Formenos
Chapter Ten - Cracks In Reality
Whatever Happened To Mr Joshua?
Joshua crashed heavily onto the marble steps of the Cathedral of the Serpent, still locked in violent struggle with Corwin’s formidable Pattern Ghost. Despite having been abruptly transported to the very heart of Chaos itself, Corwin appeared utterly unshaken, his focus narrowing entirely on Joshua. Without hesitation, the Pattern Ghost unleashed a sharp, precise Power Word, the force of which struck Joshua like a physical blow. His control over his altered form shattered instantly, his shape violently snapping back into his natural humanoid state. Before Joshua could regain his footing, Corwin closed the distance with supernatural swiftness. The ghost’s blade - an eerily perfect simulacrum of Grayswandir - flashed in a tight arc, slicing deep into Joshua’s calf with surgical precision. Though the blade lacked the true, devastating essence of the original sword, the wound burned fiercely, the venomous energy of the pseudo-Pattern blade lacing through his blood, resisting even Joshua’s advanced mastery of Shape Shifting. Summoning his training and will, Joshua instinctively erected a cocoon of Logrus tendrils around himself, weaving layers of primal chaos to blunt any further strikes from Corwin's lethal, if counterfeit, weapon.
The vast plaza before the grand entrance of the Cathedral of the Serpent was alive with the shifting forms of Chaosian natives, their curious eyes drawn to the unfolding confrontation. Among them stood two figures of particular stature, who had only moments earlier emerged from the Cathedral’s dark interior. The first was Lord Alkarmen, an ancient Chaosian of immense power - a master of both sorcery and war, his reputation stretching back into the murky annals of Chaosian history. At his side stood Lord Malfleece, younger but no less dangerous, a High Lord in his own right and a practitioner of formidable sorcery. Alkarmen assessed the scene in an instant; his piercing gaze fixed upon Joshua, recognising him immediately despite his concealed presence within the Courts. Without pause, Alkarmen uttered a potent Power Word of his own. The force of it struck like an invisible detonation, a surge of pure magical energy exploding across Joshua’s senses. He staggered under the assault, feeling the intricate pathways of Trump severed and blocked. The ethereal disruption was absolute - flight through Trump was no longer an option. The confrontation had become a trap, and Joshua was now fully committed to whatever battle might follow.
Malfleece, mere steps behind his elder, positioned himself with calculated caution, keeping the more experienced Alkarmen between himself and the growing conflict. Even as he advanced, his hands moved through intricate sigils, weaving complex magics into being - spells designed not merely to contain the duel, but to end it decisively, perhaps even annihilating both combatants if necessary. Yet Corwin’s Pattern Ghost paid no heed to the looming presence of the two Chaos Lords. His singular focus remained fixed upon Joshua, the embodiment of lethal purpose, closing in for the kill. In any incarnation, Corwin’s skill with a blade was legendary, his swordplay honed to a level that few - if any - could match. Against such an adversary, even Joshua’s considerable abilities offered little assurance in close combat. Now, with two potent Lords of Chaos preparing to intervene, the odds were stacking dangerously against the second son of Dworkin. His survival hung by the thinnest of threads.
Yet even as Corwin’s Pattern Ghost pressed forward, Joshua’s sharp gaze caught a sudden movement beyond his immediate foe. A figure - a woman, armed and agile - slipped like a shadow behind Malfleece, moving with practiced precision. In a single fluid motion, she drove the weighted pommel of her dagger into the base of the High Lord’s skull. Malfleece collapsed instantly, his intricate conjurations dissolving into nothingness as his consciousness was extinguished. The tide of sorcery he had summoned unraveled in an instant, granting Joshua a momentary reprieve amid the deadly convergence of powers.
Favoring his wounded leg but moving with as much speed as pain allowed, Joshua maneuvered with calculated care, keeping Corwin positioned squarely between himself and the advancing Alkarmen. With Corwin now becoming aware of the Chaos Lord’s approach, his focus momentarily divided, Joshua managed to maintain a safe distance from the deadly reach of the Pattern Blade - an imitation it may have been, but still a weapon capable of ending him with a single misstep. Alkarmen, for his part, advanced with deliberate caution, his sharp eyes assessing both adversaries. The radiance of power emanating from Corwin’s phantom Grayswandir was unmistakable, and even one as seasoned as Alkarmen respected the danger it represented.
The brief hesitation between Alkarmen and Corwin proved decisive. Seizing the opportunity, the woman who had incapacitated Malfleece swiftly closed the distance to Joshua. Without preamble, she spoke in urgent, clipped tones: if he wished to survive, he must come with her - now. There was no argument. Recognising both the logic and necessity, Joshua immediately agreed. With strength and confidence that marked her as far more than a mere bystander, she seized Joshua and, in a single powerful leap, vaulted them both onto the back of a swiftly gliding Filmy that had swept down from the Chaosian sky. In moments, they were soaring high above the twisted spires and ever-shifting towers of the Courts, leaving Alkarmen and Corwin to confront one another amidst the gathering storm. As they sped away, Joshua’s final glimpse of the scene below was of the Pattern Ghost becoming encircled by scores of Cathedral acolytes, who poured forth from the great doors to bolster Alkarmen's position, their numbers swelling only moments after the Filmy had carried them into the safety of the skies.
The woman offered no answers as they sped away, maintaining a tense silence until the Cathedral of the Serpent was far behind them, its looming spires reduced to distant specks. During the flight, Joshua turned his focus inward, directing the full extent of his mental discipline and shapeshifting mastery toward mending the deep gash in his leg. The healing progressed steadily under his concentrated effort, though the wound remained tender and raw beneath the freshly regenerated tissue. Eventually, after many miles and countless shadowed spires had passed beneath them, the Filmy began to slow and descend. Only then did the woman speak. Calmly, she introduced herself as Gilva, Lady of House Hendrake - a warrior of Chaos by birth - and, more unexpectedly, a member of a clandestine cult within the Courts that secretly revered Benedict of Amber.
After hours of swift and silent flight, the Filmy at last came to a gentle halt in a remote and sparsely populated corner of the Courts of Chaos. Before them stood a solitary structure - a weathered, temple-like edifice whose architecture evoked the classical lines of ancient Greek sanctuaries, strangely out of place amid the shifting, chaotic landscape that surrounded it. Without hesitation, Gilva led Joshua inside. Together, they descended deep into the subterranean levels beneath the temple, passing through a maze of shadowed corridors and ancient chambers, each step taking them farther from the eyes of Chaos and into the hidden sanctum of her secretive order.
Within the hidden chambers beneath the temple, Joshua was introduced to several members of the secretive faction to which Gilva belonged. There, he learned of the existence of the Cabal of Benedict - an underground cult that venerated the legendary Lord Benedict of Amber. Their reverence stemmed not from mere ideology, but from hard pragmatism: Benedict’s unmatched martial genius had decisively crushed Chaosian forces during the Patternfall War, earning him a status that bordered on the divine in their eyes. Yet the Cabal’s devotion to Benedict also reflected a deeper undercurrent of dissent. They harboured growing resentment toward the ruling order within the Courts of Chaos, disillusioned by the leadership’s increasing instability and deeply opposed to the rising dominance of the Church of the Serpent, whose expanding influence they viewed as a dangerous and corrupting force.
Joshua explained that he urgently needed to speak with Suhuy, hoping that the ancient master of the Logrus might hold answers to the mounting mysteries he faced. To his surprise, the Cabal revealed that they maintained discreet but reliable channels of communication with Suhuy himself. An audience was swiftly arranged, and within the temple’s deep, warded chambers, Suhuy arrived to confer with Joshua in person. The two spoke at length, sharing insights and exchanging theories regarding recent events. Suhuy, who had studied the Abyss and its demonic denizens across countless millennia - long before Joshua’s birth - offered a grim assessment. No one, he said, had ever truly survived a descent into the Abyss. Regardless of the strength of one’s wards or the sophistication of protective magics, the Abyss left a stain - a fundamental corruption that seeped into the very essence of any who ventured too deeply. Those who returned were doomed to waste away, their bodies and minds slowly unraveling under the taint. While Suhuy conceded that Joshua’s extraordinary powers might allow him to survive longer than most - particularly if his descent was neither too deep nor too prolonged - he warned that any significant journey into the mid-levels of the Abyss would leave an inevitable mark, one that even Joshua would not escape forever.
