Suit of Swords Plot Summary
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Anything in red comes with this blanket warning: mature content ahead. Those threads can contain one or more of the following: explicit sex, explicit violent, mild sexual themes, mild violent themes, torture, extreme sexual torture. Do not read those threads if you cannot handle them. We won't be held responsible for you clicking on a link that has been clearly marked. Thank you.
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Suit of Swords
Starring: Gorlim the Unhappy, Námo the Doomsman of the Valar, Ruin (Ten of Swords), Eilinel the White, Mary Anne Bell, Julian of Amber, Random of Amber, Ramon Salazar, Strength, Wheel (Wheel of Fortune), Moon, and Malcolm Crowe
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It began eight months ago in Ascension of Swords, a dream in which Gorlim's character development reaches a new height. He moves from the realm of fear and nightmares into the realm of ruin and hopelessness.
Then, in April, a new member of Milliways Bar arrives, and he is mistaken for Gorlim by Eilinel. Eilinel informs her husband of this curious shift of events, but Gorlim, not-so-wisely, doesn't think much of it. Until Ruin shows up next to him for a chat. It's love and hate at first sight. After a lot of teasing threats, they strike a bargain. A very DANGEROUS bargain. After that, Ruin has a chat with his siblings, who do not approve of what he has chosen to do where Gorlim is concerned.
Gorlim, meanwhile, goes to find Námo and confesses to him this agreement he's made, and of his double's arrival. Alas, their loving scene is broken up by Ruin, who has come to claim his end of the bargain. Afterwards, Gorlim returns to Námo's room. Námo cleans him up and puts him to bed.
Then, Ruin meets Mary Anne, who first mistakes him for Gorlim. Ruin plays on the assumption until he grows tired of it, then reveals himself. He tells her of the bargain, that Gorlim forgot her, then Gorlim rushes up between them, ultimately reworking his original bargain with Ruin to keep him away from Mary Anne. Mary Anne was NOT happy about this. Gorlim also speaks to Ramon, who is decidedly NOT pleased to have been included in Gorlim's deal, along with Random. Gorlim and Ramon go back and forth over it until Gorlim changes the topic to Ramon's own troubles. After Gorlim leaves, though, Ramon finds Ruin and they have a little chat about Gorlim, bargains, and intent.
Gorlim meets Moon, who instantly puts him at ease with her quiet guidance. She shows them how people can tell Ruin for Gorlim, though it requires the baring of some skin. She gives him a tarot reading, offering what insight she can, then gifts him with three days of prophetic dreams.
After Námo finds out about the new deal Gorlim's made, he broods about it with Strength, Wheel and Roäc. It leads to Námo's decision to pay Ruin a visit, finding his own way of helping Gorlim by offering Ruin a counteroffer to Gorlim's earlier deal. Ruin accepts. After leaving Ruin, Námo finds Gorlim in the bar and tells him of the new arrangement. There is some emotional gratefulness, then they settle in for what passes for normal for them.
Ruin gloats at Mary Anne over his deal with Námo. There is discussion of Gorlim's mental health, from Ruin's point of view at least. He reveals to Mary Anne how to tell the two of them apart, other than their lovely personalities. Minor mocking of Moon, because Ruin really dislikes her meddling, then Ruin gives Mary Anne her own tarot reading. Ruin questions why Mary Anne is still sitting with him, and she has to admit she feels a challenge. Then, Ruin offers to let Mary Anne stab him, but they are in the bar, so they move outside. There is a sword/knife fight. There is blood. There is more bargaining. There is kissing. After his massive thread with Mary Anne, Ruin and Gorlim share their second night. Following the completion of their second night, Námo cleans Gorlim up, they spend time with the baby, and then there is sleep.
Moon and Mary Anne have a small discussion about what the tarot means, and Moon gives her a warning to never let Ruin run the game. Gorlim and Mary Anne also talk, only briefly about Ruin and then Gorlim kindly changes the subject.
Gorlim spends day three of the bargain fighting big, nasty spiders. What follows is everyone involved descending on the Man in shock. Ruin and Mary Anne spend some time together where Ruin goads her into more violent behaviour with him. While that is going on, Námo cleans Gorlim of the spider guts and his own blood.
Námo sits in the bar with his children, and Ruin swoops down. This leads to a confrontation between Ruin and Gorlim where Asar-Suti finds he must restrain Gorlim. Gorlim soon follows Námo from the bar where there is arguing and apologizing, but it soon leads to an outing.
