Haha, it still feels like these prompts are a commentary on what's happened to Samual :)
Approval An icy draught seemed to blow through the room, though no-one's clothes fluttered in its blast and though frost formed on the walls the chill seemed more internal than external. The ceiling vanished and was replaced by a star-splattered sky that was familiar to Lord Derby and Samual: it was the stars they'd seen over Carcosa. "I think we're being encouraged to hurry up," said the King. When Gray looked at him. his mouth opening to question, the King just shrugged. "Not everyone I hold counsel with is human, Warlock Gray, and that information will need to be sufficient for you. Derby, I think -- I hope -- you understand enough to resolve this situation for us now. I am certain that his other Majesty is expecting an answer." The iciness subsided, possibly an indication of approval. "Starting at the beginning," said Lord Derby, looking at his feet while he frantically tried to order his thoughts. "this is what I have learned, and what I believe has been the point of this investigation. Carcosa exists, and is ruled by an entity called the King in Yellow. It's not human and never has been. Just now I saw that it's not unique, and that it can quarrel amongst others of its kind. At some point in the past Carcosa was damaged as a result of that quarrel, and what we knew about Carcosa never reached that far back. What we thought we knew about Carcosa is that it was a source of demons and that demonology had been practiced there for a long time. Centuries, certainly, but maybe longer than that. We thought that there were records in Carcosa, details of how demonology was practices, studied, and evolved, and when we saw signs that demonology was being practiced and developed in our own world, we went looking for that information. Dignity was sent to retrieve the data." He paused, and looked up. There was a calmness about his expression as he saw how things fitted together. "Dignity found data and records, but she also found Grace, a possibly-Polish subject who was actively practising demonology. Dignity definitely knew that, but I don't know if she knew that Grace was doing it the way she was." Gray looked puzzled and opened his mouth as though to interrupt, but Lord Derby raised a hand to forestall him, and continued talking. "We saw today that the demons that Grace was producing are somehow related to the attack on Carcosa that sundered it in the first place. We know, I'm told, that Enclaves are created by breaking apart worlds, and Carcosa is an unusually large Enclave. I suspect, but people cleverer than I will need to study it, that this is so because of the King in Yellow. Grace has definitely been using access to the King in Yellow's power, but I think that this has been an experiment by the King in Yellow to see if the demons that were created to attack Carcosa could be used by him to attack elsewhere." "Failed?" The King of England's voice trembled. "Yes, and I am certain we should be grateful for that, or we wouldn't be sat here. We would be either fighting off an invasion or hearing reports of an invasion, because the King in Yellow would need bodies to transform into demons."
Greg - yes, well, I'm only now catching up. So... no.
Although I was thinking today that being so far behind has allowed me to choose prompts freely and without any temptation to direct the tale, as I have no idea whatsoever what's going on currently. But I did notice a comment about things reaching the epilogue stage, so perhaps I ought to get my butt in gear and get caught up once again...
It's good and useful to see Derby's summary here, as it nicely puts the pieces of the puzzle in place. I am curious as to where you go from here.
2 comments:
Haha, it still feels like these prompts are a commentary on what's happened to Samual :)
Approval
An icy draught seemed to blow through the room, though no-one's clothes fluttered in its blast and though frost formed on the walls the chill seemed more internal than external. The ceiling vanished and was replaced by a star-splattered sky that was familiar to Lord Derby and Samual: it was the stars they'd seen over Carcosa.
"I think we're being encouraged to hurry up," said the King. When Gray looked at him. his mouth opening to question, the King just shrugged. "Not everyone I hold counsel with is human, Warlock Gray, and that information will need to be sufficient for you. Derby, I think -- I hope -- you understand enough to resolve this situation for us now. I am certain that his other Majesty is expecting an answer."
The iciness subsided, possibly an indication of approval.
"Starting at the beginning," said Lord Derby, looking at his feet while he frantically tried to order his thoughts. "this is what I have learned, and what I believe has been the point of this investigation.
Carcosa exists, and is ruled by an entity called the King in Yellow. It's not human and never has been. Just now I saw that it's not unique, and that it can quarrel amongst others of its kind. At some point in the past Carcosa was damaged as a result of that quarrel, and what we knew about Carcosa never reached that far back. What we thought we knew about Carcosa is that it was a source of demons and that demonology had been practiced there for a long time. Centuries, certainly, but maybe longer than that. We thought that there were records in Carcosa, details of how demonology was practices, studied, and evolved, and when we saw signs that demonology was being practiced and developed in our own world, we went looking for that information. Dignity was sent to retrieve the data." He paused, and looked up. There was a calmness about his expression as he saw how things fitted together.
"Dignity found data and records, but she also found Grace, a possibly-Polish subject who was actively practising demonology. Dignity definitely knew that, but I don't know if she knew that Grace was doing it the way she was."
Gray looked puzzled and opened his mouth as though to interrupt, but Lord Derby raised a hand to forestall him, and continued talking.
"We saw today that the demons that Grace was producing are somehow related to the attack on Carcosa that sundered it in the first place. We know, I'm told, that Enclaves are created by breaking apart worlds, and Carcosa is an unusually large Enclave. I suspect, but people cleverer than I will need to study it, that this is so because of the King in Yellow. Grace has definitely been using access to the King in Yellow's power, but I think that this has been an experiment by the King in Yellow to see if the demons that were created to attack Carcosa could be used by him to attack elsewhere."
"Failed?" The King of England's voice trembled.
"Yes, and I am certain we should be grateful for that, or we wouldn't be sat here. We would be either fighting off an invasion or hearing reports of an invasion, because the King in Yellow would need bodies to transform into demons."
Greg - yes, well, I'm only now catching up. So... no.
Although I was thinking today that being so far behind has allowed me to choose prompts freely and without any temptation to direct the tale, as I have no idea whatsoever what's going on currently. But I did notice a comment about things reaching the epilogue stage, so perhaps I ought to get my butt in gear and get caught up once again...
It's good and useful to see Derby's summary here, as it nicely puts the pieces of the puzzle in place. I am curious as to where you go from here.
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