The Plothole
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In Pan Post 146 Hermes Trismegistus asks Runekeeper's Book whatever happened to the Seven Seals of the Nameless. The book reveals that Highemperor once found them and put them into his hedrons, however they were not trapped in the Time-Lock Event. Hermes then calls HorseGod to arrange a party because he's bored. In Tartarus, Memnoch is overlooking The Beast of the Abyss and is fondling one of the seven seals he could use to summon one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Elsewhere, Gul Moff Pfaxarxis of the Pan-Cosmic Command receives a communication from Gul Moff Ichron. Ichron reveals that the seals were expelled from the Time-Lock Event and he wishes to gather further information on the event as his files are corrupted. Ichron also reveals that he was once a book, suggesting that he was once Runekeeper's Book.

Post

Sigils Stating Secrets, Part Four -- Seven Seals

Hermes Trismegistus looks up from his reading of the Book.

Hermes Trismegistus: Ye gods, it's dull around here. I can't believe I actually miss my partying fellows on Mount Olympus.

He sighs.

Hermes Trismegistus: But this Book is too dangerous to risk keeping around them. Sure, it's chained to me, but... it was chained to the old Runekeeper too, and that didn't stop me from being able to steal quite a peek.

He looks down at the pages of the Book again.

Hermes Trismegistus: More history of the Four Horsemen's rampages, occasionally driven by one or more of the seven seals... Interesting how no one after The First ever possessed all seven seals at once. Even Jagisk Ttocks, during his time ruling the Omega Reich, only possessed six of them.

He purses his lips.

Hermes Trismegistus: I wonder...no one knows what became of the six seals after Ttocks' death, nor of the last. Do you know, Book?

The book begins flipping pages on its own, so rapidly that it knocks the bloint off Hermes' pants.

Hermes Trismegistus: Oy! Watch it!

He rapidly yanks the bloint back down before it moves beyond his reach. Olympus forbid that he'd have to resort to magical telekinesis to retrieve it, after all.

Hermes Trismegistus: Okay, done turning pages now? Can I let go of my bloint?

The Book makes no reply of any kind, its pages still. Hermes peers down-- Then the Book flips pages again, knocking the bloint across the room.

Hermes Trismegistus: ARGH! Bloody Book.

He swears that the rustling pages sound faintly like chuckles, as he telekinetically retrieves the bloint, and secures it to his pants with a simple charm. Then he looks down at the still pages again.

Hermes Trismegistus: Highemperor? He found the seals - all seven of them? Figures. Bloody powerplayer. So what did he-- Ah. Of course he put them in his hedrons. So does that mean the seals are trapped in the-- Didn't think so.

He pauses, and leans back, tapping a finger to his chin.

Hermes Trismegistus: So, if the seven seals were released from the time lock when Highemp and his former lovers freed most of the multiverses from the Beast's embrace...where are they now?

The Book makes no reply, not seeming to know.

Hermes Trismegistus: A question for another day. As for me, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I could use a party!

He calls up the HorseGod, who is widely known as the best party planner in the multiverse. In no time he and dozens of merfolk are partying wildly in the ruined undersea ziggurat...

***

In the NeSiversian overhell of Tartarus, Memnoch the Archdevil stands in the 666th layer, perched on the lip of the infinite Abyss. The fumes of the Beast who is a massive time-lock drift up endlessly into his nostrils.

Memnoch: Several of my most dangerous enemies gone, in one fell swoop, ah glorious day. No longer does the weight of the God-Monarchs reinforce Fladnag's authority. And the Big O is easily manipulable.

He fingers a small eldritch object in his taloned hand.

Memnoch: There is no serious obstacle to any of my plans now, save the WriterGod, who won't care as long as I don't ravage Earth too harshly. And with this...

He fingers the object again.

Memnoch: I can command any one Horseman I please. The real question of course... is which one?

The slowly rising fumes of the Beast make no reply.

***

An unimaginable distance from the NeSiverse, Gul Moff Pfaxarxis of the Pan Cosmic Command receives a holo-call from the fellow Gul Moff with whom he has worked most often.

Gul Moff Pfaxarxis: Ichron. To what do I owe the pleasure?

Gul Moff Ichron: I.stated.that.I.had.no.records.of.the.Highemperor' s.Final.War..It.seems.that.this.is.inaccurate.

Gul Moff Pfaxarxis: Oh?

Gul Moff Ichron: I.do.possess.records.of.the.event.but.they.are.hea vily.corrupted.

Gul Moff Pfaxarxis: Does it matter? The war's over now.

Gul Moff Ichron: There.is.an.item.of.interest.in.the.segment.that.I .have.reconstructed.

Pfaxarxis waits, brow raised with interest.

Gul Moff Ichron: The.Highemperor.possessed.the.seven.seals.purporte dly.carrying.the.authority.of.the.Nameless.

Pfaxarxis blinks rapidly. Unpleasant memories of the long-ago war with the Omega Reich erupt in his mind, and with an effort he squelches them back down. No time to be traumatized now.

Gul Moff Pfaxarxis: Well, that explains why no one's seen them since Ttocks' death. But this is a good thing, yes? If they're trapped in the time lock?

Gul Moff Ichron: They.are.not.trapped.

Gul Moff Pfaxarxis: But you said--

He cuts himself off with a sigh, and lets the sentient cube continue.

Gul Moff Ichron: The.burst.of.anti.power.created.by.the.four.once.l overs.freed.most.of.Forever.from.the.time.lock..Th is.includes.the.seven.seals..I.speculate.that.the. seals.would.have.escaped.anyway.

Gul Moff Pfaxarxis: Do we...do we know where they are now?

The seven seals are artifacts of extreme power - whether or not the legend is true, about them being relics of the Nameless, who may or may not even exist as far as Pfaxarxis is concerned - and are dangerous, quite aside from their ability to command the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The Gul Moff does not relish the idea of them being unleashed again.

Gul Moff Ichron: Not.at.present..I.continue.to.reconstruct.my.corru pted.archives.but.prognosis.is.not.optimal...I.bri ng.this.to.your.attention.because.we.have.had.a.lo ng.reprieve.from.the.full.power.of.the.Horsemen.

Gul Moff Pfaxarxis: But with the seven seals in play again...someone could imbue the Horsemen with their full strength again...

Even without command or sanction from a bearer of one or more seals, a Horseman of the Apocalypse was frighteningly dangerous. Pfaxarxis shudders to imagine a catastrophe the likes of which felled the Alpha Reich.

Gul Moff Pfaxarxis: But you contain records from all of multiversal history, even our future, since you come from the very end of the Deep Void itself. Do you not hold the knowledge of who winds up acquiring one or more seals?

Gul Moff Ichron: No..The.end.of.the.multiverse.stultified.much.of.m y.inner.workings.

Gul Moff Pfaxarxis: Leave it to circuitry - even mega-advanced far-future circuitry - to be corruptible. Couldn't someone have written it all in a book somewhere?

Gul Moff Ichron: My.circuitry.is.far.more.secure.and.less.corruptib le.than.you.imagine..A.bound.document.is.more.susc eptible.than.my.circuitry..I.should.know.for.I.did .not.always.exist.in.this.form.

Gul Moff Pfaxarxis: Oh, really?

This is news to Pfaxarxis. He has never envisioned the Ichron as anything but a cube.

Gul Moff Ichron: Once.I.was.a.Book.

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