On their marks...

Artizza

With that thought, we kind of walk into the makings of a madhouse when we land again.

The plan had been, after we'd attended the multi-party wedding betwen my sisters and their loves and the elfin children who'd come unexpectedly into majority. After that, my analogs and their loves would spend their honeymoon here in Nantucket and eventually would get a trip back to Terra Prime (to meet the folks and the others of Eternity Incorporated), probably after both the Doctor's and our group were done with this latest batch of Validation Quests. All that appeared to need doing with figure out which group of elves who'd come along with Ti'mma.

But it appears that two things would kind of queer those plans, somewhat. One thing was a rash of love bugs bitting sessions had not finished with just Chiana and Sigin (re: 23342). We had some unexpected women show up here and now and they fall (or in the case of the woman for Manbear Synizn, had already fallen for him) ....well, will let you see their story here in a moment. The other part was that one of these new "lovebirds" for the Synizns had brought along something else that causes more than a few headaches!

It happens in rapid succession. I mean we'd just stepped right outside the TARDIS when Manbear Synizn and Alicia greet us. Suprising, since as far as we'd known Manbear Synizn should have still been on Terra Prime. The answer to his sudden appearance, later, we find lays at the feet of Rule 1 (who'll hand out the Validation Quests). . . .

That's later.

Alright, before we go further, let's introduce some of these new women in order to get a better grasp on things, okay?

Background on Dragoness Andrea

Note: Part of the next comes from episode 21309 by JH.

He has had many names in the past and probably would have many names in the future if things had been different. You might have heard of the chap from a horror author named Stephen King: Randal Flagg? Oh, he's really BIG in The Stand and as well as many others from King.Well, this particular version of hm gained something (memories) that we'd rather he had NOT and for a long while it looked like everything would go to Hell! Maybe almost literally. Not to go into overly complex details, this Flagg fellow fell into a plot with some ladies known as the Norns who waned to gain vast power over all of the Multi-verse....basically taking over the roles that those within the Dark Tower (the center of all creation and it's lynchpin) served. Flagg would have, if the plan had succeeded, been probably very high if NOT the top dog in the new order of things...in as far as evil goes....

In the end he and the others of that faction failed and were destroyed. However, because of the fact that time travel is possible and available to Flagg and his cronies (like the Brazen Man and that one evil Scott Chen with Author Powers) to travel back and forth through time means that while they all came to an end....it doesn't mean that they have finished making trouble!

Point in fact in one particular time stream (thread...parallel universe.....whatever) that Scott fellow was able to stumble across one interesting batch of germ warfare weaponry that had been brewed up not by the Americans of the reality that mimicked The Stand. No, it was brewed up by those wily Russians! Some would say it was even worse than Captain Trips (that super, "incurable" flu that had been released there).... Ah, never mind. The whole of the espionage/black project situation before everything collapsed on that particular Earth could only be summed up in on word: insane!

Well, that germ warfare weapon had been released on one Andrea's world and the results were....amusing for some. Might even be amusing to outside observers, until they realize that the plague carriers (95% of all humanity, eventually) would suffer from increasing bouts of delusions, manias....psychosises as the viral agent ate into the victim's brains...eventually either leaving them dead, vegetables, or dangerous and animalistic creatures without a trace of humanity (or intelligence).

One such victim, of course, was named Andrea. She came to believe she must get some kind of Dishcloth of Righteousness or some such...

Silly stuff made all the sillier by Scott, who'd basically fed this delusion by creating situations and scenery to reflect Andrea's delusional beliefs.

However, it soon got a bit dull for Scott and so he decided on doing something a bit more . . . . mean.

It involved some magical water. One dip and a metamorphosis began and Andrea began to grow silvery scales. Soon her metamorphosis was complete. Andrea was now a: Silver dragoness.

Now, this did two things to Andrea. One which you might say was good and one which wasn't so good. She had been in the early stages of infection so no permanent damage to her brain had happened yet and thus with her transformation was no longer affected by the virus. The thing had been created for humans in mind, not fantastic creatures! She still had it running throughout her body (making her a carrier), but it wasn't an issue for her....

Would be for any humans she might meet who still weren't infected...but not her.

The other thing was that she was a "Terra Prime" variant of dragon who's condition was multiplied when Scott decided to...er....advance her stage in maturity from the present (prepubescent) form into a mature (wyrm) form.

Problem.

She was now a dragon with no Hoard. With no Hoard.

Dragons of her species need treasure like....perhaps....a person need food to survive. So what we have now is a female dragon who's very...hungry...in such a way she's never been before. Something more akin to perhaps a drug addict needing a "hit".....but a thousand times worse.

