![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
It was time to go down from the ring into the main city, to get lodgings. It was hard to figure out how to get down; all 1827 said was "be down". It didn't take too long to figure out how to will myself down, though Jack was a few moments later than the rest of us. He said it was longer than that, that he'd been somewhere very different, rather squicy, with a glass ceiling, where he'd found a black kathel who didn't eat him (because Vosh had said not to), and sent him back to us.
Jack also said that there are five main factions in the city: tenders (who work with the Ults), penitents (who think they are here because they did something bad), sharpers (who are those who weave thread to get power, and intent to hurt others), and servitors (who serve the kathel).
1827 said we should move before we got consumed by wild magics, so we followed 1827, asking questions as we went. Someone asked about the local currency, and 1827 said that we would be etched with 1000 gulwarn, but we'd run out of those if we didn't earn more. 1827 also said that the spires were make for the kathel, who are mostly now living in the ring above, though some still remain in the towers. Apparently we look new, with none other new ones like us in the city. 1827 couldn't describe exactly how it was obvious we were new, but said it was clear to everyone.
As we walked to a particular inn, 1827 pointed out places where there were markings delineating areas without air, which we should avoid. 1827 said that it was good to have a home-like environment, or sense of environment, to help us keep our selves self-ish. We passed six people who looked rather like they were made of melted wax, and 1827 said that they were ramblers, who'd lost most of what they were, lost their association wtih their root, their environment, having been corrupted by other roots and auras. This can happen only when the threads are loose, or if tied. Only going to the roots makes them tight.
We got to the inn, which was a three or four story building grown of tree roots, with hollows and such. 1827 said it was a travellers house, a safe place. However, 1827 wouldn't go in, since it was not his place. We started in, and there was a yellow globe light at the end of some roots that May said were sunny. Near the entry was a white-shelled beetle, about Jack-sized, which also had some translucent bits. 1827 pulosed at the beelte, which replied in chirps. 1827 said that Metakesh would be attending us. We weren't sure how we'd communicate with Metakesh without 1827. 1827 said we'd be etched here, marking in our threads what we've earned. I noted that this wouldn't be good for pickpockets...
We followed Metakesh in, and there was what seemed to be a meeting area inside, with seating for perhaps twenty or thirty people. There were empty root bits, and more yellow lights. I touched the root, and it was like wood, unlike the fleshy trees of the spiral wood, but not connected to the All-Wood (unsurprisingly, since this is fairly domesticated, obviously). It felt like being in a park, not woods. It was pleasant, but not woods.
Metakesh gave us a tour all around the room, then took us to the next, an oval room with an oval table in the middle. There were openings to other rooms along the walls. Through those, I could see beetles of other colors (but otherwise the same kind as Metakesh) doing what looked to be food preparation and other inn-like work. It seemed that some food was being delivered places outside the inn.
A large blue beetle came through the door, limping over to us. Metakesh circled us, then got Jack to sit on a stump. The big blue on limped to Jack, feeling and poking at him, then does something that caused a green-blue spark, which Jack said put a box in him. Then he said that he had 1000 gulwarn in the box. May went next, while Thymelixsen sensed magic during the process.
When it was my turn, I tried to act out, somehow, helping the blue beetle by healing its leg. That didn't work, and it withdrew when I tried to reach out. I raised the Purity Within, hoping that somehow the voice of the Healer would communicate my intent, but while it did cause the other workers to pause, the blue one was not reassured, stepping back when I took a step forward. I wish I could have figured out how to communicate with it. But I didn't, and it was quite leery of etching me, staying as far from me as possible.
Once we were all etched, Metakesh brought us up some twisty ramps, up a couple of levels, then went around some twisty corridors. There were different shapes above each door, which I found impossible to remember distinctly, though they were all different. Metakesh went to one door, touching it, then went back, and touched it again. The door opened onto a round room, with two littler rooms off it. There was a light in the middle, as if via a skylight. Metakesh showed us the inner rooms, which were vaguely spherical, with things that could be furniture, and a window in each, looking partly up. I got the sense that the roots could close over the windows.
