Crailek comes upon a tower that is black like all the others, but somehow.. different. Somehow, he knows it to be his, just as he knows the Shadowlands to be his..

On the cold black seal of a door were the words engraved: Exsisto curiosus quis vos opto means. Above these was the image of a great dragon devouring.. was it a squid?

Suddenly, there was a shout nearby.

"Hey! You!"

A Conclave soldier dashed towards him, a scolding look on his face.

--


Crailek waves cheerfully to the soldier as though nothing were wrong, then attempts to open the tower and enter.

--

There is a silence, a moment of pressure.. and the seal opens, as Crailek knew it would. Inside, only darkness.

A shot - a crack breaking the acoustic abyss - and Crailek feels a lancing pain in his leg. He feels himself bleeding, stumbles into the Tower, and it is sealed behind him..

(From the Valley of Ten Towers)

Crailek stumbles inside, and curses, putting a hand on his leg to steady it. He looks around the room for anything of use, either to help with his leg, help walk, or just useful.

(How this works, is, you have a certain number of rooms that you need to explore in order to 'clear' the Tower. If you do so, you'll get a reward. It's meant to be a nasty challenge. You can't access the Valley of Ten Towers as well as being in here, as is logical, but you can leave and return - the thing is meant to be done in more than one go. It will be a challenge. You will very possibly die.)

The room is dark, but Crailek can make out the essentials of it; the floor of stone, the walls are stone, and some form of tapestry hides most of them. In the center of the room was a large statue, and Crailek knew that it was himself - but handsomer, buffer, and with his boot crushing the face of a traitor god. To his left were various bookshelves, filled with tomes, and to his right were a handful of nondescript desks.

There are two stairways - one leading down, to the left of the statue, and one leading up, to the right of the statue.

Crailek heads to the right, and the stairs up. He glances at the statue with a little frown as he passes it. Why did it seem as though he were a hero, and that the god under his boot evil? Did something happen before his return? Most strange.

The stairs were made of wood but did not creak, despite their age.

On the second level was a rug bearing the image of a squid. That was all. The rest was empty. On the other side of the room was a door leading to the next room on the level.

Crailek heads to the door with a frown. Certainly a lot less dark and bloody then he expected. And what the hell was with that squid..? Was it him? He didn't look like a squid, did he? He shakes his head, then just concentrates on his surroundings, ignoring the squid questions for now.

The next room contained a giant glass bowl. Within the bowl was only darkness, shadows, water; blue-black in light. It was completely silent. There was another door ahead; Crailek imagines this to be the one leading to a staircase. The room smells damp, and Crailek can faintly hear the drip, drip, drip of water. It was maddening.

Crailek sighs and begins heading to the door for the stairs, and then heads up.

The door, unfortunately, was locked.

Crailek sighs, and walks back over to the water to examine it more closely.

(Why all the sighs?)

Within the bottom of the tank, Crailek could see, was a glittering, silver key. Above it was a strange, multicoloured fish. The rest of the water was dark, and all Crailek could see was glimmers.

((Crailek's feeling weird, I guess.))

Crailek frowns at the fish. "This is your only warning... you try to hurt me, you won't live to regret it..." He then tries to grab the key as quickly as he can.

He grabs the key.

The fish looks up at him.

Expectantly.

Cralek nods to the fish. "Yeah. It's my key, don't worry. I'll give it right back." He begis withdrawing his hand, with the key.

The fish bites him, latches onto his hand. It didn't hurt - not really. It just felt.. strange.

Crailek growls at the fish. "Dammit, dude. What did I just say? That's just rude!" For the moment, he walks over to unlock the door.

Crailek unlocks the door. It swings open, revealing a staircase going up.

Hello there, Lord Father, said the fish mentally.

Crailek begins heading up the stairs. "Hey. How's it going?" He asks the fish, without a moments hesitation as to wonder how a fish would merit, let alone start, a conversation.

The fish seems to squint at him.

Well, it replied, But we have work to do. You must accept your destiny.

The door to the next level was unfortunately locked and chained. Looks like Crailek was stuck with the fish.

Crailek sighs, and looks at the fish. "Alright, You've got me. What is my destiny? And for that matter, what are you, or who, should I say?"

My name is Valor-Ras, said the fish. I used to be a member of the organization that belonged to this Tower - working in your name - but terrible events trapped my in the body of a fish. I need your help to escape, and by doing so, unlocking the secrets of the Tower - and using those secrets to destroy the Isubanic Cult that has control over the Valley Divine.

Reality bent a bit and then there was a small *pop* as the air got compressed from Tyches appearence. Tyche falls to his knees in the darkness and puts his hands to his head. "SON OF BITCH!" He yells a bit too loudly. The darkness to him was more like a pulsing red-black, with every heart bead feeling liking like a hammer was trying to beat its way out of his skull. He fell over clutching his skull, wanting to yell more obsinities except that last one was still rining in his skull. He would have to wait a while. Just laying there in the enterence... really only aware of the pain in his head.

((Will post again when MD gives the go.))

Suddenly, Crailek hears a sudden yell from below - on the ground floor. It sounded like someone had found their way into the Tower. But how.. ?

