Cosmos and Chaos (forum adventure)

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Hi, folks. This is Part II of the Wanderer Forum Adventure. I felt that the first thread had gotten too long, and that a new one would be appropriate. Sorry if an admin has a problem with this.

A Forum Adventure is much like an RPG - except for one significant difference: there is only one person to play as - the protagonist (in this case, an amnesiac named Sheth). I post the circumstances of the adventure, you dictate the protagonist's actions.

Because no one is likely to reread the previous thread, I'll post a summary of Part I of the Forum Adventure. Just refer to it if you need details, though.

---

Sheth is amnesiac. He has no idea where he comes from, who he is, or even if his name is Sheth. All he knows is that he is a young adult male of about 25-30 years of age, and that there are powerful people interested in him, for whatever reason.

Sheth has discovered various oddities throughout his journey (which so far has totaled only two days). Firstly, he has two strange pictures tattooed on his chest. One is of a Formian, the other of a Slaad.

The Formians are Beings of complete of Order and Structure. They are about the size of a man, and are ants that walk upright like a centaur. The reason they are interested in Sheth is unknown, but they apparently seek to kill or capture him. He has managed to outwit and escape the Ants so far.

The Slaadi are the diametric opposites of the Formians. They are Beings of utter Chaos and Madness. They look like large toad-like humans that walk upright. A picture of them can be found here. One Slaad, a black-skinned Being named H'tleth, has taken an interest in Sheth. He says that he may able to show Sheth his identity if he follows him. However, H'tleth is strange, unpredictable, and at times homicidal, but he has not lifted a finger against Sheth so far.

H'tleth has guided our protagonist to a Planar Gate, where he will presumably find out more relevant information. But he was given a choice: if he follows H'tleth, he may die, but it will be for a good (but unknown) cause. On the other hand, he can simply choose to settle down and create an identity for himself. This choice was shown as a selfish one, although why it was so is unclear.

Sheth has chosen to search for his identity, rather than forge a new one. He has stepped through the Gate, and now he is in a different world.

---

In all chaos there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order. ~Carl Jung

He had stepped through the gate. He was in a different world, and he could sense it the moment his feet touched the cog. He was standing on a cog, and it was spinning and turning in a slow, predictable fashion. It was connected to another cog, which was in turn linked to two more; those cogs were connected to other cogs and pistons and gears and all sorts of churning clockwork.

Sheth understood it immediately. Each cog was dependent on another (or perhaps vice versa) to make it turn. If one stopped, others would stop. Cogs were everywhere, across from him, above him, beneath him. It was like the innards of some gigantic machine, turning toward some unseen purpose. And the medium of these cogs was a sky - not the robin's egg blue one he had seen an hour ago, nor was it a dull gray one he had seen when he first found himself in the forest. It was an off-white, that glowed faintly. There was no sun and no stars. Only the off-white sky and the ever-turning gears.

He spotted the Slaad, H'tleth, out of the corner of his eye.

"Well, Sheth. This is Mechanus. The Predictable Clockwork Harmony of Mechanus. I've never gotten used to it. All is orderly and structured. I'll admit it scares me."

---

Your turn now. What does Sheth do?

[ January 26, 2003, 04:21: Message edited by: C'Jakob ]

 

Sheth replys. "I know... I know this place. Tell me Slaad, what is going on? If I do not get an answer soon, I will find the answers I need on my own."

 

(It should probably be noted that these cogs Sheth and H'tleth are on are very large; approxmiately a kilometer in diameter each)

H'tleth shrugs his large, knobbed shoulders, and says, "There's plenty of time to see what there is; I've lived for centuries, and patience is one thing that I've learned. But you don't think you need me? Fine - I know plenty about the Planes. If you don't think you need any help, you won't get any."

 

Sheth stopped the Slaad before he could leave. "Wait, H'tleth, that's not what I meant. I read Jhor's books and the answers there don't go far enough. Why me? What talents do I have that I should be selected to assist in the task before you?" He looked up ito the Slaad's face, searching for the creature's eye. "Are we to become cogs ins this machine, or do you intend to break the gears?"

