6th Desire (cont’d)

Various small brawls break out during the Feast that simmers into a surly, low-grade riot. Half the village wants to leave. Murry keeps the gates closed and orders the guards to use cudgels to keep the riot from the gates. Ishta and Sonata plan an evacuation: word is sent to Tully to return his seven-league boots. He flies back for a shower and a break and hands off his boots. But there’s a trust problem: would rioting villagers trust a magus to walk them down to Cliffside? Maybe sleeping potions, instead, so they can’t hear the Judge’s call? —Sonata suggests shrinking the villagers that will be evacuated, so more can be carried at once. Jerry’s at the lawn, trying to quell the riot. Ishta and Sonata head to the gates, where a batch of villagers and refugees are trying to batter the gates down. (Other refugees are trying to get their wagons hitched up and ready to go.) They’re pelting Murry and his troops with stones. The Naapisachii Pickler is one of the ringleaders. Murry orders his troops to fire a volley at the stone-throwers; shocked, the refugees turn and flee back up to the covenant.

Ishta levitates and throws sleeping potion down on the fleeing refugees. The Naapisachii Pickler, seeing this, remembers. Her! he cries. It was her! She tags him with potion. This would be easier if you weren’t birds, she snaps at Sonata.

Sonata assembles on the wall and tells Murry to have the troops gather up the sleeping bodies and return them to the covenant. There’s six folks hit by arrows, two dead, two dying, two hurt; those are gathered up as well. Ishta orders Murry to put the Naapisachi Pickler in jail. Sonata heals the two dying folks. Those four are put in jail as well.

Nipi urges the Finger to give a speech in support of Jerry; Sonata finds him and casts Rightful Authority on him, so his speech goes over well; they disperse before the sleeping rioters are brought back.

Sonata and Ishta discuss the mechanics of shrinking the refugees. Cameron’s dug up some shrinking spells, one of which works within the range of the caster’s voice; Ishta’s got a strengthening potion; they need a couple of big crates. Ishta and Jerry and one of the priests go about, noting who’s asleep and will be sent down; Sonata prepares to cast the spell. Ishta tries to determine who wishes to be immediately evacuated, or who might be related to the 30 or so asleep in the courtyard who’ll be sent down regardless.

A large number of refugees and villagers (a couple of hundred) want to leave now; Sonata allows some to observe her casting the shrinking spell on the sleeping 30. Nishoba drinks the strength potion, takes someone down to Cliffside with the seven-league boots and back, to show it’s on the level, then he takes a crate-load of sleeping rioters down. Of the couple hundred, about sixty decide to go. They’re shrunk and taken down, where they can oversee the thirty sleeping rioters. Soldiers are sent to keep them safe from barn cats.

About three or four in the morning, some of the refugees who’d been trying to hitch up their wagons take over the Scarecrow King

7th Desire (cont’d)

Tully seeks out Lætitia to ask what she’s got in mind; he warns her about the sheer scale of the weather the Judge cooks up. There’s lightning, she says, and I’ll be a lightning rod, and send the lightning back! Good luck with that, says Tully.

Ishta, Lætitia, Nishoba, Assface, and Murry go down to the dungeon at dawn to speak with the Naapisachi Pickler. He jerks awake when the sleep-spell dissipates. They’ve pulled in chairs and a table and there’s melos and pastries. Ishta asks if he remembers the night before. What’s to be done with me? he asks. I don’t know, you’re delusional. For now, for your own protection, you’ll be our “guest” down here. Is there anything you have to say? I’m sorry, says the Pickler, but I remember what I remember. What you remember isn’t necessarily as you remember it, says Ishta. You’re the one with the big guard, says the Pickler. I don’t think we have anything to talk about. —Lætitia reveals that she’s checked with Manu Tenére; some of his family is there. Good news! says Ishta. Anyway. Until such time as you’re no longer a danger to yourself or others— Myself? says the Pickler. Attacking the gates like that, says Ishta. How many were killed? Two. Which two? I don’t know. Nobody knows. The Pickler is unconsoled. We’re doing all we can, says Ishta. If there’s nothing more? Are you sure? says Lætitia. I could pass word to your family. Do they remember? says the Pickler. They’ve lost some days. Is there a short glass man here? says the Pickler. Not in the room, says Lætitia. In the covenant? Not that I’ve spoken to. If you could pass word to my family that I am alive, says the Pickler. And well, says Ishta, and taken care of. Ishta offers to have some books brought down to pass the time. —Nishoba suggests they need to kill him, or wipe more of his memory. The difficulty, says Lætitia, is those who remember what he’s done.

