Jorlak stood in the windowless chamber beneath the temple and placed his hands upon the oracle.

Once the ancient device connected with his mind, the stone-walled room gradually faded from view, and Jorlak found himself in the other world. His body remained in the temple, he knew, frozen in place with hands fixed to that strange artefact on it’s pedestal. But his consciousness was in that strange place where The Guardians dwelt.

He found himself in a vast library, books and scrolls beyond counting, on shelves that went on apparently forever in all directions. He was in the library of of the Guardian Zardor. Not only that, he found himself looking straight into the timeless immortal eyes of the Guardian himself.

This was clearly something significant; normally Jorlak, as one of the most junior of the temple’s Guardianspeakers, dealt with one of Zardor’s servitors, spirits of the most faithful servants serving him in this realm beyond the end of their mortal lives. Just as significantly, Zardor appeared to him this time as a human.

“My servant Jorlak”, said the Guardian, “I have a task for you to perform”.

Jorlak nodded, but said nothing. You don’t interrupt a Guardian or ask silly questions.

“The Academy of Knowledge”, Zardor continued, “You saw their airship arrive yesterday”.

Jorlak nodded again. Everyone in the city had seen that vast ancient machine, now tethered to the Academy’s dome. The streets and taverns were buzzing with speculation over why it had come, and who or what might be aboard it. There were rumours that it contained terrible weapons.

“You are to find out as much as you can about that craft’s mission and contents. The fate of the whole of Kalyr may be at stake. You are my eyes and ears in this city, and as a human, you may get to see and hear things that a kandar might not. Dress in street clothes so you’re not recognised as one of my servants, and visit the taverns off-duty academicians frequent. Listen, gain their confidence, get them to speak. Separate truth from rumours, as a good servant of mine must”.

With those words, he turns to leave. As he does so, the infinite library fades, and Jorlak finds himself back that featureless underground chamber, wondering how might follow The Guardian’s order without getting himself killed by The Academy of Knowledge’s feared Men In Black.

The following four player characters participate in this scene.

• Hollis, a human psionic.
• Kolath, a kandar legion officer.
• Marlith, a human librarian for the Academy of the Mind.
• Jorlak, a human priest of Zardor, guardian of Knowledge.

As before, most of the text is taken from the actual game transcripts from Dreamlyrics.com, slightly edited for clarity and consistency of tense. Text that’s not in italics represents the game mechanics I’ve used to resolve the conflict at the heart of this scene.

The null room is a chamber deep within one of the towers, surrounded by psi-nullifying grids that prevent the use of any psionic power. There are other such chambers used as prison cells, where those accused of serious crimes are held.

This chamber is larger and less austere, used for hearings and trials. This null-field doesn’t usually cause the headaches or nausea that typify the larger null-generators supplied by the Karazthan. But to any wizard, being cut off from their powers is not a pleasant experience. Which is why such hearings tend to be short.

Kalnardeth d’n Zurar is the most senior hierarch of Filgeth, outranked only by the enigmatic Eight, whose identities are a closely kept secret. For all anybody knows, Kalnardeth himself may be one of the eight. If he is, he’s not telling, and neither is anyone else.

With his thinning grey hair he’s not the best-looking of all kandar, he makes up for it by immaculate grooming. Behind his piercing purple eyes lies a sharp mind, as adept at academy politics as it is at wielding mental energy.

It is he who will decide Dhermyrth’s fate. Standing guard stood two mageguards, armed with curious Karazthan-made energy weapons. They’re only really for show, but those weapons are still deadly; Kolath would have loved to see his Legionnaires armed with such things rather than the crude fireworks they’re supplied. But they sent a message to the accused – don’t even *think* of trying anything.

That’s my framing the scene. It’s essentially a conflict between Dhermyrdh and the four player characters. Kalnardeth will decide in favour of whoever wins the conflict.

Despite this, Dhermyrth still didn’t have the look of a man who knows he’s defeated.

Marlith was not thrilled to have been brought along. For one thing he hated the feeling of the null-field, even =if= these were less onerous than some of the others he had experienced. But more importantly, he hated being so close to power … power than might remember him. He preferred the safety of anonymity to the potential danger of recognition. He stayed to the rear of the group, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.

Jorlak the priest came to a stop when first entering the room. He took a deep breath and then continued with the rest of the group

Hollis had not even been sure they would allow her in the exam room. After all, she was “merely” a human, and most of the Academicians didn’t like her very much. But she wanted to be there in case Kolath needed her.

Not that he couldn’t handle himself; but he was looking stressed, so she willed a little companionship in his direction, and a smile if he happened to look her way.

