armor she sought she came up empty handed. It just so happened that there was mystery to be solved. Ti it seemed had worked for the Master of the Manor while served as the Party Palace and being over three centuries old at the time we had arrived perhaps still did. It was he that had provided the vital clue to the mystery of the missing chrysalis piece when he had stated he had observed the never ending party which was the Party Palace and notice that often the contents of the display rooms often changed without any apparent effort. The clue of course was that he had never seen anyone actually moving anything around in the rooms which meant a puzzle and also that someone might have to join Eagle to assist her.
Of course the Mistress had found a pattern on the floor which seemed to comprise of four exterior puzzles and two inner puzzles. In the center was a figure that was known to Ti a Tempar Joe who was also the head of security. While he was the center of attention he also seemed to also maintain an excuse to stay near his post which he shared with an extravagant sweet table. About the same time as the Mistress tried to explain her plan to Kameron and it mainly focused on his unwillingness to hide his Ares holy symbol while he changed forms to help guide Eagle through the puzzles. Kameron as I expected went thru the room literally and I believe would left if he could have.
Perhaps it might have had something to do with Mordalfus putting Drago in charge after almost putting Kameron in charge. For what it worth Kameron had not seemed all too proceed and Drago had stepped up which revealed a flaw I had not realized existed within Kameron. It seemed he already had become adjusted to being worshipped on Spearhead Island and being with a group like Justice that did not and had already shown themselves more than willing to eliminate him if he proved to be problematic for their goals had unbalanced him. The issue was only resolved after I managed to calm the Mistress for she was unwilling to budge on the issue being much too proud.
In the end I had to persuade the Mistress to leave her fate in the hands of Kameron regardless of how illogical it sounded and allow his superior insight to guide him. The Mistress actually only relented in the end by writing off Eagle entirely for she would not be a willing participant in a plan she did not endorse. It was only the mystery of the puzzles that the Master wanted to solve and the thoughts of what she might be able to gain either by altering the past or in the present from the Party Palace while using Eagle as her unwitting pawn that made it profitable and worthwhile.
So it came to pass since Drago had figured out a complex set of dance steps which would allow a dance partner to lead her which would allow access to the puzzles. Kameron emerged into her reality as we had realized that we could manifest for a number of minutes yet still be bound by our eighty foot reins. He had emerged as a human wearing a symbol of Ares which had of course been the part of the plan which the Mistress had opposed and lead her on a dance to bring her to the puzzles. Oddly Mordalfus had in the end actually embraced Kameron’s plan seeming to believe that perhaps seeing the symbols might have made it easier for her to accept him in the future. I suppose time would have to tell.
The first puzzle of four was solved and then the second which was an intriguing puzzle of logic. What had stood before us was a grid on the floor with we needed to clear by directing Eagle to step on the correct positions. I could make out that we had just cleared the puzzle when suddenly I could feel the now telltale pressure which indicated we were heading back to the present.
When we returned the Master suddenly assumed the form of the Mistress and suddenly I knew something was wrong. I soon realized what it was as the Mistress spoke the words that would take us back to Nym’Kren. The Mistress was an egotistic being and having two female attendants serving her would just not do. That meant of course that Armana and Mandy who were even at that very moment assisting Mordalfus and Drago respectively were as they feared being replaced by newer improved models. The lives of Gul’Vol and Tal’Vol Simulacra or in Drow Predator of the Blood and Sword of the Blood began just that quickly.
So in the end the Mistress tasked me to acquire identical equipment that had already been bestowed upon Sebastian for shall we say Gul and Tal for short and the rest of the story will be told in my next entry. Since seriously while the Master might have been content to allow Sebastian to exist and be the only superior Simulacrum the Mistress Amanda was most certainly not.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)