Well, we didn't play yesterday since Rackhir has apparently had a sympathetic sickness with his character dying, but we'll be playing today. Quite appropriate, actually, since it's March 4th and GM Day.
But we did handle some things happening with Nameless on Xoriat online in between sessions, so here you have it:
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Nameless considers the floating figure for a moment and then says, calmly but with a slight edge to his tone, “I doubt you’re me or you’d know the answer to that question and since you are appearing as me, you obviously wish to disguise what you really are. So I won’t bother asking who or what you are. Finally as Xoriat isn’t known for its hospitality or welcoming committees, I conclude you aren’t here simply to say ‘Hi’. So, let us cut to the chase then. What do you want?”
As he speaks, Nameless notes that he is wearing everything that he had on when he died, but he’s aware that it’s just an appearance. None of his items are actually present on him, which is understandably the case when the soul travels from the body after death (though usually it ends up in Dolurrh). The weird thing, however, is that he has all his spells, including the ones he had cast during the day, and that’s not supposed to be the case with a departed soul either. Also, the permanent enhancements from the Silver Flame have stayed with him.
The other version of Nameless, who Nameless’
arcane sight reveals to have no magical items or spells in effect on him, laughs. “Little impatient, aren’t we? And in theory I
am you. Part of you. Remember that little thing in your head that speaks to you and makes you ... well, special? That’s me. I’m a lot better attuned to this place than even you are, so here I take on a little bit more of an existence of my own.”
Nameless2 looks around. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” He focuses slightly and about ten feet of the air around the pair takes on a faint green tinge, and the whiff of corruption envelops them. Nameless 2 inhales and looks back at Nameless. “If only all the universe were like this. Anyway, what I want to know is what
you want. You’re, let's be blunt, dead. And souls, even yours, aren’t supposed to last here. So, soon enough, you’ll become one with the fabric of Xoriat and completely cease to exist. So, what do you plan to do about it? Try to get back to your world? Explore Xoriat and find a way to stay here? Something else? I’m just wondering, since it’s possible my existence is tied up with yours, and I’m not quite ready to go yet.”
Nameless considers for a second and then replies, “Well, if you are what you say you are, then I/We will be one soon enough when I transcend. My/Our friends will no doubt try to reincarnate me/us. The question is – will it be soon enough? I/We seem to be in no danger at the moment, but I’m certain that can change quickly. Still, this is a rare opportunity and I/We should explore while we are waiting.” Having spoken, Nameless attempts to imitate his companion and bend the local conditions to his will. It’s extremely difficult, but the conditions within six inches of his form do begin to change as he focuses. He realizes that he can also make himself float slowly through the void via concentration. It’s tiring and he probably couldn’t keep it up indefinitely, but he can do it for a while.
“Sure,” replies Nameless2. “I presume you’d like to see one of the daelkyr fortresses, right? After all, what good’s it going to be ending up here if you don’t actually visit one of them. I know you’re well informed about those who are imprisoned in Eberron, but there are many more here who never crossed over. Want to visit the blood fields of Chaugnar Faugn, the all-seeing eye of Cyäegha, the mountain home of Ghatanathoa, the ice citadel of Rlim Shaikorth?”
Before Nameless can reply, he then points at the giant creature slowly floating along in the distance. “Some of the Swimmers in the Darkness are interesting too, though they aren’t much for conversation. I’d say the daelkyr would be more educational. Especially for you, since you’re as safe from them as you could be, being dead and all.”
Nameless considers the options for a moment. “I would prefer to avoid putting any supposed safety from the powers of the daelkyr to the test, but I would like to see the All-Seeing Eye. That sounds most likely to be informative.”
“Theoretically they’re all daelkyr,” says Nameless2, “Including the All-Seeing Eye, but I think you should be just fine.” He suddenly disappears, to reappear right next to Nameless, and extends a hand. “Since travel here doesn’t work as elsewhere, let’s see how well you can do it. Now hold this thought.”
The hand touches Nameless on the forehead. It is cold and vaguely clammy to the touch, but that realization is instantly replaced by everything going momentarily black for Nameless. He finds himself looking, though he knows it’s a projected thought rather than a physical sight, at a gigantic, black globe, the front of which is a huge eye. It has an iridescent green pupil, and thin green veins run through the yellow iris that surrounds it. From the underneath of the eye, extending outwards into the darkness around it, is a field of tentacles. Things move among them, but it’s impossible to make out what they are.
Nameless’ vision clears and returns to where he was, as Nameless2 removes the hand and lowers it to rest on his shoulder. “Now – visualize that, and will us there.”
