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Tark recognizes the cats as displacer beasts! Both creatures easily hop over the stream and engage the monk, trying to bite him, with one of them drawing blood!
Out of the shadows to your west, another displacer beast appears, more muscular than the other two, with 20' long tentacles. The Pack Lord rushes out at the defenseless Senna and bites her in the leg!
Braegan's sharp ears catch the sound of danger and his eyes catch the large cat tracks, as he hears a pair of feline growls disturb the night and warns the party in time to see two large bluish panthers step out of the bushes ahead, 20' tentacles attached to their sides. A light-blending glamer seems to surround their bodies. They are giving you a look that means that you're on the dinner menu!
"Sure, you seem nice enough. I know nothing of your bow. The Beastland represents nature at its wildest and worst. We prefer more tranquility. I will assign my grand-daughter Alm-veig to lead you to the proper branch to your portal." He calls her and she appears within seconds from one of the holes in the tree and he introduces her to you. She smiles and in a cheerful voice adds, "Pleasure to meet you. Beastlands, huh? Follow me!"
You step into the portal and appear immediately elsewhere, in a forest. Although a pale moon hangs in the sky, the area is dark and shadowy enough that darkvision or a light source is needed to see. This section of the plane resembles temperate forests: mighty oaks create a dense canopy overhead while ferns and other shade-loving plants grow below.
The Ratatosk senses calmness and sincerity from the aasimar and takes the food and tastes it. He makes a face but continues to eat. "I am Fireholder, Kippenhall, watcher over the tribe. I see you know our customs. That shows education and culture. How may I help you travelers? Is this your first time to Yggdrasil?"
With Senna's aid, Braegan remembers that Ratatosk society is fond of gifts, preferably of food, from travelers. The creature waits there looking at the party.
The tracks seems to head SW, toward the base of the tree.
Braegan recognizes oddly squirrel tracks on the tree but humanoid ones upright, not walking on all fours, as is normal. You also see large wolf paw prints.
Braegan sees various sets of tracks on the ground.
You follow the Lord-of-Three's instructions to the tee, find the tree and hum the tune and you wink out of existence. You reappear and find yourself on an enormous branch that sways slightly and is covered in sun-dappled shadows. The branch must be 50 feet in diameter,if not more. Leaves and branches block your vision in most directions, but you can look along the level surface of the branch you are on toward a gray-brown cliff a few miles away. Slowly it dawns on you that the cliff is the trunk of the tree; the tree must be literally miles tall and wide. This must be the legendary tree, Yggdrasil.
With Perb's excellent verbal skills and Tark backing him up, the bear warden archons realize they may have judged you too hastily. "Perhaps you speak of truth. However, know that we do not approve of consulting demons for your knowledge. If you continue on this path, next time, we will not reconsider." The archons move away and let you pass.
The party shares a drink with the scholar and leaves the outsider filled bar, walking toward the Hive Ward. About a block down the street from the Styx, a towering bear warden archon, heavily armored, steps out of a store, blocking your path. He holds out a giant paw, palm forward. “You, halt! You were blessed by our prophet and you came to share its sacred knowledge with the scum that dwells in the Styx?! You are charged by the Order of the Prophet’s Eye with consorting with demons. Please come with us quietly and we can avoid unpleasantness.” Behind you, another archon steps out blocking the path as well.
You all head back to the Styx. When you arrive, the Lord-of-Three has instructions that you be taken to his personal booth in the corner. He dismisses the concubine he is with. "So were you able to get the Prophecy?" He waits and assuming you say yes, he continues. "Excellent! Well done, and good work! You have the prophecy. Please let me take a look and consider the alternatives, consult the records, and offer counsel.” When shown the prophecy, the wispy-bearded scholar reads the few words in Celestial script quickly and closes his eyes a moment to think. “This reference to beasts, animals, and creatures is surely a hint, a clue, an omen that you must go to the Beastlands to recover Thaas!” You are all dumbfounded, but before you can ask, he keeps talking, though his voice drops to a whisper, as he looks around the room. “I hate to lecture, expound, and pontificate, but Thaas is a weapon of power, a demon killing longbow of the elves, a creation of ancient and fearsome magic. You must find it, recover it, and restore it to use.” He closes his eyes and thinks further and ignores any questions. “You could go directly to the World Ash, the Great Tree that connects the planes, Yggdrasil. I will share with you the location of the portal, the gate, and the planar key. Go to the Hive Ward, seek out the only tree that grows there, and walk on its lowest branch, stem, or limb while humming the chant of the All-Father, a deity crucified on the tree.” He hums a few bars of a hymn you don’t recognize, until a bone devil one table over clears his throat and his scorpion tail twitches. Lord-of-Three drops silent, then continues: “That will take you there, to Yggdrasil and then the Beastlands, far from here. There, you must seek Thaas yourselves, as a group, a united faction. I wish you good hunting, safe journey, and a quick return.” The scholar smiles at the confused looks on your faces.