“So, Gurnyla”, said Kalnardeth in slow, measured tones, “What are the charges against Dhermyrth, and why is so urgent that he be subjected to mind-reaming”.

“Legionnaire Kolath will explain in more detail”, she replied.

“Kolath, you have the floor”, said Kalnardeth.

He had not expected to have to speak first and he was not prepared.  Kolath nodded his respect for the hierarch and cleared his throat, playing for time as he searched his brain – a brain which still, after all this time, did not provide him the ready wit and memory he’d known as a young man and advancing Legionnaire- for the proper words.

Then, as simply and directly as he could manage, he told what had happened, what Dhermyrth had done and what they had done in order to apprehend him. How the traitorous Karazthani guildmaster Guruinath had vanished into thin air from his cell within the Legion citadel where he was being held. How Dhermyrdh’s mental signature had been detected on the recording device moments before the same device recorded a psionic event that went off the scale. How Dhermyrdh had been tracked down to a mansion in the wealthy quarter of the city, and how Hollis had apprehended him.

“We seem to have more than one human with significant powers who is not of the Academy”, says Kalnardeth, “That is an issue which will have to be dealt with after we have considered the matter in hand”.

He turns to Jorlak.

“The Legionnaire states that you have confirmed the mental signature to be that of Dhermyrdh?”.

The priest starts when he receives that attention, then considers his words carefully. “Technically, I have not matched that signature directly against this prisoner, but rather against an object he was reported to have moved. In hindsight, perhaps we should have asked him to use his abilities again so I could recheck the signature.”

“Quit waffling,” Hollis said. “Marlith took us to the boat and named Dhermyrdh as the kandar he’d identified as having access to using the machine. Jorlak then verified his psychic signature as the mystery user. Remember? Me, then Dhermyrdh, then the powerful machine signature.

“Jorlak said it was *the same.* Not close, not almost, not fifty-one percent. The same. Now we have him dead to rights, if you two will show a little spine and stand up for the truth, so the Academy can ream him mind and break this terrorist plot. You cannot possibly all be that afraid of the Karazthan, or being thrust into the public eye. Now you’re peeing your pants, trying to hide your head in a hole, and in the process letting the Academy, the Legion, our government, and any hope for human freedom be destroyed.”

Marlith cringed inwardly at the crazed woman’s tone, inching a bit further away from her just in case she the powers decided to smite her where she stood.

That lot puts an Aspect “Rather convicting evidence against Dhermyrdh” on Kalnardeth on the principle of “say Yes or roll the dice”.

The Legionnaire made a small diminishing sort of gesture as Hollis spoke, but his lips did twitch as if he was repressing a grin.

“Not that I disagree with you, Little One, but a bit of diplomacy in your words and tone might not be amiss.”

Hollis glanced sharply at Kolath, then relented as she always did. “You’re probably right.” She sighed. “I apologize. But in my defence, it just seems like they are always trying to find excuses not to confront evil, even when it so richly deserves it. They appear afraid to confront it, lest it see *them* and get angry.”

Clearly she had a lot to learn about how the world worked, thought Marlith. And, now that he had spent some time with her, he thought he better understood why so many looked down at humans. People like Hollis certainly didn’t do much to instil confidence in the rationality of humans, he thought with an inward sigh.

“There seems to be a lot of circumstantial evidence linking you to the disappearance of The Legion’s prisoner”, Kalnardeth said, addressing Dhermyrdh, “Do you have an explanation?”.

“So I used the boat for an errand to the docks. Perhaps that ticktockmen device was miscalculated? It picked up my use of the boat? I landed near the barracks, after all”.

He pointed an accusing finger at Hollis

“And how many of my friends did you kill when kidnapping me, feral creature?”, he said, “The penalty for murder is death, you know”.

“None,” Hollis said, doing her best to look innocent. “But I definitely messed some up who were trying to kill *me*, so … I would call that self-defense. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. Besides, they were happy to give you up; apparently word got ’round about you, and they all wanted to wash their hands of your treason. Do whatever it took to avoid bringing the legion down on their heads. I would have brought some of them here to testify against you, only I promised to leave them alone if they stopped trying to fight me and let me take you.”

“Lies!”, said Dhermyrdh, “Don’t listen to her. If any witnesses survived, they’ll tell you. And if they didn’t, The Way of Vision will tell the truth”.

That’s worth an Aspect “You really can’t trust a feral human” on Kalnardeth. General prejudices against humans and all that. Again, no need to roll dice for that.

