Session 112

Chancel_Amyra
Chapter 13

Random_Nerd: Oh, I did have a question. So, Stories is supposed to be Tam Lin, from the fairy story?

• Tam coughs.
  

Tam: Yes
Tam: Largely explained-away by having a Chancel that moves through time strangely
Random_Nerd: Is he supposed to be human in origin? Also, to what degree is the story true?
Random_Nerd: The fact that he has shapeshifting at will seems to suggest at least a different slant on it.
Theresa: And did you ever have a woman grope you in order to keep you in Chancel?
Tam: Yep, born a human; the story is true to a degree, except that a few months later Janet threw in her hat with a wandering fey instead after deciding that this "being human" nonsense is for losers
Tam: And several of them might have
Tam: -guilty-

• • • Harold is now known as Herbert.
      

Random_Nerd: Fair enough.
Tam: The shapeshifting derives partly from the Tam Lin story, and also from the Welsh Taliesin, who engaged in the sort of magical duel that goes from "you're a cat, imma dog; you're a mountain, imma river" trope
Random_Nerd: And now I'm wondering how to fit the Teind into this game.
Random_Nerd: I think it was mentioned in at least one microfiction snippet in Nobilis, right?
Theresa: The Mad Madame Mim?  :)
Theresa: I think it was mentioned as a tribute to the devil...
Random_Nerd: *shrug* Anyway. You guys okay with continuing the scene with Kudzu?
Tam: Hm. Don't remember; metafiction in Nobilis slides through my head like soapy water
Tam: Colourful and bubbly
Tam: I was considering making Tam/Thom/Thomas also Thomas the Rhymer and tacking on an "honest" flaw
DanteE: Yeah, we probably should
Herbert: Yep. Have me come in whenever and however you want.
Tam: Continuing with Kudzu is fine; I'd like to do something for William because I quite like him
Random_Nerd: _________________START__________________________
Random_Nerd: Kudzu paces.
Theresa: (If you Keep him, you're going to have to take him for walks every day!)
Random_Nerd: (And Herb can show up whenever. With his Realm, he'd be able to tell that Kudzu's talking with the others.)
Theresa: "Can you go back..into your remembering state, Boss?"
Tam: (Any bystanders?)
DanteE: (I'm still perched on his shoulder, talking into a washbasin-ear, I think)
Herbert: (Where in the Chancel are we exactly?)
Random_Nerd: (Central Kaerkoven, within view of the clock tower.)
Random_Nerd: (No bystanders. Lesson argued/bullied the cops into clearing the streets when Kudzu started pacing around in a giant body.)
Random_Nerd: (Yes, you're still up there.)
Random_Nerd: Kudzu: "I can't go back to it. I didn't do it on purpose, and I don't know what caused it."
Tam: (I managed to convince Kudzu to try keeping a journal. "Dear Diary, today I entered Creation from a realm of inchoate madness.")
Random_Nerd: K: "Do you know if it was just me, or if anyone else was experiencing similar memories?"
Theresa: (Throw one of the Horse-guarding Nobles through the Wall and then pull them back in and see if that works? *runs*)
DanteE: "While you were 'sleeping' was when Sakharoth reappeared..."
Tam: (Well, someone had odd memories of proto-Blades and Courage, right?)
Random_Nerd: (The Giant, you mean, whose father was the original Imperator of Blades?)
Theresa: "The Council seemed surprised when we mentioned Sakharoth's hole-y memories. And (Wildlord on the Council's name) didn't say anything about remembering anything."
Tam: (That's the puppy.)
Random_Nerd: (Well, his version was Weaponry, and for that matter included armor. Kudzu's version put a different swing on it.)
Random_Nerd: (Ha-Qadosh.)
Random_Nerd: Kudzu: "This is important to me. If you find anything out about this, please, tell me."

• Herbert has been spending a lot of time overseeing the reconstruction of the damaged parts of the city. He approaches the site of Kudzu's manifestation carefully, on foot.
  

Random_Nerd: (Okay, Herb will have seen a lot of Kudzu-scale footprints stamped into the roads, which he could easily cure with simple miracles.)
Random_Nerd: (Hmm! For that matter, Herb could make the roads of Amyra never wear out, if he spent a day or two Preserving them all.)
Theresa: "Sure, Boss. We're also supposed to keep any eye out for such stuff for Ha-Qadosh as well. Oh and deliver a message to Barakiel."
DanteE: "What dod you do exactly?
DanteE: *did
Tam: (dood)
Herbert: (I'm working on it :) )
Random_Nerd: (Who was that directed towards?)
Random_Nerd: Kudzu snorts: "Barakiel? What does he have to do with this?"
DanteE: (Kudzu. Trying to figure out what he means by 'sleep')
Tam: (William's still standing around, isn't he?)
Random_Nerd: (Yes, at ground level now.)
Random_Nerd: (But he generally doesn't interrupt unless he has something important to say.)

• Herbert starts working on Kudzu's footprints. Each of them creates an unpleasant rash on Herb's skin.
  

