[Social combat rules apply. The ST retains the right to request edits or to delete posts - a reason will be provided if so.]
[Tick Counter:
0 - Azir
1 - Lady Nightshade, Grey Wolf
2 -
3 -
4 -
5 - Azir
6 - Raiden, Azir, Lady Nightshade, Grey Wolf
7 -
8 -
9 -
10 -
11 - Raiden
12 - Azir]
Setting the ball rolling
With everybody gathered in a corner of one his apothecary shops, concoctions bubbling away in the background, Azir turned to face his companions. To Raiden and Grey Wolf, the events of the past few weeks had clearly worn at the doctor’s composure and psyche more than sleep could erase. He was harrowed and trying not to let it show, especially given the presence of their new comrade, Lady Nightshade. Though he reckoned none of this could be easy on her as well – newly exalted, a long trek in search of her love… only to be told that her fiancé had perished in battle with the forces of darkness.
He sympathised with her and not for the first time, and probably not the last, he wished Kairos were here. He was much better at this sort of thing. Even though they had skirted round the issue of their past selves upon his return, the situation with his current spouse and child somewhat precluded any chance of the conversation not being awkward.
Taking a deep draught of spiced mead, Azir addressed the group. “I guess we need to now decide where we go from here. I’ve shown you those places where we encountered those wretched Skulls and I know they’re still around even if they’ve been keeping a low profile of late. Normally I would not be advocating anything as intemperate as revenge but having seen them in action I do believe they pose a malign and insidious threat to the well-being of this city. With the darkness that seems to surround Thorns it’s difficult to make a prediction as to how long this can ‘safely’ fester before it reaches a critical mass. The authorities were easily hoodwinked when alerted to a shadowland within their borders so I have little faith in them dealing with things. I still am ready to bring down the mausoleum that they seem to currently be using but that is going to be rather obvious.
“With Fox now... departed... I don’t believe we have the tools to combat them surreptitiously by raising the people themselves up as an effective bulwark. That is why I took the decision to send his burgeoning disciples to Tredamin since it looked like they were being deliberately targeted and I don’t want more blood on our hands. If we are going to take them down it needs to be a surgical strike.
“However, there is also the matter of the dream I believe that we’ve all been experiencing recently. I have not had much time to bend my thoughts to a proper analysis of it but I reckon if we share what we’ve had, perhaps we can find some common threads and see if these are prophetic guidance from Sol Invictus to show us a way forward.”
He took another sip from the chalice and began to recount the dream he had.
[AZIR'S DREAM]
When he had finished, he looked at everyone expectantly. “What say the rest of you?”
Enemies of the heart
'My dream is similar. Until the end. When your creepy kids start talking about the mind mine start talking about the heart. Here's what they say:
the enemy of heart
waits within the circle
prayers go in and out
each gains greater potence
forbidden for three ages
allied to once great lords
slept in hidden darkness
nursing ancient grudges
shys from the holy light
the cursed ones returned
But... why are we talking about dreams? Why aren't we killing the... the things that murdered Ferric?'
Enemies of the form - sword of corruption
Grey Wolf listens as the other speak. His face giving nothing away.
As Lady Nightshade finishes he turns to her, his eyes betraying the inner turmoil which is never seen on his stoney face. "Be assured, we shall deal swift justice on those who have taken our friends from us. Ferric was a good man and brave to the last. His loss shall be felt for ages still to come. First we must understand these strange dreams - they could hold the key to our victory against the force that so brutually took him from us.
I also shared a similar dream, but the ending was different. The voices said to me:
the enemy of form
waits beneath the water
his sword is strong and keen
corrupted shard of heaven
warrior and traitor
usurpers now betrayed
the fall will save or kill
the pool is void or lethe
the clash of steel on steel
blades are all that matter
"Aziz, you are a man of knowledge and academic thought - what do you make of this?"
Pondering...
Azir acknowledged Grey Wolf with a nod before curtly responding, "I'd like to hear what Raiden can share before I proceed."
