Day 55A: They couldn't stop looking.

[Iron Dragoon]

Session Start: Mon Feb 09 09:17:20 2015
Session Ident: #dunes
* Now talking in #dunes
* Topic is 'Ithea(34)>Lief(33)>Muirfinn(31)>Kina-ja(26)>Antenora(25) '
* Set by Kotono on Thu Jan 29 20:02:43
<Kotono> ---
<Kotono> <Lucy> "Ah. Yes. Speaking of that." Lucy retrieves her journal. "I wondered that very same thing myself, and so I went over my research notes." With a frown, she shows them to Jetina. "See this part? Where it meticulously records us trying an experiment with the rod of wonders some time after we returned from the celebration? Apparently you weren't fond of the experience, albeit it was quite
<Kotono> harmless.
<Kotono> <Lucy> Does it look like unsteady or drunk handwriting to you?"
<Kotono> > Jetina gives it a once over, "Not particularly," she admits. "It looks normal enough to me."
<Kotono> <Lucy> "Well do you remember it?!"
<Kotono> > "Um, yes." Jetina says slowly, "It was strange, especially with that geas of yours. I spent the time staring into the mirror."
<Kotono> <Lucy> "I don't! Not one bit! And! Again! Do you have any idea how strong something would need to be to so much as touch me? I don't want to brag needlessly but it would take an army or a mage of my caliber. So you can understand my considerable concern that something managed to leave me in such a situation and I have no memory of it!" She waves her hand uncertainly. "You must have some magic
<Kotono> that
<Kotono> <Lucy> helps."
<Kotono> "I..." Jetina slowly hmms, "Actually, I hate to say it, but I don't. I focus on physical, spiritual and mental well-being. Memory manipulation falls in between them I can try a few spells anyway." She rises, "Stay still."
<Lucy> Lucy does so, difficult as it is. "And! This makes no sense," she continues to insist, struggling to keep only her mouth moving. "We returned from the festival. Separately. And then we got together to do some magic and you apparently didn't like it and left. So how does it follow that we would go out again, this time together, and get so drunk I would forget all about it and abuse my magic in
<Lucy> ways it clearly was not meant to be used?" She frowns. "Why would you even go out again to celebrate with some frog person?"
<Kotono> First comes healing. Lucy's wounds heal! Then comes a few spells - one after another. Protections, a panacea, a lesser restoration. None seem to produce any effect. "If I had a bit of diamond dust, I could try a full restoration," Jetina notes, sitting back down, "But I don't expect it to help. It's possible a break enchantment spell might help, but it's beyond my ability."
<Kotono> OOC: Gah, premature enter.
<Kotono> First comes healing. Lucy's wounds heal! Then comes a few spells - one after another. Protections, a panacea, a lesser restoration. None seem to produce any effect. "If I had a bit of diamond dust, I could try a full restoration," Jetina notes, sitting back down, "But I don't expect it to help. It's possible a break enchantment spell might help, but it's beyond my ability." After a few moments
<Kotono> of contemplation, "That makes a lot of sense, and as for the frog? It wasn't on purpose. He stumbled on me and one thing lead to another. Somehow." She shudders.
<Kotono> roll 1d4 con restored
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 3 > 12 [d4=3]
<Kotono> roll 1d4 con restored she'll drop another on you to clear that up
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 4 > 12 [d4=4]
<Lucy> "How?!" Lucy exclaims. "Why would you leave the ship again to party? Why would I? Why would you remember that but I won't? Why would I even go when there were all these exciting research notes to go over?!"
<Kotono> "I don't know," Jetina admits, holding up a hand, "At this point, I believe you. It's a little much for just getting drunk. But I don't have the foggiest why."
<Lucy> "Hmph." Settling down a bit, Lucy nods. "Thank you for-- well, for helping me, obviously, and listening to me and even believing me. So. I shouldn't be on my own in case this happens again. Would you mind coming with me to see Miss Aria? If she lacks the proper spells to help, I'm clearly deciding to stay at the wrong island. Oh-- and I should tell Mister Kamhoff that I've decided to stay, now
<Lucy> that I think about it."
