07.09l: Rights and Privileges

[Wyvern]

After an almost-disaster involving a gnome and thrown pointy things, Alys returns to Cameron, and starts heading in the direction of Kizak and Ashara.*

She shakes her head. "I expected that from Grim, not Blitz. Ah well, no actual damage done, and it should still accomplish what I wanted. Can you figure out what that is, or would you like an explanation?"

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* Thread title is in anticipation of probable topics of discussion with Ashara and Spellbinder. How much of this Cameron decides to stick around for is entirely up to him, of course.

[Spellbinder]

As Alys and Cameron (?) move forward she/they will be intercepted by a man in a garishly red outfit, complete with cape and a hood that partially obscures his face.

"Please pardon the interruption. I hope I'm not catching you at a bad time. I am known as Spellbinder. I am a new arrival here and I'm starting to learn my way around. Quin and Oberon have suggested that I make the rounds and meet the movers and shakers here. It sounded like you could probably give me some useful insights."

[Wyvern]

Alys nods politely, and offers a hand*. "I am Lady Alystrakos Obsidia Sybaris. And whether I can offer any useful insights depends a great deal on what you consider useful; for example, if you are seeking arcane knowledge, you would be far better served tracking down Asai or Rasanam or Benabik..."

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* A deliberately ambiguous gesture - Alys wants to see if Spellbinder will respond with a handshake, or a hand-kiss, or some other form of greeting entirely.

[Spellbinder]

"Charmed m'Lady." Kevin takes Alys' hand and gentle kisses it. "To be totally honest, I'm not sure if what I wish to discuss counts as the arcane or just the practical here. And that's the problem really: I don't know enough yet. Things are moving way too fast. Someone waiting at the docks to great me, quarters prepared specifically to me, everyone acting like it's a foregone conclusion that I'll walk the Pattern. There's even been a barely veiled threat of some manner of force to make that happen. I don't trust any of it."

"According to Oberon you've managed to not walk the Pattern, but somehow you're still an A-lister around here. That should give you a different perspective on things than the rest. I want to know what my options are and what the price tags are likely to be for them. That's always the catch: yes, they promise me great power, but at what cost?"

[Wyvern]

Alys laughs and smiles. "I like you; right to the point. Good. You certainly should not trust any of it, but I will give you my answers and you may choose what to make of them."*

"To start with, what is real: The Pattern. It is a Greater Power. One of two. What that means is that, in any direct conflict, the power of Pattern wins. If you can bring it to bear on a problem, it will trump any work of sorcery or artifice, no matter how much strength or cunning the lesser power might seem to have behind it. Of course there is a catch: Pattern is a subtle and sneaky sort of Power, and, from what I have seen, making direct use of it is... difficult."

"And then there is the question of price. I can tell you what it is not: it is not direct or obvious - such as costing one's sanity to attune, the way Logrus does. It is not absolute; whatever it costs you will be something that can be overcome, given sufficient time and experience. At least, any metaphysical price can be; coming here and taking the time to walk it cost Ossian his family, and while he could use it to find near-perfect shadows of them... that still would not bring them back. And, last, it is not cheap; the price may be well-hidden, but it is not to be trifled with."

As she talks, there is a definite sense of gathering power about her - assuming that Kevin has a decent psyche, he should be able to figure out that she's calling up some sort of non-magical sensory power, intended to get a better assessment of him.

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* Just in case it gets lost in translation: she's fairly directly implying that Spellbinder should not trust her, either.

[Spellbinder]

"Well when you're considering running for your life, or at least freedom, you don't have a lot of time to waste on being coy."

"As I understand it, there is a social aspect to it as well as the metaphysical. I would become a Prince here with all the trapping that come with that...and all of the obligations as well. That is another point to think about. Am I up to the job? If I can't cut it, it seems the people here would suffer more for it than I would."

"Unless I'm missing something here, there's no reason I have to rush into it. I can say no for now and change my mind later. If I say yes now, that's permanent."

Kevin is mid-ranked is Psyche, so he's do doubt aware something is happening. He will try to shield his thoughts, but will not try to stop anything else. If there's something you need to know that's not in the character description then let me know.

[Wyvern]

Alys shakes her head. "If you want out, you will need a far better plan than merely running; you may not be in the deck yet*, but that does not mean that Dworkin cannot simply snatch you back here out of shadow. Assuming you even get that far; there is a moat of sorts around Amber. A useful defensive effect, for all that it makes trade more difficult."

Then she shrugs, and moves on to the next topic. "The social aspects, by contrast, are mere formalities. Dworkin's rules do not grant power - they simply recognize it. For example, under those rules, I can lay claim to whatever - or whoever - I wish, and none but another member of the royalty may gainsay me. Without those rules... I could do the exact same thing, and, while some might try, no one outside of that same group of royalty would be able to stop me."**

"So if you are the sort who sees the responsibilities of power... then I would not expect you to find much in the way of new obligations here. And if you are not, then I doubt an official proclamation of position is likely to change that."

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((Edit: oops, forgot to add footnotes.))
* Checked with the GM; while Quinn has a card for Spellbinder, the rest of the decks don't yet. Yes, Alys checked hers; warfare also covers sleight of hand.
** Spellbinder definitely has enough psyche to know that Alys is completely serious here - whether or not she has the power she claims, she certainly thinks she does.

[Spellbinder]

Kevin folds his arms over his chest. "Oh, I'm extremely aware of the responsibilities of power. That's been drilled into my head since my aptitude for magic first surfaced. For the first time in a long time I'm free of responsibilities. Maybe I'm just not ready to take them up again. At least I want it to be my own choice."

"And speaking of choice, Dwokin might be able to drag me back but can he really force me to walk the Pattern? In my experience with metaphysical tests, you have to want to succeed on some level or you will fail. And maybe he could place me at the start, but what I chose not to move forward? Can he just drag me whole way? And in the end, what would that really accomplish?"

[khadjair]

Cameron will be trailing behind long enough that most of the conversation plays out without him present, though he comes into earshot right towards the end. He pauses for a moment, considering.

"Do not underestimate what Dworkin can get you to do through the application of soft as well as hard power."

"Cameron MacAllister, Prince of Ht'gon and master craftsman. My apologies for my tardiness, I got distracted by the antics of goblins."

Cameron will also, somehow, have acquired another mug of something that is part mead, part jet fuel, which he will actually sip at this time.

[Wyvern]

Alys blinks, and tilts her head. "You clearly* have sufficient magical power and finesse to, for example, compel the weak-willed to dance for your amusement, or rend even a small army asunder. In what way is that different from the powers accorded to royalty? ...Not that I mean to imply that you have those specific spells prepared, of course, merely that such effects are well within the limits of your abilities."

She pauses for a bit as Cameron catches up, and then adds, "This time yesterday I would have said no, the most that could be done is limit your options to walk the Pattern or cease to be. But..."

She looks around, and waves over a green-gold aquatic dragon (currently bipedal, about eight feet tall, with a sheathed rapier at one hip).
"Kizak! Good to see you here. This is Spellbinder, a recent arrival. And Cameron, who I am sure you saw yesterday evening."
Alys pauses a moment for any immediate greetings or responses from Kizak or Spellbinder, and then adds, "We were just discussing some recent events - any news of Kokytus?"**

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* Apparently whatever sensory ability Alys used includes some way of estimating sorcerous prowess. Of course, whether Spellbinder thinks her estimates are accurate or not is an entirely separate question.
** Brief reminder in case the name's been forgotten: Kokytus is the siren that lured Krajk onto the pattern, and was then dragged through it. As of last I checked with the GM, he's still in a coma, with no certain of when (or if) he will recover.