Action, Adventure, Excitement, Part 4
                              Chapter 71

Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1998 05:05:22 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: AAE IV: Defenders

On Sun, 4 Oct 1998 05:01:18 -0700 (PDT)
Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00006084

>On Wed, 30 Sep 1998 23:46:43
>Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00006041
>
>   ...thusly, things seem to be going well for the forces of Light.
>   Until Malice appears by the Tower.
>   "And now, a word from our sponsor," he cackles, and a shaft of
>darkness flies down from the bleeding Crawler.
>   "NO-" Roland begins, his Ring reappearing on his finger and using
>both teleportation and super-speed to slam into Malice.
>   And a field of dark force cuts them, and most of the Tower, from
>the CAoL.
>
>/*"ROLAND!"*/ Morgan shouts, attempting to 'port past the shield to
>her beloved's aid.

     Mike frowns from where she teleported in. [I hate premonitions.]

>/Everyone, Roland's in over his head. I need the cavalry here _now._/
>Morgan sends to her comrads.

     Mike's form seems to be contracting into a glowing sphere of
energy. [Not that I was any good with the last forcefield.] A few
invisible tendrils test various routes; magical, technological,
multidimensional; through the forcefield, with no success.

>   Roland falls over, his psychic channels burned almost beyond
>recognition, his body exhausted beyond even movement. [Did...the
>job,] he thinks in spent relief.

     [I -really hate- premonitions.] The brilliant sphere of energy
fires off sparks at a bunch of crunchies approaching from several
directions, who are stunned into unconsciousness.

Then...
>On Thu, 01 Oct 1998 22:48:15
>Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00006055
>
>   The remains of the dead horrors vanish, adding to the creature's
>bulk and humanoid shape, though very little power.
>   Until the Maelstrom Bridge is co-opted in its entirety to become
>one of the Malice/Crawler (call it the 'Mauler') thing's 'legs.' The
>power of the Gaunt Man's reality flows through it. Then commands flow
>from somewhere to Jha'Dur's biotech creations, which form the other
>leg. A brief burst of telepathy later, Mournblade's melted form
>vanishes, and a half-ebon, half-silver arm flows out of its left
>'shoulder.' The Mauler and Malys chant briefly, and Skie claws at
>empty air.
>   Malystryx herself isn't 'really' a part of the creature before the
>CAoL, but a giant red taloned arm protrudes from its right shoulder,
>and a wing flows from the left side of its back. The Crawler's wound
>flares out from where the right wing would be, and its tentacles hold
>the monstrosity together as a deformed but recognizable face forms.
>   Malice.
>   *"I WILL SEE YOU ALL DEAD,"* it roars, *"THOUGH IT COST ME MY
>LIFE, MY MIND, MY VERY SOUUUUUL!"*
>   "Enough," Galactus mutters, incinerating the Crawlerlings and
>growing to his full height. "You must be contained, and I-"
>   A shaft of pummelling, mindbending unexistence lances out and
>throws Galactus into orbit.
>   "-kkk-*" Galactus enters geosynchronous orbit over the
>battlefield, barely conscious. His ebon staff vanishes.
>   *"NOW FOR YOU,"* it screams, its arms raised to summon a ball of
>unmaking...

     [<Pinky voice> Blah blah blah NARF! </Pinky voice>] Mike thinks,
an idea starting to form in the back of her mind. The energy form
fades away. Mike's still there but without any sort of appearance,
just a presense. [Now, to work. This is going to take almost all the
Dreamtime to get it done in the time needed.]

Then...
>On Fri, 2 Oct 1998 07:17:52 -0400
>Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00006059
>
>James and Zia look at each other, still tiny comparitively. As
>Scott's attack on the unmaking ball goes off, James steps a bit away
>from Zia and summons the Sign of the Logrus before himself. It
>writhes, the ultimate ever-changing force of ultimate creation. Zia
>summons her Pattern sign nearby, preparing to aid his effort. With a
>grunt of effort, the dapper assasin fades completely into the Roman
>man with a blinding gold aura as he HURLS a bolt of pure creative
>force into the ball of making.
>
>Zia blinks as he changes appearance, as if she couldn't see it in the
>'halfway' state earlier, but keeps her Arc ready to defend them both
>at need. "I guess my guess about the Great Ones was right." She
>mutters to Starbuck. "Kind of hard to believe what the Blood means
>sometimes."

     Mike observes everything on several levels, in her current
formless state, as the multitudes of Dreamers fan out across the
multiverse, anchoring conduits of sorts in the places of power in
various realities. With Scott, Nemo, James, Aurora, Fuzzy and others
all attacking on various fronts, Mike works to construct a web of
energies across time-space-dimension. Not that she is sure this will
work, just that it was the best idea she has had so far. She wondered
what it would look like to the Cosmics in the bunch. She knew what it
would look like to Zia and James.

Then...
>On Fri, 2 Oct 1998 21:11:23 -0400
>Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00006070
>
>Starbuck guards their backs, occasionally blasting a stray leftover
>bad guy (read, crunchie!) with first, his blaster. Then, if that
>doesn't work (say, on a demon) he blasts it with a pure white
>psi-bolt from his Lens. When Mike appears, he looks a bit surprised,
>then his lips move as if speaking to someone, as the Len's surface
>flutters with lights. (It's Adama and Apollo getting updated on the
>continuing battle to relay to the rest of the Alliance forces.)
>
>Zia is currently "at bat" against the baddy. /Mike. Can we stomp this
>thing? James is needed to help Roland, but we're the best opposition
>to something this deeply Old One. Any ideas?/

     /Maybe,/ Mike replies, a small point of light forming at about
Zia's eye level several feet away, which starts moving to form a ring
of light maybe three-quarters of an inch in diameter. Those watching
the undercurrents of reality see thin tendrils of energy, which
stretch across myriad realities in a multitude of directions, connect
to the ring. Particles of silver seem to condense out of the energy
ring, creating a solid band. A web of red metal threads entwine around
the ring, a red stone cyrstalizing in the center of the web.
     A Spikard.
     [Step Two...] Mike thought, as more tendrils reached out from the
hole in the ring, composed of two different shapes. Working together,
building upon each other at a subatomic level like fractals of sorts,
the energies of Pattern and Logrus rapidly wove a body for the wearer
of the spikard.
     Faintly olive skin formed first a well manicured left ring finger
then the rest of the hand. Blood vessels seemed to alternately be
filled with blood and fire. Royal blue yarn wove itself up an arm,
forming a baggy sweater covering a female torso. Emerald green, royal
blue, canary yellow, white, and black threads wove themselves into a
long tartan skirt. Ash brown hair, with streaks of grey, pulled itself
into a matching tartan ribbon and brown leather sandals formed on her
feet. Brown and blue mismatched eyes scanned the battlefield.
     Mike blinked and spared herself a glance. [Huh, so if Corwin and
Dara had had a daughter, she'd look like me? 'Course, if you
rearranged the DNA enough you could probably get a child that looked
like a chimpanzee, too. Or at least Fast Eddie. Probably just general
randomness filling in the holes in my visualization of a nonexistant
daughter.]
     Mike reached out with the spikard, which was basicly a fancy
magic power ring with an extensive spell database, and attempted to
balance the powers within the Mauler, taking care not to undo anything
Fuzzy and the others were doing.

<OOC>
  IIRC, most everyone is focusing on the sphere of unmaking.
    Except Fuzzy, who is working on the Mauler itself.

      If Fuzzy isn't working on the Mauler,
        I'll do it.

      If Fuzzy doesn't want help on the Mauler,
        I will join with the forces working on the sphere.
</OOC>
===========================

Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1998 06:37:37 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: AAE IV: Defenders

Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00006085

> On Sun, 4 Oct 1998 05:01:18 -0700 (PDT)
> Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00006084
>
>>On Wed, 30 Sep 1998 23:46:43
>>Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00006041
>>
>>   *"NOW FOR YOU,"* it screams, its arms raised to summon a ball of
>>unmaking...

<OOC: It does occur to me to wonder how,
       Malice/Crawler = Mauler,
        Can summon a ball of UnMaking without,
         A Direct connection to the UnMaker...>

>      Mike reached out with the spikard, which was basicly a fancy
> magic power ring with an extensive spell database, and attempted to
> balance the powers within the Mauler, taking care not to undo
> anything Fuzzy and the others were doing.

<OOC: you can shunt some of the "Power of Creation" into that spikard,
       From your CAoL Sigil,
        Fuzzy is storing some there.>

> <OOC>
>   IIRC, most everyone is focusing on the sphere of unmaking.
>     Except Fuzzy, who is working on the Mauler itself.

>       If Fuzzy isn't working on the Mauler,
>         I'll do it.

Several Nemisis Splits are Working on Mauler,
 trying to increase the Surface tension between It's components,
  Ie: decrease it's ability to remain in one piece,
   They would welcome assistance...

Nemisis is using the Quantum NegaBands,
 to try and keep the Battle from damaging the fabric of this universe,
  Or the Multiverse,
   Operating at the Quantum Structure level,
    Basically the same thing Legion is doing,
     By other means IIRC.
===========================

Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1998 07:35:07 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: AAE4 To Slay Hope....

The Great Adversary Said As CAoL Message # 00006087

> Fuzzy Said As CAoL Message # 00006042
>
> Fuzzy Emerges from his hiding place,
>  Somewhere between Hyperspace and the Elemental Plains
>   To Confront The AntiThesis of Creation...
>    His power already in the mid-cosmic range,
>     And rising at a rapidly increasing rate,
>      As he makes a futile attempt to Balance,
>       The Great Adversary Itself...
> Wearing A SkinTight NanoTechnoRunic Suit,
>  His Lens on one Wrist,
>   A PowerBattery Bracelet on the Other, and
>    His TechnoRunic Staff of The Elements,
>     In hand...
>
> @=Greetings and Defiance,
>    Oh, Fairest and Fallen,
>     I would thank you for the Gift of Choice,
>      Without Which this day could never have Come.=@

& Fool, I am the End, Not some puny, Fallen Power of Life!&

[ Some lesser thing thinks to oppose Me?
  Still when It falls trying to prevent the StarDragon's Arrival,
  The StarDragon will be enraged beyond thought,
  One of It's silly little 'Dragon Gaurds'...
  This can only be to My advantage.]

> @=A Form to Suit you is the Least I can offer.=@

&What....&

> A network of forces play about Daath[1] then disperse,
>  Revealing a Form,
>   Newly Created,
>    The Very Essence of Beauty,
>     of the same 'Stuff' as The walls between Worlds...

&AARRGGHHHHHHHHH&

[ How can I be faced with the Power of Creation, Here within the
  Creator's Toy...]

[This, is What, I prevented the StarDragon from Maturing into,
 I did not believe the Creator Could enter the Creation in this
manner,
 Nor do I Believe that it Could have done so, without My being aware
 That it had done so.
  What is This.]

& For That Impudence,
  know that your Precious Family,
  The CAoL shall not be Granted the Mercy of a Quick End,
  I shall first Unmake All Of their Triumphs!&

Daath attempts to UnMake the Form he has been given...
Discovering that He has been Granted Enough of a "Real Existence" to
Cripple His Attribute, He Begins attacking Using the Abilities
Implicit in the Form he Has...

[I shall have to 'Know' What This Form is,
 And Husband The UnMaking, Until I do.
 Then This Thing that Opposes Me, Shall Cease to be.]

A Bolt of 'Energy?' Capable of Destroying an Average MonoBlock is
Fired at Fuzzy, At the Same Time a Fold forms in the Fabric of Space
as Daath attempts to Immobilize or Crush Fuzzy between two walls of
Space.

