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"Oh, excellent," Gaius says, readying himself to facilitate the casting with collaborative thaumaturgy if requested. "I'm mostly curious about who they are. They're obviously aware of the Tower, although they haven't entered it yet. So I think they fall at least somewhat outside of the compact that we drew up about what we reveal to outsiders."
"Well I did say I didn't think you'd get it," Gaius says with a shrug, knocking his friend off from the forceful pat. "I'm just the bridge between the two worlds, here."
Gaius stretches. "It's been a while since I tried to scry. I could try them again, maybe see if I can talk to them. Of course, for me it'll take an hour, not a moment." He adds, "Iker said that we could stay here for a few hours. I wish he'd been specific, but the injury shouldn't be horrible from here if we run out of time. We can provide the specific information. Hells, if you all are at all concerned, I can be the one to stay. As long as I had someone on the other side to heal me of any injuries, I'm sure I could manage."
Then a bit of inspiration strikes Gaius. A bit of mischief, even. "Witness," he says. "You're obviously much more studied than I am in the intricacies of the arcane. I'm more of a magus, taken to the studying the resonance of magic and applying it to my steel and self alike. An arcane duelist, if you will. But I know enough. And I'm thinking of ways to continue to facilitate each other in our respective understandings. Are you familiar with the notion of an arcane amplifier?" He waits for the wizard's response, and then continues. "I don't necessarily mean for familiars. But rather, there's thaumaturgy. I know with near certainty that you and I could enhance each other's spells with metamagic." He seems excited by this, and then whirls to the others. "In fact, some of you might be able to participate in this as well. Gavin, for sure. Maximus--" he thinks for a moment, "Probably not, but it'd be a neat trick. And Lyra?" He considers what he knows of how her attunement has shown itself, and thinking that her mind had attuned to entropy. "I think Lyra could learn if she put her mind to it. I don't know what tricks we could get with scrying with a few of us trying to enhance the spell. But it's worth trying, right?" ---
"Hmmm," Gaius says, looking a little disappointed. "That's a shame." He shrugs. "I have a spell I can try to use next time to try to talk. Then again, so does the Witness, I'm sure." He leans in to Gavin. "I'm a bit jealous of the ability to cast it so quickly like that. I'll have to see if I can learn to do that."
Gaius takes on a look of mock-offense, well aware that he and Lyra both knew they were joking. Maximus probably knew as well. "Suit yourself," he says. "You could have gone down in history again, maybeuncle."
Gaius looks above Lyra's head, then over to the Witness, then back to Lyra, then back to the Witness, and sighs. "Well, we can try again next time we come, I suppose."
New character concept: Ozzie the Ooze-Eater. I don't really have the time to try to come up with a viable character concept, but this will probably keep me entertained for a bit.
Also, if Maximus decides to eat a spoonful of ooze, I bid for Lyra and Gaius to reenact this scene.
I know that it's a bit outside of his usual scope, but if Maximus wants to invest in a non-combat spell, his Inner Strength Third Attunement could allow him to grab Sending as a 5th-level alchemist spell. Then we just have an on-demand Sender.
"A fine question, Lyra," Gaius responds, eyeing Maximus cheekily. "As I understand them, they are immune to acid and fire alike, so unless Maximus' stomach has some unique properties, he may not be able to digest them and derive nutrition." He grins. "But if he's hiding a demiplane full of tiny blades in his stomach, it might just continue chopping the ooze into smaller and smaller bits until his stomach actually fills." The bard leans in towards his friend. "Want to see what we can do, Maximus?"
Gaius' fingers waggle a bit, smiling as he takes into account the Witness' further explanation. He's proud of himself for getting close even if he was off. "I've been trying to pay attention," he humble-brags. "Your explanations and theories have been helpful. At least as helpful as what the Research Institute has been able to provide, and probably even more." Knowing that the Witness would have the best chance of scrying successfully, Gaius nods. "No objections, here. I can keep our more martially-inclined fellows occupied, hopefully without distracting you too much." Gaius gathers up Lyra and Maximus. "Would you rather spar or try to figure out the mystery of the replicating ooze?"