At least this "addiction" has the benefit of the substance in question being able to last a LONG time. Oh, eventually a dragon needs more and more treasure for their Hoard since their life forces (and powers) are linked to it (the magic that is a vital part of their metabolism comes through their Hoard, btw).....but that's about the only good thing about it.

Worse, if she doesn't get it....she'll die very painfully. And she doesn't even have the beginning of a Hoard....making her desperate indeed. She can feel her life and vitality (as well as maybe untapped magical powers) slipping away as we speak....

As an addict who's desperate, she might not be able to....er...control herself in the way she goes about getting her "hit".

The world then whirls and twirls about her and the disoriented dragoness finds herself in front of a quaint building with writing on it that she can't read at ALL. If she could she'd read "The Bank of the Republic of Nantucket".

Scott's master had told him about this one place and it struck him as a nice place to spread more despair and destruction. . . . just to add to what Flagg has done already. Problem is, he's a bit off because it's a few years after those events.

Scott, being like the Scott we've seen as the incompetent Scott as seen back in Addventure Game 3, has bungled it....yet again....

Hard to get good help nowadays, some would say....

That said, she's now there....

However, all she knows right now is her NEED. It's inside this building....but their is a rival nearby. Enraged, she hisses and takes is about to take to wing when....

Meanwhille, in another reality Flagg watches from the shadows...and smiles something you would not like to be around....

He's watching yet another Fred. Another annoying Fred and Astra analog!

Seems like there's a plague of them....

At least he had some fun back in Nantucket, spreading war and distrust amongst the population, he thinks.

Didn't really happen that way, but that's what his memories tell him (re:15660 ).

Background on Dragoness Astra

Note: Part of the next comes from episode 22317 by Anableps.

Anyway, he sees Fred looking over at the now draconized Astra. He looks grim . . . . . He also pities the princess, as she is trapped in a horrible, although powerful form. Sadly, Fred had more experience in fighting than in reversing enchantments. Then Fred has an idea. Fred examines the book, and notices a feather marking a place.

It is the feather of a crow or such......

That's about all that registers before a arcane phrase from the shadows echoes throughout the chamber....and the world seems to explode. Rather, it shall turn out, it is the feather that explodes into flame, catching the unfortunate knight full in the face. It burns him horribly as well as pretty much destroying that book.

Checkers, Fred's companion, rushes over to see what can be done for Fred. She thinks that their might be some ointment or such in Belboz's lair. A sharp popping sound behind her causes her to turn briefly, worried that yet another disaster looms.... Perhaps something form the dragon?

With everything else, despite her reasoning that the dragoness really is a princess Astra, it wouldn't surprise her too much for trouble from that quarter.

However, the dragoness is now gone.

On Alicia 4? Try here:

http://www. geocities.com/ rule179/CharacterBios /alicia4.htm# Alicia

Don't feel like reposting all of that, thanks.

Anyway...

Flagg, remembering that special relationship that several Astras share with those named Andrea...almost like a sisterly relationship....

Without checking his servant's work (and seeing the mistake), he sent her (with a few.....adjustments....to the same place).

"What fun," he chuckles, disappearing.

The dragoness Astra appears a few blocks away and awakens to a need just like Andreas...and is reacting to Andrea's presence just like she is with her...

Just as planned. Potential sisters in all but blood turned enemies....it looks like will happen her

That's when something happens to...interrupt the incipient mayhem....

A bit of something the dragons call "When Eye meets Eye."

"Ever wish sometimes you weren't a dragon," one dragon mage sighs to the other, brother to brother.

It was getting....kind of lonely..... Oh, they had family, but..... Indeed, the rest of the demifox brothers had secretly revealed to them their plans on traveling back to Nantucket to propose to those other female demifoxes there: Exotica and Sovay.

Their other dragon brother had fallen in with the beautiful Malachi from that other Terra where that blood curse had been.

Strange business, that curse. Made the dragons glad things had gone better on their worlds...

However, that was besides the point right now. Talks with those other dragons had....pretty much lead nowhere. Cool, polite....but nothing more, alas.

"Pardon," a melodious voice calls out, interrupting whatever the other Synizn was to say.

They know her, but....not....

See, there is this one silver tressed elfin lass named Ti'mma who'd interrupted some dragon mages talking about how their brothers seemed to have all the luck with . . . life companions. . . .

See, these Synizns as of yet hadn't heard about her (and the other elfin children's) abduction back on Terra Prime, and subsequent rescue afterwards (re: 24839, 24895)....

Ti'mma, with her rather developed elfin senses, had a "feeling" about the newly arrived dragonesses who'd appeared nearby the TARDIS, and played "a hunch". Originally, she'd planned on getting the Synizns to go over to the newly arrived female dragons and see if they could be greeted (and talked out of any incipient trouble in the process by their fellow dragons). Well, turns out more than just that happened. The dragons and dragonesses fell for each other. The dragonesses, former humans, lost all interest in returning to humanity, instead wishing to remain dragons.

