- Time, it is a dimension not unlike the three dimensions perceived "in the moment between heartbeats of time" or "in the very Present". This is a factor one has to take in while projecting planar shifts of the future and of the past.
Mir Fnar
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*AniKai
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
Spatial Mathematics
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*AniKai
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
...and how Hjyng Resolves Reality
...Mir mused, fiddling and rolling an ancient scepter between her fingers, her mind focused to find the solution and position of its source. It gave her a headache - too many variables, too many uncertainties, too few facts. She sighed, then groaned and gazed up to the ceiling in the soft darkness of Hjyng's central chamber.
...Mir mused, fiddling and rolling an ancient scepter between her fingers, her mind focused to find the solution and position of its source. It gave her a headache - too many variables, too many uncertainties, too few facts. She sighed, then groaned and gazed up to the ceiling in the soft darkness of Hjyng's central chamber.
- "I just can't wrap my mind around it", she uttered at the ceiling.
- "Of?", Hjyng's soft baritone voice asked.
- "This!", Mir stated and shook the scepter in her hand while staring upwards.
- "A rod made of ...", Hjyng started.
- "Ohh! I know!", Mir groaned, "But where it comes from!?"
- "That is...?", Mir asked.
- "...the answer to your query, my dear", Hjyng's baritone replied with something that resembled an amused chuckle.
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*AniKai
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
Shards...
Days passed, and a typically quiet day turned out to be not so quiet after all. One of the crew members of Alice stormed to the bazaar, looking for Mir and eventually finding her at her usual spot at Khazeet's.
The crew was taken prisoners by a Gith pirate called Skrin, who's name and reputation was well known to Mir. To her surprise Skrin didn't need her ship for anything, at least not right then. He was seeking her assistance in finding and getting hold of pieces of Orb of Unity...
Days passed, and a typically quiet day turned out to be not so quiet after all. One of the crew members of Alice stormed to the bazaar, looking for Mir and eventually finding her at her usual spot at Khazeet's.
- “Captain!”, the man almost shout relieved upon seeing her.
The crew was taken prisoners by a Gith pirate called Skrin, who's name and reputation was well known to Mir. To her surprise Skrin didn't need her ship for anything, at least not right then. He was seeking her assistance in finding and getting hold of pieces of Orb of Unity...
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*AniKai
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
Archmagus Fraxl and the Route of Ages
Mir hummed merrily, idly feeding breadcrumbs to the beetles nearby Foul Olde when an old man stutters out of the doors, mumbling to himself, his years making him weigh heavily on his walking staff.
“Now where in blazes am I again... Fraxl you old fool...”, the old man in robes mumbled and stops next to Jezebel with a deep sigh, “Oh my... lower planes...”, and then eyes an imp which passes by, “Or not...”
“Mmm, you lost?”, Mir asked sidelong.
“Whatev-...”, Fraxl stumbled at Mir's voice, took a deep heave and turned around rather abruptly, “Me … oh … I ...”, and then just stared at Mir with his mouth agape, “My word, now, that does not seem right...”
“Aye?”, she replied smiling, yet with somewhat perplexed frown.
Fraxl poked Mir's horns with the staff, then her wings and muttered, “Nonono, that's not right.”
“Aigh', something's amiss indeed..”, Mir stated chortling and craned her head back away from the poking stick.
Fraxl nodded in agreement, “Something definitely is”, and looked around, “and this place. Now, why would it bring me there?” He scratched his head with the staff, managing to bonk himself in the forehead. Mir snickered with a brow quirking and queried what had broung him here. “What... what indeed”, Fraxl replied absently.
Mir suggested Fraxl to take a seat before he clobbered himself out of his mind. Fraxl smirked and winked secretively, which kinda looked funny with his old face, “Aye, a seat would be prudent.” He then wandered over to Khazeet's, Mir following in his steps, and glanced about at the chairs, “Now... how did that go again... Oh, right”, he uttered, pointing his staff at one of the chairs, “C'mere!” The chair didn't move.
Mir just shook her head, amused of the old man's antics, “Not quite right, no.”
“Oh, I remember”, Fraxl stated and spelled the incantation for translocation and the chair appeared under his behind, onto which he promptly plopped down to sit, “There we go!”, he chuckled.
“Well, that indeed went right”, Mir chortled and tapped the counter, nodding to Khazeet to get her usual red wine.
Fraxl folded his staff into a little tube, which he then pocketed, “There, order in everything, everything in order”. His gaze rose and met the barkeep, eyes briefly widening falling off his chair, “Whoa!” He quickly collected himself tho, lift his chair and asked, “Aren't you a little far from your home, Djinn-kin?”
Mir glanced between Fraxl and Khazeet, replying before Khazeet managed to say anything, “He's been a barkeep here for years...”
“An efreet serving folks drinks in the lower planes? Hah, right! Good one lass”, Fraxl retorted bluntly.
“Umm, this ain' lower planes... if that was your destination, you got a wrong turn somewhere”, Mir said and took a sip of her wine which Khaz handed to her meanwhile.
“Is not? Hmm.. then maybe I am not wrong after all. Was aiming a bit higher... I think”, Fraxl mused. Mir chuckled and asked where he was going then. “No idea. Not my decision, most of the time”, Fraxl shrugged, making Mir wonder whose decision it was instead.
Fraxl mumbled something and produced a parchment from his pocket, unfolding it to become some kind of a map. The map was neatly ordered, forming the Great Wheel and beyond. Mir tilted her head to side to get a better look at it. “If that is Acheron, and this is Mechanus... Hmm... Oh dear... Sigil, ain't it?”, Fraxl pondered and glanced at Mir who just nodded and pointed at the center of the various planes. “Darnation. Fraxl, you old fool, just one more time, eh? Bloody hells. Barkeep, hit me!” the old man cursed.
