Drifting Star

At first, the giant owl merely looks curiously at Malephon, pausing before it decides how to reply. Malephon doesn't feel anything strange. He does, however, notice the glow of some magic around the owl's eyes, as it seems to divine something about him.

"Welcome, Malephon." The owl replies.

"I am the Drifting Star. You are correct, I do seek strong warriors like yourself, and your companions."

"Here is the equipment we would use to fit you for the winged harnesses." The Drifting Star says.

"Should we stand and fight them?" The Drifting Star asks. "If you prefer, I can hold them off. You can search the tower for the arcane gear that keeps it stable in reality."

The glass creatures maintain their vigilant guard. Outside, there is an explosion of light and some screeching of things being destroyed.

"Is there anything we might share with you, of the surface world, Star?"

"Do not worry about that, Malephon." The Drifting Star says. "I have learned all I need to know already."

"I have guarded the light in the Abyss for endless ages while the surface changed.

"If something powerful still dwells in the glass city, do you think it could be reawakened to bring some kind of order to its surroundings?"

"Ah, but I guess you must mean stability like the stability of the shifting land, not the stability of peace...?"

Malephon babbles on excitedly with many different questions and half-baked theories.

The Drifting Star indulges Malephon.

"Ah, the problem is what 'reawakening' means, doesn't it?

"And what it considers to be stability and order.

"The Lord Luminous deplores the nothing outside creation and defends its order.

"But another powerful creature might value something you find inimical.

"It might see the humble settlements you love in the Forest above as rude obstacles to be cleared away."

"I will make an entrance as we approach." The Drifting Star says. "Crawling is not the most dignified way to enter the Castle."

The Drifting Star takes everyone around the edge of the Castle's globe. Close up, it is made of tiny threads of light that slowly brighten and dim. At the top, the Drifting Star rises into a steep climb, and then dives. Strands of the threads unravel at the top in broad radius.

"I have talked with the Lord Luminous in some more detail since your audience." The Drifting Star announces.

"We understand you are from another world, a different Iterum, yes?

"And your Iterum is also fighting the powers of unreality. But - there you have a Legacy keeping things stable.

"And something called a...Morninglight?"

"Yes, yes, don't worry or think too much about the Garden." The Drifting Star says hurriedly.

"Hmmm. Mundane, unmagical humans." The Drifting Star mutters to itself. "How fascinating. How absolutely fascinating."

"One secret we would wish for." The Drifting Star says. "Is the true nature of the gate between our worlds.

"Obtaining that somehow would be worth a favor, perhaps two favors."

"We also know a little about the nature of the crack of unreality seeping into your world. At the moment, it is vastly more limited than here in the abyss, where it is all around." The Drifting Star says.

"That poses problems for us. The city will not float without sufficient abyss to push against."

"Perhaps? We aren't sure." The Drifting Star replies uncertainly.

"We have quelled the incursions at the edge of reality for...longer than is possible to explain.

"We have had many great victories which only proved to be hollow, fruitless, temporary.

"Most of the denizens of this city are callow youths. They remember naught of the greatest extent of our power, when our bastions formed a ring of bulwarks...

"Now, it is the Lord, the Eldest, and of course the Arid Watcher who are solely left to remember..." The Drifting Star sighs to itself in a series of low hoots.

"Personally I am not entirely sure the dream is stable. Something is winding down somewhere. I...don't know if our contribution to the fight against the darkness makes a difference here.

"Maybe it's all fated to end."

"If you can defeat your Prince, perhaps you can defeat our King." The Drifting Star suggests. "An awakened King now. Hatched, entropic wings extended. Devouring like a locust."

"Speculatively, of course."

"Which Lord is the third Lord?" The Drifting Star asks. "I want to be sure I understand the target of your query.

"There were once many, many Lords and Makers. I can't even remember them all!"

The Drifting Star sighs.

"I suppose I have to explain a little more now.

"This Iterum is separate from but closely tied to the Garden.

"Certain Lords were exiled or imprisoned here. Ancient eons ago.

"We do not consort with their like.

"I was not personally involved in the creation of this Iterum. I know little of the specifics.

"We have dealt with the Imprisoned One in the ruins of night. We know little about it. I was ordered not to interact with it, for it is dangerous."

"There are also tombs scattered through this Iterum and the Garden.

"The greatest of these was the Lord of the Forest. I beheld its tomb briefly when I first came into this Iterum."

"Dangerous..."

"It seems we were lucky to choose the path we did, to find our way here instead."

"There is an object called the Cutting Stone, that the humans above are looking for. Do you know of it?"

"A stone of contract breaking?" The Drifting Star sounds horrified.

"What creature spoke of this blasphemy?"

"Such wretched tools were to be kept secret and never spoken of. They defeat and deny the power of the Lords in their own realm!"

"They were scattered into the abyss eons ago."

"I admit I am also at a loss as to how best to approach the humans." The Drifting Star says.

"First we must discover the nature of the gate so that we possess the secret as well.

"We need to understand the humans and their Beatrice.

"We need also to investigate the nature of your crack, and your world.

"Wouldn't you say moving  the Gossamer City, or part of it at least, into close contact with your realm, would be a desirable goal?"

The Drifting Star nods.

"We send you, Leuvitte, and Thief as agents of our will. Learn what you can. Decide how best to proceed.

"But the Lord and I condone the revealing of  the Gossamer City to all whom you deem worthy."