#Lore24 – Entry #343 – Sci-Fi Month IV #8 – Empires Come and Go

Transcribed From the Personal Recording Implant of Andra Ganim, Chronicler of the Codex Infinitum

AG:  “Did you return to the forefront of the Elvish Dominion once you had again mastered the arcane?”

RV:  “In a very limited capacity.  The political machinations of my people were a secondary concern.  They would ask my opinion on certain things and I would give it, or I would learn of something that needed to be addressed and would nudge them in the correct direction, usually relating to matters of dealing with the other races.”

AG:  “Historical records during the earlier period of the Reforging are very scattered, much like the people and lands themselves.  Were there any particularly notable events of the period that you would say impacted what was to come?”

RV:  “Well, outside of my own people, it seemed a new country would rise and fall almost daily, though I’m sure it took them somewhat longer, likely a few decades, to go through that cycle.  It was mostly the humans of course, short-lived and short-sighted as they are, who drove these changes.  They’ve made some improvements since, but back then they were still rather primitive in their ways, dividing themselves into one faction or another over the most asinine of reasons and generally being a nuisance to the other races, which, indeed, had become more insular, seeking to rebuild themselves first, and worry about forging alliances later. 

I suppose the greatest change came across the newly formed ocean, back on the side of the world where the planar detonation had occurred.  I had suspected that the entirety of the land was a burnt-out wasteland and couldn’t exactly prove otherwise due to the unreliability of divination magic then, and the more limited range at which it functioned.  But we would learn, oh, maybe five hundred years or so after the Cataclysm, that a new empire had been founded, and was actually flourishing under the joint rulership of humanity and the mazoku, which were much more numerous on that side of the world.  I believe you’re somewhat familiar with it… the Imperium Draconis, and their impressively large capital, Draconis Magna? 

I will admit to being somewhat impressed that humanity could create such a stable government after what I had witnessed on the other side of the world, though that I think was more the influence of the mazoku and their demon masters who still lingered and hungered for control than any sudden human enlightenment.”

Note:  When Rivalle addressed me regarding knowledge of the Imperium Draconis, she showed a rather odd look upon her face, which till then, had been mostly locked in that pleasant, no-nonsense corporate mask that she is always seen to wear.  It was almost to say that she knows something that I don’t, perhaps.  Or at least, that is the impression it gave me.

AG:  “I am curious about the relationship between the elves of the new world and the kerryns.  We know quite well that the Imperium Draconis enslaved them from their inception, for, they believed, the good of the world, though as you alluded, that was mostly the influence of the demons that remained.  How were they viewed by the Elvish Dominion which had previously been at war with them?”

RV:  “Time heals all wounds, as they say.  We only saw them as enemies then due to their steadfast alliance with the Aerians, our mortal enemies.  Had we been able to break that alliance otherwise, likely we never would have resorted to calling the demons at all.  But, with the aerians extinct upon Andyllion for the time being, we let the kerryns do as they wished, and they saw mostly to t themselves, though their goodly nature tended to mean they would continue being friendly and offering aid to others in need during the Reforging period.

I myself actually became quite fond of them during this time and kept several around in various capacities.  Some were research assistants, others playthings.  I liken them to pets, really, for being the second longest-lived race in the known galaxy means I can actually grow attached to them before they grow too old.  These days I tend to keep at least one nearby, as my dear Lila here can attest, as a stress-relief measure.  She’s quite talented, you see, and I have taught her much to improve her since she became my personal assistant, some of which would make an Erisayan blush and a Yurisayan envious.  Would you care to see for yourself, Ms. Ganim?  Lila has served my guests many times.”

AG:  “Perhaps later, Ms. Volcari…I would, um, prefer to keep the interview on track.”

Note:  I am certain this kerryn is not Lila Darius, though she looks exactly like her.  She seems eager to please, but I can’t help but observe a timidness about her as she remains ever ready to jump when Rivalle gives the command, though with a certain air of unease, perhaps that she may displease Rivalle, and is fearful of what may come of it.  I daresay that her behavior very much reminds me of accounts of how kerryn slaves would act to please their masters.

AG:  “Did you have a particular area of study during the Reforging period that you focused upon?”

