I finally met Julian Mackwell.

He was switching from his class in the School of Language and Literature, and walking toward the School of Lightfire, and I caught him when he was between the University Fountain and John Fleming House. There was an approaching storm, however, so I followed him over as we walked rather quickly to his destination.

Nevertheless, we talked.

"That booth I walked into last night," I started. "I have to venture. Is that Mary Kormann's accomplishment? I hear she is quite the prodigy."

"The Immersion Console, you mean?" Julian said. "Yes that is indeed Mary's. She drew the diagrams and Dyla Cormick led the Project that built them. There's a bunch in our new Library as you can see, but each bedroom of each Member has one as well."

"Very good. Very good. Definitely a surprisingly convenient upgrade compared to what I had in my time."

"Not everyone says so," Julian said. "You've probably seen the notorious Peter Crane and Kara Martins at work; and please don't tell anyone that I'm actually bad-mouthing them. I don't want to add to the drama."

"I won't. No worries," I said. "But I understand they've been sowing rumors. I came across one of their flyers last night."

"Don't get me started," Julian said. "They used to be rivals, Peter Crane and Kara Martins. They arrived the same year a couple years ago, and immediately took a dislike to each other. Each one was determined to outdo the other, building their avatars up to, what I admit will be, impressive levels of skill and caliber.

"And their leadership was impressive as well. They were heads of powerful independent spaceship fleets, but they fought relentlessly, across multiple systems. Many Members were beginning to complain of the excessive violence in many places across the Interstellar Void; and for each of the two sides, the relentless grinding was not yielding any results or progress. So Peter Crane and Kara Martins decided to meet in person and shake hands. Their avatars and respective entities signed a peace treaty; and questing went back to normal for everyone else.

"But that's when the trouble started. I'm sorry Meona, I can't remember the names of the two entities that existed before; I've been so busy. But those two entities merged a few months ago into one big trading conglomerate: The Silver Starstrand. It seemed a happy medium, except that both Peter and Kara seem not to get enough of what they want, especially when it comes to gaining and hoarding Arturian wealth and territory, like troublesome Members typically do.

"After a great deal of complaints, some of the avatars not a part of the Starstrand went up to the Bookkeeper and filed a complaint. The Bookkeeper intervened and had a few Prefects downgrade some powerful avatars to lower skill levels; they then divided the conglomerate into smaller fleets.

"Honestly, Meona, I felt that a list of terms would have done better. But nonetheless, Crane and Martins blamed me and the Administrators. I will add though that funnily enough, I've heard talk that Crane and Martins have entered a friendship turning into rather a romantic-"

And just then, a mighty thunderbolt came down from the sky and hit very close, quite possibly just on the other side of us from Fleming House. It was enough to tremble the ground and charge the air in the blinding white flash. This form of what seemed like divine intervention sent Mackwell and I flying on hot feet toward the Lightfire School, amid the sudden wind and rain. I went toward the entrance on the North End of the School, but then Julian tugged me hard toward the South End.

"Kara and Peter come that way!" he shouted through the driving storm. "We're safer going through this way!"

We finally made it to the door on the South End, wet and gasping for air as we were. But before we went in, two women came bolting shouting "Let us in!"

"I'll get the door," Julian said. "You go through."

I stood just inside the doorway with my pinkie casually hanging off the edge while Julian held the door. That, unfortunately, was a futile move on my part, because just then, an almighty powerful gust of wind and rain tore through the Campus, masking visibility even to the University Affairs Office. And Julian's fingers slipped, sending the door slamming shut on my outer two fingers before I could pull them out of the way.

"You had a fine loud voice up there," Julian said later while we were in the University Hospital.

Miraculously, my right pinkie and ring fingers were not broken. But they were quite swollen, bruised, bloody, and sprained from the ordeal. My scream of pain, shock, and agony sent throngs of students inside gathering around. I don't know if it was Julian or someone else, but whoever it was guided me down the stairs to the University Underground Cable-Train Route, which I took to the University Hospital Wing of the Administration Hall.

And there the doctors did their work. My right hand was cleaned and then dipped in this warm oil that made my bones hurt like something else but also felt healing. My right hand was then put in a cast while I was told that it would be a couple weeks before I could remove it.

So the Great Oak Tree between Fleming House and the Flagstaff Building was struck. The thunderbolt splintered the Tree into three different sections, all three of which fell crashing to the ground. Furthermore, small splinters of wood were sent flying in all directions, some of which chipped a few windows of Fleming House and the Flagstaff Building, and some of which caused a couple students minor injuries. Funnily enough, I waved with my casted hand at those students as I was checking out of the Hospital Wing.