Their conversation turned to the possibility of ancient Chaosian libraries - vast, forgotten repositories of knowledge that might date back to the earliest moments of existence, perhaps even predating the very founding of the Courts themselves. Within such archives, Suhuy speculated, might lie fragments of long-lost lore concerning the genesis of demonkind and the primordial forces that shaped the Abyss. He freely acknowledged that such places almost certainly existed, hidden deep within the endless sprawl of the Courts, though even he had never sought them out. Suhuy’s own immense library already contained more knowledge than he could ever fully consume; whole sections remained unexplored, their secrets untouched for eons. As such, he had never felt compelled to pursue these older, more obscure archives - many of which were rumored to hold truths so ancient, and so dangerous, that even the most learned among the Chaos Lords might hesitate to unearth them.
To grant Joshua greater freedom of movement within the dangerous and watchful Courts of Chaos, he and Suhuy combined their considerable powers to weave a complex series of enchantments into Joshua’s very aura. These potent wards, layered atop Joshua’s own formidable abilities in Shape Shifting, would render him virtually undetectable to most forms of magical or psychic scrutiny. So veiled, he could pass through the Courts unseen, slipping past those who might otherwise recognize or pursue him. Only the most heavily warded locations - such as the Royal Court itself or the heavily fortified Cathedral of the Serpent - retained the potency to strip away such concealment. Suhuy cautioned, however, that the effect was not permanent; the enchantments would gradually decay and require periodic renewal. Still, with these protections in place, Joshua could avoid the kind of deadly confrontation that had nearly cost him his life at the Cathedral plaza.
Joshua turned his attention to the forgotten bloodlines of Chaos, seeking answers buried in the remnants of Houses long fallen into obscurity. Many of these ancient families, once powerful, now existed only as empty, decaying estates scattered across the vast reaches of the Courts - silent tombs preserving fragments of lost history. In these abandoned places, Joshua unearthed records and inscriptions speaking of beings whose existence predated even the formation of the Courts themselves. Of particular note were two primordial entities whose eternal struggle had shaped the Abyss itself: a radiant, blazing Phoenix and its dark, nihilistic adversary, the Scorpion. According to legend, these two titanic forces clashed for untold eons upon the brink of the Abyss, their battle locked in a ceaseless cycle of destruction. In the end, the Phoenix triumphed, casting the Scorpion into the depths, where the defeated creature raged in its ruin until it was ultimately devoured by the Abyss itself. From the remnants of the Scorpion’s essence, it was said, the first demonkind arose - twisted echoes of its original power, born many ages later.
Joshua’s research also uncovered accounts of the earliest meetings between the newly established Courts of Chaos and the emergent demonkind. In those primordial days, the demons were little more than mindless, instinct-driven entities - powerful in raw substance, but lacking intellect, discipline, or any organized will. The ambitious Lords of Chaos quickly exploited this vulnerability, using their mastery of sorcery to bind and control the fledgling demons with relative ease. But the demons did not remain stagnant; they evolved swiftly, growing in both intelligence and capability. Yet even as demonkind advanced, so too did the magical arts of the Chaosian sorcerers. The Lords of Chaos refined their spells, devised new bindings, and developed ever more sophisticated methods of control. In time, even the mightiest of the demons found themselves ensnared, unable to resist the ascendant power and cunning of Chaosian magic.
In his continued search through the scattered fragments of ancient lore, Joshua uncovered references to other primordial beings woven into the same distant epoch. One was named Huma - sometimes called Garuda - a fiery, radiant entity whose description closely matched that of the Phoenix said to have vanquished the Scorpion. Alongside it appeared mention of Corvus, the Raven, a Seeress among the old divine powers, whose insight was said to pierce even the deepest veils of creation. Though the texts were incomplete and often contradictory, tantalising hints emerged suggesting that the combined powers of the Phoenix and the Raven might hold a unique resistance - perhaps even immunity - to the corrupting poison of the Abyss. These fragments offered Joshua the first glimmers of hope that some path might yet exist to withstand or counter the abyssal taint, though much about the nature of these ancient beings remained maddeningly elusive.
Cracks In Reality
Reeling beneath the weight of the revelations imparted by the Patriarch, the company struggled to absorb the full scope of what they had learned. Much of what they had once believed to be fixed truths about reality had been upended. The discovery that eleven other beings - contemporaries of both the Serpent and the Unicorn - had once walked the earliest Shadows and the primal realms of existence was nothing short of staggering. These ancient entities had shaped creation in ways long forgotten, their influence preceding even the great powers the company had long believed were the cornerstones of reality. With time pressing upon them, the group pressed the Patriarch for further answers, eager to extract every fragment of knowledge before they were forced to return to the ever-fracturing tapestry of their own reality.
When asked about the mysterious mark the Unicorn had left upon Corin, the Patriarch admitted that even he could not fully divine the Unicorn's intent. Whether the Unicorn had foreseen her own demise when she bestowed the mark remained uncertain. What was clear, however, was that Corin had been imbued with a portion of the Unicorn's essence - a unique and potent power whose ultimate purpose had yet to fully manifest. The Patriarch sensed that the gift was likely intended to be temporary, a vessel of power held in trust rather than permanently anchored to Corin. Yet he warned that the longer this essence remained within her, the more entwined it would become with her being, making any eventual separation increasingly perilous. Should the power have been intended for another, or part of a larger design yet to unfold, the window to fulfill that design might soon close. Kyle observed that Corin seemed little more than a carrier - a living conduit for the Unicorn’s fading power - a sentiment the Patriarch quietly agreed with.
When asked whether the knowledge contained within the Realm of Knowledge could be shared, the Patriarch nodded his assent. He was willing, if needed, to place the full extent of his vast store of information at the group's disposal. Yet he cautioned that the sheer enormity of accumulated wisdom housed within his Realm was staggering. Sifting through its endless archives could consume vast amounts of time, with the act of simply locating specific insights often proving as great a challenge as interpreting the knowledge itself. The information was there - but finding what they sought would demand both patience and precision.
When questioned about Joshua’s whereabouts and activities, the Patriarch confirmed that Joshua was currently hidden somewhere within the Courts of Chaos. From what little he could discern, Joshua was deeply engaged in his own investigations, focusing on demonkind and the mysteries of the Abyss. The Patriarch acknowledged that Joshua had already met with Suhuy at least once to exchange information. However, the Patriarch was unable to pierce the veil of Joshua's mind; his precise intentions and the full scope of his plans remained unknown even to him.
When the conversation turned to the Old Gods and the enigmatic Realm of Prisons, the Patriarch recounted what was known. Of the ancient pantheon, Cygnus, Fintan, Maahes, Watasumi, and the Unicorn were confirmed dead. Centaurus, Hrolleif, and Tauron remained confined within the Realm of Prisons, their powers sealed away. Artio and Macha had faded from existence altogether, their presences now little more than distant echoes. Abaddon ruled over the Abyss, the undisputed master of its depths, while Bennu had withdrawn entirely into his own realm of Ea. The Serpent - once the great axis of Chaos - had vanished into parts unknown, its fate a mystery even to the most far-seeing. If there was any common thread binding the relationships among the Old Gods, it was their shared affection for Cygnus, and a deep, near-universal loathing of Abaddon. Only slightly less intense was their collective distrust of the Serpent - an exception made solely by the Unicorn, whose connection to the Serpent had been uniquely complex.
The Patriarch warned that should more than one of the Old Gods return, the situation would grow exponentially more complex. Any conflict would not manifest as a simple clash between opposing deities; instead, it would devolve into a labyrinth of shifting alliances, hidden betrayals, and competing agendas. Each god carried ancient grudges and tangled loyalties, making any attempt by Amber or Chaos to forge alliances fraught with danger. The notion of recruiting more than one god into their cause risked entangling them in unpredictable power struggles that could easily spiral out of control. True to form, Corin voiced her exasperation, dismissing the entire pantheon with characteristic scorn. In her view, the Old Gods were little better than the bickering factions of Amber and Chaos - perhaps even worse, given their vast, ancient grievances and unchecked appetites for dominion.
Corin argued that Abaddon represented the most immediate and pressing threat. His growing influence from within the Abyss cast a long shadow over all realities. Kyle, however, voiced a separate and no less ominous concern: the possibility that one of the imprisoned Old Gods might break free. Should any of these ancient beings escape their confinement, there were precious few - if any - alive who possessed the raw power or the will to oppose them. And even if such a confrontation were possible, the motives of any freed god would be far from benign. Any escapee would almost certainly emerge hostile, their long captivity having done little to temper their destructive ambitions.