[Declaring a Guard, to be broken as soon as Raiden has recounted his bit]
Raiden sits motionless on a
Raiden sits motionless on a wooden chair. His eyes are concealed, as they often are, behind coloured lenses. You could almost suspect he has fallen asleep. But he responds to Azir.
"My dream was the same as Grey Wolf's. It is almost as if we are being deliberately taunted.
To me, this speaks of at least three great foes that we must face, and defeat. The consequences of failure would be dire.
I am loath to ignore the threat that lurks in Nexus, and has already claimed the lives of two of our companions. From all that we have witnessed, that group is a threat not just to us, but to the whole city and maybe beyond. Yet, the import of these dreams may be greater."
Outpourings
Azir takes in Raiden's words with a contemplative mien. "Hmmm, I'm not sure about taunting though that would depend on the source." Brow furrowed, he moved to lean up against one of the workbenches near a seething retort. Absent-mindedly he turned down the flame to a gentle simmer.
"Right, let’s look at this logically. I admit I’m more used to botanical and medicinal texts than obscure writs of prophecy and lore but I’m guessing that most of us are starting to remember more about our pasts and the scholarship that came with that…
"Anyway… children holding hands to form a circle – circles seem to be an important representation of grouping or gatherings of people, holding hands suggests unity or inclusion but the fact that they are children seems to suggest innocence or naivety, possible a reference to us as a whole given that we have only had these powers for less than a year. The ever-changing faces and order is also indicative of confusion – which I guess we are. Confused that is.
“'Five days to end the year and then Creation dies' is obviously Calibration and the general death and rebirth myth. 'Three foes' is very vague – are these enemies of Creation or enemies of ours? And even if they are enemies of ours, can we even remember who they might be? Also we can’t tell if this is three individuals or three groups. The 'arise again' though is possibly hopeful given that it suggests they were beaten back before. Whichever it is, we’re probably not going to know what they are until we encounter them.
"The reference to 'nine' is probably related to those who have had these dreams, even though there are only 4 of us here. So we should be on the lookout for five more persons like ourselves with strange dreams. Interesting use of 'chosen by Incarna' though, as if it is not just those of us raised up by Sol Invictus. Those blessed by Luna might also have a part to play – we should try and get in touch with Herla, see if she or her contacts have come across anything.
“'Four ways for them to fail', again not clear – options include trying but not being successful, death, betrayal or being suborned. Alternatively could be four challenges in our path. The bit about success seems almost throwaway, sacrifice of some kind seems inevitable in these situations if legend is to be believed. However the conclusion with 'one Malfean awakes' if we’re unsuccessful is extremely worrying. What I know about demons, their prison and their twisted Yozi masters suggests this would definitely not be in Creation’s best interests. After all, history tells us that the Yozis were locked away for fell and malign deeds against Heaven and Creation.
"Spinning is more sign of confusion or transport but I’m not sure how to interpret the different species of trees unless it’s a reference to uniqueness but the rot carries on the general imagery of failure that seems present. The verse then goes on to refer to something happening in each of the five cardinal directions but it really isn’t clear whether these things are what heralds or brings on the problem and therefore must be averted or dealt with or are the manner in which the horror can be dealt with. I’m inclined to go with the former thought if only for the rot imagery. If we work on that basis this is what I might suggest:
"One. There is something in the south that is a power source or some kind of power repository, something either physical or abstract that is acting as a barrier, a dam of sorts, and thus currently preventing “the night” from coming. It could be something as simple as a demesne but I doubt it will be that ordinary.
"Two. Now, I’m not sure but I think I remember reading about an ancient northern city that was geomantically designed to act as a focussing device for the inhabitants’ prayers. The mechanisms probably no longer function but they might be a target for a spot of reverse engineering to turn prayer into a 'call' to the 'prison' that is Malfeas.
"Three. I’ve got nothing on this – I’m not familiar enough with that direction to hazard a guess.
"Four. I’m wondering if this is a reference to the great monstrosity that is supposed to reside under the Imperial Mountain and whose awakening would wreck Creation if not outright destroy it; maybe this creature is real and can be woken by music or a specific song or incantation. Alternatively, songs are very powerful to Fair Folk which might tie in to my ‘enemy of mind’.
