Doctor learns of Master's threat to Kronos

The Doctor and Dalios struggle to process the urgent news delivered by Lakis: Lord Hippias, the High Priest, and Jo have breached the Guardian’s lair to steal the crystal of Kronos. The revelation sends a jolt of dread through the scene—if the Master gains control of such power, Atlantis and the timestream itself face obliteration. The Doctor’s shock exposes not just his alarm but the crushing magnitude of the threat, as the group realizes the crystal’s theft could fracture fate itself. The crisis forces immediate confrontation with the Master’s gambit.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

1

The Doctor expresses surprise and alarm upon hearing the news.

concern to alarm

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

4

Genuine terror and guilt for delivering bad news, struggling to contain her fear

Standing near Dalios, she enters in visible disarray, dropping to her knees before speaking rapidly and fearfully. Her distress is palpable as she delivers the critical information that sets the crisis in motion.

Goals in this moment
  • To warn King Dalios of the immediate danger
  • To seek forgiveness for her unintended role in the crisis
Active beliefs
  • The intrusion into the Guardian’s lair is sacrilege
  • Royal authority must be respected above all
Character traits
frightened urgent subordinate
Follow Jo Grant's journey

Initially neutral, shifting to deep concern and determination as he grasps the threat

Seated and composed but instantly drawn into the crisis as Lakis speaks; he leans forward with growing concern as he processes the implications of the theft.

Goals in this moment
  • To understand the scope of the breach immediately
  • To assess what action he must take to protect Atlantis
Active beliefs
  • The Guardian’s lair must remain inviolate
  • Every moment wasted could mean cosmic catastrophe
Character traits
disciplined assimilating rapidly leadership focus
Follow Dalios's journey

Blindsided by the revelation; shifts from calm to alarm in an instant

Seated and listening when the news strikes him with jarring force; he reacts with a sharp 'What?' that betrays his shock at the scale of the threat posed by the crystal’s theft.

Goals in this moment
  • To comprehend the immediate danger posed by the stolen crystal
  • To formulate a plan to intercept the thieves
Active beliefs
  • Time is already fracturing at the edges
  • The Master’s hand is in every dangerous act
Character traits
astute reactive to cosmic threats expressive
Follow The Third …'s journey
Supporting 1

Determined to control the narrative and maintain order, masking personal unease

Moves swiftly to intercept Lakis as she reveals forbidden information, dragging her away with forceful efficiency to suppress the spreading alarm.

Goals in this moment
  • To silence unauthorized disclosure immediately
  • To preserve the appearance of calm in the royal court
Active beliefs
  • Disorder begins with loose tongues
  • The court must never appear vulnerable
Character traits
authoritarian protective of protocol reactive
Follow Crito's journey

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

3
Dalios' Terrace

The secluded terrace serves as the unexpected stage for a crisis meeting, where Lakis delivers her alarming news in a setting normally reserved for quiet reflection. Its closeness to the palace and openness to the sky make it functionally and symbolically liminal—between interior authority and the vast consequences unfolding beyond.

Atmosphere Urgent and violated, as the tranquil space is invaded by panic and cosmic dread
Function Unplanned crisis forum for critical intelligence dissemination
Symbolism Represents the fragility of governance under existential threat; a private sanctuary breached by forces beyond …
Access Restricted to royal and senior palace personnel
Open to the sky, reinforcing vulnerability Bronze railings etched with celestial motifs catching shifting light Marble tiles arranging constellations underfoot
Guardian’s Lair

Though not physically present here, the Guardian’s Lair is the unseen epicenter of the crisis, from which Lord Hippias, the High Priest, and Jo have stolen the Crystal of Kronos—a heist that threatens spacetime itself. The terrace’s revelation about the theft immediately escalates the event’s stakes and calls all parties to action.

Atmosphere Ominous and foreboding—felt rather than seen, its dread permeating the terrace
Function Central repository of cosmic power; now violated through theft
Symbolism Embodiment of Atlantean divinity and temporal equilibrium; its violation signals rupture in natural order
Access Sacred and secret; entry only by high ritual authority
Hidden beneath the palace Bioluminescent algae casting eerie blue light in the deep Silence dominating the chamber, amplifying every sound
Temple of Poseidon: Tartarus Catacombs (Including Mirrored Chamber)

The catacombs beneath the temple are the current chase zone, where Jo Grant flees the relentless Minotaur through twisting corridors lined with mirrors and Atlantean runes. The Doctor is mentally tracking her peril, aware that her location is now both sanctuary and tomb if the crystal is activated.

Atmosphere Claustrophobic and perilous, with echoes of pursuit and tension stretching every second
Function Labyrinthine death trap for the pursued
Symbolism Myth made manifest—the eternal terror of the Minotaur in service to temporal evil
Access Restricted to priests and designated personnel
Mirrors reflecting not only the present but layered images from other times Flickering glowstone sconces casting jagged shadows Crystalline formations humming with unstable energy

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

What led here 1
Causal medium

"Lakis's urgent news of Lord Hippias, the High Priest, and Lady Jo entering the Guardian's lair (beat_0c31ecc8d74c2f4e) directly sets up the Doctor's surprise and alarm upon hearing the news (beat_43dd1fba7b324e6b)."

Lakis delivers urgent warning about intruders
S9E26 · The Time Monster Part 6
What this causes 3
Causal medium

"Lakis's urgent news of Lord Hippias, the High Priest, and Lady Jo entering the Guardian's lair (beat_0c31ecc8d74c2f4e) directly sets up the Doctor's surprise and alarm upon hearing the news (beat_43dd1fba7b324e6b)."

Lakis delivers urgent warning about intruders
S9E26 · The Time Monster Part 6
Causal medium

"The Doctor's knowledge of Hippias, the High Priest, and Jo entering the Guardian's lair (beat_43dd1fba7b324e6b) informs his tense exchange with the Master about King Dalios's fate (beat_17be173aeff57817)."

Power Struggle on Atlantis Terrace
S9E26 · The Time Monster Part 6
Causal medium

"The Doctor's knowledge of Hippias, the High Priest, and Jo entering the Guardian's lair (beat_43dd1fba7b324e6b) informs his tense exchange with the Master about King Dalios's fate (beat_17be173aeff57817)."

Master seizes control demands obedience
S9E26 · The Time Monster Part 6

Themes This Exemplifies

Thematic resonance and meaning

Key Dialogue

"DALIOS: Tell us, child."
"LAKIS: Lord Hippias and the High Priest have gone into the lair of the Guardian followed by the Lady Jo!"