No Levar steps up in front of the group and looks upward at the giant head speaking above the rest of them, ”We come here seeking a way to leave. We hear that ye share information at the cost of information, so what is necessary for us to get the key and the portal to leave this accursed place?” He rests his hand on his sheath, wary of any danger that might be lurking around the pillar.
Immediately the pilar burst out in another cacophony of voices
Pike that! one says, bring back a fiend, and I'll tell you what you need, a chubby offers, to which an elf adds knock out the ogre head, and I'll let you know. after which the pillar descends into discord.
Cedric looks from head to head. "Wait so you want food and this other one wants a fiend. While this other one just wants us to knock the ogre head off the pillar?" Cedric considers the options. "What kind of food counts as ogur food? Does the fiend have to be alive?"
Cedric tries to counter the cacophony of statements and requests by asking as many questions. The babbling only increases as a results Get his head out of the pillar!, the elven head screams, is the answers of the Ogre, Alive, so we can study it, the third he'd says. More heads chime in Bring us a five-leaf clover, show us a rainbow on this plane, a horseshoe of a centaur until the pillar again descends into an inaudible wall of vocal noise.
The pillar doesn't seem to be able to defend itself at any rate - getting a head out would just be a matter of prying it loose. There's no telling what holds the pillar together, though.
Cedric shrugs and pulls the ogre head out and throws it in the direction of the blood river. "Ok he is gone, now tell me what you know." He says looking at the elf head.
The big piece of meathead is dumped unceremoniously into the red goop, and is dragged downstream by the current. The dislodging of the Ogre has also unhinged the elven skull.
Well, it seems that fat ogre has finally paid the music. Good. Thank you for that, he was getting quite loud. the head says, as it seems to float on its own volition.
The portal of this layer is that way the skull says, turning its head, but you'll need a key to pass it - the spine of a fiend.
Cedric looks over at his two travel companions. "Well hopefully that one we ran into earlier can serve a purpose after death as well. Lets make sure we grab our new friend as well. I'd hate to leave her behind after all the assistance she gave us."
No Levar stretches his arm while also giving his ear a pop, a little overwhelmed from all the talking heads. ”I suppose I do owe that old hag.” He nods and agrees to go back to find the dead fiend while secretly hoping to run into fresh ones.
The floating elven head has been following you around. Calling itself 'Mimir', it seems to know quite a bit about the area.
The adventurers retrace their steps to the fallen devil. Still dead on the rocky soil of Avernus, the spinagon is luckily not one of those spineless devils one may encounter commonly. It is a dirty job, removing the backbone of the fiend, but in the end, the bloody thing comes out.
Did it just get hotter?
The already dark sky seems to overcast a bit more, a darkness coming in from the direction of Bel's fortress.
No Levar uses his sawtooth blade to saw into the back of the fiend and work the spine out, getting layered with more blood covering the dried portion from the river. He holds the spine up to the floating head to show that the deed was done, before cocking his head towards the dark area. "Portal is that way... isn't it...?"
Nope, it's away from that dark area. That dark area... you don't want to get there unless you want to get scragged. That's Bel's fortress, only the most powerful overlord of this layer. It takes serious cunning to give him the laugh. Portal's the other direction, berk.
Cedric lets out a sigh of relief. "Lets grab our new friend and be on our way."
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The party steps away again, and takes the route to the portal when three devilish forms start closing in. The flying creatures must deal with the fireballs raining from the sky, but despite this they circle ever closer.
These are abishai devils, and they usually scout ahead for a larger force of devils.
The route to the portal takes the adventurers once more to a crossing with the river. This one, however, is a lot deeper than the previous one, and about 15 feet wide at its narrowest point.
No Levar has no clue what the flying creatures are, but they don't look like they're here to greet us seeing as how they're avoiding fireballs just to get to us. He draws his weapon and keeps an eye on them as they approach while the party figures out a quick way across the river.
Cedric looks around and if he does not see anything dangerous, he will go for a swim.
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With the added strength of the otherworldly creature, Cedric manages to swim to the other side before whatever lives in the stream turns its attention to him.
