Andromedan Orbiting Operations Center (and offworld adventures)

[Baron Tredegar]

"Hm. I should try that question with Cosmos or one of the other dragon gods."

Baree: "Did you already have some in mind, master?"

"A couple. The otter form is likely. Estark, from two realities ago, is in consideration... as is that of Chronos Coyote, the form I took when I was an android once."

Kazan: "An odd choice, the robot reality. There was you, Empyreal Ermine, Landscape Leatherback, Melody Magpie, and..... who was the other?"

"Render Rhino. Look, I know they sound like Maverick names... that's pretty much how bad the robot reality was."

Baree: "I have no idea what you mean by that, Tindalos."

"Never mind. Ahrakas, Fabiana was the magpie, Oriana was the turtle, Cooper was the rhino and of course Pavlin was the ermine. Anyways.... there may be a couple of other forms... I know I'm keeping Tektite as an avatar, but I was thinking of something a bit creative as one of the avatars. Dragon body and limbs and wings, wolf face and hands and feet and tail."

Kazan: "Still needs something.... any ideas?"

Perhaps perpetually flaming wings?

 

[Firuthi Dragovic]

Perhaps perpetually flaming wings?

"Flaming wings. That strikes me as more Pavlin's- erm, Cthugha's style."

Baree: "How about clock-face eyes?"

".....oh yes, because I'm the one that sets the speed of things so often when making these realities. Actually, how much DO you know of which aspects each of us builds in the realities, Ahrakas?"

 

[Baron Tredegar]

"Flaming wings. That strikes me as more Pavlin's- erm, Cthugha's style."

Baree: "How about clock-face eyes?"

".....oh yes, because I'm the one that sets the speed of things so often when making these realities. Actually, how much DO you know of which aspects each of us builds in the realities, Ahrakas?"

Not too much, I was young when it happened last time and only a select few were given details about the process. I feel like Apophis might know the most info about it.

 

[Firuthi Dragovic]

Not too much, I was young when it happened last time and only a select few were given details about the process. I feel like Apophis might know the most info about it.

"I probably should give you more details one of these days. Even when we're unbound, you're still going to be an important leader for quite a while. Suffice to say... the rebellion's failure is the core reason why planets spin this time, as well as the strength of the tides. I still felt urges to get back at Aten one last time and Khione was too much of an enabler for him, so I chose to screw with both."

Kazan: "All five of them have petty vendettas like this. Always have. I see that even having their memories and powers bound doesn't stop them."

Baree: "Do you have any ideas for getting these five to stop the petty nonsense?"

 

[Baron Tredegar]

"I probably should give you more details one of these days. Even when we're unbound, you're still going to be an important leader for quite a while. Suffice to say... the rebellion's failure is the core reason why planets spin this time, as well as the strength of the tides. I still felt urges to get back at Aten one last time and Khione was too much of an enabler for him, so I chose to screw with both."

Kazan: "All five of them have petty vendettas like this. Always have. I see that even having their memories and powers bound doesn't stop them."

Baree: "Do you have any ideas for getting these five to stop the petty nonsense?"

Honestly I have no clue. I just do as they say.
But perhaps they can learn from their mistakes and improve themselves.

 

[Firuthi Dragovic]

Honestly I have no clue. I just do as they say.
But perhaps they can learn from their mistakes and improve themselves.

Baree: "If he can handle remembering all of them at once. We've seen the five unbound a few times before, and they have a tendency to rampage right afterward because it hurts to remember everything at once."

Kazan: "They usually wind up having to spend millennia fixing the messes of those rampages."

Baree: "Maybe there's a few beings around who know those rampages better. The two of us have been well clear of those incidents."

 

[Baron Tredegar]

Baree: "If he can handle remembering all of them at once. We've seen the five unbound a few times before, and they have a tendency to rampage right afterward because it hurts to remember everything at once."

Kazan: "They usually wind up having to spend millennia fixing the messes of those rampages."

Baree: "Maybe there's a few beings around who know those rampages better. The two of us have been well clear of those incidents."

That sounds exactly why I was against the idea of unbinding them during the current war.

 

[Firuthi Dragovic]

That sounds exactly why I was against the idea of unbinding them during the current war.

Baree: "War?"

"A human empire that hasn't given up even after collapsing 11 times. 36 galaxies, lots of different ships and the like.... several potential problem allies, including the Unspeakable One."

Kazan: "Oh boy...."

"Not expecting to have an animal just for that occasion, I was looking into getting an adult Hound so we can bypass the defenses of some of their nobility."

Baree: "We have quite a few of those. Let's see...."

Kazan: "While Baree's getting that, who was suggesting they be unbound in the middle of a war and why?"

 

[Baron Tredegar]

Baree: "War?"

"A human empire that hasn't given up even after collapsing 11 times. 36 galaxies, lots of different ships and the like.... several potential problem allies, including the Unspeakable One."

