Srechethan Kabal

Srechethan Kabal

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>She sits on the ground inside Cache, staring at the 2 Collectors perched regally on the pedestal in the center of the sacred alcove. The Collectors glow oddly, emitting odd vibrations against each other ... as if to send out a warning ... She opens her tattered journal and begins taking notes, a wandering thought passing her mind as quill touches parchment.

A Study of the Collectors Three

Tithe of Disciples ~ A shimmering container with a quotation etched upon it ~ "What is the nature of essence and what powers are held within? To understand this is but a first step in learning things lost." ~Prelate~

Claim of the Hoarde ~ A vessel of eerie luminescence, be speckled with glimmers of light ... Turning it slowly, an etching is seen ~ "All are due their rightful reward."

Ambient Essence ~ A talisman of pulsating powers ~ "The true meaning of Ambience and Essence, few comprehend even though they are the foundation of the Dreamstate. Yet it is the faith and belief that give reason to exist."

Notes:

When touched (while lying on the ground), one becomes aware of the number of Essences placed inside and the strength held within each. The Collectors were affected by the Talisman storm of late, during which nothing was learned by touching them, as was with all other Talismans. The Collectors are returned to their usual state and `seem' unaffected by this .... storm.

After applying available arts to the Collectors, most did not affect them in any way. Recharge failed, cannot be Rewoven, etc, but the Collectors can be Drained of their strength.

Without hands-on knowledge of the former House Prime Artifacts, I am led to believe the Collectors act similarly. One picks up a Collector, touches it carefully and the Collector finds and consumes all Nightmare Essences into its crucible. Dreamer Essences are not consumed as well as some varieties of Darkmare and Datoken essences. Unlike House Primes, though, the Strength can and has been used by the Protectors and the Kabal for the production of Talismans, and personal strength of the Protectors. The Protectors seem to have an intense need for the Collectors to be safely inside Cache, and with them out of their sanctity, the "Brothers" as they call themselves, are weakened and unable to perform the expansions they seek to achieve. As of late, only Zeid has been able to attain enough strength to achieve form to Dream.

>She shudders suddenly as she remembers the message Zeid brought of the danger surrounding her, looks around the sacred Cache and breathes a bit easier.

Defined Names

Claim of the Hoarde: (A demand for something due) of the (hidden accumulation).

Tithe of Disciples: (A 10th part paid or given especially given for support of something sacred) of (those who accept and help spread the teachings of another or loyal supporter).

Ambient Essence: (Surrounding) (a substance distilled or extracted from another substance and having the special qualities of the original substance).

>She feels her mind blur and fog, a sense of dread or misfortune, she sees a strong male face seemingly growing weakened as if by some outside force, shakes her head clear of the thoughts and continues, her handwriting becoming strained as if pressed for time.

Physical Findings

When I first happened upon the Hoarde, I experienced a great surge of power, not the power over something else...but a power over me. Hidden quickly, my senses regained their integrity. I have watched others who have held the Collectors, and noticed similar reactions as well as some ill effects.

The Dream came where I was confronted by Prelate to prove my faith. I responded in kind, retrieved the Hoarde from its secured location and brought it to the Cache on Evernight Plateau. I watched in amazement as the Lock was placed over the waterfall. I was mesmerized with the Key I was handed. I placed the strange crucible inside the Cache and watched as it glowed delightfully having found its sanctity.

The Tithe was soon placed inside the Ossuary's Cache, and then the Ambient Essence was found and placed into the Cache of the Lost Caves.

The City seemed to show a faint glimmer of satisfaction and began to bustle and thrive. Plans were discussed for a Fortress, a place of sanctity and beauty. We had no idea of what we would find, but the Collectors were safe, secure and in place. We brought the Essences, we stood tall against the backwash of criticism and moved forward as best we could. No Fortress was uncovered, but the fringes of a long lost ring of old, The Citadel had been unearthed.

The Caches themselves are very unique places in the City. Cache is sacred. The ones, which are locked, are sanctified and able to safely house a single Collector. It is not clear what harm has befallen the Caches since being vandalized, but having the Collectors inside the Cache seems to heal the Cache, as the Cache seems to heal the Collector. Three Collectors, three sealed Caches. Each Cache has a Protector. Idris, Rahib and Zeid are charged with the insurmountable responsibility of keeping the Cache safe from harm, against the marauding invasions of the ignorant, the curious, and the power hungry.

