Amber: Mission Accomplished
Jun. 23rd, 2008 11:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sobriqueSo. Timing, as they say, is everything.
Now, where did I leave off. Ah yes. Opportunities and interesting times. Well, it has come to pass that I have managed what I set out to do. Gain attunement to the Jewel.
When last we left off, I was being chased by Lintra, her army, and a selection of Greater Demons. It's nice to feel valued, wouldn't you say?
Well, Lintra's had a long standing grudge, from ... well, an offhanded comment some time back. I was trying to remind her she had more important business to attend to, what with being a general and all, rather than going off and persuing a grudge so old it had got mouldy. Lintra being one of the foremost generals... ever, and ... well put it this way - she lost a fight with Benedict once, but only just. This grudge got deferred, on request from King Despil, as I was needed to act as Ambassador to Amber.
The proverbial 'Job for Life'.
Ambassador is an interesting post, but not one that I anticipated continuing for the entirety of my existance. So it came to this - how do I, a man of ... well, I'm a sorceror. I study and manipulate the realities of things. And frankly, even if I'd spent the entirely of my life practicing with a blade, I'd be no match for Lintra.
So, the conclusion I reached was that someday I would need a weapon that could even the score. That would be the Jewel of Judgement.
But I digress.
It proving convenient to the agenda of the courts, both Orinda and Tremayne were 'encouraged' to keep me alive long enough to get to Parisfrance, and attune the Jewel. Arrival thanks to a Xenotech (sp?) dropship, with it's funky multi-shadow propulsion, crashing down, and attracting the attention of both King Louis the XVI (I think), the Sun King, and perhaps more significantly, a Lord of Chaos known as Chanicut.
A minor altercation with King Louis' army (which Jumala butchered with remarkable efficiency) lead to a side trip off to see the Sun King, have a nice chat, and proceed to get formal permission from him to go play on his Broken Pattern. Not that we really needed it or anything, but ... well, doesn't do to make an enemy for no particular reason.
Chanicut also consented, so off we went to that Chambers of Fire (teleport spells are remarkably handy things, don't you find?) to essay the Broken Pattern. Somewhat suprisingly, everyone else insisted on going first, and disappearing 'off somewhere', which struck me as a little odd. But anyhow, after a brief chat with Sulian (heir to the throne of Chaos, about ... 5, or 6 steps down the ladder, but eminently capable of putting knives in the backs of anyone between him and there), about how Lintra was within the same Shadow, and moving rapidly in my general direction.
So, it was time to make the attempt.
I'm not quite sure if it was more unpleasant than getting turned inside out by the Logrus or not. Mostly because getting my psyche dismantled by the primal force of chaos means I don't actually remember much of it. Rest assured though, it was posibly the least pleasant experience of my life to date, as the combined tensions of shape shifting, Logrus, Broken pattern and of course, the Jewel, proceeded to merge and do rather a good line in messing me up. Fascinating pyrotechnics though they were, being actively on fire and more or less being forced into involuntary shapechanges is ... a not particularly pleasant feeling.
But it is done. I don't know how long I spent looking into the Jewel there - time is a flexible concept when in the presence of such an artifact, especially when one's psyche is being drawn out in new ways with conceptions of reality, and appreciating the source of all that is. I didn't really notice it as I was going, but whilst in transit, the Jewel seems to have turned blue, but still drawn within a deep seated coruscating Patterns.
The Pattern once transited, can serve as a means of teleportation. So I teleported myself somewhere I might have room to... contemplate, my state of affairs. There's a shadow of my acquaintance - mostly deserted, where ... some many years ago, I liked to go mountain climbing - free climbing when one is a shapeshifter and sorceror is alternately a fascinating test of oneself, and then an intersting challenge of how one can use one's abilities.
But alas, it was not to be. For starters, a broken pattern, whilst capable of shadow teleportation, is less than capable of doing so with any real precision. So my arrival was not so much 'landing on a nice spot on a mountain' as 'landing about 20 ft to one side of a nice spot, and it being a long way down'.
But a shift here and there does wonders for redefining the precise meaning of the term 'terminal velocity', a landing was less lethal than it might have been.
However I also seem to have ended up landing, a mere matter of minutes before some fire angels folllowed me. I am suspicious - they are pre-eminent trackers, but thus far they've been actually quite slow at keeping up. Now, they happen to follow what is, essentially, the most untraceable way of transiting shadow - that of getting a Pattern to redefine local reference to space and time - and there they are. Shortly followed by a small (but rapidly increasing in number) group of hellmaids.