Thymelixsen tried touching the door, and nothing happened until he thought about it closing. The light worked in the same way, ranging from dim blue to bright white. The furniture, however, seemed stationary.
Thymelixsen mimed with Metakesh, asking about water and food. It's 20 gulwarn to get a waterskin filled, and 10 gularn for food. It's 80 gulwarn each for the room, but for some reason tonight seems to be free, both room and board. I wonder why.
After Metakesh left, we started talking.
Jack said he'd looked at the Jack who had made it further, to the edge (who was a figher, not a blessed). He saw that Cor, Fashrun, and May made it to the edge with him; Thymelixsen had convinced me to go away with him (and apparently in other worlds, we are close lovers). Mur came, and the others saw things from the All's poitn of view, which made internal sense. And then Mur took them all into her, to keep them from being part of the All, keeping some form of equilibrium. Jack saw some versions where he was blessed by other gods, and Cor and Fashrun were together.
Cor said that he saw the group with Fashrun, and Mireshan had died.
May said that only three of her were blessed, and of those, one might have been of the Hidden Lord. She got attacked by the ghosts after the other Mays had been attacked.
In Jack's story, May got them through the ghost lands, despite Thymelixsen not being there, by sending out glowing thread as decoys. He had the sense of years of work before doing this, however.
The Hidden Lord May had worked for Vosh.
Jack had worked in the cities, and for the Ult in the roots, flying in some of them.
Cor said that Jack had died in Fashrun's future, trying to hide from odd rainbow things, and failing. And the gorup he saw made it to the edge, and Thymelixsen wove their threads into himself, killing us all (Fashrun, May, Cor, and me), or at least, Fashrun. In that story, the more that Fashrun and May saw, the more they thought that Thymelixsen was becoming more like Mur.
Cor also said that when he looked at himself, he could only see up to the current present, not past it.
Thymelixsen said that he had looked at himself. Then he said that edgewalkers are as big, observant, and aware, as some kathel. When an edgewalker focused on something, things became obvious. All the Thymelixsens came together, gathering their essences, then May became special, all bright.
Something odd was going on with Thymelixsen. He seemed to have a strange mix of delight, concern, curiosity, fear, excitement, and conflict. I asked him what he was afraid of telling us, and he said nothing. Then he said that there are other people who don't need to know. Jack said, "about edgewalkers?" Yes. Thymelixsen said that the edgewalker he saw pulled strong threads into himself to better fight the All, and that edgewalker was extremely interested in us. All of the Thymelixsens are interesting to Thymelixsen the edgewalker. And he's looking to rekindle a love (with a me-analogue, I think). Apparently our Thymelixsen is the closest the edgewalker had seen so far. And it's easier to travel through the ghostland than with other configureations to get through.
Jack asked why it was easier, and Thymelixsen said because of love, with me.
Thymelixsen thought we were being observed, so the less said the better. We can be watched through our threads, some of which are much thicker than others, and of more interest to edgewalkers (among others). Those thick threads the edgewalkers use to keep out of the All. Some powerful threads stay in the roots, some in people, which can be gathered.
There is a temple of purifiers in the desert.
Jack said he saw the All, and what it thought was happening, that if we five were pulled in, it would live, and if not, then the All would die, and the roots would die. Which is the first time any of us thought of the All being afraid of dying. And it's interesting that the All sees the roots as being dependent on it in that way, whereas the kathel think that the roots could live independently of the All. We talked about this for a while, then came back to our more immediate plans in the city.
There was a knock on the door, and a skinny albino not-quite-Ovahon was there to fetch Thymelixsen to a meeting of all the Thymelixsens in the city, over at the tower. He seemed, as so many others have been, bored by the questions and noncomprehension, but willing to over things again, realizing that this might, in fact, be the first time Thymelixsen was meeting him. Yallow introduced himself, told Thymelixsen about the meeting, then faded out as he left.