Gorlim and Námo pay their dual debt to Ruin, and when their humilation and torture have completed for the time being, Námo runs to find Malcolm Crowe, who tends to the physical wounds Ruin has left behind. The next afternoon, Námo checks on Gorlim before retreating to the seclusion of the shower.
The tarot cards meet briefly in the bar for heading to their home, where a meeting occurs between what family happens to be there at the time.
Mary Anne and Ruin finally go to Ruin's room where Mary Anne loses herself in the violence of intimacy with Ruin. During one of the trysts, Ruin gives Mary Anne quite an offer.
During the night, Gorlim and Námo wake from four days of healing rest and bathe. A gift is given from the Vala to the Man, and then they slip back into sleep. A few days later, while Gorlim is still recovering, Námo pays Ruin a visit and terms are renegotiated. Shortly after that visit, Ruin casts the cards and is bothered by their prediction.
Still suffering from his torment by Ruin, Námo spends a quiet night in sad reflection.
Mary Anne finds Moon and questions her about what it means to be a tarot card. Moon then drags Mary Anne to the home of the tarot where she meets Ruin's daughter Sorrow, and a few of the other cards. She learns about the family, about their interaction, and that they are like any other large, disfunctional family.
Night five finds Gorlim in Angband with Ruin as his tour guide, showing him, vividly, what the Man has always feared had happened to his wife while in Melkor's prison. He leaves Gorlim in the bar where Námo, Strength, Guppy, and Mary Anne all pay him a concerned visit. Mary Anne then finds Ruin, but Ruin turns the tables on her. He takes her to Angband, shows her Gorlim's demise, then shares with her the outcome of this whole ordeal should Gorlim do as Ruin hopes he will. Mary Anne is then sworn to silence, and she carries the burden of knowing and being unable to act.
The sixth night with Ruin isn't so much a night as a forfeit on Ruin's part. Gorlim arrives to find Ruin with Gabriel, who has been mistakenly handed off to the wrong look-a-like by Nerdanel. They have a hell of a fight which neither can win because they are identically matched. It ends when Ruin tells Gorlim about him and Mary Anne in Angband. Gorlim takes his son and leaves, claiming he doesn't need to stay any longer tonight because Ruin broke his word when he took Gabriel. This leads to a Gorlim in the bar with a frightened Gabriel. Gorlim and Námo have a small conversation about this, and then Gorlim has a nasty altercation with Nerdanel where hurtful words are spoken between both parties.
Gorlim visits Námo, who makes a comment that probably shouldn't have been voiced, and Gorlim walks out on his lover. He then finds Mary Anne and gives her a what for about snogging over his corpse and then returning to Ruin's room, finding it a betrayal of sorts between best friends. Mary Anne then takes Gorlim to Vietnam where Gorlim has a revelation.
After they return, though, Námo is waiting for Mary Anne. They have a nasty argument where Námo nearly breaks Mary Anne's jaw, and tries to leave her like that. But, he knows how upset Gorlim will be if he does, and he angrily returns to repair the damage, despite the sickness it will bring upon him. After that, he returns to his room and waits for Gorlim, who he hasn't seen since the Man left with Mary Anne. When he does come, there is their own form of argument regarding Gorlim's decision to leave without a word to his lover. Later, following an evening with Ruin where the card showed Gorlim a horrible future for their children, Námo tends to Gorlim while still upset about the Man leaving, about not being needed or trusted enough, and although he is given a small hope, Námo knows that Gorlim will still continue to go to others when in pain. He allows the topic to drop and brings the Man their children, comforting him in a way Námo cannot after such a vision. Later that night, the sickness attacks and Námo has to confess what he did to Mary Anne to Gorlim. And while Gorlim and Námo sort out their troubles, Mary Anne goes looking for more herself.
The next day, Mary Anne and Námo gave a much more civil chat while Gabriel gets to know his wren-Aunt.
A few days later is a night for Ruin, where he surprises Gorlim as Andres and makes love with the Man before smashing the illusion cruelly. He stumbles down to the bar a few hours later where Malcolm Crowe finds him and brings him the infirmary. Mary Anne visits, offering him quiet comfort. Her visit is followed by Námo's, and this ends badly with the Vala yelling at his quiet, withdrawn lover before walking out on him. He and Mary Anne have a small confrontation where she puts some things into perspective; Námo then returns to Gorlim's side where he sleeps beside the Man. At some point, both Guppy and Eilinel visit, offering their love and support for the broken bird, but the one that has the most impact is Random, back from his long hiatus from the bar. Random's presence offers Gorlim a sense of love and much-needed friendship, even if Námo, later, resents it.
