Final Update
...before I start a new thread.
I had a lot of trouble composing this - I hope that the
reasons for things are clear. If there is confusion, I'll try and answer things as best I can.
BTW, thanks for the support, as always
Interlude with The Confuser
“You appear like a crow over carrion, Devil. You are contemptible.” Eadric wearily drew Lukarn.
“I am your lawfully appointed tempter,” Titivilus replied easily. “and your time has arrived. You may ask me to depart, if your faith is so weak that it cannot stand a minor trial. Assailing me, however, would be disrespectful in the extreme, and more than a little foolish.”
The Paladin sighed. “Make your offer, then leave. The answer will be ‘no’, in any case.”
“It might take some while,” Titivilus explained. “And is likely to involve elements which you do not expect. I suggest we remove to a more suitable locale.”
Eadric laughed grimly. “I am about to enter Morne with an army – now is hardly a convenient time.”
The Duke of Hell bowed ironically. “Fortunately, there is a place where we may go where the inconvenience of time is not an issue. I can return you at the point where you left.”
“You lie.”
“Frequently,” Titivilus conceded. “But not at the moment. I have no intention of lying to you,
Ahma. If you distrust me, bring Palamabron’s Eye with you – any counterfeit will be instantly revealed. It is, after all, infallible. And Ortwin the Satyr, I strongly recommend that you do
not do what you are considering.”
The Bard was assuming a flanking position whilst Titivilus spoke.
“You may dismiss me,
Ahma,” the Duke said, “and I will never trouble you again. But you may regret the choice later: here is a chance to confront your own shadow, in terms which few have the luxury of doing. Look into the Darkness of your heart with me. If you are true to your faith then you have nothing to fear.”
“Honey on the tongue does not disguise malice,” Eadric spat.
“I am a Devil. What do you expect? Temptation is my work, and I take pride in it.”
Eadric sighed, relaxed his grip, and nodded.
“What?” Ortwin asked aghast. “Are you crazy? Just tell this idiot where to go, Ed.”
“No. I need to do this.”
“That’s the spirit,” Titivilus said. “Don’t forget the Eye,
Ahma. Unless you are afraid of the truth, of course.”
The Paladin knelt over the stricken body of Tahl, kissed him on the forehead, and removed the huge stone from around his neck.
Titivilus clicked his fingers, and a
Gate opened. The scene beyond was idyllic: a soft, sandy beach gently lapped by a clear sea beneath a cloudless sky.
“After you,” the Duke of Hell ushered him. “Don’t worry. You’ll be safe and unharmed. I will return you to the present time and place whenever you wish.”
He did not lie.
So Eadric stepped through.
**
“This is
Cha’at,” Titivilus said in response to the unvoiced question in Eadric’s mind. “It belongs to my liege – inasmuch as a plane can belong to anybody.”
“The Demiplane that you offered Mostin,” Eadric nodded. “If you think that…”
“I have no intention of offering this place to you,
Ahma,” Titivilus smiled. “Unless you want it, of course,” he added. His eyes twinkled with cruel amusement.
“Get to the point,” Eadric snapped.
“I will – but circuitously. Firstly, we need to establish a common language – so as to minimize misunderstanding.”
“Your ability to twist words is legendary,” Eadric scowled. “And I don’t pretend to be your equal in sophistry or subtlety of language.”
“Ah, the
Ahma is a man of simple faith. Complex linguistic matters are beyond his understanding.”
“If you have merely brought me here to mock me…”
“Do I wound your pride,
Ahma? Are you self-conscious of your limited ability to grasp difficult ideas?”
Eadric said nothing.
“If you feel too embarrassed to answer that question, then I understand. If you feel that allowing yourself to be that
vulnerable to me is unwise because I am the Enemy – one of the fallen; despicable, irredeemable, befouled with Taint and corruption – then I also understand. Allow me then to ask another question,
Ahma: at what point does it become permissible for a man to be anything less than absolutely open and honest?”