Kazan: "Oh boy...."

"Not expecting to have an animal just for that occasion, I was looking into getting an adult Hound so we can bypass the defenses of some of their nobility."

Baree: "We have quite a few of those. Let's see...."

Kazan: "While Baree's getting that, who was suggesting they be unbound in the middle of a war and why?"

So much has happened it has slipped my mind on who suggested it but I think the reasoning was that unbound the Architects will be better at conducting a war and ending it quickly.

 

[Firuthi Dragovic]

So much has happened it has slipped my mind on who suggested it but I think the reasoning was that unbound the Architects will be better at conducting a war and ending it quickly.

Kazan: "If you figure out who it is tell him he has to wait. If he persists... here."

Kazan handed Ahrakas a small green crystal.

Kazan: "Memory crystal of the last time I saw one of those rampages."

"While you're talking about crystals, Ahrakas might have to communicate with beings who only know eldritch tongues. Got anything for that?"

Kazan: "There are language crystals that could enhance a communicator, but I don't have any of them, and I don't know where to get them either. I do know they look like trapezohedrons."

 

[Baron Tredegar]

Kazan: "If you figure out who it is tell him he has to wait. If he persists... here."

Kazan handed Ahrakas a small green crystal.

Kazan: "Memory crystal of the last time I saw one of those rampages."

"While you're talking about crystals, Ahrakas might have to communicate with beings who only know eldritch tongues. Got anything for that?"

Kazan: "There are language crystals that could enhance a communicator, but I don't have any of them, and I don't know where to get them either. I do know they look like trapezohedrons."

Ill be sure to show this memory crystal to the other Architects once I get a chance. And I will be on the lookout for those translation crystals.

 

[Firuthi Dragovic]

Ill be sure to show this memory crystal to the other Architects once I get a chance. And I will be on the lookout for those translation crystals.

Baree returned with an adult version of the Hound puppy Kurt had had. This one bore a harness made of the leather of some ancient beast.

Baree: "Here you go. You remember the commands, right?"

"That I do."

Baree: "This one's a little more playful than the rest - you might have to repeat the commands to get them to listen."

"Understood."

Baree handed Kurt the leash.

"Any other questions for these two? We're probably not paying another visit for a while..."

 

[Baron Tredegar]

Baree returned with an adult version of the Hound puppy Kurt had had. This one bore a harness made of the leather of some ancient beast.

Baree: "Here you go. You remember the commands, right?"

"That I do."

Baree: "This one's a little more playful than the rest - you might have to repeat the commands to get them to listen."

"Understood."

Baree handed Kurt the leash.

"Any other questions for these two? We're probably not paying another visit for a while..."

So how has this world been doing for the past millennia of Tyndalos's absence?

 

[Firuthi Dragovic]

So how has this world been doing for the past millennia of Tyndalos's absence?

Baree: "Just as wild as ever... though we do always have off-and-on problems with the city of Shaggai."

Kazan: "There's always been a bit of customs friction between us and those insects. Usually results in someone getting eaten."

Baree: "I don't know if you've run into worlds where everything's trying to kill you, but foreign mortals don't tend to last a day here no matter their powers. Most of the residents don't have very long lives either though. The two of us have exception because we got personal gifts from Tindalos and a permanent task."

Kazan: "There's someone in Shaggai with a similar situation, but we never meet them."

Baree: "I'm sure Tindalos has given you the briefing on the way this planet runs? And, by his own accounts, defies ecological reality?"

 

[Baron Tredegar]

Baree: "Just as wild as ever... though we do always have off-and-on problems with the city of Shaggai."

Kazan: "There's always been a bit of customs friction between us and those insects. Usually results in someone getting eaten."

Baree: "I don't know if you've run into worlds where everything's trying to kill you, but foreign mortals don't tend to last a day here no matter their powers. Most of the residents don't have very long lives either though. The two of us have exception because we got personal gifts from Tindalos and a permanent task."

Kazan: "There's someone in Shaggai with a similar situation, but we never meet them."

Baree: "I'm sure Tindalos has given you the briefing on the way this planet runs? And, by his own accounts, defies ecological reality?"

Yes, this world is quite...terrifying, for lack of a better word.
Whos the other guy with a task?

 

[Firuthi Dragovic]

Yes, this world is quite...terrifying, for lack of a better word.
Whos the other guy with a task?

Baree: ".....what... WAS his name...?"

Kazan: "Menoptra, I think."

Baree: "In addition to the menagerie here, Tindalos owns a few insect colonies-"

"Scout colonies. Ancient insects that can approach a scene undetected, record the whole thing, and play it back for me. Every Architect has ways of monitoring vast swathes of existence, that is my method. Menoptra's the coordinator and also in charge of storing those memories in other ways. When I'm unbound, I may stay a while with him in order to recover full memories of what I missed."

