EPIC OF FATES: STORY OF STORIES

[Maharg67]

0014: Of Lucky Eddie and the Whirla of Fate #14

 

=- This is an Aldmer Cavecity created by altering natural cave systems and then using those as the basis for cities. Yes this is also something other than just a cavecity. This place had a special purpose behind its design and construction. It is a place of Aldmeri research and development, of experimentation, of... what I do not know.

 

LE When I played the gameworld of Tamriel I knew of no Aldmeri being part of that. I did not even hear of such except as part of the background story, the legends of the Mythic Era. Yet it would not surprise that such things would happen and yet get lost in memory, in records, for the history of Tamriel is amazingly long and complicated. I am still getting used to the idea that I am in a real version of what has always been just a super virtual reality game realm to me that for some, unknown reason, the academy always urged us cadets to engage in. Do you know why that might be?

 

=- As I have already said, I do not have a great deal of data provided to me. I am program conditioned to be very loyal to you and the less I know, it seems, the less I can pass onto you. The FategameLords control my knowledge very carefully but if I learn something, they make no attempt to take that knowledge from me. It is hard to comprehend the very nature of the FategameLords, let alone their motivations, but that is how they are behaving now. They want you to get the Whirl of Fate and make it vanish. They will take the artifact from there.

 

LE What is the Whirl of Fate, what does it look like, what can it do?

 

=- I do not know but, at the cost of one fategame-point you will get a clue of some kind.

 

LE Perhaps I gave too much information to Matrina. Perhaps I trust her too much. Perhaps I should be more careful from now on. Yet I do find myself trusting her.

 

=- I am afraid that is something that you have to work out for yourself. All I can do is advise you to be careful and remind you that I am always here to assist you. You did not tell her of your being a super-assassin. Are you ashamed of what your are? You had no choice in what was done to you, in what you have been made to do.

 

LE Am I here to do more than seek out the Whirl of Fate?

 

=- To learn, to gain experience, to instigate other quests. The Whirl of Fate is your primary quest now, your active quest.

 

LE Instigating quests?

 

=- As in the gameworld, quests can be instigated in many different ways. Through discoveries of things, through conversations and much else.

 

LE No helpful fategaming manual?

 

=- At the cost of one fategame-point, yes but it has to be accessed through me.

 

LE Very well, I spend both of my fategame-points for a manual and a clue.

 

=- Very good decision and you have just earned 1,000 fategamecredit, three fategame-points, four hulknoids and one simulicant.

[Maharg67]

0015: Of Lucky Eddie and the Whirla of Fate #15

 

Lucky Eddie had an object appear to him, with a sparkling shimmer, and it was a thin electrum tablet (naturally occurring gold silver alloy with some copper) with ancient Aldmer writing, other symbols and a basic map diagram of the area. He found he knew Aldmeri language fluently and yet that was in general, certain terms being not known to him as if they were 'Aldmeri specialist jargon' in nature. The locals were impressed that he knew as much as he did for knowledge of Aldmeri languages had vanished except for a few scattered fragments and much guesswork.

 

The tablet was very old, somehow he knew it, and Cathidra looked at it with a hungry smile of an avid scholar, not of somebody thinking of profits. “The Arcane University is always seeking new additions for its Archives.”

 

Matrina frowned. “Yet something else to lock away so that only an elite few can utilize it.”

 

Lucky Eddie studied the electrum tablet. “It will go to the Arcane University but to a new public accessible museum, library, gallery complex. It is about time the common folks had a chance to know what was going on in Tamriel, has gone on, more than they do. Of course they also have the option of staying away. We need to find a way to learn what has been happening in the Empire as well as in finding the Whirl of Fate. You never said why you want the Whirl of Fate. I do not know much of it except that it is an extremely powerful and dangerous quasimagical artifact. I suspect that the Aldmer may have been looking for it, themselves, for it is incredibly ancient and way beyond even the knowledge of the Aldmer to create. This place was built to study the far greater cave complex of the... 'FateLords?'. Yes, I think it says so in Aldmeri.”

