5/16/13 - the Dream ends
I awake to the crumbling of the world around me. The ceiling, is falling, the walls are cracking and there is dust everywhere. What the hell? I get out of my room and proceed to look around. I notice almost immediately that Shaharazad no longer has control over her domain, and it is shrinking. Hmm is she dead? No idea. I try and take over, but while I can keep bits from crumbling, I can no more take over her domain, than I could take over anthers body. I go out to the balcony to see what is going on. I see in the distance much fighting and what looks to be… a rift. A tear in this fabric to another, and it is guarded. However the guards are more preoccupied with what may come out, than what is going in. Soon I see a battle, it appears Jamal, and Bashir are trying to get into the rift. I am guessing this is the way into Zeks haven, at least one way. Bruce must have gone that way, and that is what started this whole thing. I gather myself to follow when I hear a voice
"all who have gone that way are dead."
I look around, and see a figure.
She says again "Any who went through the rift, are either no longer alive, or no longer able to control their domains here."
"This is what happened to Shaharazad." I say.
"Yes, but you can stay and help me."
"who are you?" I reply
"Soon to be the ruler of this realm. Should you stay and answer some questions, I will allow you to go into the rift, if that is your wish."
"Which of the five are you?"
"I am Umit Tiliki."
Realizing that I don't really want to meet the assimilates on the other side of that door, and also aware that I know the correct way in, I choose to take her offer. We discuss who I am, what I want, and why I am not concerned with going through the rift. She offers me friendship, in exchange for helping her in the waking world. No strings, just mutual benefit. Now I am really glad I didn't give in to Shaharazads offer. I say yes, and we discuss terms. I throw out me seances to see if there is anyone left, and I find that Fatma is still in this relm. I summon her here, and ask if she wants to leave? She chooses to stay and speak with Umit. I know this is bad, but I also know it would have happened anyway. I will keep Umit from the tremor if I can, but I doubt it is likely, as I cannot offer what they can in the short term.
I take the Window home… and find a Sabbot invasion in progress. Well shit.
First step was to make the building not what it appears to be, so it is hard to locate openings, and then I proceed to play the mole, in Whack a Mole, yet I whack back. Porting from window to window, I try and keep the sabot off the building. Fatma appears not to long after I take out half a pack and starts the same trick, minus the teleportation. Alas even with my skills, and that of Fatma we cannot beat back the sabot. I try and convince people to leave, but they are a bit lethargic, and very stunned. I know I do not have much time left to find Bruces sleeping form, so I go grab that as the building begins to rumble. I grab his body, and proceed down to Zeks haven. Knowing the sequence of steps means I don't hit any of the traps, but its tricky. Again going into the haven is as he stated, but there is magical shit everywhere, and his haven is filled with Kalif smoke. Damn thats cool. As I study the place to try and figure out what is what, and what I may touch. I figure out his kalif ritual, and the fact that If I wasn't "zek" via true name I would be having a very bad day. This means Bruce cannot stay here. I need to find a place to stash him so when the building comes down (and it will) the sabot won't find him and eat him. I choose the stairwell. Next to Evreens corpse I turn the floor to liquid, and entomb Bruce there. He won't be happy, but he will be alive tomorrow when I come and get him. I go back to the Haven, and proceed to offload the library and anything else into a mirror I had prepare for this purpose. During this time the building comes down. I go right outside and try and scry for the bodies of those I assume left Deniz Sehir. The only one I can find is Habib, however even while sleeping his obfuscate hides him. He is in rubble, but I cannot get to him without being seen by sabot. Also he has a nasty willpower eating trick on any who scry him. Nice idea OUCH, I may borrow it. Finding no one else. I then Port away, and search for Fatma. Not answering, I then scry her and get burned by her counter-manic OW again!! I need to come up with a deterrent. All mine does is find true names, and thats usually protected so well it might as well be useless. Sigh I know she is alive, so I leave to tina a bolt hole for the night.
Next night, I wake up, and immediately scry on bruce. He is alive and well, and right where I left him. The building is not, and there are sabot everywhere. I search the area I know Habib was in, knowing his protections, I don't want to locate him directly. Its completely bulldozed over. If the mortals the sabot employed found him in the sun, he may be ash. Knowing his skills and destiny, I doubt it though. Nothing to do but meet up with the Tremere. Finding the tremor I also find Utmai and her followers. I tell her what I tired to do, and am thanked for it. We find time to speak in private, and I offer to make her immortal. I can do it in many ways, but she wishes to be a vampire. There is then a bidding war between myself and the Tremere. I knew this would happen, but I cannot give to much away, as the tremor know to much already. As predicted I loose. The idea of a slave for all time is not much a deterrent. Alas one door closed. As my building is still there, I am still a citizen, so if I find a way in I am good. She is still the master, and can come and go as she pleases as long as she remains in Istanbul, however her followers cannot. I tell her I can fix it, but that still is not enough to persuade her to my side. Not real sure I wanted a Childer, but the gain would have been worth it. However we still agree to keep in touch, and hopefully get Deniz Sehir back to what it once was. A port of call for many dream realms.
