Drawn Masquerade
Character: Drawn Masquerade
Player Name: Matt
Race: Unicorn Stallion
Class: Wizard (Shadow Illusionist) 5
Role: Trickery, Face
Special Note: The shadow illusionist progression allows Dawn to make illusions that feel solid—and even have a little weigh to them.
Drawn opens his eyes.
Probably, he thinks sluggishly....
Assumptions like that are how mistakes get made, after all. All he can really state with confidence is that he perceives himself to have opened his eyes. More than that, he cannot be certain of. Through rigorous examination of past data, as well as the general traits of chaos and illusion magic, he can determine that is likely his eyes are actually open. But that's just the most likely outcome.
Still, in lieu of additional evidence, it seems he'll have to proceed with that assumption. Today, after all, is a big day. He can't get too stalled up by the little things. Today is the day he saves the world.
Drawn Masquerade looks around in his newly determined "open eyes" state
He's in one of his workshops. The latest one. Whatever changes have occurred when he wasn't observing it—and according to his current understanding of chaos magic, any non-observation of a room induces at least some changes—are not visually obvious. It appears just as he left it last night. It's made from the remains of some pony's house. They weren't around, not even as a greycoat, and he needed space to complete his studies.
It sufficed.
Drawn Masquerade gingerly steps out of bed, waits a few moments… and breathes a sigh as the floor continues to exist. Maybe those calculations were wrong and the instability would be two steps to the left actually… Well… no matter. He goes to the workbench stepping around the mushroom field, tame miniature elephant ranch and the pegasus landing ramp that made up his bedroom. The light was so bright today....
He sighs as he scans his calculations again. No, that's right. The whole house was going to move soon.
Regrettably so. He'll have to move quickly. The room continues to exist in a meaningful way—at least as far as he perceives it—while he sets about his morning routine. Washing up, feeding the tiny elephants, acknowledging the constitutional legitimacy of the mushrooms’ breakaway republic. It's almost a routine by now. A fact which, while seemingly minor, is ultimately what lead him here.
After all, all things exist within chaos. Therefore, the odds of finding any one thing by random chance are functionally zero. And yet he found his house. From that, one can conclude that his motions are not random. That his natural magic gives him some ability to move himself to a specific point. Or to move points towards him.
And since all things exist within this swirling mess that was once reality, that should make it possible for him to call any object to himself. Any creature. To make the things he perceives real. Realish.
To search through all the world, for whatever it is will set the world right. Precisely what that thing is is up to him. But that shouldn't matter too much. In theory.
Drawn Masquerade begins to pack up again. How many times was that now? Four, twelve, sixty eight? It was so hard to keep track. His spellbook and rod went quickly into his mostly prepared satchel which he slung over his shoulder. Never know when you need to leave in a hurry when the continuum catches up to you. Where to next...?
Well, his attempts to summon a useful building that could provide shelter were successful. Perhaps his next attempt should be more ambitious. Drawn hasn't found a theoretical limit on this ability yet. Save his own powers of concentration. But those should suffice to set the world right. If he summons the right thing. Creates the right thing. Perhaps an artifact of harmony and order. Or a pony who knows more than him. Or a book, full of the knowledge he needs to fix things.
Drawn Masquerade sighs… routine was nice but it wasn't going to get him anywhere… time to try something else. He tugs on the fabric of the maybe-never-was and the could-have been to try and directly pull himself to the center of a calm place. Maybe he would get lucky. Or maybe another bottomless pit.
A calm place. That's a tricky illusion. He can't make anything vanish after all, and the swirling world around him is anything but calm. But he should be able to conjure some obstructing objects. Like... a stone floor! That's a good start. And walls. And a ceiling.
Drawn Masquerade looks around at the new home… seventeen, no wait, four walls! That is a promising start! A ceiling, good good… And a Floor! This was going to be good! Not even a single spacial anomaly either! Well… except for that high ceiling and those thrones… those were certainly odd. Drawn Masquerade scans around for a moment before nodding.., Yes this will do. Now… for the real trick… Calm in chaos to make the chaos come in and stay still for a moment. He closes his eyes. Maybe. Time for this to get interesting.
It's a tricky thing. He can't calm the chaos directly, only draw it in. Fool it into an orderly shape. Maybe that's why this is all part of the illusion school instead of conjuration. That's a question for him to sort out another time though. For now, his eyes shut, he takes a breath. And gradually, he begins to feel cold stone under his hooves.
