The following is an extract taken from ‘Concept Clashes: An Eternal Problem?’ by Herbert Horatio III.

While the origins of the term ‘the Tarot Crisis’ are lost in mystery, the consequences of such a spectacular event seem set to define the nature of Spindle for the foreseeable future. Looking back with the hindsight of several years, we hope that such issues can be prevented going forward – and that such large-scale acts of destruction will never be repeated. Much like any force of nature, the Transcendental is as dangerous as it is necessary.

As tends to be the way, the cause of the second Concept Clash had its origins in that of the first. There had been high hopes that new governance and a more democratic, equal society would emerge, after the atrocities of the Academy of Thought and Pure Inspiration had finally been put to rest. Indeed, such improvements were seen, with Bet Wimpole, Lorem Ipsum, Jack, Prince Archibald Richmond Rutherford du Octavio the Third, Joseph Caesar, Finn Der, Morta Bord and many others pioneering the efforts of a truly just, accountable and – above all – fair society for Muses. In many ways, these admirable Muses succeeded.

There were but two unresolved issues: each compounding the other.

The first was, looking back, a predictable result of mismanagement. Though the Battle of the Pit and the resolution of the Magnum Opus were significant events, many Concepts did not vacate themselves from Spindle. Indeed, what did they stand to gain having spent so much effort integrating into such a fertile Dreamscape? Not wanting to go through the effort of expelling them, Spindle tolerated – and still tolerates – these intruders, primarily for the mutual benefit to both parties. However, security fears were understandably high at the resolution of the first conflict, and so the Dream Vanguard was instituted in order to handle the problem.

The Dream Vanguard, unilaterally tasked with external affairs by the fledgling government, took the role of a military-cum-foreign intelligence service on behalf of Spindle. Headed up by two generals, Cyrus and Dave, former foes from the antebellum Revolution, it was designed to ease tension between the now-dissolved Academy and the Free Idea Forum. Though these two factions had been sworn enemies, they were not always diametrically opposed. Both Cyrus and Dave had demonstrated a rather extreme authoritarian bent during the conflict, despite their differing ideologies. Concerns over its leadership were quickly brushed under the rug by those calling for the protection of Spindle: ironically, the equalising effects of a Concept between the two were cited as grounds for low concern.

For a while, perhaps much longer than anyone paying close attention would have expected, this uneasy alliance was successful. More than successful, in fact: successes were recorded against hostile Concepts in events such as the Faulty Stars, or the now-legendary War in Heaven. Cyrus and Dave displayed impressive coordination in their efforts, and – if rumours are to be believed – even lived next to each other, showing their strong personal relationship. Blake Skye’s efforts in the first Concept Clash made for a highly successful joint-propaganda campaign, and the Dream Vanguard’s support reach meteoric heights.

It was not to last. Unseen and unheard during this period, the second unresolved issue finally made itself known. Porphyrius Noise, grieving for her sister Amoretta, had not joined in with the rebuilding efforts following the first war. Like several others, she took the opportunity to build her own life anew – not to be interfered with by those who wished to return to the old ways. She had a motorcycle and a plan. And a friend.

The Renegade, a Concept not widely known at that time, had but one link to Spindle: Porphyrius. Soon finding out that her plan was to create her own Juice reservoir, The Renegade offered assistance: after all, their natural inclination to support outsiders and rebels made them sympathetic to her cause. The process was slow, painstaking and meticulous – three qualities that renegade Muses rarely possess, though Porphyrius Noise was not a typical renegade Muse.

This was only stage one of the plan: taking inspiration from Muses past, and with the help of The Renegade, Porphyrius managed to successfully connect her Juice reservoir directly into The Renegade’s own Transcendental crack, as well as a Juice-compression device resembling a smaller version of the Pit. It is not known precisely what would have occurred, though it has been assumed that the results would have been similar if not identical to those that occurred the first time this was attempted.

Such a crisis would not in itself have been insoluble had a very particular set of circumstances been in place: the proximity of The Renegade and The Big Bad within the Transcendental. It is not known whether either of them were aware of this.

Due to patchy reports, it is unclear how Porphyrius’ plan came to the attention of the Dream Vanguard, though Blake Skye is known to have raised the alarm – perhaps the large quantity of Juice created unusual weather patterns in the area. There is also a dearth of contemporaneous witness statements, though such ‘missing entries’ became increasingly common when events proved embarrassing to the Vanguard.

What is known is that there was a stand-off, involving Dave and Cyrus on one side, with Porphyrius and The Renegade on the other. It has been theorised that the later-Memeified phrase “Get Juiced, motherfucker” originated at this moment. Dave’s exceptional reaction of diving on the switchbox is considered likely to have been the origin of the viral video ‘The Juice Bucket Challenge’, involving Muses diving over a bucket of raw Creative Juices while those around them shout the same phrase¹⁾.

