Visitors

[Anastasia]

"One. One is the self in numerology, the self against all others," Io begins. "We did not realize at first this had more truth than what laid within Creation. Yet freed of Creation, it is possible for a person to confront and focus on themselves in the Beyond. Should they triumph, they become One and divine. It is a path to divinity, one unguarded by the edicts of Ao and the Incarnations. It is one of great danger, for the slightest failure is your eternal destruction. Yet it offer divinity and the ability to survive within the Far Realm, to go forth and explore it. I became One to explore the Far Realm and become more perfect."

Here Latha speaks up, "We know of only a few that have ever succeeded at this task and implications of many more trying and failing, never to be seen again. Eblis succeeded and in this may well have laid the seeds of his own fall from grace. The other who succeeded was recent: Antenora Reynes."

[Yuthirin]

"Oh! We know her! Right? Didn't she helpo out with Aurora stuff when we were retaking Lifasa?" Calleigh chimes.

'Yes, she did. Good to hear she survived the test. Hmmmmm. A focus on one's own self, you say? I have been studying psionics for a bit over two million years. Psionics are little more than the focus inward upon one's self and learning how to project that self outward in order to manipulate reality. A bit similar, I've found, to a god's ability to edit and alter reality, though not so grand a scale. How does one accomplish this?' Tryll asks.

[Anastasia]

"There are several conditions. First, you must be strong of spirit and power. This you all satisfy," Io intones. "You must do so alone - no magical items, no active spells, nothing but your own power bolstering you. The sole exception is a single object. This may be anything so long as it is made by your own hands, linked and strongly tied to you. Third, you must then go to the Far Realm and focus entirely inward and on yourself, and on the process of becoming One, of ascending past your limits. You must endure this and succeed on this task thrice, and it is no easy task. Those of the Far Realm may well come to interrupt, though allies to guard and protect you against them are permitted. Be aware that you will be unaware of anything but yourself while you do this and helpless and defenseless if you are attacked."

[Yuthirin]

'I'll have to make a thing. Anyone want to go the Far Realm with me and help me become a squid god?' Tryll asks the group.

[Anastasia]

"Duh?" Dana says immediately.

Miranda shakes her head, "I will, if only because I fear I'll be hopelessly left behind by events if I do not," she says at last. "What amazing things."

Io merely adds, "Beware failure. At best you will be twisted into a nightmare that never ends, and at worst an oblivion beyond any recovery. But know that I have created a tome to help, a tome that will aid this task. It is currently in the possession of Seira Aryn, but is meant for all five nodes. You are welcome to read it."

[Yuthirin]

'That's very helpful, thank you. We'll seek her out.'

[Anastasia]

"There is also another way, albeit one I do not know if you will ever be able to pursue," Io continues. "Have you heard of a divine seed?"

[Yuthirin]

'No, I have not.'

[Anastasia]

"A divine seed is a creation of the Incarnations," Io begins, "It can be used to obtain divinity without resistance or approval, or to strengthen existing divinity. Were you to have one, you could become divine in moments. I had created one but its charges are spoken for. One of your allies from Aurora was ascended with part of its power: Kascha."

"HER?!" Dana blurts out, "Miss Mousy Bookworm Mage?" Staring slowly, "I mean shit, she can be hard when she needs to be, but shit."

[Yuthirin]

'So a divine seed is sometring created by a god in order to elevate a mortal a servant?' Tryll ignores Dana's outburst.

[Anastasia]

"By the Incarnations," Io corrects, "But in essence that is how it is used, or to strengthen an existing deity."

[Yuthirin]

'By the Incarnations. Ao, assumingly, and...whoelse now?'

[Anastasia]

"There are three," Io explains, "The Incarnation of Law, the Incarnation of Balance and the Incarnation of Chaos. Ao is the Incarnation of Chaos, while the Incarnation of Law is long lost, to what I know not. The Incarnation of Balance is likewise seemingly gone, but may be with us in another form - it is not clear, and the Incarnations are ever reserved to us, working for their own ends alone."

"The Arbiter," Latha supplies here, "Tied to the business in the world Alicia came from."

[Yuthirin]

'Of course. Of course Ao is the incarnation of Chaos. Of course. Of course he would decide to be a collosal bastard about it.' Tryll is unhappy!

"Whatsa Arbiter?" Calleigh asks helpfully while Tryll has his meltdown.

[Anastasia]

"That is bullshit," Miranda agrees, "Chaos is more than that!"

Benyen just nods but perhaps wisely stays quiet on that, i nstead, "I'd like to know that, too."

"The Arbiter is the being overseeing the affair of the gnomish God-King," Latha says, "We know little of him, beyond that he has supposed us and set Alicia and Seira on this path. He may be the other form of the Incarnation of Balance Io spoke of," Here Latha quietly adds, "Or he may be a fourth, we do not know and cannot account for any and everything in the Beyond."