synopsychic | [A day or so after the Werewolf Mess]

[Lyall's voice pops back onto the network a good long while after his aborted, panicked message from when the full moon rose. His voice isn't panicked anymore, now, but it is tense, and he's talking a bit faster than he usually does.]

Well. So. It's Randolph Lyall again-- I'm back, and no longer a maddened werewolf, or, in fact, a Heraclide. I'm very sorry about all that. Very... very sorry.

But I'm not in liminal space. I had to punch through to get to the network, the way I punched through to the other Jaunt a month or two back now, and I'm fairly sure I don't have very long.

I appear to be... underground? The underworld, perhaps? I know some of us were going here, are you still here? I would... really very much like to get out of here, but I can't seem to get a proper portal open to liminal space. And even if I could, I would just have to come back down here when I opened it again, and--

[He cuts himself off, and starts again, a bit more steadily, but even more quickly, trying to impart information.]

--and even if no one can get down here, I did have another vision when I came to. Watch out for shooting stars. Either at dawn or dusk or some other time where the sun and moon aren't making a mess of things, there's going to be shooting stars, and then a very large earthquake. We may want to start thinking about disaster relief, or else finding whatever idiot gods or titans or whomever are going to cause it and stop them before it happens.

... but I really would like out of here, too. Please. If anyone can manage it.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

That could be a problem. What all else is down here? I've heard Cerebrus isn't really an issue, but are there other things to look out for?

[Yeah, Lyall's not much better. He knows what Lanides would know, but Lanides didn't really care about the underworld, either.]

From what I've been told, and what I remember, yes. No drinking. At least one of them makes you forget things. I don't know what the other does, but I imagine it isn't any good.

I can be patient, especially knowing there's a way out of this mess eventually. Let me know if you need me to do anything, or be anywhere in particular.

With the way this Jaunt's been going, I wouldn't be surprised if it was a river that turned you into a monster or gave you violent diarrhea or...yeah. Not going barracuda to cross the river.

Can you get to Liminal Space when you're being two people at once like that? Or should we start scouting out safe locations when we hit a new world, just in case?

I can, thankfully. I did it last Jaunt with no ill effects. Somehow the people we're sharing mind-space with don't actually notice anything amiss, like they don't realize I'm talking on the network or turning into a wolf. If Lanides had survived my encounter with Thorne, I even think he wouldn't have remembered going mad and eating people-- though other people would remember.

It's best, really, that we were killed off.

[Lyall snorts a little.]

If I weren't a werewolf, or else inside the body and mind of someone here, I imagine the food might just do that. ... either one, now that I think about it. There's immortality going around to new people, now, and I'm pretty sure it's related to eating ambrosia.

...Every time I think this entire Traveling thing couldn't get more horrifying, someone manages to prove me wrong.

Yeah, it's...

[He's quiet for a long moment.]

Karis. He...they were setting him up to become the new god of war. To replace Ares.

If we're at the end of the Heroic Age as they say... every creature slain in every story is down there.

I'm afraid that only makes me think "a lot". I never really studied mythology much, and Lanides would only have cared if he was the one who put the monster down there. I'll tread carefully, though.

I'm sorry. I know it's not really pleasant to think about. But I'm grateful nonetheless, since otherwise we might have had this same situation last Jaunt. I won't turn down anything that keeps people safe.

Lanides suspected something of the sort.

[He sounds a bit grim.]

While I am not happy that you had to go through that, Hajime... I am glad Karis isn't going to be any kind of deity, now.

Yeah, it's...not something he needed to be doing. He didn't need any power over anyone, much as he might have thought he deserved it.

Lanides wasn't much better, to be honest. He was just quieter about it. Smarter. Not the best combination.

...is it wrong that if I see their spirits floating around out here, I kind of want to kick their asses on principle?

Various gorgons, the hydra, massive eagles, dogs with varying number of heads... it's a huge range. Vanquishing monsters was a big part of the hero mantle.

And... she's basically the opposite of dangerous. And I know it's not the same universe exactly but... if you happen upon Eurydice...

Exactly.

He knew Dream was too too responsible to not deal with it.

...How bad did it get?

The dead wound up running around the Earth while just about every pantheon showed up at his door to make a case for why they should be given a key.

Except the one we're dealing with here.

Lucifer anticipated that happening too, didn't he?

[Lyall is surprised into a little chuckle.]

I don't think so. I imagine they would be very confused, though.

[He finds he rather likes the idea, honestly.]

Er, I have not yet, but I will look for her, if you like. Who is she?

I could always explain it's because they're assholes while I'm beating them up.

[He might as well have a hobby while he's stuck here...]

You'll have to let me watch. Though you look enough like Karis that he'd be even more confused. I at least have some differences from Lanides.

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[A day or so after the Werewolf Mess]

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