As his facsimile suggests, Nameless focuses on the image he saw and tries to mentally transport them there. For a couple of seconds, nothing happens, and the hand on his shoulder tightens slightly, as Nameless2 says quietly, “Focus and concentrate.”
Nameless tries to do so, and suddenly, the image leaps vividly into his mind again. There’s a momentary sense of stomach-twisting dislocation, and then Nameless feels the temperature around him plunge and the air grow heavier. He opens his eyes ... and gazes into the green pupil of the All-Seeing Eye of Cyäegha.
Nameless and Nameless2 hang in the air in front of the Eye, which stretches over fifty feet in height. Above, below and around it stretch the craggy stone walls of a giant cavern, and Nameless somehow knows that they are deep within a lone mountain which forms a single layer of Xoriat. The Eye is supported by a forest of tentacles emanating from it, thin in comparison to the orb but nearly as thick as Nameless is tall. Crawling among the tentacles are dozens of creatures that look like a mixture of toad, ape and worm, with transparent bodies, their organs gleaming beneath a layer of slick, leathery skin. Some of the creatures notice the two intruders and gape upwards in bufanoid confusion.
They are not the only ones that notice. Cyäegha's pupil contracts momentarily and then a tentacle lashes upwards. Before it can hit, Nameless2 darts forward, frantically waving his arms. Nameless feels a momentary prickling in his head and realizes Nameless2 is addressing the giant creature telepathically, and then his head throbs with a loud buzzing as Cyäegha responds, tentacle still raised threateningly.
The conversation between the two continues for the better part of a minute and then the tentacle drops. The pupil expands and contracts slightly, and Nameless realizes that Cyäegha is laughing, or a vague equivalent to it. Nameless2 turns to him and Nameless hears his voice in his head, communicating far more quickly telepathically than he could via physical speech. “I’ve explained your situation. I don’t think it could actually hurt you in this form, but I didn’t want to risk it, and luckily, Cyäegha seems … well, amused, though that’s not quite the right term. Cyäegha's one of the Great Old Ones, so it’s never been to Eberron. Actually, it never leaves this cavern, but exists here forever, watching the layers of Xoriat and beyond or sleeping for centuries. Just about nothing visits here, so this is slightly diverting for it. Anyway, try not to piss it off. Cyäegha tends to be a little, well, irritable, and ...”
The communication is cut off by a steady pounding in Nameless’ head. He feels a gigantic will bent towards him, one which almost never has to deal with language and communication. Waves of hate envelop Nameless, but he realizes, partly because of his knowledge of Xoriat and partly through some sort of intellectual osmosis from his presence before it, that there is nothing personal and, strangely, not even any real emotion, to it. Cyäegha’s consciousness emanates what would count as the vilest of evil on Eberron, but it does so naturally, like a fire gives off heat or water rolls downhill, with no thought or intent but simply because that is what it is, beyond artificial laws of morality.
The pounding sensation slowly resolves itself into words. “What. Desire. You. Hu-man. ?" After a momentary pause, it adds. “See. You. Through. Eye. Do. Wish. ?”
“I … yes, I desire Knowledge and ...,” begins Nameless a trifle more hesitantly than he’d have liked, and then stops, as he remembers a scene in Yarkuun Draal:
The result of the change in colors on the wall becomes evident. The central black portion is now a huge pupil, twenty feet in width, while the yellow area around it forms the iris. The long wall is now spanned by a fifty-foot long eye.
Luna sniffs at the changing wall and doesn’t smell anything different about it, so she presumes there’s not actually a creature coming through it. Nevertheless, she growls at it in warning.
While she is doing so, the eye begins to shrink, giving the watchers a sense that it is due to an increase in distance. As it does, they all see that it is surrounded by a pale gray expanse of flesh, with creases in it that are as long as some of them are tall. Within seconds, the eye is half its original size, but it still stretches twenty-five feet in length.
Then it stops, and swivels slightly, seeming to notice the room and all of the adventurers. The eye focuses, and all of them have a sense of a gigantic mind focusing on you. It is not malign or inimical in any way; it is just totally and utterly alien to their conception of reality - and very mildly curious. For a moment, each of them realizes exactly what a butterfly (admittedly, a very intelligent butterfly) feels like in the seconds before an infant pulls its wings off to see what happens. The overriding emotion for them, even for Nameless and Trillia (who have studied alternate realities but never experienced it in such close proximity), is a combination of utter fascination and complete awe.
Luna shakes off the feeling and looks around to see that everyone else is standing stock-still and motionless, staring at the wall. After a couple of loud growls evince no response, she hurriedly drops a dispel magic in the area, hoping to remove whatever it is that affected her companions. The spellcasting has no visible effect, her companions still remaining spellbound.