“Aha! Then you can do the same thing to verify Dhermyrdh’s conspiracy, can’t you? Just take a walk through his brain; if he’s innocent, I’m the governor of Calbeyn,” Hollis said. “And, I’ll stop whining for justice and leave you alone.”

“My associate has a point, Dhermyrdh is the one who is lying, and lying poorly at that.”, says Kolath.

At this point it’s reached the stage where we want to wrap things up and resolve things one way or another, and I rolled actual, physical dice to resolve the conflict.

Since both parties are being “economical with the truth” here, I’m resolving this with an opposed contest of Deceit between Hollis and Dhermyrdh. Kalnardeth finds in favour of whoever wins.

Hollis has Fair Deceit.
Dhermyrdh has Great Deceit

Hollis rolls [+][+][ ][ ] for a result of Great
Dhermyrdh rolls [+][-][ ][ ] for a result of Great

That’s a tie. Which is where those aspects come in.

Those two aspects on Kalnardeth can be free-tagged, but they cancel each other out.

But Dhermyrdh has an aspect “Is going to get what he deserves”. This was the result of another psionic character (in a completely different scene) using Precognition on him.  That can now get free-tagged for +2, which clinches it for Hollis.

There is an agonising pause before Kalnardeth spoke.

“While I do not want to condemn you on the mere word of a human, the testimony of the representative of The Legion must carry some weight”, he said, “And your manner sadly leaves me with the conclusion that you do indeed have something to hide”.

“But, as they say, if you really do have nothing to hide, then you have nothing to fear”.

He turned to Gurnyla. “Have him reamed; find some suitable volunteers if you don’t want to dirty your own mind with whatever’s in his. Perhaps that human refugee that arrived yesterday? I hear she’s strong in The Way, and I’m sure our friend would love that”.

“Bitch”, Dhermyrth screamed at Hollis, “You will pay for this. With your life”.

“Silence!”, ordered Kalnardeth. He motioned to the mageguards. “Take him away”.

In a large wood-panelled room of a mansion on the east bank of the river, four kandar of The Academy of the Mind discuss the issues of the day.

“Things are going from bad to worse”, says Althuis Zalyn, the finely-dressed noble whose residence this is, “I see we’ve gained yet another human apprentice, safe in the hands of the Guardians-damned Progressors, where we can’t touch her”.

“This is the one who allegedly killed a noble”, says Kardol d’n Ekeyn, the son of a merchant who’s risen rapidly through the Academy ranks, “If we had the Konaics running the show, the creature wouldn’t have been allowed a second chance”.

“Neither would anyone else”, replies Althuis, “Just remember, your enemy’s enemy is not always your friend. Friends of mine have died at Vorsath’s orders”.

“Some say she is implicated in the assassination of one of our own in Calbeyn”, says a third wizard, a stern-faced middle aged woman, known only as Uthale, whose background is shrouded in mystery. “The assassin was never identified, and mundane methods were used; but this human apprentice was never put to the question. Progressors shielding her, of course”.

“Meanwhile, we have some more pressing problems”, says Althuis, “Everyone in the city with any strength in The Way of Vision must have felt that effect from the north end of the city not long ago. I don’t know what in Vandrak’s name it was, but I think we ought to find out”.

“And where’s Dhermyrdh”, asks Kardol, “We are one short”.

“He vaninshed on some errand”, Althuis replies, “From which he has yet to return. It is enough to make me suspicious”.

He turns to Veluitara, who has yet to speak, “Don’t suppose you have any idea what our friend Dhermyrdh was up to, do you?”.

“No,” she said tersely. She hated these people, she really did… but she had to play nice, so they would never suspect. “I haven’t seen him in quite some time. And I do not care to speculate what he is up to.”

“Apart from the fact he’s clearly up to something”, says Althuis, “He’s been working a lot with the Gurnyla at lot lately, even though the two hate each other”.

“Anything to do with that effect in the north?”, asks Kardol.

“That wasn’t him”, says Uthale, “He’s not that powerful in the Way of the World. That was neither kandar nor human, it was a machine”.

Veluitara listened, arms crossed over her chest.

“So long as he isn’t going to compromise us, I honestly do not care what he is doing. But that effect… worryingly powerful.”

Almost on cue, the missing member of the group arrives.

Dhermyrdh is looking somewhat dishevelled. Not quite as if he’s been in a fight or a psionic duel, but it’s clear that something has happened to him.

All eyes turn on him.

Veluitara raised a brow. She didn’t say anything. Veluitara had a reputation as a woman of few words – valued by Kasraanth Sar because she wasn’t going to say anything to compromise them. Of course, the main reason she didn’t say anything was because it was hard enough concealing her disgust with them when she was silent…

“So”, says Althuis, “You have deemed to appear at last. Just what have you been up to?”.

