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[DarkArtemisFowl]

TURN SIXTY-THREE: TREADS OF WAR
Yeah, I should just stop making time commitments. Obviously, that’s not one of my strong points. Anyway, here’s the turn!

Chortleton MacDigget [Xantalos]
”This month, we’re projected to ship four hundred P8C medium tanks to the Eastern Front. Four. Hundred.”

A man in an expensive Rita business suit leans on the table as he peers out into the distance. A wall made entirely of one-way glass separates you and the town of Karkus below. The vast landscape is marked by several factories, tightly-packed houses and apartments, and several commercial and industrial warehouses. Karkus is one of the main industrial powerhouses of the Theyin Empire. Located in the Kusten Mountains region, its proximity to several metal ore and coal mines allows it a first-rate production frequency. Several major corporations work in tandem in the area with the Theyin Empire itself. Several years ago, the military arm of the Empire transformed the area into a hotbed of arms and munitions manufacturing. Thousands of tanks, light vehicles, transport trucks, weapons, and bundles of ammunition have flowed out of this region, and there is no sign of that stopping.

You’ve worked your way up through the ranks of society to become one of the most powerful men this side of the globe - well, at least in your view of the world. You are on the board of directors of Regis Armaments, the most prominent corporation in this region. Your glib speech and shrewd observations throughout the years have allowed you to rise up from the depths of poverty. Some of your actions in the past have been less than savory. You have confidence, however, that what must remain in the dark will not resurface. Some might call you a slimy crook; others, an exemplar of competitive attitude and proaction. You’re not one to let such appellations affect you either way, however. You have your own pursuits in life that do not concern those who wish to criticize you.

The man who stands to your side is Rembrandt Jackson, the CEO of your company. He is tall, slim, and has about as much of a colorful background as you do. The gray streaks in his hair tell a story all on their own. He glances at you for a moment before focusing back on the view of Karkus. His hazelnut-colored eyes seem to give away no emotions; if you didn’t know him any better, you wouldn’t be able to get any read on his mental state. He rolls a cigarette between his teeth and pauses to indulge in it before he speaks.

”A few years ago, I would’ve never thought that this company would come this far. It was a pitch dream back then. We were nearly bankrupt, let me tell you.” He steps back and gesticulates as he talks. ”This war, heh, this war’s been our angel. The Empire’s shelling out millions to keep the war machine slick and fueled.” He claps his hands together and looks at you. ”We’re more than happy to comply, of course. Business has never been better. And we are all the better for it. Wouldn’t you agree, MacDigget?”

Warren Drake

"Warren Drake. Wait, I already told you that, I think. Good to have a name for the face," Warren says, then gets on with the explanation. "Supernatural things are the name of the game, Adio. I can turn into a lizard and look into what I can only assume is the Lifestream. You're a friend to all living things except fruit and presumably can make vines do things they otherwise would not. Like when you restrained the weird beast that was hanging around the area some time ago. My liaison with the supernatural, that is to say Darzenis right here, thinks you might be somehow important in the more or less grand scheme of things."

"Put simply, seems like you can do magic somewhat like I can. He wants to see. Can you demonstrate for him?"

Warren Drake
Darzenis waits patiently next to you as you explain his wishes to her. Adio seems to be understanding you a little bit better now. "Oh, you mean.. I think I understand." She inspects her right hand as she talks. "I've had this ability for a long time. The forest taught it to me. I'm still not very good with it, but, well.. you saw the squirrel." She sighs. "I wish I could've done something to save him. He looked like he was hurting so much."

You ask her to demonstrate some of her powers, at the request of Darzenis. She hesitates to speak at first, but, after thinking over it, she says, "I-I'll try. Excuse me, please." She moves past you and out into the open field. She looks at her surroundings before she closes her eyes. She takes a deep breath and stands motionless. You cross your arms and watch uncomfortably for about a minute as she sways slightly in the wind. You're about to speak up and ask if she's okay when she shifts to a wider stance. She takes her arms to her right side, moves them as if she was following the motion of the ocean waves, and pulls to the right. She rotates her torso opens her hands in a "push" gesture. You wait a few seconds and find that nothing happens.

She exhales, a little frustrated, and repeats the same motion. Yet again, nothing happens. "What's... why isn't it working?" she mutters as she tries again. For the third time, she finds no success. Finally, she changes stance once again and straightens up. This time, she moves lowers her hands, balls them up into fists, and slowly moves back while extending her arms to her left side.

This time, something interesting happens. Her efforts find their mark as a deep rumble begins within the earth. A few moments later, several of what you believe to be are tree roots emerge from the ground, not too far from the edge of the clearing. They tangle and contort in the air. The girl appears to be struggling as she grits her teeth. Finally, she lets go of her stance and stumbles backward. You reflexively move to see if she's okay, but she recovers on her own. The roots plunge back into the ground, the way they came out, and the dirt covers up the holes made. Throughout the entire episode, you felt something in the back of your mind, as if a memory was trying to tear its way through your physical brain. You almost swear that your vision was beginning to have the slightest of tints as well. Both of the sensations cease shortly after Adio finishes with her demonstration.