The Paladin groaned inwardly. This was
not what he had expected. “Alright. You’ve made your point.”
“And you agree that it has merit?” Titivilus asked.
Eadric nodded sourly.
“Tell me,
Ahma: had you ever considered that idea before – purely hypothetically, of course. The idea that ‘even when dealing with demons and devils, one must maintain absolute honesty.’ I’m not suggesting that it is
the Truth, but that it is, from your perspective
a truth, which deserves consideration.”
“I had never before considered it,” Eadric admitted.
“In which case, you have learned something new. From me.
I have taught
you.”
“What
are you?” The Paladin asked.
“You ask ‘what is a Devil?’ To
you? A Dark Mirror.”
**
“We have established, then, that the language we will use is one of total honesty,” Titivilus said. “Remember that you have an advantage over me – any falsehood that I speak will be revealed by the Eye of Palamabron. I must simply trust you, and assume that you don’t lie.”
Eadric sighed.
“What do you know of the Irrenites,
Ahma?” The Duke asked.
“They are an heretical sect. They were banned because they venerated the Adversary alongside Oronthon.”
“That is correct – although it is important to note that they do not
worship the Adversary as a distinct individual. They regard him as an aspect of Oronthon or, to be more accurate, an emanation.”
“If this is an attempt to sell me on the merits of various heresies then you are pursuing the wrong tack.”
“I don’t need to sell you anything,” Titivilus said wrily. “I take it that you are aware that Tramst will be the next Archbishop of Morne?”
The Paladin nodded.
“And that he will be imbued with a measure of Oronthon’s power which has no precedent – that he will, in fact, be an avatar of sorts.”
“Tahl intimated as much,” Eadric replied carefully. “Although the exact details have not been revealed to me.” His answer was accompanied by a cognitive dissonance of enormous proportions – was he actually having this conversation with one of the
Fallen?
“Tramst will readmit the Irrenites into the Oronthonian fold,” Titivilus said. “As well as every other denomination and schizmatic group.”
Still, the Devil did not lie. Eadric was dumbstruck – and enormously excited. He was also very suspicious. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Revelation is not the sole province of Celestials.”
“Celestials generally do not want something dubious in return.”
“Touché,” Titivilus conceded.
**
“What do you know of Jovol the Grey?” Titivilus asked.
“I am reluctant to answer that question.”
“Because you feel that by so doing, you may jeopardize Jovol, whom you regard as a possible ally – although you are not sure how, or in what capacity. Then let me enlighten you somewhat as to Jovol’s nature: he is immensely powerful. More than any of the other Wyrish Wizards suspect – with the exception of Hlioth, who knew him from before.”
“Before what?”
“Before he assumed his current incarnation,” Titivilus answered. “Jovol is preoccupied with the Injunction, and a particular paradox which he finds himself in – namely, that he must both enforce it, and then subsequently violate it. He regards himself as something of a custodian, and is resigned to sacrificing himself in order to renew the integrity of the magical
détente.”
“To me, that would seem to indicate a nobility of purpose.”
“Quite,” Titivilus said sarcastically. “Except that he has been ineffectual to date in preventing Rimilin from acting – and this has been through choice, not through inability. His divinations have indicated hours, perhaps even days ahead of time, where and when the Acolyte of the Skin will strike. Why do you suppose he has not prevented it,
Ahma?”
Apparently, Titivilus was still telling the truth. Eadric sighed. “I do not know Jovol’s motivations. And I do not see why you are wasting time with this trivia. Cut to the chase, Devil. I can reject you, and we can part ways.”
“Time is of no consequence here, so there is no need to feel rushed,” the Duke reminded him. “And it is seldom that one has the opportunity to tempt the breath of God – indulge me and permit my moment of dramatic tension. Think,
Ahma! Why is Jovol, who is concerned more than anything else about the Injunction, not acting to prevent its most flagrant violation?”
“I will not be drawn into idle speculation.”
