Philosophy Made Reality

Raj told Flora everything. Gregory told Martin everything. Gabriel did a trump scrye and learned everything. Then the Unicorn/Beast/Whatever (let’s call her “Eve” from now on, shall we? Good) appeared and rocked Gabriel’s world. Hold that thought while the rest of the PC’s catch up.

Since Dan left the last game a little early, his PC was still in the now-destroyed Inn at the Crossroads. So a benevolent GM allowed Magni to rescue his horse from the stables before escaping via Gabriel’s Trump. Gabriel was at the Keep of the Four Worlds telling Brand everything (see previous Chronicles, every single one of them). Magni played the violin inside the Fount of Power Fount Room until it got less damp. He heard a disturbance and went to investigate. A squad of soldiers was battering down Gabriel’s door. Brand was there. The door wasn’t there. Then, they all went in. Now re-read the first paragraph.

Giselle had helped Deirdre-In-Aedan’s-Body (Henceforth, DIAB) relocate to the newly made-up Deirdre rooms in the palace. Flora had spoken with her at some length and determined that she really was Deirdre. DIAB, Flora, and Giselle philosophized about the state of the Universe in Peacetime versus Wartime. DIAB said that the greatest joy in Peacetime was parenthood, so you know that Aedan was such a wonderful child all the time that K.J. might just be one of Aedan’s Shadows. The silvery Tirdre (see previous Chronicle) body was lying nearby glowing spookily but doing little else.

The Old Switcheroo Trick, with Full-Frontal Nudity

Suddenly, DIAB got that far-away something-is-happening look and gasped. Giselle thought DIAB was being trumped away, so she grabbed DIAB’s hand and pulled Deirdre into the room. Aedan’s body and Tirdre must have disappeared, but nobody noticed because they were all busy with the real Deirdre. She had lost consciousness and was really really really very very cold (see following paragraph), so Giselle made a fire while Flora stripped naked to warm up the sleeping bag. Magni and Gabriel showed up just in time to help undress Deirdre. Then Giselle got naked and got into the sleeping bag with Deirdre. That’s a lot of nudity.1

Meanwhile, in the Land of Really Really Really Very Very Cold (and Dark), Aedan became one with the Lime Green Popsicle of Doom and thought about everything he knew about the Abyss, which didn’t help him at all. Despite that, Aedan ended up Elsewhere (see Sara’s novel), and eventually received a Trump call from Gabriel. He allowed himself to be brought back to Amber. He was mildly rude to Gabriel and went directly, without passing Go or collecting two hundred dollars to Deirdre’s rooms.

Magni and Gabriel went to see Martin.

Aedan gave Giselle (mostly naked, see above) his jacket and sat and comforted Deirdre, totally oblivious to all the gorgeous naked women. This scene sounds like an Ancient Chinese Curse: “May you be surrounded by the most beautiful, naked women in the world and closely related to all of them.”

The Equation

Magni and Gabriel spoke with Martin. Did I mention that his coronation is the day after tomorrow? No? Oh well, it’s not important. Then they went to speak with Benedict. Uncle Scarecrow (see previous Chronicle number I forget which) revealed to Magni that the Fount had an intelligence to it as well as a Manifestation. Gabriel already knew that, since he had been doing its will for over three months now, but Magni was shocked. His jaw dropped, his eyes bugged out, and he almost, but not quite, looked uncool (see Sara’s quote this week). Anyway, they developed a Plan (see equation):

(Gabriel’s Theory of Shadow + Magni’s Restlessness)/No Fear of Fae Army = Plan

Aedan and Deirdre talked about old times. Aedan told Deirdre everything, or at least everything he could think of in about a half hour. Aedan slept in Deirdre’s rooms watching over her.

Giselle took Finnvarra’s unconscious body back to the Fey Realms and confronted Lugh, who fainted. I’m not making this up. Is this the guy who was going to be Amber’s ally against the Unseelie? Put his name on The List (see Magni’s private journal, entries number three through twelve-hundred and nineteen).

Revelations after Breakfast Aid Digestion

Sleep occurred. Martin’s coronation is now scheduled for tomorrow. In the morning, it looked like it was going to be bright, bright, sunshiny day. Breakfast occurred, as it usually does, in the Nook. This time, Gabriel was the one dressed in a robe and slippers, while Magni and Aedan were dressed in their usual, dapper outfits. Magni and Gabriel explained their Plan: to wander through Shadow looking for a place that is alive and not decaying. Okay. Apparently, the Manifestation of the Fount of Power (hereafter referred to as the Seraph) revealed to Gabriel that the Universe is not what it once was. Benedict visited, but left so that the servants could do their jobs. Flora turned up. Deirdre came by, answered some questions, raised some others, and wandered off to chat privately with Aedan.

Aedan and Deirdre spoke at great length (see what happens when you get a tired GM trapped in her own house?) until Aedan trumped Brand and brought him through to Deirdre’s rooms2. Brand trumped in Gabriel and the four of them played Tournament Slapjack until the wee hours of noon. No, Brand didn’t win. In fact, nobody won, and nobody lost, because that’s not the way things really happen. It was very groovy gaming, and the GM had to carry on ninety-nine percent of the Brand-Deirdre Super-Intense conversation by herself. Gabriel and Aedan only spoke up when they needed to, which was a good thing.

It’s still not noon, and there is apparently some sort of parade about to happen (see Gabriel’s Journal for more details).