RV:  “Oh yes, I became quite fascinated with history during this period, for much of it had been lost, as you know.  Ostensibly, I did it in the name of preservation and to maintain the power of the Elvish Dominion, for if we controlled the past, we could easily manipulate the future, and having powerful relics from before the Great Cataclysm would ensure that control.  But, my focus fell upon an even older period, when the great dragons ruled the world.  In some instances, the reshaping of the world had served to uncover long lost draconic ruins, while others that had been known were again lost.  I made it my goal t o uncover as much of their lore as I could, to attain as much of their remaining power as I could. 

I learned that I shared many characteristics with the ancient dragons, at least, some of them.  Ambition, instinctive mastery of the arcane arts, a drive for power, a tendency to hoard vast wealth and attain more.  I suppose it was only natural that I would eventually come to found and reign over the single largest corporate entity in the galaxy.  I could say, it was almost as if I was, and still am, driven by a power beyond even myself.  You can relate, I’m sure, being as devoted as you are to the Goldeneyed Librarian and filling the Tome Which Cannot be Filled.”

#Lore24 – Entry #342 – Sci-Fi Month IV #7 – Rebuilding the World

Transcribed From the Personal Recording Implant of Andra Ganim, Chronicler of the Codex Infinitum

AG:  “What were the greatest challenges you and the world faced following the Great Cataclysm?  Did you participate in the rebuilding process or focus more upon your own development during the Reforging?”

RV:  “For the first few years, it was simply survival.  Thanks to the preparations I had made, House Volcari and our allies were mostly intact, but we found ourselves upon an entirely new continent, our arcane abilities severely hindered, and nature itself in an uproar as the world changed around us.  Though we remained relatively close to Arcavarlon and the Isle of Fang, the city itself was mostly a rubble-filled ruin, and the geography had changed significantly; in fact, we were on the other side of the world, what had once been a massive central continent was now hidden beneath a vast ocean. 

Even with all the changes we faced, the Elvish Dominion, perhaps not as great as it had once been, would remain the driving force behind rebuilding civilization upon our side of the world.  The majority of elf communities would find their way to us in time, though a not insignificant number would remain on the other side of the world, forming their own societies that I would have little to do with.  For many years, we and the other surviving races would work to tame this new land we found ourselves part of, learning its layout and ways, learning to trust each other again.  Oh, the shorter lived races were just as susceptible to our influence as they always had been, and soon enough we were guiding them from the shadows as we had always done, to our benefit, but one could simply call that the natural order, from a certain point of view.”

AG:  “An elvish point of view?”

RV:  “Indeed.”

AG:  “How would you say you shaped the world as it was rebuilding?”

RV:  “I didn’t involve myself more than I had to.  As I said, I was busy trying to relearn magic during the first few centuries.  Once we had stabilized our own people and started guiding the other races to something that resembled proper societies, I remained focused upon regaining my previous power and studying exactly what had changed not only upon Andyllion, but in the realms it was linked to and those that I had previously traveled to.  Planar travel remained very dangerous for many centuries, and it was rather a lost art until the Age of Legends came about.  Magic overall had grown weaker, I would discover, making the traversal to other realms either impossible or much more intensive than they previously were.  What once could be achieved in a single planar jump could take a half dozen smaller jumps, for example. 

I would avoid the realm of demons, of course, for it was quite thoroughly blocked by Marcon’s plan.  You could say that what separated our realms then, and to a similar extent now, is akin to the barrier that separates us from the Demon Sector; anything that tried to pass through was utterly destroyed, or, if you were fortunate, only nearly so.  Hence why the surviving demons had to adapt and change their ways upon Andyllion; they would fight to survive just as hard as anyone else.

To summarize, I would mainly serve to reestablish the arcane disciplines during this period, disseminating what I would to the lesser arcanists under me, who would then teach the other races what we would allow them to know.  The interdimensional and interplanar communication and traversal had provided their own challenges for those who served the gods, so their power was likewise diminished for a time.  Those of a more primal, druidic slant would also find their power had waned, if only due to the immense chaos within the world as the massive upheavals slowly settled down and a new normalcy prevailed.”