Ilba didn’t sleep in her room. She slept in the main room, surrounded by alphabet dancers, as Perdix worked over Nil’s spell. She wakes up when the dance shifts and slows; Perdix explains they need to get past the glove to make the spell work. What do you know about Millers? What has Nishoba told you about Millers? Nothing, says Ilba. We don’t have long philosophical discussions when we get together. Oh, says Perdix. Why don’t you ask Nishoba? I will. But you’re here now.

Nishoba asks Ishta to get Ndapé back to the covenant. He reveals the “whole thing” changed after the thing with Gi. She warns him not to overstep his bounds. Calvus is not a man to mess around, and Ndapé is his investment. Yeah, yeah, just like me, says Nishoba. Yes and no, says Ishta. I’m not going to get into that with you. There’s a random knock on the door. That’s Perdix’ knock, says Nishoba. How do you know? —Nishoba lets Perdix in; plans are discussed. Perdix demands to know everything about Millers. Ishta doesn’t want Nishoba endangered due to his Miller-apprentice nature, what with the Quintus Opacans and all.

Honey’s freaking out over her husband-to-be being cooped up in the Scarecrow King and all. (He’s making a big breakfast for the hostage-takers.) Tishkilla collects Honey and takes her to have some drugged tea.

Waakimbala and Assface discuss the plusses and minusses of an embassy to the Judge from the bugs. Or perhaps the bugs and the Wolves working together...

Here! (They’re back.) Perdix gets a ping from Nil, fuzzy and far away. Nil? Are you all right? Nil’s glasses aren’t working. We’ll be there in five minutes, say Nil. —Nil apologizes to Lhimpat; Lhimpat doesn’t know how to respond. (Nil was so happy just minutes before, on a Quest! With Lhimpat! To Candy Mountain!) Gi pings Ishta; Ishta tries to get Gi to get Calvus to get Ndapé, but Gi doesn’t say anything other than we’ll be back soon. Ishta pings Tully and asks him to be ready to ask Ndapé to fly back.

Calvus and Nil and Gi and Lhimpat arrive at the doors to the Great Hall. Ishta’s waiting there. She tells him they need Ndapé. The Moon Trio— Calvus shoots her a Look. I understand, says Ishta. I feel the same way. But the magus Perdix insists this is the only way to stop the Judge. —The Here is telling the four of them they need to go to the Pool. Nil’s maps are online, but the Here is doing something; Nil shuts them down. Calvus, sighing, goes to look for Ndapé. He steps to the roof; steps down to the far side of the covenant—and is promptly dragged back toward the covenant by the Here. He smashes through some shattered ruins and immediately steps back, chagrined.

Over the Pool, Perdix is spinning hand-in-hand and chanting, trying to find the Axis. The Axis isn’t interested. It’s something to do. Ilba snorts. They flick her; the Pool dumps them into the water. They float back out, and the water runs off them. Huh. They flick a sniggering Ilba again, and are dumped back into the water. Sonata suggests maybe they don’t want to be chanting when the Here does what it does. Okay, says Perdix, floating over to the shore. —Calvus, Nil, Gi, and Lhimpat walk into the Pool, and the magi step each into one of the pillars and melt away; Lhimpat melts into the Pool itself.

Cameron, Nishoba, and Ndapé are being drawn inexorably toward the Pool. Ndapé turns his flyer around and heads back to the covenant. —Nishoba and Cameron bump into each other in the basement; fancy meeting you here! Did you get Murry? No, says Cameron. Maybe we should. You could go up as high as the kitchens and send someone. I can turn around, says Cameron. I can turn around.

The Pool and the Here are doing what they’re doing. Nil is worried about Lhimpat, but also Gi and Calvus. Gi wants this to work; he wants it to protect the people, and he’s wondering why. You’re the moon priests, says the Pool. Oh? You’re the Green Moon, says the Pool. Nil is the White Moon; Calvus is the Red Moon. Calvus is angry and seething and hoping this upsets the power of the Gætani priests.

Lhimpat’s on a totally awesome scary adventure with lots of underground caverns. —The Pool notices that Lhimpat’s part of another trio, and that trio isn’t here.

Ndapé crashes the tub into the gallery overlooking the cliff and heads through the Great Hall and down the stairs two at a time.