<Kotono> Jetina nods slightly, "For now, let's..." A trail off, as if thinking. "Let's go see Aria first. See if we can fix these memories first, in case that changes anything."
<Lucy> With the plan agreed upon, Lucy heads out of the cabin.
<Kotono> The two head onto deck. It's then that they come on Moore and Pepo returning to the ship. Jetina greets them with a smile, "Oh hi," she says in greeting. "We're just going out."
<Lucy> Looking unbelievably surly for her, Lucy nods curtly.
<Moore> Moore nods back and hesitates on Lucy. "Is everything all right?"
<Lucy> "I'm forgetting things and my magic is acting up. Other than that, no."
<Pepo> Seeing that Lucy looks unusually sullen, Pepo walks over to give her a generous offer. 'You may pet me,' he says, rubbing his head against her shin. It's good for him and good for her, a classic win win! But on hearing about forgetfulness all thoughts of petting are cast aside. 'Forgetting things?' he asks warily. 'Like names or events, or a block of sequential time?'
<Moore> OOC: Had Pepo told everyone about his run-in with the other Pepo? I can't recall.
<Pepo> OOC: I think just Lucy and Kamhoff.
<Kotono> OOC: Correct.
<Moore> OOC: Okay.
<Moore> Moore frowns. "Like when we..." He nods to Pepo since he's asking the same question.
<Lucy> "Events clearly happened that I cannot recall," Lucy says peevishly. "That suggests the loss of time."
<Pepo> 'You could be a copy, with the real Lucy in great danger,' Pepo says, tail swishing about in agitation. 'Have you seen Bolethon?'
<Lucy> "No," Lucy drawls out. "Why ever would I be a copy?" Something as perfect surely cannot exist in more than one shape in the world!
<Pepo> 'Do you not remember me telling you of my discoveries within the Light?' he asks, increasingly worried. 'Jetina, find Bolethon and bring him here. Quickly!'
<Moore> Moore tilts his head at Pepo since he's not sure how that's possible, but he's not one to argue with something as serious as this.
* Lucy taps her foot. "No. But it is plausible that we talked and I forgot about it too," Lucy admits. "I made no notes of it in my journal-- ah, but there was some research into the Light? Detection spells and how none of them applied to study it?"
<Pepo> 'No, I told you of how I went into the light to hide for a time, and I came across a light-constructed duplicate of myself. It struck me and dragged me deeper while unconscious, as a copy of myself awoke aboard the ship with no memory of the day's events. That copy realized its situation when reading Bolethon's mind after he acted strangely - the realization both destroyed the copy and awoke me
<Pepo> within the Light, and I barely managed to escape,' Pepo recites the events. 'Likely something similar is happening to Lucy, and if I had not gained this knowledge then we would be completely unaware of her plight.'
<Kotono> "Right," Jetina goes off to find Bolethon.
<Lucy> "This is easily tested," Lucy muses, sounding doubtful now. "I will just have to forcibly read Mister Bolethon's mind."
<Pepo> 'How are your spells?' Pepo asks. 'Is there a limit to your daily access to the spellpool? How large is the limit and how much do you currently have available?' he asks. 'I had expended some of my psionic powers while the copy awoke at full power. I witnessed you drawing on the spellpool to test ways to detect such copies - all failures, unfortunately.'
* Lucy blinks. "There... actually is a limit," she admits. "A fireball and a magic missile's worth a day, give or take."
<Kotono> Soon enough Jetina returns. "Bolethon's coming," she says, said light mage coming on up behind Jetina, a little slower.
* Lucy intrudes upon the light mage's mind without so much as a hello.
