In Too Deep

[Dracos]

"I prefer not to have my head sliced off from being tired on the front, so yes.    I tracked down somewhat Elric's anchor that's within the keep, but got interrupted by the caravan.  It's somewhere under the large pedastal.  Independents, well, one of them is a mage named Qurral and the other an israeli robotics expert named Derrick.  The mage is here for a test for his his mage guild in italy.  The other was a robotics expert who got caught up in first researching the rabi Judah and then when he came here by accident and found himself with the combination of knowledge necessary to produce a golem, looking for a 'noble' quest for it.  I explained a bit about the contest both to see what they'd know and to see where they'd stand on it.  Don't know about the mage of yet though both promised to help here.  Derrick followed me afterwards and commenting he'd been looking for me, or more specifically a noble cause."  Dracos shrugged.  "Anyhow, he seemed trustworthy, didn't share much more with him, but I figure if we see him after this, we might have a friend there."

Dracos

[Rezantis]

Nathan raises an eyebrow at this, but continues on with what he was going to say anyway.

"Well, I had a dream apparently somewhat like yours, in that I spoke to one of the brothers of Morpheus and he let me talk to Relm.  In any case, I found out three interesting things from the conversation.  First up, Relm tells me that it's May 1st - oh, and that Victor is apparently learning to type."

He starts to snicker, then catches himself.

"Second . . ." Nathan looks distant for a moment, 'Wooed properly, a man of faith will follow you to the ends of Earth, but the ultimate circle of magic is Pax Arcana'.  So sayeth Relm, and you can thank the Brothers of Morpheus that I can remember detail like that.  Anyway, it seems fairly clear.  Aside from that, Alan isn't the wanderer, but he's looking for the wanderer.  And the third point of interest is that the Brother I was talking to - Mike Nickley, apparently - told me what happened to our hosts after we leave."

"There are three possibilities. If we stay true to our hosts goals, their personas may emerge and destroy our own.  If we stay true to our own goals and ignore those of our host, we'll absorb them as part of ourself.  And apparently the third possibility is that if follow both their goals and our own - the path of harmony, Mike called it - despite the fact that they died before we came, they will live again.  And they'll borrow from us in the same way as we can borrow from them . . . I have no idea how that would work.  But now we know."

[Dracos]

"Hmm... So...then what are our goals that are different from our host's goals?"

Dracos

[Rezantis]

"Perhaps that's something for you to figure out, hmm?"

[Dracos]

"Hum....  And on your end?"

Dracos

[Rezantis]

"Perhaps it's also something for me to figure out, too."

Rez hums.

"Also, I had a talk to Lord Kevin yesterday - explained the whole 'Markham's-not-in-charge-anymore' situation, and basically smoothed over the mess from yesterday's strategy meeting - but please be careful.  He and Lammermore are also interested if we can detatch some troops for some combined training maneuvers? A few days practice is better than impromptu, and it's not like we're using every man every day.  You're the King, you can find some commanders, and even if it doesn't really help out it's a decent diplomatic gesture."

[Bjorn]

Bjorn snaps his fingers.  "There's something I keep forgetting to mention," he grumbles.  "The 'general' on the third night was Markham.  You probably want to know that."

He frowns for a minute, still working though what Philip said, and then says, "How much did you tell the independents?"

[Dracos]

"Not too much, mostly a brief outline of the contest, what is involved and who is participating in terms of sides and goals.  Left out who you guys were and any real world stuff."

Dracos

[Bjorn]

Bjorn scrubs at his cheek, thinking.  "How much did they know before you told them?"

[Dracos]

"Less than I guessed.  Neither of them knew it existed before I asked them about it."  Dracos shrugged.  "Didn't expect from what had been said that people would both be aware of these dreamworlds and their nature and yet not be aware of the contest held here."

Dracos

[Bjorn]

Bjorn makes a face, but changes the subject.   "Goals.  Some of our other-selves goals are obvious.  Nathan has his family sword, Philip has his torc and kingship back, and Parthipan's other-self had something going on in terms of hunting down corruption among the Lorekeepers.  Paul's other-self is... up in the air."  He glances at Philip.  "How much do you know about what's going on with our bard?"

[Dracos]

"Given the reaction I got yesterday, I felt it best to keep away from the mess there rather than risk getting them riled up more with Huitz on the line.  I was hoping you guys would fill me in later."

Dracos

[Bjorn]

Bjorn grunts.  "Nathan and I searched Dorian's quarters.  We found another of the periapts of Solariat, and a nice little sheaf of paper where Dorian confessed to being a traitor.  On the other hand, the same papers claimed that Paul was not Durant, a bard, but Verrik of Soth, legendary assassin.  So Lindsey is free, but Paul's still in prison, until we can prove he isn't Verrik."

[Rezantis]

"So what are we going to do about it?"

[Bjorn]

"Catch Verrik," Bjorn replies succintly.  "I'm pretty sure he's around somehwere.  Call it a gut instinct, if you want, but those papers were too convenient to be legitimate.  Not only that, but I've been stalked by someone at least once, and then someone had to kill those four Interrers -- and I don't see it being Dorian."