By the League, what was that? asked the fish.

Crailek shrugs, and begins heading back down, to the entrance. "Let's go and see. Interesting that two gods should enter a place in almost the same time, that has obviously not seen anybody in quite a while..."

This is.. unusual, said the fish, .. some kind of aberration. Only you, my Lord, and you alone are meant to access the Tower. How could..?

Crailek, working his way down the stairs, came upon a rogueish looking God with bright eyes. Perhaps he was even familiar. Nevertheless, he was obviously in pain - the teleportation had, it felt, ripped his mind to pieces. And yet he'd gotten past the Tower's considerable defenses.. it shocked the fish, who had personally seen to such defenses - and they'd protected him for years.

Tyche felt weak. As if he couldn't.. couldn't phase out and in of reality again. He'd lost the ability to teleport, at least for the small moment.

(Post now, guys. And it's obvious, I know, but Tyche - no teleportation till I say. Not in this thread, at least.)

Tyche looked up to see a figure there. "hello..." he whispered weakly his eyes begining to stop pulsing red.

Crailek frowns at him. "How did you get in here?" He looks down at the weakened figure quietly, calculating whether or not he could become a threat. He glances down at the fish latched to his hand. "Hmm. Either the defenses aren't as good as you thought them, or this guy is quite formidable. Your thoughts?"

"No... their good... i'm in pain..." He says starting to see Crailek now. "Peace please..." he says getting up. "I was testing... my teleport."

He broke through my wards to get here, said the fish to Crailek, he is obviously an enemy, an agent of the Damned Government. He is a threat. No one else could have gotten here. The aberration that he holds - teleportation! - should be more than enough to convince you.. end him, Lord, or be destroyed by his bloody hand..

Hearning nothing but silence and now starting to be able to sit up. He looked up a Crailek. "Listen, I'll leave in a bit if you want me too. Just let me live... and rest. I didn't even think these places were in use with all the laws aginst looking at them, thats why I came here." He sat crosslegged with his hands on his knees, a totally defenseless position.

Crailek frowns slightly at Tyche, then looks at the fish. "Aberration, huh? Not sure I get you. Heck, I had it myself, before waking up from that nap, or whatever."
He then looks at Tyche again. "Hell of a test." He shrugs. "You're here now, and not much is gonna change that, and I don't figure I should try to kill you. You are welcome to wonder the place as well all you like. Just don't steal anything."
He looks down at the fish again before it has a chance to object. "He isn't here to kill me, and the people of authority have already wounded me. I think the 'Damned Government' would perhaps act through other ways, no?"

Perhaps, but it is not wise to let him live. He is an intruder, an obvious enemy. Destroy him while he is weak.

"Thank you... um, whoever you are. My name is Tyche and... who are you talking to?" He said still recovering.

Crailek holds up the hand the fish is latched onto. "Don't know his name, but I'm Crailek."
He looks at the fish and squints. "We aren't killing anyone that might actually help. Heck, at the very least, he could get in the way of the guards, and give me more time to do something."

"So then, guards don't fancy you either... and I think I heard you say you used to be able to teleport? Did they dissect your brain like they wanted to do me?" Tyche didn't want to be 'guard bait' but if it would keep this guy from killing him. "So then Crailek... wait... isn't this, the tower, are you the Crailek?"

He knows, Lord, he knows! A spy for the Damned Government! Destroy him!

Valor-Ras seemed desperate. Crailek felt a pinching pain on his wrist, where the fish had attached itself.

Crailek looks at Tyche, and shrugs. "It's certainly possible they tested on me. After a point, my memory gets a little fuzzy. And then there's that part where there is nothing, then the waking up in my realm. And yes, I assume I am the Crailek, unless another one came around while I was gone."
Crailek frowns at the fish. "Stop that!"

Tyche was a little disturbed the man was talking to a fish, only wondering what he could be saying, but was grateful for not being dead. "Sounds like one hell of a time." he said. "You said you just got here? You mean, you didn't build the place?"

"Nope. And it's weird, cause this place seems so familiar... Must have seen something a while ago. In any case, I can't remember, and I don't see anybody I once knew. I'm thinking something big probably happened."

"Oh well... I suppose you built this place a while back. Man, you must be ancient, no offence though. My guess is that its the the conclave's fault. Their no good."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:44, Wed 23 Sept 2009.

Crailek shrugs. "If I did build it, I certainly don't know why. And I don't know about ancient. I was one of the youngest of the gods in my time, that I remember... But yeah, this whole Conclave thing? No idea what that's about."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:46, Wed 23 Sept 2009.

"Well right now its the ruling godly government. They are pretty strict when it comes to rules though, too strict, and they enforce them harshly. I'm an outcast because its illegal to even say your a psion now, let along actually be one them. So if you even suggest that you might be one, oh they go ape-shit. But it seems they already got to you brain, you should really get a brain-scan to make sure they didn't leave any surprises for disobedience (another thing I wouldn't put past them). And of course get throughly mind-scanned to make sure there is no subconscious hypnotic suggestions or something like that. I might be able to do that, but I wouldn't be brazen enough to such a intimate thing right now. Heck forget I mentioned it, the ritual would take too much work anyway."