Jack also said that there are five main factions in the city: tenders (who work with the Ults), penitents (who think they are here because they did something bad), sharpers (who are those who weave thread to get power, and intent to hurt others), and servitors (who serve the kathel).
1827 said we should move before we got consumed by wild magics, so we followed 1827, asking questions as we went. Someone asked about the local currency, and 1827 said that we would be etched with 1000 gulwarn, but we'd run out of those if we didn't earn more. 1827 also said that the spires were make for the kathel, who are mostly now living in the ring above, though some still remain in the towers. Apparently we look new, with none other new ones like us in the city. 1827 couldn't describe exactly how it was obvious we were new, but said it was clear to everyone.
As we walked to a particular inn, 1827 pointed out places where there were markings delineating areas without air, which we should avoid. 1827 said that it was good to have a home-like environment, or sense of environment, to help us keep our selves self-ish. We passed six people who looked rather like they were made of melted wax, and 1827 said that they were ramblers, who'd lost most of what they were, lost their association wtih their root, their environment, having been corrupted by other roots and auras. This can happen only when the threads are loose, or if tied. Only going to the roots makes them tight.
We got to the inn, which was a three or four story building grown of tree roots, with hollows and such. 1827 said it was a travellers house, a safe place. However, 1827 wouldn't go in, since it was not his place. We started in, and there was a yellow globe light at the end of some roots that May said were sunny. Near the entry was a white-shelled beetle, about Jack-sized, which also had some translucent bits. 1827 pulosed at the beelte, which replied in chirps. 1827 said that Metakesh would be attending us. We weren't sure how we'd communicate with Metakesh without 1827. 1827 said we'd be etched here, marking in our threads what we've earned. I noted that this wouldn't be good for pickpockets...
We followed Metakesh in, and there was what seemed to be a meeting area inside, with seating for perhaps twenty or thirty people. There were empty root bits, and more yellow lights. I touched the root, and it was like wood, unlike the fleshy trees of the spiral wood, but not connected to the All-Wood (unsurprisingly, since this is fairly domesticated, obviously). It felt like being in a park, not woods. It was pleasant, but not woods.
Metakesh gave us a tour all around the room, then took us to the next, an oval room with an oval table in the middle. There were openings to other rooms along the walls. Through those, I could see beetles of other colors (but otherwise the same kind as Metakesh) doing what looked to be food preparation and other inn-like work. It seemed that some food was being delivered places outside the inn.
A large blue beetle came through the door, limping over to us. Metakesh circled us, then got Jack to sit on a stump. The big blue on limped to Jack, feeling and poking at him, then does something that caused a green-blue spark, which Jack said put a box in him. Then he said that he had 1000 gulwarn in the box. May went next, while Thymelixsen sensed magic during the process.
When it was my turn, I tried to act out, somehow, helping the blue beetle by healing its leg. That didn't work, and it withdrew when I tried to reach out. I raised the Purity Within, hoping that somehow the voice of the Healer would communicate my intent, but while it did cause the other workers to pause, the blue one was not reassured, stepping back when I took a step forward. I wish I could have figured out how to communicate with it. But I didn't, and it was quite leery of etching me, staying as far from me as possible.
Once we were all etched, Metakesh brought us up some twisty ramps, up a couple of levels, then went around some twisty corridors. There were different shapes above each door, which I found impossible to remember distinctly, though they were all different. Metakesh went to one door, touching it, then went back, and touched it again. The door opened onto a round room, with two littler rooms off it. There was a light in the middle, as if via a skylight. Metakesh showed us the inner rooms, which were vaguely spherical, with things that could be furniture, and a window in each, looking partly up. I got the sense that the roots could close over the windows.
