03 [video]

[topslug]

Name: Yako Katsuragi (un: katsuragi)
Date: Septeril 1st, after Mhairi & Nessie's address and Sokie's post.
Format: Video

For those who are considering going to Dorchacht: someone brought up the idea of sharing what information we've been able to find out about how the compulsion to obey witches works in the city. From previous experience with these dreams, they don't often represent an accurate version of reality, so we should be cautious in our assumptions of what will actually be there.

From what I was able to find out, the enchantment to force Monsters to obey witches is built into the walls of the city itself -- along with a spell to keep the Cwyld out, though it's not the same as the one used by Aefenglom.

That being said ... if it works the way it does in the dream, then we know there are ways to protect ourselves. The resistance was distributing enchanted paper with runes that can be used to lift the compulsion. The witches were willing to teach me -- I assume I'm not the only one who learned. If there are enough of us willing to work on it, we could work together and take a look at that spell, see if we can strengthen it and distribute those spells to those who can't cast them. We don't have much time before we leave, but I think it's worth trying.

[ She pauses. Up to now, she hasn't looked very uncertain or worried, only concerned, but she's more tentative about what she says next. ]

One more thing ... we may still not know exactly where these dreams come from, or why, but I think it could be just as significant who isn't getting the dreams as much as who is. I spoke to some of the people who live outside Aefenglom's walls earlier last month -- and they told me they didn't experience anything like we did after Litha, that dream with the dragon and red skies.

But people who were infected by the Cwyld -- they did dream about something strange. They said they had the same nightmare of being trapped in darkness, hearing something or someone in pain, and a great heart beating in the distance. And they think they remember seeing some sort of cocoon, like a caterpillar's? It didn't seem like they were in the same place, but their accounts were very similar.

... I don't know if it has any significance, but if you're staying behind, please be careful, too.

[ ooc; Yako's referring to investigation results from here and here respectively, if you were curious. ]

Comments

[faithlikeaseed]

From inside experience, [dryly,] if you're not paying any attention to it, compulsions from the spell feel like you thought of them yourself--you're already acting on it before you realize what's happened. It hurts to fight--worse the longer it goes on, like everything in you is being wrung out like a rag.

Far as I could tell, only the latest order you heard was in effect. Keeping someone from talking at all prevented the spell; keeping yourself from hearing 'em--didn't, but made it easier to resist. But I don't know if that goes for all cases; it sounded as if there were ways the Bonds could be bent to make a Monster listen only to one Witch. Similarly, some of 'em might have a way of keeping a Monster from listening to any order that came after theirs--we don't know.

I'm not Bonded myself--so I wouldn't know if that helped or hindered anyone who was, who ran afoul of a Witch with a mind to give orders.

And they've gotten creative about pitting Monsters against each other. A couple of us ran into a Fae who went along with us freeing her and then raised an alarm once we had.

[Then a looong pause.]

The infected folk-- Did they say anything about whether it seemed like what they saw was trapped, or waiting to hatch?

[topslug]

Based on what they were able to tell me, they seemed to have the impression that it was the latter.

[ Troubling, to say the least. ]

But thank you for sharing that information. It sounds like the compulsion has a lot more subtlety than I realized. I'm Bonded, and the connection between us didn't seem to be affected by the dream, but I wasn't doing a lot of testing. [ That is to say, she was a little busy distracting a native witch from punishing her puca at the time. ] It did help me find him when he was in trouble, though, so in that sense it had some use.

From what I overheard, it seemed like the Coven of Dorchacht looks down on the kind of Bonds formed by the witches of Aefenglom, so I can't imagine they're formed the same way. There certainly wasn't the impression that they thought it was a sign of closeness or commitment.

[faithlikeaseed]

Maker's breath. Almost like we've got an Archdemon on our hands. [And wouldn't that be a nasty bit of symmetry--the Cwyld as the Blight and the Cwyltid and Shades as darkspawn digging for their fallen god...

Best not to dwell on that too long.]

No--they're almost surely forced on the Monster of the pair, I'd wager. Unless the poor creatures are so used to the idea a collar's better than hurting those around 'em they fasten those on--themselves--

[Ah. There's that realization he'd been trying to avoid this whole time.] --But either way, I think--we'd do right to be wary that they can force a Bond.

[And that the less well-intentioned in Aefenglom might also have that capacity, but that he does not say.]

[topslug]

From what I was able to find out speaking to residents of the city, Morgana Drummond is 'bonded' herself ... she's known for having a collared black dragon that obeys nobody buy her.

[ No points for guessing that it didn't go on that beast's neck voluntarily. The thought that it could happen to one of them... ]

But what did you mean about an Archdemon?

[faithlikeaseed]

[He makes a noise--disgust, acknowledgment--at the bit about the collared Dragon. Nothing he can do about it right now beyond that, though--

So on to the Archdemon.]

Back home, we have--a plague that wasn't unlike the Cwyld; anything tainted with it warped past recognition and became hostile to all life--they're darkspawn, then. They spend most of their time underground digging for the Old Gods--these ancient, sleeping dragons--and when they find one, they turn it to an Archdemon and start a Blight.

No idea if that's the sort of thing we're dealing with here, but if that chrysalis is real in the waking world as well as dreams--I'd fear for what happens when it hatches.

[topslug]

[ Oh, that doesn't sound good. ]

So it's happened more than once ... ?

[ She pauses. ]

Has anyone found a cure for it?

[faithlikeaseed]

No--no one has. Not even so much as what they can do for the Cwyld here. It's a death sentence.

And the Fifth Blight ended a little more'n a decade ago. [So, many more times.] There's two more Old Gods unaccounted for--and I've heard fearful things about darkspawn following after Corypheus.

[A beat.] He's--an ancient mage who should've been dead and damned long ago for what he'd done--but he's back now and threatening all Thedas.

[topslug]

So it really isn’t that much different from the Cwyld ... although as far as we know, right now, there isn’t anything like an Archdemon out there.

[ A beat. ]

I’m sorry — one of these seems bad enough to deal with, let alone five. But it sounds like the Blights end, at least...?

[faithlikeaseed]

Pray the Maker that stays true. The Cwyltid are bad enough without anything leading 'em.

--If the Archdemon's killed, they end. So far we're five for five on that but the cost of killing one--you'd have to ask a Warden to get their understanding but Maker, it's hideous.

If it gives you any idea--the Grey Wardens, the folk who fight the darkspawn, they've got the right to conscript anyone into their ranks to fight for them. Queens, kings, mages--anyone, the need's that great in a Blight. [He is resolutely not going to think about rumors something had gone very wrong with the Wardens of late.]

[topslug]

I see ... [ It sounds wildly out of her experience, but it wouldn't be the first impossible thing she's heard of since coming here, so it's easy enough to just take it as fact. To speak of it with such certainty, it's probably true somewhere. ]

It's amazing what people can accomplish working together, even when it isn't under the best of circumstances.

[faithlikeaseed]

[He laughs a little at that, a decidedly resigned sort of laugh.] Isn't it? You'd think folk'd remember that when things have gotten better for their efforts, and try being a little more cooperative.

[But so it goes.] Speaking of, I don't know we've spoken much before now--Myrobalan Shivana, though Myr's fine for everyday.

Thank you for doing this.