He mentions the Damned Government, Lord, the Secret Death! Kill him! He is an agent of corruption and filth! Oh, if only I could go back..

Tyche looks at the fish strangely. "Thats weird... I could swear that for some reason the fish doesn't like me."

Crailek holds up a finger to Tyche, then looks at the fish. "Alright, look. What the heck is your problem, you paranoid guppy? And who are you, anyway?"

Tyche was hesitant to use telepathy since his mind felt like a hot iron had been prodded into it just a moment ago. So instead he just waited for things to unfold.

I am Valor-Ras, your greatest champion, and I was once Grand Constable of this place. I was one of the finest inquisitors against the Mad that this Realm has ever seen. I know evil, Crailek, and I know spite - I know maliciousness and envy and greed - and this man, he has them all. Kill him.

Crailek freezes, not quit looking at either of them. Then his eyes narrow and he looks at the fish. "Are you kidding? You are a damned Inquisitor? Why would I ever have one of those bigoted freaks as a champion?!" He spat out the word Inquisitor as if it were poison to him, and begins o glare at the little fish angrily.

Tyche wondered a bit. "Not to come between you and the fish... but shouldn't you do something about fixing all those seals I broke. I mean, it literally felt like I smashed through a spiked lead-door head first. And if that was when I WASN'T even in existence, since teleporting completely makes me metaphysical. If your not worried, I suggest we explore the place. Seems fun, telepathic angry fish and all."

Crailek shrugs. "I seem to have lost my Psionic proficiency. And I doubt this fish will wanna help now. So unless you want to fix it, I guess I'll just have to have some fun with the guards later."
He nods to the door he had come from. "There's a big fishbowl in there, and some more stairs, with a locked door I can't get through. So I suggest we go the other way if need be."

"If its locked from the other side I should be able to teleport past it in a couple hours, but besides teleporting I seem to be back up to par." He looked around for any other doors they could go through, if there were any details he could see that were out of place.

The room was divided. One one side of the room were administration desks, littered with ancient paper, while on the other tall bookcases held heavy tomes and mysterious vials. At the end of the room was a statue, depicting a mythologised version of Crailek, it seemed, crushing a squid under his foot.

Besides that.. there was a stairway leading down, into the darkened catacombs of the place.

Kill him, Crailek. He is the deceiver. He is a Mad God, I know it! Destroy him!

Tyche felt a little better. He could use his teleportation abilities again, but anything too heavy will snap his fragile physical form and kill him. He best be careful until he is fully recharged.

Crailek nods to Tyche. "Just take your time. It's probably best if you don't die, eh?"
He begins walking towards the stairs down, talking to the fish as he goes. "Hey, Valor-Ras? I wouldn't kill him for being a Mad God. If anything, I applaud him and would ask how he did it. But seeing as he is obviously not homicidal, trying to convert me, or oh-so power hungry, I do not think he is a Mad God."

Tyche got back up, still holding his head a bit, and followed Crailek. "Mad gods, sane gods, no difference really, its strict governments that are the big evil now." He says mistaking Crailek talking to the fish for talking to him. Tyche made sure Crailek was moveing down the hall first What are the odds that there is a trap on the stairs? He thought to himself.

The odds were extremely low.

What? exclaimed the fish, outraged. You - you imposter! Lord Crailek would never, never speak such blasphemy! Oh, how you will pay, devil!

Tyche looked at the fish. "The fish seems angery now... I'm not going to read its mind, but I mean, its raditating anger..."

Crailek shrugs, and continues toward the stairs. "And where did you get the info that I was ever such a 'good' entity? I am the real Crailek, the first to have come around. If you witnessed me being a bitch of the inquisitors, then that was the imposter, not me."

There was silence from the fish.

Just silence.

Tyche wondered just how long these stairs were...

Not that long.

Soon they'd reached the first underground level; apparently, once a storeroom of some sort. A weapons room. Steel blades, some rusted, littered the floor, along with maces, chains, bludgeons, whips, hammers, lances, and all manner of instruments designed for killing and maiming. There were, of course, more stairs leading down at the end of the room.

Tyche had fully regained his ability to teleport.

Tyche went over inspecting the weapons looking for magical residue. "Does the fish know anything about this?"

"Nope. He isn't talking much. I think I pissed him off." He looks around at the weapons with mild interest, though not expecting to find anything very interesting. He walks towards the next stairs while looking.

Tyche doesn't pick up any obvious signs of magical residue - as the entire Tower is drenched in arcane energies, with the breaking of the seals and all of that, it was very difficult to distinguish individual sources of sorcerous power.

Crailek doesn't find anything especially interesting - exactly what you'd expect to find.

As he reaches the staircase he notices something etched into the wall along it's side, a message - recently scribed?

All those who enter beg the Fates for a merciful death.

The fish was silent, but radiated a sense of fury.

Crailek smiles. "Sounds fun."
He enters, quite calmly.

(Tyche?)

"Actually I think I'll stay up here... I have a bad feeling about down there. Like several like myself were torture and killed there... and there might be some residue."

I'll connect our minds, give me the OK if you don't think there is anything really down there.

