Oblivious to Keryth's chiding, apparently it takes quite a bit to insult the dwarf (thick skull and all), Ballar finds the wizard's words somewhat interesting. Some of it though is just completely over his head. Noth'n ba smoke'n mirrors. Ballar giggles to himself, divinations are so much easier to interpret, especially when your deity's emissary whispers the answer in your ear. A quick memory of school flashes; hushed messages, secret notes with answers passed when the teacher's back was turned. Good times!
Noticing the conversation has shifted back to Hana, Ballar gazes into the woman's brown eyes. Trying to gleam a hint of what she might be up to the cleric and sometimes fighter watches the expressions flowing across her face and lets his ears drink in the influx of her voice, Estas ocupado esta noche?
Niversal sees the cloud clear and has dropped to the stairs on the upper level invisible. As the group talks (round 2) and the cloud clears then Niversal will go into the door and look around to see what can be seen (round 3).
It was, I think she said, she wanted the mirror identified, yes identified, and studied here as best as it could be. I, I don’t know why she would ask anyone to enter the mirror, not, you know, not knowing what it is connected to
Ballar's expression turns sympathetic and the dwarf gently touches her chin. He looks Hana in the eye, Now lass, tha's no wha her Baronessness told us. We were told yu'd be work'n with us on thas. Now, if we're ta work ta geth'r, ya've gotta give us all tha goods darl'n. Ballar throws her a quick wink, Wat is it 'bout tha mirror she's need'n?
Niversal will attempt to Jimmy the door open. Surely he can do so.
I wonder whats taking Bud and Niversal so long to join us here... in the street. Zae sighs as she watches Ballar call Hana out on givn the goods.
Keryth watches Hana stone-faced as she responds. She speaks falsely, he thinks to himself. Magical compulsion? I don't think so. Is it greed? Fear? Keryth tries to determine her motives as he listens to her and Ballar's exchange.
Bud watches the courtyard and Niversal as he works on the lock.
Still waiting for Hana's response, Ballar gently strokes a hand over her black hair, keeping up his 'showing the girl a bit of tenderness' bit. Hana? Lassy. Ya can trust us girl. The dwarf smiles warmly, waiting patiently.
I was with a few friends, when that man came upon us. We were travelling to deliver a message to Jackie, Jaquelin, and we were ambushed. He got the drop on us and before I knew what was happening my friends were taken into that mirror. I don’t know what is on the other side, but I was hoping I’d find out, if I could stay alive long enough for him to confront the five of you. I didn’t tell him about It’Dupree, but he already knew that someone from another reality was searching for the mirror, or maybe he’s paranoid and always thinks someone is trying to take the mirror from him. It’Dupree believes, I suppose, that the mirror, if it is the mirror I think it is, is some sort of prison, a dimensional anchor that traps those who travel into it. The secret for getting in and out of the mirror is what she is after, and I think she probably intended all along for us, and probably your team as well, to get into that place and then back out again with the secret to travelling back and forth. She’s trapped, you know, in some parallel dimension. She can communicate with her books, from where she is, but she can’t see very much of what goes on here, or in our home world. She talks about where she is, and it sounds like a strange place with advanced magic that everyone controls through little boxes people carry in their hands – and weird contests of skill and sport. I don’t know how she has managed to keep her sanity all these years, but in order for her to protect the city from the Necromechadons, she ended up sealing herself away from the city. Now the city has been trapped under the shroud for four centuries and she has been trapped in another dimension, but here is the thing. She wants me, or you I suppose, to bring the mirror to her, to the other world where she is trapped, and then if she is right about things, she wants to go into the mirror, and then have the mirror returned to Dorbna, where she can come back out of the mirror back in her home dimension, bypassing whatever magic is keeping here trapped on that other world. She wants the mirror brought back to the city, delivered to Abigail, her number one genius, who is the only one who knows where a portal to this other dimension where It’Dupree is trapped can be located. If we get the mirror we can take it back, as she wants, but, my friends are still trapped in that mirror. I don’t know if it is worth the risk to try and save them, but at the same time, I don’t want to just let them die, and it sounds like this man is not bothered by using the place beyond the mirror to kill or imprison his enemies for all eternity. That’s the truth everything I know.
So in simpler terms, we need the mirror and to discover the secret of travelling back and forth through the mirror to help our benefactor. Does that sum it up? Because the whole thing sounds dreadful.
Niversal leaves the door barely cracked and open and uses a round to write a message and shoot it ivef to Bud telling him about the three inside staring at sonething
So in simpler terms, we need the mirror and to discover the secret of travelling back and forth through the mirror to help our benefactor. Does that sum it up? Because the whole thing sounds dreadful.
Keryth continues to stare at Hana for a long time after Zae speaks. Finally breaking the long silence, his voice is tinged with fatigue, I think you are overlooking Hana's request to rescue her friends from within the mirror dimension. I'd be all for getting a hold of the mirror so that we can enter at the time of our choosing. Now normally that would be never, who knows what or who lies beyond, but who am I kidding? We are already through the looking glass just being here, Keryth emphasizes while jingling the wrist band that they all wear from travelling to this dimension via the portal.
Ballar nods and pats Hana's shoulders warmly, Thanks. Tha's all we ask lass.
The mixed up cleric listens as the magic types talk thinking all the while, The're do'n a very goo' job o'summ'n it up. The dwarf looks at his own wrist band then blurts out, So, tha mirror's jus anoth'r wrist band? An ta figure it out, we need ta...wha? Try as he might, this line of thought is quickly moving beyond Ballar's realm of expertise but he's willing to give it a shot.