Among the imprisoned Old Gods, it was widely agreed that Hrolleif posed the gravest danger, his madness rendering him the most unpredictable and volatile of them all. Bannoq raised the question of whether the venomous influence Abaddon had once exerted over the imprisoned gods might have faded with time. But the Patriarch cautioned that such speculation was dangerous; he could not see into the Realm of Prisons. Only the Old Gods themselves possessed the innate ability to move between the Realms. Still, he allowed that both the Logrus and the Pattern - each in their own way the peer of the Old Gods - might be capable of breaching or reinforcing the boundaries between these realities. Yet he offered a stark warning: any momentary confluence between the Realms would be catastrophic, with the fragile barriers that kept their chaotic energies separate collapsing under the strain.
The Patriarch explained that the Realm of Prisons bore many similarities to Shadow, comprised of countless worlds and layers. However, unlike Shadow, those imprisoned within its bounds were unable to move freely between these worlds. Each prisoner was confined to their own isolated fragment of that reality, unable to cross into the domains of their fellow captives. This structure made it entirely possible for a single being to escape while the others remained securely imprisoned within their individual gaols, each locked within their own pocket of isolation.
Drawing from what they now understood, Bannoq speculated that Tauron might, perhaps, be the most reasonable of the imprisoned gods, given his historical reluctance to fully engage in the Old Gods' war. Corin, with her usual bluntness, dismissed the entire pantheon once again, declaring them all as little better than self-serving fools. Bannoq then turned the discussion to the broader consequences of recent events, wondering what ripples might spread following the death of the Unicorn and the departure of the Serpent - both long-serving as stabilising forces within reality. The Patriarch conceded that while little might happen immediately, the true consequences were certain to gather momentum over time. Already, the Unicorn’s essence had dispersed across all of reality, now lying dormant within its fabric. And should any being possess the requisite knowledge and power, they might one day harness and exploit that scattered divine energy for their own ends.
The group debated whether it might be possible to predict where and when the barriers between Shadow and the Realm of Prisons could fail. Unfortunately, the Patriarch offered little comfort - such points of weakness were unpredictable, and when they did occur, the resulting breach would likely be violent and catastrophic. He likened the structure of reality to a stack of paper-thin planes - each separate, yet capable of momentarily bending and touching, creating brief, unstable conduits between the realms. All of these Realms, he reminded them, had been forged long before the creation of the Logrus or the Pattern, and thus owed allegiance to neither Chaos nor Order. These realms had touched in the distant past, both when the imprisoned gods were first bound and when ancient beasts from the earliest days of creation were similarly confined. But each such crossing had always required the intervention and power of the gods themselves. With grim determination, Kyle suggested that it was time for them to return and prepare - before such dangerous confluences occurred again.
Their discussion briefly shifted to the other Realms that lay beyond the familiar boundaries of Shadow. The Abyss stood as one, ancient and unfathomable. Bennu had carved out another - his personal domain of Ea, forged from Primal Chaos and shaped to his will. Then there was the Realm of Mirrors, inhabited by the elder spawn of Oberon, who used reflective surfaces as portals to traverse between their realm and the material world. Their mastery over mirrors granted them an unsettling ability to slip unseen across realities. Kyle added that Tir Na Nog might also be a distinct realm - another plane where the barriers between worlds thinned, potentially offering a passageway across the boundaries that divided existence.
The conversation turned to the elder spawn of Oberon, as the group debated the extent of their involvement in the growing crisis. Perhaps the spawn were orchestrating events from behind the scenes, pulling unseen strings to destabilise reality. Or perhaps they were merely opportunists, exploiting the chaos without having fully caused it. There remained the possibility, too, that they were entirely focused on their own inscrutable objectives, detached from the larger conflict. What was certain, however, was the connection between the spawn and the Verdant Tree in Trebernaxus - a link that demanded further investigation. Corin was convinced of their culpability, a view Kyle partially shared, especially given the spawn’s involvement in manipulating Annael. All agreed that predicting the spawn’s next move was near impossible. The Patriarch reiterated that his knowledge of them was limited to their appearances within the material world; their activities within the Realm of Mirrors remained entirely hidden from his sight. Even when they walked the Shadows, the spawn cloaked themselves with extraordinary care. Corin, with characteristic bluntness, remarked that trying to follow them directly would likely prove futile - they had little time, and too many greater threats demanded their attention.
Savik herself appeared to be a native of the Mirror Realm, having once entered the Courts of Chaos to secure influence and weave herself into its society. In time, she and Oberon became entangled, and from their union she bore two sons - Darius and Marcus. Yet, even after Savik orchestrated Oberon’s escape from imprisonment, he ultimately abandoned her when summoned by Dworkin during the forging of the Pattern. Savik returned to the Mirror Realm, where - if the periodic glimpses into their affairs were accurate - she later bore two additional children, fathered by her eldest son Darius, deepening the complex lineage of the elder spawn. The last recorded sighting of the spawn had occurred roughly a week earlier, as measured by the temporal lag inherent in the Patriarch’s observations. They had been seen in Trebernaxus, where their apparent destruction of the Verdant Tree had plunged the local faith into chaos. Corin maintained her suspicion that the spawn were responsible for several of the current crises, though she doubted their ultimate aim was a collision of Realms. Instead, she speculated that Savik sought to establish dominion within the primary reality - not to destroy it outright. If the spawn were contributing to the unravelling of the Realms, it was perhaps an unintended consequence of their ambitions. Whether they were actively releasing the imprisoned gods, accidentally accelerating their return, or merely pawns in the schemes of higher powers, Corin was certain of one thing: regardless of intent, the consequences would engulf them all if the Old Gods were freed.
Bannoq, curious about the Patriarch’s ability to observe events across reality, inquired how such far-reaching knowledge was gathered, and whether it could be directed toward specific moments or locations. The Patriarch explained that his acolytes entered deep trances, each sustaining their vigil for an indeterminate span of time. As one acolyte’s focus waned, another would take their place, ensuring a continuous, though always slightly delayed, stream of observation. This relay system inevitably caused their knowledge to lag behind real-time events. Bannoq pressed further, asking if it was possible to focus on a narrower window - perhaps only a few hours - to gain a more current view of developments, specifically in Trebernaxus. While the Patriarch confirmed that such precision was indeed possible, he noted that in this case, it would likely be far simpler - and far more reliable - to visit the Shadow directly and witness events firsthand.
Kyle then questioned the role of the Great Spikard in the grander scheme of things. The Patriarch explained that the Great Spikard was the very heart of the Realm of Knowledge, the source of power that sustained and protected it. Through its vast energies, the Patriarch could shield the Realm from any threat short of a fully empowered god. Only one of the Old Gods, operating at the peak of their power, might have the strength to breach its defences. The spawn, for all their cunning and ambition, would be entirely incapable of penetrating the Realm’s wards - even if they knew of its existence. And in this, at least, the Patriarch was confident: he did not believe the elder spawn were yet aware of the Realm of Knowledge at all.
With their audience concluded, the group made preparations to depart, as the Patriarch summoned an escort to guide them back to reality. Before leaving, Corin announced her intention to take possession of the Alicorn and walk either the Pattern or the Logrus, hoping such a journey might reveal how best to unlock and wield its latent power. Kyle, ever the voice of caution, advised that she should walk Corwin's Pattern specifically, to avoid risking the complications that might arise from acquiring a second Pattern imprint. He also counselled Corin to approach Benedict with humility when requesting access to the Alicorn. Accusations and her usual flashes of petulance would serve only to antagonise him further, and patience would be far more likely to achieve her goal. At Kyle’s gentle reprimand, Corin allowed herself a sheepish nod of acknowledgment. Kyle reminded her once again that far greater matters hung in the balance than scoring points in family disputes. Bannoq, meanwhile, questioned whether Corin truly needed the Alicorn at all, considering that she already carried within her a fragment of the Unicorn’s essence - a point that left lingering questions about how much additional power the artifact might actually provide.
