PPU Adventure #1

[Elfie]

*attaches a device to the back of Anima's neck*

Elfie: This should keep your power levels stable for a while.

*the device explodes*

Elfie: And you drained it inordinately quickly...

[AnimaStone]

Anima shrugs.

ANIMA: Sorry. As I said, I don't know what happened, so I don't know why I need the energy this much.

BASS: I told--

ANIMA: And don't even try to pull that story over my head. Taking advantage of a guy that's been unconscious for the past several minutes, in which several important things have obviously happened, is NOT nice.

Anima looks around.

ANIMA: Why are we not going to the ship?

[piñata]

*Piñata looks at Wildkarrde.*

Piñata: Do you have the same spells as Morbaruk did at your level?
WK: Yes, to a certain extent.
Piñata: See if you can help infuse some energy into him.

*WK casts Infuse on Anima.*

Piñata: All right, now let's get to the ship.

[AnimaStone]

Anima falls into and out of consciousness. When he finally completely wakes up, he finds himself inside the mana generator on the Basurake. Anima exits the generator and goes to the cockpit of the airship.

SCYTHE: Good. Just the person I was looking for. We've been trying to get out of eM for about an hour now, but something won't let us. We thought that you might have some insight because you used to live in eM.

ANIMA: That'd be the Great Transport.

Anima sees only blank stares responding to his comment.

ANIMA: It's a protection device that was installed by Foretel after mononoke86's rebellion. Essentially, it keeps anyone except an eM resident or someone with Foretel's permission from entering or leaving eM. I can get you through.

Anima touches a few keys on the Basurake's control panel. The airship moves forward, out of eM.

SCYTHE: Wait... how did we get in, then? And what about Zeles?

ANIMA: Was he the one that had the strange aura?

SCYTHE: Uh, sure.

ANIMA: His aura was disturbingly like the one of Genocide Heart. Foretel never could deny Genocide Heart anything...

Anima touches the back of his left hand to his mouth.

ANIMA: And when he left, he had the Shard of Power. That would have been enough to break through the Great Transport and keep it open for a while. My guess is that you barely got in at the end of the open window and it's closed up since then. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to the mana generator. Tell me when we get to wherever we are going.

[piñata]

Scythe (from the navigator's chair): Where to now, Candybag?
Piñata: The House of Lore.
Scythe: Ah. We're stopping to see Medwyn, eh?
Piñata: Yes. He's the multiverse's reigning expert on prophecy right now. We could use his help. Besides, there's a reason the valley where The House of Lore is located is called The Forbidden Valley. We'll be safe from attack there.
Elfie: Good. We need a bit of a respite.

*Suddenly, an owl perches on the side of the ship right next to Piñata. He sees something attached to its leg. He moves cautiously toward the owl, so as not to scare it off. The owl holds its leg out so Piñata can take the letter it's carrying.*

Elfie: What is it?
Piñata: A message from Omeguz. Get the others to gather around. I thoink everyone needs to hear this.

*After everyone comes over to listen, Piñata starts to read.*

Omeguz's letter:

I hope this finds everyone well. We're making great progress here in reestablishing The Conclave -- not only have -Zero One-, Trees and Stuff and Ragbralbur rejoined us, but the new Primogen of Alucarda has agreed to rejoin us as well. Extrinta is trying to resolve their own affairs before giving us an answer -- some Aven rebels have started a civil war there, and the situation isn't very good.

*The reading of the letter is interrupted at this point by an expletive-laden outburst from Krotos.*

Piñata: Are you finished?
Krotos: Yes. Sorry.

*Piñata goes back to reading the letter.*

None of my messengers have returned from the territories farther south. Keldae led our armies down into southern Arador to fight the remainder of the force you encountered there, which had apparently decided to camp out by Bush and Tammy's grave sites and wait for you to come back. Keldae's forces had no trouble routing the mixed enemy force, although that probably had something to do with the fact that they were mostly humans of various Dark Lord-associated races, rather than something more difficult to deal with like Trollocs.

I'm sorry I don't have any more good news to report. The last thing I need to tell you about is a very serious and important matter, but no good can come of it: The Boxes of Orden are in play.

