Darko
Connoisseur.
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2019
- Messages
- 23,197
I don't remember much of anything about how Daniel is as Dream, though.
I think he was a bit unsure of his position at first, due to being new to it, but I think he got better.
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
I don't remember much of anything about how Daniel is as Dream, though.
I agree it does seem weird, my first guess is that there was a gap where they hurriedly found a way to give the ring charge and since Melmoth opened with negotiations he probably just let them do it.Yes... And this chapter we see him having gone directly to the ship...
So it basically stunted itself into irrelevance once the Queen went bye-bye. And I see ol' Swirly-cheeks is as annoyingly upbeat as ever.Where They
Stop
"Ah!"
I grinning, human-looking figure on one of the lower gantries grins broadly as Artemis and I approach, carried through the air on our aero-discs. We're a little way away from Caereglwys, the city that used to be the Sheeda capital before the war… Well, the place sent the largest proportion of its populations with the Harrowing fleet and then its rulers tried to lord it over the other cities…
Points for confidence in the face of clearly well-equipped opposition.It didn't go well.
"Hello! You must be the caretaker-management!"
No doubt there were images of him in the Sheeda archives, given how long he's had to browse them over the millennia.He… Does actually look familiar-. Ah! Yes.
"And you must be ex-king Melmoth. I hear that you're immortal."
Haven't you heard? A Rumour can be halfway around the world (or the universe, in this case) before the Truth has even got its' boots on."Indeed I am. And I hear that you disposed of that blight in the middle of our sun."
Artemis's eyes narrow slightly. "And exactly how did you hear about that?"
No doubt information culled from contacts on modern-day Earth. We know from 'Seven Soldiers' that he had people all over."I didn't rule this world for centuries by being second with the news. I had beacons set in place to transmit that information to me whenever I was whenever it happened. You're…" The looks at me with condescending curiosity. "Grayven, aren't you?"
"Guilty as charged."
Just not 'Huntress'? That was your mother's name, and it'll be used by Helena Bertinelli in turn... And maybe Batman's daughter, someday. Really, there are only so many good hero names for your skill-set."And… A female archer with the powers of a goddess..?" He raises his eyebrows. "Artemis?"
Artemis looks away. "I need a new name."
...I..."If it's any consolation, Donna's isn't much better." I looks back up at Melmoth. "Look… What do you want? We've just gotten this place working properly. We were just about to grab Starbreaker and put him to work rebuilding the universe."
"Do you like this era so much that you no longer wish to leave it?"
It's... I won't say it's a nice place, and visiting was certainly informative, but, no, I wouldn't want to stay.Artemis and I glance at each other. I incline my head slightly, prompting her to field the question.
"No, we want to leave."
To be honest, does it really matter? Starbreaker's presence was basically messing up time anyway."Then I have just the thing. A small quantity of the liquid which the Castle Revolving uses to travel through time. And unlike my ex-wife, I actually understand how to use it. Would you like to return to your own era? A little before? A little later? The very instant you left? I-."
"Sorry." I raise my right hand. "Sorry to interrupt. What year is it?"
Do you need to know where you are, to follow a beacon in the distance? To sight on a lighthouse? As for returning home, presumably when they're done harvesting, they release whatever keeps them in the past and get flung back like a temporal rubber band."I have no idea. And given that we don't have a sun, and that the Earth never exactly 'orbited' the Vampire Sun, I don't see the relevance."
Artemis throws her hands up. "Oh, come on! How can you be a time traveller if you don't know what the time is!"
...Either Grayven and Artemis got dumped a long time after the Queen's last launch or they have been here way, way longer than they thought."By aligning my chronal sensors to known temporal events. I don't need a calendar to follow a beacon. Though if it's troubling you this much, we're approximately one billion years from the Last Harrowing. Does knowing that make you happier?"
"Actually-" Artemis nods. "-yeah. Yeah, it does."
The only question is what he plans to do with the Sheeda now. No constant leeching of resources to maintain their failing lifestyle, Grayven's plans have given them vast energy reserves now... Honestly, if he plans to keep raiding the past, then he really is Stupid Evil."Then I'm happy to be of service. But as I was saying, I can send you home. That's what you want, isn't it?"
