Agnetha's description of the Logrus - or her as the Logrus, or A Logrus - might have been rendered in cursive Greek for all the sense it made. Apparently the Logrus was more than the Pattern's corollary in the Courts of Chaos? She got that much, It was that, but Agnetha somehow was another manifestation of the same power. It was confusing, but since Rhiannon couldn't shapeshift - or at least didn't think she could - she wasn't planning on assaying it any time soon. She had enough homework.

"I hope you don't mind, Agnetha, but could we change the subject? At least, momentarily. I was hoping you would be able to explain about this creature, the Serpent."

"We can discuss any subject you like Rhiannon.."
She pauses for a couple of seconds

"The problem with the Serpent is exactly where to start, given that if you ask him, which is how he seems to appear, he doesn't actually know, just that he, like the Kraken and the Phoenix, have been around since as long as Shadow, The Abyss, and Under-Shadow have existed. I would guess that that makes them some form of metaphysical existential, representations of those places."

"I'll continue to use 'He' rather than 'It' as its more personal, and for all the fact that when he appears it means trouble, with a capital T, he is quite personable. How he appears is somewhat random, he generally appears in a different guise to different people, and more often than not you could meet him and never know, unless of course he has need of you to do something, or the situation requires his intervention in some manner, but then you might just think it odd or you just got lucky, rather than make the connection."

"Does that cover it or do have something more specific in mind?"

"No, I'm sorry. It's not quite clear. SO is he some living entity that embodies Shadow? You said, Shadow, the Abyss and the under-Shadow - and if you would please explain what under-shadow is. But I assume you gave those in the same order as the Serpent, The Kraken and the Phoenix for a reason. Correct me if any of that is wrong. But also, what's his motivation? What's any of those creatures' motivations?"

"Are any of the Entities alive, I very much doubt it in any conventional sense. Just take it that they exist, and at least in the case of the Serpent can manifest in any form it chooses. I suspect the Unicorn may also be able to do this, and the form that gives it it's name is nothing like either its' real form or its true nature."

"Whether any of the are the embodiment of the realm in which they live, that's a good question, one which I can answer. If you should ever run into one of them perhaps you should ask them, not that you're like to get any form of straight or comprehensible answer. In the case of the Serpent, Kraken, and Phoenix, their realms of responsibility, for want of any better way to describe it are quite clear, Shadow, Abyss, which is everything beyond or out-side of Shadow, and Under-Shadow, which is everything 'under' shadow, but again that's just a label we apply to it in attempting to assign it a place in an order. What Under-Shadow is I have no real idea, I've never been there. You might try asking those that have. Dworkin obviously understood it as that is where he now resides."

"Where this leaves us in term of motivations for any of them, your guess for the most part is as good as mine. What I can tell you is that the Serpent seems to try and keep the integrity of Shadow together, and attempts to negate the discord and disruption the Unicorn causes. It was the Unicorn who told Dworkin how to create the Pattern, and it was this action that caused Rodian to come into being, albeit indirectly."

Cormac listened carefully as the conversation progressed but that didn't make things any clearer. To be honest he wasn't even sure why Rhiannon had asked about the serpent. It seemed an obscure bit of lore to be looking for clarification on. Especially since they seemed to have more pressing concerns with even the basic bits of handling shadow and trumps. Perhaps it was a matter of personal interest for her?

Still, he listened in the hopes of learning something. He had learned a bit but wasn't sure what to make of it all. It seemed a bit like the impulse of primitive peoples to assign a name and personality to things they couldn't understand might not be so fanciful as scholars thought. Instead of conceiving of a being who embodied the storms for example reality itself had allowed an abstract sort of entity who embodied something so esoteric as the shadows themselves to come into being. Why this might be or what purpose it served, if any, was hard to fathom.

"I don't feel so badly for not fully understanding the things we are being taught thus far if there are still greater mysteries your own generation hasn't unlocked yet."

Listening intently, Rhiannon hung on every word but tried hard not to get hung up on any of them.  It wasn't Agnetha's words that were difficult. The answers were confusing in that the concepts were so alien. Thank goodness Cormac admitted to not fully understanding it. Rhiannon was reassured that she wasn't alone, but she felt like she got the basic concept. These realms had minds of their own and those entities were projections of that consciousness in a form that could interact. It was a bit scary, but also intriguing. They were like gods, but in a strange way, she and her kin were all related to them.

"I think I want to meet the Serpent one day. The Unicorn too. All of them really."

The finality of Madison's response took Rhiannon back a step. Whatever her cousin's concern, it was visceral, but still a mystery. It was interesting that it was Unicorn and not the Serpent which provoked the reaction. She didn't want to poke a wound, but she also needed to understand the reason behind that emotions.

"I'm sorry if I've touched a nerve, Madison. But so we all understand. Why would that be so horrible?"

"Because its a rapist and narcassistic sadistic sexual predator."

Oh. That was utterly unexpected. Something awful happened to her at the hands of this creature, but it was not the time to get after that story. Rhiannon looked away, lips pursed and letting the awkward silence to reign.

"You'll also have problems with meeting either the Kraken or the Phoenix, but for entirely different reasons."

"The Kraken's realm is the Abyss, and Abysmal energy is inimical to Shadow matter, at your current level your bodies would last about 10 seconds although you'd be dead in about 2. The Phoenix's realm is Under Shadow, and whilst it is possible to enter it without being dead, locating the Phoenix without a calling card is likely pretty much impossible."