With things the way they are, that's easy enough to do, eh? Not like the Champions have a Crystallic at hand to force a change. That and after the still love bespotted dragonesses get asked the Champion Question by Rule 1, their Matrixes cannot be changed (frozen in place because of being Champions, remember).

Oh, but before we begin to panic here about that plague that Dragoness Andrea brought along with her, forget about it. When one of the tricorders that Elrondir carries gives off a cry (set to detect any lethal bio-organisms in the air, as per Military training had drummed into him for so long), the germ agents were detected and analysed. When Dragoness Andrea was told of it (and her being a carrier), she put a request into the Rule that this plague be cured! So, not only is this germ agent wiped out on Nantucket Earth well before it could even begin, the Rule goes one step further (being that the request had enough leeway in it) and he wiped it out also back on the dragoness' homeworld (leaving for a LOT of confused people, who suddenly snap back to sanity).

Okay, that's nice, but now Jarlath's group has a few more people to take care of with this Validation Quest business. Not that they mind (rather enjoy it), but stil....

....

Ah, but to business at hand. Jarlath's first Validation Quest would deal with the Validation Quest of Alicia 4. Rule 1 gives the Champions enough time to, this time, at least get some supplies for this journey (which they buy from a local general store, if you're interested). The others will be awaiting, with only a few seconds having passed (by their clock), no matter how long Jarlath's group actually take.

What is the Validation Quest Jarlath's group are going on here? Well, the basics of it are this. He and his companions had been Tasked by Rule 1 to take care of a situation who's makings had been in the works before even the first Champion had been inducted into the ranks. Yes, back before the danger to the Dark Tower was resolved, reader. Events that vaguelly follow that one Doctor Who set of episodes about The Key to Time. Except in THIS case, the segments that made up THIS KEY was actually worthy of the name. Hah! See, back in the TV show, the Key was to one measely universe's time. THIS key would unlock (supposedly) the very heart of the Dark Tower, which meant it would be the Key to all the multi-verse's time streams. . . . Well, that was what the Demons who'd set up this scheme had thought, anyway. It had been a sweet gamble that they just couldn't pass up if it meant yet another leg up against the Opposition in their eternal battle. Frankly, Jarlath and the others aren't exactly sure if this Key actually had been able to do such a thing BEFORE the danger to the Dark Tower got resolved. It sure as Hell wouldn't unlock (or even raise a twitch from) the Dark Tower, NOW. Rule 1 fails to mention just how MANY compenents are out there in the multi-verse, just states that for now with those Champions assigned to Terra Prime, each and every Validation Quest consisted on this Key hunt deal!

However, that said, this was not needless "make work"... Those "components" though . . . Had a lot of POWER in them that could be harnessed by local mortals (or whatever) for still dark purposes. The fact that these "components" were (through unnamed means not under their control) people (who were or had been at one time or another human beings) mattered little here to the Demons. What did They care if lives could be interrupted (maybe ruined and destroyed) in the process when they were, eventually, collected when the time was ripe? Well, there was that one minor Demon who'd taken great pleasure in lining up things so that . . . Nevermind, you'll figure out who that Demon's name was. Frankly, his name probably is the only name ever really mentioned in that "Terra Prime" story thread. Goes by the initials of "R.F"? Good enough hint? No, then perhaps this episode from long ago could give you an idea as to why "R.F." doesn't LIKE two particular human beings (re: 14683) Well, no matter. Let us just say that an overwhelming majority of the number of people who'd been tagged to be the components of this super Key are (or were) named "Fred" and "Astra". Whatever their names, most (if not all) had been subject to transformation (of the Matrix variety) before being chosen to become "compents" and BECAUSE of something in this process, it froze those Matrixes in a way almost as good as a Champion's was (i.e. cannot be undone, now). That'll be unwelcome news for most, let us just say, when the Champions catch up with their quary.

Alicia, anyway, is given a wand/detector similar to what one might have seen in the Doctor Who episodes with the "Key to Time" mini-series (i.e. a crystallian wand useful in getting bearing and giving off approximate distance by ever increasing clicking sounds as one gets closer to the target).

It'd even, when the user wished (and the target sits still long enough to let it happen), turn the target "component" into a small part of the "Key".

Sort of to make it easier for delivery to the Agent later on (who'll do something with it later....details to follow then and not right now).

Ah, but who's today's target?

Well, would you believe a young looking woman riding the back of a special lion in a snow storm?

Yep.

And once they do find her and that lion, they're supposed to take the component back trough a certain wardrobe into a place called "England" on a world in the throws of a conflict called "World War II" for pickup there by the Rule....

1. This'll prove even harder than it sounds, but that's by the by...