Gaius chuckles and shakes his head. "Unless she somehow extended her lifespan significantly, she shouldn't be here now. Please correct me if I'm wrong, Witness, but...this is twenty-three floors above the Redwatch Market where we were this morning, so we should be on floor or twenty-three. That's 93 floors from the top, so it should be the year 828 in Cardriss. Maximus and I left 306 years ago. For all I know, Mordrigran could still very much be alive and one of those points of light. I wouldn't put it past him." Gaius thinks hard, uncertain if he has really absorbed the Witness' temporospatial theories, but tries to advance his best understanding. "If I'm correct, then the three people here did not enter the Tower on the New Tran 32 days ago. But those who did enter then will be part of the 38th arrival to the Tower, which means that they won't arrive in the Tower itself for another...oh, say 306 years. It's highly unlikely that we'll ever meet them." ---
"Oh, not necessarily," the bard responds. "My sister, for instance, received the Seal, but did not enter the Tower. Anyone who was Attuned but did not enter would show up."
"I'm more curious who they are. We already know the where."
"Scrying!" the bard exclaims. "Of course. What an excellent tool." And Gaius just so happened to have recently learn how to conduct such a ritual. He was almost certain that Gavin and the Witness knew how to scry as well, but was uncertain whether they had prepared such magic on this day. But between the three of them, they could probably scry on all three sealbearers. Whether all three could use the map simultaneously, he wasn't sure, but it was worth giving it a shot. "Gavin, Witness--if you're prepared to do so on this day, we can try to see who each of these three are. Shall we?"
"Oh now this is interesting!" Gaius says, wonder alight in his voice. "It wants something. Energy of some sort. Whether that's elemental or some other magic, I'm not sure." But he aimed to find out. Opening his vision to the quirks of magic, he assesses what he can see.
Thinking a bit more on it, while the Witness and the Choreographer assess the map, Gaius tries to draw on his knowledge and training regarding the way that magic items work, and seeks to blindly activate any further underlying capabilities.
Gaius still vastly prefers to speak audibly when given the opportunity, relishing in the voice he had trained for many years, as responds to the Witness. "Well, the map shows the current location of every marked Seeker on Cardriss at the current time. Exactly how this occurs, or what interaction it has with the--I think you call it T-Space?--I'm not certain. I don't know if my father made it or found it. And without any notes, I don't know how he used it. That is, to what end. Obviously I know how to use a map."
++So it's Cardriss after all,++ Gaius projects. ++The Research Institute probably knows this, but we can update them if they do not.++ His wind form meanders slightly before he adds. ++We have no reason to do anything particular outside the cave. In the interest of our previous conversations, perhaps it's best we return and try to understand the map.++
++Feel free to commune while you wait for us,++ Gaius responds, looking away from the map for the first time in several minutes. He begins the process, bantering telepathically with Maximus about which of them might be able to ascend the fastest. Up top, in spite of feeling confident that that judgmental bird probably knows more than he does, Gaius looks around to gain a sense of where and when they are.
He also scans for threats.
Gaius smiles a little, his cheeks flushing red, as Lyra points out the nasal resemblance.
Having fought the verdurous oozes on his previous trip, Gaius walks over to the regenerating goop and puzzles over them. "You know," he says, "It's odd. The oozes were tricky to destroy, but everything I know about them suggests that once they're down, they're done. It seems like their remains are interacting strangely with the magic here. Or maybe there's a spawn source." With a shrug, he spins his mace around. "We can always clean them back up on a future visit, but it might be worth investigating." He points up at the ventilation shaft in the kitchen. "Like up there."
Gaius nods at Gavin's first comment. "My older sister and I both tried to follow in his footsteps. Tullia nearly succeeded last tran, but she remains on Cardriss in our home time." The implication remains unspoken, but given Gaius' young age--somewhere in his mid-twenties--he would have been a young child when the elder Gaius Ignatius left Cardriss. For all intents and purposes, if the two were to reunite, it would be more like a first meeting. Sheepishly, he raises a hand and scratches at the back of his neck. "I, uh, didn't look much for a way out when I was here last. So that's worth checking out."
