Cloud Age Symphony

[Brian]

<Brian> Ginrai!
<Ginrai> Yeah?
<Brian> You are having a dream -- at least, you think you're having a dream.
<Brian> You were last on the tower, in your frail lorekeeper body, but now you feel like you're back in your old body, lying on a futon in a Japanese looking room.
<Ginrai> "Ugh... what happened?"
Ginrai shakes his head
<Brian> Hmm.  Reminds you of your trip to Japan, actually.  All the walls are ricepaper.
<Brian> One of them slides open, and you see a familiar character, carrying your stone knife -- though, it's golden in his hands, and not stone.
Ginrai waves to the other person as he tries to remember who he is
<Brian> You recognize Shade.
<Brian> "Heya," he says warily.
<Ginrai> "Ah, hey Shade... wait... does this mean that spell actually killed me?"
<Brian> "Uh ... I don't think so," he says, taking a seat on the floor nearby.  "I'm pretty sure you're alive if I can talk to you."
<Ginrai> "Ah... so this is like what happened to everyone else, then?"
<Brian> "Something like that.  I'm a bit new to this whole being a Brother of Morpheus thing ... but Alan's helped me out and showed me that I can still help you ... a little bit.  You want to talk to the oracle?"
Ginrai nods. "Sure."
<Brian> "Okay."  Shade furrows his brow in concentration, and waves a hand over his knife.  An image appears in the air above it of a pond, with a young girl sitting on the edge, dabbling her toes in the water.
<Brian> She's wearing white Grecian robes, and has dark hair.
<Ginrai> "Ah, hello... Relm?"
<Brian> Relm looks up.  "Parthipan?" she asks.
<Brian> "How can I help you?"
<Ginrai> "I was wondering... Bjorn recently told me that the Seventh Cabal helped power one of the upcoming Generals to the point where we would need outside help to defeat it and that I was necessary for that.  Could you explain more about this to me?"
<Brian> "Oh," Relm says, frowning.  "Well ... for what it's worth, I've actually made an ally.  I have met with Pandora, who is another oracle.  She knows someone who can break the rules of the Dream you're in and stop that General."
<Ginrai> "Did she explain how that would be done?"
<Brian> "She said that one of you would have to summon Alan.  But once that was done, he would be summoned and take care of things."
<Ginrai> "How would we do that?"
<Brian> "That ... I'm not certain," Relm says, frowning.  "Let's see...."  She concentrates for a moment, and then says, "He is ... a friend to wolves ... and if you ask the wolves, they will call him."
<Ginrai> "Hmm....  Is there any way I can talk to them now?"
<Brian> "I can try," Relm says, nodding.
<Ginrai> "Thank you."
<Brian> She nods her head again, and Shade starts to say something ... and then everything vanishes.
<Brian> We'll end the session here.

[Brian]

When Parthipan wakes up, he is lying in the bed of his room, dizzy, and has a headache.  It feels rather like someone stabbed him in the skull, twisted the knife a bit, and then walked off.

In addition, when he first sits up, his perspective of the room shifts, warps, and bends around, as though reality had become infirm and distorted.  Someone near Parthipan helps him sit up, and holds a basin under his chin ... but Parthipan manages to keep his stomach somewhat settled before lying back down and closing his eyes.

Even sounds come through oddly distorted, though when someone speaks (and the voice is familiar,) he understands that well enough.

"You doing okay, Dr. McSwarthicus?" Durant asks.  "Try not to move too much ... you look kinda pale."

[Ginrai]

Ginrai cluthes his head.  "What... happened?  First I saw... I saw...  Fuck, that must've been some sort of hallucination because then I saw Shade."

After realizing who was in front of him, he squints his eyes and asks, "Paul?  I thought you were in jail.  Also, where are we and where's Meg and Chris?"

[Brian]

"Your buddies on the towertop?" Durant asks, leaning over Parthipan and peering down.  "Well, one of them turned into ash.  The other one just went into a wicked siezure, but they took her to the healers.  She was still twitching, so I guess she's probably healable.  Uh.  Your other friend might not have made it.