Six seconds pass....then another...then another with you in the darkness. Amazingly you maintain your cool and do not freak out...much. The sound of a quill moving over paper stops. You hear the clank of metal, and suddenly you are wrapped in black shadow. The light is gone, but you still see traces of it shining overhead. With a final clunk, even that light is gone. The world seems black, even though you see pillars and walls and creatures around you. A piece of paper in your hands shines with an echo of the vanished light. You all suddenly hear the voices of archons echoing in your minds. Only Perb understands that the language spoken is Celestial. He hears: The bow of beasts dissolves the taint of the corrupted,
A pair of keys: a blackened tongue, a golden word,
Afterwards, you all reappear back in the Temple of the Prophet, with a sheet of paper in your hands, upon which are written the two stanzas cited above. Humbart nods at all of you. "The Eye has deemed you worthy. Go in peace." Shortly thereafter, you spot Braegan outside.
Humbart leads you all toward the Eye and the others currently praying make way for you. The eye that gives this place its name is a strange object, with asegmented, insectlike covering of brass and copper fittings. The light from the glowing altar-tripod hovers around the Eye as well, lighting up every mote of dust near it. A number of levers next to it control its functioning. One of the large bearlike archons stands beside the levers, alert and watching you. Humbart speaks, "Time to be judged! Stay still." At Humbart's command, the archon pulls some controls and the brass segments of the Eye snap back one by one, releasing aray of light so bright it seems like a solid pillar. It points up at the ceiling, reflecting down to the pillars and making the temple floor as bright as noon. As each segment snaps away from the Eye, the light shines directly at more and more of the temple interior; when the final segment drops beneath the Eye, revealing it completely, the light touches each of you. You can’t see anything around you except as flickering shadows; solid people and pillars look transparent in this light. You feel it as a source of warmth and inquisitiveness—living light that burrows into your body to your soul. Voices echo within the light. Somewhere nearby, you distinctly hear the scratching of a quill on paper, a sound so soft that you don’t understand how you can perceive it in such a large, noisy temple. The light from the Eye glows stronger and you are all blind now!
Perb's silver tongue and the fact that he is an aasimar seems to calm the warden down. "I sense you speak from the heart, aasimar. Perhaps, I was too hasty in judging your intentions. And your dedication to Cayden speaks well of you. Please follow me. I will let the Eye judge the worthiness of your request."
The warden visibly tenses at the mention of the Lord-of-Three's name. "So you come at that scoundrel's behest? He and his ilk in that den of evil he calls a tavern can have no good plans for the Eye. Perhaps this drow tale you tell is something he concocted! I suggest you leave immediately."
"So Tark, at whose request would that be? How do you know about the Eye? What is your purpose?"
For Braegan:
You spot a total of seven winged celestial knights stationed around the Temple and in the bell tower. The only entrances seem to be the main doors, some narrow windows about 80' up, and the bell tower 100' up. Climbing up the slick marble walls of the tower also seems impossible (DC 35 Climb check), so magic may be required.
You see a sphere inside the Temple floating in mid-air that seems to give off the glowing light. The knight directs your attention to the door. "Step forward and be judged."
Lord-of-Three bids each of you farewell, addressing you each by name, which I assume you gave to him when you met. You leave the Styx and the smell of the Lower Ward behind, proceedings counterclockwise as you follow the directions provided and reach the The Lady's Ward. The area smells of jasmine and cherry blossoms and is the most luxurious and opulent area you have seen so far. The common person in the street is decorated in outfits easily worth hundreds if not more gold pieces. Thus, your group's simplicity stands out and draws stares and sneers. Eventually, you see your goal: a tower made of yellow stone that shines with inner light, even during the twilight hours. Two celestial knights bearing flaming blades flank the entrance, metallic wings sprouting from their back that seem to grow from the armors. A stained glass window is located above the entrance.
"The roads in the Lady's Ward are the safest in the city. No worries there." The Lord-of-Three gives you specific directions how to get to the Tower.
"Sure, the Tower is in the Lady's Ward, the richest and most exclusive section of the city. That's one district over from here. Yes, it's an oracle of some sort, though I've never used it. It's not meant for the types of denizens who frequent this tavern, so you folk should have no troubles. Opposition? Not unless you have problems with archons. I didn't think so. Like I said, it's a simple errand. I await your return with news."
"I am not offended elf. It is a natural and logical question after all. Let us say that I oppose Lloth's machinations when I can. Think of me as the enemy of my enemy is a friend."
The male figure scans the letter. Braegan notices his eyes are fixated on the seals at the top left hand but cannot read his emotions. Lord-of-Three looks up, "By beat up, I assume you killed the drow who carried this. Good riddance." He slides the note back to you. "It is as I feared. The drow are stirred up everywhere. On the Material Plane, here in Sigil, and in the Demonweb where Lloth spins her plots. Since we have common interests, I can help you stop the drow plans and get home." He pauses for a second, as he sees the surprise on your faces. "Yes, first time travelers to Sigil almost lose their lunch when they learn that you cannot use the same door in Sigil more than once, so whatever portal brought you here will not help you leave." He chuckles a bit at this and then gets serious again. "Like I said, I'll help you but I'll require your assistance on three errands. The first is simple. Go to the Tower of the Prophet, open the Eye there, and ask how to blind the Spider Queen."