> Any Avatars of The Adversary still in the local area find their Link
> to 'It' severed as Fuzzy Fills their Void Channels with Newly
> Created Fabric...

& My Thanks<Eg>, Their Aid would not have been significant, And Their
Whimpers might have distracted Me.&

Thus Speaks the Final Night,
"There Shall Be No Dawn to Come!"
& Text & = Universal send, seems to be everyone's native tongue
===========================

Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1998 08:13:36 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: AAE4 The Final Battle is Joined Re: To Slay Hope....

Fuzzy Said As CAoL Message # 00006088

> The Great Adversary Said As CAoL Message # 00006087
>
> & For That Impudence,
>   know that your Precious Family,
>   The CAoL shall not be Granted the Mercy of a Quick End,
>   I shall first Unmake All Of their Triumphs!&

@= That is Truly Unfortunate,
   Did you not Know,
   Vengeance is an Aspect of Creation,
   Admittedly not one to be Proud of,
   But None the Less...
   I can see that you are Becoming... <G> =@

> Daath attempts to UnMake the Form he has been given...
> Discovering that He has been Granted Enough of a "Real Existence" to
> Cripple His Attribute, He Begins attacking Using the Abilities
> Implicit in the Form he Has...
>
> [I shall have to 'Know' What This Form is,
>  And Husband The UnMaking, Until I do.
>  Then This Thing that Opposes Me, Shall Cease to be.]

^@Nemisis, Institute 'The Long and Winding Road' Now@^

/Confirmed, Restricting Spatial Changes generated in your area to a
1000 meter Sphere, of external Reference./

> A Bolt of 'Energy?' Capable of Destroying an Average MonoBlock is
> Fired at Fuzzy, At the Same Time a Fold forms in the Fabric of Space
> as Daath attempts to Immobilize or Crush Fuzzy between two walls of
> Space.

Fuzzy creates additional space quanta,
 The keep the Walls apart.

@& I Think,
    You are in need of Healing,
     After all Anything may Grow Beyond The Limits of Its Origin.&@

Fuzzy Lens Flares with a Golden Light,
 Which Sheathes His Staff,
Fuzzy Intercepts the 'Energy?' with a Staff Block,
 Transmuting it's Nature into The Healing Benevolence of,
  All of The Elemental Planes,
   And Directs the Rebound to Daath...

>> Any Avatars of The Adversary still in the local area find their
>> Link to 'It' severed as Fuzzy Fills their Void Channels with Newly
>> Created Fabric...
>
> & My Thanks<Eg>, Their Aid would not have been significant, And
> Their Whimpers might have distracted Me.&

@& As you Say, So Must it Be. <G>&@

& Text & = Primal/Cosmic send, seems to be everyone's native tongue
===========================

Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1998 22:37:05 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: AAE IV: Alpha and Omega

On Sun, 04 Oct 1998 20:50:02
Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00006089

>On Thu, 1 Oct 1998 19:57:01 EDT
>Dane Said As CAoL Message # 00006049
>
>Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00006025
>
>>    The 'black hole' that consists of what's left of the Crawler has
>> a gaping 'wound' taking up a quarter of its surface, 'bleeding'
>> superstrings and vast amounts of EM radiation-from radio waves to
>> cosmic rays-shining as brightly as the star.
>
>*Fair you well, old friend,* Aurora sends. Everybody in the system
>can sense the grief she feels. *You did well. The Crawler is all but
>out of this fight. You will be sorely missed.*
>
>To the surprise of all, they hear an answer in their very spirits,
>*Thank you. I go now to prepare your place for the day when your time
>comes, oh Queen of the Night Sky. Fair you well*

   *On my world,* some dreaming part of Roland's mind sends, *there is
a legend. When Ragnarok comes, the bravest of the gods, Thor, would
face the mightiest of his enemies-Jormungandr, the World Serpent, in
one last battle. Thor would at last slay the beast, smile, take nine
steps, and fall to the ground dead from the poison released by the
serpent's death throes. May some cosmic Valhalla await you, Dragon's
Bane.*

>(OOC: I'm sure hard on my characters aren't I)

   (OOC: Yes. Geez, and I thought I was hard on _Roland._)
===========================

Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1998 22:37:11 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: AAE IV: Love and Hate

On Sun, 04 Oct 1998 22:19:36
Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00006090

>On Fri, 2 Oct 1998 02:36:44 EDT
>Scott Osborne Said As CAoL Message # 00006056
>
>>   *"NOW FOR YOU,"* [the Mauler] screams, its arms raised to summon
>>a ball of unmaking...
>
>Scott mutters something, and shakes his head. He gestures, and a
>thousand "dead" realities pour into where the sphere of unmaking is
>going to appear.
>
>(The realities are small universes, either long dead or never
>powerful enough to host life. They shouldn't compete with the local
>ficton, but they should nicely react with that ball of unmaking.)

   The ball 'eats' several of the realities, consumed in the process.
The 'Mauler' smiles, images of dead worlds between his teeth, and
tries to teleport one of the universes into the same space(s) Scott
occupies.

>On Fri, 2 Oct 1998 07:17:52 -0400
>Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00006059
>
>Zia sighs, /Why don't the bad guys EVER have good dialogue, James?
>Well. Except _yours_./ James smirks, /Oh, don't call them _mine_,
>please. As the Malice/Crawler's power grows, and begins to effect a
>larger scale area, the two seem to be fading in and out with another
>appearance, like some threadbare illusion. James seems to almost
>change into a tall man in a Roman robe, and Zia seems to be overlaid
>with the transparent image of a bright blue half-cat (head) and horse
>(feet).
<snip>
>James and Zia look at each other, still tiny comparitively. As
>Scott's attack on the unmaking ball goes off, James steps a bit away
>from Zia and summons the Sign of the Logrus before himself. It
>writhes, the ultimate ever-changing force of ultimate creation. Zia
>summons her Pattern sign nearby, preparing to aid his effort. With a
>grunt of effort, the dapper assasin fades completely into the Roman
>man with a blinding gold aura as he HURLS a bolt of pure creative
>force into the ball of making.

   "-gnn-" The Mauler staggers slightly. "You have courage. I like
that." A talon extends from the Mournblade arm, shooting towards James
in an apparent attempt to impale him. "I'll destroy it, but I like
it."

>Zia blinks as he changes appearance, as if she couldn't see it in the
>'halfway' state earlier, but keeps her Arc ready to defend them both
>at need. "I guess my guess about the Great Ones was right." She
>mutters to Starbuck. "Kind of hard to believe what the Blood means
>sometimes."

   Starbuck keeps firing. (OOC: Our extras are keeping the villains'
extras away for the moment, unless someone wants to crunch away.)
"Yeah, I'll bet. One of these days, you're going to have to explain to
me what the Great Ones are, and what blood you're talking about. I
mean, when we have a century or two for you to explain it to me."

>On Fri, 2 Oct 1998 11:17:30 PST
>Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00006064
>
>>    *"NOW FOR YOU,"* it screams, its arms raised to summon a ball of
>>unmaking...
>
>If he can, Nemo will port Malice to the center of a quasar. If he
>can't, he'll erect a spherical shield around him (to protect *us*)
>and warp space so that the center of the quasar is inside the shield,
>but still connected to the rest of it.

   The first doesn't work. (You guys have just 'ported _way_ too many
baddies into some star or another, and Malice isn't _stupid._
Completely off his rocker, yeah-he went WAY over the edge. But not
stupid.) The second does.
   Briefly.
   The quasar seems to...move away. No matter what direction one is
looking at it from. Finally it goes over some 'horizon,' revealing a
fried and truly enraged Malice.

>If that doesn't slow him down, Nemo will start throwing *real* power
>at him. :-)

   (OOC: *sigh* Okay, I'm going to tell you all right now-just
throwing power at Malice/the Mauler _isn't_ going to cut it. He's got
more raw power than the CAoL combined right now. He _can_ be beaten,
of course. But that's all I'm going to tell you.)
   "Impressive." the Mauler's eyes still burn with stellar flame.
"But, I think, you will find this _equally_ impressive."
   Then he takes the remainder of the universes Scott hit him with,
turns them into ten black holes, and drops them _through_ any
available Nemos, into NEMO's universe. There, they resist simple
assimilation; they'll have to be dealt with somehow.
   "Next," the Mauler snarls.

>On Fri, 02 Oct 1998 15:27:03 -0400
>Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00006065
>
><OOC1> Request for More Clarifcation: O.K. Then who'son
>Dhyrclhnac/Tahkisis' side and who's aligned with the upstart red,
>Malystryx? And was there a way that Dhyrclhanc would've been able to
>tell this durring combat? As far as I could tell he was just attacked
>en-masse by Large Ancient AD&D-type dragon Consort/Champions. All of
>them seemed to be servants Malystryx.</OOC1>

   (OOC: Okay, the blue-Skie-and a fair contingent of extras-are
fighting for Takhisis. The elders of the other Chromatic shades are
with Malystryx, as are a few extras. A bunch of them bailed. As for
how he could tell, Skie was leading the loyalists against Malystryx,
and blasted the black as she tried to go after Dhyrclhanc again.)

<Sniplance>
>"By all the Damned Gods Below." oathes the Lensdragon.

   "EXACTLY," Malice/the Mauler intones.

>>    *"NOW FOR YOU,"* it screams, its arms raised to summon a ball of
>>unmaking...
>
>The 105 ft. tall Dhyrclhnac shimmers again and *another* 105 ft. tall
>Dhyrclhanc appears, loosely speaking in front of the hybred
>Malace/Crawler from Below creature.
>
>Raising his arms to the sky, the third Immortal hatchling Ruby Fire
>Dragon yells, at the top of his lungs, "I ENVOKE THE POWER OF
>AGAMOTTO AND THE THREE WHO ARE ONE, THE VISHANTI. I MAY NOT BE ABLE
>TO BANISH YOU, BEAST BUT I DO BID YOU PAIN!"
>
>The the golden amulet at Dhyrclhanc's throat, the Eye of Power of
>Agamotto, clamshells open and the "Mauler" is bathed in a cone of
>blindingly illumniating cone of briliant magickal light.

   "AAAIE!" The Mauler screams, as its components writhe in agony.
"YOU WISH TO KNOW PAIN?!" He/it screams. "I WILL SHOW YOU PAIN!"
   He attacks Dhyrclhanc telepathically, sending the sensation the
Lensdragon has just provided, and with the combined magicks of
Malystryx and Mournblade, which create a half-ebon, half-crimson
coating over the Eye, reflecting the blast back in on it, and
Dhyrclhanc!

>On Sun, 4 Oct 1998 05:01:18 -0700 (PDT)
>Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00006084
>
>     Mike observes everything on several levels, in her current
>formless state, as the multitudes of Dreamers fan out across the
>multiverse, anchoring conduits of sorts in the places of power in
>various realities. With Scott, Nemo, James, Aurora, Fuzzy and others
>all attacking on various fronts, Mike works to construct a web of
>energies across time-space-dimension. Not that she is sure this will
>work, just that it was the best idea she has had so far. She wondered
>what it would look like to the Cosmics in the bunch. She knew what it
>would look like to Zia and James.

   "Oh, God..." Nova whispers as she sees Galactus drifting in orbit,
semi-conscious...
   But as Mike watches, she notices something.
   Obviously, this Frankenstein's monster simply should not exist. But
more importantly, where the 'seams' are, both physically and primally,
are areas which consist of both the Crawler and the attachment...and
yet neither at the same time.