Corin argued that the time had come to begin marshalling their forces in earnest, as war - whether they were ready or not - was drawing closer. Kyle voiced a growing concern of his own: the risk that the elder spawn might seek to recruit Stålmannen, the Chrome Droid, to their cause. Corin, however, saw the opportunity in that very danger. Rather than allow the spawn to make the first approach, she suggested that they should instead attempt to recruit Stålmannen themselves. The question, then, was who among them might be best positioned to win his trust and persuade him of the need for unity in the face of what was coming. She also raised the matter of Bennu, pondering whether the ancient being would continue to remain aloof or whether he might yet be convinced to lend his power to their cause. Finally, Corin asked after Fiona’s status, her absence from the unfolding conflict leaving yet another uncertainty looming in the background.
Regardless of the many unanswered questions, the group knew it was time to return to reality and act. Before they departed, however, the Patriarch issued a final warning. The Courts of Chaos were already in deep turmoil following the sudden withdrawal of demonkind, and matters had only grown more volatile after Joshua’s dramatic deployment of a Pattern Ghost on the very steps of the Cathedral of the Serpent. The group discussed the mounting threat posed by the Realm of Prisons, recognising the urgent need to determine where and when its boundaries might next breach Shadow. They also debated which of the imprisoned Old Gods might serve as a potential ally should release become inevitable. After careful consideration, they agreed that Tauron - given his more moderate nature compared to his brethren - was the most likely candidate to aid rather than destroy them in the conflict to come.
The Patriarch offered a final sobering reflection. Both the Unicorn and the Serpent, he reminded them, had grown far more powerful than they had been in the ancient days when all thirteen Old Gods still walked the Shadows. Over time, as the other gods were imprisoned, faded, or slain, portions of their essence had gradually been absorbed by the remaining two, elevating them far beyond their original stature. But now, with the Unicorn slain and the Serpent having vanished beyond the bounds of reality, the vast energies they once contained had begun to bleed into the fabric of existence itself - energies that might yet be seized by any being with the knowledge and ambition to claim them. Had the Serpent remained, it might have grown into a stabilizing force capable of holding reality together. But with its absence, the fragile barriers between realms - particularly those separating Shadow from the Realm of Prisons - were slowly eroding. The Patriarch warned that even the Realm of Knowledge itself might eventually be drawn into Shadow. Should that occur, all its accumulated wisdom - and the Great Spikard that safeguarded it - could fall into the hands of those ill-suited to wield such power.
At last, a guard arrived to escort the group back to Reality. As they prepared to depart, the Patriarch offered his parting words: when the time was right, and with the proper guidance - perhaps from someone like Delwin - they might one day return to the Realm of Knowledge to seek further counsel. With that, their audience came to a close, and the group crossed once more from the timeless sanctuary of the Realm of Knowledge back into the shifting uncertainties of the wider multiverse.
The company retraced their steps, emerging once more from the massive mesa that concealed the Realm of Knowledge, and crossing the barren wastelands that surrounded it. Before long, they reached the threshold of Undershadow. Their shimmering guide, ever silent and expressionless, led them wordlessly through the strange and distorted realm, never acknowledging their presence. As they navigated the twisting passageways, Bannoq focused intently, attempting to memorize the route in case it might one day prove vital. At last, they emerged once more into the familiar realm where Order and Chaos intersected, arriving at the same cave entrance through which Delwin had originally led them. Their guide gave a final gesture - something between a nod and a bow - before silently vanishing back into the mists of Undershadow.
Meanwhile, back within the Courts of Chaos, Joshua had reached the limits of what the ancient libraries could offer regarding survival within the Abyss. Despite his exhaustive research, no definitive method had yet emerged. However, his studies had uncovered traces of long-forgotten secret societies, now extinct, that once flourished within Chaos. These cults venerated thirteen ancient beings, believed to have existed long before recorded history and thought by most to be long dead. The identities of these primordial entities were symbolised through a series of animal-like icons, each one hinting at forgotten aspects of power and origin, their true nature lost to time but perhaps still tied to the mysteries of the Abyss.
With much still unresolved, the company settled on a course of action. First, they would return to Amber and brief Benedict on the unfolding crisis, bringing him fully up to speed. The Alicorn would need to be secured and its properties studied in greater depth, to better understand its potential role in the coming conflict. They also planned to approach Annael, to reveal how he had been manipulated and to explore whether he might be willing to assist them - perhaps even in forging a dialogue with Stålmannen, whose unique power could be pivotal. Alesha, too, would be consulted, to better comprehend the nature of the power she had used to draw William across from Bennu's reality, and whether it might offer a means of reinforcing the boundaries between Realms. In addition, they would seek to establish monitoring stations across Shadow, using Alesha’s abilities if possible, to detect any early signs of incursions from the Realm of Prisons. Finally, they agreed that, if possible, they would reach out to Joshua to exchange information and ensure all their threads of investigation remained coordinated.
Impatient to delay no further, Corin initiated a Trump contact with Joshua. He answered, and through the psychic link, she swiftly brought him up to speed on all that had transpired during his absence - including the death of the Unicorn, and the mounting threats now facing reality itself. Corin outlined her own plan: to investigate the dispersed remnants of the Unicorn’s power, study the Alicorn, and explore the nature of the mark the Unicorn had left upon her. She hoped that by unlocking these mysteries, she might uncover a way to stabilise reality and prevent the looming collision of the Realms. If successful, they might then have the breathing room to confront the many other dangers crowding in: the need to recruit Stålmannen, neutralise the Elder Spawn of Oberon, prepare for any escaped prisoners from the Realm of Prisons, and ultimately, face the growing threat of Abaddon and the resurgent demonkind.
In turn, Joshua updated Corin on his own investigations into the Abyss and the possibility of surviving its depths. Despite his extensive research, he had uncovered no definitive answers. The only certainty was grim: any descent into the deeper layers of the Abyss left an indelible mark upon the traveler - one that, over time, would inevitably lead to their demise. Nevertheless, Joshua was determined to descend himself, believing that only by witnessing firsthand what was occurring within the Abyss could they gather the intelligence needed to formulate a meaningful response. Until they possessed hard evidence, any strategy they devised would remain little more than conjecture.
Kyle first attempted Trump contact with his mother, but she quickly deflected the call, claiming to be occupied and offering no further explanation. Undeterred, Kyle next tried to reach Corwin’s Pattern Ghost, but as he had half-expected, his efforts were blocked - interference of a clear magical nature preventing any connection. Turning to a more reliable source, Kyle contacted Suhuy. The two discussed the status of the Pattern Ghost, with Suhuy confirming that it had indeed been captured and was now held within the fortified dungeons beneath the Cathedral of the Serpent. The defences surrounding its prison had been further strengthened following Corin’s earlier escape from the Abyssal dungeons. Their conversation briefly touched on the wider matters of the demons and the shifting cosmic balance. Suhuy acknowledged the death of the Unicorn and the Serpent’s departure, though he suspected that few others, as yet, fully grasped the significance of these recent events.
Joshua and Corin turned their attention to Abaddon, speculating on what had prompted his sudden activity after so long in the shadows. Was he seeking domination over all reality? Had he recently awoken, or perhaps escaped some confinement? Whatever the cause, one fact was clear - Abaddon was now moving, and his presence loomed larger with every passing moment. Though the prospect of venturing into the Abyss to gather intelligence was fraught with danger, neither could see a better path forward. Bannoq raised the matter of the demon Joshua had lost control of on Terra Prime. Joshua explained that his command over the creature had not simply failed - control had been stripped from him, wrested away by a force or entity of frightening power. Whoever had done so was not someone to be underestimated. Joshua believed he remained their best hope for any future descent into the Abyss, but admitted he was not yet ready to attempt it.
At last, Kyle trumped the group back to Amber, where they immediately set out in search of Benedict, who was presiding over court and attending to matters of administration. As they approached the throne room, they were met by a flurry of urgency - several guards rushed past them, delivering grave news to Benedict. A massive Shadow Storm had erupted and was now carving a path of destruction through the Golden Circle. It had already swept through Begma and was now laying waste to Eragnor. Benedict swiftly dismissed the assembled court, rising carefully to his feet - still relying on his cane for support, a lingering consequence of his battle against Corwin’s Pattern Ghost. In the brief exchange that followed, Corin took the opportunity to formally confirm her lineage as a descendant of Corwin. Without delay, Benedict turned to Kyle and ordered him to employ the Jewel of Judgment to address the encroaching storm and contain the escalating threat.