Crailek turns and shrugs at Tyche. "Meh, probably. But if this was my tower, good chance I was the one torturing, no? In which case, either it's empty, or I'll meet myself. Win-Win." He then heads back and starts down the stairs.

Inside the room, the smell of rotting flesh overcame Crailek. There was a single orb in the center of the room, glittering blue and hovering several feet above the stone floor. Dead corpses, some obviously ancient and some - somehow - seemingly only a few days old, littered the room. There was a heavy buzzing coming from the orb.

Hey... I'm getting positively board standing here. I'm going to head out okay? I'm going to check out another tower (but first I'm going to shield my mind against the damn wards). Sorry about the intrusion before. With that Tyche began to consider what he might need for a "mind shielding" ritual to protect against the sort of wards that he might encounter by teleporting into a place like that.

((Since we are in separate places can you do it like the valley and "repeat" for him and a keep going for me, also since I'm just thinking?))

Tyche was only a Conjurer, and had no real concept of what such a mind shielding ritual would entail; he couldn't conjure anything powerful enough.

--

Inside the room, the smell of rotting flesh overcame Crailek. There was a single orb in the center of the room, glittering blue and hovering several feet above the stone floor. Dead corpses, some obviously ancient and some - somehow - seemingly only a few days old, littered the room. There was a heavy buzzing coming from the orb.

Tyche just sighed and stayed where he was.

(We'll wait for Crailek.)

Board out of his mind now Tyche began using his new mental ability to scan the area for anything out of place. He also went ahead and went downstairs if he deemed that the place wasn't going to kill him.

Crailek walks over to the orb, and without hesitating, touched it.

((breaking rules is fun!))

The place, Tyche realised, was going to kill him. He didn't need any psychic abilities to hear the thunderous roar from below, or see the flames, or feel the shock.. or, when the place had calmed a little, see the half-blasted face of Crailek roll in front of him, grinning a grin that does not go with death.

--

Crailek felt none of those.

He felt alarm, yes, and a flash of red. And light. White light.. he was floating..

But nothing else.

For he was dead.

((Is Tyche in immediate danger? Or does he have time to prepare?))

(He's in the room above. He's fine. He just witnessed the death of Crailek.. but he's okay.)

"Huh" That wasn't good and if he felt alone and out of place before... he portaled out.

The Tower of Crailek did not mind.

Crailek returns, and begins heading back to the room he previously died in.

It was empty, save for the presence of ten score ten rotting corpses, most a pallid black. There was a door at the other side of the room, leading downwards, but Crailek would have to dishonor the dead in order to reach it.

Crailek calmly dishonors said dead, without hesitation, to get to the door. "You turn into zombies, I will kill you again..." He mutters along the way.

There is a door.

It is not locked.

There are stairs leading down to the next room..

Which, as Crailek discovers, is a library of some sort. Ebony-crafted bookshelves line each wall. Black and blue books line each shelf.

Crailek scans the spines of the books quickly to see if there is anything written on them to hint at the info they held.

Most of the spines were worn, but from what he could read they were manuals on how to destroy certain enemies - Mad Gods, Worvels, the Spheres, Shamans, etc - and archived records of some sort.

Crailek looks for the oldest book of Archives that he can, and attempts to read it.

Unfortunately, most of the dates were worn off, and many of the archives were in a language Crailek recognized, but could not comprehend. The experience was maddening.

Crailek frowns at the books, and replaces any he may have disturbed. He looks around to see if there is anything else of note in the room.

There was a single red candle. Crailek felt a sense of reverence well up within him when he saw it, as if the thing was sacred.

Crailek watches the candle, and looks around and behind it, to see if there were anything, such as a sign to show the meaning of the candle.

There were no signs. The candle itself had a strange series of markings upon it, another language that was strangely familiar but impossible to understand.

Had he spoken this tongue, once..?

Crailek frowns slightly, looking a bit frustrated. He looks around again, to see if there was any other exit besides the one he had come in to the room from.

It seemed this was the bottom floor, excepting the possibility of a secret door.

Crailek looks at the candle again, then frowns. Touching stuff hadn't ended up well here last time. For the moment, he heads back upstairs.

He soon finds himself within the main chamber, staring up at the strange statue of himself.

Crailek begins to head back up towards the locked door.

He soon came upon the locked door. The fish wasn't here to help him now.

Crailek stares at the door, and concentrates on pushing it lightly with his mind, trying to keep from blowing something up this time.

The locked door rattles.

Crailek knows that he can blast it down.

Crailek hits the door harder, then, making sure it goes away, and doesn't just come back and kill him.

The door is ruined by the force of his mind.

Inside was a common room, of some sort, couches and chairs and desks and bookcases and liquer cabinets all over, as well as a single locked chest in the right of the room. Large enough, Crailek supposed, to hide weapons..

Crailek walks over to the locked chest, then concentrates on the lock, specifically on breaking said lock in half.

The lock became bent, twisted, and finally shattered.

Inside the chest, Crailek saw, was a small, dark red orb, certain alien runes and glyphs having been inscribed upon its face. Crailek felt fear at the prospect of touching another random sphere..

