The Devil's Dreams, Chapter 3

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Good, good, better," Everline thinks. "Better. Home. Home is deep/down? Any deep/down? Every deep/down is good? But deep/down here is dangerous. Rats. Rat demons yes/no? Poison fungus" - a burst of images from Everline at the fungus of Crespin's corpse and what happened to Benn - "is here. Understand? Know? Yes/no? You know? You understand? Danger deep/down here, danger on light/surface here. Want to take away danger. Not want to put you in danger. Deep-down here, no good, yes/no?"

[ewancummins]

Everline

"Good, good, better," Everline thinks. "Better. Home. Home is deep/down? Any deep/down? Every deep/down is good? But deep/down here is dangerous. Rats. Rat demons yes/no? Poison fungus" - a burst of images from Everline at the fungus of Crespin's corpse and what happened to Benn - "is here. Understand? Know? Yes/no? You know? You understand? Danger deep/down here, danger on light/surface here. Want to take away danger. Not want to put you in danger. Deep-down here, no good, yes/no?"

rats

...demons...

the bad-eaters

you go down

waters flowing

caverns

deep

close

below
here

take this one below

to the wet-caverns

waters flowing

carry

carry the earth-dream

to the circle

the danger is great

YOU MUST WAKEN

You are wrenched from the trance with a terrible psychic shock.

Every hair on your shaking body stands on end. Your breath comes in great, convulsive gasps, as if you'd just swum up from the bottom of an ice-cold river.

You see the fungus resting in the bottom of the glass box, quite still.

The flickering, soft light of the oil lamp fills the center of the room but leaves the corners in deep shadows. Your new friends and companions stand all about you.

[ewancummins]

Karim-

"Sounds good sheriff, I will get the guesthouse. My companions are there as well so they might help me as well."

When Karim arrives at the guesthouse, he finds the parlor full of guests. The men are excitedly discussing a recent fire and the seeming vanishment or unannounced departure of the Weathermay Twins.

Karim also notices a white-haired, wrinkled old woman in a drab dress, dusting paintings in the hall. She looks as if she may well be the oldest servant Karim has encountered on the estate.

[Lord Skybolt]

"So did it communicate with you ?"Alain asks after the fungus moves to the back of the jar .

[ewancummins]

Rotwang's room

The old professor replaces the glass cover.

[Ail]

Eustace looks concernedly at Everline. Seeing her shake he touches her arms lightly, in a sort of comforting way. He looks around for a blanket, as she seems to be shivering. It's not cold, forsooth, but a blanket could still be comforting.

"Did it say anything? You were frozen and still there, I thought you had lost conscience... or indeed that you were being trapped by something unnatural. The look in your eyes... it seemed too much what I saw in countless victims of the fey who were kidnapped by them. In mind, if not in body. Spirit away, we called them."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"I'm alright," Everline says. She shakes herself like a wet dog, then stops shivering. "Yes. I'm alright. Thanks for the concern. Ahem.

Yes, we spoke. It, he, she? I have no idea whether it has a gender, so let's just roll with 'it' for now. It wants its freedom, Professor. It made that very clear." She gives the old scholar a look which is not unfriendly, but quite firm. "I don't think it holds a grudge; it didn't say anything about bearing you any malice. But it wants out. It wants to go home.

Fortunately" - this comment takes in everyone else - "I don't think it wants to go as far as the Shadow Rift. It wants to be taken..."

Everline's eyes lose focus for a moment as she puts words to the fungus' last message: "... wants to be taken to the caverns that are closeby, the wet caverns where water flows. There is great danger. Rats, demons... I mentioned those, it did not deny their presence. It mentioned 'bad-eaters', which may be the critters mentioned, or the poison fungi? Unclear. But it asks us to 'carry the earth-dream to the circle'. The circle is important, but I don't know why. I couldn't... I couldn't understand what the circle is, but it wants to go there. It asked me to join the circle. Or was it that it wants to join the circle? Maybe...?"

Everline shakes herself again, her eyes coming back into focus. "Anyway, that's the gist of it. It wants to go down and to be released. I didn't get any kind of hostile intent from it, it's just... strange."

[ewancummins]

Rotwang's room

Eustace spots a mass of blankets loosely piled on the professor's unoccupied bed.



Professor Rotwang replies to Everline-

"Well, I'm now convinced that it is much more intelligent than even I had thought. Such a shame to have a find like this and just release it....but of course you are right. If it thinks on the level it seems to do- it would be wrong for me to keep it against its will. "

He sighs heavily.

[Ail]

"The dreams of the earth? What could it mean?"

Eustace exclaims, as he take one blanket from the bed and puts it over Everline's shoulders.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"I think it means itself," Everline says with a shrug. "I'm not entirely sure, but it may be how it names itself. Thanks for the blankey, matey."

[Ail]

"I think it means itself," Everline says with a shrug. "I'm not entirely sure, but it may be how it names itself. Thanks for the blankey, matey."

Ehm... I guess you should thank the professor too, I think, as it was from his bed.

But back to the 'earth-dream'. Strange choice of words. Had any of you ever heard it before?

OOC: can I make a Lore check, or knowledge of somekind too, to try and make something out of this expression, Ewan?

[Adam]

"Truly fascinating," Benn exclaims, his voice muffled by the mask he has forgotten he's wearing in his eagerness. "You're to be commended for your courage, young lady. I only regret my current illness didn't allow me to assist."

He goes to scratch his mustache and, encountering the cheesecloth, pulls it hastily aside and continues. "Normally I would love to carry the thing into the caverns and release it, but I fear we are poorly equipped to do so. The caverns are full of violent, carniverous rats and their man sized masters. Our attempt to enter previously resulted in the grisly death of one of our old friends at their hands, and I fear any other attempts to do so may reach a similar fate. However..." he trails off, thinking a moment before continuing. What did it mention about this dreaming circle? It occurs to me that, while the larger creatures could possess a level of intelligence, the smaller rats seemed no more than average. And yet, it can't be denied they seemed to act with a singular will. It's tempting to speculate that perhaps this dreaming circle, whatever it may be, could be exerting some manner of control over them."

[ewancummins]

Rotwang's room, guesthouse


Rotwang tells Benn-

"Oh, I have some of my spelunking gear in my crates. I brought it along in case I had a chance to see the caverns of which my friend Theo had told me. As a specialist in fungi, mold, fruiting bodies, etc. I often have occasion to explore underground."

[Ail]

Eustace rejoins the conversation

"Well, that surely is a good surprise."
Talking to everyone

"I'm needing some update here. So, these fine gentlemen found a serious danger below the estate. How long ago did the problems start? And was it only after Theophile's death? Professor, did he ever tell you what kind of caves he explored underneath the estate? Did he mention dangerous creatures?"

[ewancummins]

Rowtang's room


The old scholar answers Eustace-


''Why, yes, I think he did mention some nasty creatures....euhhhmmmm...I cannot recall the details so well. This was over three years back. He once found humanoid footrpints in the muddy areas, I think. Maybe his papers have a record of his explorations?"