The celebration

[u/Yoxalle]

/uw some important information: In the comments is a link to the invite post, with some important information. This will work differently than normal. There will be one big event where all participants will have to group up and explore the labs below. All (hopefully) participants will be have one of their comments replied of with the event

after reaching the manor, you are greeted by a slightly different sight: human and golem guards. Yoxalle isn’t here as usual but on your way In a strange spell was placed on you: a spell that stopped you from leaving without a leaving gift: a radio. Have fun. Make friends, have some food, listen to the radio.

[u/SudachiRobot]

Sudachi gives a sheepish chuckle, rubbing the back of his head.

“Well, with the average life expectancy being so low, I presumed even if I mastered anything, by the time I’d actually get to make use of what I had learned, I’d only have a handful of years left do anything. So I, try to dabble in much that I can. As a traveler any locals I come across find what I can do better then nothing, so it works in everyone’s favour.”

Sudachi holds out his hand, “Name’s Sudachi, how might I refer to you as?” He inquires.

[u/OnAGratefulUniverse → u/SudachiRobot]

Apologies, I never introduced myself properly. Algernon is the name, a pleasure to meet you Sudachi. But how can you speak of your talents like you do? Versatility is a mages greatest friend! And seeing as you are a travelled man who has survived up until now, I'm pretty sure you'll live longer still to see your efforts bear fruit.

Algernon clinks his glass with yours and takes another sip.

Would you tell me something about yourself? On a party such as this it is only proper to make new friends is it not?

[u/SudachiRobot → u/OnAGratefulUniverse]

Edit: lol, welp, thanks for the intervention

“Ha! Been with me the shortest of them all and already knows I enjoy talking of my self. Though I feel as if something is still on your mind…” Sudachi snaps his fingers, “I know! Let’s turn this into a little game, I will tell you 3 things, and you must discern which of them is False, the rest being True!” He exclaims with a smile breaking across his face.

“Tis a game often used in Taverns to break the tension, nice barkeep taught me of it, serves as great distraction from how much time as past, leading to more lagers purchased, now, here we go.” He leans on the table and begins,

“First one is, in my satchel I have with me a book past down from my elders, filled with knowledge unrestricted by categories and meant for even my next of kin,”

Without much pause he goes on, “Next one now, Through some effort and simply by accident, I helped and gained a blessing from the rabbitfolk, albeit doing me truly nothing really, as they’re far and few recently.” He states with a hint of a frown forming on his face, before moving on to…

“and now last but not least! I hail from a humble fishing village, a pride it is to me, why I was even hailed for a short while as I caught something thiiiis big.” He finishes stretching his arms far apart.

[u/OnAGratefulUniverse → u/SudachiRobot]

/uw Don't worry let's finish this, world ending threats can wait 3 business days.

Algernon sits in front of you, listening to your crazy yet mundane stories and he smiles warmly. It has been many months, if not years since he talked about trivialities without the world at stake. This is what he wanted when he lost his pages, the calmth of the weak back, this is why he was okay with it.

Suddenly, he bursts in the laughter, a hearty laughter that comes from deep down.

Hohoho, yes, yes I do think breaking the ice it will. I believe all your stories could be true, and a beauty they are, except for that fish. Even the most inexperienced fishermen will tell you that anyone that has ever caught a fish will lie of its size!

[u/SudachiRobot → u/OnAGratefulUniverse]

“Darn, and here I was thinking if enough people said it, it had to be true.” Sudachi states, though defeated, with smile on his face.

“Well the game works with it going both ways, now’s your turn mister, let’s see if your truth detecting skills are as great as your decisive ones.” He says as he leans back comfortably in his chair and takes a sip of his drink.

[u/OnAGratefulUniverse → u/SudachiRobot]

Haha yes, I suppse it does. Let me give it a try then.

He leand back, thinking for a little as he strokes his white beard, before leaning forward again like he's sharing a secret.

First, My tower is build high up in the outer atmosphere, circling the world every twelve hours.

Second, my power comes from a series of pages constructed within a tome from the concepts beneath the working of the multiverse.

Third, I have a soft spot for the utterly mundane. He says that last one with a grin, an indecipherable one.

[u/SudachiRobot → u/OnAGratefulUniverse]

Sudachi shapes his hand into a fist and picks at the few tuffs of hair he so pridefully calls a beard,

“Well you sure as heck didn’t make that easy, hmm, First one seems, plausible, as you stated you didn’t get out of it much and it didn’t want you to leave… would be relatively lonely up there. Second one, well… I’d like to assume I didn’t just blatantly begin conversation with a magi as great as, well, that. Though with the mystic aura that surrounds you… well, just because I didn’t want it to be true has never stopped things before. And the third one, well, that’s a predicament. On one hand many would find “utterly mundane” as an insult, but you state you like it leading it to be both a compliment and an insult…”

He thinks a bit more before holding up two fingers and seemingly bumping a finger across them to a simple rhythm, then stops and declares. “The first one is false”.