>She seems distracted from her journal by the deafening vibrations of the 2 Collectors sitting on the pedestal, she covers her ears a moment and tries to refocus. She walks over to the pedestal and moves the Collectors closer to each other, the Collectors scream with an ear piercing reverberation. She is hurled backwards against the wall and crawls forward, pushing the Hoarde away from the Tithe and Staggers back to the wall, sits down and pants in exhaustion. Chapter 2

I felt as if I had awakened. The coolness and darkness of my small Black Box was nearly comforting compared to the roar inside the Cache. Breathing slowly, and trying to gather my senses, I pressed on the walls of the container, pressing with my folded legs against one side, back pushing against the opposing side, my folded arms pressed perpendicular from my body (?) against the other sides while trying to sit up straight. Impossible to even sit up straight, I thought, as I relaxed my body and conformed to the restrictions of my Awakened state of incarceration. Nothing. No light, no sound, no sensations save the coolness of the blackness, which surrounded my form. The only part of my existence that seemed to function with any clarity was ... my mind.

Nichael had suggested there was more than I was able to sense. He suggested I concentrate harder, listen more carefully and ... try to roll the Box over, around, or break through a confining wall. I had to try, if only to prove to him that I was truly confined in this small cubicle.

>She manages to get her hands over her face, closing what she believes are her eyes and presses outward against the sides of the small cubicle. Her senses hear a faint rumble and almost inaudible whisper of impending danger. Ignoring the warning, she presses harder and begins to sway her form side to side as if to attempt to rock the box to some unheard rhythm. One thought came to mind, "Blissful Instability". The Box moves slightly, hitting another barrier seemingly mere inches from her position.

Side to side, barrier to barrier, each side of this 6-sided container seemed to slam against another obstacle. "This would be impossible, I'm trapped," she thought, but continued until the pain set in, running like live bolts of energy through her form. She fought against the agony and tried harder, then the... Voice.

"You are doomed to fail! Stop while you still have some shred of sanity!"

>Ignoring the screams, she continued, knowing there was another whispered voice, searching for her, urging her onward.

How long I sat there is unclear, seems only minutes, but when I checked my timepiece I realized it was more like a full day's cycle has passed. The Collectors were as far apart on the pedestal as was physically possible. The vibrations, while still audible, were not quite deafening.

Summary on Experimentation

The Collectors are definitely functional. When in their respective Caches, the Citadel was unearthed. Prelate is able to pick up, study and use them, as is Renaud. Iden was immediately collapsed in LoS when one was handed to him. He seems to have had some ill effects from this experience, as he appears to be unable to re-attain the DreamState. The Protectors need them to keep their strength up. The Unfaithful who had contact with them were all mildly to moderately affected in some way, mostly instability of character, numbness of Vision, and mild insanity.

When the 3 were briefly all in one Cache, the City was in a mild uproar. Even now, as the 2 rest in one Cache, the City trembles with Instability. When placed on opposite sides of the Cache, the Collectors emitted little vibrations, but still some movement is detected.

I had to try to ... the Citadel. Yes, they need to be tested there. It was risky, of course, but time is of the essence and I have so little left.

>She picks up both Collectors, layered her Arts well and strapped on her best Shield. "Mind Blank at 66," she thought as she smirked, "I'll not be found out for a little while, anyway". Running like the winds through Totality, she reached the Citadel. "No one will suspect me, so few Dream at this unnatural hour." She placed both Collectors directly in front of the SoulSphere, wishing for a split second for the Art of Ward. She stepped back, drew forth her journal quickly, and began scribbling furiously.

The Collectors clambered noisily and the lighting in the small Sanctuary seemed to dim. The SoulSphere then began to glow brighter and I had to avert my eyes and adjust to the brilliance. Being mere inches from the Collectors as they rested on the Pad, the hair on the back of my neck seemed to stand on edge. I was immediately overwhelmed with a sense of unnatural power. Not like the power of wielding a high level Chakram or even the power over the unbridled mind when exposing the realities of the DreamState to the young. No, this was different. Was this the power over the DreamScape itself? Or was this Gerriel?