<Kotono> roll 1d20+10
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 29 > 12 [d20=19]
<Lucy> OOC: Will 23
<Kotono> But nothing happens. Bolethon looks long at Lucy before saying, "You are Lucy." He then turns and goes back down the stairs.
* Lucy tries again, frustrated by her failure.
<Kotono> roll 1d20+10
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 18 > 12 [d20=8]
<Pepo> 'That still leaves the question of how you lost your memory,' Pepo says, still perturbed. 'What happened in those missing hours?'
<Kotono> You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You
<Kotono> are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are
<Kotono> Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy. You are Lucy.  Endlessly.
<Lucy> "Gah." Choking, Lucy cuts off the spell and shakes her head violently. "What a terrible place!"
<Kotono> "A divination," Jetina snaps her fingers, "Couldn't one of those figure out what Lucy was doing in that lost time?"
<Lucy> "So. I found myself in Freeport Rock," Lucy reports, rubbing at her forehead. "Really, terribly beaten down. And apparently I've already done shopping there, even though Mister Bash said he saw me fall out of the sky and spent the rest of the time watching over me. I forgot a lot of things from earlier as well, obviously."
<Pepo> 'Not exactly...' Pepo says, 'My divinations can only provide advice on future courses. But I could try and determine what would elicit memory erasure and we could test it. Mine was provoked by an attack - perhaps if a group effort was made at least one of us could evade the attack. That could explain Lucy's injuries - the Light wounded me greatly as I made my escape.'
<Moore> "Well, unless you landed in the Light, this situation seems different than Mister Pepo's. So... I wonder why you both lost memory but ended up with different circumstances."
<Lucy> "We were on our way to see Miss Aria in hopes she might have the right spell to help with the problem," Lucy volunteers. "Perhaps you could accompany us?"
<Pepo> 'Very well, if she has no ideas then I will attempt a divination,' Pepo agrees.
<Kotono> OOC: Y'all going to see Aria then?
<Moore> OOC: Sure.
<Kotono> The trip to see Aria from there is uneventful. You meet her in a comfortable room - it's full of stuffed chairs and has a nice fireplace. The decorations just scream money and everything is pleasant here. She's sitting back and reading papers when you come in.
<Lucy> "I'm terribly sorry to intrude upon your time of relaxation like this, Miss Aria," Lucy says apologetically.
<Kotono> "Reports are hardly relaxation," Aria puts the paper aside, "What have you come for?"
<Lucy> "I've lost several hours, and it is highly possible I was attacked in that time," Lucy responds, frowning now. "In fact, the two might be related. Would you have the means of detecting whether hostile magic was used to mess with my memories or even restore them?"
<Kotono> "Perhaps," she says, eyes suddenly glowing blue. "Sit down, all of you. I need to focus."
<Kotono> Jetina does just that, right away.
* Lucy does so, mentally taking notes. She has a basic idea of what a mage of Aria's caliber is capable of, but perhaps she will learn something new!
<Pepo> Pepo sits right where he is, manifesting detect psionics to see what's going on himself.
<Pepo> OOC: taking 10 for 31 on psicraft, just seeing what Aria casts
<Lucy> OOC: Likewise for 28
<Kotono> It's analyze dweomer, along with a unique twist. It applies a boost to spellcrafting ability while active. It's quite potent, an 8th level spell, and keyed to a ring she's wearing. It's both the focus and helps to cast it properly. After several moments the reply is, "I don't detect anything unusual on you," she finally says, "But I know it doesn't help with newborns, who are the most common
<Kotono> source of amnesia and lost memory victims."
* Lucy mentally counts back the time she had spent since waking up, and asks, "How about restoring a specific timeframe? For example, three hours ago? I think it would roughly have to be when I was apparently talking to Mister Pepo. And going from there, to see what happened after we parted ways."
<Kotono> "I already tried a lesser restoration and a panacea spell," Jetina adds, "Neither were effective."
<Lucy> "I did feel better after the restoration."