"Yeah." She nods again. "We do, and thanks for telling us there's a time machine on your ship. And I'm guessing you want us to hand over Earth-now to you?"
And no doubt Melmoth would simply stomp in, pull on whatever psychic strings he had laced through the Sheeda people and slide right back into his old despotic ways..."It would help. But in all honestly, both of you leaving would be quite adequate. I'm more than confident in my own ability to rise to the top of whatever civilisation you've built here."
Hm. We have created a House of Lords analogue, but Artemis and I have a firm grasp on executive authority and we haven't… Put in place a system for Sheeda civilisation to govern itself fully after we leave. That was something we were planning on doing, obviously, but it wasn't urgent enough to prioritise just yet.
Which is why he's shown up right now, before they can set up that new system... The Nobility can't bitch about losing something they were never granted, can they?Of course. He can't let us entrench a new planetary ruling elite. Taking over is easiest when there isn't any one with a vested interest in keeping the job themselves. They served us and they can serve him. They might be mildly peeved not to get the power Artemis and I implied that they would, but they won't be losing out. Nothing would be taken away. The moment they get their new power, the moment one of them gets it and the system is there for others to peacefully receive it in turn… Suddenly, they aren't inclined to let anyone take it away from them permanently.
That would be the Warlock-breed Columbians, eh? I'll bet they're stronger than they appear.Artemis nods. "And what happens if we say 'no'?"
"Then… I… Simple take it from you. My Harvest Dreadnought has been extensively converted, and I picked up a few willing assistants before I returned to the present. Unlike the people who serve you, they're used to fighting in an environment where they're not having to carefully avoid being drained of all life. Their raw power is really rather impressive."
And the Sheeda have had years of global cooperation now. I doubt Ol' Swirly-Cheeks could drive a wedge into that, short of some very subtle triggers planted in the base of the Sheeda genome...I'm… Not sure whether that's an actual risk or not.
"I know we haven't been focusing on our military force recently, but we did fight a world-spanning war not all that long ago. Not only do we still have all of the weapons and warcraft of that era, but we've got plenty of veterans who think well of us. And big as this ship is, I… Don't think you've got the resources to carry out a coup de force."
A good question. What reason do they have to trust him at all?"And I don't want to carry out a coup de force. I'm afraid.. that.. I don't understand your hesitation. You've achieved something wonderful here. You've freed Sheeda civilisation from the need to feed upon the past. You've given it a chance to build a new future, a chance that it didn't have before. A chance I've never had before. And I'm grateful; we're all grateful. And I'm offering you a chance to go home."
"How exactly are we supposed to trust you not to just dump us back with the dinosaurs?"
How very... Honest of him. No doubt there's something he's neglecting to mention. Even the fakest Fae knows how to lie with only the truth."Well, that wouldn't kill you, and would put you in the perfect position to disrupt our Harrowing of the sauriods. And since I don't remember you being there and since I don't want to risk erasing myself, I can't risk it. If you want to ask about another era, I can open a portal -briefly- and you can send through such probes or use such magics as will satisfy you as to its authenticity. Really…" He chuckles darkly. "It would be far more effort for me to produce a convincing fake than it would be to just send you away, when I know that doing so will result in your death… As.. evidenced by the fact that you're not here now. Some time in the next billion years the universe takes care of things for me, so whether it happens a mere million years one way or the other makes no difference to me at all."
I'd quote GlaDOS, but Handlewithcare got there first. And boy, the stench of bullshit is strong with this one.He tried an earnest smile, and even if he's genuine it comes off as completely dishonest.
"I honestly just want you gone. Tell me what I can do to convince you, and I'll gladly do it."
…
It feels like being conquered, doesn't it? Surrendering all you've gained to someone without an honest fight for it? I'm not surprised your Godhead is reluctant to let go.I think I've been here too long. I'm feeling… Possessive, in a way I wasn't when I let Myand'r continue ruling Tamaran. I didn't feel this way when Armstrong gave me orders. I didn't feel this way when Jon asked me to do things or when Batman used to… It could be the… Time that's passed, or the closeness of the Source Wall, or… Just how dominant I am here. Or how attached I've become. I could hand over to Artemis without a moment's hesitation, but… This man…
Good idea. If he's planning to continue the Harrowings... Someone is going to get his smiley ass beat.Artemis come to a conclusion while I'm still mulling it over.
