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Post by Dante on Nov 8, 2022 17:07:58 GMT
"I've had specialists studying the mineral in the walls...virtually unbreakable so that makes taking back reasonably sized samples practically impossible. It's been theorized that the castle was conjured, but given our analysis at how perfectly fused to the mountain it is, there are theories that this castle grew from the mountain itself. While fascinating, not my main field of study." he guides her inside past the equipment set up in the courtyard; various different machines meant to be used for different kinds of analysis and study as well as a semi-permanent encampment. And passing this, he leads her to the large double doors leading into the castle proper...He nods in response to her question "yes...while I could open the gates with a bit of effort, no-one else could repeat the feat, so it just felt more practical to add equipment to allow the opening of the doors more safely for everyone"
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Post by Maeve on Nov 10, 2022 16:19:13 GMT
"I'm curioous you are a stroonger then the other people of theis world and you stood up where they did not. Have you been born on this world." Mara asks curious.
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Post by Dante on Nov 10, 2022 16:28:19 GMT
He shakes his head "Would you believe, that I don't actually know? The people who raised me said when I asked that they remember a figure, hooded and cloaked appeared at their door one night, some kind of magic obscured their features...They couldn't even make out if they were a man or a woman. But they gave the bundle that was me to them and bade them to raise me as their own. At first, they admitted, they did so out of fear of the stranger but later, because they came to love me as their own. There are many things that have put me apart from others in the Nexus...I'm stronger, I heal quickly, but strangest of all...no spell or sorcery or ritual or psychic attempt has ever managed to best my mind. In fact one time a creature tried attacking my mind to devour my thoughts, I on instinct lashed out with my will and um...they died...no sign of physical trauma, their mind was just...gone"
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Post by Maeve on Nov 11, 2022 6:22:00 GMT
"I can imagine how it is not to know who you parents are. I grew up knowing who my mother was, but get to know who my father was after I was grown up." Maeve replies. "I had people who raised me, loved me. And that is important. Your parent might have had a good reason to leave you with strangers. And who knows maybe one day you will find out."
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Post by Dante on Nov 11, 2022 14:39:25 GMT
He shrugs "maybe. Hard to miss what you never knew, though I agree that there are questions that I would ask my biological parents were I to find them. Funny enough, it's the one mystery that I've had little interest in solving."
He proceeds to lead her inside; through the main foyer and entry hall of the castle, large pictural murals drape along the walls, seemingly telling stories via imagery with vast stairs leading up and to other areas of the castle, as well as doors leading to yet others on their level. "So, now that we are here, what would you like to see; the chapel, the throne room, there's a library on the next floor up and then there's the catacombs below...well, I call it the catacombs but to the best of my knowledge there are no remains being stored down there"
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Post by Maeve on Nov 11, 2022 18:33:30 GMT
"Give me the full tour, catacombs last." Mara says. She looks interesed at the pictural murals. "The stranger who left you here, did he/she just left you or did he/she left something behind with you?"
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Post by Dante on Nov 11, 2022 18:42:22 GMT
He shakes his head "Nothing of consequence. Bit of clothing that I was wrapped in but that was it." He begins at the top, the chapel is set at the highest level of the castle where the walls catch the most light, it dispersing throughout the walls and floors, creating the illusion that those here are walking upon a solidified and iridescently glowing rainbow. At the center of the room is an alter where the motif of an alicorn in flight is made from pure white stone, lifelike enough that it could come alive and take a breath or flight in the blink of an eye. Beams of light seem angled from the walls behind it to shine down upon it, adding to its look of radiance.
"The giants left this place alone. They never worshipped here nor gave sacrifices as was their wont...Even though this alicorn wasn't one of their deities or revered beings, they respected it enough...or feared it enough to leave it alone."
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Post by Maeve on Nov 12, 2022 16:22:43 GMT
" Sometimes people know unconsciously not to stir soemthing. Some things ar better left alone." Mara remarks. "It is very beautiful." She closes her eyes for some minutes and then she lies a down a flower made out of ice at the foot of the statue.