<Kotono> "There is a scroll that could help," Aria turns to Moore, "You'd be able to use it."
<Kotono> OOC: Going to reply, Moore?
<Lucy> "There is no scroll I cannot use," Lucy says confidently, glancing sideways at Moore. "Would you happen to have it with you, Miss Aria?"
<Kotono> A scroll is produced and handed over. OOC: Go ahead, Lucy.
<Lucy> After looking it over, Lucy decides that the best way to use it within the limitations is to pick a key moment her memory is missing. If she restores it, perhaps she would build up on it as the rest would follow. She picks just a minute prior to her departure for Freeport Rock. If she teleported badly in response to an attack, that would show her the circumstances as well as leave plenty of time
<Lucy> for the transition itself.
<Lucy> roll 1d20+24 umd
<Serith> Lucy roll for Serith < 43 > 12 [d20=19]
<Kotono> OOC: Will save.
<Lucy> OOC: Since I know what the spell does, I'll waive the SR and the will save
<Kotono> OOC: It's not for the spell.
<Lucy> roll 1d20+7
<Serith> Lucy roll for Serith < 11 > 12 [d20=4]
<Kotono> It comes back in a rush. Lucy remembers everything - the empty down, the strange visit, flying up to get a view - then waking up next to Bash. Her memories of flying up just stop cold, like her very awareness was interrupted and put back on track with waking up.
<Kotono> *empty town
<Lucy> Face suddenly white, Lucy leaps to her feet. "No. It's all wrong!"
<Pepo> 'What have you discovered?' Pepo asks.
<Kotono> "Lucy?" Jetina rises as well, "What is it?"
<Lucy> "There were no people. There were no people!"
<Pepo> 'In Freeport? Did you imagine meeting Bash?'
<Kotono> Aria rises as well, "What deviltry are you talking about?" she inquires, tensing.
* Lucy backs away, looking wildly between all those present. "It was a ghost town. Nothing. No one. Not even rats. It was empty. I flew up-- then, I was in Freeport, but people were there, suddenly. No one noticed a thing. But I was there! I brought clocks from there! It really existed! They both existed!"
<Kotono> "Lucy, calm down," Jetina advances, "Are you sure? Towns just don't empty out like that."
<Lucy> "It fits. It fits with the physical evidence. I remember. I remember everything. Something changed. In reality. It knocked me out, and took my memories."
<Pepo> Pepo's mind whirls at the ramifications, and his next words are for Lucy alone. 'Everyone could be a copy, a simulacrum, only existing when we are present. Your teleport must have taken you to Freeport before the world could catch up and populate it?' Which is a fine theory, but why?
<Lucy> 'Nothing contradicts it,' Lucy allows privately, responding in Pepo's mind, 'although there has to be another explanation! I cannot be the only one who ever teleported somewhere and then got concerned over inconsistencies in my memory!'
<Pepo> 'You could be. If you were the only one that was real in this entire world.'
<Kotono> "Lucy? Pepo?" Jetina looks between the two, "What are you two talking about and not telling us?"
* Lucy nods jerkily to herself and tries to calm down before Jetina decides she's too unstable.
<Lucy> "I'm not teleporting somewhere alone anymore," Lucy says.
<Pepo> 'If Freeport's population could vanish and reappear, so could anywhere else's,' Pepo answers Jetina, including everyone now. 'And that is a wise decision.'
<Moore> Moore blinks, then looks over at Aria. "What spell was it exactly that was used with that scroll?"
<Lucy> Lucy looks at Jetina suddenly. "I never went back out to party some more like I thought," she says slowly. "I met with Mister Pepo and afterwards teleported to Freeport Rock to follow up on what we discussed. Are you sure you did? Why would you?"
<Kotono> "Modify memory," Aria explains, "It should be possible for your branch of study."
<Kotono> "I see..." Jetina murmurs, "This is...strange," she finally says. "Insane and strange."