Crailek frowns at the orb, and stands up. Best to leave that there for the time being. Crailek leaves out of a portal for now, to the Funeral.

It was not long before Crailek was where he needed to be, at the Funeral.

Crailek clutches his stomach lightly, and heads up stairs towards the chest with the orb in it as quickly as he could, given the circumstances arising. Along the way, he mutters about how much he hated poison and the like.

Crailek felt even worse. When he saw the chest once more, a sudden thought hit him and he felt momentarily worse.

Wood of the Charnal tree. 500 x 500. No enchantments. Standard lock - decayed. Age: 567 years. Owner: once Magestus Tep, Grand Constable of the League of Crailek, now the Witch of Whitening. Contents: Orb of Ghandash. Carver: Misteri Avum.

Crailek stumbled a little as the thoughts hit him.

Crailek grimaces, clutching his head lightly. He opens the chest, and after a moments hesitation, reaches forward to touch the Orb.

As Crailek touches the Orb of Ghandash, he feels a withering sensation - not pleasant, and yet not entirely unpleasant - crawl across his body. There are no explosions or death.

However, Crailek's mind is wracked once again..

The Orb of Ghandash. Sister to the Orb of Gh'zaar and the Orb of Ghant. Crafting using the magic of the Realm Sorcerous. Crafted by the Alkanite Heidous in the Age of the City (2.90 before Age of Odin). Properties: crawling sensation, removes and destroys all magical properties in an area. Reading: 7.8.

Suddenly the feelings become much more intense, and Crailek crashes to the floor clutching his head.

  1. A spherical body; a globe; especially, one of the celestial spheres; a sun, planet, or star.

          In the small orb of one particular tear. --Shakespeare.
          Whether the prime orb, Incredible how swift, had thither rolled. -- John Milton.

   2. One of the azure transparent spheres conceived by the ancients to be inclosed one within another, and to carry the heavenly bodies in their revolutions.
   3. A circle; especially, a circle, or nearly circular orbit, described by the revolution of a heavenly body; an orbit.

          The schoolmen were like astronomers, which did feign eccentrics, and epicycles, and such engines of orbs. --Bacon.
          You seem to me as Dian in her orb. --Shakespeare.
          In orbs Of circuit inexpressible they stood, Orb within orb. --John Milton.

   4. (rare) A period of time marked off by the revolution of a heavenly body. --John Milton.
   5. (poetic) The eye, as luminous and spherical.

          A drop serene hath quenched their orbs. --John Milton.

   6. (poetic) A revolving circular body; a wheel.

          The orbs Of his fierce chariot rolled. --John Milton.

   7. (rare) A sphere of action. --William Wordsworth.

          But in our orbs we'll live so round and safe. --Shakespeare

   8. A globus cruciger.
   9. A translucent sphere appearing in flash photography.

Crailek grabs his head with one hand, and begins to force himself back up onto his feet, and then back down towards the library. If he manages to get there, he carefully avoids the Black orb, giving it a wide berth, to get to the books.

Crailek enters the library, stumbling down the flight of stairs as he does so. When he tries to pick himself, he vomits. Black, stringy, stirring bile runs from his throat. He looks up, and..

  1. a place set apart to contain books, periodicals, and other material for reading, viewing, listening, study, or reference, as a room, set of rooms, or building where books may be read or borrowed.
2. a public body organizing and maintaining such an establishment.
3. a collection of manuscripts, publications, and other materials for reading, viewing, listening, study, or reference.
4. a collection of any materials for study and enjoyment, as films, musical recordings, or maps.
5. a commercial establishment lending books for a fixed charge; a lending library.
6. a series of books of similar character or alike in size, binding, etc., issued by a single publishing house.
7. Biology. a collection of standard materials or formulations by which specimens are identified.
8. canon 1 (def. 9).
9. Computers. a collection of software or data usually reflecting a specific theme or application.

  1. a written or printed work of fiction or nonfiction, usually on sheets of paper fastened or bound together within covers.
2. a number of sheets of blank or ruled paper bound together for writing, recording business transactions, etc.
3. a division of a literary work, esp. one of the larger divisions.
4. the Book, the Bible.
5. Music. the text or libretto of an opera, operetta, or musical.
6. books. book of account.
7. Jazz. the total repertoire of a band.
8. a script or story for a play.
9. a record of bets, as on a horse race.
10. Cards. the number of basic tricks or cards that must be taken before any trick or card counts in the score.
11. a set or packet of tickets, checks, stamps, matches, etc., bound together like a book.
12. anything that serves for the recording of facts or events: The petrified tree was a book of Nature.
13. Sports. a collection of facts and information about the usual playing habits, weaknesses, methods, etc., of an opposing team or player, esp. in baseball: The White Sox book on Mickey Mantle cautioned pitchers to keep the ball fast and high.
14. Stock Exchange.
a. the customers served by each registered representative in a brokerage house.
b. a loose-leaf binder kept by a specialist to record orders to buy and sell stock at specified prices.
15. a pile or package of leaves, as of tobacco.
16. Mineralogy. a thick block or crystal of mica.
17. a magazine: used esp. in magazine publishing.
18. book value.
19. Slang. bookmaker (def. 1).
20. the book,
a. a set of rules, conventions, or standards: The solution was not according to the book but it served the purpose.
b. the telephone book: I've looked him up, but he's not in the book.