>     A Spikard.
>     [Step Two...] Mike thought, as more tendrils reached out from
>the hole in the ring, composed of two different shapes. Working
>together, building upon each other at a subatomic level like fractals
>of sorts, the energies of Pattern and Logrus rapidly wove a body for
>the wearer of the spikard.
<snip of neat description>
>     Mike reached out with the spikard, which was basicly a fancy
>magic power ring with an extensive spell database, and attempted to
>balance the powers within the Mauler, taking care not to undo
>anything Fuzzy and the others were doing.

   "*GHYAAAHH!*" The Mauler screams. "YOU! You I will-NO! No more
elaborate schemes of revenge! This time, you will simply die!" He
attacks Mike, Zia and James with a 'simple' force blast...one powerful
enough to take Zia and James apart atom by atom, and spread Mike's
energy pattern over half the galaxy.

><OOC>
>  IIRC, most everyone is focusing on the sphere of unmaking.
>    Except Fuzzy, who is working on the Mauler itself.
>
>      If Fuzzy isn't working on the Mauler,
>        I'll do it.
>
>      If Fuzzy doesn't want help on the Mauler,
>        I will join with the forces working on the sphere.
></OOC>

   (OOC: Fuzzy isn't working on the Mauler. He's busy with something
worse. Thank the Light I don't have to write any of _that_ battle.)

   A bit earlier...
   ^Light! They're getting torn up out there! Morgan, we have to DO
something!^ Sil sends desperately.

^We can either work on getting Roland back into fighting form, at
least in the short term, or we can leave Mischief to hold him stable
and go fight ourselves. I don't see any other real options here,^
Morgan replies, her tone nearly as despirate as Sil's.

   ^They NEED him. They're not thinking. Whatever Roland thinks of
himself, he's the brains of this lot...or at least their imagination.
Or something. Light, Morgan, this is too much!^ Sil works at the
immortal's psi wounds desperately. ^How many dozens of realities will
die if that...THING...destroys the Tower?^

^I _know_, Sil.^ At some level, Morgan is struck by the fact that
_she's_ calming _Sil_. ^But we can only do what we can do. The sigil
lets me pull all the power a goddess can handle, but my healing skills
are physical. And a little spiritual. But....^

   Somewhere, at the edge of his consciousness, Roland feels their
efforts. His thoughts drift, as dreamers' often do. ^My ladies...my
loves...what you could not accomplish, together...^

Morgan and Sil look at each other. "Together..." Morgan says softly as
their eyes lock, and they both smile. The HIT-Mark body straightens
and goes into auto-defense mode. Then Morgan's hair turns silver, the
highlights strangely flame-colored. "Let's do it," she says with a
new, musical, tone in her voice.

   Roland's eyes fly open.
   */[POWER!]/*
   His body glows like a tiny sun for a brief moment as the two
entities who know him better than any others in Creation, combined
with the redactor skill of Zia and James, heal him in an instant.
   The bolt of power headed for Zia, James and Mike stops scant meters
from them, dispersed to the four winds. Roland, holding Galactus' ebon
staff, smiles at the others and looks at his new toy. /Defender,
Herald of Galactus. I can add it to my collection of titles./
Morgan/Sil just shakes 'her' head. /DAMN, but it's good to be back! It
feels like my brain's been useless since somewhen on that
pseudo-Legion world./
   "NO! You're broken! BROKEN!" A blast of force, chi and
spirit-sundering flies at Roland.
   "I've been repaired," he comments dryly, as he and Morgan deflect
the attack. Though even _their_ combined power-his enhanced by the
power of the staff, hers by Sil and the Morrigan-is taxed to the limit
holding off an attack thrown in a state of shock, they remain
outwardly calm. "You're real proud of that new body, Malice. You've
got the full options package. But the warranty's no good." Roland
smiles as waves of cosmic PK shake the Mauler.
   "I'll KILL you before you can unify them!" The Mauler fires another
bolt, this time of antimatter, at Roland. They 'port away.
   "I don't _have_ to. You think I'm the only one with a brain around
here?" Roland, Morgan and the HIT-Mark appear near the Zia/James/Mike
trio. /I don't know what you're doing, Mike, but you're the man with
the plan. Woman. Energy construct. Whichever. So what's up, Doc?/
===========================

Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1998 23:15:42 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: AAE IV: Towering Difficulties

On Sun, 04 Oct 1998 22:46:44
Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00006091

>On Fri, 2 Oct 1998 07:05:08 -0400
>Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00006057
>
>:On Tue, 29 Sep 1998 23:08:16
>:Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00006036
>:
>:   *My deepest thanks, Mrs. Keenan,* Alfred Bester replies. *I am
>:feeling...quite myself, for the first time in ages.*
>:   (OOC: If someone asks what happened to Bester^2)
>:   *Oh, simply repaying a debt,* Alfred replies...
>
>Zia protests, *He had MY safe-conduct, you - ! Why did you just waste
>him like that?!* She is very upset; keeping her word is a deep
>principle to her. Even though the 'old' Bester had attacked her and
>thus broken the agreement, she regrets any killing.

   Alfred looks surprised. *My apologies, Lady Zia. I hadn't realized
that you would react so poorly. But that part of my 'self' was...
well...you understand better than I can 'explain' how a piece of
'self' can be oneself and not at once. It was...less than a separate
person and more than a machine. It was catharsis, and repayment of a
debt. But I can assure you, nothing has been 'wasted.'*

>:   "Helpless, huh?" Garibaldi says coolly, a thin smile forming as
>:Bester thumps against the far wall and begins to slide down it.
>:"Yeah, well, you'd probably be right, if G'Kar and Lyta hadn't gone
>:in and un-Asimoved your Asimov." He gives Bester the Prisoner
>:salute. "Be seeing you."
>:   And Bester dies.
>
>"I hope you didn't need that part of yourself, Alfred. Because I
>cannot replace that." Zia says, slowly. She sounds a bit ragged.

   *?* Alfred Bester blinks. *I didn't 'lose' it. More of...an
imperfect, or altered replica.*

>Zia and James watch the CAoL swamp in after Roland, the shield
>breaking and Malice being pummeled. Rather than totally leaving the
>Tower and J'On'Dar exposed, the two Amberites share a glance. James
>says, "I think they can manage -"
>"And I don't want anyone _using_ that Tower." Zia agrees. "Hiya,
>Starbuck, how's tricks?" She smiles, a bit wanly.

   "You've got me-" Starbuck begins. "Ho-ly..."
   Lara and Captain Marvel appear on the Tower.
   "This is taking too long," Lara notes tonelessly. "You must remove
your link to those entities, Z'On'Dar."
   "Impossible," the Spider replies simply.
   "Ah, excuse me," Marvel breaks in, working with the speed of
Mercury. "Maybe we can't break this link...but can we change who gets
the most power?"
   There's a pause as Lara and Z'On'Dar are boggled by a fourteen-
year-old human thinking more clearly than both of them together.
   Lara works furiously at the linkages, while Z'On'Dar is able to
concentrate fully on bringing the Tower under control.
   Meanwhile, Cap looks at the returning Defender. "wow. 'Childe
Roland to the Dark Tower came...' And Uncle Dudley thought I was too
young for those books."
===========================

Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1998 23:15:49 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: AAE IV: Love and Hate

On Mon, 5 Oct 1998 02:01:02 EDT
Scott Osborne Said As CAoL Message # 00006092

Roland wrote:
>   The ball 'eats' several of the realities, consumed in the process.
> The 'Mauler' smiles, images of dead worlds between his teeth, and
> tries to teleport one of the universes into the same space(s) Scott
> occupies.

<OOC: Sent via mini-lens, broad band, narrow band, and spoken.>

"*^/Moving universes around against cosmically powered entities was
what I was DESIGNED for. Don't try to outdo me./^*"

The universe Malice/Crawler attempts to teleport into the SC2 instead
winds up in any weak points in the Mauler's body that Scott can find.

(1/2 OOC: Scott also continues sending 'never powerful enough'
universes anywhere M/C tries to create unmaking, although he cuts out
the 'long dead' fictons, and will stop if he notices the Mauler
getting significantly better. <1/1 OOC: BTW, these are all small, low
power dimensions.>)

\Just trying to hold him/it off. Somebody try and do some damage to
M&C.\

Thanks
Scott "Overpower" Osborne
===========================

Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1998 02:37:37 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: AAE IV: Towering Difficulties

On Mon, 5 Oct 1998 02:19:24 -0700 (PDT)
Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00006093

>On Sun, 04 Oct 1998 22:46:44
>Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00006091
>
>   Lara and Captain Marvel appear on the Tower.
>   "This is taking too long," Lara notes tonelessly. "You must remove
>your link to those entities, Z'On'Dar."
>   "Impossible," the Spider replies simply.
>   "Ah, excuse me," Marvel breaks in, working with the speed of
>Mercury. "Maybe we can't break this link...but can we change who gets
>the most power?"
>   There's a pause as Lara and Z'On'Dar are boggled by a fourteen-
>year-old human thinking more clearly than both of them together.
>   Lara works furiously at the linkages, while Z'On'Dar is able to
>concentrate fully on bringing the Tower under control.

     [I knew I liked that kid,] Mike thinks to herself.
===========================

Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1998 02:37:44 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: AAE IV: Love and Hate

On Mon, 5 Oct 1998 02:19:29 -0700 (PDT)
Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00006094

>On Sun, 04 Oct 1998 22:19:36
>Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00006090
>
>   "Oh, God..." Nova whispers as she sees Galactus drifting in orbit,
>semi-conscious...
>   But as Mike watches, she notices something.
>   Obviously, this Frankenstein's monster simply should not exist.
>But more importantly, where the 'seams' are, both physically and
>primally, are areas which consist of both the Crawler and the
>attachment...and yet neither at the same time.

/Nemo, Zia, James, Legion, I assume you all see this {}?/

>>     Mike reached out with the spikard, which was basicly a fancy
>>magic power ring with an extensive spell database, and attempted to
>>balance the powers within the Mauler, taking care not to undo
>>anything Fuzzy and the others were doing.
>
>   "*GHYAAAHH!*" The Mauler screams. "YOU! You I will-NO! No more
>elaborate schemes of revenge! This time, you will simply die!" He
>attacks Mike, Zia and James with a 'simple' force blast...one
>powerful enough to take Zia and James apart atom by atom, and spread
>Mike's energy pattern over half the galaxy.

     Mike prepares to proverbially 'go limp', having no time to erect
a shield.