“Guess a wrong turn then”, Mir stated sidelong as she sipped her wine. Fraxl did a little staring contest with Khazeet until realized that he had not specified a drink, upon which he ordered Firewine.
“Aye. It'll be hard to get out”, Fraxl sighed.
Mir quirked a brow, shrugging a bit, “Not really.”
“Well”, Fraxl begun and then paid his, gulping it down in one swoop and then coughing a moment, “...let me rephrase. It'll be hard to get back home. Unless you know of any doors that accidentaly open to the Astromundi Cluster, of course.” Mir fell quiet for a while. “Thought so”, Fraxl nodded, “Barkeep, keep it coming”, and threw a bunch of coins on the table.
“Have to say, no, not doors. Have my ways finding routes other kinds tho”, Mir replied a bit later.
Fraxl smirked after his second and third shot went down, “Routes. I know all about 'Routes'.” Mir asked him to tell more. “Traveled from Toril to Mystara and back, saw the dracon homeworld, rode the whales, even had a near encouter with the Jammer herself”, Fraxl continued, “I was the best damned helmsman from here to the depths of the Nine Hells.”
Mir smirked slightly, “Sounds like you've seen a number of ways then. One of my hobbies is to do just that – to travel.” Fraxl grinned and downed fourth and fifth shot. “While not loitering idle, that is”, Mir added shrugging.
“Hmm. And apparently you like to hide your true self, too”, Fraxl smiled and turned back to Khazeet, signaling for yet another drink.
Mir blinked somewhat surprised and muttered into her wine glass, “A matter of...”
“...Perspective, aye”, Fraxl finalized the sentence, “You are no more a tiefling than I am Takhisis.”
Mir nodded, “Astute”, yet wondering just how the man came to that conclusion with such ease.
Fraxl belched and ordered one more drink, then turned to face at Mir, “So lass, like to travel?”
Mir smiled and nodded again, “Beats political intrigues and faction mess-ups anytime.”
“Point taken”, Fraxl said, “Have you heard then, of the Route of Ages?” Mir canted her head to left, thinking hard, having heard about such in brief passing, although never more than a word or two. Fraxl chuckled burping, “The point in space where all points is space meet. But the trick is that you don't get to choose.”
“That is what you were doing then? Traveling unchoosing”, Mir queried.
“Aye. One last time, b'fore the end”, Fraxl nodded.
“Do tell, about it, for you know more than a passing word or two”, Mir asked.
Fraxl burst into laughter which soon turned into a violent cough, “Do I know it? I built a thrice-damned device to find it. Cost me more years and friends than I like to admit.”
Mir quirked a brow and reached into her sleeve, pulling out a cube within which slowly spun smaller cubes, an infinite number of cubes within each other, the sight defying all logic with its inherent impossibility. “This be akin?”, was her simple question as she glanced from the infinity in her hand at Fraxl.
Fraxl's eyes fixated on the object, flaring wide open as he stood up and begun to back away slowly. “Where in the gods' name... Put it away! Put it away, now”, he shrieked on edge of something akin to panic.
Mir glanced at the cubes and shrugged, putting the object then away. “You fret. Know it?”
Fraxl eased up somewhat and finally replied, “Aye... It is the route. The diamond of wildspace, the glimmer in your eye”, he said, looking straight into Mir's eyes. “Whisking you away to wherever, to whenever.”
Mir broke into somewhat puzzled smile, “Intriguing...”
“If you say so lass”, Fraxl sighed. “Only two of those were ever made. I smashed mine... long ago”, he continued. Mir wondered why. “Because... the route took away the one who made them. Never saw her again”, Fraxl clarified and then peered into the bazaar crowd for a while, “but I think, since you have that...” Fraxl rummaged his pockets and then frowns, cursing some ogre in vibrant words as he pulled pieces and shards of a brass instrument onto the counter.
Mir took one of the pieces, eyeing it a moment, “Well, fixable... or at least rebuildable.”
“My poor astrolabe”, Fraxl grumbled and scratched his head, “keep it, if you want. If you rebuild it, use the cube as energy source. But remember that it has its own mind. And, it may make you wait.” Mir frowned lightly. “As soon as the astrolabe stops spinning, it'll be there, but only for a minute. If ya miss it, ye'r stuck”, Fraxl explained. “Oh, and... There's others. Beware the others”, he said shuddering.
Mir was about to ask what others the man meant when Fraxl let a small weasel out of one of his pockets and set it on the floor, the little creature making Mir quite literally out, “d'aww! Cute.”
Fraxl kneeled down and petted the weasel lovingly, “Aye Avangon, it is time. You behave, you hear me? I'll miss you, old friend.” The man's words made Mir's quiet down and to stare at the back of his head. Mir leaned then down herself too, greeting the small creature, then glancing at Fraxl, her expression asking for explanation. “Right, the others... You'll see soon enough”, Fraxl nodded and begun to cough again, upon which Mir saw shadows approaching admist the crowd.
Fraxl stood up and waded into and through the crowd, leaving Mir with the little weasel. Mir scooped the weasel up to carry on her folded arms and decided to follow Fraxl before he would disappear out of sight.
Fraxl headed to a dark alleyway, where he stood surrounded by humanoids in dark armor when Mir and Avangon peeked past the street corner.
“The Dark Dweller sends his regards, old man”, the supposedly leader of the pack said to Fraxl. “You evaded us long enough.”