Theresa: "Don't know, Boss. But Ananda wanted us to give Barakiel a message. I think it might be just to mess with the Angel's mind."
Tam: (whispers to William:) "The Aides, Lesson, and the other arms of Noble rule in this Chancel are doing a very important job and doing it very well. Everyone should be nicer and more co-operative."
Random_Nerd: Kudzu: "Remind me to send Ananda a basket of cookies."
Tam: (aaaand that's a LP of rumours. It'll get around.)
Theresa: "Sure, Boss. Does he have a favorite or just an assortment?"
Tam: "Does he even eat cookies? I couldn't even make out if he had a mouth."
Random_Nerd: William: "I agree. Sadly, I doubt Noble society is likely to unite under the banner of 'people should be nicer' any time soon, so we're likely to stay in business."
Random_Nerd: Kudzu: "I don't know. He always confused me. But if he wants to mess with Barakiel's mind, then I feel a deep and fundamental kinship with him."
Tam: "Although he presumably talks out of SOMETHING, although colloquially there're other alternatives people talk out of."

• Herbert approaches William: "IS everything under control?"
  

Theresa: "Confused you how?"
Random_Nerd: William: "Yes, although having Ymera Kudzu pick me up and grill me on human metaphors was... unsettling."
Random_Nerd: Kudzu just shrugs at Theresa.
DanteE: "I think they want us to investigate the effects of going through the wall.
Random_Nerd: Kudzu: "I'm not sending you through. I remember how that worked last time."
Herbert: "Being grilled IS an unpleasant experience." Herb keeps on repairing parts of the city.
Random_Nerd: (Should Herb's ninja be following him around and carrying his hat and coat for him?)
DanteE: "Yeah. That's why we want to talk to people who've already done it rather than going through it ourselves..."
Tam: "Especially if you mentioned grilling to him."
Herbert: "Are you refering to my predecessor Imperator?"
DanteE: (Yes, but you can't see him. :) )
Random_Nerd: Kudzu nods at Herb.
Random_Nerd: K, to Dante: "Do you trust that kid Noble of Barakiel's?"
Herbert: (Yes, my ninja is hiding, nearby, ready to take down any threat to his master.)
Tam: (Does anyone know where your erstwhile Sibling Caelistis has gone, and if so, is anyone minded to go look for him?)
DanteE: "Shadows?
DanteE: "We've barely met..."
Random_Nerd: Kudzu: "Yes. The Powers of Shadows have been studying High Summonings for nearly the whole Age. He might either know something or know someone who would know someone."
Random_Nerd: Kudzu: "I just don't know if he's trustworthy. Consequences is tainted, and I'm not sure about Eclipses either."
Theresa: (We don't know, but we know he's not in Chancel.)
Herbert: "Consequences is tainted? By what?"
DanteE: "Tainted?"
Random_Nerd: K: "He's nearly as tied up in Barakiel's crazy plans as his Angel is."
Theresa: (By Barakiel.)
Theresa: "Shadows seems to be left on his own to do his summoning stuff."
Random_Nerd: William makes the "I don't agree but I'm not going to contradict the agitated god" face.
Random_Nerd: (It is a face that Aides practice at great length!)
Tam: (The wind changes.)
Random_Nerd: Kudzu: "I could ask a Warmain that I know, but he's never going to betray his side."
Herbert: "You talk with the Excrucians sir?"
Random_Nerd: Kudzu: "You know, the one whose shards went after... oh, yes. Before your time."
Theresa: "Something seems to be going on with the Excrucians, maybe? I mean, the fukll Excrucian attacking Ymera Janis' Chancel and now Sakharoth..."
DanteE: "The one whose shards went after _us_, in Mexico?"
Tam: "Isn't something always going on with them? It's a war, you know."
Random_Nerd: Kudzu: "Yes, him."
DanteE: "...who is he?"
Random_Nerd: Kudzu: "You promise not to go blabbing his name about? His kind might not think favorably on him consorting with the forces of Creation."
Tam: (I suppose I have to cross my heart as well?)

• DanteE mulls that over...
  

Theresa: "Promise, Boss."
Tam: (Of all the times I have to promise not to spill the beans on something, it turns out to be the time when a god from outside known Creation is telling us juicy juicy things.)
Random_Nerd: (He's actually forgotten about you for the moment. It's more Dante he was talking to.)
Tam: (-whistles unobtrusively to himself-)
DanteE: "OK. Who is he?"
Theresa: (Swear on Herb's ninja!)
Tam: (Do I have to hold him over my heart or something? Them ninjas can be slippery.)
Herbert: (Don't you do anything to my precious ninja! :p )
Random_Nerd: Kudzu: "Heruli. He who Tempered himself in the image of the image of someone who was once a close friend of mine."
Random_Nerd: Kudzu sighs.
Tam: (I could be a horsie for him. Don't ninjas love horsies? All ninjas love the pretty horsies.)
DanteE: "Describe him?"
Tam: (About ten planets tall, yea wide. Stutters.)
Theresa: (Cross-eyed. Obvious how the Warmain got the drop on him...)
Random_Nerd: Kudzu: "He still looks like Gebi, if he wore armor and had stars in his eyes. Armor a little more baroque than most Warmains, humanlike body under it."
Random_Nerd: Kudzu grabs a parked car, crumples it up into a ball, and then shapes the balled-up car into a statue.
Tam: (HumanLIKE?)
Random_Nerd: K: "Like that."
DanteE: (Anyone we recognize?)
Random_Nerd: (Well, he's a creature from outside of Creation who shaped himself to look like a Magister of the Light, who in turn looked like a human but was not one.)
Random_Nerd: (The angles of his armor remind you of the silvery Shard you fought.)
Theresa: (Was that the one that left or the one that Snow ate?)
Random_Nerd: (I... forget. I'd have to look it up.)
Tam: (Snow ate the head of the guy in armour, I believe.)
Random_Nerd: (Oh, and his armor looked like a lower-quality version of the armor in the statue.)

