Scord, reading Bozon's thoughts, replies, "Oh no, they aren't ended. If Pontorna loses his bonds of control of them, they will be free to reincarnate, and he will lose their power. Sometimes some of the 5 reincarnate together in one body."

Scord shifts to Een, "What do you mean by 150 years?

Een says, "See for yourself! Everyone who is near the castle is in a time-locked zone. One mage created the base spell from within the area - that would be Pontorna. And another mage sealed the spell when he went through the outer limit of the zone. But he sealed it with one prior alteration - he reversed the polarity of the time-field effect so that the inside experiences less time while the regular world has a chance to get on with life without the oversight of King Joe or Pontorna."

Scord replied, "Wow! When did you learn that level of physics?"

Een answered, "When you live 800 or so years, you pick up a few things."

"You wha- I thought I took you from an Oner where I had died!"

"You did - but I came from the Oner where I became a Verser like you, and you became who you are... I am your Een!"

Scord's face lit up and they embraced, going off into a side-mindspace in the Sideways, duplicating theirselves to spend time secluded while things continued as normal here. Scord looked at Aflae, "Did you notice any time magic going on?"
This message had punctuation tweaked by the GM at 04:30, Mon 06 Apr 2020.

"Yah but there isn't much time to explain it to anyone... if anyone could be able to do anything about it I would exsact they coudl sense it aswell"

Scord thought about what Bozon was thinking, and wasn't going to say anything, but figured he'd clarify. "Bozon, Oner 0 is based off of the beliefs about reality that I have, with a few modifications so that magic exists. In my personal belief system, normal people never reincarnate. The closest thing to reincarnation in this Oner is normally necromancy, where a dead spirit takes control of a living spirit's life. In extreme necromancy, the living spirit is permanently expelled from the body such that the body cannot survive without the necromancer's spirit remaining. Those living spirits are sometimes given time to wander the world as particularly potent spirits, but often move on. Such an expelled living spirit is more able to expel the spirit of another living person they try to possess. Thus the cycle of necromancy often grows in numbers over time. Binding the necromantic spirit is often used to limit the harm done, but it isn't easy to clean up after a necromancer. Necromancy is the magic surrounding death and the spirit realm's power over the physical.

"Ordinary people are embodied lives whose life and spirit is breathed into them by the All. They live ordinary lives, and when they die, their spirit leaves them and they are held in the mind of the All until their time to be put back into immortal bodies.

"Only 5 entities in Oner 0 are reincarnated, and they are reincarnated until the final generation of the descendants of Oner 0. The end of the timeline is trippy and gruesome but absolutely beautiful."

Theophili said, "Spoilers, friend!"

Scord says, "Does anyone have any questions about how to use the holy fire? Also, let me know when you think I should come in. I'll slip into the room at the most opportune time to help out however I can."

Most of what Scord said went over Bozon's head. He could grasp that gods knew far more about birth, life, and death than any mortal possibly could, but this "necromancy" seemed like a very foreign magic to him. The death gods - Sárku and Belkhánu in the Pavaric pantheon, Za-R'hàak in the Rocto-CathSinnian - oversaw passage into the afterlife and protection of souls. The dread Mêm-Uhùryo, the dead that lived, were creations of The Nameless One and of followers of one of the Khùl-Nolgùn who had taken up the lesser forms of his malign teachings. Sárku's followers made a form of blessed Mêm-Uhùryo, though, his devotees granted afterlife in the mortal world as part of his doctrine of seeking to protect and preserve the mind and personality through even Hrü’ü's "final change." The Worm God's followers were no more enemies of the living in death than they had been in life.

Though... one of mighty Væran Za-R'hàak's titles was "Guardian Against the Evil Dead," which did seem to relate to these wandering spirits that Scord spoke of. Hmm. Perhaps after the crisis was over and he had time to meditate in the on-stage world he could ponder the possible meanings and ramifications more.

"Well you never really confirmed our suspicions or told us why  the guys evil other than he's a necromancer...... some confirmation of what he's up to no with this or why he's so evil other than just 'necromancer bad' might help turn his allies agents him."
This message was last updated by the player at 23:27, Sat 25 Apr 2020.

Scord thinks carefully, "You know, that's a good question. I know Na is usually cast as the villian, but also that he is supposed to turn at some point. I'm just not sure when, because when I left my home universe, I hadn't decided when that would happen yet. Let's see what we can see."