Fraxl took the situation with stoic sarcasm, seemingly ready for anything. Before Mir managed to decide whether to intervene or not, it was already late when Fraxl with one swift action snapped his staff in two to release the energies within. “And that is for ALL MY FRIENDS”, Mir heard Fraxl shout before the energies released exploded in a roaring blast which engulfed Fraxl and the armorclad pack, destroying them and a neighboring building alike.
Mir blinked couple times, scritching the neck of the weasel and sighed softly, wading then to see what was left, if anything. And as expected, except for two staff pieces and a few bits of scorched fabric of a magical robe were the only things that had not evaporated. Mir picked up a piece of cloth and the staff halves, noticing then an elonguently carved text on the other half which said, 'Fraxl, Archmage of the Aquilan Court of Sunmages'.
“Well, Fraxl, I'll find what you didn't”, Mir said quietly and looked at Avangon which wheezed and sniffled at the cloth Mir had picked up.
Mir hummed merrily, idly feeding breadcrumbs to the beetles nearby Foul Olde when an old man stutters out of the doors, mumbling to himself, his years making him weigh heavily on his walking staff.
“Now where in blazes am I again... Fraxl you old fool...”, the old man in robes mumbled and stops next to Jezebel with a deep sigh, “Oh my... lower planes...”, and then eyes an imp which passes by, “Or not...”
“Mmm, you lost?”, Mir asked sidelong.
“Whatev-...”, Fraxl stumbled at Mir's voice, took a deep heave and turned around rather abruptly, “Me … oh … I ...”, and then just stared at Mir with his mouth agape, “My word, now, that does not seem right...”
“Aye?”, she replied smiling, yet with somewhat perplexed frown.
Fraxl poked Mir's horns with the staff, then her wings and muttered, “Nonono, that's not right.”
“Aigh', something's amiss indeed..”, Mir stated chortling and craned her head back away from the poking stick.
Fraxl nodded in agreement, “Something definitely is”, and looked around, “and this place. Now, why would it bring me there?” He scratched his head with the staff, managing to bonk himself in the forehead. Mir snickered with a brow quirking and queried what had broung him here. “What... what indeed”, Fraxl replied absently.
Mir suggested Fraxl to take a seat before he clobbered himself out of his mind. Fraxl smirked and winked secretively, which kinda looked funny with his old face, “Aye, a seat would be prudent.” He then wandered over to Khazeet's, Mir following in his steps, and glanced about at the chairs, “Now... how did that go again... Oh, right”, he uttered, pointing his staff at one of the chairs, “C'mere!” The chair didn't move.
Mir just shook her head, amused of the old man's antics, “Not quite right, no.”
“Oh, I remember”, Fraxl stated and spelled the incantation for translocation and the chair appeared under his behind, onto which he promptly plopped down to sit, “There we go!”, he chuckled.
“Well, that indeed went right”, Mir chortled and tapped the counter, nodding to Khazeet to get her usual red wine.
Fraxl folded his staff into a little tube, which he then pocketed, “There, order in everything, everything in order”. His gaze rose and met the barkeep, eyes briefly widening falling off his chair, “Whoa!” He quickly collected himself tho, lift his chair and asked, “Aren't you a little far from your home, Djinn-kin?”
Mir glanced between Fraxl and Khazeet, replying before Khazeet managed to say anything, “He's been a barkeep here for years...”
“An efreet serving folks drinks in the lower planes? Hah, right! Good one lass”, Fraxl retorted bluntly.
“Umm, this ain' lower planes... if that was your destination, you got a wrong turn somewhere”, Mir said and took a sip of her wine which Khaz handed to her meanwhile.
“Is not? Hmm.. then maybe I am not wrong after all. Was aiming a bit higher... I think”, Fraxl mused. Mir chuckled and asked where he was going then. “No idea. Not my decision, most of the time”, Fraxl shrugged, making Mir wonder whose decision it was instead.
Fraxl mumbled something and produced a parchment from his pocket, unfolding it to become some kind of a map. The map was neatly ordered, forming the Great Wheel and beyond. Mir tilted her head to side to get a better look at it. “If that is Acheron, and this is Mechanus... Hmm... Oh dear... Sigil, ain't it?”, Fraxl pondered and glanced at Mir who just nodded and pointed at the center of the various planes. “Darnation. Fraxl, you old fool, just one more time, eh? Bloody hells. Barkeep, hit me!” the old man cursed.
“Guess a wrong turn then”, Mir stated sidelong as she sipped her wine. Fraxl did a little staring contest with Khazeet until realized that he had not specified a drink, upon which he ordered Firewine.
“Aye. It'll be hard to get out”, Fraxl sighed.
Mir quirked a brow, shrugging a bit, “Not really.”
“Well”, Fraxl begun and then paid his, gulping it down in one swoop and then coughing a moment, “...let me rephrase. It'll be hard to get back home. Unless you know of any doors that accidentaly open to the Astromundi Cluster, of course.” Mir fell quiet for a while. “Thought so”, Fraxl nodded, “Barkeep, keep it coming”, and threw a bunch of coins on the table.
“Have to say, no, not doors. Have my ways finding routes other kinds tho”, Mir replied a bit later.
Fraxl smirked after his second and third shot went down, “Routes. I know all about 'Routes'.” Mir asked him to tell more. “Traveled from Toril to Mystara and back, saw the dracon homeworld, rode the whales, even had a near encouter with the Jammer herself”, Fraxl continued, “I was the best damned helmsman from here to the depths of the Nine Hells.”
