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A Scrying and Mind Flay:

Lore, history and other content by the citizens of Underlight preserved for posterity.
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Arnaya
Dreamer
Posts: 831
Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2015 2:25 am
Character Name(s): Arnaya

A Scrying and Mind Flay:

Post by Arnaya »

As quite a few people know, I've been looking into the ancient (lost) art of Mind Flay for quite a while now (I started researching it after I found references in an old scroll nearly two years ago). Unfortunately, information has been extremely scarce on it... with only the vaguest legends and brief references to be found. No one dreaming seemed to have knowledge of the art. So, An attempt to scry on an ancient battle (Pre-great loss era) between the Gathering of the Entranced and the Keepers of the Eternal Shadow that was centered around the North Sewer (The battle encompassed several rooms in the area, but was centered around that sewer).

Scrying Method Used:
The scrying method used, relied on mists generated from the sewer water (Nose plugs optional but recommended). Then a focused concentration of Insight, and Lucidity... combined with two Power Tokens (One powdered and cast into the mists, the other whole and placed at the center of the intended vision area) with a focused application of Will from the viewers to draw out the specific echoes sought. This creates a three dimensional image of the room, and the events that took place there.

The Vision:
The following is what was witnessed as best I can recreate it from my notes and memory. I will note participants comments, questions, and answers where relevant.

The group had established a thick bank of mist throughout the North Sewer, concentrated on a center point between the two pillars in the middle of the room.

A sudden miniature hologram of the room appeared, with faint dreamers seen moving about.

At that point, the assembled group expanded the image and empowered it further.

The dreamers came into clearer focus, crests from two houses could be seen upon their chests. They appeared to be firing chakrams and evoking arts. Screams came from their lips but the audible sound seemed to be slightly off. These dreamers continued battling for several minutes before additional dreamers entered into the hologram, seemingly moving faster then the dreamers engaged in battle. Their chakram fire and art evokes appeared as normal.

At this point, Nathan lost control of some of the lucidity he was channeling and caused a small burst of Firestorm through the room. No one was seriously injured from the accident and Nathan aided in healing those who had suffered minor burns. Arnaya and others began noting the different evokes, and one dreamer in the hologram stood out in particular... using an unfamiliar evoke.

A few of the contenders evoked an art with a purple and abyss offensive cone. The newly engaged contenders suddenly began to move slower. Their chakram fire speeds dramatically slowing down and their attempts at evokes seemingly taking longer. Almost immediately, the evokers of the art, suddenly screamed out all of their own (even ones that were taking no fire, and apparently suffering no incoming evokes) their faces twisted, foreheads wrinkling in anguish as they slumped, their bodies quite apparently weakened as they fell about trying to gain their footing.

A massive storm swept the assembled group, casting all but 3 from city... though all swiftly made their way back and the scrying resumed.

The battle continued, most of the combatants covered in sweat and straining to engage in battle but their movements, chakram fire and evokes all seemed in slow motion. Some combatants left as they were collapsed, and others joined in, their movements normal at first. One new combatant in particular stood out,
with numerous pouches, satchels, and trinkets about his body.


Arnaya noted several of the visible evokes, identifying several restorers, a couple of firestormers, and several blasters. Nathan inquired if the image was perhaps from a single persons perspective, though Arnaya explained that the image was generated entirely from the collective echoes that the room had imprinted on it... so was most likely an overall from numerous perspectives. Many of the viewers were visibly disconcerted and uneasy with the events being shown.

After some minutes of the ongoing battle, in which dreamers collapsed and their soulspheres moved about the vision slowly. The dreamer with the trinkets and pouchs and satchels, pulled out a glowing blade and began swinging it about, hitting the soulspheres themselves and they emited screams as if still in dreamer form. The contenders suddenly dispersed, slowly but frantically rushing towards the portals in all directions. Leaving but one dreamer alone, his chest heaving as he sighed and then screamed out, himself. Collapsing and disappearing from view. The mist swirled about, an abyss smoke mixing into the light fog, suffocating the image until it was completely gone.

Notes and Observations:
Silk Nuvas positively identified the Purple and Abyss evoke as that of Mind Flay, and informed us that the art had two distinct effects.
1) To dramatically slow all actions by the targeted dreamer. Chakram fire, item use, movement, and even art evoke speeds.
2) To permanently drain a random element an unknown amount (Similar to Soul Evoke, but affecting Any element pool, not just Dreamsoul). This effect was random between the evoker and the target. Sometimes affecting one, sometimes the other.
It was a high sphere Fatesender art when Silk Nuvas held it, and was foresworn by its original bearers due to its unpredictable nature and violent cost.

He also confirmed that the dreamer wielding the blade near the end was in fact him, and identified the blade that he had been wielding as the "Blade of Doom". An artifact that could once force the effect of Soul Evoke (including it's cost) on any target struck. Further inquiries were made, and Silk revealed that the blade itself had lost much of its power, now being a mere trinket. He handed it to Arnaya to examine, and she confirmed that it was a 0 damage Gatesmasher, with Soul Evoke on it. This makes the blade functionally useless, unable to force the effect on the target, or bestow it on the wielder. A duplicate of the blade was created and given to Uthanatos for display in the Museum.

Personal Note:
At this point, I have decided that the art is both too dangerous (Mostly due to its cost to both evoker and target) to be worth bringing back into the city, and am abandoning any attempts at rediscovering it at this point... though it may become necessary at some point in the future. For the foreseeable future however (Hopefully forever), the original holders of Mind Flay's decision to forsake the art is standing.

Attendee's and Thanks:
- LadySilver (Despite her feelings of being duped into aiding my "Nefarious deeds", her and the others on this list's assistance with gathering this information, has helped prevent me from trying to return a very dangerous art and unneeded into the city).
- Uthanatos
- Nathan
- Hael Frost
- Dimitri Raith
- Rasputin
- Silk Nuvas
- Purple Lace

~ Arnaya, Soulmistress and Lance Ruler of House Calenture
The most important lesson I've learned over this past year, is not to let anyone make you cruel. No matter how badly you want to give the world a taste of it's own bitter medicine, it is never worth losing yourself.
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