>   The bolt of power headed for Zia, James and Mike stops scant
>meters from them, dispersed to the four winds. Roland, holding
>Galactus' ebon staff, smiles at the others and looks at his new toy.
>/Defender, Herald of Galactus. I can add it to my collection of
>titles./ Morgan/Sil just shakes 'her' head. /DAMN, but it's good to
>be back! It feels like my brain's been useless since somewhen on that
>pseudo-Legion world./

     /Good to have you back,/ Mike replied, /Had me worried./

>   "I'll KILL you before you can unify them!" The Mauler fires
>another bolt, this time of antimatter, at Roland. They 'port away.
>   "I don't _have_ to. You think I'm the only one with a brain around
>here?" Roland, Morgan and the HIT-Mark appear near the Zia/James/Mike
>trio. /I don't know what you're doing, Mike, but you're the man with
>the plan. Woman. Energy construct. Whichever. So what's up, Doc?/

     /Maybe all three describes it best./ Mike said with a mental
shrug, /Plan? I dunno, I'm just making this up as I go along... Uh, I
just tried balancing the powers making up Mauler. It seemed to hurt
him. Something tells me concentrate on balancing Crawler. Melt the
glue and the Mauler should fall apart./
     Mike added with a wry grin. /Maybe? Then again, whatever anyone
can balance, go for it. Maybe we can set up enough internal conflicts
that he will annihilate himself. And we always need people to not only
keep the Grunts off our backs, but keep Mauler busy. Lots to do for
everybody, I think./

<OOC and slightly OT: The 'Heaven and Hell' described in 'What Dreams
May Come' describes Mike and the Dreamtime universe very well,
including showing it's daily problems and dangers. It is also not a
bad love story.>
===========================

Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1998 05:06:00 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: AAE IV: Love and Hate

On Mon, 05 Oct 1998 07:48:26 -0400
Caprice Said As CAoL Message # 00006095

>On Mon, 5 Oct 1998 02:19:29 -0700 (PDT)
>Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00006094
>
>>On Sun, 04 Oct 1998 22:19:36
>>Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00006090
>>
>>   "Oh, God..." Nova whispers as she sees Galactus drifting in
>>orbit, semi-conscious...
>>   But as Mike watches, she notices something.
>>   Obviously, this Frankenstein's monster simply should not exist.
>>But more importantly, where the 'seams' are, both physically and
>>primally, are areas which consist of both the Crawler and the
>>attachment...and yet neither at the same time.
>
>/Nemo, Zia, James, Legion, I assume you all see this {}?/

/We see.../ Legion's voices are... thinner sounding than normal. But
she focuses her reality power on those areas, trying to unweave the
connections.

>>   The bolt of power headed for Zia, James and Mike stops scant
>>meters from them, dispersed to the four winds. Roland, holding
>>Galactus' ebon staff, smiles at the others and looks at his new toy.
>>/Defender, Herald of Galactus. I can add it to my collection of
>>titles./ Morgan/Sil just shakes 'her' head. /DAMN, but it's good to
>>be back! It feels like my brain's been useless since somewhen on
>>that pseudo-Legion world./

With Roland healed, Mischief hops away. Next time anyone sees her,
it's on Legion's shoulder... and she's again giving that odd,
stablizing purr.
===========================

Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1998 10:37:56 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: AAE:Battle in Arcadia Part 3

On Mon, 05 Oct 1998 13:19:55 EDT
Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00006096

 Carnage reigned supreme all around Roscoe. Demons undead and
Elementals alike were being mowed down by the Guardians' offense.
Roscoe waded through the enemy ranks, attacking descretely where he
could and not give away his identity, but all the time working at
moving closer to the wizard.
 As he was almost upon the wizard fear just about caused him to turn
back. There wasn't just one Chaosi here but several. Here, near the
wizard, they shuffled about through the ranks, their everyshifting
forms giving away their true identities. But then Roscoe caught sight
of his true target.
 The wizard was concentrating on the battle and never saw the demon
change forms into a scorpion and crawl up his leg. He never noticed
anything until the jolt of pain as the small blue scorpion struck, its
powerful vemon spreading quickly.
 The Wizard began to try to chant a counteractive spell, but the
scorpion fell to the ground and changes into an Ogre, knocking down
the wizard and breaking his concentration. But then one of hte Chaosi
attcked the Ogre, knocking it to the ground in turn.
 *Hello Uncle.*
 Two of the Chaosi began to ripple and change, becoming Squee and his
consort. The wizard wriggled on the ground, trying to concentrate
enough to cast teh spell to save himself, but never got the chance as
Soulstealer plunged through his heart. "One can always use a bit more
power and knowledge don't you think? And I should think after a
thousand years, you have quite a lot of power and knowledge to draw
on. I'm chaning your destiny. It is still your fate to die in this
battle, but not by the Wizard's hand as before, but by mine."
 Around the battlefield demons disipate into mist, undead crumble and
elementals return to their true forms. Guardians pause to figure out
what is going on, but Drss don't even wait a second to rush to
Roscoe's side. "If you think you're going to get at him, then you have
to prove yourself a better fighter than I."
 Squee smirks at Driss, resting Soulstealer's tip o the ground and
leaning on its hilt. "Oh, I don't think myself a better fighter than
you are Immortal, but she is. My dear, if you would please."
 Driss's attention was completely on Squee so he never noticed the
gestures she was making or the quiet enunciation but now it was too
late.
 "...MaaaaaaYA!!!!!!" From her cupped hands an intensly bright ball of
light shoots forth, directed by her will and directed straight for
Driss. Driss cartwheeled to the side, but the ball followed, knocking
into him and sending him flying back a good 20 yards.
 As he struggles back to his feet, she leaps into the air, hovering in
place adn fires smaller balls of light at him, explosions errupting
all around him digging craters into the soil.
 Meanwhile Squee begins muttering his spell, enhanced by the natural
magics of his homeland. Soon an inpenatrable field surrounds the four
of them barring entrance from the others fo the Clan. "Sorry cousins
uncles and brothers, but this is a private battle. Now, dear _UNCA_.
It's time for the revenge I have wanted for so long. My parents died
because _you_ never bothered to search for them. My feelings, my hopes
meant nothing to you, it is obvious. They died for your slefishness,
and you will now pay the ultimate price. But don't worry, you'll
always be near my heart. or my hand at least. Death is far too good a
fate for you. You shall forever more live. Live inside Soulstealer at
least."
 TBC
===========================

Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1998 12:37:30 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: AAE IV: Love and Hate (Long!)

On Mon, 05 Oct 1998 15:22:04 -0400
Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00006098

> On Sun, 04 Oct '98 Morgan and/or Roland Said
>
>>Dhyrclhanc Said
>>
>    (OOC: Okay, the blue-Skie-and a fair contingent of extras-are
> fighting for Takhisis. The elders of the other Chromatic shades are
> with Malystryx, as are a few extras. A bunch of them bailed. As for
> how he could tell, Skie was leading the loyalists against Malystryx,
> and blasted the black as she tried to go after Dhyrclhanc again.)

<OOC>OK, Fine, however at the moment they're all dragonsunder crystal
and Dhyrclhnac'll deal with them later </OOC>

>>The the golden amulet at Dhyrclhanc's throat, the Eye of Power of
>>Agamotto, clamshells open and the "Mauler" is bathed in a cone of
>>blindingly illumniating cone of briliant magickal light.
>
>    "AAAIE!" The Mauler screams, as its components writhe in agony.
> "YOU WISH TO KNOW PAIN?!" He/it screams. "I WILL SHOW YOU PAIN!"
>    He attacks Dhyrclhanc telepathically, sending the sensation the
> Lensdragon has just provided, and with the combined magicks of
> Malystryx and Mournblade, which create a half-ebon, half-crimson
> coating over the Eye, reflecting the blast back in on it, and
> Dhyrclhanc!

The golden blast has no effect on Dhyrclhanc or on the Eye,but the
Lensdragon winces from the fraction of the telepathic attack that
squeeks by his mental defences. Unfortunatly, with the "Mauler"
currently blocking the Eye's beam, it no longer suffers from the
debilitating effects of the ray.

"Yes, I know what pain is and that certainly was not it. Methinks that
the 'Thing-that-man-was-not-meant-to-know' is loosing it's teeth! It
will take more than that to take me out of the game!"

The second Dhyrclhnac levitates and assumes a floating lotus position.
At the same time, the Eye floats out of the Amulet and outside of the
effect horizon of the ebon/scarlet coating from Mauler. The naked Eye
assumes a postion at Dhyrclhanc's chest level and generates another
golden cone of light towards the Mauler.

Meinwhile, the other 105 ft. tall Dhyrclhanc is in the middle of
combat with assorted extras and various mooks, carving several swaths
through the enemy ranks with Redemption's flashing blade.

> A bit earlier...
>    ^Light! They're getting torn up out there! Morgan, we have to DO
> something!^ Sil sends desperately.
>
> ^We can either work on getting Roland back into fighting form, at
> least in the short term, or we can leave Mischief to hold him stable
> and go fight ourselves. I don't see any other real options here,^
> Morgan replies, her tone nearly as despirate as Sil's.

"What am I?" asks the Lens-T'Skrang Dhyrclhanc, still by Roland's
bedside,"a loaf of bread?"

>    Somewhere, at the edge of his consciousness, Roland feels their
> efforts. His thoughts drift, as dreamers' often do. ^My ladies...my
> loves...what you could not accomplish, together...^

As the two Ladies combine their talents towards a morespeedy recovery
for Roland, the Healer Dhyrclhanc redoubles _his_ efforts, as well.

>    "I'll KILL you before you can unify them!" The Mauler fires
> another bolt, this time of antimatter, at Roland. They 'port away.
>    "I don't _have_ to. You think I'm the only one with a brain
> around here?" Roland, Morgan and the HIT-Mark appear near the
> Zia/James/Mike trio. /I don't know what you're doing, Mike, but
> you're the man with the plan. Woman. Energy construct. Whichever. So
> what's up, Doc?/

Upon Roland's full recovery, the Lens-T'Skrang and his micro-nano-
autodoc dissapears.
===========================

Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1998 18:07:36 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: AAE4: Endings... (fwd)

On Mon, 5 Oct 1998 20:50:02 -0400 (EDT)
Shadow <pookie> Said As CAoL Message # 00006099

>On Sat, 3 Oct 1998 20:53:07 -0400 (EDT)
>Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00006083
>[Assuming someone actually asks them what they're doing]
>
>"An unfortunate side-effect of our completion, which we kindly
>delayed over the course of our travel back to this place. As the rest
>of us arrives, it will approach the effect of a black hole in the
>nature of Reality."

The two Zodaii stand 100 yards apart from each other, waiting for the
moment of completeness. Already they controlled more power than the
assembled group above them. The ground at their feet cracked, and bits
of matter broke off and flew towards them, only to be absorbed a few
feet from their 'bodies'. Space curved and Reality begin to bend as
the closest dimensions began to get pulled toward them. The John
smiled, his flesh crackling as the power mummified him, "I was right.
_I_ will acheive completion first. You will be taken apart and I will
use this place to weave the race around the memories you have locked
inside you."

The Jadis was not smiling, "You shall not find me easy pickings. I
will still be stronger, in the end."

"You will not survive to see it." As it thought of what it would do to
the other entity, John saw his chance. With every ounce of will and
desire for life he had, he wrested a tiny bit of control back from the
one controlling him, and he used that control to launch an attack
toward Jadis.

"No! It is too soon," came form his mouth.

The Jadis's defenses, already on high, kicked in with a block and a
counterattack to John's weak thrust. Neither able to back down, soon
the fight between the two was going on in earnest. Enough energy to
destroy, or create, a dozen multiverses crackled across those hundred
yards as the two engaged in combat in more than three dimensions.

On the station a young man became serious, "It has begun."

Rhia looked confused, and more than a little angry, "What has begun?
What's going on.."

^Ree.^

^J..John?^

^I don't have much time. I've triggered the battle. I have to time
this right. In my greatest danger lies true safety. What a bunch of
crap... Here's the plan {Data dump}, it's not much, but it's all I
have. If I don't make it, well, you were the best and brightest thing
to have ever happened to me. I love you.^

Tears streaming down her eyes, Rhia nodded wordlessly. She looked to
Adam, "Can you get me closer? I don't have the range."

He looked concerned, "I thought you.."

Her voice is bitter, "My plea for help has been ignored. I will have
to be enough. I _will_ be enough. Can you get me there?" The urgency
in her voice is unmistakeable.

He is not entirely pleased, "Not all the way, but close enough, I
think, for what you have to do." He grabs her arm and suddenly they
are on the planet. In the distance can be seen The two beings, who are
now floating over the middle of two hemispheres, centered on each of
them. "I can get no closer. They would eat such as me for lunch."