"Ah! Master Drawn, so good to see you again," says a mare he has never heard before.
Oh! Drawn Masquerade opens his eyes! Maybe.
When he opens his eyes, the hall around him is populated. A mare with a blue coat and a shimmering starlit mane sits upon one of the thrones. She has the horn of a unicorn and the wings of a pegasus, spread wide behind her, and around him, the hall is filled with soldiers. Strange soldiers they are, appearing as mares made of shadow, without cutie marks and clad in silver armor. But there they are.
Drawn Masquerade stares intently at the figures in front of him. "There is a 72% chance that you are not in fact real. Or… that you are unreal. Or maybe real. Are you in fact, maybe potentially unreal in a very real way?"
"I'd forgotten your clever little word games," the creature upon the throne says, in a somewhat fond manner. "I fear that we may not have time to indulge in them now however. Though if I had to guess..."
Princess Luna mulls it over a moment. "I suppose I would say I am exactly as real as you are."
"Well you are ruining my calm place,” he says. :If you could kindly please go elsewhere to be as real as you wish I would be most appreciative."
Drawn Masquerade catches up to the conversation. "Erm… do you know me? Or do I know you? Or are you me and therefore do I know myself? Hmmm… well… to assume you are real would mean to accept that you are an alicorn. To accept that would mean that… my word… you are a Princess!”
"Maybe," he adds.
Princess Luna laughs. It's not exactly a cheerful sound, but there is warmth in it. Familiarity. "Master Drawn, there are times when I am uncertain if you are brilliant or simply creatively addled. But I think," she replies, as she descends from the throne. "Therefore I am. And I think that I am glad to have you here, in this more dire hour."
"Come, I will show you the battlements. There is much we should discuss."
Drawn Masquerade follows Luna curiously. "Where am I? And why isn't the chaos seeping in? It should be here by now… calm never really lasts anymore.”
As the two of them walk, Drawn catches strange things in the corner of his eyes. It's the guards silver armor. Whenever he walks past them, something flashes in it—a reflection that shouldn't be there, for it reflects nothing in the room. But quick as it comes, it's gone.
"You are in the Everfree Forest,” Princess Luna answers, “and it is by my sister's will that the chaos holds no sway here. Under her direction, we found a number of powerful artifacts—the Elements of Harmony—and with them, vanquished Discord, the spirit of chaos behind this perversion. We were able to restore the forest to order as well, but before we could proceed any further... well."
Princess Luna pushes a door open and the two step out into the battlements. In the dark forest beyond, a vast army can be seen gathering, preparing to lay siege to the castle. "There were other developments."
"Oh dear,” Drawn says. “That is… many many ponies. This is NOT a calm place indeed! Why were you happy to have me here? This is… much more than I could even hope to twist away."
"They are not just ponies, but an assortment of other creatures as well: diamond dogs, trolls, minotaurs, and most importantly, the Deer, a strange race from a distant land. They were the greatest surprise, and I shall have to tell you more of them soon. But for now, my sister and I need all the help we can get. Even if the odds seem impossible."
"Well I suppose I could try and help… I was planning on saving the world today anyway. Is that the plan?"
"Yes, Master Drawn." Princess Luna gives a sad sigh, though there's a faint smile in it. "That is the plan."
"Then I accept. Maybe," Drawn answers.
"Of course, then please—"
"—come with me," says Princess Celestia.
Now it is a white wing that turns to lead him into a castle of bright stone. The torches that crackled moments ago extinguished—unnecessary in the brilliant light of the day. Drawn isn't blinded. There's no flash. Not even any sense of disorientation, though he shies back instinctively
It is as though he simply lost his train of thought, and now it is a larger, white-coated mare who leads him, her body adorned by a golden necklace, hoof boots, and a crown. Princess Celestia pauses, when she realizes she isn't being followed.
Drawn Masquerade cracks an eye and looks around.
"Why, Drawn," she asks, frowning. "What's wrong?"
"Hmmm..." He begins walking again. Keeping an eye on the shining white mare, he peers intently around in the shining light noting the different decorations, architecture and especially the new mare in front of him. "So… saving the world then?" he prompts the mare cautiously.
