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Post by Brian on Nov 16, 2022 22:23:11 GMT
"From what i've been told....those pre-date such things. The Prior Regime of Ayalos was around at that time. But time is funny and unreliable so who is to say. Also the people under the water, under the ground, and from the sky were all kin and interbred.....again....so they say." He shrugs "Its a parallel to the Irish cultural mythology on earth."
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Post by Cody D'Avalon on Nov 17, 2022 2:45:01 GMT
"They also say that history repeats itself and if we're around long enough we'll get to see that."
"Oh. Speaking of traveling with an entourage. Where's your companion Hal?"
Cody has never been to Earth, but as it's such a popular Shadow, he has heard of it.
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Post by Brian on Nov 17, 2022 2:52:01 GMT
"Hal? Plays generally don't let in pets." I grin a bit at that.
I point outside "He is checking out bird stuff."
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Post by Cody D'Avalon on Nov 17, 2022 3:12:25 GMT
"No pets? How uncivilized. You should see some of the companions people bring into establishments in the Courts."
But then again, sometimes it's hard to distinguish between people and their pets in the Courts."
Cody raises his his glass, "To civilization."
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Post by Brian on Nov 17, 2022 3:19:53 GMT
I raise the glass and look at him.
"So....tell me about the courts. I mean I am sure I might find myself on a trip there at some point. Diplomacy and all that." I laugh softly "Hey I could have a parent there."
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Post by Cody D'Avalon on Nov 17, 2022 16:03:34 GMT
"Well... We all have our roots in Chaos as I understand it. But, I guess you mean more recently."
"Describing the place is like nailing pudding to the side of a lava flow. To start with, I'll try to give a very basic Geography lesson:"
"So, The Courts are both at the very center of the Abyss while at the same time as hanging on the very edge."
"Mostly, outsiders require a point of reference for orienting themselves in three dimensions. Standing on the edge of a Shadow looking over the edge they perceive their relative 'down' as looking into the Abyss and 'up' as the sky. More often than not, that gives them the perspective that the 'sky' is split in two with one half in inky blackness and the other a bright multi-coloured show of lights. But: Everything is DOWN in all directions. While also being UP."
"Clustered together within this unfathomable space is the Courts of Chaos. More or less spherical. The Ways are floating and drifting islands, like asteroids. Each one exists partially in Chaos as well as stretching into pockets of Shadows. There is a mostly consistent atmosphere around and through the Courts and the various Ways are tethered together with semi-permanent bridges. Plus, you can summon a filmy to form a temporary bridge between otherwise disconnected Ways. ShapeShifting wings to fly around is the most expedient way to get around, but you have to be careful. Fly the wrong way and you may be suspected of snooping or spying on your neighbours. So good manners dictate that you walk most of the time along approved routes. And, of course, the approved routes are always changing. And, of course, some of the semi-permanent bridges reach into Shadow. Which is where I started this little mental visualization tour."
"The Courts are no place for anyone with vertigo or motions sickness since almost everything is in motion. And relative 'UP' on one Way will be 'SIDEWAYS' or 'DOWN' on the next. The bridges curve and twist between them."
"That's a basic layout. A cluster of various sized floating islands. Everything outside that is the Abyss. Everything inside the cluster is the Abyss too because everything gets turned inside out. And it appears as two hemispheres. The dark side and the bright side, which with the rotations of the Ways marks time, more or less... That's the Gross Anatomy."
"At the center of the clustered Ways is the focus of all existence. The Core, which houses the Logrus and the Pit, the Royal Palace Thelbane, The Cathedral of the Serpent. It's the most unreal reality where everything gets torn apart and put back together again. As a Pit-Diver, I get to jump into the maelstrom of creation and destruction and pass through it into the greater Abyss."
"But that just scratches the surface of what the Courts of Chaos are like in a physical sense."
"Society wise. Things are pretty orderly, actually. Shops, restaurants, theaters, schools and everything that you would expect. Fashion is a big deal, on a big scale. ShapeShift yourself the latest hairstyle or horns; wear the skins of certain creatures or dress like they do in a certain Shadow. Copy the arts and architecture of various Shadows."
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Post by Brian on Nov 17, 2022 16:37:59 GMT
I nod thoughtfully to all that. " Its a classic really....two people who are very close togther. But where they are different it's a wide divide." I slosh my glass. "In Ayalos your kin ties are central to the ethical concerns you have....in a realistic way I've felt like I'm lost with an orientation star. So maybe Chaos would be better for me." I laugh a bit " hopefully we both find what we need soon eh?"
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Post by Cody D'Avalon on Nov 17, 2022 19:09:39 GMT
"If you ask someone else about Chaos, they may describe it completely differently; and they won't be wrong. I've painted a picture with very broad strokes. When you get down to the smaller details it's a little different. The Ways are all different sizes. From a single home, a little park with a fountain, up to entire cities. And you can't always tell from the outside because they do stretch into Shadows. Many of the Ways are family estates, so that's a case of keeping close with your kin. Those are the 'Houses'. The Aristocracy of the Courts of Chaos. There are major and minor 'Houses' that wrestle for power while the regular people go about their own business: Unless they are hired, conscripted or otherwise enslaved by the 'Houses'."