 

He looked around to where the great chair was on its double disk platform. “That is a primary supervision chair. There are nine of those. One has some interaction, some control, from that chair but mostly 'supervisionary' abilities, what ever that actually means. The Aldmer had a few quasimagical machines constructed and placed here but relatively few considering the sheer size and complexity of the cavecity. They also had servants of some kinds and more than that.”

 

He pointed to a large tablet melded into a stone wall. “In Aldmeri symbolics, of what one might call sorcery-science, are set tasks. At the top is the finding and the study of the Whirl of Fate, stated there to 'possibly be the key to the 'Fatewheel of Chance', what ever that happens to be. I am not sure that even the Aldmeri clearly knew what they were seeking. They certainly put a lot of resources into doing so. Yet this cavecity was also a normal Aldmeri metropolis of social, political, spiritual, commercial and industrial concerns. There is an official Aldmeri name for it here but it is easier to use the more basic name for it that was LevaValkiRuna. These Aldmer wanted to remain hidden from others. We would not have found this place if I was not here for subtle, powerful wards would have misdirected you from it. For reasons, that I do not know, those forces did not effect me.”

 

LE I hope that I have not done more damage than good by leading these people to this place.

 

=- As do I but it is done now and you can only do your best to deal with the fate you have been dropped into. You were dropped into it!

 

He turned and indicated a big machine thing of black, gold and gray. “Aaahhh, I have no real idea what that does except that it has something to do with analyzing something called subtle level metapsychic waves.” Then he turned to a more complex looking machine. “That one provides snacks, drinks and small intellectual entertainments of limited duration along with something called social summonings. These Aldmeri had an amazingly complicated society.”

[Maharg67]

http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/tt9/Dragonpen61/Forum%20Terminal%20Pix%201/TERMINAL-IT-Workit-00069.jpg

KEEPING IT SIMPLE DESPITE MY CHAOTIC CREATIVE NATURE

HAVE REDONE, IMPROVED THE VERY FIRST CHAPTER IF ANYBODY IS INTERESTED IN TAKING A LOOK AT IT.

Edited August 18, 2012 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

0016: Of Lucky Eddie and the Whirla of Fate #16

 

Lucky Eddie spoke with a sigh in his voice. “This is but one of a set of electrum tablets of the cavecity.”

 

Matrina spoke. “It appeared out of nowhere. Where did it come from?”

 

Lucky Eddie shrugged. “I do not know where it came from. Some things I can not speak of. I find myself unable to do so. It is a clue to finding the Whirl of Fate which must be made to vanish to somewhere it is safe and can not be used, hopefully.”

 

The old mage turned and frowned. “It was our hope to use the Whirl of Fate to gain much knowledge, to use it to safeguard the Empire from enemies such as the evil daedra. With it we could create a barrier to the opening of Oblivion Gates.”

 

Lucky Eddie shook his head. “You need to do more basic moves like stopping all summoning of daedra in Tamriel for the use of such magic, though the daedra stay temporarily, does help weaken the barriers. The summoning of elemental beings, with ordered arcane magic, is safer.”

 

Cathidra frowned but then nodded. “I already believe such to be the case, though I was reluctant to accept such an idea at first. I can be foolishly obstinate at times. Matrina convinced me otherwise. The Divine Orders have been against the summoning of the undead, the daedra, for decades but mages tend to get fixed in our ways, tend to be creatures of habit.”

 

Matrina smiled softly. “Also arrogant. Arrogance tends to go with magehood and humility with priesthood except there are many exceptions to the rule.”

 

Cathidra snorted but said nothing.

 

Matrina went on speaking. “The Emperor himself has started to support changes in magic, the banning of necromancy, daedric and dark arcane magic in the Empire including the arcane magical summoning of the undead and the daedra. That would be one reason there would be those who would want to have him assassinated, despite the dark cost it would have to the Empire. There are many causes that might think to benefit from his death be they spiritual, political, criminal or otherwise.”

 

As complicated as the gameworld was, the real one was turning out to be far more so, of course, because it was 'real' and made up of real people and not all of the peoples were human, making it yet more convoluted for a human to understand.

 

Lucky Eddie focused again on studying the tablet and the others left him to do so as the soldiers stood guard and the others kept on looking around. He looked up and focused on a particular machine in the corner that looked to be a large disk mirror facing the chamber on top of something like a piano. He wondered if there was such a thing as a piano in the Empire.

