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Post by Katerina on Oct 17, 2020 9:50:28 GMT
Katerina slips inside and closes the door in one quiet swift motion, almost like a cat slinking into a room. She listens to the Warrior Goddess' explanation. Some of it she knew, since the ghosts in the mirror had told her that they had been slain and their King and Queen had been killed in a bomb.
"I appreciate your honesty Princess," she says conscious of not using the word Goddess, "but my people have always been told that you were Gods and Goddesses and it is hard not to think of you as such. So you are a sort of powerful super species then? It is no wonder our people thought you Gods, since it is difficult to see the dilinearation of one and the other. I have been observing you all and I can see that there is considerable tension between your species. If you are indeed that powerful then what you could achieve together would be so fantastic, yet here we are on this craft of strange design."
Katerina didn't want to go so far as to outright call this ship thing unsafe, and decided to be a little more diplomatic.
"I appreciate your offer of help greatly Princess. My people sorely need it and I will take what I can get. To earn that help I will do what I must. I have abilities that I feel could help your investigation greatly. I did not want to reveal this in the open of the Castle, but I can mimic the faces of others. If we can find the right person to mimic, I may be able to prise information from people there that would not otherwise tell you anything."
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Post by Eivor on Oct 17, 2020 12:57:20 GMT
"Just Eivor is fine," she replies. "I'm not a princess and I'll reserve 'Lady' for my stays in Amber if you don't mind."
"I appreciate your candor, but be careful who you share your skills with. I can't say I know any of my cousins well enough to trust them. I hope they don't try to interfere with our mission. They would only be on this ship out of necessity, and doubtless have plans of their own."
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Post by Katerina on Oct 17, 2020 16:04:43 GMT
Katerina inclines her head.
"I'll remember that, but the only reason I told you was because you would find out anyway once we get to our destination and start our mission. and I didn't want it to come as a surprise to you It is not something I have shared with many, since it is not something I am aware that any of the others from home can do."
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Post by Eivor on Oct 17, 2020 18:49:01 GMT
"Is there anything else you wish to tell me?" Eivor asks. "I wish I could share more about our intended destination but regrettably we will only have our wits to rely on. My Uncle has not seen fit to provide more than a few names and hearsay. If you have any sorcerous means of tracking quarry, that would be useful."
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Post by Katerina on Oct 18, 2020 8:50:18 GMT
Katerina shrugs.
"I'm a skilled mirrormancer, though I though I already might have mentioned that. I can create objects that I want in the mirror and pull them through to make them real, though I warn you that the more complicated object the longer it would take to fashion. If I could work out a mechanism for an object to pick up a trail then I might be able to do that, but I would need reference data of the target and a considerable time to make it."
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Post by Eivor on Oct 18, 2020 21:24:37 GMT
"Well, you'll have plenty of time to think on that," Eivor comments. "If you come up with a plan, let me know. It's people we're after, not objects so I'm not sure how that will work."
"Meantime I have something else to show you." She takes out a deck of tarot and spreads them on the table. "The king, his brothers and sisters. Have you seen cards like these before?"
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Post by Katerina on Oct 19, 2020 6:32:42 GMT
Katerina nods. Without knowing a target and having a reference point, making such an object would be difficult at best. She examines the cards and touches one of the others that Eivor did not point out to be the King. It is cold to the touch and she immediately withdraws her hand.
"Nothing exactly like that, no. We had a deck of cards back home that were used for playing games. It has five suits of mirrors, hearts, daggers, gems and compasses which had ten numbered cards each. Then there were thirty additional cards representing positive and negative emotions, each with a characture of a person on it. Coming to think about it, Vanity looked a little like Princess Flora, Contemplation a little like your green haired Princess Llewella and our Joker card looked a little like your King. Though they were not exact likenesses and I would not wish to offend you by showing you them as no doubt you would be offended by them. They are passing resemblances only as the artists for the deck would take great liberty in exaggering the features for entertainment."
