Cathal's Journal

05 Jux 45

Today didn't start well. I hate being put on the spot. If it hadn't been for the Canadian (really must get his name) I'm not sure what I'd have done. As it was his interuption gave me time to think. Actually meet someone who claims to be "The Living Logrus". Of course why not. The problem is this was outside anything my mother had imparted either intentionally or otherwise, and even I doubted the truth of this part of Cordelia's story. Of course if there was now a second Pattern, why shouldn't there be a second Logrus?

With Breakfast done, it was a question of what next. Cordelia wanted us to be able to be able to visualize our rooms and where they were in the shadow. Well I could pretty much do that already, but I could do with something to make it a little more unique. When I enquired as to whether the AI, yes it does have a name, but I'm no good with names, could get a couple of the smaller lemon trees brought up to my room, he said that it was eminently possible and would be arranged.

The question was what next. Cordelia had mentioned a Castle several times, but there is no obvious castle visible from either within the grounds or from the roof. Querying the AI, revealed that there is a second Shadow where the castle resides. It doesn't have any direct contact with the castle, but messages and orders can be relayed. It was also not of the specifics of how to get there but sugested I should get Caitlin to how me the way, which would also avoid any complications of me just turning up.

So it was an hour later Caitlin and I departed the mansion via the front gate, turned right at the point the road would have hit the edge of the escarpment, and headed down a path cut into the rock face. It took us about an hour to descend to a road which must be a counter point to the one in Cordelia's shadow and then ascend a second path in the rock face which brought us out about 500 yards East of the Castle entrance. And yes I have to say it's pretty impressive and intimidating.

The guards we're expecting us, but with Caitlin's pass and her explanation, and a little checking they let us through without too much hastle. The castle was even more impressive from the inside. We were three quarters of the way across the courtyard to the entrance to the tower when we were met by a Major somebody or other. He apologized but he hadn't know I was planning a visit otherwise he would have met me at the gate. He offered to show me around.

The tour was quite extensive, and the view of the Pattern from the top of the Keep really impressive. When I asked if this was the Pattern we were to walk tomorrow, he said not, that was most likely to be the one under Cordelia's mansion. When I asked how come there were 2 Patterns here he said he didn't know. I'm sure he was hiding something, but I've no idea what.

As we neared the end of the tour a corporal approached with a message in hand, which he handed to me. I read it, then realised there was no way we would be able to make it back to the Mansion in time. The Major asked me what was wrong. I explained. He said the corporal could run us back in one of the vans. It appears that by using the ravine to the East of either the Castle or Mansion depending on which one you're at you can also cross between the two Shadows.

Most of us made it to the library in time for 4pm, some shortly ahead of Cordelia's arrival, although some seemed to want to go and fetch weapons seeing Cordelia was armed as she had been yesterday. If I were to hazard any form of guess then if I were to suggest that were we to meet any threat, then we would be as new army recruits to her as an experienced special forces operative, and thus whether we were armed or not would make no difference to the outcome whatso ever.  Once everyone had finally assembeld in the foyer she proceeded to explain that she needed to open to a trump gate which for all of us to traverse would be taxing so would we all pass through as quickly as possible.

The gate led us to with largest castle I have even either encountered or seen pictures of, even larger perhaps than the fictional castle in the Lord of the Rings, and several times larger than that in the Medieval Carnelian Shadow. We were greeted by what I would guess is a woman in her late twenties or early thirties who was obviously used to rule. That said there appeared to be genuine affection between her and Cordelia, as if they had shared considerable hardship together. Cordelia then introduce her as Queen Madison, the ruler of the realm we were in, Elysium. There must have been some sort of exchange between them that we missed as she headed back to the hall, accompanied by Cordelia's and the Japanese girls dog, leaving us standing about. Cordelia was obviously waiting for something.

That something appeared a couple of minutes later. From out of the huge tower to our left came thick blue-grey/black/purple tentacles. Cordelia just stood there. Some voiced questions, Yes this was the Logrus, running was most likely futile (why do I get the impression Cordelia was speaking from experience here?), and the Logrus has some advantages over the Pattern in Combat.

The tentacles snaked down and grabbed each one of us, not hard just sufficiently strongly to hold us firmly. We were then hoisted into the air and drawn towards the tower. Cordelia neither moved nor resisted. She'd experienced this before. I can only assume this is what the exchange had been about. This had obviously been a calculated move I wasn't sure that it was the right one.

We approached the walls through which the tentacles emerged at high speed. I braced for impact  but no impact came and we passed through as if they didn't exist. Inside was a huge writhing mass, constrained inside some sort of arcane circle, from which the tentacles emerged. The tentacles gently deposited us on the floor and retreated into the mass, which then proceeded to shrink before transforming into a woman with long black hair wearing a very stunning ornate vibrant green dress.

 Transformation over Cordelia walked over to her and the two of them embraced, obviously warmly.  It is very obvious to the viewer that Cordelia was and is completely comfortable in this environment.  She then introduced the woman as Agneta, the Living Logrus, the woman who was dragged into the Abyss by her brother Raif at the end of the Patternfall war.

What followed has puzzled me since, and I can't explain any of it. Either Agnetha has been in constant conversation with Cordelia, or and I postualte this with some degree of treidation, she completely read our entire memories as she transported us from the Courtyard. She obviously has the power to read our Auras in some manner as she identified exactly what abilities  a number of us have. Yes I have issues with the Logrus, or at least as she quoted "The Logrus that forms the Heart of the Courts of Chaos", but I didn't actually say that to her.

She also ratified Cordelia's claim that Shadow is broken, and given what she is if she says it's broken and has no idea exactly what the cause is, or how to fix it, what chance to us mere mortals have. Still it does add more credence to the fact that Cordelia is not in this to further her own ends, and that our purpose is something more akin to what she's stated, to allow here and the rest of what family still survive to attempt to search for a solution without having to do the mundane dog's bog stuff themselves. Not a very exciting prospect for us, as in the newb inductees to the family.

Having let the others ask mundane questions, I asked one of specific relavence to myself, vis what is the difference between herself and the Logrus at the Courts and what does "Assyaing the Logrus" actully entail. Her answers were very intersting. For a start she gets to determine who merges with the writhing mass, although it appears if we are suffieciently skilled then resisting that impluse is difficult, and neither myself nor Edward, whom she inadvertantly confirmed given what I knew already, are ready to attempt the feat, but my progression is significantly more advanced since I can control entry into my Primal Form and he cannot.

Audience over, it was then a question as to how we return to the bailey of the castle. We then made our way into the Great Hall, where goodbyes were exchanged and livestock rounded up. Cordelia then drew her trump card again and we returned to the Mansion.

Dinner wasn't in and of itself interesting although the apres ski was much more enlighttening.  Cordelia confirmed that not only was her sword some form of Trump artifact but alos that it had been modified by the serpant since it came into her possion, but also that she has created a similar weapon for her daughter. From her commentry on the dangers of traversing shadow it would also appear that not only is she competant when either armed with a sword or unarmed, but she also appears to have significant and diverse training with a variety of weapons. If the risk of travelling shadow is as she indicates then maybe some form of self defense training is something that I might have to seriously condsider. Its not something I've need to even think about till now.

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