Mir smirked slightly, “Sounds like you've seen a number of ways then. One of my hobbies is to do just that – to travel.” Fraxl grinned and downed fourth and fifth shot. “While not loitering idle, that is”, Mir added shrugging.
“Hmm. And apparently you like to hide your true self, too”, Fraxl smiled and turned back to Khazeet, signaling for yet another drink.
Mir blinked somewhat surprised and muttered into her wine glass, “A matter of...”
“...Perspective, aye”, Fraxl finalized the sentence, “You are no more a tiefling than I am Takhisis.”
Mir nodded, “Astute”, yet wondering just how the man came to that conclusion with such ease.
Fraxl belched and ordered one more drink, then turned to face at Mir, “So lass, like to travel?”
Mir smiled and nodded again, “Beats political intrigues and faction mess-ups anytime.”
“Point taken”, Fraxl said, “Have you heard then, of the Route of Ages?” Mir canted her head to left, thinking hard, having heard about such in brief passing, although never more than a word or two. Fraxl chuckled burping, “The point in space where all points is space meet. But the trick is that you don't get to choose.”
“That is what you were doing then? Traveling unchoosing”, Mir queried.
“Aye. One last time, b'fore the end”, Fraxl nodded.
“Do tell, about it, for you know more than a passing word or two”, Mir asked.
Fraxl burst into laughter which soon turned into a violent cough, “Do I know it? I built a thrice-damned device to find it. Cost me more years and friends than I like to admit.”
Mir quirked a brow and reached into her sleeve, pulling out a cube within which slowly spun smaller cubes, an infinite number of cubes within each other, the sight defying all logic with its inherent impossibility. “This be akin?”, was her simple question as she glanced from the infinity in her hand at Fraxl.
Fraxl's eyes fixated on the object, flaring wide open as he stood up and begun to back away slowly. “Where in the gods' name... Put it away! Put it away, now”, he shrieked on edge of something akin to panic.
Mir glanced at the cubes and shrugged, putting the object then away. “You fret. Know it?”
Fraxl eased up somewhat and finally replied, “Aye... It is the route. The diamond of wildspace, the glimmer in your eye”, he said, looking straight into Mir's eyes. “Whisking you away to wherever, to whenever.”
Mir broke into somewhat puzzled smile, “Intriguing...”
“If you say so lass”, Fraxl sighed. “Only two of those were ever made. I smashed mine... long ago”, he continued. Mir wondered why. “Because... the route took away the one who made them. Never saw her again”, Fraxl clarified and then peered into the bazaar crowd for a while, “but I think, since you have that...” Fraxl rummaged his pockets and then frowns, cursing some ogre in vibrant words as he pulled pieces and shards of a brass instrument onto the counter.
Mir took one of the pieces, eyeing it a moment, “Well, fixable... or at least rebuildable.”
“My poor astrolabe”, Fraxl grumbled and scratched his head, “keep it, if you want. If you rebuild it, use the cube as energy source. But remember that it has its own mind. And, it may make you wait.” Mir frowned lightly. “As soon as the astrolabe stops spinning, it'll be there, but only for a minute. If ya miss it, ye'r stuck”, Fraxl explained. “Oh, and... There's others. Beware the others”, he said shuddering.
Mir was about to ask what others the man meant when Fraxl let a small weasel out of one of his pockets and set it on the floor, the little creature making Mir quite literally out, “d'aww! Cute.”
Fraxl kneeled down and petted the weasel lovingly, “Aye Avangon, it is time. You behave, you hear me? I'll miss you, old friend.” The man's words made Mir's quiet down and to stare at the back of his head. Mir leaned then down herself too, greeting the small creature, then glancing at Fraxl, her expression asking for explanation. “Right, the others... You'll see soon enough”, Fraxl nodded and begun to cough again, upon which Mir saw shadows approaching admist the crowd.
Fraxl stood up and waded into and through the crowd, leaving Mir with the little weasel. Mir scooped the weasel up to carry on her folded arms and decided to follow Fraxl before he would disappear out of sight.
Fraxl headed to a dark alleyway, where he stood surrounded by humanoids in dark armor when Mir and Avangon peeked past the street corner.
“The Dark Dweller sends his regards, old man”, the supposedly leader of the pack said to Fraxl. “You evaded us long enough.”
Fraxl took the situation with stoic sarcasm, seemingly ready for anything. Before Mir managed to decide whether to intervene or not, it was already late when Fraxl with one swift action snapped his staff in two to release the energies within. “And that is for ALL MY FRIENDS”, Mir heard Fraxl shout before the energies released exploded in a roaring blast which engulfed Fraxl and the armorclad pack, destroying them and a neighboring building alike.
Mir blinked couple times, scritching the neck of the weasel and sighed softly, wading then to see what was left, if anything. And as expected, except for two staff pieces and a few bits of scorched fabric of a magical robe were the only things that had not evaporated. Mir picked up a piece of cloth and the staff halves, noticing then an elonguently carved text on the other half which said, 'Fraxl, Archmage of the Aquilan Court of Sunmages'.
“Well, Fraxl, I'll find what you didn't”, Mir said quietly and looked at Avangon which wheezed and sniffled at the cloth Mir had picked up.
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*AniKai
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- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
Digging Into The Mind Of A Madman #1
The day was quite usual and Mir was chatting with various people near Khazeet's when a few things turned not-so-usual; a merchant's sign sighed, then a stall post begun to have a chat, followed soon by the wall of Khazeet's bar – not to mention something taking control of the two tiefers' tails. The happenstances however reminded Mir of something she had to do, and soon enough she was heading toward the Gatehouse with Mashanie before things escalated any further at the bazaar, the duo closely trailed by Jall and Lily.
