limacharlie | D5, Nightrunner Channel

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D5, Nightrunner Channel

[ The nightrunner channel comes to life in the mid-afternoon. ]

This is Nightrider Lambert. We'll be making a stop at a new world tomorrow. For some of you, it'll be the first time, so if you've got any questions now's the time to get them out of the way.

Keep a lookout for trouble and tell me or another nightrunner if you can't get ahold of me. You're not on a leash, but I'd better hear from you at least once a day, even if it's just to tell me there's nothing to report.

We also got a warning that we might need to watch for any sign of other fae. A lot of you won't know what that looks or feels like, so Strange will fill you in.

[ And he lapses into silence for Strange to take it away. ]

If you aren't magically sensitive then I'm terribly sorry, but you might not be able to tell fae magic apart from other magic in the first place. For those of you who are, the thing that I've always associated with fae magic is the sheer power behind it. Even a faerie artifact can radiate more power than your average magic user and certain spells can linger long after the enchanter dies. It's also...simple, in a way? Carnival magic is a bit of a hodge-podge, a combination of all sorts of magics from different worlds. Fae magic is more pure and...primordial, perhaps. [ Strange is 100% not certain about that word choice! ]

Though, at least with the Portland fae we've encountered, they weren't too good at making certain things fit their surroundings. Mysterious berries, a large gathering of birds, roses springing up out of nowhere...if you see something that looks out of place, take a picture and ask someone about it before you decide to metaphorically poke it with a stick.

[ And Lambert will tack on: ]

One person screwing up is all it takes to land us all in a load of shit. So if you see someone doing something that could be a problem? Stop them. Be ready for anything.

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As much as I'd love to hear about the fae in your homeland, they're not what concerns me at the moment.

( SORRY STRANGE. )

Do we know if any of the fae previous encountered will make a second grab at the carnival? Lambert seems to be taking the warning seriously enough.

[ okay but what if they DO talk about the fae in his homeland b/c that means they can talk about Strange.

what about that, Lavellan. that's a good plan. ANYWAY, Strange answers her question with a little hmm. ]

It wouldn't surprise me. One of the fae, the Rose Queen, was very petty and possessive. If she makes a second grab at the carnival, it would be to attempt to reclaim two of our members: Steven Universe and John Childermass. [ There's a brief awkward pause before Strange continues. ] If the fae named Nightshade makes a second grab at the carnival, it likely will be for possession of me.

( oh fantastic. lavellan would stare him down if she could, but that's impossible to do over the radios. )

Dare I ask what for?

Something that happened which was beyond all of our control.

[ and Strange's tone is pure stubbornness and pure standing his ground. ]

That is not very forthcoming, Strange.

( she is used to getting answers, damnit. )

So it isn't. And yet, some of the reasons aren't mine to give.

[ have fun with more stubbornness!!! ]

I can at least give you an outline of the spell that brought us to those fae's attention as well as why one would be after me specifically.

And what would be my chances of finding those who could?

( she will find them!! she will!!! )

That would suffice for now, thank you.

Slim.

[ There's only a handful of people who got fucked over enough to have the fae after them. Strange knows a few of them aren't going to talk about it. Sorry Lavellan! have a paragraph long explanation of magic instead. ]

The carnival was caught up in a spell that shifted our nature of being. It suppressed all of our memories and gave us new lives in this place called Portland. Portland itself was under a spell to keep out beings like the fae, beings who could travel from world to world. As our memories started to return, we decided that the best thing to do was to break the spell severing that world and keeping it cut off from the proper multiverse. When we did that, people's memories returned and the Ringmaster was able to bring us back to the carnival.

It was while we had the memories of our other selves that some of us came in contact with the fae. That Portland version of me made a contract with the faerie Nightshade, to serve her for his own ends. Once my memories started coming back, he broke that contract. As such, I was placed under her thrall for a period of our time in Portland. I suspect she would want me back either for revenge or punishment.

[ which is a fancy way of saying 'the AU event fucked everyone over.' There's a pause before Strange continues. ]

I know this might not make much sense, so tell me which points I need to elaborate on.

( how can he talk so much and yet be so resistant on some points she wants him to get to!! disastrous. )

What was the spell, do you know? And how did you break it? ( she's going to rack up so many approval points with him right now, it's like talking with solas. ) What happened to the world after you broke the spell? And what do you think she might do to you, if she got her hands on you again?

Are you sure you'd rather have him talk about this instead of getting him to write it down? You'll be here for a while.