He slows his perception of time to peer into the past and the present, opening a window as anyone familiar with the Sideways knows is easy to do. Through the window, everyone can see Pontorna in ancient times - but everyone somehow just knows that it was just Na at that time. She's in an old woman's body. Her own body, her own deathbed. Holding a twisted wand broken off of a branch that had been grafted onto its original tree's daughter. The grafted branch caused an infection above the grafting site that had killed all of its daughter's own branches. That wasn't an accident. Na was being tended to by her only daughter, whom she had taught everything she knew. Na poured poison into her own drink when her daughter turned her back. She drank her cup and stabbed her daughter with the wand, thinking, With this betrayal, I induct my whole self and my offspring into immortality.

She took her daughter's husband next, and then their only son.

Other than thousands of years of kicking spirits out of their bodies, often children, Na also obtained a Djin. When he summoned the Djin, knowing full well that the Djin's greatest desire was to be left alone, his first wish was that the Djin rule his kingdom well and wisely. He had no kingdom at the time, but as a well-ruling wise King of his Emporor's new kingdom, he immediately set to work expanding their borders from nothing through the ordinary means of kingdom building.

In truth, his Kingship wasn't truly wise - though it was cunning and intelligent, sreetwise, and diplomatically superior. But the citizens quickly grew in number as people flocked to the land of opportunity. Joe's was a benevolent dictatorship, after all, there was nothing Joe despised more than having to deal with disgruntled citizens. He was bound by the wish to rule wisely.

But the wealth of the kingdom was always at the disposal of Na. Na did his own things, always with an eye to gaining power. Were the happy, healthy and comfortable lives of billions of citizens justification for the hundreds of adults and children he killed for their bodies?

Wondering what he did with the power he was amassing, Scord pried further, revealing that Na was orchestrating the eventual mostly peaceful unification of every life into his empire, so that he would be able to direct the course of history, magic and technology with his will. His public manifesto declared the benefits of a united force of everyone alive toward the success of anything they set their mind to. In private it was clear that, though he listened to the wise counsel of his Stuart King and wish granting slave, Joe, Na lead for his long term personal benefit above all others.

Curious about the wishes, Scord looked closer and revealed that Na had been given 13 wishes, but he couldn't see how many had been used yet.
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:53, Sun 26 Apr 2020.

OOC: Can we "hear" what Na thought as she stabbed? If so, I think I see a weakness in her spell that Hergot might point out.

Yes, what Na thought everyone heard. It's basically the same idea as the trade for the Soul Stone Thanos made using his beloved daughter.

Bozon observed what the window showed them carefully.

Great Scord, would bringing the tree of which her wand was made here, from before it grew ill, then replanting it in the present time disrupt the spell Na worked with it? Likewise, would bringing one or all of those she slew to fuel the magic back to life be akin to stopping a spinning prayer wheel maintaining the effect?
This message was lightly edited by the player at 21:29, Sun 26 Apr 2020.

"So he may have had, or may still have good intentions..... he's just lost all sense of mortals getting there?"

To Bozon, "The tree was just symbolic in truth. It anchored the spell to reality at the time, but now the spells are held by the test of time and habit of mind. Na perceives those he cares for as his fodder, and those he cares nothing for as his food. The wand is a representation of his want. Ultimately it isn't necessary, though it will swap bodies automatically if it stabs someone. I believe the staff is the wand, modified over time. Bringing those Na killed back to life would steal a great deal of power from him. But it would cost us even more, by any means I know of."

Een spoke up, "You don't know everything, dear."

"My wife is right."

To Aflae, "He has certainly considered his current life more valuable than the lives of others. He knows fully well that if he dies, he will just be reborn in a new body without memories of his past lives until he reaches puberty. His necromancy isn't even to avoid judgement or permanent death. He just wants to retain his continuity."

Een replies, "At least that's what you believe."

"Fair enough."
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:46, Tue 28 Apr 2020.

The big clown shook his head 'no.'

The staff is Joe. Not the wand she had, but his slave's true self. In the light of Azraile's holy fire I could see this about it, Hergot pointed out in his thoughts.

Do the laws which King Joe enacted for his people forbid and criminalize kinslaying?

After looking through a window, "They do. And Kingslaying as well. But those laws don't apply to the Emperor who has diplomatic immunity to all charges. They even know of his necromancy by rumor, and most excuse it as incentive for foreign nations to join the Empire, since he never takes bodies from citizens of his Empire."
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:51, Tue 28 Apr 2020.

Diplomatic immunity?

Does this diplomatic immunity also protect visiting royalty, such as young Tine? At least under normal circumstances?

"If he was invited, then yes absolutely - except for crimes against the person of the Emperor or King. But as a prisoner, no. However, even as a prisoner, only the King or Emperor can harm him.

"Wow," Scord continues, "Things are really heating up! Aflae, did you want one of those arm bands I made?"