The group followed Benedict to his private quarters, where he retrieved the Jewel of Judgment and handed it over to Kyle. As preparations began, Bannoq raised the matter of the Alicorn, explaining that Corin required access to it for her investigations. Corin, perhaps a little too hastily, insisted that she wasn’t entirely certain of what she was doing just yet - a clumsy attempt at deflection that did not escape Benedict’s notice. He raised a single eyebrow, studying her for a moment before turning to Bannoq with quiet authority, instructing him to keep a close watch on Corin’s actions. Though unspoken, the warning was clear: the stakes were too high to indulge reckless experimentation.
With the Jewel of Judgment in hand, Kyle extended his consciousness outward, casting his awareness across the expanse of the Golden Circle. From this vantage, he studied the unfolding Shadow Storm - and what he beheld dwarfed anything he had encountered before. The storm was vast, primal, almost sentient in its fury, tearing through Shadow after Shadow with unrelenting force. Its trailing edge left devastation scattered across multiple realms, as if it were clawing at the very fabric of reality itself. Kyle could feel the rips and tears it left behind, sensing fractures in the aether where the storm shredded the underlying weave of existence. Though still too distant to exert any real influence, Kyle suddenly felt a powerful snap - an aethereal detonation accompanied by a violent rending of Reality. Something - he could not yet see what - had tumbled through one of these ruptures into Shadow. And still the storm raged onward, carving a destructive path through everything in its wake.
Bannoq once again attempted to attune himself to the Alicorn, reaching out to sense its nature, but was met with the same frustrating emptiness as before. Without delay, he handed the artifact to Corin, who in turn focused her psyche upon it, seeking to draw out some deeper resonance. Yet even with her greater affinity to the Unicorn’s essence, the Alicorn remained elusive, revealing little of its mysteries. Recognising that further study would require direct action, Corin took her leave, departing into Shadow to pursue her investigations. As she vanished into the shifting realms, she finally severed her Trump contact with Joshua, the connection dissolving into silence.
Through the lingering fractures in reality, Kyle was able to sense the presence of whatever entity had been cast through the rift. It raged uncontrollably, tearing violently at the Shadow it had fallen into, its fury wreaking widespread devastation. Recognising the danger, Benedict wasted no time, ordering them to intervene and contain the threat. Acting swiftly, Kyle summoned William, and together with Bannoq, the three prepared for immediate deployment. To avoid dropping directly into the heart of the destruction, Kyle hastily sketched a Trump image of a nearby location - a position close enough to observe and engage, but distant enough to give them a measure of tactical advantage before confronting the raging force.
Upon arrival, Kyle immediately requested permission to draw upon William’s raw, primal energy. Though hesitant, William reluctantly agreed, granting Kyle access to his formidable reserves of power. Channeling William’s essence through himself and amplifying it with the focused might of the Jewel of Judgment, Kyle turned his full attention to the raging storm. Now, at this closer proximity, his efforts bore far greater influence. The storm's chaotic fury began to subside under his control, its violent thrashing gradually diminishing as Kyle worked to calm its destructive momentum and stabilize the surrounding Shadow.
Meanwhile, back in the Courts of Chaos, Joshua performed a Trump casting, seeking insight into which of the current Chaosian Houses might still harbor remnants of allegiance - or knowledge - linked to the ancient worship of the Thirteen. As the patterns unfolded before him, two names emerged with unexpected clarity: House Hendrake and House Sawall. Both, it seemed, maintained faint but enduring threads of connection to those long-forgotten powers, offering Joshua potential avenues for further investigation.
With the storm now partially subdued, Kyle, Bannoq, and William shifted their focus to the being that had emerged from the rift in Shadow. Towering nearly twenty feet tall, the creature loomed in the center of a devastated field. Its form resembled a fusion of glass and obsidian, easily weighing over thirteen tons, and in a single massive hand it wielded a colossal double-headed battle-axe. Its mirror-like plate armor glistened under the fractured light - not as external protection, but as if fused directly into the creature's very substance. Suspended nearby, floating unnaturally in mid-air, was a rent in the fabric of reality - a gaping tear in the air itself, marking the point through which the being had entered. The creature bellowed in rage, swinging its axe wildly, sending massive sprays of earth and stone in every direction with each furious strike. Around the edges of the chaos, terrified inhabitants of the Shadow scattered and fled, desperate to escape the unfolding destruction.
Without hesitation, William and Bannoq charged into the fray. The towering being ceased its wild flailing, its attention snapping to William as he closed the distance. It raised an arm, pointing directly at him, and bellowed something in a harsh, guttural language neither could understand. The creature repeated its cry twice more, its voice resonating with unnatural power. As Kyle circled behind the golem, closing the distance cautiously, William shouted back defiantly, his voice cutting through the air. In response, the creature's eyes ignited, glowing with an intense red heat. In the next instant, twin beams of searing energy erupted from its gaze, striking the ground with explosive force, vaporizing everything they touched. William narrowly evaded the first blast, breaking into a full sprint to avoid the destructive beams as they tracked him relentlessly, carving deep furrows into the earth and leaving a trail of devastation in their wake.
Bannoq surged forward, invoking Words of Power to enhance his speed and strength as he closed the gap. Targeting the creature’s massive legs, he aimed to cripple its movement, driving his blade into the back of one joint with tremendous force. The strike carved a deep, white-hot gash into the mirror-like armor, but the force of the impact reverberated violently through Bannoq’s weapon, sending searing pain up his arms as the vibrations jarred his bones and muscles. The golem’s searing eye-beams abruptly shut off as it shifted its attention to this new threat. It swung its massive axe toward Bannoq, but the Amberite’s reflexes, honed by years of battle, carried him clear of the blow as the weapon smashed into the earth where he had stood only moments before. Bannoq stayed in constant motion, weaving defensively, carefully studying the creature’s movements as he searched for weaknesses to exploit.
With the golem’s focus locked on Bannoq, William seized the opening. Shouting Words of Thunder that reverberated across the battlefield, he launched himself into the air, landing high upon the creature’s back. Without hesitation, he drove his blazing sword deep into the golem’s obsidian-like armor, the blade sinking to the hilt. William worked the weapon furiously, sawing back and forth with brutal force, carving a massive, gaping wound from which molten, white-hot substance poured in thick streams. Yet, despite the catastrophic damage, the creature showed no sign of faltering. Suddenly, with alarming speed and precision, the golem reached over its shoulder, seized William by the arm, and hurled him across the field like a ragdoll. He crashed to the ground nearly fifty feet away, striking hard against the torn landscape as the glowing essence continued to spill from the wound he had inflicted.
As William was flung aside, Bannoq pressed the advantage, charging in swiftly. He drove his Pattern Sword upward into the creature’s exposed belly, carving a second gaping wound that mirrored the searing damage inflicted on its back. White-hot substance poured from the fresh rupture, but Bannoq wasted no time, leaping clear before the golem could retaliate. In the violent motion, the force of the strike tore his blade from his grasp. Yet Bannoq’s sword was no ordinary weapon; it was bound to him, an extension of his very being. After a brief quiver where it remained embedded, the sword shuddered free and flew back into Bannoq’s waiting hand. Even as he recovered his weapon, Bannoq observed with concern that the earlier leg wound he had inflicted was already beginning to mend - the creature’s regenerative capabilities clearly formidable.
Now Kyle unleashed his own power, focusing on the creature’s head. With precise control, he manipulated the substance of the golem’s mirror-like helmet, forcing it to stretch and seal over its glowing eyes, preventing it from unleashing another blast of its devastating eye-beams. The maneuver was successful - its fiery gaze was blocked - but disturbingly, the creature showed no sign of hesitation or disorientation. It charged forward with unrelenting purpose, demonstrating that it did not rely on vision to track its prey. Without missing a stride, the golem barreled toward Bannoq, its movements as aggressive and deliberate as ever.
Bannoq lured the golem closer, then unleashed another Power Word, momentarily enhancing his speed. The surge allowed him to evade the massive axe as it slammed down, splintering the ground where he had stood only a heartbeat before. Yet this time, the golem’s response was quicker - closer than it had been before. It was adapting, learning Bannoq’s rhythm and gauging his strengths and weaknesses with each exchange. In that instant, Bannoq realized the battle could not be drawn out any longer; if the creature continued to adapt, it would soon outpace them all. Acting decisively, he summoned another surge of strength through shouted Words of Power and brought his blade crashing down upon the creature’s wrist. With a sharp detonation of white-hot, glass-like substance, the golem’s massive hand was severed at the joint, sending both the limb and its great axe crashing to the ground.