The Weather Bureau viewed a report on this apparently. They had been been watching some sort of weather event known as a "cyclonic explosion," where an Inland Sea cyclone will lose its integral structure and split off into smaller rotating storms in a rotating fashion. They had been worried because these types of storms produce destructive tornadoes. With that being said, they determined the windstorm at Cabotton to be a "downburst."

But what bothers me is the fact that the Peter Crane and Kara Martins friend group is taking politics outside of the Third Level Society. Stephen Martins, Kara Martins' brother, is claiming that the wood fibers of the tree glowed purple for about 5 to 10 minutes after the lightning strike. He is suggesting that this is evidence that Ceri Mains is on Campus.

Luckily, the Campus Watch is not taking him seriously.

Julian took me back to 327 East Mason Street, telling me to rest and relax for a day or two. However, after a few moments of trying out my hand movements, I determined that despite being in a cast, my hand was good enough for me to do questing. The White Baroness had been in the back of my mind all day. I was looking forward to the engagement. So a couple hours after Julian left, I snuck back out and down to the Society Library.

Captain Bornan was right where I left him, on a small sea coastal town in the Republic of Cresca near Antemaersa. My memory served me well there because I had my Falcon-Hawk spaceship parked in Antemaersa, itself. One boating trip later, I was there, where I promptly boarded the vessel and launched off from Planet Arturia.

The Interglobal Void is a lot more structured than it was when it was first conceived into being. Planet Arturia is one of six planets orbiting a gas giant; and the seventh orbital ring out is occupied by a spacehub containing jump gates to other gas giant and star systems. Navigating through these spacehubs, I finally brought myself to the supposed location of the White Baroness: Planet Prestia Minor CCL.

This globe is quite different, for it is all water safe for a star-shaped Isle. The journey here was surprisingly peaceful for Captain Bornan, and this world seemed the same in that regard.

In fact, I felt that it was too peaceful.

I landed my Falcon-Hawk in the Northeast End of the Isle, where I determined was the location of the White Baroness. Near the tip, just before the great ocean, stood a great chasm down into Prestia Minor CCL's Underworld. There I finally encountered opponents, which included werewolves and wysps. Those were easy to defeat; and before I knew it, I was in the Underworld, itself.

Except it was snowy and icy. I was expecting that, having read up on the crisis, but nonetheless, it was a shock. No enemies stood here, surprisingly. And as I looked over the icy but beautiful wasteland, I saw a snowy path leading up to a great white door. I had a bad feeling that this was a trap, but, seeing no alternatives, I went up it anyways. The door, by the way, opened with the greatest of ease.

I realized that this was the very Bedchamber of the White Baroness. And there she was on her vast white bed, looking at me with quite possibly the warmest of smiles.

"So glad you came to visit, you young, handsome man," was all she said, before giving Captain Bornan a hug. Then she pulled out her talisman to cast a Glass-Freeze spell.

She was actually very slow about it, but it didn't matter. Captain Bornan could not move. I knew it was some sort of paralysis, but, in all my experience of questing, I could not figure out what type of paralysis this was. Unfortunately, Bornan was unable to shield himself, and took a full hit from the Glass-Freeze spell. Using another spell, the Baroness flung Captain Bornan up, shattering the glass ceiling above, and up out of the Chasm before landing hard on the Isle.

It took a few long moments before the Glass-Freeze spell wore off, but then I realized that my poor avatar was seriously hurt. I had him pull out his nav map and locate a Healer on the other end of the Isle. I called their Couriers to come pick up Captain Bornan and carry him back.

The Healers there offered to provide a whole-body treatment to restore Captain Bornan to Ultra-Optimal Health. I accepted that and was sent to the Great Priestess, who performed what appeared to be a simple spell.

I decided here to stop. I disengaged my avatar, pulled out of the Arturian Realm, and made my way up to the University Library above ground. There, I went to the Ticketer where I consulted the Roster Rolls and found the Member behind the Priestess: Sarah Marks. A brief description here told me that she lived in Fleming House. So I went there and sent her a message to come meet me down in the lobby of the place.

Fleming House had a pretty neat lounge area on the bottom floor; so I had a conversation with her regarding my quest as Captain Bornan. I learned pretty quickly that she is a fourth-year student here, was studying in the School of Lightfire, and was very closely associated with Mary Kormann in the Immersion Console Project.

But then came the subject of the White Baroness.

"What do you make of the notion that Ceri Mains is the one engaging the White Baroness?" I asked.

"Well, what do you make of the made-up story by Kara Martins' brother about the Great Oak Tree?" she replied. "In all honesty, I feel that a group of Members might have created her. You know that's possible, right?"

"Of course, if you mean a daemon cast collectively by a group of direct avatars," I said. "Very rare but very possible. My question is the reason though."

"Much has changed in terms of Society politics since you were last here. I could delve into detail about what happened but that would take all night. I mean look at the flyers. Perhaps my opinion on the matter is very much jaded by my personal experience, but I hear I'm not the only one.