At the Gatehouse the four met with an illithid receptionist, to whom Mir stated their business and signed a few papers which declared them as visitors. Mir was looking for a man called Saemon Havarian, who per the receptionist's knowledge was stashed away in a certain cell at the Mad Bleaker ward and cared for by Doctor Adriana which specialized in cross-planar cases of severe paranoia and schizophrenia. Amusing enough, Amir recided currently in the same cell block at the moment after an earlier incident, which Mir had witnessed along Mashanie and Jall.
Wandering through the door behind the receptionist's desk the four arrived at the correct ward, promptly directed by a nearby orderly to the proper 'room', outside which they saw Adriana talking to the patient, a tightly locked and barred door between her and the madman indoors. The man in the cell was very thin and pale, appearing to be in his late fifties, but his eyes were wide and observant although he clearly had seen better days.
Mir addressed the doctor, telling her they were here for Saemon. Meanwhile Saemon rambled something senseless; and enough to say, the doctor was rather surprised that anyone whatsoever knew the man's whereabouts, although she soon left Mir and her companions alone with Saemon after Mir had ensured her that they were the man's friends and the only ones who knew where he was.
“Red and Circle, gets the Square”, Saemon stated behind the bars, making Mir and Mashanie to glance at each other, unspoken words being exchanged between the two. The doctor had told before her departure a bit about Saemon's background; he came to the Gatehouse about a year ago, clearly in deed of mental help, having found himself there within a day of arriving in Sigil. Adriana had told that Saemon suffered from a severe case of paranoia and a touch of schizophrenia as well, claiming himself to be 'the spawn of a god', and no other than a Bhaalspawn at that...
Mashanie explained a few things about Bhaal to the others. If Saemon actually was one, that would make him at least 3-400 years old instead of fifty which he looked like.
“Time? What is time? Broke the clock! Rewind. No, wait. STOP! Too far!”, Saemon shout.
“I can tell you all about time, dear”, Mir said and glanced into the cell, walking next to the bars and leaning to the doorframe.
“Go away, the doctor goes away, bad apple that one! I'd like to kick her oranges all over the place”, Saemon grumbled and shied away to one side of his cell.
“How's she bad?” Mir inquired.
“She pokes and prods, she jams her key inside the lock but its the wrong one! It doesn't fit!” Saemon explained.
“So she is asking the wrong questions”, Mashanie commented.
“Well, she's just a doctor anyway...”, Mir shrugged.
“What's right and what's wrong? I don't know! It's not my lock!” Saemon yelled, then quieted down a notch, “why are you talking to me kitties? You cats never talk to me, its always the dogs that bark!”
Mashanie shifted his form into that of a dog with a trinket, barking then and making Mir chuckle. Saemon however reacted completely different and screamed, running to a corner of his room and cowering down, “bad dog! Bad dog!”
Eventually, as Mashanie now-doglike laid down, waggling his tail all friendly like, Saemon stood and approached the door, “wait...no...no dog cowers me! I AM THE GOD SPAWN! COWER BEFORE ME MONGREL!” He suddenly stood all tall and proud, his voice clearly a bit different, more sure and confident.
“I do not fear you, Bhaalspawn. Your ilk is dead, you're the last one”, Mashanie stated calmly.
“Because I killed all the others! You are a fool not to fear me! Why have you come to bow at my feet?!” Saemon demanded.
“Secrets have brought me. Ones which only you know”, Mir replied, for now taking on diplomatic approach.
“Indeed? You are wise to value my secrets!” Saemon said nodding, “what is it you wish to know? Maybe, just maybe I will let you in!”
“If you so decide, that'd be an honor”, Mir uttered reverently.
“And your blessing to carry out our deeds in your name”, Mashanie added with his head bowing.
“Speak, vassal! DON'T WASTE MY TIME!” Saemon urged.
Mir leaned against the bars, her voice trailing into a whisper, not wanting her words to ring through the whole block, and explained in brief what she sought. Saemons forceful, hate filled gaze seemed to shatter like a piece of glass and he looked around in a wild motion, shrinking then back. The man wailed, “nooooo noooo nonononono, no shard! No more shard! I told you I gave all your silver shards to the god spawn! He took them! Find him! Stop hunting me! You sank my ship already!”
“Shyte... That's what we're after?” Marshanie asked from Mir, to which she simply nodded.
“You can't get me in there! I've run run run run across the planes from you!” Saemon kept going, “even the bhaalspawn found me twice, once you sank our ship the second time in the dusty outpost!? Kept finding you and your people! Find me they did over and over, so I ran ran ran! Here I am! Ahahahaha, my cage is solid! No one in, no one out!”
For a while Mashanie and Saemon exchanged words until Mashanie's fuse finally burned and he grabbed the man by his head and yanked him against the bars.
“You want to know where it is? The answer is in here”, Saemon muttered and tapped his own temple, “you've hunted me for as long as I can remember, but no more! You seek it, you get it on MY TERMS on MY territory! For once I've got the upper hand on you gith. But, you still owe me for my boat! Torture me, kill me it matters not. the answer is in here”, he blurted and tapped his head again, “and I don't know what it is! He doesn't even know! I don't know he doesn't know! We don't know! It's a beautifully well hidden secret! I have a secret and I don't even know what it is! I AM BEAUTIFUL!”
Mir sighed and glanced at Mashanie, then set her hand on Saemons forehead, her eyes shutting, concentrating. She extended her mind, sought for the crack to anchor her consciousness to, and finally found it. Mir shut her mind and senses from the outside world and begun the journey into the madman's mind...
