Reply to thread

Message

<blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 898921" data-attributes="member: 1210">Negotiations with MariusThe simulacrum is brilliant, and he knows it.&nbsp; Of course, he's only a shade of the real Marius, but even so...!&nbsp; He has his instructions, and his motives, he supposes, are roughly the same as the so-called 'real' Marius'.&nbsp; And he knows about the knot.His forehead creases as he thinks about that.&nbsp; The temporal knot, some distance downstream, going to happen sometime... not soon, but planning ahead is what being a chronomancer is about.&nbsp; There's a knot in time where the adventurers he's going to talk to- or at least some of them- interfere with him in a big way.&nbsp; He- well, the 'real' him- can see the temporal knot, and the simulacrum has the memory of it even if he can't perceive it himself.&nbsp; They have to be stopped, kept from interfering.&nbsp; And they want to negotiate, just as he'd foreseen!&nbsp; The simulacrum remembers that, too- but something has been causing distortions lately, ripples in the chronal surface.&nbsp; Things have been diverging from the most likely path.&nbsp; He- the 'real' him- couldn't foresee the result of this meeting.&nbsp; Thus... the simulacrum.I'm real too, the simulacrum thinks resentfully, then smooths his face and steps into the stream portal.&nbsp; There's a sense of giddiness as the silvery dust sweeps him along, and then he steps out into the Prime Plane.&nbsp; He casts a few cursory defensive spells, then teleports without error to Mabrack's Castle.&nbsp; The giant shows him to a sitting room.And there they are; the adventurers.&nbsp; He studies them: Sybele, obviously, her form earthen and craggy, her blonde hair falling low on her back, her bow and sword.&nbsp; Some man next to her, obviously a warrior.&nbsp; I don't know him, the simulacrum notes.&nbsp; Then there's Angelfire, the red-skinned one.&nbsp; A Coilite, worthy of respect.&nbsp; Too bad Coila's on the wrong side of the Great Conflict.&nbsp; That one would be Orbius, the Boccobite.&nbsp; His master is missing, the simulacrum notes.&nbsp; As is the Galadorian.&nbsp; A pity.&nbsp; And that last one must be Sheva: red hair curling down almost to the waist, wearing only a chain mail bikini and a large collection of deadly-looking greatswords. &quot;First off,&quot; the simulacrum says without preamble, &quot;let's get one thing out of the way.&nbsp; I'm not the real Marius, I'm a simulacrum here to negotiate in his place, so you'll gain nothing by attacking me.&quot;&quot;Very well,&quot; the Eye answers cautiously.&nbsp; &quot;We're here to negotiate Jezebel's release.&quot; &quot;Of course,&quot; the simulacrum says.&nbsp; &quot;I have a number of people of interest to you.&quot;&quot;Like who?&nbsp; Other than Jezebel,&quot; Orbius asks.&quot;You know about Jezebel; let's just say there are a number of others.&quot;&quot;I don't really care about my dad,&quot; Angelfire says.&quot;What do you want from us?&nbsp; We don't know why you're messing with us!&nbsp; What have we done to you?&quot; Sybele implores.&quot;Yes, perhaps we can stop doing whatever it is that we're doing, or undo what we've done, or something- but we don't even know what we've done, and until we know how we've angered you we can't put things aright.&quot;&nbsp; Orbius is feeling his way cautiously in this conversation. The simulacrum settles back in his chair and studies the group.&nbsp; &quot;You have interfered with my plans, and you will do so more in the future.&quot;&quot;Why do you oppose Coila in the Great War of Ethics?&quot;&nbsp; Sheva speaks up, her eyes burning into Marius as she stares at him.&nbsp; Or rather, at his simulacrum.&nbsp; She's striking, the construct thinks.&nbsp; If I were the real one, I would take her for my bride.&nbsp; &quot;I worship Coila for what she represents- the mysteries of Time, and it's inevitable march.&nbsp; That's been the direction of my arcane studies for centuries now.&nbsp; She represents that relentless flow, the orderly wearing down of all things.&nbsp; I understand why she supports Chaos; it's about personal power.&nbsp; I just can't agree with her.&nbsp; I am a philosopher, and I've traveled the planes, and I have seen worlds where Chaos holds sway.&nbsp; Do you know what that's like?&nbsp; Barbarism holds sway, books and things of learning are forgotten or burned.&nbsp; Terror reigns in such worlds, and I'll not aid such things in happening here or anywhere.&quot;I've heard all the arguments about the Forinthian Empire stifling dissent and other religions, about it absorbing local cultures.&nbsp; I agree that those things are tragic, but the Empire also builds roads and schools, ships food to hungry islands in a hundred places and more, helps modernize savages and helps to heal the sick and injured.&nbsp; The world is more certain; there's less war, crime, disorder.&quot;No, a victory for Chaos would be a disaster for everyone.