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Post by Katerina on Aug 7, 2022 8:45:04 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/VVJgGZv/jurt~png "Hammett? Is that his name? Thanks for the info. What about mister lumberjack here?" the man replies not taking his eyes off Hammett entering the Maze. "Someone else will walk the thing once we see what happens to Hamm."" Not whilst I'm here. Fair's fair. I gave you a name, how about your own name back?" Kat replies. Though she doesn't like Edmund much she's not willing to give away Eivor's brother just yet, particularly as it was now a bargaining tool.
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Post by Admin on Aug 9, 2022 4:22:45 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/VVJgGZv/jurt~png The man looks at Kat, maybe for the first time taking real notice of her. "Fair? What's fair about any of this? Look, kid, you have no say in what's going down. The Powers are at play here, so step aside before you get stomped on. That's free advice for you - fair's fair and all that." he says. Edmund still stands guard and Hammett must be getting close to the centre of the Maze. "Once Hammett is done then we'll get out of your way. No witnesses'll be left for your discussion," he tells them.
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Post by Katerina on Aug 9, 2022 7:42:04 GMT
"Or he might be dead or a servant of the Mirror Maze now." Kat replies to Edmund. She turns to the person impersonating Merlin. "Just because I look young, it does not mean that I don't have power and can use it if my interests here are being threatened. Fair's fair you know and all that Mr Won't Give me his Name. Now you two can have your little fight if you want and I'll watch, but no one else is getting at the Maze or doing anything to destroy it."
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Post by Hammett on Aug 9, 2022 18:42:52 GMT
Hammett finds his way through the outer area of the maze and steps into the second "vail", the mirrors reflect back at him distorted versions of himself, past, present and future in a confusing and often threatening and scary ways, but his will is strong, and his confidence high, as the power flowing into his eye and then into him, boosts his resolve. He knows he is strong enough to complete this challenge and keeps navigating his way through this distorted "fun house" drawing ever closer to the center. He comes across the first of the broken mirrors, something that surprises him and worries him as he doesn't know if this is the way it should be, some damage caused by the Demons who attacked here recently, or just damage cause by being a reflection of the pattern. Despite the great differences, he still assumed based on his limited knowledge and what Edmund and the person posing as Merlin said, that this was just a broken pattern reflection.
He takes a moment to recall all he had heard about broken patterns and walking them, how you didn't walk the pattern, like with the true one, but rather walks the spaces between the lines, and makes his decision to step through the broken mirror and to the other side of the maze. He keeps navigating along, still ignoring the distorted reflections, before he comes to the second broken mirror, and steps back to the maze proper, wondering if the broken mirrors were a fortunate short cut, or were causing him internal or psychological damage that he couldn't yet detect...
A few minutes later he finds himself at the entrance to the last stage of the maze, the heart of the mirror maze, and possibly the broken pattern. Infinite psychedelic multi coloured lights bombard his senses, trying to confuse and entrance him and the real power of the maze finally assails him, slowing him down but he doesn't stop. He can't give up. He will not allow himself to become a permanent puppet and guarding of the maze like Katerina warned him of. He focused all of his willpower and the raw psychic energy from his eye and home shadow to keep himself moving on and and through the dazzling light show, sweat now dripping down his forehead and soaking through his clothing.
He reached the final passage. Instinctively he knew he must press through this final confluence of lights and reflections and push himself though the infinite reflections to reach the center of the maze. He hoped he was strong enough to make it. He hoped he would regain his damaged memories. He hoped the maze found him worthy and would allow him to commune with it like the Pump Station requested. He hoped... and pressing against the unimaginable forces assailing him he pushed through...
[[OCC: I hope I described it well enough. tried to match some of the descriptions Kat gave of walking the maze. Will now wait for the GM to describe what happens next. And if I can talk to the maze, and or just choose to teleport anywhere Hammett desires to go.]]
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Post by Admin on Aug 14, 2022 2:41:42 GMT
Hammett reaches the centre of the Mirror Maze, somehow avoiding all the stumbles and illusions it throws at him. He feels changed but exactly how he can't tell just yet. He supposedly could transport himself from this location to anywhere.
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Post by Admin on Aug 14, 2022 2:46:58 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/VVJgGZv/jurt~png Wyverns fly high overhead. "I can't fu**ing help it if Merlin chooses to look like me - I always was the good-looking one in the family - but I won't give you a name to conjure me by. I mean, we barely know each other."He looks to the sky with some concern. "If this is your place then shouldn't you be protecting your city? Malficious and his army should be getting close to there by now."
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Post by Hammett on Aug 14, 2022 7:04:08 GMT
Hammett steadies himself, a little surprised that he completed it, but also that he doesn't feel all that different. He hadn't know what to expect, but he expected something... bigger.
Still, maybe it was for the best, he had heard the stories about the damage caused to some by walking a broken pattern, so if little had changed in him maybe that was for the best.
He waits in silence a few moments. Would the Mirror Maze try and speak with him like the Pump Station had? After a minute when nothing happened, he forced himself to speak, no matter how silly trying to talk to a collection of mirrors might seem, hell he had just finished talking to a bunch of pipes so...