Eh Ah

"My name is Eh Ah. I am a citizen of Aecrocia. I am conducting an inquiry into unusual, currently unexplained events on the island of Atis on behalf of Empress Seira Theyin by Her Majesty's personal request."

If unimpeded, proceed into the palace and take a careful look around the premises. Listen for unusual sounds, and see if I can access the royal quarters. Seems like a good bet anything unusual would have them as their first choice of nesting.

Eh Ah
”One moment, please.” The officer strides over to one of the other guards and mutters a few words to him. The guard moves over to a two-way radio and uses it for several moments. The guard returns a message to the officer, which the officer also relays to you. ”You have been cleared to travel around the former Magis Kingdom and its common areas. You may also access the palace; however, there are some areas deeper within the castle that are still being investigated by Theyin authorities. If you come across a checkpoint and you are told that the area is restricted to Class 6 access, you are not permitted to enter. Your access level is Class 5-S.” He moves to the side and motions you forward. You thank him and begin to move into the courtyard, examining the area around you.

The castle seems to bear the marks of light battle. The facade wasn’t hit by any of the artillery shells launched by the ships; however, parts of the general structure are cracked or crumbling. With the eruption of the volcano, you aren’t surprised at the structural damage caused. The most eastern portion of the courtyard seems to have been hit hardest. A large part of the eastern section appears as if a titan came and ripped it away, leaving only jagged terrain that connects with debris and deformed stone.
You enter the main portion of the castle. Much of the lighting here, which was presumably powered by electricity, is non-functioning. Instead, floodlights or lamps placed by the Theyin troops guide your way. The narrow entrance opens up to a wide, nearly cavernous foyer. The walls arch together to form a ceiling that almost resembles one of a Gothic cathedral. Rich blue and violet drapes hang on the walls, proudly displaying the colors of the Magis Kingdom that once was. Luxurious carpets intersect in the middle of the room and spread out to the various doorways on each of the four walls. From there, the castle sprawls out into a maze of living spaces.

You enlist the help of one of the Theyin Guards in finding the palace’s quarters for the royal family.  After he confirms that you have access to those rooms, he leads you down a long string of winding hallways. If you listen hard enough, you can almost hear the mountain breathing, as if it were a living entity that housed the palace. The lack of lively activity contributes to that sense of solitude. Finally, after a minute more of walking, you arrive at what seem to be the royal quarters. From the hallway, three different rooms are most distinguishable. The largest one, which you assume is for the king or queen, leads out to the third tier of the palace that you saw outside. Several Theyin guards are posted around the perimeter of the room. When you enter, you discover that it is as desolate as the rest of the castle (and, really, the entire kingdom). Not a single non-military soul besides yourself resides here. The grand bed near the east wall, resplendent in its silk dressings and vibrant colors, remains without use. A rather large fireplace sits opposite the bed, with the coat of arms of the Crown family sitting above it. Tables are aligned near the door that you came through, some of them serving the purpose of dressers. Light pours in from the south exit, which goes out to the balconies. Several paintings of various royal persons are placed around the room. As far as you can tell, nothing is out of the ordinary. If there was any evidence to be found, the Theyin military already acquired it.

My throat is kinda dry. A drink of flavored water would be much appreciated

Cat Schrodinger
Dr. Stevens nods and looks to one of the other caretakers, who leaves the room immediately to retrieve what you requested. You turn your head and look out the one window. Several young adults and teenagers meander along the street. It appears as if most people are taking the day easy; if only you could experience the same respite. Instead, you’re condemned to a hospital bed as your night terrors begin to invade your reality. You exhale, knowing that you might either be here for a while or be released within the day. As long as you leave healthily, you reason, you’ll be happier with your stay than with the alternative.

The caretaker returns with a cup of lemon water for you. You take it and drink slowly, indulging in the short amount of relaxation you’re given before the therapist bombards you with a fusillade of questions regarding your mental health. Eventually, the doctor leaves, with only the caretaker remaining. Shortly after, a man in a sharp and dark-colored suit enters. You can only assume that this man is Doctor Mizou. He appears friendly enough, what with his warm smile, peppered hair, and unassuming stature. He takes up a chair next to you and greets you. ”Good evening. I’m Hasino Mizou, a psychologist here. I’m pleased to meet you. How are you feeling?”

I brief her on recent events and conversations

Lirian
You know that your time is short in the Medium. You still haven’t figured out the actual dilation of time in the Medium, but you usually don’t have much time to talk. You give Danielle a flood of information based on what you’ve experienced with Artemis, Cromwell, the Kito family, the cat, and the Shadows. In turn, Danielle, tries to remember things as best as she can and uses that to discern some things about the present. Occasionally, she drifts off, perhaps due to exhaustion. You manage to keep her on track long enough to get at least something valuable from your combined knowledge. Here’s what you find:

Artemis doesn’t appear to remember anything about his past with the Guardians, especially concerning “the Dragonfly.” However, you still don’t know if this is shared with the majority of the Guardians, or if this is simply a complication of Artemis’ existence. Cromwell’s interactions with the cats have led you to believe that there may be an entire network of beings other than humans that are fighting against Shadows. Danielle says that she can’t remember clearly, but that there might have been a similar sort of thing that happened in the previous generations of Guardians. The Kitos don’t seem particularly suspicious at the moment, but considering their proximity to Artemis, they might be worth watching.