 

Then he spoke. “Notice the big, vertical disk shaped mirror on top of that quasimagical machine with the keyboard like that of a piano? Notice something odd about the mirror.”

 

“An organ keyboard?” Matrina looked at the machine and then at the mirror. She looked puzzled and then she smiled. “Yes, I see it, for the reflection is not reversed. It is more like looking through a window than looking at the reflection of a mirror.”

 

If only he could gain access to the Aldmer device for he 'sensed' it was important to do so.

[Maharg67]

0017: Of Lucky Eddie and the Whirla of Fate #17

 

=- You must go and do so now. Open your mind and I will give you access to your first given special abilities that are slowly, constantly, growing in power, in flexibility and usefulness. You can teleport, with the others, back to the cave camp where the others are. You will all arrive there phantom like and then shift to safer places if you have to, for safety reasons. You know what to do. Hurry for something very dangerous is approaching and fast.

 

Lucky Eddie turned to the others and spoke with a tone of urgency. “We must go and this is how we will do it. We will form a circle, holding hands, looking inwards. We will have everything else, that we have with us, either on us or close to us. We must close our eyes tight. I will utilize my mindeye to guide us as we teleport to the encampment.”

 

Lucky Eddie was 'sensing' danger but so were the others, especially Matrina. So they did as he asked and then they vanished with a sparkling shimmer. Even as they did so, Lucky Eddie glimpsed something horrific and troubling. A distorted Aldmer man came into the chamber, shambling with impossibly fast speed, groaning growling softly, with a misshapen body and squashed head bent a little to one side, awkwardly. There were two shrunken arms on his left side and a grossly enlarged arm on his right. In his right hand, a crooked thing of seven fingers and two thumbs, he clutched a glowing green orb with a swirling, whirling Wheel of Fate inside, a powerful symbolic.

 

Was it the Whirla of Fate? Even if it was not so it was amazingly powerful and also dangerous.

 

They appeared in the cave, phantom like, and then were moved to safer positions so they would not materialize inside anything else, including anybody else. Then they were solid and the others were obviously a little disoriented though the elders were less so than the others. Lucky Eddie felt quite fine. The others, already there, looked startled but were soon reassured it was no attack, though they were still amazed.

 

Lucky Eddie got a piece of parchment and a pencil then sketched, with amazing speed and accuracy, the monstrous figure he had seen with its black and gold robe of some strange silken metallic substance. When he was finished, he showed the others. None of those, who had been with Lucky Eddie, had even glimpsed the creature but now all were shocked. Lucky Eddie managed to portray the horror, the agony, the rage and terror that emanated from the distorted entity.

 

Lucky Eddie sighed. “I am tired and in need of water, nourishment, cofii and sleep.” He made the electrum tablet vanish, with a sparkling shimmer, and then passed the sketch to the others. It was a disturbing picture to look at and even Matrina grimaced softly.

 

Cathidra frowned. “What of the electrum tablet?”

 

Lucky Eddie did frowned back. “I was foolish to offer it to the Arcane University. When we are done with it, it will be sent to somewhere safe. The whole cavecity must be made unreachable by people but it will not be destroyed. The Aldmer figure holds a powerful artifact in one hand. That could be the Whirla of Fate. By the way he is gripping the artifact, and it is a 'he', we are going to have a hard time getting hold of the Whirla of Fate. That is if it is the Whirla of Fate.”

 

They had a meal, they drank water and hot cofii. Lucky Eddie did more amazingly accurate sketches of the cavecity, of other places, and donated them to the expedition. He realized he had not asked them many questions and wondered why not. That is who had sent them and under what authority had they been sent. Was it the Empire, the Emperor, the Arcane University?

Edited August 15, 2012 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

0018: Of Lucky Eddie and the Whirla of Fate #18

 

Lucky Eddie slept for some hours and when he awoke had warm cofii with the others.

 

Barrata was firmly against the Mythic Dawn now, was badly shaken up by what he had gone through. He had no idea how the spinal-worm had gotten into his body except he doubted it had anything to do with the Mythic Dawn, Mankar Cameron or Mehrunes Dagon. For there had been trouble of some kind with his Mythic Dawn Cell, had been some kind of fighting as outsiders had attacked. His memories were weak on the matter and had blank areas.