&nbsp; It must be prevented.&quot;The simulacrum pauses, looking intensely back at Sheva.&nbsp; She doesn't seem swayed.&nbsp; By Coila, she's beautiful, the simulacrum thinks again.&quot;Well, if we agree to stay out of the war will you return my daughter?&quot; Sybele nearly begs.&quot;You will greatly stay out of the war without my action,&quot; the simulacrum states.&nbsp; &quot;But I will make you an offer.&nbsp; If you will submit to exile far enough in what you would call 'the future' that you cannot interfere with my plans, I will return the ones I have taken.&nbsp; Say, a thousand years.&quot;Orbius answers grimly.&nbsp; &quot;We have things to do.&nbsp; We don't really know what your plans are, and we're sorry if you were involved with the formians, but if you can contact us and tell us when we're messing with your stuff we'll stop.&quot;Marius shakes his head.&nbsp; &quot;Insufficient.&nbsp; You may cause us problems even unintentionally.&quot;&nbsp; That knot comes, unbidden, to the front of the simulacrum's mind again.&nbsp; It has to be untangled!&nbsp; If there were more of me, it thinks, we could work harder to monitor everything.&nbsp; I wonder if that's occurred to the 'real' me?&nbsp; I wish I was self-controlled!&quot;Well, what can we do then?&quot; Orbius asks.The simulacrum considers, then says, &quot;Pledge to stay out of my affairs, including when contacted, and to do my bidding three times.&quot;&quot;That's too much,&quot; Angelfire says.&nbsp; &quot;Who all do you have?&quot; Orbius asks.The simulacrum smiles.&nbsp; &quot;Well, you know I have Jezebel, and of course Nigel is my... ally.&nbsp; And I have your Galadorian friend's boy Till.&nbsp; And more besides, but that's enough to give you an idea.&quot;&quot;You don't have anyone on me,&quot; Sheva says, &quot;and you murdered a fellow priest of Coila.&nbsp; I'll not do your bidding.&quot;&nbsp; Angelfire nods vigorously.The simulacrum shrugs delicately.&nbsp; &quot;Then what more do you offer?&nbsp; Or this meeting is over, and was useless.&quot;&quot;No!&quot; Sybele cries. &quot;Please!&nbsp; My daughter, just return my daughter!&nbsp; I'll take your pledge!&quot;The ersatz Marius frowns.&nbsp; &quot;I'll tell you what.&nbsp; You take my pledge, and I'll release your daughter.&quot;&nbsp; His face turns cold.&nbsp; &quot;But if any of you interfere with my plans knowingly, I'll kill her.&nbsp; Without a second warning.&quot;&quot;Okay,&quot; Sybele says eagerly.&nbsp; &quot;Whatever, just bring her to me!&quot;The simulacrum smiles briefly.&nbsp; &quot;First you'll take a geas,&quot; he says, and casts a spell.&nbsp; In moments it is done.&nbsp; Then the simulacrum departs.&nbsp; &quot;I'll be back in moments,&quot; he says as he telports away.Next Time: Jezebel, Sybele's half-dragon love child, was five years old when they last saw each other.&nbsp; A Family Reunion!</blockquote>

[QUOTE="the Jester, post: 898921, member: 1210"] [b]Negotiations with Marius[/b] The simulacrum is brilliant, and he knows it. Of course, he's only a shade of the real Marius, but even so...! He has his instructions, and his motives, he supposes, are roughly the same as the so-called 'real' Marius'. And he knows about the knot. His forehead creases as he thinks about that. The temporal knot, some distance downstream, going to happen sometime... not soon, but planning ahead is what being a chronomancer is about. There's a knot in time where the adventurers he's going to talk to- or at least some of them- interfere with him in a big way. He- well, the 'real' him- can see the temporal knot, and the simulacrum has the memory of it even if he can't perceive it himself. They have to be stopped, kept from interfering. And they want to negotiate, just as he'd foreseen! The simulacrum remembers that, too- but something has been causing distortions lately, ripples in the chronal surface. Things have been diverging from the most likely path. He- the 'real' him- couldn't foresee the result of this meeting. Thus... the simulacrum. [i]I'm real too,[/i] the simulacrum thinks resentfully, then smooths his face and steps into the stream portal. There's a sense of giddiness as the silvery dust sweeps him along, and then he steps out into the Prime Plane. He casts a few cursory defensive spells, then [i]teleports without error[/i] to Mabrack's Castle. The giant shows him to a sitting room. And there they are; the adventurers. He studies them: Sybele, obviously, her form earthen and craggy, her blonde hair falling low on her back, her bow and sword. Some man next to her, obviously a warrior. [i]I don't know him,[/i] the simulacrum notes. Then there's Angelfire, the red-skinned one. A Coilite, worthy of respect. Too bad Coila's on the wrong side of the Great Conflict. That one would be Orbius, the Boccobite. [i]His master is missing,[/i] the simulacrum notes. [i]As is the Galadorian. A pity.