• Theresa looks at the statue. "Is he upset that Snow ate his Shard?"
  

Random_Nerd: Kudzu touches up some details on the crushed-car statue.
Tam: "Occupational hazard, surely?"
Random_Nerd: K: "He knew that was a possibility. He's a Warmain, though, and his shards are in his image."
Herbert: "So, can you ask him?"
Theresa: "Well, wouldn't it be easier to just check with other Wildlords first to see if they're remembering thing?"
Theresa: (things even)
Random_Nerd: K: "I can send word, at least."
DanteE: "How many Wildlords do you know?"
Random_Nerd: K: "He's Out There, of course. Don't think he's been back in Creation in years."
DanteE: "_back
DanteE: "in Creation?"
Random_Nerd: K: "Hmm?"
DanteE: "You make it sound like he came from Creation"
Random_Nerd: ((Oh, and on a tangent, how it works for Warmains to come into Creation through the Wall despite the memory thing:_
Random_Nerd: )
DanteE: (Hiya Tpyo!)
Random_Nerd: (Basically, although you don't keep the memories from the other side barring certain unusual approaches, you do keep your personality, goals, and preferences.)
Random_Nerd: (So, a Warmain would throw himself through in the knowledge that he'd make choices that would favor his side in the war.)
Random_Nerd: (It's a leap of faith kind of thing, and it's dangerous and unpleasant, but it does work most of the time.)
Random_Nerd: Kudzu: "No, but he's been here before. Gebi never went outside, he wasn't part of that Light project."
DanteE: "What Light project?"
Tam: (Possibly forgetting he's a Warmain?)
Random_Nerd: Kudzu: "Looking for a place for humanity outside of Creation. You know, in case the entire universe blows up. That's how they /think/."
Tam: "To be perfectly fair, Ymera, that's a very real possibility."
Random_Nerd: (Well, he'd be able to figure out that he's a warmain from all the Nobles going "Oh shit, Warmain!" and running the other way.)
Herbert: To himself: "It's not a bad idea actually..."
Random_Nerd: Kudzu: "I suppose. But they gave up how many Imperial lives for that long shot, and I don't think it even worked."
Theresa: (Well, we didn't do that to the New Guy..)
Random_Nerd: K, musing: "Although, I wouldn't know. If they worked it out, they wouldn't shout it around where the Dark might hear."
Theresa: "And they could just truck in the humans from their own Chancels without anyone else knowing about it. But still, long shot.)
Theresa: (")
DanteE: "That does make sense... we did that on a small scale..."
Random_Nerd: K: "Oh, yes, the transmuted humans?"
DanteE: "Any Light Chancels suddenly turn up empty?"
DanteE: "... wait, they're transmuted humans?"
Random_Nerd: K: "Well, I guess their parents or grandparents or something were."
Theresa: "Am I still human, Boss?"
Tam: "As much as any of us are at a given moment, probably."
Random_Nerd: Kudzu: "You tell me, Plants."

• Tam quickly flickers into the shape of a bear and back.
  

Tam: "Bearly."
DanteE: (That's RN punting the question. :) )
Random_Nerd: Kudzu: "Dark powers aren't allowed to think of themselves as human, although almost all of them originally were. The rest... you get to decide that for yourself."
Theresa: "I'll think about it."
Herbert: "I'm human. I'm not sure why I should or could decide otherwise..."
Random_Nerd: Kudzu: "Must all humans remain human? There are more interesting things to be."

• Theresa transforms an arm into a vine that proceeds to bloom orchids instead of fingernails. "Have you every tried to be a building, Herb?"
  

Tam: "Perhaps, but possibly not from the viewpoints of the humans per se. Even transmuted ones, like the fishlings, might prefer to be themselves instead of become ivory sculptures or something."
Tam: (I was considering Elemental for Tam, but books are kind of flammable. And not particularly mobile.)
Random_Nerd: (Anyone with Aspect 1 or above seems a decidedly strange object flying overhead. Anyone with Aspect 2 or above, or who uses a Realm div, can see that it appears to be a bird skeleton with giant copper wings.)
DanteE: "Is that you Boss?"
Herbert: "No. I'm not sure what the point would be. I can do whatever I want with buildings. Doesn't mean I want to be one. It seems... I don't know... against nature? Or at least, against my nature."

