Prologue: E-mails

[Brian]

From: Relm ('tyrean_@samiam.org')
To: Rez ('terrestrial_star@hotmail.com')

Subject: oba-di oba-die, life goes on

Great.  Just make sure they have a way to get in touch with me once a day until we can get things more firmly established.  Both the uplink and the laptop should be chargable from a car, but still.

I'm working with primitives. >_<

I'm sending out a packet over standard mail that should help these people a bit.  Who should I adress it to?

[Bjorn]

From: Rez ('terrestrial_star@hotmail.com')
To:  Relm ('tyrean_@samiam.org')

Subject: The time has come, the Walrus said, to speak of many things.

Hello, Oracle.  My name is Bjorn Christianson (despite the email source -- Nathan's a bit busy at the moment, explaining various technical details to our new allies).  I don't think we've been introduced before.  Pleased to meet you.

It turns out that among my newly-discovered talents is the ability to mindlink with people over quite some distance, and so I've been talking with the crew that went ahead to Gibraltar.  One of them, Paul Durant, has had a dream.   He dreamt he was walking down a neverending corridor, while carrying something that he couldn't recognize.  He was being chased, and the thing in his hand became a keychain with strangely labelled keys, that he used to open a door and escape.

Once through the door, he found himself playing chess with a man (he's had a dream of playing games with the same man before).  The board was huge, with many pieces (that included us), and several colours.  One of the pieces was of a Japanese boy who was one of the hijackers.  Paul tried to move his piece, and ended up in the kid's house, in front of his sister (who Shade had, apparently, badly injured).  Paul got some information from the kid about unimportant things that Paul couldn't have known, which makes him sure it was more than just a dream.  As a result of their conversation, Paul is convinced the boy is in great danger, and that Paul has to save him.

All things considered, I'm not inclined to take dreams lightly.  Can I ask what your thoughts are?

In addition, the three of them are trying to figure out what to do now.  One of the cellphones was traced, apparently, so whoever has been tracking the cellphones now knows where they are.  Dracos (Philip) seems bent on heading straight to Gibraltar, and hoping that there's no trap waiting for them.  Again, do you see anything that they should know?  And is there anything you can do to help them slip the Cabal's attention?

I believe tradition requires that I produce an offering to your priesthood in exchange for answers to my questions.  Let me know what you want.  Olives are probably hard to come by at this time of year, though.

Bjorn

[Brian]

From: Relm ('tyrean_@samiam.org')
To: Rez ('terrestrial_star@hotmail.com')

Subject: Do walrus carpenters install vinyl siding?

Hiya!

Keen.

Okay.

o_O?  Interesting.  I'm supposed to be the one getting all the dreams, but it seems pretty obvious.  I'm not sure how much of Paul's dream is accurate, but it says that you're all pieces in a game.  If the kid were a different color it'd be easier to tell.  If he's unaligned, it means just that.  He's unaligned.  That can change, of course.  I'm not certain I know anything about that kid, though.  Maybe Paul can learn to walk in dreams like Shade started too....  Tell him to think of me next time he dreams!  Then we can meet up and trade notes, and stuff.

Well, you really don't have to worry much about the Forge or the Home Guard ... now.  With the Workshop destroyed, and one of the only two contacts they had with any of the Workshop employees who was even aware of the existance of the Seventh Cabal, they're pretty much running on steam.  They've got old orders and stuff, but no new directions are coming down the pipe for them.  Or maybe I can fake a message from one of their supervisors ... maybe not a good idea.

Anyway.  As far as getting out from under the Seventh Cabal's nose, that's tricky. :/  We have some luck, but nothing immediate.  What the good news is, is that only three sites are known for where the trials have to be taken.  As far as I know, everyone knows about Gibraltar and Ayer's Rock.  But I don't think either of them is certain about a third!  Mt. Fuji. :D  Might be a good idea to go there after Gibraltar.  Will make let you put off dealing with the radiation ... though, it might give away its location. >_<  My advice is mostly just don't be anywhere totally alone.  Make sure there's always a few people around who are just normal civilians who can either see you, or know where you should be.  It's a lot easier to vanish someone who's already in hiding, you know. ._.

Also, France is an older country, so both factions have deeply buried roots in their politics and public offices.  The public eye is strong, though, and the media attention provides you with a bit of protection.  They don't like to be unsubtle, and it's REALLY unlikely they'll send any of their agents after you.  They'll send some subordinate faction's agents after you, if anything.

Hmm.  If that explains anything. ._.

I'll do what I can, but I have to be careful until I learn as much as Ayame knew.

Also, you are correct!  You owe me gifts of bronze!

Or, you would, if you weren't considered to be part of the priesthood, too.  :p

~Relm

[Bjorn]

From: Rez ('terrestrial_star@hotmail.com')
To: Relm ('tyrean_@samiam.org')

Subject: No, but they can boil seas, and make a mean clam chowder.

Hello, Pythia.  It's still Bjorn.  You can withhold your excessive enthusiasm.

Paul mentioned that the boy's piece was red, but he didn't mention what colour our pieces were.  I assumed either white or black, but I'll ask him.

So your opinion (correct me if I'm wrong) is that as long as the three don't let themselves get caught alone in the shadows, they should be pretty safe for the time being?  Seems reasonable to me.  I'll pass that on, and tell them to be unwary of any strangers who approach them with plans.

So I'm a priest now, am I?  The world has been full of surprises lately.  I'll probably need to get new business cards.  Am I allowed to start charging people for passing on inquiries?  This credit card that you kindly provided will only go so far, after all.