#Lore24 – Entry #341 – Sci-Fi Month IV #6 – The Great Cataclysm of Andyllion

Transcribed From the Personal Recording Implant of Andra Ganim, Chronicler of the Codex Infinitum

AG:  “History is rather dubious about Marcon Shadowmist to say the least.  On the one hand he was reputed to be something of a boogeyman, living deep within the Shadowmist Swamp where his manor house served as the bane to many an unwary adventuring party.  On the other, testaments and evidence have been uncovered that paint him in a more benevolent light, his machinations serving to better the world.  What was your impression of him?”

RV:  “I was young enough at that time to have been rather awed by him approaching me.  I’d heard tales of him going back centuries; he was a legend even in those times.  I suppose I was rather intimidated by his presence upon our first meeting, for I could sense a particular power about him that was at once frightening yet…somehow familiar.  He seemed to know more about me upon our first meeting than even I knew at the time; it was actually our working together in this that would lead me to my future studies, in fact.  He was a dangerous man, a dangerous entity, but if you treated him with at least some respect and didn’t attempt to invade his domain, then likely you would never run afoul of him.  I am fairly convinced that most of the rumors swirling around him were in fact created by him and his loyal followers just so that he could enjoy some peace and quiet.  I can absolutely relate to such methods’ effectiveness, for I have used them from time to time when I wished for privacy.”

Note:  The historical record relating to Marcon Shadowmist still remains mysterious and incomplete, and there are theories that certain details have been either omitted or removed intentionally.  I would like to press Rivalle more about him, but must tread carefully, and remain on task in questioning her about her past.

AG:  “Could you elaborate more upon the plan that he had come up with to save Andyllion?”

RV: “Well, if you can call it that, certainly; some would argue, especially those who lived through the Great Cataclysm, that what we did was hardly saving the world.  But yes, his plan was quite inspired, honestly, and I still don’t know how exactly he managed to perform his side of it.  My task was much simpler in comparison; I and those I trusted… imagine using a word like that with my people at the time… was to create a series of linked, arcane matrices filled with as much energy as we could store in them and align their resonance to the demons’ home realm.  That was the rather simple part; the more difficult part was distributing them around Shinsei Daitoshi and other demon-controlled areas without their knowledge.  Still, a brilliant mind loves a challenge, and I certainly was intrigued by his proposal.  Given the arrangement which he proposed for setting out these devices, I could immediately see what he had planned.”

AG:  “Which was?”

RV:  “Oh, it’s rather simple, if you think about it for a moment.  We created a network of transplanar bombs, my dear girl, which would, when detonated, rip the very fabric of reality asunder, with most of the power being funneled directly back through the planar rifts and into the heart of the demon realm.  Of course, it meant that severe damage would result on our side too, but all things considered, it would be relatively minor compared to what the demons would see on their side.  Our hope was that the explosions would only devastate our world, not completely destroy it, you see, for dealing with demons once they have a foothold in your world is much more difficult than even I understood at the time. 

Their very presence is not unlike a virulent cancer once it has set up in a world, corrupting and twisting everything to their own nature, and this happens faster and faster the more there are physically within our realm.  You can get away with summoning a few of them at a time and sending them back, but once they’ve established a foothold, it’s much more difficult to handle.  And they had quite the foothold on Andyllion back then.”

AG:  “I see… So the destruction off the kerryn capital was actually due to the bombs you helped to create, at the behest of Marcon Shadowmist?”

RV:  “Not entirely, but mostly, yes.  There were other factors in play, for Marcon had several teams working on fixing that particular mess, placing dominoes all around the world that would topple once the fuse had been lit and the transplanar explosions began.  It was the fuse that I found most fascinating during all this, for it is that factor alone which I still cannot clearly comprehend how exactly he did it.”

AG:  “And what was the fuse?”