Whatever the facts of the event, the Dream Vanguard were successful in preventing Porphyrius’ Juice reservoir from being pumped directly into the Transcendental, though were completely unprepared for the reappearance of The Big Bad: an infamous Concept from the first war. Indeed, it is likely that those present did not realise that it was The Big Bad that had broken through, given their new appearance. At first considered a minor breach, the full force of the Vanguard was not brought to bear – rather, most returned home, congratulating themselves on having prevented a disaster.

Early warning signs that this ‘new’ Concept was more dangerous than anticipated began to emerge when reports of extreme weather instability began to emerge from the NFWS in the following days and weeks near the crack. Initially considered after-effects on the Transcendental from the break-through, teams that had been dispatched to deal with The Renegade and this unknown Concept began running into severe difficulties reporting back. Several Vanguard and NFWS personnel were lost over the period.

Retconnor, a rather prominent scientific advisor carrying out the development of a new anti-Concept weapon, led an expedition into the area – hoping to test it out on the unknown Concept. What the party discovered was a large, previously unknown mountain. Surprised by this volatility, though not suspicious, their reconnaissance missions determined that the peak had been inset with a concrete fortress. Further exploration was deemed dangerous, though investigations quickly revealed that this was the work of a Concept, and not one that had been accounted for.

Though further investigations were conducted, Muses who approached found themselves under attack from a variety of unusual and previously-unknown armaments. These ranged from helicopter drones to packs of dogs to – on one memorable occasion – the opening of a trapdoor beneath two Muses standing several hundred metres from the base, causing them to fall into a large lake filled with sharks. Such incidents were not widely reported by the Vanguard.

Considering enough to be enough, an early Dream Vanguard assault was launched against this mysterious base, to disastrous result. Unpredictably, the entire peak of the mountain opened as though on a hinge, to reveal rocket artillery which wreaked devastation on the assaulting force. Numerous Muses were taken hostage while a Concept stood on a raised platform, monologuing at the defeated forces below. Though wearing goggles, a white lab coat and holding a megaphone, the Concept revealed themselves to be a new manifestation of The Big Bad.

It is at this point that the real fractures in the Vanguard began to make themselves known. Learning from these mistakes, Dave, along with his chief strategist Lorem Ipsum, began accelerated development on potential weapons that may be of use against the Concept. Blake Skye, still in possession of The Ancestral Sword, was briefed – while Jack’s links to The Revolutionary were, somewhat miraculously, exploited to successfully bring them on-side. The Sceptic, though reluctant to commit, was also brought on standby in the event of a true containment breach.

Experimental weapons and ultra-powerful Tropes were brought to bear, with Lorem Ipsum’s The Chosen One and Brink’s The Pen that is Mightier than the Sword deemed potential weapons in the event of a serious catastrophe – though weapons testing of Rank V Tropes had not at that point been carried out due to their extreme rarity.

Amidst this, few noticed that Cyrus had made few contributions to the redoubled efforts. In fact, Dave has been reported to have muttered under his breath several times about ‘irresponsibility’ and ‘putting up too many blocks’. It is unclear precisely what this could have been referring to. In any case, eyewitness reports did emerge from the Sell-Out Syndicate of Cyrus attempting to duplicate Trope Cards, most notably A God, as well as spending time in Far Dream “Hunting for Dragons”. This may have been a reference to the dragons previously seen at the Pit, though it appears Cyrus was unsuccessful in his recruitment efforts.

At the launch of the main assault against The Big Bad, Concepts and Muses united against a common foe, Dave led the amassed forces of Spindle in a last ditch attempt to drive them out of Dream once and for all. Though modest gains were made against their numerous defences, it was not until a large shadow passed across the battlefield that any took notice of what had been taking place above.

In secret, Cyrus had obtained An Orbital Bombardment Platform, a Rank IV Armament²⁾. An ineffective weapon against ordinary opponents due to its ungainly size, Cyrus estimated that its awesome firepower could grant the element of surprise in a conflict primarily dominated by ground forces. In that much he was correct, devastating the battlefield and throwing forces into disarray.

After several minutes of pounding the mountain fortress with a combination of lasers, missiles and other fearsome weaponry, the battlefield terrain had been churned into a cataclysmic landscape – impossible for most Muses to traverse. The Big Bad, however, remained unscathed. Undeterred, Cyrus pressed on, much to the chagrin of his supposed allies.

Most Muses being incapacitated at this point, Dave ordered the emergency testing of Retconnor’s anti-Concept weapon. The Big Bad, in their hubris, was seen to be laughing maniacally at the moment that the device was activated – before promptly disappearing into a bizarre hole in nearby spacetime. It later transpired that the primary component of the device was A Wormhole, a Rank IV Object, which was supposed to be attuned to the Transcendental – something not known to be possible, either at the time or since.

As it turns out, The Big Bad had in fact been transported to a non-Euclidean Vignette near the site, which itself had been formed by the large concentration of Creative Juices in the area, perhaps being warped to the extreme by the use of such a powerful Trope on a fledgling story. Whatever the case, the wormhole remained open for a period, allowing other Concepts to enter.

