Question Eldritch

Any signs of new Eldritch material? I'm still hoping to discover how she fixed her potential for enslavement following the enigmatic clue from Diamondback.

That would require J.G. coming back to write. As far as we know, he's quite busy with his RL.

I've been imagining that it went something like this:

Kettlekorn's Imagination wrote: Caitlin calmly set the magical ink she'd created on the counter, then walked out of the room. She returned ten minutes later clad in REACT armor and bearing some devisor's BFG. Ten more minutes, several explosions, and lots of cussing later, she emerged from the sooty rubble sporting intricate blue tattoos.

Kettlekorn wrote: I've been imagining that it went something like this:

Kettlekorn's Imagination wrote: Caitlin calmly set the magical ink she'd created on the counter, then walked out of the room. She returned ten minutes later clad in REACT armor and bearing some devisor's BFG. Ten more minutes, several explosions, and lots of cussing later, she emerged from the sooty rubble sporting intricate blue tattoos.

I don't get the armor and the BFG, can you explain? Or was it to dispose of the ink as she doesn't want anyone else tattooing her?

pollymeric wrote: Any signs of new Eldritch material? I'm still hoping to discover how she fixed her potential for enslavement following the enigmatic clue from Diamondback.

The ink needed something that is quintessentially Eldritch in order for it to be her in control, Diamondback's enigmatic clue inspired Eldritch into figuring out what was needed for the ink to be completed. ( my own bet is on scrapings from her armor and preferred weapon(s) )

Then, somehow, Eldritch had to tattoo herself, front and back. Part of the binding is the act of tattooing the Artificer, so Eldritch has to do the tattoos herself.

and as Sir Lee said, JG is busy with rl so isn't writing right now, we have no clue when he will return, or even IF he will.

She appears in later stories after successfully tattooing herself. So that story is probably not happening again. (wasn't it lost long ago?)

No, it wasn't lost. It was supposed to be either Chapter 8 of "Call the Thunder" or the Outcast Corner's Christmas vacation story, in Australia. But that was about the point J.G. stopped writing (May of 2011). He simply didn't get around to it.

Malady wrote:

Kettlekorn wrote: I've been imagining that it went something like this:

Kettlekorn's Imagination wrote: Caitlin calmly set the magical ink she'd created on the counter, then walked out of the room. She returned ten minutes later clad in REACT armor and bearing some devisor's BFG. Ten more minutes, several explosions, and lots of cussing later, she emerged from the sooty rubble sporting intricate blue tattoos.

I don't get the armor and the BFG, can you explain? Or was it to dispose of the ink as she doesn't want anyone else tattooing her?

It was a joke, mostly. The need to personalize it and Diamondback's comment about "ashes of an old life" combined with Caitlin's personality gave me this mental image of Caitlin just blasting the shit out of the ink until it bent to her will and formed the tattoos.

More seriously, she's probably going to incorporate something of Backdraft's, possibly her literal ashes.

Many thanks for all the resonses. I particularly like the idea of Backdrafts ashes as the prime ink constituent but perhaps my tastes tend toward the macabre

pollymeric wrote: Many thanks for all the resonses. I particularly like the idea of Backdrafts ashes as the prime ink constituent but perhaps my tastes tend toward the macabre

Wha?! You're doubting that's it's Backdraft's ashes that are used as the link to her previous life? I thought that would have been the obvious conclusion, given the last scene we have, and it just wasn't stated outright due to POV Limits or wanting a Bait And Switch...

Call The Thunder 7 wrote: “Caitlin,” Diamondback slithered over and put a hand on Caitlin’s still shoulder, “I know you don’t like it but you need help. If someone gets you, you’re going to be stuck playing supernatural zombie while some asshole fingerpaints the world with the ashes of your old life, if even half of what you can do is...” She stopped as she saw Caitlin’s abruptly wide-eyed expression turn and look at her. “What?”

Caitlin was staring at Diamondback as five words rattled around in her skull, reverberating off her memories. Ashes of an old life. She simply stared for a moment in the stunned silence, mouth moving like a beached fish until she found her voice.

“Diamondback, I hate precogs, but right now I could fucking kiss you.”

I'd been thinking that it was something like this, but i'd been hoping that the original author would finish the story.