“Then let me tell you,” Titivilus said impatiently. “Jovol predicts in terms of
probabilities – of significant contact between individuals, and of interplanar movement. When a planar contact is revealed, Jovol can infer the likely manifestation. He knows that if he arrests the actions of Rimilin, then Graz’zt – whose information in this whole affair is less complete than you might suspect – will change his tack accordingly. Jovol is therefore waiting until both Rimilin and Kothchori are present at the same time, before he shows his hand.”
“Who is Kothchori?” Eadric groaned.
“Kothchori is the mage who assailed both Jiuhu and Morne with fire. Graz’zt has him under his thumb at present. He is also warded from detection – although not from Graz’zt and his minions.”
“And perhaps you could tell me why this is important?”
“Because within two hours of your return to the battlefield, Kothchori will open a
Gate allowing Graz’zt onto the Prime Plane.”
Eadric’s jaw dropped. “And Jovol knows this?”
“He knows
when the
Gate will open, but not
where,” Titivilus confirmed. “And as he cannot locate Kothchori, there isn’t much that he can do.”
“This makes no sense,” Eadric muttered. “If Jovol can determine where and when Rimilin acts, why can he not do the same for this Kothchori?”
Titivilus sighed in exasperation. “Jovol detects
contacts – one individual to another. An example: Hullu, Mesikämmi and Rimilin come into close resonance, and are accompanied by a perturbation which indicates a planar transit – in this case, from an archaic spirit dimension which borders the Prime. Jovol
can discern the location of Hullu and Mesikämmi, therefore he can
infer the location of Rimilin. As both Graz’zt and Kothchori are invisible to Jovol’s attempts to scry them, he only knows
when. He has no
where.”
Eadric had no idea who Mesikämmi was, and thought it best not to ask. He was starting to get very confused. Titivilus, despite the fact he had not yet lied, was living up to his reputation.
“This still makes no sense,” the Paladin said. “How can Jovol know where Kothchori and Rimilin meet, if he cannot determine the location of either of them?”
“Because when they come into resonance, other individuals are also implicated. Jovol can discern
their location, thereby inferring the presence of both Rimilin and Kothchori.”
“And who are these ‘other individuals?’” Eadric asked.
Titivilus shrugged, and pointed a long finger at the Paladin. “You, maybe? I don’t know.”
Eadric groaned. “Still, I don’t understand why Jovol simply didn’t intervene and stop Rimilin when he knew where he would be – when he interacted with me, or Hullu or Mostin, or whatever.”
“It is likely that the projected course of events would be even more unfavourable – from Jovol’s perspective, at least – if Rimilin were eliminated prematurely.”
“How can that be so?”
“Graz’zt is methodical and lays intricate webs – for a Demon, at least.” The contempt in Titivilus’ voice was not concealed. “However, he is not above fits of rage and spite which ultimately act against his own interests. Consider what his mood would be if Kothchori conjured him and he had lost both Rimilin
and the Balor Uruum in one day. I think that it may prove fortunate for Wyre that you did not slay Rimilin today. Graz’zt is more than capable of destroying Morne and everything in it with a single invocation.”
“He would suffer immediate retaliation,” Eadric insisted. “Or the celestial host would never permit such an act.”
“Would they not?” Titivilus asked. “Are you confident that you understand the Mind of Oronthon that clearly? In any case, Rimilin is not dead, so the point is moot. Graz’zt retains a sense of perspective, and his actions are likely to be more systematic and less insane.”
“His ire is directed towards me more than any other,” Eadric said. “It is those closest to me that I feel most for.”
“They are Graz’zt’s targets for that reason,” Titivilus smiled wickedly. “Graz’zt would like to break you, and then turn you against Tramst – the incarnate manifestation of Oronthon’s power.”
“That will never happen.”
“Never is a long time.”
“Your efforts to make me doubt are wasted,” Eadric said. “Do not forget to whom you speak.”