El Lucha Libre strokes his red beard some more in thought before exclaiming, Aah! Ballar looks up to see if anyone is listening before continuing. It's a habit he's been developing ever since taking up MMA as 'knowing' where the blow is coming from improves the chances of blocking it. Could be the're a sort'a key, Ballar holds up his wrist band, Ya know, allow'n passage to an fro. No key. No pass'n through, or gett'n back. We may need ta look fa more than jus tha mirror, if ya get mah drift.
The dwarf looks at his own wrist band then blurts out, So, tha mirror's jus anoth'r wrist band? An ta figure it out, we need ta...wha?
No.
Could be the're a sort'a key, Ballar holds up his wrist band, Ya know, allow'n passage to an fro. No key. No pass'n through, or gett'n back. We may need ta look fa more than jus tha mirror, if ya get mah drift.
Again, no. Keryth shakes his head. They are not the same. I was merely pointing out the absurdity of it all. The Baron was planning on using the mirror against our will. I'm sure merely looking at the mirror is all that is needed to enter. Getting out on the other hand might require something else. And that is the issue.
The decision we have to make is do we try to acquire the mirror here and now and control it, or just let ourselves be "captured".
Looking around at the rooftops trying to spy the rest of the party he adds, Of course, depending on what Bud and Niversal are up to, that decision may be rendered moot.
seeing Bud not respond to the message was typical so Niversal closes the door silently and makes his way on round seven of invisibility down the steps and over to his group and whispers to them:
there are several people behind the door up the stairs three to be exact looking at something, what do we feel like doing? Bud is still up on the roof looking things over and ignoring my attempts to talk with him
Letting us be captured sounds rather clever, but I don't like that we don't know yet on how to get out. Controlling the mirror sounds like the better option, especially since it is the more difficult sounding of the two options. Usually the harder of two routes is worth the effort when it comes to this sort of thing.
Bud moves around the roof to the side where he can see the group and pauses. He bends over and stands back up and then paces back and for for a minute. He finally smiles and snaps his fingers and appears next to the group. "I think the leader went into one of the rooms in there. I say we go get him and pay him back for taking our friend here. If he's got the mirror then we'll have it and can take it back to the boss. Wadda ya think?"
Jus so long as he's got tha manual with'm. Ballar looks over to the others and as soon as they are ready heads back into the alley and towards the door Bud indicated.
How do you propose to avoid looking at the mirror while we attempt to capture it? I could summon another Dretch to try and steal it away. It can cast a stinking cloud of its own to allow it a chance to get in and out without as much resistance.
They were able to grab the mirror and move it even under exceptional duress previously and I do not doubt they will do so again. Niversal says plainly
Were they? Are you sure about that? Keryth retorts. If you have a proposal of your own, I'm all pointy ears.
With no one speaking up or offering any alternative ideas Keryth sighs and says dejectedly, So, kick in the door and rush in blind then?
we can go through the upstairs door and I can sneak in for sure. When we arrive and can see down if the mirror is there summon the creature and grab the mirror from behind bringing it out.
Oh Aye, ba tha direct approach usual-lay works best lad. Ballar nods enthusiastically in favor of Keryth's tactic. Sides, Ah'm not exact-lay known fa ma sneak'n. At this Ballar raises his hands and mimicks Niversal's best stealth moves. Even though on tip-toes, the dwarf's armor and Dorn chain rattle and clank annoyingly.
Keryth throws up his hands in surrender. I give up. Lead on whoever. I'll follow and throw spells or whatever seems appropriate...
Ballar shrugs, hefts his dorn and makes for the doorway.
Niversal runs as Ballar goes for the front door to the stairs and up the stairs back to where Bud is and the door waiting for the noise from him kicking the door below.
Zae mimics Ballar with an imperceptible shrug as she saddles back on top of Kama and brings up the rear of the party formation.
Ballar's size 6 and a half boot connects with the door.
I just heard a door close around the corner and out in the street.
Zaehyra is oblivious to the noise but isn't foreign to the keener senses of elves. Trying to set up a flank or are they looking to slip away?
Runn'n like cowards! Ballar makes to move into the room but stops himself. His dwarven eyes dart from one side of the room to the other looking for anything shiny... like trip wires or the barrel of a dart gun. Course most tricky things like that are usually set off by opening doors and the like and as nothing bad happened the dwarf whispers over his shoulder, Err, which way?
Keryth points in the direction from which he heard the door close. I highly doubt they are trying to get away. More likely they are drawing us into an ambush or into the path of the mirror.
I haven't had lunch yet and I am getting tired of all this running around. Fine. Back that way! Niversal turns the direction that Keryth is pointing and moves with the group this time in that way.
Ballar follows the conjurer's finger then with a nod steps off in that direction.
Ah, ya gotta be kidd'n meh! Ballar rushes back down the stairs to rejoin his companions.
I'm not convinced they are gone, but if they are, what do we do next?
Purr'aps they did some o'tha magician trick'ry. Ya know, turn'd un'visible. Ballar looks around for foot prints or puddles of water which may have been disturbed recently by invisible feet.
Ballar taps Niversal on the arm, Oi Nivers! Look a'them! The dwarf points towards some tracks two doors down the street leading south, Ow'many where there? Four, right? Think we should ge'onit? Ballar grins at the others, his red beard nodding enthusiastically.
Niversal turns and tries to make something out of the dirt
What makes you sure those belong to the Baron and his retinue?