"Hmm.. most interesting," said the man. "I have not seen such a mark in person, but the books of the ancients declare it to be, at my first observation, a Witching-Mark of Portal - something that can shift a man from one place, rapidly, to the next - to another universe, even. I will have to study this further. Will you come with me, Sirk, to my lab?"

He nods of course keeping sharp eyes on everything including this other foun. If he felt that he could trust himself he would tell honestly who he was, but for now he would show nothing of himself in case this was not someone he would want to put his truth in.

Foun takes Sirk further down the lane, smiling as he does so.

"This city used to be filled with people, Sirk, you know that? And once, suddenly, they all got up and fled. They feared a curse, or a plague, or some such nonsense. The city is, of course, entirely safe. Shame, isn't it? Such beautiful, perfect, sublime architecture.."

He grinned.

Sirk knew the God - if that's what he was - was lying.

They reached a small flat area, covered in the same golden paving, and Sirk looked down - a similarly golden manhole. He smiled and reached towards the grate, shifting it so that they could enter below.

"After you, friend."

Sirk was not shaken of course, but caution was his most valuable weapon at the moment and as some would say the paranoid were the greatest at avoiding trouble. So he kept a sharp eye on the golden grate curious of it's possible enchantments, and also keeping a ever observant eye on foun he decides to converse a little first. What kind of curse was it do you mind me asking?

"They believed that a prince of darkness had ascended upon them, a creature so disturbed as to wish the annihilation of their entire race and to destroy their secrets," said Foun, smiling thinly. "They needed a champion to defeat such antagonism - and a champion never arose, or if he did, it was far too late.. or perhaps he was unfit."

What about you? Wouldn't you be their champion? Surely you would I would think if you are the foun I've heard of. So much did he love his people unless... I heard once that foun in his rage and anger at one who had wronged him. He wished to plunge the world into oblivion and he sacrificed his people to his constructs the lighthouses so he could plunge it into the sea, but then stories are of course just stories I am certain what do you think? Of course if I speak out of turn just say so.

Foun smiled and dismissed Sirk's misconceptions.

"Perhaps I was to be their champion.. but no, I was not chosen. Not for that purpose. I cannot expel such a demon. As for the lighthouses.. tell me more of those. Our cities have no lighthouses. You've heard the name Foun before, then..?"

Well I've read about a god named foun once or twice, but it was nothing really and I didn't think much of it till now, but now that I've seen you I realize just how powerful and great foun really was. He smiled, flattery was a grand trick and usually worked wonders for one's situation.

"Powerful and great?" asked Foun. "We haven't known each other long enough for you to make any scientific judgments on my power or greatness. Perhaps empirical data would have to do.. I am the greatest scientist this world has ever seen, you know."

He smiles and nods, of course science was something he was pretty skilled in as well. He would have to see for himself just what this man was capable of. Deciding at this point that putting it off any longer would cause only problems he goes down into the hole 'foun' had shown him. Although he does so carefully and cautiously.

Beneath was a renovated sewer system, cut off from any of the main pipes, and decorated in gold and silver. Benches, filled with flasks and tubes, lined every wall, and the place itself was a fantastic bastion of science. In the corner, an athanor burned intensely. Various chemical substances were bubbling away, slowly simmering on various burners. The room was immediately hot, and Foun broke out into a sweat.

Foun pointed to a silvery, glass-like crystalline substance.

"Crystal methamphetamine," said Foun. "A fine narcotic. Care to try some?"

He shook his head, My apologies I couldn't, but please do describe these wondrous alchemical things I see I must admit I have dabbled from time to time, but I see nothing here as primitive as my own work. He smiled winningly.

"I mostly manufacture narcotics," said Foun, smiling. "That is where the greatest demand on Farris lies. That pays for my other operations.."

He nodded, gestured towards a half-built automaton. Itwas crafted out of steel, shackled to the floor, its metallic guts sprawled all over the floor.

"Serbius XI," he continued, "My most recent alchemical-clockwork creation. Runs on the power of hate. I tried love, lust, envy, passion, creativity, sloth, many of the others.. but it is hate that creates the greatest affect. Luckily, it is not so difficult to allow a robotic creation to despise everything about it.."

He frowned at this, certainly this was very wrong. He after all had plans to do such a thing himself, but he would never allow hate to be that which powered the creatures he would create. Kneeling down he was almost somber and a part of him began to bore a small hatred of his own towards this creature that bore his name, but when he stood up again his face was once more a perfect mask of politeness and showed no sign of the disgust his soul bore at this. Speaking very mannerly and with no sign of his true feelings, Are you certain I mean no offense of course, but I have tried my hand at something similar, and I do have some ideas on the subject. He tried to make himself seem as humble as he could, but at the same time his green eye glowed at this moment and he was ready to see truth now and he was also ready to psychoport at the first moment of danger. He also made sure to know his body at this moment in case 'foun' tried to slip any of his drugs into his system. He was ready to psychoport tainted blood out of himself if need be. The intricacy of life is hard to follow and copy I will admit, but I know something of magiscience. You see it is one of my projects to create feeling, thinking, creatures of steel, but my name for them will be magimachina. Have you tried mixing mythcrafting with these creations? Or perhaps the binding of souls? There is of course my idea of the 'voice' programs, also the intricate 755 virus that could lead to their awakening. It is data you see, learning, and evolving. There is a ancient human invention called the interweb or internet or something like that it helped give birth to the idea for me.