RV:  “The very divine essence of Saressh herself, born from the suffering of her and her people, distilled into raw, angry power.  It could only have come from the goddess herself after she had been deposed and captured by the demon lords, so how Marcon Shadowmist obtained it, I can only begin to surmise.  Regardless, he gave this to her chosen upon Andyllion at the time, one of the younger members of the kerryn royal family by the name of Shibari Sukimori, who had, at that time, was married to the aerian prince Maltizar Skyrider.  Though we had been at war, even I was struck by their willingness to do what must be done, for they ventured into the very heart of the demonic invasion to face its leader, Suzu’reitani directly.  Upon Shibari’s death, the detonation occurred, as did the detonation of all the bombs my people had created and secreted away. 

Though I was on the far side of the continent at the time, it was not far enough away.  I still witnessed the explosions even at that distance, still felt the world shake as it was torn asunder and reformed.  I had intended to relocate myself to another realm for a time, but by then planar travel was far too dangerous even for me, so I had little choice but to endure.  Deserts became oceans, mountains became as plains, entire cities vanished and reappeared on opposite sides of the world, others were lost forever, while the deepest dwarven strongholds were thrust upward into the sunlight.  It was a wonder that we survived at all, really, but survive we did.  Only those closest to the site of the main detonation were lost, the remaining aerians were wiped out, for they were absorbed in a futile battle at the kerryn capital to assist the heroes who faced the demon lord, and we would not see their kind upon Andyllion again for a long time.  The kerryns themselves gained their rather unique ability to reincarnate themselves during this time, I believe, for I had never heard of such a thing previously, possibly due to the blood curse placed upon them by the demons, possibly an alteration brought on by the eruption of Saressh’s power, perhaps a combination of both. 

The demons themselves would be mostly obliterated, seared away by the power of an angry goddess combined with my arcane brilliance, though quite a few would remain behind, their physical forms destroyed, their dark essences still intact and safely hidden away inside mortals they would possess, not the least of which was Suzu’reitani herself.  They would be the least of our concerns for a long while, though, for we had a world to rebuild, civilizations to reform, though their corruption would remain a permanent feature on Andyllion, specifically with the mazoku, well, they are usually called succubi these days. 

I essentially had to relearn how to use magic during the first few centuries as well, for the very essence of the mystic forces that fueled Andyllion had changed.  It was an…interesting period, I would say.”

#Lore24 – Entry #340 – Sci-Fi Month IV #5 – The Calling of Demons

Transcribed From the Personal Recording Implant of Andra Ganim, Chronicler of the Codex Infinitum

RV:  “I am most certainly NOT saying that, Ms. Ganim.  I am saying that I was responsible for discovering the methods of contacting the realm of demonkind and developing the methods by which we could gain access to their power.  Any irresponsible use after that cannot be placed upon my shoulders.”

AG:  “Of course, of course.  Could you explain how this line of research came about?  What were you researching at the time?”

RV:  “Interdimensional, planar travel, even the concept of parallel realities, the “multiverse” if you will; truly few minds were capable of grasping the concept in that era.  My initial research had focused upon improving the ability to transport our soldiers and supplies long distances through magical gateways, in concordance with the use of scrying to perhaps arrange for surprise attacks upon our enemies.  For as idiotic as they are, the aerians were wise to our methods, thanks to their kerryn allies, primarily, so finding a workaround to their detection and countermeasures was naturally a priority. 

It was during my studies of a particular draconic ruin and the ancient portal there that I pieced together the early concept of my multiversal theory and began to theorize that perhaps the dragons that we have so long sought could have not only left Andyllion and our galaxy, but they could also have left our reality entirely.  My unique brilliance has led me to many such radical theories over the centuries, and I have, more often than not, been proven correct.”

AG:  “Were you the first person on Andyllion to make contact with the demons, then?”

RV:  “I was, yes, quite possibly the first outside the Demon Barrier and the Demon Sector, in fact, but that’s something we’ll have to circle back to later.  It was during one of the many jaunts I took through the planes during that time.  I had taken precautions, of course, to hide my trail, and had not shared my ability to shift amongst the planes with my fellow arcanists at the time.  In those days, you see, only the priests were considered capable of such a thing, should they travel to the realm of their gods, and that was seen strictly as a reward for their devotion.  What I did then transgressed the commonly held beliefs at the time, for it was assumed that all magic called upon the “aether” present in the world, that elementals were summoned from the four elements, that sort of thing.  I could go on at great length about ancient arcane theory, but I don’t think that’s what you’ve come for.