*Stalin and Soul give low whistles at this news; Scythe sags visibly in the navigator's chair.*

Belgarath: I don't want to look like some sort of idiot or something...
DA: It's too late for that.
Belgarath (shooting DA a nasty look): ... but what are the Boxes of Orden?
Piñata: They're a set of three boxes, each of which has magic related to the underworld. I'm no expert, but as I understand it, once they're in play one of them has to be opened by the first day of winter, or the person who put them in play will die.
Belgarath: It's late autumn now. Isn't it kind of late in the game to just put them in play?
Bass: He's right -- that doesn't make sense to me either. I mean, nobody's supposed to know which box to open.
Piñata: Actually, Medwyn does.
Bass: How?
Piñata: There's a book called The Book of Counted Shadows. It's sort of an instruction manual for the boxes. I've never read it, but there's a copy at The House of Lore.
Bass: Are there any other copies?
Piñata: There were at one time, but most if not all of them have been destroyed.
Bass: So whoever put them in play is flying blind.
Piñata: Basically.
Belgarath: So what happens when a box is opened?
Piñata: Depends on the box. One will cause the person opening it to gain immense power and knowledge, effectively causing him to rule the world. Another will destroy the world. In its entirety.
Belgarath: Ouch. And the third?
Piñata: The third will kill the person opening it, but as I understand it they're killed by being sucked into a portal to the underworld. There's no telling what might come into this world from the other side of that portal.
Belgarath: So basically, we don't want any of the boxes to be opened.
Piñata: Right.
Stalin: We're forked.
Scythe: Uh... guys? We're here. There's a woman staring up at us.
Piñata (looking over the side of the ship): No forking way.
Stalin: It's not an underworld beast of some sort, is it?
Piñata: No. It's Lady Enelya, the Royal Seeress of Olwe.
Bass: Did you say Enelya?
Piñata: Yes. Why?
Bass: That name is familiar. She has something to do with the prophecy. She's not mentioned in it as far as I can recall, but she plays a part somehow.
Piñata: She wrote it.

[AnimaStone]

((OOC: I dunno where you're taking this, Pinny, so I'll just show some character developments.))

Anima wakes up to find that the ship has stopped. He emerges from the mana generator, feeling fully refreshed. Anima looks down at the back of his left hand, where the quarter-sized gem is glowing bright red. He raises his eyes to look at his reflection in a nearby mirror. The outline of his body is impossible to place exactly, almost as if it was not actually in a constant place. His eyes change from a dark, purplish red to a bright pure red and back again, while his hair color fluctuates between orange and red. Anima looks down at the gem in his left hand again.

ANIMA (thinking): How strange. This has never happened before except when I've been overenergized, like with the lightning bolt. Why is this happening to me now when I am just back at functional? It's almost as if something of immense power touched me and left some of itself in me....

Anima's eyes narrow.

ANIMA (thinking): ....Foretel? Is it possible? Could what Bass told me really be true? Did Foretel actually choose to inhabit my body? No, there's no way. That's just madness.

Anima's thoughts are interrupted by a voice from just next to him.

APE KILLER: That gem. Where did you get that gem?

Startled, Anima jumps back a few feet before realizing that Ape was just asking him a question.

ANIMA: I... I found it.

APE KILLER: Where?

ANIMA: In the mountains where I lived the last months of eM's life.

APE KILLER: Well, if you found it, then it had to belong to someone before you. Who?

ANIMA: ....Someone who is very powerful.

APE KILLER: Uh-huh. Whatever. But why do you keep it? What does it do for you?

ANIMA: It focuses my power. The crystal structure of this stone is inexplicably off by a fraction of a millimeter in a few places, but it's enough that a light shone through it will never pass through it in the same way twice, no matter where the source is.

APE KILLER: I don't understand.

ANIMA: I told you, it's the... oh, I see. I'm a chaos mage. I thrive on the absence of order or predictability.

APE KILLER: If you hate order so much, then why are you trying to restore it by helping us?

Anima shakes his head.

ANIMA: I'm not sure. I'm not even sure if I'm going to stay with you. I may just find some active volcano site and live there. But I'll tell you something: if this quest really is what I've overheard--the one that leads to the Final Battle--then I have bigger things to worry about than order and chaos.