 

Lucky Eddie materialized some more supplies so they now had some surplus to fall back on.

 

He sat with the others. “Did the Emperor send you people? The Arcane University?”

 

Matrina smiled. “We represent no such official faction of the Empire. We are simply a group seeking to find the Whirl of Fate in order to study it, or even use it, for the good of the Empire.”

 

Lucky Eddie 'sensed' that there was something hidden behind Matrina's words. “You come from the Imperial City?”

 

Cathidra began to talk. “Not directly from there but from Kvatch where the expedition was organized to come here to the mountains on the northern border of Cyrodiil. Our organization is sometimes called the Fellowship of Diligent Citizens.”

 

Again there was, for Lucky Eddie, a subtle but strong 'sense' that something very important was being hidden from him. Yet he only nodded, as if satisfied with the answers that he had been given. “The Whirl of Fate is best left alone by your group but perhaps you can find something that will work far better for you.”

 

After a noticeable pause he spoke again. “Matrina, you stated your group were experienced Imperial Agents of some kind, trained to observe other with out doing so in a noticeable fashion. Yet you speak now as if you are almost some kind of 'amateurish', perhaps non professionals. Perhaps I am asking too many questions. I do not wish to be intrusive. My instructors say that I ask too many questions at times but that it is because of my youth. Some of my instructors are better than the majority for they even seem to actually care for us cadets.”

 

Matrina gave him an odd smile. “How old are you, Lucky Eddie?”

 

Lucky Eddie shrugged. “I am quite old and experienced for a metahuman. I am seven and a half years old. I was three years old when I was recruited and transformed. Not all survive the metahumanization process. Some die horribly or are so crippled they are mercy terminated. Many ended up as part machines, as metacyborgs, or melded into smart supercomputer network-systems as metacybers. Tears of blood and the silent screaming was done, they say, to prove we are special. Special? I have come to doubt it for those instructors who seem to love us, also seem to doubt such things. I have had real training fighting real enemies, along with wargames and super virtual scenarios. I have done well over a hundred real kills and at least a thousand virtual kills in compressed time experience in super virtual reality. Got years of virtual life experience that way. Done gaming also, also holidaying, also just some odd psychological testing stuff that I don't trust much. I will die when I am old, when I am twenty-one years old but my last five years will be as a holiday in paradise, or so is promised.”

 

The others stared at Lucky Eddie in shock. Matrina smiled at him sadly and he wondered why.

[Maharg67]

http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/tt9/Dragonpen61/Forum%20Terminal%20Pix%201/TERMINAL-IT-Workit-00066.jpg

KEEPING IT SIMPLE DESPITE MY CHAOTIC CREATIVE NATURE

HAVE REDONE, IMPROVED THE VERY FIRST CHAPTER IF ANYBODY IS INTERESTED IN TAKING A LOOK AT IT.

Edited August 18, 2012 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

0019: Of Lucky Eddie and the Whirla of Fate #19

 

Matrina frowned softly. “We are not exactly an acceptable group in the Empire for we believe in concepts of democracy, law enforcement not carried out by nobility, a fairer and more efficient justice system, a reduction of power of nobility, blocking the growing power of the Grand Guilds, stopping the Mages Guild from going after communal mages that they mistake for hedge mages and much else besides. The Emperor has some sympathy for many of our causes but his hands are tied by many Imperial Agreements, by an increasingly corrupt and bureaucratic Imperial Government and, well by his own Imperial Charter of Governance. We are often called Constitutionalists for we believe in the creation of something we call a 'Imperial Constitution' that would help create a better empire for most people.”

 

“A constitution, by itself, is not enough to protect a true democracy. My world found out that the hard way.” Lucky Eddie nodded. “You are not so much professional agents then as professional radicals, or radicals, as many of your people would call you. Where did you get such ideas from? They do not seem the kind of ideas that would arise naturally from your history, from your society.”