I like J.G.'s style of writing, and i'm still hoping for an interesting set of rabbits-pulled-from-hats, the way that J.G. would have told the story.

Now if we can only hope for more Outcast corner/Eldritch stories. I miss them dearly!

One of the things that has always endeared Caitlyn to me (actually, this applies to many, many WU characters, but her especially) is that I really, really, love to watch characters subvert the expectations by being more powerful, down-to-earth, or generally stranger than the newcomers anticipated. I gain a great deal of glee from watching black hat mages such as Nephandus expecting Eldritch to be a docile little Artificer and running up against the shear cussedness that is Caitlyn.

So, are there plans for the Outcasts' Australian Christmas?

JG, you do know the noodle incident story was written eventually
so you cant hide behind that excuse

And now we need a noodle untangler to parse the message above...

Well Sir Lee, if you're sure

Kristin Darken wrote: Actually... the 'original' noodle incident with regards to Whateley was Chaka's combat final. It was handled as a noodle incident because while we all knew what we wanted it to be... not a one of us believed we could tell the story at the level it needed to be.

In the collective consciousness was born the legend of Chaka's first Combat Final.

It is Epic.

It is Legendary.

No writer yet born was deemed worthy, no words can do it justice, no Canon version of this masterpiece will exist.

So was born the legend that is the first Noodle incident.

The later 'noodle incident' was a literal noodle incident described/referenced as a noodle incident for the humor value of an incident about noodles being a noodle incident.

The idea of a Noodle incident infected the Cabal, and so was born the incident in which noodles would be referred to …

The story was eventually actually told, turning it into an incident about noodles that is no longer a noodle incident.

I spoiled the joke, being insufficiently immersed in the humour …

And then there was Jade's combat final, which everyone expected to be a noodle incident because of the lead up to it...

Tha Canon were punking you …

but the plan all along was for it to be written. While it had plenty of super strength silly string, there were no noodles involved.

Jade, being Jade, dominated like Jade will do, because Jade is Jade!

And then I could have had Jade's Night at the Museum in Bordeaux (Kayda 8 - Best Days part 3) be another noodle incident, but I figured that after all the 'adventures' I'd inflicted on Kayda, if I did that, y'all might not forgive me.

Noodles?

Who would want bland, flavourless noodles when you could have the succulent wonder that is calimari?

JG wrote: Because noodles make you wish there was real food on the plate. But you have to eat them anyway.

My sadism actually knows no bounds.

But noodles are real food. I like spaghetti, especially with some chopped up hotdogs, cheese, and spaghetti sauce, macaroni with chopped up hotdogs and cheese. Shoot, when I was younger and sick, spaghetti with light butter was one of my main foods and I still love it to this day.

And, of course, for quite a while the biggest, unresolved 'Noodle Incident' was when the Kimba's managed to beat the 'un-winable' sim using Jade's 'Radio-Active Condor Girl'. I seem to recall that someone DID write the story eventually, but I can't recall if that was ever canon or if it was a fan-fic.

As I'm working my way through the Ayla stories again right now I'd love to be able to re-cap this story in the proper sequence. [Ayla 8 parts 9 & 10]. Can anyone remember which story I'm looking for?

John.

rubberjohn wrote: And, of course, for quite a while the biggest, unresolved 'Noodle Incident' was when the Kimba's managed to beat the 'un-winable' sim using Jade's 'Radio-Active Condor Girl'. I seem to recall that someone DID write the story eventually, but I can't recall if that was ever canon or if it was a fan-fic.

As I'm working my way through the Ayla stories again right now I'd love to be able to re-cap this story in the proper sequence. [Ayla 8 parts 9 & 10]. Can anyone remember which story I'm looking for?

John.

Radio-Active Condro Girl was written into Hank 2: So Shalt Thou Show Me Friendship

Hope nobody tries to hypnotise a water buffalo.

Crikey! A dingo ate me Razorback!

Yolandria wrote: Crikey! A dingo ate me Razorback!

No no, man get it strait. Its...
Crikey! A Razorback ate me Dingo!
Ya get it backwards every time. :/

So did the Sundering, Elves, or the Artificer's create some of Oz's more unusual species?

Not so much a Cait question/comment, but the Artifactir's in general; I'm surprised they where (as far as we know) all after humans and not one of the races in the court they where given to.