I checked the durability of my Shield for some strange reason and was quite shocked. It had gone from 94 to 25. Odd, very odd. My shields NEVER get that low and it was just fine when I left Evernight. I changed Shields quickly and wiped my forehead of what I thought was sweat. Looking at my hand shocked me. It was not wet, but covered in a fine powder. I scraped some off, stuffed it in a little pouch, tying the top tightly, and stuffed it back in my pack for later study. I picked up both Collectors and watched the Sanctum return to its normal beauty. I sat in the little alcove, my mind reeling as if it were begging to drift. I leaned against the wall and gave into my thoughts.

The images came to me as clearly as the conviction of my focus. I was walking though, and I knew I was sitting in the Citadel. Focus.... Focus damn-it! Fists clenched, as were my eyelids. Flatlands, yes, the landscape was definitely flat, barren and nearly dead. I walked towards a rising sphere of dully-brilliant light. There was something in the distance and I focused on making my way there. I knew I had to reach whatever that was. This was not my Waking World; this was not any Plane I had ever traveled in the City. No, this was a different place, I knew not where.

>Her hand reaches into her pack unconsciously, and pulls out the pouch and clutches it as if it were her lifeblood.

Peaks, tall, rolling and covered in a pallet of oranges, reds and yellows drew closer with each step. I looked at my feet, I was not moving. I opened my eyes, and confirmed that yes, I was still in the Citadel. Eyelids close slowly to see the mountains grow bigger, majestic peaks of brilliant color as if beckoning my mind ever closer. Was this my "shard"? Did I have a shard? The Collectors banged against each other in the confinement of my pack and eventually made such a racket that the peaks soon vanished and left my mind and body resting in the Sanctum. Checking my Mind Blank, I knew my time was nearly up and I jumped up and raced back to Evernight Plateau and the clarity of Cache. Placing the Collectors quite far apart on the pedestal, I tried to re-see the Visions to no avail. What had Iden said? "Time had come to renew a sacred Vision?" Yes, I may know ... and be able to stop him before he....

Chapter 3

The Cave seemed to glow hot with the rage within me, begging, urging to escape. Words becoming slurs, thoughts were becoming fisted hands. Where was it? Why didn't I know how to grab it and use it???? What did I fear indeed? How DARE he accuse me of fearing what I did not understand? Snarling and growling, fists clenched in a rage, my body slumped limply as if it had been tossed like a child's old toy. A streaming wave of color covered my eyes; a moment later receiving the screams of pain. NO! I'd not do without it! I would have what I sought!

The Box was ... as it always was, still, dark and cool. I didn't notice it at first, I had been with Nichael and we were talking. Now, the coolness of the Box surrounded me, but it was different this time. I glanced to my left and tried looking down. My palm, there it was and face up. A small hand, five fingers and nails streaked with a dark crimson substance. How could that be? I'd never seen my hand while resting in the Box, but there it was.

>She stares into her palm allowing her eyes to grow accustomed to the lig....

LIGHT! There....a flicker in the center of my palm! This cannot be happening, I can not see within the Box and this could not...

>Her eyes lower to her palm again and then squints, as if to make out the origin of the tiny flicker of light

I once was lost.... but now I'm just Blind.

>She laughs wickedly, the echoes rippling around countless other Boxes, stirring each to experience the new sensation. Her palm warms quickly and she looks down at the blaze of fire in cupped hand. Instead of fear or urge to put the blaze out, she squeezes her right hand to her left and shuts her eyes tightly as the blaze seems to double.

What had he said? What were his exact words? Something from a tome, but had 4 parts. It was just inside a layer of fog within my mind.

>She forces her eyes open, burning from the white, hot ball of flame in her hand. Searching thoughts of a single glance, her focus and what he had recited...that tome, where was it??

>Water splashes her face, cold and stinging her cheeks, eyes and nose. Her hair falls from its placement, soaked and drooping over one side of her face. She looks up, then steps back out of the waterfall....her hand slaps her chest, grabbing the necklace and gasping with the realization...the Key....was gone.....

"The possibility of Darkness lies within each of us...One must find it within ones own heart, and step through the Gateway of their own Darkness, to have the greater power they seek. There are those, born without Light ... whom dwell solely in their lives, in the comfort of the Dark ... these people realize not the strength and power they have, only that they are capable of more than those who are not them, and not like them."