No and Arianna are still high and dry on the other side, and are not caked in sticky blood...
If No Levar doesn't notice something turning its attention in the waters...
...which he doesn't because he's too busy admiring himself and sheathing his weapon, hopping into the second river of blood he's been into this day and tries to swim across...
...and his days as a pirate pay off as he manages to keep himself afloat among the thick red goop and swims towards Cedric.
Cedric and No Levar stand on the other side of the river, covered in crimson. The wait is for Arianna....
The delay caused by crossing the river has brought the flying creatures much closer. Fortunately, the portals is not much further.
As the party crests the top of a rocky hill, they see the arc of where the portal should be in the distance. The way is clear... except for a lone humanoid figure silhouetted in the evanescent glow from the torches set near the portal. Its arms are folded around its chest, its feet planted firmly on the ground. It seems to be waiting.
It's a male humanoid, black hair, angular features, stabbing gaze. His expression speaks of power and self-confidence, even arrogance.
Knowing that anything they come across in this hellish world was probably evil, he immediately draws his sword as they find their way walking towards a silhouette.
His brow furrowed with irritation as he met eyes with the stranger, staring back with his own ruthless gaze. He was still covered in blood from both rivers, and his sawtooth blade stained with the fiend from earlier. The heat from this plane forced him to abandon his shirt long ago, now just standing bare with his talents and gifts to prevent him from harm.
He kept his eyes locked with the other as they approached closer and got within shouting range, "Out of our way. I've seen enough blood for one day."
Out of your way, he says. Well, well. Just have a look behind you and decide whether that's a good idea. Regardless of the question whether you would last the blink of an eye against a perfect servant of Bel, you might also wonder is that blink is sufficient to get away from those three abishai that are about to dive down on you. I'll offer you one last time...
You can probably take him, but he's right about the Abishai - they are mighty close, and way out your league.
"Wait, what do you mean last time. we didn't even get a first time." Cedric says as he looks around in a bit of a panic.
First time is the last time. Listen closely. Step through the portal, and be gone from here. All I ask... the devil smiles menacingly ...is that you take this orb with you. Carry it with you to the other side, and place it on top the highest the highest building you can find.
There is no contract, but I will chase you to the deepest layer of the Abyss if you try to peel me.
"Forgive me if I am a bit hesitant, but what does the orb do?" Cedric says as he tries to get a good view of the orb.
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Cedric doesn't know a lot about the orb, but he does know that similar devices are associated with divination magic.
No Levar steps up near Cedric and gives him a nudge, "The abishai he's talking about are way stronger than us, we'll have to just comply with what he's asking for now." He sheaths his sword and nods to the stranger, accepting his terms without much option. He'll take the orb and study it to try and figure out what it is before he and Cedric head for the portal.
No takes the orb and is ready to step through the portal, waiting only for Cedric to follow.
Those Abishai in the air... they seem to be holding back. Would they be afraid of the gatekeeper?
No is content with what is happening.
Cedric follows though he is still hesitant about the orb.
As the portals comes to life to a swirling vortex, No and Cedric are sucked in, momentarily engulfed by the bluish silver that makes up the 'in-between' of planes. The environment changes: the soldering, blasted rock landscape is exchanged for a grimy city at the bottom of some valley.
That cracked temple over there seems to be a pretty high structure. There seems to be a mass of people headed that way.
The streets around the shattered temple have always been alive with berks of varying background, but you haven't ever seen an occasion where the throng was this large. What's more, the mass of bodies seems to be headed toward the Shattered Temple. What was the last time anyone even dared enter the place, let alone set out as if it was the place for a wild time?
Lun Tsu follows along at the outer edge of the mass. He does not seek to enter but is curious about the reason for the movement towards the temple. After all, he need not return to Limbo right away since his travels back from the Prime world of Golarian.
Krachxton grew up around the temple, and found this convergence strange. He'll head for one of the piles of rubble on the edge of the crowd. Knowing the ways of stone, he'll look for a sturdy spot and pull himself up to get a better look. Though the Athar claimed this spot, there were always rumors about Aoskar's cult coming back. If that was the case, then this would be a very bad place to be. The entire district was a monument to the idea that annoying the Lady is a foolish way to die.