Who is the ruler of the Three Moons? asks the Pool. The three magi are confused. The moons are Love, Reason, and Wisdom. Who rules Love, Reason, and Wisdom? You’ve brought me here, says the Here, to be the rule of the three moons. Who is the ruler of the three moons? —New symbols are appearing on the pillars: House Ægidius; Clan Sursenure of the Andariens; the Custodire triangle; a couple of boar’s heads. —The Here and the Pool and the magi are trying to sort out who rules, who protects, and who orders. Who is the ruler? asks Gi. The Life-force, he says. Life rules Love, Reason, and Wisdom. You’re the ruler, says the Pool No, says Gi. We work together. So no one is above you? Love, Reason, and Wisdom are above all. (Nil’s answer invovles a lot of sleight-of-hand with prepositions.) There is nothing above Love, Reason, and Wisdom, says Calvus. Which is foremost? demands the Pool. Wisdom is foremost? Everything comes from Wisdom? Who does the land come from? Wisdom, says Calvus. Wisdom, I guess, says Gi, reluctantly. Love and Reason emanate from Wisdom, says Nil. But all is dependent on all, says Gi. Though Wisdom does equal the land.

The Pool turns to the other trio. Who rules over the moons? Rulership is an interesting concept, says Cameron. Rulership should be thought of as a cycle. The Here wants to drag Cameron under and rip the answer out of him. The Sun, says Nishoba. Celestial magic is beyond the purview of Cholæic magic, says Ndapé, but the theory holds that we are the center of all and the moons circle us. Who rules the land? Love and Reason. Who rules Love and Reason? There is no one above Love and Reason. Who is paramount among Love and Reason? Neither. They both emanate from Wisdom.

So: What is Wisdom? What is the Land? —Nishoba’s asked what the Sun is, and he tells them. What’s the Earth? It’s as old as the Sun and it doesn’t move except in anger. What’s the Earth? The thing under your feet, source of life, says Ndapé. What is Earth? Source of life, says Gi. What is Earth? An interesting question, says Cameron. Some say Earth is life, says Cameron, but we speak of death as returing to earth, so perhaps earth is the complete cycle of life, but that’s unsatisfying. Consider the works of Lem— Calvus explains Earth is the cycle of life, though with more emphasis on the mountains. Flat earth is where prey lives.

You will serve Wisdom, says the Pool to the Here. And create, says the Here to the Pool.

What of the Judge? —Nil thinks the land is the place the Judge is from; to deny him the land is to deny where he’s from, making him an unsuitable candidate for the Judge. We cut him off, says Gi, though the Judge himself doesn’t need the land for power.

Nishoba, Ndapé, and Cameron begin their ritual. Murry’s told to strip down and go out into the center of the pool. They walk a lunar circle about him, four times, twice, and once, and their pillars keep step with them.

What does the Earth create? Everything. Everything. Much as a vase is created from clay. The earth creates nothing, says Nishoba. We build from the earth, but when the earth creates on its own, it creates monsters and warfare and earthquakes and war. It asks Gi about earth-fæ.

Murry is kitted out with invincibility rings and protection rings: auram, terram, weapons, corpus, animál, and sent out.

Lætitia pings Perdix to find out where the hell everyone is. I can’t say, says Perdix. Can’t? Or won’t? Can’t, says Perdix, but things should start happening soon. So I should start the lightning rod now? Keep an eye out for Murry, says Perdix. The big black one. You remember. Oh, yes. Okay. She pings Somnex and tells him to keep Circumsessor ready.

Murry climbs the walls and leaps down to the other side. It’s dead silent and a little creepy. The Judge approaches in a column of lightning. Palpebra’s down, in horrible shape; Tully’s on the ground with his silencing device. Lætitia up on the wall is surrounded by a nimbus of St. Elmo’s fire, her hair upright, crackling and popping.

Sonata hands Ishta a feather so she can call in and asks her to head out to the gates. Ishta gives her a glass ring.

Murry and the Judge trade blows. The Judge wants to throw Murry at things. Murry wants to grab and hold the glove. Nishoba has begun a ritual of unmaking. Murry’s tossed a hundred feet; the Judge heads toward the gate.

The Here is the entire circle of life. All goods are creates. The life it actually creates is neither human nor animal, is at times mischievous. Fire comes from it. It is itself. Part of yet self-ruling within the trio of the moons. Opposed to the Gætani gods that come to attack it. Both male and female. It breaks the Judge from the land by eating the Judge to deny him the sky.

Lightning’s striking Lætitia and her rod. Ishta opens her lantern with the fire symbol; it putters out. It needs more vis. Tully hands Ishta the silencing horn and heads into the inner covenant. The Judge builds up a great lightning blast to strike the gates; Lætitia gears up to suck in that blast and turn it into an auram blast to blow the Judge back; she takes in the power, and disappears, appearing in Somnex’ dream-realm. Fuck me, she says.

Lightning spelling out REPENT appears in the sky. Unease is filling the villagers, who see the lightning, but can’t hear the battle or the thunder. We did something wrong, they’re thinking, but what? Murry’s gripping the Judge’s leg and the glove-arm; the Judge pries him loose and throws him at the gates. The enchantment on the gates hurls Murry back at the Judge. The Here steps in, and the Judge’s immobility is canceled; Murry and the Judge go tumbling ass-over-teakettle. The pillars and the apprentices conjoin, and at that moment the glove crumbles. The Judge howls silently.