To answer your question more thoroughly, I had found a trail of corruption in certain planes and realms I had visited, and with some deduction and insight, I followed that trail and puzzled out the particular ritual methods that must be performed in order to bridge the gap into the demonic realm.  Not knowing any particular demons at the time, I was fortunate to have encountered only a minor one that was well within my ability to slay, for it was quite hostile with me.  My future attempts to contact them would be within the most controlled of environments, with strong wards and multiple layers of protection spells designed specifically to deal with beings not native to our reality.”

AG:  “How did matters escalate to the point that the demons were allowed to invade the world?  Did something go out of control?”

RV:  “Only the ego of my people.  Once I had solidified my knowledge of planar shifting and the rituals required to deal with the demons, and a mostly concrete understanding of their hierarchy and ways, I revealed my knowledge to my fellow arcanists and the leaders within the Elvish Dominion.  By this time, things had escalated to full blown war between our forces and our allies and those led by the aerians and kerryns, and the tide had already turned against us.  I will admit that my attention was elsewhere, and I had not paid due attention to the situation.  It was a decision I made in the interests of self-preservation of myself and my kind.

We originally sought only to augment our forces to fend off the advance of our enemies, to push them out of our lands.  But, once the full extent of what I had learned in the intervening centuries was understood, a plan was formulated that would break our enemies and see the Elvish Dominion returned to its proper place atop the world.  So, instead of using the demons directly as our soldiers, we would discredit our enemies and tear them apart from the inside.

Through a series of planar jumps, we were able to infiltrate deep into enemy territory without their knowledge, and once we had established our base of operations beneath the kerryn capital of Shinsei Daitoshi, we enacted our plan, coordinating with the lord of demons known as Suzu’retani, the Queen of the Succubi, the Bringer of Calamity.  Oh, don’t give me that look, Ms. Ganim; she was destroyed thousands of years ago; if any demonkind still remembers her name to even hear it uttered, they can do nothing about it within my domain. 

Now, then, the invasion started subtly enough, with her forces causing all manner of disruption amongst the enemy.  A deal was made with the demons; in return for elvish dominance over Andyllion, they could have all the aerian and kerryn souls they could possibly want.  Though I led the initial operation to bring the demons to Andyllion, I would be well away from Shinsei Daitoshi when the Demonfall occurred.  I must admit, even I was caught by surprise when Suzu’reitani subverted the kerryn faith and managed to capture Saressh.  Even I don’t know exactly how she managed that feat, but it was the madness that filled the kerryn priesthood that signaled the beginning of the Demonfall, and soon enough, the beasts ravaged our enemies, taking souls as if they would never end. 

Their taint spread, and soon enough those who had once allied with the aerians and kerryns turned to us, and against them.  The aerians, without the help of their longtime kerryn allies, were wiped out and driven from our lands.  However, though the Elvish Dominion had made a clearly defined bargain, we had not taken into account the nature of the corruption that spilled forth from their incursion in the kerryn capital.  The very essence of the demons began to corrupt and taint the world, and seemed to affect the elves more quickly and fiercely than other races.  This was initially how we garnered so much sympathy from our former enemies, in fact, for we played it off that the kerryns had summoned forth the demons, set the corruption against us, and then lost control of the monsters they had brought forth.

My own corruption was significantly lesser than my peers due to the time I spent in realms beyond our own, though even I could see that something had to be done to reverse course.  I’ll admit that I played my part in the atrocity, but I likewise did what I could to save Andyllion from the destruction that my overeager brethren had wrought upon it.  I would find myself in strange company in this endeavor, for the being known as Marcon Shadowmist would seek me out to right the situation.  Not even I can understand his way of thinking, why he had waited this long, but it was his plan that we followed to restore the balance and stop the demonic invasion.  This was what led to the Great Cataclysm, and somehow, that was the better choice, not just for Andyllion, but for the rest of the galaxy, though we certainly could not have known that at the time.”