“Spot of bother at the docks. Strictly personal, I assure you. Nothing of concern to this organisation”.

Veluitara can spot lies like that miles off.  “Hmm,” she said, looking at him with a characteristic intense stare that made most people uncomfortable.

Still, now might not be the time or place to press…

Dhermyrdh fixes Veluitara with his attempt at the same stare. It’s not quite as effective.

“You’re not telling us the whole truth, are you”, says Althuis, “What happened down that part of the city? We all felt it; that was very strong use of The Ways. You were involved, weren’t you?”.

Veluitara’s reputation as the quiet but dangerous ‘troubleshooter’ type wasn’t about to be shattered at this juncture. She did, however, add a creepy little smile to her intense stare, and take a half step forward.

“Look”, says Dhermyrdh, “The fewer that people know, the better. But let it be said that Guruinath has been removed from Legion custody. If The Legion are allowed to torture the truth out of him, aided by the filthy human-loving Progressors, it will endanger us all”.

“And no, he’s not dead. We look after our own, you know”.

Veluitara’s stomach twisted itself into a knot. She was no lover of humanity herself. They were obviously inferior, in their short-livedness and their lack of perspective. And it was true that the Legion getting a hold of Guruinath again would be disastrous for her own plans. But if she had her way, every single one of her Kaasranth Sar companions would be gone. They had even less perspective than the Humans, could not see that they were only endangering the whole of Kandar civilization by alienating or, even worse, killing potential allies and cannon-fodder in the inevitable cataclysm that would occur when the Mirrors opened again.

If she could find a way to make Guruinath ‘disappear’, all the better. It would protect herself, while removing one of the odious people that her plans forced her to associate with.

“So where is he now?”, asks Uthale.

“Trust me, it’s better for all if I didn’t tell you”, replies Dhermyrdh, “It’s better for all of us if the only people who know are those who need to know”.

“And given how evasive you’re being” says Althuis, “Tell us why we should trust you”.

Veluitara smirked, and then spoke, “Don’t tell us. If anything happens to him, we know who to blame.”

There was an undercurrent of threat – if he turned up dead, and nobody else knew where he was, she would almost certainly be the one to punish the offender…

“There are far too many people who want Guruinath dead for there to be any shortage of people to blame”, Dhermyrth says defensively, “And, Veluitata, that sounded suspiciously like a threat. Surely we’re all supposed to be on the same side?”.

“We are?”, says Althuis, “I smell the hand of Karmork here. Let me remind you the official stated policy of Kasraanth Sar is neutrality towards the Koniac Empire. Not all of us support that megalomaniac would-be emperor on his throne of skulls, and don’t you forget it”.

“It’s not a threat”, said Veluitara, “It’s logic. If only you know where he is, and he dies, who should be blamed?”

It certainly sounded like a threat.

“Don’t you trust me?”, Dhermyrdh says, “I for one am getting sick of your attitude, Veluitara. You’re bloody secretive as well; all those times you disappear, and nobody knows what in Vandrak’s name you’re up to. Perhaps it’s time we asked some searching questions about what you’re up to. You’ve been very secretive lately”.

“You know that I need to be secretive, and you know that my movements must be hidden, even from my fellows”, insisted Veluitara, “It’s necessary for my job,” she said. This was the unvarnished truth. She operated outside the watch of her own faction for several reasons. Some of these reasons were known only to her. Others were apparently for the good of the faction.

One of the most pertinent ones was giving her companions an air of plausible deniability for her actions. She also needed to be able to investigate others within her faction for disloyalty without them suspecting she was on to them… or without being unduly influenced by politics within the faction.

“And you expect me to believe that?”, says Dhermyrth, “I’ve never trusted you. I bet you’re..”.

“Shut up”, interrupts Althuis, “You were the one who was supposed to be explaining their actions. You’re being evasive, and trying to deflect attention to another. So tell us. Where is Guruinath, and who has him?”

“Or at least convince us as to why we mustn’t know”, added Uthale, “Anyone would think you didn’t trust is with a secret”.

“Down! Everyone!”, cries Dhermyrth.

“What the..”, says Uthale. But before she can utter another word, she suddenly finds herself lifted off her feet with tremendous force, crashing into the window, shattering both glass and frames.  She slumps to the floor, bloodied.

Althuis stands facing the window, a fire in his eyes, as he summons up the mental energy to attack the apparition floating outside the window – a human woman. Clearly a wizard of some sort, since nobody else can float in mid-air like that. The very nemesis of Kaasranth Sar, and all it stands for.