_Sometime while [[15.02 Diphalos|Diphalos]] and [[11.11 Tam|Tam]] are on the road together..._ Diphalos looked up from his dinner as you sat with him. "Perhaps now is a good time to demonstrate something. You know that my parent and I are unable to cause harm. But you need to know _exactly_ what that means." He considers, then says, "May I borrow one of your daggers? Thank you." With an instant and graceful motion he takes the darksteel dagger and plunges it directly into your neck. You see the flash of light along the blade.... but then it is just his hand, resting against your neck, soft and caressing. "Look in your hand." The dagger is still in your own hand. "We of the realm of dream have astonishing power. We are able to influence perception, read the nature of others, and to some degree change objective reality. But when I say we _cannot cause harm_ it is built into the very fabric of what we are." His hand is still caressing your neck as he speaks. "Think about your dreams. Terrible things happen, or wonderful things. But when you wake there is no real lasting effect. occasionally you might have some residual feeling: a soft glow or a gnawing fear. But that is the limit of my power. I am quite literally incapable of crossing that line in any way. So if you are in danger, even if I am standing right next to you, and you are thinking 'why doesn't he _do something_? Why doesn't he strike down my enemy?' It's because I **literally cannot**. But I promise that [[15.01 Ephialtes|The Old Man]] and I will be doing everything that _does_ lie within our power to help you, in that moment and every moment." He smiles. "No, I _wasn't_ thinking about taking my hand off your neck, why do you ask?"