• DanteE points...
  

Theresa: "Dante, did you leave your window open?"
Random_Nerd: (Well, when I say giant, I mean much bigger than regular bird wings. More in the proportion that moth would have.)
Tam: "I'm going to have a look-see, aye?"
Random_Nerd: Kudzu: "No. What's that?"

• Tam flicks into the form of a falcon and rockets skywards on hard-pinioned wings.
  
• Theresa scans it with Noble-sense?
  

Random_Nerd: (It is not a noble, nor an anchor.)
Tam: (How fast is it going? ETA to visual?)
Random_Nerd: When the bird sees Tam flying towards him, it suddenly starts to fall from the sky.
Theresa: "Hmm...it's not directing a Noble or Noble-ridden."
Herbert: (With a Greater Divination of Realm, could I discover where they come from? What they are?)
Random_Nerd: (It was gliding overhead, rather slowly. Now it's falling at ten feet per second per second.)
Theresa: (It can only fly when it thinks no one is looking?)
Random_Nerd: (You can tell that it came from Dante's office.)
Random_Nerd: (For that matter, if you've been in it before, you've probably seen his Bird-Skeleton-With-Copper-Bird-Bits.)
DanteE: (Oh, that thing...)

• Tam stoops into a dive, tucking wings tight against his feathered body.
  

Tam: (I'm going to try to catch it before it lands.)
DanteE: "What the hell's that doing out of the bell jar?"
Herbert: "Did you ever discover who was behind this?"
Tam: (I think I remember this. Didn't it use to be a pigeon or something?)
Random_Nerd: DIving, you just barely catch it before it lands.
Random_Nerd: (Yep.)
Random_Nerd: (Transmuted when the PCs were meeting with Consequences to buy a feather and a demon.)
DanteE: "We figured it was Electricity and Copper"
Theresa: "This is what you get for leaving your window open. Imagine what has crawled _into_ your office by now."
Herbert: (Wow. Quite a blast from the past...)
Theresa: (We have plot threads that have been waiting about 3 years real-time.  :) )
DanteE: "I _didn't_."

• Tam transforms into a pangolin, tucking his tail into his nose before hitting the ground with bone-crunching force, curling about the fragile bird.
  

Tam: (Hooray for defensive Gifts! I hope.)
Random_Nerd: (Yeah, that should work.)
Random_Nerd: (The impact hurts a bit, but doesn't actually harm you, and the bird is safe.)
Theresa: "NIce catch, Tam."

• Tam stands up, shedding scales and armour plating, holding the bird in one hand.
  

DanteE: How tall is Kudzu?)
Random_Nerd: (Well, "safe" for an inanimate combination of bird skeleton and copper.)
Tam: "Thanks. I used to pitch pretty good as well until I took the catcher's arm off."
Tam: (Hardly inanimate.)
Random_Nerd: (Right now, Kudzu is about ten yards tall.)
DanteE: "Let me see that thing..."
Herbert: "What's so important about that dead bird?"
Random_Nerd: (It's inanimate /now/ It has ceased to be animated.)

• Tam hands it over. "Thou canst not kill what doth not live, or something to that effect."
  

DanteE: Any signs of a new miracle?

• Tam pats his pockets and then mutters for a moment. "Um. I don't suppose I could trouble any of you fine gents for a smoke? I'm quite sure the lovely lady would not be appropriate for me to approach for one."
  

Random_Nerd: (What means are you using to look for one?)
DanteE: start with the Sight...
Random_Nerd: (Nothing to the Sight, so, no fresh major miracles.)

• Theresa Creates and hands Tam a box of cigarettes.
  
• DanteE tries another Witch Hunt Rite...
  

Random_Nerd: (What's Dante's Spirit?)
Herbert: (Can I sense any unwelcomed auctoritas in the Chancel?)
Theresa: "Not very fancy ones, but they're paper and tabacco. Unless you wanted something like cloves or such."

• Tam chuckles. "Hardly. I'm old-fashioned like that."
  

DanteE: (2)
Tam: (Aromatic smoke curls skywards and all that.)
Random_Nerd: (What's Dante's Domain?)
DanteE: (3/2)
Random_Nerd: (Okay, just sufficient. The copper in the bird was just subjected to a Lesser Change.)
DanteE: "Theresa? We have any new visitors?"

• Tam raises a nonchalant hand.
  