"What exactly do you want to do with the place?"
Given he can easily have spent millennia studying, especially since there was no do-gooders barging in on his plans for Columbia, I'm not surprised."While I've been away I've discovered new techniques, which can sustain us without needing to raid the past!"
"And those are..?"
It's just a matter of what the Endless have to say about it. Even if Dream has passed (unlikely, given that the Sheeda still live and dream,) his siblings Death and Destiny might want words."Dreams. We can raid the dreams lingering from more prosperous times and manifest them into reality. With this universe so stripped down they'll be no interference as we bring entire worlds from the unreal to the real."
He might be onto something. Deep Dreaming manipulation hasn't really been an Apokoliptian thing. Which is a little surprising, now that I think about it.
And the orange ring sparks with fresh avarice..."Entire peoples, entire civilisations, ours to hunt and despoil, then return to unreality so that we can do it all again tomorrow! I almost wish we'd never bothered raiding the past, but alas, I didn't know this was possible. Such a glorious pleasure it will be!"
I sigh, and look at Artemis who is in turn looking at me expectantly.
...I hate to say it, but Vaermina does have a point. Last chapter his ring was drained, and I doubt they took a side-trip to the emotion-caster city with an imminent threat sitting right there... I mean, I know time is funky here, but really?"Yeah. Okay."
I raise my left hand, orange power ring shining brilliantly, and brand him.
So much grinning... Any better way to word it?A grinning, human-looking figure on one of the lower gantries grins broadly as Artemis and I approach...
Thank you, corrected.
we're approximately one billion years from the Last Harrowing. Does knowing that make you happier?"
"Actually-" Artemis nods. "-yeah. Yeah, it does."
But as I was saying, I can send you home. That's what you want, isn't it?"
I raise my left hand, orange power ring shining brilliantly, and brand him.
Last (?) update he mentioned explicitly contacting a Sheeda city specialsied in emotion magic.
Honestly, if he plans to keep raiding the past, then he really is Stupid Evil.
It's just a matter of what the Endless have to say about it. Even if Dream has passed (unlikely, given that the Sheeda still live and dream,) his siblings Death and Destiny might want words.
How... No, why does this make you happier Arty? Knowing you're 'approximately one billion years from the Last Harrowing' [I'd say 'a billion years from home' but at this point this blased place should feel more of a 'home' to you. You've been there for centuries compared to mere years you spent in the Past] doesn't matter in any way. It could be 5 billion and make no difference to you.
Really, there are only so many good hero names for your skill-set.
It makes her happy because she finally has some idea of how far away they are from the past, and in the first chapters she was wondering about the time.
Hello there present readers.
No. As that segment has a different point of view character, it has their understanding of their own time.Hello there present readers.
This is the past calling!
Should the Summer's End 'timestamp' be here?
This doesn't appear to be related to the Sheeda or their 'calender'
Hmmm... She needs something original. Something no version or expy of her has ever used. Preferably something that hints at her pointy stick obsession. How about... 'Arrowette'! No wait, there's a C-list villain with that name... Then how about... 'Green Arrowette'?
But why does it matter? Either they have a time machine in which case the distance doesn't matter or they don't, in which case the distance also doesn't matter because one or five or dozen thousand or million or billion years is equally insurmountable.
Hello there present readers.
This is the past calling!
Should the Summer's End 'timestamp' be here?
This doesn't appear to be related to the Sheeda or their 'calender'
The personal Lantern that would have been drained along side the ring and which would have no central orange power battery to draw energy to recharge from?Thank you, corrected.
Grayven never lost his personal lantern. I made an explicit reference to a technique that could allow him to give him enough power to regain access to it in the last segment. At that point, with Starbreaker no longer draining everything, recharging his ring was something he would obviously do before facing down an intruder.
The personal Lantern that would have been drained along side the ring and which would have no central orange power battery to draw energy to recharge from?
