EXEXCRUCIATION - a Noblilis PbP

[sophist]

OOC: Ummm... I think all of this looks to me like Divination (though I'm not sure if it's lesser), lesser preservation (strenghtening his key to understanding himself), and lesser creation (creating a key to free him from his self imposed restrictions). How does that sound?

Sounds fine, I'll work your plan into the resolution below.

Closing Percival's eyes, he makes him look inside. He searches Percival mind and heart for the chains he put on himself, because he wants him to be free, and yet to give him a path, so he wouldn't be lost in his new freedom.

Inside the world of Percival's mind, you come upon the wall of black bones. <a lesser divination that reveals what blocks, what is to be unlocked.> you find a band of hobgoblins strengthening the wall, but they did not create it. They have the faces of several knights and they are chained together like a press gang from a prison working the roadside.

He tries to untie the knight's hand from the snares others and what the others would thought put on him, so he'll be able to go where his honor and his love will carry him. And through this all, he shows Percival's conscience what he's doing, so he'll know himself better, and hopefully won't lose this new path.

These you can set free easily. Because it is within a mind only, you sense that you need to convince only Percival that you are doing something. Within the mind even a ghost can be real. So a ghost miracle makes a key, unlocking the chain. The hobgoblins flee.

Finally he faces the wall Percival built around his true feelings, and looks for a door to unlock to show the young knight what's there.

Now you encounter a real problem: the does not seem to be a door there in the wall.
Hint:[sblock]If you want to study out of game what I am getting at here, listen to Pink Floyd's THE WALL, but only take it as a metaphor of process, not a case study.[/sblock]
From inside the wall, you hear faint singing from a young person:
"It was one miserable morning in black '44,
when the forward commander was told to sit tight,
when he asked that his men be withdrawn ...
... [too low to be intellegible]
It was dark all around,
there frost in the ground,
when the tigers broke free ... [too low to be intellegible]
... all of them dead, the rest of them dying ..."

<sorry for my bad memory, I will complete the above later, but the general idea I think is there now>

When you try to make a ghostly key, only senseless(?) ideas come forward: nothing, a hug, laughter, the cry of birth ....

 

[Lichtenhart]

Simon stops, wondering what could build such a wall with no doors, and what it was meant to lock inside.

Pain, he thinks. This wall is probably made of pain. Maybe the pain of a loss. It looks like a mourning that was never resolved, never allowed to see the sun. If I'm right, this is definitely something I can relate with.

He goes right to the wall, and touches the black bones with both his hands. Then he begins digging deep within himself, looking for a lost pain, he clings to an image he's seen many times in his nightmares, the image of a storm, big black clouds swirling around, and a lightning bolt that strikes and destroys the wing of a small white plane that starts spiralling down, and crashes violently on black rocks, while a hungry fire devours all. He digs out the pain he felt for his parents' loss, and how unjust and unfair it still feels even after so many years, and after his life has changed. He just hopes that if he could match the pain the wall is meant to keep inside, he'll be able to step through, and to help Percival from within.

If I'm right, that's what is holding him back. How could he love Gwinneth and the child, if he's afraid he could put them through the same pain he suffered himself? I have to free him from this pain he keeps locked within, and show him that no love go waste, that his love will protect and look after them even when he'll be no longer around.

 

[Timeboxer]

Alyra Tannenbaum, Marchessa of Innocence

And as Simon departs with Parcival, Alyra surveys the assembled maidens. "I think," she says pointedly, "that you will find that our ways are not the ways of our predecessors." And smiles.

Dunno if Empty and Chivalry are here with me, but it might be something interesting to discuss while Keys is entering Parcival's mind.

 

[Charles Rampant]

Empty frowns (impressive on his marble face), and speaks. 'I am uncertain if I even HAD a predecessor. Certainly, I have seen no indication of such a person yet. Is there another of your foppish castles lying around empty?'

 

[Jdvn1]

David follows in afterwards, "Well, if there's no indication of a previous Empty," David winks, "Then he must've been pretty good, right? You have your own castle, anyway. It's just not where everyone can get to it."

He holds a hand up to the maidens, "Hello, ladies, no need to get up. A hello will suffice. This is informal, anyway. I hope you're all happy and well."

Chivalry turns to his familia, "Is the issue between our two citizens being worked out? I'll assume Keys has it under control for now. We are indeed very different from our predecessors. I'm thinking we might want to start some things from scratch. I've heard some questionable acts by some of the 'knights'--I have to put a stop to that as quickly as possible."

 

[Timeboxer]

Alyra claps her hands together as an expression crosses her face that suggests that something has come to mind. "How about if we have a party? You know, like... a Chancel-warming party. We can have the Elatic help us send invitations to other Nobles and make a few allies, and introduce ourselves officially to the citizenry to show that things are different. It might be a good idea to make some friends, after all." She peers up at Once and David, a rather curious feat given her natural height. "Well, what d'you think?"

 

[Charles Rampant]

OOC: Once is 'a noble but stern greek statue, over 7 feet tall [...] made of marble'. It's not much of a feat at all to look up at him. Especially when you consider his magnificent contributions to the fields of morality and compassion [/ooc]

'Interesting idea. Would let us get to know the other nobles. Somehow I suspect i'll be greatly disappointed by them.'

 

[Jdvn1]

"That sounds like a good idea, Innocence. While I'm at it, I could have a reknighting ceremy beforehand so that the knights are aware of the new ideals." David smiles at young Alyra. "It would also be a good opportunity to learn about our predecessors. You may even find someone that won't disappoint you, Empty."

 

[sophist]

SIMON:
At first your idea does not seem to work. The fury of the storm makes the wall only grow. But then, there seems to be an undertstanding ... between that wall and the strom. Not by violence, but deep within that storm there is the howling of loss.
Then the storm had its way, and only a few breezes of mourning remain. And they shatter the wall.

It's a strange scene. You must be somewhere on a tree giantic beyond your wildest dreams. This branch must be at leat a mile wide, but what from what is above, you (other branches,
enormous leafes) conclude the environs. Before you, the is a large building from black marble. In front of it, there is a field of corpses. Only a single one moves, from him you hear the faint singing. Between the corpeses there are smahed statues of warriors that slowly begin to reassmble. They're from the same black marble as the the building, whose shapes are somewhat unclear, but you realize that this is from the vagueness with which Parcival remebers it.

You hear his voice from behind you, his newer self:" The Impatrix sent the Lords to the Mausoleum of the Lord of the Second Age. We were to divert, the guardians, while the Lords went inside. But there was another guardian: he threw the Lords out like puppets. He was of an impossible beauty that made me weep with joy. But all my friends dead, and I lived only because the Lords were so helpless against the true guardians. My joy, my helpless joy that drown my boundless sorrow. I could not stand this... it is nearly unbearable even now."

He walks over to his old self, who sings:
" ... and the high Lords gave thanks,
as the other troops held back the enemy ranks
for a while.
So the entrance was made at the price
of a few dozen ordinary lives ..."

ALYRA, DAVID, ONCE:
The maidens bow to their lords (, hearing your decision?). As you mention the party, you can't help to notice their wondering looks.
So you want to go see the Elatic?

 

[Charles Rampant]

'How do we go about hosting a social gathering? Just write 'come to our place and talk to us' on the stars in the mortal world?' Asks Once dryly.