Random_Nerd: (The flower used to mask it was a tuberose.)
Theresa: *checks the Chancel again*
DanteE: "Sorry, I mean any unaccounted-for visitors. This was just magicked .... using a tuberose..."
Random_Nerd: (Nobody unexpected. From the slight motion, you can tell that Lesson is gesticulating.)
Theresa: "William, who is associated with tuberoses?"
Random_Nerd: William: "Flower of... seduction, or intrigue."
Theresa: "And Lesson's gesturing in the police station. We should stand everyone down soon or we're going to need another new police chief."
Random_Nerd: William: "I don't think many have it in their Designs. Most favor purpose-build flowers.)
Random_Nerd: "
Random_Nerd: (Remember, a flower used in a miracle can represent either the Power or the miracle itself.)
DanteE: "I really hope it's not Entropy, don't you?"
Random_Nerd: William: "Oh, yes, you met Ymera Entropy today. Did you do anything to displease him?"
Theresa: "This would be a really weird way of asking you out."
Tam: ("Yooooo hooooo, Danteeeeeee.)
Tam: "Quite the contrary. It seems Lady Entropy has quite a thing for dangerous men with crystal eyeballs."
Theresa: "He was a woman today. She was...pacing. A lot."
DanteE: "Her. I don't think so, but you never know..."
Random_Nerd: William: "...ah."
Theresa: (I can hear that tone of voice in my head, dear."
Theresa: )
Herbert: "Dante caught the eye of Entropy?! What were you thinking?"
Theresa: "What's seductive about a copper bird that we kept?"
Theresa: "I personally was thinking that I was thankful that she wasn't going for me."
DanteE: (Who is Copper, and who's its Ymera again?)
Tam: "I'm British, and I'd make a joke about brazen birds but I think it might go over some heads."
Random_Nerd: William: "Well, tastes vary. I'm going to just hope that it was part of some kind of scheme, for the sake of my sanity."

• Theresa pats William on one shoulder.
  

DanteE: "William, what do you know about the Power of Electricity and Copper?"
Theresa: "I think the bird is more concerned with intrigue."
Random_Nerd: William: "He's a machine, right?"
DanteE: "A construct, I think."
Random_Nerd: William: "I haven't met him, but I think he was mentioned in a course on originally inanimate Nobles."
DanteE: "We think Copper sent this bird to spy on us on our first mission, and then killed it when we spotted it."
Random_Nerd: W: "Weird choice. You wouldn't expect that kind of Noble from an old-school God."
Random_Nerd: William: "Your first mission... making the rabbit, or something else?"
DanteE: "Making the rabbit. Specifically retrieving Barakiel's feather."
Random_Nerd: Kudzu melts into the ground.
DanteE: "Who's his Ymera?"
Tam: "He killed it? Would he be able to re-animate it from outside your Chancel?"
Random_Nerd: W: "Ymera Indra."
DanteE: "Who else would? Or for that matter who else would bother when there are many other ways to check on us?"

• Theresa prayerwhispers to Kudzu. "We'll check the Aide networks and our contacts to see if any of the other Wildlords are remembering anything, Boss."
  

Random_Nerd: (Oh, and Herb, there's a big deformity in the road where Kudzu's body of bricks, cars, trees, and whatever else was around has merged with the surface.)
Herbert: To Dante: "Is it possible it's really Entropy trying to send you some sort of a valentine?"
Tam: "I think she'd settle for something more visceral. Like a heart. A real one."
DanteE: "Plus, why would she bother to hide?"
Herbert: "As always, I have to clean up the mess..." Herb uses his powers to get rid of the deformity and restore to road to it's original form.
Theresa: (Did you see Wall-E, Herb?  :) )
Tam: (Any sort of rumours out on the story-web about Indra that William might possibly not know?)
Herbert: "I'm not sure, but we'd better find out what's the deal with this bloody bird. I don't like the idea of this remote-controlled thing in our Chancel. Perhaps we should obliterate it..."
Tam: (I might not be able to do direct divinations on mortal lives, but probably where his Nobles intersect with mortals, there'd be some kind of weirdness. Narrative hiccups.)
Herbert: (Nope, but I've read about it. I should build a few of them for the Chancel ;) )
DanteE: (What was the nature of the LC-Bird?)
Tam: "You might want to hang onto it. He might appreciate it returned. Or held hostage."
Random_Nerd: (Let's see. He's pretty much like the mythical version. One of the older type of gods, known for liking war, wine, and women. Recently trying to find a new place in the world.)
Tam: (If he's got Electricity under his belt, I can imagine that'd be quite successful.)
Random_Nerd: (He's basically the Indian equivalent of Zeus. While the details are different, the mythical role is about the same.)
Random_Nerd: (Electricity's part of the storm-god thing.)
Tam: "He's an old god. I think I know the type. I pretty much work for one. They tend to be sticklers for proper dealings. Protocol and all that."
Tam: (I was wondering if he had doubled up with India, who apparently was himself an Imperator?)
Theresa: (He was Imperator of a whole Age.)
DanteE: "Tam, what's gotten out about our meeting with Them?"
Theresa: (Oh, never mind. India was the name of the Most Ancient Lord's Chancel.)
Random_Nerd: (That was the Most Ancient Lord, whose chancel was in India.)
Random_Nerd: (India, who I'm not sure is in this game, is a Darklord.)
Random_Nerd: (Indra is a God of Earth.)
Random_Nerd: (So...)
DanteE: "Can't say I like the implications of Everyhing Happening At Once..."
Tam: (Anything pertaining to Dante's question? I'd have to say Not Much, since no mortals were in on that conversation and I'm not privy to Noble gossip)
Random_Nerd: W: "Might not be a coincidence. You guys meeting with the Council can't help but be noticed by some people."
DanteE: "Hold on...