Rhia doesn't bother to reply. She extends her senses, looking on the
astral, psychic, and form planes. She sees two huge beings, with one
slowly enfolding the other, while both of them continue to grow. One
of the beings has a section of defenses falter, then another, and the
second being takes advantage of this, pressing ruthlessly against it's
foe.

She manages the faintest of connections with John, it's been him
sabotaging the defenses of the one being from the inside. All that
remains of his body are a few charred bits of bone. The defenses of
the one fail altogether, and the other moves in for the kill. As it
envelopes the being, however, it essence bulges and is then blown
outwards.

A Cosmic cry is heard, "Into the death of Self I take you. As it was,
is, and shall be, 'till the end." As these two great beings fragment
outwards in an explosion felt on all planes but the physical, Rhia
grabs onto her connection to John, strengthening it and trying to keep
his Self from fragmenting along with the scattered parts of the other
being.

*^/I CAN'T HOLD HIM./^* The cry is torn from her as she feels John
fragmenting in her mental hands, her power inadequate to the task she
is attempting.
===========================

Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1998 19:07:36 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: AAE IV: Compound Actions

On Mon, 5 Oct 1998 21:42:57 -0400
Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00006100

:On Mon, 5 Oct 1998 02:19:29 -0700 (PDT)
:Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00006094
:>On Sun, 04 Oct 1998 22:19:36
:>Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00006090
:>
:>>On Sun, 4 Oct 1998 05:01:18 -0700 (PDT)
:>>Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00006084
:>
:>   Obviously, this Frankenstein's monster simply should not exist.
:>But more importantly, where the 'seams' are, both physically and
:>primally, are areas which consist of both the Crawler and the
:>attachment...and yet neither at the same time.
:
:/Nemo, Zia, James, Legion, I assume you all see this {}?/

Z: /Yes - /
J: /But we see both - time is standing still./
Z: /One particular problem with our Blood. Hopefully, since you didn't
know, your attempt to recreat an Amberite doesn't contain the same
dimensional base./
J: /What is your plan, Mike? We'll back you up in just a moment, need
to help heal Roland's mental damage./

:>>     A Spikard.
:>>     [Step Two...] Mike thought, as more tendrils reached out from
:>>the hole in the ring, composed of two different shapes. Working
:>>together, building upon each other at a subatomic level like
:>>fractals of sorts, the energies of Pattern and Logrus rapidly wove
:>>a body for the wearer of the spikard.

Zia noted this absently with the small fraction of her attention still
not focused on healing Roland. [Looks like the nature of the Symbols
isn't quite true, James, mixing them without Shadow generation.]
[Perhaps, but don't tell him. Or her. If it's believed, and they're
close enough to spot on, we really shouldn't throw a wrench in by
observing those forces aren't the "true" Symbols, either, Zia.
Besides, it might work, and it will at least slow that thing down a
bit.]

>>Zia blinks as he changes appearance, as if she couldn't see it in
>>the 'halfway' state earlier, but keeps her Arc ready to defend them
>>both at need. "I guess my guess about the Great Ones was right." She
>>mutters to Starbuck. "Kind of hard to believe what the Blood means
>>sometimes."
>
>   Starbuck keeps firing. (OOC: Our extras are keeping the villains'
>extras away for the moment, unless someone wants to crunch away.)
>"Yeah, I'll bet. One of these days, you're going to have to explain
>to me what the Great Ones are, and what blood you're talking about. I
>mean, when we have a century or two for you to explain it to me."

Zia giggles. *I don't think _I_ even understand it, Starbuck, but I'll
try at least.*

:>   "*GHYAAAHH!*" The Mauler screams. "YOU! You I will-NO! No more
:>elaborate schemes of revenge! This time, you will simply die!" He
:>attacks Mike, Zia and James with a 'simple' force blast...one
:>powerful enough to take Zia and James apart atom by atom, and spread
:>Mike's energy pattern over half the galaxy.
:
:     Mike prepares to proverbially 'go limp', having no time to erect
:a shield.

Zia, a live Arc of Patterned Power in her hands, simply stands there
and watches it come in, smiling just a bit to herself...

:>   The bolt of power headed for Zia, James and Mike stops scant
:>meters from them, dispersed to the four winds. Roland, holding
:>Galactus' ebon staff, smiles at the others and looks at his new toy.
:>/Defender, Herald of Galactus. I can add it to my collection of
:>titles./ Morgan/Sil just shakes 'her' head. /DAMN, but it's good to
:>be back! It feels like my brain's been useless since somewhen on
:>that pseudo-Legion world./
:
:     /Good to have you back,/ Mike replied, /Had me worried./

Zia represses a grin, and grips her Arc.
J: /Zia, your name-partner upstairs in their causative time needs that
Arc, look lively.../
She nods, as James teleports her to Rhia's side. Upon arrival, she
simply takes hold of Rhia's shoulder, and begins to feed the other
woman energy in a nice big Orderly stream from the Arc in her off
hand, using herself again as a 'power channel' of no resistance.
===========================

Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1998 20:09:37 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: AAE4: Endings... (fwd)

On Mon, 5 Oct 1998 19:36:17 -0700 (PDT)
Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00006101

>On Mon, 5 Oct 1998 20:50:02 -0400 (EDT)
>Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00006099
>
>The two Zodaii stand 100 yards apart from each other, waiting for the
>moment of completeness. Already they controlled more power than the
>assembled group above them. The ground at their feet cracked, and
>bits of matter broke off and flew towards them, only to be absorbed a
>few feet from their 'bodies'. Space curved and Reality begin to bend
>as the closest dimensions began to get pulled toward them. The John
>smiled, his flesh crackling as the power mummified him, "I was right.
>_I_ will acheive completion first. You will be taken apart and I will
>use this place to weave the race around the memories you have locked
>inside you."

     [Oh hell...] Mike thinks as she senses the above change in
spacetime. [We don't have -time- for this. When are the baddies going
to learn to -make appointments?-]

>A Cosmic cry is heard, "Into the death of Self I take you. As it was,
>is, and shall be, 'till the end." As these two great beings fragment
>outwards in an explosion felt on all planes but the physical, Rhia
>grabs onto her connection to John, strengthening it and trying to
>keep his Self from fragmenting along with the scattered parts of the
>other being.

     Somewhere she makes a mental note in the back of her head to be
pleased that both Zodaii will be forced to start over. Later.

>*^/I CAN'T HOLD HIM./^* The cry is torn from her as she feels John
>fragmenting in her mental hands, her power inadequate to the task she
>is attempting.

     Mike only has time for one small move. The small iron pebble on a
cord that was holding a minor fraction of the power of the Dreamtime
itself appeared in Mike's right hand.
     [Looks like that rainy day has come. I just hope there is enough
power stored in you to do her some small bit of good...Help her {Rhia}
succeed.]
     The small stone flashes briefly, then appears around Rhia's neck,
its sole purpose to boost Rhia's power, control, and finesse by two
hundred.
     /Faith manages./ Mike sends, sounding almost like a mantra, to no
one in particular. [C'mon, you can do it, Rhia.] she hopes privately.

<OOC: Figured -something- would come up that I would want a power
boost for. Getting John away from his mental hitch-hiker sounds like a
good cause to me. <g> Whether it works or not is naturally up to you,
but I had to offer something to help. :)>
===========================

Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1998 22:06:30 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: AAE IV: Compound Actions

On Tue, 6 Oct 1998 00:55:35 -0400 (EDT)
Shadow <pookie> Said As CAoL Message # 00006102

>On Mon, 5 Oct 1998 21:42:57 -0400
>Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00006100
>
>She nods, as James teleports her to Rhia's side. Upon arrival, she
>simply takes hold of Rhia's shoulder, and begins to feed the other
>woman energy in a nice big Orderly stream from the Arc in her off
>hand, using herself again as a 'power channel' of no resistance.

OOC: I couldn't have done better if I was planning this. Thanks.

  Rhia gasps as her abilities more than double, just in time to take
advantage of the power flow from Zia. Gritting her teeth, she reaches
into the whirling mental maelstrom the was two Cosmic beings, and
grabs onto all that was John even as the parts stream away. A hand
falls on her other shoulder, and Adam lends his strength, and his
humanity, to what must come next.
  With her newly accessed abilities, she takes the Order force and
Adam's power, using them together in an act of pure creation. On the
plain in front of her a body forms, perfect even in it's flaws. A life
lacking one thing, the consciousness she holds in trust. With gentle
care she places it into the body, smoothing the way for it as it
settles into place. As the last peices of the Zodaii disperse, she
pulls from her pocket a spikard on a chain. She touches it to John's
chest and there is a audible snap as the Zodaii charge he carried
drained into the ring.
  Stepping back, she released her hold on him, and his eyelids
fluttered open. Unsteadily, he takes a step forward, opening his arms
wide. Rhia practically collapses into them, and they hug each other
tight. Both exhausted, they keep each other from falling over.
  John looks to Zia and smiles, "You never did ask me why I went to
Amber." He slips the chain around his neck, spikard resting against
his chest. "James, would you happen to have a spare set of clothing on
you? We look to be about the same size."
  John sends to Zia, Adam, and Mike on a private group line, ^^Thank
you, my friends.^^ With it goes an expression of his heartfelt
gratitude.
  Adam shrugs and smiles, "You still owe me thirty bucks."
  John laughs, "I left my wallet in my other suit."
===========================

Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1998 22:06:38 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: AAE IV: Love and Hate (Long!)

On Mon, 05 Oct 1998 22:01:58
Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00006103

>On Mon, 05 Oct 1998 15:22:04 -0400
>Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00006098
>
>> On Sun, 04 Oct '98 Morgan and/or Roland Said
>>    "AAAIE!" The Mauler screams, as its components writhe in agony.
>> "YOU WISH TO KNOW PAIN?!" He/it screams. "I WILL SHOW YOU PAIN!"
>>    He attacks Dhyrclhanc telepathically, sending the sensation the
>> Lensdragon has just provided, and with the combined magicks of
>> Malystryx and Mournblade, which create a half-ebon, half-crimson
>> coating over the Eye, reflecting the blast back in on it, and
>> Dhyrclhanc!
>
>"Yes, I know what pain is and that certainly was not it. Methinks
>that the 'Thing-that-man-was-not-meant-to-know' is loosing it's
>teeth! It will take more than that to take me out of the game!"

   The biotech leg sprouts three weapons. "Then I will have to _do_
more, beast!" Three missiles fire at Dhyrclhanc, exploding against his
force-field (assuming he puts one up) and releasing a cloud of spores.
   Which promptly vanish.
   "You have just been infected with a draconic equivalent of
gangrene," the Mauler explains, "hyperaccelerated so that you will
lose 5% of your body mass per minute. Goodbye, Dhyrclhanc!"
   (OOC: If Dhyrclhanc doesn't put up a forcefield other than the GL
one [the missiles were covered with plant life] they burrow into his
body, leaving unpleasant tears before the Lensdragon can destroy
them.)

>The second Dhyrclhnac levitates and assumes a floating lotus
>position. At the same time, the Eye floats out of the Amulet and
>outside of the effect horizon of the ebon/scarlet coating from
>Mauler. The naked Eye assumes a postion at Dhyrclhanc's chest level
>and generates another golden cone of light towards the Mauler.

   ...and is promptly swallowed by a singularity that vanishes a
moment later.

>Meinwhile, the other 105 ft. tall Dhyrclhanc is in the middle of
>combat with assorted extras and various mooks, carving several
>swaths through the enemy ranks with Redemption's flashing blade.