 

The Slaad frowns. He shakes his head and says, "You're not getting it. Jhor didn't have a single book - not an accurate one, anyways - relating to the Planes in his library. When I killed him and took on his persona, I wrote that book for you to read. What I know is what've you've read. Nothing more.

"The task? The task is to find who you are. But there's something big going on - and you're related to it. Whatever it is, I have no idea. I have no idea why a picture of me is tattooed on you. I have no idea who you really are. But I'm... obligated to help you, suffice to say.

"As for Mechanus - I don't like it, but I don't hate it either. I'm a Slaad - this place shuns me. But it's a big place, and it's been here for a long, long time. Long enough for me to do whatever I want and not budge a bit.

"But I told you something big was going on in the Planes - and the answers - to both whatever it is and who you are - lie here. And maybe other places. Now there's something you have to see. Please, I'm not going to like it if you'd turn your back on me."

[ January 27, 2003, 03:44: Message edited by: C'Jakob ]

 

Sheth relaxed a bit. "Lead on," he replied, with a shadow of a grin, "lead on."

 

The Slaad walks over to the rim of the cog and crouches, peering in the distance at another cog. He points one of his dirty-white claws toward a small town that has been placed in its center.

"That is a town called Harmony. Its residents work in peace and simplicity. Each day of their lives is the same. No disruption, no disturbance. Until today."

 

Sheththinks if he should trust H'tleth)

(A big sigh)

"I am weary from my travels, and a bit confused."

(Gives H'tlth the benefit of the doubt, for now.}

"Though that is no excuse for my behavior towards you, especialy for someone who may have saved my life."

(Sheth is still not sure if H'tleth saved him out of curiousity, or started the whole mess to push Sheth into the present situation.)

"I do apologize." "H'tleth, it seems that we are both on this path, together, for one reason or another, and you are right, you do know more of these Planes then I do, at least from what I can remember."

"Let us continue on then. If what waits for us are more Formians then I will have no quarrel in avenging my friends, even if they were known for only a short period of time."

(Anger fills his eye's as he remembers. The Nothingness that became of the Elf, in such a zombie like state. The life that faded as he held her in his arms, she never gave up. The Dwarf, probly took on five at a time. That bodie in the hut, not realy a friend, but such Atrocities. What of the old wizard, just forget it, it was what needed to happen.)

Sheth starts to lead, by the easiest way possible, then waits for his friend, H'tleth to join him.

 

H'tleth does not move, but remains crouched at the rim of the cog, staring at the town Harmony.

He shrugs and says, "If you want to take revenge on the Formians, that's fine with me. But keep in mind that most Slaadi - like me - would probably kill you if they had the chance. We're both violent people. But regardless, this is something you have to see."

The Slaad gestures toward Harmony.

 

Sheth to H'lteh : " If you wanted to kill me I'm sure you would of, and if you still plan to, there is not much that I can do to stop you. Still, I believe that I serve a purpose for now, and until I am no longer useful I do not have to keep my back from you."

"By then I will at least have an Idea of who I am, if not that, than at least what my role is in this 'Something Big on the Planes' that you mentioned."

"Heh, Heh, H'tleth, wheather you strike while my back is turned, or depart my head from my body while standing in front of me, you are the only Sladdi or Formian for that matter that I know. The only other who can give me answers, and in my mind a Friend, albeit one who holds my life in his claws."

(Sheth walks to the edge and peers over, while crouching) Sheth: "What is it that you want me to see."

( If possible, after H'tleth answers, Sheth makes his way to the town, not waiting, and not looking back. If there are any Cogs that are nearing by, Sheth journeys downward, using them, understanding that one mistep could be hazordous.)

( If not. Then He takes in another look of the Sight.) "Truly amazing" (he whispers out loud.)