Crailek hasn't felt this bad since the time he stuffed up fighting the legions of Osiris-Ra..

Crailek pushes himself back up quite forcefully, leaning slightly on the giant candle. He began to pull books out and open at random, glancing inside to see what was said.

Crailek peered into the musty tomes, and as he did so he was assaulted by a magnificent and pure stream of information - information that filled his mind like the jug is filled from a stream. The words came out of the page, heavy ink and somber glyphs, and they swirled and forced entry into the God of Shadows. They did not come as words, however, which were overfed, pompous symbols of an inefficient civilization; rather, they came as something more, the concentrated form..

123129312930912748468912640912641209472490624
129471234712847190247089421894209186409214602481686
953790735094=974723-957-03792-03579032755068=04876997473
3248972852906590632590325609523609756325625396853096
8750359-0573230573575390357350795390752390357093257953
4530957087538-9735-8927595238797259769489065

495095723095720953790275230957057039257395730957509325
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1

Crailek was thrown to the floor, the books scattering, as the numbers seemed to crash down upon his physical body. Crailek died with the taste of black tar in his mouth and a thousand fleeting images in his mind..

As Crailek enters the tower once again, he heads for the library, careful once again to avoid the floating orb of death and horror.

The library was quiet, empty. He was surrounded by thousands of books. The orb of death was nowhere in sight.

There was a clicking, rasping sound from behind. Something had crept up on him..

Crailek quickly spins around to face this new adversary, putting his hands up into a defensive position, ready to deflect any attacks. He studies what, if anything, he sees, as best he can to figure everything out about it.

It was him.

It was Crailek.

His old, sick body, blood on the lips and draining from the eyes, currently in the process of a crystallized metamorphosis. Tiny diamond-things, shimmering silver, hung from his nose and flesh, his eyes completely blank, silver only remaining. He was wearing the exact same clothes that Crailek wore when he last died.

Crai... Crailek..

Crailek cocks his head at himself. "And just what do you think you are doing? You're supposed to be on the floor, where I left you! What do you have to say for yourself?"
He lowers his hands, but stays wary for any sort of danger or attack.

The being frowned. As it did so Crailek saw that its mouth cracked and popped, small crystals fell to the floor.

It seemed harmless enough.

Crailek frowns back. "Well fine then. Any idea what your purpose is, if it's so important that it transcends death? It would be nice to know, yeah?"

I... Crailek... turn world to snow...

The being just stood there, frown on it's mouth. Crailek shuddered involuntarily. He saw that the ground about the body had formed crystals, too, as if the thing was slowly spreading.

Crailek glances down at the ground, and then back up at his crystal-covered corpse. He cocks his head to the side at the body, and attempts to grab it with his mind, and lift it into the air. If successful, he attempts to completely encase the body with energy, so that it would be unable to affect anything.

It takes a small grunt of effort - Crailek isn't exactly the most well-trained in the psychic ability front - but he has more than enough talent. Soon, with an effort of concentrated will, Crailek has the creature levitating in the air, static, trapped within a solid bubble of energetic swirls.

He enters, hoping that the tower itself may aide him in finding his beloved. He had no love for what he must do and it tore at him, he wished he could stay behind. He wished that he had never remembered... but he knew that he had to leave. Tower show me the way to my beloved and thank you for listening.

Crailek watches his crystallizing body in the psionic bubble warily, and slowly begins to lead it out of the library, and into the strange slaughter-room that was between the library and main hallway. He frowns up at his old body. "What are you doing here?"

The body, captured in force, does not reply. Cannot reply.

Foun eventually found Crailek on the level below, speaking to his corpse.

Crailek releases the corpse, not yet noticing Foun, as he was busy watching the crystal spewing zombie closely. "Tell me why you are here."

Turn.. turn world to .. turn world snow.. to snow..

This was all the crystal-zombie-thing could say. This was, perhaps, its missions, its life purpose. Who knew? It hung in the air, a strange curiosity, the reminder of a painful death experienced not too long ago.

Crailek could not ignore the presence of his lover on the other side of the room. Foun saw the hanging, pathetic zombie - identical to Crailek except for mannerisms and the fact that it was encased in crystal shards of its own making - and possibly felt some alarm.

Yes it was alarming and he would have to address it some point. His memories told him he had seen something like this before in another place, but he was certain it was not the same thing.

((OOC - not metagaming it's ironic, but I actually have something like this happen in eo and I didn't know ab out this thing till just now))

Crailek encloses his corpse in the orb of energy once again, muttering something along the lines of his disembowelment. He then looks up at Foun, but keeps his corpse still. "Hey! Is everything alright?"

He sighed, this wasn't going to be easy. I remember who I am crailek. I remember where I need to be... I'm leaving... He looked up his eyes were brimming his heart felt like it was breaking. A part of him wanted more then anything to stay, how could he lose crailek again so soon after finding him?

The corpse, encased in shimmering waves of power, had nothing to say about their strange romance.