"Hello? My name is Hammett, of Carcosa. I have walked your maze and made it to the heart. I was told that we might somehow communicate."
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Post by Admin on Aug 14, 2022 7:18:18 GMT
There isn't a response from the Maze. A sound of a sight shifting in the glass, the creek of a glass pane being bent under great force, the faint sound of laughter? Or just the echo of the distorted reflections of himself that filled all surfaces of the twisted fun-house path as he walked it.
The a grunt from Edmund near to the entrance.
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Post by Admin on Aug 14, 2022 7:19:49 GMT
Kat senses that Hammett has finished his trip to the centre of the Mirror Maze and has been successful in his attempt. What this bodes for the future she can not say as no one else to her knowledge had ever succeeded in the attempt.
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Post by Katerina on Aug 14, 2022 9:05:29 GMT
Kat doesn't try and give away this new information to either Edmund or Not Merlin. It was something that she would have to do, track Hammett down and find out what he wanted after she was finished here making Eshanta safe.
"As a shifter you can look like whatever you like." She replies to Not Merlin. The man knows more about this place than he initially let on, giving away his knowledge of the demon lord's name. It is clear that he is playing a game and that he is way more familiar with Eshanta than he earlier let on. "As to Malficious and his army, plans are already afoot for that. The Demon Lord Malficious was not with them, so I'm assuming that he was after some other prize. The Maze must be guarded, particulalry from those who have stated that they want to destroy it." This time she looks at Edmund pointedly.
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Post by Hammett on Aug 15, 2022 3:58:30 GMT
With no reply Hammett considers his options. Return to the Pump Station? Head back outside and see what Edmund, Katerina and "Merlin" were getting up to? No, no point in that. He couldn't trust anything "Edmund" or "Merlin" said, and he was fairly certain Katerina wasn't in any danger. The one thing "Merlin" had going for him was that he at least seemed on the same side as Katerina, in that he wanted to protect the Mirror Maze. Together they should be able to hold off "Edmund" if he got to out of hand.
Also no to the Pump Station, at least not right away, and besides from what he understood he now had the option to go anywhere he wanted, anywhere his heart desired. As a Trump Artist he already could go most places he wanted, back to the Pump Station, or Wormwood's or Amber. No, he had this opportunity and he needed to make good use of it.
Unfortunately this had happened rather fast, but, still, he had his adventuring gear here. So alright, where did he need to go that he couldn't get to via trump or didn't know how to shadow walk to? Two pressing options came to mind, but which one should he choose?
He drew his knife out and transformed into his sword, then readied his power words and other abilities, keeping the primal energy flooding into his eye, and then into himself, readying all defenses.
He took a deep breath... this could be a very bad idea, but the bastard had to sleep sometime and maybe he'd get lucky... and then willed himself to be transported to Leonil.
[[OCC: Hammett has the Magic Negation Power Word on his lips, his sword up and ready. His plan is, if he actually appears next to Leonil, whether he is awake or sleeping or whatever, is hopefully surprise him, use the power word to negated any defensive spells he might have up (powering the power word with his own Psych and the boost from his eye construct), then club leonil in the head with the butt of his sword, knocking him out. I am hoping my Warfare and Strength are still better then his, and that my Good Stuff will help (especially since I can only assume Leonil has a lot of bad stuff)). Whatever happens, it'll be fun to see.]]
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Post by Admin on Aug 17, 2022 1:47:33 GMT
Hammett will be continued in a new thread.
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Post by Admin on Aug 17, 2022 1:55:38 GMT
Kat:
"Hammett has reached the centre of the Mirror Maze and mastered its powers. He will be here soon and then, as I promised, we will be out of your hair," Edmund says.
Nothing happens for a minute.
"Any moment now he will appear before us," Edmund says.
Still nothing happens.
Edmund scratches his head with the butt of one axe. The not-Merlin looks to the sky. Beauregard picks at the grass seemingly lost in his thoughts but always keeping one eye on not-Merlin.
The shadow of a wyvern falls across them.
"Ah, I have returned and brought friends!" Kat says from the back of the winged beast.
Edmund looks dumbfounded. "Two Kats?" he asks himself.
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Post by Katerina on Aug 17, 2022 7:12:52 GMT
How did Edmund know that Hammett had reached the centre of the mirror maze? She wondered to herself.
"I have read that there is a Power Word I believe that will resolve exactly who is who in this situation. If anyone knows it I suggest that you utter it now so that you can unmask that doppleganger." She points vaguely in the direction of the other Kat and keeping the direction close enough as well to the Not Merlin. No wonder people here were turning against her and calling her a mind witch, but just whose plot was this. She had another way of proving who she was, but that she wanted to leave in reserve for now.
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Post by Admin on Aug 18, 2022 6:08:24 GMT
"Doppleganger? Me?" Kat laughs as she lands the dragonic beast and hops down to the ground.
Kat sees that she is identical other than wearing her sword on the wrong hip and her rings on the incorrect fingers.
"Jurt, we've been at odds for a while now. Have I ever been this paranoid?"
"Everything but," Non-Merlin replies. "But I don't understand what's going on here."
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