The day was quite usual and Mir was chatting with various people near Khazeet's when a few things turned not-so-usual; a merchant's sign sighed, then a stall post begun to have a chat, followed soon by the wall of Khazeet's bar – not to mention something taking control of the two tiefers' tails. The happenstances however reminded Mir of something she had to do, and soon enough she was heading toward the Gatehouse with Mashanie before things escalated any further at the bazaar, the duo closely trailed by Jall and Lily.
At the Gatehouse the four met with an illithid receptionist, to whom Mir stated their business and signed a few papers which declared them as visitors. Mir was looking for a man called Saemon Havarian, who per the receptionist's knowledge was stashed away in a certain cell at the Mad Bleaker ward and cared for by Doctor Adriana which specialized in cross-planar cases of severe paranoia and schizophrenia. Amusing enough, Amir recided currently in the same cell block at the moment after an earlier incident, which Mir had witnessed along Mashanie and Jall.
Wandering through the door behind the receptionist's desk the four arrived at the correct ward, promptly directed by a nearby orderly to the proper 'room', outside which they saw Adriana talking to the patient, a tightly locked and barred door between her and the madman indoors. The man in the cell was very thin and pale, appearing to be in his late fifties, but his eyes were wide and observant although he clearly had seen better days.
Mir addressed the doctor, telling her they were here for Saemon. Meanwhile Saemon rambled something senseless; and enough to say, the doctor was rather surprised that anyone whatsoever knew the man's whereabouts, although she soon left Mir and her companions alone with Saemon after Mir had ensured her that they were the man's friends and the only ones who knew where he was.
“Red and Circle, gets the Square”, Saemon stated behind the bars, making Mir and Mashanie to glance at each other, unspoken words being exchanged between the two. The doctor had told before her departure a bit about Saemon's background; he came to the Gatehouse about a year ago, clearly in deed of mental help, having found himself there within a day of arriving in Sigil. Adriana had told that Saemon suffered from a severe case of paranoia and a touch of schizophrenia as well, claiming himself to be 'the spawn of a god', and no other than a Bhaalspawn at that...
Mashanie explained a few things about Bhaal to the others. If Saemon actually was one, that would make him at least 3-400 years old instead of fifty which he looked like.
“Time? What is time? Broke the clock! Rewind. No, wait. STOP! Too far!”, Saemon shout.
“I can tell you all about time, dear”, Mir said and glanced into the cell, walking next to the bars and leaning to the doorframe.
“Go away, the doctor goes away, bad apple that one! I'd like to kick her oranges all over the place”, Saemon grumbled and shied away to one side of his cell.
“How's she bad?” Mir inquired.
“She pokes and prods, she jams her key inside the lock but its the wrong one! It doesn't fit!” Saemon explained.
“So she is asking the wrong questions”, Mashanie commented.
“Well, she's just a doctor anyway...”, Mir shrugged.
“What's right and what's wrong? I don't know! It's not my lock!” Saemon yelled, then quieted down a notch, “why are you talking to me kitties? You cats never talk to me, its always the dogs that bark!”
Mashanie shifted his form into that of a dog with a trinket, barking then and making Mir chuckle. Saemon however reacted completely different and screamed, running to a corner of his room and cowering down, “bad dog! Bad dog!”
Eventually, as Mashanie now-doglike laid down, waggling his tail all friendly like, Saemon stood and approached the door, “wait...no...no dog cowers me! I AM THE GOD SPAWN! COWER BEFORE ME MONGREL!” He suddenly stood all tall and proud, his voice clearly a bit different, more sure and confident.
“I do not fear you, Bhaalspawn. Your ilk is dead, you're the last one”, Mashanie stated calmly.
“Because I killed all the others! You are a fool not to fear me! Why have you come to bow at my feet?!” Saemon demanded.
“Secrets have brought me. Ones which only you know”, Mir replied, for now taking on diplomatic approach.
“Indeed? You are wise to value my secrets!” Saemon said nodding, “what is it you wish to know? Maybe, just maybe I will let you in!”
“If you so decide, that'd be an honor”, Mir uttered reverently.
“And your blessing to carry out our deeds in your name”, Mashanie added with his head bowing.
“Speak, vassal! DON'T WASTE MY TIME!” Saemon urged.
Mir leaned against the bars, her voice trailing into a whisper, not wanting her words to ring through the whole block, and explained in brief what she sought. Saemons forceful, hate filled gaze seemed to shatter like a piece of glass and he looked around in a wild motion, shrinking then back. The man wailed, “nooooo noooo nonononono, no shard! No more shard! I told you I gave all your silver shards to the god spawn! He took them! Find him! Stop hunting me! You sank my ship already!”
“Shyte... That's what we're after?” Marshanie asked from Mir, to which she simply nodded.
“You can't get me in there! I've run run run run across the planes from you!” Saemon kept going, “even the bhaalspawn found me twice, once you sank our ship the second time in the dusty outpost!? Kept finding you and your people! Find me they did over and over, so I ran ran ran! Here I am! Ahahahaha, my cage is solid! No one in, no one out!”
For a while Mashanie and Saemon exchanged words until Mashanie's fuse finally burned and he grabbed the man by his head and yanked him against the bars.
“You want to know where it is? The answer is in here”, Saemon muttered and tapped his own temple, “you've hunted me for as long as I can remember, but no more! You seek it, you get it on MY TERMS on MY territory! For once I've got the upper hand on you gith. But, you still owe me for my boat! Torture me, kill me it matters not. the answer is in here”, he blurted and tapped his head again, “and I don't know what it is! He doesn't even know! I don't know he doesn't know! We don't know! It's a beautifully well hidden secret! I have a secret and I don't even know what it is! I AM BEAUTIFUL!”