Kazan: "It does take a long time to absorb the memories of a quadrillion realities..."

"I am aware. If anyone has hurt Azathoth and not been punished for it, though... I must know, at that time."

Baree: "For all their vendettas, they actually take pretty good care of Azathoth. And Azathoth actually kind of likes them. Senile schemer that he is."

"You're better off not knowing how those two aspects manage to work together."

 

[Firuthi Dragovic]

Cosmos:”The center of the Earth”

"I thought the Earth was only around for this reality?"

"Not the case, Yig. There has been some version of Earth in every reality."

"So Earth's an out-of-phase realm?"

"Wrong again, Yig. Every realm has at least one inhabitable planet and every reality has at least one inhabitable planet that has full variety on it."

"Rumor has it that it was actually supposed to be Mars last time, but the rebellion kind of screwed that up in a couple ways. EVERY inhabitable planet has the potential for 'full variety' this time."

"Anyways, Yig, the 'full variety' planets are something of an agreement by the Architects and the dragons. Basically so the dragons don't have to spend lots of time wandering the stars to get something basic."

"Easier to hide their secrets on full-variety worlds too."

 

[Universe]

"I thought the Earth was only around for this reality?"

"Not the case, Yig. There has been some version of Earth in every reality."

"So Earth's an out-of-phase realm?"

"Wrong again, Yig. Every realm has at least one inhabitable planet and every reality has at least one inhabitable planet that has full variety on it."

"Rumor has it that it was actually supposed to be Mars last time, but the rebellion kind of screwed that up in a couple ways. EVERY inhabitable planet has the potential for 'full variety' this time."

"Anyways, Yig, the 'full variety' planets are something of an agreement by the Architects and the dragons. Basically so the dragons don't have to spend lots of time wandering the stars to get something basic."

"Easier to hide their secrets on full-variety worlds too."

Cosmos:”Agreed the morals think that the center of the earth is incredibly hot but it’s not”

 

[Firuthi Dragovic]

Cosmos:”Agreed the morals think that the center of the earth is incredibly hot but it’s not”

"Most beings aren't made with a lot of temperature adaptation possibility. I'm quite literally built like a statue, so I could handle quite a bit of heat."

"Heat's quite the norm when you're underground most of the time. I have more issues with cold environments in all honesty."

"Mortals are only durable relative to their most common environment. How many realities ago was the last time everyone was meant for the heat? Was it sixty?"

 

[Universe]

"Most beings aren't made with a lot of temperature adaptation possibility. I'm quite literally built like a statue, so I could handle quite a bit of heat."

"Heat's quite the norm when you're underground most of the time. I have more issues with cold environments in all honesty."

"Mortals are only durable relative to their most common environment. How many realities ago was the last time everyone was meant for the heat? Was it sixty?"

Cosmos:”the core of the earth isn’t hot it’s just warm”

 

[Firuthi Dragovic]

Cosmos:”the core of the earth isn’t hot it’s just warm”

"Once again, mortals tend to be built too frail to appreciate it. They have a hard time handling anything besides a very narrow range of temperatures. That's been true in every reality, it's especially true in this one."

 

[Universe]

"Once again, mortals tend to be built too frail to appreciate it. They have a hard time handling anything besides a very narrow range of temperatures. That's been true in every reality, it's especially true in this one."

*Cosmos sighed and said something unflattering about the empire in Ancient Greek*

 

[Universe]

"Once again, mortals tend to be built too frail to appreciate it. They have a hard time handling anything besides a very narrow range of temperatures. That's been true in every reality, it's especially true in this one."

Cosmos:”It’s not as hot as they think it is Jules vernes was right about it”

 

[Firuthi Dragovic]

Cosmos:”It’s not as hot as they think it is Jules vernes was right about it”

"Who is Cosmos talking about?"

"I dunno, I've been busy protecting dinosaurs for eons."

"An old writer from Earth. Journey to the Center of the Earth, Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Around the World in Eighty Days. Those are the prominent ones. Haven't had a chance to read them myself, but they're commonly known on a lot of civilized worlds."

"A writer from Earth? So the fact that they're common knowledge across the universe is a sign of Ahrakas meddling again?"

"There is so much that qualifies as that, that I need to remind you he's not the only one distributing Earth knowledge."

 

[Universe]

"Who is Cosmos talking about?"

"I dunno, I've been busy protecting dinosaurs for eons."

"An old writer from Earth. Journey to the Center of the Earth, Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Around the World in Eighty Days. Those are the prominent ones. Haven't had a chance to read them myself, but they're commonly known on a lot of civilized worlds."

"A writer from Earth? So the fact that they're common knowledge across the universe is a sign of Ahrakas meddling again?"

"There is so much that qualifies as that, that I need to remind you he's not the only one distributing Earth knowledge."

*Cosmos nods* Cosmos:”He’s actually met me but kept it a secret”