"Hmmmm," said Foun, grimacing. "I have used many souls in my scientific pursuits, but I find even the immortal variant-electromagnetic pulse - this 'soul' - is weak compared to such emotions. The soul is simply a shell for such experiences; if I cut the middle-man by using the experiences themselves success is much quicker."

He opens up the insides of the automaton, and a small whirring occurs. He takes out a jar pulsing with red light.

"This is the soul," said Foun. "It is a powerful engine, I will admit, but it is the fuel that is required."

He nods, stairs at his alter-ego with malevolent intent.

"Tell me, friend - when did you start having marital difficulties?"

Curious why would you think I have marital difficulties? I have none, also there is a curious way you put this that is the soul you have crafted? Instead of crafting a multi-layered logic box that could contain within itself multiple emotions and then using those emotions as one fuel power itself? Yes the way I suggest to do things is slower, but slower can also be more efficient and in the end perfect. After all isn't the goal to make the perfect creation not the quickest or most powerful one? My goal for creating magimachina the living machine or the deux ex machina as some might call it is to create something beautiful, intricate, detailed, and perfect in it's complexity and in many ways it's power will truly come from that. The 755 virus would be the key to making this artificial soul alive. It's an idea you see that is the power it will carry the immortal idea. In my case the idea of truth. He watches the man closely with his eye of truth and suddenly begins to empower his aura of the heart.

Foun laughed at this.

"You've kept many things hidden, it seems, friend," he said, "Including your nature as to myself and my work. I was not aware that I was to be visited by my own nemesis - and so soon. But yes - you would be the Nouf of the reversed. So soon.. I had thought my experiments a failure.."

He smiled, stood straight suddenly.

"As to the marital difficulties.. tell me, when was the last time you laid with your betrothed?"

He smiled now, So we are adversaries then? I didn't know... I don't see why we would need to be... although I have a theory. Our marital problems? Laid with each other... we were going to... didn't get the chance I suppose I would think that was fate and circumstance although I believe we had a reason a long time ago. We were going to quest for a way to allow myself to father a child and then we were going to. A divine child of our lineage would have been a great thing you see. It's something I would still like to do although part of me has been thinking that perhaps... we already have.

Although he still allows his body to be perfectly at ease he is ready to psychoport at a moment's notice

OOC - I would ask that if he is attacked that this be taken into consideration as a possibility of reflex dodging

"We are nemeses because we are two sides of the same coin," said Foun. "I am white, a madman and a murder and a scientist, and you are black, honesty and fatherhood and magician. Yet, I do not wish to kill you. Not yet. You are too interesting.. this proves my earlier experiment worked.."

I would be curious as to what that experiment was. Truth is I am a being of neutrality, I don't see why we would have to kill each other at all. If anything our alliance would assure the rule of neutrality and truth. After all true Truth is both truth and lies. That which is the center must be protected and aligned. I cannot exist without you just as you could not exist without me. Yes you are interesting to me as well. Very well now that we're frank I am foun as are you. In my world I am called foun as well so shall we just call you mr.evil and myself mr.good. It will make things simpler I suppose so what is your desire to cross into my world? That would be enjoyable I think I might help you with that of course as long as it doesn't result in my death preferably.

"Mr. Evil? Mr. Good? No, I don't think so.." said the Pattern Foun. "Chaotic and lawful, perhaps, or simply two creatures with different codes. It matters little. We are reversed. Two snakes about the caduceus. Perhaps the same serpent biting its own tail.."

He sighed.

"My experiment was to create a world. A universe. Much like this, but larger. It required power. So much power. So I took the power, said the sorcery, worked through the motions. And nothing happened. Nothing at all. Save - you. You are here. Success. Tell me, Foun, does your world rest within the eyes of the World Spider, Yagzarad?"

He cocked his head at this, How unique? Does your world have a sphere dedicated to a race of tree people who happen to have similar, but different at the same time abilities like a god's? For you see no, my world does not it actually resides in something else completely, but this opens up whole new ideas of existence... I live on the worldtree yggdrasil, you live on a world spider. This is so interesting. Tell me more and we will share information, but chaos and order? I wouldn't happen to be order, that would be dreadful, but I suppose a realistic observation. He sighs he is suddenly although not certain why, at ease somewhat. This man was his intellectual equal and interesting as all the hells. He wanted to smile in a sense, why would they fight? Why couldn't they be allies, of course he would still be careful ready to defend if the man attacked, but at the same time he felt a desire to actually try to make things work out in a more positive way between them.

"Then we are both chaos. No matter. And yes, Divinity exists upon Yagzarad. As he walks the Web Eternal, devouring whatever lesser insect he comes upon, we are learned that a God is born from the carcass. To live, breath, fuck, think, worship. For what is the sacred purpose of the deity? To complete the cycle, of course. Worship only leads to worship. Violence to violence.."

He smiled.

"Tell me, a Tree? How is that?"

Interesting, yes a tree and a tree that is dieing although I have plans to revive it. The tree is guarded by the primordial and more. It grows and holds worlds within it's branches. Now I know that there are other worldtrees I have traveled to them, although I forget them now and I think my tree is that which removed my memories. I know my past on the tree and know that gods come from dieing mortals. Are there mortals on the spider? Is there an earth or no? It would seem that is not we who are chaos and order, but our worlds.

"Mortals?" asked Pattern Foun, a little confused. "No. No mortals. Not for.. some time."

He sighed.

Foun suddenly felt sick. Looking down, he saw his image waver, and then return. He felt okay.

"You're about to leave," said the Pattern Foun. "When you do, please make arrangements to.. to return.."

The world went black.

(Foun reawakens in the Isles of Penta.. the REAL ones)