Gaius laughs at Maximus' display towards the painting. "That's not really the magical fresco, friend." He points from the still painting to the map of Cardriss. "Though I'm not sure a map will shake your hand either." He shrugs at Lyra's question. "He probably still spent some time in Redwatch. I doubt that this can serve as a permanent residence given the Tower's dynamics, and the Research Institute has more or less of a claim of interest on it, but we can sort of be the stewards as it were." With a glance towards the Witness, Gaius grins. "Our arcanist likely already has a sense of the stability of the portal we came through and its approximate duration."
Gaius' eyes light up as he returns. It hadn't been long, but he had been excited to return. "Good! This is what I told you about, everyone." He takes several paces towards the fresco. "Maximus, you remember my sister, Tullia, and my mother, Sofia? And that's my father, Gaius IV." The grin on his face is almost stupid in happiness. "And this," he waves around, "Is where my father spent his time." He gives a tour, brief as it is, with a mix of memories from his past and educated guesses about what his father may have gone here. Interspersed are reminders to be careful not to get too close to the oozes, and questions to the Witness if he knew how to stop the ooze problem, and comments to the Witness that the oozes might have destroyed some of what had been here before, and insistences to the Witness that ooze ooze ooze ooze ooze.
I would very much like to continue! I feel invested here, and with my lengthy absence at the beginning of the year I'd be a hypocrite if I said anything!
Hello out there!
"Let there be light," Gaius says as he pulls out his sword and illuminates it. With practiced movements and a bit of chanting, he casts his usual plethora of spells for days when he did not anticipate an abundance of combat, holding the battle magic for the eventuality of such. Spells Cast:
Resources Remaining
Magus Spells
Domain SLAs: locate object, fly, teleport, find the path
He looks over at the others, especially the Pigeon who seems particularly nervous, casting a multitude of spells, and nods. "Of course. I'll show the way." He seems almost puppy-like in his excitement, taking Maximus by the shoulder and pointing out different Vitolian features here near the entrance.
Oooh, okay, I misunderstood. I've got that CL boost now, so Gaius can try it to see how well meditating worked out. But if you're already working on it, I'll wait.
Gaius grins at the exchange between the lovers. "Vinland's knightly training involved a decent amount of philosophy. As I recall, we were discussing--I believe it's called--epistemology. What do we know, what does it mean to "know", and how do we know what we know? Truth, knowledge, certainty, and all that. One of my fellow knights-in-training had a near nervous breakdown where he convinced himself that it was impossible to know anything with absolute certainty: that the sun might not rise the next day even though it had risen every day for as long as he had observed it. Technically he's right. But our instructor called him...solipsistic, I think it was?" Gais nods his head at Rowan. "But you're the opposite. Repeated observations have given you confidence." With a shrug, Gaius finishes his thought. "With respect to the limits, that's probably a healthier, saner way to live." As breakfast ends, Gaius stretches and looks excited. "I don't know about you all, but I'm excited for the day! Rowan, Dagny, it was a pleasure as always. See you again tomorrow, mmm?"
Gaius sweeps a curly lock from his brow, twisting it back into a coifed position. "Rugged and elegant at the same time," he says with a grin. He watches Lyra's culinary efforts with curiosity, his eyes widening as she tries to consume a tower of food whole. "Practical Tower research, Pigeon?" he asks with a chuckle. "Vinland's best features are the rolling hills, greenery as far as the eye could see on clear days, and cicadas buzzing from the tree lines. I grew up in a time of relative peace, so the fields were not ablaze with war. The saddest poems in our history were wistful people recollecting what had been and was no longer. It takes entirely too long for the land to recover from warfare."
Gaius doesn't want to discuss their plans in front of Rowan and Dagny--especially after yesterday's agreement to limit discussion, so he chooses a different topic to bring up. "I found something else out last week while I was telling stories. It turns out that Archbanker Lombardi is a great fan of traditional Vitolian epic poems. So if we're trying to get any deals moving forward with the bank, it might be helpful to work on collecting them. I know a few, of course--being a native--but I'll run out eventually." He pauses and looks at the others. "I'm not sure if I know where on Cardriss you all are from, actually, nor if it's ever come up. Do you have any recollections of home?"
If it would help for me to just put in my header what spells I have cast once we get to the portal, just let me know. Gaius is judicious and time-aware.