[piñata]

*Piñata walks into the room with the mana generator to find Anima and Ape talking. He wonders what the two people with the most bizarre circumstances could possibly have to talk about that would be a good thing, but can't think of anything.*

Piñata: Sorry to interrupt, but we're here.
Anima: Where is "here" exactly? I was kind of out of it.
Piñata: The House of Lore.
Anima: I've heard Foretel mention that before. It's supposed to be the multiverse's largest repository of magical books and artifacts... a library/museum large enough to be a nation unto itself. The curator is a friend of Foretel's, I believe.
Piñata: You're right. Medwyn and Foretel go way back. They first met over 8,000 years ago.
Belgarath (from behind Piñata): And I thought I was old...
DA: You are.
Piñata: But compared to Medwyn, you're a spring chicken. Medwyn is over 10,000. The reason nobody knows his plane of origin is because none of the history books go back that far.
Freyalise (irritably): That Enelya woman is calling for you, Piñata.
Piñata: Do try to get along with her. Nothing ever happened between us.
Freyalise: Right. Define "nothing".
Bass: Seriously, Piñata's right. Trasta Greenleaf kept him pretty busy.
Piñata: You're not helping, Bass.

*The group exits the ship, picking up several of the others along the way, and follows Enelya through a series of gardens and courtyards to a side door. She opens it without having to unlock it.*

Elfie: Security's kind of lax around here, isn't it?
Piñata: The only reason we're alive right now is because Scythe and Devo know how to get around the enchantments protecting the place.
Elfie: Oh. My assessment just changed, then.

*The group goes down a long corridor, paneled with sung wood. Glass cases containing magical artifacts line both sides of the hall.*

Enelya (stopping before a door): In here. Medwyn is expecting you.

*She opens the door, again without benefit of a key. The adventurers crowd into the large room, looking around at the bookshelves reaching all the way up to the vaulted ceiling. An altogether unremarkable-looking man is sitting at the opposite end of the room, a long table between him and the adventurers. He closes the book on the table in front of him and looks up at the visitors.*

Medwyn: We've been expecting you. Please, take a seat. Make yourselves comfortable.

*Several people sit down at the table. Piñata, and a few others, remain standing.*

Medwyn: You probably have very specific questions to ask about the prophecy, but first I have some items here for you. Would the Soldier Lord please step forward?

*Stalin comes up to stand in front of Medwyn. Medwyn presents him with a short, thin, cylindrical object that looks to be solid gold but judging from the way Stalin holds it is surprisingly lightweight. At the unspoken question in Stalin's eyes, Medwyn nods.*

Medwyn: Yes, it's the Spear of Destiny. Or the only piece the Dark Lords don't have yet, anyway.
Stalin: What do I do with it?
Medwyn: Wield it in battle. For now, you can use it like a staff -- which I understand is your weapon of choice anyway. When you get the other two pieces, you will be unstoppable, as will the forces you lead into combat. That is the magic of the Spear... one piece of it is nearly three times more powerful than a Coat of Arms. All three pieces, joined back together, are more powerful than anyone can imagine.

*Stalin nods his thanks and steps back, making room for the next person singled out by Medwyn.*