In a surge of fury, the golem uttered a string of incomprehensible words, its voice laced with raw power that struck Bannoq like a hammer blow, slamming him violently to the ground. Seizing the opportunity, the creature reached down, massive fingers closing around Bannoq’s throat, lifting him effortlessly into the air. It shook him violently, tightening its grip, beginning to crush the life from him. But before the creature could finish its work, William charged back into the fight. Following Bannoq’s earlier tactic, he brought his blazing sword down with all his strength, cleaving into the arm that held Bannoq. The blade struck at the elbow joint, triggering another explosion of white-hot, glass-like shards. The severed arm tumbled to the ground, freeing Bannoq, who collapsed beneath the crushing weight of the massive dismembered limb. The golem staggered backward, briefly regarding the stump of its arm. At that moment, the material covering its eyes began to pulse and glow - first red, then yellow, and finally white-hot - before unleashing twin beams of searing energy. The devastating rays arced wildly across the sky, then swept down toward the pinned Bannoq, still trapped beneath nearly half a ton of the creature’s severed limb.
With the searing beams closing in, Bannoq summoned every ounce of strength he possessed, straining against the crushing weight pinning him down. His focus locked on the thumb of the severed hand still gripping his neck. Inch by agonising inch, he forced it backward until, with a sharp crack, the joint finally snapped. The release came only moments too late - the golem’s fiery gaze swept across his legs, scorching and maiming them with terrible burns. Yet even as the pain seared through him, the creature’s assault abruptly ceased. Its eye-beams flickered and died, and the massive construct sank heavily to its knees, its strength finally failing.
Kyle acted swiftly, unleashing a spell of telekinesis that hurled the severed arm through the air, smashing it into the golem’s head with tremendous force. As the creature reeled, William and Bannoq - despite Bannoq’s injuries - closed in from opposite sides, each driving their blades into the creature’s neck. With precise, simultaneous strikes, they severed the head cleanly from its massive body. The golem gave one final, violent shudder before collapsing into stillness. For several moments afterward, strange energies seeped from the creature’s gaping wounds, swirling upward as its essence began to evaporate into nothingness. Kyle focused intently, trying to glean what knowledge he could from the dissipating energy patterns. Yet his attention was quickly drawn to the lingering tear in reality nearby. Recognizing the greater danger, he redirected his focus and called upon the Jewel of Judgment, channeling its power to stabilize the rift and begin the delicate work of mending the damaged fabric of Shadow.
Even as he concentrated on sealing the rift, Kyle divided his focus, directing a portion of his mind to send out a desperate Trump call to his mother. He urged Fiona to come through immediately, hoping she could assist not only in studying the golem’s rapidly fading essence, but also in extracting whatever knowledge might still be salvaged before the last remnants of its strange energies were lost forever.
With the battle concluded, Bannoq carefully examined the severed limbs and head of the fallen golem, searching for any clues to its construction. Yet to his surprise, there was no internal structure to be found; the creature appeared completely solid, its obsidian-like substance extending uniformly throughout. Moments later, Fiona arrived through Kyle’s Trump, responding to his urgent summons. Without hesitation, she stepped forward, muttering incantations under her breath as she approached the lifeless form. Placing her hand against the golem’s chest, her palm began to sink into the solid mass, penetrating nearly half a foot into the strange material. Wisps of smoke curled up from the point of contact as arcane energies interacted with the golem’s rapidly fading essence.
As William kept a watchful eye on Fiona's work, Kyle concentrated on sealing the last of the tear in reality. With great care, he studied the residual energies around the rift, seeking to glean whatever knowledge he could about both the nature of the breach and what lay beyond it. Yet even as the wound in reality closed, the monstrous Shadow Storm that had birthed the rupture continued to rage unchecked. Despite wielding the Jewel of Judgment, Kyle found himself unable to fully subdue the storm's immense power. Turning to William, he requested permission to once again draw upon his raw, elemental energy. William consented, but made it clear that this time he would maintain full control over the flow, regulating both the rate and volume of power to prevent Kyle from overextending himself. With William's carefully metered strength augmenting his own, Kyle was finally able to bring the storm under control. Over the course of several hours, the once-primal tempest was reduced to a localized, manageable disturbance.
Realizing that shadow-walking all the way to Ygg would be a lengthy and inefficient endeavor, Corin chose a more expedient path. Instead, she turned to Corwin's Pattern, stepping onto its swirling lines and successfully walking its full course. At the Pattern’s center, she summoned its power and teleported herself to a position as near as possible to the borderlands where the Realms of Chaos and Order brushed against Bennu's domain. From there, she began her shadow-walk toward the Realm of Ea - Bennu’s isolated creation - determined to pierce its boundaries and further her investigation into the ancient powers of the Old Gods.
Meanwhile, deep within the hidden enclaves of the Courts of Chaos, Joshua contemplated his next move. He briefly considered venturing out to walk openly through the Courts, but Gilva strongly cautioned against it. She warned that the power structures within Chaos had likely already responded to his earlier actions, establishing wards, watchful spells, and detection webs capable of stripping away even the most sophisticated cloaking - including those fortified by Suhuy’s assistance. The risk of exposure was simply too great, and Gilva urged him to remain concealed until a safer course could be charted.
With few safe options remaining, Joshua once again drew forth Suhuy's Trump and established contact. He shared his latest findings and theories, hoping to benefit from Suhuy's vast knowledge. After hearing Joshua’s account, Suhuy chose to come to him directly, making it clear that he did not wish for Joshua to enter the sacred inner sanctum of the Logrus itself. In the hidden chamber, the two discussed Joshua’s emerging understanding of the Abyss and its possible ties to the Old Gods. Their conversation soon turned to the political landscape of Chaos, as Joshua speculated whether any of the modern Chaosian Houses might retain fragments of ancient knowledge that could help in devising a method to survive a descent into the Abyss. Suhuy acknowledged that a few Houses might indeed have relevant ties, but he strongly advised against approaching Hendrake. House Sawall, however, presented a possible avenue. The Lady Dara might be receptive, though Suhuy warned that she was an extraordinarily powerful sorceress with far-reaching ambitions and influential relatives. Once a prized student of Suhuy himself, Dara was deeply enmeshed in the ever-dangerous game for succession in Chaos. Involving her risked drawing Joshua into political rivalries that could quickly become lethal. After weighing the risks, they agreed that perhaps Merlin - Dara and Corwin’s son - might offer the safest path forward. Young, talented, and largely disinterested in the poisonous court politics of Chaos, Merlin was a skilled sorcerer and, in Suhuy’s estimation, rational and pragmatic. Far preferable, certainly, to Despil, Jurt, or the dangerously cunning Mandor, whose ambitions rivaled even Dara's.
Suhuy agreed to facilitate an introduction to Merlin but made it clear that his involvement would go no further. He also offered a personal request: given Chaos’ long and brutal tradition of using children as pawns in their parents' political games, and Merlin being something of a favored student of his, Suhuy asked that Joshua ensure Merlin came to no lasting harm - though he understood that some degree of persuasion might still be required. Suhuy confided his belief that Dara was likely grooming Merlin to ascend as the next King of Chaos, though he lacked definitive proof. If that were true, Suhuy feared Merlin would serve only as Dara’s puppet, his rule a front for her own ambitions. Joshua, however, had little patience for such political intrigue. In his view, if the larger existential threats facing reality weren’t resolved, there would soon be no throne in Chaos - or anywhere else - for anyone to sit upon.
Before Joshua attempted to contact Merlin, Suhuy offered one final word of caution. His usual abrasive, confrontational manner would not serve him well when dealing with House Sawall. They were powerful and influential in their own right, and Joshua, as an exile and the son of a branded traitor, would find no easy welcome there. House Sawall had no incentive to align themselves with him, nor would they simply fall into line under his arguments. Though Swayvill still held the throne, and House Amblerash appeared to be the current frontrunner for succession, Sawall remained a serious contender, needing only the smallest shift in fortune to rise. In such a delicate landscape, any misstep with the Sawall dynasty could prove dangerous.
Suhuy transferred a psychic impression of Merlin directly into Joshua’s mind, allowing him to quickly sketch a Trump and initiate contact. When the link opened, Merlin appeared wary and guarded, his caution evident. However, upon seeing Suhuy present - and receiving his assurance that it was safe - Merlin reluctantly agreed to step through. As Merlin arrived, Suhuy discreetly communicated to Joshua via telepathy, suggesting that Merlin likely remained unaware of Dara’s ambitions to place him on the throne of Chaos. Joshua, however, showed little concern for the political sensitivities. Whether or not Merlin knew of his mother’s plans was of no consequence to him; his focus remained fixed on the far larger threats looming over them all.