#Lore24 – Entry #191 – Supers Month II #10 – Mines and Monsters

From the journal of Abigail “Sassy” Dawson, Mage of the Order of Hecate

A couple days later we’d ridden into the Black Hills area, and before long, we’d found where this thing had wanted us.  Weren’t hard to find, I suppose, considering there was a whole mining town that this thing had consumed for itself, leavin’ the bodies of the miners and townsfolk behind as mindless, walking corpses with a right fierce hunger for fresh meat.  It was grim work, but it had to be done, lest these diseased things spread their condition around the whole area.  Figure it was this demon’s plan to help tire us out before the real fight, cause while the zombies weren’t much of a threat to myself or my two ever-bickering companions, it did take us the better part of the day to clear’em out, even with Assane and Richard’s considerable magic.

We could sense the presence of the demon all over the place, and we knew exactly where it was hidin’, deep in the mines.  I never was one for the underground, and after this, I surely wouldn’t feel no better about goin’ into tight and dark places like’em.  Still, there was work to be done, and I weren’t goin’ to let a little thing like that stop me from dealin’ with that evil bastard.  We knew goin’ into the place it was gonna be dangerous, traps abound from the dynamite and sabotaged bracings and the like, no doubt.  My companions didn’t have so much to worry about if they mistepped down there, but I was under no such protections, and, as much of a handful as they are, it was rather touchin’ that they were bein’ extra careful on my account. 

Weren’t just traps in there, though; the demon had some more undead roamin’ the place, and as we got further down, some lesser demons it had called up, bunch of little imps and flyin’ things that were more or less balls of teeth that spat acid everywhere.  Was a good thing I knew some curin’ magic, cause I would’ve been right deaf before it was all said and done.  My magic reserves weren’t nothin’ like Assane’s and Richard’s, so I had to be careful with what I used up.  Not that I had a ton of powder on me at the time, so I had to be careful regardless, though my magically enhanced toothpick did its own fair share of the work down there.

So, it was slow goin’, and well into the night when we finally navigated our way through the maze of tunnels and drops into the deepest recesses where this thing had took up.  We knew we was close when we heard the chantin’ and saw the red glow in the dark of the tunnels ahead.  I hadn’t counted on there bein’ a cult of humans ‘round the demon, but of course, I weren’t as learned on them as I was followin’ this whole thing.  I could see the magic swirlin’ about and knew we was in for a rough time of it.  Still, we marched right in there, knowin’ what needed to be done and with some idea how to do it.  I was the weak link, bein’ the most inexperienced and the only one who could die permanently, but the pair, for all the trouble they had put me through, had taught me several tricks I’d never had thought up on my own.

Turns out, this demon, and its cult of worshippers, were after Richard.  I honestly weren’t surprised by this revelation, nor was Assane.  Turns out he’d been at the center of a nasty fire some years back that nearly wiped out some city over in England, and some of the wealthiest survivors were none too pleased that they’d been put out like they had.  So, they’d been nursin’ the grudge for a good thirty or more years, just tryin’ to track Richard down so they could kill’em off and had learned the dark arts to make sure that happened.  Assane was of a mind to leave them to it just to get it out of their system, but I ain’t for sure if she was just doin’ that to throw them off their guard or what. 

Needless to say, things got real messy, but it was the first time I’d seen Richard and Assane unleash their full elemental genie natures, turnin’ into bein’s of pure fire and ice.  These Limey cultists weren’t unskilled at what it was they were doin’, and the magic they’d warded the place with was provin’ difficult to deal with, but in the end, we managed to see it through.  In the heat of the moment, I didn’t think about it too much, cause my life was on the line, and who knew how many others if we didn’t kill this demon off, and in a moment of desperation, with my bullets expended and my magical reserves nearly exhausted, I called on that damn spell I’d learnt from Arrnor.  Don’t think that demon expected me to call out to another demon, and it certainly weren’t expectin’ what that spell did to it, but it did the trick, and let us do what was needed to banish that sucker back to its own little corner of the pits it had came from.  Think that spell might’ve broken the resolve of the cultists too, cause it weren’t much trouble to finish the clean up after that.

Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do, even if it ain’t always the smartest or best thing.  In the end, that demon got cast out of our world for a good long while, the cult that called it up got wiped out, and we made it back out without the whole place fallin’ in on us.  All in all, I’d call it a definite positive on the scale of things.  That event would lead me to the next big change in my life, which I’ll be getting’ to right shortly.