"Five. This probably suggests that the east will be the last to fall or will not occur until the others things have taken place. Slow spreading decay would either refer to the fact that different and particularly well-spread and migratory populations are difficult to bring down as a whole or that it is a breeding ground for disease and rot – after all there are numerous fractious kingdoms and plenty of dark shadowlands where such could thrive, the Noss Fens or the Bayou of Endless Regret for example.
"I’m thinking as a whole this could refer to five particular agents whose aim is to carry out these tasks – destroy a power source, activate the calling prayer, evade capture and defeat a guard, find a song and, finally, spread some kind of disease. It’s all very vague though.
"Moving on we have a shadowy figure, maybe the Malfean alluded to previously. Certain texts refer to a Yozi called the Ebon Dragon who supposedly flies around creating shadows and darkness but my reference material is somewhat hazy.
"The interesting point is now that our imagery diverges. I’ve got a crumbling sand dune – possibly suggestive of the forces around will be trying to erode my foundations, the work that I have been building upon, crumble that which I have built from. In the dream, I’m to face the 'enemy of mind' in my vision. Lady Nightshade has been pitched against the 'enemy of heart' and Grey Wolf and Raiden, you both have the 'enemy of form'. This clearly references the three enemies of earlier and also seems to be dividing us into groups… which is very worrisome if these visions have not come from our patron…
"Apparently my enemy 'waits atop the mountain' which given the nature of this, I doubt is a physical place, more at the top of a symbolic mountain or arduous challenge that has to be overcome or ‘climbed’. Possibly a contest of wills shall ensue in order'to redirect the flow' or even so as to break free, the 'freedom won in contest' plus the notion of 'immaterial weapons'. 'Serves to his utmost soul' either suggests someone very dedicated to their master or at least brainwashed into believing such – certainly the Yozis are capable of creating ‘dedicated’ servants called akuma. It may be suggesting a location in the 'place of weaker / jewelled colours mixing'” but where that might be I have no idea. There is an argument though that all these references to immateriality and enemies could be suggestive of Fair Folk – in which case the weak places are the borders of Creation where it meets the Wyld. And then of course we have the final voice and line…”
Azir tailed off, lost in his thoughts. This was an awful lot of analysis for not much conclusion. There was still so much he was missing and not much information to go on. Some research would probably be a good idea but where could he go. He suspected that many pertinent texts would be locked away in Immaculate vaults, or destroyed by them, as heresy to their vaunted faith. He turned his gaze from the floor where it had fallen to look at Lady Nightshade again.
“This ‘enemy of the heart’ appears to be connected to the references to the North previously, citing the ‘prayers’ and what sounds like a resonance or amplification effect. The three ages are probably references to phases in our history – the current Dynastic age, the old Shogunate era and the pre-Shogunate, ‘First Age’. The lords with their grudges could be the Yozis again who are supposed to hold vendettas against the gods and their demonic servants certainly do shy away from ‘holy light’. Again their twisted mortal servants could be regarded as ‘cursed ones’.”
He turned to Raiden and Grey Wolf. “This enemy of form seems to be connected to the references to the West, certainly the ‘waiting beneath the water’ ties in with slipping chains and ‘defeating the guard beneath’. The ‘corrupted shard of heaven’ is distinctly worrying because that would possibly suggest they have powers like us or were once one like us, especially since this person is a ‘traitor’. But to whom? And who are these ‘usurpers’? Theoretically it could be the Blooded since they usurped our kind in the name of supposed corruption. The fact that it then goes on about ‘void and lethe’ suggests connections to the Underworld… which brings us back to our problem here in Nexus.”
He looked at their expectant faces, confusion and possibly boredom showing at the welter of analytical outpourings. “Sorry, very much first considerations. It will probably take me some more time to think about these things clearly and try and sort out where it is we should be going. I do think we need to find out who the other five are though – they might be able to shed more light on this. Until such time, I agree we should aim to deal with those harbingers of darkness who killed our friends. Nexus is too important a city to have insidious creatures running around corrupting the minds of the populous.”
“But I have talked for too long, does anyone else have anything they like to say?”