• DanteE tosses the bird up, out of range of everyone's Auctorita
  

Random_Nerd: (Dante's question about the bird? The total of stories about it was a guy who saw it originally fall from the sky, who said "Oh, and this bird just suddenly dropped out of the sky earlier today." and a janitor in the Clock Tower telling his wife that Dante has a dead bird on a shelf.)
Tam: (About the meeting with the Powers of Hell, presumably.)
DanteE: (Actually, I asked if stories had gotten out about us meeting with the Council)
Random_Nerd: When it's in the sky, the copper seems to melt and cover all of the bird bones, making it look like a greenish skeleton. It then falls to the ground and stands still, but the stillness of a living thing standing still.
Random_Nerd: Bird: "Okay, so the jig is up?"

• DanteE kneels down to talk to it.
  
• Herbert approaches the Bird cautiously.
  

DanteE: "Depends. Copper?"
Random_Nerd: (Oh, stories about the council. They did, but they were between Nobles and other Nobles, as a rule, and anything that got heard by people without immunity to direct miracles was thirdhand.)
Random_Nerd: The pigeon skeleton executes a bow.
Tam: "Nothing anyone who falls under my Estate has heard about your meeting is relevant, true, or interesting."
Random_Nerd: Pigeon: "I'll get to the point. What is there between you and Barakiel, and specifically with the Power of Consequences?"
Random_Nerd: (That's mainly because the only mortal in the Council chamber was the Court Ogre, and it wasn't paying attention since it was too busy not looking at Ananda.)
DanteE: "We bumped into Consequences out in the world, and met Barakiel through him. What's it to you?"
Tam: (I'm not even sure I want to know what sort of stories ogres tell.)
Random_Nerd: Copper: "I don't trust him. He's up to something. I don't know what it is, because nobody who's in on it will talk to me about it. But I can see the shape of it."
Theresa: "What's the shape?"
Random_Nerd: Pigeon: "What, you expect me to say 'vaguely oblong' or something? Appreciate a metaphor."
Random_Nerd: Pigeon: "But it involves Barakiel, several other Angels, and Entropy. Probably others."
DanteE: "She means what do you think Barakiel's up to?"
Tam: "Presumably they're always up to something. It's what Imperators DO, other than terrify and occasionally sexually-harass Nobles."
Random_Nerd: Pigeon: "I don't know! I'm young, and unusual, and not a political insider. But I know that there's something, and that it's big."
DanteE: "You do know that the End of the Age is approaching fast, right?"
Random_Nerd: Copper: "Yes. But I'm still not entirely clear on what that means. None of the explanations make perfect sense."
Theresa: "That might have to do with Imperators of Ages being kinda...off-kilter."
DanteE: "Basically, Age-Ends are when All Hell Breaks Loose, metaphorically speaking."
Random_Nerd: Copper: "I was not aware that Imperators even /had/ a kilter."
Herbert: "Why are we talking to the Bird? Wasn't he spying on us and our affairs?"
Random_Nerd: C: "Yes, I was clear on that part."
DanteE: "They figure, since there's a war on which isn't going well, this version of Hell Breaking Loose might involve losing the war.
Random_Nerd: C: "If you don't want me to spy on you, why do you keep my bird on hand after you saw me using it to spy on you?"
Random_Nerd: C: "I assumed that you'd given me tacit permission."
Tam: "You didn't leave a return address?"
DanteE: "Going by what he told us... Barakiel is trying whatever he can think of to save Creation/
Herbert: "I wasn't involved in that decision at that time. I was still employed by the City..."
DanteE: "Even ideas from far, _far_ out in left field."
Random_Nerd: Copper: "Do you believe that he would endanger me, my Imperator, my family, the earth, or Creation?"
DanteE: "He'd do whatever he had to to save Creation/
Theresa: "Probably not, probably not, probably not, dunno, dunno."
Random_Nerd: C: "I'll take that as a 'yes, and you should start sharpening the thunderbolts right now.' "
Tam: "I think it depends a lot on the stand your Imperator takes with regard to the issue, really. Barakiel's shown to be slightly unstable when it comes to things of terrestrial origin."
Tam: (Didn't he blow up the dinosaurs?)
Random_Nerd: (That was a different Angel.)
Theresa: "He's an Angel that has parts of Heaven and Hell as grounding versions of reality. At the same time."
Tam: (Ah. Scratch that, then)

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Angelo_ITA__ex_Pampa: (sorry I'm late... :-( )
Random_Nerd: (Za'Fiel)
Theresa: "He dislikes the whole war, he hates seeing his fellow Angels bite the big afterlife and he'll do anything to make sure that life doesn't get worse."
Theresa: (It's okay.  :) )
DanteE: "No it doesn't!" (Hi Angelo)
Random_Nerd: (Although Za'Fiel was another of the Watchers. So, he was a close friend and political ally of Barakiel.)