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Post by Dante on Nov 14, 2022 13:10:35 GMT
He shrugs and sighs "perhaps you're right. Maybe someday it'll come up..." he is respectfully silent as she seems to be showing her respects, though is intrigued by the ice flower she places at the foot of the statue, "how did you do that? Did you conjure the flower by magic?"
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Post by Maeve on Nov 15, 2022 7:09:28 GMT
"Conjured it by magic yes and no. Yes since I do no use technic, no since the people abel to do the same make a distinction between conjuring, sorcery and fetching. And I fetched it." Mara replies. "Amber is real Dante. And there is another pole of existence which is called the Courts of Chaos. Opposing forces of Order and Chaos. The Unicorn is Amber represantation and the Serpent the representation of the Courts."
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Post by Dante on Nov 15, 2022 16:02:48 GMT
"That tracks from what I've seen of magic practiced within the Nexus...but what you speak of; Amber, the Courts of Chaos...you've been to these places? If so, how...how are you able to travel to these locations? Is it a...ritual? Some kind of mystical gate that you need to construct or is there something else to it?"
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Post by Maeve on Nov 16, 2022 6:13:14 GMT
"Can you show me the pictograms you mentioned. I will explain there." Mara replies.
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Post by Dante on Nov 16, 2022 13:46:10 GMT
Dante considers it for several moments but ultimately deciding to trust this person, nods and leads her downwards from the chapel, bypassing the throne room and leading her into the bowels of the castle set deep into the mountain...the walls are of stone but not granite or other dull material but more akin to quartz with a light illumination coming from within it, requiring no lighting sconces to light their path down...Eventually he comes to a hallway with many doors, and he stops at the largest. Revealing an old style key, he unlocks and opens the door; within is a wide and tall chamber, rounded in a circle with pictograms lining the walls at eye level all around the room depicting different historical or mythical events...but in the center of the room are mystical lines of power carved into the floor in a strange pattern...it would look akin to a fingerprint save for large sections of the lines being missing in sections, breaking the lines widely enough for a person to walk through them to the center.
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Post by Maeve on Nov 16, 2022 14:37:00 GMT
Mara looks at it and without hesitation she says. "A Broken Pattern."
"I'm Lady Maeve of the Royal House of Amber. What you see here is called a Broken Pattern, it is an incomplet reflection of the Pattern of Amber."
She steps close to it but does no steps onto it.
"Walking a Broken Pattern in a certain way, can give you the ability to walk among the worlds, passing the the veils that seperate the Worlds."
"Amber holds the true real complete Pattern. But only those of the Royal House can walk it and live. The Pattern of Amber give its iniates power to walk among all infinite worlds from Amber to the Courts of Chaos."
"Broken patterns are dangeours in certain ways, they are imperfect and any initiate to it carries that imperfection with her. Consider it like a dose of constant bad luck. If there is something bad among the worlds you will find it with a broken pattern."
"The Courts of Chaos holds the Logrus, dangerous on it own, ever shifting. It also gives power to walk among the Worlds, but in a different way."
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Post by Dante on Nov 16, 2022 14:52:41 GMT
Dante says nothing as she explains, noting her sincerity and confidence with which she speaks...When she has finished, he will nod respectfully "well then...it's a pleasure to meet you, Lady. So, if I am to understand what you are saying" he says as he approaches the broken pattern seemingly without fear but walking along it's perimeter "this...Broken Pattern, isn't inherently evil, just power with a cost? Makes sense in a way...it's how magic is taught here; all things have a cost, some tangible others more...ethereal. Seems this one is the ladder."
He pauses a short distance from her, "Hm...I have heard of the Courts...I met someone who spoke of that place, stating pretty much what you had just said, that it was a dangerous place that was ever shifting, and those who could shift themselves were the indigenous inhabitants and the only ones who could safely live their...She didn't mention the Logrus, but it makes sense that it would have its own source of power seeing as it exists at the polar end of Amber..."
He then looks at her with curiosity "You said that with the broken pattern, bad luck finds you...is that all it can do? There has to be some benefit to exact such a cost..."
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