Crailek looks into Founs eyes, a confused look on his face. "Why do you need to leave?" The corpse was for now at east for the most part forgotten.

He clasped crailek to himself. I must my love, there is no other way. There are those out there who need me, those who will die millions if I don't protect them. There is a great darkness crailek and even with all it's evils somehow yggdrasil is safe from it. The other trees aren't though and it's spreading. I need to go crailek I'm the only one who remembers, the only who knows the meaning of it all. There are others too friends I made when I was off the tree... companions we call ourselves hunters of truth. They're waiting for me on the temple divine... my ship. I wish that you could come with me, but I would never dream of taking you away from yggdrasil of dragging you into this war. Perhaps one day when you're finished with your work here... but till then I would never ask that of you. I just want ... I wish we could have one last moment...

Love.. sighed the thing caught within the energy bubbling, and for a moment it seemed as if it were laughing at their plight. Love..

Crailek looks at Foun sadly, staring into his eyes. "I wish that you did not have to go, nor that I stay. It truly pains me that we have important things to finish so far from each other. I need to finish my work here, but if I survive it, I shall seek you out for as long as there is a way to. Anything you want or wish, I would fulfill."

He ignores his corpse, not caring one way or the other how it felt about the situation.

He smiles softly, I don't know when the enemy I fight will be defeated... but I promise some day I will return for you. I will love you always and no one else. He reaches in and gives crailek a kiss...

(OOC - actually can we have a pan to blackness moment. I feel it's just right.)

The magical lights dim, go out under the pressure of Foun and Crailek's love. Fade to black.

When it is over foun, holds crailek close one more time.
I must leave now, but make certain that you remember me. I know that one day we will be together again. For now take the journal ... He had to leave now, or he would never leave. Saying one last farewell to crailek he gave him one of the two books of plans.

I will be leaving from the valley now, farewell my love.

The entire Tower seemed to creak in opposition to Foun leaving so soon. The cold irons seemed to cry why at the prospect, perhaps mimicking Crailek's own feelings.

His sorrow followed him as he finally did leave it was his final farewell... he would not return to the tree.

As Foun left, Crailek first glances over at his corpse to make sure it wasn't off nuking the world or something. He figured that he probably should have thought of that earlier, but whatever.

The corpse was still trapped within the bubble of energy. Crailek found that he could give it permanent existence if he sacrificed most of the rest of his psychic abilities.

Crailek frowned at the corpse. "You really aren't worth all the trouble you've given me, you know that?"
He shakes his head, and attempts to lead the corpse through the air to the entrance of his tower. If successful, he attempts to open the door to reveal the valley outside.

The Tower is suddenly filled with a harsh grating sound, iron on iron, as the entrance to the Tower slowly opens. A harsh bright light - the light of noon - enters then, and Crailek's eyes still for a moment. The light fades, and is replaced by an equally harsh - if not harsher - light, composed of silver and logic.

It was the light of not one but two Silver Shamblers, waiting silently as the door opened.

They were surrounded by four men - one with a diamond firearm, two with vibration blades, a fourth bearing only a silver rod - their faces obscured by arcane gas masks, dressed themselves in shimmering silver suits with HAZARD HAZARD HAZARD emblazoned upon their front. They were alien and terrifying. Crailek looked beyond and saw the entire area had been warded with tape of red and yellow.

Crailek, enemy to the Callisti People.

The voice of the Shambler was booming - at once sad, remote and terribly angry.

"Outlaw, we have the Tower surrounded," said one of the men, his voice static. "Give it up."

Crailek squints in the harsh light, and raises an arm to shade his eyes. "Man, you guys are quick!" He frowns, then, and moves his corpse in the doorway, expanding the bubble of psionic energy to fill the doorway with just an in or so on any side of space. "Here, you can have the one that killed the shambler."

With that, he attempts to shoot the bubble out of the door as hard as possible, while simultaneously closing the door to the tower.

There was a thunderous boom and the screams of the last Crailek as it was torn to pieces by the hail of diamond fire. Several explosions of white light, shouted orders and sudden darkness. The Tower had been sealed once more; the corpse had been destroyed. Crailek felt uneasy. For a shadow-God he had little capability to see in the darkness, and he felt as if something weren't right.

Crailek curses, blinking hard to try and restore some semblance of sight. Regardless of success, he slowly turns around the be facing away from the door from wherever he had been facing before, and begins waking, hoping to eventually run into the little pool of water or the statue.

The explosion is loud, magnificent, blinding and brutal, trapped as it was within the confines of the blackened tower room. A grenade, perhaps - it matters not. The force of the grenade crashes against crailek, and he feels his right hand disintegrate into ash and then nothing as it is taken by the blast. Instinctively he calls up the force-shield and is taken by the tsunami of light and sound.

He awoke sometime later. The room was dark and silent and Crailek could taste his own blood. There was an aching pain in both his mind and his right hand. It was missing.

Crailek looks down at the mass of air where his right hand usually was. He sighed, and flexed the non-existent muscles in that hand, and reflects on how much that didn't feel like it very well should have, what with there being no feeling whatsoever except a sort of pain.