Later, Random shares his thoughts about Ruin to Fiona (who has already met Ruin by this time), and then expresses them to Ruin himself. There is also a small discussion with Gorlim about a future that Námo allowed Gorlim to visit in order to give the Man hope.
Night eleven finds Gorlim forced to endure eleven separate experiences of betrayal and death. What Barahir and his men felt as they died was gifted to Gorlim by Ruin. What they thought. What they knew. Knowing it was him, and knowing they were done for. Their pain, what was done to them. Their last words, and who they yearned for as they died. After that nightmare, Gorlim seeks out Námo. Wheel also has a chat with Gorlim about the situation, as only a tarot card can do. Mary Anne later joins Gorlim, and they discuss Random's dislike for Mary Anne now that he knows Mary Anne is sleeping with Gorlim's tormentor. Later, at home, Random throws a
fit, hurt and angry; he and Ramon have a discussion about what Mary Anne is doing to Gorlim by sleeping with Ruin.
First, Julian and Mary Anne have a talk about the offer the cards have made to Mary Anne. Then, Random and Mary Anne have a very brief conversation where Random tells Mary Anne just what he thinks of her. Following that, Ruin shows up and they talk civilly, with Latin interjected here and there. Ruin makes an odd offer, asking Mary Anne back to his room solely to be held and sleep. After she goes with him, Námo shows up at Ruin's door to have a small discussion with Mary Anne about what is coming before Ruin returns to the room.
The next day, Random and Námo have a long overdue conversation about Gorlim.
On the twelfth night, Gorlim comes to Room 321, the end of his debt nearing. Námo and Random have a brief chat, but Random and Julian have a much longer one. Later that day, Mary Anne discovers through Námo what Ruin has done to Gorlim. Later, Námo finds Gorlim in the stables and they go for a ride. Sometime later, Mary Anne comes to explain to Gorlim that it wasn't really her who watched Ruin torment him. Only an illusion.
Ruin has an interesting chat with Rupert Giles, and is then visited by Strength's lion, who speaks honestly
with the card.
The thirteenth night with Ruin is a special one. Ruin, and his room, look like Námo and Námo's room. Ruin, looking and acting like Gorlim's lover, forces himself on him. Afterward, Ruin and Mary Anne have a talk about several things, including the thirteenth night and what happened on the twelfth. Gorlim goes to Námo's room and asks to go elsewhere. They go to the cairn by the lake where they talk about what had just happened. At the same time, Julian ends his relationships with Mary Anne. After that, Mary Anne goes to her room and hides in the shower, but Ruin finds her and she finds some comfort in not being alone that night.
The final night. Night fourteen finds Gorlim unconcious and in a cell, beaten, blood, broken, and tortured. He is then forced reenact his betrayal and death. While this happens, Mary Anne and Námo venture to the Halls of Mandos to await an ending they've both known about for some time. They pass the time in a poignant manner, dancing in the gardens as Gorlim had danced with Vairë some months back. Near the end, though, what they had been waiting for happens, and Námo seeks out Gorlim's spirit in the Halls, refusing to abandon him as he had been abandoned in the past. A decision is made, one that alters much, but Námo doesn't dwell long on what this means ultimately for himself or the ways of his own world. They all return to Milliways, and Námo bestows the same gift on Eilinel that he had given Gorlim, leaving the couple to themselves while retiring to his own room with Gabriel and Kelly.
Gorlim, at some point, leaves his room, but as he comes back, he finds Ruin waiting for him. There is a brief, very brief, exchange.
Later that night, as Námo lays in bed, Gorlim comes to his lover, his saviour, and lays down beside him. There is an emotional release in this, and the last two and a half months are finally put to rest.
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Anything in red comes with this blanket warning: mature content ahead. Those threads can contain one or more of the following: explicit sex, explicit violent, mild sexual themes, mild violent themes, torture, extreme sexual torture. Do not read those threads if you cannot handle them. We won't be held responsible for you clicking on a link that has been clearly marked. Thank you.