III. ♔ Video

[oathwalk]

[Time for your scheduled public service announcement. At his console, Richard's arms are folded and his tone level. After talking to Sadie, he has realized that they can't continue with people being ignorant of the situation.]

For those who aren't yet aware, in Sinbrilee, there are marble arches with runes on them. The gateways with runs that seem to glow with a faint light lead to the realm of Dreaming, while the gates to Death have runes oozing a black substance.

Be careful of both. The worlds both shape themselves to the minds of those within. Dreaming can be pleasant, if you are in such a state of mind, but if you are not, it can be cruel. Death is always malicious. If you come to harm in either realm, that injury may prove to be very real. [Hidden in the folds of his sleeves, his hand tightens into a fist.] In at least one case, an injury has been. It's most likely that healing magic won't work there, nor any other abilities to protect you that require Tu Vishan's energy to function.

[Richard unfolds his arms so he can brush his bangs from his eyes.] I'd like to know if anyone has done any research on the gateways themselves or the realms beyond. Given that one seems the home territory of the being we've been brought here to handle, some understanding of how to move in and out of it could be an advantage.

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[bereavements]

So, first off, where is Sinbrilee for those of us not even aware of that. Second, if we go through, let's say the death gate - are we dead? Is it a different realm altogether? An extension? [ Do you have any helpful, detailed information? ]

[oathwalk]

[Richard answers as one used to doing so.] Sinbrilee is the name of the city we have docked with, I suppose is the term. At the edge of the barrier now surrounding Keeliai, there is a bridge of steps that takes you there. It's on the back of another turtle, but the city itself is long dead and full of ghosts. They're harmless so far, and at most offer directions or ask for help in minor requests. [Subevent item quests. This is totally normal.]

[Moving on.] We have no reason to believe that those who enter Death are dead themselves. At the least, they will bleed as they do in life, and when they return through the barrier, the injuries do not vanish. It is another plane of existence, parallel to or overlaying this one: Dreaming seems shaped entirely by the consciousness of those there, but in Death, you are within a city that looks like Sinbrilee—save that shifts between the city at its height and a graveyard and that your own fears are made manifest there. We know that Death can also be accessed in Keeliai itself, as, most likely, can Dreaming. I've seen neither for myself while in Keeliai, but others spoke with the turtle while in dreams, and several others crossed over to Death while in Keeliai. The overbearing pressure of misery and fear they described is what is experienced by those who enter Death via the gates in Sinbrilee.

[How's that for an info dump?]

[bereavements]

[ Oh. That's what Scott meant by the bridge. So, the floating turtle docked. Next to another turtle. Because why not. ]

They spoke with the turtle. It talks?

[ We'll get to Death and Dreaming in a minute. ]

[oathwalk]

[A nod] It is a conscious being. My understanding is that attempting to speak to it telepathically on your own is overwhelming, but that he can take human form and visit us in dreams. He referred to himself as Asti.

[fearlessherosheart]

That is certainly interesting.

[someone may be intending to look for either or both of these now. We never said Tazendra thinks things through, because she usually doesn't.]

[oathwalk]

[It's not like Richard's the king of good ideas.] Do you have any experience in this kind of thing?

[fearlessherosheart]

Not quite experience, unless one counts dying.

[oathwalk]

Unfortunately, unless that has given you a numbness to the experience, that may be more disadvantage than otherwise.

[There's actually a bit of lightness at the edge of Richard's tone. He has a kind of morbid sense of humour sometimes.]

[iguanasolution]

Well... the more we actually visit the other realms the more we'll learn from them, right? And isn't that kind of the point, to have more information?

[oathwalk]

Learning more is certainly to our advantage. I'd like to have more than conjecture to go on about the differences between the realms and how they work together.

[iguanasolution]

The problem is as soon as we cross the gates we get too caught up in... whatever is going on to actually pay attention. We'd probably need someone with no emotions at all or something to be able to examine all of it clinically.

[oathwalk]

In truth, I wouldn't be entirely surprised if there are a few among us who fit those criteria. [It isn't a condemnation. Some people just don't feel things as much as others, as Richard knows.] It is easier to keep the surroundings at bay if one has a goal or purpose to focus on, but that method isn't foolproof.

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[onefouroneseven]

I have had some previous experience with the Death plane, although the gateways into it in Sinbrilee are different in nature than the ones I've encountered before.

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[oathwalk]

[Oh yay, information he doesn't have.]

What are the noteworthy differences?

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[onefouroneseven]

The gateways on the other turtle are permanent while the door I previously used was far more temporary in nature. Furthermore the-- ( her lips purse as she searches for the correct word ) presence was far more active this time around.

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[oathwalk]

[Is Malicant getting stronger, or is it just the environment itself? Hm.] How did it behave [arbitrary word choice there, he doesn't have the vocabulary for this] last time?

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[traitre]

There's woefully little existing knowledge about these portals-- or rather, if there is, it's likely buried somewhere deep. [ in other words: way ahead of you there, richard. you don't think the guy who can create portals to other dimensions hasn't immediately pounced on this particular mystery? ]

... Which leaves it to us to conduct our research firsthand, I suppose. [ wryly: ] Not necessarily an experience many of us will be eager to repeat. And repeat. And repeat.

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[oathwalk]

[Thanks, Qilby, for your science boner. Richard smiles warmly at the familiar face.] Do you have intentions to do so regardless?

[Guess who has two thumbs and is totally willing to expose himself to mindterrors For Science.]

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[traitre]

Recklessly flying in the face of all common sense, at great risk to both mind and body?

[ he smiles. ] Naturally. [ SO YOU'RE WELCOME, but please never bring up his anything boner ever again.

but seriously, folks. sobering, he adopts that keen look and earnest tone he gets whenever he's about to hypothesize up a storm. anyone who's known him for a month should be familiar with it. ] I've no doubt I'm capable of opening a portal into either of these realms... But once I'm cut off from the source of all our energy, getting back out is a different matter entirely.

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[cmdreffingshepard]

It was less like death, and more like my worst nightmare. Knowing how to close these portals would be nice.

[Shepard looks rather uncharacteristically tired, today.]

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[oathwalk]

[He notices but doesn't comment on it. Richard tends to think you only tell a commander they look like they need to take a break in private, when there are others that can do the work in their place.] It may be possible to do so by interfering with the runes, but any attempt would require the utmost caution. That's something that could easily go badly.

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[cmdreffingshepard]

Wouldn't be the first time.

But I see your point. Since we're probably not going to be here all that long, it may just be better to avoid them as much as possible. At least for the moment.

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[urbanmagic]

Thinking about it, haven't done so yet. The books I saw in the city are so old they're practically dust when you touch them, so that's a bust. Our not-so-solid friends aren't giving much info we don't already know either.

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[oathwalk]

Yes, we're mostly out of luck with both. It's a shame as well; I wanted to know why Sinbrilee has these gates in the first place. Do you think you could get any sense out of the runes? [Magic people!] If we could find out how to create or destroy these gateways, we would be a step closer to handling the enemy. Unfortunately, experiments with that are bound to be foolishly risky. I'm hesitant even to transcribe the symbols without understanding how they function.

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[urbanmagic]

I could try. I was thinking of keeping a copy with me so I can decipher it. With all of the books in such a bad condition though, there's not much I can base it on. Still, it's worth a shot.

I don't think we were meant to go through them though. I have a bad feeling about the fact that they're still active after all this time.