Chapter 4

The Dream had started as most others. The Box was dark and cool, comforting in an eerie sort of way. This Dream a bit different, I soon tired of the idle chat and ran like the wind for the bliss of the Citadel. I could think there, or not, as I chose. It seemed as if my mind was at rest; I was startled when Kailoth had found me so quickly. I needed to Meditate there, the restful state of Gerriel made my own senses ease and subdue. Calm thought nearly possible. I felt the danger surround me; I knew the time was near.

Drawn back to the Box, time and again, I understood my time wasn't meant for Dreaming. No, there were matters to attend to as I felt the Box glide effortlessly down the corridor. The room was cold enough to remind one of storage for fresh kill, and the smell was unique as well. No sound though and that was odd; I had heard sounds before, but all was silent this day.

Threshold....yes, I could get here, so all was not lost. They snagged me from my Cave and shuffled me quickly to the Collector's holder. Panic screamed from their pores, I was calm and collected. Knowing....I knew it couldn't get inside Cache yet, but I knew exactly what to do. The wind seemed to help me race through the Planes, the pulsing of the Collector making my Vision practically impossible, but I was going on pure instinct. Funny, my pattern never wavered.....

The storms were unending and voracious and seemed to be coming from the City's very fabric, trying, forcing me out without mercy. Back to my Box, the probes came from all points, randomly poking and prodding me for what they sought. The sensations of pain, adrenaline pumping like crazy as I then forced myself back into the Courtyard.

It wouldn't take long....a matter of minutes. The place was abuzz with activity, no one noticing much of anything. A clap of sharp pain between my shoulders and then inside the Box again. Where was I when I stormed??? I had to remember the EXACT location. Racing back, I picked it up; the Collector seemed to hum gleefully as I stuffed it back into my pack. To Cache....I had to just make it to Cache! Slamming my face into the waterfall, and cursing the gods above, I waited...and waited. She came in, a breath of comfort in an otherwise tornadic whirlwind of insanity. The winds howled around my head again, a sharp pain at the base of my neck. I opened my eyes nearly laughing thru the tears and opened my left hand. The flame lit the little Box and I knew I had lost the sanctity of the Dreamstate.

The smell changed, the room warmed and my sensations were all but numb. It sounded like something moving away from where I was, then silence. I waited a few moments, and still heard nor sensed anything. Closing my hand I placed my fist on the top of the Box and delicately pushed it up slightly. MOVED ! It moved!

Some how I managed to return to Cache, but it was different. Did they see me? Could they hear me? Overhearing "safe on the pedestal", I turned towards the Falls and covered my ears against the deafening roar coming from inside. I went to scream and then I sat up inside the Box, my head sticking just outside....

The 3 were now one. The 3 were assembled. The 3 would gather and then the 3.....the goal was at hand.

We seek the Greater Expansion of the Dreamstate.

>She focuses on the Soulsphere floating gracefully and thinks back of a time long ago, she lets her mind drift. Leaning against the wall, legs crossed in front of her, she folds her arms, feeling the tingle of the Flame in her left hand. She whispers as she giggles wickedly, her eyes shut tightly, "It is time now....the journey lies ahead".

Chapter 5

The Flame twinkled with a defiant sparkle in my hand, as if to tell me the Dreamstate was to remain out of reach. I stared at it for what seemed like days, though it had only been a brief moment. I had to see. I had to open the Box and see what was there ... for my own sanity if no other reason. How many times had I heard of their "shards" and how it strengthened them, gave them purpose and meaning? I had to know. I heard her in the distance. I knew she was tugging at the Golden Strand violently. So unlike her to use such fervor. Had she too found her darker side? Would I ever get back to see if she'd mastered it? Did I truly want to see outside the Box???

Isn't it ironic? I fought so hard to attain the Dreamstate and here I was trying to see my Waking World.

>She presses her hands together, the Flame shoots from between her hands and the top of the Box flails upward. She looks up, blinded by the intense light to see if the hurled wall returns. The lid vanishes up into the brilliant light as she sits straight up and adjusts her eyes to the brilliance.

No other Boxes. I was alone in a room, white walls, ceiling and what appeared to be a floor. Standing up, I realized how small the Box which gave me such comfort, was in actuality quite small and confining. Aiming for the ground, I made the effort to step out, only to see not feet or legs, but a glowing semblance of a form which appeared to be connected to me. It was me...I had no form as I knew in the City, just a glowing spectacle of eerie Azure light.