 

The Slaad shakes his head.

"I wouldn't kill you even if I had to. I couldn't. But look at that town. Between it are two Formian Hives. They will go to war, and Harmony will be caught in the middle."

Sheth can feel a strange disturbance in the air, as if the cogs themselves were crying out in protest.

"Hives go to war all the time. But this time there is a third party. I can almost feel that this time, the battle will be different. Chaos will ensure in combat here. It is unnatural in this Clockwork, but that's what'll happen."

(Harmony is on a separate cog, off in the distance (maybe half a kilometer or so). There seems to be no way to reach it within Sheth's sight.)

[ January 28, 2003, 02:15: Message edited by: C'Jakob ]

 

"Who is the third party?", Sheth asks.

 

"The third party is the town. Harmony. Each and every Formian battle I've seen is incredulously simple. They clash on a gear and fight. Only the two sides are hurt. But this time, they'll meet at Harmony. Harmony, of course, will be destroyed. And you and I can both feel that the battle will be very, very unnatural in this place."

 

"Then we must intervene," Sheth says to himself.

 

The Slaad gives a snort.

"And how do you propose we do that?"

(The gear Sheth and H'tleth are standing on and the gear Harmony sits upon is separated by two or so kilometers of empty space.)

[ January 28, 2003, 20:51: Message edited by: C'Jakob ]

 

Sheth looked around, slowly, thinking. Each cog was dependent on another (or perhaps vice versa) to make it turn. If one stopped, others would stop. He peered towards Harmony, trying to trace the path and turnings of the gears between the town and where he now stood. There had to be somewhere he could go, some cog that would carry his actions forward to Harmony in time.

But what else would carry forward, he wondered.

 

(Two cogs are oppositely adjacent to Harmony, as are two cogs to the cog Sheth is on.)

Sheth examined the genealogy of each cog. Then in a flash he saw it. Harmony was linked to one of the Ant-Hives, which was linked to a cog upholding a tall fortress, which in turn was linked to another cog, and so forth until it was linked to the empty, barren cog that Sheth stood on.

It would be a long way to Harmony.

[ January 28, 2003, 23:09: Message edited by: C'Jakob ]

 

Sheth: " I beleive I found a way, we will need to travel that distance." ( He points from Harmony to the next Cog and the next, until he is back to the one that they are on.)

" Unless you can throw me across to harmony, and then throw your-self, Heh heh, ( laughs like Christoper Lambert, from those Highlander Movies) I know you are strong, yet I doubt that would be possible." ( Said with a Half-Grin)

" A question, H'tleth, before we get started."
"How much time do you think we have? I would not want to arrive and be too exshausted to do nothing when there. Though if time is a constraint then we should make haste."

(Sheth stands there , waiting with anticipation, Hearing in his mind the answer to his own question, " time is running short, move , move now!." then " I should wait until H'tleth answers, patience, patience.")

 

"We won't make it. It'll take hours, if not days. Harmony'll be destroyed - Chaos will ensure on that cog. The only reason I brought you here was to show you what might be happening."

 

Sheth: "What might be happening" He repeats to himself. Then he is quite. A memorie of his past, no, a dream only a night ago, resurfaces. "Of Course" He thinks to himself.

Sheth: "H'tleth, I had a dream, or maybe a vision. It was while the Formians attacked us. While I did nothing but sleep.( Lowering his head, a bit.)"

"I was standing, here, on this plane, on a Cog just like this, maybe even this one. Except... except there were many Formians, too many Giant Gray Ants, and they were in front of me, bowing, as if I were their God, as if I commanded them.
There was something else, it is still hard to remember." ( suddenly he gets a thought that he lost) " They were waiting for me to order them, to give them order, and I Held a rod in my hand.....The Rod you put in the book that I read, This Rod."

Sheth holds up the rod that is adorned with the Jewels, he holds the rod as if it was his for as long as he could remember, as if no one but he had the privliege of wieldng it.