Ron's appetite is bigger than mine (to my great shame), but I vibed so hard with him walking into a store and declaring "I know more than you" when asked if he needed help. In my second to last move, I walked into a Best Buy looking for a new laptop and started rattling off a bunch of specifications to the attendant, who looked at me like I had two heads and slowly backed away. My Ron-like appetite mostly regards the sad day when he finds out that Charles Mulligan's Steakhouse has been shut down for health code violations. "What happened to the steaks that were in there when they closed? Do you think they got eaten?" And then later. *scream* "What in the devil's name is this?"
Gaius' daily preparations are relatively limited. He renews his longstrider spell (excellent for keeping him faster than almost anyone he met), but takes some time to attune his silver mace instead of his prized longsword. If they did encounter oozes, he would rather not give them cause to split. He takes some time to practice swinging the mace around again. It had a different balance altogether than his blade, with the weight distributed such that it felt less like an extension of his arm and more like an addition. It was as though his hand was a complex joint to guide the heavy head. The sword was, in his estimation, a more elegant weapon, effective across its length. But the mace was good at what it was designed to do. And oozes, for their part, were easy to hit. Breakfast would be very welcome after the morning's workout.
I suppose Parks and Rec bingeing makes for a good excuse. I mean, you just have to take a page out of Ron's book and hand us a permit that says "I can do what I want."
Sounds good.
I'd like to go first as an adventuring day and then potentially follow up as a downtime activity post reset.
"Verdurous oozes," Gaius clarifies. "The entire place had been infested by them when I visited with Iker. Animate masses of protoplasm that split unharmed when cut. They're quite susceptible to being smashed, however." He shrugs. "I think I was a good exterminator, but it's good to be aware."
Gaius smiles. "I don't think we need to log that action, but I can just stop by to let Iker know." The knight looks almost serious for a moment. "Hopefully the ooze problem hasn't gotten out of control again since I was last there."
"Does anyone want to come with me to visit my father's favored portal, the one I spoke of last week? It has the benefit of not being well-known outside of us and the Research Institute."
Gaius claps his hand down on Maixmus' shoulder twice. "Sure they will, buddy." He shrugs once more. Just as they would know Gaius' alter-ego, Arthur Baltar. "I don't suppose Lyra could ask Seth and force either a tie or a supermajority?" Gaius shakes his head. "No, I accept it. But you all may have to help me keep old Fitzherbert here from mouthing off."
Gaius smiles and shrugs. "Well reasoned, Witness. I'm not necessarily admitting that I agree wholeheartedly, but it's good to hear your piece as well. As you said--we have theories and evidence, but little reliable yet. I am, admittedly, more prone to trust my intuition when I lack more concrete data. It's how I got this far." Gaius puts his hand on Maximus' shoulder. "Well, then, maybeuncle, it sounds like the group's decision in this pseudo-semi-democratic coalition falls to you. Do we keep our knowledge secret or share it openly?" His smile broadens. "Which do you think is going to help you win?"
