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Post by Admin on Jul 16, 2022 2:28:27 GMT
Kat and General Beauregard the entrance to the Mirror Maze, Hammett and Edmund inside the cave.
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Post by Katerina on Jul 16, 2022 7:59:15 GMT
Kat draws her sword as she approaches the Mirror Maze entrance, expecting to find the Demon Lord Malficious himself here. So she is a bit surprised to find Edmund, Eivor's brother here talking with a stranger.
"Lord Edmund what are you doing here in Eshanta and who is this? Have you come to help defend the Mirror Maze." Kat asks, pretty dumbstruck at who she has found.
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Post by Hammett on Jul 16, 2022 14:16:01 GMT
Hammett doesn't recognize the young woman, but he does recognize General Beauegard. He always liked the old warrior, but knew he was very loyal to Amber. Hammett assumed he was still a wanted man in Amber, and had no idea if the General might try and fight him here and now to capture and take him back to Fiona.
He takes a cautious step back and casually places his hand on the knife strapped to his belt. Best to wait and see what "Edmund" says to the new arrivals, but from the sounds of it this lady has no idea "Edmund" wants to destroy the Mirror Maze, so he is ready to attack "Edmund" if he makes any move to attack the new comers.
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Post by Admin on Jul 18, 2022 5:38:58 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/18nVMHw/edmund~png "So you are involved with this Construct, eh?" Edmund says to her. "We are here to defend the Maze but not from those demons you were talking about in Amber but from something much more dangerous. Hammett has - oh, by the way, Hammett this is Princess Katerina of Eshanta. Kat, this is Lord Hammett, Master of Wormwoods' and the rumoured killer of Gerard and Random.
"As I was saying, Hammett has the means of protecting the Mirror Maze from the other powers which would destroy or enslave it."
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Post by Katerina on Jul 18, 2022 7:34:20 GMT
Kat raises an eyebrow at the mention of Hammett's name and the willingness of Edmund to talk to a known person of interest to the Regent. Not that she wasn't prepared to talk with him, but she'd have rather it was out of others sight. Edmund seemed much more coherent here than the previous two times she had met him, when he had seemed much more crazy. Could this be the same person?
"This construct as you put it Lord Edmund is part of me and I am part of it. I am its Guardian. It told me there was a threat here and I came as soon as I could. What other threats do you speak of that are greater than the Demon Lord here who seeks control?"
"Lord Hammett it is an auspicious time that we should finally meet." She adds to Hammett, neither confirming nor denying any friendship.
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Post by Hammett on Jul 18, 2022 15:13:40 GMT
Hammett gives Kat a slight nod in greeting, still cautiously watching everyone.
"Princess." Then to Baeuegard, "General."
He looks back to Kat, "It seems the demons were not interested in the Maze. From what I can tell they never even tried to enter it after the battle they clearly won here. Rather they rallied and turned to march XXXX [[OCC: I'm not sure which compass direction they went, but Hammett would know so he points and says whichever direction is correct.]] "
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Post by Katerina on Jul 18, 2022 15:36:41 GMT
[OOC - The direction would have been south east or east south east depending on exactly where the battle was.]
"Lord Hammett, it may be that the demons have orders to wipe out my people. Once they have broken through the Demon Lord can play with the Maze at his leisure. Fortunately Lord Edmunds sister, Lady Eivor, has helped raise an army to defend my people and I am here to defend the Mirror Maze." Kat watches the others closely to see their reactions to the news, especially those of Edmund to hearing that his sister is involved here.
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Post by Hammett on Jul 18, 2022 16:40:13 GMT
Hammett motions with his thumb to the maze, "What makes this thing so special? I thought it was another broken Pattern but now I'm not so sure. So what is it? What does it do?"
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Post by Katerina on Jul 18, 2022 16:58:35 GMT
Kat shrugs.
"I'm no expert in these things. I only learnt about Patterns and Broken Patterns a few weeks ago let alone what makes them tick. The Mirror Maze though is a part of me now. Now you might say that this is true of the Primal Pattern and maybe even other Broken Patterns, I don't have anything to compare it to. However the Mirror Maze is linked to the Hall of Mirrors in Amber and it also talks to me .... sort of. I believe people die on the Primal Pattern when they fail, but those that fail on the inner part of the Mirror Maze become its defenders. Have you ever heard of that before? The Mirror Maze is sentient, its not just some normal reflection." Kat replies.
She doesn't want to share some of the other things it lets her do that are not normal Pattern abilities since she doesn't know who she can trust here.
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Post by Hammett on Jul 18, 2022 19:24:52 GMT
Hammett considers that for a moment, but something still doesn't add up to him. Well lots of things, really. First, it seemed like fail or succeed in navigating it, this mirror maze still compelled you to defend it. It had defenders inside of it, yet still worked to bring Kat back here. And, well... best take them one at a time.
"Those who fail, these defenders inside the maze, do they attack all those who try and navigate it? Is it like they failed, so now they roam the maze trying to stop anyone else from succeeding where they couldn't? Or do they only defend against those the maze doesn't want to succeed?"
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Post by Katerina on Jul 18, 2022 20:43:02 GMT
"They didn't attack me." Kat replies. "Somehow it must choose from those who are strong enough to walk it who are worthy of it. I really don't know. I've never seen them attack, I just know that they can. The fact that it warned me to come here, means that there is something coming that it is afraid of and it needs my help protecting it. I just don't know what, or who yet."
Is one of these two who they say they are? Kat wonders. She'd knew that demons could change their form. Was it possible that one of these was a demon?
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Post by Admin on Jul 19, 2022 3:41:34 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/18nVMHw/edmund~png "Eivor? Here?" he absently rubs his jaw where Eivor punched him. "This isn't good. She should still be in Arden defending Amber.
"This is the zone where the powers of the Pattern and Logrus are balanced, where the shadows churn, and constructs are spontaneously born, mature then wage war on each other in the hope of permanence. Corwin's Pattern and the recent efforts of his kid Merlin have made the churn worse.
"There shouldn't be a Broken Pattern in this good of shape this far from Amber. Something unusual is happening here, and it hasn't gone unnoticed. It's the old dandelion problem." Edmund explains.
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Post by Katerina on Jul 19, 2022 6:40:02 GMT
"Just like you are I see." Kat replies tartly. She feels its her duty as a friend to defend Eivor. "Besides Arden has a new Warden and he is quite capable."
Someone placed me here for a reason. Kat realises. That someone was Fiona she now knew and she had been evasive about speciifcs.
"Just like there is a Warden in Amber, there is a Warden here and I assure you that this is no dandelion. I told you the Mirror Maze is not just another Broken Pattern, it is much more than that. What have Prince Corwin and King Merlin done?"
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Post by Hammett on Jul 19, 2022 14:31:10 GMT
Hammett is content to stay silent and let Kat and Edmund continue the conversation. He is knew to this situation and still trying to catch up, so any information he can gather by listening to these two is a benefit. Especially if Edmund is working with the Purple Flame Man.
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Post by Admin on Jul 21, 2022 1:38:44 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/18nVMHw/edmund~png Edmund blinks at Kat. "They don't tell you nothing, huh?" he asks her. "Hammett, what are you thinking? Going to back this kid or get on the winning side for once?"
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