Also there's the whole problem with the Entities being dead and gone along side the rest of the universe, so there should be no orange light period.
Yeah, that's what I assumed. We don't need to see every little detail.recharging his ring was something he would obviously do before facing down an intruder
Actually Mr Zoat what you failed to show here explicitly, was that sufficient time passed that we could infer that they went there and did that instead of them going straight to Melmoth as was implied here:I made an explicit reference to a technique that could allow him to give him enough power to regain access to it in the last segment
Artemis looks at the image for a few moments, then turns to face me.
"We need to get down there."
I nod. "Indeed we do."
He wanted this very, VERY baddly.
Actually Mr Zoat what you failed to show here explicitly, was that sufficient time passed that we could infer that they went there and did that instead of them going straight to Melmoth as was implied here:
Nope.Grayven never lost his personal lantern. I made an explicit reference to a technique that could allow him to give him enough power to regain access to it in the last segment. At that point, with Starbreaker no longer draining everything, recharging his ring was something he would obviously do before facing down an intruder.
Nope.
What last chapter has is Greyven stating that he doesn't have such a technique, but want to/intends to develop one with the help of emotion specialised mages.
Then they are interrupted by a capital ship turning up and state their intent to go check on it, with a strong implication that they would do so immediately rather than taking multiple hours/days to go prep.
Zoat please correct me if I am wrong, but I think the dream harvesting thing is what drove Grayven to brand Melmoth.
It feels similar to when Paragon was telling Melmoth about alternatives to Harrowing to save the Sheeda. And Melmoth refused because he liked hurting people even though he knew it was not as efficient and short sighted.
Besides. How would harvesting dreams be any better? Sheeda having access to the collective unconscious of past civilizations could be disastrous? Stealing their dreams and ideas, inspiration? If those are harvested, it could create stasis and stagnation in a past civilization which could be just as bad or worse than the Harrowing was.
Thoughts?
Well Damn!"Yeah. Okay."
I raise my left hand, orange power ring shining brilliantly, and brand him.
Yes but getting to the place where he can get enough charge to do so takes some time anyway, and it was, incorrectly admittedly, inferred by a lot of people that they went straight to deal with Melmoth, due to an unspoken understanding of narrative conventions of the part that I quoted.Something to keep in mind folks is that it hardly takes any time at all to charge a ring.
An orange lantern ring goes from 0 to 100% full in the time it would take to say
"What's mine is mine and mine and mine.
And mine and mine and mine!
Not yours!"
That's 16 syllables.
So less time that it takes to say a haiku.
Power rings are very impressive batteries.
I missed that. What was the quote?I'd quote GlaDOS, but Handlewithcare got there first. And boy, the stench of bullshit is strong with this one.
Be interesting if Dream had died and Artemis and Grayven rebirthed him by being the first to dream in a long time.It's just a matter of what the Endless have to say about it. Even if Dream has passed (unlikely, given that the Sheeda still live and dream,) his siblings Death and Destiny might want words.
Even before he became Dream, he was a superhero while armed with nothing but prophetic dreams and a gun that shot sleep gas. Dude has grit and a willingness to punish people for their misdeeds. I think that something like Melmoth's dream-based supervillainy plan would be exactly the sort of thing he'd punish severely.It might not have been as bad.
By this time, Morpheus should be dead and Daniel have taken his place. He in turn might have also gotten replaced, but he's the one we know about.
I don't remember much of anything about how Daniel is as Dream, though.
I think that Grayven's ring just got recharged by the sheer force of Melmoth's avarice. Look at how much Orange there was there!
Even before he became Dream, he was a superhero while armed with nothing but prophetic dreams and a gun that shot sleep gas. Dude has grit and a willingness to punish people for their misdeeds. I think that something like Melmoth's dream-based supervillainy plan would be exactly the sort of thing he'd punish severely.
The lack of times being noted at the beginning of each update really doesn't help the impression that this one happened almost immediately after the previous one ended. I guess Melmoth is one of those patient bosses that won't take any action until you show up in his throne room? Just a little odd that his scripting is different here than it was in the witch world, where he was *very* active, putting the player on a clock.