Bjorn

[Brian]

From: Relm ('tyrean_@samiam.org')
To: Rez ('terrestrial_star@hotmail.com')

Subject: Yams!

Pythia? O_o  Lies!  My enthusiasm is as boundless as the vault of the heavens!

Okay.  Red can mean a couple of things, but generally speaking, it's a step closer to neutral.  You can probably shift his balance.  Play your cards right, you could make an ally forever.

Play them wrong, you could make an enemy for twice as long.  I'll try and auger something on him.  And do you know anything about this guy other than he was in Paul's dream?  Or does Paul, for that matter?

That's ... about right, yeah.

You don't know the half of it. O_O

Relm

[Brian]

From: Brother Marcus ('marcusb@ulc.org')
To: Rez ('terrestrial_star@hotmail.com')

Subject: Congratulations on your Ordination!

Welcome, Jacob Housner, to the proud tradition of the Universal Life Church.

Your ordination package has been mailed to:

Jacob Housner
P.O. Box 45045
Montgomery, Alabama, 36102

If you have any other questions, feel free to visit our website!

[Bjorn]

From: Rez ('terrestrial_star@hotmail.com')
To: Relm ('tyrean_@samiam.org')

Subject: Don't slam the clams, you fan of yams.

It's the Reverend again, Pythia (which is the Greek name for the Delphite Oracle herself.  Yet another fact I keep lodged in my head to ward off all those annoying birthdays).

I don't know any more about the kid, other than he was Japanese, apparently had some power himself, and that he had a sister that Shade badly injured.  I'll try to get more detail from Paul.

The weather in New Delphi is good.  Very good.  Sunny and shirt-sleeves warm, in fact, while the rest of Alabama suffers in the freezing rain.  No one here should be able to affect the weather.  I'd like to consider a good omen, but I'm not at heart a very optimistic person.  Is there anything you can tell me?

Rev. Bjorn

[Brian]

From: Brother Marcus ('marcusb@ulc.org')
To: Rez ('terrestrial_star@hotmail.com')

Subject: Get baked at the clam slam.

Greetings, Brother Housner.  Well, I always remembered it as Cassandra.  Or, Ayame did, anyway.  Once the Rezzly one gave the proper passwords, anyway.

More info would be good.  Especially since right now that's all I am.

That you're lucky?  I'll look into it.  It's strange, I guess, but I don't have any insights into it right away.

Rev. HOUSNER.

:P

[Dracos]

To: Rez
From: Dracos

Subject: PINK ONE, HEAR MY WORDS!

Okay, so we're alive.  Which is good, I like being alive.  We're also in Spain, which is sorta good, save I don't speak Spanish and the last Madridian spanish person I know lives down in Florida hawking old games.  Anyhow, we're surviving well enough and will likely make it alive.  Ye might want to have Bjorn touch base with us tonight sometime and get an idea of what/when you guys are doing and we should do to connect with you guys.

As regards that meeting, well, they aren't going to bother us yet according to them.  It sounds on the level enough for me that I'm not going to worry about it.  If they are at all smart, they'll likely wait for the other guys to try and kill us, and shoot at both us and the other folks.

Rock on, and see ya in the med.

Dracos

[Rezantis]

From: Rez ('terrestrial_star@hotmail.com')
To: Relm ('tyrean_@samiam.org')

Subject: Oooh, look what I see.

One Big Rock.

Well, here we are in Gibraltar, which is a wonderful place with as far as I can tell only one place with computer games. And Bjorn's refusing to buy cookies (despite the fact that we had an agreement). Bastard.

So, Miss Spiritual-Guide-Person, once we do in fact get back in touch with Drac and the others (who should be here soon if not already), what next?

--N

[Rezantis]

From: Rez ('terrestrial_star@hotmail.com')
To: Dracos

Subject: Ahahahaha!

Right, we're in Gibraltar. I'll call you tonight, have your phone on if you get this around . . . I dunno . . . 7pm Gibraltar time.  Or just reply to this damn email. Or take option 3 - we're staying at (insert hotel name here), under the name McGrail.

--N

[Brian]

From: Relm ('tyrean_@samiam.org')
To: Rez ('terrestrial_star@hotmail.com')

Subject: One Big Rock For Rez, One Giant Pinkness For Everyone Else.

Well, now you need to try and enter the dream of Ourobos.  You should be able to do that once all of you are together and can find Ezmereth.

I'm going to guess he'll be either on top of the rock, or beneath it.  Probably on top, because he's lived as long as he has by being not stupid.

Be careful, okay?

[Rezantis]

From: Rez  ('terrestrial_star@hotmail.com')
To: Relm ('tyrean_@samiam.org')

All together, check, guess who just walked in . . .

Yeah, yeah. We'll be careful. Talk to you when we're done. :)

--N

[Brian]

From: Relm ('tyrean_@samiam.org')
To: Rez ('terrestrial_star@hotmail.com')

Quick thought on why you should be careful.  I don't know what the trials you're going to face are going to be like.  Sorry, but I don't.

One thing to keep in mind, though, is that you're going, approximately, to Hades.  Be careful, and ... if you can, bring copper coins to pay Charon.  Otherwise, he won't take you back.

[Rezantis]

From: Rez ('terrestrial_star@hotmail.com')
To: Relm ('tyrean_@samiam.org')

How many? Will copper-nickel compounds do? And does it matter how much they're worth, or is it just a symbolic thing?

--N