The Artificers were drawn from human stock due to the fact all the other empowered races considered them the bottom of the barrel would be my guess.

JG wrote:

Cryptic wrote: So did the Sundering, Elves, or the Artificer's create some of Oz's more unusual species?

Something other made most of Australia's species. Australia was the focal point of the Center Court back in days long dead.

Dang it Jobe stop playing with my time machine!

JG wrote:

Yolandria wrote: The Artificers were drawn from human stock due to the fact all the other empowered races considered them the bottom of the barrel would be my guess.

The answer to that is far more horrifying than what you might think.

Aside from easily-farmed meat production*, I'd guess that the blood was harvested for blood steel production. Just one step up from horseshoe crabs, really.

*

null0trooper wrote:

JG wrote:

Yolandria wrote: The Artificers were drawn from human stock due to the fact all the other empowered races considered them the bottom of the barrel would be my guess.

The answer to that is far more horrifying than what you might think.

I'd guess that the blood was harvested for blood steel production.

That's just giving me some strong Mass Effect Reaper vibes, now. Humans were plentiful and "inferior", so use them by the <insert magnitude here> to produce the blood of the artificers, and likely more.

Hmm. Magic working in its mysterious ways, I wonder if it was intended for the Artificers to resemble humans or whether it was incidental, with the source material affecting the form of the result.

JG wrote:

Yolandria wrote: The Artificers were drawn from human stock due to the fact all the other empowered races considered them the bottom of the barrel would be my guess.

The answer to that is far more horrifying than what you might think.

Well, they were a gift...

the Courts you spoke of were presented with a gift. Four wondersmiths that would be granted to them, one for the Sidhe, one to the Undine, one to the Efreet, one for the Earthen Court, whom I don’t know much about. Two male, two female.

A gift by who? ... I say the humans. As a thing for their masters or their gods or whatever. Made out of Human Sacrifices by Humans.

Artificers: By Humans, Out of Humans, For Non-Humans.

Malady wrote:

JG wrote:

Yolandria wrote: The Artificers were drawn from human stock due to the fact all the other empowered races considered them the bottom of the barrel would be my guess.

The answer to that is far more horrifying than what you might think.

Well, they were a gift...

the Courts you spoke of were presented with a gift. Four wondersmiths that would be granted to them, one for the Sidhe, one to the Undine, one to the Efreet, one for the Earthen Court, whom I don’t know much about. Two male, two female.

A gift by who? ... I say the humans. As a thing for their masters or their gods or whatever. Made out of Human Sacrifices by Humans.

Artificers: By Humans, Out of Humans, For Non-Humans.

Wasn't the earthen court humans at least in part? And at the time they were not capable of such things.

Wiki: "Humanity was part of the empire of the Five-Fold Court - not a MAJOR part, but a part." "The planet now belonged to the primitive humans who crawled over every inch of its surface, impressed with themselves and their recent mastery of fire."

So there were male artificers. Once again I am reminded of this.

NJM1564 wrote: So there were male artificers.

There were male "Wondersmiths". Not all wondersmiths are Artificers, I think. But all Artificers are Wondersmiths.

Search for Wondersmith here: whateleyacademy.net/index.php/component/...56:the-widening-gyre

Does Eldritch still have Erik's knack with machines? And should it count as a gadgeter or deviser trait? And is she going to use it for anything?

I feel like that should be "Book 2 of Darwin".

Arcanist Lupus wrote: I feel like that should be "Book 2 of Darwin".

Shouldn't the title's be Book 1: Darwin cries. Book 2: when dinosaurs learned to drive.

NJM1564 wrote: Does Eldritch still have Erik's knack with machines? And should it count as a gadgeter or deviser trait? And is she going to use it for anything?

I always figured that Erik's knack with machines was an early indication of the whole Artificer spirit thingy latching on to him, given how gadgeteers and devisors tend to know exactly why it works, rather than his "I know how it works and how to make it work if I took it apart, but I couldn't tell you why" and it just took being exposed to ludicrous amounts of magic at Whateley to actually make his artificer-ness properly manifest. But obviously JG may have something else in mind given his reply :V

I wonder when Sandra is going to get Cait into a girls uniform. She got her to dance finally. Even though it was probably funny as hell to watch.