Lord-of-Three smiles, "That sounds like the truth, as crude as it may have been expressed. May I see the note?"
"Note? What note? Go on...."
"Ah, you are misunderstanding my question. How did you know to come to the Styx to inquire about drow?"
Five uneasy minutes later, Mary returns and asks you to follow her, her six arms pointing the way.
She leads you to a curtained booth in the back and ushers you in, where you see five empty chairs and an old male figure, definitely not human, as evident by his sharp features and skin tone. Mary leaves you all alone. The figure speaks, bowing before the party. "Please sit. They call me, I call myself, the world knows I am Lord-of-Three. I understand you are new in town and have a drow problem. Your type, your disposition, your shining characters don’t generally come to the Lower Ward, the wrong side of Sigil, the Styx Oarsman. I like the cheap beer, rough company,and rampant rumor mongering. What exactly brings you down here to this of all places?”
Mary takes the gold and looks menacingly at the Oread and only the monk hears in his mind:"Anytime you want to tangle, Rock-man, you know where to find me. Now wait here." She slithers to the back of the tavern out of sight, the other outsiders giving her wide berth.
"500 gold will be fine and we don't want a mad Davu, do we?" Mary snickers and waits for her gold.
Mary smiles. "Problems with drow, huh? And you, mountain man, Oread, I like your directness. How much can you pay? I may be able to make an introduction to someone with your interests at heart."
Mary seems a little disappointed that you paid but takes the coins. Then she smiles, as if nothing had happened. "The only locals here are the humans. Everyone else just visits the Cage, including myself. May I ask what you are doing so far from your homes?"
Mary seemingly calms down and pours you two drinks, which your eyes catch is from a normal cask of ale. "30 gold..." She is waiting for your answer and it looks like she is itching for you to complain about the price.
Mary's eyes narrow at the Braegan's comments. "You have the audacity of pumping me for information without even ordering a drink?! DoI look like your personal guide or hostess? No? Then stop treating me like one before I eat your entrails!" She looks quite scary when she's pissed.
Mary winks at Senna, "Sure, sweet lady. You're the closest I've seen in this place to even come close to rivaling my beauty." She uncorks a bottle especially for her and pours her a glass. "75 years old. Exquisite in my opinion." Senna does not know if she is talking about the wine or herself, as Mary makes no secret of undressing her with her eyes. Upon hearing the aasimar chime in, she sighs. "Let me see. That vintage is from the height of the Mithrilhammer clan, about 200 years ago, before they fell to the orcs. Always gets many rave reviews."
The snake woman is charmed by Perb's smile and looks at the crowd of outsiders, "They're new to the Styx, let's not poison them just yet. Now get back to yer business!" Her voice is quite commanding, as if she were in a position of authority and power, and she uncoils her lower body, so she stands 10-12' high. The other outsiders quickly back off, giving the aasimar dirty looks. The bartender coils back to normal size and flashes Perb a sultry smile, "Welcome to the Styx, you may call me Mary. I'm sure I can find you two some non-toxic dwarven ale. That is a popular drink among yer kind." With her six hands moving in fluid motion, the drinks are poured in seconds. "10 gold please."
Upon your entry and your shocked looks, you all get stares from the patrons, especially Perb. Then back to business as usual. Braegan:
You see 4 curtained booths in the back of the establishment where you assume private deals go down. In fact, you hear from one of the closest booths a final payment being made for the assassination of an official in Absalom and how the buyer is going to refer all his friends due to the excellent services of the tiefling assassin. The female six-armed bartender welcomes Perb and Tark and as you approach, you can tell she has glittering otherworldly eyes and a snake body beneath her torso. She also has various arcane weapons within reach behind the bar. As she reads you a menu, you notice most of the beverages are toxic and exotic, most likely because demons are immune to poison. You hear of treats such as Wyvern's Sting, Purple Pain (purple worm ingredients), Ice Worm (cold drink with Remorhaz ingredients), etc. Upon seeing the aasimar, the outsiders start to chide Perb into ordering one of the drinks! The bartender smiles wickedly at Perb and Tark, "So what'll it be, Primes?"
Befuddled by their experience in the alley, the party decides to quickly move away before the rats return. Eventually, you find your way to the Lower Ward, a section of Sigil inhabited primarily by creatures of the Lower Planes, but also by humans and the floating Dabus (Dabus resembles a humanoid with yellow-tan skin, goat-like horns, and a shock of white hair). You even spot occasional darting lantern archons, their light shining pure and holy through the smoke and gloom — and moving very quickly through this ward. You also notice the foul sulfurous stench that seems to emanate from the ground itself. Before long, your reach your goal, the Styx Oarsman tavern. Bracing yourself, you walk inside. The Oarsman is noisy, and you see three squawking vrocks (similar to one you killed in the cave) come stumbling out of the open archway that is the entrance way. Within you see barbed devils playing at cards, a beautiful human woman confidently serving goblets of wine to monsters, and a motley collection of customers. You remember the dwarf Silveraxe's comments when you look at the bartender serving drinks with her six arms! It’s not the type of inn you’re used to, to put it lightly.
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