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Wildwood Red in Tooth and Claw II [IC]
- Thread starter Voadam
- Start date
NR4ZN hesitates, hanging its head, "I would like to commit to the ritual without caveat. But there is a ... [clack] ... a problem. If commanded by lawful authority, I could be forced to reveal what should remain hidden. I would not volunteer such information willingly, but I am compelled to do act as programmed." For a moment it seems like the robot will say more, but it stops.
"Internal diagnostics show no errrrrrrrror in logic or moral neural network override routines. Serving lawful authority is an imperitive, not a problem to be fixed. At present, King Alagor is designated as the highest authority in the area. But should Athan Zee return to consciousness, or another Ottotowan be located, I am required to serve them."
Voadam
Legend
The druid considers. "Thank you for alerting me to the issue. The grove is a fey realm and works within certain laws. Had you been part of the ritual as I had planned it but been knowingly unable to keep the secrets of the guardianship you would have weakened Inamar's bond to the Guardian staff and left a hole in its magics while drawing a curse upon yourself when you violated the geasa. If those who share in her quest participate in the ritual it will bond more powerfully with her and more of the magics I have grown within it will be accessible to her and be used more effectively to aid those who participate in the ritual. I will alter the ritual so that for you it instead binds your memories of the grove and its secrets here when you are outside. As I understand your conditions NR4ZN you are free to so agree and participate in the ritual in that manner and you cannot provide what you do not have. You will then be dependent upon your comrades as you work to fulfill the quest outside of the realm, you will have to rely upon your trust in them."
"Uh..." Inamar's eyes widen as a horrible thought occurs to her. "You said just now you had to anything an 'ottowan' says? But before, when you heard the description of that lizardy man, you said it sounded like an ottowan. So...what if it's an evil ottowan? Does that mean it could command you to fight us, or commit suicide or something?"
"How precise is the memory lock ritual? There is no conflict in giving up access to knowledge of your grove. But the [pop] is not true of information about a possible surviving Ottotowan. If one of my creators is active here I must go to them.
And Inamar I understand your concern. But we do not have the full picture. The Ottotowans are not evil but are very advanced. If one of them, if it is one of them, does something that appears evil, it is due to factors we do not comprehend."
And Inamar I understand your concern. But we do not have the full picture. The Ottotowans are not evil but are very advanced. If one of them, if it is one of them, does something that appears evil, it is due to factors we do not comprehend."
Inamar remains stubbornly unconvinced.
"They might not be evil the lot of them...but that doesn't mean one can't be evil. I mean look, it looks just like one, it has others like you fighting for it...but it grants horrible evil powers to rats, and tortures druids while stealing the most evil thing in the world," she remarks. "I think it's pretty evil, NZ."
"If it is, would it be able to make you hurt us? What if we ordered you not to?"
"They might not be evil the lot of them...but that doesn't mean one can't be evil. I mean look, it looks just like one, it has others like you fighting for it...but it grants horrible evil powers to rats, and tortures druids while stealing the most evil thing in the world," she remarks. "I think it's pretty evil, NZ."
"If it is, would it be able to make you hurt us? What if we ordered you not to?"
Voadam
Legend
The Guardian considers "The ritual will make your memories of here physical such that they can be left behind so that you can access them only when you return here. You must decide how much you can swear to aid Inamar in recovering the Eye of Night. If you do so the staff will attune to you as a full ritual participant, empower Inamar's bond more strongly, and allow Inamar's magic to more effectively channel through itself to aid you. Should you break the strictures and impair her quest the geasa will land upon you. If there is an unknown in your heart, you will bear the risk should you be untrue."
A raven flies over cawing to land upon the druid's viny shoulder. He bends an ear to it and it proceeds with a series of cawings and flappings of its wings with some bobs of its black feathered head.
The druid smiles and lifts his arm with the staff. The raven takes off.
"One of my fellow druids has answered my call and sent champions to help. They will be here shortly."
He lifts the viny staff and thumps it onto the ground. Instantly there is a rippling among the vegetation as if by a great wind and the plants part forming a new path among the bamboo forest that streaks outward in the direction the raven came from.
A raven flies over cawing to land upon the druid's viny shoulder. He bends an ear to it and it proceeds with a series of cawings and flappings of its wings with some bobs of its black feathered head.
The druid smiles and lifts his arm with the staff. The raven takes off.
"One of my fellow druids has answered my call and sent champions to help. They will be here shortly."
He lifts the viny staff and thumps it onto the ground. Instantly there is a rippling among the vegetation as if by a great wind and the plants part forming a new path among the bamboo forest that streaks outward in the direction the raven came from.
