Behind you, the beautiful room is no more. Instead of polished white marble, the walls are filthy and worn. Fetid water sits in place of the crystal clear water you saw before, and the gateway is cracked and broken. Smears of blood on the floor in the pool room connect to the smears in portal room. Lastly, instead of an elven maiden sitting on a leaf, you see a thirty-foot long monster with tentacles and swords for teeth floating above the pool.
In front of you, the image of the shadowy elven city in the black portal begins flickering with increasing intensity, even vanishing for a few seconds at a time.
The doors open into a larger chamber. On the opposite side of the room stands a towering archway made of shimmering black stone. The archway's keystone seems strangely out of place - unlike the surrounding black stone, the keystone is a pale grey and bears fragments of a spiky set of Thassilonian runes. Inside the archway is a world of shadows in which a strangely beautiful elven city can bee seen. Smears of blood along the floor seem to lead up to and through the archway into the flickering world beyond.
Behind you, the beautiful room is no more. Instead of polished white marble, the walls are filthy and worn. Fetid water sits in place of the crystal clear water you saw before, and the gateway is cracked and broken. Smears of blood on the floor in the pool room connect to the smears in portal room. Lastly, instead of an elven maiden sitting on a leaf, you see a thirty-foot long monster with tentacles and swords for teeth floating above the pool.
...
In front of you, the image of the shadowy elven city in the black portal begins flickering with increasing intensity, even vanishing for a few seconds at a time.
...
"The portal is closing. Remain if you wish, but I will pass for the captive elves' sake."
Iolar snatches up her gear and glides forward toward the portal. She looks around for a second ambush.
As Lothan's eyes go wide, "You have got to be kidding Whether it's a trick or not, there's no way I'm hanging around to find out!" Lothan then immediately takes off toward the portal, following the elven druid through.
Vendric follows the others through the portal wondering what waits them beyond it.
Stepping through the portal is a dizzying experience, and it takes a few moments for the world to right itself. After a time, the surrounding elven city becomes clear, its tall, graceful spires rising up among manicured boughs of a well tended forest. Some of these buildings seem familiar, resembling those of ruined Celwynvian, but strangely restored and made whole. Although this glimpse through time is convincing, something is off. Colors seem dim, sounds are muted, and the shadows appear strangely long and dark. Yet most disconcerting of all is the sky above—for it is nothing more than a vortex of gray clouds, spiraling around a dark blot in the sky. You are outside, near the point you first entered Celwynvian with Eviana's army.
Looking around with the utmost curiosity, "Okay, this is... weird. Where are we? Is this some kind of alternate realm or something where everything is not destroyed?"
"Interesting." Iolar looks around with some sense of wonder, but present concerns quickly re-assert themselves.
"They left a champion outside the portal. They may have left watchers inside."
"Yeah, watchers. Great." Lothan complains, shaking his head before something new just occurs to him. "Do you all hear that? Yeah, me neither. It's so quiet." He then looks up, "And check out the sky. Call me crazy, but that does not look good. I guess we probably should, I don't know, look around... maybe? I just have no idea where to begin. On one side of the coin this place is kinda cool, yet, on the other side, it's kinda creepy."
Vendric looks around trying to find anything that might shed some light about this place.
Rolling for knowledge for anything he sees.
"Yes, we should heal up while we can. There's no telling what's waiting us on this side, and I doubt it will be any less difficult than it was to get here."
"Perhaps the drow corrupt this place too. If no one threatens us now, let us heal our wounds before pursuing the drow further. "
CLW Wand: 19 charges remain.
There's practically no one around. The city almost appears abandoned, but you do see one elf in wizardly robes some distance away. He's staring up at the vortex in the sky and doesn't seem to have noticed you.
Popping his neck from one side to the other, "Thanks, Iolar. Man that feels a lot better." Then noticing the figure in the distance, "Hold on, folks, we aren't the only ones here." He motions with a nod toward the figure. He then moves toward the elf quietly to try and get a better look at them as he keeps an eye out for anyone else.
Iolar follows about 50' behind Lothan.
It's a normal elf.
Noticing the elf is no drow, Lothan stops and turns to the others, giving a thumbs up. He then turns and moves toward the elf freely. "Hello! Hello... um... elf person!" he hollers, raising his hands up in the air with his bow still in his right hand in an attempt to show he means no harm.
The elf turns and looks at you "Oh...hello."
Lothan looks at him with a raised eyebrow. Oooookay, that's not what I was quite expecting but whatever. "So, where are the others? It's not just you, is it?" He looks around, wondering if he might have just missed the others.
Seeing Lothan make peaceful contact, Iolar hurries forward before this elf turns into a 30' long monster with tentacles and swords for teeth.
"Most of the others have fled the planet," he says with some anger in his voice. "There's still a few of us around."
Lothan looks to the elf, taken aback by his words. "Ummmmm, what?! Fled the planet?! Are you serious? Why? And if there are only a few of you left, where are they? And who are you again? And what the heck is that thing in the sky?" he asks, looking up at it.
Iolar sighs with frustration at Lothan's manners, but she has to admit his stream of consciousness style of questioning is covering all the pertinent subjects, this time.
"The seers have predicted a cataclysm, and supposedly that thing in the sky is its harbinger. The few of us who remain are scattered throughout the city. I am Ilamin Silverwind."
"So most elves have fled Golarion then? Why do you remain?"