Medwyn: Is The Soulcatcher present?
Krotos (stepping forward): That's me.
Medwyn (sliding a solid gold trunk across the table): This is for you.
Krotos (opening the trunk and pulling out an ornate hunting horn, then reading the inscription on the horn): The grave is no bar to my call.
Stalin: No forking way. The Horn of Valere?
Medwyn: Yes. Krotos, it is your destiny to safeguard this until such time as you have need to use it. Now, while I have your attention, there is another matter we need to discuss.
Krotos: Bane.
Medwyn: Yes. You know the prophecy states you must defeat him at the Last Battle.
Krotos: Yes.
Medwyn: Do you know who he was?
Krotos: Until recently, we all thought he was the element of evil inside Bass.
Medwyn: No. He is very closely tied to Bass, but he is not a personification of Bass in any way. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. This story must be started at the beginning. A little over 8,000 years ago, the order of Soulcatchers was formed.
Krotos: I know this.
Medwyn: Originally, the principles of the Soulcatchers were borrowed from an experiment done by a man called Bane. Bane wanted to use white mana in necromantic rituals in order to prove that necromancy could be used for good as well as evil. Although the experiment was successful at first, eventually something happened that called forth the Keeper of the Underworld.
Stalin: That'll keep a person from experimenting with magic.
Medwyn: Bane was corrupted by the Keeper's touch, but something else happened to him that day as well -- his Planeswalker spark was ignited.
Krotos: Wait a minute -- Bane became the Keeper's servant?
Medwyn: Yes. He was the first wizard of any significant power to serve the Keeper. It's believed that this is why servants of the Keeper are now called banelings.
Krotos: The first Soulcatcher was a baneling? I don't believe it.
Medwyn: Bane had an apprentice. Your grandfather... many times removed, of course. He took Bane's research, perfected it, and used it to form the Order of Soulcatchers as you know it today. But something had to be done about Bane. A Planeswalker channeling power directly from the underworld was too big a threat to not be confronted. A coalition of Planeswalkers, including myself, made war on Bane. Only two survived, but in the end we destroyed his body. We just didn't count on his essence being placed in the necklace.
Krotos: You said two Planeswalkers survived the war. Who was the other one besides you?
Medwyn: Foretel. Is it true that he is dead now?
Krotos: Yes.
Medwyn: That is very bad news indeed. We could use him now. More than ever.
Anima: I have reason to believe that he inhabited my body briefly at some point immediately after his death. Perhaps a part of him still lives inside me.
Medwyn: Let us hope so. It would certainly agree why you're so willing to continue adventuring with these relative strangers.
Bass: I still don't understand my connection to Bane. Or how he could be in two places at once.
Medwyn: It would take two people with extraordinarily close ties to Bane to give him the opportunity he's been afforded now. Zeles, who as a Soulcatcher is continuing Bane's work, and you, a blood relative.
Bass: A what?
Medwyn: Bane's last name was Baldasari. You are his direct descendant, and as I understand it the fourth of five Planeswalkers in your family's history.
Bass: Is the recurrence of the Planeswalker spark something to worry about? Is it a genetic manifestation of the Keeper's taint?
Medwyn: No. It's just a hereditary ability, like Force sensitivity. Now, we must get on with the bestowing of magical items on those who need them. The Seeker.

*Aurora steps forward. Piñata visibly tenses as Medwyn produces a scabbard and baldric, with sword. The sword has the word Truth in braided gold wire on its hilt. Before he can hand it to Aurora, or before anyone else can move, Piñata's lightsaber is drawn, ignited and pointed at Medwyn's throat.*

Medwyn: We don't have time for this.
Piñata: Choose someone else. Not her.
Medwyn: It's not my choice to make. The prophecy has chosen.
Piñata: You know what the Sword of Truth does to people. I will not let that happen to my daughter.
Medwyn: Have you ever argued with a prophecy before?
Piñata: No, but I'll kill this one if I have to.
Medwyn: You are extending yourself far beyond your limitations, my friend. The last person who argued with a prophecy went completely insane. He was eventually beheaded, but it was more a mercy killing than an execution.
Aurora: It's ultimately my decision anyway. I'm over 1000 years old. Stop treating me like a forking toddler.
Piñata: This is what you want?
Aurora: No, but this is what I must do.
Piñata: Then I won't stop you.

*Piñata extinguishes his blade and steps back. Aurora cautiously accepts the Sword from Medwyn.*

Medwyn: That is all the help I can offer, for now. You should stay here for a day or two and rest -- you've been adventuring a long time, and you need to be as strong as possible for the events that lie ahead. I will make myself available to anyone who wishes to discuss their role in the prophecy, as will Lady Enelya, who will accompany you as the House of Lore's representative when you leave us.

(OOC: I left this open for character development -- if you want to write some of your own role in the prophecy, this is the perfect opportunity.)

[AnimaStone]

((OOC: You all know the drill... what happens in this conversation stays within this conversation. None of you are supposed to know Anima's real name or full role in the propecy unless he tells you... cuz you wouldn't know otherwise )

The others leave the room, but Anima remains within. He slowly approaches the table, seeming to think a long time before taking each step.

MEDWYN: Don't be a stranger, Maximillian. Come, sit down, and be welcome.

Anima gasps.

ANIMA: How did you--

MEDWYN: Come now. Is that really a question you need to ask?

ANIMA: But it was a secret! The stone was a promise of secrecy!

MEDWYN: Nothing can be kept secret from my tomes. Relax, you'll be fine. Only one person knows your true name that still lives in these worlds. The Dark cannot possess it unless they take it from either you or me--and they shall not take it from me.