”Something else is really irritating,” Danielle says with a sigh. ”I can’t find a pattern yet. For the Shadows, I mean. I’ve been looking. You have too, but you said they only appeared that one night. I don’t know if they follow the moons, or the sun, or something else. It’s frustrating. I don’t know how to prepare for their next arrival.” Danielle puts her head down on her arms on the table. Going back to the topic of Artemis, you continue to give her information. Artemis doesn’t seem to be aware of any of his previous powers, and doesn’t seem to give off any indication of supernatural connection, other than his pursuit of the Shadows. However, the way that he seems to recognize certain things in people like the Crown siblings and yourself may hint at Artemis’ barebones understanding of what he previously knew. He also seems very intent on pursuing some objective near the island of Atis, where you previously remained. You can’t tell yet whether that is a coincidence or if it is connected to the events on Atis.

That wraps up most of the major highlights of the past day and night for you. Danielle nods, still lost in thought. ”Every time we come across something new, it’s like it gets more confusing. I don’t understand it. We just get further away from finding what happened at the Break.”

((I love that you love my flavor text ;3))

Eleri focuses on resting, also ensuring that she's not open to mosquitos or any of those buggers while making sure her survival-safety-training is in top shape in her makeshift shelter. Also she curls up into a ball and uses her tail as a blanket!

Eleri
As best as you can, you spend the rest of the evening covering up your shelter to protect yourself from wanderers or bugs. You’re confident that you could ward off any potential predators; the smaller creatures, however, are less noticeable. After you ensure that everything is secure, you lie down on the bed of leaves and slowly drift off, letting the symphony of the crepuscule take you into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

Your wake is a slow and relaxed one. You smile and stretch out on the floor, finding yourself in a state of contentment that you haven’t felt in a long while. Your time on the opposite end of the island was fraught with worries that you wouldn’t have enough food, or that someone might stumble upon your shelter. Now, your own safety isn’t anywhere near your top concern; the most pressing issue at the moment Flynn’s health. He’s had some time to recover under the watch of someone more equipped to treat him; for that, you are thankful.

You stand up and check outside the shelter. As far as you can tell, your surroundings are safe. The morning is still very early; save for a few birds or small animals here or there, the entire landscape below you is still inactive. Out in the far distance, you can see smoke rising from the area where the village is, most likely coming from a chimney or campfire.

You’re well-rested and have more than enough time to gather more supplies, check on Flynn, or explore around the region a bit. For once, you finally feel that you have the freedom to not only subside on the island’s resources, but to enjoy yourself in the open air and the feeling of a halcyon existence.

((I’m cutting it short because I’m not sure what you would like to do at this time. I’ll update with a half-turn if necessary to continue you along. There’s likely going to be some time dilation, as there are not many events I can foresee - at least, for now.))

Alex pondered the situation for a few seconds. He assumed the guards would notice him, but then again, it's likely prisoners are also being evacuated. If they aren't, there's still likely a large crowd. He might be able to pass by unnoticed. Find where the evacuating people are heading to. Go there, obviously.

Alex Raman
You’re likely going to have to take a gamble or two here. Despite the trouble that you’ve caused with your powers, you doubt that many guards are going to recognize you, especially since your own actions coincided with the appearance of the blood-seeking monsters at night. Right now, you doubt that you’re at the top of the guards’ priorities. If you’re wrong, you’re not going to have much room to work with. Your injuries and your fatigue both weigh you down. If you were to be caught in a fight, you are almost a hundred percent sure that you would lose.

You reckon that the safest bet for the evacuation would be the gate that you came through when entering the town. You figure that you’re probably on the northern end of town, considering that you were heading northward when the crisis broke out. You aim to stick to the shadows while you walk. You can’t ever be too cautious, after all. You’re thankful for the constant message coming from the loudspeakers. It helps to conceal your movement and somewhat-labored breathing.

About fifteen or twenty minutes later, you find yourself near the southern wall once again. You’ve been following the movements of citizens and guards, who have all been gravitating toward the area you suspected before. Several times during your walk, you were forced to stop and hide as armored cars patrolled the town.

The area you’re in now seems to be relatively safe. Down the street, you can see the same jail you were taken to last night. You’re in an alley between two three-story buildings. You can’t hear or see any guards near you, but you can probably assume that there are sentries posted along the walls of the town. Several civilians walk down the street occasionally, attempting to make their way to the evacuation site. They don’t seem to particularly notice you, however, and if they do, they have better things to care about.