Perdix? says Sonata. Perdix and Ilba wade out into the Pool and begin to cast Nil’s spell. The Here and the Pool know the spell, from Nil and Calvus; they pass the knowledge on to Gi, so this trio can help Perdix and Ilba.

The Here’s denying the Judge the sky by swallowing him up: the Judge and Murry are falling into the earth. Murry’s trying to drag the Judge back up to the surface to keep him from dying before Nil’s spell takes effect, but they’re pulled into a chamber under the earth. They can speak! I assume you’re going to kill me, says the Judge. Why haven’t you yet? I’m Murry, says Murry. We’ve fought once before, but you know that. I’m a priest of the Judge, says the Judge, but you know that. I’ve been thinking of fighting you for a long time, says Murry. My god is looking for someone, says the Judge. Oh? Me, says the Judge, or anyone else. Will you kill that mage for me? Which one? says Murry. The skinny one, with glasses. Why do you want to kill Nil? says Murry. So they’re dragon-wizards? Really? I have no idea, says Murry. I’m not from here. Please, kill Nil, says the Judge. It’s my dying request. You’re not dying yet, says Murry. Oh, bullshit. When you kill me it’ll be too quick for a last request. A last request is a steak! says Murry. Not kill my ally because I don’t like him. He’s really named nothing? says the Judge. Oh! says Murry. I hadn’t noticed. This is a trick! says the Judge. You really think I’m that stupid? You have any food? No, says Murry.

One of the Naapisachi Pickler’s apprentices, who had been at the gates and escaped the sleeping potion, finds himself chanting certain prayers he’s never heard before. He’s in the Scarecrow King. People are starting to look at him funny.

Perdix casts the spell. It’s a success, but they feel something big way the hell off thataway turning to look; they block it, but it throws them into Twilight. They try to save Ilba, but she dives in after them, and the backlash from the block splashes onto Ishta and Sonata. Ishta’s left floating in midair, hugging her lantern. Sonata is a flock of birds swarming up and down, trying to shape itself into a person.

Circumsessor appears on the wall, and is briefed on the Judge and the current situation; he finds Tully, coming out of his tower with all the tools he’s assembled to fight the Judge. It’s over, says Circumsessor. Damn! says Tully, tossing his tools back into the tower. He finds Ishta and takes her to her labs.

Nil’s lecturing Lhimpat on not staying in that sort of thing any longer than absolutely necessary.

Cameron’s pleading for help with the birds. Gi’s calling the flock to him, sweetly, and they sit all over him and swarm about him, fluttering. Cameron heads up to get birdcages from Sonata’s chambers. Calvus says, apprentice. We need to speak when you have time. Ndapé busies himself carrying Perdix and Ilba to the front parlor to make them comfortable.

The Pickler’s apprentice walks out of the Scarecrow King, chanting; the lightning’s stopped, and the uncertain feeling’s gone. The guards jump him and haul him off.

Nishoba comes into Ishta’s labs. How’d that happen to her? he says. I bet she went into Twilight to keep it from happening to you, says Tully. Crap! says Nishoba.

Sonata is arranging her bird-selves on the symbols on the walls. Cameron’s brought down birdcages, but Nil and Gi suggest she might be happier if she remains down here.

Ilba and Perdix are in the trunk, on the ground floor, in Ilba’s study room. But there are windows, that look out on the streets of Evasendia, in Perdix’ old arrondisement. Only the people walking by outside are enormous. The trunk is lifted and carried somewhere. They can’t speak to each other yet. They’re all three vaguely nauseated.

meta

The successes we needed for the Big Roll:

• Murry’s God sees all.
• Clipping the Judge.
• Totally the clipping the Judge. (5,6)
• Twilight for Perdix. (6)
• Twilight for Ilba. (5,6)
• Twilight for Nil. (5,6)
• Twilight for Lhimpat. (5,6)
• Twilight for Gi. (5,6)
• Twilight for Calvus. (5,6)
• Twilight for Cameron.
• Twilight for Nishoba.
• Twilight for Ndapé.
• Twilight for Sonata.
• Twilight for Ishta.
• Judge imposes Dragon on Here.

As spellcaster(’s player), Kip allocated dice. Perdix protected everyone close to the spell by eating a failure for Twilight; Ilba, seeing this, blew her success, allocating it to the off-the-table “Pool strengthens Perdix and Ilba’s Monkey-bond” success. (Other off-the-table successes included Lhimpat getting her dungeon.)

Next session: clean-up!

“We’ve got to wait for the Here to come back.”