As was mentioned in another thread. When can we expect to see Cait begin fashioning Adamant armor to replace her old React set. Not to mention a new feed tray for that pesky MG that keeps blowing up.

Producing enough to make a suit of armor out of seems like a pretty time intensive process. Like, maybe a year straight of labor for a minimal suit. Also, this whole notion of an immutable substance makes me think there must be some major downsides somewhere, beyond simply the difficulty of manufacture.

Kettlekorn wrote: Producing enough to make a suit of armor out of seems like a pretty time intensive process. Like, maybe a year straight of labor for a minimal suit. Also, this whole notion of an immutable substance makes me think there must be some major downsides somewhere, beyond simply the difficulty of manufacture.

Downsides:

* 1. Can only be produced by one of the near-mythical artificers.
* 2. Suit of armor fits perfectly. Therefore the wearer knows where one of those artificers can be found.
* 3. Anyone knowing 1 & 2 is sure to be old, skilled, and hella dangerous. I.e., no one an artificer wants to become enslaved or even beholden to.

ok, Caitlin needs to figure out how to incorporate ablative armor into regular armor.

Rose Bunny wrote: ok, Caitlin needs to figure out how to incorporate ablative armor into regular armor.

Jack of plates/brigandine, or lamellar armor could incorporate adamant, with the lacing or backing material allowing for some impact absorbance. Going by the description given of the process, casting all those plates would be a complete PITA.

Now you have me imagining Caitlin using personal explosive reactive armor. Thanks a lot.

True... There is always the force you have to deal with. But it wouldn't be too difficult for her to design/add a pad/cushion/runes to the back of the plates to counter said forces. The only thing she might have to worry about anyways is the knockback. Which would really piss her off. But on a good note. Because of the nature of the material involved she wouldn't have to have thick plates. Thin plates would work great. Saving weight while still allowing her to maintain mobility. Which would be a great idea to add to Jerico's armor and develop a vest like item for the rest of the team.

Imagine what that would do for Razor. Allowing him a lot more mobility/freedom to engage without worrying if his body is going to be blasted into pieces before he gets there. Always the worry for any close-in style fighter.

JG wrote: option 3: adamant will stop a 30mm autocannon shell. It will not, however, stop the compressive force that will push your sternum into your spinal column and squeeze your intermal orgams into your pants via your butthole.

Adamant will stop it from penetrating.

it will not prevent the side effects of overpressure, force compression, hydrastatic shock, or you being pinwheeled like a rag doll with every bone in your body when struck by an exemplar six with a mace.

but the armor will be pristine and undamaged.

JG wrote: remember, even plate armor is designed to dent and crumple to absorb impacts.

adamant, by definition, cannot dent or crumple.

think of it like car frames: the ones engineered to collapse a certain way have less fatalities than cars with hardened steel frames.

the crumpling cars absorb the impact rather than transferring all that force to the passengers

So you can make armor for someone that doesn't need armor...

Shields for Noms, and Dimes would make sense Two small 12" in diameter for their lower arms, assuming Dimes can get the control she needs from those arms.

Is there a minimum thickness of Adamant that is useful?

Valentine wrote:

JG wrote: option 3: adamant will stop a 30mm autocannon shell. It will not, however, stop the compressive force that will push your sternum into your spinal column and squeeze your intermal orgams into your pants via your butthole.

Adamant will stop it from penetrating.

it will not prevent the side effects of overpressure, force compression, hydrastatic shock, or you being pinwheeled like a rag doll with every bone in your body when struck by an exemplar six with a mace.

but the armor will be pristine and undamaged.

JG wrote: remember, even plate armor is designed to dent and crumple to absorb impacts.

adamant, by definition, cannot dent or crumple.

think of it like car frames: the ones engineered to collapse a certain way have less fatalities than cars with hardened steel frames.

the crumpling cars absorb the impact rather than transferring all that force to the passengers

So you can make armor for someone that doesn't need armor...

Shields for Noms, and Dimes would make sense Two small 12" in diameter for their lower arms, assuming Dimes can get the control she needs from those arms.

Is there a minimum thickness of Adamant that is useful?

If it can be a centimeter or smaller, padded helmet for Teri, and brass knuckles for colour.