<Moore> Moore nods. "Oh, yes, I've heard of that. I... assume it has no effect on the memories lost prior to coming here?"
<Lucy> "Perhaps, if Moore masters the spell, he could use it on you next."
<Kotono> "It doesn't work on those," Aria confirms, "It's been tried many times and in many ways."
<Pepo> 'It falls within my discipline of telepathy as well,' Pepo says. 'I will try and incorporate it.'
<Lucy> "And I will be sure to stock up on a few scrolls, just in case," Lucy muses. "After I repay Miss Aria's generosity, of course."
<Kotono> "So..." Jetina rails off, "Empty towns, lost memories and absolute insanity," she slowly sits back and rubs her temple, "This seems like madness."
<Lucy> There are also the fake people, but she doesn't want to be the one to share Pepo's experience with Aria.
<Kotono> "As expected, of course," Aria faintly smiles, "Memory alterations are always disturbing. This entire incident is beyond strange. Perhaps it is caused by the energies of the Cerulean Gem and what you encountered around it?"
<Lucy> "Begging your pardon, Miss Aria, but I cannot see how either necromancy or abjuration could lead to this."
<Moore> "So I suppose the question we have is whether the teleportation is what caused it... But, if that's the case, I'd think... this sort of thing might be more commonplace." Moore says, rubbing his chin. "But even if it was common, would anyone ever remember...?"
<Kotono> "I doubt it's the teleportation. Rocky teleported us a few times to no problem," Jetina remarks, "Why now and why to Lucy?"
<Lucy> "And I teleported back on my own without trouble," Lucy adds. "The latter is also obvious, really. But why now, indeed."
<Pepo> 'It was unexpected?' Pepo suggests. 'Did you recover memory of sharing your plan to teleport there with anyone?'
<Kotono> Jetina hmms and looks towards Pepo.
<Moore> "You were also alone." Moore adds. "I don't think any time we've teleported it's been by ourselves."
<Lucy> "I remember... hmm, discussing with you, Mister Pepo, and Mister Kamhoff of how to follow up on Mister Bolethon's suggestion. So while I don't recall outright saying I will be teleporting over, it might have been implied?"
<Moore> "Oh, Miss Lucy, you said you brought clocks, right?" Moore asks. "Had any of them stopped or something?"
<Pepo> 'Wait... yes. We discussed it via telepathy,' Pepo recalls. 'A method which is near impossible to eavesdrop upon. Perhaps if you'd discussed it with Kamhoff or Jetina, you would not have... seen behind the curtain?'
<Lucy> "They were all stuck on 2:39," Lucy reminisces. "Although the one I bought after was working. And yes, Mister Pepo. Although it makes further experimentation difficult, if I was noticed and whatever this is adjusted for it."
<Moore> "Huh... I wonder if there's some significance to that number." Moore ponders. "I suppose it's worth remembering, at least."
<Pepo> 'You would need to teleport unexpectedly to an unexpected place. Perhaps the next time we are called upon to resolve a crisis by venturing to a far off place, you should teleport somewhere else entirely with no warning?' he says, this exclusively for Lucy's ears only.
<Lucy> 'It would not be a problem, especially if I prepare for memory loss ahead of time and you master the right spell, Mister Pepo,' she responds likewise.
<Lucy> Out loud, she says, "It is beyond me as to whether the time has any sort of meaning."
<Moore> "Well, I can study the memory modification spell, either way, in case this comes up again." Moore says. "But maybe we should all keep diaries of our thoughts and intentions, so that should something like this happen again, we have a lead?"
<Lucy> "I already do."
* Lucy coughs. "But it's not a diary."
<Moore> OOC: Can I do any kind of check on the 2:39 or time being stuck in general?
<Kotono> OOC: Sure, bardic knowledge.
<Lucy> "Another thing that bothers me, on reflection," Lucy muses. "I took those clocks from the empty town. But when I visited Miss Miimi's stall later, having forgotten about it, and purchased a fresh clock, there was no sense-- it didn't seem like she'd just lost some of her merchandize. And I would expect her to notice the sudden loss, obviously, but she wasn't in a particularly confused or foul
<Lucy> mood."