Oh no, think I. Time to move on. Whilst my mission is accomplished, Lintra is far too single minded to willingly want to ... encounter, in a lonely area, where 'accidents' might happen. Perhaps I should have left it, and 'accidentally' used the Jewel to allow me a pre-emptive strike, but ... well, it'd been a long day, and I was far from sure of my footing.
So, anyhow, off into shadow. Broken pattern opening the cracks to allow transit, and impromptu 'shapeshifter hang-gliding'. And gone into shadow, but with an army probably quite soon to follow.
At which point a trump call from the King's Wrath (convenient that he should do so, in that kind of time frame. I can't help but wonder if he wasn't 'helping' the pursuit) arrived. And basically, it was time to stop running. I've always been a believer in the Courts, and one who wants to do what's right for Chaos as a whole. I just regret the necessity that Lintra's grudge, and more importantly the necessary understanding of the nature of things that lead me to ... well, I guess give the appearance of self interest, and going against the will of the King. I hold firm in my belief that treating the Jewel as a 'bargaining toy' with the Serpent, Amber and the Courts is missing a great deal of understanding of what it really is, and couldn't risk the possibility that I'd deliver it to Chaos, only for it to get 'stored' indefinitely somewhere.
But anyway, whilst not really an ally, the King's Wrathe is more than capable of stopping Lintra's wrath for at least long enough for me to catch some rest.
I'm now to return to the courts, take my licks, hand over the Jewel to the King.
I had to briefly use the Jewel to slow down the approaching army, which did at least serve to confirm that there's at least _some_ measure of linkage there. As far as I'm aware, I'm the first 'non Amberite' to lay hands on the Jewel, and attune it since the day Dworkin Barimen made off with it. This insight into the nature of things is one that remains something I hope to explore further.
Oh, and officially lose my job, and be stripped of standing and titles within the Courts (fine by me, who needs the stress?). Which means Lintra is finally able to follow up on her long standing grudge. At a time when I'm the one holding the Eye of the Serpent, and in a position to significantly even the odds.
Timing, as they say, is everything.
Now, where did I leave off. Ah yes. Opportunities and interesting times. Well, it has come to pass that I have managed what I set out to do. Gain attunement to the Jewel.
When last we left off, I was being chased by Lintra, her army, and a selection of Greater Demons. It's nice to feel valued, wouldn't you say?
Well, Lintra's had a long standing grudge, from ... well, an offhanded comment some time back. I was trying to remind her she had more important business to attend to, what with being a general and all, rather than going off and persuing a grudge so old it had got mouldy. Lintra being one of the foremost generals... ever, and ... well put it this way - she lost a fight with Benedict once, but only just. This grudge got deferred, on request from King Despil, as I was needed to act as Ambassador to Amber.
The proverbial 'Job for Life'.
Ambassador is an interesting post, but not one that I anticipated continuing for the entirety of my existance. So it came to this - how do I, a man of ... well, I'm a sorceror. I study and manipulate the realities of things. And frankly, even if I'd spent the entirely of my life practicing with a blade, I'd be no match for Lintra.
So, the conclusion I reached was that someday I would need a weapon that could even the score. That would be the Jewel of Judgement.
But I digress.
It proving convenient to the agenda of the courts, both Orinda and Tremayne were 'encouraged' to keep me alive long enough to get to Parisfrance, and attune the Jewel. Arrival thanks to a Xenotech (sp?) dropship, with it's funky multi-shadow propulsion, crashing down, and attracting the attention of both King Louis the XVI (I think), the Sun King, and perhaps more significantly, a Lord of Chaos known as Chanicut.
A minor altercation with King Louis' army (which Jumala butchered with remarkable efficiency) lead to a side trip off to see the Sun King, have a nice chat, and proceed to get formal permission from him to go play on his Broken Pattern. Not that we really needed it or anything, but ... well, doesn't do to make an enemy for no particular reason.
Chanicut also consented, so off we went to that Chambers of Fire (teleport spells are remarkably handy things, don't you find?) to essay the Broken Pattern. Somewhat suprisingly, everyone else insisted on going first, and disappearing 'off somewhere', which struck me as a little odd. But anyhow, after a brief chat with Sulian (heir to the throne of Chaos, about ... 5, or 6 steps down the ladder, but eminently capable of putting knives in the backs of anyone between him and there), about how Lintra was within the same Shadow, and moving rapidly in my general direction.
