Adventure Twisted Side Story - CRAZZZZY RAT AND HIS CAST OF

[Carthrat]

Carthrat blinks. "Good to see Sai is on the job.. or at least, someone is on the job. I'd hate to see them rampaging completely unchecked.."

[Anastasia]

You get no further substantal news from the television.

----

It is not until breakfast that Diane rejoins you. She looks tired and puts the cube down on the table before starting on her eggs.

Around a bite of them, she says "Carthrat, how much do you know about clerical magic?"

[Carthrat]

"It heals. It's drawn from the gods. It's powered by faith.

Not really much more than anyone else would know, I'd wager."

[Anastasia]

"That is part of it, yes. But," she begins, and you can tell by the tone that you are about to get a lecture, "Mage and Clerical magic are fundamentally different in certain aspects. While mage magic alters reality through will, ritual and mystical combonations of magic, clerical magic works through faith and the light of one being.

Despite the fact that it works outside of normal rules of reality, it still is bound to certain fundamental rules and limitations.  Clerical magic differs in this in that it rewrites the rules in it's affect through the will of a power above the rules of existance as a teacher is above the students he grades."

[Carthrat]

"But that, naturally, requires the support of the deity, which is why mages rose to power throughout the underworld," replies Carthrat, thinking..

[Anastasia]

"Yes. While there are some gods that help thieves, they are rare. In the place of divine power, magical might found a place to grow and thrive.

But anyway, another facet of clerical magic being outside of reality altogether is that it can rewrite and modify elements of reality. This is one of the most profound and terrifying displays of divine power, as it is virtually unlimited in the god's hand, and vastly powerful in the hands of a capable cleric."

[Carthrat]

"What, it can change the so-called 'immutable' laws of the world? Intriguing. Sounds like a great deal of power to vest in a single person, or even a group."

[Anastasia]

"Yes, it is powerful. This is why there are few true clerics, few are worthy to recieve that level of power from a god.  You may be a forced cleric of Azzuroan and I am a cleric of Selena, but neither of us wield this ultimate expression of divine will," she nods and goes on.

A god has the will, vision and authority to use such a power, as they are beyond human ken, being the embodiments of ideas, events and natural forces."

[Carthrat]

"I see."

Carthrat pauses.

"Where is this going, exactly?"

[Anastasia]

Her face becomes solemn and grave. "You see, I found both clerical and mage enchantments remnants on the cube. The mage magic was twisted, bent and warped to a degree that I could barely comprehend...and the  clerical magic was doing the bending, I think. It was the force making that machine workable. If I am correct, it altered both the machine and the magic..." her voice trails off, becoming soft and distant. "...the only thing that could do that is the will of a god."

[Carthrat]

Carthrat pauses.

"So.. either a god is out to get you.. or me.. or someone is powerful enough to use this gods power to get to me.

This is going to be painful."

[Anastasia]

"It's not a good thing...If a deity is willing to use their power for this..." she mutters to herself. "You said that magic and technology is powerful if it works together. Do you have an idea of how far it could reach if the compatability problem is solved?"

[Carthrat]

"It'd work two ways. On the one hand, the power could be utterly obscene. Imagine a nuculear bomb with a spell that could reproduce itself.

On the other hand, a magical and technological device is affected by, say, a Dispel Magic or an EMP blast, for instance. Having one does not shield the other.

It's like having a huge sword and walking into battle naked. It all comes down to whoever makes the strike first; you can crush any armour, but any spear can slay you.

That said, it'd still be almost impossibly difficult."

[Anastasia]

Diane picks at her eggs and pushes around her toast as you speak, her face distant again. After a small time of this, she pushes her plate away and stands up.

"I think I should take care of a few matters now. Rachel, would you keep Mr. Tanewaki company again?" With Rachel's nod, she leaves.

---

You finish the meal, finding a robust hunger that you readily slake.

"Carthrat," Rachel says as she cleans the table, "Do you want to hear about Selena now? I thought Diane would, but she seems so...preoccupied with the current going ons." she pauses, her washrag on the edge of the wood finish table. "I'm not sure, but I think she spent most of the morning in deep prayer. I strongly suspect she's trying to directly converse with Selena."

[Carthrat]

"That would be great," answers Carthrat..