My guess would be that Adamant could be a few micrometers thick and still maintain it's indestructible properties. On the other hand, I suspect that even Eldritch is incapable of manufacturing Adamant at those thicknesses. In other words, it's not a limitation of the material itself but the manufacturing process.

For the ultimate in ballistic vests, layer plates of adamant in a kevra weave. Of course, that's a lot of expense for something of (relatively) limited additional performance.

Where it might shine moreso, is where you really want to stop penetration and damage. Layering plates of adamant over an environmentally-sealed suit could be of considerable benefit, but that's very much a niche application.

Jericho's shield is pretty much the best use in terms of both effectiveness and application.

To give you guys an idea of a possible limitation... the two examples of Adamant so far have been at least a half-inch thick... though one of them HAD been etched... so it's possible at some point in the process to remove material in some fashion.

Dreamer wrote:

JG wrote: Because noodles make you wish there was real food on the plate. But you have to eat them anyway.

My sadism actually knows no bounds.

But noodles are real food. I like spaghetti, especially with some chopped up hotdogs, cheese, and spaghetti sauce, macaroni with chopped up hotdogs and cheese. Shoot, when I was younger and sick, spaghetti with light butter was one of my main foods and I still love it to this day.

Heh, I tend to like noodles with a little mayo stirred in so I can somewhat identify, not that this is a food thread, And I'm way late to the party as it were, Anyway, Thanks J G for all the wonderful stories about Outcast Corner. The one I would like to see finished is the one where Sandra is learning about the astral plane. Yes it's implied in Darwin, but I'd like it from her POV Please, begging and pleading.

Resurrecting the thread because I realized something. What if Eric Mahren was trans?
The only predicessor we know about that she has memories from before binding started as female, and it would explain the "being hurt by lots of someones" and clearly taking more after her mother than anyone else...

mhalpern wrote: Resurrecting the thread because I realized something. What if Eric Mahren was trans?
The only predicessor we know about that she has memories from before binding started as female, and it would explain the "being hurt by lots of someones" and clearly taking more after her mother than anyone else...

There is no evidence in JG's stories that Eric Mahern was anything except hetero male. However, the artificer which has attached itself to him is female. Has always been female, and occasionally mature enough to consider multiplication...

Anne wrote:

mhalpern wrote: Resurrecting the thread because I realized something. What if Eric Mahren was trans?
The only predicessor we know about that she has memories from before binding started as female, and it would explain the "being hurt by lots of someones" and clearly taking more after her mother than anyone else...

There is no evidence in JG's stories that Eric Mahern was anything except hetero male. However, the artificer which has attached itself to him is female. Has always been female, and occasionally mature enough to consider multiplication...

Eric Mahren was also really good at keeping things bottled up, and suppressed, had a lifetime to master the ability to hide enotions until they are useful, and bottle them back up when no longer needed. Basically Eric's POV would not be a reliable basis, the only way to keep something in that long is to hide it from yourself.

mhalpern wrote: Resurrecting the thread because I realized something. What if Eric Mahren was trans?
The only predicessor we know about that she has memories from before binding started as female, and it would explain the "being hurt by lots of someones" and clearly taking more after her mother than anyone else...

Actually we know she has at least some memories from several if not all her previous incarnations. Or at least had them. She was Galatea, she was Ashtea, she was in ancient China when the Handmaid killed her. She has various memories from all those times and others.

I was specifically referring to memories we know of from before being bound, before identity death

mhalpern wrote: I was specifically referring to memories we know of from before being bound, before identity death

For many years of that life Eric was fully a Hollow Man, having no deep feelings one way or the other until the day he finally connected with another person and to living. In that respect, perhaps "waking up" as he did delayed the inevitable until it could finally be beaten. In turn, there could have been meddling or help to make that happen.

Or not.

I'm not sure I'd want that answered definitively.

mhalpern wrote: I was specifically referring to memories we know of from before being bound, before identity death

Call the Thunder Part 5 wrote: Caitlin shuddered as memories of a time bearing deep purple tattoos flashed through her mind. "Never mention Galatea around me again, please. Those are not pleasant memories."

So Eldritch had Galatea's memories before she was bound. She also had the Chinese Artificer's memories, and the Sidhe Artificer's memories even before Eric manifested.

