| From: | ANGLISS@***.PSU.EDU |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Back up and Challenge post 5... |
| Date: | Fri, 1 Apr 1994 13:28:27 -0500 |
*****Include TNO Trid, Decrypted and Hijacked*****
One of the cloaked individuals exits the box and joins Valentine and Dane on
the floor of the arena. The figure, male or female is hard to tell, is dressed in the
blue, green, and brown of the Order of Ogma and carries the Ogam stones
that only a Follower of the Path of the Druid can create. Dane exits the arena
and the two of them begin to quote thier accomplishments.
Shamanic Moon Druid vs. Elven Hermetic Druid, patience against patience, mind
against mind, accomplishment against accomplishment. Over the next several
hours(removed mostly from the recording for lack of interest), they compare
thier lives against the others, and Valentine is not found wanting. Some of
the more interesting accomplishments Val claims to have done is built a stone
circle in North America, having helped repair the damages done to France and
Germany during war, and he was able to access the powers of the cairn lines,
otherwise known as ley energy or background count. At the end of several
hours of very boring dialogue, you have this sense that Valentine is more than
what he seems. He is older than his appearance indicates and has traveled the
world. And the Follower admits his defeat.
"You have won your first Trial, Patrick. Now you begin the Trial of the East."
Another cloaked individual exits the O'Kennedy box. It takes you a minute to
realize that it is Dane herself. The Path of the Steward has her as thier
Champion, and in the arena they too begin a verbal battle not unlike the
previous one. But you are rather surprised when it is suddenly over. Val's
work in his past, traveling around Ireland before the Awakening as a roving
bard, shows his ability to be a diplomat. He has diffused conflicts that you
have only heard of as rumors, and yet you are surprised that his skill extends
into this area. Perhaps it is a function of his pacifism, or his humility,
that he has never let on that he helped to orchistrate a gang truce in Seattle
from behind the scenes. And the amazingly subtle manipulation of Lone Star
into allowing his Haven to be a sanctuary, free from the laws of the city, for
the children who had come there looking for safety and peace regardless of
thier prior backgrounds. And some of it falls into place. Like why the gangs
didn't destroy Haven after Morgan and Little Dragon ran into one of them. It
was always assumed that Haven was guarded when in fact Valentine's relationship
with the gangs, and his being willing to help all who asked for it, and his
feeding those who are hungry, that trust he had earned from the gangs in fact
is what kept them from destroying Haven. Amazing, even up to the point that
Dane herself concedes victory in the Trial of the East.
"Thus you have succeeded in passing your two easiest Trials. Now begins the
Trial of the South."
As Dane returns, still hooded, to her box, a brightly colored and intricately
designed cloak descends from the stand. A Path of the Bard Follower, carrying
a lyre not unlike Val's, but without the sense of age, of antiquity, about it.
And playing the figure comes. It is a song of sorrow. It's deep rythms and
chords contribute to the feeling of melancholy, of depression, of angst
accompanying the beautiful song. Even through the camera you can feel its
power. And the Bards are known to be able to affect those who listen to thier
music in a manner that enhances the effect of their music. The camera has
not the ability to pick up this influence, but you don't think you really need
it. For the song is about the pain of loss, of homesickness, of longing for
the way of the old and of fear about what is yet to come. With the last chord,
hanging in the air, you feel the power of the music. And Valentine cannot win.
Honoring the Bard, Valentine even waits several minutes for those in the boxes
to recover, and to overcome his own emotions and the effects the Bard's music
had on him. But when he starts, you notice the change in the mood immediately.
Val's tune is beautiful, and even is using the very chords and rifts of the
Bard's music, but in a totally differnt manner. Here you feel uplifted, almost
happy. Definately in a better mood than after the Bard's performance. The
tempo is faster, the changes in the chords evolving and beginning to spin thier
own webs of influence on your minds. Gradually, almost imperceptably, Val's
music transforms the Bard's from pain to joy to laughter. And by the end of it
all you can hardly keep a smile from springing to your face. And it is over.
Finished, and again Val has won and yet still allowed the Bard to retain his
honor and skill.
"Patrick, are you ready for the Trial of the North?"
Valentine, looking very nervous, sighs and says: "My Lady, I am not prepared
to do the Trial of the North. It is contrary to my beliefs and personality."
"If you do not complete the Trial, your Challenge will fail, your life will be
forfeit, as well as those of your Champions. Have you come so far as to give
up now?"
"Very well. I am ready..."
The Trial of the North, the Path of the Warrior. This is probably the most
difficult thing Valentine has done yet. It is a trial by combat. To the
death if the Challenged party so decides. But what did Dane decide? Time
will tell.
The robed figure, in blacks and greys, steps down to the arena and faces
Val in a military stance. The camera is in a bad place, but you suspect that
he is armed. If it is a deadly weapon, then one of the two of them will not
leave the arena breathing. Valentine also shifts into a stance of his own, a
stance born of years of practical experience. For as long as you have known
him he has been a pacifist and yet his stance shows consideable more expertise
in melee combat than some black belts in the martial arts have. And then, in
a burst of speed and movement that the camera was not prepared for, the
Follower attacks, weaponless. Somehow Valentine is able to avoid the attack.
