Cauldron Festival

[Corwin]

"Wait, so you're saying that after I perfect my goldenfire, I can still improve upon them by bolstering the pre-magical fire aspect? In essence, by using the blueflames as the basis before adding the concept of Creation to them?"

[Anastasia]

"Blueflames is still an idea - the hottest flames possible without magic. If you add magic, they aren't blueflames," Zaaman Rul shakes his head.

[Corwin]

"Interesting," Seira murmurs, wondering whether compatible ideas could be merged. Perhaps the concepts of 'burning' and 'lingering'?

[Anastasia]

"My Mother," Zaaman Rul pauses just outside of the circle of stones, looking ahead. "She passed on much to me. One of the wisest things she did was to tell me that Creation's greatest power is ideals and concepts. The greatest flames are ideals. The forces that can cleanse Fire are ideals and the concept of purification. Fire is sick and unclean because of the ideals and concepts those like Imix promote."

[Corwin]

"Yes, that's something I'm hoping we'll be able to slowly change," Seira agrees with him.

[Anastasia]

"I see another example of it. That library spell Aurora made - it taps into the ideal of a library. That must be why it's so powerful," Amaryl says, snapping her fingers. "It's one of the best mental enhancement spells that I know. No wonder it's so good."

[Corwin]

"I don't know if I quite agree," Seira admits. "The best mortal transformative magic turns you into a bear-like being of unstoppable carnage. Nothing can compete, not even becoming a planetar with transcendent magic. That whole spell line doesn't really tap into the idea of a bear or just animals in general, either. Just because ideas often lead to the strongest effects doesn't mean that anything sufficiently strong is based on a powerful concept, that's a logical fallacy."

[Anastasia]

"Of course," Amaryl agrees, "But I do see it as something there, don't you?"

[Corwin]

Seira waggles her hand. "From a certain perspective. That said, I have a distinct feeling we're shoehorning one plausible explanation into it just because we've heard it now. It's far more likely that they tried to emulate the way their library normally worked and succeeded rather well. Since they were patterning it after the effects of a real and existing library, it would obviously 'tap' into the idea of one as that is how inspiration works."

[Anastasia]

"Regardless," Zaaman Rul says, "Come with me now. The Guardians will come forth and we will approach Kossuth."

[Corwin]

Seira nods at Zaaman Rul, ready to follow.

[Anastasia]

Thus you step into the circle of stones.

Four new mountains rise, one in each cardinal direction. Massive fire elementals, big and broad enough to dwarf mere hills, loom above. Yet not a one acts, Zaaman Rul not even glancing at them as he walks to the portal.

[Corwin]

Taking Amaryl's hand in hers, Seira follows!

[Anastasia]

Thus you pass into Fire. More fire, the portal burning.

Then you stand in a palace of stone and flame, where in ahead sits a throne. A throne on a raised platform of stairs, atop it a robed figure of pure fire sitting. He simply watches you as Zaaman Rul kneels where he is, "Kossuth," he says, bowing his head momentarily.

[Corwin]

"Fire Lord," Seira greets Kossuth, curtsying. Showing respect and deference is important, yet there's more than one way to do it. She might as well get an early start on distinguishing herself from her ally in Kossuth's presence.