What occurred at this point is pure speculation form circumstantial evidence, given the Muses involved were unable to properly conceive of or remember the events as they transpired. Dave, Lorem, Brink, Blake Skye and Retconnor entered the wormhole, which acted as a Transition to the new Vignette. It is theorised that Retconnor played the Metatrope Anagramise on Misapplied Phlebotinum, resulting in Applied Phlebotinum and SIM.

Phlebotinum, being a legendary material that is highly prized, is normally stuck in its ‘misapplied’ state, resulting in its incredibly qualities being used to solve trivial or inconsequential problems. In its ‘applied’ state, however, there are near-limitless possibilities as to what can be done with it. Given several other Tropes are believed to have been played within the Vignette, though not nearly enough to cause as dramatic effects as did actually occurr, it has been posited that it acted as a ‘Trope multiplier’, drastically increasing the effects that each Trope had on the “Narrative” of this new Vignette.

This, in combination with Blake’s Ancestral Sword and the actions of The Revolutionary and The Sceptic, are thought to have blasted a crack directly into the Transcendental, catapulting The Big Bad through it in the process. However, as these events were, as previously mentioned, impossible to understand, perceive or remember, it is not possible to confirm whether this is what actually happened. Neither Concept which assisted has been willing to testify.

What those who remained in Far Dream saw was the wormhole pulsating, before expelling the three Muses and two Concepts at high speed. It then rapidly dissipated into the ether. The associated Vignette has not been traced, leading to speculation that the crack was so extensive that the Vignette itself imploded.

It is not yet known what effect these events had on Jo.

Although victory had been secured, the consequences of the event ultimately proved fatal for the Dream Vanguard. Cyrus was resoundingly condemned for bringing such a powerful, yet ineffective, Trope to bear against The Big Bad, and derided as a showy troublemaker. Dave publicly condemned his actions, though maintained that Cyrus had his full public support. It is not known whether this translated over into their private lives.

Cyrus, seemingly fazed by the negative press, withdrew from public life – no longer making appearances at events or starring in the Vanguard’s propaganda campaign. At the time, it was thought that this might have portended a soft retirement and gradual reduction in responsibilities. Few would have predicted what truly happened.

In actual fact, Cyrus had been spending an inordinate amount of time in Far Dream – though rather than searching for Dragons, this time he was on a search for something larger. Much larger. Though lacking Sculpt, he had managed to secure a transient moon out in Far Dream by using a large number of powerful Tropes taken from the Vanguard’s own supplies. Over a significant period of time, Cyrus managed to craft a battlestation out of the moon known only as ‘Twilight’. A laser believed capable of threatening planetary-sized bodies was affixed to its prow. It is not known precisely how Cyrus managed this feat.

Despite protestations that ‘Twilight’ was to be used for Spindle’s defence, Muses became uncomfortable at the thought that Cyrus might be able to inflict that level of destruction on those that opposed him. Indeed, one major concern was that the culmination of such a large number of Tropes into one Impression may open another crack into the Transcendental at the moment that the laser was fired.

This resulted in the famous ‘Dope Trope Stand-off’, with Cyrus and ‘Twilight’ against Brink and Lorem Ipsum’s Rank V Tropes: the Vanguard was fighting itself. Apparently, Cyrus protested loudly that weapons of mass destruction should “not be allowed” in the hands of individual Muses, but rather should be held only by the military. This was met with confusion all round. Lorem’s use of The Chosen One in response to this resulted in the first recorded space dogfight in Dream’s history (outside of a Vignette), keeping Cyrus occupied while a more permanent solution was found.

And so it was the Anti-Corruption League that finally helped put a stop to matters. Prince Archibald, upon confirming that Cyrus’ battlestation permit had expired the previous day, immediately impounded the ‘Twilight’ and informed Cyrus that he would be able to pick up the doomsday device as soon as he had got his paperwork in order. Unfortunately, due to some confusion over whether the ‘Twilight’ was being ‘impounded’ or ‘grounded’ – implying an immediate threat to all life in Spindle upon impact – Brink activated The Pen that is Mightier than the Sword, promptly writing it out of Dream forever.

It is difficult to say what lessons can be learnt from the Tarot Crisis. Cyrus, having doubled down on his superweapons against the advice of every other Muse, stepped down in disgrace after the ‘Dope Trope Stand-off’. Dave, caught in the crossfire, was also pressured into giving up his position at the head of the Vanguard.

However, barring some promotions, very little else has happened in response. The Vanguard still run rampant and without check – bowing under pressure only when forced to do so by the public. Little has been done to implement restrictions or regulations on Trope Card usage in Far Dream. In fact, the general consensus is that no-one would ever be outrageous enough to attempt what Cyrus did ever again.

It remains to be seen whether that will be the case, but the author hopes that this has been a lesson for everyone involved.