He sighs once again, and pushes himself up onto his feet with his remaining, now lonelier hand. He scratches his head, feeling an odd tickling at the back of his mind, a feeling like this was all too familiar for whatever reason. He shakes his head, and looks around for any other explosives, signs of danger, or generally any sort of anything at all. He moves his tongue around in his mouth, absentmindedly trying to find out if he were still bleeding and if so, from where.

As he'd been thrown, Crailek's teeth had chomped hard into his tongue, and his mouth was filled with copper-tasting blood. He'd been scrapped and battered, but besides the stump of a hand that he remained he was relatively unharmed. The ground floor of the Tower was a mess - paper and shattered stone everywhere, the smell of chemicals and awakened dust permeating the entire room. It was dark and very still.

Crailek sighs, and looks towards the door, to see whether or not it were still intact. Hopefully it was, but if not, then he had to wonder why they couldn't have done that in the centuries trying to break in. But no matter, now was more important, with the questions it brought. Questions such as "Was there still a door?" and "What the hell was that explosion?" and "Where the hell is my hand?". Indeed, these questions were ones that Crailek himself had, and ones that he hoped to figure out by looking towards the door.

Crailek couldn't find his hand, and the explosion was long done. Nevertheless, the seals had functioned correctly - as they had for hundreds of years - and as such the door was shut tight. There was no sound coming from outside, only the still silence of the Tower.

Crailek frowns at the door for a moment, then promptly heads towards the stairs to go up in the tower. He attempts to head back to the room with the chest with the orb thing, and look around once again at all of the surroundings within the room.

Past the corpses, the library, the memories of horror within the silent Tower..

There was the chest, surrounded by unused weapons, and inside the chest the deepest blood-red orb, its face adorned with glyphic runery. It hummed with unseen power.

((Let's just say you described this room instead, as it is the one with the chest and the red orb.))

Crailek heads back to the chest, and attempts to open it and pick up the orb, obviously with his left hand, to inspect it closer without the distracting flood of information that had happened last time before death.

Crailek took up the Orb of Ghandash, and as he did so he felt an unnerving sense of crawling all over his body - as if he had invisible spiders crawling up and down his body. It hummed a deep red.

Crailek attempts to pocket the orb, and then head to the nearest book case and pull out a book at random. He hoped it was not written in the same way as the ones in the lower level of the tower, but he held no illusions about such things at this point.

The orb felt heavy and alive in his pocket.

The book, interestingly enough, was written in the same maddeningly occult language.

Crailek stares at the book for a moment quietly, then calmly places it back on the shelf. He wordlessly turns back and walks out of the room, down the spiral stairs, through the room with the bowl of water, across the room with the squid carpet, and down the stairs to the main lobby, with the statue of himself, the desks, the bookshelves, and the tapestries. He walks around the statue, and heads down to the first underground room, the one with all of the weapons.

He stops within this room, and looks at all of the weapons, seeing if any seemed out of place, or called to him in a way the others did not for any reason.

Crailek now knew what must be done.

There was a single blade, dulled and rusted, that seemed to call to Crailek. A scimitar of no obvious worth or mystical potency, it nevertheless seemed attractive to him. Surrounded by weapons beautiful and marvelous, it was a rare sight, and Crailek had a feeling - an inkling - that beneath the rust and dullness of centuries lay a powerful and deadly weapon.

Crailek attempts to pull the sword from its resting place, to hold it up and look at it closely, to see if it had any distinctive marks on it or such. He figured it warranted such attention, and his plan could wait for but a few moments.

The sword was easily removed, and besides a distinct pattern of rust - the orange-brown looking at once and at once not like dried blood - there were no obvious patterns or markings upon the thing. It felt good in Crailek's hand, somehow right. As if he were always meant to have this sword.

Crailek smiles at the sword, holding it with one hand. "Today we shall see if you hold the strength I feel you have."

With that, he attempts to make a copy of himself through his natural God power, and send it straight out to the lobby to try to open the door, with the original Crailek following behind but staying out of sight and range for the moment. He hoped the copy had the power to at least open the door, which shouldn't be too hard.

((COPYCAT! (Though I copied meta Lol)))

(Hang on a second. You're trying to use your raw theoelectromagnetic field, your raw godly power, in order to create a short-lived paradox in the same location?)

(Read my seventh minor power)

Crailek felt his consciousness expand, take the form first of vacant shadows, and then feel those shadows take solid form.. his consciousness split in two, each parts equal and strong.. he felt himself create and take the second body..

He felt his second body rise from the floor and place its hand against the cold iron door leading to the Valley. He felt a small surge of power, and saw the door scream quietly as it rose up, letting the harsh sun burn at both of his bodies' eyes.

There were no gunshots, no sudden alarms. Had they forgotten, so soon.. ?

Crailek looks at his clone for a moment silently. Then, "Well? Go on, go out there. Walk."

He watches to see what happens, and waits for his eyes to adjust to the light so he can see out the door.

Crailek nods at Crailek.

"Very well, my friend."

The door creaks as it is swung open, but remains so without any visible damage. It is heavy, though, and the strain upon Crailek II is obvious.