Test of Independence: a story in the Nobilis universe

8297 words @ https://archiveofourown.org/works/20776424

Corinne Idurre, Excrucian Warmain, is sitting at the shore of a lake when they find her. Not on the shore, oh no, that would be an acknowledgement of the base reality they are inhabiting. But at the shore, hovering, tilted back like a lawnchair. She glances at them and languidly rolls a hand in the general direction of the four Nobles. “Is the package here?”

“Jessie is not a package,” growls Rostam.

“Sure, sure, whatever.” Corinne rotates herself upright, still floating. She slinks behind Jessie and whispers something into her ear.

Jessie whips around and elbows Corinne in the face. Her arm passes through the Excrucian’s smiling form like a knife through mist.

An enemy advances a philosophical argument. Or a literal fight. Or both, because in this world they're one and the same.

(This is intended to convey what a campaign of Nobilis is like. You do not need any specific knowledge of Nobilis to read this.)