 

Cathidra took out a small, compact book from a fairly large pouch. It was well used but well cared for. On the front was the title, in faded golden lettering, A THEORY OF CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY: WHAT IT MEANS AND WHAT IT COULD MEAN FOR THE EMPIRE. Below that, also in golden writing, was: WRITINGS BY LE-DJJ-BBB-SWS-TT AND OTHERS.

 

Lucky Eddie looked astonished. He shook his head and gave a short laugh of surprise. Then he spoke. “For our gameworld version, of this world, some friends, and I, dared to write a book on democratic theory. That is we wrote that book. 'LE' stands for Lucky Eddie. The other names I will not speak of and there were those who dared not even use their initials. Though we disguised it, the real purpose of that book was to explore the idea of a constitution for us, the metafolk and not just the metahumans.”

 

Matrina smiled. “Then your desire for more freedom reflects our own and somehow... somehow you helped this book appear for us.”

 

Cathidra opened the book to the front, inside, cover that was meant to be blank. Instead there were many scrawled notes, diagrams, sketches of highly quality and they were in Lucky Eddie's hand, style. He had done it all, apparently, though he had no memory of doing so. At the bottom, right hand, corner were the initials LE. The page was about something called the Whirl of Fate, was about a very well hidden ancient cave system in a particular mountain in a particular mountain range. It was a whole lot of ideas with many gaps, many lack of proper explanations, many question marks. There were small sketches, many of them. The writing was very small and concise as it all tended to be.

 

Suddenly, Lucky Eddie shook his head in evident disbelief. “Now I remember. Those were ideas for a large quest mod I was going to create for the gameworld reflection of this world but I never got to continue with it, let alone to finish it. Somebody else took the idea, with my permission, but I do not know what they did with it and what the result of their work was. Yes, there is a sketch of something called the 'Whirl of Fate' and a short description of it being an extremely 'potent power artifact' that could alter reality and the relationships between various dimensional realms. So you came to find the Whirl of Fate in order to seal of the Oblivion Gates or at least that is what you said. Perhaps that is the truth but it is not the whole truth.”

 

Cathidra frowned but then visibly relented. “We would both assist the Empire and also find a way to open transdimensional gateways to worlds where we could gain knowledge, along with other resources, to help us bring true democracy to Tamriel including the ending of slavery and other such great crimes against the people. Now we have another option for we could go to your world.”

[Maharg67]

0020: Of Lucky Eddie and the Whirla of Fate #20

 

Lucky Eddie shook his head. “That is not a good idea, even if it could be done and I have no idea how it could be done. There are many questions and not many answers.”

 

Matrina frowned at Cathidra. “That was not an idea that you shared with the group first, husband.”

 

Lucky Eddie grinned. “The two of you are married. Congratulations!”

 

Matrina smiled at Lucky Eddie. “We have been married for over fifty years.”

 

Lucky Eddie looked surprised. “Aren't you tired?”

 

Matrina smiled, as did Cathidra, but some of the others laughed. Lucky Eddie became clearly offended and he scowled lightly.

 

Matrina spoke out to the younger people in the group. “Please, will you show some respect. Lucky Eddie is a very mature seven, and a half, years old. Fifty years must be a long time to him.”

 

Lucky Eddie frowned. “I am not a child!” He shrugged. “Though I am very young, maybe.” He sighed. “I need to meditate to focus mind mind and to go over what I have learned. I suggest you prepare for some interesting times ahead, discuss what you have learned, rest, do what ever else you need to do.”

 

He meditated to access the 'fategame-player manual that he had gained with the spending of one fategame-point. He wondered what would happen but was surprised by the results.

 

Lucky Eddie found himself in a large chamber that was largely bare. It was metallic and cube shaped, with a ceiling very high above but had many half-floors, balconies and suspended platforms. There was a large semi-enclosed platform he appeared on that was fitted out like a library-study complete with bookcases, chairs, large old books in special display cases, and much else.

 

A young, beautiful woman stood there waiting to serve him, all smooth and metallic of silvery complexion. She was naked and so was Lucky Eddie. They made love on a big, flat couch thingy. Then he sat and studied details of the book while she sat demurely near him. A great big screen, like a non reversed mirror that reflected scenes from other places, that showed words, symbols, diagrams, pictures and other data floating in air in front of a great open grassy landscape.