"I guess?"  She sits down though and goes into a meditative stance focusing on her virmagus and inverses here to help guide her. Fully cominuing with her inerselves and all of her virmagus powers here, while being active there should give her an advantage.

Aflae's inner-selves stood with her in a meditative area. Since I can't remember what they were called, I'm bringing in a few more. Aid, the brilliant animal instinct; Aego, the need to be the right person; Sego, the need for approval; Afa, the ascended.

(there was an assended future self and a child self that)

Aid is the child self and Afa is the ascended future self. Aego will seek the good of Aflae directly and Sego seeks the morally right course of action. You can talk to any or all.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:08, Thu 07 May 2020.

"So we kinda got rushed into this... any advice or details I might have missed that could help?"

Aid replies, "Get out fast! You're all in over your heads, and you've got a traitor in your party."

Aego says, "Do we even know what Pontorna has planned for Balur?"

Sego says, "It's clear that Pontorna is evil. We have to do something, the only question is what we should do. Running isn't an option. I'm not sure whether it's better to fight with all our might and probably die, or try to reason and talk ourselves out of this."

Afa answers, "Many will die today, but Pontorna is in their number so long as Azraile remembers to bind him when shi gets the chance."

Aid says, "So I'm the only one who thinks we should bow out now before it's too late?"

Aego replies, "I'm on the fence. It all depends on whether we survive or not."

Afa answers, "We will survive, though the world will be forever changed. Aflae, seek peace and act only from love, and the Holy fire of your armband will aid you."
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:10, Thu 07 May 2020.

"He's exsperemented with infusing balur into peoples bodies creating the shard fordged.... and infusing souls into balur..... now he's reduced all balur conciouness to one ploint.... it is a logical step to assume he plans to infuse a soul into the balur conciouness and infuse it into some one."

Aid says, "He'd have to use somebody who was absolutely completely loyal to him. But the only one who would be loyal enough for him would be himself. He has no loyalty for anyone above himself, so he can't believe that true loyalty is possible. He expects to be betrayed, that's why he forces everyone to curse themselves if they should attempt to cross him."

Aego says, "And he could never subject himself to that degree of servitude which would be required of him should he duplicate his consciousness into Balur."

Sego adds, "He wants to control others. He desires power above every other good thing, so he seeks control over them. If he had learned that true power is found in kindness, he wouldn't have placed Balur in such a hard position."

Aego counters, "Unless his plan is to be the one who seems to save Balur from trouble, and he will somehow pin the blame on someone else or on an old body."

Afa adds, "Balur is a logical entity which isn't very aware of spiritual matters. If his voice doesn't have to go deeper (if he just chooses to make it artificially deeper), people who can't see spirits couldn't be certain if it was him or not. He could take a coup."

Sego counters, "He doesn't believe in try loyalty, but he has spent a great deal of effort in creating a loyal Empire. Without sufficient social unrest, the Empire would do everything it could to resurrect him."

"Your forgetting," Aid intercedes, "Over 150 years has passed since Pontorna and Court have been sealed away from the rest of the Onerverse. His Empire has likely forgotten him by now."

"Or Deified him," Aego proclaims cynically.

Aid says, "I think he'll just try to enslave Balur. Complex plans have a way of falling apart."

Aego says, "I think he'll either make himself out to be Balur's saviour, or use someone who has proven to be loyal to him by experience."

Sego says, "I think he'll force Balur to obey his will under threat of destruction, and build up loyalty over time, like most slaves and masters do."

Afa says, "Balur ends up in a mortal body."

"Balur having a soul that makes it aware of spirutal maters and emotions, in and of it'self isn't a bad idea but what soul is the problem and worries me... Maybe if one of us (herself or alt selfs) could move we could fuse balur into our own bodies... and then find a way to separate it later..... it having only a single body would just leave it vonerable to something like this happening again..."

Aid answers, "Fusing the Balur into one of your twins' bodies or our own body wouldn't give Balur a soul, it would just make them more powerful. You'd have to have your soul forced into it like a possession, for it to get a soul."

Afa offers, "If the consciousness of Balur is placed into a body, it will be an unusual person. But whose consciousness would take over Balur is an interesting question indeed."

Back in the regular Sideways, Theophili thinks to herself, I wonder how Aflae will feel when she sees someone else... stop reading my thoughts to the players, Narrator. Spoilers.

Scord asks Bozon, "I see you struggling to leave, yet safe in your bubble, and I have to wonder why you're being kept around. I feel like your role in the plot should be wrapping up. Can you think of any reason you might still be in the room?" Unbeknownst to Scord, the Narrator has a purpose, but would also like to hear Bozon's response.

Scord also asks Theophili, "Will I be able to slip into the regular world from here like I think I can?"

"You betcha."