In Too Deep

[Brian]

Derrick nods at you, and the golem waves goodbye as Phil turns away and re-enters the storm-rider camp.

[Dracos]

Dracos, being someone who doesn't want to die tomorrow on the battle field from being too tired to fight, heads to get some rest before the next strategy meeting.

Dracos

[Brian]

After searching for Lord Kevin, Nathan finally discovers that he has gone to sleep, and short on options, opts to follow Lord Kevin's plan of action -- especially since the guards around Phil's tent say that he is sleeping, as well.

[Brian]

<Brian> Nathan:
<Brian> You are asleep.  You are also dreaming, though you don't think you've had a dream quite like this in some time.  Currently, you are lying on a bed (in your original form, apparently, wearing boxers, pajamas, and most of your right arm is still gold), looking at a wooden ceiling.
Rez blinks in surprise, and sits bolt upright, looking around in confusion.
<Brian> When you raise your head to look around, there's a number of things that come to light.  The wall above the bed features a large mirror with a wooden frame.  The wall to your left has a poster for the original Matrix movie.  The wall to your right has a painting of some random obligatory hot chick and equally obligatory snake.
Rez didn't think snakes and hot chicks were necessarily obligatory in paintings, but such is the wa-hey, a mirror!
Rez makes SURE it's his original form.
<Brian> That's you, all right.  Huh.  You could have sworn you were taller and more barbarian-ey.
Rez takes a quick and curious look closer at the painting, then looks around for a door.
<Brian> You see no door.
<Brian> Directly in front of you is a man in very heavily stylized but completely (you'd think) ineffectual armor.  He's got a pair of golden gauntlets sitting on his desk, which is where he is sitting, and is currently scribbling on a roll of paper.  There's a large crystal ball on a gold stand.
Rez blinks.
<Rez> "Um. Hi?"
<Brian> There is a window behind the desk, but it just emits bright light -- like the sun through a thin lampshade.
<Brian> He looks up at you, and blinks.  "Ah," he says after a moment.  "Eric asked me to help one of you out since he's incursing against the fire-realm."
<Brian> Putting down his pen, he stands up -- this guy's almost as huge as Phil's barbarian-form.  Or your own.  "Nice to meet you.  I'm Mike Nickey, of the Brothers of Morpheus."
Rez stands up myself and offers a hand to shake.
<Rez> "Nathan Shuker. Nice to meet you, too."
<Brian> After climbing down from the bed, you shake Mike's hand.  He feels pretty solid for a dream.  "I trust things are still going, in the battle-realm?" he asks.
<Rez> "Well, we aren't dead.  We don't really know what else they've got up their sleeves, but we're doing fairly well . . . I think." Rez cocks his head, "So you were the ones who killed Manos?"
<Brian> He shakes his head.  "Alan goes that low into common dreams.  Most of us monitor the outer reaches ... we hardly have enough power left to police there.  But Alan is hunting the Wanderer."  He shakes his head again.  "I'm digressing.  We can speak later -- for the moment, there's a window of opportunity, so we can let you speak with your oracle."
<Rez> Nathan blinks.
<Rez> "I . . . thanks. How much time has passed back there? The same as in the battle-realm, or?"
<Brian> Mike shrugs, looking at you apologetically.  "When we come here, we give up our pre-existing perceptions of time.  We're essentially dead, and no longer a part of the real world, so we can only really guess the time by who is dreaming and when."  He looks thoughtful.
<Brian> "From what I know," he says slowly, "it's spring, though."
<Rez> Nathan nods.
<Brian> He shrugs.  "Mental cycles of some people tend to trend towards a pattern that indicates..." he trails off.  "Sorry.  Your oracle?"
<Rez> Rez blinks.
<Rez> "Oh. Yes, please, if you could . . ."
<Brian> He nods, and then passes a hand over the crystal ball.  It projects a flat image, unsteady and wavering, at first, and then more clear.  You see in this ... window ... or screen ... a view of the temple where you first accepted the power of Apollo.
<Brian> Kneeling at one edge of the pond, and peering into the waters, is Relm.
<Rez> "Hey, you!"
<Brian> She raises a hand towards the screen, waggling a finger, and intent on the pond.  After a second of this, she nods, and looks upwards.  "Mr. Bloom?" she asks, squinting, and peering around.
<Rez> Rez rolls his eyes.
<Rez> "No. Guess again."
<Brian> "Nathan!" she exclaims, looking around, and then finally locking eyes on you.  "Teddy bear jammies?  Cute!"
<Brian> Mike smirks, and shakes his head, but remains silent behind his desk -- and the screen, come to think of it.
<Rez> "Mention this ever again and I kill you," Nathan deadpans, "So! We ain't dead, how about you?"
Rez (cb7ae772@vs2.svartalfheim.net) Quit (QUIT: Today is a good day to chat.)
Rez (cb7ae772@vs2.svartalfheim.net) has joined #ether