Author’s Note: Apologies once again for the lateness of this post. I didn’t intend to make it so late; however, I’ve had a lot of work piled up on me once again regarding school, important events, volunteering, and short jobs. It’s been hectic for me and I hope to regain a normal schedule again. I don’t think I’ll be able to post at the same frequency that I was doing before, but I aim to reply as soon as possible.

I realize now that I also didn’t get around to updating the Compendium like I wanted to. That disappoints me greatly. I won’t make any more promises concerning it, but that is my top priority now. I won’t make sweeping changes, but I will try to include as much new information as possible over the course of the next few days.

I had a lot of fun trying to come up with where I should place Chortleton MacDigget in relation to the rest of the world. Frankly, it was quite challenging. I think I have him in a very appropriate place now, however. I look forward to seeing how Dzive develops with MacDigget joining us.

Thank you so much for reading and I hope to see your replies soon. Have a wonderful week,
Artemis

[Xantalos]

((Hmm. From what I can discern from the wonderful compendium you've put together, I'm in an interesting position to influence things. I do have a few questions before I start talking to me boss, though.
-is this a personal meeting between me and him?
-If so, was I told what for, or just because he wanted to talk?
-about how long have I been with this particular company? Long enough to see it rise up out of the bankruptcy he mentioned?
-what's Rembrant's general opinion of me, from what I can discern?
-any relation to Cromwell in him?))

[Harry Baldman]

Warren Drake

"I certainly felt something a moment there. Might be that our respective gifts are related. Though I guess it's up to the lizard to tell us more."

Does Darzenis have helpful input on this?

Eh Ah

See if I can't get access to a tabulated inventory of important things found (and presumably confiscated) from the palace at the present time.

[Tiruin]

Yeah, I should just stop making time commitments. Obviously, that’s not one of my strong points. Anyway, here’s the turn!

((Tend to personal stuffs dude ;3 Those mean the ones you don't necessarily talk about online or here. I'm speaking out of...err, personal experience .-. My anxiety stopped me hard in...*looks at own RtD in sig* Yeah.))

Eleri chose to explore her current surroundings for an hour or so, but before that choosing to take a quick peek at Flynn's general location and how the houses and such were doing. Along with enjoying the existence of this tranquil area, she takes a nice rest by walking in the nearby forest--for familiarity of terrain!

Unsure whether her current serene euphoria was due to her thinking, or her lucid dreaming in the night, Eleri faced the biggest trial she had to face daily: Choosing what to do. There were a hundred things to decide to do once you had the freedom to do it rather than the compulsion to do so because basic needs required it, and out of the many that were, she decided a little appreciation would go a long way.

Architecture, natural or otherwise, was an amazing thing to admire. Lines, shapes, constructs, all aligned under the pressure of gravity. That was her first plan: Visiting Flynn('s general location).

[Lenglon]

"Next, we focus on you and the medium. We've covered my role as a Guardian as best we can, and the shadows, but I need explanation of the Medium now, roles, abilities, responsibilities, and so on. I assume, like guardian abilities, that this place is shaped by force of will. What limits this? Is there a way to make what is here exist or affect my waking reality? And how can I use this place to travel back home, and could I take someone with me when I do?"

[DarkArtemisFowl]

((I'll put up an update for the other posts tomorrow/later today.))

((Hmm. From what I can discern from the wonderful compendium you've put together, I'm in an interesting position to influence things. I do have a few questions before I start talking to me boss, though.
-is this a personal meeting between me and him?
-If so, was I told what for, or just because he wanted to talk?
-about how long have I been with this particular company? Long enough to see it rise up out of the bankruptcy he mentioned?
-what's Rembrant's general opinion of me, from what I can discern?
-any relation to Cromwell in him?))

Sorry for not responding earlier. I've been all over the place today/yesterday. This is going to be a bit short because I'm still in a hectic situation.

1. Yes, this is a personal meeting.
2. Partly because he just wanted to talk, partly so that you could look over the town with him. The Theyin Empire's land military arm has stationed a large field element nearby to handle the transport of new armored vehicles to the front lines. If you're asking if there's a particular topic of interest for you, that would be it. There are also some terms that would be helpful for you to know, just in case. I'll PM them to you right now.
3. You have been with the company for about six years now. You have indeed been around long enough for the event he's talking about. You weren't particularly high up on the company ladder at that time, but you were well on your way. Four months ago, you became a director of the company.
4. He seems to think rather highly of you, though you can't tell if that's because he generally has to appeal to the directors or because he genuinely takes interest in your talents and personality. You're more inclined to believe the former, though, of course, there's no telling what really goes on in his mind. He's a schmoozer through and through, having worked to secure many contracts through sheer charisma. You don't believe he considers you a threat in any way, however.
5. As far as you know, no. It's also rather unlikely, considering that Cromwell lives on Atis and Rembrandt in the Kusten Region of Liacema, which is incredibly far from the tiny island of Atis.

If you have any other questions, let me know. I'd be happy to answer them!

[Yourmaster]

Wait until they're reasonably in front of me and follow their path to evacuation.