Noticing motion on the wall, Luna looks back to see that the eye is simultaneously moving away and sliding by, as if the wall were a giant window through which the group were looking out at the creature, whatever it is. As the eye passes by, the wall’s color and texture begins to fade back to its original translucence. There is a brief vision of a gigantic bulk and waving tentacles more than a dozen feet across, and then the vision fades, leaving just the bare pinkish wall.
The rest of the group feels the fascination effect wear off suddenly and are back in control of their faculties. Trillia shakes her head and then quickly walks up to the wall to touch it. Then she looks back at Nameless and says excitedly, “Is it just me or did we just get a glimpse into Xoriat?”
“Wait!” says Nameless. “Have we met before?”
There is a pause and then words. “Not. Know. Do.” And then another a pause and then more words. “Not. Do....” A third, longer, pause follows, accompanied by almost a sense of uncertainty, as if Cyäegha were trying to grasp and communicate a concept alien to it. “...Care?” The uncertainty passes instantly and the next word is accompanied by a wave of what Nameless can only translate as vast cosmic amusement. “Knowledge?”
Cyäegha’s pupil expands suddenly, and Nameless feels the pressure inside his head increase exponentially. There is a moment of intense pain and then everything goes black for an instant. The pain and the darkness disappear just as quickly, though the feeling of great pressure does remain, and are replaced by a dizzying flood of images, which whirl by before he can focus enough to notice anything about them. It takes what seems like minutes of intense concentration before the alienist can begin to make sense of the fleeting pictures. What is most helpful in doing so is the gradual awareness that he is sharing part of the consciousness of Cyäegha, and that Cyäegha is not just running through the plethora of images concurrently but is simultaneously aware of and gazing at each of them.
Once he has worked out what is going on, Nameless is able to very slowly begin to focus on the individual scenes and cycle through them, one by one, even if only for a second or two. The majority of the scenes look out at parts of Xoriat, but many look out at the other planes of existence, including a few of the material plane and Eberron. Nameless recognizes some images – the volcanic wasteland of the Demon Wastes, the swamps of the Shadow Marches, ships sailing through an archipelago that might be the Lhazaar Principalities, even a quick look at the towers of Sharn. Intermixed with them are scenes of battle involving celestial and demonic hosts that must come from Shavarath, a gleaming crystalline forest below the brilliant sun of Irian, the endless flaming sea of Fernia. And constantly dancing through and around these images, overwhelming them in number but separate, just as the plane itself is bound away from all others in its insane dance through the outer darkness, are the infinite layers of Xoriat, myriad forms that extend far beyond the language of mortals can tell or the mind of any, even that of possibly the most powerful alienist on Eberron, can comprehend.
For Nameless, it seems as if long minutes pass, and as time flies by, he gains more and more control of what he sees. Or perhaps control is the wrong term, since the feeling of growing knowledge and power is intermixed with the sense of being carried along on an irresistible current. Eventually, Nameless realizes that – like Cyäegha – he is not just cycling through the images but able to hold more and more of them in view at once. And as he simultaneously views first a handful, then dozens, and then scores of scenes, he gradually realizes that he is not just watching multiple points across the multiverse spatially, but that he is doing so temporally. Scenes on Eberron float into existence that he knows for a fact occurred centuries ago. Nameless’ consciousness hovers over the crowning of Galifar I, drifts over a battle of the Dragon-Fiend wars, and follows the flight of an airship whose speed convinces him that it is something not yet invented on Eberron. And it does so simultaneously, while also watching the various planes. Nameless realizes that he, presumably the first of all humans to do so, is in some way experiencing what omnipresence might feel like.
The combination of exultation, power, awe and – strangely – fear, which envelops Nameless prevents him from realizing what else is going on, until it is too late. As he has been gazing out on these various scenes, the constant pressure on his consciousness has thankfully faded. Belatedly, Nameless realizes the reason, that so too is his sense of identity. Whether it be because he has been overextending himself, or because of the contact with the consciousness of Cyäegha, Nameless finds his awareness of himself
as himself, as the “I” that is seeing these scenes, to be steadily diminishing. It is an indescribable process, akin to what a sand castle being washed away by the advancing sea might experience if every grain of sand that it contains were conscious and inextricably linked.
Reflexively, Nameless struggles against the inevitable dissolution, but he has all the opportunity of the aforementioned sand castle to resist the process. More and more quickly, his vision falls apart and flakes away, and with it goes his consciousness.
Everything goes dark.
![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