[/i] And that last one must be Sheva: red hair curling down almost to the waist, wearing only a chain mail bikini and a large collection of deadly-looking greatswords. "First off," the simulacrum says without preamble, "let's get one thing out of the way. I'm not the real Marius, I'm a simulacrum here to negotiate in his place, so you'll gain nothing by attacking me." "Very well," the Eye answers cautiously. "We're here to negotiate Jezebel's release." "Of course," the simulacrum says. "I have a number of people of interest to you." "Like who? Other than Jezebel," Orbius asks. "You know about Jezebel; let's just say there are a number of others." "I don't really care about my dad," Angelfire says. "What do you want from us? We don't know why you're messing with us! What have we done to you?" Sybele implores. "Yes, perhaps we can stop doing whatever it is that we're doing, or undo what we've done, or something- but we don't even know what we've done, and until we know how we've angered you we can't put things aright." Orbius is feeling his way cautiously in this conversation. The simulacrum settles back in his chair and studies the group. "You have interfered with my plans, and you will do so more in the future." "Why do you oppose Coila in the Great War of Ethics?" Sheva speaks up, her eyes burning into Marius as she stares at him. Or rather, at his simulacrum. [i]She's striking,[/i] the construct thinks. [i]If I were the real one, I would take her for my bride.[/i] "I worship Coila for what she represents- the mysteries of Time, and it's inevitable march. That's been the direction of my arcane studies for centuries now. She represents that relentless flow, the orderly wearing down of all things. I understand why she supports Chaos; it's about personal power. I just can't agree with her. I am a philosopher, and I've traveled the planes, and I have seen worlds where Chaos holds sway. Do you know what that's like? Barbarism holds sway, books and things of learning are forgotten or burned. Terror reigns in such worlds, and I'll not aid such things in happening here or anywhere. "I've heard all the arguments about the Forinthian Empire stifling dissent and other religions, about it absorbing local cultures. I agree that those things are tragic, but the Empire also builds roads and schools, ships food to hungry islands in a hundred places and more, helps modernize savages and helps to heal the sick and injured. The world is more certain; there's less war, crime, disorder. "No, a victory for Chaos would be a disaster for everyone. It must be prevented." The simulacrum pauses, looking intensely back at Sheva. She doesn't seem swayed. [i]By Coila, she's beautiful,[/i] the simulacrum thinks again. "Well, if we agree to stay out of the war will you return my daughter?" Sybele nearly begs. "You will greatly stay out of the war without my action," the simulacrum states. "But I will make you an offer. If you will submit to exile far enough in what you would call 'the future' that you cannot interfere with my plans, I will return the ones I have taken. Say, a thousand years." Orbius answers grimly. "We have things to do. We don't really know what your plans are, and we're sorry if you were involved with the formians, but if you can contact us and tell us when we're messing with your stuff we'll stop." Marius shakes his head. "Insufficient. You may cause us problems even unintentionally." That knot comes, unbidden, to the front of the simulacrum's mind again. It has to be untangled! [i]If there were more of me,[/i] it thinks, [i]we could work harder to monitor everything. I wonder if that's occurred to the 'real' me? I wish I was self-controlled![/i] "Well, what can we do then?" Orbius asks. The simulacrum considers, then says, "Pledge to stay out of my affairs, including when contacted, and to do my bidding three times." "That's too much," Angelfire says. "Who all do you have?" Orbius asks. The simulacrum smiles. "Well, you know I have Jezebel, and of course Nigel is my... ally. And I have your Galadorian friend's boy Till. And more besides, but that's enough to give you an idea." "You don't have anyone on me," Sheva says, "and you murdered a fellow priest of Coila. I'll not do your bidding." Angelfire nods vigorously. The simulacrum shrugs delicately. "Then what more do you offer? Or this meeting is over, and was useless." "No!" Sybele cries. "Please! My daughter, just return my daughter! I'll take your pledge!" The ersatz Marius frowns. "I'll tell you what. You take my pledge, and I'll release your daughter." His face turns cold. "But if [i]any[/i] of you interfere with my plans knowingly, I'll kill her. Without a second warning." "Okay," Sybele says eagerly. "Whatever, just bring her to me!" The simulacrum smiles briefly. "First you'll take a [i]geas[/i]," he says, and casts a spell. In moments it is done. Then the simulacrum departs. "I'll be back in moments," he says as he telports away. [i][b]Next Time:[/b][/i][b][/b] Jezebel, Sybele's half-dragon love child, was five years old when they last saw each other. A Family Reunion! [/QUOTE]

Verification