Thymelixsen tried touching the door, and nothing happened until he thought about it closing. The light worked in the same way, ranging from dim blue to bright white. The furniture, however, seemed stationary.
Thymelixsen mimed with Metakesh, asking about water and food. It's 20 gulwarn to get a waterskin filled, and 10 gularn for food. It's 80 gulwarn each for the room, but for some reason tonight seems to be free, both room and board. I wonder why.
After Metakesh left, we started talking.
Jack said he'd looked at the Jack who had made it further, to the edge (who was a figher, not a blessed). He saw that Cor, Fashrun, and May made it to the edge with him; Thymelixsen had convinced me to go away with him (and apparently in other worlds, we are close lovers). Mur came, and the others saw things from the All's poitn of view, which made internal sense. And then Mur took them all into her, to keep them from being part of the All, keeping some form of equilibrium. Jack saw some versions where he was blessed by other gods, and Cor and Fashrun were together.
Cor said that he saw the group with Fashrun, and Mireshan had died.
May said that only three of her were blessed, and of those, one might have been of the Hidden Lord. She got attacked by the ghosts after the other Mays had been attacked.
In Jack's story, May got them through the ghost lands, despite Thymelixsen not being there, by sending out glowing thread as decoys. He had the sense of years of work before doing this, however.
The Hidden Lord May had worked for Vosh.
Jack had worked in the cities, and for the Ult in the roots, flying in some of them.
Cor said that Jack had died in Fashrun's future, trying to hide from odd rainbow things, and failing. And the gorup he saw made it to the edge, and Thymelixsen wove their threads into himself, killing us all (Fashrun, May, Cor, and me), or at least, Fashrun. In that story, the more that Fashrun and May saw, the more they thought that Thymelixsen was becoming more like Mur.
Cor also said that when he looked at himself, he could only see up to the current present, not past it.
Thymelixsen said that he had looked at himself. Then he said that edgewalkers are as big, observant, and aware, as some kathel. When an edgewalker focused on something, things became obvious. All the Thymelixsens came together, gathering their essences, then May became special, all bright.
Something odd was going on with Thymelixsen. He seemed to have a strange mix of delight, concern, curiosity, fear, excitement, and conflict. I asked him what he was afraid of telling us, and he said nothing. Then he said that there are other people who don't need to know. Jack said, "about edgewalkers?" Yes. Thymelixsen said that the edgewalker he saw pulled strong threads into himself to better fight the All, and that edgewalker was extremely interested in us. All of the Thymelixsens are interesting to Thymelixsen the edgewalker. And he's looking to rekindle a love (with a me-analogue, I think). Apparently our Thymelixsen is the closest the edgewalker had seen so far. And it's easier to travel through the ghostland than with other configureations to get through.
Jack asked why it was easier, and Thymelixsen said because of love, with me.
Thymelixsen thought we were being observed, so the less said the better. We can be watched through our threads, some of which are much thicker than others, and of more interest to edgewalkers (among others). Those thick threads the edgewalkers use to keep out of the All. Some powerful threads stay in the roots, some in people, which can be gathered.
There is a temple of purifiers in the desert.
Jack said he saw the All, and what it thought was happening, that if we five were pulled in, it would live, and if not, then the All would die, and the roots would die. Which is the first time any of us thought of the All being afraid of dying. And it's interesting that the All sees the roots as being dependent on it in that way, whereas the kathel think that the roots could live independently of the All. We talked about this for a while, then came back to our more immediate plans in the city.
There was a knock on the door, and a skinny albino not-quite-Ovahon was there to fetch Thymelixsen to a meeting of all the Thymelixsens in the city, over at the tower. He seemed, as so many others have been, bored by the questions and noncomprehension, but willing to over things again, realizing that this might, in fact, be the first time Thymelixsen was meeting him. Yallow introduced himself, told Thymelixsen about the meeting, then faded out as he left.