The Follower has the smooth motion of a highly trained soldier, plus the speed
that most cybered individuals dream about. And Valentine just stepped aside
and threw the Follower to the ground. Attacks fly, and yet none of them are
from Valentine. He always defends, keeping withing his range perfectly and
refusing to let himself be drawn off, tiring the Follower. Until the Follower
pulls the weapon he had slung under his cloak. A sword. An old, celtic lookingsword with
little hilt, and made to look like solid iron.
Almost immediately you notice something appear around Valentine: a barrier
spell of some kind. But the Follower, appearing originally to be a physical
adept, begins to cast some spells of his own, and the barrier not only falls,
but Valentine gets inclosed by a burst of energy. The Follower is a sorcery
adept of some kind, and Valentine is outclassed. Valentine begins to look a
little worried as he scrambles for a weapon, finding only the sickle. And yet
he does not draw it. It could easily kill another person, but he does not
draw it, choosing instead to stop, raise several barriers, and wait. The
Follower obliges and begins to chop through the barriers as if they were
non-existant. Finally the final physical barrier collapses and the Follower
moves to cut Val in half. As time appears to slow down, you notice that Val
has tears running down his face, and his body seems to be wracked with spasms
of sorrow and soft crying. The blow begins to descend, aimed at his head, and
Valentine steps aside again, dodging the blow with the same speed that he had
earlier, obviously spell assisted. And he steps away, opens his eyes, and
again stops. The Follower adjusts his attack immediately, but never has a
chance to finish his stroke. A stream of something appears at Val's outstrechedhand and
arcs over to the Follower. Hissing and bubbling, it hits him and
washes over the Follower's body. Acid. Within seconds, the battle is over
and the screams of the Follower's pain and anguish fade to mear echos and
memories.
Valentine comes over to the body, kneels, and performs some religious ceremony.
Not Christian, but not Tir based either. His own prayer for the soul of an
innocent pawn in a game he couldn't control. And you barely hear Val as he
asks the universe "Why? Why did you make me kill again? Wasn't a town enough?
Wasn't the Capitol enough? Wasn't New Orleans enough? Weren't the wars and
the trials enough? Always innocent. Always with families. Always young. And
always my fault. Isn't the guilt of 20000 souls enough?" And Valentine puts
his hands down into the very acid he cast, oblivious to the pain, and raises
his head to the sky and screams a primal scream of anguish and pain; pain not
for himself but for the reopening of old wounds and the loss of another mind
and soul and body from the world.
>From the main box, the Queen says: "He fought with honor, and you do him honor
in death." and all the elves, including STREETWOLF, who knows the ceremony, and
Valentine too, join her: "He fought and died with honor. His next position on
the Wheel shall be a greater one."
Valentine, still shedding tears for the dead, stands, gets his acid burned
hands wrapped but turns down the offer of magical healing, and turns to face
the main box. "I am ready for the final Trial, the Trial of the Center."
fihind
Finally, a last cloaked figure, bearing a sword in its scabbard and wearing a
cloak of black and white and covered with stars, the sun, and the moon, steps
down from the box and approaches Valentine.
"You refused the healing of your hands. Why?"
"Because I refuse to let myself take the easy way out. The pain reminds me of
my duty to myself and my wife and those I protect. The pain will keep me
humble and remind me of my faults and failures in hopes that I will learn from
in the future."
"Why did you aid the families of Ireland so many years ago?"
"Because they needed my help. I often lived with a single town over the long
winter. They supported me and kept me alive through my wanderings and I kept
them sane through the long months of inactivity. I was often called upon to
tell the stories of the land, and it was my obligation and my pleasure to do
so."
"But you do not continue this."
"I fulfill my obligations to more than my countrymen, but to myself and to all
humanity now. The wanderer has traveled far and wide, but before you can truly
aid those in need you must pass through need yourself so you have the knowledge
and understanding and empathy that is required. Haven exists for this reason.
The children are the future, and the children I serve and help learn from me,
and I from them. For truly the teacher is the student, and they leave me
better for the experience, more able to understand the world and thier place
in it."
"You have succeeded totally, then."
"No person is perfect. One must remain humble. I am not expert in all things.
Even if I were, there is always more to be learned, to be experienced. And
without humility this learning is limited. One must be humble enough to be
willing to learn all there is to learn, and then throw it out completely if
necessary. But one must know when to be forceful. It is a balancing act."
"I understand completely and find you guilty of good dreams, humility, and a
lifetime of service. My Lady, Your Majesty, this man has passed the final
trial. His Challenge is complete, and he has succeeded."
And in the main box, all stand, followed immediately by the other two boxes.
And Lady Deigh turns to Valentine and says:
"You're Challenge is complete. With this, Patrick John O'Kennedy is dead, and
the record will show this to be true. As this is true, the death order placed
on him will no longer be necessary. The body and his possessions have never
been recovered, and never will be. Valentine, you are free to come and go
from the Tir as you desire, subject only to the laws all must follow. Dane
O'Kennedy, Patrick John O'Kennedy has died here tonight. His one-time shamanic
druidic magic is no longer a stain upon your family name, and your clan's
honor is fully restored. Go in peace, all."
*****End Trideo Feed*****
YES!!!! FINALLY!!! It's done! Now I can actually get some electronics
security design work done... So, as you can see, Val is safe(he and his
friends are flying back tomorrow) and the problems with TNO are over. Unless
he does something to make them angry as Valentine...]<<<<<
-- Moriarity(13:30:35/04-01-55)