   Captain Carter salutes the Lensdragon as he kills three horrors
that attack him simultaneously. (OOC: Yes, at the same time. ;^)

>> A bit earlier...
>>    ^Light! They're getting torn up out there! Morgan, we have to DO
>> something!^ Sil sends desperately.
>>
>> ^We can either work on getting Roland back into fighting form, at
>> least in the short term, or we can leave Mischief to hold him
>> stable and go fight ourselves. I don't see any other real options
>> here,^ Morgan replies, her tone nearly as despirate as Sil's.
>
>"What am I?" asks the Lens-T'Skrang Dhyrclhanc, still by Roland's
>bedside,"a loaf of bread?"

<OOC: Actually, that 'we' was meant to include everyone who was
working on Roland, including you, Zia and James. Mischief being the
least likely of the med team to make a difference in the battle.>

   (OOC: I, on the other hand, just plain forgot. 8^( Sorry, sib!)

>Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00006085
>
>>>On Wed, 30 Sep 1998 23:46:43
>>>Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00006041
>>>
>>>   *"NOW FOR YOU,"* it screams, its arms raised to summon a ball of
>>>unmaking...
>
><OOC: It does occur to me to wonder how,
>       Malice/Crawler = Mauler,
>        Can summon a ball of UnMaking without,
>         A Direct connection to the UnMaker...>

   (OOC: Malice is a spirit of the Adversary the way Sil is a spirit
of Phoenix...not the same entity, but related thereto. Malice's
backstory might be explained in the FI 'mini-series.' Then again, I've
got a lot of story planned for that. Besides, the power to Create or
Destroy, IMO, doesn't require a connection to the Maker or Unmaker.)

>Several Nemisis Splits are Working on Mauler,
> trying to increase the Surface tension between It's components,
>  Ie: decrease it's ability to remain in one piece,
>   They would welcome assistance...

   They can 'feel' the tension at the seams, but for the moment they
are a sufficiently minor nuisance (so the Mauler thinks) that their
efforts are not drawing counterattack, merely resistance.

>Nemisis is using the Quantum NegaBands,
> to try and keep the Battle from damaging the fabric of this
>  universe, Or the Multiverse,
>   Operating at the Quantum Structure level,
>    Basically the same thing Legion is doing,
>     By other means IIRC.

   (OOC: Good, she can probably use the help. <G>)
===========================

Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1998 23:06:24 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: AAE IV: Payback Flashback

On Mon, 05 Oct 1998 22:18:19
Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00006104

   Anyone wonder what happened to Malice _before_ he turned into the
Mauler? Well...

>On Thu, 01 Oct 1998 12:59:09 -0400
>Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00006046
>
>> On Wed, 30 Sep '98 Morgan and/or Roland Said
>
>Dhyrclhanc bursts into the dome, having broken through a small potion
>of the shield, and tosses the Krull at Malice. "Krull -- Hunt and
>Dissarm."
>
>Flying from the still 105 ft tall dragon's hand, the Krull shrinks to
>its normal, frisbee-size, takes a good-sized chunk out of the
>reserected Malice's arm and then pulls his spear from his grasp,
>before returning to Dhyrclhanc's hand.

   "Gkk-" Malice blurts as his lower arm comes apart.

>> The Highlander holds her claidheamhor high, the nanite-covered
>> blade gleaming, and gestures toward the spirit of corruption.
>> "Cuathain sinn troid, sinn _buachan_!" she shouts, charging into
>> battle.
<snip>
>Dhyrclhanc draws Redemption out of its sheath on his back, and joins
>the fray.

Then...
>On Fri, 2 Oct 1998 04:11:26 -0700 (PDT)
>The Lone One Said As CAoL Message # 00006058
>
>> On Wed, 30 Sep 1998 23:46:43
>> Morgan and Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00006041
>
>    A slow devil grin grew. /You have spoken./ Raver's voice invoked
>the shadow of Kali as Destroyer, feral pleasure coating the words.
>
>> The Highlander holds her claidheamhor high, the nanite-covered
>> blade gleaming, and gestures toward the spirit of corruption.
>> "Cuathain sinn troid, sinn _buachan_!" she shouts, charging into
>> battle.
>
>    Raver simply lunged, sword at heart-height.

AND...
>On Thu, 1 Oct 1998 06:48:23 PST
>Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00006047
>
>Nemo's "comments" are quite brief. In a tone as if he was discussing
>completely trivial, he says/sends:
>
>"/Prepare to die./"

   The _rest_ of Malice's arm comes off at the shoulder as Redemption
goies through the flesh like...well...a hot knife through butter. The
desperate psi-defense Malice tries to raise is blown to a thousand
pieces by Nemo's flicker of power. And Raver's sword through the heart
paralyzes Malice rather thoroughly.

until...
>...Morgan's blade (as requested, unless someone states otherwise)
>slicing at a diagonal through his chest, from left shoulder to right
>hip. The sad remains fall to the ground, quite lifeless.

   Just thought folx would enjoy the recap. <G>
===========================

Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1998 23:06:32 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: AAE IV: Beginnings

On Mon, 05 Oct 1998 22:59:38
Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00006105

>On Mon, 5 Oct 1998 02:01:02 EDT
>Scott Osborne Said As CAoL Message # 00006092
>
>Roland wrote:
>
>>    The ball 'eats' several of the realities, consumed in the
>> process. The 'Mauler' smiles, images of dead worlds between his
>> teeth, and tries to teleport one of the universes into the same
>> space(s) Scott occupies.
>
>"*^/Moving universes around against cosmically powered entities was
>what I was DESIGNED for. Don't try to outdo me./^*"
>
>The universe Malice/Crawler attempts to teleport into the SC2 instead
>winds up in any weak points in the Mauler's body that Scott can find.

   Into one of the seams, then. Where it gets dismantled and absorbed,
not quite providing enough energy to repair the resultant damage.
   "*Wouldn't dream of it, my good man,*" the Mauler replies dryly
(and with a sudden shift in personality) and fires a psibolt/virus
download meant to scramble Scott's control.

>\Just trying to hold him/it off. Somebody try and do some damage to
>M&C.\

   /Sounds like a good idea to ME,/ Roland sends, ionizing the air
around the Mauler in an attempt to diffuse its energy attacks.
   It doesn't do much, as the Mauler 'shrugs' an energy wave out that
easily disrupts the ionized field.

>On Mon, 5 Oct 1998 02:19:29 -0700 (PDT)
>Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00006094
>
>>On Sun, 04 Oct 1998 22:19:36
>>Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00006090
>>
>>   "I don't _have_ to. You think I'm the only one with a brain
>>around here?" Roland, Morgan and the HIT-Mark appear near the
>>Zia/James/Mike trio. /I don't know what you're doing, Mike, but
>>you're the >man with the plan. Woman. Energy construct. Whichever.
>>So what's up, Doc?/
>
>     /Maybe all three describes it best./ Mike said with a mental
>shrug, /Plan? I dunno, I'm just making this up as I go along... Uh, I
>just tried balancing the powers making up Mauler. It seemed to hurt
>him. Something tells me concentrate on balancing Crawler. Melt the
>glue and the Mauler should fall apart./

   /ALSO sounds good to me,/ Roland replies. /The problem being easier
said than DONE. We need to coordinate, people. Problem is, my head
still feels like it's full of cotton. Can anyone else take 'point' on
this one?/
   (OOC: What can I say? I just don't feel right having my character
come up with the solution I presented as GM.)

>     Mike added with a wry grin. /Maybe? Then again, whatever anyone
>can balance, go for it. Maybe we can set up enough internal conflicts
>that he will annihilate himself. And we always need people to not
>only keep the Grunts off our backs, but keep Mauler busy. Lots to do
>for everybody, I think./

   /Hmm...Morgan, my love, I think I have an idea how the two of _us_
can coordinate an attack, at least. Its left leg is biotech. My PK and
your Life Magick?/ Defender smiles confidently.

Morgan smiles back. /Our brain,/ she replies brightly.

   The Freelance Immortals concentrate, and Morgan weaves a
Life/Spirit Effect as Roland reaches into the electrical impulses.
   And together, they create a virus. One that is both organic and
electronic in nature, corrupting commands and structure
simultanteously, fueled by the power of the Morrigan.
   THEN they attack directly, he tearing with the full power and skill
of a true master of PK, and Morgan breaking down the structure
directly.
   The Mauler begins to list to port...wavers a moment...and stops,
its leg about ten meters shorter than it was a moment ago.
   /Uh, guys, we need to distract it some more,/ Roland sends...

Then it gets worse.
>On Mon, 5 Oct 1998 20:50:02 -0400 (EDT)
>Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00006099
>
>>On Sat, 3 Oct 1998 20:53:07 -0400 (EDT)
>>Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00006083

   "What the nass-?" Roland blurts.

>>"An unfortunate side-effect of our completion, which we kindly
>>delayed over the course of our travel back to this place. As the
>>rest of us arrives, it will approach the effect of a black hole in
>>the nature of Reality."

   "-oh grife-"

> Space curved and Reality begin to bend as the closest dimensions
>began to get pulled toward them. The John smiled, his flesh crackling
>as the power mummified him, "I was right. _I_ will acheive completion
>first. You will be taken apart and I will use this place to weave the
>race around the memories you have locked inside you."

   The Mauler seems to recover more quickly as the fabric of reality
bends more...

<snip of John making his move>
>The Jadis's defenses, already on high, kicked in with a block and a
>counterattack to John's weak thrust. Neither able to back down, soon
>the fight between the two was going on in earnest. Enough energy to
>destroy, or create, a dozen multiverses crackled across those hundred
>yards as the two engaged in combat in more than three dimensions.

   "Yesss..." the Mauler hisses... the Tower itself begins to
flicker...
   /Oh, nass,/ Roland thinks loudly enough for the Link to pick it up.
If the Mauler destroys the Tower, this universe, and every one
connected to it directly, will be destroyed.
   Which, due to the circumstances of its creation, includes every
member of the CAoL...

>A Cosmic cry is heard, "Into the death of Self I take you. As it was,
>is, and shall be, 'till the end." As these two great beings fragment
>outwards in an explosion felt on all planes but the physical, Rhia
>grabs onto her connection to John, strengthening it and trying to
>keep his Self from fragmenting along with the scattered parts of the
>other being.

   "this is bad," Roland whispers. ^Sil, I'm kind of busy here, can
you-^
   ^I'll try,^ she replies grimly.

^Thanks, Sil, for Rhia's sake,^ Morgan adds. Despite everything that's
gone on in the intervening time, Morgan has never entirely lost a
sense of kinship with her clone.

   ^We'll see if you want to thank me after you get my bill,^ Sil
quips bravely as she goes in.

>*^/I CAN'T HOLD HIM./^* The cry is torn from her as she feels John
>fragmenting in her mental hands, her power inadequate to the task she
>is attempting.

   *"NOR WILL YOU,"* The Mauler booms in triumph. *"My success is
yours, Zodaii. I only desire revenge-you may take what power you
desire, and you need to destroy these others to be victorious!"*
   /Great, he's growing a brain now that he's totally psycho. Rhia,
I've already set up the HIT-Mark to take mind-soul entities and
shelter them, I think we can shunt him into it, and I can heal
him-slowly, but I can do it./ Sil 'looks' at John grimly as she helps
Rhiannon hold him together. /Light, and I thought Roland was a
mess.../
===========================

Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 00:38:45 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: AAE IV: Love and Hate (Long!)