Krachxton sees more than one cutter wearing the faction symbols of the Athar, the lost, the faction that believes all gods are frauds. Some of them are moving along with the living tide, while some are foolish enough to try and struggle against it, a look of purpose and urgency on their faces. None of them - whether moving with or against the tide - looks particularly happy.
There's a hooded man at the edge of the crowd, who looks surprisingly like the men you encountered during your first planar escapade - the ones that taught you your arcane fighting skills.
No Levar stumbles for a second after the planar traveling and leans forward to catch his breath; still not used to the method of transportation. When he regains his composure and looks around, he tries to discern the plane they've arrived at with some basic knowledge.
When he sees the Githzerai moving as part of the crowd, he follows, trusting the race of people that saved him during his first planar walk. He tries to get close and grab his attention, speaking in Gith, the tongue of his people... "Excuse me."
Lun Tsu hears the Gith language and turns in surprise at the face the voice is attached to.
In Gith, "Salutations human. I believe you were addressing me?"
Githzerai and Githyanki
Sigil
One of the most important sites on the Outer Planes, Sigil (also known as the Cage or the City of Doors) is the largest center of commerce and most popular nexus of planar travel in the known multiverse. Its age and origins are unknown, as are the means of its existence, but its nature as a crossroads of all realms across existence ensures it holds a key role in planar society, and the Lady of Pain ensures it will remain free and neutral, at no risk of capture by any person or organization of any sort.
Sigil is located at the top of the Spire, the infinitely-tall pillar in the center of the Outlands. As one progresses further and further towards the centre of the Outlands, fewer magic starts to work, until at the very centre, where the infinitely long spire is located, not even divine magic can penetrate. Hence the saying "Barmy as a spire God".
Despite this fact, magic in Sigil functions for the most part completely normally, with the anti-magic properties of the Outlands holding no sway over it. It occupies the inner surface of a ring or torus of approximately five miles in diameter, with gravity pointing outwards and allowing people within to walk about somewhat normally. Despite its size, however, the city is extremely crowded, with the total number occupying it at any one time far greater than the permanent population.
Krachxton will continue to observe the crowd from his rubble pile, trying to see any patterns or changes. Anything to explain this. Deep down, he's also looking to see if his parents are caught up in this. They may have had their differences, but this seems a little odd and intense.
The jump through the portal was a bit more forceful then Cedric expected and his resulting crash into the ground left him dazed for a moment. Cedric recovers just in time to see No Levar dashing off after someone. "Hey wait!" Cedric calls out, "What about the orb?" Cedric climbs to his feet and follows after No Levar.
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No Levar barely notices the difference between the two races and continues talking to him, "Yes, my friend and I seem to be lost and I just wanted to make sure we're in the right place. This is the City of Doors, correct?"
Lun Tsu smiles showing his deadly row of teeth, the smile is an easy one non-threatening.
"Yes, you are in the Cage Human. Tell me, how have you come to know the language of the Gith so fluently? You have a slight accent but otherwise, you are well spoken".
There's another wave of people washing over the streets, separating Cedric from No. Cedric hears snippets of comments from the people on the street What's the chant. one asks, and gets the response There's lawless talk and wild predictions being tossed at the temple. A Dwarf preacher? is another bit Cedric hears, Aoskar?, then Illegal!. More reactions Breaking the law! and Dead-book for sure!
No and Lun Tsu hear similar reactions while they're talking to each other, and Krachxton sees that the crowd streams towards the broken temple, once the holy place of the fallen god Aoskar.
"I am a wanderer of sorts, lost from my old home. The Githyanki took me in after my change and taught me their ways, to help me better handle my new abilities." He rests his hand on his hilt, not consciously as if looking for a reason to fight, but merely as a resting stance while he gains his bearings. "And what brings you to Sigil?" He overhears the crowd and keeps an eye on them, but waits for them all to pass, listening to Lun Tsu whilst also keeping Cedric in mind, not wanting to get separated.
"Githyanki? The Githyanki assisted you?" Lun is so surprised he does not respond to the rest on No Levar's inquiry.