Medwyn's usually cheerful face becomes completely serious with the last statement. But it soon becomes cheerful again.

MEDWYN: So, you have come to seek your role in the prophecy?

ANIMA: Yes. I have.

MEDWYN: Good. Yours is an important one. You see, you are the Keeper of the Key. You are meant to--

ANIMA: Wait, what? I have to STAY with these people? Foretel only told me that I had to follow them here! He said that when I brought them to you, my quest would be finished!

MEDWYN: Think again, Maximillian. He said that your quest would be revealed. The ear has no memory. You remember only what you want to hear.

Medwyn shakes his head, while Anima sits silently in disbelief.

MEDWYN: Either way, it is not your place to decide. Your role in the prophecy is one that is too important to be left unfulfilled. It has all been made clear to me now. As I said, you are to be the Keeper of the Key. You see, when Foretel inhabited your body and then left, he didn’t leave entirely. There is still a substantial amount of Foretel’s power that remains within you. That is the Key. You will need Foretel’s power later, more than you could ever imagine. You must stay with Piñata and keep Foretel’s power safe.

ANIMA: And if I do this for the prophecy, will the prophecy do for me what I want?

Medwyn nods his head.

MEDWYN: Yes. You are to become the True Avatar of Chaos.

ANIMA: I have no further questions, Medwyn. Thank you.

Anima stands up and leaves the room. After he has left, Enelya, who was standing silently behind Medwyn and listening to the entire conversation, steps forward and speaks to Medwyn.

ENELYA: And what of the rest of his role in the prophecy? Why did you not tell him of how he would have to die to defend Piñata?

MEDWYN: He cannot know beforehand. That is one choice he must make himself… and may heaven help us all if he does not.

[Scythe]

Scythe walks out with the others. He does not wish to turn back. He knows what Medwyn will say to him, or at least some of it. With a sigh, he turns and re-enters Medwyn's chamber.

Upon seeing him, Medwin rises and is visibly upset.
Medwin: Scythe! Can you possibly comprehend wht you are doing? The consequences of your actions are unknowable! The dimensional gap has never...

Scythe raises a hand to forstall further exclamation.
Scythe: Of course no one's ever explored it! Why do you think I've taken it upon myself to organize efforts in that direction? It must be understood. In the name of science and knowledge do I do this.

Medwyn: Screw science and knowledge! Your organization's actions could be the death of us all!

Scythe: Stop this nonsense. You know as well as I that the barriers between reality and that beyond it are weakening . We must study this phenomenon before it becomes a major threat to existence.

Medwyn: All right... Just know that I advised against it and that if this opens up a pandora's box of destruction, you were warned.

Scythe (impatiently): Yes, yes, yes, of course. Can we discuss the current adventure? Please?

Medwyn: vey well. What would you know?

Scythe: What do you mean, "what would I know?" What wouldn't I like to know?!?

Medwyn: You seem ill at ease...Worried about Mathias, no?

Scythe: Didn't we already discuss that matter?

Medwyn (with a smirk): You, my friend, are not to know your role. It is imperative that you do not, if you wish to fulfill it. You are like the ace in the sleeve; you must make your move when the time is right, and thus the victory of the righteous will be insured. that is all I can tell you.

Scythe: How appropriately vague...

Medwyn (laughing): You really can't stand something being left unknown, can you?

Scythe: Ask me if I'm an onion.

Medwyn: Pardon?

Scythe: Ask!

Medwyn: Are you an...onion?

Scythe: No. *leaves*

Medwyn (puzzled): Wait,...what? *sighs* Madmen, every one of them.