On Tue, 06 Oct 1998 02:47:24 -0400
Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00006106

> On Mon, 05 Oct '98 Morgan and/or Roland Said
>
>>Dhyrclhanc Said
>>
>    The biotech leg sprouts three weapons. "Then I will have to _do_
> more, beast!" Three missiles fire at Dhyrclhanc, exploding against
> his force-field (assuming he puts one up) and releasing a cloud of
> spores.
>    Which promptly vanish.
>    "You have just been infected with a draconic equivalent of
> gangrene," the Mauler explains, "hyperaccelerated so that you will
> lose 5% of your body mass per minute. Goodbye, Dhyrclhanc!"
>    (OOC: If Dhyrclhanc doesn't put up a forcefield other than the GL
> one [the missiles were covered with plant life] they burrow into his
> body, leaving unpleasant tears before the Lensdragon can destroy
> them.)

<OOC1> Clarification time, again, Mr. meta-DM. 1.) The First-Ring's
weakness, and Dhyrclhanc's so long as he's wearing it, is "dead wood"
not live plant life. 2.) Dhyrclhanc's active defences against wooden
weapons (ie.: a ring-generated force field or his body armor) may be
worthless against wood but his regeneration and his immunity to
illness and disease still work. 3.) Dhyrclhnac has a reproducing
nano-symbiote-colony roaming around in his bloodstream which, among
other things, acts as powerful artifical white blood vessels dealing
with any form of disease that his natural hyper-immunities wouldn't be
able to handle. In short, I need a meta-DM ruling on how this is going
to effect the Mauler's bio-attack against DC. </OOC1>

>>The second Dhyrclhnac levitates and assumes a floating lotus
>>position. At the same time, the Eye floats out of the Amulet and
>>outside of the effect horizon of the ebon/scarlet coating from
>>Mauler. The naked Eye assumes a postion at Dhyrclhanc's chest level
>>and generates another golden cone of light towards the Mauler.
>
>    ...and is promptly swallowed by a singularity that vanishes a
>moment later.

<OOC2> The Eye, itself, or just the light-energy attack? </OOC2>

>>Meinwhile, the other 105 ft. tall Dhyrclhanc is in the middle of
>>combat with assorted extras and various mooks, carving several
>>swaths through the enemy ranks with Redemption's flashing blade.
>
>    Captain Carter salutes the Lensdragon as he kills three horrors
> that attack him simultaneously. (OOC: Yes, at the same time. ;^)

Dhyrclhanc salutes the Warlord of Barsoom right back and then
immediatlyskewers another goon.

>>"What am I?" asks the Lens-T'Skrang Dhyrclhanc, still by Roland's
>>bedside, "a loaf of bread?"
>
> <OOC: Actually, that 'we' was meant to include everyone who was
> working on Roland, including you, Zia and James. Mischief being the
> least likely of the med team to make a difference in the battle.>
>
>    (OOC: I, on the other hand, just plain forgot. 8^( Sorry, sib!)

<OOC3> No prob! In this escalating fuzzball, I'm surprized thatmore
stuff isn't leaking through the cracks.};=8) </OOC3>
===========================

Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 00:38:58 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: AAE IV: Beginnings

On Tue, 6 Oct 1998 02:52:47 EDT
Scott Osborne Said As CAoL Message # 00006107

Roland wrote:

[Some scrambling due to my need to split this in two.]

>> "*^/Moving universes around against cosmically powered entities was
>> what I was DESIGNED for. Don't try to outdo me./^*"
>
>   "*Wouldn't dream of it, my good man,*" the Mauler replies dryly
> (and with a sudden shift in personality) and fires a psibolt/virus
> download meant to scramble Scott's control.

Scott mentally shrugs. "*^You've got to be kidding.^*" The psibolt
does what psi attacks normally do when there isn't a mind there to
attack, (because, well, there isn't,) and the virus has utterly no
effect upon Scott.

>> The universe Malice/Crawler attempts to teleport into the SC2
>> instead winds up in any weak points in the Mauler's body that Scott
>> can find.
>
>   Into one of the seams, then. Where it gets dismantled and
>absorbed, not quite providing enough energy to repair the resultant
>damage.

/It would appear I've found a weak spot. Focus [here] along the
seems./

/[Hmm... That makes sense. They're both badly damaged, and if they
haven't completely merged, then parting them would probably put them
in an even worse position then before.]/

<OOC: /[]/ = Thinking while the transmission is still going.>

Thanks
Scott "Ginsu Knife" Osborne
===========================

Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 00:39:04 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: AAE IV: Beginnings

On Tue, 6 Oct 1998 02:54:44 -0400 (EDT)
Shadow <pookie> Said As CAoL Message # 00006108

>On Mon, 05 Oct 1998 22:59:38
>Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00006105
>
>Then it gets worse.
>>On Mon, 5 Oct 1998 20:50:02 -0400 (EDT)
>>Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00006099
>>
>>*^/I CAN'T HOLD HIM./^* The cry is torn from her as she feels John
>>fragmenting in her mental hands, her power inadequate to the task
>>she is attempting.
>
>   *"NOR WILL YOU,"* The Mauler booms in triumph. *"My success is
>yours, Zodaii. I only desire revenge-you may take what power you
>desire, and you need to destroy these others to be victorious!"*
>   /Great, he's growing a brain now that he's totally psycho. Rhia,
>I've already set up the HIT-Mark to take mind-soul entities and
>shelter them, I think we can shunt him into it, and I can heal him-
>slowly, but I can do it./ Sil 'looks' at John grimly as she helps
>Rhiannon hold him together. /Light, and I thought Roland was a
>mess.../

  /If..he's grown a..brain..then why..is he..propositioning..two
beings who have..just..self-destructed?/ Rhia manages to reply. Even
with Sil's help it's still not enough. Then the charm and Order forces
kick in.
  /Sil, if you could just repair the worst of the damage, I can manage
the rest. I think..yes, I can even manage the body. I was going to ask
Nemo, but that's no longer necessary./ She 'sounds' breathless.
/Jumping Gods, I'm not going to have anything left after this is
over./
===========================

Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 02:07:02 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: AAE IV: Compound Actions

On Tue, 6 Oct 1998 01:50:07 -0700 (PDT)
Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00006109

>On Mon, 5 Oct 1998 21:42:57 -0400
>Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00006100
>:On Mon, 5 Oct 1998 02:19:29 -0700 (PDT)
>:Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00006094
>:>On Sun, 04 Oct 1998 22:19:36
>:>Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00006090
>:>
>:>>On Sun, 4 Oct 1998 05:01:18 -0700 (PDT)
>:>>Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00006084
>:>>
>:>   Obviously, this Frankenstein's monster simply should not exist.
>:>But more importantly, where the 'seams' are, both physically and
>:>primally, are areas which consist of both the Crawler and the
>:>attachment...and yet neither at the same time.
>:
>:/Nemo, Zia, James, Legion, I assume you all see this {}?/
>
>Z: /Yes - /
>J: /But we see both - time is standing still./

     /That must make things look interesting,/ Mike replies.

>Z: /One particular problem with our Blood. Hopefully, since you
>didn't know, your attempt to recreat an Amberite doesn't contain the
>same dimensional base./

     Mike would blink if she had a form.

>J: /What is your plan, Mike? We'll back you up in just a moment, need
>to help heal Roland's mental damage./

     /Well,/ Mike says with a mental smirk, /First, I guess I will try
to create an Amberite. I was just working on creating a more varied
power supply that I wouldn't have to channel directly. Figured it
would help against the Cosmics that throw around more power than I
ever could./
     [Melissa? Grep?]
     [Yes, Dad?] the twins chorused.
     [I need you to locate a damaged Pattern with an alternate Corwin
and a damaged Logrus with an alternate Dara and collect a copy of
their DNA and other relevancies. Apparently, we're going to try and
create a new 'Amberite'.]
     [Why not the real ones?]
     Molly replied this time, [Because Dad knows we caused a few
problems in imitating the real things a few worlds back.]
     [And I am hoping we won't with the alternates, even though we are
already not mimicing the originals, just making a new genetic
combination from them and imitating that.] Mike finished. [Not to
mention that if it were possible with the originals, I would likely
get into all sorts of questions of where I was in line for the thrones
of Amber and Chaos. And heaven help us if we actually found another
Amber that was a separate offshoot of the Primal Pattern to the one
Zia, James and Dara know of.
     [As far as I am aware, to the best of their knowledge, there is a
Primal Pattern, then One Amber that has a clean, though slightly
faded, Pattern, then the tree branchs from there, with copies of the
Pattern that show stains increasingly as you go out until they become
unrecognizable. Same with the Logrus. Primal Logrus, Courts of Chaos
Logrus, then almost perfect copies (maybe a few small stains only)
that proceed to deteriorate the further you get from the Primal. Like
a copy of a copy of a copy.]
     [Why is there only one copy of the Primal Pattern? Why not two or
ten or twenty?]
     [That's my question.] Mike replied. [But, I think A) we'll be
able to find a marred copy that suits our needs more quickly than
finding a new, different, clean one, and B) we might find a clean
first copy that isn't theirs, but still run into the same problems as
with theirs. And C) easier to go with what we know exists than fly off
on a wild hypothesis that might not be true at all. We need that DNA
quickly.
     [The girls're already gone. I dunno about this other perfect
Ambers theory of yours. Seems if there were other perfect Ambers, then
walking the Pattern and wanting to be taken to one would be all you
needed to find it.]
     [Maybe the Pattern being won't allow it.]
     [Still doesn't work for me,] Molly thought.
     Mike smirked. [Check out my notes about there being more than one
-Multiverse- sometime.]
     Molly ughed, [Now that would be a headache. What do we do with
the DNA data after the twins get back?]
     [Give Tink all the data, then tell her to piece together a
daughter of those two that does not exist in reality. Just as an added
precaution against creating something that might match an alternate
Merlin somewhere. I haven't heard of those two having any daughters in
any reality.]
     [Dad,] Molly inquired, [Why are we making an Amberite anyway?]
     Mike mentally shrugs, [I have no idea, though it might make
wielding our 'spikard' easier. Maybe our Symboled allies have better
genetic insulation against being burnt by proximity to large doses of
energy. Just a guess, though. Might just be she knows I will, so I am
now thus committed by having the knowledge of the immediate future.]
     [Well, why not just any two Amberites or Chaosites? Why Corwin
and Dara?]
     [I dunno, just being ornery. Oh, and we all need to think up some
spells to list in this spikard. Be creative, might have need for some
when throwing pure power around doesn't work.]
     Mike watched Fuzzy for a moment. [Molly, try to get me a
balancing spell. Might prove interesting.]

>:>>     A Spikard.
>:>>     [Step Two...] Mike thought, as more tendrils reached out from
>:>>the hole in the ring, composed of two different shapes. Working
>:>>together, building upon each other at a subatomic level like
>:>>fractals of sorts, the energies of Pattern and Logrus rapidly wove
>:>>a body for the wearer of the spikard.

     [Showoff.] Molly sent with a smirk.
     Mike's mental voice chuckled. [I always liked the description of
the Pattern-ghosts, figured it would make for a flashy entrance and it
gives both of them the chance to see what I am up to now so they can
spill the beans earlier. Ugh, grammar goes all to pot when time travel
gets involved. Zia said I didn't use the same dimentional base before
I even considered trying. So I arranged it so I wouldn't. Nevermind,
this is giving -me- a headache.]

>:>>     Mike reached out with the spikard, which was basicly a fancy
>:>>magic power ring with an extensive spell database, and attempted
>:>>to balance the powers within the Mauler, taking care not to undo
>:>>anything Fuzzy and the others were doing.

     Out of the corner of her mind, Mike glances at Zia and James, or
more accurately at their Pattern and Logrus. To compare and contrast,
James' Logrus moved the same but didn't have a few dark spots that
Mike's did, while Zia's Pattern was missing a thin stain that ran from
a tricky switchback near the center to the Grand Arc. Judging by the
damage, the realities the twins visited were very close to Amber, but
not the real thing.
     Mike smiled. [Excellent work, girls, all around.] She got four
mental pecks on the cheek in reply.
     /Aw, pooh, I'm not in line for the throne,/ Mike sends with a
slight smile.