"Somehow I find the notion of someone using their power to irreparably destroy the whole world unlikely. Not impossible, but unlikely," Gaius says. A thrum of excitement undergirds his words: he had not had occasion to debate like this, especially when the stakes were so high, and particularly with the Witness. "I consider two distinct possibilities. One. Say that someone decides to go back and fundamentally change the nature of Cardriss. Yes, the implications would be tremendous, and almost inevitably cataclysmic. Such an actor would need to consider the myriad implications of their actions, including the fact that they could unwittingly prevent the very conditions that led to their birth or entrance into the Tower. Either the Tower only permits those who cannot or will not use it in such a manner, or its existence is not dependent on our actions or lack thereof." "Of even clearer direction is the notion of motivation. If one sets out to erase even a single person from the world in the past, then how would such an action occur? They would have had to exist to spurn a Seeker on to seek their death. If the person succeeded, then the future motivation would be absent. Would such a paradox be able to occur? Unknown. But I think it more likely that a second thing would occur." Gaius holds both of his hands palm up on the table. "Even though time is not completely fixed, we don't know how much of it is mutable. I'm not saying there's no risk. We clearly killed a griffin when we were last on Cardriss together, and we don't know if or how much that changed things for the Horses or others in the region. But even if a tremendous change was made, it's possible that time is much more static than we expect. Events could reorganize around a changed point to ensure an unchangeable outcome: a fixed point, if you will." Gaius lifts up his right shoulder in a shrug, his hands flexing with the gesture. "I'm not saying that our actions don't have implications or that we shouldn't be careful. I'm merely postulating that our actions in Cardriss up to this point, in the last couple of weeks since we exited the timeline of our births, may not have been sufficient to drastically affect outcomes. Otherwise there could have been changes to our memories along with those of the other residents. Perhaps we have just been lucky." His hands close palms-down on the table. "If we take the implications to their extreme and accept the idea that every action taken outside of the Tower could have catastrophic, unforeseen consequences, then the logical thing to do would be to stay forever within the Tower. To accept that we know too much and cannot be trusted with the power to shape history. Perhaps some among the current residents have independently arrived at such a conclusion, whether they have the information that we do or not. But I believe that such a choice is counter to our goals, individual and mutual." Gaius pauses before launching into the final component of his theory and growing raison d'être. "I think my father came to a similar conclusion and proceeded forward. Based on everything I have learned about him so far, and the fact that he is no longer here, he must have worked out some deeper knowledge about this place. I am less concerned about changing the past than I am about changing the future. Preventing the Cataclysm." A deep breath. "What if the Tower is a mechanism to provide the Seekers with the tools needed to save Cardriss?" He looks around at the others. "I know that you all have felt it as well. We are more attuned to the Tower than when we first entered. How did this happen? By staying idle within the Tower? No--we accomplished things outside of the Tower, in Cardriss. I believe we demonstrated ourselves worthy and capable of taking bold action. We were curious and we took risks--the sort of risks that might be necessary to even attempt to save the world." Gaius sighs. "When the oldest of the current Residents entered the Tower three Tran ago, they found it empty. What happened to all of the Seekers who entered previously? Did they all complete their Attunement and pass on? Doubtful. Did they die? Perhaps. But there is more to this." Gaius looks over to Maximus. "To a certain extent, I'm coming around to Maximus' point of view about 'winning' against the Tower. I'm not saying that we tell everyone everything we know. But I think we can gather those we trust around us. I would vote we be bold rather than timid."
I respect the power of coffee. I once single-handedly drank an entire French press pot of coffee by myself in a single afternoon and induced a panic attack visible the next day by the wear pattern that appeared in my apartment's carpet. You'd think that would have gotten me to swear it off, but I just detoxed for a month or two before slowly reintroducing it into my habits. --- And in the Tower, I absolutely want Gaius to give as much of a hard time! Learning his reaction to all of this is interesting to me as well.
Gaius nods sagely at Lyra's initial observation, which matches his own. Although much of his interest had been academic, the implications of the finding were significant. He hands the treatise over towards The Witness, wondering how much more quickly he would be able to read it than he had. He's more inclined to agree with Lyra's estimation of information-sharing than The Witness', and he says so. "I don't believe that Lyra is suggesting that we become open books, telling all to all without consideration for consequences. Nor do I believe she would concede to pure altruism, providing information with no expectation of a return on the investment. But the paths to knowledge are open to all who are willing to follow them, and pretending otherwise breeds more resentment and distrust. For those with compatible goals, we can trade, and I believe we should." His opening case made, he folds his hands under his chin and looks to the Witness. "Of course the Tower can be used to destroy everything and everyone. But it is not the only such power in the world." He takes a deep breath. "Any one of us in the Tower, any one of us at this table, could likely take on the average Cardrissian army single-handedly and destroy it. As we move closer towards our goals, we will achieve even greater might. I would venture that if even a tenth of the current residents of the Tower were aligned toward a single end, they could easily bring it to fruition. It is perhaps because of the nature of the Tower that this is less likely to happen." He holds his left hand out, showing the Tower Seal. The glowing azure lines pulse softly. "I communed with the Tower this week and I feel more connected to it. It did not impose itself on me, nor I on it. But I feel as though I am more readily able to move about freely, for instance. I would recommend that you all try this--even Maximus." It's admittedly a scattershot argument, not so much responding to each of the Witness' points as providing an alternate--and not completely incompatible--view.
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