Forgotten Runes Logo
Book
Recent Lore
Lore with Images
Search
World Map

Sage Otto of the Moors (#2885)

Owner: 0x24D7…e52b

Chapter 1: Sage Otto infiltrates the Council

“Hey, baby, keep up! We’ve got a whole lot of dreams to get through!”

Otto muttered gruffly under his breath. He had thought himself at one with all beasts of the woods, the hills, and the water, but this Dream Pony was really fraying his nerves.

Pony #77 had popped up in the forest a few days previously. Supposedly Calista had sent the pony to assist Otto in accessing information from wizards on the Council. But he got the feeling that he was actually being micromanaged. Not that he had a problem with that, of course, Empress Calista could do as she pleased, by the light of the Runes and the Stars! Far be it from a simple animist like him to question the commands of the Citadel's saviour. Some warning would have been nice though. And a less excitable accomplice. On the other hand, Otto had to admit that accessing the wizards’ dreams was a handy technique.

“Otto my man, who are you and Dewdrop delving today? The beardy one?”

Ishtar guffawed. “D'ya get it? Because they all have beards!” the pony shook his head and gave a self-satisfied sigh.

“I get it, Ishtar, very amusing,” Otto replied through gritted teeth. “The Empress thinks it might be a good idea to visit the White Wizard next, he’s not a Dreamer or a Celestial, so we should be able to influence him relatively safely and without raising any suspicion.”

The pony flapped his lips. “Ah yes, the Empress thinks that’s a good idea. Of course she does.” He winked at the Sage. Otto frowned. “And what exactly are you implying, pony?” Ishtar innocently inspected one of his pink hooves. “Me? I’m not implying anything, baby. Oh no. I never imply things. Can’t stand implications... very tiresome. If anything I’m an anti-implier, you know.”

“You’re not a very good liar, pony. I don’t have time for this,” growled Otto, wiping his hands on his coveralls. “The sooner we get some information, the sooner you can leave me in peace and get back to that weird little mistress of yours. She gives me the heebie-jeebies. And just remember, once we’re in his dream, you need to be quiet. Even though you’re staying out here, they seem to be able to hear you in there. I don’t want a repeat of that nonsense with the Brown Wizard.”

Ishtar snorted and rolled his eyes. “Yeah well, xenophobia don’t hold no water with me, baby. I’m pretty sure he was a pony-hater too, I can smell them a mile off. Better off without him I’d say. And Bathsheba’s not my mistress, Pony #77 prances to nobody’s tune but his own! She and I are partners.”

Despite his whinging, Ishtar had already begun readying himself; soon Otto saw the ground in front of the Dream Pony start to stir. The dirt bounced and vibrated in the air, forming itself into a floating outline of the Rune of Saturn.

“Just be ready to pull us out if it gets hairy in there… NO PUNS, pony!” the Sage cut Ishtar off as he opened his mouth.

Ishtar wheezed with suppressed laughter and beckoned the Sage forward with one pink hoof. As Otto approached the rune-shaped dust cloud, the pony whispered in his ear. “Hey baby, has anyone ever told you that you’ve got a sparkling personality?”

Chapter 2: The library

The White Wizard’s dream turned out to be the dullest so far. While the leader of the Red faction had played out a convoluted plot of intrigue, striving for dominion over all, and the Purple Wizard’s dreams were a psychedelic swirl of improbable landscapes populated by shape-shifting beasts, this was... a library.

Cobwebs hung across stacks of dusty books; an old and tattered parchment depicting an ancient and crude map of the Runiverse lay limply on a desk in the centre of the room.

In the dream, Otto had taken the same blob-like form as his slimy familiar. Dewdrop was the first to move, oozing her way across the thick rug, which appeared to be the pelt of some unfortunate animal.

Otto followed, as always struggling at first to come to terms with the lack of structure in his slimy body. People don’t often pause to think about how much of the heavy lifting a skeleton does for them, but its absence very quickly drives the point home. Otto flopped awkwardly across the rug, still not entirely sure whether this transformation was strictly necessary for him to enter the Dream Realm, or whether it was just the pony’s idea of entertainment.

It did have its uses though, like the fact that Dewdrop was a master of camouflage. Otto wondered whether all sapphire slimes had this trait.

No, only me! came the cheerful reply. The hive mind they shared was another unexpected benefit they had gained in the process.

A nearby cough startled them, and Dewdrop instantly flowed over the cover of a nearby book, perfectly mimicking pattern, colour, and texture.

Otto managed to turn brown. At least I got the right colour this time, he thought ruefully.

Texture takes time to learn. Really feel the rug – you need to be able to think like the rug.

Think like a rug... sure... Otto contemplated his thread count as he slimed his way behind the leg of the desk, wondering if it was doing any good.

The White Wizard came wandering into the library antechamber, his dream form shimmering as though made of diaphanous crystal.

Are you ready, Dewdrop?

Ready boss! I’ll take the lead and once I’ve convinced him I’m a product of his own subconscious, I’ll distract him while you access his memory centres.

As Dewdrop reformed herself, the wizard’s dream-self was totally transfixed, and Otto got to work. This time, the whole operation was as simple as duping a Duck.

As they stepped out of the dream, Ishtar did a little jig. “Hey good job, Sagey-baby! That was swee-eet! Boy, Dewdrop really had that one wrapped around her… uh… finger. So what now?”

“Now, my four-legged friend, I shall make contact with Empress Calista, to inform her that the seeds have been sown. The rise of the Citadel has begun,” Otto said briskly, as he focused a communication spell through his ruby staff.

In his room, Wizard #3901 withdrew from his mind vision, smiling to himself in satisfaction. “And after the rise? Well after the rise, comes the fall.”

Story Arc Index:

Prologue: Wizard #3914

Part 1: Pony #77

Part 2: Wizard #2877

Part 3: Wizard #1175

Part 4: Wizard #3901

Part 5: Wizard #4841

Part 6: Wizard #2885

Part 7: Wizard #3917

Part 8: Wizard #6084

Entered by: 0x24D7…e52b and preserved on chain (see transaction)