"I was falsely accused by an individual named Cody Brine for apparently playing a part in exploiting Mary Kormann for the favor of Ceri Mains. I mean, word's out that Ceri might have interest in us, and sees Mary Kormann for the very bright individual she is. However, Mary is also...shall I say...socially vulnerable.

"I can tell, Meona, that you're not quite understood what I meant by that last part. When you meet her, you'll see.

"In any case, Cody had me temporarily banned through our Bookkeeper, who I feel is a pushover. But it was temporary, because Julian had some sense and wrote to the Bookkeeper. And now here I am, back in the Society, engaging with my Priestess again...Anyway, I'd rather avoid that subject and ask instead: What of your experience with the White Baroness?"

Over the course of a few moments, I told Sarah about my quest, but then came to an important point: "So when I finally met her, she hugged me, well my avatar Captain Bornan, and Bornan was unable to make any motion or decision when she lifted her hand to cast that Glass-Freeze Spell."

"Oh that," Sarah said. "That's actually a stun, not a paralysis. It just exists and works in a different form than what we're all familiar with.

"You see...how do I put it...your character is male...And the White Baroness managed to craft a certain spell, and it's cast through hugs, to make male characters...shall we say...incapacitated in a certain way."

"I see," I replied. "So is there a way to resist that?"

"Not that I know of," Sarah said. "It's hard enough trying to find the identity behind her. Without that, you don't really have a concrete list of spells and skills...Honestly, I don't know what to tell you. This has stumped even our most seasoned Veterans since the beginning of summer."

We parted ways there; and before I knew it, I was back on 327 East Mason Street. First thing I noticed was that there was no more pain in my hand. Against all common sense, I ripped off my cast and saw that my right hand had no bruising or bleeding whatsoever.

It was as if the incident with the door had just been a dream.

I am utterly baffled by this. Thinking back, I noticed that I did not feel any pain since Captain Bornan had been healed by the Priestess.

But how is that possible? How could healing an avatar be healing the Member behind it?

I decided to send a message both to Sari back home and to Sarah. I will have to address this at another time, but now a more important matter dawns on me.

Before 1264, I was Meon. I was male, which I was okay with, or so I thought. But honestly, it was around that time when I began to feel a bit...shall we say...out of place with myself. I'm too tired to write it all out now, after the long day today. But I will say that this was, in fact, the beginning of a change I encountered internally, in comparison to the external changes in my life.

During my time in Canticula with what we thought would be the project to last beyond our lifetimes, I dressed and identified with the intent to not associate myself with either traditional gender: male or female. I was unsure how to refer to myself, whether to be a he or a she. I will admit, I opened up personally a bit to Sari Frame, who, after awhile, suggested that I take a reference neutral in nature: they.

Such a neutral stance on what I realized was a gender spectrum carried me well throughout our Canticula Campaign. I feared that there would be backlash, but I was surprised by how well everyone, even the recruits, received me. Honestly, I felt that chapter in my life was the best.

Change came round when the Provans decided to take over. We had to stop our project, and had to flee back to Remikra. And looking back, I feel that the magnitude of the change was what finally got me to re-evaluate myself once again. My journey in life was not complete with simply disassociating with both genders. I realized that I felt more akin to my mother than I did to my father.

It was just after all these years of denying myself that sentiment that I finally came to terms with and decided to complete the internal change, in order to become who I was meant to be: Meona.

With Sari's help, I discovered that there was a five-year treatment that was completely legal and safe; I just had to find a doctor. And found one I did later that year. And so began the procedures, the medications, the surgeries. Finally, in May 1272, I was completely Meona.

Eight years later, Sari Frame and I got married. We had grown close during this time. And it came to pass that romantically, Sari and I meshed quite well. In that regard, I feel content.

But now that I am once again engaging the dymensional plane of the Arturian Realm, there comes quite an important question: Should my avatar undergo the same change?

After awhile of thinking, I have come to this: Indeed, Captain Bornan, when originally created by me, was an extension of my sphere of influence in the Arturian Realm. However, that does not mean that Bornan was nor ever will be an actual extension of my own identity. There had apparently been a convention in the days before the Third Level Society founding, back when the old TableQuests were played that an avatar was to be an extension of your identity. That was before the Third Level Society and its Roster, when one was not quite so sure who each avatar belonged to.

The purpose of the Society Roster, as we were taught upon recruitment, was to have one's avatar maintain its own identity in order to avoid "potential dangerous projection and propagation" as what gave rise to violent dynamics in the old TableQuest games, especially ones involving darkfire cartels. Therefore, to change Bornan's gender would be counter to that.

So Captain Bornan shall remain Captain Bornan.