When we managed to get to the centre of the pattern at Carnelian, Algernon disappeared. We had already decided that we'd go to see Dierdre, and Charity had said that we'd have to go with her so either Charity was lying, Algernon can't keep to agreements, or Algernon didn't remember this and is probably back in bed. Why am I surrounded by these incompetent humans? What have I done to deserve this?
After more discussions (Charity seeming to change her mind this time) we did get to the tower. This stands in the middle of a flat, grey, plain, stretching as far as the eye can see. It seems to have some triangular formation (very powerful) coming up to it that neither myself, nor Charity, nor Sorcha could cross (we later found out that this was the Abyss).
Got into the tower and walked up it to find Dierdre. She told us all sorts of incredible things. In particular she needs to stay in the tower to stop the Abyss moving further. Dierdre also said that she couldn't contact any other high-ranking Amberites, hence our presence here (I'd still prefer to be back in London).
It seems that I am a close relative of a unicorn - very Greek myth! Two other important things that Dierdre said were that I might be able to make my own clothes - so I won't be stuck with this human stuff, and that there is a reason why Charity freezes during the 13th hour. Charity said that she thinks she knows why, but won't tell us.
The 13th hour is apparently something to do with the Keep of the 13th hour, the seal of which has been broken to release a demon called Rodian. Once something called the Great Seal is broken this character will be free, which doesn't sound good. There is a legend that Rodian will be bound 3 times, but as he has only been bound once so far this is probably irrelevant to us.
The book of Selheim describes how to bind Rodian. Cordelia has some of the chapters - given to her - to do this, although it now seems that we might need some other chapters.
Another thing mentioned was the serpeant. Apparently this saved Dierdre once. I imagined something horse-ish sized, but it sounds enormous. Part of its eye is a crystal on top of this very tower, about 60 yards along each edge.
Dierdre also gave us some information about the demons that track us down during the 13th hour. Apparently they do try and track us, but some of those times when they are close is just coincidence.
With all this new information we have some ideas. Our first step must be to find Cordelia (again) and the chapters of the Book of Selheim that she carries and copy them for safety.
We needed to do this in the opposite of the real world. To get there involved a great deal of magic. There is an inscribed magical circle on top of the crystal that allows you to shift 'universes'. This was very tricky and tiring. I even needed some help from the humans to get through it.
Once the magic was done we ended up in an empty world. It seems to be 'undefined', so there was nothing in the distance etc. Things were created by ourselfs, as we thought about them, eg physical objects and gravity. However they only existed for us. Must remember to think of safe things.
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| Hero of the Hour - Alfred | The Keep of the Thirteenth Hour |