 

Very quickly Lucky Eddie realized that he had been doing okay but now, with more knowledge attained, he could do much better.

 

Knowing that time was compressed in that 'real dreaming reality', that he had time to spare, he did some fight training with Silvia, the metallic silver woman, and she proved to be excellently skilled. They practiced with non magical, quasimagical and embedded magical devices from swords to axes to throwing knives to bows to much else. Back when he had gamed in the SVR gameworld, he had learned much with such things but now he had to make subtle but important adjustments to his techniques.

 

Last of all he did some practice with a range of spell-powers that he had gained and that were intrinsic magic to him. He was quite pleased by them though they were all of moderate level only. Moderate was above basic but below a few other levels. Spell-powers were influenced by other factors such as the level of his magical skills and his level of magicka that also influenced each other and so forth.

 

When he ceased sitting meditation it was to find that others were arriving.

Edited August 16, 2012 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

0021: Of Lucky Eddie and the Whirla of Fate #21

 

Eighteen people came into the cave area being six humans, six orcs and six of other kinds of people, a mixture of three catfolk (Khajiit) , two lizardfolk (Argonians) and an elf (Ayleid or Wild Elf). The last was not a massive surprise for there were said to be Ayleid tribes dwelling in the mountains and even some hidden Ayleid Kingdoms. The Ayleid was a hired scout but all of the others were Constitutionalists.

 

People got to meeting one another, to learning of what had happened to each other, and Lucky Eddie sat quietly observing. The Ayleid sat by himself, looking outwardly aloof but Lucky Eddie 'sensed' that the Mer was nervous.

 

Lucky Eddie spoke to the Ayleid in fluent Ancient Ayleic language. “I am also an outsider to the group and I am not human either. I am Lucky Eddie, my common name. I would ask for your common name and not otherwise offend by seeking more than that.”

 

The Ayleid turned and there was a slight flicker of emotion on his face, which meant by Mer ways a good deal of emotion. “Surely not a mere human if you can speak more fluently than I our ancient tongue. I was hired to guide these foolish humans, at a high price, into the Forbidden Territories. Even the foolish human empire has made it so but perhaps humans have forgotten for they have short memories.”

 

Lucky Eddie shook his head, just a little. “No, these people have not forgotten and there are more than humans here. Do you come from a hidden Ayleid Kingdom?”

 

“Ayleid Citystate! We have Citystates hidden in these mountains. Perhaps I should not be telling you this though I suspect that the Empire knows we are here. I am Venzafa, my common name as given to those who would hire my services as a guide.” The young Ayleid man frowned. “Yes, there are the orcs of easy anger, the catfolk, the lizardfolk. I was sent because I am an excellent scout and have been hired to guide other outsiders and even outlanders. I was also sent because I am too outspoken in my political beliefs. I believe that the Ayleid Citystates need to stop hiding and to start dealing openly, peacefully, with the Cyrodilic Empire. We have to forget the past, let go of our pride and reach out or we will continue to decline.”

 

Lucky Eddie nodded, briefly in Mer fashion. “The world I come from also needs more forgetting of the past and letting go of pride. You would find my world to be most surprising.”

 

Venzafa shook his head. “Considering your smell, and what I 'sense' of you, perhaps not so much. Those Rings of Fate, on your fingers, speak of much. I only see them because you want me to see them.”

 

The two of them realized that the rest of the group, mostly strangers to Lucky Eddie, were looking at the Ayleid and at Lucky Eddie intently and at Lucky Eddie with amazement.

 

A tall, hulking bearded man of an Imperial stood there in strong ordered arcane magical armor. He gave Lucky Eddie a hard look. “You speak a kind of Ayleid language with a fluency that not many surviving Ayleid have gained. Cathidra and Matrina have told me something of your story. As a mage and a priestess they have their ways of looking at things but I am a soldier, a commander of soldiers, and I am more wary of what you say. I do not trust you and am not blinded by your youth for you are not human, are a thing of unknown artifice.”

 

Lucky Eddie grinned. “I have a feeling that we are going to get on amazingly well even if you are old, ugly, wrinkled and hairy looking.”

Edited August 16, 2012 by Maharg67