Yes but we haven't seen those memories

mhalpern wrote: Yes but we haven't seen those memories

Instructor wrote: The hammer struck the metal with a loud clang and the shower of sparks. Again it struck, in perfect rhythm, forging the blade. She paused once when it was safe to do so in her work, and quenched the heated metal in the blood of the Dragon Carathwyn, who had been felled by the Knights of the realm. After a break, she went back to work, hammering the blade again, and again in perfect rhythm. The work had to carry on through the day and on through the week. Any interruption would mean disaster and the precious Mithril being forged into the steel would be ruined and useless. She pounded at the blade, for days, nonstop, never slowing. Her queen's sword had to be ready by the eve of the solstice. So little time.

She Finally finished the blade, tired and worn, a week in the forges could weary even her. Her Lady's vassals watched as she emerged from the forge, keeping their distance as she walked directly to the center of the castle and struck the blade tip firmly into the ground. The Ice would temper the fire and the point in the hard earth would draw strength from the world and the castle. She left the precious blade in the earth and walked back into the Forge. She had to begin the hilt and pommel immediately. None would touch the precious blade. None would dare.

The forging took a week, as she examined her work. Only the richest metals had been used in the delicate basket hilt of the blade. Steel and Silver with Orichalcum laced as golden filigree made it up. The handle wrapped in precious hides was stained a deep, royal purple. She carried the hilt to the blade, and stepped up to the blade. A serving girl, vassal of her queen stopped and stared in horror. She was human, it was to be expected. The girl ran in fear as she slid the pommel onto the blade to complete the joining process.

Whispered words and bent knee before the heavens and the sky erupted in storm. Eldritch energy flashed from above and below in equal measure, as the Queen's people desperately sought shelter. It was not her place to worry about their safety. Her only concern was the blade of her Lady. She chanted on for hours, rain falling upon her naked body, and the blade. She was oblivious to the screams of terror from the humans beyond the castle wall's enchantments. The Humans would have to fend for themselves. They would cry and shout, and beg the Queen to abate her anger, but it would not. Until her task was complete there would be no abatement.

The sword slid free of the earth easily. She walked up the castle battlements, always chanting, always speaking in that language that none, not even she could understand. As she passed in and out of the castle to her destination Even the Queen's true people moved away from her, some sneering with contempt at the naked woman who blithely stalked past them. They were not her concern. Her Mistress'; will be done.

The battlements were clear, and even the pointy-eared, beautiful people of the queen dared not disturb her. To stand against the storm was beyond them, all but the most powerful mystics. She pointed the sword high, and thunder clapped and the while light of lightning speared the tip of the blade, searing it, forging it anew, ripping the length of the blade and into her. Even in her weary state she felt refreshed, energized, and ready for the next task that her mistress would lay before her once the sword was presented by the court seneschal. She would not see the queen. Base servants were to stay to their place, not seek to see or speak with Her Majesty.

She tested the blade not. She knew it would cut the strongest steel, and pierce the magic defenses of the Queen's enemies. She laid the blade by her bed and went to sleep. When she awoke, the blade was gone. In it's place there was a note with instructions, and the raw materials she needed, as divined by the Court mage. Her Majesty's champion required armor. This would take a year of nonstop work.

She walked to her mirror and looked upon herself. She did not know she was beautiful. She did not know she was human, or had been. It had been so long since she realized she was like those round-eared people. She was plain, even ugly to the court. She did not see herself. She saw the marks of the tattoos, they covered her body, her face framed on the sides by delicate, cobalt blue waves that tapered to tips on her forehead and chin. The tattoos that bound her power, that allowed her to ply her craft. Without them she would have died, consumed from within. The tattoos marked her for all to see.

Artificer.

Mage.

Weaponsmith.

Armorer

Slave.

She could not see herself, just the beautiful, delicate cobalt blue marks that were her brands. She could not remember her name. She looked in the mirror, and saw nothing.

There was a crack of shattering glass, and it took a moment to realize what it was. The mirror was shattered, her fist held in the wall, bleeding from it's passing. The castle guards desperately ran to the forge as the furious shriek tore through the silent night.

That is from when he went into burnout two days before he transformed.

Walking Alone wrote: "You understand your task here, child?" The wizened old man's eyes were alight with hope... and greed. The priest's robes he wore were scorched and marked from handling the girl into the closed chamber.