"I have a sneaking suspicion this isn't Golarion. There's no telling where or even when that portal sent us."
Rolling to see if he can remember anything about what the elf is saying in any books or stories he heard.
Sheathing his bow, Lothan nods his head in complete agreement. "Yeah, shouldn't you be finding a place to hide also?" He then thinks about it a moment, "Wait a minute," he turns to Iolar, "shouldn't we be finding a place to hide?! And why did we even come here?!" he asks as the reality of it all hits him square in the face. "I swear, swords for teeth and multiple appendages on one side, end of the FREAKING WORLD ON THE OTHER!" He throws his arms up in anger. Shaking his head in disbelief, he drags his hands down his face in utter frustration. "Game over, man! Game over! We are so screwed." He starts to pace, trying to come up with something that will keep them alive. "We gotta do something! Stop this thing from happening or something! I'm not gonna just stand here and get... I don't know... blown up? or whatever that thing is gonna do."
Lothan turns to Vendric, "I sure the heck hope you're right, V. Because this would totally bite."
"Because the world isn't ending and that shadow in the sky is nothing more than a celestial event that'll eventually pass." Ilamin looks at Vendric. "Of course this is Golarion. What else would it be?"
Lothan looks to the elf perplexed, yet, hopeful. "So... it's not going to end? But I thought you said the seers said it was gonna bring an end to the world? Okay, I'm confused. So who's right: You or these seer people? Or are you all just guessing?"
"Ilamin Silverwind, I am Iolar Eitilt. My companions and I are strangers here, fresh from battle. Some other friends of ours were captured by black elves who may have passed this way. Have you seen aught of them?"
Lothan snaps, nodding. "Yeah, that's a better question. I'm tired of standing here wondering if we're all gonna die or not."
"The seers are crazy. If you'd really like to learn more about this thing, though, you should visit Eloquan at the library. He's not fleeing either, and he probably knows more than anybody."
When Iolar mentions the black elves, Ilamin rubs his chin. "You mean those strange elves that showed up recently. I can't say I know much about them. No one knows what to make of them, but they all seem to leave us alone. Again, Eloquan may be your best bet there."
The blot in the sky is very much like the one you saw before the meteor fell near Riddleport.
"Eloquan? Creator of the speaking orbs? I would like to make his acquaintance. All of more if he can tell us where to find these black elves, the drow. Ilamin Silverwind, I thank you for your courteous aid. I regret that we must hasten on, but the drow may threaten our friends lives."
Iolar lays on the formal respectful tone, but wheels abruptly on her heel and sets a course for the library.
Lothan salutes the man and immediately waste no time falling in step along side Iolar. "Good. Now maybe we can get somewhere. Talking to that guy is like talking to a rock. Bor-ing."
"Amazing indeed, but we have more immediate to concerns. We must talk to Eloquan at the library and find where the drow are...." Iolar cocks her head to one side.
"THE LIBRARY! They were researching there! They will almost certainly be there now."
She quickens her pace.
At the library she will stop before entering to look for drow or traps and to plan.
You find the library just ahead of you. It's looks like it did when you encountered it before, but without the damage, decay, and creeper vines. Inside, you find the elf you saw in the sphere's projection. "Yes? he asks.
"Earthfall? Seriously, Z? Come on, you don't really expect me to believe that, do you?" He looks at him a moment, noticing the oracle seems to be absolutely serious. Raising a forefinger as a teacher would to a student, "No, no, you - are you SERIOUS?! You gotta be kidding me. So we are going to get blown up! Great, that's just... just great." he says, the frustration obvious.
"Amazing indeed, but we have more immediate to concerns. We must talk to Eloquan at the library and find where the drow are...." Iolar cocks her head to one side.
"THE LIBRARY! They were researching there! They will almost certainly be there now."
"Let's hope so. And let's hope we get the answers we need before we're all toast."
You find the library just ahead of you. It's looks like it did when you encountered it before, but without the damage, decay, and creeper vines. Inside, you find the elf you saw in the sphere's projection. "Yes? he asks.
"Hey! That's the elf guy in the ball! I remember you! Well this is kinda cool. You must be glad to be out of that ball, huh?" He grins at the revelation. Realizing he should probably ask something, "Oh! Um, right, um...," he starts but then stops, ultimately shaking his head before turning to Iolar. "I think I'm all questioned out. I'll let you handle this one."
"Eloquan, I am glad to greet you. Unfortunately our business is pressing. Ilamin Silverwind, told us that you may know where the black elves are. They have taken some of our friends and I fear the worst."
Eloquan looks confused. "The black elves? What do you mean?"
Rolling his eyes, "Okay, have you seen anyone at all come this way?"
"Yes."
Eloquan looks at you queerly. "Celwynvian is a center for elven trade and research," he begins, "and untold numbers have come here for those purposes. The Library of Reenai sits near the entrance to this city, and inevitably, many people pass by or through here. Even now, in the face of the uncoming apocalypse, there are still some that come here. If you expect me to remember what they've all looked like, then I'm afraid I can't help you. Perhaps you could describe for me exactly what you're looking for, and perhaps I may be able to help you out."
Eloquan looks at you even more queerly. "Yes...I..." He winces suddenly and rubs his brow with his hand. "Those elves...I have flashes of memories of such elves doing research in this library, but I can't remember there comings and goings." He starts looking faint. "It's so very strange, like I'm remembering pieces of a dream."