“I would never do that,
Ahma,” Titivilus gave a mock bow. “But I digress. It is likely Morne
will still suffer terribly, and at Graz’zt’s hands. And Oronthon will permit it to happen. When one can foresee the ends that Oronthon can, who can tell what ‘The Greatest Good for the Greatest Number’ really means?”
Still, the Duke did not lie. But Eadric was unfazed: this was a paradox that he had long since accepted.
“Do you wish to know what it is that Graz’zt will do,
Ahma?” Titivilus asked easily. “Knowledge might allow you to ameliorate great suffering, although you could not prevent it all.”
Eadric said nothing.
“Remember our agreement,” Titivilus said. “Complete honesty.”
“I would like to know Graz’zt’s plans,” Eadric admitted.
“As would I,” Titivilus replied.
**
“The Succubus, Nehael,” Titivilus said, smiling.
Eadric groaned inwardly.
“She is currently in a rather awkward predicament, wouldn’t you say?”
“No doubt you are about to make an offer to rescue or release her, in exchange for a service that I can offer you,” the Paladin said in a resigned voice.
“No,” the Devil replied. “It is within your own power to resolve that issue. You have the means to do it – although you may feel compromised by the methods involved. Remember, you are the
Ahma, and you have powerful allies.”
Titivilus did not lie.
“Then what relevance does Nehael have to this conversation?” Eadric asked.
“When she first succoured you for aid, you were willing to put everything – your own soul included – on the line in order to aid her redemption.”
“Yes. And?”
“Is she redeemed, now?” Titivilus asked. “Before you answer that,” he added, “if you feel that you are being drawn into an untenable ethical position at any time, feel free to stop me – but I feel there have been inconsistencies in your attitude that perhaps you should address.”
“I am not here to receive philosophical instruction from you,” Eadric moaned. “And your circuitous offer is still no closer to being voiced. Allow me to ask
you a question, Duke Titivilus, for every one that you pose me, and we will see how this proceeds.”
“Very well,” Titivilus answered surprisingly.
“Does that proposal concern you in any way?” The Paladin asked.
“Yes,” Titivilus said.
Eadric raised an eyebrow.
“So,” the Devil continued, “has Nehael been redeemed?”
“That question has no answer,” Eadric replied. “You might as well ask ‘what kind of apple is that orange?’ How was your exchange with Shomei? Did she put you in your place?”
“That is two questions,” Titivilus pointed out. “But I will let it pass. It went as one might have expected, and our relative ‘places’ are affirmed. But your last answer is intriguing – is the
Ahma suggesting that redemption is not a universal phenomenon, available to all who earnestly seek it?”
“I make no such claim,” Eadric answered, “and no amount of verbiage will lead me to it. And I found your answer rather lacking, so I will pose the question again more clearly: Did the Infernalist Shomei assert her ascendancy over you, Titivilus?”
“In a manner of speaking,” the Devil conceded, “although all such arrangements are subject to renegotiation. But I have just thought of another question – not designed to stimulate your pride, before you ask: In the vast celestial hierarchy, where do you see yourself in relation to seraphs, saints and ascended masters,
Ahma?”
Eadric shifted uncomfortably. “I have never before considered that question, but your premise is false: all of those about whom you speak live the will of Oronthon. There is no striving for them. They do not need to claw their way anywhere, as they have already achieved bliss. If you were to earnestly seek redemption yourself, Titivilus, I would willingly act as intercessor on your behalf. Can I interest you in such a proposal?”
“It would certainly have merit, were it not for other factors,” Titivilus answered.
“Other factors?”
“
Ahma, the face I present to you is cultured, intellectual, reasonable and scholarly. I am all of those things. But it behooves you to remember that I am also cruel, merciless, depraved, manipulative and utterly, utterly evil. You see me as an Irrenite might see me, and that is intentional on my part – I would achieve little in the way of communication, otherwise. Already, you have been lulled into complacency, and have forgotten to whom, to
what you speak. I am no succubus nor a minor devil, but a Duke of Hell. My philosophical position is the result of aeons of thought and contemplation upon matters which you do not grasp. I am not blind, ignorant, savage evil – I am
reasoned evil.”