[DarkArtemisFowl]

This is quite late, as I've been super busy throughout the weekend. Sorry about that. I'm trying to make these in-between turns shorter while also providing adequate information; it appears that I'm still struggling to find that balance.

Warren Drake

"I certainly felt something a moment there. Might be that our respective gifts are related. Though I guess it's up to the lizard to tell us more."

Does Darzenis have helpful input on this?

Warren Drake
Adio nods and steps back. "He, uh.. looks nice. So, erm, you can talk to him?"

Darzenis moves next to you, ignoring Adio. "Sshe's a Guardian," Darzenis states simply. "Iss sshe from here? Doess sshe know sshe'ss a Guardian? How much doess sshe know about her powerss?" Whether you answer Darzenis or not (out of simple ignorance or other reasons), he continues with his own observations.

"Anyway, yess. We have friendsss. The feturmai of Zikssa Vass are willing to open ssafe passsage for you - us! To the north, near the Sssartha Vressuli!" He paces around energetically now. "It'sss not too far from where you arrived! We musst leave today. The feturmai tell me that the Guardiansss are leaving sssoon, maybe acrosss the ocean. You will come, yess?" You have no idea what about an eighth of those words meant. Despite your ability to translate between lizard-speak and human language, some words seem to have gotten lost in the mix. Judging by the context, those might be areas, animals, or people that don't have a proper word in your language. Then again, you don't really know the limits of your apparent trans-species translation. That might be worth looking into.

Adio blinks and looks at you with a confused glance. "Soo, what is the lizard saying?"

Eh Ah

See if I can't get access to a tabulated inventory of important things found (and presumably confiscated) from the palace at the present time.

Eh Ah
If only you had brought along some sort of detective's cap and coat. You really should be paid for your work by the Empress; then again, considering the apparent track record of the Theyins and their less-than-savory actions, perhaps you shouldn't hope for more than what you have already. At least the clearance the officer gave you will help to establish your presence as some sort of Imperial sleuth.

The guards acknowledge your request. A minute later, one of them fetches a man in a formal-looking suit. He greets you and hands you a list of items and other personal records for you to flip through. He withholds certain papers for himself, informing you that certain records go above your clearance. You sit up against a wall and begin examining the papers, with specific attention to the items found throughout the palace.

Spoiler: Records of Items Found (click to show/hide)

About 105,480 pen worth of various stocks of precious minerals and jewelry - found primarily in a saferoom in the lower chambers and secondarily in the royal chambers
Forty assorted rifles, crossbows, and melee weapons that appear fit for military use; found in a personal armory within the lower chambers
Thirty-five armor vests, presumably to protect against ranged weapons; found in the armory
Eight wardrobes worth of clothing (about one hundred and sixty articles of clothing altogether, not counting outer dress) stocked in various bedrooms or personal chambers
Tapestries, carpets, curtains, drapes, statues, and other decorations; found throughout the castle, not confiscated in most cases
...

The list continues like this, listing common items such as cups, goblets, kitchenware, tools, and other items that could be sold or distributed to the general population, depending upon the whims of the Empress or her counselors. Instead of boring you with the details, other items of possible interest will be listed. ((If you wish for these "unimportant" items to be listed as well, let me know.))

...
Fifteen objects assumed to be classified under "royal regalia" (crowns, scepters, garments, art pieces from/of the royalty, et cetera). These usually follow the pattern of containing blue or purple accents.
Personal items belonging to members of the Crown or Sijha families. These include photos, drawings, hobby items, games, books, or other such items. None seem to be of particular importance, though there are a couple of journals or diaries if you wish to look into those.
Geographical and political maps of Atis, the Lasurvan Ocean and the region included, and the world. Military maps are also found, hinting at stations where the Magis guards could be found; however, seeing as how the Theyin Empire already has access to these maps, you assume that any hidden military sites were found out.
Documents detailing political affairs, royal marriages, deaths, births, personal matters, and other such events.

((Tend to personal stuffs dude ;3 Those mean the ones you don't necessarily talk about online or here. I'm speaking out of...err, personal experience .-. My anxiety stopped me hard in...*looks at own RtD in sig* Yeah.))

Eleri chose to explore her current surroundings for an hour or so, but before that choosing to take a quick peek at Flynn's general location and how the houses and such were doing. Along with enjoying the existence of this tranquil area, she takes a nice rest by walking in the nearby forest--for familiarity of terrain!

Unsure whether her current serene euphoria was due to her thinking, or her lucid dreaming in the night, Eleri faced the biggest trial she had to face daily: Choosing what to do. There were a hundred things to decide to do once you had the freedom to do it rather than the compulsion to do so because basic needs required it, and out of the many that were, she decided a little appreciation would go a long way.

Architecture, natural or otherwise, was an amazing thing to admire. Lines, shapes, constructs, all aligned under the pressure of gravity. That was her first plan: Visiting Flynn('s general location).