___________________

Far, far away:

Captain Mathias Chambers gazes out of the command deck's enchanted transparisteel windows. he feels the eyes of the crew on him. They are tense; nervous; awaiting and dreading his signal; a signal which would be either a proud moment for magitechnology and the KET or the painful end of their lives and souls. With a deep breath, Captain Chambers turns and gestures to the comm officer. The officer gulps and turns to his console. He taps a few buttons and speaks four word into the microphone: Launch the Arcadia Installation. A moment later, a sickening lurch jolts all present as the entire station begins to move. Outside the windows, space and time suddenly began to bulge and bubble. Rips and tears appeared in reality and the station is flung haphazarldy into the non-space beyond. Without warning, the station is struck again and again by bursts of aether and pure energy. Metal shrieks and strains as the emptiness pulls on it from all sides. "Activate the wards and shields!" commands the captain. Turbines whine, generators hum, and a pulsing membrane of now red, now blue, now green energy surrounds the station. Suddenly, the shrieking and crackling stops. The shields were working! They held! A roar of cheering and jubilation breaks out as the weight of their achievements hits home. An official begins to read some sort of speech of thanks and commemoration over the intercom, but no one listens. All eyes are transfixed on the viewports. Beyond the glass and the ghostlike shield, the throbbing blackness tugs and pulls at their little beachhead of existence, but to no avail. The Blind Eternities will yet be conquered, thought Mathias. Scythe will be pleased.

[piñata]

*Piñata, who had up till now been blissfully unaware of what the KET was up to, suddenly sat up straighter in his chair.*

Freyalise: You felt it, too?
Piñata: Yes. It's like something is tearing at the fabric of the space-time continuum.
Bass: I thoink I'm gonna hurl.
Freyalise: Hmm. I'm not sure that's the reaction he's supposed to have.
Piñata: He feels it more strongly. His Essence powers allow him access to things we can't even begin to comprehend.
Bass: *loses lunch*
Piñata (pointing his wand at the floor): Scourgify!

*The vomit disappears.*

Piñata: What the fork was that, anyway?
Bass: I couldn't tell. Something is definitely somewhere that it's not supposed to be, though.

[AnimaStone]

Anima happens to be walking by as Bass vomits.

ANIMA (thinking): Hm. I can't say that I agree with Bass' taste in food.

Anima continues walking until he finds his room. It is a smallish room, but the decorations are tasteful and the window opens to a beautiful view of a fountain in a garden courtyard.

ANIMA (thinking): Not a bad place. I'd like to visit that garden, but there's no time now. Have to focus.

Anima closes the curtains and shuts and locks the door. He sits down on his bed and shuts his eyes.

ANIMA (thinking): If what Medwyn said really did happen, then I have a remnant of Foretel in me and I'm supposed to be able to access it. But how?

Anima begins thinking about what he associates with Foretel the most: Foretel's palace, sitting at the top of the hill in the GDF back in eM; Foretel's mansion, safely hidden away in a place that only Foretel's friends could find; Foretel's rose garden, at the center of the GDF, blooming in the summer; Foretel's basement complex, from which he issued his royal decrees; and the control room of that complex, where Anima had first learned of the true extent of Foretel's power.

Anima's eyes snap open.

ANIMA: That's it.

Anima concentrates on that memory again. He imagines the first time he ever visited that room....

==/FLASHBACK\==

Anima follows MasamuneZ, Foretel's personal bodyguard, into the control room. Foretel is sitting at a chair in front of of a large computer screen. Foretel turns his chair to face Anima.

ANIMA: You wanted to talk to me?

FORETEL: Yes. Tell me: how much do you know about my position as King?

ANIMA: Only what I learned in the schools.

FORETEL: Then you know nothing. It is not a kind of knowledge that is beneficial for an entire population to know. Let me tell you more, Anima.

Foretel stands up and goes over to a table in a corner, where there stands only a vase with a single red rose in it. Foretel takes the rose out of the vase and takes a deep sniff of it.

FORETEL: I am the Fisher King of this land. I commune with the land itself and with the spirits that inhabit the land. Perhaps you have heard of them-- the Fool, the Magician, the Emperor, the Chariot, the Heirophant, Death, the Tower, Judgement, the World, and the others. They are portrayed in Tarot decks. They are known as the Archetypes simply because all other things spring from them or from a combination of them.

Foretel puts the rose back in the vase.

FORETEL: Such a commune grants one with... considerable power, to say the least. And since there are always those who will wish for power, there are always those who will try to overthrow the rightful Fisher King.

Foretel turns to directly face Anima and grips him with a piercing stare.

FORETEL: They are trying now. Every 200 years, a new King may be crowned if the old King is overthrown. Now is that time. I want you to be on my side when the conflict comes.

ANIMA: Of course. You are the rightful king. I will defend the rightful king.

FORETEL: Good. You are well acquainted with the Tower archetype, that of chaos and disorder, so you already have some insight into the workings of the universe. Come, follow me, and I will teach you what you must know.