"I suppose then, I shall just look forward to a date with the Serpent." She could just imagine the look of horror on Father Patrick's face.

"I would suppose that depends on how many years you want to vanish for.."

Rhiannon closed her eyes and shook her head. Everyone was so serious and literal. Yes, the topics were serious, but a little levity couldn't hurt. "I was kidding. Surely you could tell." Maybe it was a cultural thing. "No? Very well. Then just please explain how you become the living Logrus, and why are you locked away in here?"

"So was I.. sort of."

"How I became the Logrus, or a Logrus? Simply really. After Raif pulled me into the Abyss and let go of me, the Serpent appeared. He asked me whether I wanted to live or die. I chose to live and he bit me. Then he put me in here."

"I could probably leave, but it would require me to break the wards, and it would be a one way trip as the Logrus. No more me. Maybe one day it'll finally get to me, and that's what I'll do. At least during the war I had a reason to exist. Now, we'll things change don't they?"

Things had taken an odd turn for awhile there. Odd even by their currently low standards in which everything seemed odd, strange and totally new to them. Maybe one day he would be used to all this but that day wasn't today.

Cormac listened while the ladies talked about the primal beings and it's deviant sexual habits. He hadn't felt very comfortable commenting on any of that, especially since he was too under informed to say anything intelligent on the matter. Eventually though he had to speak up. There was so many interesting aspects of the discussion that eventually his curiosity got the better of him.

"So your saying this Serpent being changed you into a second Logrus? How would that even be possible? Was a second required to balance out the multiverse after another Pattern was inscribed?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I said. The Serpent bit me and I became a Logrus. Exceptionally simple, at least from my perspective. I didn't die, or maybe I did? It's all somewhat metaphysical and existential and probably not worth the effort to try and get your head around."
"As to the latter supposition in your question, and I can only answer this from the perspective of the fact that there are now 2 Patterns and 2 Logrus, the answer is probably. "
"Did Tiberius inscribe his Pattern after I became a Logrus or did I only become a Logrus after he inscribed his Pattern? That's another metaphysical and existential question that only the Serpent can answer, which also begs the questions did I die ot not die when I fell into the Abyss, and/or how long was I in the Serpents mouth before it actually bit me or did it bite me immediately but the effect took time to propogate, or did it actually bite me at all and my perception is only a mechanism that enables me to process and deal with what actually happened?"
"Its all a bit moot really, when you think about it."

With no apparent immediate follow-up to Cormac's question, and nothing further from Rhiannon Madison says,
"Just let me know when you're all done, and we can return to the bailey."

Rhiannon must have lost track of how much time the pause lingered. Agnetha had already explained so much, more than enough for one sitting, but also only scratched the surface. There was a chance that she couldn't explain much further. But though she said it wasn't worth the effort to try and understand, she went ahead to tease all the questions that would have been better asked with a fifth of tequila. She felt like it was enough, though. At least for the moment.

"I think I need to digest what I've already herd, Madison. Thank you, Agnetha."

His mind is officially blow after her answer. Somehow Cormac supposed Cordelia would have tried hard to convince them that it was all part of an orderly transition that brought Agnetha to her current state. That it was all easily explainable one way or another. He didn't think she would have so easily admitted that it was entirely too metaphysical and was beyond both their understanding and her own. It struck him as oddly endearing in the moment to realize that she could admit that sometimes there just wasn't an answer.

"I think Rhiannon has said it pretty well," he said after a moment's hesitation. "This is a lot to absorb. I'm not even sure of the right questions to ask anymore."

Assuming you all hurry through then you will find yourself in exactly the same place as when Cordelia first brought you here.


By the time you reach the bailey its about 21:30, so it will be about 21:45 by the time you get back to your rooms.

After returning to the bailey, Rhiannon thanked Madison for everything. She was glad that their egress was by trump and not by tentacle.After good nights, Rhiannon returned to her room. While it wasn't very necessary, she went through the exercise of summoning the pattern again. Under thirty minutes might have been Cordelia's challenge, but under 1 minute was Rhiannon's goal. Since it was still early, she spent the next couple hours studying the Trump lesson.



This message was last edited by the GM at 20:07, Sun 23 Apr 2023.

Cormac is quiet on the way back. He thanks Madison and bids his cousins a good evening. Returning to his room he has a lot on his mind but takes a moment to center himself and put it all on the back burner for now. It is his intent to practice summoning the pattern and hopefully lowering the time it takes to do so. After wards he will let himself sleep and prepare for another fun filled day to come.

Cassandra returned to her room happily, she had been able to learn some interesting things with this excursion, despite it eating into her practice time.

Settling down in her sleepwear, Cassandra prepared to attempt her second run, she knew that upon completing it she would fall asleep so made sure she was comfortable. Just over three hours later she succeeded, with a small smile she flopped backward onto the bed, and curling up she fell straight asleep.


Blinking her eyes open at 7 am she felt well-rested compared to how she felt last night which was comparably better than the first couple of runs she had done. Sitting up and stretching Cassandra heard her stomach complain. 'Okay time to geat ready for breakfast'
This message was last edited by the player at 13:46, Sat 29 Apr 2023.