She frowns.
"Is this significant?"
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Post by Eivor on Oct 19, 2020 7:22:00 GMT
Eivor shrugs. "It could be. Your game sounds like an echo of the prime deck, though I'm not sure dear aunt Flora would find vanity a flattering description," she smirks. "The point is these are more than cards. When we walk the Pattern we come part of a great framework, depicted here in shade and color. It's tradition for someone who walked the Pattern to have their portrait drawn, though that tradition has slipped of late. Someone with sufficient skill can render the image so accurately that with the Pattern's power a psychic connection can be made to the person and if they are willing even a gateway to the place they reside. If I wanted to I could reach out to any of these people now, I could do so just by touching it an concentrating. Assuming they are still alive, that is."
She leans back and lets that information sink in for a moment before reaching into her pack and pulling out another deck of cards. This second set is clearly rendered by a different artist, the heavy use of black and accentuated lines making the figures appear more sinister and brooding. She pulls out a card and places it between them, her own countenance glaring from the portrait.
"Give it a try."
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Post by Katerina on Oct 19, 2020 7:42:20 GMT
Kat looks nervously at the card and then seemingly makes a decision and touches the proffered card, examining the detail on it. She is shocked when the image on it seems to be more vibrant in her hand.
"What do I do exactly to activate it?"
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Post by Eivor on Oct 19, 2020 8:59:30 GMT
"Try to ignore for a moment that I am sat here in close proximity. Think of me far away," Eivor replies. "While you are touching the card, look at the picture and try to see beyond it. Focus on my face if that helps, the eyes in particular. Look hard enough, give it enough concentration and the image will begin to move."
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Post by Katerina on Oct 19, 2020 9:12:38 GMT
Katerina does as requested and concerntrates on the card as she would on a mirror when talking via distance to another Mirrormancer through the mirrors. She is surpised taht she suddenly connects to the Goddesses mind, and Eivor will suddenly feel a powerful contact via the Trump, possibly Kat trying a bit too hard to make the contact, but it is clear that she has a strong mind.
This is strange, I can feel and see you within the card. She thinks.
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Post by Eivor on Oct 20, 2020 7:28:29 GMT
"Yes," Eivor replies. "Using this method we could communicate over immense distance. It is a miraculous tool, but one to respect and use with caution. Just like your mirrors they can flatter, deceive and mislead. Remember too if both parties are willing you could step through."
The contact becomes clearer and Eivor clasps Kats' hand with a strong grip.
"If you were at the bottom of a well or in some unspeakable prison I could pull you out, just like that. If you were willing to pay my fee," she smirks.
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Post by Katerina on Oct 20, 2020 11:31:02 GMT
Kat can feel the Warrior Goddesses hand clasp hers through the card.
It is very like the mirrors back home. We can travel through the mirrors, though they have to be specially made and they are much less portable than these wonderful cards of yours. The mirrors here do not seem to be made the same as ours though, well save the ones in the special room in the Castle.
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Post by Eivor on Oct 20, 2020 12:54:01 GMT
"Mirrors break; these should last. This card you can keep, let it be the first in your collection. It used to be the case if you walked the Pattern in Amber the king would present you with a deck of these tarot. Alas, I think that tradition has also lapsed now the throne is vacant," Eivor says. "Enough for now, I think. You have more than enough to think on."
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Post by Admin on Oct 20, 2020 13:24:07 GMT
While the women were talking, they could hear something of the deck above through the thin floorboards. First, there were the graceful steps of Lorelei coming aboard, and then the barely heard murmur of her conversation with Calvera. Minutes later, two more people come on board, one of which has the heavy steps of a large man, the other dainty and presumably Lady Shelly from the loud call of that name by Captain Barrett.
Moments later, there is the sound of a large bell ringing from somewhere ashore, followed by the crew of the Antelope rushing about and starting to set sail.
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