• DanteE picks up the bird.
  

Angelo_ITA__ex_Pampa: (hi all!!! )
Random_Nerd: (Hey.)
Herbert: (hey!)
Angelo_ITA__ex_Pampa: (lost much? 1h/2h?)
DanteE: "This is a time to everybody on _this_ side of the wall to come together.
Theresa: (2 hours.)
Herbert: "And do whatever it takes to win this war."
Random_Nerd: (Well, the real-life apocalyptic apocrypha version of the Watchers didn't include him, but the version in this Nobilis game does.)
DanteE: "Being sneaky and not trusting each other plays right into the hands-or-whatevers of the Excrucians.
DanteE: "You know what happened to Jaris, right?"
Tam: "Indra isn't a 'fellow Angel', though. I don't know what the usual stand is between Angels and old gods, but my Imperator frankly can't really stand them."
Random_Nerd: C: "I think that 'doing whatever it takes' to win a war is something that I would not like to be in the same room as."
Tam: "Nor the rest of us either, but we occasionally have to share an Age with megalomaniacal winged jerks."
Random_Nerd: (You leave James out of this!)
Random_Nerd: C: "I request permission to ask a strange question."
Theresa: "You're in a Wild Chancel."
DanteE: "... go ahead..."
Herbert: "Talk for yourself. I think we should do what's necessary to achieve victory. Considering the stakes, no cost is too high."
Random_Nerd: C: "Why are you being open and helpful? That is unusual."

• DanteE mulls that over...
  

Herbert: "I'm not. They are." Herb looks a little grumpy.
Herbert: (but I don't :) )
Tam: "Urbanization, you might want to reconsider that stance, considering that any of our heads might be on the chopping block next."
DanteE: "Because when it comes right down to it....
Tam: "It's one thing to die for a noble cause that'll benefit from your death; it's another to die due to dickery perpetrated by a super-powerful entity with no human sympathies whose cause you might not even BELIEVE in."
Random_Nerd: W: "Oh, you've read Luc's autobiography too?"
Tam: "It's not so much a dispute about what we'll give up to win the war; it's the fact that nobody sees eye to eye on what exactly we'll NEED."
Random_Nerd: W: "Because that sounded like a quote."
Tam: "I practically helped write it, I think. You know. By existing."
Random_Nerd: William nods.
Random_Nerd: W: "Hadn't considered that. Good point."
Tam: "There are some things I'd rather not take credit for. Dan Brown and stuff."
DanteE: "Being overly mysterious or obstructive or power-hungry for its own sake accomplishes nothing in the face of this kind of opposition.

• Tam shrugs. "It was a long week."
  
• Herbert looks over at Tam. "And who are you exactly?"
  

DanteE: "Read more Dilbert...
Random_Nerd: Copper Pigeon: "I agree, but tell that to everyone else."
Theresa: "Because we;re still kind of new at this, we've looked a full Excrucian in the face and survived and you never know who you're going to need when the end of the world comes calling."
DanteE: "Will you tell others as well?
Herbert: (Thank you for dumping Dan Brown ;) )
DanteE: "We're this way because we _like_ Creation.
Tam: "Sorry for not introducing myself sooner. I'm Tam, Marquis of Stories, in the service of Ymera Thoth."
Random_Nerd: The copper pigeon pecks nonexistent mites from its nonexistent feathers.
Tam: "Bird-headed chap, often appears in a skirt."
Random_Nerd: C: "I think I've met him. Really smart, rather eccentric?"
Tam: "Quite. Also talks in pictures. Quite disconcerting if you don't get used to it."
Random_Nerd: C: "Talking in /words/ is unusual until you get used to it."
Tam: "[pictogram: Man in skirt, side profile, arms lifted in shrug.]"
DanteE: "What's that old quote... 'Christianity was not tried and found wanting, it was found difficult and not tried.'
Herbert: "Mmmh, nice to meet you. I'm, as you've guessed, Urbanization, former employee of the Planning Department."
Random_Nerd: C: "I thought Urbanization was a gargoyle."
Random_Nerd: (Dante's a GKC fan?)
Theresa: "Turns out he was tasty and went well with ketchup."
DanteE: "He was. He got... broken. Any chance you saw him while flying?"
DanteE: (GKC?)
Random_Nerd: C: "No."
Random_Nerd: (Gilbert Keith Chesterton. You quoted him.)
Herbert: "I don't talk to prying Nobles inhabiting birds."
Random_Nerd: C: "Is this a principle you find to be widely applicable?"
Tam: "You'd be surprised."
DanteE: "I interpret that as saying any 'philosophy'--or way of life or rule set or just good idea--means nothing unless you actually _do_ it.
Random_Nerd: C: "The same is true of bad ideas."
Tam: (whispers to Herb) "So what's all this about your predecessor then? I'm not getting something here, and that's rare enough I find it slightly disturbing."
DanteE: "To that end, we plan to cooperate with whoever has a decent idea for saving Creation."
DanteE: "Or who is just on our side in general."
Tam: "I don't suppose coming up with one ever occurred? I mean, just asking, because it's not like I have the faintest idea where to start."
DanteE: (There's the quote... "The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.")
Random_Nerd: C: "Let me be frank. If Barakiel told me that the sun rose in the east and set in the west, I would check to see if the planet was still rotating in the same direction.)
Herbert: "What do you mean, you're not getting something here? My predecessor - well - I don't like to talk about him too much. He saw things he wasn't meant to see. Lost a part - well, many parts - of his soul."
Random_Nerd: (Yeah. Chesterton. I believe from What's Wrong With The World.)
DanteE: (Heh... another GKC quote: "Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly")
Herbert: (Ah, GKC, an endless source of witty quotes. I love him :) )
Random_Nerd: (You should read The Man Who Was Thursday, if you haven't. The protagonist reminds me of Dante in some ways.)
Random_Nerd: (Great book, too.)