Mir sighed and glanced at Mashanie, then set her hand on Saemons forehead, her eyes shutting, concentrating. She extended her mind, sought for the crack to anchor her consciousness to, and finally found it. Mir shut her mind and senses from the outside world and begun the journey into the madman's mind...
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*AniKai
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
Digging Into The Mind Of A Madman #2
...the quartet found themselves suddenly standing on the deck of a rolling ship, the wide deep green ocean flowing around them as the ship plowed through intense waves, the ship being manned by many copies of Saemon Havarian. He looks much younger and much healthier, with a wide smile on his face and a jaunty tune on his lips. Near the helm of the ship stood three other individuals, one of them looking tall and imposing, practically radiating power.
Mashanie muttered something under his breath, about being in deep shit, whereas Mir just looked calmly around, taking in the details of the scenery.
“How much longer Captain Havarian? You said we would reach Spellhold in less then four hours, and that was five hours ago!”, the imposing figure demanded to know.
“Aye aye, dont you worry good sir, I'll be leavin ye on that cursed isle to what ever fate is in store for you soon enough”, the Saemon in helm replied.
“It's him, the bhaalspawn”, Mashanie whispered to Mir.
A woman, half elf in origin moved to the bhaalspawn and slipped an arm under his and spoke, “I hope we arnt to late...if Irenicus hurt her...”
“Jaheira... the Spawn... this is freaky beyond belief, Mir... This is... History...”, Mashanie uttered to Mir.
“Mmm, aye... history replayed as it did. Played thro my mind from his...”, Mir said quietly and nodded, observing what was transpiring.
“Reminds me of those small orbs from the sensates halls”, Lily commented from behind.
Time seemed to suddenly fast forward, the bhaalspawn and his companions vanishing from the ship, then appearing a short while later; the ship had docked at a strange island in the middle of nowhere, dropping off the bhaalspawn, before picking up him and another passenger a short time later. About two hours into departing from the island the ship was ambushed by a ship filled with githyanki soldiers.
The githyanki demanded to get back what belonged to them, a Silver Shard. Naturally Saemon claimed that he gave it to the bhaalspawn, who was thereby surprised and not at all amused to hear that the nearly worthless seeming piece of metal was much more important than it seemed. Soon enough a fight ensued, history repeating itself.
Memory, not something carved into stone, and thus a few of the gith actually attacked Mir and her companions. As the fight grew in strength there was a sudden lurch of the ship. Many were tossed over board, including the mind visitors, and as they sank into the ocean depths they saw the remains of the ship being boarded by sauagin raiders, monsters from the sea, and they see Saemon Havarian disappearing through a magical portal, preserving his own arse. Then, everything faded into black... just to be replaced with the more corporeal reality, the surroundings from where they begun the unusual voyage.
Mir was somewhat disappointed, the memory, albeit very interesting one, was of a wrong shard, not the one she personally sought. However, she decided to dig further into the man's mind later – the secret was there, just had to hit the correct chord to find it.
...the quartet found themselves suddenly standing on the deck of a rolling ship, the wide deep green ocean flowing around them as the ship plowed through intense waves, the ship being manned by many copies of Saemon Havarian. He looks much younger and much healthier, with a wide smile on his face and a jaunty tune on his lips. Near the helm of the ship stood three other individuals, one of them looking tall and imposing, practically radiating power.
Mashanie muttered something under his breath, about being in deep shit, whereas Mir just looked calmly around, taking in the details of the scenery.
“How much longer Captain Havarian? You said we would reach Spellhold in less then four hours, and that was five hours ago!”, the imposing figure demanded to know.
“Aye aye, dont you worry good sir, I'll be leavin ye on that cursed isle to what ever fate is in store for you soon enough”, the Saemon in helm replied.
“It's him, the bhaalspawn”, Mashanie whispered to Mir.
A woman, half elf in origin moved to the bhaalspawn and slipped an arm under his and spoke, “I hope we arnt to late...if Irenicus hurt her...”
“Jaheira... the Spawn... this is freaky beyond belief, Mir... This is... History...”, Mashanie uttered to Mir.
“Mmm, aye... history replayed as it did. Played thro my mind from his...”, Mir said quietly and nodded, observing what was transpiring.
“Reminds me of those small orbs from the sensates halls”, Lily commented from behind.
Time seemed to suddenly fast forward, the bhaalspawn and his companions vanishing from the ship, then appearing a short while later; the ship had docked at a strange island in the middle of nowhere, dropping off the bhaalspawn, before picking up him and another passenger a short time later. About two hours into departing from the island the ship was ambushed by a ship filled with githyanki soldiers.
The githyanki demanded to get back what belonged to them, a Silver Shard. Naturally Saemon claimed that he gave it to the bhaalspawn, who was thereby surprised and not at all amused to hear that the nearly worthless seeming piece of metal was much more important than it seemed. Soon enough a fight ensued, history repeating itself.
Memory, not something carved into stone, and thus a few of the gith actually attacked Mir and her companions. As the fight grew in strength there was a sudden lurch of the ship. Many were tossed over board, including the mind visitors, and as they sank into the ocean depths they saw the remains of the ship being boarded by sauagin raiders, monsters from the sea, and they see Saemon Havarian disappearing through a magical portal, preserving his own arse. Then, everything faded into black... just to be replaced with the more corporeal reality, the surroundings from where they begun the unusual voyage.
Mir was somewhat disappointed, the memory, albeit very interesting one, was of a wrong shard, not the one she personally sought. However, she decided to dig further into the man's mind later – the secret was there, just had to hit the correct chord to find it.