Eleri
You would love nothing more than to be able to take a calm and free walk around the forest for only a single hour of the day. With the first part of your journey finished, and with many trials surely ahead, you'd be foolish to not take advantage of such opportunities. Before you take your leave, however, it would be prudent of you to first check on Flynn. You're still not entirely sure if the Preston family was able to take care of him. Checking on his progress might also allow you to plan out ahead of time what you will be doing in the future. If he must stay with the Prestons for a long while, will you wait and make sure that he turns out alright? If he is released early, where will you go? Would it be time for you to return back to a life of solitude? You push these thoughts out of your head for the moment. Right now, your top concern is Flynn's welfare. The details of the future can be arranged later.

You jog along down the hillside to the edge of the forest. It doesn't take you that long, considering that you already know the route by now. A cool breeze combined with the shade of the stratus clouds hanging over makes for a comforting start to the morning. You approach the edge of the village and look around, making sure that you can't be spotted. Seeing that you are in the clear for now, you examine the house of the Prestons. It appears to be tranquil on the exterior; as far as you can see, none of the family members are out and about. Perhaps they are sleeping in or tending to Flynn. Regardless, if there was an emergency regarding Flynn, you're sure that you would have heard something by now. The rest of the village seems to be docile as well. You only see one or two people in the distance. Everyone else appears to be enjoying the short respite that the dawn provides before work must be done.

You leave the village with a smile on your face. For the moment, you can be assured that Flynn is at least relatively okay. If not, you'd have surely heard about it by now. On the way back through the forest, you slow down your pace significantly, taking all the time you need to admire your surroundings. The area in front of you is devoid of human-made structures. The medium-length grass comes up to your ankles and brushes against your feet. The wind cuts through the trees and pulls gently on the forest canopy, swaying it ever-so-slightly. Occasionally, you'll see a few small animals dart back and forth in the periphery of your vision. To your right a ways away, the dirt road snakes up the hillside and disappears into the distance mountains.

You pick a flat portion of grass in the forest and lie down. Sighing, you take in the atmosphere and let time slow down around you. You haven't felt this calm in ages.
For some odd reason, you're feeling a little wary now. You sit up and look around you; you have the slight feeling that you're being watched. Then again, who would come out all this way to follow you? You only saw a couple of people out in the distance in the village. Nobody had business with you. Despite this, you start to feel uncomfortable. You pause and listen for any variances in the environment. A few moments pass and you find nothing out of the ordinary. You put the feeling in the back of your mind, but it lingers there, refusing to disappear entirely.

"Next, we focus on you and the medium. We've covered my role as a Guardian as best we can, and the shadows, but I need explanation of the Medium now, roles, abilities, responsibilities, and so on. I assume, like guardian abilities, that this place is shaped by force of will. What limits this? Is there a way to make what is here exist or affect my waking reality? And how can I use this place to travel back home, and could I take someone with me when I do?"

Lirian
"Oh, the Medium," she says with a dreadful groan. She mutters, "I knew this would come eventually." She stands up after a bit of effort and looks at the town in the distance. "It's been a while since I had it explained to me. I don't even know this place fully. I'm still learning about it now." She gestures towards the town. "I'm not exactly a stellar designer yet. In fact, it's a bunch of absolute junk. I've seen what this place can do. I just don't know how to make it happen," she says with a hint of wistfulness.

"The Medium - like, the place, not just the person - it's, well, everything. The way I remember it, it's basically a tie between different dimensions and existences. You have your physical existences - my body, your body, physical places that you can touch and sense - and you also have your times. Past, present, future, all that junk. I don't know how exactly the time dimension works. We also have this - this metaphysical existence, I think. Y'know, souls and all that. And I'm not sure, but there might also be a separate dimension for something else. I can't remember what it was, though. There's probably a lot more than just those. Probably hundreds more. Those are the ones I had explained to me, though.

"So, yes, this place connects everything. Life to time and time to reality and reality to life and all that. That's how we get our powers. The Medium allows us to connect different dimensions together and to change and control those connections. The Guardians happen to be able to mix the - what did he call it - the metaphysical realm and the physical ones together. That's how we get our glowy eyes, and sometimes the wings or other extra parts. Our weapons are also related to that. It gets complicated.

"I think you also wanted to talk about the Medium, as in the people who are Mediums. I told you before that the physical Medium is a connection between different realms. Well, you - and I, and the three others before me - we're the connections from the Guardians to other Guardians and to the Medium. As far as we know, the Mediums still have relatively the same powers as the Guardians, though they change drastically sometimes. I don't know why. The main point to us is that we can use the Medium - the connection - to hop between different universes. We connect different planets and realms and existences together. We can use that to either unite or divide and assimilate the Guardians, like I told you before. That's all for the purpose of repelling the Shadows. At least, that's what we think.