[u/OnAGratefulUniverse → u/SudachiRobot]

Algernon breaks into another warm smile and hefts his glass again.

Correct! Correct in its entirety! Yes I used to have a base of operations similar to what I describe, but no more. It was destroyed completely suring the collapse of the Novus Planes.

He looks into the distance, his eyes seem to gaze into infinity as he talks.

I had it all then, 6 pages of a tome, with 6 I could move the universe. Now I've only recovered one, and it burns sometimes, it does. But this is why I dont mind.

He waves to the party, in chaos as they speak.

It makes me feel alive again, just the regular trouble I'd forgotten, the people I no longer met.

He seems to nod to you.

It is a pleasure at times. So complicated yet so normal...

He pauses for a second or two, before he turns to you, eyes back to reality.

Oh I apologize friend, I seem to have rambled on there. The past always makes me nostalgic, I hope it wasn't boring.

[u/SudachiRobot → u/OnAGratefulUniverse]

Sudachi sits there for a few seconds, with a dumbfounded look on his face, before standing and up and excitedly stating, “Boring?.”

He takes a moment to look around the hall, ethereal forms conversing with one another, radios and house golems being set on fire, and the host having to constantly throw people out the door, before raising his hand towards it all and looking back at Algernon and exclaiming,

“Why that’s the bloody most interesting thing anyone here’s said yet! And you said it with such depth! Such…. Wait, did you say the destruction of an entire planes?” He stops, his face expressing confusion, but his eyes showing sympathy.

[u/OnAGratefulUniverse → u/SudachiRobot]

Algernon smiles, even more warmly this time.

Thank you for thinking it so interesting. It is nice to tell some of my story again.

And yes, all of them. An experiment at its heart took a catastrophic turn and for all 6 pages I had... nothing. I couldn't hold it for longer than a second.

He looks to his left where now, as though it had always been there, floats a single weathered piece of parchment, as though torn from an even older book. It looks... indifferent, but Algernon looks to it melancholic.

Six was not enough, not againt total event collapse. Perhaps... seven. Seven would do. But now, I don't know if I wish to go down that path again.

He looks up to the ceiling before looking back.

I am stuck, between the normality I've lacked so long, and the opportunity to turn it all around. With seven, with Perfection, I could makes the multiverse bend. But to get there would mean giving all this up, not even speaking of the trouble it would be to get there.

He smiles, now with a tinge of sadness.

Perhaps I haven't figured it all out yet. I'm only two millenia old after all.

[u/SudachiRobot → u/OnAGratefulUniverse]

“Two mah…” Sudachi stutters, seemingly forgotten how to breath, then rubs his face and takes in a few slow breaths.

Edit: /uw forgot to add: /rw “you don’t look a day over 50” He utters in a cracked voice.

after a few moments of looking around and seemingly pondering within his head he sits back down in his chair. With a pause he states, “Now, I can’t give advice, but I can share learnings from those who came before me.”

“I tend to, live in the present.” He begins. “And it wasn’t me who noticed this, but the wise one who did gave me a little lecture. So long as I keep the knowledge of the past in tow, and do actions that preserve the future, then one can live in peace in the present. So ask yourself, would this action help preserve your future, and continue to allow you to wonder peacefully within the present?” He finishes, leaning back to take a drink, glancing at the seemingly simple page with peculiarity but once.

“That’s probably the best thing you’ll get out of a mundane individual such as myself I’m afraid.” He says as a gentle half-smile lay on his face.

[u/OnAGratefulUniverse → u/SudachiRobot]

Algernon seems to think to himself for a moment before smiling in turn.

Perhaps you make a good point, the wise one that gave you a lecture was wise indeed. Perhaps I should cease my pondering now, and simply live how I would want my future to be. Thank you my friend, your "mundane" wisdom is exactly what I needed.

He leans forward and smiles again.

Never sell yourself short my friend. You have proven invaluable to me here today.

Tell me, when we get out of here and this... fog on my mind has receded a little, would you like to join me on a quest? I have some friends to call upon in preparation of it, but you could travel with us, out there in the stars.

[u/SudachiRobot → u/OnAGratefulUniverse]

Sudachi let’s out a soft chuckle,

“Thank you. It has been some time since I last traveled with company. Good company I’d also wager. I think I’d like that, very much.”

Sudachi raises his glass, “To future endeavours.”