As their conversation began, Joshua quickly recognized the dual nature within Merlin - a being touched by both Order and Chaos, carrying the bloodlines of Amber and the Courts. After a brief exchange of verbal sparring, the two laid out their respective lineages. Joshua spoke of his descent, while Merlin acknowledged his own, including the fact that Dara, his mother, was the great-granddaughter of Benedict. When the discussion turned to the subject of demons and the thirteen ancient beings, Merlin revealed a crucial piece of information: not all of demonkind had answered the mysterious call that had drawn so many away. At this revelation, Joshua's interest sharpened dramatically, his urgency growing as he pressed Merlin for details - desperate to learn which demons had resisted the summons, and why.
Merlin explained that several of his childhood friends - demons by nature - had heard the same summoning call that had drawn so many of their kind away. Yet, unlike their brethren, these few had resisted, managing to remain despite the overwhelming pull. Merlin had questioned them extensively, learning that they believed they had evolved beyond the usual limitations of Abyss-born creatures. Though powerful and possessing unique abilities, they were far from the most potent among demonkind. Still, even if they wished to return now, they dared not; the force radiating from the Abyss had grown terrible and oppressive, something they feared they could no longer endure. Joshua, seeing the opportunity, was eager - almost desperate - to speak with these demons directly. Sensing Joshua’s urgency, Merlin appeared willing to arrange an introduction.
Turning to a more delicate matter, Joshua broached the subject of the ancient religious beliefs still whispered among certain Chaosian families. He shared with Merlin fragments of what he had uncovered regarding the long-forgotten worship of the so-called "divine beings" - those tied to the thirteen ancient powers. Joshua suggested that, given Merlin’s unique position - able to move freely among the great Houses and less entangled in their volatile politics - he might be well-placed to uncover further information. Any knowledge gleaned from the surviving families could prove critical in the struggle to come, offering insight that might help safeguard them all against the growing dangers converging upon reality.
Joshua projected a mental image of the demon he had previously encountered on Terra Prime, hoping it might aid Merlin in identifying potential links through his demon acquaintances. But at that point, Merlin abruptly shifted the tone of the conversation, bringing the discussion to a tense pause. He demanded to know why he should be assisting Joshua at all - after all, Joshua was a known exile, a criminal, and an enemy of the Chaosian throne. It was clear Merlin was probing for a reaction. In response, Joshua spoke with dramatic urgency, emphasizing the existential threat that loomed over all of creation. His impassioned argument struck its mark. Merlin relented, agreeing to speak with his demon contacts, conduct the necessary inquiries, and report back to Joshua via Trump as soon as possible. Joshua impressed upon him the critical urgency of the task, and Merlin promised not to delay.
As Merlin prepared to depart, Joshua posed one final question - whether Merlin had any contact with his Amberite relatives. Merlin firmly denied it, explaining that Dara had long forbidden any such contact under strict taboo. With that, Merlin stepped away - but not before Joshua managed to take a psychic imprint of him. He strongly suspected that Merlin, in turn, had done the same.
Corin reached Corwin’s Pattern and stepped onto its swirling design, walking it swiftly and with practiced ease. Upon reaching the center, she focused her mind upon the Alicorn, hoping to draw some new insight from the artifact. Yet, frustratingly, it remained silent - yielding nothing. Shifting her focus, she called upon the Pattern itself to reveal the structure of the Realms. In response, abstract images unfolded before her mind’s eye - vast sheets, like endless leaves of paper, floating parallel to one another, yet gently undulating and shifting. The dominant plane seemed to be the Primal Realm of Order and Chaos, which she recognized as her own. The others, however, resisted clear identification. Each time she attempted to focus on one of the alternate planes, its image would blur and fade, as though slipping beyond her grasp before any details could resolve. Still, two stood out slightly more than the rest. One, she suspected, was Bennu’s creation - Ea - especially as she sensed a faint echo of William’s essence within it. The second, perhaps, was the Realm of Knowledge, though she could not be certain. As she studied the patterns further, she noted that occasionally, like water swirling down a drain, these planes would briefly arch toward each other, touching for fleeting moments. For most realms, such contact was rare and usually occurred near Ygg. But one plane connected to the Realm of Order and Chaos far more often, and seemingly across many locations - it could only be the Realm of Mirrors.
Corin carefully absorbed as much of the planes’ structure as she could, mentally mapping the fleeting points where the various realms touched and diverged. Once her observations were complete, she harnessed her position at the Pattern’s center to teleport herself to a location as near as possible to the borderlands between Ygg and Bennu’s Realm. From there, she began to shadow-walk, using the Alicorn to aid her - cutting and parting Shadow itself in an attempt to carve a path into Bennu’s elusive reality. The journey was not without its perils; strange and unnerving distractions assailed her at intervals, attempting to divert her concentration. Each time, she steadied herself and pressed forward. Then, as she traversed a shimmering lake of liquid mercury, a ripple disturbed its otherwise placid surface. The disturbance was enough to break her focus momentarily. Sensing something amiss, she paused to analyze the area for signs of magical interference. From the reflective depths, a humanoid figure slowly rose, its form crackling with small arcs of verdant green electricity - an ominous and all-too-familiar energy signature.
The moment Corin recognized the telltale flickers of verdant energy, she instinctively began summoning her own Primal power, readying herself for confrontation. The humanoid figure floated effortlessly across the mercury-like surface, its form solidifying with each passing moment. As it drew closer, its features became unmistakable - a simulacrum of Corin herself. Yet, even as she stared into the mirrored image, she sensed a profound wrongness. Reaching out with her psyche, Corin attempted to take a psychic impression of the entity. What she encountered was a distorted echo of her own essence - void of any emotional depth, yet pulsing with a focused, malignant intent. The thing before her was not simply a reflection, but a twisted mockery infused with cold, concentrated malevolence.
Reacting instantly, Corin summoned her Logrus armor, enveloping herself in its protective weave. She gathered Logrus tendrils, weaving them with her mastery of Prime, and launched them toward the mirror-being in a coordinated strike. Mere fractions of a second later, she watched as the simulacrum mirrored her movements precisely, gathering its own tendrils and casting them back at her. But Corin’s attack had the advantage of speed; the tendrils clashed closer to the mirror-being, and several penetrated its defenses, striking its Logrus armor directly. Undeterred, the mirror-being retaliated with another barrage of tendrils, which Corin allowed to reach her. She absorbed and redirected the assault with her superior command of the Logrus, though the attack carried an unexpected potency. Green electricity crackled through the tendrils as they struck, amplifying their power beyond what she had anticipated. In response, Corin reinforced her defenses, drawing further on her peerless command of Prime - sensing as she did that the mirror-being, too, was escalating, empowering its own defenses in parallel.
Corin drew the Alicorn and thrust it toward the mirror-being. The artifact struck an unseen barrier on the creature’s arm, causing a shield of shimmering force to flare into visibility. The impact clearly had effect - the mirror-being recoiled, momentarily retreating under the force of the attack. Corin quickly shredded the tendrils that had coiled around her legs, cutting herself free, though a flicker of unease crept into her mind as she briefly questioned how she might ultimately overcome this strange adversary. Shifting her strategy, she unleashed her Forces and Matter magics, attempting to destabilize and shatter the creature’s form while simultaneously driving it back toward the mercury lake. The mirror-being erupted into flames, its body reshaping itself into a burning figure as it conjured a fiery sword into its hand. Corin felt her spell lose its hold as the creature's physical form became increasingly fluid and volatile. Reacting swiftly, she triggered a racked Fast Travel spell, blinking herself several paces away, but the fiery simulacrum pursued immediately, closing the distance with unnatural speed. With precious moments bought, Corin summoned a mono-filament net between them, but the being passed through it unhindered, having fully adopted a state of pure energy. In a final effort to slow its approach, she conjured a Logrus hand to seize the creature. The mirror-being answered with its own pseudo-Logrus defense, blocking the grasp, but the clash of Logrus energies successfully delayed its advance, forcing it to circle as the opposing forces locked momentarily in contest.