“That is to be most feared,” Eadric said. “But I have not forgotten who you are, and my proposal still stands. Be finished with your offer. And speedily. I grow weary.”
“Oronthon will not intervene to release Nehael, because the Succubus has placed herself beyond the Bright God’s protection. She chose Uedii over Him, and rejected an offer from Rintrah to reenter heaven. Would you say that she has abjured Him a second time? One could interpret her actions in that light.”
The Paladin did his best to retain an impassive expression. “I was unaware that grace had been extended to her to that degree. Nor can I always fathom her actions. But I still fail to see what you are driving at, Devil.”
“If you act to save Nehael, which it is within your power to accomplish – by hook or by crook – you must sacrifice something. You could attempt a punitive raid or rescue mission - a possibility that offers many opportunities for sacrifice. Maybe your life or soul, or those of your friends. In any event, you would sacrifice your responsibility to Tramst and to Morne and to your soldiers – after all, should you really be going off on an Abyssal jaunt if the fate of Wyre hangs in the balance and Oronthon’s Proxy is about to appear upon the scene?
“Alternatively, perhaps you could strike a
deal with Graz’zt in some way, thereby sacrificing a certain portion of your principles. Or you could employ other agents to make a deal for you.”
“Devils, you mean,” Eadric said.
“As I have already said, no,” Titivilus replied. “That is not what I meant – although if you request such assistance, we can no doubt come to a mutually beneficial understanding. I was referring to your associates – you could merely depute the responsibility to them.”
“And what do I sacrifice if I do that?”
“Your control of the situation? Your involvement? Your autonomy? Again, maybe your friends? Mostin can be rather rash, after all. Would you trust him with such a project?”
“More than I’d trust you,” Eadric answered.
“Of course, you could simply sacrifice Nehael to the ‘Greater Good’ and, no doubt, as time passes, so will your guilt and remorse.”
“Pah! Make your offer and return me.”
Titivilus sighed. “My proposal to you is this: that, henceforth, you and I will speak on a regular basis, about such matters that are pressing upon your conscience. With my aid, you will establish a platform from which insight can spring.”
“Are you insane? You would act as my
counsellor?”
“Why not? Have you not found this exchange informative?”
“Whether or not I have is hardly indicative of your value as a long-term advisor. And what, I wonder, do you offer me in exchange for this absurd request?”
Titivilus smiled. “You misunderstand. That is not my offer of temptation to you. It is the boon which you would enjoy for a growing life in Oronthon’s wisdom.”
Eadric guffawed. “And what, then, is the price I would pay for it?”
“You will endure my attempts to corrupt, pervert and sway you from your current purpose. The torment that your psyche endures will be immense, and the moral knots that you have heretofore wrestled with will seem trivial in comparison. The
Ahma has the chance of being in a permanent dialogue with the darkest things that there are. One cannot live fully in the light by denying the darkness, but only by transcending it.”
“That is Left-Hand Path sophistry,” Eadric said scornfully.
“It is the dialectic.”
“And Urgic and Irrenite heresy.”
“They are no longer heresies, if you recall. It is the basis of
saizhan, the practice through which Tramst will revive Oronthonianism.”
Eadric swallowed. Titivilus did not lie. But it was too radical.
“Not all truths are unequal,” Titivilus said.
Eadric’s stomach turned over.
“It is the Middle Way. The Diamond Way. The Path of Lightning.”
And the Paladin’s head reeled.
**
“Are you suggesting that every Oronthonian will have a personal devil with whom they can converse, in order to stimulate their awareness?”
“Certainly not,” Titivilus answered. “
Saizhan is a mystical practice for contemplatives who have overcome dualistic thinking. It negates all predicates about the nature of Oronthon, and replaces them with direct experience of the Godhead: with sufficient discipline, the devotee simply enters a trance and taps into Oronthon’s
Sela, his Gnostic intellect.”
Eadric looked confused.