>:>   "*GHYAAAHH!*" The Mauler screams. "YOU! You I will-NO! No more
>:>elaborate schemes of revenge! This time, you will simply die!" He
>:>attacks Mike, Zia and James with a 'simple' force blast...one
>:>powerful enough to take Zia and James apart atom by atom, and
>:>spread Mike's energy pattern over half the galaxy.
>:
>:     Mike prepares to proverbially 'go limp', having no time to
>:erect a shield.
>
>Zia, a live Arc of Patterned Power in her hands, simply stands there
>and watches it come in, smiling just a bit to herself...

     [Oh that's right, she's got that wonky time-sense going. Geez,
definitely glad I don't. Too distracting in the middle of a fight for
me.]

>Zia represses a grin, and grips her Arc.
>J: /Zia, your name-partner upstairs in their causative time needs
>that Arc, look lively.../
>She nods, as James teleports her to Rhia's side. Upon arrival, she
>simply takes hold of Rhia's shoulder, and begins to feed the other
>woman energy in a nice big Orderly stream from the Arc in her off
>hand, using herself again as a 'power channel' of no resistance.

     Mike smiles slightly more, [Good, more power Rhia gets helping
her, the better. Good luck.]
===========================

Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 02:07:15 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: AAE IV: Compound Actions

On Tue, 6 Oct 1998 01:50:11 -0700 (PDT)
Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00006110

>On Tue, 6 Oct 1998 00:55:35 -0400 (EDT)
>Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00006102
>
>  John sends to Zia, Adam, and Mike on a private group line, ^^Thank
>you, my friends.^^ With it goes an expression of his heartfelt
>gratitude.

     Mike smiles. 'Nuff said. :)
===========================

Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 03:36:28 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: AAE IV: Beginnings

On Tue, 6 Oct 1998 03:13:53 -0700 (PDT)
Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00006111

>On Mon, 05 Oct 1998 22:59:38
>Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00006105
>
>>On Mon, 5 Oct 1998 02:01:02 EDT
>>Scott Osborne Said As CAoL Message # 00006092
>>
>>"*^/Moving universes around against cosmically powered entities was
>>what I was DESIGNED for. Don't try to outdo me./^*"
>>
>>The universe Malice/Crawler attempts to teleport into the SC2
>>instead winds up in any weak points in the Mauler's body that Scott
>>can find.
>
>   Into one of the seams, then. Where it gets dismantled and
>absorbed, not quite providing enough energy to repair the resultant
>damage.
>   "*Wouldn't dream of it, my good man,*" the Mauler replies dryly
>(and with a sudden shift in personality) and fires a psibolt/virus
>download meant to scramble Scott's control.

     /Say what?/ Mike thinks. /Was that Bester?/

>>\Just trying to hold him/it off. Somebody try and do some damage to
>>M&C.\
>
>   /Sounds like a good idea to ME,/ Roland sends, ionizing the air
>around the Mauler in an attempt to diffuse its energy attacks.
>   It doesn't do much, as the Mauler 'shrugs' an energy wave out that
>easily disrupts the ionized field.

     /Something's off about this whole deal, what is it.../

>>On Mon, 5 Oct 1998 02:19:29 -0700 (PDT)
>>Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00006094
>>
>>     /Maybe all three describes it best./ Mike said with a mental
>>shrug, /Plan? I dunno, I'm just making this up as I go along... Uh,
>>I just tried balancing the powers making up Mauler. It seemed to
>>hurt him. Something tells me concentrate on balancing Crawler. Melt
>>the glue and the Mauler should fall apart./
>
>   /ALSO sounds good to me,/ Roland replies. /The problem being
>easier said than DONE. We need to coordinate, people. Problem is, my
>head still feels like it's full of cotton. Can anyone else take
>'point' on this one?/

     /Yeah, I can. Keep throwing stuff at him while I sort something
out./

>   (OOC: What can I say? I just don't feel right having my character
>come up with the solution I presented as GM.)

<OOC: No problem, think I finally have it.>

>   The Freelance Immortals concentrate, and Morgan weaves a
>Life/Spirit Effect as Roland reaches into the electrical impulses.
>   And together, they create a virus. One that is both organic and
>electronic in nature, corrupting commands and structure
>simultanteously, fueled by the power of the Morrigan.
>   THEN they attack directly, he tearing with the full power and
>skill of a true master of PK, and Morgan breaking down the structure
>directly.
>   The Mauler begins to list to port...wavers a moment...and stops,
>its leg about ten meters shorter than it was a moment ago.
>   /Uh, guys, we need to distract it some more,/ Roland sends...

     /Yes!/ Mike almost shouts. /Okay, let me sort the details for a
sec./

<Insert lots of distractions. When we are all on the same page
again...<g>>

     /Mental rewind, people, watch Mauler's forming again./

>On Thu, 01 Oct 1998 22:48:15
>Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00006055
>
>   And a large portion of the CAoL turns Malice into a widely-spread
>layer of organic particles in short order, Morgan's blade (as
>requested, unless someone states otherwise) slicing at a diagonal
>through his chest, from left shoulder to right hip. The sad remains
>fall to the ground, quite lifeless.
<snip>
>   Then the remains vanish.
>   The dying Crawler explodes with new 'life,' its badly ravaged body
>slowly taking on a new shape.
>   A humanoid one...

     /Malice merges with Crawler...

>   *You accursed children of Light,* Malice snarls from the body/mind
>of the Crawler. *You have frustrated my every effort, blocked my
>every advance, destroyed plans centuries in the making. CENTURIES!*
>Several realities shudder at the wrath of the combined
>Malice/Crawler. *I no longer care for power. My survival is unlikely.
>But before I perish, I WILL see all of YOU-and _ALL_ that you hold
>dear-DESTROYED FOREVER!*

     /General bad guy dialogue...

>   The remains of the dead horrors vanish, adding to the creature's
>bulk and humanoid shape, though very little power.
>   Until the Maelstrom Bridge is co-opted in its entirety to become
>one of the Malice/Crawler (call it the 'Mauler') thing's 'legs.' The
>power of the Gaunt Man's reality flows through it. Then

     /He's added the Gaunt Man's power...

>commands flow from somewhere to Jha'Dur's biotech creations, which
>form the other leg. A brief burst of telepathy later, Mournblade's
>melted form vanishes, and a half-ebon, half-silver arm flows out of
>its left 'shoulder.' The Mauler and Malys chant briefly, and Skie
>claws at empty air.
>   Malystryx herself isn't 'really' a part of the creature before the
>CAoL, but a giant red taloned arm protrudes from its right shoulder,
>and a wing flows from the left side of its back. The Crawler's wound
>flares out from where the right wing would be, and its tentacles hold
>the monstrosity together as a deformed but recognizable face forms.
>   Malice.

     /And the biotech, and Mournblade, and Malliewhatsis - Big Red
Dragon Lady.
     /Now, notice the personality shift earlier. It isn't just a
physical melding, it's a mental melding too. There are all sorts of
powers in there melded together. -And- all sorts of weaknesses. To
destroy this thing, we need to get them all, not just concentrate on
just one thing.
     /I got a good hit on the Crawler, I suspect, so I'll gonna repeat
it. Roland, Morgan, you did great with that virus on the biotech. Get
ready to do it again.
     /Here's the basic plot, people, we collectively know every
weakness this thing has, and collectively, we can hit them all. We
just need to lay it on at the same time.
     /Get ready to hold it off. I'm gonna scan and see if I missed
anyone in there. Meanwhile, everybody lay out some lines of attack for
Mournblade, Malli - BRDL, and Malice. And some secondary attacks for
Crawler, Jha'dur's and Gaunt's respective henchmen.
     /Like it said itself, we need to unify.
     /Okay,/ Mike said, extending several probes from her spikard at
Mauler, /I'm goin' in.../

<OOC>
  Okay, the list of personas as I have them is:
     Malice
     Crawler
     Mournblade
     Maelstrom Bridge (And the Horrors? I am not sure who's they are.)
     Jha'Dur's Biotech
     Malystryx
    And two maybe's:
     Bester's Leftovers
     Jha'Dur's -Mostly- Dead Biotech
  I think that is everyone we need to hit, but I am not sure, thus the
probes, which should be able to pick out all the components.
</OOC>
===========================

Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 19:37:06 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: RE: AAE IV: Compound Actions

On Tue, 6 Oct 1998 22:34:07 -0400
Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00006112

:On Tue, 6 Oct 1998 01:50:07 -0700 (PDT)
:Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00006109
:
:     /That must make things look interesting,/ Mike replies.

Z: [Sigh.]
J: [Relax. You _know_ that isn't cavalier - any Timelord knows better.
She was being sarcastic. Black humor? (some private joke)]
Z [(mental ribs poking) Okay, okay. I'll be good. Or as close as I can
maange.]
J: [(laughter and a mental carress)]

:     [Why is there only one copy of the Primal Pattern? Why not two
:or ten or twenty?]
:     [That's my question.] Mike replied.

<ooSC/>
Argh! THAT would have been fun to chat about in character, but out of
a fight. Oh, well... perhaps it'll come up some other time.
</ooSC>

:     [Well, why not just any two Amberites or Chaosites? Why Corwin
:and Dara?] Molly asks Mike.

<ooSC: Is this an appropriate moment to point out to the next casual
observer of the Amber-Mike-female incarnation... that the resemblance
to Zia herself is pretty fantastically close? She DID say Merlin was
her brother, remember? SNICKER>

<znip>
:     /Aw, pooh, I'm not in line for the throne,/ Mike sends with a
:slight smile.

Zia, noting the resemblance. Or rather, finally hearing something that
means she can comment based on the resemblance the Ambers have seen
all along, says mock-seriously, /No problem, you can take MY spot,
really..../ Wondering if Mike has seen herself yet, and grinning
mischieviously. [Wonder if I should use the gin joints line? Sheeeesh.
She looks quite a bit like me, except those freckles.]
===========================

Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 21:37:47 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: AAE IV: Beginnings

On Wed, 7 Oct 1998 00:32:27 EDT
Dane0R0A Said As CAoL Message # 00006113

Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00006111
>     /I got a good hit on the Crawler, I suspect, so I'll gonna
> repeat it. Roland, Morgan, you did great with that virus on the
> biotech. Get ready to do it again.
>      /Here's the basic plot, people, we collectively know every
> weakness this thing has, and collectively, we can hit them all. We
> just need to lay it on at the same time.
>      /Get ready to hold it off. I'm gonna scan and see if I missed
> anyone in there. Meanwhile, everybody lay out some lines of attack
> for Mournblade, Malli - BRDL, and Malice. And some secondary attacks
> for Crawler, Jha'dur's and Gaunt's respective henchmen.
>      /Like it said itself, we need to unify.
>      /Okay,/ Mike said, extending several probes from her spikard at
> Mauler, /I'm goin' in.../

The tip of Aurora's horn glows briefly. A chronon later, a small
hyper-sphere appears before her. The cosmics present sense energy
building up with it. One second later, the level of energy passes
beyond the ability of any of the cosmics (except The Great Adversary)
to detect. As Mike attacks Mauler. Aurora detonates it while focusing,
directing and orienting the blast. What comes out, is a tight narrow
beam of the same (pure life, ordered, ultimate pattern) energy that
Dragon's Bane hit the Crawler with, at the same strength of energy.
For an instant, space itself comes alive in and around the beam, and
its all directed at Mauler.
===========================