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*AniKai
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
Songs and Tongues, Dance and Music
It was at first just an impulse as Mir glanced at the bard who was performing in Khazeet's bar, then waded over to listen to her, curiosity piqued by the language she was singing in; Celestial, one of the many Mir had heard countless times but had had no teacher for. Humming to the tune Mir settled to lean to a table, arms folded, hands tucked into her sleeves; in the depths of her mind she sought connection with the ancient tools of discovery, earlier discussions springing from the subconscious – the goal was clear, she wanted to learn the tongue she heard, and to play the lute she had bought not long ago in a way that didn't make cat-torturing Vorgazar sound pleasing in comparison.
After the bard was done with the song, Mir gave a round of applauds for she had truly enjoyed Ariana's performance. She traded a few words with the woman, struck a deal with her – if she taught Mir to play the instrument, Mir'd teach her the elven language in trade for it seemed that was something Ariana lacked – someone had asked her to play something elven, but she didn't find the words, just the music.
Delighted of what had transpired, Mir snapped her fingers for Khazeet to serve a round of drinks for everyone in the earshot range...
...words were traded, items in the market bought and sold, while the folks at Khazeet's had a merry time, soon to dance enmasse to Ariana's catchy tunes. Even the ol' grumpy, or Belkas, by other tag, joined the partiers, albeit having got himself dragged into the bar by one of the elven lasses.
-~-~-~-
Later, at home, Mir sat in her library, deep in thoughts and replaying the day's events in her mind, slowly twirling between her fingers a cryptic tool...
It was at first just an impulse as Mir glanced at the bard who was performing in Khazeet's bar, then waded over to listen to her, curiosity piqued by the language she was singing in; Celestial, one of the many Mir had heard countless times but had had no teacher for. Humming to the tune Mir settled to lean to a table, arms folded, hands tucked into her sleeves; in the depths of her mind she sought connection with the ancient tools of discovery, earlier discussions springing from the subconscious – the goal was clear, she wanted to learn the tongue she heard, and to play the lute she had bought not long ago in a way that didn't make cat-torturing Vorgazar sound pleasing in comparison.
After the bard was done with the song, Mir gave a round of applauds for she had truly enjoyed Ariana's performance. She traded a few words with the woman, struck a deal with her – if she taught Mir to play the instrument, Mir'd teach her the elven language in trade for it seemed that was something Ariana lacked – someone had asked her to play something elven, but she didn't find the words, just the music.
Delighted of what had transpired, Mir snapped her fingers for Khazeet to serve a round of drinks for everyone in the earshot range...
...words were traded, items in the market bought and sold, while the folks at Khazeet's had a merry time, soon to dance enmasse to Ariana's catchy tunes. Even the ol' grumpy, or Belkas, by other tag, joined the partiers, albeit having got himself dragged into the bar by one of the elven lasses.
-~-~-~-
Later, at home, Mir sat in her library, deep in thoughts and replaying the day's events in her mind, slowly twirling between her fingers a cryptic tool...
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*AniKai
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
Equipment for the Crew of Tangerine Queen
After a few weeks of work, Miranda finally stated that the equipment Mir had ordered for her crew was ready to be delivered – fifty sets of suits for operations under harsh, if not outright deadly, conditions. The invoice, two to three million jink, would come along the gear upon delivery. The price didn't make Mir do much else than rise a brow briefly. It'd be just a matter of a day or so to prepare such an amount, largely in gemstones and planar coins as she didn't intend to hire a caravan to haul it all. Quality, it always came with a price tag attached.
After a few weeks of work, Miranda finally stated that the equipment Mir had ordered for her crew was ready to be delivered – fifty sets of suits for operations under harsh, if not outright deadly, conditions. The invoice, two to three million jink, would come along the gear upon delivery. The price didn't make Mir do much else than rise a brow briefly. It'd be just a matter of a day or so to prepare such an amount, largely in gemstones and planar coins as she didn't intend to hire a caravan to haul it all. Quality, it always came with a price tag attached.
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*AniKai
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
Musings
(closeup of Mir's eye in her true form beyond sight of True Sight)
“One does not need to become a god to see beyond the gods' sight, to transcend beyond the gods' understanding. One does not need nor want godhood, for godhood is a prison, not freedom.”
--Mind of Infinity
(closeup of Mir's eye in her true form beyond sight of True Sight)
“One does not need to become a god to see beyond the gods' sight, to transcend beyond the gods' understanding. One does not need nor want godhood, for godhood is a prison, not freedom.”
--Mind of Infinity
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*AniKai
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
Teachings
Days pass, at times eventful, at times a peaceful lull... Mir teaches Mashanie the two languages he's so long been wishing her to teach him: Abyssal and Draconic. While at that she finishes rebuilding the broken astrolabe she acquired some time ago, delighted by the quality of parts recreated for it by the godsmen crafters.
To Mir's chagrin, her own studies aren't proceeding quite as expected, or then her pet birds have no musical ear at all for they decided to in unison create an ear deafening cacophony every time she grabbed a hold of her lute...
Days pass, at times eventful, at times a peaceful lull... Mir teaches Mashanie the two languages he's so long been wishing her to teach him: Abyssal and Draconic. While at that she finishes rebuilding the broken astrolabe she acquired some time ago, delighted by the quality of parts recreated for it by the godsmen crafters.
To Mir's chagrin, her own studies aren't proceeding quite as expected, or then her pet birds have no musical ear at all for they decided to in unison create an ear deafening cacophony every time she grabbed a hold of her lute...