"This place - specifically, this dream-world-thing you're in right now - it's limitless. I've seen what the others could do. They could change physical laws, change the speed or flow of time, alter perspectives, create and destroy entire worlds and universes, and tons of other stuff. I can't do that right now - I don't know how - but I've seen it happen. We can't take any of this out into the 'real' world, though. If I wanted to be a smartass about it, technically, as Guardians, we already bring the Medium into reality. But no, it's not how you think it is. At least, I haven't see that happen yet. Well, maybe except for one event, but that was.. chaotic." She turns to you as you mention going back home. "What, going back to the island? Yeah. I mean, there's more to explain about the way that I brought you here in the first place. It's complicated too. But it can happen. You can bring other Mediums into the Medium and other universes, but I don't think anyone's brought another Guardian or human through the Medium. Well, again, one exception. Or, maybe multiple. But those don't really count." She sighs once again. "There's a couple of exceptions that really screwed up what we thought about the system."

Wait until they're reasonably in front of me and follow their path to evacuation.

You've learned your lesson about instigation. Despite your urge for revenge, the need for survival takes top priority. For this reason, you attempt to blend into the crowds evacuating the city. This proves to be more challenging than you thought, considering that there are guards walking along the crowds every so often. Compound this on top of the fact that there are guards posted along the walls; inspection teams also make their rounds, trying to deduce what caused this attack and what this attack was even composed of.

You move along slowly in the throngs of people. You don't think that anyone will notice you in particular, but that doesn't stop you from actively attempting to avoid being detected. At several key moments, you nearly freeze, thinking that a guard on the wall or on the streets has somehow recognized you. It turns out, however, that these guards weren't looking for anyone in particular. The broadcaster continues looping the same message of evacuation as before. As you near the gate of the town, you see several armored cars making their way in and out. Next to the gate is a checkpoint where the soldiers are checking the identification of civilians. Most civilians go through without a problem, but some are taken out of line and moved to unknown facilities.

You'd do well by playing it safe here. You're not sure what you are going to be able to do about the identification, however. You might have to get creative.

[Xantalos]

((I KNEW I FORGOT SOMETHING))

Chorlteton grins slightly. "Certainly do, sir. Rising geopolitical conflict always seems to be derided by historians as regrettable periods in our history, but I don't see the value in that view. It's times of opportunity like the ones we live in today that make for the best changes! Rags to riches, as you've proved with Regis."

He gazes outward on the vista before him, eyes glittering enigmatically, before looking at Rembrant. "Business is booming, and our fortunes with it."

Schmoooooooooze

[Lenglon]

"So, no hard rules, but some things are more difficult than others. And no, my home is not Atis, I thought we went over this. You said that guardians power goes through the Medium, what happens to them if the Medium dies? And what known instances are there of those drastic ability changes you mentioned?"

[Yourmaster]

"Mother! Are you there, mother?"
Alex wasn't exactly a small child anymore, but he might be able to pass if he was able to trick them.

[DarkArtemisFowl]

I've managed to free up some more time to write, as most of my work is finished now. However, I'll probably be back to the grind in a few weeks, so my time is limited. I'll try to make the most of it to post as frequently as possible.

This turn's mostly going to be for dialogue, so I will put up a quick response soon, depending on how fast replies come in.
Thank you for your limitless patience and I hope you have a wonderful day!

((I KNEW I FORGOT SOMETHING))

Chorlteton grins slightly. "Certainly do, sir. Rising geopolitical conflict always seems to be derided by historians as regrettable periods in our history, but I don't see the value in that view. It's times of opportunity like the ones we live in today that make for the best changes! Rags to riches, as you've proved with Regis."

He gazes outward on the vista before him, eyes glittering enigmatically, before looking at Rembrant. "Business is booming, and our fortunes with it."

Schmoooooooooze

Chortleton MacDigget
Jackson chuckles and responds with enthusiasm. To you, it appears as if he has an abnormal well of vigor. "Change," he begins. "You're right, MacDigget, you're absolutely right. Change has always been at the front of my mind. Always. You already know that I helped to build this town - this region - into what it is now. 'The Kusten Stretch,' they say now, 'that's where opportunity can be found! Materials, industry, and cheap land as far as the eye can see.'" He stops and turns to the window once again. He waves to you and gestures to the window, saying, "This is what we've created. I grew up in a town just like this. I was orphaned from the beginning - always on my own. I had to fight to get even a scrap of food. I was the lowest of the low, a dog in the mud. I was always destined to stay like that. I was swept up into the Imperial Labor Initiative and worked myself to the bone for many, many years." He sighs and turns back to you. "I managed to make connections with the right people. They said I had a way with words and a mind for success. I was given control of a tiny steel mill way down south. Over the years, I climbed my way up. I saved money, bridged out, and now here I am - here we are!"

He grins and nods in the direction of the main town road. "There are our fruits of labor now," he says quietly. You can see a line of vehicles - mostly personnel carriers or light armored fighting vehicles - snaking up through the town and out the main entrance to the town. The town itself is guarded by a stretch of rather ancient walls that were refurbished not too long ago. Now, the military uses the town in conjunction with a base nearby to bring massive amounts of vehicles and munitions to the front lines. Jackson stays quiet as he watches the vehicles pass by. Finally, he speaks up once again. "What's your ambition, MacDigget? You have any dreams of grandeur after this war's finished?"