Anima, however, stays put.

FORETEL: Why are you nervous? You have no reason to fear. You are under my protection now. If there is ever anything that you need, just ask me.

==/END FLASHBACK\==

ANIMA: That's it. That's how I can access Foretel's power. I sure as hell may not like this prophecy, but at least I can fulfill it.

[piñata]

*Piñata watches as Aurora carefully draws the Sword of Truth. It makes a distinctive ringing sound as it is freed from its scabbard. Aurora, one of the greatest swordswomen The Conclave ever saw, holds it professionally, looking like she knows exactly what she's doing. The expression on her face, however, is one of uncertainty.*

Piñata: I've never trained a Seeker before, but I've seen it done. Do you trust me?
Aurora: Of course I trust you. You're my father. What the fork kind of stupid question is that?
Piñata: Obviously you don't know about your grandfather.
Aurora: What do you mean?
Piñata: Never mind. We don't have time to get into that right now.

*Piñata turns to RoB behind him.*

Piñata: I'd like to thank you for volunteering the services of your droids.
RoB (looking over where two droids stand waiting): No problem.

*Piñata faces Aurora again.*

Piñata: I want you to attack the droid on the left.
Aurora: Why?
Piñata: If you must know, it was part of the army that killed your mother.

*Aurora's expression hardens noticeably as she stalks toward the droids with lethal intent. Her blade whips through the air, easily decapitating the one closest to her. Immediately, she drops to her knees, gasping for air. The sword slips from her fingers and clatters to the floor.*

Piñata: I am sorry for that. You had to be aware that whenever you kill with the sword, there is always a price to pay. The more powerful the enemy, the higher the price.
Aurora (her voice strained from the pain of the sword's magic): That wasn't really one of Aratar's droids, was it?
Piñata: Very good. Are you feeling well enough to lift the sword again?
Aurora: Yes. But not well enough to kill with it.
Piñata: Trust me, it won't come to that. I want to demonstrate the other part of the sword's magic. Attack the other droid.

*After casting an annoyed glance at her father, Aurora approaches the other droid and repeats her pattern of attack. This time, however, the blade stops in midswing. Aurora visibly strains to push the sword closer to its target, but it appears almost as if an invisible forcefield went up in front of the droid. She pulls the blade back and tries again, with the same result.*

Piñata: That is the other important lesson you must learn. The sword will not let you harm someone who is not an enemy.
Aurora: The first droid wasn't my enemy.
Piñata: Yes, but I told you he was. Perception supercedes reality.
Aurora: I thoink I understand.
Piñata: Good. Then we're done here. Go and get some rest.

[Elfie]

*walking in on Medwyn*

Elfie: So what's the deal?
Medwyn: Hmm?
Elfie: What's my part in the prophecy? Do I get to kill something big? Discover something new? Acquire a great power?
Medwyn: Nope.
Elfie: Well that's rather boring. Why am I going along?
Medwyn: Comic relief.
Elfie: ...you're kidding...
Medwyn: Yes.
Elfie: Seriously though, I want some cool weapon or something.
Medwyn: And you expect me to give it to you?
Elfie: *looking at the others who received items* Yes.
Medwyn: Too bad.
Elfie: I'm part of this prophecy, aren't I?
Medwyn: Barely.
Elfie: What do you mean?
Medwyn: I mean you barely made the list. You certainly aren't all that powerful. Cunning maybe, but you have huge gaps in knowledge that can make you more a liability than a help.
Elfie: Alright, so assuming you're right, why did I make it into the prophecy at all?
Medwyn: Potential.
Elfie: Potential?!
Medwyn: Yes. You have the greatest improvement curve of any of the others here, mathematically speaking.
Elfie: So you're saying right now I'm pretty much useless, but if I survive long enough I'll actually get to be quite strong.
Medwyn: Yes, but only if your limits are pushed.
Elfie: So it's your plan to throw me in front of as many dangerous situations as possible in the hopes that rather than die I will learn and become powerful?
Medwyn: Yes.
Elfie: It's good to see you're concerned about my well-being...
Medwyn: But of course. Sadly, your sarcasm will only get better over time too.
Elfie: Let me get this straight. I have no mission. I have no goal. I have no skills that directly help the team. You're sending me along to mooch experience off of these guys.
Piñata: *walking in* Yes, and occaisionally talk us hot-heads out of destroying everything.
Elfie: You were in on this too?
Piñata: Of course I was. While the rest of us actually felt a disturbance that started us on this trip, I just sent a distrubance out that you would feel too.
Elfie: So I didn't even qualify on my own?
Piñata: Well if you're going to look at it that way...
Elfie: Let me guess, I'm not even really on that prophecy.
Piñata: Actually, that's what I can't figure out. Somehow you got onto that one without any of us adjusting that.
Medwyn: That was me actually.
Elfie: *sighs* Do I have any legitimacy in this journey at all?
Medwyn and Piñata: Nope.
Piñata: So are you coming?
Elfie: Might as well, but you better watch my back. I'm not going to be happy if you drag me along on this and get me killed.
Piñata: I wouldn't dream of it.