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Random_Nerd: C: "Ah. Could you tell me what he did to lose chunks of his soul? I'm rather fond of my own, you see."

• Herbert looks suspiciously at the bird.
  

Random_Nerd: C: "I am!"
Theresa: "He went Outside."
Random_Nerd: (Oh, and strictly speaking, Copper isn't here, even through an anchor. He's just using domain miracles to manipulate the copper in the bird and to hear and see around him.)
Herbert: "He obeyed our Imperator's order to great risk to himself. He payed the price we must all eventually pay to ensure our victory over the Excrucians."
Random_Nerd: (So, if one of you walked up to him and put your Auctoritas around him, he'd be blind and dumb.)
DanteE: (? I picked him up)
Random_Nerd: (Aaargh. Could we pretend you didn't, so I don't have to rework things?)
Tam: (Heh.)
Random_Nerd: (I must have misse that bit.)

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Random_Nerd: (Missed, even. Hello, Tpyo.)
DanteE: (OK, so we're all crouching around this copper pigeon philosophizing? :) )
Angelo_ITA__ex_Pampa: (disconnected lost 6 minutes...)
Random_Nerd: (So it would appear.)
Theresa: (You didn't miss much. We're talking to a pigeon made of copper.)
Tam: (Hardly irregular.)
DanteE: "Who else is in your family, by the way?"\
Angelo_ITA__ex_Pampa: (eh, nobilis *Is* weird!)
Random_Nerd: C: "Spears, Weather, and Joy In Battle.)
Random_Nerd: "
Random_Nerd: C: "They're old enough that they've stopped using their original names, and I never had one."
Herbert: (Interesting combination!)
DanteE: "Spears...
DanteE: "That would mean his domain was subsumed under Weapons once"
Tam: (Joy in Battle? Nice Familia.)
DanteE: "and maybe Joy as well"
Theresa: (The holidays are always festive.)
Random_Nerd: C: "I don't know. That was before my time."
Random_Nerd: (But, yes, two of the estates seem related to Dante's ones.)
DanteE: "It means the fact that we ran into each other is one hell of a coincidence... or something else."
Random_Nerd: C: "I've been watching /everyone/ who associates with the Power of Consequences in a public place and without precautions against it."
DanteE: "... what started this enmity between you?"
Random_Nerd: C: "I concluded that he was dangerous to the things I value. I do not act against him, but I do watch until I have reason to confirm or deny my suspicion."
Tam: "That seems fairly reasonable Noble behaviour, really."
Tam: "Although the robotic pigeon seems slightly unnecessarily complex."
DanteE: "Consequences is dangerous to Electricity and Copper?
Random_Nerd: C: "Not the estate. Him."
Herbert: "I disagree, spying another Noble and all of those who enter in contact with him on rather flimsy suspicions... Doesn't sound constitutional to me..."
DanteE: "Y'know, I did hear about one idiot trying to steal live wire to sell for scrap..."
Random_Nerd: C: "And as for he pigeon, I work with my strengths. It was something like this, or I could hit him with a building-shattering bolt of lightning."
Random_Nerd: C: "Many idiots have done that. They are sacred sacrifices in my name."
Random_Nerd: C: "And every lightning rod is a temple to me."
Tam: "Benjamin Franklin must piss you the hell off."
Theresa: (The vestal virgins must be pretty thin.)
Random_Nerd: (Mind if we stop soon?)
DanteE: "What led you to that conclusion?"
Random_Nerd: (Who was that directed towards?)
Tam: "Electricity prostituted to the genius of mankind? I thought it might. I dunno. Maybe I'm wrong."
DanteE: (Copper)
Herbert: (No, my concentration level is desperately low tonight :( )
Random_Nerd: C: "I can tell. I'm the Dominus of Electricity and Copper. I know these things."
Theresa: "Franklin was known to be quite the...'pimp daddy' of his time..>"

• • • Angelo_ITA__ex_Pampa is now known as Angelo_ITA.
      

Tam: (Yeah, it's quarter past five in the morning here.)
DanteE: (OK, stop here then?
DanteE: )
Theresa: (I agree. My brain is the dead.)
Random_Nerd: (Seems good.)

Chancel_Amyra
Chapter 13