[ but he LIKES talking... ]

I thought I was summarizing it fairly well!

And here I was thinking he'd be more forthcoming because he just likes to talk.

( sorry strange. )

But I would be happy to have written reports of the incident, if it's something either of you could produce.

( sorry lambert. )

I'm sure Strange could write you a book.

[ His version of events, at least. However, Lambert will helpfully contribute to this narrative of events with some disjointed facts of his own: ]

They broke the spell with a ritual that involved stabbing someone. [ As all good rituals do. ] If you want to know about that part, you'd be better off asking them.

Oh come now, more to it happened than that. You're dismissing the details entirely!

[ GUESS WHAT, IT'S TIME FOR TALKING, WHO LIKES TALKING HINT: STRANGE DOES. ]

I was unconscious for the actual breaking of the spell however I do know the basic outline of the ritual. Breaking the spell relied on certain factors. Most notably, it involved the influence of a planetary primordial force called 'the Earth Spirit' as well as a familial relationship involving one of our Portland selves. The plan was to use a pendant that housed the essence of the Earth Spirit but somehow, one of the carnival members got herself possessed by the spirit, so she participated in the spell-breaking instead.

Perhaps he should. I would read it.

( hey strange do you want to write a book for her? and thank you lambert. )

Blood magic, then. ( there's a hint of distaste in her tone as she says it, but moves on. ) Planetary primordial force -- unique to that world?

[ No blood involved, at least on Yuya's part, but souls ... which is probably worse, come to think of it. Lambert's also going to leave out the part where he got possessed by the Earth Spirit, because disclosure is for suckers. But he'll let Strange field the question. ]

Well I am working on a memoir, [ Strange can't help but point out. ] I'll lend you the chapter drafts as I finish them.

To the best of my knowledge, the ritual was focused more on one's soul than normal blood magic. It was because our souls were from a different world or reality that we were able to break the Severing—ah, that's the spell that cut that world off from the rest. Anyway, it was because our souls were from a different world that we were able to break the Severing in the first place.

As for the Earth Spirit, I'm afraid my knowledge on that is a little slim. I've got speculation but that's about it. I wasn't one of the ones who spent the most time with the Earth Spirit. Lambert, however, was.

[ enjoy that bus you're being thrown under. c: ]

That isn't the same as reports on the incident, Strange, which is what I'm more interested in. But I'll read them.

( the things she'll do. )

How did the ritual work, then? ( oh thank you, strange, for that -- her attention turns to lambert. ) What did you find out from it, if anything, that would apply to more than just the world you were in?

[ Unfortunately, while Strange is happy to go on and on and on about magic bullshit, Lambert isn't much of a speculator when it doesn't relate to stabby applications. ]

I've got no fucking idea. [ He states it plainly, the auditory equivalent of a shrug. ]

The Severing seemed like a pretty one of a kind deal, the kind of solution you only come up with because you're desperate and you only get one shot at. I got the impression the ritual to break it was the same. [ He pauses, thinking. ] As far as I knew, the Severing was killing the Earth Spirit because it was drawing on its power. No power, no spell -- that's what most people were betting on.

Like Strange said, though, most of us didn't have our memories. So it's not like I was the one planning any of this shit out.

Edited 2018-02-03 17:45 (UTC)

The main thing we learned is whenever possible, it's best to not deal with the fae. Oh, and make certain of all your ritual components before you cast the world-changing ritual.

Valuable lessons, both. ( or so she assumes, considering the world-changing rituals she's seen tended to end up going badly for other reasons. ) But no word on whether this Earth Spirit was unique or not, even if the Severing was, or if there were others. For the sky and the ocean and so on.

[ Ah, mages. ]

Name's misleading. It was more like the spirit of the world rather than the spirit of an element.

It's also apparently where the dead go when they die, but I only heard that second hand. Ghosts and werebeasts could talk to it; the rest of us, not so much.

And at least with regards to death, I believe that aspect was unique to Portland. People have been raised from the dead both in the carnival and in my world and none of them mentioned anything like the Earth Spirit.

[ which unintentionally opens up a whole new line of questioning. ]

Understood, thank you Lamb--

( hold on one gosh darned moment here. )

I'm sorry, they've what.

[ HAHA NOPE STRANGE CAN EXPLAIN THIS ONE. ]

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D5, Nightrunner Channel

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this is why you refresh before posting your paragraph long comment

LMAO

LMAO SORRY

and /now/ for my paragraph of dialogue

at least you got it in!!

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