[SuperBassX84]

-=As Bass retires to his room to meditate, he struggles with what Medwyn told him=-

-=In Meditation=-
Bass: Bane? An ancestor of mine? I can't believe it.
Bane: Maybe you shouldn't
Bass: What? What are you talking about? Medwyn is an all-powerful seer. He knows everything, or at least most things.
Bane: Perhaps, but you don't think he'd lie to you if he thought it necessary?
Bass: What could possibly be gained from him lying to me about you?
Bane: Or maybe the question is "what could be lost if he told you the truth?"
Bass: Excuse me?
Bane: Time to live up to the truth, Bass. You could've destroyed me long, long ago. You know it and I know it. You didn't for a number of reasons. I stopped trying to get out, and you're too much of a damn pacifist to come in and get me. The extra boost in power you were afforded by my presence helped you defend your precious homeland. The list goes on. The fact remains - you let me live inside you, and you want me here.
Bass: What difference does that make?
Bane: As you said, Medwyn's a seer. He knows all. If he thought you'd need my power, he'd make sure I wasn't destroyed. And with my current...acquisition...of a new body...
Bass: Zeles...
Bane: Precisely. With my power in him growing every day, You may be inclined to completely remove me from your being. Medwyn has made sure you won't do that without finding out the truth.
Bass: I'll take that as you won't tell me the truth, either.
Bane: Not a chance. Maybe I'm your ancestor. Maybe I'm not. You'll just have to wait and see. Until then, I hope you don't mind our continued sharing of our body.
Bass: For now. Once I know the truth, you'll be destroyed. I promise.
Bane: By the time you find out, I'd like to see you try.
-=End Meditation=-

-=Bass sighs deeply, knowing that he now has that much more to worry about in terms of the Prophecy, his duty, and his life in general. He departs for the main dining hall, as dinner time nears=-

[piñata]

*Piñata starts to leave Medwyn's study, then turns back and looks at Elfie.*

Piñata: Do you still want some sort of item to help you on your journey?
Elfie: Sure.
Medwyn: I'm afraid I don't have anything for him, Piñata.
Piñata: Yes you do. Thoink about it a minute. He's an Elvish archer. What do you have that could help an Elvish archer?
Medwyn: Oh, that. I'll be right back.

*Medwyn retreats into a back room. When he comes back, he's carrying an ornate Elven bow. The fine workmanship of the wood and the string that looks like it's more suited to a musical instrument than a weapon suggest it belonged to a very important person. However, these same things also cause it to appear useless in combat -- it appears to be purely decorative.*

Elfie: Nice. I'm afraid I'll probably break it, though.
Medwyn: Don't be. This bow is unbreakable, among other things. It was enchanted with powerful magic by the Lady Galadriel herself, and was used in battle by Legolas Greenleaf, one of the greatest heroes of your people in that age.
Elfie: Greenleaf... why does that sound familiar? (glancing to Piñata) Oh. Was this Legolas related to Trasta?
Piñata: A distant ancestral cousin. Legolas was the last king of Mirkwood, so Trasta was minor Elvish nobility, and Aurora can inherit her position if and when she chooses to.
Elfie: So, should I use this instead of my guns?
Medwyn: Not necessarily. You will know when you need the magic of the bow to guide your shot.
Elfie: Got it. So that's it, then?
Medwyn: Yes. And since it's almost time for dinner, you two should probably get ready.