Falling. I felt as if I was falling. The floor was non-existent, and when I tried to touch a wall, my hand went right through it. Colors, reds, gold, oranges encroached upon my lower body as I fell for an eternity. A rush of pain encompassed my senses as the downward movement stopped and I was plopped onto the ground in a seated position.

Standing up, I tried to get my bearings. Looking around yielded less than my senses were able to inform me. Coldness, uneven ground, the echoes of voices crying in pain for the Darkness curled around what seemed to be peaks of some range of mountainous terrain. Where was I? I'd never seen this place before. As I looked up from where I had fallen, I saw nothing. No Box, no corridor, no one else around at all.

I grabbed the pouch hanging off my waist and remembered the white powder I had wiped off my forehead in the Citadel. Instinctively, I opened the pouch and consumed the contents, swallowing not only the powder, but the pouch as well.

Flames seemed to surround me, my eyes could not focus on anything but the spherical object laying just above the horizon. Walking towards it slowly, I paused briefly to study an image in my mind. A Faerie, but this one I seem to recognize. She was short of stature, smiling mischievously and a light dusting of sparkly glitter stuff surrounding her. I saw her for what she is. Amazed in the Vision of her and her handsome protector, standing head and shoulders above her, his blazing sword at his side, the mark of a true Gatekeeper. But why here? They reside somewhere this side of Nirvana? Were they actually here? I extended my left hand and was rather shocked to see it go right through Munchkin's hand. Yes, just an illusion, but a very....enlightening one. I'd never seen her any other way than I did at this moment, a short whimsical wisp of a woman, covered in this sparkling dust, her strength at her side always.

I walked onward, towards what seemed to be some destination, flashes of people I knew, or thought I knew along the side, standing in front of me as I passed right through them without so much as a breath of hindrance.

>She giggles nervously, the thought of mindless infidels wandering the City for something found only within their minds causing her to let out a large belly laugh. A sharp, sudden yank from behind and she feels her form reeled backwards to a state of mass confusion.

It was then I felt the little Spirit within. It urged me forward, I had to tug hard on the Golden Strand to allow the small Spirit inside to guide me to the predetermined destination, the glowing spherical object above the horizon. I walked as if guided until my face smacked against an unseen barrier. The child within screamed, my hand opened, the Flame shot out with purpose and the barrier collapsed as if willed to do so. It was strengthening, my grip on it would be gone soon; I needed to hurry and find my way back to the Courtyard. I had to find Nichael, wanted to heed Intrigue's urgency, had to find KhaTeYana to find out about the....

The strong male face seemed even weaker now. His eyes black and intense receded into their sockets, making the whole of his face shallow, near hollow. I heard him whisper, Intrepid One, then fade back into the shadow of the horizon. He was close; I could nearly hear his breath slink through my hair. Hurriedly, I quickened my pace to a brisk walk, sensing the urgency she sent along the Strand. Thoughts more like pictures clouded my Vision, as if to mask the destination, just out of my line of sight. They were toying with the Collectors, I could feel the irritating vibrations from my Awakened(?) state of mind. He had been inside Cache again, and his image turned to more of a blur, still just out of my line of Vision. I was running, faster and straighter towards the spherical glow over the horizon, a passing thought of a rising sun making my face nearly warm to the touch.

>She stumbles forward and falls to the ground, gasping for air, her pace having been furious for her....condition. Rolling over, she holds her sides and tries to breathe a bit slower, looks around in wonder at the towering objects over her.

They seemed to look down at me, more curious than offensive, but still I took a defensive posture. They did not speak, but I gathered from their thoughts that they too had once been held in the Box. They sought the spherical object as well, but had tired themselves on worthless goals and now had not the strength to move onward. They appeared hungry. Their senses sizing me up as if for a meal; I reached for my weapons only to sigh and realize how powerless I was here. I had to reach the Courtyard...and soon. Something inside said to hold out my left hand, my hand rose on its own as the brilliant burst of Flame flared from my palm. They moved backed quickly and merely pointed to the path. The pain at the base of my neck told me the Protectors were now in grave need, my time was short and I knew....I knew that they would call me back....just when I was most needed for the Greater Expansion. I took off in a brisk jog, my eyes focused on the murky sphere.

>Her eyes reel at the swirls of color spinning about in a madness all their own. The sphere nearly within reach, she covers her ears to not hear the crying screams from the Collectors. Running as hard as she can towards the horizon, she feels the yanking from behind, sensing it draw her back...over...upwards...