Sensing the battle reaching a critical juncture, Corin prepared what she feared might be a final, desperate assault. She channeled a massive Disruption spell through the Alicorn itself, hoping that the artifact’s unique properties would amplify her magic in ways otherwise beyond her reach. Simultaneously, she poured all the Prime energy she could command into the attack. The mirror-being, perhaps sensing her desperation, seemed to radiate an aura of triumph as it raised its Logrus shield, anticipating that it would easily absorb the strike. But the Alicorn-fueled, Prime-infused Disruption spell tore through the Logrus defense with devastating force, cutting cleanly through the barrier and striking the creature directly. In an instant, its fiery, energetic form was violently forced back into a solid state. Staggering, the mirror-being faltered as Corin seized the moment, unleashing a storm of lightning bolts, each empowered by her mastery of both Prime and her Exalted Logrus. The relentless assault shredded the creature’s form entirely, reducing it to ruin before her. As the battle finally ended, Corin stood breathless, drained from the immense power she had expended.
Back in the hidden corners of Chaos, Gilva approached Joshua, striking up a seemingly casual conversation. She complimented him on his remarkable longevity, his strength, and his mastery of power, before abruptly shifting the tone and brazenly propositioning him. The ancient Joshua, caught off guard by her directness, declined her advance with polite restraint. Yet as they spoke, his attention was drawn to her gleaming, polished banded armor, which had begun to shimmer unnaturally in the light. Sensing something amiss, Joshua reached out with his psyche, attempting to take an impression of the shifting energy, but found it elusive - resisting his mental probe. Suddenly, Gilva convulsed, her eyes rolling back into her head before she collapsed backward in a limp heap. Reacting swiftly, Joshua moved to her side, placing his hand upon her head to probe her mind and determine the cause. But the moment he made contact, a hand erupted from the shimmering surface of her armor, seizing his forearm with a crushing grip. A searing pain shot through him as the burning flesh beneath the creature’s grasp began to blister.
Reacting instinctively, Joshua shifted into his Chaos form, his body warping and expanding in an effort to protect himself from the searing grip. Yet the hand held fast, refusing to release him. Joshua pushed his transformation further, increasing its speed, even turning his form gaseous to escape the hold - but the hand remained anchored, unaffected by his shifting substance. As he struggled, another arm emerged from the shimmering armor, followed by a head and then an entire body, pulling itself free from Gilva’s collapsed form. Arcs of verdant green electricity crackled across the creature’s surface, identical to the power Joshua had encountered previously in Trebernaxus - the same terrible energy wielded by the Tree Spirit that had driven both him and Kyle into retreat, a being that had seemed empowered by multiple Spikards. The intruder fully emerged, its featureless, mirror-like surface reflecting the dim light. Then, with unsettling precision, it began to morph, reshaping itself into a distorted but unmistakable mirror image of Joshua himself.
Joshua extended sharp mental probes into the mind of the mirror-being, seeking any trace of thought or consciousness he could seize upon. But there was nothing - no emotion, no structure, no foothold - only an empty void of mechanical malice. The creature struck suddenly, its attack lashing out with precision. Joshua instinctively shifted into gaseous form to evade the blow, but to his shock, the strike landed regardless, its power somehow anchoring to his very essence and forcing him back into solid form. Desperate to gain the upper hand, Joshua summoned forth Logrus tendrils, lashing them toward the creature’s arm in an attempt to wrench it from its socket. Yet, as his tendrils coiled around the mirror-being, it summoned tendrils of its own - a distorted mimicry of the Logrus - which tangled and clashed with Joshua’s, matching his efforts and holding his attack at bay.
Joshua unleashed his full might, drawing upon his Logrus-fueled mastery of Prime and Matter. He released a racked spell of Disintegration, amplifying its force further by channeling it through his Spikard. The unleashed torrent of power tore into the mirror-being’s grasp, shredding the appendage that held him and blasting the creature backward, flinging it several yards across the chamber. As the mirror-being staggered, it hastily raised a Logrus defense just in time to withstand Joshua’s follow-up Implosion spell. Though the shield held, it was clear the creature’s defenses had been heavily compromised. Seizing the advantage, Joshua struck again, hurling pure Primal Chaos toward the being. The mirror-being tried to wrest control of the chaotic surge, but Joshua, wielding the full force of his Spikard, pushed back with his Forces magic, steadily overwhelming the creature’s resistance and pressing the assault forward.
As the battle raged, Gilva regained her footing and swiftly assessed the situation. Without hesitation, she drew her sword and launched herself toward the mirror-being. Simultaneously, Joshua tightened his hold, using his Forces magic to ensnare the creature and hold it rigid, preventing any further evasive maneuvers. With surgical precision, Gilva closed the distance and brought her Chaos-imbued blade down in a powerful arc, severing the mirror-being’s head cleanly from its body. In the instant the blade struck, a massive eruption of verdant green energy burst from the creature’s collapsing form, before it finally disintegrated entirely, vanishing into nothingness.
With the storm finally subdued, Kyle turned his attention back to Fiona, who remained focused on drawing in and absorbing the lingering energies radiating from the defeated golem, harvesting them for her own inscrutable purposes. As Kyle, William, and Bannoq studied the remains, they noticed the creature’s polished skin begin to shift. In certain patches, the surface became eerily mirror-like, reflecting their images back at them. But as they watched, the reflections began to distort and expand unnaturally - until, without warning, identical figures of each of them burst forth from the golem’s reflective flesh. Each doppelgänger was wreathed in familiar arcs of verdant green electricity, the same unsettling energy they had already faced.
Reacting instantly, Kyle stepped back and drew Grayswandir in a single smooth motion. Before his mirror double could fully separate itself from the golem’s skin, he struck with precision and force. The blade of Grayswandir cleaved cleanly through the emerging figure, slicing it from shoulder to waist. The creature let out a piercing scream of agony as the blade cut through its mirror-like flesh. The upper half of the doppelgänger dropped lifelessly to the ground, while the lower half remained partially embedded within the remains of the golem, motionless and inert.
Bannoq launched his attack, aiming to impale his mirror-double as it emerged. His blade drove deep into the creature’s chest, but the strike appeared to have little effect, the mirror-being unfazed by the wound. It completed its emergence from the golem, rising fully to its feet. Meanwhile, with his own doppelgänger already slain, Kyle quickly cast a binding sorcery, directing it at Bannoq’s mirror adversary to hold it in place. Observing Kyle’s success - accomplished through a method somewhat uncharacteristic for him - Bannoq shifted tactics. He began employing Power Words, starting with Magic Negation. Yet, his mirror-self responded immediately with its own counterspell, neutralizing the attempt. The doppelgänger then drew its blade and struck, but Bannoq parried the blow cleanly. He followed with a second Power Word, Neural Disrupt, but again it proved ineffective. However, at that moment, Kyle’s binding spell finally took full hold - the mirror-being froze mid-strike, locked in place. Seizing the opportunity, Kyle stepped forward and, with calm precision, brought Grayswandir down, slicing cleanly through the frozen simulacrum and ending it.
Meanwhile, William was locked in a far more difficult battle with his mirror-double. The fight had raged back and forth across the plains, neither side gaining a decisive advantage. William’s blows struck true but seemed to have no effect, while each successful strike from his doppelgänger burned with searing intensity. Forced onto the defensive, William called out for assistance while focusing entirely on evasion and defense. Kyle attempted to replicate his earlier success by casting another binding spell, but for reasons unknown, the spell failed to take hold this time. Bannoq quickly entered the fray, attempting to flank the mirror-being, but his initial strike was expertly parried. Adjusting their tactics, Bannoq and William worked together to surround their opponent. As Bannoq engaged directly, he and the mirror-being exchanged a flurry of Power Words, but the doppelgänger’s superior Psyche gave it the edge, staggering Bannoq with the force of its assault.
Seeing an opportunity, Kyle unleashed a Telekinesis spell, seizing the severed golem arm and hurling it directly at the doppelgänger. The sudden attack distracted the mirror-being just long enough for William to seize its sword arm, locking it in place. With the creature momentarily restrained, William began striking furiously, landing multiple heavy blows. Bannoq quickly rejoined the fight, and with the mirror-being unable to evade, he delivered a devastating slash from shoulder to hip, carving deep into its form. As the creature raised its sword to counterattack, Bannoq reversed his momentum, slicing cleanly through its arm at the elbow. Without pause, he drove his blade directly into the creature’s chest. The mirror-being gave one final shudder before collapsing, its form disintegrating into nothingness.