"Yes, your eminence, I understand. I will wait and be still while you flense the sickness from me." She looked around. The chamber was marked, wall to wall with the symbols of the church to ward off unholy influences.

"Yes child, while I was expecting a warrior, I suppose God works in mysterious ways. Now lie down. This will hurt most likely."

The girl nodded, giving a hateful glare to the mirror, noting the metallic hair, the mad eyes and the energies that marked her apart from her family. She steeled herself and disrobed, lying on the table as the priest began his prayers. He held a needle in his hand, and a glass jar, horrifically expensive, and filled with a metallic gold fluid. His prayers didn't stop over the course of two days and nights, as he carefully dipped the needle into the golden ink and pierced her flesh. He did it again, and again, thousands of times over, carefully marking the symbols of purification and absolution upon her.

She felt the prick, the pain on her face, her arms, her breasts, her stomach, her legs. The whole time he kept stern concentration, and kept painful attention to the details. When he was done with her front he went to her back, again pricking, always marking her. She knew that the Cardinal would save her. She knew her soul was in peril and was willing to be marked for life if it meant she may go to heaven. The pain, the marks, the pricks. She prayed silently that she would not be so marred that she would never find a husband. Little did she know, it was not to be.

He placed his hands in her head, and she could feel blessed water dripping down her hair. "In god's name, be complete child."

She burned, her skin feeling the searing light that penetrated her mind and soul. Then she felt a numbness creep through her body, penetrating everything she was. She felt... empty.

"Lord in heaven please forgive me for what I have done to this child."

What did he just say? Never mind, it was unimportant. She stood quietly and looked into the mirror. She was beautiful still, with metallic hair, and odd eyes. It did not seem to matter anymore. The emptiness filled her, and she knew the demon had been driven from her. She couldn't see her old face, any sign of... a name... She had a name before. She couldn't remember it. Perhaps the demon had taken it when it was driven out, leaving her with the metallic golden marks, the script across her forehead in Latin, the cross that framed her breasts, or the other symbols of the church that were now a permanent part of her body.

"Come, little artificer. The Knights of the Thorns have a service they need you to perform." His voice seemed strained with something...guilt? It didn't matter.

"Yes Master."

The priest recoiled as though he had been stabbed.

That was after Caitlin woke up the first time.

Valentine wrote:

mhalpern wrote: I was specifically referring to memories we know of from before being bound, before identity death

Call the Thunder Part 5 wrote: Caitlin shuddered as memories of a time bearing deep purple tattoos flashed through her mind. "Never mention Galatea around me again, please. Those are not pleasant memories."

So Eldritch had Galatea's memories before she was bound. She also had the Chinese Artificer's memories, and the Sidhe Artificer's memories even before Eric manifested.

We don't actually know if Eldritch was Galatea. We only have the olimpions word on that. They could be mistaken about many things. Even if Galetea was an artificer it might have bin the other female one.

NJM1564 wrote:

Valentine wrote:

mhalpern wrote: I was specifically referring to memories we know of from before being bound, before identity death

Call the Thunder Part 5 wrote: Caitlin shuddered as memories of a time bearing deep purple tattoos flashed through her mind. "Never mention Galatea around me again, please. Those are not pleasant memories."

So Eldritch had Galatea's memories before she was bound. She also had the Chinese Artificer's memories, and the Sidhe Artificer's memories even before Eric manifested.

We don't actually know if Eldritch was Galatea. We only have the olimpions word on that. They could be mistaken about many things. Even if Galetea was an artificer it might have bin the other female one.

Did you read the quote from Call the Thunder 5? Caitlin has Galatea's memories, unless the Artificers all share memories, she was Galatea.

Would sharing memories be all that surprising though? In a way it would make the artificer concept make a bit more sense (well, to me at least). As I recall there are four such beings. Where are the other three? If not all are active, it would seem to me that a sensible "fail safe" would be for each artificer spirit to somehow share knowledge/experience/etc. After all, the things they work with are not constant, as reality changes over time, thus the things they work with and are asked to do would change over time. If one had been dormant for a long period of time, it would be "out of date" when it did become active if there was not a mechanism to bring it up to speed. That there may be unpleasant mental side effects was likely not considered or considered to be a "minor" problem for something that was intended to be controlled.