<Pepo> 'Do you remember seeing if the clocks you took were still among her stock?'
<Moore> Moore casts a quick Improvisation on himself before doing some thinking on whether or not the numbers Lucy mentioned might have any significance at all.
<Lucy> "From recollection, they were not. But they were all clearly made by the same artisan, and in the same style."
<Moore> roll 1d20+5+5
<Serith> Moore roll for Serith < 17 > 12 [d20=7]
<Kotono> Nothing comes to mind for Moore.
* Lucy glances at Aria in the hopes of having any insight they overlooked thus far.
<Pepo> 'We should check Kamhoff's log for the time we left Freeport, assuming he maintains one,' Pepo suggests. 'Perhaps it matches up with 2:39.' Then for Lucy alone, 'If everyone is but a simulacrum, then no time will have passed, but Miimi could then rationalize that of course she must have sold a few clocks between us leaving Freeport and now.'
* Lucy nods slowly. "I'm not sure of the exact minute I teleported, but I don't think it was that in Hillmar's local time. As for Freeport Rock's, I couldn't say."
<Lucy> To Pepo, she thinks, 'Perhaps this is the true reason we could not stay in Rossalund, despite being able to overpower any pirate?'
<Pepo> 'We didn't stay because my divination suggested we go with Kamhoff,' Pepo replies. 'But I suspect time, reality even, only progresses around us and in places we're expected to be. So when we left Freeport Rock, it was just put on hold, then when you teleported it took a moment for the world to catch up with your unexpected movement, to progress its time forward enough and repopulate it to avert
<Pepo> suspicion?'
<Kotono> Jetina crosses her arms, "You know, you two leaving us out of the conversation is maddening!"
<Lucy> "It is scandalous to share my private thoughts," Lucy deadpans.
<Kotono> "But you can tell Pepo them?" Jetina lobs right back, "But not Moore and I?"
<Pepo> 'I'm a cat,' Pepo presents a reasonable argument. After all, that's why he can sleep in Jetina's bed and Lucy can't, so this situation is just like that using the scenario Lucy has presented!
* Lucy nods firmly. "Besides, how do you know if I'm even telling Mister Pepo anything?"
<Moore> "It's okay, Miss Jetina." Moore says with a smile. "I do have a question for you, Mister Pepo. Do you think you could try a divination to see how we might be able to find out what exactly happened to Lucy? Or, perhaps, to phrase it a different way, 'How can we find the truth of what Lucy saw in Freeport Rock' or something to that extent?"
<Kotono> Aria watches this entire thing, keeping silent. But you can notice her eyes glowing blue-white now.
<Pepo> OOC: I still have detect psionics. Is that a telepathy eavesdropping thing?
<Kotono> OOC: Make spellcraft.
<Kotono> OOC: Or psicraft, whichever.
<Pepo> roll 1d20+21
<Serith> Pepo roll for Serith < 38 > 12 [d20=17]
<Lucy> roll 1d20+18 me too!
<Serith> Lucy roll for Serith < 19 > 12 [d20=1]
<Kotono> OOC: It sure is. She has a detect telepathy spell up  (Not the name but close enough), along with advance scanning.
<Pepo> 'That wording is acceptable,' Pepo tells Moore. 'We should relocate to the ship for any further divinations though.'
<Moore> Moore nods. "Right. Um... thank you for your time, as always, Miss Aria."
<Lucy> "And the scroll. Nothing beats having your memory back!"
<Kotono> "Lucy," A nod to Moore before she addresses the succubus, "Be careful. I may be understanding, but others may not. Seek help and treatment if you need it."
<Lucy> "I will be very discreet, Miss Aria," Lucy solemnly promises.
Session Close: Mon Feb 09 21:01:38 2015