"Of course," she says, though her frown reveals that she can tell something is wrong. Her golden necklace sparkles in the light, and when he glances at it, he can see something reflected in it. Something that is not in the room.
Drawn Masquerade peers closer at the reflection.
Princess Celestia pulls back, as he abruptly leans in closer. "Drawn, what's the matter?" she asks more directly.
In the shine of the gold, he can see… A face. Part of one, anyway. The reflective surface isn't very big.
"Your necklace and her guards' armor… It’s...an eye! A tree? No...But. Yes? An eye and a branch....not a branch....a bone? A finger? A tooth? No..." Drawn mumbles still moving closer heedless of Celestia's retreat, "A horn....."
"Drawn, what are you talking about?" Princess Celestia applies a firm hoof, shoving him back before he can see more.
Drawn Masquerade snaps back into focus. "Sorry your highness. You were saying. I get distracted and wander sometimes… What was it you were saying again? I find myself strangely invigorated by all this walking and talking. I don't get to have a vacation like this often."
Princess Celestia frowns. "I was saying, you're the first to arrive." She guides him into the castle, which is now empty. Not a guard in sight. "Luna and I have managed to hold them off so far, but I am not certain how long that will last. Anything you could do to create the illusion of strength on our walls might buy time."
"I can easily create a show of strength. How long must it last? Relatively speaking?"
"Until more help arrives. How long that will be, I cannot say."
Drawn Masquerade sighs. "I was hoping you could. If you had, I could know you were not real… Ahh well! To be unsure again is so… dangerous. That might be useful for a while."
"Drawn... are you entirely well?" Princess Celestia asks, that frown returning. "Perhaps you could take some time to rest and let me examine you."
"I have rested the rest and need rest only when the rest might rest as well. And well, I may be well but it well may be that well is not all that may be well with well. I suppose that you are indeed right though and I may not be entire...."
"...Drawn. Here." Princess Celestia guides him towards one of the abandoned tables in the room. "Lie down a moment."
Drawn Masquerade allows himself to be led while in thought and absently lies down on the table.
Princess Celestia helps Drawn up to the table, where she is able to lay him out, inspecting him with her hooves and with occasional spells from her horn. As she stands over him, her chest is brought close to his face, and her necklace along with it. Closer now.
There is an eye in it. A single wide, staring eye that never blinks. And a face, long and drawn out. And antlers. Antlers that twist through the filigree of the necklace, and through the ripples in her coat, and out into the room.
Whatever it is, it's watching him.
Looking right at Drawn.
He Vanishes.
Celestia jumps back when Drawn abruptly vanishes from sight. At once, she waves her hoof through the space where he stands—but her hoof passes through him without impact.
"White princess… I think I prefer the blacker one of you," he says as he tries to exert himself and pull the black mare here.
His horn glows. The world shifts. And Celestia's expression of alarm is replaced by Luna's oft-tried though amused expression. Back Drawn is in the dark hall, with the shadow-mare guards, and the crackling torches on the walls.
"As you wish, Master," Luna says. "But when you're done with your little vanishing act, I should introduce you to the others."
"Ahh! Luna I believe? I am eager to meet them," he says, ending the vanish spell. "Your… sister I presume? Why was she here a moment ago? Or was that unreal?"
When he reappears, he can still see the eye and the face, now reflected in Luna's gorget. "My sister is in the castle," Luna replies. "But she is not here now. Come, this way."
"She was a moment ago..." he mutters as he follows her out. Chaosberries this was going to take so much calculation… "Princess Luna… just a thought though… you may want to get that eye to stop watching me… it is making me nervous. I am rather good at the nervous part but that seems all too unreal for my tastes..."
Princess Luna looks where Drawn indicates, and then she chuckles. "I've seen you inhabit enough images to know that it is the enemy who should be nervous of your reflection, Master Drawn. After all," she says, "You are the great illusionist."
"You are the shadow behind the screen," adds one of her guards,
"You are the comedy on the grand stage," adds a third.
"You are the Deer," says Luna, "Who Went Mad."
Then, as though she had no notice of just how unusual that conversation was, she gestures on.
“Inhabiting an image… hmmm sounds intriguing… makes sense… I think I lost that one with the last spellb...."
"Come, we've saved several other ponies from the wood. I will show you."
Drawn Masquerade tilts his head… and follows Luna in silent thought