So, it was time to make the attempt.
I'm not quite sure if it was more unpleasant than getting turned inside out by the Logrus or not. Mostly because getting my psyche dismantled by the primal force of chaos means I don't actually remember much of it. Rest assured though, it was posibly the least pleasant experience of my life to date, as the combined tensions of shape shifting, Logrus, Broken pattern and of course, the Jewel, proceeded to merge and do rather a good line in messing me up. Fascinating pyrotechnics though they were, being actively on fire and more or less being forced into involuntary shapechanges is ... a not particularly pleasant feeling.
But it is done. I don't know how long I spent looking into the Jewel there - time is a flexible concept when in the presence of such an artifact, especially when one's psyche is being drawn out in new ways with conceptions of reality, and appreciating the source of all that is. I didn't really notice it as I was going, but whilst in transit, the Jewel seems to have turned blue, but still drawn within a deep seated coruscating Patterns.
The Pattern once transited, can serve as a means of teleportation. So I teleported myself somewhere I might have room to... contemplate, my state of affairs. There's a shadow of my acquaintance - mostly deserted, where ... some many years ago, I liked to go mountain climbing - free climbing when one is a shapeshifter and sorceror is alternately a fascinating test of oneself, and then an intersting challenge of how one can use one's abilities.
But alas, it was not to be. For starters, a broken pattern, whilst capable of shadow teleportation, is less than capable of doing so with any real precision. So my arrival was not so much 'landing on a nice spot on a mountain' as 'landing about 20 ft to one side of a nice spot, and it being a long way down'.
But a shift here and there does wonders for redefining the precise meaning of the term 'terminal velocity', a landing was less lethal than it might have been.
However I also seem to have ended up landing, a mere matter of minutes before some fire angels folllowed me. I am suspicious - they are pre-eminent trackers, but thus far they've been actually quite slow at keeping up. Now, they happen to follow what is, essentially, the most untraceable way of transiting shadow - that of getting a Pattern to redefine local reference to space and time - and there they are. Shortly followed by a small (but rapidly increasing in number) group of hellmaids.
Oh no, think I. Time to move on. Whilst my mission is accomplished, Lintra is far too single minded to willingly want to ... encounter, in a lonely area, where 'accidents' might happen. Perhaps I should have left it, and 'accidentally' used the Jewel to allow me a pre-emptive strike, but ... well, it'd been a long day, and I was far from sure of my footing.
So, anyhow, off into shadow. Broken pattern opening the cracks to allow transit, and impromptu 'shapeshifter hang-gliding'. And gone into shadow, but with an army probably quite soon to follow.
At which point a trump call from the King's Wrath (convenient that he should do so, in that kind of time frame. I can't help but wonder if he wasn't 'helping' the pursuit) arrived. And basically, it was time to stop running. I've always been a believer in the Courts, and one who wants to do what's right for Chaos as a whole. I just regret the necessity that Lintra's grudge, and more importantly the necessary understanding of the nature of things that lead me to ... well, I guess give the appearance of self interest, and going against the will of the King. I hold firm in my belief that treating the Jewel as a 'bargaining toy' with the Serpent, Amber and the Courts is missing a great deal of understanding of what it really is, and couldn't risk the possibility that I'd deliver it to Chaos, only for it to get 'stored' indefinitely somewhere.
But anyway, whilst not really an ally, the King's Wrathe is more than capable of stopping Lintra's wrath for at least long enough for me to catch some rest.
I'm now to return to the courts, take my licks, hand over the Jewel to the King.
I had to briefly use the Jewel to slow down the approaching army, which did at least serve to confirm that there's at least _some_ measure of linkage there. As far as I'm aware, I'm the first 'non Amberite' to lay hands on the Jewel, and attune it since the day Dworkin Barimen made off with it. This insight into the nature of things is one that remains something I hope to explore further.
Oh, and officially lose my job, and be stripped of standing and titles within the Courts (fine by me, who needs the stress?). Which means Lintra is finally able to follow up on her long standing grudge. At a time when I'm the one holding the Eye of the Serpent, and in a position to significantly even the odds.
Timing, as they say, is everything.