<Rez> I live once more!
<Brian> "Coming together," she says with some reservation.  "We're ... Victor's learning how to type.  I've just got some new equipment installed in New Delphi for computing.  We're trying to figure out if we want to hole up there as a permanent base, or look somewhere else."
<Rez> Nathan nods.  "How long's it been there, out of curiousity?"
<Brian> "Today is May first," she says.
<Rez> Nathan blinks.  ". . . yikes.  It's been . . . maybe two weeks here.  It's getting somewhat messy, but we're getting through."
<Brian> She nods gravely.  "Is there anything you need to know about your future?" she asks.
<Rez> "Depends what you can tell me, really. We ran into two independent people in here . . . don't suppose you know if either of them are going to be a threat? I haven't spoken to them, so I don't really know much about them."
<Brian> "Names?" she prompts.  "Or something else I can find them by?"
<Rez> "I don't know their real world names . . . I haven't had time to talk to them," Rez shrugs helplessly, "I mean, I don't really know what to ask . . .
<Brian> "Okay," she says, frowning.  "Even the names of their shadows -- the names they use in that world -- will help."
<Rez> "Qurral, an alchemist, and Derrick . . . who built a golem."
<Brian> Mike snaps his fingers, and slides a piece of paper across the table -- the names are: Ohad Neira, and Price Du`Monte.
Rez blinks.
<Rez> "Oh wait. Their names are Ohad Neira, and . . . Price Du'Monte."
<Brian> "Okay," Relm says.  "With both names, I can find out about them.  Give me a moment."
<Rez> "Thanks," Rez says as an aside to Mike.
<Brian> She turns her attention to the pool.  "No problem," she replies absently.  She swirls a finger in the waters, and says, quietly, "Wooed properly, a man of faith will follow you to the ends of Earth, but the ultimate circle of magic is Pax Arcana."  Shaking her head, she looks up, though she seems a bit tired.  "That's all I can get," she says apologetically, just before the connection gets fuzzy.
<Rez> "That's plenty. Thanks, Relm - be well."
<Brian> She beams a smile at you before the connection vanishes entirely.
<Brian> "Sorry about that," Mike coughs.  "Meant to tell you about the independents earlier."
<Rez> "That's fine. I appreciate the help," Rez grins.
<Rez> "So why do you guys favor US, anyway?" he queries.
<Brian> "Alan decided to try and help you out," Mike says, shrugging.  "So far, you aren't assholes, like Pax Arcana and the Seventh Cabal."
<Rez> Rez snorts, then grins.  "You apparently haven't hung around us long enough, but thanks."
<Brian> He smirks.  "Trust me," he says.  "Anyway.  I've got something you should probably know about the whole process of being who and where you are."
<Rez> "Hm? I'm listening, any advice is good right now."
<Brian> "Okay.  So, when you finish your goal, and leave, there are three things that can happen, depending on how your actions fit the role of your host in this world," he begins.
<Brian> "If you are loyal to your host's goals, and follow them exactly, then you run the risk of your host's persona emerging, and destroying your own."
<Rez> Rez blinks.
<Rez> "_Interesting_ . . . I can see that maybe being a problem for one or two of us."
<Brian> He nods.  "If you strive to accomplish your own goal, regardless of your host's goals, then when it is time to leave, you will destroy your host, and consume their persona, turning them into a component of yourself ... and taking a piece of this dream back into your own reality."
<Rez> Nathan nods.
<Rez> "What's the third option - do we _have_ to destroy our host?"
<Brian> "If you remain true to yourself, being independent from your host, but accomplish both your own goals and theirs, then you are truly following the path of harmony -- of symmetry, then you will leave, and even though your hosts were dead when you entered the dream, they will live again."
<Brian> He frowns.  "This becomes a bit complicated ... but as you can borrow from their strength, they will borrow from yours, too.  This is true balance ... though whoever your host was before, he is a dream, and will be tempered by the reality of you ... being ... him for so long."
<Rez> Nathan nods.
<Rez> "Thanks.  That was . . . bothering me, a bit."
<Brian> "It's important to know that -- your oracle might not remember everything, and could have guided you towards ... a more destructive path than you had intended."
<Brian> Mike frowns.  "I have to return you to the dream now, or you'll forget all of this.  Any last questions?"
<Rez> "Just the one.  So who is Alan, anyway? Phil mentioned him, too - and who is this 'Wanderer'?"
<Brian> "Well -- I don't have time for that, sorry.  Ask tomorrow.  Suffice to say they're allies.  At times."  He shrugs, and then you return to your normal sleep, waking up in the middle of the night with the sense that these memories are burned into place for a short while ... so you won't be forgetting anything any time soon.