"So, no hard rules, but some things are more difficult than others. And no, my home is not Atis, I thought we went over this. You said that guardians power goes through the Medium, what happens to them if the Medium dies? And what known instances are there of those drastic ability changes you mentioned?"

Lirian
Danielle sighs, a little frustrated at her own inability to answer your questions fully. "There might be hard rules - I mean, maybe - I mean... I don't know!" She expresses her discontent, her apparent fatigue not contributing to a positive mood. "We just don't know. We figured out this stuff before, but nobody ever came straight down and told us that we were right." She sits back in her chair and slumps back. "As far as I know, things started breaking down after a while. Things that we thought couldn't happen, did. People found new abilities, or they discovered different Guardian combinations, or they found more effective ways to combat Shadows. It got a lot more drastic after the, uh, fourth generation. I wish I could remember all of it now.

"I remember what you said about your home now. It's kinda hard to keep track of different homes. The Dragonfly had, like, four different homes that he referred to. Anyway, it kinda depends. I know for sure that Mediums can jump between universes connected by the Medium, but I don't know about anything beyond that. Do you think your home is connected to our Medium? If not, can we find it through the Medium? She realizes what she said and backtracks on her statement. "Err, that's probably something you would ask from me. I think the answer's obvious, though. I don't know." You ask her about what happens if the Medium dies. She replies, "That already happened. The Dragonfly - I don't know what he did exactly at the battle, but after he erased all of the Shadows from that last world, we all lost our powers. That was it. His attempt to wash away all of the Shadows broke the Medium. It was either that, or his actual disappearance caused the loss of our powers. I don't think that last part's likely, though, because we lost our powers before he was.. erased. I couldn't access the Medium after that. None of the others could."

Finally, you ask her about any incidents where the powers of the Mediums did change. She looks down and pauses for a few moments, trying to collect her thoughts. After, she says, "Purply dude and the Dragonfly. Both of them, together. Dragonfly was a Medium, Mr. Purple was a Guardian. The Dragonfly told me that, when Artemis first learned that he was a Guardian, he formed a contract with the Dragonfly to share their powers. It resulted in the two of them being stuck together. At any time, one of them was in the physical realm and one was in the mental one. They could switch out bodies whenever they wanted and, when working together, basically had two powers in one. Eventually, it got really unstable, and I think they both started becoming the same person. Mr. Purple was on his way to completing his objective of taking control of the Medium and basically becoming a god. Their powers together allowed them to be stronger than other single Guardians, and the Dragonfly's status as a Medium allowed the two of them to take the power of other Guardians and become stronger by killing them or getting them to ally with the two of them. That's how we found out about the 'unite or destroy' thing about the Medium. Mr. Purple was dangerously close to achieving his goal, but the Dragonfly turned against him and sealed Mr. Purple in his mind. He then released the Guardians' powers and went on to the next universe to try and stop something similar from happening. This union of theirs was unique, I think. Nobody's been able to replicate it, not even the other Mediums. That was the largest example of 'extraordinary' powers. There are some others, but it's hard to remember it all. I'm not even sure if I got the Dragonfly's story right." She rubs her temples and sighs with frustration. "Think, think... come on!"

"Mother! Are you there, mother?"
Alex wasn't exactly a small child anymore, but he might be able to pass if he was able to trick them.

Alex Raman
That's probably not the gamble that I would have gone with, but it's a fair shot nonetheless. At any rate, if the trick doesn't work, you still have your own surprises to fall back on. You're not confident about your ice powers right now, but perhaps you could organize your own escape route. You march forward with the crowd, slowly making your way up near the gate.

Before it's too late, you take your chance and act the part of a lost child. You repeatedly call out for your parents and look around, bewildered, trying to find anyone who can help you. Finally, a guard pulls you out of the crowd and examines you. Before he can say anything, he sees your dried wounds and gasps.

"My God, you need help!" He drags you out to the side and calls for help. Soon, two other guards come to take you to the medical center.

It looks like your ruse worked, though probably not in the way you expected it to. Instead of having the "parent" bluff work for you, your wounds ironically saved you instead of hindering you.  You're still not sure how you will escape the watch of the guards. Still, having at least one part of your plan work for you is more than satisfying.

((Cut short because more of what's coming up relies more on your input than anything.))

[Salsacookies]

"I'm feeling fine right now, though I'm unsure of how long I'll remain In my current, sober-minded state. These hallucinations came along in such a sudden fashion, it MUST be fixed before it affects my work!"

[Lenglon]

"Generation? What do you mean by Generation? And my home might not be connected to the Medium? What? A-are you sure that I couldn't simply get back by, like, a boat or... I mean... I thought I got here by... I mean, that would explain why I haven't managed to find my way... But... Okay, okay, here and now, that's a later problem, I need to focus on now problems. You're told me lots about purple, what can you tell me about Dragonfly?"

[Yourmaster]

As he was pulled along, he couldn't help but make a small smile. If the guard hadn't noticed, he might have gotten an infection, or even lost a limb. He would allow himself to be taken.