#Lore24 – Entry #190 – Supers Month II #9 – A Right Mess of Things

From the journal of Abigail “Sassy” Dawson, Mage of the Order of Hecate

Course, wouldn’t be long before Assane and Richard done decided to make things even worse for us.  We’d been on the trail of that demon for a couple more days when Richard up and stopped right there in the middle of the prairie round noon and declared he had the solution to the problem.  Assane and me were skeptical, and we didn’t hide that when we glanced at one another.  But then he told us his bright idea and I was floored, came just a hair fallin’ out of my saddle right there. 

“To catch this demon, we’ll need to summon one of our own!” he told us, and he was somehow sure we’d agree with him, judgin’ by that smile on his face.  I was the first to disagree, recovering myself enough to call him right crazy amongst a few other choice words.  Assane was a little less heated on the subject, as was her way, but it weren’t long before the pair were snarlin’ and snappin’ at one another again.  I rode on ahead just to get the two out of earshot for a while, and stayed that way the rest of the day, ever on the watch for signs of our target.  Never got sign that it was near, but had that feelin’ like it was still a watchin’ us, and we hadn’t spotted no carrion birds flyin’ around, so we hadn’t needed no other signs to guide us along, apparently.  We were generally headed northwest, and there were some rocky hills comin’ from what I could see.

Anyway, I stopped as the sun started goin’ down and waited on the two, and it weren’t long before I heard’em still arguin’ back and forth, but it weren’t about no demon this time, just which one they was gonna summon.  I couldn’t believe that Assane had been won over on the idea, but she just plainly told me he’d made a lot of good points.  Knowin’ this could only end bad, I likewise knew I couldn’t talk the two out of it after just a few minutes.  They fought all the time, but when they were in agreement, weren’t no force on this planet that could get them to change that. 

And so it was that I learnt the intricacies of summonin’ up a demon that night under the new moon, and no, I ain’t gonna detail it here.  That knowledge is forbidden for a reason, and this was just one of those times that called for extreme measures, I guess.  They assured me this demon was friendly with them, though, and that they’d dealt with it many times over the centuries.  Assane even called him a “lovable little scamp.” 

Well, I’d call it a little more on the goofy-lookin’ side personally.  This particular demon weren’t one of the big ones like I’d been thinkin’ they meant to call, this one was called Arrnor, and his head was bigger than his whole body, comedically large, to the point I just couldn’t make head nor tails of how he was possibly movin’ around on his own two legs.  Assane’d told me it was just because he had such a high opinion of himself and it had literally gone to his head, but I’m still not sure if she was jokin’ or not. 

When they started with the negotiations, I didn’t miss the fact that the two had started to strip down, and then when the demon’s eyes fell on me, I somehow was expected to do the same.  I put my foot down, right hard, and said I wouldn’t be party to none of their debauchery, but since I’d been there when they started up the ritual, I didn’t have no choice, lest I get us all dragged into the demon’s realm for a century of torment at his hands.  Needless to say, I weren’t happy, and told’em they should’ve stated the details clearly, only to be told they thought I knew already, and just shrugged it off like it were nothin’. 

I still regret that I learned of all this knowledge first hand, for Arrnor is a right indecent demon, even amongst his kind, I reckon.  See, whereas most demons will just kill and torment and drive people mad and such, Arrnor just likes to play, and knows all the most wretched of ways that get humans all worked up in ways that nobody ought know.  I ain’t proud to admit that the ritual was one of the most intensely pleasurable experiences in my life, nor am I proud that I was gifted with knowledge of his signature spell, one of the forbidden ones cause it taps into his essence to use…nor am I proud that all of us got to experience it for ourselves that night.

But, once we had come back to our senses, all tangled up in each other’s arms there on the prairie, we had the information we had been huntin’ for, and knew what it was we faced.  Maybe it was worth the price, and maybe it was worth the stain on my soul in the name of the greater good, but I’m still strugglin’ to work that one out.  Regardless, we set off, bound for the Black Hills, to face that monster and get the job done.