Cody snarls at the word 'enslaved'.
"In Amber, there's only one 'House'. The Barimen. They control all the power with the Pattern. In Chaos, there is a hierarchy of 'Houses' with some or all of them eligible to become Logrus Masters. Assuming they have the fortitude to survive and come out sane. So, there are also public and private asylums for those that don't quite succeed their essay of the Logrus."
"Some of those asylums are nice. Others are a fate worse than death. A friend of mine has been raised in a Convent which is also a Logrus Asylum. The Sisters of Enforced Repentance. She essayed the Logrus and succeeded, but they keep her there in the Convent under the worst conditions conceivable."
Cody clutches his locket with the name 'Dionisia' engraved on it.
"She saved my life by teaching me to ShapeShift. One day I hope to return the favour."
"The Logrus isn't restricted to a single bloodline. Or... Actually, it is. The most ancient bloodline that goes back to the Serpent and the first Queen Lileth. According to the Book of the Serpent Hung Upon the Tree of Matter, the first Lord of Chaos was, in fact, a woman named Lilith. Consort to the Serpent, she gave form to Shadow by drawing upon the energies of a node of raw Chaos known as the Pit. The artifact she created to accomplish this became known as the Logrus, and she was the first Keeper of the Logrus. We all descend from her."
"Now, there's a separation of Church and State, so to speak. There's the King who oversees political aspects and such and a seperate keeper of the Logrus. Politically, a 'House' may be cut off from accessing the Logrus, but if they are pious they may have and avenue through the Church."
"The Barimen 'House' is very low in the Courts and they don't look kindly on the Amber Barimens. At the same time, some of the High 'Houses' do look kindly on the Amber Barimens if it means access to the Pattern. That's kind of messed up."
"You can throw in a few family feuds which range from dirty looks to outright open warfare."
"Some Pit-Divers rescued me from the Abyss the first time I went in to search for M-unit. They brought me to the Church for healing. I've been with the Church ever since. So, I guess it's a combination of my piety and my bloodlines that made me eligible for essaying the Logrus. The Church also keeps me from rescuing Dionisia, for now."
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Post by Brian on Nov 17, 2022 20:07:43 GMT
" You do a stint under the Lash?" I ask curiously.
Its clear from the look on his face that's a memory that still is firm in his mind.
" I still have hassles from breaking the institution up that I deal with."
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Post by Cody D'Avalon on Nov 17, 2022 20:47:40 GMT
"Thankfully not. I do support the abolition and help runaways when I can."
But, you have to remember that we are talking about Chaos. There are people there that want to be enslaved. So you can't just liberate all of them."
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Post by Brian on Nov 17, 2022 22:46:06 GMT
Brian shudders "Its not as simple....once your trying to clean it up from the top. I suppose....I suppose I should count my blessing Ayalos is close enough to Earth I didn't have to deal with anything of that sort."
He takes Cody to see a second play
The tragedy of Victoria Barimen, the Dark Witch.
A fictional sister of Fiona's who was her rival in all things. Who sought to get her father's love and approval.....love and approval that was not there. Her fighting a duel like the infamous one between Corwin and Eric......and being thrown into the deepest dungeon of the castle in chains.
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Post by Cody D'Avalon on Nov 18, 2022 3:00:23 GMT
Cody really enjoys the second play. Good food and drink have worked wonders on helping him heal from wrestling with the Arachniform.
"This story is really wonderful. Supposedly fictional but I wonder? It would be amusing, if not a little dangerous, to ask Fiona about Victoria if either of us got the chance."
"From the stories I've heard about Oberon, he didn't give any love or approval to any of his children. Poor Victoria never had a chance."
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Post by Brian on Nov 18, 2022 5:20:42 GMT
Victoria ends up in the jail cell with various children, grand children, and a wife of Oberon's and they escape. Included in this Victoria actually helps a daughter of Fiona's get to safety and escape from the machinations of another. The play ends with Oberon allowing Victoria and her conspirators escape....a thing that could be judged as respecting his daughter....or....could be judged as him depriving her of the ability to escape his power under her own.
Which seems the playright's intent in the play.
I nods to Cody "I'd imagine best not to ask her if random fiction is also part of her reputation. But I think this play has some excellent nuance and theme."
I look back to Cody "You need another Play to get healed up enough to make your way back to your work?"
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Post by Cody D'Avalon on Nov 18, 2022 15:46:14 GMT
"Yeah, I was being facetious about actually asking Fiona. It would have to be on a dare, and even then I'd think twice."
Seeing the end of the play, Cody sees that it is a bit ambiguous. Was Victoria's escape/rescue an act of kindness or a way to make her beholden to Oberon?
"I don't have any pressing engagements otherwise and I'm really enjoying the plays. So, yes, let's do another."
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Post by Brian on Nov 18, 2022 16:34:58 GMT
The next play.....is a bit more personal for Cody.
The actor starts the play " She is called and known by many as Dierdre of the sorrows. But life is never so simple. "
The play opens with an actress looking like Cody's M-Unit seeking out a blacksmith. The blacksmith has one leg that's artificial....which seems odd for that setting. This Diedre is, at least performed, as a younger woman.
And the price for the sword is a child. Of course.....the child is clearly also the sword
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