"About the jail thing ... I don't really have TOO much time, so to make things quick, I just want you to know -- if you need to get into contact with me, there's a woman in the kitchens named Margret.  Give her some money and ask for her favorite storyteller.  Until then, I'm gonna keep an eye on you guys, because even if Lord Bjorn von Throw-you-in-jail-and-leave-you-to-rot doesn't care about me, I'm still your friend."  Durant glances over his shoulder at the wall containing the door.

Parthipan's eyes refuse to cooperate enough to see the door clearly, as it continually slides across the wall.  The moment passes, and Durant turns his attention back to Parthipan.

"Okay," he says in a slightly quieter voice.  "Just as an F.Y.I.  I didn't kill those guards there, but who's going to believe that an 'assasin king' is guilty of murder in that situation?  Also, the rotting in jail thing got kind of old.  S0, when my new blackmailer and best friend said, 'Here's a knife that makes you invisible, I used it to kill your captors,' I kind of had little in the way of options.  If you get my drift."

[Ginrai]

Upon hearing what happened to the other two lorekeepers, Ginrai begins to recall what he had seen before he was knocked out.  As images of Chris' body disintegrating before his very eyes and of Meg's face covered in blood pouring out from her ears and nose, he immediately covers his mouth as his body begins to convulse.

After the urge to throw-up lessened, Ginrai takes some deep breaths in order to calm down.  "I... need to see Meg later.  If she's still alive, I owe her at the very least an apology."

He then looks back at Paul and says, "How were you able to get me away from them or are we right now in the infirmary?"  After pausing for a moment, he adds, "Who was it that gave you the knife and killed your captors?  Is he working for the Dreadmarch?"

[Brian]

"I'd really rather not say for my own ... assistance," Durant says with a grimace.  "And we're in your room.  I'm working against the Dreadmarch, still, and so is my new best friend.  And blackmailer.  Anyway.  I've got to go before I get caught -- sounds like someone's coming for you.  Take it easy."

With that, Durant vanishes.  Parthipan does not see the door open, but gets the distinct impression that he's gone....

[Brian]

When Phil arrives in the tower, he's directed to Parthipan's room.  Phil reaches the door just as Radagast knocks on it, glancing over at Phil in vague surprise.  "Ah," Radagast says.  "Lord Bloom, it's good to see you again."

[Ginrai]

Ginrai stretches his arms for a bit, eyes closed in concentration.  'Ah, shit... could it be Lindsey who freed him?  Fuck!  Great move there, Bjorn.  You might've just done enough to help convince him to change sides once we're out.'

He waits to see if anyone's coming in like Paul mentioned before he left.

[Dracos]

"Sorry to bother you, Radagast.  But did you notice anything odd about the end of that...fight tonight?"

Dracos

[Brian]

"Yes," Radagast says, nodding.  "But ... if you don't mind, Lord Bloom, I need to check on Master Parthipan."  Not waiting for a reply, Radagast opens the door, and steps into the room, where Parthipan is lying on the bed.

"Good to see you awake so soon," Radagast says, managing a bit of a smile.  "How are you feeling, Windmaster?"

[Ginrai]

Ginrai frowns.  "I still feel a bit out of it, but better than before.  What went wrong with the spell?"

[Brian]

"I'm not entirely certain," Radagast admits, glancing back briefly at Phil.  "our understanding of combining the powers of lorekeepers is ... not truly complete, at best.  This ... is why I was reluctant to side with Devin's request that this be done without futher preparation."

[Ginrai]

Ginrai sighs and closes his eyes.  "Chris... I saw him turn to ashes.  What's the status on Meg?"

[Dracos]

"It was an arrogant and foolhardy suggestion, but what's done is done.  And it did work.  I'm just worried about the long term effects and other things."  Dracos made sure the door was shut.  "The moon, for example, did not instantly set with the general being slain by the spell?  And...  I see."    Dracos shook his head.  "I'm sorry to be bludgeoning in on this, but what happened at the end worries me quite a bit.  What exactly was what you summoned?"

Dracos

[Brian]

Before Parthipan can answer, Radagast tells him, "Unfortunately ... Chris did not survive, and it seems unlikely that Meg will be able to use her lores again."  He shakes his head.  "Though, she will live, and there is at least that."

Glancing at Phil, Radagast then lets Parthipan speak before continuing.