“They will
Commune at will with him,” Titivilus explained.
The Paladin’s eyes widened. “And for those of us who lack ‘sufficient discipline?’”
“That is the second purpose of Tramst. For those who cannot grasp the fundamentals of the practice, they may approach the Godhood directly, embodied in Tramst. By speaking with him, they effectively speak with Oronthon himself.”
“I still fail to see the diabolic component,” Eadric said.
“For a dialectic to exist, antinomies are required,” Titivilus answered. “For contemplatives, they exist on the level of mental constructs. For the devotees who seek him, Tramst himself will stimulate awareness with speech and action, using a device similar to the
kius.* But you are unique. For the
Ahma…”
“They would be embodied in you,” Eadric sighed.
“Precisely,” Titivilus smiled. “And I have been selected because I am the subtlest, most conniving, most underhanded manipulator that there is in the Hells, bar one only.”
“If this is so, if it is necessary, then I fail to see what the temptation is,” Eadric groaned.
“That is because I have not yet tempted you,
Ahma. I have merely made you the counter-offer.”
Realization slowly began to dawn on the Paladin.
“You may simply walk away from this, and become Eadric of Deorham once again. Let it go. Return to your castle, and your vineyards, and your dogs, and an untroubled life. Or to be free to pursue Nehael as you will, renounce your servitude to the Temple, and make war on Graz’zt. Take the fight to him. But that is not what Tramst requires from you.
That is the temptation.”
“No,” Eadric said. “You seek to be both my tempter and my counsellor. You cannot both threaten me and offer me a path to understand my God.”
“I can and do,” Titivilus answered.
“I will not believe it,” the Paladin said.
“Then I suggest you speak to Tramst,” the Duke answered. “He will arrive outside of Morne within fifteen minutes of your return.”
Eadric’s jaw dropped.
“
Ahma, your religion is undergoing a paradigm shift. Old roles are being redefined. Different facets of the Truth are manifesting. When you speak to Tramst, he will not be an intermediary as Cynric or even Rintrah was. You will, to all intents, be addressing Oronthon directly.”
The Paladin nodded dumbly.
“He demands much of you. He will not relent, nor compromise. By subjecting you to the darkness, he intends to purify and exalt you. To be an exemplar, you must embody the principles which define a philosophy.”
“I doubt.” Eadric said, simply.
“That is both your strength and your vulnerability,” Titivilus said, opening a
Gate back to the Prime, “which it is my happy duty to exploit to the maximum.” He smiled wickedly. Palpable Evil emanated from him, causing Eadric to shiver.
“Until the next time, then,” Titivilus said. “Unless you choose otherwise.” He vanished.
Eadric stepped through the
Gate. The paradox had come full circle.
**
“Where did you go, and how long were you there?” Ortwin asked Eadric.
“To the Demiplane Cha’at. And it seemed like forever, although it was probably no more than half an hour.” Eadric looked over his shoulder – behind him were the massed lines of Templars, their auxiliaries, Trempan knights, squires and, on the flanks, Ardanese outriders. Nearby, stood Attar and Prince Tagur.
His head span. Too much to consider, and too short a time in which to consider it.
“What was his temptation?” Mostin pressed.
Eadric laughed. Paradox spiralled through his mind. He looked at the crumpled form of Tahl, and began to weep.
Ortwin clicked his fingers. “Snap out of it, Ed. You can go nuts later. There isn’t time now.”
“In fifteen minutes, God will arrive. In two hours, Graz’zt is going to do something terrible, and Oronthon is going to do nothing about it. And I think that my guardian Angel is going to be replaced by a Devil.” Eadric explained.
“I think you need to speak to Shomei,” Mostin said.
*The
kius is an Urgic riddle, framed as a question qualified by a double negation, e.g.
What is Oronthon, if compassion and revelation are not unidentical?. Technically,
not all truths are unequal is not a
kius, although its structure resembles one. The
koan is probably the closest RL parallel, although the structure of the
kius is more formal.