[Brian]

Phil and Nathan both wake up after a restful night of dreamless sleep, and a rather interesting visit from other-worldly beings, respectively.  The storm-rider camp is rousing, and the moon looks to be about an hour from setting.

[Dracos]

Dracos looks around for Nathan's tent to see if he's awake.

Dracos

[Rezantis]

He is, for once.

"Morning, you.  We have another morning meeting with Bjorn in the library.  Someone should probably go get Gin, too."

[Dracos]

"I assume there is quite a bit to talk about.  Where'd ye head off to all of yesterday eve?"  Dracos gestured to follow, leading the way towards the library.  "And I hope you ordered breakfast."

Dracos

[Rezantis]

"No. I only just woke up myself, actually."

Rez hums as they walk towards a keep.

"Alrighty. First order of business, find some servants and have them run and get Gin, Bjorn and breakfast? Not necessarily in that order, of course, I am hungry . . ."

[Dracos]

"Aye, I hear ya there.  Too much hungry work about."  Dracos looks about for a servant or four, and sends them off with an order to bring some food about to the library, enough for the squad, as well as to get Bjorn and Ginrai.

Once accomplished he continues to the library.

Dracos

[Brian]

The servants are dispatched, and in short order the breakfast nook that Phil slept in once is reclaimed.  It sports a good view of the (still) deserted library, except for the youngish looking man behind the counter (which is next to the door and all the way across the room).

[Brian]

Not long after Phil and Nathan arrive in the library, Bjorn enters.

[Dracos]

"Heya Bjorn.  Trust you got some sleep?"  Dracos sits down, starting to eat as he opened the conversation.

Dracos

[Bjorn]

"Yes," Bjorn says, taking a seat though not eating.  "Yourself?"

[Rezantis]

Rez grabs some food and starts eating himself.

"Me, I had a dream last night," he mentions, despite the fact that Bjorn wasn't talking to him, "and I didn't get to search Dorian's body because Kevin was asleep, making it hard to get permission. But before we elaborate any, Drac, tell us what you found out about the independents."