Enkidu Fissure sits up in his house that is a refuge spoiled by time and loss. He sits up in something like his house, knowing instinctively, with a sure sense, that this is not his house.

He’s in a long corridor, green carpet strip held down by brass railings between a long line of pale doors with inset pale squares in them. The doors are unremarkable, but one of them is holding back a singular, distorted sound.

Enkidu rises, listening, fingertips running nimbly along the paneling. He finds a door. He finds the sound splitting into 2: something metallic, like 2 sharp metal surfaces scraping, and

Enkidu awakes in his house (not his part of the house)

– corridor, long line of doors, no windows

– stark white industrial thin carpet, clean

– sound in the hallway, behind him, door to the right

– screaming, distorted

– resolves into two distinct sounds

– series of long, clean, metallic movements, like two sharp metal surfaces moving together

– in between, the whimper of an inhale between screams; weightless things falling in piles

– tries the door (house usually locks all the doors)

– handle: round, masked face with a jester’s cap

– resistance, as if a hand slipping against, trying to keep closed

– shoulders the door

– marionette of a jester hanging in the corner of the room, eyes roll toward him

– cold midnight blue eyes

– doll, old poorly cared for, bells corroded, no longer ring

– largest pairs of scissors ever seen, fine steel, clean blue gleam, worked by an invisible hand

– jesters compelled to pull scrolls and books out of the cabinet into the scissors merrily cutting through them

– dim window

– clack of the latch, jester holds hand out to get to stop

-outside of the window, giant blue envelope, with a seal of a midnight blue castle, filligree

– pale, dark blue paper, like the night sky

Jester, holding its mouth pointing at other hand, Enkidu holding envelope

A saying, of the clouds getting caught on mountains or the spires of a city

– in Satyrine, literally true

– towers of sleep have caught the clouds tonight

– figures, backward chanting, magic conjured in the building

– clouds caught, compressed, juiced of their nightmares

– can see it, nightmares squeezed and running down the spires, into specially prepared braziers to hold

– clean blue steel between white knuckles

– recognize balcony of seventh floor of my tower

– perhaps some enchantment laid into the steel

– small handful of places railing, mostly shiny blue and clean

Color of landscape, repetitive sound, wooden clack clack, clipple clack

Know that shutters to doors behind me, are open

Color, red gold of fire, behind him

Fire in the fireplace, burning cheerily

Sword, hanging over the fire brazier, gathering sparks as if trying to ignite

Culalin, will answer if you’re willing to take it up again

Alien writing, space for a jewel, but missing

Standing on badly cut patch of carpet, gray blue twlight from which you will never escape

Smell food from opposite sides of the staircase

Loud, but muted laughter

Lacuna, having breakfast with Imbir

Zerah

Envelope is from the Nightmare Prince,

– he’ll give patronage on spec

– complicated wad of parchment

– 3d sculpture of paper, harlequin, dark crown of iron topped with jingling bells

– tongue, “Admit Me”

– by the time you arrive, I’ll be preparing the most exciting ball

, bring your friend – Nightmare Prince

Divinity Fudge on an embroidered plate

Some lacuna can use empathic resonance to shift destination, Valimar’s based on eating; key to the adventure

– THe party, bigger than

– Some things can can’t talk about

– resumption of station in Satyrine went easily without resistance

– recall of us was straightforward

– obviously did not go unnoticed

– difficulties of the past

– had things for you, lost

– good thing: because didn’t come,

– I know that something I dont understand of the situation very important

– very unexpected, strong magics,

– shunted one spell into red ambassador

– Widow Threnady

– she was not aware

– relationship with Threnady: bilked her out of a piece of art… but “taken care of that”

– nearly destroyed by a paradox, got a little help at the party; split the paradox between Charles and myself, maintaining incompatible truths

– Eru affected by something, left the room

Imbir had orchestrated the adventure

– two amethysts, $1000 value in Earth

Zerah relays dream to Enkidu, Culalin, dream of battles, inspiration of Joan of Arc, fighting for the right thing “When you’re ready to take up the sword, Culalin will answer”

Naranth wanted for murder of thah

Nem guardian of the dark

– maybe can help us if situation too sticky

Messenger bag, Victorian metal lock, old fanciful colored ringed lawn dart with colored feathers

– objects of power

Zerah collects two signatures from Imbir and Enkidu

 

Contacts red with information about the party through psychopomp, like a mountaineer, with message into the red

Accepts patronage of Nightmare Prince, castle twisted, a woman sweeping ruin into a pile

– request access to Prince’s minions and army for defense and aid

An eye enlargens, jesters playing inside it, stretching a figure, screaming (like a toy Stretch Armstrong), one stabs it and removes its heart and throws it, gives you a red candy, sinks into thoughts Spell: Nightmare Thought, level 3, +1 die, +2 injury to anyone you can see or can say the name.

Rite of Imprimature, pledging to Culalin, that I will pursue rescue of Eru, draws sigil of Culalin (fiery lotuslike design throne, with sword behind it)

Damage inflicting spells +1 damage

Access to spell: Culalin’s Prescience, level 4: see incoming attacks before strike, succeed on any two defense actions, depletion 0-3/hour, Indigo

Charles Ember assembled a pack for each of us